SAKS TEAMS WITH TV SHOW ‘EMPIRE’ FOR ITS NEXT BIG PROMO

by Christopher Blomquist

Sept. Men's coverSaks is in an “Empire” state of mind.

The department store announced today that is partnering with the hit TV drama series “Empire” for a special promotion to celebrate the premiere of the show’s second season on Fox on September 23.

The promotion will include curated men’s and women’s collections from luxury brands that match the general looks of the show’s stylish characters. Participating men’s collections will include Jimmy Choo, MCM and various fragrance names. The items will be available both in-store and online.

In addition, The Saks Fifth Avenue flagships in New York and Beverly Hills will have “Empire”-themed windows, which will be on display from September 10 to October 7, and the latter will host a launch event for the promotion next month. There will also be men’s luxury made-to-measure suiting events throughout September and October at Saks stores in New York, Beverly Hills, Chicago, Boston, Houston, Bal Harbour, San Francisco and Atlanta.

Finally, “Empire” actor Trai Byers, who plays oldest son Andre Lyon on the show, will grace the cover of the store’s fall magalog, Saks Fifth Avenue Collection’s Fabric #1.

“The lines between fashion and entertainment are intersecting,” said Marc Metrick, Saks Fifth Avenue’s president, in a statement. “Harnessing this moment is a key underpinning to our strategy as it brings energy and uniqueness to the shopping experience at Saks.”

“Empire,” was created by Lee Daniels and Danny Strong and stars Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson. It is a nighttime soap opera that focuses on the Lyons family and their battle for control of Empire Entertainment, a hip hop and entertainment company. It is currently nominated for two Emmy awards in the Outstanding Costumes for a Contemporary Series, Limited Series or Movie category and Henson is up for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.

“Empire” airs on Fox on Wednesdays at 9:00 p.m. EST.