Bonnie Brooks by Norman Wong | Source: Montecristo Magazine

Room for Change (Montecristo)
“This encapsulates much of what has been transpiring at the Bay stores across Canada the last few years, a signal that Canada’s iconic department store is entering a new era. It follows the sale of the Hudson’s Bay Company to Richard Baker of the U.S. retail chain Lord and Taylorin 2008, and his appointment of Ms. Brooks to the leadership position at the Bay. Her assignment is to breathe new life into the company; founded in 1670, it is the oldest existing in the world.”

Letting the Light Shine Through (IHT)
“As hazy, or even dark, as the future might appear for the stock markets or in the international news, in fashion, at least, designers are letting the light shine through. ’Nacre at night time,’ said Giorgio Armani referring to the French word for mother of pearl, the gleaming natural underwater treasure that was the inspiration of a show that started with a projection of waves and ended with an image of moon on water.”

Specifications for the way we live now (FT)
“Ms Facchinetti, 39, has teamed up with Pinko, an Italian fast fashion/low luxury brand, to create Uniqueness, a brand predicated on the idea of affordable clothes that can be worn at any time, in any season, and that will be available online as they appear on the catwalk… She is part of a generation of talented and critically acclaimed designers, including Jil Sander and Olivier Theyskens, who fell foul of corporate politics in renowned fashion houses.”

How Street Style Changed the Frontier of Fashion Photography (The Cut)
“Tomasi Hill is a member of a new, elite class of fashion celebrities whose pictures (and shoes and bags and outfits) are fanatically snapped outside of fashion shows and events by street style photographers… These photographs, seemingly casual and snapped on the fly, now appear regularly on retail websites, blogs, and in ad campaigns and print magazines to demonstrate how “normal” people incorporate certain looks into their everyday outfits.”

Paris goes Gaga as international crowd gears up for new collections (Independent)
“At Thierry Mugler tomorrow night, creative director Nicola Formichetti will be showing a short film courtesy of superstar photographer duo Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, with his friend and collaborator Lady Gaga in the star role and releasing a new soundtrack… Paris is anything but parochial.”

Givenchy Couture by Riccardo Tisci, Autumn/Winter 2011-12 | Source: Givenchy

Givenchy: Pure is Beautiful (IHT)
“Mr. Tisci’s vision of asking the impossible from his ateliers is part of the story. But the main thread of his collection is the link to those few, rare customers who are searching for the exceptional. And that suddenly seems like 21st century haute couture.”

Burberry faces shareholder revolt over ‘excessive’ executive pay (Guardian)
“Burberry faces a revolt over executive pay after a lobby group urged its members to vote against the luxury fashion house’s remuneration plans… Pirc, which advises pension funds and asset managers, described rewards for executives as ‘excessive’.”

The New Value of Being ‘Made In Britain…’? (Popsop)
“…The luxury sector as a whole—does indeed seem to be bucking the retail trend… In 2006, British brand Burberry was pilloried for moving its production to China… The brand is increasingly using its British’ness as currency around the world while increasingly looking to the Far East for sales.”

Giorgio Armani dedicates new collection to Japan’s Tsunami Victims (Guardian)
“Giorgio Armani has been attempting to get couture to look outside its rarefied environment by dedicating his Privé couture collection to recovery efforts in Japan… Fashion brands will often make a nod to charity, but Armani’s theming of the entire couture collection around a single cause is a highly unusual move.”

Rei Kawabuko, Artist & Visionary (Fashionably Marketing)
“Through a diverse portfolio of work, spanning just short of four decades, Kawakubo has positioned herself not only as one of the top three Japanese designers of our time, situated right up there with Issey Miyake and Yohji Yamamoto,  but also a true artist and visionary.”

Bono and Ali Hewson for Louis Vuitton | Source: Louis Vuitton

Bling is back (The Economist)
“The strength of the recovery was a surprise…. Big brands such as Louis Vuitton and Hermès are the main winners. With their deep pockets, they were able to continue to open new shops and invest in the business during the crisis.”

Zegna Sees Sales, Profit Growth (Bloomberg)
“Sales will grow ‘well above 10 percent’ this year, led by Zegna’s biggest market of China and exceed the 870.6 million euros ($1.22 billion) generated in 2008…. [while] margins are improving, 2010 profit will be below the 62.3 million euros.”

Giorgio Armani draws focus to eyewear line via interactive video site (Luxury Daily)
“Armani’s Frames of Life campaign Web site lets consumers make their own customized video ads by piecing together different clips of content, or create print ads from screen grabs of the Optical Collections’ main campaign video.”

Potential Marketing Opportunities in Augmented Reality (Fashion’s Collective)
“As yet another element to consider in a marketing strategy, this begs the question, should augmented reality be part of a brand’s budget, and what are the benefits and concerns involved?”

Chinese models hit runways around the globe (CNN)
“When the willowy Liu Wen stepped onto the runway… she finally began to see a parade of models who looked increasingly like her: This fall, major design houses featured a number of Chinese models in fashion weeks as part of a bid by the firms to boost their sales in China.”

Dying Cambodian silk using flowers, leaves, and bark | Source: Samatoa

Cambodia Slowly Reweaves Its Silk Industry (NY Times)
“Far from the glamour at fashion weeks in America and Europe, Cambodia’s silk industry is struggling to regain the foothold it lost during years of political and civil unrest.”

Armani Hitches Wagon to Gaga (WSJ)
“The 76-year-old designer’s multimillion-dollar partnership with the 24-year-old pop idol has put Mr. Armani ‘in a new creative spotlight… It is also an effort by one of fashion’s oldest figures to rejuvenate his €1.5 billion business.”

Luxury fashion retailers: functionality or flash? (Retail Bulletin)
“Eight out of 10 globally recognised luxury brands are now selling directly to customers online. Chanel and Versace are the only two retailers not currently offering customers any transactional options.”

Forbes Price Index Of Luxury Goods Keeps Pace With Inflation (Forbes)
“Over the 12 months ended in August–a period in which the aggregate net worth of the Forbes 400 Richest People in America rose 8%, from $1.27 trillion up to $1.37 trillion.”

Italy’s Top Designers Take Over Milan (WSJ)
“It’s a different Milan fashion editors and buyers are descending upon this season. More sophisticated. More serene. And that’s to say nothing of the clothes.”

Alexander McQueen Autumn/Winter 2010 | Source: Alexander McQueen

Fashion industry internships: exploitation or experience? (Guardian)
“The haute couture world may be glamorous, but some interns at the gritty end of the business are being exploited in their quest to gain industry experience.”

Balderton Capital on its Investment Strategy (The Next Woman)
“As we’re seeing lots of companies from different sectors, it gives us a useful vantage point for spotting broader trends, which can sometimes be helpful… challenges that businesses face have parallels in other companies, and different industries.”

LVMH Profit Beats Estimates on Rising Fashion Sales (Bloomberg)
“LVMH… the world’s largest maker of luxury goods, reported first-half profit that beat analysts’ estimates as sales of fashion and leather goods accelerated in the second quarter.”

Armani Is Luxury’s `Odd One Out’ as Second-Quarter Sales Falter (Bloomberg)
“Giorgio Armani struggled to win customers in the past quarter, contrasting with a surge in sales at luxury goods companies Hermes International and Burberry Group.”

Into the blue: Why denim never goes out of fashion (Independent)
“It’s among the most versatile and practical fabrics, beloved in its time by soldiers, railway workers and, of course, since the mid-1950s, by any fashion follower worth his or her credentials.”

Chaumet Attrape-moi...si tu m'aimes ring | Source: Chaumet

Jewelry With Stories to Tell (IHT)
“You don’t need 3-D glasses for the sculpted shapes to stand out and the colors to pop. But the high jewelry that had an open day during last week’s haute couture season is finely tuned to the latest fashion.”

Christian Lacroix’s New Creative Director is Up for the Challenge (Fashionista)
“Besides Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen, there is no designer in the world with a more enviable/terrifying job than Sacha Walckhoff, the new creative director at Christian Lacroix.”

Armani Sales, Profit Fall Amid Downturn (WSJ)
“Italian fashion house Giorgio Armani said Monday its sales and profit dropped last year amid a consumer-spending slump brought on by the economic crisis… sales fell 6% to €1.52 billion ($1.92 billion) from €1.62 billion a year earlier.”

Prada says Chinese tycoon’s share-buying talk is unfounded (Chanelnewsasia)
“A Chinese tycoon has been quietly buying up shares in Italian fashion house Prada SpA in a bid to become the biggest shareholder, his company said on Monday, but Prada in Italy denied this as being completely unfounded.”

London Fashion Week prepares to welcome its second famous Rocha (Independent)
“With London Fashion Week just two months away, the hunt is on for the next British-based design star… the daughter of the designer John Rocha, among the young names hoping to catch the eye of international fashion press and buyers.”

Armani Hotel, Burj Khalifa | Source: Armani Hotels

Armani Unveils Hotel in Dubai (WWD)
“His first hotel in the world… occupies eight floors of the soaring Burj Khalifa here, a dramatic tower into the sky that is the world’s tallest building. The 160-room hotel, for which almost no expense has been spared, boasts eight restaurants, a spa and three retail outlets.”

Burberry forges ahead with beauty range (Independent)
“Burberry will launch its line of color cosmetics this July, joining a big list of fashion labels that have introduced their own-brand beauty collections recently. So how will it be different?”

Puma lifts World Cup year outlook after strong Q1 (Reuters)
“German sporting goods maker Puma lifted its earnings outlook for the soccer World Cup year of 2010 on Wednesday after posting slightly better-than-expected first-quarter earnings.”

Macy’s Boosts Outlook After Catering to Local Tastes (Bloomberg)
“Macy’s Inc., the second-largest U.S. department-store chain, boosted its annual profit and sales forecasts, helped by a strategy to better tailor merchandise to local tastes.”

The American Woman: Then and Now (WWD)
“As the Costume Institute prepares to unveil its spring exhibit next week, the female face of America will almost certainly become a key topic of conversation.”

Italian fabrics by Alessandro Scotti | Source: WSJ

In Italy’s Mills, a New Spin Emerges (WSJ)
“Factories in China are proving as adept at copying fabrics as films and handbags… While worried, Mr. Ferla is relying on his quality-focused business strategy.”

Luxury Shame Thrives on Facebook (Slate)
“According to a new report from research firm Unity Marketing, nearly 80% of ‘affluent luxury consumers’ belong to a social network… Not surprisingly, well-off consumers engage differently with their favorite brands on Facebook.”

Men’s fashion takes centre stage in London (Independent)
“From Savile Row suits to S&M leathers, the autumn/winter menswear shows at London Fashion Week today ranged right across the style spectrum.”

What Milan Fashion Did for Anna (WSJ)
“Designers in Milan face a chaotic crunch as they scramble to fit 88 runway shows into about 70 hours over six days to accommodate the Vogue editor-in-chief’s plans to stay just four days in Milan instead of a full week.”

Foxy Lady: Gaga To Wear Armani and Prada on Tour (WWD)
“Lady Gaga has tapped two fashion houses — Armani and Prada — to help outfit her for the overseas leg of her Monster Ball tour, which began last week in Manchester.”

Defiant Armani rules out sale of empire (Financial Times)
“Giorgio Armani, the doyen of Italian fashion designers, has ruled out a sale of his global empire and has no plans to step back from day-to-day involvement. Mr Armani sought to quash speculation that he may sell the house to a bigger group, saying he had no need or desire to sell and would always have the final say in decisions.”

Thinker, tailor, technophile (Financial Times)
“The potential of customers interacting with a brand online goes way beyond looking at an ad page in Vogue or Vanity Fair,” says Robert Polet, CEO of Gucci Group. “The Gucci app had 340,000 downloads at the end of October, just a few weeks after it launched. That makes those people part of the Gucci world.”

Fashion house Cavalli to boost accessories, expand (Reuters)
“Fashion house Roberto Cavalli is looking to boost its accessories segment and expand in South America and Asia Pacific this year, its chief executive said, adding there were signs of improvement in the luxury market.”

Fashion Designers Respond To Haiti: Find Out Who Did What (Huffington Post)
“The fashion industry has joined forces to aid the victims of this natural disaster, in the form of monetary donations and contributing portions of sales.”

Macy's Herald Square Advertisement, 1906 | Source: Gjenvick

Macy’s to shut five underperforming stores (Reuters)
“Macy’s Inc. said on Tuesday it was closing five of its namesake department stores, affecting about 307 employees, as it pares underperforming locations. Macy’s said it would offer jobs at nearby stores to displaced employees when possible.”

Prada: Not for Sale (Business Week)
“Prada SpA, the luxury company which has called off four attempts at an initial public offering in the last 10 years, denied a New York Post report that it is in talks to sell a stake to Financiere Richemont.”

Armani opens first design hotel in March (Independent)
“More hotels are planned for Milan, New York, Tokyo, Shanghai and London, although no dates have been specified at this point… Overall, Armani ‘plans to open at least ten hotels and resorts within the next ten years,’ according to a statement.”

Merci: A Concept That Slowly Spells Itself Out (NY Times)
“But Merci isn’t a pointed exercise in high-low, some clash of Chanel and Gap. It’s more like a place that reflects what people actually like and how they actually want to shop. Heartened not just by the selection but by a sense of aesthetic freedom, I found even more eccentric delights…’It’s like Colette for grown-ups’.”

Venetia: Great Scott (Ponystep)
“Venetia Scott is the stylist who stripped away the impenetrable veneer of fashion in the early 90’s. Together with photographer Juergen Teller, her sense of spirit dismantled existing preconceptions of glamour and brought personality as well as earthy grit to dressing.”