J.Crew Takes a Leading Role in Men’s Fashion (Bloomberg)
“The men’s fashion landscape has long been dominated on one side by luxury brands… [or alternatives] that no longer seem au courant.  J.Crew has emerged in this void as the merchant of a new style that bridges work and leisure, youth and age, vintage and contemporary, gay and straight.”

Will Chinese Shoppers Embrace Luxury Goods–Sans Logo? (Forbes)
“Although luxury shoppers in established, recession-stung markets may gradually be lured back into stores by understated items…will this trend appeal to potential buyers in emerging — and lucrative — markets like China, where garish still equals good?”

Hermès launches street style website (MyFashionLife)
“Dedicated solely to its signature square scarves, the new website, called J’aime Mon Carre (I Love My Scarf), takes a street style turn as it shows hip young things working the scarves in ways Hermès would never have dreamed of.”

Nordstrom profit matches view, outlook unchanged (Reuters)
“Nordstrom Inc reported a higher quarterly net profit that met Wall Street expectations, but the company did not raise its previously announced 2010 profit outlook and its shares fell 2.5 percent.”

Diane Pernet on Tavi, Fashion Film, and the Future of Catwalks (Fashionista)
“Diane Pernet’s enlightened view on fashion, combined with her support of budding talents, has made her one of today’s great ladies of La Mode… Fashionista had coffee and grapes with the lady… we talked Tavi, tomorrow’s talents, and her trendy tribes and tribulations.”

Nordstrom Rack Campaign Spring/Summer 2010 | Source: Nordstom

Discount Store Is New York Beachhead for Nordstrom (NY Times)
“After more than a century, Nordstrom, the upscale department store chain from Seattle, will make its Manhattan debut… But don’t expect $4,000 dresses. Expect 25,000 pairs of discounted shoes, and an automated checkout line more at home in a supermarket than a purveyor of luxury goods.”

Jane Shepherdson: why we want what she’s wearing (Times Online)
“Can Jane Shepherdson do for Whistles what she did for Topshop? Meet the woman reinventing the high street. Hailed as the most powerful woman in British fashion… a retail genius who could predict the subtle shifts of what we might desire, before we knew it ourselves.”

Why marketing strategy should measure more than clicks (Biz Report)
“When it comes to the length of time consumers actually spend on-site, everyone knows the higher the rate the better it is… Likewise, most marketers believe the number of clicks an ad receives the more engaging the campaign is to consumers. Which one of these perceptions is actually correct?”

Designer dreams don’t pay the bills (Times Online)
“If McQueen’s label was still straining to turn a healthy profit, what hope for the newer wave?… Most people would be surprised to learn how long it takes for a brand to post a return on its investment.”

Just cruisin’ with Karl Lagerfeld (Independent)
“Chanel head designer Karl Lagerfeld has released a teaser for the short film “Remember Now,” which has been filmed for the label’s Cruise Collection show in Saint Tropez, May 11.”

Nordstrom 2Q Profit Drops 27% But Raises Full-Year View (WSJ)
“Nordstrom Inc.’s fiscal second-quarter profit decreased 27 percent as the high-end clothing retailer reported lower same-store sales. But disciplined inventory and expense management helped the company report results in line with Wall Street’s expectations, and Nordstrom became slightly less downbeat about the same-store sales decline this year.”

Escada Denies Herz Brothers Turnaround Coup as Company Crumbles (Bloomberg)
“Billionaire brothers Wolfgang and Michael Herz learned the hard way today that investment prowess doesn’t necessarily run in the family. The brothers, heirs to the fortune of Hamburg coffee retailer Tchibo Holding AG, saw their investment in fashion house Escada AG crumble to little over 3 million euros ($4.3 million) from about 75 million euros in mid-2008.”

American Apparel Q2 beats St, cuts 2009 sales view (Reuters)
“American Apparel Inc posted a second-quarter profit that beat market expectations, but said it might post a full-year loss as the clothing retailer sees lower sales.”

What is Harrods’ secret? (Retail Week)
“Iconic department store Harrods provided a rare glimpse of hope in retail as it recorded a 9 percent uplift in sales in its full year accounts to £752m. It seems Harrods’ clientele are not letting the recession stop them splashing the cash.”

Even creative minds need a head for business (Retail Week)
“Fashion Fringe at Covent Garden is helping new designers learn about the world of retail and supply chain – an area many know little about.”

Kenzo S/S 09 Ad campaign by Mario Sorrenti

Kenzo fashions its global comeback (Business24-7)
“Heading into the hot seat during a global downturn isn’t always easy, but if there are any stylised butterflies in James Greenfield’s stomach as he spearheads a revival of Kenzo, he isn’t letting it show.”

11.8 million worldwide job losses in textile & garment sector (Fibre2Fashion)
“The impact of the economic crisis on the textile, garment, leather and footwear sectors has been dramatic. Since June 2008, over 8,200 factories have closed and an estimated 11.5 million workers have lost their jobs.”

Nordstrom March same-store sales down 13.5% (WSJ)
“Nordstrom Inc. on Thursday said March sales at stores open at least one year fell 13.5%.”

Takashimaya Full-Year Net Profit Drops 37% (WWD)
“It was a tough year for Japanese department store operator Takashimaya Co., which saw declining profits and sales for its fiscal year ended Feb. 28, 2009.” (Subscription required)

Prices to decline at Nordstrom

Nordstrom to Lower Prices (WSJ)
Prices have gone up in recent years at Nordstrom, but this year, the retailer’s average prices will decline.

Retail bosses to lobby government over rate rises (Drapers)
“The UK’s largest store groups have united to urge the Government to reverse plans to push through significant rate rises that will add tens of millions of pounds to retailers’ annual costs.”

Economic turmoil in Eastern Europe (Just-Style)
For years, Eastern Europe has been a growth region for manufacturers, but now several countries in the region are facing significant declines of their GDP in 2009.

H&M Plans to Open First Store in South Korea (WWD)
The Swedish fast fashion retail giant, H&M, will open a South Korean outpost. (Subscription required)