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.”

D&G Autumn/Winter 09 | Source: Dolce & Gabbana

‘Affordable Luxury’ Bucks the Crisis (NY Times)
“Tommy Hilfiger just opened a 22,000-square-foot store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, a move that, in this economy, some might call insane. But the Hilfiger line, like many midrange designer brands, is growing, while other labels, notably at the high end, are struggling to hang on to market share.”

Fighting Back Against Shoppers’ Guilt (WSJ)
“Guilt has always been part of the shopping experience. But retail executives say it has become such an overriding emotion among shoppers since the economic crisis set in last year that it is delaying the recovery of the luxury-goods industry.”

Tom Ford to design women’s wear (Independent)
“Ford, who previously designed women’s wear as creative director for Gucci, said that he and his business partner Domenico de Sole were currently on the lookout for financing, but that the new line was likely to launch next fall.”

Debt-laden Safilo agrees plan, new key shareholder (Reuters)
“Italian eyewear maker Safilo said Dutch shareholder Hal Investments would end up owning up to half the company under a 283 million euros ($424 million) recapitalisation plan.”

Now Unveiling Undercover’s Jun Takahashi (NY Times)
“Jun Takahashi, the Japanese designer behind the cult label Undercover, is as reclusive as he is recondite. In a rare interview, The Moment caught up with Takahashi after his recent Paris showroom presentation.”