Zimmerman and Jovanovic for Gucci A/W 2010 | Source: Fashion and Runway

Why fashion has fallen out of love with its A-list clotheshorses (Independent)
“This time around, the women chosen… are united by their anonymity outside of [fashion]… prompting many insiders to wonder: is fashion’s long-running love affair with celebrity finally over?”

American Apparel Shares Plunge as Auditor Steps Aside (WSJ)
“American Apparel shares plunged as much as 25% Thursday after the retailer said accounting firm Deloitte & Touche resigned as its auditor, the latest blow for the cash-strapped company.”

PPR First-Half Profit Rises 87 percent (Bloomberg)
“PPR, the owner of Gucci and the Fnac retail chain, said first-half profit surged 87 percent, led by renewed demand for clothing and accessories.”

Italy’s Bulgari posts modest 2Q profit (Bloomberg)
“The Italian jeweler Bulgari returned to a modest profit in the second quarter as sales of jewelery in all categories except watches picked up.”

Burani Arrests (Vogue.com)
“Walter Burani and his son Giovanni… have been arrested for alleged fraudulent bankruptcy. Giovanni, the company’s former ceo has been sent to Milan’s San Vittore prison while Walter has been granted house arrest.”

Gap Spring/Summer 2010 | Source: Gap

Gap targets Milan and China as it kickstarts its plans for global expansion (FT)
“Gap, the American casual clothing retailer, plans to open a store in Milan, the home of Italian high fashion, later this year, in a further sign of its growing confidence after a multi-year slump.”

Mariella Burani Fashion Group Will Be Dissolved (Bloomberg)
“Mariella Burani Fashion Group, which makes Vivienne Westwood products under license, said it will be ‘dissolved’ after its parent company was declared bankrupt earlier this month.”

Sweden’s Conceptual Fashion (WSJ)
“Over the past decade, a host of conceptual Swedish ready-to-wear labels have spread around the globe. Driven by the image of the brand rather than by an actual designer or dominant aesthetic… Swedes themselves have taken to calling the phenomenon ‘Det svenska modeundret’—the Swedish fashion wonder.”

Italy Deserves More Than a Long Weekend (IHT)
“In a country where workmanship is still done on home territory and brands remain in family ownership, a proud heritage is being outpaced by the speed of ‘fast fashion.’ Milan has become the sprint of the seasonal show marathon: in and out.”

Fashion royalty mourn fashion designer Alexander McQueen (Telegraph)
“Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Stella McCartney, Sam Taylor-Wood and Daphne Guinness were among the black-clad mourners to arrive at St Paul’s Church in Knightbridge, west London, to celebrate the life of the man who, his friends said, made ‘all he touched beautiful’.”

Boucheron Cameleon Ring | Source: Boucheron

PPR to take 2-3 years to sell retail businesses (Reuters)
“PPR said it could take up to three years to sell its Fnac, Conforama and La Redoute retail businesses, which is part of its strategy to refocus on its luxury, lifestyle and sportswear activities.”

Streaming is the new Blogging (Telegraph)
“Blogging? It’s so last week. Right now, ‘live’ streaming of catwalk shows is steaming! In fact, it’s getting so hot it’s raising the temperature in cyberspace and models are going to have to be called ‘supernovas’, there’s so many of them rattling around up there above the Earth.”

Burani acknowledges resignation of chairman (Reuters)
“The chairman of Italy’s Mariella Burani Fashion Group has resigned, the company said on Wednesday, as the fashion group seeks protection from its creditors.”

The New Luxury (Brand Packaging)
“A clever story is not always enough for today’s consumers. Often, they’re most-concerned about a product’s environmental impact. Yes, high-end brands see the environment and social consciousness as purchase-drivers.”

The Return Of Confidence (WSJ)
“After a difficult year, designers re-embrace their core visions. The shows of Ralph Lauren, Proenza Schouler, Isaac Mizrahi and Calvin Klein.”

Zac Posen Backstage | Source: NY Times

The Trials of a Former Boy Wonder (NY Times)
“There was a time when brashness was a refreshing change in New York fashion, which had been dominated by a handful of aging mega-brands until Mr. Posen planted his flag in the biggest, most expensive tent in Bryant Park. But his extravagant success came so quickly…  that his setbacks echo all the more loudly.”

Polo Ralph Lauren profit rises as it warns of Asia hit (Market Watch)
“Polo Ralph Lauren Corp. reported a better-than-expected 5.5% increase in its fiscal third quarter profit… still investors looked beyond that to focus on what the company’s investment in Asia would mean for its fourth-quarter profit.”

Prosecutors Ask Insolvency For Burani Holder (WSJ)
“Troubled Italian apparel maker Mariella Burani Fashion Group SpA faced a new challenge Monday as prosecutors in Milan asked for insolvency proceedings to begin for one of its key shareholders.”

W Hotels to Name a Fashion Director (WSJ)
“Putting a new spin on the term “designer hotel,” boutique chain W Hotels is hiring a fashion director to amp up its style credentials and its profile within the fashion industry.”

TV’s baddest boss is back (CNN)
“Despite its moniker, reality television has rarely been intended to give you the real story. It deals in characters (sometimes caricatures) and is usually edited to prove a point. In the case of Kelly Cutrone, however, what you see is what you get.”

Sir Stuart Rose | Source: Guardian

Rose: no growth for retail in 2010 (Independent)
“Sir Stuart Rose has said that the UK retail market will not grow this year, as uncertainty over how the next government will tackle the public deficit hangs over consumer spending.”

Burani Seeks New Adviser to Help Rescue Fashion Group (Bloomberg)
“Burani, which makes clothes under license for Vivienne Westwood, on Jan. 3 said Mediobanca withdrew as an adviser, citing Burani’s failure to set up a 50 million-euro ($72 million) escrow account. It said the same day that Burani is seeking to guarantee ‘ongoing operations.’”

The Influence Of Fashion Bloggers On Retail (PSFK)
“It’s part of this reason that fashion bloggers have begun to take the reigns from traditional media in the fashion industry. While to those inside the new media zeitgeist view this is old news, many inside both the retail and advertising world have been scrabbling to capitalize on Internet fame.”

Zara releases a pointless iPhone app (Econsultancy)
“Fashion retailer Zara released an iPhone app recently, which falls well short of what a retailer could achieve with an iPhone app, in terms of promoting products and providing useful information for users.”

Spain’s Breakout Talent (IHT)
“On first meeting, Josep Font does not seem the sort of designer who would be especially fond of lace-trimmed collars and velvet bows. But Mr. Font’s spirit — nourished by Spanish folk verse and nostalgic Charles Trenet songs — is clearly romantic.”