Tara Pearls Jewelry on Gilt Groupe | Source: Gilt Groupe

What’s a Dress Worth? (NY Magazine)
“The online retailer Gilt Groupe offers a great deal: Buy designer clothes at deep discounts. But is it good or bad for fashion?”

Chanel to sell goods online (Marketing)
“Chanel is to begin selling products directly through its website later this year in a landmark decision likely to be followed by rival luxury brands.”

Carolina Herrera Sees Signs of Life in Luxury (WSJ)
“Fashion designer Carolina Herrera says she was “shocked” a few months ago when she noticed her $7,990 gray sequined tulle gowns were “selling like hotcakes,” relatively speaking.”

World’s top fashion prize increased to 220,000 euros (AFP)
“The coveted Andam fashion prize for emerging talent on Monday announced a more than 25-percent increase in its endowment, to 220,000 euros (307,000 dollars).”

London Fashion Week Preview (Fashion156)
Fashion156 launches the London Fashion Week preview issue, including coverage on womenswear, menswear, accessories, beauty and grooming.

Lamarthe at www.vente-privee.com | Source: Vente-Privée

Cyber Monday: busiest online shopping day ever (Telegraph)
“In recent years the first Monday of December has become the busiest day for online shopping, with consumers scouting for the best deals over the weekend before making their decision on the Monday. Between the hours of 1pm and 2pm alone, Brits spent a combined total of £33 million, a year-on-year increase of 21 percent.”

Clothing sales hit in November (Drapers)
“Clothing sales in November were adversely impacted by the mild weather during the month and comparisons with 2008 when the high street was in the throes of a discounting war. Total retail sales values rose 1.8% on a like-for-like basis in November according to the British Retail Consortium-KPMG.”

Lacroix shows fashion sector’s quick change (National)
“Once the darlings of the well-heeled shopper and the style maven, haute couture houses are struggling to keep needle and thread together as they shed jobs.”

David Lynch to direct for Dior (Independent)
“French fashion house Dior has confirmed… that filmmaker David Lynch will follow in Oliver Dahan’s footsteps, directing the label’s next ‘Lady Dior’ ad… Lynch, the maker of US TV series Twin Peaks and movies such as Mulholland Drive, is no rookie to the fashion world: he previously collaborated with shoe designer Christian Louboutin on a photo exhibition and directed the ad for Gucci’s signature fragrance.”

If Amazon Buys Vente-Privée, What Happens To Gilt Groupe? (Fashion Beat)
“Regardless of whether or not Amazon buys VP, there’s little doubt the sample site that started it all will eventually going to open up shop in the U.S. How can Gilt Groupe continue to flourish when this happens?”

Missoni A/W 2010 ad campaign | Source: Missoni

Italy’s Fashion Houses See No Early Recovery From Sales Slump (Bloomberg)
“Italy’s fashion industry will take years to recover after the biggest sales decline in at least two decades, according to the country’s designers, who criticized the government for not doing enough to assist them.”

Valentino Owners Say Company Will Survive Recession (New York Times)
“The finances of the Valentino fashion house will withstand the economic crisis, according to a partner in Permira, the private equity fund that owns the group. But current market conditions mean the investor will be sticking around longer than planned.”

Future Looks A Little Brighter For The Luxury Goods Sector (Financier Worldwide)
“Earlier this year, consultancy firm Bain & Company reported that the luxury goods sector was facing a decline of 10 percent, estimating that by 2010 the sector’s value could shrink to €153bn from its 2008 level of €170bn. In response, a new report by KPMG has recommended steps that the sector should take in order to survive the global recession.”

Gilt Groupe’s Jetsetter takes off (CNN Money)
“Jetsetter tells Fortune Brainstorm Tech exclusively that it aims to bring high-end travel online by adopting the model of its parent company, Gilt Groupe, a members-only shopping site featuring daily deals, or ‘flash-sales,’ on limited quantities of designer goods.”

Fast Fashion | +J at Uniqlo (The Moment)
“At 9 a.m., the line outside Uniqlo in SoHo was already stretching toward Dean & Deluca. By 10, it was around the block. Stores in London and Paris had already sold out.”

Jak & Jil window at Holt Renfrew, Toronto

Holt Renfrew owner rumoured to be eyeing Barneys New York (National Post)
“Barneys, an 86-year-old luxury retailer which has famously catered to a broad and often eclectic range of needs of high-end consumers, would fit well within Mr. Weston’s portfolio and extend his buying power for his other luxury goods chains, including Holts, Selfridges in Britain and Brown Thomas in Ireland, analysts say.”

When cheap is exclusive (The Economist)
“Luxury e-tailers, which sell designer goods online at discounted prices, are flourishing. The slowdown has actually helped them, simultaneously producing seemingly endless supplies of unsold inventory and forcing consumers to tighten their belts.”

A winning formula for fashion retail (Fortune)
“Chic digital merchant Net-a-porter is proving that women will buy a $2,000 dress with just a click of a BlackBerry.”

Jay-Z’s Rocawear Line: The King Of Hip-Hop Fashion Labels (MTV Newsroom)
“At the beginning, Jay-Z’s approach to fashion was all over the map. From the baggy pants and sports jerseys that were stereotypically associated with the rap game to a tuxedo and top hat, Jay-Z’s music videos and songs incorporated various nods to fashion labels, styles and trends.”

Jessica Biel at the Costume Institute Gala, courtesy of The New York Times

A Museum Gala Where High Cheekbones and Higher Hemlines Rule (NYT)
“It was noticeable change of social scenery, on Monday night, to see a fashion model (not, say, a routine celebrity) as the center of attention at the annual Costume Institute gala, generally considered the most glamorous, anticipated and expensive (with dinner seats starting at $7,500) event of the year.”

Buyer’s Market:Will seasoned shoppers ever pay full price again? (WSJ)
“In a world where money and logos were once the ultimate prize, retailers and luxury-goods houses are adjusting to the terms ‘discounting,’ ’shifting stock’ and ’stealth buying.’” (Watch related video here)

Here’s the Good News: Designers and Execs See Positive Points (WWD)
Bridget Foley of WWD sits down with some of the biggest names in fashion to discuss their thoughts on ‘08 and their predictions for ‘09.

Fashion’s Westward March (JC Report)
“An increasing number of New Yorkers have realized that the benefits to an LA fashion career outweigh the stereotypes, and, in turn, have started trickling westward seeking sun, space, and those all-important celebrity connections.”

NEW YORK, United States - Even before Susan Lyne left her high-profile CEO post at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSLO) earlier this year, the media world speculated wildly about where she might go next. Would she take a senior role at media giant Time Inc? Or would she end up in Hollywood, where she could bring to bear some of her experience from ABC, the American television network,whose fortunes she was credited with reviving on the strength of shows like Lost and Desperate Housewives?

It turned out that neither was true. In a surprise move, she accepted an offer to become the CEO of Gilt Groupe, an innovative start-up online fashion retailer that was featured on the Business of Fashion shortly after its inception late last year.

In our latest CEO Talk, I checked in with Susan to learn about the incredible progress of Gilt Groupe since then, which has seen the online start-up secure a $5m funding round from Matrix Partners, build a team of more than 100 employees from some of the best fashion brands and retailers, and most impressively, attract a passionate membership base that now numbers almost half a million users.

… Continue Reading

Red Herring: Gilt Groupe Scores VC Funding
The market is beginning to acknowledge the potential of online communities in selling fashion. The Red Herring is reporting that Gilt Groupe, which was featured in a Q&A on The Business of Fashion last week, has raised $5m of venture funding from Matrix Partners. Even the New York Times ran a short article.

IHT: Supreme Luxur y 2008
All week we have been posting Suzy Menkes’ videos from the IHT’s Supreme Luxury Conference in Moscow. Don’t miss the written content – it’s just as interesting, especially this article on India that somehow appears within a sea of articles on Russia.

The Wall Street Journal: MySpace for Millionaires
Asmallworld is no longer alone. A raft of new online sites targeted at high net worth individuals have emerged in the past few months, including SQUA.RE, a site we featured in an article for the JC Report.