The other new doors opened in East Hampton, N.Y, Orlando, Fla., and Charlotte, N.C.

Intermix, which carries a wide variety of designer brands, seems to have a formula that works. The New York-based retailer plans to open four more stores later this year and four to eight stores next year.

The brand saw a sales increase of almost 22% in silks and textiles for the quarter ended March 31, while ready-to-wear and fashion accessories climbed 15.6%. Sales of leather handbags grew by 25%.

Hermès pinned the growth on expansion and new store openings which it plans to continue throughout this year.

The brand has recently opened stores in Glendale and San Jose, Calif., and plans to open more doors on the East Coast. The company, which is well known in Australia and New Zealand, hopes to eventually have 40 to 50 U.S. locations.

Hublot raked in sales of $150 million last year, thanks to the popularity of its Big Bang line, and is expected to reap as much as $250 million this year.

The acquisition comes during a time of increased demand for high-priced watches, especially in Asia.

The brand's overcoats range from $1,200 to $1,600 while its pullover sweaters fall in the $400 range.

At Blacks, we’re seeing early customer demand for fall outerwear, indicating that Fay may have a good season ahead.

The Italian brand reported that its U.S. sales increased by 12% last year while sales in China soared by 38%, driven by apparel and accessories.

At the same time, L&T is looking for ways to expand abroad, and is said to be considering a licensing model. While no deals are in the works yet, the company said that several groups have shown interest in partnering in international markets.

Sigerson’s footwear line ranges from about $400 to $1200 while its handbags run around $500 to $1600.

Sigerson exces said that they had luck opening new locations in rough economic times, when rents are down. The company hopes to soon open two new stores in San Francisco and Europe.

Lim has plans to open 8 more stores in Japan over the next five years, as well as 12 shops within shops.

The Tokyo store is Lim’s second flagship; his first is in New York. He plans to open a third boutique in LA in June.

Gucci parent PPR said that it would work on overcoming these problems in the quarters ahead. Meanwhile, PPR’s other luxury brands showed much stronger growth for the period ended March 31.

Yves Saint Laurent reported sales growth of 20% to $95 million while Balenciaga offered high, double-digit growth.

The company is planning to open 50 new doors in the next five years, saying that margins in retail are higher than in wholesale. Even with lower margins, Joe’s managed to report a 75% sales increase for 2007 to $63 million.

Comps for the period ended March 29 were up 9%. Riding on the wave of success, Coach detailed plans to open up 40 new doors over the next year. It has developed a new store format called “the gallery” in which all of Coach’s merchandise is easily viewed in one place.

The company declined to give specific projections for the rest of the year but said it expected double-digit growth.

The Balenciaga pieces start at $225 and reach almost $16,000 for an exclusive gown. Bergdorf said that Balenciaga’s Nicolas Ghesquière is one of the most influential designers today and it is pleased to offer his work.

Bottoms currently account for 87% of its total sales and the company hopes that it can increase revenue by adding new merchandise.

Levi’s CEO John Anderson has said that he wants to see the mix change to 50% bottoms. The company plans to make a big push in tops and has already started to put them front and center in stores.

Laguardia hails from Trimil, a joint venture between Ermenegildo Zegna and Armani to produce and distribute Armani Collezioni.

In his new role, the executive will be charged with growing the company’s revenue in the U.S., which has recently slowed. He will also work to expand the company’s retail footprint and better familiarize the U.S. market with Armani Jeans and Emporio Armani.