Fanning the Flames “In This Business You Have to Be Aggressive and Have Aggressive Feelings,” Said Alexander Mcqueen Before His Show
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Page 1 Thursday wwdMen’s The beige trend abounds — plus s PARIS: Men’s Wearhouse, Vilebrequin Reviews s of Hermès, and more, pages 10 to 13. Chloé, s BEAT: Dressing like the PARIScollections/fall ’09 and more, Jonas Brothers — or at least pages 4 to 8. their female fans, page 9. Women’s Wear Daily • The Retailers’ Daily Newspaper • March 12, 2009 • $3.00 Sportswear/Men’s WwDTHURSdAY s Michael Kors’ wool and viscose blazer, Burberry London’s silk and cotton shirt, Alessandro Dell’Acqua’s baby camel and elastic pants. Burberry Prorsum neck piece; Dunhill gloves. Fanning The Flames “In this business you have to be aggressive and have aggressive feelings,” said Alexander McQueen before his show. And in the spectacular fashion parade he presented Tuesday night, he put his emotion where his fashion is in the most audacious and controversial collection of the season. There was plenty of high drama, as evidenced in this boldly striped evening dress, worn with a Philip Treacy hat and Leigh Bowery lipstick. For more on the season, see pages 4 to 8. Adjustments Ahead as Charges Push Neiman’s to $509 Million Loss By Sharon Edelson The loss for the three months ended quarter of last year. Adjusted earnings Writedowns of more than half a billion Jan. 31 compares with net profits of before interest, taxes, depreciation dollars led to a $509.3 million net loss in $44.3 million in the corresponding and amortization was $24.6 million, Neiman Marcus Inc.’s second quarter, period a year earlier. Excluding $560.1 compared with $187.3 million the and the retailer said Wednesday it would million in impairment charges, the previous year. NI o adjust assortments, return merchandise company’s operating loss for the quarter The luxury retailer’s customers, hard and seek greater markdown money as was $32.6 million versus operating hit by the economy, pushed sales down VANNI GIANN VANNI the economy continues to struggle. income of $134.3 million in the second See Charges, Page 17 o PHOTO BY GI PHOTO BY WWD.COM WWDTHURSDSportswearAY FASHION 4 Alexander McQueen presented a fall collection ™ that was an ode to recycling and reinvention, set against a junk-heap backdrop. A weekly update on consumer attitudes and behavior based GENERAL on ongoing research from Cotton Incorporated 1 Neiman Marcus Inc. said a cautious consumer and markdowns needed to coax them into stores WINDOWS OF OPPORTUNITY led to a $509.3 million second-quarter loss. 3 Bulgari is to cut jobs, reduce the number of Creative Displays May Still Tempt Nervous Consumers products and close unprofitable stores after its earnings fell 45.1 percent in 2008. As the economy continues on a downward slide, apparel in the past month. Women are suppressing 3 Gap Inc. chairman and ceo Glenn Murphy uttered even those who are not in dire financial straits are their desire to acquire, but potent enticement may many mea culpas during a speech at the Bank skittish about spending money. What, then, can encourage them to reach for their wallets. of America Consumer Conference. retailers do to tempt the timid? “At Barneys, we aim to tantalize and titillate: 12 MEN’S: Salvatore Ferragamo has unveiled a “Create desire,” explains Simon Doonan, creative our goal is to present irresistible product to our new men’s space at its Fifth Avenue flagship director for Barneys New York, whose windows are customers in an intriguing way,” Doonan says. and is mulling opening more men’s stores. the gold standard for imaginative presentations. “We present Barneys as an interesting place, a “The mandate for all window dressers is the same place of ideas.” 14 LOS ANGELES: Fledgling clothing labels are in good times and bad.” Window displays, then, are not merely vehicles working to drum up business with West Coast More than half of women get their wardrobe for the season’s newest looks, or a simple reflection stores at the upcoming contemporary market. ideas from in-store or window displays, according to of the outside world. Retailers seem unwilling 18 President Obama signed a $410 billion spending the Cotton Incorporated Lifestyle to make drastic changes in the package that establishes a Vietnam and China Monitor™ survey. And females front windows; sober displays apparel import monitoring program. making more than $50,000 per for sober times, after all, will s EYE: A crowd gathered at the Tribeca Grand for the year are significantly more likely “Our goal is to present irresistible only scare already apprehensive 20 Emily Blunt premiere of “The Great Buck Howard,” in which than those making less to be product to our customers in an shoppers away. John Malkovich plays a washed-up mentalist. influenced by window displays. “We have not fundamentally in Dsquared2. intriguing way.” Classified Advertisements.................................................................................................19 In one of her last interviews changed our approach in recent before leaving Lord & Taylor, – Simon Doonan, Creative Director, months, though I will admit I have TO E-MAIL REPORTERS AND EDITORS AT WWD, THE ADDRESS IS [email protected], USING THE INDIVIDUAL’s name. LaVelle Olexa, senior vice- Barneys New York been making a point of including WWD IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ADVANCE MAGAZINE PUBLISHERS INC. COPYRIGHT ©2009 president and the store’s longtime more bags and shoes in ready-to- FAIRCHILD FASHION GROU P. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. fashion director, said windows can wear displays,” Doonan remarks. VOLUME 197, NO. 52. WWD (ISSN 0149–5380) is published daily (except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, with one additional issue in January, May, October, November and December, two additional issues in March, April, June still capture the imagination and “Accessories are still, even in these and August, and three additional issues in February and September) by Fairchild Fashion Group, which is a division provide an uplifting moment. recessionary times, the crack cocaine of fashion.” of Advance Magazine Publishers Inc. PRINCIPAL OFFICE: 750 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017. Shared Services “There’s so much negativity circulating today, Places like A/X Armani Exchange stores provided by Condé Nast Publications: S. I. Newhouse, Jr., Chairman; Charles H. Townsend, President/CEO; John W. Bellando, Executive Vice President/COO; Jill Bright, Executive Vice President/Human Resources. Periodicals postage that when store windows can provide a moment have taken a different tact by installing deejays paid at New York, NY, and at additional mailing offices. Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40644503. that lifts the spirits, make us smile, entice us again to in store windows, attracting shoppers with the Canadian Goods and Services Tax Registration No. 886549096-RT0001. Canada Post: return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: P. O . Box 503, RPO West Beaver Cre, Rich-Hill, ON L4B 4R6 POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES dream and believe that shopping should still be fun – latest club music. TO WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY, P. O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA 91615–5008. FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS, ADDRESS they are worthwhile,” Olexa states. The NRF’s Butler says there are also new CHANGES, ADJUSTMENTS, OR BACK ISSUE INQUIRIES: Please write to WWD, P. O . Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA 91615-5008, call 800-289-0273, or visit www.subnow.com/wd. Please give both new and old addresses as printed Some 40% of women admit to being impulse technologies available for retailers. on most recent label. First copy of new subscription will be mailed within four weeks after receipt of order. Address all shoppers, according to Monitor data. Among the “You can have sound in glass so if a customer editorial, business, and production correspondence to WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY, 750 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017. younger set – those aged 13-to-24 – 46% were more is in front of the window, only she can hear it. Or For permissions and reprint requests, please call 212-630-4274 or fax requests to 212-630-4280. Visit us online at www.wwd.com. To subscribe to other Fairchild magazines on the World Wide Web, visit www.fairchildpub.com. likely to buy on a whim. And overall, 42% of women you can make the storefront a computer screen so Occasionally, we make our subscriber list available to carefully screened companies that offer products and services making less than $25,000 admitted to making a customer can touch it and go to the shop’s web that we believe would interest our readers. If you do not want to receive these offers and/or information, please advise us at P. O . Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA 91615-5008 or call 800-289-0273. WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY IS NOT impulse purchases. Interestingly, the Monitor survey site” to retrieve more information about the store RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RETURN OR LOSS O F, OR FOR DAMAGE OR ANY OTHER INJURY TO, UNSOLICITED MANUSCRIPTS, has found that these impulse shoppers are more likely or its product. UNSOLICITED ART WORK (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DRAWINGS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND TRANSPARENCIES), OR ANY OTHER UNSOLICITED MATERIALS. THOSE SUBMITTING MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, ART WORK, OR OTHER to get their clothing ideas from window displays But in these economically challenged times, MATERIALS FOR CONSIDERATION SHOULD NOT SEND ORIGINALS, UNLESS SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED TO DO SO BY than women who plan out their purchases: 56% of simpler may be green lighted more often. That WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY IN WRITING. MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND OTHER MATERIALS SUBMITTED MUST BE impulse shoppers say they use windows as a source of does not translate as chintzy, Butler says. Having ACCOMPANIED BY A SELF-ADDRESSED STAMPED ENVELOPE. clothing ideas, compared to 50% of shoppers who spent more than 25 years at department stores, he plan their purchases.