Exiting Louis Vuitton CEO, Yves Carcelle | Source: Fashion Windows

Louis Vuitton picks Constans as new chief (FT)
“Yves Carcelle, chief executive of Louis Vuitton, will stand aside at the end of the next year to be replaced by Jordi Constans, a senior executive of Danone, the French yoghurt group. The move, announced by Louis Vuitton’s parent company LVMH on Wednesday, reflects a trend among luxury goods groups to hire senior executives from the consumer goods industry as their rapid expansion into emerging markets mirrors that of Danone.”

Fashion Week’s Split Personality (NY Times)
“In a matter of a few seasons, the Friday and Saturday shows have eclipsed the others in excitement and energy, so much so that, by Sunday, it seemed to many that spring 2012 Fashion Week had peaked and that the remaining days, far from being a slalom, were a slog… Beyond energy, though, what do all of these young people bring to the communal fashion table, and what, specifically, do they give to designers?”

Hermès shares suspended ahead of court ruling (Reuters)
“LVMH, the maker of Louis Vuitton handbags and Celine dresses, officially claims it does not wish to take control of Hermès but the group has been steadily increasing its stake in Hermès from 17 percent in October last year to nearly 22 percent.”

Japan’s Uniqlo revving up store openings worldwide (Washington Post)
“The head of Fast Retailing Co. said… His company will sharply accelerate overseas expansion of its Uniqlo stores in a bid to become the world’s top apparel manufacturer and retailer. Unveiling a new global business strategy, chief executive and founder Tadashi Yanai said Japanese companies are doomed if they don’t go global… Fast Retailing aims to open 200 to 300 stores worldwide each year with a heavy focus on rapidly growing Asia.”

Vogue publisher Condé Nast to open fashion and design college (BBC News)
“The publisher of Vogue magazine, Condé Nast, is to open a college of fashion and design in London. The college will open next September and the principal will be magazine editor Susie Forbes… The company says it will offer a year-long Vogue fashion foundation course, as well as short courses. It also plans interior design and decoration course.”

Louis Vuitton store in Mongolian capital, Ulaanbaatar | Source: Courtesy LV

The Luxury Frontier (WSJ)
“What happens when a country previously hindered by vastness and foreign rule awakens to wealth on its doorstep? With Louis Vuitton on one corner and one of the world’s largest gold deposits down the road, the previously nomadic society of Mongolia is putting down some rich roots.”

Paris Men’s: Dude Surfers (On the Runway)
“The Paris men’s shows could always surprise with a great venue, or staging, or casting that conveyed the spirit of the designs. But Thursday’s shows put out so little energy that they made a case for seeing the clothes in the showroom. Or catching them later online.”

Prada Is Making Fashion in China (WSJ)
“About 20% of Prada’s collections… are made in China. The Milan-based company manufactures outside Italy in other cheaper countries such as Vietnam, Turkey and Romania… ‘Sooner or later, it will happen to everyone because [Chinese manufacturing] is so good,’ Prada designer Miuccia Prada said in an interview.”

Uniqlo and Jil Sander part ways (Telegraph)
“The German fashion designer Jil Sander, feted for her minimalist aesthetic, and Japanese retailer Uniqlo, are to part ways after working together for almost three years. The +J collection , which was launched in 2009… will make its final foray into stores with a range for this coming autumn and winter.”

What Has Pierre Cardin Been Up To? (WSJ)
“The legendary fashion designer has purchased a vast array of buildings there over the past decade, and, the locals advised me, he was taking a hands-on approach to their reconstruction. His acquisitions now number more than 40, the most famous being the château of the notorious 18th-century libertine the Marquis de Sade.”

Fast Fashion Meets Couture in Paris (IHT)
“H&M has a particular reason to welcome the [Lanvin] collection to Paris: a new 2,800-square meter… store on the Champs-Élysées, designed by the French architect Jean Nouvel — the first time a ‘fast fashion’ chain has followed the architectural route.”

Coach Gallops Into Europe (IHT)
“Mr. Frankfort, chairman and CEO of the American accessories company, was on a whirlwind tour of Europe recently, taking in both Coach’s first move into France at Printemps and a Spanish collaboration with the department store El Corte Inglés.”

2010 FN Power 100 (WWD)
“Leaders began to regroup, restrategize and [find] innovative ways to conquer the retail market. It’s no wonder footwear has been a leading category, rebounding much faster than apparel and, oftentimes, saving the bottom lines of department stores.”

Fast Retailing’s Uniqlo Posts Store-Sales Decline (Bloomberg)
“Fast Retailing Co., Asia’s biggest clothing chain operator, posted the smallest sales decline in three months for its Uniqlo stores in Japan as cold weather in the final week of October spurred demand for winter apparel.”

100 Years of WWD (NY Times)
“Women’s Wear Daily, the quippy and quirky trade paper of the garment industry, marked its centennial with a commemorative magazine out Monday that traces the evolution of fashion and also of its own coverage of fashion.”

Jil Sander's +J for Uniqlo | Source: Uniqlo

Jil Sander Bathes in the Glow of Uniqlo (NY Times)
“This sensitive yet strong woman, trained as a textile expert, created a fashion house… and listed her company on the Frankfurt stock exchange… The fact that she walked out twice on Prada… is part of 21st-century fashion legend.”

Taking the High Cost Out of Haute Couture (IHT)
“In the spirit of the Jil Sander/Uniqlo collaboration — but at a middle-market price point — Mr. Theyskens is taking to Main Street an aesthetic that has formerly been seen at the Paris houses Nina Ricci and Rochas.”

Luxury brand diversification does have limits (Reuters)
“Diversification into new areas, which you do not really master, can be risky… But the luxury industry is full of examples of failed attempts to branch out.”

Versace sees profit in 2011 after restructuring (Reuters)
“Versace is looking to return to profit in 2011, after restructuring and weak demand dragged down revenue in 2009… [The company] posted a consolidated operating loss of 49.6 million euros in 2009, compared with a loss of 400,000 euros a year earlier.”

CFDA: Fashioning a National Identity (Style.com)
“The 28th annual CFDA Awards were back at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center… for the second year in a row, and the stars came out to support the evening’s nominees.”

Projects by the Textile Futures Research Group | Source- tfrg.org.uk

NEW YORK, United States — At the Met Ball held earlier this month in New York, singer and songwriter Katy Perry walked the red carpet in a gown made from silk chiffon and over 3000 glowing LEDs that changed colour from blue to pink to yellow to green. Created by London-based firm CuteCircuit, Perry’s gown assured her a lot of publicity. But the coming integration of fashion and technology is about more than making a visual statement.

What if a jacket could heat or cool according to the current weather, or a cocktail dress could help monitor and control your well being? Science fiction-sounding innovations like these are the potential output of the small, but growing field of “smart fashion” that’s being pioneered at university labs and start-ups across the world.

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