Escada ad in Berlin

Escada in talks with insolvency experts (Drapers)
“German womenswear brand Escada may cease to trade as it teeters on the brink of insolvency, according to its chairman Bruno Saelzer.”

Sales ring the alarm on what defines luxury (Gulf News)
“Inventory-driven business models now rule much of the high street apparel on offer. But the heavily discounted sales across town come to an abrupt end when you stumble upon the highest-end shops.”

Cartier courts next generation (AP)
“Christian Dior, Hermes, Lalique, Louis Vuitton and sunglass maker Luxottica also participated in The Design and Marketing of Luxury Goods, a joint interdisciplinary course at Columbia Business School and Parsons The New School for Design. Students had access to top company executives, scoped out the competition and rated the overall customer experience.”

Seoul emerges as new hub of luxury business (Korea Herald)
“Korean companies have recently been rushing to link up with foreign luxury brands in order to attact the kind of customers who love to show off expensive products with prestigious logos. The local retail market has no exception, with foreign luxury houses quickly expanding business and introducing high-end culture from the West.”

Retail sales rise 1.4% in June (Drapers)
“Like-for-like retail sales rose 1.4% in June when fashion sales were boosted by the hot sunny weather and high street discounting.”

Chanel Haute Couture show, courtesy of The New York Times

Chanel, Now and Then (New York Times)
Cathy Horyn discusses the future of Chanel with Karl Lagerfeld.

Louis Vuitton, Cartier Are Preferred by Chinese, Survey Shows (Bloomberg)
“Louis Vuitton and Cartier are the top choices of Chinese consumers for purchases as their thirst for luxury goods remains unabated in the global economic crisis, a survey commissioned by Ruder Finn Asia showed.”

Sir Philip Green cautious on autumn trading (Drapers)
“Arcadia owner Sir Philip Green is cautious about trading in the final quarter of 2009 and is concerned about how shoppers will react to price increases this autumn.”

Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci a/w 09/10 collection (Telegraph)
“A light breeze whipped away the billowing black and white chiffon robes and Arabic headgear, revealing gilded, jewelled armour and crowns, at the Givenchy haute couture collection for autumn/winter 2009/10 in Paris this afternoon.”

E-retailers find big brands hard to touch (FT)
“Anyone with a computer and something to sell, they said, had a good shot at taking market share away from the big brands. But progress has been slow and the reality is proving a little different.”

Prada S/S 09 Ad campaign, courtesy of Prada

Prada lays foundations for future growth (Financial Times)
“Prada, the privately owned Italian fashion house, reported on Tuesday a 22 per cent fall in net profit for 2008 of €99m and sought to position itself for growth when the global economic crisis eases.”

Cartier cuts working hours as demand dwindles (Reuters)
“Richemont, the world’s second-largest luxury goods group behind LVMH, is cutting working hours at its main Cartier factory as the economic slowdown dampens demand for pricey timepieces.”

Gap to debut online via ASOS (Drapers)
“Gap will make its online debut in the UK via young fashion website ASOS this august.”

Missoni Store Debuts in London (WWD)
“Missoni is continuing its retail push, opening its first stand-alone store here as well as a unit in Casablanca, Morocco.” (Subscription required)

Ballantyne appoints chairman (Drapers)
“Premium knitwear brand Ballantyne has appointed Giacomo Canessa as Chairman.”

Lanvin's London store, courtesy of FashionIndie

The New Lanvin Store Opens In London (Fashion Indie)
Lanvin, the uber luxe womenswear line designed by Alber Elbaz, opens a new store London store.

A marriage made in marble: Fashion local and global (IHT)
In Delhi, “the Emporio Mall is an Indian temple to haute luxury.”

US newspaper crisis deepens (FT)
The New York Times and the Washington Post are in deep cost-cutting mode.

Cartier Launches its Biggest Boutique in Middle East (Khaleej Times)
The massive store in the “upscale Dubai Mall testifies to Cartier’s confidence that chilly economic winds will not deter well-heeled residents and visitors to Dubai from buying its jewelry, watches, handbags and other high-end merchandise.”