Fashion News Alert: Hedi Slimane Sues Kering, Dior to Appoint New Creative Director, and Kaia Gerber Stars in Miu Miu Campaign

June 22, 2016 by 1 Comment
Image courtesy of zimbio.com

Image courtesy of zimbio.com

According to Reuters, Maria Grazia Chiuri will replace Raf Simons as creative head of Dior after the famed fashion house has its couture show in early July.  Currently, Chiuri is one of the creative directors at Valentino.

This appointment will mark the first time Dior has had a female creative head in its 70-year history. Chiuri follows in the footsteps on some esteemed former creative directors that includes Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Gianfranco Ferre, and John Galliano.

Chiuri with creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli is credited with transforming Valentino into one of the strongest luxury Italian fashion houses in terms of sales. Chiuri became co-creative director with Piccioli at Valentino in 2007 after having worked as an accessories designer at Fendi from 1989 to 1999 when she came to Valentino in 1999 with Piccioli as an accessory designer. Chiuri will have the difficult task of reviving Valentino’s declining sales in an ever-shrinking luxury market.

Image courtesy of Miu Miu

Image courtesy of Miu Miu

Cindy Crawford’s fashion dynasty

Speaking of fashion family dynasties, Kaia Gerber, teenaged-daughter of Supermodel Cindy Crawford is the focus of Miu Miu’s new “Scenique” eyewear video campaign. The film showcases Kaia Gerber waking up in a desert oasis and diving into a pool of water to acquire some “Scenique” sunglasses.

The “Scenique” eyewear is distinguished by its oversized butterfly design, ultra-slim metal temples and a double bridge, as reported in fashionmag.com. Francesco Maria Tiribelli directs the spring/summer “Scenique” film campaign.

Kaia Gerber fashion star has been rising steadily in 2015 and 2016 with spring/summer 2016 campaigns for Chrome Hearts, Carine Roitfeld’s prestigious CR Fashion Book, and a December 2015 editorial in Teen Vogue.

Image courtesy of snobette.com

Image courtesy of snobette.com

Slimane sues

Former creative director of Saint Laurent, Hedi Slimane has launched a lawsuit against former employer, Kering. Kering confirmed that a lawsuit was filed against the holding company on May 26 in a Paris commercial court and a decision is expected by June 29.

Saint Laurent, which is owned by Kering, has a non-competition obligation clause in its employee contracts. The filed lawsuit concerns this clause.

Kering has stated that they lifted the non-competition obligation clause at the end of Slimane’s contract, freeing him from any financial or creative constraints. Slimane allegedly is now requesting that this clause still be applied and that financial compensation is paid. Slimane’s lawyers declined to comment.

—William S. Gooch

Fashion News Alert: Rihanna’s New Fragrance, Antonio Lopez Exhibit, Missoni Designs for Opera, and US Online Shopping Reaches Plateau

June 15, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Image courtesy of fashionmag.com

Image courtesy of fashionmag.com

Rihanna has launched her second fragrance, Crush by Rihanna, the second fragrance to be released from her namesake RiRi collection. The design of the bottle inspired by Rihanna first fragrance, RiRi uses rich gold tones for a sense of luxury, and highlights of pink for added femininity.

As detailed in a recent fashionmag.com, the floriental fragrance combines base notes of sensual and woody cedarwood, creamy musk, and sexy patchouli with lighter and more playful red fruits and pink musks for a sensual and feminine scent. Crush by Rihanna will be available at Macy’s, Macys.com and other fine retailers beginning August 2016 for $60 EDP (3.4oz), $36 EDP (1.0oz), and $20 Rollerball (0.2oz).

Image courtesy of C&M Media

Image courtesy of C&M Media

Missoni and L’Orfeo

Angela and Luca Missoni have been pegged to create costumes for Japan Orfeo’s, an East meets West interpretation of Claudio Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo. This historic production of the Monteverdi masterpiece, directed by Stefano Vizioli with musical director Aaron Carpenè, heralds a celebration of the 150th anniversary of the first signing of the Friendship and Trade Treaty between Italy and Japan.

“The extraordinary art and creativity of Angela and Luca Missoni in addition to an extraordinary explosion of colour and audacious style will perfectly combine with this particular narration of the classical myth of Orpheus in an unparalleled setting as the only one of its kind—the courtyard of the Tsurugaoka Hachimangū Temple in Kamakura—one of Japan’s most spiritual sites,” detailed Stefano Vizioli.

Japan Orfeo will take place 7–8 October 2016 at the Tsurugaoka Hachimangū Temple in Kamakura and 12–13 October 2016 at the Metropolitan Theatre Concert Hall of Tokyo. A 2017 Italian tour is also expected to coincide with the 450th anniversary of the birth of Claudio Monteverdi.

Image courtesy of wmagazine.com

Image courtesy of wmagazine.com

Antonio Lopez honored

El Museo del Barrio in East Harlem has opened an exhibit of iconic fashion illustrator/designer of Antonio Lopez’s work. Antonio Lopez: Future Funk Fashion will run through November 26, 2016.

Born in Puerto Rico, Lopez rose to prominence illustrating for Women’s Wear Daily and the New York Times, as well as American Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and a long list of fashion publications. Many contribute Antonio Lopez for helping to usher in the industry’s use of models of color. A long-time friend of Supermodel Pat Cleveland, Lopez is credited for helping to push the careers of Cleveland, Jerry Hall, and Grace Jones. Throughout the 1970s and 80s, Lopez helped establish a new way of looking at fashion and beauty that is still evident in the fashion industry.

Antonio Lopez: Future Funk Fashion is co-curated by Rocío Aranda-Alvarado, Curator at El Museo del Barrio and Amelia Malagamba-Ansótegui, a scholar from Arizona State University and University of Texas San Antonio. The exhibit includes high fashion illustrations, Lopez’s relationship to certain models, his shoe and jewelry designs and images of people he knew from New York City. The works on display come from the Estate of Antonio Lopez and Juan Ramos and various private collections in New York City. Antonio Lopez died from complications related to AIDS at the age of 44.

Image courtesy of leatherbulletin.com

Image courtesy of leatherbulletin.com

Is online shopping stagnating?

According to the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), as reported in fashionmag.com, US online shopping is expected to slow considerably over the next three years. In survey conducted by the BCG of 3,300 US shoppers, the vast majority of participants don’t intend to increase their online purchases over the next three years.

“Consumers are notoriously unable to predict their spending patterns,” said BCG Senior Partner Michael J. Silverstein, an expert on consumer behaviour and retail and packaged-goods innovation. “However, the findings from this research certainly pour cold water on everyone’s expectations for a continuously rising e-commerce world. E-commerce winners will have to earn new dollars and new spending by providing new value. That means me-too players will suffer—and leaders will need to provide more user-friendly websites, lower prices and offers tailored to individuals customers.”

“E-commerce is a channel, like any form of distribution: growth does not continue at a rapid, double-digit rate forever. Most consumer categories have been available online for several years. The ‘newness’ is gone, and we’re looking at mature levels of penetration in many categories,” continued Silverstein.

Christine Barton, the BCG senior partner continues, “We’ve done this survey periodically, and this is the first time we’ve seen such low future intention to increase online spending across categories. The plateau doesn’t mean that it’s ‘game over’ for online and omni-channel retailers. But it does suggest that e-commerce growth will now be harder for most of them.”

—William S. Gooch

 

 

Fashion News Alert: Beyonce Wins CFDA Fashion Icon Award, Renzo Rosso Comes Out Against ‘See Now, Buy Now,’ Endorsement Trouble for Sharapova, and Layoffs at Ralph Lauren

June 7, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Image courtesy of Getty Images/ Theo Wargo

Image courtesy of Getty Images/ Theo Wargo

Rihanna won a few years ago, so why not Beyonce? On Monday night, at the CFDA’s annual Awards event, Beyonce was named Fashion Icon of 2016.

In a wide-brimmed black hat and sequined, black pinstripe suit Beyonce said, “We have an opportunity to contribute to a society where any girl can look at a billboard or magazine cover and see her own reflection,” Beyoncé said. “Soul has no color. No shape, No form. Just like all your work, it goes so far beyond what the eyes can see. You have the power to change perception, to inspire and empower, to show people how to embrace their complications and flaws and see the true beauty that’s inside all of us.”

There was much speculation over who would receive the award this year, from Kim Kardashian to Lil’ Kim. Fashion Reverie is pleased that Beyonce was the CFDA’s choice. Kudos Beyonce!!

Image courtesy of forbes.com

Image courtesy of forbes.com

Trouble at Ralph Lauren

There have been some seismic shifts at Ralph Lauren since Ralph Lauren stepped down last year as chief executive. Now under the helm of Stefan Larsson, the brand recently announced that it would be closing 50 stores cutting 1,000 jobs, approximately 8 % of its workforce. Larsson is credited for turning around Old Navy.

The layoffs and store closings are estimated to save the iconic brand $180 to $200 million dollars. Theses changes are expected to incur 400 million dollars in restructuring charges this year as well as 150 million dollars of costs relating to stock reduction.

Image courtesy of blackbook.com

Image courtesy of blackbook.com

No ‘See Now, Buy Now’

Is the new fashion business model ‘See Now, Buy Now’ credible? Not according to Diesel founder and chairman of the OTB fashion Group (Marni, Viktor & Rolf, Martin Margiela), Renzo Russo.

“The show system cannot be changed. If designers wish to be creative, it is impossible to engage in ‘see now, buy now’, and put products on sale right after the show,” stated Renzo Rosso, in a recent fashionmag.com interview.

“The choice of fabrics is a primary requirement in collections. They must be tested beforehand. This means taking time to build a collection and to work on creativity. Only the most commercial brands, which purchase standard-issue fabrics, can implement such a system,” said Renzo Rosso.

“Real fashion cannot do this at all. In such a case, it would not be a fashion show any longer, but an event to which end-customers, and not buyers, would be invited,” he added.

At 60, Rosso is very opinionated and will soon release a new book published by Assouline.  The 204-pages volume features 150 pictures and is entitled ‘RR Radical renaissance 55+5’, and will be presented on 17th June in Milan, on the eve of the men’s Fashion Week.

“I published a book for my 40th birthday, and another for my 50th. The latest one is the best since it really shows the evolution from what we were, to what we are now and what we will become in the next decade. It is not merely about fashion but also about all my other activities,” he stated.

Image courtesy of FOX Sports/Getty Images

Image courtesy of FOX Sports/Getty Images

Sharapova loses endorsements

Maria Sharapova is losing sponsors. After the International Tennis Federation (ITF) issued a two-year ban on Sharapova on Wednesday for testing positive to the banned substance, Meldonium, the Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer cuts times with the five-time Grand Slam champion. Will other brand endorsement follow suit?

According to Forbes, Sharpova has earned $36 million dollars for her on court play; however, Sharapova’s off court earnings top $200 million. Sharapova is the world’s highest-paid female athlete. Sharapova says she will appeal the decision.

—William S. Gooch

 

 

 

Fashion News Alert: Pharrell Collaborates with Chanel, Menswear Brands Bow Out of Milan Fashion Week, and CWST Shuts Down

June 1, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Image courtesy of nbc.com

Image courtesy of nbc.com

It has been revealed that Pharrell Williams is the latest pop artist pegged to collaborate with Chanel.  Pharrell will be working with the iconic French fashion house on a Metiers d’Art collection.

Fashionmag.com recently released that Chanel will produce a video that shows Pharrell working with working with craftsmen such as embroiderer Lesage, flower maker Lemarié, pleater Lognon; shoe maker Massaro; and hat maker Maison Michel on a range of unique pieces. The collection will debut sometime in June 2016.

Pharrell Williams in a statement from Chanel explained that he is a fan of the brand and a personal friend of Karl Lagerfeld. Previously, Williams has collaborated with Uniqlo, Adidas Originals, and fronts his own fashion line for G-Star Raw.

Image courtesy of pinterest

Image courtesy of pinterest

Sayonara CWST

After just only three years menswear brand CWST has called it quits. The California-based brand had been a regular during New York Fashion Men’s Day and New York Fashion Week: Men’s.

“After three years of amazing memories, interaction and relationships with each of you, we regret to inform you that CWST will not be moving forward. We will not be showing spring 2017 at the upcoming markets and will not be shipping autumn 2016 product,” explained co-founders Derek Buse and Joe Sadler.

CWST (pronounced quest) produced its garments entirely in Los Angeles. Co-founders Buse and Sadler previously produced Riviera Club that was nominated for a CFDA Award in 2011. Buse and Sadler are moving on to other projects.

Milan_s_mens_fashion_week_becomegorgeous

Image courtesy of becomegorgeous.com

Milan Fashion Week absentees

A number of menswear brands have opted out of presenting collections during Milan’s Men’s Fashion Week. Major brands bowing out include Calvin Klein, Bottega Veneta, Cavalli, Zegna, Brioni, and Ermanno Scervino.

Although these major brands have decided against showing this season, the roster of brands presenting menswear collection for spring 2017 has increased from 79 to 84. “There are two or three shows less but more events,” detailed Carlo Capasa, head of the National Chamber of Italian Fashion in a WWD article. “The important thing is to challenge yourself and ask questions. In the past, we had been accused of not changing. Well, now it’s different. There’s a lot of energy this season, which offers new opportunities.”

—William S. Gooch

Weekend Fashion News Alert: Gigi Hadid’s New Gig, Yves Saint Laurent Museum to Open in Marrakech, and Desigual Loses Lawsuit

May 29, 2016 by 1 Comment

 

Images courtesy of dubaiprnetwork.com

Images courtesy of dubaiprnetwork.com

Gigi Hadid already has a great relationship with Tommy Hilfiger. Since the beginning of the year she has been a brand ambassador for the brand. Now, Hadid will have her own capsule collection with the brand come this fall.

GigiXTommy will be a capsule collaboration between Hadid and Tommy Hilfiger. Aimed at “Millenials,”  Tommy Hilfiger is anticipating that this collaboration will help the brand’s sagging retail sales.

GigiXTommy will be available at the Tommy Hilfiger stores and retailers on September 1, as well as Amazon and Revolve websites.

Image courtesy of zimbio.com

Image courtesy of zimbio.com

Where is my commission?

Not getting up for less than $10,000 a day no longer applies for most models in the fashion industry. However, top models still make a lot of money walking runways and booking brand campaigns. Adriana Lima is one of those supermodels that still make a lot of money and so does her model management company.

For Desigual’s spring 2015 runway show and campaign Adriana Lima was the top attraction. The brand booked Lima directly through her agent Chris Gay. However, the top model’s model management company, SS&M was not paid their 10% commission fee. SS&M contends that Desigual went directly to Lima’s agent to avoid paying the commission.

A Spanish court has now ruled that Desigual must pay SS&M the 10% commission which amounts to 106,000 euros. Desigual plans to appeal the decision. Desigual is based in Madrid.

Image courtesy of stoneandstrand.com

Image courtesy of stoneandstrand.com

North Africa honors YSL

Most people are not aware that iconic fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent was born in North Africa, in a French community in Algeria.  Pierre Berge, YSL’s former CEO is changing all that with a museum honoring Yves Saint Laurent slanted to open in Marrakech, Morocco where Saint Laurent once had a home.

Since Saint Laurent’s death 10 years ago, Berge has worked hard to maintain the designer’s legacy. The 43,060-square-foot museum in Marrakech will house over 5,000 articles of clothing and 15,000 haute couture accessories.

The facility will also include a 130-seat auditorium, a restaurant, a gift shop, and an accompanying research library with access to over 5,000 books. The museum will be built next to the Jardin Majorelle, a botanical garden in the Moroccan city’s center.

—William S. Gooch

Fashion News Alert: Whoopi’s Transgender Model Reality Show, Michael Kors’ Bag Returns, and D&G Rejects ‘See Now, Buy Now’

May 25, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Image courtesy of ew.com

Image courtesy of ew.com

On Monday, it was announced that Whoopi Goldberg will executive produce a reality show about a transgender modeling agency to premiere on the Oxygen network in the fall. “Strut” will center on transgender models from Slay Model Management—the first exclusively transgender modeling agency—as they attempt to forge a path for themselves in the fashion industry.

“Strut follows a group of inspiring and resilient trailblazers who are working to change the modeling industry, and the world around them, by simply being true to themselves,” Rod Aissa, executive vice president of original programming and development at Oxygen Media, said in a statement. “These individuals will empower viewers as they live their lives fully and unapologetically, despite facing many obstacles throughout their journey,” in a recent eonline.com article.

This groundbreaking reality television show follows on the heels of the successful modeling career of Carmen Carrera, a former contestant on “Rupaul’s Drag Race” who later transitioned to a transgender woman. Carmen Carrera is signed to Elite Model Management.

d and g bio

‘See now, buy now’ no way

Stefano Dolce and Dominico Gabbana (D&G) have always been very opinionated. However, their opinions about the new fashion business model ‘See Now, Buy Now’ has never been expressed more strongly than when they addressed the British media during London’s Vogue Festival on Sunday.

“Designers continue to work on a collection, and to change details, up to the last minute before the show. With ‘see now, buy now’, we would not be able to do this. A show remains a promotional event, in which we can excite the audience,” explained Stefano Gabbana, while Domenico Dolce added: “If you adopt a ‘see now, buy now’ approach, you have to design clothes five months in advance. There is no creativity any longer, only trade.”

While designers such as Alexander Wang, Mara Hoffman, Monique Lhuillier, and other American ready-to-wear designers are adopting this new retail business model, Dolce & Gabbana are adding their voice to a growing number of European designers who feel that the ‘See Now, Buy’ business model would be anathema to their creative process.

Image courtesy of pinterest.com

Image courtesy of pinterest.com

Bag return

Nordstrom’s has dropped Michael Kors’ handbags from the majority of its stores. The reason for the discontinuation was an overwhelming amount of returns.

“We heard from a few managers that more stores would be phasing the brand out by the end of the year because of waning interest from customers, as well as Macy’s constant discounting of Kors’ product,” wrote analysts from Wedbush, a financial services company. Other sources contend that the discontinuation is due to a bad craftsmanship.

Some stores have replaced Michael Kors’ bags with handbags from Kate Spade and Coach, while other major department store retailers are shrinking their handbag departments.

“Although the move will have some sales implications for Michael Kors, we feel the bigger takeaway is that the brand equity continues to wane and it will be difficult to maintain an aspirational image without Nordstrom,” the Wedbush wrote.

—William S. Gooch

 

 

 

Weekend Fashion News Alert: Cannes Shocked by “Neon Demon,” GAP Closes 75 Stores, and Kobe Bryant Teams with Hublot

May 21, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Image courtesy of Hublot

Image courtesy of Hublot

Kobe Bryant pairs up again with Swiss watch retailer Hublot for their new limited edition ‘Classic Fusion Kobe Bryant HeroVillain’. “The Classic Fusion Kobe Bryant HeroVillain symbolizes my life as a HeroVillain during my 20-year basketball career, as I strive to channel my fears and doubts into strength and determination,” said Bryant at the watch’s launch party in a recent fashionmag.com article.

The Classic Fusion Kobe Bryant HeroVillan watch features a black snake applique in a nod to his nickname “Black Mamba.” The sapphire case-back features a printed “KOB16” logo, and each piece is engraved with its special edition number, ranging from one to 24, as only 24 models will be created.

The Classic Fusion Kobe Bryant HeroVillain is available exclusively at Hublot’s brand new Beverly Hills Boutique.

Image courtesy of allcitymedia.com

Image courtesy of allcitymedia.com

“Neon Demon” causes Cannes stir

Nicolas Winding Refn’s “Neon Demon” shocked Cannes Film Festival audiences.  “Neon Demon” stars Elle Fanning and examines the fashion industry obsession with beauty and what women will do to achieve current beauty standards.

Fanning’s character, Jesse, rises to the top of the modeling industry very quickly. Her natural beauty rouses more established models’ jealousy, eventually causing Jesse’s death by cannibalism.

Cannes’ audiences booed and shouted during the “Neon Demon” premiere. And the Hollywood Reporter deemed “Neon Demon,” stultifyingly vapid, ponderously paced allegorical critique of the modeling world whose seethingly jealous inhabitants can’t wait to literally chew each other up and spit each other out”.

Image courtesy of thecrazycouponlady.com

Image courtesy of thecrazycouponlady.com

Gap, Inc. shutters stores

Gap, Inc. announced it is shuttering 75 of its Banana Republic and Old Navy stores outside of North America. The shutting down of stores includes all 53 Old Navy stores in Japan.

All of this comes on the heels of annualized sales loss of $250 million dollars in 2015. And as reported in fashionmag.com, as of May 6, net sales were down 6 percent at $3.44 billion.

Gap, Inc. stated that, “Old Navy’s near-term growth ambitions will be anchored in North America, including its most recent debut of company-operated stores in Mexico, as well as China and its global franchise operations.” And “Old Navy’s near-term growth ambitions will be anchored in North America, including its most recent debut of company-operated stores in Mexico, as well as China and its global franchise operations.”

In the past few years Gap, Inc. stores have faced more competition for mega retail stores H&M, Zara, and Forever 21.

—William S. Gooch

 

 

Weekend Fashion News Alert: Calvin Klein Underwear Controversy, Julia Roberts Goes Slipper-less, Cannes’ Yellow Obsession, and a Tough Week for Fashion Retailers

May 14, 2016 by 1 Comment
Image courtesy of Calvin/fashionmag.com

Image courtesy of Calvin/fashionmag.com

Calvin Klein has been in the news a lot lately. A few weeks ago it was announced that long-time creative director Francisco Costa was leaving, and this week the brand was in the news for too much exposure; exposure of the intimates kind, that is.

The controversy in question is an image from the current underwear campaign taken from underneath the model’s skirt. The ad campaign is entitled “I flash in #my calvins.”

This new Calvin Klein underwear ad has caused a lot of outrage with the New York Post declaring, ”Calvin Klein is marketing to perverts.” And the National Center on Sexual Exploitation has launched a petition against Calvin Klein, calling on the brand to “stop normalizing and glamorizing sexual harassment.”

But this is not the first time the brand has caused controversy with its sexy underwear ad campaigns. For those old enough to remember in 1981 Brooke Shields exclaimed, “You want to know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing.”

Image courtesy of AFP/Anne-Christine Poujoulat

Image courtesy of AFP/Anne-Christine Poujoulat

Julia has no shoes

Appearing without shoes is not new for Julia Roberts. She has gone ‘slipper-less’ at various awards ceremonies and even at her own wedding to Lyle Lovett. However, fashion pundits and entertainment writers’ tongues really started to wag as Roberts walked the red carpet of her film, “Monster Madness” premiering at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival in a black Armani gown without shoes.

The Cannes Film Festival is strict with its red carpet protocol demanding couture gowns and high heels. Vanity Fair declared he ‘slipper-less” act a “blatant act of fashion rebellion.” While the French magazine L’Express Friday called Robert’s move a “veritable act of militant feminism” and the French edition of Gala celebrity magazine said she had “dared the unthinkable.”

In recent years, red-carpet attendees have been opting for flats over high heels with Susan Sarandon this year donning a suit and flats.

Amal Clooney image at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival courtesy of yahoo.com

Amal Clooney image at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival courtesy of yahoo.com

Yellow trumps black

Is yellow the new black? Well, if you are at the Cannes Film Festival it certainly is!!

Many actresses are turning heads at the Cannes Film Festival by wearing lots of shades of yellow on red carpets, panel discussions, and photo ops. Amal Clooney stunned in lemon chiffon one-shoulder, Atelier Versace gown on Thursday. Stella McCartney ruled the day when Anna Kendrick donned a bright canary yellow spaghetti strap dress during a Cannes photo op. And Kirsten Dunst looked appropriately chic in a simple Dior yellow shirtdress at the Cannes Festival’s jury photocall.

Now, the big question is has yellow replace black? Hmm, maybe this season!!

Image courtesy of wikipedia.com

Image courtesy of wikipedia.com

Retail quarterly decline

Dismal quarterly reports from J.C. Penny’s and Nordstrom’s contributed to US stocks sharp decline on Friday. As reported by fashionmag.com, Nordstrom slumped 13.42 percent and J.C. Penney Co Inc lost 2.82 percent. Dillard’s Inc, which gave a quarterly report that also disappointed Wall Street, fell 1.29 percent. And on Wednesday, Macy’s poor quarterly report triggered a selloff in U.S. retailers. It lost 17 percent for the week after gaining 1 cent on Friday to $31.22.

Many department store retailers contribute their quarterly decline in sales to the boom of online shopping. This boom in online shopping is also causing many brick and mortar stores to close chains in cities where sales are down.

—William S. Gooch

 

Weekend Fashion News Alert: Hedi Slimane Denies Rumors, Jeremy Scott Signs with WME-IMG, Stella McCartney Launches Menswear, and Aeropostale Files for Bankruptcy

May 7, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Image courtesy of fashionweekonline.com

Image courtesy of fashionweekonline.com

Jeremy Scott recently had two announcements. First, it was announced that Scott is showcasing both Moschino’s men’s and women’s Resort 2017 collections in Los Angeles where Scott currently resides. The next announcement was Scott signing with WME-IMG, the man force behind New York Fashion Week: The Shows.

Jeremy Scott’s eponymous brand is one of the must-see shows during New York Fashion Week: The Show. By representing Scott, who has a huge celebrity and fashionista following, WME-IMG can help Scott further solidify his deep roots in celebrity culture and become more of a household name.

Image courtesy of fashionweekdaily.com

Image courtesy of fashionweekdaily.com

No namesake brand for Hedi

Though rumors have been circulating for months in fashion circles that Hedi Slimane left Saint Laurent to launch his own fashion company, Slimane, through his attorneys, has squashed all the rumors.

“For the record, Hedi Slimane has never had in the past, let alone now, the intention or desire to launch a brand under his name, and therefore denies recent rumors of alleged encounters with investors, in Paris or in Doha, where he has in fact never been,” explained Slimane’s lawyer Herve Temime. It was projected that Slimane was in Doha looking for investors.

Image courtesy of thetrendler.com

Stella McCartney spring 2016 image scourtesy of thetrendler.com

Stella McCartney will unveil her first ever menswear collection in June at the brand’s showroom in Paris for a select group of buyers. McCartney’s spring 2017 menswear collection is the recent expansion of the brand that includes accessories, a children’s line, lingerie and soon to launch swimwear line.

Launched in 2001 as a joint venture with Keurig, McCartney’s new swimwear line will be produced under licence by New Zealand group, Bendon.

aeropostale_01

Aeropostale’s business woes

On Wednesday Aeropostale filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. In its filing in a New York court, the company confirmed that has $390 million dollars in US debt and its assets are worth around $ 354 million US dollars.

Aeropostale has shut down 154 stores in total—113 in U.S. and 41 in Canada. It had around 800 stores and more than 14,500 staff across in the US, in addition to Canada and Puerto Rico. Liquation sales began on May 7 in the US and May 9 in Canada.

The company has received $160 million dollars in bankruptcy financing from Crystal Financing LLC. On April 22 Aeropostale was delisted by the NYSE due to an abnormally low trading price and was suspended from trading its commons shares.

—William S. Gooch

Weekend Fashion News Alert: Rachel Roy Breathes New Life into E-Commerce Site, Alber Elbaz Dismissed, Kanye Launches Pastelle, and Grace Coddington Joins Tiffany & Co.

April 30, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Image courtesy of fashionunited.com

Image courtesy of fashionunited.com

Business comes first for Rachel Roy. Amid speculation that “Becky with the good hair” reference in Beyonce’s “Lemonade” video poem refers to Rachel Roy and all the social media brouhaha, it’s business as usual for Rachel Roy.

Early this week, Roy quietly re-launched her e-commerce site. Put on hold since 2014 because of financial and creative issues with The Jones Group, which previously owned Rachel Roy’s brand, the newly re-launched e-commerce site is mobile responsive and provides direct-to-consumer services for her Curvy and Rachel Rachel Roy collections.

Perhaps all the media speculation of Rachel Roy continued romantic relationship with Jay-Z could drive traffic to the e-commerce site.  As it is often said, better to have tongues wagging than have no tongues wagging at all!!

Image courtesy of marieclaire.it

Image courtesy of marieclaire.it

Alber Elbaz removed

The Lanvin/Alber Elbaz controversy continues. Lanvin’s board of directors on Monday voted to remove Alber Elbaz from its board of directors.

Last October, Elbaz was ousted from his post as artistic director and replaced by Bouchra Jarrar. Amid much protest from Lanvin’s staffers, the French fashion community and a lawsuit brought by Elbaz supporters, Elbaz was not reinstated.

This latest chapter is a part of the continuing saga at one of France’s oldest and esteemed couture houses. Jarrar will debut her inaugural collection for the House of Lanvin for the spring/summer 2017season.

Pastelle 2008 American Music Awards image courtesy of fashionmag.com

Pastelle 2008 American Music Awards image courtesy of fashionmag.com

Another plus for Kanye

It is about time!! Kanye West’s fashion line is about to officially launch. Before Kanye collaborated with Adidas on Yeezy Boost, Kanye had given audiences and consumers a sneak peak at Pastelle during the 2008 American Music Awards and other media opportunities, but nothing came of the fashion project.

According to social media posts, after more than eight years, Pastelle will make an official appearance on May 14. Stylist Ian Connor will be at the helm of Pastelle. Long associated with Kanye West, Connor has modeled for three seasons for West’s Yeezy.

Originally inspired by Japanese and American street wear, Connors will focus Pastelle on American vintage sportswear.

Image courtesy of fashionweek.com

Image courtesy of fashionweek.com

Grace’s new gig

Grace Coddington has a new job. Since leaving her twenty-year plus post at American Vogue as creative director earlier in the year, Coddington was recently pegged to be Tiffany & Co. first outside creative director.

“Tiffany—and its famed Blue Box—has always held special meaning for me. To me, this is not just an ad campaign, but an opportunity to portray a legendary house of luxury through modern portraits of uniquely talented subjects. Each perfectly reflects, in her own way, Tiffany’s most iconic collections,” Coddington told WWD.

Coddington is directing Tiffany & Co.’s fall campaigns that will appear in September issues of fashion and lifestyle publications, as well as the brand’s digital and social media campaigns.

—William S. Gooch

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