Just Glisten NEW YORK — Sparkling Beads and Sequins Are Usually Thought of As Evening Details, But, in the Right Hands, They Can Be Equally Effective for Day

MODERATE ABROAD/6-10 BASE TOWNS BRACE FOR WAR/12 WWDWomen’s Wear Daily • The Retailers’WEDNESDAY Daily Newspaper • February 26, 2003 Vol. 185, No. 40 $2.00 Sportswear Just Glisten NEW YORK — Sparkling beads and sequins are usually thought of as evening details, but, in the right hands, they can be equally effective for day. Vera Wang, for example, who knows a thing or two about creating fab evening dresses, also used these trimmings for daytime this fall. She added beaded cashmere swags to a Russian broadtail cape, pants and a skirt, while simple, almost severe, dresses were given glistening beadwork. Here, one of the last: her mandarin-collared, wool crepe coatdress.

Lundgren Takes Helm As Federated Returns To Black in 4th Qtr. By David Moin NEWYORK — A merchant is in charge again at Federated Department Stores Inc., and he’s returning to some fundamentals to focus on top- Consumer Confidence Dives To Lowest Level in 10 Years. Page 2. line growth. The $15.4 billion retailer Tuesday named Terry Lundgren as its new chief executive, effective today, and announced a new corporate structure, consisting of five vice chairmen, reporting to Lundgren. See Federated, Page16 PHOTO BY PHOTO JOHN BY AQUINO 2 WWDWEDNESDAY A Fitting Day for Calvin Sportswear

NEW YORK — Calvin Klein knows man and chief executive officer GENERAL how to make a sale. of the store, and Robert Burke, FASHION: Some looks that rose in the desert at last week’s WWDMAGIC In his first retail appearance vice president and senior fash- 4 show in Las Vegas, plus a wrap-up of the festivities. in several years and the first ion director, said the spring busi- It’s back to some of the fundamentals for Federated Department Stores, since selling his company to ness from Klein had been strong, 1 which has a new ceo in Terry J. Lundgren, and a new corporate structure. Phillips-Van Heusen in Decem- and some customers were just ESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2003 ESDAY, Isaac Mizrahi has a new licensing deal with Target, for his first sportswear

N ber, Klein worked the floors at getting started. D 3 collection in more than four years, bowing in August. E Bergdorf Goodman on Tuesday “Can you believe, I haven’t

W for more than an hour, sending bought one thing,” said Cord. MODERATE ABROAD: Vive la mode.That’s the prognosis for moderate ,

D several of his loyal admirers into With her Yorkie, named Tiger, in- 6 sportswear in France, where there’s a major shift away from basics.

W dressing rooms with looks from side one of the dog carriers she

W his spring collection. (The terms designed for Bergdorf ’s last fall, SUZY: The social set is gearing up for a slew of parties, from New York to of the sale of CKI to PVH includ- Cord drew almost as many fans 24 Paris. Plus, the Crown Princess of Sweden hits boot camp. ed royalties to the designer based as Klein, but she brushed them Classified Advertisements ...... 26-27 on future retail sales of the aside to hit the racks. “I only Calvin Klein brands, after all.) wear Calvin’s pants because To e-mail reporters and editors at WWD, the address is “I should be back there in the they’re long enough for me.” [email protected], using the individual's name. fitting room,” Klein said, since Pants aside, early reports from several women — and not just the event put Klein’s signature SUBSCRIPTION RATES U.S. and possessions, Retailer, daily one year, $99; Manufacturer, daily one year, $135. the models hired for the event — black dresses in the lead, while All others U.S., daily one year $195. Canada/Mexico, daily one year, $295. All other foreign (Air Speed), daily one year $595.

were parading about in his PHOTO BY GEORGE CHINSEE several customers were also Please allow 6-8 weeks for service to start. Individual subscription information: (800) 289-0273; dresses, one of them without Calvin Klein on the sales floor with drawn to a chinoiserie print dress, outside U.S. (856) 786-2140; group subscription information (856) 786-0963. shoes. The designer was unfazed not shown during the spring run- Postmaster: Send address changes to WWD, P.O. Box 10531, Riverton, N.J. 08076-0531. Patricia Wexler. WWD (ISSN #0149-5380) is published daily except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, with one additional as he dispensed advice to the way show, that includes a subtle Friday issue in February, April, May, June, August, September, October and December, and one Saturday edition in shoppers, and was somewhat His appearance did draw a signature from the designer: January, April, August and November, by Fairchild Publications, Inc. perplexed by their reaction to crowd, as Patricia Wexler, Diane Calvin Klein spelled in a chopstick a subsidiary of Advance Publications Inc., 7 West 34th Street, New York, NY 10001-8191. such a rare appearance. Simms and Cece Cord browsed script. Top selling items included WWD is a registered trademark of Fairchild Publications Inc.© 2003 by Fairchild Publications Inc., a subsidiary of Advance Publications Inc. All rights reserved. “Actually, I come here quite through the spring collection as a rose quartz silk hammered dress No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, often,” Klein said. “It’s usually part of a two-day trunk show, for $1,690, a washed leather jacket including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, except as may be for sales seminars and training, when special orders are also for $2,420 and a cream chiffon expressly permitted in writing by the copyright owner. Editorial Reprints: (212) 221-9595 but I keep it a secret or I’d have available to general Bergdorf jersey dress for $2,270. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and other offices. Mailed under Publications Mail Sales Agreement No. 517054. Canada Post Returns to: P.O.Box 1632, Windsor, ON N9A 7C9 to come all the time.” customers. Ron Frasch, chair- — Eric Wilson GST # 88654-9096-RM 0001 Canada Publications Agreement # 40032712 Printed in the U.S.A. All signed articles published in the paper represent solely the individual opinion of the writer and not those of WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY. Spiegel Faces Credit Crisis For Web site access, log on to www.WWD.com In Brief By Vicki M. Young types of cards. Under those company said in the filing that it agreements, the failure to meet “presently expects” to fail to NEW YORK — Stung by obliga- minimum performance require- meet the requisite performance ● CONAWAY ON THE LINE: Kmart Corp.’s lawyers said in bank- tions connected to its credit card ments triggers a so-called pay- minimums. ruptcy court Tuesday that, because former chief executive operations, Spiegel Inc. said in a out, or early amortization, event Spiegel said in the filing that Charles Conaway failed to warn its board of liquidity problems, regulatory filing Tuesday that it in which investors are repaid it is in receipt of a letter from the bankrupt discounter intends to try to make Conaway repay a may not have sufficient funds for principal on an accelerated the Office of the Comptroller of $5 million loan that the retailer had forgiven. The lawyer also said future operations and is actively basis. The problem for Spiegel is the Currency approving the sale that the trustee for Kmart’s creditors also could go after a $4 mil- seeking help. that if the payout event is trig- or liquidation of FCNB’s bank lion severance payment collected by the former ceo. Conaway’s According to the latest SEC fil- gered, excess monthly cash flow card portfolio by April 30, but attorney disputed information disclosed by Kmart’s board in ing, Spiegel is anticipating a liq- ordinarily used to fund opera- also said it plans to remain in court documents alleging wrongdoing by his client, including the uidity crunch as a result of its in- tions would have to be diverted the private label credit card controversial program to suspend payments to vendors. ability to meet certain minimum- to repay investors. business because sales are “ex- performance requirements in The firm, based outside Chi- tremely important to its mer- ● TSE SALES: Suzanne Zikas, a former vice president of sales connection with some of its asset- cago, also told the SEC that it chant operations, particularly its for Donna Karan, has joined Tse as vice president of sales, re- backed securities transactions was taking steps to hire a re- catalog operations.” porting to Lewis B. Koppelman, who joined Tse as chief operat- that underlie its credit card oper- structuring adviser. Many credit Earlier this month in a sepa- ing officer in November. Zikas, who had also previously worked ations. First Consumers National sources and hedge fund man- rate filing with the Securities and for Pamela Dennis and Henri Bendel, will oversee sales for Bank (FCNB), Spiegel’s special- agers believe that the restruc- Exchange Commission, KPMG, Tse’s three divisions: Tse, tsesay and Tse Men. purpose bank, issues private turing expert might presage a the auditor for the catalog firm label credit cards and both Chapter 11 filing. Some believe and parent of the mall-based spe- ● SARA LEE LAYOFFS: Sara Lee Corp. on Tuesday said it will MasterCard and Visa bank cards. that even a sale of the Eddie cialty nameplate Eddie Bauer, eliminate approximately 1,200 jobs in Puerto Rico at three About 41 percent of the compa- Bauer division might not be suf- expressed doubts about the com- plants that manufacture Playtex innerwear. The job cuts will ny’s sales in 2001 were made via ficient to heal Spiegel’s deep pany’s future. The opinion letter take place at factories in the towns of Dorado, Humacao and its private label credit cards. fiscal wounds. was sent to Spiegel’s board, and Vega Baja and are projected to take place in six to seven Spiegel securitizes the receiv- The next reporting period for included with a Feb. 4 SEC filing. months. The Chicago-based consumer products titan said other ables generated by use of both Spiegel ends on Feb. 28, and the Continued on page 14 textile divisions on the Caribbean island will continue operations. After cutting about 3,900 jobs in 2001, this latest action will reduce Sara Lee’s workforce in Puerto Rico to about 3,000. In a statement, Rafael Rodriguez, Sara Lee Intimate Apparel’s vice president of operations in the Caribbean, attributed the layoffs to “the continuing pressures of a weak economy and an intense- Consumer Confidence: Lowest Since 1993 ly competitive atmosphere.”

By Jennifer Weitzman 15.5 points to 65.6 in February said steep declines in consumer from 81.1 in January. The Pres- confidence like the one that oc- NEW YORK — Consumer confi- ent Situation Index slumped 13.7 curred this month are rare. dence in the U.S. economy took points to 61.1 from 75.3. The He noted February’s decrease Correction an unexpectedly sharp turn for overall index is at its lowest level was the largest month-to-month Inez Van Lamsveerde has designed a cotton cashmere camisole the worse in February, plum- since the 60.5 registered in Octo- slump since the 16.7 percent for Lutz & Patmos’ spring line. The guest designer was incorrect- meting to its lowest level since ber 1993, when the country was drop in August 1990, when Iraq ly identified in an item on page 12 Tuesday. October 1993, as Americans’ trying to come out of a recession. invaded Kuwait and touched off economic and geopolitical jit- “Lackluster job and financial fears of the confrontation that ters grew more acute. markets, rising fuel costs and the followed five months later. He WWDStock Market Index for February 25 The Conference Board’s increasing threat of war and ter- also noted the index dropped 15 monthly index of consumer confi- rorism appear to have taken a toll percent following the terrorist Composite: 93.96 Broadline Stores: 94.81 Softline Stores: 88.47 dence, which is based on a repre- on consumers,” said Lynn Franco, attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. sentative sample of 5,000 U.S. director of The Conference On the other hand, he said con- households, fell for the third con- Board’s Consumer Research sumer confidence could bounce secutive month — this time a Center. “This month’s confidence back once the uncertainty about whopping 14.8 points to a worse- readings paint a gloomy picture war is resolved. 1.34 1.52 1.02 than-expected 64, from a down- of current economic conditions, Consumers’ appraisal of cur- wardly revised 78.8 in January — with no apparent rebound on the rent conditions deteriorated, es- Vendors: 96.28 Textiles: 101.74 as both consumers’ current and short-term horizon.” pecially in light of last month’s Index base of 100 is near-term outlooks retreated. Attributing the 19 percent improved view. Those rating cur- keyed to closing prices Economists, on average, were tar- drop to a sense of war weariness, rent business conditions as of Dec. 31, 2002. geting a drop to 76.5 in February. Kamalesh Rao, an economist “bad” rose to 30.7 percent from 0.66 7.13 The Expectations Index fell with Moody’s Investors Services, Continued on page 14 3 Mizrahi Deal at Target Dallas Ice Not Nice for Retail WEDNESDAY,WWD, 2003 26, FEBRUARY By Katherine Bowers pulted Giannulli into the ranks of By Holly Haber one of the highest paid executives BOSTON — Isaac Mizrahi’s in the industry. But, according to DALLAS — A heavy sleet storm Target deal has been one of the David Campbell, an equity ana- Monday night layered one to fashion world’s worst-kept se- lyst with Davenport & Co., the three inches of ice over roads in crets. And it finally came to Mizrahi offerings will be smaller North Texas, closing schools and fruition Tuesday, when the retail than the current Cherokee and many offices Tuesday and putting behemoth announced plans to Mossimo assortment. a big chill on retail sales. Local launch the Isaac Mizrahi for “It sounds to me like they merchants were concerned that Target collection in August. want it available to meet spe- the possibility of more freezing Mizrahi’s first sportswear col- cialty fashion needs,” he said. precipitation would crimp busi- lection in four years will bow at It makes sense for Mizrahi’s ness today as well. 1,148 Target stores. The line will collection to target a slightly “Traffic is light,” said Melody be swingy classics — trench- older customer — late 20s to 50 Kamp, marketing director at coats, a denim circle skirt, a — because Mossimo has already NorthPark Center mall. “All of turtleneck sweater with wide gained traction with active-casu- our major department stores stripes — priced $9.99 to $69.99, al pieces for younger consumers. are open and 80 to 85 percent of An ice storm blanketed Northern Texas Tuesday, putting a freeze on retailing. lofting it into Target’s upper ech- Like Giannulli, Mizrahi has specialty stores, but since the elon, price-wise. The pieces, complained about being bur- schools are closed, a lot of chil- according to the security office. the mailman and the UPS man.” modeled by Candace Bergen and dened by — and ill-suited for — dren are outside playing in the “I believe there are some “I can’t even get out of my daughter Chloe Malle in Vogue’s operational responsibilities. winter wonderland, so it will be shoppers, but not many,” said a driveway — it’s a sheet of ice — March issue, have a Gap-in-its- Since he closed his design house, a slower day.” security guard who declined to and I didn’t want the girls to risk heyday vibe. Mizrahi has busied himself with Kamp was hopeful that the be identified. their lives or health if they were WWD first reported Target several projects, including his forecast for warmer weather Many specialty stores re- to have an accident,” said Victoria was in talks with Mizrahi about talk show, now in its third season. this weekend would lure sub- mained shuttered, including Jackson, owner of Byzantine. a collection on July 5, 2002. DeeDee Gordon, co-founder of stantial numbers of shoppers Tootsies, Lilly Dodson, Del-Ann’s “Truthfully, I don’t think anybody The Target linkup marks a re- trend service Look Look, said the with cabin fever. and Byzantine. would come out today anyway.” turn for Mizrahi, who shuttered show has likely broadened Miz- Neiman Marcus’ downtown Phyllis Walker, owner of Del- The Chanel store at Highland his business in 1998. And even rahi’s audience beyond his old so- flagship was open Tuesday with Ann’s in Dallas and Fort Worth, Park Village was open but man- now he can’t resist the urge to cialite clientele. “It’s like free ad- about half its usual employees. made it to her Dallas store in ager Tom Faust said that the flirt with his old flame: glamour, vertising, especially since the “I’ve got a reduced staff, but Snyder Plaza to work on the center was “pretty quiet.” celebrity clientele, the aura of women who watch Oxygen are the the associates here are on the computer and paperwork, but “We opened at 10 and we’ve exclusivity. The Mizrahi is also people he’d be talking to in phones and I think we’ll have a she was not open for business. had a few people in this morning, launching a couture business, IM [Target’s womenswear] depart- decent day,” said Shelle Bagot, “I live very close, and I can get but it’s been quiet,” Faust said. to Order, dedicated to producing ment,” said Gordon. “And women vice president and general man- here, but my staff is farther and “Traffic seems to be growing a bit custom pieces for old fans, star- seem to connect with him. He’s ager. “We do a great deal of busi- it’s treacherous to ask them to as the day progresses, and I think lets and others who can afford got a lot of charm.” ness on the phone anyway. Is come in,” Walker said. “Not a the afternoon might get a little the prices. An advertising and marketing there traffic in the store? No.” business is open here [in Snyder busier. Obviously, this weather is Reached while taping an epi- campaign will harness Mizrahi’s At the Galleria mall, the four Plaza] unless it’s a restaurant. I’ve not great for us, and if there is sode of The Isaac Mizrahi Show ease in the public eye. He said de- anchors and only 31 of more than been in here an hour-and-a-half, more sleet tonight, then tomor- for Oxygen Network, Mizrahi said tails have not been finalized, but 200 specialty stores were open, and I haven’t seen a soul except row will be more of the same.” his mission with Target is to cre- that he’s “definitely in the ads.” In ate clothes for “women, with a a statement, Target Stores senior capital W. This is not for girls. I’d vice president Trish Adams refer- say the average median age is 28 enced Mizrahi’s personality, call- and up.” ing it a “perfect match for Target.” He’s interested in good basics, One of the unfortunate hall- American Eagle Profits Falter “trying to make the chicest, sexy marks of Mizrahi’s career has khaki trouser, the best white been inopportune timing. His NEW YORK — Expense controls year, including $29.7 million efforts to fashion for college- shirt, really wonderful sweaters. bridge collection, Isaac, launched could not overcome promotional from Bluenotes. However total aged women early in the fall There’s going to be a lot of color. just as the category crumbled. pressures and higher shipping comps, including results from season continued through holi- And a sense of humor married to The company plowed into a retail costs, as American Eagle Out- its Bluenotes/Thriftys operation, day,” Markfield said. “The fall classic, clean American designs.” expansion in Asia in 1997, just as fitters’ profits dwindled in both decreased 4.6 percent overall and holiday assortments were What it all amounts to for that market collapsed. And in its fourth quarter and year. and were down 3 percent at AE fashion right and strongly differ- Mizrahi is “another chance,” said many ways, it’s a less rosy time to AE also indicated February stores. Consolidated gross mar- entiated in the marketplace.” James Wright, partner in brand launch at Target, which has re- sales are running below plan in gins declined 460 basis points to In Nasdaq trading Tuesday, consultancy Lippincott Mercer. lied on coaxing discretionary dol- about half of its 697 stores, due 35.9 percent from 40.5 percent, AE closed down 40 cents, or 2.6 “He now has the opportunity to go lars out of consumers’ wallets. to cold weather, snow storms while selling, general and ad- percent, at $14.86. into a very special retail environ- In fact, the retailer, which and terror alerts, but stores in ministrative expenses declined Although the Bluenotes busi- ment that’s defined itself as being once registered string after warm-weather markets are gen- 200 basis points as a percentage ness remains problematic, the able to deliver international string of positive comps, has fal- erating positive comps, which of sales. company hopes for improve- brand names to a mass market.” tered in recent months as con- could bode well for AE when Conceding that “2002 did not ment under new divisional pres- Target declined to comment, sumers reined in spending. The temperatures rise this spring in meet our expectations,” AE’s ident Fred Grover. but it’s likely the deal is similar to stock is trading near its lowest the Northeast and Midwest. president and co-chief execu- Looking ahead, although the one the retailer inked with de- valuation in five years and faces The Warrendale, Pa.-based tive Roger Markfield said the company did not give guidance signer Mossimo Giannulli, who six months of tough comparisons specialty retailer, which sells company was encouraged by in- for the first quarter or full year, provides the trend blueprint for against last year’s numbers, said casual apparel targeting 16 to 34 creased market share and being James O’Donnell, co-chief exec- his namesake collections while Campbell. year olds, said income de- named the second favorite utive and chief operating offi- Target sources and produces it. Campbell and other analysts creased 11.4 percent to $38.9 brand among teens, according to cer, said the company “has sig- Licensing fees on Giannulli’s ini- said while the Mizrahi an- million, or 54 cents a diluted Teen Research Unlimited. nificant opportunities for im- tial three-year deal — which has nouncement doesn’t change chal- share, for the three months Markfield said women’s proved merchandise margins recently been extended until 2006 lenges Target faces, it does rein- ended Feb. 1. That compares business comped up in the and we will continue to control — allowed his firm to return to force to Wall Street that the re- with income of $43.9 million, or mid-single digits during the our SG&A expenses.” trading on the Nasdaq and cata- tailer is sticking to its strengths. 60 cents, in the prior-year peri- fourth quarter, while men’s For the full year, income de- od. Earnings were 1 cent above comps fell 12 percent. Key mer- clined 15.9 percent to $88.7 mil- Wall Street’s average estimates. chandise categories include lion, or $1.22 a share, versus in- Total sales in the quarter in- sweaters, graphic T-shirts, come in 2001 of $105.5 million, creased 5.9 percent to $491.6 denim, woven shirts, under- or $1.43. Sales rose 6.7 percent Turkey OK’s U.S. Troops million, including $22.2 million wear and personal care. to $1.46 billion compared to from Bluenotes/Thriftys, com- “The momentum that was year-ago sales of $1.37 billion. WASHINGTON — Turkey’s cabi- billion in loans, for Turkey, which pared with $464.3 million last created when we refocused our — Jennifer Weitzman net, ending a tense deadlock is aimed at cushioning the impact Monday, voted to allow the de- of war in the region. The delay ployment of U.S. combat troops has stranded U.S. ships loaded Scherrer instead. A Fath in advance of a possible war with military equipment off the spokesman declined comment, but with Iraq. coast of Turkey and disrupted British designer Lizzy Disney But agreement on the pro- Washington’s plans to open a Fashion Scoops confirmed Tuesday that she exited posed multibillion economic aid northern front against Iraq. Fath last month. France Luxury package for Turkey’s help in a Turkish Foreign Minister Group also counts Francesco potential war with Iraq had not Yasar Yakis told CNN-Turk TV THE HERRERA FILES: Damiano Biella’s Avenue and could be up for the job. Smalto, Emmanuelle Khanh and been finalized at press time. on Sunday that textile and ap- departure from Carolina Herrera as GRAPES OF FATH: It looks like the the shoe firms Harel and Stephane Turkey’s parliament is expected parel relief in the form of quota its creative director two weeks ago first order of business for the new Kélian among its stable. The to vote on the contentious agree- increases were among the out- left a vacancy that might soon be owners of Jacques Fath was to shutdown of Fath would be the ment this week and its passage is standing issues. The U.S. agreed filled. Sources said Hervé Pierre shutter the fashion house. France latest in a string of changes at the still uncertain. to double Turkey’s apparel and Braillard, the former design director Luxury Group, the upstart luxury group, which include the exits of The U.S. and Turkey have textile quotas over three years at Bill Blass who was let go along conglomerate acquired two months chief executive Mounir Moufarrige been wrangling for weeks over the in 1991 for its help in enforcing with Lars Nilsson recently, has been ago by financier Alain Dumenil, is and Ritu Beri, who had designed proposed aid package, totaling a the economic embargo against spotted around 501 Seventh said to be putting its energies into Scherrer’s ready-to-wear. reported $5 billion in aid and $10 Iraq during the Gulf War. HENSON GEORGE BY PHOTOS 4 By Nola Sarkisian-Miller and Kristin Young

LAS VEGAS — Few missed the irony: Military trends won out among merchants at WWDMAGIC, which ended here Friday at the Sands Expo & Convention Center, even as the country was bracing for a war with Iraq. But not all buyers saluted the look. Last week’s snowstorm caused hundreds of East Coast buyers to arrive late, cutting short their exhibitor tours and order writing. The delay only added to their general distress over the economy and the havoc war Magic Act could create. For fall, merchandise got a heavy dose of utility, taking the form of fur-lined quilted jackets with buckle- pockets, flight suits and bomber jackets all in durable fabrics like denim, twill, coated canvas and corduroy.

WWD, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2003 WWD, WEDNESDAY, Vendors pulled out straps, belts, studs and grommets from their arsenals to decorate their wares. For Donna and Rick Cummings, owners of Buddha’s Belly, a shop in Wilmington, N.C., near Army base Fort Bragg and Marine Corps base Camp Lejeune, the look is too close for comfort. “Our kids don’t want to be mistaken for the military,” she said, noting military trends tend to have more appeal in urban areas. Kelli Brooks, buyer for Satisfy My Soul in Laguna Beach, Calif., said she would touch lightly on military, wary of its short shelf-life. “It’s a trend that’s going to be gone really quick,” she said. With all the talk of denim on the wane, exhibitors were still able to generate continued interest with updated finishes and such details as twisted rope belts and grommet seams seen at Mudd and OTB Jeanswear. “I’m not convinced that denim is dead,” said Liz Pierce, a retail analyst with Wedbush Morgan Securities, who walked the show. “I think if you have newness, [the consumer] will pay for it.” Marty Weisfeld, a partner at New York-based Mudd, found that retailers were responding to denim. “We’re booking more for back-to-school — up 45 to 50 percent compared to last year,” he said. The threat of war was top-of-mind, but sourcing difficulties weren’t an issue since most of Mudd’s supply chain is based in China, Vietnam and Cambodia. Frans van Zeeland, women’s merchandise manager for VF Corp., conceded denim can’t continue the pace of the past four years, but concurred newness keeps it going. VF’s stable of women’s lines, including Riders and Chic, were showing strength in fall denim and twill capris, a new focus for the company. He pointed out the arrival of arch competitor Levi Strauss and its Signature line at Wal-Mart only helps the cause. “As a result, more people will become interested in the mass channel as it attracts more fashion,” van Zeeland said. Athleticwear was another category with legs. JLo showed at WWDMAGIC for the first time and picked up

Cotton denim jacketjacket andand skirtskirt and stretch cotton halter from JLo by Jennifer Lopez.

Luscious’ cotton mesh tank and skirt; Dollhouse Outerwear’s cotton bomber jacket with acrylic fur trim. Frye boots; F.A.D. Treasures rings; David & Young cap. 5 WWD, WEDNESDAY,WWD, 2003 26, FEBRUARY Global Groove’s fleece-lined wool hoodie; Temptation’s sequined paisley polyester dress. Gloria Lopez for Crossing Style bag.

Wool-sleeved coyote fur cape from Krio by Natural Furs; La Pepita’s embroidered wool sweater; Second’s cotton denim jeans. new specialty store accounts and reorders from department stores Rich’s and Macy’s, primarily on the popu- Oscar Leopold’s fur-trimmed leather larity of its tracksuits, according to Andy Hilfiger, co- bomber jacket; Hard Tail’s cotton T-shirt; founder and partner. Denim and a recently unveiled Hudson’s cotton corduroy jeans. plus-size line called JLo Lovelies, which started shipping sizes 16 through 22 to stores during the holidays, was another buyer magnet, he said, adding the company expects to expand at the next edition of WWDMAGIC. “We had a lot of action,” he said. The troubled retail environment prompted some junior resources to pull rank. Tag Rag had new stores fill out a profile form before accepting their business while XOXO required a 50 percent deposit and a guarantee that the account was factored by CIT Commercial Services. Hot Kiss exerted merchandising control by promot- ing its in-store shops, set to bow by April in Liverpool, Mexico’s leading department store chain. President Moshe Tsabag said he is in negotiations to roll out the concept to Macy’s West and Marshall Field by back-to- school. “We’ll be able to offer more sku’s, refresh the FRIDAY KIM BY STYLED BERKSTRESSER; JANEL ASSISTANT: FASHION ; merchandise every 30 days, and be able to guarantee more visibility,” Tsabag said. Buyers had strategies of their own. Jeffrey Green, owner of three Cha Cha Inc. stores in Bloomington, Ind., said he was “staying on top of inventory and chasing what’s selling” as well as “picking promotions carefully.” Miyako Kiba, owner of New York-based TeeNYtee.com, cautioned not to depend too much on brands and to “take a risk” on smaller designers. Or, like that famous Wall Street monkey who picked stocks as well as financial experts by throwing darts at a board, Craig Leonard, owner of Allston Beat in Boston, Mass., said, “close your eyes, cross your fingers and hope it works.” Over at MAGIC’s men’s wear show at the Las Vegas Convention Center, where women’s wear gained a stronger foothold, creating buzz was key as companies sought to promote alliances and partnerships. MAGIC representatives confirmed Latina songstress Thalia and husband Tommy Mottola quietly walked the floor with Kmart executives on Tuesday, avoiding interviews with the press, but scouting trends and generating some talk on Thalia’s much-anticipated private label line, which is expected at Kmart for back-to-school. In the streetwear section, Percy Miller, better known to fans as rapper Master P, launched a 200-piece line of junior and kids apparel with City of Industry, Calif.- based Swat Fame Inc., called Passion. Standouts included jeans with rhinestone belts and Lycra spandex and French terry jogging suits for the 14- to 30-year-old customer, wholesaling between $12 and $24. Shorties is the firm’s more restrained girls line. “Urban brands can be very expensive and we’ve created a concept that more people can afford, priced 20 percent lower than other brands,” Miller said. Executives said the lines together should generate about $15 million in first-year sales.

Continued on page 18 UEMURA SHU AND NARS USING CELESTINE, FOR LYON JUANITA BY MAKEUP AND HAIR HANSON/WARNING; FAYE MODEL: GOLDBERG; JEREMY BY PHOTOS 6 Moderate Abroad From Sheep to Shop: New Look’s Quick Turn By Samantha Conti

LONDON — When England scored its winning goal against Argentina at the World Cup last summer, life here ground to a halt and champagne corks popped everywhere, except for the New Look factories in the southwestern county of Dorset. Minutes after England nailed its 1-0 victory, New Look was printing T-shirts with the winning team’s colors and the

WWD, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2003 WWD, WEDNESDAY, score. Within six hours, New Look had made its first deliveries to a unit in Leicester. Although England was later defeated, New Look continued to sell the popular soccer T-shirts with the colors of England, Brazil and Italy for the duration of the World Cup to the tune of $6.3 million. H&M has helped punch more fashion into the French moderate market, and Samaritaine has updated its private label apparel. Phil Wrigley, managing director of the publicly traded company, said he believes New Look’s quick-response supply chain and focus on U.K. trends are the key to a more competitive — and lucrative — future for New Look. “Stores like Hennes & Mauritz and Zara have a ubiqui- tous Euro look, while Topshop is obsessed with the catwalk The French Revolution and slavishly follows celebrity. Our focus, instead, is on the By Robert Murphy now they like to brag about wearing a pair of Zara U.K. trends and our odd, quirky British humor,” he said in trousers with a Chanel top.” an interview, adding that the vertically integrated company PARIS — Forget basics. Vive la mode. Jonas Guldstrand, president of H&M France, said, can go from “sheep to shop” in as little as four weeks. That’s the prognosis for moderate sportswear in “The stereotypes have been broken. Cheap chic has be- Wrigley, who began turning around and rebranding New France, where executives have spied a major shift away come very popular.” Look two years ago, has so far seen the share price rocket from basics versus five years ago, when department Meanwhile, France’s moderate sector is one of the from $0.80 to $3.55. In the first half of the 2002 fiscal stores, mom-and-pop boutiques and hypermarkets like most vibrant in Europe, executives claimed. year, sales rose 14 percent to $498 million. Wrigley’s project Carrefour were vying for shoppers’ budgets. “France is key to our development,” said H&M’s isn’t finished, however, and he said his goal is to boost New But with the arrival of the fast-fashion behemoths — Guldstrand. “We think we can open as many as 100 Look’s share of the women’s moderate market from its cur- Zara of Spain and Sweden’s Hennes & Mauritz — the stores here over the next few years.” rent 2 to 4 percent in the medium term. scale in France tilted irrevocably toward fashion — and On the other hand, France is one of the most compet- “We want to be the U.K.’s favorite moderate fashion re- fast. The moderate market in France generates annual itive moderate markets on the Continent, with a profu- tailer,” he said. retail sales of $4.32 billion. sion of chains operating stores, including Promod, Store expansion is a key ingredient to growth. In the fall, “Zara and H&M revolutionized the market here,” Etam, C&A, Kookai and Mango. New Look will open its first, rebranded flagship on Oxford said Bruno Villeneuve, general manager of the depart- As all of the chains rush to catch up with Zara and Street, across from one of its main competitors, H&M. For ment store Samaritaine, owned by luxury giant LVMH H&M, the moderate market has consolidated. Once power- the third quarter ended Aug. 31, the fast-growing H&M re- Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. “Before they landed, the ful in the segment, Marks & Spencer pulled out of France ported a 53 percent increase in profits to $205.8 million on market was atomized between as part of a program to salvage a 15 percent sales gain to $1.36 billion. a lot of smaller retailers who profits. Although the British The interiors of New Look’s 15,000-square-foot store will did a lot of business in basics. chain closed stores across be designed by the hip company Future Systems and will They created havoc for them, as Europe, France was one of its key carry New Look’s full range of clothing and accessories. In well as for the hypermarkets. overseas money makers. the 2003 fiscal year, the company plans to open a total of They also hit hard at mail- Yet, as the dust settles, other 175,000 square feet of retail space across the U.K. The order business, which was very competitors are moving in on strategy is to shut down smaller units and replace them with strong in the moderate sector. the territory they abandoned. stores that have an average size of 3,000 square feet. “Zara and H&M change their For example, Monoprix, the su- There are 489 New Look stores in the U.K., with another collections every six weeks. permarket chain co-owned by 35 set to open by the end of next month. In addition, there How could anyone compete? Galeries Lafayette and Casino, are 167 stores in France that generate about 10 percent of Mail-order catalogs renew their has vastly improved its moder- New Look’s total sales. collections every six months.” ate-priced collections. Competitive pricing is another ingredient to growth. The question became how to “Monoprix has filled the gap Currently, New Look’s prices are about 30 percent less than deal with the change. Many for basics when everyone went Topshop and 40 percent lower than Next, another main- French moderate firms fell French retailer Naf Naf updates its offerings with new more toward fashion,” said street fast-fashion chain. under direct pressure. Chains collections every six weeks. Villeneuve. “They’ve done a re- As for New Look’s fashion offer, Wrigley said his goal is to such as Etam, for instance, markable job with very good appeal to as wide an audience as possible, including “sexy moved to modernize by opening larger flagship stores and collections of ‘improved’ basics. They have a touch of forty- and fiftysomethings,” larger sizes and petites; cultivate notching up the fashion content of its clothes. Another fashion, but are not only about fashion.” the store’s current relationship with designers Luella Bartley, French retailer, Naf Naf, with 150 units in France, revisit- Hypermarkets, such as Carrefour, also have made Eley Kishimoto and Georgina Goodman, and expand the ed its entire infrastructure. headway by finding new avenues to increase business in company’s footwear range. “We changed everything from beginning to end,” said areas such as denim. “Most importantly, we don’t want to discriminate against Gerard Pariente, Naf Naf president. “After six weeks, a Department stores also have moved into the catego- or hector our customers,” said Wrigley. “Our philosophy is collection is no longer relevant in terms of fashion. Now ry. Printemps, Galeries Lafayette and Samaritaine, this: We’re open for business, come in and have some fun.” we’re updating our offer with new collections every six among others, have made strides to update their private weeks. Before [H&M and Zara came to France] shop- label collections. pers came in for a sweater. Fifty percent of our business Laurent Danon, president of Printemps department was in basics. Now they come in for ‘the’ sweater. Basics store, said with the moderate market moving more toward are no longer relevant to business.” fashion, the store has reduced its in-house basics collection. Naf Naf had sales last year of $256.8 million. “We’ve been substituting it with more fashionable Retail consultant Beatrice Bongibault, who also heads moderate brands,” Danon said. “But it’s not only the the Claude Montana fashion house, pointed out that some H&M’s and Zara’s that are shaking up the segment. of H&M and Zara’s best sales were generated in France. Sports brands like Nike, Adidas and Puma, who have Zara operates 67 units in the country, while H&M has 43. been concentrating on developing their women’s lines, H&M operates more than 800 stores in 14 countries. have also made a big splash.” Roughly 90 new doors bowed during the last year, mostly Samaritaine’s Villeneuve said, “We can’t compete with in Germany, France, Spain, the U.K. and the U.S. The com- the fast-fashion chains. We just don’t do the same volume pany is expected to open at least as many units in 2003. In with our private label business. But we’re starting to con- 2002, H&M’s profits leapt 49 percent to $670 million. Sales sider moderate-priced basics as a service to our client. If advanced 14.6 percent to $6.28 billion from $5.48 billion. they want a fashionable skirt, they can come to us. It’s not H&M’s sales in France were $351.7 million, up 11 at the vanguard of fashion. But our private-label collec- percent. France is its third fastest growing market after tions are now informed by what’s going on in fashion.” Germany and the U.S. Department stores also have found it important to “By moving into fashion zones at affordable prices, concentrate on fashion. they’ve turned everything upside down,” Bongibault “The fast-fashion chains have forced us to become said. “Basic stores, such as the Gap, were hurt. French more niche,” Villeneuve added. “We’ve had to become women love fashion and when they could get it cheap more creative and more trendy. We believe that’s the they jumped right on the boat.” best strategy to compete.” But Bongibault said it was not only the middle mar- Malls are also an important element in the moderate ket that suffered. “The fast-fashion phenomenon has po- segment in France, distinguishing its landscape from larized the market. It destroyed everything between the many other European markets. top luxury houses and the moderate range. It may have “There are a growing number of high-quality malls in pulled the carpet out from under the basic business, but France,” said Guldstrand, who added that about 50 percent it also hurt some better-priced fashion houses.” of H&M’s stores in the country were in malls. “It’s a very in- Naf Naf ’s Pariente added, “Before, women were teresting point about France. It’s one of the reasons that we New Look’s focus is on U.K. trends and quirky British humor. ashamed about wearing brands like ours or H&M. But believe we still have a lot of room left to develop here.” www.sag-harbor.com

sportswear dresses suits outerwear accessories at homewear

1407 broadway, suite 605 212.391.8666 8 Moderate Abroad German Stores: Autobahn Approach

By Melissa Drier BERLIN — Germany’s moderate fashion manufacturers are on the fast track. They said speed and logistics are the key to survival in a slow and shrinking retail market. A minimum of 12 deliveries, coupled with frequent flash programs, have now

WWD, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2003 WWD, WEDNESDAY, become the norm in the German mid-priced fashion sector. Partnerships have also become crucial, as both manufacturers and retailers actively join forces to counter vertical competition. “Everything is speed today,” said Michael Rosenblatt, chief executive of Tom Tailor, based in Hamburg. “The biggest challenge is how quickly you get from the design studio to the consumer. We pump out a new collection every month, which is in the stores 90 days later.” After monitoring sales results, Tom Tailor also offers fast-reaction programs that get top-selling items onto the sales floor in four to six weeks. But it’s not only speed that counts. “If you don’t perform, forget it,” Rosenblatt said. And to make sure that’s the case, “we do the merchandising and buying for our customers. We talk about the budgets and do all the buying plans. We do the work.” It’s also necessary to “watch price points carefully,” he advised. “The German market is very price sensitive and today’s consumers will compare your products with the H&Ms of the world. That’s our big competition. Not other brands.” S. Oliver was one of the pioneers of vertical thinking in the German apparel market and its 12 quick-delivery collections for women, juniors, men and children generated sales of more than $700 million in 2002. All dollar figures are calculated from the euro at current exchange rates. The S. Oliver Woman’s range closed the most recent selling season in early February, for June, July and August deliveries, 20 percent ahead, and the company’s second moderate women’s range, Comma, booked a 60 percent gain in 2002. That, despite the fact that Germany, “one of the worst markets to be in at the moment,” said Andre Maider, director of marketing and design, currently generates about 80 percent of S. Oliver’s sales. One factor spurring growth is a widespread “trading down” on the part of German consumers. “The mid market is fed by people who previously shopped better-to-higher ranges,” Maider said. “They’re coming down for financial reasons for they can spend 20 to 30 percent less. But it’s not only that consumers don’t have the money. They just want to spend that money differently.” So do German retailers. Sixty percent of a typical S. Oliver retail budget now goes to the company’s four order collections covering 12 delivery dates, Maider said, while 20 percent is allocated to the recently introduced “Added Value” programs, which have a longer lead time and offer higher margins. Ten percent goes to “Hot Shots,” small, monthly merchandise groups to order now, for example, for early April delivery, and 10 percent to NOS (Never Out of Stock) programs. “At the end of the day, our 12 divisions do 30 annual collections and over 40 million units yearly,” he pointed out. In 2001, the Steilmann Group, a $500 million moderate market force, changed all collections to speed programs, chief executive Britta Steilmann noted. “The sales staff was very nervous, but at the last CPD in February, we sold spring-summer merchandise equally with fall-winter, so we see that German retailers are Clockwise from top: Emozioni, S. Oliver, Tom Tailor are brands that comprise the moderate sportswear scene in Germany. really practicing quick response,” Steilmann said. There’s been a sea change in the moderate market, ther concentration in both the retail and manufacturing success factors, and the chain has shifted to more East however. market in 2003. But it’s not all gloom and doom. Bloc versus Far Eastern suppliers to ensure a faster “Ten years ago, the retail focus was on clear product “My main message for Germany is that there are turnaround. departments. But stores are moving to lifestyle worlds,” retailers who are actually changing their stores every “You have to be very quick,” he said. “We offer new she said. “The challenge is that each lifestyle world has 10 days, getting in new merchandise to present new sto- merchandise weekly in our entrance areas, and much multiple faces. You need to talk intensively with each ries, and they’re extremely successful,” Steilmann said. better stock control gives us the possibility to have bet- retailer about their target customer group. “You have to be more price conscious, even at the high- ter and higher turnover speed — a key to success.” “And you have to straddle the classification barriers. er end. But if you have the right product mix, you can Compared with an 8 percent downturn in the overall For example, if you want to present cargo as a theme, be successful.” German retail market, C&A generated a plus both in with not just pants but vests and blazers, which depart- The 184-German-door C&A chain is a case in point. sales and profits in 2002, with sales estimated at about $3 ment do you talk to? Once again a primary force in the German moderate billion in Germany. “The stores doing it successfully, like C&A, have fash- market, alongside H&M, which caters to a more fashion- “Our first priority is to grow sales on existing square ion themes which they cross buy,” she added. “And we’re forward customer, C&A turned around a decade of meters, but our second is to look for chances to grow via working especially hard to coordinate our classifica- falling sales by refocusing on mainstream fashion at derivatives,” the spokesman noted. tions departments.” friendly prices. A massive refurbishment program also C&A recently introduced children’s-only stores in The name of the game is “partnership, partnership, allowed C&A to present this fashion in a more comfort- smaller towns where the company didn’t have a retail partnership,” Steilmann continued. Steilmann’s core able, easy-to-shop environment. presence, and will now similarly launch a 4,300-square- classifications business is all private label in Germany, “In Germany, you need a concentration on price in foot women’s-only store in Lindau in April. but under its “brand partner strategy,” it treats private combination with fashion,” said C&A spokesman. “Our “We have 70 to 80 percent female customers buying label as a brand for its major retail partners. message is value for money. There are millions of for themselves and their kids and it’s a huge and very “We’re much more targeted,” she said. “We really German women and men that like mainstream fashion, interesting target group,” he added. work with buyers on pricing strategy [and] consumer tar- and if you have a very good product at a very good price, The shop will offer the C&A Clockhouse juniors collec- gets, and through electronic data systems, we constantly it will be a bestseller. You can create bestsellers in a bad tion, the updated mainstream Yessica range, XL for large have information on what’s selling or not.” market situation.” sizes and lingerie — all merchandise areas identified by Steilmann, Maider and Rosenblatt all forecast a fur- Short lead times, he continued, are one of C&A’s key C&A as having the greatest overall growth potential. INTRODUCING DLG FOR FALL 2003 UPDATED SPORTSWEAR FOR THE MODERN WOMAN

1407 BROADWAY 212.354.6161 10 Moderate Abroad Italy’s Diversified Pie WWD, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2003 WWD, WEDNESDAY,

Promod Dado

By Stephanie Epiro Shoppers flock to Corso MILAN — Not far from Milan’s designer-dominated Via Buenos Aires Monte Napoleone is a street where average Italians shop. for fashion at There’s not a Gucci or a Prada to be found on Corso a good price. Buenos Aires. It’s a 3/4-mile stretch of road crammed with bookstores, sporting goods and department stores and apparel specialty shops. On Fridays and Saturdays, shoppers flock to the street to hunt for fashion at sharp prices. The moderate-priced apparel market in Italy is diversified and split between traditional family-run stores, department stores and other clothing chains. Research analysts at Coin Group reported that these traditional stores account for 50 percent of the Italian Orsay clothing market. Key players in the widely diversified segment in- on Corso Vittorio Emanuele. Nestled on a side street off Corso Buenos Aires, small clude Coin Group, with more than a 2 percent market “Our customers everywhere are very fashion orien- boutique Dàdò benefits from shopper traffic. Owner share, Benetton with a 2.3 percent share and depart- tated — they come to our store looking for fashion,” said Grazia Inverizzi said her clients were habitual shop- ment store Rinascente at 0.9 percent. a spokesman for Inditex. pers and usually compared prices at other stores be- The rest of the medium-priced market is made up of Through the third quarter, Inditex, fueled by Zara, fore purchasing. chain stores including Promod, Motivi, Orsay and Celio. saw net income balloon 31 percent to $276.8 million, as “Shoppers like diversity,” Inverizzi said. “They are These stores offer medium-priced clothes and acces- reported. Group sales in the period rose 25.8 percent to searching for trendy clothes they cannot find in sories for men and women and share the market with $2.77 billion. Benetton.” small traditional shops. All of these retailers face com- Rapid store expansion represents much of this Inverizzi said a printed cotton miniskirt priced at $43 petition from Spanish chain Zara following the opening growth. Zara, with more than 500 doors in more than 30 was a top seller. of three stores in Italy in 2002. countries, inaugurated 58 stores in 2001 and another 49 Situated on the next block, Benetton’s spring-sum- A representative from Coin Group said since its tar- in 2002. Overall, Inditex is expected to open about 280 mer collection featured a viscose skirt for $63.55. get customer is a woman aged 30 to 45, competition stores this year. The group, which operates five branded Cheaper items were cotton pullovers with laced V-necks from more fashionable chains like Zara was lessened. concepts apart from Zara, counts more than 1,300 stores at $26.93. “We can say that the main Coin competitors are the in 41 countries. In Promod, simple black suits made of polyester and small, traditional shops,” the representative said. “The Fashion-conscious Italians are taking to the quick cotton were priced under $107.10 and shirts made of Spanish chain Zara operates with a younger customer trend turnaround Zara provides. polyester and elastan were priced at $18.20. product. Therefore, in this product area, there is slight Katarina Nardino, 24, said she shopped in Corso The Benetton spokesman said the firm has forecast a overlapping but it is very modest.” Buenos Aires less since Zara opened its doors. 5 percent decrease in worldwide turnover in 2002. A spokesman for Benetton said, “We are a mass market “I’m with my boyfriend’s mother, because she want- Benetton’s net profit for the six months ended June brand, but we don’t compete on price but on quality. ed to come to Corso Buenos Aires,” Nardino said. “I 30 rose 10.6 percent to $58.5 million, as reported. First- Competition is tough in every world market and yes, for don’t really like coming here anymore — it’s too over- half revenue fell 4 percent to $982.5 million from $1.02 sure, Zara is our competitor in the European market. But crowded. billion the year before. Dollar figures have been con- we are in 120 countries, so there are a lot of competitors.” “Today I bought some pants for $21.54 in Motivi. It’s verted from the euro at current exchange rates. The race to gain more market share is becoming in- difficult to find what I want here. I don’t make enough “Customers are getting more and more sophisticated creasingly important for Zara. The corporate communi- money to shop in designer shops and in cheaper shops and you have to seduce them as they are not faithful. cations department for Inditex, which owns Zara, said the clothes…look cheap. Promod isn’t as fashionable as This is why we invested $807.83 million in the last there are six stores set to open in Italy in 2003. The first Zara. I mainly buy clothes from Zara now.” three-and-a-half years into new shops, to give more of a store in Italy opened last year, a 32,290-square-foot store Others look for trends in smaller traditional shops. good, quality product at the right price.”

tion with British Elle magazine. The store also offers a free personal shopping service and VIP dressing rooms. Topshop’s Lofty Status “We’ve made huge leaps in the last three years, as far as the image of Topshop is concerned,” Shepherdson said. “We target By Ellen Burney 18- to 30-year-old, opinionated, cutting-edge, fashion cognoscen- ti. However, our market stretches from 12- to 45-years old.” LONDON — There’s no stopping Topshop, the fashion retail The 65,000-square-foot flagship in Oxford Circus — by far emporium that attracts four times as many visitors than The the most stylish of Topshop’s 333 units worldwide — spans Tower of London. three floors. The ground floor showcases accessories and the Once a dull, teen-focused clothing store, Topshop, which lower two floors stock women’s wear. attracts 180,000 visitors each week, is now a fashion source for Each week, the store receives around 300 new sku’s from its designers, stylists and celebrities, including Madonna, Kate 200 collections, which include Bling Bling (glamorous club- Moss, Liv Tyler and Cher. wear), Modette (designs influenced by the Sixties and Jane Shepherdson, Topshop’s brand manager and a driving Seventies), Utility (military-style pieces), Moto-Sno (outerwear) force behind the store’s transformation over the past five years, Topshop is a fashion source for designers, stylists and celebrities. and Freestyle (an Aertex-based collection). said Topshop has been built on daring and attitude. Seven full-time designers work from the pattern-design room “Over the past three years, we have become much less cau- Topshop’s annual sales are about $525 million. above the store and three more are employed on a rotating free- tious,” she said in a phone interview. “We act on our gut Topshop has just revamped its Boutique area, with help from lance basis. “We always like to have fresh blood and new ideas,” instincts and sometimes we do things we don’t think will make the London-based architectural design duo Shummon Basar and said Shepherdson. money, but we know are right for the brand.” Joshua Bolchever, as reported. Dazed & Confused fashion editor While there are no current plans to move Topshop to the A case in point is Boutique, an area on the lower ground floor Alister Mackie oversaw the merchandising and each month the U.S., the chain is expanding, with a flagship opening in that stocks collections by designers, including Sophia store will invite a new fashion stylist to change the merchandis- Birmingham this fall. Kokosalaki, Hamish Morrow and Russell Sage, exclusive to ing scheme. Topshop first opened in 1964, as a concession in a small Topshop. It also sells an in-house line called Unique, designed Another key ingredient in Topshop’s success has been its department store in Sheffield in northern England. A division of by Topshop’s team. vision of shopping as entertainment. The store has created a the U.K.’s Arcadia clothing group, it was purchased last fall by Shepherdson and her team originally envisioned Boutique as club atmosphere, setting up its own TV and radio station. All day the entrepreneur Philip Green, who has since pulled Arcadia off a special design feature within the store and never thought it long, shoppers listen to mix of music and chatter from the London’s Stock Exchange. would generate substantial sales. While the privately owned speakers and video screens posted around the store. “There is no doubt that we know our market extremely well,” Topshop does not reveal sales figures, Shepherdson said the It also stages occasional fashion events — the next being a said Shepherdson. “There is a great sense of pride amongst the area is making “a lot” of money. Industry sources estimate that runway show to showcase the spring-summer range in associa- team and a feeling of ownership of the brand we’ve created.”

12 Retail Jitters Hit

Downtown Fayetteville, N.C., the number one COLUM military town in the country, and home of WWD, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2003 WWD, WEDNESDAY, Fort Bragg, the nation’s largest army base.

Dineen Morton- Tarplee, store manager at Petite Sophisticate in Cross Creek Mall in Fayetteville.

A soldier, stationed in Business is up at Fayetteville, washes the Renaissance his car after work. European Day Spa inin Fayetteville,Fayetteville, N.C.N.C.

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.

By Georgia Lee Below, WWD looks at how three and his wife Erica, who is also in the mil- keep business going and support our Southern towns are preparing for a po- itary, have been sent abroad six times. local economy,” she said. ATLANTA — Some things, like bombing tential war: “We saved $16,000 during those months, Like other wives, she looks for ways to exercises shattering enough to knock pic- and now we’re going to spend it, on a relieve stress during deployments. tures off the wall, are just part of life in a FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. Subaru SUV for me and a Ford Expedition Working in retail, she buys clothes at a military town. Others, like massive troop “We’re the number-one military town for her,” he said. “They can’t touch me discount, but buying clothes doesn’t revive deployments and war, are thankfully less in the country,“ said George Breece, now, I’m here to stay. ” His wife also likes her spirits like her new ritual — weekly common. president of the Fayetteville Chamber of to buy clothes, mostly at Wet Seal. He fa- manicures and pedicures at a day spa. But as the nation girds for a potential Commerce. “When the world dials 911, vors athletic shoes from Foot Locker. Renaissance European Day Spa, a war against Iraq, the departure of troops the phone answers here.” Retailers are still enjoying the first and five-year-old Fayetteville business, has a to the front lines is now frighteningly Unabashedly proud, Breece said Fort the fifteenth of each month — paydays at two-week waiting list for appointments. real in towns all across the South. Bragg, the nation’s largest army base, and the base, typically their biggest days. January sales increased 10 percent, with Beyond the obvious toll on families, de- adjacent Pope Airforce Base, are the “And days in between are big return wives treating themselves and husbands ployment can be devastating for busi- combined home to 55,000 military person- days, when they realize they’ve over- buying gift certificates before leaving. nesses. Just ask those who struggled nel, plus dependents. Around one-third of spent,” said a manager of a nationwide “Rather than shopping, women are through the last Gulf War 12 years ago. the area’s troops were deployed overseas young women’s and men’s wear chain, taking care of themselves, with a mas- “Fayetteville, N.C., was a ghost town,” by mid-February. The military brings $5.2 who requested anonymity. Military per- sage or other treatment,” said Barbara said a resident who worked at Belk’s. billion worth of business annually into sonnel make up 80 percent of the store’s Gikaganm, administrator. “My hours were slashed from 40 to 14 a Fayetteville’s economy, with $1 billion customers. January sales rose 16 percent Adele Snook, whose husband is on a week. Many stores closed early every day more in military-related civilian salaries. over last year, after similar December six-month deployment, is the concierge because nobody was here. You could “We feel it immediately,” he said. “It’s numbers. Her young customer is worldly at Renaissance. With extra monthly in- shoot a shotgun down the mall food court the talk in coffee shops. We know it will and appreciates edgy merchandise, un- come from separation pay, she indulges and not hit a soul.” affect the economy, but it’s a small price like in other homogenous Southern in spa services and splurges occasionally Locals in three major military towns to pay for freedom. It’s the people we towns, she said. Business is good now, on shoes and handbags. are hoping this time may be better. So far, care about.” but she is far from complacent. “I’m not a clothes person,” she said. while it’s still early, business is holding Breece said real estate is suffering, “The effect hasn’t really hit yet, but it “But I shop Neiman Marcus online, or go up fairly well. especially rental properties. He knows will,” she said, adding that, in her view, to Raleigh to Nordstrom’s. My biggest While thousands of troops are already an owner of a 210-unit apartment com- it’s a “misconception” to think the war treat recently was a Burberry scarf deployed, hundreds more rotate in daily plex who had 40 lease termination re- will be short and over in six months. bought online from Neiman’s.” to military bases throughout the South. quests in recent weeks. Dineen Morton-Tarplee, store manag- Those returning from Afghanistan and Deployment has not yet infiltrated the er of Petite Sophisticate, had a 3 percent COLUMBUS, GA. other hot spots, along with reservists retail sector, though. On a bright January sales increase, but a traffic in- Within 20 miles of Fort Benning, called to active duty and training, are Wednesday in February, the only visible crease of 12 percent. Columbus, Ga., with a population of 190,000, taking up the slack left by the departed difference in Cross Creek Mall, closest to “Wives are out more, mall walking,” is a picturesque mid-western-Georgia town soldiers. More wives, who typically go the base, and any other mall is the pres- she said. “And we’re getting a boost from on the Chattoohoochee River. As headquar- home to stay with family during their ence of several uniformed men. While National Guard reservists who have been ters of AFLAC insurance and other finan- husbands’ deployments, are staying put military uniforms are prohibited off duty, called up.” cial businesses, Columbus is more diversi- this time, partially because the military the rule is rarely enforced. Morton-Tarplee’s husband of 19 years fied than just 20 years ago, when the mili- is offering financial and support services Cross Creek has as anchors Belk’s, shipped out in January to the Middle tary and now-defunct textile mills drove its as incentives. Rich’s, J.C. Penney and Sears and con- East for his fourth deployment. She at- economic engine. So far, the mood is upbeat. Many lo- tains such specialty stores as Wet Seal, tends monthly military family support Fort Benning brings in $90 million a cals, convinced that any war will be Aeropostale, Lerner’s, Casual Corner group meetings, and notes an increase in month — one-fifth of the local economy. short, are looking forward to returning and Victoria’s Secret. One shopper, Sgt. similar support services over the last With 33,000 active duty soldiers from Fort troops, who might celebrate by spending Barry Morrison, just returned from his Gulf situation. Benning, the town has 55,000 military money. final deployment in Afghanistan. Both he “We’re told it’s our responsibility to personnel, including dependents. By 13 t Military Towns WEDNESDAY,WWD, 2003 26, FEBRUARY Oglethorpe Mall A quiet day at the LUMBUS, GA. in Savannah. Oglethorpe Mall cafe in Savannah. Rick McKnight, owner, McKay’s, a women’s clothing shop, has cultivated a civilian clientele after once relying on military business.

Major stores, such as Sears, Roebuck & Co., have suffered in the last few months, while jewelry stores got a temporary boost from soldiers being deployed. Many bought engagement rings Mark Smith fits his Airborne Mark Smith fits his Airborne before being sent off. beret while his girlfriend Mickey Smith looks on at Ranger Joe’s in Columbus. SAVANNAH, GA. PHOTOS BY RICHARD SOMMERS (SAVANNAH), DAEMON BAIZON (COLUMBUS, GA.) AND OBED DANJOINT (FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.) (FAYETTEVILLE, DANJOINT OBED AND GA.) (COLUMBUS, BAIZON DAEMON (SAVANNAH), SOMMERS RICHARD BY PHOTOS

February, 3,500 soldiers were deployed, Columbus-based fast-food restaurateur Children’s Place, along with sporting area’s three military bases will be exam- but with daily rotations including re- Todd Shuster owns 59 Burger Kings clus- goods, video games and visits to Chuck E. ined again in 2005. servists and trainees and its diversified tered near Columbus in Georgia and Cheese’s restaurant. “It’s not wise par- “The military wants less real estate economy, local businesses are optimistic. Alabama. Activity at Fort Benning is help- enting, and I guess I’m spoiling them, but and more money in weapons,” said “The military was almost 30 percent ing business, although sales are primarily it’s hard with Dad gone,” she said. Hubbard. “The problems we see now of the economy, now it’s 13 to 15 percent,” advertising-driven. In recent months, She also buys home items, from paint with deployment could be permanent, if said Mike Gaymon, president of the business is up 5 to 6 percent for his stores. to window treatments, from Home Depot. bases close or are ‘mothballed’ so that no Greater Columbus Chamber of Comm- “Fort Benning is bringing family in. Like many of her military wife friends, new industry can develop on them.” erce. “During the Gulf War, big-ticket Wives may not buy big items, but they she enjoys sewing and crafts, and shops The impact from the current deploy- purchases, cars and televisions were still go to fast-food restaurants, especial- Michael’s and Hobby Lobby for supplies. ment will be felt first in the area’s rental down, but consumables were OK. This ly with kids,” he said. Regular hair salon appointments are housing market and will trickle down to time, the army is giving [financial and Rick McKnight, the owner of McKay’s, more significant now, at Bliss, a salon she automobile dealers, restaurants and re- support service] incentives for wives to a 22-year-old women’s clothing boutique, recently discovered. tail, said Hubbard. stay here. They don’t go home to mom — and the adjoining Kiddie Shoppe, has “Time to myself is the best treat now. Retail is starting to decline. At mom comes here.” cultivated a civilian clientele recently, I’d like to take advantage of more spa Oglethorpe Mall, just 500 yards from One military-related Columbus busi- after once relying totally on military services, something I’ve never done be- Hunter Army Airfield, and within 40 ness is booming. At Ranger Joe’s, a cloth- business. Recently, McKnight noticed fore,” she said. miles of the other two bases, sales during ing and supplies retailer for military and more military wives shopping the chil- Desert Storm declined from $250 to law enforcement, sales are up 32 percent dren’s store. While January women’s SAVANNAH, GA. around $190 per square foot. Today, the since Sept 11, 2001. More than 80 percent sales were flat, the Kiddie Shoppe in- With three bases within a 40-mile ra- mall averages $310 per square foot. The of its inventory is apparel, and 30 per- creased 13 percent. dius, the military brings in $2 billion an- mall has such anchors as Sears and J.C. cent of its customers are women, buying “With husbands gone, women feel nually to Savannah’s economy, double Penney. for themselves or for male family mem- angst. Buying for the kids helps them feel the $1 billion from tourism. About one- “Who knows where it will go this bers. Inventory includes non-government better,” said McKnight. “They’re definite- third of the 45,000 troops at Fort Stewart, time?” said Phil McConnell, the mall’s issue high tech moisture-resistant jack- ly more interested in spending for the Hunter Army Airfield and the Beaufort general manager. ets, shirts and socks, mostly from private kids or the home than for themselves.” Naval Air Station, have been deployed, After a “phenomenal” 2002, with label resources. Heather Conkle, 29, is an example. according to Bill Hubbard, chief execu- November sales up 18 percent and Ranger Joe’s has a 12,000-square-foot With her husband on a six-month deploy- tive officer of the Savannah Chamber of December up 20 percent, January, nor- Columbus store and a 7,000-square-foot ment to Kuwait, she lives on base with Commerce and the Convention and mally a strong month, had only a 5 percent store near Fort Stewart in Hinesville, two children, ages six and three. Lately, Visitors’ Bureau. increase. McConnell said department Ga., where 18 seamstresses sew thou- she spends money on “care packages” Hubbard said Savannah is better pre- stores saw the biggest drop in big-ticket sands of patches a week onto uniforms she sends once a week to her husband. pared now than during Desert Storm, items and electronics. Moderate apparel for soldiers. The web site alone does $2 She shops for toiletries, snacks and which had a “huge effect” on business. was hurt more than high-end, he said. million a year. One million catalog mail- treats at Wal-Mart and Target, and looks The community has brought in new busi- A partner in a national jewelry chain ings yearly generate 700 customers a day, for deals online from sites such as nesses, such as a Chrysler/Daimler plant, at Oglethorpe Mall who wished anonymi- according to Paul Vorhees, owner. CVS/Pharmacy. and new programs to attract tourism. ty, said January sales dropped 9 percent, Vorhees employs many army wives As a part-time volunteer for the Red Savannah’s economy grew 5 percent in after a record December, when sales in- and, having survived the last Gulf War, he Cross, she spends most of her personal 2002, compared with a 17 percent creased 40 percent, (or $350,000) over predicted less economic damage for clothing budget on work clothes. She statewide decline, said Hubbard. December 2001. Columbus than other military towns. shops Dillard’s, although she calls de- Though deployment will take a toll, he “In December, we were flooded with “In Desert Storm, many soldiers didn’t partment store shopping “frustrating.” said, the bigger concern is the future of military men buying engagement rings want to go,” said Vorhees. “This time, Her favorite specialty store is Ann Taylor the bases, which may be shut completely before being sent off,” he said. “In Desert after we were attacked, nobody is in Loft. Both are in nearby malls. in the next few years. Having survived Storm, jewelry dropped off, but when the doubt. Civilians, even those that don’t She now spends more on clothes for three rounds of scrutiny under the Base troops came back, we got it all back. It support the war, support the soldiers.” her children, at the Kiddie Shoppe or the Realignment and Closure Act of 2001, the was like Christmas in March.” 14 WWD, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2003 ticipants said they expected they said ticipants par- fewer as dismal more grew also outlook labor The percent. 17.7 from percent 15.3 to clined de- better get will conditions anticipating those while cent, per- 14 from percent 19 to rose months six next the over sour to conditions business pating antici- those as February in ed contract- also future short-term were hardtoget. jobs said — percent 28.9 with compared percent 30.1 — sumers con- More percent. 56.6 from plentiful tickedupto58.7percent less as jobs rating Those percent. 14.5 from down percent, 11.2 — plentiful were jobs believed they said respondents fewer as bling trou- also was picture ployment em- The percent. 15 from percent the oppositeviewdeclinedto13.2 holding those while percent, 26.7 2 page from Continued Consumer Confidence Plunges ATMI, Japanese Mills Reach Trade Accord n l idsra gos includ- goods, industrial all on tariffs cut to proposal U.S. the zation talks. Worldthe in tries TradeOrgani- coun- developed major other with agenda common a develop TextileFederationto Japan the with agreement an reached has Institute Manufacturers Textile WASHINGTON— h assmn fr the for assessment The The ATMI and JTF oppose JTF and ATMI The IRONING BOARD• HAIR DRYER IN EVERY ROOM• • KEYS•MODERN FITNESS ELECTRONIC SECURITY WEEKDAY NEWSPAPERS ACCESS •INTERNET TV •WEB MACHINE•SERVICES•CENTER•& VALETCOFFEEMAIL BREAKFAST•IRONIN-ROOM AND •COMPLIMENTARY VOICE LAUNDRY PORT DATA WITH •TELEPHONE CALLS LOCAL FREE 59 W. 46TH ST W.46TH 59 SQUARE TIMES HOTEL 8 SUPER Fitness centers — just one of the features that make our hotels the strongest values in Manhattan. in values strongest the hotels our make that features the of one just — centers Fitness EVEN IF YOUR MEETING YOUR IF EVEN DOESN’T WORK OUT,WORK DOESN’T BOOK ONLINE OR CALL. OR ONLINE BOOK The American The YOU ALWAYSYOU CAN. 129ST W.46TH MIDTOWN INN COMFORT Sometimes it’s the little things that make all the difference. the all make that things little the it’s Sometimes is cutting into confidence more confidence into cutting is war and security domestic about 12.5 percentfrom10.2percent. to intensified decrease a pecting ex- those while percent, 18.4 with compared percent 15.2 to creased de- incomes their in crease percent from21.2percent). (28.4 jobs fewer anticipate they said more while percent), 14.2 from percent (12.7 jobs more “ to have taken a toll on consumers. on toll a taken have to appear terrorism and war of threat increasing the and costs fuel rising be separate and sectoral, en- sectoral, and separate be should negotiations access ket mar- WTO said groups textile two the U.S., the by proposed proach sphere, accordingtotheATMI. hemi- the in partners trading other and industry domestic the to harm” “irreparable create would liberalization Such 2015. by textiles, and apparel ing 17ST W.32ND MANHATTAN QUINTA LA applecorehotels.com applecorehotels.com Moody’s Rao said uncertainty said Rao Moody’s in- an anticipating Those Instead of the formula ap- formula the of Instead Lackluster job and financial markets, financial and job Lackluster 6 W. 32ND ST W.32ND 6 MANHATTAN INN ROOF RED 800.567.7720 — Lynn Franco, The Conference Board’s 161AVE LEXINGTON MANHATTAN EASTSIDE INN RAMADA them toacertainlevel. lower first must tariffs high with countries WTO 144 all where approach, harmonization tariff a through reductions tariff address and negotiations of conclusion the of years two to one within el appar- and textiles on barriers iff tries needtoeliminateallnontar- apparel. and textiles only compassing home refinancingandtaxbreaks. from savings to thanks habits, ing spend- their on back pulling not are consumers indicate January capital spending. and employment increased to lead could which sectors, dustry in- of number a in growth enue rev- and profit including tals, fundamen- strong feature noted, he conditions, Business my. econo- the about concerns than Consumer Research Center Rao said retail sales figures in figures sales retail said Rao They also said all coun- all said also They ” WWD Log on to WWD.com now to subscribe. to now WWD.com to on Log A newer, faster way to receive WWD the newspaper the WWD receive newer,to A way faster WWD.com Access day...a Forpennies just quired in 1988 from General Mills, General from 1988 in quired Bauer,ac- Eddie month. next the in sometime N.M., Fe, Santa downtown in unit a shutter to ed year,last stores expect- 43 is about Nintendo Co. of arm U.S. the for president vice executive became He 12. R. Feb. James on resignation Cannataro’s by vacated post officer financial chief the fill to longtime.” formation foravery in- any out giving been haven’t they because Spiegel mend recom- to able “Webeen haven’t said, Sands, Bernard at dent million, or92cents,in2000. $120.8 of income net versus 2001, 29, Dec. ended year the for share, a $3.01 or million, $397.7 lost company the said month, this just until delayed report, 2001 fiscal Its statements. quarterly and end year- its file to yet has and alysts an- hasn’tcredit It to losses. talked and difficulties business amid afloat stay to trying quietly been agreements withitslenders. renegotiate to unable been has firm the said also auditor The payable.” and due currently is debt company’s the of all tially “substan- that and agreements debt certain with compliance in not was Spiegel that said KPMG 2 page from Continued Deepen at Spiegel Credit Difficulties Eddie Bauer, which closed Bauer,which Eddie looking still is company The presi- vice senior Rice, Jim has year last the for Spiegel .com now available online available now Deutsche BankAG. is lender bank lead Spiegel’s cent. 1 down cents, 18 at day Tues- on closed it where sheets, pink the on counter the over trades It 4. June on delisted was but Nasdaq, the on $10 about Crate &Barrel. catalog furnishings home trendy as well as company, catalog largest world’s the Co., & GmbH VersandOtto Germany’s owns It no firms. mail-order to is stranger family Otto The said. sources financial years, two last the in million $350 about Spiegel loaned have to said is family the and chairman, Spiegel’s is Otto Michael firm. distressed the bankrolling continue to be would Germany,from family Otto the owner, majority Spiegel’s willing over itslatefilings. SEC the by investigation under is Spiegel lawsuit, shareholder catalog division. another News, Newport and ation Bauer,oper- catalog core Spiegel’s Eddie for orders handle erations op- center holiday.Call from sales lackluster to part in due were offs lay- the that said January.Sources of end the at staff center call time part- and full-time 300 cut also ny compa- The site. Internet and tion country, aswellacatalogopera- the throughout sites 500 about has ya ao pee tae at traded Spiegel ago year A how is determined be to Still ongoing an to addition In WWD .com 15 Europe Fuels Fossil in 4th Quarter WEDNESDAY,WWD, 2003 26, FEBRUARY NEW YORK — Boosted by astro- million, or 50.7 percent of sales, Fossil advertising committed to nomical sales gains in Europe last year. Europe during the year.” and elsewhere on the interna- Kosta Kartsotis, president Total international sales rose tional front, Fossil Inc. on Tues- and chief executive officer, said 46 percent during the quarter. day reported double-digit gains during a conference call with Global sales of new product ini- in both sales and profits for the Wall Street analysts that the tiatives, including Burberry and fourth quarter and year. company plans to open seven Zodiac watches and Emporio For the three months ended outlets in 2003 and either two or Armani jewelry, added $6.1 mil- Jan. 4, income leaped 48.3 per- three regular-priced stores. lion during the period. Acquisi- cent to $23.3 million, or 48 cents Mike Kovar, chief financial of- tions contributed $2.2 million in a diluted share, from $15.7 mil- ficer, said in a statement: “Our European sales during the three- lion, or 33 cents, in the year-ago European operations remained a month period, with company- quarter. Excluding a $2.9 million primary focus throughout the owned retail store sales rising 18 one-time charge in 2001, income year and we are extremely percent and comparable-store climbed a more modest 25.4 per- pleased with our European sales sales gaining 5 percent. cause of specialty store sales that increase 15 percent for the year. cent. Sales for the most recent increase of 51 percent during the Domestically, fourth-quarter were softer than expected, while For the year, income rose 34.9 quarter rose 20.6 percent to fourth quarter. We experienced sales from the watch business accessories and sunglass sales percent to $58.9 million, or $1.22 $212.4 million from $176.1 mil- 67 percent growth in our licensed gained 6.6 percent, with strength were flat versus a year ago. a diluted share, from $43.7 million. Gross profit grew 22.6 per- brands and a 36 percent growth in the Relic brand and licensed For 2003 guidance, the com- Sales were up 21.6 percent to cent to $109.5 million, or 51.6 in our Fossil brand in Europe, brand watches. Sales of Fossil pany estimated that sales and di- $663.3 million from $545.5 million. percent of sales, versus $89.4 benefiting from the additional watches dipped 3 percent be- luted earnings per share would — Vicki M. Young Shares of Wella In State of Flux Amid Sale Talks

BERLIN — Wella was back in the financial news this week. Rumors that Wella’s majority shareholders, the Ströher family, might be reconsidering their position on the possible sale of the German hair and cosmetics company briefly boosted Wella share prices more than 5 percent Monday. On Tuesday, the stock closed down 1.4 percent in Frankfurt at $62.85 a common share. All dollar figures are cal- FAME culated from the euro at current exchange rates. Reports in the financial press suggested that the Ströher family, FABULOUS FASHION, EXCEPTIONAL VALUE previously divided on the advisa- bility of a sale, were “moving to- wards selling it amid signs of interest from Procter & Gamble, Unilever and L’Oréal.” A Wella spokesman responded: “We’re fa- AWAITS YOU AT THE miliar with this speculation from the past and the present, but we JAVITS CENTER do not comment on speculation.” Last October, Wella reported- ly turned down an informal $5.7 MANHATTAN billion offer from Henkel on the grounds that it was too low. MARCH 16-18, 2003 (Wella’s current market value is about $4 billion.) The company Sunday & Monday 9-6 officially denied having received any offer from Henkel. At Tuesday 9-4 that time, sources said parties within the Ströher family were against a sale on principle. One analyst told WWD it “could be true” that the Ströhers were having a change of heart. She suggested that Wella’s man- N agement probably didn’t receive early 700 Immediate Spring/Summer & Fall Preview an offer from Henkel, whereas the family may very well have. collections of fabulous fashions at exceptional value. But the fact that Wella’s management stated “in October that they had not received a bid from Henkel…was a way of signalling to the market that they are open to options, including selling the Exhibiting Info Registration Info company.” However, German companies, New York:212-686-4412 800-646-0084 especially family-owned ones, are extremely slow, she noted, and so Toll Free:877-904-FAME (3263) www.fameshows.com this new rumor “doesn’t necessar- ily mean that anything will hap- pen quickly.” Also, she pointed out that the presumed source, so- called “Branchenkreisen” or in- FAME IS PRODUCED BY BUSINESS JOURNALS INC (BJI), A BUSINESS MEDIA COMPANY THAT SPECIALIZES IN SERVING THE WOMEN'S dustry circles, are notoriously un- AND MEN'S FASHION RETAIL MARKETS. ONE OF BJI’S PROPERTIES IS ACCESSORIESTHESHOW (FORMERLY KNOWN AS FASHION reliable. “Since no one really is ACCESSORIES EXPO). close to the family, many things can be made up that are not nec- essarily true,” she concluded. — Melissa Drier 16 WWD, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2003 been very favorable. Weare favorable. very been has feedback “Customer said. Lundgren Federatedstores,” of majority large the formed outper- “clearly Columbus, near Ohio Easton, in Lazarus ing toourcustomers,”hesaid. listen- keep and subject this on keep to going are We done. not “Weare progress. in work a was it suggested Lundgren been, has program future” the of “store ingdale’s. Bloom- upscale to continuing higher,and points few a or cent per- 20 potentially but volume, total of percent 16 representing currently exclusives, and ments assort- label private deepening of spoke also He basis. cation lo- individual an on retrofitted been have stores Heretofore, Atlanta. with starting markets metro entire to format future” the of “store its out roll will gies, strate- other among Federated, said Lundgren trend, down the fight To sales. Federated’s with along plummeting, been has which confidence, sumer con- in improvement an there’s when register cash the at per Federatedso pros- mix,” can uct prod- and experience shopping improved an delivering for groundwork the lay to year “the store sales,”hestressed. comp- grow to is mission the us, for but results, sales challenging of spite in earnings delivering at successful been “We’ve course. of Lundgren, Not cause. lost a are stores department think even some and Nineties, the in art lost a became merchandise of Street. selling and buying Somehow Wall peasing ap- and retailers, other with consolidating ing, coupon- cutting, price trol, con- cost been have ties priori- the retailers, most of thegarmentdistrict. Macy’s heart the in Square, Herald inside offices Federated’s at remain will Lundgren Cincinnati, in headquarters Federated’s at based been has who Zimmerman, Unlike gram. pro- future” the of “store and buildup label private Federated’s spearheading been has and Nineties, and Eighties the in zations organi- merchandising and stores Federated’s through rose Lundgren executive, financial and operations an is Zimmerman While 60. at retires he before year a M. about for chairman as tinue con- James will who Zimmerman, succeeds president, of title the holds on Monday. report page-one WWD a firmed 2003.” in particularly be, will focus our where That’s sales. store comp- improve to is Federated for strategy best “The WWD, told Lundgren merchant, a ting nitty-gritty. the to them leaving managers, his managing and egy,investors, enables theceotofocusonstrat- that structure corporate classic a it’s practice, in chairman, vice of title the executiveswith many so have to unorthodox While one page from Continued Federated Names Lundgren The first retrofitted store, a store, retrofitted first The the successful how Asked be will 2003 said Lundgren and Federated For also who Lundgren, con- ceo as appointment His befit- manner a in Speaking product atgoodvalue.” quality unique, in interested consumer, fashion-oriented the after going “We’reWal-Mart. or Kohl’s by served those as such customers,” moderate more much chasing not while tomers cus- our for value great offer we sure make to want we But bit. a up trade to opportunity Temple. Medina landmarked and stored re- the in housed It’s Chicago. downtown in unit Home dale’s Blooming- the citing added, Lundgren stores,” exciting some opened has Bloomingdale’s recently, and creative, and aspirational more be to ness, busi- its up trade to continuing is Bloomingdale’s audience. target core and focus Macy’s the beyond up step a be to is dale’s Blooming- for mission The ence. experi- different totally a have to Bloomingdale’s “Wewant program. the of part not is dale’s Blooming- Also, yet. area metro other any to program the mitted com- not has Federated Atlanta, major marketshare. lost have stores department where customers, younger tract at- to seeking is Federated gies, strate- these With cafe. cyber a and booth, games, photo a snacks, video with livened en- are shops juniors and stores, Federated the to returned have shoes Children’s concepts. shop new and discounters, of iniscent rem- are that signs larger items; on price latest the get and code bar a scan can associates sales and customers so lookup, price with equipped also are Stores online. get to jacks terminal er comput- and monitors CNN ers, oth- significant for area seating a lobby, a with complexes room fitting as such amenities, and shops technologies, new 12 have They features. future” the of “store advertise to feasible cally economi- becomes it noted, he plates currentlybeingmerged. name- two Atlanta,” in Macy’s and Rich’s like markets, specific very involves step next the sure make to going am and markets at looking am I going. keep to ready we’re and quarter fourth the in units 44 out Werolled program. the in believers strong With Macy’s, too, “There is an is With“There too, Macy’s, beyond that, said Lundgren market, entire an covering By Lundgren Terry mid structure.” pyra- classic a with ganization or- classic a created has ated Feder- sleeves. his up rolling be not should ceo A ventures. or formats new financings, tions, acquisi- in- WallStreet, vestors, the with work to Terry allows This units. business ning run- operators of group creet dis- a have They operations. run don’t they organizations most with ceo, full-entity a create to trying are you “If search. utive of exec- Associates Mines ceo Herbert Reiter, Hal served ob- role,” strategic more the into move can he so him port sup- to team ace an has Terry the business. in operators retail demanding and toughest the among ered consid- been has he sidering Federated,at tainlycon- change cer- will atmosphere the tions, opera- day-to-day the in involved longer no Zimmerman with But initiatives. strategic corporate on Lundgren with work will board, the chairing to addition in man, Zimmer- estate. real and nance fi- for responsible chairman, vice Federated a as serve to ues activities. philanthropic and affairs nal exter- audit, internal has also now who resources, human vice utive exec- formerly Cody, G. Thomas and Group, Merchandising Federated the of chairman Grove, Janet divisions; ices serv- credit and administrative financial, the and Group ems Syst- Federated the struction; that important very pany.It’s com- the for good be will change “The said, Buchanan Robert seamless transition.” a this make would that think I company,so this in grained in- deeply fairly is culture merchandising “A Stein. Jeffrey analyst Investments McDonald said side,” merchandising the on leadership their extend or maintain will they that believe to reason every “There’s time. some for foreseen been had it though Tuesday,even Street Wall from thumbs-up general a — With contributions from “With the five vice chairmen, vice five “Withthe contin- W. Tysoe Ronald Also, analyst Sons & Edwards A.G. got appointment Lundgren’s store design and con- and design store includes which tions, opera- and logistics ated Feder- of chairman Cole, Tom her; to reporting Rich’s- — /Lazarus/Goldsmith’s and Bon Marche The Burdines, regionals and Bloom- ingdale’s, West, Macy’s East, Macy’s — sions divi- the all has now who stores, department gional re- for president group formerly Kronick, Susan newly are: They ones. named four cluding in- chairmen, vice five be will structure porate cor- new the under gren thinking.” novel and new with pany com- the reinvigorate to is faces Terry that lenge chal- chief the chart, tion any organiza- the on change Beyond the years. over back them held has that bind tional conven- the of out break Co. May and Federated Reporting to Lund- to Reporting president/legal and president/legal Evan Clark to $1.99from$1.98ayearago. profits share diluted a cent 1 up nudged Federated’s costs, consolidation and closing store as well as charges restructuring and impairment asset Without ago. year a $1.55, or million, $310 from share, diluted a $1.78 with comparable million, $341 to percent 10 climbed ations charges. restructuring and unit Fingerhut the of posal dis- the from losses by pressed de- was that result a $2.23, or million, $447 of losses ago year- with compared This share. diluted a cents $1.78 or lion, mil- $341 to rose 1 Feb. ended the companysaid. year, this by come to harder be to going are though, area, that in way ofexpensecontrols.Savings by them, without modestly and items special with dramatically earnings, its improve to able Federatedwas run-up, enue line remainsthesame. top shrinking its of problem the but Lundgren, Terry in captain new a have may Inc. Stores ment — YORK NEW By Evan Clark Federated Turns Profit Sluggish Sales Aside, more difficult as well, as selling, as well, as difficult more likely bedowninthe firsthalf. will and year’s, last with equal roughly be to slated are 2003 in margins gross assumptions, sales the Given ago. year a with par on to percent 1.5 down from ranging year the for projections comp with 2003, in challenging pense control.” ex- and management inventory generation, flow cash including performance of aspects all in results good with sales pointing “disap- by defined were year and quarter the both said call, conference a on Hoguet, Karen 15.9 percentin2001. versus mix, its of percent 16.4 to year last rose penetration label private Accordingly,its tition. compe- the to relative sortments as- its in differentiation creased in- through momentum sales sales fell3.9percent. Comparable-store ago. year a billion $5.13 from billion $5.02 to percent 2.2 slid others, among Macy’s, and Bloomingdale’s of dividend toitsshareholders. a out paying of possibility the coming in examine Federatedwill months, that, news was stock the Helping Exchange. YorkStock New the on $25.54 at Tuesday close to percent, 2.9 or cents, 72 up firm the of shares drove Investors $2.05. to $1.95 of range projected its of end low the at be would share per ings earn- its said Federated month, Last share. a $1.95 of estimate Wallof ahead consensus Street’s “ cut expenses. They’ve trimmed the fat. story. They’ve done about all they can to dutd rft cm in came profits Adjusted oper- continuing from Income quarter the for income Net rev- a of absence the Despite Expense control will become will control Expense remain to expected are Sales officer financial Chief some gain to tried Federated parent the for sales Overall This is first and foremost a top-line FederatedDepart- — Jeffrey Stein, McDonald Investments in 2001.Compswere off3percent. billion $15.65 from billion $15.44 to percent 1.4 slid Sales 2001. in $3.11 from year the for $3.41 to rose items extraordinary before and operations continuing from year.EPS previous the during $1.38, or million, $276 of loss a from share, diluted a $4.12 or lion, mil- $818 to ascended income net drive theearnings.” to line top the drive to need They muscle. into cutting they’re more any trim they If fat. the trimmed They’ve expenses. cut to can story.they all about done They’ve top-line a foremost and first is “This noted, Stein Jeffrey lyst our thinkingrightnow.” of part major a not really “It’s said. she there,” out portunities op- of lot a see don’t I view, of partment storeplayer. de- another acquire could firm the theory, in and, quisitions ac- in is strengths Federated’s of one that note did cfo the stalled, and resurfaced recently have merger Co. Stores ment Federated-MayDepart- a of been receivedfavorably. also have stores the in carts Shopping said. she signage, ing” “way-find- the and rooms ting fit- updated the to was ployees em- store and customers from response best the program, the changes byregion. the out roll to plans generally Federated that and year this “reinvented” be would stores Atlanta 19 to 18 firm’s the said Hoguet stores. firm’s the dates up- which program, the in part took year last stores 40 than More program. the under cepts con- new of testing the as well as initiatives, “reinvent” firm’s the of rollout further the for earmarked been has million $100 Approximately stores. new 12 with percent 1.6 by footage square net its crease in January. forecast retailer the range $3.20 to $3 the of ahead cents 5 is This costs. closing store cluding in- $3.25, and $3.05 between to year the for estimation EPS its store sales.” comp- accelerating on foremost and first focusing are we point this at but productivity, crease in- and expense reduce to ways additional find to though, trying, still Weare proceeding. from us prevented has This savings. expense the of benefit the of all up eat quickly could risk sales the but ideas, reduction pense ex- aggressive some sidered Wedifficult. con- more have ting get- is “It expecting. was Street Wall what not was perhaps this acknowledged Hoguet year. this percent 2.5 to 2 increase to projected are dollars, in penses, ex- administrative and general For the 12 months, reported months, 12 the For ana- Investments McDonald point practical more “Froma rumors perennial the While in part taking stores the In year,This Federatedin- will However,upped Federated ” WWD Section II DENIM IN DEPTH

blue planet AmericansAmericans spendspend about one-fifth of their average clothing budgets on jeans and other denim garments. Jeans were invented in the U.S., and today the category is as diverse and democratic as the nation as a whole: They retail from under $20 a pair to well over $200 and can be found everywhere from construction sites to the catwalk. Designers spend uncounted hours every year trying to come up with new variations on this simple garment — that’s a must, since jeans take a long time to wear out and few companies can survive on a replenishment business. Inside, WWD profiles the breadth of the category and plumbs its depths.

By Demand, the Next In-Depth Category Report.

Casual In Depth Section II: March 19 Close: March 4

If you’re a player in the casual market, you’ll want to be part of this important issue. An opportunity to showcase your brand among category leaders and to reach the retail decision makers.

A pure cross-marketing vehicle – the definitive WWD breakdown of the casual market across sportswear categories including moderate, better, dresses, active, junior, denim and contemporary.

For more information, contact Ralph Erardy, SVP Group Publisher at 212/630-4589, or your WWD sales representatives. WWDMediaWorldwide® 18 WWD West On and Off the Strip LAS VEGAS — The MAGIC package was the biggest

PHOTOS BY DONATO SARDELLA DONATO BY PHOTOS showcase but not the only game in town. Here are reports from several other trade shows that ran concurrently.

POOL Specialist Show to join the ranks of The Pool show, held at the Alexis about 12,000 buyers in search of brand-

WWD, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2003 WWD, WEDNESDAY, Park Hotel for the second year, is still ed goods priced below market. The running strong on the buzz it created precarious state of the economy is among buyers last August. This time, making off-price goods more attractive the show opened a day before WWD- to traditional retailers, according to MAGIC and drew approximately 800 show participants. buyers from such trendsetting stores as Spooked by increased risk of terror- Fred Segal in Los Angeles, Rolo in San ism, foreign attendance declined and At WWDMAGIC: Musi Furs chocolate sheared beaver jacket, By Cesar cable knit sweater, Z. Francisco, Canal Jean Co. in New York, kept buyer attendance levels at 2 per- Cavaricci parachute pants; striated denim from Guess; Jessie USA black distressed leather jacket as well as several boutiques in Japan. cent over last August, when the show and tank, Marithé & François Girbaud trooper pants; Hot Kiss gabardine pinstriped athleisure suit. Swelling from 75 vendors last first moved to the Sands Expo & August to 120, the show maintained its Convention Center. clubby downtown vibe with mid-centu- As usual, Ross Stores, Burlington ry furniture, a loud DJ — and a full Coat Factory, Big Lots, TJX Companies, bar. “This is the place to be,” said Factory 2-U Stores, Foreman Mills, One Giovanna Decapua, a buyer for the Price & More, Costco and Wal-Mart rou- Canadian chain Dex, which carries tinely came to peruse 350 exhibitors oc- Fornarina, Paul Frank and Blue Cult. cupying 380,000 square feet of space. The curated streetwear-focused But newcomers, including Hot show, organized by Los Angeles inde- Topic, Gadzooks and some smaller pendent rep Ronda Walker, featured a stores “are taking us over the top,” said Enclave was a new exhibitor group within The Edge area at WWDMAGIC. handful of women’s lines including Bill Jage, founder and chairman of the Elena La Bua, Buddhist Punk, Leroy’s Off-Price Specialist Center, the show’s Girl, Vitamin T, Scribe, Nisa, Gentle producer. Fawn, Cybelle, Evil Genius and Geek Toni Lacy, owner of Los Angeles- On the March Boutique. There were plenty of based Low & Sweet, called this the best cropped pants, utilitarian jackets, show in six years, noting an influx of Continued from page 5 screen prints and vintage trims. small stores from the Midwest buying Aside from established women’s lines at Guess and Lucky Brand Dungarees, shows Neely Shearer of Xin boutique in larger quantities of denim, embellished within shows provided buyers another reason to come to town. This year, The Edge Los Angeles, attending her third Pool tops and track suits. portion of MAGIC was held in the LVCC’s North Hall, but the extra distance didn’t show, said she picked up five new lines For Nicole King, owner of Somma dissuade buyers. As usual, the 120 vendors represented a more indie, alternative side including Harteau Skid Row, by Los This & Somma That in Alamo, Tenn., of fashion, with accessories and clothing booths sharing equal space on the floor. Angeles artist Harteau, and Nikao, by a off-price buys are a way to give her Madeline Yang of Red Dress Shoppe in Pasadena, Calif., said she counted on finding group of San Diego artist-designers. customers rapper Jay-Z’s Rocawear different items here, among them military looks with a bondage slant from Lip She also re-ordered the kitschy line and other brand names at prices Service, Tripp NYC and Serious, as well as Forties- and Fifties-style dresses from Canadian line Some Products. “The she and they can afford. “I try to keep Dixiefried and Stop Staring. “It’s my secret place to find edgy, good ideas,” she said. show is very specific. I know going in the store stocked with what they New venture Enclave cut another alternative swath in the center of The Edge. Set that I’m going to find real streetwear. want,” she said. up along the perimeter of the show’s DJ Lounge, show producer Jed Wexler assem- Some of it is too street for us, but there Even eBay solicited partners. bled about 20 small design firms whose reps said they were attracted to the smaller, are some great items we mix in.” “We’re seeing a disproportionate “affordable” wooden booths that still meant access to The Edge’s buyer traffic. Many buyers were still ordering growth on the part of the liquidators Seventies camp-style T-shirts from Venice, Calif.-based Root Troop, illustrated T- summer items, though most vendors versus what we’ve seen in the past,” shirts by London company Suzy P and yoga pants and tops in hemp and cotton blends also carried fall pieces. “I always cut said Lorna Borenstein, vice president from Natural High Lifestyle in Los Angeles were among the offerings. Buyers, a fair extra immediates because I realize that and general manager of eBay Inc., in number from Japan, responded favorably to Enclave and turned out in force when with the economy not so good there are San Jose, Calif. “They are sitting on hip-hop rap artist Blackalicious held a concert on Wednesday. “A lot of [MAGIC] is more gaps in retail,” said Leroy’s Girl gems. If it’s branded and in top- quality mass and this has a more creative and artistic vibe,” said Morgana Lasco, owner of designer Chi Kim. Walker said that the condition, they’ll be able to move that Hollywood-based online retailer Dirty Mos, who planned to jump on young designers nature of the show is multiseasonal, as on eBay.” that don’t typically mass-produce lines. Lasco’s one regret: “We thought it was going many buyers come from overseas and This year, the show has slated an ad- to be a lot bigger,” she said. the Southern hemisphere, where sea- ditional Las Vegas run on May 13-15 at The Sourcing Zone, a section of roughly 200 offshore sourcing companies looking sons are reversed. the Mandalay Bay Convention Center to to hook up with product development departments of large department stores and Pool will reconvene in Las Vegas coincide with the WomensWear in other makers, quietly launched at the show. during the August edition of MAGIC, Nevada show. “Our retail relations department has noticed a significant increase in the number when it also will take over Alexis Park’s — Kristin Young of private labels carried by retailers across the country,” said a MAGIC spokesman. second convention hall to host its first Jed Arboleda repped 24 Philippines-based firms under one booth and promised shoe show. ASAP every type of production, from high fashion to mass. — Marcy Medina A brave new trade world in 2005 was “Nobody can beat the prices in China but they have problems with their quality,” he said. the top concern at the ASAP Global David King, a buyer for Top Drawers Apparel Inc., a retailer in Vancouver B.C., came OFF-PRICE SPECIALIST SHOW Sourcing Show last week at the Las looking to produce private label athletic goods to boost his bottom line. “You can make Small specialty stores at WWDMAG- Vegas Hilton Convention Center. That’s a little bit better markup,” he said. MAGIC will formally launch The Sourcing Zone in IC are increasingly taking the short when the World Trade Organization’s August with a more aggressive marketing campaign, according to the spokesman. walk downstairs to the Off-Price Continued on page 23 — With contributions from Marcy Medina

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Intimate Tailored FLATOTEL Cosmopolitan LIVE LARGE. 135 West 52nd Street / 212-887-9400 / 1-800-FLATOTEL / www.flatotel.com 19 WWD, WEDNESDAY,WWD, 2003 26, FEBRUARY

SALES MANAGEMENT SENIOR DESIGNER Fashion Textile Designer SKAGEN DESIGNS Ltd. Lake Tahoe London Fog Industries is the leading designer, market- Samsung Caravel, leading fashion textile company is look- We are expanding our sales force to add a position in our er and distributor of quality outerwear and rainwear. ing for an in-house designer/artist for its Los Angeles Studio. corporate office in Reno, Nevada. We will be hiring a sales We proudly represent London Fog, Pacific Trail, Black This position will be responsible for creating new designs driven professional who has a proven track record of manag- Dot, Dockers, Moonstone and Roffe outerwear and re- using hand-painting skills or CAD. Qualified candidate ing major retail programs in territories or nationally. The posi- lated products to meet dress, casual, social and techni- should have at least 7 to 10 years of fashion textile novelty tion may involve up to 50% travel. cal outerwear needs. We are currently seeking a Se- design experience, highly creative skills, good interpretation Account Executive nior Designer to drive the creative direction and vision Must have excellent sales and retail management experience of trends and colors, excellent knowledge about fabrics, working with major department store buyers , regional account of our children’s line. A passion for children’s style, print methods and enjoy working in a fast-paced teamwork sales reps and merchandisers. Please either fax or e-mail your commitment to excellence and desire to make a differ- environment. Competitive compensation and excellent bene- resume to: 775-850-5533 or [email protected] ence are critical to success in this position. Our offices fits. Interested caliber should please send resume to: You may visit our website at www.skagen.com sit on Lake Union in downtown Seattle, offering stellar [email protected] or views of the lake, sailboats and seaplanes. Seattle is a fax to (562) 921-6384. diverse city, with the benefits of big city living and the great outdoors. Our requirements include a Bachelor’s degree in Apparel Design, min. 5 years designer exp., Looking for knowledge of pattern making and garment construc- Sales Pro! tion. Prefer prior experience designing a children’s BigHeart, a Yoga accessories outerwear. We offer excellent salary and benefits in a TREND MERCHANDISER/ company with a patented, cutting- An international luxury com- creative and dynamic work environment. PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT edge yoga mat carrier, is looking munications company has an for salespeople in LA to capitalize exciting opportunity where you can make a difference! Send resume immediately to: [email protected] on press hits in Vogue, Shape, We are currently seeking a re: Senior Designer. For more info please visit our Established hot fashion cosmetic/handbags mfr Fitness, etc. professional West Coast, website at www.londonfog.com/lfi. We are AA/EEO seeks creative to develop product lines. Knowl- We provide employer committed to workplace diversity. Wholesale Account edge in trend, concept, design, samplemaking the leads and support, Executive and merchandising. Full time only, Los Angeles you provide established contacts at specialty Must have luxury goods experi- area. stores or yoga/fitness studios. ence & a wholesale background. Email resume to: Must be willing to travel. We Send resume to: are an innovative company offer- [email protected] [email protected] or ing an excellent benefits pack- ASSISTANT DESIGNER fax 201-222-7883 age & much more! Momentum Textiles, Inc. Please fax resumes to: seeks FT, organized, creative 818-876-3285 or email person to assist with cutting & [email protected] labeling fabric samples & organizing ACCOUNT REP Must use reference code: WWDWC paperwork for special projects. Est. NYC based ladies apparel company seeking rep to Check out our website at TOP DOLLAR travel the No Cal territory. www.memosamples.com for Duties include: Assisting more info. FOR RETURNS,IR’S store buyers & mgrs Send resumes attn: HR OR CLOSEOUT w/merchandising the line. 17801 Fitch St., Irvine, CA 92614 APPAREL Reviewing regional buys & SALESPERSON Fax: 949-833-0497 making appropriate recom- Hot Jr Contemporary Email: [email protected] WALT ADAMS INC. SALES ANONAME JEANS mendations for increasing EOE M/F/V/H In-house SALES full-time. sell-through. Residence in Established hot jr contemporary 800-996-4469 Better contemporary mfr the San Fran area is req. mfr in L.A. seeks in-house seeks sales reps with Skills: aggressive, strong comm salesperson with strong contacts & follow-up. Base sal. + comm. 5+ yrs exp a MUST. Only showrooms in LA & NY. qualified candidates will be with major chain stores. Salary Email resume: Email resume w/ sal reqs: considered. Please fax re- + comm. Please fax resume to: [email protected] [email protected] sume to (212) 736-9171. (213) 746-6993 20

ALLSTAR TKG & WAREHOUSE Import/Export, Dist., GOH & Cartons U.S. Customs Duty Free Whse. NY,NJ,LI 718-945-3500 ALLSTARTKG.com Closeouts Wanted COMPUTER PATTERNS WE BUY CLOSEOUTS OF GENERAL GerberPDS2000, pattern, sample & MERCHANDISE FOR OUR STORES production. Call 212-594-3595

WWD, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2003 WWD, WEDNESDAY, AND ALSO STORE INVENTORIES. IMMEDIATE PAYMENTS 212-564-3606 WEBERS FASHION TRAINING FAX: 212-564-3236 **Photoshop 7.0 & Illustrator 10.0** 36 hrs Pkg/ Flats, Prints, Colorways *Train Asst Designer & Prod’n Asst* 10 Classes/ Up to 45K/ Intern avail T: 212-268-7291 / 212-374-0642 Ms. Lee Pattern & Sample Mkg. CLOSE OUTS U.S. OR EXPORTS All Lines, Any Style, High Quality We buy men’s, women’s & children’s Savi’s (973) 680-9040 apparel. Large quantities wanted. Peter 212-997-7444 [email protected] PATTERN/SAMPLES Reliable. High quality. Low cost.Fast work. Small/lg prod. 212-629-4808 PATTERNS, SAMPLES, 25 Gr Black maraboa, special stock PRODUCTIONS price, $0.77/yd., while stock lasts. Other colors in stock, $0.99/yd. Order All lines,Any styles. Fine Fast Service. Call Sherry 212-719-0622. Base, $0.89/yd. Call 213-486-0044 *ALL Off-Price* PATTERNS/SAMPLES Rib-Lycra-Jersey-Fleece PRODUCTION Three by Three 201-861-0033 Specializing in small productions. Sam- ples, duplicates, patterns. Full service SUPPLEX*SUPPLEX shop to the trade. Fine fast work. Largest Supplier of IN-STOCK Woven 212-869-2699 Supplex Fabrics. Prints & Solids. Domestic/Export www.fabrics.com Shipping & Receiving Facility Venture Textiles 1-800-4-SUPPLEX N.Y.C. Midtown location. Monitoring distribution, allocation, pick-pack and TYE DYE shipping. 212-279-7268 Made to order on all knits + corduroy Drake Fabrics. 718-389-8902 Design/Merchandising Vice-President Kellwood Company, a global marketer & mfg of women’s Are you interested in a profitable fashions, currently has a new position open due to expanding Cash For Retail Stock & Closeouts. domestic men’s division for your co? growth in the Kellwood New England division. No Lot Too Big or Too Small. Selling specialty stores. 700,000 Call CLOTHES-OUT: backlog orders. Turnkey operation. This VP of Design/Merchandising will head up one of our (937) 898-2975 Call 201-664-1670 divisions in the Boston area. We are seeking an experienced, PARTNERSHIP highly motivated Head Designer and Merchandiser to lead a Est missy contemporary mfr strong in team of designers. Initiate the design strategy; generate new design & prod seeks motivated indiv or co. to expand sales. Investment or partner- product concepts & seasonal trend proposals on styling, ship opportunity avail to right person. color, fabrics & trim. Strong merchandising and planning Pls call 213-489-1801 skills required. Woven & knit experience a must. Should have 8-10 years of experience with complete knowledge of fabrics with great sense of trend & color. Please submit resume and salary requirements to: Fax: 508-513-2061 Product Manager Email: [email protected]. Manage all aspects of import programs. 315 Fifth Ave. Excellentcommunications& follow-up EOE/M/F/D/V with overseas. 718-981-8091 FASHION SHOWROOMS 1,500 - 4,950 sq. ft. Pre-built & built-to-suit WANTED: GABRIEL BROTHERS INC., a fast growing, units available RASKIN EXECUTIVE SEARCH profitable, off-priced retailer, is looking for self starting, Dean Matus Apparel/Accessory/Textile Specialists Buyers and Assistant Buyers with a minimum of five years Ileen Raskin 212-213-6381 212-672-2012 Nancy Bottali,Accessory 212-213-6386 of buying experience (or two years Assistant buyers experience) Ed Kret, Textiles/Apparel 212-213-6384 in Men’s, Women’s, Children’s, Accessories, Shoes, or Domestic/ 225 W. 35 ST Fax: 212-949-6146 525 7th Avenue OFFICE/SHOWROOM www.raskinexecsearch.com Gifts, PLUS strong negotiation, analytical, written, verbal, and Two beautifully appointed showrooms 2785/4100/7800 SF decision-making skills. Off-price buying or similar experience with back space. Sub-lease, new lease, VERY MOTIVATED TO RENT a must! Salary commensurate with experience. Fax resumes or possibly renthalf space. Total 3,750 Divisible, Immediate Possession sq. ft. Please call: 212-869-0888 New wndws, Fully A/C. 24/7 Access and salary history in confidence to (425) 952-7263, Attn. B.Forman, Winoker Rlty,212-519-2015 RESUMES FASHION INDUSTRY SPECIALISTS Jobs, or E-mail to: [email protected] Prime Midtown Bldg Free Evaluation - Lifetime Updates Private, low prices, furnished offices & GILBERT CAREER RESUMES Millennium Realty Group space. 500 - 700 & 1000 Sq Ft available. 275 Madison Ave NYC 10016 1350 Broadway. 3 spaces available! Call 212-221-7525 Ext 106 (800)967-3846 amex/mc/visa 639, 1368 and 2554 square feet. fashionresumes.com Beautiful installation for showroom SUBLET fashioncareercenter.com and office. Submit all offers. 500 sq. ft. Bright/ sunny. Great space. Call Evan Lieberman 212-819-9090 x 19 Midtown NYC. Please call 212-944-9381 Assistant Designer Assistant Technical RESUMES THAT WORK! SINCE 1970 We are a leading importco. specializin g Updating/Phone Interviews in knitwear for Juniors, Plus & Children Designer PROFESSIONAL RESUMES, INC. with immediate opening for an Asst. Leading Junior & Plus importer has 1407 BROADWAY 60 E 42nd Street, NYC 10165 Designer. Candidate must possess a immediate opening for an Assistant SHOWROOMS/OFFICES (212)697-1282/(800)221-4425 minimum 2 years experience, have Technical Designer. Candidate must TREBOR MGMT www.resumesforfashion.com worked with Illustrator & Photoshop. have min. 2-3 yrs. exp. in Technical Steven Lambert 212-944-6094 Individual must be multi-task oriented, Design. Knowledge of patternmaking, demonstrate great organizational skills, garment construction, specs, grading possess high energy level & love fash- & writing fit comments. Strong ability 226 W. 37th SIMPSON ion! Fax resume, attn. VP Design at: to communicate with overseas offices. 5600 SqFt (212) 719-4903 Detail oriented with ability to thrive in Computerized ASSOCIATES a team environment & computer literate GREAT LIGHT * FULL FLOORS N.Y.C. Contractor EXECUTIVE SEARCH A MUST. Please fax resume to: IDEAL FOR SHWRM/OFC/DESIGN Cutting - Grading - Marking 212-767-0006 Fax: 212-767-0660 VP Design - (212) 719-4903 FASHION CORE BERNSTEIN R Specializing in skirts, pants & jackets. www.simpsonassociates.com Richard Price 594-1414 Ex265 By EXACTA - G.T.O. Ent. Inc. Cut, make & trim; Fine quality; Com- Over 100,000 sq. ft. facility & 900 yards petitive pricing and finance available. ASSISTANT of cutting tables; 4 Gerber Computer Please contact Bobby at: Associate Designer Entry level to work in NJ, able to FOR LEASE cutters - Choice of Gerber Lectra or 917-757-0976 or 212-966-1169 Polygon grading marking. Fusing, communicate w/ patternmakers & Jacques Moret, Inc., a major apparel 342 WEST 9th STREET sample tailors. Knowledge of garment company is seeking an Associate Approx. 1,500+ sq. ft. at the corner of Warehousing, Fabric inventory, Die cut- Designer with a minimum of 5 years ting. Over 33 years in business. Expert Very capable manufacturer available construction, Word and Excel a must. 9th & Olive St. For info, please call for quick turn around USA production. Strong personality, ambitious and experience in Activewear & Lifestyle Laura @ (310) 550-8806 807 container loadng Excellent reputa- apparel to work on a major Women’ tion & quality. Contact Ory or Gary at: Currently, manufacturing high quality organized - other duties include data s women’s apparel. Lectra Software licensed/private label retail account. or entry, scheduling and e-mail. GARMENT CENTER REAL ESTATE 973-259-0104 917-374-2400 compatible. Call (229) 762-3535 or Responsibilities will include: design Fax: 973-259-0107 Fax Melissa at (201) 440-8036 For ALL office & loft SPACES [email protected], www.vic-usa.com development, board presentations, 500-20,000 SQ.FT communication w/overseas agents, Under Market Sublets - NO FEE! COTTON, RAYON, NYLON, SILK, marketresearch, color development, CASHMERE! Fine Gauge sweaters! fittings, drawing skills & knowledge of 212-947-5500 Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Kohl’s, Admin Immed Paul, Mike, Larry, Don, Jerry or Elliot Jones approved Mfr. in China. E-mail QA $100K garment construction, fabrics & trim. for more info: [email protected] Candidate must have BA/BS degree in Showrooms & Lofts - Assistant Manager fashion design & computer skills in Designer/Sweaters $75K Mac Illustrator & Photoshop. We offer BWAY 7TH AVE SIDE STREETS - Sales Associate a unique environmentwith Great ’New’ Office Space Avail Cut/Sew/Ship Sales Asst $40K Abusive Chargebacks Madison Avenue luxury retailer is competitive salaries & comprehensive ADAMS & CO. 212-679-5500 Small or big lots. We do markers and Driving you out of business? Costing $35K benefits. Send resume with salary samples too. Call 973-266-0901 seeking self-motivated Sales Associate www.abusivechargebacks.com and Assistant Manager with 3-5 yrs. history to: Jacques Moret, Inc. 1411 W 38th St 13,000Ft DIV. $18 Deal Rod Harmon, Attorney 425.402.7800 Tech Asst $35K luxury, RTW, accessories or cosmetics Broadway-Dept.AD2 - 8th Floor or Show - Ship - Manufacture ELASTIC SMOCKING AITF TRUCKING Retail Link $30K experience. Mustbe passionateabout Email to: [email protected] 700-5000’ New Pre Builts Permanent Pleating, Ruffling Warehouse & Distribution Ctr. NY/NJ/LI providing exceptional customer service We will only contact those candidates Prime Manhattan Scott 212-268-8043 Vol Production/Competitive Pricing in 24 hrs. Local delivery, pick & pack, etc. Asst $25K and be able to build a clientele. for further consideration. Equal Search- www.manhattanoffices.com Automatic Trimming (212) 629-8388 800-451-8625 or www.aitftrucking.com [email protected] Please fax resume to (212) 350-9926 Opportunity Employer M/F 21 WWD, WEDNESDAY,WWD, 2003 26, FEBRUARY

STYLIST/DESIGNER For a Montreal, Quebec, Canadian mfr. of eveningwear, dresses and separates to retail at $200-$300. Company makes updated trendy and young misses clothes. We will only consider professional candidates with a successful track record with one company for a minimum of 5 years. We are looking for people who live in NY or work out of NY. Position requires someone willing to travel back and forth to Montreal for 3 days with balance of the week in NY. Further details upon interview. Salary and bonus structure in excess of $200,000. All replies will be treated in strictest of confidence. Please send resume to Box # 1034 7 West 34th Street, New York, NY 10001 GROMWELL GROUP PACO SPORT CAREER OPPORTUNITIES: *ACCT EXECS...... $65-150K Accts. Receivable/ (Mens, Womens & Childrens) *DESIGNER/MERCHANDISER$100K Credit Manager ASSISTANT DESIGNER (Junior Experience Necessary) Mid-town garment Co. is seeking a *RETAIL ANALYST/PLANNER....$50-80K highly motivated & exp’d indiv. to Leading woven importer of Jr./ *PRODUCTION MGR...... $80K manage the Co.’s credit dept. Candi- Missy sportswear seeks Assistant (Womens Sweaters) date must have a min. of 3 yrs. exp. Designer with 1-3 years experience *CAD DESIGNERS...... $35-70K with Accts. Receivable bookkeeping, (Exp with NEDGRAPHICS or U4IA*) creditchecking, factoring& charge in fabric and trim approvals as *DESIGN ASSOCIATES...... $45-55K back analysis & collections with all well as written communication (Junior Inspired also Denim and YM) major dept. stores. Indiv. must possess *PRODUCTION...... $50-80K strong organizational & communication with overseas factories. Individual (Bilingual Chinese) skills. Qualified applicants, please fax must be very detail oriented and *DESIGNER ...... $60-80K resume attn. Tony at: (212) 575-4899 self-motivated. A knowledge of (Mens Sweaters) *TECHNICAL DESIGNERS.... $35-80K Photoshop/Illustrator is preferred (New York City or New Jersey) PATMKR MENS WEAR $60-75K & private label experience helpful. Please call 212-972-9300 or e-mail: PDS Gerber Silhoutte 2000 [email protected] [email protected] Call 212-947-3400 Please fax resume to (212) 382-1469 attn: Heidi Import/Logistics Coord Musthave 2+ yrs experience in fashion industry, import/export, ocean shipping & customs. Must be detail-oriented & Designer Associate to $60K Current FASHION CAREERS fluent in Chinese and English. CAD DESIGNER exp. in infant/toddler. Career oppt’y to SALES ASST...... 35-40K Fax resume & cover letter to: PATTERNMAKERS Fastpaced missy sportswearcompany be designer immed. MAC proficient. 212-564-2996 attn: Calvin/Michelle seeks CAD designer w/atleast3 yrs. 110 W 34th st. Call 973-564-91236 Agcy MERCHANDISERS(Visual)...... 35-80K FREELANCE & P/T experience. Mustbe organized team ACCT EXECS...... 70-85K Leading childrenswear mfr searching player. Strong print yarn, yarn dye and BUYER(Sportswear)...... 125-150K JOBS JOBS JOBS for Freelance and P/T Patternmakers. Designer Asst. $40-55K. Min. 2 yrs. DESIGNER(boys, yng mens)...... 30-45K *Artists: Boys or Girls or Missy or Mens embroidery recoloring. Work w/team of exp. Strong in lab dips. Kidswear Co. Must be able to do first pattern 5 designers. Flats, Board Layouts. *CAD Designers-Primavision or Ned Graphics through production & have children’s preferred, not nec. Knowledge construc- "ON THE MARKS" *Designers Jrs: 1)C/S Knit 2)Sweaters Skills proficientin Windows XP, tion of garments. Call 973-564-9236 agcy. knits & wovens experience. GRAPHIC ARTIST Photoshop 6, Illustrator 10, Color Other oppty’s, both temp & perm *Designers - Assists - Assoc - Boy or Girl Email resume: [email protected] or Matters. Fax resume attn: Susan Call 212-986-7329 or Fax 212-986-7708 *Fit Technician fax: 212-643-2826. No calls please. EOE. Talented, versatile artist with excel- 212- *Production: Mgrs - Coords - Assists lent drawing skills, able to design 730-0913 DESIGNER *Prod’n Sourcing Coords-bilingual Chinese Graphic screens, logos, presentation Bridge Knitwear brand seeking exp’d *Receptionist PRINT ARTIST boards, floor plans. Experienced on C.O.O novelty sweater designer in New York. FASHION DESIGN *Technical Designers & Spec Techs Min 10 yrs exp in knitwear. Creative Est’d updated dress co. searching for a MAC Computer using Freehand, Fast growing garment concern needs Call (212) 643-8090; fax 643-8127 (agcy) Photoshop, Illustrator. & strong sweater tech. background & MERCHANDISING Print Artist. Must paint - gouache & Chief Operating Officer to head up req’d. Email resume & salary history dyes. Repeats, pitch colorways, follow Fax resume to: 646-383-8294 Operations and IT area. Strong IT Attn:Saryon to: [email protected] INSTRUCTORS WANTED! -up on strike-offs. Communicate with skills required. Good knowledge of Knitwear Product Orient. Must have exp working with overseas manufacturing. Must have The Katharine Gibbs School in DESIGNER - Fashion: Design men’ Assistant manufacturer. Benefits. RETAIL PLANNER good people and communication skills. s midtown Manhattan seeks individuals Fax resume: 212-944-6835 Excellent salary and bonus. For further sportswear, analyze & predict product with industry experience as Adjunct In- High-end women’s apparel group Looking for several planners at differ- seeks a knowledgeable, organized ent levels of exp. Job interfaces with info, please email resume in strict trends. Must create specification sheets, structors for our Fashion Design & confidence to: [email protected] conduct fittings and modify designs, Merchandising A.A.S. Degree Program. team player with 1-2 years of experi- PRODUCT DEVELOPERS $$OPEN our retail clients to plan and analyze ence to handle tracking sheets, review their businesses. Ideal candidates will approve samples, source fabrics and Candidates must have experience in Very hot, growing sports apparel/ communicate with overseas factories. one or more of the following: lab dips, organize samples and general accessory co. has several openings for have exp doing bttm-up planning COUTURE - SEWING administrative work. PC, scanner and and strong grasp of gmroii factors. Proficiency in Adobe Illustrator, CAD patternmaking, draping, construction, qualified ProductDevelopers. Exp NYC custom couture house seeks an software and technical flat sketching textiles, design sketching/development, digital camera skills. Good starting sal- with sports fashion items a must. Exc Proficiency in Excel is a MUST. Salary experienced Seamstress/Tailor who has ary ($30K) & benefits. Please FAX is commensurate w/ exp. required. Req. Bachelor’s degree or fashion presentation board design/ benefits/bonus pkg. Relo Baltimore. worked w/high quality fabrics/garments. equivalentin fashion and 2 years expe- development and history of costume your confidential resume to: 212-957- Email: [email protected] Fax resume to: 646-383-8285 Emphasis on evening wear & gowns. 9553. Equal Opportunity Employer. Attn:Lori rience. Send cover letter/resume to design. In addition, experience in Fax: 609-448-8248 Tel: 212-869-2296 / Fax: 212-869-2236 Pelle Pelle Inc., 330 West 38th Street, Photoshop, Illustrator, Quark, Excel, Suite1001, NY, NY 10018 attn: Gary and Gerber: PSO/PDM is preferred for CUTTER WANTED McDonald related disciplines. Candidates must Licensed Esthetician Product Development ASSOCIATE DESIGNER We are seeking an individual who will have atleasta 4-year degree in related Musthave floor selling experience and Moderate sportswear co. seeks high Major Childrenswear company seeks be responsible for cutting all first Designer/Freelance area with excellent verbal and own clientlisttowork atworld energy designer with product individual with great taste level and samples and calculating the yields presentation skills. Day and evening renowned spa on Madison Avenue. developmentexperience. Applicant knowledge of Illustrator/Photoshop, to accurately for costing purposes. Kids-Girls positions are available. Please call 212-659-5314 should be thoroughly familiar with design infant/toddler girls. Individual Please send all resumes with salary Fax resumes to: (212) 937-6034. EOE. importpackages, importedfabrics and should be extremely creative. Milena Nicole & friends a new requirements to Kimberly Lee at childrenswear co, seeks experienced mills, and well traveled. You will be Minimum 2 -3 years experience in 212-764-6646 KATHARINE GIBBS SCHOOL developing diversified productand childrens. Exc. Salary & Benefits package. woven & knitwear designer to work with sales. Must have proven experi- THE SCHOOL OF CHOICE Menswear Mfg Retail $110K should have experience with coloring Please fax resume to 212-239-2766 ence in childrenswear market. Position MERCHANDISER prints, yarndyes and embroideries. can lead to full time,. Please fax resume: [email protected] Call 212-947-3400 Travel overseas and background atthe Asst. Buyer/Administrator 212-768-0835 Attn: Design Director store level would be helpful. Must be FIT MODEL - Plus Size very computer literate. CAD helpful, Trendy fashion forward chain of 10+ Design Asst. - Apparel self motivated workaholic a plus. stores is seeking an energetic, hip indi- DESIGNER - Freelance Jones New York Intimates Merchandise Director Fax resume to : Alex 212-730-0913 vidual to assist our men’s wear buyer. Leading childrenswear co seeks a Design Asstw/ min 2 yrs exp in the Missy/Large size sportswear co. seeks Division of Madison Maidens Inc. Must have a Junior & Denim bkgrnd Must have strong computer and organi- designer for wovens & knits. Must have zational skills. Knowledgeable in young children’s apparel industry. Will assist Height: 5’7" - 5’8" Apparel Staffing, Ltd. Fax (212) 302-1161 Production Admin men’s or high-end fashion marketa the Sr. Designer & will be resp for ability to take direction, sketch, spec, Bust: 45.5" - 46" plus. Great opportunity with a growing executing designs for customer presen- recolor prints and develop embroideries. Waist: 36" - 37" Greatopptyata growing PrvtLbl. 3-5 company. Competitive compensation tations & pkgs for garment prod’n. Must be organized and detail oriented Hips: 48.5" - 49" years experience in pre-production, & benefits. Please forward resumes to: Should have exp in all phases of line and be able to follow-up with overseas MERCHANDISER $150K++ costing, order processing, scheduling, office. Please Fax or E-mail resume to: Prior experience preferred, butnot dvlpmtw/ an understandingof color, Better Missy, Knits & Sweaters shipping & receiving. Fax: 212-302-3666 Box#M 1035 212-354-9863 / [email protected] required. Stead work on freelance basis, c/o Fairchild Publications fabric & trim details. Must be organized, approx. 1-2 hours weekly. Email specs, FASHION NETWORK 201-503-1060/Fax 1070 7 West 34th Street, 4th Fl detail-oriented, computer literate & contact info to: [email protected], with Subject New York, NY 10001 familiar w/ line development. Designers Immed Header: Fit Model - Plus Size PRODUCTION ARTIST Please email your resume to: ALL LEVELS Leading Children’s Apparel Importer [email protected] or fax: (212) 643-2826. $35 TO $100K MERCHANDISER seeks Production Artist. Responsibili- ASST DESIGNERS (2) $33-45K [email protected] (1) Woven Tops (2) Sweaters No phone calls. EOE. Major infantwear company seeks ties include completing final design Graphic/Accessories 45K - 50K Merchandiser. Must be able to identify artfor overseas productionpackages, Photoshop 7, Illustrator, 10, Sketching Min. 2 yrs Exp. Photo/Illustrator NYC Loc. PRINT & PATTERN $40K DESIGNERS $$OPEN and forecasttrends.Minimum 3-5 and handling production approvals DESIGN DIRECTOR MUST HAVE CURRENT EXPERIENCE comments for embr, labdyes, print [email protected] Call 212-947-3400 High end Contemporary fashion Very hot, growing sports apparel/ years experience. Good salary and accessory co. has several openings for In Accessories or Jewelry, License Exp!!! benefits package. strike-offs,trims, etc. Must be house seeks design Dir. Mustbe able Fax Resume w/salary info: 914-962-2257 proficient in mac illustrator 8.0. Min. 2 BUYER to manage design dept and be highly qualified designers. Exp with sports Fax resume to 212-239-2766 fashion items a must. Exc benefits/ Or Email: [email protected] yrs experience required. We offer an organized. Must understand contempo- excellentbenefitspackage including ASSISTANT BUYER rary marketwithexperience in sam- bonus pkg. Relo Baltimore Takashimaya NY Email: [email protected] 401K. pling in the Far East. Confidentiality MERCHANDISER/SALES Fax resume & salary requirements to Fifth Ave specialty store seeks professio- will be respected. Competitive salary Fax: 609-448-8248 nal Assistant Buyer with a minimum of 2 GRAPHIC ARTIST Major apparel company seeks 212-967-8108 attn: Andrea and benefits package.Fax resume Athletic Apparel Company seeks individual with ladies/missys exp. yrs exp. in Tabletop, Home Furnishings. w/coverletter to 212-730-8214 Must be highly motivated and a team play- DESIGNER Graphic Artist who thinks out of the Must have mass merchants exp. er with great organizational and computer box with striking graphic designs. Please fax resume to 212-239-2766 DESIGNER - Assistant Women’s private label Sportswear Co. Mustbe skilled in Photoshopand Production Assistant skills. Excellent benefit pkg. seeks designer w/ 2-3 years experience. Major apparel co. seeks a detail oriented Fax resume: (212) 350-0192 Illustrator. Garment experience a must. SQUEEZE Self-starter w/good eye for translating Please fax resume to: 212-239-2766 Mandarin speaking person to work Seeking an Asst. Designer with 2-3 years concepts into sketches through final closely with Far East factories. Min. 3 experience to work with Designer in all samples. Knowledge of fabric sourcing Order Entry/Sales Asst. years experience, Highly motivated BUYER aspects of line development. Must be needed. Requires a detailed & organ- Major handbag importer seeks individual and organized. Good communication Very high volume apparel/retail Long highly motivated & have strong sketch- ized team player. Computer literacy is Graphic Immed to enter & follow-up Sales Orders with skills and follow up. Computer literate. Island megastore seeks buyer. Please ing skills. PhotoShop/Illustrator experi- a must. Please forward resumes to: ARTIST Salespersons and Customers. Must be Read & write Chinese fluently. Please call or Fax resume to Marty at: ence a plus. Please E-mail resume to: Fax: 212-414-9503 $OPEN$ familiar with EDI orders . Minimum 2 Fax or E-mail resume to Allen at: Tel: 631-420-0890 / Fax: 631-752-7785 [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] [email protected] yrs. exp. Fax resume to: 718-786-2956 212-764-9332 / [email protected] 22

Production/Design Asst Senior Apparel Designer Est’d updated dress co. seeking assistant Greatopptyat Motionwear, a market to prepare cost sheets, source trims, leader in design and mfg. of dance & follow-up with lab dips. Communicate gym apparel. Resp for trend forecasting, with Orient; organization a must. fabric design/sourcing & full product Fax resume to: 212-944-6835 design. Strong creativity, related degree, 5+ yrs. exp & CAD proficiency is req’d. Located in Indanapolis, IN, we offer a bright future in an est’d PRODUCTION growing co. Reloc negot. Full benefits. Intimate Apparel Co. seeks person for Send resume to: Motionwear, ProductDevelopment.Knowledge of pat- 1315 Sunday Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46217 terns, production control, raw materials, Fax (317)780-4188 fittings. Central NJ office & some travel. email: [email protected] Fax resume to Mr. G.: 732-721-4600 Sleepwear Designer $45-60K Must Know Prints, Licensing PRODUCTION Photoshop Required Best Co! Fax Resume Attn Ruth Nally 201-894-1186. PATTERNMAKER e-mail [email protected] Eveningwear firm seeks very exp’d KARLYN FASHION RECRUITERS individual to join our team. 201-871-9800 Please fax resume to (212) 391-8753

WWD, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2003 WWD, WEDNESDAY, SYSTEMS SUPPORT/TRAINER Manufacturing company seeks individual with apparel industry background to help train and support employees Product Manager - Assist on currentsystems.Musthave excellent communication abilities and Apparel - Sourcing good analytical skills. Excellent salary Leading childrenswear mfr searching and benefits package. for an Assistant Product Manager. Will Please fax resume to 212-239-2766 report directly to the Division Head in our Foreign Sourcing Dept& will be TECHNICAL WOVEN resp for creating vendor manuals, sample follow-up, fabric/trim devlmt, SPECIALIST costing pkg sent overseas, maintain Well known label and private label Time/Action Calendar, order placement & moderate sportswear/jacket manufac- PO entry. Will monitor & follow-up on turer seeks skilled technical designer all issues relating to prod’n& quality to en- to join our production team. Candidate sure quality product & on time shipments. musthave full knowledge of garment Email resume: [email protected] or construction and patternmaking. fax: 212-643-2826. No calls please. EOE. Excellent written communication and technical drawing capability is a MUST in order to give clear guidelines Public Relations Director and directives to factories. Manage all US initiatives for leading If you are a team-player with a CAN European beauty product co. 7+ yrs. exp. DO philosophy, please fax resume to [email protected] / Fax: 631-567-0611 D. Tom 212-704-0576. TEXTILE STYLIST Textile importer seeks creative stylist PUBLIC RELATIONS with background in womens apparel Production Coordinator YEOHLEE prints. Experience in prints, pitching, 2-3 yrs exp in fashion and marketing. CAD work, layouts, repeats, & Position reports to president/designer overseas mill work necessary. TECHNICAL DESIGN Designer women’s coat licensee seeks Fax cover letter/resume to 212 631 0918 Fax resume to: 212-695-7548 production coordinator with 2-3 MANAGER years experience. Position requires TRAFFIC extensive AS400 style setup and Q/A SUPERVISOR $60-80K COORDINATOR Amerex Group has an opportunity purchase order entry/maintenance, Mfr Retail Exp. Perform Q/A Audits Excel, Word. Experience w/ domestic [email protected] Call 212-947-3400 Major women’s sweater co seeks for a Technical Design Manager. and overseas suppliers. Team player, individual with min. 3 years positive attitude. experience. Responsibilities include The ideal candidate should have Fax resume w/ salary requirements scheduling & monitoring overseas design background and be to: (212) 944-5121, Attn.: AO Receptionist/Model shipments and processing documents NY based dress house seeks a size 8, well to ensure timely delivery. Opening L/c. proficient in fittings, specification spoken receptionist / model. Excellent Knowledge of excel, word and AS400 opportunity. Great benefits. Please call: required. Please fax resume: measurements, fulfilling special 212-944-1111 ext. 303 212-512-0679 customer requirements, detail PRODUCTION ASST ENTRY LEVEL Off-Price Private Label sheets, trim requirements, pre- Located in Randolph, NJ 45 miles Salesperson Wanted Salesperson Wanted production samples, production from NYC. Importer/Manufacturer of Outerwear. Must have positive atti- Major private label producer samples, labeling and packaging tude, be detail oriented, and have One of New York’s largest excellentcomm skills. Resp include seeking individual with min. for a large volume ladies & mens daily email correspondence with over- RETAIL MANAGER wholesalersseeking individu- of 5 years exp. $100,000 + outerwear company. seas office, direct contact with private Prestigious English fashion house seeks al to sell all off-price brand- compensation for the right label accounts and thorough product retail manger for flagship New York ed apparel. Minimum 5 We offer excellent benefits. follow-up. Fast-paced environment. store. Candidates must have 5 years individual. Proven track re- Fax resume to 973-328-8681685 Route retail management experience. Previous years exp. $100,000 + com- cord a must. Fax resume to Please send resume to: 10 East cliental & stylist contacts are necessary. pensation package availa- Randolph, NJ 07869 Please Forward all resumes to: 212-385-4515 or E-mail to HR Amerex Group E-mail: [email protected] ble. Proven track record a [email protected] 1500 Rahway Ave., Avenel, NJ 07001 Fax: 646-602-2892 must. Please fax resume to Fax: 732-499-8529 Production Asst. 212-385-4515 or E-mail to SALES email: [email protected] Women’s sportswear import co., exp. [email protected] necessary, bi-lingual Chinese & Eng- Salesperson Cattiva Inc. lish, computer literate, detail oriented. Growing importjunior co thatspecial- Special occasion dress mfr. is looking Please fax resume to (212) 302-3219 izes in bottoms is seeking an experi- Direct Sales Company for a sales rep w/ existing better Specialty enced salesperson. Musthave con- store relationships. Individual must be tacts with Dep’t stores, specialty Established and exclusive designer women’s wear company seeking inde- a team player, motivated & aggressive. chains, etc. Please fax resume to (212) 947-1814 Production Coordinator Please fax your resume to: pendent, professional Sales Associates. Apparel Import Co seeks detail-oriented 212-764-7245 Unique opportunity to build own busi- Production Coordinator to take charge ness and be partof our New York show- SALES room team. Ideal for entrepreneurial of all phases of garmentdevel. Strong Domestic Missy mfr. wishes to expand production & technical background, Sales & Production women who love to network and dress women in beautiful, high quality into the Junior market. Seeking exp’d knowledge of knits & wovens. Min 3 salespersons. Pls. call Marv for appt. @ yrs exp. Fax resume to 212-563-4294. Assistant clothes. Commission-based with sales incentives. Strong training and sup- Tel: (718) 386-5222 or Import P.L. Sweater Manufacturer seeks Fax resume to: (718) 386-5220 recent college graduate who is detail- port provided. Please send resume to: oriented, motivated and organized to work Box # 1027 Prestigious French Children’s Production in a fast paced environment. Position 7 West 34th Street, NY NY 10001 SALES EXECUTIVE Clothing Company seeks for Its includes assisting a sales & production Leading manufacturer of missy/updated Coordinator team. Must be able to multi-task and work and junior knittops& wovens, seeks Madison Ave. Boutique: Sweater apparel co. in midtown well under pressure. Mustbe a teamplay- Down Outer/Sportswear highly motivated key account execu- seeking a detail oriented individual er & able to work independently. Great Sales Mgr./Merchandiser tive with major dept store and special- STORE MANAGER to follow up on all phases of production growth opportunity. Computer skills neces- ty chain following. Minimum 5 years experience. Strong Please fax resume to 212-398-5177 Candidate must have minimum 3 from development to final delivery. sary. Previous fashion or retail relationships with dept. and specialty Should have at least 2-3 yrs of exp. experience a plus. Fax resume: Attn chain stores. Fax resume: 212-840-8511 years high-end retail management Pls. send resume: [email protected] Aisha Cowart 212-730-8432 SALES EXECUTIVE experience, excellent interpersonal Michael Simon has an opportunity skills, superior customer service Energetic Dynamo Wanted available in their CONTEMPORARY Production Coordinator Sales Support Analyst Looking for a hip, aggressive modern knitwear Division. Professional with and a highly developed sense of style. A major apparel company is seeking a thinker to join our small team. Must excellent resume & extensive contacts Woven Sport Shirts & Pajama Private Sales SupportAnalystwith3-5 yrs. be able to develop creative selling with the more MODERN stores. We offer a salary plus benefits Label Mfr seeks Production Coordinator sales support experience to interface strategies to open new accounts. Fax: R. Newhardt @ 212-730-0595 with 3 - 4 yrs+ experience in woven with our major private label retail Resume & sal reqs to: [email protected] package and the opportunity to garment mfg. work with an expanding company accounts. Responsibilities will include: SALES EXECUTIVE This position encompasses understanding daily analysis of sales & inventory, cus- Sales $75-100K Current exp. in in the U.S. of garment construction; sewing; tomer service & compliance, creation boyswear required. Min. 2 yrs exp. production T&A calendar; detailed and analysis of retail sales reports, necessary. 100 west 33rd street Please call Pascale at: follow up & tracking starting with managing allocations & replenish- Accessory Sales Asst Call 973-564-9236 Jaral Fashion Agcy seeking highly motivated sales prof. 212-246-3291 approval; and preproduction sample ments, and knowledge of retail opera- Access. co. seeks sales assistant. Excel must have established relations w/ through production start; cutting, tions & production. Candidate must & Word nec. 30-40 hrs/wk. Greatoppty. Sales Account Exec speciality & dept. stores in designer or fax resume: 212-246-3293 possess strong analytical skills & com- sewing and finishing inclusive of QC Fax resume: 212-239-4661 Attn: David. Semi-tailored women’s clothing mfr womens market. fax 212 921 2850 final inspection for on-time garment puter skills in Word, Excel and Wal- Starting salary: $20,000. Mart Retail Link required. is seeking a Sales AccountExecutive delivery. The Coordinator will be with established contacts at large re- issuing production status reports We offer a unique environmentwith ACCOUNT tail chains. Fax resume: 212-560-9652 utilizing the company’s computerized competitive salaries & comprehensive SALES MANAGER reportbuilder. This individual will be benefits. Send resume with salary REPRESENTATIVE Seeking sales pro with contacts & solid expected to follow up with the garment history to: Established NYC based ladies apparel relationships with Asian mills. Must have factories to confirm production status Dept. SSA - Box#M 1036 company seeking service representa- good relations w/garment manufacturers. and to advise the account executives of c/o Fairchild Publications tive to manage the East Coast territo- Team player with managerial skills. problems as they arise. 7 West 34th Street, 4th Fl ry. Responsibilities include product Fax resume to Steve: 212-695-8392 New York, NY 10001 knowledge, reviewing regional buys Sales/Admin Assistant Person should have a high energy level, We will only contact those candidates for regional specific needs, monitoring Leading childrenswear mfr is looking SALES - N.Y.C be detail oriented, have excellent for further consideration. sell-thru’s, driving sales. Qualifications for a professional Sales & Admin Asst Bridge Ladies Sweater/Knitwear Col- verbal and written communication Equal Opportunity Employer M/F - 5+ years experience in women’s appa- to assist the Account Executive in the skills and a positive attitude; this position lection seeking experienced sales pro- rel servicing department stores. Only daily execution of duties including fessional with contacts in major depart- necessitates liaison with customer, qualified candidates will be consid- audit& controland shipping and internal design and product development ment & specialty stores. Must have Seeking Talented ered. distribution of merchandise. Retail min 7 yrs related sales exp., sweater and overseas mills and garment exp a plus. Mustbe proficientin all producing factories. Fashion Professionals Please fax resume to (212) 736-9171. knowledge, strong organizational & de- admin duties incl. excellent written & tail skills. Email resumes & salary his- College degree in garmentmanufacturin g *Jr. Handbag Designer verbal communication and Microsoft tory to: [email protected] or garmentproductionmanagement -i.e. XOXO, Mudd - NYC loc Creative Opportunity Word & Excel. Excellent salary & benefits. and 3-5 years of relevantapparel industr y *Designers SALES MGR. / MERCHANDISER Email resume: [email protected] or work is required. Well-developed - Women’s Outerwear/Swim "HOT" Brand, now expanding into Child- fax: 212-643-2826. No cals please. EOE. SALES - N.Y.C computer skills (Excel, Word) are - Men’s Outerwear/Swim ren’s Wear, is seeking a dynamic Sales Well-known Better Ladies Sweater line required. Must be self-directed with *Technical Designers Mgr./Merchandiser able to start-up and is seeking sales professional with con- ability to be deadline oriented and to lead a Children’s Dress & Sportswear Co. SALES ASSOCIATE tacts and account experience with ma- - Wovens Men’s/Kids - 5+ yrs exp The right candidate will have mgmt. & Prestigious handbag/apparel jor department stores and specialty maintain composure and productivity in *VP Product Development stressful situations. buyer contacts with better dept., spe- company seeks hardworking, high stores. Min. 3 yrs related sales experi- - Home, Trend & Design Focus cialty and mid-tier stores. Minimum of energy individual with great people ence, sweater & private label knowl- Fax resume: 212-764-5535 Fax: 314-692-0320 or email: 5 years experience is required. Please skills to join our sales staff. edge a plus. Email resumes & salary or email: [email protected] [email protected] Fax resume to: 212-594-6412 Email resume: [email protected] history to: [email protected] 23 WWD, WEDNESDAY,WWD, 2003 26, FEBRUARY Cole Income Soars On and Off the Strip NEW YORK — Kenneth Cole Pro- areas in 2002: product, brand ductions Inc. on Tuesday report- image, inventory management Continued from page 18 WomensWear in Nevada trade event last week ed that strong revenue growth and diversification. Our intense Agreement on Clothing and Textiles will at the Rio Suites Hotel & Casino, which saw a 20 sent profits soaring in the fourth focus on design and product, phase out quotas for its 145 member coun- percent increase in attendance to 2,000 retail quarter. improved inventory controls tries, and merchants and makers are bracing accounts, were those showing what’s to come, For the three months ended and an increasingly diversified for the changes. not what’s been. That meant a focus on fall. Dec. 31, the New York-based brand, gender and channel mix Already capitalizing on the changing trade “If you had fall, you did business,” said footwear, apparel and acces- has enabled us to respond to direction is CIT Commercial Services, which Lisa Lenchner, a Los Angeles-based sales rep- sories marketer reported net in- growth opportunities as they announced plans to open its new Shanghai of- resentative for Destiny, Linda Lundstrom, come shot up more than three- became available in this diffi- fice March 31. With a population one billion Paradiso and Highpoint. “Paradiso didn’t fold, or 279.7 percent, to $8.4 cult market.” strong and penchant for affordable labor, China have fall — they weren’t ready — and I think million, or 41 cents a diluted Greater efficiency also added is sure to benefit. it was a mistake. I didn’t write as much busi- share. That compares with last to the bottom line, as gross profit “We’re there to help Chinese exporters enter ness for it.” year’s earnings of $2.2 million, as a percentage of net revenues the U.S. market,” said Vivian Lee, CIT’s Asian She said buyers were selecting collection- or 11 cents. Earnings per share expanded 470 basis points to business director, who will oversee the driven looks, especially those by Lundstrom. easily eclipsed the Wall Street 45.8 percent from 41.1 percent a Shanghai office. “It’s very difficult without pro- Singed jersey pants separates, crinkled poly- forecast of 36 cents. year ago. Selling, general and fessional support to ascertain credit concerns of ester dresses and fringed chenille sweaters Net revenues for the period administrative costs also im- U.S. buyers.” were leading sales. rose 13.6 percent to $108.5 mil- proved, falling 350 basis points The new trading rules mean that American Sales rep Julie Vandevert said business was lion from $95.5 million a year to 34.3 percent of revenues from companies also need to stay on their toes. ahead 20 percent compared with last year, ago. By segment, wholesale rev- 37.8 percent in the prior year. Attorney Thomas Travis of Washington-based thanks to fall offerings. “People are having a Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A. spoke at a hard time finding fall, so we’ve been a good re- morning seminar about the issue and urged U.S. source,” Vandevert said. Buyers picked up We had a very good holiday season companies to bone up on their sourcing knowl- Keylime Pie’s animal-print skirts and crinkled “ edge. “The companies that are the most success- rayon quilted jackets and Weekend Traffic’s with all three divisions contributing. ful are those that take a balanced approach to Tencel cargo pants and aqua-green thermal ” sourcing and know where they can get the most pants sets. — Kenneth Cole for their dollars,” Travis said. Some show highlights were designer An One example of a supply chain alternative Ren’s swing coats in houndstooth prints with enue increased 23.5 percent to Figures were released after was the African region. At the show, there were oversized Bakelite buttons and Spanner’s ar- $53.7 million from $43.5 million the markets closed Tuesday, but 12 countries in attendance — up from one last gyle-print turtlenecks and sleeveless cable knit last year. Consumer direct rev- shares added $1.04, or 4.2 per- year — benefiting from the African Growth and sweaters with contrast stitching. enues spiked 5.5 percent to cent, to close at $25.79 in New Opportunity Act passed in 2000 offering duty- Mardi Bilsland, owner of The Clothes Tree in $54.7 million from $51.8 million, York Stock Exchange trading. free, quota-free access to the U.S. Corvallis, Ore., was scouting early fall trends. driven by a comparable-store Overall, for the full fiscal “We’ve been remarkably surprised about the “We’re taking notes and we’ll place orders sales gain of 1.3 percent. year, KCP said net income rose volume of people here, though there are more when we return, but it’s been a good show,” Licensing revenues rose 73.6 by more than half, or 57.3 per- sourcing agencies we’ve met than retailers,” she said. “Our business has been solid, so it’s percent to $8.9 million from $5.1 cent, to $26.1 million, or $1.27. said Rolf Andrews, an export agent for nice to come to a show when your store is million in the year-ago period. That compares with last year’s Swaziland-based New Biella Textiles, a first- doing well.” Cole said the majority of the profits of $16.6 million, or 80 time exhibitor that has created knitwear for For buyers seeking immediates, they now company’s long-standing li- cents. Net revenues for the year Kmart and Fubu. “If only 10 percent of those have a later fall show to shop. WWIN will censed products performed increased 10.5 percent to $404.3 companies that we met with come through with launch its third installment May 13-15 at the well and contributed to the in- million from $365.8 million last orders, we’d be extremely content.” Mandalay Bay Resort with about 300 ex- crease, as did the incremental year. Additionally, gross margin Though East Coast blizzards delayed travel hibitors, half the size of its current events. royalties received from newer improved to 45.7 percent of net plans for many, show organizer Frank Yuan said Show organizer Jeff Yunis said space was un- licensees such as children’s revenues from 44 percent in fis- attendance was only off 10 percent compared available at the Rio, but he has booked it for wear and fragrance. cal 2001. with last year. the May 2004 run. “We had a very good holiday Looking ahead, KCP said it is — Nola Sarkisian-Miller “We’ve had a lot of requests for it from buy- season with all three divisions likely to report first-quarter ers who want to buy closer to fall delivery,” contributing,” said chief execu- EPS in the range of 30 to 32 WOMENSWEAR IN NEVADA Yunis said. tive officer Kenneth Cole on a cents on revenues of $106 mil- Exhibitors booking business at the — N.S.M. conference call with analysts. lion to $110 million. “We concentrated on four key — Dan Burrows

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Princess Victoria Angie of Sweden Harmon WD, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2003 WD, WEDNESDAY, W

By Aileen MehleSuzy As high society and the culterati around here will be happy to tell Libby you — or should — a high point Pataki eye® of the social season is the American Academy in Rome’s gala dinner dance at Cipriani 42nd Street on April 7. The evening will pay tribute to three “I watched ‘The Avengers’ the face to the bad guys when she finishes her three- great American composers, who were and thought Uma Thurman week tour of duty? Fellows and Residents of the Academy — looked fantastic,” says After that, she will head to Washington to study, get Elliott Carter, Samuel Barber and Aaron Harmon. “That was what the this, conflict resolution. That’s Washington, D.C., people. Copland — and selections from their brilliant director, Harald Zwart, and I ● compositions will be played by the noted were going for, a futuristic kind Guess who won the raffle at the Drama League’s benefit American violinist Robert McDuffie together of thing. When my character, at the Pierre, where the prizes included everything from a with the pianist Albert Tiu. Mercedes and Sid Ronica, is in the office, she’s weekend escape to Hilton Head to a jar of Patsy’s spaghetti Bass always run this gala with brio, which strict and rigid with her hair sauce? None other than Evelyn Lauder the cosmetics translates into cultivated, sweet-smelling, slicked back but very self- queen, who was jumping for joy at the show when she beautiful people in beautiful clothes. Smiling involved. Every time she’s learned that she had won a guest appearance on “Law & for the cameras. Such a change from the seen, she’s in a different outfit, Order.” She introduced herself to such as Jerry Orbach, parties packed with people who look like they different hair, different makeup Sam Waterston and Jesse Martin and kept asking what kind should have the hose turned on them. because, you know, whether of role they’ll create for her. New career? TV star? ● she has to save the world or ● If you are one of the privileged ones, you not, she has to look good at all Clarissa and Edgar Bronfman Jr. and Vio Laine and have already received your invitation from times. If that means green eye John Bernbach will give the kickoff party at Asprey for Paris to the International Gala des Arts de la shadow instead of blue, that’s the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s dinner dance to Culture et de la Science, a glittering gathering what we have to do. We be held at the Plaza on April 3. This year’s honorees are at Versailles on May 26. The evening, a wanted her to be va-va-voom Keith Reinhard and Laura Landro. Expected at both memorial to the late billionaire philanthropist sexy and still not be afraid to Asprey’s and the Plaza are Cynthia and Dan Lufkin, Edmond Safra, will honor his widow, Lily, and whip out a swift roundhouse Susan and John Hess, Jamee and Peter Gregory, Jackie what a dazzling night it should be. Zubin kick to the face and throw the Weld Drake and others of that ilk and stripe. The junior Mehta will be there conducting the villain to the floor.” Does Jason chairwomen of the Asprey party are Elisabeth Philharmonic Orchestra of Israel in concertos Sehorn know about this? Kieselstein-Cord and Lydia Hearst Shaw, who are junior by Bach, Mozart, Vivaldi and Beethoven. After ● enough for just about anybody. cocktails in the Galerie de Pierre and the Crown Princess Victoria, ● concert, guests will visit the Royal the oldest child of King Carl The American Cancer Society and Charles Gargano, Apartments in the palace and dine in the Galerie des Gustav and Queen Silvia of the gala chairman, are planning their spring gala 2003 Batailles. The Conseil Pasteur-Weizmann, one of the great Sweden, has joined the army. Next week, she will be for April 28 at the Pierre. Gov. George Pataki will be scientific and cultural institutes in France will benefit. stationed at the country’s Armed Forces, where they the honorary chairman and First Lady Libby Pataki will ● say she will be treated just like any other recruit, receive the Society’s Humanitarian Award. Honors will If Angie Harmon has an “Emma Peel look” playing CIA living in barracks, learning to handle weapons and also be given to Marvin Hamlisch for artistic agent/mentor to undercover teen operative Frankie Muniz practicing survival skills. Victoria looks va-va-voom achievement and, posthumously, the Spirit of Courage in MGM’s new flick “Agent Cody Banks,” it’s on purpose. sexy alright, but will she be ready to whip off a kick in Award to Roone Arledge.