February 21st, 2008

Prada Offers Austere Sensuality, Elegant Minimalism for Fall 2008:
"'Very Italian, very dignified and very elegant, but also very serious,' was how Miuccia Prada described the clothes, which featured lace as their main fabric. She played with lace's traditional associations with different aspects of a woman's life and character, from a christening, to a wedding, to a 'femme fatale', as Miuccia Prada put it. She added that she wanted to focus on, 'minimalism and simple shapes', for which she needed to use a fabric with an interesting surface."

You can see a clip of the Milan show below:

Stuart Weitzman Unveils Revamped Beverly Hills Boutique:
"Designed by Italian architect Fabio Novembre, the more than 2,000-square-foot North Rodeo Drive flagship reopened after three months of renovations. It features a new color palette of white and icy blue, and a ribbon shelving concept that evokes a mazelike feel throughout the store . . . 'We needed something quite special and unique,' said Weitzman. 'We couldn't open a store without a very special and beautiful, modern design, so it triggered the search for a great idea, and it will be just as important in the U.S., where we do most of our business and where we are based.'"

Dolce & Gabbana Snags Matthew McConaughey for New Ad Campaign:
"The new commercial campaign, which will be revealed next month, promotes the 'real men's fragrance' in which they have combined grape, coriander, basil, ginger, orange flower, cedar and tobacco."

Marni Surprises Milan with Simple, Wearable Show:
"It opened with a fizz of color - pink coat over scarlet skirt - that instantly marked it out from the general somber and autumnal shades of the winter 2008 season. The colors sang in sweet harmonies of canary yellow, shrimp pink, turquoise or green, but were either toned down with neutral beige or contrasted with other, plainer clothes . . . 'I wanted it to be personal. A woman putting things together for her wardrobe,' the designer, Consuelo Castiglioni, said backstage. That mix-and-match idea - an update of a 1970s concept - worked because the pieces were so graphic and simple."

"The clothes may be simple, but I'm very, uhm, like, you know, complicated?"

***Meanwhile, Milan faces recession worries and the damage a strong Euro is having on fashion sales: "From the scarcity of glitzy parties, to the empty seats in the VIP section at the shows, to the sobriety of the styles, the current week of Italian preview showings promises a somber fall-winter 2008-2009 season. Recession is the talk of the town, and the strong euro is visibly taking its toll. The streets usually filled with fashionistas taking advantage of the shows for an Italian shopping spree, are sadly quiet, and the once bustling stores often empty."

Old Navy Sales Plunge, CEO Steps Down:
"San Francisco retail giant Gap Inc has parted company with Dawn Robertson, the president of its Old Navy value-price family apparel brand, after just 16 months in the job . . . In the fourth quarter to the 2nd of February, Old Navy's same-store sales fell 5%, making it the worst performing of the company's Gap and Banana Republic chains."

International Consumers Clamor for Colorful Plastic Crocs, Revenue Soars:
"Crocs Inc., the maker of colorful plastic shoes, said Tuesday its fourth-quarter profit jumped 84 percent as revenue nearly doubled on a surge in international demand . . . Domestic sales rose about 47 percent to $115.8 million, while international sales more than tripled to $109 million."