Bite Me

Priciest items in 'Sex and City' star's line is $20
Monday, June 4, 2007

By EVELYN SHIH
STAFF WRITER

Photographer: Evelyn Shih.

Her face may not launch a thousand ships, but fashionista Sarah Jessica Parker certainly knows how to front a sales campaign. Thursday, the "Sex and the City" star launches her new women's casual wear line, Bitten, in collaboration with Steve & Barry's.

Steve and who?

"We realize that the majority of shoppers in America have never heard of Steve & Barry's," said Howard Schacter, chief partnership officer and co-manager of the Bitten brand for the sports and casual wear company. The business, which was founded in 1985 by two seniors at University of Pennsylvania, started with humble beginnings in collegiate and sportswear.

What may shock Parker's fans is the $20-and-under price tag of all the 400-odd spring/summer items. But "this line was designed by Sarah Jessica Parker, not Carrie Bradshaw," said Schacter.

More important, the low prices reflect Steve & Barry's "cost-based philosophy," which minimizes costs at every stage of garment production -- including a low advertising budget -- in an effort to pass on savings to the consumer.

Maybe that's why you haven't heard of them.

Then again, maybe you have: Last year, Schacter helped put together the Starbury brand, a men's casual wear line in partnership with Stephon Marbury of the Knicks. The star product, a sneaker selling for less than $15 that Marbury pledged to wear all season, became hugely popular.

The Bitten line will try to achieve the same success -- but with classy, everyday women's wear.

"We've been a primarily male-oriented store," said Schacter. "Bitten marks our true entry into the women's market."

Bitten on a mannequin. Photographer: Evelyn Shih

When approached for the partnership, Parker herself had never heard of the store, which has locations in the Palisades Center and Jersey Gardens malls. It wasn't until she visited one of the Manhattan stores and spoke with the founders about their vision that she was "bitten by the Steve & Barry's bug."

"Something about this company and this opportunity spoke to her," said Schacter, who spearheaded the effort to cement the partnership. "She wanted to do the same thing for women that Stephon and Steve & Barry's was able to do for younger men."

Parker grew up as one of eight children and attended high school at Dwight Morrow in Englewood. She understands what it's like not to have enough money to dress well.

The Bitten manifesto proclaims loud and clear: "Fashion is not a luxury, it's a right" -- and that message grew out of Steve & Barry's mission to re-educate the public, said Schacter.

The manifesto. Photographer: Evelyn Shih.

"Shoppers tend to think the materials must be more expensive for an expensive piece of clothing," he explained. "We take great pains to tell shoppers that [our products are] the same quality as higher priced lines. We certainly welcome any expert in manufacturing and merchandise to go through our merchandise with a fine-toothed comb.

"It does not cost what a lot of consumers think it costs to make clothes and shoes," he added.

E-mail: shih@northjersey.com
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Where to shop

Sarah Jessica Parker's (above) new casual wear line, Bitten, launches Thursday in all Steve & Barry's stores, including:

PALISADES CENTER

* 1000 Palisades Center Drive, West Nyack, N.Y.
* Phone: 845-358-1576
* Hours: 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday to Saturday; 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Sunday.

JERSEY GARDENS

* 651 Kapkowski Road, Elizabeth
* Phone: 908-436-9640
* Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday; 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Sunday.

MANHATTAN MALL

* Sixth Avenue and 33rd Street, Manhattan
* Phone: 212-564-1959
* Hours: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

For a preview of the Bitten line, log on to bittensjp.com/collec tion.php

Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.