ISABELLA BLOW DEAD AT 48/3 BLOOMINGDALE’S BIG DAY/12Women’s Wear Daily • The Retailers’ Daily Newspaper • May 8, 2007 • $2.00

Golden AgeWWDTUESDAY

Ready-to-Wear/Textiles

See Clinton, Page 11

Presidential Race ’08:Clinton Top Fund-raiserAmong Industry ExecsBy Kristi EllisWASHINGTON — If the fashion industry were deciding the presidential election right now, there would be a second President Clinton in the White House.

New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has taken a strong lead in campaign contributions from the industry in the early rounds of the 2008 campaign.

Clinton is outdoing Democratic rival Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois; former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has received the most funds among Republicans from the industry. Former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani has

NEW YORK — Cate Blanchett and Nicolas Ghesquière arrived arm in

arm at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Monday night for the Costume

Institute gala celebrating Paul Poiret. She, in ropes of gold, captured

the theme of the evening, which was complete with a huge

gilded cage fi lled with four peacocks. “I tried for an evocation

of Poiret,” explained Ghesquière. “She has an incredible

silhouette, so I built the dress, which is metallic fringe,

around her.” His muse could not have been more thrilled

with his creation. And what better way to celebrate the

designer’s birthday? “Nicolas has a way of making

sculpture look soft, and that’s a perfect match with

Poiret’s draping,” said Blanchett. “We’re going to have

a long, good night.” For more, see pages 4 and 5.

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WWD.COM2 WWD, TUESDAY, MAY 8, 2007

WWDTUESDAYReady-to-Wear/Textiles

GENERALSen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has taken an early lead in campaign contributions from the industry in the 2008 presidential campaign.

Puma, the German activewear fi rm that France’s PPR wants to buy, warned that a drop in orders in the U.S. will rein in sales and earnings.

Bruce Klatsky will retire as chairman of Phillips-Van Heusen at the fi rm’s annual meeting June 19 and will likely be replaced by Emanuel Chirico.

Liz Claiborne Inc. rates the sales potential of Narciso Rodriguez at $100 million and will put its resources behind the brand to reach that mark.

OBITUARY: Isabella Blow, stylist, designer muse and former fashion director of Tatler and London’s Sunday Times, died Sunday at age 48.

FASHION: Short, shimmering fur jackets give dressed-up day looks a glamorous dimension, making perfect foils for fall’s sleek, high-waisted styles.

RTW: New dates, combined shows, extended hours and packed events created buzz, and some controversy, at AmericasMart’s fall show.

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● SWEET SCENTS: Fragrance marketer Demeter today launched a line of six Jelly Belly fragrances at Urban Outfi tters as a result of a licensing agreement Demeter signed in September with the jelly bean producer. The fragrances, which have names like Blueberry Muffi n, Hot Fudge Sunday and Mango Pineapple Salsa, “follow what Jelly Belly does with their beans — they suggest that people layer fl avors in their mouth to create a new fl avor,” said Christopher Gable, Demeter cocreator, “like we often do with our scents.” The Jelly Belly Collection by Demeter Fragrance Library will roll out to beauty retailer Ulta chain-wide on May 20; will be carried on the Web at demeterfragrance.com, jellybelly.com and victoriassecret.com, and is expected to eventually reach 1,000 stores.

● POLO FOOTWEAR POST: Polo Ralph Lauren Corp. has ap-pointed Joel Oblonsky president of footwear for Lauren and Chaps, a new post. He was most recently president of Nina Footwear Corp. Oblonsky, based in New York, will report to Jacki Nemerov, executive vice president of wholesale brands, licensing and manufacturing.

● NYU HONORS LUCCI: Emmy Award-winning actress Susan Lucci, who sells her fashion and accessories on HSN, is being honored by New York University College of Nursing for her charity work on behalf of children’s rights on Thursday at the college’s 75th anniversary celebration. Lucci has been a sup-porter of Little Flower Children and Family Services of New York for 25 years. She has helped raise awareness and funds to support the organization, which helps to improve the lives of children, families and developmentally disabled adults. The event is being sponsored by Bloomingdale’s and Avon Products and will be hosted by Donna Hanover, co-host of WOR Radio’s “Morning Show.”

In Brief

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Puma Lowers ForecastBy Robert Murphy and Katherine Bowers

Puma, the German activewear fi rm that France’s PPR is trying to buy, on Monday warned a drop

in orders in the U.S. would rein in full-year sales and earnings.

As Puma reported a 3.7 gain in fi rst-quarter profi ts, the fi rm forecast that weak order-writing at the end of the quarter would result in “low single-digit” growth through the end of the year instead of the double-digit profi t hike forecast earlier.

HSBC analyst Antoine Belge, in a note to inves-tors, speculated the profi t warning “might explain why the Herz family [which controlled Puma before the PPR deal] agreed to sell its 27.1 percent con-trolling stake at 330 euros [$448.40 at current ex-change] per share [instead of a higher multiple].”

PPR, the French retailer that controls Gucci Group, last month said it would buy a control-ling stake in Puma and would offer 330 euros, or $448.80, a share for the rest of the company’s out-standing publicly held capital.

Puma shares spiked above 340 euros ($462.33) in the wake of the deal before sliding to close last Friday just below 335 euros ($455.53).

Belge said the profi t warning represented a “mixed bag” for PPR in that it “increases the like-lihood of Puma shares being tendered” at the pro-posed price of 330 euros — a fact some analysts doubted after the share price spiked — while “de-creasing the value of the acquired business.”

PPR shares fell 0.24 percent, to 127 euros, or $172.72, in trading on the Paris Bourse. In Frankfurt, Puma shares gained 0.06 percent, to 335.13 euros, or $455.78.

Puma said net earnings in the three months through April improved to 96.6 million euros, or $128.2 million, from 93.1 million euros, or $112.4 mil-lion, on net sales that gained 2 percent, to 655.8 mil-lion euros, or $1.33 billion, from 642.8 million euros, or $776.3 million. Currency conversions were made at average exchange rates for the respective periods.

The U.S. was the blight on the numbers. Sales there slumped 4.1 percent, to 174.3 million euros, or $231.4 million, due to a negative currency af-fect, and order writing dropped 17.6 percent at the end of the quarter.

Puma said the decrease occurred because of “a business-related adjustment with one key ac-count that had seen a signifi cant sales increase in the prior years, as well as a generally moderating environment in the U.S. mall business.”

In dollar terms, sales in the U.S. dampened slightly, to $156.2 million from $156.6 million.

Sales in Asia-Pacifi c declined 0.9 percent, to 120.6 million euros, or $160.1 million, despite double-digit gains in China, while sales in Europe gained 6.4 percent, to 360.9 million euros, or $479.1 million, Puma said.

By category, footwear sales improved 3.6 percent, to 413.5 million euros, or $548.9 million. Apparel sales slid 0.5 percent, to 200.7 million euros, or $266.4 million, and accessories sales eased 1.2 per-cent, to 41.7 million euros, or $55.3 million.

Puma chief executive Jochen Zeitz acknowl-edged the quarter’s results meant the rest of the year would be tough.

“While the remainder of the off-year in terms of major sports events will certainly be challeng-ing, given our current order book, we continue to be fully focused on our long-term objectives,” he said in a statement.

Last Friday, Zeitz was in Boston at the helm of a 70-foot, Puma-sponsored racing sailboat zooming around Boston Harbor at 16 knots. During the visit, Zeitz said Puma would evaluate PPR’s next bid, expected in mid-May, and give shareholders a recommendation on whether to accept it. Puma’s share price surged after reports of a buyout by the French luxury con-glomerate, which also owns Gucci. PPR chairman and ceo Francois-Henri Pinault said in mid-April he had no plan to sweeten his original offer of 330 euros.

Zeitz expressed optimism about a potential fi t with PPR. “We will be looking for know-how and qualitative synergies,” he said. “This doesn’t have to be about fi nding cost savings to work.”

Puma could gain insight into high-end sourc-ing, retail expansion and multibrand management from PPR, he suggested.

There are signs that the deal is, at some level, progressing.

Antonio Bertone, Puma’s global brand manager and one of the talents credited for building the U.S. business, met Pinault for the fi rst time last week. “I think this could be a fantastic new chapter for us,” he said. “We get along as people…Pinault] gets it.”

Puma is sponsoring a Newport, R.I., sailing team and its boat in the Volvo Ocean Race, a 39,000-mile, around-the-world race Puma hopes will be its ticket into the sport. Insiders term the event, which kicks off next October, the “Everest of sailing.”

Zeitz sees spending what he characterized as “double-digit millions” [he would not specify, but said the amount was comparable to a World Cup soccer outlay] as a suitable investment, given that the race is underexposed in the media. Sailing’s other major race, the America’s Cup, has become a high-profi le forum for luxury brands.

By Lisa Lockwood

NEW YORK — Bruce Klatsky, 58, chairman of Phillips-Van Heusen Corp., will step down at the com-pany’s annual meeting June 19. Emanuel Chirico, 50, chief exec-utive officer of PVH, is expected to be named chairman, subject to his reelection to the board at the upcoming meeting.

Klatsky, a 36-year-veteran of PVH, retired as the company’s ceo in June 2005, but agreed to stay on as nonexecutive chair-man. At the time, Klatsky turned the reins of PVH over to Mark Weber, his longtime number two, and the company’s former presi-dent and chief operating offi cer.

However, after eight months as ceo, Weber apparently clashed with PVH’s board and abruptly left the company in February 2006 and was succeeded by Chirico. Klatsky then agreed to seek reelection to the board that summer and said he’d stay on as nonexecutive chairman until June 2007, mostly to be available as an adviser to Chirico.

Klatsky, who joined PVH as a merchandise trainee and rose to become chairman and ceo, was instrumental in the Calvin Klein acquisition, as well as those of Izod, Gant, Bass and Arrow. After Klatsky stepped down as ceo of PVH, he became a part-ner in LNK Partners, a White

Plains, N.Y., private equity in-vestment fi rm, which he contin-ues to run with David Landau and Henry Nasella.

Chirico, previously a con-troller at Ernst & Young, joined PVH in 1999 as executive vice president and chief financial offi cer. In 2005, he was named president and chief operating offi cer and a director, and be-came ceo in February 2006.

“His performance in each of these roles has been nothing short of outstanding. He has well earned the esteem he enjoys in the financial and investment community, within the company and on our board of directors,” said Klatsky in a statement.

Two other board members have decided to retire. They are Joel Goldberg, president of Career Consultants Inc., and Marc Grosman, ceo of Marc Laurent SA, who have been directors of the company since 1997.

Subject to his reelection as an independent director, Henry Nasella is expected to be named to preside over nonman-agement directors’ meetings, over which Klatsky currently presides. Nasella, who has been a director of the company since 2003, is a partner of LNK Partners, as well.

Klatsky Stepping Down at PVH

Fresh is sold in about 300 U.S. doors, including Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Barneys New York, but not Bergdorf Goodman. This was incorrect in a story on page 5, Friday.

CorrectionTHE TIGER COMPANIES

Tiger Button Co Inc - New YorkTiger Button (hk) Ltd - Hong Kong

Tiger Button (India) Pvt Ltd.Tiger Button BV - Amsterdam,The Netherlands

Tiger Trimming Inc - New York

Tel: (212) 594-0570 Fax: (212) 695-0265 Email:Tiger@Tigerbutton.com

3WWD, TUESDAY, MAY 8, 2007

Liz Sees $100M Sales Potential For Narciso Rodriguez BrandNEW YORK — Liz Claiborne Inc. rates the sales potential of the Narciso Rodriguez brand at about $100 million, and it is get-ting behind the designer financially and with other resources to achieve that number.

On Monday, the designer and William L. McComb, chief ex-ecutive offi cer of Claiborne, outlined their hopes for the part-nership, after the $4.99 billion apparel giant bought a 50 percent ownership in the designer’s name and trademarks.

The plan is to strengthen the designer’s resources while ex-panding into accessories and other fashion-related items.

“I feel great today,” Rodriguez said. “For so long, I wanted to branch into shoes in a bigger way and all accessories, and I haven’t been able to. For me, it’s so important to create the total look, and now, to have the opportunity to do that is really exciting.”

McComb said that while Claiborne was currently not in an aggressive acquisitions mode since it was trying to fi x the wholesale department store business, deals like this come around once “every fi ve years.”

“How many designers of his taste level, his recogni-tion, of his establishment are there that you can also buy and build a business, rather than buying an already devel-oped, low-growth business?” McComb asked. “We will do this together, and grow this business organically.”

Claiborne paid $12 million for the stake in Rodriguez’s business, which has sales vol-ume of $10 million, according to McComb.

“I have had the opportuni-ty many times to partner with the wrong people, but was looking for somebody who believed in the vision and wanted to follow that vision,” Rodriguez said. “And for me, it was important that the next association was going to be the right association. Bill McComb came in, saw not only the ideas on the walls and the sketches, but also all the ideas that were there that weren’t being made. He saw the opportunities to make those come alive.”

Claiborne plans to build the Rodriguez brand in multiple ways, from helping the designer with his resources to working with him on licensing opportunities.

“The next step is to provide the resources his business needs to fully fl esh out the line with the right fabrics, the right selling resources, right supply chain and sourcing partnerships so his product line can be fully developed,” McComb said.

He stressed there were currently no plans for diffusion lines in the better or bridge tiers in which Claiborne is so well-versed.

“We would see expanding into the opening price point in the luxury market in the way that Prada Sport has done it, as op-posed to conceiving a whole diffusion line,” McComb said. “At this time, our commitment with Narciso is to really do what oth-ers had not done with him, which is to fully play out the potential in the luxury market he is in now.

“He is a fantastic accessories designer...and even in some cat-egories, like swimwear, he has had great success,” he added. “I think the most important thing is to focus on the tier he is play-ing in now and fully develop it.”

McComb added that Claiborne did not necessarily plan to make upscale acquisitions a priority under his leadership.

“We like the space that Narciso is in, but that doesn’t mean you will hear in July that there is going to be a [luxury] sector that we go and stake out,” McComb said. “When I talk about a development fund we will put behind great designers, it could be at the luxury end or at the popular price segment of better or bridge. Great design talent deserves to be funded because great design drives product turn and profi tability. This does not neces-sarily mark an entry into a luxury segment strategy.”

McComb said Claiborne and Rodriguez were still working on a transition plan with Aeffe, which will provide transitional manufacturing support until Claiborne fully takes over.

Aeffe chairman Massimo Ferretti said on Monday he was “very pleased” with the new partnership between Claiborne and Rodriguez. “The agreement will allow us to sell our 50 percent stake in Narciso Rodriguez LLC [the operation that managed the designer’s licensing business], is in line with our strategy to focus on our core business and is functional to our plan to go public,” said Ferretti in a phone interview. Ferretti also said he believed Rodriguez “chose the right path.”

— Marc Karimzadeh, with contributions from Luisa Zargani, Milan

By Marc Karimzadeh and Samantha Conti

Isabella Blow, stylist, designer muse and former fashion director of Tatler and London’s Sunday

Times, died Sunday night. She was 48.Blow’s husband, Detmar, is said to have told peo-

ple that she died peacefully in her sleep. Blow was recently diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer and underwent surgery about two weeks ago. She was recovering at her home in the English country-side. The exact cause of death could not be learned.

London-born Blow was one of the few remaining fashion eccentrics. Not a classic beauty, she more than made up for it with her outlandish getups. She regularly showed up in the front rows of runway shows and fashion events in a wild designer ensem-ble, which she would top with a Philip Treacy hat, from a giant lobster to an elaborately carved boat.

A staunch supporter of emerging talents, Blow was credited with discovering Alexander McQueen and Treacy, and models Stella Tennant and Sophie Dahl.

“She had one very unusual quality in the fashion world — she had a heart,” Treacy said on Monday. “She was often misunderstood as a crazy woman with a hat on. But she wasn’t. She was intelligent, cultivated, interesting. Her defi ance and her unusu-al perspective on everything was an inspiration to designers and creative people. She had a belief in you as an individual. Whether you were Alexander McQueen, Sophie Dahl, Stella Tennant or me. That belief was incredibly inspiring to young designers.

“She had been up and down recently. Everyone loved her and was hoping that everything was going to be OK,” he added.

At stages of her career, Blow worked in the fashion departments of American Vogue, British Vogue, Tatler and London’s Sunday Times Style supplement.

In recent years, her star had dimmed slightly, and it was known in industry circles that she suf-fered from severe depression. Last June, Blow was hospitalized in London after a fall and was said to have been seriously injured.

Michael Roberts, Vanity Fair’s fashion direc-tor, hired Blow as an assistant in the mid-Eighties, when he was running the fashion department at Tatler magazine.

“She was just great from the get-go,” he recalled. “To me, she was in the long line of English eccentrics, like Edith Sitwell and Ottoline Morrell. She was mar-velous because she comes from that amazing ‘White Mischief ’ background. At Tatler, all her amazing dotty friends were perfect fodder for the magazine.”

Roberts recalled how, more recently, Blow seemed to be increasingly unhappy.

“She had major feelings of persecution and that led to depression,” he said. “She felt very let down by a lot of people in the fashion community, especially the ones that she had championed for so many years. She felt that when they rose in the fashion fi rmament and got the big bucks, she always seemed to lose out. That can be depressing.

“When it came to fashion, she was fearless, but when it came to her personal life, she was full of fear,” Roberts added.

Rifat Ozbek had also known her since those as-sistant days at Tatler. “She was an inspiration,” Ozbek said. “I was at her wedding, wearing all white from my collection, and she said to me, ‘Even the bride didn’t wear white, but you did.’ She wore a beautiful purple velvet encrusted gown made by Nadia la Valle, which was very medieval, and Philip Treacy did the most beautiful gold lace crown. I can’t believe I will never see her again.”

Hamish Bowles, Vogue’s European editor at large, said Blow was “the most incredible discoverer and en-courager of talent. She was absolutely an inspiration, not just in the abstract sense of looking so extraordi-nary and breathtaking, and putting together things in such an unexpected way, but also in opening design-ers’ eyes to historical references. She was someone who consumed fashion at its rawest extreme.”

Daphne Guinness, a friend, said, “An enormous light has gone out of our lives and out of the world. She was hugely infl uential, and had such an enthu-siasm for life and for new talent. She was a catalyst for so many moments, so many careers.”

Katie Grand, fashion stylist and editor of Pop magazine, said Blow was one of her favorite people to sit next to at a fashion show. “She was always so funny,” Grand said. “She was a great friend to me when I was fi nding my feet in the fashion business. She was warm, loving and incredibly good fun. She was a gorgeous person.”

Karla Otto, a friend and owner of her namesake public relations fi rm, called Blow “a true eccentric. She walked into a room and fi lled the room, not just because of what she was wearing, but because of her incredibly strong aura. She was an extremely special person and precious friend,” she said.

At the time of her death, Blow was working with Treacy on the exhibition “When Philip Met Isabella,” which is to open in St. Petersburg this month.

Obituaries WWD.COM

Stylist Isabella Blow, 48

A fall look from Narciso Rodriguez.

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Retail Executive David L. DworkinBy David Moin

David L. Dworkin, a leading retail executive who was a former president and chief operating

officer of Neiman Marcus, died Wednesday at his home in Atlanta. He was 63.

Dworkin, most recently chairman, chief execu-tive offi cer and co-founder of Swoozie’s, a chain of 21 gift and stationery stores, had been battling cancer for almost two years, said Amy Wilkinson, Swoozie’s vice president of marketing. He was most actively involved in the chain’s real estate, store op-erations and human resources.

Before Swoozie’s, which he cofounded in February 2001 with his wife, Kelly, Dworkin was the ceo of sev-eral chains, including the former Upton’s; Broadway Stores, which was acquired by Federated Department Stores in 1995; British Home Stores and its parent, Storehouse PLC, and the former Bonwit Teller.

Before Dworkin was president and chief operat-ing offi cer of Neiman’ s, he was a vice president and general merchandise manager at Saks Fifth Avenue and also held merchant slots at Marshall Field’s, Famous Barr and Abraham & Straus, nameplates that have been converted to Macy’s.

“David was really a fascinating, extremely in-telligent, thoughtful man with enormous vision,”

said Ron Frasch, presi-dent and chief merchant of Saks Fifth Avenue, who considered Dworkin a men-tor. They worked together at Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus.

“He had a unique way of looking at business and evaluating customer trends and segments,” Frasch said. “He never got caught up in the minutiae. At Swoozie’s, he was intense with cus-tomer service and training and developing staff and sent me long e-mails about developing people and leadership and what I should be thinking about in my career. He will be sorely missed.”

Dworkin also was a national trustee of The Boys and Girls Clubs of America, where he was once a member.

In addition to his wife, Dworkin is survived by two daughters, Kira Shephard and Wendy Perry; three stepchildren, Ashley, Morgan and Jordan; and fi ve grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on May 18 at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Atlanta.

4 WWD, TUESDAY, MAY 8, 2007

Poiret SoireeNEW YORK — It was celebs galore as A-listers — from Kate Bosworth to Kirsten Dunst and even some New York Rangers and Tom Brady — climbed the Met’s steep red-carpet steps Monday night for its annual Costume Institute gala. The star-studded crowd fi led into the congested receiving line, greeted by Mayor Michael Bloomberg and

co-chairs Anna Wintour, Nicolas Ghesquière and Cate Blanchett. The hair was coiffed, the makeup heavy and the glamour quotient high — even Kate Moss, though in Topshop, glitzed it up with jewels borrowed from Sir Philip Green’s wife, Tina. “I can’t wait to see what everybody’s wearing,” gushed Cameron Diaz. “Isn’t that the point?”

Kate Bosworth in Prada and Fred Leighton.

Jennifer Connelly in Balenciaga and Fred Leighton.

Donatella Versace with Hilary Swank

in Versace.

Renée Zellweger

in Carolina Herrera and Van Cleef &

Arpels.

WWD.COM5WWD, TUESDAY, MAY 8, 2007

Christina Ricci in Calvin Klein

Collection.

Kirsten Dunst in vintage Yves Saint Laurent and Fred Leighton.

Kate Moss in Topshop.

Cameron Diaz in Dior by John Galliano and Fred Leighton.

Salma Hayek in Balenciaga with François-Henri Pinault.

Jennifer Garner in Valentino Couture with Valentino.

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6 WWD, TUESDAY, MAY 8, 2007

Short, shimmering fur jackets give dressed-up day looks a glamorous new dimension. They make perfect foils for fall’s sleek, high-waisted styles.

A Russian sable jacket from Michael Kors Furs over Josef Statkus’ silk taffeta blouse and Maria Pinto’s wool and polyamide pants. Stuart Weitzman boots.

Day GlowDay GlowShort, shimmering fur jackets give dressed-up day looks a glamorous new dimension. They make perfect foils for fall’s sleek, high-waisted styles.

WWD.COM7WWD, TUESDAY, MAY 8, 2007

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Badgley Mischka’s long-haired mink blazer.

Oscar de la Renta’s broadtail and raccoon jacket for Alixandre Furs over Lissner Haberdashery’s silk

and cotton shirt and corset-waisted wool pants.

Jerry Sorbara’s natural mink jacket for Neiman

Marcus, a silk blouse from Moschino Cheap

& Chic and Erin Fetherston’s wool

gabardine trousers.

Dennis Basso’s silver fox jacket and Vince’s wool

and elastane pants.

Jerry Sorbara’s natural mink jacket for Neiman

Marcus, a silk blouse from Moschino Cheap

& Chic and Erin Fetherston’s wool

gabardine trousers.

Jessica-Howard, Ltd.

Positive Attitude, Inc.

Industrial Cotton, Inc.

Eliza J, Ltd.

Mourn the passing of Dennis Roth

You will be remembered with great affection.

–

our founderour partnerour friend

a courageous humanitarian

Dennis,

WE LOVE YOU.

WE MISS YOU.

YOUR PARTNERS,

YOUR BEST FRIENDS,

Bobby, Gary, David

By Georgia Lee

ATLANTA — New dates, combined shows, extended hours and packed special events created buzz, and some controversy, at AmericasMart’s fall show as buyers and exhibitors reacted to new initiatives.

The show, which ran April 15 to 18, featured two big changes: It ran from Sunday-to-Wednesday, instead of Thursday-to-Sunday. And the market combined for the fi rst time the women’s, children’s and acces-sories market with the Alpha men’s wear show. Show dates have again been shifted, this time to Saturday-to-Tuesday.

“It was a market of experiments and innovation,” said Mike Turnbull, senior vice president of marketing for AMC, AmericasMart’s parent, who said the initiatives helped boost attendance.

Turnbull wouldn’t give overall numbers, but said 1,000 buyers reg-istered Saturday before Sunday’s opening day, creating long lines at registration areas. Sunday included extended show hours until 8 p.m., and such hoopla as a balloon drop, prize giveaways and a performance by Montreal’s Cirque Eloize that accompanied a fashion showcase of Canadian lines at AmericasMart.

Many exhibitors were pleased with Sunday traffi c, but some report-ed a drop as the show went into Wednesday afternoon.

“Sunday was our biggest market day ever, with sales in seven fi g-ures,” said Brad Johnson, principle of Ambrosia & Co., a contemporary sales fi rm.

But Lauren Sheets, of Lauren Pink, another contemporary showroom, said the timing of the mart, in mid- to late April, combined with the date change, threw off traffi c, resulting in lower sales by as much as 20 per-cent. Other sales reps agreed that traffi c declined during the week.

“Customers complained [about the dates] and we had no showroom help, because we rely on part-time workers that are hard to get during the work week,” she said. “This major market was not a good time for such a major change.”

Some buyers, however, said the weekday format allowed better access to vendors’ corpo-rate offi ces in New York when questions arose. Others said the weekdays provided better oppor-tunities for reservations at restaurants, while others complained of a lack of nightlife in the early weeknights. Still others said they needed to be in stores or home with schoolkids.

For those buyers searching for entertain-ment, the mart provided it Monday night, hosting a “Fashion With the Fish” event at the Georgia Aquarium in nearby Centennial Park.

Fashion was in full fall bloom, with palettes of gray, brown and black, and men’s wear patterns. Lightweight wools, tweeds, knits and cashmeres contrasted with frilly blouses and camisoles for classic appeal. Prints ranged from bold pat-terns to wallpaper-inspired graphics applied on tunics, A-lines and minidresses. Short dresses were in big supply, especially in halters, strap-less styles and bubble silhouettes for cocktail.

Buyers applauded new suitings and liked the range of pants options, including higher waist-lines and wider legs, along with more slim, rath-er than skinny legs.

Texture, from metal threads to heat transfers or appliqués, added interest to casual fall sportswear.

Retailer Marigail Mathis found the market experience so compelling, the new dates didn’t faze her.

“I’d come on Christmas Eve if that’s when they were open,” she said.

Mathis, owner of an eponymous better-to-bridge store in Florence, Ala., praised the show’s fashion offerings, especially in the Premiere area, a juried contemporary showcase.

“It was beautifully marketed, merchandised and made me want to buy,” she said,

noting she bought Paul Lishman’s lightweight fur capes, scarves and accessories, which, given the weather’s unpredictability, were “an easier sell than a wool melton coat.”

Challenged to “offer eye candy with all the black, brown and gray,” Mathis said she added color with wrap paisley scarves by Echo, cashmere separates by Elliott Lauren and red patent leath-er shoes by BCBG. She also brightened up dark shades with crisp white shirts by Elliott Lauren, Olsen Europe and Calvin Klein, and added texture with layers of pearls by Fahrenheit.

“We have to add texture and color to keep the store from looking funereal,” she said.

Mathis picked up Citrine, a new line that she liked for its quality fabrics, sophisticated design and sharp prices. In T-shirts, a category that Mathis said needed fresh new styles and resourc-es to give customers a reason to buy, she bought velvet trim thermal styles from In the Wash.

Julie Routenberg, owner of two bridge special-ty stores in Atlanta, didn’t like the new dates.

“The Monday and Tuesday mart days cut me off from two important days in the store at the beginning of the work week, when we usually handle administrative details or handle delivery issues with vendors,” she said.

Routenberg bought two new bridge sports-wear lines from the Premiere area — Helene Kidare and Hilton Hollis — and also purchased Cino, a new line of casual sportswear, in a per-manent showroom.

She ordered grays paired with colored layer-ing pieces by Anue, Cosabella and Only Hearts.

“Everybody’s complaining about no color, but I’m not,” she said. “I love gray, with gorgeous camisoles, shirts and scarves in colors underneath.”

While she hadn’t carried a dress in fi ve years, dresses were strong spring sellers, from sportswear lines such as Peserico, Garella and Lafayette 148, and traditional dress lines such as Teri Jon.

“Fall dresses are harder to fi nd because with sleeves they don’t look as fashion-able, but I’m still searching,” she said.

She bought fall dresses from Schumacher and Lafayette 148 and wide-leg pants, paired with knit blazers and dusters.

The biggest challenge for Francine Whyman-Brown, owner of Mario Pucci of Boca Raton, Fla., was fi nding fashion-forward fall looks in fabrics lightweight enough for her Florida climate and contemporary clientele. She picked up silk and knit suitings in charcoal gray and navy, with fi tted jackets and wide-leg pants from Donna Degnan, Yansi Fugel and others, along with feminine blouses with lace and ruffl es.

She also ordered Badgley Mischka’s new sportswear collection, adding to the line’s gowns she carries for special occasion, as well as eveningwear from Teri Jon and Dina Bar-El.

“In general, we’re upping our price points and broadening our customer age range,” she said. “We’re in a bubble in Boca Raton, a wealthy area where people love to shop.”

Meg Walters, owner of Henri’s Cloud Nine, a 15,000-square-foot social occasion store in Minerva, Ohio, shopped the market after selling 1,500 prom dresses this spring, at an average price of $390. She carries up to 30 lines in her store.

“The economy doesn’t affect prom,” she said. “We’re selling higher prices.”Walters bought homecoming, prom and mother-of-the-bride dresses, along with

pageant, a new category for her.Increasing her buy for prom, she shopped for silk charmeuse and jersey fabrics,

with jewel accents, in halter, strapless and ballgown silhouettes. She bought Tirani and Jovani for both prom and pageant. While her average size is an 8, she found a void in large sizes, which are increasingly in demand.

10 WWD, TUESDAY, MAY 8, 2007WWD.COM

Ready-to-Wear Report

AmericasMart’s All-Out Effort Revs Up Traffi cHeavy traffi c

at Premiere, a temporary show at

AmericasMart.

On the runway in Atlanta, looks from Louis Verdad and Byron Lars.

Gilbert Harrison, chairman and chief executive offi cer of Financo Inc., has been named co-chairman of the Educational Foundation for the Fashion Industries, an

advisory and fund-raising group that supports the Fashion Institute of Technology.Harrison will work with John Pomerantz, the foundation’s chairman since 1999

and trustee emeritus of FIT’s board of trustees.Harrison is not a newcomer to FIT, having been on EFFI’s board for the past

11 years. He was named to the fi nance committee in 2002 and joined the execu-tive committee in 2006. From 1999 to 2001, Harrison pitched in on the committee for FIT’s fi rst capital campaign, Design for Success.

In a statement released Monday, FIT president Joyce Brown said, “With the decline of government funding for education, the need for assistance from the private sector is escalating. It is thanks to people like Gilbert that we can fulfi ll our long-term vision and goals.”

Established in 1944, the EFFI, a private foundation, has raised $32.5 million since 2001, including the $15 million raised in three years toward the college’s fi rst capital campaign. The group has raised $7.8 million toward its $10 million scholarship campaign, which was initiated in 2002.

— Rosemary Feitelberg

Harrison Pitches in With Fund-raising

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Textile & Trade Report

Clinton: The Early Trend in Fashion Contributions

The fashion industry has staked out early support in the presidential campaign. The federal govern-

ment sets the maximum for individual contributions at $2,300 per election (primary and general) per candi-date. The following is a list of the top two Democratic and Republican candidates, based on the latest Quinnipiac University Polling Institute poll released on Thursday, and the industry heavy hitters who sup-port them.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D., N.Y.)Millard Drexler, chairman and chief executive offi cer, J. Crew Group: $4,600

Oscar de la Renta: $4,600Paul Marciano, ceo, Guess Inc.: $4,600Maurice Marciano, chairman, Guess Inc.: $4,600Donna Karan: $4,600Ronald O. Perelman, chairman, Revlon: $4,600

Sen. Barack Obama (D., Ill.)Tommy Hilfi ger: $2,300Maurice Marciano: $2,300Seth Gerszberg, president and ceo, Ecko Unlimited: $1,800Leonard A. Schlesinger, vice chairman and chief oper-ating offi cer, Limited Brands: $1,000John Demsey, group president, Estée Lauder Cos.: $1,000

Rudolph Giuliani, former Republican Mayor, N.Y.Wilbur Ross Jr., ceo, W.L. Ross & Co.: $4,600Alan H. Cohen, ceo, The Finish Line: $4,600William Lauder, president, Estée Lauder Cos.: $4,600John Idol, ceo, Michael Kors Inc.: $2,500Allen Questrom, former chairman and ceo, J.C. Penney Co. Inc.: $2,300

Sen. John McCain (R., Ariz.)Bruce Nordstrom, retired chairman, Nordstrom: $2,300Fred Langhammer, chairman of global affairs, Estée Lauder Cos.: $2,100Joseph Levy, chairman, Gottschalks: $1,000Mackey McDonald, chairman and ceo, VF Corp.: $500Mitchell A. Kosh, senior vice president human re-sources/legal, Polo Ralph Lauren Corp.: $400

also gotten substantial fi nancial and anecdotal backing from the fashion world.

Also receiving support are Arizona Sen. John McCain, who has overtaken Romney in recent nationwide polling for second place among Republicans, behind Giuliani, and former Sen. John Edwards (D., N.C.) running third

among his party’s candidates, behind Clinton and Obama.The 2008 presidential election will be the fi rst time since

1952 that no incumbent president or vice president is running. Some of the leading candidates in the 2008 race would, if elect-

ed, make history in the Oval Offi ce, as the fi rst woman, fi rst African-American or fi rst Mormon president.

The elections also come at a time of public disenchantment with President Bush and the Iraq war, and on the heels of the Democrats seizing control of Congress last year and seek-ing to maintain that power and retake the White House.

In the fi rst quarter of the year, statistics based on indi-vidual contributions show apparel and accessories specialty retail executives and employees gave $65,150 to presiden-tial candidates, 88 percent of it to Democrats, according to

The Center for Responsive Politics. Clothing and accesso-ries manufacturers gave $125,850 to the candidates and Democrats received 73 percent of that total. Department

stores, including Wal-Mart, gave $39,570 to the candidates, mostly to Republicans, who got 79 percent of the total. (For a look at some individual campaign contributions, see the box on this page.)

Clinton received the highest contributions from individual do-nors in the fashion industry, netting $70,250 in the fi rst quarter from the ap-

parel sector, and $38,300 from specialty retailers and a handful of department stores. Among her contributors was J. Crew chairman and chief execu-tive offi cer Millard Drexler and Oscar de la Renta.

Obama has received money from Tommy Hilfi ger and Leonard A. Schlesinger, vice chair-man and chief operating officer of Limited Brands, and Edwards has had contributions from Peter Bragdon, vice president and general counsel of Columbia Sportswear Co., and Chris Chafe, chief of staff at UNITE HERE.

On the Republican side, Romney received the most industry contributions, bringing in $50,200 from such executives as Timothy Boyle, presi-dent and ceo of Columbia Sportswear, and John Fleming, executive vice president and chief mer-chandising offi cer of Wal-Mart’s stores division. He has raised the most overall among Republican candidates with $23.4 million in the fi rst quarter.

Giuliani has garnered support from Wilbur Ross Jr., ceo of W.L. Ross & Co., and Alan H. Cohen, ceo of The Finish Line. McCain got donations from

Fred Langhammer, chairman of global affairs at the Estée Lauder Cos. Inc., and Mackey McDonald, chairman and ceo of VF Corp.

Some executives have hedged their bets. Leonard Lauder, chairman of the Estée Lauder Cos., has written checks to Clinton and Giuliani, and Guess Inc. ceo Paul Marciano made donations to Clinton and Romney.

While the Iraq war will likely dominate the presidential debate nationwide, the industry is also closely watching the candi-

dates’ stance on other issues, ranging from health care and immigration to international trade and taxes. One of the second-tier campaign issues could be where they all stand on Wal-Mart, the largest re-tailer in the U.S., and its many polices that have come under fi re.

Clinton, who topped the Democrats by raising $26 million in the fi rst quarter and has an another $10 million left from her Senate campaign, draws support primarily due to her experience in the Senate and in the White House during her hus-band’s two terms in offi ce.

“The most important thing [about Hillary Clinton] is her experience and the learning curve she’s already had,” said Donna Karan, who made

a $4,600 contribution to Clinton.Karan, a longtime fund-raiser for Clinton, said

New York’s junior senator and former President Bill Clinton would be a great team in the White House.

Clinton, who sat on the board of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. for six years while her husband was governor of Arkansas, was asked by NBC News anchor Brian Williams during the fi rst nationally televised de-bate last month whether she thought Wal-Mart was a “good or bad thing” for the country.

Calling it a “mixed blessing,” Clinton said Wal-Mart “gave people a chance to stretch their dollar further” when it fi rst started, but added the retail giant had “raised serious questions” about its health care and safety policies, as well as discrimination in the workplace.

Clinton returned a $5,000 contribution to Wal-Mart in 2005, citing “serious difference” with the company’s current practices. Williams did not ask the other seven Democratic candi-dates on the panel the question.

Arnold Simon, ceo of Bill Blass Designer License Holdings, who gave to Clinton in the fi rst quarter, said, “She came from Arkansas and she was on the [Wal-Mart] board and she obviously has an opinion. I like hearing that kind of stuff.”

Simon said Clinton was the “best candidate” because she had the most experience in the White House.

“She spent a lot of time overseas dealing with different coun-tries,” said Simon. “I would like to see a Democrat in the White House. I think they’ve been a lot more positive on the economy. Eight years of [Bill] Clinton in the offi ce was a boon for the economy, the stock market and business interest rates.”

Allen Questrom, former chairman and ceo of J.C. Penney Co. Inc., who is supporting Giuliani, said McCain had the “same problems” as the two leading Democratic candidates: He has spent his entire time in the Senate. Questrom said Giuliani had “operating experience,” which sets him apart from the pack.

“If you are a senator or a representative, you debate and vote on issues in Congress,” Questrom said. “You are not in an operating function over a city or a state, which puts you in direct contact with the people every day.”

Questrom also believes Giuliani had a “suc-cessful” tenure as mayor of New York and “trans-formed a dysfunctional city into a functional city,” and cited his efforts to bring the city together after the terrorist attacks in 2001.

Ross, who formed International Textile Group through the acquisition of Burlington Industries and Cone Mills, agreed that Giuliani had the best credentials to be president.

The fi nancier, Giuliani’s privatization adviser during his tenure as mayor of New York, said, “He took tens of thousands of people off of the New York City payrolls through a whole variety of privatization and buyouts of peoples’ contracts. Those are things no mayor has ever done before. Very few elected offi cials have ever made those kinds of changes.”

Ross also said Giuliani took 660,000 people off the welfare rolls in the city and helped them move into the workforce.

“While, obviously, he did an amazing job in terms of 9/11, to me, the day-to-day job he did as mayor is even more impres-sive in terms of what he will be faced with if he is elected president,” Ross said.

Ross also praised Giuliani for “stimulating economic growth” while mayor and working hands-on with foreign governments, citing his col-laboration with the Mexico City po-lice department, which asked for his guidance, as well as consultations with the Chinese about security for the Olympics.

Funding Their Favorites

John Edwards

Barack Obama

John McCain

Mitt Romney

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Rudolph Giuliani

Continued from page one

WWD.COM11WWD, TUESDAY, MAY 8, 2007

By David Moin

COSTA MESA, Calif. — Bloomingdale’s scored the chain’s biggest opening day at its 248,000-square-foot store in South Coast Plaza here on Thursday, posting $1.5 million to $1.6 million in sales, mar-ket sources said.

The launch was a confi dence builder for Bloomingdale’s in its four-year-old brand strategy of raising the bar with each market entry. It also has executives forecasting that South Coast Plaza might be the best or second best branch, matching or exceeding the performance of the 337,000-square-foot San Francisco fl agship that opened in September, which held the previous opening-day record of about $1 million.

On the night before the opening, Michael Gould, Bloomingdale’s chairman and chief executive offi cer, surveyed the 850 guests at the store party benefi ting the Orange County Performing Arts Center, and thought aloud that the community had a sophisticated and healthy appetite for shopping that surpassed other California markets. “I can just feel it,” Gould said. “This is a spectacular, fashion-oriented crowd, from an upscale point of view. You can see what people are wearing — their shoes, their handbags.”

It hasn’t always been easy for Bloomingdale’s in the Golden State. Some California store openings in the Nineties lacked the sophisti-cated look and designer lines of new or renovated units such as South Coast Plaza, San Francisco, Manhattan’s SoHo, and Chestnut Hill, Mass. Bloomingdale’s embarked on a brand strategy in 2002 to differ-entiate from the department store crowd and sell limited distributed contemporary and designer lines and cosmetic brands that other de-partment stores wouldn’t carry. The retailer also sought to narrow the price gap with Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus and quell comparisons with Macy’s, which, like Bloomingdale’s, is a division of Federated Department Stores.

“Since 2001, the average unit sale has increased at a compounded rate of 9.5 per-cent a year,” Gould said. “The upscale designer business — nondepartment store lines — in 2001 represented 44 percent of our business. It’s currently exactly 70 percent of our business.” He described Bloomingdale’s gradual but steady buildup of designer offerings as “just an ongoing process of chipping away. Why did Chanel sell us here? Why did Vuitton? They saw what transpired in San Francisco. Now, South Coast Plaza represents incremental business opportunities for high-end designers.”

The chain’s newest unit is its most elegant, and among Bloomingdale’s most designer-driven branches. It’s also one of the most carefully edited stores, merchandised to tap Orange County’s penchant for color, casual style and designer accessories that glimmer with hardware. Executives consider the setting more intimate than San Francisco, with its smaller square footage, lower ceilings and higher proportion of casual clothes.

“We are very committed to elevating Bloomingdale’s as a contemporary, upscale department store with a full-fl edged home store,” said Tony Spring, senior executive

vice president.The store speaks to the designer point of view

right at the entrance from the mall. It’s anchored by Chanel and Louis Vuitton accessories shops on either side. The perimeters to about the mid-dle of the store are lined with other designer accessories shops for Fendi and Ferragamo, as well as Marc Jacobs and Calvin Klein.

There are several unique installations by designer brands, including a state-of-the-art Chanel cosmetics counter with a ticker tape an-nouncing products and events, and adjustable lighting to simulate daylight or candlelight and different moods and occasions.

Burberry has a new concept accessories shop, marked by different wood tones and a hybrid of open-sell and caseline displays. Crème de la Mer also has one of its new showcases, marked by a fi sh tank, and Bloomingdale’s created a 1,000-square-foot shop featuring contemporary hand-

bags from vendors, including L.A.M.B., Juicy Couture and Marc by Marc Jacobs.The sunglass department is designed like an optical shop, with desks, chairs and

mirrors for more comfortable shopping. The Ellen Tracy shop also sports a new modern look, with a darker frame and pale

wood backing.Other labels sold at the store, the chain’s 38th unit and eighth in California, include

Giorgio Armani Black Label, Armani Collezioni, Akris Punto, St. John Collection, Sonia Rykiel, Burberry, Tory Burch, Elie Tahari, Ralph Lauren Black Label and M Missoni. Contemporary collections include Diane von Furstenberg, Vince, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Juicy Couture, Theory, Da-Nang and the private label Aqua. Accessories and fi ne jewelry brands offered include David Yurman, John Hardy, Judith Ripka, Baume & Mercier, and some key cosmetic vendors are Mac, Kiehl’s and Jo Malone.

Bloomingdale’s signature black mirrored trim, reminiscent of Chanel, is evident in the store’s three levels, with the exception of the contemporary Y.E.S. department. Future openings could have the trim throughout, said Jack Hruska, executive vice president of creative services. Then there are the Orange County touches, such as artwork depicting orange groves and the Mission at San Juan Capistrano. (There was an orange carpet, not a red one, for the opening.)

The Aventura, Fla. unit, Bloomingdale’s best in the state, as well as those in Roosevelt Field in Garden City, N.Y., Bergen County, N.J. and Newport Beach, Calif. are also slated for renovations and merchandising changes in line with the brand strategy, which calls for elevated marketing and fewer coupons chainwide.

WWD.COM12 WWD, TUESDAY, MAY 8, 2007

SAFETY IN NUMBERS: Designers settled pre-Met jitters Monday afternoon by surrounding themselves with friends at a long lunch held at Morandi cohosted by Pete Nordstrom. Isabel Toledo arrived with hubby Ruben, Giambattista Valli brought along pal Mischa Barton and Vanessa Seward stuck closely to her musician husband, Bertrand Burgalat, and chum Sophia Kokosalaki. The two designing women claimed not to be nervous “because there are so many big celebrities, no one cares about us,” Seward smiled. Nevertheless, she and Kokosalaki scheduled a pre-gala cocktail at Gramercy Park Hotel before heading into the storm.

NEAR TO HER: New York is a city rife with Julie Christie fans. “I’ve been wanting to meet you forever,” gushed Debbie Harry to the “Away From Her” star at the fi lm’s Cinema Society screening Wednesday night. So had Candice Bergen, Debra Messing, Kim Cattrall, Griffi n Dunne, Sandra Bernhard and Ricki Lake, who all showed up at the IFC Film Center to support the iconic actress in her latest role as a sufferer of Alzheimer’s

disease. Olympia Dukakis costars in the movie written and directed by Sarah Polley. “It’s an interesting topic for the fashion crowd,” Rachel Roy said, “getting older.”

Christie herself, dressed in a green frock from her closet, was having a hard time adjusting to socializing with the style-obsessed at the after party at the Soho Grand. “Everyone’s asking me, ‘What’s your dress? Who are you wearing?’” she said, struggling with the terminology. “I want to say, ‘My dress is...my dog or something.’” Eric Mabius of “Ugly Betty” was more comfortable, thanks to his role as editor in chief of Mode magazine. “I’m less fashion illiterate than I once was,” he said, throwing back a Corona and showing off pictures of his son Maxfi eld on his BlackBerry.

GREEN THUMB: Kris Van Assche, who replaced Hedi Slimane at the head of Dior Homme, seems to share his predecessor’s taste for multitasking. Van Assche, who has yet to show his fi rst collection chez Dior, has created an “aromatic” garden in hues of blue, white and green for Paris’ Bon Marché department store. The indoor 300-square-foot garden, redolent with the likes of lavender and jasmine, will open June 1 to 9 as part of a special “Flowers in the City” promotion at the LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton-owned store.

GREEK GODDESSES: Los Angeles designer Michelle Jonas has draped Angelina Jolie, Heather Graham and hundreds of other women in gauze and jersey to turn them into Greek goddesses. So it’s fi tting that Jonas would outfi t the female employees at the renovated Belvedere Hotel in Mykonos, Greece, in her white and navy dresses with keyhole fronts and skinny straps. Opening in July, Belvedere also will house Nobu Matsuhisa’s new sushi eateries, where the hostesses and waitresses will don Jonas’ frocks, too. Visitors to the resort will be able to buy the $235 designs at the new Scoop boutique opening there. Women who can’t make it to the Aegean island can fi nd their bit of paradise next year when Jonas plans to open a shop in New York and launch a swimwear line. Eyeing the Meatpacking District, Jonas said she aimed to acquire enough licenses by then for sunglasses, thong sandals and other paraphernalia. “It’ll be a one-stop shop for vacations,” she said.

DENIM CORDS: It’s a case of the denim blues. Marithé and François Girbaud are tuning up for their fi rst music album. Dubbed “Marithé & François Girbaud by Pradat,” a French music producer, the album is a compilation of the design duo’s favorite melodies, ranging from Otis Taylor to Makossa & Megablast.

Fashion Scoops

Bloomingdale’s Hits High Note at South Coast Plaza

Michael Gould, Tony Spring and Jack Hruska. High-end handbags should be big for Bloomingdale’s, South Coast Plaza.

Bloomingdale’s edits for color and a casual attitude in Orange County.

Elizabeth and Henry Segerstrom, owner of South Coast Plaza, with Terry Dwyer, president of Orange County Performing Arts Center.

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Sponsored by:

APPARELTECHNOLOGY Transforming the Supply Chain A one-day meeting for senior apparel executives.The WWD Technology Leadership Forum will feature specific insights from apparel brands who are successfully leveraging technology to move their business forward.

Speakers to date include:

For more information, call 212.630.5926 or e-mail techsummit@fairchildpub.com

David A. Minster David Yurman Inc.

Marty Staff JA Apparel Corp.

John J. Dembinski Famous Footwear

Kathryn CullenKurt Salmon Associates (KSA)

Joseph Sapienza Joseph Abboud Manufacturing Corp.

James Bradbeer Jr. and Brigid FosterLilly Pulitzer

WWD.COM14 WWD, TUESDAY, MAY 8, 2007

JAIL BIRDS: In a completely unchoreographed but timely coincidence, Paris Hilton (and Nicole Richie) will appear in the June issue of Harper’s Bazaar under the title “Partners in Crime.” The issue, which hits newsstands May 22, will make its debut just days before Hilton is required to report to jail for violating her probation, although she is appealing the 45-day jail sentence. But it gets better. The zebra-clad twosome, who were shot by Peter Lindbergh, were cast as jewelry thieves who have a run-in with the law. “What was tongue-in-cheek at the time turned out to be prescient,” said a Bazaar spokeswoman. — Amy Wicks

FULL PLATE: Though Gourmet was shut out at the National Magazine Awards last week despite three nominations, it took home two James Beard Foundation Media Awards

Sunday night for writing and for its new PBS television show, “Diary of a Foodie.” The Condé Nast food monthly, nominated for six Beards, took home two prizes for magazine feature writing without recipes and for best national television food show. The dinner ceremony was at the Millennium Hudson Hotel, where Gourmet editor in chief Ruth Reichl, sat among famed chefs, critics and foodies. Both the San Francisco Chronicle and Saveur took home two awards; Gourmet contributing editor Colman Andrews won an award for magazine feature writing with recipes for a piece on Ireland he wrote while editor in chief at Saveur. Child contributing editor Colleen Pierce won an award for her piece “Solving the Sugar Crisis,” though she said during her acceptance speech that the honor was slightly bittersweet. “On Monday, I found I was nominated for this award, and on Tuesday, I found out my magazine was shutting down.” Meredith Corp. said in March that it would fold the title after the June/July issue.

— Stephanie D. Smith

MEMO PAD

PARIS — L’Oréal has been busy in the past month.

The French firm’s Episkin model, which measures chemi-cals’ irritation on reconstructed human skin, was validated as a full replacement for testing on animals. In a statement published last week, the French beauty giant said the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods had approved its in-vitro model, which tests how irritating a sub-stance is on reconstructed human epidermis on collagen.

According to the ECVAM, Episkin “predicts the skin irri-tancy potential of chemicals with great accuracy and precision and will therefore fully replace tests on animals.”

L’Oréal said it was a great step toward the elimination of animal testing. “Today, Episkin is routine-ly used for tolerance evaluation of our products, and our commitment to develop alternative methods continues,” stated Jean-François Grollier, executive vice president of research and development at L’Oréal.

L ’ O r é a l added that this type of test would enable it to replace animals in the testing of 10,000 substances, as foreseen under REACH, the wide-reaching legislation passed in Europe in December 2006.

The Episkin model is avail-able to other fi rms and is sold by SkinEthic, the tissue-engineer-ing company L’Oréal acquired in March 2006. When it bought SkinEthic, L’Oréal said its top priority was developing alterna-tive approaches to animal testing. L’Oréal ended animal testing of all fi nished products, but not ingredi-ents, in 1989.

In other news, more than 44,000 students from 128 coun-tries took part in this year’s edi-tion of L’Oréal’s e-Strat Challenge, the online business strategy competition for undergradu-ate and MBA students that the French beauty fi rm uses as a re-cruitment tool. In the Paris fi nal round on April 18, students from Germany’s Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg beat teams from Turkey and Indonesia to take fi rst place in the under-graduate competition. In the MBA category, Switzerland’s IMD won first place, trumping teams from the U.K., Taiwan and Brazil. L’Oréal executives — Geoff Skingsley, executive vice presi-dent of human resources, and Béatrice Dautresme, executive vice president of corporate com-munications and external affairs — chaired the jury panels. Since e-Strat Challenge was launched in 2000, L’Oréal has recruited 256 students from the competition.

Emmanuel Lulin has been named L’Oréal’s ethics director, a new post. The beauty company an-nounced last Thursday that Lulin would oversee internal and exter-nal ethical issues and report di-rectly to L’Oréal’s chief executive officer, Jean-Paul Agon. Lulin’s role is to integrate ethical prac-tices and insure they’re respected throughout L’Oréal. He will also supervise the development of the fi rm’s ethical program, which in-cludes training.

Since 1999, Lulin has been legal director of L’Oréal’s human

resources. Prior to that position, he worked as a lawyer for 10 years at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP here and in New York.

— Ellen Groves

New Lancôme CounterNEW YORK — Lancôme unveiled a new counter on April 30 at Bloomingdale’s 59th Street loca-tion here, a 1,000-square-foot space designed to maximize points of contact with the store’s customers, according to Eric Lauzat, president of Lancôme in the U.S.

“Bloomingdale’s is a special partner to us, and we wanted to bring a new, modern and elegant installation to the store,” said Nina White, deputy general manager and senior vice president of marketing for the L’Oréal-owned brand. “The new space has a more open design that invites clients in so they can get the best possible service.”

An additional 200 square feet was added to the existing Lancôme area and the new space is manned

by 22 beauty a d v i s e r s . C u s t o m e r s can view the brand’s full

complement of beauty offerings in the space, and can receive services like skin care evaluations, make-overs and brow shaping.

Between 200 and 300 customers visit the counter on a daily basis, according to Lancôme.

Although executives wouldn’t comment, industry sources esti-mated the new Bloomingdale’s counter could generate $4.8 mil-lion in fi rst-year sales.

— Michelle Edgar

Revlon Hosts Run/WalkREVLON KICKED OFF ITS 10TH annual Entertainment Industry Foundation Revlon Run/Walk for Women in Times Square last Saturday. More than 40,000 people participated to raise money to sup-port women’s cancer research, counseling and outreach programs. The bicoastal event was hosted by Jesse Martin of “Law & Order: SVU.” Other special guests were Mandy Moore, Meredith Vieira, Chaka Khan and Revlon’s spokes-person, Beau Garrett. The New York event raised about $5 million; EIF’s Revlon Run/Walk has raised about $50 million dollars since its incep-tion 13 years ago. The Los Angeles race is scheduled for this Saturday.

— M.E.

Nars Supports SmilesCOINCIDING WITH OPERATION Smile’s 25th anniversary, Nars Cosmetics has partnered with fashion house J. Mendel to cre-ate a limited edition lip palette. Available at select Nars retail-ers this October, 5,000 of the lim-ited edition J. Mendel Fall 2007 Collection Lip Palettes will be produced and will retail for $65. Thirty-seven percent of the pal-ette’s sales will be donated to Operation Smile, a worldwide children’s medical charity whose volunteers help to repair facial de-formities. The new palette will be previewed at the annual fund-rais-ing gala this Friday.

— M.E.

BEAUTY BEAT

L’Oréal’s Sensitivity Test OK’d by European Agency

Last Thursday, The New York Times re-vealed that Clark Hoyt, 64, was becoming

its third public editor. Hoyt won the Pulitzer Prize in 1973 for his coverage of presidential candidate Thomas Eagleton’s history of de-pression and shock treatment therapy, and until recently was the Washington editor of Knight Ridder newspapers, where he over-saw some of the fi rst articles in the U.S. that questioned the Bush administration’s case for going to war in Iraq. He spoke with WWD.

WWD: The public editor is a notoriously thankless job. Did anyone say you were crazy to take it?Clark Hoyt: Yes, of course. But it’s also an opportunity to have a positive infl uence on the most important news organization in the United States.

WWD: One thing your predecessor, Barney Calame, left untouched — quite intentionally — were the opinion pages. Will you take the same approach?C.H.: No. I don’t think anything in the paper is off-limits and I would explicitly include the opinion pages. It wouldn’t be appropriate to argue with editorial positions of the Times, but if opinion pieces are based on supposi-tions that are not factual, or if there are tonal issues, it’s fair game.

WWD: Times executive editor Bill Keller said he hired you partially because of Knight Ridder’s prewar coverage of Iraq. In retro-spect, why do you think so few other news or-ganizations showed skepticism?C.H.: All I can say is that, at the time, we were focused on what we were doing. And we were certainly aware that we were often alone and wondered where the Times and The Washington Post were. But why they made the decisions they made and went down the roads they went down, I don’t know.

WWD: Oh, come on. Surely you have a theory. C.H.: I can’t read their minds. But I think it’s fair to ask whether they were skeptical enough and whether there’s a tradition of leaning too much on offi cial sources in exchange for en-trée at the very highest levels.

WWD: Given that so few people questioned the administration, what do you think when you hear about there being a “liberal bias” in the media? C.H.: Republicans talk about a liberal bias and people on the left talk about how corpo-rate media is controlled by conservatives. I think that when we do our jobs properly, we are skeptical of people in authority and we are constantly questioning the positions of those in power. When those people are conserva-tive, they think we’re being liberal, and when a Democratic administration is in power, you hear about a vast right-wing conspiracy.

WWD: Until recently, the Justice Department was by and large hands off about reporters and their sources. Now, it appears all bets are

off. How do you think this will affect investi-gative reporting?C.H.: I think it’s a serious problem and I be-lieve in a federal shield law.

WWD: Should this law shield people who may be commiting a crime by divulging a CIA offi cer’s identity to a reporter from The New York Times?C.H.: Well, no underlying crime has ever been established [in the Valerie Plame case], and no one has ever been charged. But there’s a seri-ous question as to whether Judith Miller couldn’t have avoided jail by working out the same ar-rangement that was reportedly offered to her and that other journalists in Washington accepted.

WWD: With advertising in decline across the newspaper business, the Times is facing the wrath of its shareholders. In his last column, Calame said that how the Times deals with this will determine the quality of the journal-ism produced. Do you think the role of an om-budsman will need to include the publisher and the business side of the newspaper?C.H.: To the degree that there will be impacts in the newsroom, that could become a source of interest [to me]. I certainly think the public editor has to look broadly at how the Times manages to thrive in a world in which people are getting their news in different ways, where the revenue base is changing. To be unaware of that is unrealistic.

WWD: So you will pay attention to Arthur Sulzberger Jr.’s leadership? C.H.: Yes. Whether I write about it or not de-pends on a whole lot of things.

WWD: What does that mean? C.H.: It means I don’t know.

— Jacob Bernstein

The Times’ New WatchdogClark Hoyt

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15WWD, TUESDAY, MAY 8, 2007

WWD.COM/CLASSIFIEDS

For more career opportunities log on to fashioncareers.com. Call 1.800.423.3314 or e-mail fpclassified@fairchildpub.com to advertise.

ATTENTION CLASSIFIED ADVERTISERS!

The deadline for the Tuesday, May 15 issue of WWD will be FRIDAY, MAY 11

at 12 noon.To place a classified ad,

please call 1-800-423-3314

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DESIGN ASST - HatsHigh-end NY hat design co seeks creative,organized individual to help designwomen’s, mens, bridge line hats, hairaccessories & belts. Must have 1-2years hat plus accessories experience,technical knowledge of hat patterns,felt/straw, cut/sew, knit & fur hats.

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F/T ReceptionistMajor apparel company seeks fulltime receptionist. Individual mustbe poised with impeccable com-munication and presentation skillsappropriate for a luxury company.Must be able to work in a fastpaced environment and be able tosolve problems. Will manage frontdesk as well as provide administra-tive duties. Please email resume:

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DESIGNER ASSISTANTImmediate opening for an Assistant

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Seeking an experienced (3-4 years)professional to work in a small fashiondesign company in a capacity of opera-tional / office manager: must be able tomultitask, coordinate shipping/invoicing,work closely with production manager,build strong customer relations andwork under pressure. Fluency inQuickBooks, Microsoft Office andEnglish language required. Qualifiedcandidates should send resumes to:

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SALES MANAGERSunham Home Fashions seeks a SalesManager for its bedding division. 2+yrs. of sales management &/or buyerexperience in bedding or home fash-ions is required. Resumes & salary re-quirements to: resumes@sunham.com

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