WALL STREET’S LUXE FALLOUT/2 VIA SPIGA RELAUNCHES BAGS/9 WWDWomen’s Wear Daily • The Retailers’MONDAY Daily Newspaper • March 24, 2008 • $2.00 Accessories/Innerwear/Legwear Chain Reaction Patterned in luxe textures easily kicks up the style quotient on the season’s most casual looks. And the are making an impact all over. Here, Custo Barcelona’s nylon and silk velvet chain version with Diesel’s and and from DKNY . from Converse by John Varvatos; Cesare Paciotti . For more, see pages 6 and 7.

As Designer Sales Lag, Retailers Fret In Need of Some Fixing By Marc Karimzadeh

SENTS; STYLED BY COURT WILLIAMS COURT SENTS; STYLED BY nother season of shows ended Aearlier this month, during which retailers and editors had the chance to see thousands of looks come down the runways of New York, London, Milan and Paris. Enough, one would think, to find something to whet consumer appetites. Not so fast. Many fashion executives are increasingly frustrated, claiming the designer business, particularly this past fall, failed to live up to their expectations as consumers shunned the latest trends. There is a rising chorus among See What’s, Page 10 PHOTO BY GEORGE CHINSEE; MODEL: LEAH HIGHT/FUSION; HAIR BY DARIA WRIGHT/DARIAWRIGHT.COM; MAKEUP BY BRYAN LYNDE/RJ BENNETT REPRE LYNDE/RJ BRYAN MAKEUP BY DARIA WRIGHT/DARIAWRIGHT.COM; GEORGE CHINSEE; MODEL: LEAH HIGHT/FUSION; HAIR BY PHOTO BY 2 WWD, MONDAY, MARCH 24, 2008 WWD.COM Wall St. Cutbacks Could Weigh on Luxe By Evan Clark tion of that is in the form of bonuses. “It’s not like it’s the end of the world,” said Van WWDMONDAY Accessories/Innerwear/Legwear he wave of pink slips about to hit Wall Street Wagner, noting people at Bear Stearns who keep Tshould be a warning to New York’s luxury re- their jobs will hold onto their salaries. But in tailers, although the ripples of Bear Stearns’ fall many cases salary makes up only a small percent- GENERAL last week might not be fully felt until bonus sea- age of wages for executives at fi nancial fi rms, son next winter. with the vast majority coming through bonuses. Many retailers have become frustrated over the designer business that The New York City comptroller’s offi ce is guessing Last year, Wall Street bonuses slipped from 1 particularly this past fall failed to deliver looks that entice consumers. that the investor run on Bear Stearns and proposed record levels in 2006, but not as much as some EYE: Talking to Anna Mouglalis, who in “I Always Wanted to Be a Gangster” acquisition by J.P. Morgan Chase & Co, which is still feared. The comptroller’s offi ce estimated that 4 sheds her to play a waitress who dreams of pulling a heist. subject to approval by share- the securities industry paid out holders, will cost the city $33.2 billion in bonuses to its Japan showcased just about every runway antic imagin- about 5,000 jobs. Other Wall New York City employees, a 2 5 able, but the fall shows also offered some wearable clothes. Street heavyweights, such as percent drop. FASHION: Hosiery manufacturers have come up with some wild cre- Lehman Brothers, Goldman Still, much of the economic 6 ations for fall, from eye-popping prints to tweaked-out openwork. Sachs and Citigroup, also well-being of New York City de- have either laid off workers pends on Wall Street. FINANCIAL: The marriage of Children’s Place Retail Stores Inc. and the or are said to be considering “The combination of a bad 12 Disney Store chain is coming to an end after more than three years. payroll cuts. year on Wall Street and a na- “Clearly, it’s not good news tional recession is when we re- Classifi ed Advertisements...... 14-15 for the luxury retailers,” said ally start to feel pain,” said Van Marcia Van Wagner, deputy Wagner. To e-mail reporters and editors at WWD, the address is fi rstname. controller for the budget, Overall, the New York City [email protected], using the individual’s name. New York City comptroller’s economy is expected to grow by offi ce. “There’s going to be a about 1 percent this year and add WWD IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ADVANCE MAGAZINE PUBLISHERS INC. COPYRIGHT lot of retrenchment in that 13,000 jobs, though both fi gures are ©2008 FAIRCHILD FASHION GROUP. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. VOLUME 195, NO. 63. WWD (ISSN 0149–5380) is published daily (except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, with area of spending.” subject to downward revisions. one additional issue in January, October and December, two additional issues in March, April, May, June, August and Finance professionals For now, weakness in the lux- November, and three additional issues in February and September) by Fairchild Fashion Group, which is a division of losing their jobs, though, ury market Stateside is being 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, are expected to largely land delayed by an infl ux of foreign Executive Vice President/COO; Debi Chirichella Sabino, Senior Vice President/CFO; Jill Bright, Executive Vice President/ on their feet. shoppers. Human Resources. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, and at additional mailing offi ces. Canada Post Publications “A lot of hedge funds and “It’s definitely being offset Mail Agreement No. 40644503. Canadian Goods and Services Tax Registration No. 886549096-RT0001. Canada Post: return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: P.O. Box 503, RPO West Beaver Cre, Rich-Hill, ON L4B 4R6 POSTMASTER: private equity fi rms are hir- to some extent…by the fact that SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY, P.O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA ing,” said Marisa DiNatale, the dollar’s so weak and there’s 91615–5008. FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS, ADDRESS CHANGES, ADJUSTMENTS, OR BACK ISSUE senior economist at Moody’s Bear Stearns could lay off 5,000 New York been so much international visi- INQUIRIES: Please write to WWD, P.O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA 91615-5008, call 800-289-0273, or visit City employees. www.subnow.com/wd. Please give both new and old addresses as printed on most recent label. First copy of new Economy.com, who stud- tation to the U.S., and especially subscription will be mailed within four weeks after receipt of order. Address all editorial, business, and production ies the New York market. New York,” said DiNatale. As correspondence to WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY, 750 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017. For permissions and reprint requests, “Some people might not fi nd a job for a while, but stores look out over the horizon, perhaps seeing please call 212-630-4274 or fax requests to 212-630-4280. Visit us online at www.wwd.com. To subscribe to other Fairchild magazines on the World Wide Web, visit www.fairchildpub.com. Occasionally, we make our subscriber list certainly others will fi nd one right away.” the storm clouds of more declines, they might available to carefully screened companies that offer products and services that we believe would interest our readers. “It’s too soon to tell,” said Michael Gould, choose to pull back on their orders. If you do not want to receive these offers and/or information, please advise us at P.O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA Bloomingdale’s chairman and chief executive offi - “The fallout from the macro climate defi nitely 91615-5008 or call 800-289-0273. WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RETURN OR LOSS OF, OR FOR DAMAGE OR ANY OTHER INJURY TO, UNSOLICITED MANUSCRIPTS, UNSOLICITED ART WORK (INCLUDING, cer, of any impact from Wall Street layoffs. “This mo- is going to impact wholesale because stores are BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DRAWINGS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND TRANSPARENCIES), OR ANY OTHER UNSOLICITED ment, the business in Manhattan is phenomenal.” looking at it and they’re going to plan their bud- MATERIALS. THOSE SUBMITTING MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, ART WORK, OR OTHER MATERIALS FOR Overall, the luxury market has lost some steam, gets,” said Jeffry Aronsson, former ceo of Donna CONSIDERATION SHOULD NOT SEND ORIGINALS, UNLESS SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED TO DO SO BY WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY IN WRITING. MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND OTHER MATERIALS SUBMITTED MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY with sales decreasing 2.2 percent in February, the Karan International and Marc Jacobs, who now A SELF-ADDRESSED STAMPED ENVELOPE. third consecutive month of year-over-year de- runs his own luxury investment fi rm. “If it’s a big clines, according to MasterCard SpendingPulse, company that in effect has been betting on its fu- which uses credit card and other data to estimate ture or has analysts on the Street that they have to MONDAY: Phillips-Van Heusen Corp. and Tiffany & Co. the total market. please, they’re going to be under pressure.” report fourth-quarter and year-end sales and earnings. New York’s securities industry employed almost Companies that don’t depend on continuous and 186,000 people as of January, said Van Wagner, cit- consistent growth, but can swim with the ebbs and TUESDAY: Montreal Fashion Week (through Thursday). ing government fi gures. While that is only about 5 fl ows of the market, will fare better, said Aronsson. The Conference Board releases the Consumer percent of all New York City jobs, it accounted for “It may be a hard day, but it’s just another day,” Confi dence Index for March. 24 percent of total wages last year and a large por- he said. PHOTO BY MARK LENNIHAN/AP PHOTO PHOTO BY THURSDAY: Dallas Market Center Women’s & Children’s Apparel and Accessories Market, and Fashion Industry Gallery, Dallas (through Sunday). Kira and Dylan’s Candy Collaboration Intertextile Beijing and Yarn Expo, Beijing (through Saturday). By David Moin will have display tables for even The U.S. Commerce Department releases the fourth- more sweet things. quarter Gross Domestic Product report. ira Plastinina has a sweet There’s some cobranding in- Hennes & Mauritz reports fi rst-quarter sales and Ktooth, and what better way volved, with one of the chocolate earnings. to satisfy the urge than by open- bars in a three-pack bearing the Hugo Boss, Movado Group and Wet Seal report ing Dylan’s Candy Bar outposts Kira Plastinina label. fourth-quarter and year-end sales and earnings. in all her U.S. stores. “We are very proud of certain COMING THIS WEEK The teenage Russian design things in our stores — the trend phenom launches in the U.S. walls with the latest deliveries, with two store openings on May the cash and the Dylan’s 2, at 594 Broadway in SoHo and Candy Bar space,” Higgins said. in the Stamford Town Center in Plastinina, who turns 16 in In Brief Connecticut. June, is backed by her father, “We are going to have 15 Sergei Plastinin, director of ● SAVANNAH HONORS: The Savannah College of Art and stores operating this year, so all Wimm-Bill-Dann Foods ADS, Dylan Design will honor Pierre Cardin, Jonathan Adler and Elle 15 will have Dylan’s Candy Bar Russia’s largest dairy and fruit Lauren Decor editor in chief Margaret Russell at its third annual shops-in-shops,” said Robert producer. Plastinina’s collection and Kira SCAD Style Etoile Awards on April 10. For the fi rst time, the Higgins, the newly appointed emphasizes , tops and day Plastinina event will take place in New York, at the Cultural Services of president of Kira Plastinina and evening . Plastinina the French Embassy at 972 Fifth Avenue. It will be cohosted by USA. “We happen to love Dylan’s has an average price point of $48 wholesale division that has been Pierre Vimont, the French Ambassador to the U.S., and Paula S. stores. They’re something dif- and is aimed at girls and women keeping the distribution tight, Wallace, the school’s president. Past recipients include Jeffrey ferent, and everybody in the aged 15 to 25. with corners in only a handful Kalinsky, David Yurman and Linda Fargo. age group that Kira designs for “Kira has been to our store. of stores including four Scoop seems to love candy. This is a She loves candy,” said Dylan stores, Alice + Olivia, some good fi t.” Lauren, owner of Dylan’s Candy Saks Fifth Avenue locations, W Higgins, who became presi- Bar and the daughter of Ralph Hotels, Seven Jeans and Kitson, Corrections dent last week after serving as Lauren. “She likes pink gum- as well as selling to Neiman Barton Perreira, chief executive offi cer of Bill Barton, was not a senior vice president of retail mies and lollipops.” Marcus online. founder of eyewear fi rm Oliver Peoples. This was incorrect in a development and operations, According to the parties con- There are also five story on page 9, March 10. said the Kira Plastinina stores cerned, the partnership could Dylan’s Candy Bar stores: on ● ● ● will showcase Dylan’s Candy grow in other ways, like selling Manhattan’s Third Avenue; Lapo Elkann will be honored as global special ambassador of in 4-foot-wide, floor-to-ceiling Dylan’s Candy in the 40 or so East Hampton, N.Y.; Roosevelt Sheba Medical Center rehabilitation hospital in Tel Hashomer, presentations with bright pink Kira Plastinina stores currently Field Mall on Long Island, N.Y.; Israel, on Thursday. The date was incorrect in a Fashion Scoop shelves lollipops, gum- operating in Russia, or selling the Houston Galleria, and the on page 9, Friday. mies, popcorn, chocolate bars, some Kira Plastinina fashion at Florida Mall in Orlando. In ● ● ● jelly beans, chocolate-covered Dylan’s Candy Bar stores, such addition, the Bloomingdale’s A spokesman for Baugur denied the company has any connec- peanuts, Chinese take-out boxes as with lollipop or cup- branch in the Mall at Millenia tions with Russian investors, as sources were quoted as saying in fi lled with various sweets and cake patterns. in Orlando has a Dylan’s Candy a page one story, Wednesday. gift baskets. Larger stores also Dylan’s Candy Bar has a Bar shop-in-shop. WWD, MONDAY, MARCH 24, 2008 3 WWD.COM Darac Puts His Touch Coin Upgrades Milan Flagship By Stephanie Epiro Inside, Coin spruced up the 78,199-square- foot retail space with eye-catching interior de- To New Makeup Line MILAN — Coin, one of Italy’s most historic de- sign elements. partment stores, has given its flagship here a $16 On the ground fl oor, where beauty and acces- he makeup artist known as Darac has a taste for the unorthodox, as million facelift. sories are sold, a wireless control panel deter- Tis evident by the introduction of his first eponymous makeup col- The revamp of the store’s nine fl oors and ex- mines the color scheme of the cloudlike lamps lection in his more than 30-year career. ternal facade marks the halfway point of a fi ve- festooning the ceiling and transparent wall For starters, the fi ve-item collection, called Darac Beauty, will be in- year plan to revitalize the Italian department shelving, created by architect Monica Armani. troduced in tandem on both the QVC home shopping channel on April store chain, said Stefano Beraldo, chief execu- Iconic design pieces, like Jasper Morrison’s Glo- 26 and in the lofty realm of Bergdorf Goodman the next day, with Darac tive offi cer of Gruppo Coin SpA. ball lamps and Arne Jacobsen’s Swan and Egg making appearances for both retailers. The fi rm has invested 40 million euros, or chairs decorate the space. Then there are the prod- about $64 mil- Curved wood- ucts. A TourQuam makeup lion, over the en tables cut a brush is cut on an angle to past two years to swathe through better apply powder to the renovate 13 Coin the new food three-dimensional planes stores and will corner Eataly on of the face and a magnet in- invest a further the lower ground side the handle is designed 40 million euros floor, which to attract the iron oxide in to complete an- also boasts the fine powder and pro- other four stores a Nespresso duce a more even fi nish. “I by 2010. Plans are shop-in-shop, don’t think the typical brush being fi nalized to while pink- has been redesigned since export the Coin and-black flock Michelangelo,” he observed, store concept to wallpaper and noting that after much re- Eastern Europe. circular beds search he found a better idea “We wanted to dot the linge- in the fingerprint brushes create innovation rie department that police use. It comes in and newness in a on the seventh two sizes, a large size priced shopping expe- fl oor. Globe, the $75 for Bergdorf ’s and a rience — some- store’s eighth- smaller $45 version for QVC. thing that shop- fl oor restaurant, A Sifted Blur compact, pers revered Coin has a 360-degree priced $32, offers micro- for in the past,” view of the city. Items from milled face powder designed said Beraldo. In line with the Darac Beauty. to produce a more translu- Coin’s Milan fl agship, located in a well-heeled store’s lights theme, chromatherapy is inte- cent, light-dispersing fi nish area of the city, is considered the company’s re- grated into the four treatment cabins on the to avoid the caked-on aged tail jewel. Its image overhaul follows in the wake seventh fl oor day spa, managed by Verona- look of some face powders. of Italian department store chain La Rinascente’s based beauty fi rm Veribel. Feature Focus is a three-part remodeling, which is still in progress. The fl agship’s beauty and perfumery depart- BEAUTY BEAT cream, gel and makeup com- While La Rinascente repositioned its fashion ment underwent a radical update. Moved from pact designed to soften lines, offer to draw in major luxury designer brands, the rear of the ground fl oor to the entrance, the diminish the effects of shadows and frame the eye plane to sculpt the ap- Coin is sticking to a midtier, younger mix of more robust 4,843-square-foot section gained pearance of the face with a 3-D effect. A transparent diagram of a sample homegrown and international labels, including seven new brands, including Giorgio Armani cos- face is provided for application guidance. The compact is priced $39.50. Diesel, Love Therapy by Elio Fiorucci, American metics and skin care, MAC, Korres and La Ric, An Expedition Mascara, priced $19.50, contains vitamins with a Apparel and Miss Sixty. Fashion occupies fi ve an Austrian nail care line. brush cut to separate the bottom lashes and avoid clumping and drying. fl oors of the store, and the fi rst fl oor is dedicated Paolo Valerio, Coin’s beauty buyer, was bullish Darac, who worked for Prescriptives at Bergdorf ’s, noted that many to men’s and women’s denim and urbanwear. about sales expectations for the renovated de- makeup artist lines are “either based on trends or the artist’s reputa- “We want to differentiate ourselves from partment, predicting a 70 percent gain by March tion.” He said his aim was to provide “core solutions” by going back to other department stores; the fashion brand mix 2009 on current annual retail sales of 3.6 million the drawing boards of basic research and reexaming long-held beliefs. is more like what can be found in a boutique,” euros, or $5.54 million at current exchange. The name of the company producing his line is called Cobalt noted Beraldo. Coin hired fashion photographer Tim Balloon LLC, a division of Violy & Co., a merger and acquisitions spe- Lights are the leitmotif for the new-look Walker to shoot an advertising campaign for cialist largely in South America. fl agship. Outside, the glass building twinkles the store’s reopening. Entitled “Cakes cakes Michelle Williams, a former retailer and manufacturing executive with 12,000 LED lights wrapped around an cakes,” the image features a model clad in a who is consulting with the company, said a foundation is in the works and 11,840-square-foot space and inset with a video Fifties-style bathing suit in a room fi lled with Darac is formulating a Sifted Sun bronzer with antiaging properties, con- wall measuring 1,528 square feet. There also is colorful cakes. Another shot “Spring spring taining hyaluronic acid, as Sifted Blur does, for introduction in June. a 753-square-foot ticker board, on which Coin spring” depicts a bouquet of gigantic blooms In August, the company plans on launching a Lipmatic lipstick with plans to broadcast a new study it commissioned in an offi ce. Both bear the slogan “Coin: New plumping properties achieved through optical means. There also will on Milan residents’ happiness levels. shopping experience.” be a more traditional lipstick. Williams noted that the company expects to begin expanding dis- tribution in the fourth quarter, probably to specialty stores and direct not be confi rmed by press time. mail, although plans have not been set. She said QVC and Bergdorf ’s “My show will be set in the urban environment had been picked for the launch partly because Darac liked the way of supposedly the rudest city in the world,” Morris both retailers serve their customers. No one would discuss numbers. MEMO PAD told WWD, “about a man who is obsessed with However, industry sources estimate the business could generate $6 manners and actually doesn’t know how to treat million at wholesale in its fi rst full year. BABY BYTES: Jennifer Lopez’s twin babes helped people very well. That is me. Ask anybody I know. — Pete Born people.com break records in terms of traffi c to My tendency as a columnist was to get on a its Web site on Thursday, the day the issue hit high horse and wag my fi nger and run my mouth newsstands. People.com hit an all-time high of off about things.” But don’t expect a journalist four million daily unique visitors who viewed the protagonist, what with Carrie Bradshaw having Ck Hits Sephora fi rst picture of babies Max and Emme online from maxed out that particular conceit — Morris is he ck Calvin Klein beauty line, which bowed in Europe in spring the magazine’s exclusive photo shoot with Lopez considering making his alter ego a party planner or T2007 and entered U.S. and Asian markets in September, was added and husband Marc Anthony. The four-million visitors a guidance counselor at a private school. late last week to 17 freestanding Sephora doors in major U.S. markets, was nearly double the number of people who went So after “Friends,” “Seinfeld” and “Sex and including San Francisco, Boston and Los Angeles. Additional doors are to the site when the news broke Feb. 22 that J.Lo the City,” does the rest of America really care expected to be added this fall. had given birth. On average, the site gathers about anymore about what happens in New York? Morris “We are pleased to further our relationship with Sephora in the U.S. two million visitors daily; on the day after this year’s obviously thinks so, betting that people are and expand our distribution to include their retail stores at this time,” Academy Awards, a day most people go to the interested in “the stuff of life that comes about stated Tom Murry, president and chief operating offi cer of Calvin Klein site to check out the red-carpet , People when you’re not in the bubble of gliding around Inc. “Ck Calvin Klein beauty has been available on sephora.com and recorded 2.49 million uniques. — Stephanie D. Smith in an automobile all the time, in seclusion from we feel that their online and freestanding stores provide an excellent anything that has to do with culture other than showcase for our beauty line.” NEW YORK WORKED ONCE, SO WHY NOT AGAIN?: HBO, show business.” Aspects of said culture he hopes Murry noted that the product mix on sephora.com has included which last week saw the exit of its entertainment to tackle include BlackBerry usage at urinals and products exclusive to the retailer; the company also plans to offer chief, Carolyn Strauss, remains desperately on residence in Brooklyn. “Go ahead and have your Sephora-only products in stores, as well. the hunt for its next hit show, and it seems to be dinner parties,” he said of the latter. “I am not “We are very excited to expand Sephora’s distribution of ck Calvin looking, among other places, to the same kind of coming, and I’m not calling a car service.” Klein beauty,” stated Betsy Olum, Sephora’s senior vice president of New York media fi gures who provided its “Sex and The timeline for the series to come to fruition marketing. “The formulas, beautifully designed packaging and acces- the City” success. The channel has a script deal is amorphous, particularly since Morris will be sible price points make this brand a fantastic addition to our color as- with Bob Morris, who until recently wrote the “Age promoting his book, “Assisted Loving,” later this sortment.” The line’s 200-plus stockkeeping units range in price from of Dissonance” column for The New York Times’ spring, and development deals don’t necessarily $10 to $47, with an average price point of $22. Sunday Styles section, to develop a comedy series even mean a pilot gets produced. Still, Morris, who Industry sources estimate the ck Calvin Klein color line could do about manners in Manhattan. Plum Sykes wrote got his start as a playwright, is looking forward to $50 million to $60 million at wholesale globally this year. in December that she’d be adapting her novel, that fabled HBO freedom of voice. “I think I’ve The ck Calvin Klein beauty line is manufactured by Markwins “The Debutante Divorcee,” for the channel and been tempered writing for the Times,” he mused, Holding Company Ltd. and is intended to complement Calvin Klein “Mergers and Acquisitions” author Dana Vachon is adding, “But [HBO] doesn’t come to people like Inc.’s ck Calvin Klein line of bridge apparel and accessories. also said to have talked to HBO, though it could me to water me down, do they?” — Irin Carmon — Julie Naughton 4 WWD, MONDAY, MARCH 24, 2008 WWD.COM Gangster’s Paradise verybody has a rebellious side, according Full House Eto Anna Mouglalis. In “I Always Wanted to Be a Gangster,” the smoky-eyed French starlet Like moths to a paparazzi-fueled fl ame, dumps her usual Chanel (she has Hollywood’s party fi xtures swarmed Prada’s starred in numerous campaigns for the house) Los Angeles store Wednesday night for a to play a bored waitress who dreams of one day bash celebrating the ethereal animated short pulling off a holdup. At least the waiting tables “Trembled Blossoms.” Rashida Jones, Rumer part is old to Mouglalis. Willis, Rosario Dawson, Brittany Murphy, Angie “I worked in a tearoom in Brittany once, Harmon and China Chow mingled among the but I was always getting fi red for not emptying young crush of pretty girls in pretty frocks. the ashtrays, or whatever,” the actress says in Just as at any hot party, the door was chaotic. her baritone voice, puffi ng on what must be Security and publicists played the fi re marshal her zillionth Marlboro Red. “I think I have a card an hour into the fete, claiming the crowd problem with authority.” was at capacity. But when Juliette Lewis was The indie fl ick, which scored the World rushed in, it became clear that there was space Cinema Screenwriting Award at Sundance for certain people. “Well, they have to take in January, was written and directed by pictures of her,” one guard said. Mouglalis’ dashing other half, Samuel Inside, Nicky Hilton stood in a corner texting, Benchetrit. Having landed her big break at while Ginnifer Goodwin laid low with an old age 21 in Claude Chabrol’s “Merci Pour le friend. The celebrities, for the most part, were Chocolat,” Mouglalis, who turns 30 in April, on their best behavior. Prada staff, however, let said that it’s the human side of the gangsters a little too loose, drinking and dancing around that attracted her to her current project: types Nicole the room in a state more befi tting a frat who set out to commit criminal acts but who Richie in house than a den full of silk- and chiffon- Taye Diggs and are too nice to actually follow through on them. Miu Miu. clad fairies. Rosario Dawson in Prada. She decides to stick around and try her luck. Mouglalis plays the penniless Suzy, one half Justin Kirk and Elizabeth Banks in Prada. Minnie Driver of the fi lm’s bungling Bonnie and Clyde-esque lead duo, opposite Edouard Baer. In one scene, Suzy attempts to rob a cafeteria by knocking the owner unconscious from behind with a gun, only to spy a “waitress wanted” sign once he’s out cold. And the shoot was not without incident. “We had loads of catastrophes. Somebody broke their leg, and the decor set fi re, which meant taking a break for three months, with me pregnant, growing bigger every day,” recalls the actress, whose uniform throughout

Angela Lindvall in Prada. STATE OF THE ARTIST or certain members of the media and fashion elite, a Joseph multicolored aluminum and steel pieces, titled “Spacial Relief.” FLa Piana painting is about as indispensable a home accessory Of course, given the scale of the artist’s work, buyers have as a Sub-Zero fridge or a Pratesi dust ruffl e. , Kevin to have the sort of space that can handle a suspended 11-foot Huvane, Sally Hershberger and Clive Davis all have La Piana’s work monstrosity. Friend and art enthusiast Liz Rosen (ex-wife of Aby on their walls. On Thursday, others will have the chance to buy his Rosen) does, and so La Piana designed a large-scale mobile Anna Mouglalis in “I Always works when the artist’s latest project, “Kinetic State,” opens at the for her, made of a series of fi laments hung from the walls and Wanted to Be a Gangster.” Robert Miller Gallery in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood. ceiling. “The front of the house has huge glass walls like a The exhibit features 25 works, including two 11-foot “zero museum,” the artist recalls. “It was perfect.” He’s learned to comprises biker and a crumpled gravity” sculptures (so called because they are suspended from deal with smaller spaces, but “there are times when I cringe.” cafeteria thrown over a long-sleeve T. the ceiling), enamel and acrylic Pollock-esque splotch paintings, The self-taught La Piana has certainly come a long way from With her wiry, gamine frame, it’s hard to and the show’s magnum opus — an installation of 140 his childhood in Queens, N.Y., during which his Italian-immigrant imagine the actress is a young mama. The parents tried to discourage their son’s interest in art couple’s one-year-old baby girl, Saul, even Joseph La — however unsuccessfully. “I remember lying to my stars with Mouglalis in the fi lm’s poster, Piana mother and saying, ‘My teacher says I need sparkles pictured being breast-fed. and construction paper,’” La Piana says with a laugh. “Sam was taking photos of me nursing, He appeased his parents by earning a business stuck a toy gun in my jeans and voilà,” said degree from Florida State University, but after Mouglalis. The resulting photo is reminiscent graduation defected to Hollywood, where he palled of a Wild West “Wanted” poster. “The idea around with Thom Browne and Libertine’s Johnson is that even a mother can be armed and Hartig. Two decades later, he says, “It’s kind of wild dangerous,” explains Mouglalis. that everyone has pursued their creative dream.” Helping her husband frame the shots His social set these days is no less glittery, gave the actress the confi dence to have a go thanks, in part, to rubbing elbows with celebrities at directing herself: Mouglalis is currently while taking on bit parts on television series like polishing off a self-penned screenplay for a “Sex and the City” and “Law and Order: Criminal romance thriller about vampires. This time, it’s Intent.” He played a detective in the Sandra Bullock- Benchetrit who will play the lead role. vehicle “Murder by Numbers,” and the actress is “It’s about how people vampirize one expected at the “Kinetic State” opening. another. I’m about to travel north to scout These days, the artist is loathe to discuss his acting the female lead,” she says, adding that dark gigs — “I just did those things because that’s what was thoughts are something she likes to keep taking me through my journey,” he says. “Art is personal. strictly for the screen. It’s about maintaining the integrity of the work.” “Life is so sweet otherwise,” Mouglalis adds. — Amanda FitzSimons — Katya Foreman PARTY PHOTOS BY AMY GRAVES; LA PIANA BY PASHA ANTONOV; MOUGLALIS COURTESY OF THIBAULT GRABHERR OF THIBAULT MOUGLALIS COURTESY ANTONOV; PASHA LA PIANA BY AMY GRAVES; PHOTOS BY PARTY WWD, MONDAY, MARCH 24, 2008 5 WWD.COM Japan Fashion Week Theatrics Highlight Innovative Styles By Amanda Kaiser meets-Harajuku design sensibility. The oddities didn’t stop there. TOKYO — Japan Fashion Week show- A few days later, drag queens in cased just about every runway antic animal prints and hot pink strut- imaginable — from bunny masks ted the runway for what has to to models in coffins and even drag be one of the most eccentrically queens in bouffant hairdos. But named fashion brands around: thankfully the fall shows also offered Gut’s Dynamite Cabarets. During some wearable and original clothes, the show, a male model gazed lov- particularly those featuring fine tai- ingly at the head of a fox stole as loring, innovative fabrics and fresh the sound system blasted Kenny takes on Asian themes. Rogers’ “Endless Love.” The sixth edition of JFW, which Thankfully, rational and beautiful wrapped up March 15, attracted clothes prevailed elsewhere. Matohu 19,100 visitors, 1,000 more than last added modern twists on traditional season. Organizers are eager to Asian themes, showing kimono-in- boost the international profi le of the spired , long wrap dresses and event, but it remains a predominantly a sporty pink with a cherry Japanese affair. Although there were blossom motif. Mikio Sakabe added 201 journalists from foreign maga- sporty touches like rubberized zines and news organizations, only stripes to . Norio Surikabe, who 41 foreign buyers came to JFW, held has worked at Romeo Gigli, Alberto at the Tokyo Midtown mall and sur- Biani and 10 Corso Como, showed rounding areas. voluminous knits and some sharply Nobuyuki Ota, president of Issey tailored suits and outerwear for his Miyake Inc. and chief of JFW’s col- support-surface brand. lection project committee, said he But it was left to a foreign de- was pleased many young designers signer — Jill Stuart — to wrap up chose government-subsidized JFW JFW, reshowing her fall collection to present their collections. But he for an eager local audience. After acknowledged that organizers must the show, throngs of young women strive to attract buyers and editors and girls clamored for the designer from outside Japan through advertis- to autograph the hand mirrors they ing and promotional activities. received as souvenirs. “I love the “From the viewpoint of globaliza- Japanese customers and people. tion, I am not satisfi ed yet with the Tokyo is my home,” Stuart joked. number of foreign visitors and we That enthusiasm aside, there are have to work harder to get more and signs JFW and others in the fashion PHOTOS BY NOBUYOSHI YONEYAMA NOBUYOSHI PHOTOS BY more in the future,” Ota said. “JFW Runway looks from Somarta, support-surface and mintdesigns. industry need to streamline and co- has just begun and we need a couple ordinate the show schedule. About 30 more seasons to promote the event internationally.” of people who live in “a very cold country.” brands, including noteworthy newcomers like mercibeau- Young designers here are facing increasingly diffi - Unlike many of her design peers, Hirokawa has coup and Anrealage, have opted not to participate in JFW cult conditions, both in their core home market of Japan signed some high-profi le retail accounts, including spe- and instead stage their own shows and presentations, some and abroad. Consumer spending in Japan continues to cialty store Restir, which carries mostly European luxu- running as late as early April. stagnate and the global macroeconomic outlook seems ry brands such as Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi, Giambattista In addition, JFW’s ever-changing roster of design tal- to worsen by the day. Meanwhile, the allure of foreign Valli and Miu Miu. She noted a shift as some retailers ent and disparate trends strained some retailers’ over- brands dominates the luxury market for apparel and ac- are embracing Japanese brands. all impressions of the shows in Tokyo. cessories in Japan. “I believe I have started a kind of revolution in the “Some of the newcomers of last season have already Ota said Japan’s emerging brands can actually ben- market,” she said. gone and it is diffi cult to evaluate the newcomers of this efi t from the current climate and entice shoppers who Other highlights of the week included so-called mint- season in that sense,” said Takatomo Ogawa, a buyer at are bored with seeing the same luxury brands and mer- designs, which staged a show in its signature quirky style. Narastore. “But I decided to buy Mikio Sakabe, who had chandise in every store. There were some great prints, like a dainty gray fl oral a great show among young designers.” “Whenever the market needs change, there’s the chance screened onto an orange-and-white-checked background Sadahito Shigeno, manager of the Restir boutique in for the designers of the next generation,” Ota said. and bold yellow stripes. That said, the materials were Tokyo Midtown, is still completing the store’s budget through Tamae Hirokawa, who founded her label Somarta often worked into oversize proportions that looked tricky showroom visits, but left JFW with a lukewarm feeling. in 2006, put together one of the week’s most directional in terms of wearability. The clumps of shredded paper “The Made in Japan quality was high, but it was dif- and cohesive collections, showcasing textured knits, resting on the models’ heads and spilling out of some of fi cult to fi nd collections that fully satisfy us,” Shigeno fuzzy legwarmers, delicate white and shimmery the garments added to the show’s theatrical but fun vibe. said. “Tokyo style is different from the real clothes com- henna tattoo-inspired that covered every inch In terms of gimmicks, there were plenty. The Né-Net ing out of New York and the avant-garde things from of the models — even their fi ngers. Crystal shards and show featured models in bunny masks and plenty of dry London. It does not always fi t the taste of our shops.” chain-mail rounded out her vision of an imaginary tribe ice, giving the proceedings a creepy “Eyes Wide Shut”- — With contributions from Koji Hirano Designer Eskandar Builds Out at Bergdorf Goodman By David Moin their 40s or older. Cashmere represents the core of the collection, which ranges from skandar, a small designer brand with a devout Peruvian pima cotton T-shirts for $150 to sum- Efollowing, has a growing footprint at Bergdorf mer knits from $600 to $800 and cashmeres Goodman. from $950 to $1,600. Its new shop on the sixth fl oor is 1,400 square The colors are rich: berries, reds, oranges feet and features views of Central Park. Only and aubergines are featured as well as nut- a handful of other designer shops, such as megs, chestnuts and walnut greens. Hand- Prada and Giorgio Armani, occupy similar or embroidered fl ourishes appear on a range of more square footage at Bergdorf ’s. Eskandar items, from to evening jack- had been on the third fl oor, displayed in space ets. The collection draws upon multicultural shared with other designers. infl uences, and offers merchandise such as “We are a little-known brand, and we don’t Brazilian seed in berry tones, and do much in the way of advertising,” designer handwoven linen from Nepal. Eskandar Nabavi said at the March 6 opening Eskandar, who said his clothes are not gov- of the shop. “But we have a very high turn- erned by “trends” but by function, tradition over at Bergdorf Goodman. We are kind of a and layers, was taught to knit by his grand- secret success.” mother and has been in business for 13 years. He is proud of the view, and for uncovering He plans three more freestanding stores in windows that were walled over for years and re- The exclusive shop. the next three years, and in the U.S. sells at placing them with antique stained glass. In ad- Neiman Marcus and independent specialty dition, a higher ceiling was created as part of the renovation. stores, as well as Bergdorf ’s, which has nurtured a designer exclusive that gen- There are oak fl oors, reclaimed rafters established as shelves and country-esque erates in the vicinity of $6 million in sales. display tables, helping to achieve a “rustic chic” ambience, said the designer, who “We are extremely proud of our relationship with Eskandar,” said Jim Gold, goes simply by Eskandar. The shop is inspired by his stores in London, Paris and Bergdorf ’s chief executive offi cer. “He has his own aesthetic. It’s a multicultur- New York and is segmented into six areas, enabling his team to merchandise by al, eclectic sensibility, yet extremely luxurious. And the label is ours exclusively color groups, including some created especially for Bergdorf ’s. in Manhattan,” aside from the three-year-old Eskandar store on 10th Street and The item-intensive collection, with its signature billowy, unstructured silhou- University Place. “It’s super high-quality fabrics and yarns, pure luxury with very

ettes, luxurious fabrics and yarns and hand-detailing, draws customers often in unusual shapes. It’s very relaxed, yet with a chic sensibility.” JOHN AQUINO PHOTO BY 6 WWD, MONDAY, MARCH 24, 2008

Nylon and spandex tights from Music Legs. Ruffi an’s and Poleci’s dress with Robert Clergerie shoes.

Heady Hose Hosiery manufacturers have come up with some wild creations for fall — but they aren’t pulling anyone’s leg. Fresh designs with eye-popping prints or tweaked-out openwork suggest the looks that are already staples of downtown Manhattan, where they seem to have serious staying power. — Court Williams WWD, MONDAY, MARCH 24, 2008 7 WWD.COM

Davco’s nylon and spandex net tights with wool, polyester and spandex by Hansel from Basel. Chaiken’s sweater and Adam’s dress with Converse shoes.

Emilio Cavallini’s nylon and spandex tights. Coat from L.A.M.B. and Sweetface’s with Barbara Bui shoes.

Ellen Tracy’s cotton, acrylic, nylon and spandex with Liz Claiborne’s nylon and spandex trouser socks. Cynthia Rowley’s dress and Form’s jacket with Versace shoes. ESENTS; FASHION ASSISTANT: REBECCA WALSH ASSISTANT: ESENTS; FASHION

Cotton, nylon, wool and spandex knit leggings from Hue by Tibi with Leg Avenue’s nylon and spandex tights. Justsweet’s sweater, Josh Goot’s shirt and shorts from Calvin Klein Jeans with Converse shoes. PHOTOS BY GEORGE CHINSEE; MODEL: LEAH HIGHT/FUSION; HAIR BY DARIA WRIGHT/DARIAWRIGHT.COM; MAKEUP BY BRYAN LYNDE/RJ BENNETT REPR LYNDE/RJ BRYAN MAKEUP BY DARIA WRIGHT/DARIAWRIGHT.COM; GEORGE CHINSEE; MODEL: LEAH HIGHT/FUSION; HAIR BY PHOTOS BY 8 WWD, MONDAY, MARCH 24, 2008 WWD.COM Innerwear Report ’ Chaden – a Career Driven by ‘Wanderlust’

By Karyn Monget new challenge: modernize the business that was be- tries at MCA, where he was a partner and a principal of ginning to wane with the popularity of . parent company General Consumer Electronics, which ee Chaden has seen his share of boom periods and “Pantyhose almost killed the girdle industry,” he said. was later sold to Milton Bradley. He served as ceo of Interac Ltumultuous times during a diverse, 42-year career. Chaden remembered when he was based in Rome in Corp., an online fi nancial services company. But after Chaden retired in December as executive chairman of 1971-72 and the Italian government, under the watchful bumping into his old boss, Smilow, Chaden rejoined the $4.5 billion Hanesbrands Inc., but he’s not ready to focus eye of the Vatican, was strict about showing in spring 1991, when Sara Lee acquired the brand. his efforts on simply honing his golf score at a links commu- in advertisements. “From the time of the [Sara Lee] acquisition in 1991 to nity in Winston-Salem, N.C., where he lives with his wife of “There were only two state-run TV channels at that 1994, I was president of Playtex North America and ran 39 years, Shelby. Chaden remains chairman of Hanesbrands time and they were strictly censored,” he said. “We were the combined Playtex and businesses,” Chaden said. and a key player behind the scenes in continuing to build a not allowed to show or even a box with an image “Those were the fun years. Playtex was reinvigorated portfolio of megabrands with company executives, includ- of a on TV, so we showed a curvy cross logo of the with the 18 Hour Comfort Strap Bra, which increased [an- ing chief executive offi cer Richard A. Noll. Playtex Cross Your Heart Bra and called it Encrocia nual] sales by 50 percent in two years. Playtex was chal- Assessing the marketplace in an economic downturn, Magico or Magic Cross. lenged by department stores to come out with specialty Chaden advised retail and industry executives to focus “From there we went to Paris, where I was market- products just for department stores. So we introduced on innovation and basic products. Playtex Secrets. We thought it would be a light control “Make sure you have a commitment to basics, wheth- Lee Chaden bottoms business, but I kept hearing the bras were blow- er it’s socks, T-shirts or underwear, and stick with mar- ing out of the stores. I quickly realized it was going to ket leaders,” he said. “When retail gets sluggish, the be a big bra business and we supported it with major ad retail reaction is to reduce inventories. What I’ve seen campaigns. In two years, it was a $100 million brand.” during these inventory-conservation periods is some Chaden noted that another “big hit” was . customers end up out of stock of core items. “I got a call from a colleague in the U.K. who told me “Basically, what we’ve been discussing with our retail- they had just launched Wonderbra in the U.K. with Kate ers is our brands, and categories they should be putting Moss,” Chaden recalled. “He said, ‘They’re blowing out of their attention behind,” Chaden said. “What really drives the stores.’ And I said ‘I think it’s just a fad.’ He called again the categories is relevant product news supported by and said, ‘Lee, this thing is a social phenomenon,’ and I strong marketing, advertising and nontraditional ideas.” said, ‘There’s something going on here.’ We had success and On the future of Hanesbrands, Chaden said, “We start failures, but I’d never seen such a cultural phenomenon.” from the position of terrifi c brands and leadership posi- In addition to Wonderbra, Hanesbrands’ portfolio in- tions in categories. Our strategy is to communicate this cludes: to the outside world over the next three to fi ve years. We ● , an underwear, daywear, bra, shapewear, ca- have modest growth goals, 1 to 3 percent in sales and 6 sualwear and hosiery brand with estimated retail rev- to 8 percent in operating profi ts. We see the opportunity enues of $2.3 billion. to get signifi cant cost savings because we are highly lev- ● Playtex, with estimated sales of $1.1 billion in bras eraged. As we pay back debt and buy back stock, our in- and shapers for hard-to-fi t fi gures. ternal expenses go down, and that’s a very understand- ● Champion, a $1.5 billion collegiate branded ac- able model for the fi nancial community.” tivewear and casualwear brand. Chaden, 65, a corporate executive with an entrepreneur- ● Bali, an estimated $700 million to $750 million full- ial spirit, has had a range of posts in different industries. support bra, and shapers brand. His background includes transforming Lava soap and ● Barely There, a full-support and average-size bra, Top Job fl oor cleaner at Proctor & Gamble Co. into life- panties and shapers label with retail sales of about $200 style products in 1966; developing interactive video games million to $250 million. in 1979 at General Consumer Electronics, where he was ● Just My Size, a full-fi gure underwear, daywear, ca- a principal of the start-up funded by Marketing Corp. of sualwear, dress, coat and hosiery brand with estimated America, and spinning the Wonderbra phenomenon in the ANTONOV PASHA PHOTO BY yearly retail sales of $1.3 billion. U.S. in 1994 into a $100 million business within two years. ing director for Playtex and worked for a very wild ● L’eggs hosiery, which generates annual estimated During an interview at the Hanesbrands showrooms Frenchman, Gael de LePin….We’d go to the local cafe retail volume of $380 million. and offi ces in Manhattan, Chaden recalled how his love every day for lunch, eat three- and four-course lunches, Since its spin off, Hanesbrands has repaid $285 mil- of different cultures, which he described as “wander- drink vin rouge, and he would smoke his Gauloise, drink lion in debt, contributed $96 million to its pension plans, lust,” ignited his career in the intimate apparel business. coffee and play the pinball machines. Then he’d take which are now 97 percent funded, and repurchased $44 Those desires landed the South Bend, Ind.-born Chaden me down to the offi ce basement to play Ping-Pong. I just million in company stock. Hanesbrands has $2.3 billion in the international lingerie fi eld, where he was based wanted to go home.” of long-term debt and its debt leverage as measured by in Paris and Rome, and later headed the Sara Lee Corp. Another highlight of Chaden’s tenure in Paris in adjusted debt ratio to earnings before interest, taxes, Branded Apparel business in Asia and the Pacifi c Rim 1973-74 was a Playtex sales meeting in the French Alps. depreciation and amortization and rent has decreased areas, including Australia. “[LePin] said ‘I don’t think it would be fair to leave to a current 4.6 from 5.2 in 2007. “I just wanted to see the world,” Chaden said. “My the entire marketing crew behind. I think we should take Chaden was named a vice president of Sara Lee in fi rst job was at Proctor & Gamble as a staff assistant the entire administrative staff, too,’” Chaden recalled. “I 1995 and became a senior vice president in 1998. He when Ivory soap still fl oated. I was a Beatles fan, had was concerned because we were having a tough year and served as ceo of Sara Lee Branded Apparel Americas/ longish hair and wore wire-rimmed , and my boss I was concerned that if New York [headquarters] called, Asia in 2004, until his appointment in 2006 as executive used to lovingly call me ‘the rebel’ because I’d gone to they’d be told everybody was in the Alps having a great chairman of that division to help prepare the company Berkeley. At that point, if you wanted to be in marketing, time. So he said, ‘Let’s take the receptionist with us, so if for its spin off and initial public offering of Hanesbrands P&G was the place to be.” anybody calls, nobody will answer the phone.’” in September 2006. Over the years, he broadened his acumen by join- Regarding living and working in Italy and France, He groomed executives such as Maurice Reznik, ing Playtex Products Inc.’s apparel division in 1970 as Chaden said, “In Italy, I found the people very welcom- president of Inc.; Helen McCluskey, presi- a senior product manager, and served in marketing and ing. I put a lot of energy to learn to speak Italian and dent of the Intimate Apparel and Swimwear Group at management positions for Playtex Italy, Playtex France lived in an old suburb. I never felt they resented that an Inc., and Ray Nadeau, president of and Playtex Canada, where he was president from 1974 American was working there. When the smoke clears, if at . to 1976. He was an area vice president of the interna- you do a great job, nobody cares if you’re an American. “I realize that…I mentored the presidents of three of tional division and was promoted to vice president and It took a little longer to become accepted in France. I our biggest competitors,” he said. general manager for Playtex’s Family Products division made an effort to speak the language and to be respect- Reznik said of Chaden, “He’s an amazing guy. His re- from 1976 to 1977. ful of their idiosyncrasies.” view processes were thorough and constructive. It was By 1970, Chaden’s entry into the intimates fi eld at Playtex, Invoking his entrepreneurial side, Chaden spent the brutal, but it was all true and it made you so much bet- headed by former P&G executive Joel Smilow, opened up a Eighties in the video game and marketing services indus- ter at your job.” Lucky Brand Inks Deal With Wonderbrand’s Nick Graham LUCKY BRAND JEANS HAS SIGNED A tions should generate annual sales in San Francisco-based Wonderbrand making boxers as long as licensing agreement with Wonderbrand excess of $20 million. The women’s line was established by Joe Boxer founder we’ve been making jeans.” LLC to produce a line of Lucky Brand will retail from $10 to $50, and the men’s Nick Graham as a joint venture with The women’s collection underwear and loungewear for women will be priced at $16 to $50. MJC Group in 2007. is inspired by the Lucky and men. Paul Savignano, vice president of ac- “I’ve been a huge fan of Lucky Brand Brand motto “Give Love. Distribution is aimed at department cessories and licensing at Los Angeles- Jeans for a long time and always wanted Give Luck.” The line will stores and 175 Lucky Brand shops in the based Lucky Brand, a division of Liz to work on the underwear line,” said include panties, camis, , U.S. and abroad. The men’s line will be in Claiborne Inc., said, “We’re taking the Graham. “I mean, who wouldn’t want to and socks. Fabrics will in- stores in August, while the women’s will be brand to a lifestyle level. We feel we work on Lucky Brand underwear? It’s clude Modal, lightweight knits, burn- available at retail in October. The collec- have a very loyal customer and we think almost a service to society.” out fabrics and metallics, as well as tions will be unveiled at the Lucky Brand it’s a niche. We base ourselves in rock ’n’ Lucky Brand founders Gene special treatments including lace accessories showroom at 1441 Broadway roll and vintage inspiration, and make Montesano and Barry Perlman said, and ribbon trims, said Graham. in Manhattan during the May market. the product relevant for today. It will be “The time was right, the partner was — K.M. A fi rst-year wholesale sales projec- presented as a shop-in-shop concept at right and this is something we have al- tion was not available, but industry our stores and we defi nitely see a whole- ways wanted to do. If anyone knows how A look at a rock ’n’ roll-inspired lounge sources estimate the combined collec- sale opportunity, as well.” to make underwear, it’s Nick. He’s been set by Lucky Brand. WWD, MONDAY, MARCH 24, 2008 9 WWD.COM Accessories Report Via Spiga’s Back and Wathne’s Got It By Sophia Chabbott are plans to open 150 Via Spiga boutiques across the globe within fi ve years. The brand’s is currently distribut- ia Spiga wants its customers to feel modern, urban and edgy in ed in stores such as Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s and Nordstrom. Vits shoes — and now they can carry that attitude around. Via Spiga is looking at distributing in China as well, and The footwear company, owned by the $2.4 billion St. Louis- is considering starting a line of women’s suits once its retail based Brown Co. Inc., is relaunching for fall. The network is up and running.

23-year-old New York-based brand had a license with “Some people want to fi t in and others want to stand out,” JOHN AQUINO PHOTOS BY Accessory Exchange, but after a yearlong hiatus it has signed a said Sheri Wilson-Gray, chief marketing offi cer for Brown new license with Wathne Ltd., the Manhattan-based accessories Shoe, who joined the company in June. Wilson-Gray focuses manufacturer. Brown Shoe acquired Via Spiga, the American ac- on strategic brand development and is responsible for di- cessories brand known for its Italian fl air, in 2005 when it took recting marketing communication and consumer research over Bennett Footwear Group. among other areas for the Brown Shoe brands, which in- The move to expand to bags is just one of the strategies being cludes Naturalizer, Carlos by Carlos Santana, Dr. Scholl’s, employed by Via Spiga to grow the brand’s store network, in addi- Franco Sarto and Etienne Aigner. tion to adding product categories through licenses, such as with “[The Via Spiga woman] responds to lust and needs to and jewelry. Via Spiga also has licensed lines of men’s make a fashion statement,” she said. “She likes being the shoes and eyewear. maven.” Last year, the company closed some stores, including one on There are two lines under the Via Spiga . Via Madison Avenue, in order to redesign and elevate the brand. Spiga is slightly more sophisticated, with wholesale pric- This year, there are plans to open es from $44 for a small jacquard hobo to $168 for a large four new doors in New York, leather tote. Standout looks include a dove gray leather Chicago, Los Angeles and tote and a crocodile embossed satchel in black. V Via Spiga San Francisco in loca- is sportier, with wholesale prices from $39 for an ultrama- tions better suited to its rine logo-printed tote with patent leather trim to $73 for a customers. There also nylon satchel with leather trim. A new, architectural Via Spiga logo will be launched on the bags, and the long, Via Spiga bags for fall. linear zipper pulls take inspiration from the brand’s stilettos. The fall collection will ship to stores be- ginning July 25. The distribution is expected to mimic Via Spiga’s current one for shoes. The bags are designed by Wathne’s vice president of design, Leonello Borghi, who hails from Giorgio Armani, where he took part in the fi rm’s fi rst accessories collection Sheri Wilson-Gray and Margie Connelly of in 1999. He also has an eponymous line with Brown Shoe, with Leonello Borghi of Wathne. Wathne, which also produces O Oscar handbags. Diamond Industry Braces Camila Alves Carried Away With Bags By Kavita Daswani and the ocean,” said Alves. For Challenging Times “There was something myste- LOS ANGELES — When Camila rious about it.” By Rachel Strugatz Alves was jetting around the Alves is initially introduc- world as a runway model for ing the line through upscale NEW YORK — The diamond world is in the middle of a Valentino and , Los Angeles boutique Diane significant shift, industry executives said at the Plumb or shooting campaigns for Escada Merrick, which will be doing an Club Forum here. and Giorgio Armani, the one offi cial launch event in May. Panelists covered a range of topics on March 3 — thing she needed the most was a “I loved Camila’s unique de- under the heading “It’s a Rough World” — relating to bag that suited all her needs and signs and one-of-a-kind crafts- the current trends and changes. They focused on how that wasn’t something every other manship,” said Merrick. “Muxo the industry is evolving from a monopoly to a multi- fashionista had. has a kind of bohemian bour- channel and producer industry, predominantly driven Since she had such a hard time geois look.” by U.S. demand. locating such a bag, she elected to Alves is cocreating the line “Because there is much more awareness of build- make her own. with her mother, whose back- ing demand and catering to demand rather than just For more than two years, ground is in . producing diamonds and then selling them into the Brazil-born Alves has been work- All the leather is from Brazil market, it can be summed up that the diamond industry ing on Muxo, her new line of and was selected for its ability is changing from a supply-driven model to a demand- leather bags and accessories that to age well and how it would driven model,” said Jeffrey Fischer, president of the she is about to launch. adapt to different finishing International Diamond Manufacturers Association. He “We wanted to create some- treatments. added that control in the industry is becoming decen- thing that was unique and not Alves, her mother and two tralized, with countries like Russia and Canada taking already in the market, and it workers make the bags by charge of their own distributions. took us that long to create this,” hand in their studio in the In addition to Fischer, moderator Chiam Even-Zohar, said Alves, who now lives in Los South Bay area, where they founder of Tacy Ltd., a Tel Aviv-based consulting fi rm, Angeles with her beau, actor Camila Alves and take orders for custom de- was joined by panelists Jean-Marc Lieberherr, general Matthew McConaughey, with her bag designs. signs. Retail prices run from manager of Rio Tinto Diamonds, and Richard Lennox, whom she is expecting a child. $500 for clutches to $1,350 for executive vice president and U.S. marketing director of “My main goal was to create some- larger bags. Alves said she has Diamond Promotion Service. thing where people didn’t have to already started courting inter- The two-day industry conference hosted by the compromise, that it could be ex- est from prestige department Fashion Institute of Technology featured 46 U.S. jew- actly what they needed.” stores and specialty boutiques elry and diamond manufacturers. The hand-stitched collection around the country. “We are moving into a historical time for dia- is heavy on details — leathers are Not surprisingly, given her monds,” Even-Zohar said. “We are seeing the end of weathered and distressed or em- pregnancy, a baby line will 350 years of uninterrupted London control of [dia- bellished with lush fringes — and come soon, encompassing dia- mond] distribution.” convey an old-world sensibility. per bags and baby carriers, Consumer demand is still underperforming com- Shades of chocolate, ochre and as well as belts and jewelry. pared with competing luxury markets, said Even-Zohar, burgundy dominate the line and Throughout, Alves said the who has worked with diamonds for three decades. are designed to gain a patina of focus would be on custom- Even-Zohar said African nations are assuming great- richness as they wear. made pieces. er control over the distribution of their diamonds, not- Alves said the name in re- “I love those designer hand- ing that a new diamond-sorting center has been built in verse, Oxum, is an African river bags, but think that if someone Botswana, in partnership with De Beers. goddess, the idea of which in- is going to pay a higher price, “The African countries are moving to cut and pol- spired the line. The brand is why have something that ev- ish the merchandise in their own countries,” Fischer etched into the leather in large, erybody else has,” she added. said. “If they fi nd it successful, then they will build ancient-looking type. “Once a certain bag is not hot their own models and they will start to cut more “The name really caught my anymore, they will want the next goods in their own countries. If not, they will have to attention because I started think- thing. But to have a bag created

reevaluate.” ing of the beauty of water, women HEIDI GIBBS PHOTOS BY for you is pretty special.” 10 WWD, MONDAY, MARCH 24, 2008 What’s Wrong Wit

The runways often don’t provide what customers are looking for. RUNWAY PHOTO BY THOMAS IANNACCONE, KEN DOWNING BY DUFFY-MARIE ARNOULT/WIREIMAGE; ARNOULT/WIREIMAGE; DUFFY-MARIE THOMAS IANNACCONE, KEN DOWNING BY PHOTO BY RUNWAY GEORGE PIMINTEL/WIREIMAGE BY ATKINS BARBARA

Continued from page one more sensitivity in the design community to the different climate regions and envi- buyers that designers — many of whom continue to offer breathtaking collections — ronmental needs. often aren’t in sync with the needs of the modern woman’s . “It never gets cold in the south of the U.S., so there is a dominant market thirsty for So is something wrong with fashion? fashion 12 months of the year, but major designers don’t really cater to that,” he said. The jury is still out on whether fall sales dipped due to unforeseen circumstances, or Julie Gilhart, senior vice president and fashion director of Barneys New York, un- were emblematic of larger industry problems. But as stores now fi ll their fl oors with spring derscored the importance of seasonless fabrics. “We would have liked to see more ‘sea- collections, there is a growing nervousness among retailers about the outlook for business sonless’ clothes on the runway,” she told WWD after the last round of shows in Milan. given the current tough climate. The challenges include: “There seemed to be way too many wool tweeds and furs.” ● The downturn in the economy. Ken Downing, Neiman Marcus’ senior vice president and fashion director, said ● The unrealistic price tags at the designer level, which have been magnifi ed that with high price tags, the item has to be extra-special, as consumers look for a Stateside as a result of the slumping dollar against the euro (which is now worth over price-value relationship. He noted that, last fall, trends such as the polished spirit of $1.60) — even for American designers who source their fabrics in Europe. refi ned clothing, the return of the jacket and the continuation of the dress were strong ● The lack of color permeating the fall shows, offering no reason for consumers — but the designer color palette wasn’t ideal. to make an emotional connection with the clothes, unless they’re fashion insiders in “The customer for fall is very interested in color and the fashion houses continue show- major capitals. ing black, gray, navy and brown,” Downing said. “This will be the third fall that we see ● The fashion show hype machine in overdrive, resulting in immediate consumer these colors. She lives beyond the major capitals, and this global woman wants color in media coverage that blurs seasons in the her wardrobe.” consumer’s mind. Sarah Rutson, fashion director of ● The lack of one “must-have” item Lane Crawford in Hong Kong — where to generate excitement and drive cus- executives say designer apparel sales tomers to stores. continue to boom — agreed. “I feel it is ● An out-of-whack delivery cycle that Companies have been too dangerous to be overall all-black,” means fall clothes reach stores by July, “ she told WWD of the fall shows in Paris. and spring clothes by January, work- “It leads to a very dull fl oor visually.” ing against the buy-now, wear-now atti- focusing less on clothes and too In its December earnings report, tude of shoppers today, and resulting in much on accessories. Neiman Marcus said some of the early markdowns by the time they really want fall disappointments included some buy- to wear the clothes. — Renzo” Rosso, Diesel ing mistakes with too much inventory and ● The competition from lesser-priced tepid consumer reaction to European de- contemporary departments and retail- signer collections generally. Burt Tansky, ers such as J. Crew and Anthropologie, chairman, chief executive offi cer and which bring in well-priced designs on a president of Neiman Marcus Group Inc., constant basis. said at the time, “We were a little more ● More exciting innovations in elec- aggressive [in buying] than we normally tronics, which continues to draw con- are. It didn’t come together so we are sumer spending instead of fashion. going to get back into balance and we are ● Designers’ growing emphasis on other There seems to be no moving quickly to do so....As the season categories such as accessories, including “ progressed and sales did not materialize jewelry and watches, which often draw differentiation between commensurate with the inventory levels consumer spending away from apparel. we had planned, our merchants reacted “There are things that could be tuned countries, between stores. quickly” by triggering markdowns and up,” said Michael Fink, vice president and ” working with vendors to fi nd a solution women’s fashion director at Saks Fifth — Barbara Atkin, Holt Renfrew to overstocks. Avenue. “The retail price of European “It’s not about whether they can af- merchandise continues to skyrocket, and ford to buy, but are they in the mood makes a consumer question everything to buy,” Jim Gold, president and ceo of about why she is buying something and Bergdorf Goodman, said during a recent how it fi ts into her total lifestyle.” panel discussion. He emphasized the Within that lifestyle, fabric weights high-end customer does not trade down are a key issue. even when there is an economic slow- “We sound like a broken record, but down. “They take a breather, but they there needs to be realistic fabrics de- She lives beyond the major don’t trade down. And they come back, livered for wearability,” Fink said. “It’s “ as we saw after 9/11, with a vengeance,” great to get the new fall season deliv- Gold said. ered in May or June, but there needs capitals, and this global woman However, judging from the fashions to be a way of using buy-now, wear-now wants color in her wardrobe. that came down the runways for fall in fabrics to get the new fashion message recent weeks, it may take a little longer readily available. People don’t really — Ken Downing, Neiman Marcus” for the customer to roar back. Many de- want to buy something now and wait signers once again snubbed seasonless or four months to wear it.” transitional fabrics, and often chose win- Fink also said there needs to be ter materials from furs to heavy tweeds WWD, MONDAY, MARCH 24, 2008 11 WWD.COM Fashion Scoops ALL ABOUT IMAGE: Stefano Pilati seems to have a thing for supermodels that have recently been cloaked in controversy. Rumor has it Pilati chose Naomi Campbell for Yves Saint Laurent’s fall ad h Fashion? campaign and that she was recently photographed in Paris by Ines van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin. Campbell, who last year did fi ve days of community service for hitting a former maid with a cell phone, follows other headline-grabbing YSL models, including Kate Moss and Gisele Bündchen. We would have liked to see more DRESSING ITALIAN: Madonna has gone back to her Dolce & Gabbana “ days for the cover of her new album “Hard Candy.” But forget fall’s ‘seasonless’ clothes on the runway. tweedy ensembles — the pop star asked Stefano — Julie Gilhart, Barneys New” York Gabbana and Domenico Dolce to fi sh a vintage from at least 20 years ago (the exact date was unavailable) out of the archives. On the cover, shot by Steven Klein, Madonna strikes one of her sexy poses, gussied up in a strappy, shiny back , cinched by a wide People don’t really want to buy boxer’s . Over the iconic “ vintage piece, she tossed a something now and wait four months white fur-collared black coat from the fall 1995 men’s to wear it. wear collection. ” And the singer stuck Madonna in Roberto Cavalli. — Michael Fink, Saks Fifth Avenue to Italian designers for the video and cover of her single “Four Minutes” with Justin Timberlake, this time opting for an all-black, body-hugging ensemble by Roberto Cavalli.

and cashmeres — in black and charcoal. And with hope that the industry will now turn to fi xing DIESEL HOPS, SILVER SETS UP SHOP: After 10 years in its current the continued weakness of the dollar, the plethora of some of the issues that have been hampering the location, Diesel is moving its San Francisco fl agship to the historic embroidery, embellishments and handcrafted details designer business — from early markdowns to too California Savings Bank building in Union Square. The new location are bound to hike prices to new heights. much sameness across stores. will have Diesel rubbing shoulders with the likes of Apple, Virgin and The lack of one specifi c trend to whet con- “We’ve programmed the consumer to wait for Bloomingdale’s. The 11,000-square-foot store will occupy the three sumer appetites and drive them to stores hasn’t sales,” said Allan Ellinger, senior managing direc- lower levels of the eight-story building and will open in spring 2009. helped in recent months. tor of Marketing Management Group. “Why buy in Meanwhile, Silver Jeans is taking its fi rst steps into the American “Apparel and accessories have undergone so December, when in January you can buy things at market as a retailer. The Canada-based moderate denim brand, many rapid design changes in the last few decades 50 percent off? It’s been a decade in the making, which sells in the U.S. to stores including The Buckle and Dillard’s, that there is no longer a discernible overall direc- and the only way to turn that off is to ween the has signed a lease for a 2,100-square-foot space in Denver’s Park tion to drive consumerism,” said David Wolfe, cre- consumer off sales over a period of time.” Meadows Mall. The store is scheduled to open July 1 and will be the ative director at The Doneger Group. “Everything Barbara Atkin, fashion director at Holt fi rst Silver-branded store for parent company Western Works. is ‘in.’ It is impossible for the customer to truly Renfrew, said the luxury world has become “very The company owns a chain of stores under the Warehouse One name, ascertain what is ‘new’ in fashion. However, what bland.” “It’s very homogenized across the world which sells the brand in Canada, in addition to wholesale customers. is new in electronics is truly innovative, and thus today,” Atkin said. “There seems to be no differen- a more exciting purchase than a retro-inspired tiation between countries, between stores. When’s BANANA BONANZA: Joseph Fiennes, his girlfriend, Maria Dolores fashion item.” there’s too much out there, you lose the desire.” Dieguez, Emilia Fox, Jake and Dinos Chapman, Camilla Rutherford Catherine Sadler, president of the New York mar- Nicole Fischelis, vice president and fashion di- and Daisy de Villeneuve were among those who gathered on Regent keting fi rm Catherine Sadler Group, agreed that rector of women’s at Macy’s, concurred: “By pro- Street last Wednesday night to fete the opening of London’s fi rst trends last fall were too eclectic and edgy, with none moting all those brands, a lot of stores have for- Banana Republic fl agship. Guests sipped Champagne and nibbled standing out. “Trends asked her to be a man one mo- gotten or somehow lost their own identity and the on prosciutto, olives, and smoked salmon canapés while perusing the ment, a prim secretary the next, a femme fatale in the essence of what a retail store is about, which is 17,000-square-foot shop and deciding how they were going to spend evening and a warrior in her spare time,” she said. giving an experience to the customer, and a reason their free gift vouchers. But they had to work fast: The event allowed “None of it really inspired her, and she preferred to to buy, and making their stores a destination.” for only two hours of shopping, winding up at 8 p.m. wear the trends on her accessories than on her body.” Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at Port Sadler added that the strength of the euro con- Washington, N.Y.-based The NPD Group, said that SURE SHOT: WireImage founder and paparazzo about town Jeff Vespa tributed “perhaps up to 50 percent to the malaise the industry hasn’t worked hard enough to delin- (clad in head to toe Marc Jacobs) has been pursuing other interests of fashion this past season. In a strong market eate high fashion from low-end designs. since selling his company to Getty Images in a multimillion dollar people are less price-sensitive, but with the mac- “Consumers today can get cashmere for $60 or deal last year. In addition to mounting several fi ne art photography roeconomic conditions today combined with the $500 — and we aren’t conveying to them why it’s shows, he produced and directed a short fi lm, “Nosebleed,” which weak dollar, you can’t help but question whether worth 10 times more,” Cohen said. “It used to be premiered last Wednesday. The 10-minute short, starring David it is worth that much. That’s where the love factor the low end of the market was a year delayed in Arquette as a young man going through a breakup, screened at comes in. If there isn’t a strong enough emotional adopting the fashion trends, but fast fashion has Mann’s Chinese 6 theater in Hollywood. The modern “Eraserhead”- connection, you will take a pass.” changed that. The high-end market must learn to reminiscent silent short was cheered on by half the Arquette clan Then there are those who say that fashion has speak to the reason why its product is better.” (Courteney Cox — of course — as well as Rosanna were both there, lost its focus as traditional clothing companies Stacy Pecor, owner of the four Olive & Bette’s while Patricia was working). Rosario Dawson and Mena Suvari were diversifi ed. boutiques in New York, took the issue on from the also there. “Everybody loves Jeff,” gushed Suvari. “Companies have been focusing less on clothes contemporary category’s standpoint. and too much on accessories, because they help “I think designers have lost touch with what WALK IN THE PARK: Shiva Rose hosted a bevy of pretty girls and boost sales, and clothes have lost some of their the customer wants,” she said. “Many customers frocks for Gregory Parkinson’s fall preview last week at her home in edge and sex appeal,” Diesel founder Renzo don’t want that big overfl owing baby-doll look and Brentwood, Calif. Fellow designers Geren Ford, Jenni Kayne, Magda Rosso, who also owns the Martin Margiela and yet we continue to have it. It’s the same with color. Berliner and Melissa Coker came out to support Parkinson’s sparkly Sophia Kokosalaki businesses, said. “We need to If European designers for spring show salmon, prints and plaids. “I’m a big fan of Gregory’s designs and thought be more directional, have strong fashion trends. yellow and ecru, have they thought about wheth- this would be a good opportunity to share them with everyone else,” Everybody does too much of everything, while we er they look good on most consumers, and if it is gushed Rose as her younger daughter Charlotte rolled in the grass. should focus more.” what she wants?” Taking a break from fi lming “Lipstick Jungle” until fall, Brooke Shields Many agreed that beyond the economy, fash- — With contributions from Whitney Beckett, came with her stylist Amanda Ross. “Anything Amanda says, I do, so I ion had it coming for a while and some expressed Andrew Roberts and Luisa Zargani had to come out today and check out the clothes,” said Shields.

CAMDEN KUDOS: Hennes & Mauritz is tapping into the cool vibe of north London’s Camden neighborhood. On April 17, the brand will launch a new concept store that will stock men’s wear, women’s wear and accessories exclusively from H&M’s youth-led streetwear A lot of stores have forgotten or collection, Divided. The store will be the fi rst of its kind in the U.K., “ but the fi fth in Europe. A spokeswoman said there were currently no somehow lost their own identity and the further U.K. units planned. “Camden is so individual, we didn’t want a big store there,” said an H&M spokeswoman. “This is a one-off.” essence of what a retail store is about. The store will span 8,223 square feet set over two fl oors, and will ” have a warehouse feel with scaffold displays, large speakers and top — Nicole Fischelis, Macy’s London DJs playing during opening weekend. 12 WWD, MONDAY, MARCH 24, 2008

Financial Children’s Place to Part Ways With Disney Chain he marriage of Children’s Place recognized a pretax charge of $80.3 million than the $200 million spent last year. lion, or $2.92, in the year-ago period. TRetail Stores Inc. and the Disney in the fourth quarter of fi scal 2007. “Given the challenging macroeconom- Sales increased 7.2 percent to $2.16 bil- Store chain is coming to an end after The company plans to eliminate 80 po- ic environment, we believe the steps we lion from $2.02 billion. more than three years. sitions from its shared services workforce, are taking today, while diffi cult, will put “By any measure, fi scal 2007 was a Children’s Place said last week it in addition to 50 open positions it doesn’t Children’s Place in position to realize its very tough year for our company,” Crovitz planned to exit the Disney Stores, allow- intend to fi ll. Children’s Place will incur full potential,” said Chuck Crovitz, inter- said. “For the majority of the year, our ing The Walt Disney Co. to take back the severance costs of about $1.5 million to $2 im chief executive offi cer. merchandise assortments at Children’s business, after a review of the operation, million. The reduction, which is about 30 For the fourth quarter ended Feb. Place brand did not resonate with the earnings growth potential and capital percent of its workforce, will result in an 2, the company reported a loss of $58.5 consumer and our inventory levels were needs. The Secaucus, N.J.-based retail- estimated savings of $12 million. million, or $2.01 a diluted share, from a too high, particularly given the challeng- er operated the Disney Stores through Exiting the Disney business and trim- profi t of $44.7 million, or $1.48 a diluted ing environment.” an agreement with subsidiaries Hoop ming jobs, as well as other initiatives to share in the year prior. Sales for the quar- The company expects sales in the Holdings LLC and Hoop Holding Canada streamline operations, such as the deci- ter grew 4 percent to $670.9 million from midsingle digits in 2008, fueled by the under a license from Disney. The agree- sion not to move forward with the build- $645.2 million last year, and total same- opening of 30 stores in the second half of ment allows Disney to regain as many as out of its new corporate headquarters, will store sales rose 3 percent. By division, the year. two-thirds of the existing stores. The rest bring spending for 2008 in the range of $65 Children’s Place jumped 7 percent, while In 2007, Children’s Place opened 54 will be closed. million to $75 million. This represents a 50 Disney Stores’ comps slumped 4 percent. new Children’s Place stores and closed Children’s Place expects to incur pretax percent decrease from its previously an- For the full-year period, the children’s 16. It rolled out 15 Disney stores and exit costs in the range of $50 million to $100 nounced capital expenditure level of $150 retailer said it lost $59.6 million, or $2.05 shuttered eight. million, payable over time. The fi rm also million, and more than 60 percent less a diluted share, from a gain of $87.4 mil- — Jeanine Poggi Weekly Stocks Fast Stats 52-WEEK VOLUME AMT 52-WEEK VOLUME AMT HIGH LOW RETAILERS P/E (000’S) LAST CHANGE HIGH LOW RETAILERS P/E (000’S) LAST CHANGE 85.77 66.05 Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) 14.3 8741482 77.20 3.99 34.73 12.10 Jones Apparel (JNY) 4.3 7606851 14.14 1.09 Total amount consumers 29.00 14.04 Acadia (AKR) 33.5 1901850 24.49 0.59 46.16 19.50 Jos. A. Bank (JOSB) 8.1 4083142 22.21 -0.13 were expected to spend 31.88 18.29 Aéropostale (ARO) 16.6 8869249 27.28 1.53 28.32 13.20 Kenneth Cole (KCP) 45.9 772145 16.20 0.61 for Easter in 2008: 28.42 20.92 Alberto Culver (ACV) 23.6 2373635 27.45 -0.30 72.79 62.16 Kimberly Clark (KMB) 15.8 13053103 64.97 1.98 3.45 1.16 Alpha Pro Tech (APT) 11.5 369295 1.16 -0.25 51.42 29.00 Kimco Realty (KIM) 21.8 11961101 38.30 4.65 $14.44 billion 31.33 16.47 American Eagle (AEO) 9.3 15479105 18.03 0.81 79.55 37.31 Kohl’s (KSS) 12.6 26985470 45.55 4.19 39.92 18.70 Ann Taylor (ANN) 14.6 10619791 22.98 1.03 32.29 13.89 K-Swiss (KSWS) 13.6 1472529 16.12 1.29 Average amount each 8.61 2.47 Ashworth (ASHW) 0.0 407641 2.66 0.19 22.99 14.50 LaCrosse Footwear () 13.9 6282 16.00 -0.50 42.51 31.95 Avon (AVP) 32.6 17612456 39.71 1.65 15.09 9.51 Lakeland Inds (LAKE) 17.5 54481 11.35 0.33 consumer was expected to 10.18 1.75 Bakers (BKRS) 0.0 28991 1.78 -0.07 29.58 14.41 Limited Brands (LTD) 8.6 22071863 17.14 1.13 spend for Easter in 2008: 19.11 9.01 Bebe (BEBE) 15.0 3370665 11.50 -0.01 22.00 7.33 Liquidity Services (LQDT) 20.6 773098 8.25 -0.15 37.85 23.65 Benetton (BNGPY) 0.0 0 26.50 -2.10 45.25 15.96 Liz Claiborne (LIZ) 0.0 8788340 19.49 2.65 $135.03 18.00 5.66 Big Dog (BDOG) 0.0 18629 6.23 0.44 13.15 2.15 LJ Intl. (JADE) 7.8 769450 2.54 -0.17 8.46 4.40 Birks & Mayors (BMJ) 10.6 17600 4.55 -0.28 60.70 21.25 Lululemon (LULU) 105.3 3028346 27.64 0.45 Average apparel spending 39.15 26.36 BJs (BJ) 17.9 9235208 35.59 1.53 39.39 23.14 Luxottica (LUX) 15.0 1517027 23.15 -2.22 2.17 0.50 Blue (BLUE) 0.0 48982 0.65 -0.02 98.10 57.50 Macerich (MAC) 66.1 4890094 69.87 8.27 for Easter per consumer: 1.20 0.38 Bluefly (BFLY) 0.0 455193 0.49 0.03 46.70 20.94 Macy’s Inc. (M) 11.8 29684079 24.85 2.32 $23.82 57.66 4.01 Bon-Ton (BONT) 7.8 1551897 5.70 0.64 24.49 11.03 Maidenform (MFB) 9.9 1413000 14.90 0.77 33.00 11.89 Brown Shoe (BWS) 9.6 3454518 14.10 1.46 56.64 16.76 Men’s Wearhouse (MW) 7.9 8426277 22.72 1.52 48.45 30.05 Buckle (BKE) 18.8 2603410 46.83 1.56 24.44 9.12 Marcus (MCS) 22.1 856586 18.10 2.06 Retail channel expected to 19.04 8.00 Caché (CACH) 28.3 551391 11.56 0.55 39.86 14.48 Mothers Work (MWRK) 0.0 55762 16.15 0.43 see most Easter traffi c in 27.40 9.93 Capitalsource (CSE) 11.2 40264148 10.23 -2.01 35.40 17.16 Movado (MOV) 9.0 994600 18.96 1.34 2008: Discount stores at 29.00 13.48 Carter (CRI) 0.0 4379375 15.58 1.09 4.25 1.27 Movie Star (FOH) 0.0 26800 2.42 -0.28 13.44 3.35 Casual Male (CMRG) 4.3 1106450 4.04 0.15 26.15 19.75 National Retail Prop. (NNN) 9.9 7799859 22.53 1.55 58.8 percent 25.66 12.48 Cato (CTR) 11.0 1076713 16.57 0.80 16.20 3.65 New York & Co. (NWY) 23.7 2115590 5.72 0.95 47.90 21.12 CBL (CBL) 26.7 4710479 25.27 2.55 67.93 51.50 Nike (NKE) 18.3 23650968 67.27 7.31 Second most popular retail 11.99 8.43 CCA (CAW) 11.7 17852 9.20 -0.30 5.89 1.29 Nitches (NICH) 0.0 29090 1.53 0.14 6.95 1.12 Charles & Colvard (CTHR) 0.0 144937 1.22 0.06 56.96 28.00 Nordstrom (JWN) 11.6 21302606 35.22 2.20 channel for Easter traffi c in 30.91 12.27 Charlotte Russe (CHIC) 13.3 2120663 19.73 0.12 6.77 3.60 Orange 21 (ORNG) 0.0 1416 4.29 0.04 2008: Department stores at 13.22 4.01 Charming Shoppes (CHRS) 9.5 15629771 4.86 -0.37 10.35 5.00 Orchids Paper (TIS) 16.6 1500 7.23 0.19 35.6 percent 82.17 52.22 Chattem (CHTT) 22.4 2229001 71.14 3.57 50.86 19.77 Oxford (OXM) 8.4 876284 23.08 1.40 48.76 27.89 Cherokee (CHKE) 9.0 452802 36.03 1.24 23.11 8.87 Pacific Sunwear (PSUN) 0.0 8912406 12.93 1.18 27.94 6.70 Chico’s (CHS) 14.7 12864434 7.73 0.09 6.02 2.63 Parlux Fragrances (PARL) 0.0 332565 3.04 0.05 Easter in 2008 was the 57.99 14.92 Children’s Place (PLCE) 13.7 8692892 22.25 1.36 37.20 11.79 Payless Shoes (PSS) 18.6 11452543 12.47 0.09 earliest for the holiday 20.62 7.65 Christopher & Banks (CBK) 12.5 2248067 9.69 0.67 35.22 12.83 (PERY) 12.1 2642073 21.40 4.42 41.04 27.41 Cintas (CTAS) 13.7 8569400 28.83 0.73 62.19 30.50 Phillips-Van Heusen (PVH) 11.1 4159497 35.13 1.46 since: 1913 45.25 10.76 Citi Trends (CTRN) 12.9 1075250 15.15 1.21 4.70 1.10 Phoenix Footwear (PXG) 0.0 16600 1.89 -0.06 FROM NRF’S 2008 EASTER CONSUMER 54.00 23.22 Coach (COH) 14.5 27279905 29.89 1.86 102.58 50.55 Polo (RL) 15.7 5388021 60.29 2.81 25.69 3.40 Coldwater Creek (CWTR) 0.0 6101343 4.74 0.40 33.67 14.86 PriceSmart (PSMT) 46.8 600787 26.76 2.58 INTENTIONS AND ACTIONS SURVEY CONDUCTED 81.98 63.75 Colgate Palmolive (CL) 24.1 11400376 77.50 1.22 15.51 5.69 Quiksilver (ZQK) 0.0 6535218 9.95 0.71 BY BIGRESEARCH 70.93 34.65 Columbia Sprtswr (COLM) 10.9 1478823 44.74 2.60 13.14 6.52 R.G. Barry (DFZ) 13.1 51758 7.70 0.40 32.19 11.50 Conns (CONN) 8.1 1242165 13.00 0.51 38.75 19.04 Ramco-Gershenson (RPT) 11.1 723628 21.79 0.15 72.68 53.00 Costco (COST) 23.0 22012899 63.42 2.56 85.75 52.61 Regency Centers (REG) 23.9 3673547 65.19 6.29 WWD Index 75.21 16.14 Crocs (CROX) 8.2 29260933 17.69 -2.49 23.30 3.91 Retail Ventures (RVI) 2.6 1375645 6.28 0.54 12.30 6.12 Culp (CFI) 28.5 97500 7.27 -0.05 1.48 0.91 Revlon (REV) 0.0 6055979 1.06 0.14 2.58 0.18 Cygne Designs (CYDS) 0.0 98423 0.21 -0.08 19.23 4.80 Rocky Brands (RCKY) 0.0 87179 5.00 -0.72 166.50 68.26 Deckers Outdoor (DECK) 19.8 3359440 105.89 2.96 35.17 21.23 Ross Stores (ROST) 14.9 12005914 30.98 2.83 10.80 1.50 Delia’s (DLIA) 0.0 578920 2.14 0.55 23.25 11.04 Saks (SKS) 39.3 15602872 12.83 0.44 Composite 19.99 6.06 Delta Apparel (DLA) 0.0 10701 7.30 -0.77 195.18 84.72 Sears (SHLD) 17.1 10360082 103.87 8.80 895.16 8.19 3.66 Delta Galil (DELT) 0.0 6937 4.47 0.04 35.26 10.54 Shoe Carnival (SCVL) 9.6 877389 13.82 1.55 66.70 32.20 Developers Diversified (DDR) 21.3 8659031 42.64 4.55 6.50 0.81 Shoe Pavilion (SHOE) 0.0 38360 1.09 -0.17 40.56 14.19 Dillard’s (DDS) 8.6 8537230 18.36 2.25 118.25 74.80 Simon Properties (SPG) 46.9 12108434 95.02 8.79 23.40 9.35 Dress Barn (DBRN) 9.7 4043375 12.93 0.73 36.87 16.05 Skechers (SKX) 12.0 2197180 20.75 0.37 44.71 14.72 DSW (DSW) 10.3 1178489 17.72 2.29 4.98 1.82 Sport-Haley (SPOR) 0.0 9091 2.25 0.05 41.56 12.05 Duckwall-Alco (DUCK) 16.5 13026 12.47 -0.34 17.17 3.29 Stein Mart (SMRT) 8.0 1915077 5.73 0.48 14.27 3.92 Eddie Bauer (EBHI) 0.0 1027952 4.35 -0.31 5.00 2.54 Stephan (TSC) 0.0 5400 2.65 -0.02 28.05 16.04 Elizabeth Arden (RDEN) 12.1 1015778 19.46 0.88 49.76 33.86 14.61 Steve Madden (SHOO) 10.1 2884397 17.58 -0.11 52.31 37.03 Estée Lauder (EL) 19.9 7028510 45.32 0.99 13.60 8.13 Superior Uniform (SGC) 21.8 29101 8.35 -1.00 35.42 14.62 Family Dollar (FDO) 11.6 10090520 20.50 1.98 15.00 10.78 Syms (SYMS) 44.8 15326 11.48 -0.37 13.86 1.48 Finish Line (FINL) 0.0 4950815 4.22 -0.14 26.10 6.48 Talbots (TLB) 0.0 5415221 12.17 2.24 25.87 20.05 Forest City (FCY) 0.0 17900 23.00 1.00 13.29 4.60 Tandy Brands (TBAC) 0.0 6960 4.60 -0.88 46.25 24.81 Fossil (FOSL) 17.5 4257709 32.27 1.56 15.74 7.71 Freds (FRED) 14.2 1758465 9.17 0.43 7.55 2.22 Tandy Leather Factory (TLF) 8.5 43200 2.69 -0.06 Weekly % Changes 44.46 34.69 G&K (GKSR) 15.5 789924 36.22 0.34 44.43 32.32 Tanger Factory Outlet (SKT) 53.4 2358342 39.99 3.47 70.75 47.01 Target (TGT) 15.1 50051927 52.35 2.52 (ending March 21) 30.73 14.00 Gaiam (GAIA) 50.3 2685896 16.76 -1.33 22.02 15.20 Gap (GPS) 19.8 46128778 21.37 1.56 2.20 0.40 Tarrant Apparel (TAGS) 6.0 239254 0.60 -0.06 67.43 30.20 General Growth (GGP) 27.8 26717104 37.92 5.61 61.52 41.30 Taubman (TCO) 58.8 3129540 54.93 6.82 Gainers Change 54.15 18.76 Genesco (GCO) 66.5 4646513 22.48 0.73 10.63 3.06 Tefron (TFR) 174.5 120600 3.61 0.02 Delia’s 34.59 22.00 10.73 G-III Apparel (GIII) 12.2 637234 12.10 0.07 57.34 32.84 Tiffany & Co. (TIF) 15.7 15199472 38.60 0.85 46.47 28.03 Gildan Activewear (GIL) 29.4 2792507 36.65 1.37 27.76 12.83 Timberland (TBL) 20.2 3220518 13.75 0.20 Perry Ellis 26.03 33.93 25.49 TJ Maxx (TJX) 19.5 29504589 33.93 1.67 28.20 10.31 Glimcher (GRT) 20.1 2059659 11.40 0.46 Talbots 22.56 15.37 1.85 Gottschalks (GOT) 0.0 67943 2.31 0.07 23.74 13.89 True Religion (TRLG) 18.5 1317964 18.19 -0.20 57.20 30.00 Guess (GES) 27.8 9630892 37.20 2.26 47.00 22.75 Tween Brands (TWB) 14.0 3362034 26.10 0.62 New York & Co. 19.92 45.55 25.99 Gymboree (GYMB) 14.7 3882285 41.43 1.96 73.40 25.32 Under Armour (UA) 34.4 7873183 37.39 3.39 20.25 10.35 Hampshire (HAMP) 0.0 9650 10.40 -1.85 3.07 1.80 Unifi (UFI) 0.0 525668 2.80 -0.02 General Growth 17.36 48.00 34.60 Unifirst (UNF) 14.5 1048030 36.55 -1.08 33.73 21.47 Hanesbrands (HBI) 21.2 4691251 29.03 2.18 8.69 2.04 Hartmarx (HMX) 0.0 214382 2.80 0.03 31.32 19.20 Urban Outfitters (URBN) 31.1 20595964 30.73 0.51 29.26 14.56 Helen of Troy (HELE) 8.0 1193400 16.21 0.98 96.20 63.68 VF Corp. (VFC) 14.7 3515006 78.92 2.65 Decliners Change 12.11 3.90 Hot Topic (HOTT) 11.9 2971756 4.48 0.14 51.00 13.82 Volcom (VLCM) 13.8 1847079 19.75 1.35 Cygne Designs -27.59 3.02 0.10 House of Taylor (HOTJ) 0.0 124867 0.15 0.00 53.23 42.09 Wal-Mart (WMT) 16.2 115792230 53.23 3.41 39.06 19.00 IAC Interactive (IACI) 0.0 11289502 21.11 0.55 44.94 26.90 Warnaco (WRNC) 20.8 4688104 36.86 0.31 Alpha Pro Tech -17.73 49.40 27.59 Weingarten (WRI) 13.3 4670239 33.83 3.08 24.48 15.96 Iconix (ICON) 15.9 7668225 17.00 0.00 Capitalsource -16.42 29.18 13.55 Inter Parfums (IPAR) 18.3 774685 21.32 -0.15 34.31 23.70 Weyco (WEYS) 16.7 156938 31.73 3.73 57.17 33.69 J. Crew (JCG) 27.7 8315944 43.65 0.14 2.36 0.26 Wilsons (WLSN) 0.0 987080 0.26 -0.05 Wilsons -16.13 84.70 33.27 J.C. Penney (JCP) 8.0 22377739 42.12 3.42 30.80 19.85 Wolverine (WWW) 15.4 2599374 28.87 1.99 14.13 2.10 Jaclyn (JLN) 0.0 7100 8.48 0.03 29.22 12.48 Zale (ZLC) 27.9 5203874 21.27 2.33 Tandy Brands -16.06 2.45 0.60 Joe’s Jeans (JOEZ) 19.8 210956 0.96 0.01 53.99 13.26 Zumiez (ZUMZ) 18.6 3275507 17.49 2.25 WWD, MONDAY, MARCH 24, 2008 13 WWD.COM Dot-com Pioneer Grows AOL Fashion Site Mergers Drive Change By Cate T. Corcoran Melissa Rivers to comment on outfits irlshop founder Laura Eisman has re- during the Oscars, At N.Y. Staffi ng Firms Gsurfaced at AOL, where she is helping for example. the company revamp its style coverage at More changes are By Vicki M. Young about 15 years ago,” she noted. Stylelist.com. set for the summer. A Richard Walsh, who joined Project Girlshop, an early online pioneer known complete redesign of ew York’s two major staffing Solvers in November 2007, succeeds for its graphical look, cutting-edge fashions the site is due around Nresource firms for the fashion Maxfi eld. Walsh was a managing part- and turning a profi t during the height of the June, with a different industry, Project Solvers and 24 ner at Gromwell Group Inc. dot-com bust, closed last April after a decade template, new logo, Seven, are undergoing changes on Gromwell, meanwhile, has en- in business. and a new look and the home front. tered into an asset purchase agree- Since she came on at Stylelist.com as con- feel with different Project Solvers, which was ment to be acquired by creative tal- sulting editorial director last October, traffi c typefaces and colors. founded in 1988, has a new corpo- ent staffi ng giant 24 Seven Inc. The has tripled and page views are up dramati- Eisman also plans to rate parent. It merged in 2006 with deal is subject to the approval of the cally at the site. If comScore Media Metrix Laura Eisman add more community Resolve Staffi ng, which last month U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan. tracked the site features, including was bought by Santa Barbara, Calif.- As reported, Gromwell has been separately, it would reader profiles and based Select Staffi ng. embroiled in a legal battle with 24 rank 13th in the letting readers upload photos Project Solvers co-founder and Seven. According to Stuart Kagel, a women’s commu- to show others what’s in their president Anne Maxfi eld worked as partner at 24 Seven, the dispute with nity category. makeup bag or a trend they a fashion designer before launching Gromwell centered on theft of trade The strong saw on the street. the freelance and full-time person- secrets and employment contract vio- growth at the site She would like to create nel fi rm for the fashion, apparel and lations law. A $742,000 award was won shows the strength programs for advertisers with design-related industries. by 24 Seven against Gromwell from a of the online maga- widgets and tools for them to Maxfi eld, who recently left the New York state court in Manhattan. zine format. When sponsor. firm, said the niche market has Gromwell said in January that it fi led Eisman came on, Stylelist.com has only grown to more than a $20 million a for bankruptcy court protection to the site was set up three editors in addition to year industry. bar 24 Seven from trying to seize as- as a blog and her Eisman, but had 1.3 million “It’s been a wonderful experience, sets to satisfy the court award. first move was to unique visitors in February, great to see careers develop, and “The effective merging of these change the naviga- up from 325,000 the year be- now it’s time to move on. I always two premier staffi ng fi rms, both ser- tion and homepage fore, according to comScore laughed when people used to talk vicing the fashion and creative mar- by restyling it as a The Stylelist.com home page. Media Metrix. Page views about serial entrepreneurs, but now I ketplace, will provide superior re- service-oriented jumped signifi cantly, from 1 know exactly what they meant,” said sources and strategic benefi ts to the online magazine. million in February 2007 to 24 million page Maxfi eld, who is taking some time off industries they serve,” said 24 Seven. “Blog formats are so linear,” she said. “Traffi c views last month. to plan her next venture. Celeste Gudas and Sheila Hogan wasn’t circulating properly and now it is.” ComScore Media Metrix includes the site in She noted the two big changes in of 24 Seven both formerly worked at The site is meant to be an inclusive guide AOL Living, which is ranked No. 3 in the wom- the past 20 years have involved com- Project Solvers. The two, along with to style for all women. “Most women have en’s community category. Glam is No. 1 and iVil- puters and technical designers. “The Kagel, founded 24 Seven in 2000. The an interest in style and fashion but run into lage is No. 2. computers existed 20 years ago, but talent staffi ng company in August obstacles and don’t know how to apply it to The hypothetical ranking of 13th is based have come so far since then, and 2006 acquired C-Suite Inc., an execu- themselves,” said Eisman. “I think there is re- on the combined traffi c of Stylelist and sister technical designers didn’t exist until tive search fi rm. ally a need for this.” site Styledash, which So, for example, coverage of trends, fashion together had 2.1 mil- weeks, beauty and hairstyles focus on how to lion unique visitors in make trends work in real life. Photo spreads February. (Styledash show how real women of various shapes and did not exist in sizes can make a particular look work for February 2007.) The them. Readers can comment anywhere on the sites from Lifetime site and on any article. Television currently The site is also expanding its use of ex- rank 13th with traffi c perts and celebrities, tapping Joan and of 2 million. Stein Mart Posts Loss in Qtr. tein Mart Inc. swung to a lion, or 85 cents, a year earlier. Sfourth-quarter loss, hurt by Sales fell 2.9 percent to $1.46 steep markdowns to move mer- billion from $1.5 billion. chandise. “We will be controlling in- For the three months ended ventory very tightly, and we Feb. 2, the company posted a have already taken steps to re- loss of $12.1 million, or 30 cents duce our costs to only the most a diluted share, from a profi t of necessary expenditures,” said $21.1 million, or 48 cents, in the Linda Farthing, president and year-ago period. chief executive offi cer. “We will Sales for the quarter declined be exploring and testing several 9.4 percent to $417.4 million from new initiatives to build on our $461 million last year. Total same- traditional strength of meeting store sales tumbled 6.2 percent. our shoppers’ expectations with In 2007, Stein Mart lost $4.5 exciting merchandise and cus- million, or 11 cents a diluted tomer service.” share, from a profi t of $37.2 mil- — Jeanine Poggi Ross Stores Sees Earnings Gain oss Stores Inc. posted year earlier. Sales jumped 7.3 Rfourth-quarter and full- percent to $5.98 billion from year earnings growth, buoyed by $5.57 billion. strong sales in its dresses and “Our ability to deliver com- footwear categories. pelling bargains to customers For the three months ended allowed us to successfully navi- Feb. 2, income rose 1.5 percent gate the challenging retail cli- to $94.5 million, or 70 cents a di- mate, refl ecting the resiliency luted share, from $93.1 million, of our off-price business model. or 66 cents, in the same year- The strongest regions for both ago quarter. Sales rose 2.7 per- the fourth quarter and the year cent to $1.65 billion from $1.61 were the Northwest and Texas, billion, while same-store sales while dresses, home and shoes grew 2 percent. were the best-performing mer- For the full year, income chandising categories,” said grew by 8 percent to $261.1 mil- Michael Balmuth, vice chair- lion, or $1.90 a diluted share, man, president and chief ex- from $241.6 million, or $1.70, a ecutive offi cer. 14 WWD, MONDAY, MARCH 24, 2008 WWD.COM/CLASSIFIEDS Professional Services

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SALES SUPPORT Production Coordinator NYC accessory importer seeks well- Accessories company seeks organized, organized, detail oriented person to detail-oriented individual. Duties in- request and follow up samples from clude issuing & follow-up Pos, manage China vendors, keep pricing & vendor sampling and production issues with records and work with customers via Is a rapidly expanding company factory, liaison between sales & de- High-end 5th Ave Bridal Salon in NYC E-mail. Proficiency in Outlook and sign. Bi-lingual preferred: Chinese & seeks exp sales/stylist Great compen- Excel required. Photoshop preferred. created with a specific vision in English. Computer proficiency a must. sation & work environment, long-term Contact:[email protected] mind; to consistently offer innova- E-mail or fax your resume: career path. Send resume to: or fax (212)695-4513 tive clothing made with incredible Attn: Bonnie 212-947-2082 [email protected] quality and detail. Without com- or [email protected] promising the vision, 3.1 phillip lim PRODUCTION MGR $125-$150K. Cur- PRODUCTION MGR to $80K. Current has grown to be a prestigious life- rent exp in cut and sew knits/full fash- exp in 807 and packages. Dominican Rep, style brand that includes collections ion reqd. Strong exp with Guatemala, Central Amer, Private label Walmart standards. Min 50 mil vol exp. women’s knit . Midtown. for women, men, kids and acces- [email protected] 973-564-9236 [email protected] 973-564-9236 sories. *Production or Product* We are currently experiencing excessive growth We are currently experiencing exces- Assistants-Coordinators-Managers Sales Key Account Exec $ OPEN. Current and seek committed and talented individuals to Many Jobs-Excellent Salaries exp in womens activewear for mid tier Cash For Retail Stock & Closeouts. sive growth and seek committed Call B. Murphy(212)643-8090; fax 643-8127 stores. Kohl’s, Carson’s, TSA, Academy No Lot Too Big or Too Small. join our team for the following positions: and talented individuals to join our etc. Famous licens’d brand line. Call CLOTHES-OUT: team for the following positions: QUALITY CONTROL MGR $80K. [email protected] 973-564-9236 (937) 898-2975 Vice President, Retail Merchandising Strong exp . in men’s tailored suits and Executive Asst to Mr. Lim . Tailor reqd. Both hand sewing COMMERCIAL Vice President, Sales Ready-To-Wear and machine sewing. Supervise 60. SALES REPS Book - Keeper [email protected] 973-564-9236 Contemporary line of ladies 100% REAL ESTATE Vice President, Operations and IT Production Assistant cashmere sweaters aimed at specialty Receptionist stores seeks independent sales reps in Corporate Controller Design Asst - Accessories Major Apparel company seeks full many territories. Must have following Sample Makers time receptionist. Individual must be of better specialty stores, show at Director of Production poised with excellent communication regional markets & carry no competing Pattern Makers skills as well as presentation appropriate lines. If interested, please e-mail details, Merchandise Planner for a showroom. Must be able to work including current package, to: Fabric Resourcing in fast paced environment and able to [email protected]. Account Executive, Shoes provide prompt customer service as For immediate consideration, necessary. Receptionist will manage Retail Buyer- Shoes and Accessories please forward an updated resume front desk as well as provide assistance Associate Designer-Wovens along with your salary history with where needed . Excellent benefits! position title in subject line to: E-mail resumes to: Manager, Outbound Operations [email protected] For immediate consideration, please forward an [email protected] SALES REP Fast growing men’s sportswear brand updated resume along with your salary history & Or fax to: 212 354 6579 seeks a Salesperson with established expectations with position title in subject line to: relationships with major Department and Specialty stores along with other Showrooms & Lofts [email protected] Patternmaker channels of distribution. Fax resume Victorinox Swiss Army seeks a Couture house specializing in evening to: 626-279-1398 Retail Operations Manager for flag- BWAY 7TH AVE SIDE STREETS seeks organized, exp’d professional that Great ’New’ Office Space Avail Administrative Assistant works well under pressure & deadlines. ship Soho store. Retail Pro and ADAMS & CO. 212-679-5500 Designer contemporary woman’s line Must have good communication skills. Samplemaker previous exp req’d. Also looking is looking for a smart, energetic, high- Graphic Artist Growing Women’s couture co. seeks Major apparel co seeks graphic designer Emphasis on custom as well as on for Retail Sales and Stockroom ly organized assistant. Computer production. Must be able to create from highly skilled and exp’d individual. skills: Photoshop/Illustrator. 2-3 years for junior line. Responsibilities include Stable position. Emphasis on evening. Associates.View full position de- researching trend technique and direction, sketch & drape. Excellent opportunity. of experience in wholesale. Must love Please e-mail or fax resume to: Please call 212-869-2296 or fax resume scriptions at www.swissarmy.com. fashion. E-mail [email protected] designing screens and prints as directed to 212-869-2236 by designer, designing trims, developing [email protected] / 212-481-1968 E-mail your resume to: BOOKKEEPER/FC To $65K. artwork, & tech packs. Email resumes to: PATTERNMAKERS Sample Maker [email protected] EOE Are you Downsizing? Current strong experience in garment [email protected] co required. Midtown. Kidswear co. Foundations Patternmaker Highly skilled in draping. Dresses, Offices/Showroom. W. 36th St. near 5th [email protected] 973-564-9236 Lingerie Co. seeks highly exp’d founda- , Pants. (P)_: 917.388.2774 or call: 212-684-4144 tions patternmaker. In-depth knowledge (E) [email protected] SALESPEOPLE Controller/Accountant $125K-$150K of bra construction & exp. fitting 1st New boutique located in NOHO seeks Strong current exper in garment firm pattern to production. full/part time sales help. Fresh work Patternmaker SPRING JOBS reqd. $70 million estab kidswear co. ASSOC/ASST-BRA DESIGN. $40-80K environment. Salary + Commission. [email protected] 973-564-9236 Johan & Marcella Lindeberg’s Designer RTW co. seeks highly exp’d Email: [email protected] patternmaker proficient in cut & sew BUYER/CONTEMP/E-COMM $50-100K NYC Fashion Design and Production GRAPHICS-MANY OPENINGS $45-70K COSTING ENGINEER $70K. Current agency is looking for an knits. Must have in-depth knowledge from 1st sample to production. Jrs, Kids Accessories, Bedding exp in SAM, MTM. Labor sewing costs. APPAREL PRODUCTION MANAGER MERCHANDISER $100K++ Consumptions. Raw materials. Inti- Manage day-to-day administration of Please email or fax all resumes to: [email protected] /(212) 966-5596 Jewelry mate apparel co. Exp helpful not nec. operations, coordinating information PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT MGR $85K [email protected] 973-564-9236 for development of new styles, from PATTERNMAKER TO $70K. Tween Market Expertise conception through production, Strong experience in men’s woven TEXTILE DESIGNER $40-60K DESIGNER $70-80K. Current communicating daily with domestic & dress shirts req. New location. Adult Bedding TO SELL experience in bras and lingerie. overseas vendors. Minimum 3 years Large Lots, Lots of Denim Fabric. [email protected] 973-564-9236 Call Laurie 212-947-3399 or Strongly growing company. experience. MAC, MS Office, e-mail: [email protected] Camo Available. Cheap Prices. [email protected] 973-564-9236 Illustrator, Photoshop a must. Private Label Promotional Bag KARLYN FASHION RECRUITERS 1.877.DENIM.TO.SELL Call 212-677-6868 or Company Seeking DESIGNER $80-100K. BOE. Current E-mail: [email protected] Assistant For Sales/ Patterns/Samples/Production exp in womens outerwear, leather, poly- STUDIO NAZAR INC. Any Style. We do Bridal/Evening fill etc. Ability to sketch in Illustrator. Product Development Contemporary Women’s Mfr. Gowns custom made & wholesale. [email protected] 973-564-9236 -Energetic individual w/4-year under- Creative & Fun environment! DENIM/POLYESTER Call: 212-278-0608/646-441-0950 MERCHANDISE graduate degree or equivalent 1. Assistant Designer combination of education & exper. 2. Production Assistant DESIGNER 3. Technical Designer PANT PRODUCTION PATTERNS, SAMPLES, Fashion forward, collection driven junior PLANNER -Responsible, organized, detail- A new color cosmetic & skin care line oriented multi-tasker with strong- 4. EDI/Data Entry Full package producer with line seeking an extremely creative enthu- 5. Accounts Payable & Receivable PRODUCTIONS siastic designer to create line. Excellent being launched at major mass market communication and computer skills. factories in Jordan & Pakistan All lines, Any styles. Fine Fast Service. retailer seeks Merchandise Planner to: -Must be self-motivated/dead-line Fax:(206)-339-9010 or opportunity and benefits! Email resumes: E-mail: [email protected] is looking to appoint inde- Call Sherry 212-719-0622. [email protected] • Create annual and seasonal plans to conscious -Great opportunity for creative, yet pendent sales agent to rep- support stores TECHNICAL DESIGNER PATTERNS, SAMPLES, Designer/Merchandiser to $140K ++. business minded person with room resent in the US. Agents with • Inventory management including for growth. PRODUCTION PATTERNMAKER Exp in women’s activewear reqd. Knit merchandise planning, replenishment SAMPLE SPEC TECH proven track record can PRODUCTIONS based. Must hang w/Adidas, Nike, Fila, -Knowledge of materials and fabric and analysis good sense of color / design a plus. Est’d. growing ladies mfg. seeks exp’d. send resume to: Full service shop to the trade. etc. Put full line plan together, lic brand. individuals to join our team. Great growth Fine fast work. 212-869-2699. [email protected] 973-564-9236 • Manage replenishment process and Accessory background ideal. [email protected]. reports EMAIL RESUMES TO: potential. Fax or email resume & salary req. to: 212-730-5993 /[email protected] Web: www.casualgroup.com.pk PTTNS/SMPLS/PROD DESIGNER • Forecast sales, inventory, gross margin [email protected] High qlty, reasonable price. Any de- and price reduction (markdowns) sign & fabric. Fast work. 212-714-2186 WOVEN/TEXTILES • Effectively plan inventory to drive Product Development For men’s & women’s imported fabri- maximum store sales & margin return Major Apparel Co. seeks individual for cation. CAD experience helpful. Color product devel. position. Responsibilities • Measure and report inventory include reviewing design worksheets sense & styling capabilities important. performance Able to merchandise product lines and & coordinating information between create focused storyboards. Salary •Prepare pre-season plans, consistent design & production depts.. Focus on commensurate w/ exp. Company paid with company and brand goals sampling, fabric, & accessories. Must benefits. Fax resume: (212) 209-4406 or Must be familiar with new line launches have good organization, communication E-mail to: [email protected] for input on planning maximum sales & computer skill. Garment construction dollars per area square footage. & fabric development knowledge a plus. DSGN DIR/MCHR INFANT HI $ Please fax resume in confidence to Must be able to travel overseas. E-mail Maj baby accessory co seeks exp’d CG: 212-977-9087 resumes to: [email protected] manager for infants soft and hard goods. Good organizational skills req’d. Production Assistant For Midtown Children’s Apparel Co. A.D. FORMAN ASSOC. Needs to be highly organized, effi- 450 7TH AVE (AGCY) 212-268-6123 Merchandising/Prod’n cient, good communications, & good Asst & Sales Asst knowledge of MS Word, Excel, and ECI NEW YORK Outlook. Hours Monday-Friday 9am- Scope Apparel has immediate open- 6pm, good benefits. Salary $28K/year. Apparel Patternmaker ings for a Merchandising/ Production [email protected] Assistant with 1-2 yrs of exp. Should A fast paced womenswear manufacturer be a college graduate with knowledge Production Coord $70-$80K. Chinese seeks first patternmaker experienced of Adobe Illustrator. Sales Assistant in both sportswear and dresses. Experi - or Korean bilingual. Current exp in lab should have 1-3 yrs of relevant exp. dips, fit comments. CTL and MTL. Priv ence in contemporary market a big plus. Pls send resume to: [email protected] Email: [email protected] ate label. Exp in retail link for Walmart Fax: 212-382-0237 [email protected] 973-564-9236 WWDAccessories Supplement March 2008

MAY MARKET BE PART OF THE FALL ACCESSORIES SCENE PHOTOS BY THOMAS IANNACCONE, ROBERT MITRA, JOHN AQUINO, GEORGE CHINSEE, KYLE ERICKSEN, CENTENO, STEVE TALAYA EICHNER AND PASHA ANTONOV

Fall Market Forecast Hottest Accessories Trends Focus on Watches

Issue Date: April 21 Close: March 28 Bonus Distribution: ENK / Accessories Circuit

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