Lanvin A/W '09, courtesy of the New York Times

Two Words for Fall: Toughen Up (New York Times)
The recession could turn out to make designers better.

Do You Want Clothes to Go With That Perfume? (WSJ)
At Rochas, there are now clothes that come with its legendary scent.

Gap boss takes pay cut (Drapers)
“Gap’s chairman and chief executive Glenn Murphy will take a 15% salary cut as part of plans to cut costs.”

Hermès Net Up 0.8 Percent (WWD)
Hermès post steady sales with marginal profit gain. (Subscription required)

Balmain A/W 2009, courtesy of Style.com

PARIS, France — I’m in Paris for the collections, after sitting last season out. It’s funny the way everything looks different when you’re actually here.

Take Balmain, for instance. I assumed, from what I read in the press after last season’s showing by designer Christophe Decarnin, that it was the collection du jour; the one that everyone adored, adored, adored. It turns out that well, this is not really the case.

The talk amongst the fashion intelligentsia before and after the show centered around one key point – and that point was not: “Isn’t Decarnin a genius?”, but rather “Who can actually buy this stuff?” … Continue Reading

Retailers Cash in on Election Fever (WSJ)
“Retailers are trying to pitch Election Day as a fun shopping event,” reports the Wall Street Journal.

Ghost rescued from administration (Drapers)
Touker Sulerman has purchased the Ghost brand.

Weak Personal Spending Figures: Forget about a Christmas Spending Spree (Seeking Alpha)
“Christmas this year will be mostly a religious observance, not a spending spree.”

Gibo Taps Marco Zanini for Rochas (WWD)
Marco Zanini, former design head of Halston, is the new Creative Director at Rochas.

Barack Obama and John McCain, photo courtesy of topnews.in.