I really admire Eileen Fisher’s story. She has done what all fashion companies could and should do: take ownership. She seems to be an almost perfect example of a passionate, dedicated, and ambitious leader. Not only does she concern herself with environmental, ethical, and social concerns, but she also encourages the designers to express themselves and to embrace creative freedom. Fisher actively helps the consumer make better choices when they shop her products so that the consumer does not have to feel guilty. Regardless of this, though, I personally do not have a lot of experience with the Eileen Fisher brand, and I have never felt compelled to explore her NYC SoHo store several times. Perhaps I looked at her clothes once and didn’t identify with the brand? Perhaps it was a bit too pricey? I am not sure.
I am actually not surprised by the fact that, in 2009, the company was struggling to gain traction with younger customers. Even today, when I think of the brand Eileen Fisher, the first person who comes to mind is my friend’s mother who is in her 60s. Her style is simple, elegant, and professional. And funnily enough, sometimes I realize that we are wearing very similar things. Reflecting upon this reading and my experience with the Eileen Fisher brand, I am not sure why my gut instinct is “that’s not my type of brand” because, well, it seems like it totally is! It is interesting to me that even after IDEO came in and helped deliver surprising results within just 2 weeks, I still have this kind of perception. On top of that, I cannot think of a single one of my friends around my age who shops at Eileen Fisher, but then again, perhaps they do and I just don’t know. I like that IDEO made the EF employees have one on one interviews with customers, conduct field research visiting customer’s houses, and collect data on consumer shopping habits out in the wild. There is something uniquely special about witnessing your end-user interact with your product (or a similar product) in a relevant context that I believe will almost always inspire new and innovative ideas.