Dapper Donna - WWD

GRANDSON STEPS UP

Liliane BettencourtExits L’Oréal Board

By JENNIFER WEIL

PARIS — Liliane Bettencourt has passed the L’Oréal torch to the next generation.

In reporting an 8.9 percent increase in net prof-its for 2011, the world’s largest beauty company said Monday that the 89-year-old Bettencourt would step down from the board and her seat would be taken by her 25-year-old grandson, Jean-Victor Meyers. The move will be submitted for approval at the next annu-al general meeting of shareholders. The Bettencourt family is the largest single shareholder in L’Oréal, with a 31 percent stake.

Twenty-five-year-old Meyers is a son of Bettencourt’s daughter, Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, and also Bettencourt’s legal guardian. He studied economics and management in France and the U.S. Over the past two years, Jean-Victor Meyers spent some months at L’Oréal. He’s also been a mem-ber of the supervisory board of the Bettencourt fam-ily’s holding company, Téthys, since January 2011.

Jean-Victor Meyers joining L’Oréal’s board marks another chapter in what has been a long-running saga of the Bettencourts involving vast wealth, family feuds, lawsuits and political scandal. The announce-ment about her leaving the board followed numer-ous lawsuits concerning Bettencourt’s mental acuity. Most recently, on Jan. 18, a French court turned down Bettencourt’s request to have her guardianship status changed to “reinforced guardianship,” which is less restrictive. She had appealed a decision made in mid-October by the guardianship judge of Courbevoie, France, who had placed her under the protection of Meyers. At the time, Bettencourt’s holdings were put under his guardianship, plus that of her daughter and other grandson, Nicolas Meyers.

That legal decision had been long in the making, coming after numerous requests for guardianship protection made by Bettencourt Meyers during the Bettencourt affair, which began in December 2007

WWD

Dapper DonnaFocusing on tailoring galore, Donna Karan incorporated pinstripes, brazen shoulders and her signature asymmetric maneuvers into her fall collection. It was chic, urban and recalled the high-glam attitude that put Karan on the map in the first place. For more from New York Fashion Week, see pages 6 to 10.

TOMMY, CAROLINA, THAKOON, BASTIAN, THE ROW...

NEW YORK FASHION WEEK ROLLS ON. PAGES 6 TO 10

NEW YORK COLLECTIONS

SEE PAGE 19

Bloomberg’s Action Plan

SEE PAGE 18

By ROSEMARY FEITELBERG

WITH FASHION WEEK in full swing uptown and downtown, Diane von Furstenberg, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D., N.Y.) met in the heart of the Garment Center Monday morn-ing to spell out the industry’s impact on New York City and new initiatives geared to fostering future generations of designers.

The mayor was quick to point out that New York’s biannual runway shows is expected to generate a record-breaking $865 million in economic develop-ment for the city this year. In addition, New York’s 500 fashion shows attract about 232,000 visitors each year. City officials are banking on employment in New York’s retail market, the largest in the U.S., to climb 17 percent by 2025.

Part pep rally, part state-of-the-industry address, Monday’s gathering zeroed in on five tactics to help build the industry through his administration’s Fashion NYC 2020 program:

Introducing a free mini M.B.A.-type program for 35 participants through a partnership with the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Lead a search for New York City’s most innovative retailer that will result in free temporary retail space, marketing and public relations.

Create a fund to provide loans to emerging design-ers provided they use local manufacturers to produce their collections.

Establish a fellowship program for fashion man-agement, and reach out to more interns and college

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2012 $3.00 WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY

PARTY, PARTY

ALL AROUND THE FASHION WEEK FETES. PAGE 21

PHOTO BY GEORGE CHINSEE

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By EVAN CLARK

ToRy BuRCh wiLL take her bow on the runway today, but will she ever ring the bell at the New york Stock Exchange?

There would be big bucks in an initial public of-fering for Burch and her investors. Michael Kors per-sonally raised $117 million when his firm went public in December and the stock has jumped 68 percent to $33.61 so far, giving the growing company — which reports its results today — a market capitalization of $6.41 billion. That’s $860 million more than the market capitalization of PVh Corp., which owns Calvin Klein and Tommy hilfiger and a host of other businesses.

is Tory Burch in that league? There’s one way for her to find out — and no one is using the “ToRy” ticker.

“we are very happy with the way the business is growing under the present private ownership struc-ture,” Burch, who is her firm’s chief executive offi-cer, told wwD. “As of now, we have no intention of an iPo.”

it’s that tease — the “As of now…” — and the company’s growth poten-tial that has wall Street so interested.

Still, an iPo is a doubled-edged sword. Public companies are under a microscope. They face a treadmill of quarterly updates to wall Street and are pressured relentlessly to keep growing or to start paying out fat divi-dends. And when the primary brand eventually tops out, public fashion companies often start to take on other businesses to fuel growth, which can lead to ungainly portfolios of labels that only sometimes work together.

“you’re under an enormous amount of scrutiny as a public company and it’s very difficult to constantly please wall Street when you’re trying to run a fashion business,” said Marc Federbush, partner in charge of the apparel and textile services group at the accounting firm Anchin, Block & Anchin. “it’s a fickle industry. you’re only as good as your last season. you can be out of fashion pretty quick and wall Street doesn’t always understand that.”

Even so, the benefits can be pretty sweet.“it’s very prestigious to say, ‘i am the ceo of

a publicly trade company in the united States,” Federbush said. “if [a company has] in excess of $500 million or a billion of sales, then i see maybe there’s a reason, because that will open up some capital where they can fund growth overseas.”

Tory Burch is said to have sales in excess of $450 million and has 65 stores, including two outposts in Mainland China, a region that is a priority for the design-er, who decided to take on the market without a partner. “it’s something i’m personally passionate about,” Burch said last year. “we don’t need immediate gratification. we want to do it organically…in an understated way.”

if the Chinese opportunity becomes too tempting or the company decides it wants to ramp up its busi-ness in the region quickly, it will have to spend some serious bucks to do so.

“if you really want to have a scalable business and have more than two stores in China, which is a market that can probably absorb a lot of Tory Burch, you need quite significant capital,” said hana Ben-Shabat, a part-ner in A.T. Kearney’s retail practice. “in a brand like this, the future is really emerging markets. if she’s not happy with the current level of performance in her core mar-ket, it’s almost inevitable that she has to go to other mar-kets. it’s difficult to drive high-single-digit or double-digit growth in the united States. it’s just not going to happen.”

Ben-Shabat said the company might also need to raise money if it wants to expand into other categories.

All that untapped potential for expansion has wall Street salivating.

“it would be fantastic,” said Paul Lejuez, an equity analyst at Nomura Securities, of a Tory Burch iPo.

“There’s a thirst in the market for growth stories right now and particu-larly in the accessories category, which seems to be performing very well. you look at a Kors, or even if you look at the performance of a Coach lately, it’s been just remarkable.”

Lejuez said the investment calcu-lus for Tory Burch and Kors is similar and the window of opportunity for the firm to make an offering is wide open.

“it’s about growth,” he said. “it’s about being in the right categories, sell-ing the right demographics and it’s about momentum. if Tory Burch has those three things, which i assume they do, the window’s open and i don’t see it closing.”

The glitz of fashion also doesn’t hurt. “it’s prob-ably easier to tell a Michael Kors or a Tory Burch type story to wall Street because they know the brand, be-cause they shop the brand,” said Lejuez.

The value of Tory Burch the company was brought to the fore when Barclays Capital was hired to sell off the portion of the company still held by Chris Burch, the designer’s ex-husband who remains co-chairman of the firm.

on balance, though, wall Street might need Tory more than Tory needs its money, at least for now.

“She can take enough off the table in salary and benefits,” said one industry source. “her lifestyle is more than supported. i don’t think there’s pres-sure on her to take this company public. i don’t think Tresalia [the Mexican investment firm that owns a minority stake] really cares, but at some point the shareholders are going to want liquidity.”

There’s the pecking order to think of, too. “There’s a competitive element of, ‘hey, we’re bet-

ter than Michael Kors,’” the source noted. “They’re right across the street from each other on Madison Avenue.”

WWD TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2012

Tom Florio to Head Advanstar Fashion Group

To e-mail reporTers and ediTors aT WWd, The address is [email protected], using The individual’s name. WWD IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ADVANCE MAGAZINE PUBLISHERS INC. COPYRIGHT ©2012 FAIRCHILD FASHION MEDIA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.VOLUME 203, NO. 32. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2012. WWD (ISSN 0149–5380) is published daily (except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, with one additional issue in May, June, October and December, and two additional issues in February, March, April, August, September and November) by Fairchild Fashion Media, which is a division of Advance Magazine Publishers Inc. PRINCIPAL OFFICE: 750 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017. Shared Services provided by Condé Nast: S.I. Newhouse, Jr., Chairman; Charles H. Townsend, Chief Executive Officer; Robert A. Sauerberg Jr., President; John W. Bellando, Chief Operating Officer & Chief Financial Officer; Jill Bright, Chief Administrative Officer. 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 requests, please call 212-630-5656 or fax the request to 212-630-5883. For all request for reprints of articles please contact The YGS Group at [email protected], or call 800-501-9571. Visit us online at www.wwd.com. To subscribe to other Fairchild Fashion Media 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.

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They Are Wearing: Off the runways and onto the streets and sidewalks for some of the best looks from New York Fashion Week. For more, see WWD.com/eye.

the Briefing Boxin Today’s WWd

Outside the Carlos Miele fall show.

Liliane Bettencourt, daughter of L’Oréal’s founder, has ended her storied and recently controversial tenure on the company’s board. PAGE 1

Mayor Michael Bloomberg revealed new initiatives geared to fostering future generations of designers in New York City at the CFDA Fashion Incubator on Monday. PAGE 1

Experts weigh the pros and cons of whether Tory Burch should go for an initial public offering. PAGE 2

The primary focus on the opening day of the MAGIC and Project trade shows was the changes going on at J.C. Penney and how they will affect the rest of the industry. PAGE 4

President Obama proposed $26 million in funding for a new Trade Enforcement Center focused on cracking down on unfair trade practices. PAGE 4

Italian fabric and yarn makers are focused on exporting outside of the European Union to countries with more stable or growing economies. PAGE 12

Onward Kashiyama is plotting the relaunch of its ICB label with Prabal Gurung at the design helm. PAGE 18

Diesel Black Gold today will open its first retail unit, in New York’s SoHo. PAGE 18 s

The schedule for Vanity Fair’s “Campaign Hollywood,” the magazine’s annual week-long celebration leading up to the Academy Awards, is out. PAGE 21

Fashion-circuit regulars such as Olivier Zahm and Elisa Sednaoui attended a dinner party hosted by Diane von Furstenberg at Indochine on Sunday night. PAGE 22

The main attractions at the Carlos Miele show were Brazilian brothers and DJ partners Sean and Anthony Souza. PAGE 23

iN A MoVE AiMED at expanding its fashion trade show properties into new platforms and businesses, Advanstar Communications inc. has named former Vogue publishing director Tom Florio as chief exec-utive officer of its Advanstar Fashion Group. his first official day was Monday, which was also the kickoff of the fall MAGiC marketplace in Las Vegas.

in his new role, Florio will oversee the various MAGiC men’s shows, as well as Project, wwDMAGiC, FN Platform, Sourcing at MAGiC and Pool. he reports to Joe Loggia, ceo of Advanstar Communications.

Central to Advanstar’s plans is the launch this sum-mer of a digital initiative for its fashion properties at Shopthefloor.com. The site is intended as a year-round platform for vendors and retailers to do business, while also providing a dedicated interface for brands to interact directly with consumers. The public will be able to build looks on each brand’s dedicated channel, letting companies know which styles they like best.

“it will completely revolutionize the b-to-b expe-rience. it will extend the buying, selling, network-ing and collaborating in our industry to 365 days a

year,” said Loggia.Florio noted he has been attending the MAGiC

trade show since the time it was staged in California. “The structure of the fashion business has changed so much and brands no longer need to be filtered only through buyers and editors any more — al-though they are still important. i’m interested in how this can be applied to the b-to-b space,” he said.

Florio exited Condé Nast in 2010 and joined iMG worldwide as senior adviser for fashion to the office of the chairman, the late Teddy Forstmann. he left Condé Nast as senior vice president and publishing director of Vogue, Teen Vogue, Bon Appétit and Condé Nast Traveler. From 2002 to 2009, he was vice president and publishing director of the Vogue Group. Earlier in his career, he was publisher of GQ, president of The New yorker and publisher of Condé Nast Traveler.

in a related move, Chris DeMoulin, previously pres-ident of MAGiC, has been shifted to a separate division of Advanstar and named president of licensing and ex-ecutive vice president of customer development. — DaviD Lipke

Burch Stays Private as Wall Street Beckons

Tory Burch

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Obama Looks to Fund Trade Enforcement Upbeat Mood at Vegas Shows

By RACHEL BROWN and JEAN E. PALMIERI

LAS VEGAS — The mood was optimis-tic on the opening day of the MAGIC and Project trade shows, but there was one primary focus: how the changes in pricing and vendor structure at J.C. Penney Co. Inc. will affect the rest of the industry.

“It’s a real game-changer,” said one high-ranking executive from a competing depart-ment store, who requested anonymity.

Most retailers were taking a wait-and-see attitude about Penney’s, but were keeping a close eye on how the American shopper will respond to new chief execu-tive officer Ron Johnson’s dramatic shift away from promotional pricing.

“I’m really curious to see if the consum-er is ready for it,” said Doug Ewert, ceo of The Men’s Wearhouse Inc. “As a retailer used to running an everyday value business which is now promotional, I hope it works.”

Burton Krieger, president of Boscov’s, was also keeping a watchful eye on Penney’s. “There’s a lot of conjecture out there about the Penney’s plan,” he said. “That’s the big question.”

Another department store merchant said of Penney’s: “We’re watching it very closely. It’s good for us in the short term, but we’ll have to see how it plays out in the future.”

Most retailers weren’t ready to shift their business model to respond to Penney’s just yet. Instead, they were prepared to scour the aisles of the trade shows blanketing Vegas to en-sure their assortments for fall were on trend and would contin-ue to lure the customer into their stores after a solid holiday sea-son and a strong start to spring.

Among the top trends in the men’s market were updated military looks; a continuation of outdoors-heritage; a mixing of fabrications; the heavy use of tweeds, velvets and corduroy, and lots of leather, suede and shearlings, according to Tim Bess, men’s fashion trend analyst for The Doneger Group. He also singled out “shaggy” pieces, such as hairy yarns and plush fabrications, along with sweat-er knits, fur trim and autumnal colors as among the top looks for fall. In terms of key items, it’s the three-piece suit, double-breasted jacket, overcoat, white shirt, vest, slim-fit trouser and heritage bag that should be on every shopping list, he said, as retailers map out their

buying plans for the rest of the year.Durand Guion, vice president and

men’s director for Macy’s Inc., said: “Six months ago, we were somewhat optimis-tic and today we’re upbeat and looking forward to coming to the shows and con-centrating on our game plan, which is to find newness and confirm the trends and go after them. We’re past the uncertainty now. The customer is more interested in fashion, trends and fit. He’s definitely not just replacing items, but adding them.”

For Macy’s, the top trends for fall in-clude the evolution of the varsity-colle-giate trend so it’s “not as preppy. We’re also looking for a resurgence of dress-up,” with three-piece dressing and slim fits leading the way. Guion also sees growth in dressier woven shirts as well as ac-cessories such as hats, bags, jewelry and novelty socks. Denim vests and jackets are also opportunities, he believes. David Zant, executive vice president and gen-eral merchandise manager of men’s for Belk Inc., said of 2011: “We had a great year. We were pleased with our overall business and our men’s business. And we’re off to a good start in February.” He

said better collections, premium denim and young men’s were the drivers so far; however, the warm weather put “pressure on outerwear and seasonal accessories.”

He said because Belk has had good sales the past two years, the challenge is to continue the momentum this year. “But overall, we’re confident and the inflationary pressure has eased, so that should help, too,” said Zant.

“The beat seems to be good for spring,” said Boscov’s Krieger. “It start-ed off strongly and the customer seems ready to buy.”

Conrad Symanski, president of Beall’s Outlet, said sales at his Florida-based company were helped by the mild winter. “We’re transitioning to spring faster than ever,” with short sets, short-sleeve knits and knitwear all getting “good early reads.”

He was looking to fill in for summer and get a feel for fall. The store’s “single biggest need” was in activewear such as technical tanks and running shorts.

Scott Collins, vice president and gmm of DTLR, said after a soft fourth quar-ter, business in February is “crazy.” Top performers include premium footwear and urban brands such as LRG. “The consumer is ready to try something new and that’s what we’re out here looking for.” He was especially excited about the addition of Trukfit, a new men’s apparel line from Lil Wayne. He was also shop-ping for updated T-shirts and jeans.

At Men’s Wearhouse, Ewert said 2011 was good and “we have good momen-tum heading into 2012. Hopefully the European situation won’t spoil that.” At the shows, he said big and tall merchan-dise and “modern fit” clothing were “the primary focus for our merchants in Vegas.”

A positive outlook has pervaded women’s as well. Adam Bernhard, ceo of Nordstrom Inc.-owned flash sale Web site HauteLook, said, “HauteLook is

coming off of the best holiday season we’ve had in the company’s history. Our business continues to grow each day, especially in mobile and tablet shop-ping.…We’ve been off to a strong start in Q1 and expect that to continue into Q2.”

Annemarie Dillard, director of contem-porary sportswear for Dillard’s Inc., said, “It is getting a lot more optimistic. I don’t know that we have recovered from where we have been, but the customer seems willing to buy things that she likes.” She continued, “When we do have something fantastic and unique, we can see fantastic returns on that. It is really indicative of how we see our selling. If she doesn’t want something, it doesn’t matter how much we mark it down, it doesn’t seem like we can sell it. She really wants special things.”

With their prospects sunnier, women’s retailers expressed a greater willing-ness to take chances on new brands. “We are pretty careful about trying to budget when we are testing out new brands, but, with our growth, we have much more resources available, and so when we are going into these shows, we are able to pick up new brands and not only are

seeing our [existing] brands that are here, but getting to browse,” said Jeni Ni, women’s buyer for online streetwear retailer Karmaloop.com.

Ni explained Karmaloop, which is launching a women’s ap-parel Web site in the summer at Misskl.com, is expanding beyond streetwear and has had success with trendy fashion brands like Style Stalker in doing so. “We have seen their growth jump 200 percent,” said Ni of Style Stalker.

For new and more estab-lished brands, affordability remains crucial to shoppers. Although Ni said Karmaloop.com is dipping its toes into more expensive lines, she noted lower price point items are continu-ally popular, including dresses retailing for between $36 and

$60. “The holiday retail season showed that consumer appetite for deals has def-initely not abated at all,” said Bernhard, adding, “We don’t anticipate that chang-ing throughout the year. Consumers have come to view discounts and comparison shopping as the new norm.”

When it comes to trends, buyers point-ed to neon and pastel colors as the high-lights for spring, especially in bottoms that are spanning the color spectrum. At Gojane.com, an online retailer aimed at 16- to 24-year-old shoppers, buyer Kurt Kimora said tangerine and sea foam green are important spring hues. “For spring, I think we need some energy,” he said. “Anything muted or having to do with fall isn’t coming through. Anything fun and bright right now is selling very well.”

Bright colors won’t disappear as the year goes on. Dillard expects shoppers will pair traditional darker colors with more vivid colors come fall. “Somebody [will be] wearing a bright red skinny jean, but with a burgundy top or a hunt-er green top with a brightly colored bot-tom. Everyone is still loving color,” she said. “I am liking the excitement and giving her a new reason to buy. No one needs another pair of black pants.”

Bernhard said the preppy tomboy look will be significant in the fall, and key pieces for the look are crewneck sweaters and demure skirts. “The look will be more feminine than we’ve seen in past seasons. Color and print are still big for fall, with increasing emphasis on bold, even retro prints like paisley,” he said.

Ni warned that it’s harder to pin down an overarching trend than it might have been in the past. “Shoppers are going to be looking to blend. There isn’t a specific genre that girls are looking for now. A girl isn’t just Goth or preppy. She can be rock-er one day and a schoolgirl the next,” she said. “It is very mix and match.”

The Doneger Group highlighted key men’s wear trends for fall on the opening day of the MAGIC show.

By KRISTI ELLIS

WASHINGTON — President Obama pro-posed $26 million in funding for a new Trade Enforcement Center focused on cracking down on unfair trade prac-tices, in addition to more money to help achieve his goal of doubling exports and boosting other trade priorities in his $3.8 trillion federal budget proposal submit-ted to Congress on Monday.

While the President’s blueprint for the federal budget in fiscal year 2013, which begins Oct. 1, calls for dramatic belt-tightening, with $4 trillion in projected deficit cuts over the next decade, it calls for more money to be devoted to trade en-forcement and the agencies that negotiate trade deals and help support boosting ex-ports. One of the largest trade initiatives, which Obama outlined in his State of the Union address last month, is a new trade enforcement unit that will go after unfair trade practices, such as counterfeiting and illegal subsidies by trading partners.

Discussing the new initiative, Gene Sperling, director of the National Economic Council, said, “As part of our jobs manufacturing strategy, putting forward an interagency trade enforce-ment center — $26 million, 50 to 60 new people, greater coordination in the gov-ernment, and this is designed to signifi-cantly increase our capacity to bring ad-ditional trade cases that will level the playing field against countries around the world, including China.”

The Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration would receive $24 million of new fund-ing and the U.S. Trade Representative’s office would receive $2 million to co-ordinate the interagency program, ac-cording to Rebecca Blank, acting deputy Commerce secretary.

Stephen Lamar, executive vice president of the American Apparel & Footwear Association, said, “If it is prop-erly focused on the egregious problems, such as the new import restrictions im-posed in Argentina, it can be additive to what the U.S. is already doing.”

Lamar said Argentina has added hun-dreds of products, including textiles, ap-parel and footwear, to its list of imports subject to nonautomatic licensing, which require specialized permission to import.

The International Trade Administration, a main engine behind promoting Obama’s goal to double exports by the end of 2014, would receive a 14 percent increase in the president’s budget proposal to $517 mil-lion. The Commerce Department’s Import Administration, which monitors textile and apparel imports and investigates an-tidumping and countervailing duty trade cases, would receive an increase in fund-ing to $84.7 million from $67 million.

Blank said the budget request, while touching on Obama’s proposed plan to seek consolidation authority from Congress and merge Commerce, USTR and four other agencies, does not include a formal request for fund-ing for a new combined cabinet agency. Obama must first get the authority from Congress, which would be followed by the agencies and stakeholders formally submitting a reorganization proposal and then a budget request at some point in the future, she noted.

Obama’s budget proposal would in-crease the budget of USTR, which is responsible for negotiating free trade agreements and filing unfair trade cases at the World Trade Organization, to $53 million in 2013 from $51.3 million in 2012.

U.S. Customs & Border Protection, a division of the Department of Homeland Security that seizes counterfeit goods shipped through U.S. ports, received a slight boost to $11.9 billion from $11.7 billion, while the Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement unit received an in-crease of $10 million.PH

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Donna Karan: The CFDA 50th anniversary exhibit at FIT features a look from Donna Karan’s fall 1985 debut. It stands in all its black jersey, gold hardware glory as a reminder of what women have always wanted from the designer: chic urbanity. Kudos to Karan for returning to that realm this fall, with a high-glam ode to, call her what you will, the sexy power woman or the cerebral bombshell.

The collection centered on a reed-thin silhouette and tailoring galore, often in pinstripes. Karan incorporated her signature asymmetric maneuvers — half-collars, side-draping, off-kilter slits — and dared to revive an audacious shoulder. She finished everything off with fabulous “cubist” (they had their own asymmetry going on) fedoras by Stephen Jones, who just may prove to be one of the biggest stars of the New York season. Evening looked plenty fresh — lean, constructed gowns and a miraculous mélange of felted jersey and sequins on something sheer.

Sounds good, right? Yes — with a bizarre caveat. Independently, the thoughts of three different WWD editors (and, by extension, probably others in the audience) strayed to Ralph Lauren land. Why? Ralph doesn’t own pinstripes (Donna’s done her share), and she’s

entitled to one red riding jacket in 26 years. Focusing on the clothes only, the silhouettes, tailoring and flourishes were all Donna. That leaves two related culprits: styling and staging. Just a thought.

Big thinker that she is (and savvy to boot), Karan has decided that showing three collections during fashion week (Donna Karen, DKNY, DKNY men’s) leaves a hole. Thus, she piggybacked her Casual Luxe lineup onto the main event. While any 12-look range covering both Eighties-esque blanket dressing and biker chick is bound to feel dissonant, there were plenty of keeper pieces in the mix.

Carolina Herrera: Navy and black, a tried-and-true tonal pairing, was utterly compelling at the opening of Carolina Herrera’s collection. She nailed it — a beautiful display of regal elegance subdued by color, which was quite a commitment, too. The first dozen looks came in shades of deep indigo with black accents. Luxed-up fabrics, such as knits with feather and fur details, blurred the line between traditional day- and eveningwear, and had a modern flexibility. For example, a turtleneck sweater was sewn with broadtail details on the front and worn with an embroidered wool

Donna KaranTommy Hilfiger The Row

Discreet chic, regal elegance and pure romance were some of the runway themes.

WWD.COM7WWD TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2012

FALL 2012

NEW YORK

COLLECTIONSpencil skirt, and a wispy embroidered silk dress peaked out from under a cozy mélange knit coat.

From there, Herrera broke the darkness, creating a divide in the collection. Heavy-handed abstract prints by artist Joe Duke, many of which were painted onto the fabrics, seemed to get lost in translation along the way. More subtle yet effective were the tweaked proportions, specifically cropped tops worn over high-wasted bottoms. That minor adjustment updated Herrera’s signature polish and boosted her cross-generational appeal.

Tommy Hilfiger: The Park Avenue Armory’s set of autumnal trees gave a glimpse of things to come at Tommy Hilfiger. “Greenwich meets Park Avenue, town and country,” he said at a preview of the collection — which was quite a departure for the designer. It featured a strong lineup of polished silhouettes with equestrian and military touches rendered in warm, fall hues like burgundy, brown and forest green.

There was an abundance of great outerwear, including a black and purple double-breasted riding coat, a leather trench and a houndstooth coat with vintage appeal. Cable knit was another point of interest, which Hilfiger interpreted as a print on a loosely-fitting silk organza dress, and a top that he teamed with a brown-and-blue suede and leather skirt. Driving home the horsey, country theme were several riding motif prints (on silk halter dresses, blouses and skirts) as well as quilted suede jackets and skirts.

Hilfiger clearly had a sophisticated woman in mind with this collection — the kind that might also love the classic music he played, which included Simon & Garfunkel, the Rolling Stones, and, in the finale, The Beatles’ “All You Need is Love.”

The Row: The setting — Bemelmans Bar at The Carlyle — telegraphed more than a lovely way to start the morning, over tea and crumpets. It indicated a mood far removed from the trade-show aura of Lincoln Center. The intention, Ashley Olsen said postshow, was to keep The Row “intimate and as pretty and pure as possible.”

Mission accomplished and beautifully so, as Ashley and her designing partner, Mary-Kate Olsen, delivered a treatise on discreet chic, all the more impressive for its ample use of fur. While spring was ethereal, here the designers took a more grounded approach, starting with substantial, flat sandals. The tight lineup of neutral-toned coats, separates and dresses played like an elegant woman’s well-functioning wardrobe. Aside from some sturdy taffeta pants, shapes were lean but not fitted, the longer torso marked by tabs, wraps and various other treatments near the hips. Otherwise, interest came in details of cut and textural plays: alligator trim outlined a hammered cashmere coat; an interesting dress featured a long mink front panel attached to a chiffon bodice and cady skirt. For evening, the strapless, loosened black column made a convincing case for the power of plain.

Thakoon: Classic ladies are not Thakoon Panichgul’s type, so it was surprising to see him build his fall collection around prim shapes, such as short, straight dresses with three-quarter sleeves. The models were prom ready in messy French twists and painted pouts that matched the shades pulsing on the clothes (magenta, fuchsia and cherry red ) — colors of the heart. This was Panichgul in the mood for love. “I was feeling something a bit more romantic,” he said during a preview. “It’s charming in an old school way, like romantic New York.” That seems almost quaint in the wake of his last two shows, stellar affairs steeped in ethnic references as disparate as maharajas and Marie Antoinette. If this collection didn’t match their mesmerizing fusion of color and exotic taste, it offered plenty of lovely clothes.

The pretty cliches were deliberate, though nothing was played on the nose — that’s not Panichgul’s style. An undercurrent of sly irony and subversive sexuality coursed through the collection, winking at bad taste along the way. A camel coatdress that looked plain and proper from the front had a purple leopard-printed pony collar and an openwork leather basketweave panel in the back. Crinkled patent leather came in black and wild pink, the latter on a skirt sporting a big bow at the tail. Chubby sweaters were laced with Mongolian fur in an explosion of exuberant fuzz. And for the girl who doesn’t wear her heart on her sleeve there was chic understatement too, such as a black halter — completely backless — worn with matching trousers.

Michael Bastian: The first look Michael Bastian sent out was a chalk-stripe, double-breasted power suit. It was a nod to a major trend in Europe, but also a signal that Bastian, who is usually comfortable in the Americana arena, is thinking about his preppy aesthetic in a more continental way. The designer played up a masculine-feminine theme, from body-conscious looks that hugged the models’ physiques to the full makeup that appeared on several of them. The new direction was underscored with cutesy sweaters, including one with a Charlie Brown zigzag and two others with dog motifs. He also softened tougher pieces like a burgundy leather jacket with pinstripe pants and purple socks.

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Theyskens’ Theory: In just a few seasons, Olivier Theyskens has developed a clear signature for Theyskens’ Theory — ubercool with a street edge tempered by adult sophistication. This time, he downplayed his Goth impulses and amped up the glamour with glittering gold tweed coats and jackets that displayed his strong tailoring skills, as well as lovely metallic sweaters and ombré effects on denim and velvet. There were still some darker moments found in the black leather jackets, skirts and shorts, but they looked more soft than tough in Theyskens’ hands.

His evening, a pair of sober party dresses in particular, had the kind of moody Victorian lyricism that made him famous and that defined his work at Nina Ricci and Rochas. It’s great to see that romantic aesthetic now so much more accessible, yet still plenty strong.

Zac Posen: True to his penchant for grandeur, Zac Posen delivered a dramatic lineup inspired by an ongoing fascination with chinoiserie and Japan. Short dresses, gowns and evening suits in red, gold, jewel tones and the occasional neutral were folded and seamed like origami paper to accentuate and flatter all the right curves. Other Eastern ingredients included rich floral jacquards and obi sashes. All the signature Posen silhouettes were there: peplum-waisted tops and jackets, flounced hems, sharp tailoring, a superslim waist and, yes, plenty of mermaid skirted gowns — however, a couple of the latter appeared too rigid for walking. There were some lovely dresses, including an understated number in alabaster peony jacquard and some simpler gowns with the aforementioned origami detail.

In fact, Posen was at his best when he kept things relatively pared down. Contrarily, his indulgence in kimono sleeves and theatrical opera coats burdened some looks with excessive weight and pomp. That said, Posen’s loyal fans have plenty to look forward to.

3.1 Phillip Lim: Neo-noir comics like “V for Vendetta,” along with the idea that not everything is ever as it seems, informed Phillip Lim’s intriguing collection. He explored concepts of mapping and paneling to create clothes that played optical tricks — in most cases, two mirroring silhouettes sliced to make the wearer look slimmer. (The method got much media play last fall when Kate Winslet wore two different Stella McCartney illusion dresses on the red carpet.) Lim’s 41 looks explored that optical theme, from a black-and-nude jumpsuit with a trompe l’oeil bustier to the graphic black and white cable knits — a strong point in the lineup. He also took the idea further with jackets constructed to look like two layered garments, as well as draped and twisted knitwear, some with sleeves dangling, trainlike, from the backs of chunky sweaters, which, simply put, looked strange.

Simon Spurr: Not one to forget his British roots, Simon Spurr turned to Robert Frank’s photographs of London for inspiration. His first look — a formfitting three-piece shadow windowpane suit — continued the case for the dressed-up man that’s been all over the runways this season. In Spurr’s hands, it became edgy, youthful and relevant, with several military touches. He played with

fall 2012

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COLLECTIONS

Theyskens’ Theory Zac Posen 3.1 Phillip Lim Rachel Roy

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Moncler: With New York City as a backdrop, Moncler Grenoble staged another jaw-dropping presentation, this time at Central Park’s Wollman Rink. Divided into monochromatic teams — blue, gray, white and red — professional skaters gave a remarkable synchronized performance. As for the clothes, layering was a given with turtlenecks, soft fur vests, cozy chunky sweaters, stretchy skinny pants and the requisite lean ski jackets. The looks were finished with long knit gloves, legwarmers and fur hats adding to the outdoor, cold weather fun.

different textures, including leather contrast sleeves on a brown wool coat, and amped up the across-the-pond flavor with an oversize houndstooth pattern for a sleek suit with a peak lapel — think Austin Powers on a fun romp. And while this collection may have lacked some of the energy of seasons past, his impeccable tailoring skills proved, once again, that the designer is a cut above the rest.

Rachel Roy: Architectural silhouettes balanced with natural elements is how Rachel Roy described her collection in the show notes. That meant a play on textures — layering chunky with fine knits, combining a leather and crochet tweed on a pretty dress — and adding surface elements, like beaded embellishments, on a structured tweed dress. An eggplant-colored group, which included a jacket that hung like a cape with wide-cut culottes, enhanced the lineup’s charming Seventies feel.

Ohne Titel: Inspired by textile artist Sheila Hicks’ graphic approach to texture, Alexa Adams and Flora Gill sent out a dramatic Ohne Titel lineup. There were plenty of the beautiful knits that have become their signature — pleated skirts, jacquard dresses and a check-patterned jacket. Leather was used for T-shirts and dresses, while a black-and-white-striped fox fur coat made a bold statement, and some sleek color-blocked suits looked sporty and playful.

Thom Browne: Fall at Thom Browne unfolded at the scene of a eulogy for 10 girls lying in open coffins, all dressed in gray suits with

ghostly fabric covering their heads, hands and feet. They, as the eulogist read, “loved life and fashion.” The clothes that ensued were meant to represent their final reverie. Models floated through the dimly lit room in layered, folded, draped, parachuted and reptilian-spiked creations that brought to mind a creepy Tim Burton-meets-Rei Kawakubo moment. Many silhouettes were deceptively slimming at the front while scaled to exaggerated, tent-like proportions at the back. Tailored jackets and skirts of varying lengths were layered on top of one another — a familiar look chez Browne — while funny fox scarves in wool, complete with head and legs, were draped over models’ shoulders. Little in this dream world translated into reality, save for a handful of jackets and a gray schoolgirl look worn under a cropped mink jacket.

Y-3: Yohji Yamamoto’s Y-3 looked tougher than usual this season. Finding inspiration in the nomadic cultures of Central Asia, the collection was a mixture of ethnic pieces (capes, ponchos and harem pants) and Americana (parkas, hooded vests and long, striped pullovers) shown in brights and a gray-to-black palette. The designer’s way with loose and layered pieces made it all work so beautifully. Outerwear was the strongest, the best being a rich curly wool color-blocked coat.

For men, Yamamoto infused military and urban vibes, producing pieces like an elongated hybrid nylon bomber coat paired with baggy sweatpants and a printed scarf. It was a perfect example of the designer’s blend of Eastern influence and Western style.

For more photos and reviews, see

WWD.com/runway.

Rachel Roy Ohne Titel Simon Spurr Thom Browne

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Timo Weiland: Timo Weiland and Alan Eckstein took a luxurious approach to Nineties grunge, presenting outerwear — some cozy with fur details — over diaphanous dresses in floral and planetary prints. In contrast, the velvet gowns in black and plum featured minimal cuts and added a level of sophistication to their lineup.

When it came to men’s wear, the designers played it safe, but wool and leather motorcycle jackets in black and gray plaid, along with an abstract floral button down shirt and trouser look, helped liven things up a bit.

Chris Benz: This season Chris Benz thought “like a little kid watching your mom getting ready for a holiday party,” circa the heyday of Judy Garland and Marilyn Monroe. The icons were also part of the story, most obviously in the retro wigs — quite a hoot. This was Benz’s signature color-and-texture fest at its most exuberant. What could best be described as party skirts — full, with ample pleats and layers of tulle and lamé — were great for the girl who doesn’t mind if her outfit wears her. The cropped jackets, some in fur, some in fuzzy wool, on the other hand, were the perfect balance of quirky and current.

Reem Acra: What a year Reem Acra has had, and it’s only mid-February. When Madonna wore the designer’s gown to the recent Golden Globes, the exposure thrust Acra into the fashion spotlight. Her next big moment came at the end of her runway show, when out came the striking evening looks in black, gold and silver, featuring beaded graphic Deco patterns and revealing cutouts. There were beaded micro minis too; the black one with a mock turtleneck added real sex appeal. The sportswear’s leather jackets, trapunto-stitched coat and metallic tweed suits didn’t carry the same weight, but who cares? All eyes were on the gowns.

Preen by Thornton Bregazzi: Taking a fanciful trip down pretty lane, Preen’s Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi stayed on the right side of cool. Inspired by Beatrix Potter’s botanical illustrations, Victorian-era scrapbooks and abstract expressionists, they worked a heavy use of prints, texture and color on flirty tops and skirts paired with two-tone tailored separates and intarsia-knit sweaters. With multiple variations on the same look, it felt a bit repetitive, yet the overall effect was still enticing.

Yeohlee: Yeohlee Teng gave an informal presentation of just seven looks, but nothing felt incomplete. Assorted textures in beige were perfect on a quilted silk coat, and two beautiful dresses — one loose and long in ribbed wool Modal jersey with an elongated torso; the other short and chic in purple silk faille — were just right. She also managed to pack in plenty of fabrics, colors and shapes: a hunter green and cobalt blue mohair wool wrap and plaid shorts, a white plastic cotton duffle over a black textured wool coat and a T-shirt with pleated gabardine skorts gave the collection a sense of cohesion.

Behnaz Sarafpour: While at the Venice Biennale last summer, Behnaz Sarafpour was inspired by the city’s glass so she incorporated it into jewelry for her lineup. This began her play on “fashion x-ray,” which translated into luxe transparent and decorative elements, with millinery braiding on a sheer embroidered petticoat skirt, silver boning techniques on tailored coats and dresses and sunburst pleats on lace frocks.

Mathieu Mirano: One doesn’t expect much from a 20-year-old Parsons dropout, so Mathieu Mirano’s sophomore presentation came as a pleasant surprise. Inspired by a dream involving women, the sun and a dragon, he worked metallic sunburst embroideries on gowns and coats, while clawlike hardware was featured on a fur coat and leather paillettes on skirts and tulle tops. PHOT

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Timo Weiland Timo Weiland Chris Benz Reem Acra

Mathieu MiranoPreen by Thornton Bregazzi

Yeohlee Behnaz Sarafpour

FALL 2012

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COLLECTIONS

FOR MORE PHOTOS AND REVIEWS, SEE

WWD.com/runway.

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By SOFIA CELESTE

MILAN — With its home economy expect-ed to slide further, Italian fabric and yarn makers are focused on exporting outside of the troubled European Union to coun-tries with more stable or growing econo-mies, such as China, India and the U.S.

Fabric producers at Milano Unica, the three-day show that ended Thursday, said despite uncertainty over the weak-ening euro and higher raw material pric-es, they’re seeing positive sales trends as they kicked off their spring 2013 season.

Earlier, at the Pitti Filati trade fair in Florence, currency fluctuations posed a concern for high-end Italian yarn makers presenting their 2013 spring collections, as a weaker euro against the strength-ening U.S. and Australian dollar cast a question mark over full-year forecasts.

Italy’s gross domestic product con-tracted 0.2 percent in the third quarter of 2011 and some economists see the economy contracting further in 2012, as consumers tighten their spending. Data compiled by Italian fashion and trade lobby Sistema Moda Italia showed that export growth outside the EU is outpac-ing that among the 27-nation bloc, rising 12.3 percent and 7.2 percent, respective-ly, last year.

Milano Unica saw the number of visi-tors fall 10 percent to 18,000, but a 7 per-

cent increase in foreign visitors revealed a strong interest in the fair emanating from Greater China — Chinese visitors increased 73 percent, while there were 109 percent more from Hong Kong and 35 percent more from France.

“China, together with Hong Kong, is one of Italy’s most important markets for textiles, second only to Germany,” Milano Unica organizers said.

As a result, Milano Unica is in the process of organizing two editions of the fair in China, one in Beijing and one in Shanghai, and will also be at the Milano Unica pavilion dedicated to Italian fab-rics at the Intertextile Beijing Fair from March 28 to 30.

Loro Piana, chief executive officer Pierluigi Loro Piana, said the company is interested in improving its presence in cities like Beijing and Shanghai and is planning new openings for the next three years, in addition to the 13 stores it already has in Greater China. Japan,

a key market for Loro Piana, showed a surprising turnaround in 2011 after the tsunami and earthquake tragedy in 2011, Loro Piana said.

“We thought it would be a disaster,” he said. “Sales grew 8 percent [in Japan].”

Franco Ferraris, ceo of Lanificio Ermenegildo Zegna & Figli, cited India as a market with great potential, adding, “India has about a billion people — it has an economy that is growing.”

Tessuti di Sondrio general manager Fabio Grazioli said the brand is concen-trating on the Far East and the U.S. mar-kets, noting “The U.S. is a market that understands high-end sportswear.”

Tessuti di Sondrio, a company owned by the Marzotto Group that specializes in cotton and linen looks, showcased pastel pants and jackets at its Hamptons beach-inspired stand. Periwinkle blue and pow-der pink made their way onto slacks and blazers for men. Linen blazers, explorer jackets and double breasted coats dem-onstrated the many ways the material can be worn for all occasions.

Lane Bottoli owner Roberto Bottoli noted that linen is on the rise because it is an adaptable material that makes for more relaxed, worn and even luminous effects. Lanificio Ermenegildo Zegna’s Tessitura di Novara unit showcased lightweight sportswear blazers and jack-ets armed with water repellent silk for men and women.

At Biella-based Botto Fila, fine mixed yarns like wool and silk gave men’s looks a refined elegance. Women’s wear at Loro Piana was also fused with cashmere and silk yarns. Seterie Argenti featured digital silk patterns that recalled the floral gar-

dens and lily pad-lined ponds of Monet and Renoir, as well as silk jac-quard prints.

Pitti Filati organizers said the yarn fair, which ended its three-day run Jan. 27, saw 1,500 foreign buyers, in line with a year ago, with a marked improvement from Japan, Holland, Germany and Turkey.

The Italian yarn industry posted 3.48 billion euros, or $459.5 billion at current exchange, in revenue in 2011, its highest sales in five years, accord-ing to industry trade group Sistema Moda Italia and national statistics of-fice Istat Italy. But with the European debt crisis driving the euro down against the two currencies, in which raw materials like cotton and wool are priced, the outlook for 2012 remains

uncertain. On Monday, the euro traded at $1.32, compared to $1.37 a year ago, and 1.23 Australian dollars, also compared to 1.37 Australian dollars a year ago.

“The currency effect has changed ev-erything,” said Antonio Bigolin, owner of Alpes, noting that a weaker euro helps exports, but a stronger dollar means less raw material purchasing power.

Due to recent currency movements and the persistently unpredictable raw material fluctuations, Botto Poala raised prices for its collection 25 to 30 percent compared to its spring line.

“In 2011, sales for Botto Poala were pretty solid, but 2012 still remains uncer-tain,” said Alfredo Botto Poala, president of Zegna Baruffa Lane Borgosesia, which owns Botto Paola.

Despite these issues, as well as slug-gish consumer spending in Italy and com-petition from China’s growing yarn indus-try, the biggest names in Italy are poised to emerge from the ongoing crisis stronger than before, said Raffaello Napoleone, ceo of organizing body Pitti Immagine.

“We will most likely see a rise in ex-ports in 2012,” he added. “Companies

that export more than 60 to 70 percent abroad will be able to resist.”

Revenue from the Italian yarn indus-try’s exports are expected to show an 11.2 percent rise to 982 million euros, or $1.3 billion, in 2011.

A more vivid color palette made for more versatile, edgy collections with geometric or tribal prints. Cariaggi show-cased Linum, a linen and cashmere yarn that fuses the two different fibers to-gether, creating one fluid thread. Botto Poala presented its Dragon line, a pure silk thread for elegant garments that follow the body’s movements. At Botto Giuseppe, silk was mixed with linen for slubbed, multicolor effect, while Filatura di Pollone presented its Soave Catenella thread, a cotton and melange linen with a vintage feel.


textilesItalian Fairs Battle Euro Zone Woes

The Zegna Baruffa stand at Pitti Filati.

Prints from

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$1.3BEXPECTED 2011 REVENUE FROM ITALIAN

YARN EXPORTS, AN 11.2 PERCENT INCREASE.

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By LUISA ZARGANI

MILAN FASHION WEEK kicks off on Feb. 22 with the Gucci show and closes on Feb. 27 with the Giorgio Armani and Roberto Cavalli collections against the backdrop of a country evolving under the watch of a new government.

Since last season, Prime Minister Mario Monti has succeeded Silvio Berlusconi, and he has been working to-ward moving Italy forward, taking steps to reestablish its role within the euro zone.

Consumer spending has fallen off, as Italians are pressured by tax hikes, higher gas prices and a rising cost of living. The credit crunch has been tough on small and midsized companies, and while there is some hope for change with Monti’s ap-pointment at the end of last year, there’s also been a backlash against measures to restore the country, which is weighed down by a debt of 1.9 trillion euros, or $2.5 trillion at current exchange, as unions fight new labor rules and pensions in-creasingly appear as a mirage.

Fighting tax evasion has been a prior-ity over the past few weeks, with sweeps targeting ritzy resorts such as Cortina d’Ampezzo or Portofino. Consequently, there has been a drop in demand for luxu-ry cars like Ferraris and Lamborghinis, be-cause the wealthy do not want to call atten-tion to themselves with the tax authorities.

“There is no enthusiasm in Italy. It suffers from a general uncertainty, and people are afraid of showing they can spend,” said Vittorio Missoni, chairman of the family-owned fashion company that bears his surname.

Despite the challenging environment, Missoni said the company saw a 15 per-cent rise in sales in Italy, but the execu-tive attributed the gains to tourists from Russia, the United Arab Emirates, South America and the Far East shopping in the country’s historical cities. Indeed, Italian fashion brands are increasingly relying on rich tourists flocking to Italy as local spending has been dwindling.

To further court these custom-ers, Missoni plans to open a bou-tique in Saint-Tropez, on the French Riviera, in the spring. “Glamorous venues, where in-ternational tourism is a draw, are top of mind,” said Missoni.

Another priority is to cre-ate products that will “last longer,” that will have an icon-ic status and that are never to be discounted. “Seasonality is an issue,” he said.

According to the Italian Chamber of Fashion, the Italian fashion industry expected to close 2011 with sales of 63.5 billion euros, or $88.2 billion at average exchange, up 5 percent compared with the previous year, lifted by the performance of leather goods, footwear and exports. This is de-spite the difficulties in the last quarter of 2011, hurt by the debt crisis in European countries such as Italy, Spain and Greece.

However, the industry forecasts a 5.2 percent drop in revenues in 2012 to 60.2 billion euros, or $80 billion at current exchange, in light of the measures taken by Monti to set Italy back on track, such as a reduction of 21.7 billion euros, or $28.8 billion, in total household in-

come next year, and a decrease in appar-el spending between 1.5 and 2.5 percent.

Exports in 2011 rose 14.5 percent to 41.8 billion euros, or $58.1 billion, but ex-ports in 2012 are expected to drop 3.1 per-cent to 40.5 billion euros, or $53.7 billion. Exports to non-European countries, how-ever, are expected to grow by 2 percent.

Mario Boselli, head of the Italian Chamber of Fashion, said the industry was concerned about 2012 replicating the “vertical drop in business” seen in 2009. “This will not happen, though, as compa-nies are more structured, flexible and ef-ficient compared to three years ago, and better equipped to manage complex op-erations,” he said. He also underscored that the crisis is less global and more con-centrated in Europe, compared with 2009.

Gian Giacomo Ferraris, chief execu-tive officer of Versace, mirrored Boselli’s words. “This is a resilient brand. The markets are full of perils, but we have strengthened our defenses and we can tackle them in good health,” said Ferraris. He expects Versace’s 2011 sales to reach 340 million euros, or $472.6 million, and he sees double-digit growth in 2012, 2013 and 2014, “barring traumatic events.”

Also, the Italian brand has returned to profitability in 2011. Ferraris was cau-tious about Italy, where he doesn’t fore-see a pickup in business, but with the fall collection, Versace has reentered the Japanese market, and the execu-tive sees “great opportunities” in Korea, Southeast Asia and China, in Latin America (Mexico, Colombia, Chile and Brazil), South Africa, Morocco and Egypt. The company plans to invest in retail in cities in mature markets, too, where it is still “not present enough,” as in London, Paris, or New York, where it will open a store in June, and will approach for the first time cities such as Istanbul, Prague and Budapest.

Giorgio Armani recorded a solid year in 2011, according to Fabio Mancone,

head of communications and licens-ing at Giorgio Armani Group.

“Our revenues grew by mid-double-digits, confirming our solid path to sustainable, profitable growth,” he said. “The 2012 outlook

also seems to align on the same track. While we keep focus-ing on our core business, the breadth of our initiatives is also expanding: If the high-light of 2011 was the opening of the Armani Hotel Milano, which brought to life the es-sence of the Armani brand aesthetics, 2012 will be marked by a few critical initiatives, as well.”

Mancone highlighted the launch of Emporio Armani’s active sports-wear line EA7 worldwide.

“As official outfitters of the Italian Olympic Team, we will undertake a major marketing and communication cam-paign, ranging from mul-timedia advertising and

p.r., to in-store and public events,” he said.

The company plans “a strong push” in leather accessories. “This is a core strategic gap opportunity for us to fill, and we have put in place new organization, talent, re-

sources and communication strate-gies to position Giorgio Armani and Emporio Armani as serious contend-

ers in an ultracompetitive marketplace,” he noted.

The firm will continue

to expand in the Asia-Pacific region, in particular in Hong Kong, China and Korea, as well as in Europe and the U.S.

“While we accelerate our penetration in newer, fast-growing areas, we still be-lieve there are opportunities to tap in our more established markets,” said Mancone. Giorgio Armani and Emporio Armani stores will open in Paris, Düsseldorf, Vienna and Berlin, among other cities. A second Emporio store, with a new mer-chandising concept, just opened its doors on Rue Saint Honoré in Paris.

The first Giorgio Armani store will be inaugurated in Berlin during the city’s international film festival this week. “We are also completely revamp-ing our Manhattan store at 760 Madison Avenue, one of the larg-est and most dramatic Giorgio Armani stores in the world,” added Mancone.

Other priorities are strength-ening licensing agreements and further developing e-commerce and digital communication, following the launch in October of the new armani.com site with all brands available for online shopping.

Retailing is also a priority for Roberto Cavalli and the Aeffe group.

Cavalli has set up a new branch in China, and the first store in that coun-try will open in Beijing in March. Ceo Gianluca Brozzetti said the compa-ny plans to open 15 stores in 2012, including stores in New Delhi; Madrid; Munich; Saint Petersburg, Russia; in Paraguay’s Ciudad del Este, and an in-store shop in Tokyo’s Isetan.

At the end of 2011, there were 128 company stores, of which 77 were Roberto Cavalli banners. “Italy is difficult and the second half of 2011 was dif-ficult, but sales nationally ac-count for no more than 20 per-cent of total revenues,” said Brozzetti, adding he was gen-erally “cautious” about 2012.

The company is push-ing the accessories category

through a new handbags license and has created a dedicated division to increase the offer. “Apparel remains very impor-tant for us, but we will see shoes, bags and men’s wear grow,” he said.

Business will also expand through licenses, including the first home col-lection to be presented at Milan’s inter-national furniture and design show, the Salone del Mobile, in April; a fragrance with Coty bowing in the spring; new watches co-branded with Franck Muller, and the new Just Cavalli line licensed to Staff International. Leveraging on the

home collection, three new Cavalli Cafés will open in 2012 — in Beirut, Doha and Kuwait — as well as two new Clubs in 2012, in undisclosed cities.

Massimo Ferretti, chair-man of Aeffe, which controls the Alberta Ferretti, Moschino and Pollini brands and pro-duces collections for Jean

Paul Gaultier, Cacharel and Cédric Charlier, said the company’s focus is on retail. Ferretti boutiques are planned to open in the Middle East, in Manama, Bahrain; Doha, Riyadh and Kuwait City, in addition to the reopening of the London Sloane Street flagship in the fall. Fifteen Moschino banners will open in China (Chongqing, Hangzhou, C h e n g d u , N a n j i n g , Shenyang, Xian), as well as units in Macau; Doha;

Riyadh; in Al Khobar and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; in the former Soviet Union cit-ies of Samara and Tyumen; in Armenia’s Yerevan; in Azerbaijan’s Baku; in the Crocus City Mall in Moscow,

and in Lima, Peru.Pollini, designed by Nicholas

Kirkwood, will open a flagship in Milan in tony shopping street Via Spiga during fashion week.

Ferretti said 2011 “closed well,” with revenues rising 12.2 percent to 246 million euros, or $341.9 mil-

lion, and a “brilliant” start in 2012, with dou-ble-digit growth.


MILAN PREVIEW

Bright Spots Amid Challenges

...Cavalli...

Pre-fall looks from Ferretti...

...and Missoni.

...Giorgio Armani... M

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Icons of Style.The new SL and Lara Stone in Calvin Klein Collection. www.mercedes-benz.com/fashion

MSGMMassimo Giorgetti calls himself a “fashionista from the age of 16.”

He founded MSGM in 2009 with a men’s collection, and fol-lowed with women’s wear in 2010 — wom-en’s now accounts for 80 percent of the com-pany’s business.

“When I first pre-sented my men’s line, I also designed a wom-en’s rugby-inspired bouclé jacket lined with vintage polo shirts and trimmed with fluorescent fab-rics,” Giorgetti said. “It had such success among the interna-

tional buyers that I decided to start the women’s line.”

Produced by Central Italy-based man-ufacturer Gruppo Paoloni, MSGM collec-tions combine simple, easy shapes with experimental fabrics and exclusive prints.

“Our mission is to deliver strong col-lections at competitive costs,” Giorgetti explained. “That’s why many depart-ment stores are still trying to understand where it’s better to display our pieces. They think that in terms of style, they should stay next to designer brands, even if, considering prices, they are in line with contemporary labels.”

The lines are currently sold at about 300 doors worldwide, including Harvey Nichols in London, Spiga2 in Milan, 10 Corso Como in Seoul and Nordstrom in the U.S.

Prices range from 250 euros, or $330 at current exchange rate, for printed wool dresses, to 600 euros, or $791, for silk styles.

“The fall collection is focused on the theme of explosions,” Giorgetti said.

Shirts, skirts and dresses featuring clean silhouettes are printed with images of differ-ent kind of fireworks, along with “exploded” glitter, polka dots and houndstooth patterns.

The lineup also includes more struc-tured cocktail dresses with couturelike details, such as a wool style printed with chalk for a tweed-inspired effect, and a range of outerwear pieces consisting of tweed, bouclé and laminated oversize or fitted coats and capes.

In addition, Giorgetti designed a cap-sule jersey collection for night, which includes a black and white floor-length dress and a one-shoulder jumpsuit.

The color palette is dominated by shades of pink — from baby pink and powder pink to fuchsia — and also fea-tures black with touches of gold, red, electric blue and green.

The MSGM collection will be shown by appointment at the Riccardo Grassi show-room, 4 Via Piranesi, starting Feb. 24.

DIRK BIKKEMBERGSAfter a seven-year hiatus, Dirk Bikkembergs is returning to the women’s arena.

For the relaunch of this division, the company tapped designer Paola Toscano, who, under Bikkembergs’ creative direc-tion, will show her first collection for the brand during a presentation on Feb. 23 at the label’s Milan flagship.

“I feel very close to Dirk in terms of creativity and we share the same, al-most obsessive veneration for the human body,” said Toscano, who launched her own line, called Yu London, in the Nineties. That was shuttered in 1999. Over the years, she worked with brands including Anna Molinari, Prada and Strenesse Blue. Toscano was also cre-ative director at British label Matthew Williamson, and was design director at Emilio Pucci from 2006 to 2009 and Piazza Sempione in 2009.

In line with Bikkembergs’ signature luxury sporty attitude, Toscano designed a sophisticated yet functional lineup, consisting of more casual and relaxed pieces juxtaposed with formal outfits for the office and sensual eveningwear.

“We wanted to create a bold, feminine and sexy collection for a strong, dynamic woman, who has to face the challenges of everyday life,” explained the designer, who opted for clean, linear shapes with a focus on shoulders and waist.

The fitted silhouettes of comfortable jer-sey pants and sweaters are balanced by vo-luminous outerwear, which includes struc-tured stretch wool and cashmere coats.

A big focus is on silk used for both day and eveningwear in combination with leath-er, as shown on a look featuring a crepe de chine shirt embellished with a nappa plas-tron paired with a matching skirt.

The palette combines dark tones like blue and charcoal with contrasting vibrant hues — yellow, green, deep or-ange, purple and electric blue.

Toscano completed the offer with accessories including handbags, jew-elry and a capsule shoe collection, from sheepskin sneakers and loafers to san-dals and pumps.

Along with shopping bags and eve-ning clutches, Toscano also designed “functional fanny packs and backpacks realized in precious leather and featur-ing handmade stitches.”

The collection, with prices ranging from 300 euros, or $396, for skirts, to 500 euros ($660) for jackets, to 800 euros ($1,055) for coats, will be available at Dirk Bikkembergs’ flagships and at se-lected boutiques worldwide.

RICOSTRULast year, when Chinese designer Riko Manchit Au founded her fashion line in Guangzhou, she opted for an Italian word as its moniker: Ricostru, from “ricostru-zione,” or “reconstruction.”

The goal, said Manchit Au, who gradu-ated in fashion design at Milan-based Istituto Marangoni in 2009, was “to com-municate to our customers the journey of reexploring ourselves, rebuilding confi-dence, re-obtaining beauty.”

Centered on the concept of “basic luxury,” Ricostru collections show mini-mal shapes, sophisticated details and high-quality fabrics for an elegant yet comfortable look.

For fall, Manchit Au introduced some traditional Chinese elements into a line-up dominated by geometric lines and elongated silhouettes. A leather Chinese collar embellishes a V-neck silver and black floor-length dress, while Asian mo-tifs appear on the belt of a long silk skirt.

The designer also focused on textures, like a stone-inspired black wool coat that’s paired with crystallike wide-leg pants. The collection, which will be sold exclusively at Thecorner.com starting Feb. 23, features prices ranging from 180 euros, ($238) to 1,000 euros ($1,322).

Ricostru will show at “The Vogue Talents Corner” exhibition, organized by Vogue Italia and Thecorner.com, at Palazzo Morando, Feb. 23 to 27.

ZORAIDE Milan-based luxury footwear brand Zoraide is introducing a new upscale, eco-friendly shoe line called “Red Carpet Goes Green,” during Milan Fashion Week.

“There are many celebrities, such as Natalie Portman, who are particularly sensitive to ethical issues and are inter-ested in environmental sustainability,” said Zoraide founder Paola Bay. “That’s why I’ve decided to create a line of green shoes perfect for the red carpet.”

The collection includes three styles, which Bay named after three interna-

tional movie icons: Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn and Greta Garbo. They all feature a glossy pink sole made of Thunit, a synthetic material that looks like leather.

The Marilyn shoe is made of eco-liz-ard, while the vegan T-strap Greta model features a heel made with an Italian beech wood from a renewable planta-tion, and combines silk and carbon-neu-tral Alcantara. Audrey, a vegan fuchsia silk sandal, is embellished with a felt flower hand crafted by female artisans in Nepal, who are supported by Global Good Partners.

To fight poverty and promote social justice simultaneously, this U.S.-based non-profit organization helps women, who create fabric and handmade pieces in depressed areas across Asia, Africa, the Americas and the Middle East, to start and run their own business.

“Many brands recently supported this kind of initiative, but just for one sea-son,” said Bay. “My goal is to develop this line season after season, creating some-thing with a real social impact.”

For each pair sold, the company will plant a tree in a woodland project.

The shoes, which will retail from 480 euros ($634) to 560 euros ($739), will be presented on Feb. 27 at the Zoraide showroom at 22 Via Santo Spirito.

16 WWD tuesday, february 14, 2012

Milan Preview

Who’s Newsa few fresh faces and lines to keep on the radar. By alessandra Turra

BIKKEMBERGS and ZoRaIdE photoS By GIovanna pavESI

Dirk Bikkembergs

Zoraide

Ricostru

MSGM

For milan scene, see

wwD.com/eye.

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students through a coordinated effort with Parsons The New School for Design.

Set up a job placement program for college graduates. New York City’s Economic Development

Corporation president Seth Pinsky, Theory’s Andrew Rosen, Parsons’ Joel Towers and the Fashion Center Business Improvement District’s Barbara Randall were also on hand.

Bloomberg noted how the fashion industry employs 173,000 people, accounting for 5.7 percent of the city’s workforce and generating nearly $2 billion in tax reve-nue annually. The fashion industry is a $350 billion busi-ness in the U.S., according to Maloney. She and Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D., N.Y.) co-founded the fashion caucus to provide copyright pro-tection for fashion designs and to separately work with Bloomberg and city council offi-cials to preserve New York’s Garment Center.

Held at the Council of Fashion Designers of America Fashion Incubator, Prabal Gurung, Maxwell Osborne, Bibhu Mohapatra, Yuvi Alpert and Alice Ritter were among the mem-bers of the inaugural group that attended Monday’s gathering. Noting how half of the participants were born elsewhere, Bloomberg repeated his call for immigration reform to make it easier for foreigners to start business-es here. He also repeatedly stressed the need to cultivate young design talent, especially since the rock-bottom pricing of overseas pro-duction has stung domestic manufacturing. “The bottom line is America can compete, but we need to work harder and look at how we design things to make them more effective and of better quality,” Bloomberg said. “If all that we do is to try to blast what everyone else is doing, it’s a spiraling down of our efforts.”

During a Q&A, the mayor said the city’s “intellectual capital” should be the emphasis, not domestic manu-facturing, which can’t compete pricewise with overseas sourcing, especially “if you’re going to make a million white T-shirts.” And where that production went is once again moving to more affordable countries, Bloomberg said. Picking up on that thread, CFDA president von Furstenberg said the increasing cost of production in China has spurred some designers to bring some production back to New York. Noting how she has ex-panded her own sample room in Manhattan, she said, “Things are changing. It’s not all one way.”

Bloomberg added, “China is the marketplace of the fu-ture. That’s where America is going to sell its goods to.”

The way things stand now, one of every five jobs in New York City is in wholesale and one in every 10 is in manufacturing, according to Pinsky. Asked about the prospect of a Made in New York label for fashion goods, the mayor noted there is a “Made in NY” label for en-tertainment and TV. City officials are interested in the possibility of a Made in New York label but nothing con-crete is on the table, according to Pinsky.

Afterwards, Gurung said, “For someone like me, who makes 95 percent of the collection in New York, it’s great to see this initiative and effort. It gives me hope that perhaps there will be some benefits for the Made in New York label to get down the line — such as a tax cut or something that will help us be more competitive pricewise with goods made in Europe and Asia.”

Making sure that people want to work in the city is imperative, said Bloomberg, adding that corporate taxes are “much too high” for domestic manufacturers to compete with international counterparts. He said the same argument cannot be made for income taxes and repeated his stand to eliminate all of the Bush-era tax

cuts as the only way to close the budget deficit.As for City Council Speaker Christine Quinn’s re-

cent proposal to establish a design week, modeled after fashion week, to market the nearly 40,000-person-strong design industry that encompasses interior decorating, architecture and other sectors, Pinsky said that, too, is “something that could certainly be good for the city.”

When asked about the CFDA’s decision to leave the garment center to relocate downtown, von Furstenberg had a rapid-fire response. “We looked very hard to find what we needed. We at the CFDA, we represent down-town. We represent midtown. We are New York. We are fashion. We promote staying here. We promote manu-facturing here. Clearly, we are doing our job,” she said. “I should be a politician.”

Many of the 800-plus New York-based fashion com-panies are scattered throughout the city. Rezoning the Garment Center remains an unsettled and controver-sial matter. Results from the second part of the CFDA-backed Design for Public Space’s Made in Midtown survey should be released soon, according to von Furstenberg. Where that will lead remains to be seen. On her way out of the Fashion Incubator, Maloney, wearing a red suit and a red Birkin bag, told a reporter, “Anyone who says they know what’s going on with the redistricting is lying.”


The scene at Monday’s industry address.

Onward Kashiyama Sets ICB Relaunch

Bloomberg, DVF Lay Out Fashion Initiatives

By DAVID MOIN

NEW YORK — Diesel Black Gold, the four-year-old advanced contemporary division of Diesel, now has a proper retail showcase for its edgy metallic leather shorts, raw silk linen pants and distressed denims.

“We’ve built up the brand enough so that now we are comfortable providing consumers with its full ex-pression,” said Cristiano Quieti, chief executive offi-cer of Diesel in the U.S., during a preview of the first Diesel Black Gold store, opening today at 68 Greene Street in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood.

Two mirrored monoliths anchor the 2,500-square-foot selling floor, segmenting the space to create some curiosity about what’s behind the flashy bar-riers. The most advanced styles are in front. Just

behind are more versatile, easier-to-wear sportswear and jackets, as well as some accessories. The Black Gold envi-ronment is warm and refined, with a dark wood floor and suede walls offset by a ze-bra-patterned area rug and vintage furni-ture that suggests the character of much of the product. Behind the front window, there’s a 13-foot-long platform giving extra

room for product display and graphics. At the far end, there’s an 800-square-foot raised

accessories area with carpeting and a large skylight, which seems like a separate boutique. “For me, a successful space has something that draws you to the back, something to be discovered,” said Ryan Korban, the store’s interior designer. “We wanted things to feel very well edited.”

Leather represents the core of the collection, while denim — a big component of the parent Diesel brand — is more of a complement. The Black Gold look tends to be cleaner than Diesel, and the shapes are sophisticated, with higher quality materials for an audience that could be older and with greater dis-cretionary income than Diesel’s main clientele. The company cited as key sellers the denims, which are priced from $250 to as high as $800 for Japanese in-digo, as well as women’s gold metallic skirts, priced $900; clutches for $430, and men’s leather items priced $950 to $1,800, among other items.

Quieti declined to project the store’s volume. However, he emphasized that Diesel views retail stores for Black Gold as formats to support the wholesaling, rather than an aggressive rollout. A Black Gold store will open in Los Angeles later this year or early in 2013, and Japan and a few European cities are being eyed.

The brand generates $40 million in volume, and sells at 130 doors including Galeries Lafayette, Printemps, La Rinascente, Holt Renfrew, Lane Crawford, Isetan, Takashimaya and specialty stores in the U.S. In a few weeks, Black Gold will begin sell-ing at 10 Bloomingdale’s locations.

With the onset of retail stores, Black Gold must be careful not to disturb its wholesale business. “I don’t think that we are going for extensive retail develop-ment,” Quieti said. “We still see monogram stores as the showcase for the brand. We want to make sure we place the brand where there are fashion and contem-porary customers.”

Diesel Black Gold Opens Unit in SoHo

FOR MORE IMAGES, SEE

WWD.com/fashion-news.

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Inside the first Diesel Black Gold store.

Cristiano Quieti

TOKYO — A decade after pulling its ICB brand from the U.S. market, Onward Kashiyama is staging a comeback with Prabal Gurung at the design helm.

“ICB stands for International Concept Brand, but after we closed the last store in Europe, in Paris’ Saint Germain, last spring, it was no longer international,” said Onward’s president and representative director Akinori Baba, who took his post last September. “Onward Kashiyama is a Japanese company, so we were only look-ing at the Japanese market. But around the time of the earthquake last year, I started thinking about the origins of the brand, and [decided] that it should return to its in-ternational origins, to be…truly global, rather than just Japan and the rest of Asia.”

The first items designed by Gurung are due to hit U.S. stores in August or September, and will be revealed via a digital fashion show on Wednesday. The show will be the first hosted on a new platform to be launched by produc-tion and public relations firm KCD.

“We didn’t want it to get buried [among all the other shows]. I had thought that a [traditional] show is some-thing that you feel with your five senses, but in reality, the buyers and editors are so busy during fashion week that they don’t have time to feel those things,” Baba said. “We wanted to experiment with something new, and since digital infrastructure has come this far, we felt like we had to use it.”

Initially the line will be available at between 10 and 20 stores across the country, and the company also plans to reintroduce it to the European market from spring 2013. In Asia, it will be available in countries such as China and Taiwan, as well as in Onward’s home coun-try of Japan. Onward plans to have the brand carried in around 100 stores worldwide within the first three years of its international relaunch, and hopes the line will

achieve sales of about 10 billion yen, or $128.8 million at current exchange rates.

“Instead of forcing expansion, we want to maintain the value of the brand. So at first we’ll be keeping the stockists limited,” Baba said.

Onward hopes to open a freestanding ICB store in New York as soon as next year.

Baba said ICB will be positioned in the market along-side brands such as Carven, which have a rich history, but are being made modern with the help of a talented young designer. He described the initial offering as a hybrid of ICB and Gurung’s own style — chic, wearable pieces incorporating intricate detailing and luxurious fabrics. Prices will range from $106 to $140 for pants, $118 to $438 for dresses, and $158 to $558 for jackets.

According to the executive, the relaunch of ICB in the U.S. and Europe represents the first of what could turn out to be many steps toward building a more inter-nationally oriented company. Onward owns or licenses such international brands as Jil Sander, Tocca, Joseph, Missoni and Paul Smith, but it is less well known, par-ticularly outside of Japan, for creating its own brands.

“I think the idea of how we can increase the value of the brands we have is very important, and I’d like to continue with that moving forward,” Baba said. “Now Japan is at the center [of our business], and we also have brands that are based in and made in Europe. And elsewhere in Asia we have locations that sell Japanese brands. But if we consider that we have the ability to create and make things in other Asian countries, we could start a brand based in Asia as well. In the U.S. we also have apparel facilities. If we can both make and sell products across and among all of these four areas…I think it would be very interesting. It’s like localism within globalism.” — KELLY WETHERILLE

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when she brought a lawsuit against photographer François-Marie Banier. She alleged Banier exploit-ed the weakness of Bettencourt, who gave him assets valued at about 1 bil-lion euros, or $1.32 billion at current exchange.

In December 2010, the family part of the saga, which had boiled into an affair of state as well, abruptly ended when the mother and daughter rec-onciled. But less than a year later, tension between the duo heated up again. Bettencourt Meyers believed her mother remained prey to people looking to profit from her al-leged ill health.

Bettencourt Meyers and her children have long maintained their support for L’Oréal, whose second-largest share-holder is Nestlé.

Jean-Paul Agon, L’Oréal’s chairman and chief execu-tive, stated that Bettencourt’s “dedication and personal sup-port given to L’Oréal, her entre-preneurial spirit, her curiosity about new modern trends rel-evant to our business, are not only exceptional but also dem-onstrate her deep attachment to this group and its continuity in the face of a changing world. Her unrelenting support to the managers of the group, to its development and international success has been exemplary and valuable.

“Her participation as board director was a permanent en-couragement to pursue [the work of her father, L’Oréal founder Eugène Schueller] to grow the company, first and fore-most in its quest for excellence, its demand for high standards and pertinent decisions in the respect of the men and women of this company,” continued Agon. “We know that Madame Bettencourt’s interest for the group remains strong, and that she will continue to support its development going forward.”

In terms of the financial re-sults, L’Oréal’s 2011 net profits grew to 2.44 billion euros, or $3.4 billion. Sales in the 12-month period ended Dec. 31 were 20.34 billion euros, or $28.33 billion, up 4.3 percent. On a like-for-like basis, revenues in-creased 5.1 percent.

Agon stated that 2011 “was a solid year of development, which

has made the group even stronger. “All divisions are expanding,” he

added. “L’Oréal Luxury in particular posted a very good year, especially thanks to Lancôme, Giorgio Armani and Kiehl’s. Internationalization is continuing across all divisions. The group is pursuing its conquest of the new markets, with Asia and Latin America leading the way, and is mak-ing clear progress in North America.”

Agon further explained “2011 was also another year of solid construc-tion for our operating profit,” which was 3.29 billion euros, or $4.59 billion, representing 16.2 percent of compa-

ny sales. (In the prior year, it corre-sponded to 15.7 percent of the firm’s revenues.)

In the fourth quarter of last year, L’Oréal’s sales rose 5.6 percent to 5.26 billion euros, or $7.11 billion. On a like-for-like basis, revenues gained 5.1 percent.

Dollar figures were converted from the euro at the average exchange rate for the period to which they refer.

Agon foresees sales and profits in-creases in 2012, which he called “a symbolic year, as the new markets are set to become the group’s number-one geographic zone.”

19WWD TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2012

BEAUTY BEAT

Bettencourt to Exit L’Oréal Board{Continued from page one}

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FAIR PLAY: Vanity Fair’s “Campaign Hollywood,” the magazine’s annual weeklong celebration leading up to the Academy Awards, this year includes a 20th anniversary celebration of the “Vanities” page with Shailene Woodley at Juicy Couture on Monday; a cocktail reception at Hotel Bel-Air to launch Montblanc’s newest “Princess Grace” jewelry collection on Tuesday; an Ermenegildo Zegna dinner at Chateau Marmont with Colin and Livia Firth and Anna Zegna on Wednesday; a Chrysler cocktail reception at Beso Hollywood to support The Eva Longoria Foundation on Thursday; a Richard Mille-hosted cocktail reception honoring Martin Scorsese at Hotel Bel-Air on Friday, and a DJ night with Fiat and L’Oréal Paris on Saturday. — MARCY MEDINA

GLAMOUR NIGHT: The Ting Tings’ late-night performance at The Box on Friday capped a week of rock shows that had already included The Kills, Guns N’ Roses and the Wu-Tang Clan. The performance had as much energy as the ones before, with the band performing all of its hit songs to the crowd including Emily VanCamp, Krysten Ritter, Santigold, Olivia Palermo, Coco Rocha, Cecilia Dean, Maria Cornejo and Tinsley Mortimer. Ritter settled into a banquette with bottle service while VanCamp, who stars in ABC’s “Revenge,” caught up with Glamour editor in chief Cindi Leive. Earlier that day, they attended the Jason Wu show together. The party continued on Monday night, as Katie White from the Ting Ting’s joined the magazine’s senior fashion market editor Madeline Andrews Escudero front row at Betsey Johnson. — AMY WICKS

KICK OFF: The Stuart Weitzman spring campaign features Russian model Natalia Vodianova wearing little more than her “Stuarts.” The black-and-white images were shot by Mario Testino under the creative direction of David Lipman. Vodianova was chosen as the face of the brand not only because of her sex appeal, but because of her approachable girl-next-door allure, according to the company. The campaign also introduces the new logo design “Stuart Weitzman New York.” The company will spend $3.5 million this spring, double last year’s budget, said a spokeswoman. Ads will run internationally in March in the U.S., Italy, France, Spain and Asia. In the U.S., ads will appear in Vogue, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, W, Interview and InStyle. — LISA LOCKWOOD

WWDSTYLE

PHOTO BY EVAN FALK

Costume National toasted photographer Tim

Hailand’s latest book, “One Day in the Life of Robert

Wilson’s The Life and Death of Marina Abramovic”

on Sunday night with a dramatically lit party in an

unoccupied West Village town house. Willem Dafoe

was among a few of the work’s featured players

in attendance. For more, see page 22.

Shadow PlayMEMO PAD

EDUN’S GARDEN: Theodora Richards

was among the

revelers at the

Edun after party

at The Jane hotel. PAGE 22

Natalia Vodianova for Stuart Weitzman.


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ON SUNDAY NIGHT, Marina Abramovic stood out. At a party Costume National held in her honor, the performance artist sported a lipstick red shirt in a sea of black outerwear. “You can’t miss her,” Tim Hailand advised, “not that you would anyway.”

Hailand has a new book, “One Day in the Life of Robert Wilson’s The Life and Death of Marina Abramovic” (to be published in April), in which he followed Abramovic as she created her operatic biography with Robert Wilson, Willem Dafoe and Antony Hegarty of Antony and the Johnsons. It was an experience she called “liberating,” explaining that “giving my story over to someone else [her director, Wilson] made it new…it became his and mine.”

The party took place in a recently finished West Village town house, a cavernous, whitewashed Escher maze of a space filled with glass and centered around a roughly hewn slate stairwell. The party line was that the house was going on the market the next day; this was the first time it had been seen in its finished entirety. Security guards were strict about abandoned glassware. “Gotta keep it pristine,” one guard shrugged, collecting two full glasses from a windowsill before adding, “Not that I want to live here.” It felt more like a gallery than a private residence: each floor held two small rooms connected by a glass platform; in some, partygoers could sit atop long, black benches facing television screens that played scenes from the project,

in others, Hailand’s photographs were the only visuals. The lights were kept quite dim everywhere but on the photographs. Bathrooms were not easy to locate. One or two guests had accidentally become locked in the upstairs facilities, and those became off-limits.

Partygoers tended to keep to the ground floor in large crowds near the bar: St-Germain had made a signature cocktail for Abramovic called L’Artiste. It was very tart and incorporated Champagne. Lou Reed and wife Laurie Anderson swept through the fete, as did Alba and Chiara Clemente, Richard Phillips, Waris Ahluwalia and Marco Brambilla.

“It’s sort of unexpected, isn’t it?” Hailand said of the layout of the works, walking from one room to the next “we want people to just move around, happen across everything naturally.” Abramovic had just arrived from the Berlin Film Festival that day, a destination Hailand was headed for after a few months spent northwest of Paris, in Giverny. “I’ll be staying in Claude Monet’s house for a residency and then moving into my new apartment in Prenzlauer Berg,” the photographer explained.

Berlin has been a recently popular destination for artists fed up with the New York scene. He agreed, “People say it’s like New York in the Seventies…but in New York in the Seventies people did cocaine all night and went and worked for Halston in the morning. In Berlin they don’t do anything in the morning.” — A.C.

Floral Fix

IT IS A TRUTH universally acknowledged that wherever the most famous people are at a party, that is where everyone else wants to go, too. This was proved for the umpteenth time Sunday night at the after party for Edun at The Jane hotel.

Initial entry showed a bar seemingly devoid of partygoers, save a few tired members of the press. The main ballroom, with its velvet couches rubbed to a comfortable sheen and its stuffed animal heads and half-ruined disco ball, had been taken over by small screens playing the label’s spring video portraits, where models released butterflies from their gathered silk shorts and vests. Around the screens were roughly 25 people, who sat and talked in lowered voices. Ryan McGinley, who shot the advertisements, overlooked the scene from halfway up the stairs. “I think it’s beautiful,” McGinley said of the images. “There are butterflies over there, too. In those cages.”

If there were butterflies on the mezzanine level, they were either impossible to see because of the crush of people, or they had died from the exhaled smoke of cigarettes. The cages sat relatively unmolested, surrounded by discarded liquor glasses. There was no movement within. Marilyn Minter, Stephen Dorff, Joséphine de la Baume, Helena Christensen and Alexander Skarsgård were all packed together in

the space, as were Johan Lindeberg, Waris Ahluwalia, Marco Brambilla and Theodora Richards. Richards wore a tight floral bodysuit from the line with a shaggy black fur coat over it and a scarf over her head, shimmying and posing with Edun’s designer, Ali Hewson. “It’s kind of funny, this line being environmentally friendly and everyone sitting around smoking,” one partygoer said. Richards laughed, “It is fashion week.”

Courtney Love arrived a little after midnight and progressed straight through the near-empty bar and relaxed ballroom before coming to an abrupt stop on the staircase, where she briefly sat. Rose McGowan attempted to navigate around her without much luck. “Who is that?” Love asked. Someone told her. “Oh, yeah.” Love said. It was Grammys night, wasn’t it? “You bet your ass,” Love said, before launching into a harried analysis of the recent passing of Whitney Houston. Jefferson Hack peered around the corner at the top of the stairs. “Oh!” Love said and hurried up the stairs to join the crush.

Back in the abandoned bar, a trio of McGinley’s male models were arguing over what to order at the open bar. “Who cares,” one of them said loudly, “I just don’t want to go back up there. I think some chick from a WB show just burned me with her cigarette.”— ALESSANDRA CODINHA

After-Party Dynamics

DIANE VON FURSTENBERG expanded on one of her favorite subjects — girl power — as she worked the room during a post-runway dinner party at Indochine on Sunday night. “It’s about being a girl if you want to be a girl or being a woman if you want to be a woman,” she said of her fall collection. “I just want women to say, ‘I love being me.’ ”

A group of partygoers, including DVF creative director Yvan Mispelaere, Gia Coppola, Olivier Zahm and Eugenia Silva, cozied up next to seatmates Lorenzo Martone and Douglas Friedman. DJ Chelsea Leyland spun the tunes. An all-black, fur-clad Rachel Zoe and husband Rodger Berman made a brief appearance, as did Zoe’s former assistant Brad Goreski.

“I don’t understand how people do the shows and then go out all night. I’m an old lady,” said Michelle Harper, whose appearance indicated nothing of the sort. “But I do have fun getting dressed every single day. Every day, for me, is fashion week.”

“I love your dress,” said a partygoer to model Elisa Sednaoui, who wore a sweeping, floor-length floral print.

“Seventies vintage prints — they don’t make ’em like they used to,” said Sednaoui, exiting the ladies’ room.

“Well,” she took a step back and smiled, “maybe DVF does.” — KRISTI GARCED

FOR MORE PARTY PHOTOS, SEE

WWD.com/eye.

eye

Theodora Richards in Edun.

Zani Gugelmann

Terence Koh

Ali Hewson, Gabe Saporta and Erin Fetherston.

Rachel Zoe

Elisa Sednaoui and Diane von Furstenberg

Helena Christensen and Ryan McGinley

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A view of the exhibition.

Performance Space

WWD.COM

MOVE OVER, MIELE: The main attraction Monday at Carlos Miele’s runway show at The Stage at Lincoln Center wasn’t the clothes or the models, although they both were beautiful. Nor was the designer himself the center of attention. The stars were Brazilian brothers and DJ partners Sean and Anthony Souza. “Who are you?” a fashion editor asked the pair after the show, as if she’d discovered Fabio and his twin. “You’re the show! Are you married?” A group gathered in front of the table where the brothers plied their magic and bombarded them with questions. “Do you do private parties? What’s the address of your Web site?” Yes, and they don’t have one. The Souzas even had requests for autographs, as the mostly female crowd pulled out notebooks or handed them their programs. In answer to the question, “Where will you be next,” Anthony Souza shouted, “We’re going to play tomorrow night [Tuesday] at Double Sevens.”

Backstage, Miele seemed tickled by the attention the DJs were getting. Surrounded by a large crowd, he gave interviews to a Brazilian TV reporter and the Long Island Exchange, as well-wishers vied for his attention.

— ShAROn EdELSOn

hOnORS nIGhT: Mindy Grossman, chief executive officer of HSN Inc., and Gina Sanders, president and ceo of Fairchild Fashion Media, parent of WWD, will be honored March 13 at the 37th annual March of Dimes Beauty Ball. Both are being recognized for innovative leadership: Grossman will receive the Retailer of the Year Award on behalf of HSN, while Sanders will receive the Beautiful Apple Award. The event, which will be held at Cipriani 42nd Street in Manhattan, will be emceed by deborah norville. Auctioneer CK Swett of Phillips de Pury & Co. will host a live auction, called Fund the Mission. — BELISA SILVA

CALVIn AT ThEORY: So what was Calvin Klein doing in the front row at the Theyskens’ Theory show Monday afternoon? “Olivier [Theyskens] is a personal friend for years,” explained Klein. “He asked me if I wanted to come. Andrew [Rosen, ceo of Theory] and I go back such a long time, through his father,” said Klein, referring to the late Carl Rosen, chairman and ceo of Puritan Fashions, who launched Calvin Klein Jeans. “He’s like family.”

Julianne Moore was also in attendance, though she wasn’t too talkative. A show runner shot down any questions as the actress was escorted backstage before the proceedings. — LISA LOCKWOOd

nARCISO AddS On: narciso Rodriguez will launch an official accessories collection at his Tuesday runway show. While he’s shown a few shoes in past seasons, they haven’t gone into production since 2007. The fall lineup will feature seven shoe styles and eight handbags, done

in alligator, ostrich, lizard and suede. “The inspiration came directly from the ready-to-wear,” said Rodriguez, “with a mix of precious materials applied in new ways.” — ROXAnnE ROBInSOn-ESCRIOUT

On MESSAGE: New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand added a bit of political gravitas to the usual assortment of socials in the front row of Carolina herrera’s fall runway show

on Monday morning at Lincoln Center. The senator, attending her first fashion show, came as a guest of Anna Wintour and sat in between the Vogue editor in chief and W’s Stefano Tonchi.

“This industry is so important to New York’s economy and the U.S. economy,” she said, taking a break from chatting with her seatmates. “It creates hundreds of thousands of jobs, it generates billions of dollars of revenue. It’s something that really is still growing in a tough economic time, so I wanted to show my support, not only for the designers but for the fashion community as well.”

The 10 a.m. show would be her only stop at fashion week.

“I love Carolina’s history in terms of dressing First Ladies, being part of our culture over the last several decades,” Gillibrand said. “I think it’s important to come show my support for her specifically, and I personally really admire her designs. They’re ones that I can definitely wear.”

So, was the senator in one of Herrera’s designs at the moment?

“No,” she laughed. “Tahari.” Democracy in action.

— MATThEW LYnCh

ASIA MAJOR: Could Christopher Zanardi-Landi be heading back to Louis Vuitton? According to market sources, the veteran of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton is to succeed Pietro Beccari as Vuitton’s Paris-based executive vice president. Beccari, as reported, is moving to Rome to become president and chief executive officer of Fendi. Vuitton officials had no comment.

Last October, J. Crew Group said Zanardi-Landi would become its senior vice president of Asian Operations. However, it is understood LVMH prevailed with its counter offer. Zanardi-Landi worked for the past 10 years at LVMH, most recently as president of China for Vuitton. Prior to LVMH, he was with L’Oréal and Richemont Group, also in roles overseeing Asian markets.

— MILES SOChA

RETAIL FOR ROY: Richard dickson, president and chief executive officer of branded businesses at The Jones Group Inc., said that freestanding retail stores could be in Rachel Roy’s future. “We do have some retail plans for Rachel,” said Dickson, at the Rachel Roy presentation at Avery Fisher Hall. He said he hasn’t admitted that publicly before and stores could open within the next year. Meantime, Roy is having success with her designer collection in stores such as Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and Bloomingdale’s, said Dickson. — L.L.

BEAM ME UP, YOhJI: As always, there was a serious standing-room-only crowd at Yohji Yamamoto’s Y-3 show Sunday, but the front row was noteworthy, too. Actors Idris Elba, Anton Yelchin, Isabel Lucas, Clemens Schick and Martina Codecasa were on hand. The actress and TV personality known in Japan as Marie was in from Asia, as was

23WWD Tuesday, February 14, 2012al

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Fashion scoops Mandopop singer he Jie. And dasha Zhukova and Collier Schorr represented the art world.

Lucas, who divides her time between Los Angeles and Australia, brought her “auntie’ with her to Gotham. The actress is about to start shooting Terrence Malick’s “Knight of Cups” with Cate Blanchett, natalie Portman, Rooney Mara and Ryan Gosling, but said she is sworn to secrecy about her role.

Yelchin, who will appear in J.J. Abrams’ next take on “Star Trek,” said he and his fellow cast members are under strict orders not to reveal anything about the plot. “That way people will actually want to go see the movie without feeling as though they have already seen it from the 50 trailers and 35 ads. That will come later but for now we’ll keep quiet,” Yelchin said. As for what the 31-year-old actor had done for fun in New York, he said, “I had a cheeseburger last night that was quite good, and I took a bath in the tub in my luxurious hotel room.”

— ROSEMARY FEITELBERG

SEEInG GREEnE: Everyone was very chummy front row at donna Karan’s show on Monday afternoon. “Oh, give me a double kiss,” Emmy Rossum smirked at Patrick demarchelier, who obliged. “Look at this dress — the back of this dress,” Rossum enthused of her dark violet jersey Donna Karan number.

Karan posed for photographers with Adriana Lima. “She’s my new ambassador to Haiti,” Karan explained. “Isn’t she gorgeous? I brought her to Haiti, and she just loved it. Patrick, you’ve got to go with us. Patrick will you?” Demarchelier grinned.

Ashley Greene’s arrival was trumpeted by a flurry of flashbulbs and a human pileup by the top of the runway. “This is outrageous!” one editor shouted. “This is awkward and uncomfortable!” The crowds soon abated. Rose McGowan snuck in after everyone was seated, rolling her eyes and showing off a variety of exaggerated faces as she perched next to Rossum and Greene. “Love that leopard-print coat,” she said afterward. “Oh and the sequins.” — ALESSAndRA COdInhA

Julianne Moore

Adriana Lima and donna Karan

w14a023a;9.indd 23 2/13/12 9:22 PM02132012212259

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Monday, February 20th.

You know that Kate Bosworth has style.

But you probably didn’t know she can

sing. She can and does in one of the latest

commercials from Cotton Incorporated.

Along with indie pop singer Zooey

Deschanel, Kate shows young shoppers

everywhere how The Fabric of Our Lives

is the fabric of her life.

AMERICA’S COTTON PRODUCERS AND IMPORTERS. ™ Service Mark/Trademark of Cotton Incorporated. © Cotton Incorporated, 2011.

Another reason to love The Fabric of Our Lives®

Kate Bosworth

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Dapper Donna - WWD

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