WWD articles from January 2005

WWD archives from January 2005

HEY, LADY.
January 28, 2005... PARIS -- Valentino's clientele is nothing if not international, and in his polished spring couture collection, the designer took an imaginary trip to 37 cities, making the point that his ladies would look splendid in any spot on the globe....

CHINA COULD MAKE CURRENCY MOVE.
January 28, 2005... Byline: Scott Malone NEW YORK -- China might soon take a step toward allowing its currency to rise in value by pegging the yuan to a basket of currencies, including the dollar, the euro and the yen, a top Chinese economist said. ...

IN BRIEF: JOUSSE QUITS RICHEMONT...BRAND ESSENCE...TOP HONORS.
January 27, 2005... JOUSSE QUITS RICHEMONT: Dominique Jousse has stepped down as group human resources director of Compagnie Financiere Richemont, the Swiss luxury-goods group. The company said in a statement Wednesday that Jousse resigned for personal reasons....

GO WITH THE BOW.
January 27, 2005... PARIS -- What's in a bow? The couture designers who show in the City of Light know. After all, it's a detail of considerable variety, and for spring, couturiers used the embellishment to trim everything from Valentino's luxurious lace...

THE NEW JEANS THING: FEATURES.
January 27, 2005... Byline: Melissa Drier BERLIN -- One of the most pervasive questions in the denim market for the past two years has been: Who is going to find the Next Big Thing, a style change along the lines of low rise that would inspire shoppers to...

FINISH LINE ACQUIRES HANG UP SHOPPES.(Brief Article)
January 27, 2005... NEW YORK -- Finish Line is getting deeper into the hip-hop arena. The fast-growing athletic retailer has signed an agreement to acquire Hang Up Shoppes Inc., which operates the Man Alive chain selling men's and women's products, for $12...

THE WWD LIST: TOP FABRIC EXPORTERS TO U.S. THE 10 COUNTRIES THAT EXPORTED THE MOST APPAREL AND TEXTILES TO THE U.S. IN 2004, MEASURED IN SQUARE METERS EQUIVALENT.
January 27, 2005... The 148 nations of the World Trade Organization removed quotas on apparel and textiles on Jan. 1 and the major issue remains whether China will dominate the industry. U.S. importers and retailers have said they will consolidate sourcing in...

TS NOT SO TRICKY FOR DMC.
January 27, 2005... Byline: Lauren DeCarlo NEW YORK -- Darryl McDaniels, better known as DMC (yes, that DMC from Eighties hip-hop pioneers, Run DMC), knew he didn't need to start a clothing line at this point in his life. Rather, he wanted to -- and once...

ONLINE TO ON RACKS.
January 27, 2005... Byline: Lauren DeCarlo NEW YORK -- Liz Jebara, a twentysomething entrepreneur, wanted to launch a clothing line, but first she wanted to create some buzz. "We launched our music Web site, Soundgirl.com, to familiarize our customer...

AS FOUR DRAWS SPADE.(Brief Article)
January 27, 2005... Byline: Marc Karimzadeh NEW YORK -- Come April, Kate Spade will be taking care of a brand new baby. The accessories designer, who is due to give birth to her first child next week, joined with design team As Four for a capsule...

COLOR, NEW DENIM STYLES LIVEN PULSE.
January 27, 2005... Byline: Beth Wilson CHICAGO -- Midwest urbanwear retailers, some complaining of sagging sales, looked to colorful polo shirts and new styles of denim to liven up their racks during a trip to Pulse, Chicago's apparel market specializing...

A TOUCH OF FROTH.(Brief Article)
January 26, 2005... PARIS -- Karl Lagerfeld framed the Chanel spring couture collection he showed on Tuesday in an 18th-century French garden theme, inspired by Boucher's paintings and Marie Antoinette playing the shepherdess. But that didn't mean he went...

MEMO PAD: I'M RUBBER, YOU'RE GLUE... NEWSSTAND BLUES... TYLER TV.
January 25, 2005... Byline: Jeff Bercovici, Samantha Conti, Sara James I'M RUBBER, YOU'RE GLUE: Why wait for your actual day in court when you can air your grievances in the court of public opinion? Gruner + Jahr and its adversary, Publishers Communications...

FASHION SCOOPS: JUST FOR KICKS... FACTORY FIGURES... COLD FRONT...
January 25, 2005... JUST FOR KICKS: David Beckham, who's currently playing soccer for Real Madrid, is said to have inked a pact with Coty Beauty. Rumor has it that the heartthrob star (also known as Golden Boots) and his wife, Victoria (a.k.a. Posh Spice), have...

FIT TO REVEAL ITS `IT' GIRL.(Brief Article)
January 25, 2005... Byline: Marc Karimzadeh NEW YORK -- The Fashion Institute of Technology is out to prove that scandalous "It" girls existed long before the age of Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan. From March 1-April 26, the Museum at FIT is staging...

ASIAN PRODUCERS CAST WARY EYE TOWARD CHINA.(Brief Article)
January 25, 2005... Byline: Evan Clark NEW YORK -- Many of the textile companies showing off their goods to buyers at Innovation Asia last week were also looking over their shoulders at the region's giant -- China. Sunny Kim, overseas business...

SOURCING, TECH MATERIAL WORLD SEMINAR TOPICS.
January 25, 2005... NEW YORK -- Sourcing and technology will be on the agenda in a series of seminars to run with the Material World trade show at the Miami Beach Convention Center set for March 16-18. Organizers of the event, which is sponsored by the...

TURKEY SEEKS CHINA STRATEGY.
January 25, 2005... Byline: Scott Malone, With contributions from Daniela Gilbert NEW YORK -- There is a theme to Turkish textile companies' strategies for the post-quota era -- avoid going head-to-head with China. Exhibitors at the Turkish Fashion...

PITTI MAKERS SEEK TO SPIN AN ADVANTAGE.
January 25, 2005... Byline: Stephanie Epiro MILAN -- Italian yarn producers are focused on developing high-quality yarns with distinctive characteristics to drive their business at next week's edition of Pitti Filati, as they face economic challenges...

THE FIBER PRICE SHEET.(Brief Article)
January 25, 2005... 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 1/24/05; Price on 12/27/04;...

SNOW STIRS UP EAST COAST COAT SALES.
January 25, 2005... Byline: Rosemary Feitelberg NEW YORK -- Snowbound East Coasters weren't about to let last weekend's blizzard stop them from shopping. "People get cabin fever in weather like this, so they go out and shop," said Stefani Greenfield,...

FIT GOES GLOBAL WITH MASTER'S PROGRAM.(Brief Article)
January 25, 2005... Byline: Rosemary Feitelberg NEW YORK -- The Fashion Institute of Technology is setting up a road show. For the first time, the School of Graduate Studies of FIT is offering a multinational Master of Professional Studies degree...

JAPAN SPROUTS A NEW GENERATION.
January 25, 2005... Byline: Koji Hirano TOKYO -- Young designers in Japan are enjoying the consumers' experimental mood. There were a total of 150 independent designers, about four times as many as last season, at the Creators Village section of the...

RETAIL'S HALL OF FAMERS.
January 24, 2005... Byline: David Moin NEW YORK -- Allen Questrom, Leonard Riggio, Gordon Segal and the late Sam Walton and the late Stanley Marcus last week became the first inductees into the new Retailing Hall of Fame. The award ceremony, held Jan....

TRUMAN'S SHOW IS OVER AT CONDE NAST.(James Truman resigns from Conde Nast Publications )
January 6, 2005... Byline: Jeff Bercovici, Sara James NEW YORK -- In an announcement that stunned the publishing world, Conde Nast Publications said Wednesday editorial director James Truman had resigned and was being replaced by Thomas Wallace. ...

THE WWD LIST: CHINA'S LUXURY DEMANDS; THE CHINESE CONSUMER IS COMING OF AGE BOTH AT HOME AND ABROAD AND THESE SEVEN BRANDS STAND TO BENEFIT THE MOST.
January 6, 2005... China is the new Japan. According to a Goldman Sachs report, "Analysis of Chinese Demand Potential," strong consumer interest from, and increased international travel by, the Chinese could raise the average fair value for some luxury stocks...

CHANGING CHANNELS FOR NEW VISIONS.(top executives in retail industry)
January 6, 2005... Byline: Meredith Derby, With contributions from Miles Socha and Robert Murphy, Paris NEW YORK -- The worlds of mass and class just keep colliding -- especially within the executive ranks. Just look at the examples of Myron Ullman...

FEKKAI AND CHANEL PART WAYS, MELISSE SHABAN NAMED CEO.(Frederic Fekkai & Co.)(Chanel Inc. )
January 6, 2005... Byline: Andrea Nagel NEW YORK -- Frederic Fekkai & Co. ended its nine-year joint venture with Chanel Inc. and tapped a private equity firm to fund future product and business expansions, the company said Wednesday. Catterton...

DOUGLAS TAKES NEW TACK: HAIR SALONS.
January 6, 2005... Byline: Melissa Drier NUREMBERG, Germany -- Douglas entered new beauty territory last month with the opening of the chain's first hair salon in its renovated superstore here. Under the name Douglas Hairdesign by Oliver Schmidt,...

CATEGORY KILLERS' CONCERNS: OVERGROWTH AND EXTINCTION.(Book Review)
January 6, 2005... Byline: David Moin NEW YORK -- Could category killers go the way of department stores and become the next retail dinosaurs? It's a premise that seems premature, considering the viability of Best Buy and PetsMart. But Toys 'R' Us is...

JUSTICE DEPT. BRIEF BID DENIED.(imports of apparel and textiles from China)(Brief Article)
January 6, 2005... Byline: Kristi Ellis WASHINGTON -- The federal judge presiding over an importer group's lawsuit against the U.S. government ruled Wednesday against a request by the Justice Department and allowed three legal briefs to be part of the...

JACOBS HEADED TO PALAIS ROYAL.(Marc Jacobs )
January 6, 2005... PARIS -- Marc Jacobs has opted for a picturesque, off-the-beaten-path location for his first European retail outlet: a freestanding collection store in Paris' historic Palais Royal. "It was Marc's suggestion. I like the charm of that...

BLANC SLATE; WHAT COULD BE BETTER THAN STARTING WITH A CLEAN CANVAS? DESIGNERS KEEP THINGS COOL AND CRISP WITH AN ALL-WHITE PALETTE.
January 6, 2005... Market Watch Start Me Up Fashion To Go Caption(s): WOMYN's cotton and polyamide trench at Dressed to Kill.

MORE, MORE, MORE; FASHION SEEMS TO BE DIGGING INTO CHICAGO THIS YEAR, FROM AN INCREASED PRESENCE OF INDUSTRY DARLINGS IN ITS DINING HAUNTS TO GROWTH IN ITS WOMEN'S APPAREL MARKETS.
January 6, 2005... Byline: Beth Wilson Designer Dining Where do designers go when they visit the Windy City? Well, observant diners at Japonais, that upscale Chicago Avenue sushi spot, might have noticed both Narciso Rodriguez and Tommy Hilfiger...

NEW LINES; A ROUNDUP OF RESOURCES TO BOW AT THE UPCOMING WOMEN'S APPAREL SHOWS.
January 6, 2005... Byline: Genny Chang CLUTCH STUDIO, SUITE 1231 Mai Mai is a contemporary lifestyle line of luxurious cashmere separates that targets women in their 20s and above. Cashmere T-shirts from the maiT loungewear collection represent...

CLEAN QUEEN; DESIGNERS ARE SHOWING CRISP, WHITE LOOKS IN BOLD TEXTURES THIS SEASON THAT ARE PERFECT FOR BOTH DAYTIME AND EVENING.
January 6, 2005... ESSENDI's viscose and polyester jacket with matching tube top and cotton, rayon and elastane trousers at Karen Berger. LILLY PULITZER's rayon crocheted tank at Jennifer Ludlow and DONNA DEGNAN's cotton and spandex skirt at Studio Elle....

TAKING A GAMBLE; FOUR NEW BOUTIQUE OWNERS TALK ABOUT THE CHALLENGES OF OPENING UP SHOP IN A RISKY RETAIL CLIMATE.
January 6, 2005... Byline: Kavita Daswani With a saturation of stores in most major metropolitan areas and consumers still cautious about spending, opening a fashion boutique these days is about as solid an investment as playing the blackjack tables. ...

OF A DIFFERENT SILK; TAYLORCHENG FOUNDER WAI YEE CHENG IS COMBINING BROCADES AND CLASSIC SILHOUETTES TO BUILD AN ASIAN-INFLUENCED LOOK FOR HER CUSTOM CLIENTELE.
January 6, 2005... Byline: Beth Wilson As a former investment banker with a degree in economics, Wai Yee Cheng may seem like an unlikely leader of a fashion start-up. But it makes perfect sense to Cheng, an admitted fashion fan and shopaholic. Her work...

NEW LINES; A ROUNDUP OF RESOURCES TO BOW AT THE UPCOMING DALLAS APPAREL AND ACCESSORIES SHOWS.
January 5, 2005... Byline: Genny Chang FASHIONCENTERDALLAS D. REEVES & COMPANY, Suite 15745 Solange Solange is a two-year-old misses' line, providing contemporary looks for 20- to 60-year-old women. The bottoms-driven line focuses on clean...

TAKING A GAMBLE; FIVE NEW BOUTIQUE OWNERS TALK ABOUT THE CHALLENGES OF OPENING UP SHOP IN A RISKY RETAIL CLIMATE.
January 5, 2005... Byline: Kavita Daswani With a saturation of stores in most major metropolitan areas and consumers still cautious about spending, opening a fashion boutique these days is about as solid an investment as playing the blackjack tables. ...

SAN ANTONIO'S RICHES; A GROWING CITY LOOKS TO BECOME A RETAIL DRAW WITH THE OPENING OF A NEW HIGH-END MALL.
January 5, 2005... Byline: Holly Haber In September, the slow-paced river city of San Antonio will finally become a boldface name on the retail map. A 1.3 million-square-foot luxury mall is slated to debut in the suburban northern tier, bringing the area...

RISING TO THE OCCASION; FASHION'S LOCAL UP-AND-COMERS ACCEPTED HONORS BEFORE A WELL-DRESSED CROWD AT A RECENT AWARDS PARTY.
January 5, 2005... Byline: Holly Haber Glamour ruled at Dallas' Fashion Group International Rising Star Awards gala Nov. 15 at the Park Cities Hilton, where the local fashion community honored its own for the fourth straight year. "I always tell people...

EASY SPIRIT; DESIGNER TRINA TURK CHATS ABOUT CHARMING PRINTS, HER PRINCE CHARMING AND HER GROWING CONTEMPORARY BUSINESS.(Interview)
January 5, 2005... Byline: Holly Haber Since starting her business nine years ago, Trina Turk has become one of Los Angeles' leading contemporary designers by focusing on clean, colorful and feminine clothing. In fact, Turk expects her business to hit $30...