SARA LEE’S VILLAGE/6 SEASON LACKS SPRING/2 Women’s Wear Daily • The Retailers’ Daily Newspaper • May 19, 2003 Vol. 185, No. 102 $2.00 INSIDE: The WWD Business Review. WWDMONDAY Pages 9-24. Accessories/Innerwear/Legwear Rise and Shine NEW YORK — Sleek, sexy and full of shine, patent leather is the material of choice for accessories designers this fall. Shoes, bags and belts look racy in eye-popping shades with a reflective sheen. Here, a leather and patent shoe from Kenneth Cole New York and Melanie Dizon Pochette's patent bag with an 18-karat gold-plated bangle. For more, see pages 4 and 5. Heading to Marc III: Jacobs Eyes Better Sportswear Collection By Kristin Larson — even more accessible than his of Marc Jacobs. “With Marc Jacobs, NEW YORK — More Marc is on the way. Marc by Marc Jacobs collection. you can see the entire collection on Marc Jacobs wants to bring his “I want to dress the people that the West Coast and on the East hipness to the masses and is in talks shop at the Gap and people that go to Coast, and even Marc by Marc is not with various companies around the those kinds of stores in their local everywhere. I would like to have a world to produce a better-priced line towns,” said Robert Duffy, president See The Latest, Page 31 PHOTO BY DAVID TURNER; STYLED BY JULIA TOPOLSKI; FASHION ASSISTANT: MARGARET PHOTO HARLEY DAVID BY TURNER; STYLED JULIA BY TOPOLSKI; ASSISTANT: FASHION 2 Lack of Hot Items Dampens Spring WWDMONDAY Accessories/Innerwear/Legwear By Lisa Lockwood also are selling briskly, especial- faster pace than the fashion busi- ly at the junior chains. In gener- ness,” added Cohen. NEW YORK — The movie title, al, novelty items have outsold ba- David Wolfe, creative direc- GENERAL “She’s Gotta Have It,” doesn’t sics across-the-board. While tor of The Doneger Group, the FASHION: Patent leather is back, and it’s sleeker than ever. Bags, shoes and apply to consumers this spring. spring has been slow in getting buying office here, described the 4 boots are shining on in styles like roomy totes and sport boots. A lack of key “must-have” started, stores believe the action difficulties with the current Marc Jacobs wants to bring his hipness to the masses and is in talks to items or trends, temperatures has picked up this month. trends: “One of the problems is produce a better-priced line, lower priced than even Marc by Marc Jacobs. below normal, job insecurity, high “If there were more must- the two big newsy and exciting 1 WWD, MONDAY, MAY 19, 2003 WWD, MONDAY, unemployment and worries over haves, it would be a better sea- things this season are the IT Holding is restructuring its stable of Italian brands under a newly the war in Iraq have all taken son, but color and prints are miniskirt, which is impossible 2 relocated head of its U.S. operations, who has ambitious retail plans. their toll on the spring season. selling,” said Kal Ruttenstein, for some women to wear — some A lack of key “must-have” items or trends, chilly temperatures, job As reported, April’s same-store senior vice president and fash- women are passing on it who insecurity, high unemployment and war worries all took a toll on spring retail. sales were disappointing at retail- ion director at Bloomingdale’s. might have bought it in 1966 — 2 ers such as Saks Inc., Federated, “It’s totally true. There wasn’t a and the other big story is prints, EYE: It was a zoo, literally, Wednesday night at the New York City Ballet’s J.C. Penney Co., The May Depart- must-have item. I saw it at holiday although they’re so subjective. 3 spring gala, presenting “Carnival of the Animals,” plus a tuneful scoop. ment Stores Co. and Wet Seal, and again in the spring. When I And some people think they Special Report: The WWD Business Review runs on pages 9-24. while stores such as Target, Hot walked into the stores this spring, make them look fat.” Topic, Pacific Sunwear, Express I saw the peasant blouse all over Still, he noted that when Classified Advertisements ..................................................................30-31 and Chico’s had sales increases. again,” said Marshal Cohen, co- something new happens in print To e-mail reporters and editors at WWD, the address is Despite what seems to be a president of NPDFashionworld, or color, retailers generally [email protected], using the individual's name. dearth of hot spring trends, sev- the Port Washington, N.Y.-based focus on the top. “Prints are an eral high-end retailers said their market research firm. impulse buy and it’s very good SUBSCRIPTION RATES U.S. and possessions, Retailer, daily one year, $99; Manufacturer, daily one year, $135. fashion customers are gravitat- “It’s scary when jeans are still for the business,” he said. All others U.S., daily one year $195. Canada/Mexico, daily one year, $295. All other foreign (Air Speed), daily one year $595. ing toward color and prints that the hot story for the past two Years ago, big trends defined Please allow 6-8 weeks for service to start. Individual subscription information/Single Copy Sales : (800) 289-0273; outside U.S. (818) 487-4526; new group subscription information 212-630-4196 they haven’t had in their years. The car industry, which a season, but now it’s not so sim- Postmaster: Send address changes to WWD, P.O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA 91615-5008. wardrobes for several seasons, changes its models every two- ple, said Wolfe. WWD (ISSN #0149-5380) is published daily except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, with one additional issue every month except July, and two additional issues in April and August, by Fairchild Publications, Inc. as well as miniskirts. Cargo pants and-a-half years, is turning at a Continued on page 26 a subsidiary of Advance Publications Inc., 7 West 34th Street, New York, NY 10001-8191. WWD is a registered trademark of Fairchild Publications Inc.© 2003 by Fairchild Publications Inc., a subsidiary of Advance Publications Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in writing by the copyright owner. Editorial Reprints: (212) 221-9595 Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and other offices. Mailed under Publications Mail Sales Agreement No. 517054. Canada Post Returns to: P.O.Box 1632, Windsor, ON N9A 7C9 GST # 88654-9096-RM 0001 Canada Publications Agreement # 40032712 Calvin Klein Feted as Design Giant Printed in the U.S.A. All signed articles published in the paper represent solely the individual opinion of the writer and not those of WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY. NEW YORK — Everybody loves Calvin at Looking tanned and slim, For Web site access, log on and subscribe to www.WWD.com. a comeback story. Cipriani. Klein smoothly quipped, “I’m al- That was the case last Thurs- ways happy to pick up an award. day at the Chrysler Giants of I’m pleased it’s for House Beau- MONDAY: The AAFA American Image Awards benefit Design 2003 fete presented by tiful, in particular, and thankful dinner, New York. House Beautiful at Cipriani — to be here and to accept.” Nordstrom and Limited Brands report first-quarter where Calvin Klein made his Fellow partygoers lauded earnings. first foray into the social scene his attendance at the event and Polo Ralph Lauren Corp. reports on earnings for the since acknowledging in early his brief acceptance speech fourth quarter and year. April that he was seeking treat- met with resounding applause. ment for substance abuse. The Klein spoke of the longevity of TUESDAY: Perry Ellis International executives cele- designer was being honored as a home design versus fashion’s brate the firm’s 10th anniversary by ringing the open- tastemaker along with other dec- shorter life span and how that ing bell at the New York Stock Exchange. orative luminaries such as gar- appeals to him. First-quarter earnings from Saks Inc. and Ross Stores. den designer Frank Cabot, archi- Revelers at the event includ- Zero Tolerance Spring Benefit, New York. tect Sir Norman Foster, interior ed Carolyne Roehm, Mario designer Dan Carithers and fab- Buatta and Cathleen Black, WEDNESDAY: First-quarter earnings from Phillips-Van ric entrepreneur Adriana Scala- president of Hearst Magazines Heusen and Talbots. mandre Bitter — not to mention Division. Target for its “creative retailing.” SMITH KEITH BY PHOTO — Anamaria Wilson THURSDAY: First-quarter earnings from Gap Inc. and Charming Shoppes. Liz Claiborne Inc. annual meeting, Secaucus, N.J. COMING THISFRIDAY: WEEK May Department Stores annual meeting, IT Holding Unveils Retail Plan Greensboro, N.C. By Eric Wilson that brand operations are now although the collection will now under the control of Enrico Di be sold directly by D&G through NEW YORK — IT Holding is re- Muccio, chief executive officer of its showrooms, while IT will pro- In Brief structuring its stable of Italian IT Holding USA, a 13-year veter- duce the line. The license was re- brands under a newly relocated an of the Italian conglomerate newed last year with the altered G MOVING UP: Hearst Magazines has promoted John Hartig, the commander of its U.S. opera- who recently relocated to New relationship following reports executive hired last winter to develop new magazines, to senior tions, who has ambitious retail York.