Yahoo Movies David Meister Teams With HSN
David Meister is reuniting with HSN to launch a sportswear collection.
The Los Angeles-based designer previously developed a dress line for HSN several years ago. After exiting the Kellwood Co. in 2014, Meister licensed his signature collection for a period of time before branching out into other areas like interior design. He stopped making his signature collection in 2019.
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Enthusiastic about the HSN deal, Meister said, “It’s much more of a challenge, I always say, to make something that looks great for under $100 than it is to design a $55,000 gown.”
The new label David/David Meister debuted Wednesday on the site, and new styles will be added monthly. After doing a 10-minute teaser Wednesday night, the label’s namesake will appear live on HSN for an hour on March 11. A 33-year veteran of the fashion industry, Meister said the HSN a deal combines some of his favorite things. “I love fashion. I love doing TV. I love to make people laugh and I love to make people feel good about themselves, and have a good time.”
From his point of view, brick-and-mortar “is certainly not the wave of the future, although it still is relevant and has its place,” Meister said. Today’s consumerism is about what’s online and on TV, he said. “I’ve taken everything that I’ve known, everything that I’ve learned and that I’m known for and put it together into this lifestyle line.”
He declined to comment on projected volume for the new label and how HSN’s distribution compares to retail distribution. The sportswear-heavy colorful line features printed jersey tops, crocheted cardigans, dresses, knit tanks and other styles. Retail prices are under $200 and inclusive sizing — a mainstay at HSN for 30 years — ranges from XS to 3X. Reached in his Los Angeles home where he was looking at a rack of the collection, Meister singled out the luxe washed Tencel cargo pants, a border-printed dress, a long cardigan with an attached scarf and flared jersey pants as key looks.
Praising his team and the team at HSN, Meister said they are creating their own prints, working a lot with jersey and stretch knits. A fluid jersey group, a selection of prints and styles in a special fabrication will be part of the monthly drops. The aim is to have shoppers build upon their wardrobes. Meister said the styles can be worn at-home (for everyday living or for entertaining) or with a little accessorizing going out.
Having started working on the project last spring, Meister was delighted that Zoom and Skype meetings and fittings worked so well, after years of being accustomed to presenting collections, choosing samples and checking in on production. “How do I say this nicely about myself? When it comes to technology, I’m just stupid, OK?” he said.
Despite the pandemic’s one-year mark approaching in the U.S., Meister “absolutely” believes that women will want to get dressed up again after it ends. That just may take some time. “It’s going to be a slow process. I don’t think people are going to go from being home nonstop everyday to all of a sudden being fully beaded and ruffled. It’s going to be a progression,” Meister said.
Once vaccinations are more widespread with the majority of the population and people can resume non-homebound lives, they will definitely want to dress up and go out, he said. “It’s sort of like the 1920s. You just want to break free. OK, I’m going out. Let me really kill it, because we’ve been locked away.”
Emphasizing how he feels that way, Meister said his own self isolating uniform has been Rick Owens drop-crotch sweatpants and a T-shirt. “I’ve had pants with a zipper on maybe five times in the last year, because I’m not going nowhere,” Meister said with a laugh.
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