Lara Stone is on the front cover of Vogue UK's December issue wearing a Dior Haute Couture white tulle corset dres. She was photographed by Mario Testino. Vogue UK calls Lara the "girl of the year" which is appropriate since Lara Stone has been talked about everywhere this year.
WWD cornered Zac Efron at a party thrown by G-Star for him to celebrate him being on the November issue of Nylon Guys. Naturally, WWD's reporter went straight for the burning fashion question of the moment: how does Zac get his jeans so perfectly lived in? Well, he works at it. A Lot.
At 22, Zac Efron is meticulous when it comes to his clothes. Consider his raw denim jeans by G-Star, which he wore continuously over eight weeks to weather the stiff dungarees for the too-cool-for-school look, complete with dusty yellow whiskers on the front pockets. "They're my favorite jeans," the actor said Wednesday at the dinner G-Star threw for him at XIV to celebrate his turn as cover boy of Nylon Guys' November issue. "I wore them all throughout High School Musical 3. I even wore them hiking. You have to wear them everywhere to get them right."
Joined by High School Musical co-star Ashley Tisdale, actress Brittany Snow, local "It" girl Cory Kennedy and DJ Steve Aoki, Efron paired his dirty denim with a striped sweater by Marc Jacobs. It's too bad he didn't have much to say about the jeans he wore on the cover of the magazine. Instead of G-Star, they were crisp, clean Levi's.
That was quite tactful of Zac. No need to hate on the Levi's just because you're loving your meticulously broken in G-Stars.
WWDreports that Juicy Couture is opening up shops in several aiports. The photograph above is a Juicy Couture store opening up in Miami International Airport's American Airlines terminal. Other airports soon getting a Juicy Couture store include John F. Kennedy International Airport, TaoYuan International Airport and the Athens airport. The Miami airport store opens in December and the three others open in 2010. Juicy Couture told WWD they know their customers are in the airports.
"We know that our customer is traveling and she's in the airports," said Ellen Rodriguez, senior vice president of global licensing and international at Juicy Couture. "Women are always wearing our tracksuits, especially to travel in. We just don't think she's being targeted by other retailers in these airports, so there's a real opportunity there for us."
The brand has developed a new airport store design concept to showcase the best of what Juicy is known for, as well as items that are geared toward travel. Tracksuits will be available in a multitude of colors, and there will also be easy last-minute gifting items such as jewelry, sunglasses, watches, charms, logo T-shirts, packaged baby socks, onesies and bibs. In addition, city-specific gifts will be available in the shops, such as a T-shirt graphic stating "Choose Miami" in the Miami airport location.
It's not a bad strategy. The reduction of flights has more people stuck in terminals as they wait for a connecting flight. Shopping is one way to pass the time.
This weekend H & M held a party in Los Angeles to celebrate the U.S. launch of the hotly anticipated Jimmy Choo for H & M collection. Hayden Panettiere, Paris Hilton, Nicki Hilton and Olivia Wilde were all wearing items from the collection which is based on black and cobalt blue, with sequins, leopard print and jeweled accessories.
Hayden wore the black sequin cardigan, skinny leather pants and a carried the studded zebra-print clutch. Hayden had nothing but praise for the line, saying, "[Founder] Tamara Mellon is so brilliant, and such a wonderful designer. Her shoes are incredible....I do my shopping sprees at H&M... And I am in love with these pants!"
Paris Hilton wore the belted jumpsuit and accessorized with lots of bracelets from the collection and the hot pink box clutch. Paris said,
"I already love H&M but the fact that they are doing Jimmy Choo as well I think is amazing. The purses, the shoes, everything. The clothes are so cute. They have so many fabulous things and I can't wait to get the whole collection."
Nicky Hilton wore the beaded batwing dress and Olivia Wilde looked fabulous in the rhinestone-encrusted black cocktail dress, cage heels and a mock croc clutch. The party was orchestrated by a producer who had models wearing the outfits. They posed and changed positions at specified times. Take a look:
The collection goes on sale on November 14 and is not available online to U.S. residents. A crowd is expected at most of the stores, so they will be handing out bracelets to get in. The store has limited the number of items each person can buy to discourage people from stocking up and reselling on Ebay at higher prices. A full explanation of how to buy the items can be found here (just skip the intro).
For the 2009 Gucci Campaign to Benefit UNICEF, Frida Giannini has commissioned author Michael Roberts to create a sequel to his popular children's book, Snowman in Paradise, which was published in 2004. The new book, titled Snowman in Africa, will be exclusively on sale in Gucci stores and on Gucci.com from November 16 through December 31, 2009. Gucci will donate 100% of the retail price of the book to UNICEF.
Giannini has also designed exclusive Gucci accessories as well as a Gucci Gift Card to benefit UNICEF, all of which are inspired by Michael Roberts' magical illustrations featured in the book. Two new medium sized Gucci Joy handbags feature Roberts' illustrations. Symbolic charms representing characters from the book act as key rings or add-on charms to any accessory. The collection also features small leather goods, including a wrist wallet and coin purse. The Gucci Joy handbags and fashion accessories will be available in Gucci stores from November 16 to December 31, 2009, and 25% of the retail price of each item will be donated to UNICEF.
You can see a few more items from the collection here.
Here is a first look at John Galliano's first sunglasses collection. The sunglasses made by Marcolin. John Galliano signed a five year deal with Marcolin earlier this year. The first John Galliano Eyewear collection will be availble in Spring 2010.
Max Mara is having a tough time during the recession. The company reported
that net profits are down by 54.8% to $29.5 million from $60.9 million a year ago. WWD reports:
Founded in 1951 by entrepreneur Achille Maramotti in Italy's Reggio Emilia, the group today counts some 23 lines, from Mara and Sportmax to Max & Co., Marina Rinaldi and Pennyblack, each with dedicated design teams and catering to different target customers.
The group counts 2,250 stores in 90 countries worldwide, all designed in-house. Exports account for about 45 percent of sales.
The company had debt of $170.2 million at the end of 2008, which was nearly double the debt it had the year before. Global luxury sales are in a major slump that is not expected to end any time soon.
Donatella Versace is determined to save her company, which has been in the news lately for layoffs and financial problems. Donatella told the media "I AM a survivor." Thrust into the spotlight when her brother was murdered, Donatella discussed with The New York Times the years of drug use, the rehab and how she had to be strong for the company and for her family.
Seated on a sofa in her suite at the Waldorf Towers, where she was registered for privacy's sake as "Mrs. Montez," Ms. Versace was dressed in form-hugging black trousers and the stilettos she removes only at the gym. With her hair bleached to a color one associates with mythological nymphets, and with her heavily accented English, she seemed every bit the exotic satirized by Maya Rudolph on Saturday Night Live -- a characterization that, Ms. Versace said, "I laughed about -- once."
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"In my life I had no other choice than to become a strong person," Ms. Versace said. "I had to do it, at first for Gianni, and also for my children," she said, referring to her daughter, Allegra, who inherited 50 percent of the company in 2004 when she turned 18.
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She points out that, even in the days when she was such a compulsive cocaine consumer that fashion insiders alert to this open secret speculated on whether she would ever leave the bathroom to make an appearance at one of her own dinner parties, she still produced eight collections a year.
"If my problem was as big as everyone says, how did I run this company and create all these collections?" said Ms. Versace, whose 2004 stint at a rehabilitation center in Arizona came about only after a group of friends, Elton John among them, staged an intervention during one of these parties at her palazzo on via Gesu in Milan.
"I was dressed up, very glamorous, and I went to the bathroom to do a line," Ms. Versace said. "I didn't think anything was strange at the time, but then when I came out, all my friends were sitting in a circle on chairs and they said: 'You have a problem. We love you. You have to get help.'"
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"But you have to face the truth," Ms. Versace said, whether seeking sobriety or reinvention in the global marketplace. "For me, life is about chapters," she said, drawing one of the Marlboro Reds she chain-smokes from a packet customized with her DV monogram.
"Die and born again, die and born again," she said, striking a match. "It's the story of my life."
Analysts say companies like Versace will have to change in order to survive in the new post-recession world. Luxury sales will eventually increase, but spending is not expected to be as profligate as it once was. Donatella has hired a new CEO who is trimming costs and making changes in the company to comport with the new realities in the marketplace.
Sales of teen apparel missed estimates in October to an extent that surprised analysts. Aeropostale Inc., American Eagle Outfitters Inc. and Limited Brands Inc. all reported sales that were not in line with forecasts.
Sales at U.S. stores open at least a year rose 3 percent at Aeropostale, the U.S. teen retailer with more than 900 stores, trailing the 14 percent average of analysts' estimates compiled by Retail Metrics Inc. Comparable-store sales at American Eagle fell 5 percent, missing a 2 percent projected gain. Sales at Limited, the owner of the Victoria's Secret chain, dropped 4 percent, more than the 3.1 percent estimated decline.
October is a transitional month between the two largest selling seasons of the year: back-to-school and Christmas. U.S. retailers use the month to clear out fall merchandise and make room for holiday floor sets, according to Ken Perkins, president of Swampscott, Massachusetts-based Retail Metrics.
"The teen apparel space was the biggest disappointment," Perkins said today in a telephone interview.
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Aeropostale, based in New York, fell $5.21, or 14 percent, to $32.82 at 11:29 a.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. Pittsburgh-based American Eagle dropped $2.02, or 11 percent, to $15.84. Limited, of Columbus, Ohio, lost 8 cents to $17.70.
Some department stores fared better than the specialty retailers. TJX Cos. and Ross Stores Inc., which both sell designer goods at discounted prices, reported sales gains. Chains including Saks Inc. and Nordstrom Inc. reported sales that topped estimates.
The National Retail Federation forecasts that U.S. holiday sales in the last two months of the year will fall by 1% from last year to around $437.6 billion.
Last year's holiday sales were 3.4% lower than the year before that. Retailers are counting on Black Friday and Cyber Monday to help drive sales this year.
Style.con asked CFDA International Award and the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award winners Anna Sui and Marc Jacobs to sit down to lunch at Il Cantinori and have a chat. The two designers talk about how the New York fashion scene has changed since they were young and how they feel about winning lifetime achievement awards while they are still in the prime of their careers. They also quiz each other on personal trivia -- Anna appears to be the winner in the trivia contest. Take a look:
Stella McCartney created a clothing collection for GapKids and BabyGap for fall 2009. Some of the items include leopard sweater tunics, sweater hoodies, band jackets, duck boots, tulle skirts, five pocket jeans, ribbed tights and duck boots. The collection arrived in stores this week. You can browse the collection here on Gap.com.
Stella McCartney said, "For years now I've wanted to create a collection for kids. It’s really exciting for us to do a boys and girls collection with Gap for the first time. I think it has a mix of the playful and practical. I tried to create a whole kids wardrobe. There are pieces that are classic and sort of timeless and hopefully very chic, mixed with more playful and a little bit cooler pieces. It’s a reflection of our brand and a great way to experience it."
American Eagle Outfitters has announced plans to open its flagship store in Times Square. The 25,000 square foot store will open Thursday, November 19 at 1551 Broadway, at 46th Street. It features four levels of shopping, including dedicated floors for AE denim, as well as aerie, the company's intimates and dormwear brand. The store will feature exclusive AE product not available anywhere else, including outerwear in faux fur and leather, sequin-embellished tops, and graphic t-shirts designed by New York graffiti artists. The Times Square assortment will also include a collection of premium denim and an expanded footwear selection.
The store will feature a customer experience called "15 Seconds of Fame." After making a purchase, customers will be invited to pose in a mini photo studio. Moments after, the customer's photo will be projected onto the 15,000 square feet of LED screens (25 stories high) outside the store, for all of Times Square to see. The store's giant LED screens will feature content 18 hours per day.
"We know that shopping in Times Square is a landmark event for millions of customers who come from around the globe to visit," said Jim O'Donnell, chief executive officer, American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. "American Eagle Outfitters' goal is to offer them a retail experience unlike anything they've experienced before-even by Times Square standards."
Beth Ditto chatted with Style.com about her love of fashion and style. Beth talks about growing up really poor and how that pretty much defined how she could dress in high school. Beth says she has always been heavy and how finally she decided to ignore all the rules she was taught about not wearing horizontal stripes or bright colors. She also talks about how her fashion line came into being, with a little help from Kate Moss. Take a look:
J.Crew has rewarded
the hard work of its creative director Jenna Lyons with a $1 million bonus.
The bonus was reported on a routine filing with the SEC. Jenna has been credited with increasing sales and the profile of J. Crew. Sales were so good in October that the company has nearly doubled its outlook for fiscal third-quarter earnings to between 54 and 59 cents a share, up from 30 to 33 cents a share.
The bonus is intended to keep Ms. Lyons at J. Crew for the next several years. The terms specify that she must repay the bonus in full if she leaves within two years or repay half of it if she leaves after that but within four years. The company declined to comment.
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Neither Ms. Lyons nor any of the company's other four top executives received bonuses last year. Ms. Lyons received a compensation package, including stock awards and option awards, of $1.9 million last year, according to an April proxy filing.
Ms. Lyons joined the company in 1990 as an assistant designer, following an internship with Donna Karan. She became its creative director in December 2007 and has helped steer the brand to new levels of popularity. It has become a favorite with the White House, including specially designed clothes for first daughters Malia and Sasha Obama for their father's inauguration. J. Crew is also widely worn by celebrities, including Katherine Heigl.
The J.Crew website features "Jenna's Picks" with items that she recommends to customers. Ann Taylor was so taken with the concept that it now has a "Lisa Loves" feature on its website, which features the picks of its head designer Lisa Axelson.
Jenna Lyons has earned her bonus. It's great to see female executives being rewarded for their achievements. But it's pretty cheap to make her give it back if she leaves the company. She earned the bonus and shareholders are happy.
Hermes included a Amelia Earhart inspired photo shoot in its fall/winter catalog to show off its aviator jackets and trenchcoats designed by Jean Paul Gaultier. The photos were shot by Peter Lindbergh. Amelia Earhart has been a popular figure this year. There is the Amelia film in theathers now starring Hilary Swank. Earlier this year Amy Adams also played Amelia Earhart in the comic film, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian.
