WWD articles from October 2003

WWD archives from October 2003

DOWN BY THE SEA.
October 1, 2003... MILAN -- The Milan shows got moving on a positive note with Giorgio Armani's collection, which combined a nautical inspiration with a summery ease and charm. He did boldly striped, sporty pieces, including languid pajama pants, great-looking...

NON-COMPETE CONFLICT: MAY CO., LIMITED HEADED TO COURT OVER EXECUTIVE.(Mark Weikel)
October 1, 2003... NEW YORK -- May Co. and Limited Brands are scheduled to duke it out in court on Monday. The two retail heavyweights are fighting over non-compete contract provisions, which companies feel protect their trade secrets and people assets,...

LEVI'S PROFITS SURGE IN 3Q.(Levi Strauss & Co. 3rd-quarter earnings)
October 1, 2003... NEW YORK -- In a business environment that executives at Levi Strauss & Co. describe as highly deflationary, the company has been intensely focused on cost cutting, and it started to show some results in the third quarter. Levi's...

MARKDOWNS WEIGH ON WAL-MART.
October 1, 2003... BOSTON -- Despite attempts to bring a more fashionable, better-edited assortment to women's wear, the category is "a tough situation," Wal-Mart chief financial officer Tom Schoewe told analysts Tuesday at the company's annual conference in...

IN BRIEF: THE ONLINE CREW...EXECUTIVE AFFAIR...TIFFANY'S PACIFIC BONDING.
October 1, 2003... THE ONLINE CREW: Roxane Al-Fayez will join J. Crew on Oct. 20 in the new post of vice president of catalog and e-commerce, reporting to Millard Drexler, chairman and chief executive officer. Al-Fayez spent six years at Gap Inc., most recently...

CONSUMER CONFIDENCE SLIPS IN SEPTEMBER.
October 1, 2003... NEW YORK -- Higher job anxiety is driving consumer confidence down and worries about holiday spending up. The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index, based on a monthly survey of 5,000 households, revealed Tuesday that consumer...

SKECHERS SIGNS LICNESE DEAL FOR MICHELLE K APPAREL LINE.(Company Profile)
October 1, 2003... NEW YORK -- Michelle K, a division of Skechers USA, has signed its first licensing agreement with L'Koral Industries, maker of denim brand Seven For All Mankind. Michelle K, which has become known for its contemporary footwear...

RETAIL STUDY: WAL-MART NEEDS MORE BIG-NAME APPAREL BRANDS.
October 1, 2003... NEW YORK -- Wal-Mart is poised to jump on an apparel brandwagon. The destination: The wallets of half of its customers who are mothers, ages 45 and under, with annual household incomes north of $75,000 -- women who are not purchasing...

MAVEN SETS EXPANSION PLANS.
October 1, 2003... NEW YORK -- Indie brand Maven Cosmetics is getting ready for a growth spurt. The three-year-old brand, which has distribution in 15 doors including Marshall Field's, specialty boutiques and spas, will expand to about 26 doors in 2004 and 50...

NAUTICA LAUNCHES MILAN STORE.(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
October 1, 2003... MILAN -- Nautica Enterprises Inc. furthered its European expansion by opening a 6,480-square-foot showroom in Milan Tuesday. "Italy is the first step into Europe," said David Chu, chief executive of Nautica. The sportswear firm has...

SUZY: A NIGHT AT THE OPERA...JUDE UNOBSCURED...LENNY AND NICOLE.
October 1, 2003... There they all were, sitting prettily in their boxes, black-tied and ball-gowned. It was the glittering glamorous opening night gala of the Metropolitan Opera, traditionally the highlight of the New York social season. And as surely as Verdi...

MALDEN AWAITING COURT DECISION ON CHAP. 11 EXIT.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... NEW YORK -- Executives at Malden Mills Industries Inc. were awaiting word Tuesday night from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Worcester, Mass., on when the firm would be emerging from Chapter 11 proceedings. "It is imminent," said business...

VICTORIA'S SECRET SPECIAL ADDS MARY J. BLIGE, STING.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... NEW YORK -- R&B star Mary J. Blige and Grammy Award winner Sting will perform their new duet, "Whenever I Say Your Name," on "The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show," scheduled to air Nov. 19 on CBS. This year's lingerie fashion extravaganza...

LORO PIANA STAYS FOCUSED.(Company Profile)
October 1, 2003... MILAN -- Grow what's there. That's the American strategy for Loro Piana, the Italian luxury brand and textile company that has been slowly but steadily building its U.S. retail network. Now, following the opening last month of its San...

GAP ADDS SCHNEIDER, WHITMAN TO BOARD.(Meg Whitman)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... NEW YORK -- Gap Inc. has added Meg Whitman, president and chief executive of eBay Inc., and Jim Schneider, senior vice president and chief financial officer of Dell, to its board of directors. The additions of the two expand the board to...

IN THE MIDDLE: DENNIS TO LIZ...TOURING FOR A CAUSE...MOORE VISION.(Sara Dennis)
October 1, 2003... DENNIS TO LIZ: Sara Dennis was appointed to the new position of vice president of product development for Liz Claiborne Inc.'s namesake apparel business, effective Oct. 6. Most recently, Dennis was senior vice president of jeans, underwear...

CAREER MAKING A COMEBACK.
October 1, 2003... DALLAS -- Career apparel has been given a promotion. Seeking job security in the midst of a shaky economy and rising unemployment, women at all income levels are dressing for success and survival. They're abandoning casual apparel on the...

CHO GOES MODERATE WITH CLASS.(Margaret Cho)
October 1, 2003... DALLAS -- For comedian Margaret Cho, finding clothes that fit has been no laughing matter. "I adore clothes, but when I go shopping nothing fits me," Cho said in an interview. "So many of the styles that I like are positively unwearable...

COMPARING THE ISSUES.
October 1, 2003... Cruz Bustamante, Democrat Workers' Comp: Supported bills attempting to fix California's broken workers' compensation system. Is not interested in rolling back worker benefits, but willing to sit down with employers to make the system more...

FROM GRAY TO ARNOLD: THE CALIFORNIA CHALLENGE.
October 1, 2003... LOS ANGELES -- It's only natural that an aging action-movie star, a right-wing columnist, a porn star and a diminutive former kid actor running for governor of California would generate enough late-night talk show jokes to fill a library. ...

DONALD PLINER GETS FRESH START IN L.A.
October 1, 2003... BEVERLY HILLS -- It's a Hollywood comeback story. Some 30 years after business feuds with partners and an army draft forced Donald Pliner to shutter his first-ever boutique here in the Seventies, the footwear, clothing and accessories...

ALL WRAPPED UP; INNOVATIVE PACKAGING...CHARLOTTE SHOPPING...DIVA AWARD WINNERS.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Color is back for spring as designers create the sexiest looks in the brightest hues.

MARKET CALENDAR.
October 1, 2003... Atlanta Women's & Children's Apparel & Accessories Market Oct. 16-20, 2003 New Temporaries and Permanent Exhibitors, Floors 2 and 6-13 SHOWROOM HOURS: Thursday-Sunday, 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday, 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. ...

MEDIA REVEALED; DURING THE OCTOBER MARKET, A NEW MEDIA SEMINAR EXPLAINS IT ALL.
October 1, 2003... Bombarded with information from an ever-growing number of fashion publications, not to mention television and Internet sites, readers are understandably confused. Lately, it's come to my attention that many people don't quite understand...

CRAZY FOR CREOLE.(Emeril Lagasse)(Restaurant Review)
October 1, 2003... While Atlanta chefs have been known to whip up Southern classics, a la $16 plates of fried chicken and collard greens, Creole cuisine has never been their forte. But now it's time to bring on the beignets because Food Network darling Emeril...

LUX DINING.(Luxe)(Restaurant Review)
October 1, 2003... For Atlanta, a young city full of brand-new buildings, it's exciting when something with a little history and old-fashioned glamour comes along. Luxe, a downtown restaurant and lounge, offers enough past treasures and lore to satisfy history...

MIAMI'S DECADENT DELIGHT.(Four Seasons Hotel and Tower in Miami)(Hotel Review)
October 1, 2003... Who needs the stuffy, old Plaza when there's the new Four Seasons Hotel and Tower in Miami? For Eloise wannabes who have always dreamed of living in a hotel, this may prove the be-all and end-all. It's decadence at its finest in Miami, a...

WHEN YOU'RE HOT, YOU'RE HOT.(Fuego Cafe and Tapas Bar)(Restaurant Review)
October 1, 2003... Fuego Cafe and Tapas Bar, opened in October on Crescent Avenue in Atlanta, promises, in many ways, to be Midtown's new "hot" spot, from its Spanish- and Cuban-accented menu to live salsa and bossa nova bands. "Our style is casual, fun, hip...

COLOR BLOCKS.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... No more talking about color -- it's finally here. Bright and fun, the best clothes of the season are drenched in all the brightest hues.

NEW LINES; A LOOK AT WHAT'S NEW AND NOTEWORTHY AT THE AMERICASMART.
October 1, 2003... SIGRID OLSEN, Room 12-S345B Sanct-U-Wear Premiering this season at the Sigrid Olsen showroom is New York-based Sanct-U-Wear. Aimed at women 25 to 55 years of age, the comfort-driven line of contemporary knit separates has a sporty,...

GIRLY-GIRL LOOKS; FASHION SPRINGS FORWARD WITH A FEMININE TOUCH.
October 1, 2003... If fall fashion saluted ladylike looks, then spring is about the girl inside the lady. With all the fluttering ribbons, swirling skirts and pink palettes, spring is bursting with fun, feminine looks suitable for a polished girl's school or posh...

NOVELTY TS; NEW T-SHIRT BRANDS CONTINUE TO POP UP EVERY YEAR -- AND THE CUSTOMERS KEEP BUYING.
October 1, 2003... The T-shirt category is the clothing equivalent of the Energizer Bunny -- it just keeps going and going and going. Who would have thought that Michael Stars, Juicy Couture and Three Dots -- T-shirt lines that began to impact retail less...

AN 'INGAUGING' APPROACH; FINDING NEW WAYS TO CATER TO THE AVERAGE AMERICAN WOMAN IS AT THE HEART OF THIS NEW YORK-BASED DESIGN GROUP.
October 1, 2003... New York-based Ingauge Design Group, with four new divisions, is serving up a solution for the average American woman's wardrobe needs. This line "is all about fit," said Michael Perry, regional sales manager. "The average American...

SWEET CHARLOTTE; TIMES ARE CHANGING IN THIS GROWING COMMUNITY, AND RETAILERS ARE BENEFITING.
October 1, 2003... Charlotte, N.C., is an anomaly. It has NASCAR and the Mint Museum. It has Continental Tire Bowl and the Charlotte Symphony. It has barbecue and Dean & DeLuca. As for retail, while Concord Mills, a discount mall north of the city, is the state's...

FROCK OF AGES.
October 1, 2003... It's definitely the day of the dress. Feminine, flirty and floral are just a few of the ways designers see sundresses this season.

WWD DIVA AWARDS.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... The votes are in and the winners chosen. Now, at the October market, the celebration begins. The eighth annual DIVA awards -- which stands for Design, Impact, Vision, Atlanta -- honor outstanding achievements in design, retail and fashion...

DIVAS IN SHANGRI-LA; AMERICASMART HONORS THE DIVA WINNERS AT A CEREMONY OCT. 18.
October 1, 2003... Retailers voted during the August market on design winners in 10 categories: eight for women's areas, along with a men's and children's wear designer. This year, AmericasMart also honors three DIVA winners in retail. In addition to the...

WRAP STARS; SPECIALIZED SHOPPING BAGS AND PACKAGING REV UP THE IMAGE AND BRAND FOR RETAILERS.
October 1, 2003... Ah, the ubiquitous shopping bag. A mobile advertising and marketing tool, it goes where the customer goes. "Consumers don't throw bags away. They are a walking billboard," said Paul Friedman Jr., president of City Paper, a packaging...

RETAIL PIONEERS; STAKING OUT NEW RETAIL TERRITORIES IS RISKY BUSINESS, BUT THESE BOUTIQUE OWNERS ARE DOING IT WITH STYLE.
October 1, 2003... The importance of location in retail is well documented, but key locations change with the times. Businesses that left downtown for the mall several decades ago are reevaluating that decision today, as attractive options become available. With...

L'IMAGE IS EVERYTHING; THIS LINGERIE SHOP STARTED OUT ON THE WEB, THEN OPENED A STORE IN BUCKHEAD AND NOW IT'S MOVING TO A HIGH-END MALL IN A QUEST TO INCREASE BUSINESS.(L'Image de la Femme )(Company Profile)
October 1, 2003... In her Buckhead store, Linda Lewis, owner of L'Image de la Femme was known to go out and drag reluctant window shoppers off the sidewalk, to convince them there was something for everybody in her luxury lingerie boutique. "Women, often...

UNVEILING NEW PROTOTYPE; PRISCILLA OF BOSTON'S NEWEST LOCATION, IN ATLANTA'S BUCKHEAD NEIGHBORHOOD, IS DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT FOR THE BRIDAL COMPANY.
October 1, 2003... Priscilla of Boston opened one of its new prototype stores in Atlanta on Aug. 23. The Atlanta salon, at 3234 Peachtree Street in Buckhead, represents the most dramatic transformation in the company's updated store design, said Denise Wash, vice...

TOMMY BAHAMA BREEZES INTO ATLANTA; THE TROPICAL LIFESTYLE EMPORIUM OPENS AT PHIPPS PLAZA.(Company Profile)
October 1, 2003... Never mind Hurricane Isabel, which loomed up the coast. Only a gentle tropical breeze blew into Atlanta in September when Tommy Bahama, the quintessential island brand, opened its first Atlanta retail emporium at Phipps Plaza in Buckhead. ...

CLUB COOL.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... The club days are still in the minds of fashion designers this season, and they're bringing back all that was sexy about the Eighties -- but with a modern twist. Look for off-the-shoulder tops, leather skirts and tight jeans for spring.

WHAT'S IN A NAME? AS THE WOMEN'S APPAREL MARKET EVOLVES, INDUSTRY INSIDERS ASK WHETHER THE LABELING LEGACY HAS HAD ITS DAY.
October 1, 2003... Given the wealth of product available in the apparel industry, it's no wonder categorizing it is a natural instinct. Contemporary, bridge, designer, misses' -- known more commonly in the industry as "missy" -- everybody knows the...

LETTER-PERFECT; THE BENEFITS OF SENDING DIRECT MAIL TO CUSTOMERS CAN BALANCE OUT THE COST IF SOME THOUGHTFUL PLANNING TAKES PLACE. USING E-MAIL CAN BE ANOTHER EFFECTIVE APPROACH.
October 1, 2003... From handwritten thank-you notes and artsy postcards that are almost collector's items to mass e-mails, retailers across the country are thinking of inventive ways to reach new and existing clients. Direct mail, in addition to advertising and...

TOPPING IT OFF; HATS ARE MAKING A COMEBACK WITH INCREASED RETAIL SALES.
October 1, 2003... The hat industry is enjoying a heyday. Overall industry sales, estimated at $992 million in 2002 by the Headwear Information Bureau in New York, have grown 5 to 15 percent each year since the mid-Eighties, said Casey Bush, founder-executive...

A CELEBRATION OF HATS, HILARITY AND HISTORY.(Crowns)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... New Yorkers stomping in the aisles and shouting "Hallelujah"? That they did, during the Off-Broadway production of "Crowns," a play based on the best-selling book "Crowns: Portraits of Black Women in Church Hats," by Michael Cunningham and...

POETIC LICENSE; A POEM HAS INSPIRED AND CREATED A RETAIL PHENOMENON.(Sue Ellen Cooper)(Red Hat Society )
October 1, 2003... "I didn't mean to do it" could be Sue Ellen Cooper's theme song. But then, she has a theme song, and a Web site, a catalog, a newsletter, a book, a store -- and thousands of women buying product with her brand on it. Cooper is Exalted...

FROM TRASH TO TREASURE; ACCESSORIES DESIGNERS CREATE STYLE FROM ARRAY OF "FOUND OBJECTS.".
October 1, 2003... Recycling is becoming tres chic. Designers are taking elements from the obvious to the downright strange to create accessories that add a touch of fun and intrigue to any outfit. "People are looking for that comfort zone of something older...

HOMETOWN HOMAGE; JEFFREY PAYS TRIBUTE TO HIS ATLANTA ROOTS WITH THIS ANNUAL FUND-RAISER.(Jeffrey Kalinsky's Fashion Cares)
October 1, 2003... Jeffrey Kalinsky's Fashion Cares event has become Atlanta's fall fashion kickoff, attracting not only the city's movers and shakers and fierce Jeffrey loyalists, but a host of pretty young things, many dressed in fall designer duds and boots,...

FASHION SCOOPS: MODEL CHECK...SQUARED DANCE...FACE TIME.
October 1, 2003... MODEL CHECK: Her comeback is complete. Kate Moss surprised the fashion flock in Milan by walking the runway for Burberry on Tuesday night. It was her first turn on a catwalk in more than two years. Moss' agency, IMG, confirmed it's the only...

NAUTICAL AND FANCIFUL; THE SPRING SEASON GOT UNDER WAY WITH GIORGIO ARMANI'S YOUNG AND RELAXED, NAUTICAL-THEMED COLLECTION AND DOMENICO DOLCE AND STEFANO GABBANA'S PLAYFULLY THEATRICAL D&G LINE.
October 1, 2003... Giorgio Armani: Oh, those lazy, hazy, not so crazy days of summer -- Giorgio Armani loves them. He loves "the heat, the murmur of the sea, voices carried on the gentle breeze," he wrote in his program notes. "A feeling of carefree abandon."...

TOP NOTCH.(Prada debuts spring line)(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... MILAN -- Pretty, romantic and gentle -- the collection Miuccia Prada showed for Prada on Wednesday was all those things, and more. There were full-skirted looks that would please the innocent and experienced alike, along with shirtdresses...

FROM PLAUDITS TO PROFITS: NARCISO RODRIGUEZ SAID SEEKING BACKER TO GROW.
October 2, 2003... NEW YORK -- Is Narciso Rodriguez the latest designer to hang out a "For Sale" sign? According to sources, Rodriguez, a two-time winner of the CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year award, has been talking to companies and industry...

IN BRIEF: FRANKFORT PAYDAY...GAAP GAFFE...RAKED OVER THE KOHL'S.(Lew Frankfort)
October 2, 2003... FRANKFORT PAYDAY: Coach chief executive Lew Frankfort received $775,000 in salary and $1.2 million in bonuses during the fiscal year ended June 28, versus $708,000 and $942,000, respectively, during the prior year. Additionally, according to a...

MARKET CALENDAR.(Calendar)
October 2, 2003... Saturday, Oct. 18-Tuesday, Oct. 21 Chicago Merchandise Mart 8th floor SHOW HOURS: Saturday-Monday: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. SUNDAY, OCT. 19 "The Collections" Fashion Show Featuring better, bridge...

SCENE.
October 2, 2003... BONNE PROVENCAL Chef Francois de Melogue, a native Chicagoan who spent his childhood summers in Marseilles, France, delivers the look, feel and taste of Provence at restaurant Pili Pili, located in the looming shadow of the Merchandise...

FORMER EXECUTIVES FILE LAWSUIT V. BELK.(age discrimination)
October 2, 2003... NEW YORK -- Eight former Belk Inc. executives have filed suit against their former employer, alleging their terminations in Belk's 2002 restructuring were part of a "systematic and concerted reorganization designed to rid the company of older...

LILLY DODSON TO CLOSE STORE.
October 2, 2003... DALLAS -- After 40 years in business, designer specialty store Lilly Dodson here will close by the end of October. But Bill Dodson, owner and son of the store's eponymous founder, is not getting out of retail: he will become director of...

SOCOL NAMED TO CLAIBORNE'S BOARD.(Howard Socol elected as a board member of Liz Claiborne Inc.)(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... NEW YORK -- Howard Socol has a new hat to wear. The chairman, president and chief executive officer of Barneys New York was elected as a member of Liz Claiborne Inc.'s board, the firm said Wednesday. Socol, whose initial term expires at...

ANNE KLEIN PRES. TO STEP DOWN.(Wendy R. Chivian)
October 2, 2003... NEW YORK -- The transition of Kasper A.S.L. into its new ownership by Jones Apparel Group is continuing to take a toll on Kasper's personnel, as sources said Wendy R. Chivian, president of its Anne Klein division, is expected to leave the...

YVONNE MILLER JOINS JOHN ANTHONY.(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... NEW YORK -- Yvonne Miller, the longtime sidekick of the late Bill Blass who left the house in August, has been named director of retail for the new custom design studio for John Anthony at Bergdorf Goodman. Miller is overseeing the launch...

COLOR POP.(clothing trends)(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... Color is here for spring. The best clothes of the season come in bright and fun shades.

FRANKLY AVALON.(Steve Adelman to open nightclub, Avalon Hollywood)
October 2, 2003... HOLLYWOOD -- To hear nightclub impresario Steve Adelman tell it, the era of the low-key lounge is over. What the world wants -- no, needs -- now is the bodacious superclub. "We've gone through so much in the last two years. People are...

BILL'S BELLES.(stars of 'Kill Bill', movie premiere fashion)(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... It doesn't take much to transform from a striking starlet into a beautiful blood-thirsty assassin and vice versa. See, for example, Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu, Vivica A. Fox and Daryl Hannah, who all play lady killers in Quentin Tarantino's...

YOO HOO.(girl band 5.6.7.8's appear in Quintin Tarantino film 'Kill Bill')
October 2, 2003... After 18 years of playing Sixties tinged rock 'n' roll together, the 5.6.7.8's, a Tokyo-based girl group, are enjoying their 15 minutes of all-American fame. The band landed their big break when Quentin Tarantino heard their album playing in a...

'FALL' FASHION.
October 2, 2003... Amid the circuit of fall fashion events, Marshall Field's succeeded in separating itself from the pack, launching the nation's first vertical fashion show Sept. 18. Looking like something out of a "Spider-Man" movie, the acrobatic event...

PRETTY PUNKS AND STYLISH ARTISTES; MIUCCIA PRADA CAME UP WITH A WINNING BLEND OF JET-SET, HIPPIE AND ARTISTE, WHILE CHRISTOPHER BAILEY MIXED URCHINS AND BRITISH MISSES FOR BURBERRY PRORSUM AND GIORGIO ARMANI WENT FOR COLOR AT EMPORIO ARMANI.
October 2, 2003... Prada: If designers have their way, legions of women will look oh-so-pretty next spring. But pretty is as pretty does, and nobody does it like Miuccia Prada. She has long transformed the mundane into the provocative with the apparent ease of a...

NEW LINES; A LOOK AT A FEW OF THE APPAREL COMPANIES SHOWING FOR THE FIRST TIME AT OCTOBER'S STYLEMAX.
October 2, 2003... KARIN BERGER, LTD., Room 13-113 Sierra Club Apparel As one would well expect, Sierra Club Apparel -- the sole apparel licensee for the environmental group of the same name -- is an active sportswear collection rife with easy...

FASHION SCOOPS: WHAT A SPORT...ON THE SIDELINES...THE TOM AND DOM SHOW.(Tom Ford and Domenico De Sole)
October 2, 2003... WHAT A SPORT: Beyonce Knowles brought a gust of stardom to a so-far parched celebrity landscape at the Milan shows when she breezed into the Emporio Armani show on Wednesday afternoon. Her mother (and potential partner in fashion design), Tina,...

OPTIONS TRADING.
October 2, 2003... MILAN -- There's something for everyone. Milanese designers certainly have it all -- from dreamy, ethereal dresses to career-girl suitings to flashy numbers for those babes who like to party. Pink and yellow mood lighting may not be the...

GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN; PLAYFUL CLOTHES WERE THE ORDER OF THE DAY AT MOSCHINO CHEAP & CHIC AND DSQUARED. MEANWHILE, RETRO ROMANCE RULED AT ANNA MOLINARI, AND GABRIELE STREHLE RIFFED ON THE MASCULINE AND FEMININE AT STRENESSE.
October 2, 2003... Moschino Cheap & Chic: Creative director Rossella Jardini's Moschino gang knows how to make kooky work. After all, they've been at it for 20 years. But instead of celebrating the big anniversary with pomp, any hint of seriousness was banished...

CO-EDIFYING; BLOOMINGDALE'S COMBINES WOMEN'S AND MEN'S CONTEMPORARY ON A NEWLY DESIGNED FIFTH FLOOR.
October 2, 2003... Bloomingdale's 900 North Michigan Avenue store has a new look for contemporary. In a makeover of its fifth floor, the store now pairs men's and women's clothing on the same level and features design touches such as a handful of plasma...

VERSACE ADDS GLAM TO JEANS COUTURE.
October 2, 2003... NEW YORK -- Versace has added a spritz of glam to its year-old Jeans Couture fragrance masterbrand. Jeans Couture Glam, the second women's fragrance to be introduced under the Jeans Couture moniker in as many years, is slated to trickle...

COMING AROUND AGAIN.(vintage clothing)
October 2, 2003... NEW YORK -- The vintage clothing craze just isn't getting old. And for the owners of vintage mecca What Comes Around Goes Around, Seth Weisser and Gerard Maione, that means expanding their business in order to showcase more of their...

MOVING RIGHT ALONG; RETAILERS TRADE SPACES FOR A SHOT AT MORE FOOT TRAFFIC AND A MORE APPROPRIATE CUSTOMER BASE.(Industry Overview)
October 2, 2003... For five years, Jolie Joli did brisk business in a 2,000-square-foot space on Southport Avenue in Chicago. Located near a Whole Foods and discount wine warehouse, the upscale, contemporary boutique attracted stay-at-home moms who would stop by...

GEN ART SHOWCASING FRESH FACES.(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... LOS ANGELES -- Knitwear brand Oliver Twist, swimsuit designer Shay Todd and edgy contemporary maker Brain Lichtenberg are among the fledgling talents Gen Art said Wednesday will be showcased in its biannual West Coast "Fresh Faces in Fashion"...

TWO IN ONE; DESIGNER CALVIN TRAN CREATES MULTIFUNCTIONAL GARMENTS, WHICH ARE SOLD IN HIS SAC BOUTIQUES IN CHICAGO AND NEW YORK.
October 2, 2003... Customers walking into Sac Boutique in Chicago's Lincoln Park should be prepared for a different shopping experience. First, the dressing rooms don't have mirrors, and second, one may need a little help assembling the outfits properly and to...

WHERE THE TRENDS ARE.
October 2, 2003... NEW YORK -- Bloomingdale's will do just about anything to satisfy its contemporary customer. The company's 59th Street Manhattan flagship is in the midst of getting a facelift, and one of the first areas to be completed is the second...

THE NORTH SHORE'S SWEET SPOT; IN SUBURBAN WINNETKA, THE SOON-TO-OPEN NEAPOLITAN BOUTIQUE AIMS TO CAPTURE CUSTOMERS WITH ATTENTIVE SERVICE AND UPSCALE MERCHANDISE.(Winnetka, Illinois)
October 2, 2003... In the past few years, the chicest shops in Chicago have opened either in Lakeview on Southport Avenue or in Bucktown on Damen Avenue. Kelly Rourke and Michelle Hebson are going against the tide by opening their new boutique, Neapolitan, in...

MAIN ATTRACTION; DUBUQUE IS REAPING THE BENEFITS OF TOURISM-GENERATING PROJECTS AND AN URBAN RENEWAL INITIATIVE DOWNTOWN -- ANCHORED BY MAIN STREET -- HAS BEEN A BOON FOR THE AREA'S NEW AND LONGTIME RETAILERS.
October 2, 2003... From the Victorian mansions that dot its quaint streets to the steep hills, bluffs and flat river valleys that blanket its 24 square miles, Dubuque, Iowa, is one of the Midwest's most picturesque cities. But with this beauty comes a reputation...

BLUE JEANS BENEFIT.(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... The Lucky Brand Foundation's seventh annual Black Tie & Blue Jeans Gala, which raises money to benefit a number of charities, will take place on Nov. 14 at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. This year's event will...

BUBBLEGUM'S NEW FLAVOR.(Bubblegum USA debuts new line of tops)
October 2, 2003... Bubblegum USA wants to inflate its presence in the junior world. The bottoms resource, which specializes in denim, corduroy, satin and twill, is adding a 100-piece tops collection, launching at the Los Angeles junior and contemporary market...

HOT KISS HIRES.(apparel firm has appointed Jacquie Jager East Coast account executive)(Brief Article)
October 2, 2003... Hot Kiss is trying to turn up the heat on the East Coast. The Los Angeles-based junior and denim apparel firm named Jacquie Jager East Coast account executive. Jager, who is based in the company's office here, started Sept. 15. Reporting...