Luxury & Fashion Biz News: February 10th, 2012 (Brands try to affordably navigate New York Fashion Week, Karl Lagerfeld’s Big Mouth gets Chanel in hot water, and the troubled Halston brand Gives It Another Try)

February 11, 2012

1.) The Cost of Runway Shows has Brands Looking for Other Options: “‘Catwalk shows cost a lot,” says Rosie Vogel, Vogue’s fashion bookings editor, who produces London shows . . . ‘A venue might cost £30,000 or £40,000; production costs will be tens of thousands. Then there’s the set, £400 to £500 hundred pounds per [...]

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Letters to a Fellow Perfumer: Mandy Aftel & Laurie Erickson (ep. 1)

February 8, 2012

January 10th, 2012 / Healdsburg, CA Hi Mandy, I’m excited to work on this project with you! Many thanks to you and Nathan for inviting me to join in. When we initially spoke about working together on a Letters series, we talked about the theme of our project being the creation of a scent that [...]

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Luxury & Fashion Biz News: February 3rd, 2012 (Chinese Tourists are what every retailer wants)

February 4, 2012

U.S. Retailers Look to Chinese/Brazilian Tourists for Salvation: “Bloomingdale’s Chief Executive Officer Michael Gould is a fan of President Barack Obama’s efforts to speed up tourist visas for Chinese and Brazilian shoppers. Doing so would create an ‘immediate’ surge in retail sales as foreign shoppers clamor for Marc Jacobs and Kate Spade designs, Gould said [...]

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Making My Own Apple Sauce: Chunky vs. Smooth

February 3, 2012

I was not a fan of store bought apple sauce when I was a kid. I thought it was bland, and the pureed texture was a total turn-off, reminding me more of Gerber baby food than something to be enjoyed post-infancy. Because of that, I never bothered to make my own apple sauce until this [...]

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Luxury & Fashion Biz News: January 27th, 2012 (What Haute Couture can learn from Karl Lagerfeld, and what Victoria’s Secret can teach the likes of Louis Vuitton)

January 28, 2012

1.) Dior Haute Couture Satisfies the Critics, But Just Barely: “The technical wizardry that was the foundation of this couture collection was an affirmation of Dior’s history . . . (but) Dior’s heritage isn’t just about the artistry of craft but also about that kind of life-changing fashion — fashion so directional that it conveyed [...]

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Luxury & Fashion Biz News: January 20th, 2012 (Menswear in Milan & Paris, plus Public Relations Disasters and The Trouble with Counterfeiting)

January 21, 2012

1.) Menswear Designers Mine the Past to Save Their Future: “Looking around Milan this week, it became apparent that Italy’s fashion emperors – and the other powerful designers that come here to tout their wares – are looking to the past. City gents, Seventies playboys, Sixties rockstars, old-school sporting heroes, 19th-century army officers and fin-de-siècle [...]

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Seattle Snowstorm, 2012

January 20, 2012

My friend Louise sent me these pics of the present snow-induced chaos in the Seattle area. Wait, wha? Isn’t it supposed to be raining?!! She says the power is out in her neighborhood and won’t be restored until Saturday, at the earliest. From the Daily Mail: Worst blizzard in nearly 30 years heads for Seattle [...]

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Luxury & Fashion Biz News: January 13th, 2012 (China’s consumers love Western labels, and Retailers embrace the guy-aisle)

January 14, 2012

1.) China Loves Western Brands Wealthy Chinese Prefer to Gift Major Western Luxury Brands: “The top gifts favored by Chinese luxury consumers in 2012 according to a survey of 503 Chinese millionaires by the Hurun Report is not terribly surprising. They consist mostly of global name brands, particularly French brands . . . ‘What I [...]

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Adventures in Cooking: New Flavor Toys

January 13, 2012

I love my smoked salt — I use it in everything, from cookies, breads and muffins to sauces, meat rubs and marinades. I love the hint of earthy depth it adds to . . . well, everything! So imagine my delight when I discovered this: There’s nothing new under the sun . . . until [...]

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Luxury & Fashion Biz News: January 6th, 2012 (Holiday sales may sparkle, but profits look dim; plus, Raf Simons for Dior and Designer Lawsuits everywhere!)

January 7, 2012

1.) Holiday Sales are Strong, but Profits are Questionable: “Retailers posted strong sales numbers in December, but at-times extreme discounts tapered good feelings, profits and earnings outlooks for the full year. Stores used discounts to entice shoppers during the vital holiday shopping season, which led to record-setting days. But those deep discounts also led to [...]

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