SALE: RAG NATION SPRING CLEARANCE

Rag Nation is having a spring sale in their showroom for walk-in customers only. Sale items will not be available online and
will include new and used clothing, shoes,bags and accessories for men & women from
Prada, Gucci, Giorgio Armani, Paul Smith, Etro, Comme des Garcons, Dries Van Noten and more. Read more

THE ODD COUPLE: BARNEYS AND TARGET HEART EACH OTHER

So as the collaborations continue (will this gravy train ever run dry?) the newest coupling is Barneys and target. Some call it an odd pairing.

“The teaming of Target Corp. and Barneys New York has to be one of the oddest pairings in recent fashion history. Read more

ETRO COMES TO SOHO

“THE Italian design store Etro has plunked down $12.03 million to buy the 2,500-foot, ground-floor retail space at 89 Greene St. The space, in a prominent five-story, red brick building on the northwest corner of Spring in SoHo, is currently occupied by a Korean greengrocer - and is the only building in the area not already housing a fashion king.”

source

SLIMANE/DIESEL COLLABO UPDATE

So we guess it looks like a possible collaboration between Hedi Slimane and Diesels’s Renzo Rosso may not be in the cards after all.

“While whispers of a partnership between Diesel’s Renzo Rosso and Hedi Slimane have been doggedly pursuing the fashion world, the truth remains that we won’t be seeing such a thing anytime soon. Read more

NEXCEN TO LAUNCH BILL BLASS MEN’S LINE

NexCen Brands has partnered with Peerless Clothing to start a mens collection under the Bill Blass name.

“The company said the new collection is being designed by Michael Bastian, the creative director for Bill Blass Menswear. Read more

GOOGLE DESIGNER ARTIST THEMES

As Google nears world domination they must be figuring that it’s time to spruce up their wardrobe.

So the Google people have announced that now people can spruce up their Google homepage with new Google artist and designer themes.

The likes of Marc Ecko, Dolce & Gabanna, Oscar de la Renta, Philippe Starck, Nigo( of A Bathing Ape fame), Kristina Tjäder of House of Dagmar, Young-hee Lee, Diane von Furstenberg and others can now grace your Google homepage. Read more

ECONOMIC NEWS: BAD, BAD, GOOD

The economy remains in the ditch as consumer confidence falls:

“Looking ahead, consumers’ outlook for the economy, the job market and their income prospects remains quite pessimistic and little changed from last month. Read more

LILLY PULITZER SPLASHES ON THE UES

Lilly Pulitzer is coming to Manhattan via the UES. The store will be located at 1020 Madison Avenue (btwn. 78th & 79th st.) in a row house.

Lilly Pulitzer is a preppy brand known for it’s use of loud colors and florals which contrasts with the Manhattan mantra of “black is the new black”. And people are already asking how well the two will go together. Read more

ENNIO CAPASA; COSTUME NATIONAL MAKE PUSH TOWARDS WEB 2.0 AND SOCIAL NETWORKING

Costume National designer Ennio Capasa making a huge push to increase the web presence for him and his brands, Costume National and C’N'C.

Designer Ennio Capasa has launched his own blog where he can directly relate to his consumer and a blog for Costume National.

C’N'C is also pushing to reach it’s core younger costumer with the launch of Internet based strategies. Read more

HAUTE LINKS: Cavariccis, Footwear & Online Shopping

OMG! Remember cavaricci pants? Catch a trip down memory lane with Cavaricci pants redux. [Vintage Gents]

Is footwear doing evolutionary damage to our feet? [New York Magazine]

Men outpace women in online shopping! [The Independent]

MARC by MARC JACOBS POISED TO TAKEOVER EUROPE

Marc Jacobs is set to take Europe by storm with the opening of Marc by Marc Jacobs stores. Read more

DKNY BROADENS SUITS

“Donna Karan International is in the final stages of negotiating a license with Peerless Clothing for DKNY tailored clothing, the latest in a string of new partnerships working toward a major, multi-category extension of DKNY across the better zone of department stores this fall. ”

via DNR

55DSL IS LOOKING FOR A JUNIOR LUCKY BASTARD

55DSL is hiring and they want you. 55DSL is looking for people whose job sucks to be their JUNIOR LUCKY BASTARD. They’ll be sending you to the most exotic locales for free, where it’ll be your job to attend some of the best parties and have fun.

They don’t want any resumes or CV’s for those of you across the pond. The way to apply is with a video application creatively showing your ability to deal with everyday life and how you would “live 55 seconds per day.” Read more

JOHN VARVATOS OPENS IN CBGB, VIDEO

Designer John Varvatos has opened a boutique at 315 Bowery, the legendary location of CBGB.

Varatos says that he kept some of the original CBGB fixtures such as the club’s walls, “punched-in holes, cracked paint and all”, as well as the ventilation system along with graffiti and band stickers. Read more

ZAC POSEN BUSTS A MOVE

“IS Zac Posen trying to invent the latest dance craze? The designer showed up to celebrity stylist Christopher Niquet’s birthday party at Le Royale Tuesday and karate-danced his way through the night. Read more

WE HEAR…

We hear that the Shane and Shawn Flagship Boutique will be opening next week in Nolita. The in-store flagship celebration, Read more

WOODY ALLEN SUES AMERICAN APPAREL

Director Woody Allen sued American Apparel Inc. this past Monday for using his image in ads without his consent. Read more

TOPMAN LENS COLLECTION: MATERIAL BOY + MJOLK

Topman has added two new designers to the Lens section. Hip fashion labels Material Boy and Mjolk will debut next to past fixtures including Neue, Carolyn Massey and Dexter Wong. Read more

TOM FORD FINDS SUCCESS IN OSAKA

Tom Ford is making a strong presence in Asia. The chest baring designer opened a 1,300 sq. ft. shop in the Hankyu Men’s Store. Read more

PROFITS SOAR AT PRADA

Prada released earnings with an increase of over 65%.

Despite the economic situation, Prada has managed to thrive Read more

MOVADO INCOME RISES

Movado bucks the trend of the economic slump in strong fourth quarter earnings. Read more

RED HITS THE SCENE AS THE COLOR OF THE SEASON

Red is showing up on the scene as the it color of the upcoming season. Read more

NYT’s ERIC WILSON ON ‘OPENING CEREMONY’

In this week’s Style section of The New York Times, reporter Eric Wilson waxes poetic about chic NY boutique Opening Ceremony. Read more

HAS NEW YORK FASHION WEEK FOUND A NEW HOME???

Is the speculation about New York Fashion Week leaving Bryant Park for the West Side Highway true? Read more

FASHION WRITERS ON GETTING BANNED FROM FASHION SHOWS

Cathy Horyn writes about the fragile ego of fashion designers in this weeks Style section:

“Giorgio Armani does not want me at his fashion shows. Read more

VICTORIA BECKHAM’S PLEA TO MEN: “LET IT HANG!”

Victoria Beckham is ready to tell men how to do denim.

Her first rule consists of burning all skinny jeans on men, which she despises. As she says in DNR, “I think guys should wear jeans big and baggy, with a big pair of boots or flip-flops—exactly how you see David when he’s out in his jeans and T-shirt….Do not pull them up tight and have your bulge showing. Let it hang!”

This advice from her Poshness comes as she coincidentally gets ready to launch a men’s denim line for her label dVb. BTW, dVb stands for David and Victoria Beckham.

The initial line includes different washes (from dark to vintage to light grey), make use of Japanese denim and will be priced from $220 to $285.

Victoria Beckham Spices Up Men’s Denim [DNR]

NXT GLOWING PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS

 

NXT (pronouced “next”) is a new line of shaving gels aimed at younger men. Started by Jamie Leventhal the line features unique packaging that lights up from the bottom, thus allowing suspended air bubbles to glow.

Aimed at 18 to 24 year olds, Read more

J. CREW TO OPEN MEN’S ONLY STORE IN TRIBECA

Multi-channel retailer J. Crew has found a location for it’s first men’s-only store.

In a report by DNR we learned that the outlet will be located in Tribeca at 235 West Broadway (at White Street) in a landmark building known as The Liquor Store.

The pop-up store is set to open in early summer and will small and intimate in contrast to the retailer’s other outlets.

According to DNR, “It will carry ‘the best-of-the-best’ of the J. Crew men’s collection, including Collector’s Items, its upscale, limited-edition items. It will also offer the company’s “list” of the items that every man should own.”

J. Crew to Open First Men’s Store in Tribeca [DNR]

KEITH RICHARDS DOES LOUIS VUITTON

Luxury goods maker Louis Vuitton has tapped rocker Keith Richards to model for an ad. The ad will be shot by haute photographer Annie Leibovitz for Vuitton’s “core values” campaign. The “core values” campaign will allow Louis Vuitton to remind consumes of the brands roots through it’s signature monogram print luggage.

Look for the ads in print magazines and newspapers.

Keith Richards Models for Louis Vuitton [New York Magazine]
Photo: courtesy of Louis Vuitton

H&M BUYS CONTROL OF CHEAP MONDAY AMONG OTHERS

H&M has acquired control of trendy brand Cheap Monday, among other labels through the purchase of a 60% stake in Fabric Scandinavien AB.

The deal costs about $92 million for the Swedish fast-fashion maker. DNR reports, “The acquisition is a good fit for H&M. Denim brand Cheap Monday is sold in over 1,000 stores globally and experienced a 300 percent hike in sales last year, as demand for its affordably-priced rock’n’roll looks stole share from more premium positioned players.”

[source]

KSUBI WEBSITE LAUNCH

Australian fashion label Ksubi has revamped their website.

The brand is known as an innovative, recognized streetwear label being worn by the likes of Kanye West, Scissor Sisters and Pete Doherty.

The remodeled site bears a curious resemblance to Google and one can use this search interface to pull up a smorgasbord of info on the brand. One major improvement is the addition of e-commerce.

Check the site here.

SWEATER DAY HONORS MR. ROGERS

March 20th will be the 80th birthday of the late Fred Rogers, better known as Mr. Rogers. His legacy is being remembered with the making of March 20th Sweater Day. Guess it’s a good thing he was born in the winter.

Mr. Rogers made the sweater a staple item of his and it lives in the memory of many generations. So break out a sweater on March 20th and give the day a neighborhood feel.

See video below.

via Style Dash

STUSSY LAS VEGAS FLAGSHIP OPENING

Streetwear/skate label Stussy will be opening a Las Vegas flagship store on March 8th. An opening celebration is planned for March 7th featuring Just Blaze. If you’re in Sin City, check it out.

Stussy Flagship Store
4480 Paradise Road
#350
Las Vegas, Nevada
(702) 693-5400

via High Snobiety

PUMA & HUSSEIN CHALAYAN JOINT VENTURE

And the collaboration gravy train rolls on!

The International Herald Tribune, a.k.a.-Suzy Menkes’ paper, is reporting that British designer Hussein Chalayan and German shoe company, Puma, are set to “announce a joint venture.”

Collaborations are nothing new for Puma, which was bought by luxury company PPR in May of last year. The brand has been steadily moving upmarket since to position itself as a luxury sports lifestyle brand.

We’ll bring you more details as they’re released.

Hussein Chalayan and Puma: Am imminent match? [IHT]

GIVENCHY’S NEW PARIS FLAGSHIP

The Givenchy brand is going through a rebirth that includes the opening of a new “gallerylike” Paris flagship.

Set to open this Friday the 3,750 sq. ft. boutique will be located on the Faubourg Saint-Honore. The flagship is the latest in a series of changes for the legendary French label, part of the LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton conglomerate of luxury brands. Other recent changes include Givenchy becoming once again profitable in 2007, appointing pop star Justin Timberlake star of it’s upcoming fragrance campaign and a growth in menswear, which accounts for about 35% of the Givenchy business according to WWD.

The placement of Timberlake shows how aggressively the label is trying to woo a new generation while staying true to some of it’s roots. It’s menswear is in the midst of change as WWD reports:

“After parting ways with its former men’s designer, Ozwald Boateng, last year and mothballing a second line, Givenchy has pursued a new men’s positioning with an in-house design team. ‘It’s more contemporary and in line with the overall DNA of the brand,’ [chairman Marco] Gobbetti said. ‘We’re restarting the men’s distribution in Saks in seven locations’.”

Givenchy Displays New Spirit With Paris Flagship [WWD]

CHINATOWN COUNTERFEIT CRACKDOWN

Yesterday the Feds raided dozens of shops downtown in Chinatown. The sting snapped up fake Rolex watches as well as fake Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci and Fendi bags and accessories.

Racked reports that, “apparently Mayor Bloomberg himself showed up to check out the scene.” And one of their reader’s comments, “an entire block was shut down by the police (Canal and Lafayette)”.

ABC News has a video on the bust.

via Racked

THE SHOPS AT TIME WARNER CENTER SOAR

The economy may be on shaky ground but not everyone is doing bad.

The Shops at the Time Warner Center had a “stellar” 2007 boosted by foreign tourism during the holiday season. Later this year, “True Religion is planning to open at the center this spring, along with bebe, Wolford and Swarovski, bringing The Shops to 100 percent occupancy” in a report by DNR.

Time Warner Center Posts Strong Sales in ‘07 [DNR]

TOM FORD BEGINS TWO YEAR PARTNERSHIP WITH HARRODS

Tom Ford continues his march toward global domination with the signing of an exclusive two year deal with Harrods.

The designer’s menswear collection went on sale at Harrods in London last week reports DNR.

The partnership also includes plans for a shop-in-shop to open in late spring as key items are already moving well. According to a report in this week’s DNR, “key selling points in the collection include the working cuffs on jackets, side-fastening trousers and fabric selection. Shirts are all sold unfinished and tailored to customer requirements; belt loops on trousers are optional. Meanwhile the high-quality fabric on the three-piece pinstripe wool suit has impressed consumers.”

The partnership with Harrods follows the opening of Tom Ford’s Madison Avenue boutique in Manhattan last year.

In a statement released to DNR, Domenico DeSole, chairman of Tom Ford International, said, “We are excited to be launching the collection exclusively in the U.K. with Harrods….With a clearly defined distribution plan in place and a discerning eye on quality, service and design, we are poised to establish the first true luxury brand of the 21st century.”

A 10,000 square foot store in Milan is to follow.

Tom Ford Label Takes Off at Harrods [DNR]

ARE EUROS INVADING NEW YORK?

Apparently some Manhattan retailers are accepting Euros figuring that money is money.

With the weak dollar getting slaughtered by the euro, some businesses are happily accepted the currency here in Manhattan. They figure money is money thus accepting it and worrying about the exchange on their own time with their bank.

Check the video courtesy of Reuters via PSFK

MAGIC TRADESHOW TO BECOME THREE-DAY EVENT

MAGIC International, has announced that it will move to a three day schedule from the previous four day schedule starting this August.

This means that MAGIC, WWDMAGIC, MAGIC kids and Sourcing at MAGIC, will join sister shows Project and Pool as a three day event to better serve customers attending the market place.

Chris DeMoulin, executive vice president of Advantstar’s Fashion Group and President of MAGIC International, said in a press release, “We are responding to our customers, and this decision was based on their requests….We are committed to delivering the most dynamic fashion trade experience with the most powerful buying and selling environment. Both exhibitors and buyers told us that a three-day show would allow for a more cost-efficient, time-sensitive and effective use of their resources.”

‘AMERICAN LIVING’ SET TO LAUNCH FOR J.C. PENNEY

And the collaboration gravy train rolls on.

American Living, is the brain child of J.C. Penney Co. and Polo Ralph Lauren Corp.’s Global Brand Concepts. The brand will be sold exclusively at J.C. Penney and will include men’s, women’s and children’s apparel and housewares. The brand launch will be the biggest in Penney’s 105-year history as they jump right into the waters instead of slowly rolling out each category.

Global Brand Concepts will be responsible, “for designing, producing, marketing and advertising the brand” according to a report by Reuters.

“The line has a country-living, Americana-feel. It does not bear a “Ralph Lauren” label, but the designer’s influence is unmistakable. The line includes signature Ralph Lauren pieces like polo, oxford and rugby shirts with the American Living logo — an eagle holding an American flag.”

The brand will be priced at Penney’s highest end, despite the shaky economy. The brand intends to hit consumers with a large marketing campaign set to coincide with the Academy Awards.

American Living Launch Largest Ever for J.C. Penney [Reuters]

WSJ’s ROBIN GIVHAN ON DESIGNER PATRICK ROBINSON FOR GAP

From Off The Runway with Robin Givhan:

“The collection is filled with all the basic sportswear pieces you’d expect: jeans, cargo pants, t-shirts, camisoles, pullovers, etc. But it looks just a little cooler, more streamlined, a smidge more sophisticated. There are also shoes by Pierre Hardy for the Gap….Of course, everything looked especially good because it was all layered and styled just so. Patrick will not come to your home and dishevel your t-shirt and dress you in that extra special way. Despite all the sexing up of the collection, Patrick says the prices didn’t go up.”

Read her entire review here.

DUCKIE BROWN DESIGNS FOR FLORSHEIM SHOES

And the collaboration gravy train rolls on.

The hip boys over at Duckie Brown are teaming up with traditional shoemaker Florsheim Shoes.

The dual-branded collection will be called, “Florsheim By Duckie Brown” and will retail for between $200 and $300. Expect the collection to hit shelves in fall of 2009.

The collabo fits in perfectly with the current trend of hip designers teaming up with traditional brands as Alexander McQueen recently did for Samsonite.

Florsheim Shoes also sponsored Duckie Brown’s recent runway show in NY, which was a return to basics in many ways.

Florsheim partners with Duckie Brown [Yahoo Finance]

Next Page »