CREW RESTATING EARNINGS/2 DESIGNERS UNDER PRESSURE/18 WWDWomen’s Wear Daily •WEDNESDAY The Retailers’ Daily Newspaper • September 15, 2004 • $2.00 Sportswear TheNEW YORK — The Tweed spring collection Marc Jacobs showedLife on Monday night was festive and charming. The front row was full of stars, including J.Lo and the Olsen twins, and the collection was replete with dazzling looks that had a youthful currency. There were preppy looks such as dotted bow-neck sweaters, a micro-daisy printed tent dress and the key skirt, which was full and swishing. Here, Jacobs’ latest version of a tweed coat, with an overscaled pattern made of colorful organza strips and worn with a fluid skirt and top. For more on the season, see pages 8 to 13. The Evolution of Guess: New Label, Accessories Lead Firm’s Retail Push By Rose Apodaca Jones LOS ANGELES — At age 22, Guess Inc. is striving to regain footing in the fast- fashion market the founding Marciano brothers helped pioneer through a new contemporary division and accessories retail chain, a European business that is up 25 percent in the last year and a distribution formula emphasizing Guess’ signature stores. Co-chief executive officers Maurice and Paul Marciano are literally putting their famous name on the line to show they can adapt to a rapidly changing marketplace. The strategies are already See A New, Page 14 PHOTO BY JOHN AQUINO PHOTO BY 2 WWD, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2004 WWW.WWD.COM WWDWEDNESDAY Sportswear Aug. Retail Sales Show Drop in Apparel FASHION The New York Collections hit the home stretch, with shows from designers By Joanna Ramey all retail sales last month were the Economic Forecasting Center up 4.9 percent, with clothing and at Georgia State University, said, 8 such as Donna Karan, Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors and Ellen Tracy. WASHINGTON — The up-and- accessories store sales posting a “High energy costs clearly are one down economy was handed an- 2.4 percent gain for the period. thing that hits the pocketbook for other negative Tuesday as the The government also has re- clothing and shoe expenditures.” GENERAL Commerce Department reported vised upward its tally of July Not all retail sectors were in At age 22, Guess Inc. is striving to regain its footing with a new that retail sales at clothing and clothing and accessories store an August sales slump. For exam- 1 contemporary unit, accessories chain and a fresh distribution formula. accessories stores in August fell sales. Instead of a 0.1 percent ple, sporting goods, hobby, book The Commerce Department reported that retail sales at clothing and a seasonally adjusted 1.4 percent drop, Commerce said they in- and music stores saw sales gain 2 accessories stores in August fell a seasonally adjusted 1.4 percent against July. against July, contributing to the creased 0.2 percent. 1.4 percent for the month and 3.7 overall uneven retail picture. Sales at department and gen- percent for the year. Health and About 200 unionized workers at Judith Leiber’s Manhattan factory went on The drop in clothing and ac- eral merchandise stores are also personal care store sales in- 16 strike Tuesday, nearly five months after their contract expired. cessories store sales and a 2 seeing a seesaw pattern. General creased 1 percent in August Profits at French Connection climbed 12.9 percent in the first half, thanks to percent decline in auto sales merchandise stores, including against July and were up 5.3 per- healthier margins and a vigorous wholesale business in the U.K. can be largely blamed for drag- discounters, saw sales dip 0.4 per- cent from August 2003, and gro- 21 ging down retail sales as a cent in August against July, but cery sales grew 0.8 percent for whole, which fell 0.3 percent for compared with August 2003, they the month and were up 3.3 per- IN THE MAINSTREAM the month. In July, all retail rose 3.8 percent. Commerce also cent over the 12 months. The push by vendors and merchants to create exclusive brands has raised sales increased 0.8 percent, fol- has revised its July general mer- The economy has been a cen- the cost and risk of doing business on Seventh Avenue. lowing June’s dip of 0.5 percent. chandise sales figure to a gain of tral presidential campaign issue 18 Department stores, which 0.8, instead of a 1 percent rise. and rivals terrorism among vot- have been in a prolonged slump, Ken Goldstein, chief econo- ers’ top concerns in opinion WEST COAST also lost ground in August, falling mist with the Conference Board, polls. President Bush’s campaign Brands at the ASR trade show in San Diego focused on catering to the 0.8 percent month-on-month said consumers may just be on Tuesday reacted to the weak maturing surfer girl who wants more fashionable looks. after two consecutive monthly searching for deep bargains, de- retail sales report by highlight- 22 gains. Compared with August spite apparel prices in July falling ing recent gains in service-sector 2003, department store sales last 0.8 percent after four months of revenues, increased temporary SUZY month were off 3.3 percent. gains. If sales continue to slide employment hiring and large Bobby Short’s friends gather to celebrate the crooner’s 80th…The jet set “August represented another into September and October, gains in machine tool orders. descends on Mykonos…Top Dog Gala ahead. notch in a schizophrenic summer “then it’s a problem and would First Lady Laura Bush, cam- 4 for retail sales,” Rosalind Wells, certainly spell disaster come hol- paigning Tuesday in Wisconsin, Classified Advertisements ..................................................................23-27 the National Retail Federation’s iday time, but I don’t see that cited the low national unemploy- chief economist, said in a state- being the case,” Goldstein said, ment rate of 5.4 percent and of 4.7 To e-mail reporters and editors at WWD, the address is ment, blaming last month’s sales his economic optimism buoyed percent in Wisconsin as a meas- [email protected], using the individual’s name. declines on wet weather, a late by 144,000 new jobs added to the ure of economic health. “And WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF FAIRCHILD PUBLICATIONS, INC. COPYRIGHT ©2004 Labor Day and the absence of $300 economy in August and gradual today, more families than ever be- FAIRCHILD PUBLICATIONS, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. child tax credits, which helped gains in the Labor Department fore, especially minority families, VOLUME 188, NO. 58. WWD (ISSN # 0149-5380) is published daily except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, with one additional fuel retail coffers a year ago. index measuring hourly earnings. own their own homes,” she said issue in January, May, June and November; two additional issues in February, April, September, October and December; and three additional issues in March and August, by Fairchild Publications, Inc., a subsidiary of Advance Publications, Inc. PRINCIPAL OFFICE: 7 Compared with August 2003, Rajeev Dhawan, director of in the town of Middleton. West 34th Street, New York, NY 10001. Shared Services provided by Advance Magazine Publishers Inc.: S.I. Newhouse, Jr., Chairman; Steven T. 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