SOUNDS OF STYLE, A SPECIAL REPORT/SECTION II WWDWomen’s Wear Daily • TheTHURSDAY Retailers’ Daily Newspaper • September 2, 2004 • $2.00 Sportswear A knit display in A&F’s latest format, Ruehl. Exclusive: A&F’s New Ruehl By David Moin informally more like a big man on campus than the NEW ALBANY, OHIO — The chairman wears jeans and flip- company chieftain, the approach to brand-building is flops to work and his 650 associates follow suit at the anything but casual. The intensity is as evident as sprawling, campus-style Abercrombie & Fitch ever with A&F’s latest retail brand and its Teutonic- headquarters here. sounding name, Ruehl. That’s just the veneer, though, because for Michael And Ruehl is just the first of three new retail Jeffries and the youthful army of workers he greets See New, Page 4 PHOTO BY DAVID TURNER DAVID PHOTO BY 2 WWD, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2004 WWW.WWD.COM WWDTHURSDAY Hilton Launches Jewelry With Amazon Sportswear By Marc Karimzadeh GENERAL Paris Hilton in A&F ceo Michael Jeffries lays out the strategy for Ruehl, the firm’s latest chain “It’s just being a girl; every girl NEW YORK — her multicross aimed at post-college shoppers, set to open Saturday in Tampa, Fla. loves jewelry.” necklace. 1 It’s as simple as that for Paris Hilton, who on U.S. textile groups fired up the pressure on the Bush administration, saying Wednesday launched the Paris Hilton Collection of 2 they will file dozens of petitions to reimpose quotas on Chinese imports. jewelry in an exclusive agreement with Amazon.com. FASHION: Floral patterns are in bloom for spring, with Los Angeles The socialite heiress and star of Fox’s “The Simple Life” has designed a 10-piece sterling sil- 6 designers offering easy flowing dresses in alluring prints. ver and Swarovski crystal collection, including a The Bush ladies presented a softer family portrait this week in their style belly chain, a belly bar, an ankle bracelet, neck- 8 and speeches, with critics on both sides finding the effect, well, “Bushie.” laces, earrings and a charm bracelet. DISH: A pair of blue bloods: Sam Ben Avraham and Steve Te Pas...Lisa In a telephone interview from the Miami set of National Lampoon’s “Pledge This!” in which she 10 Rudes-Sandel aims to fit the fortysomethings...Lawman goes for status. stars, Hilton said this is the first time she has dab- ACTIVE: Lacoste is getting in on the action at the U.S. Open this year for the bled in jewelry design, but something she has been 12 first time with a 1,200-square-foot store at Arthur Ashe Stadium. interested in for a while. “I just love jewelry, ever since I was a little girl,” Hilton said. “When I was little, my parents Sounds of Style, Section II, appears in this edition. would give me jewelry.” Classified Advertisements........................................................................15 Overall, retail prices range from $15 to $95. “This jewelry is so great, because it’s really af- To e-mail reporters and editors at WWD, the address is fordable,” Hilton said. [email protected], using the individual's name. For instance, the collection includes a silver and WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF FAIRCHILD PUBLICATIONS, INC. COPYRIGHT ©2004 Swarovski crystal heart belly bar, priced at $15; a projections for Hilton’s line, but said that, as of FAIRCHILD PUBLICATIONS, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. silver and crystal heart belly chain, at $95; a silver Wednesday morning, Paris’ star pendant necklace, for VOLUME 187, NO. 48. WWD (ISSN # 0149-5380) is published daily except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, with one additional rosary bead necklace with a Swarovski crystal $30, was already the number two seller in Amazon’s 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 cross, $60, and a silver and crystal heart anklet, $60. Jewelry Store, while the belly bar came in eighth. West 34th Street, New York, NY 10001. Shared Services provided by Advance Magazine Publishers Inc.: S.I. Newhouse, Jr., Chairman; “I love the belly chains with the matching belly “We worked with one of our top manufacturers Steven T. Florio, Vice Chairman; Charles H. Townsend, C.O.O.; John W. Bellando, Executive Vice-President and C.F.O.; Jill Bright, button rings, and the crosses are really beautiful,” to produce the line,” said the spokeswoman. Executive Vice-President_Human Resources; John Buese, Executive Vice-President_ Chief Information Officer; David Orlin, Senior Vice-President_Strategic Sourcing; Robert Bennis, Senior Vice-President_Real Estate; David B. Chemidlin, Senior Vice- Hilton said. “I am wearing it right now…the belly “Paris and Amazon worked closely together to de- President_General Manager, Advance Magazine Group Shared Services Center. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and at button ring and the Paris heart necklace and sign the pieces. This is exclusive to Amazon.com additional mailing offices. Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40032712. Canadian Goods and Services Tax Registration heart earrings and heart bracelet.” for a minimum of six months.” No. 88654-9096-RM0001. Canada post return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: 4960-2 Walker Road, Windsor, ON N9A 6J3. POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY, P.O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA 91615-5008. To support the collection, Amazon has put up a Last spring, Hilton signed a deal with Parlux FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS, ADDRESS CHANGES, ADJUSTMENTS, OR BACK ISSUE INQUIRIES: Please write to WOMEN’S WEAR Paris Hilton Boutique at Amazon.com/parishilton Fragrances to develop her own perfume and relat- DAILY, P.O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA 91615-5008; Call 800-289-0273; or visit www.subnow.com/wd . Four weeks is that showcases Marc Baptiste-shot images of ed beauty products. By expanding into fashion required for change of address. Please give both new and old address as printed on most recent label. First copy of new subscription will be mailed within four weeks after receipt of order. Address all editorial, business, and production Hilton wearing her own jewelry. There are also and accessories, Hilton is following the footsteps correspondence to WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY, 7 West 34th Street, New York, NY 10001. For permissions and reprint requests, detailed product shots, as well as video footage of of her sister, Nicky, who just launched her Chick please call 212-221-9595 or fax requests to 212-221-9195. Visit us online: www.wwd.com. To subscribe to other Fairchild the photo shoot and of Hilton working in the de- clothing collection. magazines on the World Wide Web, visit www.fairchildpub.com. Occasionally, we make our subscriber list available to carefully screened companies that offer products and services that we believe would interest our readers. If you do not want to receive sign studio. Each piece will be shipped in a mid- There are plans to develop the jewelry collec- these offers and/or information, please advise us at P.O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA 91615-5008 or call 800-289-0273. night blue velvet jewelry pouch. tion beyond the first season, and Hilton said she is WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR LOSS, DAMAGE, OR ANY OTHER INJURY TO UNSOLICITED In addition to Hilton, Amazon.com’s Jewelry open to the idea of adding pricier fine jewelry. MANUSCRIPTS, UNSOLICITED ART WORK (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DRAWINGS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND TRANSPARENCIES), OR ANY OTHER UNSOLICITED MATERIALS. THOSE SUBMITTING MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, ART Store offers jewelry by such resources as Fortunoff, But for the moment, the focus remains on the sil- WORK, OR OTHER MATERIALS FOR CONSIDERATION SHOULD NOT SEND ORIGINALS, UNLESS SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED Mondera, Ice.com, Luxuria and Kane Marie Fine ver and crystal designs — along with the other TO DO SO BY WWD IN WRITING. MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND OTHER MATERIALS SUBMITTED MUST BE Arts Gallery. It also has special features such as a projects Hilton has in the pipeline. ACCOMPANIED BY A SELF-ADDRESSED OVERNIGHT-DELIVERY RETURN ENVELOPE, POSTAGE PREPAID. Learning Center and Create a Diamond Ring. “There’s a shoe line, fragrance, makeup, A spokeswoman for Amazon declined to give sales clothes, jeans,” she said of her future plans. In Brief Textile Groups Vow More China Petitions ● WAL-MART’S NEXT MOVE: It’s no secret that Wal-Mart is eye- By Kristi Ellis groups claim the move will be a Commerce, State, Treasury, ing international expansion, but could Italy be next? Italian su- death knell for their industries Labor and the Office of the U.S. permarket chain Esselunga denied a report in Italian daily WASHINGTON — U.S. textile and a boon for China, and could Trade Representative, is still con- Finanza & Mercati that it’s in advanced talks to sell the business groups ratcheted up the pres- wipe out the remaining 702,500 sidering how to handle threat- to Wal-Mart. “There’s no truth to the idea that we are in talks,” a sure on the Bush administration jobs associated with textile and based petitions. Asked whether spokeswoman said, dismissing the recurring market rumor of a Wednesday, saying they would apparel production in the U.S., CITA would accept threat-based sale. Esselunga posted revenues of 4 billion euros, or $4.87 bil- file dozens of petitions this as well as destroy some of the 30 petitions, Leonard said: “We are lion at current exchange, in 2003, on its network of 120 stores. month seeking to reimpose quo- million jobs worldwide.