PENNEY’S CUTS BACK/3 CHRISTIAN FRANCIS ROTH RETURNS/3 WWDWomen’s Wear Daily • TThehehe THURSDAYRRetailers’etetaaiilelersr ’ DaDDailyi Newspaper • June 26, 2008 • $2.00 Sportswear Split Decision Miuccia Prada gets into the groove of the Eighties for Miu Miu cruise with sexy shapes in high-contrast color combinations. Here, her ruched purple dress, split up the center and worn over a black bathing suit. For more on the collection, see page 6. The Road Runs Out: Streetwear Adapts As Market Implodes By Julee Kaplan IT’S CRUNCH TIME. At the start of the decade, hip-hop was on fire. Record sales were booming, chart-topping artists seemed to pop up daily and the music generated a whole new fashion look. Musicians and producers like Jay-Z, Jennifer Lopez, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Beyoncé Knowles, 50 Cent and Eve were eager to extend their brands into apparel, spawning labels such as JLo by Jennifer Lopez, Rocawear, Sean John, House of Deréon, G-Unit and Fetish. The result was what seemed to be a newly formed urban women’s apparel See Streetwear’s, Page4 PHOTO BY KHEPRI STUDIO PHOTO BY WWD.COM WWDTHURSDAY Sportswear ™ FASHION A weekly update on consumer attitudes and behavior based At Miu Miu, Miuccia Prada works Eighties sexiness and color on ongoing research from Cotton Incorporated 6 combinations without falling into the nostalgia trap. GENERAL THE POWER OF PRINTS While many hip-hop fashion lines have faded, the segment is showing Bold florals, graphics and animal patterns drive dresses this season 1 life as new brands emerge and others adjust to the changing market. Nike Inc.’s fourth-quarter earnings jumped 12 percent to $490.5 million Picture yourself driving through a drizzling rose 29 percent, according to NPD Fashionworld’s 3 on global growth, and revenues gained 16 percent to $5.1 billion. rain for miles and miles, the landscape gray as far AccuPanel. For the first quarter of 2008, says NPD, J.C. Penney updated its Bridge Plan to include a reduction in capital dress units jumped 17.3 percent in a market where as the eye can see. Wouldn’t a glowing road sign or 3 expenditures in 2009 of $650 million and fewer store openings. patch of colorful wildflowers be a welcome sight? other products (skirts and slacks, for example) In these somber economic times – housing dropped by around 10 percent. In that same first- DENIM: London’s Katharine Hamnett, known for her ethically produced foreclosures, an unstable stock market, rising gas quarter 2008 period, the average price of a dress 10 T-shirts and dresses, is relaunching Katharine E Hamnett Jeans. prices and depressing employment went up a dollar, to $48. LETTERS: Beijing is a city of extremes, intimidating for its sprawl and figures – graphics, bold florals, Earlier this year, Jones New 12 harsh climate, but charming because of its culture and speed of change. and animal prints have been that York reintroduced the shirtdress bright spot, particularly in dresses, and included striking zebra and EYE at retail, from mass market to leopard print styles. Says Gregg Louis Vuitton hosted a party for Richard Prince’s solo show, “Continuation,” higher-end designer boutiques. I. Marks, Jones New York chief which opened at London’s Serpentine Gallery on Tuesday. “Prints make people feel executive officer of suits and 8 good and give them a reason to dresses, “The solid dress business is Classifi ed Advertisements.............................................................18-19 buy,” says The Tobe Report’s Lori slow, and prints are happening.” Holliday Banks, senior fashion Alle Fister, the Los Angeles– To e-mail reporters and editors at WWD, the address is fi rstname. analyst and editor. “They don’t based stylist and owner of the [email protected], using the individual’s name. replicate what women already fashion public relations firm Bollare, says the prints seem all WWD IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ADVANCE MAGAZINE PUBLISHERS INC. COPYRIGHT have in their closets.” ©2008 FAIRCHILD FASHION GROUP. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. She says prints have been the more fresh because it’s been VOLUME 195, NO. 136. WWD (ISSN 0149–5380) is published daily (except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, with resonating with customers some time since designers made one additional issue in January, October and December, two additional issues in March, April, May, June, August and November, and three additional issues in February and September) by Fairchild Fashion Group, which is a division of this year because they’re fresh, great use of them. Advance Magazine Publishers Inc. PRINCIPAL OFFICE: 750 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017. Shared Services provided new and exciting –and they’re “Consumers need a reason “For a while it was all about by Condé Nast Publications: S. I. Newhouse, Jr., Chairman; Charles H. Townsend, President/CEO; John W. Bellando, a welcome lift to a few market to buy, and a fantastic print color blocking. Brights are always Executive Vice President/COO; Debi Chirichella Sabino, Senior Vice President/CFO; Jill Bright, Executive Vice President/ a big seller during spring/summer, Human Resources. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, and at additional mailing offi ces. Canada Post Publications segments. In fact, most women gives them that reason.” Mail Agreement No. 40644503. Canadian Goods and Services Tax Registration No. 886549096-RT0001. Canada Post: (65 percent) responded to a — Kim Porterfield, but this season designers have return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: P.O. Box 503, RPO West Beaver Cre, Rich-Hill, ON L4B 4R6 POSTMASTER: survey question by disagreeing really been showing us prints,” SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY, P.O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA La Ti Da Boutique 91615–5008. FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS, ADDRESS CHANGES, ADJUSTMENTS, OR BACK ISSUE with the statement “current Boca Raton, FL she says, adding that her favorites INQUIRIES: Please write to WWD, P.O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA 91615-5008, call 800-289-0273, or visit styles are boring,” according to are water- and painterly-inspired. www.subnow.com/wd. Please give both new and old addresses as printed on most recent label. First copy of new Cotton Incorporated’s Lifestyle “There is something about them subscription will be mailed within four weeks after receipt of order. Address all editorial, business, and production correspondence to WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY, 750 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017. For permissions and reprint requests, TM Monitor – and they’re having fun with the bold, that catches the consumer’s eye. On tan summer please call 212-630-4274 or fax requests to 212-630-4280. Visit us online at www.wwd.com. To subscribe to other printed motifs. skin, a brightly colored print is very fresh. And by Fairchild magazines on the World Wide Web, visit www.fairchildpub.com. Occasionally, we make our subscriber list Kim Porterfield, owner of the La Ti Da Boutique avoiding anything too busy, the look stays mature available to carefully screened companies that offer products and services that we believe would interest our readers. If you do not want to receive these offers and/or information, please advise us at P.O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA in Boca Raton, Florida, says people are more and crisp.” 91615-5008 or call 800-289-0273. WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RETURN OR LOSS OF, cautious because of the economy, but they want Porterfield says prints have been popular with all OR FOR DAMAGE OR ANY OTHER INJURY TO, UNSOLICITED MANUSCRIPTS, UNSOLICITED ART WORK (INCLUDING, something that stands out. “Consumers need a of her customers. Her La Ti Da boutique caters to BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DRAWINGS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND TRANSPARENCIES), OR ANY OTHER UNSOLICITED MATERIALS. THOSE SUBMITTING MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, ART WORK, OR OTHER MATERIALS FOR reason to buy, and a fantastic print gives them women from new, young moms trying to rebuild CONSIDERATION SHOULD NOT SEND ORIGINALS, UNLESS SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED TO DO SO BY WOMEN’S WEAR that reason. Something flashy can cure what ails,” wardrobes to retirees who want to look fashionable. DAILY IN WRITING. MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND OTHER MATERIALS SUBMITTED MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY Porterfield relates. Color is also a very important “But because prints of all kinds are popular right A SELF-ADDRESSED STAMPED ENVELOPE. element for her South Florida clientele. “The now, I look for designs that are a little more unique brighter the better – something happy and fun. If we and not carried in department stores,” she says. get a great print in a great color, it’s a no-brainer.” “That’s important where patterns are concerned – Holliday Banks says across the country retailers no woman wants to see herself coming and going are in agreement that color and print were the big down the street.” In Brief success stories for spring, making much more of Of the many patterns, florals were the biggest an impact than any single silhouette. hit of early spring, Holliday Banks says. ● HASKELL BUYS SAMARA: Costume jewelry firm Haskell Porterfield also thinks Denise, 43, a Virginia- Jewels has acquired M.W. Samara Sterling Silver Designers, women like the retro appeal How Much Do Women Keep based mother of three, a maker of sterling silver jewelry since 1972, with an annual of certain prints, like those by Up With Changing Styles? picked up an empire-waist volume of about $20 million, according to industry estimates. top with fuchsia-colored Founder and president Mark Wasserman will continue to be designer Julie Brown. “They’re 2007 Q1 2008 Q1 involved with M.W. Samara and the company will continue to fun and unique, Pucci-esque, flowers that pop against a Stay on Cutting Edge 11% 12% operate under the same name.