Miu Miu Autumn/Winter 2011 photographed by Bruce Weber | Source: Miu Miu

Prada Woos Young Chinese With Edgier Sister-Brand (WSJ)
“Aiming to cash in on China’s bulging population of young fashion-lovers, Prada is turning its focus in the Chinese market to its… Sister-brand… Miu Miu has struck a chord with China’s young luxury shoppers… Who… Don’t remember the era in which the brand was overshadowed by the Prada label.”

Global growth drives ASOS sales (FT)
“Online fashion retailer Asos intends to make free global shipping a “permanent” part of its business model, after international sales growth fuelled a 63 per cent jump in sales in the first quarter to £107m… International sales grew 160 per cent… And now make up 57 per cent of overall sales.”

Hugo Boss raises outlook on China, U.S. demand (Reuters)
“German fashion house Hugo Boss raised its outlook for the year, boosted by growing sales in China and the United States…  The group, known for its sharp suits for men, said it now expected 2011 sales to rise by between 15 and 17 percent and underlying earnings to rise by 25 and 30 percent.”

Yves Saint Laurent Defends Its Red Soles Against Christian Louboutin (The Cut)
“Yves Saint Laurent, Inc.’s lawyers issued a… response to Christian Louboutin’s trademark-infringement charges this week, stating first… That no one can prove that YSL’s use of red soles hurt Louboutin’s sales or caused any consumer confusion… They argued that Louboutin never should have gotten a trademark for those red soles.”

In Berlin, Rocking the Fashion Trade Fair (IHT)
“A person stumbling into this spectacle… could easily mistake it for an artsy free-for-all in Berlin… Yet that is precisely what makes Bread & Butter, among the world’s most important urban and street fashion trade fairs… Held this year… It drew 100,000 visitors and 600 brands like Adidas, Diesel and G-Star”

Valentino S/S 09 ad campaign, courtesy of Valentino

Valentino hits Permira’s pockets (FT)
“Private equity’s costliest excursion on to the catwalk risks turning into a flop as Permira, the UK buy-out house, nears completion of talks with lenders to Valentino, the Italian fashion house, about renegotiating its €2.5bn (£2.1bn) debt.”

Bread & Butter anticipation mounts (Drapers)
“Karl-Heinz Muller, the organiser of young fashion trade show Bread & Butter, is expecting more than 80,000 people to descend on the fair’s new location of Tempelhof Airport in Berlin, when the three-day event opens tomorrow.”

From Paris | Chic of Araby (The Moment)
Western style borrows from the Arabian peninsula as “washed linen and light cottons in multiple layers worn over floppy pants,” make it onto the runway.

Expert Advises on Creating A Korean Luxury Brand (Korean Times)
“Luxury brands, from Louis Vuitton to Gucci to Chanel have entranced the whole world, including Korea. But many are wondering why Asia, in particular Korea, has not yet produced its own globally known luxury brand.”

Craft Punk exhibit in Miami, courtesy of Fendi

Why Luxury needs a recession (Business 24-7)
“Michael Burke, President and CEO of Italian fashion house Fendi, has always maintained that luxury should not be affordable. ‘It cannot be, it shouldn’t be for everybody,’ he insists. ‘The way the products are made, the quality and the works… luxury is not for instantaneous gratification. One should aspire for it.’”

Distinctive Men’s Styles From Some ‘Little Brothers’ (New York Times)
“The final day of the spring 2010 menswear collections in Milan spotlighted many of the secondary lines of some of the biggest names in fashion, collections generally perceived to be the sportier, more rebellious young brothers to the high-end lines. But rather than looking like second-class fashion citizens, these shows were collectively strong, with distinctive messages that pushed them out of the shadows of their big brothers’ broad shoulders.”

Clements Ribeiro return to London Fashion Week (Drapers)
“Design duo Clements Ribeiro will return to the London Fashion Week schedule this September after a four year break.”

Protests threaten launch of Bread & Butter Berlin (Drapers)
“Protesters who operate under the banner ‘Rescue Tempelhof’ are campaigning for the disused airport, which will host B&B next week, to be registered as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site and do not want it used as a trade show venue.”