L-R Mary Katrantzou, Meadham Kirchhoff, Antonio Berardi SS12 | Source: Style.com

Screen vs. Clean: When Print Meets Purity (IHT)
“To call your own fashion show a car crash would seem a risky business. But what about an inspiration of a crushed metallic Cadillac on a field of vividly colored flowers among the exotic fish in the Pacific Ocean? Fantastic, fabulous and totally original!”

How London Fashion Week Is Going Digital (Mashable)
“London Fashion Week is showcasing an increased commitment to all things digital this season. Designers and retailers are giving consumers around the world better access to shows and events than ever before through live, online showcases and digitally enhanced retail experiences… Clara Mercer, marketing manager for the BFC, says that the digital push this season is designed to expand LFW’s geographical reach.”

Will Chinese designers get left behind in China’s fashion boom? (CNN)
“China’s once almost non-existent fashion industry is on the verge of exploding. New domestic brands pop up seemingly everyday. Chinese models, like Liu Wen, who has shot campaigns with Calvin Klein, Dolce & Gabbana and Estee Lauder, are increasingly becoming a hot commodity on foreign runways while domestic designers, such as Richard Wu… Are piquing the interest of the international fashion elite.”

Polo hits all-time high on strong overseas growth (Bloomberg)
“Polo Ralph Lauren Corp. is on a roll because of international expansion and strong sales of its higher-priced items…The company, whose brands include Ralph Lauren Collection, Black Label, Chaps and Club Monaco, has international pricing power not reflected in its current stock price.”

`Man Repeller’ Leandra Medine Blogs Fashion, Plans Book (The Washington Post)
“Leandra Medine, founder and editor of the blog ‘The Man Repeller,’ talks about the blog’s creation and business model… ‘The Man Repeller’ describes itself as focusing on women’s fashions designed to be worn “in a sartorially offensive way that will result in repelling members of the opposite sex.”

David Lauren at IHT Luxury Conference | Source: Samir Husein for IHT

The Prince of Polo (Fast Company)
“By associating Ralph Lauren with new digital technology, David has done more than imbue the brand with a current vibe. He has, in the process, made the company a progressive leader among fashion peers. In 2009, David produced an online-only fashion show for Ralph Lauren’s heritage Rugby brand that, for the first time ever, allowed viewers to shop the looks in real time.”

Red Faces at Louboutin? (On the Runway)
“A court ruling today refused to grant a preliminary injunction requested by Christian Louboutin against Yves Saint Laurent, alleging trademark infringement on shoes that featured red soles suspiciously similar to those of Louboutin’s. The decision not only cleared the way for YSL to continue producing its shoes, but also seemed to give coverage to other shoe manufacturers who may want to add a scarlet underpinning to their own future models.”

Macy’s quarterly sales, profit surge (LA Times)
“Macy’s Inc., saying it had its most successful second quarter in more than a decade, reported a surge in profit and sales and raised its full-year outlook. The department store giant Wednesday reported profit of $241 million, or 55 cents a share, compared with $147 million, or 35 cents, in the same quarter last year… Profit, sales, operating income and cash flow all exceeded expectations for the quarter that ended July 30, the company said.”

Kleiner Perkins and the emerging market entail game (FT)
“Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, the Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm, has announced that, together with NY/Beijing-based Tiger Global Management, it is investing $26m in Trendyol.com, the fastest growing, biggest fashion etail site in Turkey… This is the first time Kleiner had invested in a Turkish company, and only its second fashion etail investment, after renttherunway.com.”

Sales Down for All Fashion Magazines Except Vogue (Thread NY)
“According to a new report in WWD, Vogue was the only magazine to show an increase in sales in the first half of 2011, and it’s largely because of one cover in particular: Lady Gaga, who appeared on the magazine’s March issue… While sales for all other fashion magazines were down during that period, according to the report, the March 2011 issue was up in sales by 100,000 copies over the March 2010 issue.”

Brooks Brothers: Made in America | Source: Brooks Brothers

Made in America: A hook for wealthy shoppers (Ottawa Citizen)
“The Made-in-America label has undergone a deluxe makeover. Everyone from Brooks Brothers to the Olsen twins is using it to hawk luxury goods… ‘There is a customer that appreciates that the product is made in the United States and is willing to pay for the difference.’”

My-wardrobe boosts foreign dress effort (FT)
“‘The past 12 months and first quarter of 2011 has been a pivotal time for my-wardrobe.com. Not only have we seen phenomenal growth in the UK market, but we have already seen a significant rise in sales across Europe as we lay the foundations for our international expansion.’”

Luxury brands and Social Media (North Jersey)
“Having 4 million Facebook fans or more doesn’t amount to much unless the online interactions also boost the bottom line. ‘Ultimately, this is about social commerce… Social networking is nice, but social commerce is much better, and that’s where we need to get to.’”

LVMH denies attempts to destabilize Hermès (Reuters)
“Puech dismissed efforts by LVMH Chief Executive Bernard Arnault to strike a conciliatory tone regarding the Hermès approach. ‘After six months, we are the target of incessant attacks of the kind we’ve never seen in 174 years, even though LVMH says its approach to us is friendly… With friends like these, who needs enemies?’”

The Mexican fans Ralph Lauren could do without (Guardian)
“Sometimes, the market gets away from the marketers… For the Mexican children who see narcos as role models, the Polo look becomes something to imitate, and knock-off versions are readily available and widely worn. This is the sort of success a label would happily do without.”

Anna Dello Russo | Source: Anna Dello Russo

The New Icons of Fashion (NY Times)
“Ms. Dello Russo and her raffish style-world cohort, who populate the mastheads of the fashion magazines, represent a new breed of Web-based reality star… they are casting a spell, their comings and goings relentlessly tracked by a new generation of aspiring style savants.”

What Does ‘Masstige’ Mean For China? (Jing Daily)
“If masstige collections are offered supplemental to the luxury collections, there is little risk of impacting the luxury spending; instead, masstige opens up a new market segment of middle-class consumers.”

Gap opens first China store, banks on rising incomes (Reuters)
“U.S. clothing retailer Gap Inc opened its first store in mainland China on Thursday, the first of its four planned stores in the country, as it banks on rising Chinese incomes to prop up soft demand back home.”

Polo profit beats, revenue outlook raised (Reuters)
“Polo Ralph Lauren Corp reported a higher-than-expected quarterly profit on Wednesday and again raised its full-year sales outlook due to strong demand globally, sending its shares to an all-time high.”

A McQueen Retrospective at the Met (NY Times)
“‘Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty,’ an exhibition of the fashion of the late British designer, will open at the Costume Institute on May 4 [and] will include designs from Mr. McQueen’s postgraduate show at Central Saint Martins in 1992 until his final collection in 2010.”

Ralph Lauren in his office circa 1978 | Source: Ralph Lauren

Ralph Lauren to Sell Portion of Polo Shares (WSJ)
“Ralph Lauren, chairman and chief executive of Polo Ralph Lauren Corp., is selling approximately a quarter of his holdings in the company he founded, a move that could raise up to $955 million at Monday’s closing price.”

Rykiel Targets America (Vogue)
“French fashion label Sonia Rykiel has announced plans to target the US market as it schedules debut showroom presentations in New York this week.”

Burberry boss Angela Ahrendts sews up £6m paypacket (Guardian)
“Angela Ahrendts, the boss of fashion group Burberry, banked more than £6m last year as the company managed to steer a successful course through the recession to report record profits.”

Guinness Buys Blow Collection (The Moment)
“Daphne Guinness, the art and fashion collector, has bought the entire Isabella Blow wardrobe, including seminal pieces by the late designer Alexander McQueen, which was to have been sold by Christie’s in the fall.”

Finding Supermodels in Rural Brazil (NYT)
“A model scout searches for the next Gisele Bündchen in a region known for genetic cocktails prized by the beauty industry.”