Fashion News Alert: Rodarte Returns to NYFW, 2019 US Sales Increase for Holiday Season, and Emanuel Ungaro Dies

December 26, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Image courtesy of nytimes.com

According to Mastercard SpendingPulse, US retail increased by 3.4% for the 2019 holiday shopping season. This occurred from November 1 to December 24. Online sales rose at a faster pace, up 18.8% from last year. Online shopping made up nearly 15% of total retail sales.

According to The New York Times, apparel sales gained 1 percent over 2018 and 17 percent online. Spending on jewelry went up 1.8 percent overall and 8.8 percent online.

As online holiday sales increased in 2019, brick-and-mortar sales didn’t grow nearly as much. In 2019 alone, the retail industry experienced 9,000 brick-and-mortar closings.

Image courtesy of vogue.com

Rodarte returns to Gotham

Based on the CFDA’s preliminary calendar for New York Fashion Week: The Shows (NYFWS) fall 2020 season, after a short hiatus, Rodarte is returning to the NYFWS calendar.

Rodarte last showed during NYFWS in September 2018. Since that time, The Mulleavy sisters, creative directors of the brand, have presented Rodarte collections in Paris and Los Angeles. Kate and Laura Mulleavy, in Rodarte’s absence from NYFWS, have been producing incredible lookbooks for their collections, with some lookbooks being star studded—Kirsten Dunst, Gabrielle Union, Lili Reinhardt, Yalitza Aparicio, and others are featured.

That said; as Rodarte is coming back to the NYFWS calendar, Tom Ford is moving on to greener pastures for the fall 2020 season. Tom Ford will be showing in Los Angeles for the fall 2020 season instead of New York.

Image courtesy of bbc.com

Emanuel Ungaro transitions

This past Saturday Emanuel Ungaro passed away in Paris. He was 86 years old. According to a family member, as told to the AFP, Ungaro had been in a weakened state of health for the last two years.

Born in the south of France to Italian immigrants, Ungaro moved to Paris in 1956, studying under Cristobal Balenciaga. In 1965, Ungaro opened his own couture house in Paris, and opened a women’s ready-to-wear line in 1968, with a men’s line following a few years later. Eventually, his fashion empire would include accessories, fragrances, and eyewear.

“A simple sweater, by the softness of its material, calls for a caress; a dress is cut to move, accompany the body in its movements, show and conceal: because it loves women, Emanuel knows the limits of male tolerance—he will create a garment too beautiful to be torn off, but clever enough to suggest to take it off with tenderness,” said Ungaro, as reported in a fashionnetwork.com.

Emanuel Ungaro retired from fashion in 2004, with Giambattista Valli becoming creative director in 2001 of his company.

—William S. Gooch

Fashion News Alert: Sally Singer Leaves Vogue, Kate Upton Targeted, and Lagerfeld Bans Fur

December 19, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Image courtesy of vogue.com

There are more major staff defections at Vogue. Long-time Creative Digital Director Sally Singer has left Vogue for other job opportunities. She is being replaced by Stuart Emmerich, in a newly created position, as editor of vogue.com.

Sally Singer joined the Vogue staff in 1999 as fashion news editor, working her way up to her last position at American Vogue as creative digital director. Singer left American Vogue in 2011 to work at T: The New York Times Style Magazine, returning to American Vogue in 2012.

Stuart Emmerich brings to American Vogue a wealth of talent to vogue.com. Before his new position at American Vogue, Emmerich was assistant managing editor at The Los Angeles Times, editor-at-large at The New York Times, senior editor at Times Magazine and executive editor at SmartMoney.

“Stuart brings to Vogue not only his strong journalistic background, but a discerning understanding of the current news climate and a talent for finding new voices,” said Wintour in a press release. “The skills that he has spent his career honing align so well with the vision that we have for [vogue.com], as reported in fashionnetwork.com.” 

Image courtesy of karllagerfeldparis.com

No-fur Karl

Many recognized fashion brands have banned the use of fur from their collections and you can now add Karl Lagerfeld to the growing list of fur-free fashion brands. AM Retail Group, which operates all Karl Lagerfeld’s Paris stores will stop using fur. AM Retail Group  also operates Wilsons Leather, GH Bass & Co, and Calvin Klein Performance stores.

AM Retail Group adds that, “these fur bans are proof that the fashion industry is changing to meet the rising demand for luxury animal-friendly alternatives, as detailed in a fashionnetwork.com report.” Karl Lagerfeld, who died earlier this year, always used lots of fur in his fall/winter collections.

Image courtesy of narcity.com

Kate Upton harassed

Curvy supermodel Kate Upton has been targeted by animal-rights activists. While hosting a Strong4Me fitness class, Upton was rampaged by animal activist for appearing in a Canada Goose campaign.

According to the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), as expressed on their website,  “What many people don’t realize about these garments [Canada Goose] is that the retailer subjects defenseless animals to an agonizing death in order to produce their fur trims and down-feather fillers.”

The uninvited animal-rights activists were carrying a sign that said, “Kate Upton Animal Abuser.” One male animal activist yelled at Upton, “Coyotes get shot in the head and are strangled to death.”

The animal-rights activists were later expelled from the fitness class by security.

William S. Gooch

 

 

Fashion News Alert: Marc Jacobs’ Menswear Is Back, Rihanna Teams Up, Lord & Taylor Returns to NYC, and Slay Model Management Searches for Models

December 12, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Image courtesy of marcjacobs.com

Marc Jacobs menswear is back!! Discontinued in 2017, as Jacobs shuttered his lower-priced, younger and more hip Marc by Marc Jacobs spinoff. Marc Jacobs menswear will be a part of the new The Marc Jacobs more accessible, lower-priced line launched earlier this year.

So far, the recently born-again Marc Jacobs menswear has had a less than auspicious reveal, with a few images from the relaunched menswear line recently released on Instagram. In concept and scope Marc Jacobs menswear is very similar to many current women’s wear garments, relying heavily on gender neutral pieces. The collection contains tees, hoodies, sweaters, tracksuits, jackets, broad-striped knitwear, silk shirts, pullovers, and cashmere pants.

Image courtesy of anothermag.com

Fenty’s first collaboration

Unless you have been living on a desert island, you probably are aware that fashion collaborations are the order of the day. Virgil Abloh has been involved in 18 collaborations—making him the king of collaborations—so far, Disney collabs with a host of designers, and H&M partners with a host of brands, with Giambattista Valli being the latest H&M sellout collab.

Now, Rihanna has jumped into the collaboration fray. Fenty, Rihanna’s LVMH-backed brand, is releasing its first-ever collaboration with ASAI. This will be a limited-edition capsule collection of 24 pieces available exclusively at Selfridge in London.

Rihanna has a relationship with the ASAI for some time, having previously word designer A Sai Tai’s ASAI garments. “Rihanna’s at the vanguard of contemporary culture,” Ta tells British Vogue. “I really respect what it takes to push the envelope in these increasingly competitive times. She’s been an incredible supporter of my work.” 

Image courtesy of glossmagazine.net

Slay hopes to slay the competition

If you are not familiar with Slay Model Management, you should be. Slay Model Management received some household recognition when it was a part of the 2016 reality show “Strut,” which detailed the careers of trans models. Slay Model Management was the agency of choice for the trans models on “Strut.”

 

Well, that was 2016. Now, Slay Model Management is holding its first model search in January. “Slay is not about selling Transness,” explains Cecilio Asuncion, the agency’s founder and director in a fashionweekdaily.com article. “We are selling a young woman’s capability to represent a brand or a designer. Sure, it’s great to be booked during June for Pride month, but what we want is sustainability and opportunities year-round.”

Models can enter the search competition through the company’s website. Twenty-five finalists will be selected to attend a model boot camp in Los Angeles with three winners to be represented by Slay Model Management.

Image courtesy of wsj.com

A smaller, more intimate Lord & Taylor

When Lord & Taylor shuttered its doors on January 2, 2019, no one thought the iconic New York City store would return. Well, surprise, surprise, surprise!!

Lord & Taylor will re-emerge in New York City as a holiday pop-up on 138 Wooster Street. The 2,400-foot pop-up will be open from December 11 through Christmas Eve, offering a range of products from cosmetics, jewelry to Lord & Taylor’s cashmere selects.

Lord & Taylor is now owned by Le Tote and this new pop-up experience is being created to attract a younger more diverse audience that will love the more boutique feel of the pop-up as opposed to the almost cavernous 700,00 square feet former Fifth Avenue flagship location.

—William S. Gooch

 

 

Fashion News Alert: The 2020 Pirelli Calendar, Missoni Pairs Up with Timex, and US Online Sales Increase over the Holiday Weekend

December 4, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Images courtesy of pagesix.com

Images from the 2020 Pirelli calendar have been released. In this 47th edition, the calendar employs the likes of Indya Moore, Yara Shahidi, Kristen Stewart, Emma Watson, Rosalia, Chris Lee, Claire Foy, Stella Roversi, Mia Goth, and other celebrities and entertainers.

Shot by famed Italian fashion photographer Paolo Roversi, the 2020 “Looking for Juliet” calendar was unveiled in Verona on Monday.  Photographed in Verona and Paris, Roversi drew inspiration from Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.”

“I was looking for a pure soul, someone full of innocence that combined strength, beauty, tenderness and courage,” says Roversi in a statement. “I found this in the glimmer of an eye, in the gestures and words of Emma and Yara, Indya and Mia and in the smiles and tears of Kristen and Claire … in the voices and chants of Chris and Rosalía. In Stella we have the innocence.” He concludes: There’s a Juliet in every woman. And I will never stop looking for her.”

The 2020 Pirelli Calendar comes in at 132 pages, accompanied by sections of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet. Fifty-eight pages of the calendar capture the story of “Romeo and Juliet,” as well as the city of Verona.

Image courtesy of wwd.com

Timex keeps on ticking with Missoni

Famed Italian brand, Missoni, has formed a licensing agreement with the Timex Group for the creation, development and distribution of a line of watches. The timepieces will be available in Missoni boutiques beginning in the fall of 2020.

“I am particularly proud of the debut of this new line of watches, which adds a new, important element to the mosaic of the Missoni world. Today more than ever, the watch is a fashion accessory able to express the style of the wearer, showing their taste and personality. We will bring a touch of color to the time of our customers”, says Angela Missoni, President and Creative Director of Missoni.

“I am sure that Timex Group, with its long-time experience and proven competence, will be able to enhance Missoni’s creativity. Together, we will carry out a great project, taking the thrilling opportunity to approach new consumers and convey to them our exclusive message through these [time pieces”] confirms Michele Norsa, Missoni Vice President and FSI Industrial Partner.

“We are thrilled to add an iconic brand like Missoni to Timex Group Luxury Division. We look forward to combining our expertise in luxury watchmaking with the iconic designs of Missoni and to bring a watch collection, which expresses the multicolor aesthetic and contemporary luxury vision of the brand, to consumers around the world”, says Tobias Reiss-Schmidt, President & CEO of Timex Group.

Image courtesy of cnbc.com

They shopped til they almost dropped

According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), US consumers spent more over the 2019 Thanksgiving holiday weekend than in previous seasons. A survey from the NRF found that nearly 190 million shoppers made purchases over the five-day holiday shopping period which includes Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday. This was an increase of 14% compared to a year ago. Additionally, shoppers spent $361.90, up 16% compared to $313.29 a year ago.

“Americans continue to start their holiday shopping earlier in the year, and Thanksgiving is still a critical weekend for millions,” NRF Chief Executive Officer Matt Shay said, as reports in fashionnetwork.com. “With the condensed holiday season, consumers are feeling the pressure to get their shopping done in time.”

NRF also found that 124 million people shopped in brick and mortars with roughly 142 million shopped on retailers’ websites. With many websites offering early holiday promotion deals and year-round discount, the shift from brick and mortars to online shopping continues to be the trend.

Craig Johnson, president of retail consultancy Consumer Growth Partners contends that over the holiday weekend stores sales grew by 3% while online sales rose by 14% from last year. Johnson explained that sales were led by the “Big Four” mega-retailers—Walmart, Amazon, Costco, and Target, and “both Black Friday and the full weekend reached record levels…”

—William S. Gooch

Fashion News Alert: Yves Saint Laurent Jacket Breaks Auction Records, American Eagle Closes Japanese Stores, and Goodbye Italian Glamour Magazine

November 27, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Image courtesy of theguardian.co.uk

The Yves Saint Laurent jacket inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s “Irises”recently sold at a Christie’s auction for $420,000 ($380,000 euros). The jacket was expected to sell for $80,000- to $120,000 euros; however, sold for much more. The jacket was bought by the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia.

The jacket was from Yves Saint Laurent’s spring 1988 collection and reportedly worn by Naomi Campbell.  According to Yves Saint Laurent museum website, The bright yellow and orange jacket took haute couture embroiderers Maison Lesage more than 600 hours to stitch by hand.

Before auction, the jacket was owned by one of the richest women in the world, Lebanese-born entrepreneur Mouna Ayoub. And this sell makes the “Sunflowers” jacket the highest amount paid at auction for a French designer.

Image courtesy of apparelresources.com

Japanese shutdown

At the end of December all American Eagle and Aerie stores will close in Japan. Aoyama Trading Co., the Japanese licensing company that launched Aerie and American Eagle stores in Japan in 2013 under its franchise Eagle Retailing, has decided to focus its clothing directives on business wear.

Aoyama Trading’s licensing agreement will end with American Eagle at the end of December. All stores will close by December 18 with the Japanese e-commerce site shutting down on December 31.

Image courtesy of flickr.com

Another one bites the dust

The Italian version of Glamour is shutting down with the December/January issue being the last issue. Condé Nast is shutter Italian Glamour after the magazine being in existence for 27 years.

“My main concern now is to create products able to accompany our public in the future,” says Fedele Usai, CEO of Condé Nast Italy in a fashionweekdaily.com article. “We have to take hard decisions, including closing a storied title like Glamour, which has always talked to an audience that, now and even more in the future, accesses contents in very different ways than in the past.”

The closing of Italian Glamour is a clear indication of how fashion and beauty publications are still struggling globally with international versions of Vogue, Glamour, and Harper’s Bazaar closing in various countries over the past few years. One wonders how the major versions of these hallowed behemoths are surviving!!

William S. Gooch

Fashion News Alert: Joan Collins’ Stars in Valentino Holiday Campaign, Kylie Jenner Signs Deal with Coty, and Italian Sweatshop Linked to European Luxury Brands

November 20, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Photo courtesy of independent.co.uk

At 86 years young, Dame Joan Collins is not letting any grass grow under her feet. Collins stars in Valentino’s Christmas campaign video, giving the Italian luxury brand her special brand of diva glam. In the video, Joan Collins dons a lacy red off-the-shoulder gown with evening gloves. She is beautifully accessorized in a diamond tiara.

In a recent Instagram post, the brand states, “[a] holiday party wouldn’t be complete without a dinnertime surprise from a special someone.” The holiday video ends with Collins hiding behind a fan and in a grand diva moment declares, “[y]ou know I enjoy my own company as much as you do.”

That’s right Joan, we do enjoy your company, especially around the holidays!!

Photo courtesy of elle.com

Kylie Jenner increases her wealth

For a 22-year old, Kylie Jenner is making a lot of moves. Kylie’s very lucrative beauty company, Kylie Cosmetics, has been sold to Coty for a reported $600 million dollars. Kylie Cosmetics is one of the fastest growing cosmetics lines in the country.

With this new deal Kylie will continue to helm the creative direction of Kylie Cosmetics when it comes to product and communication initiatives. Coty will manage R&D, manufacturing, distribution, commercial, and go-to-market strategies aimed to facilitate growth. Coty will also act as a licensee for skincare, fragrances, and nail products.

“I look forward to continuing the creativity and ingenuity for each collection that consumers have come to expect and engaging with my fans across social media. This partnership will allow me and my team to stay focused on the creation and development of each product while building the brand into an international beauty powerhouse,” Jenner commented, as reported in a fashionnetwork.com article.

“Combining Kylie’s creative vision and unparalleled consumer interest with Coty’s expertise and leadership in prestige beauty products is an exciting next step in our transformation and will leverage our core strengths around fragrances, cosmetics and skincare, allowing Kylie’s brands to reach their full potential,” detailed Coty CEO Pierre Laubies.

Photo courtesy of twitter.com

Union busting

Hearst employees are attempting to unionize. However, some employees are claiming that Hearst executives are encouraging staffers to withdraw their union cards. Some staffers are even claiming that Hearst execs have expressed that unionization is “as a threat to Hearst’s company culture and values.”

“They told me, verbatim, that if I didn’t trust them, I didn’t have to work there,” an anonymous staffer told Intelligencer, as reported in the fashionweekdaily.com. “They’re playing really, really nasty in a way that is very upsetting to a lot of people because we work very, very hard for the company.”

In case it isn’t known, the pay scale at most print publications is shamefully low—except for executive staff—even though revenue at top print publications is way into the hundreds of millions. And unlike Conde Nast, Hearst’s money coffers are quite deep!!

Photo courtesy of businessoffashion.com

Caught red handed

Italian authorities recently discovered and arrested the boss of a manufacturing company in Naples, Italy that was employing undocumented workers making leather good for several top European luxury brands. The factory in question, Moreno Srl, located in Melito, a suburb of Naples made luxury bags and shoes big fashion holding companies that include Armani, Kering’s Saint Laurent, and LVMH’s Fendi.

When the factory was searched by Italian police, 50 undocumented workers were found, including two teenagers and a pregnant woman. As reported in Reuters, “[t]he manufacturing district around Melito is seen as China, where production is decentralized from European industry due to low costs and poor workers’ rights,” explained Rosario Pagliuca, attorney for Moreno Srl owner Vincenzo Capezzuto,

Moreno Srl is a subcontracting factory that makes luxury goods for some of the biggest European luxury brands. And like many subcontractors, the larger luxury brands/groups do not enforce labor, health and safety rules for the workers at these subcontracting factories.

“ …. the production chain at times is too long. It happens that the original suppliers subcontract to other companies, without the brands knowing,” a person working in the luxury industry quietly told Reuters. Vincenzo Capezzuto is currently under house arrest on charges of illegal employment and abduction.

—William S. Gooch

 

 

Fashion News Alert: Brook Brothers for Sale, Martin Margiela Speaks in New Documentary, and Bye Bye Josephus Thimister

November 13, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Image courtesy of ellethailand.com

No fashion designer could be any more reclusive than Martin Margiela. Always camera shy, Margiela has kept an extremely low profile since leaving his eponymous fashion brand in 2009.Well that has all changed, well, somewhat. In Reiner Holzemer’s new documentary, “Martin Margiela: In His Own Words,” Martin gives an audio interview. In fact, Margiela gave a 90-minute talk.

“It was clear from the beginning that we could not show his face because he wants to remain private,” he said. “I told him if we cannot show his face, we at least need something personal in the movie. For me, it would be his voice. And I love his voice. I think he has a very interesting voice, but he said, ‘no, I don’t like my voice when I hear myself. It doesn’t sound good. And when the movie is finished, I would love to enjoy watching the movie too. But when it’s with my voice, I won’t enjoy it,’” said Holzemer in a Dazed interview.

In the documentary only Margiela’s hands can be seen as Margiela expounds upon two decades of runway shows. “Martin Margiela: In His Own Words” is primarily about Margiela’s collections from 1989 through 2009 with reflections on his work and life and chronicled by interviews with Olivier Saillard, Carla Sozzani, Stella Ishii, Pierre Rougier, Cathy Horyn, models, collaborators, and other industry professionals.

“Martin Margiela: In His Own Words” premiered at the 2019 DOC NY Film Festival on November 8, 2019.

Image courtesy of out.com

Brooks Brothers on the auction block

Brooks Brothers may be up for sale. The Italian entrepreneur, Claudio Del Vecchio that owns Brooks Brothers is looking for a buyer.

According to Italian business newspaper Milano Finanza, “various Anglo-Saxon investment funds have already had access to the file, as well as groups operating in the same commercial sector.” Del Veccio has not confirmed that he is looking for a buyer.

Brooks Brothers was acquired from Mark & Spencer in 2001.

Image courtesy of popsugar.com

Adieu Josephus Thimister

Josephus Thimister, former artistic director of Balenciaga, has passed away. He was only 57 years old.

Before setting up his own fashion design house in 1998, Thimister worked for Balenciaga ready-to-wear luxury line from 1991 to 1997. In 2005, Thimister also became head of Charles Jourdan luxury footwear.

Before working for the historic French couture house of Jean Patou and Karl Lagerfeld, Thimister completed his studies at Antwerp’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts. According to the Fashion Dictionary while at Balenciaga, Thimister established his fashion voice by creating, minimalist style and great skills in cutting in modernising the house’s image.”

“It is with sadness that the Federation de la Haute Couture et de la Mode has learned of the passing away of Josephus Thimister, whose avant-garde style, elegance and skills in cutting have, for many years, contributed to the creative momentum in Paris,” the Federation de la Haute Couture et de la Mode said in a statement.

William S. Gooch

 

Fashion News Alert: Cher’s New Fragrance, The Met Gala’s 2020 Theme, and Kate Moss Stars in Coach 2019 Holiday Campaign

November 6, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Image courtesy of twitter

Cher is back!! And back with a long-awaited new fragrance, Eau de Couture.

Eau de Couture launched on Monday and is her first fragrance since the 1980s. Eau de Couture is a genderless fragrance in a corseted bottle.

“I made it for people who love perfume and want to smell good and for people who feel that it’s part of who they are,” she explains. Apparently, Cher has been working on the fragrance for four years.

Eau de Couture is produced by Scent Beauty and retails for $85. Eau de Couture can be purchased online at scentbeauty.com.

2018 Met Gala image courtesy of lovemagazine.com

150 years of fashion

This is the 150th Anniversary of The Metropolitan Museum. In honor of the anniversary, the Met’s Costume Institute 2020 exhibit, About Time: Fashion and Duration, will trace 150 years of fashion along a “disruptive timeline.”

The 2020 exhibit will feature women’s fashion dating back to 1870. There will be over 160 examples of fashion throughout the ages with the counter pieces mostly in white and the timeline pieces mostly in black. The exhibit will end with projections toward the future with discussions on sustainability.

Virginia Woolf will be the ghost narrator. Louis Vuitton is this year’s sponsor, and Nicolas Ghesquière will be one of the Met Gala’s co-chairs. He’ll be joined by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Emma Stone, Meryl Streep, and Anna Wintour. The 2020 Met Gala will take place May 4, and About Time will be open to the public from May 7 to September 7.

Who says that a model’s career is short? There so many top models that are proving time and time again that two-decade career is possible.

Image courtesy of fashiongonerogue.com

Kate Moss for Coach

Kate Moss is one such model. Moss is the face of Coach’s 2019 holiday campaign. Moss’ will have several co-stars in this campaign–Yara Shahidi, rapper Megan Thee Stallion, Spike and Tonya Lee, model Fernanda Ly, and actor Miles Heizer.

That said; Moss will be the focus of the campaign with her co-stars putting emphasis on the brand’s festive holiday jewelry. The campaign was photographed by Juergen Teller in a New York City brownstone with Moss and co-stars gathering for a non-specific party.

William S. Gooch

Fashion News Alert: Zac Posen Closes Shop, John Varvatos x Led Zeppelin, Galliano Renews Contract, and Barney’s Deal Finalized

October 31, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Image courtesy of deadline.com

No one would have predicted that Zac Posen would shut down his namesake fashion house. On Friday, that the House of Z and Z Spoke will discontinue as the company could no longer continue operations.

Launched in 2001, Zac Posen’s eponymous fashion brand became a red-carpet favorite, dressing the likes of Rihanna, Gwyneth Paltrow, Oprah Winfrey, and Katie Holmes. Posen set a standard of red-carpet glamour with his figure-hugging gowns often with long trains or flamboyant ruffles.

Posen explained, “deeply saddened that the journey of nearly 20 years has come to an end.” “The management team … worked extremely hard to navigate the increasingly challenging fashion and retail landscape,” he said in a statement as reported in theguardian.com. “We are disappointed that these efforts have not been successful and deeply saddened that the journey of nearly 20 years has come to an end. I am grateful to the team who lent their incomparable talent and commitment along the way. I remain incredibly proud of what we created and hopeful for the future.”

For several season Zac Posen was a judge of “Project Runway.” He currently serves as creative director for the Brooks Brothers women’s division.

Image courtesy of thetimes.com

Galliano renews

John Galliano’s contract has been renewed at Maison Margiela. This renewal comes as no surprise as Galliano’s collections for Maison Margiela have garnered critical acclaim and commercial success.

“Five years ago, I believed that John was the only person who could take this house in his hands, and I am even more convinced of this today. John’s undisputed talent is only matched by his understanding of today’s generations, their way of thinking, their struggles, their dreams. And he is doing exactly what this Maison always did at its best–disrupt, innovate and inspire,” explained Renzo Rosso, as reported in a fashionnetwork.com article.

Renzo Rosso, the Italian billionaire and founder of Diesel, acquired Maison Margiela in 2002. Rosso hired John Galliano in 2014 to helm the women’s division of Maison Margiela. Under Galliano’s auspice, Maison Margiela has become one of the most coveted couture shows during the couture season. And the brand’s revenue had doubled under Galliano’s creative directorship.

Image courtesy of thefashionplate.com

Varvatos teams with Led Zeppelin

The rock band Led Zeppelin is celebrating the 50th anniversary of their first album with a capsule collection collaboration with menswear designer John Varvatos. The collection gives voice to “the band’s innovative aesthetic intertwined with John Varvatos’ penchant for detail and craftsmanship.”

John Varvatos details that the collaboration “resulted in a set of enlivened styles geared for today. Each piece channels Led Zeppelin’s sonic ethos, from their signature iconography to their boundary-pushing rebel attitude.”

“Working with Led Zeppelin on this collaboration is a dream come true. Their music and style [have] had a huge influence on me,” the designer added as reported in fashionnetwork.com.

The capsule collection will be available online at johnvarvatos.com/ledzeppelin, at John Varvatos boutiques high-end specialty stores internationally.

Image courtesy of reuters.com

A new kind of Barneys New York

The Barneys New York sale is finally complete. Barneys New York has been acquired by Authentic Brands Group (ABG). ABG holds licensing for Juicy Couture, Nautica, and Frederick’s of Hollywood.

As a part of the deal, Barneys New York will be co-joined with Saks Fifth Avenue. ABG has decided that the “first order of business will be to reboot Barneys New York on the fifth floor of Saks Fifth Avenue’s newly renovated New York City flagship.”

“This is an important deal for ABG,” said Jamie Salter, the founder, chairman, and CEO of the company, in an interview with The New York Times. “It’s a luxury brand. It’s a retail brand that in my opinion is a real brand, that has a heartbeat, has a lot of emotion, can go in a lot of directions. It’s part entertainment, it’s part luxury, it’s part trend, it’s part experiential. It really is an incredible brand to add to the ABG portfolio. We are going to treat it incredibly carefully.”

It has been decided that ABG will close most of Barneys brick and mortar stores and Barneys will operate as a store within Saks. The Madison Ave flagship store will operate as a kind of ‘pop-up store experience’ that will house cultural and entertainment events, boutiques, and exhibits. This closure of a significant number of Barneys stores will result in the loss of hundreds of jobs. Liquidation sales at Barneys stores may began has early as next week.

When it comes to Barneys future Salter stated that, “[t]he brands in ABG’s portfolio continue to get stronger and stronger as the years go by. You can’t just be a retailer anymore. You’ve got to be experiential; you’ve got to be in so many different things today. You really have to offer everything to the customer. We feel that we’re off to a great start with Saks and feel incredibly confident.”

 —William S. Gooch

 

 

Fashion News Alert: “Very Ralph” Documentary, Richemont Partners with Alber Elbaz, Cara Delevinge Teams with Nasty Gal, and Biggest Mall in the Northeast Opens in the US

October 24, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Image courtesy of wwd.com

Finally, there’s a documentary about Ralph Lauren’s life. And it’s about time!!

“Very Ralph,” and upcoming HBO documentary about Ralph Lauren’s explores his humble beginnings in the Bronx to establishing an American fashion empire. “Very Ralph,” directed by Susan Lacy contains archival footage from the brand’s archives, as well as interviews from Karl Lagerfeld, Anna Wintour, and Naomi Campbell. Lauren was presented with the idea of the documentary by former HBO CEO Richard Plepler.

“It was my 50th anniversary.” said Lauren, whose children also encouraged him to move forward with the project. “If I’m going to do something, I might as well do it now.”

“Very Ralph” premiered in New York City at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on October 23 and was attended by fashion and entertainment industry elites. “He’s a great American hero,” Vera Wang told Reuters in a red-carpet interview. “He really brought the American experience to the whole world and I doubt that would be possible today to reproduce.”

Image courtesy of yahoonews.com

Another partnership for Alber Elbaz

Iconic fashion designer Alber Elbaz will partner with Richemont on a dynamic project. The Richemont group owns labels including Dunhill, Chloé, Montblanc, and Peter Millar.

“Upon hearing Alber Elbaz describe his vision for fashion and the projects it inspires in him, I was again struck by his creativity and insight. His talent and inventiveness, with his sensitivity towards women and their wellbeing, will be of great value to our Group and its Maisons,” said Johann Rupert, chairman of Richemont in a fashionnetwork.com.

Elbaz has commented that he’s,m”very happy to partner with Richemont and to establish [his] “dream factory,” which will focus on developing solutions for women of our times.” Alber Elbaz in the past couple of months has collaborated with several fashion brands on special projects.

Image courtesy of gotceleb.com

Cara Delevinge collaborates, yet again

Supermodel and actress Cara Delevinge has scored yet another collaboration. This time the collab is with Nasty Gal. Cara will be designing a 40-piece collection.

The collection will contain beaded jackets, overstuffed suiting, statement tees, sheer tops, and faux-leather garments. These pieces will come in mostly neutral tones. The collection retails between $30 to $300 and will come in sizes 0 to 20.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled to star in Nasty Gal’s holiday campaign,” said Delevingne, as detailed in a fashionweekdaily.com. “I’ve followed the brand for years and am inspired by their approach to fashion–always rebellious and ever evolving. I love to work with brands that push the envelope on style, and this collection does just that.”

Image courtesy of pennmall.com

Big mall, big crowds, well, maybe?

With retail in decline, is there room for another massive mall? Well, New Jersey state officials seem to think so.

After 20 years of stops and starts, American Dream is finally opening this Friday. American Dream will be the second largest mall in the US and the third largest in the Northeast. It will showcase three million square feet of leasable space dedicated to more than a dozen entertainment attractions like a 16-story indoor ski slope, rollercoaster, waterpark and eventually 450 retail, food and specialty shops.

“You can make it your backyard playground if you live in Manhattan or even if you’re in New Jersey,” said Ken Downing, chief creative officer for Triple Five Group, the mall’s developer in an apnews.com article. “It’s a staycation. So, it’s a little bit of competing with mindset and emotion, far more than a property or even Disneyland.”

Sounds like an incredible experience; however, what remains to be answered is if shoppers will come to this mega mall in large numbers. In 2017, Credit Suisse a report that predicted the closure of over a quarter shopping malls by 2022. Since 2015, only nine shopping malls have been built, a sharp decline from 43 malls built in 1973.

Don Ghermezian, the CEO and developer of American Dream and Triple Five conceded in a brief press statement that, “everybody talks about the future of retail and the future of entertainment, and how you merge the two. But there really isn’t a center on the planet that has done it to the degree that we’ve done in here.”

The Dream Mall, located in East Rutherford, NJ, will open on Friday. The Dream Mall will open to full capacity in the spring of 2020.

—William S. Gooch

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