Is Delia's poised for a comeback? How the Nineties teen favorite could be on track to become the next J.Crew

By Misty White Sidell

PUBLISHED: 10:42 EST, 25 October 2013 | UPDATED: 12:01 EST, 25 October 2013

Children of the Nineties will remember Delia’s for its catalogues filled with platform flip-flops, daisy-chain embellished babydoll dresses, and nylon track pants.

In the last 15 years, however, the company has fallen a long way from its status as the must-have retailer for trendy tween girls. But some new high-profile hires at the company indicate that it could be set to make a return to the fashion fore.

This year Delia’s hired new CEO Tracy Gardner, a fashion executive who followed Mickey Drexler from the GAP to serve as J.Crew’s head of merchandising. She helped him transform the unprofitable, fuddy brand into a financial boon. Using her track record as a precedent, it seems that Delia’s could be on its way back into favor.

Delia's
Delia's

Now and then: Delia's modern catalogues (L) are starkly different from those hailing from the Nineties (R)

Gardner left J.Crew in 2010 after six years to spend more time with her family. She has come out of retirement specifically to head Delia’s, reports BuzzFeed, and has already poached team members from J. Crew and Coach. Her hiring has been heavily vetted by primary Delia’s investor and hedge fund manager Whitney Tilson.

 

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Tilson told BuzzFeed that the company sees ‘the potential for another J.Crew kind of turnaround.’ Indeed, while Tilson’s initial 2008 investment in Delia’s has nosedived to around $1.18 per share (only one cent more than troubled retailer American Apparel, per market numbers available at press time), he purchased another 2.2 million shares in July - a move spurred by Gardner’s installment as CEO.

But even before Delia’s, Tilson displayed an interest in revamping flailing retail brands. He most recently joined fellow hedge funder Bill Ackman and Apple’s former retail head Ron Johnson to reinvigorate J.C. Penney with a slew of conceptual ideas. Though the progressive plan was initially lauded for its modernity, it was too forward-thinking for the retailer’s largely traditionalist consumers.


It failed quite miserably and within 17 months, the company lost more than $4 billion in sales.

Delia's
Delia's

Nostalgic kick: Delia's Nineties designs (above) served as a formative fashion experience for many teens

Delia's

Today: When comparing modern Delia's designs (above) with those from the Nineties, its clear how the company has lost sight of its edge in design, styling, and marketing

But he says that Delia’s has more potential for growth, since its infrastructure is already more ‘broken’ than J.C. Penney was when he began working on it.

For all of Delia’s present inconsistencies, it’s interesting to note its audience’s affluence. Twenty per cent of its customers come from families that earn more than $120,000 a year, while 50 per cent exceed $75,000 in combined salaries. The company aims to target a dispensable-income laden age group that ranges from 12-18.

With the Nineties trend still in full force, it seems timely that the brand - a formative fashion purveyor for girls of the Spice Girl generation - would be eyeing a comeback. Delia’s was founded by two male Yale graduates in 1993 and became a cultural institution for style-inclined teens by the end of the decade.

In many ways, its designs were cutting edge, at a time when fast commercial fashion from stores like H&M had yet to infiltrate the teen market. But fashion’s rapidly accelerated trend cycle, paired with mismanagement and poor design, quickly rendered the brand as a lesser desirable entity. Fast forward 15 years and the label, which continues to trade via its 104 standalone stores, a website and catalogue that has a 20million-strong circulation, is plummeting.

In recent months, though, nostalgic photos from the brand’s catalogues have been appearing on social media sites like Pinterest and Tumblr.

Delia's
Delia's

Up next: Garndner, who helped reinvent J.Crew, could very well restore Delia's to its former glory

A Delia’s spokesperson was unable to comment on the future of the company’s financials. They also declined to shed light on the evolution of its aesthetics (and were unauthorized to confirm or deny any of the facts detailed in BuzzFeed’s story).

But it would make sense that the label, which has had difficulty breaking into today’s teenage fashion market, would return to its hallmark for trendy-yet-wholesome, styles—the one which worked so well in the Nineties.

As J.Crew’s merchandising director, Gardner was likely deeply involved in many of the decisions to its look from conservative prep to polished hipster—a trajectory that has rendered the label a force in modern retailing.

Hopefully that training ground will prove itself on the pages of Delia’s catalogue in the months to come.

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Never heard of it. Is it a Polish shop?

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Obviously great news for those in the USA...😳

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Just hope I can continue to buy my 26" inseam skinny jeans in the future! It's been a real convenience to not have to go have to go out and shop for jeans and then have to have them tailored.

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Kids have moved on. A "retro 90s" design, buying and merchandising strategy gets you to next season but, fickle as their demographic is, likely doesn't save the company. Good luck. Signed, ACA Joe

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I loved Delia's when I was in high school and I was born in 92'

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I've been buying jeans and corduroy pants all these years--as a tiny petite women, I can get a 26" inseam (and not have to pay for alteration) and skinny jeans on sale for cheap! I hate going out shopping, Delias has always been convenient. It will be interesting to see how things change .

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I've been watching Boy Meets World, listening to The Backstreet Boys, Smashing Pumpkins and Third Eye Blind all day today and now this! I MISS THE 90'S SO MUCH! Anyone got a time machine I can borrow?

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Since the 90's is such a huge trend right now, I definitely think there could be a lot of potential for making delias cool again!

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Wow this brought me back...I remember getting this catalog in the 90s! Could never afford anything from them though:(

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Neither could I, but boy, did I look forward to getting their catalog in the mail.

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Oh my gosh, I remember ordering from Delia's while in high school. I would feel so cool going to school in my Delia's outfit in Monday. Lol. Memories.

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