“ADVERTISEMENT” PRINTS 100% K ADVERTISEMENT WWDWEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2014 ■ WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY ■ $3.00 ©2014 COACH® FALL 2014 Urban Hiker in black Whiplash Dakotah in black Houndstooth Parka on Harleth Front Cover: Rhyder 24 in gunmetal Shearling Coat on Lexi Coach proudly supports the High Line. coach.com GET SET BIKING LIKE A PREVIEW OF BECKHAM THE UPCOMING COTERIE SHOW, DAVID BECKHAM HELD INCLUDING TRENDS FLIGHT OF FANCY COURT AT BELSTAFF AND NEW FACES. IGGY AZALEA AND RITA ORA PERFORMED AT CALVIN FOR THE LAUNCH OF HIS SECTION II KLEIN’S FRAGRANCE LAUNCH, WHILE RALPH LAUREN CAPSULE COLLECTION PUT ON A WATER SHOW. PAGES 22 AND 23 FOR THE BRAND. PAGE 6 SEEN IGNITING SECTOR Apple Watch Launch Boost to Wearables By RACHEL STRUGATZ HAS APPLE just supercharged the smartwatch category? After months of anticipation, the tech company’s chief executive officer Tim Cook introduced the Apple Watch to the world Tuesday, along with two WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2014 ■ $3.00 ■ WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY new iPhones, including the larger-screen iPhone 6 WWD Plus, and a new Apple Pay payment system. Cook de- scribed the smartwatch, which will start at $349 and go on sale early next year, as the “most personal de- vice we’ve ever created.” It’s an introduction with a good bit of fashion fl air, one higher-end version features rose gold detailing, that marks Apple’s offi cial arrival on the fashion scene. That makes for another extremely well-funded, de- sign-savvy and logo-oriented competitor in the acces- sories space. The question is whether Apple’s mar- keting savvy and brand reputation will be enough to beat out more accessories-focused brands like Swatch group, which is due to unveil its own smartwatch next year, or even hip celebrities like Will.i.am, who is Light plotting his own smartwatch introduction for 2015. Wall Street certainly seemed to be taking a wait- and-see approach to Apple’s moves Tuesday. After shares initially soared 4.5 percent on the releases, they slid back to close down 0.4 percent at $97.99. Alex Blanter, a partner in A.T. Kearney’s communi- Is Right cations and media and technology practice, said the decline had “more to do with the huge build-up of ex- Oscar de la Renta turned out an pectations around the product’s release rather than enchanting and youthful spring the product itself. Remember, with previous releases collection punctuated by fl oral motifs by Apple, the stock has tended to rise until the day the product is announced, and has fallen on the day and buffalo checks, as in this blue silk of the announcement. This release seems to be fol- and cashmere sweater lowing a similar pattern.” “Apple’s entry into this space is good news — for chicly tucked into now,” Blanter said. “If you look at the wearables mar- a clover guipure- ket — specifi cally smartwatches — it’s been crowded lace skirt. There SPRING 2015 SEE PAGE 8 was much more than just odes NEW YORK to the American COLLECTIONS country, though, Fashion’s New Faves: especially in the exquisitely Korean Celebrities embroidered furs, all in a By CASEY HALL collection that rivaled couture in AS FASHION MONTH continues its inexorable roll its craftsmanship. For more on the around the world, the fresh faces sitting in the front collections, see pages 10 to 15. rows may not necessarily be those of Hollywood star- lets or American pop princesses. In recent years, an increasing number of Korean celebrities — members of the cultural juggernaut known as Korean Wave, K-Wave or Hallyu — are be- coming a visible presence in the fashion world. This hasn’t escaped the attention of the industry’s big players. L Capital Asia, the LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton-backed investment fund, is even rumored to have bought shares in YG Entertainment Corp., the South Korean management agency of Korean star Psy. The fund confi rmed it was looking into the company, but insisted that no deal has been sealed. Already in New York, there have been appear- ances from K-Pop girl group stars, including Hyuna from 4Minute at Rebecca Minkoff, and CL from 2NE1 (pronounced “twennyone”) — also part of the YG Entertainment stable — who attended Gareth Pugh, the Harper’s Bazaar party, Hood by Air and was ex- pected to appear front-row at Jeremy Scott today. Euny Hong, a Korean-American author whose recently released book “The Birth of Korean Cool” charts the journey of Korean culture around the world, expects to see more from the girls of 2NE1 at fashion shows worldwide this season, as well as their counter- parts from Girls Generation and the cast of “My Love From Another Star,” a highly successful TV drama. PHOTO BY GEORGE CHINSEE SEE PAGE 21 2 WWD WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2014 WWD.COM Rainer Named Coach President THE BRIEFING BOX tioned as a possible succes- a high-touch experiential con- IN TODAY’S WWD By ARNOLD J. KARR sor to Christine Day as ceo of sumer business.” Lululemon Athletica Inc., a post Rainer will have responsibil- COACH INC. is hoping a hotelier that went to Laurent Potdevin. ity for finance, information sys- can help it find its sparkle again. Rainer was most recently ex- tems, logistics, operations and Hyatt Hotels executive ecutive vice president and chief production. Gebhard Rainer will join Coach financial officer of Hyatt Hotels He will need to bring all his on Sept. 29 as president and Corp. and had previously served expertise to bear as Coach rush- chief operating officer. The ap- as managing director of the hotel es to reinvent itself under Luis pointment joins an executive chain’s business in the Europe, and Vevers and seize the mo- with extensive international Africa and Middle East regions. mentum back from fast-growing experience with a company During his tenure with Hyatt, competitor Michael Kors. Net counting on overseas growth as income for the year ended June the brand seeks to give a much- 28 fell 24.5 percent to $781.3 mil- needed jolt to its products under lion, while revenues declined 5.3 new executive creative director percent to $4.81 billion. The com- Stuart Vevers and get back to 36.7% pany expects low-double- digit growth in North America. Last revenue declines in its current year, North American sales fell fiscal year, when it plans to close ERICKSEN THE CURRENT AMOUNT COACH SHARES 11 percent, sliding 16 percent in about 70 of its full-price stores in the fourth quarter alone. ARE BELOW THE 52-WEEK HIGH. North America, and it has hired Backstage at Vera Wang. KYLE BY Rainer will succeed Jerry Baron & Baron to handle adver- For more, see WWD.com. Stritzke, who left Coach 13 tising, ending its relationship PHOTO months ago and subsequently Rainer lived in the Caribbean, with Laird + Partners. was named president and chief the Middle East, Eastern and On a day when U.S. equity executive officer of Recreational Western Europe and the U.S. markets drifted downward, Apple Inc. may have supercharged the smartwatch category by Equipment Inc., the Seattle- Luis, to whom Rainer will shares of Coach fell 69 cents, or introducing the Apple Watch Tuesday. PAGE 1 based outdoor gear and apparel report, praised his “strategic 1.9 percent, to close at $36.66. retailer more popularly known focus, team leadership, keen an- That’s 36.7 percent below the An increasing number of Korean celebrities — members of a as REI. Stritzke’s departure was alytical and technical skills and 52-week high of $57.95 reached cultural juggernaut known as Korean Wave, K-Wave or Hallyu — somewhat expected after he exceptional business acumen.” on Nov. 29, although 9.8 percent PAGE 1 lost out on the ceo job at Coach He also pointed to Rainer’s ex- above the corresponding low of are becoming a visible presence in the fashion world. to Victor Luis. He was also men- perience in “brand-building for $33.39 dating back to July 16. This year’s WWD Apparel & Retail CEO Summit is appropriately themed: “revolution” and how to cope and capitalize on it in the changing retail industry. PAGE 4 Judge Puts Ralph Lauren, USPA Case in Arbitration David Beckham drew a crowd outside the Belstaff store on RALPH HAS BEEN told to negotiate rather than sue. deemed to have been concluded. Manhattan’s Madison Avenue for a personal appearance to The 30-year trademark battle between Arvind and Arvind Lifestyle withdrew their suit promote his capsule collection for the brand. PAGE 4 Ralph Lauren Corp. and the United States Polo in Bangalore in October 2013, by which time Ralph Association is headed back to India after Judge Lauren had filed the most recent complaint in the Fresh off her U.S. Open title, Serena Williams presented her Thomas Griesa of the U.S. District Court for the U.S., alleging, among other points, that it has been fashion line on the catwalk Tuesday afternoon. PAGE 6 Southern District of New York this week rejected a cast as “the target of a fraudulently conceived inter- complaint filed last October by Ralph Lauren Corp. national shell game perpetrated by the USPA par- Plush elephants with letters about the threat of elephant against United States Polo Association Inc. and ties and Arvind” and pressing eight specific claims extinction signed by Hillary Rodham Clinton and daughter Arvind, its Indian apparel licensee. The complaint against USPA and Arvind. Chelsea were on each seat at Oscar de la Renta.