Val Gal ROME — Talk About La Dolce Vita

SULLIVAN’S PAY PACKAGE/2 BERLIN FASHION WEEK/SEC. II WWDWomen’s Wear Daily • The Retailers’MONDAY Daily Newspaper • July 9, 2007 • $2.00 Accessories/Innerwear/Legwear Val Gal ROME — Talk about la dolce vita. Valentino celebrated his 45th anniversary as a couturier with a beautiful all-out extravaganza in the Eternal City that featured his fall couture show, a retrospective and two galas, held at the Temple of Venus and the Parco dei Daini at the Villa Borghese. Here, one of Valentino’s stellar beauties, Uma Thurman, wearing the designer’s ﬂ ounced, embroidered dress at the ball on Saturday night. For more on the weekend festivities, see pages 4 to 7.

Luxe Goods on the Fly: Accessories Brands Tap Travel Retail for Growth By Katya Foreman PARIS — Leather goods are set for takeoff in the travel retail sector, traditionally known for sales of perfume, liquor and tobacco. Airport retailers and brand executives said that even though they are weighed down by luggage, travelers are still willing to splurge on that extra bag, regardless of the price tag. And airport operators are zoning in. For example, last November, British Airports Authority introduced its first concept area for fashion accessories, the World Duty Free Collection, in Gatwick North Airport in London. See Bags, Page 10 PHOTO BY STEPHANE FEUGERE PHOTO BY 2 WWD, MONDAY, JULY 9, 2007 WWD.COM Rumblings Boost Macy’s, Target Stock By Vicki M. Young chise and real estate assets, all openly on the auction block, WWDMONDAY of which Macy’s has. She added said Loeb. He said with so much Accessories/Innerwear/Legwear NEW YORK — Shares of Macy’s that Macy’s would give Sears money in the market waiting to Inc. and Target Corp. each another platform on which to be invested, nearly every com- gained more than 5 percent in sell apparel on top of Sears’ pany was an acquisition target. FASHION trading Friday on the New York namesake and Kmart stores. Augustine, in a research note Valentino threw himself an anniversary party in Rome over the weekend, Stock Exchange, the former on a Shares of Macy’s spiked last month, wrote that a lever- 4 replete with dinners, a retrospective and a fall couture show. recurring buyout rumor and the last month on buyout talks, aged buyout in the low $50s for latter on possible action from an then retreated. At the time, Macy’s was “feasible.” Macy’s GENERAL activist hedge fund. traders said talks of a buyout owns 68 percent of its real estate ACCESSORIES: Leather goods are set for take off in the travel retail Macy’s closed the day up by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, — 54 percent fully, building and 1 sector, traditionally known for sales of perfume, liquor and tobacco. 5.3 percent, at $41.86, on rum- Providence Capital and land; 14 percent of the owned blings that billionaire investor Goldman Sachs at $52 a share stores are on leased property, Retailers and textile and apparel manufacturers all trimmed payrolls last Edward Lampert, the chairman fueled speculation that helped the analyst wrote. 20 month, bucking the overall U.S. employment trend. of ESL Investments that bailed bolster Macy’s stock price. But As for Target, its shares rose Badgley Mischka is diving into swim as the fi rst fashion show in the Kmart Holding Corp. out of several banking sources at the 5.9 percent Friday, to $68.01, tents at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Miami Swim Show. bankruptcy and then later en- time didn’t give the buyout talks with 27.9 million shares traded, 20 gineered the merger of Kmart much credence. compared with a three-month Berlin Preview is included in this issue as a Section II. and Sears, Roebuck & Co., might “I don’t think it’ll happen. average of 8.3 million. Classifi ed Advertisements...... 21-23 have intentions to acquire the The merger certainly hasn’t Market speculation was that department store giant. The gone as well as expected. activist hedge firm Pershing To e-mail reporters and editors at WWD, the address is fi rstname. speculation in the market was Macy’s is doing some things Square might file a Form [email protected], using the individual’s name. specifi c enough to include today regionally that it had hoped 13D with the Securities and WWD IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ADVANCE MAGAZINE PUBLISHERS INC. COPYRIGHT as a deadline for bids, although to centralize. They are behind Exchange Commission to force ©2007 FAIRCHILD FASHION GROUP. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. Macy’s has never said it is for schedule and certainly are Target to sell its credit-card VOLUME 194, NO. 5. WWD (ISSN 0149–5380) is published daily (except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, with one additional issue in January and November, two additional issues in March, May, June, August and December, and three sale. The three-month average upset at themselves, but I don’t business. Pershing, run by Bill additional issues in February, April, September and October) by Fairchild Fashion Group, which is a division of Advance trading volume of Macy’s shares think they would sell,” said Ackman, typically takes long Magazine Publishers Inc. PRINCIPAL OFFICE: 750 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017. Shared Services provided by is 6.8 million, but that jumped Walter Loeb, former Wall Street positions in companies and Condé Nast Publications: S. I. Newhouse, Jr., Chairman; Charles H. Townsend, President/CEO; John W. Bellando, Executive Vice President/COO; Debi Chirichella Sabino, Senior Vice President/CFO; Jill Bright, Executive Vice President/Human Friday to nearly 13 million. retail analyst and now a consul- then tries to push management Resources. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, and at additional mailing offi ces. Canada Post Publications Mail “If you’re looking at why tant with the fi rm that bears his to take action to provide value Agreement No. 40644503. Canadian Goods and Services Tax Registration No. 886549096-RT0001. Canada Post: return would Sears Holdings buy name, on Friday. to shareholders. According to undeliverable Canadian addresses to: P.O. Box 503, RPO West Beaver Cre, Rich-Hill, ON L4B 4R6 POSTMASTER: Macy’s, a number of boxes The purchase of Harrah’s Augustine, the sale of Target’s SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY, P.O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA 91615–5008. FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS, ADDRESS CHANGES, ADJUSTMENTS, OR BACK ISSUE would check off,” said Bear Entertainment by TPG and credit-card business would re- INQUIRIES: Please write to WWD, P.O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA 91615-5008, call 800-289-0273, or visit Stearns analyst Christine Apollo Management, which still sult in a recapitalization of its www.subnow.com/wd. Please give both new and old addresses as printed on most recent label. 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WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RETURN OR LOSS OF, OR FOR DAMAGE OR ANY OTHER INJURY TO, UNSOLICITED MANUSCRIPTS, UNSOLICITED ART WORK (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DRAWINGS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND TRANSPARENCIES), OR ANY OTHER UNSOLICITED MATERIALS. THOSE SUBMITTING MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, ART WORK, OR OTHER MATERIALS FOR New Talbots Boss Signs Hefty Pay Deal CONSIDERATION SHOULD NOT SEND ORIGINALS, UNLESS SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED TO DO SO BY WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY IN WRITING. MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND OTHER MATERIALS SUBMITTED MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY rudy F. Sullivan has landed a big pay package compensation will cost the company approximate- A SELF-ADDRESSED STAMPED ENVELOPE. Twith Talbots Inc., where she becomes presi- ly 8 cents to 10 cents a diluted share in the 2007 dent and chief executive officer on Aug. 6, suc- fi scal year. TUESDAY: Hong Kong Spring-Summer Fashion Week ceeding Arnold Zetcher. One of Sullivan’s fi rst big decisions will be to (through Friday). The 57-year-old Sullivan, formerly president select a new chief merchant to succeed Harold of Liz Claiborne, signed a four-and-a-half-year B. Bosworth Jr., who said last week he was retir- WEDNESDAY: Swimshow, Miami Beach (through employment contract with Talbots. According to ing after a decade with the company. A search for Sunday). a Securities and Exchange Commission 8-K docu- his successor has begun. It’s likely there will be ment fi led last week by the Hingham, Mass.-based additional management changes after Sullivan THURSDAY: Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin Talbots, Sullivan will receive: takes the helm. Bosworth continues as execu- (through Sunday). ● An initial annual base salary of $1 million, to tive vice president and chief merchandising of- The U.S. Commerce Department releases the May for- be reviewed annually for increases. fi cer until July 27. He joined Talbots in 1997 as eign trade report. ● An annual incentive bonus of 120 percent of senior vice president and general manager for her salary. Talbots Kids, and later Talbots Mens, which he FRIDAY: The Commerce Department releases the June ● A special inducement award of $3.05 million launched. He was promoted to his current posi- retail sales report. in cash. tion in January 2003. ● Up to $1.8 million to make good from various Before Talbots, Bosworth served as senior SUNDAY: Cosmoprof North America, Las Vegas (through compensation arrangements she leaves behind vice president of retail for men’s luxury brand COMING THIS WEEK July 17). at Liz Claiborne Inc., payable in cash, restricted Ermenegildo Zegna. stock or a combination of both. Sullivan will be challenged to reverse Talbots’ ● 350,000 shares of restricted stock in Talbots slumping sales and profi t trends, modernize the vesting 25 percent on March 15, 2008, 25 percent merchandise, and turn around the J. Jill division, exactly a year later and 50 percent another year which also has product issues and was purchased after. by Talbots last year, after outbidding Claiborne. In Brief ● 325,000 stock options, vesting in three equal It’s also possible Sullivan will examine installments over eight years. Claiborne’s portfolio of brands for possible ac- ● PRADA IN PLAY: A Prada spokesman denied a weekend re- Sullivan was also granted life insurance, re- quisitions by Talbots. Claiborne is expected to port in The Sunday Times of London stating that U.K. business location benefi ts and up to $40,000 for legal and shed some labels as part of a major restructuring tycoon Richard Caring is in talks to buy the Italian company. advisory fees related to her negotiations with to be detailed this week by its chief executive, The spokesman said Prada has had no contact with Caring and Talbots on her employment and compensation. William L. McComb. is still pursing its plan to go public rather than pursue a sale. Talbots also said in its SEC fi ling that Sullivan’s — David Moin The Sunday Times reported Prada has “engaged in private talks with a handful of potential buyers” and that two unnamed private equity players are also looking at Prada. Top Polo Execs Make $43.9M for Fiscal 2007 ● MOB SCENE: Hoping to buy one of only 1,300 Anya Hindmarch environmentally friendly bags, thousands of shop- he top three highest-paid executives at Polo with the largest portion coming from $1.9 million pers mobbed The Landmark, one of Hong Kong’s highest-end TRalph Lauren Corp. brought in a total of $43.9 of non-equity incentive pay. shopping malls. By Friday, police estimated that 2,000 would-be million in compensation for fiscal 2007, accord- Lauren’s incentive bonus was fueled by strong purchasers were in line hoping to get a “token” that could be ing to a filing with the Securities and Exchange profi t gains of the luxury brand. “Based on the exchanged for a bag. In the end, fearing chaos, stores selling Commission Friday. company’s achievement of performance goals rel- the bag closed their doors for the day. No bags or tokens were Ralph Lauren, chairman and chief executive ative to the net income before taxes target estab- distributed at all. offi cer, garnered a total pay package worth $25.9 lished by the Compensation Committee, for fi scal million, with the bulk of his compensation com- 2007 Mr. Lauren received an incentive bonus of ing from $16.5 million in non-equity incentives. $16,500,000, representing his maximum bonus op- The ceo had a base salary of $1 million, $5.5 portunity,” the company said in the SEC fi ling. Clarifi cation million in stock awards, $2.7 million in option On the “other compensation” line of the pay awards and $110,000 of “other compensation.” disclosures, Polo Ralph Lauren Corp. said, “In Following is a revised date and contact to the Domestic Trade According to the fi ling, Roger Farah, presi- fi scal 2007, Mr. Lauren received perquisites and Show Calendar that ran June 20, Section II. dent and chief operating offi cer, received a $12.5 other personal benefi ts, including supplemental The date is: Oct. 20-23: Women’s Apparel and Accessories million compensation package, with the largest medical expenses ($64,086), use of an automobile Market, Fashion Industry Gallery, Dallas. portion coming from $8.6 million in stock awards. and driver ($46,470), personal security and mer- The revised contact information for the Lingerie Americas Jackwyn Nemerov, executive vice president, had chandise discounts.” Trade Show in New York (Aug. 5-7) and Las Vegas (Aug. 26-28) is: a total annual pay package worth $5.5 million, — Arthur Zaczkiewicz Tel.: 212-966-5830. Fax: 212-925-2869. ENK-CoterieAd_2-12-07FINAL.ai 2/9/07 3:47:44 PM

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ROME — Mamma mia! With fi reworks, aerial acrobats, a surprise Annie Lennox concert and enough bold-faced names to rival those of awards season, Valentino threw himself an anniversary party over the weekend that was almost as grand and impressive as the Colosseum. The festivities, rumored to cost upward of $10 million, were not the swan song some were expecting. Far from it. On Sunday, sources indicated that the designer is zeroing in on a new three-year contract with the private equity fund Permira, the Italian fi rm’s new owner. “Maybe,” Valentino’s business partner Giancarlo Giammetti demurred with a smile when asked if the designer had reached a deal. Given the ovations and accolades the designer received over the weekend, it would appear that his global fan club is not ready to see the Roman couturier hang up his scissors. “It’s amazing. I love that green one,” Eva Mendes cooed Friday as she surveyed the dozens of couture dresses arranged in alluring groups at the sun-fi lled Ara Pacis Museum, where a Valentino retrospective was held. (See related story, page 7.) The society fashions should put Mendes in the right frame of mind for her next role: She soon starts rehearsals for a remake of “The Women,” Clare Boothe Luce’s wicked comedy of manners.

Charlotte Casiraghi and Princess Caroline of Monaco

Valentino-clad dancers ﬂ y high. PHOTOS BY GIOVANNI GIANNONI AND STEPHANE FEUGERE GIOVANNI PHOTOS BY The retrospective, showcasing 45 years of design, began three days of festivities ﬂ anking Valentino’s fall couture show and capped off a couture collections season chockablock with milestones, including Christian Lacroix’s 20th anniversary and Christian Dior’s 60th. Throughout the weekend, crowds of locals gathered in front of barricades to catch the arrival of Hollywood stars, models, royals and jet-setters, including the Empress Farah Pahlavi, Betty Lagardère, Princess Marie Chantal of Greece, Rosario of Bulgaria and Princess Caroline of Monaco with her children and their glamorously rowdy entourage in tow. At the apex of the Friday night event that began the weekend’s festivities, Valentino plunged through thick crowds that rivaled those at the Vatican during tourist season to greet Karl Lagerfeld, one of scores of designers who came to salute Rome’s most famous couturier. Also Karl Lagerfeld descending on the city were Giorgio Armani, Donatella Valentino and his designs. and Mick Jagger Continued on page 6 WWD, MONDAY, JULY 9, 2007 5 WWD.COM

A dramatic fall couture look.

Tom Ford, Fall 2007 couture. Sarah Jessica Parker and Donatella Versace Matthew Broderick and Giorgio Armani.

Fireworks at the Colosseum. Dante Ferretti’s setting for the Borghese dinner. 6 WWD, MONDAY, JULY 9, 2007

Fall 2007 couture. ▲ Princess Marie- Chantal of Greece and Alexandra von Roman Holiday Furstenberg Continued from page 4 Versace, Diane von Furstenberg, Carolina Herrera, Christian Louboutin, Manolo Blahnik, Zac Posen and Philip Treacy, who led a standing ovation on Saturday beside a runway that spanned almost 400 feet. Lagerfeld said his friendship with Valentino stretches back 52 years — no small achievement in a cutthroat, ego-driven industry. “He’s always been sweet to me,” Lagerfeld said, turning to embrace Elizabeth Hurley. “Wow, this is like a reunion,” Elle Macpherson quipped as she encountered Tom Ford, who arrived at Friday’s party in a van packed with glamorous women in long gowns. Photographer Astrid Muñoz, who plans to shoot Natalia Vodianova for an upcoming feature in Russian Vogue, confessed that Valentino’s designs were “one of the reasons I became a model.” Not that she was itching to resume her runway career. “I prefer to sit,” she said. “I leave that to the 15-year-olds.” At a press conference on Friday, Valentino was emotional Fall about the return to his hometown, especially since Mayor Walter 2007 Veltroni gave him unprecedented access to ancient historic sites, couture. including the Temple of Venus and the Parco dei Daini within the Villa Borghese estate, site of Saturday’s black-tie gala. Sets for both dinners were created by Oscar-winning set designer Dante Ferretti. “Coming back to Rome is a great glory for me,” Valentino said. “Also, I wanted to show the beauty of the city.” Guests took his advice to heart. Claire Danes and Hugh Dancy were busy taking in the ruins at the Forum and the Bernini statues at the Villa Borghese. “And stuffi ng our faces,” Dancy said. “Good food,” agreed Maggie Chung, who said she’s focusing on modeling these days, doing ads for skin care, cars, banks and Chinese fashion brands. Sarah Jessica Parker and her husband, Matthew Broderick, had a private tour of the Vatican Museums. Parker had to exit early for hair and makeup, leaving hubby behind to take in the endless rooms of art. “Even the tour guide admitted it’s too much,” Broderick said jokingly. Not so with the retrospective, where Valentino told Parker she “could pick anything she liked” from the myriad of vintage dresses. On Saturday, guests encountered another spectacular venue for the couture show: a restructured medieval building, the Complesso Monumentale of Santo Spirito in Sassia, its towering walls lined with a vast photo retrospective of black-and-white advertising and editorial images. Clearly Valentino wanted his collection to stand up to the rest of the festivities. After spring’s pared-down, all-white palette cleanser, he sent out a lineup as explosive as the fi reworks the night before. By day, he worked the demonstrative side of lady dressing, putting pizzazz into sculpted, tailored looks delivered with plenty of grande-dame attitude. Evening was about one primary destination: the red carpet. Valentino knows his Hollywood girls love to work their curves, or lack thereof, in gorgeously lean, sexy gowns. He offered them plenty, done up with enough bows, beads, feathers and jewels to please any glorious goddess of the night. And if one or two frocks bordered on excess — Eva Mendes well, was anyone expecting minimalism to crash this Roman holiday? Afterward, Armani and Valentino had tears in their eyes backstage as Armani recalled attending an early Valentino couture show in Rome during the Seventies. “I was young and came with [Nino] Cerruti,” Armani said. “I stood in the back. Now, I was invited to sit in the front row. It’s very gratifying.” Versace revealed that the fi rst people she saw and spoke to following her brother’s death, which was 10 years ago this month, were Valentino and Giammetti. “I was in Rome, and they met me at the airport,” she said before the show. “Valentino is a stupendous person, and Giancarlo is a very dear friend. It’s very emotional to be here today.” Later, some 950 guests, including Mick Jagger, who was fresh from a sold-out concert in Rome the previous night, ogled Caravaggios, Canovas and breathtaking frescos at the Villa Borghese before fi ling through the gardens into a vast, Chinese-themed dining room built especially for the evening, complete with a tufted ceiling and decorative palms. Following a lavish dinner of avocado mousseline, lime-spiked fi sh and handmade semifreddo for dessert, Uma Thurman made a beeline for the dance fl oor, after changing into fl ats, while The Temple of Venus. Natalia Vodianova Claire Danes Sienna Miller grooved between the tables with Mario Testino. Even the Countess Jacqueline de Ribes got jiggy with it to Kool and the Gang. “I love Valentino’s clothes,” Thurman said. “It’s a privilege to wear them.” Indeed. Joan Collins, who was wearing Valentino red, expressed hopes her new skin care line would generate enough profi ts for her “to be able to buy a few” of his fall couture looks. “There were so many beautiful dresses,” she said. “The whole weekend has been just amazing, the show, the dinner, everything.” Given his reputation for fl awless parties, Valentino had no doubt that his Rome bacchanal would become one of the most lavish events in recent memory, but the 75-year-old did confess to some jitters, particularly about the weather, which could have spoiled the outdoor party at the Temple of Venus. In the end, though, his only disappointment, he said, was that Meryl Streep couldn’t attend because she is gearing up to play a role in the fi lm version of the hit Abba musical “Mamma Mia!” “I miss her,” he said. “She had to go to Stockholm to meet the group.” The 48 hours of festivities proved momentous not only for Valentino, but also for the city of Rome. Veltroni was delighted that so many jet-setters had rediscovered the riches of the Eternal City Anne Hathaway via the designer’s hospitality. “The beauty of Valentino came together with the beauty of Rome, and it just multiplied,” Veltroni said. WWD, MONDAY, JULY 9, 2007 7 WWD.COM Fashion Scoops LUCKY LADIES: Eva Longoria was clad in custom-made Chanel and Vera Wang and Boucheron jewelry when she wed basketball player Tony Parker this past weekend in Paris, but she didn’t leave her girlfriends empty-handed. Her stylist Longoria’s bridal party’s clutches. Robert Verdi asked designer Rafe Totengco to create one- of-a-kind minaudières for each of Longoria’s 10 bridesmaids to carry during the wedding reception. Crafted in anthracite water snake and adorned with smoky rhinestones, the clutches came personalized with each bridesmaid’s initials. Totengco also made one as a gift for the bride, natch. Her hunky B-baller didn’t do so poorly either. Cole Haan outfi tted Parker and his party, which consisted of nine groomsmen and the fathers of both Parker and Longoria. The men donned Cole Haan’s custom-made Valentino black patent leather Air Lucarno Formal shoes and black calf-leather belts. and The Air Lucarno Formal is a new style within Cole Haan’s Men’s State of Annie the Art Collection. It’s handcrafted in Italy, designed with hidden Nike Air Joan Collins Lennox Lynn Wyatt technology — just in case there’s a pickup game on the dance fl oor.

UPTOWN BOYS: Giancarlo Giammetti has bought himself quite the anniversary present: Pierre Bergé’s sumptuous New York apartment on The exhibition with the Peace dress at center. the 38th ﬂ oor of the Pierre Hotel. “I’m going next week to meet with the [co-op] board,” Giammetti, Valentino’s longtime business partner, said before Saturday night’s ball to fete the Roman house’s 45th anniversary. “I’ve never had a New York apartment.” Bergé put the two-bedroom corner suite on the block in 2004 after owning it for more than 30 years and has already sold the contents. In any case, Giammetti said he’s “going to change everything.” But he couldn’t be happier about the Central Park location. “[Valentino] is just 10 blocks away,” he said.

TEEING UP: Hussein Chalayan expects his exclusive line of T-shirts will attract shoppers, but not of the bricks-and-mortar ilk. The designer’s new limited edition T-shirts are exclusively available at husseinchalayan. com, the brand’s Web site, which went live last February. The collection for men and women exists in four prints — called Nature Worship, The Blind, In Shadows and Ataturk — taken from past Hussein Chalayan collections. The Ts retail for around $90.

EYE FOR A CAUSE: With the Tour de France only a few days away, Oakley released two special edition Lance Armstrong sunglasses that will benefi t the athlete’s charities. With each sale of the $185 Radar single-lens sport shields and the $150 Flak Jacket dual-lens sunglasses, the company will donate $20 to the Lance Armstrong Foundation to support its mission to inspire and empower people affected by cancer. The collection’s design features include jet-black frames with accents of yellow, a salute to the logo colors of the Lance Armstrong Foundation. “Livestrong” is laser-etched near the bottom of the lens, and a specially tagged microclear bag for cleaning and storage is included in the custom packaging. The fi rst 2,000 pairs of each Time and Again Livestrong Radar and Flak Jacket piece will be serialized. KATE’S STILL GREAT: A spokeswoman for brand Agent Provocateur scotched ROME — In ancient Rome, citizens would visit the Ara Pacis — an intricately etched altar built rumors that its current poster girl, Kate Moss, is to be replaced for the fall ad to celebrate peace under Emperor Augustus — and place fl owers and fruit on its marble stairs. campaign by a younger model — the daughter of one of her chums, to be Leave it to Valentino to surround it with chic. precise. While British tabloids claimed the model was given the heave-ho As part of his anniversary celebration, the designer selected almost 300 couture dresses in favor of Daisy Lowe, daughter of Pearl Lowe, a former member of Moss’ for the retrospective exhibition “Valentino in Rome: 45 Years of Style,” artfully placing them Primrose Hill crew, the spokeswoman said Moss’ contract had simply run its around the Altar of Peace, which since last spring has had a new home in the glass and travertine course. She added that Lowe had not been signed to appear in the ads. Richard Meier-designed museum Ara Pacis. “Recent suggestions that Kate Moss was dropped by Agent Provocateur Located on the eastern banks of the Tiber River, the bold linear structure is the fi rst example are completely inaccurate. Last year, we enjoyed a collaboration with Kate of contemporary architecture in central Rome in almost a century. on the ‘4 Dreams of Miss X’ campaign that was inspired by and created In a symbolic gesture, Valentino placed his 1990 Peace dress — with the word peace embroi- for her in collaboration with [director] Mike Figgis,” the spokeswoman said dered on it in 14 languages — high in front of the altar. in a statement Wednesday. “We hope we will have the opportunity to work The museum’s striking lines and endless stream of natural light wasn’t lost on the designer, with her again in the future.” The spokeswoman also nixed rumors of a who relished the chance to showcase his work in such a spectacular venue. business rupture between Joe Corre and Serena Rees, the brand’s founders, “I love to share,” Valentino said, following the exhibit’s opening on Friday night. “I wanted to following the ending of their marriage earlier this year. She said the duo give Rome the opportunity to see my couture collections.” would “continue to run Agent Provocateur together.” Guests like Sarah Jessica Parker, Jennifer Hudson and Elizabeth Hurley swooned at the various groupings of dresses, which evocatively framed the altar. “I wish I had a U-haul to take SAUNDERS SAYS: In Paris to show his pre-collection for the fi rst time, them with me,” Anne Hathaway said with a laugh, taking in a towering display of Valentino’s London designer Jonathan Saunders took time out last Wednesday to signature red frocks (66 in all) and other styles demonstrating his mastery of ruching, beading see his buddy Roland Mouret’s fi rst show in the City of Light. But it isn’t and embroidery. “Seeing his body of work together like this makes it so apparent why Valentino Paris that’s on Saunders’ mind. The designer said he had been mulling is such a genius.” a showing of his fashion in Manhattan. “It’s an option,” he said. Hudson, wearing a chocolate brown embroidered chiffon column dress, had no sooner arrived at the Ara Pacis when she spied her next red-carpet look: an ivory vintage gown with rings of STEP BACK IN TIME: Topshop may be known for turning around runway trends pearls looped around the shoulders. at lightning speed, but now the retailer is looking to the past for inspiration. The retrospective — from the simplest one-shouldered sheath to an intricately sequined pas- The store’s Web site, topshop.com, will launch Archive today as an area tel dégrade number — expressed the timelessness of Valentino’s style. devoted to one-of-a-kind vintage fi nds. The Web site will carry Lanvin, The designer had few kind words for certain trends and eras during an earlier press briefi ng, Chloé and Dior’s pieces from the Sixties and Seventies, and also introduce describing grunge as “outrageous,” criticizing the Eighties for unfl attering proportions and de- customers to London labels from the era, such as Lee Bender for Bus Stop, scribing minimalism as “an offense to women,” and adding, “It made them look like little nuns run- Biba, Mary Quant, Jean Veron, Ossie Clarke and Strawberry Studio. Alongside ning around.” detailed pictures of the garments, which buyers have sourced everywhere The exhibition, which runs through Oct. 28, dazzled Karl Lagerfeld, who usually derides such from vintage fairs to eBay, Topshop will print biographies of the designers to backward-looking exercises as funereal. “I think it’s beautifully done,” he said. “It looks fresh. It give customers an idea of their signifi cance in the fashion time line. doesn’t look like a bunch of old dresses, and that’s what impresses me.” The exhibition was cu- “We wanted to look at the history of these designers, and become rated by Patrick Kinmonth and Antonio Monfreda, who placed the dresses on clusters of golden an authority on vintage fashion,” said Clare Daws, a buyer for topshop. mannequins, some with arms raised out to the altar reverentially. com. Daws said Topshop would not be working on new lines based on On the lower level, Valentino paid homage to today’s goddesses. He showcased a sampling the vintage looks on its Web site. “We want people to understand and of some of his most iconic celebrity dresses, including the canary yellow taffeta gown Cate respect that these garments are one-offs,” she said. Blanchett wore to the 2005 Oscars. “I love beauty, and I love the feeling of serenity,” Valentino Prices for the pieces aren’t typically Topshop’s, either, starting at about said. “I’ve always looked to give my best, and I think I have succeeded.” $131 for a minidress and running up to $1,000 for an Ossie Clarke gown. The — Courtney Colavita Archive pieces will also be available to topshop.com’s international customers. PHOTOS BY GIOVANNI GIANNONI AND STEPHANE FEUGERE GIOVANNI PHOTOS BY 8 WWD, MONDAY, JULY 9, 2007 WWD.COM Innerwear Report

Vera Vera’s Inner Circle Wang Underwear Battle Heats Up turf war between Fruit of the A Loom Inc. and Hanesbrands ill there be ramifi cations for the designer linge- Inc. — the two largest makers of Wrie business following Vera Wang’s decision to go cotton underwear, T-shirts and against the grain and design a secondary line of inti- casualwear for men, women and mates called Simply Vera, an exclusive label for Kohl’s? children — is expected to intensify The decision to create a lingerie collection for over the next few months. FTL gen- the department store has displeased executives at erates estimated annual wholesale Macy’s, mainly because it and Kohl’s have similar revenues of $1.8 billion, and its price structures and product aimed at the same con- parent is Berkshire Hathaway Inc., sumer base, according to industry sources. As a re- worth $98.53 billion. Hanesbrands, sult, Macy’s reportedly will not carry the designer a $4.5-billion powerhouse with lines Vera Wang Lingerie and Vera Wang Body, a col- brands including Hanes, Playtex lection of foundations slated for fall selling. and Champion, was spun off into a Now that Macy’s is the nation’s second-largest re- separate public company from $15.94-billion Sara Lee Corp. in August 2006. tailer (Wal-Mart is the fi rst) following the Federated- Apparently, Wall Street guru Warren Buffet, who heads Berkshire Hathaway, May merger, innerwear fi rms that design, merchan- is enamored of anything related to the underwear or lingerie categories. His dise and distribute designer lingerie brands might reconsider doing secondary most recent acquisition in January was VF Corp.’s Global Intimate Apparel busi- lines that either use a designer’s name or a name that is similar. Federated has ness for $350 million, by which he secured a portfolio of national brands in the since been renamed Macy’s Inc., and owns the Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s brands. U.S. including Vanity Fair, Vassarette, Lily of France, Bestform and Curvation, as Wang’s move to create an exclusive lingerie line for Kohl’s poses a “direct well as Lou, Gemma and Belcor in Europe. In 2006, Berkshire purchased Russell confl ict” with Macy’s, according to an executive, who requested anonymity, at Corp., a specialist in cotton T-shirts, activewear and casualwear, for $600 million, the Komar Co., the licensee that produces sleepwear, daywear, at-homewear and and in January 2002 plunked down $835 million to buy the FTL brand. foundations bearing the Vera Wang Lingerie and Vera Wang Body labels. FTL introduced Fruit “Vera and Terry Lundgren [president and chief executive of Macy’s Inc.] are of the Loom underwear for good friends and even play golf together,” said the Komar source. “He advised women to the European Vera not to do the Kohl’s deal, because he felt there was a confl ict of interest market in February at the for Macy’s and for the integrity of the brand. But she decided to do it any- Salon International de way, and Macy’s has decided not to buy Vera’s sleepwear or bras, except la Lingerie in Paris, France, expanding the brand’s franchise overseas. Bloomingdale’s, which is an institution unto itself.” Sources say Buffet is continuing to explore other acquisitions in the Asked about the Kohl’s-Macy’s situation, Wang replied, “We were lingerie fi eld. not kicked out of there. We were never there in the fi rst place in Offi cials at FTL could not be reached. But following the sale of the sleepwear and foundations, except for Bloomingdale’s. In all fair- Global Intimate Apparel business in January, Eric Wiseman, VF’s ness, we sell a lot of bridal to [Macy’s Inc.]. If anything, it [Vera president and chief operating offi cer, said, “The intimate apparel Wang intimates] was not one of their initiatives.” business has not been performing at a historical level. We think with Offi cials at Macy’s could not be reached. the right investment, it can return to its historic rate and performance Coincidentally, both the Simply Vera line for Kohl’s and the new levels and we think Fruit of the Loom can do that. I do know that Fruit upscale Vera Wang Body collection for major specialty and depart- of the Loom is committed to the intimate apparel business.” ment stores are scheduled to be in-store this fall. Executives at Hanesbrands have kept mum about plans. However, at Norman Katz, a 45-year veteran of the intimate apparel industry, the time of the spin-off, Rich Noll, chief executive of Hanesbrands, told observed, “It will most likely prompt more major stores to reevaluate WWD that part of the company’s mission was “out-executing our competition... which designer and premium lingerie labels have the viability and the ca- by leveraging our sustainable competitive advantage.” He added the company’s chet to pull in customers on the selling fl oor, and which names will be dropped, strategy for growth would be to maintain a “world-class consumer goods company.” whether by lack of performance or a confl ict of interest. That sea change will Sizing up the situation, one veteran executive who requested anonymity most likely apply even if it’s a secondary label that in one way or another is as- noted, “They are the two biggest players in the cotton underwear, T-shirt and sociated with the primary designer name.” casualwear business. Buffet is going after that business, and apparently he wants But for some major designers such as Isaac Mizrahi, the idea of doing a sec- the biggest share.” ondary label for mass distribution to Target was a good idea that has clicked — K.M. primarily because the cost structure and consumer target were a far cry from his upscale ready-to-wear, which had been temporarily put on hold but is now sold on a selected basis at Bergdorf Goodman. Despite Macy’s absence, hopes are high for the introduction of bras, undies and corsetry by Vera Wang Body, which will join the Vera Wang Lingerie collec- The Web: Victoria’s Secret’s Crown Jewel tion of sleepwear and at-homewear at 350 doors of major specialty and depart- hile apparel sales have generally been lackluster for the past year with the ment stores this fall. The foundations, which comprise three groups — Trousseau, Wexception of the luxe sector, Victoria’s Secret, the $5.1-billion intimate ap- Everyday Essentials, and Illusions Solution — were shown to retailers at the parel phenomenon, recorded strong results in 2006, according to Leslie H. Wexner, February market, but offi cials at Komar did not show the collection to the media chairman and chief executive of parent The Limited Inc., in its annual report. until orders were fi nal at the end of June. Overall, 2006 sales jumped 16 percent, and operating income rose 8 percent. As for Wang’s take on the foundations line, she said, “My inspiration is always Victoria’s Secret operates 1,001 stores nationwide with average sales of $731 a things I would wear myself. In this case, it’s very much for me about comfort, and square foot, but the crown certain signature aspects of [Vera Wang] Collection and Lavender [rtw]. I was hop- jewel now is the lingerie The new ing I could bring a certain sensuality to the [intimates] collection.” retailer’s direct business, Secret — Karyn Monget which includes its glossy Embrace catalogues and state-of-the- bra by art e-commerce operation, Silky micro Victoria’s Vera Wang which fueled a “phenom- Secret. Body’s bra and enal year” in 2006, said crinkle undies from Wexner. Direct sales sky- chiffon bra the Everyday rocketed 16 percent, and and panty Essentials a “significant increase” from the group by Vera spurred operating income. Trousseau Wang Body. The victoriassecret.com group. Web site has been steadily growing by 10 percent each year for several years, according to industry sources. A main reason is that the vampy and user-friendly site is supported by an advertising and marketing budget that’s estimated to be between 5 and 6 percent of total company revenues. The site features a well-organized menu of everything in a sexy, playful format, ranging from Victoria’s Secret Technology and the new Secret Embrace bra to a Bra Guide, and a run- down of bra classifi cations: Search by Size, Shop by Style and Shop by Padding. — K.M. © 2007 Fruit of the Loom, Inc. We’re expanding to fi ll up all kinds of space. Innovative fabrics, styles, and designs in the many Plus, our retail are profi partners ting from increased market basket a rings, Fruit of the Loom intimates andnew sleepwear collections continue to create loyal customers. award-winning customer service. It’s more proof that you really can’t have too much of agoodthing. An ever-growing numberofcollections. Never quiteenoughroom. Dozens ofstyles. ractive margins, and and margins, ractive 10 WWD, MONDAY, JULY 9, 2007 WWD.COM Accessories Report Bags Fly High at Airport Shops

Continued from page one The shop measures 900 square feet. “We decided that we needed an edgy concept that mixed the leather goods offer with jewelry and watches, but with tax-free prices,” said Beta Palizban, a luxury buyer for the area. The leather goods brands offered range from midlevel players such as Diesel and Tabitha to high-fashion labels including Chloé and Mulberry. “Roughly 80 percent of sales… comes from leather goods, but sunglasses also drive a lot of business,” said Palizban. “The leather goods category is thriving for a number of reasons: It offers a variety of price points, targets both men and women and generates good margins for retailers,” commented travel retail specialist Martin Moodie, editor of The Moodie Report. “More retailers are giving both standalone and generic space to the category, a trend that is sure to accelerate in the future.” Moodie points to the “stunning” new Narita 5th Avenue shopping mall in Tokyo Narita Airport as an example. As host to 32 shops including Gucci and Burberry, its leather goods area, he said, has dwarfed space formerly used by liquor vendors, a longtime staple of Japanese duty free. “Everywhere in travel retail, the transition from traditional to more fashion-driven categories is an important dynamic — no- where more so than Asia,” said Moodie. Though fi gures for 2006 have not yet been released, total sales for luxury goods in the travel retail sector in 2005 represented an estimated $9.8 billion, according to Generation Data Bank. Of this, $1.2 billion was generated from leather goods — a 40 percent increase from 2003. “I would expect an increase of around 50 percent for leather goods in the next three to four years,” said Peter Williams, chief executive offi cer of Alpha Airports Group, a provider of catering and retailing services to airlines and airports in 17 countries. “Leather goods are defi nitely increasing at a faster rate than traditional travel retail.” With luxury brands wielding global identities, people expect ac- The Chanel store at Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 4. cess to them wherever they go — in a new city or an airport, he added. “Travelers now expect a shopping mall environment from airports.” said. Emporio Armani recently opened its second airport shop in Zurich. With the ever-escalating number of travelers, notably from new “Creating sophisticated retail experiences for traveling fashion markets such as consumers continues to be a top priority for the Armani Group,” said Russia, India and John Hooks, group commercial director of Giorgio Armani. “We are China, Williams pre- very pleased with the positive performance and results of the Emporio dicts the macro econo- Armani brand in the travel retail sector.” Following openings in Buenos my for growth is better Aires’ Ezeiza Airport in November, as well as at airports in Bangkok and Milan for brands in airports this year, its most recent addition was in Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport in June. than in city centers. Still, there are brands that are hesitant to enter the sector. Many attribute lofty “Travelers are often rents and lack of sophisticated environments as factors behind the tardy arrival of in a carefree mind- certain high-profi le luxury brands in airports, and many labels are sticking to stand- set where all of those alone boutiques in strategic airports, namely in Asia. rules about spending Chanel, for example, operates only six boutiques in the travel retail space, primar- go out of the window,” ily in Asia, that house ready-to-wear and leather goods. But the brand is looking to ex- he said. pand. “Travel retail gives us the opportunity to reach new customers, with people travel- And brands are ing more and more,” said Bruno Pavlovsky, president of Chanel’s fashion activities. gearing up to cash in. “Just as certain brands will choose to be situated on Bond Street or Rue Saint “Airports are the Honoré, say, they’re very concerned about store environments and who they’re going to windows of the world. be positioned next to,” explained Williams, who has recruited design consultant HMKM It’s an extremely to create a new 20,000-square-foot store in Manchester Airport in England. The fi rm Longchamp’s store in Incheon International Airport, South Korea. dynamic channel has previously worked with high-profi le fashion stores such as Harrods and Selfridges. for maximizing rev- “We’re not yet actively targeting luxury brands, but we don’t rule it out for the near enue consolidation and creating brand awareness,” commented Clemente future,” said Williams. Hernandez, commercial director for Spain’s Loewe, which has 50 travel retail Certain travel retailers are sales points, either as shops-in-shops or standalone boutiques. Seven more are aggressively targeting leather planned for 2007. goods brands, however, aim- Executives at French leather goods brand Longchamp, which has travel ing to go head to head with retail points in nearly all of the 80 cities where it is present, see the sector as department stores. strategic for lassoing new customers who would not necessarily go to its stores “Most luxury brands, with in the respective domestic markets. the exception of Louis Vuitton “The [travel retail] sector fulfi lls two kinds of demand: a practical one for which does not distribute in passengers who need a last-minute bag, as well as access for those who may any travel retail outlet, for have come into contact with campaigns on the domestic markets, but not nec- now are distributing to at essarily the product,” said Jean Cassegrain, general director of Longchamp, least one strategic airport citing an ambitious plan to double the company’s airport business over the across the world,” commented next few years. Mathieu Daubert, manager of Mulberry is also stepping up its presence in the sector. The brand has even retail goods for Aéroports de developed a mobile gadget designed to ease pre-fl ight purchases from the Paris, which operates stores comfort of the airport lounge. A leather-clad computer screen on a stand will in both Charles de Gaulle and feature a touch-screen ordering system that’s linked to the airport store via Orly airports. Intranet. “It will facilitate product to be delivered from the terminal store The new Emporio Armani store at Milan’s Malpensa Airport. Daubert was formerly a to the customer in the lounge or at the departure gate,” said Lisa Montague, buyer of luxury goods for chief operating offi cer of the brand. Other options will include collection upon return French department stores Le Bon Marche and Printemps. It’s a retail phenomenon, he fl ight or home delivery. predicts, that is about to change. Mulberry is mulling international expansion into the busiest airport hubs via its “Our perfume sales outdo those of any [Parisian] department store and we believe own retail and franchise network, according to Montague. It is the fi rst luxury brand we have the potential to achieve the same with leather goods,” said Daubert. to sign with BAA on a new site at Heathrow’s Terminal 5 that will open in March, Besides Hermès, its current main leather goods breadwinner, Ferragamo and for example. Counting three airport stores to date in three of Heathrow’s terminals, Burberry are among the few luxury brands currently distributed by the fi rm. But Mulberry also opened a store in Stansted Airport in June and is testing a boutique at there are plans to open two “major” accessories-only boutiques in both the Charles the World Duty Free’s new accessories area in Gatwick Airport. de Gaulle and Orly airports in 2008, and Daubert said he was angling to lure brands Since airport retail is a volatile sector sensitive to economic and sociopolitical fac- rarely seen in the travel context. “The stores will be multibrand but will stick to the tors, fl exibility is key, according to Montague, to accommodate shifting market trends. corner logic,” said Daubert. “With luxury brands having gone so far to establish an “Mulberry’s leather goods business [in travel retail] could climb from 7 to 15 per- identity, we have a vocation to respect that.” cent of total sales, but that fi gure hinges on air-travel passenger numbers continuing Communication will focus on the sector’s tax-free benefi ts. In terms of productivity, to increase,” she said. luxury, according to Daubert, will hold a slightly more important position. Targeting a Mirroring general buying trends, it is entry-level and luxury leather goods brands limited offer of niche brands, such as Balenciaga, is also part of the strategy. that do best in travel retail, retailers and brand executives concurred. “It is important to cater to all types of customers, though I don’t think it’s the role “The midprice ranges clearly lose out compared to very cheap and very exclusive of an airport to be a prescriber of trends,” said Daubert, adding that he will nonethe- products,” said Ulrike Janett-Bachner, manager of corporate communications for the less be seeking ways to stand out from competitors. Nuance Group, the giant airport retailer. “There is an overwhelming demand for lux- The fi rm also plans to have ultra-luxe goods at the ready. ury goods in every area at this moment, be it leather goods, sunglasses or watches.” “[Customer behavior] in other travel retail sectors has proved that there are Small leather goods, she added, were particularly popular, given their lower price point no limits when it comes to spending in airports,” said Maubert, citing a recent compared with bags or luggage, making them affordable for a wide range of customers who Chinese client who bought $30,000 worth of wine in one of the fi rm’s boutiques. are willing to spend on luxury. “At Zurich, one of our most important locations, small leather “We are experiencing a rising number of travellers who have the means and the de- goods from the Bally, Burberry and Emporio Armani boutiques are particularly popular,” she sire to splash out on exceptional goods.” mountain_high_wwd_ad.indd 1 30.05.2007 10:40:00 Uhr 12 WWD, MONDAY, JULY 9, 2007 WWD.COM Accessories Costume Jewelry Gets Dressed Up Alexis Bittar gold vermeil rings. By Caroline Tell “We’ve always aspired towards blurring the distinction between he term “costume jewelry” can connote images of grandma’s costume and fi ne,” said Alexis Bittar, whose eponymous brand fea- Tbeaded necklaces and giant clip-on earrings. tures Lucite bangles and gold vermeil rings that range in price from Today’s costume jewelry is anything but gaudy. In fact, as more and Erickson $75 to $1,000. “I started with the aspiration to design a line that was more high-end jewelers and ready-to-wear designers dip into the category, Beamon high-fashion, whether using Lucite or sterling silver. It’s an exciting the line between costume and fi ne is growing increasingly blurry, leaving necklace. thing if you can reference something old, make it look new, make it room for an emerging middle ground that is both glamorous and accessible. look fi ne, but it’s affordable.” Jewelry brand Erickson Beamon has “We call it couture jewelry,” said Subversive Jewelry designer Justin Cuffs by Gillion been treading the fi ne jewelry line since Giunta. “It’s the easiest way to distinguish between costume and fi ne jew- Carrara. its inception over 20 years ago. Known for elry. It’s all one-of-a-kind when you look at it. Even though we do repro- its vintage-looking bronze and pearl chok- duce some styles, everything is handmade in the studio.” Subversive’s lay- ers and chandelier earrings that start at $300, ered chain necklaces retail from $1,400 to $2,800. “It’s the way it’s assembled,” Erickson Beamon’s baubles may not be fi ne jewelry he said. “That’s what makes it couture in the end, everything is on its own.” but are high-fashion and expertly made. “Erickson In a different nomenclature altogether, Gillion Carrara terms her wooden cuffs Beamon was born during the era of designer jew- and lead crystal jewelry, which she produces laboriously in the style of old Venetian elry, that’s the only niche we’ve ever known,” said glass-making, as art jewelry. “There’s an emergence, whether in Italy or in gallery designer Karen Erickson. “We are the antithesis to stores, of using the term art jewelry,” said Carrara. “I think it’s a term that was used costume and mass production. We do everything in writing about jewelry, and if that’s what they’re calling it, I say fi ne. I’ve also heard handmade, like an art project.” of the term ‘objects to wear.’” Erickson defi nes the term designer jewelry in that the materials she uses are sec- But some brands are sticking to a more traditional label. Haskell Jewelry, the 81-year- ondary to the design. “Everything should be valued on the design element, that’s de- old brand that some say put costume jewelry on the map, is relaunching its costume col- signer jewelry,” she said. “It’s not limited to materials. If I want to use string lection and challenging stereotypes with high-fashion, red carpet-worthy pieces, and make something beautiful and relative to fashion, then string can be including gold-plated leaf necklaces and coiled sea beaded cuffs. The collec- my medium.” tion retails from $150 to $1,500. “We’re using the fi nest costume materials, But while Erickson Beamon has been on the forefront of designer jew- like brass, Swarovski crystals and glass pearls, and focusing on craftsman- elry for over two decades, the brand is joined by a growing number of de- ship, artistry and design,” said Gabrielle Fialkoff Redford, chief operat- signers creating runway-ready pieces that are of-the-moment and afford- ing offi cer of Haskell Jewelry. “Even in costume, making pieces requires able. Such brands as Alexis Bittar, Subversive Jewelry, Badgley Mischka hours and hours of labor. Our work requires talent and know-how.” and even Dolce & Gabbana’s D&G line are falling somewhere in this new Whether designer, art, couture or costume, today’s newest jewelry cat- gray area of costume jewelry. Their pieces speak to both the aspirational egory has one thing in common, if not a title: consumer appeal. “For us, customer and a couture client looking to accessorize a $10,000 gown. And it’s about emotion,” said Scott Shram, the general merchandising manag- while these artists don’t work in 22-karat gold but in bronze and brass, and er of accessories and apparel at Henri Bendel. “Pricing or labeling doesn’t don’t use sapphires and rubies but quartz and crystal, they are nonetheless have the resistance you’d think it does if the piece you are presenting is pushing the envelope of what constitutes fabulous jewelry. telling a story and creating an emotion for the customer.” Cabin Fever Strikes Valextra By Alessandra Ilari MILAN — Thanks to Valextra’s new bag, codesigned with yacht designer Jean Frers, storing clothes in tiny sailboat cabins will be an easier endeavor. After extensive research, Valextra and Frers came up with a soft trunk-style bag with side zips and removable internal compartments for pants, shirts, formal and sporty footwear and beauty products. The bags retail from $2,950 to $4,790. “It’s a very new and useful concept. All you need to do is remove the bags and store them in the cabin’s closet to keep things tidy and save space,” said Massimo Suppancig, Valextra’s chief executive offi cer. Suppancig met Frers, who has designed more than 1,000 ultraluxurious vessels, including the America’s Cup entrant Luna Rossa, during a regatta in Portofi no, Italy, two years ago. The duo hit it off immedi- ately. Once emptied of its compart- Valextra’s trunk-style bag ments, the bag, which is made with is designed to fi t into the high-tech waterproof cotton that is smallest boat closets. resistant to scuffi ng and scratching, can be rolled up, resolving the where-to-store dilemma. The leather-trimmed bag comes in two colors — cream for women and navy blue for men. A garment bag that completely opens up is also part of the package. It’s manageable and practical with two side zippers that allow owners to remove garments even when the bag is hanging inside the closet. Back on terra fi rma, Valextra has successfully pushed ahead to complement its typically rigid styles with soft versions crafted from supple calfskin and with labor-intensive techniques. Though he wouldn’t disclose sales fi gures, Suppancig said he expects a 37 percent increase this year. In terms of retail expansion, Barneys New York will open Valextra corners in its Los Angeles and San Francisco outposts this month and in September, respectively. WWD, MONDAY, JULY 9, 2007 13 WWD.COM Analysts: Still Early J. Lindeberg AB Changes Hands By Jean Scheidnes viously independent distributor for Great Britain, Germany and Italy, whose current owners include To Call Barneys’ Fate NEW YORK — J. Lindeberg AB has been sold Johan and Marcella Lindeberg and pro golfer to Swedish private equity fund Proventus and Jesper Parnevik. These owners will exchange By Koji Hirano “Fast Retailing wants to be- Swedish financier Stefan Engström for an un- their holdings in the British company for shares and Jeanine Poggi come a global company, and disclosed sum. in the parent company. As a result, J. Lindeberg heightening its recognition, The deal brings about a major restructur- will fully own all operations within product de- especially in the U.S., is neces- ing of the company and an end to a contentious velopment and sales, as well as the distribution TOKYO — Analysts here weigh- sary,” explained Miho Asaba, an period that bottomed out with founder and cre- companies for Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Great ing in on the unsolicited bid analyst at Tokai Tokyo Research ative director Johan Lindeberg stepping out of Britain, Germany, Italy and the U.S. for Barneys New York by Fast Center. “Fast Retailing has his post for several weeks. He returned in time A new board will be appointed, including Retailing Ltd. mostly took a bought several fi rms so far, but to fi ne-tune the spring collection before last Proventus ceo Daniel Sachs as new chairman, “wait and see” approach to the most of them have not shown re- month’s men’s runway show in Milan, with a Greger Ericsson as a representative for the proposed deal, and at least one markable business performance. new title of independent creative director. This previous principal owners and the fi lm direc- other analyst, based in New York, As for this proposal, we need redefi ned role relieves him from involvement in tor Johan Renck. wondered if a third bid from an- more time to evaluate the cost- daily operations and allows him to focus on cre- J. Lindeberg was previously controlled by a other party would surface. effectiveness [of the deal].” ativity and design. He remains on the board. number of independent Swedish investors and Kana Sasaki, equity analyst In a research note Friday, Lindeberg was determined not to suffer the Swedish investment groups. Reportedly, one of at the Equity Research Division Dana Telsey, chief research ana- of Mitsubishi UFJ Securities, lyst at the Telsey Group, said the said from a fi nancial perspec- market for luxury brands was tive, there were no looming hot. “A combination of exclusiv- As the new principal owner, Proventus is now taking a concerns with Fast Retailing, ity and potential for growth with “ the Tokyo-based owner of fast- a proven brand, such as Barneys number of measures in order to develop and reenergize fashion chain Uniqlo, buying New York, is quite valuable. With Barneys New York. “But because two bidders now having come for- [J. Lindeberg], based on its strong brand and employees. the business model is totally dif- ward, could there be a third?” ” ferent from each other, it is still Under the Istithmar agree- — J. Lindeberg statement early to see if we can expect the ment, Jones can enter into dis- synergy effect,” Sasaki said. cussions with other potential same fate as Helmut Lang and Roland Mouret Lindeberg’s biggest points of confl ict with them Fast Retailing on Thursday buyers, but must pay a termi- — designers who lost the right to market under was their dismantling of the women’s business, offered Jones Apparel Group nation of $20.6 million. If Jones their own names — and actively recruited the which was designed by his wife, Marcella. He $896 million for Barneys, a 9 per- ends the deal after July 22, the new investors to take over J. Lindeberg on now hopes to see the return of women’s wear in cent premium over a prior bid of fee rises to $22.7 million. But terms more favorable to him, he said. fall 2009, he said. $825 million from Dubai-based the breakup fee should not be a The company will raise about $10.4 million The couple are moving with their daugh- investment fi rm Istithmar. factor in the ultimate sale of the (70 million Swedish kronor) through a preferen- ter from London to New York, where they will “Bidding for Barneys is one company, Telsey said. tial rights issue directed to Proventus, which is launch an independent design consultancy of the right decisions for Fast While both of the Barneys owned by Robert Weil. (Proventus was involved called Bologna68, which will provide creative Retailing, which has enough bidders are from overseas, the in the 1993 takeover of the Aritmos group, direction and design services for a variety money on hand to invest,” brand already has recogni- which began the revival of Puma, now being ac- of brands. said Yasuo Takauji, analyst at tion in Asia and there is more quired by the French luxury conglomerate PPR “I’ve been in London fi ve years and it’s time Kazaka Securities, who sees the growth potential there than in for $7.05 billion.) for new inspiration,” he said. Japanese retailer in a growth the Middle East, making Fast With preferential rights, the new owners of J. Lindeberg is best known for combining mode. “[Fast Retailing’s] expan- Retailing the better fi t. J. Lindeberg are granted the majority of votes modern tailoring with a rock ’n’ roll sensibility, sion is on a good pace. Barneys “Strategically, it is our view at board level because each new share is worth although for spring 2008 it embraced a parched has high [brand] recognition and that the Fast Retailing combi- 10 votes, not just one. Therefore Proventus be- earthiness, infl uenced by Lindeberg’s fondness bidding for it is good for Fast nation makes more sense. Fast comes the new principal owner together with for Mexican fi lm directors. Retailing [as a way] to heighten Retailing already sells into Engström, who replaces Arnt Jakobsen as chief Since its founding in 1996, J. Lindeberg has its own recognition.” Barneys, as well as having many executive offi cer. expanded to include the brands J. Lindeberg, Takauji added that at this other wholesale accounts and has “In the past few years the company has suf- Tailoring by J. Lindeberg, Johan by J. Lindeberg point Fast Retailing did not recently been expanding its store fered from weak profitability, a nonoptimal and JL by J. Lindeberg, an activewear division need to buy Barneys Japan, footprint in the U.S.,” Telsey said group structure and internal turbulence. As the including JL Golf and JL Ski. These are sold which is not part of the deal, be- in the note. “This understanding new principal owner, Proventus is now taking through retailers in 25 countries, including cause the “main purpose of this of both U.S. and Japan, both key a number of measures in order to develop and Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdale’s in the bidding [for Barneys New York] markets, gives Fast Retailing a reenergize the company, based on its strong U.S., and 10 fl agships. The company has annual is to showcase [Fast Retailing’s] signifi cant operational advantage brand and employees,” J. Lindeberg said in a revenues of $55 million (370 million Swedish name on the global stage.” over a fi nancial buyer.” statement. kronor) and brand sales of $149 million (1 bil- For starters, the company will acquire its pre- lion Swedish kronor). Parfums Azzaro to Update Its Chrome Classic NEW YORK — A decade after Chrome Legend, an eau de toilette, launching Chrome, Parfums Azzaro Chrome Legend from was blended by fragrance supplier Quest Paris Court Rules in Garnier Case is looking to boost the business Parfums Azzaro. International, which is being integrated PARIS — L’Oréal’s Garnier brand was condemned with the launch this fall of Chrome into Givaudan after the latter acquired Friday for discrimination by the Paris Court of Appeal, Legend, a new men’s scent. Quest last year. Chrome Legend mixes while Laurent Dubois, its former managing director, “We have been following on top notes of tea, green apple and bitter was acquitted. Following the decision handed down by the successes of Chrome,” Gerard orange with middle notes of musk, moss the court, L’Oréal lodged an appeal against the ruling. Delcour, president of Parfums and sea spray, and base notes of cedar, As reported, SOS Racisme, an antiracism organiza- Azzaro, which is owned by Groupe vetiver, amber and tonka bean. tion, had last year appealed the acquittal of recruit- Clarins, said during a recent inter- ment fi rm Adecco, Garnier and Dubois. SOS Racisme view. “We are continuing the story claimed that when recruiting product demonstrators for with Chrome Legend.” Garnier’s Fructis brand in September 2000, Districom, He added that worldwide, a subsidiary of Adecco, sent a fax to its temporary em- Chrome was the number-nine fra- BEAUTY BEAT ployment agencies requesting candidates that were de- grance in its distribution network. scribed as “BBR.” The acronym purportedly stands for “We thought this was the time [to] The Chrome Legend bottle, which is a “bleu blanc rouge,” allegedly meaning Caucasian. launch an addition to Chrome.” deeper blue than Chrome, was designed On Friday, L’Oréal rejected the accusation of discrimina- Plans call for Chrome Legend to in-house. The edt will be available in a tion. “The Court of Appeal’s decision today is astonishing be launched in September within 2.6-oz. version for $49 and a 4.2-oz. size and incomprehensible,” the company said in a statement. Chrome’s existing distribution net- for $66. A deodorant stick, 2.6-oz. for $16, “It runs counter to the well-documented decision of June 1, work, or about 2,200 department will accompany the scent. 2006, which unreservedly cleared Garnier and Mr. Dubois store doors. This includes Macy’s, Industry sources estimate Chrome of any wrongdoing. We categorically reject any accusation Dillard’s and Belk stores. It’s the Legend could generate $12 million in of discrimination made against Garnier. We consider these fi rst time an Azzaro scent has been fi rst-year retail sales. allegations to be absolutely unfounded, and Garnier has launched fi rst in the U.S., Delcour A national print advertising cam- decided to lodge an appeal against this decision with the noted. France and the rest of Europe will get the scent paign, which is slated to run in November and Cour de Cassation, France’s highest Court of Appeal.” in spring 2008, he said. December issues of men’s magazines, will support the The statement continued, “Respect of human beings “It’s a more sophisticated fragrance than Chrome,” scent. Industry sources estimate that about $5 mil- is a fundamental principle at L’Oréal. We believe that Brad Horowitz, senior vice president of marketing at lion will be spent to advertise and promote Chrome difference and diversity are a source of richness, and we Clarins Fragrance Group, said of Chrome Legend. “It’s Legend. do not tolerate any form of racism or discrimination.” like the Chrome guy 10 years later.” — Matthew W. Evans — Ellen Groves 14 WWD, MONDAY, JULY 9, 2007

Fine Jewelry Report Industry Splits on Natural vs. Man-made Diamonds

that are mined and traded to fi nance profi t organization that describes, identifi es and grades By Sophia Chabbott Several illegal activities and war — and the stones — mined, artifi cially treated, man-made and syn- companies are debate over man-made diamonds Kimberley Process, a certification thetic. manufacturing is creating a bit of turbulence in plan intended to halt those practices. “We thought it was important to identify [man-made di- A diamonds. the industry. Another ripple was made by Joan amonds],” said Ralph Destino, chairman of GIA. “The in- On one side are the purists, dia- Parker, a well-known industry pub- dustry today needs responsible, third-party review of man- mond industry executives and jewel- licist who advocated the allure of made stones just as it needed a review of mined stones in ers who disapprove of tinkering with mined diamonds for 30 years at De the fi rst place. Before GIA, it was a Wild West environment Mother Nature. They believe the ro- Beers, the diamond mining company. out there. Every jeweler had their own language. mance of stones formed eons ago has Parker is now a brand ambassador for “GIA created a system of metrics and nomenclature potent appeal for consumers, espe- Gemesis, a Sarasota, Fla., company for diamonds,’’ Destino said. “What [companies such cially when they are making emotion- that produces man-made diamonds. as Gemesis] synthesized under heat and pressure is a al purchases such as an engagement Gemesis isn’t the only game in diamond…[except it’s] made by man rather than made by or wedding ring. town. Chatham Created Diamonds & nature. A consumer needs to know what they’re looking On the other side are advocates Gems and Apollo Diamond also at in the market. Full disclosure is an imperative.” for stones produced in a laboratory create diamonds in the lab. Rosalind Kainyah, director of public affairs rather than mined from the ground, Gemesis specializes in yel- USA of the De Beers Group, shrugged off as they have been for centuries. They low diamonds; Chatham the idea that man-made diamonds would argue that the diamonds are just as creates anything from be a threat to the diamond-mining com- real, cheaper and don’t have the nega- yellow to pink and munity. tive connotations that are attached to blue, and Apollo spe- “I think it will fi nd its place in the mined diamonds. cializes in white dia- market,” Kainyah said. Almost two decades ago, chemical monds. Some diamond industry members engineers fi gured out how to create a diamond by taking Gemesis is run by a former chemical have said that even though the lab-made a piece of coal and putting it into a high-heat “pressure engineer, Stephen Lux, who once created stones are diamonds chemically, they lack cooker”; in time — from one week to less than a a year pigment for color cosmetics. Lux joined the fi re and brilliance of their mined coun- — a rough diamond emerges. It is then cut and polished as ceo in November 2006 and the company terparts. just like a mined diamond. The stones cost about one- has since tapped Parker to debunk the myth Diamond in the Rough is a brand that cre- third less than their mined counterparts and aren’t to that laboratory diamonds aren’t genuine. ates jewelry from natural, rough diamonds. be confused with synthetic diamonds, such as cubic zir- “There’s a misconception that they come out “We are inspired by the beauty and unique char- conium or Moissanite, a diamond-like, man-made gem. cookie-cutter,” Lux said. “We have the capability to grow acteristics of each individual piece of rough,” said pres- Paul Blum, chief executive offi cer of David Yurman, a fi ve-carat rough. We are a rough diamond producer, ident Anjanette Clisura. “To us, the unearthing of the said the company would never consider using labora- just like De Beers mines rough stones.” rough, fi nding it exactly how it was given to us by nature, tory-made diamonds. Gemesis sells its rough diamonds to a few companies formed over billions of years in the making, is what is “David has no interest in any stone that doesn’t natu- that aren’t well known to consumers, including Solaura magical, mystical and beautiful. So, for our brand, man- rally occur,” Blum said. and Pintura. Later this month, footwear and accessories made diamonds aren’t a match….You don’t see luxury The man-made stones are getting more atten- designer Taryn Rose will launch her fi rst jewelry collec- consumers with knockoffs of designer bags; you see them tion partly because of political attitudes. Last year’s tion using Gemesis diamonds. with the original and most exclusive design, skins, etc. It Leonardo DiCaprio movie “Blood Diamond” sparked Gemesis diamonds have been certified by the will be the same with diamonds. The luxury consumer discussion about so-called confl ict diamonds — stones Gemological Institute of America, a 76-year-old non- will want the natural diamond, not the synthetic.” Opulence and Decadence Embody Vivier Couture

PARIS — Cate Blanchett and creepy The Chipster crawlies may seem unlikely bed- Mister bag fellows, but when Roger Vivier’s from Roger creative director, Bruno Frisoni, Vivier’s couture came across a photo of the ac- collection. tress in her role as Queen Elizabeth I, along with a book of illustrated insects, he found the mélange rich pickings for the house’s fall couture accessories collection. “I imagined the court of a queen with dark stories of poison and a garden of insects,” said Frisoni, setting the scene for the brand’s opulent line unveiled during the couture shows last week at Roger Vivier headquarters. “The insects were like poison to me, but also like queens.” The Chipster Mister evening bag features crystal bugs and enamel butterflies climbing up its chain handle or settling on its buckle, also made of crystal by jeweler Philippe Grand. Best-iole or Beastie, the line’s beetle-shaped resin minaudière, comes lined with gold crocodile, with pom-poms and feathers swinging from its golden cord handle. Tartan notes also pop up across the collection, as does black lace featured on boots embroidered with jade or fanning from a shoe in lace-shaped beads, like an Elizabethan ruff. Counting around four day’s work for each piece, the collection’s prices, starting at $20,000 for a pair of gold crocodile shoes, are also ﬁ t for a queen. — Katya Foreman DIAMOND PHOTO BY TOM GRILL/CORBIS DIAMOND PHOTO BY WWD, MONDAY, JULY 9, 2007 15 WWD.COM

Jeweler Kirsten Goss Gets Precious Here and left: Kirsten Goss jewelry. By Bambina Wise Marin County, at the home of a friend who lived next door to Sean Penn. “It was crazy, JOHANNESBURG — Four years after leaving her job as jewelry all these fabulous women coming in to designer at Erickson Beamon, where she worked on high-profi le proj- buy. It was like a scene out of ‘Desperate ects alongside Matthew Williamson, Rifat Ozbek, Julien Macdonald, Housewives’! I left the States a few days Dries Van Noten and Alexander McQueen, South African-born later with my jacket stuffed with dollars, like Kirsten Goss faces a future that has never been brighter. a drug dealer, because I hadn’t opened banking facilities in the U.S. yet.” In May she unveiled a new look for her two-year-old bou- Goss hosts regular trunk shows here and in Cape Town, South Africa. She tique in London, a stone’s throw from Kensington Palace. lives with her husband and daughter in Durban, where she has a small show- Now, with a retail area of 250 square feet, the Kirsten Goss room. She retains two workshops, one in Durban “for all the labor-intensive met- boutique has been transformed into a gallery that looks like alwork,” and another in Chiswick, London, where all the pieces are handmade and an oversize jewelry box, with white walls and light aquama- hand-fi nished. Goss is in London every two weeks to oversee operations. rine-tinged wooden fl oors. She believes full control of all aspects of the business has been key to her success; “Basically, with the new shop, we’ve gone gallery style, with an ever- sales have quadrupled in three years. “When I started out, it was just me,” she mused. changing selection of pieces on exhibition,” explained Goss. “We’ve pulled out of whole- “Now, having a staff of 11 allows me to concentrate on the creative process — sourcing sale completely, and expanded our range to include our exclusive pieces — all hand- the most amazing stones cut in the most unusual way and using them in designs that are made, bold and beautiful precious and semiprecious jewelry with a bespoke element just as individual, and of exceptional quality. I am hugely into texture and form.” — as well as our new collections for men and children.” Goss is also introducing a Precious Collection, which she said features diamonds and precious stones set in platinum. “I use them in a less obvious way,” she said, “as diamond beads, for instance.” Goss said she resisted doing diamonds for some time, prefer- ring to concentrate on other precious and semiprecious stones, which she sources mainly from big jewelry fairs in Hong Kong. “I am on a mission to break people’s concentration from this absolute desire to covet diamonds all the time and make them aware that there are other stones,” she half- joked.

She cited amazonite, citrine, chrysoprase, Zimbabwean kya- nite, unusual Australian opals and white agate as among her favorite stones. She loves juxtapos- ing them in unusual combinations and textures, adding an element of surprise, such as a bright, oversize turquoise sphere with smoky topaz chunks. “It gives the jewelry a bit of an unexpected edge, I like to think.” Sensual and sophisticated has become her signature look, a departure from the rich yet multi- layered neo-Edwardian vibe she started out with in 2003, prompt- ing London’s Sunday Times to christen her “The next big thing.” Liberty of London came calling soon after, asking Goss to design a collection for the Spirit of Liberty exhibition. Earlier this year, she was commissioned to design special gifts for the BAFTAs, the British equivalent of the Oscars. American expatriates in London are among her loyal clients, not to mention celebrities Sarah Jessica Parker, Rosamund Pike, Helena Bonham Carter and Jane Krakowski, plus a host of chic English aristocrats. Goss believes a presence in the U.S. is the next logical step, and is looking for an American agent. Goss has done trunk shows in San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego, and has been pleased with the results. She recalled her ﬁ rst trunk show in California’s 16 WWD, MONDAY, JULY 9, 2007 WWD.COM Children’s Wear Report Aristabrat Targets Beyond Celeb-U-Tots

By Cecily Hall he world of children’s wear is Tbecoming crystallized. With the October 2006 launch of Aristabrat, a collection of accessories Above: The Buckingham novelty gift set, which for babies and children, includes nail clippers, a pacifi er and a rattle. it seems even youngsters Left: Two onesies in the Aristabrat collection. can sport the most sparkling duds. Former handbag designer Bouavanh Leuangkhamsone started the “Bring My Tricycle Around.” All are decorated in Swarovski crystals and retail for $55. The collection is available at the company’s Web site, aristabrat. These are really com, and about 30 boutiques across the U.S. “ have picked up the collection, including The Greenbrier, considered more novelty an upscale resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Va., Abe and Mary’s in Montreal, The Boulders Resort and items than anything else. Spa in Carefree, Ariz., and Arribas Bros. at Walt Disney ” World in Orlando, Fla. — Bouavanh Leuangkhamsone Many parents might be concerned over the safety of the crystal-laden products, but the designer eased any worries. “These are really considered more novelty items than any- line after noticing a void in the children’s mar- thing else,” Leuangkhamsone pointed out. “They don’t have to ketplace for high-end gifts. After having trouble fi nding be used on a day-to-day basis — our clients view them as great the perfect baby gift for a friend, she designed a pacifi er gifts; they treat them like fi ne jewelry pieces.” Regarding their by adorning it with Swarovski crystals — her partner (now of safety, she commented, “But all parents should still know that almost 16 years) Paul Brown encouraged her to begin her own children’s these products are very carefully made — and all of them endure a line as a result. rigorous testing process to ensure their safety.” The brand, whose name is a play on the word aristocrat, encompasses babies’ Devotees to the brand? Celebrities, Leuangkhamsone said. Well-known and children’s accessories, including pacifi ers ($120), pacifi er clips ($55), rattles moms Tori Spelling, Brooke Burke, Holly Robinson Peete, Rena Sofer and ($130) and even nail clippers ($130) — all of which are decorated with anywhere from Shannon Elizabeth have all picked up pieces from the collection. Celebrity dads Jason 400 to 1,000 Swarovski crystals. Names of some of the pacifi ers include Buckingham, Priestley and Fred Savage and their families have also bought Aristabrat items. Dynasty, Duke, Duchess, the Palace and the King of Kings, and products are also sold The company expects fi rst-year revenues to hit approximately $5 million at retail, together in sets. according to Leuangkhamsone. In May, at the Silver Spoon “Celebrity Baby & Dog Buffet” in West Hollywood, Up next: Aristabrat has teamed up with Warner Bros., which is creating a Tweety Calif., Leuangkhamsone introduced an apparel line to accompany the accessories. Pop-Up store on Wilshire Boulevard. For the collaboration, Aristabrat developed a Approximately 11 onesies fi ll the collection, some sporting the brand’s motto, “For the special “Tweety Bwat” onesie ($55) and Tweety pacifi er ($120). Leuangkhamsone also

haves and the have mores...,” while others feature sayings such as “Cereal Killer” and is working on a denim line and a collection for tweens. JOHN AQUINO ONESIE PHOTO BY This Little Piggy Opened a Web Store Coin Gets a Young Village PIGGYDOTS.COM PROVES A BABY GIFT can be both kitschy and classy. By Chiara Hughes The site, launched last month, is full of unusual ideas for baby. MILAN — Italian retailer There are cowboy print burp Coin Group is launching a cloths, fl oral print rompers multibrand store concept and paisley diaper bags, for the children’s market complete with matching called YO VI, which stands changing pads. Everything for “Young Village.” sold at the Web site was hand-sewn by The concept, Coin’s fi rst Anne Noyes, owner and founder of for the children’s market, Piggydots. targets youngsters ages four “I am a compulsive fabric shop- to 14 who are attentive to per,” she said. “My husband is al- fashion and already aspir- ways saying that we have no more ing to become trendy teen- room in our house for more fabric, agers. Store interiors, remi- but there’s always a little space Piggydots’ velvet and cotton dress. niscent of a New York-style somewhere.” warehouse, feature fake Noyes, a mother of four — Emma (eight), Henry (fi ve), Elliot (three) and brick walls, metal ceiling Adelaide (six months) — started her business on a whim. After beams and wooden crates. beginning her fabric collection, she began making hand- Coin opened the fi rst YO made cloth diapers when her son Elliot was born. She soon VI in Rome in April and became bored with the diapers and decided to sew other unveiled a temporary store A diaper things, like pajamas, for her kids. It wasn’t long before here last month to further bag. friends and family members were complimenting her test the concept. The plan talents and insisting she begin selling her designs. is to open two permanent Nearing the end of her fourth pregnancy, Noyes stores in the city and a sec- launched Piggydots.com. ond in Rome by next year. “It really can’t be any other way,” she said. “At Coin hopes to open an- least now, I couldn’t have a store, so the Web site other 50 YO VIs in Italy works well for me. I need to keep it small through franchise partners. The interior of YO VI. and controllable.” “YO VI focuses its at- Eventually, she said, she would like tention on the franchising to open her line to wholesale, but only to world, with a format quality that enhances the commercial expertise and the city small specialty boutiques. For now, anyone centre locations,” the retailer’s chief executive offi cer, Stefano Beraldo, said in can purchase the line at Piggydots.com, a statement. where products range from $12 for a fl eece The Milan temporary store covers 13,000 square feet on two fl oors. It car- blanket to $120 for a diaper bag. Coming ries a range of brands — Adidas, Calvin Klein Collection, Converse, Diesel, Gas, soon to the site will be a line of clothes for Guess, Trudi, Barbie, Pylones, Ugly Doll, Guru Gang, Love Therapy, Champion older children. That idea also came from and Coin’s new private label collection, Twiddy. Prices range from $4 for small her own household. headbands to $109 for a pair of Diesel jeans. Company executives declined to give “My oldest daughter loves when I make fi rst-year sales projections. her things,” she said. “I started making her The colorful interiors give the store an open, airy feel. Coin is staging weekly clothes while she was asleep and would lay in-store events, like hip-hop dance performances, to celebrate the Milan tempo- them out for her. When she woke up, she rary space. Children’s network Nickelodeon will be doing live hits from the store would get so excited to see what I made for her.” as part of its upcoming programming. YO VI is also reaching out to kids with an — Julee Greenberg in-store game corner featuring Nintendo consoles. PHOTOS BY THOMAS IANNACCONE PHOTOS BY

18 WWD, MONDAY, JULY 9, 2007

Financial American Eagle, J. Crew Top Picks for B-t-s By Jeanine Poggi ven with the newest gadgets vying for teens’ atten- Etion, back-to-school is expected to remain a top-selling season for apparel and accessories. This was the consensus of a panel of analysts, retailers and fashion forecasters at a recent roundtable, who also said they were placing their bets on American Eagle Outfi tters and J. Crew to score big with teens this season. The panelists concluded the teen apparel segment tended to be immune to the effects of higher fuel costs and a softening housing market. “Our concern is not so much gas prices or mortgages, it’s the other categories vying for the kid dollar,” said Kathy Bradley-Riley, senior vice president of merchandising at The Doneger Group. “The right electronic equipment, the right cell phone, the iPod; there’s only a certain amount of dollars to spend, and those categories are getting fi rst preference as opposed to, ‘Do I have the right shorts?’” Participants in the panel discussion also included Dana Telsey, founder and chief research officer at Telsey Advisory Group; Tim Bess, market analyst at Doneger; Irma Zandl, principal from the Zandl Group, and Betsy Thompson, director of public relations at Talbots. The roundtable was held at WWD’s editorial offi ces and was hosted by Berns Communications Group. On the trend front, the panelists said baby-doll tops American Eagle Outfi tters is expected to win back-to-school. and the continuation of Eighties-inspired styles should give teens a strong reason to shop this season. This year, retailers are doing a better job of target- “With the newness out there and what retailers are ing the customer and using multimedia functions, such doing to draw traffi c to their stores, and with their market- as Web sites and e-mail, to better communicate what is ing investments, we certainly feel we should have a better happening in the stores. second half than fi rst half of the year,” Telsey predicted. Among the panelists, American Eagle Outfi tters was cited as the clear winner for b-t-s. “They have a track record, they’re trend-right, they have merchandise that the kid understands, their prices are correct,” Bess said. “I also think their Web site is brilliant; it’s really easy to navigate, while some of the others out there are diffi cult. And I think that the kid is actually on it.” For the college-age and older teen, J. Crew is expected to win big, especially in classic basics. “They’re easy to understand. From left: Kathy Bradley-Riley, Dana Telsey, Tim Bess, Irma It’s washed down and messy, which the col- Zandl and Betsy Thompson. lege kid gets,” Bess said. J. Crew’s system of allowing customers to trends for everybody else,” Telsey said. order out-of-stock merchandise in the store “It’s more important to have an exclusive item. It is a convenience teens are using. doesn’t necessarily have to be a high price, it just has to Fleece will return in full force later in the be the right item that’s hard to fi nd and exclusive,” Bess season, the panelists said, and the continua- said. “I also think a lot more kids are shopping, believe tion of shorts in different styles and lengths it or not, in the Barneys of the world, defi nitely walking will be important. “We’re in a big prints cycle. through those more premium designer stores, looking Color has started to return. Layering and vol- for the next cool brand or item.” ume are still key,” Bradley-Riley said. At the other end of the spectrum, teens are also at- In denim, skinny and straight-leg will re- tracted to discounters like Target and Wal-Mart. main popular, but there will also be a lot of “This is where I hear mom and teenagers going to emphasis on the wide leg and higher waist. a store like that to get everything. And especially with “It almost seems like for b-t-s, 20 percent of gas prices, it’s a good thing to be able to go to one store the denim is stuff that was skinny last year where you can get everything all at once,” Zandl said. and high-waisted and wide-leg this year. The “I think some of the midtier department stores are rest is all of your basics,” Telsey said. doing a really good job of having fashion-right products The proliferation of Eighties rock ’n’ roll on the fl oors at affordable prices,” Bradley-Riley said. is helping denim retailers such as Levi’s More than ever, teens are looking for instant gratifi - sell skinny jeans. “It’s Eighties, but it has cation and want to purchase more buy-now, wear-now a 2008 twist,” Bradley-Riley said. “It’s not items. “The push to wear it now is very real. And every Eighties Madonna. There are elements of year it seems like shorts will last longer than what we’ve the Eighties.” seen in years past,” Telsey said. Bess said online retailers such as The last week in July will be key for b-t-s, but the season Karmaloop, Metropark and Commonwealth will continue through September and even into October. have done a good job appealing to the pro- “We believe the stores will be selling a lot of alterna- gressive street markets, and department tive-length bottoms — Bermuda shorts, skimmer shorts, stores are also hitting the mark with urban in new transitional color palettes — and they’ll have apparel and accessories. “They have the a more fall undertone. Sweater deliveries have been fl oor space allotted and I think that they’ll pushed back, long pants deliveries have been pushed win when it comes to true urban,” Bess said. back. Buy-now, wear-now is key,” Bradley-Riley said. Specialty retailer Zumiez is catering to Despite teens’ desire for wear-now, the b-t-s season this market space successfully, with unusual will be viable. “I think there will always be somewhat of a T-shirt brands, board shorts and footwear. b-t-s mentality. Especially with the younger kid, since the While luxury merchandise is not a big por- parent’s really involved with getting your child acclimat- tion of the teen market, there has been a surge ed and knowing what he or she needs,” Thompson said. in brand awareness at an early age. Designer While teens may start school with just some basics, accessories, especially handbags, as well as once they see what their friends are wearing, there will premium denim, are popular among teens who be a surge in spending. “There is a business there; kids are looking to mimic their favorite celebrities. do need some new clothes before they go back to school. “We fi nd in general only about 10 percent Maybe they’re more seasonless and buy-now, wear-now, of teens genuinely buy luxury, like going but there are clothes that they’ll buy before going back,” to L.A. and dropping $1,000. But they do set Bradley-Riley said. WWD, MONDAY, JULY 9, 2007 19 WWD.COM

despite expectations of seeing a more focused “point of view” from the dress retailer. Kalandiak Retail Stocks Gain on Jobs Report estimated Adrienne merchandise would make up 75 percent of Caché’s mix by October — but trong unemployment numbers and takeover store sales, which Wall Street expects to be Nollenberger Capital analyst Angelique Dab saw ongoing “merchandise assortment” issues Stalk pushed retail stocks higher Friday as little more than “decent.” does not see strong comparisons for June due to hampering Caché’s performance. the July 4 holiday week came to a close. “I don’t think anyone expects June numbers to summer’s slow, promotional environment on a J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. started coverage The S&P Retail Index closed up 1.8 percent, be great, so maybe some of that disappointment year-over-year basis. “I expect more of the same of Caché at “neutral,” pointing to recent at 528.35 Friday, after the U.S. Department has already worked its way into the stocks,” said — better brands, better department stores and fashion misses, increased expenses and overall of Labor reported the June unemployment rate Roth Capital Partners analyst Liz Pierce. “However, better operators to outperform,” Dab said. malaise in the women’s retail segment. remained unchanged from May at 4.5 percent. given the jobs report, maybe the theory is that the Shares of big-box darling Target shrugged Also last week, CIBC World Markets The U.S. added 132,000 nonfarm payroll jobs consumer isn’t as broken as everyone has thought off a downgrade from Goldman Sachs analyst analyst Dorothy Lakner reiterated her “sector in June. (See story on page 20.) and that as the back-to-school season approaches, Adrianne Shapira, who cut her rating to “neutral” outperformer” rating of Nordstrom Inc. shares, Bear Stearns analyst Christine Augustine they will step back up.” from “buy” based on valuation. Shares of which fell after speculation the upscale said the jobs report was in line with Telsey Advisory Group’s Dana Telsey said Target closed Friday up 6.1 percent, at $68.10. department store would sell its Façonnable economists’ expectations. “The job picture June was the second-quarter’s most important Shapira sees tougher near-term, top-line trends; brand. The company’s shares closed fl at is reasonably healthy, so that has been month — when retailers pull in roughly 40 planned, rising expenses, and slower earnings Friday, ending at $49.58. continuing to support consumer spending in percent of quarterly sales. “Our channel growth in the company’s second fi scal half. “A sale would take away a small distraction light of other headwinds,” said Augustine, checks revealed decent traffi c patterns Shares of Caché Inc. fi nished the week and put capital to better use elsewhere, pointing to gas and housing prices. throughout the month, as warm weather stronger, up 4.9 percent, to $15.10, despite allowing [Nordstrom] to focus on its strategies Speculation swelled around a Sears coupled with discounts lured shoppers in lackluster street comment after the specialty to increase designer brands in its assortments Holdings Corp. buyout of Macy’s Inc. and an for summer savings,” Telsey wrote in a note. retailer said it acquired privately held design and the ongoing recovery in its women’s investor activist forcing Target Corp. to sell its Telsey expects American Eagle Outfi tters Inc., and manufacturing company Adrienne Victoria apparel business,” said Lakner, who sees credit card business. (See story on page 2.) Kohl’s Corp. and Saks Inc. to beat expectations, Designs Inc. for $16 million. Nordstrom shares as “particularly attractive to At the same time, investors are looking to but thinks Abercrombie & Fitch Co., Hot Topic First Albany Capital analyst Paula Kalandiak us with the recent pullback.” Thursday when retailers will report June same- Inc. and Macy’s Inc. will miss their marks. maintained her neutral rating of Caché shares — Erica Owen Weekly Stocks Fast Stats 52-WEEK VOLUME AMT 52-WEEK VOLUME AMT HIGH LOW RETAILERS P/E (000’S) LAST CHANGE HIGH LOW RETAILERS P/E (000’S) LAST CHANGE 84.92 49.98 Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) 15.3 38601 74.10 1.12 46.16 23.50 Jos. A Bank (JOSB) 16.7 17396 42.73 1.26 Total capital raised by 28.75 22.70 Acadia (AKR) 54.5 6099 26.72 0.77 34.84 24.46 Kellwood (KWD) 28.0 6163 28.20 0.08 47.82 21.07 Aéropostale (ARO) 20.0 28091 43.22 1.54 28.32 21.75 Kenneth Cole (KCP) 18.4 3101 25.02 0.32 the top 50 private equity 26.07 17.01 Alberto Culver (ACV) 11.4 17048 24.36 0.64 72.79 58.63 Kimberly Clark (KMB) 18.5 49484 67.40 0.51 fi rms since January 2002: 3.45 1.88 Alpha Pro Tech (APT) 18.6 647 2.55 -0.18 53.60 36.22 Kimco Realty (KIM) 27.4 59093 39.43 1.36 34.80 20.61 American Eagle (AEO) 14.2 150363 26.56 0.90 79.55 53.01 Kohls (KSS) 20.0 107642 70.46 -0.57 $551 billion 45.15 32.25 Ann Taylor (ANN) 18.2 34564 36.13 0.71 37.81 22.54 K-Swiss (KSWS) 14.2 5568 28.82 0.49 9.06 6.17 Ashworth (ASHW) - 1187 7.01 0.01 19.29 11.49 LaCrosse Footwear (BOOT) 17.7 251 18.73 0.72 41.85 26.16 Avon (AVP) 29.4 75864 38.20 1.45 15.28 11.37 Lakeland Inds (LAKE) 18.6 146 13.85 -0.01 Total capital raised by 15.75 6.25 Bakers (BKRS) - 344 7.36 0.12 32.60 23.54 Limited Brands (LTD) 18.1 149454 28.99 1.54 26.86 14.34 Bebe (BEBE) 19.2 25452 16.61 0.60 24.23 8.66 Liquidity Services (LQDT) 56.0 3914 19.11 0.33 the top 13 private equity 40.00 27.19 Benetton (BNG) 46.4 56 35.01 0.36 46.84 33.24 Liz Claiborne (LIZ) 17.2 37884 38.45 1.15 18.00 10.01 Big Dog (BDOG) 825.0 101 16.34 -0.01 13.15 3.51 LJ Intl (JADE) 36.7 17439 11.64 0.78 fi rms since January 2002: 9.60 6.31 Birks & Mayors (BMJ) 6.3 43 7.36 -0.17 39.04 25.07 Luxottica (LUX) 28.7 2721 38.73 0.09 $278 billion 38.39 25.18 BJs (BJ) 26.5 21296 36.99 0.96 103.59 68.80 Macerich (MAC) 135.1 19819 85.61 3.19 5.37 1.21 Blue (BLUE) - 1435 1.31 0.06 46.70 32.57 Macy’s Inc. (M) 19.2 234243 41.99 2.21 1.60 0.80 Bluefly (BFLY) - 2474 1.01 0.03 24.49 12.30 Maidenform (MFB) 14.9 28095 20.84 0.98 57.66 20.22 Bon-Ton (BONT) 22.3 17433 37.64 -2.42 53.64 29.81 Men’s Wearhouse (MW) 17.2 14343 52.22 1.15 Number of top 50 37.68 20.09 Brown Shoe (BWS) 16.2 15149 25.14 0.82 26.31 18.27 Marcus (MCS) 23.7 3441 23.53 -0.23 private equity fi rms with 41.45 22.25 Buckle (BKE) 19.3 4348 39.14 -0.26 57.65 29.33 Mothers Work (MWRK) 14.5 1755 31.95 0.68 26.32 12.50 Caché (CACH) 34.3 26044 15.10 1.83 35.40 20.55 Movado (MOV) 18.0 4599 34.52 0.78 headquarters in North 28.57 22.39 Capitalsource (CSE) 14.8 34938 24.66 0.07 3.50 0.72 Movie Star (MSI) - 1504 2.60 0.00 30.18 20.53 Carter (CRI) 19.1 12055 26.84 0.90 25.95 19.84 National Retail Prop. (NNN) 18.0 19847 22.46 0.60 America: 33 15.10 9.82 Casual Male (CMRG) 8.6 15881 10.43 0.33 16.20 9.41 New York & Co. (NWY) 15.4 9073 11.32 0.36 25.70 20.30 Cato (CTR) 14.5 7290 23.29 1.35 59.40 37.76 Nike (NKE) 20.1 110558 59.67 1.38 50.36 35.64 CBL (CBL) 32.1 18124 36.96 0.91 9.38 3.48 Nitches (NICH) 31.3 795 3.63 0.05 Number of top 50 private 12.74 8.94 CCA (CAW) 13.6 391 9.14 0.11 59.70 31.77 Nordstrom (JWN) 18.2 132822 49.58 -1.54 13.15 4.00 Charles & Colvard (CTHR) 17.6 2611 5.02 0.07 28.60 14.86 Oakley (OO) 40.6 37998 28.42 0.02 equity fi rms located 33.93 21.70 Charlotte Russe (CHIC) 15.2 18960 25.95 -0.92 6.77 3.25 Orange 21 (ORNG) - 138 6.50 -0.06 outside North America or 15.57 9.69 Charming Shoppes (CHRS) 13.1 48731 10.97 0.14 25.00 5.00 Orchids Paper (TIS) 78.9 16 5.55 0.15 65.49 27.99 Chattem (CHTT) 27.6 9104 65.63 2.25 53.98 34.34 Oxford (OXM) 15.6 4612 45.95 1.61 Europe: 1 48.76 33.65 Cherokee (CHKE) 9.6 6042 37.46 0.92 23.11 13.12 Pacific Sunwear (PSUN) 68.1 53600 22.96 0.96 27.94 17.26 Chico’s (CHS) 26.5 41201 24.92 0.58 9.34 4.18 Parlux Fragrances (PARL) - 12044 4.50 0.06 71.81 49.49 Children’s Place (PLCE) 19.9 11136 52.54 0.90 0.38 0.11 Paxar (PXR) - 1600 30.48 0.00 Total investment 31.25 16.28 Christopher & Banks (CBK) 20.6 21901 17.20 0.05 37.20 22.07 Payless Shoes (PSS) 16.3 29719 32.07 0.52 43.83 34.57 Cintas (CTAS) 19.2 27604 40.25 0.82 35.22 15.59 Perry Ellis (PERY) 18.5 5095 33.50 1.33 professionals working in 49.72 26.78 Citi Trends (CTRN) 25.9 6089 39.33 1.37 62.19 32.34 Phillips-Van Heusen (PVH) 22.4 26573 59.47 -1.10 54.00 25.18 Coach (COH) 28.7 111002 49.37 1.98 6.05 1.38 Phoenix Footwear (PXG) - 309 3.42 0.12 the top 50 private equity 31.25 16.77 Coldwater Creek (CWTR) 38.9 33838 23.69 0.46 15.90 9.30 Playtex (PYX) 27.7 7678 14.87 0.06 fi rms: 3,597 69.00 58.01 Colgate Palmolive (CL) 22.9 76572 66.01 1.16 101.50 45.65 Polo Ralph Lauren (RL) 26.4 19998 102.30 4.19 70.93 42.85 Columbia Sprtswr (COLM) 19.4 4050 69.68 1.00 25.74 10.04 PriceSmart (PSMT) 45.3 6317 26.48 1.75 SOURCE: PEI MEDIA’S PRIVATE EQUITY 32.00 17.61 Conns (CONN) 17.1 7182 29.91 1.35 1.71 0.14 Quaker Fabric (QFAB) - 51193 0.12 -1.02 60.31 46.00 Costco (COST) 25.7 145479 61.44 2.92 16.08 10.90 Quiksilver (ZQK) 25.8 48915 14.53 0.40 INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE 11.60 7.27 Cost U Less (CULS) 17.5 273 11.40 0.40 13.14 5.75 R.G. Barry (DFZ) 25.0 1339 12.25 0.40 47.40 11.33 Crocs (CROX) 39.9 167799 44.49 1.49 39.55 27.07 Ramco-Gershenson (RPT) 13.0 5046 36.89 0.96 10.05 4.37 Culp (CFI) - 11304 10.00 1.00 93.49 60.76 Regency Centers (REG) 33.0 17829 73.66 3.16 5.00 1.33 Cygne Designs (CYDS) - 1350 1.75 0.01 23.30 13.61 Retail Ventures (RVI) - 6709 16.56 0.43 WWD Index 29.97 21.34 Deb Shops (DEBS) 19.4 1101 29.27 1.62 1.75 0.76 Revlon (REV) - 79759 1.37 0.00 102.37 33.36 Deckers Outdoor (DECK) 35.8 12646 103.94 3.04 22.65 9.73 Rocky Brands (RCKY) 22.0 913 18.96 0.44 12.00 6.61 Delia’s (DLIA) 49.7 4386 7.50 -0.13 35.17 22.12 Ross Stores (ROST) 17.2 29363 31.13 0.33 20.50 14.91 Delta Apparel (DLA) 13.7 135 18.29 0.14 23.25 14.10 Saks (SKS) - 65294 20.80 -0.55 Composite 10.58 6.20 Delta Galil (DELT) - 131 7.47 0.85 195.18 134.56 Sears (SHLD) 17.1 40665 174.06 4.56 72.33 50.75 Developers Diversified (DDR) 30.7 47209 54.49 1.78 35.26 19.25 Shoe Carnival (SCVL) 15.8 2738 27.72 0.23 1052.76 40.56 28.35 Dillard’s (DDS) 12.6 52625 36.47 0.54 7.93 2.08 Shoe Pavilion (SHOE) 55.2 1493 2.93 -0.02 21.97 12.10 Dollar General (DG) 54.9 99766 21.98 0.06 123.96 81.19 Simon Properties (SPG) 44.6 59628 95.94 2.90 25.27 16.91 Dress Barn (DBRN) 14.1 25428 20.92 0.40 38.03 19.70 Skechers (SKX) 15.8 12677 29.74 0.54 44.71 26.71 DSW (DSW) 21.4 8850 35.56 0.74 5.90 3.31 Sport-Haley (SPOR) - 149 4.11 0.08 42.06 29.00 Duckwall-Alco (DUCK) 46.6 198 38.81 1.45 18.00 11.27 Stein Mart (SMRT) 14.2 10031 12.70 0.44 15.00 6.50 Eddie Bauer (EBHI) - 18286 13.68 0.83 5.00 2.72 Stephan (TSC) - 109 4.15 0.35 24.73 13.63 Elizabeth Arden (RDEN) 26.1 3881 24.11 -0.15 44.70 26.59 Steve Madden (SHOO) 15.2 5724 32.76 0.00 52.31 34.88 Estée Lauder (EL) 23.2 27023 46.08 0.57 20.50 11.90 Stride Rite (SRR) 22.8 13755 20.32 0.06 22.15 34.77 12.65 Everlast Worldwide (EVST) 48.0 3943 33.96 1.78 13.54 11.35 Superior Uniform (SGC) 50.4 124 13.03 -0.02 35.42 21.57 Family Dollar (FDO) 21.4 61065 34.60 0.28 22.08 17.05 Syms (SYM) 56.5 1362 18.60 -1.13 14.97 8.45 Finish Line (FINL) 16.7 52079 8.51 -0.60 2.15 0.64 Tag-It (TAG) 54.5 793 1.07 0.00 26.16 24.58 Forest City (FCY) 31.9 21 25.49 0.19 31.00 17.30 Talbots (TLB) 141.9 36458 25.70 0.67 31.97 16.96 Fossil (FOSL) 32.0 7531 30.12 0.63 13.70 9.27 Tandy Brands (TBAC) 22.2 268 12.50 -0.20 15.74 11.30 Freds (FRED) 19.4 13977 13.38 0.00 8.32 5.75 Tandy Leather Factory (TLF) 11.3 1875 7.24 0.04 Weekly % Changes 40.06 31.12 G&K (GKSR) 20.1 2695 39.31 -0.20 43.56 30.30 Tanger Factory Outlet (SKT) 58.5 7246 38.57 1.12 18.50 9.80 Gaiam (GAIA) 67.8 4435 17.67 -0.56 65.07 44.70 Target (TGT) 19.2 482760 68.10 4.50 (ending July 6) 21.39 15.91 Gap (GPS) 21.8 197289 19.22 0.12 2.20 0.96 Tarrant Apparel (TAGS) - 4042 1.18 0.01 67.43 43.49 General Growth (GGP) 50.0 125121 54.05 1.10 63.87 39.15 Taubman (TCO) 104.5 19204 52.10 2.49 Gainers Close Change 54.15 25.50 Genesco (GCO) 19.9 15658 52.70 0.39 13.00 7.53 Tefron (TFR) 9.5 4300 7.66 -1.56 26.74 9.03 G-III Apparel (GIII) 12.9 5580 16.99 1.20 56.35 29.63 Tiffany & Co. (TIF) 29.0 100132 55.76 2.70 Under Armour 54.24 18.82 37.68 19.52 Gildan Activewear (GIL) 37.5 16403 35.75 1.46 33.45 24.80 Timberland (TBL) 19.2 34612 26.25 1.06 29.69 23.08 Glimcher (GRT) - 10593 25.37 0.37 30.24 22.87 TJ Maxx (TJX) 16.4 82884 28.18 0.68 Wilsons 2.12 15.22 15.37 6.76 Gottschalks (GOT) 57.7 1859 12.13 0.24 23.88 14.65 True Religion (TRLG) 21.5 10637 21.38 1.05 Caché 15.10 13.79 51.15 19.51 Guess (GES) 31.8 45810 50.93 2.89 47.00 31.05 Tween Brands (TWB) 22.6 14746 46.54 1.94 49.11 28.69 Gymboree (GYMB) 17.4 20820 41.94 2.53 55.48 32.20 Under Armour (UA) 63.9 97454 54.24 8.59 Delta Galil 7.47 12.84 18.09 11.76 Hampshire (HAMP) 13.3 99 17.25 0.35 3.24 1.69 Unifi (UFI) - 1974 2.53 -0.09 29.65 17.75 Hanesbrands (HBI) - 10328 27.84 0.81 48.00 29.50 Unifirst (UNF) 18.8 5632 47.05 3.00 Culp 10.00 11.11 8.29 5.50 Hartmarx (HMX) 116.0 5788 8.15 0.18 20.00 11.04 United Retail (URGI) 15.1 6827 12.37 0.74 29.08 16.18 Helen of Troy (HELE) 16.7 10485 28.38 1.38 27.75 13.65 Urban Outfitters (URBN) 30.3 87452 23.78 -0.25 14.77 9.43 Hot Topic (HOTT) 34.7 14826 10.97 0.10 95.10 62.16 VF Corp. (VFC) 18.8 12941 93.66 2.08 Decliners Close Change 4.45 0.95 House of Taylor (HOTJ) - 3262 1.23 -0.06 51.00 18.24 Volcom (VLCM) 39.3 8380 50.10 -0.03 40.99 23.62 IAC Interactive (IACI) 52.6 75889 34.23 -0.38 52.15 42.31 Wal-Mart (WMT) 16.2 399340 48.39 0.28 Quaker Fabric 0.12 -89.49 23.37 12.64 Iconix (ICON) 26.6 19782 22.22 0.00 40.34 15.75 Warnaco (WRNC) 19.2 21608 39.70 0.36 Tefron 7.66 -16.92 1.78 0.37 Innovo (INNO) - 13707 1.79 0.02 52.30 37.96 Weingarten (WRI) 25.6 20885 42.03 0.93 29.18 15.75 Inter Parfums (IPAR) 27.9 2361 26.00 -0.62 28.09 19.99 Weyco (WEYS) 14.3 370 27.08 0.15 Alpha Pro Tech 2.55 -6.59 57.17 24.10 J. Crew (JCG) 29.4 20935 55.69 1.60 3.94 1.01 Wilsons (WLSN) - 5878 2.12 0.28 87.18 61.20 J.C. Penney (JCP) 14.0 79083 72.55 0.17 31.08 22.85 Wolverine (WWW) 18.1 9255 28.51 0.80 Finish Line 8.51 -6.59 14.25 7.21 Jaclyn (JLN) 23.7 12 11.50 0.12 31.72 23.14 Zale (ZLC) 37.0 21491 24.18 0.37 35.54 27.30 Jones Apparel (JNY) - 27802 28.71 0.46 42.65 20.00 Zumiez (ZUMZ) 48.8 12885 39.58 1.80 Bon-Ton 37.64 -6.04 20 WWD, MONDAY, JULY 9, 2007 WWD.COM MEMO PAD Retail, Manufacturing PASSAGE TO INDIA: Emap plc has plans to tap into India’s Sectors Cut Payrolls burgeoning economy. The fi rm, which owns titles including Grazia, FHM, WGSN and Arena, said last week it bought a By Evan Clark 40.1 percent stake in Next Gen Publishing Ltd., a Mumbai- based magazine publisher, for 3.7 million pounds, or $7.3 WASHINGTON — Retailers and textile and ap- million at current exchange. “As one of the fastest growing parel manufacturers all trimmed payrolls last economies in the world experiencing a marked increase in month, bucking the overall positive U.S. em- wealth and consumerism, we see India as a prime market ployment trend. that will be highly receptive to our brands,” said Paul Keenan, The workforce at department stores fell Emap’s chief executive of consumer media, in a statement, by 7,300 to 1.6 million, and apparel and ac- adding Next Gen is an established publisher of English cessories stores reduced head counts by 5,000 language consumer titles and business service directories. to 1.4 million, the U.S. Labor Department re- “Next Gen’s presence in the market will provide us with a An image from the Kate Spade fall ad campaign. ported Friday. strong base from which to explore opportunities.” “I knew there were some dismissals under Founded in 2005, Next Gen has portfolios of consumer way, but I didn’t know there were this many,” and business-to-business titles. Its consumer titles include NEW HIRES: In Style has found a replacement for accessories said Richard Yamarone, chief economist at Ideal Home and Garden and Smart Photography. This fall, director Alice Kim, who left her position last month. Meggan Argus Research Corp. the company plans to launch an Indian edition of FHM. Crum joins the title from W, where she held the same The cuts could partly be the result of an in- — Lucie Greene position. Crum will join the Time Inc. monthly on July 16. crease in some state minimum wages or in an- Also at In Style, Nancy Bilyeau has been appointed deputy ticipation of a boost this month in the federal ON TARGET: Kate Spade may be under the Liz Claiborne editor. She joins today from Ladies’ Home Journal, where minimum wage to $5.85 from $5.15, Yamarone Inc. umbrella now, but that won’t change the development she negotiated celebrity book excerpts and exclusives and said. Under legislation passed by Congress, — or budget — of future ad campaigns. For fall, Spade edited the food and front-of-book sections. Bilyeau has the federal minimum wage will rise to $7.25 is maintaining its ad budget. Starting in September, the also worked at Good Housekeeping, Entertainment Weekly, by July 2009. Many retailers, however, already accessories brand will roll out its campaign, based on the Rolling Stone and Mademoiselle. — Stephanie D. Smith pay more than the minimum wage. theme of “I’ve always wanted to…” Camilla Rutherford, an “I’m wondering if we’re seeing some of the actress on the HBO series “Rome,” was photographed by P.R. AT CHANEL: Chanel on Friday said it promoted Valerie results of merger activity,” said Paul Nolte, di- Cig Harvey in Southampton on Long Island doing the sorts of Duport to director of global press relations, effective Jan. rector of investments at Hinsdale Associates. things adults have always wanted to do but never found the 1. Duport headed the press for Chanel’s watch and jewelry The drop-off also may refl ect a retrench- time for, such as archery, bird-watching and piano practice division, which she will continue to direct while adding to ment in retail as companies such as Wal-Mart (well, some adults anyway). Andy Spade said the photo shoot her responsibilities the perfume and beauty division. She Stores Inc. scale back expansion, Nolte said. was also captured in a behind-the-scenes fi lm that will play will also codirect the fashion press with Véronique Perez, In addition, employment is closely tied to on the company’s Web site. The campaign will begin running head of Chanel’s fashion press department. Marie-Louise de sales, which have been uneven, with luxury in the September issues of Vogue, W, In Style and Town & Clermont-Tonnerre continues as head of Chanel’s international players outperforming the mid-range opera- Country. — Amy Wicks public relations department. — Robert Murphy tors. Overall store sales were strong in May, with volume at all retail and food service outlets up 1.4 percent, the largest bump in 16 months, according to a U.S. Commerce Department report. Pressured by intense overseas competition, Gucci Award Cites Film Achievements textile mills continued to lose out, shedding 2,300 jobs in June to employ 171,100. Textile By Miles Socha Marco Müller, director of the 64th Venice Film Festival. product mills cut 700 positions for a total They will name the winner Sept. 3 during a ceremony at workforce of 154,800, and employment at ap- PARIS — Julian Schnabel and Michelle Yeoh are among François Pinault’s art museum, Palazzo Grassi. parel producers slid by 2,100 to 217,600. the famous names associated with the second annual The national job picture was rosier in June, Gucci Group Award, to be presented in September dur- Gucci Group and the Venice Film with employers adding 132,000 seasonally ad- ing the Venice Film Festival. justed jobs compared with May. The growth Schnabel, the artist turned filmmaker who won Festival share a mission to came after a gain of 190,000 jobs in May and best director at Cannes for “The Diving Bell and the 122,000 in April. Average weekly earnings grew Butterfl y,” is among those nominated for the prize, given support “artists whose talents by 0.6 percent in June to $589.18, and the un- to an artist who has made a noteworthy contribution to employment rate held steady at 4.5 percent. a fi lm in the past 18 months. transcend ordinary limits. Economists were generally pleased with The other nominees for the 2007 award are novelist Lee the employment growth. Chang-Dong, who wrote and directed “Secret Sunshine”; — Robert Polet, Gucci” Group “Job creation has slowed this year to photographer Anton Corbijn, who directed a biopic about 145,000 [per] month on average in the fi rst six Joy Division’s Ian Curtis called “Control”; journalist Bhavna In a statement, Robert Polet, Gucci Group’s chairman months from 189,000 on average in 2006, but Talwar, who directed her fi rst fi lm, “Dharm,” about caste and chief executive offi cer, said the luxury group and not enough to threaten the [economic] expan- confl icts in India, and Polish artist Piotr Uklanski, who the festival “share a mission to support artists whose tal- sion,” Nigel Gault, Global Insight’s chief U.S. wrote and directed the spaghetti western “Summer Love.” ents transcend ordinary limits…and who have brought economist, wrote in an analysis. “Gains in em- Actress Yeoh, recently seen in “Memoirs of a Geisha,” their art to life on screen.” ployment and real wages should ensure that is on the selection committee, along with artist Francesco Musician Nick Cave took home Gucci’s inaugural consumer spending revives in the second half Vezzoli; actor and director Danny Huston; Stefano Tonchi, prize last year for his screenplay for “The Proposition,” of the year after a weak second quarter when The New York Times T magazine’s editor in chief, and a western with an intellectual bent. it was hit by high gasoline prices.”

Two Badgley Badgley Mischka Swim Launches in Miami Mischka swim adgley Mischka is diving into swim as the first Badgley Mischka also hopes the “not $1,000” price looks. Bfashion show in the tents at the Mercedes-Benz point will attract new and younger clients. Fashion Week Miami Swim Show on Wednesday. “We aren’t doing it just to say we do swimwear,” Launching for resort, swim is the latest category Badgley said. “We want it to be affordable enough to for Mark Badgley and James Mischka, who are best sell suits we will see people wearing at hotels.” known for their high-end evening gowns. The swim line could be about a $2 million busi- “When a woman has a beautiful swimsuit with a ness for the $70 million design house, according to ﬂ owing sarong on, she looks like she is in a beau- industry sources. Iconix has said the brand should be tiful gown,” Badgley said. “Our suits have our sig- a $100 million business by 2009. nature — with draping, embroidery and jewels that Badgley Mischka licensed the line to A.H. are very us.” Schreiber Co. Inc., a New York-based swimwear Since Iconix Brand Group acquired the design manufacturer that makes swim lines including house in 2004, Badgley Mischka has developed into a Longitude and Delta Burke Women’s. “We’ve been lifestyle brand with 16 licenses in its portfolio, includ- looking for a design team to be the crowning line for ing handbags, intimate apparel and jewelry. our company,” said Joel M. Schreiber, president of “Ever since we signed on with Iconix, swimwear his family’s company. has always been on the top of our list,” Mischka said. Because of the technical nature of swimwear, li- “It’s a natural extension of evening gowns: glamorous censing the line to an expert was a natural choice, and sexy.” but the designers said they are very involved. “With Wholesale prices range from $75 to $125, and they all of our licensed areas, Mark and I like to be hands- plan to target the high-end retailers who carry their on with design direction,” Mischka said. ready-to-wear such as Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth The duo added that they hope men’s wear will be Avenue, plus swim specialty stores. the next step. In addition to targeting their rtw consumers, — Whitney Beckett WWD, MONDAY, JULY 9, 2007 21 WWD.COM/CLASSIFIEDS

For more career opportunities log on to fashioncareers.com. Call 1.800.423.3314 or e-mail [email protected] to advertise. 22 WWD, MONDAY, JULY 9, 2007 WWD.COM/CLASSIFIEDS

For more career opportunities log on to fashioncareers.com. Call 1.800.423.3314 or e-mail [email protected] to advertise.

LETTER OF CREDIT MANAGER CLOSEOUTS Hampshire Group, a leader in men’s and women’s sweaters has an imme- Petite / Missy / Plus Women’s fall knit- diate opening available for a Letter of Credit Manager. Responsibilities will wear. Multiple containers. Qualified buyers only. [email protected] include daily communication with the Production Dept, Customs Brokers, Freight Forwarders and Steamship Lines to achieve on time delivery of merchandise. Review shipping documents, follow up with overseas vendors, opening Letters of Credit and processing payments to the banks. The ideal candidate must be a Team Player, detail oriented, organized and thrive in an upbeat and fast paced environment. The person must be com- CLOSE OUTS puter literate, have excellent communication skills both written and verbal We Buy Men’s, and will possess a minimum of 5 years industry experience. Experience in Women’s & Children’s the U.S. Customs classification and compliance a must. All Quantities We offer an excellent compensation and benefits package including a WE HAVE INSTANT MONEY 401(k) plan. For immediate consideration please fax or email resumes including We are nice people to deal with salary history & requirements to: 212-512-0397 / [email protected] Also HBA and General Merchandise. Call Rocky 800-762-5488

Accountant Chief Financial Officer $150- A design wholesale co. specializing 175K BOE. Current exp in apparel co. in licensed product seeks an: that does min 50 mill vol req’d. Strong relationships with banks /factors. Mdtn co. A/P MANAGER Email: [email protected] Responsibilities include: Monitor Accountant/VP Finance to $110K. distribution of AP work flow, assist in Midtown luxury European jewelry co. the month end close process, per- Strong exp in financials/ computer form vendor analysis, work closely systems/ operations. Career Oppty. Accessory Network Group, the Email: [email protected] with finance to determine weekly premier manufacturer of brand cash allowance and manage weekly Accounts Receivable / SENIOR ACCESSORIES DESIGNER name licensed bags and acces - check runs accordingly, code and Chargebacks sories for men, women and post invoices, maintain organized Roxy is looking for a Sr. Accessories Designer. This position children, has great opportunities and complete AP files, set up bank Apparel company in midtown seeks to join their team. wires, account analysis as requested individual to join A/R dept. Responsi- is located at the corporate headquarters, in Huntington and manage special projects. bilities include, but are not limited to, Beach, CA. Must have 5 plus years experience in Accessories chargeback resolution, collection calls, in the Junior or Better market. Must have Illustrator/CAD Cost Accountant Ideal candidates will have 2 year posting cash & daily banking and dealing degree in accounting or equivalent with our factor. experience, graphic background is a plus. Only experienced In this role you will be responsible work experience, 5+ years as an AP for the accuracy of inventory, pre- Individual must have a minimum of 5 candidates please. manager, experience in a high vol- years experience in the industry, must Email resume to: pare analysis as needed, perform ume import environment, ability be well organized and have the ability [email protected] for consideration. various month-end duties including to multi task, excellent organiza- to multi-task. Communication skills, both calculations of month end inven- tional and communication skills, verbal & written are essential. Computer proactive attitude and ability to work literacy is a must and some bookkeeping tory, journal entry input, Gross experience would be preferred. Designer Profit Analysis, compare standard under pressure. Must have superi- DRAPER/ or computer skills, particularly Excel. Please send resume to: CAD DESIGNER to actual costs, reconcile all GL [email protected] Leading manufacturer of high-end 1ST PATTERNMAKER accounts related to inventory and PLEASE SEND RESUMES TO: home textiles seeks a SR-CAD designer. Contemporary design driven firm Cost of Goods Sold. [email protected] Ideal applicant should be an energetic, located in New York City is seeking a creative, highly organized self starter highly skilled Draper /1st Pattern-maker with at least 4 years of solid industry with a min of 10 years of exp. Candidates must have Bachelors APPAREL/HOME FASHION experience. Degree, cost accounting experi- This candidate must have extensive PRODUCTION ASST. SRI SEARCH INC Leading children’s apparel company Showrooms & Lofts WWW.SRISEARCH.COM Responsibilities include: developing cut & sew knitwear experience & ence in an import environment, BWAY 7TH AVE SIDE STREETS original designs from concept to strong draping skills. Must be able to seeks a highly motivated and detail- 212-465-8300 minimum of 8 yrs experience, oriented individual to oversee all Great ’New’ Office Space Avail Allen Platt /Jennifer Glenn finished product, preparing instruc- handle a fast paced work environment strong analytical skills, ability to ADAMS & CO. 212-679-5500 tions for productions and creating spec & manage multiple projects/ deadlines aspects of production to ensure [email protected] on-time delivery thru daily communi- [email protected] sheets, corresponding with overseas in a timely basis. Contemporary work in a fast-paced team envi- agents and makers, and reviewing experience is required. ronment and meet deadlines. cation between design/sales and strike-offs. Experience in branding overseas vendors. Responsibilities and licensing preferred. Candidate We are a leader in our industry & offer Strong knowledge of excel and include: follow-up with overseas facto- should possess strong print, woven comprehensive benefits and salary. computerized inventory systems ries, delivery tracking & spreadsheets. and fabrication knowledge and be able Please email resume with salary history a must. Strong communication skills req’d. Assistant to Merchandiser to research design and color trends and subject header; Draper /1st Must have good working knowledge of SUBLEASE and translate them to table top. Strong Patternmaker and your name to: Microsoft Outlook, Word & Excel. Turn Key Office & Showroom Major Apparel co seeks individual to Accessory Network Group is an E-mail resume with salary buy fabric/trim in retail stores, e-mail communication skills, presentation [email protected] Between 7th and 8th Ave on 39th skills, and work with buyers. Equal Opportunity Employer. requirements Attn Charles to: [email protected] production & follow up w/fabric deliv- Equal Opportunity Employer [email protected] eries, organize sample yardage in office, Fax resume w/salary requirements Email resume to: photo all samples & keep files, maintain to: 212-696-0566. ATTN: FRAN [email protected] fabric, production and on order books, Townhouse Showroom pack up & organize samples for retailer FIND JOBS!! FIFTH AVENUE LOCATION meetings, create & attach hang tags, [email protected] Patternmaker Production Coordinator $40-55K BOE. Chi- Hi-ceilings, Wd flooring, Kit & Bth fashion research on net w/designer direc- Evening Dress Patternmaker nese /Eng bi-ling req’d. Min 1-2 yrs exp. Excl Natural Light, 2500sf. Ask $14,500 tion and Product Packs for production. Knowledge construction of garments/ Contact: David Youngworth Must have evening wear exp. & know Must know Photoshop & Illustrator. DESIGNER GRAPHIC ARTIST construction. Organized, English speak- fabric. Mdtn. [email protected] 917.402.8472 or Need someone with good eye, good Home Textiles Designer wanted for [email protected] small friendly office. Must have good Major Apparel company seeks graphic ing, min. 10 yrs exp. in fast paced envi- common sense and can do attitude!!! artist with experience in girls infant ronment. E-mail resume w/c letter to: Fax resume to: 212-730-9705 color sense/design eye and knowledge of Excel, Illustrator & Photoshop. to 6X. Individual must be creative [email protected] Home textile experience a plus. Please and detail oriented. Responsibilities email resume to : [email protected] include executing the art from start Production Coordinator to finished packages for production. Detail oriented person w/5 yrs import CAD ARTIST...... TO 65K Will work with mock up samples and production exp. Strong communication Missy prints sleepwear the embroidery dept. Must be able to PATTERNMAKER skills and computer proficiency. Jennifer Glenn SRI Search 212-465-8300 work in fast paced environment. High end women’s wear designer co. E-mail resume with cover letter to: [email protected] FAX RESUMES TO : 212-730-9705 seeks exp’d patternmaker. 5-10 years [email protected] Broadway Garment Center experience req’d. Fax: 212-966-4682. NICE OFFICE + SHOWROOM www.srisearch.com Designer/Merchandiser AVAILABLE TO SHARE Children’s Wear Co. seeks talented and Please Call 917-907-1667 exp’d. Graphic Designer specializing in T-shirt graphics for a fashion forward children’s line. Portfolio must convey a Patternmaker/ Technical Designer to $95K Production Coordinator Chief Financial Officer/ Accountant Current exp in women’s man-tailored Lunaire, a leader in full-figure bras, $175-200K BOE. Mdtn 100 mil vol co. trendy /edgy feel. Fax to: 201-641-0672 or E-mail to: [email protected] woven suits/jackets. Fittings. Correc- seeks an organized, detailed, problem Must be able to multi-task & have a Hot Sox, a premier Men’s and Women’s tions. E-mail: [email protected] solver to process/coordinate production. strong business sense. Fast paced Hosiery Company, and the licensee for Email resume: [email protected] aggressively growing co. Career Oppty. Polo/Ralph Lauren hosiery, is seeking [email protected] candidates for positions in: DESIGNER to $90K Forecasting/Operations Product Development / Junior Knits & Sweaters and Account Management *Production or Product* [email protected] Candidates for Forecasting/Operations Sourcing Assistants-Coordinators-Managers Design Assistant should have 12 months of operational / Growing accessory co. (bags, belts, Many Jobs-Excellent Salaries wholesale or retail planning experience, jewlery) seeks organized and creative Call (212) 643-8090; fax 643-8127 (agcy) PATTERN/SAMPLES Outerwear Co. seeks an Illustrator and exposure to supply chain management & indiv. Must be able to identify emerg- Photoshop proficient individual with 1-2 inventory forecasting. Must be extremely ing trends, design concepts and hands Reliable. High quality. Low cost. Fast years experience. Duties include maintain- on sourcing for junior & young ladies work. Small/ Lrg production 212-629-4808 detail oriented with strong analytical skills ing sample room schedule and workload, Designer - Wovens and strong communication and follow mkt. Strong computer and communi- detail sketching, and organizing of design Min 5 yrs exp in tops and bottoms to up skills. Microsoft Excel experience a cation skills. Exp with licensing. Email Product Manager Patterns/Samples/Production area. Fax resume to: 212-613-6530 join our design team. Candidate must must; Filemaker experience desirable. resume to: [email protected] Girls import sportswear co seeks can- Any Style. We do Bridal/Evening be a self starter who takes initiative & didate w/min 5 yrs exp to manage Gowns custom made & wholesale. will contribute to the creative process. Candidates for Account Management must possess a bachelor’s degree or equiv- garment approvals from concept thru Call: 212-278-0608/646-441-0950 Proficient in Photoshop, Illustrator, Excel production. Resp for comments con- & Word. Strong communication skills alent experience in retail or wholesale business, as well as 2-4 years of account cerning lab dips, print s/offs, trims & DESIGNER ASSISTANT (communicate with o/seas offices daily). garment construction. Good benefits. PATTERNS, SAMPLES, Develop embroidery designs; create management experience. Must have For Intimate Apparel Co. Must be a strong organizational skills, be self moti- Email resume: [email protected] PRODUCTIONS fast learner, detail-oriented with a great tech packs/knowledge of garment construction. Please email resumes to: vated, computer literate and have a firm Production Assistant All lines, Any styles. Fine Fast Service. work ethic. Construction knowl/ability grasp of retail systems and retail math. Call Sherry 212-719-0622. to create flat sketches in Illustrator [email protected] Childrens sleepwear division. Must be andAssoc. in fashion req’d. Lingerie E-mail resume to: [email protected] detail-oriented; able to multi task; /sleepwear exp A+. Email or fax your have hands on knowledge of specs, resume to: [email protected], garment construction and an eye for SAMPLE MANAGER PATTERNS, SAMPLES, Import Letters of Credit Mgr $52K. Eric Javits seeks a person to oversee 212-842-4050 attn: J. Clark. EOE. Current exp in opening L.C.’s. Payments. aesthetics. Heavy follow up and com- PRODUCTIONS munication w/factories overseas req’d. staff & sample production in LIC work- Director of Sales Dealing with banks. Broadway at 40th room. Min 3 yrs exp required working Full service shop to the trade. St. Apparel Co. [email protected] Exp working with Walmart/JCP/Target Fine fast work. 212-869-2699. Contemporary womenswear house seeks and dept. store accounts preferred. with patterns, tech packs, specs, plus indv w/min 5 yrs exp. Must have Knowledge of childrens sleepwear accessory product development. Strong strong relationship w/Dept, Specialty Patternmaker $90-100K. Strong exp requirmnts and proficiency with Excel computer, verbal & written skills needed. PTTNS/SMPLS/PROD DESIGNER ASSOC $55K & Int’l accts. Strong mgmt skills and in Gerber Accumark. Queens location. a plus. Fax, attn. Jennifer Kole: Will interface w/design dept & production. High qlty, reasonable price. Any de- Young Mens Athletic. Mass Market knowledge of Far East. E-mail resume Womens sportswear. Call: 973-564-9236 212-842-4030 or e-mail: Email resume & salary requirements to: sign & fabric. Fast work. 212-714-2186 [email protected] w/c letter to: [email protected]. or Email: [email protected] [email protected] EOE. [email protected] WWD, MONDAY, JULY 9, 2007 23 WWD.COM/CLASSIFIEDS

For more career opportunities log on to fashioncareers.com. Call 1.800.423.3314 or e-mail [email protected] to advertise.

SAMPLE ROOM SUPERVISOR Norma Kamali Everlast, a division of The Moret Group in NYC is seeking a Sample Room Superivsor. Duties will include: creating and USA Wholesale Manager maintaining sample room schedules and workload. Must follow up on London based luxury lifestyle brand Myla are looking for a technical details while ensuring accurate Wholesale Manager. We are looking for an energetic, flat sketches; manage the design trim /notions by style/grouping & ensure all enthusiastic and driven individual to join our international materials on hand for sample sewing. sales team with 3-5 years proven track record and experience Candidate should have extensive in the intimates market. Ideal candidates will possess knowledge of cut & sew knits, sewing strong fashion sales experience, as well as understand the and specing. US intimates market. Under the direction of Sales Director, We offer competitive salaries & benefits. you will be driving and developing the wholesale expansion Please email resume with salary history and subject header; Sample strategy in the US. Must come with contacts and be able to Room Supervisor to: work directly with buyers demonstrating a proven track record [email protected] of established relationships with department and specialty stores. Travel involved. To apply for the above position, please email your resume to Equal Opportunity Employer [email protected] SPEC TECH Major apparel co seeks a part time spec tech with Men’s experience. Ideal SALES ASSISTANT candidate will have garment construction & technical design experience. Will be ADMINISTRATIVE working with design and production We are an established fashion accessories Account Executive teams when necessary. Must be profi- wholesaler seeking a highly motivated, Experience in the field of cient in excel and technical sketches. exp’d (2+ yrs) indiv, preferably who has Wal-mart experience a plus. worked in a wholesale fashion showroom skincare is a MUST. Please fax resumes to: 212-730-9705 or retail environment. Qualified indiv Self starter, good with will be working & communicating w/ major department store type accounts budgets and P/L’s and Sr. Tech Designer-NYC for our lic’d division. Major responsibili - management of staff. Sweaters, cut & sewn, & specing. ties will include creating & implementing Must know CAD. Excellent salary! sales information on Excel spreadsheets, Area: Southern CA Fax: 201-587-8609 checking samples, hangtags, tickets etc, Salary Negotiable. communicating both written & verbally E-mail: Technical Designer w/production, sales & buyers. Applicant Min. 5 yrs. exp. better/ bridge contemp. must be a self starting multi-tasker [email protected] sportswear. Must have patternmaking who is extremely organized & detail exp. in fast paced environment. oriented. Great opportunity to work in E-mail resume w/c letter to: a prof’l & team oriented environment. [email protected] Please e-mail information to: [email protected]

SALES ASSISTANT TECHNICAL Major apparel co. seeks detail oriented person with excellent computer and DESIGNER organizational skills. Responsibilities The Moret Group, a major apparel include maintaining, preparing, and company in NYC is seeking a Technical printing reports and charts, tracking Designer. all inventory per season, organizing hangtags & attaching tags to garments, This qualified candidate will have a maintaining files for current sales re- minimum of 5 yrs. exp. as a Technical cords & archiving. Retail link necessary, Designer for private label. Candidate AS400 & Wal-mart experience a plus. must have directed fit sessions and Excellent benefits. have an excellent knowledge of FAX RESUMES TO: 212-730-9705 patternmaking & garment construction. Product categories include all knit and woven classifications. Computer skills in excel required. We offer competitive salaries & benefits. Please email resume with salary history SALES ASSOCIATE & subject header; Technical Designer to: We are a premier girlswear co. seeking a Sales Associate. Will service existing [email protected] accounts, develop new accounts, handle Equal Opportunity Employer requests for information , resolve issues and identify opportunities to improve Textile Artist $50-65K BOE. Current exp sales. Domestic travel to customer lo- in creative plaids/prints for newborn cations required. Must have excellent Layette mkt. Kids fashion trends. organization & time management skills Strong knowledge of construction of with a high sense of urgency. 1-3 years fabric. Email: [email protected] of sales experience preferred. Please Send Resumes to : Trim Buyer to $85K BOE Min 3 yrs exp [email protected]. in trim prod’n in better to bridge mkt. EOE. Buying internationally req’d. top designer name. Fast-paced. [email protected]

SALES e-mail: [email protected] Retail Ops Mgr/Int’l jewelry co $80k Personal Shopper/Corp gift exp $80k Acct Exec /Fashion/Similar exp $50k+% Store Mgrs/Sales Assoc /Hi-end $ Open

SALES EXECUTIVE Top prestige brand handbag co. seeks recruitment Account Executive talented sales pro with a min. 3 yrs exp. Seeking a motivated individual for our in bridge & designer market to work in Reach top-level decision-makers in retail and manufacturing in WWD Marketplace. NY RTW Showroom. Must have excel- NY showroom. Dynamic team-oriented lent organizational skills. 2+ years environment. Generous base plus com- exp. preferred but not required. mission. Email resume in confidence to: Email resume w/ salary history to: [email protected] [email protected] SALES REP Est’d. better updated Apparel Co. seeks saja dynamic Salesperson w/est’d. accts. & relationships w/Specialty & Dept. Stores FT SALES ASSOCIATES and sales exp. in NY apparel shows. WHOLESALE & RETAIL Duties include cultivating new accts. & Must have contemporary market exp: maintaining existing accts. Min. 3 years wholesale (min 2 yrs); retail (min 1 yr) exp. in women’s better contemporary mkt. Bachelor’s degree required. Excellent opportunity, salary, commission, [email protected] Fax 212-938-1545 & benefits. E-mail: [email protected] accessories

WWDAccessories, the ﬁrst edited look at each season’s must-have items stirring up a buying frenzy at retail.

NEXT ISSUE: FEBRUARY 2008 CLOSE: DECEMBER 2007 STIRRING UP A BUYING FRENZY FOR SPRING PHOTO BY MATTI HILLIG WWD SECTION IISECTION The Gatekeepers July 12to15,andwillbestagedattheBrandenburgGate. The debutofMercedes-BenzFashionWeek Berlinissetfor BERLIN PREVIEW 2 WWD, MONDAY, JULY 9, 2007

SECTION II

BERLIN PREVIEW

Old and new The Wild West mix in Berlin. A creative center develops with an eye for business. By Melissa Drier and Damien McGuinness

GERMANY’S CREATIVE HOTHOUSE, BERLIN, IS FINALLY GETTING DOWN to business. The nation’s fashion industry is about to get a much-needed shot of catwalk- driven glamour and sparkle — at least, that’s the aim of the fi rst Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin, set for this Thursday through Sunday. International designer “friends of Berlin” like Vivienne Westwood (with her Anglomania line); leading German fashion labels Hugo, Strenesse, Puma and Michalsky; German progressives Prototype and Annett Roestel; young Berlin designers Smeilinener and Sisi Wasabi, along with the four New Generation Award fi nalists, Macqua, Kaviar Gauche, Talkingmeanstrouble and Lala Berlin, have gathered for this debut event to be staged in front of the Brandenburg Gate. That won’t be the only fashion action in the city. Premium will be back with its 10th edition at The Station, and will showcase 700 international men’s and women’s collections, including 60 designer newcomers and the new “Green Lifestyle” area. One hundred international avant-garde designers will again be taking up residence at Ideal Showroom in Café Moscow, and a number of other satellite shows, presen- tations and events are planned throughout the city. Hugo will kick off fashion week, organized by IMG, on Thursday night. And with its motto “Your game. Your rules,” Hugo Boss’ cheeky fashion brand comes straight to the core of what makes Berlin such a magnet for the young (and not so young) creative types that are creating the city’s buzz. According to local government fi gures, 114,000 people work in the city’s creative sector, a jump of 50 percent since 1996; a 10th of all creative professionals in Germany are now based in Berlin. And of the 6,000 designers in the city, an impressive 3,000 work in fashion. Not a bad level of productivity for a city traditionally viewed by the rest of Germany as a high-spending, low-earning welfare case: the country’s naughty teenager who never buckles down but somehow always manages to have a good time. (It’s not exactly an endearing quality in the eyes of hard-working taxpayers in Hamburg, Munich or Stuttgart.) But it looks like those days are on the wane. Unemployment rocketed in the Nineties, as previously state-sponsored industry moved out and the city lost 60 percent of its full-time traditional jobs. And while the numbers remain high, June 2007’s unemployment level of 15.6 percent was the lowest on a seasonal basis since 1997. Berlin is rapidly becoming Germany’s creative hub. According to the local Senate, the creative sector in Berlin produced an annual turnover of 18.57 billion euros, or $21.2 billion at current exchange, in 2005 and is growing twice as fast here as in the rest of Germany. A lot of this growth is due to local government support. Between 2000 and 2004, the state provided 200 million euros, or $272.4 million, in fi nancial support to local governments, mostly in the form of grants. Forty percent of this went to the creative sector. The cool kids who once came here to party are now in their 30s and are getting down to work. So what brings them here? “It’s cheap” is the blunt answer most people give you. And, certainly, low rents are a major attraction for any young creative who has struggled with the housing market in New York, London or Paris. Paying 400 euros per month, or $545, for a decent-size, centrally located apartment, and even less for a small atelier, certainly makes new and not necessarily profi table projects much more doable here than anywhere else. There are exceptions, of course. Residential rents have risen dramatically in very gentrifi ed areas such as around Kollwitz Platz in Prenzlauer Berg, and commercial

Street style around town. WWD, MONDAY, JULY 9, 2007 3

WWD.COM

The city has a youthful, creative atmosphere. Berlin is an open, liberal, urban, cosmopolitan “city that offers freedom and space…and it’s not ﬁ nished. ” — Diana Kaufmann, Create Berlin

Bode Museum on Museum Island An alternative cafe. in the River Spree, in Mitte. PHOTOS BY MATTI HILLIG MATTI PHOTOS BY rents around Hackescher Markt, also in former East Berlin, are now among the high- KaDeWe. And according to Josef Voelk, co-owner of The Corner and former director est in the city. In fact, a study by the real estate broker Engel & Völkers identifi ed of Quartier 206 Departmentstore — both international designer-powered, luxury Hackescher Markt as Berlin’s most dynamic retail neighborhood. shopping destinations — there’s a growing appetite for high-end purchases. But there must be more about the city than its low cost of living. After all, cities “You don’t see the original Berlin look — jeans, T-shirts, the whole underground like Milwaukee or Youngstown, Ohio, are also cheap places to live, but that doesn’t thing — quite so much anymore. People have gotten a bit tired of it, and the style of make them international creative hubs. the city has defi nitely changed,” he commented. “It’s more mature. There are more “Berlin is an open, liberal, urban, cosmopolitan city that offers freedom and people coming to Berlin with money, and Berliners themselves are becoming more space,” believes Diana Kaufmann, director of Create Berlin, a private initiative of aware of international fashion trends. Berlin designers for Berlin designers. “And in comparison to other major cities, it’s “We’re very pleased with business. And we’ve also been very surprised, as every- not set; it’s not fi nished. Change is ongoing — not just in a historical sense, but in body always says there’s no potential in Berlin,” he continued. “Not that we do that terms of people who believe change is possible.” much with Berlin designers, but maybe with the New Generation fi nalists, we’ll fi nd For many, it is this freedom to do what they want — and the space to do it in something for us and that will change.” — that is Berlin’s major calling card. The city’s been broken up and messed around Andreas Murkudis, Berlin’s concept store pioneer with four shops on with so much by history that there are no models to follow, either fi guratively or Munzstrasse in the Hackescher Markt area, has also noted a style shift. literally. What makes other metropolises tick just doesn’t cut it here. It’s not money “More people are discovering style and there’s more openness than there used to — there’s not much to speak of in this “bankrupt but sexy” town, to quote the mayor. be,” he said. He credits this to the surge of tourists visiting Berlin since the capital be- Nor is it status, which was never a big draw, either pre- or post-Wall. The so-called came a center for cheap international fl ights. “The style here is very mixed, with lots of “society” certainly isn’t “high” here and lacks the panache, self-confi dence or sheer Scandinavians, Italians and Spaniards. On weekends, it’s like a mass migration.” interest to set standards or make waves. But he also thinks Berlin is becoming more professional. “We now have shops Even power is unlikely to impress Berliners much, who have a natural distrust opening like The Corner and Strange Fruit, or hotels like the Hotel de Rome on of authority and hierarchy of all sorts, fashion included. Overdoing fl ashy, designer Gendarmenmarkt. The interest is there, though in Berlin, change always comes in labels is likely to earn more derision than respect. very small steps.” “Bling-bling would be laughed out of town,” explained Elizabeth McGrath, editor “Having Berlin as a base has helped me a lot,” said local designer Leyla Piedayesh in chief of a soon-to-be-launched fanzine BangBangBerlin, which covers the city’s of LaLa Berlin. “This all wouldn’t have happened in London, Paris or New York. It’s a subculture, “and labels are considered desperately tragic. You do not walk around huge city with an amazing creative network, but because rents are so cheap, you have Mitte swinging a Gucci or LV bag, or people think you are a spoiled brat.” enormous creative freedom….And in Berlin, you have freedom of choice about what you This hasn’t stopped either Gucci or Louis Vuitton from successfully operat- wear. Today I might want to wear a cocktail dress, tomorrow run around in sneakers. ing two stores each in Berlin, plus in-store shops at major local department store Continued on page 4 4 WWD, MONDAY, JULY 9, 2007

SECTION II WWD.COM BERLIN PREVIEW Show Week Calendar Following is the schedule of shows and events connected to the spring 2008 Mercedes- Benz Fashion Week Berlin. Times and locations are accurate as of press time, but attendees are encouraged to conﬁ rm information.

Wednesday, July 11 8 p.m.: Esmod graduation show, Görlitzer Strasse 51 Contact: [email protected], or +49-30-611-22-14 or esmod.de

Thursday, July 12 7 and 10 p.m.: The School of Art and Design Berlin Weissensee fashion show, Franz Mett sports hall, Gormannstrasse 13 Contact: +49-30-477-05-220 or kh-berlin.de

10 p.m.: Hugo/Hugo Boss, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Brandenburg Gate mercedes- benzfashionweek.com Contact: Martin Schmieder, Haeberlein & Mauerer, +49-89-381-08-148 or [email protected]

Friday, July 13 11 a.m.: Sisi Wasabi, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Brandenburg Gate mercedes-benzfashionweek.com Contact: Nina Kron, Press Factory, +49-30-288-79-000 or [email protected]

1 p.m.: Prototype.Schumacher, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Brandenburg Gate mercedes- benzfashionweek.com Contact: Sigrid Schumacher, +49-421-364-9590 or [email protected]

3 p.m.: Smeilinener, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Brandenburg Gate mercedes-benzfashionweek.com Contact: Sandra Birk, Salon public relations, +49-30-87-40-85 or [email protected]

7 p.m.: Strenesse, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Brandenburg Gate mercedes-benzfashionweek.com Alte Schönhauser Contact: Alexandra Degel, +49-89-36-84-96-11 or [email protected] Strasse, a key fashion street in Mitte. 9 p.m.: FRIDAY 13 TH, art and music vernissage featuring collections by selected designers, Admiralspalast, Friedrichstrasse 101 Contact: Ingrid Junker +49-163-464-4006 or [email protected]

10 p.m.: Anglomania/Vivienne Westwood, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Brandenburg Gate mercedes-benzfashionweek.com Creative Bonanza Contact: Antonia Zilling, Haeberlein & Maurerer, +49-30-726-208-201 or [email protected] Continued from page 3 Saturday, July 14 People here don’t judge you on your 9:30 p.m.: ici fashion show featuring the 15 best students from the Berlin University of Applied clothing.” Sciences, Rotes Rathaus (Berlin City Hall), Rathausstrasse 15 The result of all this iconoclastic Contact: University of Applied Sciences, +49-30-50-19-0 or fhtw-berlin.de freedom is a thriving and cross-fer- tilizing hotbed of art, music, night- 11 a.m.: Anett Röstel, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Brandenburg Gate life and design. And unlike more mercedes-benzfashionweek.com established urban centers, where Contact: Christoph Götz, Publicis Consultants, +49-30-820-82-508 or cell +49- the embedded hierarchy means 162-155-37-44 cultural infl uences fi lter down from the top, in Berlin most of the impor- 2 p.m.: Premium Symposium, auditorium, 1st fl oor, The Old Postal Train Station, tant infl uences come from the bot- Luckenwalder Strasse 4-6 tom, percolating away in the city’s Contact: Premium Exhibitions GmbH, +49-30-629-0850 or premiumexhibitions.com hyperactive subculture. For Sumi Ha, owner of the con- 4:30 p.m.: Rudolf Dassler/Puma, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Brandenburg cept store Best Shop and initiator Gate mercedes-benzfashionweek.com of Ideal Showroom, this intersec- Street shopping. Contact: Miriam Oppermann, Nicole Weber Communications, +49-40-414-948-31 tion of so many different cultural or [email protected] infl uences is a constant source of inspiration. “When I came here eight years ago, all the people I met 8:30 p.m.: Michalsky, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Brandenburg Gate appeared to be doing their own independent, creative thing. That mercedes-benzfashionweek.com inspired me to do my own thing, too, in a way I would never have Contact: Nina Kron, Press Factory, +49-30-288-79-000 or [email protected] had the courage to do somewhere else.” Berlin’s unique history has also fueled the creative boom, by 10 p.m.: UdK Berlin, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Brandenburg Gate providing gaps and holes that young people have been able to fi ll. mercedes-benzfashionweek.com “There was a massive rupture as soon as the Wall fell [in 1989], Contact: Claudia Assmann, +49-30-3185-2450 or [email protected] and suddenly there was a whole unknown world in the East to discover,” Ha said. All the free spaces and buildings seemingly Sunday, July 15 owned by no one spawned all sorts of art projects and new bars, 9 a.m.: Karstadt New Generation Award: Macqua, Kaviar Gauche, she pointed out. “And that feeling is still in Berlin today.” Talkingmeanstrouble, Lala Berlin, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, The art scene is thriving, with new galleries opening constantly. Brandenburg Gate mercedes-benzfashionweek.com The city’s already large artist population is getting bigger all the Contact Macqua: Meike Vollmar, +49-30-400-56-195 or info@macqua. time. New York art dealer Robert Goff opened a Berlin branch of com his gallery Goff + Rosenthal last September. His take on the city: Contact Kaviar Gauche: Elfi e Klemann, Agency K, +49-89-383-8720 “Berlin’s special because it’s got the energy of a city in which artists or [email protected] can actually afford to live. They’re part of the daily life of the city, Contact Talkingmeanstrouble: Bianca Hartwig, +49-30-440-440-89 not like Manhattan. And it’s not just artists, but young creative types or offi [email protected] of all sorts who are moving here, and it snowballs into a great vibe.” Contact Lala Berlin: Nina Kron, Press Factory, +49-30-288-79-000 It’s also a “fun city. A decadent city. And there’s not a better or [email protected] place to go out,” he noted. “I didn’t experience New York then, but everybody tells me Berlin feels a little like New York in the July 13-15 Seventies and Eighties. But you don’t necessarily have to go out. Ideal Showroom, Café Moskau, It’s a process of cultural osmosis. You feel it in the air.” Karl-Marx-Allee 34 Specializing in international emerging artists, Goff said he was Contact: Sumi Ha Ideal Berlin, Tel. +49-30-2463-2482 well prepared for business in Berlin to be slow due to the city’s over- or [email protected] or ideal-berlin.com all economic climate and relatively slim collector ranks. But that being said, he added, sales have been surprisingly good. “Everyone Strenesse (top) and Premium (men’s and women’s fashion) Michalsky (above) comes here. We have American collectors coming two to three times a The Old Postal Train Station, Luckenwalder Strasse 4-6 year. They’re even buying apartments here because they have the op- will show during Contact: Premium Exhibitions GmbH, fashion week. portunity to meet with artists, visit their ateliers and cut better deals. +49-30-629-0850 or premiumexhibitions.com It’s less competitive.” Plus, like everyone else, “they like the vibe.” Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin. July 12–15, 2007

www.mercedes-benz.de/fashionweek HUGO BOSS FASHIONS INC. Phone +212 940 0600 www.hugoboss.com

8 WWD, MONDAY, JULY 9, 2007

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BERLIN PREVIEW The Contenders There are literally thousands of young designers in Berlin — about 3,000 in the fashion field alone, according to the latest figures. Several are taking to the runway during the first Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin at the Brandenburg Gate. Kaviar Gauche, Lala Berlin, Macqua and Talkingmeanstrouble are competing for the Karstadt New Generation Award; the winner will be commissioned to design a special collection for selected Karstadt Group department stores. Sisi Wasabi and Smeilinener are among the other young Berlin labels showing on the prominently placed catwalk. Here, a look at the people and ideas behind these six designer collections.

LALA BERLIN stone of Kaviar Gauche, a collection Just over three years ago, Leyla Piedayesh stumbled into the launched by Johanna Kühl, 27, and fashion business by knitting her own sweatbands and legwarm- Alexandra Fischer-Roehler, 32, in ers and selling them to friends. Today, her Lala Berlin collection 2004 as a symbiosis of apparel and — which has grown to include handmade full-length silk dresses, totes. transparent cashmere jerseys and printed batiste cotton cocktail “The fundamental idea is to fea- dresses — can be found at 73 outlets in Germany and another 15 ture elements of bags in clothes and abroad, as well as at her own boutique on the hip Mulackstrasse vice versa,” said Kühl. The chain in Mitte. A pretty speedy takeoff for someone who bypassed fash- shoulder straps of their now-classic ion school entirely. Lamella bag accent the necklines of “Lala Berlin has grown up into a woman,” the designer ex- dresses, and the fl oral structure of plained. “It’s a mixture of elegance and street. The street is still next spring’s new matelasse leather my main focus, but defi nitely things have gotten more sophisticated petal bag reappears in a fabric ver- — easy and wearable, but also elegant and sexy.” sion for apparel. Wearing an almost weightless silk jersey dress, Piedayesh Spring’s theme revolves around personifies this eclecticism well. “I come from a family of car- “nature and technology.” There are pet dealers,” laughed the Iranian-born 36-year-old, explaining contrasts between romantic and high- her passion for wools and weaves that are still a key part of her tech elements, such as a silk organza collection. fi sh scale skirt with a cool and metal- Knitwear retails for about 300 to 350 euros ($400 to $475) and lic surface but a natural and organic printed scarves start around 300 euros ($400). Dress prices have not form. been set yet. “There’s high-tech pixel and me- A business school graduate who worked as a producer for MTV, tallics, sheen and lacquered sur- Piedayesh launched her fi rst collection in January 2004 but quickly faces on one side, and animal prints, moved from legwarmers when summer came. (“What was I going to batiste and eyelet on the other,” do? Woolen bikinis?”) Lala Berlin’s palette for spring mixes muted Fischer-Roehler remarked. Floral blacks, whites and grays with a splash of neon orange or electric prints are executed on silicon and blue. Silhouettes are A-lines, balloon forms and oversize silk jer- latex materials. seys, light enough to emphasize the body. Retail prices for the bags are 280 — Damien McGuinness to 700 euros ($380 to $950), evening gowns are 850 to 1,600 euros ($1,160 to MACQUA $ 2,175), dresses are 400 euros ($545), She was “much too tall and much too thin to be able to buy any- tunics are 250 euros ($340) and T-shirt thing” — so Meike Vollmar’s experiments with fabric began when dresses are 115 to 150 euros ($155 to she was 12. She started making herself pants, sweaters and coats, Leyla $200). and suddenly her circle of friends wanted the same. But it took Piedayesh The two designers joined forces a years of travel and soul-searching before she accepted fashion as fi tting a model year after completing their studies at her “calling.” in her Lala Esmod Berlin. The 28-year-old Esmod Berlin graduate founded Macqua in 2004. Berlin studio. “People found we had a similar The old Greek word for “magic” as well as a tarot card for the stars, voice,” Fischer-Roehler said. “We Macqua “essentially expresses my whole philosophy…to let things happen, and it’s a kind of reminder to stay on the good side, to remain ethical — Kaviar Gauche’s fi sh scale skirt, wool top values that are important to me,” she and bolero with leather petal bag for spring. said. Macqau’s Meike Vollmar In the background are Johanna Kühl (left) Macqua combines “Meike” with and a ribbed viscose “jersey and Alexandra Fischer-Roehler. couture” dress for spring. “acqua” — water — and indeed her signature look is fl owing, frequently featuring waterfall draping in her favored viscose, silk and cotton jersey fabrics. Her “mission,” she said, was to fi nd new cut and pattern techniques, now refining, for example, last fall’s apparel pieces created from one long, square piece of fabric. Next season will be more romantic, more body-conscious, with new draping she calls “jersey couture,” in fabric pieces cleverly gathered yet fl owing in overall silhouette. Vollmar is blurring the barriers between decoration and function; a waterfall drape, for example, becomes a pocket, or zippers are robbed of their function and used purely decoratively. Japan is Macqua’s key market, followed by Germany, Italy and Denmark. Dresses retail between 200 and 600 euros ($275 and $815), though some may be more expensive next season, she added, given the new hand-worked touches. — Melissa Drier

KAVIAR GAUCHE Bags have always been the corner- WWD, MONDAY, JULY 9, 2007 9

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hadn’t done projects together, and each had their own inspiration, but what came Shirts wholesale between 39 and 100 euros ($53 and $136), pants are 89 to 99 out had the same parameters.” euros ($121 to $135), dresses run up to 300 euros ($400) and coats are around 250 They presented their ﬁ rst collection, deliberately “not for sale,” at both Premium euros ($340). in Berlin and a guerrilla fashion show in front of Colette in Paris. Soon after, their The goal is “always to keep calm, even if the theme is loud,” such as next spring’s edgy feminine look with casual, sporty details entered stores in Japan, Germany “Wild Side,” which is Lou Reed tough, sexy and glossy on one hand, and quiet, well- and Legacy in New York. Last season, they were invited to show during London bred and well-behaved on the other. Fashion Week and took part in the Swiss Textile Award presentation. “It’s a bit schizophrenic, like a good-girl dress in raw silk accented with rivets,” — M.D. she said, or unexpected styling touches — the tops of net stockings provocatively peeking out just above the hem of a nice little coat. More structured fabrics and more voluminous shoulders accomplished through cut, not padding, add a new dimension this season, but the focus remains on clothes that “make you feel well in every situation. These are easy pieces even if they’re not basic,” commented Bianca. “You can forget them once you have them on, leaving you free to be yourself.” — M.D.

SISI WASABI “A fairy-tale princess gone street” is one way of describing Sisi Wasabi’s look: possibly what Rapunzel would wear if she were out on the town with her girlfriends, instead of trapped in a tower all day. Inspired by Austrian and Southern German Tracht, or traditional folkloric style, Sisi Wasabi combines modern cuts and silhouettes with traditional folk- costume elements, such as pleated puff sleeves, horn buttons, silk ribbons or morning coats with a fl at Tracht-style collar. Even the name itself juxtaposes old with new: Sisi, the glamorous 19th-century Empress Elisabeth of Austria, the Lady Diana of her day, plus sushi-bar Wasabi, a symbol of modern urban life. “It’s about a subtle, modern take on tradition and heritage,” explained 27-year-old Zerlina von dem Bussche, the label’s designer and founder, who presented her fi rst offi cial collection in spring 2005 and now stocks 55 outlets at home and abroad. “Every woman just wants to be beautiful, which is why we focus on details that fl atter, such as short sleeves cut on an angle.” The line is produced entirely in Germany of German and Italian materials, like batiste cotton, with vintage details, like leather lederhosen Talkingmeanstrouble’s buckles. Von dem Bussche is certainly putting her money where her Bianca Hartwig (left) mouth is. “You could cobble that T-shirt together anywhere in the world if and Andrea Hartwig you wanted,” she said, pointing to a simple German-made T-shirt in thick fl ank a model in a Italian cotton with pleated puff sleeves. “But you can tell its quality just look from spring. by looking at it on the hanger. And as a company, we are about traditional values. It would seem almost ungrateful to suddenly move production elsewhere, now that we are getting successful.” TALKINGMEANSTROUBLE Prices are around 1,000 euros ($1,360) for a morning coat, between 390 and 450 While it’s true that Andrea and Bianca Hartwig are admittedly quiet types, the sis- euros ($530 to $615) for trousers, 1,200 euros ($1,635) for coats and 500 to 800 euros ters behind Talkingmeanstrouble defi nitely have something to say. ($680 to $1,100) for dresses. “It’s just that we’re interested in clothes that speak for themselves,” explained cre- The palette for next summer includes a gray so pale it is almost white, a bright ative director and Esmod graduate Andrea, 27. Bianca, 29, oversees the fi nances and forget-me-not blue and a rich warm red. “These colors suit everyone — even I look logistics of the label they launched in 2005, as well as its boutique, which opened tanned next to this,” she laughed. later that year on the trendy Alte Schönhauser Strasse in Mitte. — D.M. “Our look is reduced but somehow pretty full at the same time,” continued Andrea, describing details that speak on second view, like a belt on a seemingly solid coat that’s actually a bird print, or a fairly classic trench that on closer inspec- SMEILINENER tion is really a rounded form. If you think Berlin designer style is, by defi nition, on the dark side, Smeilinener invites you to think again. Smeilinener, the creation of Mischa Woeste, is going Mischa Woeste and a into its 10th color-packed season, offer- two-piece look from ing unabashedly bright and graphic en- Smeilinener’s “A Summer sembles for the young at heart. Night’s Dream” collection. “I’ve always been into color. There’s nothing without color,” said the 28- year-old designer, who graduated from Esmod Berlin in 2001. After short stints with Berlin designer Mari Otberg and La Casita de Wendy in Madrid, Woeste registered her label — a tongue-twist- ing, nonsensical anagram of her maid- en name, Linsenmeier. Smeilinener bowed at the first Bread & Butter Berlin in 2003, where it was picked up by Fiorucci Milan. Today, the line of apparel and accessories is carried in Smeilinener’s vivid cubbyhole of a boutique in Berlin Mitte, international shops like Chez Manon in Connecticut and Purple in Milan, and via the Internet. She said the ’Net was the best direct path to her consumer, a woman she describes as “30 years and up, self- confi dent, a person who likes to stand out, is trend-free and somewhat upper end, given the cash fl ow aspect.” Handmade in Berlin, Smeilinener carries price tags of 300 to 800 euros ($400 to $1,100) for a skirt and 500 to 1,200 euros ($680 to $1,635) for a dress. For next spring, “A Summer Night’s Dream” contrasts men’s shirting and suiting fabrics with soft, cascading ruffl es in slightly psychedelic dots, and features patchwork arrangements of large-scale prints. These are echoed Designer Zerlina von in fanciful multicolor shoes and fabric dem Bussche with a look fl ower headbands. from Sisi Wasabi. — M.D. LALA BERLIN, MACQUA AND KAVIAR GUACHE PHOTOS BY MATTI HILLIG; ALL OTHERS BY MARCEL METTELSIEFEN MARCEL HILLIG; ALL OTHERS BY MATTI PHOTOS BY LALA GUACHE AND KAVIAR BERLIN, MACQUA 10 WWD, MONDAY, JULY 9, 2007

SECTION II

BERLIN PREVIEW Scene Strange Fruit Some entertaining diversions for day and night.

BUMPER CROP If there were any doubts that multilabel retailing is back in fashion in Berlin, Strange Fruit should put them to rest. The latest designer-studded arrival around tony Gendarmenmarkt, the two-level, 4,850-square-foot store for women and men, is the brainchild of Dahlia Roth. Armed with an MBA, an extended stint at Central “Untitled #96,” 1981, from the Saint Martins and the consumer drive of someone who’s been “a manic sh opper Cindy Sherman exhibition. since the age of fi ve,” the 36-year-old native (West) Berliner has created an unusual environment for exceptional clothes. “It’s not a normal space and not where you’d expect it to be,” she said. The SHE’S A DOLL concept store is nestled behind smoked glass windows on the ground fl oor and in Perhaps more than any other contemporary artist, Cindy Sherman has the basement of a modern offi ce building. created an oeuvre that attests to the profound power of clothes, hair There’s a feeling of discovery as one peruses the racks hung with representative and makeup to transform and communicate. selections from progressive and up-and-coming designers, many of them new to This major Sherman retrospective, organized by the Jeu de Paume Berlin, such as Jens Laugesen, Richard Nicoll, Anne Valérie Hash, Bernhard in Paris in cooperation with the Kunsthaus Bregenz, Denmark’s Willhelm, Jonathan Saunders, Jain Close/Marc Szwajcer, Zucca, Tsumaori Chisato Louisiana Museum of Modern Art and Martin-Gropius-Bau in Berlin, and Masagon. Accessories, jewelry and sunglasses, many by the aforementioned presents a comprehensive view of the American photographer’s work designers, as well as by Henrik Vibskov, Pauric Sweeney, Jeremy Scott, and between 1975 and 2005. As director, sole protagonist (with the exception Cutler & Gross Vintage, are artfully placed on or in the sculptural yet amorphous of the doll series) and photographer of her staged photographs — not elements that cut across the space. The whole environment, especially downstairs, to mention the person who hung and curated this and all of her own has a luxe spaceship fl air. exhibitions — Sherman is omnipresent yet never present. Her body “I wanted it to be futuristic, a bit Japanese is merely the canvas, stage or screen on which to project a vast cast of manga style,” Roth noted, but with some lush characters that cite and question cultural and social stereotypes. touches like the huge changing rooms behind The exhibition, arranged in a series starting with her fi ve earliest sumptuous curtains. “Having space to try masquerades and ending with the most recent, “Clowns,” documents things on — now that’s luxury,” she said. the increasing depth of her work. One of the few documentaries to catch the shy artist, “Cindy Sherman Transformations” is also on view, — M.D. as is her Super 8 animation “Doll Clothes,” in which she plays a dress- Markgrafenstrasse 33, 10117 Berlin Mitte; up doll that is undressed again and again by a large pair of hands. +49-30-20-61-42-51; It was shown only once before, in 1976 at the alternative gallery strangefruitberlin.com. Hallwalls she cofounded with Robert Longo and Charles Clough Open Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; during her college days in Buffalo. Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. “This is the only work I’ve ever done,” she said, “that was consciously autobiographical.” — Melissa Drier THOMAS MAYER PHOTOS BY Through Sept. 17.; Martin-Gropius-Bau Niederkirchnerstrasse 7, 10963 Berlin; +49-30-25-486-0; gropiusbau.de. Wednesday-Monday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; closed Tuesdays. Opening night at Tresor. “Untitled Film Still #3,” 1977, from the Cindy Sherman exhibition. SHERMAN IMAGE 3 COURTESY METRO PICTURES, NEW YORK; 96 BY SAMMLUNG OLBRICHT, ALL © CINDY SHERMAN ALL © CINDY OLBRICHT, SAMMLUNG 96 BY METRO PICTURES, NEW YORK; SHERMAN IMAGE 3 COURTESY WWD, MONDAY, JULY 9, 2007 11

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Photos from the A BLOW FOR FASHION Susuru Japanese Isabella An exhibition honoring restaurant. Blow the late style icon and exhibition. fashion journalist Isabella Blow, who died in May, will open in time for fashion week and run for a month. It is being organized by “JustMariOt” Berlin designer Mari Otberg. “Isabella was an amazing person, and I have such respect for her energy, talent and individuality. She was always prepared to stand out from the crowd,” explained Otberg. “But she was also a very tragic fi gure, who was trampled on by the fashion world. It was tragic that she never got to share in the success of those she had helped so much.” The exhibition will be made up of a photomontage shot in homage to Blow’s style, put together by Otberg and Argentinean photographer Mariano Scopel, one of Blow’s many protégés. Berlin store manager Marcel Hertel, one of Blow’s friends, will contribute to the show, which will include hand-embroidered artworks, drawings, portraits of Blow and examples of her work from the British paper The EAT LIGHT Sunday Times. Those expecting to come to Berlin — Damien McGuinness and fi nd beer halls swimming in pork and potatoes may be July 11-July 20; Shoe Store, Alte Schönhauser Strasse 48, disappointed; in the trendier parts Berlin Mitte, and JustMariOt Store, Gipsstrasse 9, Berlin Mitte. of the city, it may be easier to fi nd Contact: Mari Otberg, +49-30-46-60-45-14 Italian or Asian restaurants than or +49-172-39-013-42; [email protected]. traditional German ones. The Asian trend is particularly pronounced at the moment, and the new breed of Asian eateries eschews fake bamboo and gaudy surroundings for high design I’VE GOT MY EYE ON YOU Mykita’s shop and paired with simple, fresh, fl avorful Berlin eyewear maker Mykita has Ginger sunglasses. food inspired by the staple noodle made a splash worldwide with houses and canteens of Asia. Think its award-winning designs. Now of it as East Berlin meets Far East. it is showing its success in its Alongside the eternally popular hometown with its fi rst dedicated Monsieur Vuong Vietnamese shop in the heart of the city’s restaurant, newer entrants include trendy Mitte area. Susuru, a Japanese noodle house in a The shop offers the range buzzing Mitte neighborhood. Susuru’s of the maker’s eyeglasses and interiors blend minimalist seating sunglasses, including Collection with cherry blossom-imprinted walls No. 1, which features elegant, ultralight stainless and cloudlike light fi xtures for a steel frames, and Collection No. 2, which uses modern, tranquil ambience. acetate for bolder looks, as well as cutting-edge Toca Rouge, set on busy eyewear from other makers. Torstrasse, is more rock ’n’ roll, Mykita’s designs, which have been handmade in offering modern pan-Asian dishes the company’s Berlin workshop since its founding like Red Black Honey Girl — seared three years ago, have won the Red Dot and iF beef served on sweet potatoes — product design awards. and the Chicken Pimp Roll — water The shop, created by the brand’s four founders, is chestnuts, celery and chicken in a an exercise in effective design — a sleek, all-white wasabi sauce. This eatery is tiny but space fronted almost entirely with plate glass. high-impact, with a stylized drawing — Jennifer Sokolowsky of Mao as its emblem, video screens Rosa-Luxemburg-Strasse 6; +49 (30) 6730 8715; set into the front counter, a red-and- mykita.com. white color scheme and a selection of fashion and lifestyle magazines for patrons to peruse. — J.S. Monsieur Vuong; Alte Schönhauser A REAL TREASURE Strasse 46; +49 (30) 3087 2643; The Wall was down, but the mood monsieurvuong.de. was up when Tresor opened its doors amid the ruins of Berlin’s Susuru; Rosa-Luxemburg-Strasse 17; No-Man’s Land in March 1991. +49 (30) 2111 182; susuru.de. Hidden in the vault of a former department store, overshadowed Toca Rouge; Torstrasse 195; by the cranes of the rapidly +49 (30) 8471 2142. growing Potsdamer Platz, the club was Berlin’s first and most important techno venue. The ravers stubbornly resisted real estate investors pounding on the door until April 2005, when rising prices forced them out. Now Tresor is back with a vengeance — as, indeed, is the techno scene itself, thanks to nu-rave music and fashion. The new club, housed in a mammoth industrial cathedral of a space in a former power station, opened in May and throws parties Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. — D.M. Köpenicker Strasse 70; 10179 Berlin; tresorberlin.de OFFICIAL MAKE-UP EXPERT OF THE * Source: Maybelline Jade No. 1 in Germany, Maybelline New York worldwide; Maybelline New York Maybelline Jade No. 1 in Germany, * Source: value, 2006 market share trade panel/Euromonitor,

MAKE-UP MEETS FASHION

Maybelline Jade, the No. 1 brand in decorative cosmetics in Germany and worldwide*, proudly sponsors the fi rst Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Berlin in Germany. Maybelline Jade’s renowned make-up artist Boris Entrup acts as head of make-up to visualize Maybelline Jade’s looks at the event. To strengthen the link between cutting-edge fashion and make-up even more, Maybelline Jade supports promising young German designers through the fi rst “Maybelline Jade Fashion Award” for the most creative fashion designs. More information on: www.maybelline.de