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February 28, 2006
Ford To Open His Own Manhattan Store
Tom Ford announced that he is opening his own menswear store in Manhattan, ending months of speculation over the superstar designer’s future fashion plans. The store, set to open in November, will be the only place where customers can buy his signature men’s line. The three-story shop will be located at Madison Ave. and 70th St.
As we reported yesterday, the line is being made in collaboration with Italian luxury group Ermenegildo Zegna.
Whether by plan or happenstance, Ford seems to have pulled off a brilliant PR coup by keeping news of the store under wraps while he tested his market with a new eyewear and fragrance line. Both have done very well, signaling that the time was right for a Tom Ford clothing line.
The former Gucci designer is also riding the wave of publicity caused by his “naked cover” design for Vanity Fair, which features Ford showing some chest hair next to actresses Scarlett Johansson and Keira Knightly, both of which are nude.
Posted by Blacks at 08:11 AM | Comments (0)
February 27, 2006
Report: Ford In Manufacturing Deal With Zegna
Tom Ford has reportedly entered a deal with Ermenegildo Zegna to manufacture his signature collection.
The possible agreement, reported in WWD, would end months of scuttlebutt over the former Gucci designer’s plans.
Ford recently unveiled an eyewear and fragrance collection but whether or not he would return to clothing, and to what extent, remained unclear.
Posted by Blacks at 08:03 AM | Comments (0)
February 24, 2006
Online Sales Of Apparel, Accessories Soar
Online sales of apparel and accessories grew 41% in 2005, according to research by comScore Networks.
Jewelry and watches also made strong gains, posting a 31% online sales increase in 2005.
The results underscore consumers’ increasing comfort with buying apparel and accessories online and send a strong message to brick-and-mortar merchants that if they aren’t already on the Net, they should consider extending their presence.
Posted by Blacks at 09:12 AM | Comments (0)
February 23, 2006
Prada Agrees To Sell Jil Sander
Italian fashion house Prada is selling its Jil Sander brand to private equity firm Capital Change Partners.
Announcement of the sale comes just days after the latest Jil Sander line was unveiled at Milan’s fashion week, to warm reviews. The Prada group said it was cutting the brand loose so it could concentrate on its Prada and Miu Miu lines.
The value of the deal was not disclosed, but Jil Sander is set to breakeven on an operating basis this year.
Posted by Blacks at 08:41 AM | Comments (0)
Coach Seals Deal For Cashmere
We knew that cashmere was the hot fiber right now, and Coach apparently knows it too. The luxury leather and accessories brand is teaming with cashmere maker Lutz & Patmos to release a line of women’s knitwear made of cashmere and wool.
The initial collection will offer at least 6 pieces, some of which will be detailed in leather and fur. It’s slated to arrive in Coach’s flagship stores by October.
New York-based Lutz & Patmos makes all of its cashmere in Italy and sells it in exclusive stores worldwide.
Posted by Blacks at 08:26 AM | Comments (0)
February 22, 2006
Federated's Q4 Flies On May Merger
Federated Department Store’s net income rocketed nearly 59% in the fourth-quarter, fueled by its recent acquisition of May Department Stores.
Sales for the quarter ended Jan. 31 increased by almost 87%, Federated said.
The retailer benefited from strong performances from Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s, allowing it to beat analysts’ expectations.
Posted by Blacks at 09:17 AM | Comments (0)
February 21, 2006
Ciao Bella! Milan Fashion Week Kicks Off
The Fall 2006 women’s ready-to-wear shows opened up in Milan this week, offering a tantalizing lineup of fashion talent. Jil Sander and Giorgio Armani got the week off to a strong start on Monday, and highlights for the rest of the week include Pucci, Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana.
Armani and Gucci have even more reason to celebrate since they were just voted the world’s most coveted brands in on online survey performed by ACNielsen.
Posted by Blacks at 08:41 AM | Comments (0)
February 20, 2006
Consumers Covet Gucci, Armani
Consumers around the world covet Gucci and Armani above all other brands, according to a new survey.
One-third of the 21,000 consumers surveyed by ACNielsen said they would buy the Italian labels if money wasn’t an issue.
Gucci and Armani are favored for their image as much as their style. The brands were especially popular among respondents in emerging markets like India, Russia and China.
Versace came in third in the poll, and Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior and Ralph Lauren also ranked high.
Posted by Blacks at 05:16 PM | Comments (0)
February 17, 2006
Brands Line Up In Bid For Wang
St. John apparently has some competition in its bid for designer Vera Wang. Liz Claiborne and Kohl’s have reportedly entered the fray, giving Wang three very different opportunities to expand her business.
Liz executives are hoping that Wang will allow their brand to move into higher-end product, while Kohl’s is contemplating a mass-market line by the renowned designer, according to reports.
For St. John, the addition of Wang would allow it to continue to update its image, which has grown somewhat stodgy in recent years. The classic American brand recently selected actress Angelina Jolie as its advertising face as part of its renewal efforts.
Posted by Blacks at 08:49 AM | Comments (0)
February 16, 2006
Chanel Plans First Store In Russia
French luxury house Chanel is reportedly opening its first standalone store in Russia. Although the exact location has yet to be decided, the store is scheduled to open this summer in Moscow.
Chanel is just one of a handful of high-end brands looking to sink their teeth into up-and-coming luxury markets. Russians have already become luxury addicts and are expected to account for 7% of luxury goods sales by 2009.
Posted by Blacks at 10:47 AM | Comments (0)
February 15, 2006
Jones Profits On Barneys
Jones Apparel Group, owner of brands such as Anne Klein, Nine West and Barneys luxury stores, reported a 60% jump in fourth quarter profits Wednesday.
Its year-end results were given a boost by the strong performance of its licensing business, footwear holdings and Barneys stores. The luxury stores posted an 8% gain in comparable sales for the fourth quarter, while full-year comparable sales grew by 10.8%.
Posted by Blacks at 08:32 AM | Comments (0)
February 14, 2006
January Retail Sales Sizzle
Unseasonably warm weather turned up the heat under retail sales in January, according to the U.S. Commerce Department.
Retail sales jumped 2.3% in the month, the highest gain since May of 2004. Sales of clothing and accessories grew by 4.2%.
While January sales far outpaced predictions, economists now expect February sales to come in lower than expected due to last month’s spending spree and a return to colder weather in the northeast.
Posted by Blacks at 08:27 AM | Comments (0)
February 13, 2006
London Kicks Off Fashion Week
Fashionistas may still be digesting the surprisingly somber vision of fall fashion presented in New York last week, but it’s already time to clear our palates for another look at autumn wear.
That’s because London kicked off its fashion week on Monday, promising (we hope) a bit more of the cheeky flair we’ve come accustomed to from the capital.
The show is being held in the impressive surrounds of the Natural History Museum and will feature designers such as Paul Costelloe, Paul Smith, John Rocha, Karen Walker and Nicole Farhi.
U.S. Vogue editor Anna Wintour will also be attending, with the paparazzi sure to follow.
For the latest schedule go to: http://www.londonfashionweek.co.uk/lfwseason/schedule/
Posted by Blacks at 08:27 AM | Comments (0)
February 10, 2006
Hilfiger's Profit Sinks On Slow U.S. Orders
Tommy Hilfiger’s third-quarter profit dropped over 23% to $15.5 million due to a decline in orders from U.S. department stores.
The company said that it was affected by its exit last year from the young men’s denim business, and sluggish sales of its womenswear.
Hilfiger said that its $1.6 billion sales to Apax Partners is still going ahead, however, and is due to close in the spring.
Posted by Blacks at 08:22 AM | Comments (0)
February 09, 2006
Q4 Sales Keep Hermès In Luxury's Lap
French luxury house Hermès reported an 8% increase in fourth-quarter sales, citing the strength of its Jean Paul Gaultier women’s ready-to-wear collection and the popularity of its new perfume.
The Un Jardin sur le Nil scent kept results smelling pretty, the brand said, while Gaultier’s designs continued to impress.
Sales for the quarter reached $520 million, with 29% of its business coming from Japan, and almost 17% coming from Europe.
Hermès plans to further spur its worldwide popularity by opening a string of new stores this year.
Posted by Blacks at 08:31 AM | Comments (0)
February 08, 2006
The Return Of Grunge?
Of all the shows at New York Fashion Week, it was Marc Jacobs’s supersized knits, skirts over pants with boots, thick socks, and other grunge flashbacks that garnered the most attention.
There were some more refined elements, such as chic leather skirts and metallic and sequined pieces for evening, but the overall look was dark, muted, and heavily layered.
Does this mean grunge is back? The designer himself has shied away from the word but it still remains on the tip of everyone’s tongue. That said, Jacobs didn’t fail to produce some lust-worthy pieces, including luscious coats and handbags.
Posted by Blacks at 09:21 AM | Comments (0)
February 07, 2006
Polo Sales Up 20%, Led By Luxury
Polo Ralph Lauren’s sales jumped 20% in the third-quarter thanks to the strength of its luxury line and strong holiday sales.
Profits for the quarter came in at $90.7 million, compared to $75 million for the year-ago period.
Its wholesale business was up 6% in the most recent quarter, while retail sales increased by 15%.
Luxury womenswear and accessories led the gains, and the company said it would continue to move more of its product line up market to sustain the growth.
Posted by Blacks at 08:26 AM | Comments (0)
February 05, 2006
Report: St. John Woos Wang
St. John is courting Vera Wang to be its new creative director, WWD reported this weekend.
Although the California-based fashion house denied the rumor, saying it is in full support of its current creative head Tim Gardner, speculation remains due to a comment made last year by St. John CEO Richard Cohen that the brand is looking for a new designer.
Wang’s placement as creative director would certainly add more pizzazz to the brand as it continues to fight off its staid image. St. John recently selected actress Angelina Jolie for an upcoming series of advertising campaigns as part of its effort to reinvigorate the brand.
Posted by Blacks at 08:52 AM | Comments (0)
February 03, 2006
New Lagerfeld Lines To Play On iTunes
Leave it to Karl Lagerfeld to create hype around his new eponymous collection, while appearing cool and hip at the same time. The 67-year old designer has reached a deal with Apple Computers to have the audio and visuals of the collection’s debut runway show available for free download on iTunes.
The new collection will be shown Feb. 10 in New York, on the last day of Fashion Week, and a podcast of the show will be available for download later that day.
The collection actually consist of two lines, Karl Lagerfeld and Lagerfeld Collection. The self-named line is being designed in collaboration with Tommy Hilfiger in New York, while the Collection line is being created by Lagerfeld in his home city of Paris. Both lines are priced significantly lower than Lagerfeld’s creations for Chanel and Fendi.
Posted by Blacks at 08:44 AM | Comments (0)
February 02, 2006
Retailers Report Warm January Sales
January retail sales ended higher than expected, thanks to unseasonably warm weather and gift cards, analysis said Thursday.
While much of the sales data came from mass market players, higher-end retailers such as Nordstrom and Federated Department Stores, which owns Macy’s, also fared well.
Nordstrom reported a 6% sales increase for the month, while Federated saw a 1% gain.
Analysts warned that the retail environment could cool over the next couple of months, as consumers are hit with cooler weather and higher heating bills. Luxury shoppers will be less affected by energy prices but may chose to slow their spending as the housing market continues to drag.
Posted by Blacks at 08:31 AM | Comments (0)
February 01, 2006
Stella Puts Accent On Accessories
British designer Stella McCartney is launching a complete accessories line for Spring/Summer ’06.
McCartney, who is known for the comfortable elegance of her designs, such as sheer tunics and skinny pants, says she plans to use natural fabrics rather than rely on leather for bags and shoes.
Expect funky or ethnic-inspired jewelry, canvas shoes and silky bags. The line will be sold at Stella stores in LA, New York and London, as well as in some high-end department stores.
Posted by Blacks at 08:32 AM | Comments (0)
