WWD articles from March 2002

WWD archives from March 2002

IN BRIEF.(Fruit of Loom bankruptcy)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... FALLEN FRUIT: Fruit of the Loom Inc. said Wednesday that it will close a manufacturing facility in Fayette, Ala., by April 28. The company will provide a severance package that includes outplacement services for 290 employees affected by the...

CORRECTIONS.(Brief Article)(Correction Notice)
March 1, 2002... Liz Claiborne Inc. has agreed to settle in the 1999 UNITE lawsuit charging that U.S. companies bought from sweatshops in Saipan. This was incorrect in a story beginning on page 2, Wednesday. The cover caption was omitted from the WWDEyewear...

PERRY ELLIS BACK IN SPORTSWEAR.(New women's line)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
March 1, 2002... NEW YORK -- Perry Ellis wants to give women's sportswear another go. The iconic brand, which recently launched a collection of better-priced dresses for spring with dress manufacturer AV2000, will reenter women's sportswear come spring...

ARDEN ARTIFACTS SOLD.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... LONDON -- Going, going, gone. The Corporate Collection of Elizabeth Arden was auctioned off in January during a three week sale on Sothebys.com, a live, online auction service. Furnishings and decorations were taken from Arden's famously...

UNITE CAMPAIGN AT BRYLANE HEATS UP.(Labor dispute)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... NEW YORK -- A UNITE campaign to organize workers at a Brylane Inc. distribution center in Indianapolis has become heated, with the union filing several complaints with the National Labor Relations Board. The four outstanding NLRB...

PURPLESKIRT HEADS TO HOLLYWOOD.(Taps Warner Bros. Online for distribution)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... NEW YORK -- Leveraging its close ties with the entertainment business, PurpleSkirt.com, a three-year-old e-tailer focusing on contemporary designers, has struck an alliance with Warner Bros. Online to launch a fashion boutique in cyberspace....

WET SEAL PLANS MARKETING EDGE.(Catalog)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... NEW YORK -- Wet Seal is getting slicker on marketing platforms. The specialty chain for teens and 20-somethings will relaunch its catalog in early fall, with a circulation seen at 1.25 million four times a year, and has a proprietary...

MEN REIGN IN THE MASS MARKET AISLES.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... DALLAS -- The mass market is after a few good men. Actually, the industry is hoping to lure more than just a few men into drug, food and discount stores. Mass stores, particularly drugstores, are typically frequented by women. But,...

MILAN MORE UPBEAT FOR FALL.(Fashion houses operating more normally after Islamic terrorist attacks)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... MILAN -- As the Milan season kicks off, the key message is "business as usual" -- even if business remains tough. International buyers are all expected to return and Italian fashion houses are operating normally again after the...

GUESS POSTS $1.4M PROFIT.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... NEW YORK -- Despite shrinking sales, Guess Inc. pulled itself back into the black in the fourth quarter. The Los Angeles-based company posted net income of $1.4 million, or 3 cents a diluted share, compared with a net loss of $13.1...

AVON PLAN ON FAST-FORWARD.(Reorganization)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... NEW YORK -- Avon chief executive officer Andrea Jung is pumping reorganization through Avon's bloodstream. At a meeting for investors at its corporate headquarters Wednesday morning, Jung revealed that the company was adding pressure to...

NEW-LOOK COVERMARK SET TO BOW IN MAY.(Packaging)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... NEW YORK -- What's one way of bringing new life to a mature cosmetics brand? "A facelift," said Donna Italiano, president of Covermark, a 71-year-old independent focused solely on concealment products. Completely revamped versions...

PRADA BEAUTY FROM THE SEA.(Skin care cream)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
March 1, 2002... NEW YORK -- With its new Reviving Bio-Firm Moisture, Prada Beauty is out to prove that mollusks are good for more than just a seafood dinner. The new product, a collagen-building moisturizer intended to give the skin added resiliency and...

RYKIEL'S ROSE BLOOMS AGAIN.(Perfume)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
March 1, 2002... NEW YORK -- Everything's coming up roses at Sonia Rykiel. The company, which launched Rykiel Rose eau de parfum last September, is now gearing up for another rose-inspired launch -- Rykiel Rose eau de toilette. And according to Keith...

REVLON'S LIPGLIDE MIXES IT UP.(New lipstick)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
March 1, 2002... NEW YORK -- Revlon is banking on a new lip color, with a spongy applicator tip, to smooth over some of its rough edges. Jack Stahl, Revlon's newly installed president and chief executive officer, says great brands are created when a...

TARGET NET UP, OUTLOOK MIXED.(2001)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... NEW YORK -- Rounding off 2001 with an almost 20 percent bottom-line increase in the fourth quarter, Target Corp. is stitching together early strength in its high-margin spring apparel. Net earnings surged 19.2 percent, to $658 million, or...

TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... NEW YORK -- Thierry Mugler's Angel always had star power -- the scent, in a star-shaped bottle, achieved worldwide retail sales of $125 million last year alone -- and now it's time to celebrate. To do so, the company is set to launch three...

LAUDER'S MASCARA BUILDUP.(Estee Lauder Inc.)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... NEW YORK -- Estee Lauder is out to add volume to the mascara category with its newest entry, Illusionist Maximum Curling Mascara. "We currently have a 16 percent share in the mascara category, and we think that we can substantially...

MARAIS TO OPEN PARIS SHOP.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... PARIS -- Stephane Marais is looking to paint the town -- and the world. On March 12, the French celebrity makeup artist will cut the ribbon on his first flagship store on Rue Saint-Honore here, from which his eponymous makeup and skin care...

MAUBOUSSIN'S NEWEST JEWEL.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... PARIS -- With its new women's fragrance, Histoire d'Eau, high-end jeweler Mauboussin wants to take a walk on the wild side. Its scent, whose name is pronounced like that of the famed erotic French film "Histoire d'O," is the second...

CARITA SET TO LAUNCH AT BARNEYS.(perfume to enter market when New York store opens cosmetics floor)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... NEW YORK -- Prestilux Inc., billed as the largest prestige beauty distributor in Canada, is setting up business south of the border. The Montreal-based company will open for business in New York today, making its debut in the U.S. market...

A LA MILANESE.(The Milan fall shows get under way)
March 1, 2002... MILAN -- Last season, for obvious reasons, the mood in this city was a bit subdued. But this time around, there's an optimism in the air. Spring is coming, and the anticipation was building as the Milan fall shows got under way. Then, too,...

AMERICAN IMAGE AWARDS; POMERANTZ, HAND TO BE HONORED.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... NEW YORK -- With 88 years in the apparel industry between them, John Pomerantz and Elbert Hand -- the respective recipients of this year's women's and men's American Image Awards -- have had plenty of time to ruminate about the various...

TRACY MULLIN: REPRESENTING THE RETAILERS.(to accept American Image Award)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... WASHINGTON -- Times have changed dramatically for Tracy Mullin, who joined the National Retail Merchants Association in 1976 during the Ford administration, when the slogan of the day was "Whip inflation now!" More than 25 years later,...

MENKES' VIEWS ON PARIS VETOED BY U.S. EDITORS.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... NEW YORK -- Some top American fashion editors think Suzy Menkes, fashion editor of the International Herald Tribune, ought to learn how to say no -- or get an assistant. As reported, Menkes fired off an angry letter to the Chambre...

FASHION SCOOPS.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... DONATELLA'S DESTINY: Donatella Versace has a Bootylicious front row lined up for her show Tuesday night in Milan. Two out of the three divas behind the group Destiny's Child are confirmed. It's not clear yet, whether Beyonce Knowles can break...

GOOD LUXE.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... MILAN -- "Designing today is about mixing the elements, as in ready-to-wear pieces made with couture fabrics and worn over jeans. That's the way people dress," says Stephen Fairchild, who will show his second collection on Sunday night at a...

SOFT CUSHION.(Revlon launches LipGlide)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
March 1, 2002... NEW YORK -- Revlon wants to bridge the gap between lipstick and lip gloss. Its latest launch, LipGlide, is said to offer the benefits of both. It also features a foam tip for smooth application. Sources believe first-year sales could hit $30...

NMG: `LUXE STILL ALIVE' -- BUT VALUE STORES WIN NUMBERS GAME.(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2002... NEW YORK -- Last year's traumatic finish brought the luxury sector's financial winning streak to a halt, but added points to the ledgers of value retailers. High-end shoppers were fewer and less acquisitive in the final months of 2001,...

GRADING THE EDITORS.
March 1, 2002... NEW YORK -- If the best way to learn about an editor in chief is through her monthly letter, most readers probably know next to nothing about the person running their favorite fashion magazine. But rather than skipping the editor's page like...

STREETS OF DREAMS.(store openings in Milan)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... MILAN -- The annual spring rite of store and restaurant openings will get under way this weekend as women's fashion week hits full crescendo. Montenapoleone, Spiga and Manzoni might stay the same size, but season after season fashion houses...

J.LO TRYOUTS: FIRM HUNTING SWEET FACES.(Jennifer Lopez's Sweetface Fashion Co. LLC searching for models)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... NEW YORK -- Calling all sexy girls. Jennifer Lopez's Sweetface Fashion Co. LLC, has launched a nationwide model search to find girls that exemplify the J.Lo by Jennifer Lopez fashion collection. The J.Lo by Jennifer Lopez line made its...

HBA NEWS BRIEFS.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
March 1, 2002... B-DAY GIFTS: Finesse is turning 20, so it makes sense that its parent, Unilever, would give one of its leading hair care brands a gift: a facelift. Beginning in May, bottles of Finesse shampoo and styling products will be packaged in rich...

TOP NOTES.
March 1, 2002... VIVA MAC: MAC launched its fourth Viva Glam ad campaign during Grammy week in Los Angeles with Elton John, Shirley Manson and Mary J. Blige as the faces behind a new rose-and-gold-shimmer lipstick. The ad, shot by David LaChapelle, captures the...

WICKED COOL.(Gucci collection)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2002... MILAN -- Tom Ford is hardly averse to giving his girl a touch of the vixen, and he did just that -- and lots more -- in the Gucci collection that he showed on Saturday. The looks had an aggressive glamour, with a blend of Eighties...

FALL'S OUTLOOK BRISK AND COLORFUL.(Sleepwear and foundations doing well financially)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2002... NEW YORK -- This week's fall market is expected to be among the strongest March editions in several years. The reason: innerwear business began to rebound in late 2001, and now many major retailers and specialty operations, a number of...

MADE FOR EACH OTHER.(Sleepwear)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2002... NEW YORK -- Sleepwear designers are doing a little matchmaking this season, pairing easy wraps -- short or long -- with pajamas or nightgowns.

ABOUT LACE.(Brief Article)
March 4, 2002... NEW YORK -- Classic, romantic lace, has prevailed through the ages and is a luxe staple in fashion, from refined Victorian looks to racier versions. Here, the latest crop.

AFTER MIDNIGHT.(Black lingerie)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2002... When it comes to sexy lingerie, black has cornered the market in such classic looks as silk kimonos and robes or in saucier minislips.

DREAM WEAVERS.(Tomas Meier put together Gucci collection)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2002... MILAN -- Last season, shortly after Gucci Group acquired Bottega Veneta, newly-appointed creative director Tomas Meier managed to put together a collection that revisited the company's heritage of labor-intensive craftsmanship in only three...

IN BRIEF.(Teen magazine to close)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2002... TEEN FOLDS: Primedia Inc., said Friday it would close the monthly Teen magazine. Primedia purchased Teen as part of its $515 million Emap USA acquisition last summer. The magazine, which has a rate base of 1.2 million, has been struggling for...

FASHION SCOOPS.(Tom Ford cashed in $450,000 Gucci options)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2002... GUCCI RUSHES: What will Gucci creative director Tom Ford do with his latest pile of cash? He's not saying, but it's a pretty big pile. According to the Amsterdam stock exchange, Ford cashed in 450,000 options during a one week period...

EYE SCOOP.
March 4, 2002... SMOKE ALARM: For literary Americans, Paris has always exerted a powerful allure with its cafes, its chestnuts in blossom and its spirit of Sartre. Now expat writers can add a new perk to that list: the hospitals. David Sedaris, who has lived in...

FINDINGS.(Fund raising event Manhattan)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2002... ITALY TIME: The Accessories Council and Safilo Group on Wednesday will host "A Night in Venice," a fund-raising event, cocktail reception and silent auction. The event will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Safilo showroom at 404 Fifth Avenue...

TO DEY FOR.("Showtime" set to open nationwide, directed by Tom Dey)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2002... LOS ANGELES -- It was an offer Tom Dey couldn't refuse. Not after his first film, the buddy comedy "Shanghai Noon" starring Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson had become such a sleeper hit. When Dey was in line to direct another comedy, "Showtime,"...

DUPONT STEPS UP HOSIERY PUSH.(Brief Article)
March 4, 2002... NEW YORK -- DuPont is taking its legwear show on the road. This Wednesday, the company will host a presentation at the Hudson Hotel here, featuring the firm's vision on legwear designs in an aggressive move to strengthen its hosiery...

FACTORY 2-U TAKES $8.9M LOSS.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 4, 2002... NEW YORK -- Even without extraordinary items, Factory 2-U Stores suffered fourth-quarter declines that were anything but ordinary. Net losses for the quarter ended Feb. 2 totaled $8.9 million, or 70 cents a share, compared with year-ago...

DESPITE RECESSION, LUCKY PROVES CRITICS WRONG.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 4, 2002... NEW YORK -- Although lots of people initially scoffed at the idea of a shopping magazine, Lucky has proved them wrong. Launched during one of the most difficult years in publishing history, Lucky made its debut with 720 ad pages in 2001,...

NEW NAMES ARE JUMPING ONTO THE HANDBAG WAGON.
March 4, 2002... NEW YORK -- The current economic difficulties aren't stopping eager newcomers from stepping into the handbag scene. Here, a sampling of some fresh faces: Leonello Borghi Many leather goods designers dream of setting up production...

ITALIAN RETAILERS SAY `BUON GIORNO, AMERICA'.(Giuseppe Zanotti opens first boutique in United States)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2002... GIUSEPPE ZANOTTI NEW YORK -- Italian accessories designer Giuseppe Zanotti has landed on American shores with a new boutique on Madison Avenue. The tiny store, the company's first in the U.S., is located between East 68th and 69th...

NOTEBOOK FROM PARIS.(new retail outlets, products)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2002... From new Dior technology cases to a guest designer at Van Cleef & Arpels, Paris is bubbling with accessories activity. The retail arena seems to be particularly hot and happening in the City of Light. Three new accessories stores have recently...

MORE STORES PLANNED FOR TIFFANY, COACH.(Brief Article)
March 4, 2002... NEW YORK -- Tiffany & Co. and Coach Inc. are both eyeing major store expansions. Company executives for the firms, speaking at the Bear Stearns Retail, Restaurants & Apparel conference here on Friday, outlined aggressive plans to...

KENNETH COLE NET DIVES 80%.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 4, 2002... NEW YORK -- Kenneth Cole Productions Inc. posted sharply lower fourth-quarter profits that still managed to beat analysts' estimates by 3 cents. For the quarter ended Dec. 31, income plummeted 80 percent to $2.2 million, or 11 cents a...

AEROPOSTALE PLANS TO GO PUBLIC.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 4, 2002... NEW YORK -- Aeropostale is preparing to go public. The one-time specialty store division of Federated Department Stores is reportedly working with Bear Stearns on a preliminary prospectus that is expected to be filed within the next...

THE MUST-HAVE BAG: BRANDS STILL STRIVING, BUT NO STAR IN SIGHT.(handbags)
March 4, 2002... NEW YORK -- Remember the Prada bowling bag craze or being wait-listed for a Fendi baguette? Those days may be over, since many shoppers seem to have adopted a more cautious attitude toward potential one-season wonders. Throughout the...

MENICHETTI LEAVES CERRUTI.(designer Roberto Menichetti)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2002... MILAN -- It was a brief affair. Cerruti and designer Roberto Menichetti have split after only six months. But Menichetti is wasting no time and is gearing up to launch his own line, which he plans to show in New York in September. ...

GLAMISSIMO.
March 4, 2002... MILAN -- La glamour vita! After the opening weekend of shows here, that message rang loud and clear. How would fashion respond to the psychological and spending malaise brought on by world events and a souring economy? New York didn't offer a...

FALLEN TSARINAS, PRETTY YOUNG THINGS AND GOOD SPORTS; THE ANNA MOLINARI COLLECTION HAD A FADED ELEGANCE WITH MORE THAN A TOUCH OF THE ROMANOVS, WHILE BLUMARINE WAS ALL ABOUT THE BEADED DRESS...PHILOSOPHY MIXED PYTS WITH GRUNGE...MOSCHINO CHEAP & CHIC HAD A SPORTY SCHOOL SPIRIT...AND TREND LES COPAINS TOLD A FAIRY TALE.
March 4, 2002... Anna Molinari: The show notes are always part of the fun at Rossella Tarabini's Anna Molinari collections. This time, she took to name-dropping -- Romanov, Eisenstein, Fragonard, Vionnet, just to name a few. On the runway, the fallen tsarina...

JAY LEVITT, JOHN DANAHY PROMOTED AT MAY CO.(Brief Article)
March 4, 2002... NEW YORK -- May Department Stores Co. has promoted Jay Levitt and John Danahy to chief executive officer and chairman, respectively, of its May Merchandising and May Department Stores International units. They will succeed Judith Hofer,...

BABES...IN THE WOODS...IN THE CLUBS...IN THE MOOD; THEY SAY THAT EVERYBODY'S SOMBODY'S BABY...DOLCE & GABBANA'S VAMPY FASHIONISTA WENT RUSTIC...SATURDAY NIGHT'S ALL RIGHT FOR THE VERSUS GIRL...WHILE, AT KRIZIA AND MAX MARA, IT WAS A MATTER OF DOING WHAT COMES NATURALLY.
March 4, 2002... Dolce & Gabbana: What's the most surprising thing Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana could do? How about eradicating all the boisterous, sexed-up camp from their collection and sending it out cold? In place of their habitually boisterous rococo...

FASHION SCOOPS.
March 4, 2002... MISPLACED MISPELAERE: Yvan Mispelaere, the creative director of Louis Feraud, is nowhere to be seen in Milan this week. Last season, he assisted Prada chief Patrizio Bertelli in putting together the Genny collection. He opted not to this season...

MADAGASCAR CONFLICT HURTING INDUSTRY.(unrest hurts apparel industry)(Brief Article)
March 4, 2002... NEW YORK -- Two months of unrest in Madagascar that followed a disputed December election has some apparel importers deliberating whether to pull production out of the island nation, leaving local factory owners to consider whether they can...

PANTEMONIUM.(new Giorgio Armani collection)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... MILAN -- Fashion is a game that's full of surprises, and, on Monday, Giorgio Armani delivered one. His fall collection starred all sorts of stirrup pants, from the tight to the loose-but-straight to the Casbah kind, many of which were very...

IRISH SPRING.(Irish Linen Guild show)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... PARIS -- Linen is stretching it out. During last month's Premiere Vision show, the Irish Linen Guild unveiled the latest linen offering -- pure Irish Linen plus Lycra -- at an extravagant presentation at the British Embassy, former...

GLAM AND GLITTER.(Milan fashion designer shows)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... MILAN -- Let financial analysts agonize over wavering economies and volatile stock markets. The designers showing in Milan know that consumer spending is in the dumps, but they're not letting sobriety get in their way. Instead, they're...

SPIFFY GRUNGE, ROCK-STAR STYLE AND EIGHTIES ASIAN; CAN GRUNGE BE, WELL, PRISSY? IT WAS AT MARNI...ROBERTO CAVALLI MIXED THE FRISKY AND THE LESS-RISKY....AND STRENESSE BROUGHT BACK THE EIGHTIES, JAPANESE-STYLE.(new introductions by fashion designers)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... Marni: Ten years ago this month Nirvana's first hit album, "Nevermind," went triple platinum, an anniversary Consuelo Castiglioni celebrated on the runway on Monday morning: Her fall collection was an ode to grunge. But unlike those...

MEMO PAD.(nes and notes on advertising and modeling)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... LONGEVITY GIRL: Amidst war, recession, and a decidedly underwhelming fashion season, there are few certainties out there. Except one: Kate Moss' modeling career will never wind down. The resilient waif will grace the cover of the April Harper's...

LAVIGNE NEGOTIATES RESTITUTIONS.(Elliot M. Lavigne)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... NEW YORK -- Apparel industry veteran Elliot M. Lavigne is in negotiations with the U.S. Attorney's office in Brooklyn over restitution issues connected to his July 2001 guilty plea to charges that he conspired to launder $8 million in illicit...

WAL-MART, KEEPSAKE IN JEWELRY DEAL.(Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to sell jewelry)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- Moving to a broader, higher grade and more expensive fine jewelry offering, Wal-Mart will begin selling an exclusive Keepsake "star" collection of diamond jewelry in April at all of its stores. Wal-Mart will also offer...

SALMON TAPS PACE AS CEO.(Kurt Salmon Associates appoints William B. Pace)(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... NEW YORK -- Kurt Salmon Associates, a leading management consulting firm specializing in retailing, consumer products and health care, has appointed William B. Pace as chief executive officer, succeeding Peter G. Brown, who has become...

IN BRIEF.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 5, 2002... KMART'S BRAND-WAGON: Bankrupt Kmart last week filed a series of motions seeking court approval to continue its licensing deals with several brand partners, including Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. in the home area and, in apparel and...

CORRECTION.(Brief Article)(Correction Notice)
March 5, 2002... A caption on March 1, page 20, was incorrectly credited. Eve wore Jean Paul Gaultier at the Grammys.

PENNEY'S DIPS ON UP DOW DAY.
March 5, 2002... NEW YORK -- Shares of J.C. Penney Corp. ran counter to trend on a generally up day in financial circles Monday after J.P. Morgan Securities downgraded the firm to "market performer" and raised questions about its 2002 prospects. The...

PV EXHIBITORS FOCUS ON BANKABLE LOOKS.
March 5, 2002... PARIS -- If the selections at Premiere Vision are any indication, buyers said, spring 2003 will be the season that women go back to the stores to shop in earnest. While attendance at PV -- which ended its four-day run at Parc...

TEXWORLD: PRICE & QUALITY.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... PARIS -- Shopping for value was foremost for buyers visiting Texworld, the fabric fair that ran concurrently with Premiere Vision. Held from Feb. 20 to 23 at the CNIT complex at La Defense, the business district on the western outskirts...

N.Y.'S PROPERTY GAME: MADISON AVE. HANGS IN, BUT SOHO NOT AS HOT.
March 5, 2002... NEW YORK -- The retail climate looks mighty bleak -- tourism is down and stores are closing in Manhattan left and right. But you wouldn't guess it from the real estate market. The city's retail property market is generally holding on...

HFSI: JUDGING DANA BUCHMAN.(High School of Fashion Industries' annual "Stretch to the Future")(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... NEW YORK -- Dana Buchman will be this year's guest judge at a the High School of Fashion Industries' annual "Stretch to the Future" competition. Sponsored by Radici Spandex, the event is set to take place May 9 at HFSI in Manhattan. The...

THE WIDE WORLD OF `RED' AT FIT MUSEUM EXHIBIT.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... NEW YORK -- The allure of the lady in red and the power of the color are legendary. Now, the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology has chosen the glorified shade as the subject of its latest exhibition, which runs until April 20....

SHOWTIME FOR PELOSI AND CURIOUS GEORGE.(Alexandra Pelosi makes documentary about President George W. Bush)
March 5, 2002... NEW YORK -- Days away from the premiere of "Journeys with George," her documentary about life on the campaign trail with President George W. Bush, the last thing Alexandra Pelosi wants to be doing is answering questions about herself. So...

AU NATUREL AT PRATO EXPO.
March 5, 2002... FLORENCE, Italy -- Natural fabrics, particularly denim, were a key trend at this month's Prato Expo trade fair at Florence's Fortezza da Basso, where spring-summer 2003 fabrics were on display. At Prato-based Lanificio Roma, owner Endrio...

BURLINGTON LOOKING TO SELL CONSUMER BUSINESS.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... NEW YORK -- Bankrupt Burlington Industries Inc. on Thursday signed a letter of intent to sell its consumer products business, which produces bedding and window treatments, to Springs Industries. The deal, which is subject to court approval,...

HOTEL SHOWS: BALLGOWNS AND BEYOND.(Brief Article)
March 5, 2002... NEW YORK -- Vendors at several hotel trade shows last week featured a diverse range of apparel that catered to cautious, but committed buyers. Many of the ready-to-wear firms said business has picked up since the last show in October,...

ESCADA EXITS BEAUTY, WELLA LICENSES BRAND.
March 5, 2002... PARIS -- After 12 years in the category, Escada has exited the beauty business by selling its assets and licensing its name to Wella. Wella Group AG announced Monday its acquisition of Escada AG's beauty division, Escada Beaute Group SA,...

FASHION SCOOP.
March 5, 2002... BRULE BURNED? Blood pressure levels among the editorial staff at Wallpaper magazine are rising by the minute. Apparently they're angry with their new managers at Time Inc., whom they suspect of trying to drive out Tyler Brule, the Canadian-born...