Chloe Raises the Roof at the Tuileries Tent in Paris | Photo: BoF

LONDON, United Kingdom — It was a fashion season of extreme weather. After the New York Fashion Week schedule was upended, first by an earthquake and then by the State of Emergency declaration that came courtesy of Hurricane Irene, an unprecedented heat wave in Paris threw buyers, editors and bloggers into a wardrobe tailspin.

The American editors were worst off, having packed for the European shows two weeks before Paris with no prior notice of the heat wave that was to come. After a few days of shows in impossibly hot venues, some of them resorted to ripping the sleeves off their outfits or just wearing their ‘airplane clothes.’

Brands tried to ease the pain. Fans were distributed at shows alongside champagne and much to everyone’s relief, Chloe arranged for the roof of the Tuileries tent to be removed for their show, letting in the sun and much welcome breeze. Meanwhile Net-a-Porter, always on top of a new market opportunity, delivered heat wave friendly clothes to editors caught without weather-appropriate attire.

But of course the real action was on the runway and in conversations between BoF and the good and the great of the global fashion tribe at a season filled with its fair share of events and parties.

Without further ado, it’s time to look back at Spring/Summer 2012, the season that was.

1. FASHION’S ENDLESS PLAYGROUND

Louis Vuitton Carrousel | Photo: BoF

At the opening of Marc Jacobs’ stunning show for Louis Vuitton on the last day of Paris Fashion Week, a large circular curtain was lifted to unveil models in dresses as light as feathers, perched coquettishly on white horses that sat atop a highly stylised carrousel. Those assembled gasped with audible pleasure and then erupted into spontaneous applause. But more than a visual delight alone, Mr. Jacobs’ magical set was a clear metaphor for an industry in constant motion, with its endless cycle of fashion shows, not to mention the musical chairs of creative directors moving from house to house.

This was the defining moment of the Spring/Summer 2012 collections, a season during which rumours continued to engulf Mr. Jacobs and other designers at the helm of major fashion houses, including Stefano Pilati, who seems safe — for now.

For others, the news was not so good. Immediately following the Vionnet show, it was announced that Rodolfo Paglialunga had been replaced. And just before Paris Fashion Week, Ungaro announced that the house and Giles Deacon had mutually agreed to part ways. Deacon was Ungaro’s fifth creative director in as many years and The Wall Street Journal reported at the end of September that Ungaro chief executive Jeffry Aronsson believes that “in-house talent can mine Ungaro’s heritage—bright colours, silk prints and sexy draped dresses—better than a high-profile designer from outside.”

But while some brands were severing ties with their creative directors, others were debuting new ones. Olivier Rousteing took the bow at the end of the Balmain show. There were also debuts from former Pringle designer Claire Waight Keller at Chloe and Manish Arora at Paco Rabanne — and, of course, the torrent of industry speculation about Galliano’s soon-to-be-announced replacement at Christian Dior.

2. BUZZ, EDGE AND SPORT COUTURE IN NEW YORK

Altuzarra prints and backpack detail | Photo: BoF

But fashion month begins in New York, which boasts more than 250 shows in a span of eight days, making it by far the busiest and buzziest fashion week of all. As one editor put it to me, “In New York we are great at picking up the leaves and throwing them up in the air and saying, ’It’s Fashion Week!’”

The unofficial kick-off for the Spring/Summer collections happens a couple of days into NY fashion week, with Fashion’s Night Out. Spearheaded by American Vogue, with individual events in almost every retail establishment across the city, it is a format that has been exported around the world. But though it has become a global phenomenon, the return on investment for brands and retailers remains in question. Most designers and retailers said it simply wasn’t worth the expenditure of time and resources, especially at one of the busiest moments in the fashion calendar. Barneys effectively sat this round out, eschewing the kind of elaborate in-store entertainment favoured by other retailers and issuing a statement that they were refocusing all efforts “on the shopping experience” and would donate ten percent of their Fashion’s Night Out sales to a fund for the National September 11 Memorial and Museum.

And with that, the New York shows were on and we entered a weekend of vibrant prints, inspired by places all around the world. It was a colourful vibe that New York designers seemed to have caught from London. But they gave it their own unique, New York spin with mesh fabrics and athletic details, making “sport couture” the buzzword on the lips of editors and buyers everywhere, from Joseph Altuzarra and Rag & Bone, to Alexander Wang, who has made athletic-inspired fashion part of his brand’s identity.

The week’s highlights came from power design duos Proenza Schouler and Rodarte, whose shows are now, deservedly, two of the most anticipated shows of New York Fashion Week. And both Jason Wu and Prabal Gurung took edgy steps forward from the red carpet and ladylike fare of their previous collections. These are some of the names amongst a healthy crop of promising young designers working in New York at the moment, pushing the boundaries of American fashion.

3. LONDON’S SHINING MOMENT

Giles Deacon swan hat, by Stephen Jones | Photo: BoF

It’s a shame that conflict over the global fashion calendar is putting London Fashion Week under threat just as the event really seems to be hitting its stride. This season, fashion stars in London shone brighter than ever, benefitting from the pulsating creativity of designers and digital print artists, who are largely based in the East London neighbourhoods of Hackney, Shoreditch and Dalston.

Of course, previous generations of young London designers were also praised for their creativity, but they were never able to translate this into commercial success. Garments were of poor quality and deliveries were often late. But that seems to be changing now. Indeed, Natalie Massenet, founder of Net-a-Porter told the Financial Times that “if people have been paying attention, they will see there is a new crop of extraordinary talent, which is young and dynamic and have learnt commercialism is not a dirty word.”

Bergdorf Goodman’s Linda Fargo told Suzy Menkes that although she was primarily in town to see Burberry and Tom Ford, it was the young talents who really excited her. “My camera is going and my notepad’s flying,” she said. “Between the prints and the quality, I am blown away.”

Not really ‘emerging’ designers anymore, Christopher Kane, Peter Pilotto, Jonathan Saunders, Giles Deacon and Erdem Moralioglu all put on very strong shows. Mary Katrantzou and Michael van der Ham both pushed their signature techniques forward. And the two new names in London that everyone was watching were JW Anderson (who put on both mens and womens shows within a span of five days) and Thomas Tait, a name familiar to long time readers of BoF. Cathy Horyn of The New York Times said Tait’s clothes were “imaginative and inspiring” — high praise from one of fashion’s most respected critics.

But will London’s recent successes be hijacked by the current scheduling complications? And if a sensible resolution isn’t found, will editors really choose to see independent designers in London over major advertisers in Milan? Watch this space.

4. THE RISE OF FASHION DIPLOMACY

Tods Light Installation at Italian Ambassador's residence in Paris | Photo: BoF

With all the bickering and back-and-forth between the fashion capitals, it somehow seems appropriate that national ambassadors, much better versed in the ins and outs of international diplomacy, are using their muscle to support young designers, senior editors, and famous national brands.

In Paris, the Italian ambassador invited the fashion glitterati to a special event for Tod’s, at which Chairman Diego Della Valle was present, to celebrate the launch of the brand’s Signature collection. Sir Peter Westmacott, the British ambassador to France, along with the prime minister’s wife Samantha Cameron, continued to show their support for London-based designers — Nicholas Kirkwood, Erdem Moralioglu, Roland Mouret, Antonio Berardi, Jonathan Saunders and Katie Hillier, to name a few — with a lavish event at the ambassador’s residence. And, Glenda Bailey was hosted by the American ambassador to France for a celebration of her book commemorating her ten year tenure at Harpers Bazaar USA.

5. MOUZAT AND MENKES GO VIRAL

Mark Holgate and Anna Wintour of American Vogue at Burberry Spring/Summer 2012 show | Photo: BoF

Fashion editors from two important newspapers flexed their editorial muscle this season, creating ripples throughout the fashion industry.

The season’s first viral moment came courtesy of Virginie Mouzat, fashion editor of Le Figaro, one of France’s most respected daily newspapers. Though her name is not widely known outside elite fashion circles, Mouzat’s scathing critique of Tom Ford’s private London presentation had everyone talking, even if only a select few were there to witness what Mouzat described as “a nightmare.”

When an English translation of Mouzat’s article was emailed from the American Vogue office in Paris to its senior editors in London and New York, it wasn’t long before the email was circulating throughout the global Conde Nast empire and, indeed, throughout the industry. Incredible chains of emails — from one front row name to the next, from one senior magazine editor to another, from one global brand executive to his colleagues — was a lesson in how closely tied this industry really is. Ms. Mouzat had clearly struck a chord amongst the fashion establishment, for whom email, not Twitter, is still the most powerful viral tool.

Suzy Menkes, fashion editor of the IHT, set off her own viral frenzy, this time on Twitter, with the assistance of her colleague Jessica Michault. In her review of Raf Simons’ collection for Jil Sander in Milan, Ms. Menkes suggested that Mr. Simons was in talks to take over from Stefano Pilati at Yves Saint Laurent. When Michault tweeted the breaking news, which coincided with the Aquilano Rimondi show in Milan, attendees were reportedly glued to their iPhones and Blackberries, while debate quickly broke out across the social web about whether Suzy Menkes was actually saying Simons was going to YSL.

The next day, Yves Saint Laurent quelled the rumours in an official statement, which while firm, still seems to leave open the possibility that Mr. Simons, or someone else, could indeed design for YSLin the not-too-distant future. Will Suzy Menkes still be proven right? Time will tell.

6. PRE-TAIL GAINS MOMENTUM, BUT FACES OPERATIONAL ROADBLOCKS

Edgy Glamour at Jason Wu Spring/Summer 2012 | Photo: BoF

When Aslaug Magnusdottir and Lauren Santo Domingo launched their “pre-tail” start-up Moda Operandi (MO) last season, they must have known that the model would generate copycats, just as Gilt Groupe (itself inspired by Vente Privee) and Groupon were copied by hundreds of other similar businesses.

But as it turns out, Moda Operandi’s fast followers have not been other startups. Rather, it’s major media and retail brands who got into the pre-ordering game this season. Online industry bible Style.com debuted an “Instant Get” program for one-off products from six New York-based designers and venerable New York luxury retailer Bergdorf Goodman partnered with Jason Wu to offer pre-orders on selected items from his Spring/Summer 2012 collection. Sister company Neiman Marcus posted an exclusive pre-ordering opportunity for Donna Karan’s Spring 2012 collection, along with an interview between fashion director Ken Downing and Ms. Karan herself.

But fresh with a $10 million capital injection from New Enterprise Associates, a venture capital firm, the MO team had big plans of their own, announcing a partnership with Vogue.com just in time for fashion week, which directly linked the latest runway images to MO’s pre-order platform.

“We’ve experienced a steady rate of growth since our launch in February,” said Ms. Magnusdottir at the end of New York Fashion Week, “but the collaboration with Vogue has accelerated the rate of growth of both member acquisition and sales.” Indeed, Magnusdottir said that membership is expected to grow from 15,000 just after launch, a customer base built primarily on the personal networks of the founders, to an expected 100,000 members by the end of the year, driven by affiliations with Vogue.com and GOOP, the online media brand of Gwyneth Paltrow.

But despite the clear momentum, the model still faces a major roadblock that is out of the control of pre-tail players like MO: inefficiency in the fashion supply chain. As it stands, consumers still have to wait four to five months to receive most pre-ordered products. If pre-ordering is really going to provide instant gratification to consumers who are interested in buying from the runway, brands and retailers will ultimately need to deliver products more quickly than this. Burberry delivers its pre-ordered products within eight weeks, and Style.com’s ‘Instant Get’ products were due to be available within a few days of the 31 October launch.

Indeed, the broad success of the pre-ordering model rests on the ability of designers to compress delivery lead times. In response to this suggestion, Ms. Magnusdottir said she expected that supply chains would eventually be compressed over time, enabling MO to better match demand with product delivery.

Based on this season’s pre-commerce momentum, it can’t be long before other major fashion e-commerce players such as Net-a-Porter and Shopbop get in on the pre-ordering game. If the industry manages to sort out its supply chain issues, better aligning the operations and media cycles by delivering goods closer to the peak of consumer interest, could pre-commerce eventually just become plain old e-commerce?

Imran Amed is founder and editor-in-chief of The Business of Fashion

Steven Kolb | Photo: Carly Otness/BFAnyc.com

PARIS, France — The fashion world is in a tizzy. Ever since the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI) laid down the gauntlet, scheduling next autumn’s Milan Fashion Week from September 19th to 24th, a massive rift has emerged amongst the fashion fraternity.

New York Fashion Week, organised by the Council for Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), is scheduled to start on the 13th of September and conclude on the 20th. London Fashion Week, organised by the British Fashion Council (BFC), is supposed to run from the 21st to the 24th. But based on the dates currently being proposed for Milan Fashion Week, which the CNMI insist were communicated back in 2010, Milan would not only conflict with the end of New York Fashion Week, but completely overlap with London. Paris Fashion Week, organised by the Fédération française de la Couture, du Prêt à Porter des Couturiers et des Créateurs de Mode (known informally as the Chambre Syndicale), would follow Milan, and begin on the 25th. In short, it’s a jumble of acronyms and national organisations trying to oversee what is effectively a fashion month for a global industry.

In response to this serious scheduling problem, Jonathan Newhouse, Chairman of Condé Nast International issued a statement: “We at Condé Nast do not want the schedule to be changed. We very much oppose moving the Milan shows earlier so that they overlap or conflict with the London fashion shows — or with the New York fashion shows or those of any market,” he said, adding that various international editors of Vogue would not attend a Milan Fashion Week that conflicted with its counterparts. Milan has not budged on the 2012 dates, but they have proposed to discuss the 2013 dates.

Contrast this dispute with my surroundings as I sat down for tea with Steven Kolb, chief executive of the CFDA, on a park bench in Paris’ Palais-Royal, surrounded by stores from fashion brands from all over the world. It was clear proof of the global nature of our industry, as CFDA President Diane von Furstenberg articulated a few days ago in an open letter to the fashion community. “We share the same goals as Milan, Paris, and London,” she wrote. In other words, pitting fashion weeks against each other is like the fashion industry feeding upon itself.

Mr. Kolb was in town for “Americans in Paris,” inspired by the British Fashion Council’s “London Showrooms” concept, a perfect example of how fashion weeks can learn from each other. It’s the latest in a slew of CFDA initiatives designed to support America’s burgeoning young fashion talents, including Prabal Gurung (Nepali), Sophie Theallet (French) and Simon Spurr (British), all of whom came to America from other countries. It’s an international fashion world after all.

I met with Mr. Kolb while all this fashion week in-fighting was only just simmering, and had yet to reach boiling point. But nonetheless, it became an important part of our conversation, along with the future of fashion week more generally and the prospects for young fashion designers in America.

BoF: I’d be remiss if I didn’t ask you first about the ongoing hubbub around fashion week scheduling. What is the status of the discussions with other fashion weeks, and what do you think the resolution will be?

SK: No one agreed to a short term [agreement], why would we? Since we negotiated the second Thursday start, the idea was to get it as far away from Labour day as possible. 2012 is the first year that we actually benefited from [NYFW] not being the Thursday after Labour day, but the following Thursday.

So, we are pretty clear on that. I know that the Brits are really clear on that. I feel that 20 years ago, Milan and Europe could really dictate and New York had to follow, but I feel like it’s time for us to stake what’s important to us. We have enough strength; we have a strong market; we have a lot of really talented designers. Milan might be surprised where editors and buyers decide to go.

BoF: Why?

SK: I think a lot of them would go to London and New York over Milan. I think every city has it’s own creativity, it’s own innovation, it’s own family of designers, but I think that London has invested a lot of energy into fashion week and put a lot of effort into promoting something interesting. I think London and New York are very similar in their approach to supporting the industry and particularly young designers.

Fashion is global and we can’t just plan within our borders. We hope we can all look at it as a fashion season and not individual fashion weeks. Diane and I have been working on [resolving] the conflict and want everyone to win. I can only believe there will be a solution.

BoF: You have taken a leaf out of London’s book and brought ten American designers here to Paris this week. Tell me about what prompted you to come here.

SK: We patterned this whole thing after the London Showrooms. The British Fashion Council is always coming up with new partners and new ways to support young talent and I think we’ve done a similar job of that in New York. It creates a lot of excitement around fashion week.

BoF: You spoke just now about supporting young designers. Everyone throws that phrase around a lot in the industry. In your view what is the single biggest challenge that a designer in New York City faces today? And how is the CFDA playing a part in helping them to address that challenge?

SK: I think you’re right. I do think it gets thrown around a lot and a lot of it is just marketing hype. There is an overabundance of ideas and programmes that are supporting young talent. But with CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund, there is a lot we do publicly [and] there is a lot that we don’t do publicly. You look at someone like Tommy [Hilfiger] — and who’s working with Tommy? Peter Som. That’s not accidental; that’s the Fashion Fund watching out for those designers. A lot of it is individualised, so I know just from the Fashion Fund that everyone has a very specific niche of what they need help with.

The one thing people say mostly, whether they are an emerging designer or not, is that they need an investor, they need money, they need capital. And so whether that’s private equity that actually invests in the company, or consulting work, or a capsule collection at Target — whatever it is, people want money, cash flow, and I think there are a lot of ways to make that happen, but that seems to be a big challenge.

BoF: I think it’s so great to see these designers here in Paris, as one of the impressions that I think people have about designers in New York is that they lack creativity. Why do you think that perception exists?

SK: New York has always been the commercial market. A funny thing happened [here in Paris]. Diane [von Furstenberg] and I were having lunch and we were shopping and there was this shop, and in the shop she saw these really fabulous little display ladders, and this beautiful metal chair, and she went in, and there was this French woman in there. Diane said, ‘I love this, where did you get it?’ and the woman said, ‘Well I made them myself.’ Diane said, ‘I love them, can I buy them?’ and the woman said, ‘No, I can’t sell them, I wouldn’t want anyone to have them as they are my personal pleasure. Plus, I know who you are and if you put them in your store everyone will know me.’ Diane said, if we were in the States she would have taken an order for a 1000 of those.

I think New York has always been about selling. But I think that has changed a lot, probably in the last twenty years. I think switching the New York shows from October to the front of the cycle was part of that shift — being first and not necessarily following ideas or trends and really being creative.

The American market was always about the brand. It was never about the designer — and you look at people like Bill Blass, who really started to step out from the backroom and become more upfront. Then you have Calvin, Donna and Ralph and it just continued. In the States, we are very entrepreneurial.

There are 250 shows on the calendar. Anybody can show that has an idea. I think that programs like the Fashion Fund and incubator and the relationships that the buyers or the editors have developed with designers encourages that creativity. Whether you’re an artist or a designer, to make something and not be able to let it go? What’s the point?

BoF: Couldn’t you also argue that you are diluting the week, because, frankly there is a lot of stuff that might not merit that kind of attention? Perhaps having a more curated week — like in London, like in Milan, like in Paris — where an organisation, whether it’s the CFDA or someone else, could play a role in upholding certain standards?

SK: We’ve been talking about that. The calendar is a challenge because we have that number of shows. You’ve got a show back to back with the designers, model call times, production, all of that. That is a big behind the scenes challenge.

But who is the voice of God? Who’s to say that the CFDA or some committee with an opinion should decide who has more talent than somebody else. I think there is a dog eat dog competitiveness that exists.

BoF: In a way it’s a quintessentially American approach. Let the market decide.

SK: Yes, I do believe that. We even talk about the fashion calendar, which frankly is a gated system. We’ve been looking at how you create a back-end system that PRs and designers can use as we do the puzzle of who goes where in the calendar. Then as you look at that, do we give priority to CFDA members? I just don’t think there is anything that can be done fairly. I think it’s just, let the market decide. I think you said it exactly the way it is.

We had a meeting, the summer before last, about the state of fashion week. Everybody has an opinion. I say to people ‘If you can figure it out, I am happy to make it happen. I’m good at executing things.’

BoF: The other issue with the show calendar is the timing of shows versus the timing of arrival of clothes. Everyone seems to have a point of view on it. Do you think a) there is a solution that’s out there? And b) given all the politics between the different fashion capitals, could anyone actually make a decision that would change the system?

SK: I think it takes someone brave like Helmut Lang and Calvin Klein when they switched over to September. I think it takes someone of that stature at this point [who] would be brave enough to do it. I think you can’t look at the shows alone, because a lot of the bigger designers are doing monthly deliveries anyway. The show has really turned into something less about a collection.

BoF: But the lag is still there. Whether the consumer sees the pre-collection images or the main collection, the clothes are still not available for four to five months. The big concern is the supply chain — you also need to be able to compress the supply chain. One suggestion Natalie Massenet made was to skip a season. Instead of doing shows, designers could do small private presentations for the industry, then you do the show when the clothes are actually ready.

SK: So it’s about skipping a season and maybe that’s a nice vacation break for people, but I think that it’s logistically complicated. I don’t know, it could happen one day. It requires someone big enough and powerful enough and influential enough to make that statement.

CEO Talk is BoF’s forum for in-depth discussions with the fashion industry’s global decision makers, conducted by BoF founder and editor-in-chief, Imran Amed.

Alexander Wang and gang | Source: 21-7magazine

Women of Wang (New York Magazine)
“He’s built an approximately $25 million business on cool but benign day-into-night clothes for lithe, pragmatic downtown girls who all appear to work in galleries or PR… anything vaguely “creative.” Wang synthesized the street-style-blog-derived notion of looking like a “model off duty,” a louche fantasy of effortlessly sexy living if ever there was one.”

Reed Krakoff Names Valérie Hermann President and CEO (Fashion etc)
“[Valérie Hermann] has been named president and chief executive officer at Reed Krakoff… ‘The possibility of building a new international luxury brand with such tremendous potential comes very rarely,’ she said, ‘and I’m excited about this logical new step in my career.’”

Nordstrom to acquire HauteLook (FT)
“Nordstrom, the upmarket US fashion department store chain, is acquiring HauteLook, one of a new generation of online ‘flash sale’ marketplace sites, in a deal reflecting the merger of digital and ‘bricks and mortar’ stores. The retailer is buying HauteLook… for $180m in stock, with the possibility of the cost rising to $270m.”

CNN Is Back to Covering Fashion (NY Times)
“‘There is room for fashion in our coverage,’ Ms. Cho said… ‘Our viewers crave hard news. They want the headlines about Egypt. But we shouldn’t discount the fact there are other topics we can cover, and I don’t think it makes me any less of a journalist to cover fashion… Designers are thrilled to have CNN looking at them again.’”

Tech Pushes Tradition Into the 21st Century (NY TImes)
“Today the most audacious prints and jacquards are created by computers. Alexander McQueen used the technology for his dramatic ‘Plato’s Atlantis’ show in October 2009, and in his final collection of medieval-inspired jacquards… And during New York Fashion Week, many designers, including Narciso Rodriguez and Joseph Altuzarra, used computerized prints.”

François-Henri Pinault | Source: Coolspotters

PPR Chief to Run Gucci Himself (NY Times)
“The French luxury magnate François-Henri Pinault said… he would personally take charge of Gucci Group as he reorganizes its parent company to focus on the most profitable businesses. Robert Polet, who has headed Gucci since 2004, will be stepping down in a few weeks… Mr. Pinault also said Paul Deneve would replace Valérie Hermann as chief executive of Yves Saint Laurent.”

At Marc Jacobs, the Show Before the Show (NY Times)
“‘Sometimes, I don’t know how we got from there to here,’ Mr. Duffy said, referring to the early days of his 27-year partnership with Mr. Jacobs, when the two of them constructed sets themselves and went around ‘with a tin cup’ to friends. ‘Nobody has any idea what it takes to do all this,’ he added.”

Hermès Wants LVMH to Cut Stake to Free Up Shares in the Market (Bloomberg)
“Hermès wants LVMH to reduce its stake by more than half to free up shares on the open market… With the family controlling more than 70 percent of Hermès stock, ‘it’s not normal’ that LVMH Chief Executive Officer Bernard Arnault should hold 20.2 percent of the shares, Bertrand Puech said in an interview in Paris yesterday. ‘We want him to reduce his stake to less than 10 percent.’”

Cinderella Dreams, Shoestring Budget? No Problem (WSJ)
“If consumers can rent a movie by mail, or wheels on a whim, why not a couture gown should the occasion strike? That’s the concept behind Rent the Runway, a website launched in November 2009 that promises to give ‘every woman the opportunity to be Cinderella for the night’.”

Cast Your Vote for Calgary (NY Times)
“Imran Amed, the founder and editor of the popular Web site The Business of Fashion, has teamed with the renowned British leather craftsman Bill Amberg to create a new line of unisex totes designed with the globetrotting fashion follower in mind.”

L-R Donna Karan, Marc Jacobs, Theyskens’ Theory | Source: Style.com

On the Straight and Narrow (IHT)
“It is back to the straight and narrow in New York Fashion Week. No more loose and sloppy casual clothes, easy sportswear or girlish frills. Women — grown-up women — are being asked to smarten up.”

Who Buys These Clothes? They Do (WSJ)
“Many of the runway styles are actually purchased by a small group of customers, not all of them from the isle of Manhattan. And unlike celebrities and socialites, who often get designer clothes at no charge in exchange for publicity, these customers pay full price.”

Puma feels pinch of higher wage, commodity costs (Reuters)
“German sportswear maker Puma joined rivals Adidas and Nike in warning of price rises for its products as a result of rising commodity and wage costs… the rising costs meant net profit would not grow as fast as sales in 2011, and margins would be lower.”

Sally Singer Talks T (WWD)
“‘For me, it’s what I want from The New York Times on a weekend… I want a good, sexy, neurotic story about New York literary life in the Seventies. I want the New York Review of Book parties. I want a little Farrar, Strauss and Giroux. You have that literary dream of New York.’”

Anna Wintour talks exclusively to Telegraph TV (Telegraph)
“Anna Wintour… talks about Alexander McQueen’s legacy and her favourites memories of his shows. She expalins why Rodarte, the avant-garde American label has the potential to be another ‘McQueen’ or ‘Galliano’ and reveals why she loves London’s street style.”

Akris Punto Spring 2011 at Neiman Marcus | Source: Neiman Marcus

Neiman Marcus Opens Customer Door Wider (WSJ)
“With its extravagant Christmas catalog and the wealthiest customer base in American retailing, Neiman Marcus Group has, for more than a century, earned its snob appeal. But after a recession that cost the company $1 billion in annual revenue, the new chief executive officer, Karen Katz, is on a mission to make the chain a bit more inclusive.”

More Than Meets the iPhone Lens (NY Times)
“Like media and entertainment, fashion now unfolds across several platforms… [presentations] drew top retailers but also a throng of enthusiastic young people, many of whom look at the clothes through their cameras or cellphones with a concentration seldom warranted by ’70s-style sportswear with an English twist.”

U.S. luxury sector getting ready for more deals (Reuters)
“Wall Street bankers, the ultra wealthy and even upper middle class shoppers are once again snapping up diamond rings, $10,000 handbags and designer gowns, priming the U.S. luxury sector for more deals.”

The ’40s Footwear Fashionista (WSJ)
“Her sky-high, colorful creations have made Ms. Dellal’s brand, Charlotte Olympia, a current favorite with fashion folk… her company, which bears Ms. Dellal’s first and middle names, is growing: sales doubled this autumn/winter season from the summer season before.”

60 Seconds With: Rosita Missoni (WSJ)
“At 79, the matriarch of the Missoni clan, Rosita Missoni, is a force to be reckoned with. Though she stepped down in 1997 as head of the iconic knitwear line that she started with her husband Ottavio (Tai) over half a century ago, placing her daughter Angela at the helm, she couldn’t stay idle for long.”

L-R Altuzarra, Alexander Wang, Prabal Gurung | Source: Style.com

Addicted to Love (IHT)
“New York Fashion Week seems to be ‘Addicted to Love,’ as the sound track puts it. But a new generation of twentysomething designers has a tougher, less hearts-and-flowers way of dealing with romance, and more fashion sense about practical needs for the autumn 2011 season after the current harsh winter.”

The ‘in’ crowd (FT)
“Forget dictating the trends, these days brands are throwing the ball into the consumer’s court. Crowdsourcing – allowing your audience to decide on your product via social media, forums, and high-tech web customising programs – has become the buzz phrase in fashion.”

Luxury retailers shine a spotlight on their artisans (Globe and Mail)
“In a post-recessionary retail landscape, this human touch – be it a stitch, a seal or a stamp – can go a long way toward suggesting and reinforcing value. And it’s a major attitudinal shift from the days when companies simply splashed bigger, bolder logos across a luxury good.”

Condé Nast Newsstand Tries Convergence of Technologies (NY Times)
“A newsstand set to open here next week will sell more than a dozen international editions of Vogue magazine, in languages including English, Russian and Chinese. Visitors will be able to browse through digital versions of these and other publications on iPads tethered to sleek plastic tables.”

The Future of Fashion, Part Seven: Carine Roitfeld (Style File)
“She has already exerted an unmistakable influence on fashion… first with the porno-chic aesthetic she co-authored in the nineties as a stylist for Mario Testino and Tom Ford, then… later, with her provocative, photo-driven, decade-long tenure at Vogue. Now everyone is speculating about her next act.”

Prabal Gurung Spring/Summer 2011 Runway | Source: Style.com

Stores Cheer Versatile Designs (WSJ)
“Nearly two years after the bottom fell out of the luxury business, retailers are selectively increasing their spending budgets, targeting fashions their core customers will splurge on and key pieces that the still-wary aspirational consumers will find compelling to buy.”

Louis Vuitton tops fashion brand rankings (Just Style)
“The LVMH-owned label maintained its 16th place in the 11th annual rankings of the Best Global Brands, increasing its value by 4% to US$21.9bn.”

Dolce Mentoring (Vogue UK)
“Dolce & Gabbana is launching a new platform highlighting the collections of emerging designers. Opening in Milan this weekend is Spiga2 – a new retail outlet that will house the work of the [designers'] favourite up-and-coming talents.”

A New Location That’s All in How You Use It (NY Times)
“The tents are larger and certainly cleaner than those in Bryant Park, but they don’t necessarily improve the presentations. If [the]smallest, most intimate space at Lincoln Center can’t help the audience engage in the clothes, what hope is there… for American fashion?”

Emma Hill, the Mulberry designer (Guardian)
“Mulberry is a high end but also a quintessentially British brand. Hill herself, though, has spent most of her working in life in New York, designing bags for the likes of Marc Jacobs and Calvin Klein.”

London Fashion Week tent at Somerset House | Source: FashionSpot

British fashion industry now worth nearly £21bn a year (Guardian)
“The research highlights not only the direct impact of the fashion industry, including wholesale, retail and manufacturing, on the economy but also its effect on other industries including financial services and tourism.”

From Runway to Retail (WSJ)
“After a New York Fashion Week of dramatic and extreme, if gorgeous, clothes strutting down the runways, now the outfits must become shirts, skirts and pants women will actually wear.”

Dazed & Confused’s Digital Relaunch (PSFK)
“With their new site, which went live on the seventh of September, after a period of hiatus with nothing but a countdown visible, they’ve cemented their position as one of the most advanced and forward thinking British publications.”

Facebook ‘Places’ Campaigns Debut With Betsey Johnson (ClickZ)
“A Betsey Johnson store in California and a novelties e-tailer will each launch Facebook Places campaigns… The location-based efforts represent the first-ever Places initiatives.”

Does Fashion Make Good Theater? (NY Times)
“From a layman’s perspective, the jostling melee of entry, seating and the all-important photo-taking constitutes the liveliest part of the show. It’s a comedy of manners to rival anything on a Broadway stage.”

Marc Jacobs Spring/Summer 2011 Runway | Source: Style.com

Down From the Stratosphere, Gaga-Free (NY Times)
“Fashion is having a post-crash dress-up fix. As if to tune out the futurists and the sportswear revivalists, and maybe have a little more fun, designers are fluffing hair, adding giant orchids and evoking the heady mauve warmth of an Antonio Lopez drawing.”

The W Word: Fashion Tries Wearability (WSJ)
“To designers at New York Fashion Week, ‘wearable’ has been a fighting word. It suggests the clothes aren’t quite fabulous enough for the runways. But a number of designers this week are showing wearable clothes.”

The British Invade America Again (Fast Company)
“In perhaps the pluckiest expansion by a foreign fashion retailer in years, the London-based company [All Saints] plans to open as many as 50 U.S. shops by 2015.”

Neiman Marcus 4Q Loss Narrows (WSJ)
“Neiman Marcus Group Inc.’s fiscal fourth-quarter loss narrowed sharply following prior-year write-downs as revenue climbed and margins widened. The operator… has seen its fortunes improve this year as luxury demand has recovered.”

Here comes the fashion truck (LA Times)
“Fast fashion has taken on a whole new meaning lately, with designer racks rolling into driveways; truckloads of athletic shoes… and full-fledged runway shows staged on the backs of flatbed trucks.”