Tom Ford's Ultra-Luxe Alligator Luggage | Source: Luxist

As Sales Vanish, Skins Stay on Alligators (NY Times)
“If alligator is still popular but is simply unaffordable… why are thousands of the reptiles sitting unwanted in Louisiana? And why have prices for the raw product dropped so low? He says Hermès is hoarding the skins, forcing other fashion houses to pay dearly and leaving the farmers with few other options.”

US shoppers discount driven on Black Friday (Drapers)
“US retail sales on Black Friday, the post Thanksgiving shopping day in the States, were marginally ahead of 2008, but shoppers were out looking for bargains and did not spend on full price goods or luxury items.”

Selfridges heads for £100m profit in centenary year (Drapers)
“A strong start to Christmas trading has been the icing on the cake for department store group Selfridges, which said its profits would bust the £100 million market in this, its 100th year of trading.”

Zac Posen to design Target line (New York Magazine)
“Posen has a new strategy to reach an even wider consumer base than he might with the $78 T-shirts from his lower-priced “urban hipster” Z Spoke line: a Target collection, yet another increasingly common business strategy for young (and old) designers in these times.”

Comité Colbert Adds Five New Members (FWD)
“The Comité Colbert has added five new members, the first time France’s leading luxury industry group has added so many brands at once. Notable from the world of fashion, the Comité Colbert rolled out red carpet to Pierre Hardy, the most acclaimed French shoemaker of his generation.”

Louis Vuitton Store, Plaza 66, Shanghai | Source: fashionphile

French luxury preens on website in China (AFP)
“France’s creme de la creme luxury firms, hit by a drop in sales on traditional markets, on Thursday launched a China charm offensive, with a 3D website that gives a peek at the best France has to offer.”

Preshrunk Prices (NY Times)
“The $300 pair of designer jeans is now, courtesy of the recession, the $200 pair of designer jeans… Like any commodity that becomes overpriced, there eventually comes a market correction. And denim’s day of reckoning was long overdue.”

Saks holds a secret sale online, takes on the fashionista websites (Daily Finance)
“Psst, wanna buy some cheap Chanel? Make sure Saks has your e-mail address… Saks Inc. is experimenting with online private sales on top-of-the-line designer goods. A 36-hour sale kicked off this week and another will follow in November.”

Luxottica optimistic on 2010, Q3 net down (Reuters)
“Italian eyewear maker Luxottica is looking to next year with a degree of optimism after a tough 2009, Chief Executive Andrea Guerra said, as the company posted a 20.6 percent fall in third-quarter net profit.”

Even a Slow Economy Can’t Keep Fashion Entrepreneurs Down (Apparel News)
“Try announcing you’re starting a new apparel line during this deep economic downturn and friends are likely to haul you off for a psychological examination. But plenty of people are putting their wallets on the table to launch new clothing ventures.”