WWDMONDAY SAINT LAURENT DEAD AT 71. Women s Wear Daily The Retailers Daily Newspaper June 2, 2008 $2.00. Accessories/Innerwear/Legwear

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1 Women s Wear Daily The Retailers Daily Newspaper June 2, 2008 $2.00 WWDMONDAY Accessories/Innerwear/Legwear SAINT LAURENT DEAD AT 71 Yves Saint Laurent, one of the greatest designers of the 20th century, died at his home in Paris on Sunday after a long illness. For more that 40 years, Saint Laurent captivated the world of fashion and beyond with an extraordinary repertoire marked by his unique color sense, provocative androgyny and passion for fantasy as well as with his shyness, eccentricity and renowned frailty. For more, see pages 6 to 10. PHOTO FROM THE WWD ARCHIVES

2 2 WWD, MONDAY, JUNE 2, 2008 Tom Ford s BG Space By Jean Scheidnes NEW YORK Bergdorf Goodman Men last week unveiled a 1,600-square-foot Tom Ford shop that is the largest shop-in-shop in the store s history. The space is aesthetically similar to the designer s Madison Avenue flagship, and is the latest step in the global rollout of the brand, which launched men s wear only 14 months ago. From the beginning, Tom Ford s retail strategy has been a combination of directly owned flagships, franchised flagships and department store shopin-shops. Bergdorf Goodman has always been synonymous with the highest quality product and the greatest standard of service, so I am very pleased to be opening what I have been told is the largest shop ever at the Bergdorf Goodman men s store, said Ford. Together with the team at Bergdorf Goodman, we will be able to continue building the strong global presence that our discerning luxury customer demands and deserves. Bergdorf is the exclusive retail partner for the brand in New York. The Fifth Avenue store previously carried a narrow selection of Tom Ford s men s wear, but did not have a dedicated environment for it. The conversion of the third-floor area from New Concepts, which held Bergdorf Goodman Collection merchandise, took nearly four months and involved William Sofield, the architect of the Tom Ford flagship. The decorative fireplace and furniture arrangement that shoppers see upon entering the shopin-shop help create a residential vibe. Indeed, the materials, fixtures, palette and art objects (a shagreen table here, a bonsai there) reflect those of the flagship, which in turn was inspired by the Above and left: The Tom Ford shop at Bergdorf Goodman. designer s London home. The main chamber of the shop contains readyto-wear and dress furnishings. Formalwear (which includes the signature dressing gowns) is concentrated to the left side, before a curtained-off area for fitting rooms and made-to-measure service. This has really raised the bar for the store and taken it to a new luxury level, said men s fashion director Tommy Fazio. Turning to the right of the main entrance, there is an area housing shoes, leather goods, privateblend fragrances, shirts, ties and other small accessories. Beyond this is the sportswear room, which holds knitwear, wovens, outerwear, swimwear and sports coats. Bergdorf chief executive officer Jim Gold called Ford s vision the most innovative, comprehensive and cohesive fashion brand strategy that I had seen. He and [business partner] Domenico De Sole make a very powerful team. Tom is a genius when it comes to design and branding, and Domenico is a superb businessman. These factors, along with an exclusivity agreement, gave us the confidence to commit substantial floor space to the new Tom Ford brand. In addition, Bergdorf Goodman Men filled its Fifth Avenue windows with Tom Ford goods last week. Next up for the brand is a Milan flagship, opening in June during men s fashion week there. This fall, shop-in-shops will open in Neiman Marcus stores in Las Vegas, Beverly Hills, Atlanta and San Francisco. To date, Tom Ford shops have opened in Lane Crawford in Osaka, Japan; Zurich s Trois Pommes, and Daslu in São Paulo, Brazil. Louis Boston Saying Goodbye to Newbury By Katherine Bowers BOSTON Specialty retailer Louis Boston will leave its iconic Newbury Street store here when the lease expires in spring 2010, a blow to the city s best-known shopping street. Owner Debi Greenberg said the redevelopment of a neighboring office building into retail space for Filene s Basement, Hennes & Mauritz and Victoria s Secret sealed her decision amid growing concern that the street was becoming homogenized. Those are viable businesses, but it doesn t make the destination seem very special, she said. Chanel, Valentino and other luxury retailers are within blocks of Louis Boston, but Filene s Basement sells high-end merchandise at steep discounts. Greenberg frequently sold pastseason markdowns at the Filene s Basement Downtown Crossing flagship, which is closed for renovations. The move opens a new era for Louis Boston, known for an innovative buy of artsy labels Marni, Dries Van Noten and, since 1988, for its palatial presence at the top of Newbury Street in the city s former Natural History Museum. Greenberg said she is considering moving to the Seaport District, site of huge developments on the South Boston waterfront, and the South End, a neighborhood of traditional red-brick town houses that s had a growing number of boutiques and a hot restaurant scene. She said she will stay within the city limits and not in a mall, which would rule out Copley Place, Boston s other major luxury retail destination. No deals have been signed and Greenberg declined to discuss specific options. However, given that she wants a large space 40,000 square feet, about the size of the current selling floor it would be difficult to find roomy enough digs in the South End. Fan Pier in the Seaport District, planned as a luxury development with yacht moorings, has been rumored to be on Greenberg s list. It is to be built in phases between 2009 and She plans to keep the same destination mix of product categories men s, women s, shoes, jewelry, home decor and core services such as a salon-spa and restaurant. WWDMONDAY Accessories/Innerwear/Legwear GENERAL Yves Saint Laurent, one of the greatest fashion designers in history, died at his home in Paris late Sunday at age 71 after a long, undisclosed illness. Louis Boston will leave its iconic Newbury Street store when the lease expires in spring 2010, a blow to the city s best-known shopping street. Sex and the City co-star Kristin Davis is partnering with Belk stores to launch a signature line of better-priced apparel for fall. Tiffany posted a 19 percent jump in fi rst-quarter earnings, buoyed by strength in Asia-Pacifi c and Europe, which offset weakness in the U.S. EYE: Chanel opened a store on Los Angeles Roberston Boulevard and the French brand threw itself a house party Thursday night to celebrate. Classifi ed Advertisements To reporters and editors at WWD, the address is firstname. lastname@fairchildpub.com, using the individual s name. WWD IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ADVANCE MAGAZINE PUBLISHERS INC. COPYRIGHT 2008 FAIRCHILD FASHION GROUP. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. VOLUME 195, NO WWD (ISSN ) is published daily (except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, with one additional issue in January, October and December, two additional issues in March, April, May, June, August and November, and three additional issues in February and September) by Fairchild Fashion Group, which is a division of Advance Magazine Publishers Inc. PRINCIPAL OFFICE: 750 Third Avenue, New York, NY Shared Services provided by Condé Nast Publications: S. I. Newhouse, Jr., Chairman; Charles H. Townsend, President/CEO; John W. Bellando, Executive Vice President/COO; Debi Chirichella Sabino, Senior Vice President/CFO; Jill Bright, Executive Vice President/ Human Resources. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, and at additional mailing offi ces. Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No Canadian Goods and Services Tax Registration No 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 FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS, ADDRESS CHANGES, ADJUSTMENTS, OR BACK ISSUE INQUIRIES: Please write to WWD, P.O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA , call , or visit Please give both new and old addresses as printed on most recent label. 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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. COMING THIS WEEK MONDAY: New York Resort Apparel Market (through June 13). China (Shanghai) International Textiles, Fabrics & Accessories Exhibition, Shanghai (through Wednesday). Lululemon Athletica Inc. reports first-quarter sales and earnings. TUESDAY: Guess Inc. reports first-quarter sales and earnings. WEDNESDAY: Denim by Première Vision, Les Docks, France (through Thursday). In Brief THURSDAY: U.S. retailers report May same-store sales. AMAZON TAXES NEW YORK: Amazon.com said it would collect sales taxes on items shipped to destinations in New York State, starting June 1, as required by a new law enacted in the Empire State. The law calls for out-of-state sellers to collect and remit sales taxes based on advertising, Amazon stated. In a message to customers posted on its Web site, Amazon told visitors it has filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of this provision. According to The New Rules Project, the Web site of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, New York s new tax measure states that any online retailer that generates more than $10,000 in sales via in-state sales affiliates must collect New York sales tax. Amazon, among others, has sales affiliates nationwide that link to Amazon. com and are paid commission on any sales generated from their referrals, The New Rules Project noted. The change made by Amazon Sunday extends to five the number of states in which it charges sales tax for deliveries of goods: Kansas, Kentucky, North Dakota and Washington, as well as New York. MAKING FASHION HISTORY ON

3 ADVERTISEMENT Q&A Amir Moghadam, the man behind Parisa Lingerie & Swim, opens up to Samantha Jones. Trained as an architectural engineer, Amir Moghadam never dreamed he d end up in the apparel business. But it turns out that my education is rather useful when designing and manufacturing one of the most complex apparel products. Here Moghadam talks about the company he founded, what s new and where they re going. SAMANTHA JONES What distinguishes Parisa? AMIR MOGHADAM Parisa has always been at the forefront of innovation, and we re constantly striving to introduce new technology to the intimates and swimwear marketplace. In the age of the ipod and internet, the modern woman is tech savvy and expects newness in everything she wears. She is demanding more from our retail partners; she wants comfort, quality and innovation. In turn, our partners look to us for innovative products, such as new materials that are eco-friendly, breathable and super light. We ve arrived at an exceptional new technology that will meet our retailer partners needs and the consumer s wants. SJ And what s this new technology? AM It s the Intima Pad, made with patented materials and processes, and distributed exclusively by Parisa in North America. This pad surpasses traditional foam and fiberfill pads in every way. Seamless technology and smart fabrics are already in use, but I believe our new Intima Pad is going to bring a revolutionary change to the industry. SJ What are the features and advantages of the Intima Pad technology? I believe the Intima Pad is going to bring a revolutionary change to the industry AM It offers significant improvements over existing products for both the bra and swimwear business. White is the top-selling color for bras, and our retail partners have a constant challenge with their white and light-colored bras discoloring over time. With its anti-yellowing properties, our pad solves this universal problem for retailers and consumers alike. Additionally, the Intima Pad provides the comfort women demand because it is soft, light, breathable, wickable and has great shape recovery so that when she pulls it out of her suitcase, it will look and feel like new. And finally, due to its construction, this pad is also eco-friendly. SJ How does Parisa find its inspiration? AM Finding new and different ideas is a must in our business. I give much of the credit to the collaborative relationships we have with our remarkable suppliers around the world. They come to us with a great deal of creativity that we interpret and apply to meet our customers needs. SJ What does the future hold for Parisa? AM Well, our goals have always been ambitious. I started Parisa sixteen years ago with five employees. Today we have a global production network of several thousand employees, with offices in the US and Hong Kong as well as our fully owned manufacturing facilities in Thailand. As we expand this global presence with our manufacturing partners through out Asia, our own facility in Thailand will allow us to better meet the growth of our clients while continuing to provide the highest levels of quality and consistency. In addition, our ever-growing relationships with leading brands and retailers have us excited about the future. We ve been very lucky to align with great strategic partners who share our vision. I can t wait to see what the future holds, I welcome challenges, they re something I thrive on. Samantha Jones is a senior fashion writer, based out of San Francisco.

4 4 WWD, MONDAY, JUNE 2, 2008 Southern Style: Kristin Davis Does Line for Belk By Whitney Beckett campaign in national and regional fashion magazines, plus the actress will make personal appearances in stores in the fall, which is exciting because I have family all over SEX AND THE CITY ISN T THE ONLY THING ON KRISTIN DAVIS MIND: SHE S the South, said Davis, who by then will be working on an independent film in which also thinking about clothes and the South. she is starring as well as making her executive producing debut. The actress is partnering with Belk Inc., the Charlotte, N.C.-based retailer, to We re giving her a good excuse to come home, Belk added. launch a Kristin Davis better-priced line. The exclusive Of course, it doesn t hurt that the announcement of the A rendering of the launch coincides with the Sex and the City movie premiere, Belk shop-in-shop. though all sides claim the timing is coincidental, and that they had been in talks before the movie was even green-lighted. Davis said she has been considering the possibility of creating a fashion line, but that she wanted a match that made sense. Obviously Sarah Jessica [Parker] has gone bravely into the world of design and created something she believed in, said Davis, referring to her Sex and the City co-star s mass-priced Bitten collection at Steve & Barry s. While Parker wanted to produce affordable clothes that her family could have bought when she was growing up, Davis liked Belk s Southern sensibilities. In the South, there is a feminine quality that often gets lost in high fashion, Davis explained. Belk understands. A look from the Kristin Davis has been actively involved in the Davis line. conception of the line. It really started in my closet, which for me is more exciting than going shopping line, which will be carried in 126 of Belk s 307 doors for fall and then expand into more than 200 doors for spring, will have the biggest launch in the history of the $3.82 billion retailer, which celebrated its 120th anniversary last week. I grew up shopping at Belk, said Davis, a Columbia, S.C., native, best known for her role as the feminine Charlotte York on Sex and the City. It was the nicest store we had, and I d save my allowance to go to Belk. H.W. McKay Belk, the retailer s president and chief merchandising officer, declined to project sales volume for the line, which will retail from $30 to $240 when it hits stores at the end of August. But Belk said the brand would be a focal point, with prime locations in modern, clean and tasteful shop-in-shops ranging from 500 to more than 1,000 square feet. It s the retailer s first celebrity apparel line. Kristin is a hometown hero to our customers where our stores are, said Belk, alluding to the 16 Southern states in which the retailer operates. The Kristin Davis brand is launching with sportswear, activewear, sleepwear, handbags, jewelry, belts and footwear, and for spring and beyond, it likely will expand into other categories, possibly including home, in which Davis said she was particularly interested. The line is being produced by LFUSA Regatta, the proprietary brand group of Li & Fung, whose exclusive offerings also include Kohl s Simply Vera Vera Wang and Daisy Fuentes lines, Wal-Mart s Metro 7 and the new LL Cool J collections for Sears. Our proprietary business model makes our job much easier, said Regatta chief executive officer Haim Dabah. We know we are designing for one store s customers. The Kristin Davis brand will sit in the better arena, which has been soft for Belk and the market as a whole. Better-priced brands such as O Oscar, Nautica and Sigrid Olsen recently have dropped out, and other mainstays, like the Liz Claiborne brand and Calvin Klein s better label, are long suffering. It s become clearer and clearer that our customers want more on our better floor, Belk said. This is an opportunity to put something there that s much stronger. Customers are gravitating to what s new in the stores. What s old and hasn t really changed is not that exciting. Belk will market the launch with a print advertising Fashion Scoops MOTHER LOAD: For her first performance after giving birth to son Max Liron Bratman, songstress Christina Aguilera wanted to be surrounded by friends. So on Saturday night she was joined by longtime pals Stephen Webster and his wife, Assia, in celebrating the jeweler s new silver line at an intimate affair at Pure in Las Vegas. Aguilera, who appears in Webster s ad campaign, belted out Beautiful, Come on Over and At Last wearing a clinging blue Hervé Léger number. It was really exciting. I feel like my old self again, said Aguilera after taking the stage. Aguilera, who came to Vegas to pay tribute to Webster with baby Max and husband Jordan Bratman in tow (Bratman is said to be on the jewelry firm s board) said she isn t into jewelry so much, but for Webster she makes an exception. Stephen s jewelry is elegant and classic even when it s rock n roll, she mused. It s the only jewelry I have a lot of. LILLY S MOMENT: It s been only about a week since Lilly Pulitzer left the hospital in Palm Beach, Fla., after an undisclosed illness, and no one thought she d feel well enough to attend her brand s 50th anniversary celebration on Friday night at The Breakers. But the feisty 77-year-old proved her Lilly-obsessed guests wrong when she decided to pop in at the last minute. Damn it, I m coming, she told company president James Bradbeer. Dressed in a pink and white printed wrap top and white pants, Pulitzer proudly waved to the cheering crowd in the ballroom, before taking her seat. Guests at the event couldn t wait to have their pictures taken with her as they lined up near her chair. Pulitzer happily smiled for photos before heading home after dessert. VIP COUNT: In addition to the nominees and special honorees, there will be plenty of celebrities and designers on hand to celebrate the 2008 CFDA Awards tonight. They are expected to include Ashley Olsen, Eva Longoria Parker, Kim Cattrall, Hilary Duff, Lil Kim, Sean Combs, Naomi Campbell, Paula Patton and New York Ranger Sean Avery, whose fashion profile has been on the rise since starting his internship at Vogue three weeks ago. Avery and the lot will join a list of fashion regulars such as Donna Karan, Isaac Mizrahi, Narciso Rodriguez, Vera Wang and Zac Posen (plus the nominees, of course). COMING UP: And, if after tonight s CFDA Awards gala you re wondering what s next, there is always the 2009 Costume Institute bash. The Metropolitan Museum of Art may still be in the throes of Superheroes fever, but, according to sources, the next show will center on the concept of the muse in fashion. No further details could be learned, and a spokeswoman for the Costume Institute declined comment. YOUTH RULES: Benetton is opening a temporary mom-and-child store Wednesday in Milan, which will operate until the end of July. Proving the project is in sync with his marital status, the group s vice chairman, Alessandro Benetton, will be joined by his wife, former Olympic skier Deborah Compagnoni, and their offspring Agnese, Tobias and Luce at the opening. The twolevel, 16,000-square-foot unit on Corso Vittorio Emanuele boasts a wide selection, from newborns to 12-year-old youngsters. The new fall children s line and maternity collections also will be on display. And what kid doesn t need a bit of pampering these days? To wit, a team of hairstylists from the well-known Coppola salon will lop that latest bob, while a personal shopper will guide mothers and children in their purchases to reflect the child s look and personality. and just seeing what already is available, Davis said. I have these classic pieces I ve have for six, 10 years that I hold onto. In her closet, you d find lines such as James Perse, Milly, Prada, Chanel, Michael Kors and Dolce & Gabbana but the Dolce wasn t a good fit for our line, Davis said. We had to weed things out, and I d think about what I d travel with. Davis said there s a lot of crossover between her style Kristin Davis and that of her alter ego, Charlotte York. Charlotte dresses in a very feminine way, and I love her playful nature, she said. The apparel line is full of A-line skirts and dresses, blouses and other pieces that easily can be taken day to night or casual to evening. The pieces include feminine details like flowers and jewels, and the fabric weights are sensitive to the South s milder climate. The line is offered in sizes 2 through 14. I don t even wear a zero, so they re not allowed, Davis said. High fashion is almost a disservice. I don t want to be perpetuating that idea that, because certain actresses wear a certain size, you should, too. We wanted the clothes to fit a variety of body types, and we tried to make everything simple and wearable and flattering. When asked for how long the deal was, Davis looked at Mr. Belk ( I like to call you Mr. Belk sometimes because it s funny, Davis explained. It s part of the landscape of the South. ), saying perkily, I think it s forever. Sex Crazed As excitement for Sex and the City: The Movie rose to a fever pitch on both coasts, early screenings Thursday night proved that dressing up in the signature style of all four characters was half the fun. In New York, Charlotte s yummy mummie and Miranda s business cool stole the show, while Angelenos embraced Carrie s party frocks and Samantha s sexpot wares with gusto. PHOTOS BY TYLER BOYE AND PASHA ANTONOV

5 DEFINING FASHION for almost a century Making fashion history on

6 6 WWD, MONDAY, JUNE 2, 2008 Au Revoir, Yves Yves is gone. Yves Saint Laurent, one of the greatest fashion designers in history, died at his home in Paris late Sunday at 71 after a long, undisclosed illness. He had been bedridden recently and friends said in the last week he had been unable to eat or talk. Saint Laurent had been rarely seen over the last year, and even then he was wheelchair bound and weak. The designer s health had been precarious throughout his life. At age 21, he burst onto the scene as the sensational new designer at Christian Dior, replacing the late Monsieur Dior himself. The bespectacled, shy, soft-spoken designer quickly became an icon and would remain so for the next five decades. Saint Laurent s contributions to fashion were unquestioned even if, in later years, many of his collections were considered repetitive of his signatures. In this century, only Dior, Coco Chanel, Cristobal Balenciaga and Karl Lagerfeld, his peer and rival, were said to be on the same plateau. So strong was Saint Laurent s grip on the world of fashion that if he made a slight change in a hemline or a subtle shift in a waistline, the repercussions rippled around the globe. At the minimum, fashion owes him credit for the invention of ready-to-wear through the launch in 1966 of his Rive Gauche collection. But there also were his iconic tuxedo suit le smoking, beatnik fashions, the use of safari jackets as a style statement for women and men, the Ballets Russes collection, his unparalleled sense of color combinations, the artistry of his cut, designer denim and the launch of a significant fragrance and beauty business with a designer name. As the retiring Saint Laurent himself told WWD on the last day in his atelier in 2002, I always served women and I did it without compromise until the end, with respect and love. Informed of Saint Laurent s death, Oscar de la Renta said: His circle had become smaller than small and he saw only his closest and most loyal friends Loulou de la Falaise, Betty Catroux, Pierre Bergé. He marked a period of fashion in an extraordinary and exciting way. He had an eye for color, an eye for the exotic. At one point, for a very long time, he was the king of fashion. Everyone wanted to be Yves Saint Laurent. He was such an unbelievably gifted man. He sketched beautifully, he wrote beautifully. I think he retreated into a life of his own. He loved his house in Marrakech. I never saw the new house that he bought and decorated in Tangiers. But that part of the world was such an influence on his life, the extraordinary color of that life influenced his work in an extraordinary way. How could you forget the Russians, the gypsies? He just had an extraordinary eye for a fantasy that every woman wanted to be a part of. Just come to Annette s closet. All the dresses are still hanging there. He s my big fashion hero and always has been and it s really sad that he s gone, said Marc Jacobs Sunday night of Saint Laurent s death. I just think to me and to so many others he has been such a great inspiration in terms of everything, first and foremost in terms design. Saint Laurent was the first to look at youth and street culture and take elements and make them chic. I and a couple of friends always say, How would Saint Laurent do it? It s a little, funny gauge of a thing being right, a kind of standard for chic, for youth, for sex appeal without vulgarity and overall beauty. Vera Wang said, I think I m in shock. I m in fashion today because of him. I lived in Paris right next to his first couture house. My mother adored his work and introduced me to it when I was 16. I feel in love with fashion because of Yves Saint Laurent. He was the first international superstar in the modern era. On the January day in 2002 when Saint Laurent retired, his fellow designers would pack the room to bid him adieu. Yohji Yamamoto said, I am one of the designers who started in fashion design because of Yves. He is my inspiration. He has been my father and teacher. Jean Paul Gaultier added, For me, Saint Laurent is and has always been the absolute master. In his work, I find the energy to do my work. He gave us glamour, he loves women and he opened a lot of doors for fashion. What we are all doing is because of Saint Laurent. We all love him, and he knows that. Yet Saint Laurent always seemed to have a love-hate relationship with the fashion world. On the one hand capable of breathtaking creativity, the pressures continually wore on his nervous nature and he would disappear for months to recuperate. There were so many warnings over the state of his health through the Eighties and Nineties that they became a type of macabre joke rivaled only by quips over what color his hair would be when he would take his bow. Throughout his life, Saint Laurent shunned the spotlight. With homes in Paris and New York, a villa in Marrakech and a chateau in Normandy, he could create his own environments. He owned paintings by Goya, Matisse, Leger, Munch, Klee, Picasso and Cezanne but it was the writer Marcel Proust whose work most informed his life. At Chateau Gabriel, a 19th-century castle in Normandy that he owned jointly with Bergé, all the guest rooms were named for Proustian characters. In his office, Saint Laurent kept a framed quotation from Proust: The magnificent and lamentable family of the nervous is the salt of the earth. It s they and no one else who founded religions and created masterpieces. Yves Henri Mathieu Saint Laurent was born into a French colonial family on Aug. 1, 1936, in Oran, Algeria, the eldest child and only son of Charles and Lucienne Mathieu Saint Laurent. His father was a director of an insurance company and the family lived in a villa by the sea. As a child, he amused his two younger sisters, Brigitte and Michele, by cutting paper figurines into the shape of dolls and making dresses for them out of swatches of fabric. He presented his first fashion show (with his sisters acting as clients ) when he was 12. A year later, he was taken to the theater in Oran to see Moliere s L Ecole des Femmes. I realized immediately, he said as a young man, that I had witnessed a work of genius, never equalled by all I have seen since. His love of theater never diminished. Of his mother, he said: My mother, who loves to dress, inspired my early interest in clothes, but more than that she helped me constantly to fulfill my inner gifts. And my father never tried to restrain me. He was a voracious reader, with Christian Berard, Jean Cocteau, Orlean Petit, Louis Jouvet and, of course, Proust among his favorites. He said he never wanted to finish reading Remembrance of Things Past because he couldn t bear to part with it. His parents wanted him to study law. He wanted to go to Paris and study art. In 1953, when he was 17, he did. A year later, he met Michel de Brunhoff, director of the French edition of Vogue, and sold him some sketches. At de Brunhoff s suggestion, Saint Laurent entered a contest sponsored by the International Wool Secretariat. One of the judges was Christian Dior, who looked at the drawings and realized they had a startling similarity to his own sketches. Saint Laurent was hired as an assistant. On Oct. 24, 1957, Dior died in Montecatini, Italy, at the age of 52. With France still struggling to regain its prestige and economic health after the devastation of World War II, Dior s death hit the nation particularly hard. Within a month, on Nov. 10, 1957, the 21-yearold Saint Laurent was named head designer and shoved squarely into a spotlight for which he was little prepared. In describing Saint Laurent s reaction to Dior s death, Life reported that he looked as though he had been crushed by a large rock. Indeed, a photograph of him at Dior s funeral reveals a pale young man with a numb expression, as if the weight of the world were resting on his slender shoulders. WWD reports at that time described him as speaking in a low voice and extremely shy. It was a description that would have been accurate virtually every day of his life. His first collection for Dior was shown on Jan. 30, It featured the Trapeze and won him overnight fame. Paris never looked younger than it did at the recent spring fashion collections, said The New York Times. Le Smoking 1988 Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior s successor, stole the show. That summer, YSL showed again and it was the most provocative collection in Paris. While everyone else featured skirts to the kneecap, his lengths were at midcalf. In August, shortly after Saint Laurent turned 22, the House of Dior hired Marc Bohan and sent him to London to design Dior s wholesale collection. In September, Saint Laurent made his first trip to the U.S. when he became the youngest designer to win the annual Neiman Marcus fashion award, presented for that controversial second collection. Other designers make what they want; I make what I want, he said. Over the next few years, his collections for Dior each one radically different from its predecessor were the subject of heated debate, particularly in the French press. In July 1960, for example, he unveiled his chic Beatnik collection. It featured black leather jackets trimmed in fur and was so heavily criticized, it almost brought his career to a halt when it had barely begun. That September, after receiving two deferments because 2,000 jobs on five continents depended on his talents, Saint Laurent was inducted into the French army and put on a leave of absence from Dior. Bohan, then 34 and growing tired of playing second fiddle, was brought to Paris to pinch hit for him. continued on page 8

7 7 WWD, MONDAY, JUNE 2, 2008 A young Saint Laurent PHOTOS FROM WWD ARCHIVES

8 8 WWD, MONDAY, JUNE 2, The African collection, 1967 Saint Laurent in Marrakech in 1976 The Highland Fling, 1990 Transparent dress, 1966 Mondrian looks, 1965 Au Revoir, Yves Continued from page 6 Two or three successful collections bearing the Bohan name and it is difficult to imagine where Saint Laurent would fit into the picture, said WWD. It was a prophetic proposition. Bohan represented a new direction for Dior. The columnist Eugenia Sheppard wrote that Saint Laurent was highly dramatic, often stagey. His trapeze and bubble silhouettes were extreme shapes that made headlines around the world. Bohan, she said, is best known for the pretty, shapely type of clothes. He remained creative director of the house for 29 years. Within days after Saint Laurent s army induction, he entered a military hospital, suffering a nervous breakdown the first of many over the next several decades. Two people visited him every day at the hospital: one was his mother, the other was Pierre Bergé, a young man who had become his closest friend. Bergé had come to Paris to be a painter but became a businessman instead, achieving great success as the man who managed the career of the artist Bernard Buffet. He would, of course, go on to far greater glory and power as Saint Laurent s partner, for a time both personal and professional. Two months after Saint Laurent became a soldier, he was released back into civilian life. Marcel Boussac, Dior s owner, told him he could travel as a Dior public relations man; Jacques Rouet, Dior s administrator, wanted Boussac to open a small separate house under YSL s name. Boussac refused. Saint Laurent went home and tried to figure out what to do next. He was 24. In April 1961, under a headline that said Saint Laurent Comes Back, WWD published the first Saint Laurent sketches since his collapse. They were for Les Forains, a TV ballet starring Roland Petit and Zizi Jeanmaire. That September, together with Bergé, he opened a two-room office in Paris Rue La Boetie. Within a month, they found a backer a banker and insurance man from Atlanta by the name of J. Mack Robinson and the business officially got under way. The famous YSL logo was designed by Cassandre, one of France s greatest graphic artists. (By then, Saint Laurent had dropped the Mathieu from his name.) Workshops became available from the recently closed house of Manguin and a townhouse on Rue Spontini was commandeered. Saint Laurent s first collection under his own name began to take shape. It was presented on Jan. 29, In a tribute written for YSL s 20th anniversary as a designer in 1982, John B. Fairchild, thenchairman and editorial director of WWD parent Fairchild Publications, remembered the occasion: At the end of that historic show Monday, the room erupted in chaos. Saint Laurent was pushed out from behind a curtain. He was mobbed by admirers and had to run into a closet to hide. A potted plant tottered and almost fell. Pierre Bergé stood on a chair, directing traffic. Following Chanel, Balenciaga and Dior, Saint Laurent had emerged as fashion s fourth force. Other accounts of that first show were more restrained. Saint Laurent broke no new ground in design, said Vogue, while The New York Times said, Although he produced a very good collection, [he] did not say anything new. Nevertheless, in April, May and June, the private customers started lining up Lady Diana Cooper, the Duchess of Windsor, Princess Lee Radziwill, Countess Chandon de Briailles, Jacqueline de Ribes. In August, Saint Laurent unveiled his second collection, and this time the praise was almost unanimously lavish. Time magazine called the collection the sensation of the week and spoke of the designer s elevation to the ranks of the fashion greats, right up there with Balenciaga and Hubert de Givenchy. The New York Times Magazine said his first collection was less than a smash, but his second has lifted him to the pinnacle of Paris couture. In August 1963, Saint Laurent s picture appeared on the cover of Newsweek. Until his show that summer, the couture was in the doldrums. Many of its regular customers were literally dying off; new technology was making it simpler to copy couture clothes, and many couturiers seemed out of touch with the postwar mood. Saint Laurent revitalized the couture. With a collection meant to be worn by real women doing real

9 Picasso looks, 1979 things, he was the unquestioned smash of Paris. He made what one American woman called dresses I can Twist in [the Twist was a popular dance of the time] and go to the bathroom in. In an interview with Newsweek, Saint Laurent said, I know now that you can t take your clothes out of life, away from reality, and have them mean anything. A designer must get out and look at life around him. As soon as I went Twisting at Regine s, I understood the problem older women have in a place like that. By 1964, his ability to make dramatic new statements with each passing season had become his trademark. Unlike Balenciaga, Chanel and Givenchy who created a look and stayed with it Saint Laurent continually shifted gears to keep on top of rapidly changing events. An article in Look magazine said: His achievements, like those of so many youthful leaders in other creative fields, stem from extraordinary perception and an ability to interpret the Spencer suit, 1982 Unisex fashion, 1976 The rich peasant, 1976 times with imagination, artistry and daring. There were two major events in YSL s life in the summer of In July, J. Mack Robinson sold his interest in the fashion house for a net price of less than $1 million to Lanvin-Charles of the Ritz, whose president was Richard A. Salomon. Bergé said the house would now become one of the biggest and most important in Paris rivaling the $30 million Dior in size. (Ritz already had the Saint Laurent license for fragrance, and had launched the scent Y in Europe, where it was highly successful. It was introduced in the U.S. that fall.) At the same time Ritz was buying Saint Laurent, YSL s mother gave him a book on the Dutch painter Piet Mondrian. That summer, he introduced a collection based on Mondrian s use of primary colors in rectangular blocks. He would regard it later as one of his greatest successes. He visited the U.S. in October for a three-week national tour to promote Y. He was a guest Broadway suits, 1978 on The Tonight Show (then televised from New York), went to Arthur, the most popular discotheque in town, and met with America s leading designer, Norman Norell. On Nov. 9, 1965, he was in New York when a massive power failure blacked out almost all of the Northeast. That evening, dining at Le Pavillon by candlelight, he said he thought a bomb had gone off. The year before, he had fantasized about his own boutique, telling WWD: Why not open a boutique in the center of St. Germain des Pres where all the young people would see it?... Now I have an urge to open a boutique pour les jeunes. In September 1966, he did. The first Rive Gauche opened at 21 Rue de Tournon, on the Left Bank and Saint Laurent said: It s just as I want wild colors and very modern. Black glass for the entrance, a steel pillar and dark orange carpeting, and one huge window. The first of what would become a string of more than 160 stores, it remained open until midnight and sold dresses for $60. Saint Laurent often said he wanted to write his autobiography and continually referred to his frustration at not being able to complete it. The closest he came was with the publication of his book, La Vilaine Lulu, in It recounted the adventures of Nasty Lulu, a cartoon character he had been doodling for some 10 years. Lulu, a squat, sadistic little girl, was in some ways, Saint Laurent s alter ego, saying and doing what he dared not. Nasty Lulu once said, for example: I roar with laughter when all those females, the faithful, the content, the fanatics of fashion, the blue-stockings, the journalists, come to scratch the nape of his neck and murmur with beatitude: My Yves. They whisper to him, flutter around him, and he says nothing. If I weren t to be a comic, there would be a lot to say on the psychological level about that shy bird, that myopic being who, behind those eyeglasses like television screens, is never snowed. He immediately detects in another what is true, what is crucial. It was during the student strikes in France in 1968 that Saint Laurent reevaluated his thoughts about the couture and concluded that as an institution, it had become obsolete. Real fashion today comes from the young people manning the streets those between 30 and 35, he said. The difference between day and evening clothes is outdated. The new fashion freedom permits people to be as they are or as they want to be to go to dinner, for instance, as they were in the morning in black jersey, or anything else. My new collection is based on the idea of the suit the practical, modern, easy world of the suit. Not the suit as we ve known it a suit that will look different with a skirt or pants. And pants with coats are part of our life. The result was his revolutionary CityPants collection, but almost as if he were compensating for hiding women s legs, he also showed a see-through blouse another symbol of the sexual liberation that characterized the decade. The same year, the first Rive Gauche shop in America opened on New York s Madison Avenue. Although miniskirts were being worn by women of all ages and shapes Saint Laurent shook up the fashion world in 1969, when he dropped hems below the knee and showed the longest skirts since Dior s New Look in It s degenerate, it s decadent, somewhat Proustian, he said. It s sexy. It also precipitated one of the most controversial and unsettling periods in the history of contemporary fashion. The following January, YSL showed the longuette and Bergé said, This has been the most difficult collection I ve ever had to produce. We are all expecting a miracle. This house usually has them. The miracle, said many manufacturers at all price levels, is that they were able to survive a period in which many women were confused about what skirt lengths were appropriate. Through it all, Saint Laurent kept taking the pulse of the younger generation. Hippie is more than a way of dressing, he said in It s a spirit 9 WWD, MONDAY, JUNE 2, 2008 which fills young people. I don t know any young people who are not hippies in their spirit. This is what it is all about. When the revolution comes, it will come from the young people. He began to grow a beard. The Seventies saw a continued growth in his business and a move, in July 1974, to 5 Avenue Marceau. He expanded into footwear, men s wear, luggage and home textiles. He made plans for his line to be made in the U.S. and to bring the number of Rive Gauche boutiques to 100. He also planned to widen his rtw collection and limit his couture designs. We re eliminating the show and going back to making clothes, our true trade, he said. In November 1971, he shocked some people by appearing nude first in French Vogue, then in other French publications in an advertisement for his men s fragrance. Inspired by the Ballet Russe, Saint Laurent dazzled Paris in April 1976 with a collection many people regard as his most beautiful. It was his Big Fantasy collection and from babushkas to boots, it shook up the fashion world with a lush display of color, pattern and texture that moved some people at the opening to tears. Three months later, when he showed the same look in his fall couture collection, The New York Times put the story on its front page. It was a collection, said the Times, that will change the course of fashion around the world. A month later, just after his 40th birthday, Saint Laurent told WWD: I needed a violent explosion of Fantasy. This collection was a dream that I have had for a long time. I have always wanted to do a collection that included everything that I love in my life. I have always wanted to do a collection that was a reflection of all my tastes. The effort exhausted him, putting him into a rehabilitation clinic for three weeks. He was born, said Bergé, with a nervous breakdown. Two months later, in October, he had to be supported by his models while taking bows after his latest collection, one he said he created from his bed in the American Hospital in Paris. An article in WWD referred to rumors of dire illness, drinking problems and drug intoxication. For Saint Laurent, 1978 turned out to be a year of three major events: In January, he introduced the Broadway suit in a couture collection inspired by Porgy and Bess and the American black culture. It was a huge success. In March, he made more news when he pulled out of the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture, because its membership had become swollen with second-rank firms. As Bergé put it, the association has become like a Spanish roadhouse they let people in from left and right, who only want to capitalize on the reputation and prestige of Paris couture. Finally, in September, YSL launched his second women s fragrance in the U.S. It was called Opium and it turned out to be as controversial as it was successful. The launch itself was a lavish affair, starting with a mammoth party for 900 Continued on page 10

10 10 WWD, MONDAY, JUNE 2, 2008 Au Revoir, Yves Continued from page 9 in New York aboard a 350-foot, 70-year-old four-master called the Peking. The cost was reportedly $250,000. The name of the fragrance provoked a deluge of protests from Asian-Americans who felt it was denigrating. It was the only name I wanted, said Saint Laurent. After Y, I wanted a lush, heavy, indolent fragrance. I wanted Opium to be captivating, and it s a fragrance which evokes all the things I love the refined Orient, Imperial China, exoticism. The controversy lasted into the next decade. So did the name. The Eighties were a period in which Saint Laurent s control over his business continued to expand, even as he became outwardly more fragile. It began with an announcement by Bergé in January 1980 that the company would pay $7 million to regain total control of its Rive Gauche rtw by acquiring Mendes Co., which made and distributed the clothing. It ended in July 1989 when Saint Laurent put 10.9 percent of the company s shares on public sale, becoming the first couture house to appear on the Paris Bourse. While the company was preparing its public offering, Bergé was busy fending off reports that Saint Laurent was either seriously ill, or that he was dying of AIDS. Everybody knows that [Saint Laurent] has psychological problems, said Bergé, that he takes too many tranquilizers which make him seem a little confused, but I declare on my honor that he doesn t have cancer, that he doesn t have AIDS he hasn t even tested positive. What can I do? he asked. Yves Saint Laurent s illness didn t begin yesterday. People have been talking about it for 15 years. In January 1982, when he celebrated the 20th anniversary of his couture house, he was virtually a recluse. I have become a monk, he said, from his apartment on Rue de Babylone. Going out is my idea of torture. I want to stay at home. When I m in my bed with a great book, I feel as if nothing else matters. He said his happiest and most productive period was the late Sixties and early Seventies, during which he introduced his rich peasant look, his gangster tuxedos and his tarty Forties collection. I work because I have to, he said, not to make money, but for the people who depend on me. If I don t create the next collection, and the collection after that, they will end up on the streets. In December 1983, a few months after the launch of Paris, another women s fragrance, the Costume Institute of New York s Metropolitan Museum of Art paid homage to him with a historic 25-year retrospective of his work. It was followed over the next several years by retrospectives in Beijing, Paris, Moscow, Leningrad and Sydney. Raisa Gorbachev made a special request to see his collection. His name became an entry in the Larousse dictionary. The mid-eighties also brought the first rumblings of discontent from the Rive Gauche shops in the U.S., with retailers citing increased competition from other designers and a lack of newness in the collections. In the last half of the Eighties, Rive Gauche shops in many cities began to close. In November 1986, the company said it would acquire Charles of the Ritz Group, Ltd. which owned the YSL beauty business from Squibb Corp. for $630 million. The fragrance business, meanwhile, continued to bloom. Jazz, a men s scent, was introduced in 1988, and in August that year, just after his 52nd birthday, Saint Laurent said: I am happy, so happy, with my success. Yes, I am alone, the King in his Castle. I want to be alone, except for a few friends. I want to be alone. I am happy this way. As for his health, he said: Well, the doctor, a great specialist, has spent hours examining me and told me afterward there was nothing wrong with me that he could find. And then when I YSL surrounded by Pierre Berge, Betty Catroux, LouLou Klossowski and Anne-Marie Munoz was so sick, he told me that he had never seen anyone so strong, or anyone make such a quick recovery. I am better now. Saint Laurent began the Nineties with a spring-summer couture collection that paid tribute to many of those who influenced or inspired him: Pablo Picasso, Maria Callas, Jean Cocteau, Marilyn Monroe, Rita Hayworth, and two women who were sitting in the audience: Catherine Deneuve and Zizi Jeanmaire. He had lost almost 40 pounds and looked terrific, but eight weeks later, he entered a hospital for two months after collapsing from nervous exhaustion. Extreme intellectual pressure was cited by his doctor, Michael Prendeville of the American Hospital in Neuilly. He missed his own runway show, failing to take a post-collection bow for only the second time in his career. The first was in 1979, when he showed his couture collection. Sensing that it was a disappointment, he ordered all the music stopped in the middle of the show, walked out and went home. In April 1991, de Benedetti sold his remaining 15 percent interest in YSL Groupe some 574,000 shares to Bergé and Saint Laurent for $92.4 million. The move increased the Bergé- YSL holding to 47 percent and ended a relationship that began in 1987, when de Benedetti provided the financial backing that enabled YSL to buy back its fragrance and cosmetics business from Charles of the Ritz for $630 million. Two years later, YSL introduced a new fragrance. It was called Champagne, but that fell flat with French vintners and with Moët Hennessey Louis Vuitton, who won a court ruling against his use of the name. The charge: It violated French trademark laws. All bottles of the fragrance were pulled off the shelves in France. Nevertheless, the launch in North America provided an excuse for Saint Laurent to return to the U.S. for the first time in 11 years. He and Bergé went to New York for a gala on an island in New York Harbor, a splendid celebration on a soft late-summer night just beneath another French export: the Statue of Liberty. The end of the decade would bring the decision that eventually would lead to Saint Laurent s retirement from fashion: the sale of the rights to his label to Gucci Group NV, the fast-growing luxury goods group than overseen by Domenico De Sole and Tom Ford. Gucci was eager to gain control of the YSL label, in which it saw significant potential to repeat the success it had had with reviving the Gucci brand. It also acquired the firm s beauty operations, YSL Beauté, which would give it a significant cash stream since YSL s fragrance sales were substantially more than its fashion ones. The deal would net him and Bergé the equivalent of $264 million and pay off the personal debts they incurred when they bought back 15 percent of the house from Italian financier de Benedetti in In addition, they would own 10 percent of the fashion business (everything except fragrance and beauty), but have 90 percent of the voting power until they retired. I find the solution of selling the house whole is like a dream, Saint Laurent said. It s perfect. This will safeguard the continuity of the house. The deal effectively valued the whole YSL business at around $655 million. But from almost before the ink was dry on the deal, Bergé and Saint Laurent battled with Gucci Group management. They remained in control of the couture house, while Gucci took over design of the rtw and oversaw the fragrances. Saint Laurent was briefly succeeded by his chosen successor, Alber Elbaz, but he was dropped after three seasons and replaced by Ford. The imperious Bergé sniped repeatedly at Ford and De Sole, while Saint Laurent also made no secret of his displeasure with the direction Ford was taking his name in rtw. Ford and Saint Laurent rarely met and Ford never visited the Saint Laurent archives, which later would serve as the basis for the formation of the Pierre Bergé - Yves Saint Laurent Foundation. For the next three years, there would be two visions of Saint Laurent each season: the couture version by the designer himself and Ford s high-octane one. Finally, it all became too much for Saint Laurent and, in January 2002, he announced plans to retire at a tearful press conference attended by many of his longtime fans. At the end of October 2002, Saint Laurent left his atelier and his office for the last time. I am much more at peace now, he told WWD, adding he had no regrets. I am not sad just nostalgic. At 1 p.m. Saint Laurent left the premises for the last time, his faithful dog, Moujik, in tow. Over the next six years, the designer would devote himself to the foundation, mounting exhibitions culled from the house s vast archives. He would appear in public occasionally, always saying he was glad to be out of fashion. After all, as Saint Laurent said in a phrase that could serve as his mantra, Fashions fade. Style is eternal.

11 Accessories Report By Caroline Tell MODO IS EXPANDING ITS HORIZONS AT HOME and abroad. The New York-based eyewear firm today is launching its first signature store, which will sell only Modo s in-house and licensed brands. The company s goal is to present an edited collection of stylish frames representing Modo s less-is-more approach. Modo also is aiming to grow its retail presence overseas, in cities such as Tokyo and London, and gain wholesale traction in the Far East and Europe. It recently added a subsidiary based near Milan, Modo Eyewear Sunglasses by NetJets and Fabien Baron. Srl, to handle European accounts. The firm also launched an e-commerce site last month. The new store is a 550-square-foot space on Mott Street in lower Manhattan s NoLIta neighborhood, a popular shopping destination. In tune with the styles, the decor is minimal. Stark white walls with ebony wooden shelves present rows of sunglass and ophthalmic collections, organized only by small signs for each brand. The store represents our story and our effort in putting the highest level of craftsmanship back into eyewear, said Alessandro Lanaro, Modo s founder and chief executive officer, who produces the brand s eyewear in a premier manufacturing region of Japan. We are not about logos they are barely visible and most designers we work with share with us the feeling that we are past logos. It s about the product. Lanaro estimated first-year store sales at $800,000 to $1 million. Known for catering to independent-minded consumers, Modo was founded in 1990 when Lanaro opened a showroom in SoHo. Four years later, the company added its Saki line, and in 2000, launched a more youthful collection called M+. But it wasn t until 2003 that Modo signed its first licensing agreement with Puma. ith its second license inked, Proenza Schouler has Waccessories on the brain, or in this case, its feet. The company is partnering with Vicini SpA for the production and distribution of women s shoes. A Milan-based luxury company with showrooms in New York and Paris, Vicini was founded by shoe designer Giuseppe Zanotti and his wife, Cinzia, and manufactures footwear for Zanotti, as well as Roberto Cavalli and Balmain. Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, designers of the fiveyear-old Proenza Schouler label, created ballet slippers, loafers, lace-up sandals and heels aimed to hit stores this resort season. We ve had a shoe collection before for shows, but never pushed outside of that, Hernandez said. They weren t commercial shoes, and we did it ourselves with a little factory. Now, we re going to start making things we like for everyday. Proenza Schouler shoes will retail for an average of $685, with pieces beginning in the $300s up to $3,000. The firm is targeting its existing ready-to-wear accounts and introducing the line to Vicini s international retail and wholesale accounts. The company expects the collection to bring in about $8 million in sales in its first year. Proenza Schouler is already well and widely distributed in the five continents, but we are aiming to go globally in a deeper way, Giuseppe Zanotti said. We believe we can get into the major department stores, as well as the most select boutiques around the world in the next couple of seasons, thanks to the Vicini penetration of the global markets. After partnering with L Amy America on eyewear in November, accessories are becoming a priority for the Proenza Schouler brand. Last July, Valentino Fashion Group SpA bought a 45 percent stake in the firm, which, according to the designers, has given them the means and freedom to expand their vision into other categories. We hired an entire accessories team, McCollough said. The beauty of working with Valentino is that we now have a whole team who is really pushing accessories and it makes sense. The designers said they will soon launch a handbag collection. People keep asking us, Why haven t you made a bag yet? Lazaro said. It s because we didn t have anything to say yet. The entire market is so dense with bags and everything else, that until we found something original and specific to say, we didn t want to say anything. We don t do anything unless we have something to say. C.T. WWD, MONDAY, JUNE 2, Modo Opens in NoLIta, Eyes Global Growth Proenza Schouler Extends Into Shoes A triangular heel from Proenza Schouler s new shoe collection. Alessandro Lanaro Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez of Proenza Schouler. The Interior of Modo s new store. PHOTO BY PASHA ANTONOV PHOTO BY TALAYA CENTENO The firm now has five additional licensed brands: 3.1 Phillip Lim, Fabien Baron, Tretorn, Derek Lam and, as of last month, a partnership with NetJets, the exclusive jet travel firm. We are a boutique company and we are presenting brands that are not necessarily household names, Lanaro said. We re working with up-and-coming designers. We re not working with megabrands and that tells the difference of our story. We are a company that carefully selects the roster of designers so they represent who we are. Lanaro said Modo and all of its designers share the same product philosophy. It s the thrill of discovery, he said. We believe that the future of luxury is given by a discovery that the customer will have, saying, I found this, I discovered this. Although he declined to comment on volume, Lanaro said he expected Modo s growth initiatives to result in a 30 to 40 percent sales increase in the next year. It is not uncommon for manufacturers in the eyewear market to operate their own retail spaces. Luxottica owns and operates all LensCrafters stores, as well as Pearle Vision, Sunglass Hut and the upscale boutique chain Ilori. In addition, Safilo maintains Solstice Sunglass Boutiques and Sunsights by Solstice. Unlike the typical department store approach to selling sunglasses, where a huge assortment is normally kept in a locked glass case, Modo is part of a growing trend toward more edited, open selling environments. For Modo, opening its own store not only assists in its branding efforts, but helps the firm track trends and consumer shopping habits. According to Lanaro, knowing what people want also will bolster Modo s wholesale accounts and product offerings in coming seasons.

12 12 WWD, MONDAY, JUNE 2, 2008 MEMO PAD WAS IT AS GOOD AS THE FIRST TIME?: Though The New York Times, New York magazine and The Wall Street Journal gave scathing reviews to the film adaptation of Sex and the City, what did Ron Galotti, the original Mr. Big, think? Galotti, former publisher of Vogue and Vanity Fair, trekked from his homestead in North Pomfret, Vermont, to attend the film s Manhattan premiere on Tuesday night with Tom Florio, senior vice president and publishing director of Vogue, Men s Vogue and Teen Vogue. He enjoyed the scene in which Carrie Bradshaw is photographed for Vogue in several designer wedding dresses, with editors Plum Sykes, André Leon Talley and photographer Patrick Demarchelier lording over the shoot. I thought it was good for them, and good for Anna [Wintour], said Florio. And there s André and Plum, it s kinda like sweet to see them. Great publicity. Galotti also appreciated how the producers didn t shy away from the fortysomething characters real ages, including Samantha Jones 50 years. There s a big difference between 40 and 50. Look at Kim Cattrall [who plays Jones on-screen]. Don t you want to look like Kim Cattrall when you re that age? But Galotti was critical of his own portrayal in the movie, believing the early days of Sex were truer to his persona. In the beginning, it was still true to form. But at the same time, it s kind of eerie to see yourself in character. As it went on, it kind of got silly the jealousy in the hotel rooms, that was not me. Candace [Bushnell, author of the Sex and the City novel and Galotti s ex-girlfriend] was terrific in being respectable. I was a good boyfriend and she never treated me badly. Stephanie D. Smith WOMEN S MOVEMENT: No models. That rule guided Men.style.com editor Dirk Standen and his team as they made their selections for the site s second annual Women of Fashion event, held on the rooftop of the Peninsula Hotel. The 20 honorees were a model-and-celebrity-free mix of stylists, photographers and regular hardworking fashion girls. As to how the winners, who included stylist Annabel Tollman, photographer Poppy de Villeneuve and lone designer on the list Tara Subkoff, were picked, Standen joked: It s a very secret process several international accounting firms are involved. There actually was a judges panel consisting of the site s editors, along with Sartorialist Scott Schuman and designers Michael Bastian, Rogan Gregory, Rag & Bone s David Neville and Marcus Wainwright, and Shipley & Halmos Sam Shipley and Jeff Halmos. CondéNet editorial director Jamie Pallot admitted that the event was a bit inside baseball, though he pointed out that online fashion coverage has totally cast a whole new spotlight on people who used to be behind the scenes. Still, binoculars would not have been required to spot several conflicts of interest, the most glaring being that honoree Eugenia Gonzalez is Bastian s public relations director, and Berrin Noorata is director of communications for Gregory s labels, Rogan and Loomstate. Halmos said he felt the vibe wasn t popularitycontesty, but noted that honoree Heidi Bivens did style Shipley & Halmos fall show. The fashion industry is so small, offered co-designer Shipley. Meanwhile, considering the site s theme, is a Men of Fashion award in the offing? Pallot laughed and gave the nonresponse: That s a whole other question. Véronique Hyland OUT THE DOOR: Portfolio senior editor Bob Roe was dismissed from Portfolio late last Thursday, just over two months after the magazine declined to renew the contract of his wife, writer Nancy Hass. The news, first reported by Gawker Friday, did not come as a surprise to anyone familiar with the workings of the magazine, who said Roe had been openly disdainful of editor in chief Joanne Lipman. Privately, her camp said Roe had not been fulfilling his responsibilities. In turn, friends and former employees of Roe, who couldn t be reached late Friday, praised his work. Roe came from Sports Illustrated and was close to former Portfolio editors Michael Caruso and Jim Impoco, among other departed staffers. The magazine declined comment. Irin Carmon IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER: Another magazine veteran is leaving print behind for the Web. Polly Blitzer, former assistant editor at In Style, has started her own site, BeautyBlitz.com, which she is marketing as the first national beauty magazine to be published entirely online. The site will feature celebrity editors, blogs and special sections and access to industry experts, and will include a team of former editors from magazines including Vogue, Harper s Bazaar, Marie Claire and In Style. Once the site hits a viable traffic benchmark, Blitzer plans to meet with beauty, fashion and lifestyle companies about advertising. Strategic partnerships and branded content seem to be the future of online advertising, so we re pursuing those heavily, she said. The site s main revenue stream right now comes from fees she earns as a beauty spokesperson and expert. She declined to name potential advertisers, although Esi Eggleston Bracey, vice president and general manager for global P&G cosmetics, seemed open to the idea. Web sites such as BeautyBlitz.com provide fantastic opportunities for P&G Beauty to share our new product and technology news with women, said Bracey. Our research shows that beauty-involved women are searching for beauty news, tips and expert endorsements from multiple sources. P&G is behind brands such as Pantene, Max Factor and Cover Girl. Blitzer also has partnered with Sephora. Blitzer has joined forces with American Greetings to offer beauty grams. Web site visitors will be able to choose a card from American Greetings Interactive and buy a beauty product from an online retailer, and the recipient will receive the beauty telegram the same day. AG Interactive has been looking to strengthen our solution for targeting women across our network that are interested in beauty and fashion, said Steve Alessi, AG Interactive vice president, advertising sales and operations. Blitzer also is partnering with instyle.com. As a contributing editor, she writes the Daily Beauty Flash, which includes a link back to BeautyBlitz. Amy Wicks s an experienced veteran in the beauty busi- Queen Latifah is moving beyond makeup Aness, and into fragrance as she inks a scent licensing deal with Parlux Fragrances Inc. Queen Latifah is a different kind of celebrity than we ve had in the past since she has a wide appeal from the theater to pop world, said Neil Katz, chairman and chief executive officer of Parlux Fragrances. She s known as a person of great quality by a multicultural audience, and works hard on the business side and understands her role in the marketing of a product she s associated with. She brings a new audience to the Parlux mix. According to Katz, the company is hoping to target department store distribution and is aiming at the urban market in addition to middle-aged consumers. This is an audience that is not looked after by department stores, said Katz. I think the world of department stores is in great need to bring customers like this into their stores since these are customers department stores haven t directly appealed to. Department stores can t get the luxe customers, who shop in specialty stores, and are having difficulty drawing in middle-class customers, so this is something different since it By Caroline Tell lie Tahari is joining the jewel Eparade. The 30-year-old ready-to-wear firm is launching a capsule collection of costume jewelry for fall. With styles such as the Catherine, Elizabeth and Victoria, the Empire Collection comprises statement pieces that feature antique crystals embroidered on black mesh and ribbon with dangling glass and metal beaded pendants. I ve always been obsessed with women in significant positions in history, said Rory Tahari, Elie Tahari s vice chairman and creative director. And I recently watched The Other Boleyn Girl and had this incredible reaction, thinking about the whole idea of great women who have changed the course of history. So I wanted to create a collection that takes you back to another time and place. I felt this idea of feeling regal and it was a special feeling. The Elie Tahari Empire Collection will be available in smoke, diamond and ruby hues. It BEAUTY BEAT Queen Latifah Inks Scent Deal With Parlux appeals to a broader audience. As part of the global licensing agreement, the award-winning rapper, actress and singer will unveil a women s fragrance in the U.S. in fall 2009, followed by an international rollout. I see fragrance as just a natural expression of this state of love scent expresses a woman s confidence and sensuality, it s how she embraces her body, her mind and her strength, stated Latifah. Although executives wouldn t comment, industry sources predict that the new fragrance will bring in about $20 million in first-year retail sales. Latifah also has other beauty and fashion deals. In 2001, she signed with Procter & Gamble Beauty s Cover Girl brand to be the spokesmodel for Cover Girl s Queen Collection, a makeup line designed for women of color that launched in major food, drug and mass doors. On the fashion front, Latifah has Curvation, a intimate apparel line designed for curvaceous women. Parlux also produces Paris Hilton s fragrances, as well as those of Nicole Miller, Natori, Guess, XOXO, Ocean Pacific, Jessica Simpson, Maria Sharapova, Andy Roddick, Baby Gund and Fred Hayman Beverly Hills. Michelle Edgar Elie Tahari Launches Costume Jewelry Line By Rusty Williamson Queen Latifah A piece from Elie Tahari s Empire Collection. DALLAS John Irvin, president of J.C. Penney Direct s catalogue and $1.5 billion Internet business, is retiring effective today. Irvin, who also is an executive vice president at J.C. Penney Co. Inc., said his responsibilities will be divided among several senior executives as the Plano, Tex.-based chain integrates and realigns the management of its stores and Direct divisions. Mike Boylson, executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Penney s, will take over the marketing and operations functions for J.C. Penney Direct. The company is well positioned to move ahead without me, though I have agreed to continue to be available to Penney s if they need me for advice or consultation, Irvin said in an interview Friday. Irvin joined Penney s seven years ago after serving as chief executive officer of the Chicagobased Spiegel catalogue. He has spent 38 years in the retail and wholesale fashion industries, including executive management positions at will be sold at Elie Tahari s six boutiques in the U.S., as well as at Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus. The pieces will retail at around $400. Tahari said she devised the concept about a year and a half ago after beginning to collect vintage jewelry. One pair of drop earrings in particular got her thinking about the category as a whole. Every piece of vintage is special and unique, and I think I m someone who likes to express individuality and uniqueness, she said. To go to a party or to work and to wear something special and different makes you feel special and different, and it s a way to escape and transform yourself. So it started with earrings, but in the end I had this burning desire to create our own pieces. The launch marks another foray into accessories for the Tahari brand. In September the firm added belts with Max Leather Group and partnered with Accessory Network Group on a handbag collection under its Tahari line. J.C. Penney s John Irvin Retires the former Federated Department Stores Inc., Mervyns and Sears, Roebuck & Co., where he began his career in 1970 in the executive training program. He also was president of the Dallas Market Center. When I was recruited to join Penney s in 2001 by [former ceo] Allen Questrom, my plans were only to work here two or three years, Irvin said. But I have enjoyed it so much that I just kept extending my plans. Myron E. Mike Ullman 3rd, chairman and ceo of Penney s, said at the annual shareholders meeting last month that jcpenney.com is considered the hub of the retailer s three-channel strategy that includes stores, Internet and catalogue. We use jcpenney.com as an information resource for customers and associates, and as a way to get instant and invaluable feedback from shoppers through product reviews or blogs, Irvin said, adding that jcpenney.com, which generated volume of $22 million in 2001, is the fastest growing division at Penney s. Home furnishings and women s and junior fashions continue to be among the strongest categories online, he said.

13 Troubled NexCen Relocating By Vicki M. Young NEW YORK NexCen Brands Inc. is moving downtown. Sources familiar with the troubled brandmanagement firm said it will be vacating its offices at 1330 Avenue of the Americas at 54th Street here, where president and chief executive officer Robert D Loren has had his offices since his days at UCC Capital and CAK. The company is expected to relocate to 261 Fifth Avenue, headquarters of NexCen Home Studios, where NexCen s Waverly home brand, believed to be up for sale, has its headquarters. While the owner of Bill Blass, The Athlete s Foot and numerous other trademarks is shifting to the FlatIron District, it will seek a subtenant to take over the lease in its current location. The move will lengthen D Loren s daily commute as he purchased his pied-à-terre, a Blass-decorated condo, in part for its twoblock proximity to the 54th Street office, one source said. The company said Friday that Charles Zona, executive vice president for brand management and licensing, is stepping down. Market sources said Joseph DeMuro, executive vice president and chief marketing officer, is also on his way out. NexCen didn t return calls seeking comment about DeMuro. Also on Friday, NexCen confirmed a WWD report that the company s board has engaged N M Rothschild & Sons Ltd. to explore strategic alternatives, including the possible sale of one or more of its businesses. Bill Blass and the Waverly home business are understood to be up for sale. The cash-strapped firm also said it has reduced its headquarters head count by 25 percent. Neither officials at the company nor its spokeswoman could be reached for specifics. Market sources said headquarters houses about 25 company employees, while another 50 employees work at the Bill Blass and Waverly operations. In total, about six were let go from headquarters staff. NexCen said the streamlining of organizational and administrative expenses will reduce cash outlays by $3 million on an annualized basis. These actions streamline the company and allow us to operate more cost-effectively, said D Loren. We will remain committed to providing our franchisees, licensees and business partners with the highest level of service. NexCen management also said Friday that discussions are continuing with its lender, BTMU Capital Corp., regarding possible amendments to its bank credit facility as well as with other potential lenders regarding additional financing. Rick Platt, president of NexCen Home Studios, which includes the Waverly, Bill Blass Home and Gramercy brands, will now oversee Bill Blass, the company said. Chris Dull, president of NexCen Franchise Management, will continue to oversee the franchise businesses, which include The Athlete s Foot. Additionally, a lawsuit was filed in Manhattan federal court Wednesday against the company, D Loren, its former chief financial officer David Meister and chairman David S. Oros by Mark Gray seeking class-action status on behalf of purchasers of NexCen stock between May 10, 2007 and May 19, It was on the latter date that the company expressed doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern and said the same questions may have existed when it filed its 2007 annual report. NexCen s stock closed Friday at 66 cents. Shares of the firm traded as high as $13.18 in June of last year. WWD, MONDAY, JUNE 2, Tiffany Reports 19% Net Gain, Lifted By Asia-Pacific, Europe By Jeanine Poggi iffany & Co. reported a 19 percent jump in first-quarter earnings, Tbuoyed by strength in the Asia-Pacific and in Europe, which offset weakness in the U.S. For the three months ended April 30, earnings reached $64.4 million, or 50 cents a diluted share, from $54.1 million, or 39 cents, in last year s quarter. The results were 25 percent above analysts expectations of earnings of 40 cents a share. Total sales rose 12.2 percent to $668.1 million from $595.7 million, while same-store sales grew 3 percent. Sales in the Americas region, which includes North and South America, rose 6 percent to $373.6 million, while comparable-store sales remained constant. Boosted by tourists taking advantage of the weak dollar against foreign currencies, the New York flagship saw a 16 percent increase in same-store sales. In the Asia-Pacific region, which includes Japan and Asia-Pacific countries outside Japan and the Middle East, sales soared 21 percent to $222 million, while comps increased 4 percent. European sales rose 38 percent to $60.1 million and comps spiked 12 percent. While we have always said that Tiffany s business is not recessionproof, the increasingly global nature of our business is demonstrating the mitigating effect that it can have on an economic weakness in one particular region, said Mark Aaron, vice president of investor relations, in a call to Wall Street. Michael J. Kowalski, chairman and chief executive officer, said the company is pursuing expansion opportunities this year and plans to open about 24 stores across the U.S., Asia-Pacific and Europe. The company also will introduce a new smaller store format in the U.S. later this year. Tiffany operated 192 units at the end of the first quarter. Looking forward, Tiffany remains cautious and does not expect improvement in U.S. sales until later this year. The company said it remains on track to achieve full-year expectations, and raised fullyear earnings guidance in the range of $2.80 to $2.90 a diluted share, from previous guidance of $2.75 to $2.85 a share. Sales are expected to be up 10 percent. Shares of the company increased 2.7 percent to close at $49.03 on Friday.

14 14 WWD, MONDAY, JUNE 2, 2008 Jennifer Missoni MEMORIAL SLOAN-KETTERING AND LAVANDE PHOTOS BY STEVE EICHNER; CHANEL AND BITTER:SWEET BY TYLER BOYE Karen Elson with Sarah Sophie Flicker in Erin Fetherston. Sorel and Ever Carrradine, in a Chanel skirt. The atmosphere in the Plaza Hotel Ballroom. Celerie Kemble in a Lela Rose blouse. Rachel Bilson in Chanel at Chanel. SWEET TOOTH LIPSTICK JUNGLE FANS MAY HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL NEXT FALL TO see what transpires between the show s leading ladies. But they can spend the summer getting to know Bitter:Sweet, the music duo behind the series theme song whose second album Drama drops Tuesday. Although Bitter:Sweet isn t a television newbie their music has been featured on Grey s Anatomy, Sex and the City and Desperate Housewives Lipstick Jungle is the first to play one of their tunes, The Bomb, in its opening credits. They loved the song, but there were a couple of lyrics that weren t going to work with the characters so we altered it a bit, says the band s singer Shana Halligan. That was actually a hard thing to do, but I liked that the characters were portraying strong, independent women. Halligan and Kiran Shahani met three years ago when she replied to an ad Shahani had placed on Craigslist.com for an electronic project looking for female vocalist. Much to Halligan s surprise, Shahani turned out to be a member of Supreme Beings of Leisure, a band she d just seen perform. We were both looking for something new and fresh and not part of the same circles that we d been working in, says Halligan. Their first album was 2006 s The Mating Game. Spring Chickens Emma Roberts in Chanel. Amber Valletta with Kirsty Hume, both in Chanel. Chanel opened a store on Los Angeles Roberston Boulevard, and like all new kids in town, the French brand threw itself a house warming party Thursday night. Not that Hollywood offspring, including Emma Roberts, Aimee Osbourne, Kate Sumner and Ever and Sorel Carradine, needed any encouragement to celebrate. The British-born Osbourne was delighted to have something European on the trendy shopping stretch. It s brought a new kind of chic to L.A., she said (whether Angelenos said the same thing when her rocker father Ozzy moved into town is up for consideration). Meanwhile, Leighton Meester and Michelle Trachtenberg of Gossip Girl were just happy to have another reason to play dress up. You should have seen the Chanel [sample] closet, said Trachtenberg. I just stood there in awe. But the presence of so many youngsters didn t keep the over-30 set away. Angie Harmon, Amber Valletta, Tatiana von Furstenberg, Kirsty Hume and Vanessa Getty all showed up, as did Arianna Huffington, who was more focused on the style issues of the Democratic race than the runways. Fashion is always important in an election year, said the blog founder. Suddenly Hillary [Clinton] is in all these bright colors, like red, orange shades and green. It s quite a surprise. The same night across the country, the generation gap was evident. Guests at the first annual Society of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Spring Ball, sponsored by Bulgari, found themselves treated to a lamb dinner, a live auction by Jamie Niven and a high-energy performance by Natasha Bedingfield in the newly renovated Plaza Hotel Ballroom. Never mind that many had never heard of the Grammy-nominated singer. What does she sing? queried Grace Hightower. I have no idea who she is, laughed Jamee Gregory. We are all so out of it. My grandmother died of cancer, explained Bedingfield of her miniconcert, which was a break from her summer tour. The night before, downtown chic-lets swanned into West Village eatery Bobo for a less serious reason: a dinner honoring Palm Beach vintage costume jewelry brand House of Lavande and its founder Tracy Smith. Karen Elson and Sarah Sophie Flicker hosted guests including Jennifer Missoni, Celerie Kemble and Tabitha Simmons most of whom had stopped by the Lavande showroom earlier to pick up baubles for the affair. As might be expected of such a girlie affair, most women came without escorts save for Lucy Sykes, who had her very social hubby, Euan Rellie, in tow. Costume jewelry is much less frightening for the husbands than the real thing, she explained. Bitter:Sweet s Shana Halligan and Kiran Shahani Dayssi Olarte de Kanavos at the Plaza Hotel. Leighton Meester in Chanel. Michelle Williams in Rubin Singer with Natasha Bedingfield in Calvin Klein Collection. Muffie Potter Aston in Ralph Lauren with Grace Hightower. The pair grew up in Los Angeles surrounded by music, though of rather divergent ilks. Halligan, whose father is Dick Halligan of Seventies jazzrock band Blood, Sweat & Tears, was kept up many nights with musicians jamming in her house until 3 a.m. Shahani remembers coming home from school to his parents watching Indian movies with soundtracks rife with the South Asian music of his family s background. It all just got mishmashed into this somehow, explains Shahani of the sound the twosome has developed. It s kind of [James] Bond-y lounge-y, adds Halligan. Shahani puts it another way: It makes you want to shag. When performing, Halligan takes an old Hollywood approach, wearing sexy, floor-skimming vintage gowns with a big flower in her hair, a nod to one of her favorite singers, Billie Holiday. I also wear a lot of Ingwa Melero and Leona Edmiston, but I love Roberto Cavalli, Oscar de la Renta and Dolce & Gabbana, she says, noting she can t afford most of the latter just yet. Shahani completes their look, donning vintage suits, but also confesses to loving Paul Frank duds. So far Bitter:Sweet has proved an ideal match. It s nice having a partner you can count on, says Shahani. Halligan agrees: It s rare to have the same vision and same ear as someone when you re making music. Certainly working as a duo tops butting heads with a group of bandmates. We re both trying to get to the same place so it cuts out a lot of riffraff, and then we can boss everyone else around, says Halligan. Tara Bonet-Black

15 Financial Cavalli Staying Put If Label Gets Sold By Andrew Roberts and Brid Costello MILAN It s buy one, get one free at the Roberto Cavalli sale. In an interview with WWD, Cavalli said he s firmly part of the package, should he decide to sell his fashion label. Roberto Cavalli is me, the Italian designer said. I have built it all my life. It s like my big baby and I m its big daddy. Six suitors, who last month tabled preliminary proposals for Roberto Cavalli, likely will be given access to the firm s financial data this week to begin due diligence, WWD learned. These are said to be private equity firms Candover, The Carlyle Group, Cinven, CVC Capital Partners, Doughty Hanson and Texas Pacific Group. Merrill Lynch, which is advising on the sale, distributed a formal memorandum to interested parties in April, valuing the company at 1.4 billion euros, or $2.18 billion at current exchange some 14 times Cavalli s projected earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization for 2008, according to sources. Cavalli said he was waiting to see the potential and the quality of the offers on the table, and that only the best would do. However, he Roberto Cavalli and the Duchess of York. remained indefinite about giving up a stake something sure to frustrate the interested parties. I don t know yet if it will be a yes or not, Cavalli said. I don t need money. I don t need a partner. After losing out to Permira for Valentino last year, Carlyle is thought to be keen on Cavalli, as is Cinven, which has teamed up with Italian entrepreneur and department store mogul Maurizio Borletti, sources said. Underscoring his motivation for putting his business up for sale, Cavalli told WWD he would like to dedicate my time just to designing. Today, I have too many things to do. He added that he was looking for a business partner who could think in [organizational terms] with fantasy, like I think about creation with fantasy. Together, it would be a perfect combination. Despite due diligence usually taking around two months, sources speculated the suitors would have a tentative idea of whether or not to proceed with their bids inside four to five weeks. That said, Saffron Aldridge Cavalli noted that he did not expect the sale to be wrapped up before the summer. The current economic climate worldwide also could delay, if not derail, any sale. It will [take a] very long [time], Cavalli said. Meanwhile, the designer last week brought his latest lifestyle statement to drizzle-drenched London, where he showcased his brand s wine in his penthouse apartment off the tony Brompton Road and later at a party attended by the Duchess of York, Camilla Rutherford, Saffron Aldridge and Bianca Jagger. Everything is fashion today, said Cavalli, who also is working on designing residences and a Cavalli Club in Dubai, as well clubs in Milan, Miami and London. It can be wine, it can be vodka, it can be many other things. The designer took that philosophy to heart when designing bottles for his wine, which is produced on his family s estate in the Panzano region of Chianti and managed by his son, Tommaso Cavalli. The lower-priced Cavalli Selection sports a label featuring signature prints from Cavalli s fashion collections. Cavalli Collection, meanwhile, has a flacon engraved with the brand s signature serpent design and a copper logo featuring the Roberto Cavalli monogram. Two thousand bottles of Cavalli Collection, which is sold in leather presentation cases, will be produced annually. A bottle of Cavalli Selection is to go for 40 pounds, or $79 at current exchange, to 55 pounds, or $109, whereas a bottle of Cavalli Collection with two black crystal glasses and a corkscrew will sell for up to 450 pounds, or $891. Tommaso Cavalli said the family s vineyard likely will be close to full production this year with 60,000 bottles. By Amanda Kaiser TOKYO Fashion and luxury goods executives voiced tempered optimism about their business prospects at a conference here, hoping focused strategies and booming demand in emerging markets like China will offset sluggish sales in the U.S. and Japan. All of the statistics indicate that the luxury business has grown at a faster rate than the general economy. I think that trend is there to stay, said Toni Belloni, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton s group managing director, speaking at the Financial Times Business of Luxury Summit, held Thursday and Friday. I think the world today is offering, frankly, more opportunity than it offered in the past. Still, even companies that are growing in the current climate are holding off on financial forecasts for the next six to 12 months, thanks to the subprime mortgage crisis, rising oil prices and the ever-strengthening euro to the dollar and the yen. Despite his company s recent sales growth, Bottega Veneta chief executive officer Patrizio di Marco said it s important to remember that even top-tier luxury consumers, once considered to be immune to downturns, can be just as vulnerable in the current macroeconomic malaise. One doesn t have to have an outstanding mortgage to be affected by the subprime fallout, he offered. The crisis we are experiencing is significant, di Marco said. We have to be very cautious, at least until the end of next year. Belloni cited weakness in the U.S. among aspirational customers, such as shoppers on cruise ships, but not with hard-core luxury shoppers. We haven t seen any significant slowdown in the U.S., he said. As for Japan, Belloni noted that consumers are increasingly keen on value and snapping up Louis Vuitton s more affordable range of Neverfull tote bags. WWD, MONDAY, JUNE 2, Luxe Execs Cast Wider Net for Opportunities But the outlook at the conference wasn t entirely bleak. Executives continued to tout the massive potential of China, India and South Korea. They also discussed consumers growing tendency to eschew logos and It bags. The trends that you talk about, and I do believe it s the same here in Japan, is for the customer to love more individualized products, said Allison Pyrah, vice president of operations for Swarovski s consumer goods business in Greater China. I think some of the luxury brands are at a stretch and, I think, are probably the most vulnerable. Another prevailing theme was how younger fashion companies and brands in the turnaround All of the statistics indicate that the luxury business has grown at a faster rate than the general economy. I think that trend is there to stay. Toni Belloni, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton phase of their development still have room to grow in mature markets like Japan. Valentino just expanded its presence here, snagging a new retail account at Tokyo s hottest multibrand store, Restir. Meanwhile, Stella McCartney is hoping to win over customers with a new Tokyo Aoyama flagship, set to open in mid-september. The market in Japan is still very small for us, said Stella McCartney president and ceo Marco Bizzarri. So we have a huge opportunity.

16 16 WWD, MONDAY, JUNE 2, 2008 Financial Weekly Stocks P/E 52-WEEK VOLUME AMT HIGH LOW COMPANIES LAST CHANGE Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) Acadia (AKR) Aéropostale (ARO) Alberto Culver (ACV) Alpha Pro Tech (APT) American Eagle (AEO) Ann Taylor (ANN) Ashworth (ASHW) Avon (AVP) Bakers (BKRS) Bebe (BEBE) Benetton (BNGPY) Big Dog (WALK) Birks & Mayors (BMJ) BJs (BJ) Blue (BLUE) Bluefly (BFLY) Bon-Ton (BONT) Brown Shoe (BWS) Buckle (BKE) Caché (CACH) Capitalsource (CSE) Carter (CRI) Casual Male (CMRG) Cato (CTR) CBL (CBL) CCA (CAW) Charles & Colvard (CTHR) Charlotte Russe (CHIC) Charming Shoppes (CHRS) Chattem (CHTT) Cherokee (CHKE) Chico s (CHS) Children s Place (PLCE) Christopher & Banks (CBK) Cintas (CTAS) Citi Trends (CTRN) Coach (COH) Coldwater Creek (CWTR) Colgate Palmolive (CL) Columbia Sprtswr (COLM) Conns (CONN) Costco (COST) Crocs (CROX) Culp (CFI) Cygne Designs (CYDS) Deckers Outdoor (DECK) Delia s (DLIA) Delta Apparel (DLA) Delta Galil (DELTY) Developers Diversified (DDR) Dillard s (DDS) Dress Barn (DBRN) DSW (DSW) Duckwall-Alco (DUCK) Eddie Bauer (EBHI) Elizabeth Arden (RDEN) Estée Lauder (EL) Family Dollar (FDO) Finish Line (FINL) Forest City (FCY) Fossil (FOSL) Freds (FRED) G&K (GKSR) Gaiam (GAIA) Gap (GPS) General Growth (GGP) Genesco (GCO) G-III Apparel (GIII) Gildan Activewear (GIL) Glimcher (GRT) Gottschalks (GOT) Guess (GES) Gymboree (GYMB) Hampshire (HAMP) Hanesbrands (HBI) Hartmarx (HMX) Helen of Troy (HELE) Hot Topic (HOTT) House of Taylor (HOTJ) IAC Interactive (IACI) Iconix (ICON) Inter Parfums (IPAR) J. Crew (JCG) J.C. Penney (JCP) Jaclyn (JCLY) Joe s Jeans (JOEZ) P/E 52-WEEK VOLUME AMT HIGH LOW COMPANIES LAST CHANGE Jones Apparel (JNY) Jos. A. Bank (JOSB) Kenneth Cole (KCP) Kimberly Clark (KMB) Kimco Realty (KIM) Kohl s (KSS) K-Swiss (KSWS) LaCrosse Footwear (BOOT) Lakeland Inds (LAKE) Limited Brands (LTD) Liquidity Services (LQDT) Liz Claiborne (LIZ) LJ Intl. (JADE) Lululemon (LULU) Luxottica (LUX) Macerich (MAC) Macy s Inc. (M) Maidenform (MFB) Men s Wearhouse (MW) Marcus (MCS) Mothers Work (MWRK) Movado (MOV) Movie Star (FOH) National Retail Prop. (NNN) New York & Co. (NWY) Nike (NKE) Nitches (NICH) Nordstrom (JWN) Orange 21 (ORNG) Orchids Paper (TIS) Oxford (OXM) Pacific Sunwear (PSUN) Parlux Fragrances (PARL) Payless Shoes (PSS) Perry Ellis (PERY) Phillips-Van Heusen (PVH) Phoenix Footwear (PXG) Polo Ralph Lauren (RL) PriceSmart (PSMT) Quiksilver (ZQK) R.G. Barry (DFZ) Ramco-Gershenson (RPT) Regency Centers (REG) Retail Ventures (RVI) Revlon (REV) Rocky Brands (RCKY) Ross Stores (ROST) Saks (SKS) Sears (SHLD) Shoe Carnival (SCVL) Shoe Pavilion (SHOE) Simon Properties (SPG) Skechers (SKX) Sport-Haley (SPOR) Stein Mart (SMRT) Stephan (TSC) Steve Madden (SHOO) Superior Uniform (SGC) Syms (SYMS) Talbots (TLB) Tandy Brands (TBAC) Tandy Leather Factory (TLF) Tanger Factory Outlet (SKT) Target (TGT) Tarrant Apparel (TAGS) Taubman (TCO) Tefron (TFR) Tiffany & Co. (TIF) Timberland (TBL) TJ Maxx (TJX) True Religion (TRLG) Tween Brands (TWB) Under Armour (UA) Unifi (UFI) Unifirst (UNF) Urban Outfitters (URBN) VF Corp. (VFC) Volcom (VLCM) Wal-Mart (WMT) Warnaco (WRNC) Weingarten (WRI) Weyco (WEYS) Wilsons (WLSN) Wolverine (WWW) Zale (ZLC) Zumiez (ZUMZ) Fast Stats Total spending expected for Father s Day: $9.6 billion Average consumers plan to spend: $94.54 versus $98.34 last year. SOURCE: NATIONAL RETAIL FEDERATION WWD Index Composite The retail channel where most consumers plan to shop: 32.5 percent said department stores for the perfect tie or cologne. The retail channel to benefit the least: Only 7.9 percent of respondents plan to head to specialty apparel retailers for their gifts. Other popular gifts: 36.5 percent said apparel, 22.6 percent said books and/or CDs and 32.7 percent said gift cards. Not just dads: 48.2 percent said they will buy a gift for a father or stepfather, with the balance buying gifts for sons, grandfathers, brothers, friends and godfathers. Weekly % Changes (ending May 30) Gainers Change House of Taylor Finish Line Shoe Carnival Coldwater Creek Genesco Decliners Change Jaclyn J. Crew Joe s Jeans Delia s Nitches FINANCIAL SERVICES FOR THE APPAREL AND FOOTWEAR BUSINESS SINCE 1938 HERE THEN. HERE NOW. HERE TOMORROW. FACTORING ASSET-BASED LENDING DIRECT ACCESS TO THE PRIME DECISION-MAKERS For more information, please call Michael Cipriani, Executive Vice President, , Gary Turkish, Executive Vice President, , or Peter Menna, Executive Vice President,

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