Most people who care probably have already heard the news, which was all over the business pages on Monday – Ann Inc., which owns Ann Taylor and LOFT, was purchased by Ascena, the company that owns Lane Bryant and Dress Barn for $2.2 B.  According to resources, the deal will close in the second half of 2015 and Ann Taylor will remain a separate company.

An Ann Taylor store in Denver

I wonder what creative changes will happen with the merger.  I’m hoping that like Ann Taylor’s competitors, Banana Republic and J.Crew, that there’ll be some collaborations and/or they’ll hire a popular designer to help enhance the brand (if this happens, it’ll likely be with the Ann Taylor brand rather than LOFT.  LOFT targets younger women who have just finished school and starting their careers).  But who would be that person?  Banana Republic, for example, has, in the past, collaborated with Milly, Roland Mouret and Issa, all which have been quite successful (especially Roland Mouret, which, sold out quickly in many styles).   Now Banana Republic has Marissa Webb (formerly of J.Crew and a designer in her own right) at their helm, so it’s not likely they’re going to have a designer collaboration for a while (I haven’t heard about anything, and usually they would have announced the summer line by now).  But what about Ann Taylor?  Who should they work with?

The petite section at Ann Taylor, Eaton Centre when it first opened in 2012

Personally, I think they would need to work with a designer who is relevant to the brand’s clientele.  In other words, one who is popular, but whose designs are not too over-the-top.  Ann Taylor targets office workers, after all.  Designers that, say, H&M has collaborated with in the past three or four years would unlikely get the green light.  I can see, say, Nanette Lepore or Rebecca Taylor.

Another thing that might happen is the addition of a plus line, since Ascena owns two companies, Lane Bryant and Catherine Plus (which also brings this into question:  will they open stores here in Canada?), that target the market.  This is something that Ann Taylor’s competitors currently do not have.  Including “regular” as well as petites, tall and plus (and hopefully, petite plus, an area that is rarely explored), will open Ann Taylor (and LOFT) to women of almost all sizes as well as a wider range of budgets.  The only question is whether this would happen.  I think designer collaborations are more likely.

What are your thoughts on this?

Photo credits: First image  Goran Bogicevic / Shutterstock.com; Eaton Centre photo by author