Milan's Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

Russians top Milan’s list of shoppers (IHT)
“Russians are Milan’s largest national group of fashion shoppers, commanding 38 percent of the tax-free pie in 2008, despite their own economic woes back home,” reports IHT.

The GAP Hires Students (Fashionista)
Gap taps RISD students to design cardigans.

Now that the pricing dam has burst (IHT)
“Shopping is becoming a matter of ethics.”

Battling the Downturn: Saks Posts $99M Loss (WWD)
“The pullback in luxury spending, unprecedented markdowns and a sharp slowdown at its iconic New York flagship took a severe toll on Saks Fifth Avenue.” (subscription required)