WWD articles from April 2008

WWD archives from April 2008

BEST FOOT FORWARD.(Kristi Yamaguchi )(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Mario and Kristi Yamaguchi may be making all the right moves on "Dancing With the Stars," but fall's short, shimmering party dresses are already winners. Here, Lovenia's silk-lined rayon velvet dress with Stuart Weitzman shoes; men's wear and...

PRADA'S SMOOTH SAILING: PROFITS RISE 66 PERCENT BUT NO IPO TIMING SET.(Prada S.p.A.)
April 1, 2008... Byline: Andrew Roberts MILAN - Economic slowdown? Not at Prada SpA. The Italian luxury group, which owns the Prada, Miu Miu, Car Shoe and Church's brands, said Monday that earnings increased by almost two-thirds in 2007, following...

SIMMONS DOING LINE FOR J.C. PENNEY.(Kimora Lee Simmons, J.C. Penney Co. Inc.)
April 1, 2008... Byline: Rusty Williamson J.C. Penney Co. Inc. is launching an exclusive junior sportswear collection designed by Kimora Lee Simmons. The line, called Fabulosity, is to hit stores in July for back-to-school. Fabulosity will retail from...

EXPANSION BOOSTS INDITEX NET.
April 1, 2008... Byline: Robert Murphy Inditex Group, the Spanish retailer that owns the fast-fashion Zara chain, on Monday said aggressive openings in Asia and Russia drove profits up 25 percent last year and that sales remained robust in February and...

IN BRIEF: GEN ART DEADLINE...HOOP IN CHAPTER 11...KELLWOOD DEBENTURES.(Gen Art Styles' fashion show, Hoop Holdings's bankruptcy, Kellwood Co.)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... GEN ART DEADLINE: The deadline for submissions for this year's Gen Art Styles runway show is April 4. The show, which will celebrate the 10th anniversary of Gen Art Styles, will take place on May 19 at Manhattan's Hammerstein Ballroom. This...

THE DOCTOR IS IN: AVON TAPS DEMPSEY.(Avon Products Inc., Patrick Dempsey)
April 1, 2008... Byline: Rachel Brown LOS ANGELES - Avon Products Inc. has a doctor in the house, albeit a pretend one. The direct-sales company said Monday that Patrick Dempsey, the actor known as McDreamy on ABC's "Grey's Anatomy," will be the face...

MEMO PAD: WILL THEY BLOG ABOUT THIS TOO...TAKEDOWN IN AISLE 5...WHO'S GOT THE LOOK.(Cathy Horyn's blog, Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s case, )
April 1, 2008... Byline: Amy Wicks, Stephanie D. Smith WILL THEY BLOG ABOUT THIS TOO?: Cathy Horyn, fashion critic for The New York Times, first came up with the idea for a blog in August 2006. She was watching the original "Charlie's Angels" reunite at...

SPACE INVADERS.(Nicolas Ghesquire's Los Angeles boutique)
April 1, 2008... "I find the L.A. woman very changed. It's not all blonde hair," marveled Nicolas Ghesquire on Friday night as Balenciaga opened the doors to its futuristic new Los Angeles boutique. If the natives seemed a bit alien to the designer, his...

ACCESS HOLLYWOOD.(galleries and stores)
April 1, 2008... Byline: Khanh T.L. Tran The City of Angels is becoming the city of artists. Rent is cheap, galleries are popping up in Chinatown and Culver City, and artists David Hockney, John Baldessari, Ed Ruscha and Rosson Crow are already ensconced....

HSBC REMAINS BULLISH ON LUXURY.(Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Ltd.)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Byline: Miles Socha PARIS - Luxury players are better prepared than in the past to weather the current economic downturn - and are at the ready with an arsenal of cost-cutting measures, including scaling back store expansion, reducing...

DALLAS' FASHION AT THE PARK A CROWD-PLEASER.
April 1, 2008... Byline: Holly Haber DALLAS - Barneys New York creative director Simon Doonan walked the runway in high heels, Mischa Barton mingled and nine of the 15 shows at NorthPark Center's Fashion at the Park were sellouts. The four-day tented...

STEPPING OUT.(fashion design)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Byline: Bobbi Queen Who doesn't love to tango, salsa or swirl to a big band? Plenty of people do, and designers continue to come up with fresh versions of bare little dresses that swing and sway to the beat. Caption(s): Jay Godfrey's...

DANCE FLOORED.(Paul Pellicoro, dancing)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Byline: Christina Roperti Since he has prepared dancers and actors for numbers in movies such as "Enchanted," "Autumn in New York" and "Scent of a Woman," it wasn't a stretch for Paul Pellicoro of DanceSport to help WWD's models find their...

JACKETS ARE BACK IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES.
April 1, 2008... Byline: Rosemary Feitelberg Jackets are making a comeback, and stores expect the category to gain strength going into fall. Several leading European houses - Balenciaga, Marni and Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel among them - helped turn fresh...

WEATHERING THE ELEMENTS.(fashion in Riga, Latvia)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Byline: Rosemary Feitelberg RIGA, Latvia - Riga is not for the thin-blooded, but locals manage to maintain their sense of style despite the near-constant chill. Even spring's arrival is not much of a consolation, considering freezing...

FASHION SCOOPS: MIDSUMMER ROMAN DREAM...SETTING CHINA...CAST OF CHARACTERS.
April 1, 2008... MIDSUMMER ROMAN DREAM: To fete its newly refurbished Rome store on Via Condotti and its 70-year presence in the Eternal City, Gucci will show its new cruise collection there on July 8. The show's backdrop will be the manicured gardens of a...

G-III APPAREL EARNINGS RISE.(G-III Apparel Group Ltd. )(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Byline: Jeanine Poggi Apparel maker G-III Apparel Group Ltd. reported on Monday that fourth-quarter earnings more than doubled, boosted by sales in outerwear and dresses. For the three months ended Jan. 31, earnings reached $1.1...

SPLIT DECISION.(business planning of textile industries)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Byline: Court Williams Textile manufacturers are hedging their bets in an uncertain economy by pumping a little bit of everything into the market for spring 2009. Whether it's textured knits versus smooth wovens or tranquil pastels against...

GREEN LEADS INTERSTOFF ASIA.(Interstoff Asia Essential eco-friendly marketing strategies)
April 1, 2008... Byline: Constance Haisma-Kwok HONG KONG - Organizers of Interstoff Asia Essential began repositioning the fair toward eco-friendly textiles last year and this edition saw the results of those moves. For the 8,000 attendees and 2,000...

WEST AFRICANS SEND MESSAGE WITH DESIGNS.(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Byline: Joyce Barrett OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso - Although many West African women are turning toward Western-style apparel, the majority favor brilliantly colored African fabric designs that are often created to make a statement about...

FERRAGAMO CELEBRATES 80TH ANNIVERSARY IN SHANGHAI.(Salvatore Ferragamo)
April 1, 2008... Byline: Lisa Movius SHANGHAI - At the opening of the exhibition "Salvatore Ferragamo: Evolving Legend 1928-2008" on Friday at the Shanghai Museum of Contemporary Art, the biggest crowd-pleaser wasn't the collectable bags, the chandelier of...

'CHINA DESIGN NOW' OFFERS CULTURAL OVERVIEW.(Victoria & Albert Museum Chinese design exhibition)
April 1, 2008... Byline: Lisa Movius, Laura Mitchell In the lead up to and under the pretext of this summer's Beijing Olympic Games, China-themed events are proliferating around the globe. The largest is Britain's expansive, yearlong "China Now" series, a...

PLUSH LIFE.(Brief article)
April 2, 2008... Lighter and looser - that's the turn velvet is taking this fall, in pieces that layer easily with other fabrics. Case in point: Mimi Turner's silk rayon velvet jacket, Laila Azhar's silk top, Nolita's polyester dress and cotton leggings from...

A NEW TEAM AT FERR: HOUSE TAPS 6267 DUO AS CREATIVE DIRECTORS.(Gianfranco Ferre S.p.A. hires Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi )
April 2, 2008... Byline: Luisa Zargani MILAN - Gianfranco Ferr SpA hopes two will be better than one. The Italian fashion house on Tuesday tapped the 6267 duo Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi as creative directors. The appointment confirms a WWD...

PAY FALLS FOR LUNDGREN, ULLMAN.(Terry Lundgren and Myron Ullman's salary)(Brief article)
April 2, 2008... Byline: Evan Clark Lower profits led to reduced pay for the top brass at both Macy's Inc. and J.C. Penney Co. Inc. last year, according to regulatory filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday. Terry Lundgren,...

WALL STREET RALLIES ON BANKS, ECONOMY.(Brief article)
April 2, 2008... Byline: Jeanine Poggi Although it is too soon to tell if the worst of the credit crisis may be over, Wall Street rallied on Tuesday following upbeat news in the banking sector, a retreat in commodities prices and better-than-expected...

DILLARD'S STRIKES PACT TO AVOID PROXY FIGHT.(Dillard Inc.)(Brief article)
April 2, 2008... Byline: Jeanine Poggi Dillard's Inc. said Tuesday that it reached an agreement with activist shareholder groups in an effort to avoid a proxy battle at its annual meeting next month. A settlement with Barington Capital Group LP and...

IN BRIEF: ASIAN GROWTH TO MODERATE...VF PROMOTES BAXTER.(VF Corp.'s Scott Baxter )(Brief article)
April 2, 2008... ASIAN GROWTH TO MODERATE: Emerging economies in the Asia-Pacific region are forecast to have a moderation in growth to 7.7 percent in 2008, down from 8.2 percent last year, as a result of the U.S. economic downturn, a United Nations report...

TALBOTS SETS THREE-YEAR PLAN.(Talbots Inc.)
April 2, 2008... Byline: David Moin Talbots Inc., seeking to shed its dowdy image, increase relevancy in the misses' market and restore profits, on Tuesday unveiled a three-year strategic program touching almost all areas of the company. Much of the...

MCCARTNEY LAUNCHES U.S. E-COMMERCE SITE.(Stella McCartney Ltd.)(Brief article)
April 2, 2008... Byline: Samantha Conti LONDON - Stella McCartney will today unveil its first e-commerce site, exclusive to the U.S. market. The site is part of the global growth of the brand, which has flagships in New York and Los Angeles. The site...

KARAN SERVING UP TABLETOP, GIFTWARE.(Donna Karan International Inc.'s licensing deal with Rosenthal USA Ltd.)(Brief article)
April 2, 2008... Byline: Marc Karimzadeh NEW YORK - No stranger herself to hosting large dinners, Donna Karan will soon be able to serve food to guests on her own china and cutlery. Donna Karan International has inked a licensing deal with Rosenthal...

MEMO PAD: PICTURE IMPERFECT...HEAD WEST, YOUNG BLOGGER.
April 2, 2008... Byline: Samantha Conti, Irin Carmon PICTURE IMPERFECT: Could British magazines' glossy images of airbrushed models and celebrities carry a health warning in the future? Following the British Fashion Council's Model Health Inquiry last...

VELVET SCOPE.(Brief article)
April 2, 2008... Byline: Mayte Allende This fall, velvet is the fabric of choice for cool girls who can slip into everything from racy dresses to sleek, sexy pants. Caption(s): Jay Godfrey's silk and rayon velvet dress, LA Made's cotton polyester...

KNIT PRICES SOAR UP TO 20% FOR FALL.
April 2, 2008... Byline: Whitney Beckett The knit market is facing a quadruple whammy that is driving prices up by as much as 20 percent for fall. Between higher commodity and labor costs, an ever-weakening dollar and greater shipping expenses thanks...

FASHION SCOOPS: MADONNA TO CANNES...PHONE TAG...HELLO DOLLY.
April 2, 2008... MADONNA TO CANNES: Madonna will be among the luminaries kicking up their heels on the Croisette at this year's Cannes Film Festival. AmfAR said Tuesday that Madge will join Cinema Against AIDS chairs Sharon Stone, Harvey Weinstein, Michelle...

SOURCING ISSUES AIRED AT HONG KONG FORUM.
April 2, 2008... Byline: Constance Haisma-Kwok HONG KONG - The shifting winds of global trade - from the industrial evolution of China to political wrangling in the U.S. - are likely to get even more turbulent in coming months. Issues in China,...

FOUND GETS CREATIVE IN INGREDIENT SEARCH.(Eric Cosson's treatment brand)
April 2, 2008... Byline: Brid Costello, Laura Mitchell LONDON - Niche beauty entrepreneur Eric Cosson has been searching to unearth unusual ingredients for his treatment brand, called Found, which is due to launch an eye serum this spring. In January...

MYCLICK HOPES MARKETING IDEA CLICKS IN U.S.(MyClick Media Limited's marketing technology )
April 2, 2008... Byline: Cate T. Corcoran The Este Lauder Cos. Inc., Adidas, Lipton, Northwest Airlines, Intel Corp. and CNN are just a few of the companies that have used MyClick Media Limited's marketing technology to reach young people in China. Now...

TECH TO WEAR.(Despina Papadopoulos' clothing line)(Brief article)
April 2, 2008... Byline: Cate T. Corcoran "It's a new breed to some extent," said designer Despina Papadopoulos about her clothing line, which fuses fashion with tech. Due to arrive in stores in September, the collection from Studio 5050 of Brooklyn...

WAITEX BOOSTS TECH SIDE.(The Waitex Group's acquisition of Mr. Software Inc.)(Brief article)
April 2, 2008... Byline: Cate T. Corcoran The Waitex Group, the $100 million New York-based fashion supply chain services company, has acquired Mr. Software for an undisclosed sum. Waitex plans to create an advanced version of Mr. Software's integrated...

PLAYBOY OUTSOURCES QUICKLY GROWING WOMEN'S STORE.(Playboy Enterprises Inc.)(Brief article)
April 2, 2008... Byline: Cate T. Corcoran Double-digit growth at Playboy's online store for women prompted the company to outsource its operation to e-Fashion Solutions, which also handles such brands as DKNY, Baby Phat and Judith Leiber. ...

NEW RETAIL PLAYER JUMPS INTO L.A.-AREA FRAY.(Americana)
April 2, 2008... Byline: Anne Riley-Katz After years of litigation, debate and a voter referendum, the $400 million Americana at Brand lifestyle center in downtown Glendale, Calif., is set to open next month amid another challenge - the economic slowdown....

CLASS SHOW LAUNCHES TO HIGHLIGHT CONTEMPORARY.
April 2, 2008... Byline: Nola Sarkisian-Miller SANTA MONICA, Calif. - The inaugural Class trade show here sought to create an egalitarian vibe as the backdrop for the contemporary and streetwear looks being shown. Retail buyers attending the event at...

NEXT BIG TINGS.(The Ting Tings )(Brief article)
April 3, 2008... Poised to release their first album, Brit pop duo The Ting Tings have their own sound, not to mention style to spare. Here, Jules De Martino in G-Star's cotton hoodie and Lee's cotton denim jeans. Ray-Ban sunglasses. Katie White in Mike &...

FIGHTING THE FAKES: LOUIS VUITTON AND MURAKAMI MAKE A SHOW OF IT.
April 3, 2008... Byline: Marc Karimzadeh Make no mistake - Louis Vuitton is well-equipped for combat against counterfeiters. Tonight, Vuitton is celebrating Takashi Murakami's " Murakami" exhibition with a "Brooklyn Ball" at the Brooklyn Museum...

IN BRIEF: MCCOMB'S COMPENSATION...TALBOTS STOCK RISES...COTTON PRICES TO INCREASE.(William L. McComb, )
April 3, 2008... MCCOMB'S COMPENSATION: William L. McComb, chief executive officer of Liz Claiborne Inc., pulled in total compensation of $6.3 million last year, his first full year on the job, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission...

WTO OFFICIAL HOPEFUL FOR DOHA TRADE ROUND.(World Trade Organization, Rufus Yerxa )
April 3, 2008... Byline: Constance Haisma-Kwok HONG KONG - The Doha trade talks aren't dead yet, World Trade Organization deputy director-general Rufus Yerxa told a gathering here of some of the top decision-makers in global manufacturing. "It's a...

DELL'ACQUA SAID IN TALKS FOR MALO POST.(Alessandro Dell'Acqua )
April 3, 2008... Byline: Luisa Zargani MILAN - Alessandro Dell'Acqua may be headed to Malo now that the creative post there is vacant. A spokeswoman at IT Holding, which controls both Malo and Ferr, and a Dell'Acqua spokesman declined comment, but...

KELLWOOD ENDS O OSCAR, LIZ SUIT LICENSES.
April 3, 2008... Byline: Whitney Beckett, With contributions from Evan Clark About six weeks after Sun Capital Securities Group LLC took over Kellwood Co., the licensing partnerships for O Oscar and Liz Claiborne brand suits and dresses have come to an end....

THE GREEN MILE.
April 3, 2008... No one sung "Kumbaya" at Tuesday night's Natural Resources Defense Council "Forces for Nature" bash, but the event was as organic as a party held at Cipriani 42nd Street could get. The vegetarian lasagna was cooked with sustainably harvested...

ROSE-COLORED GLASSES.
April 3, 2008... Byline: Vanessa Lawrence Bathrooms aren't generally a creative hotbed for budding artists. When you are a mother of five, however, you'll take what you can get. And so it was in 2005 that Irene Mamiye stumbled upon her abstract...

DO THE RIGHT TING.(The Ting Tings )
April 3, 2008... Byline: Tara Bonet-Black A year ago, Katie White and Jules De Martino were just two friends jamming in a studio space in a former cotton mill in Manchester, England. They dubbed themselves The Ting Tings - the name of a Chinese woman White...

WICKED FASHIONS DIVERSIFIES ITS PORTFOLIO.
April 3, 2008... Byline: Julee Kaplan With three brands launching, Wicked Fashions Inc. is facing a big year. The Fort Lee, N.J.-based parent company of junior sportswear labels Southpole and Lot29 is expanding its portfolio with the addition of Wckd,...

NEW PARENT FOR BOY MEETS GIRL.
April 3, 2008... Byline: Julee Kaplan NEW YORK - Oved Apparel Corp. is getting into contemporary. The parent company of such urban brands as Dr. Jay's, Akademiks and Mecca, as well as PRPS, a high-end denim brand, and Company 81, a sporty men's label,...

BROWN'S STUDY IN CONTEMPORARY.(Claude Brown)(Brief article)
April 3, 2008... Byline: Julee Kaplan NEW YORK - As an owner of Tag Sale Textiles, a vintage fabric firm, and ITW (It's The Weekend), a misses' weekendwear line, designer Claude Brown is ready to get into something a bit more contemporary. After a...

DKNY JEANS OPENS LONDON FLAGSHIP.
April 3, 2008... Byline: Samantha Conti LONDON - DKNY Jeans has splashed a shock of taxicab yellow in central London with the opening of its first European flagship. The 4,400-square-foot store in a former antiques gallery is DKNY Jeans' largest...

MARCO BORTOLETTI DEPARTS REPLAY.
April 3, 2008... Byline: Andrew Roberts MILAN - It's game over for Marco Bortoletti at Replay. The chief executive officer of Fashion Box, the holding company of the Replay, Replay & Sons and We Are Replay brands, is leaving the group at the end of the...

LUXE BRANDS FOLLOW THE MONEY -- TO THE INTERNET.
April 3, 2008... Byline: Cate T. Corcoran, With contributions from Marc Karimzadeh Luxury and designer brands have woken up to the Web - and it could be a bright spot in these tough economic times. After years of ignoring e-tailing, luxury and designer...

MARTIN + OSA'S VIRTUAL LAUNCH.
April 3, 2008... Byline: David Moin After a less-than-stellar launch in 2006, Martin + Osa has some newfound confidence. The brand, which touts "refined casual" styles for relaxed and comfortable dressing but isn't yet widely known, officially...

NEW INVESTOR SAID JOINING SELECTIVE.
April 3, 2008... Byline: Jennifer Weil, Michelle Edgar PARIS - It looks like Selective Beauty - the French beauty manufacturer and distributor - has selected some new shareholders. According to sources, a new investor is arriving soon to replace...

NICOLE MILLER GOES DEEPER INTO SWIM WITH NEW LINES.
April 3, 2008... Byline: Whitney Beckett Nicole Miller is diving further into swim for resort 2009. Having always dabbled in swim on its own, the New York-based ready-to-wear company is making the leap to create two full swimwear lines under the labels...

FULL SLATE OF FASHION, FUN.
April 3, 2008... Byline: Rebecca Kleinman Miami likes to mix business with pleasure, and that makes for a packed calendar of fashion events. According to organizers, the city's great weather and party atmosphere hook fashion week and trade show...

ANTITRADE DIN GROWS.
April 3, 2008... Byline: Kristi Ellis WASHINGTON - Democratic presidential candidates Sens. Barack Obama (D., Ill.) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D., N.Y.) have broadened their opposition to free trade in speeches before the AFL-CIO in Pennsylvania. ...

GALERIES LAFAYETTE NET UP.(Brief article)
April 3, 2008... Byline: Emilie Marsh PARIS - Boosted by retail expansion and market share gains in women's wear, French retailer Groupe Galeries Lafayette on Wednesday said profits rose 22 percent last year and revealed plans to launch its first online...

HERMS CUTS EVENT.(Brief article)
April 3, 2008... Byline: Miles Socha PARIS - Herms International is hanging up its hat on one of its most emblematic events: the Prix de Diane. The annual horse-racing event, in partnership with France Galop, was a chance for France's upper crust to...

LULULEMON EARNINGS SOAR IN QTR.
April 3, 2008... Byline: Whitney Beckett Economic woes apparently don't apply to the holistic yoga world of Canadian retailer Lululemon Athletica Inc. Fourth-quarter earnings multiplied by more than 16 times on revenues that doubled. The company also...

FASHION SCOOPS: CARB COUNTING...LUXURY RIDE...SOM SPOTLIGHT.
April 3, 2008... CARB COUNTING: Is bread back in fashion? Who knows. But baguettes are back at Fendi. Scarlett Johansson, Kim Cattrall, Sally Hershberger, Marchesa, Chris March and the MisShapes all customized baguettes that will retail each for $2,500 on...

MEMO PAD: CHANGE OF HEART...BACK IN THE PINK...NEW HIRE.
April 3, 2008... Byline: Stephanie D. Smith, Amy Wicks CHANGE OF HEART: Looks like $470,000 wasn't worth a week of bad publicity for Wal-Mart Stores Inc. The retailer was criticized on MSNBC's "Countdown With Keith Olbermann," CNN and other major news...

SLOWING SALES DRAG DOWN BELK.(Brief article)
April 3, 2008... Byline: Arnold J. Karr Belk Inc.'s bottom line retreated more than 20 percent in the fourth quarter as sales saw a double-digit dip. For the three months ended Feb. 2, the Charlotte, N.C.-based department store group reported net...

FASHION WORLD; THE TOP 10 COUNTRIES RANKED BY THE PERCENTAGE OF RESIDENTS SURVEYED WHO SAY THEY BUY DESIGNER BRANDS.
April 3, 2008... Byline: Cecily Hall The fashion-obsessed don't only live in New York, Tokyo, London or Paris these days. As part of its recent Global Designer Brand Survey, The Nielsen Company asked 25,000 consumers in 48 countries if they bought designer...

READY FOR PRIME TIME.(Brief article)
April 3, 2008... Watch brands remain bullish about their business even with worldwide economic wobbles - but aren't taking any chances. At the industry's two major shows - Baselworld 2008 trade fair from today through April 10 in Basel, Switzerland, and the...

THE WOMEN'S MOVEMENT.
April 3, 2008... Byline: Robert Murphy A lot of Swiss manufacturers scratched their heads WHENwomen started to buy fine timepieces designed for men a few years back. It surely had something to do with fashion, which was out of character in an industry...

DESPITE ECONOMIC WOES, LUXE TIMEPIECES KEEP TICKING.
April 3, 2008... Byline: Robert Murphy WITH FINANCIAL MARKETS REELING, GOLD AND DIAMOND PRICES SOARING AND CURRENCY markets riding a dizzying seesaw, it would seem the time has come to turn bearish on luxury. But executives at most Swiss timepiece...

NIGHT WATCH.(Brief article)(Photograph)
April 3, 2008... Byline: Talya Cousins Diamonds are it for evening, and this year's new offerings go from day to night and suit any taste, from luxed-up sporty looks to classic bejeweled styles. Caption(s): Dior / David Yurman / Bulgari / De Grisogono...

SELLING VIPS: GOING TO EXTREMES.
April 3, 2008... Byline: Sophia Chabbott The word luxury gets thrown around these days more than the term "superdelegate." And with the global economy on shaky ground, so-called luxury brands are trying to redefine what it means and why, in a period of...

COLLECT CALLING; WHILE SUCH AUGUST NAMES AS PATEK PHILIPPE AND AUDEMARS PIGUET CONTINUE TO INSPIRE REVERENCE AMONG COLLECTORS, NEWER WATCHMAKERS ARE GARNERING ATTENTION AS WELL. HERE'S A LOOK AT SOME INSIDERS' FAVORITES.
April 3, 2008... Byline: Robert Murphy Richard Mille: Frenchman Richard Mille has commanded attention from collectors for his starkly modern approach to a tradition-bound craft. In creating watches with pieces inspired by Formula One auto racing or...

IWC: REACHING OUT WITH RETAIL STRATEGY.(International Watch Co)
April 3, 2008... Byline: Sophia Chabbott The fine watch industry is arguably a Swiss man's world, but 140 years ago an American sought to get in the game. Florentine Ariosto Jones, a native of Boston, had a dream to create a watch brand that would...

DESIGNERS GET WOUND ON WATCHES.
April 3, 2008... Byline: Alessandra Ilari Commercially viable, trendy, luxurious and often iconic, fine watches have become a fast-paced growth avenue for many fashion houses, boosting their sales and image. And a string of brands, including Ferragamo...

PUTTING THEIR BEST JEWELS FORWARD.
April 3, 2008... Byline: Katya Foreman Fending off economic PROBLEMS, jewelry at the Baselworld watch and jewelry fair looks set to dazzle with color, unusual gem mixes and exceptional workmanship for designers hoping to woo big spenders. Soaring...

WATCH BRANDS GET COMPLICATED.
April 3, 2008... Technical and cosmetic innovations will abound this year at Switzerland's watch fairs in Basel and Geneva, with tourbillons continuing to garner a fair amount of top watchmakers' attention. Corum will give a new twist to the mechanism with...

BEDAT & CO. GETS DEVINE INTERVENTION.(Interview)
April 3, 2008... Byline: Robert Murphy PARIS - William Devine started his career as a financial analyst, but it didn't take him long to discover that his real love was watches. He began to fulfill his horologic passion when he worked at Universal...

MACALUSO UPBEAT ON HIGH-END WATCHES.(Luigi Macaluso)
April 3, 2008... Byline: Samantha Conti High-end watches are so far resisting the shocks from shaky markets worldwide, according to Girard-Perregaux president Luigi Macaluso. "We're getting no negative signs from the U.S. and the atmosphere there is...

EBEL SERVES UP NEW BELUGA.
April 3, 2008... Byline: Caroline Tell Like the caviar that bears its name, Ebel's redesigned Beluga watch epitomizes luxury. The timepiece, which is a signature style of the 97-year-old Ebel brand, is an updated, extravagant version of its former...

AT WILLIAM GOLDBERG, DIAMONDS ARE A FAMILY LEGACY.(Company overview)
April 3, 2008... Byline: Sophia Chabbott Many firms in Manhattan's Diamond District have been passed down from parent to child and some date back four generations. But mom-and-pop jewelry operations have dwindled as major brands like Cartier, De Beers and...