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

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

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.

Vincent Panzanella

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.”

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 

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.

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

 

 

Prada and Dior Stole The Show

Prada

Miu Miu (Prada)

Dior

Dior

Dior

Dior