DONNA’S $43M SALE/3 SARA LEE EYES GROWTH/3Women’s Wear Daily • The Retailers’ Daily Newspaper • May 6, 2004 • $2.00

WWDTHURSDAYSportswear

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Smart ThinkingSmart ThinkingNEW YORK — The collegiate look of the early Seventies was

clearly on the minds of designers for fall. Hearty plaid jackets,

nubby knits and fine-wale corduroy all bring to mind the

bohemian chic of Ali MacGraw in “Love Story.” Here, for

example, DKNY Jeans’ cotton and acrylic turtleneck cardigan

and cotton corduroy skirt with a scarf from Ellen Tracy

Scarves. For more, see pages 6 and 7.

NEW YORK — The collegiate look of the early Seventies was

clearly on the minds of designers for fall. Hearty plaid jackets,

nubby knits and fine-wale corduroy all bring to mind the

bohemian chic of Ali MacGraw in “Love Story.” Here, for

example, DKNY Jeans’ cotton and acrylic turtleneck cardigan

and cotton corduroy skirt with a scarf from Ellen Tracy

Scarves. For more, see pages 6 and 7.

Broadline Leaders

Inside:Pg. 13

TheWWDList

See Bidding, Page14

Field’s Day Approaches:The Bidding Kicks OffFor Famed Retail ChainBy David Moin

NEW YORK — The books are out onMarshall Field’s and Mervyn’s and thebidding has begun.

Target Corp. will take preliminaryoffers on its Field’s and Mervyn’sdivisions, with first bids said to be dueMonday. This raises the possibility ofcompleting deals in the summer,according to retail and financial sources.

While there’s not expected to be anoutpouring of widespread interest, thetwo Target Corp. divisions couldcommand healthy prices despite beingunderperformers. That’s because

Rolex’s Cosmograph Daytona watch has yellow sapphires on thebezel. The information was incorrect in a story on page 8, Monday.

Correction

GENERALTarget Corp. will begin to take offers this month on its Marshall Field’s andMervyn’s divisions, raising the possibility of completing deals this summer.

LVMH paid designer Donna Karan $43.8 million during the first quarter of2004 to increase its stake in DKI to 98 percent from 89 percent.

Isaac Mizrahi added to his portfolio by signing a fur license with AlixandreFurs, with first-year wholesale volume projected at $2 million.

EYE: Bettina Zilkha talks about her new book “Ultimate Style: The Best of theBest Dressed List”…A star is born…Anika Poitier’s mockumentary…hats on.

FASHION: The old-school standard of a sweater and cords still looks fresh,but for fall, the ensemble is featuring some modern twists.

Adidas-Salomon saw its net income soar 41.1 percent to 72 million eurosin the first quarter, while sales dropped 3 percent to 1.62 billion euros.

DENIM DISH: Ron Gelfuso, co-founder of Mavi Jeans U.S., is launchingHarlow Jeans for fall…Mavi’s New Digs…Parsons’ Levi’s project.

BEAT: To sell hip-hop one needs to understand it, according to an Alloy-sponsored presentation called by AMPdi, a lifestyle marketing company.

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10

WWDTHURSDAYSportswear

● AGOA3 PASSES COMMITTEE: A measure to extend apparelduty-dropping benefits for the poorest sub-Saharan Africancountries cleared the House Ways and Means CommitteeWednesday by a voice vote. The measure would extend through2007 permission for 17 countries to use non-U.S. or non-Africanfabric in garments entering the U.S. duty free. The exception tothe Africa Growth & Development Act of 2000 is set to expire inSeptember. AGOA3, as the new measure is called, also would ex-tend through 2015 the original preferential trade bill set to ex-pire in 2008. No date for House floor action is scheduled, butAGOA3 has bipartisan support and is expected to be considered.

● COSTS HIT BERNARD: Improved sales weren’t enough to over-come rising costs for Bernard Chaus in the third quarter. For thethree months ended March 31, the New York-based designer sawearnings sink 13.8 percent to $1.8 million, or 6 cents a dilutedshare, compared with earnings of $2.1 million, or 7 cents a share,in the year-ago period. Sales for the period increased 6.7 percentto $43.7 million from $41 million. Selling, general and administra-tive expenses rose to $9.5 million, an increase of 280 basis pointsto 21.8 percent of sales. Comparatively, SG&A expenses came in at$7.8 million, or 19 percent of sales, in the year-ago quarter. For thenine-month period, earnings plunged 38.1 percent to $2.6 million,or 9 cents a share, from $4.2 million, or 14 cents a share. Salesrose 9.8 percent to $117.1 million from $106.7 million.

● RETAIL PULLS J. JILL: A 60 percent increase in sales in its retailsegment fueled first-quarter earnings for the J. Jill Group Inc. Forthe three months ended March 27, the Quincy, Mass.-based retail-er said earnings zoomed 189.7 percent to $2.2 million, or 11 centsa diluted share, beating Wall Street’s consensus estimate of 4cents. Comparatively, the company reported earnings of $768,000,or 4 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Sales for the quarter ex-panded 21.3 percent to $99.9 million from $82.4 million. Retailsales increased 60.1 percent to $50.2 million from $31.4 million.

In Brief

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Overheard at the apparel department of theTarget store in Queens: “This shirt is so cute and socheap… I think I’ll get it in two different colors!”

The speaker, a young, well-dressed shopper, andher equally fashionable friend, were a long subwayride from their usual shopping destinations on FifthAvenue. Yet, here in the Outer Boroughs, thesewomen were just as excited about the stylish clothingat the mass retailer as they were atthe pricey designer boutiquesthey typically visit.

As large retail chains such asTarget, J.C. Penneyand Wal-Martare raising the hipness quotient ontheir apparel, aided by designernames like Isaac Mizrahi andBisou Bisou, they’re joining thetrend established by retailers suchas Old Navy and H&M, to offeron-trend apparel at bargain base-ment prices.

Whether they’re on an assistant’s salary or rake in asix-figure income, women are frequenting thesestores to update their wardrobes, snap up inexpensivebasics, and to infuse style and color into theirwardrobe. The minimal investment means womencan become more adventurous with their wardrobe,and embrace trends more quickly.

According to the Cotton Incorporated LifestyleMonitor™, 52% of women surveyed said they aremore likely to buy clothing at Wal-Mart today thantwo years ago, while 58% of women said they’re morelikely to shop the apparel department at Target today,citing great prices and better styles.

Old Navy is one of pioneers offering “cheap chic”apparel.

“The brand was founded on the belief that fashionshould be fun and available to everyone,” saysCatherine Beaudoin, senior vice president ofmarketing strategy and communications for OldNavy. “Over the last 10 years,we have made fashion muchmore accessible. We’ve givenwomen permission toexperiment with fashion. Ifany woman can participatein a trend without breakingthe bank, it means she ismore free to interpret what style means to her.”

Stacey Lavalle, senior vice president of the women’sdesign team at Old Navy, says the designers at thecompany scour fashion magazines, travel to Europeand Asia, and monitor couture designers to determinewhat looks they should adapt. They also shop vintagestores for silhouette and pattern direction.

Lavalle reports that fashion basics are particularlypopular among their customers—for the summer,this means cotton tanks and camisoles. Cotton isimportant because it offers comfort and quality, andcan be used to achieve different dye methods—plusthe fiber is affordable.

“Color is doing well in these pieces,” affirms Lavalle.“That’s a great way for us to update our basics; an itemmight come in 15 different colorways.”

Lavalle notes that Old Navy customers incorporatetheir pieces into the rest of their wardrobe, includingdesigner labels. “It’s all about the mix—pairingdesigner jeans with an Old Navy cotton top,” she

says. “It’s about knowing that you don’t have to alwaysbuy designer-level things.”

When Swedish retailer H&M opened its firstUnited States location in 2000, lines of eager shoppersstretched around the block. Four years later, theretailer has expanded to include 70 U.S. locations,and its edgy fashions offer an inexpensive alternativefor fashion-conscious women.

“It is now possible for everyoneto hit the trend without spendinga lot of money,” relates JenniferUglialoro, spokesperson forH&M. She says the H&Mdesigner team draws from avariety of inspirations, includingstreet trends, exhibitions, filmsand trade fairs.

What’s selling now? Uglialororeports that candy-coloredappareland accessories are “flying” outof the stores.

A big fan of H&M is Sharon Haver, founder andstyle director of fashion Web site, www.Focuson-Style.com. Her closet is filled with pricey designerduds, but some of Haver’s favorite pieces includeH&M finds like a skirt that she “lives” in during thesummer, and a black cotton turtleneck she’s worn fortelevision appearances.

“H&M is great for perking up your wardrobe withsome trendy, $10 T-shirts, when the designer versionsare anywhere from $60 to $200,” says Haver.

This season, Haver says fashionistas should look tothe cheap-chic retailers for retro 1950s looks such ascotton cardigans or tweedy, ladylike jackets, plusbrightly colored accent pieces like T-shirts.

While these inexpensive options have encouragedwomen to shop more impulsively, and to infuse theirwardrobes with more trendy pieces, it doesn’tneces-sarily mean they’re trading on quality. According tothe Monitor, 65% of women surveyed disagree that

higher priced clothes arebetter quality than thosewith lower price tags, while60% of female consumersdon’t believe that payingmore for a garment meansit will last longer.

“If you shop at thesestores, it doesn’t mean that you’re less concernedabout quality,” asserts Sandra Henderson Williams,fashion merchandising instructor at the IllinoisInstitute of Art in Chicago, and a former retail buyerfor Sears. “I don’t think these less expensive retailersare in the business of offering disposable clothing andaccessories. Because these retailers are big, and have alot of stores and customers, they have the ability tonegotiate for progressively better products.”

Haver agrees that the quality of less expensiveapparel is improving. “It’s wise to go with naturalfibers, and make sure to check the seams and the fit,”she advises. “But then again, when you’re buyingsomething that’s super-trendy, you know it’s onlygoing to be worn for one season.”

A weekly update on consumer attitudes and behavior based on ongoing research from Cotton Incorporated

™

CHEAP CHICLooking like a million bucks, while spending considerably less, has never been easier

This story is one in a series of articles based on findings from CottonIncorporated’s Lifestyle Monitor™ tracking research. AppearingThursdays in these pages, each story will focus on aspecific topic as it relates to the American women’swear consumer and her attitudes and behaviorregarding clothing, appearance, fashion, fiber selec-tion and many other timely, relevant subjects.

Which mass merchants are you more likely toshop at today than two years ago?

“It is now possible for everyone to hit the trend without spending a

lot of money.”

– Jennifer UglialoroH&M

Wal-Mart 53% 56%

Target 55% 49%

Women income $25K to $49K

Women income $50K to $75K

3WWD, THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2004

ROCK THE BOAT: Just call him Captain Cavalli. Sources inEurope said the Italian designer Roberto Cavalli is buyinghimself a very expensive new toy: a 40-meter, custom-made yacht. Cavalli could not be reached for comment,but it is understood that Baglietto is constructing thealuminum pleasure cruiser — capable of speeds up to40 miles per hour — in time for delivery this summer.

POWER OF THE PEN: Ben Affleck is expanding his all-outeffort to get John Kerry elected president. The actor, whohas been a headliner at several Kerry fundraisers when heshows up in his hometown of Cambridge, Mass.,volunteered to expand his portfolio when he bumped intoKerry’s friend and campaign guru, Bob Shrum, on Saturdayat the ABC party in Washington for the White HouseCorrespondents’ Association dinner. “I always wanted tobe a speechwriter,” Affleck told Shrum, offering hisservices in the upcoming months to write speeches for thecandidate. “Hey, just listen to the speeches he wrote for‘Goodwill Hunting,’” Shrum said Tuesday. “Of course I’duse his work.” Affleck and his pal Matt Damon shared a1997 Oscar for the movie’s screenplay.

LOOKING EAST: Last Wednesday night in London, BritishPrime Minister Tony Blair feted some of the world’s most

glamorous Eastern Europeans, including Estonia’s CarmenKass, actress Rachel Weisz, Czech model Karolina Kurkovaand Jacquetta Wheeler — who’s English but came with herPolish boyfriend, Alex Lubomirski. During a reception at theForeign and Commonwealth Office to celebrate the entranceof 10 countries into the European Union, guests drankchampagne, dipped into hazelnut pumpernickel canapésand listened to Blair praise a united Europe. Kass, who’srunning for election as a European Member of Parliament,looked suitably sober in a gray tweed Roland Mouret dressand rectangular, steel-framed glasses. “I’ve accomplished allI can in modeling,” Kass said. “Now I want to givesomething back to Estonia.” She’s confident she’ll be able tojuggle two jobs. “Hopefully, I can still model on the side.”

SIGHT UNSEEN: Does the entire industry have Tom Ford-itus? At Catherine Malandrino’s birthday dinner Sundaynight, even celebrity stylist Phillip Bloch was talking up hisnew project as a film producer. Inspired by the 1965Sidney Poitier classic “A Patch of Blue,” Bloch said he ispreparing to personally take on the role of a blindSouthern man who gets abused by his older brother in afilm called “The Unseen.” So dedicated is Bloch that he’seven been walking around the city wearing contact lensesthat distort his vision to experience life as a blind man,and he claims to have had several run-ins with errant taxidrivers. According to Bloch, if all goes well, MichaelRapaport might soon be joining the cast as the offendingbrother, plus Christina Applegate as his love interest.

Fashion Scoops

By Karyn Monget

NEW YORK — Lee A. Chaden,the new chief executive officer ofSara Lee Branded Apparel, saidhe is poised to grow the $6.4 bil-lion division over the next sever-al years in the global arena.

In a telephone interviewfrom Sara Lee’s distributioncenter in Winston-Salem, N.C.,Chaden told WWD, “I’ve literal-ly been at my new post since 8a.m. Monday. I believe in growthand am absolutely confident wecan grow this [branded apparel]business tremendously.”

Chaden, 63, said he plannedno changes following the abruptexit of his predecessor, Cary D.McMillan, which was announcedSunday. “I think I’m going to buildon the initiatives and strategiesthat Cary put into place. We’vebeen colleagues and friends. Idon’t see any major changes.”

McMillan had been in the jobsince November 2001.

Chaden, who most recentlywas executive vice president ofglobal marketing and sales forSara Lee Corp. and remains anexecutive vice president of SaraLee Corp., would not elaborate onthose initiatives and strategies,but at a Sara Lee conference withinvestment banking firm Shields& Co. on Feb. 27, McMillan andChaden discussed the company’slong-term strategies to increaseits profitability and growth rate.The four basic elements govern-ing Sara Lee’s actions includedinvesting in organization, focus-ing on cash generation, develop-ing innovative products and in-vesting in key brands.

McMillan could not be reachedregarding his departure fromSara Lee, and Chaden would notdiscuss the matter. However, aSara Lee spokeswoman said, “Tomy knowledge, [McMillan] hasn’tchosen to talk about his personalreasons for leaving the company.”

According to a Merrill Lynchanalysis of Sara Lee releasedMonday, McMillan “led the com-pany’s largest division and was

widely viewed as a possible suc-cessor to Sara Lee ceo StevenMcMillan” (who is no relation toCary). The report noted that,while Cary McMillan made sig-nificant operational changes tostreamline the apparel opera-tion, it was affected by a toughretail environment, skyrocketingpension costs and higher cottonprices, which overshadowed anumber of positives from re-structuring. “The restructuring isnot complete and the businessmust contend with the majorchanges in apparel import quo-tas in 2005,” it said.

Regarding Chaden, the MerrillLynch report said, “[He] will prob-ably be able to contend with theissues at hand fairly quickly, giventhat he has spent many yearsworking in the apparel division.”

In the most recent quarterended March 27, branded ap-parel sales increased 4.5 per-cent to $1.56 billion from $1.5billion a year ago, while operat-ing income declined 23.3 per-cent to $142 million from $185million a year ago. Sara Lee at-tributed the segment’s declineto price pressures and an unfa-vorable product mix, as well ashigher cotton and pension costs.

For the nine-month period,branded apparel’s incomedropped 33.9 percent to $401million from $607 million, whilenet sales fell 1.2 percent to $4.81billion from $4.86 billion.

Chaden joined Sara Lee in1991, was named ceo of Sara LeeIntimates in 1994, was elected avice president of Sara Lee Corp.in 1995 and a senior vice presi-dent in 1998. In 1999, he becameceo of Sara Lee Branded Apparelin Europe and in 2001, was ap-pointed to the new post of seniorvice president of human re-sources for the corporation.

Gilbert Harrison, chairmanof Financo Inc., an investmentfirm, observed, “Lee is an ex-traordinarily talented person.We worked with him before onSara Lee mergers when he waswith domestic [operations]. We

were very impressed with hisgrasp of the market and hisknowledge of the [apparel] in-dustry. I believe he will contin-ue to grow Sara Lee products.”

As to how Chaden plans to ex-pand the reach of its portfolio ofintimates brands that in fiscal2003 generated annual revenuesof $6.4 billion of Sara Lee’s over-all $18.3 billion, Chaden said thestrategy is threefold: continuingto bring meaningful product newsto the marketplace, gleaning in-sight from core consumers andsupporting these initiatives withtechnological breakthroughs.

Among the portfolio of brandsChaden will oversee are: HanesHer Way for women, which gen-erates annual volume of over $1.6billion; Playtex, which does morethan $800 million, Bali, whichhas yearly sales of more than$500 million, and Champion forwomen, which does more than$500 million annually. He willalso steer Wonderbra, DIM,Barely There and Just My Size.

Asked which brands and cate-gories are expected to providethe largest opportunities forSara Lee, Chaden replied, “Withthe exception of hosiery, whichhas leveled off and I don’t thinkwill return to its glory days, I en-vision growth opportunitiesacross our entire portfolio. Thething I am so enthusiastic aboutis our unique position in brands,resources and technology.”

Chaden Eyeing Global GrowthFor Sara Lee Branded Apparel

NEW YORK — Not one to missan opportunity, the ever-presentIsaac Mizrahi has added fur tohis portfolio.

Through a licensing deal withAlixandre Furs, a company he hasworked with informally off and onfor the past 25 years, the designerwill add fur outerwear and fur-trimmed ready-to-wear and ac-cessories to his Isaac Mizrahimade-to-order collection for fall.

Mizrahi isn’t exactly a new-comer to the fur industry, havingworked with fur since he was adesign assistant at Perry Ellisand later at Calvin Klein. “It wasa big part of my formative expe-rience. I learned how to makefur from the ground up. I’m sortof like a Pavlovian dog that sali-vates when it hears bells. I lovefur,” said Mizrahi.

Not straying from his whimsi-cal spirit, he will serve up furs inpink, emerald, silver and otheroffbeat hues. Geared for depart-ment and specialty stores, the col-lection will include fur coats,shearlings, fur-trimmed coats andfur-lined coats. First-year project-ed wholesale volume is $2 mil-lion, according to LawrenceSchulman, vice president ofAlixandre Furs. Wholesale priceswill range from $1,500 to $100,000.

“His sense of humor and wholeoutlook is something that is need-ed in the fur market. He has a dif-ferent point of view that is morefun and modern,” Schulman said.“Plus, he’s a friend.”

Alixandre Furs producedPerry Ellis-licensed furs for 11years, and now makes fur-trimmed rainwear under the

Jane Charney for Alixandrelabel, as well as licensed furs forOscar de la Renta.

“We’re not interested in justmaking pieces. We want to knowwho designers are and whattheir designs are all about,”Schulman said.

Fur will be on the runway atMizrahi’s High/Low fall 2004show, which will showcase hismade-to-order styles as well ashis designs for Target, atCipriani’s on June 14. Indicativeof the way women dress, “orwould dress if they could,” the de-signer plans to pair basics withluxe pieces, such as a $5,000 sablecoat with a $10 Target T-shirt.

In the meantime, fans can buytickets at StubHub.com to asneak-preview taping of the IsaacMizrahi Show, the designer’s talkshow that’s in development forNBC. Proceeds will benefit theMuseum of Radio and Television,founded in 1975 by William Paley.

— Rosemary Feitelberg

Mizrahi Gets Fur License

By Miles Socha

PARIS — LVMH Moët HennessyLouis Vuitton is tightening its gripon Donna Karan International —and enriching the designer withfresh millions.

The French luxury giant paidKaran $43.8 million during thefirst quarter of 2004 to increaseits stake in DKI to 98 percentfrom 89 percent, according to arecent statutory filing here withBalo, France’s official govern-ment publication of record.

Karan owns the remaining 2percent of the company’s capital.

In a statement, the designersaid, “When Donna KaranInternational was sold to LVMHin 2001, I retained an equity in-terest in the company. The origi-nal agreement provided that Iwould have the opportunity tosell a portion of my ownershipback to LVMH, which I did inJanuary 2004. I still hold a mean-ingful equity investment in DKIand am extremely excited aboutDKI’s future and my role asDKI’s creative director.”

Karan struck a $643 milliondeal three and a half years ago tosell her design and licensing com-pany to LVMH at the height of theFrench luxury group’s acquisitionspree. The price included $400million for Gabrielle Studio Inc.,the licensor of the New Yorkfirm’s trademarks that was ownedby Karan and her husband,Stephan Weiss, who died in June2001. The balance represented

the cost of acquiring all outstand-ing common stock in DKI.

LVMH made the latest, com-pulsory filing with Balo in ad-vance of its annual shareholders’meeting next week. Its filing alsounderlines the poor performanceof Donna Karan already highlight-ed by LVMH last month, when itreported a 1.7 percent rise in con-solidated sales for the first quar-ter to $3.57 billion, or 2.85 billioneuros at current exchange.

Karan was “barely” profitablein 2003, as sales declined about15 percent to less than $400 mil-lion, according to a researchnote published Wednesday byAntoine Belge, luxury analyst atHSBC in Paris.

As reported, DKI revenueswere down about 30 percent indollar terms in the quarterended March 31, due to storeclosures and the loss of salesfrom the European jeanswearbusiness, which is now licensed.

Those measures are expect-ed to have a “slightly positive”impact on profitability for thefull year, according to Belge,who pegs DKI’s EBIT margins at2 percent for the year.

LVMH’s Balo filing also re-vealed that the group upped itsstake in Millennium Import Co.,which controls the Polish distill-ery that turns out the premiumvodkas Belvedere and Chopin.LVMH paid $107 million to in-crease its stake to 70 percent fromthe original 40 percent it boughtfor $75 million in July 2002.

LVMH Pays Karan $43.8M To Raise Stake in DKI to 98%

Mizrahi’s

sketch of a

Fisher

Grizzly coat

and hat.

Lee A. Chaden

WWD, THURSDAY, MAY 6, 20044

Sitting next to publisher Prosper Assoulineat a charity benefit two years ago provedfortuitous for social fixture Bettina Zilkha.Assouline was so impressed with hisFrench-speaking dinner date that he offeredher a job in his office, which Zilkha politely

declined. Instead she pitched an idea for her own tome.The result is “Ultimate Style: The Best of the Best

Dressed List” (Assouline), a glossy coffee table bookchronicling the most enduring fashion icons fromlegendary publicist Eleanor Lambert’s 64-year-oldannual poll. Zilkha kicks off its publication with anequally glamorous launch party tonight at Gotham Hall.

“The book’s the only place where the list ispublished in its entirety,” says Zilkha, sipping mint teaat a corner table at Cipriani Uptown and wearinghead-to-toe Tuleh. Zilkha’s picks of the best ones —

including such swans asthe Duchess of Windsor,Babe Paley, CarolinaHerrera, Raquel Welchand Gwyneth Paltrow —are not entirely her own.She met several timeswith Lambert before shedied in 2003. “Everydecade was so clear forher except for theEighties,” says Zilkha.“Eighties fashion was theworst and Eleanor wouldsay so, too.”

After two years ofresearch, Zilkha organized the book by decade, profilingeach of her picks’ looks while dishing some old gossip.Paley, for instance, planned her funeral right down tothe selection of food and wine. Gloria Guinness,meanwhile, tried to sabotage Paley’s flawless fashionreputation by instructing her to bring only casual clotheson a yachting trip she was hosting. Guinness planned, andthen dressed for, a formal dinner.

For those aspiring to make next year’s list, Zilkha saysshe picked up a few tips. “Always be aware of how you look and be well-groomed, but not forced,” she instructs. “You also have to be visible.”

But tastefully so. “People who drink and smoke too much,” according toZilkha, commit the ultimate fashion faux pas.

She hopes the book will serve as a reference for fashion students for years tocome, as well as inspire its readers. “It used to be just the wives of powerfulmen who made the Best Dressed List,” she says. “Now you have independentwomen who make their own careers. You go, girls!”

— Alison Burwell

eye®

Do You Like My Hat?: The ladies arrived at the Frederick Law Olmsted Awards Luncheon for the CentralPark Conservancy Wednesday wearing their Eric Javits best, though some, of course, chose toconstruct their own headwear. Others decided not to let a hat get in the way of their air-kissing andlobster-stuffed papaya entrée. “I’ll only wear a hat to the Kentucky Derby, a wedding in England and tothis luncheon,” said Blaine Trump, clad in a lavender number with flowers appliquéd. “It’s like drivinga bumper car with all these hats.”

NEW YORK — Anika Poitier has taken a running gag about a fakerock band and turned it into a mockumentary.

No, it isn’t “This is Spinal Tap.” But that film, along with thedocumentary “American Movie,” served as inspiration forPoitier’s film, “The Devil Cats,” which will be shown tonight andFriday night at the Tribeca Film Festival.

“A friend of ours, Sal, came up with the fake band idea yearsago,” says Poitier, 32, who soon began referring to herself, her sisterSydney Tamiia Poitier (both are daughters of Sidney Poitier andJoanna Shimkus), and four other friends as The Devil Cats, a bandwho played no instruments, never performed and adopted fakenames like Anita Mandalay and Hellena Handbasket. “As anotherlittle joke, Sal said that we could play two songs at his birthdayparty, and I documented the whole thing.”

Recognizing the comic potential inherent in their story (thewomen had to be taught how to hold their instruments before playing), Poitier wrote an outline for amockumentary. Like many other independent filmmakers, the L.A.-based Poitier was on a shoestringbudget, so she spent money on locations, hiring a director of photography and food. “Everyone, for the mostpart, worked for free,” she explains. “We filmed in each other’s houses and we did all our own wardrobe.”

Her sister, Sydney (“Joan of Arcadia”), produced the film and also stars in it alongside their friendsMary Klimek, Lesley Ann Poling, Gillian Lee Whitlock and Jill Crawford. The four women work primarilyas hair and makeup artists (Crawford is a caterer) on film sets, so they graciously served as castmembers and a built-in crew.

Poitier, who grew up in Los Angeles and attended Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, N.Y., spenttime modeling and acting before writing two short films. The first was a documentary about the younghomeless population in Los Angeles and the second is currently being turned into a feature that,according to Poitier, is about “loneliness and love and imagination.”

In a case of life imitating art imitating life, The Devil Cats, who spend the movie learning how toplay together, will actually perform four songs at Plaid before Friday’s midnight screening.

“It’s tongue-in-cheek,” Sydney says of the stage show. “The last time we played Gillian said, ‘Myguitar’s not working,’ but she hadn’t plugged into the amp.”

Poitier has already shown the “The Devil Cats” at the the Palm Springs Film Festival and theSonoma Valley Film Festival, where it won the jury award for best feature in its category. Even thoughPoitier is hoping the film will get distributed, she has another less lofty goal. “I just hope that peoplesee it, and laugh, and get it,” she says. Emphasizing her point: “Mainly, I just hope people laugh.”

— Jamie Rosen

NEW YORK — It’s a dream cometrue for a chorus girl — in theensemble one day andheadlining a show the next.

Jessica Grové, 22, a memberof the “Thoroughly ModernMillie” chorus since the showopened in 2002, gets a chance atstardom this weekend in theEncores concert production of“Bye Bye Birdie” at City Center.(The series is often a breedingground for new talent.) She playsKim MacAfee — the role madefamous by Ann-Margret in thefilm version — a teenager on thebrink of womanhood from Sweet Apple, Ohio, who has been chosen to kissrock star Conrad Birdie before he’s off to the Army.

“I was never around during my high school years, so I didn’t get to playthis part then,” says Grové, who grew up in Columbus, Ohio. She spent herformative years on national tours of “Oliver!” and “The Wizard of Oz,” not tomention practicing “How Lovely to Be a Woman,” one of her big numbersfrom “Bye Bye Birdie,” in her bedroom for an audience of one — her cat.“But I’m probably better at playing 15 now than I would have been then.”

Grové was cast in the production in late March, and she’s taken off twoweeks from “Millie” to put together “Birdie.” “It’s fast and furious,” she saysof rehearsing the show’s nuts and bolts in a matter of 14 days. “But it feelslike I’m on vacation — it’s a mental break.”

No matter the excitement of “Birdie,” which she hopes will have a longerlife than the scheduled six performances, Grové can’t wait to return to“Millie,” where she also understudies the part of Millie’s friend, MissDorothy Brown. “It’s funny to go from being exposed back to your comfortzone,” she explains, adding that she still regularly goes out on auditions.“I’ve been in ‘Millie’ this long, I might as well stick it out. If it runs as long as‘Cats,’ well, that’s another story.”

— Marshall Heyman

Manual of Style

BroadwayBirdie

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SAS and all other SAS Institute Inc. product or service names are registered trademarks or trademarks of SAS Institute Inc. in the USA and other countries. ® indicates USA registration. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective companies. © 2004 SAS Institute Inc. All rights reserved. 280183US.0504

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WWD, THURSDAY, MAY 6, 20046

Clockwise from top left:

Free People’s coat; DC Apparel’s

hoodie and blouse; Jou Jou’s skirt.

Michael Kors boots.

Ben Sherman’s sweater; Juicy

Couture’s turtleneck; Rock &

Republic’s pants. Sergio Rossi boots.

Diesel’s coat, turtleneck and cap. Scarf

from Ellen Tracy Scarves.

Necessary Objects’ blazer; Unionbay’s

sweater; True Religion’s jeans. Stuart

Weitzman boots.

Jumpsuit from Baby Phat by Kimora

Lee Simmons; Coolwear’s sweater with

an attached blouse. Dry-Shod bag;

Stuart Weitzman boots.

NEW YORK —You don’t need aRadcliffe degree

to see that theold-school

standard of asweater and

cords still looksfresh. This

season, beltedknits are cut

shorter, zipperslie off-center

and cords arecropped, cuffed

and tiered.Remember,good taste

means neverhaving to sayyou’re sorry.

Varsity Rags

7WWD, THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2004

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NO BASH FOR MR. BIG: It seems RonGalotti doesn’t want a star-studdedsend-off after all. The former GQpublisher, who’s starting a new life asa gentleman farmer in Vermont, askedTina Brown to cancel the farewell partyshe was planning to throw May 19.The two worked together at Talk andVanity Fair. “Ron called Tina to saythat he couldn’t make it because he

has to buy his animals that day,” saidBrown’s assistant Wednesday. Galottiwas invited to reschedule, butprobably won’t, said a friend. A formercolleague speculated Galotti mightnot feel comfortable appearing inpublic so soon after being quoted inNew York magazine expressingbitterness toward several Condé Nastexecutives, including Steve Florio,who fired him last summer. “I think[the article] was his kiss-off, f--- you,swan song, he’s out of here,” theformer colleague said.

WWD, THURSDAY, MAY 6, 20048

NEW YORK — Thanks to colorful fashion, retail-ers are expected to post robust April comparable-store sales gains this today.

Analysts said retailers — particularly in thespecialty and department store channels — arebenefiting from a positive consumer response tomerchandise sets that are chock full of color.Companies also face easier year-over-year salescomparisons.

But Easter’s shift to March this year along withcooler temperatures in April may drag results,which is why analysts are offering April same-store sales estimates for specialty, departmentand mass retailers that call for average compgains between 4.5 to 8.7 percent.

In turn, WWD’s Consensus Comp Estimate ispegged to show a gain of 5.8 percent for April. ForMarch, the average year-over-year percent changefor the retailers tracked by WWD came in with again of 8.2 percent.

Still, there is a lot of momentum at retail.According to recent data from the Bureau ofEconomic Analysis, an agency of the U.S.Department of Commerce, consumer expenditureson apparel and fashion footwear jumped 7.3 per-cent to $326.9 billion in the first quarter of this yearfrom $304.8 percent in the same period last year.

Goldman Sachs analysts Adrianne Shapira andGeorge Strachan said in a research note this weekthat the “spring sales momentum has continued”in April. They expect a “slight easing” in same-store sales due to the Easter calendar shift as wellas cooler weather during the month.

Brian J. Tunick, equity analyst with J.P.Morgan, said in his research note that businesshas been “aided by strong, full-price selling driv-en by what appears to be a new fashion cycle.” Asa result, he expects April comps, “while not as ro-bust as March, will certainly not disappoint.”

Deborah Weinswig, equity analyst at SmithBarney, said April’s apparel retailing was allabout color. “Key trends for spring are bright col-

ors, pink and yellow, ‘preppy’ looks, status-luxuryitems, and anything with logos,” she said in herresearch note. “In addition, we remain encour-aged by the reemergence of higher ticket careerwear for both men and women and believe thatthis trend should help to boost the average trans-action size, with the department stores thebiggest beneficiaries.”

Kimberly Greenberger, equity analyst atLehman Brothers, said she has been impressedwith what she sees at retail. “While color storiesremain bright, the contrast [between spring andsummer floor sets] is not as noticeable given thatspring’s colors were also vivid.”

Greenberger said she believes specialty retail-ers such as Ann Taylor Loft, Bebe Stores,Hollister, and Banana Republic, among others,have “the strongest assortments” this spring.

— Ross Tucker and Arthur Zaczkiewicz

Colorful Mix Expected to Boost CompsPersonal Expenditures of Clothing and Shoes

(in billions)

SOURCE: BUREAU OF ECONOMIC ANALYSIS, U.S. DEPT OF COMMERCE

PARIS — In a bold move thatharkens to fragrance days ofyore, Hermès International hasappointed Jean-Claude Ellena asits first in-house perfumer.

Starting June 7, Ellena willoversee the brand’s olfactivecreations exclusively and workwith its chief executive officer,Veronique Gautier.

“I believe [the move] is natu-rally in keeping with Hermès,”she explained, adding it allowsthe house to show its savoir-fairein the world of perfumery.“Second, it gives us fragranceswith a signature. Jean-Claudehas a style. He has an elegantsignature and a very Hermèsway of approaching materials.”

Ellena said he joined forceswith Hermès because “it is abeautiful house” with an under-standing of artisanal trade.

“It doesn’t take a marketingapproach, but one of an artistthat makes beautiful objects,”he added.

Ellena, who has been workingwith fragrance supplier Symrise,was trained at Givaudan in 1968.His scent projects since have in-cluded Van Cleef & Arpels’ First,Bulgari’s Eau Parfumée, Cartier’s

Declaration and Frederic Malle’sCologne Bigarade.

The first fragrance Ellenacreated for Hermès was Un

Jardin en Mediterranée, an eaude toilette introduced in 2003.His next venture for the housewill be a project — still underwraps — that is slated forlaunch this fall exclusively inHermès’ 25 stores worldwide.

The company’s hiring ofEllena marks a twist on manufac-turers’ typical strategy, which en-tails their outsourcing fragranceprojects rather than hiring a full-time perfumer.

Guerlain was the most recentstoried French house to stopworking with an in-house nosewhen, in early 2002, Jean-PaulGuerlain — the great-grandsonof the company’s founder — re-tired as master perfumer.

Today in France, only Chanel,with Jacques Polge, and JeanPatou, with Jean-Michel Duriez,boast their own fragrance creators.

— Jennifer Weil

Hermès Names EllenaAs In-House Perfumer

By Jeff Bercovici

NEW YORK — Esquire was thebig winner at this year’s NationalMagazine Awards, sponsored bythe American Society of MagazineEditors and held Wednesday atthe Waldorf-Astoria Hotel here.

Esquire editor in chief DavidGranger accepted awards for fic-tion, design, profile writing andreviews and criticism. The NewYorker, another perennial winner,took home three “Ellies,” as theawards are known, for essays, fea-ture writing and public interest.

The only fashion magazine toearn an Ellie was W, which wonin the portfolio/photo essay cat-egory for a 40-page photo essayon Kate Moss. W is published byFairchild, which owns WWD.

Prizes in the general excellencecategory, which is segmented bycirculation size, went to News-week, Popular Science, Gourmet,Budget Living, Chicago Magazineand Aperture. Gourmet and TheNew Yorker are published byCondé Nast, a unit of Fairchildparent Advance Publications Inc.

The constant churn of themagazine industry made for anumber of poignant momentsduring the ceremonies. New Yorkmagazine won the award forcolumns and commentary writ-

ten by Michael Wolff, now awriter for Vanity Fair. “The truthis that I might have preferred adifferent prize,” Wolff said, allud-ing to his failed attempt to buyNew York (which was bought byfinancier Bruce Wasserstein in-stead). Wolff accepted the awardalong with New York editor inchief Adam Moss, who replacedCaroline Miller at the title inFebruary. “Here I am acceptingan award for which I can take ab-solutely no credit,” said Moss.

Esquire’s Granger, mean-while, accepted the reviews andcriticism award for columns writ-ten by Tom Carson, now a writerfor rival GQ. “He’s been nominat-ed twice and he’s won twice,”Granger said.

Later, The Oxford American,which shut down last year, wonthe single-topic issue award forits annual music issue.

Martha Stewart, who was con-victed on federal obstruction ofjustice and conspiracy charges,was present, but her namesakemagazine lost to Newsweek inthe general excellence category.Addressing Stewart, Newsweekeditor Marc Whittaker said,“There are a lot of photogra-phers assembled down therewho are very disappointed thatyou’re not up here.”

Esquire Leads ASME Winners

BERLIN — Due to strong first-quarter profits, Adidas-Salomonexpects full-year net earnings togrow 10 to 15 percent in 2004.

For the period ended March31, the company posted net in-come that soared 41.1 percent to72 million euros from 51 millioneuros in the prior period, whilesales dropped 3 percent to 1.62billion euros from 1.67 billioneuros. At the average exchangerate, net income jumped 64.2percent to $90 million in themost recent quarter from $54.8million in the prior year, whilesales gained 13.2 percent to $2.03billion from $1.79 billion.

The Herzogenaurach, Ger-many-based group attributedthis performance to solid salesgrowth and improving gross andoperating margins, supported bylower financial expenses.

The group reported salesgrowth, at constant, or currencyneutral, exchange rates in all re-gions except North America,where group sales were down 19percent in euros and down 7 per-cent on a constant exchange ratebasis. Adidas said the declinewas due to lower footwear salesin the Adidas Sport Performancedivision.

However, on a conference call,Adidas-Salomon chairman andchief executive officer HerbertHainer said the company is mak-ing “measurable progress inNorth America.” Sales weredown, “but still significantly high-er than the year before.”

Adidas-Salomon now expectsNorth American sales will showpositive development in the sec-ond half of the year. RobinStalker, chief financial officer,confirmed that regional sales

would remain down in the firsthalf of the year, “as expected. Butwe will definitely see an increasein the second half, and are ex-pecting full-year top line saleswill be slightly up with improvingmargins and profitability.”

Stalker said the primary goalfor Adidas in North America is“getting back to profitability.That means making sure wehave quality products in theshops,” he explained. “We needto work better with retailers andmore properly differentiateproduct with the various retail-ers. We are also presenting ourproduct better to the consumerthrough our own retail stores,and 15 new ones are plannedover the next 12 to 18 months.And our new brand [ad] cam-paign ‘Impossible is Nothing’ is

also a strong reminder of thebrand. Obviously all this needsto come together, but the feed-back has been very positive, andthe second half of the year looksgood,” Stalker concluded.

As part of a plan to pump upits sales in North America,Adidas recently signed a dealwith hip-hop star Missy Elliottto launch a line of apparelunder the name Respect M.E.The line, which will launch inthe U.S. in September and rollout internationally starting inNovember, is expected to postmultimillion-dollar sales in itsfirst season.

In other regions, group salesin Europe grew 4 percent and 2percent on a euro basis, buoyedby solid performance in France,Iberia and the U.K. as well as inemerging markets, especiallyRussia. Hainer said Europe gen-erated record-breaking operat-ing profit due to strong grossmargins, but did not give figures.

In Asia, Japan, China andAustralia, sales gained 6 percentwhile falling 2 percent on a euroexchange basis. In Latin America,sales rose 43 percent, and on aeuro basis, were up 36 percent.

Adidas-Salomon is maintain-ing its sales projections for2004, which call for a top lineincrease of between 3 and 5percent. Gross margin, whichgrew 3.4 percentage points to45.9 percent in the first quarter,the highest first-quarter grossmargin in the history of thegroup, is “projected to be atleast 45 percent [for 2004] andoperating margin will improveversus the prior year’s level,”the group said.

— Melissa Drier

Adidas Net Rises 41.1% in Qtr.

BEAUTY BEAT

Herbert

Hainer

MEMO PAD

Harlow’s New GlamourRon Gelfuso, co-founder of Mavi Jeans U.S., is launch-ing Harlow Jeans for fall retailing. The new line isbased on his appreciation for old Hollywood glamourand extensive knowledge of the denim market.

Gelfuso, who sold his stake in Mavi last year tobegin the new line, is president of sales at HarlowJeans. He said the first collection consists of basicfive-pocket styles in clean washes made with stretchdenim. He is testing a small sampling of the line inseven denim specialty stores across the country,such as in E Street Denim in Chicago and JeanConnection in Dallas.

“My idea was to launch a line that was romanticand glamorous, without being over-the-top,”Gelfuso said. “The jeans are very modern in fit, butthe washes are kept simple and elegant, and theyare made to fit comfortably, but with a curvywoman in mind.”

One style, called the Ali jeans, is a boot-cut stylewith a 6 3/4-inch rise, available in antique, vintageor dark washes. Another style, the Bridget, is madewith a tucked-in knee and flare bottom. The five-pocket style with a 6 1/2-inch rise is also available ineither antique, vintage or dark washes. Other stylesinclude a denim miniskirt, stretch corduroy trousersin colors such as tan and rose, a denim cargo capriand a selection of denim jackets.

Gelfuso said the line wholesales for $40 to $62,a more accessible price within the higher-enddenim segment.

Gelfuso said he expects to reach $2 million infirst-year sales. Harlow is owned by Gals Textiles,which also is the parent company for Lila, a contem-porary line based in New York.

— Julee Greenberg

Levi’s Parsons ProjectJeans and fine art don’t usually intersect — unlessyou’re a student at New York’s Parsons School ofDesign.

A group of 17 Parsons students was given Levi’s asraw material to create art. They collaborated on adozen design projects that will be displayed at Levi’sManhattan showroom tonight in an exhibit called “12Conditions.”

Michael Robinson, the Parsons advanced studiodesign instructor who gave the assignment, ex-plained that he had his junior class work on 501sbecause he needed to assign the students a famil-iar and universal medium. About one-third ofParsons 2,800 degree-track students come from for-eign countries.

“Part of the challenge of developing a design pro-gram was that you needed to come up with some-thing that everyone could relate to,” he said.“Everybody had worn Levi’s.”

Another project was a joint effort of three stu-dents — Susanne Vargarden of Helsingborg, Sweden;N.K. Kang of Pusan, South Korea, and Jihye Jang ofTokyo. It featured two pairs of jeans decorated withgauzy fake flowers inspired by Georgia O’Keeffe’spaintings of New Mexico.

Nicole Grant, who comes from Sussex County,N.J., said her jeans used masks as their theme. Shesewed flaps into the legs, allowing them to openinto four sections, each of which held a componentof a disguise, including a false tail and GrouchoMarx glasses.

Tomoe Yamagata of Osaka, Japan, opted for an in-teractive theme with her piece. Her plan is for peo-ple at the Levi’s event to write wishes on pieces offabric, which they will pin to the jeans.

Considering how best to have the wishes ful-filled, she said she might set fire to the jeans at theend of tonight’s event, a plan that provoked nervousglances at the sprinkler heads on the part of aLevi’s spokesman.

— Scott Malone

9WWD, THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2004

Denim Dish

Mavi Moves UpMavi Jeans is relocating its U.S. headquarters to 550Seventh Avenue in Manhattan. The new space, whichtakes up the entire 23rd floor of the building, meas-ures about 6,900 square feet. It will serve as a show-room for the Mavi brand and its higher-end counter-part, Nomad. The company will move in by the end ofJuly from its previous location at 499 SeventhAvenue, which covered about 3,000 square feet.

“This is only the first step in our efforts to rein-force Mavi as a young contemporary brand,” saidDavid Frankel, president of Mavi Jeans U.S. “Withthe expansion of our offerings and increase in busi-ness, we need the space.”

The interior design of the showroom is based on amodern Mediterranean look, featuring bright whitewalls, intense natural light and a color scheme of blue,white and neutral that fits well with denim. The loft-like space was designed by the Otto Design Group.

— J.G.

Harlow’s miniskirt.

The cigarette

leg jeans.

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Parsons students and their work. Standing: Tomoe

Yamagata, Jihye Jang, N.K. Kang. Kneeling: Nicole

Grant and Dayle Chester.

Parsons students and their work. Standing: Tomoe

Yamagata, Jihye Jang, N.K. Kang. Kneeling: Nicole

Grant and Dayle Chester.

WWD, THURSDAY, MAY 6, 200410

The Beat

NEW YORK — Rocawear is paying tribute, once again, to family.The company shot its fall ad campaign, titled “La Familia,” at Milk

Studios here on Monday and Tuesday. Model Omahrya has returned as theface of the junior campaign, but this season she will be joined by Stacey

Dash, Damon Dash’s actress cousin. For themen’s campaign, the company will highlightvarious rappers signed to Roc-A-FellaRecords, including Memphis Bleek, JuelzSantana and Cam’ron.

“The next best thing to using my family inthe ads is using my artists,” said Dash, not-ing that his two children, Boogie and Ava,also will be in the children’s Rocawear ads.

“Omahrya is great since she personifiesthe Rocawear attitude, and she is also sowell known and recognized in the fashionindustry. Stacey is family, but she is alsobeautiful, and she just looks gorgeous in theclothes,” added Dash.

Roy Edmondson, Rocawear’s new vicepresident of marketing who joined the com-pany about 10 months ago from Levi Strauss& Co., said he wants to create a sense ofconsistency for the brand, so that the con-sumer will recognize it as Rocawear at firstglance. He said the fall budget is flat tospring.

“The background is clean to focus onwho is in it and the clothes they have on,”he said. “Next season we will evolve andmake changes, but it will still be consistentfrom season to season.”

Shot by Matthias Clamer, the ads will break in fall editions of vari-ous magazines, such as Cargo, Elle Girl, Teen Vogue, Teen People andVibe. The company also will showcase the ads on two billboards inTimes Square here, as well as one on 125th Street in Harlem.

— J.G.

By Julee GreenbergNEW YORK — “You can’t understand the youth market unless you understand hip-hopculture,” said Matt Diamond, chief executive officer of Alloy Inc., a junior appareland market research firm.

Alloy last week sponsored a presentation by AMPdi, a lifestyle marketing companythat works with various clients in fields like entertainment and fashion to help themcapture their customer’s attention.

Alloy’s team of experts — which includes Tru Pettigrew, senior vice president;Tony Fair, Kenny “Mac” McAlister and Bobby Jones, all directors of strategic solu-tions — believes that education is key in order to target these customers. Their mes-sage is this: The company offering the product has to know the history of the lifestyle— where it started and how it fits into American culture. AMPdi experts focused onhip-hop culture and its importance to corporate America in their presentation lastweek called “Hip Hop Lifestyle Immersion,” held at Jay-Z’s 40/40 club here.

“We want our clients to understand that the culture is American culture,”Pettigrew said. “These people want and strive for the American dream, just like any-one else in this country. The lifestyle they are living is hip-hop, which is surroundedby an appreciation of the four elements — MC-ing, DJ-ing, graffiti and breakdancing.”

While this group of consumers may have been brought up in the inner cities, theystrive for respect and a better quality of life. Hip-hop, Pettigrew said, gives people theopportunity to live the American dream — and with lifestyle role models like Sean (P.Diddy) Combs and Russell Simmons, who are now both multimillionaires with inter-ests in several businesses surrounding the hip-hop lifestyle, young people have morethan just rappers to look up to. But in order to understand why hip-hop is so influential in society today, it’s im-

portant to know the history of the lifestyle — from the streets of New York in the earlySeventies to today as rappers like Jay-Z and Missy Elliot sign endorsement deals withmajor corporations.

Some key turning points in hip-hop history:1974: DJ Grandmaster Flash takes hip-hop music from the streets to the clubs and

changes the way club music is played.1979: The Sugar Hill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” lands the No. 1 spot on the top 40

singles chart. They are the first hip-hop group to do so.1981: ABC’s “20/20” airs a special on hip-hop and the effect it will continually have

on American culture.Mid-Eighties: BET (Black Entertainment Television) is launched, dedicating some

of its content to hip-hop music and lifestyle.1984: Def Jam Records is founded by Russell Simmons, who prepares to take the

music mainstream.1988: Run DMC and Doug E Fresh become music and style icons. NWA starts as a

West Coast rap group — to prove that hip-hop isn’t just a product of New York.Nineties: Hip-hop becomes the power in American music. “The Fresh Prince of

Bel Air” hits prime-time television; Vibe magazine launches; Bad Boy is founded, andSnoop Dogg’s latest album sets sales records in its first week at retail. Other ethnicgroups begin to take notice of the lifestyle. The war of words between East Coast andWest Coast rappers becomes a reality when California-based rapper Tupac Shakur iskilled, followed by the shooting death of Biggie Smalls in New York.

“This was the time when hip-hop took a step back to look at the effects it had onthe world,” said Jones. “They decided they have to become more socially acceptable.”

That resulted in a series of new events for the hip-hop audience — which leads tohip-hop today. Russell Simmons launched the Hip Hop Summit to make young peoplesocially and politically aware of their surroundings, Jay-Z gave money to ColumbineHigh School for outreach efforts, and Combs ran the marathon to raise money forNew York public schools in his “Diddy Runs the City” campaign.

According to the speakers, it’s clear that hip-hop has invaded American culture be-yond music — Nelly has his own soft drink, Eve has her own clothing line, G-Unit hasits own Reebok sneaker and while the music industry loses money on CD sales be-cause of the popularity of Internet downloads, Outkast’s albums continue to sell wellpast platinum status.

■ Entertainment.■ Technology.■ The streets.■ Media.■ Friends/relationships.

■ Is willing to take risks in fashion.■ Is willing to experiment with new brands.■ Has a desire to be unique and stand out.■ Has a desire to outshine everyone else in

social settings, athletics, etc.■ Believes that brands need to be credible to

help them maintain their status and self-image.

Group 1: The Fashionista■ She is ahead of the curve, daring and complex.■ Brands she likes include AG, Agent Provocateur, Yanuk.

Group 2: The Fly Girl■ She is ready to impress, sporty but sexy, likes to mimic peers and entertainers.■ Brands she likes include Adidas, Gucci, Diesel, Seven For All Mankind.

Group 3: Thrifty Sistas■ Price is paramount; they like to stretch the value of their money.■ Brands they like include H&M, Gap, Old Navy, Lady Enyce, Baby Phat and

thrift stores.

KEY INFLUENCES AND DRIVERS:

THE HIP-HOP CUSTOMER:

FASHION: “WHAT’S HOT” FOR FEMALES:

Hip-Hop 101: From Harlem to Wall Street

Rocawear’s Family Affair

The AMPdi team: Esaie Witherspoon,

Ramon Cortez, Tony Fair, Bobby

Jones, Matt Diamond, Kenny

McAlister and Tru Pettigrew.

The AMPdi team: Esaie Witherspoon,

Ramon Cortez, Tony Fair, Bobby

Jones, Matt Diamond, Kenny

McAlister and Tru Pettigrew.

Here: Omahrya on the

set. Left: Stacey Dash

made her debut as a

face of Rocawear.

Here: Omahrya on the

set. Left: Stacey Dash

made her debut as a

face of Rocawear.

Damon Dash celebrated his 33rd birthday on the

set of the Rocawear ad campaign shoot Monday.

Damon Dash celebrated his 33rd birthday on the

set of the Rocawear ad campaign shoot Monday.

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By Melanie Kletter

NEW YORK — Yoga has long been touted as a spiritualendeavor, but these days many studios are pursuingretailing almost as much as they are Nirvana.

Manhattan’s Om Yoga, for example, now has a smallboutique brimming with merchandise such as yoga mats,books, jewelry and T-shirts, much of it with the Om Yoga name.

“We have had things for sale since we started, but whenwe moved last year we enlarged our boutique,” said Omfounder Cindy Lee, who oversees the boutique with somemembers of her staff. “We see this as a growing part of ourbusiness, and we think it has the potential to grow evenmore, and we are also selling online.”

The increased selling space at Om illustrates a growingtrend in the yoga world, as studios of all sizes open or expandin-house retail operations. In some cases, boutiques canaccount for as much as 30 percent of a yoga studio’s business.

“Yoga requires a very specific kind of merchandise thatyou can’t purchase in a department store,” said LaurenHanna, co-owner of Sonic Yoga here, which is in the processof expanding its retail business within the studio. “It’s also away for yoga studios to make an additional income sinceyoga studios aren’t highly profitable.”

Linda Pushkin, co-owner of Inner Power Yoga inCalabasas, Calif., noted that selling yoga clothes at a studiois a natural fit.

“What better place is there to have it?” she said.“We know what works for a yoga practitioner, muchmore so than a big corporate chain with cookie-cutter stores and products.”

Yoga has seen explosive growth in recentyears, and so have yoga-related products. Anestimated 15 million Americans now practiceyoga, according to a survey by Yoga Journalmagazine, the bible of the yoga set. Theaverage practitioner spends about $1,500 a yearon related merchandise, workshops, booksand apparel, a recent article in themagazine stated.

And as yoga studios continue toproliferate across the country andcater to increased demand, they aregrowing their retail businesses withareas that range from a single rackof clothes to a dedicated 900-square-foot boutique.

“Our retail store is a convenienceand an added amenity for cust-omers,” noted Annbeth Eschbach,president of Manhattan’s new ExhaleSpa, which offers yoga classes as well asspa treatments and sells products such asyoga pants, T-shirts and body lotion. “The retailbusiness is a big part part of our concept, and we expect it tobe more than 10 percent of our business.”

Boutiques attached to yoga studios — once the kind ofplace where people might buy an inexpensive T-shirt becausethey left theirs at home — are also now becoming destinationshops, even for people who have no interest in learning how todo the downward dog. The boutique at Om Yoga was evenlisted in the recent Zagat New York City shopping guide, theonly yoga studio boutique to make the cut.

At Sacred Movement Center for Yoga and Healing inVenice, Calif., a small space selling books and CDs that waspart of the studio when it opened two years ago hasdeveloped into a 900-square-foot boutique selling severalhigh-fashion lines. And while customers might browsethrough the cropped sweats and tie-dyed tanks while

waiting for a class to begin, boutique manager and buyerStephanie Cate is seeing an increase in the number ofpeople coming in solely to shop.

“Not everyone is coming in for a class,” said Cate.“They’ve heard about the store and stop by to browse or tobuy a gift.”

Considered one of the largest and most comprehensiveyoga-studio boutiques in Los Angeles, Sacred Movementcarries everything from antique Chinese and Indian statuesto handmade yoga mat bags and Balinese jewelry. While theambience is decidedly funky and bohemian, the racks arefilled with fashion-oriented clothes that are priced from $18to $74, and include trendy brands like Hard Tail, Omgirl, BePresent and Donna M. The store now accounts for 30percent of the center’s annual sales.

Other studios are expanding their offerings of nonyogaitems. At the L.A. Yoga Center in the L.A. suburb ofWestwood, buyer Aletha Loftfield said the center’s boutiquecarries a comprehensive line of tank tops, Ts and sweats intechnical and environmentally conscious fabrics such ashemp. Brands carried include Yoga-specific Inner Chi andShiva Shakti, as well as T-shirts from Free People or UrbanOutfitters, which don’t cater to the yoga set. Sales at the centeramount to about 20 percent of the total, and are on the rise.

“It’s not our driving business as it’s still brand-new, but it’sa growing part of the business,” said Loftfield.

While some critics view the boutiquesas the commercialization of yoga, most

owners assert that having a boutiquedoesn’t detract from the spiritualelement of the practice.

“Being spiritual and business-oriented is not a conflict,” saidOm’s Lee. “The idea for us is toprovide products that are helpfulto people, and this business helpsthe studio stay open. If our store

gets bigger, and we make moneyfrom it, to me that is positive.”

Om and many other studios alsouse their retail business as a form of

brand-building by selling T-shirts and otherapparel emblazoned with their studio names.Some studios even ask the instructors to wearonly its merchandise when teaching, andmany give discounts to teachers. In New York,a competitive city on nearly all fronts, yogadevotees are often deeply committed to their

studios and wear the namesake merchandiseas a way to show their pride in and allegiance to

a specific center. The increase in sales at yoga studio boutiques is

good news for manufacturers as they have becomeanother sales outlet in addition to department stores and

athletic chains, which often don’t carry a large amount ofyoga merchandise.

“Department stores haven’t made a commitment yet tothis category,” said Norm Zwail, president of The MarikaGroup, a San Diego-based firm that makes yoga apparel andactivewear. “Gyms and yoga studios are doing a better jobselling yoga apparel now.”

“It works well because it’s a supplement to theirbusiness,” noted Carol Chang, the U.S. representative forChibi, a high-end yoga line that sells in studios as well asspecialty boutiques. “And so much of the time, it’s impulsebuying at the yoga studios.”

Another fashion line, L.A.-based Bella Dahl, does about 40percent of its business in yoga and fitness centers such asEquinox, L.A. Sports Center in L.A. and City Fitness in San

Francisco, as well as fashion retailers like Henri Bendel andSaks Fifth Avenue. The yoga/activewear side of the business hasexploded, making up 40 percent of overall sales of the brand.

“Yoga today is received by the mainstream and is notconsidered the cult thing that it was 10 years ago,” saidKerry Jolna, ceo of Bella Dahl. “There is more of aconsciousness about staying in health as people age — andwhile they do that, they want to look great. It’s not just aboutthrowing on an old pair of sweats.”

Nonetheless, yoga studio owners often have littleexperience with the retail arena, and areas such asmerchandising, inventory and sales are sometimes new forthem. Lee said she now goes to gift shows to get ideas, whileExhale Spa has a buyer who specifically oversees themerchandise and planning for the boutique.

“It takes a lot of planning,” said Jasmine Tarkeshi, co-owner of Laughing Lotus Yoga Center here, which has asmall but growing boutique. “We work with differentsuppliers because most of our stuff is made locally. But wefind that people often can’t wait to get the newest shirts andsometimes they call us and want us to put something asidefor them before they are all gone. Everyone wants to take apiece of the studio home with them.”

— With contributions from Kavita Daswani, Los Angeles

WWD, THURSDAY, MAY 6, 200412

Active LifestyleX

Yoga Studios Stretch Into Retail

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Many studios sell

apparel with their

name on it.

The boutique at L.A. Yoga Center

has a wide array of merchandise.

New York’s Om Yoga now sells a variety of offerings.

Exhale in Manhattan has a

growing retail concept.

Exhale in Manhattan has a

growing retail concept.

L.A.’s Sacred Movement boutique attracts many nonyoga shoppers.

13WWD, THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2004

TheWWDList

KMART HOLDING CORP.Revenues: $23.25 billion

One year out of bankruptcy, Kmart is in the process of revamping itsentire apparel mix. Kmart recently opened an office for its designgroup in New York. The goal is to improve quality and style while in-troducing a wider range of product.

MAY DEPARTMENT STORES CO.Revenues: $13.34 billionThe nameplates under this retailer’s owner-ship include Filene’s, Hecht’s, Famous Barr

and Lord & Taylor, among others. L&T is working to shed its dowdyimage under ceo Jane Elfers.

J.C. PENNEY CO. INC.Revenues: $17.79 billionWall Street cheered when this moderate depart-

ment store chain sold its Eckerd drug store unit, which was on themarket for months. The retailer is focusing on its booming Internetbusiness and its new store program that includes opening more of itssmaller freestanding units.

SEARS, ROEBUCK & CO.Revenues: $40.04 billionAfter shedding its credit-card business, Sears is

focusing on honing its merchandise assortment.

TJX COS.Revenues: $13.33 billionThis off-price retailer has grown its busi-ness offering home goods as well as apparel.

FEDERATED DEPARTMENT STORESRevenues: $15.26 billionThis department store giant is said to be in-

terested in taking Marshall Field’s off Target Corp.’s hands.

TARGET CORP.Revenues: $48.16 billionThe number two retailer builds sales by offer-

ing fashion-forward goods at low prices. Design partnerships withIsaac Mizrahi and others and national brands like Lee contributed toa gain in market share by generating 13.2 percent growth in total re-tail sales in the fall season.

NORDSTROM INC.Revenues: $6.49 billionThe high end continues to boom, and sodoes this retailer. Nordstrom had a 15.9

percent comp-store sales increase in March.

KOHL’S CORP.Revenues: $10.28 billionDuring its recent annual meeting, Kohl’s

said it was launching a private label program, apt. 9, for soft homegoods and apparel.

WAL-MART STORES INC.Revenues for trailing 12 months: $258.68 billionThe world’s largest company continues to grow

sales at a hefty rate. Its total sales volume is more than the total of theother top 20 retailers combined.

DILLARD’S INC.Revenues: $7.86 billionThis department store retailer is one of the few

public companies managed by its founding family.

NEIMAN MARCUS GROUP INC.Revenues: $3.31 billionOnline sales at Neiman Marcus are ex-pected to grow to $200 million thisyear. One of the company’s goals is to

sell more designer merchandise — the fastest-growing online catego-ry — on the site.

RETAIL VENTURES INC.Revenues: $2.59 billion

Retail Ventures, whose nameplates include DSW, Filene’s Basementand Value City, said costs relating to store openings impacted thebottom line in its most recent quarter.

SHOPKO STORES INC.Revenues: $3.2 billionDespite a stumble or two, this regionaldiscount retailer serves consumers whileworking in the shadow of Wal-Mart.

ROSS STORES INC.Revenues: $3.92 billionThis off-price retailer taps into a consumer de-sire for bargain hunting.

STEIN MART INC.Revenues: $1.36 billionStepped-up marketing efforts are paying offfor this discount retailer.

BURLINGTON COAT FACTORYRevenues: $2.81 billionAlthough its bottom line dipped in itsmost recent quarter, management told

Wall Street apparel sales continue to gain momentum.

SAKS INC.Revenues: $6.06 billionStrengthening its cost structure has allowed thisretailer to post better earnings, bolstered bystronger sales. Fred Wilson, president and ceo of

Saks Fifth Avenue Enterprises, has a vision: a remodeled flagship,more powerful brand presentations and splashier events.

STAGE STORES INC.Revenues: $972.2 millionWall Street is keeping a close eye on this500-plus unit regional chain, with a con-

sensus rating of “strong buy.”

BON-TON STORES INC.Revenues: $929.7 million

The acquisition of Elder-Beerman Stores Corp. helped this region-al retailer post soaring bottom- and top-line results in its most re-cent quarter.

The top 20 discounters and department stores by revenues

SOURCE: REUTERS AS OF MAY 1, 2004

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5

7

9

4

6

8

10

1

2

11

13

15

17

19

14

16

18

20

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The gargantuan Wal-Mart dwarfs all other mass merchants in terms of sales, butthat doesn’t mean the competition is taking it lying down. Target and Kmart arefocusing on apparel by taking the high road. Target continues to expand itsofferings with new designer and national brands. Meanwhile, Kmart, whichmoved its design group to New York, is improving quality and style. Departmentstores are trying to prove that they’re not the dinosaurs they’ve been made out tobe. Bloomingdale’s introduced a bold concept store in SoHo, Lord & Taylor isshedding its frumpy image and Saks Fifth Avenue is spit-polishing its flagship.Firms are putting underperforming divisions up for sale, proving there are nosacred cows in retailing.

Broadline Leaders

Federated Department Stores and MayDepartment Stores are seen battling itout over the 62-store Field’s, which couldbe sold at a premium — $2 billion ormore — and certain investment compa-nies are believed to be interested inMervyn’s as an ongoing business or realestate play. Before, Mervyn’s was widelyperceived as just a breakup candidate.

For years, the industry has been ex-pecting Target Corp. to put Field’s andMervyn’s up for sale so it could concen-trate its efforts and resources on itsmuch larger and more successful Targetdiscount chain. Target Corp. officiallyput them on the selling block in March.

The performance of Field’s andMervyn’s has been up and down, yet Field’sin particular has experienced a prolongedpattern of declining revenues and profits.Field’s pretax profits in the year endedJan. 31 plunged 21.1 percent to $107 mil-lion, while its sales fell 4 percent to $2.58billion. Mervyn’s saw its pretax profits de-cline 32.6 percent to $160 million on a 6.9percent fall in revenues to $3.55 billion.

But Field’s towering State Street flag-ship in Chicago remains one of the world’spremier department stores. Target Corp.invigorated the store last year with floorrenovations, leased shops with limited dis-tribution, unconventional adjacencies andan eclectic assortment with everythingfrom Australian homemade ice cream toThomas Pink shirts from England, acrossthe 812,000 square feet of selling space.However, State Street, the second-largeststore in America next to Macy’s HeraldSquare, doesn’t stand by itself. Field’s 61other stores are of widely varying sizefrom less than 100,000 to 500,000 squarefeet. Many are mired in weak localeconomies and have not received the levelof upgrades seen on State Street.

“Marshall Field’s is a plum,” said HalKahn, the former chairman and chief ex-ecutive officer of Macy’s East. “It’s one ofthe great acquisitions around.” “It’s adominant, upscale retailer with justabout all the better brands and great realestate in great malls, but it has underper-formed in the last seven or eight years.”

Arnold Aronson, director of retail mar-keting strategies, Kurt Salmon Associates,said, “This is a once-in-a-generation-typeacquisition. It’s a very clean deal for an ex-isting department store power and willhave resounding long-term effects ongrowth and profits. Target has alreadysqueezed some of the back office costs out,but there is still opportunity to reduce re-dundancy even more by a departmentstore, rather than a mass discounter.”

Another retail source said, “May Co.would be willing to spend more” thanFederated. “My money is on May Co.,even though strategically it fits very wellinto Federated.”

By buying Field’s, May would narrowthe size gap on Federated. It would alsobring May a little more upscale, which thecompany has been trying to do. Severalsources indicated the possibility thatFederated and May might divide up Field’s,but that would be difficult since the StateStreet flagship would be coveted by bothparties. They also believed that May Co.could go after some Mervyn’s sites, as well.

May declined to comment on Field’s,while Federated has already confirmedits interest in buying the chain. In 1990,May lost out to Target Corp., at the timecalled Dayton Hudson, in the contest tobuy Field’s from Batus Retail.

In April, J.C. Penney sold off its Eckerddrugstore chain, sparking speculation thatthe Dallas-based retailer might bid onField’s, which was wrong. “There is no in-terest on our part,” Allen Questrom, chair-man and ceo of Penney’s, told WWD. “Itdoesn’t fit into our strategy” of focusing onmoderate department stores with a heavydose of their own brands.

There’s also been speculation that SaksInc. might be interested, since the firm hasa track record of acquiring regional de-partment store chains. But for Saks, that’sancient history. Since acquiring Saks FifthAvenue in 1998, Saks Inc. has shifted itsstrategy to become more of an operatingcompany focused on strengthening SaksFifth Avenue and its department storegroup, rather than acquisitions. Also, thecompany is disbursing $285 million in divi-dends this spring and plans to spend sig-nificantly on Saks Fifth Avenue renova-tions, making a Field’s bid unlikely.

“We are very focused on improving op-erating margins and getting more produc-tivity out of our current businesses,” saidSteve Sadove, vice chairman of Saks Inc.Asked about Field’s, he replied, “I haveno comment on individual businesses.”

On Mervyn’s, a source familiar with the“book” of financial information on thechain said the retailer has a liquidationvalue of at least $1 billion, noting the chainowns a lot of its property. Previously, indus-try sources felt Mervyn’s would most likelybe sold off in pieces, and cherry-picked forlocations by such chains as T.J. Maxx andKohl’s. Financial investors are now said tohave expressed interest in Mervyn’s,though, including Kohlberg-Kravis-Roberts.The Blackstone Group also reportedly ex-amined Mervyn’s. Blackstone and KKR offi-cials couldn’t be reached for comment.

“Personally, I think there is at least a50 percent chance Mervyn’s will be soldoff in pieces or liquidated,” said the fi-nancial source. “But, because of thesheer scale of it and its dominance inTexas and California, and because of allthe interest retailers have in sellingmore to the Hispanic population, a lot ofpeople are looking at Mervyn’s, includinga number of private equity guys who

would need to find an operator, like a re-tail ceo, to partner with.”

The 266-store Mervyn’s is regarded aslong neglected by a parent corporation de-voting more resources to the Target chain,but is still profitable with moderate growthpotential. Mervyn’s spits out close to $200million in annual EBITDA and has the po-tential to capitalize further on Hispaniccustomers, considering Mervyn’s twobiggest markets are Texas and California.“It’s like an annuity. It’s not high growth.It’s not very exciting but it continues togenerate cash,” said the financial source.

Goldman Sachs, which is handling theTarget Corp. sell-offs, has been distribut-ing four “books” containing confidentialfinancial data on the retail and creditcard operations of Field’s, and the retailand credit card operations of Mervyn’s.

“Target is allowing you to bid eitherway,” said the financial source. “There’sflexibility.”

After Target eliminates low bids, re-maining players get to “kick the tires”and begin the due diligence process.

According to one retail ceo, Field’s is abetter fit with Federated than with May.Field’s and Federated were longtimemembers of the former AssociatedMerchandising Corp. buying office coop-erative, where they shared information.“The income strata of their customers,the vendor structure, the cultures — somuch aligns with the Federated group,”the source said. The Field’s vendor list issaid to be about 90 percent similar toFederated’s, but only 60 percent to 70percent similar to May’s.

“This would be a very clean buy forFederated. Aside from a couple ofBloomingdale’s stores [there are four inthe Chicago area and one in Bloomington,Minn.], there is very little overlap,” the re-tail ceo said.

Retail sources familiar with the opera-tions of Federated point out that the com-pany would wait several months to a yearbefore attaching the Macy’s name toField’s stores and gradually phase out theField’s name when it felt Midwesternerswere comfortable with the new banner.Also, Federated is involved in other con-solidations regionally, and is centralizingits home business, so it might take a whileto convert Field’s.

Aside from dominating the Chicagomarket, Field’s also dominates theDetroit and Minneapolis markets. Sincethose stores were a few years ago underthe Dayton and Hudson nameplates,Federated might do a faster conversionto Macy’s where consumers haven’t beenliving as long with Field’s.

Twenty years ago, Macy’s operated inthe Midwest but pulled out. A Field’s buywould mark Macy’s return to the Midwest,even into certain markets such as Chicago,where it has never been, and small cities

such as Flint and Grand Rapids. But name changes are tricky. “In these older northern cities, people

are really attached to company names,”observed Ed Nakfoor, a retail consultantin the Detroit area. “Folks in the Targetcorporate office miscalculated about howpassionate people are about having ahometown store and how attached theywere to that Hudson’s name. Hudson’s,Field’s, Dayton’s, all stood for a lot. That’swhy so many stores [including May andFederated] never entered the market-place. They couldn’t compete.”

Some industry experts believe theMacy’s East division of Federated, ratherthan Macy’s West, would run Field’s.While Macy’s West is more fashionableand slightly more upscale, Macy’s East op-erates in climates that are more similar toField’s territory. Macy’s East, based here,is also geographically closer to Field’s,and only an hour time difference away,versus a two-hour time difference withthe San Francisco-based Macy’s West.

At least a couple of Field’s units couldbecome Bloomingdale’s, including theone in the Somerset Collection, in Troy,Mich. It’s a higher-end store with a heavycomponent of bridge lines and some de-signer brands, such as St. John. On theother hand, there is a strong Field’s unitin the Oakland Mall in Troy, which is notas upscale as the Somerset unit.

Overall, the merchandise at Field’s ispriced at and above Macy’s and belowBloomingdale’s, but it’s not as promo-tional as Macy’s and as contemporary ortrendy as Bloomingdale’s.

If May took over Field’s, its strategywould be different. Lacking a national re-tail nameplate, May most likely would tryto maximize the Field’s name and capi-talize on its better brand assortment tohelp elevate other divisions. “May is fo-cusing more selectively on certain brandsand trying to do a much better job of mer-chandising,” said a retail consultant.“May had kind of backed off from higher-end brands, especially when the economywas less resilient, to compete with Kohl’sand Penney’s. They now see opportuni-ties by taking the high road” with suchbrands as Polo Ralph Lauren.

Analysts said it’s unlikely May orFederated would take Field’s far outsideits current reach by adding many newstores, since it would then bump intotheir own divisions and steeper competi-tion. Also, in the Eighties, Field’s openedstores in Texas, which flopped and wereeventually closed and sold off.

“Marshall Field’s lost its way some-where along the way,” Nakfoor said.“They tried to be too many things to toomany people. The State Street remodel isa good model, though the company hasn’tdone a good job of translating much orany of it to branch stores.”

WWD, THURSDAY, MAY 6, 200414

FEDERATED

ANNUAL SALES: $15.3 billionANNUAL PROFITS: $693 million

458 stores in 34 states

NAMEPLATES: Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s, Bon-Macy’s,Burdines-Macy’s, Goldsmith’s-Macy’s, Lazarus-Macy’s,Rich’s-Macy’s

KEY MARKETS: California, Florida, New York, Washington

MAY CO.

ANNUAL SALES: $13.3 billionANNUAL PROFITS: $434 million

1,124 stores in 46 states

NAMEPLATES: Famous-Barr, Filene’s, Foley’s, Hecht’s,Kaufmann’s, L.S. Ayres, Meier & Frank, Robinsons-May,Strawbridge’s, The Jones Store, David’s Bridal, After HoursFormalwear, Priscilla of Boston

KEY MARKETS: Texas, California, Pennsylvania, New York

TWO DEPARTMENT STORE GIANTSBy the Numbers

FEDERATED vs. MAY CO.

SOURCE: COMPANY REPORTS

Continued from page one

Bidding Begins for Field’s, Mervyn’sThe Marshall

Field’s State

Street flagship

in Chicago.

The Marshall

Field’s State

Street flagship

in Chicago.

For more information on this special category report contact Gus Floris, Fashion Manager, 212-630-4636, Maurice Corky Newman, Associate Publisher, at 323-951-1803, or your WWD sales representative.

WWDMediaWorldwide®

Join us in educating executivesacross all retail channels on this $5billion market, and on how a classiccategory has become known forcontinual change satisfying thetoughest consumers from massto super-premium markets.

Capitalize on the power ofinformation by surrounding yourbrand with valuable statistics andanalytics on the denim industry’sgrowth, where it’s moving, fashionand in-store trends, the brand namesthat keep raising the bar, and thebrand strategies that get notice.

It’s an issue anyone involved in the denim market will devour, and an opportunity your brand

can’t afford to miss.

Section II: May 27, 2004Close: May 13

Classic FitRedefined.

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WWDDENIM IN DEPTHWWDDENIM IN DEPTH

Reach buyers prior to market.

NOW2X A YEARspreespreethe ultimate guide to shopping for kids

July 2004Close Date: May 28, 2004

BORN TO

SHOP

For more information on Spree or Children’s Business, please contact Michelle Brown, Publisher at 212-630-4666 or email at michelle.brown@fairchildpub.com.

Coming July 2004

spreespree

Don’t miss out on the chance to reach consumers in this highlyanticipated buying guide for what’s in-store now. Join WWDChildren’s Business as our editors help parents and kids plug into thetrends during the all-important back-to-school shopping season.

The only shopper magazine targeting the children’s product consumer,spree shows the “good stuff” and tells where to get it. Prices andwhere-to-buy details are featured on every page!

Plus 20,000+ consumer distribution through qualified retailers.

In the next issue, look for all the season’s can’t-miss trends, including…• What’s hot in jeans & tops• The freshest sportswear looks• Stylish school uniforms • Fab footwear & accessories• Fun fashion and gear for babies and toddlers

17WWD, THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2004

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Activewear - Small or Big LotsAll Compliances Met

Tel: 201-858-3232 / Fax: 201-437-5556

CHINA-QUOTA FREEAll categories incl cotton jeans. Highquality, large vol., FOB or LDP. CallScott 212-719-2450/Victor 323-266-7711

PATTERN/SAMPLESReliable. High quality. Low cost. Fastwork. Small/ Lrg production 212-629-4808

PATTERNS, SAMPLES,PRODUCTIONS

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

PATTERNS, SAMPLES,PRODUCTIONS

Samples and patterns full servcie shopto the trade. Fine fast work.

212-869-2699.

PTTNS/SMPLS/PRODHigh qlty, reasonable price. Any de-

sign & fabric. Fast work. 212-714-2186

FASHION RESUMESSINCE 1970

For Fashion and RetailingProfessional Resumes Inc.

Lifetime Updating/Telephone Interviews

Rush Service Available60 East 42nd Street Suite 839

New York, NY 10165212-697-1282 / 800-221-4425

www.resumesforfashion.com

Admin Since 1967

W-I-N-S-T-O-NAPPAREL STAFFING

DESIGN*SALES*MERCHADMIN*TECH*PRODUCTION

(212)557-5000 F: (212)986-8437

Assistant DesignerLA based co. seeks highly creative,

hardworking indiv. w/ strong technicalknowledge for high-end sportswear.

Must be a team player. 2-3 years exp.Please fax resume to Burning Torch @

(323) 733-0330

Assistant DesignerWe are a leading junior import companyspecializing in knitwear for Juniors withimmediate opening. Candidate mustpossess a min. of 2 yrs. experience, haveworked with Illustrator & PhotoShop.Individual must be multi-task oriented,demonstrate great organizational skills,possess high energy level & love fashion!Please fax resume to attn. VP of Design

(212) 719-4903

BOOKKEEPER - Full ChargeExp’d. in all phases of bookkeeping includ-ing G/L. Must be computer literate. Import-ing knowledge helpful. Salary open.Fax resume to Barbara at: 646-366-8387

CAD DESIGNER/ARTISTGirls Children’s Wear Co. seeks teamplayer who has 2-3 yrs. exp. Must haveextensive knowledge on Photoshop &Illustrator with the ability to sketch inIllustrator. Must be able to work infast paced environment, be organizedand able to make deadlines.

Please fax resume to 212- 869-2781,attn: Cathy.

CAD/Graphic DesignerLeading import co. specializing in knitwear for Juniors has immediate opening.Candidate must be proficient in Quark,Illustrator, Photoshop & flat sketching.Must have excellent graphic and colorsense, be self-motivated, organized &work well in a fast paced environment.Min. 2 yrs. experience. Please fax resumeAttention: VP of Design (212) 719-4903

CAREERS IN APPARELIn Production - Techn. Design + DesignSee Listings @ www.ApparelStaffing.com

Or Fax Resume to: (212) 302-1161

CFO/CONTROLLERFor estab & fast growing Men’s/Boy’s/Ladiesco w/the addition of new divisions & mktsthis urban/"city wear" co seeks afinancial person to see them throughtheir next big growth stage. Req: aproven track record, 10+ yrs exp. as aCFO/Controller for successful multibrand apparel company. E-mail resume: cburke@ccburke.com (Fax) 212-725-7116 (Tel) 212-481-1941

Chief Operating Officer to $175K++. Currentexp. in women’s outerwear. Must hang w/ G3,Galery, Larry Levine, Forcaster, etc. Strong re-lationships w/ May + Federated+other deptstores required. Call 973-564-9236 Jaral Agcy

CONSULTANTSchool seeks P/T College Fashion Pro-fessors w/ at least 10 yrs or more exp.knowledge of Photoshop / IllustratorU4ia preferred but not a must.Excellent pay. Fax:212-619-0557

Jones Apparel Group, Inc., a Fortune 500 Company, is aleading designer and marketer of branded apparel, footwearand accessories. The Company’s nationally recognizedbrands include Jones New York, Polo Jeans Companylicensed from Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation, Evan-Picone,Norton McNaughton, Gloria Vanderbilt, Erika, l.e.i., Energie,Nine West, Easy Spirit, Enzo Angiolini, Bandolino, Napier,Judith Jack, Kasper, Anne Klein, Albert Nipon and LeSuit.The Company also markets costume jewelry under theTommy Hilfiger brand licensed from Tommy HilfigerCorporation and the Givenchy brand licensed from GivenchyCorporation, and footwear and accessories under the ESPRITbrand licensed from Esprit Europe, B.V. Celebrating morethan 30 years of service, the Company has built a reputationfor excellence in product quality and value, and inoperational execution.

Senior Technical DesignerJob# 112

We currently have an immediate opening for a Sr. TechnicalDesigner. Candidates must be highly skilled in sweaters andcut and sew knits. Responsibilities include technicalsketching, issuing specs for missy, petite and women sizes,approving pre-pro and production samples, as well asconducting spec work and fittings. Ability to effectivelycommunicate with design team and factories is a must. Thisposition requires a min. of 10 yrs. exp., complete knowledgeof garment construction, patternmaking, grading, knowledgeof sweater machinery, gauges, yarn, etc. Travel overseas willbe required (min. 4-6 times per yr.). Position is based inBristol, PA.

Qualified candidates should send resume and salaryrequirements via email to: nycjobs@jonesapparel.com.

In order to be considered, please reference applicable job#.We offer a competitive compensation package including life,health, dental and 401K plan.

For more information about our company, please visit ourwebsite at www.jny.com.

EEO/Affirmative Action Employer

Design AssistantRaider Jean Company

NY based young men’s and boy’ssportswear company needs designassistant fluent in Adobe Illustratorand Adobe Photoshop to assist designdepartment from generating initialcomputer illustrated style sketchesand completing technical productionpackages. Must be organized and ableto follow directions well. Please faxIndra Alvarez 212-279-8864 or email:allanraiderllc@aol.com

Design Asst. - SWEATERS Major Men’s Sweater Co. seeks motivated& organized individual with skills insketching, Illustrator & Photoshop. Mustbe technically detailed in Sweaters &Knits. Fax resumes to: 212-564-0693

Designer

Assistant DesignerMajor Intimate Apparel Manufacturer isseeking an Assistant Designer for the Bradivision. Ideal candidate should be veryorganized, detail oriented & a team player.Resp. include; communicating with over-seas office & factories, process artwork,prepare sampling/production packages,and assist Designer in all phases of devel-opment, which includes specs & garmentdetails. Great company & full benefits!Must be computer literate. Exp. with Stylemanager a plus. Please fax resume to S.Stevens at 212-842-4020. We are an EqualOpportunity Employer.

SaraMax

DESIGNER - BRASEstablished private label intimateapparel manufacturer is looking for adesigner with technical and creativeskills. Must have 5 years experience asa fashion bra designer. Candidate willmanage 4-6 people in a new designdept. Competitive salary and benefits.

Fax resumes to 212-481-3881or Call: 212-481-3550

DesignerContemp missy import co, seeks talent-ed & energetic indiv w 5-7 yrs exp. formoderate woven sptrwr & dress line.Great color, print and embroiderysense w ability to identify emergingtrends & silhouettes. Flat sketch, spec& fit knowledge. Limited overseas trav-el. 80 yr old American firm. Will con-sider steady freelance/part-time.Westchester loc. Fax 914-654-0604or corp@karavanusa.com

DESIGNEREstablished children’s mfr. seeks seniorDesigner/Merchandiser with min. 5 yrs.exp. for expanding boys dress-up /formalwear line. Candidate will be responsiblefor complete line development & possessstrong color, CAD & Illustrator 10 skills.Knowledge of garment construction,patternmaking & specing is a must.Excellent benefits. Please fax resume& salary requirements (212) 594-7356or Email: childsapparel@aol.com

Designer

NANETTE LEPOREAssociate Designer / Fabric BuyerMust have well rounded experience inDesign and Sourcing. Full knowledgeof European fabric market. Seeking ahighly creative, talented team player.Please fax resume: (212)594-0038.

DESIGNERN.Y. "Hot" Accessory Co. Strong exp.with Handbags/Backpacks & characterlicensing a must. Photoshop/Illustratorrequired. Fax resume to: 973-812-0581

Dress/Social Separates DesignerStrong contemporary house has an ex-cel career oppty for a skilled & expdprofessional. Min 5 yrs exp, sketchingskills & designing a complete collec-tion, conduct fittings, strong PC skills.Great oppty for the right candidate.Fax resume to: 212-354-2661

FABRIC BUYEREstablished children’s mfr. seeks exp’dperson to purchase and source fabric.Must possess color sense, knowledge

of testing/approval procedures, bedetail oriented with good computer

skills. Excellent benefits.Fax resume and salary requirements

to: (212) 594-7356

Fabric Research ManagerSeeking candidate to identify andcontrol all raw material and standardsfor major department store’s privatebrands. Candidate should have strongtechnical knowledge of fabric, trimand yarn development and hasminimum 5 years of raw materialsourcing experience. Relocation to theMidwest required. Email resumes to:

PDCareers@excite.com

FASHION OPPORTUNITIESArtists-Designers-Import L/C-chgbks-Production - Sales - Technical - Etc.

Call Barbara Murphy (212) 643-8090 (agcy)

GRAPHIC ARTIST-KIDSBusy and successful private brandseeks creative designer to developappealing, original designs forembroideries, screen prints and repeatprints. Must have solid experience inyounger children’s categories: infantsand toddlers; 4-6x and 4-7. PhotoShopand Illustrator a must, ColourMattersor other fashion CAD program a plus.Competitive salary and benefits.Fax resume attn: KD @ 212-221-3857

GRAPHIC ARTISTMotivated, organized Graph-ic Artist to create graphicscreens, prints, embs, logos,presentation boards. Minexp 2 yrs on Mac computerusing Freehand, Photoshop,Illustrator. Email: jobs@jeans-wear.com

indicate code: SP-#4

Technical DesignersChildren’s wear mfr in NY seeksTech Des. w/ strong analyticalskills for fit sessions, writecomments, comm. w/ overseas.Patternmaking, garment const.3-5yrs exp. Kids exp. a +, mustsketch in illustrator or excel.

Send resumes tohumanresources@khny.com

or fax (212) 736-1753

Graphic Designer to $60K. Current exp 2-3years in Photoshop/Illustrator. Createprints. Spot prints. Coordinate all art.Secaucus NJ area. Call 973-564-9236 Agcy

HANDBAG DESIGNERFast paced handbag company needsdesigner for hot licensed divisions.Min 5 years exp. Must be highly moti-vated and able to develop line fromconcept to finished product. illustratorproficient. Fun work envir + benefits!

Fax 212-563-3396 att’n Michael

KEY ACCOUNT EXECUTIVEDENIM DIV – NY BASED

Leading Nat Jr. Sptswear Branded Co.has an immediate opening for an estab-lished Account Exec, with a Min 5 YrsExp. Candidate must have est. relation-ships with Dept. Stores & Spec Chains.

ALSO SEEKINGNY SHOWROOM ASST

Entrée LevelSend resume hr@hotkiss.com

Fax to 213-765-3459

Knits DesignerOnly candidates with SEVEN YRSEXPERIENCE WILL BE CONSID-

ERED FOR THIS POSITION.Top quality brand experience is amust. Extremely organized, able tomeet strict deadlines. Fast-paced, teamplayer, passionate personality.Fax res to Sally Daliege 213.362.2300

Licensed ProductCoordinator

Kahn Lucas Lancaster Inc, a 115 yr oldleading childrenswear designer andimporter, has an incredible growthopportunity for a dynamic, smart andorganized person in our Licensed Prod-uct Division. Candidate is responsiblefor managing the relationship with ourLicensors (Nickelodeon, OshKosh toname a few) on several character andbranded apparel properties. Specificsinvolve setting up and handling allapproval documentation, issuing pressreleases, working with creative agen-cies and communicating with RetailCoordinators on latest marketing andsales developments. Related Retail,Marketing or Licensor experience ispreferred. Send resume in confidenceto hkahn@kahnlucas.com or fax to212-643-1345 attn: Howard.

Marketing DirectorAkademiks, seeks an individual tomanage all components of it’s market-ing efforts. This person should have atleast 5 years experience in the apparelor entertainment industry. Duties in-clude overseeing events, product place-ment, retail programs, and advertis-ing. Please send resume to HR:

212-563-0581

ORDER PROCESSING/CUSTOMER SVC

Ladies Apparel Co. seeks detail oriented& hardworking person to handleorder processing & follow-up w/clientsto major retailers. Familiar w/routingof major retail stores. Computer knowl-edge a must. AIMS & EDI a plus butwill train. Min. 2 yrs exp. req. Sendresume to: hr@milanoltd.com or

Fax to: 212-398-0032

PATTERNMAKER ASST.To make 1st patterns, cut 1stsamples, spec samples. Write commentsfor woven blouse/shirt importer. Goodcomm skills. Fax resume: 212-768-7725

18 WWD, THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2004

Senior TechnicalDesigner

Weatherproof® Garment Company,men’souterwearmanufacturer,seek-ing articulate, organized person withextensive experience developingmen’s outerwear product fromconcept through production appro-val fittings. Working with designer tocommunicate to overseas vendorsvia PDM including flat sketches andpattern corrections.

Fax resume to: Elliott Singer212 221-6678

PATTERNMAKERFast-paced Private Label Sportswear Mfr.seeks highly skilled Production Pattern-maker to join our production team inLong Island City. Product includes Stretchwoven jackets & bottoms, as well ascut/sew knits. Candidate MUST havecapability to follow technical packets forspecs/construction along with a completeunderstanding of garment balance &drape. Fax resume to: 718-729-0617

PATTERNMAKER

Head Patternmaker10 yrs exp w/ 1st patterns thru prodand fit knowledge w/ boning and heavilystructured foundations for Day/Eve col-lections including prod trouble shoot-ing and working closely w/ factoriesdomestic/off shore. Fax to Jennifer atShoshanna 212-719-0745.

PATTERNMAKERHigh-end bridal & evening wear. 5 yrs.exp. in 1st pattern & fittings. Part time.ASAP. Fax resume: 212-334-3861.

Prod’n Asst./Shipping Coord.Min. 3 yrs. exp. to asst. w/ all aspects ofprod’n. Other indiv. to follow-up shippingdocs. Both position bilingual, English/Chinese needed. Fax: (212) 354-2226 or

Email: nikitainc@aol.com

Prod’n. Coordinator (35-45K)Multinational Buying House seeks anindividual w/min. of 3 years experienceto be based in NYC 4 days per week(Mon. - Thurs.). Must be well organized,with computer skills to handle all pro-duction needs, deliveries, and approvals.Must also be fluent in English & possessgood communication skills. Please Faxall resumes to HR at: 905-709-7436

Production AdministratorBetter sptswr co. seeks organizedindividual to assist in all phases ofoverseas production. Responsibilitiesinclude: managing & placing orders,coordinating between factories &buyers. Strong knowledge of import &customs regulations. Excellent com-munication & computer skills a must.

Fax Resume to: 212-398-6693

PRODUCTION ASSISTANTImport Sweater Co seeks exp’d., organized,computer literate, detail oriented personable to multi task. Fax resume to:

212-764-1825

Production AssistantLeading childrenswear manufacturerfor licensed product seeks a motivateddetail oriented individual to developproduction packages / final art as wellas oversee comments for approval sub-mits. Good sense of color/fabrics andIllustrator a must.

Please fax all resumes to: Denise 212-967-8108

Production AssistantsPrivate Label Mfr. seeks 2 individualswith import experience. Must be ableto multi task and work independently.Strong computer skills req’d. TWO po-sitions avail. Bilingual Chinese a plus.Salary to 35K. Please E-mail resumes to:

shurvitz@globe-tex.comGlobe-Tex Apparel

PRODUCTION ASSISTImporter seeks exp’d, organized, detailoriented asst to prepare spec sheets,develop purchase orders, track/followup prod’n schedules, & communicatew/ overseas offices. Must have strongPC skills, Cantonese A+. Competitivesalary + benefits pkge.

Fax resume 212-354-2661

PRODUCTIONCOORD - BILINGUALEst’d Missy sweater/knit importerseeks Chinese/English detail-orientedproduction person. 3 years experience& excellent follow-up skills required.Fax resume 212-302-5184 or call Lisa212-302-3744 email: Lisaemin@aol.com

Production CoordinatorRamosport

Better Ladies Outerwear Co seeksproduction coordinator with min. 2 yrsexp in issuing purchase orders, ordertracking & production planning. Mustbe detail oriented & able to work w/overseas vendors & factories to ensureon time shipments. Knowledge of gar-ment construction & strong computerskills a must. Great growth potential.

Pls fax resume: 212-840-6877

Kids HeadquartersSeeking talented individuals for

growing sleepwear div.Ranges: inf-7-16 girls/boys/Jrs

DesignersMerchandisersGraphic Artists

SalesEmail resumes to

humanresources@khny.comor fax (212) 736-1753 EOE

PRODUCTION Mgr. - N.Y. SportswearCo. Track & schedule from start to com-pletion. Daily overseas communication.Costing & fabric sourcing. Current exp.is required. Fax resume to: 973-812-0581

Reception/Sales Asst.Busy junior / kids showroom seeksmulti-task individual to answer phones,greet customers and assist in the show-room. Applicants must be efficient, per-sonable, computer literate, & organized.

Fax resume to 212-997-6404

Retail PlannerAkademiks, leading men’s and wom-en’s denim company seeks retail plan-ner with 2-3 years experience. Must bedetail-oriented with strong analyticalskills, proficient in word and excelalong with understanding of Depart-ment Stores.

Fax resume to HR 212-563-0581

SAMPLE MAKERS.A.D Collections LLC seeks a samplemaker for leading couture & sports-wear house w/ at least 5 yrs exp formorning & evening in Brooklyn.

Fax resume to Simon Duncan718-783-8042

Seamstress/TailorSeeking experienced F/T Seamstress /Tailor to do alterations for upscale bou-tique in Brooklyn. Call (718) 645-2600.

SENIOR ACCOUNTANTWell-established apparel co. seeks hardworking, multi-tasking, senior-levelaccountant w/analysis skills, taxknowledge and office operation ability.Apparel industry background prefer-red. Checkable refs. Must be familiarw/computerized acctg. programs. Bilin-gual Chinese is a plus. Competitivesalary plus benefits package.

Fax res/sal. hist./req. to 212-354-2661or email paulq@sunbirdpc.com

SWEATER DESIGNERFast paced Women’s Sportwear Co.seeks sweater designer with min 5years exp in better or contemporarymarket. Must have strong technicalknowledge and have contacts withfactories and yarn agents. Fax resume to Lynn 212-302-2399

SWEATERS SPECTECHNICIAN

FOUR YEARS EXPERIENCE INSWEATERS REQUIRED.

Able to work independently , domesticand int’l factories. Computer lit, organ-ized, team player for very fast-pacedenvironment.Fax res to Sally Daliege 213.362.2300

TechnicalAsst. Designer

Major apparel co. in BOSTON AREAseeks exp’d. Technical Designer. Musthave knowledge of grading, garmentconstruction & the fitting of missypatterns. 3-5 yrs. exp. concentrated inwoven & stretch fabrics for pants,skirts & jackets. Knowledge of PDMand Micrographics is required. Highlydetailed, fast paced teamplayers reply.

Fax resumes to: H.R. 617-332-3260

TECHNICAL DESIGNERMajor apparel company seeks individualwith mass merchant experience, girlssize 4-16. Must have knowledge of flatsketching, grading, and garment con-struction. Must be detailed orientedand have good communication skills.Great salary and benefits.

Fax resume 212-239-2766

Technician/KnitsMissy updated dress co seeks knit techw/ 3 or more yrs exp. for specs,grading, lab dip approval, fit garments.Must communicate with The Orient.Computer literate a must. Pleasantenvironment. Fax resume 212-944-6835

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVELuxury Italian leathergoods brand seeks strong sales professionalto join our team. Energetic and highly motivated candidatesmust have established relationships with major departmentand specialty stores and the ability to bring in new accounts.Extensive experience required in Bridge/Designer Handbags.Candidates must have polished presentation skills, effectivecommunication skills, and extremely good analytical skills. Atleast 4 years experience in sales and account maintenanceand bachelor’s degree are required.

Please fax resume and salary history to: (212) 685-5910

Showroom SalesSeeking Sales Person manage newItalian luxury sport footwear line.Ideal candidate will have strongmanagement & communicationskills. Min. 5 years exp. in theFootwear industry, and currentcontacts with key specialty shoestores req’d. Please Fax resume to:

212-750-2999

Account ExecutiveCHILDREN’S WEAR

A leading Manhattan based children’swear Co. is currently seeking a high levelmotivated children’s apparel AccountExecutive. Will be resp. to develop &maintain strong sales relationships w/existing & new customers. Must haveextensive children’s apparel contacts,specialty in denim market and salesexp. Will track retail sales & maintainappropriate stock levels. Involvementwith merchandising and product devel-opment. Must be available to travel. Ex-cellent salary. Please forward resumes:

Email: oni@crestjeans.comor Fax: (212) 719-5008

ACCOUNTEXECUTIVE

MAGIC International, the leadingFashion Apparel Trade Show Compa-ny, is seeking high-energy sales profes-sionals with at least 5+ years experi-ence in apparel wholesale sales or re-tail buying. Must have experience inand knowledge of the women’s, men’s,and/or children’s apparel markets.Knowledge of Menswear, YoungMen’s,Streetwear, Performance Athlet-ic a plus. Sales experience in booth,sponsorship, intangible or consultativesales also a plus. Proficiency in MSWord/Excel; excellent customer serv-ice, communication, salesmanshipskills; and the ability to work inde-pendently and excel in a fast pacedteam-oriented environment required.Goldmine software experience prefer-red. Travel is required. Location:Woodland Hills, CA.

MAGIC offers excellent benefits, com-petitive salary plus bonus incentives,and 401(k). Put job title in subject lineand send cover letter/resume topositions@magiconline.com EOE

www.magiconline.com

Contemporary Misses/Plus SizeExciting new line seeks an aggressive &experienced Sales Pro with establishedrelationships with Specialty/Dept. Storesand Private Label. Salary open. PleaseFax resume to: 917-591-5530

Dickies Girl NY Road & Showroom Sales. Car pref. Salary + .

E-mail resume:magnolia@apparellimited.com

High End Children’s Designer Seeks

Sales/Marketing RepMust have established relationships withupscale Tri-State Children’s Boutiques& Specialty Stores. Candidates shouldhave a minimum of 3 years extensiveexperience in the sale of children’s appa-rel. Please Fax resume to: 718-802-0704

PRIVATE LABELWell established sportswear co.seeking dynamic, well organized, selfstarter w/strong account following.Should have 5 years plus experienceand successful track record. Must beproduct oriented w/excellent communi-cation and inter-personal skills.

Please fax resume to HR Dept.212-354-5394

Retail Sales AssociatesFULL-TIME/PART TIME

Prestigious handbag/apparel Co. seekshardworking, high energy individualsw/ great people skills to join our salesstaff. Fax resume to Anita (212) 223-3856

SALES ASSISTANTImmediate opening for a salesassistant for NYC based apparelwholesaler. Seeking computer literateself starter to assist VP of Sales withorder entry, billing and customerservice. Knowledge of EDI desired.Benefits plus 401K Plan.Fax resume/salary req. to (646) 366-8742.

Sales ExecutiveEstablished suit and sportswear manu-facturer seeks strong sales exec to sellprivate label & branded programs. Ex-perience & contacts with upper man-agement, along with ability to formu-late /execute dept store programs amust. Huge compensation package forright individual.Fax resume to HR Dept. 212-354-5394

SALES EXECUTIVEHip showroom representing Italian sportswear collections, need individual withmin. 3 yrs. experience in sales of trendycollections. Specialty stores and depart-ment proven relationship a must. Alsotravel US and Europe and participateto trade shows. If you have the rightenergy email resume with salary req’s.

slarese@unisourceinc.com

Sales ExecutiveMissy woven shirts mfr. seeks salespro for NY showroom. Must havestrong dept. & chain store contacts.

Fax resume to: 201-330-0002

SALES/Mass Market/to 100k+For mjr. Accessory co’s. Mass Mkt. div.Great oppty. for aggressive, high energysales person w/expr. selling toWal-Mart& other like stores (accessoriesor apparel related). Proven track record. E-mail resume: cburke@ccburke.com (Fax) 212-725-7116 (Tel) 212-481-1941

SalesNATIONAL SALES REP wanted for Junior Accessories Co. withmultiple licensed brands. Must havesold Federated & May Co. AccessoriesDept. Salary + commission +benefits. Fax resume: 201-313-3726or email: sales@nasindustries.com

SALESPERSONNY based ready to wear Importer, seeksaggressive, energetic individual to selland follow-up with majors & mass mer-chants for 4-16 girls division. Musthave 2 yrs. exp. Great opportunity!

Please fax resume to 212-869-2781.Attn: Cathy

SALES REPRESENTATIVES•Jr. Knit/Woven Sportswear & Dresses•Missy DressesWe’re expanding and need Top Profes-sionals in N.Y. Must have experiencewith Dept. & Chain Stores. Please Faxall resume to: 213-748-1511

Sr Sales AnalystSF Network, licensee of Karen

Neuburger branded sleepwear, seeksF/T Sr Sales Analyst in Manhattan.

Reply: employment@knltd.com

Petticoat Lane - Greenwich, CTFine Lingerie Manager/Sales Associate

High-end lingerie store seekingan energetic, detail oriented person for a MANAGER/SALES Associateposition at our Greenwich Location.Must have Retail Sales experience.Please fax resume: (203) 863-0062

Rediscover Well-Being.Discover Kneipp.

EXCITING NEW OPPORTUNITY FORINDEPENDENT SALES REPRESENTATIONS

Following a complete makeover and new contemporaryproduct launches, Kneipp is focused on aggressively

expanding its distribution to top-tier department stores,bath and beauty specialty stores, spas and perfumeries.

Many territories available.

Send your inquiry by email to info@kneipp.comor by fax (201) 750-2070;

include your portfolio of brands, territory andtype of distribution you cover.

Visit our website: www.kneipp.com

Gulf Denim, a leading denim fabric manufacturing companylocated in Dubai, U.A.E is looking for a

US Agent The ideal representative should demonstrate their ability to generatevolume denim business and must have existing contacts with majorApparel Manufacturers, Department Stores, and Specialty Stores. This isa great opportunity for a well-established commission based agent.

Expression of interest should be sent to:The Business Development Manager

Gulf Denim LimitedP.O. Box 17109, Dubai, U.A.E

Fax: +011-971 4 883 8301E-mail: glfdenim@emirates.net.ae

Missy/Plus Size Linen GoodsWomen’s apparel wholesale companyis looking for independent sales rep.Experienced w/ dept store connections.

Fax 212-944-1530

Do you need help with:•SPECING •FLAT SKETCHES

•PATTERNMAKING •FITSCall Liz 718-263-7310 & leave a messageAvail. for P/T (sorry, no computer skills)

19WWD, THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2004

NEW YORK — Liz Claiborne Inc. hassued Dallas-based closeout retailerTuesday Morning Corp. for trade-mark violations involving sales ofcostume jewelry under the Monetname, which Claiborne owns.

The lawsuit, filed last month inU.S. District Court in Dallas, seeksabout $30 million in losses and puni-tive damages from the 594-doorchain, according to a report in theDallas Morning News.

Claiborne officials declined to com-ment Wednesday. The firm acquiredMonet out of bankruptcy in 2000.

A statement from TuesdayMorning Corp. released throughLaurey Peat & Associates, a publicrelations firm for the store, said,“[Claiborne] claims that some oftheir goods in Tuesday Morningstores are not authentic since theywere not purchased directly fromthem. These goods were purchasedfrom Division Sales, a wholesaler,who was named in the lawsuit andhas dealt with Tuesday Morning, aswell as other major retailers, formany years.”

Tuesday Morning maintained thejewelry, sold for 99 cents to $4.99, wasauthentic.

— Evan Clark

ClaiborneSues OverTrademark

NEW YORK — Jon Levy, a Seventh Avenueveteran in the dress business, diedThursday at Southampton Hospital inSouthampton, N.Y. He was 63.

The cause of death was pancreatic andliver cancer, said Nancy Hardy, a formerwife who had worked with Levy at theGillian Group, a dress company he headed.

Levy’s career started at the now defunctdress firm Johnny Herbert, where heworked as a salesman with Howard Bloom,chairman of Chetta B. He then went toPuritan Fashions before teaming up withBloom in the early Seventies.

The pair joined with Kay Unger to start

the Gillian Group, a dress manufacturer thatbegan with St. Gillian by Kay Unger andlater added AJ Bari, Gillian by Kay Ungerand Bichon by Cynthia Howie. In its primeduring the late Eighties the Gillian Groupwas a $135 million dress operation, Ungersaid. Levy was president and chief executiveofficer for 24 years, until the company dis-banded at the end of 1994 because of finan-cial difficulties.

A few months later, Levy openedHannah Hardy, another daytime dresslabel, and ran that business for a few years.He worked on Wall Street as a retail ana-lyst at Benchmark until his death.

Levy was born in Hewlett, N.Y., andspent summers as a young man as a life-guard at Atlantic Beach on Long Island. Hereceived a bachelor’s degree from theUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,and later kept a sign in his office invokinghis alma mater that read, “If God is not aTar Heel, why is the sky Carolina blue?”

In the early Sixties, Levy served forthree years as a medic in the ArmyReserve, Hardy said.

Levy is survived by three daughters,Jennifer Levy, Amanda Laserson andHannah Levy, and a sister, Diane Roth.

— Rosemary Feitelberg

Jon Levy, Veteran of Dress Business, 63Obituaries

NEW YORK — Jane Saunders, the founderof the original The Body Shop in the U.S.,died April 26. She was 83 and had beensuffering from Parkinson’s disease, saidher daughter, Kathy Saunders.

Always an entrepreneur, Saundersopened her first natural products store inBerkeley, Calif., in 1970 in a space previ-ously occupied by an auto repair shop,hence the origin of the name. Threading to-gether emerging trends at the time, includ-ing rising interest in natural products andenvironmental issues, Saunders began byselling lotions and perfumes in recyclablebottles. She emphasized the use of naturalingredients like aloe vera and jojoba oil,which she sourced from an Indian reserva-tion. One of her earliest products was a

scented bar soap that sold at three for $1.There were also popular, fun fragrancessuch as Strawberry Yogurt and China Rain.

The business took off immediately.Within six months, a second store wasopened and in two years there were sixstores throughout San Francisco, Berkeleyand Sausalito. In 1988, the U.K. companywith the same name, started by AnitaRoddick in 1976, wanted to enter the U.S.and Saunders agreed to sell the trademark.

Today, Saunders’ The Body Shop contin-ues as A.K.A. Saunders Inc. and is run by herdaughters, Kathy Saunders and AnnSaunders Gordon. It produces Nectarine, abulk natural bath and body care line that canbe repackaged under private labels, and alsomarkets the branded TerraNova line, a gift-

oriented natural beauty collection. Its prod-ucts are distributed in some 2,000 stores.

Early on, Saunders’ sister-in-law had beena partner in the business. The two split in 1979and that branch of the family continues to op-erate several retail stores in the Bay area.

Saunders, who crafted eyeglass cases andcrocheted bikinis before going into the beautybusiness, is “someone who needed to do some-thing, and she wasn’t right for working in a bankor department stores,” said Kathy Saunders.Beyond her business successes, Saunders ismostly remembered by her family, employeesand business associates for her kind touch.

In addition to her daughters, Saunders,who was divorced, is survived by threegrandchildren and two sons-in-law.

— Laura Klepacki

Jane Saunders, Original Body Shop Founder, 83

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