The Runway Race for Retail

It's the first day of Fashion Week, and this morning, the 48-hour clock started ticking. While fashion editors rush to report on the latest trends and designers frantically finish their collections, a lower-profile group--retailers--are racing, too, from runway to showroom. After the designer takes a bow and the models decamp from the shows of stars like Marc Jacobs or wunkerkinds-of-the-moment like Alexander Wang, buyers have about two days to get business done.

At the shows, they need to rapidly figure out what looks like the next It bag or trend-setting silhouette, without tipping off the competition. Opposing contingents from the major chains that sell designer fashion--Saks, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom--are seated together at shows. Sue Patneaude, a retired executive vice president of Nordstrom who ran the designer business for three decades, used to find herself next to competitors such as Joe Boitano, senior vice president of Saks. To keep their judgments to themselves, retailers tend to develop their own personal codes for notes. Then the race is on to beat the other retailers to place an order.

"All of the competitors are there and everyone wants an appointment right after the show," says Patneaude. "You usually have to do it within 48 hours--it' a race to find out what you love and make the commitment."

By Catherine Curan