NEW DESIGNER AT L&T/2 BARNEYS’ SAN FRANCISCO TREAT/11 WWDWomen’s Wear Daily • TheWEDNESDAY Retailers’ Daily Newspaper • September 19, 2007 • $2.00 Sportswear Tennis, Anyone? The U.S. Open may have ended, but that didn’t stop many designers from working their sportier sides on the New York runways. Richard Chai, for one, showed a spring collection that was sophisticated, confi dent and energetic. Here, his tennis knit worn over a cotton shirtdress. For more sporty looks, see pages 4 and 5. Shadowy Fund-raiser: Past of Norman Hsu Traced to Men’s Wear By Evan Clark and Kristi Ellis WASHINGTON — Norman Hsu, the scandal- plagued fund-raiser tied to presidential candidates Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama, has made much mileage out of his involvement in the fashion world — but his industry activities remain a mystery. While the companies Hsu lists on his contribution forms no longer exist, if they ever did, his claim to a fashion background at least has some legitimacy — in the Eighties, he was an aspiring fashion executive trying to live out the American dream, driving around Los Angeles in a flashy sports See Hsu’s, Page 7 PHOTO BY ROBERT MITRA ROBERT PHOTO BY 2 WWD, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2007 WWD.COM L&T Near Deal With Abboud NRDC has already estab- nesses, which in some cases will WWDWEDNESDAY By David Moin Sportswear lished partnerships and fi- provide product and new lines ord & Taylor is close to com- nancial arrangements with a for Lord & Taylor and possibly Lpleting another designer ex- handful of American designers, other retailers. Internally, it’s FASHION clusive, this time with Joseph most recently taking a majority been dubbed Creative Design From tennis whites to rugby stripes, with a few bold hits of neon in Abboud — the man, not the label. stake in Peter Som Inc. Earlier, Studios and a manager is being 4 between, designers delivered a dose of esprit de corps for spring. None of the parties involved Charles Nolan was named cre- sought to oversee it. were willing to discuss the ar- ative director for the Kate Hill The Joseph Abboud label GENERAL rangement, or whether Lord bridge private label line at Lord is owned by JA Apparel Corp., Norman Hsu spent time as a Los Angeles garmento before dropping out & Taylor parent NRDC Equity & Taylor. Nolan is re-creating which Abboud vacated in 2005. of sight and then emerging as a scandal-plagued Democratic fund-raiser. Partners LLC is taking an owner- the label, in what could be a JA Apparel sells Joseph Abboud 1 ship stake in Abboud’s business. precursor to an investment in sportswear and suits to Lord & Warnaco Group Inc. is shuttering its swimwear business, but still will According to sources, Abboud Nolan’s business. Taylor, among other stores. 2 produce swim lines under its licenses with Speedo and Calvin Klein. will be working with Lord & Taylor NRDC also has a stake in Abboud had a non-compete Wal-Mart has been working to clear out poor-selling merchandise and is to create exclusive men’s wear, add- Cynthia Steffe, who is no longer agreement with JA Apparel that ing to the chain’s growing stable associated with the label that expired in July, enabling him to 10 returning to its low-price message and back-to-basics assortments. of collections involving designers. bears her name but will be pro- return to men’s wear with Jaz. Retail stocks surged Tuesday afternoon after the Federal Reserve An announcement is imminent. viding product for Lord & Taylor. He’s lined up deals for manu- 10 Board’s interest rate cut was more than some investors had expected. In July, Abboud reentered the In addition, Bryan Bradley was facturing facilities and licenses men’s wear business after more recently named creative direc- to create the Jaz collection. WEST: After a long quest, Barneys is opening its fi rst San Francisco than two years on the sidelines tor for Bryan by Bryan Bradley, Abboud has been surrounded 11 store under its new owner, expansion-minded investment fund Istithmar. by announcing plans to launch a contemporary line exclusively by controversy ever since he Classifi ed Advertisements.............................................................12-15 a label called Jaz in fall 2008. for Lord & Taylor launching in lost rights to his name and The collection will be aimed October. Bradley, owner-designer has fought to win them back. To e-mail reporters and editors at WWD, the address is fi rstname. at stores such as Nordstrom, of Tuleh, has no plans to sell a However, he is prohibited from [email protected], using the individual’s name. Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth stake in his business. using his name on any product Avenue, Holt Renfrew and NRDC is forming an entity or marketing materials, though WWD IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ADVANCE MAGAZINE PUBLISHERS INC. COPYRIGHT Harry Rosen, and could have a to manage its growing stable of he is allowed to use his name ©2007 FAIRCHILD FASHION GROUP. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. VOLUME 194, NO. 61. WWD (ISSN 0149–5380) is published daily (except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, with one tie-in with Lord & Taylor. designer-contemporary busi- for personal appearances. 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 Magazine Publishers Inc. PRINCIPAL OFFICE: 750 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017. Shared Services provided by Condé Nast Publications: S. I. Newhouse, Jr., Chairman; Charles H. Townsend, President/CEO; John W. Bellando, Executive 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 Kenneth Cole Acquires Le Tigre Agreement No. 40644503. Canadian Goods and Services Tax Registration No. 886549096-RT0001. Canada Post: return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: P.O. Box 503, RPO West Beaver Cre, Rich-Hill, ON L4B 4R6 POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY, P.O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA By Julee Greenberg fi cer and has plans to increase the brand beyond 91615–5008. FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS, ADDRESS CHANGES, ADJUSTMENTS, OR BACK ISSUE the $200 million business it was during its heyday INQUIRIES: Please write to WWD, P.O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA 91615-5008, call 800-289-0273, or visit www.subnow.com/wd. Please give both new and old addresses as printed on most recent label. First copy of new NEW YORK — Kenneth Cole Productions Inc. has in 1984. subscription will be mailed within four weeks after receipt of order. Address all editorial, business, and production acquired the Le Tigre trademark, its tiger logo, its Le Tigre is now sold in better department and correspondence to WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY, 750 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017. For permissions and reprint requests, portfolio of licenses and other properties associ- specialty stores such as Macy’s, Lord & Taylor and please call 212-630-4274 or fax requests to 212-630-4280. Visit us online at www.wwd.com. To subscribe to other Fairchild magazines on the World Wide Web, visit www.fairchildpub.com. Occasionally, we make our subscriber list ated with the young contemporary brand. Nordstrom. In conjunction with this acquisition, available to carefully screened companies that offer products and services that we believe would interest our readers. If you According to published reports, Cole spent Kenneth Cole has entered into a license agree- do not want to receive these offers and/or information, please advise us at P.O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA 91615- $13 million and may make another $12 million in ment with Le Tigre LLC to continue manufacturing 5008 or call 800-289-0273. WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RETURN OR LOSS OF, payments based on performance targets through and selling sportswear under the Le Tigre label. OR FOR DAMAGE OR ANY OTHER INJURY TO, UNSOLICITED MANUSCRIPTS, UNSOLICITED ART WORK (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DRAWINGS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND TRANSPARENCIES), OR ANY OTHER UNSOLICITED next year. Although it began with the basic polo shirt, the Le MATERIALS. THOSE SUBMITTING MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, ART WORK, OR OTHER MATERIALS FOR The Le Tigre brand, which resurfaced in 2004 Tigre brand now offers a full array of sportswear for CONSIDERATION SHOULD NOT SEND ORIGINALS, UNLESS SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED TO DO SO BY WOMEN’S WEAR after more than a decade’s hiatus, did about $48 women and men. The Le Tigre collection is based DAILY IN WRITING. MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND OTHER MATERIALS SUBMITTED MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY A SELF-ADDRESSED STAMPED ENVELOPE. million in wholesale volume last year. Campus at 149 Fifth Avenue here, where it will remain. Sportswear launched the brand in 1977 as an “We believe there is a signifi cant upside for the American alternative to France’s Lacoste label. company, specifi cally through various licensing Le Tigre was brought back to the market by Ryan opportunities as well as through the introduction O’Sullivan, a former Wall Street executive, in 2004. of men’s, women’s and children’s footwear,” Cole In Brief He will continue to stay on as chief executive of- said in a statement. ● AGASSI SUES TARGET: Former tennis star Andre Agassi’s fi rm, Agassi Enterprises Inc., has fi led a lawsuit against Target Corp. in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas, alleging mark infringe- Warnaco Outlines Restructuring ment and unfair competition. Agassi Enterprises said that the retailer, without authorization, used marks on sandals that con- arnaco Group Inc., the $1.8 lion of our revenues,” said Joseph ership of its swimwear manufac- tained the “name, image, likeness and other attributes” associat- Wbillion apparel firm, is ex- Gromek, Warnaco’s president turing operations.