Roger Vivier Miss Viv | Source: Holt Renfrew

What The Rich Are Buying Now (Forbes)
“While most consumers aren’t returning to their pre-recession shopping patterns, there has been a rebound in luxury spending lately. Ultra affluent shoppers … have started to come out of hiding”

Miuccia and Me (WSJ)
“Bertelli, is the mastermind behind a label most people associate with his wife, Miuccia Prada, the avant-garde designer who has created global sensations out of industrial nylon black backpacks, wallpaper-motif pleated skirts, tiedyed dresses and thick high-heeled wedge shoes, to name just a few.”

Italy’s Della Valle ups stake in Saks to 7.1 pct (CNN Money)
“Italian businessman Diego Della Valle increased his stake in Saks Inc with a series of stock purchases this week, strengthening his position as the second-largest investor in the U.S. upscale department store operator.”

Fashion to hit Tokyo’s runways (Independent)
“Japan has produced some of the world’s most famous designers – from Issey Miyake to Rei Kawakubo, Yohji Yamamoto and Hanae Mori – and the Japan Fashion Week Organization is aiming to build on their reputations for a new generation of fashion geniuses at the same time as enhancing Tokyo’s reputation as the center of the fashion business in Asia.”

It bags are back as luxury brand sales soar by 60% (Daily Mail)
“Fashion insiders have long been predicting its death. But it seems there is still life in the old ‘It bag’ yet. Selfridges says that it has seen a 60 per cent increase in the past year in sales of ‘must-have’ luxury handbags.”

Hublot Platinum Watch Detail | Source: Hublot

LVMH Must Watch It (WSJ)
“LVMH should do more to fill out its lack of presence in the ‘hard’ luxury segments of jewelry and high-end watches. High operating leverage at jewelers and watch makers, especially smaller outfits, has left them economically vulnerable and a potential hunting ground to scale up LVMH’s business.”

Giambattista Valli to Sew His Own Clothes (WSJ)
“Mr. Valli said that, starting today, he ‘ceases any contractual deal with Mariella Burani Fashion Group,’… [the group] is in bankruptcy proceedings which were announced last week during Milan fashion week. Mr. Valli had just signed on with the firm last year.”

Reaching Affluents on Social Nets (e-Marketer)
“Most wealthy Internet users in the US are optimistic about the economy going forward… that should make them attractive to retailers, which are increasingly turning to social networks to attract customers.”

McCartney minimalism reflects new austerity (Independent)
“Stella McCartney opened the proceedings at the Paris collections yesterday with a show that went to prove that the return of minimalism to the international catwalks is the story of the autumn/winter 2010 season.”

Red Carpet Fading Away (IHT)
“Sometimes a fashion moment is defined as much by what is not on the runway as by the catwalk favorites. And with only one more day of autumn/winter 2010 in Paris before the season’s close, dressy evening clothes are fading from the limelight.”

Fendi Spring/Summer 2010 | Source: Fendi

Burlington Coat Factory Ordered To Pay Damages To Fendi (Business Insider)
“Federal Judge Leonard Sand in New York ruled Monday that Burlington Coat Factory knowingly violated Italian fashion company Fendi’s trademarks, and awarded the luxury brand treble damages.”

A Campaign to Leaven the Mood (NY Times)
“The Saks campaign is indicative of a trend on Madison Avenue to evoke elements of the dire days of the Depression to signal to consumers an understanding of what they are going through today.”

Legendary Ginza district loses some of its lustre (Luxuo)
“As the country struggles to raise itself out of the global economic downturn, companies such as LV and Gucci are downsizing or leaving Ginza, their former properties quickly snapped up by the growing trend of ‘fast fashion’ houses.”

LVMH & Parsons Introduce Young Designers (Vanity Fair)
“[LVMH] recently joined forces with Parsons The New School for Design to create one of the world’s most sustainable designs: a generation of students with a newfound understanding and dedication to craft.”

Draped to Be Shaped (IHT)
“There was nothing mawkish or funereal about the atmosphere at the weekend shows — rather they were a celebration of the individuality that produces imaginative talent.”

Robert Rodriguez Spring/Summer 2010 | Source: Robert Rodriguez

Jones Apparel Acquires L.A. Designer Label (Apparel News)
“Jones Apparel Group Inc., the… corporation that has been on the hunt for brands, acquired Los Angeles womenswear contemporary label Robert Rodriguez for $28 million. Jones Apparel is hoping to expand the Robert Rodriguez name in other categories and other doors.”

US retail groups continue to recover (FT)
“Spending by US shoppers continued to bounce back from last year’s post-crash lows, with retailers ranging from luxury department stores to teen fashion boutiques yesterday reporting stronger sales in January.”

LVMH struggles to prise open purses of wealthy (Times Online)
“The luxury brands group, which markets Christian Dior perfume and Tag Heuer watches as well as Louis Vuitton luggage, failed to raise its game over the Christmas period. Sales in the final quarter of 2009 were flat or declining in every sector at LVMH.”

Hermès ups its 2009 profit forecast as sales excel (Reuters)
“French luxury group Hermès on Friday raised its own profit expectations for 2009 after posting forecast-beating full-year sales on the back of strong Christmas trading.”

Which Stars Sell Fashion? (WSJ)
“With the Academy Award nominations out this week, fashion designers are already jockeying to dress the stars for their big night. But rather than trying to pick the Oscar winners or the most fashionable celebrities, designers should be asking another question: Who will be the most effective at getting viewers to buy the clothes they see on the red carpet?”

Jean Schlumberger for Tiffany's | Source: Tiffany & Co.

Shine returns as Tiffany’s sales rise (FT)
“Tiffany, the US jeweller, raised its profit outlook yesterday as strong holiday sales brought some shine back to an industry that cash-constrained consumers shunned during the worst of the recession.”

Tony Blair could help LVMH’s forays into new markets (Reuters)
“Tony Blair’s expected appointment as adviser to LVMH… could help it penetrate tough yet promising markets such as India… The former British Prime Minister, a friend of LVMH boss Bernard Arnault, is now free to pursue other commitments having been passed over for the EU presidency in November.”

Italy fashion to exit crisis first, body says (Reuters)
“Italy’s fashion sector will emerge from the financial crisis before others but the government needs to help companies be more competitive, the head of an industry body said on Tuesday.”

Have the Wealthy Changed their Values? (WSJ)
“A new survey from PNC aims to show how the wealthy have changed their values because of the recession. According to the survey, of more than 1,000 people with net worths of at least $500,000 in investible assets, 88 percent agreed with the statement that it is ‘more important than ever to live within my means.’”

Fashion on the web: Le click, c’est chic (Independent)
“Ten years ago, you had to head to the city to buy designer threads. Then a clutch of new websites changed the way we shop for ever.”

Improved Revenue Trends for LVMH in the Third Quarter (Reuters)
“LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the world`s leading luxury products group,achieved revenue of €11.9 billion in the first nine months of 2009, comparable with the same period in 2008. The Group delivered a resilient performance in Europe and continues to show strong momentum in Asia, particularly in China.”

London sales soar 7.5% on weak comps (Drapers)
“Retail sales in London rose 7.5% on a like-for-like basis during September compared with the same month a year ago, when sales dropped 0.2% as the banking crisis took hold.”

Interstoff Asia sees growth in eco fabrics (Ecotextile News)
“Buyers from some of the world’s leading apparel brands such as Adidas, Burberry, Christian Dior, Columbia, Diesel, Esprit, Gap, H&M and Levi Strauss were among those discovering the latest eco-fashion and functional fabrics at last week’s Interstoff Asia Essential exhibition.”

Gulf investor plans to diversify Lacroix business (Reuters)
“Gulf investor Hassan bin Ali al-Nuaimi, a nephew of the ruler of Ajman, said on Monday he would diversify the Christian Lacroix brand into the leisure sector if his bid for the troubled French fashion house is successful.”

Exploring Avedon’s impact on fashion photography (Detroit Free Press)
“Working within the factory of the fashion industry, most notably for Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue, Avedon invented fashion photography as we know it.”

International Flags

Multinationalism in Fashion’s Tribes (New York Times)
“On the face of it, the recent G-20 meeting had nothing on Paris Fashion Week. In terms of a concentration of nations and cultures, there are few rivals to this weeklong summit for which the wildly disparate tribes of fashion converge from all corners of the world. By contrast, even New York’s Fashion Week looks like a county fair.”

LVMH, Dior executives upbeat on top brands (Reuters)
“Luxury executives voiced optimism about the outlook for LVMH and Dior at Paris fashion week on Friday, thanks partly to strong growth in Asia.”

Maria Luisa at Printemps (New York Times)
“For two decades, designers have ruled the roost at department stores. But a brand new venture at Printemps is giving authority back to the shopkeepers.”

A Controversial Debut for Lohan in Paris (New York Times)
“When Lindsay Lohan’s controversial appointment as artistic adviser of the French label was announced last month, Mounir Moufarrige, the new chief executive of Ungaro, said his intention was to give the aging brand the equivalent of ‘electric shock treatment.’”

French Connection to close Japan stores (Drapers)
“French Connection is to close its 21 stores in Japan over the next nine months and is looking for a licensee to operate the brand in the Japanese market.”

African Wealth and African Style at a Glamorous Juncture (New York Times)
“Sub-Saharan Africa does not bring to mind an image of a woman with perfectly manicured nails flipping through glossy magazines in search of the latest handbag or celebrity haircut. Yet such women are there, and in far greater numbers than the news media’s portrayal of Africa might suggest.”

Céline Resort 2010 by Annie Leibovitz, Courtesy of American Vogue

Fast-Forward Phoebe (Vogue)
“Phoebe Philo always had an uncanny gift for defining exactly what cool women want to wear. Now she’s back, reinventing Céline for a new era.”

LVMH in a recession: The substance of style (The Economist)
“The world’s biggest luxury-goods group is benefiting from a flight to quality, but the recession is also prompting questions about the company’s breadth and balance.”

Cavalli Says ‘Pessimistic’ Stores Turn Off Consumers (Bloomberg)
“Roberto Cavalli, owner of the eponymous Italian fashion house, said department stores are being negative and pessimistic in the economic downturn and risk turning off customers.”

New Cyclist Styles Pedal Their Way Into Paris (WSJ)
“An upright bike beats a tinted-window sedan for showing off an outfit any day. A new generation of cyclists, influenced by icons such as supermodels Elle Macpherson and Agyness Deyn, have turned biking from a sport into a fashion statement. Cycle Chic, a popular blog whose motto is “style over speed,” snaps photos of urban riders in Paris and Copenhagen.”

Luxury goods seen to thrive in Asia despite crisis (Inquirer)
“According to a MasterCard-commissioned report conducted with the ESSEC Business School in Paris, “The Luxury Industry: Lessons Learnt from Past Crises,” luxury brands should take advantage of the economic slump to evolve and diversify their distribution channels.”

Christian Lacroix

Bidding for Lacroix Fuels Hopes of Survival (WSJ)
“Italy’s Borletti Group, an investment company that owns stakes in Europe’s La Rinascente and Le Printemps department stores, is one of four firms to have submitted bids for Christian Lacroix fashion house, raising hopes that the struggling French brand won’t be closed down.”

LVMH 1H Net Pft -23% On Distributor Destocking (WSJ)
“LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA Monday reported a bigger-than-expected 23% decline in first-half net profit, despite a 0.2% gain in sales, hurt by heavy destocking at its third-party distributors at its wines & spirits and Watches & Jewelry businesses. Still, the Paris-based luxury goods and beverages group predicted it will increase market share in general.”

IT Holding unit signs Galliano fashion licence (Reuters)
“A unit of Italian fashion group IT Holding, currently in special administration, has signed a licence agreement with designer John Galliano to produce and distribute its Galliano menswear and womenswear lines.”

High street revival `unsustainable` (Drapers)
“A leading credit ratings agency has dismissed recent signs of life on the high street as unsustainable, predicting that the downturn may continue through to 2011.”

Site Wins Fashion Fans by Letting Them Design (New York Times)
“The fashion magazines Vogue, InStyle and Lucky may rule the newsstand racks. But online, they are also-rans, overlooked by the fashion-conscious in favor of Polyvore, an upstart Web site far from Fifth Avenue.”

"Love of Pink" perfume ad, courtesy of Lacoste

Luxury marketing plays by a different set of rules (FT)
“The present economic crisis has forced all companies to question their strategies and practices, and this has never been more crucial than for luxury brands and marketing.”

Bernard Arnault: How to manage the transition into quality (FT)
“Bernard Arnault, chairman of Möet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the largest luxury company in the world, does not like the word ‘luxury’. ‘I prefer to think of it as quality,’ he says, a caveat that may seem semantic, but is, in fact, significant: it speaks to the permanent change in the industry that he sees occurring post-recession.”

Jean Paul Gaultier’s Long, Slow Tease (Luxe Chronicles)
“By the looks of things, the fashion and luxury crowds are passionately embracing Web 2.0 as a marketing tool. Hot on the heels of Dior’s The Lady Noir Affaire, French couture’s enfant terrible Jean Paul Gaultier has followed suit with a campaign to celebrate the first anniversary of his Madame fragrance.” Watch the video here.

Britain’s got new fashion talent (Independent)
“The economy may be floundering, but at last week’s graduate shows, creativity flourished. Harriet Walker rounds up the highlights of the student season.”