Page 1 Thursday s EYE: Topshop’s opening celebrations MEN’S: begin, page 4. Consumers grow price s THE BEAT: MEDIA: An end at sensitive Nigo steps last to the legal in tailored down as battle over “Project president of s clothing, Runway,” page 11. page 12. A Bathing Ape, page 10. Women’s Wear Daily • The Retailers’ Daily Newspaper • April 2, 2009 • $3.00 WSportswear/Men’swDTHURSdAY Stripe It Up Dressing in a traditional fancy banking shirt might not seem an appropriate dress code these days — or, given the view of bankers lately, even good for one’s personal safety. Nevertheless, for fall, shirtmakers revisited the pattern in everything from black-and-white micro pinstripes and pastel-thin stripes to tonal multicolored offerings. Here, a Dior Homme cotton shirt worn with a Bottega Veneta tie, Calvin Klein Collection pants, a Louis Vuitton belt and Jan Leslie tie bar. For more, see pages 6 and 7. Going Mad for Michelle: U.S. First Lady Is a Hit All ’Round London Town By WWD Staff LONDON — Britain has caught Michelle-O-mania. With her plain talk, pearl necklace and all- American fashion taste, America’s First Lady wowed the Brits like no other since Jacqueline Kennedy during the Obamas visit to the capital that officially began Wednesday. From the moment she stepped off Air Force One in her Jason Wu chartreuse sheath dress on Tuesday night, Michelle Obama had the famously fickle British press oohing and aahing. “A razzle dazzling performance from the mighty Michelle,” roared London’s Evening Standard in a headline Wednesday. The newspaper’s cover carried a full-page photo of the Obamas waving alongside Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his wife, Sarah, and the headline “Welcome Mr. Prez.” See Michelle, Page3 PHOTO BY DANIEL GARRIGA; MODEL: REID P./RED; HAIR BY RYAN TANIGUCHI FOR TRESEMME; MAKEUP BY ANNA BERNABE FOR CLINIQUE; STYLED BY ALEX BADIA ANNA BERNABE FOR CLINIQUE; STYLED BY FOR TRESEMME; MAKEUP BY TANIGUCHI RYAN HAIR BY DANIEL GARRIGA; MODEL: REID PHOTOP./RED; BY WWD.COM WWDTHURSDSportswearAY FASHION 6 Plaids have dominated men’s shirts in recent ™ seasons, but for fall designers are discarding the trend in favor of the updated stripe. A weekly update on consumer attitudes and behavior based GENERAL on ongoing research from Cotton Incorporated 1 With her plain talk, pearl necklace and all-American fashion taste, America’s First Lady wowed the Brits like no other since Jacqueline Kennedy. DON’T BE FOOLED! Bloomingdale’s held its first Designer Collections Reading the Care and Content Labels Makes Sense 5 Signature event to lure shoppers to the fourth floor of its New York flagship and get them to buy. These days, the consumer who does not check Keyes, Director of Product Standards at Cotton 8 DENIM: “Project Runway” castoff Kevin Christiana the fabric care and content labels when shopping Incorporated. “Dry cleaning can be expensive, so knows he has a short window to work in for apparel might as well be wearing a “Kick Me” garments intended to be worn frequently would launching his new brand, Christiana Zinn. sign on her back. likely best be chosen for home care.” 10 BEAT: Nigo, the Japanese designer behind Though a minority of younger women routinely When it comes to garment care, most women streetwear line A Bathing Ape, is stepping down checks the care label, that percentage significantly prefer to take their clothing into their own hands, as president and director of the brand he founded. increases among women as they mature.When literally. Seventy eight percent of female respon- 12 MEN’S: Price really does matter today when it asked by the Cotton Incorporated Lifestyle Mon- dents report to the Monitor survey that if a garment comes to men’s tailored clothing, from moderate itor™ survey, only 20% of female respondents needs pressing, they iron it at home, while 16% chains to the higher-end shops and labels. aged 13 to 24 said that they usually or always check wore the garment wrinkled, and a mere 6% sent it labels, compared to 38% aged to the dry cleaners. EYE 25 to 34, 50% aged 35 to 55 “Care and content labels are important While Keyes offers some 4 The arrival of Topshop/Topman this week has to ensure that a consumer is buying what A look from sent New Yorkers into a frenzy, eager to get their and 71% aged 56 to 70. sage advice regarding label Christiana Zinn. In today’s challenging she wants, and that her clothing can be consulting, 41% of female hands on the label’s cheap and cheeky product. economy, reading the care and cared for in the appropriate manner.” respondents still report that Classified Advertisements.................................................................................................19 TO E-MAIL REPORTERS AND EDITORS AT WWD, THE ADDRESS IS content label is a lesson best – Patricia Pao, The Pao Principle they typically note the laun- learned early so that women dering instructions on gar- [email protected], USING THE INDIVIDUAL’s name. WWD IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ADVANCE MAGAZINE PUBLISHERS INC. COPYRIGHT ©2009 can squeeze the most from their wardrobe dollars, ments only after they have worn them. For the FAIRCHILD FASHION GROU P. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. attests Patricia Pao, founder of The Pao Principle, most part, however, failing to consult the label does VOLUME 197, NO. 69. WWD (ISSN 0149–5380) is published daily (except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, with one additional issue in January, May, October, November and December, two additional issues in March, April, June a retail consultancy. “Women are spending less on not present a problem for women or for retailers. and August, and three additional issues in February and September) by Fairchild Fashion Group, which is a division clothing for themselves these days. As a result, they According to Monitor data, a mere 9% of clothing of Advance Magazine Publishers Inc. PRINCIPAL OFFICE: 750 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017. Shared Services provided by Condé Nast Publications: S. I. Newhouse, Jr., Chairman; Charles H. Townsend, President/CEO; John W. need their clothes to last longer. Care and content returns were garment care related, with shrinking Bellando, Executive Vice President/COO; Jill Bright, Executive Vice President/Human Resources. Periodicals postage labels are important to ensure that a consumer is and fading accounting for the greatest share of paid at New York, NY, and at additional mailing offices. Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40644503. Canadian Goods and Services Tax Registration No. 886549096-RT0001. Canada Post: return undeliverable Canadian buying what she wants and that her clothing can be complaints. addresses to: P. O . Box 503, RPO West Beaver Cre, Rich-Hill, ON L4B 4R6 POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES cared for in the appropriate manner,” she says. “Consulting the care label removes the guess- TO WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY, P. O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA 91615–5008. FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS, ADDRESS CHANGES, ADJUSTMENTS, OR BACK ISSUE INQUIRIES: Please write to WWD, P. O . Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA When women are checking labels, they tend to work from the cleaning process, and increases the 91615-5008, call 800-289-0273, or visit www.subnow.com/wd. Please give both new and old addresses as printed be more interested in what a garment is made of likelihood that the consumer will get the best life on most recent label. First copy of new subscription will be mailed within four weeks after receipt of order. Address all editorial, business, and production correspondence to WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY, 750 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017. versus who made it. Fifty- eight percent of female from her clothing,” stresses Keyes from Cotton For permissions and reprint requests, please call 212-630-4274 or fax requests to 212-630-4280. Visit us online respondents in 2008 told the Monitor survey that Incorporated. “A label can tell you at what tem- at www.wwd.com. To subscribe to other Fairchild magazines on the World Wide Web, visit www.fairchildpub.com. Occasionally, we make our subscriber list available to carefully screened companies that offer products and services they prefer to know fiber content over brand perature the wash water should be and possibly that we believe would interest our readers. If you do not want to receive these offers and/or information, please name (42%). When the washing machine advise us at P. O . Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA 91615-5008 or call 800-289-0273. WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY IS NOT Women Who Check Fabric Content RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RETURN OR LOSS O F, OR FOR DAMAGE OR ANY OTHER INJURY TO, UNSOLICITED MANUSCRIPTS, women are con- setting to use, such UNSOLICITED ART WORK (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DRAWINGS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND TRANSPARENCIES), OR cerned with the con- Labels Before Buying Apparel as ‘medium,’ ‘per- ANY OTHER UNSOLICITED MATERIALS. THOSE SUBMITTING MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, ART WORK, OR OTHER MATERIALS FOR CONSIDERATION SHOULD NOT SEND ORIGINALS, UNLESS SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED TO DO SO BY tent, there is one fiber manent press,’ or WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY IN WRITING. MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND OTHER MATERIALS SUBMITTED MUST BE that tends to resonate Always/Usually Sometimes/Never ‘gentle.’” ACCOMPANIED BY A SELF-ADDRESSED STAMPED ENVELOPE. most soundly with 80% With the economy them: more than two 70% still in turmoil, DAILY On Wall Street, there out of three female 60% women increasingly respondents report rely on planning their “ to the Monitor that 50% wardrobe purchases QUOTE is a sensitivity to not cotton is their favorite 40% in lieu of buying on looking too wealthy. If you’re a person fiber to wear.