House of Wal-Mart?

By JENNIFER HUFFMAN, Register Staff Writer

"What will I wear today?" It's a question most women ask themselves every morning. And Wal-Mart thinks they have the answer. The bargain-priced behemoth has taken a well-heeled step in a new direction.

With help from a former Miss Universe, Wal-Mart has kicked off a new clothing line for the "fashion-savvy" customer. The new brand, Metro 7, is aimed at "highly stylish, fashion-conscious" women, according to a Wal-Mart press release.

Metro 7's cheap chic is the latest byproduct of Wal-Mart's new "comprehensive apparel strategy" focusing on attracting a broader, more diverse range of customers.

According to the press release, Metro 7 features on-trend items with contemporary-tailored outfits and stylishly casual weekend pieces that reflect the latest colors, fabrics and styles -- all at a great price.

Wal-Mart's no dummy. It's hard to ignore the runaway success Target Corporation and other discounters have enjoyed with their higher quality, designer-inspired fashions.

While offering lower prices on toilet paper, DVDs and toys, the chain's been panned in the past for being completely out of style on the fashion front. And so now there is Metro 7. The collection debuted in Napa and at 500 Wal-Mart's in October.

Former Miss Universe Dayanara Torres has signed on as Wal-Mart's spokesperson. Claire Watts, Wal-Mart executive vice president of apparel and home stated in a press release, "Dayanara perfectly embodies the modern, fashionable woman, and we're thrilled she is the 'face' for the Metro 7 launch."

Torres said, "I'm excited to be working with Wal-Mart's new Metro 7 line. I'm passionate about fashion and always looking for the latest styles and trends. Fashion-conscious women will definitely find Metro 7 to be relevant to what's stylish right now."

For their first fashion foray, Wal-Mart's set their own bar quite high. They've opened a New York "trend" office to help steer the line from concept to development and trained new merchandisers for apparel departments. Wal-Mart's even taking long-legged strides into the glossy high-fashion pages of Vogue magazine with a four-page advertorial in the November issue.

"We're staying on top of key trends that are coming out of Paris and New York, so our fashion-conscious customer can find them in our stores and online. If it's important for the season, we'll have it in the line," said Watts. "We want to encourage Wal-Mart customers who don't usually come to us for apparel to cross the aisle and see what we have to offer. We think our fashion-conscious female customers who want the latest looks at an affordable price will be pleasantly surprised."

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