▲ RETAIL: EYE: Partying Michael Kors with Elizabeth and Heidi Banks, Ginnifer Klum team Goodwin and with Saks For Julianne Moore, Fifth Avenue page 4. ▲ more, ▲ ACCESSORIES: for Key to the see Tory Burch launches Cure, page 3. WWD.com. eyewear, page 9. Women’s Wear Daily • The Retailers’ Daily Newspaper • June 15, 2009 • $3.00 WWDAccessories/Innerwear/Legwear MONDAY The Full Story For Balenciaga pre-spring, Nicolas Ghesquière saluted Cristóbal Balenciaga, the founder of the house, with sculptural silhouettes featuring plenty of volume in luxurious fabrics. Here, his little double-breasted dress with a full, swingy skirt. For more new looks, see pages 6 to 8. Counting Every Penny: Stores’ Cost-Cutting May Transform Retail By Evan Clark CONSUMERS AREN’T THE ONLY ONES cutting back. Retailers are reining in their spending — with most broadline players slashing millions from their budgets as they try to counter withering sales. Although some, such as Wal- Mart Stores Inc., continue to pump money into their businesses to grab market share, the majority are drastically slimming down within their business models. And if consumer spending doesn’t bounce back, retailers will have to make more drastic transformational changes that could further reshape the industry, said experts. Sears Holdings Corp., Macy’s Inc., Dillard’s Inc., J.C. Penney Co. Inc., Saks Inc., Nordstrom Inc., Neiman Marcus Inc. and See Cost, Page12 PHOTO BY DOMINIQUE MAITRE MAITRE DOMINIQUE BY PHOTO 2 WWD, MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2009 WWD.COM JA Apparel Turns to Licensing By Brenner Thomas get the categories into additional doors. The move marks JA’s steady shift from manu- JA Apparel CORP., THE COmpanY that facturer to brand manager. “Five years ago, you WWDAccessories/Innerwear/LegwearMONDAY owns the Joseph Abboud brands, is continu- could be a generalist, but today you no longer ing its shift from manufacturer to brand man- can,” Staff said. “Wholesale will be less of a focus. ager with the announcement of three major We’re becoming experts in brand building.” FASHION licensing deals. The deal with Ike Behar, which calls for From intricate draping to neck ruffs to playfully The initiatives are with Modextil Inc. for sports- product for fall 2009, will give the Behar fam- 6 elaborate necklaces and sparkling beads, wear, Phillips-Van Heusen Corp. for neckwear and ily a shirt range more modestly priced than its Ike Behar for dress shirts. The moves will en- eponymous line. “This new association it’s the finishing touches that count. able the company to focus on its heritage with Joseph Abboud allows us to expand GENERAL clothing business, which it manufactures our business to a broader segment,” Retailers are reining in their spending, with most domestically. said Alan Behar, president. The deal 1 “This will allow us to take a laser was orchestrated partly through John broadline players slashing millions of dollars from focus on the tailored-clothing business — WWD Fowler, the former creative director their budgets to counter soft sales. what we do best,” said JA Apparel chief Men’s for Joseph Abboud, who now consults 3 Warnaco Group is making a big push to strengthen executive officer Marty Staff. “We’ve found for Ike Behar. Calvin Klein Underwear with a major relaunch for partners who are experts in their field and Joseph Abboud neckwear, produced by fall and new product for spring. will help drive profits for the brand.” PVH, which also manufactures furnishings for ACCESSORIES: Tory Burch, who’s launching Known as a tailored-clothing brand, JA Apparel Joe Joseph Abboud, will hit stores this fall. 9 has ramped up its product offering in the last five Sportswear, made by Modextil, a privately held sunglasses with Luxottica, knows a great pair of years, producing Canadian company shades can really up the glamour quotient. denim, accessories, best known for its 10 Retail pioneer Selma Weiser, founder of Charivari, luggage and a low- contemporary brand died late Friday of congestive heart failure at the er-priced line, Joe The strength we enjoy in Report, is to launch age of 84. Joseph Abboud, via “ for holiday 2009. licenses. However, clothing, these [licensees] have in The shift is 11 The House Appropriations Committee admitted a it continued to make also prompting JA congressional mandate for scanning of all U.S.- sportswear and fur- their respective category. Frankly, Apparel to leverage bound cargo ships isn’t feasible. nishings in-house. its tailored cloth- Public Clothing’s Generra brand will open its first The brand also inked they will be able to compete in ing expertise. It has 11 freestanding store in Manhattan’s Meatpacking a number of master begun producing District after establishing itself in Japan. licenses for distribu- these areas better than we can. private-label cloth- tion in foreign mar- — Marty Staff, JA Apparel Corp.” ing and has signed EYE kets such as India contract work for The Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood got its s 4 and China. another men’s wear fair share of fashion action last week with two Evan Rachel Wood in Staff said as the economy has slowed and retail brand, which Staff declined to name. Suit licens- back-to-back industry fetes. partners demand more from vendors, JA Apparel ing deals may also be in the offing. Jean-Paul Gaultier. had to consider licensing. “The strength we enjoy The licensing partnerships are the second Classified Advertisements.................................................................................................15 in clothing, these [licensees] have in their respec- major shift in strategy for JA Apparel this year. tive category,” he said. “Frankly, they will be able Earlier this spring, the company signed a deal TO E-MAIL REPORTERS AND EDITORS AT WWD, THE ADDRESS IS to compete in these areas better than we can.” with J.C. Penney Co. Inc. that gave the retailer [email protected], USING THE INDIVIDUAL’s NAME. Furnishings and sportswear have penetrated exclusive distribution for its Joe line — a move WWD IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ADVANCE MAGAZINE PUBLISHERS INC. COPYRIGHT ©2009 only 30 percent of the doors where the brand’s that provided the brand with a strong foothold FAIRCHILD FASHION GROUP. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. clothing is sold. Staff said licenses could help in the moderate tier. VOLUME 197, NO. 123. WWD (ISSN 0149–5380) is published daily (except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, with one additional issue in January, May, October, November and December, two additional issues in March, April, June and August, and three additional issues in February and September) by Fairchild Fashion Group, which is a division of Advance Magazine Publishers Inc. PRINCIPAL OFFICE: 750 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017. Shared Services provided by Condé Nast Publications: S. I. Newhouse, Jr., Chairman; Charles H. Townsend, President/CEO; John W. Bellando, Executive Vice President/COO; Jill Bright, Executive Vice President/Human Resources. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, and at additional mailing offices. Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40644503. Auction for Filene’s Basement Drags On Canadian Goods and Services Tax Registration No. 886549096-RT0001. 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WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY IS NOT and Crown Acquisitions, a New York real RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RETURN OR LOSS OF, OR FOR DAMAGE OR ANY OTHER INJURY TO, UNSOLICITED MANUSCRIPTS, estate firm, joined forces and bid $67.7 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 million. Rival Syms Corp. and its finan- MATERIALS FOR CONSIDERATION SHOULD NOT SEND ORIGINALS, UNLESS SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED TO DO SO BY cial partner, Vornado Realty Trust, bid WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY IN WRITING. MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND OTHER MATERIALS SUBMITTED MUST BE $61.3 million. ACCOMPANIED BY A SELF-ADDRESSED STAMPED ENVELOPE. According to sources close to the pro- cess, Syms and Vornado are expected to move higher when bidding resumes, and Men’s Wearhouse and Crown Acquisitions DAILY That’s just an older are expected to do the same.