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Cashing in on changing demographics The "two-income family" put Liz Claiborne on the map. With three partners, she started a clothing store for working women in 1976. Featuring high-end fashions appropriate for the workplace, Liz Claiborne's company grew with the number of two-career families. Liz Claiborne, who resigned from the company in 1989 to do charity work, also expanded to design men's fashions, perfumes, and cosmetics. In the 1990s, however, competitors emerged, the company's children's and sneaker lines failed, and women increasingly demanded more versatile, comfortable clothes. As a result, Liz Claiborne experienced years of poor sales. The company's decline continued until 1995, when the company's new CEO Paul Charron cut costs, added new labels and retail markets, and launched an ambitious $25 million advertising campaign. From Wal-Mart on up Charron's shrewd moves paid off, enabling the company to turn in record earnings for 1997. The company also benefited from the distress of competitor Donna Karan, which penned a deal in late 1997 giving Liz Claiborne exclusive rights to the popular DKNY Jeans and DKNY Active trademarks. In October 1999, the two designers came together again, forming an agreement allowing Liz Claiborne to use the Donna Karan name to market a new women's clothing line, set to hit department stores in spring 2001. Today, the Liz Claiborne design house includes several brands that sell everywhere from fashionable boutiques to Wal-Mart. The company's newer lines of casual sportswear actually outsell its more costly career-oriented clothes. With this in mind, Liz Claiborne's Niki Taylor line of casual women's clothes, was added to Target's merchandise. The line of knitwear will be available exclusively at Target, starting in the 2000 Holiday season. Shop-a-holic? Liz Claiborne continued its two-year shopping spree in 1999, acquiring 85 percent stakes of both Segrets, maker of the Sigrid Olsen lines of women's sportswear, and Lucky Brand Dungarees, a maker of denim sportswear for juniors. With the broadening of its brand portfolio, the company also announced that it would reorganize its marketing strategy and introduce a line for the male metropolitanite, Claiborne Urban. Also that year, Liz Claiborne bought the label rights to Kenneth Cole, as well as a 9 percent stake in the footwear and accessories company. Getting technical In early 2000, the company completed its IT reorganization project, Transformation 2000, which it launched in 1997 to bring its systems up-to-par with its expanding business needs. The project involved removing 80 percent of the company's old applications, and replacing a large majority of them with fresh, time-saving ones by Richter Systems. The applications they chose to replace included many from its store, HR, and financials departments. More money was put towards technology in June 2000, when the company allocated $65 million to improve its design and sourcing abilities over three years. With this project, Liz Claiborne will lower the number of countries it sources to 32, a 20 percent decrease. The company has already chopped its supplier list down by 50 percent, but has doubled its volume of production. LizLink, a program enabled via the Internet, provides designers at Claiborne with the ability to check on the progress of the company's production globally, and is being tested at 12 of the company's factories. If all goes well, LizLink will be released at additional Claiborne facilities by the end of 2000. On the lookout If you're on the prowl for a job with Liz Claiborne, you could run into luck. The company is augmenting its distribution network in the U.S., planning to open several top-of-the-line distribution centers in the near future. Plans are to build a 700,000 square-foot facility, possibly in the Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati region. Opening a center there could bring the company well over 400 new jobs. The company is also looking at sites in the Tri-State area.
Insiders report that Liz Claiborne recruits heavily from Parsons and FIT design schools, and uses executive search firms for many positions. The company posts jobs in newspapers such as the New York Times occasionally. Though interviews vary by department, all begin with an initial screening from human resources. The second, and sometimes third interviews are conducted with a potential supervisor. Applicants should call Liz Claiborne's job hotline for openings and the job codes that refer to individual openings. Resumes should include the job codes and can be mailed or faxed to the company's headquarters. Many jobs at Liz Claiborne do not require college education, but a background in the fashion industry is important. If an applicant can fill an opening, the company will call that person within three to six weeks; otherwise, resumes are kept on file for a year.
Tops in fashion "One of the best fashion companies to work for," insiders applaud Liz Claiborne's top benefits and friendly environment. However, some note that when it comes to the long hours and low compensation typical to the fashion industry, Liz Claiborne is not an exception. One notes, "You are going to put in a lot of hours, and not make a lot of money, but the experience at Liz Claiborne will open all kinds of doors if you decide to leave the company." Another reports, "It is a great place to gain experience - the name is well-known in the industry and well respected." Despite the elimination of 900 jobs over the last two years, employees say that the company is still large enough to provide a "wealth" of job opportunities. One possible drawback - the company's cost-cutting philosophy "permeates every business discussion." Wealth of opportunity, for everybody Most turn in top ratings for the corporate culture, which "believes in making things faster, smarter, and better," one contact reports. Opportunities for women are high, as one reports, "Though there are a lot of men in top positions, it is encouraging to see more women division presidents - and we do have a female president of the company." Another notes, "They reward hard work and enthusiasm regardless of race, color, or age." Employees, "fashion devotees one and all," appreciate the chance to take advantage of the 40 percent clothing discount. They also say that the company's pay scale "rivals the best in the fashion industry," though it varies greatly by department. Perks include bonuses, tuition reimbursement, clothing discounts, and museum ticket discounts, and an "excellent health care package," and 401(k) and profit sharing. Dress is business attire, though the company "is experimenting with casual dress during the summer."
Human Resources (212) 626-5959 More Company Profiles For more career information, go to Vault.com ©2000, Vault.com Inc
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