Costco Shoppers Stumble Into Luxury:
“Costco — that emporium of oversized merchandise like flats of tampons and gallon jars of capers — is now selling purses by Fendi and Bottega Veneta. And guess what? . . . compared with prices at Neiman Marcus, the deals are quite spectacular.”
Karl Lagerfeld Gets the Icon Treatment in the Virtual World:
“Karl Lagerfeld, the legendary designer at the helm of Chanel, is almost as renowned for his musical tastes as for his fashion nous. He has already released an album of his favourite electronica and dance tunes, and now he is poised to pop up in the latest version of the global gaming hit Grand Theft Auto as a virtual DJ . . . Lagerfeld has peppered his selection with his infamous rapid-fire commentary, telling gamers he is ‘keeping things moving with the music that liberated all of us, taught us we were all the same, showed us that computers were our friends.’”
A video clip below of our beloved Karl being, well, oh so Karl:
Fashion Industry is Abuzz After Series of Head-Designer Shakeups:
“It is increasingly common for designers to be suddenly fired or replaced . . . At Ungaro, Peter Dundas left after three seasons, to be replaced by Esteban Cortazar. Chloé dropped Paulo Melim Andersson after three collections. Paco Rabanne stopped producing the collections Patrick Robinson had designed for three seasons. And Michael Vollbracht, Nilsson’s successor at Blass, quit abruptly and was replaced by Peter Som . . . The frequency of turnovers suggests that cracks are beginning to appear in the model of brand reinvention that dominated fashion for more than a decade.”
Prada Public Stock Offering Looking Less LIkely for 2008:
“While the official word is that ‘No decision has been taken,’ the company will announce its next move by the end of this month. If it does not go public in June, it is expected to do so in November – although, due to the current economic climate, it has even been suggested that Prada chief executive officer Patrizio Bertelli might choose to hold off until early 2009 . . . ‘A gun isn’t pointed at his head,’ Armando Branchini, deputy chairman of Milan-based luxury goods consultancy Intercorporate, comments in today’s WWD.”
