• by Sarah Mahoney , 4 hours ago

Exemplar Luxury Group -- the holding company that rose from the ashes of the rancorous Saks Global bankruptcy -- is rolling into fall fashion with splashy new campaigns from Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus.

The campaigns come just months after the company re-emerged. That January Chapter 11 meltdown was especially bitter. Amazon, an early investor, told CNBC Saks burned through hundreds of millions in less than a year, and investors accused the company of mismanagement. Perhaps most damaging, though, was that Saks owed payments to dozens of vendors, by an amount Reuters reported as $337 million. Among them were Chanel and Kering, which owns Gucci and Saint Laurent, some of the most coveted brands in the luxury space.

With a centralized marketing team, Exemplar is hoping to rebuild both stores’ reputations for high-end style and must-have luxury brands.

Cheryl Han, Exemplar’s chief marketing and digital officer, and Elle Strauss, senior vice president, creative, worked on both campaigns.

Saks Fifth Avenue’s campaign, themed “Let’s Go!,” aims to send a message of “modern glamour, self-expression and the vibrant energy of New York City.” Shot by Nadine Ijewere at the retailer’s New York flagship, it also shows off parks and street scenes around the city.

“Our New York City flagship has long been a destination where culture and commerce come together, and this campaign extends that influence across our stores and digital channels nationwide, creating new reasons for our customers to engage with Saks and discover the very best in fall fashion,” Han says in the announcement.

The seasonal winners are long, lean silhouettes and deep, saturated colors, highlighting selections from Tom Ford, Prada, Jil Sander, Loewe, Balmain, Ralph Lauren Collection and Proenza Schouler.

The campaign also includes a first for Saks, with a curated “concept shop” on the New York flagship’s first floor. Designed as a creative clubhouse for fashion insiders, it includes art, vintage magazines and unexpected finds, plus shoppable handbags, homeware and shoes, all selected by the store’s fashion directors.

And through early October, DJs, a custom sketch artist and a snack cart will anchor "Let’s Friday at Saks" events.

For Neiman Marcus, the fall campaign is “Signature Style,” emphasizing individuality. The new campaign “highlights what Neiman Marcus does best, showcasing our luxury offerings in a way that our customers can make them uniquely their own,” said Han in the release. “By bringing together our exceptional brand partners and expertly curated assortment, this campaign underscores the value of the Neiman Marcus experience by creating meaningful opportunities to engage our customers across every touchpoint.”

Judy Pak shot the campaign, starring poet Cleo Wade, interior designer Jessica de Ruiter, and movement director Stephen Galloway, in their homes in Los Angeles, highlighting how each of these tastemakers expresses their style. Additional spots were filmed in the Beverly Hills store.