WWD articles from April 2008

WWD archives from April 2008

L&t's Aggressive Plans: Eyes Growth In Home And Expansion Abroad.
April 30, 2008... Byline: David Moin and Whitney Beckett L&T's Aggressive Plans: Eyes Growth in Home And Expansion Abroad NEW YORK Lord & Taylor is joining the growing ranks of U.S. retailers looking to international expansion even as it seeks...

Juicy Couture Sues Vs Over Pink.
April 30, 2008... Byline: Jeanine Poggi Juicy Couture Sues VS Over Pink THERE'S MORE LITIGATION INVOLVING PINK. Juicy Couture Inc. filed a suit against Victoria's Secret on Tuesday, alleging the brand copied designs and marketing for its Pink line. ...

WWD Wednesday: Sportswear.
April 30, 2008... WWD WEDNESDAY Sportswear GENERAL 1*****Lord & Taylor is joining the growing ranks of U.S. retailers looking to international expansion even as it spiffs up existing stores. 2*****Avon Products had a strong first quarter in Latin...

WWD TUESDAY: Ready-To-Wear/Textiles.
April 29, 2008... WWD TUESDAY Ready-to-Wear/Textiles FASHION 6*****The annual series of fashion school shows is under way. First up: Parsons The New School for Design and the Academy of Art University. GENERAL 1*****Battling rising prices for...

WWD TUESDAY.
April 29, 2008... WWD TUESDAY Ready-to-Wear/Textiles THE MAD, MAD WORLD OF THE GONZO SHOPPER/89 Women's Wear Daily acents The Retailers' Daily Newspaper acents April 29, 2008 acents $2.00 CAPTION(S): Knit Hit Some student designers are already...

U.K. Questions Firms On Pricing.
April 29, 2008... U.K. Questions Firms on Pricing LONDON Unilever, Procter & Gamble and Reckitt Benckiser have been contacted by the U.K.'s Office of Fair Trading, which is reportedly investigating allegations of price fixing of health and beauty...

Beiersdorf Sees Cost Reduction.
April 29, 2008... Byline: Melissa Drier Beiersdorf Sees Cost Reduction BERLIN The realignment of Beiersdorf's consumer supply chain is bringing the German consumer goods giant a reduction in costs to 15 million euros, or $23.6 million at current...

In Brief.
April 29, 2008... In Brief CUNNINGTON TAKES TOP HONORS: A well-executed collection of voluminous black wool dresses earned British designer Matthew Cunnington top honors at the 23rd International Festival of Fashion and Photography held in HyA[umlaut]res over...

Memo Pad.
April 29, 2008... MEMO PAD HITTING BACK: As practiced outrage spread through America on Monday over Miley Cyrus' back-baring photos for Vanity Fair ("Miley's Shame" boomed the front of The New York Post), no one was more confounded than the magazine's fashion...

Honoree Rowley Tells Students 'You Can Do It'.
April 29, 2008... Byline: Liza Casabona Honoree Rowley Tells Students 'You Can Do It' ARLINGTON, Va. Cynthia Rowley took time out from a whirlwind schedule last week to accept Marymount University's Designer of the Year award and counsel graduating...

Hot Shot.
April 29, 2008... Byline: Vanessa Lawrence HOT SHOT Most 42-year-old actresses wouldn't jump at the chance to spend ample time on screen sans makeup, clean hair and other usual signifiers of feminine attractiveness. But when you're the statuesque Famke...

Guitar Hero.
April 29, 2008... Byline: Mengly Taing GUITAR HERO Musician David saw believes in good luck charms: Among the many objects the 33-year-old carries in the pocket of his favorite brown velvet blazer is a jade fish, given to him by childhood idol Carly Simon....

Eye Scoop.
April 29, 2008... EYE SCOOP DERBY TO-DO: Given the frenzy of photographers, television crews and fawning women who swarmed Mark Badgley and James Mischka at the 23rd annual Derby gala held in Louisville, Ky., Saturday night, the designing duo may as well have...

Class Action.
April 29, 2008... Class Action Parsons The New School for Design Remember when the phrase "looks like a school project" was an insult? Not anymore. With commencement season upon us, the annual series of fashion school shows is under way. First up:...

Shoppers Calling For A Little In-Store Psychology.
April 29, 2008... Byline: Rosemary Feitelberg Shoppers Calling for a Little In-Store Psychology Retail therapy has rarely been taken so literally. Chalk it up to unsteady economic times, political overload, social malaise or dehumanizing technology,...

The Fiber Price Sheet.
April 29, 2008... The Fiber Price Sheet The last Tuesday of every month, WWD publishes the current, month-ago and year-ago fiber prices. Prices listed reflect the cost of one pound of fiber or, in the case of crude oil, one barrel. Fiber*****Price on ...

WWD MONDAY.
April 28, 2008... WWD MONDAY Accessories/Innerwear/Legwear VUITTON POSTPONES RACE/2 YOHJI'S BEIJING MOMENT/4 Women's Wear Daily acents The Retailers' Daily Newspaper acents April 28, 2008 acents $2.00 CAPTION(S): Net Effect Breaking up has its...

The Economic Squeeze: Bloomingdale's, Union In Talks Over Contract.
April 28, 2008... Byline: Sharon Edelson With contributions from David Moin The Economic Squeeze: Bloomingdale's, Union In Talks Over Contract NEW YORK The pressure on retailers just keeps building. The downturn in the economy, rising health care...

Vuitton Delays Race In China.
April 28, 2008... Byline: Miles Socha With contributions from Robert Murphy Vuitton Delays Race in China PARIS Amidst prickly relations between France and China over Tibet and the upcoming Beijing Olympics, Louis Vuitton has postponed its high-profile...

Exec Moves At Two Jewelers.
April 28, 2008... Byline: Sophia Chabbott Exec Moves at Two Jewelers Two high-profile jewelry companies are doing the executive shuffle. John Hardy has appointed EstA[c]e Lauder executive Mindy Grimes as president of John Hardy U.S. Terri Eagle, who...

China, Eight Others On Piracy Watch List.
April 28, 2008... Byline: Kristi Ellis China, Eight Others on Piracy Watch List WASHINGTON The manufacture of counterfeit fashion products in China showed few signs of weakening last year and is a concern for U.S. trade officials trying to prod the...

Coming This Week.
April 28, 2008... COMING THIS WEEK MONDAY: Alberto-Culver Co. reports second-quarter sales and earnings. TUESDAY: North American Fur & Fashion Exhibition, Montreal (through Friday). The Conference Board releases the Consumer Confidence Index for...

In Brief.
April 28, 2008... In Brief PROFITS UP AT PAUL SMITH: Net profits at Paul Smith Ltd. rose 45 percent in the financial year to June 30, to 8.2 million pounds, or $15.8 million, from 5.64 million pounds, or $10.8 million, according to figures filed with Companies...

Corrections.(Correction notice)
April 28, 2008... Corrections David Strumeier's title at Wicked Fashions Inc. was incorrect in an article on page 8, April 3. He is senior vice president of marketing and licensing. Gabby and Gianpaolo DeFelice have invested in Tutto Il Giorno, an Italian...

Yohji Cultivates Peace Through Fashion In Beijing.
April 28, 2008... Byline: Lisa Movius Yohji Cultivates Peace Through Fashion in Beijing BEIJING Bright lights illuminated imperial Beijing's looming red walls Thursday night as Yohji Yamamoto showed off his fall collection for Y's and launched the Yohji...

Bud Light.
April 28, 2008... Byline: Bobbi Queen Bud Light Spring lingerie is a garden of delights with small-scale floral motifs surfacing in lace patterns and delicate prints. CAPTION(S): Inhabit's cashmere pullover, Hanky Panky's nylon camisole and viscose...

Wacoal Woos Women With B.tempt'd.
April 28, 2008... Byline: Karyn Monget Wacoal Woos Women With B.tempt'd NEW YORK Wacoal America Inc. is looking to lure customers to a new brand for spring 2009 now that it's parting ways with DKNY Underwear. The new collection, called b.tempt'd by...

Invista Channels 'La Vie En Rose' For Fall-Winter.
April 28, 2008... Byline: Karyn Monget Invista Channels 'La Vie en Rose' for Fall-Winter NEW YORK Inspired by the romance and retro fashion of the famed Edith Piaf song "La Vie en Rose," Invista Inc. kicked off its semiannual intimate apparel workshop...

Chantelle Charts Fast-Track Retail Plan.
April 28, 2008... Byline: Karyn Monget Chantelle Charts Fast-Track Retail Plan Chantelle Group, the 132-year-old French bra specialist, has aggressive plans to broaden its brand recognition in the global marketplace. The strategy is threefold: more...

Bill Blass Expands With Handbags.
April 28, 2008... Byline: Sophia Chabbott Bill Blass Expands With Handbags Bill Blass is aiming to bring effortless glamour to handbags. Through a license signed in October with New York-based accessories maker Mondani Corp., the firm will launch...

Rafe Returns Home With Manila Boutique.
April 28, 2008... Byline: Bambina Wise Rafe Returns Home With Manila Boutique Accessories designer Rafe Totengco, known for blending uptown sophistication with downtown edge, has taken his aesthetic to the Philippines. Rafe New York opened a...

Bergdorf's Polishes Designer Gems.
April 28, 2008... Byline: Sophia Chabbott Bergdorf's Polishes Designer Gems NEW YORK Jim Gold, Bergdorf Goodman's president and chief executive officer, said women still want their Manolo Blahniks and ballgowns despite the country's economic woes. So...

Tod's Opens In Dallas, Texas-Style.
April 28, 2008... Byline: Holly Haber Tod's Opens in Dallas, Texas-Style DALLAS The parties for Tod's launch here this month at NorthPark Center merited appearances by global chief executive officer Claudio Castiglioni from Milan, creative director...

Hue Geared For Growth At 30.
April 28, 2008... Byline: Caroline Tell Hue Geared for Growth at 30 HUE WANTS TO MAKE BIG STRIDES ON ITS 30TH ANNIVERSARY. The Kayser-Roth-owned legwear giant is expanding beyond its core category and setting bold retail initiatives. In the last five...

Jungle Fever.
April 28, 2008... Byline: Jessica Iredale JUNGLE FEVER In the early Eighties, a lot of young, red-blooded males wanted to be Rambo. But these days, Sylvester Stallone's muscle-bound jungle hero doesn't hold the same fascination among many adolescents. In...

Eye Scoop.
April 28, 2008... EYE SCOOP IN THE MARKET: The 13th annual Los Angeles Antiques Show, hosted by Diane Keaton , boasted the usual throng of West Side socials, from Kimberly Brooks (wife of Albert ) to Kelly Katz (wife of Martin ), plus a mix of artists such as...

Bobbi Brown And Belk Build A Studio.
April 28, 2008... Byline: Michelle Edgar Bobbi Brown and Belk Build a Studio Bobbi Brown Cosmetics has partnered with Belk to open a freestanding store concept, called The Studio, which is to be operated by the retailer, a first for the EstA[c]e Lauder...

Fashion Scoops.
April 28, 2008... Fashion Scoops SHOWSTOPPERS: The paparazzi on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art will have more reasons than ever to go into a frenzy at next Monday's Costume Institute gala. In addition to co-chairs George Clooney and Julia Roberts...

Memo Pad.
April 28, 2008... MEMO PAD APOCALYPSE LATER: President Bush best summed up the peculiar juxtaposition of celebrities, reporters and political officials at the White House Correspondents' Dinner Saturday night: " Pamela Anderson and Mitt Romney in the same...

Aeffe Squashes Pollini Sale Talk.
April 28, 2008... Byline: Andrew Roberts Aeffe Squashes Pollini Sale Talk MILAN Italian fashion group Aeffe SpA last week denied it was looking to off-load its shoe and leather accessories brand Pollini, despite rumors of private equity interest. ...

Weekly Stocks.
April 28, 2008... Weekly Stocks 52-WEEK***** ***** *****VOLUME*****AMT HIGH*****LOW*****RETAILERS*****P/E*****(000'S)*****LAST*****CHANGE 85.77*****66.05*****Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF)*****14.3*****11004514*****75.46*****1.40 ...

WWD FRIDAY: Beauty.
April 25, 2008... WWD FRIDAY Beauty GENERAL 1*****Despite a tough time for Gucci, PPR's first-quarter sales rose 20 percent on the addition of Puma and good action at YSL and Bottega Veneta. 3*****Phillip Lim opened a Tokyo flagship as part of a...

WWD THURSDAY.
April 24, 2008... WWD THURSDAY Sportswear RICHEMONT SALES UP/3 JOE'S JEANS GOES RETAIL/8 Inside: Pg. 12 The WWD List Favorite Vacation Spots Women's Wear Daily acents The Retailers' Daily Newspaper acents April 24, 2008 acents $2.00 CAPTION(S):...

Tory Burch's Growth Push: Designer Eyes Overseas, More Products.
April 24, 2008... Byline: Julee Kaplan Tory Burch's Growth Push: Designer Eyes Overseas, More Products Tory Burch is stepping on the accelerator. With handbag sales surging 50 percent and accessories revenues overall increasing by 200 percent last year,...

In Brief.
April 24, 2008... In Brief WEST COAST CONNECTION: Puma will open Puma House LA, a 2,670-square-foot entertainment marketing operations office at 818 North La Brea in Los Angeles. When it opens in mid-May, the venue will be the third location of its kind for...

Watches, Asia-Pacific Fuel Richemont Sales.
April 24, 2008... Byline: Nina Jones Watches, Asia-Pacific Fuel Richemont Sales LONDON Compagnie FinanciA[umlaut]re Richemont SA, the Geneva-based luxury goods group, said Wednesday that revenues grew 9.8 percent in the financial year ended March 31 to...

Lacroix Adding Touch To Dubai Venture.
April 24, 2008... Byline: Miles Socha Lacroix Adding Touch to Dubai Venture PARIS Fans of Christian Lacroix's signature style soon will be able to move right in. The couturier has been tapped to design the facade, lobby and interiors of a residential...

Op Campaign Aims For Broad Appeal.
April 24, 2008... Byline: Julee Kaplan Op Campaign Aims for Broad Appeal Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Iconix Brand Group Inc. are getting behind the Ocean Pacific brand in a big way this spring. The Op brand will launch next month exclusively in Wal-Mart...

Ralph Ready For Robertson.
April 24, 2008... Byline: Marcy Medina Ralph Ready for Robertson LOS ANGELES Breaking its silence, Ralph Lauren has confirmed plans to open on Robertson Boulevard here in August. After speculation that has persisted for a year and telltale blue logo...

Primary Colors.
April 24, 2008... Primary Colors At Vanity Fair's kickoff party for the Tribeca Film Festival Tuesday night, there were movie stars galore, socialites by the truckload and at least a hundred BlackBerrys and other handheld devices that were constantly being...

Maggie Norris' Eco-Couture.
April 24, 2008... Byline: Rosemary Feitelberg Maggie Norris' Eco-Couture NEW YORK Global explorers provided the inspiration for Maggie Norris' first environmentally friendly collection, and she will have the chance to chat with a few when she shows off...

Kao Income Slips 5.6 Percent.
April 24, 2008... Byline: Koji Hirano Kao Income Slips 5.6 Percent TOKYO Impacted by rising fuel and raw material costs plus greater marketing expenses than in its prior fiscal year Kao Corp.'s profits fell 5.6 percent to 66.56 billion yen, or $664.3...

Blue Lagoon Taps Fedorczyk.
April 24, 2008... Byline: Matthew W. Evans Blue Lagoon Taps Fedorczyk Blue Lagoon skin care, the brand named for the mineral-rich lagoon in Iceland, has named Suzanne Fedorczyk vice president of sales and education. Fedorczyk, a 15-year beauty sales...

Fashion Scoops.
April 24, 2008... Fashion Scoops ALL IN THE FAMILY: Rumor has it that Louis Vuitton plans to feature a coupla Coppolas in the next installment of its "core values" campaign. According to sources, "Godfather" director Francis Ford Coppola and his daughter,...

Married To The Mod.
April 24, 2008... Byline: Kim Friday married to the mod What girl doesn't love a little bit of Mod in her life? Sixties silhouettes make a splash for fall, with an emphasis on knits and denim, plus touches like stripes and contrast piping. CAPTION(S):...

Joe's Jeans Takes First Retail Steps.
April 24, 2008... Byline: Ross Tucker Joe's Jeans Takes First Retail Steps Joe's Jeans is joining a growing list of denim brands pushing into the retail side of the business. The Los Angeles-based premium denim brand said last week it signed a lease for...

Strength In Numbers.
April 24, 2008... Byline: Constance Haisma-Kwok Strength in Numbers Good outcomes can sometimes result from challenging circumstances. In Hong Kong, it started with SARS. When the city was devastated by an outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in...

Space Exploration.
April 24, 2008... Byline: Constance Haisma-Kwok SPACE EXPLORATION Ask anyone in crowded Hong Kong to name the ultimate luxury and you'll hear one word: space. In a city where the average apartment is just 600 square feet, elbow room is at a premium which...

Fair Game.
April 24, 2008... FAIR GAME As the gateway to China, Hong Kong is home to some of Asia's largest and most prominent fashion events. The Hong Kong Jewelry and Watch Fair will be held June 1822 at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre. Featuring...

Vital Stats.
April 24, 2008... VITAL STATS POPULATION: 6.9 million UNEMPLOYMENT RATE: 3.3 percent MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME: 186,000 Hong Kong dollars, or $23,826 at current exchange. NUMBER OF MILLIONAIRES (MEASURED BY U.S. DOLLARS, 2006): 51,000 NUMBER OF...

AFL-CIO Tests Free Trade Pacts.
April 24, 2008... Byline: Liza Casabona AFL-CIO Tests Free Trade Pacts WASHINGTON Organized labor filed a first-of-its-kind complaint with the Department of Labor on Wednesday that it sees as a barometer of how effective the labor provisions are in free...

Pay Discrimination Suit Bill Fails In Senate.
April 24, 2008... Byline: Kristi Ellis Pay Discrimination Suit Bill Fails in Senate WASHINGTON The Senate scuttled a bill on Wednesday that would have extended the period in which employees can file pay discrimination lawsuits. It faced a veto threat...

Swiss Watch Export Growth Slows.
April 24, 2008... Byline: Robert Murphy Swiss Watch Export Growth Slows PARIS Is the Swiss watch industry starting to feel the pinch of the global economy? The Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry on Tuesday reported watch exports in March grew 0.5...

Fashion Jewelry Institute Exhibits Contemporary.
April 24, 2008... Byline: Sophia Chabbott Fashion Jewelry Institute Exhibits Contemporary NEW YORK The hot contemporary jewelry category will be the focus of an exhibition that opens today at the Forbes Galleries on Fifth Avenue. Although demand for...

On The Road Again.
April 24, 2008... Byline: Cecily Hall On the Road Again The domestic and international destinations most booked by travel agents for summer 2008. Soaring gas and airline ticket prices, the plunging dollar and the weak economy aside, Americans en masse...

Memo Pad.
April 24, 2008... MEMO PAD SPRINTING INTO FIRST: Next week, when members of the American Society of Magazine Editors vote over lunch to select their officers, Runner's World editor and ASME treasurer David Willey is expected to be elected president. That will...

Thomass Moves Up In Moscow.
April 24, 2008... Byline: Olga Zaretskaya Thomass Moves Up in Moscow MOSCOW Chantal Thomass has moved to a better neighborhood here. The French innerwear designer has opened a store in the 690,000-square-foot Vremena goda shopping center, which is on...

WWD WEDNESDAY.
April 23, 2008... WWD WEDNESDAY Sportswear COACH NET UP 8%/2 VF SHUTS NAUTICA WOMEN'S LINE/2 Women's Wear Daily acents The Retailers' Daily Newspaper acents April 23, 2008 acents $2.00 CAPTION(S): Work That Skirt As Dolly Parton once sang,...

Playing Exclusives Game: Results Can Be Win-Win But Brands Face Pitfalls.
April 23, 2008... Byline: Whitney Beckett Playing Exclusives Game: Results Can Be Win-Win But Brands Face Pitfalls Putting all your eggs in one basket or, in apparel, your entire collection in one retailer is a high-stakes game that is being played more...

Coach Income Up, Withholds Guidance.
April 23, 2008... Byline: Vicki M. Young Coach Income Up, Withholds Guidance Shares of Coach Inc. fell 2.46 percent on Tuesday as investors took issue with the company's decision to hold off on guidance for fiscal year 2009, even though third-quarter...

VF Net Gains, Exiting Nautica Women's Sportswear.
April 23, 2008... Byline: Ross Tucker VF Net Gains, Exiting Nautica Women's Sportswear Despite posting impressive revenue and earnings gains in the first quarter, VF Corp. wasn't immune to the difficulties of the U.S. retail environment and will be pulling...

In Brief.
April 23, 2008... In Brief MARKS AND SPENCER EXPANDS IN INDIA: Marks and Spencer Group plc said it plans to launch 50 stores in India over the next five years with Reliance Industries. Together, the two companies have invested 29 million pounds, or $57 million...

Correction.(Correction notice)
April 23, 2008... Correction Balenciaga's first e-commerce site in the U.S. was designed by Baron & Baron Inc. and Avenue A|Razorfish. This was incorrect in a Fashion Scoop on page 7, Friday.

Labelux In Deal For Bally.
April 23, 2008... Byline: Alessandra Ilari Labelux in Deal for Bally MILAN Labelux Group, a Vienna-based luxury goods holding company, has reached an agreement to acquire Bally International from private investment fund TPG Capital for an undisclosed...

Drexler On The Small Screen.
April 23, 2008... Byline: David Moin Drexler on the Small Screen How did Millard "Mickey" Drexler feel getting fired from Gap after catapulting the business from $400 million to $14 billion in revenues? "You are furious. Angry. You are unhappy, and you...

Fashion Scoops.
April 23, 2008... Fashion Scoops OF PALATIAL PROPORTIONS: At least the Louvre got the piece it wanted from the aborted auction at Christie's New York last week of the 115-piece lot owned by jewelry and antiques collector Ralph Esmerian. The museum discovered...

Marching Orders.
April 23, 2008... Marching Orders It was Opera 101 for the fashion flock on Monday night, as the Metropolitan Opera celebrated its new production of Gaetano Donizetti's "La Fille du RA[c]giment" with a benefit sponsored by Yves Saint Laurent the first of four...

Work Order.
April 23, 2008... Byline: Jessica Iredale Work Order In case you didn't know, today is Secretaries' ahem Administrative Professionals' Day. And with National Boss Day (Oct. 16) a full six months away, what better time to consider all things...

Newsreel.
April 23, 2008... Byline: Whitney Beckett, with contributions from Lucie Greene, London NEWSREEL ROYAL REWARDS: Queen Elizabeth II gave her seal of approval to several British fashion businesses on Monday, as part of her annual enterprise awards. Winners...

Wal-Mart Exec Pay Rises, Saks' Sadove Slips.
April 23, 2008... Byline: Evan Clark and Vicki M. Young Wal-Mart Exec Pay Rises, Saks' Sadove Slips Wal-Mart Stores Inc. boosted the compensation packages of its top executives last year, but Dillard's Inc. went in the opposite direction, according to...

L'OrA[c]al Files Trademark Suit.
April 23, 2008... Byline: Jeanine Poggi, with contributions from Andrea Nagel L'OrA[c]al Files Trademark Suit L'OrA[c]al USA Creative Inc. filed a suit against Zotos International Inc., a hair care product manufacturer and subsidiary of Shiseido Co. Ltd.,...

Tanning Firm Fake Bake Sold.
April 23, 2008... Byline: Brid Costello Tanning Firm Fake Bake Sold LONDON Fake Bake has a new owner. Sandra McClumpha, the self-tanning brand's distributor in the U.K., has bought out its founders, Joe and Mary Cooper, in a deal valued at more than 10...

Fortunoff Names Sim EVP, CFO.
April 23, 2008... Byline: David Moin Fortunoff Names Sim EVP, CFO As part of its rebuilding effort following its recent bankruptcy, Fortunoff has hired former Saks Inc. executive Christopher Sim as executive vice president and chief financial officer, WWD...

Memo Pad.
April 23, 2008... MEMO PAD ADJOURNED: The departure of Wall Street Journal managing editor Marcus Brauchli Tuesday seemed to confirm some of the worst fears the paper's old guard had about Rupert Murdoch's ownership. And they could only have been heightened...