Prada Spring/Summer 2010 | Source: Prada

Prada Is Aiming at a Valuation of More Than $4.9 Billion (Bloomberg)
“Prada is aiming for a valuation of over 4 billion euros ($4.95 billion), while bankers estimate the Italian fashion label is worth between 3 billion euros and 4 billion euros.”

Takashimaya Says It Will End U.S. Operations (Bloomberg)
“Takashimaya Co., a Japanese department-store operator, said it plans to terminate its U.S. operations to relocate resources to faster-growing markets in Asia.”

Managing the Distribution of Content as a Luxury Brand (Fashion’s Collective)
“The reality is that viral marketing for high end brands already exists, and it’s lucrative… it’s bloggers [and] fashion fanatics that passionately write about the pieces and brands they love.”

Luxury Shopping Tours Gain Popularity (Red Luxury)
“In France, Chinese tourists surpassed all other nationalities as the biggest shoppers according to a recent French government survey. As a result, French travel companies are developing more shopping programs for the Chinese.”

Radical Surgery on Regular Menswear (IHT)
“Off with the coat sleeves! Cut away the collar! Snip at pants until they morph into shorts! Split the seams and close them with zippers! Radical surgery on regular menswear was the message of the Paris summer 2011 season that ended Monday.”

Erdem Autumn/Winter 2010 Digital Print Detail | Source: Style.com

Prints for the Cyberage (IHT)
“Printed matter has undergone a digital revolution, as the new millennium has witnessed a dramatic change in the way that a pattern is developed to follow the shape of the body and to overlay actual images with virtual versions.”

Takashimaya’s Net Slumps 34 percent (WSJ)
“Takashimaya Co. said.. that revenue and profit for the year ended Feb. 28 showed steep declines as consumer worries about income and employment hurt the Japanese department store operator’s sales.”

Jil Sander Launches New Line (Elle.com)
“Fashion house Jil Sander has announced that it will be launching a brand new, lower priced line… designed by Raf Simons after all – the line will be less expensive than its catwalk counterpart.”

From Paris to Patna:Net takes high-fashion to small town India (Economic Times)
“The sweeping spread of cyberspace has made it an ideal channel for coveted brands like Versace, Gucci and DKNY to reach out to the nooks and crannies of India, the country often touted as the next big retail destination.”

A fashion duo dresses up a wine label (FT)
“It was recently announced that Basso & Brooke, British designers known for their use of fabric decorated with pornographic prints, had been appointed ‘designers in residence’ to Turning Leaf, E&J Gallo’s traditional wine brand.”

Kenzo S/S 09 Ad campaign by Mario Sorrenti

Kenzo fashions its global comeback (Business24-7)
“Heading into the hot seat during a global downturn isn’t always easy, but if there are any stylised butterflies in James Greenfield’s stomach as he spearheads a revival of Kenzo, he isn’t letting it show.”

11.8 million worldwide job losses in textile & garment sector (Fibre2Fashion)
“The impact of the economic crisis on the textile, garment, leather and footwear sectors has been dramatic. Since June 2008, over 8,200 factories have closed and an estimated 11.5 million workers have lost their jobs.”

Nordstrom March same-store sales down 13.5% (WSJ)
“Nordstrom Inc. on Thursday said March sales at stores open at least one year fell 13.5%.”

Takashimaya Full-Year Net Profit Drops 37% (WWD)
“It was a tough year for Japanese department store operator Takashimaya Co., which saw declining profits and sales for its fiscal year ended Feb. 28, 2009.” (Subscription required)

Takashimaya in Japan

Bank Sees Japan Retailers In ‘Unprecedented’ Downturn (WWD)
Deutsche Bank forecasts that three departments stores including Isetan and Takashimaya Japan “are heading into a prolonged and unprecedented sales downturn.”

Badgley Mischka to Lower Prices (WSJ)
With consumer confidence low, Badgley Mischka responds by lowering its prices.

The Latest in Retail Technology (WSJ)
New technologies such as scent machines are becoming more abundant in order to motivate shoppers to open their wallets.

Amazon Sales Up While Most Retailers Suffer (Seeking Alpha)
Amazon has posted strong sales with spending per customer up 17%.