NEW LONDON WRITING SMYTHSON COLLECTIONS UPDATES FASHION WEEK KICKS OFF ITS BOND ACROSS THE POND WITH STREET MATTHEW WILLIAMSON, FLAGSHIP. MARIOS SCHWAB, ISSA PAGE 3 WWDLONDON AND MORE. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012 Q WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY Q $3.00 Richter Scale For their fantastic Proenza Schouler show, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez were inspired by technology and Gerhard Richter. Their graphic collages featured Internet-sourced images on T-shirts, skirts and dresses for a look that was high-resolution, high-impact. For spring collections from London, see pages 4 and 5. PHOTO BY STEVE EICHNER Buyers See Green in New York TALE OF TWO REALITIES on such distinctive looks. By SHARON EDELSON “It’s giving the customer the chance Retail Shares Hit Highs to be an individual,” said Barbara Atkin, NEW YORK — Individual, handmade and vice president of fashion direction at Holt quirky don’t sound like recipes for big sales, Renfrew. “The real phenomenon is that but retailers believe that’s exactly what will we’re [stores] all buying the same brands, Despite Economy’s Woes inspire their customers come spring if the which are getting bigger and bigger. Yet in New York runways are any indication. a world of homogenized brands and key ment is getting very aggressive.” Designers made statements with unusual items, everyone looks different. We’re see- By EVAN CLARK Many chains expect the second pairings of materials — leather and crochet ing many trends coexisting.” half will mirror blah first-half results at Proenza Schouler, leather laser-cut to Relaxed chic, or casual couture, is a IF THE STOCK MARKET were the real — putting a huge amount of pressure look like lace at Jason Wu and reembroi- trend with big commercial implications, world, retailers would be pretty happy. on them for holiday. ShopperTrak last dered lace at Vera Wang. Elsewhere, there though. “It’s about comfort,” said Atkin. The S&P Retail Index hit a new all- week projected U.S. sales growth for were dresses that combined silk, chiffon “Silhouettes have a more pared-down feel- time high Friday and ended the day up the November-to-December period and satin or mixed prints and patterns. ing. Nobody’s teetering on high heels and 0.6 percent to 669.26, marking a 27.9 would slow to 3.3 percent from 3.7 per- Retailers insisted consumers will splurge SEE PAGE 6 percent rise for the year for the broad cent a year earlier. A large chunk of measure of the U.S. industry. that growth, no doubt, will be online, But nobody’s ready to celebrate. rather than in retailers’ brick-and- While retail stocks have rallied this mortar stores. year, and outperformed the market, “You’re seeing the disconnect the economy has continued to suffer. between the economy and the fi- Even at companies that seem to be hit- nancial markets,” said Paul Nolte, ting their stride, such as Macy’s Inc., managing director at Dearborn or Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the overall Partners in Chicago. “Financial mar- mood of retail executives seems to be: kets are responding to Bernanke…. “Things are OK — and we hope they The economy is reacting to very don’t get any worse.” high debt levels [for both consum- Bill Simon, president and chief ex- ers and governments]. Investors are ecutive officer of Wal-Mart U.S., put looking for places to put money be- it this way recently, “We’re optimistic cause they’re not getting paid any- about the fourth quarter. We do expect where and are forced into the stocks.” it to be challenging. The retail environ- SEE PAGE 7 2 WWD MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012 WWD.COM Pakistan Plant Owners Turn Up THE BRIEFING BOX IN TODAY’S WWD By MAHLIA S. LONE People search for bodies and survivors on the third floor. LAHORE, Pakistan — As the fire that killed 289 workers at a garment factory in Karachi still smoldered, the company’s own- ers resurfaced after three days of hiding and the Sindh Minister for Industry resigned. The owners of Ali Enterprises — Abdul Aziz Bhaila and his sons, Arshad and Shahid — ap- peared in court haggard and un- shaven in the town of Larkana in Sindh province, having arranged protective bail of about 500,000 Conor Dwyer, MIR rupees, or about $5,500, for eight Henrik Lundqvist and EICHNER days until Sept. 21, when they Amar’e Stoudemire STEVE must reappear in court. Justice AYESHA at the Calvin Klein BY Hasan Azhar Rizvi also ordered BY postshow dinner. that their passports be taken PHOTO from them and they remain on PHOTO the exit control list that forbids At a press conference in there, they had too little water in them from leaving the country. Larkana, the Bhalias said they the fire tenders and had to go to The S&P Retail Index hit a new high, but chains are still The three are charged with appeared in court in Larkana, the next one in Sakhi Hasan to struggling in an economic morass. PAGE 1 murder, attempted murder and 300 miles from Karachi because replenish their supply. Another criminal negligence. they feared for their lives in that ongoing problem in Karachi is Individual and personal may sound incongruous to Sindh Provincial Minister for city from angry demonstrators. the severe water shortage. Water big sales, but New York Fashion Week buyers applauded Industry and Commerce Rauf On Thursday, Karachi was shut tankers supply much of the citi- singular looks, even if they come at a price. PAGE 1 Siddiqui resigned from his office, down as a sign of mourning. After zens’ need for water. saying that he wants to ensure rescue work was called off on Arshad claimed the company Smythson, Britain’s most famous stationer, today will a transparent investigation. He Friday, the factory premises were had followed the factory laws, mark its 125th anniversary with a cocktail party at its newly had been under pressure from sealed by the police and a heavy there was nothing wrong with refurbished Bond Street store in London. PAGE 3 the government to resign. contingent was deployed outside their factory and the gates were The incident, which occurred to ward off further unrest. not locked. He said they did not Carven creative director Guillaume Henry has joined up at the same time a shoe fac- The owners had all exits leave the factory until midnight, with Petit Bateau to create a capsule collection consisting of tory fire killed 25 people in the locked and there were bars on some six hours after the fire nine styles for adults and children. PAGE 3 Pakistani city of Lahore, has the windows, apparently to deter started, only after a mysterious caused an outcry from interna- high crime in the area, leaving phone call from an “important Hanro of Switzerland is launching its first ready-to-wear tional workers’ rights groups and 600 men and women trapped in- person” asked them to get out. collection, called Hanro Knits, for spring. PAGE 7 organizations involved in factory side. When asked by reporters if The owners have promised to inspections and could make the claims of “extortion” were true, pay financial compensation to Casadei is projecting nearly $50 million in sales for next industry rethink corporate social Arshad declined to comment. In the victims’ families as per fac- year, with hopes that a series of complicated silhouettes will responsibility programs aimed at Karachi, many businesses give tory and labor laws here. Lawyer help get it there. PAGE 8 avoiding such catastrophes. The money to extortionist groups due Sadia Khan said according to factory, which lay in ruins, was to the severe crime and lawless- Shariah Islamic law and the Lady Gaga employed bottle-shaped carriages drawn by horse, said to have been making jeans ness in some parts of the metrop- Pakistan Penal Code, it is entire- a very public boudoir and some Lilliputian accented boots for and other clothing, but no brands olis of 21 million. Instead they ly acceptable to compensate the the launch of her new fragrance, Lady Gaga Fame. PAGE 9 have been identified. Pakistan is blamed the fire department, say- victims’ immediate family with a the fifth-largest supplier of tex- ing that it took them 90 minutes cash settlement, even in the case Oscar de la Renta took out a full-page ad in Friday’s WWD tiles and apparel to the U.S. to arrive. When they finally got of death. to publish an “open letter” that took Cathy Horyn to task for her review of his show last week. PAGE 9 Tod’s chief Diego Della Valle issued a statement criticizing top Fiat Chrysler executives for putting their own interests India Approves Retail Direct Investment ahead of those of their employees. PAGE 11 include: By MAYU SAINI Q States will be able to decide whether to allow ON WWD.COM global retailers in; NEW DELHI — The Indian cabinet Friday ap- Q A minimum $100 million investment will be re- proved 51 percent foreign direct investment in mul- quired, with at least half of the company total in- EYE: Francisco Costa hosted a corral of starlets, models tibrand retail although it stipulated that state gov- vestment in back-end infrastructure, such as ware- and socials — Emma Stone with beau Andrew Garfield, ernments would have a choice in allowing global housing and cold storage facilities, three years Diane Kruger, Dree Hemingway, Erin Heatherton and Karlie retailers to set up shop in their states. within setting up in India; Kloss — at Calvin Klein’s postshow dinner at the new India continues to be an important target mar- Q The markets will be mainly restricted to cities Beatrice Inn.