Enjoy
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Mr Thomas at Sylvia's Scholarship Fund
Those of that know Mr JJ Thomas ( A Bloomingdales Legend) know that he is a straight forward and stern as they come...but its always great to see him let his hair down
Enjoy
Enjoy
Friday, April 5, 2013
Versace to Go Public...BAD IDEA
WHAT?!!!!
With profits and sales climbing at Gianni Versace SpA, the question arises again: When will it go public?
The answer: not just yet. Good - look at what happened to Prada.
As the fashion house on Thursday reported growth in net profits and sales in 2012, Gian Giacomo Ferraris, its chief executive officer, repeated there are no immediate plans to take Versace public or sell a stake. But he set a target for when that might happen: when the company hits sales of 500 million to 600 million euros, or $641.2 million and $770 million at current exchange.
While building retail clout in established markets, Versace is also expanding in new regions.
The company will open three new stores between this month and May in São Paulo, Curitiba and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, which it entered with its own branch at the end of last year. Just how much the company can or should grow is top of mind for Ferraris and the Versace family, who tapped Goldman Sachs and Banca IMI as advisers last year to look at ways to add help fuel expansion. While no answer is definite yet, noted Ferraris, “the Versaces have every intention of staying on as owners of the firm. They are aware that the more the company grows the more it is their duty to explore ways to be competitive against larger fashion conglomerates.”
Siblings Santo and Donatella Versace hold 30 and 20 percent stakes, respectively, and Donatella’s daughter, Allegra Versace Beck, owns 50 percent of the firm. As he charts the company’s growth strategy, Ferraris said he also will continue to “educate the company to transparency,” and has begun to book numbers on a monthly basis in 2013.
RELATED STORY: Versace Fall 2013 >>
Investments in retail and increases in the U.S. and Asia helped lift profits by 7 percent in the year ended Dec. 31 to 8.5 million euros, or $10.8 million, from 7.9 million euros, or $10.9 million, in 2011. (Tax adjustments obliged the company to restate the latter figure in April 2012 from 8.5 million euros.)
Group revenues climbed 20 percent to 408.7 million euros, or $523.1 million.
Dollar amounts have been converted at average exchange for the periods to which they refer.
“There was a sleeping giant under the ashes,” said Ferraris, whose restructuring helped return the company to the black in 2011.
In an interview at the company’s headquarters here, Ferraris underscored his pride in the growth of the signature line in terms of both ready-to-wear and accessories, while noting investments of 25 million euros, or $32 million, last year to expand the company. In comparison, Versace invested 15 million euros, or $20.8 million, in 2011 and 5 million euros, or $6.6 million, in 2010.
“Last year we set in motion important projects, such as e-commerce, new beachwear and innerwear lines, the Young Versace collection and Atelier Versace, and invested in growing Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, the U.S., Europe and Brazil. Now we will reap the rewards,” said Ferraris, who expects double-digit growth in the next three years. “The year 2013 has started in an encouraging way, with retail revenues in the first quarter up more than 20 percent,” he added.
The company has grown more than 50 percent over the last three years.
In 2012, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, adjusted for currency movements, rose 15 percent to 44.5 million euros, or $57 million.
Retail sales for the year were up 39 percent to 224.5 million euros, or $287.3 million, while wholesale revenues grew about 5 percent to 149.4 million euros, or $191.2 million. Royalties were in line with the previous year at 34.9 million euros, or $44.6 million.
Sales were evenly split between the men’s and women’s divisions.
Ferraris described Versace’s product offer as “more complete now,” and the new store concept introduced in New York in October is the “new way to communicate it.” A new boutique modeled after this blueprint, conceived by Donatella Versace and English architect Jamie Fobert, will open in Paris “in a few days,” said Ferraris, as well as a 4,320-square-foot unit in Rome near the Spanish Steps in September, and one door in Venice this year.
Ferraris touted a “fantastic response” to the brand in the U.S., which was also boosted by the men’s formal wear and accessories categories. In the U.S., a market that last year showed 46 percent growth and accounted for 15 percent of revenues, the company plans to open a store in Orlando, Fla., and “probably” Chicago in 2013. There are currently 11 stores in the area.
With profits and sales climbing at Gianni Versace SpA, the question arises again: When will it go public?
The answer: not just yet. Good - look at what happened to Prada.
As the fashion house on Thursday reported growth in net profits and sales in 2012, Gian Giacomo Ferraris, its chief executive officer, repeated there are no immediate plans to take Versace public or sell a stake. But he set a target for when that might happen: when the company hits sales of 500 million to 600 million euros, or $641.2 million and $770 million at current exchange.
The company will open three new stores between this month and May in São Paulo, Curitiba and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, which it entered with its own branch at the end of last year. Just how much the company can or should grow is top of mind for Ferraris and the Versace family, who tapped Goldman Sachs and Banca IMI as advisers last year to look at ways to add help fuel expansion. While no answer is definite yet, noted Ferraris, “the Versaces have every intention of staying on as owners of the firm. They are aware that the more the company grows the more it is their duty to explore ways to be competitive against larger fashion conglomerates.”
Siblings Santo and Donatella Versace hold 30 and 20 percent stakes, respectively, and Donatella’s daughter, Allegra Versace Beck, owns 50 percent of the firm. As he charts the company’s growth strategy, Ferraris said he also will continue to “educate the company to transparency,” and has begun to book numbers on a monthly basis in 2013.
RELATED STORY: Versace Fall 2013 >>
Investments in retail and increases in the U.S. and Asia helped lift profits by 7 percent in the year ended Dec. 31 to 8.5 million euros, or $10.8 million, from 7.9 million euros, or $10.9 million, in 2011. (Tax adjustments obliged the company to restate the latter figure in April 2012 from 8.5 million euros.)
Group revenues climbed 20 percent to 408.7 million euros, or $523.1 million.
Dollar amounts have been converted at average exchange for the periods to which they refer.
“There was a sleeping giant under the ashes,” said Ferraris, whose restructuring helped return the company to the black in 2011.
In an interview at the company’s headquarters here, Ferraris underscored his pride in the growth of the signature line in terms of both ready-to-wear and accessories, while noting investments of 25 million euros, or $32 million, last year to expand the company. In comparison, Versace invested 15 million euros, or $20.8 million, in 2011 and 5 million euros, or $6.6 million, in 2010.
“Last year we set in motion important projects, such as e-commerce, new beachwear and innerwear lines, the Young Versace collection and Atelier Versace, and invested in growing Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, the U.S., Europe and Brazil. Now we will reap the rewards,” said Ferraris, who expects double-digit growth in the next three years. “The year 2013 has started in an encouraging way, with retail revenues in the first quarter up more than 20 percent,” he added.
The company has grown more than 50 percent over the last three years.
In 2012, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, adjusted for currency movements, rose 15 percent to 44.5 million euros, or $57 million.
Retail sales for the year were up 39 percent to 224.5 million euros, or $287.3 million, while wholesale revenues grew about 5 percent to 149.4 million euros, or $191.2 million. Royalties were in line with the previous year at 34.9 million euros, or $44.6 million.
Sales were evenly split between the men’s and women’s divisions.
Ferraris described Versace’s product offer as “more complete now,” and the new store concept introduced in New York in October is the “new way to communicate it.” A new boutique modeled after this blueprint, conceived by Donatella Versace and English architect Jamie Fobert, will open in Paris “in a few days,” said Ferraris, as well as a 4,320-square-foot unit in Rome near the Spanish Steps in September, and one door in Venice this year.
Ferraris touted a “fantastic response” to the brand in the U.S., which was also boosted by the men’s formal wear and accessories categories. In the U.S., a market that last year showed 46 percent growth and accounted for 15 percent of revenues, the company plans to open a store in Orlando, Fla., and “probably” Chicago in 2013. There are currently 11 stores in the area.
Friday, March 15, 2013
Anna Wintour and Condé Nast
Anna, Anna, Anna...
For the last several years, Condé Nast has been preparing for when chairman S.I. Newhouse Jr., now 85, would wind down his duties at the publishing group. For a company whose prestige and reputation are so closely tied to one man, the question of who would follow in his footsteps has all the gravity of a papal succession.
At a time when other companies are shrinking or being spun off, the preservation of Condé’s image was all the more important. The executives in place are all money guys — consumer marketers, really, and even by their admission, unlikely to inspire the cult of personality Newhouse stoked for decades. Condé was in need of its own version of the Columbia Pictures’ logo, someone to symbolize the culture of the place as much as the image it sought to convey.
In Condé’s view, there was no one better suited for that role than Anna Wintour, 63.
“She’s maybe the greatest marketer we have in this organization,” said chief executive officer Charles H. Townsend. “What she stands for is the epitome of what Condé stands for — her accomplishment, her success, her unyielding commitment to excellence and content creation.”
Condé executives had been looking to elevate Wintour to a larger corporate role. On Tuesday she was anointed artistic director, a newly created position that encompasses duties once held by Newhouse and, much earlier on, by Alexander Liberman, the group’s legendary editorial director. In theory, the role grants her enormous influence over the editorial direction of the company’s magazines, from The New Yorker to Vanity Fair.
Wintour’s coronation was received by some as a positive development for a company that some believe had lost its shimmer as Newhouse became less involved. But there was also confusion. Save for Vanity Fair editor in chief Graydon Carter and New Yorker editor David Remnick, Condé’s not in the habit of consulting with top editors about major institutional announcements like this. So when the official statement went out, it raised more questions than answers. Will Wintour attend print order previews? How would she divide her loyalties between Vogue and the magazines she’s ostensibly been tasked with advising?
“We’re not all friends here,” said an insider. “This is a competitive building. We use the same photographers. We compete for the same celebrities. This will be a gradual process as she finds areas she’d like to investigate. Why else would she take the job if she wasn’t going to do things with it?”
Wintour has been part of the Condé family since 1983, rising from editor in chief of British Vogue to the company’s shiniest star. In that time, she’s also broadly expanded the definition of editor in chief. She is the ultimate brand manager — there are Vogue-branded events, documentaries, online encyclopedias — and a power broker, one of the most influential forces in fashion, with a say on everything from the stewardship of the world’s oldest fashion houses to the industry’s place in the American economy.
What was there to do after all that? Last year, the question came up during a casual get-together with New York editor in chief Adam Moss. They were both restless, eager to do something else. But Wintour came down on the side of pragmatism, said sources familiar with their conversation. The minute she leaves Vogue, she told Moss, she would just go back to being another former editor.
One way to expand her circle of influence beyond fashion and media was politics. She campaigned and raised substantial sums for Barack Obama in 2008, and repeated her efforts in the last election cycle, hosting lavish fund-raisers in his honor. As the campaign was drawing to a close, she lobbied hard for one of the sought-after ambassadorships that are usually passed down to influential donors, such as Paris or London, several sources said.
Last summer, Wintour signed a three-year contract that came with financial penalties if she left early. Though the possibility of a new corporate title had been discussed, by December no firm agreement had been reached.
Townsend confirmed he and Wintour had talked for over a year about expanding her purview but hadn’t come up with the right offer. There was talk of Wintour having oversight of some brands, but not all, according to sources. She had already played that role once in the past, overseeing editorial direction of several titles, not just Teen Vogue, but also Men’s Vogue and Vogue Living, two titles that were subsequently shuttered.
Townsend was aware of Wintour’s desire for a change, though they never discussed the possible diplomatic post.
“Twenty-five years is a long time,” he said. “I do think it’s almost the ideal moment to expand her horizons and maintain her enthusiasms for all the things this company stands for.”
sources: WWD
For the last several years, Condé Nast has been preparing for when chairman S.I. Newhouse Jr., now 85, would wind down his duties at the publishing group. For a company whose prestige and reputation are so closely tied to one man, the question of who would follow in his footsteps has all the gravity of a papal succession.
At a time when other companies are shrinking or being spun off, the preservation of Condé’s image was all the more important. The executives in place are all money guys — consumer marketers, really, and even by their admission, unlikely to inspire the cult of personality Newhouse stoked for decades. Condé was in need of its own version of the Columbia Pictures’ logo, someone to symbolize the culture of the place as much as the image it sought to convey.
In Condé’s view, there was no one better suited for that role than Anna Wintour, 63.
“She’s maybe the greatest marketer we have in this organization,” said chief executive officer Charles H. Townsend. “What she stands for is the epitome of what Condé stands for — her accomplishment, her success, her unyielding commitment to excellence and content creation.”
Condé executives had been looking to elevate Wintour to a larger corporate role. On Tuesday she was anointed artistic director, a newly created position that encompasses duties once held by Newhouse and, much earlier on, by Alexander Liberman, the group’s legendary editorial director. In theory, the role grants her enormous influence over the editorial direction of the company’s magazines, from The New Yorker to Vanity Fair.
Wintour’s coronation was received by some as a positive development for a company that some believe had lost its shimmer as Newhouse became less involved. But there was also confusion. Save for Vanity Fair editor in chief Graydon Carter and New Yorker editor David Remnick, Condé’s not in the habit of consulting with top editors about major institutional announcements like this. So when the official statement went out, it raised more questions than answers. Will Wintour attend print order previews? How would she divide her loyalties between Vogue and the magazines she’s ostensibly been tasked with advising?
“We’re not all friends here,” said an insider. “This is a competitive building. We use the same photographers. We compete for the same celebrities. This will be a gradual process as she finds areas she’d like to investigate. Why else would she take the job if she wasn’t going to do things with it?”
Wintour has been part of the Condé family since 1983, rising from editor in chief of British Vogue to the company’s shiniest star. In that time, she’s also broadly expanded the definition of editor in chief. She is the ultimate brand manager — there are Vogue-branded events, documentaries, online encyclopedias — and a power broker, one of the most influential forces in fashion, with a say on everything from the stewardship of the world’s oldest fashion houses to the industry’s place in the American economy.
What was there to do after all that? Last year, the question came up during a casual get-together with New York editor in chief Adam Moss. They were both restless, eager to do something else. But Wintour came down on the side of pragmatism, said sources familiar with their conversation. The minute she leaves Vogue, she told Moss, she would just go back to being another former editor.
One way to expand her circle of influence beyond fashion and media was politics. She campaigned and raised substantial sums for Barack Obama in 2008, and repeated her efforts in the last election cycle, hosting lavish fund-raisers in his honor. As the campaign was drawing to a close, she lobbied hard for one of the sought-after ambassadorships that are usually passed down to influential donors, such as Paris or London, several sources said.
Last summer, Wintour signed a three-year contract that came with financial penalties if she left early. Though the possibility of a new corporate title had been discussed, by December no firm agreement had been reached.
Townsend confirmed he and Wintour had talked for over a year about expanding her purview but hadn’t come up with the right offer. There was talk of Wintour having oversight of some brands, but not all, according to sources. She had already played that role once in the past, overseeing editorial direction of several titles, not just Teen Vogue, but also Men’s Vogue and Vogue Living, two titles that were subsequently shuttered.
Townsend was aware of Wintour’s desire for a change, though they never discussed the possible diplomatic post.
“Twenty-five years is a long time,” he said. “I do think it’s almost the ideal moment to expand her horizons and maintain her enthusiasms for all the things this company stands for.”
sources: WWD
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Companys Go Shopping
The megadeal may be back.
The steadily tepid economy has aligned with low interest rates and a strong stock market to raise the prospects that there could be big, multibillion-dollar deals in the fashion world this year. The caveat is whether big-time buyers feel comfortable enough to bet on a consumer who’s still feeling her way forward cautiously.
Wall Street at least is ready to go and egging companies on, even if buyers are still in wait-and-see mode.
Rumors — not particularly credible ones — have bubbled to the surface lately that large, premier companies might change hands. Coach Inc., Tiffany & Co., Burberry and the troubled J.C. Penney Co. Inc. have all been the subject of whispers among investors in recent weeks.
A deal for any of those companies would easily run over $5 billion.
That’s a boatload of money, but there’s plenty of cash sitting on corporate balance sheets and in private equity war chests. And extremely low interest rates, which are intended to prop up the economy, have also prompted banks and junk bond investors to lend money cheaply and with few strings attached.
Source: WWD
The steadily tepid economy has aligned with low interest rates and a strong stock market to raise the prospects that there could be big, multibillion-dollar deals in the fashion world this year. The caveat is whether big-time buyers feel comfortable enough to bet on a consumer who’s still feeling her way forward cautiously.
Wall Street at least is ready to go and egging companies on, even if buyers are still in wait-and-see mode.
Rumors — not particularly credible ones — have bubbled to the surface lately that large, premier companies might change hands. Coach Inc., Tiffany & Co., Burberry and the troubled J.C. Penney Co. Inc. have all been the subject of whispers among investors in recent weeks.
A deal for any of those companies would easily run over $5 billion.
That’s a boatload of money, but there’s plenty of cash sitting on corporate balance sheets and in private equity war chests. And extremely low interest rates, which are intended to prop up the economy, have also prompted banks and junk bond investors to lend money cheaply and with few strings attached.
Source: WWD
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Sean John Ramp Up
I was at a party on Wednesday with Jeff Tweedy of Sean John and he did not mention this to me.
As part of an ongoing effort to try to improve marketing and its in-store presence, Sean John has hired two key executives. Vincent Panzanella has joined the company as vice president of marketing and Dean Arcuri has been named vice president of creative direction.
They assume responsibilities that were previously handled by LonDell Wright, who exited Sean John in January.
Panzanella is now overseeing marketing efforts including brand development, strategic partnerships, events, media planning and public relations. Most recently, he worked at Tommy Hilfiger as senior director of marketing. In that role, he oversaw general brand positioning, media campaigns and the marketing of multiple licensed product categories.
Both he and Arcuri report to Sean John president Jeff Tweedy.
Arcuri is handling the brand’s visual identity, managing the creative feel and direction of retail displays and overseeing the roll-out of new stores and shops-in-shop. His prior work experience includes serving as marketing director at Ralph Lauren.
Refocusing the line as a fashion collection, instead of one rooted in basics, has been a priority for Tweedy, who was promoted to president in November. Last year’s retail sales were said to be about $350 million, a significant improvement compared to recent years but not as strong as the company’s 2008 claim of $525 million.
Tweedy said of his two new hires, “I’m confident they will both play critical roles as we continue Sean John’s growth and work to re-energize the brand through dynamic new marketing initiatives and the creation of a strong visual identity in the media, at retail and online.”
As part of an ongoing effort to try to improve marketing and its in-store presence, Sean John has hired two key executives. Vincent Panzanella has joined the company as vice president of marketing and Dean Arcuri has been named vice president of creative direction.
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| Vincent Panzanella |
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| Dean Arcuri |
They assume responsibilities that were previously handled by LonDell Wright, who exited Sean John in January.
Panzanella is now overseeing marketing efforts including brand development, strategic partnerships, events, media planning and public relations. Most recently, he worked at Tommy Hilfiger as senior director of marketing. In that role, he oversaw general brand positioning, media campaigns and the marketing of multiple licensed product categories.
Both he and Arcuri report to Sean John president Jeff Tweedy.
Arcuri is handling the brand’s visual identity, managing the creative feel and direction of retail displays and overseeing the roll-out of new stores and shops-in-shop. His prior work experience includes serving as marketing director at Ralph Lauren.
Refocusing the line as a fashion collection, instead of one rooted in basics, has been a priority for Tweedy, who was promoted to president in November. Last year’s retail sales were said to be about $350 million, a significant improvement compared to recent years but not as strong as the company’s 2008 claim of $525 million.
Tweedy said of his two new hires, “I’m confident they will both play critical roles as we continue Sean John’s growth and work to re-energize the brand through dynamic new marketing initiatives and the creation of a strong visual identity in the media, at retail and online.”
Thursday, February 28, 2013
JCP: AWFUL NUMBERS!
The numbers are AWFUL!
J.C. Penney Co. Inc. fell deep into the red in the fourth quarter and full year, with losses of $552 million and $985 million, respectively, on comparable-store sales that dropped more than 30 percent in the quarter. The numbers came out after the stock market closed, but Wall Street still took its revenge, sending Penney’s shares down in after-hours trading by 15.1 percent to $17.96.
In a conference call with analysts, chief executive officer Ron Johnson issued a mea culpa on some issues and outlined shifts in his strategy for the retailer’s ongoing turnaround.
“As much as we accomplished last year, we also made some big mistakes,” he said. “I take personal responsibility for these. Experience is making mistakes and learning from them. I have learned a lot....We worked really hard and tried many things to help the customer understand that she could shop anytime on her terms. But we learned she prefers a sale. At times she loves the coupon. And always she needs a reference price.”
READ FULL STORY HERE: WWD
J.C. Penney Co. Inc. fell deep into the red in the fourth quarter and full year, with losses of $552 million and $985 million, respectively, on comparable-store sales that dropped more than 30 percent in the quarter. The numbers came out after the stock market closed, but Wall Street still took its revenge, sending Penney’s shares down in after-hours trading by 15.1 percent to $17.96.
In a conference call with analysts, chief executive officer Ron Johnson issued a mea culpa on some issues and outlined shifts in his strategy for the retailer’s ongoing turnaround.
“As much as we accomplished last year, we also made some big mistakes,” he said. “I take personal responsibility for these. Experience is making mistakes and learning from them. I have learned a lot....We worked really hard and tried many things to help the customer understand that she could shop anytime on her terms. But we learned she prefers a sale. At times she loves the coupon. And always she needs a reference price.”
READ FULL STORY HERE: WWD
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
NO FASHION'S NIGHT OUT IN 2013
NO FASHION'S NIGHT OUT IN 2013. Fashion's Night Out Dumped in NY!! After four years, Fashion’s Night Out will go on a
hiatus in the U.S. in 2013. THANK GOD! Don't get me wrong, I liked it in 2009, but by 2012 it was just a lot of work.
The event will still be staged in select international cities.
Launched at the height of the 2009 recession in New York, FNO was a celebration of shopping at a time when it was desperately needed to jump-start the city’s economy. After a positive consumer response, the event was held again in 2010, 2011 and 2012. By its fourth year, FNO had expanded to stores in over 500 cities nationwide and 30 cities around the globe.
Nicky Eaton, a spokeswoman for Condé Nast International, confirmed FNO will continue internationally. Vogue editions published by Condé Nast International have been hosting FNO for four years, and this will be its fifth year. She said that 19 countries will be participating in 2013. Thailand and Ukraine will be hosting FNO for the first time.
The event will still be staged in select international cities.
Launched at the height of the 2009 recession in New York, FNO was a celebration of shopping at a time when it was desperately needed to jump-start the city’s economy. After a positive consumer response, the event was held again in 2010, 2011 and 2012. By its fourth year, FNO had expanded to stores in over 500 cities nationwide and 30 cities around the globe.
Nicky Eaton, a spokeswoman for Condé Nast International, confirmed FNO will continue internationally. Vogue editions published by Condé Nast International have been hosting FNO for four years, and this will be its fifth year. She said that 19 countries will be participating in 2013. Thailand and Ukraine will be hosting FNO for the first time.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Armani Being Armani...WINNING!!
Giorgio Armani talks fashion for next winter, urges designers to focus on clothes that sell (Antonio Calanni/ Associated Press )
MILAN — Giorgio Armani had the last
word at Milan Fashion Week, and not only where the clothes were concerned.
Speaking to reporters between his two
shows on Monday, the closing day of preview shows for the fall-winter 2013-2014
season, the designer lashed out at some colleagues who in his opinion are more
interested in spectacles than sales.
“One thing is to put on a play, the other is
to create fashion,” Armani said.
“It’s not about models wearing gold
crowns, “ Armani said, taking a jab at Sunday’s show of another design team with its
Byzantine princess motif. “(It’s) about what you can find in the store.”
Armani has said 75 percent of his
second line, Emporio Armani, which showed Saturday, has already been sold.
It may sound like the 78-year-old,
ever-tanned, white-haired designer who put the made-in-Italy label on the
international fashion map in the early 1980s was pontificating. But last
night’s Oscar dress list showed Armani head-to-head with Dior, proof the
designer knows what he’s talking about.
Along with Jessica Chastain and Naomi
Watts, Armani dressed child star and best actress nominee Quvenzhane Wallis in
a sparkling navy blue dress with a big back bow from his Armani Junior line.
Noting that new markets, like China,
love the live presentations, he disagreed with those who would do away with
fashion shows altogether. Instead Armani suggested that the format be revisited
to ensure that the clothes are the focal point.
Armani’s latest winter collection on
Monday came almost all in black, with accents of gray, navy and red. The
chic-yet-simple collection spoke to a contemporary woman, who in the designer’s
own words is “a little man, a little woman, and a lot of both.”
Admiring front-row guests included
singer Janet Jackson and a scattering of royalty: Charlene Wittstock, wife of
Prince Albert of Monaco, and Tatiana Blatnik, wife of Prince Nicholas of Greece
and Denmark.
The collection featured ultra-feminine
long skirts in velvet or sequined chiffon, worn with tiny double-breasted or
flared jackets. But the look also came with wide pants, complete with
decorative suspenders. Evening pants were also paired with dazzling sequined
tops.
Armani had more pants, including
jumpsuits and Bermuda shorts, in his collection than most designers this round,
where ladylike skirts and dresses were the preferred look.
Armani’s only concession to eccentric
show stoppers were his funky Russian-inspired felt and furry hats, worn with
every outfit.
“To each his own crown,” the designer
quipped.
See the below in Armani
Monday, February 25, 2013
Saturday, February 23, 2013
LVMH wants Burberry? Not Going To Happen
It's a RUMOR folks...or is it?
Stock markets and industry observers shrugged off reports that LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton might acquire Burberry or Tiffany in order to bolster its slowing revenue growth.
While LVMH, Burberry and Tiffany all declined comment on the speculation, sources close to LVMH said the French luxury giant is unlikely to buy either of the two companies.
On Friday, shares in Burberry gained as much as 3 percent following a Bloomberg report suggesting LVMH is poised to make an acquisition, with analysts touting Burberry and Tiffany as likely and interesting targets.
LVMH stock closed up 1.5 percent Friday. Shares in Burberry Group closed up 1 percent on the London Stock Exchange. Tiffany investors essentially shrugged off the possibility as part of the routine rumor mill — the company’s been the subject of merger talks on and off in the past few years. Shares of Tiffany & Co. inched up nearly 0.2 percent to close at $64.38 in trading Friday on the New York Stock Exchange.
Stock markets and industry observers shrugged off reports that LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton might acquire Burberry or Tiffany in order to bolster its slowing revenue growth.
While LVMH, Burberry and Tiffany all declined comment on the speculation, sources close to LVMH said the French luxury giant is unlikely to buy either of the two companies.
On Friday, shares in Burberry gained as much as 3 percent following a Bloomberg report suggesting LVMH is poised to make an acquisition, with analysts touting Burberry and Tiffany as likely and interesting targets.
LVMH stock closed up 1.5 percent Friday. Shares in Burberry Group closed up 1 percent on the London Stock Exchange. Tiffany investors essentially shrugged off the possibility as part of the routine rumor mill — the company’s been the subject of merger talks on and off in the past few years. Shares of Tiffany & Co. inched up nearly 0.2 percent to close at $64.38 in trading Friday on the New York Stock Exchange.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
HOT Diamonds...really HOT!
Over the past 2 weeks there have been a rash of robberies for Fine Jewelry. I have it on good source that there was a early morning tie-up robbery at Lord & Taylor (Ridge Hill, NY). This weekend two thieves smashed and grabbed at the Four Seasons and in Paris two men held up the De Beers boutique in Printemps department store and made off with jewelry worth between 1 million and 3 million euros,
or $2.7 million and $4 million at current exchange, in the early evening
hours Tuesday.
Armed with handguns and equipped with bulletproof vests, the robbers entered the South African diamond dealer’s stand, located on the first floor of the department store, at around 6:45 p.m., a spokeswoman for the district attorney’s office in Paris confirmed. They did not fire their weapons and no one was harmed, she said.
According to French media reports, the thieves left shortly after, nearly unnoticed, through the personnel exit at the back of the store, which could suggest they were familiar with the premises. I'm looking up my Diamonds tonight!!!!
Armed with handguns and equipped with bulletproof vests, the robbers entered the South African diamond dealer’s stand, located on the first floor of the department store, at around 6:45 p.m., a spokeswoman for the district attorney’s office in Paris confirmed. They did not fire their weapons and no one was harmed, she said.
According to French media reports, the thieves left shortly after, nearly unnoticed, through the personnel exit at the back of the store, which could suggest they were familiar with the premises. I'm looking up my Diamonds tonight!!!!
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
The Next Step in "Retail"; Augmented Reality Shopping
Imagine walking into a store and seeing what you want and then being able to just look at, get your body specks and then buying the item you want. That is the next step in Augmented Reality Shopping. Watch this short and you'll get the idea
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Uniqlo to buy The Gap
Shares of Gap Inc. jumped 7 percent to $33.55 in midday trading today
on rumors that Japanese retail giant Fast Retailing was interested in
buying the company, according to two market observers.
By 2 pm on Wall Street nearly 12 million shares of Gap had traded hands, well above the stock’s average daily trading volume of 5.8 million over the past three months.
Fast Retailing is also an acquisitive company, having most recently bought J Brand Holdings in December, although that was a much smaller deal than a play for the Gap would be.
“Fast Retailing has always had pretty lofty ambitions, and many people say they should buy Gap, if they want to have a U.S. business,” said one financial source. “For them to grow organically and develop a footprint in the U.S., it would take them forever.”
Fast Retailing chief executive officer Tadashi Yanai has said Fast has “billions to spend on acquisitions. This could be the quickest path, but it’s a big big bet.” In 2007, Fast offered $900 million to buy Barneys New York but was rejected. Tadashi Yanai has also said that he plans to open up to 300 Uniqlo stores outside Japan per year.
“At the end of the day, if you are a public company and if somebody puts an offer on the table at a reasonable price, you would be forced to entertain it,” said the financial source. “But Gap is not the kind of company putting out vibes for somebody to acquire them, and there would only be a short list of people capable of buying it.”
One retailer familiar with both Gap and Fast said Tadashi Yanai is “much more interested in building Uniqlo — sounds like there are some rumors around — but if it’s around my strong guess is that it’s truly only rumors.”
By 2 pm on Wall Street nearly 12 million shares of Gap had traded hands, well above the stock’s average daily trading volume of 5.8 million over the past three months.
Fast Retailing is also an acquisitive company, having most recently bought J Brand Holdings in December, although that was a much smaller deal than a play for the Gap would be.
“Fast Retailing has always had pretty lofty ambitions, and many people say they should buy Gap, if they want to have a U.S. business,” said one financial source. “For them to grow organically and develop a footprint in the U.S., it would take them forever.”
Fast Retailing chief executive officer Tadashi Yanai has said Fast has “billions to spend on acquisitions. This could be the quickest path, but it’s a big big bet.” In 2007, Fast offered $900 million to buy Barneys New York but was rejected. Tadashi Yanai has also said that he plans to open up to 300 Uniqlo stores outside Japan per year.
“At the end of the day, if you are a public company and if somebody puts an offer on the table at a reasonable price, you would be forced to entertain it,” said the financial source. “But Gap is not the kind of company putting out vibes for somebody to acquire them, and there would only be a short list of people capable of buying it.”
One retailer familiar with both Gap and Fast said Tadashi Yanai is “much more interested in building Uniqlo — sounds like there are some rumors around — but if it’s around my strong guess is that it’s truly only rumors.”
Friday, February 8, 2013
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Burberry Is "Changing The Plaid"...Uh-Oh
In a shakeup of top management at Burberry, the company named
former BBC executive John Smith as chief operating officer, a new post & Stacey Cartwright, its chief
financial officer and a prominent member of the brand's executive team,
would step down from her post after nine years in order to pursue new
interests.
Cartwright, who also holds the title of executive vice-president, is to retain her position on the board until the Burberry’s annual general meeting in July.
Carol Fairweather has been named chief financial officer designate with immediate effect and will become chief financial officer following Cartwright's departure. She will report to Burberry's chief executive officer Angela Ahrendts.
Smith had served as a non-executive director on the Burberry Board since December 2009. He will continue to serve in that capacity until he takes up his new role as an executive director on March 4, and he will report to Ahrendts.
Smith was most recently chief executive of BBC Worldwide from 2005 to 2012, where he oversaw its expansion through the development of global franchises.
“We are thrilled to announce John’s appointment to the new position of chief operating officer, which is an important step in the next phase of Burberry’s development," Ahrendts said in a statement. "His exceptional global brand and media expertise, together with his track record in finance and operations, will be invaluable as we continue to combine proven strategies and innovative execution to drive growth in the mobile digital age."
Fairweather has been with Burberry for six years, most recently as senior vice president, group finance. Prior to joining Burberry, she held senior finance positions at News International Limited and Shandwick plc.
“We thank Stacey for her dedication, commitment, and partnership as we have worked to transform Burberry in recent years, and for her outstanding personal contribution to improving the operational and financial infrastructure of the company. We wish her well in the future," Ahrendts said in a statement.
"We are delighted that one of her key partners, Carol Fairweather, will succeed her. Carol’s deep understanding of the Burberry business and brand, coupled with her strong leadership and financial skills, position her uniquely to drive continued success in this role, while ensuring a seamless transition,” she added.
 |
| John Smith, New Burberry COO |
Cartwright, who also holds the title of executive vice-president, is to retain her position on the board until the Burberry’s annual general meeting in July.
Carol Fairweather has been named chief financial officer designate with immediate effect and will become chief financial officer following Cartwright's departure. She will report to Burberry's chief executive officer Angela Ahrendts.
Smith had served as a non-executive director on the Burberry Board since December 2009. He will continue to serve in that capacity until he takes up his new role as an executive director on March 4, and he will report to Ahrendts.
Smith was most recently chief executive of BBC Worldwide from 2005 to 2012, where he oversaw its expansion through the development of global franchises.
“We are thrilled to announce John’s appointment to the new position of chief operating officer, which is an important step in the next phase of Burberry’s development," Ahrendts said in a statement. "His exceptional global brand and media expertise, together with his track record in finance and operations, will be invaluable as we continue to combine proven strategies and innovative execution to drive growth in the mobile digital age."
Fairweather has been with Burberry for six years, most recently as senior vice president, group finance. Prior to joining Burberry, she held senior finance positions at News International Limited and Shandwick plc.
“We thank Stacey for her dedication, commitment, and partnership as we have worked to transform Burberry in recent years, and for her outstanding personal contribution to improving the operational and financial infrastructure of the company. We wish her well in the future," Ahrendts said in a statement.
"We are delighted that one of her key partners, Carol Fairweather, will succeed her. Carol’s deep understanding of the Burberry business and brand, coupled with her strong leadership and financial skills, position her uniquely to drive continued success in this role, while ensuring a seamless transition,” she added.
Conde Nast, Not So Lucky
The writing has been on the wall for a long time now; Digital has changed the print landscape. Lucky is the latest Condé Nast title to trim its
frequency, cutting back to 10 issues a year from 12. The move follows
Condé Nast’s decision last week to cut the frequency of W to 10 from 12, and the two titles join stablemates Details and Teen Vogue. Brides also recently cut its publishing schedule in half.
For Lucky, the move is part of an ongoing reinvention of the title under editor in chief Brandon Holley. Last month, in an unorthodox move, Condé replaced publisher Marcy Bloom with Gillian Gorman Round, a former beauty industry executive with no prior experience in publishing who joined Condé a year earlier to lead so-called brand development. Round, named general manager in charge of both business and editorial at Lucky, is now tasked with finding a new business model that places greater emphasis on digital.
In January, Condé said Lucky would have a new digital platform in the near future though it didn’t divulge any details about that plan. The spokeswoman said Wednesday they had no announcements to make on that front.
Lucky lost 15 percent of its newsstand sales in the first half of 2012, the most recent data available, according to Alliance for Audited Media, and 20 percent in ad pages for a total of 894, according to Media Industry Newsletter.
This year, it will combine December/January and June/July, and release a special interest publication, similar to 2012’s “The Ultimate Style Guide,” with a second SIP to be released in 2014.
For Lucky, the move is part of an ongoing reinvention of the title under editor in chief Brandon Holley. Last month, in an unorthodox move, Condé replaced publisher Marcy Bloom with Gillian Gorman Round, a former beauty industry executive with no prior experience in publishing who joined Condé a year earlier to lead so-called brand development. Round, named general manager in charge of both business and editorial at Lucky, is now tasked with finding a new business model that places greater emphasis on digital.
In January, Condé said Lucky would have a new digital platform in the near future though it didn’t divulge any details about that plan. The spokeswoman said Wednesday they had no announcements to make on that front.
Lucky lost 15 percent of its newsstand sales in the first half of 2012, the most recent data available, according to Alliance for Audited Media, and 20 percent in ad pages for a total of 894, according to Media Industry Newsletter.
This year, it will combine December/January and June/July, and release a special interest publication, similar to 2012’s “The Ultimate Style Guide,” with a second SIP to be released in 2014.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
C. Wonder Worth $350M...Really?
Tory Burch must be STEWING, because Christopher Burch has found a new partner for C. Wonder.
Boston-based investment giant Fidelity has taken a 10 percent stake in the budding chain, according to sources. One person familiar with the matter said the hedge fund paid $35 million, which would give C. Wonder a lofty $350 million valuation.
C. Wonder is still relatively small, but Burch has laid out ambitious plans for the chain.
Since that start in New York City, the brand has since grown to 10 stores plus pop-up locations.
Burch plans to expand C. Wonder to 50 to 100 stores by the end of 2014, including 20 to 30 doors abroad in markets such as Japan, Germany and Dubai. Ultimately, Burch has said he sees an opportunity to open about 110 stores in the U.S., with a total global footprint of 300 to 350 doors.
In its short life, the brightly colored C. Wonder, which sells apparel and home goods, has garnered more than its share of controversy.
C. Wonder became a point of intense friction between Burch and his ex-wife Tory Burch, who viewed the brand’s stores as aesthetically too similar to her own.
Rumors of a lawsuit swirled for months, but eventually it was Christopher Burch who sued in October, alleging his ex-wife and her employees interfered with his ability to develop C. Wonder. Tory Burch countersued, alleging that her ex-husband used his role as a director at her company to make “copycat” products for C. Wonder.
The awkward affair was ultimately settled late last year when Christopher Burch sold off some of his 28.3 percent stake in the Tory Burch business and the legal tussle was dropped.
That has cleared the way for C. Wonder to press on.
Investors are keen to tap into the potential of brands in the fashion sphere. Kors, which went public in December 2011, is now valued at nearly $11 billion and Tory Burch is now said to be valued at $2.5 billion or more.
Clearly, Fidelity wants to get in on the ground floor with C. Wonder — a somewhat surprising investment for the firm, which is known as one of the largest mutual fund operators in the world, serving more than 20 million people and institutions.
It is not known how often Fidelity invests in small companies such as C. Wonder. The firm’s FMR unit, however, is well known in fashion investment circles. FMR has $5.61 billion invested in apparel and accessories firms, including a $1.08 billion stake in Lululemon Athletica Inc., $948.2 million worth of PVH Corp. stock and a $774.2 million chunk of Michael Kors Holdings Ltd.
C. Wonder hasn’t reached the level of those businesses yet, but it has caught the attention of the industry. Burch had a number of retail brands in the works, but in November said he would focus on C. Wonder and Monika Chiang.
Boston-based investment giant Fidelity has taken a 10 percent stake in the budding chain, according to sources. One person familiar with the matter said the hedge fund paid $35 million, which would give C. Wonder a lofty $350 million valuation.
C. Wonder is still relatively small, but Burch has laid out ambitious plans for the chain.
Since that start in New York City, the brand has since grown to 10 stores plus pop-up locations.
Burch plans to expand C. Wonder to 50 to 100 stores by the end of 2014, including 20 to 30 doors abroad in markets such as Japan, Germany and Dubai. Ultimately, Burch has said he sees an opportunity to open about 110 stores in the U.S., with a total global footprint of 300 to 350 doors.
In its short life, the brightly colored C. Wonder, which sells apparel and home goods, has garnered more than its share of controversy.
C. Wonder became a point of intense friction between Burch and his ex-wife Tory Burch, who viewed the brand’s stores as aesthetically too similar to her own.
Rumors of a lawsuit swirled for months, but eventually it was Christopher Burch who sued in October, alleging his ex-wife and her employees interfered with his ability to develop C. Wonder. Tory Burch countersued, alleging that her ex-husband used his role as a director at her company to make “copycat” products for C. Wonder.
The awkward affair was ultimately settled late last year when Christopher Burch sold off some of his 28.3 percent stake in the Tory Burch business and the legal tussle was dropped.
That has cleared the way for C. Wonder to press on.
Investors are keen to tap into the potential of brands in the fashion sphere. Kors, which went public in December 2011, is now valued at nearly $11 billion and Tory Burch is now said to be valued at $2.5 billion or more.
Clearly, Fidelity wants to get in on the ground floor with C. Wonder — a somewhat surprising investment for the firm, which is known as one of the largest mutual fund operators in the world, serving more than 20 million people and institutions.
It is not known how often Fidelity invests in small companies such as C. Wonder. The firm’s FMR unit, however, is well known in fashion investment circles. FMR has $5.61 billion invested in apparel and accessories firms, including a $1.08 billion stake in Lululemon Athletica Inc., $948.2 million worth of PVH Corp. stock and a $774.2 million chunk of Michael Kors Holdings Ltd.
C. Wonder hasn’t reached the level of those businesses yet, but it has caught the attention of the industry. Burch had a number of retail brands in the works, but in November said he would focus on C. Wonder and Monika Chiang.
Pinterest...The Next Big Thing?
Fashion retailer H&M is pretty popular on Pinterest—in
spite of itself. Over the last month, the social scrapbooking
platform’s users have pinned, repinned, commented on or liked the
brand’s products 145,000 times, according to Pinterest analytics firm Curalate (H&M is not a client). The problem is, a good number of H&M’s popular pins feature dead links—an increasing problem for retailers, said Curalate.
For example, one H&M dress has been shared on Pinterest nearly
1,200 times in the past 30 days. But clicking on that product’s pin
returns the message,"Sorry, this item is no longer available." Same goes
for a pair of H&M shoes shared more than 2,700 times on Pinterest
in the last month.
"Pinterest is driving a ton of people to [H&M’s] website,
but they can’t buy anything when they get there," said Curalate CEO Apu
Gupta. H&M did not respond to multiple requests for comment, but
the retailer is only one example of more pervasive missed opportunities.
Curalate found that 48 percent of top retailers’ most popular products
on Pinterest link back to expired pages. “We look and go, ‘My God, how
much money are they leaving on the table?’” Gupta said.
So what gives? As far as Gupta sees it, the issue is the way brands are
siloed. Big marketers typically separate their social and digital
marketing teams from e-commerce. "A classic problem of commerce and
marketing not working together," said SapientNitro’s global head of social media Nathaniel Perez.
There’s an easy fix, according to Gupta. At the most basic level,
brands can simply leave any out-of-stock product’s pages live on their
sites, so at least users don’t think they clicked the wrong link or the
site is failing. Of course, another option would be to pay Curalate to
put a mechanism in place to offer an incoming Pinterest user a coupon for another of the retailer’s products, based on current Pinterest popularity.
Curalate’s top competitor in the Pinterest marketing space,
Pinfluencer, is working on a similar product, per its CEO Sharad Verma.
Like Curalate, Verma’s company has developed image-recognition
technology which helps retailers showcase alternative items when pinned
products are out of stock.
For now, the dilemma may belong to retailers, but it could have bigger
implications for Pinterest, which has been lauded as the ideal social
network for commerce. "On Pinterest...it’s all about the products," said
Gupta.
Added Perez: "Most retailers, in my opinion, are not focused on truly leveraging Pinterest for driving transactions."
Friday, February 1, 2013
Rue LaLa In A Tailspin
Rue Lala is trying to find its way but with it's New York office in a freefall what are we to expect. The CMO is gone, the President left and word today of another major exit is BIG NEWS!!!!! I promised my source that I would keep the exit private until announced, but all I can say is that it's BIG!!!
OWS To Protest Interns...Really!?!?
OWS - Leave the interns alone. How are students expected to get experience in the industry!
Protests are not uncommon during fashion week. From designers’ use of animal fur to lack of racial diversity in models, activists have a number of reasons to take issue with the industry. The latest? Unpaid internships. And good old Occupy Wall Street will be demonstrating against them.
OWS has an Intern Labor Rights division, members of which are currently planning to have a visible presence during NYFW between Friday, February 8 and Sunday, February 10. They’re also planning demonstrations for London and Paris fashion weeks, Buzzfeed Shift is reporting.
“I don’t think there will be hundreds — I don’t think it’s going to be that big, but we’d like to have a significant presence,” protest organizer Peter Walsh told Shift’s Amy Odell of the planned NYFW demonstrations. Their hope is to persuade and educate people about the technical illegality of most unpaid fashion internships. “The fashion industry is a for-profit industry — it’s not like they’re working not-for-profit arts organizations. They’re making billions of dollars and the fact that they’re asking their students to donate their labor to these businesses is really outrageous,” Walsh said.
It’s not the first time OWS has showed up at fashion week. Two seasons ago, they tried to shut down the Calvin Klein show to “raise awareness of the 1% Structures behind the Fashion Industry.” It didn’t work.
And we’re not really convinced this will be much more successful–especially without any support from fashion industry establishments. Still, unpaid internships are undeniably a hot-button issue right now, with former Harper’s Bazaar intern Diana Wang’s unprecedented class action lawsuit against Hearst still underway.
If anything, OWS’ efforts will move the ongoing conversation about the often-necessary, but rarely fair unpaid internships in the fashion industry forward.
Protests are not uncommon during fashion week. From designers’ use of animal fur to lack of racial diversity in models, activists have a number of reasons to take issue with the industry. The latest? Unpaid internships. And good old Occupy Wall Street will be demonstrating against them.
OWS has an Intern Labor Rights division, members of which are currently planning to have a visible presence during NYFW between Friday, February 8 and Sunday, February 10. They’re also planning demonstrations for London and Paris fashion weeks, Buzzfeed Shift is reporting.
“I don’t think there will be hundreds — I don’t think it’s going to be that big, but we’d like to have a significant presence,” protest organizer Peter Walsh told Shift’s Amy Odell of the planned NYFW demonstrations. Their hope is to persuade and educate people about the technical illegality of most unpaid fashion internships. “The fashion industry is a for-profit industry — it’s not like they’re working not-for-profit arts organizations. They’re making billions of dollars and the fact that they’re asking their students to donate their labor to these businesses is really outrageous,” Walsh said.
It’s not the first time OWS has showed up at fashion week. Two seasons ago, they tried to shut down the Calvin Klein show to “raise awareness of the 1% Structures behind the Fashion Industry.” It didn’t work.
And we’re not really convinced this will be much more successful–especially without any support from fashion industry establishments. Still, unpaid internships are undeniably a hot-button issue right now, with former Harper’s Bazaar intern Diana Wang’s unprecedented class action lawsuit against Hearst still underway.
If anything, OWS’ efforts will move the ongoing conversation about the often-necessary, but rarely fair unpaid internships in the fashion industry forward.
Dolce and Gabbana's perfume for babies
Luxury retail giant Dolce and Gabbana is set to launch a new perfume. The new fragrance is for babies. The Dolce and Gabbana perfume for babies will be alcohol free and retail at $45.
The fragrance for babies is meant to accentuate the baby's natural smell. Dolce and Gabbana describes the perfume's scent as 'the innocence of childhood.' Most fragrances associated with babies include the scent of powder and lotions. This fragrance aims to be different and includes notes of citrus, melon and honey. The inspiration behind the fragrance was tender moments shared with babies including a baby's first smile.
Stefano Gabbana had recently released an image of the packaging of the perfume in the company's luxury online magazine Swide. The image was captioned with the words 'per I bambini' which means 'for children.'
The fragrance for babies is meant to accentuate the baby's natural smell. Dolce and Gabbana describes the perfume's scent as 'the innocence of childhood.' Most fragrances associated with babies include the scent of powder and lotions. This fragrance aims to be different and includes notes of citrus, melon and honey. The inspiration behind the fragrance was tender moments shared with babies including a baby's first smile.
Stefano Gabbana had recently released an image of the packaging of the perfume in the company's luxury online magazine Swide. The image was captioned with the words 'per I bambini' which means 'for children.'
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Kors To Stop Hunger!
Michael Kors is putting the fight against world hunger at the core of his philanthropy.
The designer is launching an exclusive, long-term partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme, which aims to help solve the international hunger crisis with food assistance for those in need, especially mothers and children.
WATCH VIDEO HERE
“We wanted to contribute in a way that would make a real difference in people’s lives,” said Kors. “Joining forces with the World Food Programme enables us to do that. The fact is, hunger is a solvable problem and I’m proud that we can be a part of the solution.”
As a cause, feeding the needy has been dear to Kors for a long time. He has been a supporter of God’s Love We Deliver, the New York-based nonprofit that delivers daily meals to people with severe illnesses, for more than two decades and made a $5 million donation to the organization last October.
While Kors’ financial commitment to the U.N. program was not disclosed, he plans to raise millions through a series of campaigns, events and special products, including two unisex watches launching this March as part of a “Watch Hunger Stop” campaign. The watches come in two sizes, with the smaller one retailing for $295 and the larger for $325. Each watch sold will allow for 100 children to be fed through the WFP. In addition, Kors is launching a text-to-donate program to raise further funds.
Kors is also releasing a public service announcement, which features several celebrities, including Bette Midler, Seth Meyers, Patti Hansen, Kyle MacLachlan and Karolina Kurkova.
The PSA is available on Kors’ various social media platforms, including destinationkors.com.
“Over the years, I’ve had the great fortune of traveling the world and experiencing new cultures and people,” Kors said. “And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that millions of people all over the world are struggling to feed themselves, and their families, every day. I want to lend my voice and my efforts to this international cause.”
WFP executive director Ertharin Cousin added that by working with the designer, “we will generate more attention as well as much-needed resources in support of WFP’s efforts to end world hunger. Our vision of the future is a world where every person has access to the quality and quantity of food required to not only lead a healthy life but to also reach his or her full human potential.”
The designer is launching an exclusive, long-term partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme, which aims to help solve the international hunger crisis with food assistance for those in need, especially mothers and children.
WATCH VIDEO HERE
“We wanted to contribute in a way that would make a real difference in people’s lives,” said Kors. “Joining forces with the World Food Programme enables us to do that. The fact is, hunger is a solvable problem and I’m proud that we can be a part of the solution.”
As a cause, feeding the needy has been dear to Kors for a long time. He has been a supporter of God’s Love We Deliver, the New York-based nonprofit that delivers daily meals to people with severe illnesses, for more than two decades and made a $5 million donation to the organization last October.
While Kors’ financial commitment to the U.N. program was not disclosed, he plans to raise millions through a series of campaigns, events and special products, including two unisex watches launching this March as part of a “Watch Hunger Stop” campaign. The watches come in two sizes, with the smaller one retailing for $295 and the larger for $325. Each watch sold will allow for 100 children to be fed through the WFP. In addition, Kors is launching a text-to-donate program to raise further funds.
Kors is also releasing a public service announcement, which features several celebrities, including Bette Midler, Seth Meyers, Patti Hansen, Kyle MacLachlan and Karolina Kurkova.
The PSA is available on Kors’ various social media platforms, including destinationkors.com.
“Over the years, I’ve had the great fortune of traveling the world and experiencing new cultures and people,” Kors said. “And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that millions of people all over the world are struggling to feed themselves, and their families, every day. I want to lend my voice and my efforts to this international cause.”
WFP executive director Ertharin Cousin added that by working with the designer, “we will generate more attention as well as much-needed resources in support of WFP’s efforts to end world hunger. Our vision of the future is a world where every person has access to the quality and quantity of food required to not only lead a healthy life but to also reach his or her full human potential.”
Blackberry "On Fire"
The greatest Fashion Accessories for the Falll may be the Blackberry.
During its BlackBerry 10 launch event, CEO Thorsten Heins announced a new Global Creative Director for the company: Alicia Keys.
“I’m fascinated by technology. I've always wanted to work directly with a technology company,” said Keys. “I wanted to do something where I could grow professionally and personally.”
Keys says she is going to be working directly with developers and carriers on the platform, as well as with other artists. Previously a BlackBerry user, she spoke on stage about experimenting with other smartphone platforms over the past few years — she talked about being an 'iPhone Junkie' on Google+ just over a year ago — but now that BlackBerry has been "working out" she's excited to get back together.
“Now we're exclusively dating again, and I’m very happy,” she said.
Keys took to Twitter — somewhere it appears she had been posting via iPhone just a few days ago — to express her excitement over the position:
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Calvin Klein Superbowl Ad
Calvin Klein Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of PVH Corp., will run the first Super Bowl commercial in its history. The 30-second ad is slated to run at the end of the first quarter and will introduce Calvin Klein Concept, the latest offering from Calvin Klein Underwear. The provocative commercial depicts model Matthew Terry in a modern “man versus machine” creative inspired by the 360-degree seamless technology construction of the new underwear line. Calvin Klein will be adding even more sex appeal to this Sunday’s Super Bowl. Really!?! Is this how we get more woman to watch? Just saying
Kors Focus on Men's..Game ON!
Michael Kors is placing a new emphasis on its growing
men’s wear business, with plans to dedicate an entire floor to men’s
product in a trilevel SoHo flagship that will open at the end of the
year. The men’s presentation will represent the first retail space
dedicated to the full range of Michael Kors men’s wear.
The new store at 520 Broadway, which will displace a Club Monaco unit, will be the largest Michael Kors store in the world, at 17,000 square feet of total space. Men’s will be housed on the 5,000-square-foot concourse level. The 4,500-square-foot ground floor will offer the company’s cash cows of women’s accessories, footwear, jewelry, watches, eyewear and fragrance. Women’s ready-to-wear will be carried on the 5,000-square-foot second floor, including the world’s largest assortment of the better-priced Michael Michael Kors label. A basement level for storage rounds out the space.
“This is the first opportunity for us to present the men’s collection in a complete format, featuring tailored clothing, shirts, ties, sportswear and accessories, in one of our stores,” said John Idol, chief executive officer of Michael Kors Holdings Ltd. “We view adding men’s wear to our existing lifestyle store format as an opportunity to gauge the potential for an expansion of our retail concept. Retail is the key component of our overall growth strategy and we are [pleased] to incorporate our growing men’s wear business into that strategy.”
The new store at 520 Broadway, which will displace a Club Monaco unit, will be the largest Michael Kors store in the world, at 17,000 square feet of total space. Men’s will be housed on the 5,000-square-foot concourse level. The 4,500-square-foot ground floor will offer the company’s cash cows of women’s accessories, footwear, jewelry, watches, eyewear and fragrance. Women’s ready-to-wear will be carried on the 5,000-square-foot second floor, including the world’s largest assortment of the better-priced Michael Michael Kors label. A basement level for storage rounds out the space.
“This is the first opportunity for us to present the men’s collection in a complete format, featuring tailored clothing, shirts, ties, sportswear and accessories, in one of our stores,” said John Idol, chief executive officer of Michael Kors Holdings Ltd. “We view adding men’s wear to our existing lifestyle store format as an opportunity to gauge the potential for an expansion of our retail concept. Retail is the key component of our overall growth strategy and we are [pleased] to incorporate our growing men’s wear business into that strategy.”
The new SoHo store will be more than twice the size of the Michael Kors flagship in Rockefeller Center, which at 7,165 square feet is currently the brand’s largest retail unit. In addition, Michael Kors operates five smaller stores in Manhattan, including two on Madison Avenue and units in the Flatiron District, Greenwich Village and SoHo.
The company will keep open the neighboring SoHo store at 101 Prince Street and elevate its positioning with a focus on Michael Kors Collection product
Friday, January 25, 2013
Salvatore Ferragamo Goes Hollywood
It feels like a family dinner,” said Jacqui Getty, surrounded by
friends Demi Moore, Rosanna Arquette, Brigette Romanek, Linda Ramone,
Pamela Skaist-Levy and Gela Nash-Taylor on Thursday night as she hosted a
presentation of Salvatore Ferragamo’s spring collection at Chateau
Marmont. “Gia, stop laughing at your mother,” she implored Coppola, who
was seated at the kids’ table with Nathalie Love, Emma Roberts and Zoe
Sidel.
In an effort to mix up the by-now-familiar Chateau fashion event, Ferragamo started the evening with poolside cocktails, then shepherded everyone into the long and narrow sunroom of Bungalow One, which had been transformed into a catwalk with banquettes on both sides. “You know I die for every look in that show,” said Rachel Zoe to husband Rodger Berman. Sitting across the runway, Nicole Richie, Hedi Gores and Kelly Patricof nodded in approval. Dinner was served at two long tables set up in the living room, where Peggy Lipton mused of the over-the-knee open-toe boots: “Those were some amazing shoes, but what would you wear them to?” Moore, of course, was sporting a pair for dinner.
In an effort to mix up the by-now-familiar Chateau fashion event, Ferragamo started the evening with poolside cocktails, then shepherded everyone into the long and narrow sunroom of Bungalow One, which had been transformed into a catwalk with banquettes on both sides. “You know I die for every look in that show,” said Rachel Zoe to husband Rodger Berman. Sitting across the runway, Nicole Richie, Hedi Gores and Kelly Patricof nodded in approval. Dinner was served at two long tables set up in the living room, where Peggy Lipton mused of the over-the-knee open-toe boots: “Those were some amazing shoes, but what would you wear them to?” Moore, of course, was sporting a pair for dinner.
Elie Tahari Names Bob Galvin as CEO
Elie Tahari has brought in Bob Galvin as his company’s new chief executive officer.
Galvin, who started Monday, was previously president at The Camuto Group, where he played a significant role in its transformation into a diversified branded lifestyle company. He left Camuto last January.
Galvin is joining to Tahari at a key moment. The designer in 2013 is marking his 40th year in business. Over the past few months, the Elie Tahari company has also undergone a reorganization with several strategic hires, and Galvin’s appointment is a key one to strengthen and position it for further growth.
“I am at a point in the business where I need to concentrate on the product, and after 40 years, I know what I am not good at, and I am not good at running a company,” Tahari said, with surprising honesty, during an exclusive interview with Galvin at his West 42nd Street office here. “When I look back at when the company was running the best, it was when it was run by good management, and not by me.”
Tahari was, until now, chairman as well as ceo. While he can now focus his efforts on product, Galvin will spearhead wholesale, retail and international sales for both women’s and men’s collections, as well as areas such as accessories, merchandising, marketing, licensing, product development and production.
Galvin called the brand’s potential “unlimited. It’s focusing on the future and different areas where we’re not, where we are, and where we see so much potential.”
At Camuto, where he spent the past five years, Galvin was also in charge of commercial activities, including expanding the business globally. He worked on other brands associated with the company, like Tory Burch, BCBG Max Azria, Jessica Simpson, Lucky Brand and Sanctuary Clothing. Before, he served as chief operating officer and managing director of Fila, and, prior, was executive vice president at Nine West.
Galvin, who started Monday, was previously president at The Camuto Group, where he played a significant role in its transformation into a diversified branded lifestyle company. He left Camuto last January.
Galvin is joining to Tahari at a key moment. The designer in 2013 is marking his 40th year in business. Over the past few months, the Elie Tahari company has also undergone a reorganization with several strategic hires, and Galvin’s appointment is a key one to strengthen and position it for further growth.
“I am at a point in the business where I need to concentrate on the product, and after 40 years, I know what I am not good at, and I am not good at running a company,” Tahari said, with surprising honesty, during an exclusive interview with Galvin at his West 42nd Street office here. “When I look back at when the company was running the best, it was when it was run by good management, and not by me.”
Tahari was, until now, chairman as well as ceo. While he can now focus his efforts on product, Galvin will spearhead wholesale, retail and international sales for both women’s and men’s collections, as well as areas such as accessories, merchandising, marketing, licensing, product development and production.
Galvin called the brand’s potential “unlimited. It’s focusing on the future and different areas where we’re not, where we are, and where we see so much potential.”
At Camuto, where he spent the past five years, Galvin was also in charge of commercial activities, including expanding the business globally. He worked on other brands associated with the company, like Tory Burch, BCBG Max Azria, Jessica Simpson, Lucky Brand and Sanctuary Clothing. Before, he served as chief operating officer and managing director of Fila, and, prior, was executive vice president at Nine West.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Kors and Tory Erode Coach
I remember when Coach was 80% of the handbag market in department store. This days are long gone as Michael Kors, Kate Spade and Tory Burch erode Coach's dominance.
Shares of Coach Inc. slid 16.4 percent Wednesday to $50.75, after the handbag maker said sagging holiday demand and increased competition in the accessories market contributed to lower-than-expected second-quarter earnings. The New York-based brand also registered negative comparable-store sales in North America for the quarter, marking only the third time in 11 years that it recorded a negative comp. Chairman and chief executive officer Lew Frankfort told analysts on the conference call that the company experienced “weakness” in its women’s business here and globally, due in part to “heightened promotional activity,” which “built throughout the quarter” and “became aggressive” in department stores.
Coach introduced Legacy, a dual-gender, upscale footwear, accessories and apparel collection last year, which is a sort of precursor to a fuller expression of the brand’s evolution.
“We’ve been strengthening our teams to enhance and build out the Coach experience through product, retail environments and integrated marketing,” the ceo noted. “This holistic approach will continue to add excitement and cachet to the Coach brand. We’ve demonstrated the ability to offer a lifestyle assortment, including categories such as outer wear, shoes, jewelry, watches, eye wear and fragrance.”
The evolution, which will be in full bloom by holiday 2013, puts the company in even more direct competition with other lifestyle brands such as Michael Kors and Tory Burch, both of which have chipped away at Coach’s still-dominant share of the North American handbag market.
Coach said the lifestyle push won’t impact future earnings, as it has “built in sufficient capital to address store renovations and new store concepts, and improved and different fixturing.”
I'm glad Coach has stopped the snobish behavior.
Shares of Coach Inc. slid 16.4 percent Wednesday to $50.75, after the handbag maker said sagging holiday demand and increased competition in the accessories market contributed to lower-than-expected second-quarter earnings. The New York-based brand also registered negative comparable-store sales in North America for the quarter, marking only the third time in 11 years that it recorded a negative comp. Chairman and chief executive officer Lew Frankfort told analysts on the conference call that the company experienced “weakness” in its women’s business here and globally, due in part to “heightened promotional activity,” which “built throughout the quarter” and “became aggressive” in department stores.
Coach introduced Legacy, a dual-gender, upscale footwear, accessories and apparel collection last year, which is a sort of precursor to a fuller expression of the brand’s evolution.
“We’ve been strengthening our teams to enhance and build out the Coach experience through product, retail environments and integrated marketing,” the ceo noted. “This holistic approach will continue to add excitement and cachet to the Coach brand. We’ve demonstrated the ability to offer a lifestyle assortment, including categories such as outer wear, shoes, jewelry, watches, eye wear and fragrance.”
The evolution, which will be in full bloom by holiday 2013, puts the company in even more direct competition with other lifestyle brands such as Michael Kors and Tory Burch, both of which have chipped away at Coach’s still-dominant share of the North American handbag market.
Coach said the lifestyle push won’t impact future earnings, as it has “built in sufficient capital to address store renovations and new store concepts, and improved and different fixturing.”
I'm glad Coach has stopped the snobish behavior.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Heremes On The Table...
As if men’s and couture were not enough for
them, Paris fashion houses have also been busy on other fronts. Both
Hermès and Christian Lacroix chose the hectic January period – when the
Maison et Objet home ware show also takes place in the French capital –
to reveal new tableware items. Hermès saw in the New Year and its “A
Sporting Life” theme for 2013 with a vintage-style porcelain collection
designed by Benoit-Pierre Emery, who has previously created carré silk
scarves for the brand. Inspired by the “Chaine d’ancre” link style used
on straps for certain of Hermès’ leather goods, the Rallye 24
collection’s design resembles a colorful racing track on 49 different
tableware pieces. With a very different theme, Christian Lacroix
Maison’s first porcelain line is a mix-and-match offer with four themes,
including watercolor stripes and a parade of butterflies.
 |
Items from Hermès’ Rallye 24 tableware line |
Friday, January 18, 2013
Bluefly Still Around?
Well I was on the web and I noticed that Bluefly.com was still around. WOW!! So what has Mr. Scott A.
Erdman, Senior Vice President of Merchandising at Bluefly Inc.
since June 2012, and Joe Park, CEO done with the company? Nothing! the stock price is down (.72 cents as of 1/14) and when you bring in 5W PR it's a sign that you are on your last leg.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
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