Michael Clinton | Source: Direct Marketing News

Michael Clinton, Hearst’s Billion-Dollar Man (WWD)
“It was a mere 18 months ago that many questioned whether his career at Hearst Magazines was over… But Clinton, a 30-year publishing veteran, has had plenty of practice at taking a proverbial punch, shaking it off and bouncing back. Since his very public pass over, he’s been promoted to president, marketing and publishing director and one could argue his career is going better than ever.”

Yoox Samples Chinese Labels Online (WSJ)
“Yoox Group, an online Italian luxury retail company, has tapped five Chinese designers —Uma Wang (王汁), Christine Lau (刘清扬), Riko Manchit Au (欧敏捷), Shangguan Jie (上官喆), and Zou You (邹游) — to temporarily sell their collections on its niche-designer site, thecorner.com.cn… Now, after Western labels have flooded China, domestic designers are getting their turn.”

Euro Woes, weather dampen Inditex sales (Reuters)
“Sales at Spain’s Inditex , the world’s largest clothing retailer and owner of the popular Zara label, eased in the third quarter as the euro zone debt crisis rattled shoppers and unseasonably good autumn weather altered spending patterns. But the company, founded by Spain’s richest man Amancio Ortega, still cheered the market with evidence it remains capable of outperforming rivals.”

Fake paper bags are the latest buzz in the malls (China Daily)
“It’s not only fake designer handbags that are attracting bargain hunters. Nowadays, the fever is spreading to fake paper shopping bags featuring famous brands. A random search using the keyword combination of “paper bag” with any famous brand name will find dozens – sometimes more than 100 – of results on Taobao.com, the most widely used shopping website in China.”

Rise: Helen Bullock (Dazed Digital)
“For anyone who thinks a Mark Rothko piece too depressing, fashion textiles designer Helen Bullock’s MA collection is like a fresh breath of life. Bold, bright, glittered shapes and blocks of jarring floral, the Central Saint Martins graduate debuted with a collection in February that seemed to evoke the abstract expressionist’s Seagram Murals – on acid.”

Carine Roitfeld by Terry Richardson | Source: Terry Richardson

Lunch with the FT: Carine Roitfeld (FT)
“Roitfeld, 55, has built a career on being cool. She made her mark as a stylist in the 1990s, when she and the photographer Mario Testino created risqué campaigns for Gucci… [As the editor of French Vogue] she became one of the most powerful women in the fashion industry, famous for edgy, sometimes controversial and frequently erotic photo shoots.”

Jimmy Choo sold to Labelux for £500m (Guardian)
“Its killer heels are de rigueur for Hollywood actresses on the red carpet – and this weekend luxury shoe brand Jimmy Choo was sold for an A-list price tag of £500m…. Labelux’s other investments include Swiss luxury brand Bally and the Derek Lam fashion label. Its chief executive Reinhard Mieck said it saw “substantial potential” for the brand, particularly in Asia.”

Inditex breaks new ground for seasons in the south (FT)
“Inditex… has become the first global retailer to sell fashion lines designed especially for the seasons of the southern hemisphere… for clothes retailers based in the northern hemisphere, the seasons of the south have traditionally presented a barrier to full globalisation because of the complexity of producing specially-tailored winter lines at the same time as summer wear.”

China’s luxury consumers get their information online (Relax News)
“70 percent of the country’s consumers of luxury brands search the internet each month before making their purchases. What’s more, 30 percent claimed they searched online for information on luxury items each week. But, surprisingly, just five percent of those polled said they were actually interested in making a purchase over the internet.”

Jeans for deep pockets (FT)
“Major fashion labels such as Chanel, Ralph Lauren, Balmain and Roberto Cavalli have created luxury jeans, some costing well over £1,000… ‘The market for designer denim continues to grow and has no limits. For so many of the fashion collections, their most sought-after pieces are in the fabric.’”

Ann Demeulemeester Autumn/Winter 2011 | Source: The Cutting Class

The Tribes of Westwood, Owens and Demeulemeester (The Cutting Class)
“While some designers tend to beat to the drum of being on-trend, others have already cultivated their own communities and are even referencing it within their collections. In the recent Ann Demeulemeester, Rick Owens and Vivienne Westwood collections you feel that they are speaking in a language that their customers already know and understand.”

Tokyo’s fashion stores slowly reopen (Relax News)
“‘Tokyo’s fashion business is gradually getting back to usual…Monday’s foot traffic along Omotesando Avenue and Harajuku seemed close to normal levels and shoppers were seen making purchases at Vuitton, Dior and Forever 21. H&M’s closed flagship drew some puzzled looks from passersby.’”

Luxury malls yet to catch on as brands can’t find the right space (Live Mint)
“With little expansion in the luxury mall space, what is emerging is a hybrid retail concept where luxury and premium brands are juxtaposed… For example, while there are pure luxury brands such as Burberry and Armani at Palladium in Mumbai’s Lower Parel, premium brands such as Diesel and Zara on the ground floor.”

Inditex Net Income Rises, Adds Stores in Asia (Bloomberg)
“Inditex… reported profit growth that beat analysts’ estimates and said it will accelerate expansion in stores and online. Fourth-quarter net income rose 14 percent to 553 million euros ($784 million), according to calculations based on today’s full-year results.”

John Lobb Unveils Bespoke Line (Forbes)
“It was created as a celebration of world cities: Eleven teams were assembled in 11 capitals to each create a unique pair of John Lobb shoes. The idea was to make two shoes that embody the spirit of the city, Paul-Dauphin said. He called it ‘around the world in 22 shoes.’”

Joyce 40th anniversary multi-sensory exhibition | Source: Dazed Digital

The Joys of Joyce (Dazed Digital)
“Joyce was a pioneer which was the first to bring international designers such as Givenchy, Lanvin, Margiela, and Fendi, amongst other luxury names, to Asia. To celebrate their 40th anniversary, Joyce has specially commissioned works of over 50 designers.”

5000th Zara store: Inditex embraces eco-fashion (Fashion United)
“Showing off its real aim to embrace the latest eco-trends from top to bottom… Inditex has just opened its 5000th Zara store as the flagship of its 2011-2015 Sustainable Inditex Plan.”

Giovanni Bedin Revitalizes a Heritage Brand (WSJ)
“Charged with meeting the lofty standard set by the brand’s legendary founder, Charles Frederick Worth, Mr. Bedin is simultaneously determined to pursue the modern.”

Finding Inspiration with The Sartorialist (NY Times)
“Regularly visiting The Sartorialist, a picture blog created by Scott Schuman, is akin to a serendipiter’s journey with a guide whose eye for detail, gift for framing and hopeful outlook help you see how many beautiful people there are.”

Sci-fashion (FT)
“The fusion of fashion and science as [serves] to expose science to more worldly thinking outside the lab, while at the same time allowing fashion to stop relying on ‘periods of history’ and look forward instead.”

Uniqlo Green Initiative | Source: greenz

Uniqlo Healing Social Problems With Hipster T-Shirts (Fast Company)
“Fast Retailing Co., the company behind the Uniqlo clothing chain, has established a new, wholly-owned subsidiary that’s going to expand its enterprise with a ‘social business’ in the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.”

Asos co-founder cashes in as profits jump (Guardian)
“Online retailer Asos sees first-quarter sales rise by 54%… The man who co-founded Asos a decade ago has scooped almost £15m in his first major sale of shares in the online fashion retailer.”

Inditex says to expand in Australia, South Africa (AFP)
“Spain’s Inditex, Europe’s largest clothing retailer, said Tuesday it would move into Australia and South Africa next year as the Zara owner pushes ahead with its aggressive international expansion.”

Liberty’s Grand Plan (Vogue.com)
“Liberty’s new ceo Marco Capello has vowed to turn the store into the country’s best by 2012… ‘We have all the right elements – it’s just mad that we’ve been losing money. If I can’t turn this store round I have failed.’”

Launching Gilt Groupe, A Fashionable Enterprise (WSJ)
“With 2009 revenue of $170 million and a current valuation of some $400 million, Gilt Groupe appears to have more staying power than most fashion trends.”