Olivier Zahm by Terry Richardson | Source: purple DIARY

The Future Of Fashion: Olivier Zahm (Style.com)
“The French editor and founder of the twice-yearly independent publication Purple Fashion has many other passions… but in an increasingly conformist world, Zahm offers an original, entertaining, and astute voice.”

Abercrombie Will Keep Discounting (WSJ)
“Abercrombie & Fitch said… it will continue its uncharacteristically high levels of discounting through the spring in order to boost store sales… it is willing to sacrifice margins if necessary to improve sales.”

Burberry accuses TJX of selling counterfeit goods (Reuters)
“Burberry Group… has sued TJX, accusing the operator of the off-price TJ Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods stores of selling counterfeit goods.”

Céline starts from clean slate (Wealth Bulletin)
“After struggling for years to forge an identity, the label is finding influential retailers including Barneys New York, Saks Fifth Avenue and Bergdorf Goodman are clamoring to carry its collection, even as they cut back their portfolios to focus on best sellers.”

Paris: A Rounder Season (NY Times)
“Louis Vuitton seemed to provide the perfect bookend to the Milan-Paris ready-to-wear season… Between Miuccia Prada in Milan and Marc Jacobs at Vuitton we saw the return of the lush, full-hipped woman, her breasts served up like ripe fruit.”

Reiss Autumn/Winter '09 | Source: Reiss

When a Bottom Line Isn’t Just About Profit (New York Times)
“As the fashion industry struggles with a global economic downturn and a rapidly changing consumer landscape, qualities that are at the heart of family and owner/founder businesses, like a consistent vision and a long-term approach, seem to be helping those companies ride out the storm.”

Fashion house Celine says 2009 year of transition (Reuters)
“French fashion house Celine, owned by luxury goods group LVMH, has been holding off opening new stores this year and hopes collections from creative director Phoebe Philo will underpin sales from 2010.”

Jimmy Choo and Inter Parfums Sign a Fragrance License Agreement (Yahoo)
“Inter Parfums, Inc. today announced that its subsidiary, Inter Parfums SA, and Jimmy Choo have signed a 12-year worldwide license agreement commencing on January 1, 2010 for the creation, development and distribution of fragrances under the Jimmy Choo brand.”

Paper Scrapes By In Style (Forbes)
“New York City’s Midtown skyscrapers host some of the biggest names in American media: Hearst, Condé Nast, Time Inc., The New York Times, CBS and News Corp. A dozen blocks south in the Koreatown neighborhood are the offices of Paper, a magazine that endures apart from the mainstream.”

Paris match: Giles Deacon’s tough glamour (Independent)
“British designer Giles Deacon’s brand of tough glamour made him a star of the London catwalks. This week he’s going to show the French capital what he’s made of, he tells Susannah Frankel.”

Céline Resort 2010 by Annie Leibovitz, Courtesy of American Vogue

Fast-Forward Phoebe (Vogue)
“Phoebe Philo always had an uncanny gift for defining exactly what cool women want to wear. Now she’s back, reinventing Céline for a new era.”

LVMH in a recession: The substance of style (The Economist)
“The world’s biggest luxury-goods group is benefiting from a flight to quality, but the recession is also prompting questions about the company’s breadth and balance.”

Cavalli Says ‘Pessimistic’ Stores Turn Off Consumers (Bloomberg)
“Roberto Cavalli, owner of the eponymous Italian fashion house, said department stores are being negative and pessimistic in the economic downturn and risk turning off customers.”

New Cyclist Styles Pedal Their Way Into Paris (WSJ)
“An upright bike beats a tinted-window sedan for showing off an outfit any day. A new generation of cyclists, influenced by icons such as supermodels Elle Macpherson and Agyness Deyn, have turned biking from a sport into a fashion statement. Cycle Chic, a popular blog whose motto is “style over speed,” snaps photos of urban riders in Paris and Copenhagen.”

Luxury goods seen to thrive in Asia despite crisis (Inquirer)
“According to a MasterCard-commissioned report conducted with the ESSEC Business School in Paris, “The Luxury Industry: Lessons Learnt from Past Crises,” luxury brands should take advantage of the economic slump to evolve and diversify their distribution channels.”

Gianfranco Ferre S/S 2009, courtesy of Christopher Moore

IT Holding’s Ittierre Unit to File for Bankruptcy (Bloomberg)
Ittierre, the parent company of Malo and Ferré files for Bankruptcy

Discounting drives January sales (Drapers)
In the UK, deep discounts drove January sales but clothing sales dropped to its lowest rate.

Phoebe Philo is redefining soul of Céline (IHT)
With Phoebe Philo at the helm, “the focus is to redefine the soul of Céline, which started out as a children’s shoe supplier.”

American Eagle Sues Citi Over ARS (WSJ)
“American Eagle Outfitters Inc. sued Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and accused it of fraudulently inducing it to buy $258 million worth of auction rate securities.”

Twitter Speeds Up Fashion Trends (Consuming PR)
“Now, with the use of twitter, fashionistas everywhere can consume fashion 24/7.”