Isaac Mizrahi Hired to Revive the Floundering Liz Clairborne Line:
“By signing on with Liz Claiborne, the award-winning designer is also ending his contract with Target Corp. He had created the powerful Isaac Mizrahi for Target collection, which has been a magnet in driving customer traffic to its stores and helped solidify Target’s niche in cheap chic designs since its inception five years ago.”
Rumors are circulating that Target is in talks with Scottish designer Jonathan Saunders to design a new collection for their stores. Saunders would be following in the footsteps of Erin Featherston, Alice Temperley, Proenza Schouler, Luella Bartley, Loeffler Randall and Jovovich-Hawk.
Wearing Too Much Perfume May Be A Sign of Depression:
“‘Our scientific findings suggest that women who are depressed are also losing their sense of smell, and may overcompensate by using more perfume,’ explains researcher Prof. Yehuda Shoenfeld, a member of the Sackler Faculty of Medicine at Tel Aviv University.”
Burberry Experiments With Accessories-Only Store:
“Burberry is testing a new kind of store that may help it weather a cooling economy . . . the store — named ‘Icon’ after Burberry’s higher-end ranges — is crammed with accessories. Rows of sunglasses flank the entrance from floor to ceiling and shelves fairly drip with shoes, scarves and handbags . . . Perfumes, watches and jewellery crowd the till area.”
Meanwhile, Burberry shares took a 16% hit on Tuesday despite reporting double-digit growth in earnings for the last quarter — Stacey Cartwright, chief financial officer of Burberry, offered future earnings guidance that was on the low side for the rest of 2008 and into 2009 due to the projected economic slowdown, and investors pulled out in a hurry.
Diane Von Furstenberg Wants Hillary for Prez:
“I like Obama very much — and I would of course support him if he were the candidate — but I do think that Hillary is a better candidate at this moment.”
YSL Chooses YouTube Over the Catwalks of Milan:
“(I)nstead of unveiling the collection in the tradition way–elevated walkway, lots of cameras, Anna Wintour in the front row — (Stefano) Pilati (head designer for Yves St Laurent) has decided to show it off on the big screen . . . the video features British actor Simon Woods as the collection’s only model.” The 7-minute video-presentation will be screened at a January 16th party for select fashion press and retailers, and will be made available for broad viewing the next day.
Asia Is World’s Largest Luxury Market:
“Asia is now the world’s biggest market for luxury goods, accounting for 37 percent of the 80-billion-dollar sector . . . Versace recently announced plans for a nine-store expansion in China and Hong Kong by the end of this year, from the current five. At last count, Hermes had seven stores in Hong Kong compared to just three in Paris and two in New York. Gucci has eight outlets in the southern Chinese city, compared to three in Milan.”
Gucci and Prada At Odds in Milan Menswear Shows:
“The Gucci collection presented Monday evening is laden with details gleaned from Russian folklore — from richly embroidered silk shirts to oversized fur outerwear. Models with tussled hair walked the carpeted runway in super soft leather riding boots, carrying a large bag, a gilded chain belt marking the waist of the tapered trousers, a colorful shawl tossed across the shoulder. Military jackets with brass buttons and velvet collars — White Russian in exile style — abound . . . On Sunday at Prada, the idea was what you see is not what you get — starting from the shirt, which was worn back to front, and closed with a cummerbund which at times doubled as a skirt. Just to further confuse the issue, a shirt front was flattened by a huge bib and some collars came in pairs.”
Roberto Cavalli opted for elegance in his own Milan show, stating that his Fall/Winter collection was “for a man who doesn’t need to find himself in eccentricities”. Costume National presented a clean, fresh collection that fashion critics called “thoroughly wearable”. DSquared2 showed a tough, punk-influenced collection while Salvatore Ferragamo was all about cool sophistication.
Worst-Dressed or Not, UK Vogue Thinks Beckham’s Hot:
“Victoria Beckham is to appear on the cover of Vogue – just days after a US fashion critic named her the worst-dressed star of last year. Posh, 33 – who is pals with designers Roberto Carvalli and Marc Jacobs – will also be featured on half a dozen spreads inside the April UK edition of the style bible.”
Radical South African Search Engine Focuses On Brand Logos:
“Company director Rob Sawyer says the Superlogos concept started from a “squiggle” on a pair of shoes. ‘Only 18 months later did I recognise it in a shop on New Bond Street, it was Salvatore Ferragamo’s logo. Realising that the internet is only of benefit if you know the name of what you are searching for, and given the amount of time, effort and finance that go into company branding, this globally prompted me to look further into searching for specific things via images and logos. I couldn’t. No site represents company searches by logo. I was flabbergasted,’ he says.”
Luxury Retailers Hit Hard by Slowing Economy:
“Shares of Coach Inc. and Polo Ralph Lauren Corp. slid to new 52-week lows Monday as a Goldman Sachs analyst downgraded the luxury retailers due to ongoing concerns about an imminent recession . . . ‘As sales momentum slows, promotional activity increases, category growth slows and input costs increase, we are concerned that we could see operating margins contract from peak levels,” he wrote.’”
LG’s Prada Phone Goes Silver:
“It will take more than the iPhone for Europeans to give up on Prada. Even with a price tag approaching $900, more than 700,000 of the touch-screen designer handsets have reportedly been sold . . . Aside from the overhaul to the phone’s faceplate, LG has also added a virtual Qwerty keyboard alongside the standard phone key layout offered by the previous model.”
Valentino Garavani’s Final Couture Collection Scheduled for January 23rd:
“JANUARY 23, the third day of the spring/summer 2008 season of Haute Couture collections, will see Valentino’s final goodbye to the world of fashion after a phenomenal 45-years at the top . . . Next week’s show – in the Rodin Museum on the Left Bank – we’re told by a house spokesperson “will be a grand collection, a grand show, somewhat unique with a lot of gowns.”
New Brides Requesting ‘Trash The Dress’ Photo Shoots:
“For a new breed of bride there is a new tradition…trashing the dress. Apparently they’ve asked themselves why they are saving the dress that likely won’t ever be worn again and quite possibly won’t even be seen again once it’s been cleaned, preserved, boxed and stored away in a dark corner of the attic or basement . . . Think along the lines of laying on a sandy beach with waves crashing over you. Or perhaps jumping into a pool and having pictures taken of you in your gown while underwater . . . this trashing of the dress isn’t for the faint of heart but it can result in some spectacularly original photographs.”
