Drew Barrymore’s lifestyle brand has always been a little uneven but still pretty successful: Flower Beauty and Flower Optical are still both exclusive to Walmart in bricks-and-mortar retail, and her wine line, Barrymore by Caramel Road, has 3 labels (Pinot, a blend and a rose).
Drew isn’t going it alone – she picks great partners, like Caramel Road and Walmart. Partnering with a big box department store may not be prestigious or customizable (two things that goop and Draper James thrive on) but it is practical and, apparently, lucrative.
With the launch of her new clothing, Dear Drew Clothing, she’s again partnering with a behemoth: Amazon. The ubiquitous online retailer has become synonymous with online shopping, yet it has had significant trouble cracking the fashion market, even at it has thrown around a lot of money and recruited some significant talent. Amazon may be incredibly useful and pragmatic for everyday purchases like books, home décor, and electronics but it lacks the brands, as well as the aesthetic feel, to really capture the exhilaration of buying clothes online.
Creating exclusive partnerships with a well-liked and established brand like Drew’s is strategic win for both: Amazon benefits from having a fashion exclusive and Drew gets a built-in customer base in the millions.
Being on Amazon also allows her a higher price-point than would probably be acceptable at a big-box store (like Walmart or Target). Silk pants are $188, a crossbody heart bag is $95, a long-sleeve maxi dress is $248. The price points are not in-line with the affordability of her Flower brand, which is possibly why she chose a completely separate name instead of building it out all under one umbrella.
Choosing to launch a completely new brand is interesting. I can’t imagine that in her significant relationship with Walmart, a clothing line would not have come up. And I also noticed that Dear Drew includes hair care accessories, like a blow dryer, brush and flat iron. Why would that not fall under the Flower Beauty umbrella?
And what does all this mean for Flower Beauty, which launched in Mexico and e-commerce just this year?
Most likely both brands will continue - Flower in the cosmetics and fragrance category while Dear Drew will be clothing and hair accessories. And according to this trademark application, home décor, phone cases, stationery, luggage, cutlery, dishes, and much more.
Remember when Martha Stewart gently shaded Drew on Ellen? Martha may have had more to worry about than she realized.
Here's Drew at LAX last week.
