Sonia Rykiel Spring Summer 2011 | Source: Moda Paramujer

Sonia Rykiel in talks with investor Fung Brands (Reuters)
“Sonia Rykiel, one of the last family-controlled French fashion houses, is in exclusive talks with privately held Fung Brands which could lead to the investment firm taking an 80 percent stake in the company to help it expand internationally.”

China’s Hidden Wealth Feeds an Income Gap (NY Times)
“Wealthy Chinese are snapping up gold, Rolls-Royces and yachts, Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Gucci faster than ever before, with increases registering not in baby steps, as a decade ago, but in giant leaps — 20, 50, even 80 percent, year on year. The Chinese have become the world’s biggest duty-free shoppers. Where is all the money coming from?”

Italy woes weigh on luxury shoemaker Tod’s in Q4 (Reuters)
“Italian luxury goods maker Tod’s reported lower-than-expected sales in its crisis-hit core Italian market in the last quarter. The owner of the Hogan, Fay and Roger Vivier brands, with a market value of 2.1 billion euros ($2.7 billion), said on Wednesday global sales grew 13.5 percent last year to 893.7 million euros, slightly above analysts’ estimates.”

Vogue keeps No. 1 rank among fashion titles (New York Post)
“In the closely watched March issues of fashion magazines — where fashion designers typically advertise their spring and summer collections — the Condé Nast flagship Vogue retained its customary No. 1 spot. Vogue had 442.74 ad pages, up 3.7 percent, handily beating Time Inc.’s In Style, which came in No. 2 with 347.0 ad pages, up a healthy 39 pages, or 13 percent.”

Cool Designer Ervell Hates to Shop, Wants NYC Store (Bloomberg)
“Dressed in jeans, New Balance sneakers and a simple blue button-down shirt, Ervell, 32, is indistinguishable from the vaguely mussed creative types who pack downtown. What makes Ervell — and all those scenesters — so effortlessly cool is his own, eponymous clothing line.”

Carol Lim and Humberto Leon | Source: Lane Crawford

Opening Ceremony Founders to Lead Kenzo (Elle)
“LVMH has tapped the retail dynamos behind Opening Ceremony as Kenzo’s new creative directors… Lim and Leon succeed Antonio Marras, who designed for Kenzo from 2004 until the recent menswear collection… Leon and Lim will continue to lead Opening Ceremony while working to reenergise Kenzo’s brand image.”

At Versailles, Rock ‘n’ Rococo (IHT)
“Who would have thought that modern designers could feel right at home amid the curlicues, gilding, Watteau paintings and water fountains of Versailles?… But as in music, so in fashion: modernity is in the mix. And a little of the courtly grandeur of Versailles goes a long way.”

Camilla Al Fayed buys Issa (Telegraph)
“The daughter of ex Harrods owner, Mohamed Al Fayed, purchased a 51 per cent stake in the label… Al Fayed’s title will be chairwoman and she will oversee the commercial expansion of the brand, while Helayel (who continues to hold a 49 per cent stake), will remain as creative director.”

Social Shopping Gets Personal (Forbes)
“Lucky magazine, Conde Nast’s publication dedicated to shopping and style, teamed up with ThisNext.com to create a social shopping platform on a co-branded site… Lucky readers aren’t the only ones who will be crafting personal shopping guides. Lucky editors and brand partners will also be pushing their picks.”

Rykiel for sale? (Vogue)
“Sonia Rykiel may soon be selling a minority stake in a bid to speed up its expansion… Rykiel has already approached Edmond de Rothschild Corporate Finance chairman Laurence Danon to help her look into options for the family-owned business.”

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.”

Keeping Fast Fashion Fresh, and Profitable (IHT)
“It is not often that the Grand Palais… hosts a giant Ferris Wheel, a spinning swing, a shimmering mini Eiffel Tower, and a parade of scantily clad models showing lingerie on a catwalk resembling the Champs-Élysées. In the center of this adult amusement park stood Karl-Johan Persson, 34, in his new role as chief executive of H&M Hennes & Mauritz.”

Hermès and Gucci Press Equestrian Advantage (NY Times)
“The heart of the sponsorships is not commerce but the soul of the brands. Hermès has never deviated from its noble, officer-and-gentleman image. But this is a good time to reinforce that classy conception, at a moment when luxury has become associated with a period of extravagance and excess… Last weekend’s event may turn out for Gucci to be a Masters not just in jumping, but also in handling its heritage.”

John Galliano to start men’s wear line (Independent)
“Italian fashion giant Ittierre will license John Galliano’s first men’s wear range. While Galliano is responsible for the creative direction of French luxury fashion house Dior (in addition to his own label, John Galliano), this new line will be down-to-earth in comparison, with the designer eyeing a ‘contemporary-priced, ‘urban casual’ sportswear line.’”

Tough to let go for 70-something fashion designers (Reuters)
“The passing of the artistic torch is one of the most discussed subjects in the fashion world as it can make or break the survival of the brand — but no fashion house is willing to talk about it officially. Aside from Armani, the clock is ticking for a number of other fashion companies headed by 70-something designers including Ralph Lauren and Oscar de la Renta in the United States and Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel in France.”

A fashion icon, unwrapped (Chicago Tribune)
“Meeting Diane von Furstenberg, we weren’t sure what to expect. After all, this is a woman who married a prince, made millions, graced the cover of Newsweek at age 29 and hung out with Andy Warhol… Definite diva potential. Instead, DVF …was decidedly un-diva like. No big sunglasses. No handlers. No swish of the fur à la Meryl Streep in ‘The Devil Wears Prada.’”

Sonia Rykiel

H&M signs Sonia Rykiel (Drapers)
“Swedish clothing chain H&M has signed French fashion veteran Sonia Rykiel to design a range of lingerie and related accessories to be launched on December 5.”

Job Wanted — and Pay Would Be Nice (New York Times)
“Many of Britain’s most successful brands may be rich in creativity, but they are poor in revenue. So when a collection appears on the catwalk, often those remarkable clothes are created, at least in part, by unpaid interns.”

Fashion chain New Look models idea of flotation (Guardian)
“High street fashion chain New Look is expected to trigger a rush of flotations on the London Stock Exchange after it emerged the private equity-owned retailer has held talks over a possible £1.7bn listing before the end of the year.”

When artists meet designers (FT)
“When Zac Posen was asked why New York artist Rosson Crow was interested in collaborating on his recent spring/summer 2010 collection, the designer observed: ‘Throughout history fine artists have been funded by the greatest luxury brand of them all: Christianity.’ Why, he asked, in today’s more secular climate, should anyone be surprised they have simply moved on from a religious brand to fashion brands?”

The role of the muse in fashion (FT)
“What is a fashion muse? An amazing meteor that holds the eye and seduces for a second before vanishing? Or something more? Thanks to the cult of celebrity, we have become confused between names we know,such as Victoria Beckham, Kate Moss and Yasmin Le Bon, and the real muses of the fashion pantheon. Behind every great creator there is a muse in the shadows, but they have never been given the attention they deserve.”