PHOT

O BY

OLE

G CO

VIAN

; MOD

EL: j

OHAN

jOH

ANss

ON; G

rOOM

ING

BY N

OBu

AT A

TELI

Er 6

; sTY

LED

BY A

LEX

BADI

A

Light TouchBoth Milan and Paris gave men a clear mandate for spring: Lighten up. Although the frequent use of dark palettes made an intriguing counterpoint, lightness prevailed in fabric choices, tailoring and mood. Here, Burberry Prorsum’s cotton and silk trench, cotton tank top and cotton trousers. For more on the season, see pages 6 and 7.

Women’s Wear Daily • The Retailers’ Daily Newspaper • July 23, 2009 • $3.00

WWDThursDaySportswear/Men’s

See Showtime, Page 5

MAC to Put on a Show: Reveals First Designers And Denies IMG FrictionBy Marc KarimzadehNEW YORK — A designer battle appears to be brewing between MAC Cosmetics and IMG Fashion.

Confirming a WWD report on July 9, MAC, which is owned by the Estée Lauder Cos. Inc., is partnering with Milk Studios and creating a sponsored show venue at the photography studios at 450 West 15th Street. The new venue offers designers a space to stage runway shows, presentations, special events and other services during upcoming New York Fashion Week, starting with the next round of collections scheduled for Sept. 10 to 17.

MAC already has snagged the likes of Proenza Schouler, Alexander Wang, Peter Som, Threeasfour, Vena Cava, Band of Outsiders, Adam Lippes, Altuzarra, Barbara

MEN’S: Michael Bastian

to launch line with

Gant, page 3.

NEWS: Ungaro to split with Esteban Cortazar, page 3.

s WWDLIST: Wal-Mart’s H. Lee Scott tops retail compensation list for 2008, page 12.

ss

FASHION: Rachel Roy to open first pop-up shop, page 11.

s

WWD.COM

WWDThursDaySportswear/Men’s

6FASHIONParis and Milan men’s runways explored the lightness of being for spring, with whisper-thin trenchcoats and softly draped tailoring.

GENERALA battle over designers could be brewing between IMG Fashion and MAC Cosmetics, which is creating a show venue at Milk Studios.Michael Bastian has partnered with Gant to create a cobranded collection for the fall 2010 season called Michael Bastian for Gant.Moody’s Investors Service upped Neiman Marcus Inc.’s rating outlook to “stable” from “negative” after it extended a $600 million credit facility.MEN’S: Retailers shopped the New York market this week in search of the best and brightest pieces to liven their stores next spring.DENIM: The return of Bread & Butter, coupled with the Premium trade show, helped bring an expanded pool of international buyers to Berlin.BEAT: Juicy Couture’s first London flagship is a girly fantasy of custom antiques, candy-filled jars and stuffed animals dripping in jewels.Avon Products said it will eliminate 1,200 positions in the next three to four years, putting itself on track for $200 million in annual savings.

1

3

8

11

4

10

14

“There’s no real fundamental reason

to feel better, but people can only feel bad for so long. It’s just the American temperament.” — David Morton of Andrisen Morton on hopes for the consumer. Page 9.

QUoteDAILY

CORRECTIONQuotes by Philippe Pasquet, chief executive officer of Première Vision, were incorrectly attributed to Jacques Brunel, general manager and international director of Première Vision, in a story on page 8, Tuesday. A photo of Diane von Furstenberg with Pasquet was also incorrectly captioned as being Brunel.

• More looks from the men’s trend • More List rankings on retail

executive compensation • WWDBlog: An editor’s

first iPhone purchase • More images from the Bread & Butter trade show in Berlin

TODAY ON

.comWWD

PhoT

o BY

oLe

G Co

vIAN

WWD IS A ReGISteReD tRADeMARK oF ADVANCe MAGAZINe PUBLISHeRS INC. CoPYRIGHt ©2009 FAIRCHILD FASHIoN GRoUP. ALL RIGHtS ReSeRVeD. PRINteD IN tHe U.S.A.VOLUME 198, NO. 16. WWD (ISSN 0149–5380) is published daily (except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, with one additional issue in January, May, October, November and December, two additional issues in March, April, June and August, and three additional issues in February and September) by Fairchild Fashion Group, which is a division of Advance Magazine Publishers Inc. PRINCIPAL OFFICE: 750 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017. Shared Services provided by Condé Nast Publications: S. I. Newhouse, Jr., Chairman; Charles H. Townsend, President/CEO; John W. Bellando, Executive Vice President/COO; Jill Bright, Executive Vice President/Human Resources. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, and at additional mailing offices. Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40644503. Canadian Goods and Services Tax Registration No. 886549096-RT0001. Canada Post: return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: P.O. Box 503, RPO West Beaver Cre, Rich-Hill, ON L4B 4R6 PoStMASteR: SeND ADDReSS CHANGeS to WoMeN’S WeAR DAILY, P.o. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA 91615–5008. FoR SUBSCRIPtIoNS, ADDReSS CHANGeS, ADJUStMeNtS, oR BACK ISSUe INQUIRIeS: Please write to WWD, P.O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA 91615-5008, call 800-289-0273, or visit www.subnow.com/wd. Please give both new and old addresses as printed on most recent label. Subscribers: If the Post Office alerts us that your magazine is undeliverable, we have no further obligation unless we receive a corrected address within one year. If during your subscription term or up to one year after the magazine becomes undeliverable, you are ever dissatisfied with your subscription, let us know. You will receive a full refund on all unmailed issues. First copy of new subscription will be mailed within four weeks after receipt of order. Address all editorial, business, and production correspondence to WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY, 750 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017. For permissions and reprint requests, please call 212-630-4274 or fax requests to 212-630-4280. Visit us online at www.wwd.com. To subscribe to other Fairchild magazines on the World Wide Web, visit www.fairchildpub.com. Occasionally, we make our subscriber list available to carefully screened companies that offer products and services that we believe would interest our readers. If you do not want to receive these offers and/or information, please advise us at P.O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA 91615-5008 or call 800-289-0273. WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RETURN OR LOSS OF, OR FOR DAMAGE OR ANY OTHER INJURY TO, UNSOLICITED MANUSCRIPTS, UNSOLICITED ART WORK (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DRAWINGS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND TRANSPARENCIES), OR ANY OTHER UNSOLICITED MATERIALS. THOSE SUBMITTING MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, ART WORK, OR OTHER MATERIALS FOR CONSIDERATION SHOULD NOT SEND ORIGINALS, UNLESS SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED TO DO SO BY WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY IN WRITING. MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND OTHER MATERIALS SUBMITTED MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY A SELF-ADDRESSED STAMPED ENVELOPE.

To e-mail reporTers and ediTors aT WWd, The address is firsTname.lasTname@fairchildpub.com, using The individual’s name.

Classified Advertisements.................................................................................................15

Bottega Veneta’s cashmere sweater, twill polyester shirt and wool gabardinetrousers. Bottega Veneta shoes.

Bottega Veneta’s cashmere sweater, twill polyester shirt and wool gabardinetrousers. Bottega Veneta shoes.

Juicy Couture’s interior.

s

A weekly update on consumer attitudes and behavior based

on ongoing research from Cotton Incorporated

™

This story is one in a series of articles based on find-ings from Cotton Incorporated’s Lifestyle Monitor™ tracking research. Appearing Thursdays in these pages, each story will focus on a specific topic as it relates to the American consumer and her attitudes and behavior regarding clothing, appearance, fashion, fiber selection and many other timely, relevant subjects.

WITH BLUE JEANS BLAZINGDenim Appeals to Americans Fighting for Economic Rebound

7 For All Mankind, Citizens of Humanity and True Religion. When it comes to purchases, his shoppers may “think about it a little more, but they still end up buying it.”

As for trends, says Plasencia, “There’s skinny, which is stronger than it was two years ago, bootleg, some destroyed business. People buy what they want if they like the wash and the fit.”

Among Monitor respondents, fit is the most important feature when considering their next jeans

purchase for the majority (55%) of women. Style comes in second (20%), and price third (13%).

Bufano says the distressed denim, skinny jean and belted jeans should continue to be strong heading into fall. Other trends to watch include dark indigo and washed

colored darks in purple, teals and brown.“Denim is growing across all families of business

at Belk, whether it’s purchased by the contemporary affluent customers, by mom for her kids and herself, or by the junior and/or young men’s fashion customers,” Bufano says. “Contemporary, classic, our own private brands, and iconic brands like Levi’s and Calvin Klein, Lee’s Fit Solutions in women’s and extended sizes in men’s are all performing well.”

Beder says denim has taken more share from non-denim this year than any other.

“Non-denim isn’t selling because it’s repetitive and boring,” he says. “It’s not a big item. And the only thing that’s working from teens to premium is denim. It’s got versatility, value and it’s a fashion item. If you look even at Aeropostale with its $20 jeans: it has rips and tears, it’s right on trend – it’s tough to beat.”

Beder adds that denim is always strong for the fall season.

“Denim will drive back-to-school. In terms of fall/early winter, we’re going back to destroyed, rips and tears as a big fashion trend. We’re seeing it from Abercrombie to True Religion and everyone in between.”

Belk’s Bufano says the retailer ensures denim will remain strong through the back-to-school season by launching denim zones throughout the store.

Bufano adds that during these tough times, iconic denim brands like Levi’s have performed very well at Belk.

R e c e n t l y , L e v i ’ s launched its “Go Forth” campaign, which is rooted in America’s pioneering spirit.

As Bufano notes: “You can’t get more iconic than Levi’s jeans.”

In a time when the housing, retail and job markets are still getting knocked around, a steady source of light glows in the billion-dollar U.S. denim industry. Consumers continue to choose an American born-and-bred piece of apparel that represents the toughness, versatility and creativity necessary for the nation to recover from one of the toughest recessions on record.

Whereas overall retail sales declined by 0.9% for the week-on-week ending July 11, and year-over-year sales declined 0.7%, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers, Inc. (ICSC) and Goldman Sachs, sales of women’s jeans increased to $8.03 billion this year, from $7.68 billion in 2008, according to NPD data. That’s a whopping year-over-year increase of 4.6%.

Call it “the denim anomaly”: when 42% of women are purchasing less apparel for themselves and 55% say they have less money to spend on clothes this year compared to last, according to the Cotton Incorporated Lifestyle Monitor™ survey, 68% of females still report to the Monitor survey that they have purchased the same number or more of jeans in the last 12 months than in the previous year.

“We’re very bullish on denim right now, even in this economy,” says Eric Beder, senior vice-president and retail analyst at investment and securities firm Brean Murray, Carret & Co. “And when the economy turns around, consumers will ramp up their purchases. People have been talking about a slowdown in denim for years now, and it hasn’t happened because a) denim has great versatility and value, and b) you look good in it – and that won’t change. As long as denim can find new uses and novelty applications, it will continue to grow.”

At Belk, newness in the form of white and distressed jeans, and skinny silhouettes have helped propel denim sales up 24% over last year through spring, according to Kathy Bufano, president of merchandising and marketing.

“Denim represents both fashion and value,” she says. “It combines the concept of affordable luxury and adaptability, since denim can be worn at home, on weekends and at work. It can be desk-to-dinner and is really the most versatile item in everyone’s wa rd robe . We have stepped up our marketing and visual presentation in the store.”

At Post Blue Jean in Miami Beach, FL, owner Juan Plasencia says consumers may not be buying new homes or cars, but they are not giving up their denim.

“It’s part of our lifestyle and culture now,” he says. “It’s a fashion purchase. [We] go shopping, get an outfit and go out at night. And I’m in an area where people go out a lot.”

The Monitor survey finds 41% of females buy new jeans at least every six months. That figure rises to 72% among 13-to-24 year olds.

Plasencia says his customers are sticking with their favorite brands, which include Diesel, Replay,

“We’re very bullish on denim right now, even in this economy.

And when the economy turns around, consumers will ramp

up their purchases.”

– Eric Beder, Brean Murray, Carret & Co.

Females’ Jeans Purchases in the Last 12 Months, Compared to the

Previous 12 Months

More

20%

Less

32%

The Same

48%

WWD.COMWWD, THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2009 3

By David Lipke

Michael Bastian has partnered with Gant to create a cobranded collection for the fall 2010 season.

to be sold under the Michael Bastian for Gant label, the 50-piece line will be sold at Gant stores in key markets, including the U.s., europe and asia, beginning next July. it will also be wholesaled to select specialty retailers.

“we are approached for collaborations quite a bit, but for me it has to be something that plays to my strengths,” said Bastian of the agreement. “when Gant approached me about this, i met with them a few times, went through their archives and thought we could re-ally have something to say.”

the agreement has the opportunity to continue after the fall 2010 season if both parties agree.

“when i was thinking about doing a designer collaboration, every time i was in a store i would always end up at Michael Bastian,” said ari hoffman, chief executive officer of Gant Usa. “he’s so Gant. this is such an authentic collaboration.”

the deal brings to Gant the buzz factor and designer credentials of Bastian, who was nominated for the cFda Menswear designer of the Year award in both 2008 and 2009. For Bastian, who launched his label in 2006, the partnership offers him the opportunity to reach a broader audience via Gant’s global distribution network and accessible price points — in addition to the financial benefits of such a deal.

the Michael Bastian for Gant collection includes tailored jack-ets and pants, outerwear, jeans, woven shirts, knits, scarves, belts, gloves, hats and bags. it will be priced 15 to 20 percent higher at re-tail than core Gant offerings, which currently run about $400 to $600 for a blazer, $100 to $135 for a shirt, and $90 to $150 for knits.

in comparison, Michael Bastian’s own collection prices average about $1,795 for a tailored jacket, $395 for a shirt and $595 to $1,200 for a sweater. his label is made in italy under license by Brunello cucinelli, and distributed in 54 stores worldwide, in-cluding Bergdorf Goodman, saks Fifth avenue, neiman Marcus, Jeffrey, Forty Five ten, confederacy and Japan’s isetan and United arrows. Bastian rang up sales of over $3 million in 2008.

the collection has Gant’s youthful rugger line as the foundation of its fits, and Bastian has used pieces from the Gant archives as a starting point for his designs. Fabrics are being finalized and final details on the col-lection will be completed in august, with samples shown

to retailers and Gant’s internal buyers at the end of this year.“we made a conscious decision to start from an existing Gant

base and stay true to its heritage,” he explained. “i see this guy as the younger brother of the Michael Bastian guy. he’s a little sport-ier, maybe just graduated college and he needs a good sport coat. By nature, with my own line made in italy, it’s become a hybrid of european and american. with this Gant collection it’s an opportu-nity to make something that’s really clean and very american.”

Gant was founded by shirtmaker Bernard Gant in new haven in 1949 and developed into a quintessential east coast collegiate brand. More recently, however, it’s been infused with a somewhat european sensibility, as ownership of the company moved to stockholm-based Gant aB in 1999. last year, switzerland-based Maus Frères sa, owner of the worldwide apparel license for lacoste, acquired the company.

“one of the key reasons Gant is interested in this type of partner-ship with Michael Bastian is to ensure a true american perspec-tive,” noted douglas Geller, director of marketing at Gant Usa.

Gant currently operates over 500 freestanding stores, with a presence in 70 countries. in the U.s. there is one flagship on new York’s Fifth avenue. the brand is wholesaled to about 200 U.s. doors, including Barneys new York, saks Fifth avenue, neiman Marcus and Kitson.

this is the second designer collaboration Gant has executed in recent years. For five seasons the brand sold a cobranded collection from retailer Jeffrey Kalinsky, with that partnership ending this past spring.

By Miles Socha

PARIS — emanuel Ungaro sas is officially parting ways with designer esteban cortazar and plans to name a successor in due course, wwd has learned.

the French fashion house, owned since 2005 by high-tech entrepreneur asim abdullah, is expected to announce as early as today a separation by mu-tual agreement.

wwd first reported that Ungaro would end its relationship with cortazar on June 5. the designer, who received mixed reviews for the three collections he showed on the runway, had recently reached an impasse with management over its marketing and ad-vertising strategy, as reported.

the identity of potential successors could not be learned.

however, Mounir Moufarrige, Ungaro’s chief ex-ecutive officer, is known for making unexpected choices, most famously replacing Karl lagerfeld with stella Mccartney, then age 25, as head designer at chloé in 1997.

Mouffarige is also said to be angling for a celebrity face for future marketing to help wake up Ungaro, and has been in talks with about half a dozen poten-tial candidates, including lindsay lohan.

Bogotá, colombia-born cortazar presented his first signature collection in new York at the age of 18 and was embraced by retailers such as the late Kal ruttenstein at Bloomingdale’s. he arrived at Ungaro at 23, succeeding peter dundas, who is now the de-signer at emilio pucci.

FASHION SCOOPSMichael Bastian

Michael Bastian Designing Men’s Collection for Gant

Ungaro Parts Ways With CortazarAn Emanuel

Ungaro look on the

runway.

“When I was thinking about doing a designer collaboration, every time I was in a store I would always end up at Michael Bastian. ”

— Ari Hoffman, Gant USA

BLAST FROM THE PAST: Talbots has recruited none other than “Wonder Woman” star Lynda Carter to headline its Sept. 10 Fashion’s Night Out event at the company’s Madison Avenue flagship. But don’t expect her to bust out the Lasso of Truth or to jump into her invisible plane — the Seventies TV star will be belting out songs from her new CD, “At Last.” Needless to say, Talbots is seeing to it that she won’t have to wear her star-spangled costume.

BY GEORGE: Actress Melissa George (“In Treatment,” “Grey’s Anatomy”) is venturing into the fashion business via a new product called HemmingMyWay, which she developed with her business partner, writer Kara Harshbarger. Available online now (and in retail stores soon), the clear adhesive strips sporting plastic snaps affix to hems on jeans and trousers, allowing women to adjust pants length depending on what type of shoe they are wearing. Priced at $20 for a set of four, good for use on one pair of pants for up to eight washes, the device will eradicate safety pins, hemming tape and alterations. “It’s a quick fix that allows you to go from flats to heels and day to night,” said George, who has another fashion device in the works. “We’ve tested it ourselves over 14 months of development.”

REMEMBERING BIBA: “I hate watching myself on film and I keep thinking, ‘Why didn’t I comb my hair?’” said Barbara Hulanicki after the premiere of “Beyond Biba” at the Kensington Roof Gardens in London Tuesday night. The film’s director, Louis Price, looks at Hulanicki’s history, her rise to fashion fame in the Sixties, and her role in helping to regenerate Miami Beach in the Eighties and Nineties. “Only while making the film have I realized the magnitude of the cult status the original Biba has for people,” said Price, whose mother was a buyer for the iconic Biba store and the house model for the label. “It really captured the hearts of an entire generation,” he said. The film, which follows Hulanicki in Miami and London, will also be screened at the Miami Beach Cinemateque Sept. 11 through 14 and at the Gate Picturehouse in London Sept. 20, where Hulanicki will take part in a Q&A session.

AQUASCUTUM MAKES MARK: Aquascutum may not be staging its usual runway show during London Fashion Week in September, but it still plans to have a presence. The British brand will present its spring collection on Sept. 21 at the flagship on Regent Street. Earlier this month, Aquascutum’s Japanese parent, Renown Inc., announced it was pulling the brand off the LFW schedule due to Aquascutum’s pending sale and a desire to consolidate its investment in the brand. “We will be using this opportunity to be able to show the collections in an innovative and more interactive format,” said Michael Herz, head of design, women’s wear. Renown put Aquascutum up for sale last year and is currently in advanced talks with the British brand’s Chinese licensee, YGM Trading Ltd. Aquascutum’s chief executive, Kim Winser, quit the company in May after Renown rejected her management buyout bid.

JEREMY SCOTT HITS LONDON: Jeremy Scott is joining the march to London Fashion Week. The Los Angeles-based designer, who has recently shown his collections during the Paris ready-to-wear shows, will show his spring collection in London in September. Scott, who’s known for his cartoonish creations, will show Sept. 22 at the British Fashion Council tents at Covent Garden’s Somerset House. As reported, labels including Burberry, Pringle of Scotland, Matthew Williamson and Jonathan Saunders will return to London to show their collections in September, to mark the BFC’s 25th anniversary.

ALVIN VALLEY ARRIVES IN L.A.: New York clothier Alvin Valley opened his first stand-alone store in Los Angeles’ Westfield Century City shopping center on July 11, where he signed a two-year lease with an option to extend the stay. Valley said while opening his flagship may be a risky move given the ongoing recession and perilous retail climate, he opted to take a chance since rents were low for the first time in years. “I needed to open somewhere strategic to increase brand reach — now’s the time to be bold and not shrink back — and L.A. fit that,” Valley said. “There’s a lot of celebrity culture there in L.A. so that’s a huge part of getting the exposure.”

WAITING FOR THE CALL: Ozwald Boateng is hoping to woo President Obama with his Savile Row threads. The London-based, Ghana-born tailor hand-delivered two suits to the American ambassador’s residence in Ghana during Obama’s recent visit to the African country. Boateng whipped up two looks: A navy day suit made from mohair and wool, and a black evening suit with tails and a white bow tie. Boateng describes Obama as “a symbol and example of the hopes and dreams of our ancestors.” A Boateng spokeswoman said the White House has not confirmed whether Obama has worn the suits.

Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman.

PHOT

O BY

BeT

Tman

n/CO

RBIS

WWD.COMWWD, THURSDAY, JULY 23, 20094

Designers & Agents, the contemporAry trADe show typi-cally held at the starrett-Lehigh Building at 601 west 26th street, has can-celed its August show in new york.

“it’s always been a small show and now it’s a diminishing market with less people to buy and shrinking dollars,” said ed mandelbaum, co-pro-ducer of the D&A show. “Also, the biggest show of the year is in september, so it doesn’t really make sense for us to do an August show.”

mandelbaum said every August they have received complaints about having an August edition of D&A. he said people would rather schedule their vacations in August than attend trade shows. that’s why he and his co-producer, Barbara Kramer, decided to not show in new york in August. they will, however, hold a show at the new mart in Los Angeles from Aug. 7 to 9.

“it’s different in L.A. since we show in a building where all the design-ers and buyers are anyway,” mandelbaum said. “it makes sense to do the show there.”

mandelbaum said he is not ruling out the possibility of having another show in August next year, but after five years of seeing the August numbers decrease, he isn’t making any promises.

other trade show organizations are still planning to hold their August editions. enK’s intermezzo and Accessories circuit, Business Journals inc.’s Fame and moda manhattan and nouveau collective are set for Aug. 2 to 4.

— Julee Kaplan

By David Lipke

Vogue’s most FAmous intern hAs grADuAteD to his next fashion industry gig.

new york rangers player sean Avery has signed a contract with commonwealth utilities to serve as a design collaborator and marketing pitchman for the new york-based men’s wear label. Avery has agreed to work with the fledgling designer brand for a year — with the potential for an extension — and will be compensated with a percentage of sales.

“hopefully, we’ll sell a lot of clothes and make some money,” Avery said. “But, i’m also hoping that this will allow me to learn a lot about the business. i’ve taken some steps learning about other aspects of this industry and this is where’d i’d like to eventually end up. i’m a fan of commonwealth utilities and i think i can do a good job here.”

the sartorially astute Avery made a media splash last year when he was a summer intern at Vogue during the national hockey League’s off-season. he attended runway shows during new york Fashion week, in-cluding marc Jacobs and narciso rodriguez.

Avery’s interest in fashion is in contrast to his reputation as an ag-gressive and pugnacious player on the ice. A 2007 poll of his nhL peers named him the “most hated player” in the league.

new Line cinema is said to be developing a film about Avery’s experiences as a Vogue intern, with the working title “puckface.”

At commonwealth utilities, Avery will first be contributing his design sensibility to the spring collection that will be shown dur-ing new york Fashion week in september. “he’ll be coming in and going over the inspiration and fabrications and overall di-rection,” said Anthony Keegan, a former Donna Karan design direc-tor who cofounded the line with richard christiansen last year. “muse sounds a bit feminine, but that’s what sean will be to us in a way. he’s hip and cool, and i think he’ll really help us focus our brand.”

commonwealth utilities showed its first collection for fall ’09 and the line has been picked up by a dozen stores, including saks Fifth Avenue, odin, Fred segal and camouflage in the u.s.;

Beams and isetan in Japan; and matches in London.the company is owned by Keegan and christiansen, with the latter also

the founder of chandelier creative, a boutique new york advertising and branding agency with clients such as givenchy, old navy, hudson’s Bay co. and nars. Lorenzo martone, fiancé of marc Jacobs, works as a strate-gist at the agency.

Avery will likely be featured in an advertising campaign for commonwealth utilities, Keegan said. he also will wear the label regu-larly to help promote it, and when time permits, will help sell the line to retailers. (rangers training camp starts in september.)

Avery attended a meeting wednesday with buyers from holt renfrew to help push the collection. “i want to get really involved and be very hands-on,” Avery said of his first retail sales meeting. “i think it went well. i think retail-ers are in a tough situation as far as budgets, and a lot of stores want to be safe, which is frustrating. hopefully, some of them can be open-minded and realize there are a lot of great young designers that deserve a chance.”

CORRECTION: Us Weekly editor in chief Janice Min was incorrectly quoted in a Memo Pad item that ran in WWD Tuesday. Min denied sources’ statements that she and Wenner Media owner Jann Wenner were unable to agree on a new salary package, or that money was the reason she was leaving the magazine next week. “Those facts are entirely incorrect,” she said. Noting that she’s “done well” for herself in the paycheck department and that many probably consider her decision to leave to be “unconventional,” she said, “Money played a role in my decision only in that I’ve been fortunate to have been well paid for many years and now have the luxury to make this kind of decision.”

AT HOME WITH YVES: In spring 1968, before the stirrings of student revolt, a power shift of another kind took place in the French fashion world. On “Dim Dam Dom,” a Sunday night TV show targeting French women, Coco Chanel named Yves Saint Laurent as her successor, while simultaneously accusing him of copying her. Saint Laurent’s shy but categorical riposte, on the following month’s show and since stored in the National Audiovisual Institute’s archives, is set to get another airing via DVD release, along with “Tout Terriblement,” a documentary about Saint Laurent screened by Arte Editions in 1994. “First of all, I’m very flattered that Mademoiselle Chanel deigned to take an interest in what I’m doing and that she designated me her successor,” he told “Dim Dam Dom.” “But I am not at all in

agreement when she says I copy her.” If he copied her, Saint Laurent declared, he wouldn’t be successful: “I think also the big difference between me and Mademoiselle Chanel is that I try to bring women a style that allows them to adapt their style to my dresses and allows them to develop their personalities. While a woman who wears Chanel resembles

Mademoiselle Chanel.” Equally enthralling, the accompanying 48-minute film by documentary maker Jérôme de Missolz, narrated by the late Saint Laurent and Jeanne Moreau, promises a frank portrait of the designer recounting the ups — “I love glory. Glory is a feast” — and downs: “Pierre Bergé is surely right when he claims I was born with a nervous breakdown.” Had Saint Laurent ever married, he would have married Victoire, he declared of the model and muse. And his one regret? “Not to have invented the jean.” The DVD, which will be released in November, comes with an endorsement from Saint Laurent himself. “You have, with a rare sensitivity, captured and understood everything I have tried to express for many years,” he wrote to de Missolz when he first saw the film. — Ellen Groves

CLOTHESLINE: Five months after launching NYCFashionInfo.com, the New York City Economic Development Corp. is considering licensing the rights to the site to a private company. That would give the green light for advertising and more lifestyle-driven content. Geared for designers, manufacturers and retailers, the site is purely informational with more than 5,000 showroom contacts, market week dates and fashion-related links. About $100,000 was invested in the site to get it running, but thus far only 2,000 unique visitors come knocking each month, according to NYCEDC project manager Eric Johnson.

Needless to say, the NYCEDC is eager to ramp up the site’s traffic to indirectly woo more out-of-towners beyond the 500,000 who typically visit Gotham for fashion market weeks each year. Down the road, NYCFashionInfo.com could trumpet market week-related parties, downtown shopping tours and trade show shuttle bus service to further that cause, Johnson said. In addition, to try to avoid providing a laundry list of telephone numbers and addresses, companies are being encouraged to offer more detailed information about their respective businesses. “We want to make sure buyers are aware of their existence. We’re going to reach out to people in the industry. It’s about them getting business,” Johnson said. “We want to do what we can to continue to engage them and we want the site to be a tool that is as useful and up-to-date as possible.” — Rosemary Feitelberg

AMY’S TURN: A camera crew was inside New York’s Bungalow 8 last week, shooting scenes for an upcoming reality series for Bravo starring the boîte’s proprietress, nightlife queen Amy Sacco. “It’s a reality show, but I don’t know if anyone’s going to believe my reality,” she said, over sips of a vodka and soda. “It’s going to be funny. It’s about what’s so awesome about this city, and the great characters I’ve gotten to know. We’ve shot with Yvonne Force Villareal, Patrick McMullan and Donna Karan.”

The show will follow Sacco as she prepares to open an upcoming branch of Bungalow 8 in Amsterdam — there’s also one in London — and another as-yet-unnamed New York club.

The show is executive produced by Sacco and Michael Flutie’s Madwood Films. Flutie is a fashion industry veteran who previously ran Company Model Management. His firm is now involved in both talent and brand management for clients such as Mary Alice Stephenson, Dr. Lisa Airan and Kyan Douglas of “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.” Flutie most recently brokered the deal for Faith Hill and Tim McGraw’s fragrances with Coty Inc.

At the Bungalow 8 shoot with Sacco, the scenery was filled out by cast members from “Under the Arch,” a semiscripted Web series also produced by Flutie that follows the lives of a group of NYU students and recent grads, including Sean Patrick Murray, who came up with the original concept. “We’ve created a virtual community online for the youth market that we think is very groundbreaking,” said Flutie of the site, which hosts Webisodes of the series as well as interactive features with cast members.

Flutie is in talks with potential fashion advertisers for the site, Underthearch.tv, which launched in beta test mode this summer and goes fully live at the beginning of the new school year. — David Lipke

By Evan Clark

neimAn mArcus inc. got A thumBs-up from moody’s investors service, which switched its rating outlook on the firm to “sta-ble” from “negative” after the company extend-ed a $600 million credit agreement last week.

the debt watchdog also upgraded the re-tailer’s speculative grade liquidity rating to “sgL-2” from “sgL-3.” neiman’s corporate credit rating was kept at “caa1,” indicating the firm’s debt is still “subject to very high credit risk,” according to moody’s scale.

neiman’s took advantage of some loosen-ing in the credit markets and renegotiated its asset-based revolving credit agreement, push-ing its maturity date back to January 2013 from october 2010. “this facility, combined with our current cash balance in excess of $250 million, provides us with ample liquidity to support the growth of our company,” said Jim skinner, the retailer’s executive vice pres-ident and chief financial officer, when the deal was consummated last week.

moody’s wasn’t quite as bullish, but was clear-

ly thinking along the same lines wednesday.“this refinancing, along with the com-

pany’s healthy cash level, gives the company the financial flexibility to weather the current economic downturn,” said moody’s analyst margaret taylor in the upgrade.

taylor said the rating reflects both the pressure on neiman’s earnings in a contract-ing marketplace and the company’s “solid competitive position” in the luxury sector.

neiman’s doesn’t have any debt coming due until 2013, when the credit agreement expires and a $1.63 billion term loan matures.

neiman marcus was taken private in 2005, when it was acquired by texas pacific group and warburg pincus LLc for approximately $5.1 billion.

Among publicly traded retailers wednesday, the s&p retail index rose 3.08 points, or 0.9 percent, to 342.24, returning to positive terri-tory after its first decline in seven sessions on tuesday. the Dow Jones industrial Average fell 0.4 percent to 8,881.26, while the nasdaq composite was up 0.5 percent to 1,926.38. the s&p 500 dropped less than 0.1 percent to 954.07. (For more on stocks, see page 14.)

Ranger Sean Avery Joins Commonwealth Utilities

D&A Cancels August N.Y. Show

Moody’s Upgrades Neiman’s Outlook

memo pad

PHOT

O BY

STE

VE E

ICHN

ER

Sean avery

Yves Saint Laurent dVd “Tout Terriblement.”

WWD.COMWWD, thursDay, july 23, 2009 5

Tfank, Costello Tagliapietra, Erin Fetherston, Pamela Love, Preen and Temperley London — and the list could grow to 30 designers, evenly split between runway shows and presentations. However, none of the designers it’s attracted so far have shown at the Bryant Park tents in recent seasons other than Fetherston.

MAC and Milk will provide the raw space for design-ers for free, saving them some $26,000 to $50,000 to rent a tent at Bryant Park — a particular boon to designers in these tough times. According to a MAC statement, the partnership with Milk Studios also is seen as a way “to inspire new ways of presenting and showing collections in a unique environment, fostering the evolution of fash-ion week in New York.”

MAC, IMG Fashion and Milk Studios executives all claim there is no competition between the venues, with John Demsey, Estée Lauder group president, say-ing MAC is working closely with the Council of Fashion Designers of America to plan the Milk Studio events within the official fashion calendar.

Still, the deal has spurred a torrent of speculation. Did Demsey’s plans upset Fern Mallis, senior vice presi-dent of IMG Fashion, which organizes Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week? With IMG’s shows moving to the far-flung Damrosch Park in Lincoln Center come September 2010, could the venue become a viable competitor to the tents? Or could this development speak volumes about the beauty industry, especially MAC versus Maybelline New York, which replaced MAC as the cosmetics sponsor at the tents, and, according to some speculations, was will-ing to dig deeper into its pockets to have its name placed in a line with a myriad of sponsors at the tents?

And if IMG isn’t miffed, why did Fashionweekdaily.com, which is produced by IMG, send out an e-mail blast on Wednesday trumpeting its roster of designers at the tents this season, including Doo.Ri and Isaac Mizrahi and Bryant Park newcomers Tory Burch and Derek Lam?

On the site, Mallis is quoted as saying: “In these times, designers are realizing that showing at Bryant Park is the way to go when they need to make the best possible impression. The economy is tough. But come September, Bryant Park is going to rock.”

“We are not looking to create a parallel universe,” Demsey said Wednesday. “We are looking to create an editorially relevant fashion venue. [The CFDA] was fully in support of it. We thought it was a good thing because a lot of the designers are not showing in tents to begin with. The ability to consolidate those activities in an amazing creative space with amazing photographic and digital capabilities and sound systems makes the week more rationalized and more organized.

“Not every designer should be in tents…and not every designer should have a runway show,” Demsey added. “It will be a fashion space integrated on many different levels. We are still booking and talking about a lot of different things that we will be doing in the space over and above traditional runway shows.”

As for any of the speculated ruffled feathers, Demsey said: “As a corporation, many, if not most, of our models are IMG-contract models. We have a very good working relationship with IMG and with the CFDA. We think the way this is being done makes the week for NYC and for fashion even better.”

Mazdack Rassi, founder and creative director of Milk Studios, concurred. “It was never to create an alterna-tive show space,” Rassi said. “Many on the roster never showed in tents. It was also to create a bit of a move-ment and a new way of doing things.”

Zach Eichman, vice president of global marketing and communications at IMG Fashion, said there were no hard

feelings between IMG and MAC. “Ultimately, MAC has de-cided to activate their brand in an interesting way and do something that is going to be very helpful to a handful of designers,” Eichman said. “It will give them some good press and good will. It’s a very smart activation for an endemic brand in the fashion industry.”

Eichman said IMG will be offering a shuttle service to Milk Studios, “provided that the shows don’t con-flict with the shows on site.”

After sponsoring Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week for five years, MAC de-cided to change its strategic approach. At Milk, MAC’s dollars won’t get lost in the myriad of sponsors typically found at Bryant Park.

“To reinforce our participation in the creative process in the back of the house, we made the decision to collaborate with Milk and the creation of this fashion space where presentations and runway shows would take place,” said Demsey. “MAC, along with Milk, will provide makeup services and support for many designers — some very well known, some not known at all, and some from the international community, to show their collections in a cohesive way.

“In this collaboration, we will have the opportunity to be much more deeply integrated with the designers and with the presentations,” Demsey added. “It’s beyond sponsorship. It’s truly an integrated support of fashion and makeup artistry. We felt that Milk is the premier venue in terms of a professional resource here in the

city. And we felt that an adjunct to what was being done at the tents in a more formalized manner was good for fashion, good for New York City and good for MAC.”

Some of the participating designers may choose to use the venue for their runway shows or presentations, while others could be hosting fashion week parties there.

Milk Studios long has been a go-to location for shows, although it’s had a somewhat checkered past as a venue. Calvin Klein showed there for eight years before creating its own event space in 2006 until a disastrous season when the studio’s air-conditioning broke and several top editors walked out before the show began. Still, over the years, many designers and labels, including Proenza Schouler and Doo.Ri, have used the venue to present their collec-tions. But the trek to the far West Side long has been a point of contention with some press and buyers, their com-plaints exacerbated by the location’s slow elevators.

In September, Milk Studios’ main-floor gallery will be set up for shows and some larger presentations; its second-floor gallery space will feature most of the run-way shows, and another 10 studios, ranging in size from 2,000 to 10,000 square feet, also will be made available and could be used for castings, hair and makeup tests and look book shoots.

Asked for the criteria to show at Milk, Demsey said it ranged from “young talents” to designers “with a strong point of view.”

“We wanted to have a good editorial mix,” he said.“There is no question it gives star billing to the

brand, but in our opinion, the star of fashion week is the fashion designers,” Demsey said. “It puts the focus on

fashion and on the designers, and it allows us to be deeply integrated in an authentic way. It’s

not a promotional front.”Demsey declined to disclose the size of

MAC’s sponsorship, other than to say it was a “significant investment” that mir-rored its previous arrangement with IMG Fashion. According to industry sources, the investment is in the seven figures.

CFDA executive director Steven Kolb said the association embraces any move that enhances a “more suc-cessful fashion week” in New York.

“To me, the calendar and time slot needs to drive the venue,” Kolb said.

“In the end, Milk and MAC are creating a space that is helping designers who may not

be able to afford to show, and brings attention to designers, which is a good thing. I support any-

thing that is new and brings something to fashion week. I don’t see any competition between MAC and IMG.

“If ever anything new was created that started to unravel the foundation and core of fashion week,” he added, “then I would speak up against it, but that’s not the case here. The more venues, the more access, the more opportunity there is for American fashion.”

Continued from page one

Designers joining MAC Cosmetics and Milk Studios this September include Proenza Schouler’s Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, Adam Lippes, Alexander Wang and Erin Fetherston.

Showtime for MAC: Reveals First Designers

“We are not looking to create a parallel universe. We are looking to create an editorially relevant fashion venue. ”

— John Demsey, the Estée Lauder Cos. Inc.

John Demsey and Mazdack Rassi at Milk Studios.

Fern Mallis

Dem

sey

pho

to b

y W

IReI

mAG

e; m

AllI

s, W

AnG

by s

Cott

RUD

D; p

Roen

zA b

y pA

shA

Anto

noV;

lIp

pes,

fet

heRs

ton

by s

teVe

eIC

hneR

6 WWD, THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2009

Gently Does ItParis and Milan runways explored the incredible lightness of being for spring, with whisper-thin trenchcoats, softly draped tailoring and gauzy jerseys. Here, a selection of key looks that offer a gentle nudge toward the season’s trend for the ultrastudied, yet seemingly thrown together, look. — Alex Badia

Dries Van Noten’s polyamide trench, cotton jacket and

shirt with linen, cotton and silk trousers. Dries

Van Noten shoes.

PHOTOS BY OLEG COVIAN

WWD.COM7WWD, THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2009

For more, images see WWD.com.

Prada’s cotton shirt, silk mesh tank top and cardigan with wool and viscose trousers. Prada shoes.

Louis Vuitton’s suede jacket, silk shirt and cotton and silk cargo pants. Louis Vuitton scarf and belt.

Dior Homme’s ripstop nylon windbreaker,

cotton cardigan, tank top and

trousers. Calvin Klein Collection

shoes.

Dior Homme’s ripstop nylon windbreaker,

cotton cardigan, tank top and

trousers. Calvin Klein Collection

shoes.

Raf Simons’ wool overcoat, blazer and trousers and polyester tank top. Dunhill shoes.

MOD

EL: j

Ohan

jOh

anss

On/M

aRILY

n; g

ROOM

Ing

bY n

Obu

at a

tELI

ER 6

; sIt

tIng

s ED

ItOR

: jEa

n sc

hEID

nEs

8 WWD, THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2009

Men’s

Lower Prices, Enticing Items Mark Men’s Market in NYCFrom the Collective, Project and Capsule to newcomers MRket and Designer Forum, retailers shopping the men’s market this week were kept busy scurrying around town in search of the best and brightest pieces to liven their stores come spring. A more upbeat vibe was evident at the shows, and most buyers were pleased at vendors’ willingness to lower prices while maintaining quality and creativity in answer to the lingering recession.

By Brenner Thomas

TempT me. That was the prevailing message at The

Collective and Blue, where vendors pre-sented items designed to persuade stingy consumers into opening their wallets.

“We have bottomed out and I’m convinced of a rebound, but this is going to be an item-driven business,” said Nelson Suriel, busi-ness development manager for tailored clothing veteran Jack Victor. “It’s about giv-ing retailers something they can sell.”

The old chestnut about “giving consum-ers a reason to buy” felt freshly relevant as vendors pushed their newest and most eye-catching garments.

Bag and accessories maker moore & Giles took the mandate to stand out quite literally, ditching the customary white booth for a sparkling 1973 Airstream trailer, which glinted under fluorescent lights at pier 94.

“If there was a year to do something different, it’s this year,” said creative head Heather Dillard of the moore & Giles’ sleek mobile booth.

The American manufacturer had new products to dangle in front of retailers, too: an inaugural range of belts.

Classification players, generally known for making conservative styles, also seemed more willing to take risks with their product.

Tailored clothing vendors emphasized sport coats. peerless Clothing presented a strong range of sportswear-inspired cotton and metal jackets as well as a military-esque cotton and nylon blazer with mesh lining.

“The message has been about soft coats,

but we want to offer de-signed jackets that guys really want to wear,” said Jim petrino, peerless’ brand man-ager for DKNY.

The manufactur-er’s Calvin Klein white label collection had a similar emphasis on wardrobe piec-es like the nylon blazer with zipper pock-ets and throat clasp. even the suits were designed with hanger appeal, as in the off-white cotton peak lapel that adorned the booth’s entrance.

Fanning consumer desire was an-other call out at Jack Victor, which, like peerless, spotlighted special coats, includ-ing an evening-friendly black jacket with grosgrain tipping and the indigo jacket patch pocket and rust pick stitching. That brand also unveiled its slimmest suit body yet — the Y — in a bid for a more advanced customer.

even classic outerwear maker Rainforest added noteworthy styles to its lineup, in-

cluding a department store friendly version of the nylon blouson, which has permeated the contemporary market, and a seam-sealed, active-inspired lightweight parka. Both are significant departures for a com-pany known for casual microfiber jackets.

But not everyone was feting new spring product. There were plenty of fall goods on hand for immediate purchase from brands looking to cater to inventory-averse retailers.

Denim brand Howe, in its debut at The Collective, was booking fall orders pri-marily. “The days of prebooking are over,” said national sales manager matthew meyers, who cited opening-price blazers and vintage graphic Ts as strong sellers. “We want to offer retailers something that has already been tested.”

Ditto for French Connection, which pre-viewed its spring collection (think loose, frayed and paint-splattered sportswear inspired by artists) but booked fall goods such as double breast-pocket wovens and cropped wool jackets.

Overall, it was a show where specialists stood to capitalize. The tight offering of solid linen shirts and vintage print swim trunks at French brand Havacoa drew crowds, as did the relaxed madras shorts at Tailor Vintage and the simple but trend-right leather braided jewelry at Tateossian. “Traditional stores, which in the past said no to us, are giving us a try,” said managing director Robert Tateossian, who noted the show had been among the best for the brand.”

Blue, which hosted established pre-mium brands like Converse by John

Varvatos and newcom-ers like Incorporated by Operations, also tended to present more focused collections.

Theory, in developing its classification business-es, gave focus to its sports-wear collection, which showed loose and layered pieces for the casually ele-gant man. Crushed cotton jackets, slub Ts, and airy knits made for a wardrobe for the urban beach bum. “We’ve been taking more risk with the product,” said senior account exec-utive Alexa Geovanos, cit-ing knee-skimming sweat-ers. “people have really been drawn to both color and novelty this season.”

Focus was also the watchword at Gant, which presented its most focused and legible col-

lection of its contemporary label Rugger yet. The color-blocked striped knits, short-sleeve vintage polos, sun-bleached Ts and washed oxfords told a concise story of modern preppie Americana. Gant’s cus-tom bicycle — the result of a recent col-laboration — also was on display.

“This is one of the best shows we’ve had,” said Douglas Geller, Gant’s director of marketing. “Retailers seem like they want to get back to business and like that we are presenting a clear point of view.”

Geller reinforced what will likely be a guiding principle in retail for the months ahead: that consumers may be ready to be seduced by apparel again, but only the best vendors in each class will get the op-portunity to do the courting.

By David Lipke

WITH ReTAIleRS HuNKeReD DOWN AND GIRDING THemSelVeS FOR an uncertain economy, manhattan’s lexington Avenue Armory, home of the 69th National Guard regiment, served as an apropos new venue for the project show. The space was markedly smaller in scope than the show’s previous incarnation at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, and hosted about 150 brands, according to show organizers.

“We were a lot more focused this year, and I think the smaller space was appropri-ate for this new economic environment we are in,” said Sam Ben-Avraham, founder and president of project, which is a division of Advanstar Fashion Group.

Ben-Avraham viewed the general mood of vendors and retailers as positive but tempered by the financial troubles of CIT, which finances a large swath of the inde-pendent brands and boutiques serviced by the exhibition.

“Business isn’t back to normal, but I think people have gotten past the bad energy of last season and are focused on what needs to get done,” noted Ben-Avraham. “I think things were actually looking pretty positive a few weeks ago, but the recent news about CIT has people worried. If CIT goes down, a lot of people are going to have trouble with financing.”

In that vein, a no-frills mood permeated the drill hall that housed the show, with decor-free booths and the elimination of The Area, a white-carpeted special section previously dedicated to directional brands. “They told us not to bring any props, they want all the booths to be uni-form and focused on product,” said Scott morrison, chief executive officer of evisu.

morrison was displaying his revamped evisu lineup of vintage denim with downplayed branding markers. evisu is relaunching at Barneys New York this holiday, and morrison expects eventually to be in about 125 specialty store doors in the u.S. as he works to energize the brand here.

A cleaner denim aesthetic was on view at J Brand, where unadorned, minimally treated styles provided a counterpoint to the vintage washes that prevailed at competing brands. “We are about clean, classic and time-less,” said Illanit Semberov, men’s sales director at the los Angeles-based label. As with many companies, lower prices were an emphasis at J Brand, where jeans were priced to retail from $169 to $198.

At K-Swiss, prices this season were lowered about 10 percent in the Sport Style collection, to be more competitive with Nike and Adidas, said a company rep-resentative. The spring collection was focused on a country club direction, and moved away from the designer aesthetic of seasons past.

A burst of color was on view at the Threads for Thought booth, where painter Tom Christopher was showcasing his vivid artwork of New York street scenes. Christopher was recruited by the New York-based company to splash his artwork onto a special line of T-shirts that will benefit the National Resources Defense Council and the International Rescue Committee. The $24 T-shirts are debuting in urban Outfitters this season.

Appealing denim alternatives were available from J.W. Brine, an Italian pants maker founded by Giacomo Rizzo, a former designer at mason’s. “These are very American-friendly, five-pocket pants that a retailer can use to refresh their denim departments,” said Katie liu, co-owner of Black Dog 8 showroom, which reps the line in the u.S.

At Operations, prices were actually up slightly, according to co-founder michael leen, as the brand aimed to boost quality. However, in a nod to the economy and retail realities, the New York-based brand also launched a lower-priced line called Incorporated by Operations, with wovens retailing for $98 and jackets for $298, about 50 percent less than the original Operations brand. The lower prices were achieved by moving production from the u.S. to China for the secondary line, which has been picked up by Bloomingdale’s.

Retailer Blake Nieman-Davis, owner of portland, Ore.’s Blake, was upbeat on Casio’s G-Shock watches. “We are looking for brands where the customer feels like they are getting a lot of value for the money,” he said.

Vendors Emphasize Items at Collective

TheoryKey Trends From New York Market Week• Lived-in woven shirts.• Casual, softly tailored sport coats.• Fine art-inspired printed T-shirts.• Subtle vintage washes for denim.• Gauzy and stretched-out knits.• Multicolored khakis.• Tailored shorts with shorter inseams.

More-Focused Project Reflects Economy J.W. Brine

phot

os b

y th

omas

iann

acco

ne a

nd r

ober

t m

itra

9WWD, THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2009WWD.COM

Men’s

Lower Prices, Enticing Items Mark Men’s Market in NYCBy Jean Scheidnes

The Capsule New York show swelled to a record 75 vendors, seemingly shoehorned into every last nook of the angel orensanz Foundation, a former lower east side synagogue. among them were numer-ous fledgling labels and first-timers to New York market week. and these progressive fashion labels were focused not on rapid expansion but on attracting a dedicated following.

perhaps only die-hard denim aficionados see the allure of 24-oz. denim, for example. But such con-noisseurs were abuzz about Naked & Famous, the Montreal denim label, which claimed the heaviest pair of jeans in history.

The Fred perry by raf simons line keeps gaining followers and the bright color, avant-garde cutting and sheer overlays brought his fashion-forward vision to classic polo shirts.

General trends at Capsule were very much in line with those on the european runways. relaxed tailoring, light texture, washed fabrics, tight organic patterns and transparency were dominant themes. workwear and outdoorsy americana re-main influential, as seen in the collections of Garbstore, Yuketen and post overalls, to name a few. a bestseller for post overalls, a Japanese label marketing to the u.s. for the first time, was a denim utility smock.

Gilded age designer stefan Miljanic took in-spiration from the simple pleasures of a picnic. The denim-driven collection was outdoorsy, unpre-cious and faded to a vin-tage patina.

americana was the watchword for heritage footwear brands getting into the progressive mar-ket with spin-offs such as Florsheim by Duckie Brown, Mark McNairy for Bass weejuns, and Cole, rood & haan, a new her-itage-inspired line from Cole haan.

while the recession has resulted in some high-profile designer boutiques having to close, others have found a way to leverage their cachet: wholesaling their private label collections. oak,

Bblessing, april 77, wood wood and B store were among the boutiques that came to Capsule as vendors as well as buyers.

assembly New York, the lower east side boutique, launched a namesake collection as well. The high-end pieces, such as Italian linen blazers and drawstring pants, may be basic in terms of their neutral palette and lack of decoration, but their silhouettes are fashion-forward and designed with trendy styling habits in mind. For example, the blazers have no buttons at the wrist, since the sleeves will likely be rolled up. shorts have attached pieces of leggings, for a con-temporary layered look.

Capsule Hits Record Size

A Solid Debut for MRketClassIC speCIalTY sTore veNDors generally praised Mrket’s debut in New York, where a tenuous sense of optimism pulsed through the aisles at the Jacob k. Javits Center.

heavy on classification specialists and Italian luxury products, Mrket offered retail-ers an artisanal counterpoint to the big brands holding court at their respective showrooms.

“The economy has prompted buyers to be more open-minded about who and what they have in their stores,” said richard Grieco of rNG Clothing, a classic label that showed strong american suit styles — like the tan glen plaid and navy blue double-breasted pinstripe — for less than $1,000 at retail. “a lot of stores that wouldn’t look at us in the past are look-ing at us now.”

That curiosity was good news for niche players such as Italian leather outerwear maker Gimo’s, which emphasized novelty skins and superlight jackets. “what’s doing well is fashion, cutting-edge pieces,” said antonio DiCapua, president of Tuscany & Co., which imports the jackets to the u.s. a 4-mm. treated goat suede bomber had the ease and hand of waxed cloth. “This is an item business.”

It was a similar story at vigano, an Italian pants brand whose push into casual trousers

has paid dividends thanks to spot-on styling in its range of easter egg-hued cotton pants. “To get [a person] to buy full price, you have to give him something unique that he really wants,” said vigano importer victor Corchia.

But it wasn’t all novelty at Mrket. The con-tinued demand for “statement wovens” — à

la robert Graham — was in full force. No fewer than six brands, includ-

ing equilibrio, International laundry and J. Campbell, made major statements with articulated button-downs. saltaire offered versions in overdyed linen, mixed pat-terns and short sleeves.

Thomas Dean, a brand in its third season whose

booth seemed permanently crowded, presented wovens in multistripes, jacquard-stripe mixes and exploded ginghams.

“retailers have a surpris-ingly good attitude today,”

said principal Thomas Bonomo. “There is a sense of some stability.”

The brand also revealed its first swim line, which

focused on floral prints. overall, there was a

sense that business had re-turned, if not to normal, then to

some semblance of normalcy.“Business conditions are the way they are,”

said Britton Jones, president and chief execu-tive officer of Business Journals Inc., which owns Mrket. “But we are bullish on the spe-cialty store business. we think right now it’s about finding what will stimulate buyers.”

— B.T.

By Jean E. Palmieri

reTaIlers were oN a quesT For value aT The New York MeN’s wear shows earlier this week, and most were successful in finding it.

although their spring open-to-buy budgets were significantly reduced and they were holding back dollars for in-season fill-ins, stores were still hungry for new and unusual items to kick-start shoppers out of their recession-stoked malaise. unconstructed sport coats, woven shirts, denim and updated acces-sories were among the most-popular items.

“I’m looking for imagination,” said Chuck haidet, managing partner of keepers in austin, Tex. “The business climate is difficult but not impossible as long as you have unusual and creative items. You can’t talk about the same silhouettes and patterns. It has to be something different to capture their imagination.”

For haidet, that included unconstructed sport coats that could work well with both denim and dress slacks. he was checking out clothing from ravazzolo and ties from Dolcepunta. additionally, he said he was “intrigued by shirts with engineered patterns” and was searching for “fresh takes on color.”

haidet said with all merchandise, he was “looking for value and in-season re-orderability. we’re all about keeping our inventories low and buying in-season,” he said.

he’s expecting a pickup in fall, if only because he will be going up against last year’s terrible numbers. But the biggest challenge for specialty stores going forward, he said, will be “changing the mind-set of the consumer through creative merchandising and a good, positive attitude.”

ken Giddon, president of rothmans in New York, said the most interesting thing he noticed at the shows was that “the market is cognizant of the con-sumer push back on prices. we didn’t see anybody with their heads in the sand on this: the higher-priced lines were more realistic and the lower-priced lines are trying to grab market share.” he was impressed by the sportswear offer-ings from Canterbury, Borgo ognissanti, shirt by shirt and parke and ronan. Casual clothing from voodoo Guru was also a standout, he said, along with Tsovet watches.

“You’re got to freshen things up,” he said.

Giddon said that although business hasn’t picked up yet, “things have stopped getting worse” and he’s expecting fall to look better — even if it’s only due to the comparisons. “half the battle is feeling better and the other half is paying your bills,” he said.

keith kinkade of kinkade’s Fine Clothing in ridgeland, Miss., added a few denim brands including agave, aG and worn to complement his tailored cloth-ing assortment. Cole haan shoes and southwick clothing were also on his shop-ping list, along with Tailorbyrd shirts. he was also shopping Coppley, Tommy Bahama and Ballin slacks, all of which are among the store’s top brands.

overall, he said, “we’re keeping as lean as possible,” noting his business has been good in recent months. “we’re optimistic that the latter part of the third quarter and the fourth quarter will be strong. we’re not banking on that, but we’re shooting for it.”

kent Gushner of Boyds in philadelphia said business was “still lousy” since customers remain “reluctant to spend money. and even those who are spend-ing are looking for value.” This requires retailers to “change the balance of our mix. It’s not a complete remerchandising, but we’re buying significantly less from top-end vendors.”

Gushner also has a wholesale line, Trussini, whose price points are more moderate. he said the line is being picked up by luxury stores for fall as they address the market shift.

ralph lauretta of sal lauretta for Men in Midland park, N.J., said: “our buys are not as big and we’re looking for tasty items — things out of the ordinary.”

right now, “wovens are still driving the sportswear world,” he said, and robert Graham is still selling well. at the shows, he shopped ravazzlo sport coats, Dolcepunta ties and other sport coats that could bridge jeans and dresswear.

all in all, lauretta said that when fresh goods come in, business improves for a time but then drops off again. he’s hoping holiday will see a sustained uptick in sales. “Christmas is an anchor and always helps,” he said.

Craig andrisen of andrisen Morton in Denver was “looking for value and unique items. we’re still offering quality goods, but the consumer has hit the reset button and so have we. we hope that the promotional world will change, but until then, we have to get our margin going in.”

andrisen said everything he is buying these days is “softer and cleaner. The sport coat is evolving into more of a jacket and flat-front clothing is stronger. Before, we used to be 60 percent pleated, now we’re 70 percent flat-front.” he was also seeking to expand his private label offerings. “we had pretty much abandoned that but now we’re looking for a margin driver.”

plans call for a continued decrease in sales for fall, after a double-digit drop in spring, and the store is planning its inventories “tight” and will spread deliveries throughout the season. “I’m afraid the open market for goods won’t be what it was in the spring,” he said. he noted the company recently closed its women’s store, which was located on the same block as its men’s unit, and will focus on men’s only “until we get through this time.”

his partner, David Morton, said the store is hoping for a better fall season. “There’s no real fundamental reason to feel better, but people can only feel bad for so long. It’s just the american temperament.”

Retailers Seek Value at Shows

“Our buys are not as big and we’re looking for tasty items — things out of the ordinary. ”

— Ralph Lauretta, Sal Lauretta for Men

Assembly New York

Pants from Vigano.

By Damien McGuinness

BERLIN — The return of mega streetwear fair Bread & Butter, coupled with the 14th edition of the Premium trade show, proved to be a boon for exhibitors as they saw an ex-panded pool of international buyers visiting their booths.

After four years in Barcelona, Bread & Butter enjoyed a strong homecoming at the historic Tempelhof Airport. The show that drew 550 brands for three days ended July 3, and although Bread & Butter declined to release total attendance figures, organizers said some 27,000 visitors turned up for the show’s first day. The 14th edition of Premium, which ran alongside Bread & Butter at Station Berlin, a former postal freight depot at Gleisdreieck, pulled in 31,672 visitors for its 900 exhibitors, the highest number of visitors to date.

While the frenzied atmosphere of Bread & Butter ap-pealed to some, other buyers gravitated to the calmer feel of Premium. Regardless of their preference, exhibi-tors said the increased number of shows and events ap-peared to attract a higher proportion of buyers than in previous seasons.

“Bread & Butter’s like a big party,” said Patrick Roth, buyer for his namesake store in the southern German town of Landshut, which stocks denim from Hugo Boss to True Religion. “We also have to be entertained just like we have to entertain our customers. But what’s great about Berlin is that men’s and women’s are together so we don’t have to go to Florence, and it’s another big plus point that Bread & Butter and Premium are both here.”

Eva Schulte, buyer and owner of three upscale bou-tiques called Eva’s Modeladen near the western German city of Dortmund, preferred Premium.

“I found lots at Premium which will work for my stores,” Schulte said. “Bread & Butter was too young for my custom-ers, and the whole atmosphere was too manic.”

Exhibitors said they saw strong buyer traffic from the show’s start, and the mood concerning streetwear mar-ket conditions was surprisingly positive, despite of the recession in Germany.

“Buyers are shifting budgets away from items that

are too expensive or too hard to sell, and good value for money is more important than ever,” said Marino Edelmann, head of sales at the German label Drykorn, which prices itself just below most designer products and is still seeing steady sales increases.

Other labels believe the key to success in the difficult economic times is to focus on high-quality, longer-lasting pieces that consumers know will last more than a season.

“There’s almost an anticonsumerist feeling in the air,” said Grace Baker, a sales representative from the U.K. with Nudie Jeans. “People are prepared to spend money but only for pieces which promise longevity and have a heart and soul.”

In keeping with the recessionary spirit, the Swedish label is focusing on melancholy Fifties Scandinavian workwear, with faded shoulders, granddad collars and supersoft, double-faced checked shirts.

Nudie offered cuts varying from carrot-fit and very loose to supernarrow, giving buyers more options to offer consumers. Though ostensibly a men’s brand, Nudie’s slimmer fits are also bought by women, and the best-selling model for men is a classic slight boot-cut.

“People don’t want trend products in a recession,” said Rey Gautier, European creative director at Edwin, who believes heritage denim brands are the ones doing best. “We are sticking with what we know best, which is a high-quality, five-pocket classic cut.”

G-Star focused on pushing boundaries with innova-tive design.

“We see ourselves as product innovators,” said Shubhankar Ray, G-Star Raw’s global brand director. “It’s more about industrial design than trend-driven fashion design.”

Leg seams are twisted to give a 3-D effect or a ba-nana-shape silhouette. The brand’s women’s jeans moved away from skinny styles toward a carrot leg and superlow drop-crotch.

Premium spruced up its look, getting rid of much of the free-form clutter that previously characterized the gather-ing of up-market and niche men’s and women’s brands.

For first-time exhibitor Talbot Runhof, Premium was

an opportunity to convince German retailers the line goes beyond eveningwear.

“Three customers said ‘Yes, you’re right,’ and made writing appointments for [CPD in] Düsseldorf,” said co-founder and co-owner Adrian Runhof. “All the relevant retailers are here because they find all the things that people wear, from jeans to evening dresses. And that’s why we’re here, too.”

Carl Tillessen, co-founder and designer of the Berlin-based contemporary collection Firma, said, “The mood is very good. We’re a bit surprised ourselves, but everyone’s upbeat, and the traffic has also been good. For us, it’s an ordering fair, and people are working and buying.”

Firma, known for cool tailoring, has developed wash-able tailored apparel for next season.

“It’s washable, but doesn’t look it, and natural fabric-based,” Tillessen said.

Premium’s early timing this season meant a beefed-up men’s wear presence, while exhibitors stressed the growing importance of accessories.

— With contributions from Melissa Drier and Susan Stone

WWD.COM10 WWD, thursDay, july 23, 2009

Denim Report

Bread & Butter’s Return Lures Buyers to BerlinBread & Butter’s new home at the

Tempelhof Airport.

The opening day at Bread & Butter attracted 27,000 visitors.

BERLIN — The Bread & Butter and Premium trade fairs were joined by several smaller newcomers looking to take advantage of the influx of buyers to the city.

Eco-luxury was the focus of Green Showroom at the Hotel Adlon. The boutique show was founded by Berlin designers Magdalena Schaffrin and Jana Keller, who wanted to demonstrate there’s more to organic and sus-tainable fashion than printed T-shirts. A set of suites showcased avant-garde wedding dresses in sustain-able fabrics by Blushless, clothes from Schaffrin and Roshanak Salim, Les Ettes fragrances and skin care lines Dr. Hauschka and Snowberry.

Barbara Lindner, whose clothing and accessories label Alila is made from recycled kimonos, and three other Vienna eco brands shared a joint booth at Premium, but also opted to show at Green Showroom. Lindner said her designs would be better suited by the stately atmosphere offered by Green Showroom.

Estonian designer Reet Aus, who showed recycled denim miniskirts and fluid organic cotton blouses, said it was a relief that visitors to the showroom already knew the products were green.

“In these big fairs, it takes so much energy to just ex-plain to everyone,” said Aus.

Boudoir, a new two-day lingerie and luxury fair, also made its debut. Co-founder Mayouri Sengchanh, who has a background in trend research and fashion fairs, said she couldn’t find a proper platform in Germany for brands that mix sensuality and luxury, so she created one. Sengchanh said she had 400 registered buyers but ex-pected 500 visitors to see the offerings from 25 brands, including massage candles from World of Oils, sensual toys from YesForLov, and premium lingerie from Blush, Der Kommissar and French CanCan.

“Of course, we’re crazy,” said Sengchanh when asked about launching in the midst of global downturn. “But we think that despite the crisis situation there are still niche markets and those niche markets are expecting some an-swers that they don’t have at the moment.”

Edgy green newcomer Thekey.to touted longer hours to catch buyers coming from Bread & Butter or Premium. The show was held at a spacious venue in the off-the-beaten-path neighborhood of Neukölln.

Shows Get In on the Action

WWD.COM11WWD, THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2009

PHOT

OS B

Y TI

M J

ENKI

NS

The Beat

For resort, contemporary designers are exploring the softer side of things through elements that

evoke nostalgia and sentiment, such as lace, silky pastels and ruffl es. — Mayte Allende

HERE’S TO ROMANCEWWDTREND

PHOT

OS B

Y TH

OMAS

IANN

ACCO

NE

By Julee Kaplan

THE NEW RACHEL RACHEL ROY COLLECTION WILL SHIP TOMacy’s, where it will be sold exclusively, in about three weeks — and Roy is already planning her own retail venture.

The designer, who sold a 50 percent stake of her business to Jones Apparel Group last year, will open a pop-up shop in Manhattan’s SoHo section at 111 Spring Street on Sept. 10. The unveiling of the shop is timed with the start of New York Fashion Week and the Fashion’s Night Out shopping event that evening. The 1,800-square-foot space will house the entire collection of Rachel Rachel Roy merchandise ranging from con-temporary sportswear and dresses to footwear, jewelry and handbags. The store, which will only remain open for about 10 days — or until all merchandise is sold out — is a preview of what’s to come from the design-er, who plans to open pop-up shops in others cities following New York.

Roy said the store will provide a snapshot into her point of view and will convey the full message of what the Rachel Rachel Roy brand is about.

“Having your own store is the only medium through which you get to tell your story to the customer in its complete essence,” Roy said. “I absolutely hope to have my own store one day, and to me, launching the Rachel Rachel Roy pop-up store is the most appropriate fi rst step in that path.”

Roy said she plans to be in the store regularly to work with customers.“What’s special about the pop-up store is that, due to the short-lived

nature, I am able to fully devote myself and interact with my customers on a daily basis,” she said. “I grew up working in retail, so it’s reward-ing for me to now have my own space, personally fi t the customers and be able to hear their feedback directly.”

Stacy Lastrina, Jones Apparel Group’s executive vice president of marketing, said they plan to open with a bang. The store, which will be decked out in art by famed New York graffi ti artist George “SEN One” Morillo, will have SEN One creating custom pieces for customers to purchase. Opening night will be hosted by musical artist Estelle. In addition, a graffi ti-printed ice cream truck will be parked outside the store, giving out free ice cream to passersby. A percentage of proceeds (which is still being worked out) from sales at the store will benefi t New Yorkers for Children.

“Our ultimate goal here is to bring a working lab to engage the downtown consumer,” Lastrina said. “Customers will get the total ex-perience for what the brand is all about.”

The Rachel Rachel Roy apparel collection, which retails for be-tween $59 and $299, includes an array of sportswear options such as stonewashed denim skirts; fake leather jackets and fake fur vests; long, chunky cardigans; Modal jersey dresses, jumpsuits and tops; crystal-embellished cotton jersey T-shirts; brushstroke-printed jackets and coats, and bright pink leopard-printed skinny jeans. In addition to apparel, there is a large selection of accessories, including footwear, handbags and jewelry, all retailing for less than $250.

▲ Rory Beca

▲ Rose Ann de Pampelonne

▲ Sequin

▲ 3.1 Phillip Lim

▲ Chris and JaimeFor more, see WWD.com.

Rachel Roy to Pop Up in SoHo

A rendering of the Rachel Rachel Roy store opening in SoHo.

By Louise Bartlett

LONDON — Juicy Couture’s fi rst fl agship here is a girly fantasy full of British fl air in the form of customized antiques, glass candy-fi lled jars and stuffed peacocks and foxes dripping in jewels.

“It’s Juicy goes to London, and it’s the most beautiful Grade II listed Georgian town house. It has an amazing depth and sense of history,” said Gela Nash-Taylor, who cofounded and code-signs the line with Pamela Skaist-Levy. “I always like a store that feels fun, eclectic and homey.”

The town house, built in 1793 as a private home, is located at 26 Bruton Street in Mayfair. Neighbors include Stella McCartney, Matthew Williamson, Martin Margiela, Diane von Furstenberg and Miller Harris.

The building has been restored to its former glory with the help of The London

Heritage Society. Many of the building’s origi-nal features, including eight fi replaces and the black-and-white mar-ble fl ooring in the en-trance hall, have been reconditioned and in-tegrated into the design scheme — along with some quirky touches. Mannequins are posed in outlandish positions: Some are doing hand-stands in the windows, while others are trying on 16th-century armor.

And the mayhem doesn’t stop there.A moose head, which adorns one wall, has

been splattered with multicolored paint, while an antique marble horse’s head has been paint-ed with the Union Jack. “Viva La Juicy” has been spray-painted onto the upholstery of the Baroque furniture.

The ground fl oor has a light, airy feel, while the second fl oor’s green and red plaid carpet and original wood-paneled ceiling add a state-ly air to the surroundings. The apparel is dis-played in white lacquer units and on freestand-ing brass rails.

The building has 4,200 square feet of retail space and 2,800 square feet of offi ce and show-room and stockroom space. It carries women’s and children’s apparel, sleepwear and accesso-ries such as handbags, jewelry, sunglasses and shoes. The fl agship also stocks the label’s high-end streetwear line, Bird by Juicy Couture, as well as exclusive products including key rings and bracelets with charms such as red double-decker buses and phone booths, royal crowns and Wellington boots.

Ellen Rodriguez, Juicy’s senior vice president, international and licensing, declined to give fi rst-

year projections, but said the division of Liz Claiborne Inc. was “very pleased” with the performance to date. The store had a soft opening last Thursday.

According to real estate sources here, Juicy will be paying 320,000 pounds, or $527,000, in rent a year.

“Our U.K. business is probably the most advanced in Europe to date, and we felt that London was the best place to enter with a fl agship,” said Rodriguez. “The label is very well understood by the

British consumer.”Juicy wholesales its collections in the U.K.

to such stores as Harrods, Selfridges and Harvey Nichols.

The brand has 61 stores in the U.S., and plans to open another fi ve by the end of the year. There are also stores in Italy, Japan, Hong Kong, China, Malaysia and Dubai. A further 10 inter-national doors will be opened in Asia by 2010, taking the number of stores worldwide to 93.

Juicy Couture’s London Life

Juicy will be paying 320,000 pounds, or

Juicy Couture’s interior features a colorful tracksuit bar.Inset: The new London store is in a 1793 Georgian town house.

12 WWD, THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2009

TheWWDList

1

3

5

7

9

2

4

6

8

JULIAN R. GEIGER, 63, CHAIRMAN, CEO, AEROPOSTALE INC.Total value: $14.2 millionSalary: $1 million; Bonus: $0; Stock and option awards: $6.98 million; Other: $6.2 millionAs the head of a chain considered to be hot in the teen retail world, Geiger moved up five spots to number four. His package increased to more than $14 million from $9 million in 2007. Aéropostale has been a bright spot in the dismal retail industry. Its core customers, whose average ages are between 14 and 17, have been “turned off ” by brands they see as “arrogant and fake,” Geiger recently noted. Aéropostale’s latest venture, P.S. From Aéropostale, targets kids ages seven to 12. Geiger has served as chairman and ceo since August 1998.

MYRON E. “MIKE” ULLMAN 3Rd, 62, CHAIRMAN ANd CEO, J.C. PENNEY CO. INC. Total value: $10 millionSalary: $1.5 million; Bonus: N/A; Stock and option awards: $6.2 million; Other: $2.3 millionUllman is the only Penney’s executive in the top 10. His compensation rose by just more than $2 million from last year, bumping him into seventh place. Over a three-year period, he is eligible for as much as $25 million in company stock grants under a supplemental performance bonus plan. Ullman’s second in command and possible successor, Ken Hicks, resigned in June as president and chief merchandising officer to become ceo of Foot Locker. Ullman is assuming Hicks’ responsibilities in the interim. Before joining Penney’s, Ullman was director general, group managing director, of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton from 1999 to 2002.

JOHN J. dONAHOE, 48, PRESIdENT ANd CEO, EBAY INC. Total value: $13.2 millionSalary: $879,808; Bonus: $500,000; Stock and option awards: $11.5 million; Other: $279,108Donahoe, who became president and ceo in March 2008, cracked the top 10 for the first time. He joined eBay in February 2005 as president of eBay Marketplaces, responsible for all elements of global e-commerce businesses. The e-commerce company posted $8.54 billion in revenue for the 2008 fiscal year, an 11.5 percent increase from the previous year. Donahoe said at the time, “For 2008, we delivered double-digit revenue and earnings growth, made significant changes in our eBay business and built a stronger, more diverse portfolio of leading e-commerce businesses.” Before eBay, Donahoe spent more than 20 years at Bain & Co., the worldwide consulting firm based in Boston, where he began as an associate consultant and rose to ceo.

PAUL MARCIANO, 57, VICE CHAIRMAN ANd CEO, GUESS INC.Total value: $15.2 millionSalary: $1 million; Bonus: $0; Stock and option awards: $6.4 million; Other: $7.8 million Seemingly fatigued a few years ago, Guess has rebounded and Marciano’s creative flair is often cited for the comeback. Last year, net income rose 14.5 percent to $213.6 million while revenues were up 19.6 percent to $2.09 billion. Marciano joined Guess shortly after his brothers launched the company in California in 1981. Without any training, he took the lead as creative director. With brother Maurice, Marciano launched a turnaround in 2004 that returned the company to profitability. Paul Marciano propelled Guess’ e-commerce business and nurtured licensing deals that bolstered the brand’s international presence.

EdUARdO CASTRO-WRIGHT, 54, VICE CHAIRMAN, WAL-MART STORES INC.Total value: $9.99 millionSalary: $919,945; Bonus: $480,000; Stock and option awards: $5.28 million; Other: $3.3 millionCastro-Wright is responsible for leading Wal-Mart U.S. and overseeing the company’s global procurement operations. He joined the retailer in 2001 and worked in Mexico through 2005, first as president and later as ceo of Wal-Mart de Mexico. He went to Wal-Mart U.S. as chief operating officer in 2005 and was promoted to president and ceo of Wal-Mart U.S. the same year. Castro-Wright was named vice chairman of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. in November 2008. Previously, Castro-Wright worked for Honeywell International Inc.

MICHAEL T. dUKE, 59, VICE CHAIRMAN, PRESIdENT ANd CEO (AS OF FEB. 1), WAL-MART STORES INC.Total value: $12.2 million Salary: $1.05 million; Bonus: $0; Stock and option awards: $7.5 million; Other: $3.66 millionDuke also made the list for the first time. He had been vice chairman of the company, leading Wal-Mart International, which became a fast-growing part of Wal-Mart’s overall operations. As a stand-alone business, Wal-Mart International would be one of the most successful global retailers, with annual sales of almost $100 billion in 2008. Before joining the company in 1995, Duke had 23 years of experience in retailing with Federated Department Stores Inc. and May Department Stores Co.

MICHAEL S. JEFFRIES, 64, CHAIRMAN ANd CEO, ABERCROMBIE & FITCH CO. Total value $15.9 millionSalary: $1.5 million; Bonus: N/A; Stock and option awards: $5.6 million; Other: $8.8 millionJeffries jumped up six spots to number two because of a 39.5 percent increase in his compensation package, despite Abercrombie’s sagging financial performance (revenues were down 5.5 percent to $3.54 billion in fiscal 2008). Jeffries’ $6 million bonus to stay at the firm pushed his nonequity incentive earnings to $6.5 million, up 234.1 percent, while stock and option rewards grew to $5.6 million from $5.1 million. The company last month pulled the plug on its 29-unit Ruehl division. Jeffries joined New Albany, Ohio-based Abercrombie, then owned by The Limited, now known as Limited Brands Inc., as ceo in 1992. He has been chairman since 1998 and took the company public in 1996.

H. LEE SCOTT JR., 60, FORMER PRESIdENT ANd CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER†, WAL-MART STORES INC.Total value of 2008 compensation package: $30.2 millionSalary: $1.46 million; Bonus: $0; Stock and option awards: $21.8 million; Other: $6.9 million Scott earned almost $15 million more than any other executive this past year as Wal-Mart’s net income rose 5.3 percent. His $30.2 million compensation package was down from $31.6 million a year earlier, as declines in option awards and nonequity incentive plan compensation outstripped a $3.3 million increase in his stock awards. During his tenure at the $401 billion retailer based in Bentonville, Ark., Wal-Mart grew to almost 7,400 stores around the world with more than 2.1 million associates. Scott joined Wal-Mart in 1979 and became president and ceo of the Wal-Mart Stores U.S. division in 1998, company chief operating officer and vice chairman in 1999 and president and ceo in 2000.

LEW FRANKFORT, 63, CEO, COACH INC. Total value: $9.65 millionSalary: $1.16 million; Bonus: $0; Stock and option awards: $6.5 million; Other: $1.96 millionAided by its emphasis on affordable luxury, Coach boosted its earnings from continuing operations 16.6 percent last year, to $742 million, while revenues grew 21.8 percent, to $3.18 billion, and same-store sales in its North American stores rose 9.8 percent. Frankfort, chairman and ceo since November 1995, has been a member of Coach’s board since 2000, the year it was spun off from Sara Lee and taken public. Within a few years, revenues had doubled and, by 2007, quadrupled from the pre-IPO days. This year, Frankfort celebrates his 30th anniversary with Coach, which he joined in 1979 as vice president of new business development.

THOMAS M. SCHOEWE, 56, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIdENT ANd CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, WAL-MART STORES INC.Total value: $9.48 millionSalary: $780,000; Bonus: $249,600; Stock and option awards: $6.6 million; Other: $1.87 millionSchoewe is the fourth Wal-Mart executive in the top 10. He became executive vice president and cfo of Wal-Mart in January 2000. Before his employment at the retailer, Schoewe was senior vice president and cfo of Black & Decker Corp. from 1993 to 1999. Previously, he served four years as Black & Decker’s vice president of finance and was responsible for all financial operations except treasury and tax functions.

10sources: securITIes AND eXcHANGe FILINGs, As oF JuLY; *PAcKAGe VALues INcLuDe BAse sALArY, BoNus AND sTocK oPTIoNs AND oTHer AWArDs: “oTHer” MAY INcLuDe (1) NoNeQuITY INceNTIVe PLAN, AND/or (2) THe cHANGe IN PeNsIoN VALue AND NoNQuALIFIeD DeFerreD coMPeNsATIoN eArNINGs; N/A = NoT APPLIcABLe; ForMer eXecuTIVes WHo DePArTeD PrIor To THe eND oF FIscAL 2008, sucH As DorrIT BerN (ForMer PresIDeNT AND ceo, cHArMING sHoPPes INc.), Were NoT INcLuDeD IN THe surVeY; †scoTT reTIreD AT THe eND oF FIscAL 2008

MAr

cIAN

o PH

oTo

BY D

oNAT

o sA

rDeL

LA/W

IreI

MAG

e; M

YroN

e. u

LLM

AN B

Y sT

eVe

eIcH

Ner:

cAs

Tro-

WrI

GHT

BY W

esLe

Y HI

TT; F

rANK

ForT

BY

GAre

TH J

oNes

WWD’s annual ranking of key retail industry executives by compensation reflects Wal-Mart’s dominance over the past year. Four officers of the world’s largest retailer made the top 10, with a combined $61.9 million in compensation. H. Lee Scott Jr., who departed in February as president and chief executive officer, was number one for the second year in a row. John J. Donahoe, who succeeded Meg Whitman as president and ceo of eBay, made his debut in the top 10 at number five. The highest salary was a tie between Michael S. Jeffries of Abercrombie & Fitch Co. and Myron E. “Mike” Ullman 3rd of J.C. Penney Co. Inc., who were paid $1.5 million.

— Cecily Hall, with contributions from Alexandra Steigrad

The List-10

Counting the CashTop retail industry executives ranked by the values of their 2008 compensation.*

For the Top 20 execs, see WWD.com.

WWD.COM13WWD, THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2009

By Alexandra Steigrad

It’s a Wal-Mart World; other retaIl executIves just play In It.the world’s largest retailer dominated among executives receiving the highest

compensation in 2008. For the second consecutive year, h. lee scott jr., who departed in February as president and chief executive officer, ranked first with a $30.2 mil-lion package. other company officers were in the sixth, eighth and 10th spots as the discounter was a standout performer in a barren retail landscape, producing a 5.3 percent increase in net income as revenues surpassed $401 billion.

like the consumers they serve, most retail companies suffered in the deteriorating economy, and the compensation of some executives bore the scars as performance rewards withered along with most companies’ profits.

scott and his successor, Michael t. duke, earned slightly less, although they and all top executives were still in rarefied territory. the biggest gain was recorded by abercrombie & Fitch co. chairman and ceo Michael s. jeffries, whose package rose 39 percent to $15.9 million because of a $6 million bonus for staying with the company despite a 42.8 percent slide in profits last year.

overall compensation for the top 10 executives fell 9.4 percent last year to a total of $130.4 million, from just under $144 million in 2007, according to regu-latory filings with the securities and exchange commission. In 2007, as con-sumer spending began to weaken, the total declined 27.4 percent. the trend is likely to continue in 2009.

american eagle outfitters Inc. ceo james o’donnell, who ranked seventh in 2007, fell out of the top 10 list.

executives spent the final months of 2008 trying to downsize inventories and overheads to reflect the economy. as the meltdown continued into the early part of this year, “everything was difficult — the sky was falling across all industries,” said terre simpson, president of new york-based executive search firm simpson associates. “retailers’ head counts were changing rather profoundly, but top key executives weren’t being cut. ancillary staff members were, though…from sales support staff members to assistants…com-panies chose to keep the top producers.”

scott distanced himself from the pack. his $30.2 million compensation pack-age was down from $31.6 million a year earlier as declines in option awards and nonequity incentive plan compensation outstripped a $3.3 million increase in his stock awards. although he earned the maximum nonequity compensation pos-sible, the amount was about $2.6 million less than it had been in 2007, before Wal-Mart reset its compensation formulas.

all executives considered for the rank-ing remained in their positions through the conclusion of fiscal 2008.

duke earned $12.2 million as vice chairman of Wal-Mart stores Inc., put-ting him in the number-six spot, although down from $13.3 million in 2007. vice chairman eduardo castro-Wright was eighth at $10 million, up from $7.3 mil-lion, while thomas schoewe, executive vice president and chief financial officer, ranked 10th at $9.5 million, up from $8.5 million in the previous year.

the overall decrease in compensation is primarily a function of the decline in the value of the company stock in executives’ portfolios, said les Berglass, chairman and ceo of executive search firm Berglass + associates. executive perks are declin-ing, but cash and incentives, including those tied to stock values, remain intact.

“the folly is gone,” Berglass said of perks. “But the base salary and bonus are very much there.”

company boards “won’t severely cut ceo’s salaries,” said elaine hughes, president of executive search firm e.a. hughes & co. “the accumulation of wealth is from re-stricted stock, stock and bonuses.”

hughes warned that because the majority of the economic fallout didn’t take place until the back half of 2008, compensation would be even more affected in 2009.

“I think this recovery has a very long runway,” she said. “I don’t perceive that we’re going to see any encouragement until the end of the second or third quarter of next year.”

totals in the WWd survey reflect amounts reported to the securities and exchange commission, including stock and option awards which, because of vesting schedules and fluctuating stock prices, weren’t necessarily realized by the executives but were “expensed” by their employers.

a&F’s jeffries beat out Guess Inc. co-chairman and co-ceo paul Marciano for second-highest-paid retail executive with $15.9 million, up from $11.4 million the previous year. Marciano’s package declined 0.3 percent, totaling $15.2 million in

2008. jeffries’ $6 million stay bonus pushed his nonequity incentive earnings to $6.5 million, up 234.1 percent, while stock and option rewards grew to $5.6 million from $5.1 million.

j.c. penney co. Inc. chairman and ceo Myron e. “Mike” ullman 3rd, an addition to the top 10 at just over $10 million from slightly less than $8 million a year ago, tied jeffries for the highest base salary at $1.5 million. ullman doesn’t have an employ-ment contract.

aéropostale Inc. chairman and ceo julian r. Geiger climbed to the fourth spot from ninth in 2007 thanks to a $5.2 million raise and gains in his stock and options awards, which boosted his compensation to $14.2 million. Geiger’s salary and noneq-uity incentive plan compensation were unchanged from the previous year, and totaled $1 million and $3 million, respectively.

eBay Inc. president and ceo john j. donahoe, who took over for Meg Whitman last March, is new to the list. donahoe brought in $13.2 million and ranked fifth.

In order to motivate their teams and reward them for their hard work, retail-ers are creating “attainable” business goals, said Karen harvey, ceo of execu-tive search firm Karen harvey consulting Group. nonetheless, rewards such as bo-nuses and other compensation are based on the health of the overall business, and “so they naturally reflect these challeng-ing times.”

“all of the ceo’s that I am working with are well aware and hypersensitive to their shareholders and the concerns their shareholders have,” said harvey about investors’ growing concerns about executive compensation relative to per-formance. “they are not only concerned about executive pay, but also the health of their business.”

looking ahead, harvey said compen-sation packages “created in 2009 and 2010 will continue to be driven based on upside, growing, turning around or fur-ther building a business.”

Because of the troubled economic en-vironment, “compensation committees are requiring more and more account-ability from ceo’s,” she said.

reaching the 10th spot was coach Inc. chairman and ceo lew Frankfort, who saw his compensation package decline 2.4 percent, to $9.7 million, from $9.9 million in 2007. he previously had been included in WWd’s survey of vendor compensation but was moved because the majority of company revenue comes from its retail operations.

charming shoppes Inc.’s former chair-man, president and ceo dorrit Bern re-ceived a $12.4 million compensation package, but was excluded from the rank-ings because she resigned last july. Bern received $3.5 million in severance.

Gap Inc. chairman and ceo Glenn Murphy, who received $9.3 million in compensation for the first full year on the job, up from $6.3 million in 2007, just missed the top 10. Murphy’s take includ-ed salary of $1.5 million, stock and option awards valued at $4 million and noneq-uity incentive pay of $3 million.

the ceo received other compensa-tion of $834,434, including $211,244 for personal use of a company airplane and $477,044 in expenses for his relocation to california from canada, where he was chairman and ceo of shoppers drug Mart corp., the country’s largest drug store chain.

For 2009, Murphy volunteered to re-duce the portion of his compensation that comes as salary by 15 percent to $1.3 million, which will also trim the potential size of his bonus.

american eagle’s o’donnell saw his compensation package shrink 68.2 percent to $3.8 million, on a 70.8 percent decline in stock and options, which were valued at $2.6 million.

also notably absent from this year’s list is Gregg steinhafel, chairman, president and ceo of target corp., who succeeded robert ulrich in May 2008. While ulrich topped the 2006 list and finished sixth in 2007, his successor’s pay fell to $5.9 million last year from $6 million in 2007, placing him 21st on this year’s list, one notch behind executive vice president and chief financial officer douglas scovanner, whose take grew to $6 million from $5.6 million. unlike its discount rival Wal-Mart, target’s net income fell last year, contracting 22.3 percent to $2.2 billion.

limited Brands Inc. ceo leslie Wexner ranked 19th with compensation of $7.5 million, 10.4 percent above its 2007 level. however, terry lundgren, chairman, presi-dent and ceo of Macy’s Inc., missed the top 20 cutoff, as his pay package fell 37.2 percent to $5.4 million last year, hurt by Macy’s $4.8 billion loss for the year created by a $5.38 billion impairment charge to write of the value of May department stores co. acquisition.

— With contributions from Cecily Hall

“[Company boards] won’t severely cut ceo’s salaries. The accumulation of wealth is from restricted stock, stock and bonuses. ”— Elaine Hughes, E.A. Hughes & Co.

Wal-Mart Dominates ’08 Retail Execs’ Pay

Wal-Mart and Aéropostale remain bright spots on the retail landscape.

WWD.COMWWD, THURSDAY, JULY 23, 200914

WWD.COM

Financial For full daily stock changes and more financial news, see WWD.com / business-news.

2.19 1.71 Casual Male (CMRG) - 468314 1.98 +16.47

4.98 4.32 Zale (ZLC) - 765307 4.97 +13.99

0.47 0.35 Charles & Colvard (CTHR) - 14783 0.43 +13.18

16.94 14.52 Lululemon (LULU) 29.0 2453163 16.36 +10.62

14.63 13.13 Charlotte Russe (CHIC) - 1342569 13.24 +9.69

3.20 2.79 Retail Ventures (RVI) - 134345 3.11 +7.99

2.12 1.81 Unifi (UFI) - 387269 1.98 +7.03

2.99 2.70 Bon-Ton (BONT) - 42938 2.96 +6.86

3.99 3.49 Caché (CACH) - 52257 3.90 +6.85

1.96 1.75 Parlux Fragrances (PARL) - 34178 1.86 +6.29

10 BesT PeRFORMeRs DAILY COMPANIES P/E VOLuME AMt

HIgH LOw LASt %CHANgE

By Vicki M. Young

With a Cit Group inC. bankruptCy still possible, advisers are telling fashion firms to keep exploring their options, from financing alternatives to renegotiation of contracts.

For now, Cit has reopened the credit spigot and was back providing advances to clients, according to sources. but the commercial lender said in a regulatory filing tuesday that a Chapter 11 bank-ruptcy filing remained a possibility if some bondholders declined to tender their holdings by aug. 17 and agree to take less than face value for the $1 bil-lion in debt coming due next month.

“it’s a difficult position for our clients to be in,” said Victor Wahba, a partner at accounting firm Weiser LLp. “Sitting tight with Cit makes sense right now, but clients should also assess credit re-quirements on a long-term basis. they should put together rolling 12-month projections, and maybe even three years out to the extent that they can, looking at peak seasons and what those needs may be. that assessment should be the road map for making decisions on their financing needs.”

Lenders are holding clients up to close scrutiny, which means that when current lines expire, they may ask for more collateral, offer financing at higher rates and even seek personal guarantees in some instances.

Wahba said one option that was prev-alent 10 years ago might be making a comeback — have a bank line of credit and work with a factor at the same time.

Saul berkowitz and Carol Lapidus, partners at the McGladrey & pullen LLp accounting firm, said they were advising clients to look into either another fac-tor or a credit insurance company. they acknowledged the difficulty in a short time span for all of Cit’s customers to find alternatives.

the chief financial officer of a firm that ended its factoring relationship with Cit, who spoke on condition of anonym-ity, said, “We didn’t want to risk having our accounts receivable becoming part of a bankruptcy.” the cfo said he had doubts about whether there is enough factoring capacity to absorb what would be lost if Cit were to disappear. For now, the firm will carry its own paper.

the 101-year-old Cit is a financial cor-nerstone of the fashion world, with an es-

timated 60 percent of the industry’s factor-ing volume. Cit loaned fashion companies and retailers about $4 billion last year.

Glen podhorzer, another partner at Weiser, said one of his apparel clients was seeking a renewal of a $3 million line of credit, but the lender wanted a per-sonal guarantee. the client worked on a 12-month projection and realized the $3 million figure was too high, eventually getting a $1.5 million credit line from the same lender.

Firms also need to keep a watchful eye on their inventory, podhorzer said.

“Companies should clean it out and convert it to cash,” he said.

in addition, companies should start to eliminate unprofitable businesses if they haven’t done so already.

“Gone are the days of just pumping up volume,” Wahba said. “Companies need to get back to their core business, and then work on developing new product lines. it’s about managed growth versus your customer managing your growth for you.”

these strategies help to lower a firm’s need for capital, which can have a posi-tive impact on credit lines and improve a firm’s relationship with its lender, the experts said.

on the legal advisory side, many at-torneys are combing through contracts to see if deals can be renegotiated.

“Factoring agreements were drafted to account for the default of the client, not Cit, and this should be addressed in fu-ture agreements,” said henry Condell of phillips nizer’s bankruptcy practice.

his firm is helping clients review fac-toring contracts with Cit, to determine when clients can end the agreements as well as the possibility of renegotiating re-newal terms.

Generally, there are certain notice re-quirements that must be given to end a contract as well as provisions for termina-tion fees. those fees, according to sources familiar with the contracts, can run into six figures, particularly when the penalty to end the agreement can cost the equiva-lent of six months to a year of fees.

one idea worth exploring in a renego-tiated contract is to see if clients can ar-range to have payments by retail custom-ers go directly to the client as opposed to Cit, Condell said.

the issue centers on what happens to the Cit accounts with credit balances in the event of a Cit bankruptcy. the status of those accounts remains uncertain.

0.54 0.50 Phoenix Footwear (PXG) - 4481 0.51 -10.53

1.17 1.00 Bluefly (BFLY) - 2867 1.14 -5.41

0.19 0.17 NexCen (NeXC) - 17450 0.18 -5.26

0.40 0.40 Birks & Mayors (BMJ) - 100 0.40 -4.76

7.34 6.91 Brown shoe (BWs) - 540371 6.99 -3.85

339.00 327.25 Asos * (AsC:L) 24.1 788079 328.00 -3.53

11.96 11.26 stage stores (ssI) - 255231 11.36 -3.15

8.93 8.36 Zumiez (ZUMZ) 18.4 135321 8.40 -2.78

3.80 3.70 Tefron (TFRFF) - 1000 3.70 -2.63

1.72 1.56 Quiksilver (ZQK) - 1147320 1.62 -2.41

10 WORsT PeRFORMeRs DAILY COMPANIES P/E VOLuME AMt

HIgH LOw LASt %CHANgE

* Editor’s note: European stocks are quoted in the currency of their principal exchanges. Shares on the London Stock Exchange are quoted in pence, Richemont and The Swatch Group are quoted in Swiss francs and Hennes & Mauritz is quoted in Swedish kronor. All other European stocks are in euros.

CIT Clients Told: Seek Alternatives Avon to Cut 1,200 Workers

Amazon.com to Buy Zappos

By Evan Clark

aVon produCtS inC. Said WedneSday it WiLL reStruCture and eLiM-inate about 1,200 jobs in the next three to four years, putting itself on track for $200 million in annual savings.

details of the realignment, first outlined in February, include the shutdown of manufacturing facilities in Springdale, ohio, and neufahrn, Germany; the stream-lining of a facility in naro-Forminsk, russia, and more centralized structures for Latin america and the division covering Western europe, the Middle east and north africa.

“the initiatives announced today result from our ‘constant turnaround mental-ity’ and reflect our continuing determination to transform our cost structure, im-prove operating efficiencies, and be a stronger competitor globally,” said Charles Cramb, vice chairman and chief finance and strategy officer.

Cramb said avon was on track to achieve $200 million in annual savings by 2012-13 and total costs for the plan would range from $300 million to $400 million. to date, the realignment has cost about $165 million, including a $77 million pretax change to be levied on second-quarter results. the initiatives laid out so far are expected to generate about 60 percent of the savings.

the Springdale plant will be closed by mid-2012 and its production will be moved to Morton Grove, ill.; Celaya, Mexico, and contract manufacturers. a return goods operation there will also close and a call center will be relocated.

along with $13 million in costs related to a 2005 restructuring program, the firm expects charges of about $90 million, or 19 cents a share, when it reports second-quarter results July 30.

For the first quarter ended March 31, avon’s profits fell 36.5 percent to $117.3 million on a 13 percent decline in revenues.

as of dec. 31, the new york-based firm had 42,000 employees, 6,100 of them in the u.S.avon shares fell 15 cents, or 0.5 percent, to $28.67 Wednesday. the stock has trad-

ed as low as $14.40 and as high as $45.34 over the last year.

BEAUTY BEAT

aMazon.CoM iS expandinG itS e-commerce empire with a cash and stock deal currently valued at $927 mil-lion to acquire zappos.com, which made its name selling shoes online and has a budding apparel business.

“zappos is a customer-focused com-pany,” said Jeff bezos, founder and chief executive officer of amazon. “We see great opportunities for both companies to learn from each other and create even better experiences for our customers.”

zappos launched in 1999 and al-though the site gets its name from zapa-tos, the Spanish word for “shoes,” about 7 percent of its approximately $1 billion in sales come from apparel, according to WWd’s sibling publication, Footwear news. the Web site recently rolled out a

tV campaign featuring apparel.the privately held company had its

most profitable year in 2008, but cut 8 percent of its 1,600-member workforce in november in an effort to ensure con-tinued profitability and positive cash flow during the recession.

the deal, which is expected to close this fall, includes 10 million shares of amazon and $40 million in cash and restricted stock payable to zappos employees.

Shares of amazon fell 0.3 percent to $88.79 before the acquisition was made public Wednesday.

zappos ceo tony hsieh will continue to lead the company, which will be oper-ated independently and remain based in Las Vegas.

— E.C.

15WWD, THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2009

COMMERCIALREAL ESTATE

To be included among the top places to work, call 1.800.423-3314 or email fpclassified@fairchildpub.com

DirectoryResource

WWD.COM/CLASSIFIEDS

For more career opportunities log on to WWDCareers.com. Call 1.800.423.3314 or e-mail fpclassified@fairchildpub.com to advertise.

Spaces

To subscribe, visit our website

www.wwd.com/subscribenowor call 800.289.0273

For group rates, contact Richard Franz at richard_franz@condenast.com

Showrooms & LoftsBWAY 7TH AVE SIDE STREETS

Great ’New’ Office Space AvailADAMS & CO. 212-679-5500

33rd-57th St West-All Sizes

Menswear ShowroomsD. Levy Adams & Co. #212-679-5500

Broadway Garment CenterNICE OFFICE + SHOWROOM

AVAILABLE TO SHAREPlease Call Joan @ 917-907-1667

PATTERNS, SAMPLES,PRODUCTIONS

All lines, Any styles. Fine Fast Service.Call Sherry 212-719-0622.

PATTERNS, SAMPLES,PRODUCTIONS

Full service shop to the trade.Fine fast work. 212-869-2699.

SENIOR, MEN’S DESIGNTumi, the leading international brand of luxury travel, business and life-style accessories, has an outstanding career opportunity available in our Manhattan location for a Senior, Men’s Design.

Candidates must demonstrate an understanding of market/fashion trendsas they relate to products, styles and color as well as create and developconcepts and specs that optimize the function, value and appearance ofproducts. You will be responsible for the design and development of newproduct lines and styles, as well as extending current collections. You willbe expected to communicate concepts and details through verbal and writtenpresentations and drawings. To qualify for this position you must have aproven track record in men’s bags and accessory design and a minimum8-10 years experience. International travel required.

Tumi offers a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits program.Interested candidates should send resumes to employment@tumi.comor fax 908-756-8590. EOE

EZ Fashion JobsEllen Zacarolli(212) 961-9700

info@ezfashionjobs.com www.ezfashionjobs.com

FREELANCE/FULLTIME GRAPHIC ARTISTYoung mens graphic artistw/5 yrs exp in Photoshopand Illustrator. Must knowmarket trends. Email resumesw/examples of work to:

imhr2030@gmail.com

DESIGNERGirls Branded Denim Co. seeks indivw/min. 5 yrs exp. Responsibilities in-clude trend & style direction, detail-ing, prod packs & approvals. E-mailres w/sal Jobs@apparelunltd.com

DESIGNER/STYLISTWell known Special Occasion DressManufacturer looking for Highly Moti-vated Designer/Stylist to style Prom,Homecoming, Young MOB & CocktailDresses for Missy, Petite & Lrg Size.Approx 5 years exp. Fax resume to:

212-813-3370

Production PatternmakerHigh-End luxury designer house seeksexperienced Production Patternmakerwith strong draping skill for coutureline. Minimum of 7-10 years couturelevel required. Please email/faxresume & salary requirements to:

HR.Fashion@gmail.comor 646-304-5674.

MERCHANTSNYC based women’s specialty retailer is looking for creative, energetic, entrepreneurial, fashion savvy merchants with strong analytical and strategicthinking skills.Merchants need proven experience in driving and achieving sales andgross margin through building assortments, identifying opportunities andcapitalizing on trending businesses while minimizing risks.Merchants need ability to build talent and an organization through trainingand partnership. Proven partnerships with planning, design, production,technical design, marketing and visual are essential, as well as, disciplineto adhere to a calendar.Qualifications/Requirements:•6+ years experience in driving a successful high volume fashion apparelbusiness with proven bottom line results•Strong leadership ability•High energy, passionate, creative, disciplined•Education BA/BS

Please send your resumes to: merchantsearch@yahoo.com

Head Sales PositionNY based contemporary line is lookingfor SALES person min 10 years experi-ence selling majors and specialtystores. robb@robbandhugo.com

Premier mfg. of custom POP displays& signage since 1940 looking for asalesperson. Contacts with major retailersa must. Commission. Resume to:

RichG@PolyplasticForms.com

SALES MANAGERSeeking Costume Jewelry SalesMANAGER for Wendy Mink Jewelry.Minimum 3-5 years experience in thecostume jewelry industry- inhousesales and trade show sales experiencea MUST. Looking for highly energeticteam player with proven sales trackrecord. Salary/commission packagebased on experience. Please sendresumes to:

resumes@wendyminkjewelry.com

www.verabradley.com

SALES REPSeeking results-oriented Sales Represen-tative for NY showroom to develop andgrow our WOMEN’S accessory division.Responsibility is national and travelwill be required. Minimum of 3 yearsaccessory sales experience required.Ideal candidate must be highly motivated,a team player and have relationshipswith department and specialty stores.Please e-mail resume and cover letterto: robert@codydirect.com

Technical Designer SweatersPrivate label mfg seeks exp TD.Knowledge of sweater construction re-quired with excellent follow-up skills.Email resume: Sweaters 6@aol.com

Apparel/Retail WWD

CEO Summit

SUMMITCEO

SPONSORED BY

NOVEMBER 9–10ST. REGIS HOTEL, NYC

For attending information call 212.640.4947 or email ceosummit@fairchildpub.com

For sponsorship information call 212.630.4655 or email joy.murphy@fairchildpub.com

THE SUMMIT PROGRAM WILL INCLUDE:

A Retail Town Hall Meeting • The Financial Forecast for Retail & Apparel

A Report on Consumer Spending • Insights from Top Brand and Retail Executives

The past year has rocked the

apparel and retail community.

Hear how CEOs have transformed

their businesses—and their plans

for the future.

Natalie Massenet, Net-a-Porter.com

2008 Speaker

,, NN

TThh ee pp aa ss tt yy ee aa rr hh aass rr oo cc kkee dd tt hh ee

aapppp aa rr ee ll aa nn dd rr ee tt aa ii ll cc oo mm mm uu nn ii tt yy ..

HHeeaa rr hh oo ww CC EE OO ss hh aa vv ee tt rr aa nn ss ff oo rr mm eedd

tthhee ii rr bb uu ss ii nn ee ss ss ee ss —— aa nn dd tt hh ee ii rr pp ll aa nn ss

ffoorr tt hh ee ff uu tt uu rr ee ..

The past year has rocked the

apparel and retail community.

Hear how CEOs have transformed

their businesses—and their plans

for the future.