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.