Helly Hansen Hiking Gear | Source: Helly Hansen

PPR’s retail recovery could speed up sale process (Reuters)
“A shopping revival should help French group PPR more easily dispose of its retail units and fulfill its long-held ambition of refocusing on the luxury and outdoor sectors…One attractive target for PPR could be the Norwegian outdoor clothing brand Helly Hansen, owned by Swedish private equity firm Altor since 2006.”

Hugo Boss looks forward to growth (Telegraph)
“The German fashion house said orders were up for its latest season, after “cautious” demand from wholesalers for its spring/summer collection weakened its first quarter performance. Sales of premium goods are recovering after the sector was badly hit by the global downturn, which left even the world’s rich tightening their belts.”

Ittierre Closes Financing Deal With Banks For A EUR60M Loan (WSJ)
“Fashion company IT Holding’s (ITH.MI) manufacturing unit Ittierre has closed a financing deal with creditor banks for a 60.6 million-euro loan, the bankrupt company said Thursday in a statement…Now the company’s three commissioners plan to auction off all the group’s units, including Ittiere, Gianfranco Ferre and cashmere brand Malo.”

Survival of the Finest (WSJ)
“With buyers in retreat, its traditional customers aging or dying, and critics increasingly carping about its irrelevance, the couture economy, always delicate, now is more precarious than ever, leaving many to wonder whether there is a customer base left for couture.”

Singapore capitalizes on its style sense, as fashionistas look East (National Post)
“Legions of status-seeking shoppers with deep pockets are turning Asia into the next big catwalk for international designers, boosting Singapore’s aspirations to become the region’s Milan or New York. Asia’s growing economic clout — and the millions willing to spend top dollar on luxury lifestyles — were the buzz words at Singapore’s fashion festival.”

First Spring directed by Yang Fudong | Source: Prada

Cinema à la Prada (WSJ)
“With the Internet and digital technology, industry executives say short online videos have become an essential part of the fashion marketing tool box, offering customers a new way to interact with a brand and show clothing in motion.”

Web-only luxury retailers fared well during the recession (Internet Retailer)
“Luxury goods retailers that sell exclusively online increased their sales by 87% last year compared with 2008, even as overall luxury sales declined 20%.”

Hugo Boss to Keep Ohio Factory Open (WSJ)
“Hugo Boss reversed a decision to shut down a factory in Ohio, succumbing to an aggressive union-led campaign against the German fashion house and its private-equity owners.”

Anna Wintour on the Web, Vogue’s Future, and the iPad (WSJ)
“She was formally inducted into the American Society of Magazine Editors Hall of Fame during the National Magazine Awards, held at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall.”

Helmut Lang: From catwalk to gallery (Independent)
“He is, for many, the last of the great couturiers. With his chic white dresses and sleek trouser suits, Helmut Lang’s meticulous designs defined 1990s minimalism.”

Loewe Spring/Summer 2010 | Source: Loewe

Luxury goods brand LVMH sees sales soar (Guardian)
“A surge in demand for expensive jewellery, fashion goods, perfume and champagne has sent sales soaring at luxury goods firm LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. LVMH saw revenues jump by 11% in the first three months of this year to €4.472bn.”

Talbots Politely Shows Granny the Door (WSJ)
“To solidify its comeback and boost sales, Talbots must complete a merchandise and image overhaul aimed at attracting younger customers. And that’s a tall order for a brand that many women think of as perfect for their grandmothers.”

Morning Markets: FTSE muted as Dow hits 19-month high (Investment Week)
“Retailers were in the spotlight after the British Retail Consortium said UK sales in March rose at their fastest rate in almost four years thanks to the earlier timing of Easter. Total retail sales rose 6.6%, against 0.6% growth in March 2009.”

Hugo Boss Forecasts Higher Operating Profit, Sales This Year (Business Week)
“Hugo Boss AG, Germany’s largest clothing maker, expects ‘single-digit’ sales growth this year on rising demand for suits in North America and Asia. Operating profit this year will rise at a faster pace than sales, which should also advance in 2011.”

A Fashion App That Talks Back (WSJ)
“‘Ask a Stylist,’ a New Fashion iPhone App, Puts Style Experts On Call for Fashion Emergencies…The app, which claims to be the first to link up people in real time, is among the latest fashion tools to enter the crowded marketplace of 185,000 iPhone apps.”

Erdem Autumn/Winter 2010 Digital Print Detail | Source: Style.com

Prints for the Cyberage (IHT)
“Printed matter has undergone a digital revolution, as the new millennium has witnessed a dramatic change in the way that a pattern is developed to follow the shape of the body and to overlay actual images with virtual versions.”

Takashimaya’s Net Slumps 34 percent (WSJ)
“Takashimaya Co. said.. that revenue and profit for the year ended Feb. 28 showed steep declines as consumer worries about income and employment hurt the Japanese department store operator’s sales.”

Jil Sander Launches New Line (Elle.com)
“Fashion house Jil Sander has announced that it will be launching a brand new, lower priced line… designed by Raf Simons after all – the line will be less expensive than its catwalk counterpart.”

From Paris to Patna:Net takes high-fashion to small town India (Economic Times)
“The sweeping spread of cyberspace has made it an ideal channel for coveted brands like Versace, Gucci and DKNY to reach out to the nooks and crannies of India, the country often touted as the next big retail destination.”

A fashion duo dresses up a wine label (FT)
“It was recently announced that Basso & Brooke, British designers known for their use of fabric decorated with pornographic prints, had been appointed ‘designers in residence’ to Turning Leaf, E&J Gallo’s traditional wine brand.”

Boss Black by Peter Lindbergh | Source: Hugo Boss

Permira to keep Hugo Boss, ProSieben for years (Reuters)
“Permira doesn’t plan to exit from media company ProSiebenSat.1 and fashion label Hugo Boss for a couple of years, the German head of the private equity company told Reuters.”

Chanel wins counterfeit case but is forced to pay damages (Telegraph)
“A seamstress who took Chanel to court for stealing her small firm’s crochet pattern has lost her counterfeit case but the famous fashion house was ordered to pay 400,000 euros for breach of contract.”

Do These Vuitton Ads Stretch Too Far? (Business Week)
“Instead of sexy models flaunting handbags and lots of skin, Louis Vuitton’s current ad campaign features Vermeer-inspired images of demure young women hand-finishing purses and wallets at a workshop table… There’s just one tiny detail missing. Hardly any Vuitton bags or wallets are handmade.”

Luxury shoppers still spending, but shelling out less (Los Angeles Times)
“The recession’s end hasn’t reached Rodeo Drive, where salesclerks can at times outnumber customers. But many stores are better prepared than last year, with leaner inventories and lower-priced goods.”

Retailers expect steady Christmas trading (Drapers)
“Every retailer surveyed in the British Retail Consortium’s Christmas Trading Snapshot Survey agreed that this year’s Christmas trading period would be at least as good as 2008.”

Hugo by Hugo Boss Autumn/Winter 09 | Source: Hugo Boss

Hugo Boss European sales fall 13 percent (Drapers)
“Total European sales at Hugo Boss fell 13% to €852m (£766m) over the first nine months of 2009 as the brand and retailer was hit by a turbulent northern European and Spanish trading climate.”

M&S and Next fight back while Primark shines (Reuters)
“Updates from three of Britain’s biggest clothing retailers should shed a little more light next week on whether consumers are starting to spend more freely ahead of the key Christmas trading period.”

Lulu Guiness signs investor to fund Asian expansion (Drapers)
“Lulu Guiness has sold a 15% stake in the luxury handbags and accessories label to Hong Kong-based First Eastern Investment Group to further expansion in Asia.”

Prada shortens temporary layoffs as orders rise (Reuters)
“Italian fashion house Prada is shortening temporary suspensions for some workers by three weeks after orders for its spring/summer 2010 clothes exceeded expectations by 10 percent.”

The Fashion Fund (Vogue)
“Vogue and the British Fashion Council have launched a new £200,000 fund today to support Britain’s young design talent both financially and with expert business advice.”

Armani Names Group of Lieutenants But Succession Questions Linger (WSJ)
“Giorgio Armani, after recovering from a months-long bout of hepatitis, slightly loosened his grip on his fashion empire Wednesday, naming one of his most-loyal executives as deputy chairman, as part of a management reorganization.” View the Armani S/S 10 runway video here.

Sheikh’s position strengthens in Lacroix auction (FT)
“The sheikh of Ajman yesterday emerged as the frontrunner to buy Christian Lacroix, the loss-making French fashion house, after Italy’s Borletti Group dropped out of the auction.”

Hugo Boss signs Graeme Black to drive womenswear (Drapers)
“Hugo Boss has named London-based designer Graeme Black as creative consultant for the Boss Black women’s collection.”

Gucci Snake Bag Draws Ire in China as Wage Gaps Widen (Bloomberg)
“At China’s newest Gucci store, in Shijiazhuang, snakeskin purses sell for the equivalent of $4,390, about twice the city’s per capita annual income. Next door at Brooks Brothers, button-down shirts go for $190.”

Saks offers up to $100 million of shares (Reuters)
“Saks Inc is offering up to $100 million in shares of its common stock, the upscale store operator said in a regulatory filing on Tuesday, and its shares fell 4.6 percent in after-hours trade.”

Massimiliano Giornetti for Ferragamo S/S 2009

Ferragamo menswear designer takes on womenswear (Reuters)
“Italian fashion house Salvatore Ferragamo has said its menswear designer Massimiliano Giornetti will also take on women’s ready-to-wear.”

Hugo Boss keeps 2009 outlook after weak Q2 (Reuters)
“Hugo Boss said on Thursday second-quarter loss before interest and tax (EBIT) widened to 15.6 million euros ($21.99 million) from 2.2 million in the same period last year. Sales fell 5.4 percent to 303.9 million euros.”

House-Brand Menswear That Aims to Be a Cut Above (WSJ)
“Passersby along New York’s Fifth Avenue will soon see a change at Saks Fifth Avenue: Rather than a designer collection, a corner window will announce the department store’s own new line of menswear.”

How Do You Like Me Now? (New York Times)
“Until Mr. Gaskins chose to reveal himself, now that he is closing his business, as the author of The Emperor’s Old Clothes, only a handful of friends knew he had such a biting side. But as Fluff Chance, his pseudonymous creation, Mr. Gaskins is fearless in his critiques of colleagues and their creations..”

The uproarious story of Biba, the store that defined the Sixties (Daily Mail)
“Way before Kate Moss donned vintage styles, Barbara Hulanicki, the brains and talent behind Biba, was putting together the most evocative and iconic fashions from all eras. And instead of flogging them at film star prices, the boutique was dead cheap.”

Henri Bendel Foyer, courtesy of Henri Bendel

Henri Bendel Plans to Stop Selling Clothes This Summer (The New York Times)
“A venerable name in New York retailing, Henri Bendel, is planning to stop selling clothes this summer and focus on accessories and beauty products as it struggles to lure shoppers during a prolonged recession.”

Consumer confidence improves (Drapers)
“Consumer confidence improved by three points to -27 according to the GfK NOP Consumer Confidence Index.”

Hugo Boss Q1 operating profit eases (Reuters)
“Hugo Boss reported an 8 percent drop in first-quarter underlying operating profit on Thursday as demand for its suits and dresses eased amid the economic downturn.”

House Reintroduces Design Piracy Bill (WWD)
“A bipartisan group of House lawmakers reintroduced a modified version of a bill on Thursday that would provide three years of copyright protection for fashion designs.” (Subscription required)

New Fashion Empire Builders, Part 1 (JC Report)
“As part of their multi-part series on New Fashion Empire Builders, JC Report interviews Ghadah Paris.”