Manish Arora A/W 09, courtesy of Coutorture

Indian designers make their mark with craft (IHT)
During Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week, designers are making a mark through artisanship.

Nike realigns global footprint (Just Style)
Sporting goods giant Nike last week unveiled plans to reorganise its namesake brand into six regions with reduced management in a bid to make its operations more efficient and trim costs.

Tiffany’s Reports Sales Declines (Seeking Alpha)
“Tiffany’s has exceeded earnings expectations five of the last six quarters, which seems to suggest that analysts underestimate Tiffany’s ability to sell in a tough consumer spending market. However, the declines in sales are serious and a real cause for concern.”

H&M and Zara top Retail Best Brands list (H&M)
According to an Interbrand report, H&M & Zara are in the top 5 of most valued retail brands.

Inflation surprises and jumps to 3.2% (FT)
“Inflation as measured by the consumer price index rose to 3.2 per cent in the year to last month, up from 3 per cent in January.”

A difficult balancing act

Karl Lagerfeld Discusses Luxury Internet Sales with European Commission (WSJ)
“The explosion of online retailing leaves fashion houses with a difficult balancing act between exclusive image and exposure.”

Fashion Sees The End Of The Runway (Forbes)
“The catwalk’s diminishing presence doesn’t come as a major surprise considering how much the role of the runway has changed over the years.”

Inside a Fashion Label’s Scramble to Survive (WSJ)
The Wall Street Journal profiles Five Four, a menswear label that is, “scrambling to survive.”

Nike’s ongoing restructuring (Just-Style)
Nike’s 1,400 job cuts are due to its restructuring plans rather than the economy.

Bill Blass, photo courtesy of Bill Blass.

Bill Blass Couture to Close (WSJ)
Once the go-to house for American socialites and Hollywood elite, Bill Blass Couture will close.

Nike picks ups its pace  (Just-style)
Strong performance in international markets has helped the sportswear giant achieve a 9% profit increase in the second quarter. 

Max Azria: The Show(s) Must Go On (WSJ)
Although the BCBG Max Azria Group has taken a financial hit like so many other fashion companies, the company will still stage three runway shows in New York.  

Chanel Cancels Mobile Art Tour (WWD)
Due to the bad economic climate, Chanel cancels costly traveling Mobile Art exhibition.

BEIJING, China – My first glance at Beijing’s brand new airport (BCIA) was also the first sign of China’s stylish transformation since my previous visit here 7 years ago. I couldn’t take my eyes off the ceiling, which seemed to go on forever, as I zoomed through immigration and retrieved my bag. I was in and out in less than 30 minutes.

When I commented on the airport’s breathtaking design and efficiency to locals, they proudly informed me that BCIA was completed in only 4 years and has run without a hitch from day one. This is particularly notable when compared to the disastrous opening of London Heathrow’s Terminal 5, which opened around the same time as BCIA, but took 6 years to build and is still not running as expected. And, the success of BCIA also provides the perfect analogue for China’s nascent fashion industry.

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