L-R Céline, Hermès, Haider Ackermann S/S 2012 | Source: Style.com

On Paris Catwalks, Emotion Recollected in Tranquility (IHT)
“The post-power woman — purposeful but never aggressive — dug to the depths of women’s desires at Céline on Sunday. You could tell that the designer Phoebe Philo had put much of herself in the spring/summer 2012 collection because she was shaking with emotion backstage. ‘Strength and womanhood, effortless and beautiful,’ Ms. Philo said to sum up a collection that took her forward from her previous style, but only as a streamlined car purring ahead on the same route.”

Mall Kids Take Paris (NY Times)
“Only in the spontaneous, high-energy environment of Opening Ceremony, the retail temple dedicated to of-this-moment street style that started on Howard Street in New York nearly a decade ago, does it make any kind of sense that a pair of self-proclaimed mall kids from the suburbs of Los Angeles would wind up at the design helm of a Parisian fashion house.”

Hermès says buying power of luxury clients unchanged (Reuters)
“French luxury goods maker Hermès sees no sign yet of affluent buyers tightening their purse strings in spite of a somber global economic outlook… Hermès, known for its 10,000-euro Kelly handbags, joins the chorus of luxury brands such as Dior, Louis Vuitton and Lanvin that said recently trading remained buoyant even if consumer confidence was down.”

Fung Brands buys Belgian bags (FT)
“Fung Brands Limited, the private luxury investment arm of Fung Capital Europe, has bought Delvaux, the Belgium equivalent of Hermes. This follows Fung Brands April purchase of Robert Clergerie, the famous French shoe maker that had almost faded from view.”

Mario Testino at 30 Years (NY Times)
“In 30 years of fashion photography, he has captured in images the hectic glamour of beach life in Rio de Janeiro or the disciplined enthusiasm of the Horse Guards for the royal wedding last April. For that historic occasion, he was not only behind the lens to create an iconic image of a cuddly “Wills and Kate” before the event, but was also highlighted on camera at Westminster Abbey for his fame as a household name.”

Carol Lim and Humberto Leon | Source: Lane Crawford

Opening Ceremony Founders to Lead Kenzo (Elle)
“LVMH has tapped the retail dynamos behind Opening Ceremony as Kenzo’s new creative directors… Lim and Leon succeed Antonio Marras, who designed for Kenzo from 2004 until the recent menswear collection… Leon and Lim will continue to lead Opening Ceremony while working to reenergise Kenzo’s brand image.”

At Versailles, Rock ‘n’ Rococo (IHT)
“Who would have thought that modern designers could feel right at home amid the curlicues, gilding, Watteau paintings and water fountains of Versailles?… But as in music, so in fashion: modernity is in the mix. And a little of the courtly grandeur of Versailles goes a long way.”

Camilla Al Fayed buys Issa (Telegraph)
“The daughter of ex Harrods owner, Mohamed Al Fayed, purchased a 51 per cent stake in the label… Al Fayed’s title will be chairwoman and she will oversee the commercial expansion of the brand, while Helayel (who continues to hold a 49 per cent stake), will remain as creative director.”

Social Shopping Gets Personal (Forbes)
“Lucky magazine, Conde Nast’s publication dedicated to shopping and style, teamed up with ThisNext.com to create a social shopping platform on a co-branded site… Lucky readers aren’t the only ones who will be crafting personal shopping guides. Lucky editors and brand partners will also be pushing their picks.”

Rykiel for sale? (Vogue)
“Sonia Rykiel may soon be selling a minority stake in a bid to speed up its expansion… Rykiel has already approached Edmond de Rothschild Corporate Finance chairman Laurence Danon to help her look into options for the family-owned business.”

Chloë Sevigny for Opening Ceremony | Source: Opening Ceremony

The ‘It’ Girl, Now a Woman (NY Times)
“No profile of Ms. Sevigny over the years has failed to note either her distinctive laugh or the impression that she is little bit coy… It also helps explain why her fashion designs, now sold in 100 stores around the world, have been so successful. They hold the promise of Ms. Sevigny: looking cool without looking like you are trying.”

Hussein Chalayan: The man of the moment (Independent)
“This looks set to be quite a month for the fashion designer Hussein Chalayan, who has long remained under the radar… Tomorrow at Les Arts Decoratifs in Paris, the largest retrospective of his work to date opens to the public.”

Gap Inc. on the Right Track (Retail Traffic)
“After a few tough years, Gap Inc. may have found the right turnaround strategy… To that end, last year the Gap launched its Web site in 90 new countries and opened its first locations in China and Italy—some of which have already become among the highest-performing locations in the firm’s portfolio.”

Kate Moss’ Controversial Gown (The Daily Beast)
“Some might think that in wearing the dress, Moss was making a symbolic statement about Galliano’s skill as a designer, his importance in the fashion industry, or even the justice—or injustice—of his being fired.”

Where Did the Fun Go? (On the Runway)
“I think in general what’s missing from the Paris and Milan spring shows is a sense of fun… The lack of pleasure is only one casualty of a system that has become absurdly pressure-filled. But its absence is evident in the collections — and what do consumers really want from fashion but something fun to wear?”

A snippet of the Lululemon mantra

Lululemon Weathering the Tough Retail Season (Seeking Alpha)
Lululemon, the Canadian yoga wear retailer sees its shares jump by 9 percent.

Strong dollar makes for weak results (Just-Style)
The rising dollar is adversely affecting European retailers.

Consumer Spending on the Upswing (Seeking Alpha)
“US consumers continued the increased spending pattern that began in January 2009 into February 2009, spending slightly more in February than they the previous month.”

Opening Ceremony To Expand In Japan With Onward (WWD, Subscription Only)
Opening Ceremony, the downtown emporium of cool in New York City, will open its first store in Japan.

Rolex watch, photo courtesy of Rolex

Rolex appeal fades as recession blues hit Singapore (Reuters)
As Singapore enters a recession, the demand for luxury watches such as Rolex is declining.

Accessories Transform Consumer Fashion Sense Into Billion Dollar Surge (Marketwatch)
In a tough market, some accessories categories are experiencing “bullish” growth.”

Louis Vuitton Scraps Plans for Ginza Flagship (WWD)
A 10 story Ginza flagship store in Tokyo has been put on hold by Louis Vuitton.

The open mind behind Opening Ceremony (Ponystep)
Ponystep goes behind the scenes of the purveyor of all things cool, Opening Ceremony.