WWDWEDNESDAY

s

MEN’S: Milan Fashion Week, with Giorgio Armani, Versace, Alexander McQueen and more, pages 8 to 13.

’09 ns/fall io t c e ll o men’s c

FINANCIAL: Burberry joins wave of luxury layoffs, page 2.

s

MILAN

FASHION: Pre-fall looks from Chloé, Givenchy and Emilio Pucci Akris, page 7.

WwDWednesday Women’s Wear Daily • The Retailers’ Daily Newspaper • January 21, 2009 • $3.00

Sportswear

At Last

REUTERS/Rick Wilking/Landov

WASHINGTON — The Etta James tune soulfully sung by Beyoncé Knowles at the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball Tuesday night perfectly summed up the mood of the day that saw the swearing in of the nation’s first AfricanAmerican president. Knowles sang as President Barack Obama, clad in a custom Hart Schaffner Marx tuxedo with white tie, and his wife, Michelle, in an off-the-shoulder long white dress by Jason Wu, took to the dance floor. As for the new First Lady’s gown, it got praise from one important quarter: “How good looking is my wife?” her husband said to the crowd. For more on the inauguration and surrounding parties, see pages 4 to 6.

2

WWD, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2009

WWD.COM

Burberry Adds to Luxe Layoffs WwDwednesday

Burberry plans to make more than 500 layoffs in Spain and the U.K. “All of these actions are examples of the selfhelp levers that we have,” said Burberry chief financial officer Stacey Cartwright during a conference call Tuesday morning.

“What these cost efficiencies enable us to do is focus on, and invest in, our key strategies: putting our marketing force behind our core apparel and innovative check bag, driving children’s wear and investing in high-demographic markets including London,” she said.

Less than 24 hours before Burberry’s announcement, Cartier said it planned to scale back investment at its Villars-sur-Glâne factory in western Switzerland, which produces watch boxes. The jewelry and watch company will put 180 of the 200-strong staff on part-time contracts at 80 percent of their salaries. A spokesman for Cartier, which suffered a drop in third quarter sales, said the decision was made in the wake of a slowdown in demand.

In late December, Chanel said it would lay off 200 employees and pull the plug on its Mobile Art exhibition designed by architect Zaha Hadid.

“The chips are down, and this forces companies to root out the poor performers, the weaker parts of the portfolio — but not the jewels in the crown,” said George Wallace, chief executive of

— With contributions from Nina Jones

NRDC in Talks to Sell Fortunoff

By David Moin Fortunoff is up for sale again.

Just 11 months after purchasing the jewelry and housewares chain, NRDC Equity Partners has decided to sell the business and is focusing talks on one potential buyer, sources said Tuesday.

The identity of the potential buyer could not be learned. One source close to NRDC said a deal could be announced within a couple of weeks, but there is no guarantee.

NRDC declined to comment Tuesday.

While the market for mergers and acquisitions has virtually dried up in the recession, NRDC did purchase Fortunoff inexpensively, paying just $110 million for the $439 million chain, making it easier to unload. The $110 million included the $80 million purchase price and $30 million in debt and other obligations. Fortunoff is a well-known brand in the metro New York area but has seen little growth in recent years and has been particularly hurt by last year’s collapse of the housing market.

NRDC is eager to sell Fortunoff, which it considers a distraction from its major retail holdings — the Hudson’s Bay Trading Company, which includes The Bay, Zellers, Home Outfitters and Fields divisions all in Canada, representing $7 billion in volume, and Lord & Taylor in the

U.S., representing about $1 billion in volume.

The retail industry in Canada is not struggling as much as it is in the U.S. When it bought Fortunoff, NRDC said it could roll out Fortunoff jewelry and home shops with bridal registries inside Lord & Taylor, which it purchased in 2006. Fortunoff jewelry shops would have replaced the leased jewelry shops currently operated by Finlay. The deal with Finlay is set to expire at the end of this month, but negotiations are under way to extend the agreement. If Finlay doesn’t stay at Lord & Taylor, it’s possible NRDC seeks another operator for the jewelry departments or operates them on their own.

Speculation on Fortunoff ’s future mounted this week when NRDC disclosed a major centralization strategy for its Hudson’s Bay Trading Company retail operations, and excluded Fortunoff from them.

NRDC purchased Fortunoff from Trimaran Capital Partners, an equity group that along with K Group, another private equity firm, bought Fortunoff in 2004.

Fortunoff was founded in 1922 in Brooklyn as a neighborhood housewares store by Max and Clara Fortunoff. That first unit led to eight stores in the borough. The Fortunoff ’s son, Alan, served as president and chief executive officer until his death in July 2000.

Sportswear

FASHION

the fashion world in survival mode, designers 8 With showing their fall men’s wear collections in Milan played to their strengths.

GENERAL day after his historic inauguration left an indelible 1 Aimpression on the nation, the task of turning

s

LONDON — The latest trend in luxury has nothing to do with leather bags, logos or exotic skins.

Today, it’s all about scaling back, trimming the workforce and finding ways to reduce costs.

On Tuesday, Burberry became the latest luxury player to unveil cost-saving measures and planned layoffs, following news of job cuts at Cartier earlier this week and Chanel last month.

Despite a 30 percent rise in third-quarter revenues, Burberry is planning to terminate its Thomas Burberry line, close a sewing factory in South Yorkshire and make more than 500 layoffs in Spain and the U.K. Starting with the 2009-2010 fiscal year, the company hopes to save 50 million pounds, or $74 million at current exchange, annually, which also takes into account savings from Burberry’s newly streamlined supply chain, information technology and infrastructure.

MHE Retail, a Europe-wide retail consultancy.

Wallace said second-tier brands, such as Thomas Burberry, a clothing collection made primarily for the Spanish market and aimed at men and women 16-30 years old, will be the first to go. Wallace said he expects the cost-cutting trend among luxury companies to gather momentum this year.

“Luxury is an expensive business, sales volumes are down and the trends are not going to change substantially in 2009. What we’re also going to see are companies cutting their variable costs, such as advertising and development,” he said.

A London-based analyst who asked not to be named said while news of layoffs and cost cutting is never good, he’s welcoming it.

“These companies are taking action. They don’t want to start the new fiscal year with heavy cost structures. I expect more of them to take action as the year goes on,” he said.

Meanwhile, Burberry said Tuesday that revenues in the three months to Dec. 31 rose to 329 million pounds, or $612 million, from 254 million pounds, or $472 million.

The engine behind that growth was strong sales of men’s and children’s wear and doubledigit growth in Europe, Asia and emerging markets. Sales were also boosted by a stronger dollar, euro and Hong Kong dollar.

Stripping out the positive impact of those currencies, growth in the quarter was nine percent.

Cartwright said the U.S. market was particularly challenging in the quarter. U.S. sales in the period rose 29 percent, but fell by two percent after stripping out the currency impact.

“What was going on in that market was really unprecedented. Some of the department stores went on sale at the beginning of November. It made it very difficult for the luxury brands to hold the line. We ended up in sale about two weeks earlier, and that helped our U.S. business in the month of December,” she said.

Asked about U.S. wholesale guidance for the second half, Cartwright said Burberry is following the department stores’ lead: “We’ve heard from U.S. department stores that they’re planning their business to be down double-digits.

We’re planning very prudently,” she said.

With regard to overall trends, Cartwright said customers are still spending — but they’re watching every penny.

“We’re not seeing people trading down. At all levels of the pyramid, people are spending a little bit less. There’s less footfall, and when people are coming into stores they’re holding back on buying that second item or third item,” she said.

“Men’s wear, children’s wear and the iconic check bag are our best performers. The consumer is looking for something that is very recognizably Burberry, albeit in a new format, such as the new megacheck or the new exploding check.

“They’re looking for the branding because they’re making an investment in this difficult environment and they want that to be overt.”

6

around the nation began for President Obama.

EYE: Partygoers faced a city in gridlock Monday night in Washington, but every party and ball was packed, roadblocks be damned.

economic uncertainty, visitors to 14 Despite Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin will find a more established German fashion vanguard.

In a society that prizes svelte, 19 MARKETING: athletic images, many brands are reluctant to target the growing plus-size market.

Corp. has divided its outdoor coalition into two 20 VF business segments and added an international

21 22 Jennifer Lopez in Chanel Haute Couture.

coalition to its corporate structure.

Cacharel, the French contemporary sportswear brand turning 50 this year, is out to redefine itself minus a star designer at the helm.

WEST: Price was king at Los Angeles trade shows, with the troubled economy driving decision making for vendors and merchants.

Classified Advertisements.................................................................................................23 To e-mail reporters and editors at WWD, the address is firstname.lastname@fairchildpub.com, using the individual’s name.

WWD IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ADVANCE MAGAZINE PUBLISHERS INC. COPYRIGHT ©2009 FAIRCHILD FASHION GROUP. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. VOLUME 197, NO. 13. WWD (ISSN 0149–5380) is published daily (except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, with one additional issue in January, May, October, November and December, two additional issues in April, June and August, three additional issues in March and September, and four additional issues in February) by Fairchild Fashion Group, which is a division of Advance Magazine Publishers Inc. PRINCIPAL OFFICE: 750 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017. Shared Services provided by Condé Nast Publications: S. I. Newhouse, Jr., Chairman; Charles H. Townsend, President/CEO; John W. Bellando, Executive Vice President/COO; Jill Bright, Executive Vice President/Human Resources. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, and at additional mailing offices. Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40644503. Canadian Goods and Services Tax Registration No. 886549096-RT0001. Canada Post: return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: P.O. Box 503, RPO West Beaver Cre, Rich-Hill, ON L4B 4R6 POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY, P.O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA 91615–5008. FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS, ADDRESS CHANGES, ADJUSTMENTS, OR BACK ISSUE INQUIRIES: Please write to WWD, P.O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA 91615-5008, call 800-289-0273, or visit www.subnow.com/wd. Please give both new and old addresses as printed on most recent label. First copy of new subscription will be mailed within four weeks after receipt of order. Address all editorial, business, and production correspondence to WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY, 750 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017. For permissions and reprint requests, please call 212-630-4274 or fax requests to 212-630-4280. Visit us online at www.wwd.com. To subscribe to other Fairchild magazines on the World Wide Web, visit www.fairchildpub.com. Occasionally, we make our subscriber list available to carefully screened companies that offer products and services that we believe would interest our readers. If you do not want to receive these offers and/or information, please advise us at P.O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA 91615-5008 or call 800-289-0273. WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RETURN OR LOSS OF, OR FOR DAMAGE OR ANY OTHER INJURY TO, UNSOLICITED MANUSCRIPTS, UNSOLICITED ART WORK (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DRAWINGS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND TRANSPARENCIES), OR ANY OTHER UNSOLICITED MATERIALS. THOSE SUBMITTING MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, ART WORK, OR OTHER MATERIALS FOR CONSIDERATION SHOULD NOT SEND ORIGINALS, UNLESS SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED TO DO SO BY WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY IN WRITING. MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND OTHER MATERIALS SUBMITTED MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY A SELF-ADDRESSED STAMPED ENVELOPE.

DAILY I really wanted to QUote “ make her glow. I wanted

”

to make her look luminous.

photos by Paul Morigi/WireImage

By Samantha Conti

— Isabel Toledo on creating the coat and dress worn by First Lady Michelle Obama at the swearing-in ceremony. Pages 4-5.

Jessica Alba, Arianna Huffington, Kate Walsh and Diane von Furstenberg at The Huffington Post pre-inaugural ball.

TODAY ON

WWD .com

• More photos of pre-inaugural parties • Up-to-the-minute coverage of Milan Men’s Fashion Week • Featured images • Global breaking news

Groupe Maesa in Deal for Zorbit PARIS — Groupe Maesa has acquired Zorbit for an esti-

mated $45 million to $50 million.

The deal was sealed Jan. 9, when Maesa, the LevalloisPerret, France-based firm, took a 100 percent stake in Zorbit, of New York. Both companies are private label beauty product makers. Some $12.5 million was paid on the day of the signing, while the remainder will be paid over five years, depending in part on Zorbit’s financial performance.

Zorbit was created in 2003. It also has offices in Los Angeles and Shenzhen, China. The company’s revenues last year were approximately $45 million and in 2007, were $23 million, according to the firm.

Maesa’s sales for the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, 2008, were 38.7 million euros, or $56.9 million at average exchange.

Following Maesa’s acquisition of Zorbit, the company has 200 employees.

Starting on Jan. 16, the team from Maesa’s New Yorkbased subsidiary moved into Zorbit’s headquarters, in the same city. Maesa’s U.S. business should now ring up about $74 million.

Olum Moving On From Sephora

Following the acquisition, Zorbit’s U.S. arm, created at the end of 2006, should generate approximately $70 million.

Maesa stated it is on track to reach its sales objectives of $100 million in 2010.

In other Maesa news, the firm said this week it has appointed François Duquesne as chief executive officer of Maesa Beauty and Maesa Home Europe and Laurence Hyest as the company’s chief procurement officer.

Duquesne, who replaces Cyril Jamot, has a lengthy résumé peppered with past roles at beauty, luxury and retailing firms. Most recently, he was a director and president U.S.A. of L’Artisan Parfumeur and at the same time spearheaded Cradle Holdings Group’s Erno Laszlo and Penhaligon’s businesses in the U.S. Duquesne, 43, has also held various positions with Lanvin Parfums, Christofle Group, Zannier Group, Aldi Group and Yves Rocher.

Hyest, 48, replaces Cédric Noël at Maesa. She was recently in charge of procurement and development at Selective Beauty. Hyest has also worked for Annick Goutal, Guerlain, Jean Patou and Cartier.

— Jennifer Weil, with contributions from Brid Costello

BEAUTY BEAT

Betsy Olum, senior vice president of marketing at Sephora USA, has decided to take a break after spending 10 years at the specialty store chain.

Olum, who will step down in March, said she has thought about leaving for some time. “I want to go off on a new adventure and create something new,” she said, adding that her first priority is to “spend time with my family.” Olum added that a successor has not been named.

Before joining Sephora a decade ago, she held marketing and management jobs at Escada and Erno Lazlo.

— Pete Born

MEMO PAD

from the weekend and Obama on the cover in some form, but will not publish a special issue or a special cover.

Us Weekly also did not alter its publication schedule, SPECIAL COVERAGE: Aside from newspapers, television meaning the Monday night close allowed the magazine networks and the news weeklies providing exhaustive to include coverage of the weekend parties, while its coverage of the inauguration of President Barack Obama, the Web site will have coverage of the inauguration and celebrity weeklies are covering the celebrities flocking to parties. — Stephanie D. Smith Washington this weekend. But because the most newsworthy events — the inauguration and the official balls — occurred AMI RATING CUT: Standard & Poor’s on Tuesday lowered its rating Tuesday after most of the weeklies’ deadlines, many were on American Media Inc’s 8.875 percent senior subordinated only able to include reporting from the pre-parties. notes due in 2011 to “D” from “CC” since the company failed All except People, which again pushed its Tuesday to make its Jan. 15 interest payment on those notes. In its afternoon deadline back to Wednesday afternoon to publish downgrade report, credit analysts at S&P noted that AMI has a special double issue on the historic event, a decision the proposed a deal to exchange its 10.25 percent and 8.875 magazine also made in order to publish a cover with Obama percent subordinated notes for new notes at over a 45 percent following Election Night on Nov. 4. This week’s special issue will be on sale for two weeks and will carry a cover price of discount to par value, pushing maturities to 2013. “We are concerned that operating performance may deteriorate further $4.49, an increase of 50 cents from the usual newsstand over the near term because of the weak economy,” the credit price. People also bumped up its rate base to 3.7 million from analysts said. Last week, AMI reported a the usual 3.45 million for the issue. two percent decrease in revenue, due to The Time Inc. title usually increases softness in advertising. — Amy Wicks its rate base in some way for its special double issues, such as the MORE LAYOFFS: Time Warner Inc. People Sexiest Men Alive, Hottest has already made significant layoffs Bachelors or Half Their Size editions. in its Time Inc. division and, now, But pushing the production it has moved on to Warner Bros., schedule to include details of the where 800 positions will reportedly inauguration was just one obstacle. be eliminated in the coming months With eight reporters in D.C. covering due to the global economic situation the events leading up to and and current business forecasts. The following the inauguration, culling studio behind hits such as “The Dark a week’s worth of material into a Knight” is planning a combination 30-page package that still feels of layoffs, job outsourcing to a thirdtimely after days worth of real time party company and eliminating open news reports online and on television positions. “These staff reductions was also a challenge. For People and organizational changes, which managing editor Larry Hackett, the are being made at every level goal is “to be both newsy and also to across both corporate and divisional provide that level of intimacy. When businesses, were our last resort to you’re selling the magazine three or help position the company for its four days later, you want a narrative future,” said chairman and chief that the reader can follow, but also executive officer Barry Meyer and the moments they haven’t seen.” president Alan Horn in a memo to The special issue marks the employees. Perhaps more details will fourth time the Obamas have made unfold during Time Warner’s fourththe cover of People, following a People’s Nov. 17 cover of Barack Obama after quarter and full-year earnings call, family portrait that accompanied a the election. which is set for Feb. 4. — A.W. profile this summer and two covers in a row following the election.

OFF THE PRESS: Add Yohji Yamamoto to the list of designers People scored big with the Nov. 17 issue that immediately feeling the economic burn. The house said that after 13 followed Election Night, selling more than 2 million copies years in New York it will shutter its Stateside press office at on newsstands. But while it was one of the title’s top three the end of January with one person remaining on through selling issues of 2008, not even the first African-American president can outsell twin babies that belong to Brad Pitt and March. Chief executive officer Keizo Tamoto cited “the Angelina Jolie, which sold 2.6 million. economic situation in the U.S.,” as the reason for the Among the other celebrity weeklies, In Touch and Life & decision, and added that cuts were also being made in Style Weekly did not push back their Monday night deadlines Japan. While commercial, administration and retail divisions to include complete inauguration details. Instead, Life & Style will remain in New York, press for all Yohji Yamamoto will publish a special issue with two covers, one with events brands, licensees and cobranding — Ys, Limi Feu and up to the inauguration and one that includes the inauguration Adidas for Yohji Yamamoto among them — will be handled day, to allow for at least some of the issues shipped on the out of Yamamoto’s offices and Tokyo and Paris, where the later half of its production schedule to include coverage of designer is set to stage his fall men’s and women’s shows as Tuesday’s events. In Touch will also include party coverage scheduled. — Jessica Iredale

WWD, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2009 3 WWD.COM

Letter to the Editor 15 January 2009 Dear Sirs, I refer to the article, which appeared in your publication today concerning Messrs. Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti.

As far as the substance of the article is concerned, I have to stress that Mr. Valentino Garavani and Mr. Giancarlo Giammetti are U.K. residents since almost 10 years and have in that period always declared and been subject to tax in the United Kingdom, which included taxation of the consultancy income received from the Valentino company.

The dispute with the Italian authorities is in essence not about tax evasion but related to the interpretation of facts and circumstances concerning tax residency.

The issue has been [the] subject of a previous investigation in Italy and the U.K. and on both occasions the U.K. residency has been considered in full compliance with the Italian and U.K. tax regime, thus acknowledging the legitimacy of their U.K. residency.

It now seems this issue has been in some facets reopened, which came as a total surprise and appears to be the result of having on this occasion disregarded some elements which were previously taken into consideration.

Messrs. Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti are as usual at [the] disposal of the Italian authorities to supply any information, which may be requested by them and they are confident that the entire matter will be rapidly and satisfactorily cleared.”

Regards, Marino Bastianini Counsel at the firm Carnelutti, which represents Valentino and Giancarlo Giammetti

Metro Restructuring Met With Optimism BERLIN — Investors reacted positively to the new

restructuring program announced by German retail giant Metro on Tuesday, pushing shares up 8 percent to 26.27 euros, or $33.89 at current exchange rates, in trading in Frankfurt.

Metro said it aims to improve profits by 1.5 billion euros ($1.94 billion) until 2012 and beyond through the new program “Shape 2012.” All dollar figures are converted from the euro at current exchange rates.

The group, which includes the Metro Cash & Carry hypermarkets, Galeria Kaufhof department stores as well as electronics chains and supermarkets, plans to simplify its structures to maximize growth and improve customer orientation while significantly reducing costs. Indeed, cost-cutting measures are expected to contribute half of the slated 1.5 billion euro gains, while the remainder is to be realized via improved productivity, the retailer said.

According to Metro chief executive Eckhard Cordes, the management board has been working on the new strategy since last summer. The group noted that profit improvements resulting from the program “will depend on the development of the macroeconomic developments in our sales markets.” Metro, which currently generates over 60 percent of its business outside Germany, saw nondomestic sales slow in 2008, but said growth through international expansion remains fundamental to its strategy.

Details of the restructuring program were not outlined, but Metro said Shape 2012 will affect about 15,000 jobs. However, in a second statement late Tuesday, Metro explained this did not mean 15,000 workers would lose their jobs, but rather that the group would not fill all vacant positions.

Metro currently employs around 300,000 worldwide, and typically hires an additional 8,000 to 10,000 people annually.

In its trading statement for 2008 released last week, Metro reported sales growth of 5.9 percent to 68 billion euros ($100.05 billion), based on preliminary figures, and said 2008 EBIT growth is expected to be in line with sales growth. However, pointing to sharply deteriorating economic conditions in the fourth quarter, Metro also announced a cut in 2009 capital spending to 1.6 billion euros, compared with more than 2.2 billion in 2008. Fullyear 2008 results will be released March 24.

— Melissa Drier

4

WWD, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2009

Pomp, Circumstance and Celebs

By WWD Staff

a/G tty Ima s; W Nam /G tty Ima s ;F a

by Jas R d/R t s/La d ; a a a d asha, C sa by Ch p m d . CL R / F /G tty Ima s; Wash t by K IE C /U I/La d ; C d by W

infre

ge

ge

e e

ee Mc

evill

in

o So

row

i k

ov n

u

P H S

TS

n

Obama ph t by KEVIN L RQUE/R t s/La d a W s /G tty Ima s; K s by I O

D li

evin

M ov n

on ing

er eu

ge

ee on

e P A Y

nklin

A

r

A

ov

THY

n

M T

er eu

nowle ge

AMA o o

on

e

very comfortable and very right.”

And it isn’t only Michelle Obama who has designers hopeful. The newly minted vice president’s wife, Jill Biden, also can hold her own in the fashion department. Biden, who modeled on the side in college for extra cash, has a keen sense for what complements her physique. She is known to support independently owned Wilmington, Del.-area boutiques, with Tory Burch, Milly, Diane von Furstenberg, Nanette Lepore and Robert Rodriguez being among her favorite labels. Biden isn’t above borrowing if need be. Ellie’s owner Donna Schneiber loaned Biden a few Sayami scarves from her own closet for the inaugural weekend, since the Greenville store had already sold out of that resource.

At the swearing-in ceremony, Biden went with an offthe-rack $360 Milly houndstooth roll-neck dress with a Fleurette coat. Milly designer Michelle Smith said, “As an American designer with a tradition of manufacturing my collection in the U.S., I was humbled to see my dress on such a chic and sophisticated Second Lady.”

Biden also didn’t cut any corners for the inaugural balls, buying a red strapless Reem Acra dress from a store — not the designer. il

accessories designer Loree Rodkin only learned their respective designs had made the final cut once the First Lady wore them. A confidentiality agreement prohibited Rodkin from elaborating about Obama’s choices, though WWD reported Monday that her white gold and diamond quatrefoil chandelier earrings with black diamond centers that Obama wore Sunday retail for $17,313. The First Lady is believed to have borrowed them from Ikram.

While Obama wore Rodkin earrings twice over the holiday weekend, the designer scored a trifecta when Obama wore another pair of earrings, as well as a ring and bracelet, at the inaugural balls. “Let’s put it this way: If she winds up in any of my pieces tonight, my jewelry ends up in the Smithsonian. That’s the finest pinnacle any one of us can wish for,” said Rodkin earlier in the day.

Fellow Cuban-American designer Narciso Rodriguez was equally excited. Michelle Obama wore two of the designer’s outfits on Sunday after previously dressing her on Election Night. “She is such an elegant woman, and that speaks volumes about her,” Rodriguez said.

“It’s something that comes very natural to her and she makes the choices she likes, and therefore always looks

rk

Barack and Michelle Obama

M

From the millions who crowded the Mall here as far as the eye could see to President Barack Obama’s rousing speech promising “We will act” to the tiniest little detail — such as the color of First Lady Michelle Obama’s day coat and dress by Isabel Toledo — that was the resounding theme of the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States on Tuesday. Even Jason Wu’s ivory, oneshouldered goddess gown with crystal-beaded embroidery and rosette appliqués worn by Michelle Obama to the official inaugural balls seemed to emote optimism.

The new First Family somehow managed to remain completely in control of the event — not releasing details of who designed the First Lady’s outfits until after she was in the public eye, for example — and also act natural even as the eyes of the world were upon them. From laughing together as the First Couple strode down Pennsylvania Avenue in the cold to their children Malia and Sasha being bored and playing during the swearing-in’s musical interlude — it was clear there was a new game in town.

And it’s a game the fashion world, for one, can’t wait to play.

“I needed to do this,” said Toledo of dressing Michelle Obama for the afternoon ceremonies on Capitol Hill and beyond. “I really wanted to make her glow. I wanted to make her look luminous. I felt it was my duty.”

The designer said she was pleased the First Lady was willing to go with lemongrass, “a hopeful color that is so to the core of the beginning of things.

“It could have been blue, red and more in keeping with tradition, but I really felt we could do something different,” said Toledo.

The Obamas seem determined to do things their way all around. On Tuesday, the equally fashionable — and image-conscious — President proudly wore a cashmere topcoat said to be by Brooks Brothers (in another subtle nod to his love of Abraham Lincoln, who also wore Brooks Brothers at his inaugural) and an Americanmade Hart Schaffner Marx suit and Cole Haan shoes — as well as a custom Hart Shaffner Marx tuxedo to the evening’s inaugural balls. His wife, meanwhile, doesn’t hesitate to mix high and low. Sure, she wore the Swiss wool Isabel Toledo dress and coat lined with pashmina tulle for warmth and Jimmy Choo shoes on the historic day, but the evening before donned a J. Crew ensemble for the Kids’ Inaugural Ball, where her daughters wore the brand’s Crewcuts coats to jive to the Jonas Brothers.

They wore Crewcuts coats on Tuesday as well, while Sasha wore the brand’s dress.

“Not just for fashion, but for the U.S. right now, it’s sort of an instantaneous connector,” said J. Crew creative director Jenna Lyons Mazeau. “Most people in this country can afford to wear something by J. Crew, or probably they know what J. Crew is, and that is pretty amazing when you think that the First Lady can wear anything she wants….She actually picks something people know.

“I think that to me is a true testament to the kind of person she and her husband are. They are people of the people.”

That was a comment echoed by others. Toledo is far from a household name, yet Lyons Mazeau praised the choice because it shows Michelle Obama “doesn’t need validation from anyone. She really is the validator.”

Toledo said her day of reckoning “almost didn’t happen” due to the tight turnaround time. After her proposed design was green-lighted following her submission of several possible ideas for the big day, she called her fabric contractor on a Saturday to see if he could even get the wool lace. The factory in Switzerland agreed, but then the expediency of shipping became another factor. Once that hurdle was passed, Toledo’s 10-person team rolled up their sleeves, toiling through the holidays and logging overtime without question — even though it wasn’t certain the First Lady would even wear it. They knew only on Tuesday, just like the rest of the world.

“It really was an international effort. The fabric was from Switzerland and we are all immigrants,” she said with a laugh.

After briefly meeting Michelle Obama at a fashion industry event last summer, Toledo felt compelled to dress her.

“The few seconds I met her I felt so inspired,” Toledo said.

The designer said she has been working closely with Ikram in Chicago, the retailer that appears to be the gatekeeper of the new First Lady’s fashion choices, and Obama had purchased her clothes in the past. But as much as the designer hoped to be among the chosen on Tuesday, she wasn’t banking on anything for certain.

“I’ve been working for this moment. One of the reasons I am still around is because of knowing that things can happen. And also knowing that if she had had a change of heart, other things would happen,” Toledo said. “I am just happy that she loves the work and loved it enough for me to be part if this.”

Michelle Obama has certainly shown a knack for diplomacy when it comes to fashion. So much so that even a few of the designers she has worn have been caught completely off guard. Wu, Toledo, J. Crew, Maria Cornejo and

y by

WASHINGTON — Hope.

WWD, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2009 5 WWD.COM

Who Dressed Whom

R

B

N

T

I

N

D

F

T

T

D

S

S

D W

S

D

S

S

— Rosemary Feitelberg and Caroline Tell

Y S

N

Oprah Winfrey

B

B

R

R

D

H

W

H

B

R

O

T

F

B

H

D

K

D

Aretha Franklin

N

F

D

S

T

Denzel Washington

S

F

S

T

F

I

S

S

F

S

S

D

T

O

T

F

N

T

H

G

W

B

S

D

R

O

W

H

W

W B

H P

D

F

F

H B

N

E

O

a

Any designer with n iot of br nding power knew enough to have some sort of presence at uesday night’s inaugural balls. rom big-name combos such as Vera ang- prah infrey and Carolina errera- aith ill to more obscure ones like little-known ostonian Michael e aulo dressing ahrain Ambassador ouda zra onoo, everyone seemed to have something to shill. hile the branding of the American presidency as a means to victory is one debate best left to political pundits, the fashion crowd clearly has no qualms about self-promotion in the name of democracy.

Michelle bama no doubt gave sabel oledo, arciso odriguez, J. Crew and Maria Cornejo some serious marketing might without any heads-up. itto for Jill iden, who went with off-the-rack finds from Milly, usana Monaco and eem Acra during the festivities. ut in some cases, it was the celebs who did the asking, as was the case with infrey. Maggie orris, on the other hand, was more than happy to dress her pal race ightower. he designer also provided ran rescher with an accessory that would be tough to copy — a water bottle carrier that “ he anny” actress planned to sling over her shoulder with an insignia touting her cancer foundation.

Meanwhile, Aretha ranklin might have garnered some much deserved attention singing “My Country his of hee” at yesterday’s inauguration, but it wasn’t all for her voice. ne question remains on the minds of millions - what was she wearing on her head? urns out a collaboration between the artist and etroit-based milliner Luke ong. According to ong, ranklin came in to his etroit showroom last week looking for a special hat for the big day. “ he’s our regular customer and comes to us often,” ong said. “ he actually had three to choose from for that day, but went with her second choice. t probably looked better on camera.” ranklin donned a heather gray wool piece that ong had hand-molded to give it some serious shape. he trim and ribbon were decorated with warovski crystals and would run in the regular collection for $179. or those who don’t get up to etroit too often, ong wholesales under the label Mr. ong Millinery throughout ew ork, California and much of the outh. “ e’re big in outhern states but being in etroit is good for us,” ong said. “ here are a lot of big stars that come through to this town gospel singers, lots of big-name church people who want to wear big hats. ome big names come through etroit.” iane von urstenberg, anette Lepore and ai Milla were among the designers who trekked to .C. to relish in all the festivities. Aside from providing alle erry and Angela assett with dresses, Milla scored some face time with the irst Lady, who said she wanted to check out more of the designer’s collection. ravel kept scar de la enta away from the eltway, but a few of his designs made the trip. Aside from long-time fan and friend illary Clinton, the designer provided a dark blue embroidered dress with a deep V-back for hite ouse party planner esirée ogers. ut, like most of the designers campaigning for coverage, de la enta was in the dark until the very last moment about who would wear what.

T

a

a

Obama takes the oath of office.

Beyoncé Knowles and Jay-Z

John Cusack

So with a young, fashionable First Couple and a chic vice president’s wife, the new administration — which also includes such fashion-conscious members as social secretary Desirée Rogers and White House adviser Valerie Jarrett — has the fashion industry eager to become involved with Washington politicians in a way it hasn’t in decades. The nation’s capital, once scorned by the fashion set, is now embraced by it with open arms.

“To have a First Lady who loves fashion, and who is promoting American designers, is so important and we need that so much, with the way the economy has impacted fashion, and everybody trying to make their way through it,” said Rodriguez.

“What is admirable about her is that she makes her choices and they are her personal choices. It’s fantastic to see and to discover who she is through her choices,” he added. “For us, to have someone like her who is bold in her choices, it’s an inspiration.”

And that is the way most observers, both the millions present and those watching worldwide, felt on Tuesday.

Milan hotels set up TVs in their lobbies so guests there for the men’s shows could watch the inauguration live,

Malia and Sasha Obama and there also were numerous viewing areas set up in London — from restaurants and hotels to pubs. People wanted to observe the inauguration of the nation’s first African-American President, who admitted to the immense challenges ahead.

“Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred,” Obama said to more than 1 million people who braved the frigid temperatures for hours on the Mall. “Our nation is weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost, jobs shed, businesses shuttered.”

Obama said the challenges the country faces are many, but “they will be met.”

“The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act — not only to create jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth,” Obama said. “We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together.”

Obama also addressed political turmoil abroad, indicating that he will seek peace in a time when the U.S. is

at war in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history,” he said. “But that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.”

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in an interview that Obama is “going to have some very tough times.”

“He’s not going to wave a magic wand and fix all of our problems, but he can provide the confidence that the public needs to have and get the public to make investments and buy houses, and run risks and that’s what you need,” Bloomberg said.

He noted that even businesses of famous Seventh Avenue designers such as Oscar de la Renta, Vera Wang and Carolina Herrera are “slowing down,” but he was optimistic that companies will adjust and Obama will restore confidence among consumers.

“In this case, you’ve had eight years of one president so there’s plenty of time to say ‘OK, now’s the time for something different,’ and we’ll probably think that eight years from now but change is always good,” said Bloomberg, who is seeking his third term in office.

6

WWD, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2009

WWD.COM

Hillary Clinton and Vernon Jordan

For more, see WWD.com.

Will.i.am and Christina and Arianna Huffington.

Tobey Maguire

Capitol Games

S

S

T

H

R

Bill Clinton

O

E

P

H

Robert De Niro and Grace Hightower

O

T

O

A

N

I

A

A

D

G

S

N

H

O

T

S

T

I

N

D

O

Jennifer Lopez in Chanel Haute Couture.

A

A

I

Y

G

T

A

T

I

N

A

G

H

O

I

D

R

N

S

A

G

N

T

Valerie Jarrett and Ann Jordan

S

N

E

IP

N

I

T

I

I

A

P

N

P

H

G

H

E

A

O

H

A

Y

S

P

Sting in Dior Homme with Sheryl Crow.

I

P P P hotos

STING, HUFFINGTON p

Ashton Kutcher with Demi Moore in Bill Blass.

t

BY ALEX J. BERLINER/BEIMAGES; KUTCHER BY JOE KOHEN/GETTY IMAGES; DE NIRO BY AUL MORIGI/WIREIMAGE; LO EZ, MAGUIRE BY JONAH KOCH/KOCHFOTO; ALL OTHERS BY KYLE SAM ERTON

t

Monday night in Washington, partygoers faced a city in gridlock and a soundtrack of police sirens as they tried to get to a slew of balls all over Desirée Rogers town. But every event was packed, roadblocks be in Louis Vuitton. damned. undreds, including new ecretary of tate Hillary Clinton, former resident Bill Clinton, Tom Brokaw, Ronald and Jo Carole Lauder and Jessye Norman, jostled their way into the fete hosted by Beltway powerhouses Buffy Cafritz and Ann Jordan at the Fairfax at mbassy ow otel. he bamas’ divide-and-conquer approach to partygoing was the talk of the evening: While soon-to-be President Barack Obama made the rounds at the three big bipartisan bashes honoring incoming Vice resident Joe Biden, Colin Powell and en. John McCain, a J. Crew-clad Michelle Obama spent the evening dancing with daughters Malia and Sasha at the outh Ball at the Verizon Center. s Cafritz and Jordan greeted guests including bama senior White ouse adviser Valerie Jarrett, Desirée Rogers (the woman in charge of the bamas’ busy social calendar) huddled with merican xpress chairman Ken Chenault. Lynda Johnson Robb — who herself grew up in the White ouse — defended the First Lady’s steely resolve in not releasing sketches of her inaugural gown. “ eoffrey Beene refused to let anyone know who designed my wedding dress,’’ she pointed out.

Meanwhile, at the uffington ost ball, the crush of bodies was even greater: More than 2,800 packed into the ewseum on ennsylvania venue, which comfortably holds 1,500. hose on line offered any number of pleas to get in. “ ’ve got the entire cast of ‘Morning Joe’ here,” begged one. “ ’m a guest of Arianna,” said another. he crowd obediently parted for the Jonas Brothers. nside, the V area was packed to the rafters with politicos and movie stars, among them Robert De Niro, John Cusack, Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher, Ben Affleck, Dustin Hoffman, Sharon Stone, Jessica Alba, ational conomic Council chief Larry Summers, bama adviser David Axelrod, BC journos David Gregory and Chris Matthews, an Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom and ir merica president Mark Green.

John Mellencamp took a smoke break on the balcony outside as Will.i.am performed a song called “ t’s a ew ay” and Sting followed it with his hit “Brand ew ay.” ( pparently it’s a theme.) Diane von Furstenberg was flitting about, though she bolted around 11 p.m., which was to be expected since she was getting up at 7 a.m. to go to the swearing in. “ ’m wearing my ski suit,” she said, when asked how she would brave the cold. ver at the Creative Coalition’s dinner at eatro oldoni, Kerry Washington, Marisa Tomei and Alfre Woodard mingled with Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins, who was on the hunt for en. John Kerry. ( he pair are sometime hockey teammates). arandon praised bama’s interactive “ eighborhood Ball” concept, which linked up festivities nationwide. “ e’s trying to include everybody. obody’s even thought that way before,” she said. nvites were definitely needed to get into eorgetown hot spot Cafe Milano, where Tobey Maguire and the rtists & thletes lliance hosted a star-studded reception for ervice ation. Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, Queen Noor of Jordan, Joy Bryant, David Arquette (sans wife Courteney Cox), Luke Russert, Fran Drescher and Johnson obb’s sister, Luci Baines Johnson, all turned out. espite the ebullient atmosphere, some folks couldn’t fully forget the country’s economic woes. “ ’m stressing a little about how much this weekend is costing us because it’s been pretty extravagant,” said designer Nanette Lepore.

“But with all the excitement, there’s still this feeling that we’re all going to band together and become a better nation.” hat said, the jury is still out on whether the bamas and their glamorous friends can manage to raise the bar on the capital’s style quotient. “ aving grown up in Washington, think it would be hard to turn around that cruise ship,” said lamour editor in chief Cindi Leive, who hit the tlantic Media party for Gwen Ifill at the eorgian mansion of the publishing group’s owner, David Bradley, along with Andrea Mitchell, Congressman Artur Davis and Maureen Dowd. ew ork imes columnist David Brooks was frank about the situation. “ dress the way we all dress — pathetically,” he said.

Kerry Washington “ hat’s what you do if you want to be taken seriously here. nd in Jasmine de Milo. we’re not that good looking. We’re kind of dumpy.”

Buffy and Bill Cafritz

WWD, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2009 7 WWD.COM

Rules of Attraction

Chloé

Emilio Pucci

And the beat goes on. Hannah MacGibbon turned out an appealing, effortless collection for pre-fall for Chloé, with pieces ranging from delicate crystal-embellished tops to tailored trousers. Meanwhile, Givenchy’s Riccardo Tisci channeled a dark romanticism, in looks with Peruvian motifs and washed jeans worn with dressed-up jackets. At Emilio Pucci, the house’s signature graphic patterns turned up in short and long dresses.

Givenchy

For more, see WWD.com.

chloe Photos by talaya centeno; givenchy by Dominique maitre; pucci by khepri studios

Givenchy

Chloé

8

WWD, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2009

Only the Strong

WITH THE FASHION WORLD IN SURVIVAL MODE, DESIGNERS SHOWING THEIR FALL MEN’S COLLECTIONS IN MILAN PLAYED TO THEIR STRENGTHS. FOR MANY, THIS MEANT AN EMPHASIS ON TAILORED CLOTHING, MARKED BY A SURGE OF DOUBLE-BREASTED STYLES AND THE RETURN OF THE POWER SUIT — OR, AS GIORGIO ARMANI PUT IT, “A RENEWED IMAGE OF CLASSIC.”

Giorgio Armani Giorgio Armani

Giorgio Armani

Giorgio Armani: Although Giorgio Armani sported a red Barack Obama pin at his runway show Tuesday, the new American president’s message of change didn’t extend into the designer’s collection. But when it comes to men’s wear, subtle adjustments to the status quo are sometimes just fine.

The Armani suit remains a consumer reference point, and the designer didn’t disappoint this season. Sending a slew of perfect tailoring down the runway — worn close to the body and with sharp shoulders — Armani delivered a youthful presidential look, Italian style. “It’s a renewed image of classic,” the designer said.

While Armani experimented with some questionable silhouettes (such as a hybrid trench/poncho) and pushed the limits of texture (a shearling tie, anyone?), he remained faithful to his signature blend of comfort and elegance. That meant a variety of flowing velvet drawstring pants paired with fitted tailored blazers or snug knitwear and silky shirts in muted colors such as gray, navy and truffle browns.

And while the collection offered no big surprise, that’s what Armani men’s wear is all about. As the designer said earlier this week, “There are moments during the runway show where one can push the limits a bit. I know how to change men’s fashion without shocking.”

Much like the man Armani honored on his lapel, the collection shared similar virtues, chief among them empowerment and self-assurance.

Versace: Count on Donatella Versace and Alexandre Plokhov to bring sexy back in a sober Milan season. Since Plokhov joined Versace in 2007, the brand has struggled to strike a balance between Donatella’s penchant for excess and the former Cloak designer’s strict sensibility. Not this season. The two finally found the right harmony, and in doing so showed that luxury doesn’t need to go into its shell.

“It’s a very strong collection for a self-assured man,” said Versace, who drew inspiration from the virile characters in Raymond Chandler’s “Pickup on Noon Street” in creating a tribute to heroic Hollywood stars of decades past.

Opening with a soothing palette of pale tones, the duo led their broad-shouldered

WWD, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2009 9 WWD.COM Alexander McQueen

Versace

Versace

MILAN

ll ’09 a f / s n o ollecti men’s c

s DAVIDE MAESTRI

man — svelte rather than slim — on a stroll armed with yards of plush fabrics to fight off chill winter winds. A tailored astrakhanlike fleece coat worn with a creamy mink scarf was equal parts snuggly and sexy, while a hand-knit cashmere and chinchilla sweater paired with powdery wool pants whispered rather than screamed luxury.

Darker but hardly somber looks followed, including a robelike cashmere coat belted at the waist, and double-breasted suits with wide lapels that evoked film noir heroes.

Marked by sumptuous yet understated fabrics, this controlled collection raised the bar — and apparently temperatures — as polar ice caps in the show’s video backdrop melted and tumbled. Finally, a strong, silent type of Versace man has arrived to sweep a gal off her feet.

Alexander McQueen showed a traditional, gentlemanly collection alive with virility as well as craftsmanship.

“I wanted men’s wear to be more masculine,” the designer said. Taking as his theme the famed boxing clubs of East London, he conjured a diverse cast of British archetypes — some of them played, with menacing intensity, by real London boxers. Traditional English fabrics were tailored into well-cut suits and coats that accentuated the body: broad on top, tapered at the bottom.

Sportswear alluded to hunters and country laborers, relying on British classics such as tartans, Harris tweed, Fair Isle sweaters, hunting trousers and chesterfield coats. Uppercrust characters made their entrances in grand fur coats, or hand-knit sweaters with equally impressive dimensions. An undercurrent of violence rose to the surface in evening clothes with slash pockets and red silk linings. One black coat appeared from a distance to be splattered with blood (it was painted with red flowers).

To heighten the drama, McQueen styled his looks with leather aprons and breastplates, tall army boots, walking sticks, cocked homburgs and red athletic tape wrapped around clenched fists, adding cinematic punch to solidly commercial fare.

and

Alexander McQueen: Transporting his audience to a gaslit London street in the 19th century,

PHOTOS BY GIOVANNI GIANNONI, MAURICIO MIRANDA

Alexander McQueen

10 WWD, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2009

MILAN

John Varvatos: John Varvatos set out to show Milan a different facet of his brand — to prove it was more than classic rock, more than Americana.

As a result, he tapped into a darker mood that flirted with Goth. Too bad the show failed to project the old-world craftsmanship and refined tailoring Varvatos holds so dear. The collection would have benefited from more outerwear, which was its forte.

A crinkle-coated cotton and nylon anorak and a collarless scooter jacket, printed with Prince of Wales check, were novel standouts. Tailored clothing, a major category for the brand, included shawl-lapel and double-breasted styles, many decorated with crested buttons and epaulets. Straight-leg trousers were cropped for a bit of swing, while sweaters elongated the upper body.

The show was accessorized with chain belts, oversize black sunglasses, narrow ties and silk scarves — all nice enough, but not particularly fresh.

John Varvatos

ll ’09 a f / s n llectio o c s ’ n me

Dsquared: Gotta dance. That was the message of Dsquared’s Ziegfeld Follies-inspired jaunt. Dan and Dean Caten are usually terrific at executing merry themes, but this time the collection fell short of the expectations raised by a grand-staircase stage set and a dramatic ballroom-dancing demo.

The first few looks suggested Dsquared might revisit one of its strongest propositions to date: mixing old-fashioned formalwear and denim with great flair. The twins updated that concept with utility garb like cargo pants and engineer-striped caps. A bold new pant silhouette, low-slung and baggy, was the biggest news of the show. But then leather hunting vests and shearling jackets weaved a puzzling, outdoorsy subplot into the story.

From there, the designers veered into businesslike tailored looks with dashes of plaid, and finally came back to decadent formalwear, including a gorgeous astrakhan coat.

Granted, the mixing of high and low, day and night, old and new can be chic. But hodgepodge was definitely not the style of Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, and in Dsquared’s case, it almost came off as a plea: Hey, big spender, please buy something.

John Varvatos

D&G: Oscar Wilde is said to have insisted, just before he died, that his hotel’s wallpaper would have to go — or he would. One wonders how Wilde, a dandy with exacting aesthetic demands, would have judged the baroque interior fabrics that D&G chose to represent his sense of decadence in its Wilde-gone-wild show.

Velvets and boiled wools — with ornate damask patterns, flocking and satin piping — were rendered into dinner and smoking jackets. Gold embroidery gleamed on velvet slippers. Blazers and cashmere sweaters were photo-printed with antique patterns and tapestries.

A Napoléon-era painting also inspired D&G to show a battalion of antique-looking military jackets, with ripped jeans and sporty trousers to temper the weight of history.

Salvatore Ferragamo: Danish painter Vilhelm Hammershøi’s moody palette seeped into Ferragamo designer Massimiliano Giornetti’s poetic vision for fall. Drawing inspiration from Scandinavia — with a focus on pure lines and natural fabrics — Giornetti followed a more sober path appropriate to the global recession.

“It’s not a time for showing off,” the designer said. Giornetti gave the collection a romantic spin with beautiful tailoring and a return to artisanal traditions. Chunky cable knits, among them a pearl gray cardigan and a chocolate brown scarf, were all handmade.

Even the well-cut sartorial looks, such as doublebreasted cashmere suits or duffle coats in creamy hues, had a soft touch. Although repetitive, the coherent and sophisticated collection was in tune with these quiet times.

Moschino: René Magritte inspired Moschino’s

Rossella Jardini for fall. And like the artist, Jardini riffed on Surrealism and trompe l’oeil tricks galore to mesmerizing effect. A bowler-bedecked model wore a jacket with painted-on pinstripes, while a biker jacket motif was imprinted on a doublebreasted blazer.

Jardini wove an English regimental theme into a patchwork trench coat and a cavalry overcoat equipped with a detachable shoulder cape. But beneath each cleverly executed effect and military reference, the designer proved that style and sartorial substance can go hand in hand.

D&G

WWD, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2009 11 WWD.COM Dsquared

FASHION SCOOPS

Dsquared

PIECES OF EIGHT: Antonio Marras, who, in addition to his namesake brand, is also creative director of Kenzo, is working on a big project.

The Sardinian designer, known for his theatrical runway sets, will add a fashionable touch to the upcoming G8 political meeting scheduled to be held in July on the Mediterranean island of La Maddalena, off the coast of Sardinia. According to sources, Marras will be in charge of designing the suites where President Barack Obama and other heads of state will be lodging, in addition to common areas at the G8.

BARNEYS’ ENDORSEMENT: Partisanship has paid off for Barneys New York.

The retailer, which wore its choice for president on its luxurious sleeve prior to the election, could hardly contain itself Tuesday when Michelle Obama wore an Isabel Toledo ensemble to her husband’s inauguration.

“Dawn Brown, our vice president of public relations, called me from the inauguration saying, ‘Get the Isabel Toledo in the windows,’” said Barneys creative director Simon Doonan. “Ruben [the designer’s husband] and Isabel are scrambling to get us samples. It’s going to be an Isabel Toledo homage.

I’m sort of annoyed that Michelle Obama has spring merchandise before us.” The retailer carries Toledo’s collection exclusively in Manhattan.

Michelle Obama has a relationship with her hometown Barneys in Chicago.

“Both she and her husband were customers at Barneys before he became a candidate,” Doonan said. “She wore a Barneys New York Collection suit when he got the nomination. She’s a Barneys girl.”

HUDSON RIVER FLIGHT TRIBUTE: Kenneth Cole is ever a fan of do-gooders, billboards and puns, all of which he combined in a tribute to the US Airways flight that landed safely in the Hudson River last week. On Tuesday morning, the designer put up this billboard on the West Side Highway: “In tough times, some land on their feet (others on the Hudson). — Kenneth Cole. Thank you to the pilots, crew, and N.Y.ers for all that you did, and all that you do.”

SHIRT TALES: Vogue Italia editor in chief Franca Sozzani hosted an intimate presentation for new London-based T-shirt label Doodski on Tuesday evening in Milan at sister Carla’s boutique, 10 Corso Como.

“Each T is reversible so you can turn it over if you spill spaghetti on it,” said Swiss-born designer Andrea Sabrier of the summer 2009 collection, inspired by Romonov Russia. Diesel founder Renzo Rosso stopped by to check out the new competition, while socialite Beatrice Borromeo had other ideas. “[The T-shirts] are perfect for stealing from your boyfriend,” she said, motioning to her beau, Pierre Casiraghi.

FOR PETE’S SAKE: Pop Artist Sir Peter Blake showed a retrospective of collages and tracings at Milan’s Galleria Lorenzelli alongside Woolen Mills’ fall men’s collection during Milan Men’s Fashion Week. “It’s an interesting combination,” he admitted. The artist said he had been busy recently, designing the carpets for the new revamped Law Lords building in London; a fabric for Stella McCartney — of a crowd scene; a T-shirt for Marni, and a tapestry for The Rug Co.

D&G

Salvatore Ferragamo

Moschino

A GUY THING: In between production of a Rumble Strips album and a remix of King of Leon works, music meister Mark Ronson took a day off to attend the Gucci show — given his newfound passion for clothes. Wearing a slim brick-brown corduroy suit, Ronson said he got GQ’s Jim Nelson with Thom Browne hooked on fashion more and Italo Zucchelli. than a year ago when he did a shoot for GQ. “I said to myself, ‘I want to start dressing like that!’”

Speaking of GQ, the magazine’s party Saturday gave designers a chance to unwind, and catch up with each other. Thom Browne, for example, was locked in conversation at the bar with Italo Zucchelli of Angela Missoni Calvin Klein Collection.

Neil Barrett and Bruno Ragazzi “I’ve never been [in Milan] during this week before,” said Browne, in town to launch Moncler Gamme Bleu. “It’s exciting and so different from New York.” Zucchelli, who for this season is showing in New York instead of Milan, said, “It’s so nice to be here without having to show, and be able to just see my friends. But get ready for New York....”

Angela Missoni came with her husband and sometime design inspiration, Bruno Ragazzi. “Can he be in my picture? Because it’s the men’s season, after all,” she said to a photographer. Designers Nick Hart, Brian Atwood of Bally, Ennio Capasa of Costume National, Massimilliano Giornetti of Salvatore Ferragamo and Graeme Fidler of Aquascutum also made appearances.

For more Scoops, see page 13

PHOTOS BY GIOVANNI GIANNONI

d MAURICIO MIRAN A PHOTOS BY GIOVANNI GIANNONI

an

D

FAN MALE: Inter Milan soccer stars Luis Figo, Francesco Toldo and Julio Ricardo Cruz warmed the benches at Versace’s show Monday night.

“Soccer may not be for everyone, but fashion surely is,” said Cruz, adding that Donatella Versace was “a very strong” Inter fan. Figo, a former teammate of David Beckham’s during his spell at Real Madrid, said he was looking forward to meeting his old pal, who is now on loan from the L.A. Galaxy at Milan rivals AC Milan — on or off the pitch. “I haven’t seen him yet, but I would like to,” Figo said.

12 WWD,

e nes ay, january 21, 2009

Etro: Red, red wine. An unusual theme

Trussardi 1911

for a fashion show, but it went down smoothly. With a shelf of wine bottles comprising the stage set, Kean Etro showed a full spectrum of reds on the runway — a reassuring note for retailers worried about a dearth of color this season. Patterns overlaid with even larger patterns at times overwhelmed Etro’s elegant and romantic tailoring.

Textured patterns such as jacquards, flocked paisley and mini-tucks added more subtle interest. The homespun look of knitted accessories heightened the overall sense of warmth and cheer. Etro was the only show so far to end with the designer doing the happy dance.

Marni: In only two years, Consuelo

d

d

w

Castiglioni has spun a strong and recognizable imprimatur for men’s wear.

The showroom presentation she opted for this season allowed for a better sense of her tailoring expertise and controlled mixing-and-matching.

Shifting the look from childish to more grown up, Castiglioni revved up a trim suit with a crisp nylon windbreaker in a checkered motif, while a faded pajama plaid ensemble appeared under a cropped camel coat. On an edgier note, Castiglioni showed T-shirts with Kim Gordon prints over knitted long johns, bright fuzzy knits and even her first pair of denim pants — black, cropped and with a tab front. All in all, it was a fusion between edgy and salable Marni style.

Trussardi 1911: For the label’s third outing, polymath designer Milan Vukmirovic referenced English equestrianism, among a few too many other themes. Perhaps he’s having trouble suppressing the smorgasbord habits he acquired as both a retailer and an editor.

The show opened with his best proposition: a navy blue officer’s coat, modernized with gleaming gold zippers in lieu of braid. The theme continued with lean, elegant tailored clothing in traditional British fabrics. Then Vukmirovic went into tonal combinations, attaching offcolored sleeves to a jacket or piecing two shades together at the knees of trousers. Odd digressions included bronze metallic leathers and prints of birds and horses. More in keeping with Trussardi’s luxury heritage was a series of bags made of 70-year-old burnished crocodile skin.

MILAN

ll ’09 a f / s n o ollecti c s ’ n e m

Etro

Alessandro Dell’Acqua: Trading in futuristic

styling and tech-y fabrics for more familiar men’s wear elements, Alessandro Dell’Acqua envisioned a relaxed, bourgeois gent for fall and it made for a strong collection. Voluminous on top, Dell’Acqua’s silhouette tapered down into lean, cropped trousers. What stood out (besides the garish gold-sequined suit) was the outerwear and high, dramatic collars — reinforced with zips front and back — which flopped artfully or stood up straight. Airy knits helped to soften any lingering hard edges.

Moncler Gamme Bleu: Atop an artificial ski slope, Moncler launched its new Gamme Bleu collection designed by Thom Browne. The Alpine set and the skiing models were entertaining enough — for the few who could see them. Given a new vocabulary to express his daring tailoring, Browne stuffed down into his trim gray flannel suit with abbreviated trousers and his collegiate cardigans, along with a pair of shorts that morphed into some odd-looking long johns. Although the collection (priced 25 percent higher than Moncler’s main line) was innovative for the slopes, it didn’t lift the designer’s oeuvre to any new summit.

Marni

Alessandro Dell’Acqua

Moncler Gamme Bleu

WWD, wednesday, january 21, 2009 13 WWD.COM

FASHION SCOOPS SHOP TALK: Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana said before their D&G show Tuesday that they are working on a new store concept that will reflect the evolution of their second brand. “Ever since we took production in house [in 2006], D&G has become a full-fledged ready-towear line,” said Gabbana. “It has changed with us, with fashion and the market,” said Dolce. The concept will be unveiled in September and the first boutiques to be renovated are the Milan, Paris, London and New York units. The designers are keeping the details about the blueprint under wraps.

Meanwhile, Dolce & Gabbana is sponsoring a spring exhibition of Vogue photography created and curated by American Vogue and designed by Jean Nouvel at Milan’s Palazzo della Ragione. The show, “Extreme Beauty in Vogue,” with images by Edward Steichen, Erwin Blumenfeld, Richard Avedon, Helmut Newton, Annie Leibovitz and Steven Klein, among others, and an entire section dedicated to Irving Penn, will run March 4 to May 10. Gabbana said the images “are real icons because they have extended the boundaries of beauty beyond all rules.” Plans for the exhibition were announced on Monday by Milan mayor Letizia Moratti. Among the city’s other art projects for the year are a tribute to the late designer Gianfranco Ferré and a Vanessa Beecroft exhibition.

Ermenegildo Zegna: This

Ermenegildo Zegna

and O

Brioni

ST

Brioni: Brioni preached simple elegance for fall, mixing micro- and macro-patterns on three-piece suits, sports jackets and superfine knits for the powerful man who doesn’t have to shout to be heard.

O

more from the shows...

O

Ermenegildo Zegna

Woolrich Woolen Mills: Hunting and fishing inspired Japanese designer Daiki Suzuki to create such pieces as a zip-up field jacket and a short vest and pants made from a lightweight Hudson Bay blanket — hard-wearing but not hard to wear.

New York Industrie: Knits galore — including fall’s must-have softshouldered cardigan jacket — and slim flannel pants in blues and grays made for an elegant, approachable and wearable collection.

Ermanno Scervino: Ermanno Scervino’s man brims with masculine confidence and isn’t shy about layering on the luxe, whether it comes in the form of a suave black and navy coat with a fur collar, lean pants or torso-skimming mélange knits.

Iceberg: While Iceberg continues to spin its cartoonish knits, it wisely counterbalanced that light fare with brightly colored turtlenecks and chunky cardigan blazers, as well as relatively sober tailored looks.

Alexander McQueen Puma: In a one-two punch, McQueen’s new line with Puma shared the same theme as his signature show: boxing. But the similarities ended there, as the Puma line consisted of modern, gym-inspired pieces. To a consumer hungry for affordable designer fashion, the most attractive feature may be the small external tags cobranded with McQueen’s name.

Woolrich Woolen Mills

New York Industrie

Ermanno Scervino

Iceberg

Alexander McQueen Puma

photos BY DAVIDE MAE RI, GI VANNI GIANN NI

MAURICI MIRANDA

global powerhouse wants to be known as more than just a maker of classic tailored clothing, and its fall collection — an ode to the pin-striped suit — expressed that well.

Instead of sending out conventional navy and white pinstripes or chalk stripes, Zegna’s design team dabbled with Bordeaux and toffee tones — to rich and sophisticated effect.

“It’s discrete luxury with a strong point of view,” said chief executive Gildo Zegna.

The collection also adopted an equestrian theme, as in suede jodhpurs tucked into riding boots and worn with a handsome camelcolored blazer.

KORS HITS PALM BEACH: They say to go to where your customer is, and luckily for Michael Kors, his ladies are in Palm Beach. As the rest of New York froze on Friday, the designer treated his favorite clients, including Pauline Pitt, Jane Churchill and Jamee Gregory, to a brunch and spring trunk show at his Worth Avenue store. Hilary Ross helped host in honor of the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach. Guests were shopping eagerly, Kors said, but “the days of ‘I’m only going to wear it in Palm Beach’ are on the wane.…But, of course, it’s Palm Beach, so everyone fights over the same garments.”

ALL CHANGE AT DOVER STREET: The London multibrand emporium Dover Street Market unveiled its spring collections Friday, and quite a crowd gathered to witness the event. A long line of artsy types snaked along the outside of the store from early in the afternoon, all waiting for Nigo, the founder of the Japanese label A Bathing Ape, who was due to sign copies of his “A Bathing Ape” book that evening. The designer was set to put in an appearance, as one of the major spring installations in the sprawling, five-story store is a replica of Nowhere, the store that Nigo and Jun Takahashi opened in Harajuku, Tokyo, in 1993. The Nowhere space in Dover Street Market will carry designs by Takahashi’s brand Undercover and A Bathing Ape, alongside products the two designers have collaborated on.

And plenty of other designers have set up quirky spaces in the store to carry their spring wares, too. Peter Jensen has worked with set designer Shona Heath to create an upside-down city skyline installation in the store, made from Perspex skyscraper shapes suspended from the ceiling. The space houses six tiered dress designs that Jensen has created exclusively for Dover Street Market, all made from a patchwork of different prints taken from the designer’s archives. The dresses retail from 700 pounds, or $1,032. Meanwhile, in Lanvin’s area mannequins clad in the house’s designs are sat in front of giant iMacs, as if they’re in an Internet cafe, while the founders of the London restaurant and design collective Les Trois Garçons have taken over the store’s shoe area.

They’ve used the space to sell an eclectic mix of Perspex bags, rustic wooden chairs and candy-colored glassware, all artfully placed amongst the store’s Nicholas Kirkwood and Bruno Frisoni shoe designs.

HOMESPUN HIP: Pendleton, the hundred-year-old Pacific Northwest purveyor of Indian trading blankets and plaid wool shirts made famous by the Beach Boys, is the latest classic American company to be anointed by the cool kids at Opening Ceremony.

The store’s co-owners, Carol Lim and Humberto Leon, have tapped the American heritage brand for their latest design collaboration, Pendleton Meets Opening Ceremony, which will launch for fall.

Lim and Leon, who have worked with brands such as Tretorn and Stetson in the past, were turned onto Pendleton when they started Looks from stocking the label as part of Pendleton Opening Ceremony’s current for Opening Japanese feature. “It’s no Ceremony. secret that American heritage is a big reference in Japan,” says Leon. “We felt like as were trying to represent these Japanese designers it was important to also have a little focus on the American portion of it and Pendleton was definitely one of the first brands we wanted to embrace.” In honor of the firm’s 100th anniversary, Lim and Leon decided to take things a step further with the capsule collection, which features 15 men’s pieces, all of which will be available in women’s sizes and eight women’s pieces, which will hit stores in August.

Designwise, Leon says they wanted to put the Opening Ceremony spin on Pendleton’s rustic heritage. Thus, the classic men’s shirt is done in a mash up of plaids and the Navajo blankets have been refashioned into a mini bell skirt and cropped motorcycle jacket. There will also be a home component of pillows and blankets and everything, as Leon says, is “ all wool, all made in the USA.” Hipsters will be keeping warm next winter.

14 WWD, wednesday, january 21, 2009

WWD.COM

Berlin Preview

Finding a Global Business Footing

By Melissa Drier

Zionskirche Church

BERLIN — Despite darkening economic clouds and

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin runs Jan. 28 to 31, including runway presentations and trade shows. Times and locations are accurate as of press time, but subject to change, and attendees are encouraged to confirm information.

Wednesday, Jan. 28

5 p.m.: C.Neeon tea and cake opening, Konk store, 15 Kleine Hamburger Strasse 7 p.m.: Friendly Fur objects to wear, Friendly Soiree, 14 Frankfurter Allee 8 p.m.: Boss Black, MBFWB, Botanischer Garten, 6-8 Königin-Luise-Strasse Thursday, Jan. 29 11 a.m.: Schumacher, MBFWB, Bebelplatz 1 p.m.: Lala Berlin, MBFWB, Bebelplatz 3 p.m.: Lac et Mel, MBFWB, Bebelplatz 5 p.m.: Strenesse Blue, MBFWB, Bebelplatz 6 p.m.: Showroom-Mile Opening, CityQuartier

DomAquarée, 5 Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 6 p.m.: Veruschka opening and booksigning with Vera Lehndorff, Lumas Berlin, Rosenthaler Strasse 40-41 7 p.m.: Kaviar Gauche, MBFWB, Bebelplatz 9 p.m.: JOOP!, MBFWB, Hamburger Bahnhof, 50-51 Invalidenstrasse 9 p.m.: Becks Fashion Experience, Former Fernmeldeamt, 44 Klosterstrasse

Friday, Jan. 30 11 a.m.: “Designer for tomorrow by Peek &

Cloppenburg,” MBFWB, Bebelplatz 1 p.m.: Marcel Ostertag, MBFWB, Bebelplatz 1-8 p.m.: Markus Lupfer, MBFWB presentation at Palais am Festungsgraben, Am Festungsgraben 1 3 p.m.: Eastpak, MBFWB, Bebelplatz 3 p.m.: Premium Symposium “Überdenim,” Auditorium 1st floor, 4-6 Lückenwalderstrasse 4 p.m.: Wedel & Tiedeken presentation, 7 Almstadtstrasse 5 p.m.: Sisi Wasabi, MBFWB, Bebelplatz 6-9 p.m.: Peter O. Mahler store opening, Gipsstrasse 5 7 p.m.: Ugg Australia, MBFWB, Bebelplatz 7 p.m.: Maripolarama, SevenStarGallery, Gormannstrasse 7 9 p.m.: Michalsky, MBFWB, Zionskirche, Zionskirchplatz 10 p.m.: Premium & friends party, Cookies, Unter den Linden/Friedrichstrasse

We cannot change the economic “situation, but as a start-up company

we’re in the mode to invest, grow and improve.

”

— Arne Stoldt, Michalsky

Saturday, Jan. 31 11 a.m.: H.Xan Koca, MBFWB, Bebelplatz 11 a.m.: Gala Fashion Brunch, Hotel

Ellington, 50-55 Nürnberger Strasse 1 p.m.: Kilian Kerner, MBFWB, Bebelpatz 3 p.m.: Scherer González, MBFWB, Bebelplatz 5 p.m.: Allude, MBFWB, Bebelplatz 5 p.m.: Firma, presentation, 1 Mulackstrasse 7 p.m.: Guido Maria Kretschmer, MBFWB, Bebelplatz 7.30 p.m.: Achtung Party, The Corner, 40 Franzoesische Strasse 9 p.m.: Susana Peric, MBFWB, Bebelplatz 9 p.m.: Fashion Rock Night, West Coast Customs Berlin, 99 Revaler Strasse 10 p.m.: Bernhard Willhelm, MBFWB, Postbahnhof, Strasse der Pariser Kommune 10 p.m.: Projekt Galerie Party, HBC at former Haus Ungarn, 9 Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 10 p.m.: Official Fashion Week Closing Party, Club Hotel, 39-40 Warschauer Strasse

The Hamburger Bahnhof art museum.

­­

growing uncertainty about the next round of ordering, visitors to the upcoming Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin will find Germany’s fashion vanguard more professionally established than ever before.

Especially in Berlin, where the creative scene has long distrusted commerce, local designers have made moves to strengthen their businesses on multiple fronts. Marketing and sales efforts have been expanded; stationary and online shops have been opened; backers or new financial constructs have been found, and collections have been merchandised to better meet retailers’ needs while also sharpening their designer signature.

As for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin, the third edition, Jan. 28 to Feb. 1, will feature almost twice as many designers than its January 2008 launch. Twenty-four national and international collections will show on site at Bebelplatz, as well as highly atmospheric venues such as the botanical gardens, Hamburger Bahnhof art museum and the Zionskirche Church.

The mix is more varied than ever and promises to help stamp out Berlin’s stubborn reputation as a center of cool, relaxed — but essentially trashy — street style. The lineup includes solid but imaginative ready-to-wear collections like MBFWB newcomer Schumacher and fashion week stalwarts Hugo Boss, Strenesse Blue, Joop! and Michalsky.

Also showing are proponents of young but elegant designer wear such as Kaviar Gauche, another newbie at MBFWB this season, and Sisi Wasabi; avant -garde visitors like Bernhard Willhelm, Markus Lupfer and Felder & Felder; knitwear enthusiasts Lala Berlin and Allude; edgy entertainers along the lines of Marcel Ostertag or Kilian Kerner; bold constructivists such as Scherer González or the graphically oriented C.Neeon, as well as a bunch of student talents vying for the Becks Fashion Experience or Peek & Cloppenburg Designer for Tomorrow awards.

Of the numerous satellite events and trade presentations taking place concurrently with the runway shows, Premium will host around 850 exhibitors at the Old Post Railway station. The contemporary trade show will offer new “guest rooms” this season for multiple-brand agencies, as well as beef up its fledging Green and “Über Denim” areas.

Bread & Butter’s Karl-Heinz Müller is kicking off a selected denim event called Offshow 14 oz. 2nd floor, a platform of 11 brands carried in Müller’s denim and urbanwear shop of the same name.

Though extremely small, this new project has set tongues wagging about a future return of B&B to Berlin. Müller said he had no comment.

Also part of Berlin’s fashion week activities: Projekt Galerie will present the off-scene in two gallery spaces in Berlin Mitte, while Showroom Mile in nine venues near the MBFWB tents on Bebelplatz is designed to allow the public to get a whiff of the city’s fashion spirit.

The global economic crisis is putting a damper on expectations for next season, but the mood among designers and show organizers is nonetheless upbeat. As Premium founder Anita Tillmann noted, “Berlin is always in a recession. We never have money in this city, and we get by. Actually, the rest of the world is now following Berlin.”

She continued, “There will always be bad or difficult times, but Berlin is getting better and better.”

Buyers have said they’re coming, she said. “Maybe now for one rather than two days, and with a team of five, not 10.”

“We cannot change the economic situation, but as a start-up company we’re in the mode to invest, grow and improve,” said Michalsky managing director Arne Stoldt. “We haven’t scaled back but have increased our workforce instead, investing in sales and quality management.” This is in part possible because Michalsky, as well as Kaviar Gauche, share a new backer: the former Internet executive Volker Tietgens.

Sisi Wasabi is now a publicly held company, and as such has the means to launch a new sales offensive. “For me, the key is to find a balance between being special and commercial,” said Zerlina van der Busche, Sisi Wasabi designer. “In times of crisis, retailers still want special things but are scared of selling them.

“I’m working harder to make sure every piece that goes out is perfect,” she added. “I’ve found my style. But the next step is telling my story to the retailers.”

Show Calendar

Sunday, Feb. 1 1 p.m.: 30paarhaende, MBFWB, Bebelplatz 3 p.m.: C.Neeon, MBFWB, Bebelplatz 7 p.m.: Felder & Felder, MBFWB, Bebelplatz Jan. 27 - Feb. 1

• Projekt Galerie 96 and 201 Torstrasse

Jan. 29 - 31

• Premium 4-6 Luckenwalderstrasse

photos by matti hilliG

• Offshow 14 oz. 2nd floor 13 Neue Schönhäuser Strasse • Showroom-Meile, nine different locations including: CityQuartier DomAquarée, 5 KarlLiebknecht-Strasse, Galeria Kaufhof , Alexanderplatz and Galeries Lafayette, 76-78 Friedrich Strasse

official Make-up expert of the

NEW YORK MEETS BERLIN MAKE-UP MEETS FASHION Maybelline Jade, the No.1 color cosmetics brand in Germany and worldwide*, has been the official make-up expert for the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin ever since the event began. In 2009, the beauty specialist is presenting new exciting colors and innovations together with topmodel Julia Stegner. She is the face of Maybelline Jade and as well as the new brand ambassador for the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin.

Maybelline Jade’s renowned make-up artist Boris Entrup is acting as head of make-up and styling to showcase Maybelline Jade’s looks at the event. To strengthen the link between cutting-edge fashion and make-up, he is bringing the look of New York to the catwalk in Berlin.

More information at: www.maybelline.de

16 WWD, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2009

WWD.COM

Berlin Preview

Fresh faces on the German fashion scene.

Scherer González

this season reflects “a stroke of fate, accepting it, letting If there were a prize for the show with the most chal- go and moving on.”

In stylistic terms, that means a look that’s “a bit more lenging shoes, the award last season in Berlin would have gone to Scherer González. Using heavy glass plat- elegant. More mature,” Kerner said. “The fabrics are forms, almost a foot high, festooned with real flowers, more high end, the men a bit more masculine, and the Paul Scherer, 28, and Constanze González, 31, were ask- women truly feminine.”

Featuring about 80 pieces in total, the Kilian Kerner ing a lot of their models — who remarkably avoided any tumbles. Showing again this season, the Berlin-based collection retails between 150 to 800 euros, or about pair, who met at fashion school, is clearly just as resil- $200 to $1,100 at current exchange. While he initially ient. Extravagant gowns, corseted bodices and tailored suits will again feature strongly, with a more subdued palette of grays and browns replacing last season’s neon pinks and greens. And although the flowers will stay, this time around they will be dried or silk, for a more morbid, wintery feel.

Having launched their collection in January 2005, the designers form part of a new generation of Berlin labels that favor intricate tailoring and high-end eveningwear, instead of the grungy clubgear and printed T-shirts that characterized the Paul Scherer and city’s fashion scene in the Nineties.

Kilian Kerner Constanze González “Anyone can print a T-shirt, but the more complicated the cut, the better you have to be,” explained Scherer. Going upscale is certainly a way of weeding out the competition, agreed partner González.

— D.M.

It’s quite fitting that Kilian Kerner got his designer start at a concert when German pop singer Nena fell for his self-printed T-shirts. Still, Kerner’s come a long way from his beginnings with recycled tops and pants, having graduated to a full collection of polished but edgy attire for the men and women of his club generation.

“The first six collections were my training,” said the soon-to-turn-30 Cologne native, who originally came to Berlin to study acting. His seventh, for spring 2009 — shown on the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin runway last season accompanied by his favorite band, SplinterX — “was the first where I felt I really knew where I want to go: pared down yet very extravagant and wearable fashion.”

Personal in approach, Kerner’s collections “always develop from a feeling,” which, with the help of best friend and SplinterX lead singer Ben Ivory, is also then expressed in a theme song. Last spring was about those first seconds when you notice a special someone, while

NATURAL NURTURE: A peaceful bit of the Austrian woods has come to Berlin’s trendy Hackescher Markt with the new Susanne Kaufmann day spa. A full line of facial and body treatments, including shaving services for men, massage and a private spa for couples, is offered in a pristine white environment.

This is the second location for Kaufmann, whose premier spa is in the alpine Hotel Post Bezau, a family-run resort in the Bregenzerwald region of Austria. Kaufmann’s artisanal line of more than 60 organic products, used and sold in both spas, are handmade in small batches, using plants from the region.

While Germany is home to a host of natural cosmetics companies, Kaufmann feels her line is different, thanks to its deep roots in tradition. Her grandmother used the herbs arnica and St. John’s wort in tonics and poultices — now they’ve made their way into Kaufmann’s high-end creams. The Susanne Kaufmann Spa joins Asian-influenced Yi-Spa Studio and waxing-beauty center Senzera in Berlin’s newest spa row.

— Susan Stone Susanne Kaufmann Spa Berlin Monbijouplatz 4, 10178; +49-30-2345-5973; susannekaufmann.com/spaberlin A BIRD? A PLANE? A CLUB: If the club is easy to find, and has anything so obvious as a sign on the door, you can be sure it’s not the place to be. In fact, the latest of Berlin’s hip hangouts are rarely, strictly speaking, clubs at all. “It’s a bit boring if it’s straightaway obvious what

PHOTOS BY TIL BORTELS

SCENE

we are about. Much more interesting to keep people guessing,” explained Johannes Schoen, manager of HBC Kollektiv, a rambling 16,000-square-foot art exhibition space spread over quirky rooms that double as a club, live music venue and cinema.

Opened in September in the retro East Bloc chic of the former Hungarian Cultural Center, Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 9, the first event was originally intended as a one-time arts party in a deserted building. HBC now throws regular club nights in which partygoers run around between eccentric art installations and dance in the Hungarian Center’s old cinema auditorium. The venue will host numerous events throughout Fashion Week, including the official party for the avant-garde trade show Projekt Galerie.

Meanwhile, over in Kreuzberg, LiveAtDot, a live concert location for serious music aficionados with a restaurant upstairs, has moved into what was once the club 103, at Falckensteinstrasse 47. To check out Mitte’s glam set, head for Violet, Rosmarinstrasse 8-9, set up by the owners of Weekend. And for something a bit more underground, where the beer is cheap and the crowd relaxed, search out the tiny Spyz, tucked away on Reichenbergerstrasse 125.

— D.M. APARTMENT STORE: Berlin’s concept store pioneer Andreas Murkudis has done it again.

The king of Munzstrasse, where he runs his AM 1, 2 and 3 stores plus the Acne shop, has inaugurated his latest retail format. Called Etage, it’s located up some unlikely looking stairs in the front building of his Munzstrasse 21 courtyard. Etage is housed in a 2,000 square-foot, second-floor apartment. Here’s a chance to check out a typical altbau Berlin residence complete with parquet floors, French doors, ultrahigh ceilings and oodles of space. As with everything Murkudis sells, Etage is an assemblage of some of his favorite things, here set out in a creative room-by-room mix. While the emphasis is on interior design, furniture by E15, Vitra and architects Gonzalez/Haase, lamps from Serge Mouille, Flos, Wigglesworth-Weider, Nymphenburg porcelain and Lobmeyr

PHOTO BY MIRKO ZANDER

ones watch

Go, do, see, shop.

Lac et Mel

Gregor Clemens, the 26-year-old designer of Lac et Mel, and his 29-year-old partner, Konrad Dobschütz, aren’t keen on biographies.

“We live in fast times and things are constantly changing,” Dobschütz explained. Indeed, the two moved from Leipzig to Berlin just last October, and they’ve already hosted more showroom visits in the German capital than in the label’s entire four years in Leipzig. Preparations are busily under way for Lac et Mel’s second MBFWB runway show, as well as a temporary market week showroom in Berlin’s tony Quartier 206 and a blow-out VIP dinner.

Markus Lupfer Gregor Clemens They also wouldn’t divulge much about the new fall collection. That it will be predominantly sold to a number of specialty stores in the black (plus a second color) goes without saying.

U.S., “the payment moral wasn’t the best, so “I find black the best to underscore contours and surAmerica is currently on ice.” face interest,” said Clemens, who’s partial to somewhat His main customers are small boutiques in fanciful cuts in fabrics like Dupioni silk, velvet, satin, as Germany, Austria, France and Japan. well as batiste and pinwale corduroy. “For me, there’s — Melissa Drier nothing worse than colorful, printed or embroidered fabric. If you need it, then the cut’s boring.”

The purposely concise but non-basic collection of Markus Lupfer “There is so much going on in Berlin right now,” said about 60 pieces retails from 200 to 1,000 euros, or about Markus Lupfer, 38, when asked why he’s decided to $275 to $1,350 at current exchange. That is, with the exshow in his native Germany for the first time. Based in ception of this season’s highlight: the 100,000 euro, or London for the past 13 years, and until 2003 a regular just over $131,800, diamond dress studded with 2,000 glitexhibitor at London Fashion Week, Lupfer sees Berlin tering stones to mark Lac et Mel’s new cooperation with as a chance to get back to his roots and break into the German jewelry producer XEN. The first Lac et Mel jewelry collection will be presented for spring 2010.

German market.

He’ll be showing his trademark printed knitwear and — M.D.

2

— Damien McGuinness

Kilian Kerner

embroidered jerseys as part of a still-life presentation in the faded grandeur of a former Prussian palace across from the main catwalks on Bebelplatz. Dubbed “crime of fashion,” the presentation will feature 20 outfits on mannequins strewn about on the floor, cordoned off to mimic the aftermath of a crime scene. This delinquent take on fashion reflects Lupfer’s move away from pretty, feminine tailoring to a tougher, edgier look: rock ’n’ rollinspired prints or miniskirts paired with bovver boots mix with more classic elements such as tartan.

“The general global environment is really tough right now, which means there’s nothing girly or cutesy happening in fashion,” he said. “And I think classical elements are becoming more important because when market conditions are difficult, people tend to go for what they are the most familiar with.”

LUPFER PHOTO BY JAMES MOONEY; OTHERS BY MATTI HILLIG

Getting Some Buzz

Etage

glass share the stage with Altmann & Kühne Viennese chocolates; Rochelt fruit brandy; Montale fragrances; Johnston cashmere, and a rainbow of bias-cut dresses by his brother Kostas Murkudis. The concept is too frequently “clean house,” and Etage’s multiple rooms will be redesigned at the end of February.

— M.D. Etage Andreas Murkudis Open Monday through Saturday, noon to 8 p.m.; Munzstrasse 21, 10178; andreasmurkudis.net

KNIT WIT: Local knitwear designer Maike Dietrich is known for her bulky though often lightweight hand-knit sweaters, scarves, caps, mittens and assorted fashion paraphernalia. But with her temporary sales installation at Galerie Oona, a contemporary jewelry store and gallery, she’s turned her size 15 needles in new directions. In what she calls “the first knitted store in the world,” Dietrich is presenting knitted lampshades, rugs, oversize pillows, tea cozies, place mats, book covers, flower pot holders, sometimes sporting a chunky cable in bulky wool or strangely airy in mohair. And all the more unexpected when paired with one project sponsor’s fine white china: Berlin’s royal porcelain manufacturer, KPM. Galerie Oona, which specializes in “artistic” jewelry presentations, is preparing for another fashion liaison.

The closing reception of Maiami’s Knitted Store on Jan. 29 will also double as a preview of a new collaborative show of jewelry designer Volker Atrops’ work and Berlin fashion label Boessert Schorn’s fall 2009 collection.

— M.D. Maiami — The Knitted Store C/o Galerie Oona, Auguststrasse 26, 10117; Open Tuesday through Saturday, 2 to 6 p.m. oona-galerie.de

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin.

January 28 – February 1, 2009

www.mercedes-benz.de/focus-on-fashion

18 WWD, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2009

WWD.COM

Exec Tech

New Ideas at NRF Show Bits & the store can see anything for sale, such as a chair or dress, floating in 3-D space on a computer monitor. The The focus of the National Retail Federation’s show in shopper can send the item to a friend’s iPhone, so the New York last week was the poor economy — for once, friend sees the item in a product detail page on her iPhone and can chat about it or buy it. technology got sidelined.

IBM and Sky IT Group revealed that Theory is using But new ideas could bring in customers, said Fred Balboni, IBM Global Retail industry leader. “You have its SkyPAD dashboard service to track and react more to do something that creates excitement around your quickly to sales trends in stores, said Theory chief information officer Keitaro Shigemasa. For example, experience as a retailer,” he said.

Cell phones were a widespread theme, while few when leggings did well, the company was able to cut executives mentioned RFID. At the Sonic Bar booth, additional ones and sell more. The software also gives Microsoft demonstrated its platform for tagging objects Theory more information about individual stores and better end-of-season reports. with two-dimensional bar codes.

Torex, which makes point-ofMicrosoft Tag went live this month, sale and Compass merchandising and any user can set up, manage software, launched a customer loyand monitor the creation of 2D baralty product with an unusual feacodes on Microsoft’s site. Once the ture: The software can be set up to tag is printed and attached to somerecognize when a customer enters a thing, such as a garment, shoppers store and can deliver a set of relecan point their cell phones at a tag vant promotions. Customers can be and call up a Web site with a video recognized by their mobile phone or information about how, for examsignals or a card with a loyalty chip ple, an item of clothing was made in it. The customers could also use out of recycled materials using ecoa kiosk to swipe their cards and friendly processes. download promotions.

Avery Dennison has created a Spencer Maynard, New Look similar program and can print its vice president of allocation, said labels and hangtags with its own giving customers newness is key to 2-D bar codes. Such bar codes have doing well — especially in a down already been widely used in Asia to economy. “Fast fashion is now stanpromote brands such as Coke and dard in almost all markets from Estée Lauder. clothing to electronics to food,” he One of the most intriguing ideas said. The company has about nine was a kiosk that snaps a photo of million customers, and almost 40 a shopper and virtually applies percent of U.K. women shop there. makeup to the image. A major U.S. New Look expects markdowns on retailer plans to pilot the EZface trendy items and doesn’t try to keep Virtual Mirror Kiosk this quarA mock-up of an EZface kiosk. them in stock for more than two ter. CoverGirl and Garnier France already use a version of the technology online. The or three weeks, he said. Fashion basics, on the other concept is well-suited for drugstores and the Internet, hand, have a longer shelf life and better full-price sellthroughs. “Because we didn’t have high levels of comwhere products cannot be sampled.

EZface co-founder and vice president of marketing mitment [on fashion items], it frees up working capital, Ruth Gal came up with the idea late at night, when she and we had a very successful Christmas,” he said.

For the most recent 12-week period, including after was researching the latest color trends online while her children slept. “It was hard to see the colors,” she Christmas, total group sales were up 14.5 percent, said. “I thought it would be great to have my virtual market share was up 5 percent and margin up 1.7 perimage and apply all the colors and decide what is the cent, he said.

“They want to see it in a magazine, go to a shop, do best color on me.” EZface is working with IBM to marit cheaply and brag to friends just how cheaply they ket and install the application.

IBM also demonstrated a new version of its visual did it,” he said. Any retailer who can do that is in a 3-D technology that virtually brings together shop- position to ride the difficult market conditions of the pers via cell phone, Internet and store. A shopper in next few years, he added.

Bytes — C.T.C.

t

reen

Due this quarter from T-Mobile is the Moto W233 Renew phone, the first cell phone made using recycled plastic from water bottles. The phone will retail for about $130.

74%

of e-commerce managers surveyed said senior management looks to them as the vehicle for growth — Forrester Research Inc.

usical coat

t

TONE

G

By Cate T. Corcoran

Cole Haan is prepping a women’s jacket with a built-in controller for music players. The jacket will retail for $525 and be in stores in the fall. Other sportswear retailers are also planning to make use of the technology, which previously found favor with activewear makers such as Burton.

M

Fashion game

t

Fashion is in on the Wii, thanks to Imagine Fashion Party, due out from Ubisoft at the end of the month for $30. In the game, players create looks and compete to be stars of a fictitious TV reality show.

Saks Boosts E-Commerce With New Look Saks uses Blue Martini software, but many of its innovations are proprietary ones the retailer developed itself. Some of the changes came from customer requests, who said they wanted more product information.

“It’s always about improving your visibility with the hope you will increase conversion,” Incandela said.

Saks does not break out e-commerce results.

However, said Incandela, “direct is performing better than full line, and always has, because we’re still relatively immature and have a lot of organic growth.

That relationship hasn’t changed.” Unique visitors decreased but conversion increased in 2008 versus 2007, she said. “It’s almost like the shoppers stayed with us and the browsers have moved on.”

Saks has begun to test video in the product detail pages. For example, if a shopper clicks on certain designer looks, such as a white sweater and dark skirt from Marc Jacobs, the model will twirl around. “Our objective is to increase conversion and reduce the return rate” of purchases, she said. The retailer is comparing like items from the same vendor to see if video makes a difference.

Saks plans to continually enhance the site every six months. It remains committed to participating in social media, such as YouTube. The retailer does not yet have plans to move into mobile commerce, she said.

In December, Saks’ comparable-store sales were down 19.8 percent. For the third quarter, the retailer reported sales of $698 million, down from $796 million the year prior. The company last week unveiled a major cost-cutting program, which includes reducing its workforce by 9 percent and scaling back capital expenditure. f

A good online retailer is always freshening up its look.

To that end, Saks Fifth Avenue completed a redesign just before Christmas.

Perhaps the biggest change is the introduction of a site for Canada. Previously, Saks took orders over the phone and then would call back the customer to tell her the order total. Now Canadian customers see prices in Canadian dollars, with the appropriate taxes and tariffs included.

That alone has boosted sales significantly, said president of Saks Direct Denise Incandela. “Canadian sales are up something like 300 or 400 percent,” she said.

The retailer plans to develop versions of its site for Europe and Asia, though it has not set any dates for the rollout, she said.

Another big change is the ability to see alternate looks without having to click through to the product detail page. When the shopper rolls her cursor over some items, the front view gives way to a back view.

Photos are bigger, and a shopper can view as many as 80 looks on a page. Previously the site could show only 15.

Each product detail page now has at least three views, including insides of handbags. Handbag detail pages also show each bag on a silhouette of a model, so shoppers know how big it is.

Shoppers can navigate the site by viewing total looks or specific items of apparel such as pants or tops.

In October, the retailer started offering monogramming on more than 100 items, including Longchamp bags.

It is too early to tell the effect of visual changes in product views, said Incandela.

The redesign has been in the works for about a year.

— C.T.C.

Video rocks cra ts t

ThreadBanger claims its videos about do-it-yourself projects attract more than one million views a month on various devices. Subjects range from how to make a Shrinky-Dink Inauguration necklace to organizing kitchen shelves.

WWD, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2009 19 WWD.COM

Marketing

Body and Image: The Challenge of Plus Size Among conventional retailers, at Lord & Taylor, plussize sales represent 22 percent of the ladies’ sportswear business, said LaVelle Olexa, senior vice president of public relations. E-commerce in the category has become more important to Lord & Taylor, which sells plus sizes to consumers on the Internet and also sends e-mail blasts on new vendors, seasonal trends, special offers and special events. Online, Lord & Taylor keeps special sizes in their own category, with their own classifications (tops, bottoms, dresses, swim, etc.) and does not populate them in with missy. In the stores, the presentation is by vendor, merchandised with mixed classifications for visual impact and customer ease, she noted.

The retailer has “been working to increase fashion offerings for our plus-size customer, and we are always looking for new opportunities to grow this business,” Olexa said.

L&T plans to roll out plus-size offerings to an unspecified number of additional doors for spring 2009, including Modern Branded Separates, Karen Kane and Calvin Klein, and intensifying the Lauren The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty.

Jeans business in all its doors.

The plus-size business also is an important part of the Kmart assortment, both instore and online, said Stephen Donnelly, vice president, GMM, women’s apparel.

Kmart carries plus-size private labels such as Route 66 and Jaclyn Smith, as well as national brands Chic and Rider in plus sizes. It offers plus sizes in categories such as swim, outerwear, sleep/lounge and intimates, and carries junior-plus in its Piper & Blue brand as well, he said.

The women’s plus-size department is a growth initiative for Kohl’s and carries a balance of core essentials, fashion basics and trend items to satisfy women’s needs and budgets, said Jack Boyle, executive vice president, GMM of women’s apparel and accessories.

Although Kohl’s did not disclose sales figures, it has expanded brands in the plus-size department, will continue to add new labels as opportunities arise, and plans to launch Dana Buchman brand plus sizes in fall 2009.

And yet, many brands stop short of entering the category because they believe it could alienate regular-size customers, said Most competition is in the middle market, with Bill D’Arienzo, ceo of WDA Brand Marketing Solutions.

“It’s frightening they would do this, but they do, and it’s a chains such as Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug and Avenue offering prices in the midtier range, and national retail- terrible thing with so many people overweight,” he said.

To break barriers, brands must make sizing more ers like Kohl’s and J.C. Penney having developed their own plus-size businesses, Mintel said. Wal-Mart domi- “consumer-centric,” with sexy, appealing advertisements, nates the lower-priced market, with competition thin- D’Arienzo said. “Inside every woman, despite her size, is a longing to be recognized for her femininity.” ning at higher-priced levels.

Wolfe of the Doneger Group focused the issue on Possibly because of the privacy they offer shoppers, online retailers represent an opportunity to raise the basic business practicalities.

“If the retail market was booming, I could underplus-size profile: Besides Web-only businesses like Redcats USA’s Woman Within and Jessica London, al- stand people saying they’re going to forget the plus-size most every major retailer and brand sells plus-size ap- business,” he said. “But everybody today needs busiparel online, often offering a wider assortment than ness, and to be ignoring a large segment of the population seems absolutely foolhardy.” they do in stores, Mintel said.

e

Whitn y hompson: A size 10, she became the first plus-size model to win “America’s ext Top Model” in spring 2008. he is a spokeswoman for brands such as mile- tylist and Right Fit. S

O

N

O

e

T

S

L

Qu n Latifah: “Hip-Hop’s First ady.” he was nominated for an Academy Award for her role in “ hicago” (2002). ast year, she appeared in the film, “The ecret ife of Bees.”

Among other movies, atifah was a producer for “The Perfect Holiday” (2007).

S

L

S

L

S

C

L

ee

Emm : The first plus-size model to achieve highprofile status. mme has a women’s sportswear line (sizes 2 to 26) through QV under the “me by MM ” label. he is also an author, consultant and television personality.

S

Plus- ize icons E

S

E

E

C

e

S

THE PLUS-SIZE APPAREL CATEGORY GETS LITTLE respect.

Americans are bigger than ever, but in a society that prizes svelte, athletic images, many manufacturers and retailers are reluctant to embrace and target those consumers, because of the stigma that large sizes still carry.

“Models keep getting thinner and thinner as the population gets heavier and heavier….Overweight people in America don’t want to be addressed as if there was something wrong with them,” said David Wolfe, creative director, The Doneger Group. “When I shop, I see people in regular departments I think could and should be shopping in plus-size departments.”

However, those departments are often positioned in basements or hard-to-find store nooks that get little attention instead of being mixed and promoted with other categories “to let size-20 women feel extra good about being size 20,” he said.

Even the most powerful woman in media isn’t immune from body-image anxiety.

Oprah Winfrey wrote in the January issue of her magazine about gaining 40 pounds in four years, admitting, in headline-size type, “I’m mad at myself. I’m embarrassed.”

Yes, size matters, but the ramifications of plus-size marketing decisions go beyond self-image to the bottom line.

Industry analysts said merchants and brands that give short shrift to the category are missing an opportunity to jump-start sales in a critical period of retail weakness and diminished demand.

“If I was opening a business today, I’d go after the large-size customer before any other customer,” said Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst for research firm NPD Group. “It offers the most growth opportunity in all of fashion.”

Statistics are on Cohen’s side.

Studies show 62 percent of females and 67 percent of males in the U.S., or about 127 million people, are overweight, which is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) between 25 and 29.9. (BMI is a calculation involving a person’s weight and height, and is a not gender-specific guide to standards of weight and obesity.)

Despite consumer weight gain, marketing and advertising of plus sizes has gone “under the radar,” according to a 2008 survey of 1,020 women by research consultant Mintel International Group Ltd., which found the most frequently worn women’s size is now 14.

Retail sales of large-size apparel to women were more than $18 billion from October 2007 to November 2008, compared with $19.3 billion in the previous year, according to the NPD Group. Men’s big-and-tall retail sales in the period in 2008 were $4.8 billion, compared with $5.1 billion in 2007.

Wendy Liebman, chief executive officer of WSL Strategic Retail said the category “might attract significant business, but they [brands] don’t deem it ‘sexy’ or ‘appropriate.’ ” Part of the problem is the short attention spans of companies and the desire for fast results.

“Just because a firm decided to get into the plus-size business didn’t mean consumers knew that,” Cohen said. “It takes time for that message to get out, and they weren’t patient because everything is viewed as having such precious floor space.”

As a result, competition withered for pure plus and big-size businesses like Casual Male and Lane Bryant, creating opportunity for Wal-Mart Stores Inc., which became a major retailer of plus sizes, Cohen said.

“With the exception of Lane Bryant, nobody’s ever put enough emphasis on catering to plus-size women,” he said. “It’s never found a home in the front and center.”

To be sure, some brands and retailers have challenged the norm.

Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty, launched in 2004, took aim at beauty stereotypes by using real women with representative bodies, rather than models, in an effort to redefine body shapes.

“Consumers want to see people more like themselves — flawed, diverse, inspiring, beautiful and real — on billboards, on TV and in magazines,” said Kathy O’Brien, Dove marketing director.

Vanity sizing and ego make plus sizes tricky for marketers. “When a woman sees herself in the mirror, despite her size, she still thinks Angelina Jolie, not Jennifer Hudson,” said retail consultant Emanuel Weintraub, ceo of Emanuel Weintraub Associates Inc. The power of image is so strong some brands purposely grade sizes inaccurately, masquerading them as smaller to enhance their appeal to consumers, he added.

Plus-size model Emme, one of the first major fullfigure fashion personalities and a market consultant to

prah Winfr y: TV personality, producer, actress, author, magazine publisher and philanthropist.

“The prah Winfrey how” is viewed by more than 20 million Americans every week and broadcast in over 120 countries.

emme photo by brad barket/getty images; queen latifah by frank micelotta/getty images; thompson by rob loud/getty images; winfrey by steve eichner

Vanguard, a division of Goldman Sachs, said: “The lack of sparkle and attention in this area is a complete affront to the marketing power this client packs….When are retailers and manufacturers going to snap out of being narrow-minded and unable to see the enormous opportunity right under their noses? If they give a customer what she needs, wants and desires, she will be loyal for life.”

The market continues to narrow, partly because of industry financial woes. Sales at plus-size specialty leader Charming Shoppes’ three major chains (Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug and Catherine’s) had same-store sales decreases of about 10 percent since mid-2007, Mintel reported.

The market is divided by several manufacturers and retailers, with no single source holding a dominant position, and merchandise selling in plus-size specialty stores, plus-size departments in mass merchants and department stores and plus-size Web sites, according to the Mintel study.

By Dick Silverman

20 WWD, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2009

WWD.COM

For full daily stock changes, see WWD.com.

Financial

10 B DAILY

A t

0.44 Tarrant Apparel (TAGS)

-

22900

0.45 24.93

3.05

3.05 Hampshire (HAMP)

-

900

3.05 22.00

0.30

0.27 Tefron (TFRLF)

-

164700

0.30 20.48

0.36

0.32 Fredericks of Hollywood (FOH)

-

4700

0.36 12.50

239

215 Burberry * (BRBY:LN)

6.9 10434008 231.25 10.25

5.19

4.52 Charlotte Russe (CHIC)

5.8

585337

4.99

8.95

1.85

1.76 Tandy Leather Factory (TLF)

6.6

300

1.76

1.74

40.89 39.96 Beiersdorf * (BEI:GR)

16.4

548405

40.30

1.64

10.62 10.60 Duckwall-Alco (DUCK)

-

942

10.60

0.95

11.7

1241957

11.34

0.27

P/E

V

s

L

ol

u

0.49

e

m

r

o

f

r

e

V

t %C

g

e

han

as

o

h

A

i

T

i

L

P/E

L w

11.59 11.13 Luxottica * (LUX:IM)

T

O

E

est

INDEX

COMPANIES

Hg

r

D

E

P

m

across its wholesale, retail, outlet and uropean businesses. n uesday, shares Investors pushed reta l stocks of stée auder bucked the broader down 5.9 percent uesday, focusing trend and inched up 1 cent to $26.12. nd anything having to do with credit on what was happening — or not happening — in malls around the country is still stoking the interest, or fears, of rather than the swearing in of resident investors.

J. . enney, in response to what it Barack bama on the ational Mall in described as “unfounded market conWashington. he retail drop was the worst since cerns” involving the retailer’s revolving ec. 1 as the tandard & oor’s etail credit facility, said the company has no Index slid 16.51 points to 262.90 and debt coming due until March 2010 and it analysts weighed in with fresh concerns expects to have more than $2 billion in about olo alph auren orp. and J. . cash on Jan. 31, the end of the current fiscal year. he retailer also is in enney o. Inc. he ow Jones talks with its banks to modify Industrial verage sank 4 or replace the credit facility percent, or 332.13 points, to expiring in pril 2010.

7,949.09 on fears the bank“J. . enney has one ing sector might need even of the strongest balance more cash to stay afloat. sheets in the retail indusorp. was hurt Zale try and a cash position that worse than most in the is more than sufficient for retail sector and its stock all of our needs,” said the fell 17.7 percent to $2.37. company. “Given this, there fter the market closed, C t is no basis for any concern Zale said its chief finanabout our credit facility.” cial officer, odney arter, 670.40 harles Grom, equity had left the company. he analyst at J. . Morgan hase post will be picked up on & o., raised warning flags an interim basis by indy that J. . enney could break Gordon, senior vice presicovenants in its credit facildent and controller. ity, which require, among s consumer weakness other conditions, the mainincreasingly weighed on tenance of certain levels of firms of all stripes, olo (earnings debt-to- BI was off 9.4 percent to $37.25 -28.05 before interest taxes depreand J. . enney was down ciation and amortization).

9.8 percent to $17.42.

Grom said an amendment “While alph auren’s to the facility would come at brand equity has typically higher costs. e also reduced his enabled it to remain relatively unscathed in prior discounting periods, fourth-quarter target for the company to today’s shift from aspirational to despera- earnings of 92 cents a share from 97 cents. ther retailer decliners for the day tional spending has likely impacted the brand,” said drianne hapira, equity ana- included aks Inc., down 15.8 percent to $2.83; harming hoppes Inc., 15.6 percent lyst at Goldman achs, in a research note. “ alph auren is the aspirational to $1.19; Macy’s Inc., 10.6 percent to $8.73; he Men’s Wearhouse Inc., 10.1 percent to brand across every channel: haps and merican iving in ohl’s and J. . $11.98; ot opic Inc., 9.4 percent to $8.31; merican agle utfitters Inc., 9.2 perenney; auren and olo in Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s, and Black abel in aks cent to $9.14; nn aylor tores orp., 8.2 and eiman Marcus,” said hapira, who percent to $4.62; ordstrom Inc., 7.5 perdowngraded the stock to “sell” from cent to $12.01; arget orp., 7.1 percent to $32.55; oach Inc., 6.7 percent to $15.87 “neutral” and set a target price of $37. hapira noted iffany & o., oach and iffany & o., 6.7 percent to $21.30. endors losing ground also included ordstrom Inc. and he stée Inc., iz laiborne Inc., down 15 percent to auder os. Inc. have all set the profitability bar lower and said she expected $2.09; Jones pparel Group Inc., 11.1 eligion olo’s third-quarter report on Feb. 4 to percent to $3.94 and rue pparel Inc., 9 percent to $10.73. show signs of weakened fundamentals

By Evan Clark

me

Retail Stocks Sink 5.9%

P

N

P

R

DAILY

D

T

COMPANIES

Hg

L w

u

A t L

t %C

g

P

6.10

4.80

Developers Diversified (DDR)

6.2

6813649

4.83 -23.09

5.65

4.36

Ramco-Gershenson (RPT)

4.2

206536

4.65 -18.71

1.50

1.19

Stein Mart (SMRT)

-

153747

1.23 -18.54

3.05

2.40

Tween Brands (TWB)

3.9

590036

2.46 -18.27

3.19

2.40

Glimcher (GRT)

-

611581

2.6 -17.98

2.89

2.34

Zale (ZLC)

-

1131511

2.37 -17.71

0.50

0.40

Casual Male (CMRG)

-

266042

0.4 -17.39

1.76

1.48

Quiksilver (ZQK)

-

831617

1.48 -16.38

5.63

4.63

11.3

3645361

4.77 -15.87

-

2293190

2.83 -15.77

e

C

m

me

ol

rmers

o

f

r

e

rst

e

han

as

o

h

CBL (CBL)

S

S

S

C

S

A

Saks (SKS)

i

T

S

D

L

S

R

T

A

O

T T T

S

H

E

V

E

S

T

A

T

N

V

H

R

H

andy Brands ccessor es Inc. said uesday it will cut 17 percent of its salaried workforce as part of a company restructuring plan. he reorganization is designed to reduce operating expenses, increase flexibility and focus on product development, the company said.

“We are in an extremely challenging retail environment and it is imperative to have an agile corporate structure that can respond to meet today’s market realities,” said od McGeachy, who joined the rlington, exas-based company as president and chief executive officer in ctober. andy said it would eliminate the president positions at both its men’s and women’s divisions, discontinue underperforming brands and streamline the sales structure, among other changes. he company estimates the moves could potentially result in $3 million of annualized savings and pretax charges of $550,000 to $650,000, the majority of which would be taken in the third quarter ending March 31. he company didn’t disclose the number of employees affected, but as of June 30 it employed 568 full-time workers,

T

S

N

H

T

T

C

A

R

A

N

K

V

N

T

E

R

S

A

V V

V

V

S E

V

K

A

O

V

T

D

A

S

V

S

A

R

A

R

T

A

A R

O

V

N

V

T

A

T

C C

L

A

C

V

gi

b

A

N

C T V

C

E

T C

L P Lif

T

N

V

E

C

T

S

C

T

N

estyle- rand ant F orp. has divided its outdoor coalition into two business segments and added an international coalition to its corporate structure. he biggest changes come to the outdoor coalition, home to powerhouse brands — such as he orth Face, ans and apapijri — and F’s key growth driver over the last several years. s of Feb. 1, the outdoor coalition will be divided into the outdoor mericas and action sports mericas coalitions. evenues in the outdoor segment have been strong in recent years, thanks to a string of acquisitions and consistent double-digit revenue growth. For 2007, outdoor revenues came in at $2.39 billion, compared with revenues of $582.9 million in 2003. “ F’s outdoor coalition has enjoyed significant success over the past five years, achieving scale in both the outdoor and action sports industries,” said ric Wiseman, chairman and chief executive officer. “ o align our coalition structure to best capture future opportunities in these industries, we are replacing the outdoor mericas coalition with two separate coalitions.” he reorganization has resulted in T

the departure of ave Gatto, who held the position of president of F utdoor mericas for the last four years. teve endle, president of he orth Face, has been promoted to president of the utdoor mericas segment. e will be responsible for overseeing he orth Face, Jan port and agle reek brands in the region. endle joined he orth Face in 1999, a year before it was acquired by F. tephen Murray, president of ans Inc., has been promoted to president of ction ports mericas. is responsibilities will include expansion of the ans and eef brands. Murray joined ans in 1998. he brand was acquired

by F in 2004. endle and Murray will report to Wiseman.

F has also appointed Martino cabbia Guerrini as president of the new sportswear and contemporary brands coalition for urope, the Middle ast and sia. Guerrini was president of F International sportswear and packs, and joined F in 2006. is responsibilities include overseeing the ipling, apapijri, astpak and even For ll Mankind brands. Guerrini will report to arl einz alzburger, president of F International.

S

C

S

T

A

S

L

N

S

By Ross Tucker

O

E

C

T

Tandy Restructuring, Cutting Staff

P

L

A

K

L

H

VF Alters Corporate Structure A

P

C

T

L

R

2.77

3.31

O

H

L

R

P

C

i

TDA

E

P

A

o

P

C

C

C

P

T

C

C

R

omposi

A

C

W

C

A

A

C

P

T

C

P

C

S

L

R

P

D

T

O

C

P

10 W

which would put the job loss just below 100 positions.

McGeachy said upon his appointment as ceo that he would assemble a strategic plan for the firm within his first 100 days at the helm, “but we have to stabilize the core business first,” he told WW , adding “it starts with stabilizing the core and then expanding into new channels, retailers, new brands and eventually new categories.”

In the year ended June 30, the company lost $49.3 million, or $7.18 a diluted share, including an $18.7 million inventory write-down and a $17.8 million impairment charge. ales fell 23.8 percent to $149.3 million and gross margins fell to 21.9 percent of sales from 35.7 percent in 2007.

In the first quarter of the current year, ended ept. 30, andy lost $1.3 million, or 18 cents a diluted share, versus a loss of $1.7 million, or 25 cents, in the year-earlier period. ales dropped 12.3 percent to $34.6 million from $39.5 million. ast month, the company elected to suspend its quarterly dividend for the second quarter, the results of which haven’t yet been disclosed.

— Matthew Lynch

WWD, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2009 21 WWD.COM

Large Chains Lead in Brand Value

Looks from Cacharel.

By Valerie Seckler

Tibi Inks License for Japan

By Sharon Edelson NEW YORK — Tibi has signed a licensing agreement with the Japanese Marubeni Fashion Planning Corp., which in turn signed a sublicense agreement with Itokin Co. Ltd. to produce and distribute the Tibi brand in Japan. The agreements, which cover clothing, handbags and jewelry, stand to more than double Tibi’s total volume.

Owner and designer Amy Smilovic will retain creative control of the collection. Itokin also has licensing deals with Cynthia Rowley, Ashleigh Verrier and James Coviello.

Smilovic has had her sights set on the Japanese market for a decade.

Despite making inroads, Tibi was never leveraged fully in Japan, Smilovic said. “We really didn’t feel like we tackled the market completely,” she said.

“I feel like we’ve been working for 10 years toward [a deal] in Japan. We’ve always been carried in a lot of stores there. We wanted to go the full licensing route, rather than the regular distribution route.”

Sales of the contemporary label in Japan are expected to reach $30 million in the next three years, Smilovic said. In-store shops are planned for Isetan and Takashimaya units. “We’ve designed the in-store shop concept,” Smilovic said. “It looks like our showroom merged with our New York store.”

Smilovic said freestanding stores are on the horizon, with about 10 units planned over the next three years. “Our partner is very aggressive,” Smilovic said. “Once they’ve made the decision to do something, they do it right. When the brand was recently launched in Japan, they rented a showroom and replicated our Tibi showroom in New York down to the cappuccino cups with the Tibi logo.”

Smilovic has positioned the company globally, with 700 retail accounts worldwide. “We’re sold in about 250 to 300 stores in the U.S.,” she said. “Russia was our growth country until about June. It’s shifting. The Middle East is very strong, and Greece is going gangbusters. Europe is still doing well. We were on such a growth path before everything plummeted in October. That’s certainly leveled off. At least it’s level and not going in a downward trend.”

Plans to open three or four stores in the U.S. over the next two years are on hold, but not indefinitely. “Cash flow is everything right now,” Smilovic said. “We’re really trying to keep investing on the marketing side because we don’t want to go quiet at this time.”

Japanese in-store shops will mimic Tibi’s new Manhattan showroom designed by Archetype.

PHOTOS BY francois goize

Lifestyle-oriented specialty stores, move over.

Wal-Mart, Target and Coach are among the 10 chains ranked as the most valuable U.S. retail brands in Interbrand Design Forum’s first evaluation of store identities. The findings signal a new willingness on the part of consumers to let large-scale stores become “gatekeepers for their lifestyles,” said Bill Chidley, IDF senior vice president.

Wal-Mart leads the top 10, Target was ranked fourth, and luxury player Coach, 10th.

“No one wears a J.C. Penney or Wal-Mart T-shirt around as they would an Abercrombie T-shirt,” Chidley noted, but the presence of 17 big shopping arenas among IDF’s 50 most valuable retail brands — including Kohl’s (22nd) and Penney (24th) — indicates people now see these destinations as places offering “meaningful brands” for their lives.

Traditionally, shoppers have visited stores like Wal-Mart, Target and Home Depot (ranked 3rd) for “access to goods” at the value prices afforded by the huge scale of such venues; the nature of the brands offered was often a secondary consideration, he added.

These days, women shopping J.C. Penney can find items from Sephora, Bisou Bisou, Nicole Miller and Liz and Co., among others, and Kohl’s customers can find products from the likes of Adidas, Columbia, Fila, Danskin, Lee, Levi’s and Nike.

The ratings are based on IDF’s valuations of store brands themselves — using variables such as geographic presence and customer loyalty — and its subsequent estimates of the dollar contributions the brands will make to revenue realized from shoppers’ purchases at those retailers. For 2009, the group is projecting the value of Wal-Mart’s brand at about $129 billion of the revenue that will be produced by the U.S. enterprise; Target’s at about $17 billion and Coach’s brand at an estimated $9 billion.

While Target is a style-driven name, the presence of pure fashion brands starts with Coach, followed by Nordstrom (13th), Victoria’s Secret (16th), Gap (19th) and Tiffany (20th).

In all, 23 apparel and accessories retail brands made the 50 most valuable list. Four of them were from the high-end: Polo Ralph Lauren, ranked 21st, with a brand value assessed at roughly $4 billion, as well as Coach, Nordstrom ($6 billion) and Tiffany ($4 billion).

For more, see WWD.com.

Cacharel’s New Concept Cacharel, the French contemporary sportswear brand that is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, is out to redefine itself minus a star designer — or designers — at its helm.

“There will no longer be a ‘Cacharel by…’ There’s one star: Cacharel,” said Marc Ramanantsoa, the firm’s new managing director, who plans to realign the brand by changing its design studio, management, distribution and production structures.

The house gave a preview of its new fashion direction in its Rue d’Uzès boutique in Paris on Monday, delivering a capsule collection that lacked fizz but included enough sweet moments to charm modern-day mademoiselles. These ranged from fetching blouses in cotton, crepe and sheer organza sprinkled with retro motifs to tone-on-tone takes on the house’s signature Liberty print and polkadots, to a line of tailored wool and cashmere coats in primary shades. There were loose black velvet shorts, slender pale gray denim looks and easy frocks in girly prints with Peter Pan collars and pockets.

“If you take the Cacharel identity [evoked by] Sarah Moon’s campaigns, you see sweetness, innocence, romanticism. We haven’t found that over the last few collections,” said Ramanantsoa prior to the show. He described the brand’s new direction, which aims to recapture its charismatic innocence in a modern take on Cacharel signatures using upgraded fabrics. The house’s clothing prices will rise slightly, in line with Cacharel’s “accessible luxury” positioning, he said.

Jean Bousquet, Cacharel’s founder and chief executive officer, is developing a new store concept for the brand, to be implemented over the coming months.

In today’s crowded contemporary market, however, it remains to be seen whether these new ideas will help raise the house’s profile in France and abroad.

Having surfed to prominence in the Sixties and Seventies on the back of Europe’s emerging youth culture, Cacharel has since struggled to move with the times, going through two teams of buzzed-about designers. The husband-and-wife duo of Suzanne Clements and Inacio Ribeiro, who in 2007 parted ways with Cacharel after seven years as its artistic directors, were knocked

by Bousquet for having strayed too far into designer territory. Cacharel’s latest design pair, Mark Eley and Wakako Kishimoto, left last November after just two seasons at the house. At the time, a Cacharel spokesman cited a “difference in creative vision.”

Meanwhile, Ramanantsoa is conscious that France takes priority in any planned comeback, and he disclosed plans to open 20 stores (mainly franchised) across the country in the next three years. “We’re aggressively attacking the French market,” he said, adding that the company is also expanding internationally, with a new store opening, on average, every two months.

Today, Cacharel’s women’s wear line is distributed in 163 doors, including 39 franchised locations and the firm’s sole freestanding store in Avignon, France. Its men’s wear is distributed in nine doors. For 2007, Cacharel posted sales of 33.6 million euros, or $46.5 million, according to a company spokeswoman, who added that 90 percent of that business is generated abroad.

In December 2008, the brand announced it would stop formal shows, although Ramanantsoa hopes to return to them by this fall.

Making such a change is necessary to regain the confidence of retailers, he believes. “We need to come back to the product and convince them that there is a change. We want to see the street dressed in Cacharel,” said Ramanantsoa, who confirmed that the house’s anniversary reissue Liberty line for spring has already convinced certain high-profile retailers to take them on, including Colette and Galeries Lafayette.

— Katya Foreman

22 WWD, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2009

WWD.COM

WWD West

Pricing Is Key at Los Angeles Shows

By WWD Staff LOS ANGELES — Price was king at the trade

shows that ended here on Tuesday, with the troubled economy the dominant force in decision making.

Retailers at D&A, Brighte Companies and the showrooms in the California Market Center, New Mart and Cooper Design Space cited familiar strategies of scaling back inventory and costs and delaying orders until attending other regional markets and weighing their options.

“Price point has been key,” said Dale Pike, senior account executive for clutch resources Inge Christopher and Whiting & Davis, based in San Rafael, Calif. “People come into the booth saying I am looking for X price point.”

She singled out $200 wholesale as the ceiling for most buyers for clutches, which Inge Christopher and Whiting & Davis sell predominantly for $70 to $190.

“I’ll place orders after I shop other markets and compare,” said Ellen Stateler, who owns Cowboy’s Sweetheart in Tubac, Ariz. “It’s been quiet, but the upside is that I can just walk into showrooms that I couldn’t get into or would have needed appointments for in the past.”

Though the January shows are typically slower than others during the year, buyers said these were quieter than usual.

For instance, Designers & Agents had a scaled-back show highlighting the summer collections, with about 55 fashion brands compared with the 200 or so exhibitors it usually hosts.

“The economy edited it,” said Barbara Kramer, co-founder of New York-based D&A, adding that accessories take center stage in the smaller shows as buyers focus on apparel in the March and October shows. Moreover, accessories seems to be more resilient in a recession as consumers opt for less-expensive ways to spruce up their wardrobes, Kramer said.

“It’s a great opportunity for the little add-ons,” she said.

Diane Mipro, owner of a New Orleans-based boutique called Tomato, was among the retailers shopping for accessories and lighter styles amid the summerlike weather.

“We really just started looking for spring and summer, particularly belts and structured bags in color,” Mipro said.

Along with bright colors, buyers sought lower prices.

“It is an hourglass economy,” said Josef Arzili, designer for Los Angeles-based Azaara, adding that jewelry less than $100 wholesale and more than $500 wholesale was performing better than the middle price range.

Azaara has been finding success with a vintage-inspired

“We want people to be able to buy our dresses; it does us no good to have them sit in a warehouse,” said co-designer Gregg Pellegrini of his attempts to keep wholesale prices down.

Although vibrant colors such as hot pink, deep purple and banana yellow remained popular in apparel with retailers, nude proved to be a top seller for Antem, a high-end T-shirt line launched by Los Angeles designer Minden Chan for summer with wholesale prices running between $40 and $70.

There were no revolutionary changes in the accessory color palette. Colors that were strong in recent seasons for handbags — purple and brown, for example — seemed to retain their strength. In jewelry, bright colors — blue, yellows, coral and red — were frequent summer choices. “People are staying…the same for fall,” said Kelly Boyd, operations manager for Shih

by Stephanie Lin, referring to handbag color selections.

Handbag shapes also didn’t shift much, with medium-size totes and satchels appearing to be the safest picks for vendors and buyers looking to fill consumers’ desires for multipurpose bags.

Rings, in cocktail and stackable varieties, and layerable long necklaces Mad Imports were still central to jewelry brands’ offerings. “People are always adding rings. They are adjustable and sell out fast,” said Portia Hornick, an assistant designer at San Diego-based Double Happiness Jewelry.

Gold remained the material of choice for jewelry brands, with several vendors noting that more rose gold was creeping Tea and Honey into buyers’ jewelry orders. “A lot of peoLeft: Zachary’s Smile ple are gravitating toward gold because it is an investment,” Cara Kelly, a sales manager at Adina Design, said of shoppers. “The supertrendy jewelry is not doing well because people are not going to spend their money on something that to be out next season.”

— Ellen Stateler, Cowboy’s Sweetheart is going Despite the slower-than-usual pace, international retailers — particularly wholesale, introduced a new line called Dinz by Adina from Asia — came looking for bargains.

“We’re looking for mostly dresses in bright colors,” Reyter priced at $15 to $30 wholesale for 14-karat-goldsaid Aya Kaneko, a buyer for a boutique called La La plated jewelry.

In contemporary fashion, retailers leaned toward Plan in Tokyo. “We come to [the] L.A. market because light, playful styles wholesaling for less than $100. For prices are good for us and there are a lot of choices.”

Vendors did their best to coax buyers to write orinstance, Zachary’s Smile found a market for its $92 strapless frocks printed with African wax-block designs. ders by being mindful of their financial struggles. Kari Buyers also liked Tea and Honey’s $52 floral voile top, Woodruff, director of sales for Streets Ahead, said the Haven’s $46 halter romper and Fremont’s $65 tangerine- Vernon, Calif.-based belts company was focusing on stores’ assortments to determine which belts could be striped silk camisole.

Lotusgrace, a New York-based dress line, made its pared with their clothing to help move merchandise. “A Los Angeles debut over the weekend, and, with whole- lot of them are complaining because they have so much sale prices ranging from $125 to $220, was well re- goods in their store,” she said of retailers. “Customers ceived by high-end specialty stores such as Southern are wanting us to care and cater to see what we can do for them.”

California-based Belle Gray. collection made from Swarovski crystals, copper and silver alloy, wholesaling mostly from $50 to $70.

Among other stylish bargains were Mad Imports’ $34 color-blocked raffia clutch accentuated with a chunk of Palisandre wood, T-Luxury’s $30 Supima Modal racerback tanks cinched with shirred waists, Union’s $78 boyfriend jeans riddled with holes and Christys’ London’s $36 straw hats trimmed with French ribbon.

Accessory vendors also rolled out lowerpriced options. Affordable materials, such as microfiber in bags wholesaling for $65 from Los Angeles-based Shih by Stephanie Lin, were front and center in handbag brands’ attempts to hold down prices. Van Nuys, Calif.-based Adina Design, which uses 14-karat gold in its core Adina Reyter line in pieces from $150 to $525

I’ll place orders after I shop other “markets and compare. ”

Chanel Launches Third Las Vegas Boutique

By Anne Riley-Katz CHANEL HAS PLACED ANOTHER BET on Las Vegas even as the resort city struggles in the recession.

The French fashion house has opened its third store in the gambling and entertainment mecca at the Encore at Wynn Las Vegas resort, near its boutique in the neighboring Wynn Las Vegas.

The move comes despite a troubled economy that has jolted Las Vegas, where casino revenues and tourism have declined, and the disclosure that the estimated $11 billion CityCenter development is delaying construction of one of its hotels and is scaling back on residential units.

The Chanel store, which opened Dec. 22, joins Rock & Republic and several other boutiques in the new hotel. The 2,400 square foot Encore boutique features 900 square feet for fine jewelry, with

1,500 square feet for fashion apparel.

New York architect and long-time Chanel collaborator Peter Marino designed the space. The third Chanel store in Vegas is in the Bellagio.

Chanel executives said while they have no plans to close any units, 2009 sales expectations across all company stores have been revised downward. The fashion house expects the Encore store to be carried by overseas clientele.

“Obviously everyone is challenged in retail right now, traffic is down, travel is down and tourism is suffering, but Las Vegas still has appeal, particularly for international customers,” said Barbara Cirkva, division president of fashion, fine jewelry and watches at Chanel Inc. “We took a very specific, ultraluxury point of view in the Encore store and don’t think we will see much cannibalization between Wynn and Encore.”

The boutique carries one-of-a-kind

Inside the new store.

diamond pieces, including the “Pluie de Diamant” necklace, which has a 10-carat, pear-shaped center diamond. The store also displays diamond pieces from the Chanel archives in Paris.

Its design borrows elements of Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel’s legendary Paris apartment at 31 rue Cambon, including the jewelry boutique’s salon, library and VIP room. The facade is glazed with woven gold metal and interior materials are in soft beige and gold, with gold travertine floors, custom bronze jewelry display case, gold handtextured plaster panels and 180-inch antique screens that stand beside a large quartz-encrusted mirror.

The center of the ceiling rises to 15 feet and frames a custom Goosens chandelier. The new store also houses a private VIP salon with custom silk-lined walls and hand-stitched detailing in traditional Chanel tweed.

“We’re looking at all of what’s happening in business and retail right now as a phase,” Cirkva said. “I hope we will come out of it stronger than before.”

WWD, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2009

23

WWD.COM/CLASSIFIEDS

For more career opportunities log on to fashioncareers.com. Call 1.800.423.3314 or e-mail fpclassified@fairchildpub.com to advertise.

West L.A. PUBLICIST WANTED Well-known Los Angeles boutique PR firm looking for talented publicist with min 5-7 years experience to oversee celebrity, lifestyle and events division. Must have NY & L.A. media relationships, strong references and come with clients.

E-mail resumes to: publicistwanted@gmail.com

DESIGN ASSISTANT

RETAILERS & MANUFACTURERS DISTRIBUTION SERVICE •Pick & Pack Services •Apparel & Hardgoods •Consolidation Services •Established 1977 •Prestigious Client List •Great Management Team •Dedicated Hardworking Employees CALL: Rob Brody (201)865-1100

CAD-GRAPHICS-FABRIC PRINTING U4ia-Photoshp-Illustr: 212 679 6400 www.sanodesignservices.com

PATTERN/SAMPLES Garment center location. Professional /Reliable Quality. Men & women all style.

Low Cost. Small production. 212-563-3331

EXCESS INVENTORY BUYER Immediate Cash/No Inventory Too Large No Hassle/Integrity Driven/Closeouts Needed 901-338-6364 www.fusioninternational.net bharrison@fusioninternational.net

Spaces COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE

Need talented & dynamic indiv. to work w/ head designer. 5 yrs experience w/ Ladies sportswear & missy jeans skilled in Photoshop & Illustrator. Health benefits & 401K. Please e-mail resume to pattyt@dianegilman.com

Patterns/Samples/Production Any Style. We do Bridal/Evening Gowns custom made & wholesale.

Call: 212-278-0608/646-441-0950

PATTERNS, SAMPLES, PRODUCTIONS All lines, Any styles. Fine Fast Service.

Call Sherry 212-719-0622.

PATTERNS, SAMPLES, PRODUCTIONS Full service shop to the trade.

Fine fast work. 212-869-2699.

EXPERIENCED

PERSONAL SHOPPERS

SHOWROOMS/OFFICES GETTINGER MGMT Bob Forman 212-944-6094 x13

Business Opportunity Vertically-integrated Chinese volume knit factory (JCP, Target, Wal-Mart approved) seeks joint-venture, finance, or buy branded apparel company.

Chinapartner888@gmail.com

ASSOCIATE DESIGNER DRESSES & SPORTSWEAR NY-based fast paced Ladies Importer seeks an Associate Designer that has extensive experience with contemporary missy and large size. Must be on the cutting edge of fashion and able to identify new trends. Illustrator and Photoshop skills a must. Must have full knowledge of specs of Missy and Large sizes.

Travel a must to Europe, China and India. Email resumes with salary requirement at: smileshr@gmail.com •We are seeking an accounts payable specialist having experience in the apparel imports industry w/ overseas factory payments experience.

•Knowledge of quickbooks is a must.

Send resumes to: hblank@concept1.com APPAREL/ HOME FASHION SRI SEARCH INC PERMANENT AND FREELANCE 212 465 8300 Allen Platt /Jennifer Glenn allen@srisearch.com jennifer@srisearch.com www.srisearch.com

Showroom for Share Looking to share brightly lit 1000 sf 39th Street showroom. Immediate occupancy available - own office space also willing to sublet if interested.

Please contact 800-430-6011

Showroom /Office for Rent 389 Fifth Ave – 500 sf. / $1350 mon Slat walled w/shelves & desks Call Peter: 212-683-1900

Showroom/Office W. 38th St, 7th-8th Ave. Free use conference & showroom.

1500sf. $3000. Call (917) 291-6085

Seeking New Clients Fully vertical local NYC 18 gauge sweater factory in business for over 15 years with a current capacity of 100,000 pieces per month. Offering the most updated in fine gauge circular knitting equipment as well as appliqué and sublimation printing in house. We are currently seeking new clients and offer a 4 to 6 week delivery from approval date with extremely cost competitive pricing and quality in comparison to import products. For more info on sampling or products please contact: Danny at (845)642-1869 or email 18ggdanny@gmail.com

A new designer in our Intimate Apparel Division

Must have EXCLUSIVE clientele following for Ultra-Luxury Collection.

Accounts Payable

1407 BROADWAY

FAMOUS INTERNATIONAL DESIGNER

Authentic American lifestyle brand is seeking experienced candidates to join our New York showroom team.

MEN’S SR. ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Candidates should be enthusiastic, highly motivated & have strong communication skills. Must have a min. of 5yrs experience in the better sportswear/ contemporary market & established contacts in the better specialty/dept store arena. www.gant.com Send your resume in confidence & salary history as a Word attachment to: hr.us@gant.com

Costume Jewelry Sourcing & Purchasing Manager

$60 - 80K + Bonus New York City’s most prestigious global costume jewelry conglomerate seeks 6 + years hands-on and supervisory experience (COSTUME JEWELRY EXPERIENCE A MUST). Will be responsible for sourcing and purchasing diversified line of products; selecting vendors who can meet specifications based on quality, timely delivery, price and compliance for finished products.

Will manage fulfillment of all customers orders for delivery, timeliness of approval samples and lead testing sample.

Interface with sales and operations areas; communicate with sales VPs and associates. Review all sales orders and identify and troubleshoot potential problems. Must have ability to discuss with sales team possible solutions prior to sourcing orders. Will participate in weekly sourcing departmental meetings, discuss deadlines and potential problems; communicate and resolve outstanding issues and identify workflow concerns; generate reports for senior management and interface with COO and CEO on daily basis.

Please send resume in MS Word to: sw@accessnyc.com

Focus markets include: New York, Miami, Chicago, Dallas/Houston, Los Angeles, Mexico, Eastern Europe, Asia, Russia and the Middle East.

Upscale showroom available for private showings. Generous compensation.

For confidential correspondence please send letter of interest to: recruitment@communiqdesign.com Or fax to: 201-302-9221

Seeking a SALES ASSOCIATE with 3-5 years of chain store and department store experience.

Competitive salary, commission, bonus.

Please send your resume to: Barry Berger: Barry@fashionribbon.com or Fax to: (718) 482-0177

SALESPERSON FASHION CAREER OPPORTUNITIES Ileen Raskin, Apparel 212-213-6381 Nancy Bottali, Accessories 212-213-6386 Ed Kret, Textiles/Apparel 212-213-6384

raskin718@msn.com www.raskinexecsearch.com JUNIOR ASSOCIATE DESIGNER To assist Design Dir., create sketches/tech packs, request/track samples, update line sheets/charts. 2 yrs exp., strong Excel, Illustrator, Photoshop req. Fax resumes: 646-435-7412

LOGISTICS Fast paced apparel company seeks seasoned logistics candidate to communicate with customs Brokers; provide any and all information needed for Customs entry, review entries; approve all invoices; strong ability to categorize products according to hts classifications.

Comp salary and generous benefits. jobs@steinharris.com

PDS/Gerber Pat Mkr Jackets $100-125K Better Bridge Market.

ToddWayne1@aol.com or 212-947-3400

SALES Looking for energetic Sales person for a medium size dress company selling to various respected buyers and labels.

Ladies dresses, tops and separates all size ranges. Must have exp working with accounts like Macys, J C Penney and Forever 21 in the dress segment.

SOURCING Also looking for one dynamic executive for sweater sourcing w/good background for cotton, acrylic sweaters purchase for Juniors/Missy women apparels.

Join a great team. Please send resume to: CorporateHRD@GMail.Com SRI SEARCH INC ANNOUNCES OUR FREELANCE DIVISION Allen Platt / Jennifer Glenn 212 465 8300 allen@srisearch.com jennifer@srisearch.com www.srisearch.com TD TD TD TD TD TD TD TD TD TD

I NEED 8 SR TD’s $90-110K Sweaters/Knits/Pants Dress/Blouse/Jackets/Skirts & (1) Japanese Market SusieJessilyn@aol.com or 212-947-3400

Account Execs for JUNIOR, MISSY and YOUNG MENS NYC based denim & sportswear manufacturer seeks sales execs for JUNIOR, MISSY and YOUNG MENS for both new and existing brands, including licensed diffusion and celebrity properties. Applicants should have a min. of 5 yrs exp. with current contacts (mass, mid-tier, better, & specialty).

This is a good opp for leading industry professionals to join an expanding organization. Excellent salary, benefits & work environment. Please submit resume and cover letter to: jobs4fashion@gmail.com.

N.Y. based women’s apparel importer seeks a highly motivated, energetic and enthusiastic salesperson with knowledge of both Missy and Plus sizes. Dresses and Skirts.

Email: GSingh7782@aol.com or Fax: 212-575-2886

SEEKING ROAD REPS Importer of Junior and Plus size jeans seeking representatives with strong contacts in department stores & specialty stores to sell a moderate priced line.

Please Email Resume to: roadreps@americanbluescompany.com

Independent Sales Agent Needed for Apparel Co Seeking aggressive, exp, go-getter for apparel company. Must have exp in the better market of swtrs & cut/sewn knit tops. Comm based only, no salary.

You can set your own hours & days.

Pls fax resume and include a small list of accts that you have contact with. can include both major & specialty stores. Fax: 212-398-9833

EXEC/GENERAL MANAGER Can run your company or division. am decisive, organized, entrepreneurial, sharp, and see the big & little picture.

Know every aspect of the business; major focus is merchandising. Will consider employment or partnership. judyr223@aol.com 212.769.0974

SALESPERSON Moderate Women’s Sportswear Manufacturer and Importer is Looking for an Experienced Commission based Salesperson w/ Mass-Market, Department Stores,Direct Marketing, Private Label Connections. Fax or email resume to: 646-291-1201 / sgupta@allureco.com

VP GLOBAL SOURCING & MFG Outstanding executive will become available 2/2/09. Please submit request for resume and interview to: great_day@yahoo.com or call 917-572-2383