▲ REVIEWS: Donna RETAIL: Karan, Badgley Vanity Fair’s Mischka, Chado Stieglitz Ralph Rucci and moment on more, pages 6-11. NEW Madison, ▲ page 18. OBITUARY: Model- YORK photographer Lynn spring ’09 Kohlman, page 3. Women’s Wear Daily • The Retailers’ Daily Newspaper • September 15, 2008 • $2.00 WWDAccessories/Innerwear/Legwear MONDAY Lauren of Arabia Is the cowboy now ready to become a sultan? Ralph Lauren seems to have given up the Wild West in favor of more exotic lands — at least for the moment. He’s about to add a store in Istanbul, and the spring collection he showed on Friday had an Arabian theme, expressed in an abundance of gold, turbans and a new take on safari. Here, his antique gold lamé dress, part of a spectacular evening lineup. For more on the shows, see pages 6 to 12. The View on New York: Retailers Say Spring Ain’t Got That Swing By Sharon Edelson NEW YORK — Safe but a general lack of zing. That was buyers’ overall view of New York Fashion Week, which wrapped up Friday. While the commercial looks that packed the runways should have set retailers’ hearts aflutter, many of them were disappointed. Difficult times like these, they say, call not for the tried-and-true, but for wow-some looks that will lure nervous consumers to the stores, like bunnies out of the bushes. “The shows didn’t really live up to my expectations,” said Julie Gilhart, senior vice president and fashion director of Barneys New York. “There were some great ones, but for the most part, I think it was hard for designers to put their finger on exactly what we need and what inspires us during this period of change.” See Buyers, Page14 PHOTO BY GIOVANNI GIANNONI GIOVANNI PHOTO BY 2 WWD, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2008 WWD.COM LVMH Taps Malverde to Head Givenchy By Miles Socha responsibilities, including licensing and inte- WWDMONDAY grating and acquiring companies. His last title Accessories/Innerwear/Legwear PARIS — Drawing on its deep management re- there was managing director of Mila Schön and serves, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton he fl oated its accessories subsidiary Antichi Donna FASHION has tapped Fabrizio Malverdi, managing direc- Pellettieri. His résumé also includes stints at Karan New York Fashion Week came to a close with col- tor at John Galliano, to helm Givenchy, WWD Benetton, La Perla and Staff International, both ▲ 6 lections from Ralph Lauren, Donna Karan, Badgley has learned. in Europe and in the U.S. Mischka, Chado Ralph Rucci and Zac Posen. Malverdi — an Italian national who drove As Givenchy’s managing director, Malverdi Galliano to profi tability and steered expansion will be charged with accelerating development GENERAL into fragrance, children’s wear, eyewear, watches at the brand with creative director Riccardo and jewelry — is expected to start as Givenchy’s Tisci, and building on the accomplishments of 1 Retailers were generally disappointed with the of- managing director on Oct. 6. An announcement Gobbetti, who will remain a board member of ferings presented at New York Fashion Week and is expected as early as today. the house. said that the collections lacked the wow factor. His successor at Galliano has yet to be named. During his four-year tenure, Gobbetti part- 4 EYE: Zac Posen’s postshow affair was again like At Givenchy, Malverdi will succeed Marco nered with Tisci to bring a more modern and a high school graduation party, with guests who Gobbetti, who, as reported, was promoted to succinct image to Givenchy, build the wholesale know him well and are full of stories. president and chief executive offi cer at Celine in business and create a new retail concept for the conjunction with the appointment of British de- storied label. The gallerylike Paris boutique, 16 INNERWEAR: Zimmermann is applying a bit of its signer Phoebe Philo as the brand’s new artistic with black boxes evoking the feeling of several beach savvy to the boudoir, launching a capsule director. She will present her fi rst Celine collec- boutiques in one store, opened in February here lingerie line last week in New York. tion next March for the fall-winter 2009 season. on the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. ACCESSORIES: Although they noted a lack of new Philo’s appointment came in tandem with “The brand has been repositioned and the mar- 17 trends, buyers lauded the broad offerings at the a management shuffl e at LVMH that also saw ket has well understood the new identity and the Première Classe and Eclat de Mode fairs. Celine ceo Serge Brunschwig promoted to chief new products,” Gobbetti said Friday. “I will make operating offi cer at Christian Dior Couture. sure that the transition is as smooth as possible.” Retail sales at specialty apparel retailers dropped Malverdi joined Galliano in June 2006 after Givenchy entered the black last year, fueled by 19 0.3 percent in August, while department store six years at Italy’s Mariella Burani Fashion sales momentum led by women’s fashions by Tisci, sales declined 1.2 percent. Group, where he held various management who now also oversees Givenchy men’s wear. FINANCIAL: As the economy stumbles, the 22 business landscape has become fertile ground for Texas Retail Recovering in Wake of Ike factoring companies to thrive. Classifi ed Advertisements...........................................................................................26-27 By Holly Haber The Texas Department of Transportation dis- couraged travel in affected areas. TO E-MAIL REPORTERS AND EDITORS AT WWD, THE ADDRESS IS DALLAS — Some stores and restaurants at The “Houston Premium Outlets are not open- [email protected], USING THE INDIVIDUAL’S NAME. Galleria and Memorial City Mall, the two big- ing yet today,” said Ashley Pearce, the Houston WWD IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ADVANCE MAGAZINE PUBLISHERS INC. COPYRIGHT ©2008 gest retail centers in Houston, reopened Sunday spokeswoman for Simon Property Group. “Trees FAIRCHILD FASHION GROUP. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. VOLUME 196, NO. 57. 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