Parker Cofounders and Former Designers Unveil Gilner Farrar

The cofounders and former designers of Parker are about to launch a new advanced contemporary brand called Gilner Farrar. Laurieanne Gilner and Derek Farrar will introduce their first resort collection to retailers, beginning June 5. The designers cofounded  Parker in 2008 and built it into a go-to resource for dressy apparel. They sold the business to Kellwood Co. in 2014 and stayed three years. At the time, Parker was generating almost $40 million in volume. Parker is now owned by Sun Capital Partners. The designers had a one-year non-compete and began contemplating their next move. “Derek and I have a good hand on construction and tailored clothing and want to apply that,” said Gilner. “The finishings are really important to us. At Parker, our strength was our fit,” added Farrar. Although they have still to show retailers the line, Gilner said she was eager to be in the advance contemporary area of department and specialty stores. “We can do a lot more with that price range. It’s more luxurious, and our girl wants more cutting-edge,” she said, adding “there’s no age to this.” The designers are focused on dressy apparel. Among some of the standouts are a light, airy minidress with double irregular pleating; a fitted

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