The interviewer becomes the interviewee: Jeanne Beker at yesterday's preview of Edit
Last week, we wrote about The Bay’s new budget-friendly women’s clothing line, Moon, an assortment of inexpensive basics (a turtleneck is $19) in mostly black and grey. Now, the grande dame of department stores is debuting a small collection of slightly more expensive women’s clothes backed by arguably the most powerful woman in Canadian fashion: Jeanne Beker. We say “backed” because Beker didn’t design the clothes (check them out in our slide show). Instead, she worked with a Montreal manufacturer, selecting styles and fabrics, and suggesting changes to create 25 pieces for women Beker says don’t have time to shop. The name of the line: Edit.
Like Moon, the clothes—stylish basics aimed at women in their 30s, 40s and 50s—are mostly in black and grey, with a few hits of white, camel and red. There’s the classic Beker black dress ($150), a boyfriend jacket with ruched sleeves ($150), a cape-like camel jacket ($195), wide-leg dress pants ($79) and, somewhat surprisingly, a pair of jeggings ($85).
It’s not Beker’s first foray into making clothes rather than reporting on them: she had a short-lived travel line at Eaton’s before it was bought out by Sears, and for a time lent her expertise to a shapewear line. When Bonnie Brooks took over The Bay, the two started discussing the possibility of working together. Turns out that Brooks and Beker are old friends—it was Brooks who introduced Beker as a columnist in Flare magazine while she was editor.
Launching at 65 stores in September, Edit will come out with new looks every month. Don’t look for the clothes at Toronto fashion week, though. Beker doesn’t think that every line is runway worthy. Amen.
See the slide show of Edit’s first collection >>
With every new business, you want to create a brand and hopefully have a loyal group follow. Showcase these clothes on professional models and not on Jeanne Beker. This slide show was not appealing, in addition I am not entirely sold on it. Sorry Jeanne, you may be the most powerful woman in Canadian fashion, but you are definitely not a model. If you are trying to appeal to women over 40+, you should have hired beautiful women, just take a look at the MORE magazine. Now, they use beautiful women over 40-years of age to showcase fashion.
August 26, 2010 at 11:48 am | by Fashion Police at 50I am most definitely in agreement. I don’t find this line appealing at all… Not sure if it is the chosen model (Jeanne), or the clothing itself. This line is supposed to appeal to women in their 30′s, 40′s and 50′s? I’m sorry, but 30-what?
I am approaching my 33rd year in life and I would never wear any of these garments, far less look twice at them. My tastes are for the most part classic and tailored with the occasional fun fashion piece to mix things up. I do not blindly follow trends for the sake of following trends, I like to dress to suit my body and frame (regardless of whether skinny jeans are the “it silhouette”). Perhaps the basic black dress in this line may be fine, but even that is a tad boring and matronly (for me anyway). I passed this along to my 40 year-old sister and my very fashionable 58 year-old mother and neither are fussed or interested.
I love the idea that yet another clothing line has come out with what they deem as the “basics” to make dressing easier for women, but these basics simply don’t appeal to me or the ladies in my family. Sorry.
August 27, 2010 at 8:19 am | by pinkbuttonOWCH that’s harsh. Pay your dues ladies, Jeannie is the queen, there will be no snubbing her least of all by you. Your comments are cruel and reaffirming arrogant assumptions that clothes are best seen on skinny teenage models or even sickly skinny ladies in MORE mag. Easy to wear, matching and affordable outfits that will let you get on with your morning so that you don’t have to stand before your closet and sob.. those are assets to the fashion world. Edit is a gift.
August 27, 2010 at 10:54 am | by Amandathe line may be ok but whomever made the decision to use Jeannie the “face” of the line made a HUGE mistake. Im sorry but the shots make Jeannie look rediculous. WOW
August 27, 2010 at 11:33 am | by Living in King WestI like Jeannie in the role of interviewer not fashion model. This line wasn’t very appealing nor different from other lines. IT WAS BORING! The Bay continues to be one of my favourite places to shop but I would definiety not buy this particular line. They(The Bay)has a huge selection of fabulous fashion that is much more appealing.
August 27, 2010 at 2:58 pm | by brooklin99These clothes are boring and have no appeal whatsoever. Although I personally do not care for Ms. Beker, I do feel that she is fine as a model for this line (however, she is not the most attractive woman out there). She is age appropriate and not skinny, but these clothes are simply just plain dull.
August 27, 2010 at 7:23 pm | by LolaThe footwear has me in hysterics. I cannot imagine arriving at our conservative office wearing 6″ stiletto heels/boots. I love the look — just wish I had more appropo outings to wear such heels!
August 28, 2010 at 4:40 pm | by Luluits about time that the Bay comes down to earth and offers clothes that most of us would be willing to buy based on good design, quality and reasonable price! this is were the volume and profit lies. going too far upscale has not been very profitable for the Bay. American companies like Target that will compete for similar shoppers are comming to Canada. it would be sad to see the demise of the Bay.
August 28, 2010 at 7:18 pm | by m.Jeanne, your fifteen minutes are up.
August 31, 2010 at 2:37 am | by LisanneThese are shapeless, frumpy clothes for old women with “problem areas”. I am a professional woman in my 30′s and would not be caught dead in any of these outfits. Come on Bay! I thought you were trying to rebrand your image with more stylish, higher-end lines. This is more of the same “blah” styles you always carried.
August 31, 2010 at 1:37 pm | by KittykHonestly I’m 31 and I definitely appreicate the classic black dress and how all the pieces are very felxible. I just love how critical we are of our homegrown talent.
September 1, 2010 at 8:58 am | by lizJeanne, modeling is not for you. You are an excellent interviewer, so stick with that. The clothes are just ‘blah’ and makes me depressed thinking that this is what I have to look forward to during dark winter months. Come on Bay; we need a bit more excitement than this.
September 1, 2010 at 10:53 am | by DebbieDid everyone miss the concept…”EDIT” means that you can take what you want from this basic line and add or subtract whatever you like to make it your own. Do you dress to replicate the pages in Vogue? Jeanne’s line is wearable, mixable and with the right accessories a great starter kit.
Yes, the shoes would be the first to go… breaking my ankle was not fun the last time I wore shoes that high…I am in my early 40′s…not dead yet either. However, they are just something to “edit” out.
Happy editing and what you do not care to wear…just leave it on the change room floor…;)
September 2, 2010 at 7:42 am | by designergirlThere is something decidedly 1980′s about this line – and not in a good way. Who is there right mind is going to buy this? Jeanne is a terrible choice for a model – professional models exist for a reason – most of them at least look human! A spokesmodel that’s undergone major plastic surgery in her 50-60′s should not be marketing clothes aimed for 30 somethings.
Whatever happened to the Bay bringing in Topshop?
September 6, 2010 at 10:37 am | by Jordanthe line is just ok nothing really to write home about! But here is my beef, women after a certain age should no longer be wearing BLACK it is not a flattering colour to be seen in, infact it drains all colour from ones face and makes you look frumpy dumpy and lumpy, if anyone had seen the winter Olympics interview that Jeannie had done on the Olympic fashions where she was wearing a red jacket, you could tell how amazing youthfull and vivacious she looked but the minute she goes back to black she looks older and a little haggared looking if your not convined try a test at home in regular sunlight put on a black sweater and take a good look at yourself then switch to a colour that you seem to get the most compliments in you will notice a huge difference COLOUR makes you look fantastic, as a designer I feel or I know that after 40 keep black that hell out of your closet it is not our friend!!!! (except for funerals, even then try navy!)
September 7, 2010 at 4:40 pm | by dean renwick design studio