L-R Céline, Hermès, Haider Ackermann S/S 2012 | Source: Style.com

On Paris Catwalks, Emotion Recollected in Tranquility (IHT)
“The post-power woman — purposeful but never aggressive — dug to the depths of women’s desires at Céline on Sunday. You could tell that the designer Phoebe Philo had put much of herself in the spring/summer 2012 collection because she was shaking with emotion backstage. ‘Strength and womanhood, effortless and beautiful,’ Ms. Philo said to sum up a collection that took her forward from her previous style, but only as a streamlined car purring ahead on the same route.”

Mall Kids Take Paris (NY Times)
“Only in the spontaneous, high-energy environment of Opening Ceremony, the retail temple dedicated to of-this-moment street style that started on Howard Street in New York nearly a decade ago, does it make any kind of sense that a pair of self-proclaimed mall kids from the suburbs of Los Angeles would wind up at the design helm of a Parisian fashion house.”

Hermès says buying power of luxury clients unchanged (Reuters)
“French luxury goods maker Hermès sees no sign yet of affluent buyers tightening their purse strings in spite of a somber global economic outlook… Hermès, known for its 10,000-euro Kelly handbags, joins the chorus of luxury brands such as Dior, Louis Vuitton and Lanvin that said recently trading remained buoyant even if consumer confidence was down.”

Fung Brands buys Belgian bags (FT)
“Fung Brands Limited, the private luxury investment arm of Fung Capital Europe, has bought Delvaux, the Belgium equivalent of Hermes. This follows Fung Brands April purchase of Robert Clergerie, the famous French shoe maker that had almost faded from view.”

Mario Testino at 30 Years (NY Times)
“In 30 years of fashion photography, he has captured in images the hectic glamour of beach life in Rio de Janeiro or the disciplined enthusiasm of the Horse Guards for the royal wedding last April. For that historic occasion, he was not only behind the lens to create an iconic image of a cuddly “Wills and Kate” before the event, but was also highlighted on camera at Westminster Abbey for his fame as a household name.”

Peter Marino | Source: Peter Marino Architect

The fashion industry depends heavily on a wide variety of creatives apart from just fashion designers. In our new series, The Creative Class, BoF highlights success stories, insights and advice from the most talented creatives working in fashion today.

NEW YORK, United States — “Dude, it’s ninety-five percent hard work!” the black leather-clad Peter Marino told BoF on his rise to the position of luxury fashion’s most influential architect. And work hard he has. Since founding his own architecture firm in New York in 1978, Mr. Marino has designed many of the world’s most forward-thinking retail temples, redefined the luxury flagship experience and established a decades-long tenure as the “go-to guy” for powerhouse firms like Chanel and LVMH.

“My first commissions were from Andy Warhol, Yves Saint Laurent and the Agnelli family,” said Mr. Marino. “Then the fashion world took notice. I started doing retail in the 80’s when Fred Pressman hired me to revitalise Barneys, which was then a sleepy men’s store. We introduced a really novel concept — no one had ever seen anything like it before.”

It was while working for Barneys that Mr. Marino met many of the world’s leading fashion designers: Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Giorgio Armani, Azzedine Alaïa, Miuccia Prada. “I worked with every single one of those designers to bring their boutiques into Barneys, which was tough, because we wanted a very cool and hip look for Barneys, yet I had to keep the designers happy,” he said. “Somehow, I was able to do that, so I got into it as a career.”

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Beyoncé photographed by Ellen Von Unwerth | Source: IHT

For Her New Look, Beyoncé Goes Under the Radar (IHT)
“The difference, this time, is in her choice of designers. Instead of sticking to major fashion houses like Versace, Gucci, Prada or Chanel, the singer has thrown the spotlight on a number of up-and-coming designers whose names are likely to be unfamiliar to all but the most diehard fashion followers.”

Luxury group Hermes raises 2011 sales forecast (Reuters)
“Hermes raised its full-year revenue forecast on Tuesday as growing demand for its silk scarves, fashion accessories and leather bags showed no sign of slowing despite a foggy economic outlook… After what it described as a “better-than-expected performance” in the second quarter.”

Do star designers really exist? (FT)
“… In fashion you are only as good as your last collection, no matter how famous you are. We need to remember this is a product-based industry, and in the end, it’s the products that matter… This is fashion. It’s not rocket science, and it’s not Hollywood either.”

Fashion Titles Chart Modest Gains for September Issues (Ad Week)
“If fashion monthlies binged on ad pages in 2007, only to go on a crash diet, moderation could be the watchword of 2011. That’s the sense from the titles as they close their all-important September issues, where advertisers spend big to showcase their fall fashions, and give an indication of their appetite for spending going forward.”

Phoebe Philo: The British fashion designer who’s leading the pack (Independent)
“…Celine, the French fashion label she took over in 2008 in a blaze of publicity, and transformed into a global phenomenon almost overnight… just a little over two years after Philo’s arrival, the Celine look is already instantly identifiable.”

Stella McCartney Spring 2011 Look Book | Source: Stella McCartney

Women Designers and the Quiet Revolution (Guardian Weekend)
“From Phoebe Philo at Céline to Stella McCartney to Hannah MacGibbon at Chloé, women designers are at the forefront of fashion right now… When women design clothes for women, they do it differently. For women, clothes are not just seen, they are felt from the inside.”

Luxury stores caught out by surge in demand (FT)
“[Louis Vuitton] is not the only luxury goods company to have been caught unawares by the strength of demand after last year’s slump. Chanel has pushed up the price of its classic quilted leather bags by 20%… while Salvatore Ferragamo says sales have risen by 20% since June.”

Optimistic Feelings as Rich Buyers Return (Reuters)
“Optimism is in the air at fashion houses Christian Dior and Lanvin… Consumption is back in Europe… and the market has picked up again in Russia. There was a time when our affluent clients did not want to spend, but now it is over.”

Luxury brands must allocate more budget to online advertising (Luxury Daily)
“Luxury brands must invest much more heavily in online advertising or find themselves out of touch with the young consumers who might be their biggest clients in the coming decades.”

Call It a Victory for Maturity (NY Times)
“It’s worth keeping in mind that Azzedine Alaïa and Karl Lagerfeld are doing some of their best work past age 70… Indeed, maturity in fashion, as Hussein Chalayan suggested, ‘is knowing exactly what you need and doing it really well.’”