2 WWD, TUESDAY, MAY 4, 2010 WWD.COM DKNY in Deal With SKNL for Men’s By Jean Scheidnes WWDTUESReady-to-Wear/TextilesDay Donna Karan InternatIonal anD S. KumarS natIonwIDe lImIteD have formed a joint venture and global licensing agreement for DKnY men’s GENERAL wear. the deal formalizes and expands an interim agreement that wwD 1 New York City’s young crop of designers is now WWD first reported in June, and replaces a similar deal DKI had with marchpole thinking globally almost from the moment they Holdings plc, which was placed into administration, the u.K. equivalent of launch their labels. Men’s Chapter 11, in november 2008. Donna Karan International and S. Kumars michael morris, president of SKnl (u.K.) ltd., heads the venture. 2 SKnl will source, design, produce and distribute the full range of men’s wear ap- Nationwide Limited have formed a joint venture and parel for DKnY Black label, a bridge line. the agreement runs through 2015, with an option to global licensing agreement for DKNY men’s wear. extend the license for an additional seven years. 3 Giorgio Armani will close its 5,300-square-foot “this joint venture with DKI is consistent with SKnl’s focus on aligning with the world’s top ap- store at NorthPark Center in Dallas on May 16, parel and accessories brands as part of our global growth strategy,” said nitin S. Kasliwal, managing less than three years after it opened as part of the director and vice chairman of mumbai-based SKnl, which holds rights to 45 brands. mall’s redevelopment of a luxury corridor. the spring 2010 collection is the first to be offered by SKnl under this agreement. It is avail- able in high-end department and speciality stores in addition to DKnY’s network of about 100 3 After a $20 million renovation, the 25,000-square- stores worldwide. foot Limelight marketplace opens to the public one of the venture’s strategic priorities is expansion of the DKnY men’s business in europe. on Friday. “we are focused on expanding our offerings for DKnY men to include a full lifestyle collection,” TEXTILES: The new Congressional fashion and s 12 said mark weber, chief executive officer of lVmH north america and chairman and ceo of DKI. manufacturing caucus has a mandate to help save the New York Garment District and protect fashion designs from piracy. Salvatore Ferragamo SpA posted a net loss of 15 15 million euros, or $20.8 million, last year as it was Cavalli Cleared on Tax Evasion Charges hit by one-off charges related to previous years. EYE By Luisa Zargani the lavishly furnished 12th-century estate, which The fashionfashion caucuscaucus willwill includes two swimming pools and a helipad, also work toto preservepreserve NewNew 8 Donatella Versace and her relaunched Versus line MILAN — It took him eight years, but roberto serves as the firm’s headquarters and showroom. York’s GarmentGarment Center.Center. hosted the Art of Elysium’s Bright Lights party Cavalli has finally cleared his name with Italy’s Cavalli over the years has held special events Friday night at Milk Studios. tax authorities. and product launches at the venue, and several the Florence Court of appeal has entirely ex- ad campaigns were photographed on the estate Classified Advertisements...... 15 onerated the designer of tax and in the villa’s park, which To e-mail reporTers and ediTors aT WWd, The address is fraud charges. on monday, has a view over Florence. [email protected], using The individual’s name. Cavalli said that on Friday Roberto Cavalli In 2008, Italy’s Supreme WWD IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ADVANCE MAGAZINE PUBLISHERS INC. COPYRIGHT ©2010 FAIRCHILD FASHION GROUP. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. the court found “the facts al- Court of Cassation, the coun- VOLUME 199, NO. 94. WWD (ISSN 0149–5380) is published daily (except for Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, with one leged against [the designer] try’s highest court, cleared additional issue in January, May, June, October and December, two additional issues in March, April, August, September and did not amount to a crime the designer of tax evasion November, and three additional issues in February) by Fairchild Fashion Group, which is a division of Advance Magazine Publishers Inc. PRINCIPAL OFFICE: 750 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017. Shared Services provided by Condé Nast: — a complete dismissal in and a Florentine court’s S. I. Newhouse, Jr., Chairman; Charles H. Townsend, President/CEO; John W. 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Please give both new and old addresses as printed on most recent label. Subscribers: If the Post Office alerts us that remodeling his luxurious Florence court found Cavalli your magazine is undeliverable, we have no further obligation unless we receive a corrected address within one year. If villa in the hills around guilty of tax evasion and sen- during your subscription term or up to one year after the magazine becomes undeliverable, you are ever dissatisfied with Florence to the company tenced him to 14 months in 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. Address all editorial, business, and production correspondence to WOMEN’S during the fiscal years 1996 prison, but a legal technical- WEAR DAILY, 750 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017. For permissions and reprint requests, please call 212-630-4274 to 2000, which totaled about ity exempted him from ever or fax requests to 212-630-4280. Visit us online at www.wwd.com. To subscribe to other Fairchild magazines on the World Wide Web, visit www.fairchildpub.com. Occasionally, we make our subscriber list available to carefully screened 5 billion lire, Italy’s pre-eu- serving jail time. companies that offer products and services that we believe would interest our readers. If you do not want to receive these ro currency, equivalent to In 2008, the Court of offers and/or information, please advise us at P. O . Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA 91615-5008 or call 800-289-0273. about $3.32 million. Cassation also turned the WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RETURN OR LOSS O F, OR FOR DAMAGE OR ANY OTHER INJURY TO, UNSOLICITED MANUSCRIPTS, UNSOLICITED ART WORK (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DRAWINGS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND In 2003, the designer re- case back to the Court of TRANSPARENCIES), OR ANY OTHER UNSOLICITED MATERIALS. THOSE SUBMITTING MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, ART jected a plea bargain offer, appeal, demanding it review WORK, OR OTHER MATERIALS FOR CONSIDERATION SHOULD NOT SEND ORIGINALS, UNLESS SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED vowing to prove his inno- the facts in order to deter- TO DO SO BY WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY IN WRITING. MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND OTHER MATERIALS SUBMITTED cence. roberto Cavalli Spa mine whether a crime had MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY A SELF-ADDRESSED STAMPED ENVELOPE. disputed claims the firm been committed at all. as booked the designer’s residential remodeling per monday’s statement: “the Court of appeal charges to the company through phony bills and determined that the only proper end…was com- DAILY receipts, saying the company commissioned all plete exoneration, finding that none of the facts In light of near 10 the work done on the house. the designer and alleged against [Cavalli] amounted to a crime,” QUOTE “ the company he owns always have contended the company said monday. percent unemployment and 17 percent underemployment, the recovery has been remarkable, but Saks to Close Store in San Diego the 83 percent of people with full-time By David Moin jobs are spending again — big time. SaKS FIFtH aVenue wIll CloSe ItS San DIego Store, loCateD In tHe FaSHIon Valley mall, by July 17. — Craig Johnson, president of Customer Growth Partners. Page” 14. the 81,000-square-foot unit has about 70 employees, who will be offered transfer opportunities or will receive severance packages. “Store-closing decisions are never easy, but are necessary from time to time,” Stephen I. Sadove, chairman and chief executive officer of Saks Inc., said monday. “the planned closing of our San Diego store is consistent with our strategy of focusing our resources on our most produc- TODAY ON tive stores.” In march, the company said its men’s and women’s units in Portland, ore., also will close in July. .com according to Sadove, a handful of stores will close over time. He said the lease in San Diego was WWD soon to expire, facilitating the closing. the store opened in 1995. Saks Inc. operates 53 Saks Fifth avenue stores, 55 Saks off 5th stores and saks.com. Saks ramped up expansion in the nineties, when it was owned by Investcorp and wanted to dem- onstrate a growth story in advance of going public. the company merged into Proffitt’s Inc. in 1998 and soon after started publicly trading under the symbol SKS. the luxury chain continued to open a few stores under Proffitt’s management. • Additional images from the Met this year, Saks is showing an improved performance, though results have been dragged down by certain stores that operate in areas lacking the customer base to support them, or in the right Costume Institute gala markets but the wrong mall. also in some cases, Saks took on high rents in exchange for getting NE r • More images from the IC h landlords to support build-outs. with several stores signing leases in the late nineties, some leases Art of Elysium gala will come up for renewal over the next several years. TEVE E

S • WWD Blog: Behind the

the company has signed a letter of intent to open a store in Puerto rico and is waiting for the de- BY Ginta Lapina o

T scenes at WWD’s veloper taubman Centers Inc. to proceed. Saks also previously revealed intentions to open a store in Versus. in Yonkers, n.Y., but has decided not to go forward with that unit. Pho Kim Gordon photo shoot WWD, TUESDAY, MAY 4, 2010 3 WWD.COM Reincarnated Limelight Set for Debut MEMO PAD IF ONE IS GOOD, THEN WHY NOT TWO — OR THREE?: Apparently, By Sharon Edelson Brocade offers Monday was Editor in Chief Day at the “Today” show. In what must affordable luxuries THE LIMELIGHT HAS BEEN REINVENTED have been the result of a scheduling mishap, show producers booked for the home. once again. Cindi Leive (Glamour) and Robbie Myers (Elle) for two separate After a $20 million renovation, the 25,000-square- segments on virtually the same topic — the new ‘womanly’ fi gure. And foot Limelight Marketplace opens to the public on not long after Myers’ bit wrapped up, Linda Wells of Allure hopped on Friday at 2 p.m., its transformation from church to air to talk with Natalie Morales about teeth whitening. nightclub to upscale mall complete. It’s expected to Accompanied by plus-size models Crystal Renn and Jennie generate sales of $50 million annually. Runk, Leive chatted with Meredith Vieira during the eight o’clock The brightly lit multilevel space at New York’s hour about the magazine’s June issue, which features a curvy and Sixth Avenue and 20th Street contains 60 shops, bikini-clad trio — Renn, Alessandra Ambrosio and Brooklyn Decker eateries and cafes. Along the street of shops, there — on the cover. She told Vieira that real women are the new sexy, are black-and-white fl oors and no two facades are adding she’s sensing a renewed appreciation for individuality and the same. Retailers include Olatz, Selima Optiques authenticity among women. (“I think the point is, listen, we all and Book Smart, among others. Food stalls with red have curves and rolls and not everybody is perfectly straight up awnings can be found on the main fl oor and in a and down,” Leive said, “and we just wanted to send a message specialty food hall. There’s also a sweet room with that there are lots of ways to look great in a swimsuit.”) Baci Gelato, Butterfl y Bake Shop and Maris. Then, about an hour later, Myers was in the hot seat opposite Turning the massive Gothic Revival-style church Ann Curry to talk about women and curves: Are they making a into a marketplace was no easy task. The building comeback? Well, sort of, explained the Elle editor, citing Louis had fallen into disrepair and the construction bud- Vuitton’s use of Elle Macpherson and Prada’s use of Victoria’s get doubled as contractors uncovered issues under Secret models in their February runway shows. “Culture is shifting the Sheetrock. a little bit to women who look a little more realistic,” Myers told Limelight Marketplace chief executive offi cer Curry, though she maintained women still want “a little idealization Jack Menashe’s plan wasn’t initially met with much in our models and in our movie stars. You know, we want to project encouragement. “Everybody said I couldn’t do it,” The entrance that, maybe, that’s a better version of ourselves.” (Curry clearly he recalled. “I love this kind of stuff. It was fun.” to It’Sugar is bought it — she gushed over Myers and her magazine.) Olatz Schnabel, who will occupy a shop close framed in jelly It was a lot of body talk for a Monday morning, to be sure, to the front door, said, “I love the idea of Limelight beans. though neither Myers nor Leive seemed to mind that fact, or Marketplace. I love the building. There is nothing that they had been scheduled to talk about the same topic. “The like it in the neighborhood. There are no depart- more attention on this subject, the better,” Leive told WWD. She ment stores in the area.” Schnabel’s Limelight shop didn’t know Myers had been booked on the show prior to arriving is modeled after her Clarkson Street store in the West at the studio. (Myers, meanwhile, e-mailed Leive from the green Village, which looks like an old Cuban pharmacy with room, as she watched her colleague’s segment, to joke about their black-and-white fl oors and mint green walls. “This almost back-to-back appearances.) And at least outwardly, the two will be a little miniature version of my store,” said AQUINO exhibited nothing but a love-in. “I thought she did a great job,” Schnabel, who sells bedding, nightwear, slips and Leive said of Myers. “I’m a fan of Robbie’s.” JOHN shirts and is working on a line of summer dresses. The feeling was mutual. “As always, Cindi’s a tough act to Linda Versacio, who created West Elm for Williams- follow,” Myers told WWD. — Nick Axelrod and Amy Wicks

Sonoma, now runs a design business called Brocade. PHOTOS BY At Limelight Marketplace, she’ll open a unit on the TOGETHER AGAIN: Mary Berner has tapped another former colleague street of shops and a 1,500-square-foot space on the leather boot collection and hats and scarves.” from Fairchild for Reader’s Digest Association. Dan Lagani second fl oor with a main room and smaller, uniquely Beauty and fragrances will be sold at the second- will take on the role of president of RD Media, overseeing the decorated rooms. “I don’t think there’s been some- fl oor apothecary room with black lacquer and mir- fl agship magazine and other branded businesses. Most recently, thing different and unique in New York for a while,” rored fi xtures and counters for Caswell-Massey, Om Lagani worked at Tre Cani Advisors and, before that, he served she said. “It was defi nitely a risk. I loved the idea of Aroma & Co., Cosmé Proud and Sue Devitt. Avery as president of the Fairchild Fashion Group, which publishes doing this in this architecturally amazing space.” Perfumes, whose store in London’s Mayfair is bow- WWD. He will report to Lisa Sharples, president of Reader’s Digest Havaianas’ fi rst U.S. kiosk is opening in the ing this summer, will launch its fi rst U.S. showcase Community, the division that encompasses all assets of the marketplace as well. A sampling of Havaianas’ 250 at the Limelight. Avery specializes in unusual Reader’s Digest brand. — A.W. styles and colors will rotate through the kiosk every scents such as Carthusia, developed in 1380. week. “I fi rst saw the renderings of [the mall] and Eli Akiba was planning to open one store at COMIC TIMING: Superheroes come in all shapes and styles these it looked a little like the old Henri Bendel,” said Limelight. “When I saw the magnitude of the proj- days — even Carla Bruni-Sarkozy. The Rachel Greenstein, marketing manager. Havaianas ect I decided to open three stores,” he said. “This former model, singer, paramour of rockers sells sandals with pin embellishments for $30, hand- is the best project that’s happened in New York in and politicians and now First Lady of sewn Crystallized-Swarovski Elements for $148 and a long time.” His stores are: T Time, a T-shirt shop France is to be immortalized as the main custom-made sandals for $25. The custom service that will open on the main fl oor; LuLu, which will heroine of a new comic book. It is part of will be available on weekends. offer J Brand, Citizens for Humanity, Seven For All Bluewater Productions’ “Female Force” Hunter Boots’ fi rst retail venture worldwide is Mankind and Rock Star jeans, along with footwear biography series and is due out in August. opening in the marketplace. “We saw it as an incred- from John Galliano, Alessandro Dell’Acqua and Penned by “Doctor Who” novelist David ible opportunity to have a pop-up concept and reach Creative Recreation on the second level, and LuLu’s A. McIntee and drawn by Heath Foley, the our customers,” said Kirsten Hardigg, executive di- men’s outpost, also on the second fl oor, which will comic traces Bruni-Sarkozy’s rise from rector of sales at Hunter. “There’s a synergy between sell Ralph Lauren, Scotch & Soda and Superdry. Nineties catwalker to fi rst lady. And at the brands they’ve brought on board. We want to pres- “The project is beyond my expectations,” Menashe the totally opposite end of the spectrum, ent the true Hunter lifestyle. We’re doing handbags, a said. “The tenant roster is above and beyond.” former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher also has been tackled by the series, as have Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey and J.K. Rowling. The series is Armani Shuttering NorthPark Center Shop billed to offer a broad examination of strong and infl uential women who are shaping modern history and culture. — Katya Foreman GIORGIO ARMANI WILL CLOSE ITS 5,300-SQUARE-FOOT STORE AT NORTHPARK CENTER IN DALLAS on May 16, less than three years after it opened as part of the mall’s redevelopment of a luxury corridor. IN THE CLUB: Club Monaco tapped Paris-based photographer and The Armani company confi rmed that the unit, which launched in September 2007, will shut, but de- fashion blogger Garance Doré to shoot its fall look book. It’s only clined further comment. Armani will be left with 12 full-line stores in the U.S. the second time the Polo Ralph Lauren Corp.-owned specialty The Armani boutique, which carries men’s and women’s fashion and accessories, is situated steps from chain has created a look book with models, and the company Neiman Marcus, which might have been a factor in the decision to close. Neiman’s has long had an Armani recruited a posse of bright young things men’s shop on its fi rst level and an Armani women’s boutique in the third-fl oor designer area. to pose for the project: actress Byrdie Bell, “They feel Neiman Marcus can take care of their customers,” said Nancy Nasher, president of Alec Friedman shot Teen Vogue assistant beauty editor Laurel NorthPark Development Co., which operates the luxury mall. by Garance Doré. Pantin, Columbia University student Lily She said the Armani space has been leased to Gregory’s, a 20-year-old independent designer boutique Kwong (a cousin of rising-star designer known for its shoe selection and fl amboyant style. Gregory’s plans to move this fall from Galleria Dallas Joseph Altuzarra), Club Monaco women’s into the space between Valentino and Burberry. Gregory’s also operates a store at the Houston Galleria. merchant Maria McManus, actor Luke — Holly Haber Forbes, Dossier Journal co-founder Alex Friedman and furniture designer Jeff Raynor. Doré shot the cast in the streets of the West Village and Meatpacking District, Hugo Boss Taps Americas Chief Operating Offi cer in the style of her popular blog. “It’s a different way to live fashion than through HUGO BOSS HAS NAMED GUY SOMMERHALDER ments to the fi nancial supply chain and played a the magazine fashion stories, which are to the newly created role of chief operating of- key role in the business expansion of Marc Jacobs more an ideal — and which I love,” said ficer for the Americas. The new position will re- and Marc by Marc Jacobs worldwide. For the previ- Doré of her street photography, in an port to chairman and chief executive officer of the ous 10 years, Sommerhalder held comparable posi- interview published in the look book. Americas, Mark Brashear. tions with Donna Karan International, Celine and The company will hold a launch party The creation of the position is a step to enable Hugo Louis Vuitton, all divisions of LVMH Moët Hennessy at new Chelsea restaurant B.E.S. on Boss to streamline and improve effi ciencies to support Louis Vuitton, as is Marc Jacobs. Tuesday. In addition, a printed version of the overall operational strategy for the Americas. Sommerhalder will be responsible for fi nance, dis- the look book will be distributed to the top Sommerhalder has been vice president of fi - tribution, information technology, human resources 10 percent of Club Monaco shoppers when nance for Marc Jacobs International for the last fi ve and production facilities in his new role at Hugo Boss. the collections begin hitting its 63 North years. He was seen as instrumental in the improve- — Jean Scheidnes American stores in July. — David Lipke 4 WWD, TUESDAY, MAY 4, 2010

Blake Lively in Marchesa and Lorraine Schwartz. Tom Ford whalen steve eichner and kristen somody The two O’s: Oscar greets Oprah in custom Oscar de la Renta. photos by American Idols When it came to dressing, the theme of the metropolitan museum of art’s annual costume institute gala, “american Woman,” left guests with two options: Be the patriot or promote international relations. firmly in the first camp was Diane von Furstenberg, whose frock was literally star spangled. “i am the statue of liberty,” she said with pride. Joining her were Taylor Swift and Jessica Biel in ralph lauren, Brooke Shields in michael Kors, Mamie Gummer in donna Karan and Oprah Winfrey in oscar de la renta (he may not have been born in the u.s. of a., but he is one of its proudest citizens). Winfrey cohosted with Patrick Robinson of gap and Anna Wintour. and what’s more american than the humble baseball cap, like the one worn by Marc Jacobs? his choice, however, had nothing to do with patriotism. “i had hair transplants,” he said. (and in another sports moment, Eli Manning and Tom Brady greeted each other with a big hug. so super Bowl Xlii is clearly forgiven.) the patriotism was enough to make the europeans in attendance green with envy. “there’s something really relaxed and comfortable about their style,” said Emma Watson in Burberry. “they don’t try too hard.” “i like their forthrightness,” said Mick Jagger. “there’s a sense of richness that you have here on so many levels,” said Marion Cotillard in dior haute couture. “ Yo u have a good mix of the high and the low.” nevertheless, a few of the american women chose to represent our european allies. Kristen Stewart wore chanel; January Jones, Yves Kristen Stewart saint laurent, and Anne Hathaway, Valentino. in Chanel Haute and then there was Katy Perry, who flew the flag for american individuality. her electric gown came from a shop in france called Couture and Chanel cutecircuit and had flashing lights, presumably enough to get her through the evening. “i have backups,” she said. “But i do feel like a Fine Jewelry. terrorist wearing all these batteries.” WWD, TUESDAY, MAY 4, 2010 5 WWD.COM

Taylor Swift in Ralph Lauren Collection and Fred Leighton.

Vera Wang

Ricky and Russell Simmons Ralph Lauren and Donna Karan

Liv Tyler and Kate Hudson, both in Stella McCartney and Fred Leighton, with Marion Cotillard in Stella McCartney. Dior Haute Couture. 6 WWD, tuesday, may 4, 2010

Anna Karolina Kurkova Wintour in Altuzarra. in Chanel American Idols Haute Couture.

For more images, see Miuccia WWD.com. Prada

Jennifer Lopez in Zuhair Murad.

Kate Bosworth Patrick in Valentino Robinson and Van Cleef & Arpels. WWD, tuesday, may 4, 2010 7 WWD.COM

Gisele Bündchen in custom Alexander Wang.

Zoe Saldana in Calvin Klein Collection with Francisco Costa and Diane Kruger in Calvin Carey Mulligan in Miu Miu Klein Collection and and Martin Katz. Fred Leighton.

Jessica Alba in Sophie Anne Hathaway in Theallet for Gap. Valentino and Bulgari.

Michael Kors and Brooke Shields in Michael Kors and Fred Leighton. whalen somody kristen and eichner Renée Dee Ocleppo Zellweger steve and Tommy in Carolina by Hilfiger Herrera. Photos 8 WWD, TUESDAY, MAY 4, 2010 WWD.COM Hanne Gaby Odiele and Alana Zimmer, both in Versus. Friday Night Estelle performing in Versus. Lights Friday nights are usually oFF limits for the fashion crowd after a long week of back-to-back bashes. not when Donatella Versace is in town. along with co-designer Christopher Kane, Versace and her relaunched Versus line hosted the art of elysium’s Bright lights party Friday night at milk studios. Versace’s affection for new york is partly due to the fact that Versus was first shown here back in the nineties. “i think one day, if we want to do the runway again, i think we’ll do it in new york,” said Versace, adding of the quintessential new york chicks: “they’re hot, they’re hot and [have] no fears.” her guests list helped prove her point. Joy Bryant, Victoria and Vanessa Traina, Alana Zimmer, Karolina Kurkova, Mary- Kate and Ashley Olsen, Alexandra Richards, Giambattista Valli and Peter Dundas milled Mary-Kate Olsen in a vintage Vladimir Doronin and Naomi Campbell in Versus. around the space, while Naomi Campbell and paramour Vladimir Doronin hung out jacket and Proenza Schouler on a banquette with Allegra Beck and dress with Ashley Olsen in a

The Row jacket and vintage a slew of beefy, presumably russian, s bodyguards. and just before Estelle took Commes des Garçons dress. to the stage to perform her hit “american Boy,” Janet Jackson showed up, huddling Joy Bryant in Versus. in a corner to chat with Versace. “i would normally never go out on a s Friday night,” said one guest staring at

Donatella Versace ccon E and Janet Jackson the duo. “But that’s pretty major.” iA nn A

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For more, see WWD.com. of Elysium Art

vulnerable,” recalls the director. “but Sarah has a strong personality and that was important if she was going to go up against catherine Keener.” art oF the Steele Steele has exhibited a sense of independence from a young age. growing up a middle child in Philadelphia, she was “kind of the odd Seated at a communal table at the hungarian PaStry ShoP one”: her parents were both scientists and her siblings both excelled on amsterdam avenue and 111th Street in new york, Sarah Steele blends at academics and athletics, areas Steele didn’t find particularly in seamlessly with the cafe’s crowd of students typing away frantically on interesting. So when she was 10, she joined a community theater laptops and downing espresso. dressed in a print cardigan and nondescript troupe, the rainbow company, that performed hip-hop musicals about black jeans, the 21-year-old actress hardly seems interested in channeling issues such as homosexuality and poverty at inner-city public schools. a prototypical young “it” girl persona — in real life or on-screen. She got her acting break when she starred as bernie in 2004’s “i’m much better at things if i believe in them, and a lot of those “Spanglish,” opposite adam Sandler and téa leoni. not unlike abby, little teenage starlet roles, they have problems, too, and a lot of bernie was a smart, funny girl grappling with adolescent traumas, in movies just ignore that,” says Steele, who is finishing up her junior this case weight gain. year at columbia university, where she is an english major. “We see “i guess because i had never been fat, the thing that everyone in these cute, perfect bombshells that make me feel like i’m not good my life seemed to react to was, ‘Whoa, you played a fat girl!’” recalls enough, i’m not pretty enough. i don’t think i could pull off playing a Steele, who wore a fat suit while making the movie. though it was a person like that, and do i want to? i don’t know.” critical success, “Spanglish” helped Steele realize she wasn’t game Fortunately, Steele — though fresh faced enough to tackle those to be the quintessential child actor. “i wouldn’t trade that experience, parts — has found plenty of creative fulfillment in what one might term but i could also see that i didn’t want to be a hollywood kid. that “antistarlet” roles. in her latest project, nicole holofcener’s “Please seemed really clear to me that that shouldn’t be my path.” give,” which opened last week, Steele is abby, an adolescent growing up instead, she focused on her studies and entered columbia, where in manhattan and struggling with all manner of teenage issues, from skin she’s been maintaining a normal student life, american lit classes problems to having the right pair of designer jeans. She clashes with her and all. aside from, say, her cameo on a few episodes of “gossip girl” furniture dealer parents (catherine Keener and oliver Platt). earlier this season, in which she played one of little J’s classmates. the film quietly but painstakingly lays bare its characters’ material “if i’m being entirely honest, i went in for it not thinking i would and emotional preoccupations, and abby is no exception. For one, her be cast,” she says of the experience. “it was probably the most acne is an ongoing source of embarrassment, a condition Steele had glamorous role i’ve ever played.…you’re wearing 4-inch heels all day no reservations about tackling. and i was like, ‘uh, i’m kind of missing abby’s big clothes right now.’” “i never had skin problems, but i feel like every girl, i hope, can as for what future roles hold, Steele is leaning toward a more relate to feeling like the ugliest girl on the planet,” explains Steele, multidisciplinary approach to her postcollege life. whose blemishes in the film were the handiwork of makeup artist “i know that eventually i will combine [acting] with other things. acting rebecca Perkins. “abby is smart and funny. She was a real teenager is a lot of waiting to be picked and i like to do a lot of things at once,” and real teenagers have those problems. i would feel much more weird says Steele, who has been enthralled by her english courses and has toyed playing a teenager i didn’t believe exists.” with the idea of graduate school. “i think i will have to find things that are a sense of realness was one of the major draws to holofcener when totally mine. i have so much comfort that school and my academic life are Sarah Steele she decided to cast Steele as abby. totally mine. i hope that there’s not a lot of idleness in my future.” “i loved that her face and chest flushed during the reading — she was — Vanessa Lawrence WWD, tuesDay, may 4, 2010 9 WWD.COM Lim’s Next Chapter FASHION SCOOPS PARADIS FOUND: She sings, models and acts. And next Rosenberg, was the first to buy the designer’s collection “Do you wear this in or Do you wear it out?” up, Vanessa Paradis is due to don another cap — that in the early Sixties. “They sold like hotcakes. They that’s Phillip Lim speaking as he’s holding an impromptu of editor. The French star is to be editor in chief of a were $150 to $200 dresses that were cut on the styling session at his 39th street showroom, darting from one rack special edition Cannes International Film Festival issue bias, lined in silk shantung and were hand-overcast,” to another and grabbing a pair of pants here, a cardigan there. of weekly French magazine Madame Figaro. Paradis Hashim said. “He was making couture clothes that he’s trying to demonstrate a point: his one-year-old intimates line, appears on the cover with Karl Lagerfeld, who lensed were sold at ready-to-wear prices. That’s the reason he 3.1 Phillip Lim initials, will expand into the loungewear category the cover story. The edition’s launch will be feted at didn’t make any money.” this fall, propelling beyond the bralette-and-boyshorts premise of a Cannes dinner honoring the pair on May 18 at the Fashion illustrator Steven Stipelman, Patricia Mears its debut to seamlessly work that innerwear-outerwear look. the Canal Plus Patio. Also headed to the festival, disco and Yeohlee Teng were among the other guests. designer throws a sweatshirt over a silk onesie; a cropped kimono, diva Grace Jones is said to be booked to perform at Le which he calls the “kimini,” gets paired with gold sequin pants Baron Cannes. PORTS 1961’S VOYAGE TO LONDON: Ports 1961 designer from the ready-to-wear racks. “you could wear this out walking Tia Cibani headed to London to officially unveil the around the city or to stay in,” Lim explains. “it’s all about clothing AT THE TABLE: Stuart Weitzman might be ready to label’s in-store boutique in Harvey Nichols. In a nod that is versatile and adaptable.” stand under the Jones Apparel Group umbrella, to the influences from the natural world that Cibani initials was launched as a tight five-style lingerie lineup last but he still plans to run his own business. Talks weaves through her collections, the space — designed resort season and has already become a surprise hit for the between Jones, Stuart Weitzman and Irving Place by Winka Dubbeldam of New York’s Archi-Tectonics company. sales have grown 187 percent to $3 million wholesale Capital, which snapped up a stake in the shoe — has been crafted with walnut floors, textured gold in the three seasons since that first collection, which had an 80 business in 2005, are proceeding and could wrap stretch-organdy fabric on the walls and vases of pink percent sell-through, while the new spring offerings in stores are up within a couple of weeks, according to a person hydrangeas dotted about the boutique. “I wanted at a 75 percent sell-through familiar with the negotiations. Under the deal being it to be warm and inviting, feminine but not fussy,” thus far. the fall collection contemplated, Jones would acquire a majority interest said Cibani, who asked Dubbeldam to add customer- has expanded to 34 styles, Looks from in the business. “It would be managed as a separate friendly touches, such as warm, indirect lighting in the including harem pants, ruffled 3.1 Phillip company [led by Weitzman],” said the source. changing rooms, and mirrors that move so customers swing camis, robes and t-shirts Lim Initials. Weitzman also would be able to use Jones’ resources can see a look from different angles. And Cibani said with deep V, beribboned backs. to develop the business. her London customers are keen to experiment with her “we’ve also added essential statement items. “The customer here loves glamour knitwear,” says Lim. “the idea is ALL FOR HALSTON: On Friday night — four and embraces it — they’re not fearful of the more about a staycation.” Motifs and days before the Met gala — the style set got sculpted pieces,” she said. And it seems the project details of the collection, which a head start on celebrating American fashion has given Cibani a taste for Europe — she said Ports sells at 78 retailers worldwide, with the Tribeca Film Festival’s premiere 1961 is now looking at opening stand-alone stores in include watercolor florals (“we of “Ultrasuede: In Search of Halston,” Milan, Paris and London over the next two years. reversed the print so it has this a documentary about Halston’s legacy Her latest project, meanwhile, is a Ports 1961 fading effect”), mesh inserts and by first-time director Whitney Sudler- pavilion at the Expo 2010 in Shanghai, designed tiny studs in galaxy patterns. Smith. Sarah Jessica Parker, who was by Dubbeldam’s practice. wholesale prices for the line, appointed Halston president and creative named after “the initial thing you director in January, joined many of the BEHIND THE QUILT: For more than half a century, put on,” range from $32 to $215. boldfacers who participated in the Chanel’s quilted bag has been an object of “this opens up a new flick — including André Leon Talley, desire for many women and for quite a few avenue for us to think about,” Pat Cleveland, Amy Fine Collins, fashion houses who look to its success as a says Lim. “what else can you Ralph Rucci and Bob Colacello — at model. Now Chanel is lifting the veil on the do with underpinnings? how the School of Visual Arts for the bag’s certain je ne sais quoi, so to speak. From can you reinvent that? evolve screening, as well as a subsequent Saturday to May 16, Chanel’s 57th Street that?” the designer is quick to discussion panel. While most of the flagship in New York will play host to “The emphasize his preference for discourse was dedicated to sharing Secrets of the Chanel Handbag,” an exhibit that the word “underpinnings” — and fond memories of the designer, things takes visitors on the Chanel bag journey, from not “intimates” — to describe turned heated when it came to his drug its construction to

the collection now. “when use. Some thought Halston’s history of s Pat Cleveland in Halston. its evolution over the people think of intimates, it’s mitra robert abuse prevented him from being revered years. Bags from the unmentionables, things that in the same way as someone like Yves Saint house’s Paris archives you hide,” he notes. “For me, Laurent. Rucci also felt that Americans’ will be on display, as this collection is just the literal Photos by puritanical values were at play. “Yves died well as more recent translation: the pinnings that go as a drug addict,” clucked Rucci. “It’s versions by Karl underneath. you can wear it in ludicrous, insulting and unnecessary [to Lagerfeld. or layer it to go out.” focus on Halston’s drug addiction]. The unlike alexander wang, who provincialism is revolting.” After the discussion COLOR ME BEAUTIFUL: recently transformed his t label panel, guests headed over to the newly opened Sonia Rykiel is adding from a t-shirt line to a lifestyle Trump SoHo hotel for an after party sponsored an extra line to her collection, Lim has no intention by Ambrosi Abrianna and the Cinema Society. résumé. The designer of spinning initials in a similar and author, who will direction. “it will stay the initial STILL TOGETHER: Marc Jacobs and Lorenzo turn 80 this month, layer,” he says. “it will never Martone arrived together at the ninth annual A Sonia is scheduled to show be the basic trousers or basic Spring Fling party at Hiro on Saturday night Rykiel her drawings for the blazer for this price point.” still, — putting the kibosh on press reports that the drawing. first time in her Paris he plans to keep the line fairly couple had split. The affectionate duo mingled neighborhood of Saint- separate from his signature 3.1 with a bevy of stars and supermodels in town for Germain-des-Prés. Phillip Lim rtw. so, while the Monday’s Costume Institute gala, including Beyoncé The Galerie Catherine Houard will put on sale more resort rtw included boudoir Knowles and Jay-Z, Kate Hudson, Ashley Olsen and than 200 sketches and notebooks reflecting the flame- touches to call attention to the boyfriend Justin Bartha, Kate Bosworth, Josh Hartnett, haired designer’s love of femininity and bold sense of initials launch, Lim says that Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, Helena Christensen, color. The exhibition runs from June 4 to July 24. there are no upcoming crossover Rachel Zoe, Pat McGrath, Jennifer Lopez’s manager plans for the two labels. “i Benny Medina and Sienna Miller, who brought along her STRAIGHT TO HAITI: Nearly four months after a massive marketed the collection into the parents. Also there was Gisele Bündchen and husband earthquake rocked Haiti, the nonprofit Fashion Delivers rtw so people could recognize it,” Tom Brady, who flew in directly from the Kentucky is ready to deliver apparel and home products. During he says. “now that they do, i’m Derby earlier that day. The glamorous group was hosted what will be a 12-month initiative, the group will splitting it. the lines will have by hairstylist Harry Josh, who tends to the tresses of hand out $24 million worth of product donations, as different marketing strategies, Bündchen and Hartnett, among others, and nightlife well as additional items that are still being turned different imaging. the only impresario Nur Khan, both of whom have turned in. Fashion Delivers chairman Allan Ellinger will fly to dialogue would be a [shared] their Spring Fling into an unofficial pre-party for the the impoverished country to help dole out the initial print or appliqué.” Costume Institute fete. delivery on May 11. Fifty 40-foot shipping containers the designer also plans to — each of which is about the size of a large mobile unveil new branding efforts. MUST BE BIASED: Charles Kleibacker’s New York home and holds about 38,000 pounds of goods — will For one, he plans to upgrade friends gathered Thursday night to reminisce about be sent there in the next year. his first soho flagship in 2011 to the fashion designer and curator who died in January look more like his Los angeles at the age of 88. Better known as the “Master of E-TAIL FEET FIRST: French swimwear brand Vilebrequin and seoul boutiques, designed by Leong Leong architects, which the Bias,” he was celebrated for being a stickler for is looking to boost online sales with a revamped Web work a more streamlined and modernist vibe. (read: concrete, brass detail who was determined to get just the effect he site that went live last week. The previous site, which elements and spikes protruding from walls.) even his Garment envisioned. Wearing a four-ply black crepe dress focused on branding, had a limited e-tail offering. The District offices are getting a facelift. Lim has already redone the foyer with lace insets and a demarcated hem designed by new site is conceived as an online boutique and will walls, which once flaunted lush, painterly florals and are now stark Kleibacker, Scott Lane recalled meeting him for the offer Vilebrequin’s iconic trunks in 70 patterns and white, and reshaped the doorways to the separate women’s and men’s first time when he taught her design class at Virginia colors, as well as men’s sportswear and accessories, showrooms. the latter entrance is broader; the former, more narrow Commonwealth University in Richmond. “He walked including beach and travel bags, towels and scarves. and angled into a point. “we’re developing a brand book right in with a brown paper shopping bag and said, ‘I’ve The updated site joins the brand’s 14 brick-and- now,” Lim adds. “and we’re about to add a face to the [company].” come straight from the airport. Time’s a wasting. mortar stores in the U.S. The company said the online as for who this new flesh-and-blood mascot is, Lim won’t say, I hope you don’t mind if I put my luggage here,’” store should evolve to be among Vilebrequin’s top allowing only that she’s not a celebrity. “it’s the natural life cycle of a Lane said. “He was the most agile, energetic, mobile five volume-producing doors in the U.S. The brand’s label that’s evolving into a brand,” says Lim of the changes. “i think human, and incredibly articulate and precise. The online home also will tap its popular father-and-son a lot of people were unsure about who the Phillip Lim girl was. i’m surprise of his luggage was just an example of the collection, with an area called “Family Album,” which about to tie everything together.” swiftness with which he would move.” asks fans to submit holiday and family photos of — Venessa Lau Koko Hashim mentioned how another guest, Jean themselves in their Vilebrequins. 10 WWD, TUESDAY, MAY 4, 2010

Ready-to-Wear Report Designers Span the Globe for New Business Growth

Continued from page one To build their overseas presences, designers have either partnered with sales showrooms in other fashion capitals or started to go to Paris during the city’s fashion weeks to show and sell their collections to buyers who don’t make the trip to New York. Jason Wu, for instance, plans to travel to Paris in July during the couture season to present his resort collection to European and Asian stores in town at the time. Currently, 30 percent of his sales are overseas and, of those, London, where he sells to Browns, Selfridges, Harrods and Net-a-porter, and Japan, with stores like Estination and Designworks, are the largest, accounting for 10 percent each. And Wu takes these markets as seriously as his American business. For instance, the designer just created a lim- ited edition T-shirt collection for Tokyo’s Designworks with prints from his fall 2010 collection. Asked about his fastest-growing market, Wu, who had wholesale sales of $10 million last year and projects $14 million for this year, pointed to China, “especially Beijing. It’s an emerging market in terms of demand for luxury goods. In designer clothes, it has always been the big play- ers like Chanel and Louis Vuitton. Young designers are a new thing for China, whereas they are not as new for Japan or Korea.” Alexa Adams, who designs the Ohne Titel line with Flora Gill, concurred. “China has a whole new group of people with money that can afford to buy designer clothing, and they are open to new de- signer labels,” she said. Robert Burke, head of the Robert Burke & Associates consulting firm, works on projects in China, the Middle East, Brazil, Kazakhstan and Korea, and said there has been interest from all those countries in emerg- ing American talent. “They see the talent coming out of the U.S. as a poten- tially very strong business, and the young designers see opportunities there,” Burke said. Within them, “Korea and China are the two that seem to be the most focused in the sense of interest in buying from young designers.” Especially with the crisis in the economy, you“ have to be in as many countries as soon as possible in order to have a viable business….The world is much smaller now, and you have to almost build a global brand instead of a U.S. brand from Day One. — Wen Zhou, 3.1 Phillip” Lim

s A Behnaz s Ohne Titel on s A Phillip And these designers are eager to sell to overseas stores — partly be- Sarafpour look. the runway. Lim design. cause they have little choice if they want to survive. The worldwide re- cession hit the U.S. retail sector particularly hard, prompting stores from Behnaz Alexa Adams and Flora Gill Saks Fifth Avenue to Neiman Marcus to cut their number of vendors or Sarafpour the amount they buy from individual designers. In addition, a slew of spe- cialty stores, long a launchpad for young talent, went out of business. So, left with little choice, they got on a plane. “American designers, for a long time, had difficulty breaking into in- ternational markets,” said Elana Posner, Peter Som’s business partner. “I think this generation of designers learned from that.” Wen Zhou, chief executive officer and president for 3.1 Phillip Lim, said, “Especially with the crisis in the economy, you have to be in as many coun- tries as soon as possible in order to have a viable business. It’s no longer this idea that a designer comes out with a collection and makes it in the U.S., and then in the rest of the world. The world is much smaller now, and you have to almost build a global brand instead of a U.S. brand from Day One.” When 3.1 Phillip Lim launched in fall 2005, the line was sold in 27 countries. Today, it is sold in 49 countries, and the designer projects wholesale sales of $50 million for this year. International accounts for 45 percent of the designer’s total business, of which Japan and the U.K. represent 10 percent each. Lim also has a significant business in the Middle East, selling to stores such as Plum in Beirut, Beymen and Harvey Nichols in Istanbul and Boutique One in Dubai. Phillip Lim “The Middle East is the fastest growing for us,” Zhou said. “In Europe, Italy is our other fastest-growing market. Italy has many small towns, and in every single town, there is that beautiful boutique that people go to locally and they embrace 10 percent of Thakoon’s business and Europe is 21 percent. “A lot of focus and atten- fashion. While Italy is not huge, the amount of boutiques available for us is interesting.” tion are being paid to what is going on in New York, and our brand is coming up at a With its Singapore partner, Club 21, 3.1 Phillip Lim is planning to open a freestand- time when a lot of interesting things are happening in New York,” Tomei Borromeo ing store in August. Zhou added China is expected to grow into one of the most impor- said of international demand for the brand. tant markets for Lim in the future, and to that end, the designer is planning to stage a Many designers also cited developments on the Web as another instigator for glob- fashion show in Beijing in October to present the spring 2011 collection. al growth. It not only allows potential overseas customers to familiarize themselves Posner at Peter Som agreed that Asia is among the fastest-growing markets. “Japan with emerging U.S. talent through the click of the mouse, but also makes it easier for and Korea have always been strong, and Taiwan and Singapore are starting to be strong,” designers to communicate with their international stores through e-mail, Skype, BBM she said, adding that, in China, “main brands have opened their stores, and now specialty and other tools of online communication. stores are starting to open and they will want European and American brands.” “Because of technology, five years ago, if you were a young designer, wherever you were Maria Tomei Borromeo, Thakoon’s ceo, said that, since launching the collection in based, it was very much about growing there slowly, and eventually international people 2004, the business has been roughly evenly split between domestic and international. caught up,” designer Prabal Gurung said. “But because of such things as Facebook, Twitter, Overseas accounts for 45 percent, while the U.S. represents 55 percent. By region the way the shows are going viral, information is instant. When you do a runway show, or a or country, Asia accounts for 14 percent, which includes “a significant business” in celebrity wears your clothes, it can be picked up by everyone around the world.” Japan, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Korea. Russia and the Middle East are about Brian Reyes said, “I think the world is so focused on fashion now, through the Internet WWD, TUESDAY, MAY 4, 2010 11 WWD.COM Ready-to-Wear Report Designers Span the Globe for New Business Growth

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ness and it was all about relationships. Now you can BBM your buyer in London as easily For Iranian Behnaz Sarafpour, her native Middle East represents the largest over- l as your best friend around the block. Technology has really taken down the barriers.” seas region, and she sells to countries such as Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, fol- That said, there are still benefits and hurdles for American designers looking to lowed by Russia. She also has seen growth in Turkey and Korea. “There is interest build their businesses abroad. in American fashion from other countries, regardless of the issues there are with Joseph Altuzarra, who designs in New York and Paris, said he benefits from doing exporting American goods,” said the designer. ej Behdarvand; p business in Europe. Sometimes, however, styles need to be adjusted for local preferences and religious con- y “We produce in Italy and all of our fabric mills and all of our suppliers are in Italy, siderations, particularly in Saudi Arabia, where many designers have to lower the hems of B as well as some in France,” he said. “On a practical level, we pay everything out in their dresses to adhere to local dress codes. But if it gets them more business, so be it.

euros, so building a euro business outside of the U.S. is a priority for us because it “It’s a huge playing field, with countries like India and China and a lot of other and Gill helps us balance what we take in versus what we pay out.” Asian countries and the Middle East,” Gurung said. “It’s not just domestic. Yo u can’t S dam photo S and Sarafpour Behnaz Sarafpour Doo-Ri Chung said, “[With] the amount they mark up with the duties [in Europe], just focus on domestic and think you can be successful.” a 12 WWD, TUESDAY, MAY 4, 2010 WWD.COM Te x t il e & Tr ade Report Fashion Caucus Eyes Design Piracy, Garment District By Kristi Ellis Kolb said the CFDA has a close relationship with Maloney and Nadler, and the caucus will represent a con- WASHINGTON — The new Congressional fashion and tinuation of the conversations around the issues of design manufacturing caucus has a mandate to help save the piracy and preserving New York’s Garment District. New York Garment District and protect fashion designs steve eichner “To have their voice to talk about things like the from piracy. Garment District, which is important to so many of our

Two of the caucus co-chairs, Reps. Carolyn B. photo by members, and how we can look to create jobs that could Maloney (D., N.Y.) and Jerrold Nadler (D., N.Y.), said in strengthen production here is important to us, as well,” separate interviews on Capitol Hill that their goal is to Kolb said. get a bill passed that would provide three years of copy- Assisting in the fight to save the Garment District is right protection for fashion designs and separately work also a key objective of the caucus, the two co-chairs said. with Mayor Michael Bloomberg and city council officials “Fashion manufacturing represents approximately to preserve New York’s Garment Center. 29 percent of all manufacturing jobs in New York City, But key industry trade and lobbying groups have pri- which also accounts for 11 percent of all U.S. apparel orities of their own they would like the caucus to ad- manufacturing jobs,” said Maloney. “There is a zoning dress, ranging from trade issues to broader intellectual issue before the City Council and we intend to send a property rights matters. letter to the mayor and New York City Council Speaker The group, named the Congressional Apparel Christine Quinn in support of preserving the Garment Manufacturing and Fashion Business Caucus, received Center, and their effort to landmark certain areas and approval in March from the Committee on House preserve the zone that is there.” Administration and several industry associations are Maloney, citing figures from New York City’s gearing up to provide input to caucus members. Economic Development Corp., said there are more It is cochaired by Maloney, Nadler and Rep. Diane E. than 800 fashion businesses in New York, employing Watson (D., Calif.), lawmakers from states representing 175,000 people. the largest apparel manufacturing and design centers “The designing is still there and it should be main- in the country. tained,” Nadler said, adding the industrywide effort to “We are working on a bill now for copyright protection save the center is making some progress. and we are going to pass it this session,” said Maloney. “They are enforcing some land-use things better The bill, known as the Design Piracy Prohibition Act, now,” he said, noting Bloomberg is also more involved would allow companies and designers to register their and “sympathetic” to the plight of the district. fashion designs for three years Bloomberg’s administration has spent the past few of copyright protection. Apparel, years trying to work out rezoning issues for Garment handbags, footwear, belts and eye- Center tenants. glass frames would be covered. Even as these issues percolate, other industry trade The legislation has not and lobbying groups would like the caucus to make moved beyond committee in the trade matters a priority. House or Senate due in part to The fashionfashion caucuscaucus willwill “One of the things I am hopeful the caucus will do if some industry opposition, but work toto preservepreserve NewNew it becomes active is to explain to members of Congress, industry groups said they con- York’s GarmentGarment Center.Center. who may not know, how global our industry is,” said tinue to negotiate over techni- Burke, adding he will stress the importance of the in- cal aspects of the bill to reach dustry’s global supply chain and efforts to knocking a consensus. the continued health of the industry down trade barriers. The Council of Fashion in the United States.” For Julia Hughes, president of the U.S. Association of Designers of America has cham- Maloney said she will try to orga- Importers of Textiles & Apparel, the caucus provides an pioned the measure, but it has nize a Congressional trip for lawmak- opportunity to discuss important trade matters. been opposed in its current ers to New York’s Garment Center to Hughes said she would like to work with the cau- form by the American Apparel & Reps. Carolyn see how designs are created and how cus on extending a trade preference program with Footwear Association and some B. Maloney and easily they can be pirated. four Andean countries and the Generalized System of apparel companies. Jerrold Nadler. Kevin Burke, president and chief Preferences program, as well as supporting expanded “Counterfeits with pirated executive officer of the AAFA, said benefits for Haiti. The GSP provides duty free entry into designs and fake labels are ab- discussions are ongoing over the de- the U.S. for about 4,800 products from 131 beneficiary solutely prohibited by law, but it doesn’t provide any sign piracy bill and the caucus could be helpful on that countries and territories. protection for the same fashion design when the pirates issue, as well as several others the industry faces. “The caucus gives us an added impact to have con- omit the label,” said Maloney. “One of the challenges we “We’re moving along, but we are not there yet,” said versations with the members of Congress and their have is that people will go to a show and just sketch it, Burke, referring to efforts to reach a consensus on de- staffs,” Hughes said. and by the end of the day, print it out and ship it out sign piracy legislation. “There are a lot of shared points Cass Johnson, president of the National Council of on the Internet to another country to make a copy of it. we do have with CFDA and a caucus could be helpful to Textile Organizations, said his group would try to col- We’ve got to stop that and we will stop that.” both groups.” laborate with the new caucus on trade concerns. The Nadler said the need to coalesce support and Steven Kolb, executive director of the CFDA, said textile industry has its own caucus in the House, which move the design piracy bill was his “main motiva- the design piracy bill continues to be “a priority” for also promotes issues for the industry. tion for doing this,” referring to his participation as his members. “I think there are trade issues that we would have a caucus co-chair. “The caucus really deals with issues at the federal in common,” Johnson said. “The apparel industry loses “It is extremely important because increasingly, what level and anything they can do to help us with some- jobs to bad trade practices exactly like our industry we do here is design, and if our designers are knocked thing like this law should really be a focus,” said Kolb, does. We would certainly like to talk to them about their off and no royalties are paid,” it will be detrimental to noting there has been “steady movement in the right di- agenda and see how we can work to make sure both tex- the fashion industry, he said. “I think it is very key to rection” in finding a compromise bill. tile and apparel jobs remain in this country.” Brighter Outlook for Cambodian Manufacturers

By John Zarocostas Cambodia’s The optimistic outlook marks a exports fell 20 sharp turnaround from last year, when GENEVA — Cambodian apparel manufac- percent last year. the global recession triggered a sharp turers anticipate an uptick in business decline in demand for Cambodian ap- this year based on increased demand in parel. Exports fell by more than 20 major markets, according to a report by percent and 70 factories were shut- $84 the International Labor Organization. tered, resulting in the loss of more average A survey of managers from 66 than 70,000 jobs. Cambodian apparel factories found the The apparel sector is a primary con- MOnthly wage majority expecting to increase or main- tributor to the Cambodian economy. In fOr CaMbOdian tain their current workforce, and only 10 2008, apparel exports of $2.9 billion ac- chhin sothy/afp/getty images tang percent said they anticipated additional counted for 65 percent of the country’s apparel faCtOry job losses. About one-third believed busi- export earnings, according to the report. ness conditions would remain as dire as photo by Despite the improved economic en- wOrkers putting they were last year. vironment, the managers pointed to a in nine-hOur days, “Nearly 60 percent of factories reported they are planning to number of other issues that are hampering recovery and could hire new or previously laid-off staff in the next 12 months, while prevent further gains in the sector. Rising energy costs, low pro- siX days a week. 40 percent had no plans to hire,” said the ILO report. ductivity, a lack of skilled labor and rising costs of materials The factories polled were predominantly foreign owned, were among issues managers and their factories face. Source: InternatIonal mainly by Asian investors, and on average had 700 apparel work- Based on Cambodian apparel industry data, the cost of energy labor organIzatIon ers per facility. The factories specialized in producing T-shirts, tripled to 15 percent of total costs by 2009 compared with just 5 pants, jeans, sportswear, underwear and pajamas. percent of total costs in 2005. WWD, TUESDAY, MAY 4, 2010 13 WWD.COM BEAUTY BEAT Dumas Funeral Set for Friday PARIS — The funeral for Jean-Louis Dumas, former chief executive officer of Hermès Clarins Launches 4th Eau de Soins Scent International who died Saturday after a long illness, will take place on Friday. It is to be held at 3 p.m. at the Réformée du Saint-Esprit church, at 5 Rue Roquépine PARIS — Clarins began introducing this week its fourth eau de soins (treatment in Paris’ 8th arrondissement. fragrance), called Eau des Jardins. News of Dumas’ death garnered condolences industry-wide, most recently from me- The Groupe Clarins-owned brand also has Eau Dynamisante (the invigorat- dia-shy Martin Margiela, who worked as Hermès’ women’s wear designer from 1997 to ing fragrance) from 1987, Eau Ressourçante (the rebalancing fragrance) from 2002. Margiela described Dumas as an “emblematic boss” and a “remarkable man,” who 2003 and Eau Ensoleillante (the sunshine fragrance) from 2007. was both “human and gentle.” Certain features link all of the eaux de soins, according to Clarins presi- “When we first met, he asked me anxiously if I was going to cut the ‘Kelly’ in half be- dent Isabelle Herbreteau. For instance, each blends fragrant plants with those cause, at the time, the press used the words ‘grunge’ and ‘destroy’ to describe my work,” boasting aromatherapy and phytotherapy benefits. said Margiela. “Our shared sense of humor marked the debut of our collaboration. From Clarins worked with an International Flavors & Fragrances perfumer the start, he had total confidence in me and gave me carte blanche. It just proved how on Eau des Jardins. In a first for one of its eaux de soins, Clarins utilized open-minded he was. His insatiable curiosity stimulated creation, he loved to surprise gemmotherapy, an herbal therapy using extracts of plants’ buds or rootlets. and be surprised, his charisma and aura enchanted me and his hard work ethic and Specifically, Eau des Jardins’ formulation contains extracts from buds of sense of humor always amazed me.” beech, black currant and mountain ash billed to help moisturize, soften and brighten skin. Eau des Jardins also includes essential oils of grapefruit, lemon, bergamot, orange, mint, bay leaves, rose, cedar, patchouli, vetiver and white musks. Nordstrom Opens at Fashion Island An advertisement for the scent featuring its bottle will mostly appear in U.K. publications in By Rachel Brown Pete Nordstrom said. “Traditionally, you single-page format. wouldn’t probably do that in terms of can- Eau des Jardins is to be introduced world- NORDSTROM’S PATH TO ITS NEW nibalization, but given the robust nature of wide, save for Asia (apart from Japan), be- 138,000-square-foot store at Fashion Island target customers for us and the dynamics of ginning in May. A 100-ml. spray bottle will shopping center in Orange County, Calif., tourism [in the county], it is unique and so retail in France for 46.80 euros, or $62.63 had a few potholes. the conventional rules of how far you put at current exchange. There were concerns about canni- your stores goes out the window.” Clarins executives would not discuss balization because one of the retailer’s The two-level Fashion Island store, which projections, but industry sources esti- three highest-performing stores is about 6 opened April 16, replaces an 80,000-square- mate Eau des Jardins will generate 12 miles from Fashion Island at South Coast foot Macy’s women’s unit that closed after million euros, or $16.3 million, in retail Plaza. President of merchandising Pete the retailer’s 2006 merger with Federated sales during its first year. Nordstrom, who knew Orange County as a Department Stores. Nordstrom joins Macy’s, Industry sources also estimate the shoe buyer in the Eighties and as a regional Bloomingdale’s and Neiman Marcus as the eaux de soins line rings up 5 percent manager in the Nineties, had reservations 1.5-million-square-foot complex’s anchors. of the Clarins brand’s overall revenues Keith Eyrich, president of and that half of that business stems from Fashion Island owner Irvine Co.’s re- Eau Dynamisante. France and the U.K. tail properties, pursued Nordstrom are Clarins’ strongest markets for eaux de for the better part of a decade, be- soins; together, the two countries generate lieving its offerings would appeal 40 percent of those products’ sales. to what he described as Fashion Clarins’ Eau des Jardins. — Jennifer Weil Island’s “sophisticated, well-educat- ed and affluent” customers. The improvements to the 43-year- old shopping center add about LVMH Changes Fragrance Structure 200,000 square feet, refine the PARIS — LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton is creating a new structure called Mediterranean architectural look, LVMH Fragrance Brands — comprising Givenchy, Kenzo, Pucci and Fendi — enhance common spaces with lawns within its perfumes and cosmetics division. The aim is to regroup the sales and fountains and repave walkways. forces of those brands while maintaining each one’s individual creative, mar- Eyrich has sought to create keting and communications activities. a merchandise mix with retail- “Historically, [LVMH has] only had monobrand sales forces, and we haven’t ers of national and local interest. Nordstrom at Fashion Island. had any structure that would be multibrand that would allow us to launch new Flanking Nordstrom are new stores brands from scratch,” said Alain Lorenzo, the president of LVMH Fragrance about Fashion Island. In those days, “It Fluxus, the Los Angeles-based brand de- Brands, who reports to Toni Belloni, LVMH group managing director, in the didn’t strike me as being a super dynamic signed by Jeffrey Sebelia, and local favor- post. Lorenzo is also president of Parfums Givenchy. retailing spot,” he said. ite Michael Nusskern. Other stores that In the past, some of the fragrance brands created by LVMH-owned But the uneasiness was outweighed by have opened recently include Trina Turk, brands, such as Marc Jacobs (launched by Parfums Givenchy) and Christian a $100 million renovation of the shopping Michael Stars, True Religion, Dita Legends Lacroix (introduced by Parfums Christian Dior), ended up being outsourced center, which is to be completed by the and Y-3. Forever 21 will triple the size of to other firms. holiday season, the lure of Orange County’s its Fashion Island location this summer. With LVMH Fragrance Brands, Givenchy, Kenzo, Pucci and Fendi’s fra- trend-conscious shoppers and an inability Pete Nordstrom doesn’t expect the store grance brands’ creative platforms are to remain separate and independent to expand at South Coast Plaza. to match the sales of the South Coast Plaza from one another. A pair of other Nordstrom stores in the unit. “That doesn’t mean it won’t be a good New general managers — reporting to Lorenzo — have been named. county, Irvine Spectrum Center and The store,” he said. In Nordstrom’s portfolio, Thierry Maman signed on to Givenchy, Isabelle Gex to Fendi Pucci and Shops at Mission Viejo, “have done well and “It is completely safe to assume it should Patricia Derrey to Kenzo. have not seemed to hurt South Coast much,” be a top half performer.” Parfums Christian Dior and Guerlain, meanwhile, maintain their own sales teams. — J.W. Italy Apparel, Textile Sectors See Upswing Tanning Brand St. Tropez Up for Sale By Luisa Zargani LONDON — Lloyds TSB Development Capital is putting tanning brand St. MILAN — While the economy remains uncertain, Italy’s textile and clothing association, Tropez on the block. Sistema Moda Italia, said the first quarter saw signs a turnaround may be coming. Rothschild investment bank was appointed last week to oversee the deal. According to research by SMI based on a survey of 130 companies, Italy’s textile and St. Tropez generates annual retail sales of 60 million pounds, or $91.5 million fashion sector registered sales in the first quarter that were in line with the same period at current exchange. in 2009, inching down 0.2 percent. After a series of negative quarters, the textile industry “I think St. Tropez could be a $1 billion brand,” said Michelle Feeney, St. saw a 4.7 percent gain in revenues. The ready-to-wear industry registered a sales decline Tropez’s chief executive officer, adding the company’s profits have doubled in of 3.5 percent, however. Actual sales figures were not available. the last two years. Orders, both in Italy and abroad, saw a 3.2 percent rise in the period. In particular, The beauty industry has been abuzz with merger and acquisition activ- domestic demand surged 3.5 percent, while demand from outside Italy increased 1.6 per- ity of late. Last month, L’Oréal inked a deal to acquire nail polish company cent. SMI noted textile orders rose 7.1 percent, while clothing grew 0.8 percent. Essie Cosmetics, for instance, while in March Avon snapped up Liz Earle Michele Tronconi, SMI’s president, described the crisis in 2009 as “a strong global Beauty Co. earthquake, initiated by bad American finance. The worst seems to be behind us, but the — Brid Costello aftershocks continue and are scary.” In 2009, the country’s textile and clothing industry registered revenues of 45.2 billion euros, or $62.8 billion at average exchange rates, down 16.5 percent compared with the previous year. Baxter of California Opens Barber Shop Exports fell 20.3 percent to 22.1 billion euros, or $30.7 billion. Men’s grooming brand Baxter of California has opened its first barbershop. “The uncertainty remains and the pace of the markets is jerky,” said Tronconi, also The 1,000-square-foot space, located on North LaCienega Boulevard in Los pointing to the difficulties related to building inventories as the demand in Asia has Angeles, boasts 300 square feet of retail space, featuring such brands as picked up, “making raw materials such as wool, silk and cotton scarce and costly.” Baxter’s own product line, retaW, Dr. Bronner’s, D.R. Harris and Marvis. The Tronconi also urged the industry to be “flexible and fast” as he sees the cost of oil per four-chair shop is called Baxter Finley, Barber & Shop, a nod to the brand’s barrel hardly reaching lower than $20 again, and “distances will be important again,” founder, who launched the company in 1965. The space, which was opened pointing to Italy’s manufacturing chain. Tronconi said he believes “international trade Saturday, offers basic cuts and shaves only. will continue to [request] raw materials and finished merchandise,” while “semifinished — Matthew W. Evans products to be transformed where it costs less” will not be as much in demand. 14 WWD, TUESDAY, MAY 4, 2010 WWD.COM Financial For full daily stock changes and more financial news, see WWD.com / business-news.

Retail Stocks Rise 1.7% 10 BESt PERfORMERS By Evan Clark to ease its financial woes. shares of General Growth Properties DAILY COMPANIES P/E VOLuME AMt Fresh hints consumers really inc. rose 6.9 percent to $16.78 monday. do have money to spend when they find a half hour before u.s. markets closed, HIgH LOw LASt %CHANgE their way into stores pushed retail stocks the company said it would continue to up 1.7 percent monday. back the recapitalization proposal sub- 6.20 0.98 Birks & Mayors (BMJ) - 223537 1.85 +94.74 the s&P retail index rose 8.2 points mitted by Brookfield asset management, to end the day at 483.35, making up some Pershing square capital management of the ground lost in last week’s 3.9 per- and Fairholme Funds when it seeks 41.59 38.06 Lululemon (LULU) 45.9 2033198 41.55 +10.45 cent decline. the Dow Jones industrial manhattan bankruptcy court approval average gained a lesser 1.3 percent, or of bidding proceedings on Wednesday. 17.35 15.89 Penn Real Estate (PEI) - 509908 17.35 +9.88 143.22 points, to 11,151.83, and the s&P the $6.55 billion equity investment 500 passed the 1,200 mark, rising 1.3 per- and a $2 billion capital backstop from 10.62 9.75 Christopher & Banks (CBK) - 272544 10.60 +8.27 cent, or 15.58 points, to 1,202.26. the three entities continue to contain march disposable personal income the issuance of warrants — but now on a 5.79 5.40 Quiksilver (ZQK) - 1958786 5.76 +8.07 increased 0.3 percent from February, phased-in basis, according to GGP. the first gain this year. the commerce GGP is seeking to have the 5.49 5.08 Pacific Sunwear (PSUN) - 1670356 5.45 +7.72 Department’s measure of consumers’ abil- Brookfield-led bid be given “stalking ity to spend was flat in February and down horse” status. at press time, reuters 0.2 percent in January. reported that simon Property Group, 26.18 23.81 Perry Ellis (PERY) 23.9 164984 25.98 +7.67 “in light of near 10 percent unem- which has had two of its earlier offers ployment and 17 percent underemploy- rejected by GGP, has teamed up with 31.20 28.33 G-III Apparel (GIII) 15.6 337778 30.75 +7.52 ment, the recovery has been remark- the Blackstone Group for a cash and able, but the 83 percent of people with stock offer to takeover GGP. the deal re- 23.34 21.64 Oxford (OXM) 24.0 102095 23.19 +7.41 full-time jobs are spending again — big portedly is for $13.25 a share, with $3.25 time,” said craig Johnson, president of in cash and $10 in stock. simon also re- 10.43 9.64 Crocs (CROX) - 2972203 10.36 +7.25 customer Growth Partners. portedly included a second prong to the among the retailers gaining ground offer based on a recapitalization scenar- were the talbots inc., up 6.5 percent to io as an alternative to help bail GGP out $17.52; nordstrom inc., 5.6 percent to of bankruptcy proceedings. $43.63; saks inc., 5.6 percent to $10.30; court records weren’t available at J. crew Group, 4.7 percent to $48.63, press time monday for either documents 10 WORSt PERfORMERS and ann taylor stores corp., 4.4 per- filed by GGP on the Brookfield proposal cent to $22.65. nor the simon-Blackstone bid. neither DAILY COMPANIES P/E VOLuME AMt shares of montreal-based jewelry re- officials at simon nor Blackstone were tailer Birks & mayors inc. shot up 94.7 reachable for comment at press time. HIgH LOw LASt %CHANgE percent to $1.85 after the company re- officials at GGP could not confirm the ported an 18 percent rise in fourth-quar- simon-Blackstone offer. ter comparable-store sales. the compa- markets were closed for holidays in 40.98 38.70 Steve Madden (SHOO) 31.9 1528466 40.08 -30.87 ny also said it reduced its debt load by Japan and the u.K., but investors pushed $25 million to $28 million last year. the hang seng index down 1.4 percent to 0.15 0.12 NexCen (NEXC) - 166015 0.12 -23.33 another jewelry retailer, Zale corp., 20,811.36 in hong Kong and the cac 40 saw shares inch up 0.3 percent to $3.27 rose 0.3 percent to 3,828.46 in Paris. 2.49 2.22 Charles & Colvard (CtHR) - 139121 2.25 -9.64 after it extended a deadline on a rough- shares of hermès international rose 2 ly $6 million payment to citibank until percent to 101.65 euros, or $135.12, on the may 31, according to a filing with the Bourse with more than 135,000 shares 2.87 2.71 Bluefly (BfLY) - 2540 2.71 -4.91 securities and exchange commission. trading hands, more than twice the usual the jeweler previously said citibank number. Former chief executive officer 4.64 4.29 tandy Leather factory (tLf) 14.3 2640 4.46 -2.41 could terminate its credit card deal due Jean-louis Dumas, a fifth generation de- to a shortfall in credit sales unless the scendent of the firm’s founder, died over 6.48 6.23 Benetton Group * (BEN:MI) 8.6 271611 6.35 -2.38 payment was made. the companies have the weekend, sparking some speculation entered into exclusive negotiations to that the family might become more will- 15.00 14.47 Orchids Paper (tIS) 9.0 51305 14.59 -1.49 replace the agreement while Zale con- ing to sell the business. tinues to look for strategic alternatives — With contributions from Vicki M. Young 32.53 31.61 Avon (AVP) 22.3 7463283 31.90 -1.33

17.27 16.42 Delta Apparel (DLA) 13.8 11259 16.59 -1.19

Volcom Profits Up 78.5% in 1st Qtr. 28.84 28.36 Alberto Culver (ACV) 22.9 592122 28.50 -1.04 By Alexandra Steigrad sion, totaled $5.6 million, a 33.3 percent in- crease over last year’s sales of $4.2 million. * Editor’s note: European stocks are quoted in the currency of their principal exchanges. Shares on volcom inc. saiD First-quarter Gross margin improved to 54.2 percent of the London Stock Exchange are quoted in pence, Richemont and The Swatch Group are quoted in Swiss net income rose 78.5 percent, helping the sales versus 50.3 percent a year earlier. francs and Hennes & Mauritz is quoted in Swedish kronor. All other European stocks are in euros. action sports apparel and footwear ven- on the company call, richard dor skate past Wall street’s projections. Woolcott, volcom’s chairman and chief the costa mesa, calif.-based firm executive officer, touted strong sales in posted profits of $7.5 million, or 31 cents key categories such as denim, board- a diluted share, for the period ended shorts and outerwear, but admitted the Gordmans Files for $75M IPO march 31, compared with income of $4.2 junior business has been “challenged.” the FliGht to value has Been women’s and juniors’ apparel categories.” million, or 17 cents a share, in the year- “the bulk of our juniors business cleared for landing on Wall street. the stock is expected to trade on the ago quarter. net revenues improved 13.3 is still facing hurdles,” he said, adding Gordmans inc., the 67-unit off-price nasdaq Global select market under the percent to $77.4 million, from $68.3 mil- that, coming out of the recession, the department store chain operating in 16 symbol Gman. lion, a year earlier. analysts polled by company is in “build-back mode.” midwestern states, has filed plans with the the chain, which features merchandise yahoo anticipated earnings of 19 cents a Within the next five years, he said securities and exchange commission for a at up to 60 percent off department and share on revenue of $73.8 million. the company’s goal is to achieve $500 $75 million initial public offering, with pro- specialty store prices in apparel, acces- total revenue in the company’s u.s. seg- million in revenue. last year, volcom ceeds slated for general corporate purpos- sories, footwear and home decor, posted ment, including sales from canada, Japan, posted sales of $280.6 million. es, including new stores. “the Gordmans income of $15.9 million, or $15.33 a diluted other international territories outside For the second quarter, the vendor deal follows express, rue 21, Dollar share, on sales of $457.5 million for the of europe and branded retail stores, im- expects per share amounts to range General and Dollarama iPos,” noted chris year ended Jan. 30. same-store sales rose proved 13.7 percent to $48.2 million versus from a loss of 2 cents to a profit of 2 Kampe, managing director at investment 4.6 percent. the company also had $5.7 year-ago sales of $42.4 million. revenues cents on net revenues of between $59 bank tully & holland inc. “specifically, million in licensing fee income through in europe gained 8.8 percent, expanding to million and $62 million. analysts are they are either discount, value-oriented or licensed department arrangements with $23.6 million, compared with $21.7 million. looking for earnings per share of 2 cents off-price chains that have enjoyed strong DsW inc. for shoes and Destination sales from electric, the firm’s eyewear divi- on sales of $59.6 million. recent performance and are riding the cur- maternity corp. for maternity apparel. rent consumer value wave, and thus have originally richman Gordman, the re- an appealing investment thesis.” tailer dates back to 1915. in the seventies, headquartered in omaha, Gordmans the company also operated a second IN BRIEF stores average 50,000 square feet. the fil- group of retail stores under the banner • SIRKIN TO BE HONORED: allen e. sirkin, president and chief operating officer of ing said it plans to expand the store base 1/2 Price stores before the development Phillips-van heusen corp., will receive the 2010 leader of innovation medal from by 10 percent annually over the next sev- of a store prototype that became the Philadelphia university at its spirit of innovation gala and awards ceremony eral years. the juniors and young men’s Gordmans operation. it was acquired by on may 8 at the hyatt at the Bellevue in Philadelphia. sirkin, a 1964 graduate of categories are considered destination midwest shoppes intermediate holding Philadelphia university, also will receive an honorary Doctor of humane letters businesses, and the firm said in its regis- corp., an affiliate of sun capital Partners degree. the evening will be capped off with the university’s annual fashion show at tration statement, Form s-1, that another inc., in september 2008. the academy of music. Proceeds will benefit the university’s scholarship fund. goal is to “achieve parity between sales in — V.M.Y. WWD, TUESDAY, MAY 4, 2010 15 WWD.COM Retailers Seek Pizzazz in Atlanta Ferragamo Posts Loss By Luisa Zargani By Elizabeth Thurman Nicole Miller, Nicole Miller Collection and Nicole Miller Studio — and reported strong demand from buyers for sophis- MILAN — Salvatore Ferragamo SpA posted a ATLANTA — Retailers were in the mood to be wowed at the ticated looks with punched-up visual interest. Looks included net loss of 15 million euros, or $20.8 million, five-day Atlanta Apparel Market that ended April 12 at day dresses from $200 wholesale, cocktail dresses from $385 last year as it was hit by one-off charges re- AmericasMart. and gowns from $420. lated to previous years. Buyers sought lots of color, sequins, draping and texture Farshad Arshid, owner of two contemporary Standard In 2008, Ferragamo reported net prof- in looks mostly for immediate buys and some for fall, and fa- boutiques in Atlanta, went to market looking to expand his its of 39 million euros, or $57.3 million. vored bolder styles over basics. women’s offerings, which account for 30 percent of his mer- The company did not reveal details of the Retailers reported uneven first-quarter results, some say- chandise. charges. ing business had increased over the year by as much as 10 “We’re really trying to revamp and rejuvenate our wom- For the 12 months through Dec. 31, reve- percent, while others said the unseasonably cold weather in en’s section, but we’re being very cautious in buying, only nues showed a 10 percent slide, down to 620 the Southeast prevented customers from shopping as much. looking for items, whereas I only buy collections with men’s,” million euros, or $861.8 million. Although buyers spent less time at market and sent fewer said Arshid, who plans to increase his women’s merchandise However, the company said that “in a staffers in order to cut costs, most were there to do business, by 10 percent. particularly critical year for the luxury not browse, as was the case He looked at lines such as goods industry,” Ferragamo registered 2 last spring. Paul & Joe Sister, Charlotte percent growth in its directly owned re- “This is the first time Ronson and Factory, but is tail network, compared with the previous since I’ve been [working waiting to finalize his orders year. Emerging markets, China and Latin at AmericasMart] that I’ve that will add to the stores’ core America in particular, helped drive the heard this much positiv- lines such as Gant and G-Star. company’s business. Asia accounted for ity coming from retailers’ Arshid reported a “really over 50 percent of total sales. mouths,” said Lori Kisner, se- decent first quarter” despite At the end of 2009, Ferragamo had 570 nior vice president of leasing, “a really bad January” and stores, of which 299 were directly owned. who was hired last spring. said he loosened up his budget In 2009, earnings before interest, taxes, She reported double-digit for market based on brisk busi- depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) increases in attendance over ness in February and March. fell 28 percent to 62 million euros, or $86.1 last year’s market in March, Dana Spinola, owner and million, compared with the previous year. when business “really hit buyer for 11 contemporary Dollar amounts have been converted at its lowest point,” but did Fab’rik boutiques, with four average exchange for the periods to which not provide specific figures. locations in Atlanta, bought they refer. Kisner said contemporary mostly immediate-through-Ju- Looking ahead, Ferragamo said busi- and young contemporary ly deliveries, but looked ahead ness is picking up in the first quarter of lines with “moderate pricing” in denim, a section she usually 2010, which showed a 10.7 percent increase performed best, and sales for buys at other trade shows. in revenues across all markets worldwide, higher-end offerings were The atrium at Atlanta Apparel Market. “Rock & Republic was compared with the same period the previ- still sluggish. here for the first time in a ous year, boosted by a 21.2 percent increase “Nobody’s breaking any records right now, but everyone I long time, so it was great to be able to write all of my lines at retail. talked to had an OK-to-great show,” Kisner said. here,” said Spinola, who keeps all retail prices, except pre- In April, the group’s chief executive offi- Sales representative Michelle Harrison said traffic in her mium denim, under $100. cer, Michele Norsa, said during the opening showroom was heavy, adding that buyers were eager to pick Spinola reported a “strange” first quarter because of cold of Ferragamo’s store in Tokyo’s Roppongi up new resources “for the first time in a long time.” weather and two rare snowstorms that hit Atlanta, prompting district that the house is performing more “Although people are still being cautious, most of the peo- her to carry transitional goods for two extra months. She said strongly than expected in Japan, register- ple who were at market were leaving paper,” Harrison said. business started to pick up again in March. ing an 8 percent jump in retail sales in the One new line at the show was Nicole Miller’s sportswear “I loved the attitude of reps at this show and the energy of first three months of the year. Ferragamo has division, which launched in Harrison’s showroom. The line the market. For the first time, I even stopped and watched the been focusing its investments in Asia, and in features sophisticated tops from $165 to $265 wholesale and fashion show,” Spinola said of the runway presentation in the China in particular. In addition to a large pants for about $210. Styles are mostly black and white, in- mart’s newly redesigned atrium. flagship in Shanghai, which opened in April spired by New York City lights, said David Weissman, senior The area, which has housed temporary booths for the ju- to coincide with the World Expo. In June, vice president of sales and merchandising for Nicole Miller. ried Premiere show, now features a lounge area for buyers Ferragamo will stage a fashion show in Hong Weissman also showed the company’s other divisions — and a sleeker layout, and the booths have been pushed back. Kong at the Bank of China skyscraper.

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