‘SATURDAY FIRST-ROUND TURNING 20 SHANGHAI TANG MAKES PLANS NIGHT’ FASHION TO MARK ANNIVERSARY. PAGE 8 BEHIND THE SCENES AT SAKS WITH ANDREW WIGGINS, RETAILER TEAMS WITH “SNL” THE NBA'S NUMBER-ONE FOR KEY TO THE CURE. PAGE 2 PICK. PAGE 10 POISON PILL ADOPTED Charney Set to Fight For American Apparel By EVAN CLARK THE BATTLE FOR American Apparel Inc. is heat- WWD ing up with both ousted founder Dov Charney and the board that deposed him angling for position. But they are just the main combatants. On the sidelines are a host of interested parties MONDAY, JUNE 30, 2014 $3.00 WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY Q Q — from lenders such as Lion Capital, which is owed $10 million, to would-be investors licking their chops at a brand that they believe should be much bigger and profitable. One financial player who took a look at American Apparel said there’s plenty of opportunity to improve the business. Inventories, for instance, could turn much quicker. “Everyone sees the quality of the brand,” said the source, who described Charney was “a very, very tal- ented merchant,” but said he had become a one-man band, personally overseeing the company’s 249 stores. “American Apparel, as a brand, should be big abroad,” the source said, noting it could do that and maintain it’s U.S.-based production philosophy. But how the brand develops from here depends on who’s in the driver’s seat. Summer The company scrambled over the weekend to set up a stockholder rights plan, or poison pill, to prevent ousted Charney from regaining control of the firm by accumulating more stock. Charney — a lightening rod libertine who was sidelined as president, chief executive officer and Lovin’ chairman for alleged misconduct — already owns 27.2 percent of the company, or 47.2 million shares. PARIS — Hedi Slimane looked back And on Wednesday he quietly inked a deal that to the Summer of Love for his spring would have Standard General buy at least 10 percent of the company’s stock and then loan Charney the Saint Laurent men’s collection — and money to acquire the stake. along the way encapsulated some of The New York-based Standard focuses on “com- the key trends of the season, including panies with complex capital structures that are un- bomber jackets, as seen dergoing dramatic change.” And American Apparel SEE PAGE 9 in this embroidered model; graphic prints, and a SPRING 2015 Forever 21 Looking strong return of denim. For more PARIS on the end of the MEN’S COLLECTIONS To Double Business Paris men’s shows, By MICHELLE DALTON TYREE see pages 4 to 7. LOS ANGELES — Don Chang is plotting a dramatic expansion for Forever 21. The founder and chief executive officer of the fast-fashion chain, based here, told WWD his “ulti- mate goal is to double the size of our company with- in the next three years,” giving it a footprint of 1,200 doors globally. And the company’s newest concept, F21 Red, could be key to that ambitious plan. Last month, Forever 21 launched the banner at the Azalea Shopping Center in South Gate, Calif., a working-class community about 20 miles south of here. The 18,000-square-foot store targets a value-orient- ed customer with a deeper selection of the Forever 21’s core items at seemingly sharper price points. The move surprised many analysts and retail experts, who questioned how the company would make its margins on $1.80 camisoles, $3.80 tank tops, $4.80 bikinis and denim starting at $7.80. “Are they doing this as a loss leader to take mar- ket share and trade the girl up, or are they that big and have such buying power that they can work on such razor-thin margins?” asked Liz Pierce, senior re- search analyst at Ascendiant Capital Markets. The answer might be both. Chang — who is known for being famously tight-lipped on the company’s plans — said the price points at F21 Red are actu- ally the same as those at Forever 21. It’s a wider PHOTO BY GIOVANNI GIANNONI assortment that is the secret sauce for the concept. SEE PAGE 12 2 WWD MONDAY, JUNE 30, 2014 WWD.COM ‘SNL,’ Saks Team for Key to the Cure THE BRIEFING BOX Like Bayer, who is a cancer By ROSEMARY FEITELBERG The Rag & Bone survivor, this issue is one that IN TODAY’S WWD design for the Ruiz is all too familiar with and “LIVE FROM NEW YORK.…It’s campaign was one she thinks requires a certain Key to the Cure.” inspired by amount of distance. Asked if she In what appears to be one of the Molly Shannon’s was wary about using humor in a Paris Men’s Fashion Week street style. For more, see WWD.com. more unlikely unions of two New Mary Katherine PSA that address what is such a York institutions, Saks Fifth Avenue Gallagher serious matter to many, Ruiz said, has teamed with “Saturday Night character. “Laughter is the best medicine — Live” for this year’s Key to the Cure and I’m a cancer survivor myself. campaign. As the Entertainment When you go through something Industry Foundation’s 2014 ambas- like that, you really don’t want to sadors for KTTC, past and pres- think about that. You want to go ent “SNL”ers Will Ferrell, Ana through what you have to do to get Gasteyer, Vanessa Bayer, Cecily well, but you want to be able to be Strong and Colin Jost were photo- courageous and laugh. I think it’s graphed wearing the Rag & Bone- terrific that they’re taking some- designed T-shirt for KTTC. thing serious and saying, ‘We be- The all-in attitude seems simpa- lieve there is a cure for this.’” DABROWSKI tico beyond the fact that the two op- Neville said, “We wanted to erations are less than a block away support KTTC because cancer KUBA from each other in Rockefeller causes devastation and suffering BY Center — “SNL” is celebrating its to so many families.” PHOTO 40th season and Saks is nearing The final image used by Saks’ its 90th anniversary. To build on in-house creative time is a group the show’s milestone, seven New shot, though each “SNL”er had to The battle for American Apparel Inc. is heating up with both York-based labels have designed be photographed individually due ousted founder Dov Charney and the board that deposed him exclusive items inspired by vari- to their conflicting schedules by PAGE 1 ous “SNL” characters that will be the show’s staff photographer Mary angling for position. sold for a limited time in October. Ellen Matthews. Aside from fly- ing to Los Angeles to shoot Ferrell Don Chang, founder and chief executive officer of Forever (who liked the shirt so much he 21, told WWD his “ultimate goal is to double the size of our asked to wear it home), the other company within the next three years.” PAGE 1 locations were all in New York. On set last week at Root (Drive-In), Saks Fifth Avenue has teamed with “Saturday Night Live” Gasteyer and Matthews shared an for this year’s Key to the Cure campaign. PAGE 2 easy rapport, with the comedian gum snapping her way through Shanghai Tang is preparing for its 20th-anniversary various poses. Logistics being what celebrations in October. PAGE 8 they are, Saks brass dealt with los- ing Maya Rudolph in the 11th hour Tasaki is aiming to position itself as a fine-jewelry player as they would any other major with international ambitions. PAGE 8 photo shoot. For last year’s KTTC campaign, Penélope Cruz needed Ana Gasteyer being photographed for Saks Levi’s, Ralph Lauren and Wrangler were among the to be photographed in Spain due apparel brands retaining a place on Brand Keys’ ranking of Fifth Avenue’s Key to the Cure campaign. to her other commitments. And one the most “patriotic” brands. PAGE 9 year’s EIF ambassador, whom Ruiz T by Alexander Wang “Mango” end is set for Oct. 16 to 19 at all of declined to name, only had “two leather shorts, anyone? For Rag & the company’s full-price stores as minutes” for the shoot. Nina Ricci’s Peter Copping and Hermès’ Véronique Bone’s David Neville and Marcus well as its online one and Off 5th But back to this year’s lineup Nichanian are among judges for the International PAGE 9 Wainwright, that meant a pleated stores nationwide. Known for their — “Everybody wanted to sign Woolmark Prize’s Europe regional awards. skirt, white shirt and waistcoat sense of irreverence, Rag & Bone’s on board. If we could have had inspired by the school uniform Neville and Wainwright will make more spaces, we probably could Maison Lejaby has nominated Ivana Nonnis to the newly worn by Molly Shannon’s Mary a personal appearance at the Fifth have gotten more people to be in- created position of U.S. manager. PAGE 9 Katherine Gallagher character. Avenue flagship on Oct. 16. Their volved,” Ruiz said. “That, to me, The TV show’s Emmy-nominated unisex design is a first for Saks’ says the world is interested in Andrew Wiggins walked out of the NBA Draft in style as costume designer Tom Broecker KTTC initiative, as is spotlighting doing good things.” the number-one pick. PAGE 10 curated the selection. This fall, a handful of celebrities instead of And in all likelihood, the “SNL” IMAGES those two labels will share the one female A-lister, as was the setup fivesome — not to mention cur- Russell Westbrook’s collaboration with Barneys New stage, so to speak, in the Saks flag- in years past.