Alexander McQueen A/W 2010 | Source: alexandermcqueen.com

LONDON, United Kingdom — The passing of Alexander McQueen and the future of his namesake brand provided the defining background narrative of the Autumn/Winter 2010 collections. Everywhere a fashionista went, in every conversation, at every show, party and presentation, the ghost of Alexander McQueen seemed to linger as the industry struggled to come to terms with its most sudden loss of creative genius since Gianni Versace was gunned down in Miami in 1997.

But the shows had to go on. And, in a fitting tribute to Mr. McQueen’s futuristic fashion vision from last September, more brands than ever before experimented with live-streaming, digital innovations and new e-commerce models. And, while not all of the experiments were entirely successful, it was a great step forward nonetheless.

In our seasonal tradition, we give you a guide to the ins and outs, ups and downs, and random curveballs that kept fashion’s movers and shakers talking during Autumn/Winter 2010, the season that was.

… Continue Reading

Alexander McQueen Autumn/Winter 2010 | Source: Style.com

A light in the darkness (Style.com)
“In Alexander McQueen’s final collection, medieval influences transformed into calm, poetic beauty.”

Phillips-Van Heusen May Gain From Buying Hilfiger (Bloomberg)
“Phillips-Van Heusen would gain extra profit within a year of a reported potential acquisition of Tommy Hilfiger Corp.”

Neiman Marcus posts profit as sales start improving (Reuters)
“Neiman Marcus reported a quarterly profit on Tuesday as shoppers returned to its upscale department stores over the holidays and the retailer avoided profit-devouring discounts by keeping inventories low.”

2010 landmark year as online ad spending overtakes print (Biz Report)
“New figures released by research firm Outsell show that, for the first time ever, businesses plan to spend more this year on digital and online advertising and marketing than on print.”

Can Sackcloth Have Fur Trim? (NY Times)
“Perhaps sensing that fashion editors, at this point, did not need to see another plain camel coat, Karl Lagerfeld showed a Chanel collection on Tuesday that combined seven or eight ideas in a single outfit.”

Gap Spring/Summer 2010 | Source: Gap

Gap targets Milan and China as it kickstarts its plans for global expansion (FT)
“Gap, the American casual clothing retailer, plans to open a store in Milan, the home of Italian high fashion, later this year, in a further sign of its growing confidence after a multi-year slump.”

Mariella Burani Fashion Group Will Be Dissolved (Bloomberg)
“Mariella Burani Fashion Group, which makes Vivienne Westwood products under license, said it will be ‘dissolved’ after its parent company was declared bankrupt earlier this month.”

Sweden’s Conceptual Fashion (WSJ)
“Over the past decade, a host of conceptual Swedish ready-to-wear labels have spread around the globe. Driven by the image of the brand rather than by an actual designer or dominant aesthetic… Swedes themselves have taken to calling the phenomenon ‘Det svenska modeundret’—the Swedish fashion wonder.”

Italy Deserves More Than a Long Weekend (IHT)
“In a country where workmanship is still done on home territory and brands remain in family ownership, a proud heritage is being outpaced by the speed of ‘fast fashion.’ Milan has become the sprint of the seasonal show marathon: in and out.”

Fashion royalty mourn fashion designer Alexander McQueen (Telegraph)
“Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Stella McCartney, Sam Taylor-Wood and Daphne Guinness were among the black-clad mourners to arrive at St Paul’s Church in Knightbridge, west London, to celebrate the life of the man who, his friends said, made ‘all he touched beautiful’.”

Alexander McQueen Spring/Summer 2010 | Source: style.com

Alexander McQueen label will survive (Times)
“Alexander McQueen’s fashion label will live on despite the designer’s apparent suicide last week, it was announced this morning.”

PPR full year net profit increases 7 percent (AP)
“Retail-to-luxury group PPR SA reported a 7 percent increase in 2009 profits Thursday and said it is launching a sales offensive to boost revenues in fast-growing markets such as China.”

Burberry Restructures In Spain (NY Times)
“Luxury goods group Burberry will restructure its loss-making operations in Spain, ceasing the production of exclusive collections and closing a facility that will likely mean 300 job losses.”

Alexa handbag joy for Mulberry (FT)
“Strong demand for the Alexa handbag, inspired by the young British style icon Alexa Chung, prompted Mulberry to upgrade its full-year expectations.”

Next in London: A New Crop (WSJ)
“Christopher Kane, Marios Schwab, Jonathan Saunders aren’t famous fashion designers, at least not yet. They are three of the up-and-comers expected to receive close attention starting Friday when London Fashion Week begins.”

The future of Alexander McQueen (Telegraph)
“There has, understandably, been no official indication yet on the future of Alexander McQueen – the brand, beyond the statement by Robert Polet, Gucci Group CEO: ‘The legacy he leaves us is a rich one, and one that we will cherish and honour.’ But will they? And how?”

Clothing company Express files for $200 mln IPO (Reuters)
“Express, the sixth-largest specialty retail apparel brand in the United States, filed on Tuesday for an initial public offering of up to $200 million.”

Italy wants IT Holding to speed up asset sales (Reuters)
“The Italian government wants to speed up the sale of assets by Italian fashion group IT Holding which has been in administration since last year.”

Menswear comes into its own at NY Fashion Week (Reuters)
“Menswear at New York Fashion Week typically takes a backseat… but the collections unveiled this week show U.S. menswear designers coming into their own with strong performances, buyers and trend analysts said.”

Sportswear tops luxury on Facebook (Independent)
“A marketing company called Stylophane has developed a new index that ranks brands by Facebook followers, with its list highlighting the popularity of sportswear brands such as Nike and Adidas in comparison to luxe brands including Burberry and Gucci.”

At his last show, Paris October 2009 | Source: style.com

Alexander McQueen, A True Master (WWD)
“The London-born McQueen’s death unleashed a torrent of shock and anguish from designers, retailers and others in the fashion world. ‘In a world where every man and his dog is a designer, Alexander McQueen was the real deal.’”

Alexander McQueen, found dead on February 11 (Telegraph)
“Alexander McQueen, who was found dead on February 11 aged 40…was celebrated as the ‘bad boy of British fashion’ – an aggressively-talented tailor who refused to compromise and was all-the-more lauded as a result.”

Alexander McQueen, Dark Star of International Fashion (IHT)
“His death at age 40 also may force the industry to examine the current environment in which a generation of young designers is under unprecedented pressure to expand each fledgling brand.”

A Visit to London (NY Times)
“He was very confident, clear, mature and certainly eager to talk about his ideas about the Web. All that fascinated him — its conceptual possibilities fascinated him, as well as its commercial realities. I think we saw that in his October show in Paris.”

A Brand’s Uncertain Future (WSJ)
“The sudden death of Alexander McQueen leaves Gucci Group, the parent company of the British designer’s eponymous fashion house, to decide whether it can chart a future for a brand that was inextricably linked to its creator.”

Alexander McQueen Store on 14th Street in New York | Source: Stylesightings

LONDON, United Kingdom — One of the first fashion shows I ever attended was the Alexander McQueen show for Spring/Summer 2007, staged in the round at the Cirque D’Hiver in Paris. Jonathan Akeroyd, the affable CEO of McQueen, was kind enough to grant my cheeky request for an invitation, and he even let me bring along my college roommate, who was studying outside Paris at the time.

We were seated in the very last row way up in the rafters of the massive round theatre, but still we were mesmerised by McQueen’s collection and his spectacular presentation. Afterwards, we stepped out into the pouring rain late on a Friday night during Paris Fashion Week with a sense of awe and wonderment that lingered for the rest of the evening.

… Continue Reading

Screenshot from David David fashion film | Source: David David

NEW YORK, United States — Fashion film was everywhere this season. Emerging and established designers alike dreamt up new ways to use the medium, proving it to be an increasingly powerful and flexible format for capturing, heightening and transmitting the energy of the collections.

In New York, designers Gareth Pugh and Tim Hamilton presented films that acted as prequels and sequels to their respective Paris runway shows, extending their presence across multiple fashion capitals. While in London, DAVID DAVID presented a series of clean and cost-effective films in lieu of an expensive runway show, Richard Nicoll showed a haunting short to introduce his catwalk outing, and luxury knitwear manufacturers Pringle of Scotland returned to London Fashion Week with a beautiful film featuring Tilda Swinton.

Fashion film was a powerful force in Paris, as well. Alexander McQueen integrated film into his visionary, technology-infused show, creating a heightened, multimedia experience for the editors and buyers in attendance, while beaming the spectacle to the world via twin robotic cameras and a link up with Nick Knight’s website SHOWstudio.

Fashion film also made an appearance alongside the collections. In a timely homage to an early pioneer, Parisian department store Le Bon Marché held a beautifully installed exhibition titled “Guy Bourdin: ses films.” Meanwhile, across the Seine at the Palais de Tokyo, fashion blogger Diane Pernet staged her second annual fashion film festival, screening recent films by Steven Klein, Nick Knight and others.

What follows is a BoF Best of the Season selection of what we think were the most innovative and captivating fashion films (and fashion film happenings) we saw this season. (RSS and Email subscribers, click here to view the films).

… Continue Reading

LONDON, United Kingdom – As four weeks of fashion shows came to a close last week in Paris, it was hard to believe it had only been a month since the start of a fashion week season that had many designers, editors and buyers holding their breath. Thankfully, optimism reigned supreme as the industry finally got its groove back.

But even before the regular jam-packed four week fashion marathon was Fashion’s Night Out — possibly the biggest global fashion extravaganza ever­. This was followed by a month full of magazine and book launches, the U.S. Coco Avant Chanel film premiere, and the debut of perhaps the most anticipated high street fashion line ever, J+ by Jil Sander for Uniqlo.  The fashion pack is understandably exhausted.

Lucky for you, we at the BoF have been scouring the shows, talking to CEOs, observing the front rows and getting the skinny on all the important news and market trends over the past month. So, in what has now become a seasonal tradition, here is our take on Spring/Summer 2010, the season that was.

… Continue Reading

Alexander McQueen Spring/Summer 10 | Source: SHOWstudio

Techno Revolution (New York Times)
“The most dramatic revolution in 21st-century fashion took place this week under the sweeping eyes of two giant robots. As they rolled down the stage at the Alexander McQueen show, the machines cast their cameras in diverse directions to project images on to the ever-changing kaleidoscope of a backdrop.”

Hermès Chief Thomas Says China Booming, U.S. Market Positive (Bloomberg)
“Hermès International SCA Chief Executive Officer Patrick Thomas said the French luxury-goods brand’s sales are “booming” in China and elsewhere in Asia, while the U.S. market is ’slightly positive.’”

Retail Vacancies Hit Multiyear Highs (WSJ)
“When consumers start their holiday shopping in earnest next month, they will find fewer stores competing for their business as vacancy rates at malls and shopping centers have risen to multiyear highs.”

Age of Bling is over as Japanese dress down (Times)
“The Japanese consumer — a wealthy arbiter of good taste, a dedicated follower of fashion and once the world’s most reliable buyer of all things foreign and expensive — may have fundamentally changed her view on what it means to look good.”

Shoppers With Money to Spend Find Less to Buy at Saks, Neiman (Bloomberg)
“Jennifer Prentice spent half of what she usually does when she and a friend shopped at Neiman Marcus Group Inc., Saks Inc. and Nordstrom Inc. stores on a recent business trip to San Francisco. They weren’t cutting back. They just didn’t find much to buy.”