Berlin Fashion Week Shows a Raw Energy Scattered slabs of concrete, still daubed with their original graffiti, are pertinent reminders that 2009 marks 20 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall. But the cultural revolution that came with the fusion of the city’s East and West is even more visible as arty photographs in smart spaces, music pulsating from abandoned government buildings and fashion that reflects this hot, hip and happening city. (
NYT)
Luxe ReduxThey have the sepulchral feel of rediscovered tombs. Lavish. Silent. Undisturbed. Visiting luxury boutiques these days can seem like stepping into a time capsule, and in a sense, you are, as retail and marketing plans and products conceived during the bully days of early 2008 are still on display and feel, in this post-luxury age, as anachronistic and appealing as Zeppelin travel after the Hindenburg disaster. (
Reuters)
Retailers focus on standout items to spur spendingAmericans are increasingly shopping in their own closets for new looks, so merchants are diving in to help out.Clothing retailers are spotlighting a number of bold items this fall — from leather pants and jackets with structured shoulders to sequined tops and skirts — to persuade strapped consumers they can update their wardrobes without buying a new look head to toe. (
AP)
US chain stores fail to escape gloomSaks and Neiman Marcus, the luxury department stores, continued to struggle during the month. Neiman said its comparable-store sales had fallen 20.8 per cent. Saks's June comparable-store sales fell only 4.4 per cent as it benefited from the shift of a spring sales event that fell in May the year before. But comparable sales for May and June were down 15.2 per cent, it said. (
FT)
Let crisis inspire haute coutureFashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier said on Wednesday tough times were triggers to think out of the box and that way haute couture will weather the world financial crisis. (
Reuters)
Escada Is Optimistic of Rescue as Dressmaker SuffersEscada AG Chief Executive Officer Bruno Saelzer said he’s optimistic investors will back a refinancing plan and avert insolvency at the German dressmaker whose celebrity clients include actress Katie Holmes. (
Bloomberg)
Haute Couture Faces Uncertain Times In the closeted world of satin and sequins that is Parisian haute couture, there is uncertainty about the future. (
NYT)
Valentino Lenders Seek Debt Deal By End of SummerValentino Fashion Group's lenders, including UniCredit SpA, Mediobanca SpA and Citigroup Inc., are pressing the Italian luxury group to revise loan terms to allow the company to avoid defaulting on debt due in 2009, the Wall Street Journal reported. (
Bloomberg)
Coach Is Now Traveling CoachLong before today's handbag market became brand-saturated, Coach (COH) was synonymous with practical yet fashionable purses, designed for women who wanted bags made of quality leather that would hold up while they commuted to city centers or drove carpools. With this month's release of the budget-conscious Poppy line, Coach, a luxury-retail marvel once ridiculed for being stodgy, is increasingly associated with an entirely different—and notoriously fickle—population: teens, coeds, and grads. (
Reuters)
Lunch with the FT: Manolo BlahnikFinancial Times' Vanessa Friedman interviews Manolo Blahnik:“Are shoes so important?” he asks. “Really? If I was a woman, I would be dressed in the same thing for a month and just change my hat and gloves. Maybe my shoes too; yes, I see what you mean but, really, it’s jewels that change an outfit. And I do love gloves. And I adddore hats. There are toooo many shoes now. I always tell the children,” – Blahnik is an honorary professor at the Royal College of Art and the “children” are his students – “‘Don’t do shoes! Do hats!’ And the shoes are so strange, so vulgar. I hate these platforms that are all over the place today; they are all about grabbing attention. They are suburban! I never do a platform. Well, I did, in the 1970s, but that was a bad experience.” (
FT)
Italy's business 'showgirl' is not just a pretty faceSince taking over as leader of Confindustria, Mrs Marcegaglia - dubbed "Signora Steel" for her toughness and industry provenance - has surprised many for her ability to get things done. (
FT)
Chanel, Now and ThenInterview with Cathy Horyn: I asked Mr. Lagerfeld about the new collection, about staying current, and about those blog reports that he would leave Chanel and be replaced by Alber Elbaz of Lanvin. Mr. Lagerfeld said to forget about it. He was going to die with his boots on. He also mentioned that Alain Wertheimer, whose family owns Chanel, said he would sell the house when the designer leaves. This might not be the case, Mr. Lagerfeld said, but it was a nice thing to be told. (
NYT)
