Brioni Autumn/Winter 2011 | Source: Luxos

PPR set to buy men’s wear brand Brioni (FT)
“PPR, the French luxury goods group, has confirmed it will acquire Brioni, the Italian high end men’s wear group that has dressed Vladimir Putin and the fictional character James Bond in several movie outings. In a statement on Tuesday, PPR said it would be buying 100 per cent of the family owned group for an undisclosed sum… PPR is reorienting and expanding its business in two segments: luxury, which includes Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent and Bottega Veneta; and lifestyle, which consists mainly of a majority stake in Puma, the German sportswear company.”

H&M Sets Versace Goddesses of High Fashion to Low Prices: Retail (Bloomberg)
“Hennes & Mauritz AB, the world’s second-largest clothing retailer, next week starts selling apparel and accessories designed by Gianni Versace SpA, including floor-length ‘goddess’ gowns, dresses dotted with Grecian buttons and fluorescent micro-minis. The Versace for H&M line, the latest partnership between the Swedish retailer and a luxury designer that boasts high fashion at low prices, will give the Italian label ‘global visibility’ as it targets sales of about $700 million by 2014, Versace Chief Executive Officer Gian Giacomo Ferraris said.”

Hugo Boss ups 2015 targets on Chinese growth (Reuters)
“German fashion house Hugo Boss sharply raised its earnings outlook for 2015 on Tuesday as it increases its network of stores and eyes strong growth from China. The group… Said it now expects sales of 3 billion euros ($4.1 billion) in 2015, and earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, amortization and special items (EBITDA) of 750 million. That compares with a previous target for sales of 2.5 billion and core earnings of 500 million euros. Hugo Boss said it expected sales in Asia to almost triple by 2015 compared with 2010, mainly thanks to China.”

Upcoming Zappos iPad App Mimics a Fashion Magazine (All Things Digital)
“The new black this fall: Retailers producing content alongside their products, like an online version of a glossy fashion magazine. Zappos expects to launch its first attempt at recreating the catalog experience on the iPad in early December, just in time for the holidays… Instead of being generally available in iTunes, the Zappos app will be found on Apple’s Newsstand, which organizes magazine and newspaper subscriptions for those who use iOS 5. It will be free; a new edition will appear monthly.”

Alber Elbaz wants dramatic fashion (Belfast Telegraph)
“Alber Elbaz has announced plans to ‘bring back real drama’ to the fashion industry. The Lanvin designer staged a presentation of his Spring/Summer 12 collection at Carondelet House in Los Angeles recently. He’s already put on a similar event in Paris and explained he’s keen to get people interested in style again. ‘Geoffrey Beene told me that fashion is not show business, it’s just business,’ he said. ‘These days there are too many reality shows, and I watch many of them, but I am trying to bring back real drama to fashion.’”

La Source by Anne Deniau | Source: NY Times

What Christian Lacroix Did Next (NY Times)
“‘This is my couture,’ says Christian Lacroix, before his latest creations took to the stage in “La Source,” a magical realist ballet created in the 19th century and rarely seen since then. These fantastical costumes, mixing folkloric outfits with diaphanous pastel dresses, scattered with sparkling crystal, are for just one among a series of theatrical events across Europe that Mr. Lacroix has worked on since his couture house was shuttered in 2009.”

Hugo Boss confirms 2011 outlook after Q3 results (Reuters)
“German fashion house Hugo Boss  confirmed its outlook for 2011 as it reported forecast-beating third-quarter results… Adding to signs the premium and luxury sector has not yet been hit by the global economic slowdown… Hugo Boss, known predominantly for its sharp suits, is aiming to grow sales by between 15 and 17 percent on a currency neutral basis and core operating profit by between 25 and 30 percent for 2011 as a whole.”

Has campaigning for an ethical fashion industry had any impact? (Guardian)
“Campaigners have been battling for an ethical fashion industry ever since the first sweatshop scandals broke back in the 1990s… Progress might be slow, but it’s not all doom and gloom. Take the example of the campaign led by the Responsible Sourcing Network to stop forced child labour in Uzbekistan’s cotton industry. Over 60 global clothing companies, including Adidas and H&M, have now committed to ban Uzbek cotton from their supply chains.”

Photo Sharing App For Fashion Pose Raises $3 Million (TechCrunch)
“Pose, a mobile platform for real-time discovery and sharing of fashion, shopping and style, has raised $3 million in Series A funding from GRP Partners, True Ventures and Mousse Partners… Pose wants to help you share what you’re buying (or thinking of buying) with your friends. When you’re in a store and you come across and item of clothing you may want to buy, Pose invites you to take a snapshot. You can then tag it with your current location and the item’s price, and share it with friends.”

Meet Katie Hillier, the fashion world’s best-kept secret (Evening Standard)
“Once the head accessories designer at Marc by Marc Jacobs, where she created some of the most coveted bags of the decade – she continues to work there as a creative consultant – Hillier is now the expertise behind Victoria Beckham’s phenomenally successful bag line, and a consultant for Henry Holland’s House of Holland label and for designer Stuart Vevers, with whom she recently collaborated to re-imagine Loewe’s iconic Amazona tote bag.”

Park & Bond | Source: Park & Bond

Gilt Groupe Targets Guys for New Luxury Retail Site Park & Bond (Forbes)
“Internet retailer Gilt Groupe is straying from its tried-and-true flash sales model to launch Park & Bond, a full-priced menswear site without the limited-time component that’s been responsible for Gilt’s rapid growth since it was founded in 2007… But in order to really flex the buying muscle of its 400,000 male customers Gilt is going to offer them a specially selected full-price assortment on a dedicated site.”

When luxury and commodities collide (FT)
“Pity the poor jewellers of this world. As the price of gold soars and investors hoard bullion, the price of one of the luxury industry’s prime raw materials goes through the roof; suddenly, what was the base metal of high-end adornment has become as precious as the sparklers it normally holds.”

“China Currently Has No Strategic Vision For Cultivating Our Own Brands” (Jing Daily)
“Recent cases like the Da Vinci furniture scandal expose a sad truth: China still lacks a domestic luxury industry to speak of. Still, Hong — who recently signed Xiang Yaodong as BNC’s first in-house designer — and a growing number of Western-trained Chinese designers are looking to cultivate a home-grown luxury fashion industry that can rival international brands.”

Hugo Boss to raise 2015 margin target (Reuters)
“Hugo Boss is set to raise its 2015 profit margin target this fall, helped by the vigour of the global luxury market and improved productivity, sources close to the German fashion brand said. The maker of sharply cut men’s suits has already met its 2015 underlying profit margin target while bigger luxury rivals such as PPR , LVMH and Burberry published record results last month.”

Watch a teaser of Carine Roitfeld’s Elizabeth Taylor-themed magazine (Independent)
“France’s first lady of fashion styled a Chanel campaign and the Barneys fall catalogue recently, but her work for V Magazine marks her editorial debut since leaving French Vogue at the beginning of the year.”

Jun Takahashi | Source: Forbes

The Experimental Designer Who Will Replace Jil Sander At Uniqlo (Forbes)
“In some ways Takahashi is a surprising choice — he’s not exactly a household name outside of Japan, and his clothes veer toward the avant garde… But Takahashi is Japanese, and he has worked with big commercial companies before — he designs a running line for Nike. Furthermore, he’s one of the most innovative, interesting designers working today.”

PPR H1 beats forecasts thanks to luxury brands (Reuters)
“French retail and luxury group PPR SA delivered first-half sales and profits above forecasts on Friday, helped by strong growth of its luxury brands in major markets such as China. PPR’s luxury brands… produced combined sales growth of 24.4 percent in the second quarter, above expectations of 19 percent and first-quarter luxury growth of 22 percent.”

Hugo Boss confident as China, Americas sales soar (Reuters)
“German fashion house Hugo Boss sees a strong second half thanks to soaring demand for its suits from Asia and the Americas… Sales in the Americas were up 31 percent in the quarter, while the Asia/Pacific region saw sales soar 65 percent.”

Tommy Hilfiger Makes Asia Inroads (WSJ)
“In August, Hilfiger will be taking over the right to sell its own brand in China, where it was previously distributed through a licensing agreement. And it said today that it poached John Ermatinger, who until recently was the president of Gap Asia Pacific, for the newly appointed role of Asia Chief Executive for Tommy Hilfiger.”

Guangzhou: No Longer A Third-Rate Luxury Market? (Jing Daily)
“It may be very much a top-tier city, with an annual GDP of over 1 trillion yuan (US$152 billion)… Guangzhou can be a frustrating market for major luxury brands… Top brands have been slow to invest heavily in their Guangzhou operations, and for good reason: local luxury consumption lags far behind other key markets.”

Miu Miu Autumn/Winter 2011 photographed by Bruce Weber | Source: Miu Miu

Prada Woos Young Chinese With Edgier Sister-Brand (WSJ)
“Aiming to cash in on China’s bulging population of young fashion-lovers, Prada is turning its focus in the Chinese market to its… Sister-brand… Miu Miu has struck a chord with China’s young luxury shoppers… Who… Don’t remember the era in which the brand was overshadowed by the Prada label.”

Global growth drives ASOS sales (FT)
“Online fashion retailer Asos intends to make free global shipping a “permanent” part of its business model, after international sales growth fuelled a 63 per cent jump in sales in the first quarter to £107m… International sales grew 160 per cent… And now make up 57 per cent of overall sales.”

Hugo Boss raises outlook on China, U.S. demand (Reuters)
“German fashion house Hugo Boss raised its outlook for the year, boosted by growing sales in China and the United States…  The group, known for its sharp suits for men, said it now expected 2011 sales to rise by between 15 and 17 percent and underlying earnings to rise by 25 and 30 percent.”

Yves Saint Laurent Defends Its Red Soles Against Christian Louboutin (The Cut)
“Yves Saint Laurent, Inc.’s lawyers issued a… response to Christian Louboutin’s trademark-infringement charges this week, stating first… That no one can prove that YSL’s use of red soles hurt Louboutin’s sales or caused any consumer confusion… They argued that Louboutin never should have gotten a trademark for those red soles.”

In Berlin, Rocking the Fashion Trade Fair (IHT)
“A person stumbling into this spectacle… could easily mistake it for an artsy free-for-all in Berlin… Yet that is precisely what makes Bread & Butter, among the world’s most important urban and street fashion trade fairs… Held this year… It drew 100,000 visitors and 600 brands like Adidas, Diesel and G-Star”