Aquascutum S/S 09 ad campaign, courtesy of Aquascutum

Aquascutum puts entire workforce into consultation (Drapers)
“Aquascutum has put its entire workforce into consultation, fueling speculation about the future of the luxury heritage brand.”

Italy’s Zegna sees lower profits in 2009 (Reuters)
“Italian luxury men’s suits maker Gruppo Ermenegildo Zegna forecast lower profits this year after a 20 percent drop in net profit excluding an extraordinary item for 2008.”

Bergdorf has to Share (NY Post)
“The luxury mecca on Fifth Avenue — long noted for its exclusive roster of top fashion-spotting talent — will now share a key pair of those execs with Dallas-based owner Neiman Marcus, which operates more than 40 stores across the US.”

Survey Says: Luxury Here to Stay, Topshop & Chanel Unshakable (BlackBook)
“Will the economic downturn wipe out the luxury market for good, or merely sour its sales temporarily?”

Michael Bastian: That Thing He Does (New York Times)
“Mr. Bastian has found surprising success with an agenda so modest it almost seems radical: to give men slimmed-down, spiffed-up versions of the all-American clothes they have long loved.”

A couple of weeks ago in New York I caught up with Elana Posner, President of Peter Som, over lunch. Amongst a flurry of topics, we touched (briefly) upon the gossipy item in WWD on July 6th which leaked the news that Peter was soon to be appointed as the new womenswear designer for Bill Blass, owned by NexCen brands.

What I didn’t know at the time was that Michael Bastian would be designing the men’s collection. So, I was excited to hear the news confirmed today, not only because it could finally be discussed on The Business of Fashion, but also because these are inspired choices made in part by NexCen. What a pleasant surprise! It’s been a good week for Bastian as he was also confirmed as one of the finalists for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund.

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