Alexa Chung for New Look Spring 2009 | Source: New Look

New Look joins list of companies scrapping IPOs (Independent)
“The fashion chain New Look yesterday became the third major company in as many days to scrap a planned stock market flotation, blaming the lack of appetite of potential investors.”

Superdry owner SuperGroup plans stock-market flotation (Guardian)
“SuperGroup, the fashion company behind the fast-growing Superdry label, is expected to unveil plans to press ahead with a stock-market flotation today, bucking last week’s trend, in which three big companies abandoned their plans to seek a listing.”

H&M Same-Store Sales Beat Forecasts (WSJ)
“Fashion retailer Hennes & Mauritz AB Monday reported a better-than-expected gain in same-store sales in January, marking the second consecutive monthly increase in sales.”

Fashion industry, struggling with size, realizes age is part of the problem (AP)
“The models auditioning for New York Fashion Week were undeniably thin. But it was only after the fashion industry started worrying about too-skinny models that casting agent James Scully began asking their age.”

The Future of Fashion: Cathy Horyn (Style.com)
“During our conversation… she talked about the critic’s evolving role, her sense that leggings are the enemy of innovation, and her belief that, in design, technique matters now more than ever.”

Taylor Momsen for New Look Spring/Summer 2010 | Source: Nitrolicious

New Look to raise £650m in IPO as it takes on high street old guard (Telegraph)
“New Look aims to raise £650m by returning to the stock market, giving it the funds to repay debt and keep taking business from high street stalwarts Marks & Spencer and Next.”

Valentino Sales Rebound May Signal More Openings, Chief Says (Business Week)
“Retailing revenue rose at a ‘double-digit’ pace in the last two months, Valentino Fashion Group Chief Executive Officer Stefano Sassi said in an interview in Paris. The performance would indicate ‘we can grow more’ this year.”

Uniqlo sales mark first fall in 6 months in January (Reuters)
“Japan’s Fast Retailing said sales at its Uniqlo casual-clothing chain fell 7.2 percent in January, the first year-on-year decline in six months, blaming a shortage of inventory after robust sales the previous month.”

CFDA Chooses 12 Designers for Fashion Incubator (Style List)
“Half-off rent in the Big Apple? Sounds too good to be true, but twelve designers heard the improbable news from the CFDA and New York Economic Development Corporation today.”

The ‘Luxury Prime’: How Luxury Changes People (HBS Working Knowledge)
“Are people who travel in town cars and on corporate jets different—on a psychological level—from you and me? Does the availability of luxury goods “prime” individuals to be less concerned about or considerate toward others? The answer from new research seems to be yes.”

Sonia Rykiel

H&M signs Sonia Rykiel (Drapers)
“Swedish clothing chain H&M has signed French fashion veteran Sonia Rykiel to design a range of lingerie and related accessories to be launched on December 5.”

Job Wanted — and Pay Would Be Nice (New York Times)
“Many of Britain’s most successful brands may be rich in creativity, but they are poor in revenue. So when a collection appears on the catwalk, often those remarkable clothes are created, at least in part, by unpaid interns.”

Fashion chain New Look models idea of flotation (Guardian)
“High street fashion chain New Look is expected to trigger a rush of flotations on the London Stock Exchange after it emerged the private equity-owned retailer has held talks over a possible £1.7bn listing before the end of the year.”

When artists meet designers (FT)
“When Zac Posen was asked why New York artist Rosson Crow was interested in collaborating on his recent spring/summer 2010 collection, the designer observed: ‘Throughout history fine artists have been funded by the greatest luxury brand of them all: Christianity.’ Why, he asked, in today’s more secular climate, should anyone be surprised they have simply moved on from a religious brand to fashion brands?”

The role of the muse in fashion (FT)
“What is a fashion muse? An amazing meteor that holds the eye and seduces for a second before vanishing? Or something more? Thanks to the cult of celebrity, we have become confused between names we know,such as Victoria Beckham, Kate Moss and Yasmin Le Bon, and the real muses of the fashion pantheon. Behind every great creator there is a muse in the shadows, but they have never been given the attention they deserve.”

Roberto Cavalli, courtesy of H&M

Cavalli agrees to sell 30 percent to Clessidra (Reuters)
“Italian designer Roberto Cavalli has signed a letter of intent with Italian investment fund Clessidra to sell 30 percent of his fashion house.”

New Look EBITDA soars 10 percent (Drapers)
“Total group sales in the year to March 28, grew by 14.9 percent to £1.32 billion and EBITDA rose 10.2 percent to £217.6 million.”

What Is Sugar, Inc. and Why Is It Worth $31M in VC Funding? (Fast Company)
“Sequoia Capital announced yesterday that it will give a third round of cash to a quick-growing media network, Sugar Inc., bringing the Valley-based company’s total VC purse to $31 million.”

Gucci, Richemont Seek $4 Million Sanction Against Bank of China (Bloomberg)
“Gucci, along with Chloe SAS and Alfred Dunhill Ltd, a unit of Cie. Financiere Richemont SA, said in court papers filed last night that Bank of China has refused to surrender records of companies against whom they won a $4.3 million judgment in a fashion-counterfeiting case.”

Donatella Versace and Giancarlo Di Risio, courtesy of the Wall Street Journal

Bucked by Designer, Versace CEO Eyes Exit (WSJ)
“Gianni Versace SpA Chief Executive Giancarlo Di Risio is expected to resign, a person familiar with the matter said, after months of clashes with lead designer Donatella Versace over how to cut costs at the Italian fashion house.”

Lanvin Posts Profit, Sales Gain 29 Percent (WWD)
“Lanvin, fueled by the creativity of Alber Elbaz, can face the economic crisis “in a healthy way,” said executive vice president Thierry Andretta.” (Subscription required)

Business Journals to relaunch Portfolio.com (BizJournals.com)
“Portfolio.com will migrate to a new home as part of Charlotte-based American City Business Journals Inc.’s bizjournals, effective in July.”

Management rejig at New Look + video of first TV ad (Drapers)
“New Look has promoted Will Kernan to group managing director (owned stores), overseeing its entire network of company-owned stores.” (click here to view the ad)