Floral Arts Improve Their Attitude Toward Italy’S Fashion Capital

CHOO FRESH START SONIA RYKIEL’S NEW CHOO ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, PHARRELL WILLIAMS JULIE DE LIBRAN, LINKS WITH MOYNAT TALKS ABOUT TO CREATE A CAPSULE MIAMI VIBE HER VISION FOR LINE OF BAGS INSPIRED LE BON MARCHÉ IS TO COLLABORATE WITH THE BRAND AND BY VINTAGE STEAM THE WEBSTER MIAMI ON A LIMITED-EDITION HER FIRST SHOW LOCOMOTIVES. PAGE 7 COLLECTION OF ALL-WHITE ITEMS. PAGE 2 SEPT. 29. PAGE 7 PRAISE FEMININE STYLES Milan’s Seventies Vibe Leaves Buyers High By WWD STAFF MILAN — There’s nothing like a touch of the Seventies and the Age of Aquarius to let the sunshine into retailers’ moods. The Seventies vibe all over the Milan runways this season was a hit with retailers, who praised the easy TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2014 ■ $3.00 ■ WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY yet feminine designs — pants were a rarity — and a WWD heightened play on Italian craftsmanship. Colorful maxidresses, hip-hugging fl ared trousers, patchworks, fl oral and geometric prints, transparency, organza, lots of suede — often embellished — and fringe trims were some of the main trends this season. The tinge of retro and the continued development of up-and-coming designers left retailers more upbeat about the Milan collections than they have been in several seasons. A shorter show calendar also helped Floral Arts improve their attitude toward Italy’s fashion capital. “I strongly feel that Milan is on the up-and-up,” Consuelo Castiglioni’s artful ways swing from said Averyl Oates, fashion director at Galeries plain to intensely decorative. Her spring Marni Lafayette. “Luxury houses and newer designers delivered positive, fresh collections. Despite the collection started in a state of austere chic diffi cult economy, we are projecting an increase in before exploding with ebullient fl orals, spend, also to allow for an injection of new brands in vivid embellishments and intricate cuts. our Italian portfolio.” Ken Downing, senior vice president and fash- Here, a transitional beauty: a dress with ion director at Neiman Marcus, agreed. “I am very a raw cotton slip bodice and decorative enthusiastic about Milan this season. I thought that designers gave us all of the trends that we were see- skirt. Flowers have fi gured prominently ing emerging from New York to London. I thought the in Castiglioni’s work from the start. As shows looked fantastic. There is a lot of great prod- part of the house’s 20th-anniversary uct here,” he said. “The nice thing is that there was a consistency around the entire week — this message festivities, the designer opened a of the romantic, free-spirited Bohemian girl. Milan is pop-up fl ower market after her show having a real moment again. It’s nice to see it.” and discussed the project and its Downing cited Marco de Vincenzo, his “top collection,” and Bottega Veneta, Etro and Emilio Pucci charitable endeavors. For more among his favorites. SEE PAGE 12 on Milan, see pages 4 and 5. Study Finds Retailers Lack Mobile Strategies By RACHEL STRUGATZ A DISCONNECT between online retailers and their mobile strategies — or lack thereof — might hurt sales during a fast-approaching holiday shopping season. In the 2014 Holiday Retail Audit, released Monday by eBay Enterprise, a commerce and marketing pro- SPRING 2015 vider under the eBay umbrella that works with retailers and brands, mobile is still an Achilles heel for retailers — despite it being the fastest-growing com- MILAN merce channel. COLLECTIONS The study looked at 1,000 online retailers with revenues from $5 million to $250 million, with many participants reporting insecurity about mobile strategies. The eBay study follows similar ones in recent weeks that have shown many retailers’ mobile strategies lag — even as they admit that mobile is driving an increasing percentage of their online revenues. Mobile commerce is forecast to hit $100 billion in sales this year, with one third of all e-commerce pur- chases expected to come from a smartphone or tablet. Despite the growing importance of mobile, the eBay study found that retailers ranked it only ninth in terms of priority for holiday investments. “Two-thirds of online retailers don’t cite mobile as a source of investment, but it’s the fastest-growing area of commerce,” Craig Peasley, head of product marketing at eBay Enterprise, told WWD, noting that 68 percent of online retailers did not express plans for either new or continued investments in mobile for the holiday season. Price, customer service and marketing ranked as the top three areas of investment, followed by PHOTO BY KUBA DABROWSKI SEE PAGE 8 2 WWD TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2014 WWD.COM Etro Names Giannaccari as GM THE BRIEFING BOX According to Jacopo Etro, Giannaccari will help IN TODAY’S WWD By ALESSANDRA TURRA boost the company’s growth plan. This includes the expansion of specific categories, including foot- MILAN — Etro has tapped Francesco Giannaccari wear, a business which Etro brought back in-house as the company’s new general manager. last April, and fragrances. The role was previously held by Ippolito Etro, who “We also plan to introduce a license for the exited his family’s company last March. His father production of an eyewear line, a category we cur- Gimmo Etro, president of the firm, took on the position rently don’t have,” he said. on an interim basis with the support of Jacopo Etro, the brand’s global communication vice president. “We chose Francesco Giannaccari because over The firm’s growth plan the years he matured an incredible experience in the luxury business and it emerged he is very in includes the expansion sync with the company and our plans for the fu- MANAGEMENT ture,” Jacopo Etro told WWD. “And I also think that due to his experience he has technical skills that of specific categories, MODEL we don’t have in our family.” Most recently, Giannaccari was vice presi- including footwear YORK dent of Tom Ford International and International NEW Franchises. From 1998 to 2005, he served at Sanne Vloet is the subject of Model OF the Gucci Group, where he held the positions and fragrances. Call. For more, see WWD.com. of chief executive officer of Gucci Europe and COURTESY then executive vice president of Bottega Veneta. The company, which closed 2013 with turnover Giannaccari was head of international operations of 300 million euros, or $411 million at average ex- at Abercrombie & Fitch from 2005 to 2007. change, also plans to expand its retail presence in The Seventies vibe on Milan’s runways this season was a hit Etro highlighted that the presence of an execu- both Europe and the U.S. The goal is to enter new with retailers, who praised the easy yet feminine designs. PAGE 1 tive who is not part of the family will simplify the cities for the brand such as Dallas, Chicago and decision-making process. Las Vegas. In addition, Etro said that the company A disconnect between online retailers and their mobile “Someone coming from the outside can feel is aiming at increasing its retail business in China, strategies — or lack thereof — might hurt holiday sales. PAGE 1 more free to express his opinion with no embar- Hong Kong and Singapore through a focused mar- rassment,” he said. keting and branding strategy. The Tommy Hilfiger Group has elevated Avery Baker and Gary Sheinbaum to new executive positions. PAGE 6 Ksubi owner Breakwater Group looks to breathe new life into Le Bon Marché, Webster Team for Line the Australian denim and streetwear label. PAGE 6 Sonia Rykiel’s new artistic director, Julie de Libran, is to By JOELLE DIDERICH parade her first collection on Monday during Paris Fashion Week. PAGE 7 PARIS — Le Bon Marché has linked with The Webster Miami Pharrell Williams has teamed with French leather goods firm for a limited-edition collection Moynat to create a capsule range of handbags. PAGE 7 due to go on sale early next year at the French department Benjamin Moore has teamed with the Council of Fashion store in Paris and the Florida Designers of America to highlight the influences of color, design boutique. and entrepreneurship in America. PAGE 8 Laure Hériard Dubreuil, founder and chief executive The Chinese consumer has gone global, according to a new officer of The Webster Miami, book charting the ascendancy of the country’s spenders. PAGE 9 and Le Bon Marché have com- missioned brands to create Five months after taking office and becoming the first female all-white items, which will be available from mid-January to mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo is getting ready for Paris Fashion ’’ PAGE 10 mid-February. Week. The initiative harks back to Le Bon Marché founder Aristide Karl Lagerfeld’s cat Choupette assumes a more fearsome, Boucicaut, who in 1873 invented cartoon guise as Monster Choupette in a new accessories what has become a tradition in capsule collection under Lagerfeld’s signature label. PAGE 11 French department stores: A month-long promotion on “white” Ellen Tracy has tapped actress Paula Patton to be its new face items, traditionally bed linens and brand ambassador. PAGE 11 and home wares, to attract cus- tomers into stores after the holi- RIOS ON WWD.COM day shopping rush. Patrice Wagner, chairman and CAMILO MODEL CALL: Hailing from the small town of Donkerbroek in the ceo of Le Bon Marché, said the BY venture between the two retail- Netherlands, 19-year-old model Sanne Vloet is in the midst of her ers was based on “elective affini- PHOTO breakout runway season. For more, see WWD.com. The entrepreneur, who fre- quently works with brands on I’m wearing white every day.

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