WWD articles from April 2007

WWD archives from April 2007

TAKING THE PLUNGE.(Usher planning fragrance launch)(Brief article)
April 6, 2007... R&B superstar Usher has the fashion world in his sights. The entertainer will release a fragrance masterbrand with Liz Claiborne Cosmetics in September, which he plans to use as a launching pad into ready-to-wear. For more, see page 8.

BEAUTY'S NEW LOOK: FIRMS CUDDLE UP TO CUSTOMERS AND GO GREEN.(Cosmoprof, cosmetics industry trade show)
April 6, 2007... Byline: Stephanie Epiro, With contributions from Jennifer Weil and Pete Born Bologna, Italy - An emotional connection. Those three words summed up the main theme of this year's Cosmoprof and covered everything from an increased focus...

STEVEN ROBINSON, GALLIANO ASSOCIATE, 38.(John Galliano )(Obituary)
April 6, 2007... Byline: Miles Socha, With contributions from Jennifer Weil and Katya Foreman PARIS - Steven Robinson, the ebullient right hand of John Galliano for more than two decades, was found dead at his apartment here on Wednesday. He was 38. ...

IN BRIEF: FOR ART'S SAKE...CELINE SEARCH.(Francois Pinault to exhibit art collection)(Celine looking for president for their American business)(Brief article)
April 6, 2007... Byline: Jennifer Hirshlag FOR ART'S SAKE: Franois Pinault, who owns Gucci Group, has prevailed in a competition with the Guggenheim Foundation for a massive exhibition space in Venice that would showcase the French billionaire's...

INTERCOS: A NEED FOR SPEED.
April 6, 2007... AGRATE BRIANZA, Italy - Dario Ferrari, president of Intercos, has become a speed demon. "Speed is the new strategy; it's true around the world," he said, from his headquarters here. "We can have customers go to market in nine months...

BEAUTIFULL FORMED TO PROMOTE INNOVATION.(BeautiFull Club, cosmetics industry association)
April 6, 2007... BOLOGNA, Italy - At a time when the market is clamoring louder than ever for innovation, packaging designers, suppliers and manufacturers have decided the only way to provide it is to increase the dialogue. Last week at Cosmoprof, a group...

THEY'D LIKE TO THANK THE ACADEMIA.(Academia del Profumo awards)(Brief article)
April 6, 2007... BOLOGNA, Italy - The annual Academia del Profumo, the Oscars of Italian perfumery, gave the following awards during Cosmoprof. Allure Sensuelle for Best Women's Fragrance. Terre d'Herms for Best Men's Fragrance. Dlices de Cartier...

RETAILERS, MANUFACTURERS AIM TO EXTEND BRANDS' REACH.
April 6, 2007... MILAN - Major beauty retailers and manufacturers here are broadening their scope and extending their reach into the daily lives of their consumers. Both Rinascente and Sephora are among those opening their first flagships in Rome. ...

SEPHORA DETAILS 10-YEAR GROWTH INTO SUPERSTORE.(Sephora USA L.L.C.)(Company overview)
April 6, 2007... Byline: Molly Prior In just shy of a decade, Sephora has transformed itself from an overseas underdog - albeit a glamorous one - into an 800-pound gorilla in the U.S. beauty marketplace. Its evolution from the red-lipstick-wearing,...

DEL LABS' NYC REACHES FOR STAR.(Del Laboratories Inc.'s NYC New York Color teams up with Star Magazine)
April 6, 2007... Byline: Faye Brookman NEW YORK - Del Laboratories thinks everyone wants to be a star. With that in mind, the company's NYC New York Color is teaming up with Star Magazine for a Get the Star Treatment mall tour. Starting next week,...

SNIPPETS: REWARD SYSTEM...LOOK BOOK...NARS IN PICTURES.(Krastase's new e-commerce site)(Taylor Chang-Babaian writes a book "Asian Faces")(Nars Cosmetics's Franois Nars photographic exhibtion)(Brief article)
April 6, 2007... REWARD SYSTEM: Krastase's new e-commerce site, which is being launched April 9, rewards salons when users buy products online. During checkout, users are asked to select the Krastase Consultant Salon where they usually purchase items or the...

R&B STAR USHER TO MAKE SCENTS THIS FALL.(Rhythm and blues singersUsher Raymond IV)(Interview)
April 6, 2007... Byline: Julie Naughton The celebrity fragrance genre is about to make room for a new entry: that of R&B superstar Usher Raymond IV. The performer, who uses only his first name professionally, is readying a fragrance masterbrand that...

GUESS BUILDS FRAGRANCE BUSINESS WITH SUEDE.(Guess? Inc.'s Guess Suede)(Brief article)
April 6, 2007... Byline: Matthew W. Evans NEW YORK - With the introduction this week of a men's scent called Guess Suede, the Los Angeles fashion brand has launched its fourth scent in a span of about 20 months. Guess first introduced a signature...

LOEHMANN'S OPENS ON BROADWAY.(Loehmann's Inc.'s Robert Friedman talks about his new store)(Interview)
April 6, 2007... Byline: Sharon Edelson NEW YORK - Robert Friedman stood on the main floor of Loehmann's new 35,000-square-foot store on Broadway between 73rd and 74th Streets, pointing to racks of contemporary brands such as Theory, Laundry, James...

PYRAMID TAPS GOLDMAN SACHS TO EXPLORE STRATEGIC OPTIONS.(Pyramid Cos. contracts with The Goldman Sachs Group Inc.)(Brief article)
April 6, 2007... Byline: Amy S. Choi The Pyramid Cos., which owns 20 malls in the Northeast generating about $5 billion in annual sales, is evaluating strategic alternatives for 16 properties in its portfolio. The privately held company has retained...

DRESS BARN, DEB SHOPS LEAD EARLY MARCH COMPS.(Comparable store sales)(Brief article)
April 6, 2007... Byline: Liza Casabona March comparable-store sales for the handful of retailers reporting Thursday were mostly positive. The Easter holiday is expected to boost March sales because some retailers will count Easter sales with March...

TRADE GROUPS, FBI FORM ORGANIZED RETAIL CRIME DATABASE.(National Retail Federation, Retail Industry Leaders Association joins Federal Bureau of Investigation)(Brief article)
April 6, 2007... Byline: Evan Clark WASHINGTON - Responding to a spike in organized retail crime, two trade groups have joined forces with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to launch the Law Enforcement Retail Partnership Network, a national database...

AQUASCUTUM STYLING IN SHANGHAI.(Aquascutum Group PLC)
April 6, 2007... Byline: Lisa Movius SHANGHAI - Aquascutum is updating its image in China. The British brand, which is reinventing itself under chief executive officer Kim Winsor, held a fashion event at Children's Palace here early in March to...

WASHINGTON MAYOR LOOKING TO SPUR RETAIL DEVELOPMENT.(Adrian Fenty initiates for retail development)
April 6, 2007... Byline: Evan Clark WASHINGTON - Mayor Adrian Fenty launched a $270,000 study Thursday to determine how the District of Columbia can spur retail development and capture the more than $1 billion residents spend on goods and services...

PUMA'S STOCK SURGES ON TALKS OF TAKEOVER.
April 6, 2007... Byline: Whitney Beckett and Robert Murphy Shares in Puma spiked in trading Thursday, fanned by speculation that Europe's second-largest sporting goods maker was the target of an imminent takeover by PPR. PPR, the French retail and...

FASHION SCOOPS: GIRL TIME...KATE'S FIRST LOOK.(Georgina Chapman, Keren Craig spotted at fashion shows)(Kate Moss's collection for Topshop unveils retailers website)
April 6, 2007... GIRL TIME: Marchesa's Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig made a quick stop in Southern California for trunk shows at Neiman Marcus at Fashion Island in Newport Beach and in Beverly Hills on Wednesday and Thursday. The designing duo, decked out...

VIVRE ESCAPES TO THE BAHAMAS.(new store opened)
April 6, 2007... Byline: David Moin Escape by Vivre opened its first store last week, a 1,400-square-foot unit in The Cove Atlantis resort on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. The store is a partnership between Kerzner International, operator of The...

TAO FREEDOM THINKS TIME IS RIGHT FOR SPA FASHION.(Brief article)
April 6, 2007... Byline: Whitney Beckett As the ubiquitous tracksuit is phased out, Tao Freedom thinks it knows what will replace the active lifestyle mainstay. Founded in 2003 as a capsule collection inspired by Pilates, Tao Freedom is being...

MANOLO BLAHNIK ENTERS TURKEY VIA HARVEY NICHOLS.(Brief article)
April 6, 2007... Byline: Suna Erdem ISTANBUL - Fashion devotees and connoisseurs of "Sex and the City" clamored to have their photographs taken with Manolo Blahnik when he launched his first boutique corner last month in the new Harvey Nichols store...

LONDON PRIMARK OPENING DRAWS A CAPACITY CROWD.
April 6, 2007... Byline: Lucie Greene LONDON - It was a case of Primark pandemonium on Oxford Street here Thursday. Die-hard discount shoppers started lining up in the early morning hours for the cheap-and-chic chain's debut in the city's center....

PRIVATE EQUITY: NEW HAVEN FOR HIGH-PRICED TALENT.(Janice Min, Bonnie Fuller contracts ends with American Media Inc.)
April 6, 2007... Byline: Stephanie D. Smith It's possible that by end of this summer, Janice Min and Bonnie Fuller could no longer reign as queens of their respective celebrity weeklies. Min's contract with Wenner Media's Us Weekly is said to be up...

MEMO PAD: CUTTING THE HEMS...REVOLVING DOOR...YOUR JOB TO PARTY...(American Media Inc. to cut jobs)(Charlie McNiff leaves Us Weekly)(Conde Nast Traveler appoints Steve DeLuca)
April 6, 2007... Byline: Lucie Greene, Stephanie D. Smith CUTTING THE HEMS: American Media Inc. continues to cut back at celebrity weekly Star. Though an AMI spokesman said on March 27 that no more layoffs would be forthcoming after the company cut 12...

ART IMITATES LIFE IMITATES ART.(Colette)(Interview)
April 6, 2007... Byline: Sharon Edelson NEW YORK - It's not easy being Colette. "My whole life is lived on the edge," says the multimedia artist, who began transforming herself into different personas in the Seventies, long before Madonna discovered...

VILLA MODA COMES TO KUWAIT.(Project Global Tradeshows)
April 6, 2007... Byline: Samantha Conti LOS ANGELES - Perhaps no other city so personifies the adage that bigger is better than Las Vegas. So it's no surprise that the semiannual apparel trade shows held in Sin City are expanding to include everything...

IMMEDIATES, FALL BOTH IN PLAY AT DALLAS' FIG.(Fashion Industry Gallery's)
April 6, 2007... Byline: Rusty Williamson DALLAS - Buyers shopped for multiple seasons at Fashion Industry Gallery's four-day market last month, with many looking ahead to fall while others focused on immediates and summer styles. Fall trends getting...

LOOKS MATTER: WAL-MART HOPES FACELIFT BOOSTS PROFITS.(Wal-Mart Stores Inc.)
April 5, 2007... Byline: Katherine Bowers, With contributions from Emili Vesilind, Los Angeles; Rusty Williamson, Dallas, and Elizabeth Thurman, Birmingham, Ala. Heavy customer use has taken a toll on the four-year-old Wal-Mart in Crenshaw, Calif., a...

BOSELLI REELECTED TO HEAD CAMERA.(Mario Boselli, Camera Nazionale della Moda )(Brief article)
April 5, 2007... Byline: Luisa Zargani Members of the Italian chamber of fashion have unanimously reelected Mario Boselli president of the association for the next three years, his third term in the post. Boselli, 66, who helped expand his family...