Does Alessandra Facchinetti Have What It Takes to Replace Valentino?:
“‘Stepping into the shoes of a living successful designer is very difficult,’ says Alexandra Shulman, editor of Vogue. It must be even more difficult for a designer who tried and failed to do this only two years ago during a brief and unsuccessful time at the helm of Gucci, and it must be even harder when the designer you are replacing is allegedly not all that eager to hand over the reins.”
The Rebirth of Halston:
“Movie mogul Harvey Weinstein’s Weinstein Company (TWC) bought (Halson) in a deal with private equity firm Hilco Consumer Capital, and Tamara Mellon, founder of the Jimmy Choo shoe empire, will oversee the relaunch, which starts with a show in New York on 4 February. Mellon will be helped by, among others, Hollywood stylist Rachel Zoe, who has dressed actresses including Demi Moore and Cameron Diaz.”
Yohji Yamamoto Interview — “I hate the world of fashion”:
“Fashion sighs after trends. I want timeless elegance. Fashion has no time. I do. I say, Hello Lady, how can I help you? (but) Fashion has no time to even ask such a question. It is constantly concerned with finding out: What will come next? . . . I have to cope with a very important contradiction: I am the man who hates fashion but works in the fashion world.”
CNN also has a recorded interview with Mr. Yamamoto regarding the progress of contemporary Japanese fashion. Click here to go to the interview.
Now that Anna Sui is suing ‘Forever 21′ and Diane von Furstenberg is suing Target, Stuart Weitzman has decided to jump on the fashion copyright infringement bandwagon and file suit against JC Penney:
“High-end shoe designer Stuart Weitzman is accusing JC Penney of infringing on its $215, patented peep-toe flat marketed as the “Chitchat.” Weitzman is demanding the retailer destroy what stock is left of its Miss Bisou “Sydney” shoe, which retails online for $19.99. He also wants a judge to order that profits earned from the alleged copycat line be handed over to him.”
Penney’s cheap, trashy twin is the one on the right.
Top Designer “IT” Bags Aren’t So “IT” Anymore:
“Like the restaurant that no one goes to anymore because it’s too crowded, some fashion-conscious shoppers are turning away from the top labels in search of hot bags that other people don’t have . . . ‘The ‘it’ bag isn’t important any more,’ says Stephanie Solomon, women’s fashion director at Bloomingdale’s. ‘It’s all about looking different from your neighbor.’”
The Rebirth of Couture:
“The most telling sign of a couture revival occurred backstage after the Dior show, where staff were overjoyed as yet another couture client – the 17-year-old daughter of a Russian millionaire – ordered seven bespoke Dior outfits . . . Furthermore, Armani Privé has taken to flying its seamstresses to clients for in-person fittings, where a five-dress-per-season order is considered the minimum to qualify for such elite customer service, and Valentino Couture boasts one client who orders a mindboggling 25 to 30 new dresses each season.”
Retailers Hopeful Over Economic Stimulus Package:
“The $150 billion economic stimulus package House leaders reached with the White House Thursday should give a boost to retailers this summer by injecting fresh cash into the hands of consumers, although retail stocks lagged behind broader gains on Wall Street.”
