sign in sign up
<<
Home , Bob Mackie, Cruise collection, Kristen McMenamy, Lanvin (company), Nicola Formichetti, Puig (company)

BIG IN BEIJING DIANE VON FURSTENBERG FETED WITH EXHIBIT IN CHINA. STYLE, PAGE S2

WWDTUESDAY, APRIL 5, 2011 ■ WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY ■ $3.00 ZEROING IN Puig Said In Talks Over Gaultier Stake founded in 1982, and remain at the By MILES SOCHA creative helm. As reported, Hermès said Friday — As Parisian as the Eiffel it had initiated discussions to sell its Tower, might soon shares in Gaultier, without identify- become a Spanish-controlled company. ing the potential buyers. The maker According to market sources, of Birkin bags and de- Puig — the -based parent clined all comment on Monday, as did of , and a spokeswoman for Gaultier. Paco Rabanne — has entered into ex- Puig offi cials could not be reached clusive negotiations to acquire the 45 for comment. percent stake in Gaultier owned by A deal with Puig — a family-owned Hermès International. company that has recently been gain- It is understood Puig will also pur- ing traction with Ricci and expand- chase some shares from Gaultier him- ing Herrera and has a reputation for self, which would give the Spanish being respectful of creative talents beauty giant majority ownership of —would offer a new lease on life for a landmark French house — and in- Gaultier, a designer whose licensing- stantly make it a bigger player in the driven house has struggled to fashion world. thrive in the shadow of fashion giants Gaultier, 58, is expected to retain like , and . a signifi cant stake in the company he SEE PAGE 6

IN WWD TODAY

Armani Eyes U.S. Growth PAGE 2 FASHION: On the back of a strong fall collection, is plotting aggressive growth in the U.S. under new chief executive Graziano de Boni.

Formichetti’s Digital View PAGE 2 MEDIA: Stylist Nicola Formichetti views social media as a key element in the relaunch of

Mugler — from live-streaming L to YouTube, to .

Price Increases Pinch Vendors STYLE, PAGE S3 TEXTILES: At Interstoff Asia, Graphic buyers and vendors said spiraling costs remain a major hurdle. Content Straying far from the plain and simple, designers are going for the bold this fall with vibrant prints and geometric colorblocking. Here, Risto’s cashmere cardigan; Camilla and Marc’s ponte bustier; BCBG Max Azria’s wool bodysuit and 3.1 Phillip Lim’s silk and wool pants. Andrew Kanakis necklace; Ben-Amun bangles. For more, see pages 4 and 5.

PHOTOS BY THOMAS IANNACCONE; STYLED BY MAYTE ALLENDE MODEL: ANNABELLE/WOMEN; HAIR: AYUMI YAMAMOTO/DEFACTO FOR REDKEN; MAKEUP: JENNY MYLES/WORKGROUP LTD; FASHION ASSISTANT: JOANN DAVILA DAVILA JOANN ASSISTANT: FASHION LTD; MYLES/WORKGROUP JENNY MAKEUP: REDKEN; FOR YAMAMOTO/DEFACTO AYUMI HAIR: ANNABELLE/WOMEN; MODEL: PHOTOS BY THOMAS IANNACONE 2 WWD TUESDAY, APRIL 5, 2011

A still from Mugler’s live-stream FINANCIAL and Mugler’s Facebook page. Snow Phipps Takes A Stake in Velvet VELVET, A CONTEMPORARY casual collection, has received an investment from private equity fi rm Snow Phipps Group in exchange for a “signifi cant” stake in the company. Details of the transaction were not disclosed. Velvet’s chief executive offi cer, Henry Hirschowitz, will remain with the company. Also staying are its designers, Jenny Graham and Toni Spencer. The collection is sold in high-end doors such as Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue. The fi rm’s Graham and Spencer collection is the priciest of the three, while Velvet has the largest distribution. The com- The Digital World of Mugler pany’s Velvetmen men’s wear collection is the smallest of the three lines. all parts of the world,” he said. “I’m not a designer. So Snow Phipps operating partner Andrew Megibow By RACHEL STRUGATZ even when I style or do projects, it’s a total collabora- will join Velvet as non-executive chairman. Megibow tion with other people. That’s how I work.” was formerly chief operating offi cer of Ellen Tracy NICOLA FORMICHETTI fi rmly believes the future of With respect to the label’s first show with Inc., and is the grandson of Ellen Tracy founder Herb Mugler lies in the digital world. Formichetti at the helm, the result served as even more Galen. Under Megibow’s 15-year tenure, Ellen Tracy’s Formichetti brings a surfeit of digital savvy to the evidence that a new era had arrived. The social media revenues grew to $200 million from $40 million. 37-year old fashion house (he was advertising jobs on aspect aside, the infusion of pop music and the pres- Hirschowitz said the timing was right to seek an in- Twitter long before was doing it), and the ence of one of the most iconic artists of modern pop cul- vestor to grow the . “There is signifi cant growth social media circus that amassed following the brand’s ture helped propel the brand’s comeback collection. opportunity for Velvet in expanding the company into live-stream of its fall show on March 2 had impressions “Normally, you wouldn’t put pop music in a fashion possibly retail and licens- estimated to be 115,607,323 in just one week’s time. It show,” Formichetti said, “but it fi ts with the idea of the ing. With the help from also became the number-one Twitter trend worldwide new Mugler world — the pop and the high fashion, the Snow Phipps, Velvet is An ad for during the actual live-stream on Mugler’s Facebook page real world and the digital mixed with this fantasy world.” well-positioned with its Velvet. with 3.2 million page views, and YouTube subsequent- Keeping in step with this “new Mugler world,” it’s clear infrastructure to ride the ly posted the video on its wall to over 30 million fans, that Formichetti gravitates toward the extreme. He even recovery in the economy.” tweeting the same to its 2 million followers on Twitter. goes so far as to draw a contrast between himself and Tom In addition to a do- The hashtag #Mugler was used almost 15,000 times. Ford — who, for the unveiling of his fi rst women’s collec- mestic presence, Velvet “My job was to resurrect the brand, and to pump it up tion, strictly prohibited the taking of any photographs at the is sold internationally in and bring it to the new decade,” Formichetti told WWD in event, which was so exclusive that only a handful of editors Europe, Canada, Japan, a phone interview from Los Angeles last week, and buyers was able to gain entrée. “I’m not Australia and New where he was styling for the fi lming an elitist,” Formichetti said. “I want to share Zealand. It currently of her “Judas” music video. “I had this amazing what I’m doing with everyone so that’s why does not have any retail history and archive but there was nothing for me when we did the presentation, I put so much or licensing operations. to work with to make it contemporary. For me, energy into the actual fi lming of the show for Ian Snow, managing it was taking those amazing historical ideas and the live-stream. In a way, I wanted to have the partner at Snow Phipps, transforming them digitally. I design digitally, I people in front of a screen to have a better said, “This transaction communicate digitally, and I live digitally, and I seat than the people in the front row. represents our fi rm’s fi rst wanted to incorporate that into the brand.” “I remember straight after the show, foray into the apparel in- The media blitz that surrounded the unveil- me and [Lady] Gaga just ran backstage dustry despite having spent a number of years search- ing was carefully calculated by digital agency and went onto our computers and went on ing for an ideal investment candidate.” Moving Image and Content, with all digital pub- Twitter to see what the fans were saying.” According to Megibow, Snow Phipps made the lic relations handled by KCD Digital in Paris, But Formichetti is very aware that a neg- investment because it was impressed with Velvet’s and part of the brand’s digital strategy included Nicola ative side to overexposure exists. If one be- infrastructure, which could “support additional a 45-minute preshow (in addition to the actual Formichetti comes too mass and promotional, the public add-ons and .” He said Velvet also met the runway show) fi lmed from multiple cameras and its short attention span gets bored fast. private equity fi rm’s other criteria for an invest- that fans could watch to build buzz before the actual event. It’s because of this that all press samples are kept exclu- ment: “Velvet is an authentic brand. It has both cre- The label’s fan base on the social medium nearly doubled sive. “I’m not giving them to every magazine,” he said. ative talent and a strong executive team.” to 80,000 from 45,000 “likes” in one week. Going forward, Formichetti said he would love to make Frederick Schmitt, managing director of The Sage It didn’t hurt that Lady Gaga tweeted to her 9.2 mil- a video about and what he’s done from the Group, the investment banking fi rm that advised lion Twitter followers that she’d be taking the stage dur- Eighties until now. He also wants to fi nd a way to digitally Velvet, said the brand, in the market for about 12 ing the show, although Formichetti insists this was not highlight the showroom to focus more on the clothes and years, is currently distributed in specialty boutiques done purposefully. show followers more of the creative process. and, through a distribution partner, at high-end stores “She was so excited to share that information with “Digital media is incredible. I’ve been meeting so outside the U.S. “The product has been very suc- her fans and to be in the show. There was no ‘we have to many young creative geniuses through social media. cessful in its current distribution, and with Andrew get these hits’ mentality. I just wanted her to be in the They are just 22 or 23, and I’m just wowed. They’re as [Megibow’s] help, they have the opportunity to take show and to share this with young people that are inter- important as the creative people who’ve been work- the brand beyond where it is today,” the banker said. ested in fashion,” Formichetti said. ing for a long, long time. The digital thing just com- Investment banker William Susman at Susman LLC The pop-culture junkie does maintain that while pletely twists everything. We’re all on the same page,” advised Snow Phipps in conjunction with Financo Inc. he will always love fashion and celebrate the storied Formichetti said. “Before, you had to go to school and Susman said, “We think the combination of the his- fashion houses — he does want to embrace digital and learn how to make patterns and kind of pay your dues toric market presence of Velvet with the capital and cutting-edge technologies to a new level for the brand, and work with someone, but now anyone can [pursue management resources of Snow Phipps make for a which saw its heyday in the Eighties. Currently, most of their career goals] — and if you’re smart enough, you great combination to grow the Velvet brand and build Formichetti’s inspiration is drawn from the Internet. can be as powerful as someone doing the same thing for from this platform a thriving apparel franchise.” “I collaborate with everyone on the Web, and I design 10 or 20 years. I love that you see bloggers and young — VICKI M. YOUNG as a collaborative effort digitally with people located in kids in the fashion shows. We’re changing. Finally.”

TO E-MAIL REPORTERS AND EDITORS AT WWD, THE ADDRESS IS DAILY QUOTE TODAY ON WWD.COM [email protected], USING THE INDIVIDUAL’S NAME. WWD IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ADVANCE MAGAZINE PUBLISHERS INC. Hollei ■ EYESCOOP: See Model COPYRIGHT ©2011 FAIRCHILD FASHION GROUP. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. Graves VOLUME 201, NO. 70. Tuesday, April 5, 2011. WWD (ISSN 0149–5380) is published daily (except Saturdays, Sundays and I remember straight Call: Hollei Graves and the holidays, with one additional issue in May, June, November and December, two additional issues in February, March, April and latest edition of Fashion August and three additional issues in 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: after the show, me Rehab at WWD.com/eyescoop. S.I. Newhouse, Jr., Chairman; Charles H. Townsend, Chief Executive Offi cer; Robert A. Sauerberg Jr., President; John W. Bellando, Chief ■ FASHION: See more images Operating Offi cer & Chief Financial Offi cer; Jill Bright, Chief Administrative Offi cer. 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. and [Lady] Gaga from ’s Lavender 886549096-RT0001. Canada Post: return undeliverable Canadian addresses to P.O. Box 503, RPO West Beaver Cre, Rich-Hill, ON L4B collection as well as the “Diane 4R6. POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY, P.O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA 91615 5008. FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS, ADDRESS CHANGES, ADJUSTMENTS, OR BACK ISSUE INQUIRIES: Please write to WWD, P.O. Box 15008, North just ran backstage von Furstenberg: Journey of a Hollywood, CA 91615-5008, call 800-289-0273, or visit www.subnow.com/wd. Please give both new and old addresses as printed on Dress” exhibit in Shanghai at most recent label. Subscribers: If the Post Offi ce alerts us that your magazine is undeliverable, we have no further obligation unless we WWD.com/fashion-news. receive a corrected address within one year. If during your subscription term or up to one year after the magazine becomes undeliverable, and went onto our you are ever dissatisfi ed with your subscription, let us know. You will receive a full refund on all unmailed issues. First copy of new ■ WWDBLOG: See the latest subscription will be mailed within four weeks after receipt of order. Address all editorial, business, and production correspondence from WWD’s newly relaunched to WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY, 750 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017. For permissions requests, please call 212-630-5656 or fax the computers and went request to 212-630-5883. For reprints of articles, please contact Scoop ReprintSource at 800-767-3263 or via e-mail at blog at WWD.com/fashion-blogs. [email protected]. Visit us online at www.wwd.com. To subscribe to other Fairchild Fashion Group magazines on the World ■ BUSINESS: More Wide Web, visit www.fairchildpub.com. Occasionally, we make our subscriber list available to carefully screened companies that offer on Twitter to see what IANNACCONE products and services that we believe would interest our readers. If you do not want to receive these offers and/or information, please fi nancial news and daily advise us at P.O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA 91615-5008 or call 800-289-0273. WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY IS NOT RESPONSIBLE stock movements at FOR THE RETURN OR LOSS OF, OR FOR DAMAGE OR ANY OTHER INJURY TO, UNSOLICITED MANUSCRIPTS, UNSOLICITED ART WORK

the fans were saying. THOMAS (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DRAWINGS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND TRANSPARENCIES), OR ANY OTHER UNSOLICITED MATERIALS.

BY WWD.com/business-news. — NICOLA FORMICHETTI, PAGE 2. THOSE SUBMITTING MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, ART WORK, OR OTHER MATERIALS FOR CONSIDERATION SHOULD NOT SEND ■ GLOBAL BREAKING NEWS ORIGINALS, UNLESS SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED TO DO SO BY WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY IN WRITING. MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND

PHOTO OTHER MATERIALS SUBMITTED MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY A SELF-ADDRESSED STAMPED ENVELOPE. WwD tuesday, april 5, 2011 3 WWD.COM De Boni on Armani Strategy Fashion Scoops “We will also farther develop wholesale, particu- BALMAIN’S NEW DEAL?: Ittierre SpA may have secured a license with By Marc Karimzadeh larly in the men’s area,” de Boni said. “We will also Balmain, according to sources. The Italian manufacturing company start to freshen up some of our locations, particu- had no comment Monday. Ittierre was part of the IT Holding SpA group NEW YORK — After one of his strongest collections larly for Giorgio Armani.” that included the Gianfranco Ferré and Malo labels. After almost two in memory for fall, Giorgio Armani is riding high. Now Before the end of this year, the company plans to years of government-backed bankruptcy protection, the sale of Ittierre the U.S. arm of his fashion house is hoping to capital- close its flagship for renovations, to Albisetti SpA was finalized in January. Ittierre produces the C’N’C ize on the momentum as a foundation for growth. with plans to introduce a new store concept to the Costume National, Galliano and Ermanno Ermanno Scervino collections With Graziano de Boni installed as chief execu- location developed internally. During the closure, and Just Cavalli, which is to decamp to ’s Staff International tive officer since Jan. 10, Giorgio Armani Corp. is Armani is set to open a temporary store on the with the 2012 season. Albisetti’s owner, Antonio Bianchi, told embarking on a multipronged strategic plan. It in- same street. “We will also be renovating our New WWD earlier this year that he was planning to expand its stable of cludes prioritizing the main Giorgio Armani brand York shop-in-shops with the different partners we licensed brands with new international fashion labels. for women and men, which will serve as an umbrel- have, starting this year,” de Boni said. la for the other U.S. brands, which include Armani To support the growth, de Boni is working on re- DELLA VALLE’S REBUTTAL: After several Italian national newspapers Collezioni, Emporio Armani, Armani Jeans and aligning the structure of the U.S. arm to make it brand- reported Monday that controversy was brewing around Diego Della Valle’s Armani Junior. driven instead of being geographically oriented recent decision to restore the Colosseum in , Tod’s Group released Denying reports the company no longer consid- “We just changed our wholesale and retail orga- a statement clarifying the various points of contention. The crux of the ers , which accounts for 17.3 percent nizations where we can have leaders run each indi- debate revolved around the uncertainty regarding the details of the of Armani’s total business, a key market of oppor- vidual brand, both at retail and wholesale, which is agreement between Della Valle and the Ministry of Culture. One Italian tunity, executives say the eco- very important,” de Boni said. politician speculated the Italian mogul would have exclusive and private nomic recovery here offers sig- “The focus on Giorgio Armani or use of the image of the Colosseum for commercial purposes, while nificant opportunity. Emporio Armani can only come another questioned his intention to provide all of the funds himself. “We are already seeing a when you have an organization Tod’s confirmed Della Valle’s contribution of 25 million euros, or $35.5 strong recovery in our U.S. sales that is committed to each.” million at current exchange, for the restoration as well as “no possibility and we are determined to invest To that end, the company that the group will use the monument for advertising or commercial strongly in people and in real es- promoted Laura Giulini to se- purposes, nor in exclusivity nor in any other way,” as had been originally tate so as to take full advantage nior vice president of whole- communicated during a press conference in January. of the upturn and consolidate sale, a new role. She was previ- our preeminent position in the ously vice president of Emporio BIG FOR JAPAN: Designers got quite creative with their donations for the market,” said John Hooks, dep- Armani, Armani Jeans and Council of Fashion Designers of America’s Fashion & Friends for Japan uty chairman of Armani Group. Armani Junior wholesale, and charity auction, which kicks off today on Charitybuzz.com and aids After multiple meetings will now oversee the teams being victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. with Armani and the company’s built for each of the brands. She Among the 75 donations are a full week’s stay at CFDA president Diane worldwide managing director will report to de Boni. von Furstenberg’s private home in ; a tour of Vanity Fair’s Livio Proli, de Boni said the ini- “We are also farther building offices that includes sitting in on a meeting in editor in chief Graydon tial focus will be “farther, devel- the Armani Jeans and Armani Carter’s office and dinner for four at The Monkey Bar, and a chance to op, work, enhance, and support Junior businesses,” he added. experience ’s Paris culminating with tickets for “The Art of the our Giorgio Armani brand, our “We will probably even look at Automobile: Masterpieces of the Ralph Lauren Collection.” Meanwhile, main line. It has always been a opening a couple of freestand- Vogue is offering an opportunity to meet and attend a Vogue good business, and a great busi- ing stores for Armani Junior.” shoot, while DKNY donated a VIP experience at Yankee Stadium when ness in our own freestanding Also in the pipeline will be the Yankees play the Tampa Bay Rays on July 9, including a chance to stores, but in many ways, it has the launch of a global e-com- meet Yankees manager Joe Girardi. These are not all the lots, however. The not developed to the extent that merce site encompassing all the auction is ongoing and donations can still be made. it should be, including at whole- MITRA company’s brands on one site, sale. Therefore, we redirected which is slated to go live this ANNIVERSARY PARTY: “One always loves success,” noted Caroline Rose the focus of the organization ROBERT September. Currently, the com- Hunt, a serene octogenarian presence within the uproar of Stanley BY here in the U.S. to really care Graziano de Boni pany only offers e-commerce for Korshak’s 25th anniversary party. Hunt opened the designer store to

and nurture our main line.” PHOTO Emporio Armani in the U.S. anchor the retail complex at her Rosewood Crescent Hotel in Dallas, While he wouldn’t disclose Meanwhile, Emporio and sold the business in 2002 to longtime manager Crawford Brock. specifics on the number of doors that carry the Armani is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, He more than doubled it to 65,000 square feet — nearly all of the main line, he said, “The women’s is a little farther and to mark the occasion, Armani is launching an Crescent’s retail space. The festivities attracted more than 700 people, developed, but the men’s is just a handful of doors Emporio Armani Remix capsule collection of reis- from old-guard Texans who had celebrated Korshak’s debut with Hunt in America. We see an opportunity for this. We all sues of some of the line’s most popular styles. The to the young, rich and fashion savvy, including Billie Leigh Rippey, Shy know how much the top end of luxury has grown in Remix collection is exclusive to the U.S. market and and Charlotte Jones Anderson, Linda and Steve Ivy, Eduardo and Kary the last 10 years or so, even taking the great reces- will launch at select Emporio Armani stores today Brittingham, and Doris Jacobs and her daughter Teffy. “We made it!” sion of 2008 into consideration. We see the business with an event at Armani/5th Avenue. It will be ac- enthused Rose Clark, general merchandise manager. coming back at the top end very strongly, and like companied by a photo exhibition called “Momenti Brock flitted among the crowd like a hummingbird gathering nectar. any luxury brand, your main line is always the one di Emporio” at the Fifth Avenue store and Emporio “It’s fantastic,” he exclaimed. Business is coming back from the trough that sets the overall tone.” Armani in San Francisco. The exhibit features im- of 2009 — up nearly 15 percent last year, Brock noted in an interview The company operates 12 freestanding Giorgio ages from Emporio Armani Magazine, which was earlier this month. “I think it’s due to new resources, and the economy Armani stores, a number de Boni plans to grow. “When published from 1987 to 1997. De Boni said that there is trying to come back. We will exceed ’08 sales this year. We could hit you map out the luxury competition’s presence in are plans to grow Emporio in the U.S. as well. ’07 by the end of 2012, but my guess is it will be closer to ’13.” North America in terms of freestanding stores, there “In the U.S., Emporio is predominantly a free- are definitely opportunities for us to open more free- standing business,” de Boni said. “We have nine LORO PIANA’S NEW SPACE: For Loro Piana, it’s not enough that Bergdorf standing stores in the next two or three years,” said de stores with Emporio Armani. There is a huge op- Goodman is already its top-volume wholesale door. The Italian brand Boni, who, prior to Armani, had similar positions at portunity to bring that brand and the Armani name wants to elevate the productivity and has relocated its Bergdorf shop Reed Krakoff, and Valentino. to a lot of different markets in the U.S.” to a higher traffic spot on the fourth floor between the escalator and elevators and reconceptualized the merchandising. “There’s tremendous exposure. That’s really important to us,” said Pier Luigi Guerci, president and chief executive officer of Loro Piana USA. The new shop, launched Friday, is similar in decor to the company’s others, Former Gucci Employee Charged With Hacking although the merchandising has advanced with soft accessories and a wider selection of handbags intergrated with ladies’ ready-to-wear. Gucci provides employees with remote access to Guerci said the shop represents “a lifestyle approach and stronger By ALEXANDRA STEIGRAD its virtual private network by attaching a USB-sized representation of the brand” and that it could be considered a prototype token to a computer, according to court papers. After for other in-store shops. At 754 square feet, the shop is only slightly NEW YORK — A former Gucci network engineer being fired by Gucci in May 2010 for unrelated rea- larger than the previous one, yet it has 40 percent more capacity to was arraigned in Manhattan Supreme Court Monday sons, Yin allegedly took the VPN token with him. In display products, noted Patrick Adent, senior vice president of wholesale. for abusing his employee discount privileges and June 2010, the former employee e-mailed members hacking into the company’s computer system. of Gucci’s IT department using a fictional identity Led into the courtroom in handcuffs, Sam and “tricked them” into activating his VPN token. Chihlung Yin, 34, pleaded not guilty to a 50-count Yin gained “unfettered access” to Gucci’s network, charge that includes computer tampering in the according to court papers and, as a result, Gucci lost first degree and other charges that resulted in more access to documents and e-mail for nearly 24 hours, than $200,000 in damages, according to the court. while other documents and e-mails were deleted per- Clad in a North Face black fleece jacket, the manently. On Nov. 12, Yin allegedly accessed Gucci’s New Jersey resident’s penchant for designer network through the VPN for a two-hour period, dur- clothes wasn’t apparent, despite the allegations by ing which he deleted several virtual servers, shut assistant district attorney Ehren Reynolds that the down a storage area network and deleted a disk con- defendant, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Taiwan, taining the corporate mailboxes from an e-mail server. bought Gucci merchandise in bulk and shipped it The judge denied the DA’s request to set bail at overseas to Asia. $25,000, due in part to Yin’s spotless record. ee ns

According to the complaint, the former employ- The former Gucci employee was released on his hi C ee of Gucci America Inc. used an account he “se- own recognizance and is set to reappear in court

cretly created during his tenure at Gucci to access on May 31. eorge and control the company’s computer system, shut- The most serious of the charges, first-degree G BY ting down some of its servers and networks, and de- computer tampering, is punishable by up to 15 Loro Piana at Bergdorf Goodman. leting data from others.” years in prison. PHOTO 4 WwD TUESDAY, APRIL 5, 2011

t Jill Stuart’s silk charmeuse dress.

t Kimberly Ovitz’s viscose matte jersey dress. Hue tights; Giuseppe Zanotti shoes.

BLOCK Designers are taking a fresh angle on fall with precise lines, geometric patterns and graphic, bold colorblocking. — Mayte Allende

STARSphotoS by thomas iannacone WwD TUESDAY, APRIL 5, 2011 5 WWD.COM

t BCBG Max Azria’s silk dress and wool bodysuit. davila joann assistant: fashion ltd; group myles/work jenny makeup: redken; for

t Alice + Olivia by Stacey Bendet’s silk and Lycra spandex dress. Andrew Kanakis cuff; Ben-Amun bangles. yamamoto/defacto ayumi hair: annabelle/women; model: 6 WwD TUESDAY, APRIL 5, 2011 Puig Said In Talks to Buy Gaultier Stake

{Continued from page one} International, a subsidiary of Japan’s all sales in the period; the rest It would also represent a complete Shiseido. BPI has been Gaultier’s fra- of Europe, 26 percent; Latin split from Hermès, which had been an grance partner since 1990, concoct- America, 17 percent, and Russia, unlikely partner for the madcap design- ing such perennial hits as the men’s China, the Middle East and India er, famous for his irreverent approach fragrance Le Mâle, sold in a torso- together, 11 percent. Overall, to fashion and such outré inventions shaped bottle dressed in Gaultier’s Puig products are sold in more as skirts for men and Madonna’s now- signature sailor stripes. than 130 countries. iconic cone bustiers for her “Blond Puig boasts a wide-ranging Puig has numerous Ambition” tour. beauty portfolio, encompass- best-selling fragrances. Hermès purchased 35 percent of ing both mass-market prod- In 2009, Paco Rabanne’s Gaultier in 1999, upping its stake to ucts and high-end perfumes 1 Million men’s scent 45 percent in 2008 and installing one from a raft of creative de- ranked number two of its key executives, beauty veteran signers. Besides the Herrera, globally, save for Véronique Gautier, as president. She Rabanne and Ricci brands, in the U.S., where spearheaded an upscaling drive that fell Puig Prestige includes Comme it hadn’t yet been flat during the financial crisis in 2009, des Garçons Parfums, Prada launched, for instance. when revenues sank 19 percent to 23 mil- Parfums and Payot. Last year, it Also that year, Ricci Ricci lion euros, or $32.1 million at average added Valentino to the stable. was among ’s 10 exchange rates, according to Hermès’ feugere Puig Beauty, meantime, counts top-selling women’s scents most recent annual report. The effort Myrurgia, Perfumeria Gal, during the holiday season. also flew in the face of the populist image Antonio Puig, Antonio Banderas, Key mass-market introduc- stephane

of Gaultier, whose streetwise cheek has Jean Paul by Mango, Massimo Dutti and tions in that year includ- earned him a broad, cultlike following. Gaultier Zara among its brands. ed Antonio Banderas’

Last year, Gautier exited the company photo Recent fragrance proj- Seduction in Black for to join L’Oréal, and Hermès bid farewell ects for Puig Prestige include men and Mango’s Lady to Gaultier after employing him for seven L’Air de Nina Ricci, a next- Rebel for women. years as its designer of women’s ready- Puig seems keen generation entrant of the L’Air While many beauty to-wear, naming the relatively unknown du Temps classic that was giants have exited the Christophe Lemaire as his successor. launched this month. fashion business — with Sources said the death last year of the on becoming a Last year, Puig added a L’Oréal off-loading charismatic former Hermès chief execu- women’s scent — Lady Million Lanvin in 2001 and Jean Paul Gaultier Classique tive officer Jean-Louis Dumas, who had multibrand group in — to the blockbuster 1 Million Procter & Gamble Co. championed Gaultier, sped the two par- Paco Rabanne Parfums fra- transforming its trou- ties down the path to a divorce. the mold of LVMH. grance franchise, with Dree Hemingway bled Rochas fashion house into a licens- fronting the advertising. ing operation in 2008, two years after Le Male Terrible In 2009, the most recent year for shuttering it entirely — Puig seems keen Dumas had great admiration for which numbers are available, Puig’s op- on becoming a multibrand group more in Gaultier and other companies in which erating profits grew 18.3 percent year-on- the mold of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Hermès took a partial stake, such as the year to 97 million euros, or $135.3 million Vuitton than Coty Inc., for example. German camera maker Leica. “He is at average exchange. Total sales dipped 5 Ricci, under the creative direction the master of the house and we are the percent to 984 million euros, or $1.37 bil- of alum Peter Copping, is guest,” Dumas said of the investments in lion. The company’s beauty business was said to be on a solid growth track, while a WWD interview in 2002. “We are just estimated to have decreased 4 percent to it steadily accrues retail and press ac- trying to assist them with our knowledge 934.8 million euros, or $1.3 billion. Sales claim. Herrera has been expanding its of management. We receive from them of fragrance, which generated 83 percent CH Carolina Herrera brand, opening the vibrations of the specialized work of revenues, fell 3.5 percent, and Puig freestanding stores in major cities such they do.” increased its fragrance market share as New York, and Paris. For Puig, meanwhile, gaining con- to slightly more than 6 percent in 2009, Meanwhile, Puig is also plotting a reviv- trol of Gaultier will test its abilities as against 5 percent in 2008. al for Rabanne’s fashion business, having a brand manager and fashion operator, In 2009, cosmetics and personal care signed on Indian designer Manish Arora as while giving a better balance to its busi- rang up 12 percent of total Puig sales and creative director for women’s wear. Arora ness, still concentrated in fragrances. fashion, 5 percent. According to Puig, is slated to show his first collection for the It is understood Puig will have more than 50 percent of 2009 revenues French brand for the spring 2012 season to wait until 2015 to get its hands on came from products that hadn’t existed during Paris this fall. Gaultier’s lucrative fragrance license, five years prior. — With contributions from held until that year by Beauté Prestige generated 29 percent of over- Jennifer Weil

H&M, Forever 21 Going Large in Miami Beach memo pad The street is seeing more mall fever. Juicy By Rebecca Kleinman Couture opened a 1,600-square-foot boutique LADIES IN WAITING: Carine Roitfeld, a guest editor and stylist at Barneys at 1111 Lincoln Road in February. Aside from New York this fall, has also been tapped by none other than Karl MIAMI — Big is back on Miami Beach. beachy like silk rompers and a limited Lagerfeld. The designer just wrapped up shooting Chanel’s fall- In 2012, H&M will bow in 22,000 square feet edition flamingo T-shirt, it stocks surfboards, campaign in Paris with Danish model , a Chanel of the Lincoln Theatre, New World Symphony’s books and art works as a nod to Art Basel. Come regular, the sole model, and Roitfeld, the former Vogue Paris editor in former Art Deco digs before relocating to Frank fall, Madewell joins the pack. chief, as stylist. “The mix with Freja was genius,” Lagerfeld assured. Gehry’s splashy campus. The multilevel store’s Meanwhile, northeast of Lincoln Road, the Next week, the snap-happy fashion maven will lens the design keeps the original cinema’s bones, ac- oceanfront Collins Park district continues its as- campaign, once again with Anja Rubik. “I like to work with the same cording to Lyle Stern, president of Koniver Stern cent. Anchored by the W and Setai hotels, the newly girls and boys all the time,” he said. To wit: Lagerfeld has assembled a Group, a retail real estate development and bro- gentrified area is filling in fast with retail and res- slew of his favorite ladies — including Erichsen, Lady Amanda Harlech, kerage firm in Miami Beach. His company part- taurants like Serafina Rock ’n’ Roll. Its influx of Anna Mouglalis and Kristen McMenamy — to star in a movie he is making nered with locally based Savitar Realty Advisors well-heeled foot traffic convinced Inca swimwear in tandem with the Chanel cruise collection he will show in Antibes on to purchase the property for its key corner loca- designer and retailer Stacy Josloff to jump ship May 9. It will be shot in Monaco and other locations in the South of tion and two high-density parking garages. from the Gansevoort hotel to a street entrance at France. — Miles Socha “The island is usually opposed to large retail the W. She revamped her former Inca boutique into spaces, but something of this size was necessary for Therapy, a multibrand concept for men, women and JERSEY FASHION: What is it about New Jersey and fashion? No, we’re preservation,” he said, following a four-year search children with an on-site Warren-Tricomi salon. not talking “The Sopranos.” Following the success of MTV’s “Jersey for the right tenant with plans to replace the north Porcelain tiles with wood grain, swirls of gold Shore,” The Style Network has delivered its own take on the Garden side wall with glass for views of the action on inlay and a witty mural by Peter Tunney work State with “Jerseylicious,” the reality show that centers around Lincoln Lane and in New World’s park. “The site’s back to the hotel’s modern organic direction and catfights and diva drama inside a beauty salon. two additional spaces are also under contract.” contemporary art collection. Glass-topped coffee It turns out viewers can’t get enough Aquanet and animal prints: Farther west on the pedestrian mall, Forever tables hold clutches in exotic skins by Vanessa The Style Network is reporting that “Jerseylicious” has become its 21 will open its three-story, 39,000-square-foot Trump, while a grommet-studded table and hand highest-rated program of all time and so a third season is slated to flagship in September. Not having housed a single sculptures extending from a wall offer jewelry by begin May 15, as the ladies at the Gatsby Salon try to break the tenant since Saks Fifth Avenue, its historic build- King Baby and Mizuki. More textures meet every Guinness World Record for most haircuts in an eight-hour period. ing is the largest specialty retail store in Miami turn of the eye whether fish-scale surfaces or sal- That’s a lot of hair spray. — Amy Wicks Beach, according to Michael Comras, principal of vaged wood for ladderlike shelves. Comras Co., a nearby real estate development and “People come to Miami Beach and realize they NEW TEAM: Dolce & Gabbana has set up a new U.S. public relations leasing firm that owns the location. packed all wrong,” said Josloff, who also has good structure, which will report to the company’s headquarters. “Most people don’t remember that Lincoln response with pieces from Miami designers such as Cara Forte joined as editorial manager; Brittany Espy, formerly at Bally Road was originally geared toward large-scale Camele’s retro jumpsuit in Malibu pink for $250 U.S., was tapped as public relations manager, and Nora Flaherty as retail like Bonwit Teller and Cadillac car show- and Juliet & Jake’s knit ponchos with fringe for entertainment manager. — Luisa Zargani rooms,” he said. $180 and clutches of wrapped crocodile tails for $595. WWD TUESDAY, APRIL 5, 2011 7 WWD.COM BEAUTY BEAT OBITUARY Aerin Lauder Starting Own Brand Executive Gerald Solovei

NeW yoRK — aerin lauder, who has been a high- licenses like eyewear that are being arranged By RosemaRy FeitelbeRg Gerald profile face for the estée lauder brand as well as with other companies. For beauty accessories, Solovei senior vice president and creative director for the like sunglasses, lauder described the price NeW yoRK — longtime indus- division of the estée lauder Cos. inc., is in the pro- range as “easy” luxury, as in “easy jewelry. it’s try executive gerald solovei, 69, cess of creating her own beauty line — fragrance not fashion in the sense of ,” she said in who championed , and color cosmetics — under the name aerin. an interview with WWD. she said the brand will arnold scaasi and elizabeth the brand is expected to be be aimed at a luxury customer arden, died saturday at mt. sinai marketed by the lauder division, Aerin who “want things made simple.” Hospital. the cause of death was as the exclusive beauty licensee Lauder it is expected that merchan- heart failure due to other medi- of her new company, aerin llC. dise will begin hitting retail cal complications, according to Details were still being worked counters next spring, with the marie mcCarty, who worked with out at press time. beauty products sold at the him at mackie and scaasi. lauder, the granddaughter of lauder counter. the accessories after graduating from the the company’s founder, will re- and home accessory products University of North Carolina at main with lauder as a creative will be retailed in another loca- Chapel Hill, solovei went on to consultant and the brand’s global tion. the aerin lifestyle brand earn a business degree at New ambassador and spokesperson. is expected to hit stores prior to york University. early in his ca- she said she will continue to work the aerin cosmetics collection. reer, solovei worked in retail at on advertising campaigns and lauder said her vision involves Detinna, a Fifth avenue store, other aspects of image creativity having the aerin lifestyle brand before moving on to buy bonwit for the lauder brand, as the style housed in a shop within a shop. teller’s couture collections in and image director. she will re- she confirmed having set up the store’s heyday. enthusiastic main on the company’s board. eichner Steve by Photo an office in the Fuller building at and flamboyant, solovei exited the beauty initiative is one madison avenue and 57th street, the buying side of the business of three avenues being pursued by lauder in an as had been first reported by the New york Post. to help mackie build sales. He seventies,” mackie said. “He effort to create what she calls “a luxury lifestyle the 40-year-old lauder said, “i’ve worked later moved on to arden and was always fun at a party and he brand.” she described the positioning of the brand at the estée lauder brand for many years,” then to scaasi boutique, the de- loved to cook. For our first full as luxurious but “it’s about making it easy for the and that it is important she remain part of that signer’s now-defunct ready-to- couture collection presentation, consumer and knowing what she is looking for.” brand. However, “i had a dream of doing this as wear business. he cooked a whole meal and set the other two prongs of the initiative are ac- i was growing up. i am taking the chance to fol- solovei also served as presi- up his Upper east side apart- cessories and home accessories, which include low my dream.” —Peteborn dent of the New york Fashion ment like a restaurant. Council. in 1997, he teamed with entertaining as he was, solovei gerald shaw, a former partner of was not one to mince words. “if a , to sell oZ, an salesperson was not dressed ap- italian-made collection by sergio propriately or their suit was too Gemvara Gets Funding From Balderton ognibene and Peter Zendman. tight, he would tell the person. gemvaRa iNC., aN oNliNe RetaileR oF customer-designed fine jewelry, has closed on a $15 Reached by phone thursday, He was a boss — he couldn’t help million round of third-round funding led by balderton Capital. mackie recalled how he and his himself,” mackie said. balderton Capital is one of europe’s largest venture capital firms. the latest round of funding business partner scaasi also recalled solovei’s includes participation from existing investors Highland Capital Partners and Canaan Partners. first met solovei in 1969 or 1970. straightshooting ways. “He Highland is also an investor in barcelona-based online private-sales club Privalia. “He was quite the character. He was a charmer. He was a nice gemvara said it plans to use the capital to further enhance its jewelry shopping experience, ex- created a wonderful department. human being who would not do pand the breadth of merchandise featured on its platform and continue providing highly personal- bonwit teller was really going at anything that was not honest or ized customer service. that moment,” mackie said. “He straightforward,” scaasi said. the first two rounds of financing raised more than $10 million. just loved the business. He was “He was a great help to me in based in lexington, mass., gemvara was launched in February 2010. one of those crazy people — that’s the business.” the firm hand-selects high- quality conflict-free natural gems and produces each piece by hand in the what he lived for.” solovei is survived by his sis- U.s. Customers at the site pick the design of choice and then choose the gem and metal preferred to suit Fond of fun ties, caftans and ter, Phyllis shapiro, and brother their styles and budgets. orders take about three weeks to be filled and delivered. bright-colored socks, solovei edward solovei. the firm’s name is inspired by the word “vara,” ancient sanskrit for “wish.” “always had a lot of clothes  —withcontributions  —VicKim.Young going on — certainly in the  frommarcKarimzadeh

WWD.COM/CLASSIFIEDS

For more career opportunities log on to WWDCareers.com. Spaces Obsessed With Shoes? COMMERCIAL Midtown NYC Fashion house seeks REAL ESTATE Experienced Domestic Salesperson. Contacts with Junior Chain stores re- The Nation’s Ultimate Shoe Design Competition quired. Full time plus commission. Email resume to [email protected]

Showrooms & Lofts www.fnshoestar.com >> Watch today! BWAY 7TH AVE SIDE STREETS Great ’New’ Office Space Avail ADAMS & CO. 212-679-5500

Question about your To place an “ONLINE ONLY” Subscription? classified ad, log into WWDCAREERS.com Call 1-800-289-0273 and place your ad any time Another reason to love The Fabric of Our Lives ® AMERICAÕS COTTON PRODUCERS AND IMPORTERS. ª Service Mark/Trademark of Cotton Incorporated. © Incorporated, 2011. ª Service Mark/Trademark COTTON PRODUCERS AND IMPORTERS. AMERICAÕS

in Shoshanna

Beach beauty and critically acclaimed folk-pop singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat shows us how The Fabric of Our Lives ® has become the fabric of her life in commercials from Cotton Incorporated. Along with pop singer Leona Lewis, Colbie demonstrates cotton’s style and versatility to a whole new generation of young women. And for you that means a whole new generation of customers. LADy In LAvenDer: vera Wang relaunches Lavender line as a dress collection. WWDSTYLE Page S2

Diane von Furstenberg takes aim at the opening of an exhibition of her dresses and portraits in the capital. esse h

Katharina Big in Beijing photo by

about the future and don’t want to spend en’s contemporary label Single, targeted money on clothes.” the digital prints on silk satin offered by On the Lookout for Innovation in L.A. On the bright side, Min and other South Korea’s Okto F. Works. Korean executives said they hoped the “I’m looking for new prints with move- hawaii in search of textured textiles and imminent passing of a free trade agree- ment,” said Sobolev, eyeing one swatch print- By Khanh T.L. Tran novelty. Exhibitors and attendees said they ment between South Korea and the U.S. ed with an image of horses running in water. continued to grapple with a challenged would eliminate taxes and tariffs that Thinking of how sensitive her custom- LOS anGELES — Budget-conscious de- economy that keeps encountering obsta- add as much as 33 percent to prices. ers are to pricing, she pondered using signers and manufacturers sought inno- cles despite some gradual improvement. “For the textile [industry], it’ll help a the digital print on polyester instead of vation at a reasonable price at the Los “We expect 2012 to hopefully be bet- lot,” Min said, “because there’s a lot of silk, thus saving $8 a yard. angeles International Textile Show. ter,” said T.h. Min, president of Fashion price difference between Korea-made “We’re doing a lot of fabric mixing — held at the Market Flying, a textile maker based in . and China-made [fabrics].” silk on front and knit on back,” she said of Center, the three-day show that ended “There are unexpected problems like the Innovation helped some exhibitors another cost-cutting technique. Wednesday drew designers from vari- Middle East war and Japan’s earthquake stand out from the crowd. Galina Sobolev, ous parts of California and as far away as and tsunami. [Consumers] are worried the Los angeles-based designer of wom- {Continued on page S3} S2 WWDSTYLE tuesday, april 5, 2011 For more pictures, see WWD.com/ fashion-news. A look from the ready-to-wear Lavender collection.

it’s very pointed and very specific.” The new capsule dress line is priced Vera Wang’s Lavender Returns from $395 to $595 at suggested retail (by contrast Lavender’s previous incarna- tion carried retail price points from By Marc KariMzadeh Vera Wang with a model in a about $200 to $800). Neiman Marcus hand-ruched, crinkle chiffon is selling it in dress departments in NeW YOrK — Vera Wang has rediscovered the root dress from Lavender. 26 doors as well as at neimanmarcus. of Lavender. com, with 16 sku’s around 10 annual after more than a year on hiatus, the designer has deliveries. “The consumer wants to see relaunched her Lavender label, this time as a cap- newness constantly,” said Wang, who, sule evening dress collection — more in the spirit of on multiple occasions, described the how the line first started in 2005. Unlike that initial dresses as something her daughters run, which rapidly expanded at retail but shuttered would don when they hit the town, during the economic meltdown, the new Lavender whether it’s New York or on vacation launched exclusively at Neiman Marcus last month. in Barbados. That’s not to say Wang “This is very focused,” Wang said, sitting in her didn’t infuse the line with some of West 39th Street showroom at a preview of the pre- her own artsy aesthetic. it includes a fall lineup. “There will be dresses that are evening- strapless organza dress with a jet-stone ish and some that will go into full evening. The defi- embellished sash for $395; a one-shoulder nition of evening is so open now. crinkle chiffon hand-ruched, draped gown with “i have two test-marketers in my house, living a crystal bow detail for $595, and a cotton voile with me,” she added, referring to her daughters multitiered pleated bustier dress for $450. Wang cecilia, 21, and Josephine, 18. “They are very good said she wanted the dresses to be “charming, for me to bounce ideas off of. They make sure they flirty, sexy and youthful.” let me know what’s good, and what isn’t good, and “i love the fact that it’s young,” she said. why i am doing this, and i think that’s very real.” “i think there is a teenager aspect to me. it Wang first launched Lavender for spring 2005 doesn’t mean i can’t be sophisticated but i as a line of cocktail and evening dresses for dress have a very young thought process, and i feel departments, but repositioned it for spring 2007 as very comfortable in this language.” a contemporary business replete with separates. as for the timing of the relaunch, Grauso Lavender had wholesale sales of about $18 million said the company now has the right infra- and was on its way to reach $27 million when the structure to support the line. “We have a team economy crashed. at the time, sources said that a we feel good about, we have the ability now part of the problem was that Lavender, positioned to go in and manage the business,” he said. at the upper end of contemporary, was too expen- That team includes creative director Michelle sive for the category, and had grown to include too Kessler Sanders, who will join the company this many stockkeeping units — at a time when shop- month from T: Style Magazine, pers were staying away from stores. Major retailers and Todd Bernstein, senior vice president of sales, who dropped the business, and Wang put it on hiatus, joined Wang from Theory last October. though the shoe license continued to operate. Grauso declined to give sales projections. “i would “We closed Lavender because it got a little out imagine we would increase distribution at some point,” of control,” explained Mario Grauso, president of IANNACONE Grauso said. “Neiman Marcus has been an amazing part- the Vera Wang Group, who wasn’t with the company ner for us, and we are very happy doing this with them.”

at the time. “The assortment was too large, and i THOMAS Wang said she would like to add handbags next but think we were trying to be too many things. We re- BY has no plans to create the soup-to-nuts launched it exclusively in Neiman Marcus as a spe- mix. if she did another contemporary sportswear col- cialty dress collection in the way that it started, but PHOTOS lection, “i wouldn’t call it Lavender,” she said. DVF Brings ‘Journey of a Dress’ to Beijing everything. We’ve been copying from them and drawing By KaThLeeN McLaUGhLiN from them for centuries.” She compared today’s china with the she BeiJiNG — Two years ago, diane von Furstenberg made a found as an immigrant 40 years ago from Belgium. The en- New Year’s resolution that she and her brand would become ergy, openness and optimism are all similar, she said. famous in china. Given the rapt attention Saturday of chinese “What i found in america is something i feel about fashion press and others at her exhibit opening in Beijing, it china now,” said von Furstenberg. seems the iconic designer is on her way to achieving that goal. The designer has two stores in Beijing and one in Von Furstenberg swept through china last week, Shanghai, with plans to add another in Shanghai and a capping off events in hong Kong and a “red Ball” in fifth location in a city not yet chosen. She said her com- Shanghai with the opening of “diane von Furstenberg: pany is making plans carefully, rather than trying to Journey of a dress” at the The Pace Gallery here. The force itself on the market. instead, much of the work lies HESSE exhibit, which has toured elsewhere in years past in dif- in creating brand recognition and a loyal base. INA r ferent variations, now includes new works from several Beyond branding and selling clothes, von Furstenberg

ATHA prominent chinese artists who were commissioned to also wants to engage in china the way she has in other k

BY add to the collection of clothing, portraits and artwork countries, with potential mentoring and speaking pro- that represent von Furstenberg’s 40-year body of work. grams for chinese women. PHOTO

“it means a lot to me for so many reasons,” von The exhibit will continue through May 14. in addi- Furstenberg said of the Pace exhibit. “i have loved china tion to paintings and photos from , andy HIBIT x

E ever since i was a little girl.…i was influenced aestheti- Warhol and chuck close, it now features new works from

g; cally by chinese design.” chinese contemporary artists zhang huan, hai Bo, Li IN j Though her line is a relative newcomer to the Songsong and Yi zhou. The four new pieces are distinct BEI

, Y

r chinese market, von Furstenberg herself is no stranger takes on portraiture of von Furstenberg, from images by E

ll to this country. Over the past 25 years, she has visited zhang done in his signature ash to a multimedia instal- A

g scores of times, drawing on the country’s energy and lation by Yi. aesthetic for inspiration in her own work. The exhibit “it was very important that i bring the exhibit here, PACE is part of her push to become known in china, an ef- that i somehow be involved with chinese contemporary THE

f

O fort that also includes social media. her account on the art,” said von Furstenberg.

chinese microblogging site Sina Weibo picked up 25,000 The exhibit is a rarity for the gallery, which typically TESY followers in just the first few days. sticks to showcasing exclusively chinese contemporary art. ur CO

But von Furstenberg says her approach to china is arne Glimcher, founder of The Pace Gallery original- T r

A deliberate, and she will only move forward and expand ly in Boston and current director of all four Pace loca-

l according to market demand. tions, said this exhibit was a natural fit for Beijing. HO r

A “To sell in china was a natural extension,” she said. “This is a dynamic woman who moves through time w Top: Diane von Furstenberg by Andy Warhol. “it drives me insane when people say the chinese copy gracefully,” he said of von Furstenberg. Above: A look at the exhibit. tuesday, april 5, 2011 WWDSTYLE S3

The Los Angeles International Textile Show was held March 28 to 30 at the California textiles & trade Market Center. Looking for the Right Blend in L.A. {Continued from page one} were more competitively priced than choices, she was concerned Lissette Guzman, designer of a lin- their domestic counterparts. about their rising costs. gerie line called Madame X in San “A lot of people are not spending so “I was looking at some Diego, sought lace, sequins and dy- you have to keep your cost low,” she alternatives,” she said, add- keenan namic color combinations such as said. “Foreign markets offer a lot bet- ing that bamboo and hemp

black and red to give her customers ter pricing.” were possible new fabrics stefanie

the neo-vintage trend that was popu- Deena Tearney, designer of women’s she’d try. Blending other by larized in the movie “Burlesque.” contemporary label Umee in Honolulu, fibers with cotton was an-

Keeping her retail prices between $30 preferred natural, breathable fabrics other option, but “it’d have photos and $90, she felt she had little choice that would suit the Hawaiian climate. to feel right,” she said. but to work with foreign mills that Although cotton and silk were her top Textured textiles attracted Fran of eyelet and crinkled mesh dotted with Farmer, a San Anselmo, Calif.-based tiny nubs. designer who is working on launching a “You can get basics in the big-box Novelty and texture appealed to buyers. contemporary knits line. In addition to stores,” said Connie Crebbin, a sales double knits and ponte, she also liked representative for Epic Textiles in bouclé and crepe with a high twist. Even Vernon, Calif. “It’s great to have texture. though the expo was highlighting the It’s great to stand out on the rack.” spring 2012 season, she was shopping for The show’s Premium Korea Pavilion materials for her fall debut collection. gathered 13 brands in the CMC’s Fashion Exhibitors appealed to buyers with Theatre on the first floor. Lenzing, the an array of eye-catching fabrics. Avetco Austrian-based fiber producer that owns Inc., based in Pacoima, Calif., layered the trademark for Tencel, more than qua- lace over cowhide that was priced at drupled the number of participants in $5 a square foot. Japan’s Yagi offered a its grouping in the penthouse to 22 from heavyweight heathered French terry four. As cotton’s pricing and supply have for $16 a yard. Los Angeles’ City Textile become less stable and the demand for a Inc. made its debut at the trade fair with soft, draping fabric like Tencel has risen, colorful polyester knits costing $4.50 to Lenzing said it’s been receiving more re- $5 a yard. Despite prices running from quests from mills to switch from spinning $40 to $90 a yard, France’s Solstiss re- cotton to producing Tencel, which aver- ceived attention for its cotton guipure ages in price from $3 to $6 a yard. displaying a variety of patterns, such as “People are looking for alternatives,” cobweb-inspired circles and big flowers. said Tricia Carey, a merchandising Epic Textiles pushed novelty in the form manager at Lenzing. High Material Prices Lamented at Interstoff Strong Exports Push recycled fabrics, which can be cheaper. Pakistan Industry Ahead By Ellen Sheng Vendors said they were getting a lot of interest in “natural” colors, as well as floral prints and jacquard HONG KONG — Buyers and vendors at the Interstoff with a bit of metallic. Color themes tended to run to- By Mahlia S. Lone fair here lamented the escalating cost of raw materials ward a lighter palette, with textures. Digital prints were such as cotton and silk, as well as higher manufacturing also getting increased interest. LAHORE, Pakistan — Pakistan’s textile and ap- and shipping costs brought on by the steep price of oil. Kowen Tam, a sales executive at Yagi, said he’s see- parel sector has continued a run of strong sales, Visitors to the three-day fair that ended March 18 in- ing increased demand for recycled cotton, the price of according to government reports, with knitwear, creased 3 percent to 7,062, but the number of exhibitors which has remained stable. Yagi has been offering recy- ready-to-wear, silk and synthetic fabrics show- dropped to 210 from 250 in the fall edition. cled cotton textiles for three years now and the demand ing key gains. With prices on raw materials 40 to 100 percent higher has doubled every year, he said. Most of the demand is Despite a 4 million bale shortfall the coun- than a year ago, exhibitors showed a wide variety of blends coming from European buyers. U.S. buyers are inter- try faced at the beginning of the season due and synthetics to appeal to buyers who have been looking ested, but haven’t been buying much as of yet, Tam said. to the loss of cotton crops from last ’s for alternatives to offset some of the price hikes. Synthetic Organic cotton has also gotten popular as the price has flooding, importers stuck by mills and even in- blends and eco-minded products featured prominently in stayed relatively steady and now costs only slightly more creased their orders. According to the Federal the show, which took place at the Hong Kong Convention & than conventional cotton. Tam noted that some Indian tex- Bureau of Statistics, textile exports increased Exhibition Center. However, some pointed out that cotton tile companies have pushed the price down to be on par 51 percent to $1.2 billion for the year through blends need to be dyed twice, which adds cost. with conventional cotton. February. Knitwear was up 8 percent to 9.5 Clothing makers have been experimenting with faded Another vendor at the fair, James Nam of Seoul- million dozen, ready-to-wear gained 10 per- or “vintage’ looking designs that only need to dyed once. based NK Fabric, said he has seen strong initial de- cent to 2.8 million dozen, and silk and syn- Companies have also tried moving some manufacturing mand for his new recycled polyester made from used thetic textiles doubled to 48.3 million square out of China to lower-cost centers such as Indonesia or PET bottles, even though the recycled material is about meter equivalents. India, but with limited success because manufacturing 20 percent more expensive than regular polyester. “China is moving out of the textile trade, costs have risen everywhere. The escalating prices of cot- Nam noted that Nike and H&M have started using which best suits countries with lower than ton, silk and other materials have also stoked interest in recycled fabrics in some of their products. NK Fabric, $1,000 per capita income, and, in five years, will which sells Tencel, cotton, spandex, nylon become a market for Pakistani finished textile jacquard and other knits to companies such products,” said Gohar Ejaz, chairman of the as H&M, Forever 21, Benetton and Victoria’s All Pakistan Textile Mills Association and also Secret, has seen a big increase in business of Ejaz Textiles, Lahore. “Presently, we export this year, namely because of an increase in yarn and fabric to China.” synthetic knits. Pakistan’s cotton yarn exports increased 45 “Some buyers have dropped orders else- percent year on year in the July-to-February pe- where” in favor of synthetics, said Nam. riod and cotton cloth gained 33 percent. But increased interest in blends and synthetics Najeeb Malik, managing director of Master has not diminished demand for or , Textiles, a vertically integrated apparel fabric vendors said, with the price of blends up, as well. factory in Lahore, said, “This has been the best Meng Fei Xu of Huayan Digital Printing year in my 15 years of doing business. Pakistan in China, which specializes in floral and pat- is the second cheapest in fabric after China.” terned silk and silk blends, said prices for silk Another reason for Pakistan holding on to its products are up 100 percent from a year ago market share and marginally increasing it de-

jones and that the price of blends has gone up al- spite the 2 million bale shortfall the country is most as much. Even with the price increases, still facing in its cotton crop, Ejaz said, is because, Meng said business has been steady because contrary to the other regional players, China and gareth

by demand has rebounded. India, it has followed the free market path. photo

Synthetic and eco-minded products were key at Interstoff. S4 WWDSTYLE Tuesday, april 5, 2011 eye Revenge of the Words There once was a time when people didn’t ea- tails that really horrify and intrigue; but there is a gerly share the details of their personal lives with lasting tinge of confusion to her speech, as if after all strangers (in society’s collective memory, this feels this time she still can’t quite comprehend her fate. like it may have been the Paleolithic era). But in the “It was just such a huge betrayal — and more than age of social media platforms, gossip rag web-outlets that, it was really a book that was written by a guy and the sexts of tween starlets spread wide across who I didn’t know,” she explains, and her voice vi- the world via TMZ, there appear to be no boundar- brates with hurt-feeling, “That was the hardest thing: imes

ies (at least to what people tell the universe via key- Thinking, ‘I’ve dated this a--hole?’” t es

board, whether it be desktop or handheld). critical reception of the offending novel, which L

Ye t hilary winston discovered her boundary when wwD promised winston not to name directly (“I refuse nge perusing the “new Fiction” section in a Barnes & to give him more press than I have already,” she laughs), a noble, where, within the just-published novel of an has compared it to Tucker Max’s oeuvre; a sort of gross- ex-boyfriend, she found multiple thinly veiled refer- out, lowest common denominator frat-boy-read. endenin/Los

ences to their recently concluded five-year relation- “If so-called ‘women’s fiction [or] chick-lit’ is de- L ship. and, more specifically, multiple references to scribed as ‘Pink Fiction,’ then his is really ‘Black and L. C her “fat ass.” she wanted revenge. so she got it in a Blue Fiction,’” winston explains. her voice is heavy Hilary Jay manner perfect for this age of the tell-all: she took to with disdain but there’s fear in it too, maybe that Winston the keyboard and wrote her own collection of short there’s some truth to what she says next. “This whole,

stories, aptly titled “My Boyfriend wrote a Book ‘I’m not going to apologize anymore for being a guy photo by about Me,” which she proudly presents in the pro- because guys like to have sex and drink beer and this logue as “non-fiction: so sue me, ‘Kyle,’ you know it’s is just what they do: so deal with it.’ This claim that true.” sterling will publish it in early May. men are forced into these little social boxes by women about me, and it turned into a sort of ‘not every bad re- “I dated this guy for five years and we broke up,” and this is who they really are: they want to drink until lationship you have is in vain’ message. It’s all leading winston explains over the phone from Los angeles amidst they throw up and watch midget strippers. and women to something, some sort of purpose: I didn’t know what a long day of shooting the series finale for critical-darling are just these faceless bitches that are all alike.” the end of the book was when I started, but I did find “community,” the nBc series for which she is a writer. while the book may have originated from a place out that nobody’s going to validate me but myself.” “Then months later, I’m browsing through the bookstore of revenge, winston’s autobiographical short stories and does the dreaded ex know about her book, and I see he’s published a novel. I flip it open and the first quickly became more of a chronicle of her personal with all of its impending ugly truths? line I see is ‘My fat-assed ex-girlfriend takes Groundlings journey than a list of her ex’s faults. The stories — snap- “I let him read an early draft of it…the good news classes.’ and it was me; it was all about me. I turned py, sparse and conversational — are no-holds-barred, is,” and here winston cracks up before speaking in a bright red, my heart was pounding, I was sweating, it was detailing her attempts to navigate the Los angeles tele- sweet sing-song: “he’s a mega-lo-maaaniaaaac! This the worst feeling I’ve ever had in my entire life. This was vision-writer scene, hook-ups, break-ups, curious medi- is the greatest thing that’s ever happened to him!” in print, it was in a store, it was just so public.” cal ailments, 15 pounds that refuse to disappear, and the Funnily enough, it might be the greatest thing that ever winston laughs lightly, retelling her discovery constant search for a decent relationship. happened to her, too. “My Boyfriend wrote a Book story with the air of someone who’s shared this pain- “This book started with what every man or woman about Me” has already been optioned by Paramount, ful anecdote many times before. she knows where to would feel if they saw that their ex had written a book and winston is currently adapting it into a screenplay. emphasize and where to pause, to draw out the de- about them,” she continues, “but this turned into a book — ALESSANDRA CODINHA Sewing Persistence in the Taliban Era IT Is 1996. The Taliban have entered now, Gayle Tzemach Lemmon has to afghanistan in 2005 to write about the ultra-simple wedding dresses. Kabul. all the men who were affiliated written a book, “The Dressmaker of such women for the Financial Times The man who paid the bill gave the with previous regimes are in danger of Khair Khana” (), about — says that sidiqi initially had dif- sidiqis a little more than they’d asked. being imprisoned or executed, while sidiqi, her family and her business, ficulty believing that there was any- They were delighted; this meant that, all draft-age young men are likely to based in the Kabul neighborhood of thing unusual about what she had not only did the Taliban know about be conscripted, so your father, a career the title. The book is currently on done. But Lemmon feels strongly that their enterprise, they approved. military man, and your older brother the new York Times bestseller list. stories about men in combat are by no Today, Kamila is married to a cousin have gone to the family farm in the Lemmon — a former aBc news pro- means the only important tales about and has two young children; she runs north of afghanistan, and your mother ducer who first began seeking out war. women are the ones who endure Kaweyan, a business consultancy in has gone with them. Yo u are a 19-year- women entrepreneurs in conflict or and, at times, even flourish under such Kabul, and goes around the country old who had just received her teach- post-conflict zones while at harvard circumstances. “women are not just teaching entrepreneurship to both lit- ing certificate, the oldest of the five Business school and originally came victims in war, they’re survivors to be erate and illiterate people, Lemmon children left at home in the city; your respected, and it’s time to change the says. Kamila has paid for the education father has instructed you to stay there discussion,” she says. of most of her other siblings. and take care of them, but money is when women talked to Lemmon Lemmon, a fellow and deputy di- running low. women must wear chadris about working for the sidiqis dur- rector of the women and Foreign (burkas) and be accompanied by mah- ing the Taliban years, it became Policy Program at the council on rams, escorts who are male members clear, she says, “how much these Foreign relations, is also married of their families, if they venture out jobs had meant to them.” she with a baby son. what is the situation on the street. They are not allowed to eye goes on to add, “It was the only in afghanistan like today? “I think I’m work or go to school. what do you do? place that didn’t feel like war. most pessimistic about that when I’m well, if you’re Kamila sidiqi, you while they were working, they in the U.s.,” she says. “People are so start a dressmaking enterprise, and were swapping gossip, talking about disappointed with this war. It’s a very go on to employ about 100 women and fashion, talking about movies, and talk- delicate issue, how to come up with a girls in your community who are in sim- ing about ‘Titanic.’ although it was for- future peace deal, and the question of ilar circumstances, making high-quality bidden, everybody had seen ‘Titanic,’ security remains the biggest one, since special-occasion dresses, pantsuits and and everybody was in love with there’s continued war in the south. I wedding dresses. when you first have Leonardo Dicaprio. They had no place think that women will continue to fight the idea, you don’t even know how to to go to be out together in public.” for their rights, and they’re afraid that sew, but your sister Malika is a gifted one day, three women came by who their rights will be used as fodder for seamstress, and she teaches you, then wanted to get a bride’s two wedding negotiations for peace.” you set up a school in your living room dresses — with very little decoration afghani women just don’t want to to train others who want to work with — and four gowns for other members have their rights eroded, to see their you. Local shopkeepers can no longer of the wedding party, all made in one situations go back to the way they were afford to import clothes from abroad, day. The sidiqis obliged, and when under the Taliban. after all, Lemmon and they’re happy to find a good suppli- the women left with their completed notes, there were years when “the er nearby. Yo u are careful to abide by dresses, they were picked up in ve- whole world forgot them, but they took the rules of the new normal, and your hicles with very distinctive markings: care of themselves, because nobody business succeeds, sustaining many Q’uranic verses. The wedding party else was going to do it.” families throughout the Taliban period. were members of the Taliban — thus — LORNA KOSKI