The future of Alexander McQueen (Telegraph)
“There has, understandably, been no official indication yet on the future of Alexander McQueen – the brand, beyond the statement by Robert Polet, Gucci Group CEO: ‘The legacy he leaves us is a rich one, and one that we will cherish and honour.’ But will they? And how?”

Clothing company Express files for $200 mln IPO (Reuters)
“Express, the sixth-largest specialty retail apparel brand in the United States, filed on Tuesday for an initial public offering of up to $200 million.”

Italy wants IT Holding to speed up asset sales (Reuters)
“The Italian government wants to speed up the sale of assets by Italian fashion group IT Holding which has been in administration since last year.”

Menswear comes into its own at NY Fashion Week (Reuters)
“Menswear at New York Fashion Week typically takes a backseat… but the collections unveiled this week show U.S. menswear designers coming into their own with strong performances, buyers and trend analysts said.”

Sportswear tops luxury on Facebook (Independent)
“A marketing company called Stylophane has developed a new index that ranks brands by Facebook followers, with its list highlighting the popularity of sportswear brands such as Nike and Adidas in comparison to luxe brands including Burberry and Gucci.”

Imitate That Zipper! (New York Times)
“In recent months, a veritable industry has sprung up around [Rick] Owens, who may be fashion’s most imitated designer. Rival houses are racing to produce their own distillations of his angular flaps, zigzagging zippers, gossamer T-shirts and biker jackets pliant as second skins.”

Burberry May Speed U.S. Growth Amid Deals on NYC, Indiana Space (Bloomberg)
Burberry may accelerate plans to open U.S. stores as premium shop space becomes available at cheaper prices. “Spaces we thought may not have been available a couple of years ago are available now,” said Stacey Cartwright, CFO.

Versace ends licence deal with IT Holding unit (Reuters)
“Italian fashion house Versace has ended its licensing deal with IT Holding unit Ittierre — currently in special administration — for the production and distribution of its VJC and Versace Sport lines, it said.”

Girl-Next-Door Looks Come Back Into Fashion (Wall Street Journal)
“In Weak Economy, Magazines and Design Houses Play It Safe, Replacing Edgy Models With ‘Classic’ Beauties.”

Top Marks for Topman (Guardian)
“Topman has come a long way from being Topshop’s uncool little brother – these days it leads the way in menswear, with top designers watching closely.”

Gianfranco Ferre S/S 2009, courtesy of Christopher Moore

IT Holding’s Ittierre Unit to File for Bankruptcy (Bloomberg)
Ittierre, the parent company of Malo and Ferré files for Bankruptcy

Discounting drives January sales (Drapers)
In the UK, deep discounts drove January sales but clothing sales dropped to its lowest rate.

Phoebe Philo is redefining soul of Céline (IHT)
With Phoebe Philo at the helm, “the focus is to redefine the soul of Céline, which started out as a children’s shoe supplier.”

American Eagle Sues Citi Over ARS (WSJ)
“American Eagle Outfitters Inc. sued Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and accused it of fraudulently inducing it to buy $258 million worth of auction rate securities.”

Twitter Speeds Up Fashion Trends (Consuming PR)
“Now, with the use of twitter, fashionistas everywhere can consume fashion 24/7.”