São Paulo skyline | Source: Museyon

Exactly How Hot Is Brazil? (IHT)
“Compared with the other so-called BRIC countries — Russia, with historic department stores rising from gray streets; India, with its chaotic New Delhi markets; or China with its sprawling, often empty, shopping malls — São Paulo seems like a hive of glamorous commerce… Compared with China, Brazil has had far less attention from the big brands, although their stores are present in São Paulo, lining the streets in the upscale Jardins area.”

The Three Musketeers of Condé Nast Ride Again (WWD)
“Graydon, Anna and David have their other projects, of course.For the last few years, these three have been targets of some whispered criticism in the media world: How much time do they actually devote to editing their magazines anymore? Are these editors, a combined 55 years into their jobs, starting to get a little bored? Are their best days behind them?  Apparently not. The three are having career years — or at least years that should go down as All-Star seasons on their Hall of Fame plaques.”

PPR and Brioni: After the deal, the implications (FT)
“So it all came true, and PPR did, indeed, buy Italian men’s wear luxury brand Brioni. So far, so rumoured. But what does it mean? It seems to me there are two main implications to the deal… Given the state of the rest of the Italian economy, you’d think the government might not be so thrilled about the prospect of yet more foreign ownership, but then again, maybe in the short-term, they need the tax money.”

An Eye on Sustainable Fashion (NY Times)
“There is a new luxury fashion consumer in Brazil. And it’s not just the lower middle-class shopper with greater purchasing power, as seen everywhere in the country’s media in the last couple of years. These consumers are seeking products that go beyond modern design and new runway trends — looking for an eco-friendly kind of “quality seal” and now, thankfully, they can find what they are looking for. In the last couple of years, some Brazilian brands have begun to invest in collections whose manufacturing is less harmful to the environment.”

Meet Carmen Dell’Orefice, the 80-year-old supermodel (Telegraph)
“That point is 80. And the life is extraordinary; a film waiting to be scripted. Impoverished immigrant parents (mother a Hungarian ballerina, father an Italian violinist; she was born in New York); foster homes; rheumatic fever at 12, which put paid to her own balletic ambitions; modelling at 13 (she made her first Vogue cover by the time she was 15); three husbands of varying unsuitability; numerous spectacularly catastrophic financial scenarios, of which depositing most of her life savings with Bernie Madoff is merely the most recent.”

Chloe Raises the Roof at the Tuileries Tent in Paris | Photo: BoF

LONDON, United Kingdom — It was a fashion season of extreme weather. After the New York Fashion Week schedule was upended, first by an earthquake and then by the State of Emergency declaration that came courtesy of Hurricane Irene, an unprecedented heat wave in Paris threw buyers, editors and bloggers into a wardrobe tailspin.

The American editors were worst off, having packed for the European shows two weeks before Paris with no prior notice of the heat wave that was to come. After a few days of shows in impossibly hot venues, some of them resorted to ripping the sleeves off their outfits or just wearing their ‘airplane clothes.’

Brands tried to ease the pain. Fans were distributed at shows alongside champagne and much to everyone’s relief, Chloe arranged for the roof of the Tuileries tent to be removed for their show, letting in the sun and much welcome breeze. Meanwhile Net-a-Porter, always on top of a new market opportunity, delivered heat wave friendly clothes to editors caught without weather-appropriate attire.

But of course the real action was on the runway and in conversations between BoF and the good and the great of the global fashion tribe at a season filled with its fair share of events and parties.

Without further ado, it’s time to look back at Spring/Summer 2012, the season that was.

1. FASHION’S ENDLESS PLAYGROUND

Louis Vuitton Carrousel | Photo: BoF

At the opening of Marc Jacobs’ stunning show for Louis Vuitton on the last day of Paris Fashion Week, a large circular curtain was lifted to unveil models in dresses as light as feathers, perched coquettishly on white horses that sat atop a highly stylised carrousel. Those assembled gasped with audible pleasure and then erupted into spontaneous applause. But more than a visual delight alone, Mr. Jacobs’ magical set was a clear metaphor for an industry in constant motion, with its endless cycle of fashion shows, not to mention the musical chairs of creative directors moving from house to house.

This was the defining moment of the Spring/Summer 2012 collections, a season during which rumours continued to engulf Mr. Jacobs and other designers at the helm of major fashion houses, including Stefano Pilati, who seems safe — for now.

For others, the news was not so good. Immediately following the Vionnet show, it was announced that Rodolfo Paglialunga had been replaced. And just before Paris Fashion Week, Ungaro announced that the house and Giles Deacon had mutually agreed to part ways. Deacon was Ungaro’s fifth creative director in as many years and The Wall Street Journal reported at the end of September that Ungaro chief executive Jeffry Aronsson believes that “in-house talent can mine Ungaro’s heritage—bright colours, silk prints and sexy draped dresses—better than a high-profile designer from outside.”

But while some brands were severing ties with their creative directors, others were debuting new ones. Olivier Rousteing took the bow at the end of the Balmain show. There were also debuts from former Pringle designer Claire Waight Keller at Chloe and Manish Arora at Paco Rabanne — and, of course, the torrent of industry speculation about Galliano’s soon-to-be-announced replacement at Christian Dior.

2. BUZZ, EDGE AND SPORT COUTURE IN NEW YORK

Altuzarra prints and backpack detail | Photo: BoF

But fashion month begins in New York, which boasts more than 250 shows in a span of eight days, making it by far the busiest and buzziest fashion week of all. As one editor put it to me, “In New York we are great at picking up the leaves and throwing them up in the air and saying, ’It’s Fashion Week!’”

The unofficial kick-off for the Spring/Summer collections happens a couple of days into NY fashion week, with Fashion’s Night Out. Spearheaded by American Vogue, with individual events in almost every retail establishment across the city, it is a format that has been exported around the world. But though it has become a global phenomenon, the return on investment for brands and retailers remains in question. Most designers and retailers said it simply wasn’t worth the expenditure of time and resources, especially at one of the busiest moments in the fashion calendar. Barneys effectively sat this round out, eschewing the kind of elaborate in-store entertainment favoured by other retailers and issuing a statement that they were refocusing all efforts “on the shopping experience” and would donate ten percent of their Fashion’s Night Out sales to a fund for the National September 11 Memorial and Museum.

And with that, the New York shows were on and we entered a weekend of vibrant prints, inspired by places all around the world. It was a colourful vibe that New York designers seemed to have caught from London. But they gave it their own unique, New York spin with mesh fabrics and athletic details, making “sport couture” the buzzword on the lips of editors and buyers everywhere, from Joseph Altuzarra and Rag & Bone, to Alexander Wang, who has made athletic-inspired fashion part of his brand’s identity.

The week’s highlights came from power design duos Proenza Schouler and Rodarte, whose shows are now, deservedly, two of the most anticipated shows of New York Fashion Week. And both Jason Wu and Prabal Gurung took edgy steps forward from the red carpet and ladylike fare of their previous collections. These are some of the names amongst a healthy crop of promising young designers working in New York at the moment, pushing the boundaries of American fashion.

3. LONDON’S SHINING MOMENT

Giles Deacon swan hat, by Stephen Jones | Photo: BoF

It’s a shame that conflict over the global fashion calendar is putting London Fashion Week under threat just as the event really seems to be hitting its stride. This season, fashion stars in London shone brighter than ever, benefitting from the pulsating creativity of designers and digital print artists, who are largely based in the East London neighbourhoods of Hackney, Shoreditch and Dalston.

Of course, previous generations of young London designers were also praised for their creativity, but they were never able to translate this into commercial success. Garments were of poor quality and deliveries were often late. But that seems to be changing now. Indeed, Natalie Massenet, founder of Net-a-Porter told the Financial Times that “if people have been paying attention, they will see there is a new crop of extraordinary talent, which is young and dynamic and have learnt commercialism is not a dirty word.”

Bergdorf Goodman’s Linda Fargo told Suzy Menkes that although she was primarily in town to see Burberry and Tom Ford, it was the young talents who really excited her. “My camera is going and my notepad’s flying,” she said. “Between the prints and the quality, I am blown away.”

Not really ‘emerging’ designers anymore, Christopher Kane, Peter Pilotto, Jonathan Saunders, Giles Deacon and Erdem Moralioglu all put on very strong shows. Mary Katrantzou and Michael van der Ham both pushed their signature techniques forward. And the two new names in London that everyone was watching were JW Anderson (who put on both mens and womens shows within a span of five days) and Thomas Tait, a name familiar to long time readers of BoF. Cathy Horyn of The New York Times said Tait’s clothes were “imaginative and inspiring” — high praise from one of fashion’s most respected critics.

But will London’s recent successes be hijacked by the current scheduling complications? And if a sensible resolution isn’t found, will editors really choose to see independent designers in London over major advertisers in Milan? Watch this space.

4. THE RISE OF FASHION DIPLOMACY

Tods Light Installation at Italian Ambassador's residence in Paris | Photo: BoF

With all the bickering and back-and-forth between the fashion capitals, it somehow seems appropriate that national ambassadors, much better versed in the ins and outs of international diplomacy, are using their muscle to support young designers, senior editors, and famous national brands.

In Paris, the Italian ambassador invited the fashion glitterati to a special event for Tod’s, at which Chairman Diego Della Valle was present, to celebrate the launch of the brand’s Signature collection. Sir Peter Westmacott, the British ambassador to France, along with the prime minister’s wife Samantha Cameron, continued to show their support for London-based designers — Nicholas Kirkwood, Erdem Moralioglu, Roland Mouret, Antonio Berardi, Jonathan Saunders and Katie Hillier, to name a few — with a lavish event at the ambassador’s residence. And, Glenda Bailey was hosted by the American ambassador to France for a celebration of her book commemorating her ten year tenure at Harpers Bazaar USA.

5. MOUZAT AND MENKES GO VIRAL

Mark Holgate and Anna Wintour of American Vogue at Burberry Spring/Summer 2012 show | Photo: BoF

Fashion editors from two important newspapers flexed their editorial muscle this season, creating ripples throughout the fashion industry.

The season’s first viral moment came courtesy of Virginie Mouzat, fashion editor of Le Figaro, one of France’s most respected daily newspapers. Though her name is not widely known outside elite fashion circles, Mouzat’s scathing critique of Tom Ford’s private London presentation had everyone talking, even if only a select few were there to witness what Mouzat described as “a nightmare.”

When an English translation of Mouzat’s article was emailed from the American Vogue office in Paris to its senior editors in London and New York, it wasn’t long before the email was circulating throughout the global Conde Nast empire and, indeed, throughout the industry. Incredible chains of emails — from one front row name to the next, from one senior magazine editor to another, from one global brand executive to his colleagues — was a lesson in how closely tied this industry really is. Ms. Mouzat had clearly struck a chord amongst the fashion establishment, for whom email, not Twitter, is still the most powerful viral tool.

Suzy Menkes, fashion editor of the IHT, set off her own viral frenzy, this time on Twitter, with the assistance of her colleague Jessica Michault. In her review of Raf Simons’ collection for Jil Sander in Milan, Ms. Menkes suggested that Mr. Simons was in talks to take over from Stefano Pilati at Yves Saint Laurent. When Michault tweeted the breaking news, which coincided with the Aquilano Rimondi show in Milan, attendees were reportedly glued to their iPhones and Blackberries, while debate quickly broke out across the social web about whether Suzy Menkes was actually saying Simons was going to YSL.

The next day, Yves Saint Laurent quelled the rumours in an official statement, which while firm, still seems to leave open the possibility that Mr. Simons, or someone else, could indeed design for YSLin the not-too-distant future. Will Suzy Menkes still be proven right? Time will tell.

6. PRE-TAIL GAINS MOMENTUM, BUT FACES OPERATIONAL ROADBLOCKS

Edgy Glamour at Jason Wu Spring/Summer 2012 | Photo: BoF

When Aslaug Magnusdottir and Lauren Santo Domingo launched their “pre-tail” start-up Moda Operandi (MO) last season, they must have known that the model would generate copycats, just as Gilt Groupe (itself inspired by Vente Privee) and Groupon were copied by hundreds of other similar businesses.

But as it turns out, Moda Operandi’s fast followers have not been other startups. Rather, it’s major media and retail brands who got into the pre-ordering game this season. Online industry bible Style.com debuted an “Instant Get” program for one-off products from six New York-based designers and venerable New York luxury retailer Bergdorf Goodman partnered with Jason Wu to offer pre-orders on selected items from his Spring/Summer 2012 collection. Sister company Neiman Marcus posted an exclusive pre-ordering opportunity for Donna Karan’s Spring 2012 collection, along with an interview between fashion director Ken Downing and Ms. Karan herself.

But fresh with a $10 million capital injection from New Enterprise Associates, a venture capital firm, the MO team had big plans of their own, announcing a partnership with Vogue.com just in time for fashion week, which directly linked the latest runway images to MO’s pre-order platform.

“We’ve experienced a steady rate of growth since our launch in February,” said Ms. Magnusdottir at the end of New York Fashion Week, “but the collaboration with Vogue has accelerated the rate of growth of both member acquisition and sales.” Indeed, Magnusdottir said that membership is expected to grow from 15,000 just after launch, a customer base built primarily on the personal networks of the founders, to an expected 100,000 members by the end of the year, driven by affiliations with Vogue.com and GOOP, the online media brand of Gwyneth Paltrow.

But despite the clear momentum, the model still faces a major roadblock that is out of the control of pre-tail players like MO: inefficiency in the fashion supply chain. As it stands, consumers still have to wait four to five months to receive most pre-ordered products. If pre-ordering is really going to provide instant gratification to consumers who are interested in buying from the runway, brands and retailers will ultimately need to deliver products more quickly than this. Burberry delivers its pre-ordered products within eight weeks, and Style.com’s ‘Instant Get’ products were due to be available within a few days of the 31 October launch.

Indeed, the broad success of the pre-ordering model rests on the ability of designers to compress delivery lead times. In response to this suggestion, Ms. Magnusdottir said she expected that supply chains would eventually be compressed over time, enabling MO to better match demand with product delivery.

Based on this season’s pre-commerce momentum, it can’t be long before other major fashion e-commerce players such as Net-a-Porter and Shopbop get in on the pre-ordering game. If the industry manages to sort out its supply chain issues, better aligning the operations and media cycles by delivering goods closer to the peak of consumer interest, could pre-commerce eventually just become plain old e-commerce?

Imran Amed is founder and editor-in-chief of The Business of Fashion

NE•Tiger | Source: Jing Daily

‘Made in China’ Chic is making Chinese Proud (Red Luxury)
“‘The world has used China as a cheap manufacturing land,’ said Shu Shu Chen, communications director for the Hermes Chinese fashion line Shang Xia. ‘This has been the defining thing for the past 10, 20, 30 years. The time has come to move on from that idea.’… While the Far East has traditionally been associated with cheap labor and shoddy production, its reputation is changing—and attracting big name brands.”

Guess outlook disappoints; shares slide (Reuters)
“U.S. clothing maker Guess Inc gave a disappointing outlook for the rest of the year, citing a difficult economy and competitive environment. The company, best known for its jeans, reported better-than-expected earnings for the second quarter, but said a recent slowdown in the global economy made it more cautious moving forward.”

Art and Fashion in Dasha Zhukova’s Garage (NY Times)
“The magazine, created by Dasha Zhukova, a former editor of Pop, and named after the contemporary art center she opened in Moscow in 2008, includes collaborations between prominent figures of both worlds and blurs the boundaries to such a degree that even the artist Dinos Chapman said his work in the magazine could be described as ‘a full-blown fashion shoot.’”

Vogue’s Anna Wintour: Intimidating, No. Powerful, Yes. (Forbes)
“‘I don’t think of myself as a powerful person. You know, what does it mean? It means you get a better seat in a restaurant or tickets to a screening or whatever it may be. But it is a wonderful opportunity to be able to help others, and for that I’m extremely grateful.’”

Rise: Marques’Almeida (Dazed Digital)
“Graduating from the MA at Central Saint Martins in February, the Portuguese couple behind Marques’Almeida joins Lulu Kennedy’s force to offer a season with abundance of attitude. Fashion East hasn’t seen petulance so desirable yet… ‘Our whole goal is to obviously, build a brand and keep growing; to make sure that the mood and attitude that we try to reflect through our clothes is identifiable in the future.’”

Anna's Army | Source: WSJ

“With all the new media outlets out there, with all the noise, a voice of authority and calm like Vogue becomes more important than ever. The more eyes on fashion, the more opinions about fashion, the more exploration of fashion around the world, the better it is for Vogue. Vogue is like Nike or Coca-Cola—this huge global brand. I want to enhance it, I want to protect it, and I want it to be part of the conversation.”

Anna Wintour, Editor-in-Chief of American Vogue, in the April 2011 issue of WSJ Magazine

Asprey Vintage Regulator Detail | Source: Asprey

Time Warp (WSJ)
“In the past couple of years, more and more guys I talk to have been going vintage when it comes to watches… It’s the inevitable pushback against the highflying hedge-fund era, when the pursuit of luxury meant the quest for highly conspicuous quality and lots of it.”

Luxury stocks bounce back as Japan stabilizes (Globe and Mail)
“Luxury stocks jumped Monday on growing optimism that the devastating Japanese earthquake’s impact on retail sales might not be as severe as initially feared. Shares of high-end clothing retailers and sellers of luxury goods were pummelled last week.”

Alexander Wang on building his fashionable family empire (Telegraph)
“Time passes faster and faster, but with every project I always want to find the next challenge and the next challenge is just as exciting as the previous one. So, like, I push myself and as the company grows and things get bigger and bigger and bigger.”

Peter Marino, Leader of the Pack (WWD)
“In an industry with the collective attention span of a fruit fly, Marino has enjoyed an improbably long run. Known for creating modern retail spaces with varying degrees of glamour, from understated to full-frontal, Marino has become the keeper of brand identities.”

The power of Anna Wintour (Yahoo)
“American Vogue’s editor-in-chief, might still be influencing unsuspecting consumers about what they wear, how they shop and what celebrity or cause is about to be the talk of the town.”

L-R Donna Karan, Marc Jacobs, Theyskens’ Theory | Source: Style.com

On the Straight and Narrow (IHT)
“It is back to the straight and narrow in New York Fashion Week. No more loose and sloppy casual clothes, easy sportswear or girlish frills. Women — grown-up women — are being asked to smarten up.”

Who Buys These Clothes? They Do (WSJ)
“Many of the runway styles are actually purchased by a small group of customers, not all of them from the isle of Manhattan. And unlike celebrities and socialites, who often get designer clothes at no charge in exchange for publicity, these customers pay full price.”

Puma feels pinch of higher wage, commodity costs (Reuters)
“German sportswear maker Puma joined rivals Adidas and Nike in warning of price rises for its products as a result of rising commodity and wage costs… the rising costs meant net profit would not grow as fast as sales in 2011, and margins would be lower.”

Sally Singer Talks T (WWD)
“‘For me, it’s what I want from The New York Times on a weekend… I want a good, sexy, neurotic story about New York literary life in the Seventies. I want the New York Review of Book parties. I want a little Farrar, Strauss and Giroux. You have that literary dream of New York.’”

Anna Wintour talks exclusively to Telegraph TV (Telegraph)
“Anna Wintour… talks about Alexander McQueen’s legacy and her favourites memories of his shows. She expalins why Rodarte, the avant-garde American label has the potential to be another ‘McQueen’ or ‘Galliano’ and reveals why she loves London’s street style.”

Louis Vuitton Omotosando | Source: Highsnobiety

Web-Bargain Luxury Comes to Japan (WSJ)
“For decades, the model for selling luxury imported goods in Japan has been simple: plush surroundings, attentive service—and the ‘Japan premium’… But the cozy system may be cracking, [thanks in part to] third-party websites to jump in with deep discounts.”

Karl Lagerfeld cancels Paris show (Catwalk Queen)
“Instead, the designer is working on a new ‘masstige’ ready-to-wear collection in a bid to change the brand image into a more commercial line… The collection will be ready for A/W 2011, and will be sold online.”

Richemont sales beat forecast, Asian demand soars (Reuters)
“Swiss luxury goods group Richemont’s five-month sales jumped 37 percent, beating forecasts and confirming a rebound in the sector as wealthy Asians splash out again on top-end watches and jewellery.”

Phillips-Van Heusen raises outlook (Reuters)
“Apparel maker Phillips-Van Heusen Corp posted an adjusted quarterly profit that surpassed analysts’ expectations, helped by revenue gains in all three units, including its newly-acquired Tommy Hilfiger brand.”

Anna Wintour Weaves Her Web (WWD)
“Just what Anna Wintour needed: another project. On the eve of New York Fashion Week and a mere two days before her brainchild, Fashion’s Night Out… she is unveiling the new vogue.com.”

First Spring directed by Yang Fudong | Source: Prada

Cinema à la Prada (WSJ)
“With the Internet and digital technology, industry executives say short online videos have become an essential part of the fashion marketing tool box, offering customers a new way to interact with a brand and show clothing in motion.”

Web-only luxury retailers fared well during the recession (Internet Retailer)
“Luxury goods retailers that sell exclusively online increased their sales by 87% last year compared with 2008, even as overall luxury sales declined 20%.”

Hugo Boss to Keep Ohio Factory Open (WSJ)
“Hugo Boss reversed a decision to shut down a factory in Ohio, succumbing to an aggressive union-led campaign against the German fashion house and its private-equity owners.”

Anna Wintour on the Web, Vogue’s Future, and the iPad (WSJ)
“She was formally inducted into the American Society of Magazine Editors Hall of Fame during the National Magazine Awards, held at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall.”

Helmut Lang: From catwalk to gallery (Independent)
“He is, for many, the last of the great couturiers. With his chic white dresses and sleek trouser suits, Helmut Lang’s meticulous designs defined 1990s minimalism.”

Marco Santaniello T-Skirt | Source: Marco Santaniello

MILAN, Italy — And now for a fun BoF Spotlight post to end your week. We couldn’t resist a bit of colour to spice up the Spring that is finally blossoming.

Marco Santaniello‘s pop art portraits of fashion models, editors and the ubiquitous bloggerati caught our attention when we stumbled across his Facebook page a couple of months back. Since then, he has continued to churn out images of the industry’s legends and new stars, with alarming regularity.

So where did all of his colourful inspiration come from?

After a little bit of investigation we learned that Marco is a crusader against the Italian fashion industry’s formality and bureaucracy and apart from designing his own collection of graphic T’s and writing about fashion news for the MaxMara fashion blog, he worships the Rubik’s Cube, his “personal fetish” and the key influence behind his colourful illustrations, which is sitting in the BoF Spotlight this month

Here is a selection of Marco’s colourful portraits, including Susie Bubble, Anna Wintour, Agyness Deyn, and BoF’s very own Imran Amed.

Jeremy Renner in Esquire's Augmented Reality Fashion Spread | Source: Esquire

Luxury brands focus on digital retail experience (Marketing)
“Brands and high-end retailers, including House of Fraser and Selfridges, are preparing to launch virtual shopping experiences using cutting-edge digital technologies.”

Google wins EU ruling in fake luxury goods case (AP)
“Google Inc. won a key European Union court ruling Tuesday that says it did not violate luxury goods trademarks by allowing counterfeiters to buy brand names as advertising key words that link to their online stores.”

Saks Plans to Cull Weaker Stores (WSJ)
“Luxury-goods retailer Saks said Tuesday it plans to close two Saks Fifth Avenue stores in Portland, Ore., and is considering closing others that aren’t profitable and have leases expiring.”

Indian fashion for the masses (BBC)
“High Fashion has never been in so much demand in India. A growing section of the population is young, rich and not shy of flaunting their wealth and beauty.”

Health Matters: Weight and Wellness in Fashion (Fashionologie)
“Anna Wintour, Michael Kors, and Natalia Vodianova gathered in Boston to participate in a panel discussion entitled ‘Health Matters: Weight and Wellness in the World of Fashion,’ where they addressed current industry efforts to prevent eating disorders.”