AZAGURY-PARTRIDGE EXITS BOUCHERON/2 Women’s Wear Daily • The Retailers’ Daily Newspaper • May 7, 2004 • $2.00 WWDFRIDAY ▲ Today, the first of a three- Beauty scent trilogy from Avon. For more, see page 6. Garden Of Eden NEW YORK — Estée Lauder turned back to the Eden Project, an English conservatory, to glean proprietary notes for its newest scent, Beyond Paradise for Men. It had done the same last year for the women’s version. Beyond Paradise for Men will be launched in August, and it could do upward of $25 million at retail in its first year in the U.S. For more, see page 4. Fashion Boom: Luxury Shoppers Nourish Strong Comp-Sales By Ross Tucker fashions in stores — and shoppers temperatures in key markets. In NEW YORK — Forget that the stock are gobbling them up. fact, the apparel sector has reported market fell 69 points on Thursday Clothing and shoes were a bright dramatic growth — $20 billion on a and that April comparable-store spot in an otherwise tepid April, year-over-year basis — so it isn’t sales were down from March. There which was chilled by an early surprising that comps flexed muscle are luxury goods and colorful Easter as well as abnormally low See High, Page 14 PHOTO BY GEORGE CHINSEE; STYLED BY BRYN KENNY 2 WWD, FRIDAY, MAY 7, 2004 WWDFRIDAY Azagury-Partridge Leaves Gucci’s Flock Beauty By Miles Socha Solange the house, founded in 1858, has a GENERAL Azagury- rich archive and plenty of fresh Same-store sales for major retailers eased back in April, as cooler PARIS — In the first high-profile designs “in its drawers” to sus- Partridge temperatures in key markets tempered consumer spending. designer exit of the post-Tom tain it in the coming months. 1 and Dom era at Gucci Group, Although Boucheron has pre- Former Gucci Group executive Brian Blake is expected to be named today Boucheron creative director sented new collections of fine 2 as worldwide president and chief operating officer of Burberry. Solange Azagury-Partridge said jewelry during the last two July Solange Azagury-Partridge said she’s leaving today as creative director of Thursday she’s leaving the jew- couture seasons with extrava- elry, watch and fragrance house. gant parties in the Place Ven- 2 Boucheron, the jewelry, watch and fragrance firm, a unit of Gucci Group. “It’s been three roller-coaster, dôme, no event is planned this BEAUTY: Estée Lauder is launching a companion to its 2003 blockbuster amazing years,” the London-based summer, he noted. 4 fragrance with a men’s scent called Beyond Paradise for Men. designer told WWD. “But there Azagury-Partridge’s depar- was another change happening ture is the latest blow to a brand SUZY: Brad Pitt and his Achilles’ heel...Kitchen Confidential on the Frederick here, and I just thought it was that has been struggling. 16 Law Olmsted Awards...The Multilingual Paul McCartney. the right time for me to change Earlier this year, Gucci Group Obituary ....................................................................................................9 as well and go back home.” scotched an ambitious retail roll- Azagury-Partridge was allud- out, opening a Bottega Veneta Classified Advertisements........................................................................15 ing to the recent exits of creative flagship in Manhattan in a Fifth To e-mail reporters and editors at WWD, the address is director Tom Ford and chief exec- Avenue space originally ear- [email protected], using the individual’s name. utive Domenico De Sole, and the marked for Boucheron. Mean- appointment last month of Chris- while, year-old shops in Honolulu WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF FAIRCHILD PUBLICATIONS, INC. COPYRIGHT ©2004 tian Bedos, the fourth chief exec- Madonna, Kate Moss and Sir and San Francisco were shut- FAIRCHILD PUBLICATIONS, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. VOLUME 187, NO. 96. WWD (ISSN # 0149-5380) is published daily except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, with one additional utive at Boucheron since it was Elton John come in search of her tered, which contributed to a $12 issue in January, May, June and November; two additional issues in February, April, September, October and December; and three acquired in 2000 as part of the quirky, bright baubles. million restructuring charge at additional issues in March and August, by Fairchild Publications, Inc., a subsidiary of Advance Publications, Inc. PRINCIPAL OFFICE: 7 Italian firm’s acquisitions spree. “It’s a very healthy little Gucci in the fourth quarter. As of West 34th Street, New York, NY 10001. Shared Services provided by Advance Magazine Publishers Inc.: S.I. Newhouse, Jr., Chairman; Steven T. Florio, Vice Chairman; Charles H. Townsend, C.O.O.; John W. Bellando, Executive Vice-President and C.F.O.; Jill Bright, Azagury-Partridge plans to shop,” she said. She declined to March 31, there were 25 Bouch- Executive Vice-President_Human Resources; John Buese, Executive Vice-President_ Chief Information Officer; David Orlin, Senior take a long holiday and then de- divulge sales figures, but noted, eron locations. At one time, Gucci Vice-President_Strategic Sourcing; Robert Bennis, Senior Vice-President_Real Estate; David B. Chemidlin, Senior Vice- vote her energies to her signa- “I’m up 100 percent on last year.” Group had envisioned a network President_General Manager, Advance Magazine Group Shared Services Center. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and at additional mailing offices. Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40032712. Canadian Goods and Services Tax Registration ture business, based out of the Bedos, who started at Bouch- of 60 to 65 locations by 2005. No. 88654-9096-RM0001. Canada post return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: P.O. Box 1632, Station A, Windsor, ON N9A7C9. boutique she established in 1995 eron Monday, said he hasn’t The retrenchment has fueled POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY, P.O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA 91615-5008. in London’s Notting Hill neigh- made a decision regarding suc- speculation Boucheron may be FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS, ADDRESS CHANGES, ADJUSTMENTS, OR BACK ISSUE INQUIRIES: Please write to WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY, P.O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA 91615-5008; Call 800-289-0273; or visit www.subnow.com/wd . Four weeks is borhood, where the likes of cession. In the interim, he said Continued on page 9 required for change of address. Please give both new and old address 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, 7 West 34th Street, New York, NY 10001. For permissions and reprint requests, please call 212-221-9595 or fax requests to 212-221-9195. Visit us online: 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 LOSS, DAMAGE, OR ANY OTHER INJURY TO UNSOLICITED Burberry Appoints Brian Blake MANUSCRIPTS, UNSOLICITED ART WORK (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DRAWINGS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND TRANSPARENCIES), OR ANY OTHER UNSOLICITED MATERIALS. THOSE SUBMITTING MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, ART across all business disciplines and in regions WORK, OR OTHER MATERIALS FOR CONSIDERATION SHOULD NOT SEND ORIGINALS, UNLESS SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED By Samantha Conti TO DO SO BY WWD IN WRITING. MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND OTHER MATERIALS SUBMITTED MUST BE such as Asia. ACCOMPANIED BY A SELF-ADDRESSED OVERNIGHT-DELIVERY RETURN ENVELOPE, POSTAGE PREPAID. LONDON — Burberry today will name Brian As reported, Blake was part of Domenico De Blake as worldwide president and chief operat- Sole’s original team at Gucci, where he worked ing officer, effective June 1. for 17 years. He left the Italian company last The appointment confirms a WWD report on month along with De Sole and creative director Monday. Tom Ford. Most recently, he was executive vice In Brief Blake, 48, will replace Tom O’Neill, who president of Gucci Group, president and ceo of stepped down last month to become chief execu- Gucci Group timepieces worldwide, as well as ● tive officer of Harry Winston. Blake will report head of the jewelry house Boucheron. TRADING UP: Wendy Wieland-Martin, 50, has been promoted to Rose Marie Bravo, Burberry’s ceo. Before that, Blake served as president and to the new post of vice president of international trade services At Burberry, Blake’s responsibilities will in- ceo of the Gucci division worldwide, and presi- at Kellwood Co. Wieland-Martin, who had been director of trade clude global oversight of the company’s whole- dent and ceo of Gucci America, a post he took services, will oversee custom and trade compliance and govern- sale, retail, licensing and manufacturing opera- over after De Sole was promoted to ceo of the ment relations for the firm. She reports to Tom Austin, president tions. He also will be a member of Burberry’s entire group. Before joining Gucci, Blake spent of Kellwood’s operating services division, who said, “Her ex- executive committee, along with Bravo and a decade at Lord & Taylor in merchandising and pertise in international trade will help strengthen our presence chief financial officer Stacey Cartwright. store management positions. in international markets.” “I look forward to working with Brian to take “It is exciting for me to have the opportunity ● Burberry to its next level, explore new growth to work with Rose Marie Bravo and the team to FLUX AT FERRE: Now that IT Holding chief Tonino Perna has initiatives and maximize the tremendous poten- continue the momentum and challenge the busi- sold Romeo Gigli and Gentry Portofino, he has more time to ded- tial that this business represents,” said Bravo in ness through its next phases of growth and de- icate to his group’s other brands, namely Gianfranco Ferré.