Zombie Boy | Source: NY Times

Designers Start to See in Triplicate (NY Times)
“With something like 250 runway shows and parties crammed into the New York Fashion Week that begins Sept. 8, a lot of designers are saying that there must be a better way to show clothes, or at least some way to grab people’s attention for more than a second or two. The latest thing, if a handful of them are correct, would be fashion shows in 3-D.”

Guess joins the queue as labels spread their wares through China (Independent)
“Guess has become the latest international brand to announce massive plans for expansion into mainland China… Guess is targeting its “lifestyle collection” of denim garments, handbags, watches and footwear at China’s ever-growing luxury goods market, one which industry insiders expect to be worth more than 84 billion yuan (13 billion dollars) this year – making it the second largest in the world after the United States.”

Burberry in step with digital age (FT)
“The luxury fashion brand Burberry has spurned glossy magazine adverts in favour of a Facebook campaign to promote the global launch of its latest fragrance, Burberry Body… On average, digital makes up 15 to 20 per cent of media spending globally. Burberry’s strategy shows how quickly the fashion industry is moving away from magazines as it seeks to interact with consumers worldwide.”

H&M and Zara Duke It Out for U.S. Online Sales (Forbes)
“Move over brick and mortar expansion tactics, retailers are finally realizing that bottom line growth isn’t always going to come by swelling square footage. Zara and H&M are taking their fast fashion competition online, while Urban Outfitters is jumping into F-commerce (making their Facebook fan page shoppable).”

First look at Carine Roitfeld: Irreverent (Telegraph)
“Ever since Carine Roitfeld stepped down from the role of editor at Vogue Paris, there have been whisperings about what is next in store for her. But now images of one of her first projects have been released and somewhat surprisingly they involve looking to the past, rather than the future.”

NE•Tiger | Source: Jing Daily

‘Made in China’ Chic is making Chinese Proud (Red Luxury)
“‘The world has used China as a cheap manufacturing land,’ said Shu Shu Chen, communications director for the Hermes Chinese fashion line Shang Xia. ‘This has been the defining thing for the past 10, 20, 30 years. The time has come to move on from that idea.’… While the Far East has traditionally been associated with cheap labor and shoddy production, its reputation is changing—and attracting big name brands.”

Guess outlook disappoints; shares slide (Reuters)
“U.S. clothing maker Guess Inc gave a disappointing outlook for the rest of the year, citing a difficult economy and competitive environment. The company, best known for its jeans, reported better-than-expected earnings for the second quarter, but said a recent slowdown in the global economy made it more cautious moving forward.”

Art and Fashion in Dasha Zhukova’s Garage (NY Times)
“The magazine, created by Dasha Zhukova, a former editor of Pop, and named after the contemporary art center she opened in Moscow in 2008, includes collaborations between prominent figures of both worlds and blurs the boundaries to such a degree that even the artist Dinos Chapman said his work in the magazine could be described as ‘a full-blown fashion shoot.’”

Vogue’s Anna Wintour: Intimidating, No. Powerful, Yes. (Forbes)
“‘I don’t think of myself as a powerful person. You know, what does it mean? It means you get a better seat in a restaurant or tickets to a screening or whatever it may be. But it is a wonderful opportunity to be able to help others, and for that I’m extremely grateful.’”

Rise: Marques’Almeida (Dazed Digital)
“Graduating from the MA at Central Saint Martins in February, the Portuguese couple behind Marques’Almeida joins Lulu Kennedy’s force to offer a season with abundance of attitude. Fashion East hasn’t seen petulance so desirable yet… ‘Our whole goal is to obviously, build a brand and keep growing; to make sure that the mood and attitude that we try to reflect through our clothes is identifiable in the future.’”

Mickey Drexler | Source: W Magazine

J.Crew agrees to $3bn takeover (FT)
“J.Crew, the US retailer with a preppy style, has agreed to be acquired by TPG Capital and Leonard Green & Partners in a $3bn deal… The two funds have agreed to pay $43.50 per share in cash for J Crew.”

Divergent paths for US consumers as holidays near (AFP)
“Americans appear to be shaking off the gloom heading into the holiday season with recession no longer hanging over them, but the mood is dampened by a growing split between the haves and have-nots, say analysts.”

Karl Lagerfeld Developing Lower-Priced Line for Macy’s (Media Bistro)
“Designer Karl Lagerfeld will soon unveil a fashion venture with Macy’s… for an affordably priced ready-to-wear line that will range from jeans to gowns. The new line, slated to launch with a collection for fall 2011, is also expected to include a major online component.”

Guess sees full-year above view (Reuters)
“Apparel company Guess Inc reported a quarterly profit on Tuesday that far exceeded Wall Street expectations helped by robust expansion overseas, sending its shares up 8 percent.”

Magical Reality in 3-D From Issey Miyake (IHT)
“Last week, the Japanese designer opened an exhibition called ‘Reality Lab’ in his 21_21 Design Sight cultural center in Tokyo… Other work in the show is by photographers, scientists and a planetary physicist.”

Zara Spring/Summer 2010 | Source: Zara

Inditex profit climbs 17 percent as sales jump at start of fiscal year (Market Watch)
“Inditex posted a 17% rise in fourth-quarter profit on a 13% rise in revenue as the Spanish retailer saw strong growth in international markets and opened its fiscal year with rapid sales growth.”

Guess Q4 Profit Jumps 81per cent (RTT News)
“International fashion house Guess? Inc. said Wednesday its profit for the fourth quarter jumped 80.7% over last year, driven by higher sales and improved margins. Quarterly adjusted earnings grew 45.5%, and topped the analysts’ expectations.”

Lagerfeld to Help Tod’s With Its Hogan Brand (NYT)
“Karl Lagerfeld has a new world at his feet: The Italian company Hogan, part of the Tod’s footwear empire, said Wednesday that it had signed the designer for a special collection.”

Lessons Learned From Two Retailers (WSJ)
“What’s the difference between Amancio Ortega and Stephen Marks? Superficially, the two have much in common. Both started out as clothing manufacturers…Yet the fortunes of the two have radically diverged.”

All You Need Is Luxe (T Magazine)
“Midway through ‘Imagine: John Lennon,’ the 1988 documentary, Lennon and his new bride, Yoko Ono, are seen prancing through a London airport clad in matching white pantsuits… He knew how to have a good time and how to work a look.”

Guess Autumn/Winter 09 | Source: Guess

Guess Sets Its Sights on Europe (Business Week)
“The iconic maker of fashion jeans and other apparel is expanding fast in Europe with a new retail push and tighter control of its brand.”

A Not-So-Guilty Pleasure (NY Times)
“For months now, consumers have been hunkering down in an economic storm, buying only what they need to survive, like groceries, diapers, medicine — and shoes.”

Luxury brands are back to wooing Indian customer (Business Line)
“Niche luxury retailers are putting expansions back on track after a brief hiatus. Despite foreign direct investment restrictions, companies such as Versace, Oakley and Nike Golf are increasing area and product assortments to draw consumer interest in what they consider one of the biggest markets in Asia.”

Debenhams acquires Danish retailer Magasin for £12.3m (Drapers)
“Department store group Debenhams is to push into mainland Europe following the £12.3m acquisition of Danish department store business Magasin du Nord.”

Brioni joins forces with the Royal College of Art (Drapers)
“Luxury Italian menswear brand Brioni has signed a three-year deal with the Royal College of Art that will see one of the brand’s master tailors work with menswear fashion design students.”