1.) It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad Mad Men World:
“Rumors have been swirling that Janie Bryant, the stylist of the critically acclaimed Mad Men series–with the backing of AMC–is planning to roll out an entire fashion collection based on the 1960′s clothes worn by Don and Betty Draper on the show . . . Well, it looks like the rumors are true and the first piece, a limited edition grey suit, is available at Brooks Brothers now. Critics seem skeptical about the endeavor, but I think it only makes sense. If designers like Michael Kors and Miuccia Prada are citing you as inspiration, why not launch something yourself?”
The Mad Men television series seems to have single-handedly revived the fortunes of the conical bra while also making men’s suits cool again. While the bold, glittery, zippery, architectural 80′s has been storming recent catwalks, the curvy silhouettes, clingy cashmeres, jewel tones, autumnal golds/russets, silk neck scarves and true red lipsticks of Mad Men have been equally (if not more lastingly) influential on today’s designers.
A video clip below from Mad Men:
A video clip below from Prada fall 2009:
Ditch the waders and you have a very Mad Men inspired collection on your hands.
2.) Will the Snood Steal Christmas?:
“The trend emerged on the Fall 2009 runways of designers like Missoni (knit snoods) and Burberry (plaid snoods) and also made an appearance in the commercial collections of Donna Karan and Yves Saint Laurent. Now it’s gone mainstream, with retailers ranging from American Apparel to Zara getting behind the loopy style with snoods of varying lengths and monikers the rush to the snood reflects the fashion industry’s scramble to invent new types of clothing that consumers don’t already possess . . . Sales of scarves and mufflers, a relatively cheap way to freshen an outfit, have been strong, generating $540 million in sales through August, a 21% increase over the same period last year.”
Accessory, cosmetics and fragrance trends are driven by the demand for something new, and the snood (originating as a hairnet type accessory in 725 AD but rebranded for the 21st century, though the modern version, too, is a throw-back to the Mad Men 50′s/60′s ski slope looks) is apparently the new “it” accessory for colder fall/winter climates, dovetailing nicely into the trend for layers — and layering is the fashion industry’s favorite way to get consumers to buy more/spend more: “Why buy one thick sweater when you can layer two thin ones? Why wear just silver bangles when you can add gold bangles, too? Why wear trousers when you can wear leggings over your tights under your skirts! Why not just throw on every single item we have for sale in our stores and call it a day?”
Video clip below of the Burberry fall accessories collection — their popular snood makes its appearance at the end (starting at 1:35):
The snood is known by a variety of names, including infinity loops, circle scarves and infinity scarves. Burberry stuck with the name “snood” because of its British origins: “It’s a very British name for it, which feels more relevant to what inspired us and to what we stand for,” (Burberry designer Christopher Bailey) says.”
As long as we’re on the subject of winter trends, the puffa is back, but redefined for a generation that wants more from its outerwear than bulky warmth: “Fur has traditionally been the failsafe (cold weather) solution for the style-conscious – and high-end – consumer. However, a combination of animal rights ethics and the less than robust economy means that this season, in place of sable, mink and rabbit comes … puffa . . . by fusing lightweight technology with couture craftsmanship, designers such as Giambattista Valli for Moncler Gamme Rouge, Giles Deacon for Fay and Junya Watanabe have transformed the basic puffa jacket into something more exciting.”
Not just for the North Pole anymore
3.) Zac Posen Bows to Economic Realities, Produces Lower Priced Line:
“The king of the red carpet evening dress, Zac Posen, has unveiled a new sportswear line for US retailer Saks Fifth Avenue, with prices starting at less than $100.00 . . . ‘We’ve had so much pressure from press and retailers to build out our collection into this more American sportswear look,’ Posen told WWD. ‘To me, it’s more appropriate to build a whole brand and collection around this price point. Chic sportswear should be at this price point. Designer dresses and cocktail pieces should be at a more expensive price point.’”
In other words, “My multi-thousand dollar cocktail dresses are now languishing on racks collecting designer dust, and if I want to stay in business, I need to produce something the general consumer might actually consider purchasing” — which is smart of him to recognize, really, as designers like Christian Lacroix and Yohji Yamamoto never seemed to get the message and so designed themselves right into bankruptcy.
This follows on last week’s news that Posen was laying off staff and actively looking for ways to restructure his business into profitability.
Speaking of Lacroix, plans for the sale of the brand have run into a wall and there are questions as to whether the brand will survive after all: “The Ajman sheikh who seemed poised to rescue couturier Christian Lacroix from bankruptcy did not submit financing guarantees ahead of a crucial hearing at the commercial court . . .
The question mark hanging over the sheikh’s means — and the withdrawal of another potential suitor, Financière Saint-Germain — seemed to narrow options for the troubled fashion house and its acclaimed designer . . . A judge is to rule on Lacroix’s future Dec. 1, which is seen as a final deadline for potential suitors to produce proof of funding for their relaunch plans.”
Not to diss the house of Lacroix, but if I were a potential investor, rescuing the Lacroix brand would not be the direction I would take. While the name is famous, it’s now more famous for being famous than it is for producing items anyone cares to buy or wear. Trying to jumpstart a consumer-friendly Lacroix model at this stage in the game seems almost like an exercise in futility.
OTHER BRAND NEWS: French fashion house Lanvin gets a needed infusion of cash from an unnamed European investor group; Gap finally catches a break with profits up 25% over the same quarter last year; Rhode Island loses 100 Liz Claiborne jobs as the company winds down its fashion jewelry distribution center located there and restructures; Burberry focuses its attention on shoes and accessories after it reports a 19% fall in profits; Ann Taylor reports a profit, but sales slid over 25% at its established retail stores; JC Penney 3rd quarter profit plunged 78%; Saks Fifth Avenue reports a slim quarterly profit despite the fact that sales fell by 10% and revenue fell by 8.5%; Puma reports a 5.5% drop in sales overall, with demand for sneakers in particular slumping by 13%; H&M reported a 3% decline in sales for its ordinarily profitable October month despite hotly hyped designer collaborations and the consumer need for outerwear purchases — analysts are wondering if H&M is losing market share to GAP.
Speaking of H&M, Jimmy Choo + H&M collaboration pieces end up on eBay for twice the price: Savvy shoppers hock the Jimmy Choos they got at H&M for double retail price on eBay
4.) The Wheels are Coming Off of Diesel:
“Wilbert Das — a soft-spoken Dutch designer who has been creative director at the Italian jeans maker since 1993 — has left the company amid frustration with Diesel’s high-profile, curly-haired founder Renzo Rosso . . . The departure of Das — who in addition to designing the company’s pricey jeans had long been a driving force behind its guerilla marketing and advertising strategies — threatens a crushing blow to Diesel.
To make matters worse, the CEO of the fashion house’s US division, Steve Birkhold, has resigned to join a rival firm.”
A main source of friction at the alleged center of these departures is the deal that Birkhold struck with Macy’s, giving Macy’s an exclusive on a lower-priced line of Diesel jeans. Diesel’s Italian execs were said to be furious over the deal, as Diesel pulled its jeans out of Macy’s in the early 2000′s in order to rehabilitate its image and give it an air of exclusivity.
Diesel founder Renzo Rosso’s fashion empire is reported to be a $2 billion dollar venture, including edgy, high-fashion brands like Victor & Rolf, Martin Margiela and DSquared2, though the DSquared2 designers are rumored to be “tired of seeing their designs being ripped off by Diesel,’ a source said. ‘You can see it happening, season in, season out.’”
The natives are definitely getting restless over at Diesel.
A look at Diesel’s Fall 2009 collection:
5.) Made In Switzerland Label Might Just Get Even More Exclusive:
“Switzerland proposed on Wednesday tighter rules to define the “Swiss-made” label as it seeks to protect the country’s reputation for quality goods from watches to cheese and penknives . . . The number of cases of abuse has risen considerably as the ‘Swiss brand’ has become more successful, the government said, and studies have shown consumers are willing to pay up to 20 percent more for certain Swiss goods.”
The article notes that the Swiss watch industry presently requires only 50% of a watch’s mechanics be manufactured in Switzerland to be labeled a “Swiss” watch, but has proposed that the requirement be upped to 80%. The article also states that fake Swiss goods from China have become a serious problem, especially for the timepiece industry. Swiss watches are priced at a premium because of their reputation for quality and craftsmanship — fake watches labeled as “Swiss” have the potential to irreparably harm the industry’s reputation.
6. Industry Quick Hits:
A.) Cartier quietly introduces lower priced items for the holiday season: “(Cartier) launched its latest collection, ‘les must,’ earlier this month and Chief Executive Bernard Fornas told Reuters demand has so far been ‘very, very strong’ . . . ‘We already have products starting at around 300, 400 euros, but we thought our offering was too short at the entry level and we had to widen it a bit,’ Fornas said.”
The range starts at around $298.00 and tops out at about $4,500.00. The “Les Must” series is being marketed as gifts for teenagers as a way to avoid mentioning the introduction of lower priced items as a necessary reaction to the recession.
B.) Extreme footwear is created to inspire excitement and drive sales: “With the economy limping toward recovery, shoe sales are beginning to rebound, thanks in no small part to exciting shoe design . . . Footwear has outperformed almost every other category in fashion because designers have been able to constantly inject dramatic change . . . ‘Shoes are very democratic because they are not about a body size,’ Saks’ Sherin said. ‘It doesn’t matter if you’re a size 2 or a size 16, you can wear a fabulous shoe. It’s fashion that all women can enjoy.’”
Video clip below of high-fashion shoe and boot trends for Fall 2009:
In other shoe news, Giuseppe Zanotti, designer of shoes for the likes of fashion house Balmain as well as his own namesake label, has been announced as 2009′s Shoe Designer of the Year, while shoe god Christian Louboutin partners with champagne house Piper-Heidsieck to produce a crystal stiletto shoe that’s packaged with a bottle of the house’s Le Rituel bubbly.
And the NYTimes reports that skyscraper heels can be attributed to the development of ABS, or Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, a polymer developed by a U.S. government team after World War 2: “The most important innovation in high heels is the ABS molded high heel,’ said Nicholas Kirkwood, 29, a shoe designer who won the British Fashion Awards emerging star prize last year. ‘It’s what allows them to be really high and come in multifaceted shapes.’”
C.) Gucci turns to auction house Christie’s to protect its image and heritage: “The “Gucci Collector” site, presented by Christie’s, will offer a virtual-style valuation of vintage items. The site, scheduled to be up and running by the end of the year, will be a dedicated section on www.christies.com where people seeking appraisals can upload images of their objects for examination . . . Patricia Frost, director of fashion and textiles at Christie’s in London, will work with an in-house Gucci archivist in Florence to evaluate items for potential sale at auction.”
Both Gucci and Christie’s are part of luxury conglomerate PPR, which is a solid example of how a large luxury group can utilize its in-house brands in creatively synergistic ways.
D.) Tom Ford reveals his path to success: “The Texas-born designer was able to sign lucrative deals with Marcolin SPA and Estée Lauder for his own range of sunglasses and cosmetics rather than concentrating on fashion . . . ‘From a business standpoint it was absolutely the right decision,’ he explains … ‘Fragrance and eyewear can penetrate a market that $5,000 suits can’t penetrate so brand recognition went up, we had an instant revenue stream and I was also able to let the company grow organically.’”
The interview was conducted by a writer for Arabian Business. In other Middle East fragrance/business related news, flavor & fragrance giant Symrise has acquired Futura Labs Group, a leading F&F manufacturer in the region. This positions Symrise to be a major presence in the Middle East just as fragrance and fashion trends are all going ga-ga for Eastern influences.
UPDATE:
7.) Documentary ‘Valentino The Last Emperor’ is Nominated for an Oscar:
“Fashion-themed films have taken Hollywood by storm this year, from “The September Issue” to “Coco Before Chanel,” but one oeuvre might be awarded with a gold accessory named Oscar. Matt Tyrnauer’s “Valentino: The Last Emperor” has made the shortlist for the Academy Award’s best documentary category . . . When Valentino heard the good news, he told WWD, “What can I say? An Oscar would be an incredible crowning for an emperor.” Tyrnauer remarked, “I’m retiring from fashion, unless Dolce & Gabbana call me in the morning.’”
Official trailer below for the film:
Valentino seems to win the fashion stakes in this respect, as neither the documentary about Vogue (“The September Issue”) nor the theatrical movie of Coco Chanel’s life (“Coco Before Chanel”) made the Oscar shortlists. But then, Valentino and the Hollywood red carpet have always had a bit of a cozy relationship, and Hollywood does love to honor its own.
And since we’re on the subject of Hollywood, would you believe me if I told you that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have decided to try their hands at jewelry design?
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt To Design For Asprey: “Can two of the hottest stars in the world pep up an esteemed but faltering British jewelry line? WWD announced that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have created a capsule collection of gold jewelry and silver snake-themed accessories called The Protector. The collection was conceived and designed by Pitt and Jolie and will go on sale at Asprey stores in London, New York, Beverly Hills, Tokyo and Dubai later this week.”
Maybe retailers and designers could figure out a way to appeal to consumers without resorting to the worn-out celebrity dog and pony show, because we all know how well the Lindsay Lohan attention-getting ploy worked out for Ungaro: Lindsay Lohan Getting Pushed Out at Ungaro — “CEO Mounir Moufarrige had high hopes for the publicity Lohan would bring to the ailing Ungaro brand, but unfortunately, in a parade of heart-shaped pasties and nearly incoherent tweets, those were definitively dashed with some of the most scathing critical slams the fashion world had ever seen.”
Ouch.
