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.”

Dries Van Noten Autumn/Winter 2011 | Source: Style.com

A Fresh Breeze of Change (IHT)
“This gentle zephyr is bringing a new fashion attitude. Out goes outré, excess and over-elaborate shows. In comes the quiet, no-fuss presentation of pleasing clothes. Freshness is the best word to describe what seems of the moment. Add to that ‘decency,’ meaning that any hint of ‘vulgarity chic’ has gone — and you get the new mood.”

Fashion Retailer Asos Sets Up Shop on Facebook (Business Week)
“The U.K. clothing site is the first European fashion retailer to open an e-tailing outpost inside the social network… the hip, London-based online clothing site became the first European fashion retailer to open an e-tailing outpost inside Facebook. Competitors such as Gap and Inditex’s Zara use the networking site largely to communicate with fans.”

Whiteley moves to Givenchy (Evening Standard)
“When Sue Whiteley was 13, she bunked off school and went to buy a pair of designer trousers, having saved up her pocket money for six months. Today, some 30 years later, she bestrides the world of luxury fashion, as the newly announced head of Givenchy… [Within] LVMH, Givenchy is second only to Dior.”

Kim Jones takes the helm at Louis Vuitton menswear (Telegraph)
“Jones, 31, previously designed for Uniqlo, Mulberry, Alexander McQueen, Hugo Boss, Umbro and Topman, before moving to Alfred Dunhill in 2008. A fashion all-rounder, Jones has also contributed both as stylist and art director for magazines… and was awarded Menswear Designer of the Year by the British Fashion Council in 2006 and 2009.”

John Galliano Exits the Way That He Entered (NY Times)
“In circumstances like these, a sensible millionaire designer would have jumped into his chauffeured car and gone to his boss and pleaded insanity, whereupon he would have been given an all-expense-paid trip to rehab. But that’s just it: Mr. Galliano is not a sensible man, any more than fashion chiefs are missionaries.”

Cravates Hermès | Source: Vintage Linens

Why Do We Care About Luxury Brands? (Wired)
“There’s now suggestive evidence that our faith in the authentic – especially when the authenticity is supported by effective marketing campaigns – is a deep seated human instinct, which emerges at an extremely early age.”

Champagne corks popping again in luxury business (AFP)
“Champagne corks are popping again in the luxury business as “It” bags and expensive watches this year sell like hotcakes from Beijing to New York, signalling the turning of a page after the global financial crisis.”

Pugh’s Store Debut (Vogue.com)
“Because it was my first store, I knew I had to do something that was very me… I went back to my runway shows and thought, ‘what could be more me than a black box?”

Sally Singer Makes First Major Hires at T (Fashionologie)
“It doesn’t appear that Sally Singer will be pillaging the ranks of Vogue — or even Conde Nast, for that matter — when it comes to stocking her team at T.”

The fashion world’s first transsexual supermodel (Guardian)
“If this Brazilian bombshell is causing such a stir it is perhaps because there is more to her than meets the eye. Lea T was born Leandro and, as well as being a model and a muse, she is an out and proud transsexual.”

Givenchy Haute Couture Fall 2010 | Source: Style.com

Skeletons, Family and Religion (IHT)
“There was little of the sharp tailoring associated with Givenchy, where Mr. Tisci has been the creative director for five years… In an interview, the designer explained his vision.”

Perrone Quits as CEO of Italian Suitmaker Brioni (Bloomberg)
“Perrone, the 40-year-old grandson of Brioni co-founder Gaetano Savini, was appointed sole CEO in July last year, replacing a governing committee, of which he was part. The move was partly to accelerate decision-making, he said at the time.”

IT Holding Administrators Extend Bid Deadline for Ferré (Bloomberg)
“Administrators for IT Holding, the Italian fashion company being reorganized under government- backed bankruptcy protection, extended the deadline for binding offers for the Gianfranco Ferré label.”

Apple’s Appvertising Takes Off (Brand Channel)
“To make iAd advertising as effective as possible, Apple is looking to mesh interaction with emotion… Apple is reportedly ‘studying the buying habits’ of 150 million iTune users so it can target its mobile ads.”

Slow fashion: forever yours (Guardian)
“The concept of fast fashion – the hunger for a cheap Saturday night top that gets bought, worn once or twice and swiftly dumped – is fast fading. In its place we have slow fashion, the pre-eminence of terminally stylish designs with lasting appeal.”

Marc Jacobs | Source: FT

A New Marc Jacobs? (FT)
“‘I can’t do everything, and I’m not good at everything… I feel like what I do creates some sort of direction for the company, and that’s good, and then I can leave it to other people to interpret.’”

Why Givenchy is more desirable than ever (NZ Herald)
“Givenchy struggled to reinvent itself for over a decade, but today – with Riccardo Tisci at the helm – the designer label is experiencing its finest moment in years.”

Coach sues city of Chicago over counterfeit bags (Reuters)
“Coach Inc, the maker of leather handbags and other goods, sued the city of Chicago this week for allowing the sale of counterfeit goods at the New Maxwell Street Market, about two miles southwest of the downtown Loop.”

Resurgent female shoppers swing Ann Taylor to profit (Market Watch)
“Women’s clothing retailer Ann Taylor Stores Corp. on Friday swung to a first-quarter profit, helped by resurgent demand for women’s clothing and an updated merchandise assortment that spurred shoppers to pay full price.”

Civil Rights | Brand New Dandies (T Magazine)
“This week marks the debut of Social Primer for Brooks Brothers, a collection of bowties created in collaboration with the ultimate WASP-y men’s store and K. Cooper Ray, the dapper Southern-born men’s-wear blogger.”