Jil Sander Gets Her Groove Back (On the Runway)
"'Don't ask me why,'' Jil Sander said with a laugh on Tuesday, when asked why she had decided, at age 68, to leave a comfortable retirement and return to the fashion fray."

Refinery29 Launching R29 Shop (WWD)
"Up until now, Refinery29's business model has relied heavily upon advertising to drive revenue, with approximately 80 percent of it coming from ads and 20 percent coming from commerce. The fashion site is looking to change that ratio with the launch of a new commerce platform, R29 Shop."

High-end retailers clouded by spending concern (MarketWatch)
"Upscale retailers Nordstrom Inc., Macy's Inc. and Saks Inc. were among the leading retail sector decliners on Wednesday after Citigroup cut its ratings on all three of them on concern that high-end spending may slow in the second half."

Dolce & Gabbana launches couture (FT)
"Dolce & Gabbana confirmed rumours that it will create a small couture collection for the first time, to be showed July 9th to a group of clients in Taormina, Sicily."

Fashion and Art: Jumping into Bed to Make Money Together (Forbes)
"Fashion designers increasingly attract the kinds of crowds once reserved for Picasso, Matisse, or da Vinci. These days, all manner of fashion — new and old, classic and weird, kitsch, extravagant, absurd and glamorous – brings them in droves to marvel over shoes, dresses, perfumes, and purses by instantly recognizable luxury brands, whose goods get validated as art."