The Leading Celebrity BrandsInside: Pg. 10 COVER GIRL INKS BARRYMORE/3 VENDORS GO RETAIL/8 WWD WWDWomen’s Wear Daily • TheTHURSDAY Retailers’ Daily Newspaper • April 12, 2007 • $2.00 List Sportswear Say It Loud Shy girls, take a hike. Fall’s extroverted side arrives with a blast of bold colors, wild prints and quirky motifs — all the better when piled on in layers. For more, see pages 6 and 7. Big Deal for Barneys: Jones Said Near Sale Of the Upscale Retailer By Miles Socha and Vicki M. Young .COM; FASHION ASSISTANT: CAMERON KERSHAW; STYLED BY DAVID YASSKY DAVID STYLED BY CAMERON KERSHAW; ASSISTANT: .COM; FASHION NEW YORK — Barneys New York could soon come under foreign ownership. According to market sources here and overseas, a private equity fund linked to the royal family of Qatar appears to be the front-runner in the bidding for Barneys, with an offer of more than $1 Akademiks’ jacket, shorts from billion. Although any deal might still fall DKNY Jeans Juniors, Rubber Doll’s sweater, justsweet’s turtleneck and apart, a sale could be announced in the 10 Feet’s leggings. Candie’s shoes; next few days, a number of sources in Alter Ego jewelry. Photographed in front of the Christopher Tanner the finance and retail sectors said. exhibit at the Pavel Zoubok Gallery. The fund is believed to have eclipsed offers from potential strategic buyers such as Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom, both of which considered the acquisition See Barneys, Page13 PHOTO BY KYLE ERICKSEN; MODEL: ANDRESSA/SUPREME; HAIR BY DARIA WRIGHT AND MAKEUP BY ANTHEA KING, BOTH AT ARTISTSBYTIMOTHYPRIANO ANTHEA KING, BOTH AT ERICKSEN; MODEL: DARIA WRIGHT AND MAKEUP BY ANDRESSA/SUPREME; KYLE HAIR BY PHOTO BY WWD.COM WWDTHURSDAY Sportswear GENERAL A private equity fund linked to the royal family of Qatar is said to be the ™ 1 front-runner in bidding for Barneys, with an offer of more than $1 billion. A weekly update on consumer attitudes and behavior based Target Stores’ chairman and ceo Robert Ulrich said the retailer plans to on ongoing research from Cotton Incorporated 3 expand into overseas markets such as India and China within a decade. Drew Barrymore is the new model and spokeswoman for Cover Girl BLUE CHIPS 3 cosmetics, the company said at a Los Angeles press conference. EYE: Power players descended on the Grill Room for a cocktail party Denim Figures Strategically in Women’s Fashion Portfolios 4 honoring A. Alfred Taubman and his new book, “Threshold Resistance.” Jeans are such a hot commodity today that consumer. According to the Monitor, 81 percent of FASHION: Designers are channeling a little bit of Raggedy Ann and Pippi many women surely consider their blue jeans the female consumers said that price was an important 6 Longstocking with a playful mix of quirky, eclectic looks for fall. blue chip stocks of their fashion portfolios. The high consideration in her denim purchases. The Wholesalers VF Corp., Liz Claiborne, Jones Apparel Group and Kellwood interest in denim is clearly reflected in the Cotton denim-buying consumer appears to be beating the 8 now see direct-to-consumer sales as a bigger part of their businesses. ™ Incorporated Lifestyle Monitor . On average, market; although the typical female respondent BEAT: Some feel the celebrity-as-designer is losing its luster, but this fall female respondents to the survey told the Monitor that she was 11 will see Sarah Jessica Parker, Paris Hilton and Sienna Miller join the fray. stated that they wear denim four willing to pay as much as $37 DENIM: Denim is a key ingredient at LFT Lifestyle Fashion Terminal, the days a week and own 16 denim for a pair of good-fitting jeans, 12 large fashion emporium in Victory Park in downtown Dallas. garments; half of which are jeans. she actually paid an average “Women are investing in jeans price of $26. Classifi ed Advertisements.............................................................14-15 because they can wear them While most women put great To e-mail reporters and editors at WWD, the address is fi rstname. to work and on the weekend. stock in the value/price equation [email protected], using the individual’s name. Today, denim even has a place when purchasing denim, there WWD IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ADVANCE MAGAZINE PUBLISHERS INC. COPYRIGHT in the boardroom in some are denim fashionistas, or major ©2007 FAIRCHILD FASHION GROUP. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. environments,” offers Chad investors in the category, who VOLUME 193, NO. 78. WWD (ISSN 0149–5380) is published daily (except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, with one additional issue in January and November, two additional issues in March, May, June, August and December, and three Jackson, marketing manager are less concerned with price additional issues in February, April, September and October) by Fairchild Fashion Group, which is a division of Advance for Evisu, a twenty-year-old and more interested in brand 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 denim label. “There are so many name. “If you find a pair that Vice President/COO; Debi Chirichella Sabino, Senior Vice President/CFO; Jill Bright, Executive Vice President/Human fits, washes and variations that looks really good and flatters your Resources. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, and at additional mailing offi ces. Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40644503. Canadian Goods and Services Tax Registration No. 886549096-RT0001. Canada Post: return it’s easy to see why women buy body type, you are willing to undeliverable Canadian addresses to: P.O. Box 503, RPO West Beaver Cre, Rich-Hill, ON L4B 4R6 POSTMASTER: so many pairs.” spend for it,” confirms Rashal, SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY, P.O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA “When it comes to jeans, there the online authority. 91615–5008. FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS, ADDRESS CHANGES, ADJUSTMENTS, OR BACK ISSUE “Women are investing in jeans INQUIRIES: Please write to WWD, P.O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA 91615-5008, call 800-289-0273, or visit really is something for everyone,” That may explain the virtual www.subnow.com/wd. Please give both new and old addresses as printed on most recent label. First copy of new promises Gili Rashal, founder and because they wear them to work explosion of the premium subscription will be mailed within four weeks after receipt of order. Address all editorial, business, and production and on the weekend.” correspondence to WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY, 750 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017. For permissions and reprint requests, editor-in-chief of The Tip Jar, an denim market in recent years. please call 212-630-4274 or fax requests to 212-630-4280. Visit us online at www.wwd.com. To subscribe to other online fashion resource. “Even — Chad Jackson, According to NPD Fashionworld Fairchild magazines on the World Wide Web, visit www.fairchildpub.com. Occasionally, we make our subscriber list marketing manager, Evisu available to carefully screened companies that offer products and services that we believe would interest our readers. though there are so many denim AccuPanel data, the average price If you do not want to receive these offers and/or information, please advise us at P.O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA 91615-5008 or call 800-289-0273. WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RETURN OR LOSS OF, lines and variations in cut, there of premium denim jeans, those OR FOR DAMAGE OR ANY OTHER INJURY TO, UNSOLICITED MANUSCRIPTS, UNSOLICITED ART WORK (INCLUDING, is a perfect fit for every woman. Fit is clearly the priced $60 and above, reached an all time high BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DRAWINGS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND TRANSPARENCIES), OR ANY OTHER UNSOLICITED MATERIALS. THOSE SUBMITTING MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, ART WORK, OR OTHER MATERIALS FOR most important component of good denim. I of $93 in 2005. That figure did dip slightly in CONSIDERATION SHOULD NOT SEND ORIGINALS, UNLESS SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED TO DO SO BY WOMEN’S WEAR think that once you find one jean that you like, 2006 to $88, but the premium denim market is DAILY IN WRITING. MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND OTHER MATERIALS SUBMITTED MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY try another style in that brand; the fit should be still steadily building momentum. In 2006, jeans A SELF-ADDRESSED STAMPED ENVELOPE. consistent throughout the line.” priced $60 and above accounted for 4 percent of Fit is particularly important to those women the market, up from 3 percent in 2005. investing in premium and elite premium denim. “I definitely expect the market to get even A 2005 survey on premium denim conducted by stronger as denim continues to mature and In Brief Cotton Incorporated reveals that 85 percent of diversify,” affirms Jackson from Evisu. “There is female respondents such innovation in styles, ● HERRERA RISES TO THE TOP: Carolina Herrera tops the list viewed fit as the most fits, materials, washes and Women’s Feelings About Denim of Modern Bride’s 25 leading trendsetters this year. Renowned important aspect of techniques that we will chef Daniel Boulud and high-fl ying British entrepreneur Sir blue jeans. 58.9% see the demand rise. Richard Branson will also be toasted at the magazine’s May 60% The focus on fit is 05Q4 There are also changing 9 awards ceremony at the New York Palace Hotel. Branson’s 50.7% 06Q4 Virgin Galactic is testing fl ights just out of the Earth’s atmo- precisely why Zafu. 50% social conditions that com was born, explains see jeans becoming sphere — new territory for more adventuresome brides-to- 40% be.