Chloe Raises the Roof at the Tuileries Tent in Paris | Photo: BoF

LONDON, United Kingdom — It was a fashion season of extreme weather. After the New York Fashion Week schedule was upended, first by an earthquake and then by the State of Emergency declaration that came courtesy of Hurricane Irene, an unprecedented heat wave in Paris threw buyers, editors and bloggers into a wardrobe tailspin.

The American editors were worst off, having packed for the European shows two weeks before Paris with no prior notice of the heat wave that was to come. After a few days of shows in impossibly hot venues, some of them resorted to ripping the sleeves off their outfits or just wearing their ‘airplane clothes.’

Brands tried to ease the pain. Fans were distributed at shows alongside champagne and much to everyone’s relief, Chloe arranged for the roof of the Tuileries tent to be removed for their show, letting in the sun and much welcome breeze. Meanwhile Net-a-Porter, always on top of a new market opportunity, delivered heat wave friendly clothes to editors caught without weather-appropriate attire.

But of course the real action was on the runway and in conversations between BoF and the good and the great of the global fashion tribe at a season filled with its fair share of events and parties.

Without further ado, it’s time to look back at Spring/Summer 2012, the season that was.

1. FASHION’S ENDLESS PLAYGROUND

Louis Vuitton Carrousel | Photo: BoF

At the opening of Marc Jacobs’ stunning show for Louis Vuitton on the last day of Paris Fashion Week, a large circular curtain was lifted to unveil models in dresses as light as feathers, perched coquettishly on white horses that sat atop a highly stylised carrousel. Those assembled gasped with audible pleasure and then erupted into spontaneous applause. But more than a visual delight alone, Mr. Jacobs’ magical set was a clear metaphor for an industry in constant motion, with its endless cycle of fashion shows, not to mention the musical chairs of creative directors moving from house to house.

This was the defining moment of the Spring/Summer 2012 collections, a season during which rumours continued to engulf Mr. Jacobs and other designers at the helm of major fashion houses, including Stefano Pilati, who seems safe — for now.

For others, the news was not so good. Immediately following the Vionnet show, it was announced that Rodolfo Paglialunga had been replaced. And just before Paris Fashion Week, Ungaro announced that the house and Giles Deacon had mutually agreed to part ways. Deacon was Ungaro’s fifth creative director in as many years and The Wall Street Journal reported at the end of September that Ungaro chief executive Jeffry Aronsson believes that “in-house talent can mine Ungaro’s heritage—bright colours, silk prints and sexy draped dresses—better than a high-profile designer from outside.”

But while some brands were severing ties with their creative directors, others were debuting new ones. Olivier Rousteing took the bow at the end of the Balmain show. There were also debuts from former Pringle designer Claire Waight Keller at Chloe and Manish Arora at Paco Rabanne — and, of course, the torrent of industry speculation about Galliano’s soon-to-be-announced replacement at Christian Dior.

2. BUZZ, EDGE AND SPORT COUTURE IN NEW YORK

Altuzarra prints and backpack detail | Photo: BoF

But fashion month begins in New York, which boasts more than 250 shows in a span of eight days, making it by far the busiest and buzziest fashion week of all. As one editor put it to me, “In New York we are great at picking up the leaves and throwing them up in the air and saying, ’It’s Fashion Week!’”

The unofficial kick-off for the Spring/Summer collections happens a couple of days into NY fashion week, with Fashion’s Night Out. Spearheaded by American Vogue, with individual events in almost every retail establishment across the city, it is a format that has been exported around the world. But though it has become a global phenomenon, the return on investment for brands and retailers remains in question. Most designers and retailers said it simply wasn’t worth the expenditure of time and resources, especially at one of the busiest moments in the fashion calendar. Barneys effectively sat this round out, eschewing the kind of elaborate in-store entertainment favoured by other retailers and issuing a statement that they were refocusing all efforts “on the shopping experience” and would donate ten percent of their Fashion’s Night Out sales to a fund for the National September 11 Memorial and Museum.

And with that, the New York shows were on and we entered a weekend of vibrant prints, inspired by places all around the world. It was a colourful vibe that New York designers seemed to have caught from London. But they gave it their own unique, New York spin with mesh fabrics and athletic details, making “sport couture” the buzzword on the lips of editors and buyers everywhere, from Joseph Altuzarra and Rag & Bone, to Alexander Wang, who has made athletic-inspired fashion part of his brand’s identity.

The week’s highlights came from power design duos Proenza Schouler and Rodarte, whose shows are now, deservedly, two of the most anticipated shows of New York Fashion Week. And both Jason Wu and Prabal Gurung took edgy steps forward from the red carpet and ladylike fare of their previous collections. These are some of the names amongst a healthy crop of promising young designers working in New York at the moment, pushing the boundaries of American fashion.

3. LONDON’S SHINING MOMENT

Giles Deacon swan hat, by Stephen Jones | Photo: BoF

It’s a shame that conflict over the global fashion calendar is putting London Fashion Week under threat just as the event really seems to be hitting its stride. This season, fashion stars in London shone brighter than ever, benefitting from the pulsating creativity of designers and digital print artists, who are largely based in the East London neighbourhoods of Hackney, Shoreditch and Dalston.

Of course, previous generations of young London designers were also praised for their creativity, but they were never able to translate this into commercial success. Garments were of poor quality and deliveries were often late. But that seems to be changing now. Indeed, Natalie Massenet, founder of Net-a-Porter told the Financial Times that “if people have been paying attention, they will see there is a new crop of extraordinary talent, which is young and dynamic and have learnt commercialism is not a dirty word.”

Bergdorf Goodman’s Linda Fargo told Suzy Menkes that although she was primarily in town to see Burberry and Tom Ford, it was the young talents who really excited her. “My camera is going and my notepad’s flying,” she said. “Between the prints and the quality, I am blown away.”

Not really ‘emerging’ designers anymore, Christopher Kane, Peter Pilotto, Jonathan Saunders, Giles Deacon and Erdem Moralioglu all put on very strong shows. Mary Katrantzou and Michael van der Ham both pushed their signature techniques forward. And the two new names in London that everyone was watching were JW Anderson (who put on both mens and womens shows within a span of five days) and Thomas Tait, a name familiar to long time readers of BoF. Cathy Horyn of The New York Times said Tait’s clothes were “imaginative and inspiring” — high praise from one of fashion’s most respected critics.

But will London’s recent successes be hijacked by the current scheduling complications? And if a sensible resolution isn’t found, will editors really choose to see independent designers in London over major advertisers in Milan? Watch this space.

4. THE RISE OF FASHION DIPLOMACY

Tods Light Installation at Italian Ambassador's residence in Paris | Photo: BoF

With all the bickering and back-and-forth between the fashion capitals, it somehow seems appropriate that national ambassadors, much better versed in the ins and outs of international diplomacy, are using their muscle to support young designers, senior editors, and famous national brands.

In Paris, the Italian ambassador invited the fashion glitterati to a special event for Tod’s, at which Chairman Diego Della Valle was present, to celebrate the launch of the brand’s Signature collection. Sir Peter Westmacott, the British ambassador to France, along with the prime minister’s wife Samantha Cameron, continued to show their support for London-based designers — Nicholas Kirkwood, Erdem Moralioglu, Roland Mouret, Antonio Berardi, Jonathan Saunders and Katie Hillier, to name a few — with a lavish event at the ambassador’s residence. And, Glenda Bailey was hosted by the American ambassador to France for a celebration of her book commemorating her ten year tenure at Harpers Bazaar USA.

5. MOUZAT AND MENKES GO VIRAL

Mark Holgate and Anna Wintour of American Vogue at Burberry Spring/Summer 2012 show | Photo: BoF

Fashion editors from two important newspapers flexed their editorial muscle this season, creating ripples throughout the fashion industry.

The season’s first viral moment came courtesy of Virginie Mouzat, fashion editor of Le Figaro, one of France’s most respected daily newspapers. Though her name is not widely known outside elite fashion circles, Mouzat’s scathing critique of Tom Ford’s private London presentation had everyone talking, even if only a select few were there to witness what Mouzat described as “a nightmare.”

When an English translation of Mouzat’s article was emailed from the American Vogue office in Paris to its senior editors in London and New York, it wasn’t long before the email was circulating throughout the global Conde Nast empire and, indeed, throughout the industry. Incredible chains of emails — from one front row name to the next, from one senior magazine editor to another, from one global brand executive to his colleagues — was a lesson in how closely tied this industry really is. Ms. Mouzat had clearly struck a chord amongst the fashion establishment, for whom email, not Twitter, is still the most powerful viral tool.

Suzy Menkes, fashion editor of the IHT, set off her own viral frenzy, this time on Twitter, with the assistance of her colleague Jessica Michault. In her review of Raf Simons’ collection for Jil Sander in Milan, Ms. Menkes suggested that Mr. Simons was in talks to take over from Stefano Pilati at Yves Saint Laurent. When Michault tweeted the breaking news, which coincided with the Aquilano Rimondi show in Milan, attendees were reportedly glued to their iPhones and Blackberries, while debate quickly broke out across the social web about whether Suzy Menkes was actually saying Simons was going to YSL.

The next day, Yves Saint Laurent quelled the rumours in an official statement, which while firm, still seems to leave open the possibility that Mr. Simons, or someone else, could indeed design for YSLin the not-too-distant future. Will Suzy Menkes still be proven right? Time will tell.

6. PRE-TAIL GAINS MOMENTUM, BUT FACES OPERATIONAL ROADBLOCKS

Edgy Glamour at Jason Wu Spring/Summer 2012 | Photo: BoF

When Aslaug Magnusdottir and Lauren Santo Domingo launched their “pre-tail” start-up Moda Operandi (MO) last season, they must have known that the model would generate copycats, just as Gilt Groupe (itself inspired by Vente Privee) and Groupon were copied by hundreds of other similar businesses.

But as it turns out, Moda Operandi’s fast followers have not been other startups. Rather, it’s major media and retail brands who got into the pre-ordering game this season. Online industry bible Style.com debuted an “Instant Get” program for one-off products from six New York-based designers and venerable New York luxury retailer Bergdorf Goodman partnered with Jason Wu to offer pre-orders on selected items from his Spring/Summer 2012 collection. Sister company Neiman Marcus posted an exclusive pre-ordering opportunity for Donna Karan’s Spring 2012 collection, along with an interview between fashion director Ken Downing and Ms. Karan herself.

But fresh with a $10 million capital injection from New Enterprise Associates, a venture capital firm, the MO team had big plans of their own, announcing a partnership with Vogue.com just in time for fashion week, which directly linked the latest runway images to MO’s pre-order platform.

“We’ve experienced a steady rate of growth since our launch in February,” said Ms. Magnusdottir at the end of New York Fashion Week, “but the collaboration with Vogue has accelerated the rate of growth of both member acquisition and sales.” Indeed, Magnusdottir said that membership is expected to grow from 15,000 just after launch, a customer base built primarily on the personal networks of the founders, to an expected 100,000 members by the end of the year, driven by affiliations with Vogue.com and GOOP, the online media brand of Gwyneth Paltrow.

But despite the clear momentum, the model still faces a major roadblock that is out of the control of pre-tail players like MO: inefficiency in the fashion supply chain. As it stands, consumers still have to wait four to five months to receive most pre-ordered products. If pre-ordering is really going to provide instant gratification to consumers who are interested in buying from the runway, brands and retailers will ultimately need to deliver products more quickly than this. Burberry delivers its pre-ordered products within eight weeks, and Style.com’s ‘Instant Get’ products were due to be available within a few days of the 31 October launch.

Indeed, the broad success of the pre-ordering model rests on the ability of designers to compress delivery lead times. In response to this suggestion, Ms. Magnusdottir said she expected that supply chains would eventually be compressed over time, enabling MO to better match demand with product delivery.

Based on this season’s pre-commerce momentum, it can’t be long before other major fashion e-commerce players such as Net-a-Porter and Shopbop get in on the pre-ordering game. If the industry manages to sort out its supply chain issues, better aligning the operations and media cycles by delivering goods closer to the peak of consumer interest, could pre-commerce eventually just become plain old e-commerce?

Imran Amed is founder and editor-in-chief of The Business of Fashion

Engaging The Millennial: Augmented Reality And The Wired Generation (Luxist)
“Millennials have grown up linked by BlackBerries, Androids, IPhones, computers, IPods, and video games. This is the generation of Wii, Facebook, Twitter, free downloads, access to just about everything. How do luxury brands engage these mindsets?”

J. Crew $10 Million Settlement of TPG Buyout Suit Falls Apart (Bloomberg)
“J. Crew’s $10 million settlement of an investor lawsuit over the proposed takeover by private-equity firms TPG Capital and Leonard Green & Partners LP fell apart, a lawyer for the shareholders said.”

A Bathing Ape Takes a Final Bath (Néojaponisme)
“So if Nigo’s 18-year old pet ape is being primarily consumed by the Chinese in its old age, it only makes sense that a Hong Kong based company — I.T Ltd. — would buy out the whole thing (including the debt). The depressing detail was the 90% equity purchase only cost the acquirers $2.8 million.”

Christopher Kane: Fashion Fund Winner (Vogue.com)
“Christopher Kane has won the 2011 BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund. The Scottish designer beat off stiff competition… for the prize, which comprises a cash payout of £200,000 as well as business mentoring from some of the fashion industry’s biggest hitters.”

Meet Bill Cunningham, the original street style photographer (Telegraph)
“Decades before The Sartorialist and Tommy Ton, Bill Cunningham was photographing street fashions. Now an incredible new documentary ‘Bill Cunningham New York’ tells his life story.”

GAP S/S 2010 Ad Campaign | Source: Denimology

Gap Profit Up 40 per cent As Old Navy Drives Sales (WSJ)
“Gap Inc. (GPS) reported a 40% increase in profits for the first quarter, as sales were boosted by strong performance at the company’s budget brand, Old Navy. Sales at that division rose 6.8% to $1.3 billion, accounting for nearly 40% of Gap Inc.’s total.”

Versace and Kane: An Odd Mix That Works (NYT)
“They are an odd couple, Mr. Kane and Ms. Versace, in an industry of convenient marriages. Who in the fashion world could compete with her view of glamour? He, on the other hand, grasps the Versaces mentally — through pictures. He can’t help it, being born in 1982, when Gianni Versace did his first metal-mesh dresses.”

Fashion sales up but future looks gloomy (Times Online)
“Sales of clothes, shoes and textiles were 9.5 per cent higher than in April last year, the biggest annual rise since July last year…Analysts said that retailers would struggle to keep up the momentum as households faced sluggish earnings growth and political uncertainty as well as tax rises and spending cuts.”

LVMH says has no plans to sell Kenzo (Reuters)
“LVMH said it had no plans to sell Kenzo, denying a report in Les Echos that said the luxury group was looking for potential buyers for the loss-making fashion brand.”

Osman Yousefzada stars in new V&A Fashion in Motion series (Telegraph)
“Yousefzada designs through instinct, his creations reflecting a deep-rooted sensibility and poetic approach, inspired both by history and the future. He is renowned for his innovative cutting and dramatic draping, and so contemporary dancers will also be on hand to demonstrate the extraordinary way in which his designs move on the human form.”

J. Crew Spring/Summer 2010 Preview | Source: J. Crew

J. Crew Is Going Global on Net-A-Porter (Stylelist)
“Now, the classic American outfitter, currently available only in North America and Japan, has entered into an agreement with Net-A-Porter to be sold globally starting in May.”

Nordstrom’s Profit More Than Doubles (WSJ)
“Upscale department-store chain Nordstrom Inc. reported a 152 percent increase in profits during the quarter ended Jan. 30, underscoring how its strategy of expanding price points and carrying more exclusive merchandise is leading to more full-priced selling.”

Britain a cut above the rest (Telegraph)
“The creativity of these highly inspirational designers [generates] consistent demand via regular showcasing of new trends and design styles. Without this talent there would simply be no thriving high street, no £46bn sector and far fewer jobs.”

Liberty’s designer open call event (FT)
“The Liberty Best of British Open Call, an initiative launched last April by the store’s buying director… involves designers showing their wares to Liberty’s textile, furniture and fashion buyers.”

Christopher Kane updates the little black dress at LFW (Independent)
“When Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel created the little black dress in the Twenties, she could hardly have foreseen the sexy leather and lace versions which graced London Fashion Week.”

Looking back, it’s easy to understand Porter’s lack of optimism. That February, London hosted 40 shows in a 5-day schedule. This was a decline from 50 shows in September of 2003. Style.com only reviewed 13 of the on-schedule shows in London, or about 33 percent. As a proxy for quality, this ratio did not bode well for London’s position amongst the major fashion capitals. Major editors were in short supply and international buyers were few and far between at the lacklustre event.

What a difference five years makes. It felt like three times as much activity was packed in to the same five day period during this London Fashion Week. With more than 75 on-schedule shows and presentations at Somerset House and other locations, more than 50 off-schedule designers showing at Fashion Scout and On|Off, plus a full day of menswear and even more events each evening, this was a jam-packed London Fashion Week to remember.

But more than sheer quantum of activity, the quality of collections also saw a marked improvement from that gloomy February five years ago. This season’s London collections were remarkably polished, confident and forward looking. London is increasingly the city to which all other fashion capitals look for fashion direction.

Indeed, Style.com reviewed 24 shows in London this time around, or about 42 percent of on-schedule shows. Though, now that the quality of many of the London collections is so good, it’s time to raise the standards and increase the transparency of criteria required for showing on the official London schedule. With so many great collections to see, we now have little room for slack.

One of the week’s highlights was London Fashion Week alumnus Jonathan Saunders’ magnificent display of modern fashion for the times in a beautifully produced show with a mood that added to the overall experience of taking in the collection. It was the kind of show the Internet could never duplicate, as evidenced by the images on Style.com which somehow don’t capture graphic, layered pastels as I experienced them. These are clothes to appreciate in person.

Christopher Kane was another high point and his equally high wattage front row did not leave disappointed as he continued to weave his magic, this time with gingham and immaculately tailored suiting, created with the assistance of Norton & Sons of Savile Row. Erdem Moralioglu’s talent with embellishment and print soared higher, with a refined production quality that brought a bit of Parisian polish to London.

And from what I hear, Meadham Kirchoff, Antonio Berardi, Peter Pilotto and Nathan Jenden also created their own fashion moments, contributing to a fashion week that had an amazing balance of innovative creativity and commercial fashion sensibility; a balance of emerging designers, old stalwarts and one undisputed mega luxury brand.

Which brings us to the week’s undisputed climax on Tuesday night, when Burberry invited 1500 guests to a spectacular evening of events unlike any other to ever hit London Fashion Week. Christopher Bailey’s masterful collection was beautifully presented by the world’s top models in an elegant tent with plush white carpet. This was the show that brought in all the major powerplayers of global fashion to London. The international A-list was represented by Indian actress Freida Pinto, Chinese actress Maggie Cheung and American actress Liv Tyler. ‘Big’ editors and important buyers were also out in full force. In short, Burberry brought the kind of fashion frisson to London that is usually reserved for Marc Jacobs in New York, Louis Vuitton in Paris, and Prada in Milan.

Afterwards, at the jam-packed Burberry afterparty, Carine Roitfeld hung out with Christopher Bailey in a blogger bar cum VIP room while the Kooks played a live set to more than one thousand revelers gathered in the cafeteria at the new global headquarters of Britain’s largest luxury brand. But the question on everyone’s lips as the week came to a close was whether the London show was a one-off move for Burberry just this season, or the beginning of a new strategy to show in London on a longer-term basis.

On the one hand, by showing in London, Burberry would continue to get the biggest buzz of the week and more closely associate itself with its British heritage. Somehow, it made sense for Burberry to show in London this week. It just felt right. In Milan, Burberry is forced to jostle with Italian mega brands on their home turf for attention and mindspace. But in London, Burberry would be the prodigal son; the undisputed, most highly-anticipated show of the week. If the wall-to-wall international media frenzy that Burberry created this week is any indication, it could work again.

On the other hand, in order to make a more permanent shift to London, Burberry must also be able to justify the higher costs of showing here. It must also be certain that fashion flock will make the effort to attend each season, adding to an already manic schedule of shows in three other fashion capitals.

Indeed, the editors and buyers I spoke to said that while this was certainly the most exciting London Fashion Week in memory (and would possibly have been the best fashion week ever if Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney had also returned), they really weren’t sure if this could work on a long-term basis. Despite the weak pound, it is still expensive to travel to and stay in London. And, it would also mean some editors would be away from their families, offices and teams for three or more weeks in a row.

So while the official jury’s still out on how things will unfold, most observers expect that Burberry will be back in Milan in February. I still hope they might consider coming back to London next season to give it another go.

Nonetheless, if the response from London’s financial markets is any indication, Burberry’s fortunes are looking up either way. Following Tuesday’s sparkling show and CEO Angela Ahrendts’ comments that the UK business is “on fire,” the company’s stock price has risen more than five percent, closing at 500.50 pence in Thursday’s trading on the London Stock Exchange, where Burberry was also recently admitted to the elite circle of FTSE 100 companies.

Imran Amed is Founder and Editor of The Business of Fashion

Christopher Kane's nuclear Cruise Collection 2010

London Fashion Week going to be bonkers (Telegraph)
Sarah Mower reports that “the British Fashion Council’s biggest problem is finding enough room on the schedule to accommodate everyone hammering on the door. But as problems go, it’s a nice one to have.”

Donatella Versace on fashion and celebrity (Times)
Christopher Kane interviews Donnatella Versace and learns that she finds “the excessive emphasis on finance that has infiltrated this world” the most boring thing about fashion.

Discount fashion: Taking it to the Maxx (Independent)
“While TK Maxx has attracted an expanding army of shoppers during the recession, it was growing robustly before the credit crunch as well. In fact, its business model and pricing architecture is radically different to that of rival discount fashion stores, notably Primark, New Look and H&M, which have also prospered during the downturn.”

Polyvore Raises Money for Do-It-Yourself Fashion Site (New York Times)
“Polyvore announced on Tuesday that it had raised $5.6 million in new capital and brought on a new investor, Matrix Partners, and a new board member from Matrix, Dana Stalder. That is on top of the $2.5 million it previously raised from Benchmark Capital and several angel investors.”

Boutique aimed at urban trendsetters (Financial Post)
“Loblaw Cos. is taking its Joe Fresh Style brand to main street, signing a deal to open an 8,000-square-foot boutique on Toronto’s trendy Queen Street West strip. This marks the first time the grocer has showcased its hit apparel line on a major retail strip and is a further indication it is vying to become the country’s biggest “cheap chic” clothing brand.”BB

Beth Ditto magazine cover, courtesy of LOVE

LONDON, United Kingdom — With the economy in the doldrums and the raging debate about “how long this will last” in full throttle, we have been distracted from the creative heart that is the fashion industry.

Thank goodness for Katie Grand, Todd Lynn and Christopher Kane.

In a recent interview with Ponystep about the launch of LOVE magazine, Grand reveals herself to be true to her creative sensibilities, especially given the emotional depth with which she approaches her magazine projects. She’s candid about her widely-publicised departure from POP, a magazine she created more than eight years ago, billed as “the world’s first superglossy.”

Last year, in a move which was actively speculated upon in the press during the months prior, Grand announced her new magazine project with CondeNast. The timing of such a launch by the world’s most famous magazine publisher might seem questionable to some — in case you hadn’t heard, the economy is in freefall and ad spending has plummeted at major titles like Vogue.

But open up LOVE magazine and you will find pages and pages of ads that must make the editors of other fashion tomes downright red with envy. Creatively, Grand has organised the magazine by A to Z and, she says, scaled back the retouching to make things structurally and aesthetically different from her POP days.

The response to the LOVE magazine itself, predictably, has been mixed. There is a pretty unanimous view, however, that the photography is stunning, especially the Mert and Marcus shoot of Beth Ditto. But while some critics are hailing Grand’s choice of Ditto for the cover as a genius decision, others have called it hypocritical when compared to the other subjects in the rest of the magazine. Some have noted that NME, the music magazine, had already put Ditto on their cover 2 years ago, albeit with a very different outcome.

By the way, I know all of this despite the fact that I haven’t even been able to see LOVE for myself. There is extensive coverage of the launch in major British newspapers, trade magazines, fashion websites and blogs around the world. And the magazine was sold out in the shops I checked in between shows today in London.

Clearly, this is a magazine that has got people talking. Regardless of where people stand, it’s nice to hear some real debate on the creative output of the fashion business, in addition to the discussion about the current economic crisis. And, if two outstanding shows in London today are any indication, creativity might be the salve that helps get us through it.

Half-way through Todd Lynn’s show, Net-a-Porter’s Natalie Massenet whispered to me that Lynn had “leaped”, in a way that saw his nascent talent soar. In his best collection to date, he showed a series of lean tailored looks with a modern edge, juxtaposed against a background of religious music and models who carried stylised rosaries-cum-jewelry.

A few hours later, Christopher Kane also impressed with a stunning show of lightness, iridescent colours, and geometric lines. That this focused collection comes from a 26 year-old, still only in his sixth season at London Fashion Week, never ceases to amaze. Kane continues to show he has a vision of his own.

For savvy buyers like Natalie Massenet who still actively attend the London shows, spotting and supporting this kind of creativity is paying off. The online retail segment is the last bastion of rapid growth in the fashion business, and when paired with creativity, its power is undeniable. Earlier this month, Christopher Kane’s Spring/Summer 2009 collection, ‘Pre-Historic,’ sold out completely on its first day on Net-a-Porter.

If that’s not an endorsement for creativity in a time of crisis, I don’t know what is.

Imran Amed is Editor of The Business of Fashion

LONDON, United Kingdom and NEW YORK, United States – Are London fashionistas living in a bubble?

There was no sign of global economic turmoil last night as party-goers let loose after a busy day of shows during an even busier night of events. Following strong showings by Giles and Christopher Kane, there was the opening of the fabulous new Dunhill flagship (see here for our review of the sister store in Tokyo), an exhibition of stunning fashion photography by Mary McCartney, and the biggest party of London Fashion Week hosted by Giles Deacon and Swarovski (with a huge Giles cartoon ghost made completely of flowers, pictured above).

The mood is certainly more sombre across the pond in New York. And, if there was any remaining doubt as to whether the U.S.A. is entering (or is already in) a recession, that doubt has been erased just as quickly as the market capitalisation of some of the world’s most famous investment banks.

So, while many expert observers don’t know what is going to happen next, The Business of Fashion caught up with noted futurist Faith Popcorn of the Faith Popcorn Brain Reserve to get the lowdown on ‘recession culture’, coping with the downturn, and the winners and losers.

BoF: What is the recession culture and why has it become pervasive in the minds of American consumers? How long will it last?

Recession Culture, A Mindset of Making Do With Less: Economists haven’t yet declared that we’re in an actual recession, but Americans certainly feel like they are and are living that way. We’re shifting from bling and flash to no-logo apparel and accessories; from having the latest and greatest of everything to learning to live a Simple Life. We’re scrimping and saving where and when we can.

The End of Recession Culture, The Big Question: How long this recession culture will last is what people are asking themselves and each other. There seems to be no light at the end of this tunnel. And we may not have an end-date until we see who is elected President and what that person’s first priorities are once he’s in office.

BoF: Given that fashion and luxury products are more of a “want”, than a “need” (well, for most people anyway) how do you think this recession mentality will affect the purchases of fashion and apparel?

People will have to prioritize their spending, choosing the heating oil bill over the “it” bag, filling the gas tank over filling their closets.

They will still want to look their best, and shopping will still make them feel better in this tough time. (Small Indulgences) But when they do make fashion purchases, they will be more careful, selecting apparel and accessories that can be worn multiple ways for multiple seasons and/or items that are extra-special.

 BoF: Can fashion companies do anything to combat this mentality?

Offer Sustainable Luxury: The muted logo-free look is widely regarded as the standard-bearer for a new kind of luxury: subtle and with longevity. Luxury consumers don’t want fashion that screams luxury; it’s ‘irresponsible’ during a recession, but they want something durable and worth the splurge.

Offer the Right Price Point: Or A Very Special Garment: People still want to look their best and make themselves feel better especially in bad times. (Small Indulgences) The right price point is essential, if you can offer a ‘special’ garment at a competitive price great, but if you can’t, then the garment needs to be that much more ‘special’ (EGOnomics).

Offer Online Purchase and Return Options: The high gas prices are changing the way people shop. Consumers will want to save gas and buying online is the best way to do that.

Offer Exceptional Customer Service: If and when people choose to venture to the store, customer service is key – especially if price points are on the high side.

BoF: Who will be the winners in this kind of situation?

Exceptional customer service

· Nordstrom continues to be known as a retailer focused on providing the best customer service.

Online shopping options

· Retailers like J.Crew allow customers to return items purchased online at the stores.

· Shoe e-tailer Zappos offers customers free returns.

Customization or special store experiences

· Fashionology in LA is a retail experience for tweens where they can make their own clothes in a fun studio

· Steve Madden’s DIY Shoes, consumers visit the site and can design their own shoes at about a 25-30% higher mark-up

Value price points

· Stores like TopShop, Zara, and H&M offer unique clothing and accessories at value prices.

 Logo-free apparel and accessories

· Bottega Veneta: The brand’s signature look is sustainable luxury and has transformed the once-ailing fashion house into one of Europe’s top selling luxury brands with annual sales of more than $500m worldwide

Everyone is packing up and leaving for Milan, but our thoughts are still on a strong London Fashion Week, albeit one without the major American buyers who have stayed away due to the rise of the pound — or more accurately, the fall of the dollar. We liked the bold graphism of Duro Olowu, the long (but apparently unwalkable) silhouette of Marios Schwab, the fuzzy prints at Erdem, and the spaceage knits of Louise Goldin.

But our  highlight again was Christopher Kane, a man continues to live up to the very high expectations placed on him by an industry desperate to find London’s next great designer — someone in the league of Alexander McQueen, John Galliano, and Vivienne Westwood.

The fact that Kane continues to impress is a good sign, and his designs are maturing nicely, but we won’t know for sure how far he will take his career for many years yet. Even though we are in the world of fast fashion, it still takes years for a designer to prove they have the creative, mental, financial and physical stamina to keep it up over the long term. That said, we suspect that this is only the beginning of Christopher Kane’s career and his consistently strong collections are beginning to show that he has the staying power to ride it out for the long-term.

In this video by Suzy Menkes of the International Herald Tribune, the night before his show, a humble (and reassuringly calm) Kane explains the challenges of building a business under the spotlight of the global fashion industry. "It’s hard here in London," he told Menkes. "It’s a constant struggle for London designers to better themselves. But with the resources in London, it’s hard."

We couldn’t agree more. Read our Manifesto for Change for nurturing the next generation of fashion talent and don’t miss the comments section, where readers like Diane Pernet, Gentry Lane, Marko, artefact212, Anjo and others are weighing in on the discussion. Thanks to everyone for  your  insights.

As I looked out on the waiting crowd for Giles Deacon’s show last evening, there was something special in the air. Where else could you see wunderkind Gareth Pugh nestled next to Italian eccentric Anna Piaggi and Vogue’s Hamish Bowles and a raft of other notable fashion names, all crammed into a tiny space in a small schoolhouse waiting for a fashion show to start? No New York designer of similar repute would even think of forcing the fashion A-list into this cramped setting. But then again, the fashion A-list probably wouldn’t even bother turning up to a show in a similarly  uncomfortable setting for a New York designer.

London fashion is officially hot again.  And, this time it’s not just hype. Many of the New York collections were well-executed and wearable, but they were limited in terms of new ideas and came off feeling a bit flat. London has thrown this flatness into sharp relief. There has been a renewed sense of confidence about fashion in London this week, yet there could be a lot more reflection on why things haven’t worked out for London in the past after other short-lived periods of creative renaissance — and a great deal of this has to do with the business of fashion, not the creative side.

London has never been lacking in creativity and this season its young designer set has been bursting with new ideas that show off their multi-faceted skills sets. Christopher Kane sent out a collection that felt new and fresh; like he was taking actually fashion forward. Jonathan Saunders, the master-of-prints, showed that he can cut a dress with the best of them. Marios Schwab went the opposite route, using stunning, unusual and arresting prints combined with his already proven strength in tailoring.

And then, last night, Giles Deacon wowed his small VIP fashion audience with a collection that meandered from cross-stitched denim pieces to heavily-worked dresses of tulle and eye-catching prints of Kate Moss à la Andy Warhol emblazoned onto a crisply cut hot pink jacket. One unforgettable moment was seeing model-of-the-moment Agyness Deyn come out in a simply cut dress with her trademark platinum blond cropped-mop dyed a bright pumpkin orange. Did Giles convince her to do that? He is quite the charmer, after all.

After the show, Ken Downing of Neiman Marcus asked me what I thought. And the first thing that came to mind were the words "beautiful" and "romantic". Ken seemed genuinely overwhelmed by what Giles had conceived. Hilary Riva of the British Fashion Council said that she thought the collection might make her cry. It’s so nice to see veterans of the industry who still get excited about great design.

But, abundant creativity aside, the big question is whether this is yet another meteoric period for London which will quickly flame out. Will these talented young designers be able to build businesses based in the city that they find so inspiring? Or, like other high profile talents before them, will the businesses collapse due to lack of business structure, investment and planning? Will they need to move to New York or Paris to make it big where there is a more cohesive support system for growing fashion businesses?

If they want to be around 10 years from now, they may want consider taking a page out of Matthew Williamson’s textbook. While he normally shows in New York, his business is still based in London and yesterday’s one-off 10 year anniversary show was an excellent mix of what Matthew does best. Fun, playful and embellished clothes for an international jet set woman who spends her time living the good life.

It must be said that the show got started on an exceptional note — Prince’s note, to be exact, and this may have played  a role in the exuberant feeling in the marquee which had been specially erected in Eaton Square to celebrate the occasion. Prince, one of the world’s most talented pop musicians, started things off by singing from the front row and then joined his bodacious dancers in a catwalk performance that had the fashion set on their feet. I was blown away. It was only left to Matthew to keep the audience on a high after this surprise!

But, back to business. While Matthew’s aesthetic and client may be quite different from some the more thought-provoking emerging London designers that have been creating all the buzz this week, his formula for success could still work for them:

1. Find a business partner: With his business partner Joseph, he has shown once again what a strong creative-business partnership can do for a fashion business. Ask many industry insiders about the keys to Matthew’s success, and Joseph is one of the first things they will mention.
2. Know your customer: Matthew’s "girls" were crawling all over the show and afterparty yesterday and he seems to understand what they want. He spends time with them and understands what they need to fit with their lifestyles.
3. Learn from the best: By working as the creative director of Pucci, an LVMH owned brand, Matthew has not only gained credibility as a designer of international repute, he and Joseph must also be learning a great deal about how a world-class fashion business is run and structured.
4. Work the PR angle: Like it or not, a good story is an essential part of making a high-end fashion business work. Matthew’s story is often based on his strong celebrity following. It’s a story that works for him, but might not work for everyone else. The important thing is to have a compelling story to tell, whether it is based on the designer, their clientele or their product.
5. Sort out the money side: With equity injections from the Baugur Group and TSM Capital, Matthew and Joseph have also shown themselves to be savvy fundraisers, who are still firmly in control of their business.

It’s no wonder Matthew asked Suzy Menkes "Where are my peers now?", referring to another slew of hotly-tipped designers whose businesses failed to take off during London’s last creative heat wave. Matthew certainly has something to be proud of. It remains to see which of these London designers will follow in his footsteps to celebrate their own 10 year anniversaries. Here’s to hoping this heat wave lasts a long time.

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Christopher Kane, Spring/Summer 2008

Marios Schwab, Spring/Summer 2008

Jonathan Saunders, Spring/Summer 2008

Matthew Williamson, Spring/Summer 2008

Christopher Kane, Jonathan Saunders and Marios Schwab photos and videos courtesy of Style.com. Other photos and all other content are copyright of The Business of Fashion. See our legal disclaimer for further details