Left: Mary Katrantzou’s ‘Jewel Tree’ dress, Right: A look from Christopher Raeburn S/S 2012 | Source: Style.com

LONDON, United Kingdom — Luxury casualwear and demi-couture don’t appear to have much in common. You can’t get much further from a hand-embellished crystal crinoline dress than a silk jersey t-shirt or a sporty windbreaker. But in recent seasons, many of fashion’s brightest young talents have been gravitating towards one extreme or the other. Labels like Alexander Wang, The Row and Christopher Raeburn have struck a chord with their easy, upscale styles, while the likes of Mary Katrantzou, David Koma, Rodarte and Jason Wu have attracted a healthy stream of high-end clientele with hand-worked looks that border on couture.

“This gravitating to extremes is a reflection on the way that today’s luxury-wearing women are dressing,” said Ruth Runberg, buying director at Browns, the influential London-based fashion boutique. “Very few are still living every hour of every day in a designer skirtsuit with matching heels and handbag — it is simply too formal and too stiff to be modern,” she continued. “While this client may still demand from designers the more special, high-design pieces for certain times, she also has a need for clothes to wear when she doesn’t need to be ‘dressed.’”

The rise of the dressed-down day-to-day look is also a clear response to the troubled economy. “When the recession hit, we saw demand grow exponentially for designers offering this cooler, more casual luxury look — The Row, Alexander Wang, ACNE,” said Runberg. “Generally, very formal dressing felt appropriate or tasteful at fewer and fewer occasions in the wake of the financial crisis.” But for those occasions when women do need a fancy frock, they are increasingly requesting only the most exquisite, intricate pieces, she explained. “In response to this shift in demand, young designers have gone the direction of offering their clients either very special demi-couture or luxury casualwear.”

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Barneys' new team photographed by Jason Schmidt | Source: NY Magazine

Barneys’ Fall Line (NY Magazine)
“Like many of its clients, Barneys has had its ups, its downs, and its great many in-betweens, and it is, at right this very moment, engaged in that most New York of pursuits: a reinvention… Last summer, Mark Lee was hired as Barneys’ new CEO. His reputation is as golden as it gets in the fashion world: He’s spent his career in Europe occupying high-level positions at important fashion houses—­Armani, Yves Saint Laurent, and, most recently, Gucci.”

On the Phone: M-Commerce Is the Word (WWD)
“… Along comes m-commerce, capturing sales on the go. It’s quickly becoming a digital priority for the fashion industry, and accessories are rising as a hot category… Net-a-Porter’s accessories buying manager, Sasha Sarokin, reports that with m-commerce, more ‘everyday’ and ‘wear-now’ accessories, like friendship bracelets or small pendant necklaces, are big sellers. Higher-ticket items sell as well, particularly those that pack a strong photographic punch.”

Saks says market turmoil warrants caution (Reuters)
“Luxury department store operator Saks Inc forecast same-store sales growth and better margins for the rest of the year even as the volatile financial markets give it reason to be cautious about fall sales.Shares were down 28 cents, or 3.1 percent, at $8.79 in morning trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Stock market volatility has made the company more careful about expenses and how much inventory to carry to be prepared in the event shoppers cut back.”

J. Crew finally treks to Canada (Calgary Herald)
“After being sought out for years by Canadians as a favoured cross-border shopping destination, J. Crew is set to open its first set of fashionable doors in Canada in less than a week…J. Crew’s marketing, which is handled internally, has evolved over the years from a catalogue-driven business into an evolving social-media force.”

RISE: Lisoka (Dazed Digital)
“Lisoka is the creation of Swedish menswear designer Lisa Våglund. Having graduated with a Master’s degree from the prestigious Danish Design School in Copenhagen, she went on to start her own fashion line of clothes with an eco-consciousness… A dream would be to work for a brand like Raf Simons or Kris Van Assche.”

Royal Wedding Official Photo | Source: Royal Wedding

The Business Impact of the Royal Wedding (WWD)
“Dressing Catherine Middleton for the royal wedding has catapulted the house of Alexander McQueen from niche designer business into household name, giving management the delicate task of balancing its exclusive reputation with the wider commercial potential now within its grasp.”

Websites blur line between telling and selling (FT)
“A new wave of US e-commerce companies with increasingly editorial leanings is blurring the line between content and commerce, and causing publishers to reassess their own relationships with commercialism.”

Barneys New York tests foreign waters with ecommerce expansion (Luxury Daily)
“Department store Barneys New York is boosting its ecommerce line of attack by offering online shopping and shipping to approximately 90 countries… Although this will undoubtedly move product and rocket sales for the brand, there are still some major facets to consider when expanding worldwide.”

Luxottica sees bright 2011 after strong Q1 (Reuters)
“Luxottica the world’s largest premium eyewear group, is looking to a positive 2011 after a strong start to the year in North America and key emerging markets, echoing optimism among luxury peers.”

20 Odd Questions: Nicola Bulgari (WSJ)
“Despite the changes ahead for the 127-year-old firm, Mr. Bulgari insists the brand’s DNA will remain the same. ‘Our family is not going anywhere… There is a uniqueness and continuity of design that guides everything we do—from jewelry and watches to fragrance and apparel.’”

Thierry Mugler Autumn/Winter 2011 show | Source: Youtube

At Mugler, Genius and Its Limits (NY Times)
“Mr. Formichetti’s show was not a work of genius, but it was a show about genius in the present moment — its limits, its futility. If Paris couture is about history, craft and masters, the new Mugler is about nonspecialists, quick communication and downgrading the role of technique and craft, at least in the heavy, earnest sense.”

Carine’s Next Step (Vogue UK)
“Carine Roitfeld has finally confirmed her next move post-French Vogue – the former editor is teaming up with Barneys to become the store’s guest editor and stylist for autumn/winter 2011-12. Roitfeld will style and edit the American store’s advertising campaign (photographed by Mario Sorrenti), catalogue, newsletters, as well as the Madison Avenue windows.”

Dolce and Gabbana May Face a Criminal Trial (NY Times)
“Accused of defrauding the Italian revenue agency and failing to pay taxes on more than $1 billion in income, they are expected to be told… whether prosecutors have gathered enough evidence to warrant a criminal trial. So far, the case has generated remarkably little fanfare in Italy, a country where tax evasion is regarded by many people, including some in the fashion world, as a national sport.”

A Tribute to Elizabeth Taylor: Fashion Icon (The Cut)
“When it came to style, Elizabeth Taylor was fearless. The diamonds, the hair, the cleavage: She rocked it out everywhere she went. In her younger days, she favored plunging necklines with straps poised to slip off her shoulders, her hair like a dark cloud around her thickly made-up eyes.”

F(AA)shion Dialogues (Dazed Digital)
“In this search for fresh approaches some fashion designers developed collaborations with architects… Trying to explore the new possibilities offered by fashion and architecture, the Architectural Association School launched the ‘F(AA)shion’ workshop, an intensive design-based programme of lectures.”

McQ video, posted on Vimeo, shared on Tumblr | Source: McQ

Why Fashion’s Top Brands Are Flocking to Tumblr (Mashable)
“According to Tumblr… approximately 180 of the top 1,000 Tumblr blogs are fashion-related. And fashion-related Tumblr posts are reblogged on a much greater scale than general Tumblr posts… suggesting that ‘there’s a huge capacity for fashion content to go viral on Tumblr.’”

Manish Arora Confirmed as Paco Rabanne Creative Director (Fashionologie)
“Manish Arora is the new creative director of Paco Rabanne, and will show his first collection for the label in October during Paris Fashion Week — for Spring 2012. He will also continue his colorful signature collection, which is also shown in Paris but sells mostly in his native India.”

Barneys’ New Chief Explains Those Changes (On the Runway)
“Mr. Lee stressed that his mission for the luxury retailer was to make it surprising and dynamic. ‘But,’ he added, ‘there’s never going to be a day when we say ‘ta-da’ and drop the curtain.’ The changes will be a work-in-progress over the next few years, he said.”

Arnault offers olive branch to Hermès (Reuters)
“Arnault struck a conciliatory note on Friday, arguing LVMH was best positioned to ensure the long-term survival of Hermès’ culture and business. ‘We can bring them a number of advantages both strategically and operationally without anything in return other than our presence as a shareholder.’”

Lunch with Natalie Massenet (FT)
“Net-a-Porter looks a lot like a glossy online fashion magazine but Mr Porter is largely black and white; more tabloid in tone; more vertically oriented; and features real men, role models who can also be style models, such as actor Steve McQueen and hotelier Andre Balazs, as well as lists of “essentials” every man needs.”