LYON PREVIEW/17-24 FRANCE’S RETAIL WOES/34 WWDWomen’s Wear Daily • The Retailers’MONDAY Daily Newspaper • August 1, 2005 • $2.00 Accessories/Innerwear/Legwear Green Days NEW YORK — Holiday promises to be bright and cozy at the Gap this year. “It’s all about gift giving and layers of color,” said Pina Ferlisi, Gap’s executive vice president of design and product, who showed the brand’s holiday collection on Thursday evening, along with those of Banana Republic and Old Navy. Here, Gap’s lambswool sweater; cotton T; cotton and spandex pants; faux-shearling bag, and wool scarf. For more holiday looks from the three lines, see pages 6 and 7.
Fixing Wal-Mart Apparel: Retail Giant’s Trend Team Searches for Elusive Mix By Katherine Bowers BOSTON — When Wal-Mart opened its first trend office in Manhattan’s Garment District almost two years ago, Lisa Waltuch got rare permission from the company to customize the space. The new trend director, with the help of a designer friend, switched the retailer’s standard grayish paint to a warm white, painted bulletin boards and shelves a zingy orange, and hit furniture chain Design Within Reach for a few Philippe Starck stools and a planter for the conference room. They even found a hip way to display company founder Sam See Wal-Mart, Page32 PHOTO BY TALAYA CENTENO TALAYA PHOTO BY 2 WWD, MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2005 WWD.COM U.S. Mulls China Trade Limits By John Zarocostas with China and only about 15 chief Supachai Panitchpakdi WWDMONDAY percent of our textile trade said the talks “need to shift Accessories/Innerwear/Legwear GENEVA — U.S. Trade Repre- with China…a very healthy and gears.” sentative Rob Portman said robust trading relationship,” Meanwhile, Rep. Robin GENERAL here Friday that the Bush ad- with a trade deficit approach- Hayes, a Republican textile Wal-Mart’s first trend office in Manhattan’s Garment District, opened ministration is considering ing $200 billion a year. state lawmaker from North 1 almost two years ago, is indicative of its desire to change its fashion image. whether it will enter into for- The U.S. trade deficit with Carolina who cast a deciding mal negotiations with China on China reached a record $162 vote for the controversial USTR Rob Portman said in Geneva that the U.S. is still considering whether a broad pact to restrain growth billion last year. Central American Free Trade 2 to negotiate with China on a broad pact to restrain import growth. in imports similar to the one Portman said the surges in Agreement under pressure FASHION: Gap Inc. is offering variety for the holiday fashion themes at its reached in June between the imports from China in percent- from the White House, is now 6 trio of stores — Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic. European Union and China. age terms have been “even pushing the Bush administra- ACCESSORIES: Inspired by the fervor for Japanese anime culture, The China-EU accord set higher” than those experi- tion for a comprehensive LeSportsac has introduced a new line called Tokidoki for LeSportsac. limited growth in Chinese tex- enced by the EU. He recalled agreement to restrict Chinese 8 tiles and apparel exports in 10 that the U.S. has had increases textile and apparel imports Movado Group Inc. is jump-starting its ESQ business for fall with a newly sensitive categories to be- of as much as 1,500 percent in through 2008. 15 designed assortment filled with luxury touches such as diamonds. tween 8 and 12.5 percent annu- certain categories. “…The agreement must INNERWEAR: The next edition of the Lyon, Mode City fair, set for Sept. 3-5, ally until the end of 2007. A 7.5 With regard to the troubled cover products where China 17 promises to be jam-packed with new lines, trends information and events. percent annual growth cap is Doha talks, Portman said a suc- safeguard decisions are pend- permitted under the World cessful round “is extremely im- ing or have been accepted in With the closing of the landmark La Samaritaine store, French retailers are Trade Organization special portant not just for the United the past, but more importantly, 34 weathering a turbulent season compounded by a troubled economy. China textile safeguards. The States, but again, for the global where China is having a dis- safeguard stipulation runs economy and particularly for ruptive impact on our domestic through 2008. the developing world.” market,” Hayes said in a letter EYE The gentrification of the East Village continues with the building of Greg Asked whether the U.S. The discussions are aimed to Portman. “It is also impera- Peck’s Cooper Square hotel…Ballerina, you must have seen her. would seek a pact allowing im- at lowering barriers to the in- tive that our domestic textile 4 ports to exceed the 7.5 percent ternational flow of goods — in- industry maintain the ability to restriction, Portman said: cluding textiles, apparel, file safeguard cases if Chinese Classified Advertisements ...... 37-39 “We’re still discussing that in- footwear and services — worth surges begin in specific textile To e-mail reporters and editors at WWD, the address is ternally, whether we would almost $11 trillion a year. and apparel products that are [email protected], using the individual’s name. enter into formal negotiations, With a crucial trade summit not covered by the agreement.” WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF FAIRCHILD PUBLICATIONS, INC. COPYRIGHT ©2005 as the EU did, to attempt to slated to be held in December Hayes, who capitulated to FAIRCHILD PUBLICATIONS, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. achieve that number, whatever to advance the round, Portman pressure from Republican VOLUME 190, NO. 22 WWD (ISSN # 0149-5380) is published daily except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, with one additional issue in June, July and November, two additional issues in April, May, August and December, and three additional issues in it might be. The time period, of said, “We don’t have the time leaders based on assurances to February, March, September and October by Fairchild Publications, Inc., a subsidiary of Advance Publications, Inc. PRINCIPAL course, is another important and the luxury of time to be help the textile industry he OFFICE: 7 West 34th Street, New York, NY 10001. Shared Services provided by Advance Magazine Publishers Inc.: S.I. Newhouse, Jr., variable, and we just have not able to sit back.” said he received, changed his Chairman; Steven T. Florio, Vice Chairman; Charles H. Townsend, C.O.O.; John W. Bellando, Executive Vice-President and C.F.O.; Jill Bright, Executive Vice-President_Human Resources; John Buese, Executive Vice-President_ Chief Information Officer; David Orlin, Senior made those decisions yet.” Major differences over farm vote on CAFTA at the last Vice-President_Strategic Sourcing; Robert Bennis, Senior Vice-President_Real Estate; David B. Chemidlin, Senior Vice-President_General Portman, who was in Geneva trade issues between the U.S. minute Thursday, which Manager, Advance Magazine Group Shared Services Center. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and at additional mailing offices. to take stock of the stalled glob- and the EU, and also between pushed the trade accord over Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40032712. Canadian Goods and Services Tax Registration No. 88654-9096-RM0001. Canada post return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: DPGM, 7496 Bath Road, Unit 2, Mississauga, ON L4T 1L2. POSTMASTER: al trade talks and give some the transatlantic powers and the finish line on a narrow 217- SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO WWD, P.O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA 91615-5008. FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS, ADDRESS momentum from the U.S. side, major developing nations, such 215 vote. CHANGES, ADJUSTMENTS, OR BACK ISSUE INQUIRIES: Please write to WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY, P.O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA 91615-5008; Call 800-289-0273; or visit www.subnow.com/wd . Four weeks is required for change of address. said the administration is con- as India and Brazil, have Besides the existing 7.5 per- Please give both new and old address as printed on most recent label. First copy of new subscription will be mailed within four tinuing to talk with the Chinese bogged down the talks. Amina cent growth cap on Chinese weeks after receipt of order. Address all editorial, business, and production correspondence to WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY, 7 West on the future of the textile safe- Mohamad, the ambassador textiles and apparel imports to 34th Street, New York, NY 10001. For permissions and reprint requests, please call 212-221-9595 or fax requests to 212-221- 9195. Visit us online: www.wwd.com. To subscribe to other Fairchild magazines on the World Wide Web, visit guards. The Bush administra- from Kenya to the WTO and the U.S., American trade offi- www.fairchildpub.com. Occasionally, we make our subscriber list available to carefully screened companies that offer products tion has already had two chairwoman of the trade body’s cials are currently reviewing and services that we believe would interest our readers. If you do not want to receive these offers and/or information by mail and/or e-mail, please advise us at P.O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA 91615-5008 or call 800-289-0273. rounds of consultations with ruling General Council, said safeguard quota requests from WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR LOSS, DAMAGE, OR ANY OTHER INJURY TO UNSOLICITED China, Portman noted. the negotiations suffered from the domestic industry on an- MANUSCRIPTS, UNSOLICITED ART WORK (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DRAWINGS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND He said the safeguards “inadequate political will….We other $944 million in Chinese TRANSPARENCIES), OR ANY OTHER UNSOLICITED MATERIALS. THOSE SUBMITTING MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, ART WORK, OR OTHER MATERIALS FOR CONSIDERATION SHOULD NOT SEND ORIGINALS, UNLESS SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED taken together, and the poten- need leadership…We are in imports and a few decisions TO DO SO BY WWD IN WRITING. MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND OTHER MATERIALS SUBMITTED MUST BE tial safeguards being reviewed trouble, and there’s no point in are expected today. ACCOMPANIED BY A SELF-ADDRESSED OVERNIGHT-DELIVERY RETURN ENVELOPE, POSTAGE PREPAID. or under petition, “amount to hiding that.” — with contributions from about 1.5 percent of total trade Similarly, the departing WTO Kristi Ellis, Washington MONDAY: Accessories and Intimate Apparel Market Weeks, New York (through Friday). New York Spring Apparel Market (through Aug. 12). D&A Annex, New York (through Wednesday).
ONE POINT. MANY RESOURCES. TUESDAY: Accessories Circuit, Intermezzo Collections, Printsource New York and Direction, New York (through Thursday). Coach Inc. reports fourth-quarter and year-end sales and earnings. Consultants to the Steve Madden Inc. reports second- quarter sales Jewelry & Watch and earnings. Industry WEDNESDAY: CVS Corp. and KarstadtQuelle report second-quarter sales and earnings. Gildan Activewear and Haggar Corp. report third- quarter sales and earnings.
THURSDAY: Major U.S. retailers report same-store sales for July. Iconix Brand Group reports second-quarter sales Mergers & Executive and earnings. Acquisitions Recruitment Sara Lee Corp. reports fourth-quarter and year-end sales and earnings.
COMING THISFRIDAY: WEEK The U.S. Labor Department issues the July employment report. Connection to Valuable Resources SATURDAY: Designers at the Essex House, New York (through Aug. 9). Correction 350 Fifth Ave. P (646) 473-1640 These images for Jockey F (646) 473-1643 Suite 5614 (left) and Victoria’s Secret New York, NY 10118 www.kaisertime.com were transposed on pages 13 and 16 in the WWD100, pub- lished July 27.
4 WWD, MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2005 WWD.COM
Greg Peck An Empire waistline can hide a multitude of sins, from rounder Pecking Order tummies to wider hips. Though its power of disguise is beside the point on NEW YORK — And so the gentrification of these beauties, they still exemplify the East Village continues. The newest plan what’s best about this silhouette: for what was once considered Manhattan’s namely, a long, fluid line and full eye® seedier side is a new luxury property from cleavage. A major trend on the fall hotelier Greg Peck, who opened the posh runways, the Empire look already has Crescent Beverly Hills in Los Angeles two years ago. proven a hit among early adopters as an The hotel, Cooper Square, will be located where Third ideal solution to adapting this and Fourth Avenues merge and across the street from the IT OUT summer’s bohemian look to evening offices of that downtown institution, The Village Voice. The affairs, from a white goddess gown to a vacant residential building that sits there now will be torn tropical hued frock. It works equally down, Peck said, and construction crews will start well for more casual affairs as a flirty, rebuilding in December for a February 2007 completion. feminine top paired with jeans. And Although that’s almost two years away, Peck already has a who can blame these on-trend ladies? pretty concrete, if not lofty, vision for his latest project. It gives flat chests a boost, and allows
“We’re thinking of it as the downtown Four Seasons,” he UST those more well-endowed to flaunt what said, sitting in the lobby of the actual Four Seasons hotel they’ve got — even if it’s only for nine on 57th Street. “It’ll be a combination of modern sensibility months of pregnancy. B and design with old-world service.” Hospitality is a critical issue for Peck (who is not named after the late actor: “My parents knew what they were doing, they just didn’t care”). It’s something that he thinks is missing from the type of designer hotels made popular by Ian Schrager and Andre Balazs, two of his old bosses. Audrey Lindvall “[Those hotels] are glamorous and fun and people enjoy inin J.J. Mendel.Mendel. themselves,” he said diplomatically. “But people still want to be pampered, they still want people to know their names.” To ensure his new property will exude the level of service he’s looking for, Peck is putting a new twist on check-in. Rather than work from computers behind a tall counter, the staff will sit with visitors in a reception area where they will sip coffee, tea, wine or champagne and inform the guests about the hotel, while staff in a back room will register their information and prepare a room key. Attentive service like this doesn’t come cheap, however. Rooms will start at $350 a night. Still, Peck is not concerned with pricing the hotel out of the neighborhood — consider the success of the superexclusive celeb-hideaway Mercer Hotel a few blocks away. Cooper Square will have a destination restaurant, he said, and “fantastic views,” since, at 18 stories, it will be the tallest building in the area. The interior will be designed by Antonio Citterio, who also worked on the Hotel Bulgari in Milan and the De Beers store in London. Carlos Lupita is the architect. “I want it to be iconic,” Peck said of the hotel. When people refer to it by name, he added, he wants them to immediately envision its exterior. But Peck doesn’t intend to limit himself by shooting for iconic. He plans to build hotels throughout the country through his company, LoungeSleep Hotels. He’s looking at Chicago, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Dallas — what he refers to as “underserved urban cities.” Each LoungeSleep Hotels property will reflect its home city’s unique history and personality. Over the next five years, Peck aims to add three more hotels to his roster. His focus now, however, is on bringing attention and a new upscale clientele to Cooper Shoshanna Fabiola Square. “Most cab drivers don’t even know where it is,” he said, “so we’ll put it on the map.” Julia Koch in Gruss in Beracasa in — Emily Holt J. Mendel. Shoshanna top. BCBG top.
White Nights Festival here. If you think holding your own in a film Uliana Lopatkina’s style is with Bill Murray is tough, try standing Lopatkina Dream Dancer powerful, provocative and out at the star-studded party at graceful, conveying an Cabana after the premiere. Actress ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — Uliana Lopatkina, impression of Pell James succeeded on both counts Russia’s square-jawed prima ballerina, pulls on a effortlessness and as she glided from the “Broken pink sweatshirt, smoothes down her sequined blue supreme control. Her Flowers” screening last Wednesday tutu and scans her rose-clogged dressing room. She movements, nuanced and night to the Martime Hotel with plops into a chair, unfurls her mile-long legs, and sexually charged, make it nary a hair out of place despite sighs, “I’m exhausted.” nearly impossible to tear the rain. Though she plays a It’s past midnight backstage at the Mariinsky your eyes from her body. rural flower-shop girl in the Jim Theater here and the lithe dancer — her face caked Through a translator, Jarmusch film, James was the with makeup, her hazel eyes intense and her fine she explains that she picture of urban sophistication red hair pulled tight into a bun — has just finished joined the Mariinsky, in a figure-hugging, midnight a series of television interviews after a rapturous known as the Kirov in the blue wool Roland Mouret dress, gala performance in front of a sold-out crowd. Soviet era, in 1991. Four metallic pumps and Diane von In Russia, where dance is serious stuff, Lopatkina, years later, she was elevated to prima, earning Furstenberg by H. Stern gold, 31, is a national legend, arguably the greatest and acclaim for her performances in ballets such as rock crystal and diamond ear- most popular ballerina in her country today. Critics “Swan Lake” and “Giselle.” rings. As Jarmusch and co-stars often say she has tapped into the national soul. She arrived on the scene as part of a crop of tall Murray, Jessica Lange, Jeffrey On this evening, she danced several of her Russian ballerinas — including Anastasia Wright, Heather Alicia Simms signature roles: the grand pas from “Paquita,” “In the Volochkova, the Bolshoi prima who was dismissed and Mark Webber mingled with Night,” and the Adagio from George Balanchine’s for being too big. guests such as Rufus choreography of Bizet’s “Symphony in C.” “I’ve dreamed of doing Juliet,” she said. “But I Wainwright, Sofia Coppola, She was a triumph — rewarded by a 15-minute wasn’t ready. Now I am and I’m going to do it for Sarah Paulson, Vivienne Tam, standing ovation. Tickets were sold out for months, the first time next season.” Taye Diggs, Ethan making the dancer the hot ticket of the acclaimed — Robert Murphy Hawke, Zoe Saldana, John Cameron DONNA’S BIG EVENTS: So much for a laid-back week at the end of July. Donna Karan Chic Mitchell, underwrote and was co-host, along with In Style magazine, of Super Saturday 8, the giant of the David and EYE SCOOP charity sample sale at Nova’s Ark Project in Water Mill, N.Y. The annual shopfest raised a Sybil Yurman record $2 million for the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. About 2,500 paid $400 apiece and Ingrid to forage through 215 booths selling designer clothes, accessories, home goods and beauty products for women, men and Sischy and kids. Although prices ranged from $10 keychains to half-price Dyson vacuum cleaners to furs, stacks of bags and furniture Week Sandy Brandt running into the thousands, shoppers went wild for the freebie at the end. Goody bags — 2,300 of them — weighed about (David Yurman five pounds each and held such lovely parting gifts as cookbooks, CD’s and yet-to-be-released skin cream. Pell James and Interview Magazine But Super Saturday followed Super Tuesday, at least for Karan and her family. On July 26, her daughter, Gabby Karan de cosponsored the event), James hung out Felice, gave birth to 7-pound, 14-ounce Sebastiano at Lennox Hill Hospital in Manhattan. It is de Felice’s second child with in a corner nook with friends. She soon husband Gianpaolo de Felice. Big sister Stefania is two. By the weekend, the whole clan was out relaxing in East Hampton, emerged, however, to make the requi- and Stefania attended Super Saturday with her grandma. The pair sat to design their own mini handbag, Stefania got a few site rounds. Dark corners, after all, are tattoos and both enjoyed the rides. no place for a budding starlet. PECK PHOTO BY THOMAS IANNACCONE; JAMES AND EMPIRE BY STEVE EICHNER; LOPATKINA BY STEPHANE FEUGERE BY STEVE EICHNER; LOPATKINA THOMAS IANNACCONE; JAMES AND EMPIRE BY PECK PHOTO BY
6 WWD, MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2005
Old Navy Gap
Glad Tidings NEW YORK — The holidays mean different things to different people. The folks at Gap Inc. realize this and are offering three distinct visions of the season for its trio of labels, which they presented on Thursday. Gap went for color — and lots of it — with a rainbow of jackets, sweaters, hats, scarves and gloves. But color can’t banish winter’s bone-chilling winds, so the brand also included a faux fur-trimmed vest and creamy fishermen-style sweaters. Old Navy, meanwhile, launched its special- edition denim collection, featuring distressing and patchwork appliqués. It also provided an eclectic mix of brocade, satin and tweed. Finally, Banana Republic went for the classic Ali MacGraw-cum- English-country-girl look, first shown on its runway in April. Styles included chunky, luxurious knits, coats and skirts in men’s wear fabrics and a little something to wear out at night: a short black tulle dress. PHOTOS BY TALAYA CENTENO TALAYA PHOTOS BY WWD, MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2005 7 WWD.COM
Gap Old Navy Banana Republic
Banana Republic Old Navy 8 WWD, MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2005 WWD.COM Accessories Report LeSportsac: Another Nod Toward Pop Culture By Sophia Chabbott a prickly cactus costume, and Latte, an animated carton of milk. All the characters exemplify Tokidoki, which means “some- NEW YORK — Inspired by the fervor for Japanese anime culture and the related mar- times” in Japanese. They explore dichotomies, such as cute ket for collecting the art of “cute,” including toy figurines, LeSportsac has introduced and provocative or cute and scary, which is a reoccurring a new collection, called Tokidoki for LeSportsac. theme in the anime genre. The 31-year-old LeSportsac is known for its prints, and it has collaborated in the Prices range from $25 wholesale for the Caramellina cosmet- past on developing art with designers including Jonathan Adler and Diane von ics case with green metallic ball chain detail to $85 for the Luna Furstenberg. Its most recent partnership was with Gwen Stefani on L.A.M.B. for bag. Other standouts include the company’s updated belt bag, LeSportsac handbags. with a mesh pocket detail, and the large Tokidoki print weekender. The new collection, consisting of 20 handbag shapes made in ripstop nylon, is a The bags hit company boutiques and department stores in collaboration with Toy2R, a toy retailer, wholesaler and manufacturer of designer February, while the plan to preview two styles in December at stores toys, and Italian artist Simone Legno and his partners, Ivan and Pooneh Mohajer is still to be determined. Arnold, founders of the new anime-inspired brand Tokidoki. The line is a crucial move for the company, whose The bags are lightweight and are oriented toward utility, with multiple pockets. L.A.M.B. business reeled in an estimated $35 million. They are available in either black with rain- Industry sources said the Tokidoki line would do $10 mil- bow zipper details or the colorful Tokidoki lion in its first year at retail. print, featuring an eclectic cast of car- A bag from the “This is really the next step for LeSportsac,” said James toon characters, designed by Legno, a Tokidoki for B. Bunn, executive vice president of the company. “We Japanophile. A two-inch “Qee” fig- LeSportsac collection reached out to the world of ‘happy.’ Our teaming up with urine key chain comes with either and a “Qee” key chain. two other hot international brands, Toy2R and Tokidoki, color scheme. makes us confident that our new line has the capability to The characters include surpass our L.A.M.B. for LeSportsac brand.” Cactus Girl, a wide-eyed The company will support the launch with a global little girl wrapped within print and outdoor advertising campaign. It also is de- veloping a TV commercial to be aired in select Asian markets. This line follows other recent fashion successes incorporating Japanese culture, such as Louis Vuitton’s 2002 collaboration with artist Takashi Murakami for brightly colored logo bags and Miuccia Prada’s “trick robot” key chain trend from last fall, which spawned many knockoffs. “It’s more than just collecting toys,” said Jay Bell, sen- ior men’s designer buyer at Barneys New York. “It’s an ex- cuse to throw caution to the wind and be frivolous again.” Barneys collaborated in May with Kidrobot, a popular toy manufacturer and retailer based in New York, to create the Skull Head doll that will be sold exclusively in the store. Five men’s wear designers, including Marc Jacobs and Jil Sander, dressed the 12-inch vinyl figure. It sells for $295.95. “Themes of Japanese animation are now relevant to the Western world,” said Paul Budnitz, president of Kidrobot Inc. “Alienation, ro- bots and the end of the world are all on our minds.” Even FAO Schwarz sells the figurines. Kim Richmond, executive vice president of marketing, said, “It’s the evolution of kids with their video games. It’s fantastical, but not wholly pure.”
Wholesale prices for all hats will range from $10 to $20, Talucci said. The Sak plans to follow the first spring The Sak BranchesOut shipment with a big push for cold-weather busi- ness. The company intends to market the By Jennifer Hirshlag looks to better department stores, such as Dillard’s, Nordstrom, Saks Inc. and NEW YORK — The Sak customers in spring will be seeing the brand’s signa- Marshall Field’s. ture Tightweave and other innovative crocheted textiles take on new forms. “We think it’s an interesting space,” The San Francisco-based handbag company has added hats to its said Talucci. “There aren’t a lot of strong assortment. brands in the hat business. Vendors and re- “Our consumers have been asking for [hats] for years,” said Mark tailers haven’t yet figured out a way to de- Talucci, chief executive officer of The Sak. “The real reason is that velop the business, yet the consumers are there’s a lot of synergy in our products between our handbags and out there asking for more hats. We hope to hats. The materials translate into hats.” bring excitement to the category.” Talucci said the 16-year-old company dabbled in making hats in the past. However, it always turned to its own handbag suppli- ers to produce the looks. Now, The Sak has made a more com- plete commitment to the product by seeking out the help of a de- velopment firm that works with hat factories overseas. The first collection is anticipated to hit stores in January and will comprise about a half-dozen groups with a variety of inspirations, from trendy to classic. One group, for example, took its cue from the re- cent turn toward bohemian looks and includes floppy silhouettes, with finishing details like whipstitching, in a neutral color palette. Another group incorporates macraméd flow- ers in bright oranges, yellows and blues against a black background for a vintage-inspired sensibility. A third group looks to flapper styles of the Twenties and features clus- ters of crocheted flower appliqués as finishing touches. There are also classic styles like fedoras in sporty brights that are fin- ished with a grosgrain ribbon belt at the brim. “We wanted the styles to be attainable and reflect the na- ture of our customer,” Talucci said. “She’s relaxed and casual, but A selection of hats from The Sak. she still cares about fashion and she’s contemporary and hip with a California edge.”
10 WWD, MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2005
Accessories Rodkin Tunes Into Growth By Rose Apodaca
LOS ANGELES — When Loree Rodkin recalls the nights years ago that she spent with Salvador Dali, the chunky rings wrapped around the icon of sur- realist art’s fingers instantly come to mind. “I was 19 and Dali would invite me for dinner every Sunday,” Rodkin said. “I don’t know what my function was there, except for being the ‘cute hick.’ He would show up a half-hour late, stamp his elaborate cane and then rearrange the seating of the guests. But he exposed me to a lot: my first bar in Paris, my first drag bar in Rome.” Rodkin, who has cultivated a devoted following for her edgy fine jewelry among the famous and just plain rich — from best gal pal Cher and red-carpet regulars such as Halle Berry and Mary J. Blige to mem- bers of the Saudi and British Royal families — has been zigzagging to new experiences ever since. Rodkin is designer and owner of an Los Angeles-based specialty busi- ness taking in $30 million in the U.S. Now she is entering another chap- ter in her life, expanding beyond jewelry to eyewear, handbags and other new categories, including a cashmere collection of sweaters, robes and blan- kets, woven with her signature emblems, crosses and skulls. “I’m waiting for the first samples to arrive any day now,” she said about Loree the line, slated for a late fall delivery. Rodkin Also in the works are Loree Rodkin cosmetics for Japan. She already sells her earrings perfume there and to select American retailers, along with scented candles. and purse. “Negotiations are under way with two giants there,” she said. “But it proba- bly won’t be ready for two more years.” It’s all part of Rodkin’s grand plan to create a lifestyle empire. Well, maybe not “plan.” She cringes at the word. “I don’t have a five-year plan or a five-minute plan,” said Rodkin. “It’s where the day takes me.” These days, it’s a constant schedule of travel, for work and play. The morning following this interview she’s off to Greece and two weeks on two yachts belonging to clients with whom she’s become friends. In May, travel took her to Milan for the launch of her premium sun- glasses, licensed in partnership with Sama Eyewear. The launch party took place at La Banque nightclub and gathered together several models resembling the long-haired brunette in Rodkin’s jewelry ads, who hap- pens to echo a younger Rodkin. The models circulated topless among guests, who included Italian celebrities and socialites. Taking cues from her jewelry, the new frames are embellished with sterling piecework and Swarovski crystals, and will retail at between $200 and $1,000. The 16 styles — some named after Rodkin’s friends, such as Sir Elton John, Tommy Lee and Gwen Stefani — arrive in stores in the U.S. and Europe in September. They also will bow then at Vision Expo West in Las Vegas. In October, Rodkin and Sama’s Sheila Vance are eyeing Paris for a debut of the As fully stamped as her passport is, Rodkin adds Russia to it for the first time this “couture” line of frames, made of platinum or white gold and diamonds and priced fall when retailer Podium introduces her to Moscow in 11 of its doors. between $8,000 and $20,000 a pair. “I made it really difficult,” she recalled of her request to the owners that they meet her “Loree’s glasses are not just another eyewear brand,” said Vance, adding that it is at one of her accounts, Hirshleifer’s in Manhasset, N.Y. “But they came, bought $1 million difficult to predict first-year sales because Rodkin and her exclusive product are new worth of jewelry and prepaid for it. They’re incredibly charming.” to the eyewear market. “She has fun with diamonds and fine metals. We plan on being Rodkin has collected her share of charming and difficult characters over the years. in the highest category of boutiques in 35 countries.” She left her native Chicago for film school in New York. By her early 20s, she was liv- Japan is a given on that list, considering Rodkin’s presence there. ing in Malibu, Calif., with a rising rock musician, Don Henley of the Eagles. When that Aside from her 3,000-square-foot Gothic retail temple in Ginza, there are 12 signa- relationship faded and she found a place of her own, an admirer of her decorating tal- ture in-store shops in department stores that combined are anticipated to bring in $40 ents hired Rodkin to do the interiors of several of his properties. Word spread, and she million this year. There are also 42 Love & Hate shops showcasing the sterling silver did the homes of Rod Stewart and Elton John lyricist Bernie Taupin. and precious gems bridge line that have annual sales of $20 million. In addition, last She has made wedding bands for actor Anthony Edwards and for Robert Downey Jr.’s year, she and her Japanese licensing and distribution partners, Timeless Inc., opened nuptials to Deborah Falconer in 1991. She met Edwards and Downey during a decade- 10 stores called Libra, targeting a younger consumer with a semiprecious and silver long stint as a talent agent following her work in interiors. It began in 1979, when she met collection. First-year sales of Libra are anticipated at $8 million. the late ballet great Alexander Godunov, who convinced her to represent him. Within Of her frequent visits to Japan, Timeless’ Susumu Tsuchiya once noted to WWD that three years, her growing roster counted John Malkovich, Judd Nelson and fellow Chicago Rodkin is treated “like a rock star” there. It’s not surprising, as she often dresses the pals Virginia and Michael Madsen. part in black leather. By the late Eighties, Rodkin found respite in a new hobby, jewelry-making. When Downey Her new line of edgy bags reflect this sensibility. The bags cost from $1,500 to fired her in 1988, she decided it was time to switch gears. $10,000, and each is cut from ostrich, stingray, python or some other exotic skin. Rodkin “What’s always been interesting to me is the creative part,” Rodkin said. likes to carry a white crocodile tote, sporting a long tail. She still occasionally designs interiors and furniture, including for friends such as “I did this line out of pure greed because I wanted bags like this for myself,” she said. Stewart and Cher, and is talking about adding bedding to her expanding offerings. Rodkin often says she designs only for herself and she’s usually draped in plenty of Despite the size of the business, Rodkin doesn’t have a sales representative, instead her boldest pieces, including a seven-karat horn dangling from her neck and an eight- dealing directly with her accounts, which include Maxfield in Los Angeles, Theodore karat bondage ring joining two of her fingers. in Beverly Hills and Stanley Korshak in Dallas, in addition to Hirshleifer’s. Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler sucked a diamond skull ring right off her finger once. “He insisted on not returning it since it had been in his mouth,” she said. Loree Mary J. Blige in The rocker is a friend and fan of Rodkin’s, owning some 50 pieces. Six months ago, Rodkin and Loree Rodkin she made him a chain-mail belt, sprinkled with diamonds and diamond charms, Virginia jewelry. including ones in the shape of a gun, microphone, daggers and the band’s logo. The Madsen price tag was $50,000. “He likes to joke that he walks around naked in nothing but the belt,” she said.
Loree Rodkin sunglasses. BAG PHOTO BY DONATO SARDELLA; RODKIN AND MADSEN BY BARRY KING/WIREIMAGE; BLIGE BY MICHAEL CAULFIELD/WIREIMAGE SARDELLA; BARRY KING/WIREIMAGE; BLIGE BY RODKIN AND MADSEN BY DONATO BAG PHOTO BY WWD, MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2005 11 WWD.COM
B. Romanek Two L.A. Designers clutches.
Show a Wild Side A Tracey Ross LOS ANGELES — Loree Rodkin has tapped into the local shoulder bag. celebrity culture for her clients, and two other high-profile Los In spring Angeles women are doing the same: Retailer Tracey Ross and 2004, she and her singer Brigette Romanek have introduced exotic-skin bags. younger brother, Weeks after launching her first line, Romanek counted Demi Michael Ross, intro- Moore, Sheryl Crowe, Rita Wilson, Alexis Bledel and Courtney duced a line of stilettos Cox-Arquette among those clutching her candy-colored bags. and boots, retailing for $500 to Just last Christmas, Romanek tried crafting a clutch to give $1,200 a pair. to her friends, including Jacqui Getty and Lisa Eisner. When “I’ve always given my ideas to others,” said Ross, others began pestering her for their own, she decided it might who continues to be just as devoted to filling her store be worth going into business. with fashion-forward, hard-to-get clothes, jewelry, “I wanted something in between the red carpet and casu- accessories and gifts. “I just figured it was my time to do
al,” said Romanek, who attends her share of events with hus- something for myself.” — R.A. SARDELLA DONATO PHOTOS BY band, music video director Mark Romanek. Even without him, she’s often photographed because of her personal style, something she cultivated zigzagging around the country with her mother, a back- up singer for David Bowie, Diana Ross, Quincy Jones and Luther Vandross. Romanek also opened for Vandross, the late R&B superstar. Using her maiden name McWill- iams, she was under contract with Virgin through most of the Nineties, even cutting a record. “Bags happen to be one of my favorite things in the whole world,” she said. “But I don’t have a lot of them. So I wanted to cre- ate something that wasn’t a throw- away, but around for years.” She went with B. Romanek for the label, a play on her surname, which sounds like “romantic.” The five-style collection runs from the $465 lizard clutch to the $12,500 croc weekender bag. Barneys New York in Beverly Hills and Manhattan sold out of more than two dozen of its first order in less than 10 days, and has since reordered for the two stores and catalogue. After receiving its first delivery in early July, Kirne Zabête in New York reordered twice. Imelda’s in Aspen, Colo., and Tootsies in Houston recently signed on, as well. For holiday, Romanek is col- laborating with jewelry designer Liseanne Frankfurt to embellish her otherwise simple styles. The pair also will launch a limited line of belts at that time. Tracey Ross is another person who will carry B. Romanek. Out of her Sunset Plaza shop in West Hollywood, Ross has broken many fashion unknowns over the last 15 years, including the brand Juicy Couture and designer Zac Posen. Ross has a client base of bold- face names, so creating a line of bags that also became an instant hit among shop regulars, such as Gwen Stefani, Eve and Fergie, was a natural step. “Girls love them because they Hats. We love ‘em. Too. feel good, they’re sexy, they’re rockin’,” said Ross. “I think they’re just the perfect kind of bag.” The clutches, totes and hobos are made of python, lizard, croc Handbags. They’re our first love, of course. and other exotic skins and are detailed with horn handles, Now... Hats. We think we’re onto something. feathers and jewels. Retail Come see what we’ve got to say about them prices run from $1,000 to $2,200. during our market week: August 1–5, 2005 Scoop in New York and Forty Five Ten in Dallas are among other Schedule an appointment to view THE SAK’s retailers stocking the collection. new hat collection: 212 329 4502 The bags are only Ross’ latest step in turning her name into a lifestyle brand. 12 WWD, MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2005
Accessories AccessoriesTheShow’s Las Vegas Expansion
By Laura Klepacki BCBG Girls, Rampage Handbags, Nicole Miller Legwear and the Derek Alexander NEW YORK — AccessoriesTheShow is bet- Group. While the show is still registering re- ting on Las Vegas as a new winning venue. tailers, some 3,000 have signed on to date. For several years, the show’s owner, To entice visitors and make it an enjoy- Business Journals Inc. of Norwalk, Conn., able experience, there will be treats includ- has been running three events annually — in ing goody-filled tote bags, free massages at January, May and August — at the Jacob K. the Venetian’s Canyon Ranch SpaClub and a Javits Convention Center in Manhattan. cappuccino bar. Apparently that wasn’t sufficient for ex- “This is smaller. It is a regional expansion hibitors, and two years ago several started of the New York show,” said Jones, noting asking for a locale in the West, too, said that the New York shows offer 60,000 square Britton Jones, president and chief executive feet of exhibitor space and draw 11,000 re- officer of AccessoriesTheShow. tailers from the U.S. and 44 other countries. So, strategically timed to coincide with The Las Vegas setup will be similar to the WWDMagic and several other fashion mar- New York shows, with hard-wall booths pro- kets, an additional AccessoriesTheShow will vided for vendors. Complementary cate- be held Aug. 29-31 at the Venetian Resort gories will be grouped together, while close Hotel & Casino. There are plans already for competitors will be thoughtfully kept apart. two Las Vegas events next year. Business Journals acquired Access- “Over the years, a fashion week has been oriesTheShow in 1997, at a time when atten- developing in Vegas, with MAGIC at the dance had been dwindling. heart of it,” Jones said of why it was decided “We totally overhauled and revamped to bypass Los Angeles, another logical choice every aspect,” Jones said. “We got much for an event. “We did quite a bit of research. more serious about jurying the show. We There are 80,000 to 100,000 retailers going to identified the retailers who needed to be Las Vegas at that time, and there hasn’t been shopping our show and created a show that a proper venue for better accessories.” was valuable.” Jones said that its first Las Vegas show has This year, Jones anticipates that hand- already sold out for vendors, with 300 ex- bags, gold jewelry and belts will be among hibitors set to display in the 16,000-square-foot the hottest of the 37 accessories categories An AccessoriesTheShow event in New York. Starting this August, there also will be an Venetian ballroom. Exhibitors will include the show promotes. edition in Las Vegas. WWD, MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2005 13 WWD.COM
STAR QUALITY: Verdura has never a conceptual circus performance as its centerpiece. deigned to design a piece in sterling The event was staged to announce its push into FINDINGS silver, until now. In an homage to France, its third-largest market. A juggling the September centennial of Greta Garbo’s birth, the fine contortionist, a horse-riding clown and a goat unafraid jewelry firm has issued its curb-link bracelet, which the actress of heights were meant to convey the “fantastical” sported so famously in yellow gold, in the different metal. world of DoDo and the strong emotions that lie behind The silver bracelet will be limited to 100 numbered pieces jewelry purchases, Minoli said. and will retail for $1,950 at Bergdorf Goodman, Wynn & Co. and The unusual circus, which boasted a graphic set Verdura’s New York salon. The yellow gold version is also available designed by French artist Daniel Buren, is headed for a for $7,500. contemporary arts festival this fall in Yokohama, Japan. The launch of the new bracelet coincides with the publication Meanwhile, Minoli said DoDo’s U.S. business of Rizzoli’s “Garbo: Portraits from Her Private Collections,” continues to storm ahead, with annual retail volume penned by Garbo’s grandnephew, Scott Reisfield, and film of $2.5 million in only three doors: Bergdorf historian Robert Dance. Goodman and two Bloomingdale’s locations in Verdura sterling silver curb-link Manhattan. TOPPING IT OFF: Young contemporary fashion brand Kenzie bracelet, and Greta Garbo in Italy accounts for about 87 percent of DoDo’s total has signed an agreement with Amiee-Lynn Inc. to introduce Verdura’s curb-link bracelet. sales, which, for the first half of 2005, have belts, hats and cold-weather accessories to its assortment. amounted to $22.6 million. Worldwide, the 10- The initial collection of about 100 styles will make its debut during market this year-old brand is found in about 330 doors. week and will be available for fall delivery. “Kenzie is steadily growing its offerings,” said BREAK A SWEAT: Everlast Worldwide Inc. has inked a A Kenzie DoDo goes to the circus. Steven Seidman, chairman of InGroup licensing deal with New York-based Sports Accessories hat. Licensing, Kenzie’s exclusive licensing Group LLC to produce a line of unisex, men’s and children’s bags. agent. “The Kenzie customer has a flair The backpacks, sports bags, duffel bags, roll bags and luggage will launch this fall, and will for fashion with a feminine twist, be distributed at sporting goods retailers and department stores throughout the country. and she wants accessories to complete her look.” PEARLY WHITES: Brooks Bros. is giving its female customers the perfect finishing touch. Starting Kenzie is targeting the product in October, the New York-based retailer will be adding pearl necklaces, earrings and toward department and specialty stores bracelets, as well as fashion jewelry, to its women’s accessories assortment of handbags, in the U.S. and Canada. Prices will range wallets, belts, silk scarves and other items. from $8 at wholesale for hats to $30 for belts. The collection of about 30 pieces is codesigned by jewelry company Carolee Kenzie is a Vancouver-based subsidiary of Westcoast Contempo from glass and freshwater pearls, cubic zirconias, Swarovski crystals and plated gold Fashions. Amiee-Lynn is based in New York. and silver. Many items feature the Brooks Bros. logo discreetly on closures and charms. CIRCUS ACT: DoDo Pomellato’s jewelry line based on animal-shaped Paolo Secchia, product manager for Brooks Bros., said the move was a natural charms is poised to stampede further into France and the U.S. A Brooks progression for the retailer. Next year, the Milan-based firm plans to establish a freestanding Bros. “We want to complete the Brooks Bros. look, to develop it as more of a lifestyle brand,” boutique in Paris and three mall-based locations in the U.S., likely in choker. he said. Boston, Connecticut and the metropolitan New York area, said Francesco The collection will roll out to about 10 of the stores, including the retailer’s Madison Minoli, Pomellato’s chief executive officer. Avenue flagship in Manhattan, and will sell from $38 to $228. Brooks Bros. and Carolee Last month, the fast-growing firm staged a gala evening in Paris, with are both owned by Retail Brand Alliance. GARBO PHOTO BY CLARENCE SINCLAIR OF HARRIET BROWN BULL, PROPERTY AND MITRA ROBERT STEPHANE FEUGERE; BROOKS BROS. BY DODO BY CO.;
A Division of Orion Fashions 20 West 36th Street New York, NY 10018 212.563.5420 Fax 212.803.0638 www.koolkonnections.com 14 WWD, MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2005
Accessories Chan Luu’s Broadway Breakout
By Sophia Chabbott
NEW YORK — After building a multimillion-dollar busi- ness at the Fragments showroom, jewelry and acces- sories designer Chan Luu is striking out on her own, opening her first showroom here. The 4,300-square-foot space at 1441 Broadway takes up an entire floor and showcases the designer’s silver and semiprecious jewelry, costume jewelry, leather handbags, belts, narrow scarves and some knitted cold- weather accessories. Wholesale prices for accessories range from $76 for a beaded semiprecious stone necklace to $550 for a gold and diamond necklace. Until now, Luu’s accessories were represented by Fragments, a multibrand showroom here that has up- and-coming designers such as Mizuki and model and handbag designer Alek Wek as clients. “We took [Luu’s] business from zero to a multimil- lion-dollar business,” said Janet Goldman, founder and chief executive officer of Fragments. “We had a great re- lationship that lasted nine years and I wish her luck. Now it’s my job to find the next Chan Luu. That’s what we do.”
Chan Luu’s showroom. SHOWROOM PHOTOS BY JOHN AQUINO SHOWROOM PHOTOS BY Handbags on view at the showroom. Luu opened her own showroom in order to achieve a 1972 to study business administration at Boston University. cohesive presentation. She later moved to Los Angeles, where she is now based, “When you go into a multiline showroom, it is so con- and earned a degree in fashion design from the Fashion fusing,” she said. “The energy is deluded. A buyer can’t Institute of Design and Merchandising in 1975. get the idea of it.” “It was a trade-off,” Luu said. “My mother didn’t be- Luu now has both coasts covered as she lieve that you could be successful as a designer. also has a showroom in Los Angeles, She said to become a businessman, a doctor which opened in January 2004. or a lawyer, so I got a degree in business Since opening that show- [to appease her]. But my true love room, Luu said her eight- was always fashion.” figure business, which em- However, having a passion for ploys 1,200 craftspeople, design and a business back- has doubled. She projects a ground paid off, retailers said. 5 percent increase in rev- “What she is successful at enue in the first year of the is picking up on the trends in New York showroom. a timely manner,” said Sandra Both showrooms also house Luu’s shawls Wilson, accessories fashion di- Luu’s apparel collection, which she for holiday. rector at Neiman Marcus, which began to sell in spring 2004 in stores carries the designer’s jewelry. “She such as Ron Herman, Fred Segal and is able to interpret trends in a very Calypso. The collection ranges in wholesale price from saleable way at a reasonable price point, has a good eye $68 to $198. for color and brings interesting styling to her work, espe- “I’m a clothing designer,” Luu said. “I was never cially in the jewelry category. She’s multitalented.” trained in accessories. I got into it accidentally. Now The designer also sells at Henri Bendel and Institut, that we have [all categories, including apparel], it is a both in Manhattan, as well as at the Chan Luu flagship thematic presentation.” on Robertson Boulevard in Los Angeles, which bowed The clothing includes long, flowing skirts in aqua or in June 2002. Worldwide, Luu’s products are sold in crimson and asymmetric cable cardigans. 3,000 specialty doors, including locations in Japan, The Vietnamese-born Luu left her native country in South Korea and Europe. WWD, MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2005 15 WWD.COM ESQ Says It’s Time for Luxury
By Jennifer Hirshlag NEW YORK — Movado Group Inc. is making a move to jump-start its ESQ business. This fall, it will introduce a newly designed assortment filled with luxury touches such as diamonds to the entry-level Swiss-made watch brand. Company executives said the change is expected to double ESQ’s volume. In addition to ESQ, Paramus, N.J.-based Movado Group designs, manufactures and dis- tributes Movado, Ebel and Concord watches, and has the licenses for Coach Watches, Tommy Hilfiger Watches and timepieces by Hugo Boss. It also operates Movado boutiques and com- pany stores in the U.S. Total revenues for the company last year were about $419 million. The ESQ and Movado brands together represent 50 percent of overall sales. Jeff Cohen, president of ESQ and Movado for the Americas, said the timing was right to upgrade the product for the 12-year-old ESQ brand. Because of the strength of the euro in relation to the dol- lar, he said many lower-cost, Swiss-engineered timepieces with a luxury focus have gone up in price. “With the euro, things have gotten so expensive that it has created a void in the market,” Cohen said. “There is room for affordable luxury.” ESQ started introducing new designs for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, but will roll out the full assortment to better independent jewelers, chain stores and department stores over the next few months. Women’s styles eventually will account for 50 percent of the assortment and will be divided into classic, sport and fashion looks. Cohen said the latter category will reveal the strongest change in direction and will be updated seasonally based on current trends. Looks in that range for fall include multistrand bracelets of pink cultured pearls, white cultured pearls, tigereye beads or colorful semiprecious stones holding a hori- zontal rectangular case; wristwatches with pink, light blue or black grosgrain straps and coordinat- ing mother-of-pearl faces accented with a dia- mond at the 12 o’clock position; charm bracelets with a dangling square watch case, and an evening silhouette with a black grosgrain strap and a tonneau- shaped watch case with a face blanketed in pavé diamonds. All of the pieces fea- ture Swiss engineering, solid stainless Two new steel construction and scratch-resist- designs ant mineral crystal casings. from ESQ. “We want it to look like a more expensive watch than it really is,” Cohen said. “We are pulling down lux- ury accents and putting it in a value- driven product.” Retail prices will average from $195 to $395, with some more luxurious styles going as high as $1,795. ESQ hasn’t stopped at the design of the watches, ei- ther. To coincide with the introduction of the new assortment, ESQ will kick off a print and TV advertising campaign. The print ads have already started to appear in select publications, but the full push starts in October. The campaign is the first in the brand’s history to embrace a lifestyle focus. “I think the one thing was that we really wanted to develop a personality for the brand,” said Douglas Lloyd, president and owner of Lloyd + Co., the New York- based advertising firm that created the campaign. “We wanted to put a face and an at- titude on the brand.” The campaign features three female and three male models, sometimes alone and sometimes together, in differ- ent settings, such as at the beach, in the country and around the city. It also features the new tagline, “ESQ&U.” The 15- or 30-second spots are scheduled to appear on networks such as VH1, Comedy Central and E, while the print ads will appear on the pages of magazines such as In Style, Lucky, Glamour, People and Newsweek. “We want to talk to a wide audience [with this campaign],” said Lloyd. “It’s based on the idea of reaching out and embracing the customer.” To integrate the campaign across all the brand’s channels, ESQ also will update its informational Web site and retail point-of-sale materials over the next few months.
F ASHION QUALITY ™ WATCHES
Licensing opportunities available • 7 West Accessories, Inc. • 389 Fifth Avenue, Suite 610 • New York, NY 10016 • 212-695-4002 • Email [email protected] • www.vernierwatches.com 16 WWD, MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2005 WWD.COM Legwear Report Vendors Add Spring to Their Step By Sophia Chabbott launched a line of beaded ankle bracelets and flip- flops, including a Marimekko-inspired print canvas NEW YORK — Spring isn’t legwear’s most profitable season — and thong on an espadrille wedge. summer is even worse. Luxury still reigns at Wolford. The company is in- After all, most customers have no use for tights and socks in terpreting its signature crochet tights for fall in a sandal weather. The industry, however, is gaining some momentum lighter weave for spring in shades of dusty pink, dove in the warmer months. gray and linen. Many companies are widening their offerings to include cate- American Essentials, the licensee for Calvin Klein and gories such as hair accessories or footwear, while other firms are Michael Kors socks, is launching Michael Kors athletic focusing on early deliveries of hosiery and socks in winter fabrics socks for spring. The four styles include classic Kors col- and spring colors in late December and January. ors and silhouettes, with a bit of whimsy like a pom-pom Hot Sox is aiming to ship the first spring delivery in December. on an ankle sock. “It’s been going on for awhile,” Susan Spindell, national sales The company also is livening up athletic socks in manager of Hot Sox, said of the legwear industry’s down months of shades of geranium, turmeric and grass. spring and summer. “In spring, we ship on the early side. By ship- “We took a special focus on activewear color,” said ping some spring groups in December, we have the spring colors to Michele Slade, vice president of sales and marketing catch [the consumer’s] eye and it’s just about the time the for American Essentials. Christmas novelty items are sold out.” Leg Resource Inc., which produces legwear for The company continues to push its Comfort collection in new Anne Klein and Via Spiga, among others, is about bright colors and prints, and is incorporating beaded details. ▲ Pearl details with zigzags, curlicue motifs and sewn-on Givenchy, which is licensed by JBT, is going for early de- detail on a lace. liveries, as well. style from “Spring is a more challenging season,”
“Because the apparel industry is so off-based [for in- ▲ said Wayne Lederman, president of Leg Hot Sox. A “Shue” stance, selling fall in July or spring in January], when Resource. “The first quarter represents 60 we ship, we could get away with [shipping spring goods by Hue. percent of the spring business, and in the sec- early],” said Maria Giraldi, creative director for Givenchy hosiery at JBT. ond quarter, business decreases dramatically. Legwear is trending Givenchy’s color palette comprises muted pinks and neutrals. Giraldi also will up, however, for spring.” show prints of colorful geometric florals and herringbones, as well as finely knit pais- Sara Lee, which produces Donna Karan, DKNY and Hanes hosiery, has a few in- ley textures. troductions for spring. “Everything is crossing seasons,” Giraldi said. “You’re getting flowers in the winter The new Transparent line of sheer hosiery from Hanes comes in five flesh tones and herringbone in the summer.” that are transparent enough to enable consumers to match their skin tones with Look From London, which produces hosiery for Anna Sui and Dior, is riding the greater ease. Taking its influence from trends in the beauty industry, which is explod- legging trend. It is offering footless tights in a myriad of patterns and colors with ing with products meant to give a tanned, glowing effect to the legs, Hanes also will matching stretch headbands. debut Sheer Radiance, a line of sheers that gives a slightly tanned and shimmering “We are just tapping the surface,’’ said Tony Taylor, creative director of the compa- look to the leg. ny. “A lot of people are still interested in the Eighties look.” “Spring is not our strongest season in the legwear category, but it could be very Hue is going past hosiery, as well. Along with the company’s decorated slipper good,” said Nadine Hall, vice president and general manager of hosiery at Sara Lee. socks called “Shues,” to which it has added crocheted details in bright colors, it has “With the return to femininity and dressing up, women want to wear hosiery.” PHOTOS BY ROBERT MITRA ROBERT PHOTOS BY
NINE WEST SCARVES & WRAPS
385 5TH AVE 212-686-8990 WWD, MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2005 17 WWD.COM Lyon Preview Flirting the Issue Cotton suit by Guia La Bruna. Patterns, from classic Liberty prints to delicate daisy motifs, still reign in swimsuits this spring. And when understated ruffles are added to the mix, the result is a look that’s girly yet chic.
Chloé’s cotton baby-doll top FOLCHER LAURENT STYLED BY AGEMENT; and briefs. Jenna De Rosnay’s polyamide and elastane suit.
Polyamide and elastane bikini with sequins from Moschino Mare. PHOTOS BY PATRICK KATZMAN; HAIR BY VINCENT DEMORO/B-AGENCY/PARIS; MAKEUP BY ANGELIK IFFENECKER; MODEL: MAKEUP BY VINCENT DEMORO/B-AGENCY/PARIS; HAIR BY KATZMAN; JESSICA PEREZ/V MODEL MAN PATRICK PHOTOS BY 18 WWD, MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2005 WWD.COM Silk chiffon camisole Lyon Preview and shorts from Elise Aucouturier. The Soft Side Subtle is sexy. Muted colors, delicate lace and understated floral prints are the hallmarks of spring lingerie.
Huit’s silk chiffon and lacelace brabra andand briefs.briefs. Chloé shoes. AGEMENT; STYLED BY LAURENT FOLCHER LAURENT STYLED BY AGEMENT;
Vanina Vesperini’s silk and lace bra and briefs.
Polyesterlyester andand LycraLycra brabra andand briefsbriefs from Banana Moon Intimates. PHOTOS BY PATRICK KATZMAN; HAIR BY VINCENT DEMORO/B-AGENCY/PARIS; MAKEUP BY ANGELIK IFFENECKER; MODEL: MAKEUP BY VINCENT DEMORO/B-AGENCY/PARIS; HAIR BY KATZMAN; JESSICA PEREZ/V MODEL MAN PATRICK PHOTOS BY
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.EW (/4%,3 !##%33 4/ ,9/. (/4,).% 22 WWD, MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2005 WWD.COM Lyon Preview Mode City Grows in Size, Scope
By Karyn Monget and Peru. Other countries in the spotlight will be A wealth of new Colombia, the Canary Islands and Brazil. NEW YORK — The next edition of the Lyon, Mode brands will be Quettier said there will be a strong contingent City trade fair, set for Sept. 3-5, promises to be packed featured at the show. from Japan in the Interfilière textiles area in what with new lines, trend information and events. he described as a “Japanese village” of fabric and An increased number of lingerie brands, expand- lace exhibitors, including Utax, Sawamura, Asahi, ed designer forums representing the international Kasei, Hokuriku and Kutoda Lace. Overall, 20 new marketplace and a fashion show and cocktail party exhibitors will be part of Interfilière from countries hosted by Invista Inc. celebrating the 100th anniver- including Turkey, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Czecho- sary of the bikini will be among the highlights of the slovakia, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, France, major exhibition in Lyon, France, said Jehan Indonesia and China. Quettier, director of the Eurovet-operated fair. An expanded trend forum for textiles will focus on Quettier said preregistration of U.S. visitors has four themes: Poetic Chic, Eccentric Luxe, Soft Sport surpassed 2004, with 403 retailers and innerwear ex- and Good Girl, Bad Girl. There also will be a fabric li- ecutives. brary at the center of the forum with a wealth of sam- “It’s turned out to be a good surprise and we are ples and information of directional trends. extremely pleased by the response we are receiving Other “villages” will include an area called Spicy this year, much more [of a response] than in years Garden, which will showcase collections by up-and- past,” said Quettier, noting that the general increase coming designers such as Mardecleo from Spain, in airfares or the fear of terrorism have not affected Colors do Brasil from France, and two new names an anticipated larger-than-usual turnout. from England, So Shei and Miss Mandalay. The new Quettier attributed the upswing to the “importance” designer forum will be next to the designer brand of lingerie as an integral part of a woman’s wardrobe and couture venue that will feature lingerie by and the growing demand for fashion items, as well as names such as Esprit from Germany, Rosanna the burgeoning number of brands from the global arena Ansaloni of Italy and Sonia Rykiel from Paris. that will be exhibiting at Lyon for the first time. He also There also will be a new venue for the fair’s daily pointed out that the show, which will feature spring fashion shows for lingerie and swimwear, which now product and concepts, and textile samples and trend di- will take place in an additional hall dedicated to a di- rection for fall 2006-’07, “could prove to be as important rectional trend display called Swim Fashion. The num- as, if not more important than, our Paris venue.” ber of runway shows have been doubled to two lingerie Eurovet stages the annual Salon de la Lingerie presentations and two swimwear shows a day. Themes International fair in late January in Paris. for the catwalk will include vignettes representing Space at the show has been increased 2.5 percent Bollywood, Latin Spirit, Street Trousseau and Tribal to encompass more than 420,000 square feet to accom- Rythyms, while swimwear will offer motion picture-in- modate the number of exhibitors and forums, he said. spired “Sunset Blvd.” and “African Queen” themes. The lingerie segment of the show will feature 530 Regarding Invista’s event commemorating the brands, 45 of them first timers, and 480 swimwear re- bikini, which will feature bikini styles in lingerie sources, 54 of which are showing for the first time in and swimwear, a spokeswoman said the company is Lyon. Out of 34 exhibiting countries, four new na- keeping details under wraps, but added: “It will be a tions will be represented: Estonia, Ukraine, Vietnam very special, unprecedented event.”
More than 16,000 international visitors are projected to attend the sprawling Lyon, Mode City fair.
24 WWD, MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2005 WWD.COM Lyon Preview
COCKTAIL HOUR: The futuristic-meets-neoclassical opera house in Lyon, renovated by Jean Nouvel in 1992, has the coolest bar in town: a vast carbon-black space illuminated by ruby lanterns. A great stop for a pot of mint tea in the afternoon, it’s also the ultimate spot for sipping an aperitif while listening to jazz, with concerts taking place each evening between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. For dinner, take the lift up to the rooftop restaurant, Les Muses de l’Opéra, which offers a view of the city. Another hot spot is Apericlub, the trendy watering hole of the moment. It has funky sofas and a disco ball and a wood terrace for summer nights. Next door is First, a stylish nightclub with an electro-house vibe for those who SCENEBy Katya Foreman want to kick up their heels. L’Opéra de Lyon: 1 Place Comédie, 69001 Lyon. Tel: 04 72 00 45 58.
SHOPPING Apericlub’s funky wood deck terrace. The stylish interior of FRENZY: concept store As It Is. Lyon’s tony shopping area between the rue Edouard, rue des Archers and rue Emile Zola shines with luxury shops such as Hermès, Louis Vuitton and Cartier. But hip designer boutiques are crowding the area, too. As It Is is Lyon’s answer to Paris’ Colette, an airy space with Pop Art hung on the walls and a water and sushi bar in the basement. It carries sweet French brands like APC, Vanessa Bruno, Paul & Joe and Fifi Chachnil alongside art books and CDs. One of the most interesting finds there is a unisex fragrance, Absolut Absinthe, which is made in Aix-en-Provence with hints of absinthe and cannabis notes. Next door is Simone, stocking brands such as Isabel Marant, Karine Arabian, Antik Batik and Notify jeans. Meanwhile, Graphiti Dames offers brands like Stella McCartney and Barbara Bui. Though there are few cutting-edge lingerie stores in Lyon, Tazia is the best place for elegant undergarments. Its pearl-clad owner, Madame Odette, makes customers feel like a queen. As It Is: 3 rue des quatre Chapeaux, 69002 Lyon. Tel : +33 4 72 41 93 69. Simone: 1 rue des quatre Chapeaux, 69002 Lyon. Tel: +33 4 78 38 61 48. Graphiti Dames: 9 rue du Plâtre, 69001 Lyon. Tel : +33 4 78 28 57 94. Tazia : 102 rue Pres Edouard Herriot, 69002 Lyon. Tel : +33 4 78 37 39 90.
GOURMET TIME: Gourmet delicacies are Malleval’s specialty. Established in 1869, it’s an Aladdin’s cave of regional goodies, from baskets of costly dried mushrooms to olive oil and frog legs pâté. And then there’s the wine cellar. While pretty bottles of Poire William line the store’s shelves, more impressive is the 100-year-old collection of Armagnac. Ask for a trip to the Bernachon’s cellar, where a woody 1955 answer to armagnac can be sampled. chocolate Just smelling the wonderful heaven. aroma is well worth the visit. Lyon’s legendary chocolatier, Bernachon, meanwhile, should provide a warning label for the waistline. The chocolate fumes alone are intoxicatingly naughty on the nostrils, while the sight of a “President” cake, loaded with praline, is enough to send one into a frenzy. Stop by in the morning for a short tour of the chocolate factory behind the shop. Malleval: 11 rue Emile Zola, 69002 Lyon. Tel : +33 4 78 42 02 07. Bernachon: 42 rue cours Franklin Roosevelt, 69006 Lyon. Tel : + 33 4 78 24 37 98.
HOT HOTELS: The Radisson hotel may be popular for its view overlooking Lyon, but the red-brick-and-glass architecture of the Hilton makes for a smart choice, too. It’s a hop away from Lyon’s contemporary art museum and features a Blue Elephant Thai restaurant with a man- made river running through it. La Tour Rose, however, is a charming A silk tapestry suite in La Tour Rose. alternative. Tucked away in the cobbled streets of the old district, Molière is said to have penned his first play in the hotel’s imposing stone-floored salon. While its terraced gardens and raised balconies have a hacienda feeling, the 12 suites have been decorated in homage to the city’s silk industry, with rich silk tapestries on the walls. The master suite comes with a bathroom whose walls are entirely dotted with silk cocoon shells. La Tour Rose: 22 rue Bœuf, 69005 Lyon. Tel : +33 4 78 92 69 10. Hôtel Radisson SAS Lyon: 129 r Servient 69003 Lyon. Tel : +33 4 78 63 55 00. Hilton Hôtel : 70 quai Charles de Gaulle 69006 Lyon. Tel : +33 4 78 17 50 50. PHOTOS BY STEPHANE FEUGERE PHOTOS BY WWD, MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2005 25 WWD.COM Innerwear Report Ghazlan’s Lingerie Garden Grows Ghazlan’s garden- LONDON — She has traded in a would-be biochemistry inspired career for a degree in fine arts, but for London-based lin- lace gerie designer Antonia Ghazlan, a love of plants contin- lingerie. ues to be at the root of her designs. Inspired by her garden and by scuba diving with her husband in his native Malaysia, Ghazlan covers her fall collection of thong panties, silk balconette bras, velvet- trimmed camisoles and lace boyshorts with plenty of floral prints and the occasional butterfly. “The butterfly is something I visit every year,” said Ghazlan, who has created butterfly clip-on charms for bra straps. “I keep saying never again, but I always come back to it.” Although her signature label was launched as ready-to-wear in 1989, the birth of Ghazlan’s second child in 2002 played a part in her decision to focus sole- ly on what was proving to be the winning act, her print- based lingerie. Now she designs a 70-piece collection that includes swimwear, beachwear and loungewear from her Battersea studio in South London. Julia Smith’s She likes to use an autumnal palette of dark bot- girly-looking tle green, sky blue, gold and wine in silks, cotton, undies. organza and lace. “I design sexy underwear that isn’t in your face,” she said. “I hate synthetics, and I don’t do plain black — too boring. And I’d never do red, as it’s far too tarty.” But admittedly, she’s not that innocent. “The knickers are very low, and the half-lace shorts cheekily show your bum cheeks,” Ghazlan said, adding that the cut has to be the right fit but sexy. “I design for the slightly older, normal-shaped woman, rather than a stick insect.” Suggested retail ranges from $35 for a simple jer- sey thong to $176 for a camisole and $114 for silk bal- conette bras. The designer sells to Henri Bendel in New York, and Liberty and Selfridges in London. A transactional Web site launched this summer. — Ellen Burney
the company in April. De Roberts, who will relocate to Cosabella headquarters in Miami, reports to Valeria Campello, president.
SYDNEY PHOTO BY DARREN LEIGH ROBERTS; LONDON DARREN LEIGH ROBERTS; SYDNEY PHOTO BY BY TIM JENKINS INTIMATE NOTES She had been director of international business development at Diane von Furstenberg since August COSABELLA TAPS DE ROBERTS: Cosabella has appointed 2004. From 1996 to 1999, De Roberts was vice Down Under Lingerie Line Gains Fans Theresa De Roberts to the new post of director of sales. president of business development for Europe at Calvin She is taking over the duties of brand development and Klein Underwear, a division of The Warnaco Group, and SYDNEY — Considering Julia Smith’s only sales outlet in her hometown global sales that had been handled by Cosabella partner worked as senior director for Europe at Polo Ralph Lauren is a Sunday market stall at Bondi Beach, it’s no surprise she’s not yet a Sergio Oxman, who was vice president of sales and left from 2000 to 2003. household name in Australia. Although the 27-year-old Sydney resident might be having trouble getting appointments with Australian department stores, her romantic, girly-looking lingerie in Liberty florals and ginghams is selling at 21 major stores in 10 countries, including Henri Bendel in New York and Le Bon Marché in Paris. It Smith, a graduate of East Sydney’s TAFE Fashion Design Studio, STRETCHES launched her first 10-piece collection of lingerie in late 2002. “I wanted to do something that was quite quirky and different, and I decided to start with lingerie because it wasn’t very big and didn’t need much space,” said Smith, whose silk rosebud-embellished collection of hipster knickers, bloomers, camisoles and gingham baby dolls were immediately picked up by several London boutiques, as well as the Top Shop specialty chain. Smith subsequently set up a retail stall at Portobello Road markets in London, and in January 2003 took her second collection of 20 styles to the Who’s Next in Paris trade show. This time she added silks and Liberty floral cottons, more baby dolls and lots of butterfly-sleeve tops, palazzo pants and Victorian camisoles. Since then, Smith has been on a roll. She has exhibited twice at Who’s Next, as well as the Tokyo International Fashion Fair; Lyon, Mode City in Lyon, France; Prêt à Porter’s Pick & Mix in Paris, and the trade fair at the Mercedes Australian Fashion Week here in May. Every style is decorated with at least one tiny silk rose. “I can’t help it,” said Smith, who has worked out of her beachside home in Sydney since December. “If you’ve got it in your drawer, you want to keep it open, so everyone can see. It’s not to be hidden away.” LA LAME,Leading Manufacturers of Stretch Fabrics Smith’s lingerie retails from $39.95 for a plain Liberty cotton knicker presents up to $239 for a silk nightie with butterfly sleeves. Gingham or Liberty- An Innovative New Collection of Knitted and Woven Fabrics print frilly hipster knickers of cotton that are double-lined sell for $60. and Trims Made in Europe, USA and Asia The knickers can double as swimwear, she said. Moldable Spacers • Microfibers • Textures • Metallics • Laces In Allovers and Galoons Bestsellers include striped French knicker cotton shorts with silk Deluster, Foil, Glitter, Flock, Embossed and Puff Prints on: satin ribbon trim that retail for $42 and a Fifties-inspired halterneck bra Tricots,Tulles, Chiffons, Denims,Twills and Sateens Novelty Elastic Trims: Metallics, Reflective, Ruffles, Crochets and Rhinestones for $64. Smith would not give a wholesale volume, but annual revenues are estimated at more then $200,000, according to industry estimates. Please Contact Glen Schneer,Vice President “It’s quite cute and flirty and comfortable, designed for the girliest of [email protected] • www.lalame.com girls, but you don’t have to be a girly girl to wear it, you can mix and match,” said Smith. “England is like a huge influence on my signature.” LALAME, Inc. 132 W.36th St., 11th Fl. New York, NY 10018 • Tel: 212.921.9770 • Fax: 212.302.4359 — Patty Huntington 26 WWD, MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2005
Fine Jewelry Report Versace Jewelry Keeps on Ticking
By Luisa Zargani artisanal procedures,” Marai said. “For this reason, the production is quite limited.” He noted that the material comes from Japan, the country most specialized in MILAN — Versace has experienced a 50 percent increase this technology. in watch sales since signing a license with Timex last The watch will be available at Versace boutiques and high-end luxury retail jewel- November. ry stores. The first two DV One models are available in black or white or in a gold- Capitalizing on the success, the house is reap- plated version. praising its Precious Items division, which in- Next year, the company is looking at launching a limited-edition DV One with cludes its watches as well as jewelry and writing Donatella Versace’s signature, as well as a pink model for Valentine’s Day. instruments. Marai said the Precious Items category had sales of $9.9 million in 2004, In addition to phasing out existing watch with watches accounting for $7.6 million. Jewelry and pens accounted for families by the end of 2006 and expanding the the rest. new DV One selection, Versace plans to launch In 2005, the jewelry and writing instruments categories were suspended, another watch line under one of its secondary and watches totaled $13 million. brands in summer 2006. At Christmas, however, Versace will present its new jewelry collection “As we are positioned in the high range of under the Vertime license. To relaunch the jewelry and pen the market with the signature watch collection, Versace DV One divisions, Marai said Versace is working with new, special- this would be a means to bridge a market gap,” watches. ized partners. said Paolo Marai, general manager of Vertime, “We are moving production of jewelry from Switzerland the Manno, Switzerland-based subsidiary creat- to Valenza [one of Italy’s main jewelry production hubs] ed by Versace and American Timex. to mix technical competence and design,” Marai said. Marai, who joined Vertime in April, attrib- “Jewelry is a fundamental component of the Precious uted the boost in the watch segment largely to the Items division and is pivotal for our relationship innovative design and technology component of with retailers.” the DV One ceramic watch, introduced in April at Marai plans to reach sales of $20.7 million in Baselworld, the watch and jewelry fair. The bezel of 2006 and $28.4 million in 2007. the timepiece is also in ceramic, a first in the watch “We want watches and jewelry to each ac- industry. count for 45 percent of sales, with pens making “We are banking on our 2005 star watch, the DV One, to up the rest,” he said. further grow the category,” Marai said in an interview at A ceramic pen could be the next step. Versace headquarters in Milan. In 2005, the U.S. accounted for 30 per- The DV One will be available in stores this month. In cent of watch sales, registering between a July, Versace offered a preview of the watch at the Beverly Hills, Paris, Milan 30 and 40 percent growth. and London Versace boutiques, with dedicated windows and a black-and- “The DV One was very well received in white glass cabinet specifically designed to highlight the watch. the U.S.,” said Marai. As a further mark of the fashion content of the timepiece, actress Demi Moore Versace timepieces are available at be- wears the DV One in the new Versace ad campaign for fall-winter 2005. tween 1,300 and 1,500 points of sale around the “The combination of Swiss-made technology, Versace’s design and the 150-year- world. In the U.S., the line is available at the old history of Timex makes for a winning product,” Marai said. New York and Miami Macy’s stores and at 300 The executive said the market reacted in a positive way to the 24-year license be- other points of sale. tween Versace and Timex. “We are aiming at 330 doors by the end of the “There was always a strong appreciation of the Versace brand, but it was ham- year,” said Marai. pered by a feeling of uncertainty,” Marai said. “Retailers needed to have a long- The DV One retails from $2,990 to $5,400. Marai term vision — after all, when they put their orders in, they invest no less than noted, however, that price is not an issue. $18,000.” “We’ve had a 70 percent increase in sales in terms He underscored the difficulties of working with ceramic. The material is one of of value and a 40 percent increase in terms of pieces,” the most resistant available and is entirely hypoallergenic, but it also is expensive. he said. “Ceramic needs to rest in special ovens for six days and must be hand-treated with “Our bestsellers are studded with diamonds.”
Mia & Kompany Couture cuffs. Mia & Kompany Adds Cuffs to the Mix NEW YORK — With a client roster including Reese Wither- lection through a line of earrings and necklaces. spoon, Halle Berry and Madonna, it’s no wonder that fine jew- “It has some completely different elements,” Koniver said. elry line Mia & Kompany seeks to augment its dainty pendants “But it’s still my vibe.” with something a bit more elaborate. Mia & Kompany Couture is priced between $6,500 and This weekend at the JA show here, the Los Angeles-based $15,000. company will launch Mia & Kompany Couture, an assortment of Mia & Kompany is best known for its pavé diamond horse pen- limited-edition pieces. dant, which earned a cameo role on Sarah Jessica Parker in “Sex The collection comprises 15 gold cuffs with diamond motifs and the City.” The line sells at several Los Angeles hot spots, in- on the front, including Mia & Kompany’s signature labyrinth. cluding Kaviar and Kind, Fred Segal Couture and Kitson. The company’s designer, Mia Koniver, plans to develop the col- — Ashley Baker PHOTO BY ROBERT MITRA ROBERT PHOTO BY WWD, MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2005 27 WWD.COM Straus Crafts Her First Collection
By Jennifer Hirshlag she said. “There was a language bar- rier, but he taught me a lot about NEW YORK — Rebecca Straus takes on fabrication.” the role of a storyteller when she speaks Straus combines her about her family history. knowledge of fabrication Her great-great-grandparents were with the lost-wax casting Isador and Ida Straus, the couple who method. owned Macy’s and died on the Titanic “I work on each piece after Ida refused to board a lifeboat by hand,” Straus said. “I without her husband. make a unique model for “It’s so long ago in our family’s each piece. I turned to wax past that it’s not something I think because I realized the metal about every day,” she said. “But I was confining me. The wax allows used to play store and call it me more freedom.” Isadora’s.” For inspiration, Straus roams These days, the fine jewelry de- between nature, architecture and signer doesn’t have much of a the work of modern artists, such as need to imagine being an entre- abstract expressionist Ibram Lassaw. preneur. Her handcrafted pieces, “I’m interested in the exacting featuring a undulating labyrinth of techniques of architecture versus the 18-karat gold, white gold or rose irregularities in nature — the structural gold metal, and sometimes precious versus the organic,” she said. and semiprecious stones, have come Standout looks in her 50-piece collection include the Emma Link Bracelet together into a full collection that with seven rectangles of double-layered twisting metal that are interconnected Straus said marks the debut of her with hinges and closed by a screw; the Rodin earring that features a column company, Becca Straus Jewelry. From below: wrought from a latticework of metal and accented with a colorful stone dan- Straus began working on the collec- Becca Straus gling from the tip; the Eva pendant that includes an upside-down cone that tion when she lost her job at a nonprof- Jewelry rings, spills forth multistrands of dainty garnets, and the stackable “o” rings that are it arts organization after the 9/11 at- necklace, earrings thin bands in either yellow gold, rose gold or white gold. There are also more tacks. She realized she had the time to and cuff. casual items such as labyrinthine beads that slide onto a leather cord or dain- make Christmas presents for her fami- ty domed earrings. ly and friends. “I always see myself keeping the company small,” Straus said. “I want each After giving the gifts away, orders from family piece to be unique and special to the person wearing it. It’s exciting when you can friends and friends of friends began trickling in. see a piece through to its reality and then it goes on to take on a life of its own.” Eventually, a few boutiques took notice and began Becca Straus Jewelry sells in Dane 115 in New York and Gallery of Jewels in San carrying her cuffs, rings, earrings and necklaces. Francisco. Wholesale prices start at $400 and climb to $3,600. “I never thought I could actually become a jewel- er,” Straus said. “But I started realizing I had enough work coming in. I went from working over my kitchen in my apartment to having a studio with a small staff.” Straus began studying jewelry-making in fourth grade when she took a metal workshop at her arts-specialized el- ementary school in Cambridge, Mass. “It was as far back as then that I learned to go with my gut in- stinct and let my creativity flow,” she said. “My mom still wears the first pin I made.” Making jewelry with metal be- came such an interest that when she took a year off in between high school and Skidmore College, she uprooted to San Miguel de Allende in Mexico to take advantage of the town’s legacy in sil- versmithing. “I worked for four months with this amazing teacher,” PHOTOS BY ROBERT MITRA ROBERT PHOTOS BY 28 WWD, MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2005 WWD.COM Media/Advertising Seems Like Old Times MEMO PAD NEW YORK — On which floor of The New York Times’ build- open up the culture at the Times, to try and foster a culture ing is the executive dining room located? It might not matter where ideas flowed more freely. Then, too, Howell Raines “INTERN” SHIPS: Of all the media companies, it is said to you, but it does to Vanity Fair contributing editor Seth was such a unique personality and ran the paper in such a that Condé Nast’s employees are the most homogeneous, Mnookin, whose book, “Hard News,” is all about a lapse in unique way, with him not there, things are going to change. with their bespoke suits, bobbed haircuts and closets journalistic accuracy. The book, which will be issued in pa- That said, the Times, out of necessity, like every daily news- filled with shoes. So is it any wonder that even interns perback next month, chronicles a tumultuous period at the paper, will always be a dictatorship, and you hear some of the are inducted into the aesthetic from almost the moment Times that included the revelations of Jayson Blair’s serial same complaints now as you’ve always heard. they walk into 4 Times Square? deceptions and the ouster of executive editor Howell As to whether it could happen today, it’s impossible to safe- This year’s Intern magazine, a publication produced by Raines. WWD caught up with Mnookin for guard against someone determined to perpe- interns and for interns in Condé Nast’s corporate summer his take on the events that ushered in a pro- trate a fraud, especially at a daily. What would program, debuted on Friday. The 20-page glossy, distributed longed era of media soul-searching. not happen today is that fraud being replicat- to those in the program and to a select group of executives, ed again and again over weeks and months, includes a fashion spread of “Intern Picks” that could just as WWD: The paperback edition of your book has despite some pretty explicit warnings. easily be spotted on any junior-level Condé Nast editor. a corrections section pointing out a handful WWD: Speaking of Raines, some people Featured are chunky bangles, a Louis Vuitton clutch and a of minor errors from the hardcover version. think he made the paper better and didn’t floral skirt for women, and black jeans, a dark blazer and a That’s fairly unusual. What made you do it? deserve to take the fall for Blair’s actions. messenger bag for men. Items appear sans credits and prices. S.M.: One of the things that I spent a lot of What do you think? (Interns, after all, are unpaid. It wouldn’t be fair to tease.) time thinking about while working on the S.M.: Howell was not fired because of There is also a do-or-don’t style poll, asking if interns book was the conflicting pressures on re- Jayson Blair. Howell was fired because there should mix name brand with vintage (90 percent said porters to make sure that they get everything was an almost unanimous staff uprising “do”) or if they should wear sneakers instead of sandals right before it gets into print, and then not to against him, against everything he stood for. (68 percent said “don’t”). Layering jewelry, according to acknowledge that they could have gotten any- I actually tend to think that had Jayson not 73 percent of them, is also a must. And so the thing wrong afterward. In the kind of high- Seth come along, Howell still would not be the ed- indoctrination begins. (Condé Nast, like WWD, is part of pressure, fast-deadline environment most Mnookin itor of the paper today. That staff uprising Advance Publications Inc.) journalists work in, mistakes will happen, KAI REGAN PHOTO BY would have occurred over something else. At least one intern did struggle with leaving her old, and if reporters can acknowledge that and not treat it as some- WWD: What was your first-hand impression of Jayson Blair? less-fashionable self behind, though. House & Garden’s thing to be terrified of, we would all be better off. S.M.: He can be very charming, but he seemed almost Rebecca Moore, who is from rugged Montana, wrote in an WWD: There’s been so much written about how the institu- constitutionally incapable of being honest. He would say essay in the magazine’s “Talk of the Town” section: tional culture of The New York Times created the condi- something to me that was just patently untrue, and it was “Alongside my business suits and hair dryer, I packed my tions for the Jayson Blair episode. How much has that cul- hard for me to tell if he believed it, or if he wanted me to climbing shoes, headlamp and hiker-friendly Chacos — ture changed in the time since? Could it happen again? believe it. He called me up one day while I was still at just in case.” A good thing, too. “Soon after I’d convinced S.M.: In some ways, it’s incredibly different, and in some Newsweek and said he was calling from a pay phone at a myself I would have to suck it up and act Bergdorf blonde ways, it’s not different at all, and I don’t mean that to be a cop- hospital that was out of state, and the next day there were for the summer,” she said, “I found that, surprisingly, out. My day-to-day focus on the Times ended a year ago, but these paparazzi-like photos of him mooning around at a Manhattan was not lacking in outdoor appeal.” even at that point, it seemed clear one of the things [execu- downtown Starbucks. I found it hard to get a handle on Sadly there is no accompanying photo of a Plum Sykes tive editor] Bill Keller and [publisher] Arthur Sulzberger him, and I eventually decided there was really no need to. lookalike scaling rock walls in Central Park. — Sara James were trying to do was use what had happened as a way to — Jeff Bercovici
The One she gave herself.
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Welcome To Luxury Shopping... Over 300 Lines of Better Accessories Holiday/Resort 2005-06 & Immediate Fall/Winter 2005 Attend 800-358-6678 x116 - Exhibit 212-686-4412 www.accessoriestheshow.com The Only. Our Prestigious Spa Partner Go on. Give in. 800.962.2813 Fashion Scoops WHO’S THAT GIRL?: Escorted by a no-nonsense- looking strawberry blonde female FBI agent, the arrest of alleged mob boss Matthew “Matty the Horse” Ianniello on Thursday played out like something from Hollywood. The 85-year-old suspect, who is accused of being the acting chief of the Genovese crime family, was said to be asleep in an easy chair as credits for “The Godfather III” rolled on the TV when he was seized. The FBI’s overnight Despite looking a tad like Mariska Hargitay, “It” girl taking in the woman in question is the real deal, and that “Matty the Horse.” might explain why reporters are clamoring to interview her. But the FBI is passing on the requests, citing concern for her personal safety. This is new terrain for the buttoned-up bureau. Other agents have been profiled in magazines and newspapers, but generally for their specialty or accomplishments, not their looks. “That’s what we were thinking this one was,” an FBI spokesman said. The agent, known only as “Kim,’’ wore a black low-waisted pantsuit with a white shirt that would have made J. Edgar Hoover — a real stickler for white shirts — proud. Ianniello, on the other hand, was not so pulled together in Velcro sneakers, a Ralph Lauren shirt with an unbuttoned collar, khakis with what appeared to be a sizable cigarette burn and, of course, handcuffs.
HERE COME THE BRIDES: That former Brooklyn landmark, Kleinfeld, did not leave anything to chance for the opening of its Manhattan store on Friday. Co-owners Mara Urshel and Ronnie Rothstein lined up a priest and a rabbi to bless the new $10 million bridal salon at 110 West 20th Street, and 100 of the company’s 185 staffers showed up for extra support. Plumbers, electricians, architects, painters and staff employees were buzzing around the by-appointment-only wedding boutique Thursday dealing with last-minute fixes. But Rothstein wasn’t flummoxed by the blitz — it was familiar territory. In 1956, his father had a crew work through the night before the opening of the Eden Brushing up Kleinfeld’s new Roc Hotel in Miami. The joint’s opening act, Chelsea store. Harry Belafonte, was among the first to see the finished product. Some minor touch-ups still need to be done at Kleinfeld, but that didn’t deter 200 bridal and eveningwear shoppers from visiting the store on opening day.
ELBAZ GOES EAST: While most Paris designers are getting ready to take time off, Lanvin’s Alber Elbaz is traveling to Beijing to start working on a huge fashion show he’ll stage in the Chinese capital on Sept. 18. It is planned as part of the closing festivities for the “Year of France in China.” Other events in the cultural extravaganza will include an exhibit of French art and dance, as well as a Christian Lacroix retrospective.
VIVA ITALIA: Why should Milan have all the fashion fun? There’s plenty of bella moda down south in the province of Naples. And about 250 Italian government officials and executives were in New York on Thursday to prove it. They gathered at Cipriani’s on 42nd Street to celebrate the region’s best in design and style with a gala dinner and fashion show. Ten designers showed their wares, from Amina Rubinacci’s casual, sporty knits to Margherita Mazzei’s sexpot beachwear to D’Alessandro’s wedding whites finale. “Tonight, we’re able to bring a piece of the homeland to the U.S.,” gushed Giovanna Martana, councilwoman for small business and tourism for the region. But what was with the occasional French tune as models strutted their stuff? “Naples is an international city,” Martana laughed. That may explain one of the lines that was named “La Parisienne a Capri.”
EAGLE LANDS: American Eagle opened a new flagship store in Union Square last Wednesday night — with a little help from Nick Lachey, Tori Spelling, Adrian Grenier, Carson Kressley, Karolina Kurkova and Rosario Dawson. The celebs presented awards to the six winners of American Eagle’s “Live Your Life” contest. Inspired by American Eagle’s new advertising campaign, “Live Your Life,” teens and young adults participated in a nationwide contest promoting the idea of aiming high, living large and achieving more. The winners were chosen from 6,000 entries and were granted $25,000 to pursue their philanthropic aspirations. Party-goers rocked out to live music courtesy of hipster band Louis XIV and Nicole Richie’s betrothed, DJ AM. The 10,000-square-foot, bi-level Union Square location is the third flagship Tori Spelling, Adrian Grenier and here, joining the 34th Street and Rosario Dawson at the American WWW.ETIENNEAIGNER.COM SoHo locations. Eagle store opening. 30 WWD, MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2005 WWD.COM Miami Fashion Week Grows, Indie Trade Event Bows MIAMI BEACH — Hoping to cap- ture some of the buzz from Adds Programs and Venues IMG’s swim event, the Inde- pendent Fashion Trade Show MIAMI BEACH — Miami Fashion Week of the Americas has a premiered here last month. touch of the seven-year itch. Held each year in May, the event to Ecco Domani Fashion Foun- showcase international designers is straying into new territory. dation and MAC, among others, At its most recent effort, Sobol Fashion Productions, the South sponsored the two-day event at Florida-based producer of Miami Fashion Week, launched the trendy Sanctuary Hotel. The CityStyle, a multicultural lifestyle show of brands such as Reebok, property’s lush, open courtyard, Sean John Collection and Apple Bottoms. Based on the reception to intimate suites, restaurant and that show, Sobol plans to expand CityStyle to two days next year and spa set it apart from typical to replay Miami Fashion Week shows on giant flat-screen TVs in pi- trade show venues. azzas of five Italian cities. It also will launch the Miami Moda & “It’s sort of like the ‘-scope’ art Music Awards, a separate, red-carpet awards night during Miami fair for the fashion realm,” said Fashion Week that will be televised with fashion shows and musical co-founder Karelle Levy, who performances on NBC Telemundo. Also launching next April is The also designs and owns the edgy Evening Show, an after-five women’s wear resource event that will knitwear lines Krel and Krel- take place in New York. wear in Miami. (The -scope fair In the U.S., there are only a few hotel events with limited ven- features emerging artists and is dors dedicated to the after-five market, according to Beth Sobol, held in various hotels around the president of Sobol Fashion Productions. country in such cities as New “It’s a specific area, but it hasn’t been developed yet,” she said. York, Miami, Los Angeles and the “We plan to show many lines from moderate to designer price Hamptons on Long Island.) points and anything else falling under the after-five category,” More than 20 Miami-based Sobol said she’s used to covering new ground. “We were the contemporary clothing and ac- first to organize a fashion week in Miami and the first to put up cessories designers, ranging from fashion tents on the beach.” established brands like Eberjey The Miami event has grown from 25 clothing and accessories lingerie to avant-garde upstarts designers from 14 countries, primarily in Latin America, to 40 de- like Cardiac, were among the 500 signers from 18 countries in Asia, Europe and Latin America. attendees. Bonnie Engelstein, Sobol said there’s been more European interest, and two Russian who shops New York and Los designers participated this year, a first for the country. Angeles shows with similar direc- “Europeans want to reach the Latin American market, so they’re tions as the owner of Chroma coming to Miami,” she said. boutique in Miami Beach, said it This year, judges — who included Latin TV personalities and reminded her of a small D&A. the director of the fashion department at Miami International “For a first show, it’s so ele- University of Art & Design — selected Missair, an Argentine gant and well done. Other retail- Cardiac Orangia leather handbag line, as the winner of the Diamond Award for ers and vendors should travel KAPONE PHOTOS BY best accessories. Manish Arora, a designer from India known for here for it,” she said. Engelstein ticipate next time,” she said, American markets such as colorful, embroidered silk, received the Designer Choice Award. ordered Cardiac’s one-of-a-kind wearing her garden dress in Accessories Circuit and the Pool As the special guest and recipient of the Designer of the Year dresses and skirts in mixed paisley cotton with a pom-pom- show, said she opened six new Award, Milan-based Roberta Scarpa closed the event with tai- media, tops decorated with embellished bodice for $155 local accounts. “This show is lored suits, skirts and jackets in rich fabrics. Rorschach ink blots and madras wholesale from the spring 2006 worth the information exchange Designers attended seminars by The Mix Global Color Bermuda shorts with a punk collection. alone for Miami designers,” said Resource, a color forecasting company in London, and Peclers flair. The line, selected for Gen Citrine by the Stones, a jew- Stone. Paris, a trend forecasting firm in Paris. “It’s great to give designers Art Miami’s “Fresh Faces in elry company, introduced its Levy and partner Paulina opinions from two worldwide companies,” said Sobol, who also in- Fashion” show in 2005, whole- “Coins of the World” collection Orrego plan to produce three troduced them to business practices through a trade attorney, sales from $37 to $950. of distressed metals mixed with shows annually in conjunction wealth management expert and eveningwear sales representative. Theresa Turchin, designer of garnet, citrine or smoky topaz. with other fashion events, such “These designers are really looking to do business in the U.S.,” Raiza clothing and accessories, Bestsellers were a convertible as Funkshion: Fashion Week she added. with 55 U.S. accounts, said she belt and necklace, and cuffs or Miami Beach, in October, or The next Miami Fashion Week is scheduled for May 6-10, while received a lot of press interest, bangles with dangling coins. Trafik Tradeshow, which makes CityStyle will run May 12-13. including a TV spot on the local Designer Michelle Stone, who its Miami debut next March. — Rebecca Kleinman ABC affiliate. “I’ll definitely par- participates in multiple North “Designers including Lazaro Hernandez from Proenza Schou- ler and Esteban Cortazar are from Miami. We want the fashion industry to know there’s even more talent here,” Levy said. — R.K. WWD, MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2005 31 WWD.COM Financial Weekly Stock Index 52-WEEK VOLUME AMT HIGH LOW P/E (00’S) LAST CHANGE WWDCOMPOSITE STOCK INDEX VS. S&P 500 RETAILERS 74.10 27.42Abercrombie Abercrombie & & Fitch Fitch 28.9 49810 72.05 0.29 35.46 25.31Aéropostale Aeropostale 19.7 58593 29.85 -1.72 34.04 14.78American American Eagle Eagle 19.5 82539 32.95 -0.25 27.80 19.98Ann Ann Taylor Taylor 38.6 23813 25.77 -0.09 30.97 7.63Bebe Bebe 47.9 27652 28.46 -0.11 3.59 1.20Bluefly Bluefly - 6384 1.61 0.17 S&P 500 21.90 10.62Bon-Ton Bon-Ton 16.2 2838 21.63 0.88 44.08 17.42Burlington Burlington Coat Coat 16.5 5774 41.03 0.63 18.53 10.90Caché Cache 27.0 8904 17.84 -0.66 22.27 13.35Cato Cato 18.3 4067 21.16 -0.33 21.00 8.84Charlotte Charlotte Russe Russe 42.8 13129 14.69 -0.31 12.25 6.23Charming Charming Shoppes Shoppes 20.4 49694 11.73 -0.07 40.39 16.91Chico’s Chico's FAS FAS 47.1 73853 40.11 0.21 52.94 16.77Children’s Children's Place Place 30.5 31066 45.70 -0.94 31.60 19.31CVS CVS 25.9 155497 31.03 0.61 31.35 22.05Deb Deb Shops Shops 16.6 2813 24.00 -6.00 28.60 18.30Dillard’s Dillard's 18.8 20822 22.86 -0.79 WWD COMPOSITE STOCK INDEX 22.80 17.69Dollar Dollar General General 19.5 93043 20.32 0.11 24.93 15.19Dress Dress Barn Barn 22.1 14731 24.38 1.13 59.21 30.78eBay eBay 60.0 912903 41.78 0.76 35.25 23.68Family Family Dollar Dollar 18.9 31825 25.80 0.27 77.25 42.80Federated Federated 18.5 85692 75.87 0.12 29.95 19.98Foot Foot Locker Locker 14.7 62329 25.00 -1.21 23.75 18.12Gap Gap 16.9 133458 21.11 -0.25 11.10 6.75Goody’s Goody's 43.4 3761 7.74 -0.02 12.45 3.85Gottschalks Gottschalks 25.7 969 11.40 0.04 23.56 11.58Guess Guess 27.2 25437 23.40 2.40 4/29 5/13 5/27 6/10 6/24 7/1 7/15 7/29 2.64 0.95Harold’s Harold's Stores Stores - 91 1.69 -0.01 23.49 13.85Hot Hot Topic Topic 21.0 107345 17.04 -0.41 57.99 34.03J.C. J.C. Penney Penney 22.2 75654 56.14 -1.44 58.90 43.70Kohl’s Kohl's 25.5 102391 56.35 -0.60 27.89 18.65Limited Limited Brands Brands 17.9 97536 24.38 0.68 WWDSTOCK INDEX DIPS 0.2% 41.44 23.04May May Dept. Dept. Stores Stores 25.4 59048 41.05 0.05 19.24 11.58Mothers Mothers Work Work 30.4 1250 12.70 -0.10 NEW YORK — The WWD Composite Stock Index declined slightly, falling 0.2 percent last week as oil topped off at 100.98 49.52Neiman Neiman Marcus Marcus 20.2 10158 98.50 0.25 24.41 14.76New New York York & & Co. Co. 50.9 8867 23.54 -0.70 $61 a barrel on Friday. 37.46 18.03Nordstrom Nordstrom 24.1 88643 37.01 -0.13 The index fell to 1,195.58 from 1,198.53 in the prior week as the broader S&P 500 gained 0.04 percent to 1,234.18. 29.05 17.64Pacific Pacific Sunwear Sunwear 17.2 99100 24.39 1.11 For most of the week, trading in the retail sector was light. But there were resonating market rumblings: 46.88 33.86Regis Regis 30.2 7854 41.76 -0.19 Federated Department Stores Inc. dropped a bombshell, saying it would rename 330 doors of May Department Stores 14.34 6.02Retail Retail Ventures Ventures - 30508 13.79 0.04 31.37 20.95Ross Ross Stores Stores 22.7 64223 26.50 -0.23 Co. to Macy’s while divesting 68 properties, beginning in 2006. 21.46 11.61Saks Saks 46.2 73577 21.22 1.55 The closures are about 15 to 18 163.50 61.76Sears Sears 12.6 85171 154.60 -5.02 more than most retail analysts had 26.70 14.78ShopKo ShopKo 16.0 7840 25.45 0.25 48.11 31.22Stage Stage Stores Stores 15.3 4781 44.17 -1.24 expected, and the announcement 26.47 13.71Stein Stein Mart Mart 22.2 5058 22.69 -0.23 also occurred much earlier than Wall 15.80 9.50Syms Syms 72.9 268 15.03 -0.12 Street anticipated. 34.91 24.11Tal Talbotsbots 19.3 19538 34.17 0.80 60.00 40.03Tar Targetget 26.9 133884 58.75 -0.35 About two weeks ago, when May 25.96 20.64TJX TJX Cos. 18.8 103252 23.51 -0.69 and Federated shareholders approved 8.50 1.79United United Retail Retail Group Group - 2521 7.71 -0.38 the merger of the two companies, bank- 62.96 25.88Urban Urban Outfitters Outfitters 49.2 53476 60.71 -1.89 57.89 46.20Wal- Wal-MartMart 20.0 340197 49.35 -0.19 ing and investment sources had specu- 7.04 0.69Wet Wet Seal Seal - 46507 6.20 0.33 lated that Federated would announce 7.22 2.44Wilsons Wilsons Leather Leather 5.6 4698 6.93 -0.07 45 to 50 store closures once the deal 34.28 24.59Zale Zale 15.9 8537 34.00 0.00 VENDORS was wrapped up, which is scheduled to 56.31 41.61Alberto Alberto Culver Culver 26.2 35555 45.12 1.90 be sometime in the third quarter. 46.25 30.73Avon Avon 16.1 309836 32.71 1.71 But in a research note from Dana 26.76 17.56Benetton Benetton 26.1 289 19.84 0.21 37.87 23.08Cherokee Cherokee 17.5 2364 35.69 -0.31 E. Cohen, equity analyst at Banc of 36.30 17.99Coach Coach 37.5 116059 35.11 -0.84 America Securities LLC, industry sources 62.18 41.90Columbia Columbia Sprtswr Sprtswr 13.5 25923 50.84 2.34 believed that management at the de- 26.50 19.16Elizabeth Elizabeth Arden Arden - 3144 24.09 0.12 partment store giant was looking to 47.50 36.84Estée Estee Lauder Lauder 21.6 44558 39.14 0.89 May Department Stores Co. announced it would rename 330 stores Macy’s. 32.37 18.90Fossil Fossil 17.6 19870 23.79 0.14 shutter at least 65 stores. The retailer, 11.76 5.69G-III G-III 77.1 801 11.37 0.74 sources said, wanted to make an announcement sooner rather than later as a way to expedite the FTC review of the merger. 43.20 34.90IFF IFF 18.7 28804 37.92 0.52 On Thursday, Federated did just that, which surprised some. In a note on Friday from Deborah Weinswig, equity 21.80 11.32Inter Inter Parfums Parfums 25.0 1343 19.79 -0.13 37.80 29.07Jones Jones Apparel Apparel 12.9 48231 30.57 -2.56 analyst at Citigroup Smith Barney, the divesting of the stores was “more than the 50 we anticipated, as we had as- 41.13 23.75Kellwood Kellwood 11.5 28023 24.31 -3.78 sumed [Federated] would operate more malls with duplicate locations,” Weinswig said. “Also, we were surprised by 35.29 24.66Kenneth Kenneth Cole Cole 18.8 16846 29.77 -5.01 the number of Macy’s stores included in the company’s store divestiture plans.” 43.82 34.15Liz Liz Claiborne Claiborne 14.0 39200 41.61 -0.53 5.08 2.67Mossimo Mossimo 22.4 742 4.70 0.24 Weinswig said the closings represent about $2 billion in lost sales, but added that her 2006 pro forma earnings 19.80 12.99Movado Movado 18.6 4489 19.32 0.18 per share estimate of $6.10 “remains intact based on our belief that [Federated] will utilize aftertax proceeds of 92.43 68.61Nike Nike 18.3 91501 83.80 -2.83 $709 billion from the divestitures for share repurchases in 2006.” 48.62 33.34Oxford Oxford 17.3 3449 47.01 -0.59 24.65 18.20Perry Perry Ellis Ellis 10.6 2011 24.04 0.07 Regarding the future of Lord & Taylor, Weinswig said “there is a possibility for the division to be sold in a single 35.06 17.56Phillips-Van Phillips-Van Heusen Heusen 17.7 17976 33.90 0.12 transaction, which we value to be in the range of $797 million to $937 million, aftertax.” 49.98 31.83Polo Polo Ralph Ralph Lauren Lauren 26.3 17245 49.24 -0.27 Shares of Federated closed down 0.49 percent on Friday to $75.87. 18.12 9.63Quiksilver Quiksilver 21.0 51749 16.79 0.51 46.30 31.75Reebok Reebok 12.0 35953 42.30 -1.14 Meanwhile, there was increasing buzz last week that the back-to-school season is off to a strong start. Retailers had 3.88 1.96Revlon Revlon 123.3 53108 3.74 0.41 rolled out some b-t-s looks in mid-July, which is earlier than normal. The response from consumers was positive, and sev- 21.84 16.15Russell Russell 12.3 7949 18.92 -0.47 eral analysts are now expecting second-quarter margins to be stronger as the b-t-s goods are selling at fuller price points. 4.00 0.71Tarr Tarrantant - 8452 3.70 0.29 14.35 8.47To Tommymmy Hilfiger Hilfiger 11.3 6094 13.32 -0.43 Still, there are some heavy markdowns in the market right now. Mark Montagna, equity analyst at Wells Fargo 18.25 0.65Tr Trueue Religion Religion Apparel Apparel 46.6 38586 16.95 -0.55 Securities, said in a research note about Gap Inc. last week that there seems to be a “high level of promotional ac- 61.61 46.99VF VF Corp. Corp. 13.0 19261 59.04 -2.17 tivity in stores and our belief that the new arrivals in both the women’s and the men’s divisions are subpar.” 25.84 17.57Wa Warnacornaco 21.2 7412 24.35 -0.35 Montagna expects Gap to post a 1 percent same-store sales gain for July. He maintains a “hold” rating on the stock. Speaking of soft comps, Hot Topic Inc. said on Thursday that it was lowering its second-quarter earnings guid- ance as a result of weak comp-store sales. Same-store sales through the period ending July 27, decreased about 5 Weekly % Changes percent from the same period last year. As a result, the company currently estimates that net income for the second WWDStock Market Index (ending July 29) quarter 2005 will be approximately 2 to 4 cents per diluted share. The City of Industry, Calif.-based retailer, which appeals to a more alternative teen crowd, has struggled to find its footing this year in the midst of strong, feminine fashion trends — such as bohemian and preppy looks — that have Largest Gainers Close Change overshadowed its darker, more rock- and punk-inspired fashions. In June, the company that 18 months ago was red hot Revlon 3.74 12.31 and reporting double-digit comp-store sales gains, announced that comp-store sales though June 20 had decreased 4 Bluefly 1.61 11.81 percent from the same period last year. Its strong suit, however, has always been its music-related categories, which Composite: Retailers: Vendors: 1195.58 1168.94 1332.36 Guess 23.40 11.43 chief executive office Betsy McLaughlin said in a statement, continue to be a ray of light in otherwise lackluster sales. Tarrant 3.70 8.50 “Our Hot Topic sales trends in July have been disappointing,” said McLaughlin. “While the music-related cate- Saks 21.22 7.88 gories have remained strong and are producing positive comps, the comp-sales trends in men’s apparel, women’s apparel and accessories have remained negative and are below our expectations.” McLaughlin also said that even with an increase in promotional activity this year, the company was still seeing de- Largest Losers Close Change -2.95 -2.64 -4.99 creases in early b-t-s markets, and a more accurate gauge of b-t-s sales would not be apparent until the end of August. Deb Shops 24.00 -20.00 “Our previous sales and earnings guidance for the second quarter assumed continued strength in music along Kenneth Cole 29.77 -14.40 with improvement in two of the three negative comp categories,” McLaughlin said. “Given the early results, we are Kellwood 24.31 -13.46 revising our earnings guidance for the quarter to reflect current trends. We will not have a true understanding of our Jones Apparel 30.57 -7.73 back-to-school business until late August.” Index base of 100 is keyed to Aeropostale 29.85 -5.45 Hot Topic currently operates 628 Hot Topic stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico and 100 Torrid stores. closing prices of Dec. 31, 2002. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz and Michelle Dalton Tyree 32 WWD, MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2005 WWD.COM Wal-Mart Seeks Fresh Apparel Lineup
Tools of the trend office. Lisa Waltuch, trend office director. PHOTOS BY ZACH SECKLER PHOTOS BY PHOTOS BY ZACH SECKLER PHOTOS BY
Continued from page one The need to get apparel right has only monetary commitment to constantly try to spotted on a trend-scouting trip to St. Tropez Walton’s maxims — de rigeur in Wal-Mart of- intensified. Pressured by rising fuel costs push that big rock.” to make it onto Wal-Mart’s sales floor. fices — through vinyl typography on the walls. and stagnant general merchandise sales, But Christian Davies, creative direc- Wal-Mart will have “a smattering of The trend office space is, in essence, Wal-Mart this year missed its first-quarter tor with Cincinnati-based retail design longer lengths” by holiday and a full pres- Wal-Mart’s brand interpreted in contem- earnings, something that has happened consultant FRCH, said a trend office can ence in spring ’06, Waltuch said. Target porary style. That’s the sensibility Waltuch only one other time in its history. The re- take Wal-Mart only so far. has already been selling long camisoles and Celia Clancy, vice president of strategy tailer’s U.S. store division’s June results, “If you’re going to credibly sell fashion, since May. for apparel and home product develop- showed a 4.6 percent comp store sales having a trend lab in New York is just the Wal-Mart’s trend team has had suc- ment, want to bring to the clothing. gain, a marked improvement, but the re- tip of the iceberg,” he said. “They are lack- cesses. This spring its “Gotta Have It” “We wanted it to have a design sensibil- sult was bettered by Target’s 9 percent ing in the store experience — you’re not package, which focused on preppy looks, ity while still staying true to Wal-Mart’s comp-store increase. The rival’s success seeing a seasonal point of view; you’re not has performed well. In-store, the presen- discount identity,” Waltuch said. has reverberated throughout Wal-Mart. seeing reasonable lighting, decent fitting tation was bright, pretty and clean. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has been trying to “I haven’t been in a Target store for rooms or displays that style outfits.” “The merchants are very pleased,” fix apparel, in one form or another, for a about the last three hours,” Michael Duke, In practice, the trend office functions Clancy said. “The skirt business has been decade. The world’s largest clothing re- Wal-Mart Stores president and chief exec- as many others along Seventh Avenue do. very, very good. We could have had a lot tailer has struggled to balance its stable utive officer, joked at a William Blair ana- Waltuch and consultants travel the world, more.” sellers with enough new styles, and to lysts conference on June 21 when asked if taking photos and purchasing garments The office also is considering how to im- create presentations that were low priced he paid attention to the competition. that will inspire styles sold at Wal-Mart. prove the store experience. Wal-Mart has but didn’t look cheap. Rival Target Corp. Clancy and Waltuch have adopted They create trend storyboards, and hired regional merchandisers to ensure that has been lauded for a snappy sensibility Target’s parlance, speaking about creat- kick off each season by hosting the apparel displays are properly set up and that extends from apparel to home decor. ing a unified design perspective and Bentonville product development team. maintained. It’s the kind of housekeeping For the past 17 consecutive months, products that satisfy “wants and needs.” There are more than 200 staffers han- that Wal-Mart has typically not spent money same-store sales of Target have outpaced Target uses in-store signs that identify dling design, fit, packaging and quality on, but cleanliness is one of Duke’s major Wal-Mart (not including Sam’s Club). “wants” (discretionary purchases such as control at Wal-Mart’s headquarters, but initiatives to improve comp-store sales. The trend office is on the vanguard of handbags) and “needs” (commodities only a few travel to New York for trend Remodeled apparel departments, Wal-Mart’s attempt to change. such as paper towels). presentations and field trips to iconic re- which include simulated wood flooring “At Wal-Mart, we must have the courage “They were obsessed with Kohl’s for a tailers such as Henri Bendel. instead of carpet and a uniform fixture to be contemporary,” is the mantra from while, and now they’re looking hard at The difference between Wal-Mart’s grid, have been well received, said Claire Watts, executive vice president for Target, because Target is enjoying trend office and others is one of scale. Each Clancy, who lead the redesign. Since apparel, home and product development. stronger comp-store sales increases com- season, Wal-Mart needs to find styles that 2003, when the format bowed, about one- She oversees the trend office and has been pared to them,” said Richard Hastings, a could appeal to millions of women. About third of the stores have been renovated, a one of its important backers. retail analyst with Bernard Sands. 110 million customers visit a Wal-Mart each Wal-Mart spokeswoman estimated. “We should be right in step with Gap and A.G. Edwards analyst Bob Buchanan week, and nine out of 10 U.S. households “What’s interesting is that the cus- American Eagle,” said Waltuch, describing said Wal-Mart has been “decidedly dull on shop the retailer annually, according to a tomers perceive the product is higher the Bentonville, Ark.-based retailer’s aspi- the sales floor. They’ve been losing cus- recent Smith Barney research note. quality in that setting,” Clancy noted. rations to serve up “fashion basics” that tomers to Target, and it’s tough to get “The key is, is it new enough? Is it ex- Evaluating the trend office’s contribu- capture the essence of each season. them back.” citing enough? And is it not so new that we tion is difficult. Wal-Mart does not break Clancy described the office’s role as The trend office on Fifth Avenue, near can’t commit to buying a lot?” Clancy said. out its apparel sales, and it closely “looking at everything from blue-sky pro- the Empire State Building, is crucial for Wal-Mart has been burned by being guards the specifics of its results. posals on how to positively impact the Wal-Mart to compete with Target in ap- too fashionable. In 2003, Clancy recalled, Waltuch said 25 percent of Wal-Mart’s shopping experience to new brand parel. Opened in October 2003, it is a it took heavy markdowns after puzzling apparel shoppers are spending more this launches to how we stand for items in the symbol of the retailer’s commitment to shoppers with embellished khurta tops. year than they did a year ago, according middle of the fashion pyramid.” understanding and being a long-term At times, there are communication to internal data. June’s 4.6 percent same- Driven by trend office research, the player in fashion. gaps between Manhattan and Bentonville. store sales gain in the U.S. store division $285 billion retailer is organizing its pri- The company is shifting from “being “We suggest things sometimes the buy- was led by better performance from gen- vate label brands around consumer Bentonville-centric,” said Clancy, a Boston ers are wary of,” said Waltuch, a Stanford eral merchandise categories, including lifestyles instead of a price-dictated native with a bachelor’s degree from University grad who began her Wal-Mart apparel. “good, better, best” arrangement. The Wellesley College. “Slowly but surely, we’re career with the Brisbane, Calif.-based Web But it’s unclear whether Wal-Mart has goal is to reduce duplication among the opening up and getting voices in impor- team. “We are reinventing our process to fixed its old bugaboo: persuading women lowest-priced items and free up floor tant, strategic areas.” be much more understandable. We are who haven’t bought its apparel to try it. space for new properties. Steven Hoch, director of the Jay H. specifying which are emerging trends ver- Mandy Putnam, vice president with Analysis of internal data has allowed Baker retailing initiative at the University sus other kinds of trends. We are providing Columbus, Ohio-based Retail Forward, Wal-Mart to profile customers it could of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of a much more focused color card.” said Wal-Mart’s “share of preference”— serve better. One such consumer is a Business, sees the trend office as a smart The challenges extend beyond commu- respondents who listed Wal-Mart as the “fast misses’” shopper, a style-seeking defensive move. nication. Trends promoted by Waltuch’s place they buy most of their clothes — has woman over age 25 that the retailer be- “They are fighting an uphill battle be- team are then reinterpreted by product been stable at about 20 percent this year. lieves is hungry for updated merchan- cause of the ubiquity of their locations, developers, bought by Wal-Mart’s mer- A.G. Edwards’ Buchanan said the suc- dise. It also wants to whittle down lead their demographics and because of the chants and funneled through a global cess of the trend office rests on its ability time — now six months — and bolster large amount of apparel they need to sourcing network. It’s a cumbersome to be persuasive with Bentonville. “I think contemporary careerwear label George sell,” he said. “[Fashion is] a battle by def- process in a business that rewards agility. it’s great to have a New York office,” he by working directly with the U.K.-based inition they can’t win, but it’s important For instance, it will take almost three said. “As long as they listen to what that of- George Global design team. that Wal-Mart make the managerial and years for the long camisoles Waltuch first fice is saying.’’ Season Premiere.
WWDWeekend
Special Edition: September 10 AND KEITH SMITH MITRA ROBERT Close: August 24
From the first peek inside the tents to the glamour of the people, parties
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For more information, contact Ralph Erardy, senior v.p. group publisher, at 212-630-4589, or your WWD sales representative. WWDMediaWorldwide® 34 WWD, MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2005 WWD.COM Rough Patch for French Dept. Stores La Mer Hosts ‘Housewives’ Party LOS ANGELES — If most By Robert Murphy Eva Longoria, women are desperate to Teri Hatcher and PARIS — With the closing of one get their hands on a pot Candace Bushnell. of its landmarks, France’s de- of Crème de la Mer, it partment stores are weathering should come as no sur- a season of turbulence com- prise to see five of the six pounded by an economy trou- “Desperate Housewives”
bled by high unemployment and DOMINIQUE MAITRE PHOTOS BY at Tuesday’s cocktail weak consumer spending. party here for the Estée La Samaritaine, the LVMH Lauder-owned skin care Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton- brand’s new 21-day treat- owned department store over- ment, called Essence. SARDELLA/WIREIMAGE.COM DONATO PHOTO BY looking the River Seine, has told But even for La Mer workers it would stay shut as long president Lynne Greene, as six years because it would be a who admitted she does- fire hazard to stay open. n’t watch the hit Sunday series as reli- Management has pledged to giously as the rest of the country, the “maintain” the contracts of its sight of Eva Longoria, Teri Hatcher, 750 employees through October Nicollette Sheridan, Felicity Huffman 2006, while trying to find them LVMH-owned La Samaritaine is closing its landmark location. Below, a sign in and Brenda Strong — all together and work elsewhere or placing them its window explaining the closure. in the flesh in the Argyle Hotel’s Tower in new positions in the French Bar — had her mesmerized. luxury group. “We want to celebrate Essence on La Mer Analysts said the shutdown the West Coast after such a successful Essence would be but a ripple on the bot- party in New York at Tina Brown’s tom line of LVMH. The conglom- home,” said Greene, referring to an East Coast launch event last erate had sales of 12.6 billion month for the brand’s newest product, which is contained in a euros, or $15.7 billion at average very space-age-like tube system and boasts a ticket price of $2,100. exchange, last year. “We had wonderful women there,” added Greene, “and this But it is almost certain to one has also turned out amazingly.” Indeed, actors Geena Davis breed unrest in a country noto- and Kyle MacLachlan, TV series creator Darren Star and newly rious for its social protests. appointed “Dateline” correspondent Julie Moran turned out for Paris’ Socialist mayor, Bertrand the glam party of 75. The West Coast event also promoted the Delanoe, got involved last newest novel by Candace month by promising his support Bushnell, “Lipstick Jungle.” to save jobs. And the workers’ BEAUTY BEAT And Bushnell was on hand to committee at another LVMH- clink champagne flutes with owned department store, Le her Hollywood fans. Copies of the book filled goody bags, along Bon Marché, said it had filed a with a small pot of La Mer moisturizer and La Mer lip balm. complaint because of a lack of “The book put me in such a good mood, because the women management transparency, were powerful and determined but also really nice to one anoth- questioning how LVMH would er,” enthused Willow Bay, who hosted the evening with husband relocate its workers from the Bob Iger, president and chief operations officer at Disney. Samaritaine to Le Bon Marché. So what really brought the “Housewives” out in force? “Bob There also has been upheaval stores have suffered against the works appears to be best made us come,” joked Longoria. “Actually, it was Candace. I’m a at other department stores in rival fast-fashion chains such as from a security and technical big supporter of any creative, strong women, and Candace really France weakened by competi- Zara and Hennes & Mauritz. point of view.” opened the door for shows like ‘Desperate Housewives.’” tion with fast-fashion chains. “These types of specialized The closing derails LVMH’s But Sheridan may have tipped their collective hand. When Galeries Lafayette, which op- retailers are faring best this plans to transform the asked if she used La Mer, she immediately offered her allegiance erates its flagship on the year as a whole,” said Genis, Samaritaine, which it acquired to Nu Glow, boisterously teasing co-star Hatcher as she slathered Boulevard Haussmann in Paris, adding that fast-fashion sales in in 2000, into a new luxury hub. a spoonful of cream on the back of her hand from a large jar of La recently shuttered five of its France were up about 3 percent Over the last five years, Mer being passed around on a silver tray. stores in the French provinces be- this year. LVMH has invested some 50 mil- “If you’re good,” cried Sheridan, “maybe they’ll give you a pot!” cause they weren’t making money. French consumer confidence lion euros, or $51.4 million at — Rose Apodaca Meanwhile, Galeries was divided fell 0.2 percent in the second the average exchange rate for by a bitter takeover fight between quarter of the year as spending that period, to revamp its image its two founding families — the power dwindled and unemploy- while taking it more upscale. Alberto-Culver Profits Up 3.7 Percent Moulins and the Meyers — which ment persisted at more than 10 Despite the gloomy environ- NEW YORK — Alberto-Culver Co.’s third-quarter income for the peri- the Moulins won by teaming with percent, according to Insee, a ment, stores are fighting back. od ended June 30 gained 3.7 percent to $53.4 million, or 57 cents a di- French bank BNP Paribas. national tracking firm. They are trying to attract cus- luted share, from $51.5 million, or 56 cents, in the same year-ago peri- Down the street at La Samaritaine’s troubles tomers by offering more luxury od. Sales climbed 9.2 percent to $898.9 million from $823.2 million in Printemps, which is owned by started in February when Paris goods and creative fashion, two the quarter. Its brands TRESemmé, Alberto V05 and St. Ives led the luxury conglomerate PPR, inspectors said the store’s intri- sectors in which they think fast- growth. For the nine months, income jumped 62 percent to $151.9 takeover rumors have surfaced cate Art Nouveau structure, fashion chains can’t match them. million, or $1.63 a diluted share, from $93.8 million, or $1.02, last year. regularly since the beginning of which Emile Zola wrote about For instance, Galeries Sales increased by 9.1 percent to $2.63 billion from $2.41 billion. the year. PPR, which also owns in his 19th-century novel about Lafayette in September plans to — Amy Choi Gucci Group, has denied it is shopping, “Au Bonheur des inaugurate an 8,000-square-foot seeking to sell the store because Dames,” would burn in minutes designer area, mixing brands it isn’t profitable enough. in the event of fire. such as Azzedine Alaïa and Meanwhile, BHV, an Ali Philippe de Beauvoir, the Chloé with Rochas and Lanvin. Baba-like bazaar that sells store’s president, closed it in Meanwhile, Le Bon Marché Mullins Exits Harold’s everything from hardware to June to evaluate the extent of continues to renovate its fashion sportswear, has said it will the work. floors, and Printemps is redoing NEW YORK — Hugh Mullins, cated that Snyder will receive spend 45 million euros, or $54.4 Speculation surfaced that its accessories floor at its Paris chief executive officer of $40,000 a month as acting ceo. million at current exchange, to LVMH was hiding its hand be- flagship. In September, it also Harold’s, the Dallas-based bet- Mullins has job-hopped re- revamp as it tries to stave off its cause it sought to turn the store will inaugurate a new lingerie ter-priced specialty chain, has cently, previously serving short declining sales. into a hotel or that LVMH chair- concept. resigned, according to a filing stints as ceo of St. John, and ceo Analysts said department man Bernard Arnault wanted to Fashion, particularly expen- last week with the Securities of the Neiman Marcus Stores di- stores have declined to 3 percent use the building for a private sive women’s wear, is driving and Exchange Commission. vision of Neiman Marcus Group, of the country’s total retail sales. museum of his art. LVMH de- business, executives said. Leonard Snyder was appoint- where he worked in various According to data released last nied the claims. At Printemps, for instance, ed acting ceo, until a new chief is merchandise positions through month, clothing sales at depart- Beauvoir last month outlined sales of women’s rtw are up 8 found. Snyder has been an inde- most of the Nineties. When he ment stores in France dropped 9 two possible scenarios to secure percent since January, while pendent director of the company joined Harold’s in February percent in June, one of the worst safety at the store. One, he said, store sales overall are barely since 2000 and has been a mar- 2004 as ceo, he was given an an- months for the stores this year. would shut it completely for as above flat. keting and management consult- nual base salary of $600,000 plus “The environment in France long as six years. Another “Luxury and women’s fashion ant since January 1995. He stock options. isn’t stellar,” said Christian would close sections for renova- are now the main drivers of our served as chairman and ceo of The company operates about Devismes, a retail analyst at tion while leaving portions business,” said Laurence Danon, One Price Clothing Stores Inc. 40 regular-priced stores and Natexis Bleichroeder in Paris. open for business. president of the chain’s 17 from 2001 until 2003. From 1998 does around $100 million in an- Jean-Marc Genis, director of Beauvoir said he would shut stores. “The métier has changed. to 2001, he was non-executive nual sales. retail research firm Conseil the store completely because Today, you have to be very spe- chairman of the chain and earli- Officials could not be Nationale de Sucursalistes de “the hypothesis of a complete cialized. There’s too much com- er, chairman and ceo of Lamonts, reached for comment. l’Habillement, said department closure during the duration of petition elsewhere.” an apparel chain. The filing indi- — David Moin
36 WWD, MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2005 WWD.COM London’s Liberty Goes Back to the Future
By Samantha Conti
LONDON — Liberty, the landmark London department store famed for its color-drenched paisleys and flower- print fabrics, is delving into the past to fashion its future. The store opened by the world traveler — and com- pulsive shopper — Arthur Lasenby Liberty in 1875, is undergoing a quiet revolution intended to turn Liberty into a luxury brand. The store, which until the Sixties had been synonymous with cutting-edge design in furniture, fashion and the deco- rative arts, subsequently failed to keep up with competitors Selfridges, Harrods and Harvey Nichols. It had lost its identity as a whimsical emporium that offered customers a cornucopia ranging from original Arts & Crafts furniture, to prized Persian carpets, to the latest Dries Van Noten dress. Now, however, a new management and creative team is determined to get the store humming again. “We became followers of fashion rather than lead- ers,’’ said chief executive Iain Renwick, who has been spearheading the turnaround effort since he joined Liberty in 2003. “We lost sight of who we are. People weren’t really clear why, exactly, they were coming to Liberty to shop. Now we’re letting Liberty sing again.” Renwick is a retail and marketing veteran who worked with retail guru Vittorio Radice to turn around Habitat and was chief of European marketing and com- munications at MTV. Liberty’s London flagship on the corner of Regent and Great Marlborough Streets. In September, Liberty will launch a new branded ac- TIM JENKINS PHOTOS BY cessories collection that features lost prints from the has hired a staff of her own, and she has discovered a just not into it,” De Paula said). Instead, it’s focusing on store’s archives splashed onto handbags, luggage, treasure trove of lost designs in the store’s archives in Paper, Denim & Cloth, Seven and Rogan. scarves, leather and paper stationery, and woven into Peckham, southeast London. The Liberty team has also blown the dust off the duvet covers, sheets and pillowcases. For this first season, she has pulled out a few of the store’s legendary home collection, which Renwick said Renwick has long-term plans to sell those Liberty- old prints, toyed with proportions and color schemes had become moribund. Soft furnishings bear Salman’s branded products via a string of new-generation, stand- and blown up, digitally manipulated and photographed take on the archive Liberty prints, while the furniture alone Liberty stores in key cities worldwide. the designs to create new variations. floor has undergone a renaissance — and something of “The plan is to create a monobrand from a multi- “Those small floral prints that so many people asso- a return to the days of Arthur Liberty himself. brand environment,” said Renwick, adding that the new ciate with Liberty were actually from the Thirties,” said Liberty’s passion for the contemporary design of his Liberty units will sell only the store’s branded goods. Salman, who was born in Baghdad and whose roots day led him to buy pieces by Arts & Crafts pioneers He said there are no plans to roll out cookie-cutter shine through in her approach to fashion. ”There are so Archibald Knox, William Morris and Christopher copies of Liberty’s London flagship, which was built in 1924 many prints in that archive — a lot of them from 1875 — Dresser. Those original Arts & Crafts pieces, along with in mock Tudor style and is a protected London landmark. that are far more exotic and exciting.” 20th century and one-off contemporary designs, are now “There is no big rollout planned along the lines of Saks She has chosen Ianthe, a delicate web of Art available at the store. In addition to furniture, there are Fifth Avenue, Harrods or Harvey Nichols,” Renwick said. Nouveau swirls; Hera, a peacock feather shape, and Persian rugs, folksy ceramics and crystal chandeliers, “Our goal is to reestablish Liberty as a unique, design-fo- Cristalle, an Indian Victorian floral print. For fall, she all in the eclectic, multiethnic spirit of the founder. cused company, and to build up Liberty branded goods.” will be embossing leather bags with the Ianthe designs, So far, these more subtle changes, put in place over Only about 10 percent of sales at Liberty’s London and embroidered scarves and pashminas with the other the past 18 months, have been working from a sales per- flagship, on the corner of Regent Street and Great designs, festooning them with sequins and beads. spective. For the six months to Dec. 31, 2004 (the most Marlborough Street, come from Liberty branded goods. “I’m using every sequin in sight,” Salman said during recent earnings period), sales rose 12 percent to 23.7 The aim over the next five years, Renwick said, is to in- lunch at the store. “More is more.” Last spring, as part million pounds, or $41.5 million, from 21.1 million crease that to 25 percent. of a pilot project, Salman used the prints for bikinis pounds, or $36.9 million, with a rise in all of the key By 2010, Renwick also wants to have established (“Swimwear is so NOT Liberty,” she says with a giggle), product categories of rtw, accessories and home.
Branded merchandise, beach bags and towels, designer women’s wear and the ground-floor atrium at Liberty.
Liberty as a luxury goods brand with a “clear credibility, terry cloth beach bags and even sexy nightwear. However, losses grew to 2.52 million pounds, or $4.41 an international presence, and a foot on the accelerator And while the revived prints — and new accessories million, from 2.3 million pounds, or $4.03 million, be- to expand.” By 2015, he said, he would like to see Liberty — may be the most public expression of Liberty’s new cause of increased interest charges from external bor- become a “key player” in the international luxury goods look, there are other, more subtle changes afoot. rowings. The company has since wiped out its debt by market along the lines of “a small Italian luxury brand,” The fashion department has been revamped, with a selling two of its buildings to a joint venture between rather than a big fashion house like Gucci or Burberry. new buying team, a fresh buying strategy and a more in- Great Portland Estates and the Liverpool Victoria Liberty’s expansion strategy partly resembles that of an- dividualistic spirit. Friendly Society for $127 million. other London specialty store: Harvey Nichols. Joseph Wan, “While Selfridges is sexy, gregarious and showy, Year-end results will be released in September. group chief executive of the store, eventually plans to sell Liberty is about mystique,” said Luisa De Paula, director Liberty plc is 68 percent owned by Marylebone Harvey Nichols-branded women’s wear, men’s wear, acces- of fashion, who spent more than 10 years at Selfridges be- Warwick Balfour Group plc, which is looking to divest sories, fragrances and food in branded, franchised Harvey fore joining Liberty. its stake in the store by 2007, another major reason Nichols boutiques on major shopping streets globally. De Paula said her strategy has been to lighten up the Liberty has been getting its house in order. The remain- Renwick said he has no plans to build the Liberty fashion floors and to inject some femininity into the ing 32 percent of shares is quoted on London’s AIM sec- brand on the back of the tiny flower prints for which the women’s wear floors, which had become “heavy, dark ondary market. store is famous. and intellectual.” Renwick said his strategy in bringing Liberty back to “For a long time we allowed ourselves to be defined She brought in edgy, youthful London designers Emma life was to mimic the master. by floral prints, but that’s not who we are,” he said. Cook, Jonathan Saunders and Bora Aksu and added a dash “I hope I’ve replicated what Arthur Liberty did by That explains why Liberty has spent more than one of Marc by Marc Jacobs, Issa’s colorful silk printed dresses, bringing together a group of very talented young people million pounds, or $1.75 million at current exchange and Love Life dresses made in Liberty fabrics. De Paula who have the very rare talent of being commercially fo- rate, on a new design studio, and why last year the store even put in a vintage section on the women’s designer floor. cused and creative,” he said. “It was time for us to reclaim recruited Tamara Salman, a fashion and textile design- The store also slimmed down its jeans offerings and got our birthright as a store that fuses fashion and the decora- er who has worked for Prada and Romeo Gigli. Salman rid of several brands, including Juicy (“The customer was tive arts, and allow our design heritage to resonate.” WWD, MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2005 37 38 WWD, MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2005
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488 7th Avenue (36th Street) SUNNY/LOFT-LIKE SHWRM DESIGN COORDINATOR Live/Work Luxury accessory company seeks a liaison between design & production. Wood flrs, Hi ceils, 2 baths, drmn Responsibilities include assisting design team with all aspects of the Approx. 1100SF. Immed Occ … $ 3595 SALES PLANNER development process: sourcing, spec writing, ordering materials, 212.629.8694 – MON-FRI – NO FEE communicating with NY and overseas factories. Candidate must have excellent communication skills, be highly organized and detail oriented. For Space in Garment Center The Echo Design Group is seeking a highly motivated In addition to standard document and spreadsheet software, some basic Helmsley-Spear, Inc. experience with Adobe Photoshop is required. 212-880-0414 sales planner to develop & analyze sales and stock performance for multiple brands and all distribution E-mail resume and salary requirements to: Search For Space In Garment Center channels. This position requires a person with strong [email protected] Showroom/Office/Retail - no fee www.midcomre.com analytical & computer skills, multi-task oriented and Or Call Paul 212 947-5500 X 100 detail conscious. 2-5 yrs retail planning experience Design Assistant required. Our culture encourages team spirit, hard M. Hidary and Co. seeks a Design Ass’t Showrooms & Lofts to work on infants/toddler Outerwear. work in an enjoyable way and rewards individual Freehand or Illustrator exp and ability DESIGNER BWAY 7TH AVE SIDE STREETS performance. to design embroideries/appliques a Great ’New’ Office Space Avail must. Min. 2 yrs. exp in Children’s Growing Baby Wear Co. is seeking a ADAMS & CO. 212-679-5500 Wear. Outerwear exp a plus. talented designer with a minimum of 5 Please e-mail or fax your resume to: Fax/email resume to: 212-629-8692/ years experience in Newborn, Infant SPRING STREET - SOHO [email protected] and Toddler design. Experience with 1,500 sq. ft. + partial bsmt. licensed properties and Baby industry The Echo Design Group, Inc. a plus. Please send your resume to: Dumann Realty (212) 505-6300 E: [email protected] F: (212)686-5017 Designer $150-$175k. Current exp. in E-mail: [email protected] or better contemp. handbags. Fashion Fax: (212) 967-8108, attn. Ralph Kassin www.dumann.com vision of BCBG, Donna Karan, Theory etc for dept. store market of top ACCESSORIES OPPTYS ASSISTANT licensed name. Call 973-564-9236 AGCY. DESIGNER IMMEDIATE HIRES! Rapidly growing FASHION JEWELRY HANDBAGS A leader in kids seeks expd: DESIGNER seeks a detail oriented Designer $150 to $165K. Current exp in Major Accessories Co. seeks a designer *Product Mgr-Lic stationary Major person to assist with order prep, tracking, better bras for dept store market. with experience in Jr. and dept. store retail accounts customer service and events. Must be Creative flair + some teck knowledge. markets. Proficiency in MAC, PC sys- *Planners - Hi volume computer literate with strong communi- Mdtn co. Call 973-564-9236 AGCY tems, CAD & freehand illustration req. OFFICE SPACE AVAILABLE Exp w/mass mkt. Retail link cation skills. References a must! Please Some travel. Must be able to work at a High end women’s co seeks *Designer - Licensed accessories Fax resume to: 212-741-7600 quick pace with deadline pressures. complemetory line to share space. *Graphic Artists - Backpacks, etc. Designer $150 to $165K. Current exp in Fax or email resume & salary req’s to: 501 building, window facing 7th ave. Jewelry MFG E-mail: [email protected] better bras for dept store market. 212-244-5897, attn: VP Showroom optional. Call 212-719-9127 No orders too small. Will do sample work. KARLYN FASHION RECRUITERS Creative flair + some teck knowledge. [email protected] Mdtn co. Call 973-564-9236 AGCY Quick and great quality production. Call BOOKKEEPER Designer Sidney for pricing. 212-697-8299 1 day a week. Looking for full charge OFFICE SPACE AVAILABLE Bookkeeper through general ledger. Junior Associate Small office space available. 501 build- Accounts Payable All monthly reconciliations. Should Designer Assist to $45K. Min 1-2 yrs ing, window facing 7th avenue. Use of NYC apparel mfr seeks indiv to handle have experience w/ factor statements. exp in 7-16 girls sptswr. Creating showroom optional. Call 212-719-9127 Designer all aspects of A/P: enter invoices, gen- Fax resume to Leah at (212) 730-7872 screenprints, recoloring, nailhead Major apparel company seeks individual erate checks, various special projects. designs. Adobe Illustrator reqr’d. Call to create prints and artwork from Must be well organized & work in a 973-564-9236 Jaral Fahion Agcy CAD artist $60-65K. Current exp in sketches or to tweak from existing fast paced environment. Garment exp print/artwork as well as act as liaison Patterns/Samples/Beading aplus. Salary: Mid 40’s. Please fax U4IA, Photoshop. Strong in yarn dyes, prints. Womens or mens or kidswear between design and production. Other Duplicates Cut & Sew resume: Attn: Allan 212-302-4028. Designer responsibilities include assisting de- Fast & Full Service- Production OK. 7th Ave. @ 35th Street. Call 973- 564-9236 Jaral Fashion Agency signer with concepts\lay outs, pricing Call Johnny: 212-278-0608/646-441-0950 Accounts Receivable (2) Associate Designer inquiries, creating and completing Honduras Factory Heavy chargebacks w/mass & mid Major apparel company seeks Associate product packages. Must know Illustrator Swiss Financial Services Inc. Retailers. $50-$80K. CAD Web PDM $50K. Min 1 year exp. Designer with min. 3 years experience and Photoshop. Honduras Apparel Factory, extremely in infant/toddler girls. Individual should versatile equipment & personnel, experi- Get the financial help you deserve for Accounts Payable To $45K Knowledge in bills of materials, sewing Fax resume 212-239-2766 your dream house or dream car. Other instructions, Adobe Illustrator, Midtown be able to work within design room/ enced management in place, turn key Articulate, Strong comm skills. sample room environment. Must have operation, WRAP Certified, will benefit options include: Business, Home Call Laurie 212-947-3399 large co. Call 973-564-9236 Jaral Agency DESIGNER Improvement, Personal line of credit, knowledge Illustrator and Photoshop. from CAFTA. Currently sewing knits & or e-mail [email protected] Fax resume 212-239-2766 Large, well established private label firm woven garments. Email/Fax for more info: Re-financing your mortgage. No fee. KARLYN FASHION RECRUITERS seeks experienced, talented ladies sweater [email protected] / F: 516-505-1370 low rates and quick approval. designer with excellent technical skills. Call 1-866-822-0944 CUTTER/SWEATERS Admin Since 1967 Exp’d sweater cutter for sampleroom in Must be knowledgeable in Photoshop W-I-N-S-T-O-N Ridgewood, Queens. Ability to cut first Designer/Associate & Illustrator. Great Benefits package samples from sketch as well as small Major apparel company seeks and room for Growth. APPAREL STAFFING lots. Fax res Attn: Leslie 718-456-2627 Designer/Associate with minimum 3 Please fax/email resume to DESIGN * SALES * MERCH years experience. Individual should 212 944 8409 / [email protected] ADMIN * TECH * PRODUCTION have strong athletic background and (212) 557-5000 F: (212)986-8437 be able to work within design Design Assistant room/sample room environment. -ANNA SUI- Fax resume 212-239-2766 Apparel Staffing, Ltd. 1-2 years exp. Strong creative, concep- *PRODUCTION*DESIGN*FINANCE* tual, practical design skills. Tech *TECH DESIGN*GRAPHIC DESIGN* knowledge of garment construction a *MERCHANDISING*PRODUCT DEVEL* must. Illustrator, Photoshop. Fax Designer Assoc. to $60K. Current exp. in full-fashion sweaters. JR moderate www.apparelstaffing.com resume and sal. req. to: 212 768-2358 Call Alan Wolf priced. Color Matters or Prima Vision Call: (212) 302-0216 Fax: (212) 302-1161 Design Assistant req’d. Call 973-564-9236 Jaral Agency. Major apparel company seeks experi- enced individual to act as a liaison be- tween design and production. Respon- Designer sibilities include assisting designers Fast growing women’s wear company Assembly Position with concepts/layouts, pricing inqui- seeks private label designer to develop Jewelry Co. seeks experienced person to ries and completing production packages. new dress line. Contemporary back- wire wrap & string.Full time position. Must have knowledge of Photoshop ground a big plus. Must have experience Must speak English. Fax:646-613-9088. and/or Illustrator. working in sample room. Tel:646-613-9077 x 0. EOE Fax resume 212-239-2766 Fax resume to ISABEL 212-302-3318 WWD, MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2005 39
Be part of the growth at OPERATIONS MANAGER-MID TIER FINANCE DESIGNER WELL ESTABLISHED COMPANY Warnaco Inc. The Echo Design Group a dynamic mult-division accessory WITH NEW DIVISION company based in NY is seeking an experienced Mid-Tier SR. FINANCIAL ANALYST NEEDS LAYETTE DESIGNER The Intimate Apparel Division currently has two excellent Operations Manager. This individual must manage custom WITH 2-3 YEARS DESIGN career opportunities in our Brand Marketing department. operations successfully satisfying customers from sample Leading global eyewear co. seeks EXPERIENCE. ABILITY TO CREATE PRINTS/ART A BIG development through stock deliveries. This includes manage- addition w/ in our Brand Finance ment of all purchases of stock samples, components, costing PLUS. MUST BE A TEAM MARKETING DIRECTOR team. Budgeting, forecastng, P&L, Develop and implement brand and marketing strategies, as well as insuring quality and compliance. This candidate PLAYER, CREATIVE AND collaborate with design/merchandising on new product devel- must possess strong communication skills both verbal & in variance analysis, contractual MARKET SAVVY, AND BE opment and introduction, market and promote initiatives to writing. Must be highly motivated, extremely organized analysis. 6-8 yrs. exp. w/ in con- FLUENT IN ILLUSTRATOR. sales team and retail customers as well as direct advertising detail oriented, self-starter with strong creative thinking style sumer products, Retail or Fashion PLEASE FORWARD RESUME WITH SALARY agencies, package design firms, etc. Qualifications include to deal with pressure of demanding customers and ability to pref’d. Strong Excel a must, SAP+. recognize priorities. Experience in computer technology a must. REQUIREMENTS TO Bachelor’sdegree with 8-10 years experience in product man- 265 Spagnoli Road agement. Apparel and/or consumer product experience in a [email protected] Melville, New York 11747 OR sales focused environment preferred. Demonstrated knowl- Please e-mail or fax your resume to: edge of marketing, sales and finance as well as strength in Email: [email protected] FAX TO 212-695-9624 cross-functional profit management is essential. The Echo Design Group, Inc. Fax: (631) 755-3687 E: [email protected] F: (212)686-5017 BRAND MANAGER www.marchon.com Develop and implement annual brand specific marketing plans, analyze data to support programs and initiatives, Customer Service Mgr DESIGNER develop and execute customer marketing programs includ- Branded & private label intimate Large Handbag & Backpack co. ing retail promotions and provide program assessments to apparel co seeks Mgr to coordinate seeks experienced Designer for determine most effective promotions and programs for future import, order processing, shipping lisenced character division. planning. Qualifications include a Bachelor’s degree and a & customer service. Must have Min. 3-5 years experience. minimum of 5 years marketing experience in a wholesale, excellent organizational, communica- Good salary and great benefits! retail or agency (promotional or advertising). Demonstrated tion & follow-up skills. 3+ yrs exp Fax resumes to: 212-695-7073 skills in creating a strategic advantage, driving execution, pro- in apparel industry req. Proficient in or email [email protected] gram management, application of consumer insight and Excel, Word & AS400; RLM knowl- presentation/communication. edge a plus. Excellent benefits. Junior Sales Person Send resume/salary req: Production Director/ Sales Manager Warnaco Inc. offers a highly competitive compensation [email protected] Merchandiser Two luxury manufacturers need a Leading Chinese Lace Co. seeking package as well as exciting career opportunities. Submit your strong Sales Manager that under- aJunior Sales Person for their Apparel/ Textile company seeks outgoing resume on-line at [email protected] or by fax and experienced person with profound stands high-end branded designer New York location. Prefer 2-3 years at (212) 287-8257.Allresumes will be reviewed and best fit Product Development knowledge of apparel production to act jewelry. Must have a client experience in Textile/Fashion Sales. candidates will be contacted. as liaison between sales and production. following of exclusive major Salary open w/commission; good Coordinator Must have advanced computer skills and Major apparel company seeks Product full knowledge of costing & extensive retailers and independent stores. benefits. Fax or E-mail resumes to: Development Coordinator with technical sourcing contacts. Base $80-$110K, & commission. 212-685-2784 knowledge of knits and woven athletic Fax resume to 212-695-7548 Attn: S.N. Call 212-564-6559 [email protected] performance fabrics. Candidate must [email protected] We are an equal opportunity employer M/F/D/V be highly organized and have an un- Production Sourcing Manager $100-125K derstanding of garment construction Current exp women’s woven better suits, and ability to work with overseas factories. lined jackets, some soft dressing. Must know Showroom Sales Good computer and communication fabric resources + sourcing in Far East Established Tween/Childrens showroom DESIGNER FABRIC MANAGER skills. Overseas travel essential. + WW. Call 973-564-9236 JARAL AGCY looking for highly motivated & energetic Sales Executive sales person in a multi line showroom. Private label firm seeks experienced, JONES NEW YORK INTIMATES Fax resume 212-239-2766 Large Handbag & Backpack co. talented, organized individual. Must be Division of Madison Intimate Brands Production VP Mnfctrg $150-170K. Cur- Sales experience a plus. Email resume creative and possess excellent technical Established Sleepwear Mfr., seeks rent exp in imported bras req’d. Sourcing seeks experienced Sales Exec. to: [email protected] skills. Prior experience in women’s individual expd in both wovens and Production Assistant from Far East+WW. Strong tech knwldge Min. 5-7 years experience. sleepwear and loungewear a plus. knits from Asia. Responsible to work Established children’s wear co. seeks of construction of bras. Compliance stand- Large major accounts available. SPORTSWEAR SALES DESIGN ASSISTANT with designers, overseas factories, well-organized person to assist prod ards. Q.A. 50% travel. Call 973-564-9236 Est’d Sportswear Co. seeks an energetic mills, agents; track fabric/color/print staff, must have good computer skills, High pay and great benefits! and creative sales pro w/ department & Seeks exp’d person to act as liaison specialty store following. Sal + comm. between design and production. Re- developments, lab dip/print appvls; know Excel, be detail-oriented. Fax resumes to: 212-695-7073 coordinate/ resolve production related E-mail resume to smuntean@tawil .com Purchasing & Import commensurate with exp. Fax resume to: sponsibilities include assisting designer or email [email protected] 212-764-7663 with concepts/layouts, technical specs issues. Must have excellent computer Coordinator and completing development and pro- skills, be able to communicate effec- Coordinate ordering and inbound duction packages to overseas factory. tively with overseas on a daily basis; logistics for a watch company. Includes be highly organized, detail-oriented heavy comm. With China vendors. CALLING ALL CAD DESIGNER with 3+ yrs in Sleepwear. Excellent Must be knowledgeable of shipping/import Work with designers on creating new benefits. Email resumes with Subject procedures, EDI, routing and labeling. SUPERSTARS! artwork, layouts, concepts and recolor. Header: Fabric Mgr- Your Name, to: Production Assistant Fast growing Intimate & Sleepwear Co. is Leading Childenswear Importer seeks Will also manage inventory, create/rcv Must be proficient with U4ia. Individual [email protected] P.O’s. Min. 1 yr exp. & exc. comp. & looking for a sales person with 3-5 must have good eye for color and design. an experienced production assistant. years experience. Must have department The ideal candidate will have 3-5 years comm. skills required. Salary to $50k. Retail Sales Manager Exc. benefits pkg. store or mass merchant contacts. Will All candidates should have excellent GRAPHIC ARTIST experience in import. This position in- ing to pay top money for the best. Fast-paced 8000 sq ft high-end cloth- follow-up skills, be organized Established backpack import co. seeks volves heavy follow-up with factories Send resume to: [email protected] ing store in Boca Raton, FL seeks can- and a team player. Please forward experienced Graphic Artist to create &responsibility for approval process. Email resume: [email protected] didate to manage highly motivated resume and salary requirements to: color and fashion from existing line art. Applicants must be detail oriented with Sales $150K to $200K. Current exp in up- sales team and build and expand an BOX # 1059 Must have experience with backpacks excellent communication skills and be dated mod missy dresses. Must have current established customer base. Experience 7 West 34th Street, 4th Floor and proficient in Illustrator and Photo able to work in fast paced environment. relationships w/ any of these stores. Burlington, Girls’ Dresses/Sportswear a must. Salary, commission, benefits. New York, NY 10001 -shop. Salary commensurate with ex- E-mail: [email protected] or Sears, May Co., Saks Inc, Gottchalks, Bon Ton, Est’d. Clothing Mfr. seeks strong Sales Fax resume 561-994-6333 Henry perience. Great Opportunity! Please Fax: (212) 967-8108, attn. Ralph Kassin etc. Mdtn Importer. Call 973-564-9236 Agcy Exec w/minimum of 5 years experience , Designer fax resume, attn. Kathy (212) 563-3396 to run NY showroom. Must have contacts with Major Dept./Chain/Specialty Stores. SWEATER DESIGNER Shipping Manager Please Fax resume to Ralph: 213-749-4401 Rapidly growing womenswear company GRAPHIC ARTIST $$$$$ Production Assistant NY based women’s accessory importer seeks designer for fully fashion sweaters. Proficient artist needed to create & Sweater Mfr. seeks exp’d., organized seeks shipping manager with a min of Must have knowledge of five gange recolor prints for intimates co. individual to process orders, 5yrs. exp. Must supervise in all Horizon Textiles Inc. sweaters, experience in contemporary Photoshop/Illus. follow-up on delivery, and must be aspects of shipping/receiving and have market a big plus. [email protected] bilingual in Chinese/English. exp. with shipping to specialty stores SALES POSITION: Knitted fabric and Fax resume to Carmen at 212-302-3318 Call Peter: 212-840-1313 and to major dept. stores. Must be garment packages; Domestic production extremely computer literate. Excellent and imports; fast delivery and huge stock Designer GRAPHIC DESIGNER benefits. Salary commensurate w/exp. inventory. Call Bobby at: 213-305-9151 WANTED: Fast growing contemporary company Production Assistant Fax resume to: 212-679-1080 seeks entry level graphic designer to Women’s sportswear manufacturer seeks Attn: Brian McNally Girls’ Sportswear Line INNOVATIVE DESIGNER create look books and line sheets. Must Production Assistant with experience SALES ASSOCIATE be proficient in Illustrator, Photoshop, Leading French Designer seeks moti- Trendy, est’d. 4-16 Clothing Mfr. seeks Fast growing Intimate & Sleepwear Co. is in spec garment, tech packs and con- Spec Technician representation in all regional markets. and Quark. Photography exp and photo struction. Excellent computer skills a vated, energetic, exp’d sales professio- looking for a Creative & Fun Designer. retouching a big plus. Est’d Girls/Boys Import Apparel Co. nal for its Soho Flagship Store. Excel- Must have strong relationships w/Major Must have 2-4 years experience with must. Bilingual English/Chinese a plus. seeks person w/min. 5 yrs exp. Respon. National/Regional Dept./Specialty Stores. Fax resume to Jackie 212-302-3318 Please fax resume to: (212) 391-1425 lent growth potential. Salary + Comm. intimates - bras, panties, etc. Must incl. working w/designer from inception Fax resume to: (212) 625-0553 Fax resumes to Ralph at: 213-749-4401 work well with others. Import Traffic Coord. $42-$45K. Current through production. Issue initial size Email resume: [email protected] exp. in L.C.’s, follow up bookings, specs, measuring & fitting smpls, PRODUCTION ASSISTANT grading, approving pre-prod. Smpls & SALES EXECUTIVE steamship imports, etc + data entry. Womenswear manufacturer seeks entry Bi-Lingual. Call 973-564-9236 Jaral Agcy communicate w/overseas ftys. Must be Better Junior Jeans Company seeks an DESIGN / PROD ASST. level prod assistant for fast growing comp. lit & have excellent written & aggressive, highly motivated Sales Pro private label division. Must have min 1 Mens underwear & lounge co. seeks MERCHANDISER FABRICS $90-120K commun skills. Good salary/benefits with major dept./chain store following. asst. Req: tech design, PDM packages, year exp working in imports and be pkg. E-mail res: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Denim Development & Styling computer proficient. Great opportunity sample reqsts, & tracking, use Illustra- Jennifer Glen SRI Search 212-465-8300 or Fax: (323) 581-1191 tor for flats. 1 yr+ min related exp. for growth. [email protected] Fax resume to Jackie 212-302-3318 Tech Designer Assist to 50K. Min 1 yr exp Job is located in Mineola, Long Island. web PDM + tech packages of woven Please Fax Resume & Salary range to: sptswr. Write up sewing instructions to Tom: 212-868-7575 / [email protected] Production Coordinator be sent to far east. Call 973-564-9236 Agcy Mfg. Operations Manager Visual Artiste with great excitement Mid-sized fast growing profitable family 3-5 Years Exp. Any Apparel Director /VP Sales Wal-Mart exp a must SALES EXECUTIVE and enthusiasm for the creative use of Mass Mkt., Dept., Better Specialty owned mfr./importer/wholesaler in SE TECHNICAL ASSISTANT new and vintage materials seeks a ful- [email protected] Womenswear manufacturer seeks entry Leading Childrenswear Manufacturer Mens and Womens exp A MUST MA. Seeking indiv. knowledgeable in IT is seeking an energetic and motivated filling opportunity to create exquisite [email protected] &Systems, costing, prod’n. planning, level technical assistant to assist techni- and distinctive jewelry in partnership cal designer. Must have exp. specing account executive for it’s layette and 800-544-5878 logistics, purchasing, strategic planning, baby gift division. The ideal candidate with a company that will appreciate "lean mfg.", "cut-n-sew". Report directly garments. Min 1 yr exp in imports. and compensate me well for my talents. Fax resume to Jackie 212-302-3318 will have at least three years experi- DSN DIRECTOR - LIC’D KIDSWR HI $ to CEO/owner. Min. 5 years exp./int’l. ence in the baby industry plus a strong Please contact Elise at (917) 843-7515. Maj co seeks exp’d manager w/design travel req’d. Key roll career opportunity. understanding of character licenses. bkgrd to head staff dsgnrs/artists E-mail resume: [email protected] Technical Designer This is an exciting career opportunity! A.D. FORMAN ASSOC Int’l private label mfr seeks a prof’l E-mail: [email protected] or 450 7th AVE (AGCY) 268-6123 PATTERNMAKER w/2-4 yrs exp in sleepwear. Must have Fax: (212) 967-8108, attn. Ralph Kassin Prestigious NYC apparel mfr needs knowledge of garment construction, DSNR/SR INFANTS ACCESS OPEN $ experienced patternmaker for new specing, pattern making, grading Salesperson Wanted!!! Est’d accessory co seeks creative women’s suit line. Salary commensurate Production Coordinator and fit approval process, Strong individ w/SIZZLE for diaper bags plus communication and computer skills Fast Growing Sweater Mfg. Seeks with experience. Please fax resume: Indivil. w/experience, detail oriented, Exp’d Salesperson For Junior Sweaters. Attn: Lauren B 212-302-4028 hard working & organized. Follow up essential. Fax resume & salary reqs to A.D. FORMAN ASSOC HR Mgr at 212-851-8029 or email: Please call Peter 212-840-1313 450 7th AVE (AGCY) 268-6123 for all phase products. Technical gar- ment, knowlg req. Experience of pri- [email protected] EOE M/F/D/V PATTERNMAKER/ vate label. Communicated w/overseas. EDI Assistant Fluent in Eng/Canto.Good computer Tech Spec Dsgnr to $75K. Kids Co. prfrrd, SAMPLEMAKER skills. not nec. Current exp in size specs from SALES PRO WANTED Bklyn. office seeks entry level individual Women’s Boutique seeking exp. inception w/ designers. Measuring garments, to assist EDI Mgr. w/data entry & basic Fax to 212-695-0203 Need a change? Multi-million $ L.I. based patternmaker/sample maker with min. email: [email protected] issuing grading on PC comp, make comments Promotional Products distributor seeks clerical. Excel & Word req’d. Fax/E-mail: 5yrs exp. in evening-wear and tailored on stiching + sewing instructions for tech 718-821-0108 / [email protected] Salespeople. Garment center exp. a pro- jackets. Fax or Send Resume to: packages sent abroad. Call 973-564-9236 ven +. Draw/Commission. Fax/E-mail: Fax: 718-853-1662 or 631-824-9136 / [email protected] FABRIC COORDINATOR Email: [email protected] Women’s Suiting Company in NYC Production Vice President seeks a well organized team player to Patternmaker to $105K. Current expe- rience in couture required. 1st patterns. Coordinator of Sourcing SALES REPS coordinate and follow-up on labdips, Major apparel company seeks individual Major apparel company seeks VP of sample yardage orders and sourcing For top well known NYC designer. We seek experienced sales reps to sell Call 973-564-9236 Jaral Fashion Agcy with good knowledge of production. Sourcing. Candidate should possess vast our product brands: IZOD, Cristina, with over-seas and domestic vendors. Must have wash test experience and knowledge of different factory matrix Must be able to multi-task within a Trump & others. We make boxers, Prod. Import Coord. to 65K. Current exp good organizational and communication in far East. Must be able to interface underwear, leisurewear, pajamas fast-paced environment and have 1-2 in production follow-up of all imported skills. Responsibilities include following with QC and Production Departments. years experience working with fabrics. & a line of Home Fashion products. goods from Far East+WW. Tho- rough up with factories and product develop- Manufacturing experience a plus. Better Also seeking a sales rep for Closeouts. Please fax or email resumes to Tracy: knwldg. of construction of garments, ment. Wal-Mart experience a must. garments at mass market pricing. 212-764-4599 / [email protected] Please fax resume to: (305) 932-4232 washes, tests, etc. Call 973-564-9236 Please fax resume to (212)239-2766 Fax resume 212-239-2766 or Email: [email protected]