Reiss Shola dress, worn by the Duchess of Cambridge | Source: Reiss

Kate Middleton: putting the regal into Reiss (Telegraph)
“‘The Reiss dress was perfectly pitched… Britain has the best high street in the world. No one exemplifies the strength of that better than the Duchess of Cambridge.’”

Knitting pretty (FT)
“As well as giving Pringle a youthful burst of creativity, the Archive Project provides the brand with a reputation for supporting new talent… ‘This makes them appeal to a younger demographic.’”

Ferragamo May Seek Higher IPO Rating Than Prada (Bloomberg)
“[Salvatore Ferragamo] may seek a higher valuation multiple than its bigger rival Prada SpA… [the company] may be valued at as much as 2.25 billion euros ($3.2 billion), or 26 times estimated 2012 profit.”

Phillips-Van Heusen first quarter beats; raises FY view (Reuters)
“Phillips-Van Heusen Corp raised its full-year outlook and posted first-quarter earnings that beat market expectations as revenue more than doubled on strong sales in its Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein businesses.”

How To Sell Luxury To The Chinese (Forbes)
“[A] chat with Lane Crawford’s fashion director Sarah Rutson — a much-photographed street style blog star — on the evolving taste of the Chinese consumer, the brands they favor, and her role in the global fashion community.”

Céline Autumn/Winter 2010 | Source: Céline

The new fashion forward (Telegraph)
“Such is the insanely accelerated speed of the fashion world that the clothes appearing in shops now already seem not to be the latest thing, their significance lost, having long ago been… sucked dry through overexposure.”

Personal tailoring for everyone (Telegraph)
“With 84 stores in Britain (it also has branches in the USA, China and the Gulf), the scheme has the potential to transform the entire concept of tailoring on the high street – if [Reiss] gets it right. The early signs are good.”

A British Fashion Invasion (Portfolio)
“International sales are 30 percent of our business, and the U.S. is the fastest-growing market—without any advertising… it’s time to give the American consumers what they want, a U.S. presence.”

Twitter redesign will increase luxury brand engagement (Luxury Daily)
“In an industry whose online presence is highly defined by rich media and images, Twitter’s redesign will help luxury marketers increase their brand engagement.”

New names prove their worth on menswear day (Telegraph)
“Finding links between young designers and the new names of Savile Row, men’s day is creating a movement all of its own. The key catwalk names are James Long and Christopher Shannon, both designers in their twenties.”

LONDON, United Kingdom — Having recognised a missed opportunity online for both commerce and communication, REISS is not wasting any more time in getting on the digital train. The London-based fashion retailer is making big digital moves under the leadership of company founder David Reiss and brand director Andy Rogers.

This evening in London, REISS will screen its new film Elements, directed by Jamie Morgan, to a select group of fashion industry insiders, before a full web launch in September, coinciding with the arrival of the Autumn/Winter 2010 collection. Last week, I had a sneak peek at the stunning film and can share an exclusive trailer with BoF readers today. (RSS and email subscribers, you can see the trailer here)

In an extended conversation with The Business of Fashion, Reiss and Rogers spoke about how their digital epiphany came about and described their business strategy for REISS in the months and years ahead.

… Continue Reading

Puma Ad campaign 2009, courtesy of Puma

Puma prepares for ‘volatile’ retail sector (FT)
“Puma, the world’s third-largest sports goods maker, said it expects a challenging second half of the year after posting better-than-expected results for the second quarter on Friday.”

David Reiss and Andy Rogers (Drapers)
“Reiss launches its first sub-brand this week, aimed at a younger, edgier customer. Founder David Reiss and brand director Andy Rogers share their vision for the premium chain’s global future.”

Kenneth Cole posts narrower-than-expected Q2 loss (Reuters)
“U.S. shoe and clothing maker Kenneth Cole Productions Inc posted a narrower-than-expected quarterly loss, helped by tight cost control and inventory management, and forecast a surprise third-quarter loss.”

Investigation into Kaupthing loans to UK retailer’s firm (Guardian)
“Details of loans made by failed Icelandic bank Kaupthing to a company owned by British retail entrepreneur Kevin Stanford have been sent to criminal investigators in Iceland by the local financial regulator amid allegations of market manipulation before the bank’s collapse last October.”

Valley of the Dolls | Jeffrey Turns 10 (The Moment)
“To celebrate its 10th anniversary, the luxury retailer Jeffrey is creating its own “Valley of the Dolls.” Its owner, Jeffrey Kalinsky, tapped the designer Jason Wu (who started out creating fashionable dolls before scaling up the fashion rungs with Michelle Obama’s inaugural ball gown) to create a series of limited-edition dolls, which were in turn sent out to a who’s who of designers to be dressed in the season’s looks.”

Ad campaign by Annie Liebowitz, courtesy of the Gap

Gap earnings rise but sales fall (Drapers)
“Total international sales fell slightly to $505 million over the fourth quarter.”

US economy contracts 6.2% (FT)
“The US economy contracted by an annualised 6.2 per cent in the final quarter of last year, revised government figures showed on Friday, the sharpest quarterly contraction since 1982 and a sign of an even deeper recession.”

Reiss plans young, cheaper sub-brand (Drapers)
“Premium high-street chain Reiss is launching a younger, lower-priced sub-brand for Autumn to widen its customer base.”

Despite IT Bankrupcty, Just Cavalli Presents Collection (New York Times)
With the collapse of its manufacturing firm Ittierre, Just Cavalli forges on with a presentation in Milan.