Gap Spring/Summer 2010 | Source: Gap

Gap targets Milan and China as it kickstarts its plans for global expansion (FT)
“Gap, the American casual clothing retailer, plans to open a store in Milan, the home of Italian high fashion, later this year, in a further sign of its growing confidence after a multi-year slump.”

Mariella Burani Fashion Group Will Be Dissolved (Bloomberg)
“Mariella Burani Fashion Group, which makes Vivienne Westwood products under license, said it will be ‘dissolved’ after its parent company was declared bankrupt earlier this month.”

Sweden’s Conceptual Fashion (WSJ)
“Over the past decade, a host of conceptual Swedish ready-to-wear labels have spread around the globe. Driven by the image of the brand rather than by an actual designer or dominant aesthetic… Swedes themselves have taken to calling the phenomenon ‘Det svenska modeundret’—the Swedish fashion wonder.”

Italy Deserves More Than a Long Weekend (IHT)
“In a country where workmanship is still done on home territory and brands remain in family ownership, a proud heritage is being outpaced by the speed of ‘fast fashion.’ Milan has become the sprint of the seasonal show marathon: in and out.”

Fashion royalty mourn fashion designer Alexander McQueen (Telegraph)
“Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Stella McCartney, Sam Taylor-Wood and Daphne Guinness were among the black-clad mourners to arrive at St Paul’s Church in Knightbridge, west London, to celebrate the life of the man who, his friends said, made ‘all he touched beautiful’.”

Holt Renfrew Flagship, Toronto | Source: 3G Lighting

Changes at the top for Holts (Globe and Mail)
“Upscale fashion retailer Holt Renfrew & Co. has replaced its president Caryn Lerner with company insider Mark Derbyshire, making the leadership change just as it is gearing up for a more prosperous economic environment.”

Neiman Marcus key sales figure climbs in December (Business Week)
“Luxury retailer Neiman Marcus Inc. said Thursday that sales at its namesake stores and Bergdorf Goodman locations open at least a year rose 4.5 percent in December, as shoppers picked up designer handbags, jewelry, shoes and men’s and women’s clothing.”

Like-for-likes drop at Gap’s international stores (Drapers)
“Gap, the US casualwear giant, said like-for-likes at its international stores fell 1% in the five weeks to January 2, compared with a 5% drop over the same period last year.”

Luxury brands turn to DNA for protection (Toronto Sun)
“A New York state-based company has announced it will be adding genetic material to some high-end products. Applied DNA Sciences, based in Stony Brook, N.Y., said it has reached an agreement to supply a European luxury goods company with DNA markers to protect its products from counterfeiters.”

Charles Kleibacker, Fashion Designer, Dies at 88 (NY Times)
“Charles Kleibacker, a former fashion designer whose taste for intricately constructed gowns gave him the nickname Master of the Bias in the 1960s, died Sunday in Columbus, Ohio. He was 88.”

J Brand's fit perfect jeans | Source: J Brand

NEW YORK, United States — As the holiday shopping season draws near, we’re watching the market for premium denim with particular interest. According to a recent article by Eric Wilson in The New York Times: “The $300 pair of designer jeans is now, courtesy of the recession, the $200 pair of designer jeans.” With this recent “market correction,” Los Angeles-based J Brand has become one of the hottest denim labels of the new world order.

While consumers have welcomed recent price reductions, many women are still willing to pay higher prices for premium jeans because they offer a sartorial flexibility that other types of clothing do not.

J Brand not only has a price point that’s in tune with difficult economic times, but they’re also bucking the downward sales trend by offering what women are looking for: versatility and emotional appeal.

“Jeans, to many, are the new ‘pant.’ Denim fits, styles and washes have become sophisticated enough that women will wear their favorite jean with a Balenciaga jacket or a Stella McCartney blouse. At the same time, jeans can be dressed down and casual,” explains Kim Vernon, the president and CEO of Vernon Company, a lifestyle brand consultancy and business development firm based in New York. As a solid foundation for a variety of looks, jeans offer bang for every hard earned buck.

Indeed, it’s hard to dispute that having a pair of fierce fitting jeans is a bankable characteristic. In a recent episode of Oprah Winfrey, the media mogul declared a pair of CJ by Cookie Johnson jeans, priced from $141-$198, as the best because of the way it supports “real women’s booties.” She went on to gush: “For three days straight, I had on the jeans.” Winfrey placed the jeans on her list of favorite things, which is sure to generate astounding demand from the shows eager viewers.

It may be an elusive goal, but great fitting jeans strike an emotional chord with shoppers. “When a woman [or man] finds a great fitting jean that makes them feel sexy, confident, and comfortable, they won’t trade down. They will buy multiple pairs in different washes,” notes Vernon.

J Brand CEO Jeff Rudes agrees. “Jeans make you feel great. It’s one of the most fit-sensitive items in a women’s closet—next to bras and bathing suits,” he says. “When something so fit-sensitive makes you look good, you feel good.”

Recognizing the confidence great jeans can give a woman, J Brand favors silhouette enhancing features that attract and retain shoppers. “Brands like J Brand have proven that fit is tantamount in customer loyalty. Customers know the styles by name and by number,” says Vernon.

Not surprisingly, its frippery-free design approach to jeans is paying off. J Brand posted a 20 percent sales increase in 2009 compared to one year ago. “Our business has increased, we are a growing brand,” says Rudes. “We are picking up some market share from the bigger guys who have dominated the space for a few years.”

Denim has been front and centre at many value-driven brands this fall, but Rudes isn’t worried. When the Gap aggressively advertised its premium denim on the industry’s top models, Rudes saw it as a good sign. “If more people are eating chocolates, Godiva’s business is actually growing. I wouldn’t worry about Hersheys. If more people are having a conversation about a product category, or a trend, everyone benefits,” says Rudes.

Rudes is focusing on engaging his customers with special pieces. This fall, the label partnered with Hussein Chalayan to produce a capsule collection with prices around $250, a collaboration which will continue for Spring 2010. They’re also planning to roll out a collection with Henry Duarte by the end of this year.

The brand is solidifying partnerships with retailers, as well, producing special jeans for some of the best stores in the world: Barneys in New York, Dover Street Market in London, and Tsum in Russia. What’s more, the brand is introducing J Brand Boutique, a special line for premium stores only. “We have a strong sense of devotion to our specialty stores and want to make the consumer feel they are getting something unique with the Boutique line,” says Rudes.

Robert Cordero is a Contributing Editor of The Business of Fashion.

Gucci Dark Brown Crocodile Purse | Source: Gucci

For the Downturn, Gucci Downplays the Logos (Business Week)
“The fashion house is going both upscale and down, but its signature Gs are relegated to the back room.”

New F.T.C. Rules Have Bloggers and Twitterers Mulling (NY Times)
“Beginning Dec. 1, bloggers, Twitterers and many others who write online product reviews must disclose the receipt of free merchandise or payment for the items they write about.”

Pinning Down the New American Shopper (Business Week)
“It’s about information, value, and being green: Today’s discriminating consumers are careful about how they spend, and they’re concerned about the planet.”

Gap to Open China Store In Growth Bid (WSJ)
“Gap Inc. plans to open its first store in China next year and expand its overseas e-commerce operations, as part of a broader turnaround effort.”

Luxury retailers lambast EU plans to reduce brands’ control (Retail Week)
“Retailers could gain the right to sell any brand in stores or online, after the European Commission launched a review of selective distribution laws.”

Pile of shoes | Source: e-boost consulting

Italian and Spanish footwear manufacturers to fight for EU protection (Drapers)
“Anti-dumping measures have been in place since 2006 to protect the European Union’s footwear manufacturers from import surges. A decision to maintain tariffs, amounting to 16.5 percent on Chinese footwear and 10 percent on shoes from Vietnam and strongly opposed by UK retailers, would be likely to worsen East-West trade relations.”

Retailers On The Hunt For Spring Fashions (WSJ)
“While luxury shoppers may be thinking of the cashmere cardigan or the wool jacket they want to add to their fall and winter wardrobe, retailers are already on the hunt for what they think will sell come spring.”

U.S. retailers to see some cheer this holiday season (Market Watch)
“After last year’s dismal holiday season, U.S. retailers may finally see some sun breaking through the clouds in their biggest selling period.”

Moss Bros notches up £3m first-half loss (Drapers)
“The menswear retailer, which runs the Moss, Cecil Gee and Savoy Tailor’s Guild chains and owns the UK licence for brands such as Hugo Boss, said it will meet its expectations for the full year.”

Gap founder Don Fisher dies (Telegraph)
“Mr Fisher died at his home in San Francisco on Sunday following a long battle with cancer. The entrepreneur opened the first Gap store in San Francisco in 1969 after a frustrating experience exchanging a pair of jeans that didn’t fit. The original store, named after the idea of ‘The Generation Gap’, sold Levi’s jeans, records and tapes to 12-to-25-year-olds.” See Bloomberg video here.

Introducing the Gap’s new 1969 Denim

VANCOUVER, Canada — Those of you in North America over the past week can’t have missed the media bombardment from the Gap, the ailing San Francisco-based mass fashion retailer, as it announced the launch of its new 1969 premium denim range, with six new fits for women and seven new fits for men.

Huge full-page ads featuring Anja Rubik appeared in the Thursday Styles section of the New York Times, radio spots with voiceovers from Patrick Robinson, the Gap’s head designer, touted the launch of the “best premium jeans in America,” and a Facebook page was launched with even more links to a Twitter page, a Youtube page (see the video from the Gap explaining the new fits above) and even an iPhone application.

The Gap’s new denim was simply everywhere you looked.

For years, the Gap struggled as fast fashion retailers like Zara and H&M gobbled up market share by delivering the latest fashion trends at a fraction of the price, while American Apparel and Uniqlo slowly took away the Gap’s lock on the basics market, by delivering well cut t-shirts, denim and leggings in a panopoly of colours that drew shoppers in again and again. At the same time, the emergence of a premium denim players like Seven for all Mankind, Citizens of Humanity, Nudie and Lucky Brand found an audience traditional Gap customers willing to trade-up for jeans known for their fit and wash, even if it meant spending more than $200 on a pair.

The Gap’s new strategy ostensibly takes the company back to its heritage as a global leader in the denim category. In theory, there does appear to a hole in the market for good, stylish denim in a variety of fits and washes at a good price. While American Apparel may do denim for cheap, it only does one very skinny fit, suited to its hipster audience but not to the diversity of shapes and sizes of people out there. Premium denim players have lost some appeal of late as consumers who traded up look to scale back their spending in recessionary times. And, while H&M and Zara are solid on trends, they have never really delivered good denim.

But is the Gap’s new denim strategy working in practice?

A long line of customers waiting for the fitting rooms snaked through the middle of the Gap’s Pacific Centre store in Vancouver — something I haven’t seen at the Gap in ages. Almost everyone in line had some of the new denim in their hands. The heavy marketing push and huge window advertisements trumpeting the new jeans and the $20 discount had clearly done their job by bringing customers into the store to try the jeans on.

But, how about those fits? They also seemed to be working, in a variety of styles that suit different body types. My sister instantly found a pair of ‘Always Skinnys’ in a gunmetal grey that were a steal at $59.50, after the $20 discount. When we went to pay for her new find, the cashier told me: “Almost every single transaction I have rung up today has included a pair of jeans. People seem to really like the new fits — they are way better than what we had before.”

The response from online critics also point to positive results. Nicole Phelps of Style.com has given the new denim a big thumbs up, declaring: “Patrick Robinson Nails It” while our friend Britt Aboutaleb over at Fashionista.com says that she’ll be going back for more of Gap’s denim as soon as Autumn arrives.

Even financial analysts are showing new interest in the Gap, long seen as a dog stock. Last week, Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Betty Chen upgraded the Gap to “Outperform” from “Neutral” and raised her price target to $23 from $18.

Overall, the Gap’s new denim is great. The fits are good. The washes are on-trend. And the multi-faceted marketing strategy and introductory low pricing seems to be working wonders for store traffic and sales productivity. The question now is how the Gap keeps them coming back for more.

My advice would be to regularly introduce the new denim fits in more washes and colours in line with seasonal trends (especially now that people have found a style that works for them) and to rework that other trusty Gap basic that’s lost its way: the khaki.

Imran Amed is Editor of The Business of Fashion

Born to Fit, the new Facebook page launched by Gap

Covering Many Bases for a Brand of Blue Jeans (WSJ)
“The British say “Mind the gap,” but in this country it has been a while since shoppers minded what Gap was selling. The Gap division of Gap Inc. was struggling even before the recession, which has persuaded consumers to cut back significantly on clothing purchases.”

Liz Claiborne Loss Widens More Than Analyst Estimates (Bloomberg)
“Liz Claiborne Inc., the maker of Lucky Brand jeans and Kate Spade handbags, reported a second- quarter loss that widened more than analysts estimated on restructuring costs and shrinking sales.”

Fashion World Moves to Damp Sale Frenzy (WSJ)
“Next week begins the media blitz for Fashion’s Night Out-a global pep rally sponsored by two fashion icons, Anna Wintour and Diane von Furstenberg.”

Government pledges £3m to regenerate UK high streets (Drapers)
“The Government has unveiled a £3m fund to help regenerate high streets which have been hit by the recession.”

Fashion learns to make itself ‘useful’ (Macleans)
“The thrift-driven zeitgeist is full of phrases like ‘shopping in your closet,’ which is horrifying to retailers and manufacturers.”

Private Sale

Designer Bargains, for the Invited (WSJ)
“Online retail startups that specialize in “private sales” of discount designer apparel are gaining traction in the U.S. and, armed with fresh venture capital, plan to branch into new businesses.”

Couture houses refuse to tumble (Toronto Star)
“You can never be too rich, too thin or own too many couture items. High-end buyers continue to pop in to Paris for the shows.”

Neiman Marcus, Inc. Reports June Revenues (WSJ)
“In the five-week June period, comparable revenues in the Specialty Retail Stores segment, which includes Neiman Marcus Stores and Bergdorf Goodman, decreased 23.0 percent. The Company experienced weakness across all geographies and merchandise categories in the Specialty Retail Stores segment.”

Gap, Abercrombie June Sales Trail Analysts’ Estimates (Bloomberg)
“Gap Inc. and Abercrombie & Fitch Co. reported June sales declines that were steeper than analysts estimated as a rise in U.S. unemployment and a drop in consumer confidence kept shoppers away from the malls.”

American Apparel June same-store sales drop 13 pct (MSN Money)
“Many merchants in June struggled to drum up sales amid continuing worries about the overall economy and jobs, but clothing retailers have been particularly hard hit as consumers cut back on discretionary spending.”

Old Navy ad campaign, courtesy of Old Navy

Gap Revamping Old Navy, Seeking To Reclaim Mkt Share (WSJ)
“Gap, which is the largest U.S. clothing chain, will remodel 50 Old Navy stores this year after a successful pilot in California, according to Chief Executive Glenn Murphy, speaking at a Piper Jaffray conference in New York Wednesday.”

Rodarte: California dreamers put B-movies before business (Times)
“Interest in the Mulleavy sisters and their fantastical designs has grown like a giant redwood.”

Boomtime for fashion fakers (Independent)
“The counterfeit trade is flourishing online – and it’s harder than ever to tell forgeries from designer originals. But now the big labels are fighting back.”

Sir Philip Green’s interview on BBC 2 (Drapers)
“Sir Philip Green, who owns Arcadia and BHS, said that while trade had been more settled recently, businesses were still not being funded properly, which would not help the country lift itself out of the recession.” Watch the interview here.

Graduate Fashion Week winners announced (Drapers)
“Myrto Samou of UCA Rochester picked up the River Island Gold Award and the Womenswear Award at Graduate Fashion Week last night.”

Prada S/S 09 Ad campaign, courtesy of Prada

Prada lays foundations for future growth (Financial Times)
“Prada, the privately owned Italian fashion house, reported on Tuesday a 22 per cent fall in net profit for 2008 of €99m and sought to position itself for growth when the global economic crisis eases.”

Cartier cuts working hours as demand dwindles (Reuters)
“Richemont, the world’s second-largest luxury goods group behind LVMH, is cutting working hours at its main Cartier factory as the economic slowdown dampens demand for pricey timepieces.”

Gap to debut online via ASOS (Drapers)
“Gap will make its online debut in the UK via young fashion website ASOS this august.”

Missoni Store Debuts in London (WWD)
“Missoni is continuing its retail push, opening its first stand-alone store here as well as a unit in Casablanca, Morocco.” (Subscription required)

Ballantyne appoints chairman (Drapers)
“Premium knitwear brand Ballantyne has appointed Giacomo Canessa as Chairman.”