John Galliano and Kate Moss | US Vogue, September 2011

John Galliano: Rise and fall of a tormented celebrity (BBC News)
“In the dossier that was presented to the court in Mr Galliano’s defence, a story emerged of a celebrity tormented by fear, hate, self-indulgence and loneliness. There were plenty of people within the fashion industry who saw this tragedy unfolding. But it seemed no-one had the power to stop it.”

Vivienne Westwood faces franchise lawsuit (FT)
“Fashion designer Vivienne Westwood’s clothing brand is facing a court fight with one of its oldest business partners. High quality global journalism requires investment. Hervia Limited, which operates seven Vivienne Westwood shops in regional cities, has issued High Court proceedings for breach of contract after the designer sought to end a long-standing franchise agreement in June.”

Fashion Week: @whatdidIjustsee (On The Runway)
“When I saw the subtle effects of the leather in a jersey dress, I wondered how many people on Saturday night — when Mr. Altuzarra shows his collection — will notice the details or be able to identify the fabric as the models zoom past and iPhones click away… Despite the amount of information flowing, we may actually know less about the real work — the making of clothes.”

Trunk Club Raises $11 Million (TechCrunch)
“Personal styling and retail platform Trunk Club has raised $11 million in Series funding led by U.S. Venture Partners with Greycroft Partners, Apex Venture Partners, and Anthos Capital also participating in the round… The startup pivoted from being a way that men could hire their own personal shopper via Skype video sessions to building a group of professional stylists on staff who coordinate with clients via phone and email, and actually purchase goods for clients from retailers.”

Designers, celebrities woo shoppers around world (Reuters)
“Department stores, designers and celebrities wooed economically battered shoppers around the world on Thursday during the third annual “Fashion’s Night Out” event to encourage spending and raise money for charity. ‘Fashion’s Night Out,’ the brainchild of Vogue magazine editor Anna Wintour, was designed to jump-start an industry battered by the global recession.”

Marc Jacobs | Source: Fashionfreax.net

Marc Jacobs To Dior? (Huffington Post)
“The question of who will take the top job at Dior has remained since Galliano’s ousting. But WWD writes that meetings between Dior representatives from LVMH, the luxury conglomerate that owns the Christian Dior label as well as Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs and a host of other top brands, and Jacobs’ legal representatives are set to take place this week in Paris.”

Carine Roitfeld by Karl Lagerfeld (Interview)
“Although Carine Roitfeld is no longer the editor of French Vogue, she remains steadily at the perch of the fashion world, standing atop those super-high bondage-referencing heels that she partly made a staple of Parisian style. But la femme parisienne, which Roitfeld very much is, makes her own ground wherever she walks.”

Cut from a different cloth (FT)
“What happens when bespoke is not enough? As the ability to personalise everything from your trainers to your trench has become democratised thanks to the internet, those in search of the truly special – the ne plus ultraof made-to-order – have become frustrated. Even more so as their old go-to solution, the tailor, has been constrained by the increasing homogeneity of cloth.”

J. Crew’s Canadian shoppers balk at higher prices (The Globe and Mail)
“J. Crew has raised its merchandise prices by about 15 per cent in its Canadian store and on its new Canadian e-commerce site compared with those at its U.S. outlets. For online customers, taxes and duties raised the final price for orders in some cases by as much as 50 per cent compared with the U.S. site they previously ordered from.”

Summer Scouting (On the Runway)
“F.N.O. was a good idea when it began, back in the depths of the recession when stores were virtually empty. But now it’s become a party, an institutionalized kickoff to Fashion Week, and though it apparently raises money for some causes, I have to believe that the costs of security, crowd control and entertainment, not to mention the traffic headaches, outweigh the actual benefits.”

Z Spoke by Zac Posen, Autumn/Winter 2010 | Source: Nitrolicious

Designers Show Off Less-Expensive Clothing (WSJ)
“Almost every high-end fashion designer has been forced to cut prices or launch lower-priced collections since the economy tanked… [secondary collections] are creeping out of the showrooms and onto the runways this week.”

Burberry’s conquest of cyber space (Telegraph)
“We are now as much a media-content company as we are a design company, because it’s all part of the overall experience. So it’s a big deal. It’s changing the whole system of buying, and the whole cycle of production.”

The Runways Lighten Up (WSJ)
“Stores may now be stocked with this fall’s cautious camel and gray classics, but there are signs that bright colors and whimsy are about to return to fashion.”

Valentino launches capsule collection with Gap (Catwalk Queen)
“In terms of unlikely collaborations, this one has to be up there. In celebration of their arrival in Italy, Gap have announced they have teamed up with the House of Valentino for a capsule collection.”

London’s Fashion’s Night Out (Vogue UK)
“There were Bugsy Malone-themed dance lessons in Rupert Sanderson, cookery lessons in Browns, fashion design lessons in Harvey Nicks… and live music in the windows of Matthew Williamson and Burberry.”

Liz Claiborne | Source: Archive

Targeting Younger Buyers, Liz Claiborne Hits Snag (WSJ)
“In an effort to attract a younger audience, Mr. McComb decided to focus on the company’s contemporary brands with the most potential… But he made a series of strategic blunders… The decision to realign the company’s portfolio ‘was a disaster waiting to happen’.”

Fashion Tries on Zero Waste Design (NY Times)
“Zero-waste design strives to create clothing patterns that leave not so much as a scrap of fabric on the cutting room floor. This is not some wacky avant-garde exercise; it’s a way to eliminate millions of tons of garbage a year.”

The Rise of The Blogger (Footwear News)
“Industry players said blogs have gained clout and relevance because they can post information about a company or show its product much faster than traditional media… The blogs also serve as marketing tools that can go beyond conventional advertising.”

Fashion Gets a Deserved Night Out (WSJ)
“Though the evening is devoted to commerce, it is balanced with an artistic side. A glance at the event’s website, Fashionsnightout.com, which launches Monday, reveals that brands across the spectrum… are exploring the interplay between fashion and the arts.”

Missoni: a family always in fashion (Guardian)
The Missonis have survived the years intact, with no scandals, shootings or skeletons falling out of the cupboard. And they remain in control, having resisted buyouts… As Angela says: ‘… To my mother that was the most important achievement. Family harmony was always her goal.’”

Tommy Hilfiger Spring/Summer 2010 | Source: Tommy Hilfiger

Can Private Equity and Fashion Look Good Together? (Bloomberg)
“Private equity and fashion are a bad combo, kind of like pairing a Dior dress with Ugg boots. That at least was the established wisdom until March, when Apax Partners sold Tommy Hilfiger for $3 billion, quintupling its investment in the American clothier in just four years.”

All Saints secures extra funding on strong results (Retail Week)
“Fashion retailer All Saints almost doubled EBITDA to £23.6m last year, helping it secure further investment from Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets to ramp up overseas expansion.”

Juicy Couture hires hip designer Erin Fetherston (Guardian)
“Juicy Couture, the American clothing label that made tracksuits sexy, has hired the hip, New York-based designer, Erin Fetherston as its creative consultant and guest designer.”

Social media increases intent to purchase (Biz Report)
“Ads in the social space are more effective than other ads. Researchers found that consumers are more likely to notice ads in the social space, to remember the ad message and are more likely to make a future purchase after seeing a social ad.”

Fashion’s Night Out to Bring Runway to Public (WWD)
“This year’s edition of the global shopping event, scheduled for Sept. 10, will be preceded by a public fashion show… The open-air show is being billed as the largest of its kind ever to be held in New York.”