J.W. Hulme Heritage Leather Duffle Bag | Source: J.W. Hulme

Restitching a Firm That Nearly Unraveled (WSJ)
“J.W. Hulme Co., a Minnesota luggage maker that almost came unraveled during the credit crisis, is on the mend.  A private-equity firm provided the 105-year-old company with a cash infusion of $550,000… [the brand] will be carried in more than 30 Barneys New York stores around the country by mid-August.”

For Shoppers Who Never Drop (WSJ)
“‘But New York City is different’, said Linda Chang, who runs Forever 21′s marketing department. ‘New York is the city that never sleeps. Even at 2 a.m., foot traffic and sales are worth keeping the store open later… keeping late hours was a mix of strategy and experimentation.’”

Coach beats estimates, shares slip on growth concerns (Reuters)
“While Chief Executive Lew Frankfort said on a call that far more of the shoppers who did step into Coach stores made purchases, helping to boost sales, the lower traffic trend raised concerns on Wall Street about Coach’s ability to meet its sales targets.”

Playful and Sleek, With Subversive Twists (NY Times)
“The man behind the fashion label  wears his philosophy about life, and clothing, tattooed upon his arms… Despite his fixation with both literal and metaphorical black, [he] is by far the most colorful character on the Spanish fashion scene.”

Vogue: The September Issue (Telegraph)
“Tumbling yesterday out of the dark clouds of recession, unemployment and austerity came that gleaming almanac of glamour and self-indulgence, the September Issue of Vogue.”

And The ANDAM Winner Is… (Style.com)
“Turkish designer Hakaan Yildirim is the newest winner of ANDAM’s €220,000 prize… It was only last February, before his first London show, that English fashion scribes were wondering in print: ‘Who is Hakaan?’”

Erdem Moralioglu: A man for all seasons (Independent)
“His printing technique involves the designer playing around creatively on his computer for hours, digitally altering prints by blurring them or re-sizing them, painting over them and destroying them. ‘It’s always quite a lengthy, organic process and we never really know what the end result will be.’”

Price of luxury rises despite the recession (Telegraph)
“With the super-rich beginning to spend freely once more the prices of upmarket services and products have rallied for the first time since the financial crisis began.”

Japan Opens Doors to More Chinese Shoppers (WSJ)
“Swarms of Asian tourists disembark from a bus with tinted windows, snapping pictures and staring in awe at Japan’s capital city while a petite tour guide waving a flag shouts instructions—in Mandarin.”

Forever 21 Pursues Big-Store Branding (WSJ)
“Teens continue to swarm Forever 21′s piles of inexpensive, high-fashion-imitating party dresses and tank tops. But moving into cavernous spaces, like the 90,000-square-foot spot near 46th and Broadway, is forcing the chain into new categories… where its hold on consumers is less certain.”

The Japanese flag

Japan’s economy shrinks 3.3% (IHT)
The world’s second largest economy is experiencing its worst downturn in 35 years.

H&M sales boosted by new openings (Drapers)
Driven by new store openings, H&M’s sales rose 9% in January.

Sombre start to NYFW (Drapers)
“New York Fashion Week got off to a somewhat sombre start on Friday, according to reports from the US, with collection sizes reduced by up to 25%.”

New York week opens with an ’80s glam slam (IHT)
“Rather than leaping into the future, designers are looking back to a previous period when women were strong, powerful and dressed to suit: the 1980s.”

Forever 21 to Open Larger Concept in L.A. (WWD)
“Fast-fashion chain Forever 21 plans to launch a prototype in California this year that will double its average store size.” (Subscription required)