Michael Kors by Mikael Jansson | Source: Interview

Michael Kors By Lauren Hutton (Interview)
“It’s hard to pinpoint when Michael Kors first became a fashion designer. It might have been the moment when Dawn Mello, then-fashion director at Bergdorf Goodman, stopped by Lothar’s, the boutique on 57th Street where Kors was working as salesman/window dresser/in-house designer after dropping out of the FIT, and told him that if he ever went out on his own, she’d love to take a look at his collection.”

Valentino Boost (Vogue UK)
“Valentino has reported a revenue boost of 24 per cent in the past six months, helping it to return to the black. The Italian label posted first half net profits of €2.6 million euros (£2.28 million), compared with a loss of €7.4 million (£6.50 million) during the same period the year before.”

J.Crew settles investor lawsuits for $16 million (Reuters)
“Investors agreed to a $16 million settlement of lawsuits stemming from the buyout of clothing retailer J.Crew Group Inc by two private equity groups, according to an investor attorney. The settlement is based on an earlier $10 million agreement that collapsed in January, according to Stuart Grant of Grant & Eisenhofer PA, which represents shareholders.

Fashion’s Great Confusion (WSJ)
“If looking fashionable is your goal, you can’t go far wrong this season, even if you don’t give a fig for sartorialism. Why? Well, fashion—the designers, manufacturers, marketers and retailers of clothes, and the stylists, editors, commentators and photographers who bring it all to you—don’t seem to have a clue as to what’s going on. There’s a schizophrenic element to this season’s looks and collections.”

Helmut Lang to Put on Its First Fashion Show Since 2005 (The Cut)
“Nicole and Michael Colovos started as creative directors of Helmut Lang in 2006 after Theory bought the label from Prada, but they never put on a fashion show. This spring they’ll do their first one for the label at New York Fashion Week.”

Michael Kors Spring/Summer 2011 | Source: Michael Kors

Michael Kors sells minority stake in deal that values brand at $2.5B (New York Post)
“The New York fashion label — whose black-clad founder and namesake also moonlights as a tough judge on the “Project Runway” TV reality series — has sold a minority stake to a group of investors in a deal that values the brand at a whopping $2.5 billion.”

Surface to Air Comes to New York (IHT)
“In a sense, the business model of Surface to Air was ahead of its time. In the years since, a number of multitasking companies have developed similar approaches and are perhaps better known than the Paris label. Opening Ceremony, for example, operates a showroom in addition to its stores, and its owners were recently named the new creative directors of Kenzo.”

Nordstrom raises profit, sales outlook (Reuters)
“Upscale retailer Nordstrom Inc raised its full-year profit and same-store sales outlook, and reported a higher-than-expected quarterly profit that was helped by more full-price selling… The department store chain said it now expects fiscal 2011 sales at stores open at least one year to rise 4 percent to 6 percent, up from an earlier range of 2 percent to 4 percent.”

Designer Nicholas Kirkwood talks extreme shoes (LA Times)
“After graduation in 2005, he found work with milliner Philip Treacy. It was there that he noticed a void in the market for truly artistic shoes. ‘There were really exciting things going on in ready-to-wear with Alexander McQueen and Hussein Chalayan, and with hats too,’ he said of the London fashion scene at the time. ‘But the shoes were from a different decade.’”

Fabergé: would you shell out for eggs like these? (Telegraph)
“The South African mining entrepreneur Brian Gilbertson purchased it in 2007, with the ambition to build his company into a global jewellery empire. Fabergé was relaunched with great pomp in 2009. Now it is ready to present its first hatching of eggs since the Tsars.”

Anthropologie on London's Regent Street | Source: Styleguide

Retailtainment: the future of shopping? (Independent)
“An extension of previous high-concept… These concept stores provide the kind of entertainment designed to make you – or at least your children – leave the premises grinning from ear-to-ear as you reel from your experiential day out. This is Retailtainment.”

In Nigeria, ‘Lace’ Market Reflects Rising Middle Class (WSJ)
“No longer reserved for the rich, lace today is on the backs of motorcycle-taxi passengers and nightclub goers, part of Africa’s growing middle class… The Nigerian lace industry also opens a window on broader change in Africa as a whole.”

Tommy Hilfiger to Invest in Michael Kors? (The Cut)
“Michael Kors is looking for a half-billion dollars to fund his brand’s global expansion by selling a 25 percent stake in his company… Tommy Hilfiger is reportedly one of the ‘high net worth’ individuals Morgan Stanley recruited, without much difficulty, to invest in the company.”

Italy’s Ferragamo shines in Milan debut (Reuters)
“Shares of Italian luxury shoemaker Salvatore Ferragamo rose in their first day of trading on Wednesday, defying expectations for a muted debut. The Florence-based maker of shoes… trimmed debut gains to be up 6.17 percent at 9.555 euros.”

A Playful Ambition: An Interview Giles Deacon (Jessica Michault)
“For Deacon, who says he would love to someday work on a project with NASA, the most important thing is to always have fun while he is working. Inspired by his travels throughout the world and his love of nature Deacon is a bit of a free spirit.”

Pretty, posh and profitable (FT)
“Even though Jack Wills is a rapidly expanding global business… you could be forgiven for never having come across it before. [The company targets] teens with money… It prides itself on its stealth marketing and its very direct relationship with its consumers.”

Three decades later, Michael Kors’ shows no signs of slowing down (Globe and Mail)
“Optimism is in the spring air, at least as far as the fashion world is concerned. And few manage to encapsulate the current zeitgeist as well as American designer Michael Kors, who’s currently celebrating three successful decades in the business.”

Puma steps into designer sports-gear market (SF Gate)
“PPR is determined to help Puma get a second wind… Rather than focusing on athletic gear targeted at serious sports enthusiasts, the French company envisions a broader universe of consumer goods and apparel that can evoke the sporting lifestyle without all the sweating.”

Anya Hindmarch bags new chief executive (FT)
“Anya Hindmarch, the upmarket British handbag and accessories company that is expanding amid buoyant consumer demand, will on Monday appoint James McArthur, formerly of Gucci and Harrods, as its new chief executive.”

Gathering Photos of Kate Moss (On the Runway)
“Ms. Moss does indeed occupy a unique if not privileged place in the world of model muses… To say that she has endured is not really saying anything about her particular and maybe ultimately elusive quality.”

Jeremy Renner in Esquire's Augmented Reality Fashion Spread | Source: Esquire

Luxury brands focus on digital retail experience (Marketing)
“Brands and high-end retailers, including House of Fraser and Selfridges, are preparing to launch virtual shopping experiences using cutting-edge digital technologies.”

Google wins EU ruling in fake luxury goods case (AP)
“Google Inc. won a key European Union court ruling Tuesday that says it did not violate luxury goods trademarks by allowing counterfeiters to buy brand names as advertising key words that link to their online stores.”

Saks Plans to Cull Weaker Stores (WSJ)
“Luxury-goods retailer Saks said Tuesday it plans to close two Saks Fifth Avenue stores in Portland, Ore., and is considering closing others that aren’t profitable and have leases expiring.”

Indian fashion for the masses (BBC)
“High Fashion has never been in so much demand in India. A growing section of the population is young, rich and not shy of flaunting their wealth and beauty.”

Health Matters: Weight and Wellness in Fashion (Fashionologie)
“Anna Wintour, Michael Kors, and Natalia Vodianova gathered in Boston to participate in a panel discussion entitled ‘Health Matters: Weight and Wellness in the World of Fashion,’ where they addressed current industry efforts to prevent eating disorders.”