Seibu Yurakucho | Source: theworldmodspb

Seven & I to Shut Seibu Department Store on Sales (Bloomberg)
“Seven & I Holdings Co., Japan’s largest retailer, will shut a Seibu outlet on Dec. 25, its third department-store closure in two years as demand slumps for clothes and luxury goods… Department store operators Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings Ltd. and J. Front Retailing Co. have also shut stores amid falling wages and rising job losses.”

U.S. consumer confidence rises to 16-month high (Market Watch)
“A little more optimism about the current economic climate sent the U.S. consumer confidence index to a 16-month high in January, according to a survey released Tuesday by the Conference Board.”

German fashion trade shows gaining momentum (Independent)
“Berlin-based fashion trade events Premium and Bread & Butter, running concurrently to Berlin Fashion Week January 20 – 23, recorded a rise in visitor figures, leaving organizers in a euphoric mood.”

Royal spin set to get wool back in fashion (Herald)
“Yesterday Prince Charles lent his support to the cause at the launch of The Wool Project, which aims to bring the fashion, carpet and textile industries together to increase demand for wool and raise its worth to upland farmers.”

Chanel and Armani, Under the Silvery Moon (IHT)
“Like a box of macaroons projected into cyberspace, the Chanel show on Tuesday played soft and citrus pastels against streamlined silver to make a strangely beautiful show.”

“Vol de Jour” by Karl Lagerfeld | Source: Chanel.com

NEW YORK, United States — In recent seasons, while a deep economic downturn has threatened the long-term survival of many magazines, a number of major fashion brands have been creating their own editorial content, and perhaps no brand has done more of this than Chanel. Back in November, Olivier Zahm posted an image of several layouts from 31 Rue Cambon, announcing “the first Chanel magazine which I have art directed and designed for Karl Lagerfeld, to be distributed worldwide in all the Chanel stores.”

But whereas 31 rue Cambon will be a print publication, Chanel’s real content focus has been in the digital space, harnessing Karl Lagerfeld himself to create increasing volumes of original content for digital distribution, especially around the brand’s showcase “Métiers d’Art” collections, which underscore Chanel’s unique commitment to the traditional Parisian ateliers the firm acquired in 2002 — costume jewellers Desrues, embroiderers Lesage, milliners Michel, feather-makers Lemarié, cobblers Massaro, floral designers Guillet, and silversmiths Goosens — a strategic point of differentiation.

Having created runway videos, a silent film and short video teasers to accompany their Paris-Moscou Pre-Fall 2009 and Paris-Venice Resort 2009-2010 “Métiers d’Art” collections, Chanel recently launched a longer-format film and a full runway video for their Paris-Shanghai Pre-Fall 2010 collection. To accompany Paris-Shanghai, Mr. Lagerfeld has also been posting a series of behind the scenes video diaries documenting his design process, as well as fittings with models and the making of advertising campaigns, all released via YouTube and the Chanel News section of the brand’s website.

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Boss Black by Peter Lindbergh | Source: Hugo Boss

Permira to keep Hugo Boss, ProSieben for years (Reuters)
“Permira doesn’t plan to exit from media company ProSiebenSat.1 and fashion label Hugo Boss for a couple of years, the German head of the private equity company told Reuters.”

Chanel wins counterfeit case but is forced to pay damages (Telegraph)
“A seamstress who took Chanel to court for stealing her small firm’s crochet pattern has lost her counterfeit case but the famous fashion house was ordered to pay 400,000 euros for breach of contract.”

Do These Vuitton Ads Stretch Too Far? (Business Week)
“Instead of sexy models flaunting handbags and lots of skin, Louis Vuitton’s current ad campaign features Vermeer-inspired images of demure young women hand-finishing purses and wallets at a workshop table… There’s just one tiny detail missing. Hardly any Vuitton bags or wallets are handmade.”

Luxury shoppers still spending, but shelling out less (Los Angeles Times)
“The recession’s end hasn’t reached Rodeo Drive, where salesclerks can at times outnumber customers. But many stores are better prepared than last year, with leaner inventories and lower-priced goods.”

Retailers expect steady Christmas trading (Drapers)
“Every retailer surveyed in the British Retail Consortium’s Christmas Trading Snapshot Survey agreed that this year’s Christmas trading period would be at least as good as 2008.”

Escada Store, Berlin | Source: Luxuo

Megha Mittal to buy luxury fashion house Escada (Reuters)
“‘Today the insolvency administrator of ESCADA AG signed a sale and transfer agreement with one of the Mittal Family Trusts,’ the company said in a statement late on Thursday after the preliminary creditors’ committee approved the deal.”

Victoria’s Secret unveils plans for launch in UK and Europe (Retail Week)
“US fashion and beauty giant Limited Brands has outlined plans to open Victoria’s Secret stores in strategic markets including the UK as part of an international expansion drive.”

eBay goes upmarket with fashion site launch (Revolution)
“eBay has launched a website written by fashion followers in an attempt to attract more ‘well-to-do’ shoppers. The Inside Source aims to shift perceptions that eBay only offers second hand goods and last season’s threads.”

Asia boosts Hermès luxury sales (AFP)
“Sales in Asia helped boost French luxury group Hermès in the third quarter, the company said on Friday, reporting an overall 10-percent rise in sales to 452 million euros (672 million dollars).”

Seamstress takes on might of Chanel over crochet pattern (Guardian)
“A 61-year-old woman from a small town in eastern France is taking on the might of one of world’s greatest fashion houses in a case that threatens to shake up the way the industry treats its skilled workers.”

Hermès Kelly Bag, courtesy of Hermès

BRUSSELS, Belgium — Sometimes, a mere glimpse of a product’s silhouette is enough to tell which designer or fashion house created it: the Chanel No 5 perfume bottle, the toe of a Berluti shoe, the unique shape of the Fendi baguette. Today, there is renewed interest in these kinds of classic products as shape and design have made a return in making a product desirable, especially now when consumers don’t want their products to scream with logos and bling.

As they look for unbranded products that are recognisable for their design, this also raises the question of whether there is adequate legal protection for these more subtle indications of provenance. This will almost certainly reignite a debate for strong design right protection, but it might also mean that the shape of a product is worthy of trademark protection in and of itself.

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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.”

Karl who?

PARIS, France – We don’t actively engage in the rumour mill here on BoF, but when the whispers involve Karl Lagerfeld, Olivier Theyskens and Alber Elbaz in a Lanvin and Chanel merry-go-round, it seems worthwhile to engage in a bit of Friday afternoon fashion speculation.

Today, Diane Pernet has published a bombshell post outlining this scenario:

“This is not a fact until you officially read it somewhere else but rumour has it that Karl Lagerfeld will not renew his contract at Chanel and that Alber Elbaz will take his place and Olivier Theyskens will take Alber’s place at Lanvin…Nothing is engraved in cement, these are still just rumours you will have to wait and see.”

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Hermès Q1 sales get lift from bags, currencies (Reuters)
“Hermès proved again it was resisting the crisis better than many of its rivals with a 3.2 percent rise in first-quarter sales, helped by exchange rates and resilient demand for its handbags.” Have a look at this video from the CBC’s Fashion File to see the underlying craftsmanship that has served the brand well during the downturn.

Financial Analysts Predict 2010 Recovery (WWD)
“Financial analysts and private bankers expect the global economy, with the help of a more dynamic Asian region, to bounce back sometime in 2010.”

Most Powerful Luxury Brands (The Age)
According to the annual Millward Brown BrandZ ranking of the Top 100 Most Powerful Brands, global luxury brands are retaining their brand value. “In the luxury category, Louis Vuitton came out on top, with a brand value of $US19.4 billion, followed by Hermès at $7.86 billion, Gucci at $7.47 billion, Chanel at $6.22 billion and Rolex at $5.53 billion.”

The Blue Book of Fashion (New York Times)
“In the resale business, which is enjoying a bit of a renaissance at the moment, the pecking order of designers is different from those of most department stores.”

There are film reviews for regular movies, so why not have reviews for online fashion films? Our first ever fashion film review looks at Chanel’s latest short film starring Audrey Tautou.

PARIS, France — Yesterday, Chanel launched its long awaited Chanel No.5 short film Train de Nuit, featuring Audrey Tautou, who is no stranger to the storied French couture brand. Often compared to Mademoiselle Chanel herself, Tautou has now twice taken on the role of the famous coutourière, most recently in Coco Avant Chanel, a film exploring her early life and times.

Within seconds of seeing the opening shot of the 2 minute short film, directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, who previously worked with Tautou on the award-winning film Amélie, the viewer is struck by Tautou’s alluring presence, as she rushes to catch the Orient Express which takes her from 1955 Paris to modern-day Istanbul in mere seconds. This is the Internet after all, so things have to happen quickly before patience wears thin and viewers click away.

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Stars take to the red carpet, surrounded by paparazzi

LONDON, United Kingdom – According to analysts, we’ve just come through the worst holiday selling season in 40 years.

If that’s not bad enough, Chanel announced that it is laying off 200 people in Paris. Chanel! That surprised everyone I spoke to in the industry. For one thing, Chanel is not masstige — it wasn’t catering to the masses, the part of the market said to be most impacted by the recession. For another thing, it’s French — meaning layoffs have to meet the stiff criteria of French social laws and union rules. And finally, it’s privately held — meaning the company wasn’t under shareholder pressure for short-term results and could therefore take a longer-term perspective. And still, they were compelled to let 200 people go. (The employees laid off were on fixed-term or temporary contracts.)

It seems we’ve got an unmitigated disaster on our hands. … Continue Reading