H&M Luxury Line?

Following its recent foray into red-carpet dressing, Hennes & Mauritz is rumored to be planning a luxury brand that would be more expensive than its high-end COS brand. Contacted on Monday, H&M neither confirmed nor denied a report in the Swedish financial daily Dagens Industri (DI) that it was working on the new concept. “We are constantly looking at new ideas; it’s a natural part of our work. However, there is nothing new that we can talk about for the moment,” spokeswoman Charlotta Nemlin said. 


The project is said to involve designer Behnaz Aram, who previously designed women’s ready-to-wear for Swedish brand Whyred. In August 2011, Aram joined the design team at H&M New Business, the division in charge of the COS, Monki, Weekday and Cheap Monday brands.


Michelle Williams wore a custom-made H&M dress to the British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards in London, and the retailer will make its red-carpet creations available to the masses with the April 12 launch of the Exclusive Glamour Conscious Collection in around 100 stores worldwide. The line is made using more sustainable materials, and features items worn by stars including Amanda Seyfried, Viola Davis and Kristin Davis.

A dress from H&M’s Exclusive Glamour Conscious Collection.

Photo By Kacper Kasprzyk

Kenneth Cole New Collection

Besides moving to take the company private (which sources said could gain approval in a few weeks), KCP is launching a new women’s and men’s sportswear collection, named Kenneth Cole Collection, which has higher price points, better fabrics and more advanced styling. The new line marks a major effort by the company to jump-start its business and will impact everything from its retail stores to its marketing message.


“We’re entering this phase of adulthood. We’re about to become 30 [next year]. This is a transitional period. We’re in the process of elevating and returning to certain roots of the company and elements of its heritage. We’re turning to the next chapter, with a hint and suggestion of a prior one,” said Kenneth Cole, chairman and chief creative officer, in an interview. 


The goal is to elevate the quality of design, production and distribution, he said. Changes will evolve throughout the entire company, from “below the ankles and up. We’re reintroducing women’s footwear and handbags as we speak,” he said. Cole discontinued wholesale distribution of women’s footwear and handbags two years ago due to performance issues (they were available in Cole’s own stores and online), and is reintroducing them for fall. “We’re also going to reintroduce ourselves to the Kenneth Cole woman. We’re going to speak to her in a more elevated and engaged manner. What’s on her mind, and also what’s on her body,” said Cole, whose publicly traded company last year lost $2.9 million on $478.9 million in revenues!!!


He described the men’s Kenneth Cole Collection as “tailored, refined suits he can wear to work and after work.…It’s bomber jackets, double-breasted peacoats, it’s slim suits, more dressed-up sneakers in exotic materials and a lot of metal details.” The line includes fitted pony two-button jackets, body-skimming cashmere turtlenecks, slim-fit wool trousers, as well as distressed moto jackets, sharply tailored wool top coats and knit cardigans.

Stylish Moments in Music

The phenomenon of entertainment media product placement dates way back to 1927 when “Wings,” which took home the inaugural Academy Award for Best Picture, plugged Hershey’s chocolate. Though music lacks film’s visual possibilities, in recent years “brand-dropping,” as it has come to be known, has become just as common as its cinematic cousin. There’s even an advertising firm, The Kluger Agency, that focuses on bridging the gap between its clients and the music industry. 

The latest entrant into the pop-song-as-brand-advertisement is Madonna’s “I Don’t Give A” from her album “MDNA,” which hit shelves today. 

The track, which leaked last week, features an appearance from Nicki Minaj in which she raps “In the Gabbana in the eye of Prada/We Material Girls, ain’t nobody hotter - Pop's collar/See I really can relate to your Volvo/And you can’t get these shoes at Aldo.” 

So how many songs out there actually mention designer brands? Too many to list.

Levi's and World Water Days

Levi Strauss & Co. took an unconventional approach to its celebration of World Water Day on Thursday, asking employees to wear the same pair of jeans without washing them for the entire work week. Dubbed the Go Water Less Challenge, after Levi’s water-saving initiative, employees are asked to upload photos of themselves and their jeans to Instagram and Flickr, with the three most stylish participants, as chosen by the company’s designers, receiving $1,000 grants to donate to the water organization of their choice. Levi’s chief executive officer Chip Bergh took the bait and consumers were invited to do the same, with photos uploaded to Instagram with the tag #gowaterless.

Animal Testing and its Last Days?

China’s State Food and Drug Administration, or SFDA, has released a draft proposal approving the use of alternatives to animal testing for cosmetics. This is the first time the SFDA, which oversees the testing and registration of all domestically and internationally produced cosmetics on sale in China, has seriously considered changing its regulations to allow non-animal testing alternatives for cosmetics.


“With the fast development of the economy, animal welfare and protection are becoming more popular,” Professor Zhao Hua, who is head of the China Cosmetics Research Center, or CCRC, at Beijing Technology and Business University.


International cosmetic brands who want to import their products into China have to undergo stringent registration and licensing procedures, often using a company such as Guo’s CIRS to help them navigate China’s intricacies and bureaucracy. Any ingredient that has not previously been made available on the Chinese market is required to undergo a number of tests before it is licensed, including some conducted on animals. This regulation has become problematic for some international companies, which had previously committed to abandoning animal testing, but must now allow animal testing to gain access to the massive Chinese cosmetics market. Animal testing in China has recently become a hot-button issue in the U.S., where a class action lawsuit was filed in the central district of California on Feb. 28 against the Estée Lauder Cos., Inc., Avon Products Inc. and Mary Kay Inc. There also is pressure being applied by the California lawsuit, which alleges that Lauder, Avon and Mary Kay resumed animal testing of cosmetics in order to enter the Chinese market, despite claiming in the U.S. that their products are “cruelty free.”




Lauder stoutly defended its policies. “More than 20 years ago, we were one of the first companies to end animal testing to substantiate the safety of our products,” a Lauder spokeswoman told WWD in response to the lawsuit. “It is important that we share with you that our commitment to end animal testing everywhere has not changed. Our products are not tested on animals except when absolutely mandated by law. We are committed to the universal acceptance of non-animal test methods with the goal of eliminating animal testing. We will continue to invest in scientific research to promote acceptance of non-animal test methods by authorities around the world.”

Fighting Fakes

Following the launch of the “You Can’t Fake Fashion” campaign last year to crack down on counterfeiting, eBay and the Council of Fashion Designers of America have again teamed up on a new collection of original tote bags (last summer’s collection sold out in 48 hours). More than 75 CFDA designers, including Diane Von Furstenberg, Ralph Lauren, Robert Geller, Tory Burch, And Tommy Hilfiger, each customized a tote, retailing at $200 each. “The awareness around counterfeits generated by the campaign was invaluable and we hope to see even more of a reaction from industry and consumers this time around,” said Alan Marks, eBay’s senior vice president of global communications. “Based on consumer demand, we’ve doubled the size of the collection in addition to offering more styles.”

In addition to the customized designer totes, a limited edition range of standard totes in four styles will be offered for $45. The entire collection will be sold at “Buy It Now” prices starting today on eBay, with all proceeds benefiting the CFDA Foundation.

Tokyo Fashion Week

 Atsushi Nakashima started things off with a pair of sharply tailored suits and a dress — all featuring geometric patchwork details. The designer, who worked for Jean Paul Gaultier before launching his own line, progressed on to sporty items made of shiny synthetic fabric like a motorcycle jacket and trench coats. He also worked abstract prints into pant suits and short dresses. This show seemed tame and a little more commercial- by Tokyo standards- until he wrapped the proceedings with a handful of looks high on drama. Reprising the geometric theme, he adorned one dress with mirrored shards and created a large sculpted metal collar on a black gown. And a vampy red dress and cape worthy of Flash Gordon closed the show.

Even in Tokyo we are still seeing the reds pop up!

Here we have a great example of a cape that was the talk of the town at every other fashion week.

The velvet material once again shows itself in Tokyo. 

Watch out for the Watches

Despite hurdles ranging from soaring gold prices, the watch industry is heading for another record year, according to exhibitors at the Baselworld international watch and jewelry show in Switzerland.

The event, which ran from March 8 to March 15, attracted 104,300 visitors, up 1 percent compared with 2011, and a record 3,320 journalists, representing a 9 percent jump.


“The mood is good,” said Nick Hayek, chief executive officer of Swatch Group, the world’s largest watchmaker. “We know that the stock level at retail worldwide is low. Sales are good, so the retailers are enthusiastic.” “There was a sense of newfound prosperity. All of the brands were bringing out fresh product, and the brands were much more forward-looking than they have been in the past three years,” he said, referring to the aftermath of the 2009 global economic crisis that decimated Swiss watch sales.

The $5 million Hublot watch.

Boucheron Cypris Tourbillon sous trois Ponts d'Or Blanc

De Grisogono Tondo By Night

A New "Legacy" for an Old Company

Coach Inc. is returning to its roots in order to glimpse its future. A new dual-gender collection inspired by its heritage that will become the cornerstone of its business as well as impact every other aspect of the brand. The Legacy Collection is a lifestyle concept that includes an expansive selection of classic handbags with modern touches, vibrant small leather goods, funky shoes, hats, jewelry, eyewear and outerwear for fall and winter. 


“This is a big deal, it’s a very big deal,” said Coach chairman and chief executive officer Lew Frankfort, who called the collection “an inflection point” for the brand. “When we use the term ‘inflection,’ some of us mean ‘disruptive innovation,’ some of us mean ‘acceleration in business,’ some of us mean a ‘departure,’ ” he said. “Using business terms, I’d say it’s disruptive innovation. We’re hopeful that consumers will be surprised and delighted, that it will be very unexpected from Coach.”


Small women’s purses retail for $178, with larger tassel totes retailing for $798. The iconic new duffle will start at $348 and go up to over $1,000, depending on size and materials used. Exotic skins, such as pony hair, can drive the price up considerably. Men’s bags range from $398 for a courier style to $1,200 for a briefcase. While the arrival of Legacy will skew the brand’s price positioning somewhat  currently the bulk of Coach bags are $299 the higher price of the line doesn’t mark an entirely new chapter for the brand. 

Madison Park Collective Fashion Show Rehearsal

Thanks to my friend for sending me this link. Here is a little behind the scenes look and rehearsal of a LA fashion week show. 

Madison Park Collective Fashion Show