MENSWEAR’S BEST DRESSED – DURAND GUION OF MACY’S
If you’re in ‘the industry’ and you don’t know who Durand is, you’re not paying enough attention. Helming the strategic direction of trends and fashion forecasting for a store called Macy’s (you might have heard of it), fashion director Durand Guion is an industry VIP. On a first encounter you might be somewhat surprised. Durand looks like luxury, from the diamonds on his fingers to his Tom Ford and/or Hermés. But it is exactly that impeccable understanding of elevated taste that serves Macy’s so well, and his ability to translate that taste to meet the lifestyle needs of the Macy’s consumer is testament to his uncommon grasp of the entire menswear market.
Always present in any street style section worth its salt, Durand travels extensively, on the front row of fashion shows and beyond, identifying new opportunities globally to enhance Macy’s merchandise mix throughout their modest network of over 600 stores nationwide and online. “You have to dive deeper than just the physical attributes of fashion,” he explains. “As the legendary Yves Saint Laurent once said, ‘Fashions fade; style is eternal,’ and that sentiment is so important, because it calls attention to the emotional connection that we must all create, on a seasonal basis, to connect with our core customers.”
PHOTOGRAPHY BY GLORIANNA XIMENDEZ
Why don’t we see any of the brands Mr Guion is wearing in Macy’s or Bloomingdales?
With suits and sports coats, the best Bloomingdales carry is Canali and Armani White label. At Macy’s the best brand you can find is Hugo Boss. These brands don’t reflect the high end taste of the Fashion Director at Macy’s (Bloomingdales). When will the change take place?