THE GLORY GIFTS FOR KIMYE OLYMPIA’S KIM AND KANYE METTLE OF ITALY ARE SET TO WED THIS SUMMER, CHARLOTTE OLYMPIA LONDON’S VICTORIA AND DELLAL PLOTS A ALBERT MUSEUM FETES SO WWD ASKED ITALIAN GLAMOUR FROM NOTABLES WHAT SLOW-BUT-STEADY THE FORTIES TO TODAY, AND THEY’D GET THE EXPANSION FOR FROM ELIZABETH TAYLOR TO NEWLYWEDS. HER ACCESSORIES SOPHIA LOREN. PAGE 9 PAGE 10. BRAND. PAGE 7 BLENDING ONLINE AND STORES Neiman Marcus Unveils Top Management Roles By DAVID MOIN THE NEIMAN MARCUS GROUP is tearing down the silos and getting channel agnostic. In a major management change at headquarters, the Dallas-based luxury retailer will today reveal it’s merg- ing its store and online merchandising and planning WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 2014 ■ $3.00 ■ WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY teams into a single organization. Beginning April 14, WWD the blended organization will be run by Jim Gold, who has been named president and chief merchandising of- fi cer of the Neiman Marcus brand. Gold has been with Neiman’s since 1991, serving most recently as president of specialty retail for Neiman Marcus Group Ltd. LLC. Under the new structure, general merchandise man- agers, divisional merchandise managers and planners will have “omni” responsibilities covering the stores, mail order and e-commerce businesses. However, buy- ers will continue to be channel specifi c, with the buy- ing team for stores and another team of buyers for the direct-to-consumer businesses remaining in place. “We are one brand to our customers. Our custom- ers do not differentiate between channels, and now neither will we,” Karen Katz, president and chief ex- ecutive offi cer of the Neiman Marcus Group, said in an interview explaining the rationale for the reorga- nization. “These changes allow us to operate as one single Neiman Marcus brand, and to make sure we anticipate all of our customers’ needs. Her shopping journey has changed dramatically.” With Gold’s shift, John Koryl has been named presi- dent of Neiman Marcus stores and online. Koryl will be responsible for the store operations and sales, Neiman’s e-commerce operations and sales in the U.S. and abroad, site merchandising, site optimization and customer care. Neiman’s executives said that Koryl will be leading efforts to ensure the customer experi- ence is consistent from channel to channel, or “seam- less.” Koryl joined the company in 2011 and has been serving as president of Neiman Marcus Online, which SEE PAGE 8 What’s Selling For Spring At Contemporary Retailers By LISA LOCKWOOD ARE CONSUMERS opening their wallets at last? That’s what retailers are hoping as spring weather begins to arrive nationwide and shoppers emerge from their long winter’s hibernation to refresh their wardrobes. Executives believe this spring could see strong sales given the long winter as well as that fe- male shoppers have not updated their wardrobes in some time. Cat Girl “Looking ahead, we anticipate pent-up consumer Spotted! Leopard prints were all over the fall runways and demand for spring apparel to drive sales as warm- designers in the surf/skate and young contemporary markets er weather returns,” said Michael Niemira, vice president of research and chief economist at the got the memo, too. Here, K-Way Maje’s nylon parka over International Council of Shopping Centers. Cleobella’s sequined silk dress. K/ller Collection necklace. “The apparel business has really not participated For more, see pages 4 and 5. in the last few years in any signifi cant way in terms of the overall growth of our company, and we’ve had fairly signifi cant growth, and so that means to us that it’s not in her closet,” Terry J. Lundgren, chair- man and chief executive offi cer of Macy’s Inc., said last month at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Consumer & Retail Conference. “So, the customer needs new apparel....I defi nitely believe there’s pent- up demand for apparel.” The ICSC said Tuesday that retail sales last week scored their biggest sequential advance of the year, although lingering wintry weather kept a lid on ap- parel sales. The ICSC and Goldman Sachs weekly chain store sales index rose 3.6 percent in the week ended Saturday compared with the prior week, PHOTO BY GEORGE CHINSEE; STYLED BY KIM FRIDAY MODEL: BARBARA/MARILYN; HAIR BY KATSUMI MATSUO AND MAKEUP BY CHEYENNE TIMPERIO, BOTH AT ARTMIX BEAUTY; FASHION ASSISTANT: ASHLEY DAVIS ASHLEY ASSISTANT: FASHION BEAUTY; ARTMIX AT BOTH TIMPERIO, CHEYENNE BY MAKEUP AND MATSUO KATSUMI BY HAIR BARBARA/MARILYN; MODEL: SEE PAGE 6 2 WWD WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 2014 WWD.COM Nina Ricci Taps Sophie Templier THE BRIEFING BOX troduced with the spring 2014 season. IN TODAY’S WWD By MILES SOCHA Templier and Toledano previously worked to- gether at Chloé, when Toledano was chairman and PARIS — Gearing up for an expansion chief executive officer. At the time, Templier was phase, Nina Ricci is staffing up its fashion Chloé’s deputy managing director. and accessories departments. Asked for an update on the fashion divi- NY Sophie Templier, product and mer- sion he oversees, Toledano said chandising director at Sonia Carolina Herrera is gaining market GALLERY, Rykiel, is to join Ricci in share in the U.S. and continuing to May as accessories direc- expand internationally. tor, a new post in charge of Paco Rabanne received an “ex- STALEY-WISE product development, WWD cellent reception” to the sophomore OF has learned. collection of its buzzy artistic direc- And Iliana Giannakoura tor, Julien Dossena, yielding orders is to arrive later this month as “from the best retailers.” “Evening Gown of chief ready-to-wear designer under And Jean Paul Gaultier’s glob- Embroidered Silk, creative director Peter Copping. al notoriety continues to grow Simonetta, 1952” NAYLOR/COURTESY She joins the Paris-based house thanks to his traveling exhibi- from “The Glamour from Céline, where she was a senior tion, “which is a fantastic of Italian Fashion.” rtw designer. Her résumé also includes success wherever it goes,” For more, see page GENEVIEVE stints at Givenchy and Balenciaga. Toledano said. 9 and WWD.com. BY Ralph Toledano, president of Puig’s “The Fashion World of Marché bags PHOTO fashion division, confirmed the ap- from Nina Jean Paul Gaultier: From the pointments, and noted: “It signals that Ricci. Sidewalk to the Catwalk,” we are strengthening the whole compa- which wrapped up in Neiman Marcus Group Ltd. LLC will today reveal it’s merging ny, starting with the design team.” February at the Brooklyn its store and online merchandising and planning teams into a Ricci has a nascent handbag busi- Museum, is scheduled to single organization. PAGE 1 ness, but has lately found traction with open April 9 at the Barbican its Marché, a streamlined tote style in- in London. Jumpsuits and crop tops have emerged as bestsellers in contemporary departments at major department and specialty stores for this spring. PAGE 1 True Religion Adds Anderson, Hansen to Board Charlotte Olympia, the small, self-funded British footwear and accessories brand, is using a cocktail of nostalgia, glamour and ability in the current market. They’re focused on laughs to build an international business. PAGE 7 By ARNOLD J. KARR product innovation, fit, retail presence and inter- national penetration to really ignite excitement Actress Joy Bryant and her husband, stuntman David Pope, TWO APPAREL INDUSTRY VETERANS have been around the brand again. have launched women’s wear line Basic Terrain. PAGE 7 drawn into the orbit of True Religion Apparel Inc. “And it’s really fun for me because I get to draw as it plots several new directions, including a fresh on my merchandising and product development ex- Diesel will unveil its first full-fledged collection under the approach to its retail operations. pertise,” she added. artistic direction of Nicola Formichetti in Venice on Thursday and John Anderson, who retired as president and chief Hansen is also a director of The Orvis Co. has linked with Twitter for the event. PAGE 8 executive officer of Levi Strauss & Co. in 2011, and “We’ve got the former ceo of the largest denim Marka Hansen, the former president of Gap Inc.’s company in the world and the former president of Bulgari has tapped Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, France’s former first Gap North America and Banana Republic units, have one of the biggest denim retailers in the world,” lady, to front its ad campaign for fall, following her first modeling been added to the premium denim company’s board, Conn said. “We’re extremely lucky to have them stint for the jewelry firm’s spring images. PAGE 9 expanding the number of directors to seven. working with us.” The board already includes Andrew Rolfe, The new retail strategy under TowerBrook is chairman of True Religion and managing direc- about to be put to the test as True Religion pre- Notables from the fashion industry provide their thoughts on tor of parent TowerBrook Capital Partners L P, and pares to launch a new store concept later this year. what they would give Kim Kardashian and Kanye West as a PAGE 10 David Conn, who TowerBrook enlisted as ceo upon Ten stores are scheduled to open in 2014, expand- wedding gift. completion of its $835 million acquisition of the ing the North American count to 160, and half of company last July. them — in markets expected to include New York, Italian clothing company Light Force, which controls the Twin- The additions will reunite a number of former Chicago, Miami and its home market of Los Angeles Set Simona Barbieri diffusion label, could go for an initial public coworkers.