Burberry Autumn/Winter 2010 | Source: Burberry

LONDON, United Kingdom — It was billed as the world’s first truly global fashion show, taking place on the penultimate day of London Fashion Week, beamed live in 3D to five global cities, and streamed to the rest of the world via 73 websites, including Vogue, Grazia and CNN, which all picked up the video feed in a global simulcast. It was undoubtedly the  most widely distributed fashion show a luxury brand has ever staged, potentially reaching an audience of more than 100 million users, according to Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts.

At first, I was disappointed that BoF had not been invited to attend the real event at London’s Chelsea College of Art, but in the end I’m glad to have experienced Burberry’s live internet stream. It all felt very 2010, especially as I ducked into the Regent Street Apple Store to watch the show after a late lunch. It was a fashion moment.

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LONDON, United Kingdom — As the fashion industry continues its march into the digital age, London — always known for its raw creativity and emerging talent — can now add digital innovation to that list.

This is no overnight story. To the contrary, it’s taken ten years for fashion players here to plant seeds which are only beginning to bear fruit now, as fashion’s digital tsunami really begins to take hold.

The British capital, after all, is home to revolutionary fashion website SHOWStudio, e-commerce pioneer Net-a-Porter, and online hub of youth culture Dazed Digital — all of which were founded many years ago. These seminal businesses have created a foundational and fertile seedbed for other digital businesses and attracted and developed digital talent that has gone on to shape and inspire other online companies here including mywardrobe.com, Fashionair and farfetch.com. And, while American Vogue is in the midst of setting up its website now, British Vogue has had its own website for fifteen years.

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Penelope Cruz Bafta 2009 Red Carpet | Source: Bafta

London fashion week meets the Baftas (Guardian)
“It’s a brilliant idea to combine the drama of the Baftas with the catwalk glamour of London fashion week. It’s just amazing no one thought of it before.”

Stores Reach Into Bag of Tactics As Luxury-Goods Sales Improve (WSJ)
“Optimism is creeping back into style, following three seasons of budget slashing, according to luxury-retail executives who will attend New York Fashion Week… Even so, there’s a focus on luring back ‘aspirational shoppers.’”

Hermès CEO sees higher taxes hitting luxury (Reuters)
“Governments worldwide will have little choice but to raise taxes on the rich to address ballooning deficits, a development that would harm luxury spending in the coming years, French luxury chain Hermès International chief executive, Patrick Thomas, said.”

Marc Jacobs Sues Christian Audigier (NY Magazine)
“Marc Jacobs is suing Christian Audigier for trade-dress and trademark infringement over a handbag that’s suspiciously similar to one he designed… Audigier’s bag is ‘confusingly similar’ to Jacobs’s, according to the suit.”

The Indian shopper’s chaos theory (Live Mint)
“Taking the Indian shopper out of chaos is like taking a fish out of water. We feel at home in the hustle bustle of local markets and start having withdrawal symptoms in a structured sterile atmosphere.”

LONDON, United Kingdom — In February of 2004, writing about London Fashion Week in the Guardian newspaper, Charlie Porter declared: “It’s that old London fashion week conundrum all over again — wondering what’s the point, and failing to find an answer.” A month earlier, Porter said that London Fashion Week was in crisis mode.

Looking back, it’s easy to understand Porter’s lack of optimism. That February, London hosted 40 shows in a 5-day schedule. This was a decline from 50 shows in September of 2003. Style.com only reviewed 13 of the on-schedule shows in London, or about 33 percent. As a proxy for quality, this ratio did not bode well for London’s position amongst the major fashion capitals. Major editors were in short supply and international buyers were few and far between at the lacklustre event.

What a difference five years makes. It felt like three times as much activity was packed in to the same five day period during this London Fashion Week. With more than 75 on-schedule shows and presentations at Somerset House and other locations, more than 50 off-schedule designers showing at Fashion Scout and On|Off, plus a full day of menswear and even more events each evening, this was a jam-packed London Fashion Week to remember.

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Jimmy Choo for H&M, courtesy of H&M

H&M August sales disappoint (FT)
“Hennes & Mauritz, the world’s third-biggest clothing retailer by sales, on Thursday announced a 4 per cent increase in third-quarter earnings but August sales were worse than expected.”

Eye on London: Fashion Week at a Turning Point (WSJ)
“A three-year, $6.9 million funding package from the London Development Agency has helped fund the British Fashion Council’s efforts to raise the city’s profile, which include a showroom in Paris and programs to support emerging designers. But the package runs out next year, and while the agency plans to put forward another proposal, some doubt that the funding will be as generous.”

Condé Nast Execs Expected to Cut Budgets by 25% (Ad Age)
“Condé Nast is inching closer to slashing costs at its magazines, as editors and publishers begin preparing their 2010 budgets following meetings with Chief Operating Officer John Bellando.”

Annie Leibovitz to design for Louis Vuitton (ELLE UK)
“Iconic photographer Annie Leibovitz and British artist Damien Hirst are just two guest designers creating their ultimate piece of Louis Vuitton luggage for charity.”

Time for luxury to engage (Brand-e.Biz)
“Luxury brands are facing something of a dilemma when it comes to social media. On the one hand, everyone else seems to be at it, and they certainly don’t want to miss out. On the other, they’re all about luxury – and that means maintaining a certain distance from the consumer.”

Marc by Marc Jacobs shows British pride

Patriotic buying in turbulent economic times (FT)
“They say a crisis can unite the most unlikely of characters, so when a cantankerous tycoon and a leggy It-girl both lend their celebrity quotient to helping the economy, it shouldn’t raise too many eyebrows.”

Once Slave to Luxury, Japan Catches Thrift Bug (New York Times)
“Not long ago, many Japanese bought so many $100 melons and $1,000 handbags that this was the only country in the world where luxury products were considered mass market. Even through the economic stagnation of Japan’s so-called lost decade, which began in the early 1990s, Japanese consumers sustained that reputation. But this recession has done something that earlier declines could not: turned the Japanese into Wal-Mart shoppers.”

The usual rules no longer apply (FT)
“It happened in politics, when heavy-hitting names such as Hillary Clinton and John McCain lost to the relative newcomer Barack Obama. It happened in film, when mega-stars such as Brad Pitt and Tom Hanks proved less alluring to audiences than a bunch of Transformers. What, exactly? The realisation that the traditional predictors no longer applied.”

UK designers say mass retail complements business (Reuters)
“London fashion designers say mass retailers do not necessarily undermine their business and can actually be of help, but acknowledge that they have awakened a desire among shoppers for frequent refreshing of stock.”

Lunch with the FT: Mario Testino (FT)
William Leith interviews Mario Testino: “As a photographer you either take the picture for yourself or for the person you’re photographing, or the magazine you’re working for, or the company whose advertising you’re trying to communicate. You either make the picture look like you, or you make the picture serve the purpose of that client by emulating them. If I’m working for Burberry, I’ll try and make it look like a Burberry girl, a Burberry moment. If I’m working for Versace, I’ll probably go in the opposite direction: I’ll try to make it Versace.”

Harold Tillman, Chairman, The British Fashion Council

LONDON, United Kingdom — Long before he was appointed Chairman of The British Fashion Council, Harold Tillman had already shown a commitment for supporting British Fashion, and young designers in particular. He famously gave Paul Smith his first job. And, in my first meeting with him back in 2006, Mr. Tillman and I vigorously debated and discussed the common challenges faced by the city’s designers and what could possibly be done to support them. A few months earlier, he had personally financed a £1m scholarship program at his alma mater, The London College of Fashion, to sponsor 10 students each year.

So, it must be with great satisfaction that Mr. Tillman reads widespread reports of the great comeback that London Fashion Week is making this season. The buzz about London’s young designers is hotter than ever. And, with a flood of returning brands, designers and important American and European editors, this will certainly be a fashion week to remember.

But, Mr. Tillman will also be the first to admit that hype and media attention are not enough. A seasoned entrepreneur (he took his first company public at the age of 24), business builder (with Belinda Earl, CEO of Jaeger, he has re-built the excitement around the venerable British brand), and investor (with a group of partners, he recently saved Acquscutum from the brink), Tillman recognises the importance of secure financing, flawless execution and great design for success in fashion.

On this, the first day of London Fashion week, I reached Mr Tillman by email to better understand his plans for London Fashion Week, the various initiatives planned to support British fashion businesses, and his long-term objectives for the British fashion industry. In particular, now that several young fashion businesses in London — Erdem and Christopher Kane included — have achieved annual revenues of over £1m, now is the time to assess how to take these high-potential businesses to the next level.

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Pringle A/W 09 ad campaign, courtesy of Pringle

A lady from Chanel who wants to drive Pringle off the golf course (Guardian)
“American Mary-Adair Macaire aims to restore the struggling Scottish knitwear firm’s name for elegance.”

From the Garage to the Runway (WSJ)
“Little more than a year ago, 27-year-old Hannah Marshall spent most days at a garage in rural Essex, two hours outside London, working in a makeshift studio to create tight, sexy-sinister dresses that looked a bit like Audrey Hepburn meets ‘The Matrix.’ Today, Ms. Marshall has her own fashion-design studio in London thanks to funding from the Centre for Fashion Enterprise.”

Fashion’s Night Out Falls Short (Forbes)
“Anna Wintour’s much-publicized event drew big crowds, but few dollars.”

Designers return to kick-start London Fashion Week (AFP)
“British designers who abandoned their homeland for the bright lights of New York, Milan and Paris are returning in droves this season in what promises to be the most exciting London Fashion Week for years.”

Burberry looks to win over friends online (FT)
“Burberry, the fashion brand that has gone from classic to cutting edge, is to launch its own social networking site next month. The clothing group hopes the move will deepen its relationship with customers and attract new devotees.”

New York Garment District

NY garment district battling for survival (Reuters)
“New York’s reputation as a global fashion capital is under threat with the city’s once bustling garment district facing extinction, experts say.”

A Minimalist Gets a Makeover (WSJ)
“Under the Bryant Park tents of New York fashion week Tuesday evening, Narciso Rodriguez will show off his typically minimalist evening gowns and day dresses. What the crowd won’t see is Mr. Rodriguez’s own ambitious makeover, as he reinvents himself once again, a year after his relationship with financial backers collapsed for the second time.”

London mayor celebrates LFW’s effect on UK economy (Drapers)
“London mayor Boris Johnson has pledged his support for London Fashion Week and highlighted the money it brings to the UK economy through sponsorship and media coverage.”

EU sanctions on Sri Lanka to hit ‘cheap’ clothing over human rights abuses (Times)
“They were billed as “garments without guilt” — cheap, good-quality lingerie, casual clothes and sportswear made in Sri Lanka and sold in stores such as Next, Tesco and Marks & Spencer. For the past four years, such clothes worth billions of pounds have been imported, tax-free, to the European Union under a trade scheme intended to help Sri Lanka’s recovery from the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami. Within months, however, clothes from the country could disappear from British shops.”

Debenhams Profit Gains, Helped by Own Designer Labels (Bloomberg)
“Debenhams Plc, the U.K.’s second- largest department-store company, said annual earnings rose as it allocated more space to its own designer labels at the expense of less-profitable brands from other retailers.”

Christopher Kane's nuclear Cruise Collection 2010

London Fashion Week going to be bonkers (Telegraph)
Sarah Mower reports that “the British Fashion Council’s biggest problem is finding enough room on the schedule to accommodate everyone hammering on the door. But as problems go, it’s a nice one to have.”

Donatella Versace on fashion and celebrity (Times)
Christopher Kane interviews Donnatella Versace and learns that she finds “the excessive emphasis on finance that has infiltrated this world” the most boring thing about fashion.

Discount fashion: Taking it to the Maxx (Independent)
“While TK Maxx has attracted an expanding army of shoppers during the recession, it was growing robustly before the credit crunch as well. In fact, its business model and pricing architecture is radically different to that of rival discount fashion stores, notably Primark, New Look and H&M, which have also prospered during the downturn.”

Polyvore Raises Money for Do-It-Yourself Fashion Site (New York Times)
“Polyvore announced on Tuesday that it had raised $5.6 million in new capital and brought on a new investor, Matrix Partners, and a new board member from Matrix, Dana Stalder. That is on top of the $2.5 million it previously raised from Benchmark Capital and several angel investors.”

Boutique aimed at urban trendsetters (Financial Post)
“Loblaw Cos. is taking its Joe Fresh Style brand to main street, signing a deal to open an 8,000-square-foot boutique on Toronto’s trendy Queen Street West strip. This marks the first time the grocer has showcased its hit apparel line on a major retail strip and is a further indication it is vying to become the country’s biggest “cheap chic” clothing brand.”BB