TAKE A MEMO JEAN PAUL GAULTIER TALKS ABOUT HIS NEW A NEW BOOK COLLECTS BROOKLYN- EXHIBITION IN THE THE MEMOS FROM THE BOROUGH, AS WELL AS MADONNA, FILM AND LEGENDARY DIANA BOUND MORE. PAGE 3 VREELAND. PAGE 10 $500,000 CONTRIBUTION Ralph Boosts Initiative For NYC Manufacturing By MARC KARIMZADEH NEW YORK — Ralph Lauren has given a signifi cant boost to New York garment manufacturing. Lauren will serve as the “premier underwriter” of the new Fashion Manufacturing Initiative with WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013 ■ $3.00 ■ WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY a $500,000 contribution from Ralph Lauren Corp. to the program, which was launched last month by WWD the Council of Fashion Designers of America and Andrew Rosen in partnership with the New York City Economic Development Corp. “I was born in New York and started my business in the Garment District here,” Lauren said. “FMI serves an important role in supporting our city, our industry and gives designers the access and oppor- tunities needed to help advance their careers while Eclectic boosting manufacturing in New York. This is some- thing I’m very proud to be a part of.” The initiative’s aim is to raise funds and create grants to help existing factories in the fi ve boroughs to update equipment, acquire new machinery and train workers, for example. Ease With the contribution, Don Baum, Ralph Lauren’s Contemporary designers are striking an senior vice president, global manufacturing and sourcing, will join FMI’s selection committee, which easy-breezy vibe for spring with loose, includes Rosen, chief executive offi cer of Theory; carefree shapes worked in a mix of cheerful CFDA ceo Steven Kolb; designer Prabal Gurung; Nanette Lepore ceo Bob Savage, and Rag & Bone de- patterns. Here, Otte’s silk top and head signer Marcus Wainwright. scarf, Trina Turk’s cotton mesh tank top and Lauren made a commitment to domestic manufac- Surf Bazaar’s cotton pants. Tory Burch belt turing last year after he received some criticism for outsourcing the manufacturing of uniforms for the bag; The 2 Bandits rings and bangles; Kevia U.S. team at the London Olympics. horn cuff; HB metal cuffs; Soludos shoes. “Ralph’s leadership gift and commitment to FMI For more, see pages 4 and 5. strengthens our efforts to bring innovation and new energy to New York City manufacturing,” Kolb said. “We hope others in the industry will join us in this important initiative.” Rosen and Kolb are continuing their outreach to raise funds for the project. The NYCEDC committed SEE PAGE 9 EBay Gets Social By RACHEL STRUGATZ NEW YORK — EBay is taking a cue from the social media space. The online retail giant on Tuesday rolled out a major update of its Web site, including an eBay Today homepage, during an event at Industria Studios here. The revamp has a host of features designed to har- ness social interactions, including a personalized expe- rience that allows users to mix and match products and create collections, maintain profi les and “follow” other users and curators through a feed. The initial curators include everyone from Pharrell Williams to Chris Benz. “We’re giving people the ability to collect, share and connect with the community, and that’s impor- tant because eBay is an enormous store,” said Devin Wenig, president of eBay Marketplace. The site has 500 million items for sale at any given time. “The community and tastemakers give people a fi lter through which they can look at our inventory,” Wenig said. The site has continued to expand and innovate — from updating its logo to adding inventory and intro- ducing eBay Now’s local shipping services. The next logical step was to add social functionalities. The tools give eBay the characteristics of a social network, although commerce will remain the founda- tion of the 18-year-old online marketplace. EBay can now leverage its e-tail strength, taking what social networks do best and applying that to its PHOTO BY GEORGE CHINSEE; STYLED BY KIM FRIDAY MODEL: LAURA HALM/WILHELMINA; HAIR BY MARCOS DIEZ FOR DIAZHAIR.COM; MAKEUP BY MISUZU MIYAKE FOR NARS COSMETICS MISUZU MIYAKE MAKEUP BY DIEZ FOR DIAZHAIR.COM; MARCOS HALM/WILHELMINA;MODEL: LAURA HAIR BY SEE PAGE 8 2 WWD WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013 North America Drags Down Coach THE BRIEFING BOX This will all come to a head next businesses and regions. By ALEXANDRA STEIGRAD fall, when the first collection of “We continued to drive excel- IN TODAY’S WWD newly appointed executive creative lent growth in emerging markets NEW YORK — Coach Inc. is a director Stuart Vevers hits stores. and Europe as well as in the men’s work in progress. “ Yo u will see proof points of business and developing lifestyle The accessories·· brand is in our strategy,” said Luis, who de- categories, such as footwear,” said the midst of what it hopes is a clined to forecast when Coach’s Frankfort, who will become execu- Emmy Rossum transformation to build on what financial results would begin to tive chairman in January. in Elie Saab at has been decades of mammoth ramp up again. “We’re not going Coach said it expects the men’s the Women in growth, but it is hitting a few to call a change in trend until business, which is roughly $600 Hollywood party. bumps in the process. we see it in our North American million, to expand to about $700 For more, see page Shares of Coach fell 7.5 per- stores, so we aren’t providing any million in fiscal 2014. In three 10 and WWD.com cent to $50.10 at the end of trad- guidance. What we are seeing is years, it expects the business to hit ing Tuesday, following a less- reduced traffic, across our full- the $1 billion threshold. Footwear than-stellar first-quarter earnings price fleet especially.” is also a growing category, accord- report, in which the retailer post- For the period ended Sept. 28, ing to Francine Della Badia, presi- ed a 1.6 percent dip in income net income totaled $217.9 million, dent of North American retail. and a 0.9 percent decline in sales. or 77 cents a diluted share, com- “Footwear, which relaunched this spring in about 170 full-priced SARDELLA locations, doubled in penetration We’re not going to call a change from about 4 percent to over 8 per- DONATO cent at higher AURs [average unit BY retail] reflective of the compel- in trend until we see it in our PHOTO ling assortments,” she said. “This category performance highlights North American stores, so we our consumers’ desire for more emotional trend-right fashion Ralph Lauren Corp. will serve as the “premier underwriter” aren’t providing any guidance. product. We are seeing strong per- of the new Fashion Manufacturing Initiative with a $500,000 formance across heels, flats and contribution to the program. Page 1 — VICTOR LUIS, COACH INC. booties. We’re focused on building our market share within the frag- EBay rolled out a revamped eBay Today homepage Tuesday, As the economy slowly battles pared with year-ago income of mented, nearly $25 billion global as well as a slew of new features that harness social back, spendthrift consumers have $221.4 million, or 77 cents a share. premium footwear category.” interactions with a personalized experience. Page 1 sought out more fashion-forward Quarterly sales slid 0.9 per- Within the handbag segment, products at an affordable price. cent to $1.15 billion compared Coach touted its Borough bag, a Jean Paul Gaultier made his second trip to Brooklyn for his For the 72-year-old brand, that with sales of $1.16 billion in the new classic square tote that comes traveling retrospective that’s opening Friday. Page 3 has translated to a loss in market year-ago quarter. Analysts ex- in three sizes, in either pebbled or share to buzzier rivals such as pected earnings per share of 76 polished calfskin leather, and in The Traub family gathered Monday at Harvard Business School Michael Kors Holdings Ltd. cents on sales of $1.19 billion. different colors. The bag is at the to unveil a fellowship honoring the late Marvin S. Traub. Page 3 “One can say we were slow to In North America, quarterly center of the brand’s latest cam- respond to the evolving competi- comparable-store sales fell 6.8 paign, featuring models Karlie Two separate industry initiatives aimed at improving tive experience here in North percent, while total revenue de- Kloss and Liu Wen, both of whom building and fire safety in Bangladesh’s garment industry are America,” said president and clined 1 percent to·· $778 million. appear in print and digital ads intensifying their efforts and expanding their reach. Page 6 chief commercial officer Victor International revenue declined 0.5 wearing head-to-toe Coach looks. Luis, who will become chief ex- percent to $365 million from $367 Expressing that there’s much ecutive officer in January. “But million, due in part to a 2 percent work ahead for the brand, Luis Rosella Giuliani has joined True Religion Apparel Inc. as that is no longer the case.” dip in sales in Japan, which was called Coach’s battle a “multi- senior vice president of merchandising. Page 8 The incoming ceo told WWD exacerbated by a weak yen. Sales year” journey. that the coming months, through in China rose 35 percent, as comps As a result, the company ex- Diesel is set to launch a new online retail partnership in 2014, will prove momentous for increased at a “double-digit” rate.