PRADA SELLS ALAIA/2 MCCARTNEY IN INNERWEAR DEAL/20 WWDWomen’s Wear Daily • The Retailers’MONDAY Daily Newspaper • July 30, 2007 • $2.00 Accessories/Innerwear/Legwear Hoop, Hoop, Hooray Talk about razzle-dazzle. Holiday is the season of the hoops. Here, from top, styles in gold and amethyst from Nicole Landaw; gold from Shaun Leane; gold, chalcedony, sapphires and diamonds from Laura Munder; gold, ivory and lapis from Simon Alcantara, and gold, sapphires and diamonds from Eclat. For more, see pages 6 and 7. Questrom’s New Quest: Retail Exec to Help Grow Junior Chain Deb Shops By David Moin llen Questrom has another project: ADeb Shops Inc. Questrom has been tapped as non- executive chairman of the 75-year-old Philadelphia-based juniors chain, which was acquired Friday by Lee Equity Partners for about $395 million. The announcement of the deal confirmed a WWD report July 3 that Deb Shops was up for sale. And Questrom has big plans for the 337-store chain. He said Lee Equity, where he is a senior adviser, is eager to expand the company and also will be pursuing additional opportunities See New, Page28 PHOTO BY GEORGE CHINSEE; JEWELRY ASSISTANT: NICOLE KEATING; STYLED BY TALYA COUSINS TALYA STYLED BY NICOLE KEATING; GEORGE CHINSEE; JEWELRY ASSISTANT: PHOTO BY 2 WWD, MONDAY, JULY 30, 2007 WWD.COM Alaïa Buys Brand Back From Prada By Amanda Kaiser ples and custom-made garments. WWDMONDAY His complex on Rue de Moussy Accessories/Innerwear/Legwear MILAN — Prada SpA said Friday in the Marais, which includes that it has inked a deal to sell 100 a store, was — and remains GENERAL percent of Azzedine Alaïa SAS — a true cottage industry. In Allen Questrom has been tapped as non-executive chairman of the Deb back to the namesake founder September 2004, he even opened 1 Shops juniors chain, which was acquired Friday by Lee Equity Partners. for an undisclosed price. a three-room hotel there. “I thank the Prada Group for Right before the Prada-Alaïa EYE: New York foodies are hard to impress, but many were satiated by the its valuable and total support alliance was unveiled, the design- 4 sight of Catherine Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhart at the new Le Cirque. to the Alaïa brand during the er had been speaking with three FASHION: This season’s dreamy array of hoops gives new meaning to the last years,” Alaïa said in a state- suitors. Yet he had consistently phrase coming full circle thanks to a bold array of shapes, sizes and gems. ment. “I thank particularly and said he was not prepared to lose 6 personally [Prada chief execu- majority control of his house. With Wall Street’s concern over credit markets, analysts see a shift of tive] Patrizio Bertelli for the at- “I will never sell my name,” he 18 private equity funds away from buyouts to more strategic deals. tention and the sensitivity that said in an interview with WWD he had and continues to have in at the time. “I would only partner Obituary.............................................................................................28 support of my work and I wish with someone who is prepared to him all the success he deserves accept the way I work.” Classifi ed Advertisements.............................................................29-31 for his group.” The Prada-Alaïa marriage Prada fi rst struck a strategic was an unlikely one, since it To e-mail reporters and editors at WWD, the address is fi rstname. alliance with the Paris-based paired the hard-driving industri- [email protected], using the individual’s name. designer in 2000 and later ac- alist Bertelli with the stubborn, WWD IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ADVANCE MAGAZINE PUBLISHERS INC. COPYRIGHT quired the fashion house as it slow-to-grow artisan Alaïa. But a ©2007 FAIRCHILD FASHION GROUP. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. attempted to build a multibrand statement at the time of the deal VOLUME 194, NO. 20. WWD (ISSN 0149–5380) is published daily (except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, with one luxury empire via a string of ac- said Alaïa “considers Prada as additional issue in January and November, two additional issues in March, May, June, August and December, and three additional issues in February, April, September and October) by Fairchild Fashion Group, which is a division of Advance quisitions. Prada has since sold the ideal partner for the devel- Magazine Publishers Inc. PRINCIPAL OFFICE: 750 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017. Shared Services provided by off Helmut Lang and Jil Sander opment of projects, which will Condé Nast Publications: S. I. Newhouse, Jr., Chairman; Charles H. Townsend, President/CEO; John W. Bellando, Executive to concentrate on its Prada and allow his work to evolve in a way Vice President/COO; Debi Chirichella Sabino, Senior Vice President/CFO; Jill Bright, Executive Vice President/Human Resources. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, and at additional mailing offi ces. Canada Post Publications Mail Miu Miu brands. that suits him and in the respect Agreement No. 40644503. Canadian Goods and Services Tax Registration No. 886549096-RT0001. Canada Post: return For the year ended Jan. 31, An Azzedine of his autonomy.” undeliverable Canadian addresses to: P.O. Box 503, RPO West Beaver Cre, Rich-Hill, ON L4B 4R6 POSTMASTER: Azzedine Alaïa posted sales Alaïa look Alaïa told WWD at the time SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY, P.O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA from spring 91615–5008. FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS, ADDRESS CHANGES, ADJUSTMENTS, OR BACK ISSUE growth of about 30 percent to 13.2 of the partnership he chose INQUIRIES: Please write to WWD, P.O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA 91615-5008, call 800-289-0273, or visit million euros, or $16.6 million. 2007. to work with Prada be- www.subnow.com/wd. Please give both new and old addresses as printed on most recent label. First copy of new Under the terms of the deal, cause Bertelli “was subscription will be mailed within four weeks after receipt of order. Address all editorial, business, and production correspondence to WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY, 750 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017. For permissions and reprint requests, Prada said it will continue to Alaïa, said the the only one who please call 212-630-4274 or fax requests to 212-630-4280. Visit us online at www.wwd.com. To subscribe to other develop and produce footwear brand sells in understood the Fairchild magazines on the World Wide Web, visit www.fairchildpub.com. Occasionally, we make our subscriber list and leather goods for the Alaïa about 200 sales system of my available to carefully screened companies that offer products and services that we believe would interest our readers. brand. points around house. He If you do not want to receive these offers and/or information, please advise us at P.O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA 91615-5008 or call 800-289-0273. WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RETURN OR LOSS OF, Bertelli said Prada and the world. She knows my OR FOR DAMAGE OR ANY OTHER INJURY TO, UNSOLICITED MANUSCRIPTS, UNSOLICITED ART WORK (INCLUDING, Alaïa’s collaboration has pro- thinks the craft and he BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DRAWINGS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND TRANSPARENCIES), OR ANY OTHER UNSOLICITED duced “signifi cant results” for tie-up with appreciates MATERIALS. THOSE SUBMITTING MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, ART WORK, OR OTHER MATERIALS FOR CONSIDERATION SHOULD NOT SEND ORIGINALS, UNLESS SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED TO DO SO BY WOMEN’S WEAR both parties. “Today Azzedine Prada helped art.” DAILY IN WRITING. MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND OTHER MATERIALS SUBMITTED MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY Alaïa regains his independence, Alaïa develop Both men A SELF-ADDRESSED STAMPED ENVELOPE. while maintaining a collabora- its accesso- remained tion with our group. For Prada, ries business, mum on most this agreement is in line with including foot- terms of the MONDAY: New York Spring I Apparel Market (through the strategy to expand the group wear, which partnership, Aug. 10). and grow profi tability by focus- Sozzani said is which called ing on the development of the selling well. for the creation TUESDAY: The Conference Board releases the Consumer core brands in the world’s key “For once this of a foundation Confi dence Index for July. markets,” Bertelli said in the is an amiable deal in that would preserve Avon Products, Liz Claiborne Inc. and Under Armour statement. the world of fashion,” she Azzedine Alaïa the archives of Alaïa. Inc. report second-quarter sales and earnings. Alaïa could not be reached laughed, noting Prada and Bertelli, however, told Coach Inc. reports fourth-quarter and year-end sales for further comment Friday, and Alaïa will continue to work to- WWD, “We have a significant and earnings. Prada executives declined addi- gether. “Alaïa is the best designer share in Alaïa’s business and we tional comment. in the world. He has a savoir faire made a sensible investment.” WEDNESDAY: Jones Apparel Group reports second-quar- Carla Sozzani of 10 Corso that equals no one else.” Later, it became known ter sales and earnings. Como, a historic retailer for Alaïa founded his fashion Bertelli had secured an option house in 1979 and gained inter- to buy Alaïa’s company over the THURSDAY: Gildan Activewear Inc. reports third-quarter national fame in the Eighties, next fi ve years. Prada, he said, sales and earnings. thanks to his stick-to-the-ribs would help the Alaïa brand tailoring, sexy evening dresses, grow and would begin produc- FRIDAY: The U.S. Labor Department releases the July snug knits and sculpted leath- ing some items for the Paris- employment report. ers. The designer also became based designer.