Monday, December 23, 2024

EXCLUSIVE: Tween-favorite Fashion Label Limited Too Is Making Its Comeback

Must read

Tween-favorite fashion brand Limited Too is making its comeback.

The young girls fashion and accessories brand, which first launched in 1987 as the tween division of women’s label The Limited, is returning after exiting the market in 2009. Limited Too is kicking off its comeback with several new collections available starting July 12 at Kohl’s.

More from WWD

“There’s such a huge following for us and we were such a powerhouse in the ‘80s, ‘90s and 2000s,” said Petra Kennedy, the design manager of the brand who was part of Limited Too’s original design team. “It just feels like the right time to bring it back and we have the most insane, amazing customer base. It’s awesome to get our Millennial moms excited about the brand and be able to give that to their girls.”

Kennedy explained the brand has been in the works for roughly eight to nine months, however there’s always been discussions at the company to bring Limited Too back in some capacity.

Limited Too’s relaunch is backed by its parent company, Bluestar Alliance, which acquired the trademarks for the brand in 2015. Under Bluestar Alliance, Limited Too operated on a smaller scope with pop-ups and direct-to-consumer product drops, but the brand’s current relaunch will be on a larger scale with regular collection drops, category expansions and retail partnerships all planned for the first year in business.

In addition to selling through Kohl’s, Limited Too is looking at other retail partners that will be revealed prior to the July 12 launch date. As brick-and-mortar was a significant part of the original brand’s strategy, Limited Too is also looking at opening its own stand-alone stores in the coming year. According to Sammy Gabbay, vice president of strategic alliances at Limited Too, the brand is “in contact with several mall operators and is actively looking ahead to 2025.”

Limited Too is relaunching with new fashion and accessories collections Limited Too is relaunching with new fashion and accessories collections

Styles from Limited Too’s Heritage Collection.

For the relaunch, the brand will be releasing several fashion and accessories lines, which are anchored by its Heritage Collection. The collection takes inspiration from Limited Too’s heritage and Y2K-inspired roots, with products such as classic fleece hoodies, collegiate-inspired jackets, denim styles and more. The launch will also include a loungewear collection, dressy line and an accessories collection, culminating in roughly 80 skus that range in price from $8 to $40.

“There’s going to be a lot of amazing heritage pieces and some of the aesthetics that we all know and love,” Kennedy said. “The DNA of what Limited Too is will still be there, but it’ll have some fun modern twists — definitely hitting on the trends that are happening right now. There’s varsity vibes, there’s heritage things, there’s a cool collegiate look and we really are playing to every girl. That’s what Limited Too is. We want to empower every girl — all of her loves and passions and all the things that she’s excited about, we’re excited about.”

Kennedy stated Limited Too’s target customer is the older side of Generation Alpha, specifically girls between the ages of 10 and 13. While these customers typically are not familiar with Limited Too, Kennedy said she believes the brand’s resonance among Millennials and its Y2K roots will have an impact on the younger customer.

“We’re really hoping that someone in her life has a love of the brand,” Kennedy said. “But, also if you don’t know the brand and you’re shopping and you come across it, hopefully it will spark something because it’s trendy, it’s great quality and it’s a great brand.”

Limited Too is relaunching with new fashion and accessories collections Limited Too is relaunching with new fashion and accessories collections

New styles from Limited Too.

Kennedy explained the brand’s relaunch strategy has been to target Millennials through its social media strategy of soft launching on Instagram. The brand’s hope is that this strategy resonates with Millennial moms, who will introduce the brand to their kids. Given the strong resonance the brand has with Millennials, Limited Too is also working on a Millennial collection to be released this year.

Additionally, Limited Too will be expanding this year into swimwear, sleepwear, footwear and home decor.

Limited Too’s relaunch comes at a time when nostalgic brands are making an impact on a cross-generational customer base. Accessories brand Claire’s, which has been in business for more than 60 years, is sustaining its growth with more stores and wholesale partnerships, and apparel brands like Abercrombie & Fitch and Old Navy are continuing to generate impressions on social media.

With the relaunch, Kennedy explained Limited Too’s goal is to stick to its roots of connecting with its young customer base and showing up for all her needs.

“The goal of the relaunch is really to inspire girls — to inspire the next generation of who the Limited Too girl is,” she said. “It was such a pop culture phenomenon. It was such an amazing time to shop as a little girl, come into our stores and have those special moments with your family shopping or finding your new outfit or getting a dress for a party or picking out a birthday present for a best friend. It’s really just about inspiring girls to hold each other’s hand and be good friends and celebrate how awesome it is to be a tween.”

Best of WWD

Latest article