theyskens’ game plan/8 holt renfrew gets ...already runs 2,806 stores in the country with sales...

THEYSKENS’ GAME PLAN/8 HOLT RENFREW GETS BIGGER/18PH

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WWDTUESDAYReady-to-Wear/Textiles

By Erica Owen

Activist investor William Ackman is shaking up Target Corp.

Ackman’s hedge fund, Minneapolis-based Pershing Square Capital Management LP, has taken a 9.6 percent stake in

the nation’s number-two discount retailer and he is intent on pressing management to boost shareholder value, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday.

Noting Target’s differentiated

brand, significant growth opportunities and “the strongest operating management in the retail industry,” Pershing Square said in the filing that it will “discuss with management ways

Aiming at Target: Ackman Seeks to Leverage 9.6 Percent Stake

See Ackman, Page 9

Here, January Jones in Pegah Anvarian’s suit and sweater, Elisabeth Moss in Nili Lotan’s cardigan and Katy Rodriguez’s jumper and Christina Hendricks in Ginny H’s coat and Yeohlee’s skirt.

Women’s Wear Daily • The Retailers’ Daily Newspaper • July 17, 2007 • $2.00

Mad ModeMad ModeLOS ANGELES — On

Thursday, “Mad Men,”

AMC’s new drama set

in the Madison Avenue

advertising world of

1960, makes its debut.

But it’s not just about

the men; there are plenty

of women in the cast,

and they dress to be

noticed. For more,

see pages 6 and 7.

LOS ANGELES — On

Thursday, “Mad Men,”

AMC’s new drama set

in the Madison Avenue

advertising world of

1960, makes its debut.

But it’s not just about

the men; there are plenty

of women in the cast,

and they dress to be

noticed. For more,

see pages 6 and 7.

WWD.COM2 WWD, TUESDAY, JULY 17, 2007

WWDTUESDAYReady-to-Wear/Textiles

FASHIONCostume designer Katherine Jane Bryant is making her fi rst stab at an early Sixties wardrobe for the new AMC drama “Mad Men.”

GENERALInvestor William Ackman has taken a 9.6 percent stake in Target Corp. and said he planned to talk to management about increasing valuation.

Jones Apparel Group Inc. promoted Cynthia DiPietrantonio to chief operations offi cer, succeeding Wesley R. Card, now president and ceo.

EYE: Drawing out the fashion crowd in the middle of Milan’s sweltering July heat is nothing short of a miracle, as Karl Lagerfeld put it at La Scala.

Catherine Malandrino has tapped PMD Japan to distribute its signature collection throughout Japan, beginning with next spring’s line.

RTW: Having infused Nina Ricci with his ethereal and romantic vision, Olivier Theyskens is extending the aesthetic to retailing and advertising.

6

12458

● CARREFOUR’S SPANISH FOOTPRINT: Carrefour, the world’s second-largest retailer behind Wal-Mart, on Monday strength-ened its position in the competitive Spanish market by buying 250 hard discount stores. The French firm said it would acquire the Plus store chain from Spain’s Tengelmann for 200 million euros, or about $275.6 million at current exchange. The transac-tion was conducted through Carrefour’s Dia subsidiary, which already runs 2,806 stores in the country with sales last year of 3.5 billion euros, or $4.45 billion. Carrefour has struggled in France because of cooled consumer spending and discount competition. The firm has been unloading less-profitable op-erations in Japan, South Korea and Mexico, while bulking up in promising markets. In April, Carrefour bought 34 discount hypermarkets in Brazil for more than $1 billion.

● H&M JUNE SALES: Hennes & Mauritz on Monday said sales in June advanced 17 percent, edging most analysts’ consensus ex-pectations. On a like-for-like basis, the Swedish fast-fashion firm said sales grew 5 percent. Last month, H&M’s like-for-like sales declined 2 percent. At the end of June, H&M had 1,420 stores.

● GALERIES LAFAYETTE ACQUISITION: Groupe Galeries Lafayette, the French department store operator, said Monday that it acquired two watch chains — Louis Pion and Royal Quartz — from France’s Groupe Sofidi for an undisclosed sum. The transaction bolsters Galeries’ watch distribution network, which already counts 110 Watch Me, EuropaQuartz and Goldy stores. Louis Pion and Royal Quartz, which stock luxury and fashion watches, operate 20 stores, mostly in Paris and French airports. The deal signals more consolidation among European department stores. Last year, Italy’s La Rinascente purchased the Printemps department stores from PPR, parent of Gucci Group. In recent weeks speculation mounted that Galeries Lafayette had its eye on Britain’s Debenham’s department stores, which Galeries denied.

In Brief

Classifi ed Advertisements.............................................................19

WWD IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ADVANCE MAGAZINE PUBLISHERS INC. COPYRIGHT ©2007 FAIRCHILD FASHION GROUP. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.

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Jones Promotes Operations ExecsNEW YORK — Days after Wesley R. Card took over as president and chief executive offi cer, Jones Apparel Group Inc. is making several executive changes.

The company appointed Cynthia DiPietrantonio chief op-erations offi cer to assume some responsibilities that were han-dled by Card when he was chief operating officer and chief fi-nancial offi cer. Card was tapped for the top job when Peter Boneparth resigned last week.

DiPietrantonio, executive vice president of customer rela-tions and corporate credit, has worked at Jones for 24 years. Based in Bristol, Pa., she will report to Card and will be the senior corporate executive re-sponsible for Jones’ Bristol oper-ations group, including customer service, allocations, distribution and management information systems. The credit and collec-

tions functions will become part of Jones’ fi nancial group, also located in Bristol, which will re-port to John McClain, who was promoted to cfo.

Jones appointed Norman Veit executive vice president of man-agement information services. Veit has been with Jones for fi ve years as senior vice presi-dent of corporate management information systems. He was previously vice president of in-formation technology for Ames Department Stores. Veit will re-port to DiPietrantonio.

Michael Kauffman was named executive vice president of dis-tribution operations. Kauffman has worked at Jones eight years in a variety of senior distribu-tion positions. Prior to Jones, he held senior distribution posi-tions with Perry Ellis/Salant and Calvin Klein. Kauffman will also report to DiPietrantonio.

“Along with the recent ap-pointment of John McClain to the position of chief fi nancial officer, these organizational changes will provide for strong and experienced leadership in our operations and financial groups,’’ Card said in a state-ment. “I am confident in the ability of these executives to lead and to continue to provide excellent customer service and to enhance our ability to meet customer requirements.”

Jones’ executive ranks were shaken last week when Boneparth resigned from the $4.74 billion wholesaler after fi ve years in the top job. His contract was to expire in March 2009, and the timing of his resignation — in the middle of negotiations to sell Barneys New York — surprised many in the industry. Card has been with the company since 1990.

— Whitney Beckett

By Rachel Brown

LOS ANGELES — The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, the biggest port complex in the U.S., face a possible shutdown after negotiations between a clerical union and shipping companies reached an impasse Monday morning.

A work stoppage could create a major headache for the fash-ion industry because of delays in fall and holiday apparel ship-ments.

“This [possible strike] is a big deal for several reasons, said Jack Kyser, chief econo-mist at the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. “One is that if there is a work stoppage, it is coming at the start of the peak season. If you have something on a ship headed this way, you are starting to wring your hands and tear out your hair. Obviously, there are ripple effects across the country and it will cause a lot of distortions for our transportation system.”

The Office Clerical Unit of Local 63, a division of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, had issued a midnight strike deadline dur-ing talks with 14 employers over a new three-year contract. Negotiations continued past the deadline without a deal and with-out an immediate work stoppage.

A strike by the clerical union, which represents 930 work-ers at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, would trigger a much larger action and all ILWU members would walk off their jobs in solidarity. There

are about 15,000 longshoremen that operate out of the two ports, which handle an estimated 40 percent of all cargo container traffi c coming into the U.S.

John Fageaux Jr., president of Local 63’s Offi ce Clerical Union, said the union, based in San Pedro, Calif., would give its fi nal offer to employers Monday after-noon. He described the offer as covering wages, working condi-tions, health benefi ts and hours, and insisted that the union would strike if the employers did not agree to the terms.

“If the past is any indication of what they are going to do, there is not a very good chance of them accepting it,’’ he said. “We have done as much as we can do and have gone as far as we can go.”

Among the main sticking points between the employers and union members, whose con-tract expired July 1, are wages and health benefits. Fageaux said employers wanted to change

the health plan for new hires to HMO coverage for 18 months in-stead of the PPO coverage that current clerical union members receive at no cost to them.

But employers have argued that the wage package proposed by the union has led the talks to break down. The union report-edly has rejected an offer by the shipping companies to increase clerical union workers’ hourly wages from $37.50 to $39.20 in the next three years. Clerical work-ers make an estimated $78,000 annual salary before benefi ts.

Fageaux would not elaborate on the wage demands made by the clerical union. However, speculation is that the union has asked for $53 an hour in three years, a 40 percent hike from today’s hourly pay.

Cecilia Winter, import op-erations manager at Hurley International, based in Costa Mesa, Calif., said that, in the event of a strike, the company would divert its shipments to other ports such as Seattle and Oakland, Calif., or, in dire straits, resort to air freight.

The Pacific Maritime Association, which negotiates contracts with the ILWU, is not involved in the current dispute and will not be unless the ILWU walks out. If the longshoremen join a work stoppage, Steve Getzug, a spokesman for the PMA, said the association would seek to arbitrate to force them back to their jobs.

A 10-day port lockout by the ship-ping companies in 2002 resulted in estimated losses of $15 billion.

Uniqlo does not operate a store in Manhattan’s Union Square, but has one in SoHo. This was incorrect in a story page 14, July 6.

Correction

Obituary......................................................................................13

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Grazie MilleDrawing out the fashion crowd in the middle of Milan’s sweltering July heat is nothing short of a miracle, as Karl Lagerfeld put it Sunday night at La Scala. But they had more than due cause: a performance of “Grazie Gianni, Con Amore,” a ballet choreographed by Gianni Versace’s longtime friend Maurice Béjart and costumed with new and vintage Versace

gowns. The bold-faced crowd, including Santo Versace, Carla Fendi, the Missonis, Luisa Beccaria, Claudia Schiffer, Mariacarla Boscono, Quincy Jones and Jessica Alba, was enough to stop traffi c outside the opera house.

“Her brother would have been very proud of what she did,” Lagerfeld said, referring to Donatella Versace, who arrived with her children Allegra and Daniel. “I loved the dresses she added [to the original Gianni Versace ones].”

At the end of the hour-long performance, Donatella joined Béjart on stage, standing underneath a giant Richard Avedon photograph of Gianni, killed 10 years ago to the date of the tribute.

“After so many rehearsals, it was even more moving,” Donatella said. Later, at the dinner held by the maison at Palazzo Reale, the designer stuck by Lagerfeld like a security blanket. “Karl was the designer my brother loved the most in the world, and it is a huge honor to have him here next to me,” she said.

Her daughter Allegra remembered her fi rst visit to La Scala with her late uncle. “It means a lot to be here tonight. I think the ballet was perfect. It really honored my uncle in all the right ways,” she said, “and the way [Béjart] incorporated my mom’s dresses was beautiful.”

The evening left everyone feeling especially sentimental, including Naomi Campbell, who thought she was keeping her composure quite well until she did an interview with Italian television and “totally broke down,” she said. “I miss him a lot. It’s important that we remember him in the right way.”

Riccardo Tisci knew just what she meant. As a child aspiring to be a fashion designer, Tisci used to “dream about Gianni Versace,” he said. “He was an important part of Italian history and brought Italian fashion abroad. He was a rock star — Italy’s equivalent of a Givenchy or an Yves Saint Laurent.”

The mood in Southampton, N.Y., Saturday night was similarly reverent as members of the Parrish Art Museum honored departing director Trudy Kramer at its annual Midsummer Party. Men in madras and women in long, fl owing gowns fi lled the garden tent for an elegant dinner and spirited dance, sponsored by Brooks Bros. While most guests including Beth Rudin DeWoody, Katharina Otto-Bernstein, Debbie Bancroft, Chuck Close, Jessica Craig-Martin and Patricia Duff were saddened to lose Kramer to retire-ment, one person in particular was quite pleased. “She’s mine now,” said her husband, Harry. “You can’t have her.” Indeed, Kramer was eager to attend to her new role as happy housewife, declaring that the fi rst two items on her agenda were to “sleep late and make lunch for my husband.”

One thing artists on Long Island’s East End can’t get enough of is the light during early evening, and it certainly delivered as beachgoers gathered at Elie and Rory Tahari’s Sagaponack home for a cocktail fete cohosted by New Yorkers for Children celebrating the upcoming opening of the new Elie Tahari shop. As Coralie Charriol wrapped herself up in a chunky knit cardigan against the sea breeze, Elie Tahari, unshaven and shirt untucked, basked in the glow of a successful party. “As long as my wife is happy,” he said, smiling.

Donatella Versace with her children, Allegra and Daniel.

Jessica Alba in Versace.

Claudia Schiffer in Versace with Karl Lagerfeld.

Mariacarla Boscono in Versace.

Santo Versace

Beth Rudin DeWoody in Lanvin.

Dancers perform “Grazie Gianni, Con Amore” in Versace gowns.

Patricia Duff in Robert Danes.

Rory Tahari in Elie Tahari with Helen Schifter in Tracy Feith.

Coralie Charriol in Elie Tahari.

Luisa Beccaria with her daughter,

Lucilla Bonaccorsi.

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Luisa Beccaria with her daughter,

Lucilla Bonaccorsi.

NEW YORK — Catherine Malandrino is looking East.

The New York firm has tapped PMD Japan Inc. to exclusively distribute the Catherine Malandrino collec-tion throughout Japan, begin-ning with the spring 2008 col-lection. PMD will show the collection in its Tokyo and Osaka showrooms.

“The Japanese market is be-coming an important business for Catherine Malandrino,” said Bernard Aidan, Malandrino’s chief executive officer. “The Nippon society has evolved since Japanese women are now working, traveling and becom-ing much more independent. Japanese women are ready for a new lifestyle designer brand.”

PMD initially plans to distribute the collection in 30 doors and set up multiple in-store environments at department stores nation-wide. It is also expected to launch a freestanding boutique in Tokyo next year. The store will offer both the designer-level Malandrino collection and the contemporary Catherine Malandrino line.

“With their selected distribution and respect for our brand identity and marketing expertise, PMD is the best partner for our expansion plans in Japan,” Aidan said. “The fi rst step has been to establish the Catherine Malandrino collection in New York and Paris. The next step to building Catherine Malandrino into a global brand is to open boutiques in key cities worldwide.”

PMD, founded last December, is a division of Toppy International Inc., which is owned by Hong Kong’s Fang Brothers. It focuses on brand-building, including distribution, marketing and public relations. The fi rm is also working on the launch of Pringle of Scotland in Japan this fall.

— Marc Karimzadeh

WWD.COM5WWD, TUESDAY, JULY 17, 2007

GRAND STAND: Retired couturier Yves Saint Laurent has been raised to Grand Offi cier of the French Legion of Honor, the second highest rank in the national merit system. Saint Laurent, who experienced health issues recently, was given the honor by French president Nicolas Sarkozy as part of the country’s traditional July 14 promotion ceremonies.

THE PRODUCER: Designers do their share of wooing Hollywood actresses but Nanette Lapore has taken another route — adding her name to the list of co-producers of Steve Buscemi’s new fi lm “Interview.” Lapore, who had the chance to meet the movie’s co-star, Sienna Miller, said she is looking at the opportunity “mainly as investment.” She and her husband, Robert Savage, have been friends with Buscemi for years — his wife, Jo Andres, is a college pal of Lapore’s sister Michele — and decided to put up money for his latest project. “We thought it would be a nice way to invest in a small fi lm,” Lapore said.

Buscemi plays a middle-aged journalist assigned to interview a hard-partying starlet played by Miller. After visiting the “Interview’’ set last summer, the designer outfi tted Miller for a few special appearances, and some of her creations are featured in the movie. Lapore said she lost touch with the fi lm’s progress because she was “consumed’’ with her own work. She was on a business trip to London last week and missed the movie’s New York premiere.

Lapore said she and her husband are not expecting a huge return on their investment. But more opportunities are likely to arise. “Interview” is the fi rst of three English-language adaptations of movies by the late Dutch fi lmmaker Theo van Gogh. Lapore said she hopes to get involved with the other two parts of the trilogy, which will be directed by Stanley Tucci and John Turturro.

LONDON’S NEW FACES: London Fashion Week will welcome back established expats Luella Bartley and Matthew Williamson to the city’s runways in September, and some new names are hitting the schedule, too. Charles Anastase, who has shown in Paris, will show for the fi rst time in London — where he is now based — as will Armand Basi, the Spanish label whose women’s wear collection is designed by the onetime London Fashion Week fi xture Markus Lupfer. Rodnik, the British label designed by Philip Colbert and Richard Ascott, whose ready-to-wear line grew out of a collection of cobweb-like accessories, will also mount its fi rst runway show during the week, which runs from Sept. 15 through 20.

GOING HOLLYWOOD: Los Angeles designer Jenni Kayne will open her fi rst store, on Almont Drive in West Hollywood between Melrose Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard, in late September or early October. The 5,000-square-foot space, formerly a furniture store, will be launched with an event during Los Angeles Fashion Week in October. “I think it’s the next step for my business,” said Kayne. “We have such a great following and private clientele here, and there isn’t one store that has such a true representation of the collection, [because] everyone buys so differently.” The boutique will carry the designer’s rtw line, along with capsule accessories, men’s wear and baby collections produced exclusively for the store. Kayne, who added that she would eventually like to open a store in New York, said the boutique would also stock lifestyle items including vintage books and antique jewelry.

Fashion Scoops

Malandrino Line Heads to JapanHSN to Feature David RodriguezBy Sharon Edelson

David Rodriguez, the designer known for

his red carpet-worthy styles, is betting that viewers of the Home Shopping Network will appreciate the clean el-egance of his designs.

The move might have been riskier a few years ago, when HSN consum-ers were known to have a penchant for over-the-top embellishment. But upgrades in program-ming, graphics and prod-uct have attracted a fashion-savvy customer, net-work executives said.

As much as HSN wanted to add Rodriguez’s name to its designer roster to further legitimize its fashion offerings, Rodriguez was eager to sell a collection he’s calling Fleur via HSN.

“For us it’s a way of being part of a much larg-er platform and getting our vision out there,” said Rodriguez, who will introduce Fleur on Aug. 21 at 11 p.m. EST. “As a designer you always want to broaden your exposure. HSN goes into millions of homes. We do a lot of trunk shows. Being on HSN is like one big virtual trunk show but with millions of people. The message gets out there in one hour.”

Rodriguez experienced the power of the moving image when a sweater he designed was worn by Anne Hathaway’s character in “The Devil Wears Prada.” “It was selling well before, but it’s amazing how something can take off and run,” he said. “We had to do sev-eral recuts on that item.”

The designer underscored the fact that Fleur will be different from his signature collection, which is sold in specialty stores such as Richard’s in Greenwich, Conn., and Hirshleifer’s at the Americana Manhasset in Manhasset, N.Y. For one thing, there’s the cost. Fleur’s prices range from $29.90 for a sweater tank to $109.90 for a bouclé jack-et with suede accents. A jacket from the signature collection can easily cost $1,800.

“They’ll get something with the same spirit [as the main line],” Rodriguez said of Fleur. “With my signature business I get to work with the best fabrics in the world. With technology today, the mills are doing [great] things. You can hold a super ex-pensive jersey next to one for HSN and be hard-pressed to tell the difference it looks so good.”

Fleur will feature stretch fab-rics such as jersey for jackets and pants and knits designed for day-into-eveningwear. Rodriguez will introduce his answer to the elastic waistband popularized by HSN. “Our fl awless fi t pant has an expandable waistband. We devel-oped a technique where the elastic is encased but still expands.”

Rodriguez, who has designed fur coats and stoles using Persian lamb and fox in his signature line, created a fake fur vest and jacket with fake fur trim for Fleur.

“We did a lot of mixing with suede and fabric, which is a signature in my collection,” he said. “There are embel-lishments, a combination of machine-stitching and hand-stitching. I’m not an over-the-top beading kind of person. I like things to be rich and beautiful. It’s embellishment the way I like to do it.”

Accessories and shoes are “a defi nite possibility,” Rodriguez said. “We’re doing a soft accessories line that’s part of our

main collection.” The designer sees no downside to selling

on HSN. “The hallmark case is what hap-pened to Halston,” he said, referring to the late designer who created a lower-priced line for J.C. Penney and was booted out of Bergdorf Goodman. “That’s changed

so much. With all these large retailers bringing one-off projects with very vis-ible designers, you can see there’s such a great opportunity for everyone. You have to be careful that you approach it in a very strategic way. We’re not fl ood-ing the market. As long as there’s not a confl ict with product and price point, there’s room for everyone to play.”

Rodriguez added: “It’s going to really help my business through the visibility. Now my face and name will be in millions of households. It can’t do anything but help.”

Michael Corvino, president of VF Corp.’s JanSport division, died in a car accident on Saturday near his home in Danville, Calif., the company said Monday.

Corvino, 46, a 15-year VF veteran, took over the JanSport backpack brand in 2004. Previously, he held several sales and merchandising positions with VF’s Imagewear division in Nashville and in Tampa, Fla. Corvino had been vice president of sales and merchandising for VF Imagewear before he was named head of JanSport.

“Mike was a talented and passionate leader, and inspired everyone around him,” Mackey McDonald, chairman and chief executive offi cer of VF, said in a statement. “Mike had an infectious smile and laugh, and was a dear friend to many at VF, and we will miss him more than words can convey.”

Dave Gatto, president of VF’s outdoor division, will assume responsibility of JanSport until a replacement is named.

Corvino was a Philadelphia native who attended the University of Maryland, where he became an accomplished linebacker on the football team.

He is survived by his wife, Joyce, and two daughters, Elizabeth and Alexandra.— Ross Tucker

JanSport’s Michael Corvino in Fatal Car Accident

Catherine Malandrino

A fall look from Fleur.

Below: Rodriguez’s

signature luxe look for Fleur.

David Rodriguez

6 WWD, TUESDAY, JULY 17, 2007

THERE’S A SCENE IN THE PILOT OF “MAD MEN,” AMC’S NEW DRAMA about the lives of New York ad execs in 1960, in which new secretarial hire Peggy is being shown around the offi ces of the fi ctional agency Sterling Cooper by a top secretary, Joan. Peggy is dressed in a roomy mustard pullover and fl aring beige circle skirt, her hair pulled back in a beribboned cheerleader’s ponytail. Joan, on the other hand, is in the most body-hugging of sheaths — the better to fl aunt her Monroe-esque shape — accented by a small sparkly brooch. Her lips pout red; her hair, equally fl aming, is piled high in a sexy updo. While Joan’s hemline hovers above the knee, Peggy’s veers nearer midcalf. As they come to a stop near Peggy’s new desk, Joan dispenses some telling career advice: “Don’t take this the wrong way,” she begins, “but a girl like you, with these darling little ankles, I’d fi nd a way to make them sing. Also,” she adds, “men love scarves.”

Those few introductory minutes set up all you need to know about the characters through their clothing. Audiences have costume designer Katherine Jane Bryant to thank for this. Bryant has done Western-meets-Victoriana threads for HBO’s “Deadwood,” for which she won an Emmy, as well as the gruesome attire in the recent “The Hills Have Eyes” movie sequel, but “Mad Men,” from Matthew Weiner, writer and executive producer of “The Sopranos,” is her fi rst stab at a Sixties wardrobe. As Bryant is quick to point out, however, this isn’t the era of Mod madness. “This is just before,” the Tennessee native explains. “All my reference books are late Fifties to 1960. Grace Kelly, Sophia Loren, Ann-Margret. I watched [the 1960 movie] ‘The Apartment,’ with Shirley MacLaine and Jack Lemmon.” And, indeed, there are no whiffs here of Cardin or Courrèges, no Space-Age moon girls or wild Op-Art babes.

Being true to the historical era is key for a show like this, but Bryant notes that tending to the individual characters trumps all. “It’s about what motivates them and how the audience is going to read them when they’re in costume,” she says. So while good-girl Peggy (played by Elisabeth Moss) is dolled up in those conservative fi t-and-fl are numbers (some of her sweaters come with heart-shape buttons), fl irty Joan (Christina Hendricks) is in form-fi tting hourglass looks. There’s one she and Weiner have even dubbed “the naked-mouse outfi t.”

“It’s a mouse-colored thing,” Hendricks says of the sweater-and-pencil skirt combo. “But it’s so tight, it looks like it’s been spray-painted on me.” Joan also has the accessories to match. “I wear a tiny, sleek gold ballpoint pen on a chain necklace. Joan’s a secretary, so it’s like the school teacher with glasses hanging sexily around her neck.”

The characters include a beatnik girl, illustrator Midge (Rosemarie DeWitt) — “she wears a lot of black,” says Bryant — as well as Stepford-wife suburbanites like Betty (January Jones), whose identity is being kept under wraps until the pilot, which airs Thursday at 10 p.m. Then there’s the show’s only high-powered woman, Rachel, head of her family’s Manhattan department store and a client of Sterling Cooper. She’s decked out in high-fashion ensembles, like the bright violet tweed suit she wears when the audience fi rst sees her. “She’s shopping for her clothes in Paris, you know,” Byrant notes. Still, with all these different styles with which to work, the designer does have one ruling guideline when it comes to the Sterling Cooper offi ces: “No casual Fridays!” she says with a laugh. “The downfall of American style.”

Bryant has gone to remarkable lengths to dress her cast members in period-perfect gear. She designed some of the clothes, bought others at vintage-clothing stores and rented some from costume shops. Underneath them, the designer insisted on era-specifi c foundation garments, right down to girdles, to help the actresses get into character. “Your posture changes,” Hendricks says. “All of a sudden, my character has this swing when I walk, because the girdle is hugging my body and it’s very tight; it makes you aware of all your parts. You notice your hips are swinging from side to side.” But she also adds, “It’s a workout getting into it. As it’s gotten warmer, I’m, like, working up a sweat trying to get into that thing.”

Counters Bryant, “I tell them, it’s nothing like wearing a corset, so consider yourself lucky.”

As for the noticeable lift up top, the designer has every female on set — she dresses the main characters and the extras — in a Jayne Mansfi eld-esque bullet bra. “You can’t help but look at people’s breasts because they’re, like, pointing at you,” jokes Hendricks. “They really stand out. I’m sure the guys are going crazy.”

Not every attempt at authenticity, however, worked out. “The pantyhose we were wearing were actually from that time period,” says Moss. But Bryant had to switch to new ones because they couldn’t fi nd them in the quantity they needed.

The men on the show have their own sartorial issues. During that period, for instance, men wore their pants high at the waist. “I tell them all the time, ‘Pull your pants up! I want them up past the belly button! By the end of the show, you’ll be so used to it, you won’t be able to put your Diesel jeans on,’” Bryant says. She even recuts the collars on contemporary button-downs to match the two-and-a-half-inch spread collar popular at the time. “And I go down half a size, because most men today buy their shirts too big,” she adds.

To differentiate among the actors, Bryant plays with the more subtle details in men’s wear. For example, she gives her actors different pocket squares and ties and also toys with color. Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser), an underhanded young account exec, is dressed in fl ashy blues and yellows, while Don Draper (Jon Hamm), the agency’s creative director around whom the show revolves, wears lighter suits in shades of gray. “There’s a lack of color,” explains Bryant of the latter, “because he’s a character you can’t get a real read on.” This is the star ad man who opens a desk drawer to reveal that it’s full of identical, immaculate white shirts. He also delivers the following bon mot: “What you call love was invented by guys like me...to sell nylons.”

As the show develops, Bryant promises you’ll see a whole array of fabulous period pieces: peignoirs, burlesque costumes, cocktail attire. The style of some of the characters will evolve. And, indeed, by the second episode, you’ll even see newbie Peggy sporting that scarf.

— Venessa Lau

It’s a Mad, Mad Madison Avenue

Hendricks in “the naked-mouse outfi t.”

▲ On Jones: Koi Suwannagate’s crinkle silk chiffon dress. The Way We Wore cotton gloves.

Hendricks in “the naked-mouse outfi t.”


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On January Jones: Kevan Hall’s silk chiffon dress. The Way We Wore earrings; Christian Louboutin shoes. On Elisabeth Moss: Sue Wong’s silk dress. On Christina Hendricks: Sylvia Heisel’s silk dress. The Way We Wore earrings, bracelet and leather gloves; Stuart Weitzman shoes.

On Moss: Robert Rodriguez’s

viscose and polyester dress.

Autore ring; Anne Klein

brooch.

Talia Balsam and Jones as Mona

and Betty.

Rich Sommer, Hendricks and Aaron Staton as Harry, Joan and Ken.

Jon Hamm as Don Draper.

Rosemarie DeWitt

as Midge.

Rich Sommer, Hendricks and Aaron Staton as Harry, Joan and Ken.


By Miles Socha

PARIS — Having infused the Nina Ricci runway with his ethereal and romantic vision, Olivier Theyskens is extending the aesthetic to the retail fl oor and the advertising page.

During the recent couture week here, the designer quietly reopened Ricci’s fl agship with an interim all-gray, minimal interior. “Olivier and I were very adamant that the store feel different for the arrival of the goods,” explained Mario Grauso, president of Puig Fashion Group, Ricci’s parent.

In Paris, that meant “skin-coating” the interior — walls, fl oors and ceil-ings alike — in gray cement and installing subdued lighting, a fi tting back-drop for Theyskens’ feminine and fragile yet edgy designs.

Theyskens has a new design concept for the Avenue Montaigne unit that will entail considerable construction, including the alteration of its central staircase, requiring approvals from French authorities. The unit is likely to be unveiled next January during couture week.

Ricci unveiled its fi rst shop-in-shop, spanning about 500 square feet, on the couture fl oor of Bergdorf Goodman last month.

“Olivier Theyskens is an extraordinary designer and his arrival at Bergdorf Goodman has been eagerly anticipated by our associates and clients,” said Jim Gold, the store’s president and chief executive offi cer.

Also opening soon are other shops-in-shops at Harvey Nichols in London, Galeries Lafayette here and Saks Fifth Avenue in Mexico City. All will feature elements that echo the future Paris fl agship, including twisted matte brass fi xtures and furniture inspired by the “twist” from the L’Air de Temps bottle — also a leitmotif in Theyskens’ runway debut last March.

The fabric covering the fi tting-room walls, a fl oral jacquard, comes from the original fragrance packaging.

Also opening this fall, with Ricci’s Russian partner, Crocus, is a 1,500-square-foot Ricci boutique at the Crocus City Mall in Moscow, along with a 750-square-foot corner at Crocus’ multibrand store called Stoleshnikov Per.

Launching a New York fl agship is also a priority for Ricci, and Grauso said he hoped to have one open by fall 2008. “It’s really more of a real estate challenge,” he said in an in-terview. “Olivier is mulling differ-ent neighborhoods to fi nd the one he feels is right for the brand. Right now, he’s leaning toward Chelsea.”

Theyksens, who was the creative director of Rochas before that house was shuttered in 2006, has long en-joyed a strong following in the U.S., including fans of his now-dormant signature brand. For the fall-winter season, North America accounted for about 43 percent of Ricci’s worldwide sales at wholesale, compared with 22 percent in Europe and 15 percent in Asia, including Japan.

Theyskens, who never had a bud-get for advertising at Rochas, has cre-ated striking imagery for his debut Ricci effort. He tapped photographer

Annie Leibovitz, who shot IMG model Anabela at Leibovitz’s property in Rhinebeck, N.Y. Theyskens opted for a simple backdrop of rain-licked greenery, a striking foil for his feathery gowns.

“I really admire Annie Leibovitz and her works since I met her in Belgium six years ago,” Theyskens said.

The global campaign is slated to break in September fashion maga-zines, including the U.S. titles Vogue, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar and Town & Country, Grauso said.

Theyskens also plans to keep his public profi le high this fall and winter with a slate of personal appearances in North America. In October, in con-cert with Neiman Marcus, Ricci will reprise its Paris fashion show in Los Angeles for the Couture Cares charity event, which more than 300 VIPs are expected to attend at Kelly Wearstler’s new estate. Immediately after, the designer is slated to make personal appearances at Neiman Marcus in San Francisco, Bergdorf Goodman in New York and Holt Renfrew in Toronto.

“Things are moving fast,” Grauso said. “[Olivier] is really speaking to a lot of women.”

Nina Ricci is carried in 220 points of sales worldwide for fall, a jump of almost 30 percent over a year ago.

Retailers cited strong initial consumer reaction to Ricci fashions by Theyskens. Saks Fifth Avenue, which staged a gala dinner for the designer and a two-day trunk show last March, cited strong sales, particularly of open-weave knitwear, soft jackets and evening gowns, said Joseph Boitano, senior vice president and general merchandise manager of women’s and children’s at Saks Fifth Avenue.

“He’s really focused on the needs of the customer and, at the same time, he blends in his creativity,” Boitano told WWD. “Our results were really terrifi c, especially for a fi rst-time new collection.”

Linda Fargo, senior vice president, women’s fashion director and store presentation, said, “To say that we are excited about the future of Nina Ricci as imagined by Olivier Theyskens is an understatement. His work captures a romantic and almost poetic modern dressing fused with per-fectly merchandised and assorted offerings. Everything a Nina Ricci cus-tomer could want is there, from sporty separates with edge, to easy, chic day-to-night dresses, to the most exceptional event pieces.”

Theyskens Puts Imprint on Nina RicciReady-to-Wear Report

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A view of the Nina Ricci shop at Bergdorf Goodman.

Here, above and below: Views of the new interior decor at the

Nina Ricci fl agship in Paris.

▲ An image from the fall/winter advertising campaign, shot by Annie Leibovitz.

Avon Products Inc. said it will trim

head count and take $5 million in charges, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The move is part of a previously announced restructuring effort that the company began in November 2005.

The fi ling states that Avon will cut an undis-closed number of jobs and outsource certain services. The two ef-forts are expected to be completed by the end of 2008. The com-pany expects to record total charges of about $5 million before taxes to cover em-ployee-related costs tied to the plan.

When asked what types of posts and locations would be affected by the cuts, an Avon spokeswoman said the company would not comment beyond the fi ling.

The beauty fi rm said it expects to announce further exit and disposal costs, but would not detail if exits from certain markets and businesses or more job cuts were planned. Avon continues to project its multiyear restruc-turing effort will cost approximately $300 million to $500 million before taxes. Last year, the company incurred $229 million in costs related to its restructuring plan.

— Molly Prior

BEAUTY BEAT


Avon to Cut Its Staff, Take $5M in Charges

Ackman Looks to Unlock Target ValueContinued from page onein which the undervaluation can be corrected.”

There has been speculation that Ackman will try to convince Target to sell its highly profi table credit card business, which generates $6.5 billion and contributed $143 million, up 20.6 percent from the year-earlier period, to the compa-ny’s fi rst-quarter earnings of $651 million. Target has a market cap of $58.8 billion and an enterprise value of $70.2 billion.

Pershing Square has been in this territory before. Ackman ac-quired stakes in both Wendy’s International Inc. and McDonald’s Corp. At Wendy’s, Ackman has been credited with pushing the company to spin off its Tim Hortons coffee and doughnut chain. He wanted McDonald’s to use the proceeds from the sale of its Latin American restaurants to buy back stock and pay shareholders a dividend.

Neither Ackman nor a spokes-woman for Pershing returned phone calls for comment, while Target Corp. declined comment.

“It strikes me as unusual that a group as smart as Pershing believes it can convince Target to shed its core strategic assets, and that would in-clude the credit card business,” said Lazard Capital analyst Todd Slater, who has held a buy rating on Target shares since June 2006. “I see no rea-son why it would agree to turn over the strategic asset to a third party, es-pecially given its performance.”

Slater expects the end result of a meeting between Ackman and Target management to be “status quo,” and noted that the stock is up 13 percent since the end of May, when Ackman began building up his stake, according to the SEC fi ling.

“That could well be the point,” Slater said. “If Pershing wanted to get a meeting with manage-ment, it simply could have called the company. It doesn’t take a 10 percent stake.”

Ackman purchased about 81.8 million shares of Target common stock for $1.98 billion, according

to SEC documents. He has already made a hefty profi t. Target stock was down 1.8 percent on Monday to close at $68.89 in New York Stock Exchange trading, which would put Ackman’s stake at about $5.64 billion.

The stock has gained 46 percent over the past 12 months, trading be-tween $46.35 and $70.75.

Citigroup analyst Deborah Weinswig wrote in a research note Monday that it is unlikely that Target would sell its credit card unit, noting that the credit portfolio is more favorable to its business than other retailers’ due to its company-owned bank, Target National Bank.

Instead, Weinswig saw two other areas in which Ackman could focus to raise value at Target, including increasing leverage and re-purchasing shares and real estate monetization.

“Target could monetize its real estate through sale leasebacks and use the proceeds to repurchase shares,” Weinswig wrote. “However, we believe Target prefers to own its stores for the fl exibility and eco-nomic benefi ts.”

Goldman Sachs analyst Adrianne Shapira said in a re-search note that Ackman’s invest-ment in Target strays from the in-vestor’s past patterns.

“This situation is somewhat dif-ferent from past Ackman invest-ments, fundamentals are strong, strategy is sound, shareholders have been rewarded, and manage-ment has little to apologize for,” Shapira wrote. “Given the mar-ket’s euphoric reaction to the ru-mored stake, we believe the next big move in the stock will hinge on management’s response to Ackman’s proposed strategy with the latter likely to be issued along-side Pershing’s SEC fi ling.”

She noted that Target’s chief fi -nancial offi cer, Douglas Scovanner, has said regarding the credit card business, “We have neither a stra-tegic nor a fi nancial benefi t in mind in engaging in any kind of transac-tion, such as a sale.’’

According to the SEC filing, Pershing Square intends to donate one-third of after-tax net prof-its from the Target investment to the charity organization Pershing Square Foundation, which focuses in part on education, global health care, environmental conservation and human rights.

Avon chairman and ceo Andrea Jung.

Target’s stock has gained 46 percent over the past 12 months.

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By Ross Tucker

NEW YORK — With sales in the premium denim seg-ment contracting, the select group of exhibitors display-ing denim fabric and hardware at last week’s Kingpins trade show here were focusing their attention on ex-panding services.

Olah Inc., a U.S. agent for foreign contract manu-facturers and textile and hardware vendors target-ing denim designers, organizes the show, which ran Wednesday and Thursday and was sponsored by Dow XLA. Exhibitors included Japanese textile mill Kurabo Industries, Argentinean rivet maker Apholos, Tunisian denim manufacturer Sartex and Brazilian corduroy ven-dor Suape Têxtil.

Sartex, a manufacturer that specializes in jeans and casual garments for brands such as Ralph Lauren, Carhartt and Timberland, has established itself in the European market and is looking to expand in the U.S. To do so, the com-pany has partnered with Hannibal Apparel Development Services, or HADS, a new laundry and develop-ment facility that opened on the outskirts of Jersey City, N.J., in late February. At Kingpins, Sartex was touting its latest partnership with global dye and chemical giant DyStar.

“A designer in New York can now come to Hannibal Apparel Development and do their development using DyStar chemi-cals, which can be used anywhere around the world,” said Frederic Guy, owner of HADS and a consultant for Sartex.

Designers and brand owners will be able to draw on DyStar’s extensive network of production sites and sub-sidiaries located in every major producing region of the world, assuring them consistent results regardless of where they choose to manufacture their goods. DyStar

has also introduced a package of environ-mentally friendly chemicals.

Suzanne Benfield, fashion director for DyStar’s Boehme Filatex division, said design-

ers and brand owners she spoke with at the show often believed that using eco-friendly fabrics and chem-icals would limit the types of treatments they could use on a fabric. However, DyStar has found that using al-ternative chemicals or using a combination of chlorine with a more eco-friendly dye can greatly expand the po-tential range of colors produced from a base fabric. In some cases, DyStar has been able to reduce the amount of chlorine used by 75 percent.

Benfi eld said dark washes and clean styles would still be prevalent in the premium denim market. Coated denims are advancing and becoming more breathable, which should improve their popularity. Resin washes are also changing, Benfi eld said. Denim pieces treated with resin are typically baked, turning the fabric rigid and hard. New resins leave the fabric softer after the baking process.

Takashi Mitani, a sales manager for Kurabo, said the company was introducing a new denim fabric that uses compact yarn. The yarn gives the fabric a harder look with a shine, but maintains a soft touch. Lightweight denims and Supima cotton were also popular, Mitani said.

Kurabo has seen signifi cant declines in the premium denim segment, Mitani noted, but established brands such as Seven For All Mankind continue to grow.

Brad Mowry, Olah Inc.’s managing director for the West Coast, said he was also seeing brands increasingly look toward lighter-weight denim fabrics.

“Anywhere from seven to 10.5 ounces is probably the most popular request,” Mowry said. “Even 12-ounce is seeming heavy.”

While lighter fabrics may offer some discount for manufacturers, Mowry said he believed it was more a matter of giving consumers a comfortable garment.

Dante Magni, export manager for corduroy fab-ric maker Suape Têxtil in Brazil, said the company’s Supima collection had been its strongest performer. However, Supima cotton has become a popular com-modity, which has driven up the cost.

“There’s no doubt it’s a good cotton for yarn and not just for apparel,” said Magni, noting that the fi ber is also popular for the home goods market.

The threat from low-cost Asian manufacturers con-tinues to present challenges to makers of higher-end fabrics, Magni noted.

“What everybody’s feeling is the competition,” Magni said. “People are coming into the market with cheap product and cheap quality.”


Textile & Trade Report

Denim Mills Offer Innovation, New Services at Kingpins

Premium denim mills from Japan, Tunisia and Brazil exhibited at last week’s show.

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By Kristi Ellis

WASHINGTON — Product safety oversight is getting more scrutiny from Congress after the dis-covery of contaminated imports from China and could spill over into regulations and re-quirements for apparel importers.

The importers are also concerned that the heightened attention on product safety may add to the broader pressure in Congress to rein in imports from China, which includes potential legislation on Chinese currency policy and unfair trade practices. Domestic textile producers welcomed the latest devel-opments, arguing that the existing U.S. inspec-tion system is inadequate and creates an un-fair advantage for foreign producers that are not held to the same product safety standards as U.S. manufacturers.

The renewed Congressional focus on Chinese imports, which came after the U.S. crackdown on contaminated food products from China over the past three months, will be underscored in a se-ries of hearings on Capitol Hill this week and in legisla-tion addressing the issues.

The Congressional debate has been heating up since the Food and Drug Administration in April discovered that dogs and cats in North America had been poisoned by tainted Chinese pet food ingredients, which was followed by more U.S. investigations that turned up potentially harmful chemicals in Chinese products, ranging from toothpaste to seafood.

Although the fi restorm in Congress is primarily con-centrated on Chinese imported food and agriculture prod-ucts, apparel importers and retailers are worried that the evolving debate could lead to stricter product safety regu-lations and more onerous requirements, such as imposing user fees on companies that import products from China.

“We support efforts to ensure vigorous enforcement of U.S. health and safety regulations and laws, but we

don’t want to be made the scapegoat and have the bur-den placed on us to do what the government should be doing,” said Erik Autor, vice president and interna-

tional trade counsel at the National Retail Federation. “[Congress] could do mandates that require retailers to undertake more active scrutiny of suppliers in a way that would be very diffi cult and expensive to comply with, and secondly, they could im-pose fees on importers to pay for this en-forcement effort.”

Importers don’t have to look far to see what is ahead in Congress.

Sens. Dick Durbin (D., Ill.) and Sherrod Brown (D., Ohio) introduced a bill Friday that targets imports of Chinese food prod-ucts and the power of the FDA, but could easily be broadened to include other prod-uct categories and agencies as the debate evolves. Their bill would mandate that for-eign imports meet the same or better stan-

dards than those of the U.S.; give the FDA authority to approve and disapprove countries eligible to import; es-tablish a certifi cation system for foreign governments or food companies seeking to import food to the U.S., and require the FDA to collect user fees on imported food products, with the revenues being used for inspection and food safety research.

Sen. Charles Schumer (D., N.Y.) recently outlined a fi ve-point plan that calls for beefi ng up federal safety protections, including creating an “import czar” at the Commerce Department to oversee matters involving con-sumer protection, an overhaul of the FDA food inspections and mandating overseas inspections for other agencies.

Schumer pointed to three recalls by the Consumer Product Safety Commission in June, including 5,300 units of earrings sold at Kmart coated in lead paint, as well as 100 New York-bound shipments of Chinese goods that had to be blocked after reaching the Port of New York this year because of safety and contamination concerns.

“The fact that every week we have to frantically pull Chinese goods off store shelves shows that our safe-guards are failing,” Schumer said in a statement.

Stephen Lamar, executive vice president at the American Apparel & Footwear Association, said the CPSC already has several regulations in place govern-ing product safety standards for apparel and textiles, as well as a “fairly robust recall system.”

“We go through recalls all of the time in this industry,” Lamar said. “People understand the rules and the way to check for the rules and if they think they’ve got a product in the supply chain that shouldn’t be there, they yank it.”

Lamar said his organization has spent much time working to ensure that product safety rules for cloth-ing, footwear and textiles are transparent and based on sound science. The CPSC’s regulations range from stan-dards for the fl ammability of apparel and specifi cations on children’s wear.

U.S. producers contend that the agencies charged with regulating safety and health standards are under-funded and lack the resources to inspect shipments.

“From my perspective, it was clear long before any of this took place that the U.S. government does not have a game plan or a mind-set to deal with this problem of con-taminated goods entering the U.S. market,” said Auggie Tantillo, executive director of the American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition and a former deputy assistant sec-retary for textiles and apparel at Commerce.

Tantillo said he raised an issue of concern to textile producers — high levels of formaldehyde in imported textile products — with several agencies more than a year ago but was unsuccessful in urging the offi cials to take action.

“Our industry works under enormous constraints as-sociated with keeping contaminants out of their prod-ucts, but it is obvious that the importing community and manufacturers overseas who access the U.S. market are not held to the same standards simply because the U.S. government does not have the resources to address this problem,” Tantillo said.


Apparel Imports Could See Fallout From Tainted Chinese Goods

Sen. Sherrod BrownPH

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Textiles & Trade

By John Zarocostas

GENEVA — Environmental concerns, globalization and higher expectations among consumers for ethical business practices are encouraging major apparel and luxury goods companies to sign the U.N. Global Compact, a voluntary accord to pro-mote good corporate practices.

As United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon summed up at the end of a two-day summit of Global Compact leaders here earlier this month, “You have made it abundantly clear that market leadership and sustainability go hand in hand.”

Ban, a former South Korean foreign minister, said commitments made “to engage subsidiaries and supply chains more actively…will provide a major boost for the initiative and for corporate citizenship more broadly.”

During the summit, 153 companies, including French luxury goods giant LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, Asian textile and apparel fi rms Narai Intertrade Co. of Thailand and Sing Lun Holdings of Singapore, and DuPont of the U.S., pledged to increase energy effi ciency and to re-duce carbon emissions.

A McKinsey & Co. survey of 391 top corporate executives from 230 companies in Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa and the Middle East partic-ipating in the compact concluded that 95 percent “agreed that society has greater expectations for business to take on public responsibilities than it had fi ve years ago.”

The study, “Shaping the New Rules of Competition,” said 50 percent of chief executive of-fi cers expect consumer infl uence to have the greatest impact on the way companies manage societal expec-tations, exceeding demands by employees, govern-ments and activist groups in the next fi ve years. The survey noted some ceo’s think the ethical consumer “has clearly emerged and is on the rise,” but also said businesses were becoming ethical purchasers.

One example sighted is MAS holdings, a Sri Lanka apparel manufacturer that has attracted ethically minded global clothing brands as a re-sult of its reputation for labor programs such as one that provides its 35,000 female employees with a range of courses, including English.

Paul Hohnen, an international expert and con-sultant on corporate social responsibility issues, also known as CSR, believes the concept of “re-sponsible competitiveness is taking root — the notion that business can build innovation, market and brand based on response to societal values.”

Sweden’s trade minister, Sten Tolgfors, said CSR was being considered less an extra cost and more a vital part of companies’ market-building strategies. He said European consumers took great interest in product price and quality, and in how goods have been produced. He also warned that a growing public interest in labor standards and en-vironmental issues could lead to protectionism.

“One way to avoid this is to encourage CSR,” Tolgfors told delegates. “Anyone in favor of free trade and market access for developing countries needs to show an alternative to protectionism, which would prohibit economic development where it is most needed. Consumers are increasingly favoring prod-ucts that are produced in what they consider to be reasonable environmental and working conditions.”

The Global Compact, established by the U.N. in 2000, sets forth 10 principles for businesses to follow on human rights, labor practices, environ-mental protections and fi ghting corruption. More than 3,000 corporations, along with labor unions and nongovernmental organizations from 116 countries, have subscribed to the compact and pledged to observe its principles.

Irene Kahn, secretary general of Amnesty International, said the compact “is a very power-ful initiative because it’s backed by the U.N.,” but added, “Where the compact falls short is that it has no compliance mechanism.”

By Joyce Barrett

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam — The largest towel maker in Vietnam is in talks with WestPoint Home about creating a joint venture with the New York-based company, which has been winding down its U.S. manufacturing operations, an offi cial with Phong Phu Corp. said.

“They have spoken to the Vietnamese government and are coming out to talk to us in August,” said Pham Minh Huong, director of export-import with Phong Phu Corp. “They told us they have to close operations in the United States because of labor costs and are trying to have a smooth transition.”

A spokeswoman for WestPoint said the company was “not currently in negotiations” with Phong Phu Corp.

WestPoint, which was purchased by American Real Estate Holding Ltd. in June 2005 after fi ling Chapter 11 in New York bankruptcy court in June 2003, has been steadily shedding its U.S. manufacturing operations. Since 2003, it has eliminated some 5,460 jobs in seven states, according to the National Textile Association.

The most recent cutbacks were announced in May when the company said it planned to trim 1,000 jobs and close plants in Alabama, Florida and Georgia. WestPoint makes home furnish-ings under proprietary brands such as Martex, Grand Patrician, Utica and Chatham, as well as licensed lines for Martha Stewart, Lauren Ralph Lauren, Charisma, Betsey Johnson and Harley Davidson.

Huong said her state-owned fi rm makes about fi ve tons of towels a month. WestPoint Stevens has not specifi ed how much capacity it was looking for in Vietnam, she said. Company of-fi cials said they have joint venture agreements in Pakistan and India, but wanted to also do work in Vietnam, she said.

The U.S. is the biggest market for Vietnamese textile exports. With its recent admission to the World Trade Organization, Vietnam is trying to boost its textile industry by improving technology and building infrastructure to accommodate tex-tile plants. Major investments in the industry are coming from South Korea and Taiwan.

In June, Phong Phu Corp. signed business deals with U.S. part-ners, including the International Textile Group and the affi liated private equity fi rm W.L. Ross & Co. that would involve ventures in real estate, privatization of Phong Phu Corp. and up to $100 million for a possible expansion of Phong Phu’s Da Nang textile and garment manufacturing plants. The agreements were signed during a U.S. visit by Nguyen Minh Triet, Vietnam’s president.

WestPoint Said Eyeing Vietnam Plant

U.N. Ethics Pact Gains Backing

WWD.COM


ARTIST’S INTERPRETATION: Magazine editors often change the photo portrait that appears in their editor’s letters as often as they change their shirts. But how many have appeared as a Simpsons character? Glenda Bailey now has such bragging rights, appearing as a Simpsonized cartoon in her editor’s letter along with Marge Simpson in the front row of a fashion show. The August issue of Harper’s Bazaar features an eight-page feature by Simpsons illustrator Julius Preite where the fi ctional family goes to Paris with

Linda Evangelista (also caricatured). The Simpsons appear with cartoon versions of Donatella Versace, Lanvin’s Alber Elbaz, Karl Lagerfeld, Jean Paul Gaultier and Marc Jacobs. Most editors scrutinize their photos to make sure they capture the fewest wrinkles or whitest smiles, so wasn’t Bailey, who wears a white Lanvin top in the photo, concerned that Preite’s animated treatment — especially that jaundiced tone particular to the residents of Springfi eld — would be unfl attering? “There’s no bad side to being Simpsonized,” Bailey commented. Meanwhile, Marge Simpson would have blocked many a market editor’s view with her trademark sky-high blue hair. Surely a front-row gatekeeper would have relegated

her to the back, right? “I sat next to Mike Tyson once, but I guess it wasn’t his hair that was big,” Bailey quipped. We assume she was talking about his muscles. — Stephanie D. Smith

LOSING FAITH: The cover of a magazine remains one of the few venues where celebrities are spared the warts and all coverage of the tabloid age. But upon launching in May, the Gawker media blog Jezebel promised $10,000 to anyone who could undermine that safety zone with the best example of a pre-retouched magazine cover photo. On Monday, the winning before-and-after photos were released from the July cover of Redbook. More than just smoothing Faith Hill’s crow’s-feet, the photo also radically transforms the 39-year-old’s arm, shrinking its circumference and removing its elbow bend. The hand in her lap and drooping skin on her back also disappear.

E ditor in chief Stacy Morrison said, “The retouching we did on Faith Hill’s photo for the July cover of Redbook is completely in line with industry standards. We are investigating how the unretouched images got released.” (How far will that $10,000 stretch if the culprit is found?)

Jezebel editor Anna Holmes said that the site had received between fi ve and 10 submissions, and that the Faith Hill shot had been chosen based on the fact that much of her body was both visible and radically altered. “Part of me was hoping for a Vogue cover,” Holmes admitted. Barring that, the contest “wasn’t about [Hill], it was about how magazines retouch women to make women look at times unrecognizable. The original photo — when I saw it I broke out into a big grin, not because I was having a gotcha moment, but because I said, ‘Here’s a woman who looks like a real woman.’” Holmes said the site was aware of the identity of the photo leaker but declined to discuss the “myriad” ways that Jezebel they

had acquired the photos. In response to a detailed

e-mail request for comment, a spokesman for Hill responded, “Huh?” — Irin Carmon

ROLLING ON: Rolling Stone publisher Tim Castelli is leaving to join Google as New York sales director. The staff was notifi ed on Monday by chief marketing offi cer Gary Armstrong. Castelli joined Rolling Stone last April. Previously, he was associate publisher of Maxim and worked at Ziff Davis Media for 13 years. Castelli’s last day is Wednesday. A replacement is expected to be announced shortly. — S.D.S.

NAOMI RUNS ON DUNKIN’: Naomi Campbell continues to cash in on her old antics. But this time around, she’s being paid for her bad behavior by Dunkin’ Donuts. Campbell, wearing a Giambattista Valli dress, stars in the company’s new multi-million-dollar ad campaign by trying to prove that “it’s not easy being an everyday, regular suburbanite,” by breaking her Prada stiletto as she tries to plant a tree. Poking fun at her old ways, she takes her frustration out by throwing the shoe into a nearby window and then hits the tree with a shovel. The 30-second commercial, created by Hill Holiday, was directed by actor Zach Braff. Frances Allen, brand marketing offi cer, said Dunkin’ Donuts created the campaign, in part, to celebrate regular people. Like Campbell.

The ad will run until the end of the year, but only in the New England region. — Amy Wicks

TAKE THREE: Is Bill Wackermann on a path to be the next Richard Beckman, or has he simply been bit more than a few times by the Hollywood bug? Reel Moments, Glamour’s three-year-old program spearheaded by vice president and publisher Wackermann, started as a reader contest designed to create buzz and, like most brand extensions, drive more ad pages to the magazine. The program

invites readers to send in stories with the chance to have their tales adapted into short fi lms directed by A-list actresses. In its third iteration, the franchise has not only become a signifi cant one for Glamour, but the program is also looking to make a bigger splash in Tinsletown. Reel Moments will hand out a fi lmmaking grant to a budding director and host a symposium where alumni and notable women in the industry will meet to discuss issues affecting woman in Hollywood.

“For us, what’s resonating with Reel Moments and why it continues to grow is the core stems from empowering women. It feels genuine and it comes from real readers’ stories in the magazine,” said Wackermann. This year’s three fi lms will be directed by Rita Wilson, Kirsten Dunst and Kate Hudson.

Reel Moments in its fi rst year produced fi ve fi lms and roped in Elizabeth Arden, Nokia, Bebe and Mercury as sponsors. As a part of their involvement in the project, advertisers’ wares were incorporated, albeit subtly, into each fi lm with varying themes. Last year, Glamour produced three fi lms themed around love and signed on a sole sponsor, Cartier, which launched its Love bracelet with the program.

This year, Clinique Happy will be the sole sponsor of three fi lms themed around happiness. “The program works great as single sponsorship because it resonates to have a single theme go through all of the stories,” said Wackermann. “A lot of product integration can feel forced to the consumer. The value of this program is about the artistic merit of these stories.”

And of course, the incremental dollars to Glamour’s bottom line.

Cartier, a new advertiser last year, banked 10 ad pages with

the magazine as a part of a sponsorship deal for the program worth $1.8 million, as reported by The New York Times. This year’s partnership with Clinique is worth roughly the same; Clinique, which already advertised in Glamour, increased its schedule this year by 10 pages. Through September, ad pages for September totaled 1,443, up 13.5 percent from the same period last year. Glamour has earned 50 ad pages through the Reel Moments program since its inception.

For Clinique, Reel Moments helps promote a product on fi lm that currently does most of its promotion through print. Scent strips in particular have worked well for the fragrance, said Catherine Frieder, Clinique’s executive director, global marketing, but the brand has generally used “print combined with other innovative things.”

For the starstruck advertisers, the program puts them closer to the Hollywood celebs appearing in the respective fi lms. Besides having their name next to last year’s participants Jennifer Aniston and Bryce Dallas Howard, among others, the stars wore Cartier bracelets on the red carpet premiere.

The contest winner will be announced at the premiere of this year’s movies Oct. 7, and her fi lm will debut at a Glamour symposium in Hollywood in February.

Since Reel Moments launched, both Elle and More magazine have followed suit with their own march into movies. This fall, Julia Stiles made her directorial debut when she produced a mobile for Elle adapted from a feature in the magazine. More’s Women in Film contest invites its 40-plus female target audience to submit their screenplays to win funding and meetings with top production executives, and a screening for their project. — S.D.S.

MEMO PAD

Glenda Bailey, Simpsons-style.

Fifty of Italy’s most innovative textile mills will pres-ent their fall-winter 2008-09 pre-collections under the banner of I-TexStyle at PreView New York on July 18-19, 2007 at the Metropolitan Pavilion/Altman Building in New York City.

Organized by the Italian Trade Commission NYC, I-TexStyle has become an important meeting place where Italian textile companies can present the first prototypes and ideas that will be continued at Milano Unica in September.

According to Paolo Zegna, president, Milano Unica, Italian textile exports registered an optimistic trend during the first two months of 2007, with a general increase of 8 percent, and a good recovery of the cotton fabrics exports (+24 percent) that account for 50 percent of the total exports to the U.S.

“The indirect role played by the American distribution network is not to be underestimated, as many Italian fab-

rics reach the U.S. market after passing through countries such as Hong Kong, where they are turned into clothing,” Zegna added.

Michele Viganò, general manager of Seterie Argenti reported that the Italian textile industry is “not

easy these days due to a difficult economy and heavy competition. We are constantly investing in creativity, qual-ity and service, and the results have been excellent. Our sampling for summer 2008 is up by 20 percent.”

‘We increased our sales with the U.S. approximately 20 percent compared to the previous fall-winter collec-tion,” echoed Giorgio Coda, general sales manager of Lanificio Del Casentino.

Despite the unfavorable exchange rate be-tween the Euro and the U.S. dollar, Italian textiles re-main prevalent in the collections of many notable American designers.

“Our current resort collection utilizes about 80 per-cent of Italian mills, for both day and evening wear,” said Ludwig Heissmeyer, designer, Carolina Herrera. “All of our prints are developed near Como. Ever-changing weave constructions, color combinations and new fiber blends keep us continually interested for the same reasons we manufacture our knitwear and daytime pieces in Italy.”

The spirit behind the fall-winter collection from Elitex puts the focus on the bridal market. New pastel colors for embroideries coordinate with a renewed range of plain fabrics, taffetas and satins. Key fibers are silk, silk/poly and silk touched with metallic threads.

“The atmosphere for color is very deep and dark for jacketing, although special finishing techniques give brightness to the surfaces,” noted Luca Taiana, export manager for Taiana Virgilio. “The shirting world is more rebel, and there is a move away from the traditional colors with pinks, blue and acetate effects.”

A group of taffetas and jacket weights, and a group of stretch shirtings from their Vanity Collection have been finished with the new finest sand and micro wash Japa-nese technique of LUX finish.

“We are moving away from flat florals and designs be-come more romantic, free and sketchy,” explained Deborah

“ Italian textiles continue to satisfy Ameri-can designers who are always on the look-out for the latest trends and innovative new fabrics. The Italian Trade Commission with its support and promotion of the Ital-ian textile industry, maintains an important role in the relationship between the Ameri-can designers and the Italian weavers.”

Aniello Musella, executive director, Italian Trade Commission (ITC) U.S.A.

Texmoda Tessuti

Lanificio Becagli

Manteco

Linea Tessile Italiana

Efilan

Lanificio Mario Bellucci

Picchi

Lanificio Lamberto

Lanificio Subalpino

Teseo

I-TexStyle Manhattan:

Takes

Italian Mills to Make Strong Impression at PreView New York

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Pearce, stylist, Miroglio. “Fine art paisleys and entwined florals on jersey bases will feature strongly.”

Dark grounds in black, dark indigo, green and Bordeaux pro-vide the foil for patterns in bright jewel tones.

A fully coordinated col-lection from Seterie Argenti is based on four color themes: red passion, natural chic, ebony and ivory and purple rain on warm and boiled wools, mixed blends with elegant finishings and techno touches.

Mixed motifs and prints on top of prints all feature strongly. More career-orientated looks focus on soft pinstripes while stretch fabrics are perfect for tight and structured trousers. Eveningwear includes matt sa-teens and translucent aspects.

Silk/wool, silk/cotton, cot-ton /wool and silk/cashmere combinations from Teseo, sometimes blended with nylon and polyester, are inspired by voluminous relief surfaces that mimic bark, root and leaf structures. Fabrics are dou-ble faced, needled or embroidered, or work multi layers together for a stratified effect. Heavy satin, ottoman, faille, duchesse, changeant in organza, crepon, and shirting are also prevalent.

Double dyes and overdyes appear with gold, silver and glimmering mother of pearl surfaces. Experimen-tal silk warps are touched with polyester, nylon or cash-mere. Finishings offer slippery or sandpaper feels, or have snappy responsive hands. Laser cut, plissée and rotary press prints feature florals, paisley and textured printed designs of herringbone, pied de poule and similar weaving

effects. Key colors are blood r e d , c a r r o t o r a n g e a n d bottle green.

Natural fibers, such as silk, cotton, wool and cashmere are pure or blended into new woven constructions in fash-ionable dark and natural tones, and given innovative washes and finishes at Serica della Marca. A significant part of the collection is also devoted to yarn dyed fabrics for shirting and prints.

“Fluidity, cleanness, lightness are the guide-lines of the season. Predominant fibers will be clean wool, viscose and polyamide. Finishings have preference for silky aspects combined with touches of brilliance,” said Alessandro Benelli, general manager of Linea Tessile Italiana. “Prints, jacquards and embroider-ies appear simpler, minimal, abstract, geometrical and indefinite. Moonlight and pale colors are interplayed with the dusty and greyish tones. Blacks are deep, dark and mysterious.”

Brushed, coated, plated, felted and chintzed fabrics from Tessilidea are dense, vaporous, bright and gleam-ing. Elaborate decorations are based on geometric and delicate floral embroideries, working double, tufting and quilting, scratching and ribboning techniques and inlaying with wools, light cottons, laces and tulles.

Motifs range from geometrics, dots and animal prints.

Base cloths include voile, pelle ovo, stretch plains, cotton, silk/cotton, viscose/cotton, nylon/cotton and nylon/poly blends. White and black, light and natural tones, touched with deep, brilliant colors are prevalent throughout the collection.

Lanificio Del Casentino plays with the contrast of natural/technical materials like wool and Polyamide or bright/matt such as silk/wool or viscose/wool. Structures become voluminous through the use of double weaves, thick and thin yarns, hairy and woolen aspects, compact and

“ Italian weavers continue their competi-tiveness not only in terms of the price, but also in terms of their creative skills that differentiate our fine products, innovation and services in the medium and high-end markets. With Milano Unica we are improv-ing our capacity to transmit to leading cus-tomers around the world the fundamen-tal element, which is an enviable one and cannot be imitated: the Italian lifestyle.”

Paolo Zegna, president, Milano Unica

“ Italian yarns are so special and very im-portant to our collection. The mills are constantly developing something new and interesting in a quality that you re-ally can't fi nd anywhere else. They really add something unique to our collection.”

Marcia Patmos, designer, Lutz & Patmos

Serica Della Marca

Elitex

Nephila

Erica Industria Tessile Lanificio Rafanelli

Lanificio Ciatti & Baroncelli

Cuccirelli & C.

Pizval

DP Tessuti

Seterie Argenti

Pontoglio

Luigi Boggio Casero

Luigi Boggio Casero

Olmetex

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open looks. Knitted effects in different weights emerge.Melange and moulinè yarns give rich refined looks

and finishes are clean.Structures include wool/polyamide crepes, mi-

cro-weaves, tricotine and “split” double faces. Shet-land looks are lightened up and renewed with modern finishes. Fabrics are laminated and coated with gold, silver, techno bronze and water repellent treatment with nano technologies.

Greens and burnt colors are important. Dusty grey and blue will prevail for sportswear looks, fluorescent and fruity colors for technical fabrics, black for the techno blends and light colors for the more luxurious and sophis-ticated fabrics.

A wide selection of wools, tweed, cashmere, ango-ra, silk and rayon, often in mélanges, will be available at Lanificio Campore. Weaving effects in relief result in tri-dimensional looks while soft touches enrich structures. The palette is focused on a range of variations in pinks and strong purples, oily and muddy-cast greens, bluish and reddish tones.

Pontoglio developed innovative yarns applications that emphasize the richness and brilliance of velvet. Wood, linen and angora mix with cotton for contemporary looks. Matrix, morfotex, modal and cotton/nylon stretch velvets

are developed for a technical sport-couture image.

Yarn dyed checks appear on cot-ton/viscose and cotton stretch velvets. Floral compositions take inspiration from the organic world and merge to-gether with graphic patterns. Colors are feminine, dark, full and well-de-fined in various declinations. Greens are “dirtied” with grays.

“The collection is based on rich blends of natural fibers, with an em-phasis on the noble fibers. We obtain contrasted effects using smooth/brushed or soft/rough effects,” noted Paolo DiPalma, export manager, DP Tessuti. Colors are intense and full-red and orange with blue, violet and purples. “Fabrics have double construction and compositions that enrich the touch. We favored roundness and softness,” he added.

Picchi’s collection draws inspiration from the Poiret atmosphere of the twenties. Plain and fancy fabrics coor-dinate in various weights from trousers to coatings. Micro and macro fancy weave structures mimic knits, and micro jacquards have been inspired by Art Deco. Fiber combina-tions include wool/linen and wool/alpaca. Aspects range from felted and beaver, to more technical looks, very clean and chintzed.

A slightly sportswear-inspired story from Mario Bellucci features stretch open knit-like structures, stretch woven ribs and reversible jersey sweats in soft white and mélange grey cotton/angora. Fluffy wool mohair coordinates with matt cotton/nylon/wool stretch gabardines. Cashmere/wool jersey gauzes are thin and light.

Brushed jerseys are fused with soft wool flannel.

Pearl heathered grey jersey velvet is double-faced with classic black and white tweed. Stretch light flannels are touched with discrete silver sparkles.

Hairy-brushed mohair and big gauge fancy yarns are colored in warm camel, earth and dark browns shades. Dark metallic camouflage and leather-like prints appear on wool/nylon velours. Mineral sparkling rustic wool chenille or felted jacquards, striped flannel quilted with ultra-soft synthetic fur and slubbed stretch basket weaves define the story.

Musk green, mud, grass and forest mix with brick, scar-let, ruby and Bordeaux in an eccentric country style. New

“ Italian creativity is extremely appreciated by the American customers, this means that we have the possibility to maintain our competitiveness by focusing on a fashion proposal with an added value that makes a difference in our customer's collection.”

Riccardo Marini, president, Prato Trade

“ Our continuous research, innovation and creativity are the basis of the success that give the exclusive edge to our ‘Made in Como’ products.”

Beppe Pisani, president, Idea Como

F.A.N.S. Textile Factory

Imta Desiimode

Weft

Taiana Virgilio

Angelo Vasino

Tessiltrona

Furpile Maglia

Weft

Seterie Argenti

MiroglioReca Group

Metalbottoni

Bap

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COMPANY BOOTHANGELO VASINO B29BELLANDI B14BOTTONIFICIO B.A.P. B86bisCUCCIRELLI B8DELAGO B50DP TESSUTI B12EFILAN B89ELITEX B66ERICA INDUSTRIA TESSILE B70EUROMAGLIA B16EUROPA A27FANS TEXTILE FACTORY B58FEDERICO ASPESI B68FEDORA LANIFICIO B10FIGLI DI MICHELANGELO A13bis CALAMAI LANIFICIO FURPILE MAGLIA B64GRUPPO SERICA TREVIGIANA B80IMTA DESII MODE B28LAN LUIGI BOGGIO CASERO B1LAN. RAFANELLI B2LANIF.DEL CASENTINO B9LANIFICIO BECAGLI B7LANIFICIO CAMPORE B19LANIFICIO CIATTI & BARONCELLI B13LANIFICIO LAMBERTO B18LANIFICIO NOVA FIDES B11LANIFICIO NUOVO RI-VERA B20LANIFICIO SUBALPINO B39LIMONTA A17LINEA TESSILE ITALIANA B30MANTECO B4 (MANTELLASSI COMPAGNIA TESSILE)MARIO BELLUCCI B23METALBOTTONI B85MIROGLIO B54NEPHILA B60OLMETEX A18PICCHI B5PIZVAL B82PONTOGLIO A20RECA B86RICAMIFICIO VITTORIO VANONI B67SETERIE ARGENTI B73TESEO TESSITURA SERICA DI OLMEDA B69TAIANA VIRGILO B32TESSILIDEA B37TESSILSTRONA B6TEXMODA TESSUTI B17ULTRA B38WALTEX TRICOT B59WEFT B81

I-TexStyle at Preview New York

Pre-CollectionsFall-Winter 2008-2009

July 18-19, 2007

The Metropolitan Pavilion 125-135 West 18th Street

33 East 67th Street New York, NY 10021-5049 Tel: 212.980.1500 Fax: 212.758.1050

[email protected] www.italtrade.com

wool tartans are needle-punched and tweeds are fused with a waterproof microfibre. Fancy yarn pinstriped flannels, wool/viscose fluid jersey jacquards with abstract patterns, light moulinè and boucle' suiting weights will also feature.

Black accented with cobalt, sapphire and Yves Klein blue mixes with dark charcoal yarns. Cashmere wools stretch suitings are shiny and pressed or washed and slightly irregular. Mirror surfaced iridescent cotton gab-ardines mix with mohair/nylon bouclès. Light ultra-glazed jacquards combine with felts and flannels. Sheer nylon grounds are embellished with hairy wool patterns. Matte jerseys appear in crepe organzine. Black on black, shiny/matt jersey jacquards are key.

“The collection underlines the importance of pure wool and wool blended with silk, cotton, cash-mere, Lycra, acetate, nylon and wool touched with metallic yarn,” noted Grazia Mello, U.S. exports manager, Tessilstrona. Twill, gabardine, tricotine, cannette', geometric designs, micro designs and Birdseye, sa-teen, herringbone, pinstripes, glen checks, houndstooth, Harris tweed, Shetlands and beaver effectswill take center stage.

Teaseling, fulling and flannel aspects offer soft hands. Surfaces are sateen or hairy, or feature sateen faces/hairy backs. Water repellent treatments, silky and shiny looks are also prevalent.

“The color range includes brown/beige, coffee bean,

pink, red, purple and orange brick through to forest green, water blue, dark navy, black and white—but most impor-tant, all the tones of grey,” Mello added.

“We see a big return of wool, merinos, Shetland and alpaca. Cashmere, cotton and mohair will also be impor-tant,” said Eugenio Boggio Casero, ceo, Boggio Casero. A urban sports couture balances the natural and synthetic, and sees a great come back of nylon, for puffy quilted out-erwear in vegetal greens combined with grays and black, neutral greens and blue greens.

A wild primitive theme focuses on animal and vegetal fibers. Materials are natural, clean and ecological. Wools are protective and enveloping with a “minimal elegance.” Fluffy felts are often brushed, and lightened by gauzes and leno weaves, colored in natural tones from beige to caramel to dark vison and silver.

A new feminine story highlights the body-hugging dress. Men’s wear jackets combine with pants in crepe and lights sables, light weight wools, sometimes mixed with silk or viscose stretch and colored with intense reds and violets, black and the mineral tones.

Paintings from famous Italian artists influence the intense emerald green, golden yellow and beiges found in the lighter weight fabrics of the contemporary Waltex Tricot collection. Iron grays and dark wood browns that color the heavier fabrics take inspiration from old Tuscan country houses.

Materials include very super light wools, the finest Italian cashmere, mohair and silk mixed with viscose and micro Modal. Innovative compositions feature blends of Modal/silk/cashmere, cupro/wool, angora/micro Tencel, and extra fine wool/nylon multibava /kid mohair. Fabrics are characterized by softness and comfort or compact-ness and protection.

“ Italian fabrics are known for their quality, design and comfortability. Given its history, culture and inspiring landscape it is not sur-prising that Italy is producing some of the finest textiles in the world. Textiles and Italy go hand in hand.”Ludwig Heissmeyer, designer, Carolina Herrera

Pizval

Pontoglio

Valtex Tricot

Federico Aspesi

Cuccirelli & CTaiana Virgilio

By David Moin

VANCOUVER, B.C. — Luxury chain Holt Renfrew has brought a cosmopolitan edge to this scenic city where the casual outdoor lifestyle rules.

The new three-level, $50 million, 137,000-square-foot Holt Renfrew emporium has the kind of international designer offering and architectural fl air usually re-served for the world’s premier shopping streets.

“You can plop this store down anywhere in the world and it would probably be the best-looking store in the city,” Caryn Lerner, president and chief executive offi -cer of Holt Renfrew & Co. Ltd., said during a tour of the store. “The luxury customer doesn’t know borders. We have tried to tailor it to the Vancouver lifestyle, so there is a little more relaxed attitude. But that doesn’t mean that this store is any less chic or elegant.”

Holt Renfrew has expectations for bigger business here, with the 2010 Winter Olympics to be centered in Vancouver, and preceded by the extension of the Canada Line rapid transit train from downtown to the airport.

“This city is ready for it,” said Gary Balaski, general manager of the store. “People here have been telling us for years they wanted this store. There is a casual lifestyle here, but the city is getting trendier, people are moving here from all over the world, and the Olympics is just one more piece of it.”

Tourism is already booming in the city of 600,000, and from a larger perspective, the country’s oil indus-try is generating enormous wealth. The nine-unit Holt Renfrew chain, based in Toronto, hit $540 million in volume in 2006 and is expecting to do well over $600 million in 2007. Holt Renfrew is the only major luxury player in Canada.

“We are on a journey,” Lerner said. “Our Vancouver store is a very visible state-ment of what we have accomplished in the last three years, where we are today and where we see the future. We have the plans and the capital budget allocated for three to fi ve years to expand and renovate every store we operate.”

During Lerner’s tenure, the company has stepped up re-models, particularly at the Bloor Street fl agship and in Montreal; rebranded with a magenta and gray stripe design for packaging, signs, hangers, logos and advertising; taken ownership of its shoe business by phasing out the Brown Shoe license; re-turned children’s wear to the offering after a 20-year absence, and solidifi ed relationships with key designer brands including Chanel, Gucci, Prada, Akris, Giorgio Armani, as well as Ermenegildo Zegna, Canali and John Varvatos in men’s wear. The Vancouver open-ing last month, Holt Renfrew’s fi rst in 10 years, is the crowning achievement.

The new store stands out in an often overcast, gray urban landscape fi lled with moderate and mass retail, though luxury and aspirational brands have trickled in over the last four to fi ve years, including Hermès, Wolford, Louis Vuitton, Coach, Lacoste, St. John, Gucci and Tiffany & Co.

Canada’s fi rst luxury shopping center, The Meadows Collection, will be in the huge Deerfoot Meadows mall, in Calgary, Alberta, by late 2008 or spring 2009, poten-tially providing some competition to Holt Renfrew. Whether Holt Renfrew opens a store in The Meadows Collection remains to be seen. Lerner sounded cau-tious, noting that Calgary might not have the population to support a second Holt Renfrew store in addition to the 45,000-square-foot unit already operating.

“We’re watching and looking at other opportunities downtown, and in suburban Calgary,’’ she said. “It’s still a small city, but in the long term, we might look at open-ing a second store.”

Holt Renfrew’s new Vancouver store, at 737 Dunsmuir Street, is twice as large as the old one, which was at 633 Granville Street in the Pacifi c Centre mall and was the chain’s second-biggest volume generator, at around $70 million in an-nual sales. The Toronto flagship on Bloor Street does an estimated $150 mil-

lion in annual sales. The Vancouver store could equal or surpass the fl agship in vol-

ume. “Bloor Street better watch its back,” Lerner said half-seriously, citing a friendly

rivalry between the two top stores.The Vancouver store was created out of some

vacant land, and specialty store space and a food hall in Pacifi c Centre. It’s all about large windows and grand entrances for openness and natural light, extended vis-tas up and down and across fl oors so it’s easy to spot the categories you want, details in the fi xtures and furnish-ings to delineate shops, and exquisite fl oorings, from the white Greek marble that permeates most of the store, to the mosaic tiling in cosmetics and reclaimed distressed wood fl oor in contemporary sportswear.

“The client asked us to design something with the global marketplace in mind — not just Vancouver,” said Mark Janson, of the New York-based Janson Goldstein architectural fi rm.

The most dramatic feature is the center atrium. It’s composed of two oval-shaped, elliptical fl oor openings with views of all three fl oors that seem to pull traffi c and promote circulation, and a 60-foot-high skylight dif-fused by a white grid. The atrium is designed to help shoppers get their bearings, since they can enter the store from either the 45-foot-high main entrance on Dunsmuir, the entrance on Granville, the sky bridge connecting to Pacifi c Centre, or the underground access from valet parking.

There is also a unique facade that’s wrapped in sheets of “pillowed” glass, for a textured bubble-wrap affect. The glass refl ects the sunlight and the lights

from the traffi c at night so the store always sparkles.

With the merchandising, Holt Renfrew didn’t hold back because of the city’s casual reputation. For example, in cosmetics, there’s Shu Uemura from Asia, which features $10,000 eyelashes, as well as cleansing oils and an ex-perimental 1,600-square-foot space for Holt’s Color Studio, showcasing a mix of color lines including Nars, Pout, Stila, Balmshell and Bobbi Brown; Holtscents, for niche fragrances such as Etat Libre d’Orange, Juliette Has a Gun and Frederic Malle; and Holtsceuticals, for wellness products such as bottled oxygen from the Vancouver-based Oxiaorganic, and organic skin care from Stella McCartney and Red Flower.

A most comprehensive department is ac-cessories, with 12,000 square feet for Fendi, Bottega Veneta, Carlos Falchi, Burberry, Chloé,

Louis Vuitton and Dolce & Gabbana, among other labels. In fi ne jewelry, there’s Mimi So, Jennifer Meyer, David Yurman, Ippolita and Carlo Antonini.

The designer fl oor has been pumped up with 10 ad-ditional collections not seen in the old store, and is marked by a string of 600-square-foot shops for Akris, Armani Black Label, Michael Kors, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana and Marni. The store also sells Balenciaga, Vera Wang, Burberry Prorsum, Nina Ricci and Stella McCartney, among other designers.

Holt created its third World Design Lab, an 800-square-foot space for emerging designers; the other two are in the Toronto and Montreal stores.

Also, the Vancouver store picked up Ronaldus Shamask, Arthur Mendonca, Philosophy, Miu Miu, Twenty 8 Twelve and K Karl Lagerfeld, for upcoming fall delivery. Other features: a full-service salon and spa, bi- and tri-lingual concierges and a rooftop restaurant, opening in November.

“We’re very lucky with the space,” Lerner said. “We’ve got three beautiful fl oor plates that are confi g-ured very well.”


Holt Renfrew Freshens Luxe in Laid-back Vancouver

Holt Renfrew’s elliptical

architecture in Vancouver.

A facade of “pillowed” glass.

Men’s, on the lower level.

Caryn Lerner

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