Alexander McQueen A/W 2010 | Source: alexandermcqueen.com

LONDON, United Kingdom — The passing of Alexander McQueen and the future of his namesake brand provided the defining background narrative of the Autumn/Winter 2010 collections. Everywhere a fashionista went, in every conversation, at every show, party and presentation, the ghost of Alexander McQueen seemed to linger as the industry struggled to come to terms with its most sudden loss of creative genius since Gianni Versace was gunned down in Miami in 1997.

But the shows had to go on. And, in a fitting tribute to Mr. McQueen’s futuristic fashion vision from last September, more brands than ever before experimented with live-streaming, digital innovations and new e-commerce models. And, while not all of the experiments were entirely successful, it was a great step forward nonetheless.

In our seasonal tradition, we give you a guide to the ins and outs, ups and downs, and random curveballs that kept fashion’s movers and shakers talking during Autumn/Winter 2010, the season that was.

1. THE MASTERY OF McQUEEN

Alexander McQueen digital tribute at On|Off, London | Source: The Business of Fashion

Right at the beginning of New York Fashion Week, as news of Alexander McQueen’s death spread on Twitter and Facebook, spontaneous memorials sprouted up in front of his stores on the fashionable boulevards of New York and London and industry observers speculated openly whether the McQueen business could survive without him. Then, catching everyone by surprise, Gucci Group announced in Paris that the McQueen brand would indeed live on.

Alexander McQueen CEO Jonathan Akeroyd told The Business of Fashion “There is a lot of emotion here and also we are all trying hard to push on and keep things going as usual. I am sure that the next year or so we will have a lot of challenges but at the same time I am convinced Lee left so much for us to build on, which means we can keep growing as a brand.”

“But who could possibly take over?” asked many a fashion insider. Some gossiped that Sarah Burton, Mr McQueen’s long-time assistant, was out of the running as she had already tendered her resignation. Others speculatively bandied about the names of Gareth Pugh and Olivier Theyskens while Gucci Group remained respectfully silent on the issue of succession.

As the Paris shows came to a close however, the focus appropriately shifted back to Mr. McQueen’s work. His final oeuvre, Angels and Demons, was shown to small groups of 15-20 people at a time in the gilded offices of PPR. So moving were the intimate and dignified presentations, that viewers left the room silently, respectfully, and sometimes in tears. It was a great honour to have seen the eerily-beautiful, final McQueen collection first-hand, reminding me once again of the depth of McQueen’s talent and his ability to move us.  He will be sorely missed. He already is.

2. MARKETWATCH: BRAZIL AND KOREA
Forget about China and India. Two other foreign markets dominated the fashion conversation this season.

In New York, a series of events were held under the banner Concept Korea, conceived by the powerful Samsung Fashion Division, Korean partner to scores of international fashion brands. From an event celebrating a fashion film by Nick Knight for Korean designer Kuho to an exhibition of designs from seven leading Korean fashion designers and a performance by Korean pop star RAIN, the Korean fashion industry did its utmost to demonstrate its growing influence.

Brazil, on the other hand, had a more stealthy — and thus, more powerful — presence during this fashion week season. The growth opportunities for fashion brands offered by Brazil, which had previously been in the shadow of its BRIC counterparts Russia, India and China, are in the laser focus of many a luxury goods executive. The topic of Brazil came up in conversation after conversation, over and over again.

We’re keeping our BoF eyes firmly fixated on Sao Paulo Fashion Week, Fashion Rio and Brazilian designers like Alexandre Herchcovich, Osklen, and Carlos Miele.

3. NEW YORK’S LOCATIONAL DIVIDE

Patrik Ervell Presentation at Milk Studios | Source: BoF

As fashionistas bade farewell to the Bryant Park Tents that have dominated the New York fashion scene for over ten years by doing what they do best — throwing a big party — Milk Studios solidified its status as the city’s unofficial new fashion week hub, with more than twenty shows and presentations, including Patrik Ervell, Band of Outsiders, and Joseph Altuzarra, some of the city’s hottest designers.  One little hitch to report on, however: we agree with Style.com’s prolific blogger and tweeter, Derek Blasberg who tweeted in frustration that Milk Studios needs to “organize some cell reception.” Once that issue is resolved, it could be the perfect fashion show venue, hands down.

As for the official fashion week site, the shows will move from Bryant Park to Lincoln Center at Columbus Circle next season, offering the IMG-sponsored event an opportunity to refresh its format and approach. No doubt, the biggest challenge will be attracting all those downtown-loving fashionistas all the way to the new far-flung uptown location.

4. BLOGGERS ENTER THE FASHION MAINSTREAM

Evolving Influence Conference | Source: Independent Fashion Bloggers

Jenine Tamm’s second Independent Fashion Bloggers conference in New York was a huge success. Not only was it oversubscribed two times over, the conference received prominent coverage from the mainstream media, including Women’s Wear Daily and New York Magazine. Most importantly, the IFB conference cemented the notion of a blogging fraternity, attracting participants from all over the world to participate in a discussion about the state of fashion blogging.

BoF was graciously invited to participate in a vibrant and interesting debate on the ethics of fashion blogging, but the final panel — featuring Bryanboy, Fashionista, Susie Bubble, Streetpeeper and of course, Tavi Gevinson, whose erudite commentary, peppered with genuine fashion geekiness, charmed everyone in the room — was undoubtedly the highlight of the day.

So now that bloggers have entered the mainstream, where do things go from here? We predict that those who are seduced by their newfound fame or use it simply as a way of getting free products and attending fashion events, will flounder and disappear. On the other hand, those who stay true to themselves, develop truly original content and take the opportunity to prove what they can do, will thrive over the longer-term.

As Tavi herself said recently on StyleRookie, “The same way teenagers can start a Flickr account and be noticed by a magazine, or a band can start a MySpace and be picked up by a label, blogs will act as jumping-off platforms for people that want to work in the industry.”

5. LIVE-STREAMING IS NOT AS GOOD AS THE REAL THING

Miu Miu livestream screenshot | Source: Dazed Digital

This was the season that live-streaming gained critical mass in the fashion business.

We agree with friend-of-BoF Thakoon Panichgul who told WWD “From seeing McQueen live stream last season, and then all of a sudden this season, 20 designers did it. It’s almost like everyone is already doing it and it feels kind of old already. It might become one of those things, like you need to do a look book, you need to live stream.” Such a smart boy, that Thakoon.

That being said, just as watching a basketball game or live concert on television doesn’t replicate the real thing, watching a livestream show, no matter how good it is, doesn’t replace the actual experience of attending a fashion show. So, while streaming fashion shows may be a great way to let consumers into the fashion show experience and a good back-up plan for buyers and editors who are otherwise occupied, methinks industry folk would still prefer to attend shows in person.

6. SALES DIRECT FROM THE RUNWAY

PS11 | Source: Proenza Schouler

The smartest brands didn’t stop at live-streaming alone. Proenza Schouler and Burberry gave real commercial meaning to the live, consumer-friendly shows, enabling fans to buy key runway items immediately after the show for a limited period of time, taking advantage of the post-show consumer frenzy of desire. The runway orders also offer a veritable crystal ball into future demand for the same products in-season.

In the case of Proenza Schouler, the key item in question was the PS11 bag, runway cousin to the classic PS1 bag, which has quickly become a modern American classic. Indeed, much to the jealous squeals of some fashionista bloggers we know, Lauren Santo-Domingo carried a different coloured Ps1 ever single day of New York Fashion Week. Yet another proof of the surge in Proenza Schouler’s reputation as a breakout fashion accessories business.

7. PHOEBE’S PHENOMENON AND RICK’S RULES

Celine A/W 2010 | Source: Jak and Jil

While many runways were replete with a dark palette of folded leather and draped jersey, an aesthetic movement pioneered by Rick Owens, an undeniable wave of minimalism crept onto the catwalks this season, following in the footsteps of the first highly-influential runway collection by Phoebe Philo for Céline, shown in Paris last October.

Judging by reviews from Suzy Menkes, Sarah Mower, and countless other critics who fell under Phoebe’s spell again this time around, Ms. Philo’s latest show was a raging success. And, while Cathy Horyn raised the spectre of the Martin Margiela’s influence on the new Céline, this didn’t seem to matter to the countless influential editors and buyers who were proudly wearing their Céline camel jackets and blazers around fashion week like the unofficial uniform of the cool fashion crowd.

The real sign of Philo’s influence, however, was on the runways of countless other designers who seemed to fall into line, wholeheartedly endorsing the new minimalism. From Reed Krakoff’s debut collection in New York to former design partner Stella McCartney’s collection at the Palais Garnier in Paris, unembellished clothes in modern, minimalist cuts flooded the catwalks.

But demonstrating yet again that he creates his own rules, one notable exception to the wholesale removal of embellishment was Mr. Rick Owens, whose signature silhouettes came down the runway in all sorts of new colours, baubles, fur and horn-appliqués, adding a fresh new energy to his now widely-copied aesthetic.

Imran Amed is Founder and Editor of The Business of Fashion

Image courtesy of L'Oréal

In pursuit of beauty (The Economist)
Nestlé, the Swiss food giant, may take over L’Oreal.

From capitalism to communism (IHT)
“From rampant capitalism to sober communism in a single year – that is the trajectory of menswear for the 2009/10 Paris season.”

Proenza Schouler Stays The Course (WSJ)
“While fashion labels have been trying to figure out what needs to be changed in order to survive this recession, Proenza Schouler says its plan is simple: Stick to the same message.”

Couture Stays Viable in Down Economy (WWD)
Couture is holding up well amid the unstable economy. (Subscription required)

NEW YORK, United States – New York already has the reputation of being the most commercial of the fashion capitals, but this New York Fashion Week has taken that stereotype to new levels. With economic uncertainty swirling through the city (Lehman Brothers is the latest Wall Street Bank whose future is in question) and footfall at department stores dropping precipitously, the mantra of the week seems to have been ‘Play it Safe!”

Over and over again this week, young designers have told me that the big buyers are sticking to proven silhouettes in basic colours, veering away from the fashion items. While the basics and staples of designer collections will always be important part of the product assortment, it seems to me that precisely because times are so tough, buyers should be making an effort to give consumers a reason to buy. And, that is not accomplished with a series of little black dresses.

To meet the expectations of buyers, many designers here also seemed to play it safe (even more than usual), delivering collections which verged on the boring.

Luckily, there were some more interesting options on offer, to keep consumers and savvy buyers more interested. Natalie Massenet, for example, raved about the jumpsuits at Thakoon and Proenza Schouler. There were also some beautiful and interesting silhouettes at Oscar de la Renta’s stunning show (where J-Lo made a front row appearance), keeping the ladies who lunch on their toes.

Speaking of which, perhaps the most inventive and creative duo in New York is Rodarte, who showed at the Gagosian Gallery in an unconventional seating arrangement, with shoes made of electrical wire and inspired by Star Wars’ C3P0.

As this New York season winds down (there were almost 250 fashion shows to be taken in an ever-expanding New York schedule), I am looking forward to the creative energy of London, where safety is a four-letter word. Then again, London has a long way to go in creating the same kind of energy around emerging fashion businesses as is found in New York. Perhaps a fusion of the two would be ideal.

London Fashion Week begins on Sunday.

Photos courtesy of Style.com and Coutorture.com.

News has been trickling in all week about confusion around the strategic direction being taken by Barneys and today, the New York Times is reporting that its highly respected CEO Howard Socol will resign next week. This is an abrupt change of tone in the buzz around Barneys, which is arguably the most influential and forward thinking luxury and fashion department store chain in America today.

Bergdorf Goodman, of course is a venerable store in its own right, but it only has one location in New York and  its sister company, Neiman Marcus, based in Dallas, is far removed from the New York fashion hub. Yes, Neimans serves an unequaled luxury customer, but it just does not have the fashion cred that Barneys has managed to build in recent years.  Barneys’ affable Fashion Director, Julie Gilhart, has been a champion of emerging talent and amongst others, is credited with recognising the talent of the Proenza Schouler boys, buying their graduate collection from Parsons.

But, is Barneys about to become a basket case?

Earlier this week, Barneys announced a puzzling collaboration with Target, raising eyebrows amongst opinion leaders in the fashion industry. While Target has certainly built fashion cred in its own right through its Go International designer collaboration campaign, it is unclear why Barneys, associated with the highest end of luxury and design, needs to collaborate so closely with a mass market chain — right down to putting the Target Bullseye logo in its windows.

The back story to all of this leads to private equity and the economy. After a huge bidding war last year, Barneys was bought by Dubai-based Istithmar for almost $1 billion. Istithmar is now pushing for an international expansion strategy that apparently conflicts with Socol’s own views on how to grow the business. And, with the U.S. economy in the doldrums, Barneys has been resorting to strategic moves that would have been unthinkable a few years ago.

Amongst the most anticipated collections this season in Paris were the debuts by new designers at the helm of established brands — Stuart Vevers for Loewe, Estaban Cortazar for Ungaro, and Alessandra Facchinetti  for Valentino. Each brand has faced its own unique challenges in finding the right creative spark to sustain brand awareness and business performance.

While many fashion companies are practically clambouring to establish a presence and gain legitimacy in the lucrative leather goods category, Loewe has a long, rich history in beautifully-crafted leather goods, including a strong link to the  Spanish Royal family. But despite its enviable heritage and high quality, Loewe has had a hard time breaking into the younger fashion mainstream. Enter Stuart Vevers, who has a luxury heritage all his own, with stints at Louis Vuitton and most recently at Mulberry, where he helped put the British brand on the global fashion map.

Vevers’ leather goods for Loewe hit all the right notes — so right, that one glossy pink exotic skin bag was actually stolen during the presentation. He took classic Loewe shapes and updated them for a younger, more fashion-savvy clientele. The standout was a pony hair bag with an animal spot pattern by Fleet Bigwood, a print specialist who teaches at Central St Martins. Stuart told us that everything was designed from scratch, including the fun padlock and lightbulb heels that added a bit of irreverence to the collection.

While the industry nodded understandingly when Vevers came to Loewe, what with his CV of A-list fashion names and a strong connection to London’s cool fashion clique (Giles Deacon made a stop in to support his friend), Esteban Cortazar’s appointment at Ungaro raised a few eyebrows, including our own. While he had 5 years of design experience for his own label, the 23-year old Cortazar had no experience in a big house and could have crumbled under all the pressure.

He didn’t. We did not attend the show, but it was generally well-received, with fashion critics giving the young Cortazar points for his youthful energy and for keeping things straightforward. The soft draping made for a more playful Ungaro than what some might have expected, but it seems the industry is willing to give this young talent a chance to grow into his role.  We hope the Mounir Moufarrige, the brand’s CEO, does the same. (Several major talents are said to have turned down the Ungaro role due to unfavourable reactions to Mr. Moufarrige.)

Perhaps the biggest shoes to fill were those of Valentino Garavani, who after 45 years at the helm of his eponymous label, stepped down after the couture shows in January. Facchinetti delivered a collection that was "respectful" to Valentino, according to several observers who seemed to choose the same word, one which was neither adulatory or outwardly critical. The collection itself was quite beautiful, and apart from a few stylistic choices, Facchinetti didn’t veer too far away from the Valentino formula that has worked so well, albeit with a more relaxed approach.

This is always the big choice a designer makes when taking over a label. What balance should they strike between sticking to the house’s DNA and putting their own stamp on the label? Riccardo Tisci has been given space to toy with this during his first few seasons at Givenchy (and hit the nail on the head this time), partially because the brand was being re-launched almost from scratch. But our headline aside, Facchinetti’s debut wasn’t technically a revival – the Valentino business is strong and growing. Thus, Facchinetti was under the high-intensity business of fashion microscope. Too extreme a turn, and it could seriously impact profits.

In her review, Cathy Horyn made a valid point that Facchinetti (and Permira, Valentino’s new owners) may want to consider carefully. While she has several seasons yet to put her mark on the brand, if she does not try to say something of her own, she may be considered irrelevant from a design perspective, even if buyers are happy that she has not alienated the core Valentino clientele. This strategy may not sustainable over the long-term as the brand may begin to feel stale.

Incidentally, Cathy also confirmed a rumour that Valentino himself would have preferred very talented Jack McCullough and Lazaro Hernandez to take over from him. Prior to Permira’s acquisition of Valentino, its parent company, Valentino Fashion Group, made an investment in in Proenza Schouler last summer, at a surprisingly low valuation, leaving observers wondering why they would have agreed to this. It would make sense that they would take a lower valuation if they were going to also take on a lucrative design role at Valentino that also linked their futures more closely to the the Group.

We trust that Cathy has a very good source on this, so are comfortable in reporting it here now. Actually, on second thought, she probably heard it straight from the horse’s mouth.

Valentino and Ungaro photos courtesy of Style.com

The day before Super Tuesday in the American primary elections might be called Mega Monday at New York Fashion Week, with established heavyweights like Oscar de la Renta showing alongside the city’s new establishment of Proenza Schouler and Peter Som. Young or old, a newfound fancy for fur (and its premium pricepoints) was a common thread, even in these recessionary times.

But, Oscar is no old-fogey. His collection came out to the sweet sounds of Regina Spektor, the young hip pianist. During the show, I had the good fortune to be seated next to the company’s CEO, Alex Bolen, who also happens to be Oscar’s son-in-law. It was a great opportunity to have a pre-show chat. Before I could even ask, Alex told me that Oscar de la Renta has not seen any impact of the economic slowdown on their business at all. Not a blip in sight.

To the contrary, the weak US dollar has opened up new international growth horizons for Oscar de la Renta, which is still largely an American business, albeit with a strong international appeal. Half of the collection (mostly evening dresses, Oscar’s specialty) is produced in the United States, with costs denominated in US dollars, and therefore, Oscar now offers much better value than some of his European rivals like Akris and Valentino. Alex said that they will be going after this opportunity with gusto. To wit, the business has added 25 new international points of sale in recent months and plans are afoot for new stores in Moscow and elsewhere.

The runway show itself was consistent with Oscar’s approach of adopting the season’s biggest trends in a timeless way that is palatable to his loyal clientèle. A rich colour palette of gold, forest green and deep aubergine was mixed with fur, and lots of it, on collars and trims. Trousers were cut with a high-waist and wide legs, while skirts were voluminous in subtle prints.

Pretty clothes aside, the most delightful sight for me was to see Oscar himself peeking out from  behind the backstage door, making last minute adjustments before the girls came out and reacting with delight when a gown or outfit seemed to match with the vision he had in his mind. You could almost hear him thinking, "Just perfect."

Fur was also a big story over at Peter Som, who showed a collection that was a brave departure from the sweet girly aesthetic of seasons past. This time,  she was more quirky, dressed in lace and layered, asymmetric tailoring.

It made me wonder, was the change in direction an effort to keep this collection truly distinct from Peter’s first outing as Creative Director of Bill Blass or simply a natural aesthetic shift that Peter wants his uptown clients to adopt? 

It’s a bit of both, Peter told me later on. "Along with the challenges of simultaneously designing two collections I also felt more free to explore who the Peter Som and the Bill Blass girl really are," Peter said. "For Peter Som she has always been feminine, flirty and someone who likes to have fun with her clothes. But this season I really wanted to develop her sense of adventure and ability to take risks. She is less concerned about her hair than she is about having a good time, trying new things and adding her own eccentric twist to her approach to dressing."

And, at the end of the fashion day, Jack McCullough and Lazaro Hernandez of Proenza Schouler lived up to their cool kids reputation and treated the fashion pack to a stunning collection with even more wide-legged trousers and furry sleeves.

While Angie Harmon was cooing over the dresses (at the last minute she was forced to stand right next to me when she was brought out too late to take her front row seat), I was most taken with how Jack and Laz managed to take their tailoring to new heights, with some really beautiful, jackets with elegant layers of fabric in an understated mix of colours. This was definitely one of the week’s highlights, and speaks to the bright future of Proenza Schouler. And oh, the make-up was really cool too.

© 2008 Copyright Imran Amed – The Business of Fashion

Following his blowout 3-day fashion fiesta in Rome earlier this summer, WWD is reporting today that Valentino and his longtime business partner, Giancarlo Giammetti, will both step down from their positions at Valentino after this season. Finally, the fashion industry’s rampant speculation about Valentino’s future role in the post-Permira world will come to an end. But, this will only make more room for the other question on everyone’s lips: Who will replace Mr. Valentino?

Zac Posen and the designers behind Proenza Schouler (which was recently injected with $3.7m of funding from Valentino Fashion Group) are amongst the names being tossed around. Over at Fashion Inc the money is on Proenza Schouler. Others are saying that Alessandra Fachinetti, the former womenswear designer at Gucci, is at the front of the pack.

Regardless of who gets the job, this could spell trouble for Permira, who recently took a majority stake in the company. Unless Valentino himself continues to be involved in some way as a consultant or behind-the-scenes advisor and unless he is actively involved in choosing his successor, Permira may find it difficult to grow the business to provide the returns that Permira’s investors expect, while also protecting the integrity of the brand for the long term.

Up until now, the driving force behind Valentino’s success has been his partnership with Mr. Giammetti. With both of these key players gone, there are some seriously massive shoes to fill.

Many column inches and much screenspace has been dedicated to Valentino over the past few weeks. The Business of Fashion has been no exception to this trend. What with the acquisition of Valentino by Permira, the celebration of Valentino’s 45th anniversary at the helm of his eponymous label in Rome last weekend, and the announcement of a 45% investment in Proenza Schouler by Valentino Fashion Group this past week, there has been much to write about — or, more specifically, to speculate on.

Will Valentino continue to design for his label or was this party the beginning of the end? How well will Permira be able to manage Valentino, their first investment in luxury fashion? What will Permira do with the tiny Proenza Schouler business which they snapped up for what seems to be a low valuation? Who will replace Valentino when he goes — will it be the Proenza Schouler boys or will it be Zac Posen, who was sitting in the front row in Rome along with other designers with careers longer and reputations much larger than his? Is there any meaning behind 45 years of Valentino and the 45% investment stake in Proenza Schouler? So many questions.

Vanessa Friedman of the FT has beautifully summed up the rampant speculation in this article, contextualising last weekend’s celebration in Rome with two other major tributes, the Concert for Diana and the Gianni Versace ballet this weekend — memorials for people who really are already gone. She goes on to describe the emotion and the grandeur of the festivities in Rome, trying to decode its significance, not only for Valentino but for an era in fashion more generally.

And, she ends with the most interesting question of all. By announcing his impending retirement, has Valentino become the equivalent of a lame duck U.S. President? Will he suffer the same fate as Tony Blair and George Bush, now that he has essentially announced his departure but is apparently staying on?

I can’t wait to see how all of this pans out.

This is a really great initiative from the CFDA and other venerable fashion names like Barneys New York and Vogue. That said, I have one suggestion to make it even more powerful. I believe the CFDA should supplement the business mentoring and cash with a requirement and access to funding for the winning designers to find a suitable day-to-day business partner/advisor. While mentoring from an experienced fashion business executive is priceless, it does not make up for daily support and partnership.

I have made this point before, but so many young designers try to do everything on their own, and this means they deal with areas where they might not have any formal training or expertise. One look at the long list of established designers who have relied on business parters to act as thought partners on day-to-day decisions and to share the workload, shows that this is a real pattern of success in the industry.  Marc Jacobs (who has Robert Duffy), Miuccia Prada (has always worked with her husband Patrizio Bertelli), Tom Ford (who with Domenico De Sole turned Gucci around from a fuddy duddy backwater brand), Giorgio Armani (Sergio Galeotti worked with Armani for years before he passed away), Valentino (Giancarlo Gianetti is still his business partner, even if he is no longer his life partner), and Derek Lam  (Jan-Hendrik Schlottmann) have all shown that this tandem approach can help to get the business off the ground properly, allowing the designer to focus more on the creative aspects of the business.

This ad above, from today’s WWD, lays out all of the requirements and the application procedure. Good luck!