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PARIS: John Galliano embraced Orientalism in the beautiful, exotic fall s Noten andKarl this ocher silk dress, worn with a big necklace and a helmet of weekend, with collection he showed for Christian , which was influenced pages 4to11. dazzling embroideries were among the daring details, as in by 18th-century Persian miniatures. Dramatic makeup and Lagerfeld, bobby-pinned hair. For more on Paris, seepages 4to 11.

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Accessories/Innerwear/Legwear PARIS — By MilesSocha “Regardless of the talent, the amount of time “Regardless ofthetalent,amounttime , ,GivenchyandEmilioPucci. , which includes brands such as the division at LVMH Moët Pierre-Yves Roussel,chiefexecutiveofficerof — as much as we can — full dedication,” said scrap heapoffashionhistory. to sendthedouble-duty-designermodel the industry’s preference du jour, threatening phone callfromaheadhunteraway? a major job at a big fashion house be only a a buzzed-about signature collection, could Vow, ‘DevotedtoYou’ Firms InsistDesigners Fashion’s LoyaltyOath: “At thecoreofthisbusiness,wemust have Au contraire. Devoted creative directors are Orient d If you’re a talent-laden designer with ay See

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2 WWD, MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2009 WWD.COM Investor Writes Down Stake in Valentino By Andrew Roberts and Emilie Marsh today,” sources told WWD at the time. On Friday, a spokesman for Permira declined to MILAN — The largest investor in private equity break out the fund’s own valuation of VFG but con- WwDAccessories/Innerwear/LegwearMonday group Permira Advisers LLP has written down firmed its total portfolio fell 36 percent in 2008. its stake in Valentino Fashion Group by more He added: “The valuations of our portfolio than half, confirming a report in WWD. are a description of the world at this time. We FASHION -based SVG Capital Plc said Thursday are fundamentally long-term investors.” 4 Christian Dior, Lanvin and Karl Lagerfeld were the value of its investment had declined 54 per- SVG specified the outlook for the Valentino some of the notable collections shown as the cent in 2008 to 78.6 million pounds, or $111.9 mil- label was “uncertain,” despite ongoing cost ini- Paris fall season moved into high gear. lion — although this includes a provision following tiatives and new designers Maria Grazia Chiuri SVG’s decision to cap its commitment to the fund. and Pier Paolo Piccioli’s first couture collection SVG wrote down its total portfolio by two thirds. being “well received” in January. Valentino chief GENERAL Dollar figures are converted at average ex- executive officer Stefano Sassi said earlier this 1 Devoted creative directors have become an change rates for the periods to which they refer. year the company was scaling back expansion industry standard, threatening to send the Permira bought Valentino Fashion Group plans to preserve cash and service 2.3 billion double-duty-designer model to the scrap heap. SpA, which owns Valentino and Hugo Boss and euros, or $2.89 billion, of debt. 2 The largest investor in private equity group operates under license Marlboro Classics and M SVG added that Valentino’s revenues were Permira Advisers has written down its stake in Missoni, in 2007 at the top of the market for an flat in 2008 and that profitability had been im- Valentino Fashion Group by more than half. estimated 2.6 billion euros, or $3.55 billion. pacted by the general market slowdown and dis- Sources said in November the financial cri- appointing sales of former designer Alessandra 13 ACCESSORIES: McTeigue & McClelland has sis had wiped off over 1 billion euros, or $1.26 Facchinetti’s collections. opened its first Manhattan salon on Fifth Avenue billion, of VFG’s value. “The deal was done at In 2007, Valentino generated consolidated to show its rarefied wares by appointment. crazy prices, with an optimism that doesn’t exist sales of 261 million euros, or $381.4 million. Department stores added 9,300 positions in 14 February and specialty stores added 100, amid widespread jobs losses across the country. 14 Dramatic sales declines contributed to a larger- 15 UNITE HERE Locals Vote to Cut International Ties than-expected fourth-quarter loss for AnnTaylor By Liza Casabona bers and empowers those who do not yet have Stores and an acceleration of store closings. a union.” WASHINGTON — Fifteen local boards of UNITE A spokeswoman for John Wilhelm, president 14 Hartmarx Corp.’s bankruptcy appears ready to HERE, representing about 150,000 union mem- of UNITE HERE’s hospitality division and the claim the Hickey Freeman flagship at 666 Fifth bers, voted on Saturday to break with the inter- former leader of HERE, did not return calls for Avenue in Manhattan. national parent union. comment. EYE: Talking to Sadie Frost, whose one-woman The move to disaffiliate occurred as lead- Bruce Raynor, general president of UNITE 16 show at Manchester’s Royal Exchange, runs ers of the two predecessor unions that joined HERE and former leader of UNITE, could not Yohji Yamamoto through Saturday. to form UNITE HERE in 2004 — the Union of be reached for comment by press time. Needletrades, Industrial & Textile Employees The struggle between UNITE and HERE and the Hotel Employees & Restaurant leaders over the direction of the union has Employees International — struggle for control been brewing for several months. Raynor lead a Classified Advertisements...... 15 over the union’s future. 25-member group that voted in January to dis- solve the merger. A majority of general executive To e-mail reporters and editors at WWD, the address is board members, including Wilhelm, opposed the [email protected], using the individual’s name. split and voted to stay unified. The disaffiliation WWD IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ADVANCE MAGAZINE PUBLISHERS INC. COPYRIGHT ©2009 This vote was an important votes are the latest salvo in the dust-up. Four FAIRCHILD FASHION GROUP. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. “ lawsuits have been filed recently by UNITE and VOLUME 197, NO. 49. WWD (ISSN 0149–5380) is published daily (except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, with step that takes our union in one additional issue in January, May, October, November and December, two additional issues in March, April, June HERE in Manhattan and New Jersey courts to and August, and three additional issues in February and September) by Fairchild Fashion Group, which is a division stop the disaffiliation vote. of Advance Magazine Publishers Inc. PRINCIPAL OFFICE: 750 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017. Shared Services the right direction. provided by Condé Nast Publications: S. I. Newhouse, Jr., Chairman; Charles H. Townsend, President/CEO; John W. UNITE HERE’s general executive board will Bellando, Executive Vice President/COO; Jill Bright, Executive Vice President/Human Resources. Periodicals postage — Edgar Romney,” UNITE HERE meet on March 13, said supporters of Wilhelm’s paid at New York, NY, and at additional mailing offices. Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40644503. drive to keep the union unified. The joint boards’ 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: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES next step could not be learned by press time. TO WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY, P.O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA 91615–5008. FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS, ADDRESS “This vote was an important step that takes Romney last week said the disaffiliation CHANGES, ADJUSTMENTS, OR BACK ISSUE INQUIRIES: Please write to WWD, P.O. 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THOSE SUBMITTING MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, ART WORK, OR OTHER MATERIALS FOR 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 Nike Creates Direct-to-Consumer Post for Jackson ACCOMPANIED BY A SELF-ADDRESSED STAMPED ENVELOPE. By Whitney Beckett “Jeanne is one of the most experienced and talented leaders in the retail industry and, over Nike Inc. has drafted Jeanne P. Jackson, the past eight years, she has been a strong and DAILY Fashion has changed. a member of its board since 2001, for the newly visionary director for our company,” Parker said. “ created role of president of direct to consumer. “With her leadership, we will better position the QUote Ten years ago it was Jackson is charged with driving the active company to execute an integrated retail strategy giant’s global retail growth, through Nike- across our entire brand portfolio providing el- easy to sell fashion. Ten years ago, owned retail stores worldwide, affiliate stores evated consumer experiences globally.” and e-commerce. Jackson, 57, is founder and ceo of private in- you could work for a big house and Based in Portland, Ore., Jackson will report vestment firm MSP Capital, and was ceo of wal- to Nike president and chief executive officer mart.com from March 2000 to January 2002. She for your own label. Mark Parker. Effective immediately, Jackson as- served as president and ceo of Banana Republic sumes the new post and vacates her position on from 1995 to 2000, and as ceo of Gap Inc. Direct — Riccardo” Tisci of . Page One. the board. from 1998 to 2000. coming this week TODAY ON MONDAY: Paris Women’s WEDNESDAY: American Eagle (through Sunday). Ready-to-Wear Collections Outfitters Inc., The Bon- • The U.S. Commerce continue (through Ton Stores Inc., Hot Topic Department releases the Thursday). Inc., The Men’s Wearhouse February retail sales report. .com • J. Crew Group Inc. Inc. and Buckle Inc. report • Aéropostale Inc., WWD reports fourth quarter fourth-quarter and year- Hibbett Sports Inc., and year-end sales and end sales and earnings. Luxottica Group SpA • Ongoing coverage of Paris fashion week earnings. • Quiksilver Inc. reports and Pacific Sunwear of including reviews, parties and first-quarter sales and California Inc. report Fashion Scoops TUESDAY: Gottschalks Inc. earnings. fourth-quarter and year- • Featured Images: Scenes from reports first-quarter sales end sales and earnings. Paris Fashion Week and earnings. THURSDAY: Fashion Industry Stage Stores Inc. Gallery, Dallas (through FRIDAY: The Commerce • Trend Report: Gold • Lanvin RTW reports fourth-quarter Saturday). Department releases the Fall 2009. • Videos of key RTW collections from and year-end sales and • Dallas Apparel & January foreign trade

Madeira Marcio Photo by New York, Milan and Paris earnings. Accessories Market report. WWD, MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2009 3 WWD.COM Fashion Firms Demand Designers’ Loyalties Continued from page one categories and communications functions to you spend on things becomes critical. Stuart Vevers store concepts. “It takes a lot of time. It’s not There’s so much work to be done.” at work. only to do a fashion show and give a fashion “For a brand to have a fully devoted twist to the brand,” Roussel said. “Just doing creative director, it is a great advantage it 20 percent of your time doesn’t work.” because he or she can become part of the Jean-Jacques Picart, an industry consul- brand DNA,” agreed Robert Polet, presi- tant in Paris, predicted brands will expect dent and ceo of Gucci Group. “Five years even more from their creative directors in ago, we decided to give every brand a cre- the future — as will consumers. “They want ative director and that was one of the best to feel close to a brand not only because they decisions we made.” like the designs, but also because they know Executives, headhunters and consul- that the brand is thinking and acting accord- tants agreed ’s exit in 2003 as ing to a certain type of global philosophy,” Gucci Group’s creative director, where he said, alluding to rising interest in brands he oversaw both the Gucci and Yves Saint with green and corporate social responsibil- Laurent brands, was a decisive moment ity policies, for example. that foreshadowed the dedicated designer According to Picart, it’s risky for a de- business model. signer to do double duty, “especially these More recently, a long list of designers days, because the competition is worldwide have mothballed their signature collections and massive” and because the role has ex- to focus on heritage brands, among them panded to encompass sundry public rela- Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy, Kim Jones tions functions. for Dunhill, Esteban Cortazar for Emanuel “Today, my clients are looking for design- Ungaro and Stuart Vevers for Mulberry — ers with talent, of course, but also with in- and now Loewe, which showed Saturday. tegrity and respect: respect of the brand’s Olivier Theyskens, who is expected to exit identity and strategies, but also respect of Nina Ricci before his contract expires in the consumers,” he said. “It sounds easy, but October, had also put his label on hiatus — actually it’s not so easy to find, believe me.” but may seek to resurrect it, as reported. Polet predicted creative directors Meanwhile, a slew of major designer “more and more will have to behave also appointments — from Chloé and Celine as entrepreneurs, even if they do not own to Salvatore Ferragamo and Valentino — the business. They have to care about the have gone to designers without outside fact that what they create actually sells commitments. or appeals to real customers. This is the “Five years ago, people wanted design- evolution I see.” ers with their own brands. What people De Saint Pierre noted that hir- want now is what business requires now — ing a designer with a signature focus. Focus on the brand, focus on the busi- collection is appealing for ness,” said Maxine Martens, ceo of the New brand owners because it is York-based executive consultancy Martens easy to deduce his or her

& Heads. giannoni giovanni others by design vision and capabili- “[Companies] want somebody to embrace Riccardo ties. By contrast, hiring a the brand, and if you have the same person Tisci prominent assistant comes for two brands, it confuses the customer,” with risks: “It’s more diffi- added Agnès Barret of Paris-based search cult to know how they will firm Agent Secret. “They want it to be an in- develop being a number tegrated brand story.” one,” she noted.

Indeed, in appointing Marco Zanini as cre- dominique maitre; all by In her estimation, a devoted ative director at the Rochas fashion house, creative director “shouldn’t be which showed here last Thursday, Gibò pres- a general rule” as some designers ident Franco Pene lauded the fact the former who are “very creative” benefit from Halston designer would “be fully dedicated vevers photo For more on these designers, see WWD.com. having a second design project, citing Paris to the line without having to divide his en- designer Christophe Lemaire, who is cre- ergy with a namesake collection.” ative director of Lacoste, as an example. Floriane de Saint Pierre, who runs an “The most important thing is talent, and eponymous executive search and consult- provided the person can handle two things, I ing firm in Paris, said brand owners in- think all candidates should be considered,” creasingly rule out as potential candidates she said. “You need someone who is driven designers with their own signature collec- and can keep the vision very pure and re- tions. “They say, ‘We have a full-time ceo; main with a very strong identity.” we want to have a full-time creative direc- That said, De Saint Pierre and others tor,’” she said. “It’s a little bit coming back agreed designers can be relieved to relin- to the roots of fashion: someone who takes quish their signature lines and the pressures over the brand from the founder and goes of delivering and financing them — and that on with the development of the brand, and perhaps more will be willing to do so as the embraces all aspects of it.” economic crisis deepens. Citing confidentiality agreements, De Roussel suggested designers could have Saint Pierre declined to discuss specific a “small collaboration” on the side, as does searches, but said there have been cases Peter Dundas, the new creative director of where a designer’s insistence on continu- , who continues to design furs ing with a signature collection has been “a for Revillon and presents his second collec- deal breaker.” In some cases, companies do tion here Wednesday. not even screen designers who have their However, he noted that, “what it takes to own label. build a designer brand from scratch is prob- The change is a dramatic one compared ably much more challenging than it was in with the late Nineties, when LVMH led the the Nineties.” way in snaring high-profile designers with To wit: the previous Pucci designer, Brit buzzy signature labels to rev up heritage Matthew Williamson, did not renew his con- brands: John Galliano for Dior, Alexander tract, citing a desire to devote himself to his McQueen for Givenchy, for signature brand with his investors, which Louis Vuitton, Michael Kors for Celine and include TSM Capital, Aronsson Group and Narciso Rodriguez for Loewe. Baugur Group. While some of those designers continue to “Fashion has changed. Ten years ago it do double duty, notably Galliano and Jacobs Givenchy was easy to sell fashion. Ten years ago, you — and Karl Lagerfeld juggles three brands could work for a big house and for your own (Chanel, and Karl Lagerfeld) — most label,” said Tisci. “It takes a lot of elements observers consider them exceptions to the rule. “There’s only one Karl,” De Saint to make a label successful. Women coming into a shop expect quality, the right price, Pierre said. a great fit, everything.” Roussel said the dedicated designer model he advocates today arose from the Tisci said he wouldn’t rule out resurrecting his signature brand in the future, but objective of “making sure we have a very clear message across all expressions he would likely focus it only on “special accessories” and “semicouture” pieces. For of the brand.…What we are implementing is to have artist directors responsible the moment, he said Givenchy’s couture, women’s ready-to-wear and men’s wear keep for everything.” his plate plenty full. Indeed, his spring-summer campaign shoot in New York with He stressed that’s most vital for smaller brands. In the recent past, Givenchy housed photographers Inez Van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin spanned various catego- two creative directors: Julien Macdonald for women’s wear and Ozwald Boateng for ries: men’s, women’s, watches, sunglasses and bags. men’s wear. Tisci now oversees both universes, while Kenzo’s creative director Antonio “We’re trying to make one image,” he explained. “I decided to stop [my collection] Marras showed his first effort in the men’s wear department in January. because I knew it was a lot of work. I prefer to concentrate on Givenchy, which is The duties of the modern creative director extend from all manner of product going very well.” 4 WWD, MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2009

LandJohn Galliano and Alber E lbazof both enchanted Enchantment Paris with beautiful fall collections. At Christian Dior, Galliano worked an exotic oriental theme, while Elbaz created chic real clothes for Lanvin with a touch of the Forties.

Christian Dior: A waft of Orientalism and a newer-look Bar jacket. If it sounds like a savvy excursion to the land where art meets commerce, it was. And it looked great. At a time when houses with a history want to flaunt the specific iconography that sets them apart from the masses — and even at the luxury level, there are masses, relatively speaking — Christian Dior’s rich history offers John Galliano a wealth of possibilities, which, integrated with the ever- churning spoils of his own vivid imagination, collections/fall provide endless potential. PARIS For fall, Galliano enveloped himself in a motif of Orientalism, a fascination shared ’09 by the house founder. Specifically, Galliano looked to the richness of 18th-century Persian miniatures, extracting their colors and patterns to wrap around the house standards, most noticeably, the New Look, re-created here as something approachable and modern, the exaggerated arched shoulder and mega-peplum considerably relaxed. He paired his jackets with skirts that resembled gently deflated bubbles, some with banded hems. The result: tailored looks for women who want more pizzazz than they’ll find in common suiting, and less aggression than in much of the Forties- cum-Eighties options out there this season. These included a zigzag yoking a black jacket, a mostly black-and-silver brocade cut into precise lines over a skirt in a tiny-dot tie fabric and an embroidered purple suede. Yet this was no mere suit fest, as Galliano showed lovely paisley day dresses and, for more adventurous types, harem pants. The coats, too, were terrific, whether all girlied-up — a high-waisted, fox- rimmed black-and-purple floral brocade — or simplified — a linear gray coat with graphic flower embroideries that roared Twenties. Evening was a decorative dream, starting with an astrakhan vest over those daring-yet- approachable harem pants. But Galliano’s primary focus was on floaty chiffon gowns in gorgeous shades of magenta, aqua, and ocher. With their dazzling, medallionlike embroideries, they looked as mesmerizing going as coming.

Lanvin: Alber Elbaz continues to get it remarkably right. The Lanvin collection he presented on Friday was both on trend and beyond trend; his lineup consisted of Christian Dior stunningly elegant relations to the brash, big- shouldered, retro glamazons parading about elsewhere. Unquestionably, they share some genes, specifically those tracing back to the Forties. Yet Elbaz’s strain boasts the recessive rather than dominant traits. His starting point, as always, was the here and now, and not the runway version of it. To drive home that point, he showed on what appeared to be just-rained- on black asphalt, located in a far-off venue. (Let’s rethink that place next season, folks, especially at rush hour.) But there was nothing distant about the clothes. “This dress, they tell me it’s not a runway dress,” Elbaz said prior to his show, indicating a simple look and waving about at various staffers. “But it’s a woman dress, so I’ll show it.” Conversely, if it’s not a “woman dress,” or coat, or suit, au revoir. That consistency and simplicity of purpose have catapulted the mild-mannered Elbaz to something resembling cult status among women who work in fashion. For fall, he pulled back from spring’s often-vibrant mood, despite some quite dramatic draping that resulted from cutting primarily on the bias. Suits gathered into ample but soft peplums in front; an asymmetric ruffled cascade fell down the side of a dress. When he wanted to embellish further, it was with haughty fur stoles, fabrics streaked with midnight glitter and, for women who like their elegance with an edge, linear embroideries in flashy, tough-chic metals. It all made for clothes that both work and enchant, and you can’t do much better than that. WWD, MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2009 5 WWD.COM

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Dries Van Noten: Suits, no matter how alluring, don’t suit all women. Dries Van Yet the suit has been the primary Noten focus of designers championing refinement this fall. On Sunday, Dries Van Noten proposed an alternative, a sportswear-based lineup that was sophisticated and a little bit twisted. The twist came via a colorful palette without euphoria, its collections/fall hues taken from the paintings of Francis Bacon. “Bacon’s subjects PARIS are disturbing, but so, also, his ’09 use of color is disturbing,” the designer said. “I tried to explain that in this collection.” Hence, the dulled tones of should-be-brights used in discordant combinations. The ruse proved perfect for transforming clothes rooted in a classic vernacular, pieces as simple as blazers, shirts, trousers, leathers and some of the best coats of the season. A muddied pink coat topped a pumpkin shirt and gray pants; off-shades of orange paired up for a blouse and skirt; a teal safari jacket went over an ocher shirt and blush skirt. The deliberate oddness of each shade was only heightened by the combinations, creating a mood that approached melancholy. Yet once the clothes hit the stores, the opposite should prove true: The colors will seem buoyant, but not impossible, as so many true brights do in the glare of reality. Van Noten’s other big motif was prints, and, once again, he impressed with his innovation. He collected random cocktail fabrics from the Sixties through the Eighties, photographed them in black-and-white and placed the photos in random blocks on other, solid fabrics for separates and dresses, including a languid silk T-shirt extended into a gown for a different take on au courant glamour.

Karl Lagerfeld: Karl Lagerfeld, the constant wayfarer, has left last season’s strict futuristic approach behind. For fall, he was off in an entirely different direction that was more a sea than space odyssey, one that summoned up an Eighties baroque attitude along the way. As always, Lagerfeld did his trim shirts, this time with a military bent, and smart but severe suits, some with tight rows of covered buttons, but the big message here was exaggerated sailor collars. They created a strong square shoulder, the “bridge shoulder,” as Lagerfeld called it, that provided a canvas for all things opulent, as in fur and baubled embroidery. Such swanky elements embellished bomber jackets, fur vests and the collars and waists of otherwise simple cocktail dresses. It worked well as an accent on sparkly tailored tweeds but turned tricky on the mash-up of leathers and furs, many worn with gigantic matching helmets. Lagerfeld collaborated with Ruby, purveyor of luxury scooter helmets, and Apple for his collection’s most dominant, if over-the-top, accessory, which is fitted for an iPod. Romantic eveningwear with a rock ’n’ roll edge made for the collection’s most compelling moment. Lagerfeld refined For all his shoulder stance, tinseling collections’ epaulets on a long silk gown and tracing them in silver braided complete run rope on a pretty ruched tulle of shows, see style. And when he did away WWD.com. with the military motif entirely, the results, such as a black-and- white webby dress worn with Dries Van a shouldered fur shrug, were Noten simply beautiful. WWD, MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2009 7 WWD.COM

Dries Van FASHION SCOOPS Noten GARDEN OF EDUN: It looks like LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton has its eye on Bono’s wife Ali Hewson’s eco-luxury label Edun. Karl LVMH chairman and chief executive officer Lagerfeld didn’t confirm or deny the speculation at Dior’s show Friday, saying only, “It’s top secret.” Edun declined to comment.

ITALIAN JOB: Le tout Paris — and a fair showing of Italians — packed into Roberto Cavalli’s new Rue Saint-Honoré flagship Saturday, including Renzo Rosso, Marta Marzotto and Teresa Missoni. The Italian theme continued with actress Marisa Berenson, who just wrapped “Io sono l’amour,” directed by Luca Guadagnino, and also starring Tilda Swinton. Actress Inés Sastre, meanwhile, said she’s shooting a music video for an undisclosed French singer. “If Nicole Kidman can do it, so can I,” grinned the model, referring to Kidman’s appearance in Robbie Williams’ “Something Stupid.” British actress Patsy Kensit and her DJ beau

Inés Sastre and Diane Kruger STEPHANE FEUGERE PHOTO BY

Jeremy Healy, who mixed the soundtracks for Dior and Galliano this season, will tie the knot in London next month. “I’m going to be in Prada and he’ll be in Dior,” said Kensit, who wore a sparkling Prada dress, a gift from the house after fittings for the big day. Victoria’s Secret model Adriana Lima said she wed Serbian basketball player Marko Jaric on Valentine’s Day. Diane Kruger said she’ll be busy promoting rather than shooting over the next few months. “I have three movies coming out. That’s why I’m here,” she said woefully as she surveyed the jam-packed boutique. Roxanne Mesquida is shooting the second half of a French movie called “Debut.” “I play a girl who’s in denial that she’s pregnant. The movie’s about how I deal with it,” she explained, adding: “I’ve had so many tough roles. In my last movie I was a woman locked in a basement by her father, who’s a priest.” Kanye West, who said he’s working on a new , also made an appearance with his girlfriend, model Amber Rose. Meanwhile “Heroes” actor Jimmy Jean-Louis said he would make a return to his modeling days in a men’s fashion campaign later this year.

Clotilde and Annelise Hesme STEPHANE FEUGERE PHOTO BY

BLUE CLUES: While associated with the avant-garde, Hussein Chalayan is bringing his design touch to an everyday item: jeans. The London-based designer has signed a collaboration deal with premium denim firm J Brand. The women’s styles will be for fall retailing, and the firm’s principals were front tre i

a row at Chalayan’s show on Sunday. Also new m for next season are sneakers made by the ue iq

n designer’s parent Puma, said Chalayan chief mi

o executive Giorgio Belloli. The thigh-high boots

d d and sexy pumps stalking the runway were an

i made by Sergio Rossi, part of PPR’s luxury arm, Gucci Group. Meanwhile, actress sisters annon i Clotilde and Annelise Hesme are looking g i forward to playing opposite each other for ann

v the first time in “Un Coin Calme,” but not o i g as sisters. “We play complete opposites: two by

Karl Karl s women who meet in extreme circumstances,” Lagerfeld Lagerfeld said Clotilde.

PHOTO For more Scoops, see page 16. 8 WWD, MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2009

Jean Paul Gaultier: No one knows the power of sex appeal Yohji Yamamoto Yohji Yamamoto and shock value better than Jean Paul Gaultier, whose brand was built on his mastery of both. And that’s why his sophomoric stunt of a show Saturday night was so disappointing; Gaultier should have known better. He is, after all, one of fashion’s most powerful creators and instigators, who has incited social discussions by putting men in skirts and drawing inspiration from Hasidic Jews. By that measure, the tawdry nightclub shtick that ended with a staged mud-wrestling catfight felt beneath him. If Gaultier’s effort to entertain his audience — fashion does love a theme — was appreciated, his underestimation of its theatrical and fashion standards was not. It showed how easily sex and money, two subjects with endless potential to intrigue, can fall flat. To that end, Gaultier sought to titillate with an X-rated affair, as in the letter X, which was inexplicably emblazoned on silk dresses and as decorative sheer inserts on the front and sides of cocktail attire. From there, things went bondage on trenches strapped with big buckles, some with hoods that veiled the eyes, dominatrix-style. There were dresses sporting harness- like straps and a relentless fishnet motif that turned up on Yohji Yamamoto all manner of things, from fur coats to quilted jackets to the print on a silk blouse. Out of everything, the most wearable and appealing looks were an unfettered, cap- sleeve velvet dress and the mannish suits that opened the show. The rest felt like an attempt to revisit Gaultier’s enfant terrible days, which are better left in the past.

Yohji Yamamoto: Yohji Yamamoto, who can sew a sleeve more complicated than the global economy, held back on such constructions for fall, producing a collection that sang with simplicity, relatively speaking, and beauty. It was primarily a coat story that began unfettered with long, lean and mostly black styles cut at the ankle, which put a spotlight on Yamamoto’s masterful tailoring, not to mention his new shoe collaboration with Salvatore Ferragamo. Lines were clean, and avant effects were controlled, as in the opening look: a single piece that appeared to be a separate coat and skirt from the front. From there, things built into a graceful crescendo by way of white-piped seams and gentle asymmetrics, such as a pleated panel that fell from the back of an oversize blazer. And toward the end, a peacoat-inspired series bordered on classic, and not just by Yohji standards. Between the elongated silhouettes and weighty fabrics, the mood was beautiful if elegiac, particularly when it came to two lovely long black dresses that featured a folded panel of pleats on the front or back. Yet before things got too melancholy, Yamamoto delivered a shot of color with white and red paint, which was splashed on the cuffs and hems of jackets and covered the top of two thick wool toppers that faded into sheer black silk below, a neat trick. If it sounds straightforward for Yamamoto, the collection was not without his beloved reversals in terms of the look and tone. Consider two backward coats that unzipped from top to bottom to reveal that little black hearts tattooed the models’ legs and backs. If that was a hint that love — or maybe hope — was in the air, Yamamoto hammered the optimistic message home with his finale. Five girls wearing brilliant red coats spliced with bubblegum pink walked out hand in hand and formed a circle, leaving all with a warm, fuzzy feeling.

Comme des Garçons: The Eisenhower jacket, camouflage, doughboy pants, the antiwar slogan T-shirt. All have found their way into the battalion of chic, some for their snappy look, some on the wings of a cause. Either way, fashion has long been fascinated with the trappings of war. Rei Kawakubo is not one to put forth her politics clearly; she prefers we ponder her message. It’s a dangerous ruse very few designers can get away with time after time, especially so many years into the gig. But it goes to the core of who Kawakubo is as a designer, artist and crafty self-marketer. The Comme des Garçons collection she showed on Saturday was an engrossing, typically curious dream in which fragility and utility blurred into a complicated vision of beauty, right down to the toes — white chalk outlines on heavy black booties. She opened with three girls who looked like the prettiest anthropomorphic triangles in a Surrealist fairy-tale, done up in what might be called cosmetic colors — puffed-out tulle in barely there buff, their hair painted a feisty pink atop veiled faces. Then came the cape-like army fatigues and coverts, often jackets and triangular skirts, some with graphic outlines of traditional jacket shapes, others with giant tribal-like images of fantastical animals. And more counterpoint: big, comforting blankets in outsized checks and patterns as well as curvy knits that looked like Kawakubo’s twisted take on the sexy secretary. ane feugere

Yet the expected clashes — aggressive and gentle, ph e industrial and earthy, overt and secretive — never t occurred. Rather, all coexisted calmly, one forming the

foundation for the other (many of the girls wore baggy ni and s tulle leggings); all interdependent. The message seemed o iann to be about protection, communalism, and giving the G seemingly obvious a second look. Nothing here was vanni straightforward, with coats and jackets cutting away into o nothingness in back; knits morphing into different fabrics gi and shapes; tulle turning dominant, trapping packed layers beneath in a tubular, shirred stretch of a dress. Entrapment or embrace? The feeling that it was the PHOTOs by latter made this collection oddly comforting. WWD, MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2009 9 WWD.COM

Comme des Comme des Garçons Jean Paul Gaultier Garçons

Jean Paul Gaultier

Comme des Garçons

PARIScollections/fall ’09 10 WWD, MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2009

Akris Junya Tao Comme Watanabe des Garçons

PARIScollections/fall ’09

Junya JPEG Watanabe

Akris: Albert Kriemler is happy trapezoid appliqués in coat-like wool seems never to waver. What does is Watanabe’s an architecture buff, calling tweed? Or trapezoid puffer quilting? Elsewhere, way into the motif, which for this very dark and the discipline “my hobby and the designer went too artsy with a pair of one- altogether incredible fall collection was the my passion,” so little wonder sleeve sheath dresses with way too much going most basic and mass of winter utility: the puffy it has influenced his work. on, and with “reinforced” shoulders, but, oops, down jacket. Akris For his fall Akris collection, someone forgot to hide the shoulder pads. Recent seasons have seen several designers Kriemler took inspiration from Kriemler was more successful when he take on the puffer as a lucrative side gig, but a single structure, the pavilion channeled his architectural penchant more none has managed the wonders that Watanabe in the Jinhua Architecture Park deftly, as with a gray dress with sleeves created here. He worked quilted down rings and in China, designed by Tatiana embroidered in trapezoids on tulle, or a black panels, all in black, into a range of silhouettes Bilbao, specifically its asymmetric, dress with a you-know-what cut out in back. But from dress coats to cocooned capes, much of it trapezoidal facade. That shape the real beauty of the collection was in its more done with Victorian flavor. Along the way came became the show’s dominant straightforward looks: a purple cashmere coat all of Watanabe’s quirky signatures. There were decorative, and sometimes and leather skirt combination, the trapezoid swaddling wrapped coats, outsized collars and structural, motif. relegated to a belt buckle; a surface-interest some remarkable convertible styles, one of Just like the nonparallel sides dress in a glazed wool crackle knit; an utterly which started as a poufy wrap and folded down of a trapezoid, it made for uneven chic double-face wool crepe tuxedo dress. These into a long coat that was trim and tailored with viewing. In staging his shows, looked smart and chic, and are the kind of a Peter Pan collar on top and A-shaped below. Kriemler has, at times, seemed clothes that should resonate most strongly with Watanabe stripped away the puff pieces and torn between the kind of polished, the Akris woman. replaced them with grandeur and emotion, sophisticated clothes on which he heightened by the soundtrack — Puccini’s built his powerhouse business and Junya Watanabe: As a designer subject to mood “Madame Butterfly” and “Tosca” — and models more editorial leanings, which is swings, Junya Watanabe sometimes vacillates with painted faces and piles of ratted, raven Marie what occurred here. Does the Akris between bright and buoyant and dark and Antoinette locks. Indeed, there was something customer really want an evening gown powerful, though his taste for dramatic draping, royal about the series of elaborately ruched and completely covered in front with flap- bunching and head-scratching construction bunched dresses, vests and majestic robes strung WWD, MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2009 11 WWD.COM

Tao Comme Emanuel Maison des Garçons Ungaro Martin Margiela re t minique mai o ni and d o giann vanni o gi PHOTOs by up on thick gold chains. Less voluminous but just as decorated with bows — as well as structured wrap Maison Martin Margiela: Where in the world is Martin compelling were the draped and knotted skirts and jackets in cozy down. Sweet treats, indeed. Margiela? Judging from the house’s fall collection, dresses, some done in shimmering gold shrouded in the designer has finally left the building. Because, black silk tulle, like beautiful mourning attire. Emanuel Ungaro: If there’s a formula Esteban Cortazar despite a decent outing, the intellectual punch his has established for himself at Emanuel Ungaro in his shows usually deliver was lacking. By the time the Tao Comme des Garçons: Few designers know how to brief tenure there, it’s that he likes his girls young, last models stormed the runway in filmy polkadot strike a delightfully whimsical chord quite like Tao sexy and with a cocktail in hand. Emphasis is on the tulle get-ups, it had some in the audience wondering, Kurihara. The stellar collection she presented on word “girls,” because there are few options That’s it? Saturday was fun, exuding optimism and joie de vivre here for those not hitting the club circuit on a nightly There were traces of Margiela’s vocabulary, as in in an explosion of her frothy, fluffy shapes, amped basis. Thus, fall amounted to a parade of thigh-grazing the first model out. She wore nude leggings, crossed up a few notches from seasons past — puffy sleeves, and body-conscious party frocks, with some puffy- her arms to cover bare breasts and sported clear puffy peplums, puffy pants and dresses. Think puff skirted numbers thrown in. Throughout, he worked plastic shoulder pads, as if to stake claim on fashion’s pastries and meringue, because that’s what Kurihara in a relentless polkadot motif to dizzying effect. current shoulder fixation, which began here. In fact, did, citing “cakes and sweets and decoration” as Cortazar spliced together bands of spots on a bustier illusion was the main course served throughout. Long- her inspiration. Skirts came with dramatic bunches, dress worn over a dotted blouse, and covered other sleeve leather dresses, for instance, disappeared in gathers and swirls, some resembling doughnut shapes, garments with prints of spots within spots. An added back to reveal the model’s and briefs or nude while tiny bows were sprinkled across , hems styling measure fell flat: the variety of spotted , tights. Accessories continued in the same vein, like and in voluminous headdresses. which were kitsch veering on ridiculous. the trompe l’oeil wedge-sandal hybrids. Then there The other major undercurrent was an Eastern The designer also dabbled a bit in tailoring — was the geometry motif — angled hems, split-level European peasant motif. Kurihara served up her slouchy blazers; a leisurely smoking combo — but layering, cutouts — inspired by flights of stairs, a own kooky renditions of traditional folk garb, in it felt like a forced attempt to keep the lineup point hammered home by the zigzag catwalk with silhouettes (e.g., apron frocks), passementerie and from being too one-note. And when he tried to be steps at every turn. Rounding out the collection were prints, accessorized with tasseled schoolgirl socks and edgy, with chained fringe on an angora pullover, or trenches with skin-exposing slashes, hooded catsuits, beribboned shoes that were adorable. But lest things architectural, as in the finale dress with angled hips, drop-crotch pants and a curious puffy cloud costume. got too fanciful, she tempered the mood nicely with the results just looked out of sync with the rest of the It was a lot of ideas to cram into one show, but this some great knits — a printed cable vest, a pullover collection. time, it all came up short. 12 WWD, MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2009 WWD.COM MEMO PAD An American in Paris ON THE STREET WITH BILL men’s line, Hedi Slimane “Glamour” isn’t a term usually associated CUNNINGHAM: The New Yorker’s has focused his lens on Los with Tim Hamilton. Since launching his men’s wear biannual Style Issue hits Angeles-based artists. The line two years ago, the designer has carved out a buzz- newsstands this week with — former Dior Homme designer worthy niche for himself in preppy-meets-street-savvy what else? — a Michelle Obama assembled an impromptu studio wares — layered sweaters, striped T-shirts and slim-fit cover and brief First Lady fashion at the Mandrake Bar, a low-key button-downs. He commentary. (It’s mostly an ode watering hole opened by artists was nominated for to her arms by The Washington Justin Beal and Drew Heitzler the CFDA Swarovski A look Post’s Robin Givhan, which runs in the middle of Culver City’s Award for Menswear from Tim alongside a shot of Obama- art galleries, to take photos of in 2007 and 2008, Hamilton. favored designers Jason Wu and artists for his personal Web site. and last month Thakoon Panichgul.) He later posted a series of 19 continued in his Elsewhere in the issue, Ariel images on Dazed & Confused’s urban-sporty vein Levy adds another fashion darling digital publication. As might with a presentation to her portfolio with a profile be expected of creatives who’d during New York of Alber Elbaz (last season, it rather stand behind a canvas Fashion Week. was Marc Jacobs), and Lauren than in front of a camera, rarely Today, however, Collins hits the sidewalk with the do any of Slimane’s subjects Hamilton will show diffident New York Times society look directly at the lens. Kori another side: He’s photographer Bill Cunningham. Newkirk actually covers his face launching his first She describes his willfully with his hands. The black-and- women’s collection ascetic lifestyle, including white set includes a close-up with a presentation living in a former artist’s studio of Beal’s baby face seasoned at Paris’ Galerie “without a private bathroom or with stubble and an image of Hussenot. And it’s cooking facilities,” and sleeping Whitney Bedford hiding under a about glamour of on “a piece of foam, a wooden fringe of blonde hair. a bewitching and board and several milk crates.” The ongoing project helps seductive sort. Sunday Styles editor Trip Gabriel put a face to Los Angeles’ In a nod to his also told Collins that during the vibrant art scene, which began Lebanese mother, Paris collections, Cunningham attracting Slimane’s interest a whose style he de- shuns his colleagues’ comfier couple of years ago. scribes as “a darker accommodations for “a cheapo “I did a previous project Elizabeth Taylor, hotel that has no phones in the on New York-based artists a Fifties-Sixties ‘La rooms,” reserved via postcard. few years ago, but I spend Dolce Vita’ glam,” “Part of what he does is blend most of my time in Los Hamilton infused into the sidewalk, and I think he Angeles, and have observed the lineup with a thinks [a more public persona] how the artists in L.A. are ng romantic Goth feel, i would compromise his ability rejuvenating the L.A. art tossing in a few peri- to get people with the unposed, Top: The New Yorker’s biannual Style issue. scene,” Slimane explained. od references in the spontaneous look of his shots,” Above: Hedi Slimane’s portrait of Justin Beal. “The sense of expansion [and] Wiener Werkstätte Collins told WWD. And what the possibilities offered to and early 20th-cen- with being out nearly every day for street shots and almost artists to experiment with space, remind me of Berlin. tury silhouettes. An danIEL k photo by nightly for party coverage, she said of Cunningham, “I Besides, the tradition of Southern Californian art has elegant silk blouse wouldn’t imagine that he spends a lot of time in his milk- always [had] a strong impact on me.” comes with alluring cutouts at the shoulder, and another crate bed.” — Irin Carmon As for returning to fashion, Slimane acknowledged it is with fur sleeves, while skirts are intricately pleated and an option. “It is an interesting time now to observe and see draped. Even the shoulder focus on structured gowns A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST: Fresh on the heels of how design — and the rules of the industry around [it] — will reads more gentle Edwardian than Eighties, though photographing the spring ad campaign for Prada’s evolve and eventually transform,” he said. — Khanh T.L. Tran Hamilton delivers on strong, sharp tailoring as well. As for his debut palette: All black. It’s a far cry from Hamilton’s men’s wear offerings (inspired by his father, a World War II veteran), which Hilfiger Merges U.S. and Canada Businesses is why the New York-based designer staged his shows in different cities. He wanted to underscore the diver- By Lisa Lockwood North American retail, will oversee the retail busi- gent sensibilities — with women’s being decidedly more ness in Canada as well as the U.S., and Colleen Kelly, European in feel. “Women shop in a different way; they has merged Tommy Hilfiger group president of North American wholesale, will look at things in a different way,” he said. Canada and Tommy Hilfiger USA Inc. under the um- oversee U.S. and Canadian wholesale activities. The women’s line veers away from Hamilton’s own brella of Tommy Hilfiger North America. Sheinbaum and Kelly will continue to report to industry experience, as well. The Iowa native got his Tommy Hilfiger Canada, a wholly owned subsid- Fred Gehring, ceo of Tommy Hilfiger Group. start at Ralph Lauren, working his way up to designer iary of the Tommy Hilfiger Group that was estab- For the six-month period ended Sept. 30, Hilfiger’s in the men’s division. Then came stints at the Gap and lished in 1989, is comprised of 50 retail locations U.S. sales increased 16.7 percent to $356 million from J. Crew, where he helped launch the Madewell label. “A and a wholesale business. Under Tommy Hilfiger $305 million. At the wholesale level, Hilfiger said its lot of changes happened in my personal life after that,” North America, Montreal will remain the Canadian partnership with Macy’s saw “significant growth” said Hamilton. “I realized, what do I have to lose? Life corporate office with regional offices in Toronto and compared with last year. Last fall, Macy’s became is too short.” Thus the launch of Hamilton’s eponymous Vancouver. the exclusive department store retailer of Tommy collection in 2006. But now Hamilton said he feels se- Howard Starr, chief executive officer of TH Hilfiger women’s and men’s sportswear in the U.S. cure enough in men’s — “I’ve established my recipe” — Canada, will depart once the assimilation is com- In the U.S., retail store sales grew 15.8 percent, to finally expand. “I think people will be surprised to see plete in June. Starr joined the firm in 1994 and under while comparable sales were up 6 percent. In Canada, how feminine it is,” he said. “I do hope they come with his leadership the company grew substantially in overall sales were 1.9 percent lower than last year due a fresh eye.” Canada. A few redundant staff positions were also to the strategic downsizing of the wholesale business, — Venessa Lau eliminated. Gary Sheinbaum, group president of the company said. Lindsay Lohan Launches Self-Tanning Mist Sevin Nyne What two fashion-beauty characteristics can “I have tried every product on the market and have never immediately be tied to one of the world’s most famous celeb- Lindsay found something I loved until I met Lorit,” said Lohan. rities, Lindsay Lohan? Lohan for Of Lohan’s duties during the development of Sevin Nyne, Kaylor Leggings and a sun-kissed glow, some would say. Sevin Nyne. said, “She has been involved every step of the way. Not just the for- Well, Lohan, who is going by “entrepreneur-actress-singer- mula but the packaging and what is written on the back of the can. style icon” these days, has already knocked out a leggings line, She has an authentic position in the product.” 6126, which launched last September to retailers in New York, Originally, Sevin Nyne was to be launched under Stay Gold London and Los Angeles. Now she’s tackling self-tanning, a ven- LLC, a company founded last year for the launch of 6126, along ture she partnered on with Lorit Simon, a tanning expert who has with Kaylor and two others, but those plans were scrapped. been tanning Lohan for events and fashion spreads for years. While the active ingredient of the mist is DHA, Kaylor points The self-tanning mist, called Sevin Nyne, is a hybrid of out that it uses caramel instead of artificial colors to impart a Simon’s own blend but for a mist application rather than an darker hue. “We have taken a more environmental approach airbrush machine. Sevin Nyne, which are a play on Lohan’s so we use caramels for color and chardonnay extracts and gogi favorite numbers, falls under the newly formed parent Lorit berry for the skin. It’s a sugar coconut base so there are no harsh LLC DBA Sevin Nyne, which holds the intellectual prop- chemicals either.” While tanning results are said to be instant, it erty, and will market and distribute the brand. In addition takes between two to five hours to get the end look, which lasts to Lohan and Simon, partners include Shawn Lampman, an BEAUTY BEAT four to five days, Kaylor said. The mist, which will sell for $35, investor; Kerry Fitzmaurice, who handles public relations, does not contain SPF but is stain resistant and sports a black and Kristi Kaylor, who handles marketing and sales. coconut scent, which Kaylor described as a rich, sophisticated, tropical fragrance. Launching a self-tanner seemed natural. One of Kaylor’s biggest goals is educating consumers on how to best achieve a tan, add- “We always talked about what a fabulous tan it was,” said Kaylor. “It’s not orange ing that a Sevin Nyne Web site is slated to launch in about 45 days when products are avail- and didn’t smell. You could put it on and go. You didn’t have to wait and that smell able April 15 on .com. Product enters Sephora on May 1 for a six-month exclusive. wasn’t carried with you.” — Andrea Nagel Accessories/Legwear Report3x7 (right)

WWD, monDay, march 9, 2009 13 WWD.COM Accessories/Legwear Report A Manhattan Gem for McTeigue & McClelland By Sophia Chabbott elements. standout pieces include the firm’s sig- nature Flora ring in which gold petals peel away the pAst seVerAl yeArs hAVe MArked with a diamond set at center, various animal The Glass lavish jewelry store openings across the globe, brooches and honeycomb gold cuffs. plentiful sales of high-carat diamonds and block- “our jewelry looks like it could have been buster marketing campaigns from the likes of made in a different age,” Mcclelland said. “it cartier, de beers and harry winston. doesn’t look like anything made today. we try to Menagerie walter Mcteigue and tim Mcclelland, how- reinvent the classic styles and keep it relevant.” ever, acknowledged early on that their brand prices range from $1,200 for a small pen- Mcteigue & Mcclelland would never compete dant to as much as $750,000 for a piece with with such heavyweights. so the pair kept their large and rare gemstones. pieces take from a focus on making distinctive and whimsical hand- few days to almost a year to create by hand in made jewelry in great barrington, Mass., where the great barrington headquarters above their the brand has been based for a decade. retail boutique. Pieces from the Meredith Wendell collection. now the company has opened its first the firm also sells in select high-end doors, including gump’s in san PHOTO BY GEORGE CHINSEE; STYLED BY SHOSHANNA FISCHHOFF SHOSHANNA BY STYLED CHINSEE; GEORGE BY PHOTO Manhattan salon, a 500-square- foot space in a suite at 608 Francisco, tiny Jewel box As A child growing up in lewisburg, w. VA., Meredith Fifth Avenue, where they in washington, d.c., and german would often visit the greenbrier, a nearby resort with grand will show their rarefied in interiors that were famously redone by dorothy draper in the late wares by appointment. new york, which it also Forties using layer upon layer of florals and pastel tones. “i’ve always “we weren’t ready sells loose gemstones. been drawn to big colors,” explained german, 32, whose new accesso- for new york until now,” Mcteigue & ries collection, Meredith wendell — a combination of the designer’s Mcteigue said. “the office Mcclell-and also works and her husband’s first names — offers evidence of that credo: suede in new york is there to fa- A ruby and with clients to redesign, and leather pouches, messenger bags and belts done in lemon yellow, cilitate meetings with clients. diamond ring by restore or reinvent their red, blue and peach, and accented by filmy, tinted glass discs. we’re dealers, designers and McTeigue & McClelland. old jewelry. A certain joie de vivre was a staple of german’s childhood, some- [jewelry] makers.” the owners didn’t offer sales thing she owes to her grandparents, who raised her and were her walter p. Mcteigue & co. is a 114-year old jew- projections for the new york salon, saying the companions on those early greenbrier visits. “their attitude was elry manufacturing firm founded by Mcteigue’s business is a piece-by-piece business and gains the crazier, the bolder, the better,” german said. it seemed appropri- great grandfather. the firm once produced jewel- clients mostly by word of mouth. ate, then, that when her grandfather passed away last year, she quit ry for many houses, including tiffany & co. walter the firm hasn’t been significantly affected by her job in accessories design at Marc by Marc Jacobs to start a lineup Mcteigue followed in the tradition of the family the hemorrhaging economy. of quirky, color-popping pieces. “[My grandfather] was always saying, business as a gemstone dealer, and at one point “we’ve been up against the glitz factor for so ‘when are you going to go out on your own?’” german recalled. was the director of purchasing at harry winston many years — against big corporations with big with her husband, wendell ross german, as her partner, the de- responsible for acquiring all the house’s stones. diamonds,” said Mcteigue, who noted that the signer began the first step in launching her business with a visit last Mcclelland, who has a background in the arts, bridal business is taking off. “our clients are spring to an indiana glass factory, which was the original supplier was a freelance jeweler. the two met in 1984, connoisseurs. people don’t want pieces that are for louis comfort tiffany. she sorted through hundreds of color and in 1996 decided to join forces in creating a grandiose right now — they want pieces that combinations — slabs of stained glass in swirling hues — and settled collection of handmade jewelry that echoed the can pass from generation to generation. the upon 31, which were cut into circular pieces, inset in pewter, hand- way jewelry was made more than a century ago. pieces people line up to see at museums are dipped in 18-karat gold and, finally, affixed to the italian goat suede the brand is known for intricate metalwork, the pieces that are made in the greatest tradi- belts and kangaroo leather pouches german designed. combined with color-saturated gemstones such tion of jewelry. that’s the tradition we want to A self-described “animal jewelry nut,” german also advised the as padparadscha sapphires and nature-inspired be a part of.” factory’s artisans to cut some of the glass pieces to form the backbone and head of a leopard, the connecting hardware serving as a handle on bags and a full necklace (the clutches wholesale for between $148 and $278, while belts range from $98 to $262). these are statement pieces, whimsical and distinctive, but she is confident that fanciful does not equal impractical. “i liked the idea of doing a cosmetic bag that’s nice enough to use as an evening bag,” she said of the clutches. “we did do one black bag, and i was looking at it, and just thought, ‘oh.’ there’s nothing wrong with a black bag — but people could use some color. the more, the better.” — sarah Haight findings GLITZY GAMS: Doo-Ri Chung didn’t intend for her crystal- and sequin-studded tights to cause a major stir among fashion insiders. The designer created them months before her fall fashion show for a photo shoot, where she felt her clothes called for some playful accoutrements. But once she saw the results, she decided to create enough to complete almost every look for her fall show. “It was a long and arduous process,” Chung said. “We were here many nights. At the end, when we knew how many looks we had, we had to create extra pairs and it looked crazy in our studio with all of these leg forms everywhere. It’s amazing how many people want to purchase these pieces. We need to tell them they’re not functional — you can’t cross your legs. They’re more for styling tools.” While Chung isn’t selling these specific tights, the attention sparked her curiosity enough to move forward with designing a small group of leggings and contemplating a full line for next spring. Chung said she is aware of the strength of the category today. “I would love to use studs or bring something in that could be smooth on the surface,” the doo-Ri designer said. “Legwear is so important because Chung’s women today see themselves in complete looks, tights and with how big accessories have become, they on the see how models are on the runway and that’s runway. how they want to get dressed.”

I DEFINITELY DO: Cole Haan has been bitten by the bridal bug. The accessories firm is launching a collection for brides craving a bit of comfort on their big day. All styles feature Nike Air technology, hidden among the line’s silk satin white and ivory heels. Cole Haan is owned by Nike Inc. All styles retail between $298 and $428 and will be carried at select Cole Haan locations, on colehaan.com and at Kleinfeld’s in Manhattan. Cole Haan will also offer a “dye to black” service for select styles, ensuring a reusable heel for post-wedding wear. 14 WWD, MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2009 WWD.COM Financial For the week’s best and worst stock performers, see WWD.com. Ann Taylor Sees Loss, Ups Store Closings Retail Employment Gains in Feb. By Alexandra Steigrad Dramatic sales Declines anD charges Despite Job Cuts Across Sectors for impairment and restructuring led anntaylor stores corp. to a larger-than-expected fourth- By Liza Casabona quarter loss, an acceleration of its store closing plans and a 38.5 percent drop in its stock Friday. WASHINGTON — Department stores added 9,300 positions in February the company now plans to close 163 stores, and specialty stores added 100, despite widespread losses across all up from an earlier projection of 117. sectors that caused U.s. payrolls to fall by 651,000 jobs. For the three months ended Jan. 31, the new the nation’s overall unemployment rate increased to 8.1 percent — York-based specialty retailer posted a net loss its highest level in 25 years — from 7.6 percent the previous month. of $375.6 million, or $6.66 a diluted share, com- Comps were down the labor Department said employment at department stores rose pared with a net loss of $6.7 million, or 11 cents 21.9 percent at to 1.54 million positions and specialty stores employed 1.45 million in a share, in the 2007 quarter. ann taylor said the Ann Taylor Loft. February. Department stores had slashed 8,600 jobs in January. results included $317 million, or $5.63 per share, Despite the uptick in retail apparel jobs, the sector has contract- in restructuring, goodwill and asset impairment ed significantly in year-to-year comparisons. specialty stores had charges. excluding charges for restructuring ficer, told investors, “While this economic crisis 48,300 fewer positions in February than a year ago, and department and goodwill and asset impairment, the loss was felt across all demographics, the aspiration- store employment levels dropped 47,100 in the same period. was $58.1 million, or $1.03 a share, nearly twice al luxury consumer was particularly hard hit, Particularly after the holiday season there’s “so much noise” in the 55-cent loss expected by analysts polled by including the professional working woman, our the retail jobs data that the one-month figures are less meaning- Yahoo Finance. ann taylor division core client.” ful, said charles mcmillion, president and chief economist at mBg net sales fell 19.5 percent, to $483.4 million Both the ann taylor and loft divisions felt information services. from $600.8 million, and dropped 24.5 percent the sting of the promotional climate at retail, “With consumers on strike, the job losses [in the retail sector] on a comparable-store basis. at ann taylor loft, and their margins experienced “significant” ero- and companies being lost are very likely to continue to accelerate,” volume was off 21.2 percent, with comps down sion, according to Krill. mcmillion said. “there is very little chance in my view that con- 21.9 percent, while ann taylor sales fell 31.6 per- gross margin for the quarter fell to 35.7 percent sumer spending is going to come back anytime this year.” cent, to $146.3 million, and its comps pulled back of sales from 48.7 percent in the prior-year period. 29.4 percent. Krill said the company ended the quarter the shortfall pushed shares down $2.13 with in-store inventories down 27 percent and The economy is in a tailspin and Friday to close at $3.41, earlier establishing a total inventories down 39 percent. this will help new 52-week, and all-time, low of $3.18. the company plan a more “strategic promotional “businesses are slashing at jobs at a On the company earnings call, michael and markdown approach,” she said. nicholson, executive vice president, chief finan- For the year, ann taylor had a net loss of breakneck pace. cial officer and treasurer, called the most recent $333.9 million, or $5.82 a share, versus a profit of quarter an “earnings trough” and noted the re- $97.2 million, or $1.53 a share, in the prior year. — Richard” Yamarone, Argus Research Corp. tailer took the “precautionary measure” of draw- sales slid 8.4 percent, to $2.19 billion from $2.40 ing down $125 million of its $250 million revolv- billion, while comps descended. since the recession started in December 2007, the U.s. economy ing credit facility “as insurance against potential ann taylor said it ended the year with cash has lost 4.4 million jobs. the labor Department said 3 million peo- disruption in the credit markets,” should it need of $112 million and no debt, and that excluding ple have been unemployed for six months or more. access to working capital in spring. any revolver borrowings, it expects to close fiscal compared with February, revised employment figures show that Kay Krill, president and chief executive of- 2009 with a comparable cash level. overall job declines were even greater in January, when 655,000 jobs were lost, and in December, when the decrease was 681,000, “the economy is in a tailspin and businesses are slashing at jobs at a breakneck pace, and there’s no reason to expect that this trend will change anytime soon,” said richard Yamarone, director of eco- nomic research at argus research corp. nigel gault, chief U.s. economist at ihs global insight, said, “the headline decline didn’t meet the worst fears, but that doesn’t make this report anything but awful. the labor market remains in free fall. the recession is deepening. there is no sign yet even that the rate of contraction is slowing.” textile mills, which produce apparel fabric, cut 2,800 posi- tions to employ 131,200 last month compared with January. textile product mills, which primarily manufacture home furnishing and industrial fabric, eliminated 2,400 positions to employ 136,200. apparel manufacturers cut 900 jobs, bringing employment in the sector to 178,700. Hartmarx Bankruptcy Could Close Hickey Freeman Flagship in N.Y. By Jean E. Palmieri NEW YORK — hartmarx corp.’s bankruptcy appears ready to claim the hickey Freeman flagship at 666 Fifth avenue here. hartmarx corp., hickey Freeman’s parent, filed for bankruptcy in January and needs to pare expenses as it puts together a reorgani- zation plan. as part of the chapter 11 proceedings, the company has closed or plans to close three Bobby Jones-hickey Freeman outlets as well as one full-price Bobby Jones store in honolulu. real estate sources say the 4,300-square-foot unit on 52nd street “can be made available” and is being quietly shopped around for $2,500 a square foot. the building was purchased in 2007 for $1.8 billion by Kushner cos., which is working to recoup its significant investment. Brooks Brothers had operated a 24,000-square-foot, two-level store in the building until January, and abercrombie, the children’s wear division of abercrombie & Fitch co., has signed a lease for about half the space. a company interested in getting a prime Fifth avenue presence can cobble together about 10,000 square feet by renting the remaining Brooks Bros. street-level space as well as the hickey Freeman store. One source familiar with hartmarx’s reorganization efforts said a&F was interest- ed in the remaining space as well. although there is an abercrombie & Fitch store just north of the location, at 720 Fifth avenue, the available space is just slightly more than the average footprint of stores in a&F’s upscale ruehl division, which operates an accessories-only store on Bleecker street but no other manhattan locations. “there are a lot of lookers,” said one source. “Yes, business is difficult, but there’s only one Fifth avenue and the location is still desirable.” executives at hickey Freeman and abercrombie & Fitch didn’t return phone calls seeking comment. a spokesperson for Kushner declined comment. WWD, MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2009 15 WWD.COM/CLASSIFIEDS Professional Services For more career opportunities log on to fashioncareers.com. Call 1.800.423.3314 or e-mail [email protected] to advertise.

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For more career opportunities log on to fashioncareers.com. Call 1.800.423.3314 or e-mail [email protected] to advertise. Spaces Retail Planner/Analyst Kahn Lucas, a major force in COMMERCIAL childrenswear, is looking for a retail analyst/planner, to help drive business REAL ESTATE Design Director growth. Will build sales plans; analyze Prestigious day and evening brand is weekly sales, inventory, receipt flow Key Account Exec - $80-90K base +++ seeking a lead designer with 10+ and markdowns; make recommenda- Current exp in girls or boys sportswear MEN’S BUYER years experience in high-end RTW. tions by climate/region addressing or sleepwear required. Private label or An Int’l leader in the world of Men’s and Women’s Luxury Must be able to lend significant creative liabilities/opportunities. Successful branded ok. established large midtown fashion has an immediate opening for an exp’d Men’s Buyer. & technical influence and lead all aspects candidate will have 5+ years of retail co. [email protected] 973-564-9236 of design to include sourcing, sample analysis exp. JC Penney and retail The ideal candidate will have at least 10 years exp buying making, and producing a comprehensive buying exp also a plus. For considera- Showrooms & Lofts and planning within a Luxury Boutique envir. You will day/evening collection plan. Major design tion send resume to: BWAY 7TH AVE SIDE STREETS select and analyze seasonal buys for various markets house experience is a plus. Qualified [email protected] Great ’New’ Office Space Avail individuals may respond with resume ADAMS & CO. 212-679-5500 throughout the US and be responsible for all facets of the and min. salary req. in confidence to: buying process from start to finish including market and sales [email protected] forecasting analysis and reacting to business needs accord- Samplemaker to $50K. Current strong exp ingly. You will have excel comm skills and the ability to work Designer $80-100K BOE. Strong in required. Knowledge underwire, etc . in a fast paced and dynamic envir. We offer a comp salary current exp in girls newborn. Must Must hang with with Vanity Fair, Warnaco, hang with Ralph Lauren, Polo, Tommy , etc. Midtown co. plus a full benefits package. E-mail resume to : Hilfiger, Quiksilver, J. Crew etc. [email protected] 973-564-9236 Couture Dress Maker [email protected] [email protected] 973-564-9236 Samplemaker and Alterations 15 years fashion experience. A/R SUPERVISOR Designer $80-100K BOE. Strong exp in Call Koy at 917-589-9703 Children’s sptswr company seeks person DENIM DESIGN boys infant toddler. Must hang with Systems Analyst, South Hackensack, Inv oppt for $10M 1st-year business, to supervise A/R Dept. Minimum 4 Ralph Lauren, Polo, Tommy Hilfiger, NJ: Directs the system development $100M+ vision attainable in 5 years. DIRECTOR GIRLS 4-16 Quiksilver, J. Crew etc. Exp’d Designer Legwear years exp. Strong knowledge of large life cycle starting from fact finding, Ladies, Men’s, Junior’s, Childrens Enviable track record of brand building, discounters: WM-KM & others. Credit, Volume dept. store branded denim co. [email protected] 973-564-9236 user requirements definition, systems denim & knits expertise. Ideal for seeks self starter senior level tween Create designs from concept collections, cash application, C/B investi- analyses and design, implementation, Tech packs, Presentation boards piggy-backing off existing business gation. Proficient Excel/Word. Benefits. denim designer/ merchandiser w/ testing, deployment maintenance and w/minimal inv or starting new div. min.10 yrs exp.to run NY design office. Designer shoes/boots $125-150K BOE. Shop the market, Trend Reasearch E-mail res to: [email protected] support. Will design and administrate Contact [email protected] Serious inquiries only please. Fluent knowledge of denim fabrics, Current exp in design of cute women’s databases in MS SQL 2000, and prepare [email protected] washes, constructions, embellishments & sneakers required. Product devel. reports and statements. Will evaluate Credit Assist. to $35K. Min 1-2 yrs cur- able to produce multiple sample lines Sketching, specing. Must have exp in and review software. Must be familiar rent exp in credit dealing w/ factor disputes, overseas w/ in time & action calendar a China. Will travel to China 4-6 times a with Aria Systems ERP software and returns, PODS, etc. Middlesex County, NJ . must. Candidate reports to CEO. Retail year. [email protected] 973-564-9236 Dataflow Web S/O software. Must be [email protected] 973-564-9236 buyer relationships a plus. Email: experienced in MS Visio and Aria [email protected] 27/XP, VB Net, ASP, Visual Fox Pro, Production Coord - $50-60K. Min 3 yrs Business objects, Windows XP/2000, MS PATTERNS, SAMPLES, current exp in import production w/ project and MS Outlook software. Will company that produces and or travel periodically to consult with soft- PRODUCTIONS womens sleepwear required. ware developers at Aria Systems and Subscribe All lines, Any styles. Fine Fast Service. Over see factory orders. Follow up. Dataflow. Require B.S. degree Call Sherry 212-719-0622. Excellent at math skills and Excel. North NJ majoring in Engineering Science. loc. [email protected] 973-564-9236 Mon-Fri,9 am to 5 pm, 40 hr/wk @ $ 69576.00 pr/yr. Fax resume to LK @ today! PATTERNS, SAMPLES, Production Mgr - $90-100K. Current 201 641 0499. exp in panties or women’s sleepwear PRODUCTIONS co required. Scheduling, costing, deal- Call 800.289.0273 Full service shop to the trade. ing with overseas factories. From Fine fast work. 212-869-2699. To subscribe, visit our website inception to completion. Northern NJ loc. TECH DESIGNER [email protected] 973-564-9236 Sweater co. seeks highly experienced for individual tech designer. Must be computer liter- www.wwd.com/subscribenow ate, detail oriented, focused and hard- subscriptions or Quality Assurance Mgr to $95K. Over working. Must have fitting, grading, see quality and compliance docs. and test - garment construction, import specing STRATEGIC PARTNER or call 800.289.0273 ing requirements for fabric. Thru finished and overseas communication skills. email Screen printing-U.S./Mexico products. Exp in home furnishings or apparel Follow garment from sample develop- LA co.w/Puebla, Mexico plant co. is ok. Must be able to live and work in ment through production and work all techniques, great capacity Shanghai, China. Bilingual. with production and design team. [email protected] principles only (323)252-3522 For group rates, contact Richard Franz at [email protected] [email protected] 973-564-9236 E-mail: [email protected] 16 WWD, MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2009 WWD.COM

FASHION SCOOPS press conference is held in the Brandolini, Bernard-Henri Lévy, coming weeks. The Mirror reported Arielle Dombasle, Victoire de PEACE SIGN: Photographers that the Material Girl would Castellane, Christian Louboutin, muscled for position as stars launch a clothing line with Ed Marissa Berenson, Milla Jovovich battled their way to their seats Hardy, the tattoo-inspired brand and Betty Catroux, who said at Christian Dior on Friday, founded by Audigier, in her second she fi rst partied there in the including the house’s glamazon, attempt to clothe the masses late Sixties. “We all did,” Charlize Theron. The statuesque after her sportswear synergy with she said, shaking her blonde actress, who also wears the H&M in 2007. Audigier, who locks. There seemed to be one hat of U.N. ambassador, said anointed himself the “King of photographer per dozen guests, she plans to head home to her Fashion” after raking in millions but none snapped more than von native South Africa at the end of dollars with scores of blinged- Furstenberg, who posts many of of the month. “I’ll be there for out licensees, denied Madonna them on her Web site. Asked about a peace conference and then is working with Ed Hardy. “It’s a her eye-popping Purple cover in I am heading to the Congo,” completely new project,” he said. fi shnet , and a said Theron, whose latest fl ick, “It’s a new brand. Actually, it’s Martin Margiela jacket composed “The Burning Plain,” is set for more than a brand.” Madonna of blonde wigs, she deadpanned: release soon. Actress Mylène would be the second Eighties Milla Jovovich “I don’t know how I managed to Jampanoï confi rmed she’s just icon Audigier is courting. The Los STEPHANE FEUGERE PHOTO BY not look ridiculous.” Charlize re-signed her contract for Dior Angeles-based designer has been spotted recently shopping on Theron Parfums. The latest campaign Beverly Hills’ Rodeo Drive with Michael Jackson. Audigier declined FLAUNTING IT: Vivienne Westwood’s spring poster girl, Pamela

STEPHANE FEUGERE PHOTO BY sees her enveloped in white to divulge details of his new project with Madonna, saving them for Anderson, skipped down the designer’s runway Friday, fl icking sheets with snow falling, she the upcoming press conferences he’s coordinating in Los Angeles her hair and twirling for photographers to a mix of applause, said. Jampanoï’s preparing for her role as Caroline Von Paulus, and New York. “I’m preparing a huge deal,” he said. laughter and whooping. “She was cool,” enthused Peaches better known as Bambou, Serge Gainsbourg’s second wife, in Geldof, who sat front row with another famous the upcoming Gainsbourg biopic. “It’s great playing someone FAMILY TIES: Family values reigned at the Lanvin daughter-of, Georgia May Jagger, and Beth Ditto who is still around, I’ve met her a few times,” Jampanoï said. show on Friday, from Bianca and , of The Gossip, who sported a pin that said “She’s really changed compared to what has been said about who sat side-by-side, to Kristin Scott Thomas, who “Mother.” Geldof said she’s working on a fashion her. She was a junkie you know and of course she’s not any revealed she’s soon to play an aunt. The actress TV program with Nylon magazine and rustling more.” Eva Green said she starts work on a new movie Monday. revealed she’s headed to Liverpool to start shooting up a book of short stories for adults. “They’re “It’s called ‘Womb,’” she said, helpfully miming a pregnant the John Lennon biopic “Nowhere Boy,” directed allegorical tales, half-surrealism, half-realism,” belly over the din. Shooting takes place in , and the by Sam Taylor Wood, in which she’ll play the late she explained. fi lm’s director is Hungarian Benedek Fliegauf. Beatle’s aunt. “It’s about his relationship with his mother and aunty growing up,” Thomas said. DRESSED TO KILL: At Martin Margiela Friday night, SPECTATOR SPORT: Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, who has been extremely French actress Alexandra Lamy said she’d just actress Clotilde Hesme said she would be outfi tted loyal to Christian Dior for event dressing, is branching out. ’s wrapped shooting the fi lm adaptation of comic book in Yohji Yamamoto rather than period costumes glamorous First Lady wore a dress from Chanel’s cruise collection bestseller “Lucky Luke” in Argentina, also starring for her role as an actress in “Angelou, Tyran de at a benefi t gala for Hadassah France in Paris last week. Melvil Poupaud and Sylvie Testud, in which she Padoue,” a story of love and espionage written by plays Belle. While they swapped notes Victor Hugo and showing at this summer’s Avignon FIRST IN FASHION: Speaking of fi rst ladies, during the show, Jade Jagger said she arts festival. “It’s a collaboration with Yamamoto. stylish women know that if they like the look and mum Bianca don’t wardrobe swap Pamela Anderson We’re going to go and have a look through the of something, they better get their hands on it any more. “My children share my clothes, that’s archives,” said Hesme, who was accompanied quickly before it sells out. Case in point: First more the age group,” the younger Jagger said. by her actor fi ancé, Julien Honoré. Also at the show, Kaat Debo, Lady Michelle Obama. Isaac Mizrahi’s fi rst Liz artistic director of Antwerp’s MoMu, said the fashion museum Claiborne collection just hit stores and, on LET’S DANCE: At Yohji Yamamoto on Friday night, would host its fi rst ever accessories-focused exhibition this Thursday, she was spotted wearing a white ruffl e Wim Wenders said he’s about to start work on his fall, dedicated to the 180-year-old Belgian leather goods brand Liz Claiborne New York blouse while visiting fi rst dance fi lm with modern choreographer Pina Delvaux, which recently named Veronique Branquinho its artistic Miriam’s Soup Kitchen near the White House. Bausch. “I’ll be fi lming in her theater in Wuppertal director. “It’s the Louis Vuitton of Belgium, only smaller,” said She teamed the look with a pink cardigan, [Germany],” he said. Wenders was accompanied Debo. Coming in 2010 is a retrospective of milliner Stephen black pants and a Sonia Rykiel plastic belt. by the Countess Setsuko Klossowska de Rola, Jones in tandem with his 30th anniversary in business. “We Obama is wearing the same belt on the April widow of the painter Balthus, who’s working on really want to focus on all of the amazing collaborations he’s cover of O, The Oprah Magazine, where she a book of paintings using Japanese kimonos done with the likes of Comme des Garçons, Dior, Walter Van uses it to accessorize a Michael Kors dress and as canvasses, due out in the fall. “I’m here for Beirendonck. He has this crazy [capacity for] fantasy,” she said. Dear Cashmere cardigan. “She has an amazing inspiration,” she said. Australian singer Micky Green said she’s hibernating and working proportion and anything she wears takes on the on her second album, due out in October. “It’ll be more funky, Michelle Obama mystique,” Mizrahi said. THE COLOR PURPLE: A party Thursday night at with a mix of Seventies and a bit of Eighties thrown in,” she Montana, the Left Bank’s newest hot spot, was said. Meanwhile, actress Natacha Régnier is relishing dark roles. THE MATERIAL GIRL MEETS THE ‘KING OF FASHION’: BROOKS KRAFT/CORBIS PHOTO BY hosted by Purple magazine, but felt more Vanity Fair First up, she plays the wife of a schizophrenic killer in a movie Madonna and Christian Audigier aren’t exactly known Michelle Obama in the Liz thanks to the guest of honor: Diane von Furstenberg. thriller called “Magma,” then a wife whose husband tries to kill for their subtlety. So it’s no surprise their new Claiborne New York blouse Among those fi ling into the murky, mirrored basement her character in “L’Impasse du Desir.” “I like roles that have collaboration is veiled in feigned secrecy until a big designed by Isaac Mizrahi. club were Charlotte Casiraghi, Karl Lagerfeld, Coco substance,” she noted.

Sadie Frost in “Touched… For the Very First Time.” The Girlie Show SADIE FROST MIGHT BE BEST KNOWN Frost has fi rsthand experience of the public’s as ’s ex-wife, ’ BFF fascination with the celebrity lifestyle. “I’d known from or a founding member of London’s quite early on that it was all a facade,” she says. “Even fast-living . But she’s though I had to go through a lot of media scrutiny, I returning to an even earlier identity: could see it for what it was.” That said, “I did fall into actress. the trappings of parties and celebrity dos, wearing a Back in the Eighties, Frost appeared in lovely outfi t and being told you look great.” the Nicholas Hytner-directed play “Mumbo Jumbo,” These days, Frost says she prefers attracting the followed by several fi lms. Now she stars in Zoe attention of an audience — rather than a pack of Lewis’ one-woman show “Touched…For the Very paparazzi. “It’s really empowering and liberating,” First Time” at Manchester’s Royal Exchange theater says Frost of her live gig. “It’s eight performances a through Saturday. week, but I’ve got a lot of energy to put into it.” And The 90-minute performance, set in protagonist Frost doesn’t shy away from the play’s cheeky nods to Lesley’s girly teenage bedroom, tells the story of some of her own famous pals. Refl ecting on aging, her a 36-year-old woman who has been obsessed with character knowingly pronounces that her face looks Madonna since the release of “Like a Virgin” in 1984. “like a night out with Kate Moss,” to much mirth among The play covers Lesley’s life from the Eighties to the the audience. (The line was in fact written a year present day, with a soundtrack and costume changes — before Frost was cast in the play.) from ripped jeans and tutus to “Hung Up” leotards — Up next, Frost will be promoting the short fi lm she to match. Lesley tries both to mirror the Material Girl’s directed titled “Mrs. Olsen,” which will be entered into constant reinvention and subscribe to the singer’s this year’s Cannes Film Festival. She’s also entertaining brand of female empowerment, until eventually she’s any offers for “more fi lm, more theater and a bit of TV.” caught in an embarrassing encounter with the pop star As for the Frost French clothing line she designs with at a London club. Jemima French, the company downsized and took on “I really liked Madonna when I was 15,” says Frost, a new investor last year. The duo now have a single whose performance has been described as “perfectly store in Islington, north London, and will unveil a new adequate” by the British press. “I can identify [with collection this month. Lesley’s obsession], but she’s more affected by “It’s commercial, wearable and really well made — MAX CISOTTI BY Madonna telling her to be empowered. I’d always felt without trying too hard,” says Frost.

PHOTO independent and strong.” — Nina Jones