Betsey Johnson | Source: The Plaza

Betsey Johnson Declares Bankruptcy (Forbes)
“A spokesperson at Betsey Johnson has confirmed that the 34-year-old fashion line has filed for bankruptcy protection. The filing will likely result in the dismissal of 350 employees and the closure of most of the brand’s 63 stores.”

Chanel sticks to being creative (Daily Yomiuri)
“In the 64th installment in a series on the world’s high-end brands, Bruno Pavlovsky, Chanel’s chairman of fashion, told The Yomiuri Shimbun about what makes the brand special and the prospects for the Japanese market.”

Kate Spade lifts Liz Claiborne’s sales (Reuters)
“Liz Claiborne Inc on Thursday reported stronger-than-expected quarterly sales on big gains at its kate spade high-end brand and as declines moderated at its biggest brand of Juicy Couture.”

Bailey’s Burberry Reigns in Tapei (Evening Standard)
“Billion-pound brand Burberry took the fashion world into a new dimension last night as it unveiled its new flagship store in Tapei.”

Cool to be Sewell (Sydney Morning Herald)
“Yasmin Sewell is cool. Every tiny bit of her. She’s one of those effortlessly chic women that’s impossible not to notice. The kind that makes a printed shirt and kitten heels look perfect even on a chilly morning in downtown Sydney.”

Louis Vuitton store Dublin | Source: Bloomberg

LVMH First-Quarter Sales Top Estimates, Defying Slowdown (Bloomberg)
“LVMH, the world’s largest maker of luxury goods, reported first- quarter sales that beat analysts’ estimates as demand for its products accelerated, defying an “uncertain” European economy.”

Trench warfare: Burberry vs Aquascutum (Independent)
“Two of Britain’s most well-known fashion labels found themselves at rather different ends of the spectrum yesterday, as international megabrand Burberry announced a rise of 17.1 per cent in its revenues, while Aquascutum – whose apparel once warmed the burly shoulders of Winston Churchill – has entered administration.”

Fashion houses ’need to clean up their act’ (China Daily)
“Some top brand names may be contracting river polluters as suppliers, reports Li Jing in Beijing. The fashion industry is no longer as glamorous as it may appear and by wearing a pair of jeans you may have contributed to the pollution of China’s rivers.”

Toms Shoes: a Doomed Vanity Project? (Forbes)
“You buy a shoe from Toms, they give a shoe for charity. That’s a flawed, morally obtuse business model if you’ve ever heard one, right? Actually, no — you probably think pretty highly of Toms if you think of them at all.”

Exploring the Grace in Lace (IHT)
“Only after Kate Middleton walked down the aisle to marry Prince William… were the skills of the Royal School of Needlework on display — as appliqués of lace, especially on the bodice of the sculpted dress. Since then, there has been a fashion frenzy for lace, but not so much the peekaboo, lingerie styles redolent of the boudoir and focusing on flesh.”

Aquascutum Autumn/Winter 2010 | Source: Rag Pony

Aquascutum collapses into administration (FT)
“Aquascutum has collapsed into administration, putting about 250 jobs at risk and threatening the possible demise of a classic British clothing brand. FRP Advisory has been appointed administrator to the 160-year-old company, owned by fashion entrepreneur Harold Tillman.”

TA Associates fashions 30 per cent deal for Zadig & Voltaire (AltAssets)
“The US-based firm’s purchase would value the company at about €380m according to sources which spoke to France’s Le Figaro newspaper. TA, which generally focuses on technology, finance and business services, healthcare and consumer industries, already has British lifestyle brand Cath Kidston in its portfolio following a 2010 deal.”

Burberry ‘Vigilant’ as Fourth-Quarter Sales Trail Estimates (Bloomberg)
“Burberry Group Plc, the U.K.’s largest luxury-goods maker, reported fiscal fourth-quarter sales that trailed analysts’ estimates and said it remains vigilant as growth slows in Europe. Revenue from continuing operations rose 16 percent to 453 million pounds ($719 million) in the three months ended March 31, the London-based company said today in a statement.”

Hugo Boss Plays Catch-Up in China (BusinessWeek)
“Even though it’s the world’s hottest market, especially for luxury goods, China offers no guarantees. Just ask Hugo Boss. The German luxury clothing maker began selling its apparel through franchisees or by wholesaling goods to independent retailers in Hong Kong as early as 1982, but it didn’t open its first company-run stores in China until 2006, 15 years after Italian suitmaker Ermenegildo Zegna.”

Marchesa Said To Be Launching Contemporary Line (Fashionista)
“Marchesa may soon fall somewhere within a normal person’s range of affordability…  WWD says that LF USA, the U.S. subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Li & Fung (and the same company currently reviving contemporary label Vena Cava), is ‘said to be in talks with Marchesa about the launch of a new contemporary line’ and ‘an announcement could be imminent.’”

Burberry Autumn/Winter 2012 | Source: Showmoda

London fashion week showcases the best of British (Guardian)
“This week Stella McCartney and Sarah Burton arrived on a catwalk previously ruled by Burberry and Christopher Kane, and yet it felt more like a celebration than a contest, because the strongest brand in London fashion is London itself.”

UK manufacturing skills a lure for luxury brands (Reuters)
“Britain’s fashion manufacturing is experiencing a revival as luxury brands clamour to have their products made in a country known for its quality craftsmanship, heritage and history.”

Saks beats quarterly profit estimates (Reuters)
“Saks Inc reported a higher-than-expected quarterly profit helped by strong online sales, and forecast sales growth at its established luxury department stores, sending shares up 3 percent before the markets opened.”

Editing as a Brand Investment (NY Times)
“Brand-financed magazines — not glorified catalogs or vanity glossies but serious niche publications with top-notch editors and contributors — became something of a fad during the last decade. Now, in a tense business atmosphere where every cent is guarded, some fashion businesses say the publications (and their new online versions) have been excellent marketing investments.”

The Future of Prints Is-Bright (NY Times)
“For something as blindingly conspicuous as the brave, bold print, it certainly has enjoyed a long run on the catwalks over the past 10 years. Such stamina is pretty remarkable considering fashion’s notoriously fickle nature and ever-shortening attention span.”

Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Proenza Schouler A/W 2012 | Source: Style.com

Saluting Nobility, Tweeds and All (NY Times)
“Oh, Mr. Lauren, you do amaze as you entertain. But seriously, you could not have been a better costume designer — as much as you love the movies — than you are an exceedingly good fashion designer. You may not have an ironic bone in your body, despite what your colleagues tell you, but you have the virtue, and indeed it is a great virtue, of being an earnest American.”

New Rich Fuel Luxury Boom (WSJ)
“The world’s biggest luxury-goods purveyors are coming off a blockbuster 2011 with even more confidence for this year as emerging markets power seemingly relentless demand. Global leader LVMH reported 20% sales growth for the last quarter of the year. Gucci owner PPR continued in the same vein with a 22% increase in its luxury division, reported Thursday.”

LVMH private equity eyes Asia fund over $1 bln (Reuters)
“ L Capital Asia, the private equity arm of the world’s biggest luxury goods group LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, could begin raising a new fund of more than $1 billion this year, as competition from Western brands creates opportunities to invest in Chinese retailers, its top executive said.”

World stage beckons Indian designers (Reuters)
“A little more than a decade after India held its first fashion week, its fledgling industry is trying to break into the international market. But more than 80 percent of buyers are still from home, where disposable income has soared.”

Burberry Launches Scholarship With London School (WWD)
“Burberry has launched a new scholarship program with London’s Royal College of Art, the school said Tuesday. The Burberry Design Scholarship will provide the full two-year tuition costs for a number of RCA master’s students over a ten-year period, for a total of 25 MA students.”