The Inside: Pg. 12 HERZOG’S EPI-VIEW/5 EXPRESS TO THE 20’S/4 StoresWWD de Force WWDWomen’s Wear Daily • The Retailers’THURSDAY Daily Newspaper • July 3, 2003 Vol. 186, No. 3 $2.00 List Sportswear Chart Topper NEW YORK — MTV VJ Hilarie Burton knows music. And she’s no slouch when it comes to fashion, either. She likes Catherine Malandrino and Michel Perry, but at heart, this 21-year-old is all about jeans, a T-shirt and a sexy pair of heels. Here, at the MTV Beach House in the Hamptons, she wears Madley’s wool, silk and cashmere poncho, Rock & Republic’s stretch cotton jeans and Ugg boots. For more on Burton, see pages 6 and 7. Gucci’s De Sole Says ‘Perfect Storm’ Causes Net to Plummet 96.6% By Amanda Kaiser MILAN — Everyone thought it was going to hurt, but not quite this much. Sending a shudder throughout the luxury sector, Gucci Group stunned the market Wednesday, barely posting a net profit for the first quarter and showing a steeper- than-expected drop in sales, especially at its core Gucci brand. Still, the Italian company is hopeful that things can only get better in the second half of the year. Only a tax benefit enabled Gucci to slide into the black with a net See Gucci, Page13 PHOTO BY TALAYA CENTENO; HAIR BY BETSY REYES; MAKEUP BY KRISTI FUHRMANN; STYLED BY KIM FRIDAY KRISTI FUHRMANN; STYLED BY BETSY REYES; MAKEUP BY CENTENO; HAIR BY TALAYA PHOTO BY 2 WWDTHURSDAY Sportswear GENERAL FASHION: Hilarie Burton, at 21 already one of MTV’s most popular VJs, has ™ 6 a big year ahead. Here’s what’s on tap. Sending a shudder through the luxury sector, Gucci on Wednesday barely A weekly update on consumer attitudes and behavior based 1 posted a net profit for the first quarter and showed a steep sales drop. on ongoing research from Cotton Incorporated WWDList: The 15 high-end apparel and accessories labels with the WWD, THURSDAY, JULY 3, 2003 JULY WWD, THURSDAY, 12 greatest number of freestanding stores worldwide. SHORT AND SWEET Architect Jacques Herzog discusses his inspiration for Prada’s Epicenter The miniskirt: It’s baa-ack! 5 store in Tokyo and how Prada’s competitors are already trying to copy it. WWD will not be published on Friday, July 4, in observance of Independence Day. The customers at Sloan Boutique in Charlotte, Roi has become famous in fashionista circles for North Carolina, are of two camps: those who will, her “pouf” skirt, a skirt that is gathered, with a puffy, Classified Advertisements........................................................................15 and those who won’t… try on the store’s latest crop turned-under hem. To e-mail reporters and editors at WWD, the address is of miniskirts, that is. “I did two versions, one was a mini and the other [email protected], using the individual's name. “A lot of women come in and say they’ve one was a little longer, for evening wear,” she says. SUBSCRIPTION RATES U.S. and possessions, Retailer, daily one year, $99; Manufacturer, daily one year, $135. worn them when they were popular last time, “The mini sold and the evening version did not. I All others U.S., daily one year $195. Canada/Mexico, daily one year, $295. All other foreign (Air Speed), daily one year $595. Please allow 6-8 weeks for service to start. Individual subscription information/Single Copy Sales : (800) 289-0273; and they don’t want to wear them again,” relates think that’s an indication of where things are headed.” outside U.S. (818) 487-4526; new group subscription information 212-630-4196 Postmaster: Send address changes to WWD, P.O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA 91615-5008. Jill Sloan, co-owner, along with Roi’s summer and fall collec- WWD (ISSN #0149-5380) is published daily except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, with one additional tions also include mini suits with a issue every month except July, and two additional issues in April and August, by Fairchild Publications, Inc. sister Courtney, of the hip a subsidiary of Advance Publications Inc., 7 West 34th Street, New York, NY 10001-8191. shop. “But our younger cus- cropped, short-sleeved jacket and a WWD is a registered trademark of Fairchild Publications Inc.© 2003 by Fairchild Publications Inc., a subsidiary of Advance Publications Inc. All rights reserved. tomers are wearing miniskirts matching A-line miniskirt, a mini No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, except as may be for the first time.” flounce skirt with a thick, three- expressly permitted in writing by the copyright owner. Editorial Reprints: (212) 221-9595 Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and other offices. The miniskirt was first pop- inch waistband, and evening minis Mailed under Publications Mail Sales Agreement No. 517054. Canada Post Returns to: P.O.Box 1632, Windsor, ON N9A 7C9 GST # 88654-9096-RM 0001 Canada Publications Agreement # 40032712 ularized in the mid-1960s, in taffeta and velvet. Printed in the U.S.A. during the height of the sexual “In the past, the miniskirt was All signed articles published in the paper represent solely the individual opinion of the writer and not those of WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY. revolution, although there’s still a seen as novel, and almost risky,” For Web site access, log on and subscribe to www.WWD.com. controversy regarding whether it says Roi. “Now, it’s more of a state- “We have incorporated the was Mary Quant or Andre Cour- ment; it means you follow fashion miniskirt length into our reges who invented the short and you’re a trendsetter.” suitings, and are selling a lot skirt. It reappeared during the Wearing a miniskirt “isn’t as big of jackets with minis.” In Brief 1980s with a body-hugging ver- of a deal as it was in the past,” sion popularized by Madonna, — Rebecca Taylor affirms Connie Maynard, vice ● who paired it with lace tights and Designer president of sales, girls and juniors FLYING LOW: Even though SARS is being contained in Asia, its impact on travel there was worse in May than April, according to ankle boots. And in the 1990s, at Union Bay, where minis are cur- a research report released Tuesday by HSBC luxury analyst working-girl characters played by Heather Locklear rently the most popular skirt length. Antoine Belge. The number of Japanese traveling overseas fell 55 and Calista Flockhart on, respectively, Melrose Place “You’re seeing a lot more miniskirts out there, percent in May, compared with 42 percent in April. Belge wrote and Ally McBeal, wore scandalously short skirts, both in the media and with people wearing them on that he expects a recovery as of June, “but visibility is low on its extent. The perceived safety of travel will continue to be a key with matching suit jackets, to the office. the streets,” says Maynard. At Union Bay, popular driver for the luxury goods sector in coming months,” he contin- This time around, what’s old is new again as designs include cargo styling, utility details such as ued, adding, “it will take time before Japanese visitors feel confi- miniskirts have assimilated some of the current belts and zippers, stretch and rigid denim versions, dent to return to China, Hong Kong and Singapore.” He stated, fashion trends. Designers are incorporating the wide waists, drawstrings, and corduroy fabrications. however, that he’s more optimistic about their traveling to the low-waisted trend made so popular with jeans “Texture is particularly important,” relates Maynard. U.S., Guam and Saipan. and trousers into their mini designs, meaning But can they be worn to work? This might ● GOOD GUESS: Guess Inc. posted a 16.2 percent increase in that although the new minis are a shorter determine whether or not young women jump on comparable-store sales during the month of June as overall retail length—typically between 14 and 17 inches— the miniskirt’s latest revival. According to the Mon- sales for the four weeks ended June 28 rose 24.3 percent to $29.2 they are still considered respectable because they itor, 52% of female consumers ages 16 to 24 say that million. Comps were up 16.3 percent at full-priced stores and 15.8 percent at outlet stores. While pleased with the improvement, hang lower on the hips. their work and weekend wardrobes have pieces that Carlos Alberini, president and chief operating officer, comment- Sloan reports that her boutique is stocking ver- overlap, while 58% in the 25- to 35-year-old age ed in a statement that officials at the firm “remain cautious about sions that have cargo details and buckles. But the group affirm their wardrobes do double time. our overall business, especially wholesale, given the continued bestseller is a miniskirt from Michael Kors, which Designers say there’s a way to pull it off, particu- difficult retail environment and ongoing pressures on margins.” Most retailers will report their June comps on July 10. Total re- comes in white and turquoise cotton, with embroi- larly for women in creative fields. tail sales for the second quarter ended June 28 rose 19.8 percent dered flowers. “It’s very Mexican-looking,” she says. “We have incorporated the miniskirt length to $95.7 million as comps ascended 11.7 percent. Jeff Mahshie, creative director for Chaiken, says into our suitings, and are selling a lot of jackets with ● the miniskirt is the perfect follow- our miniskirts,“ says designer MOVIN’ UP: Evan Davis has been named president of urban I buy clothing on impulse brand Enyce.