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.

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Hermès Scores Victory in Battle With LVMH (NY Times)
“Hermès won a major victory Thursday in its battle to torpedo a potential takeover by its larger rival LVMH after a court cleared the French luxury group’s plans to create a holding company that will lock in descendants of the founding family for 20 years.”

Ungaro Departure (Vogue UK)
“Giles Deacon has left his position as creative director of Emanuel Ungaro… Deacon’s successor at Ungaro has not yet been named, but he or she will be the sixth designer in as many years to take the helm of the brand – after high-profile departures by Giambattista Valli, Vincent Darré,  Peter Dundas, Esteban Cortazar and Estrella Archs.”

Luxury brands must wake up to ethical and environmental responsibilities (Guardian)
“While high street brands such as Gap and Primark have long been the target of anti-sweat shop campaigners, luxury brands from Armani to Valentino have largely managed to evade the ethical spotlight and have yet to be inconvenienced by reputation-damaging sweatshop scandals.”

For a Day, It’s All Good (NY Times)
“Wednesday was a double-bonus day with outstanding shows from Ralph Rucci and Proenza Schouler. The next morning, Ralph Lauren concocted one of his romances out of straw picnic purses and robin’s egg blue, ending it with a gown as triumphant as the Chrysler Building.”

Fashion bloggers to spur online luxury sales (Reuters)
“Fashion bloggers will help propel online sales of designer clothes, jewels and luxury cars to more than 11 billion euros ($15 billion) in 2015. The exclusive fashion world has embraced the Internet later than other industries but is catching up quickly… Blogs and social media are setting trends more than fashion critics, with one out of two customers turning to Facebook or Twitter for advice before buying, the study said.”

Anthropologie on London's Regent Street | Source: Styleguide

Retailtainment: the future of shopping? (Independent)
“An extension of previous high-concept… These concept stores provide the kind of entertainment designed to make you – or at least your children – leave the premises grinning from ear-to-ear as you reel from your experiential day out. This is Retailtainment.”

In Nigeria, ‘Lace’ Market Reflects Rising Middle Class (WSJ)
“No longer reserved for the rich, lace today is on the backs of motorcycle-taxi passengers and nightclub goers, part of Africa’s growing middle class… The Nigerian lace industry also opens a window on broader change in Africa as a whole.”

Tommy Hilfiger to Invest in Michael Kors? (The Cut)
“Michael Kors is looking for a half-billion dollars to fund his brand’s global expansion by selling a 25 percent stake in his company… Tommy Hilfiger is reportedly one of the ‘high net worth’ individuals Morgan Stanley recruited, without much difficulty, to invest in the company.”

Italy’s Ferragamo shines in Milan debut (Reuters)
“Shares of Italian luxury shoemaker Salvatore Ferragamo rose in their first day of trading on Wednesday, defying expectations for a muted debut. The Florence-based maker of shoes… trimmed debut gains to be up 6.17 percent at 9.555 euros.”

A Playful Ambition: An Interview Giles Deacon (Jessica Michault)
“For Deacon, who says he would love to someday work on a project with NASA, the most important thing is to always have fun while he is working. Inspired by his travels throughout the world and his love of nature Deacon is a bit of a free spirit.”

Prada Prods China’s Elite (WSJ)
“For Prada, in particular, the Chinese market is critical. The company is expected to announce this week plans for an initial public offering on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Its valuation would likely be higher in Hong Kong than in other market.”

Chanel swaps pearls and operatic grandeur for T-shirts and flats (Guardian)
“‘This is the way young women dress nowadays,’ pronounced Karl Lagerfeld, explaining why his Chanel haute couture show in Paris was built around T-shirts, slim trousers and flat shoes, with barely a cocktail frock to be seen and not a pearl in sight.”

Social Tribes vs.Social Networks (Fashion’s Collective)
“Social networks allow for the expression of current mindsets, but are not good at moving that mindset into the field of concerted action or conversion. In contrast, if luxury marketers could help gird the formation of tribes, they would gain a larger return on investment.”

Luxottica sales reach record high (FT)
“Group sales at Luxottica, the Italian eyewear maker… reached a record high of €5.8bn ($7.9bn) in 2010 – an increase of 7.1 per cent at constant exchange rates – on growing confidence of US consumers and strong sales of its premium and luxury ranges.”

Giles Goes West (Vogue UK)
“Giles Deacon is teaming up with Nine West to create a new capsule collection, launching for autumn/winter 2011-12. The partnership is part of a new initiative called Shoelaborations, where the footwear brand will work with a range of young designers, artists and musicians.”