Handbags at dawn for Louis Vuitton and Google (FT)
“It will be handbags at dawn on Tuesday in Strasbourg as the world’s luxury goods makers line up to listen to the European Court of Justice’s advocate-general give his opinion in the case of Google versus Louis Vuitton.” Click here to watch the Bloomberg video.

Hermès CEO Sees No Light in ‘Tunnel’ This Year on Japan Slump (Bloomberg)
“Hermès International SCA Chief Executive Officer Patrick Thomas said he isn’t optimistic about the next six months because of a delayed economic recovery in Japan, the French luxury-goods maker’s biggest market.”

U.K. August Online Sales Climb More Than Expected on Clothing (Bloomberg)
“U.K. online retail sales climbed more than expected in August as shoppers, lured by competitive pricing and improved returns policies, spent more money on clothing and electrical goods.”

Does the Fashion Industry Know What a Brand Strategy Is? (PSFK)
“Brands can pr, collaborate and twitter all they like, but without a differentiating brand strategy that creatively frames a different way for consumers to think about them, beyond a cool image or shinny mobile app, brands will always be focused on outdoing their competitors latest tactic.”

Pricey Savile Row tailors survive tough times (Forbes)
“For more than two centuries, this small street in London’s exclusive Mayfair neighborhood has produced wonderful, handmade clothes for an elite group that favored discreet, understated suits to make the wearer blend in, not stand out. But these days, Savile Row tailors are out to make a splash – even branching out into the glitz of London Fashion Week, with a presentation by E. Tautz Wednesday designed to showcase the venerable brand’s contemporary take on the old-style English military and sporting look.”

Nick Knight on location

Nick Knight on fashion, photographs and failings (Times)
Luke Leitch interviews Nick Knight: “I have friends in the City who are amazed by how the fashion business is conducted. It’s controlled by a few people, and not particularly well.”

Inditex 1H Pft Beats Views; Plans Online Push (WSJ)
“Inditex SA, Europe’s top fashion retailer by revenue, Wednesday said it plans a major push online for its flagship Zara-brand, as it reported better-than expected first-half earnings.”

Two Fashion Stalwarts, Reared on Same Bronx Catwalk (New York Times)
“Ralph Lauren (né Lifshitz) and Calvin Klein were raised in the Norwood neighborhood along Mosholu Parkway in the 1940s and 1950s, with Mr. Klein living at in an apartment house at 3191 Rochambeau Avenue and Mr. Lauren in an apartment building on Kossuth Avenue overlooking the parkway itself, according to Lloyd Ultan, the Bronx historian.”

Recession Dims Stars’ Style Power (WSJ)
“The struggles of William Rast, which didn’t show in the New York Fashion Week tents this week, are a sign of the times. The downturn in high-end fashion is hitting celebrity-backed brands hard. Many are disappearing. U.S. sales of celebrity-licensed products fell to $2.9 billion last year after peaking in 2006 at $3.5 billion, according to the Licensing Letter, a trade publication.”

Louis Vuitton eyes Lebanon expansion (Forbes)
“French fashion brand Louis Vuitton, which will open its flagship Middle East store in Dubai next month, is in the ‘final stages’ of a planned expansion into Lebanon, a company official said on Tuesday. Damien Vernet, general manager for the fashion house’s Middle East and India operations, said the company was also looking into Egypt, Jordan and in Syria as possible markets.”

Outside Macy’s before “Fashion’s Night Out,” courtesy of The New York Times

High Fashion Faces a Redefining Moment (New York Times)
“Designer fashion — the creative wellspring of the American apparel industry, the engine of style magazines, the stuff of plain old dreams — is experiencing a serious case of the blues. As another show season rolls out across the city, against the chilliest retail climate in years, many believe this is not merely a difficult moment for high-end fashion but a defining one as well.”

Louis Vuitton Wins Suit Against Counterfeiter (Korea Times)
“Louis Vuitton Malletier, a unit of French luxury goods maker LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, said Thursday that it has won a lawsuit filed last year against a Korean wholesaler, which has been manufacturing and selling imitation bags under the brand Santa V for the past 18 years.”

Blame Darwinism, but we are all fashionistas (Times)
“It’s time to drop the ‘intellectual frump’ look and face the facts: in politics, business, sex or success, what we wear matters.”

Fashion’s Secret Helpers (WSJ)
“Fashion houses stretch their search for inspiration from a teen in Texas to a blogger in the Philippines. Rodarte finds a muse in a Chicago suburb.”

Whose Bike Are You Wearing? (New York Times)
“Until recently, bikes were merely fashionable. Lately, it seems, they are fashion — and they don’t have to be ultraexpensive novelty items to qualify.”

Vuitton to Sponsor Film Award (WWD)
“Louis Vuitton said Monday it would bestow $25,000 prizes to the two student filmmakers who make the best two-minute works on the theme of “life as a journey.”

Dishevelled London mayor graces fashion cover (AFP)
“London’s famously dishevelled mayor, Boris Johnson, will grace the cover of fashion bible Elle next month in what many will see as a surprising partnership to mark 25 years of London Fashion Week.”

Burberry has come home (Telegraph)
“The launch of this collection will be a massive event, the highlight of London Fashion Week. Not only is it the 25th anniversary of LFW and the British Fashion Council, it is also the first time since Bailey joined the brand as creative director in 2001 that Burberry has shown its collection on home ground.”

Fashionair on hunt for next presenting star at Selfridges (Drapers)
“Fashionair.com, the fashion website launched by pop svengali Simon Fuller, will host a series of events at Selfridges including a competition to become one of its presenters to celebrate the site’s official launch later this week.”

Chanel Haute Couture show, courtesy of The New York Times

Chanel, Now and Then (New York Times)
Cathy Horyn discusses the future of Chanel with Karl Lagerfeld.

Louis Vuitton, Cartier Are Preferred by Chinese, Survey Shows (Bloomberg)
“Louis Vuitton and Cartier are the top choices of Chinese consumers for purchases as their thirst for luxury goods remains unabated in the global economic crisis, a survey commissioned by Ruder Finn Asia showed.”

Sir Philip Green cautious on autumn trading (Drapers)
“Arcadia owner Sir Philip Green is cautious about trading in the final quarter of 2009 and is concerned about how shoppers will react to price increases this autumn.”

Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci a/w 09/10 collection (Telegraph)
“A light breeze whipped away the billowing black and white chiffon robes and Arabic headgear, revealing gilded, jewelled armour and crowns, at the Givenchy haute couture collection for autumn/winter 2009/10 in Paris this afternoon.”

E-retailers find big brands hard to touch (FT)
“Anyone with a computer and something to sell, they said, had a good shot at taking market share away from the big brands. But progress has been slow and the reality is proving a little different.”