In-Store Now: Stella McCartney for LeSportsac Fall '08, When Did the Prices Change?

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These are not the best images of Stella McCartney's fall '08 collection for LeSportsac—photos taken of a lookbook, which is on some sort of grainy recycled paper—now in-store at the new freestanding boutique on Melrose. As such, the images don't really do justice to the carryalls, rucksacks and cases—the earthy tones look flat, whereas they're deeper and glossier in person, the hardware of a good quality and refined. But what caught my eye about the lookbook is the prices, which range from $85 for a deer rucksack to $450 for a 26-inch check in case; take a close look at how each one has been whited out. You can see it best on the items in the $200 range, which looks like they were initially priced at $300-something. Was this a printing flub? Did LeSportsac decide to bring the prices down? And, if so, after printing materials such as these? Seems a bit late in the game.

A price comparison between last season (19 pieces total) and this season (11 pieces total) shows that in the under $100 range there was a 1:1 ratio; in the $100-$200 a 7:1 ratio; in the $200-$300 range a 2:6 ratio; in the $300-$400 range a 7:2 ratio; and in the $400-$500 range a 2:1 ratio.

The result is a trimmed down collection this season, by eight pieces, with what looks like a cost compromise, amping up the $200-$300 range and downsizing $100-$200 and $300-$400. Looks like the label has honed in on its selling sweet spot at $200-$300. [RackedWire]