Chloe Raises the Roof at the Tuileries Tent in Paris | Photo: BoF

LONDON, United Kingdom — It was a fashion season of extreme weather. After the New York Fashion Week schedule was upended, first by an earthquake and then by the State of Emergency declaration that came courtesy of Hurricane Irene, an unprecedented heat wave in Paris threw buyers, editors and bloggers into a wardrobe tailspin.

The American editors were worst off, having packed for the European shows two weeks before Paris with no prior notice of the heat wave that was to come. After a few days of shows in impossibly hot venues, some of them resorted to ripping the sleeves off their outfits or just wearing their ‘airplane clothes.’

Brands tried to ease the pain. Fans were distributed at shows alongside champagne and much to everyone’s relief, Chloe arranged for the roof of the Tuileries tent to be removed for their show, letting in the sun and much welcome breeze. Meanwhile Net-a-Porter, always on top of a new market opportunity, delivered heat wave friendly clothes to editors caught without weather-appropriate attire.

But of course the real action was on the runway and in conversations between BoF and the good and the great of the global fashion tribe at a season filled with its fair share of events and parties.

Without further ado, it’s time to look back at Spring/Summer 2012, the season that was.

1. FASHION’S ENDLESS PLAYGROUND

Louis Vuitton Carrousel | Photo: BoF

At the opening of Marc Jacobs’ stunning show for Louis Vuitton on the last day of Paris Fashion Week, a large circular curtain was lifted to unveil models in dresses as light as feathers, perched coquettishly on white horses that sat atop a highly stylised carrousel. Those assembled gasped with audible pleasure and then erupted into spontaneous applause. But more than a visual delight alone, Mr. Jacobs’ magical set was a clear metaphor for an industry in constant motion, with its endless cycle of fashion shows, not to mention the musical chairs of creative directors moving from house to house.

This was the defining moment of the Spring/Summer 2012 collections, a season during which rumours continued to engulf Mr. Jacobs and other designers at the helm of major fashion houses, including Stefano Pilati, who seems safe — for now.

For others, the news was not so good. Immediately following the Vionnet show, it was announced that Rodolfo Paglialunga had been replaced. And just before Paris Fashion Week, Ungaro announced that the house and Giles Deacon had mutually agreed to part ways. Deacon was Ungaro’s fifth creative director in as many years and The Wall Street Journal reported at the end of September that Ungaro chief executive Jeffry Aronsson believes that “in-house talent can mine Ungaro’s heritage—bright colours, silk prints and sexy draped dresses—better than a high-profile designer from outside.”

But while some brands were severing ties with their creative directors, others were debuting new ones. Olivier Rousteing took the bow at the end of the Balmain show. There were also debuts from former Pringle designer Claire Waight Keller at Chloe and Manish Arora at Paco Rabanne — and, of course, the torrent of industry speculation about Galliano’s soon-to-be-announced replacement at Christian Dior.

2. BUZZ, EDGE AND SPORT COUTURE IN NEW YORK

Altuzarra prints and backpack detail | Photo: BoF

But fashion month begins in New York, which boasts more than 250 shows in a span of eight days, making it by far the busiest and buzziest fashion week of all. As one editor put it to me, “In New York we are great at picking up the leaves and throwing them up in the air and saying, ’It’s Fashion Week!’”

The unofficial kick-off for the Spring/Summer collections happens a couple of days into NY fashion week, with Fashion’s Night Out. Spearheaded by American Vogue, with individual events in almost every retail establishment across the city, it is a format that has been exported around the world. But though it has become a global phenomenon, the return on investment for brands and retailers remains in question. Most designers and retailers said it simply wasn’t worth the expenditure of time and resources, especially at one of the busiest moments in the fashion calendar. Barneys effectively sat this round out, eschewing the kind of elaborate in-store entertainment favoured by other retailers and issuing a statement that they were refocusing all efforts “on the shopping experience” and would donate ten percent of their Fashion’s Night Out sales to a fund for the National September 11 Memorial and Museum.

And with that, the New York shows were on and we entered a weekend of vibrant prints, inspired by places all around the world. It was a colourful vibe that New York designers seemed to have caught from London. But they gave it their own unique, New York spin with mesh fabrics and athletic details, making “sport couture” the buzzword on the lips of editors and buyers everywhere, from Joseph Altuzarra and Rag & Bone, to Alexander Wang, who has made athletic-inspired fashion part of his brand’s identity.

The week’s highlights came from power design duos Proenza Schouler and Rodarte, whose shows are now, deservedly, two of the most anticipated shows of New York Fashion Week. And both Jason Wu and Prabal Gurung took edgy steps forward from the red carpet and ladylike fare of their previous collections. These are some of the names amongst a healthy crop of promising young designers working in New York at the moment, pushing the boundaries of American fashion.

3. LONDON’S SHINING MOMENT

Giles Deacon swan hat, by Stephen Jones | Photo: BoF

It’s a shame that conflict over the global fashion calendar is putting London Fashion Week under threat just as the event really seems to be hitting its stride. This season, fashion stars in London shone brighter than ever, benefitting from the pulsating creativity of designers and digital print artists, who are largely based in the East London neighbourhoods of Hackney, Shoreditch and Dalston.

Of course, previous generations of young London designers were also praised for their creativity, but they were never able to translate this into commercial success. Garments were of poor quality and deliveries were often late. But that seems to be changing now. Indeed, Natalie Massenet, founder of Net-a-Porter told the Financial Times that “if people have been paying attention, they will see there is a new crop of extraordinary talent, which is young and dynamic and have learnt commercialism is not a dirty word.”

Bergdorf Goodman’s Linda Fargo told Suzy Menkes that although she was primarily in town to see Burberry and Tom Ford, it was the young talents who really excited her. “My camera is going and my notepad’s flying,” she said. “Between the prints and the quality, I am blown away.”

Not really ‘emerging’ designers anymore, Christopher Kane, Peter Pilotto, Jonathan Saunders, Giles Deacon and Erdem Moralioglu all put on very strong shows. Mary Katrantzou and Michael van der Ham both pushed their signature techniques forward. And the two new names in London that everyone was watching were JW Anderson (who put on both mens and womens shows within a span of five days) and Thomas Tait, a name familiar to long time readers of BoF. Cathy Horyn of The New York Times said Tait’s clothes were “imaginative and inspiring” — high praise from one of fashion’s most respected critics.

But will London’s recent successes be hijacked by the current scheduling complications? And if a sensible resolution isn’t found, will editors really choose to see independent designers in London over major advertisers in Milan? Watch this space.

4. THE RISE OF FASHION DIPLOMACY

Tods Light Installation at Italian Ambassador's residence in Paris | Photo: BoF

With all the bickering and back-and-forth between the fashion capitals, it somehow seems appropriate that national ambassadors, much better versed in the ins and outs of international diplomacy, are using their muscle to support young designers, senior editors, and famous national brands.

In Paris, the Italian ambassador invited the fashion glitterati to a special event for Tod’s, at which Chairman Diego Della Valle was present, to celebrate the launch of the brand’s Signature collection. Sir Peter Westmacott, the British ambassador to France, along with the prime minister’s wife Samantha Cameron, continued to show their support for London-based designers — Nicholas Kirkwood, Erdem Moralioglu, Roland Mouret, Antonio Berardi, Jonathan Saunders and Katie Hillier, to name a few — with a lavish event at the ambassador’s residence. And, Glenda Bailey was hosted by the American ambassador to France for a celebration of her book commemorating her ten year tenure at Harpers Bazaar USA.

5. MOUZAT AND MENKES GO VIRAL

Mark Holgate and Anna Wintour of American Vogue at Burberry Spring/Summer 2012 show | Photo: BoF

Fashion editors from two important newspapers flexed their editorial muscle this season, creating ripples throughout the fashion industry.

The season’s first viral moment came courtesy of Virginie Mouzat, fashion editor of Le Figaro, one of France’s most respected daily newspapers. Though her name is not widely known outside elite fashion circles, Mouzat’s scathing critique of Tom Ford’s private London presentation had everyone talking, even if only a select few were there to witness what Mouzat described as “a nightmare.”

When an English translation of Mouzat’s article was emailed from the American Vogue office in Paris to its senior editors in London and New York, it wasn’t long before the email was circulating throughout the global Conde Nast empire and, indeed, throughout the industry. Incredible chains of emails — from one front row name to the next, from one senior magazine editor to another, from one global brand executive to his colleagues — was a lesson in how closely tied this industry really is. Ms. Mouzat had clearly struck a chord amongst the fashion establishment, for whom email, not Twitter, is still the most powerful viral tool.

Suzy Menkes, fashion editor of the IHT, set off her own viral frenzy, this time on Twitter, with the assistance of her colleague Jessica Michault. In her review of Raf Simons’ collection for Jil Sander in Milan, Ms. Menkes suggested that Mr. Simons was in talks to take over from Stefano Pilati at Yves Saint Laurent. When Michault tweeted the breaking news, which coincided with the Aquilano Rimondi show in Milan, attendees were reportedly glued to their iPhones and Blackberries, while debate quickly broke out across the social web about whether Suzy Menkes was actually saying Simons was going to YSL.

The next day, Yves Saint Laurent quelled the rumours in an official statement, which while firm, still seems to leave open the possibility that Mr. Simons, or someone else, could indeed design for YSLin the not-too-distant future. Will Suzy Menkes still be proven right? Time will tell.

6. PRE-TAIL GAINS MOMENTUM, BUT FACES OPERATIONAL ROADBLOCKS

Edgy Glamour at Jason Wu Spring/Summer 2012 | Photo: BoF

When Aslaug Magnusdottir and Lauren Santo Domingo launched their “pre-tail” start-up Moda Operandi (MO) last season, they must have known that the model would generate copycats, just as Gilt Groupe (itself inspired by Vente Privee) and Groupon were copied by hundreds of other similar businesses.

But as it turns out, Moda Operandi’s fast followers have not been other startups. Rather, it’s major media and retail brands who got into the pre-ordering game this season. Online industry bible Style.com debuted an “Instant Get” program for one-off products from six New York-based designers and venerable New York luxury retailer Bergdorf Goodman partnered with Jason Wu to offer pre-orders on selected items from his Spring/Summer 2012 collection. Sister company Neiman Marcus posted an exclusive pre-ordering opportunity for Donna Karan’s Spring 2012 collection, along with an interview between fashion director Ken Downing and Ms. Karan herself.

But fresh with a $10 million capital injection from New Enterprise Associates, a venture capital firm, the MO team had big plans of their own, announcing a partnership with Vogue.com just in time for fashion week, which directly linked the latest runway images to MO’s pre-order platform.

“We’ve experienced a steady rate of growth since our launch in February,” said Ms. Magnusdottir at the end of New York Fashion Week, “but the collaboration with Vogue has accelerated the rate of growth of both member acquisition and sales.” Indeed, Magnusdottir said that membership is expected to grow from 15,000 just after launch, a customer base built primarily on the personal networks of the founders, to an expected 100,000 members by the end of the year, driven by affiliations with Vogue.com and GOOP, the online media brand of Gwyneth Paltrow.

But despite the clear momentum, the model still faces a major roadblock that is out of the control of pre-tail players like MO: inefficiency in the fashion supply chain. As it stands, consumers still have to wait four to five months to receive most pre-ordered products. If pre-ordering is really going to provide instant gratification to consumers who are interested in buying from the runway, brands and retailers will ultimately need to deliver products more quickly than this. Burberry delivers its pre-ordered products within eight weeks, and Style.com’s ‘Instant Get’ products were due to be available within a few days of the 31 October launch.

Indeed, the broad success of the pre-ordering model rests on the ability of designers to compress delivery lead times. In response to this suggestion, Ms. Magnusdottir said she expected that supply chains would eventually be compressed over time, enabling MO to better match demand with product delivery.

Based on this season’s pre-commerce momentum, it can’t be long before other major fashion e-commerce players such as Net-a-Porter and Shopbop get in on the pre-ordering game. If the industry manages to sort out its supply chain issues, better aligning the operations and media cycles by delivering goods closer to the peak of consumer interest, could pre-commerce eventually just become plain old e-commerce?

Imran Amed is founder and editor-in-chief of The Business of Fashion

Steven Kolb | Photo: Carly Otness/BFAnyc.com

PARIS, France — The fashion world is in a tizzy. Ever since the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI) laid down the gauntlet, scheduling next autumn’s Milan Fashion Week from September 19th to 24th, a massive rift has emerged amongst the fashion fraternity.

New York Fashion Week, organised by the Council for Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), is scheduled to start on the 13th of September and conclude on the 20th. London Fashion Week, organised by the British Fashion Council (BFC), is supposed to run from the 21st to the 24th. But based on the dates currently being proposed for Milan Fashion Week, which the CNMI insist were communicated back in 2010, Milan would not only conflict with the end of New York Fashion Week, but completely overlap with London. Paris Fashion Week, organised by the Fédération française de la Couture, du Prêt à Porter des Couturiers et des Créateurs de Mode (known informally as the Chambre Syndicale), would follow Milan, and begin on the 25th. In short, it’s a jumble of acronyms and national organisations trying to oversee what is effectively a fashion month for a global industry.

In response to this serious scheduling problem, Jonathan Newhouse, Chairman of Condé Nast International issued a statement: “We at Condé Nast do not want the schedule to be changed. We very much oppose moving the Milan shows earlier so that they overlap or conflict with the London fashion shows — or with the New York fashion shows or those of any market,” he said, adding that various international editors of Vogue would not attend a Milan Fashion Week that conflicted with its counterparts. Milan has not budged on the 2012 dates, but they have proposed to discuss the 2013 dates.

Contrast this dispute with my surroundings as I sat down for tea with Steven Kolb, chief executive of the CFDA, on a park bench in Paris’ Palais-Royal, surrounded by stores from fashion brands from all over the world. It was clear proof of the global nature of our industry, as CFDA President Diane von Furstenberg articulated a few days ago in an open letter to the fashion community. “We share the same goals as Milan, Paris, and London,” she wrote. In other words, pitting fashion weeks against each other is like the fashion industry feeding upon itself.

Mr. Kolb was in town for “Americans in Paris,” inspired by the British Fashion Council’s “London Showrooms” concept, a perfect example of how fashion weeks can learn from each other. It’s the latest in a slew of CFDA initiatives designed to support America’s burgeoning young fashion talents, including Prabal Gurung (Nepali), Sophie Theallet (French) and Simon Spurr (British), all of whom came to America from other countries. It’s an international fashion world after all.

I met with Mr. Kolb while all this fashion week in-fighting was only just simmering, and had yet to reach boiling point. But nonetheless, it became an important part of our conversation, along with the future of fashion week more generally and the prospects for young fashion designers in America.

BoF: I’d be remiss if I didn’t ask you first about the ongoing hubbub around fashion week scheduling. What is the status of the discussions with other fashion weeks, and what do you think the resolution will be?

SK: No one agreed to a short term [agreement], why would we? Since we negotiated the second Thursday start, the idea was to get it as far away from Labour day as possible. 2012 is the first year that we actually benefited from [NYFW] not being the Thursday after Labour day, but the following Thursday.

So, we are pretty clear on that. I know that the Brits are really clear on that. I feel that 20 years ago, Milan and Europe could really dictate and New York had to follow, but I feel like it’s time for us to stake what’s important to us. We have enough strength; we have a strong market; we have a lot of really talented designers. Milan might be surprised where editors and buyers decide to go.

BoF: Why?

SK: I think a lot of them would go to London and New York over Milan. I think every city has it’s own creativity, it’s own innovation, it’s own family of designers, but I think that London has invested a lot of energy into fashion week and put a lot of effort into promoting something interesting. I think London and New York are very similar in their approach to supporting the industry and particularly young designers.

Fashion is global and we can’t just plan within our borders. We hope we can all look at it as a fashion season and not individual fashion weeks. Diane and I have been working on [resolving] the conflict and want everyone to win. I can only believe there will be a solution.

BoF: You have taken a leaf out of London’s book and brought ten American designers here to Paris this week. Tell me about what prompted you to come here.

SK: We patterned this whole thing after the London Showrooms. The British Fashion Council is always coming up with new partners and new ways to support young talent and I think we’ve done a similar job of that in New York. It creates a lot of excitement around fashion week.

BoF: You spoke just now about supporting young designers. Everyone throws that phrase around a lot in the industry. In your view what is the single biggest challenge that a designer in New York City faces today? And how is the CFDA playing a part in helping them to address that challenge?

SK: I think you’re right. I do think it gets thrown around a lot and a lot of it is just marketing hype. There is an overabundance of ideas and programmes that are supporting young talent. But with CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund, there is a lot we do publicly [and] there is a lot that we don’t do publicly. You look at someone like Tommy [Hilfiger] — and who’s working with Tommy? Peter Som. That’s not accidental; that’s the Fashion Fund watching out for those designers. A lot of it is individualised, so I know just from the Fashion Fund that everyone has a very specific niche of what they need help with.

The one thing people say mostly, whether they are an emerging designer or not, is that they need an investor, they need money, they need capital. And so whether that’s private equity that actually invests in the company, or consulting work, or a capsule collection at Target — whatever it is, people want money, cash flow, and I think there are a lot of ways to make that happen, but that seems to be a big challenge.

BoF: I think it’s so great to see these designers here in Paris, as one of the impressions that I think people have about designers in New York is that they lack creativity. Why do you think that perception exists?

SK: New York has always been the commercial market. A funny thing happened [here in Paris]. Diane [von Furstenberg] and I were having lunch and we were shopping and there was this shop, and in the shop she saw these really fabulous little display ladders, and this beautiful metal chair, and she went in, and there was this French woman in there. Diane said, ‘I love this, where did you get it?’ and the woman said, ‘Well I made them myself.’ Diane said, ‘I love them, can I buy them?’ and the woman said, ‘No, I can’t sell them, I wouldn’t want anyone to have them as they are my personal pleasure. Plus, I know who you are and if you put them in your store everyone will know me.’ Diane said, if we were in the States she would have taken an order for a 1000 of those.

I think New York has always been about selling. But I think that has changed a lot, probably in the last twenty years. I think switching the New York shows from October to the front of the cycle was part of that shift — being first and not necessarily following ideas or trends and really being creative.

The American market was always about the brand. It was never about the designer — and you look at people like Bill Blass, who really started to step out from the backroom and become more upfront. Then you have Calvin, Donna and Ralph and it just continued. In the States, we are very entrepreneurial.

There are 250 shows on the calendar. Anybody can show that has an idea. I think that programs like the Fashion Fund and incubator and the relationships that the buyers or the editors have developed with designers encourages that creativity. Whether you’re an artist or a designer, to make something and not be able to let it go? What’s the point?

BoF: Couldn’t you also argue that you are diluting the week, because, frankly there is a lot of stuff that might not merit that kind of attention? Perhaps having a more curated week — like in London, like in Milan, like in Paris — where an organisation, whether it’s the CFDA or someone else, could play a role in upholding certain standards?

SK: We’ve been talking about that. The calendar is a challenge because we have that number of shows. You’ve got a show back to back with the designers, model call times, production, all of that. That is a big behind the scenes challenge.

But who is the voice of God? Who’s to say that the CFDA or some committee with an opinion should decide who has more talent than somebody else. I think there is a dog eat dog competitiveness that exists.

BoF: In a way it’s a quintessentially American approach. Let the market decide.

SK: Yes, I do believe that. We even talk about the fashion calendar, which frankly is a gated system. We’ve been looking at how you create a back-end system that PRs and designers can use as we do the puzzle of who goes where in the calendar. Then as you look at that, do we give priority to CFDA members? I just don’t think there is anything that can be done fairly. I think it’s just, let the market decide. I think you said it exactly the way it is.

We had a meeting, the summer before last, about the state of fashion week. Everybody has an opinion. I say to people ‘If you can figure it out, I am happy to make it happen. I’m good at executing things.’

BoF: The other issue with the show calendar is the timing of shows versus the timing of arrival of clothes. Everyone seems to have a point of view on it. Do you think a) there is a solution that’s out there? And b) given all the politics between the different fashion capitals, could anyone actually make a decision that would change the system?

SK: I think it takes someone brave like Helmut Lang and Calvin Klein when they switched over to September. I think it takes someone of that stature at this point [who] would be brave enough to do it. I think you can’t look at the shows alone, because a lot of the bigger designers are doing monthly deliveries anyway. The show has really turned into something less about a collection.

BoF: But the lag is still there. Whether the consumer sees the pre-collection images or the main collection, the clothes are still not available for four to five months. The big concern is the supply chain — you also need to be able to compress the supply chain. One suggestion Natalie Massenet made was to skip a season. Instead of doing shows, designers could do small private presentations for the industry, then you do the show when the clothes are actually ready.

SK: So it’s about skipping a season and maybe that’s a nice vacation break for people, but I think that it’s logistically complicated. I don’t know, it could happen one day. It requires someone big enough and powerful enough and influential enough to make that statement.

CEO Talk is BoF’s forum for in-depth discussions with the fashion industry’s global decision makers, conducted by BoF founder and editor-in-chief, Imran Amed.

Burberry S/S 2012 Details Screenshot | Source: American Vogue.com

Legendary fashion writer and BoF contributing editor Colin McDowell has been attending and reviewing fashion shows for more than 30 years. Who better to give us the lowdown on one of the best London Fashion Weeks in recent memory?

LONDON, United Kingdom — Each season, despite challenges, London continues to raise the stakes, in terms of both creativity and, dare I say it, commercial potential. Here, I’ve assembled my top choices of London Fashion Week.

BURBERRY
We were all rather shocked at the colours that first came down the runway. “Is it Spring-Summer or Fall-Winter?” my neighbour on the sardine-packed benches asked. But within seconds winter green and maroon seemed not only the most natural colours in the world for Spring, but the only colours. The conviction and strength of what was Burberry creative director Christopher Bailey’s most powerful collection for a few seasons suddenly had the same sort of rightness that Christian Dior’s New Look collection did. Women were so convinced that they came out of the show desperately trying to lower their hemlines. At Burberry there was a version of that overwhelming sense of something not just totally right for now, but also presaging the future. I loved the shapes, textures and scale of just about everything — and people who know me are well aware of how rarely I say that about a collection. No wonder this chap is where he is — he is truly exceptional.

MARIOS SCHWAB

Marios Schwab S/S 2012 Details Screenshot | Source: American Vogue.com

There is talent and there is sophistication. Of the first, there is a good pool in London. Of the second, there is less than would fill an egg cup, let alone a pool. Schwab has both, of course, and like Christopher Bailey, he brought them both together in a collection which again set a new bar for this label. Like quite a few of the London shows this season there were echoes of the great Hitchcock blondes such as Grace Kelly, Tippi Hedren and Kim Novak — all sexy elegance and lady-like. From the very first moment this show had total confidence, reminiscent of the uptown girls I used to see in New York when I was very young — the ones who gave me, and Frank Sinatra, a fetish about clean bouncy hair and legs like a gazelle’s. If there was any lingering doubts about the stature of this designer, this delicate and very focused collection blew them away — and me!

ANTONIO BERARDI

Antonio Berardi S/S 2012 Details Screenshot | Source: American Vogue.com

There was a time when Berardi was working in Italy when I used to groan and say, “Oh, no, Antonio, no.” But that was before his friend and colleague Sophia Neophitou began to work with him as his stylist. The change has been dramatic and now we have a soignée approach to dress that most English designers find hard to carry off. So perhaps all those dreadful days in Italy were necessary to clear the decks for Berardi’s talent. Ice white and glamorous, this was a confident collection that was almost pitch-perfect. Although I do wonder how the pants with heavy three inch ribbon running down the seams sneaked past the taste police. What was all that about, my boy? And I must add, I do think we can do without quotes from Milton to help us understand the clothes, Antonio, thank you very much — pretentious, moi?

ERDEM

Erdem S/S 2012 Details Screenshot | Source: American Vogue.com

After an opulently rich plum pudding of a show last season, Erdem was all lightness and air this time around. I was so impressed by what he showed and what it said of his approach to dress that I went home and wrote to Sidney Toledano, chief executive of Dior, suggesting that he look at this young talent that dresses the wives of presidents and prime ministers — not for that, but because this show was about all the things concerning femininity and allure that Christian Dior believed in and taught to Yves Saint Laurent. I even thought that when he came out for a bow, Erdem looked rather like Yves as I remember him when young, with a slightly bemused, “where did all these people come from?” look, doing a quick smile and scurrying backstage as soon as possible. Does fashion history repeat itself? Who knows. But with thirties colours and fifties cuts, this was simply brilliant. I frankly never thought I would see such purity on a London runway, but I was wrong.

ACNE

Acne S/S 2012 Details Screenshot | Source: American Vogue.com

For my generation (Neolithic, since you ask), nothing raises the spirits at the end of a long day quicker than a sharp blast of Shirley Bassey and a bit of mirror shine. We had both at Acne and felt all the better for it. Shirley’s top hits, a mirrored runway and a posse of hand-picked guys proferring drinks all put me in a good mood. And the show augmented it as marvellous shapes — wide pants and great parkas — came confidently swinging (the only word) down the catwalk in clever combinations of blue, white, tan and some great shiny surfaces a bit like a yacht. There was something so clean, wholesome and rain-washed fresh about this show that it sent me out into the raucous London night dreaming that I was on a heathery Scandinavian hilltop surrounded by apple-cheeked healthiness. A great experience.

TEMPERLEY

Temperley S/S 2012 Screenshot | Source: British Vogue.co.uk

I have had my problems with the Temperley aesthetic in the past and have been struck off her guest list a few times for saying so. Hey ho, that’s the fashion life. But her show at the British Museum this season made it all clear. Alice Temperley has her market down to a fine art. She knows the rich. She is rich — at least by London designer standards. And she has had ten years to refine her look which is, well, rich, I guess. The whole collection consisted of evening wear, all long and minimal, in delicate colours and with enough glitter to keep the customers happy. They are, I would imagine, the West Coast Americans and the Middle Eastern princesses whose natural setting is a shiny yacht or a cunningly lit poolside at night. Nothing original, no great fashion breakthrough, that’s for sure, but I loved these clothes because they know where they are going. And so do we. Straight onto the backs of the wealthy ones, who will love them very much.

ANTONI AND ALISON

Antoni and Alison by Muir Vidler | Source: Time Out

Fashion does not go in for national treasures very much, unfortunately. Often overlooked by the fashpack, Antoni and Alison are jewels in the crown of London Fashion. The trouble is, they are modest, thinking people with a totally unique aesthetic which modern fashion doesn’t quite know what to do with. They are not chasing the front cover of Vogue and have no need for the approval of the Americans. They are as English and as natural as a russet apple. And, above all, they have a wit that puts them up there with Peter Blake, The Beatles, Larry Grayson and all the Blackpool pier comedians who were our natural treasures before ‘stand-up’ comedians changed everything. But Antoni Burakowski (how English is that?) and Alison Roberts are so much a part of the English dress continuum that goes back to Hogarth that they could almost be the parents of Christopher Bailey, who is also in that special historic line.

MEADHAM KIRCHHOFF

Meadham Kirchhoff S/S 2012 Details Screenshot | Source: American Vogue.com

Originality is the soul of wit, in my book, and these two designers are both original and witty. This was a great show of the sort that only London-based designers are capable. And I mean SHOW. Extraordinary clothes can come from the likes of Jean Paul Gaultier — intended to make us laugh and totally succeeding — but these guys are different. They give us not only a complete look but a world. This season it was all about ballet, but not quite as Covent Garden knows it. And like Antoni and Alison, the mood and fun were a Merrie England mix of traditional music hall, fairground and carefully orchestrated chaos that made even the most frigid fashionista smile. I loved the sugared almond colours and the sharply strident primaries, but most of all, I loved the character of this show. You don’t find that anywhere but London.

Colin McDowell is a contributing editor at The Business of Fashion

Gucci Spring/Summer 2012 | Source: Style.com

Gucci at 90: ‘Hard Deco’ (IHT)
“The Gucci designer Frida Giannini, celebrating the brand’s 90th year, certainly sent out a polished and upscale collection, with shiny metallic surfaces and a focus on jazzy evening outfits — even if they were inspired by the 1920s, when flappers danced up to the edge of the Great Depression.”

Milan fashion picks glam over gloom (Reuters)
“Designers have prepared a marathon of catwalk shows and gala openings to wow shoppers and woo their wallets at a Milan fashion week… ‘This is our chance to react to the crisis,’ Mario Boselli, chairman of Italy’s National Chamber of Fashion… Fashion is a key contributor to the euro-zone’s third largest economy. Italian brands are expected to generate total revenues of almost 63 billion euros (54.9 billion pounds) this year.”

Designer-hungry China in sight at London fashion (Reuters)
“The world’s biggest luxury market within five years has become a second home for brands such Hermes, Prada and Tiffany & Co that tap Chinese appetite for sports cars, luxury handbags and diamonds. And British designers have taken note.’There’s quite a boom in the world of fashion and I believe that is mostly because of China,’ designer Vivienne Westwood told Reuters.”

The etail highway to China (FT)
“Yoox Group, the Italian company that builds and manages about half the fashion world’s etail outlets (Armani, Marni, Zegna, Dolce & Gabbana etc.) and has taken Armani and Dolce into China, is to make a move of its own into the country. Next week, thecorner.com, its high-end multi-brand boutique, will become the first multi-brand etailer to launch in China.”

Former Intermix COO Raises $33M For Fashion Brand JustFabulous (Forbes)
“Launched in March 2010, JustFabulous has a subscription fashion business built on its personalized fashion styling advice and in-house designed clothing and lifestyle brand. After just more than one year, the site already has 2.5 million members and more than $3 million in revenue per month.”

L-R Mary Katrantzou, Meadham Kirchhoff, Antonio Berardi SS12 | Source: Style.com

Screen vs. Clean: When Print Meets Purity (IHT)
“To call your own fashion show a car crash would seem a risky business. But what about an inspiration of a crushed metallic Cadillac on a field of vividly colored flowers among the exotic fish in the Pacific Ocean? Fantastic, fabulous and totally original!”

How London Fashion Week Is Going Digital (Mashable)
“London Fashion Week is showcasing an increased commitment to all things digital this season. Designers and retailers are giving consumers around the world better access to shows and events than ever before through live, online showcases and digitally enhanced retail experiences… Clara Mercer, marketing manager for the BFC, says that the digital push this season is designed to expand LFW’s geographical reach.”

Will Chinese designers get left behind in China’s fashion boom? (CNN)
“China’s once almost non-existent fashion industry is on the verge of exploding. New domestic brands pop up seemingly everyday. Chinese models, like Liu Wen, who has shot campaigns with Calvin Klein, Dolce & Gabbana and Estee Lauder, are increasingly becoming a hot commodity on foreign runways while domestic designers, such as Richard Wu… Are piquing the interest of the international fashion elite.”

Polo hits all-time high on strong overseas growth (Bloomberg)
“Polo Ralph Lauren Corp. is on a roll because of international expansion and strong sales of its higher-priced items…The company, whose brands include Ralph Lauren Collection, Black Label, Chaps and Club Monaco, has international pricing power not reflected in its current stock price.”

`Man Repeller’ Leandra Medine Blogs Fashion, Plans Book (The Washington Post)
“Leandra Medine, founder and editor of the blog ‘The Man Repeller,’ talks about the blog’s creation and business model… ‘The Man Repeller’ describes itself as focusing on women’s fashions designed to be worn “in a sartorially offensive way that will result in repelling members of the opposite sex.”

L-R J.W. Anderson, Jonathan Saunders, Richard Nicoll | Source: Style.com

Tipping Toward the Dark Side (IHT)
“Significantly, British designers, whose colorful digitalized prints of the last couple of seasons so influenced the New York shows, have taken a sharper turn. Although not angry or belligerent in the Punk mode, an angular geometry is the new influence, with craftsmanship as the subtext. The flowery prettiness once endemic to British design has been swept away by designers using both geometric tools and a needle and thread.”

LVMH Sees No Slowdown in Luxury Goods Demand, Expands in Asia (Bloomberg)
“LVMH, the maker of Celine handbags and TAG Heuer watches, sees no signs of slowing demand for luxury products in Europe or America…’We don’t see any signs of slowing down whether it’s in Europe or in America. The world of luxury doesn’t obey the same rule.’ Carcelle said there will be less net opening of stores and more investment into improving the size of stores, because ‘luxury retail has to be a luxurious experience.’”

The Making of an ‘Exclusive’ (WSJ)
“Exclusives are valuable ammunition in the battle for market share among department stores and boutiques during this choppy economic recovery. The recession all but eliminated aspirational shoppers—consumers who drove the luxury boom by spending beyond their means. Now, high-end retailers are trying to woo a relatively small pool of affluent customers with merchandise not found anywhere else.”

Male Models at the Line of Beauty (NY Times)
“Women got most of the scarlet and yellow, the capes, the trims, the pizazz, as I could see by following the shows online. The general visual impression I took away from the men’s shows was of gray, beige and brown, a lot of that brown being tanned skin. Even when a designer tried to jazz things up — Tommy Hilfiger went sort of nuts with nautical stripes at his show, held at the High Line on the first Friday of Fashion Week — the men still looked dressed-down-drab.”

Daphne Guinness’s Provocative Closets (WSJ)
“Ms. Guinness has lent some of her designer couture clothing collection and a number of towering heels – to the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York for an exhibition entitled Daphne Guinness… The exhibition was two years in the making… Ms. Guinness collects clothing from uncompromising, provocative, artistic-minded designers… As well as cutting-edge garments from young designers as if they are works of art.”

Mary Katrantzou Autumn/Winter 2011 | Source: Style.com

‘English,’ With Irony (IHT)
“Yet although there have been the usual glancing references to tweed, cable knits, plaids and country clothes, the real story lies with a young, techno-savvy generation. The prints that grow more sophisticated each season are light-years from the classic patterns of roses ’round the door. But they are only a click away from a student with a smartphone and digital skills.”

Olivier Zahm’s Purple World (WWD)
“So how does he do that without becoming a tool? Purple Fashion just breaks even — before it pays its staff and such mundane matters as the lighting and heating bills. It’s no InStyle or Vogue in the money machine department, that’s for sure. Yet Zahm is, in his way, as feted and courted as any editor in chief of a major, and more profitable, fashion title.”

And Poof! A New Clothing Label (NY Times)
“‘I thought about doing an archive revival mini-capsule collection,’ explained Ms. Kennedy, but she eventually chose new pieces by 10 alumni designers that she felt were both saleable and representative of Fashion East’s history… Lulu & Co. is stocked by Collette in Paris and Harvey Nichols in London, and Ms. Kennedy says she now looks forward to growing the line in coming seasons.”

Macy’s Net Jumps 50%, Beats Analysts’ Estimates (Bloomberg)
“Macy’s, the second-biggest U.S. department-store chain, reported earnings that beat analysts’ estimates after keeping a lid on costs and selling exclusive holiday gifts from celebrity lines… Sales exceeded Macy’s expectations in every region as well as at the Bloomingdale’s chain. Online revenue jumped 29 percent.”

McQueen continues to cast spell (Independent)
“Alexander McQueen, who died a week before last year’s London Fashion Week, was remembered at a launch event for the forthcoming retrospective of the designer’s work at New York’s Metropolitan Museum. Vogue editor Anna Wintour and the ubiquitous Samantha Cameron gathered with press at the Ritz hotel.”

Nick Robertson, CEO of ASOS | Source: Retail Week

Fast fashion for fast consumers (FT)
“Critics have consistently tried – and failed – to turn [ASOS’s] growth story into something resembling the tale of the emperor’s new clothes. Online fashion would never take off, they said… In 2007, non-UK sales made up 10 per cent of the company’s annual retail sales. Today, it is 44 per cent.”

Materials Girls: Designers Trim Hemlines, Costs (WSJ)
“Bad weather in major producing regions, tight supplies and inflation have pushed prices of cotton to new, all-time highs. The cost of silk, wool and leather has also soared…. Having survived the recession, designers and retailers are wary of trying to pass along price increases to skittish shoppers.”

Italian fashion houses bounce back for Milan shows (Bloomberg)
“Milan Fashion Week kicks off Wednesday with a celebration of Italian flair fuelled by Asian spending power and a love of conspicuous excess. After New York and London, fashionistas and buyers from over 37 countries are set to flock to Italy’s financial capital.”

Vuitton Said to Hire 700 Leather Workers (Bloomberg)
“Louis Vuitton… may hire as many as 700 leather workers this year to cope with rising demand… Additions will be made at factories in France, where about 70 percent of Vuitton’s leather goods are produced, as well as in Spain and California.”

When Youth Is the Holy Grail (IHT)
“Growing up is hard to do, when youth is the holy grail of British fashion. Seats are filled with imaginatively dressed young Londoners, who are design inspirations even before the show kicks off. And while other European capitals are short on fresh talent, the focus of the London scene is the ‘New Gen’.”

L-R Issa, Topshop Unique, and House of Holland | Source: IHT

Catherine Versus Kate (IHT)
“The marriages this year of Kate and Kate — the future Princess Catherine and the rock-on model Kate Moss — are stirring excitement in Britain… [LFW] is doing its best to deliver. As the liveliest city in the lineup of autumn 2011 show locations, there are designers to suit every need, from royal wedding to Goth glamour.”

America’s got talent (FT)
“The British may be invading the American media – from Anna Wintour to Piers Morgan – but there’s a reverse invasion happening too. In recent years, American brand and retail executives have become hot properties for British luxury brands with an eye on global expansion.”

The Middle Blingdom (The Economist)
“Many Chinese people still remember the days when luxury meant a short queue for the toilet at the end of the street, or a bus conductor who wasn’t excessively rude. Before the economy opened up, a chic suit meant one with the label of a state-owned factory sewn ostentatiously on the sleeve. How times change.”

Gilt Groupe Chief Considering I.P.O. in 2012 (NY Times)
“Mr. Ryan said Gilt was on track for a major round of fund-raising in the first half of this year and he’s considering a public offering in 2012 — though he was not certain the company would pull the trigger. Gilt’s last financing round valued the company at almost $500 million; the next round is expected to be significantly higher.”

Mayor Bloomberg and fashion industry leaders call for reforms (IBT)
“Eleven leading designers, retailers, wholesalers, and entrepreneurs from the fashion industry have joined the Partnership for a New American Economy…  New York City…. has over 165,000 undocumented immigrants, accounting for 5.5 percent of the City’s workforce and 31 percent of its manufacturing jobs.”

Céline Autumn/Winter 2010 | Source: Céline

The new fashion forward (Telegraph)
“Such is the insanely accelerated speed of the fashion world that the clothes appearing in shops now already seem not to be the latest thing, their significance lost, having long ago been… sucked dry through overexposure.”

Personal tailoring for everyone (Telegraph)
“With 84 stores in Britain (it also has branches in the USA, China and the Gulf), the scheme has the potential to transform the entire concept of tailoring on the high street – if [Reiss] gets it right. The early signs are good.”

A British Fashion Invasion (Portfolio)
“International sales are 30 percent of our business, and the U.S. is the fastest-growing market—without any advertising… it’s time to give the American consumers what they want, a U.S. presence.”

Twitter redesign will increase luxury brand engagement (Luxury Daily)
“In an industry whose online presence is highly defined by rich media and images, Twitter’s redesign will help luxury marketers increase their brand engagement.”

New names prove their worth on menswear day (Telegraph)
“Finding links between young designers and the new names of Savile Row, men’s day is creating a movement all of its own. The key catwalk names are James Long and Christopher Shannon, both designers in their twenties.”