NEW YORK, United States — For decades, a quick route to fashion world prominence involved a designer turning a youth culture trend into a runway-ready collection. Calvin Klein made heroin chic, Jean Paul Gaultier sampled from club culture, Marc Jacobs glammed-up grunge and Hedi Slimane turned Berlin punks into fashion plates.

The concept was simple, even if the design work wasn’t: find a scruffy outsider style that remained untapped, then spruce it up for the luxury market. But today, as high fashion becomes increasingly accessible, this approach may no longer work. Today’s internet-empowered youth have the tools, access and information to create and promote their own fashion culture.

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Rodarte’s Target (Vogue)
“Rodarte will join the ranks of Erin Fetherston, Jovovich-Hawk, Rogan and Jonathan Saunders (among others), as the latest designers to collaborate with American retailer Target as part of its Go International series.”

Clessidra Pulls Out Of Deal With Cavalli (WSJ)
“Italian private equity fund Clessidra SGR SpA has pulled out of a deal with fashion house Roberto Cavalli after disagreement over the value of the company, a person familiar with the situation told Dow Jones Newswires on Wednesday. The talks collapsed just two months after Cavalli and Clessidra signed a letter of intent for the fund to buy 30% of the fashion house.”

Mark Ronson designs trainers for Gucci’s Pop-Up Store (Elle UK)
“Gucci launches ‘Gucci Icon-Temporary’, a pop-up trainer store that will travel the world. The shop will stock 18 trainer designs in all, 16 for men and two for women. And for that extra limited edition-ness Gucci has collaborated with DJ and trainer addict Mark Ronson to design one exclusive, unisex trainer for each city.”

Adidas profits plunge 93% (Drapers)
“Adidas suffered a 93 percent plunge in profits in its second quarter as the downturn continues to take its toll on consumer spending.”

Naomi Sims, the First Black Supermodel (Time)
“A tall, striking, confident, chiseled, brown-skinned beauty, she has forever changed how America defines beautiful.”

Old Navy ad campaign, courtesy of Old Navy

Gap Revamping Old Navy, Seeking To Reclaim Mkt Share (WSJ)
“Gap, which is the largest U.S. clothing chain, will remodel 50 Old Navy stores this year after a successful pilot in California, according to Chief Executive Glenn Murphy, speaking at a Piper Jaffray conference in New York Wednesday.”

Rodarte: California dreamers put B-movies before business (Times)
“Interest in the Mulleavy sisters and their fantastical designs has grown like a giant redwood.”

Boomtime for fashion fakers (Independent)
“The counterfeit trade is flourishing online – and it’s harder than ever to tell forgeries from designer originals. But now the big labels are fighting back.”

Sir Philip Green’s interview on BBC 2 (Drapers)
“Sir Philip Green, who owns Arcadia and BHS, said that while trade had been more settled recently, businesses were still not being funded properly, which would not help the country lift itself out of the recession.” Watch the interview here.

Graduate Fashion Week winners announced (Drapers)
“Myrto Samou of UCA Rochester picked up the River Island Gold Award and the Womenswear Award at Graduate Fashion Week last night.”