No- Holds Bold

CIVIL SOUNDS FOR FIT CIVIL TWILIGHT HAS FANATIC STEADILY BUILT A RABID CYNTHIA ROWLEY FAN BASE AND IS NOW SILVANA UNVEILS AN SET TO PERFORM AT THE FENDI UNVEILS A CAPSULE EXPANDED LINE OF SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST TRAVEL COLLECTION IN FITNESS APPAREL. FESTIVAL. PAGE 10 HONOR OF ITALIAN ACTRESS SILVANA MANGANO. PAGE 11 PAGE 9

FASHION WEEK BEGINS Japan’s Designers Adapt to Economy By AMANDA KAISER

TOKYO — As the fashion pack barely catches its collective breath from the conclusion of the Paris shows, Tokyo Fashion Week starts today, with designers here voicing optimism despite the looming challenges of growing their small businesses and a domestic economy MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015 ■ $3.00 ■ WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY that continues to sputter. WWD Future prospects look mixed. On the one hand, Japan is struggling to climb out of a recession and local consumers remain cautious about spending. On the other, tourists from elsewhere in Asia are fl ood- FIT FANATIC ing the country to take advantage of a weak yen and shop. While most Japanese designers still do the bulk of their business in their home country, the currency Cynthia Rowley unveils an factor stands to boost the nation’s fashion exports. expanded line of fi tness Designers are going to need all the overseas help they can get. Last week, Japan revised down its apparel. PAGE 9 fourth-quarter GDP fi gures to show that the economy grew at an annualized rate of 1.5 percent in the October to December period — the initial estimate pegged growth at 2.2 percent. Meanwhile, household CIVIL SOUNDS No- consumption in January fell 5.1 percent in price- adjusted real terms, indicating that consumers still Civil Twilight has steadily built have not fully recovered from last April’s historic sales tax hike. On a brighter note, consumer confi - a rabid fan base and is now dence in February rose 1.6 percent from the previ- set to perform at the South by Holds ous month to 40.7. Southwest Festival. PAGE 10 Takeshi Minami, chief economist at the Norinchukin Research Institute, said Japanese consumers are experiencing a squeeze thanks to the tax increase and a lack of wage growth. He said he ex- FOR SILVANA Bold pects consumption to remain weak until May or June, Céline’s Phoebe Philo used but he’s hopeful it will start to bounce back in the second half of the year as energy costs go down because Fendi unveils a capsule travel colorblocking to give a simple of lower global oil prices and companies fi nally give layered slipdress a dose of drama, in to pressure to boost wages. collection in honor of Italian Longer term issues remain, however, and these actress Silvana Mangano. fi nishing the look with ribbons that are likely to have a major impact on the consumption PAGE 11 trailed from the waist. Elsewhere on SEE PAGE 7 the Paris runways, designers played with contrast in equally creative ways — see pages 4 and 5. Brands Seek Payback Fashion Week Begins From Social Media Japan’s Designers Adapt To Economy COLLECTIONS By RACHEL STRUGATZ

NEW YORK — Three little words — return on invest- TREND ment — are something any brand with a social media Brands Seek Payback FALL 2015 presence is after. From Social Media But how to get it remains the meta question — and it’s a topic most companies are reluctant to discuss because they just don’t have the numbers to prove there is any. ROI is diffi cult to track since most companies only receive data on last-click sales, making many brands and stores wary of sharing this information, according to Cannon Tekstar Hodge, a social media consultant. “Because it can be diffi cult to collect data and exact customer behavior leading up to a sale, companies prefer sharing numbers that are most fi nite, which typically is limited to engagement rates and estimations,” Hodge said. So fi rms are more than willing to spew out data on impressions or “likes” on their social media, but when it comes to ROI, they snap shut faster than a Venus fl ytrap. Facebook-owned Instagram — or fashion and retail’s go-to social medium — hasn’t made it easy for brands trying to sell their products. The platform doesn’t allow for linking out in posts or any sort of commerce, which makes it hard to track purchases it has infl uenced. Nonetheless, the vast majority of brands’ unpaid social efforts are focused here. The reason is that Instagram is the only social medium where engagement rates don’t dip as followings PHOTO BY GIOVANNI GIANNONI grow for fashion brands, according to Scott Galloway, SEE PAGE 8 2 WWD MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015 WWD.COM Diesel Reinventing Its Stores THE BRIEFING BOX By LUISA ZARGANI IN TODAY’S WWD

MILAN — Diesel is extending its “Reboot” strategy from product to retail. A visual from the Taking a cue from creative director Nicola Frame Denim spring Formichetti’s goal to elevate and reinvent the brand, men’s campaign. the Italian fashion group is investing in an ambitious For more, see plan to renovate its store network with a new concept, WWD.com. aiming for more intimate and sophisticated spaces. The new strategy will fi rst be visible in New York, as the company has just closed its Fifth Avenue unit and is working on a new fl agship on Madison Avenue, on the corner of 59th Street, which is slated to open this fall. “We want to transmit Formichetti’s mantra to be creative, his return to the brand’s original spirit, and his ‘Reboot’ plan, from image to business,” chief execu- Diesel in Osaka. tive offi cer Alessandro Bogliolo told WWD. To this end, about Diesel’s reaction through innovative treatments the company is investing in opening and relocating and washes and its “brand elevation,” as well as its “ef- 120 stores, in addition to 30 to 40 refi ts each year, over forts to push the brand to be the coolest of the biggest, the next three to fi ve years. “Big was beautiful until a as we say internally. We are obsessed with coolness,” he few years ago,” contended Bogliolo. “Consumers have laughed. He noted that pieces that are more expensive changed a lot, now they are looking for a strong experi- with special treatments are the ones that sell the most. Tokyo Fashion Week starts today, with Japanese designers ence, but more elevated and personalized.” Bogliolo said Diesel is planning to remodel its remaining optimistic despite the country’s struggle to climb out Covering 3,240 square feet, the Madison Avenue other stores in New York and around the world. of a recession. PAGE 1 unit will be a “statement fl agship with great vis- Globally, the company has 370 stores, of which 120 are ibility, in a superprime area” a few steps away from directly operated, and 400 concessions in department Does social media maximize brands’ return on investment? the Apple store, said Bogliolo, who joined Diesel in stores. Japan is Diesel’s main market, accounting for It’s a question most companies are hesitant to answer because October 2013 after working at Bulgari and Sephora, more than 20 percent of sales, followed by the U.S., they don’t have the numbers to prove there is any. PAGE 1 and succeeded Daniela Riccardi. The Fifth Avenue with a little less than 20 percent of revenues. Canada, store, which covered 9,720 square feet and three where Diesel has a partnership with Hudson’s Bay, is Designers share what helped spark their inspirations — from fl oors, “no longer refl ected our objectives,” and was now part of the North American business, overseen French fi lm, “The Lovers on the Bridge” to the word “faint” — located, he added, on a street that is now home to sev- by the subsidiary’s ceo Tommaso Brusò. Diesel’s par- for this year’s Tokyo Fashion Week. PAGE 6 eral large entry-price stores. ent company OTB SpA will release 2014 sales fi gures “The clientele on Madison is different, more exclu- in April. In 2013, Diesel revenues totaled 1.1 billion Cynthia Rowley prepares to launch her new fi tness collection, sive and educated and looking for quality. The priority euros, or $1.45 billion at average exchange rates. which grew organically from the wet suits that she introduced is to be present where there is our core target of cus- In three to fi ve years, the company plans to open tomers, sophisticated and discerning.” 50 stores, mainly in China, where there are now 15 fi ve years ago. The line will simply be called Rowley. PAGE 9 The new concept is being developed with inte- units, and where there are plans to double the group’s rior and retail architect Masamichi Katayama and network. Diesel is developing this region, which was Elton John stated his intent to boycott Dolce & Gabbana his Tokyo-based fi rm Wonderwall. While it is still previously “more diffi cult” for the brand’s category, after the designers made controversial comments concerning too early to disclose details about the new blueprint, but where consumers “are now discovering the value children born via IVF treatment. PAGE 9 Bogliolo said it will “not be a revolution — we will of upscale casual,” noted Bogliolo. Last year, Diesel have an injection of modernity, but on our trademark opened a store in Shanghai, and in a month it will un- Fendi is launching a Silvana Mangano Capsule Collection mix of industrial and vintage, maintaining that spirit veil a unit in Chengdu. inspired by the concept of travel and by the iconic Italian and contrasting materials.” Australia is also seen as a priority, and a store actress, who died in 1989. PAGE 9 There will be a focus on Diesel’s core denim busi- opened in Melbourne three weeks ago. ness, revisiting its presentation, in a bid to telegraph Diesel’s retail channel accounts for 55 percent of Versa Capital was successful in its bid to acquire teen retailer the company’s expertise in the category. “It is not by total sales. The company has been streamlining its Wet Seal Inc., but will have to wait for a bankruptcy court’s chance that we debut the new concept in New York. wholesale distribution since mid-2014, leaving points approval. PAGE 9 [Owner] Renzo Rosso opened the first-ever store of sales, especially in Europe and the U.S., that “did not on Lexington [Avenue], with the then-revolutionary work in terms of image. We are giving up a signifi cant Starting their band in Cape Town, Civil Twilight is a far way denim wall. He started from there. Now we have the part of revenues, as this voluntary reduction will cause from their hometown as they gear up to play at this year’s ambition to reinvent and completely restudy the pre- a contraction of around 20 percent in sales in 2014, but South by Southwest. PAGE 10 sentation of denim for the customer’s experience,” it was necessary to requalify this channel and correct explained Bogliolo. its excesses,” said Bogliolo. “This is a concrete sign of Italian stylist and photographer Manuela Pavesi died Friday The executive conceded that this is generally “a dif- the determination, focus and long-term vision of the fi cult moment” for the denim business, but was upbeat brand and of an approach that is not only fi nancial.” in her hometown of Mantova after a long illness. She was 65 years old. PAGE 11

Nowness.com, the LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton- Rise in Sales Drives Ann Inc. in Q4 owned video site marks its fi fth anniversary. PAGE 11 ed earnings per share would have roy and ponté pants, dresses and By VICKI M. YOUNG been 12 cents. novelty skirts, she said. Hennes & Mauritz AB will unveil today the latest campaign Net sales rose 3.9 percent to At Loft, fashion represents a high- for its Conscious Exclusive collection, featuring actress Olivia SHARES OF ANN Inc. spiked $647.4 million from $623.3 million. er percentage of the mix from a year Wilde. PAGE 11 8.1 percent after the company Comparable-store sales rose 1 per- ago, and the company also increased posted fourth-quarter results that cent. By brand, comps at Ann Taylor the color, print and pattern penetra- ON WWD.COM beat Wall Street’s estimates. fell 0.4 percent and were down 1.5 tion from last spring, she said. Randal J. Konik at Jefferies re- percent at the Ann Taylor Factory Krill noted that the company is MEN’S: Frame Denim has released its fi rst men’s advertising iterated his “buy” rating on shares channel. Comps were up 1.9 per- continuing its work to improve all campaign, which features model Matt Clunan wearing L’Homme, in the owner of Ann Taylor and cent at Loft, refl ecting a 1 percent aspects of its supply chain, as well a slim-fi t style. For more, see WWD.com/menswear-news. Loft, stating, “We remain confi dent gain at Loft stores and a 6.6 percent as using its new SG&A optimization in management’s ability to execute gain in the Loft Outlet channel. program to identify opportunities to on strategic initiatives while a Wall Street was expecting a increase effi ciency and lower costs. healthy balance sheet and cash loss of 3 cents a share on sales of She said the company launched FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA fl ow provide downside protection.” $626.5 million. mobile capabilities for both brands @ WWD.com/social Shares of Ann closed at $40.45 For the year, net income fell in the third quarter, and that the Friday in Big Board trading. 33.7 percent to $68 million, or $1.46 “conversion rate on mobile devices TO E-MAIL REPORTERS AND EDITORS AT WWD, THE ADDRESS IS [email protected], USING THE INDIVIDUAL’S NAME. There was no discussion at all a diluted share, on a 1.6 percent is up nearly 50 percent.” WWD IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF FAIRCHILD PUBLISHING, LLC. regarding an exploration of a pos- gain in net sales to $1.53 billion. As for lifewear brand Lou COPYRIGHT ©2014 FAIRCHILD PUBLISHING, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. VOLUME 209, NO. 54. MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015. WWD (ISSN 0149-5380) is published daily (except Saturdays, sible sale of the company, which Kay Krill, president and chief & Grey, its newest concept that Sundays and holidays, with one additional issue in March, June, August, September, October, November and December, came up last month. The company executive offi cer, told Wall Street fuses active and streetwear, the and two additional issues in April and three additional issues in February) by Fairchild Media, LLC, which is a division of Penske Business Media, LLC. PRINCIPAL OFFICE: 11175 Santa Monica Blvd., 9th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90025. has a nondisclosure agreement analysts on a conference call re- company plans to open a handful Periodicals postage paid at Los Angeles, CA, and at additional mailing offi ces. Canada Post: return undeliverable Canadian with Golden Gate Capital that was garding the Ann Taylor brand, “We of new locations this year to add addresses to P.O. Box 503, RPO West Beaver Cre, Rich-Hill, ON L4B 4R6. POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO WWD, signed in October, following the have identifi ed opportunities to to the existing fi ve freestanding P.O. Box 6356, Harlan, IA, 51593. FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS, ADDRESS CHANGES, ADJUSTMENTS, OR BACK ISSUE INQUIRIES: Please write to WWD, P.O. Box 6356, Harlan, IA, 51593, call 866-401-7801, or e-mail customer service at 9.6 percent stake the private-equi- broaden the appeal of the brand, stores in operation. Further, Lou wwdPrint@cdsfulfi llment.com. Please include both new and old addresses as printed on most recent label. For New York ty fi rm took in March last year. reach new clients and drive mar- & Grey will have its own e-com- Hand Delivery Service address changes or inquiries, please contact Mitchell’s NY at 1-800-662-2275, option 7. Subscribers: If the Post Offi ce alerts us that your magazine is undeliverable, we have no further obligation unless we receive a corrected For the three months ended ket-share growth. Work is under merce site this summer. address within one year. If during your subscription term or up to one year after the magazine becomes undeliverable, you Jan. 31, net income dropped to way to evolve our product and Krill noted in particular, “With are ever dissatisfi ed with your subscription, let us know. You will receive a full refund on all unmailed issues. First copy of new subscription will be mailed within four weeks after receipt of order. We reserve the right to change the number of issues $262,000, or 1 cent a diluted share, merchandising strategies to take the lion share of the quarter still contained in a subscription term and/or the way the product is delivered. Address all editorial, business and production from $4.7 million, or 10 cents, a advantage of these opportunities ahead of us, we are encouraged correspondence to WWD, 475 Fifth Ave., 15th Floor, New York, NY 10017. For permissions requests, please call 212-630-5656, or fax request to 212-630-5883. For reprints, please e-mail [email protected] or call Wright’s Media 877-652-5295. year ago. The company said increas we move through the year.” by the return of positive comp For reuse permissions, please e-mail [email protected] or call 800-897-8666. Visit us online at www.wwd.com. mental pre-tax air freight costs of For Loft, woven tops, dresses, sales in March at both brands as To subscribe to other Fairchild Media, LLC magazines on the World Wide Web, visit www.wwd.com/subscriptions. WWD IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RETURN OR LOSS OF, OR FOR DAMAGE OR ANY OTHER INJURY TO, UNSOLICITED $8.3 million, or 11 cents a diluted skirts, pants and accessories all the weather has improved. And MANUSCRIPTS, UNSOLICITED ART WORK (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DRAWINGS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND share, due to the West Coast port generated positive comps for the what we’re seeing happening in TRANSPARENCIES), OR ANY OTHER UNSOLICITED MATERIALS. THOSE SUBMITTING MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, ART WORK, OR OTHER MATERIALS FOR CONSIDERATION SHOULD NOT SEND ORIGINALS, UNLESS SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED situation, impacted the quarter’s quarter. Standouts were cotton Ann and Loft right now is, color is TO DO SO BY WWD IN WRITING. MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND OTHER MATERIALS SUBMITTED MUST BE results. Excluding the costs, dilut- shirts, feminine blouses, cordu- selling incredibly well.” ACCOMPANIED BY A SELF-ADDRESSED STAMPED ENVELOPE. WWD PLACES THE WORLD OF FASHION AT YOUR FINGERTIPS.

Ann Demeulemeester THE SHARP LINES OF A TUXEDO TRANSFORMED INTO A COCKTAIL DRESS, THE FLUTTER OF BLACK FABRIC PANELS AGAINST AN ELONGATED WHITE SHIRT, TEXTURAL CIRCLES FRONT-AND-CENTER ON SWEATERS AND JACKETS — DESIGNERS TOOK GRAPHIC CONTRAST TO NEW DIMENSIONS FOR FALL.

Chanel

Haider Ackermann No-Holds Bold

Anrealage

Emanuel Ungaro 4 WWD MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015 WWD MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015 5 WWD.COM

Dior Chanel

Haider Ackermann

Junya No-Holds Bold Watanabe

Anrealage

Saint Laurent

Kenzo

COLLECTIONS TREND FALL 2015

Emanuel Lanvin Ungaro PHOTOS BY GIOVANNI GIANNONI GIOVANNI PHOTOS BY 6 WWD MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015

“Start your journey into the fantastical Sretsis Labyrinth. Find Designer yourself joyfully lost in the mythical garden of wild strawberries, grapevines, fields of metallic blue stars, songbirds flying over your head, and occasionally be greeted by a fox or Ludo, the friendly furry waiting patiently to greet you with a warm embrace.” — Pim Inspirations: Sukhahuta, Sretsis

“I used architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s phrase ‘less is more’ as my theme, in particular using his Barcelona Pavilion Tokyo and Farnsworth House as a base, and then developing my designs from there. A key concept was his freestanding walls, and Labyrinths, ancient I thought of how I can incorporate that into fashion design — by doing less, you get more.” — Yasutoshi Ezumi ruins, mirages and midcentury “I generally don’t make clothes using any one direct inspira- skyscrapers all “I used architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s phrase ‘less is more’ as my theme, in tion, but I’m interested in creating something new by combining particular using his Barcelona Pavilion and Farnsworth House as a base, and then two things that people usually wouldn’t think of putting togeth- provided a creative developing my designs from there. A key concept was his freestanding walls, and I er. This season, I am using images of a ﬂ ash perception one gets spark for Japan’s thought of how I can incorporate that into fashion design — by doing less, you get when looking at textiles, as well as scenery.” — Yoshio Kubo fashion minds. more.” — Yasutoshi Ezumi “This season, I was in a new state of mind and chose Japan — Compiled by as my subject. I was inspired by Haruki Murakami’s book ‘A Wild Sheep Chase,’ and I want people to sense a modern Japonism as Amanda Kaiser “I took inspiration from ancient historic ruins. The collection uses only knits to represent images expressed by Japanese people.” — Koji Udo, Factotum that blend nature and man-made things, like decayed objects, and structures entangled in moss and ivy. Three-dimensional knits are characteristic of my brand, and I am expressing that by “The theme, ‘Overlay,’ means to pile things on top of one anoth- using over 30 different knitted fabrics that were created after getting inspiration from combining er, or to cover something. In computer terminology it also means various knits in a graphical way.” — Motohiro Tanji to lightly conceal the surface of something. Focusing on the concept of concealing, I have used abstract images and geometric or linear images. I want to express both the softness and the strength of women.” — Shinsuke Morishita, Lamarck

“Faint light, faint aromas, faint love, daybreak. We put a spotlight on ‘faint,’ which Japanese eyes have come to love.” — Hiroyuki Horihata and Makiko Sekiguchi, Matohu

“I took inspiration from ancient historic ruins. The collection uses only knits to represent images that blend nature and man- made things, like decayed objects, and structures entangled in moss and ivy. Three-dimensional knits are characteristic of my brand, and I am expressing that by using over 30 different knitted fabrics “[Our theme, ‘Common Objects,’ was] inspired by the works of photographer Lewis that were created after getting inspiration from combining various Baltz, who passed away last year. We used images from a book that was his last knits in a graphical way.” — Motohiro Tanji work.” — Takeshi Kitazawa and Emiko Sato, Dressedundressed

“The inspiration for the collection is from a French movie, ‘The Lovers on the Bridge.’” — Johan Ku, Johan Ku Gold Label

“We wanted to create a harmonic juxtaposition between Bauhaus, Art Nouveau and nostalgic Seventies textile designs.” — Yurika Ohara and Steven Hall, In-Process by Hall Ohara

“This collection expresses the stillness and motion typical of vanitas paintings.” — Toshikazu Iwaya, Dresscamp

“Haruki Murakami’s novel ‘1Q84,’ which tells the story of an imaginary world where things are not as they seem. In my imagination, Western culture is no longer the dominant cultural force. “Start your journey into the fantastical Sretsis Labyrinth. Find yourself joyfully lost in the mythical garden of wild In this brave new world, Africa — with its tribal rituals, bold col- strawberries, grapevines, fi elds of metallic blue stars, songbirds fl ying over your head, and occasionally be greeted ors and exotic and often violent social displays like scarifi cation, by a fox or Ludo, the friendly furry waiting patiently to greet you with a warm embrace.” — Pim Sukhahuta, Sretsis body painting and dancing — forms the basis of the cultural experience and informs the prints and textures of the collection.” — Ek Thongprasert, Curated “We wanted to create a harmonic juxtaposition between Bauhaus, Art Nouveau and nostalgic Seventies “[Our theme, ‘Common Objects,’ was] inspired by the works of textile designs.” — Yurika Ohara and Steven Hall, photographer Lewis Baltz, who passed away last year. We used im- In-Process by Hall Ohara ages from a book that was his last work.” — Takeshi Kitazawa and Emiko Sato, Dressedundressed “I generally don’t make clothes using any one direct inspiration, but I’m interested “The eight degrees of difference between the Earth’s surface and in creating something new by combining two things that people usually wouldn’t the atmospheric air make mirages. In order to express the mirages, think of putting together. This season, I am using images of a fl ash perception one I used zippers to create many lines and stripes on the clothes.” — gets when looking at textiles, as well as scenery.” — Yoshio Kubo Yu Amatsu, A Degree Fahrenheit

“Haruki Murakami’s novel ‘1Q84,’ which tells the story of an imaginary world where things are not as they seem. In my imagination, Western culture is no longer the dominant cultural force. In this brave new world, Africa — with its tribal rituals, bold colors and exotic and often violent “The theme, ‘Overlay,’ means to pile things on top of one another, or to cover social displays like scariﬁ cation, body painting something. In computer terminology it also means to lightly conceal the surface and dancing — forms the basis of the cultural of something. Focusing on the concept of concealing, I have used abstract images experience and informs the prints and textures and geometric or linear images. I want to express both the softness and the of the collection.” — Ek Thongprasert, Curated strength of women.” — Shinsuke Morishita, Lamarck DRESSEDUNDRESSED PHOTO BY LEWIS BALTZ, MISSION VIEJO, 1968, “THE PROTOTYPE WORKS,” BRUXELLES, FONDATION A STICHTING, (C) LEWIS BALTZ, COURTESY OF GALERIE THOMAS ZANDER, COLOGNE, SHOWN IN LE BAL FOR THE EXHIBITION “LEWIS BALTZ – COMMON OBJECTS” (FROM MAY TO AUG. 2014) TO AUG. – COMMON OBJECTS” (FROM MAY SHOWN IN LE BAL FOR THE EXHIBITION “LEWIS BALTZ COLOGNE, OF GALERIE THOMAS ZANDER, COURTESY A STICHTING, (C) LEWIS BALTZ, 1968, “THE PROTOTYPE WORKS,” BRUXELLES, FONDATION MISSION VIEJO, DRESSEDUNDRESSED LEWIS BALTZ, PHOTO BY WWD Monday, March 16, 2015 7 WWD.COM Japan Designers Hopeful

{Continued from page one} season is off to a positive start. More than patterns of the fashion-loving Japanese 50 designers will hold runway shows as consumer, and the designers who have part of the official calendar, with scores of built their businesses on catering to them. other brands holding off-calendar shows “I’m optimistic about the Japanese econ- or presentations.

omy in the short run, but a little pessimis- Most of the brands remain small, how- tic in the long run,” said Minami. “Due to ever, and JFW continues to appeal mainly [Japan’s] aging population, the labor sup- to local retailers with only a few buyers ply and demand in Japan is getting tight, coming from overseas. The shows being so wages will be increased soon. But [an] held so close to the end of Paris Fashion aging population will inhibit economic Week also might dissuade some Western

growth in the long run.” buyers from coming to Tokyo this season. Fast Retailing chairman, president and Yasutoshi Ezumi said his business has chief executive officer Tadashi Yanai spoke done well since he repositioned it in the con- of a less-than-robust Japan last month, call- temporary segment and became more coming for radical change. petitive on pricing. He has already shown his “Some people tend to be worried collection this season in showroom presen- about the Chinese economy but the’’ eco- tations in both New York and Milan — the nomic climate is worse in Japan than latter as an invited guest of Vogue Italia. He China,” the head of Asia’s largest appar- said he’s received positive feedback from el retailer told journalists. “You have to stores like Steven Alan, Harvey Nichols open up. We have to encourage a lot more Hong Kong and Otte New York. ug. 2014) “I took inspiration from ancient historic ruins. The collection uses only knits to represent images a that blend nature and man-made things, like decayed objects, and structures entangled in moss entrepreneurs to come to Japan and play “We want to expand our business glob- and ivy. Three-dimensional knits are characteristic of my brand, and I am expressing that by a role...I’m afraid the Japanese govern- ally,” he said, adding he thinks Tokyo

May to May ment is not doing such a good job. We are Fashion Week is still an important venue M using over 30 different knitted fabrics that were created after getting inspiration from combining various knits in a graphical way.” — Motohiro Tanji stepping back, whether you like it or not. for him to display his work. “Japan is still Japan cannot live in a vacuum.” a huge market so I feel Japan is our base.” The good news for retailers and brands Similarly, Yoshio Kubo just returned bjects” (Fro is that tourists are becoming an increas- from showroom presentations in Milan o

on ingly important part of the retail scene and Paris for his three brands: his name-

MM in Japan. Department stores and spe- sake men’s line, offshoot Undecorated o c cialty retailers have stepped up efforts Man and his Muller of Yoshio Kubo wom- tz –

L to woo foreigners by promoting Japan- en’s line. He said collectively all three of a b exclusive products his brands are on and increasing track to add 10 new their signage in wholesale accounts English, Chinese We have to encourage a this season. and Korean. Such Kubo said he “Faint light, faint aromas, faint love, daybreak. internationalizing lot more entrepreneurs thinks his efforts We put a spotlight on ‘faint,’ which Japanese eyes efforts are only des- to roll out focused, or the exhibition “Lewis

F tined to continue highly thematic col-

L have come to love.” — Hiroyuki Horihata

ba in the lead-up to to come to Japan and lections — for fall and Makiko Sekiguchi, Matohu e Tokyo’s hosting of he is thinking about the 2020 Summer play a role. eagles and the des- Olympics. ert — are work- hown in L s Fast Retailing’s — Tadashi Yanai, ing with buyers. Uniqlo chain and A weak yen also ogne, L o Japanese depart- FasT ReTailing helps, he added. c ment store opera- “It’s so easy for us tors saw higher sales in February, thanks in to decide wholesale [prices]. It used to be ander, ander, z part to tourist flows over the Chinese New so expensive,” he said. as

M Year holiday. The Japan National Tourism Kly Sukhahuta, managing director for ho t Organization has not yet released visitor Sretsis, said the Thai brand she runs with

erie numbers for February but it said that foreign her two sisters saw its 2014 sales grow 20 L a

g arrivals in January climbed 29.1 percent. percent to $6.5 million. In October, the

F Last year, they gained 29.4 percent to come brand opened its first stand-alone store in at 13.41 million. in Japan, in Tokyo’s Aoyama district. Eiji Kaneda, operating officer of corpo- Sukhahuta said it’s been a challenge rate planning at Beams, said the retailer to learn how to cater to discriminating tz, courtesy o tz, courtesy L ’’

a is doing well at the moment. It saw a sig- Japanese customers, who can sometimes b nificant influx of tourists over the Chinese ponder an hour or two before making “This season, I was in a new state of New Year holiday, he said. Meanwhile, a purchase, but she and her sisters are ) Lewis c mind and chose Japan as my subject. April marks the beginning of a new school learning and adapting. I was inspired by Haruki Murakami’s year and a new fiscal year for companies For now, Sretsis is focusing on Asian book ‘A Wild Sheep Chase,’ and I want that hire new employees en masse in the markets — its two biggest sales generators tichting, ( people to sense a modern Japonism as s “This collection expresses the stillness and spring. Those annual rituals have also are Thailand and Japan — so Sukhahuta

“I generally don’t make clothes using any one direct inspiration, but I’m interested a motion typical of vanitas paintings.” expressed by Japanese people.” given sales a boost, he added. said it makes sense to show in Tokyo. This in creating something new by combining two things that people usually wouldn’t — Toshikazu Iwaya, Dresscamp — Koji Udo, Factotum “Business is lively thanks to prepa- season, the brand is expecting buyers think of putting together. This season, I am using images of a flash perception one rations for the new school/work year by from Indonesia and Singapore to attend gets when looking at textiles, as well as scenery.” — Yoshio Kubo freshmen and new recruits,” he said. its show. es, Fondation es, Fondation

LL Miyako Sekimoto, fashion director for “It’s the right platform for us right Matsuya, also noted the growing impor- now,” she said. ruxe b tance of Chinese customers. She said in- Mari Tsutsumi, director and execu- bound tourist spending could account for as tive officer in charge of original product orks,” much as 25 percent of a Tokyo department merchandising at Sogo & Seibu Co., said w store’s sales in a key month for travel like Japanese brands are selling well at Sogo February. She estimated Matsuya’s sales in and Seibu stores and have picked up mo-

rototype February grew more than 10 percent. mentum over the past couple years. She p

he “There were lots of Chinese custom- said brands like Beautiful People, Muveil, t ers. Much more than last year,” she said, Muller of Yoshio Kubo, M-Fil and Lotus although she voiced a bit of skepticism are performing particularly well. about whether those same customers Tsutsumi said Japanese designers are are buying the type of small, emerging enjoying greater international exposure and labels that show during Tokyo Fashion becoming stronger and more competitive in Week. “Probably Chinese people want terms of creativity.

tz, Mission Viejo, 1968, “ tz, Mission Viejo, the brands that are pretty popular or fa- “Because of their activities around L a b mous,” she said. the world, their design strength has in- Unsurprisingly, Masahiko Miyake, creased and there are a lot of really great chairman of Japan Fashion Week, said things [coming out of those designers he thinks tourists are hungry to snap up now],” she said. “There are some things Japanese products and that trend is only that only Japanese designers can do, like going to get stronger. “For Japanese de- designing specifically for a Japanese “The theme, ‘Overlay,’ means to pile things on top of one another, or to cover signers, this tendency is a big [one to] fol- body shape, or making things that are something. In computer terminology it also means to lightly conceal the surface low,” he said. versatile enough to be worn throughout of something. Focusing on the concept of concealing, I have used abstract images Designers staging shows at Tokyo all four [of Japan’s] seasons.” and geometric or linear images. I want to express both the softness and the “The inspiration for the collection is from a French movie, ‘The Lovers on the Bridge.’” Fashion Week, which runs from today — with contributions strength of women.” — Shinsuke Morishita, Lamarck — Johan Ku, Johan Ku Gold Label dressedundressed Lewis photo by [March 16] through March 21, said the fall from Kelly wetherille 8 WWD Monday, March 16, 2015 Social Media’s Elusive Goal: ROI {Continued from page one} and chief executive officer of ness to do one thing: move prod- New York University marketing NYL Media, a digital firm that’s ucts or services. Social plat- professor and cofounder of L2, worked with Versace, Victoria forms with hundreds of millions

referring to an L2 Intelligence Beckham, Four Seasons, One of users offer brands one thing: Report that came out last week World Trade Center and L’Oréal, potential customers who will on the social channel. has found that converting so- buy those products or services.” “Instagram is top of the fun- cial media followers into e-mail Venz Box believes that en- By RACHEL STRUGATz nel, brand-based marketing, and subscribers is an effective way gagement is a predictor for ROI it’s very hard to establish direct to ascertain an ROI on social — a far more powerful indica-

NEW YORK — Three little words — return on invest- attributes and that’s across all media for now. tor than followers or likes. Of ment — are something any brand with a social media mediums. Whether it’s print E-mail marketing is among the top 10 performing content presence is after. or marketing, the ROI here [on the strongest conversion chan- creators using Like to Know It, But how to get it remains the meta question — and Instagram] is largely second- nels for brands and retailers, ones with tens of thousands of it’s a topic most companies are reluctant to discuss ary,” he said. and Anderson said that encour- followers frequently sell more because they just don’t have the numbers to prove Galloway added that since aging followers to register and products than those with hun- there is any. Instagram has an organic reach ’’ provide their e-mail addresses dreds of thousands or millions ROI is difficult to track since most companies only of 100 percent, it’s hard to over- can result in converting 10 to 15 of fans if they have a more en- receive data on last-click sales, making many brands invest on the platform right now. percent of these people into e- gaged fan base. and stores wary of sharing this information, according While it doesn’t allow for mail subscribers. Five-month-old Dash to Cannon Tekstar Hodge, a social media consultant. linking out or purchasing from “If you’re a brand and you’re Hudson has a similar goal to “Because it can be difficult to collect data and the platform, Instagram boasts looking at the performance of Venz Box’s Like to Know It, ex- exact customer behavior leading up to a sale, com- a highly engaged audience of your postings and content — the cept it uses push notifications panies prefer sharing numbers that are most finite, more than 300 million people. engagement level will tell you via its app instead of e-mail. which typically is limited to engagement rates and And from taking a glimpse which types of media and con- Thomas Rankin, Dash Hudson estimations,” Hodge said. at these users’ behavior, it’s tent perform better within the cofounder and ceo, said that So firms are more than willing to spew out data likely that this community is given channel — but that’s not a this allows users to immediate- on impressions or “likes” on their social media, but influenced in some way by measurement of ROI,” Anderson ly receive notifications with a when it comes to ROI, they snap shut faster than a the product images and vid- Alex and Ani has seen a strong return on said. “[But] we know we can direct path to purchase as soon Venus flytrap. eos they see when scrolling investment from its social media channels. convert from e-mail marketing. as they like an image enabled Facebook-owned Instagram — or fashion and re- through their feeds. That’s where we’ve seen the with the app’s technology. tail’s go-to social medium — hasn’t made it easy for He noted that as communi- highest ROI.” “You get them in the mo- brands trying to sell their products. The platform ties grow on most social plat- For instance, Lagos — ment of intent or urge, and it’s doesn’t allow for linking out in posts or any sort of forms, engagement dips because which ran social campaigns a very simple two-tap checkout. commerce, which makes it hard to track purchases brands gain followers beyond If you’re a brand and you’re looking with an objective of convert- We’re not routing the consumer it has influenced. Nonetheless, the vast majority of their core evangelists. This neg- ing social media followers to third-party product pages. brands’ unpaid social efforts are focused here. ative correlation doesn’t occur at the performance of your postings into e-mail subscribers — saw, Everything is for purchase on The reason is that Instagram is the only social me- on Instagram, though, where on average, a 15 percent lift in Dash Hudson,” Rankin said, dium where engagement rates don’t dip as followings engagement continues to soar, and content — the engagement level followers to subscribers. adding that the mobile-focused grow for fashion brands, according to Scott Galloway, even as brand followings enter There have also been a solution raised a seed round of the hundreds of thousands — or handful of companies that have $1 million earlier this year and even millions. will tell you which types of media popped up over the past few carries products from more than For instance, Christian years — Olapic, Like to Know 3,000 brands including Adidas, Louboutin has the largest fol- and content perform better within It, Like2Buy and most recently, Topshop, Asos and Levi’s. lowing in the fashion communi- the app Dash Hudson — which Olapic has used its technol- ty with 3.9 million fans, as well are all trying to quantify the ogy to take branded and user- as the highest engagement rate. the given channel — but that’s not a path to purchase that begins generated social media con- And Michael Kors, one of 13 on a social channel, with an tent to populate product pages brands that have more than one measurement of ROI. emphasis on Instagram. These or the homepage of a client’s million followers, published five technologies appear to be see- digital flagship. of the top 10 #nyfw brand posts — Ross AndeRson, nYL MediA ing early success thus far given Like many others, Pau (by likes). that they are trying to monetize Sabria, cofounder of Olapic, Galloway called Instagram’s a platform that isn’t optimized acknowledged that a challenge and Facebook’s hold on the digi- one that will ultimately drive incremental lift for all markets for commerce yet. thus far in the space has been tal marketing funnel a “power- sales. Instead of just partnering and retention strategies for all Like to Know It, founded that there’s still no clear way ful combination.” The former with influencers and bloggers to markets,” he said of the brand by RewardStyle in January of quantifying the direct ef- has an aspirational and emo- disseminate content, the brand targeting prospective customers 2014, allows users to receive fect social media has on sales tional hold on users that’s still this season started working with and existing customers. e-mails with direct links to — which is how Olapic came entirely organic and can be retailers — including Net-a- From paid Facebook spend, purchase product featured in about in the first place four handed off to the latter, which porter, Opening Ceremony, The Bonifacino said that the total an Instagram photo that they years ago. has the direct response and tar- Webster, Mytheresa and Saks pure acquisition revenue for “liked.” Since its launch, the “We exist because we bring geting tools. Fifth Avenue — which shared 2014 was about $7 million and technology has driven more content onto e-commerce sites Even though there is hardly content containing actual items the total incremental revenue than $15 million in retail sales, so you can make that attribu- any revenue data to back up it will sell. from mid- and low-level’’ target- Like to Know It enabled im- tion. By changing what the the return on social media Alex and Ani has also seen content is — Facebook into spend, it remains a key focus a strong ROI from its social e-commerce — we can see for brands, along with enhanc- media investments, according that there’s an impact,” said ing the “omnichannel” and to senior vice president of digi- Sabria. “If you place the con- “mobile commerce” experienc- tal Ryan Bonifacino. tent on e-commerce, where es. The latter two are arguably “It’s not an assumption or you have control of engage- more commerce driven and, a theory: We have proven that ment and conversion, you see therefore, easier to determine every dollar we put into social a very clear correlation be- an ROI. But a return on social media from an organic perspec- tween interaction and what spend still looms as a black tive returns more than the dol- they [consumers] buy.” hole — for most. lar we put in,” he told WWD. The more users interact In the year since Calvin The brand, which surpassed with social-media-generated Klein rolled out its #mycalvins $300 million in revenue last content on an e-commerce social campaign, the brand said year, has a full-time team of 10 site, the more they will end it saw “unprecedented engage- people dedicated to organic up buying. And the firm has ment” and “strong ROI” from social media. As for paid digi- strong data to back that prem- its efforts, which included both tal marketing, the brand spent ise up, especially when it organic and paid elements. the most on Facebook at about comes to apparel, jewelry and “For fall 2015, from a wholesale $1.38 million (for its direct to shoes. Jewelry is the highest perspective, units sold of our consumer channels only), with performer, with consumers modern cotton logo product [the co-op marketing from wholesale being 70 percent, or 1.7 times, product featured in the cam- partners adding another several Kendall Jenner promoted Calvin Klein to her 21.1 million Instagram followers. more likely to buy a product paign] are more than five times hundred thousand dollars to after interacting with a user- what they were when we kicked that amount. ing was more than $9 million. ages have gotten 85 million generated social media photo off #mycalvins a year ago,” said “From a true cross-channel Considering e-commerce com- likes, and more than 500,000 on its product page. The aver- Melisa Goldie, chief marketing attribution modeling and ROI prised about 20 percent of the Instagram users are shopping age order value also increases officer at Calvin Klein Inc. and ROAS [return on advertis- company’s revenue in 2014, the through the technology. by 12 percent. This is just the beginning ing spend] standpoint, we com- $16 million in sales that came “Without sales data, you “When we take the content of the ROI equation for Calvin pletely separate calculations from paid social media advertis- cannot measure ROI,” said from Instagram and Facebook Klein, which started to tailor for pure all-in acquisition out- ing made up 25 percent of Alex Amber Venz Box, cofounder and and place it on e-commerce its social media strategy during side of retail markets, pure all- and Ani’s e-commerce sales. president of Like to Know It. pages, we know there is an im- New York Fashion Week into in acquisition in retail markets, Ross Anderson, founder “Ultimately, brands are in busi- pact,” Sabria said. WWD MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015 9 WWD.COM Rowley Talks Fitness Collection FASHION SCOOPS color blocks and black-gold foil — are de- By LISA LOCKWOOD signed by Rowley’s team. JOHN TAKES ON DOLCE AND GABBANA: suitcases with small studs. The actress In the tops, for example, the pockets Elton John did not take well to was a loyal Fendi customer and worked NEW YORK — When Cynthia Rowley have copper lining that defl ects radiation comments made by Domenico Dolce with the Rome-based brand for years moves into her new headquarters on from one’s devices. The luxe printed leg- and Stefano Gabbana in the — for example, on costumes and Morton Street in two months, she plans gings have such features as wider waist- Italian media about traditional furs for Luchino Visconti’s 1974 to offer fitness classes after work, during bands and sweat-wicking properties. The families. fi lm, “Gruppo di Famiglia in lunch hour and on the weekends to any- line runs the gamut from printed sport In particular, John was un Interno” [in English called one in the West Village neighborhood. bras, cropped leggings and printed racer offended by the Italian designers “Conversation Piece”]. That, she expects, will be a perfect way tanks to print nylon sweatshirts, heart-on- calling children generated The friendship to “road test” her new fi tness collection the-sleeve T-shirts, a patchwork hoodie and through IVF “synthetic.” between Fendi’s creative called, simply, Rowley. faux-fur hoodie jackets. Fabrics include On Sunday, the artist director for accessories, “We’ll have the space,” said Rowley, nylon and spandex. Wholesale prices range tweeted his response Silvia Venturini Fendi, and who bought a three-story mechanic’s ga- from $40 to $95, with some more expensive to the statements made Mangano’s daughter, rage. “It’s important to build the lifestyle pieces, such as an oversize down coat, in by Dolce and Gabbana, Veronica De Laurentiis, with the core team and experience it.” white or black, wholesaling for $225. calling for a boycott of sparked the homage to With the full launch of her new fi tness col- In addition to the current roster of their fashion. “How dare the actress. “Silvana lection for fall (it was quietly launched accounts, the fall line has been picked you refer to my beautiful Mangano’s innate beauty, for spring), she hopes to have both her up by Bloomingdale’s, where it will be children as ‘synthetic,’” A suitcase from natural elegance and employees and their friends get fi rsthand housed near collections such as Stella he tweeted. “And shame Fendi’s Silvana sophistication have experience wearing the line. McCartney for Adidas, Koral and Michi. on you for wagging your Mangano always been, for me, a The fi tness line grew organically from “A lot of majors are carving out areas” judgmental little fi ngers capsule line. great source of inspiration. the wet suits that Rowley introduced fi ve for ath-leisure and fi tness lines, Rowley at IVF — a miracle that Working together with years ago. That business has grown into a said. She expects that the fi tness collec- has allowed legions of her daughter, Veronica surf and swim collection. tion will be worn by the same woman who loving people, both straight De Laurentiis, has been The fitness line wears her ready-to-wear and gay, to fulfi ll their a unique experience, as also comes at a time collection, as well as a dream of having children. FOR MORE she transmitted Silvana’s when the ath-leisure new audience of fi tness Your archaic thinking is SCOOPS, SEE sense of beauty, passions and fi tness markets enthusiasts. It will be out of step with the times, and uniqueness that are are booming. Brands available on Rowley’s just like your fashions. I WWD.com. refl ected in all the products,” from Under Armour Web site next month. In shall never wear Dolce said Venturini Fendi. to Tory Burch are the fall, the fi tness col- & Gabbana ever again. A portion of all sales seeking to either lection could be spun out #BoycottDolceGabbana,” added John, will be donated to the Italian ONLUS break into the cate- to its own Web site. She who has long been a close friend of that created by De Laurentiis, benefi ting gory or expand their declined to reveal a fi rst- other Italian designer, Donatella Versace. the fi rst Centro Silvana Mangano, women’s offerings, year wholesale volume. — LUISA ZARGANI which supports female victims of while other brands In collaboration with domestic violence. “I love the idea — such as Rebecca its handbag license, FOR SILVANA: Fendi is launching a Silvana of women helping other women,” Minkoff, Ramy Highline, Rowley also Mangano capsule collection inspired by Venturini Fendi said. Brook and Elie created a gym bag that the concept of travel and by the iconic The collection will be available at Tahari — have intro- can carry a yoga mat, Italian actress, who died in 1989. The select Fendi stores from April 8, and duced activewear water bottle and shoes. collection includes a trenchcoat with a on Net-a-porter from mid-April. The lines. Even Beyoncé It wholesales for $80. fur collar; trolleys; leather and exotic- selection on Net-a-porter includes two has formed a ven- A fall look from Several of her licensees skin versions of Fendi’s Boston bags; silk trolley cases, a large travel bag and a ture, with Topshop, Cynthia Rowley. will add a fitness ele- and cashmere foulards, and charms. The lucky bag charm. Prices start from 75 to produce an athlet- ment, such as a sporty se- trolleys are two variations inspired by euros, or $80 at current exchange. ic streetwear brand lection of eyewear from Mangano’s original vintage Pergamena — L.Z. due out later this year. its eyewear licensee, and socks and leg- For spring, Rowley introduced a cap- wear from her legwear licensee. sule fi tness collection of 15 stockkeeping Rowley has 60 stores throughout the units that includes leggings, tank tops, world, seven of which are in the U.S. The Sorel Footwear to Enter Outerwear sports bras, little shorts and T-shirts “but company is carving out space in all its reimagined with our design aesthetic,” stores to carry the fi tness collection, “and and serious rotation into a fashion- she said. Retailers such as Carbon38, Net- we’re considering possibly opening free- By ARNOLD J. KARR forward footwear business for fashion- a-sporter and Bandier bought the line and standing stores” for the fi tness line in the able female customers. will start carrying it this week. The collec- future, she said. Rowley will offer two col- THE SOREL FOOTWEAR brand is “We realized a long time ago that tion is produced in China and Taiwan. lections of fi tness apparel a year. preparing to follow its parent into the we weren’t going to be able to leverage For fall, Rowley has expanded the col- The fitness launch will also have a outerwear business. our collective horsepower if the brand lection to 35 sku’s. She has added more strong social media element. Sorel, founded in 1962 as a cold- was just going to be about utility and pieces, such as a quilted puffer vest, cozy “What’s interesting about this is there’s weather men’s footwear brand for men’s,” he added. fl eece-lined jackets and a puffer jacket, as a whole new audience in social media. farmers, fishermen and other out- As Sorel prepares to launch a tight well as circular knits made in Italy. The There are fi tness bloggers, fi tness experts door enthusiasts in Canada, became collection of fashionable cold-weather line is functional but can also be worn and girls styling themselves for the gym. part of Portland, Ore.-based Columbia outerwear for fall, the company has pre- and post-workout. Colorful, lively It’s a whole world that’s unexplored,” Sportswear Co. when its trademark was gained distribution in department prints — which include hearts, fl orals, Rowley said. acquired out of bankruptcy in 2000. stores such as Nordstrom, Lord & Tim Boyle, chief executive offi cer of Taylor and Dillard’s for its fashion foot- Columbia, outlined objectives for the wear; expanded business with higher- brand during the company’s fourth- end outdoor and sporting goods chains, quarter earnings call last month, say- and opened its fi rst store, on West 14th Versa Capital Set to Buy Wet Seal ing Sorel needed to continue to “focus Street in New York, to showcase the tion of Versa as the successful bidder, on young, fashion-forward female move beyond its historic origins. By VICKI M. YOUNG and the private-equity fi rm will need to consumers; evolve purposefully and “We were so accustomed to a tight obtain court approval for replacement thoughtfully into a year-round brand,” selling season revolving around cold THE WET SEAL Inc. will be under new DIP fi nancing at Wednesday’s hearing. and continue to earn real estate at spe- weather that a lot of people referred to ownership. Proceeds from the auction are slated cialty footwear boutiques. the New York store as a pop-up shop,” An affi liate of private-equity fi rm Versa for use to pay the claims of Wet Seal’s Acting on those goals helped the Nenow points out. “But it wasn’t. We’ve Capital Management, Mador Lending unsecured creditors and for the satis- brand expand to a $166.2 million fran- got a long-term lease.” LLC was selected as the successful bid- faction of administrative expenses and chise in 2014, 29.1 percent above the And now a long-term commitment der for the teen retailer in a bankruptcy- priority claims. $128.7 million sold in the prior year, to the outerwear category as well. The court-approved auction late Thursday, Versa isn’t exactly new to the re- with much of the growth coming from collection consists of 11 pieces — eight according to Delaware bankruptcy-court tail and apparel space. It owns Sport its ability to combine its traditional for women and three for men — in- records. The selection of Versa is still sub- Chalet, Eastern Mountain Sports and protective mission with style and enjoy cluding parkas and bombers, which ject to bankruptcy-court approval, which Bob’s Stores. It also owns plus-size chain strong penetration in the women’s borrow materials, detailing and even is slated for March 18. Avenue, which it acquired out of bank- fashion footwear market. some nomenclature from the footwear Versa, which specializes in distressed ruptcy in 2012. “Seven years ago, we were pre- group. Borrowing its name from the investments, beat out stalking-horse bid- Wet Seal operates 173 stores and an dominantly a utilitarian men’s busi- fashion boot, the Joan of Arctic parka der B. Riley Financial Inc. Internet business that includes a 1.4 mil- ness, and today it is predominantly a features goose down, metal detailing The Foothill Ranch, Calif.-based lion active subscriber base. Founded in women’s business, and a fashion wom- and coyote fur packaged in a nylon- retailer filed a voluntary petition for 1962, the company completed an initial en’s business, too,” said Mark Nenow, canvas shell with a long, lean silhou- Chapter 11 bankruptcy court protection public offering in July 1990. The chain who was named president of Sorel ette highlighted by a cinched waist. It’s in Delaware, in late January. At the time, was at its peak in the late Nineties and in a realignment of corporate duties priced to retail at $875. it inked a $20 million debtor-in-posses- early Aughts, operating 575 stores, with earlier this month, after nearly eight With the outerwear introduction sion fi nancing facility with B. Riley, with about 375 of those being Wet Seal stores. years as vice president of global foot- just ahead, Nenow is focusing on one the plan for B. Riley to become the new Other nameplates were 85 Contempo wear merchandising and design for the of the other elements of the Sorel owner, with an 80 percent stake, after con- Casuals, which it acquired and ultimately Columbia, Sorel and Montrail footwear strategy — making it more of a year- verting the fi nancing into newly issued converted to Wet Seal stores. It also op- businesses. “We’ve got some opportuni- round business. A line of shoes is common stock of the restructured fi rm. erated Arden B stores, which have since ties to take our men’s business in new being planned for spring 2016, while That’s now changed given the selec- been shuttered. directions, but we’ve made a steady accessories are also being considered. 10 WWD MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015

Civil Twilight performing Keeping Civil at Sundance on Jan. 30. eye A DECADE AGO, Civil Twilight — formed and helped the band engineer by brothers Steven and Andrew McKellar demos. “I never thought I would and childhood pal Richard Wouters — play with them. I was the guy moved from their hometown of Cape with the car, ya know?” says Town to Los Angeles in search of indie Dailey. “He just revived us to a rock stardom. “We just went there with massive degree,” Steven says of our pillows and clothes and guitars,” says expanding the group. lead singer Steven McKellar, who worked The band members, at Starbucks to pay the bills. who cite Brit rockers like When two years later their song Oasis, The Verve, Blur and “Human” landed on the USA Network’s Radiohead as infl uences, say hit “House,” the then-trio thought fame living in the country capital and fortune would soon follow. “It was of the world has infl uenced pretty epic. It was right after the Super their sound. Wouters says “the Bowl,” recalls Andrew McKellar. “We standard of musicianship” in started touring after that and we thought Nashville has challenged them we’d be famous. It didn’t quite work all to up their game. out,” the guitarist says with a laugh. These days, the band has When sparse crowds turned up to see their own version of Twihards. them play on tour, younger brother “We have consistent loyal Steven remembers: “It was devastating.” fans that are crazily scattered Steven’s resemblance to “Twilight” demographically all across the hunk Robert Pattinson — enjoying a board, and they’re incredibly meteoric rise at the time — only added loyal and I don’t think that to the frustration. “We literally got asked happens for one-hit wonders. We JONES KATIE PHOTOS BY once, ‘Did you name the band Civil see the same people across the Twilight because your lead singer looks country all the time. They’ll see us, like, come bearing gifts like instruments listened to his music a lot growing up, and like that guy?’” recalls Wouters. “I was 15 times in a year. It’s really awesome,” adorned with lyrics to their songs, boxes that jive feel kind of crept in a little bit,” skinnier and clean-shaven back then,” says Dailey, who adds that devotees of cookies, and the always-appreciated says Steven. “Lyrically, a lot of it’s talking clarifi es Steven, who adds, “We started “nice bottle of alcohol.” about leaving home and discovering realizing, ‘OK, this is a slow build. This Back in South Africa, they have yourself in another land; looking back on thing’s not going to take off overnight.” also seen their fan base grow. “We’ve the place you came from and trying to work The threesome moved to Nashville, played some of our dream venues that out what it is to you now. I’ve never felt released their second album, “Holy we used to go to when we were kids,” more comfortable in America and South Weather,” in 2012, and hit a crossroads. says Wouters, singling out their gigs Africa as I do now. I think that’s because “Personally, I was just at the end of at Kirstenbosch National Botanical I’m a little more comfortable with myself my rope. It had been a long time,” says Garden. “It’s like 5,000 people on a big maybe,” Steven muses. Steven. Enter fourth member Kevin lawn outside. It’s really special,” says The band, on tour through April, will Dailey, a keyboardist who initially the drummer. play a handful of shows at the South befriended the band thanks to his For their forthcoming album, “Story of by Southwest festival in Austin, Tex., “really s----y car,” a Mazda Tribute. an Immigrant,” slated for release on June including the Fleming Artists Showcase Caption go here for this “Richard would call me and ask me 2 (the title track was released on March at Swan Dive on March 20, and Quantum for rides, and I would drop him off at 9), the band is returning to their roots, Collective’s Southwest Invasion on the house and hang out with the guys. Kevin Dailey, Andrew McKellar, drawing inspiration from childhood March 21, held outside the cooler-than- That’s literally how it happened,” says Steven McKellar and Richard Wouters. musical idols, including South African it-sounds Whole Foods. Dailey, who then moved in with Andrew singer-songwriter Johnny Clegg. “We — JENNY SUNDEL

decades. It still is a crisis in many parts of the world, Jessica Stam Love to Love especially where I come “It’s about awareness, it’s about from in India,” he said. “I love and treatment, and that is wouldn’t be anywhere else what Love Heals does so well,” Wes but here this evening.” Gordon said Thursday night. He was Over dinner, Arnhold among the fashion folk swilling introduced the Love Heals around the candle-bordered pool Young Philanthropist in the center of the Four Seasons honorees Eliza and Molly dining room for the Love Heals Howard, who spoke of Gala. It’s an annual fund-raiser to their involvement with beneﬁ t the Alison Gertz Foundation the foundation since high for AIDS Education and serves as school. Then the fun began, a sort of homecoming to those who with a post-supper auction have been in Milan and Paris these that Rafe Totengco was past few weeks. especially excited about. Gordon’s beau, Paul Arnhold, is “The competitive edge very involved with the charity, and sometimes makes it more it seems the night held a personal fun,” he said. “It’s like guilt- meaning for others who turned up. free shopping.” “Some of my friends were very close — LEIGH NORDSTROM with Alison,” Nicole Miller said. “I remember the whole story from the very beginning.” Bibhu Mohapatra Jennifer felt similarly connected to the Fisher Paul Arnhold and Wes Gordon with cause; “I have known many people Indre Rockefeller in Delpozo. who have lost their loved ones to this crisis in the last two or three

Prabal Gurung

Eliza and Molly Howard STAM AND GURUNG PHOTOS BY DESIREE NAVARRO/WIREIMAGE; FISHER AND HOWARD BY SAM DEITCH/BFANYC.COM; ARNHOLD BY WILL RAGOZZINO/BFANYC.COM ARNHOLD BY SAM DEITCH/BFANYC.COM; BY FISHER AND HOWARD DESIREE NAVARRO/WIREIMAGE; AND GURUNG PHOTOS BY STAM 2.5x7 (right)

WWD MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015 11 WWD.COM regular customers and can do some magical OBITUARY things with ginger (whatever that means). MEMO PAD His arrival at One World Trade Center was dubbed “the poach of the century” by ex- Hearst editors, who also clearly had defected. Manuela Pavesi, Italian WILDE CONSCIENCE: Hennes & Mauritz AB He’s Condé’s “secret weapon,” one will unveil today the campaign for its staffer said. Conscious Exclusive collection, featuring But like all fi sh stories, this one has Stylist and Photographer Olivia Wilde. been exaggerated. Shot by Lachlan Bailey and styled by Ludivine It turns out the chef, who works for Vogue Italia editor in chief Franca Poiblanc, the ad features Wilde wearing Restaurant Associates — the company that By LUISA ZARGANI Sozzani. “She forged a new aesthetic items including an organic silk tuxedo provides food service to both publishers and lived her life abiding to it. Like blazer and a sleeveless evening gown with — was just there to help open the Condé MILAN — Italian stylist and photog- me, she was in love with Yves Saint a hand-drawn print of birds. The outdoor cafeteria and not to stay. He was spotted rapher Manuela Pavesi died Friday Laurent, because he was the fi rst to print campaign will run from April 1. back at Hearst on Friday. in her hometown of Mantova after mix separate pieces. She would do The American actress also appears in It’s hard to say which is more a long illness. She was 65. Pavesi that, too, mixing even contrasting a separate campaign fi lm directed by Max humiliating: That Condé was unable to contributed to shaping Vogue Italia, looks. She didn’t follow fashion. She Vitali that will run in store, online and on lure Hearst’s top culinary talent, or that was a passionate collector of fash- would go down her own road. As long social media from April 16. the company had to turn to its uptown rival ion and antique jewelry and was a as her aesthetic vision was satisfi ed, Wilde, who is one of the faces of Revlon, to teach its kitchen staff how to make a and not offended, she could do any- last year teamed up with H&M and great California roll. thing, from styling to photography. Dosomething.org on a clothes recycling — ALEXANDRA STEIGRAD Manuela There wasn’t one particular thing campaign called Comeback. She is the Pavesi she preferred to do.” cofounder of philanthropic e–commerce site GLAMOUR GOES SHOPPING: Glamour is getting Sozzani praised Pavesi’s eye in Conscious Commerce and supports a host of ready to take the leap into e-commerce capturing people in her photography. other environmentally friendly charities. in some form this year, starting in the “She was very discreet, and never “Sustainability has got a bad reputation, U.K. and the U.S. While details remain wanted to stand out,” Sozzani said. especially in fashion. I think people sparse, Karina Dobrotvorskaya, president and Giorgio Guidotti, Max Mara’s assume the clothes will be dull, the fabrics editorial director of brand development global head of public relations, ad- uncomfortable and the design uninspiring. at Condé Nast International, revealed the vertising and communications, said It’s like people think sustainability is a plans last week to WWD at a party in Paris Pavesi was somewhat of “an outsider penance. This couldn’t be further from the celebrating the annual two-day meeting of in the fashion industry. She did not truth, and the H&M Conscious Exclusive all the editors in chief of the 16 Glamour care to become part of the establish- collection shows that sustainability is no editions worldwide. “It’s a common project ment, as long as she could work on compromise on style,” Wilde told WWD. of CNI and Condé Nast U.S.,” she said of her projects.” “I hope the collection empowers women the e-commerce initiative, which also will A close friend for 30 years, around the world who love fashion but involve some of the publisher’s other titles. Guidotti said Pavesi had a “great want to consume it in a more sustainable “It will start in the U.K. and the U.S. later sense of humor. She was my mentor, way. It gives them the chance to look their this year and then spread to all markets.” and I learned so much from her in best, and also act responsibly. I also hope Other Glamour-ous projects include terms of style.” the rest of the fashion industry is watching. a pop-up café in four German cities in He recalled how they went to- I think this is how all fashion should be,” November, in partnership with fashion gether to a fl ea market in Paris and she added. brands, and there are possible upcoming Pavesi bought a 1920s girl’s confi r- The Conscious Exclusive collection will initiatives involving celebrities taking mation dress, reworking it as a “won- launch in about 200 H&M stores and online over Glamour Instagram feeds. Two new derful blouse” that she paired with a on April 16. — JOELLE DIDERICH Glamour editions are in the works: Iceland Comme des Garçons skirt. “She was and Turkey. original, not eccentric.” FISH TALE: Condé Nast’s cafeteria has taken “Glamour is traditionally our highest Tiziana Cardini, fashion director a few hits since it opened in recent months. circulation magazine. It’s extremely at La Rinascente, said Pavesi was It recently got a two-star review from The successful,” Dobrotvorskaya said. “We are NICK HARVEY/WIREIMAGE PHOTO BY “fabulous.” Daily News, which wrote a tongue-in-cheek trying to better understand our current long-standing friend and collabora- “She has always been an inspira- story titled “Meet the new Condé Nast readers. Today we discussed, for instance, tor of Miuccia Prada. She also was tion for me. Her style was inimitable cafeteria: Lunches aren’t so rich anymore.” whether ‘do’s and don’t’ are still relevant, an inspiration to young designers, and one-of-a-kind, with an artistic The paper pooh-poohed the subpar whether the modern Glamour should just helping, for example, to launch the touch,” she said. “Her passion for, cuisine, after Condé editors mocked the say ‘do’ to be positive.” career of Jonathan Anderson. and knowledge of, fashion was ex- food choices via Twitter. Monica Salgado, editor in chief of Pavesi worked with photogra- ceptional. She was an icon in the So it came as a pleasant surprise to Brazilian Glamour, was inspired by phers such as Albert Watson and history of Italian journalism. I truly former Hearst employees now working at Glamour Spain’s “interesting” initiative Helmut Newton, collaborating with admired her.” Condé when they spotted a familiar face involving a street-style show sponsored the latter on the 1986 images for the Pavesi is survived by her hus- — namely the star sushi chef from their by department store El Corte Inglés Pirelli Calendar that were eventual- band, Sandro Furnari, and their old cafeteria in the Hearst Tower working where readers could apply to model on ly published in 2014 to mark its 50th children, Alice and Gianguido. A fu- his magic at the sushi station. According to the catwalk. “We could replicate this in anniversary. “She was very avant- neral service will be held at 3 p.m. his fans, the chef not only makes a mean Brazil,” she said. garde, even with this Pirelli proj- Saturday in Mantova, a two-hour sushi roll, but he also remembers orders of — LAURE GUILBAULT ect. She anticipated fashion,” said drive east of Milan. LVMH’s Nowness Marks 5th Year

By WWD STAFF

NEW YORK — Nowness.com, the For more career opportunities log on to WWDCareers.com. LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton- owned video platform that specializes in fashion, art and media content, is this week marking its fifth anniver- Check out sary with a new logo and a series of the new DIGITAL daily exclusive films. The anniversary comes as the site version of marks what it claims is a 100 percent Nowness is set to unveil a new logo. PATTERNS, SAMPLES, PRODUCTIONS increase in unique monthly visitors and a language site was launched in 2012. Full service shop to the trade. 200 percent rise in monthly video views over As part of the fi ve-year anniversa- Fine fast work. 212-869-2699 The the past year. The site had 4.5 million video ry, the platform is featuring its “Most views in February, a spokeswoman said. Loved” fi lms for each of the fi ve years it premier The site will feature a new logo be- has been in existence. destination ginning today through Sunday, after a Claudia Donaldson, the site’s editor competition that was won by a design in chief, said, “Over the past fi ve years, for the fashion student, Christian Heikoop, from the Nowness’ pioneering approach and con- industry’s Real Estate, Netherlands, whose concept was chosen tinual evolution has enabled the site to from more than 600 entries. The logo establish itself as the preeminent source Business Opportunities, shows the brand Nowness in light gray for video and digital storytelling content, and Help Wanted listings. behind the words “5 Years” in black. attracting a powerful global audience Nowness posts an exclusive video each that includes some of the most infl uential POST YOUR LISTINGS ONLINE NOW! day and also selects a fi lm from around and exciting names in arts and culture.” the Internet that it believes will appeal Nowness is primarily a content plat- FASHIONCAREERS.MARKET.ADICIO.COM to its audience and posts that on the site, form, but last March, it debuted its fi rst for a total of 12 videos a week. All the shoppable video, a short film featuring videos are translated into nine languag- five Sadler’s Wells dancers that show- es: English, Chinese, French, German, cased products from Louis Vuitton, Bottega Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese Veneta, La Perla, Kenzo, Maison Margiela, and Russian. A separate Chinese- Haider Ackermann and Rick Owens.