Queue outside Gucci store | Source: Info Seek China

Taxing luxury goods becomes a hot issue (China Daily)
“International luxury brands competing to expand their presence in China have to face the fact that Chinese consumers prefer to buy premium goods abroad instead of domestically.  The World Luxury Association released a report revealing the Chinese spent nearly $50 billion in Europe, four times what they spent on luxury goods in 2010 on the Chinese mainland.”

Anya Hindmarch profits leap (FT)
“Anya Hindmarch, the luxury leather accessories group, more than doubled pre-tax profits in 2010 according to accounts filed with Companies House on Monday, but is rethinking its international expansion strategy. The privately owned designer, which is one of Britain’s fastest-growing smaller luxury goods companies, reported pre-tax profits of £830,000 ($1.3m) on revenues up 12 per cent to £20m in the year to December 31.”

Puma plays catch-up in U.S. as Q3 meets targets (Reuters)
“German sporting goods maker Puma said it had more work to do to attract customers in the United States after sales there fell in the third quarter… After rising initially, shares in the group, controlled by French luxury goods group PPR , turned negative and were down 2.5 percent at 229.85 euros.”

Bringing Haute Couture to Singapore (WSJ)
“Frank Cintamani’s business card carries seven logos, identifying him as everything from founder of an interior design firm to magazine publisher…For the past year though, it is what the 38-year-old has done for Singapore’s fashion scene that has drawn attention…Mr. Cintamani also heads Women’s Fashion’s Week, which includes an haute couture component that will be the first one to take place outside Paris.”

The enduring appeal of trainers (Guardian)
“Fortunately, in the absurdly cyclical nature of fashion, the past always comes back screaming… The spring/summer 2012 shows in New York and London suggest that sportswear is back. Take your pick from BMX, surf, ski or, on a subversive level, wide boy. I am enamoured of young Canadian designer Thomas Tait’s show in London, for which he had Nike trainers customised to go with his sleek cocoon coats and loose separates.”

Anya Hindmarch | Source: Anya Hindmarch

LONDON, United Kingdom — “I started my business when I was 18,” said luxury handbag designer Anya Hindmarch. On her gap year in Florence, Italy, she saw a bag that was all the rage among the cool Italian girls and she bought it. “I took it to London and everyone loved it,” she recalls.

The reaction, it seems, helped her identify a business opportunity. “I found a factory, had a similar bag made and took it back to the UK.” Her first break came when she persuaded Harpers & Queen to offer the bags to their readers, resulting in 500 orders. These initial sales sparked demand among the cult London stores of the time, and soon, orders came in from big New York stores too, including Barneys, Bergdorf Goodman and Henri Bendel.

Although success came early for Hindmarch she admits that it was a difficult time, replete with growing pains. “You don’t have the volume for the factories to give you much time. And the designs have to be the most special to win the customers over. Basically, you have to sweet talk and sell to the suppliers as much as to the customers,” recalls Hindmarch. “You have to be determined, beyond sense almost, to get through that phase.”

… Continue Reading

Looks from the IOU project | Source: IOU

Ethical fashion weaves in social media (CNN)
“With each piece of clothing there is a link called “This item’s journey” that leads to pictures and profiles of the weaver who created the fabric and of the artisan who cut the material and created the design. Using the IOU Project’s iPhone app, you can take a photo of the QR code to pull that story up again.”

Luxury stores urge UK to issue more Chinese visas (CNN)
“Britain could give a boost to the luxury goods industry by relaxing visa restrictions for Chinese travellers, the bosses of high-end department stores Harrods and Harvey Nichols told Reuters…. Four years ago, China represented about a third of our American business, now it is four times our American business. ”

Luxury executive switcheroos (FT)
“Mr Bouissou’s move to PPR comes as its chief François-Henri Pinault has switched to a hands-on role with the luxury section of the business… Boucheron, the only jewellery brand in the portfolio, has always seemed a bit of an anomaly in the Gucci Group stable, but joined by a few other, smaller gem names – well, suddenly it starts to look a lot more logical.”

Why Saks Continues to be a Leader in Luxury Retail’s Recovery (Forbes)
“Look who’s leading a luxe charge in retail: Saks Inc. posted a soaring 51 percent gain in profits for its fiscal first quarter on… Despite the influence of consumer confidence, Saks’ sales gains of 8.8 percent to $726 million on a 10.2 percent rise in comps (comparable sales in stores open at least one year) were the result of savvy management decisions.”

Yohji Yamamoto as Himself (WWD)
“As a buildup to his 10-year anniversary with Adidas, Yohji Yamamoto has stripped down the way he works in a new documentary. Compelling as it is to see how closely the designer examines the drape of his designs and how he crouches on the floor to review rows of models’ head shots, the film’s most poignant moments happen when Yamamoto simply stands in front of the camera, speaking about his life and ideology.”

Pretty, posh and profitable (FT)
“Even though Jack Wills is a rapidly expanding global business… you could be forgiven for never having come across it before. [The company targets] teens with money… It prides itself on its stealth marketing and its very direct relationship with its consumers.”

Three decades later, Michael Kors’ shows no signs of slowing down (Globe and Mail)
“Optimism is in the spring air, at least as far as the fashion world is concerned. And few manage to encapsulate the current zeitgeist as well as American designer Michael Kors, who’s currently celebrating three successful decades in the business.”

Puma steps into designer sports-gear market (SF Gate)
“PPR is determined to help Puma get a second wind… Rather than focusing on athletic gear targeted at serious sports enthusiasts, the French company envisions a broader universe of consumer goods and apparel that can evoke the sporting lifestyle without all the sweating.”

Anya Hindmarch bags new chief executive (FT)
“Anya Hindmarch, the upmarket British handbag and accessories company that is expanding amid buoyant consumer demand, will on Monday appoint James McArthur, formerly of Gucci and Harrods, as its new chief executive.”

Gathering Photos of Kate Moss (On the Runway)
“Ms. Moss does indeed occupy a unique if not privileged place in the world of model muses… To say that she has endured is not really saying anything about her particular and maybe ultimately elusive quality.”

Tom Ford's Spring/Summer 2011 presentation | Source: Nitrolicious

‘Less Is More’ Is Mattering Most (NY Times)
“‘Why would you want to spend hundreds of thousands on a show when everybody’s on their BlackBerry and the clothes seem secondary… Intimacy, exclusivity and a chance to see the clothes: those are our priorities. We like exposure, but we want a more controlled exposure.’”

Mulberry designer Emma Hill has men’s accessories in the bag (The Australian)
“After a decade-long obsession with women’s ‘it’ bags, could men’s bags become the next powerhouse sellers for luxury brands? The likes of Brioni, Tom Ford and Zegna have recognised… an emerging market for men’s accessories.”

Leading China’s voguish revolution (Telegraph)
“China is shaping commerce, but Asia as a whole is inspiring aesthetics. There has been an ongoing East/West dialogue in fashion since Poiret in the Twenties, but it is again taking hold of the imagination in a manner not seen since the late Eighties.”

Supergroup’s rapid expansion boosts sales (FT)
“The ever-growing popularity of Superdry branded T-shirts, hooded sweatshirts and jackets helped Supergroup nearly double its retail sales in the third quarter. Supergroup, which owns the Superdry… said sales at its retail division grew by 92 per cent to £61.4m.”

Anya Hindmarch announces record year (Telegraph)
“Anya Hindmarch, Britain’s ‘handbag queen’ and one of the Prime Minister’s business ambassadors, has announced record 2010 results for her luxury own name brand, and further growth and expansion in 2011.”