The Real McCoy's Tokyo | Source: One and Beyond

Made Better in Japan (WSJ)
“Louis Vuitton sales are plummeting, and magnums of Dom Pérignon are no longer being uncorked at a furious pace. That doesn’t mean the Japanese have turned away from the world. They’ve just started approaching it on their own terms, venturing abroad and returning home with increasingly more international tastes and much higher standards, realizing that the apex of bread making may not be Wonder Bread–style loaves, but pain à l’ancienne.”

Luxury brands long to bond with China’s elite (FT)
“Chinese shoppers have become a fixture of the luxury retail scene in the US and Europe, drawn by prices that can be up to 50 per cent lower than tax-elevated levels at home. But many upscale brands have yet to bond with the truly wealthy – China’s million millionaires.”

A fashion revolution? (FT)
“By far the most exciting thing I saw last week during the couture in Paris wasn’t couture at all, but a website that launches today: www.honestby.com. The brainchild of Belgian designer Bruno Pieters, late of Hugo Boss, it is the most subversive etail initiative I have seen.”

CFDA Controversy (Vogue)
“The CFDA has caused controversy after deciding to relocate its offices from New York’s beloved Garment District to Bleecker Street – a move designers have described as a snub to the area – a location that the organisation has always tried to protect and promote through initiatives such as Fashion Incubator and the Made In Midtown study.”

Custom shirts, cut from a different cloth (LA Times)
“Custom-made men’s dress shirts were once considered the privileged peacockery of the moneyed set… Thanks to advances in technology, a competitive market and consumer demand, custom clothing has moved within the barrel-cuffed arm’s reach of the common man.”

Vacancy rates | Source: Reis

Malls Face Surge in Vacancies (WSJ)
“Even as the economy picks up steam, many of the nation’s malls and shopping centers are suffering a hangover due to changing consumer habits and the fallout from a massive building boom. Mall vacancies hit their highest level in at least 11 years in the first quarter… In the top 80 U.S. markets, the average vacancy rate was 9.1%, up from 8.7%.”

Japanese retailers give first taste of quake profit impact (Reuters)
“Seven&I Holdings [and] Fast Retailing will give investors a chance to gauge how the March 11 earthquake will impact consumer spending when they report earnings… Apart from damaged stores, retailers are also having to cope with a post-quake shift in spending habits. Urged to curb unnecessary spending in television ads, shoppers have eschewed non-essential and luxury items and stocked up on basics.”

Ad Pages Rising (WWD)
“Up is still the new up for magazines. Ad pages rose 2.5 percent in the first quarter of this year, which represents the fourth straight quarter the magazine industry has seen an increase… Making a strong comeback in the first quarter, Vogue finished with the most ad pages among women’s fashion magazine.”

A first look at ‘Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty’ (Telegraph)
“The haunting holographic image on the front of the catalogue is evocative and mesmerising… a vivid representation of the dual nature of the late British designer, Alexander McQueen, and a perfect interpretation of ‘Savage Beauty’, the contradiction in terms which has aptly been chosen as the title of the exhibition… which will honour his compelling, disturbing and brilliant work.”

Fashion Love Story: Jaja Hargreaves, a.k.a. July Stars (Full Frontal Fashion)
“The enigmatic Jaja Hargreaves has been delivering romantic ‘visual stories’ through her beloved blog, July Stars, immediately winning devoted fans for her words and images while realizing a latent talent for photography…. revolving around fashion, photography, art, and writing, is exciting and original: a genuine expression of the sublimely interesting and multifaceted Jaja Hargreaves herself.”

Laura and Kate Mulleavy | Source: Displaced Bones

Rodarte Steps Up to a Widening World (IHT)
“Over the past year the fashion brand, created in 2005 by the sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy, made headlines not only for its distinctive ready-to-wear collections but also for its first foray into costume design… [Now] they have announced that they have been invited by Pitti W, the womenswear portion of Pitti Immagine, to be its special guests at its June capsule collection in Florence.”

Designers Focus On Trunk Shows; See Boost to Bottom Line (Thread NY)
“While it may seem old fashioned in the midst of the e-commerce boom (trunk shows, after all, were first popularized by Bill Blass following World War II), many designers are finding that nothing beats face-to-face time with their customers. And to rack up sales, many of them are spending months on the road with their most recent collection… $4,000 dresses don’t just sell themselves.”

Less Appetite for Luxury (NY Times)
“‘I realize how much I have wasted… This whole incident has changed people’s outlook’… Now, analysts say, the triple disaster has jolted the Japanese into a new reality, sapping the materialist, feel-good spirit and replacing it with a focus on helping others and a mood of back to basics.”

Prada soars ahead of Hong Kong listing (FT)
“Prada, the Italian fashion group, reported a surge in operating profit in 2010 ahead of an expected stock market listing in Hong Kong as early as May… Prada’s figures come amid a sharp rise in luxury goods sales among the largest European groups as consumers from China, but also the US, Europe and the Middle East snap up expensive handbags and shoes.”

Getting Ready for Jean Paul Gaultier (WWD)
“A talking facsimile of Jean Paul Gaultier will greet visitors to the exhibit of his designs making their debut June 17 at the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal… ‘This is not just a fashion show. You’re going to see at work a brain that uses the medium of fashion to influence pop culture and to reflect pop culture, and the technology that is going to be part of this is fascinating.’”

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.’”

Asprey Vintage Regulator Detail | Source: Asprey

Time Warp (WSJ)
“In the past couple of years, more and more guys I talk to have been going vintage when it comes to watches… It’s the inevitable pushback against the highflying hedge-fund era, when the pursuit of luxury meant the quest for highly conspicuous quality and lots of it.”

Luxury stocks bounce back as Japan stabilizes (Globe and Mail)
“Luxury stocks jumped Monday on growing optimism that the devastating Japanese earthquake’s impact on retail sales might not be as severe as initially feared. Shares of high-end clothing retailers and sellers of luxury goods were pummelled last week.”

Alexander Wang on building his fashionable family empire (Telegraph)
“Time passes faster and faster, but with every project I always want to find the next challenge and the next challenge is just as exciting as the previous one. So, like, I push myself and as the company grows and things get bigger and bigger and bigger.”

Peter Marino, Leader of the Pack (WWD)
“In an industry with the collective attention span of a fruit fly, Marino has enjoyed an improbably long run. Known for creating modern retail spaces with varying degrees of glamour, from understated to full-frontal, Marino has become the keeper of brand identities.”

The power of Anna Wintour (Yahoo)
“American Vogue’s editor-in-chief, might still be influencing unsuspecting consumers about what they wear, how they shop and what celebrity or cause is about to be the talk of the town.”

Hedi Slimane | Source: YMFY

Hedi Slimane: ‘Maybe I have to start designing again’ (Guardian)
“Hedi Slimane won’t talk about fashion. Specifically, he is not to be asked when he will make his return to fashion design. Slimane’s assistant has insisted as much via email, and she is telling me again as we walk down a Brussels backstreet to meet him. ‘He gets asked every day,’ she says. ‘Every day.’”

In Tokyo, Responses Vary in Tony Shops (WSJ)
“Japanese department stores and boutiques, such as Comme des Garçons and Issey Miyake, were open for business as usual. Not so many European shops. Consumers approached Louis Vuitton’s doors, only to see a darkened interior. Citing electrical outages and concern for its workers’ families, the luxury luggage chain had closed 23 of its 57 stores across Japan.”

Perfect fit: The rise of sportswear (FT)
“Athletic brands are realising the potential benefits of making sports wear that is stylish as well as functional. They are even tapping into catwalk trends… This time last year ready-to-wear designers such as Alexander Wang and Marc Jacobs were unveiling their take on sports, and now sports wear makers have reciprocated.”

American Apparel: red, black and blue (New York Post)
“The ugly numbers keep piling up for American Apparel — and so do the unfinished financial reports. The racy clothing retailer — whose CEO Dov Charney was accused this month of keeping an 18-year-old woman as a sex slave in his Manhattan apartment — now estimates that it lost money last year as sales and margins dropped, according to a regulatory filing by the company.”

Fashion goes pop (Guardian)
“Something odd is happening with celebrities and style. The stars are becoming more daring, more avant garde than the designers. Nowadays, the biggest female names in music don’t particularly set themselves apart from their predecessors through musical style… but the way they look is a whole new world.”

Missy Rayder for WSJ Magazine Spring 2011 | Source: Art8amby

Is Print in Vogue Again? (WWD)
“Maybe the Web’s ascent and print’s decline is happening a bit more slowly than originally thought. Maybe the only money to be made these days is in print or some tablet-Web-print hybrid. Whatever it is, it appears the old-fashioned print world has a little left in the tank.”

What luxury brands are doing to help Japan victims (Luxury Daily)
“Brands such as Bergdorf Goodman, Gilt Groupe, David Yurman, Gucci and Swarovski are using Facebook and Twitter to encourage consumers to donate money to the Red Cross and other disaster-relief organizations dedicated to helping those affected by the tsunami and earthquake in Japan.”

5 Digital Marketing Trends to Watch (Mashable)
“If this year’s SXSWi conference is any indication, the foremost digital marketing trends of 2011 will be central to one theme: user presence. Too often, businesses over-engineer their marketing efforts in an attempt to capture the attention of their audiences’ minds and wallets.”

Benetton warns of rising costs as profits slip (BBC)
“Italian fashion retailer Benetton has reported a fall in 2010 profits and warned the high cost of raw materials could hit profitability this year. Net profit for 2010 came in at 102m euros ($142m; £89m) compared with 120m euros in 2009.”

When It Comes to Style, It’s In the Bag (WSJ)
“All of the attention lavished over the past decade on behalf of luxury-goods companies in the quest to create and sell ‘the world’s most desirable bag’ has led to the construction and revamping of some pretty thoughtful, well-put-together classics, with a degree of longevity one would never have attributed to the ['it bag'].”

Gap Spring/Summer 2011 | Source: Twitexpress

Turning point for Gap as 200 stores close worldwide (Independent)
“Chairman and CEO Glenn Murphy has announced that Gap is to close 200 of its 900 worldwide stores by 2013, and focus on modernising its signature look. He also admitted that Gap had not tried hard enough to attract ethnic minority customers in the US.”

Luxury goods firms fear effect of Japanese disaster (Guardian)
“Shares in some of the world’s biggest luxury goods companies including Louis Vuitton owner LVMH, Hermès and Burberry have tumbled on concerns that high-spending Japanese consumers will stop shopping as a result of the disaster.”

The Kate effect: Her impact on fashion is huge (Daily Mail)
“Fights over her earrings. The £650 trench coat that sold out within in a day. The red twinset that caused a stampede in a shop. With waiting lists for her outfits, how Waity Katie took on a whole new meaning…”

Tod’s hikes dividend after strong US, Asian sales (Reuters)
“Italian luxury leather goods maker Tod’s hiked its dividend by one third and forecast an excellent 2011 after strong demand in the United States and Asia. Analysts expect a wave of consolidation in the luxury industry… Tod’s, Tiffany and Burberry are singled out as possible takeover targets.”

Jean Touitou, A.P.C. Designer (WSJ)
“Jean Touitou is what some might call a ‘tough crowd.’ The Tunisian-born, Paris-based founder of the French clothing line A.P.C. is famously vocal about his dislike of most stores… For all Mr. Touitou’s grumbling, his 24-year-old label is deeply beloved by bespectacled creative types for its simple, chic, well-tailored staples.”

Shopping mall in Nanjing, Jiangsu province | Source: The Star

Retailers Turn Lunar New Year Into a Shopping Spree (WSJ)
“‘Without question, we’re seeing a shift as years go by to more commercial activation around the major holidays… Retailers understand that it has worked for Christmas and it’ll probably work with Chinese New Year as well.’”

Japan’s young generation closes ‘luxury wallet’ (Independent)
“As a result of its economic collapse, Japan’s per-head spending has radically declined – a trend that market researchers at Euromonitor think will continue – with the luxury market being particularly affected, having shrunk by 23 percent between 2006 and 2010.”

Aritzia’s Plans to Roll Out Across USA (Racked)
“The New York store will be the chain’s eighth in the United States, after Seattle, Portland, Santa Clara, San Francisco, Dallas, Chicago, and Short Hills. After New York gets set up? Aritzia has plans for a full-scale roll-out across the USA.”

LVMH has record year as luxury bounces back (Reuters)
“LVMH, whose Louis Vuitton brand accounts for half of group operating profit, benefited from Chinese shoppers’ growing appetite for luxury goods at home and abroad as well as from a steady rise in discretionary spending globally.”

How Chanel Sells Itself in China (WSJ Scene Asia)
“For prospective Chinese customers who missed seeing French actress Audrey Tautou in the 2009 film ‘Coco Before Chanel,’ the foundations of the House of Chanel may be as ambiguous as the brand name is in Mandarin — Xiang Nai Er, which means little more than ‘fragrant’ in English.”

Vintage Biba | Source: Couture Allure

Vintage labels find a new life (FT)
“‘The original Biba [is] very iconic… It changed the face of fashion and people loved it – it was affordable, easy and sexy. The new Biba has been the most successful launch in the House of Fraser’s history – it’s done way, way better than we’d expected.’”

Jimmy Choo to launch men’s shoe collection (Telegraph)
“Launching for the autumn/winter 2011 season, a sneak preview of the collection reveals something for every modern man: from chunky, black leather biker boots (a sell-out success over in the women’s department) to classic, leather loafers and on-trend Chelsea boots.”

ASOS sales growth accelerates (Reuters)
“ASOS, which targets internet-savvy 16 to 34 year old women looking to emulate the designer looks of celebrities like Kate Moss, Sienna Miller and Alexa Chung but at a fraction of the price, said on Wednesday its retail sales rose 59 percent to 100.0 million pounds ($160 million).”

Japanese Department store sales fall 3.1% in 2010 (Japan Times)
“Japan’s department store sales in 2010 declined 3.1% from the previous year on a same-store basis, down for the 14th consecutive year due to weak consumer confidence amid the economic downturn… Sales totaled 6.29 trillion yen, the lowest level since 1982.”

The sartorial geniuses – aged 60-plus (Telegraph)
“From the photographic evidence coming out of Florence and Milan this week, an Italian man only approaches his full power and confidence in dressing in his fifties. At 60-plus, he may qualify as a sartorial genius… completely [outclassing] younger men’s gaucher attempts at fashion.”