WWD articles from September 2005

WWD archives from September 2005

SKIRTING THE ISSUE.(ASR Expo )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... SAN DIEGO -- Designers exhibiting at the ASR Expo next week are looking beyond the California coast for inspiration. The result: everything from cool Tokyo urban looks to classic American prep. Here, Roxy's cotton shirt and skirt and leather...

REFINING THE MASS FORMULA: TARGET SPEEDS GROWTH VIA THE MALL.(Company Profile)
September 1, 2005... Byline: Amy S. Choi and Meredith Derby NEW YORK -- Target Corp. might have found its sweet spot: the mall. As Federated Department Stores Inc. looks to shed 75 overlapping stores following its acquisition of May Department Stores...

IN BRIEF: WAL-MART'S NEW MARKETER...RICHMONT MOVE.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... WAL-MART'S NEW MARKETER: Stephen F. Quinn was named senior vice president of marketing for Wal-Mart Stores Inc., effective Sept. 12, the company said Wednesday. At Wal-Mart, he will be responsible for marketing strategy, planning, finance,...

CORRECTION.(Correction Notice)
September 1, 2005... The first name of Julez Bryant, a jewelry designer, was misspelled in a credit on page 6 of the Swim supplement published Aug. 4.

RECOVERY FROM KATRINA: LONG AND SLOW.
September 1, 2005... Byline: David Moin and Sharon Edelson, With contributions from Kristi Ellis, Washington, and Khanh T.L. Tran, Las Vegas NEW YORK -- Retail operations in the path of Hurricane Katrina could remain down for weeks or even months, though...

ANN TAYLOR NAMES AMERICAN EAGLE EXEC ITS NEW CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER.
September 1, 2005... Byline: David Moin NEW YORK -- Furthering its management restructuring commenced last March, Ann Taylor Stores Corp. on Wednesday named Laura A. Weil as chief operating officer. Weil has been American Eagle Outfitters' chief...

WRITER OF RICHES.(Critical Essay)
September 1, 2005... Byline: Vanessa Lawrence NEW YORK -- "Spiritual guru" is not an epithet that should be thrown around lightly. But for internationally renowned author Paulo Coelho -- to whom said moniker has often been attached and whose following...

RIDING HIGH.
September 1, 2005... Byline: Emilie Marsh BOIS LE ROI, France -- Horseplay may be frowned upon within most famous families, but a number of European royals and celebrities engage in it regularly -- at some of the choicest stables around. Princess Charlotte...

CHIC OF THE WEEK.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... The sultry Miami heat on Sunday meant nearly everyone at the VMAs was showing some skin. But while a number of indiscreet starlets left little to the imagination, with bras showing and skirts slit up to there, Kirsten Dunst managed to get the...

GOOD SPORTS.(Action Sports Retail expo )(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2005... SAN DIEGO -- While the Action Sports Retail expo has long been the premier place for skate, surf and street brands, the trade show has evolved. Labels that once excelled in the use of Neoprene and nylon are now known for a broader range of...

MUDD ADDS EXECUTIVES FOR BILLION-DOLLAR PUSH.(Company Profile)
September 1, 2005... Byline: Ross Tucker Mudd jeans is beefing up its executive ranks to handle its growing roster of brands and help ready the company for expansion in Asian markets. Jay Gorman has come on board as president of sales for the New...

WRANGLER SCAVENGER HUNT AS COOL AS ICE.(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
September 1, 2005... Byline: Emilie Marsh Wrangler is serving up an exclusive denim line -- on ice. The French division of the VF Corp. brand has taken the quest to find the ultimate jeans to a new level by organizing a citywide treasure hunt for 50...

FIDELITY HEADS SOUTH FOR FALL.(Company Profile)
September 1, 2005... Byline: Lauren DeCarlo Fidelity, a Vancouver-based denim line, is headed south. This month, the company began shipping to U.S. specialty boutiques such as E Street Denim in Chicago, Traffic in Los Angeles and National Jeans, with...

GETTING TO THE CORE OF APPLE BOTTOMS.(Company Profile)
September 1, 2005... Byline: Lauren DeCarlo NEW YORK -- Apple Bottoms is widely known for the shapely fit of its jeans, but the company now aims to be known for a host of other products, too. In the past six months, the brand, launched in 2002 by...

MADE IN MINNEAPOLIS.(Joy Teiken )
September 1, 2005... Byline: Lauren DeCarlo NEW YORK -- Joy Teiken designed her first piece, a hat for her mother, almost out of necessity. "It was 1989 and my mother was dying of breast cancer," Teiken said. "So I made her a hat to wear to my brother's...

KATRINA BLINDSIDES KIMORA.
September 1, 2005... Byline: Ellen Forman MIAMI BEACH -- It couldn't have been scripted any better. The MTV Video Music Awards were rolling into town bringing with it a heavy roster of A-list celebrities and musicians. Looking to officially launch the new...

FILA GETTING BACK ITS STROKE.(Company Profile)
September 1, 2005... Byline: Melanie Kletter NEW YORK -- Fila may not be the apparel sponsor at the U.S. Open this year, but the company is making a series of moves to regain its stature in the athletic arena, including opening a store on Madison Avenue...

THE HOLIDAYS COME EARLY AT MASON'S TENNIS MARKET.(Mason's Tennis Market )(Company Profile)
September 1, 2005... Byline: Marianne Hayes NEW YORK -- The U.S. Open is like Christmas at the end of summer for Mark Mason, owner of Mason's Tennis Market shop in Midtown here. "We look forward to this time every year because we are very busy these two...

MEMO PAD: RAY OF SUNSHINE...TABLOID TV.
September 1, 2005... Byline: Sara James, Jeff Bercovici RAY OF SUNSHINE: It looks like the magazine business may have another Rosie O'Donnell to contend with. Rachael Ray, the cookbook author and Food Network host of shows like "30 Minute Meals" and "$40 a...

TIFFANY NET SPARKLES.(Tiffany & Co.)(Company Profile)
September 1, 2005... Byline: Vicki M. Young NEW YORK -- Driven by "exceptionally strong" sales of high-ticket items, Tiffany & Co. reported a 52.8 jump in second-quarter earnings on a double-digit sales gain. The luxury specialty retailer also raised its...

CALLANEN FILES ANTITRUST SUIT.
September 1, 2005... Byline: Jennifer Hirshlag NEW YORK -- Callanen International Inc. filed a lawsuit Wednesday against Fossil Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California regarding Fossil's potential deal with Guess Inc. The...

FOSSIL IN DEAL TO PRODUCE DIESEL JEWELRY.(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
September 1, 2005... Byline: Luisa Zargani MILAN -- Diesel said Wednesday it has signed a licensing agreement with Fossil Inc. for the production and distribution of its new jewelry collection. The license will last five years and is renewable for...

THE WWD LIST: LADIES OF LEISURE; THE TOP 10 PASTIMES FAVORED BY WOMEN AGES 18 AND OLDER.
September 1, 2005... Byline: Cecily Hall Summer is coming to an end, but that doesn't mean playtime has to be over until next year. New York-based Scarborough Research has provided a ranking of leisure and lifestyle activities most favored by women ages 18 and...

U.S. AND CHINA AGREE TO EXTEND MEETINGS.
September 1, 2005... Byline: Evan Clark WASHINGTON -- Coming together for a second day of talks in Beijing, U.S. and Chinese negotiators failed to produce an apparel and textile import agreement, but did agree to extend their meeting into today. A deal...

FASHION SCOOPS: A PRADA EXIT...REMEMBERING BROOKS...WORTH THE WEIGHT...
September 1, 2005... A PRADA EXIT: Katherine Ross has resigned as senior vice president of public relations and communications at Prada USA Corp. Ross, who joined Prada USA five years ago from Sotheby's, will stay on through the end of September "to ensure a smooth...

BEAUTY BEAT: SHISEIDO DELIVERS $9M PROFIT IN QUARTER.(Company Profile)
September 1, 2005... Byline: Koji Hirano TOKYO -- "Shiseido's wake-up call has finally come," the company's president and chief executive officer Shinzo Maeda laughed during recent comments to analysts about Shiseido's strong first quarter. After...

ALFARO LENDS HAND TO TAMSEN.
September 1, 2005... Byline: Marc Karimzadeh NEW YORK -- Tamsen is turning to friends like Victor Alfaro for a little help. The Santa Barbara, Calif.-based design duo of Sue Firestone and Mimi Wolfe has tapped the designer as a consultant to its...

ON THE RISE.(Industry Overview)
September 2, 2005... Byline: Pete Born and Matthew W. Evans NEW YORK -- Fragrance companies are thanking their lucky stars that "up" actually means "up" this year in terms of sales growth. After years of proclaiming that flat sales really meant growth in...

MCMAHON SAID JOINING DOLCE & GABBANA.(Glenn McMahon)
September 2, 2005... Byline: Marc Karimzadeh NEW YORK -- Glenn McMahon, president of Ellen Tracy, is said to be heading to Dolce & Gabbana as president of its U.S. operation. An announcement is expected shortly. McMahon would succeed Gabriella Forte,...

SAKS INC. DETAILS RESTATEMENTS.(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
September 2, 2005... NEW YORK -- Saks Inc. filed its annual report, Form 10K, with the Securities and Exchange Commission Thursday, which detailed the previously announced financial restatements relating to the retailer's improper markdowns. The restatements...

JAPAN BODY RULES IN COACH VERSUS LVMH CASE.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Sophia Chabbott NEW YORK -- The Japanese Fair Trade Commission on Thursday ruled against Coach's complaint against LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton. But the U.S. company believes the exercise has resulted in LVMH changing its...

QUOTE OF THE WEEK.(Brief Article)
September 2, 2005... "Nobody knows when the city is going to reopen. The most important thing is the welfare and well-being of our staff. The goods can always be replaced. People can't." -- Andrew Jennings, president of Saks Fifth Avenue, on Katrina's...

HERMES: STAKE SPECULATION `UNFOUNDED'.(Brief Article)
September 2, 2005... PARIS -- Hermes International called "unfounded" speculation on Thursday that Belgian financier Albert Frere was about to take a minority stake in the French luxury firm. Hermes shares spiked almost 7 percent on the Paris Bourse in the...

AUGUST COMPS SHOW TEPID INCREASE.(Industry Overview)
September 2, 2005... Byline: Meredith Derby, With contributions from Liza Casabona NEW YORK -- Good, not great, is the sentiment surrounding Thursday's barrage of August same-store sales results. But if August's sales were hampered by hot, muggy weather...

ANALYSTS EXPECT STABILITY AT RETAIL IN SHORT TERM.(Industry Overview)
September 2, 2005... Byline: Meredith Derby NEW YORK -- Even as gas prices motored past $3 a gallon on Thursday and consumers panicked when some filling stations ran out of gas, analysts suspect retailers have no need to worry. Yet. At least in the near...

THE ABCS OF FALL FRAGRANCE; THE STAMPEDE OF FALL FRAGRANCE LAUNCHES INCLUDES AT LEAST 55 SCENTS THIS SEASON, ALL OF WHICH WILL BE CLAMORING FOR CONSUMERS' ATTENTION DURING THE PIVOTAL HOLIDAY PERIOD.(Industry Overview)
September 2, 2005... Byline: Compiled by Bryn Kenny, Matthew W. Evans and Molly Prior WOMEN'S FRAGRANCES Alexander McQueen My Queen by YSL Beaute, launching Oct. 15 in 95 Nordstrom doors; estimated sales are $2 million to $2.5 million in the U.S., $12...

CELEBRITIES UNITE TO BOOST MASS FRAGRANCE.(Industry Overview)
September 2, 2005... Byline: Molly Prior NEW YORK -- Celebrity mania has found a new venue: the mass fragrance market. Media darlings such as Britney Spears, Celine Dion and Antonio Banderas are lending their star power to help bolster category sales. ...

SALON ADD-ONS SPUR PROFESSIONNEL SALES.(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 2, 2005... Byline: Andrea Nagel NEW YORK -- Several different brands under the L'Oreal Professionnel umbrella are introducing new products to help address women's demanding hair needs, as well as to boost the hair care division's sales between 10...

SNIPPETS: INTERCOIFFURE HONOR... SUMMER MEMENTO... HOLIDAY GEM...
September 2, 2005... INTERCOIFFURE HONOR: The international association of hairdressers, Intercoiffure Mondial, has named Richard Calcasola -- owner and creative director of Maximus Spas and Salons and chairman of the Fashion Committee of Intercoiffure...

QVC GIVES GARREN NATIONAL SCOPE.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Molly Prior NEW YORK -- QVC's beauty business has reached another milestone -- the shopping network has recruited famed celebrity hairstylist Garren to its bursting stable of high-profile beauty innovators. Garren, who has...

RETAILERS BRACE FOR STORM'S FALLOUT.
September 2, 2005... Byline: David Moin, With contributions from Meredith Derby NEW YORK -- In the wake of Katrina, retailers are questioning how business will pan out in the months ahead, even as they stepped up efforts to locate employees, provide relief...

STRICTER LIMITS ON IMPORTS.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Evan Clark WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration tightened restrictions on $556.4 million in Chinese imports as negotiators failed to reach a broad import agreement at their fourth round of talks in Beijing. Bras and...

ITEMS CONFISCATED AT MAGIC BOOTH.(Antik Denim)(Antik Denim files copyright infrigement suit against A.V. Denim Inc. and Vigoss Jeans Inc.)(Brief Article)
September 2, 2005... Byline: Khanh T.L. Tran LOS ANGELES -- Antik Denim, cracking down on companies that it claims are copying its hot designs, seized 70 pairs of jeans and other items from the MAGIC booth run by Miss Vigoss in Las Vegas on Wednesday. ...

WELCOME TO THE TROPICS.(Brief Article)
September 2, 2005... NEW YORK -- In an intimate showroom setting, Hollywould designer Holly Dunlap presented a lineup of spring looks inspired by Mexico's tropical climes. Dunlap combined a certain Chicana flair with Palm Beach prep, resulting in an array of...

MEMO PAD: ORGANIC STYLE FOLDS... DEAD AGAIN... A REAL SLIM SHADY...
September 2, 2005... Byline: Sara James, Jeff Bercovici, Katya Foreman ORGANIC STYLE FOLDS: The staff of Organic Style got a shock on Thursday when they were abruptly told the magazine was folding. An e-mail sent around at 11 a.m. informed employees there would...

HAGGAR CORP. SOLD FOR $212M.(Company Profile)
September 2, 2005... Byline: Amy S. Choi NEW YORK -- Haggar Corp., one of the country's largest makers of casual slacks, said early Thursday it would be acquired by a partnership among private equity firms Infinity Associates LLC, Perseus LLC and Symphony...

WAL-MART IN B-T-S PUSH WITH ELLEGIRL MAGAZINE.
September 2, 2005... Byline: Katherine Bowers BOSTON -- Wal-Mart's fashion message will be writ large -- on the Times Square Jumbotron -- as part of a back-to-school marketing alliance between the Bentonville, Ark., giant and Ellegirl magazine. The...

KELLWOOD POSTS LOSS IN QUARTER.(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
September 2, 2005... NEW YORK -- Due to its previously announced strategic initiative, Kellwood Co. took a $93.4 million restructuring charge in the second quarter ended July 30. As a result, the supplier posted a loss of $79.4 million, or $2.86 a diluted...

WAL-MART TEAMS UP WITH BET.(Brief Article)
September 2, 2005... Byline: Katherine Bowers BOSTON -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is hoping music and entertainment exclusives will bring a new groove to its stores. The Bentonville, Ark., retailer said Tuesday it has inked a deal with BET, the television...

CLAIBORNE PROMOTES WINANS.(Fritz Winans)(Brief Article)
September 2, 2005... Byline: Julee Greenberg NEW YORK -- Fritz Winans, group president of Liz Claiborne Inc.'s better and moderate divisions, has been named to the new position of managing director, Asia development. Winans will be based in Hong Kong...

MARKDOWNS HURT CARREFOUR PROFITS IN HALF.(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
September 2, 2005... Byline: Robert Murphy PARIS -- Double-digit losses in its core French market hamstrung first-half profits at Carrefour, the world's second-largest retailer after Wal-Mart. The French hypermarket operator said net income in the six...

BACK TO COOL.(Brief Article)(Illustration)
September 6, 2005... NEW YORK -- Call it Style 101. Today marks the first day of classes at many schools across the country, including Parsons. But fashion coeds at FIT, Pratt and the Laboratory Institute of Merchandising, pictured here, are already back in the...

THE M&A GOLD RUSH: FRENZY OF RETAIL DEALS TO CONTINUE IN 4TH QTR.(Industry Overview)
September 6, 2005... Byline: Arthur Zaczkiewicz and Meredith Derby NEW YORK -- Think the past 18 months have been busy with mergers and acquisitions deals? You ain't seen nothing yet. Bankers and analysts expect the flurry of interest in retail to...

CHINA EXPECTED TO DOMINATE LUXE MARKET.(Industry Overview)
September 6, 2005... Byline: Miles Socha PARIS -- Thanks to extravagant offshore spending, Chinese consumers are likely to account for almost a quarter of global luxury goods purchases by as early as 2014, up from 11 percent today. However, China will be...

COMING THIS WEEK.(Brief Article)(Calendar)
September 6, 2005... TUESDAY: New York Spring II Apparel market (through Sept. 23). L'Oreal Fashion Week, Toronto (through Sept. 12). WEDNESDAY: The Federal Reserve Board issues the Beige Book economic report. Tissu Premier, Lille, France (through...

IN BRIEF: ARMANI ON THE MOVE.(Brief Article)
September 6, 2005... ARMANI ON THE MOVE: Giorgio Armani said Thursday it plans to open a flagship and relocate its corporate headquarters and commercial showrooms to Tokyo's Ginza district in mid-2007. "Although Japan is already among our most important markets, it...

BEAUTY BEAT: L'OREAL NET DROPS 5.8% IN FIRST HALF.(Company Profile)
September 6, 2005... Byline: Jennifer Weil and Brid Costello PARIS -- French beauty giant L'Oreal posted first-half net profits of 892 million euros, or $1.14 billion, down 5.8 percent year-on-year. As reported, these came on sales of 7.16 billion euros,...

ELLEN TRACY TAPS NEW PRESIDENT.(Rosenberger, Howard)(Brief Article)
September 6, 2005... Byline: Julee Greenberg NEW YORK -- Howard Rosenberger has been named president of Ellen Tracy, a division of Liz Claiborne Inc. He succeeds Glenn McMahon, who has resigned from the firm and is said to be joining Dolce & Gabbana as its...

MEMO PAD: COSMO'S RADIO DAYS... RAZOR CUTS ITS LOSSES.
September 6, 2005... Byline: Jeff Bercovici COSMO'S RADIO DAYS: Elocution has never been among the skills considered necessary for a career as a magazine editor, but that could be changing. Friday brought news that Cosmopolitan, following in the footsteps of...

NEW DANUBE.(Thor restaurant)(Company Profile)
September 6, 2005... Byline: Jenny Comita NEW YORK -- "I've got to stop it with the analogies," says Austrian chef Kurt Gutenbrunner in his vaguely Schwarzenegger-like accent. In the first hour of an interview, he's already compared designing a kitchen to...

CHEMICAL REACTION.(Chemist Club Grill )(Company Profile)
September 6, 2005... Byline: Melanie Kletter NEW YORK -- It's hard to imagine now, with its mahogany trim and elegant decor, but the new Chemist Club Grill at the Dylan Hotel formerly had pink fixtures and purple walls and was owned by pop star Britney...

CLASS APPEAL.(Brief Article)(Illustration)
September 6, 2005... NEW YORK -- While the industry readies for the upcoming collections, another fashion set is experiencing its own debut of sorts: back-to-school. How do these young scholars -- who are just years away from becoming the next generation of...

CONGRESS TACKLES COMPLEX AGENDA.
September 6, 2005... Byline: Kristi Ellis WASHINGTON -- Congress reconvenes in full today from its five-week summer recess, charged with the colossal task of providing ongoing relief aid for the Gulf Coast victims of Hurricane Katrina. The focus on...

DANA BUCHMAN LOOSENS UP.
September 6, 2005... Byline: Rosemary Feitelberg NEW YORK -- Dana Buchman is tired of bridge. "Bridge is such a horrible world," the designer said. "I wish it would just go away. It served us well for 20 years, but it's done. That old name `bridge' just...

DRESSING UP EMMA JAMES AND J.H. COLLECTIBLES.(Company Profile)
September 6, 2005... Byline: Julee Greenberg NEW YORK -- Kellwood Co.'s Halmode division and Liz Claiborne Inc. are working together to help set the trends in the dress department. Halmode, which has produced Liz Claiborne brand suits and dresses for...

AUGUST JOB PICTURE BRIGHT, OUTLOOK DIM.
September 6, 2005... Byline: Evan Clark WASHINGTON -- The economic impact of Hurricane Katrina is casting a pall over the nation's improved employment situation. The unemployment rate fell to a four-year low of 4.9 percent in August, as the U.S. added a...

A&F EXEC TO GET $13.5M IN DEAL.
September 6, 2005... NEW YORK -- Robert S. Singer, who resigned last week as president and chief operating officer of Abercrombie & Fitch, inked a separation agreement that entitles him to $13.5 million, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange...

MACY'S AIMS TO BE HOUSEHOLD NAME.(Company Profile)
September 6, 2005... Byline: Sharon Edelson NEW YORK -- When Terry Lundgren, chairman, chief executive officer and president of Federated Department Stores Inc., engineered the merger between Federated and May Department Stores Co., one of his goals was to...

FASHION SCOOPS: P.R. SHUFFLES... ROCK OF AGES... HITCHING A RIDE...
September 6, 2005... P.R. SHUFFLES: It's the season of public relations moves. Katherine Ross is leaving Prada USA to pursue other interests; Ali Wise handed in her notice at Christian Dior and is said to be heading to Dolce & Gabbana to handle events and...

BERNARD LACOSTE EXITING AS CHAIRMAN, CEO.(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
September 6, 2005... Byline: Robert Murphy PARIS -- Bernard Lacoste, who for more than four decades has guided the global expansion of the Lacoste sportswear brand, is stepping down as chairman and chief executive officer of the firm for health reasons. ...

SIXTIES-INSPIRED STYLES HIGHLIGHT DALLAS.(Industry Overview)
September 6, 2005... Byline: Holly Haber DALLAS -- Buyers invested in eye-catching items like lace-trimmed tops as they shopped the multiseason market that ended Aug. 21 at FashionCenterDallas. Many retailers concentrated on holiday deliveries of...

ABOUT LACE.(Brief Article)
September 7, 2005... NEW YORK -- There's nothing like a little lace to heat up the night in romantic fashion, and for spring, designers offer it in myriad variations. Here, David Rodriguez's embroidered viscose, cotton and nylon gown with Lisa Mackey's jeweled...

ROSY OUTLOOK FOR LUXE: NEIMAN MARCUS BULLISH AS 4Q NET LEAPS 66.8%.
September 7, 2005... Byline: Vicki M. Young and David Moin NEW YORK -- The Neiman Marcus Group Inc. ended its last year as a public company on a record note. The upscale specialty chain on Tuesday delivered one of its best quarters ever with earnings...

SANTUCCI OUT AT DOLCE & GABBANA.
September 7, 2005... Byline: Miles Socha, With contributions from Luisa Zargani PARIS -- Giacomo Santucci, the former Gucci chief executive who joined Dolce & Gabbana six months ago as its commercial, licenses and retail director, has resigned from the...

H&M READIES FOR MCCARTNEY RUSH.
September 7, 2005... Byline: Miles Socha PARIS -- If any stylish young women are late for work come Nov. 10, they just might be queuing up at H&M. The Swedish fast-fashion giant expects an extra rush that day, when its one-time Stella McCartney for H&M...

IN BRIEF: KELLWOOD'S BOARD... PRESIDENTIAL POSTPONEMENT... ON BOARD FOR CAFTA.(Brief Article)
September 7, 2005... KELLWOOD'S BOARD: Kellwood Co. has elected Ben Blount Jr. to the company's board. Blount was executive vice president, finance, planning and administration, and chief financial officer and director of Oxford Industries. He retired in 2004....

SUZY: CALIFORNIA DREAMING... YOUNG LOVE... THE WASHINGTONIENNES.
September 7, 2005... Byline: Aileen Mehle Scoop: In Beverly Hills, Holmby Hills, Brentwood, Hancock Park and other tony southern California enclaves, the big news is that Beatrice Niven, Annette de la Renta's stunning older daughter, who just divorced...

MEMO PAD: SEED MONEY... ART OF STYLE.
September 7, 2005... Byline: Jeff Bercovici, Sara James SEED MONEY: Who says there's no funding out there for offbeat magazine ideas? Seed, a four-year-old independent title about the impact of science on society, is back after nearly a year's hiatus, having...

LACE YOURSELF.(Advertisement)
September 7, 2005... NEW YORK -- What girl doesn't love a touch of lace? Its versatility suits everyone from ingenue to siren, making it the perfect choice for the witching hour. Caption(s): Carmen Marc Valvo's polyester dress. Delman shoes; Catherine Angiel...

CLAIBORNE'S NEW CITY.
September 7, 2005... Byline: Julee Greenberg NEW YORK -- Liz Claiborne Inc. is ready to hit the city again. The company, which revealed the termination of its City DKNY license with Donna Karan International late last month, is launching a new better...

MICHELE WATCHES PUTS BEST FACE FORWARD.
September 7, 2005... Byline: Jennifer Hirshlag NEW YORK -- Attendees at Olympus Fashion Week here may be hoping to catch a glimpse of Lindsay Lohan, Beyonce Knowles or even Renee Zellweger, but if Michele Watches has its way, a few people also will be on the...

WHAT'S NEXT: TECHNOLOGY'S LATEST FASHIONS.(Brief Article)
September 7, 2005... Play Money ... Net-A-Porter's Growing Reach ... Defensive Search

BITS & BYTES.(Brief Article)
September 7, 2005... Byline: Cate T. Corcoran SNAP AND SEND Next month, Kodak will start shipping its EasyShare-One, a digital camera that wirelessly connects to the Internet at any Wi-Fi hot spot. Users can snap a photo and e-mail it to friends on the...

VIRTUAL DESIGNERS MAKE REAL BUCKS.(www.SecondLife.com)
September 7, 2005... Byline: Cate T. Corcoran In the real world, she's a children's dance teacher in Chattanooga, Tenn. But in an online multiplayer simulation game called Second Life, Torrid Midnight, as she is known there, is a successful clothing designer...