Fern Mallis and Calvin Klein by John Calabrese | Source: WWD

The House That Calvin Klein Built (WWD)
“Omnipresent as Calvin Klein is throughout the world, the man behind the brand has a reputation for being anything but that… Yet during a rare public tête-à-tête with Fern Mallis Monday night, the designer opened up… No subject seemed to be too personal for the 68-year-old Klein, who appeared relaxed and affable throughout the interview — his first at 92Y in 12 years.”

Flash sales pioneer Vente-Privee targets U.S. (Reuters)
“Vente-Privee, the French start-up that pioneered the now much-imitated model of on-line flash sales, plans to launch its U.S. website by mid-November in partnership with American Express and aims to reach $500 million in sales in the ultra-competitive market in the next five years.”

A Site for Do-Gooders Who Want to Look Good, Too (WSJ)
“Move over, Gilt and Net-A-Porter. These innovators in selling high fashion online are being joined today by Community Collection – a new web company that is marrying several post-financial-crisis cultural phenomenon into one url:  People who want to donate to good causes, can do so by buying fashion online.”

Luxury retailers eye “bleak to chic” east London (Reuters)
“Shoreditch is set to be home to a “mini Bond Street” as luxury fashion houses Christian Louboutin, Ralph Lauren and Vivienne Westwood home in on London’s east end, setting the stage for a possible doubling of rents over five years. The three fashion houses, which have sites in high-end areas of London’s traditional West End shopping district, are among luxury retailers targeting the once down-at-heel Shoreditch to capitalise on its edgy image, lower rents and increasingly affluent population”

Birth of a Salesman (WSJ)
“In the summer of 1994, Mr. Bezos quit his job in New York as a vice president at the financial-services firm D.E. Shaw… Moved to Seattle to take advantage of the explosive growth of the Internet and to start Amazon… Mr. Bezos’s unusual management style began to develop. He’s not always a “nice” CEO. He can inspire and cajole but also irritate and berate. He can see the big picture—and micromanage to distraction. He’s quirky, brilliant and demanding.”

Alexander McQueen Spring/Summer 2011 Runway | Source: Style.com

Sarah Burton steals the show in Paris (Guardian)
“It was undoubtedly the most anticipated debut at Paris fashion week… In an extraordinarily beautiful show, Burton succeeded in both being faithful to the late designer’s distinctive design ethos while taking the label into a new era.”

In Bloom: Miu Miu Comes of Age (WSJ)
“After living in Prada’s shadow for years, the label is finding that its moves to carve out an independent identity have paid off… [Sales at Miu Miu] have more than doubled in the past four years.”

Prada considers listing in Hong Kong (FT)
“People familiar with Prada say in a buoyant market it could be worth €5bn to €6bn. A decision on a listing, which could involve the issue of new shares, is expected to be taken by the end of the year.”

Warnaco Group acquires Italian retail network (Just Style)
“The Warnaco Group, has acquired twenty-two Calvin Klein Jeans retail stores and related assets from its largest Italian franchise partner, L’Innominato S.p.A, a part of the Percassi Group.”

‘Real women’ elbow girls off the catwalks (AFP)
“Designers no longer want to show underage girls who are not yet women… There is a move back towards mature, confident women, who are afraid of nothing and who are comfortable in what they are wearing.”

Marks & Spencer, photo courtesy of the Sun UK.

Marks & Spencer to Cut 1,230 Jobs (WWD)
Marks & Spencer’s chairman expects its “gross profit margin to be 1.75 percentage points lower than the previous year,” and plans to cut 1,230 jobs.

New Year, bad news (Just Style)
The “disastrous holiday sales will spark a domino effect of store closures and bankruptcy filings over the next couple of months.”

Calvin Klein, Michael Kors Confirmed For New York Fashion Week (WSJ)
Not everyone is bowing out of fashion week as IMG confirms the shows of Calvin Klein and Donna Karan.

Iconix’s New Latin America Joint Venture (WSJ)
Iconix, which owns Candies and Badgley Mischka, will distribute its brands to Latin America in a joint effort with New Brands Americas LLC.