SM goes high fashion

Something interesting happened on the fourth floor of SM Makati last Tuesday.

Matrons well into their years, teenagers in micro minis and women of all ages in between were going gaga over a selection of clothes at a private sale.

To launch SM’s Fashion Forum, a new section that retails brands like Max & Cleo, Donna Morgan and Adrianna Papell, the department store opened with a fashion show and private sale. A makeshift selling floor was set up in SM’s Prestige Lounge.

Racks carrying cocktail frocks, day dresses and the like were being raided by women 16 and up.

A perfectly coiffed woman in her 50s, attired in a cinched dress, was lining up outside a dressing room to fit something a 20-year-old wouldn’t mind wearing. Which isn’t to say that the 50-year-old lady was dressed inappropriately, only that SM’s Fashion Forum is putting its focus on wearable garments that appeal to women young and, well, not so young.

“We attract fashion conscious women of all ages and lifestyles,” says Fashion Forum merchandising consultant Carissa Chan. “Our customers are confident, well traveled and they know their personal style.”

Chan, who flies to the New York showrooms of each label to see what they have to offer each season, knows what customers instantly gravitate to — no matter their age. “Flattering silhouettes, eye-catching prints and clean cuts,” she claims, always make for bestsellers.

Essentially, dresses that make women look good are their specialty.

“We carry classic pieces that are stylish, modern and timeless,” she adds.

Since the labels are imported from the US every season, the price points are slightly higher than what most SM regulars have come to expect from a store that’s known for its affordable goods. But, Chan says, prices are on par with US retail or, in some cases, cost even less than its foreign counterpart.

Shoppers won’t have to worry about running into a herd of women in the same dress either.

At Fashion Forum, they put a premium on selecting fewer stocks of each style. Whether you’re 50 or 15, there’s nothing worse than purchasing the perfect dress only to find yourself running into someone in the exact same garment. “We order just enough to maintain the exclusivity of the brand,” says Chan. “And we buy every season and bring in new merchandise in-store every month.”