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.”

Christian Lacroix Autumn/Winter 08/09 | Source: Christian Lacroix

No firm buyer seen for Christian Lacroix fashion house (AFP)
“The outlook for beleaguered French couture house Christian Lacroix looked bleak at the weekend after potential buyers let a deadline pass to deposit cheques ahead of Tuesday’s bankruptcy court hearing.”

Upscale Retailers May Get Lift from High-Income Shoppers (USA Today)
“The holiday shopping season may just prove a little merrier than expected. Investors are betting that upscale shoppers will open their wallets this Christmas season after pinching pennies a year ago.”

Armani, Cavalli Target Online Shoppers to Boost Holiday Sales (Bloomberg)
“Italian fashion houses including Giorgio Armani SpA and Valentino Fashion Group SpA, which have traditionally spurned the Internet, are testing Web stores this holiday season in a quest for new sources of revenue.”

Mariella Burani sees agreement with banks on debt (Reuters)
“Italy’s Mariella Burani Fashion Group expects to reach a broad agreement with banks on its debt by the middle of next month with a formal deal seen by the end of the year, Chief Executive Gabriele Fontanesi said.”

Chinese big spenders have London’s luxury goods in their sights (Times)
“Four years after Britain was granted ‘approved destinations status’ by the Chinese Government, its newly affluent elite has already eclipsed the Americans and is challenging Middle Eastern and Russian tourists for the title of London’s most eager consumers.”

Nick Knight: Techno King (IHT)
“What makes this glossy magazine photo session different is not just that it takes place in a London museum… It’s that there are thousands, maybe millions, of other viewers out there in cyberspace following the live stream, watching the hairdresser flicking Natalia’s Mohawk or sending tweets about her luminous beauty.”

Mariella Burani mulls strategic investor (Reuters)
“Debt-laden Mariella Burani Fashion Group is weighing taking on a strategic investor after it failed to close a debt restucturing accord ahead of a Monday deadline, the luxury goods company said.”

H&M: October sales drop but Jimmy Choo range is a success (Drapers)
“Total sales across the group grew 7% in October compared to the same month the previous year. The results came as H&M opened its doors to its latest designer collaboration, this time with Jimmy Choo which drew crowds across the country this weekend.”

Asos enjoys overseas sales boost (BBC)
“A big push into new international markets has boosted sales at online fashion retailer Asos. International sales grew by 112% in the six months to 30 September. Asos added 56 countries to its reach and now trades in 114 places.”

Iman: The model entrepreneur (CNN)
“One of the most recognized models of the 1970s and ’80s, Iman has used her entrepreneurial skills to great effect in the fashion industry, with her own cosmetics business and in her charitable fund-raising work.”

Brooks Brothers Black Fleece

‘We invented business casual’ (Globe and Mail)
“Still serious about suits, Brooks Brothers owner says storied firm is well-positioned to succeed in an increasingly dressed-down world.”

Burani Shares Halted as Auditor Cites ‘Uncertainties’ on Future (Bloomberg)
Mariella Burani Fashion Group, a licensee for Vivienne Westwood “was halted in Milan trading as the luxury-goods maker’s auditor cited “significant elements of uncertainty” about the business as a going concern after first-half sales fell.”

Star designers return to mark 25 years of London Fashion Week (Guardian)
“LFW has a strong reputation internationally as a launch pad for young talent – but also for being big on ideas but short on professionalism. Editors and buyers looking for commercial collections often skip the event, and London has struggled to keep its place as a world fashion capital.”

Just Williamson (Guardian)
“Adored by celebrities like Sienna Miller and Kate Moss, and creator of the much-copied boho look, Matthew Williamson has gone from teenage prodigy to world-famous designer in the classic rags-to-riches dream.”

The Main Characters of Tennis, and Style (New York Times)
“When Roger Federer unveiled his monogram at Wimbledon in 2006…it might easily have been mistaken for a club’s insignia. And it did in fact proclaim his admission to a club, one with a membership of two: Federer had joined Tiger Woods as the only other Nike athlete to be marketed on the basis of his initials.”