LIZ CUTS FORECAST/2 WAL-MART SEES APPAREL BOOST/2 WWDWomen’s Wear DailyWEDNESDAY • The Retailers’ Daily Newspaper • May 14, 2008 • $2.00 Sportswear Fiesta Wear The resort season just keeps getting bigger, and nothing illustrated that like the collection John Galliano showed on Monday. Inspired by Millicent Rogers, Gloria Guinness and Acapulco, the fl amboyant, citrus-colored styles included off-the-shoulder peasant tops, like this dramatic one, sashed over a full skirt and worn with a big hat and assertive jewelry à la Rogers. For more on the presentation, see pages 4 and 5.

Finding the Right Fit: Barneys’ Socol Quits, No Clear Successor By David Moin ne of the plum jobs in American Oretailing has just opened up — but it’s rife with challenges. Howard Socol, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Barneys , on Tuesday confirmed recent speculation and said he will retire from the specialty chain at the end of June. A search firm will be hired “in short order” to find a replacement, David Jackson, ceo of Barneys owner Istithmar, told WWD. However, with Socol’s decision to resign coming sooner than expected, finding a successor seems a long way off. See Barneys, Page 6 PHOTO BY JOHN AQUINO PHOTO BY 2 WWD, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2008 WWD.COM Liz Sees Red in First Qtr. WWDWEDNESDAY Sportswear By Whitney Beckett iz Claiborne Inc. chief ex- Lecutive officer William L. FASHION McComb’s tale of two cities anal- Christian Dior’s resort show at Guastavino’s in Manhattan was a major ogy continues to haunt him. 4 offensive at a wretched moment for consumerism in the U.S. On Tuesday the company post- ed a fi rst-quarter loss of $31 mil- lion, or 33 cents a diluted share, GENERAL down from profi ts of $16.2 mil- Howard Socol has resigned as chairman, president and ceo of Barneys lion in the fi rst quarter of 2007. 1 New York after seven years at the helm of the prestigious retailer. The bottom line was hurt by $44 Wal-Mart Stores Inc. posted higher fi rst-quarter sales and profi ts and said million in restructuring costs. 2 its apparel business is set to kick into high gear with warm spring weather. The results exhibited the same story for the beleaguered The earthquake that struck southwest China caused moderate damage vendor: direct brand sales grew 3 in Chengdu’s retail areas, but is bound to test consumer confi dence. 28 percent to $610 million, while Strength in South America, Eastern Europe and China offset weakness in partnered brand sales slid 14 Juicy Couture’s retail business is doing well, and added stores like the Beverly 6 France as Carrefour posted a 10.2 percent fi rst-quarter sales gain. percent to $501 million. Hills fl agship in 2007. Facing what McComb called Retail sales at specialty stores were up 0.7 percent to $19.02 billion in “a very light second quarter,” the open to buy and managing their taking a substantive approach to 6 April, but fell 0.1 percent to $16.97 billion at department stores. vendor lowered its 2008 adjusted inventories carefully,” Dave integrating sourcing with design, MAINSTREAM: Buyers at Moda Manhattan and FAME said they were earnings per share guidance to McTague, executive vice presi- merchandising, and merchan- 8 waiting longer to place orders and then only buying what they loved. a range of $1.40 to $1.60 from a dent of partnered brands, said. dise planning and allocation.” previous range of $1.50 to $1.70. “The fall of the partnered brands Analyst Jennifer Black, of the WEST: Kate Spade is courting shoppers for the fi rst time “Today, on an apples-to-apples environment will continue to be fi rm that bears her name, thinks 12 with its own stores, part of an ambitious retail rollout this year. basis, you saw an uptick, and we tough, especially on our declin- the revisions are realistic. “Unless Classifi ed Advertisements...... 13-15 hit what analysts had been ex- ing brands. We are carefully we go into a depression, this could pecting,” McComb told WWD. watching our exposure to order be a turnaround story,” Black “But the second quarter is always cancellations and markdowns…. said. “The big question is if this is To e-mail reporters and editors at WWD, the address is fi rstname. a tough quarter, and this quarter While we won’t claim success in a 2009 story or a 2010 story.” [email protected], using the individual’s name. will be tougher than normal.” 2008, with careful execution, we Black said she was encouraged WWD IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ADVANCE MAGAZINE PUBLISHERS INC. COPYRIGHT Sales for the quarter in- are on course for signifi cantly by Juicy’s “extraordinary growth ©2008 FAIRCHILD FASHION GROUP. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. creased about 5 percent to $1.12 improved results in 2009.” and potential” (even proposing VOLUME 195, NO. 103. WWD (ISSN 0149–5380) is published daily (except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, with billion from $1.07 billion. McTague added there are Juicy could open special stores one additional issue in January, October and December, two additional issues in March, April, May, June, August and Juicy Couture continued its plans to improve all three of for its new intimates line), Kate November, and three additional issues in February and September) by Fairchild Fashion Group, which is a division of growth streak with revenues in- the worst performing brands Spade’s prime segment given the Advance Magazine Publishers Inc. PRINCIPAL OFFICE: 750 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017. Shared Services provided by Condé Nast Publications: S. I. Newhouse, Jr., Chairman; Charles H. Townsend, President/CEO; John W. Bellando, creasing 58 percent to $140 mil- for spring 2009. Isaac Mizrahi current economic situation, and Executive Vice President/COO; Debi Chirichella Sabino, Senior Vice President/CFO; Jill Bright, Executive Vice President/ lion. Lucky Brand Jeans sales will relaunch the fl agship Liz Lucky’s plan to add more fashion Human Resources. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, and at additional mailing offi ces. Canada Post Publications rose 21 percent to $110 million, Claiborne brand, John Bartlett denim and tops. On the partnered Mail Agreement No. 40644503. Canadian Goods and Services Tax Registration No. 886549096-RT0001. Canada Post: Kate Spade sales climbed 44 will do the same for Claiborne brands side, Black said, “I’m return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: P.O. Box 503, RPO West Beaver Cre, Rich-Hill, ON L4B 4R6 POSTMASTER: percent to $28 million. Helped men’s, and Villager will be dis- dying to see the Isaac Mizrahi 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 by the strength of the euro, continued and replaced by Dana line. In the meantime I have no INQUIRIES: Please write to WWD, P.O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA 91615-5008, call 800-289-0273, or visit Mexx revenues grew 20 percent Buchman, which Claiborne has expectations for the Liz brand.” www.subnow.com/wd. Please give both new and old addresses as printed on most recent label. First copy of new to $342 million, though McComb licensed exclusively to Kohl’s. But Brad Stephens, a retail subscription will be mailed within four weeks after receipt of order. Address all editorial, business, and production said, “Mexx is underperforming Claiborne also has signifi cant analyst for Morgan Keegan & correspondence to WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY, 750 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017. For permissions and reprint requests, please call 212-630-4274 or fax requests to 212-630-4280. Visit us online at www.wwd.com. To subscribe to other the market overall” and “our ex- sourcing changes on the horizon, Co. Inc., said he was wary about Fairchild magazines on the World Wide Web, visit www.fairchildpub.com. Occasionally, we make our subscriber list ecution has been poor.” and McComb said an announce- the store rollout plan for Lucky, available to carefully screened companies that offer products and services that we believe would interest our readers. But this time around, the tale ment should be forthcoming in which entails 20 to 25 full-priced If you do not want to receive these offers and/or information, please advise us at P.O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA of two cities story included a twist, the next month. The vendor has stores and 15 to 20 outlets this 91615-5008 or call 800-289-0273. WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RETURN OR LOSS OF, as even the partnered brands already moved some of its sourc- year, after the brand’s stores OR FOR DAMAGE OR ANY OTHER INJURY TO, UNSOLICITED MANUSCRIPTS, UNSOLICITED ART WORK (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DRAWINGS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND TRANSPARENCIES), OR ANY OTHER UNSOLICITED developed haves and have-nots. ing out of China into Vietnam, have experienced negative MATERIALS. THOSE SUBMITTING MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, ART WORK, OR OTHER MATERIALS FOR The company pointed to Kensie, Indonesia and Cambodia, and is comps. He was also concerned CONSIDERATION SHOULD NOT SEND ORIGINALS, UNLESS SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED TO DO SO BY WOMEN’S WEAR DKNY Jeans, Liz & Co. and Monet considering Jordan and Egypt. that the strategy for Kate Spade DAILY IN WRITING. MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND OTHER MATERIALS SUBMITTED MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY as growth leaders, and the Liz “I have not been happy with of opening 12 outlets to six full- A SELF-ADDRESSED STAMPED ENVELOPE. Claiborne brand, Claiborne men’s the degree to which sourc- priced stores could hurt the and Kohl’s Villager business as ing has been integrated in the brand image. Plus, Mexx also leading losses. brands and the degree to which continues to underperform. “Department stores are pro- we drive our competitive advan- Claiborne’s stock closed moting heavily, conserving their tage,” McComb said. “We will be Tuesday at $18.75, up 38 cents. In Brief

● BIG TIME: Louis Vuitton plans to christen its largest store yet — in Tokyo’s burgeoning Ginza district. A Vuitton spokes- Wal-Mart Earnings Rise, Bullish on Apparel woman in confi rmed a report in Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Japan Economic Journal) saying Louis Vuitton Japan Group would open a boutique occupying the fi rst 10 fl oors of a new By Evan Clark help from the weather, this business unit and our seasonal business should kick into high gear,” said 12-story building to be completed in 2010 in Sukiyabashi, across al-Mart Stores Inc. posted higher first-quar- Castro-Wright. the street from Hermès. ter earnings and sales and said its apparel This month Wal-Mart is rolling out Ocean W ● business is ready to “kick into high gear” with Pacifi c apparel as an exclusive and is emphasiz- ANTICOUNTERFEITING EDUCATION: A new public service warmer spring weather. ing both branding and price. campaign aimed at educating New Yorkers about the human Earnings rose 6.9 percent for the quarter to The launch is being supported by a print, cost of purchasing counterfeit items was unveiled Tuesday $3.02 billion, or 76 cents a diluted share, from radio and online marketing blitz featuring Kristin at the Harper’s Bazaar annual Anticounterfeiting Summit. $2.83 billion, or 68 cents, a year ago. Revenues for Cavallari, of “Laguna Beach” fame, and rocker Deputy Mayor for Operations Edward Skyler said the goal is the three months ended April 30 rose 10.3 percent Pete Wentz, among others. An OP wide-neck jer- to make locals aware of the harm that counterfeiting causes, to $95.3 billion from $86.41 billion. sey T-shirt for juniors was priced at 97 cents on such as supporting child labor and taking away tax dol- Comparable-store sales at U.S. Wal-Mart stores the chain’s Web site Tuesday. lars from the city. The posters will be displayed throughout rose 2.7 percent, the best showing in two years, “Their apparel business is clearly on the mend Manhattan, and predominantly in high-traffic tourist locations thanks to increases in both traffi c and the average and it’s an improving trend,” said Craig Johnson, such as Times Square. purchase size. president of Customer Growth Partners, a New ● But Wal-Mart might be an anomaly in these Canaan, Conn.-based consultancy. WIPO ELECTS NEW CHIEF: Australian lawyer Francis tough economic times. Macy’s Inc., J.C. Penney So far, Wal-Mart’s pricing message seems to be lin- Gurry was elected Tuesday to head the World Intellectual Co. Inc., Kohl’s Corp. and Inc. are all ing up neatly with consumers’ economic wariness. Property Organization, which sets the rules that oversee expected to report this week that the weakened “Customers everywhere are concerned about copyrights, patents and trademarks. Gurry, currently WIPO consumer led them to lower earnings or losses the rising energy costs, food infl ation, home values deputy director-general, secured the director-general post last quarter. and a number of other factors tied to the global from a field of 15 candidates. He said a key challenge WIPO “Apparel is already recovering and it’s being economy,” said Wal-Mart president and chief exec- faces is integration of the intellectual property system. “We driven by the very successful introduction late utive offi cer H. Lee Scott Jr. “Wal-Mart customers have a territorial intellectual property system, but we have last year of our Express for Less initiative and value our price leadership more than ever, espe- global economic markets and global use of technologies,” he our emphasis on price points of $10 or less,” said cially as they try to stretch their money further.” said. “We have to face all those challenges, trying to adjust Eduardo Castro-Wright, president and chief ex- For the second quarter, Wal-Mart expects U.S. the systems while retaining sufficient flexibility at the na- ecutive offi cer of the Wal-Mart division. comp sales to be fl at to up 2 percent and earnings tional level to enable countries to meet their own national The company’s Express for Less program fo- of between 78 and 81 cents a share. Profi ts could priorities.” Gurry is slated to take the post Oct. 1 from Kamil cuses on licensed merchandise, such as T-shirts come in below analyst expectations, which Yahoo Idris of Sudan after the agency’s ruling assembly ratifies his with slogans. Finance placed at 81 cents. Last year, second- appointment in September. “We are making progress in apparel and with quarter earnings totaled 72 cents a share. WWD, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2008 3 WWD.COM Macy’s Heads West For Latest Openings By Sharon Edelson acy’s Inc. is betting on the fast-growing Phoenix market and on MLas Vegas, which has been hard-hit by the economic slowdown. The retailer said Tuesday it will unveil a 120,000-square-foot unit next April at SanTan Village in Gilbert, Ariz. In fall 2010, a 120,000-square-foot unit will open at Estrella Falls in Goodyear, Ariz., and a 150,000-square-foot two-level store is to open at CityNorth in the Northeast Valley of Phoenix. By the end of 2010, Macy’s plans to operate 11 stores in the Phoenix-Scottsdale metropolitan area. The company said it is fol- lowing the population, which is moving from Scottsdale to the north and southwest. In addition, a 180,000-square-foot store at the Shops at Summerlin Centre in west Las Vegas is scheduled to open in fall 2009. The General Growth Properties project, an open-air regional center, is rising near the new western portion of the Las Vegas belt-

BUILDING PHOTO BY WANG JIAOWEN/AP PHOTO/COLORCHINAPHOTO; PEOPLE BY LI GANG/AP PHOTO/XINHUA PEOPLE BY JIAOWEN/AP PHOTO/COLORCHINAPHOTO; WANG BUILDING PHOTO BY Debris of collapsed buildings in China. Experts Weigh Economic Impact of China Quake By Kathleen E. McLaughlin structural damage, is hardly normal. A power outage forced mall Xiwu, in the heart of Chengdu, to shut- BEIJING — The massive earthquake that struck ter its doors Tuesday, according to a clerk at a Louis southwestern China on Monday left only moderate Vuitton boutique there. The same mall houses other damage in the retail areas of Chengdu — the larg- luxury shops like Dior and Versace. At Ito Yokado, a est city near the quake’s epicenter — cutting power Japanese shopping mall that houses Jack & Jones and A rendering of CityNorth’s West Plaza Park where Macy’s will be located. and leaving most stores closed. But economists said Vero Moda, businesses were open but customer traffi c the quake and its human toll will test consumer was extremely slow, a clerk told WWD before the tele- way. Macy’s two-level store will offer apparel and accessories for confidence both locally and nationwide. phone line went dead. The quake cracked the glass men, women and children, and merchandise for the home. Less than 24 hours after China’s largest quake in one of the windows of Emporio Armani’s store in “West Las Vegas is one of the country’s fastest-growing suburban mar- in decades, retail shops in the commercial heart nearby Chongqing but didn’t cause other damage or kets, and we look forward to expanding the merchandise and service in of Chengdu reported little physical damage to injuries, an Armani spokesman said. this market,” said Jeff Gennette, chairman and chief executive offi cer of buildings. Still, telephone communications were Balbina Wong, deputy chairman and chief ex- Macy’s West, the division responsible for the and Las Vegas mar- spotty and electricity remained out in several ecutive of fashion distribution company ImagineX kets. The new store will give Macy’s fi ve units in the Las Vegas area. parts of the city. Thousands of residents opted to Group, said that she’s been monitoring the news “This is a diffi cult period right now, but we expect the [Las Vegas] huddle in the rain to avoid entering buildings for and keeping tabs on her staff at the Maison Mode economy to bounce back at some point,” a Macy’s spokesman said. fear of aftershocks and falling debris, according to department store in Chengdu. “This is growth for the future.” local reports and China’s state-run media. In most “There has been some diffi culty in communi- In Arizona, SanTan Village, a 3 million-square-foot mixed-use shopping areas, only restaurants and supermar- cating. We can’t reach them, but they have been project, will have 1.2 million square feet of regional shopping space kets were open for business, observers said. getting through to us through our Beijing offi ce via with Dillard’s Inc. and 130 specialty shops. Estrella Falls has re- Economists predicted the overall economic telephone and e-mail. The whole thing is tragic. ceived a commitment from Dillard’s, but the lease has yet to be impact of the quake, which killed at least 12,000 [Maison Mode] is already closed, I don’t know for signed. Both projects are being developed by . people, will be limited to the immediate region how long,” she said, adding her offi ce has started “From the perspective of Estrella Falls, Macy’s validates our surrounding Sichuan province, a relatively re- a relief fund to help people in the area. long-term vision of developing a regional destination in a highly mote area accounting for just 2.5 percent of Chengdu is one of China’s booming “second- underserved market,” said Garrett Newland, vice president of de- China’s total manufacturing industry, according tier” cities, where new wealth and a rising middle velopment for Westcor. to a Merrill Lynch report distributed Tuesday. class have created thriving retail markets. Four The Related Cos. and Thomas J. Klutznick Co.’s CityNorth will Still, some warned the quake could have signifi - years ago Intel built a test and assembly plant in have 1.25 million square feet of retail space, including anchors cant psychological repercussions for a country the city, spurring much of the region’s economic de- Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s. that is already in a somber mood thanks to the velopment. The company led a high-tech boom in “This [Macy’s] gives us the third leg of the triangle,” said Webber controversy surrounding the Beijing Olympics Chengdu, previously a primary development zone Hudson, executive vice president of Related Urban Development, a and a string of recent misfortunes, including freak for China’s aerospace and defense industries. unit of Related Cos. snowstorms, uprisings in Tibet and April’s high- While the Chengdu region and Sichuan prov- Each of the Phoenix-area Macy’s stores will have a design suited speed train wreck. Many Chinese, somewhat su- ince at large are home to some textile and ap- for open-air lifestyle centers with new “main street” entrance con- perstitiously and justifi ably, are hailing 2008 as an parel manufactures, the bulk of those activities fi gurations and an emphasis on natural lighting. unlucky year. are concentrated in the Guangdong province and The quake’s effect on consumer confi dence will the Pearl River Delta. Still, before the quake, it be long-lasting and reverberate throughout China, looked like an increasing number of businesses said Zhang Ming, an economist with the Chinese were eyeing the Sichuan region. There’s been re- Sun Shuts Kellwood Sourcing Operation Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing. cent speculation that rising labor and raw materi- “It is especially hard for industries like manu- als costs in southern China are pushing companies By Whitney Beckett facturing, the service industry and tourism,” said to Sichuan and other parts of the interior west. Zhang. “It’s diffi cult for people to work and function — With contributions from Constance un Capital Securities Group LLC is shuttering Hong Kong-based with the same confi dence as before. It’s going to Haisma-Kwok, Hong Kong Ssourcing operation Kellwood Trading Ltd. The vendor is in talks take a long time for people to with Li & Fung Ltd. to consolidate and outsource its manufacturing. get over the crisis period.” “We are in discussions with Li & Fung to provide sourcing ex- But Merrill Lynch in its pertise for our Kellwood Global Asia organization,” a Kellwood Co. research note predicted the spokeswoman said. “Kellwood Global Asia provides sourcing services quake would have a limited to certain Kellwood divisions. It is anticipated that most of Kellwood impact on the Chinese econ- Global Asia associates will join the Li & Fung organization.” omy as a whole. China’s re- Sources said Kellwood chief operating offi cer W. Lee Capps 3rd cord-paced infl ation, which is in Asia meeting with Kellwood Trading’s employees, and could was up 8.5 percent in April, potentially head the new sourcing operation. Sun, which acquired was more affected by the Kellwood for $762 million three months ago, saw potential in freak spring snowstorms Kellwood to be profi table if the sourcing could be made more ef- that ground logistics to a fi cient, even if sales held fl at. halt in the Pearl River Delta Li & Fung boasts one of the most effi cient sourcing models in the for several weeks. industry, and has gained a reputation as a low-cost operator that can “The earthquake should make a profi table business from moderate brands on which other have a much smaller impact companies lost money. on China’s economy than the Sun has been busy making changes since it took over Kellwood in snowstorm [that] happened February, including shutting underperforming brands like O Oscar, earlier this year,” wrote Lu Liz Claiborne brand suits and dresses, and its moderate dress busi- Ting, Merrill Lynch economist. ness. Additionally, although Sun has traditionally kept on the man- “The earthquake affected less agement of the companies it acquires, it has hired Russell Reynolds area in China, and the disaster Associates Inc. to fi nd a replacement for Kellwood chairman, chief itself has a short time span.” executive offi cer and president Robert C. Skinner Jr., and has let go Still, life in Chengdu, which Local people wait to be transported to safe areas as the injured lay in the open air several top executives. was largely spared in terms of and rain falls on Tuesday. 4 WWD, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2008

Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony

Leighton Sherryl Meester Pascal, Mrs. , American Resort Beauty. Más Grande

alk about an emerging market. Resort has exploded in the past few seasons with halter nip-waist frocks, and fi lmy djellabas, many of which featured a soupçon (well, Tall the gusto, gun-slinging and disarray of consumer goods out of China. It is more like a soup vat) of 3-D decorative motifs inspired by Tony Duquette’s interiors. fraught with its own set of controversies, some of which already seem to have obvious “They’re very bold, very contemporary,” said Galliano. Or, in other words, fun, real answers. One, is there anyone who covers resort — that would be the retailer-and- clothes for ladies of a fl ashy proclivity; to wit, Jennifer Lopez, perched at the faux press set — who doesn’t think that the six-week marathon, which opened on Monday pool runway with Marc Anthony by her side, who uttered an audible sigh of approval with several showroom appointments and an awesome, over-the-top, muscle-flexing at the sight of a green number, a caftan that incorporated a shapely gown beneath its extravaganza Christian Dior show should be reined in, perhaps to a two-week fl ou, the better to show a gal’s post-baby svelteness. period? Two, with that Dior production as exhibit A (exhibit B to follow in Miami on And considering the bucks Dior spent, including airfare for a healthy Thursday evening courtesy of Dior’s friendly adversary ), is it not now crystal international press contingent, to stage such a splashy affair, you could bet Lopez and clear that resort is fashion’s new marketing jewel, an opportunity for a house to take her beloved weren’t sitting poolside alone. Indeed, there was enough star-wattage to its case on the road directly to the people, whether here in New York or in one of compete with the runway’s glittering backdrop. Christina Aguilera, Charlize Theron, those more exotic far-flung centers of seemingly endless new consumer yearning? Leighton Meester and Ziyi Zhang, some in vibrant, breezy little cocktail shakers At least there is such opportunity for the fashion haves. But this is a world of on what felt like the windiest day ever in New York, were among the off-runway haves and have-nots. While for some houses, large and small, the no-show decision beauties, who also happened to include an offi cial beauty queen: Sherryl Pascal, is based on the opinion that resort should be intimate and all about the clothes. aka Mrs. New Jersey, American Beauty. She accessorized her peach Dior capris with The minute you start venue-scouting and obsessing over hair and makeup, goes a proud pageant sash and a giant Swarovski crystal tiara. “It gives me a blinding the thinking, you shift focus from the clothes to the production. But designers are migraine,” she said. “But it’s nothing a Percocet can’t take care of.” Medicated or not, defecting from that camp like superdelegates from Hillary Clinton. On Tuesday, Pascal is willing to suffer, or make others suffer, for her fashion obsession. “I turned Oscar de la Renta will show resort formally for the third time. Others adding shows my son’s room into a shoe closet,” she admitted. “He sleeps somewhere else.” include Diane von Furstenberg, who is hitting the road for Florence. Would J.Lo consider doing the same to her newborns’ sleeping quarters? Who Yet many houses don’t even have to get that far, as most simply can’t afford to knows? She wasn’t talking to anyone — press, that is — although she did mouth stage a third proper show, especially with the bar set sky-high. The Dior event, held sweet nothings across the runway to Aguilera, who was in town shooting her at Guastavino’s, the newly renovated and reopened event space under the 59th fragrance campaign, and marveled at Galliano’s “genius.” Not the least of which Street Bridge, was a major offensive at a wretched moment for consumerism in the includes infusing Dior with enough class and sass to assure cross-generational U.S. And the citrus-colored clothes certainly channeled sunnier times. Galliano appeal. As Anne Slater put it, “He’s a little exotic for me sometimes, but he’s was inspired, he said, by “great American couture buyers Millicent Rogers and the divine.” And in the eyes of Lauren Hutton, who had never been to a Galliano show fabulous Nan Kempner,” as well as Gloria Guinness and days spent “poolside in (and evidently no longer suffers for fashion — she took her heels off immediately Acapulco.” And what would such icons wear on a modern-day, South-of-the-Border after the show, before she’d even gone down the stairs), Galliano is “a wizard; he getaway? Off-the-shoulder peasant blouses, exaggerated pantaloons, backless and does bizarre wizardly things.” WWD, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2008 5 WWD.COM

Jordan Bratman and Christina Aguilera PHOTOS BY JOHN AQUINO AND SCOTT RUDD PHOTOS BY Charlize Anne Theron Slater

Ziyi Zhang 6 WWD, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2008 WWD.COM Challenges Await Next Barneys Chief Carrefour Revenue Continued from page one Considering Socol’s departure is only six weeks away, The departure comes at a pivotal time for Barneys. Istithmar is under immense pressure to identify a suc- Rises 10.2 Percent The retailer is feeling the impact of the weakened cessor quickly. economy, and has experienced a few disappointing “It will be very tough to fi ll [Socol’s] shoes,” Jackson By Miles Socha fl agship openings around the country since launching said, though he added he believes the fashion industry a renewed expansion strategy two years ago in Boston. is very talented. PARIS — Robust sales in South America, Eastern Europe Despite these issues and Socol’s departure, offi cials Jackson said he isn’t wedded to having a luxury retail and China offset slower growth in France as Carrefour on said the company hasn’t lost sight of the long-term and executive run Barneys. “We are looking for someone re- Tuesday reported a 10.2 percent jump in first-quarter sales. is sticking with its agenda for growth. This involves ally who is a leader. To the extent we can fi nd that per- The world’s second-largest retailer after Wal-Mart said more fl agship openings in the U.S., with Chicago and son, it could be someone from a slightly off-beat path.” sales, including value-added tax, tallied 23.38 billion euros, Scottsdale, Ariz., units already slated and others ex- He said he preferred a retailer, but it could be someone or $35.01 billion at average exchange rates for the period. pected to be revealed this year; entering the interna- from wholesaling, considering many wholesalers oper- Excluding acquisitions, group sales increased 6.8 percent. tional arena, with the Middle East likely to be the fi rst ate retail stores. Socol added his successor should un- It was the second consecutive quarter of gross double- stop; further rollout of the Co-op chain, which special- derstand the Barneys DNA and its delicate presentation digit growth for the hypermarket operator, which has izes in contemporary merchandise, and building up the of what’s “cool” and what generates “commerce.” been hamstrung by weakness in its home market. relatively new Web business. “This is a very special job,” Socol continued. “It’s In France, which accounts for roughly half of “Through the process of the acquisition, Howard all about creativity, energy, fashion. It’s not about price. Carrefour’s business, sales grew 2.6 percent in the quar- always indicated he wanted to stay a shorter period It’s not about promotion. It’s about the things that get a ter, with a “solid” performance in food dented by a drop rather than longer,” said Jackson. “We feel quite lucky lot of retailers’ juices going.” Barneys is not so big so in other categories “as customers defer spending on dis- he stayed as long as he did and are very you can still be a merchant, Socol noted. cretionary purchases,” Carrefour said. sad to see him go. We would have loved “On this job, you can be a merchant, and The retail giant highlighted a general weakness in to have kept him.” a businessman. You can touch and feel non-food categories, which account for 27 percent of Socol said he stayed longer at Barneys the merchandise. You can touch and feel sales. “Current market conditions remain challenging than he anticipated when he joined the the people,” he said. and are tougher than we would have anticipated at the retailer in the year 2000, having initially He responded to reports that Barneys end of last year,” Carrefour said. signed on for three years, but staying over is feeling the pinch of the weak econo- However, the company is gunning for sales growth seven, and through three different own- my by saying, “I feel good about how of 6 to 8 percent, excluding acquisitions, with emerging erships. Istithmar bought Barneys from Barneys has acted in the tough economy. markets compensating for trouble spots like Italy and Jones Apparel Group Inc. last year for This is going to be a tough year for ev- Belgium. At constant exchange rates, sales leaped 51.2 $942 million. Jones had acquired it from eryone. The things we have done are percent in Poland, 49.4 percent in Romania and 48.4 per- Whippoorwill Associates and Bay Harbor smart. We are controlling our inventory. cent in Argentina. China, where Carrefour has been the Management in 2004 for $397.5 million. I’m proud of our organization for that. target of anti-French sentiments, recorded its best perfor- While there has been widespread We have very good expense control. We mance since 2001 with like-for-like growth of 14 percent. speculation his resignation was triggered have been creative in our merchandis- Separately this week, Carrefour named Bernard ing. We haven’t veered away from who Arnault, chairman and chief executive offi cer of LVMH Barneys is….Our domestic expansion continues. Next Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, to its supervisory board, From our standpoint, the year we open in Chicago [a replacement store] and tightening the luxury titan’s grip on the mass market “ in Scottsdale [a new market]. There will be other an- giant. Arnault fi lls the slot of Robert Halley, who resigned nouncements domestically.” as the board’s chairman and stepped down as a member. strategy on growing Barneys Socol also said despite domestic issues, overseas Carrefour said Halley, whose family once controlled expansion continues to be explored. “I visited Dubai, the majority of the retailer’s shares, would become hon- hasn’t changed just because of the before Istithmar was ever involved. We visited a num- orary chairman of the company. ber of different locations [abroad.]” Amaury de Sèze succeeds Halley as chairman of the fi nancial condition of the U.S. “As we look at all of our business, it’s important supervisory board. Previously, he was vice chairman. — David Jackson, Istithmar” not to get caught up in [economic] cycles,” added The changes came a month after Blue Capital, the Jackson. “From our standpoint, the strategy on grow- investment fund owned by Groupe Arnault and Colony by disagreements with Istithmar over strategy, Socol ing Barneys hasn’t changed just because of the fi nan- Capital, raised its stake in Carrefour to 10.7 percent, mak- explained his decision by saying, “This is a full-time, cial condition of the U.S.” ing the fund the retail giant’s largest single shareholder. seven-day-a-week job. There are a lot of things I love Asked how many fl agships Barneys could open in the At Carrefour’s annual shareholders’ meeting here last to do. I plan to enjoy life, travel a lot, and expand my U.S., Jackson said, “The Barneys experience is unique. month, ceo Jose Luis Duran downplayed the impact of the mental and physical capacities. There is a lot on my I don’t think there is ever going to be 100 stores. It will shareholding shift. “We’ve lived with Blue Capital [on the “‘I want’ list.” Taking another job in retailing, said the be in the low double digits.” Currently, there are seven board] for the last year,” said Duran. “I don’t expect any 62-year-old Socol, is not on the list. “I have no inclina- fl agships, two smaller stores, 15 Co-ops and 13 outlets. strategy changes.” tion to do that.” Regarding the potential for stores abroad, Jackson Barneys, he said, now needs a new ceo who can said Barneys fl agships could open in “all the places you steer the business for a long time, in light of all the have to see, when you are coming of age and have the growth plans. He added the replacement could be a re- notion of going on a grand tour and seeing all the major Specialty Store Sales Up, tail veteran. cities” and “think of those cities where retail is an im- Asked if he had differences with Socol, said to re- portant part of the DNA.” He did not specify any cit- volve around the pace of expansion and the ceo being ies, though it is believed that London, Paris and Macau, Department Stores Lag able to steer the ship without second-guessing from its along with Dubai, are among those being scouted. By Liza Casabona new owner, Jackson replied, “I’m always reluctant to Back on the home front, Socol only hinted at which respond to rumors. Unequivocally, from our perspec- locations are not performing and which are. “I defi - WASHINGTON — Retail sales at specialty stores in- tive, we have enjoyed a very positive relationship with nitely think New York is a good place to be. Beverly creased 0.7 percent to $19.02 billion in April, but fell 0.1 Howard. Better than I could have hoped for at any Hills is a good place to be. Chicago is a good place to percent to $16.97 billion at department stores as that stage. Certainly, I think any difference of opinions were be. Seattle has done very nicely. There are a lot of good channel continues to struggle. not anything other than positive. I don’t perceive there places to be. The Web continues to be a good place.” The underlying economic challenges faced by merchants to be any of the warring factions portrayed in the press. Barneys also operates fl agship stores in Dallas, San were evident in a seasonally adjusted 0.2 percent drop in We think the world of Howard. We wished he would Francisco, Las Vegas and Boston, and a unit in Chestnut April sales for all retail and food service providers, dragged continue. This was 100 percent Howard’s decision.” Hill, Mass. “There is no question I would like to have down by soft automotive sales, after increasing 0.2 percent Jackson said Socol disclosed his decision to resign last year’s economy,” Socol continued. “The idea is to in March, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday. “very, very recently,” which led to “whirlwind discus- run a very professional ship. Keep the brand image at Compared with a year ago, specialty stores posted a 3 sions” to try to retain him. its highest level and wait for the economy to turn, and percent sales increase and department stores reported a As far as choosing a successor, Jackson said he didn’t then you will be poised for great growth.” 2.3 percent decline. Many retailers faced easy year-over- want to speculate on whether Barneys will choose “As the owner, we believe Barneys is in all the year sales comparisons in April, possibly the best they will an insider or someone from outside the organization. right locations,” Jackson said. “We are not looking at see in 2008, said Ken Perkins, president of Retail Metrics. It’s probable the retailer will search for an outsider, [Barneys] in terms of any individual stores in light of Warmer weather also released some pent up demand for though, considering Socol did not groom a successor. the current economic situation.” spring apparel and seasonal merchandise, he said. When individual retailers reported April same-store sales last week, most posted gains, but economists cau- tioned that the numbers were tempered by fl at or nega- Costs Lead American Apparel to 34 Percent Earnings Drop tive same-store sales in March. “The April retail sales fi gures overall were not too bad merican Apparel Inc. on Tuesday reported a 34 per- sets include machinery and equipment related to fab- in view of widespread reports of extremely grumpy con- Acent decline in fi rst-quarter earnings, hurt by start- ric dyeing. American Apparel also got the lease for two sumer sentiment,” said Brian Bethune, chief U.S. fi nancial up costs for a new dyeing and fi nishing facility. buildings totaling 135,000 square feet. The facility, lo- economist for Global Insight. “Overall, consumer spending For the three months ended March 31, earnings fell cated in Garden Grove, Calif., has done contract work continues to chug forward, albeit at very slow rates.” to $1.1 million, or 2 cents a diluted share, from $1.7 mil- for American Apparel for about 10 years. Given the diffi cult economic environment, “this report lion, or 3 cents, in the year-ago period. Sales soared “While American Apparel already operated one of is probably not as strong as some people are taking it to 51.9 percent to $111.6 million from $73.5 million, with the largest cut-and-sew operations of its kind, this ac- be,” said Scott Hoyt, senior director of consumer econom- same-store sales jumping 36 percent. quisition will further reduce our reliance on contract ics at Moody’s Economy.com. Management reaffi rmed full-year guidance in the dye facilities, allowing us to expand our product of- The federal tax rebate checks that are rolling out range of 32 cents to 36 cents a diluted share, before a fering, streamline our supply chain, lower costs and could prove to be a bright spot, economists noted, but it onetime noncash stock compensation expense in connec- ensure better quality control,” said Marty Bailey, chief is uncertain how much and where those improvements tion with a previously announced employee stock grant. manufacturing offi cer. will occur. Hoyt said the question is whether the rebates In a separate development, the Los Angeles-based About 140 U.S. Dyeing & Finishing workers will be- will be spent on food and energy to offset higher prices, company said it purchased assets from U.S. Dyeing & come employees of American Apparel. or whether consumers will spend them as intended on Finishing Inc. for about $3.8 million in cash. The as- — Jeanine Poggi discretionary purchases, such as apparel. WWD, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2008 7 WWD.COM Exec Tech Saks’ Incandela on E-tail By Cate T. Corcoran will win a $3,000 shopping spree. We held so it hasn’t been an issue. All our market- events in fi ve stores last month in the ing is ROI [return on investment] based. aks Direct President Denise Incandela Theory areas. People could make a video All this stuff is not only really cool but it Scame from McKinsey & Co., where she in the booths. About half of the entries so also drives sales. We’re in a tough econ- consulted on Internet retailing, to launch far were submitted through the stores. omy now, so we’re asking what can we do Saks Fifth Avenue’s Web store in 1999. About half were submitted through our that’s innovative and new. We don’t think The operation numbers about 400 peo- outside partner Brickfi sh. [Entries can of a recession as a time to sit back, we ple, including fulfillment and customer be viewed at the Brickfi sh site.] We also think it’s a time to get more aggressive. service. This year it will be Saks’ second- used Facebook. You can send a link [an largest store after the Fifth Avenue flag- application that shows the user’s favorite WWD: Are you expecting online sales Saks’ Denise Incandela. ship. Here, Incandela talks about video, Theory outfi t] in Facebook. It’s viral, you growth to slow, given the economy? social media, the economy, and Saks’ in- can pass on the link. We also had Theory D.I.: It’s hard to say. We’ve had such a novative multichannel campaign with video in New York store windows. strong month. Across the board, the growth the URL, coming from search engines, or Theory, which concluded Monday. rate has declined a bit but it’s not as bad from blogs? WWD: What are the results so far? as the rest of the economy. We still have a D.I.: One thing we’re seeing across the WWD: How is Saks using video online? D.I.: We absolutely saw a lift on the in- healthy growth rate. Last year we were up industry is that organic [traffi c] is going Denise Incandela: The editorial portion of store piece. For us, it was also a question close to 40 percent. This year we’re not ex- down. Our conversion rate is going up. The our site in the last year has really changed of how do we reach a customer segment pecting the growth rate to be as signifi cant. people who are coming are coming to buy. the way people shop. Especially video. we’re not reaching today. There is social Ninety-nine percent of our customers are media out there that we think is cannibal- WWD: Is your online merchandise differ- WWD: How do you deal with bloggers? now on high bandwidth connections. So it’s izing our shoppers’ time. We need to be in- ent from what’s in the stores? D.I.: We have someone who shares best- more like TV and it’s much closer to the in- volved. Our online customer tends to be 10 D.I.: About 60 percent of our assortment sellers and other news with them, who store experience. We’ve incorporated video years younger than in the store. Shopping overlaps with the stores. About 40 per- manages events and affi liates. It’s been a into our trend coverage. One thing we’re used to be a form of entertainment and cent is our own, but the percentage is full-time position for about eight months. doing that we’re really excited about is now with social media there’s competi- growing. Another thing we’re getting into designer interviews. For example, we had tion for that form of entertainment. We is [categories] with [limited] fl oor space, WWD: What should we expect to see in an interview with Christian Louboutin up don’t see a lot of retailers partnering with such as children’s, electronics, gourmet the coming year? in December. It generated over half a mil- social media companies or sites. food and home. We are starting to outper- D.I.: I think in general, not necessarily at lion dollars in sales. Think of it as a store form our New York store in children’s. Saks, there will be video in the product de- personal appearance, but in the store only WWD: Is Saks planning to do more Web tail. We’re still adding more [product] views so many people get to go. This concept is 2.0 type things? WWD: What is the most expensive item as we speak. We’re going to bring interna- taking technology and using it to expand D.I.: Yes, we are, but I can’t talk about it yet. you sell online? tional shipping to the Web site next year. beyond what we could do in the store. D.I.: It would probably be an exotic hand- We do it now through our 800 number. WWD: Are you seeing any budget cut- bag. We haven’t seen any price resistance. WWD: Video is a big piece of your cam- backs? Is it possible you will have to It’s all about convenience. When people WWD: Would Saks do something like de- paign with Theory. shelve some innovations because of bud- want something, they want it. velop its own online community? D.I.: We’re doing a promotion with get constraints? D.I.: I can’t talk about our go-forward Theory that is a multichannel event, D.I.: Everything we do is self-funded. We WWD: Are you seeing any change in initiatives, but we’ve discussed it. It’s not which is why it’s so powerful. You tell us have a four-month target with each invest- where shoppers are coming from? For our skill set but the space is evolving so your point of view on fashion. The winner ment. And we’re more than achieving that, example, are Saks shoppers typing in quickly we can’t rule anything out. Bits & Bytes Next Step for Social Shopping roduct bookmarking service — C.T.C. PThisNext is thinking outside the Web site with ventures that include a Facebook application and a deal with Ford Models. The product bookmarking site made its debut in August. Like similar sites Stylehive, Kaboodle, Wists and StyleFeeder, it allows visitors to bookmark fa- vorite products online and see which ones others have book- marked. Most also include per- ThisNext’s home page. sonal profi les, blogs, comments, ratings, search and other features. In addition, ThisNext’s home BEST DRESSED page displays what items are hot in various cities. The 16 million tween members of the Last month, ThisNext signed a deal with Ford Models Inc. that Stardoll virtual world need never know a bad will let the agency’s stylists and models recommend products and fashion day. If virtual outfi ts from DKNY, allow the two companies to split any revenue they generate. “It’s a mary-kateandashley and other brands aren’t way for the models to build their recognition as style leaders,” said enough, now they can design their own using PRECIOUS PHONE ThisNext chief executive offi cer and co-founder Gordon Gould. the site’s StarDesign fashion design software. To celebrate the recent opening of its “There are surfer models, yoga, fashionista and outdoorsy models.” New York store in the Plaza Hotel, Vertu Meanwhile, ThisNext has added an application to Facebook is offering a patterned leather edition of called “I Want.” Facebook users can add it to their pages and send its Constellation phone. The handmade, out a plea about an item they’re looking for — say, a white fl at- precision-engineered ceramic Monogram screen TV or the perfect pair of patent sandals — and receive pho- comes in fi ve colors and contains tos of suggestions from ThisNext users on their Facebook page. sapphire crystals and precious metals. “We see ourselves as less of a site and more of a service,” said The $5,500 price includes a 24-hour Gould. “There’s no reason you need to come to ThisNext per se. concierge service. Where you do your product recommendations or shopping to us doesn’t really matter. We can serve advertisements or cost-per- click wherever you go.” ThisNext will take in “a few million” in revenue this year, some of it from visitors who click through to look at products on a retailer’s site. Visitors don’t have to buy for ThisNext to get paid. The site also gets a cut of purchases and carries advertising. Social bookmarking is potentially a better way to reach cus- NOT STANDING STILL 5% tomers than display ads, Gould contends. Banner ads typically Face Hunter photographer Yvan Rodic have click-through rates of less than 1 or 2 percent, whereas about will take his streetwear blog into the of U.S. shoppers said they are likely one-third of visitors to ThisNext click through to a retail site, he video realm with interviews of his to opt to receive messages about said. About 16 million people have visited ThisNext since August, previously still subjects on MySpace promotions via cell phone when they with an average of a couple million visitors a month, according to TV. It will debut around the end of the approach a store. — TNS Retail Forward Gould. Revenue per page on ThisNext averages $14, he said. month with a launch party in Rodic’s The company has about 24 employees and recently closed favorite fashion capital, Stockholm. a second round of funding for a total of $10 million in venture capital backing. — C.T.C. 8 WWD, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2008 WWD.COM In the Mainstream Buyers Wait Longer, Scour Harder for Special Items

By Whitney Beckett A yellow Italian denim very cautious,” Khanna said. The Plainview, jacket from Lola of N.Y.-based vendor did well with fl oral and but- NEW YORK — Specialty stores’ open-to-buys might be at terfl y prints. holding steady, but at this month’s Moda Manhattan and Atelier Designers. “This is not a time to buy,” said Juno Chang, FAME trade shows, buyers reported they are looking president and ceo of junior line Juno. “Traffi c more before making decisions, waiting longer to place is slow.” orders, and then only buying what they love — mimick- Both shows moved to the upper level of ing the behavior of their own shoppers. Javits, which allowed them to grow 4.5 If not ordering for immediate delivery, most buyers percent in square footage as well as in were scouting for fall, rather than holiday, at Moda and the number of vendors, to about 1,000 FAME on May 4 to 6 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention between Moda and FAME, according Center. Top-selling items were must-have novelty pieces to Britton Jones, president and ceo of that stood out in terms of color, shape or embellishment, Business Journals Inc., which owns and that didn’t break the bank. the shows. Buyer attendance was Carolyn Billet, owner of Maple Street Clothing in fl at compared with last May, but New Orleans, shopped Moda and FAME for her two cus- Jones said he thought smaller stores tomer bases: “women and college students.” She was that have been hit particularly hard looking for early fall with a fl at open-to-buy, and ordered by the recession weeded themselves novelty knits, boyfriend sweaters and jackets in purples, out, and the retailers that remained “had reds and charcoals at Moda. money to spend.” “I’m being extremely selective because of the econo- “It’s pretty easy to run a great show in my, so an item must be something I absolutely love, noth- a hot market; it’s a little more diffi cult to ing on the cusp, for me to order it this season,” Billet run a great show in a more diffi cult mar- said. “Fringe items will be trimmed, and I am sticking ket, and that’s what we just pulled off,” with manufacturers who have been tested.” said Jones. “Stores went through a rough Thomas George, owner of E Street Denim in period, but saw a rebound in April, and Highland Park, Ill., said he “worked a lot harder” at this they realize that the best way to im- round of shows, making sure that he was fi nding the best prove sales is bring in exciting trends, merchandise for his stores with his fl at open-to-buy. But which they saw at the shows.” he said he was disappointed by the lack of risk vendors Meanwhile, at the Atelier Designers were taking. trade show, which ended its three-day “I don’t think we’ve done a great job in our industry run at the Doubletree Guest Suites to make things exciting, and consumers are probably in Times Square on May 6, much of the spending the same amount of money, but they are shift- A Luv2Luv talk centered around the uncertain economy ing out of our industry to travel, technology,” George were pushing. For New York-based Melly dress at and the ongoing rise in gas prices and the im- said. “Retailers also have to take some risk, and unfor- M, which wholesales from $68 to $180, 90 FAME. pact on consumer spending. tunately, I didn’t fi nd enough out there that’s moving it percent of orders at Moda were for imme- Trends at the show ranged from a variety forward — anything that was ‘oh my god.’” diate delivery, according to sales represen- of artisanal touches, such as mixing bohemian Vendors reported strong traffi c on Sunday, then a ta- tative Laura Sullivan. prints to item-driven collections, with a particu- pering off of visitors when Intermezzo opened. For ex- Buyers were not only holding back on lar focus on outerwear and blouses. ample, sales were up 40 percent over last year for Don spending, but also being careful with The Chicago-based Jermikko label was a fi rst- Hurowitz, the New England representative for better the price of items. At Kay Celine, a time exhibitor at the show with a focus on state- lines Maralyce Ferree Design, CTC and Ameeta, which New York-based line that showed at ment-making novelty coats all showed at Moda. He said buyers scoured his lines for Moda and wholesales for $45 to $94, and eveningwear. Designer “novelty, texture and color.” “more tops are selling than dresses Jermikko Johnson said “Buyers seem concerned, but they are here and they because they’re less expensive,” said she was pleased with are buying,” Hurowitz said. “People say they are cutting representative Janette Richards. the traffic. “A couple of back, but they don’t actually seem to be.” Top sellers all were novelty, featur- people said they would New York-based knit resource Bask did well at Moda ing embellishments, metallics and have bought more, but the with standout silhouettes, from trapeze vests to ponchos prints. economy isn’t as strong,” to swing coats. “We’re selling more short sleeves and “We’re selling all novelty and Johnson said. “The point sleeveless than ever before, because of the emphasis on anything at a price,” echoed Seena is, they bought.” layering for fall,” said Bask president Jeff Scher. Addeo, sales manager of New York- Among Jermikko’s best- Most buyers were ordering for fall or even imme- based David Brooks, which whole- sellers was a boiled wool diate, rather than the holiday offerings many vendors sales from $24 to $84. blue coat for $418 whole- Buyers parted with sale, and a brown plush their money for nov- wool coat for $518. Overall, elty and color. For New Jermikko’s wholesale price York-based knit vendor points range from $300 to WR 9000, which whole- $798. sales from $42 to $98, its Brooklyn-based Ohm biggest sellers at Moda Studio designers Julie were bright reds, pur- and Tom Diller were also ples and fuchsias, par- new to the show, bringing Do your designers ticularly novelty pieces an artsy touch with their that include fur. But handmade collection of al- still, according to sales most hippie luxe garments. have the time representative Rosanna Bestsellers at the show in- Balsamo, sales were A purple sweater with cluded a tulle-over-wool they need slow and rarely extend- fur from WR 9000 at quilted jacket for $158 ed past August. Moda Manhattan. wholesale. At FAME, Los “We have been steadily Angeles-based young busy,” said Julie Diller. “At to design? contemporary line Bizz, which wholesales least for us, people aren’t really talking so much about from $25 to $60, was “swamped” with traffi c the economy. They said January and February were and orders, according to senior sales rep- scary, but it has picked up since then.” resentative Amy Kim. “The key is a simple Tom Diller added, “Items are more important than body with detailing that sets the item apart,” outfi ts.” said Kim. Lola Herrera, designer of Lola of San Francisco, of- Reduce your costs, increase your productivity FAME is now three-quarters young con- fered a younger, quirkier, downtown aesthetic, with cool and give your designers the gift of time to do temporary and junior exhibitors, of the yellow denim coats, jackets with front-snap detailing what you hired them to do. nearly 400 vendors at the show, with the in- and materials such as cotton twill for coats. Bestsellers tention of forming a more focused destina- included a raspberry herringbone coat at $139 whole- Isotope Design Group can help. We provide sketching services, tion for buyers. sale and an Italian denim coat for $175, as well as hemp silhouette designing, CAD artworks and CAD colors, as well Pura Vida, a junior line based in Wooster, denim skirts with hand-pieced silk fragments, for $150 as pattern making, grading solutions, embroidery design and Ohio, has been doing FAME since the show wholesale. Susan Summa, who produces Atelier, said digitizing. We do it all online with 24/7 availability and work- started, according to president Raj Arora. she went into this edition of the show with uncertainty. in-progress visibility. He said most people were writing orders, “We had no idea what to expect after the February particularly for pattern dresses, “mostly for show, with the split market,” Summa said. “The econom- Visit our website or call Isotope Design Group today to learn more. fall but some immediates.” ic news has not been good, but many buyers reported Ninety percent of junior line Luv2Luv’s that business has picked up in April.” www.isotopedesigngroup.com orders were for immediate shipment, ac- As for trends, she noted a move toward items. “So [email protected] cording to president Manish Khanna. many of the buyers come in and ask me about great shirt 212-868-1049 “Customers are very skeptical about how lines,” Summa said. summer will play out, and they are being — With contributions from Marc Karimzadeh WWD, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2008 9 WWD.COM Hartnett to Front New Armani Scent Ugg Taps Nichols for Outerwear Line iorgio Armani is out to prove dia- for Men scent, details of his exact role By Sharon Edelson utilitarian chic pieces, including a re- Gmonds aren’t just a girl’s best friend. have yet to be fi nalized. The designer, versible cropped shearling jacket, $995; The fi rm’s beauty division on Tuesday however, alluded to an ad campaign gg Australia has called on Rozae reversible shearling vest with horn signed actor Josh Hartnett as the face of featuring Hartnett, stating the actor’s UNichols, a Los Angeles-based de- toggle closure, $1,300, and a shearling- a new scent due out this summer called “magnetism” will “guarantee a memo- signer whose line is known for its propri- lined glazed suede bomber jacket with Emporio Armani Diamonds for Men, a mas- rable print and TV campaign for this etary fabrics and handwrought elements, antique zippers, $895. culine counterpart to last year’s Emporio new launch.” to design an outerwear collection. “The approach was to concentrate Armani Diamonds women’s fragrance, Knowles, by comparison, appeared in The 14-piece collection ranges from on the strength of their shearling and which was fronted by Beyoncé Knowles. print and TV advertising for the women’s $595 for a suede hooded pullover to bring to that a sense of forwardness in- version of Diamonds, which was launched $2,300 for a long shearling coat. sofar as the way we looked at a modern in August of last year. Nichols, whose eponymous brand for cut and silhouette,” Nichols said. “But Hartnett’s upcoming fi lms include “I fall ’08 featured shearling vests with asym- BEAUTY BEAT Come With the Rain,” which is set to be metrical collars, fringed leather vests and released this year. leather and fabric, experiments with “The Emporio — Matthew W. Evans shapes and avant-garde styles. For holi- Armani genera- day ’07, she designed a pleated balloon tion is inspired skirt that looks like an infl ated accordion by film and YSL Beauté Reaches Trademark Settlement and jackets with uneven hems. Although music,” the de- SL Beauté Inc. has reached a settle- Ugg is a traditional brand — the design of signer stated. “I Yment with Costco Wholesale Corp. and the boots and shoes doesn’t change much felt that for the Quality King Distributors concerning alle- from year to year — Nichols was eager to men’s Diamonds gations of trademark infringement arising undertake the collaboration. fragrance it from the sale of fragrance products bear- “I was very attracted to the project,” would therefore ing the Yves Saint Laurent Opium name, she said. “I like leathers and shearlings. be appropriate the fi rms stated Tuesday. They’re very interesting materials to An ad from an Ugg campaign highlighting to involve one Litigation had been pending in the U.S. work with. I thought, ‘Let’s apply some outerwear designed by Rozae Nichols. of today’s most District Court for the Southern District of of the wonderful techniques we’ve de- inspiring young New York. veloped here.’” Nichols said Ugg was it’s also classic because I didn’t want actors.” “Yves Saint Laurent is pleased that “pretty wide open to [her suggestions] the garments to upstage the classicism Diamonds we were able to amicably resolve this because they’re basically a footwear of the footwear. It was very challenging for Men, which litigation with Costco and Quality King,” company” and didn’t come to the project to bring a forward-fashion freshness to Josh Hartnett and Giorgio is Emporio stated Marc Rey, president of YSL with preconceived ideas. it. What Ugg represents to footwear and Armani at the Armani Privé Armani’s sixth Beauté Inc. “We commend the coopera- “I’ve always admired the Ugg brand what we wanted to bring to the clothing fashion show in Los Angeles men’s fragrance, tion of Costco and Quality King in these as having a very iconic style,” Nichols is a sense of humble luxury. It’s so genu- in February 2007. is due to be un- proceedings, and this settlement refl ects said. “I really like the philosophy of the ine, there’s nothing ostentatious.” veiled in June, their absolute commitment to the sale of company. It’s very authentic. It came Nichols believes the collaboration during the spring 2009 men’s fashion authentic goods.” from a very nonfashion point of view. Its has staying power. “We’re looking for- shows in Milan. It is slated to be launched Quality King and its Quality King origins were utilitarian. I like the great ward to a long [relationship],” she said. worldwide in August. Fragrance business stated, “We are design that comes out of that necessity.” In addition, Nichols said she would While Hartnett, who is known for pleased to have been able to work co- Nichols was careful to strike a bal- like to design handbags for Ugg. “Our his work in fi lms such as “The Black operatively with YSL and Costco to ance between the fashion quotient and brand is also interested in expanding Dahlia,” “Black Hawk Down” and “Pearl achieve a mutually benefi cial resolution the brand’s traditional attributes, such the collection into accessories in spring Harbor,” will represent the Diamonds of this matter.” as its signature stitching. She created or fall of 2009,” she said.

2ETRO-ANNEQUINFEATURING 'LOSS#ARBON&IBER&INISH

-ANHATTAN3HOWROOMo/FüCEEXT MONDOMANNEQUINSCOM 10 WWD, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2008 WWD.COM Marketing Fashion Brand Fans Are Spreading Brooks Bros. Strikes By Valerie Seckler in early April as one of three kinds of purchases they were most likely to cut back on in the near term, according to an Golf Sponsorships ith the worsening U.S. economy putting a strain on peo- NPD Group poll of 2,000 adults. Dining out and home enter- rooks Brothers is hitting the greens as Wple’s wallets, for the first time in seven years consum- tainment were the other areas in which the group expected Bclothing sponsor of the PGA’s Stanford ers are placing more importance on which apparel brands to clip spending. St. Jude Championship in Memphis next they’re wearing — and they’re expressing more willingness In the 12 months ended March 31, consumer spending month, including the presentation of a to try some new ones. on women’s apparel decreased 3.8 percent to $100.5 billion championship jacket — part of its first ef- Twice as many adults — and twice as many women — from $104.3 billion in the prior-year period. Five of the 10 fort to market the 190-year-old brand in na- are fi nding more signifi cance in sporting certain brands, best selling national and designer women’s brands in the tional sports settings. logos and symbols than they did a year ago, according to the year ended this March, according to NPD, also were named Outfi tting the champion of the PGA event Brand Keys 2008 Fashion Brand Loyalty Index. One in 10 by participants in the Brand Keys survey as being among with a seersucker jacket tailored by Brooks women, and 8 percent of adults overall, make up this new their favorites to wear: Polo Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Bros., when the event concludes June 8, will wave, stemming a tide that last year saw about three-quar- Levi’s, Nike and Tommy Hilfi ger. follow the retailer’s fi rst-time national golf ters of the country’s consumers claim that wearing specifi c At the high end, fashion names including Ralph presence, the cosponsorship of the LPGA’s brand names was becoming less important to them. Lauren, Donna Karan and Chanel were most signifi cant Stanford International ProAm in Miami, for women and Baby Boomers to own, in April. Special embroidery will spell out representing more than three-quarters of the champion’s name in the lining, the fi rst their choices. These labels got only half as time a seersucker jacket will be awarded many mentions among men, Gen-Xers and to the winner of a PGA tournament. Brooks Millennials, who showed a strong taste for Bros. credits itself with introducing seer- American classics, such as Nike, Levi’s, J. sucker in the U.S., during the 1830s. Crew, Dockers, Tommy Hilfi ger, Banana After executives of the retailer attended Republic and L.L. Bean. last year’s PGA tournament, they and the “The consumer is responding well to un- tournament chiefs decided to work togeth- complicated fashion — classic American, er, as they are both benefactors of St. Jude cool product,” observed Fred Gehring, chief Children’s Research Hospital, and the tourna- executive offi cer of Tommy Hilfi ger Group. ment group suggested Brooks Bros. develop That inclination and the Hilfi ger brand’s fa- a winner’s jacket, according to Kevin Krisle, miliarity to shoppers, he said, is refl ected in executive director of the PGA contest. the group’s healthy comparable-store sales Staff, executive team and volunteer growth. Hilfi ger’s comps this year through crew of the tournament will don Brooks April 18 were up in the low double-digits Bros. threads from the start of the event on at about 400 Macy’s stores around the coun- June 2, much as their counterparts did at try and in three full-price Tommy Hilfi ger the LPGA ProAm in Miami last month. The shops, and were up 5 percent in the compa- clothes they sport will range from a suit to A Tommy Hilfi ger spring 2008 ad. ny’s 125 outlet stores, according to the ceo. a navy blazer to a polo shirt. With the Hilfi ger business “a fraction of The idea is to extend the lifestyle sensi- what it could be in the U.S.,” in Gehring’s bility of the Brooks Bros. Country Club brand beyond the confi nes of stores, catalogues and “This is an acknowledgement that people are looking for online to the settings in which it envisions differences between brands,” said Robert Passikoff, presi- its customers wearing such items, explained dent of marketing consultant Brand Keys. “It doesn’t neces- CONSUMERS’ NEWEST FAVORITES TO WEAR Louis Amendola, chief merchandising offi cer (Brands cited by group in 2008) sarily mean they’re fi nding it.” Nonetheless, Passikoff pro- at Brooks Bros. The signings of golfers like jected, “This should be a good thing for the fashion brands.” BRAND BIGGEST APPEAL Scott Verplank and Taylor Leon as brand am- Almost two dozen of the 60 favorite brands mentioned bassadors also served as inspiration. Nordstrom Women, Baby Boomers by 26,000 consumers are new to this year’s list — an unusu- Marketing moves such as these are pro- J. Crew Women, men, Millennials, Gen X-ers ally big portion — signaling shoppers’ openness to donning jected to grow from three golf tournaments Levi’s Men, Millennials something different. They include Gucci, Louis Vuitton, this year (a third, yet-to-be-named site is Dockers Men Donna Karan, Nordstrom, Calvin Klein, Polo, J. Crew, Levi’s, being negotiated) to four or fi ve sporting L.L. Bean Men L.L. Bean and Dockers, with half of those names preferred events in 2009, Amendola said. Polo/Ralph Lauren Gen X-ers by more than one demographic group participating in the “As we evolve the ProSports line with Calvin Klein Gen X-ers March survey taken by Brand Keys. more tennis and sailing products, we will Gucci Baby Boomers Ralph Lauren, a perennial favorite in the loyalty index, defi nitely entertain” more kinds of event mar- Louis Vuitton Baby Boomers was the leading choice among women and was ranked sec- keting, Amendola said of the ProSports per- Donna Karan Baby Boomers ond overall, following apparel licensed by a person’s favor- formance apparel bearing the Country Club ite athletic team. SOURCE: BRAND KEYS 2008 FASHION BRAND LOYALTY INDEX, BASED ON MARCH SURVEY OF name. “We are also interested in events spe- Whether a luxury label or an American classic, 26,000 ADULTS. cifi c to certain cities where we have stores.” people said it’s a garment’s quality — including Brooks could establish a presence at a regatta materials, construction and durability — that in Newport, R.I., for example, where one of most often attracts them to the brands they’d view, the company is planning to “step up” its communi- its seven Country Club stores is located. like to wear. Not surprisingly, most shoppers cations with the public this fall in product-focused, co- Even as it negotiates to sponsor a third also said their affi nity for a given label is infl u- operative ads with Macy’s, in an image-based global ad golf contest this year, Brooks Bros. is still enced by the value they perceive in a specifi c campaign, and via its new viral marketing determining how big to go with such mar- item, Passikoff noted, “more so this year be- A spring platform, the newly launched online music keting plays, how much product it ought to cause of the economy.” When asked about look from channel TommyTV.com. develop for those events and how many of the power of status for its own sake, he J. Crew. Increases in disposable income for the af- those items it will offer in its stores, cata- said it is dimming, given people’s pri- fl uent among the Baby Boomers, considered logues and online, Amendola said. So far, ority on quality and value. the country’s wealthiest generation ever, is probably souvenir polo shirts for its fi rst two LPGA At Saks Fifth Avenue, Suzanne adding to the allure of designer names like Lauren, and PGA tour stops and seersucker hats, Johnson, group senior vice presi- Karan and Chanel, Passikoff said, while the sense belts and totes with tournament logos have dent and general manager of the of “comfort” and “warmth” people are fi nding in been earmarked for sale at Brooks Bros., Fifth Avenue fl agship, said brands some of America’s heritage brands is heightening the main tie-in with the stores. that have been selling well this their appeal. The Ralph Lauren brand may be ben- — V.S. spring include Oscar de la Renta, efi ting from both dynamics. “Ralph Lauren has 40 Bill Blass, Carolina Herrera, years of branding behind it and the brand is very Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Akris familiar,” said David Lauren, senior vice presi- and Agnona. Dresses and pieces dent of advertising, marketing and communica- flashing bright colors and floral tions at Polo Ralph Lauren Corp. He maintained prints are in demand. the clarity of what the Ralph Lauren name is in- “We’ve got our antennae up like tended to stand for, including “quality, elegance crazy to see what customers are and good taste, is a critical part of keeping the saying and how they are shopping,” brand strong.” Johnson said. “They want some- These days, fashion shoppers are being drawn thing that will last and they want to brands that are “approachable and have identi- something they can wear now. They fi able attributes,” observed Tom Julian, president of don’t want to wait three months to put it the newly formed brand consultant Tom Julian Group. on,” she continued. “They’re not cutting For example, he cited “fresh Americana attitude with back, but they want to wear something updated must-have pieces — a Diane von Furstenberg special. Brands that are more basic are dress, a Tory Burch tunic, a Michael Kors coat, Marc having a struggle.” Jacobs accessories.” In the past six months, apparel is a prod- Recalling conversations he’s had with consumers, A Brooks Bros. uct people have been saying they’re spend- Julian added, “There is a real heavy [not black] cloud window display in ing less on or dropping from their shopping hanging over many women when it comes to the spend Bal Harbour, Fla., lists, as rising costs of necessities like hous- column. We are in a shifting political year, and any house- promoting the recent ing, gasoline and food eat up their discretion- hold is very aware of the required pinching from the LPGA ProAm. ary income. Consumers cited apparel again monthly budget, compared with 2007.” WWD, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2008 11 WWD.COM

Roberto Cavalli’s R&C motoryacht. Fornarina Forms Tie With Lohan By Ellen Groves PARIS — With the controversial Lindsay Lohan as its new face, Italian lifestyle brand Fornarina is planning a global push into the world’s fashion capitals in a move aimed at tripling its business over the next five years. Lohan revealed her latest fashion tie-up during the sixth edition of the Fornarina Urban Beauty Show at the Carrousel du Louvre here Monday night. The fi rst ads featuring Lohan will break in spring 2009. The party, a fusion of fashion, art and music, drew a 2,000-strong crowd. “[Lindsay] is that very self-confi dent, dynamic woman, she’s got a A Big Week in the Stars for Cannes lot of attitude,” said Scott Ronaldson, managing director of Fornari Retail. “That’s what we’re hoping our customer will aspire to.” The brand plans to open fl agship boutiques in London, Paris and By Katya Foreman at Jimmy’z for the two-week festival. New York later this year and to triple sales within fi ve years from Also tonight, L’Oréal spokeswomen Eva an estimated 170 million euros, or $233 million at average exchange, CANNES — Led by Julianne Moore, star of the Longoria and Eva Mendes will host the Nikki through 200 doors globally in 2007. Growth will also be driven by thriller “Blindness,” which kicks off the Cannes Beach Kick Off in its nightclub at the Palais expansion into Eastern Europe and Russia and in Asia, where the International Film Festival today, a formidable Stephanie with a performance by Macy Gray. company boasts 90 doors in China. cast of leading ladies is expected to mount the Madonna is also headed to Cannes to promote “I Meanwhile, in the U.S., Fabio Tamburini, managing director of event’s fabled red steps over the coming days — Am Because We Are,” a documentary about children Fornari SpA, has taken over as interim chief executive offi cer to all in need of a frock. orphaned by AIDS in Malawi, while Mischa Barton head up the U.S. business. And fashion designers are equally eager to will walk the Croisette for the thriller “You and I.” The brand’s new retail design, to be introduced starting in fall, dress the stars, many of them already attached Hot tickets for the festival’s night owls, mean- consists of four universes that will each be operational as sepa- to brands. These include Cate Blanchett, Scarlett while, include the Vanity Fair party at the Hotel rate stores or as corners. They include a Johansson, Angelina Jolie, Lucy Liu, Christina du Cap on Saturday, followed by the water- Denim Bar, designed like a bar or club; Ricci, Penélope Cruz and Ziyi Zhang, as well as tight after party for the “ Jones and the a Powder Room, which will showcase ac- jury member Natalie Portman, who is said to Kingdom of the Skull” premiere on Sunday. cessories including shoes, bags, jewelry have been directing a self-penned short fi lm for Fashion is never far on the party circuit, though, and eyewear; a Total Look concept featur- the “New York, I Love You” anthology right up to from Costume National’s opening night dinner for ing the latest technology such as plasma boarding the plane for the festival. the “Blindness” cast at the Hotel Costes’ ephem- screens plus ready-to-wear collections, Giorgio Armani has lots of big fi sh in his eral restaurant at Orange Beach opposite the and a Rock Out cultural zone with perfor- net already, having announced that he will Carlton hotel, to a private Chopard cocktail mances by local DJs in a bid to connect dress Blanchett, Sean Penn, Harrison Ford, Saturday for Woody Allen’s “Vicky Cristina with potential customers. DOMINIQUE MAITRE PHOTO BY Joaquin Phoenix and Aishwarya Rai dur- Barcelona” and its cast, including Johansson, With its new concept, Fornarina has ing the festival. Cruz and Rebecca Hall. Agnès b. will plans to generate an estimated $2,000 per Roberto Cavalli, who wrangled also host a private party for Bruce square foot and more than 1 million euros, 70 dresses onto stars during last Weber’s Eighties documentary or $1.5 million, for every 1,000-square-foot year’s festival, has added an “Let’s Get Lost.” A typically store. Fornarina will also boost its produc- extra suite to his showroom rock ‘n’ roll crowd is expected tion capacity to deliver between four and at the Hotel Martinez, to attend the event, including fi ve new collections each season. “Fashion equipped with three seam- Yoko Ono, Patti Smith, Pedro is about speed,” said Ronaldson, “about stresses and stocking around Almodóvar, Jim Jarmusch, stock rotation. We’ll have new collections 150 gowns. Jimmy Choo, also Lou Doillon and Placebo’s 10 to 12 times a year.” situated in the hotel, will Swarovski’s satin Brian Molko. As well a sneak preview of its spring offer around-the-clock hand- and crystal clutch. New retail additions to the 2009 looks during runway shows through- Lindsay Lohan at the dyeing and heel-altering ser- Croisette, meanwhile, include out the evening, Fornarina unveiled Fornarina Urban Beauty vices. Swarovski will have a stores from Bottega Veneta — which limited edition lines with six artists, in- Show Monday. customized dyeing service will host “The Knot: A Retrospective,” on May 21 cluding Japanese creator Junko Mizuno; for the fi rst time for three of — and , which recently opened its sec- half-Dutch, half-Spanish illustrator Mijn Schatje, and Dutch tattooist its Red Carpet clutches. ond French store in Cannes. Designed by Nicolas Angelique Houtkamp. A rotation of theatrical installations including Rumor has it Louis Vuitton will dress Mélanie Ghesquière and Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster, the acrobatic displays, plus a pop-up shop showcased the new designs, Laurent for the opening of her fi rst directorial ef- two-story boutique’s basement contains an ambient from octopus motifs printed on silk dresses by Mizuno to American fort, “De Moins en Moins” (“Less and Less”). At “exploration gallery” situated below sea level that artist Glen Barr’s retro face painted onto cotton T-shirts. The collec- age 25, Laurent is one of the youngest directors to features wall panels covered in numeric mirrors tions will be sold in Fornarina’s 100 freestanding stores worldwide. have been nominated for the festival’s short fi lm and aluminium leaves, as well as a green marble And Fornarina could have another new designer — namely Lohan, section. Ziyi and Adrien Brody are also likely to fl oor containing a central strip of blue sodalite, de- who said she’d love to create accessories for the brand. The actress be dressed by Vuitton during the festival, accord- signed to evoke an underground lake. has already been cutting her teeth creating her own leggings collec- ing to a source. A fl eet of Italian fashion vessels has set sail for tion, dubbed 6216 after Marilyn Monroe’s birth date. “Right now, it’s Linda Evangelista, Eva Herzigova and Milla Cannes, including Ferretti’s “Prometej” and the just leggings for me,” said the actress, who is set to make a return to Jovovich are also expected to roll into town, while Missoni family’s “Pegasus.” The latter will host a fi lming with the romantic comedy “Labor Pains” later this month. speculation is that Bar Refaeli will don the mega- private summer benefi t fete for OrphanAid Africa expensive bejeweled gown created by Chopard’s on Friday, organized by Margherita Maccapani and Caroline Gruosi-Scheufele and designer Alberta the British concierge company Quintessentially. NEW FACE: Miu Miu is Ferretti at the festival’s opening night ceremony, Four days before the amfAR gala, Cavalli is due to kissing Kirsten Dunst goodbye followed by an after party where Juliette Lewis sail in on his 41-meter-long motoryacht “R & C,” Fashion Scoops and saying bienvenue to will be manning the decks. The gown will later which will be moored in the old port. Vanessa Paradis, who will be the brand’s new face for the upcoming fall be auctioned at the amfAR gala, whose after The boat sports a special iridescent paint that campaign. Miu Miu has once again tapped Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott to party will be hosted by Fendi. The Roman fashion glows a golden-purplish tint when the sun is high, photograph the ads. A company spokeswoman declined to comment. house is also reprising its “Fendi O” private club shifting to navy blue at sunset. LISTEN UP: Arnold Scaasi is known to spin a yarn or two, but at Monday night’s Literacy Partners gala he had plenty of reinforcement from A.J. Jacobs, Chris Matthews, Azar Nafi si and Ann Patchett, who read some of their favorite passages, which in some cases were their own. Liz Smith, Lauren, Armstrong Mark Cancer Center Anniversary who along with Parker Ladd and Scaasi cohosted this year’s shindig, ellow is a leading color this spring, but Ralph done and will continue to do, Lauren said. The facil- couldn’t resist ribbing Matthews, who she noted some people call “The YLauren, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg ity has helped 10,000 patients and handled more than Great Interrupter.” But she seemed to have a change of heart after he and Lance Armstrong were wearing it as a sym- 36,000 visits for screenings, diagnosis and treatment. read from “The Great Gatsby.” “I didn’t know you were such a romantic,” bolic pledge to fight cancer. Armstrong, whose frenetic schedule involved Smith said. Nafi si urged the 750-person crowd to fi ght for the rights of The trio and several hundred supporters marked stops in Columbus, Ohio; Denver, and Las Vegas in readers. And Patchett, who was unabashed about her bee-master status the fi fth anniversary of the Ralph Lauren Center for addition to New York, said cancer is “unlike any at her local Tennessee spelling bee, encouraged attendees to go back to Cancer Care and Prevention Tuesday in Harlem’s war we have fought, waged or funded. “the podunk places that made you” to Marcus Harvey Park, and kicked off Livestrong Day Harold Freeman, M.D., the center’s president pay respect. Smith described Jacobs, 2008, a one-day nationwide and founder, and Harold whose recent body of work called for initiative led by the champi- Varmus, M.D., the center’s living a year by the Bible, as “the on cyclist’s Lance Armstrong chief executive offi cer, who is craziest man in the world.” Jacobs Foundation. The dress code also president and ceo of the talked about some of the ramifi cations wasn’t lost on the mayor, Memorial Sloan-Kettering of his quest. Be fruitful and multiply? who wore a yellow tie and Cancer Center and a Nobel He had twins. Don’t shave the corners Livestrong bracelet. laureate for his work on of a beard? “I spent a lot of time at Lauren, whose Polo Ralph the genetic basis of cancer, PHOTO BY TALAYA CENTENO TALAYA PHOTO BY airport security,” he said. Thou shall Lauren Corp. provided the were among those attending. not covet, gossip or lie? “I live in New seed money for the cen- Armstrong, who described York and work in media, so that’s 60 to ter, said, “This is not about Freeman as an “idol,” gave 75 percent of my day.” money. This is about your him a Tour de France yellow Apart from the laughs, the event PHOTO BY PATRICK MCMULLAN/PATRICK MCMULLAN MCMULLAN/PATRICK PATRICK PHOTO BY soul. This is about life.” jersey to hang on a wall at honored Julia and David Koch and raised Parker Ladd, Liz Smith and The objective is saving Harold Vargas, Harold Freeman, Ralph Lauren, the center. $1.2 million for Literacy Partners. Arnold Scaasi. lives, which the center has Lance Armstrong and Mayor Michael Bloomberg. — Rosemary Feitelberg 12 WWD, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2008 WWD.COM WWD West Kate Spade Targets L.A. for Retail Push By Rachel Brown game,” he said. “While the pie may be getting small- er for the short term, we think that it is important to ate Spade is courting Los Angeles shoppers for the carve out additional market share, and we think that is Kfirst time with its own stores, part of an ambitious through the great product.” agenda to almost double the accessories brand’s retail Retail has become an emphasis for Kate Spade, which doors this year. endured a shake-up of top executives after Claiborne Liz Claiborne Inc.-owned Kate Spade’s Southern purchased it for $124 million in December 2006. Last retail initiative kicked off May 2 with the open- year, Kate and Andy Spade, former designer and ceo, re- ing of its 1,100-square-foot store at Caruso Affi liated’s spectively, left the company they started 15 years ago. new Americana at Brand lifestyle center in Glendale. Claiborne hired Deborah Lloyd, who had been That store is to be followed this month by launches at the Banana Republic’s executive vice president of prod- Westfi eld Century City and The Oaks at Thousand Oaks uct design and development, and Leavitt, who was malls, and on Boulevard in Pasadena. president of global retail operations at Theory, to be “Because of the shopping patterns in the West Coast, co-presidents, reporting to Claiborne ceo William L. a number of neighborhood or micromarket stores help McComb. The two have set out to reinvigorate Kate support the customer base there,” said Kate Spade co- Spade’s merchandise, often criticized for design stag- president Craig Leavitt. “There is an opportunity for a nation in the midst of an accessories boom, and quickly relatively large number of stores in that marketplace build its retail portfolio. and that is why we are seeing this fl urry of activity in “What you will see for fall and beyond is an evolution the stores will be more intimate, averaging 1,500 to 1,700 L.A. that will expand to other places in the West Coast.” of the product that lends some additional sophistication, square feet compared with 2,300 square feet previously, Revving up Kate Spade by spreading its retail enter- but at the same time refl ects the whimsical heritage of encourage interactivity with lower shelving and fewer prise is a risky move in a weakened economy that has the brand,” Leavitt said. items under glass, and have fi tting rooms for the antici- hit especially hard. But Leavitt Kate Spade is expected to expand to about 50 stores this pated launch of Kate Spade apparel collections in 2009. contended Kate Spade will win over consumers with year from its current total of 26 — and plans at least 40 more “What you are seeing is the beginning of the pro- relevant accessories that don’t have price tags rivaling by 2010. The brand had four California units — Fashion cess of store redesign,” Leavitt said. “Accessible is a mortgage payments. Island Center in Newport Beach, key word because we are a company that produces ac- “In this type of economy, it becomes a market share in Palo Alto and two in San Francisco — before launching cessible luxury products and that is a key part of that at Americana at Brand, and Leavitt indicated that [redesign]. We want to build stores that provide us an its West Coast presence would be bolstered soon opportunity to present additional categories as we with locations in the San Diego region, Northern layer them on.” California and Portland, Ore. In fi scal 2007, Liz Claiborne reported Kate Spade’s Co-tenants, demographics and space avail- sales averaged $631 a square foot, which Leavitt said ability are crucial factors in determining where is “pretty consistent to where we have been trending” Kate Spade places stores, Leavitt said. The com- this year. However, he forecast “signifi cant increases in pany scouts malls or lifestyle centers and streets productivity” as Kate Spade’s products progress and the for retailers that attract customers, notably pro- size of its stores shrinks. fessional women and non-working women from Handbags constitute more than half of sales at Kate the 20s to 40-plus with hefty disposable incomes Spade locations, where the average ticket is in the $250 who are good candidates to become devotees. to $350 range, and are trailed by footwear and small “Our strategy is to develop stores both in leather goods. About 60 percent of Kate Spade sales the malls and on the street,” he said. “It is re- now come from its stores, with the rest from wholesal- ally a way to balance our presentation in the ing to retailers such as Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s. marketplace.” Kate Spade generated $90.5 million in revenues last Kate Spade in the Kate Spade’s West Coast stores are laboratories year, making it the smallest member of Claiborne’s fam- Americana at Brand. for elements of a redesign that is scheduled to roll ily of direct brands that includes Juicy Couture, Lucky PHOTOS BY TYLER BOYE PHOTOS BY out in earnest starting next spring. In general, Brand and Mexx. Charts Growth Spurt Lap of Luxury: Miu Miu Launches on Rodeo itson, the fad-driven boutique on Robertson Boulevard By Anne Riley-Katz Khere, is branching out for fall. Owner Fraser Ross is planning Kitson’s fi rst location in a life- BEVERLY HILLS — Miu Miu is back with a new store on Rodeo Drive. style mall in the Americana at Brand, which opened this month The Prada-owned brand’s 3,200-square-foot shop opened Saturday, and marks Miu Miu’s reemergence in in suburban Glendale, and a store on Melrose Avenue in West metropolitan Los Angeles two years after closing its boutique on Melrose Avenue, which launched in 2001. Hollywood is back on track after resolution of a zoning dispute. “We were not happy with the results on Melrose, and we wanted to be where the other big luxury “I would be naïve if I said I’m not worried about the econo- brands were — on Rodeo,” said Tomaso Galli, Miu Miu’s my,” Ross said. “I don’t know if things are getting worse or bet- head of global communications. ter. There’s always a trend in the market that you can chase. We Miu Miu on Rodeo Drive. The brand has a long-term lease on the rectangular sell a lot of different brands.…The diversity really helps us.” space, which features 25-foot ceilings and skylights and The new stores will give Kitson seven locations, including green silk brocade draping the walls and ceiling — cov- four on Robertson and one in Dubai. erings that are interchangeable and designed to incor- “The rents on Robertson are getting a little ridiculous and porate colors from the latest collection. It is Miu Miu’s the street is getting a little more corporate, so it was time to only West Coast unit. aggressively expand elsewhere,” Ross said, adding that he is Referring to the two-year hiatus, Galli said, “Location in negotiations to open another store near Santa Monica next is everything, and until we have the right location we year. “I love it there, but we don’t need Robertson as much as will always aggressively seek it.” Robertson needs us.” The space will house an exclusive capsule collec- Kitson helped build Robertson’s reputation as a hot retail tion, a mixture of select spring-summer and fall-winter venue through celebrity shoppers like Paris Hilton and Nicole 2008 pieces. Richie. Among the street’s stores are Lisa Kline, Intermix and The Rodeo store will carry the full Miu Miu ready- Tory Burch. In addition, Ralph Lauren, Dolce & Gabbana’s to-wear line as well as handbags and other accessories. D&G concept and Chanel are on tap. Shoes start at $380, jackets and dresses cost as much as Kitson at the Americana will be 15,000 square feet and de- $2,500 and purses range from about $1,000 to $2,000. signed like a department store, with women’s, children’s and Representatives said Miu Miu’s coming of age involves more luxe de- gift merchandise on the 10,000-square-foot ground level and sign and fabrics, intended to further develop a luxury customer base. men’s wear, which Ross cited as a fast-growing segment, on the Miu Miu now shows in Paris instead of Milan, which Galli said helped 5,000-square-foot second fl oor. increase perception of the brand as a true luxury player. “We wanted to go into The Grove [in Los Angeles] but there Founded by Miuccia Prada in 1993, Miu Miu registered 2007 sales of was no room,” Ross said. “This is a bit farther away, so we can 223 million euros, or $326 million at current exchange rates, a 50 per- pull from a different market. It’s like The Grove on steroids cent increase over the previous year. and the competition isn’t heavy for us, so it made sense.” Miu Miu has 13 freestanding stores worldwide, including Paris, The 7,000-square-foot Melrose Avenue store also will be two Milan, London, Hong Kong and two units in New York, as well as plans fl oors, and Ross signed a 10-year lease. The space was the subject for a 57th Street fl agship that will open this fall in the space formerly of a disagreement with the city of West Hollywood — and a subse- occupied by Jil Sander. quent lawsuit against the landlord that has been resolved — over “The economy continues to have its ups and downs; the long-term whether it was zoned for retail and had suffi cient parking. plans are to continue to grow this brand and follow momentum on a Balenciaga recently opened its West Coast fl agship near the worldwide basis,” Galli said. future Kitson location on Melrose, Beckley will open this sum- The Los Angeles market is a key part of the U.S. sales strategy mer and Alberta Ferretti is slated to come. The area already because of “a very sophisticated clientele living there, there is sig- includes John Varvatos, Maxfi eld and H. Lorenzo’s green con- nifi cant tourism to the area and the presence of an important in- cept store HLNR. dustry like entertainment,” Galli said. “We had to have a signifi cant

— A.R.K. TYLER BOYE PHOTOS BY presence in L.A.” WWD, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2008 13 WWD.COM

time, leaving her offi ce frequently to take meetings and even trying to lobby television TJX Profi ts honchos for a job. Fuller, however, said she MEMO PAD was “very busy” at AMI in recent months, overseeing the covers each week at Star GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN: Another chapter and redesigning Fit Pregnancy and Country Rise 19.6% in the drama that is Bonnie Fuller’s career Weekly. More recently, Fuller was rattled by is coming to a close. The tabloid queen the death of her mother, Tanya, with whom JX Cos. Inc. said Tuesday that fi rst- gave up her throne at American Media Inc. she had a close relationship. “Her mother Tquarter income increased almost 20 on Tuesday, stepping down from her post always told her never leave a good job,” percent as shoppers squeezed by rising as executive vice president, chief editorial said Donald Robertson, senior vice president, gas and food costs and tight credit hunted director after fi ve years. The company said creative development at Estée Lauder, who for lower-priced items. that, as of today, Fuller will be an editor at is a longtime Fuller confi dant and creative For the three months ended April 26, large at Star and a consultant to AMI chief director at the magazines she edited. income jumped 19.6 percent to $193.8 executive offi cer David Pecker. Her job — Though Fuller would not say what she million, or 11 cents a diluted share, from one that netted Fuller a much-discussed planned on doing in her next act, she did $162.1 million, or 9 cents, in the same $2 million a year plus benefi ts and perks say an announcement on her next project year-ago quarter. The results included a — will not be fi lled. The editor had another is forthcoming. “She’s always looking for benefi t of $12 million, or 2 cents a share, year left on her contract, which was the next thing.” remarked Robertson. for certain unanticipated tax-related renegotiated in April 2006. Bonnie Fuller Her former boss added the parting of adjustments, compared with the previ- While conspiracy theorists will no doubt ways is a win-win for both Pecker and ous year’s quarter, which had an after- have a fi eld day as to the reasons the overtly Us in July 2003 just as suddenly as her Fuller: “I think that [AMI] couldn’t afford tax charge of $12 million, or 3 cents a ambitious Fuller gave in, she insisted the announcement Wednesday afternoon — her anymore. Bonnie found another share, in connection with a computer decision to leave was hers and that she AMI’s Pecker poached her with a huge job that she wants to take. Her current data breach. Sales were up 6.2 percent to had been mulling over quitting for a few salary package to reinvent the down-market contract probably technically says she $4.36 billion from $4.11 billion on a same- weeks. “I felt like I want to go and pursue Star into a slick newsstand friendly glossy. can’t take it. She probably went to David store sales gain of 3 percent. a new adventure and a new venture,” she But while the strategy worked once at Us, and said, ‘I haven’t been earning my pay Despite the jump in income, TJX told WWD. An AMI spokesman confi rmed it didn’t quite click at Star in the face of anyway. I have an opportunity I’d like to shares fell 4.6 percent Tuesday to close “the decision to resign was Bonnie Fuller’s. a People revival and continued growth of pursue.’ He said, ‘Yes, but let’s do it in a at $30.65 as the retailer only met Wall It was driven by her view that she had Us under Fuller acolyte Janice Min. Fuller’s cosmetic way.’ It’s not a bad day for David Street’s expectations. accomplished many of the things she diva-dom wasn’t quite as tolerated in or Bonnie.” — Stephanie D. Smith The discounter, based in Framingham, has set out to do when she joined AMI in the AMI hallways, and a job that initially Mass., operates about 2,600 stores, in- 2003.” Fuller also stressed she has a good was billed as having editorial oversight BREAK OUT THE KNOLL CHAIRS: Remember cluding TJ Maxx and Marshalls. working relationship with Pecker. over all of the company’s weekly tabloid Wallpaper — that temple to all things sleek, “We once again drove strong sales, mer- Fuller at one time was known as an titles essentially shrank to managing Star. minimal and Swedish? Well, the magazine chandise margins and profi t growth de- innovator who had her pulse on the tastes According to Audit Bureau of Circulations, is trying to step back onto New York’s spite the challenges of the consumer envi- and desires of American women. After single copy sales at Star have slid to radar again, with former creative director ronment and unfavorable weather in the editing Cosmopolitan, Glamour and Marie around 700,000 from 920,000 in 2004. and newish editor in chief Tony Chambers fi rst two months,” said Carol Meyrowitz, Claire, Jann Wenner hired her in 2002 to A former boss of Fuller’s gave her cohosting his fi rst U.S. event with Jim Gold president and chief executive offi cer. become editor in chief of Us Weekly, which credit as a brilliant editor, albeit one with of Bergdorf Goodman this Friday. Artist As TJX moves into the second quarter, she successfully reinvented (with much faults (and which editor doesn’t have Anthony Burrill created four covers of the she said the company is “well-positioned to Sturm und Drang among staff) and made them?). “She did help them successfully June issue, which was devoted to the theme continue to capitalize on merchandise op- into a picture-driven glossy to take on reposition Star to a full-fl edged celebrity of work, and Bergdorf’s men’s store windows portunities” and deliver value to customers. category leader People. “She absolutely slick magazine,” the source said. “She did will feature displays inspired by the issue. The company said it expects second- gets the credit for changing the game in it pretty well, and I think if she had had a The party also marks the 20th anniversary quarter earnings per share in the range the celebrity category. Even People owes it good boss, she would have been ahead of of the International Contemporary Furniture of 40 to 42 cents. For the fi scal year end- to her,” said one former colleague. Us Weekly by now.” Fair. The magazine is upping its frequency ing Jan. 31, 2009, TJX said it is maintain- However, Fuller — who’s known for Speculation in the industry is that Fuller from 10 to 12 issues starting this year, with ing its EPS guidance in the range of $2.20 getting itchy feet after a while — left has been looking for a new gig for some July and January 2009 issues. — Irin Carmon to $2.25. — Vicki M. Young

WWD.COM/CLASSIFIEDS

For more career opportunities log on to fashioncareers.com. Call 1.800.423.3314 or e-mail [email protected] to advertise.

VP FINANCE SWEET PETITES APPAREL PRESTIGE BEAUTY CO. INDEPENDENT SALES REP 100% LA based emerging growth PE New line of active & casual wear for backed beauty company seeks petites, recently featured on the hands on VP Finance for mgmt of TODAY Show. Must have established fashion day-to-day opps incl. accounting, contacts & exp w/activewear. Multiple financial reporting, budgeting and territories available. Commission only. careers planning, supervising legal, HR, Email: [email protected] IT, and OPS. 5+ yrs CPG/beauty exp, req. Must have proven track record of success. Competitive comp. pkg incl. stock. E-mail to: [email protected] SALES REP - WEST COAST 100% William Rast & People’s Liberation is seeking an experienced West fashion ASSIST MANAGER Coast Sales Rep based in L.A. LOS ANGELES, CA. Showroom. 3+ years premium careers MEN’S HI-END LUXURY RETAIL denim exp sales w/strong customer 2+ YEARS EXP A MUST relationships. Travel required. For subscriptions, E-mail: [email protected]

$50K + BONUS 0.20.0 0.60.4 FULL BENEFITS INCL 401K 1.00.8 E-mail: [email protected] call 800-289-0273 KARLYN FASHION RECRUITERS 14 WWD, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2008 WWD.COM/CLASSIFIEDS

For more career opportunities log on to fashioncareers.com. Call 1.800.423.3314 or e-mail [email protected] to advertise.

FACTORIES WANTED JOBBER/EXPORTER Clothing importer looking for factories We buy better goods. All categories, for budget knit and woven junior sleep including fabrics. Immediate $$. wear. Should be able to handle medium Please call 212-279-1902 to large size orders. We are also interested in ladies sleepwear closeouts. COMMERCIAL Please contact [email protected] REAL ESTATE

1407 Customized Knitwear SHOWROOMS/OFFICES TREBOR MGMT Design Studio Bob Forman 212-944-6094 x 314 High-End Couture Handknit Swatches, Samples E-mail: [email protected]

Patterns/Samples/Production Any Style. We do Bridal/Evening SHOWROOM TO SHARE Gowns custom made & wholesale. High-end luxury Italian shoe & hand- Call: 212-278-0608/646-441-0950 bag brand is seeking to sublet/share showroom space within multi-brand high-end/ready to wear/accessories. Patterns/Samples/Production Please Call 917-325-5286. Full Service, Fine, Fast Work. Any Style Call Casey: 212-560-8998 / 212-560-8999 PATTERNS, SAMPLES, PRODUCTIONS All lines, Any styles. Fine Fast Service. RETAIL SPACE FOR LEASE Call Sherry 212-719-0622. 4800 sf Prime Space 1st Block Newbury St. Boston PATTERNS, SAMPLES, Sunny Side, Great Window PRODUCTIONS Call Tom Brennan: 617-536-4655 Full service shop to the trade. STORE FOR RENT Fine fast work. 212-869-2699. Heart of Garment District www.DigiPhotoGroup.com 38th St. Betw. 6th & B’way Vice President of Retail Operations E-comm/Print Digital/Photography 3,000 Sq. Ft. plus basement. The icon of the American epicurean experience seeks a premiere lead- Retouching/Rotation Photography Call Jeff Buslik: In-House or Outsourced ADAMS & CO 917-326-5532 er for its retail operations group. Must be both strategic & hands-on. 646-536-3729 [email protected] In addition, our expansion plans require us to consider highly qualified external candidates for General Manager, Assistant GM, Executive Chef, Director of Food Operations, Buyer, and other key positions. Must be willing to relocate.

CAD for Fashion Design Submit your resume and salary history in confidence to: U4ia for Textile Design [email protected] EOE PAD for Fashion Pattern Design Photoshop/Illustrator Training Accounting Associate Dreamweaver/Flash Training Int’l textile co seeks highly motivated indiv who is organized, computer 212.465.8833 literate with excellent comm skills. 500 8th ave, 4FL Accounting exp in garment & textile XINCON.COM industry pref’d. Company paid benefits. Fax resume to: 212-209-4405 or E-mail to [email protected] Men’s Outerwear Freelance Designer Seeking freelance talented designer with extensive high-end experience. DESIGNER $125-150k ADMIN ASSISTANT Must be capable to develop from concept to sample, strong color sense, Current exp in Jr. denim bottoms. Admin assistant/bookkeeper needed to excellent creativity and best knowledge of fabric. Capable to guide our Creative. From inception to completion. assist growing supplier of luxury design team. E-mail resume to: [email protected] [email protected] 973-564-9236 bedding. Based in our NY showroom, FASHION CAREER OPPORTUNITIES winning candidate must be proficient in Quickbooks, Excel & Word and DESIGNER/BRIDAL Ileen Raskin, Apparel 212-213-6381 have 5+ years exp w/ a mfg firm. ASSISTANT DESIGNER CHILDREN’S DESIGNER Nancy Bottali, Accessories 212-213-6386 Competitive salary & benefits w/ Established, fast-paced private label Children’s wear company seeks quali- And/Or EVENING WEAR Ed Kret, Textiles/Apparel 212-213-6384 advancement opportunities. Please company is looking for an Assistant fied designer with boys/girls exp. Pro- Established bridal company seeks [email protected] e-mail resume to [email protected]. level Designer w/ a degree in Fashion ficient in Illus/Photo/Colour Matters & bridal and/or evening wear de sign- www.raskinexecsearch.com Design. Must be able to work inde- must know garment specs. Be detailed & er with min 3-5 yrs design experience. AR COLLECTIONS COORD. pendently, possess great follow a fast worker w/ knowledge of garment Must be proactive, self starter and de- through skills and have the ability to construction, fabric content and printing tail oriented team player. Strong color #1 Fashion Resume Expert Apparel Co. seeks individual for A/R flat sketch & illustrate. The ideal can- sense; knowledge of fabrics/trims; First Patternmaker/Draper collections & reconciling deductions. techniques. Must be fluent in English. Staff Thru Executive-Wholesale/Retail didate will have experience in both Fax resume Attn: Kitty: 212-997-9252 trends. Excellent opportunity. Please Major eveningwear manufacturer Free Evaluation - Lifetime Updates Responsible for resolutions of customer wovens and knits, with focus on email resume & if available portfolio seeks draper to work with designer to GILBERT CAREER RESUMES discrepancies incl. returns, shortages, print/embroidery development. Profi- to: [email protected], or Fax create muslin/first pattern in domestic (800)967-3846 amex/mc/visa POD’s, chargebacks etc. Competitive ciency in Illustrator and Photoshop resume to 212.874.6018 Attn: Jenny sampleroom. Capable of working with fashionresumes.com salary/good benefits. E-mail resume and required. Fax Resume Attention: NT samplehands to create finished gar- salary reqs to: [email protected] (212) 302-1856 ments. Working knowledge of produc- DESIGNER - INTIMATES tion techniques. Send resume in confi- ASSISTANT DESIGNER Customer Service $40K-$45K Part or full time. Experienced, proficient dence to [email protected] To work w/estab’d co. Must be a self Trim Manager $50K-$80K in Photoshop & Illustrator. Strong color starter, organized & have ability to Planners $60K-$120K sense. Fax/Email Linda: 212-532-8707 multi task. Must have a degree in Designers $60K-$200K [email protected] FOLEY + CORINNA Merchandisers $75K-$85K Fashion Design & 1-2yrs. working ex- Experienced Handbag Designer perience. Duties will include prepar- Search hundreds of positions in ing Tech Packs, Specing, Line Sheets, Freelance and Fulltime positions Needed. Only handbag designers with available!!! DESIGNER min.5 years exp. need apply. Sketch- Presentation Boards, Sketching, etc.. Pastry Apparel seeks creative junior fashion, retail and beauty. Must know Illustrator/Photoshop Pro- Please email resumes to: designer who lives and breathes fashion ing, designing, communicating with grams, Visual 2000 a plus. Pls. fax [email protected] to create monthly capsules of hip junior factories both in US and overseas, resume to: (646) 674-1190 attn: Genaro for freelance opportunities: contemporary product computer proficient. Please send [email protected] KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY: cover letter, and resume,along with www.fourthfloorfashion.com *Develop and design fashionable junior PDF ’s of portfolio/samples of flat ASSISTANT NEEDED sportswear collection, including fabrics, To work w/estab’d co. Duties: sales, DESIGN ASSISTANT artwork, trims, and worksheets. sketches. [email protected] buying. admin. Must be organ, ind., Major apparel company seeks organized *Work with graphic team, product devel- energetic go-getter with some fashion team player with excellent communi- opment team, sample room and spec ind. exper. Perf for someone breaking cation skills to assist head designer of technician to develop each style Graphic Artist into the biz. Flex hrs, PT/Fulltime. Sal *Create and maintain technical packages ladies sportswear and dresses. Responsi- Fast paced private label co. seeks a crea- open. Resume to [email protected]. bilities include tech packs and sketching and sketches and maintain library QUALIFICATIONS: tive Graphic Artist with an excellent as well as tracking production samples command of Illustrator & Photoshop and and piece goods. Experience with Illus- *3-5 years experience in junior market, BRIDAL FITTER with extensive Adobe background. is MAC efficient. We are looking for a trator and Photoshop necessary. Working team player to work with the Art Director Seeking an experienced. Bridal Fitter knowledge of a design and sample *Basic fabric knowledge and garment for high volume Couture Bridal Store construction. & merchandising team to create screened room. E-mail resumes to: tees in boys’, young men’s, and ladies’ in Staten Island. Bridal exp. a must. [email protected] Background in denim and woven bottom Fax: 718-980-1169 / Tel: 718-980-1900 design E-mail resumes to: size ranges, contribute fresh ideas, and [email protected] [email protected] communicate with our factories. E-mail DESIGN COORDINATOR resume with 3-5 samples of your work CAD Needed for infant apparel co. must to: [email protected] have min. 2 yr. exp. Well organized & DESIGNER Sr. Cad Artist/Color Print highly motivated. Expected to do design To work with Director to create prints work as well as coordinate projects. WOVEN/TEXTILES GRAPHIC ARTIST and manage color and print approval Adobe Ill. and Photoshop exp. a must. For men’s & women’s imported fabri- Major apparel co seeks graphic artist process. Must be a U4ia power user E-mail resume to: [email protected] cation. CAD experience helpful. Color for men’s "skate & surf" hot brand. Re- with an eye for color/print trend. Ability sense & styling capabilities important. sponsibilities include researching trend to communicate effectively with overseas Able to merchandise product lines and technique and direction, designing office on a daily basis req’d. Only can- Design Director $150K create focused storyboards. Salary theme graphics as directed by designer, didates able to multi task at a fast pace Must have Mens Luxury Director Exp commensurate w/ exp. Company paid designing trims, and designing artwork need apply. Send resume to: E-mail: [email protected] benefits. Fax resume: (212) 209-4406 or & tech packs. E-mail resumes to : [email protected] KARLYN FASHION RECRUITERS E-mail to: [email protected] [email protected] WWD, WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2008 15

Denim Sportswear Company seeks the following positions: TECHNICAL DESIGNER Seeking expert in spec/fit/garment ACCESSORIES DESIGNER

construction. Minimum 3 years Seeking dynamic, creative, fast experience. Computer literate + track accessories designer for Illustrator skills. Regional Visual Manager high profile, contemporary fashion PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Christian Dior, Inc. seeks a and licensed brands. Must be Seeking person experienced in Regional Visual Mgr with a proficient in Photoshop & Illustrator kids bottoms, detail oriented, 3-5 yr experienced profile and have 5 years of experience. organized individual. Qualified can- Travel, Great Benefits. didate will have good understanding in high end luxury retail. Please e-mail resume to: GANT of garment construction, monitoring Based in NY. Must travel. [email protected] Women’s Sr. Acct Exec all approvals, Time and Action plan to maintain deliveries. Bilingual Please Fax resume to: Sales Manager TECHNICAL DESIGNER Authentic American lifestyle brand is Chinese a+ Friendly working (917) 463-1038 or E-mail: Be expd in intimates/foundations seeking experienced candidates to join SALES EXECUTIVE environment and excellent compa- [email protected] CREATIVE CONNECTIONS AGENCY our New York showroom team. Candi- ny benefits. E-mail resumes: Ph: 212-563-5930 Fx: 212-563-6086 dates should be enthusiastic, highly NYC based premium denim E O E e-mail: [email protected] motivated and have strong communi- company seeks talented sales [email protected] cation skills. Must have a min of 5 yrs experience in the better sportswear in- executives for both our NY Production Coord $45-55K dustry and established contacts in the and LA showrooms. Min of Technical Designer better specialty/department store arena. Must have 3-5 years experience in Missy sportswear company seeks tech 3-5 yrs exp working w/ better Import Customer Service $30K Home, Accessories or Toys. designer with min 5yrs exp. Must be retailers. Salary + comm. Strong data entry, Excel & good Benefits & 401K. Please send resume in confidence and highly organized and detail-oriented in salary history to [email protected] Communication skills required. e-mail: [email protected] creating spec packs, QC & daily comm ***EXCELLENT BENEFITS*** Opportunity for advancement. KARLYN FASHION RECRUITERS with overseas as well as private label Email: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] accounts. Extensive knowledge of Excel, KARLYN FASHION RECRUITERS garment construction, pattern-making, Production Coord $55K fit, technical sketching and grading a 2-3yrs exp in SWEATERS a must SALES EXECUTIVE Top Sales Consultant must. Salary commensurate with exp. LA based High-end Lingerie Company * JOBS *JOBS *JOBS * E-mail: [email protected] Email resume: [email protected] Must have strong contacts Artist Girls- Boys-Jrs. - Mens- $HI KARLYN FASHION RECRUITERS seeks aggressive & exp’d person in with better majors. E-mail resume to: Artist Boys 4 - 7 Licensed Characters $HI Lingerie market. Must have established [email protected] Designer-Assist-Assoc Boy-Girl-Jr. Acct’s & Relationships with major Product Manager or Coord - Apparel Exp Production Manager "Technically" Speaking chain-stores. Fax resume:310-470-9650/ Product Mgr or Coord-Sports License Apparel Tailored clothing company seeking “On the Marks” has many long and E-mail: [email protected] Y E O H L E E Production Mgr-Assist-Coordinators-$HI experienced, highly motivated, short-term positions for TECHNICAL Sales - Girls 4/16 Denim i.e. Shopco detailed orientated Production Manag- DESIGNERS. Cad and Web PDM a SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Technical Designer & Assistants $HI er. Candidate will be responsible to plus. Additionally, we are currently Position offers growth opportunity in a Call B. Murphy(212)643-8090; fax 643-8127 manage all aspects of the production recruiting for PATTERNMAKERS, creative and challenging environment. cycle. This position is an excellent op- PRODUCTION COORDINATORS and SALESPERSON Candidate must have an international portunity for someone with 5-7 years ASSISTANT BUYERS. Fast paced established intimate apparel designer background with established experience. Asian exp preferred. Please email your resume to co. Seeks sales rep to open up chain designer-level store contacts. Travel OFFICE MGR Please send resumes to: jackie@otmaa or fax to 212-532-6892. Sales Assistant stores & specialty retail accts. Highly required. Email letter and resume to Exp. to handle all aspects and assist [email protected] lucrative comp plan available. E-mail [email protected] multiple depts. Small, but fast-paced, Maker of apparel trim seeks sales as- [email protected] F:206-426-0950 high profile, company. Will req. long sistant in NYC. New showroom, SALESPERSON Textile Cad Artist exciting opportunity. Trim experience hr and wkends during high season. Expert in Photoshop 2 + years Email resume: [email protected] Hot branded jr & girls 7-14 seeks a a plus. Must be computer literate, dynamic sales exec w/ min 5 yrs exp w/ exp, textile design skills a must. eager to learn, motivated and have exp major retailers. Fax resume 212-944-6462 Sal + ben. Fax resume 212-947-4501 working with designers, production Email: [email protected] SALES PATTERNMAKER - 1st staff, and purchasing agents. Resume Premium denim brand with patented Seeking Couture and Salary history to: 973-777-2739. concept in denim market: Seeks ag- Luxury women’s apparel company gressive & exp’d person in denim mar- seeks a 1st patternmaker with expertise WHOLESALE ket. Must have established accts & re- in women’s tailored clothing. Must be Design Room Asst Must have strong technical skills SALES ASSISTANT lationships w/ major retailer & specialty able to create from sketch and drape. OPERATIONS ASST Stores. Fax resume: 310-470-9650 or Please fax resume to : 212 -869-5795 • Draping from sketch High-end/Contemporary designer line Rapidly growing Junior Apparel Com- • Patternmaking in-search of an assistant operations pany seeks motivated assistant to E-mail [email protected] • Grading experience required handler. Coordinate and liaison with support sales execs, follow up on buyer • Knowledge of garment construction wholesale sales offices directly and communications, & other administrative Fax: 212-242-2687 Call: 212-242-7510 handle as an account executive issues - duties. Must be dependable, flexible, Global Sourcing And [email protected] such as sales follow ups and communi- able to multi-task, and have strong SALES REPS Production Executive PROD’N MGRS SWEATER/KNITS $90K cation with showroom and buying offi- organizational skills. Great opportunity Est. Leather & Shearling Outerwear Accomplished money making exec (2) Better Young Contemp Designer SPEC TECH ces. Logistics coordination duties will for growth. Please email resume to: Mfr. seeks Exp. Sales Reps who have seeks new opportunity w/estab import [email protected] or 212-947-3400 Children’s Sleepwear need to be handled with coordinating [email protected] contacts with Dept. Stores and all company. Extensive exp managing all Seeking candidate with 3-5 years exp logistics department. Training in accounts. Commission based. E-mail aspects of ladies, Jrs and kids produc- and knowledge of Children’s sleepwear general overall operations duties with to: [email protected] tion, world wide sourcing, costing and PRODUCTION ASSISTANT garments and specs. Responsible for potential of becoming an operations product development. Total under- manager. Seeking highly motivated SALES EXECUTIVE Contemporary Apparel/Denim Co. daily communication with factories, California based clothing manufacturer standing of mass market (Walmart), seeks a highly motivated/detailed ori- conducting fittings and translating self starter that would like to join a mid-tier and private label vendor com- fast growing company with vast looking for a dynamic NYC Based ented individual to oversee all aspects changes into the necessary specifica- Sales Executive with a minimum of 5-7 SLS / SLS MGMT - HI$ pliance procedures. Please reply to: of production. Responsibilities in- tions. Understanding of Flame Retardant growth potential. The candidate must 917.572.2383/[email protected] be able to work in fast paced environ- years experience working with major TARGET KIDSWEAR clude: communicate daily with Regulations a must. Strong follow-up retailers (such as Kohl’s & JC Penney) Est’d Kidswear co seeks "heavy hitter" design/sales/factory & delivery track- and computer skills needed. Qualified ment, highly organized, detailed and articulate. Fluency in Korean would related to the placement of moderately w/ on-going Target connection for diverse Tech Designer ing. Exceptional communication and candidates, please forward resumes priced Misses and Women’s Plus Size branded and P/L product. follow-up skills a must. Some over- with salary requirements to be a plus, but not necessary. Entry With patternmaking exp. Karat, Web level to 1 year experience is OK. Sportswear. Travel, while desireable, Pdm seeking PT or Fulltime. George seas travel may be required. Email Henry/Jenny at: 212-842-4030 or e-mail is not required. Pls e-mail resumes: A.D. FORMAN ASSOC. resume to [email protected] to: [email protected]. EOE E-mail resumes and salary require- 450 7TH AVE (AGCY) 212-268-6123 917-696-5714 or [email protected] ments to: [email protected] [email protected] THE FUTURE OF CUTTING-EDGE INTERNATIONAL STYLE IS HERE NOW

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