Abercrombie and Fitch Revitalizes the Brand with New Designers

Abercrombie & Fitch Quilted Liner Jacket with Tassel Peasant Blouse.

Last week I attended a press preview for the Summer/Fall lines from Abercrombie and Fitch.  The Columbus, Ohio company is revitalizing their brand with new designers. Kristina Szasz has taken on the design director for womenswear  and Aaron Levine is leading the designed for menswear at Abercrombie and Fitch.  The resulting collections are a significant upgrade for Abercrombie and Fitch.  I was surprised to see the good looking separates, vintage style prints and upscale men’s suede jackets from Abercrombie and Fitch, a brand I thought of just for logo tees, half-naked male models in-store and casual sportswear.

A vintage style print romper with keyhole opening from, yup, surprise Abercrombie & Fitch

With the new collections at Abercrombie, it’s clear the brand is targeting a more upscale, sophisticated buyer.  A buyer who wants work clothes and who doesn’t want to dress in Moose logo t-shirts, and perhaps is an older, working professional–that seems to be the new target customer for Abercrombie & Fitch.  The new executives at the Limited (Abercrombie’s parent company) may have realized their 20 something base is aging and they need to change things up.

New menswear for Fall from Abercrombie & Fitch designer Aaron Levine

The new menswear for fall from designer Aaron Levine is particularly good looking, with soft muted colors and luxe looking fabrication.  GQ is right, this talented designer IS making Abercrombie cool again.  The former Club Monaco designer is bringing back a bit of the original heritage that Abercrombie had when they designed men’s outerwear for expeditions and even hunting and fishing.

I’m looking forward to seeing these new Abercrombie & Fitch fashions in-store.  Pricing, with a few exceptions will be under $200.00.  For womenswear, sizing still seems to run small, so you might need to size up when you get to the store to try things on.  If you go check out the new Abercrombie fashions at your local mall, leave me a comment and let me know what you think.  They’ve come a long way  since abandoning those Moose logo t-shirts.  For more sporty, casual items check out the brand’s Hollister line, which is casual but still way above the logo tees offering preppy chic.