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Seventies English dandy meets California bohemian songwriter — along with a healthy dose of Keith Richards — are key inspirations for John Varvatos’ homecoming collection, slated to close the inaugural New York Fashion Week: Men’s on Thursday.
S P E C I A L E D I T I O N
14 JULY 2015
Fashion. Beauty. Business.
New YorkCollections
2016
Rock ’n’ Roll
Photograph by SHAWN BRACKBILL
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14 JULY 2015 3
● Ascena took a hit on Wall Street on Monday, following Friday’s earning revision downward due to issues at Justice, Dressbarn.
BY DAVID MOIN
Ascena Retail Group Inc. took a hit on Wall Street Monday following last week’s fiscal 2015 downward earnings revision based on weakness at Dressbarn and aggressive markdowns at Justice to prepare the selling floors for new back-to-school merchandise and pricing.
The stock plummeted 12.8 percent, or $2.09, to $14.28 on the Nasdaq Monday.
Some investors expressed concerns about strategic pricing and marketing changes at Justice beginning July 19 and that Ascena’s growing portfolio of retail brands poses new challenges to a man-agement with a full plate of concerns at the Justice and Dressbarn divisions. For the third fiscal quarter ended April 25, earnings from continuing operations were 15 cents per diluted share, down from 22 cents a year ago, and comparable sales were down 1 percent.
Still, some other analysts expressed confidence in Ascena’s future and its mix of specialty chains filling different niches. Ascena in May agreed to acquire Ann Inc. in a deal valued at $2.15 billion and representing a step up in prices and style for the company. With the addition of Ann, Ascena will exceed $7.3 billion in revenues.
Last Friday, after the market closed, Ascena lowered its earnings outlook for the fiscal year ending July 25 to between 57 cents and 60 cents from a prior estimate of between 70 cents and 75 cents. Ascena also plans to take a noncash, pretax goodwill and asset impairment charge in the fourth quarter in the range of $275 million to $325 million in connection with Lane Bryant, as well as a pretax charge of $50 million for future settlement of the previously dis-closed Justice class-action litigation.
“We remain very excited about Justice and wanted to make sure we are com-pletely clean going into the new strategy,” David Jaffe, president and chief executive officer of Ascena, told WWD on Monday. “Dressbarn was a disappointment last spring though we see opportunities to
improve the business going forward. If you put those two factors together, that’s what led to our forecasting earnings downward.”
The impairment charge at Lane Bryant is considered an accounting issue and not a reflection of any change in operating performance at the plus-size chain. Lane Bryant is aggressively trying to increase volume through designer collaborations, updated advertising and pumping up certain categories.
The Justice lawsuit, filed in February in a federal district court in Philadelphia, alleged that Justice advertised discounts, although the prices were supposedly never discounted.
The Telsey Advisory Group character-ized Ascena’s update on Friday as “dis-appointing” and reiterated its view that
the Ann acquisition, posed “increased execution risk for the company at a time when the Street was becoming more comfortable with management’s strategy to drive greater profitability and cash flow generation over the next several years.”
Telsey also said that the slowdown in trends at Dressbarn is a concern, and the reduced profitability outlook for the quar-ter at Justice “highlights the depth and challenges to turning the business around while retraining the customer to respond to a lower promotional environment. Management has a lot of “balls in the air” at the moment, and we, therefore, take a more cautious view on the shares,” Telsey said in its report.
Cowen, in a report, said it “eagerly awaits the back-to-school floorset at Jus-tice... but do[es] caution traffic recovery may be slow given misexecution on prod-uct and pricing for the last two years.” At a time when malls continue to get more and more promotional in the teen/tween sector, Cowen questioned the strategy at Justice to pull back on promotions
and shift to everyday low pricing. “As a silver lining, we do acknowledge the poor customer response was related to mer-chandise from the old regime, carryover inventory is expected to be down signifi-cantly by July 19, and Justice is moving in the right direction of recovery with new brand president Brian Lynch. We eagerly await the arrival of the new back-to-school product and measuring the subsequent traffic response by customers.”
“While we believe Justice could con-tinue to pressure in the near term as it shifts its strategy, we remain bullish on the longer-term Ascena outlook,” FBR Capital Markets & Co. said in its report, which cited $150 million in expected synergies attained through the Ann acqui-sition, as well as savings from initiatives
at Ann alone, and a in direct sourcing, omni-channel, distribution and transpor-tation functions at Ascena.
“We see potential for $1 billion in earn-ings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization by FY18, including Ann’s initiatives and Ann/Ascena synergies. ...We continue to be buyers of Ascena, particu-larly on any weakness, reflecting com-bined Ascena/Ann earnings power that we believe will drive upside to shares.”
On July 19, the $1.4 billion, 1,000-unit Justice chain will drop prices 40 percent on core products, curtail promotions, and show fewer over-the-top styles, thereby heating up the competition against arch rivals J.C. Penney Co. Inc. and Kohl’s Corp. Justice caters to girls seven to 14 years old and also competes heavily against Wal-Mart, Target, Gymboree, The Children’s Place and Old Navy.
At Justice, 40 percent off the entire store events — which the chain became known for — have been eliminated. Last fall, Jus-tice was at least 40 percent off every day of the season, damaging margins.
RETAIL
Ascena Bruised by Wall Street
Best of Resort 2016 ● WWD compiled the top accessories from the recent resort 2016 collections in New York, London, Milan and Paris. Here, offerings from 3.1 Phillip Lim through Furla.
● They are Wearing: Paris Couture Week
● Hamptons Happening and Parrish Museum events Draw Lisa Perry, Chuck Close
● Valentino Couture Fall 2015
● They Are Wearing: Paris Men’s fashion Week Spring 2015
Global Stock TrackerAs of close July 13, 2015
ADVANCERS
DECLINERS
American Apparel Inc. +10.45%
Shanghai Metersbonwe +9.96%
Youngor Group Co. Ltd. +9.95%
The Bon-Ton Stores Inc. +9.08%
Matsuya Co. Ltd. +6.25%
Ascena Retail Group Inc. -12.80%
Shinsegae Co. Ltd. -11.13%
Quiksilver Inc. -6.32%
Ann Inc. -2.96%
Coty Inc. -2.51%
TOP 5TRENDINGON WWD.COM
Brian Atwood
Resot 2016
● Rupert Maunsell is the London brand’s first ceo.
BY SAMANTHA CONTI
LONDON — Rupert Maunsell has been named chief executive officer of Jon-athan Saunders, and took up his role earlier this week.
An announcement is expected today.Most recently operations director at
Mary Katrantzou, Maunsell has held senior management and operational posi-tions at brands including Avenue 32 and Temperley London.
He is the first ceo at Jonathan Saunders, and will help make a series of key hires across the business in order to execute the growth of the brand following private
investment earlier this year, according to the company.
The Jonathan Saunders studio will also relocate later this month to new premises in Clerkenwell to support the expansion.
“I have always admired Jonathan’s work immensely, and feel fortunate to be working with such a great talent. I look forward to developing this fantastic Brit-ish brand together,” said Maunsell.
Saunders said Maunsell’s appointment is “a significant step for the brand, and I’m excited about his forward-thinking approach to expansion. We have a shared vision, and I’m looking forward to work-ing together to actualize it.”
Eiesha Bharti Pasricha, who invested in the company in January, called Maunsell’s appointment “the most crucial hire we have made to enable us to execute our vision. He is a remarkable individual with an exceptionally hands-on approach grounded in operations and strategy right from the grassroots level.
“I am certain we will be able to nurture the brand into its next phase with Jona-than’s creative direction, and Rupert at the helm,” she added.
FASHION
Maunsell Named CEO Of Jonathan Saunders
Rupert Maunsell
“While we believe Justice could continue to pressure in the near term as it shifts its strategy, we remain bullish on the longer-term Ascena outlook.”Statement by FBR Capital Markets & Co.
0714Daily_03_Eye.indd 3 7/13/15 7:39 PM
● The retailer is turning up the pressure on its e-commerce rival’s Prime Day.
BY RACHEL STRUGATZ
Let the promotional battle begin.Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is stepping up to
Amazon.com Inc.’s challenge and launch-ing its own summer sale to compete with the e-commerce company’s Prime Day on Wednesday.
There are a couple big differences between the two promotions: Prime Day will only be available to Amazon Prime mem-bers, who pay the $99 yearly fee for free two-day shipping and other perks, while Wal-Mart’s deals will last for longer — the exact length of the offers has yet to be disclosed — and be available to all shoppers. (Wal-Mart’s will also lower its minimum order size for free shipping to $35 from $50).
Wal-Mart let some of its snark show in calling out the differences.
“We’re kicking off some awesome deals this week that will be available for every-body with no hidden costs or admission fees, and they won’t be available for just one day,” said Fernando Madeira, president and chief executive officer of walmart.com, adding that thousands of deals will start this week.
Wal-Mart has been gunning for Amazon for some time and over the past few years been pursuing an aggressive digital strat-egy, buying up tech companies and rolling out new omnichannel services.
Neil Ashe, president and chief executive officer of the retailer’s Global eCommerce
unit, said in 2013: “We’re building a global technology platform whose goals are as simple, frankly, as they are audacious. We want to know what every product in the world is. We want to know who every person in the world is. And we want to have the ability to connect them together in a transaction.”
With their most-recent sales events, both Wal-Mart and Amazon are channeling e-commerce giant Alibaba, which created Single’s Day, the online shopping holiday that takes place every Nov. 11 in China and drew sales of more than $9 billion last year. An Amazon spokeswoman said it wasn’t decided whether or not Prime Day would
become an annual holiday à la Single’s Day. The e-tail giant won’t reveal sales goals for the day, but already acknowledged that the day would be expensive for them.
While Amazon said it launched Prime Day to celebrate its 20th anniversary, mer-chants have long been quick with a sale when they want to drive traffic.
Experts are divided on who will come out on top in the promotional smackdown or even whether either side ultimately boost profits by cutting prices.
Patrick Moorhead, president and principal analyst at Moor Insights and Strategy, said Wal-Mart’s upcoming promotions are more than just a tit-for-tat game with Amazon.
“Wal-Mart should be very nervous about Prime Day, as anything that takes consumers’ hearts away from Wal-Mart is a risk,” Moorhead said. If Prime Day is a success, he envisions Amazon running similar offers on a monthly basis, which in his opinion “could hurt Wal-Mart very badly.”
For Moorhead, Wal-Mart and Amazon’s actions are indicative of not only the two retailers squaring off, but of a more promotional July in general. Right now, July 4 is the “only excuse” for a sale during the slower summer month, and the goal overall is to create a more exciting retail environment during this time and get more consumers shopping online.
“The gift card and retail industry has come together to invent excuses for a sale,” Moorhead said. “Look at Admin Day, Boss’ Day, Sweetest Day. All invented and nothing to have anything to do with a religious or historical celebration. It’s all marketing and promotion.”
Some disagree. Wal-Mart’s brick-and-mortar presence, combined with a fast-growing online business, could strengthen the retailer’s position against Amazon with its e-commerce base.
“The trail Wal-Mart is poised to blaze should have Amazon worried,” said Martin McNulty, chief executive officer of digital agency Forward 3D. “People love to imagine a world of robots doing the cleaning and intelligent refrigerators that order your milk for you, but it’s much more mundane than that.”
He acknowledged that while Amazon has been smart about discounting delivery through Amazon Prime memberships, most consumers still don’t turn to Amazon for their weekly shop.
He lauded Amazon for being an innovate in the online space. But if they can’t back up their innovations with scale, then rivals such as Wal-Mart will come in and repli-cate these efforts — and likely do a better job, he said.
“With loyalty data, advanced distribu-tion systems and multiple store locations, the real winner…could, in fact, be Wal-Mart,” McNulty said. “Wal-Mart has the opportunity to map your consumption of the most inane products and create seam-less experiences for you that move beyond your desktop or even your phone.”
4 14 JULY 2015
BUSINESS
Wal-Mart and Amazon Go Head-to-Head With Summertime Sales
● Jennifer Hudson will appear in New York & Co.’s fall campaign for Soho Jeans Collection.
BY LISA LOCKWOOD
Jennifer Hudson is the new face of New York & Company’s Soho Jeans Collection. The actress, singer and philanthropist will appear in an in-store, print, digital and social market-ing campaign wearing the New York-designed denim line inspired by a downtown vibe.
The latest edition of the Soho Jeans collection hits stores on July 22.
The campaign, photographed by Alexi Lubomirski, features the 33-year-old Hudson in some familiar work settings: a cobblestone set of a film, onstage with a microphone in hand, in a glamorous loft at the piano and seated in a director’s chair on a movie studio lot. Hudson models Soho Jeans’ Seventies-inspired fashion, ranging from high-waist flare sailor jeans and boyfriend styles to high-waist jean leggings and a boho fringed skirt. The Soho Jeans Collection retails for less than $70 and is available in sizes 0-18.
“What I love most about New York is the diversity. It’s a haven for individuality, and
I have always found that to be inspiring. That sort of energy affects me [in] all ways, but especially when it comes to style,” said Hudson, who praised the collection for being fashion-forward yet comfortable.
Cheryl Callan, chief marketing officer of New York & Co., views the Soho Jeans Col-lection as an increasingly significant part of the business. “We launched the Soho Jeans brand about a year ago. It’s becom-ing a really important part of our business. And we really wanted to take it to the next level. We felt like a partnership was a way of doing that, and we felt that Jennifer was a natural ambassador for us,” said Callan, who worked with Hudson at previous jobs and knows her well.
The contract is for multiple seasons. Callan declined to reveal the length of the contract and the fall budget, but said the marketing will have “a significantly increased effort.”
Callan believes New York & Co. custom-ers will relate to Hudson’s authenticity. “We think she’s going to help inspire our customers to come into the store and also to bring new people in who maybe aren’t familiar with New York & Co. They like Jennifer Hudson and she has a huge following,” Callan said. Through research,
Callan has found that their customers find Hudson’s personal journey and success inspiring. “Because she’s such an authentic and real person, we all know her story, and she’s so likable, she felt like a great fit for us,” she said.
While Hudson didn’t have any input in design for Soho Jeans Collection, she was involved in choosing which pieces she was going to wear and the aesthetic of the campaign. The collection was shot in New York. The ads will appear in magazines, social channels and store windows. “There will be a teaser before the big reveal next week,” she said.
The campaign will run in September magazines. “We’ll have our social initia-tives, and she’ll be posting on her social platforms to encourage her fans to check out New York & Co.,” Callan said. Hudson will also be doing some personal appear-ances for the media. To celebrate the launch of the campaign, New York & Co. customers who purchase a pair of Soho Jeans will get an additional pair for free.
New York & Co. operates 505 stores in 43 states. For the year ended Jan. 31, the company lost $16.9 million on revenues of $923.3 million.
Last month, New York & Co. extended its contract with Eva Mendes through 2019, which first launched in September 2013. That deal was brokered by Creative Artist Agency. The actress, known for her body-conscious red carpet style, signed a multiyear agreement with the retailer that includes launching a sub-brand bearing her name and becoming the company’s ambassador, including featuring in adver-tising campaigns, making appearances for the brand and interfacing with consumers.
MARKETS
Hudson Poses for New York & Co.
Jennifer Hudson in an ad for Soho Jeans Collection.
Wal-Mart will launch a summer sale to compete with Amazon’s Prime Day.
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14 JULY 2015 5
● Retailer is examining alternatives for the flagship, as well as spaces in Seattle, Minneapolis and Brooklyn.
BY DAVID MOIN
Macy’s Inc. is closing its Pittsburgh flagship and selling the 1.2 million-square-foot property for redevelopment, as part of an ongoing strategy to re-examine old down-town locations across the country, address changing demographics, and cash in on or seek alternative uses for unproductive or unused space.
Macy’s is also examining empty upper floors in Seattle and Minneapolis stores, among other locations, and considering alternatives for the downtown Brooklyn flag-ship. One possibility is that the Brooklyn site gets renovated to a new, compact urban for-mat. The Brooklyn site, at 422 Fulton Street, was formerly the flagship for Abraham & Straus. It was converted to Macy’s in 1995.
Macy’s had no comment on the Brook-lyn location. “We are always reviewing our real estate portfolio,” said Jim Sluzewski, Macy’s senior vice president of corporate communications and external affairs.
Over the last several seasons, the upper floors of the Portland, Ore., store became a hotel, and in Philadelphia, the upper floors of the downtown store became offices for other companies.
In another sign that the $28 billion retailer is rethinking its space, Macy’s is launching its first six off-price stores this fall, which will be called Macy’s Backstage. The one in the Essex Green Shopping Cen-ter in West Orange, N.J., is being created out of an existing Macy’s unit.
This year, Macy’s is under increased pressure with total sales declining 0.7 percent in the first quarter, and compara-ble-store sales dipping 0.1 percent. For all of last year, total sales rose 0.6 percent and
comparable sales were up 1.4 percent.Sources also have said Macy’s is cooking
up a specialty store prototype, to attract younger customers, including Millennials and the college crowd, in secondary mar-kets around the country such as Savannah, Ga., and Chattanooga, Tenn. The stores could be in lifestyle centers and near uni-versity campuses. WWD has also learned that in a major piece of the ongoing Herald Square flagship renovation, the basement will be transformed to target Millennials.
The Pittsburgh department store, at 400 Fifth Avenue, is being sold to Core Realty,
which is planning a major mixed-use redevelopment of the site. “For the past four years, Macy’s has been investigating the best possible use for this property, especially given the large amount of unpro-ductive and unused space on the upper floors. We have talked with a wide variety of partners in pursuit of a plan that would create the most value for our company and the community,” said Jeff Kantor, Macy’s chief stores officer. “In late 2014, we began working with Core Realty, which had an exciting vision for residential, hotel and parking on the upper floors and annex
building. More recently, we decided to make the entire building available to Core so it could evolve its plans into a more holistic project. We believe this will be an outstanding addition to the downtown Pittsburgh community in an important location in the heart of the city.”
A final clearance sale in the Pittsburgh store will begin July 20 and is expected to run until early September. Kanter noted that while Macy’s will no longer operate a down-town Pittsburgh store, it continues to oper-ate 13 stores in southwestern Pennsylvania.
Of the 1.2 million square feet of space on the 13-floor Pittsburgh store, about 475,000 square feet is selling space. It was opened in 1887 as a Kaufmann’s store and Macy’s took it over and renamed it in 2006.
Many of the 170 employees will be offered jobs at other stores in the area, or will receive severance. In addition, about 30 Macy’s associates who work in district offices on the 11th floor of the Pittsburgh building will be relocated to space in another Macy’s store in the Pittsburgh area.
With 800 Macy locations domestically, there’s little room left in the U.S. to open additional department stores. The cor-poration, which also includes the 37-unit Bloomingdale’s chain, expects total sales to grow just 1 percent and comparable sales to gain 2 percent in 2015, including digital sales. Last year, sales rose 0.6 percent to $28.1 billion from $27.9 billion, and compa-rable sales rose 1.4 percent.
As of January , Macy’s Inc. had 823 stores including 447 that are owned, 267 leased and 109 operated under arrange-ments where the company owns the build-ing and leases the land, according to the company’s 10K for 2014. All owned prop-erties are held free and clear of mortgages, the record indicates. In some locations, Macy’s is obligated to operate stores for up to 20 years. The 823 stores represent 147.4 million square feet.
RETAIL
Macy’s Closing Pittsburgh Store
● Founders Tom and Ruth Chapman will become executive chairmen.
BY SAMANTHA CONTI
LONDON — Tom and Ruth Chapman, the husband-and-wife team that founded Matchesfashion.com, confirmed Monday that they will become executive chairmen of the business, and hand over the role of chief executive officer to Ulric Jerome, who is currently chief operating officer.
In a joint statement, the couple said: “This is a very natural evolution: When Ulric Jerome joined two years ago, the intention was always that he would become ceo. This has now been formalized, and we are becoming executive chairmen.
“We do, of course, remain completely committed and involved in the strategic development of the business, and how we keep innovating and driving Matchesfash-ion.com forward.”
The Chapmans said Jerome “built up the e-commerce team and undertook a com-plete tech overhaul of the business, launch-ing a new, fully responsive site in April, further enabling the business to realize its future growth aspirations.”
In May, Tom Chapman denied a British press report that his company had hired Morgan Stanley to look at “strategic options” for the business that could result in a sale.
In May, Chapman told WWD: “Naturally, we are regularly assessing our strategic options for the business, but there is no ongoing process at present. We have obvi-ously been observing the latest industry
developments, and will always evaluate the options and what’s best for the business long term, especially in the light of our con-tinuing excellent performance and growth.”
The Chapmans own the majority of the company with Scottish Equity Partners as a minority shareholder.
The couple founded Matches as a brick-and-mortar shop in Wimbledon in 1987, and
went on to open four more stores in upscale neighborhoods across London. In 2007, Matches launched what is now a thriving online site, generating 80 percent of overall sales. As of 2013, the entire business has been known as Matchesfashion.com.
In April, Jerome told audiences at the WWD Digital Summit in London that the Matchesfashion business is an increasingly international one, with just 30 percent of sales coming from the U.K.
The U.S. is Matchesfashion’s second-larg-est market and grew by 87 percent last year, while Asia more than doubled in the past year.
BUSINESS
Matchesfashion.com Confirms CEO Change
“We have talked with a wide variety of partners in pursuit of a plan that would create the most value for our company and the community.” Jeff Kantor, Macy’s Inc.
“This is a very natural evolution: When Ulric Jerome joined two years ago, the intention was always that he would become ceo.” Statement from Tom and Ruth Chapman
Macy’s Brooklyn flagship could be renovated into a new format, as Macy’s rethinks certain real estate across the country.
0714Daily_05_News.indd 3 7/13/15 7:33 PM
GOTH GIRLS: Remember Alexander Wang’s fall runway show? The one that was staged in a pitch black tunnel with the girls stomping along in creepers on steroids and black tailoring with trim inspired by the face-paint stylings of Kiss? For his campaign, Wang wanted to convey the same tough, goth girl attitude with a clique of models who look like very well-dressed zombies.
Shot in black-and-white by Steven Klein, styled by Karl Templer with creative direction by Pascal Dangin of KiDS Creative, the campaign features a mob of brooding beauties — including Anna Ewers, Molly Bair, Binx Walton, Lexi Boling, Hanne Gaby Odiele, Sarah Brannon and Isabella Emmack — as well as singer Alice Glass and the Japanese dance duo AyaBambi, who appeared in Madon-na’s “B---h I’m Madonna” video, along with Wang.
Asked about the casting, Wang, who worked with Anita Bitton, said, “I always feel like the campaign is the final statement of the collection. There are familiar faces of girls I just absolutely love and am constantly inspired by, but I also felt there were some really inspiring new girls I wanted to include, such as Isabella. I also wanted the casting to feel more eclectic this season, and Alice Glass has been someone I absolutely adore, and I’ve been watching Aya and Bambi for a while since I stumbled upon them online. Coincidentally, they had just been cast for Madonna and I met them at M’s party in Paris and fell in love. They all are such individuals yet they all fit the characters of this collection seamlessly. Part of youth culture relates back to tribes and groups, and a senti-ment of feeling collectively different; to feel both a sense of defiance, and of belonging.”
The campaign was shot at East of Hollywood Studios in Sunset Park Brooklyn with a set by Stefan Beckman. The ads will break today on Wang’s social media channels and subsequently run in the September issues of i-D and Interview and the fall issues of Love, CR Fashion Book and Self-Service. — JESSICA IREDALE
A visual from Alexander Wang’s fall ad campaign.
BUSINESS
Granoff Resigns From Vince
6 14 JULY 2015
● The executive will remain at the company for a “transition period.”
BY WWD STAFF
NEW YORK — Jill Granoff has resigned as chief executive officer of Vince Corp.
The company said late Monday that Granoff had told the board of her decision. She will stay on “through a transition period to ensure an orderly and effective leadership transition,” the firm said.
Vince chairman Marc Leder will lead the search for a new ceo, working with a search firm.
Granoff led the company through its initial public offering. While expanding the brand into men’s wear and accessories, as well as opening a string of Vince stores, the company has hit some road bumps.
Nonetheless, Leder praised Granoff, say-ing, “Jill has been a tremendous steward for the Vince brand for the last three years. She has shown great leadership during her tenure and her commitment to seeing us through this orderly transition speaks vol-umes about her professionalism. On behalf of the entire Vince organization, I want to thank Jill for her valuable contributions.”
Granoff’s resignation follows the departure of the company’s chief financial officer, Lisa Klinger, last month.
As part of the reorganization, the company also announced that it has hired Livia Lee as the new senior vice president of merchandising, reporting directly to Ms. Granoff in the interim and then her succes-sor once appointed.
● The beauty-booking site is looking to grab a bigger piece of the market.
BY RACHEL STRUGATZ
StyleSeat just raised $25 million in Series B funding to help it build scale in the beauty-booking game.
The investment round was led by Fosun’s Kinzon Capital with participation from Lightspeed Venture Partners, Cowboy Ven-tures and Slow Ventures. This brings the company’s total funding to date to nearly $40 million, including a $10.2 million Series A last year as well as $700,000 and $4 mil-lion seed rounds in 2011 and 2013.
Already, the four-year-old platform works with 320,000 stylists in 15,000 U.S. cities and has booked more than 30 million appointments. Founder and chief executive officer Melody McCloskey said StyleSeat will have a hand in more than $1 billion worth of appointments this year.
She wants to use the latest cash infu-sion to really “activate this marketplace.”
StyleSeat books about 1.5 million appointments a month, with the biggest markets — Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas and Houston — all seeing more than $2 million per month in appointment bookings. Mobile bookings make up three-quarters of all appointments and nearly a third of appointments are booked within one day of a previous appointment, showing the end users like the free service enough to try it again quickly. Haircuts make up 18 percent of total services booked, and other hair, spa, nail and makeup services are also popular, according to McCloskey.
The company’s been laser-focused on becoming the market leader in the
beauty-booking space, supporting as many stylists as possible.
“We know that [stylists] have been burned by daily deal sites,” McCloskey said, noting that some services had trou-ble spurring repeat customers. “We want the opposite. [We want to be] a scalable source for new customers at a cost that’s reasonable and over time helps them build a sustainable business.”
To date, the platform has been able to increase average revenues for stylists by 70 percent over the first 15 months they use StyleSeat. The biggest complaint the company hears from stylists is that they want more customers. To tackle this
issue, StyleSeat will soon help connect stylists with more relevant customers for a fee, which would come on top of the roughly $25 to $35 they pay for the basic scheduling tools each month.
The company will also roll out an updated beauty graph for stylists, offering them additional information on beauty trends and data nationwide. And custom-ers will get access to enhanced tools to help create a more personalized experi-ence that markets to them specifically.
“[We’re] becoming smart on the data side [with the] types of services and brands [consumers] are interested in. That allows us to get smarter about what we recommend in the future,” McCloskey said, noting that preferences, location and where a consumer spends money are all essential to connecting clients and talent.
Expanding StyleSeat’s reach by increas-ing the number of salons on the platform is also a key initiative going forward. While the vast majority of stylists on StyleSeat are independent, McCloskey said booking through salons instead of individual stylists will become a larger portion of business.
Currently, the company’s revenues come from only from fees the stylists pay to be on the platform, but McCloskey said this is likely to change.
The ceo noted the most “sustainable business model” would ultimately include getting a cut for the services rendered by the stylists. StyleSeat started with a lower revenue model to build a bigger base.
“Part of the challenge with other beauty apps is that they are small, in one or two or three cities,” she said. “We wanted to have an app that added value nationwide first so we can monetize from a community of hundreds of thousands.”
● Officials deny the group has withdrawn from the steering committee, saying the meeting to make the decision had been deferred.
BY MAYU SAINI
Matters appear to be coming to another uncomfortable impasse in Dhaka, Ban-gladesh, as sources said the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturer and Exporters Association decided to withdraw from the steering committee of the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety after an emer-gency meeting on Saturday.
Local media reports quoted officials as saying that if they cannot criticize the Alli-ance, as per the agreement of the BGMEA joining, then the group will not stay on the committee.
But BGMEA officials contacted Monday denied the group had withdrawn from the steering committee. They said that the meet-ing to make the decision had been deferred.
Yet several sources said BGMEA pres-ident Atiqul Islam will resign from the steering committee in the coming week.
The Alliance is a group of more than 26 brands and retailers, mostly from North America, including Wal-Mart and Target, who have been working to ensure factory
safety in Bangladesh after the collapse of the eight-story Rana Plaza in April 2013. The building housed five garment factories, and more than 1,100 garment workers were killed in the collapse.
Since then, garment manufacturers, the Bangladesh government and global retail-ers and brands including the Alliance and the Accord – a separate group that includes more than 200 international brands and retailers – have been working together to ensure factory safety in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh is the second-largest exporter of garments in the world, after China, and the $24.5 billion export indus-try provides jobs to more than 4 million workers, mostly women.
Over the last few months, resentment has been growing among factory owners about a changing focus in the Alliance and the Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety to the issue of training of labor in factories and the formation of occupational safety and health committees for workers.
On June 19, the Alliance criticized a comment by finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith about the activities of the Alliance and the Accord, which translated roughly as a “noose around the neck of the garment industry.”
“I am truly shocked that a member of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s cabinet would criticize efforts aimed at enhancing
safety in the ready-made garment sector, which employs more than 4 million women and men and is one of the largest contributors to Bangladesh’s growing economy,” Ellen Tauscher, independent chair of the Alliance, wrote in a letter. “I am hopeful that the government of Bangladesh will clarify its position and demonstrate unequivocal support for the Alliance and other initiatives working to improve the safety of its people and the sustainability of its economy.
“Comments like those attributed to the finance minister and other officials in Bangladesh raise serious and signifi-cant concerns about the commitment of the government to this unprecedented and private sector-led and funded safety initiative,” she said.
Although BGMEA officials have often praised the Alliance for including them in the steering committee, enabling faster and more comprehensive decisions that are inclusive of the interests of factory owners, it appears that the time to settle differences has come upon the different parties once again.
Meanwhile, BGMEA elections are to be held Sept. 8 for all 35 posts of the board of directors. The elections are being watched closely as the organization remains the center of decision-making in the nation’s apparel industry.
MARKETS
BGMEA Said to Quit Board Of Bangladesh Alliance Memo Pad
BEAUTY
StyleSeat Raises $25 Million
Mobile bookings make up three-quarters of all appointments made.
0714Daily_06_News.indd 2 7/13/15 8:11 PM
Past the pubs, bakeries and tea shops in the his-toric market town of Barnard Castle, England, a retrospective of Yves Saint Laurent’s career has opened at the Bowes Museum, a grand 17th-cen-tury house incongruously built in the style of a French chateau, 260 miles north of London.
It may not be the most obvious location for the late designer’s first U.K. retrospective, but the reason for holding it there is simple: “They asked us,” said Pierre Bergé, president of the Fondation Pierre Bergé — Yves Saint Laurent, which supplied more than 50 looks from its archive, as well as sketches, toiles, and ephemera. “They’re very nice people, it’s a very nice museum. So, why not?”
“Yves Saint Laurent: Style Is Eternal,” which opened over the weekend and runs until October 25, was curated by Joanna Hashagen, the Bowes Museum’s fashion curator, who said she was so determined to have the retrospective at the mu-seum that she “stomped up the Avenue Marceau” (home of the foundation) to make her pitch.
A relationship had already existed between the two institutions: The museum had loaned a pair of Canalettos to the Jacquemart-André Museum in Paris, where one of Hashagen’s colleagues had a chance conversation with a member of the Fondation, who asked if the Bowes would be interested in hosting a Saint Laurent exhibition at its newly opened fashion gallery.
“It was just being in the right place at the right time,” said Hashagen. “I had been thinking about doing a show on a French couturier for a while be-cause, after all, the Bowes collection was created by Josephine Bowes, a very fashionable Parisian woman who dressed at Worth.”
The show stretches across three rooms and centers on five themes that highlight the design-er’s inspirations, creative processes and influ-ence on fashion.
A film of the 2002 retrospective fashion show held at the Centre Pompidou to mark Saint
Laurent’s retirement from haute couture opens the exhibition, while a separate “Al-chemy of Style” narrative illustrates the designer’s creative process. The latter features the original paper dolls — Betti-na and Suzy, named after Bettina Graziani and Suzy Parker — that an adolescent Saint Laurent would use to create the collections he showed his sisters, who would play the roles of clients and place orders.
A shelved wall features hatmaking materials and wooden blocks, while a glassed-in space shows calico toiles and examples of embroidery and embellishment from the famous Lesage atelier (now owned by Chanel) as well as a white organdy gown embroidered with pineapples from the 2001 couture collection.
The five themes of the show — Haute Couture, Masculin/Féminin, Transparence, Art and Spec-taculaire — are visually bullet-pointed through the placement of one Saint Laurent archive look in each of the five glass cases containing the mu-seum’s permanent collection, positioning the designer amid fashion’s historical continuum. Each look is brought to life with films show-ing the original catwalk footage and collection boards with fabric swatches.
Masculin/Féminin is illustrated by the first black wool pinstripe double-breasted pantsuit from the spring 1967 couture collection and ac-companied by a First World War military uniform and other historical pieces. The saucy little black dress from the controversial fall 1970 couture col-lection, with its revealing panel of Chantilly lace at
the back, underscores the Transparence theme, and sits alongside a lace shawl worn by the Em-press Eugénie of France, consort to Napoleon.
The final room contains mannequins dressed in some of Saint Laurent’s greatest hits. His first tuxedo, Le Smoking, from the fall 1966 collection, is there, as is the safari jacket from the spring 1968 Rive Gauche collection. The latter was made famous by the picture of Verushka with a rifle slung over her shoulders, shot by Franco Rubartelli for Paris Vogue, which is also on display, as is the fall 1968 gown of sheer black silk with feathers at the hips that left little to the imagination.
Another grouping demonstrates the influence of art and artists on Saint Laurent’s work, including the color-blocked Mondrian dress and pieces in-spired by Georges Braques, Matisse and van Gogh.
One lineup of dramatic looks is testament to the designer’s theatrical bent, including a piece from his famous fall 1976 “Opera Ballets Russes” collection featuring a sable-trimmed green velvet vest worn with a blue-and-gold chiffon blouse, a voluminous full-length skirt, and an opulent stole
with colored feathers and gold threads.There are also the pieces Saint Laurent
created during his tenure as the head of Christian Dior, the role he ascended to at age 21, following the death of Dior. Among this grouping is a pink silk cocktail dress that
was rediscovered at the Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris during the preparation for
this exhibition. It was con-firmed to be the “Zéphirine” dress that was designed by Saint Laurent for the fall 1958 Christian Dior couture collection that Princess Margaret saw during a private runway show at Blenheim Palace. A nearby screen shows black-and-
white Pathé footage of the dress in action on the model
Victoire and the designer meeting the princess.
“I remember the time when Yves went to Blen-
heim. I did not go with him. He was so shy and was asking me,
‘How can I do this?’” said Bergé at the exhibi-
tion’s opening party. “The pink dress was not Yves’ style. It’s not a beautiful dress; it’s very old-fashioned. We had to wait a few more years to have the real Saint Laurent style.”
Nonetheless, it’s the first time the dress has been exhibited and a boon for the museum, which hopes the high-profile show will draw a new audi-ence to its galleries. — JULIA NEEL
14 JULY 2015 7
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Looks from the “Yves Saint Laurent: Style is Eternal” installation at the Bowes Museum.
Atelier’s specification sheet, 1986 haute couture collection.
Northern Treasure A YSL Retrospective Shines In County Durham, England
Yves Saint Laurent in his studio, 5 Avenue Marceau, Paris, 1976.
“I had been thinking about doing a show on a French couturier for a while because, after all, the Bowes collection was created by Josephine Bowes, a very fashionable Parisian woman.” — Joanna Hashagen
0714Daily_07_Eye.indd 3 7/13/15 6:50 PM
NEW YORK SPECIAL EDITION
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D E S I G N E R I N S P I R A T I O N SAs New York Fashion Week: Men’s gathers steam, designers give a glimpse into the influences behind their collections.By LUIS CAMPUZANO
8 14 JULY 2015
“Bel Air.” — Michael Bastian
“Five boroughs.” — Shimon and Ariel Ovadia,
Ovadia & Sons
“Nollywood — Nigeria’s film industry. The collection is
highly textured and patterned, hand-printed in
some cases, but also contrasted with technolog-ical fabrics like fine nylons, on
updated men’s wear silhouettes.” — Lucio Castro
“The creativity coming out of the
Bauhaus during the interwar
period. I pulled inspiration from the institution’s
weaving workshop, photography,
ballet, painting and industrial design.”
— David Hart
“Displacement. When home doesn’t feel like home anymore. Did it ever? What things do you hold onto to define your identity? And what things do you let go of?” — Maxwell Osborne and Dao-Yi Chow, Public School
“For spring/summer 2016, Garciavelez continues the path of the cultural nomad by exploring spaces that
arouse the senses through light and its shifts, shapes and projections onto the body. This is explored by reflecting,
concealing, diffusing and ultimately, capturing the ephemeral qualities of illumination on the garment.”
— Carlos Garciavelez, creative director, Garciavelez
“Where the water meets the city.” — Steve McSween, vice president of men’s
global design, Nautica
“Suburbia.” —Richard Chai
“Funny Duckie.” — Daniel Silver
and Steven Cox, Duckie Brown
“I want to share my luck: Luck, the man that knows how to play the game of life, who trusts in who he is and where he is going, without forgetting where he comes from. He enjoys all and knows his luck and essence. He knows how to share and take advantage of his opportunities. I am Mexico.” — Ricardo Seco
“We explore philosopher Michel
Foucault’s essay, ‘Of Other Spaces,
Heterotopias’ and play with the
idea of spaces that have more
layers or meaning than immediately
meet the eye.” — Laurence
Chandler and Joshua Cooper,
Rochambeau
“Color, texture, goats and rats will come together for a humorous spring collection with a dark twist for Boyswear spring ’16.” — Jackson McKeehan, Boyswear
“An urban explorer on a journey.” — Zachary Prell
0714Daily_08-11_Inspiration.indd 2 7/13/15 7:01 PM
14 JULY 2015 09
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NEW YORK SPECIAL EDITION
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10 14 JULY 2015
“Inspired by Death Valley, Calif., CWST spring/summer ’16 reveals unlikely combinations of intense textures and remarkable lightness, with a persistent urban aftertaste.” — Joe Sadler and Derek Buse, CWST
“‘Elegance in Motion’ expressed in the art of fencing serves as
the inspiration for the collection. The essence
of EFM embodies the elements of structure, ease
of movement and precision.”
— Donrad Duncan,
EFM
“We looked to the history of the ‘Filthy 13,’ U.S. Army
paratroopers deployed to France preceding the
invasion of Normandy. We took inspiration from the utilitarian
and technical elements of what
these heroes required.” —
Raul Arevalo, Cadet
“IM_MORTALITY.” — Siki Im
“We wanted to reflect on our past and look to the future at the same time. That meant refining our signature boxy shapes for the season, adding a new dimension to our patterns and injecting our favorite color palette — black on black — with rich hues of plum, lavender and olive.” — Devin Carlson, Chapter
“PLAC was inspired by a line in the song ‘Wake
Up’ by Arcade Fire to bring
an energetic collection
of youthful rebellion as
seen in urban silhouettes inspired by
the function and modern
details of neo-military and
contemporary sportswear.” — Jae Wan
Park, PLAC
“An athletic approach to
tailored men’s wear.” — Jace
Lipstein, Grungy
Gentleman
“Let the sun shine in…” — Parke Lutter and Ronen Jehezkel, Parke & Ronen
“TRAVELING in search of CONSTRUCTED UTOPIAS.” — Luis Fernandez, creative director, Craft Atlantic
“A day at the pool.” — Tim Coppens
“Inspired by a memory, and the smooth sophisticated charm of our laid-back lover.” — Joshua Willis and Ant de Padovane, Second Layer
“Everywhere.” — Nick Graham
“A sartorial study of dolce
vita-inspired bohemianism.” — Todd Snyder
“The idea of the traveling nomad who wanders the depths of the forest. With the lush forest backdrop in mind, the collection layers sleek pieces in deep hunter greens and burnt auburn reds.” — Carlos Campos
0714Daily_08-11_Inspiration.indd 3 7/13/15 7:03 PM
NEW YORK SPECIAL EDITION14 JULY 2015 11
“Brazil. I wanted to
create a luxe casual-chic look by
balancing the Brazilian
laid-back attitude with
a tailored and masculine
touch.” — Asaf Ganot
“When the sun turns out his light.” — Ryu Hayama, Fingers Crossed
“Island life.” — Michael Kors
“SINGLE MOTION.” — Daisuke Obana, N.Hoolywood
“We continue to explore the balance between subversive youth culture and clean tailoring. Inspired by faraway desert lands, we found ourselves drawn to the vibrant energy and chaos of the bustling medina. Bold statements of cultural art merge with modern sportswear for the sartorial enthusiast with a youthful spirit.” — Kenneth Ning
“An imaginary world of ancient secret clans and their rivalries, conjured by books I was reading at the time. In it, one’s clan allegiance is connoted by a specific color. Collective ancestral memories provoke leaps into the unknown. The world is somber and fraught with danger, but full of freedom and individual choice. The clothing reflects this.” — Alexandre Plokhov
“Static is controlled chaos. Much like our office, our lives in New York and the way we layer color, textures and silhouettes to form this collection.” — Timo Weiland, Alan Eckstein and Donna Kang, Timo Weiland
“Spring ’16 was influenced by two of Zaha Hadid’s abstract architectural paintings. Her renderings evoke the feeling of a building being turned inside out — something I echoed in the patterns and construction of this collection.” — Ben Stubbington, creative director, Theory Men’s
“An aggressive conversation as it pertains to crime with artwork by the incomparable Gregory Siff.” — Kerby Jean-Raymond, Pyer Moss
“Acknowledging men’s wear’s constant growth while reflecting on the somber mood of the world.” — Robert Molnar, DeTroit
“Here, billowing Japanese
silk bloomers, with a cotton knit tank and a lightweight
summer trench in ultrasuede.
The print on the trench is
composed from original
block prints by my good friend
Hugo Guinness. I adore his work.
The scene: Lone Ranger
and Tonto, and the Attack
of the Killer Pineapples in
the tropical gardens of Henri
Rousseau.” —Thaddeus
O’Neil
“I love using free-hand art as a source of inspiration for custom
weaves and jacquards; using the soft shapes to create textiles that
are light and fluid.” — Billy Reid
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0714Daily_08-11_Inspiration.indd 4 7/13/15 7:04 PM
NEW YORK SPECIAL EDITION12 14 JULY 2015
¬ Short for androgynous, London brand ADYN is making its U.S. debut at Liberty Fairs.
“We have a big fan base in the U.S. and it’s our biggest market outside of the U.K.,” said Matthew Moore, a former freelance designer who created the label in 2012 with Ash Fricker, a men’s wear designer, and Alpha Badio, who handles social media for the line. “We deal with a few stores in the U.S. but not too many, so it seemed like a natural progression for us to do the show.”
ADYN, which is currently sold at stores such as Harvey Nichols in London, Samplas in Korea and Restoration in Japan, is known for its Gothic streetwear looks, but Moore said the spring collection represents a departure. “We are pushing away from streetwear and pushing more into contempo-rary. We feel like the streetwear market has become so saturated and we’re also maturing as a brand,” said Moore.
The collection, which is named Adapt, will include an oversize poncho, lightweight running pants, a new graphic print and basics such as long T-shirts and leggings for layering. Jackets start at $75, joggers are $145, T-shirts are $100 and sweatshirts are $200.
Last year ADYN created an exclusive capsule collection for Harvey Nichols and Moore revealed he’s currently working on a similar project for Harrods.
— ARIA HUGHES
A D Y N
N E W Y O R K : O N E S T O W A T C HSome key brands to check out at the upcoming New York trade shows.
¬ For the founders of the California-based Apolis brand, there’s more to life than just selling clothes. The primary mis-sion of the “socially motivated lifestyle brand,” whose name means “global citizen,” is to help create social change.
Apolis was founded in 2007 by brothers Raan and Shea Parton with the idea of bridging commerce and economic development. What that trans-lates to is a collection of casual sportswear and accessories manufactured in Uganda, Peru and Bangladesh, in addition to the company’s backyard in Los Angeles.
“We’re not necessarily fashion guys,” said Raan Parton, creative director. “But Apolis is very essentials-driven. Our customer is looking for fewer, better things so we strive to offer the best T-shirts, the best pants, the best jackets.”
In order to remain true to its mission, the collection is kept tight. “We make less money, which is probably not the best business plan, but it’s part of our social enterprise.”
The brand will be showing at The Tents @ Project and will offer base layers in merino wool and unlined blazers in a hopsack fab-ric in addition to its core T-shirts, polos and henleys. There will also be some welded outerwear and lightweight quilted jackets.
Retail prices include chinos for $150, an oxford shirt for $125 and tailored pieces for $350 to $400.
Parton said the brand currently has 350 wholesale accounts but 60 percent of its business comes from its own Web site.
Although it has shown its collection at the trade show in Las Vegas, this will mark the first time the brand is being shown at the Project show in New York.
— JEAN E. PALMIERI
A P O L I S
Getting hit by a car while riding his bike in New York City inspired Mike Cherman to start ICNY in 2012. ¶ “I started making socks with reflective polka dots for myself. I didn’t want to get into any more accidents,” said Cherman, who was a graphic designer at Nike before creating the line. ¶ The sportswear brand’s assortment now includes tops, bottoms, hats and outerwear that are all decorated with reflective material. Cherman also collaborated with Puma on a reflective red sneaker for Valentine’s Day that was released earlier this year. Stores ranging from Colette to Pacific Sunwear have picked up the line. ¶ “I used to believe that if you were in PacSun or Urban Outfitters then you would never be in Opening Ceremony or Colette, but the line has been able to live across different markets and be cool while still being functional,” said Cherman, who added that the collection sits between the active and lifestyle categories. ¶ After two seasons of showing at Liberty Fairs, Cherman is joining the Agenda exhibitor list to present his spring 2016 collection. Cherman said the move puts him closer to more sportswear brands. ¶ The collection will showcase a fully reflective jacket, pants made from a lightweight ripstop fisherman fabric, space-dyed T-shirts, and a jacket with hot foil-stamped lining that keeps wearers dry and warm. The line retails from $18 for socks to $150 for outerwear. — A.H.
I C N Y
L E D B U R Y
¬ It’s been a whirlwind five-and-a-half years for Paul Trible and Paul Watson and their start-up shirt company, Ledbury. After spend-ing “years obsessing over cuffs, collars, buttons and fabrics,” the company launched in Richmond, Va., in 2009 as strictly a direct-to-consumer shirt business. Since then, it has attracted 30,000 customers, Trible said.
Shirts are offered in two fits: classic and slim. Fabrics are sourced in Europe, where the shirts are also manufactured. The shirts also offer subtle nuances such as a lowered second button to create a “V” at the neckline that prevents them from being buttoned too high or too low, and a canvas interlining on the collar to help them stand up under a sweater or sport coat.
Although shirts remain the hallmark of the business, Ledbury has since branched out into sev-eral other categories including
At the show, he said Ledbury will focus exclusively on its shirts. For spring, the collection will include a fashion assortment with around 70 styles that range from “supercasual linens to Italian dress shirt fabrics,” Trible said, and will include shots of color and innovative patterns.
The brand will also show some 30 basics from its stock replen-ishment program as well as its made-to-measure offering.
Among the fabrics that will be offered for spring are light-weight chambrays, linens and cotton-linen blends. Key models include a white seersucker with a small navy polka dot and a bright plaid linen.
Retail prices for the ready-to-wear collection range from $145 to $165, Trible said.
The goal of bringing the line to MRket, he said, is to further expand its reach. “We don’t want to be in 500 stores, but we want to be in 50 great stores,” he said. “And we think we can help drive young, affluent guys into those shops.”
— J.E.P.
blazers, sweaters, polos, pants and accessories.
Now the brand is pushing into wholesale.
Trible said Ledbury is currently being tested at Nordstrom, Oak Hall, Beecroft & Bull and Trunk Club where they are “doing really well,” so he and Watson decided to try the trade show route, taking a booth at the MRket show.
0714Daily_12-14_OnesToWatch.indd 2 7/13/15 4:23 PM
14 JULY 2015 13
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Johnathan Taylor’s entrance into the men’s wear market happened at warp speed. ¶ The Arkansas native spent his 20s working in St. Louis as a probation officer before sending his portfolio to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2012. After graduating in 2013, he spent six months at Thom Browne as a full-time intern and freelanced for other brands before creating Moment Homme, the men’s wear line he is launching at Liberty Fairs. ¶ “I went from taking ankle bracelets off of 13-year-olds to designing for runways within three years,” said Taylor. ¶ Moment Homme is inspired by Japanese design, but mixes classic American tailored pieces with denim. ¶ “I wanted to tackle what the modern-day guy wants to wear,” said Taylor, who added that he’s focusing on special outerwear pieces for spring. ¶ Taylor, who is calling the line loosely tailored, will show a bomber jacket made from Italian suede, fitted cardigans made in Italy, denim made in Japan, classic men’s shirts and cropped trousers. The collection is sprinkled with special details including a laser cut number 79 — the cosmic number for gold — that is placed on waistbands and shirt sleeves, along with functional belt loops with horn buttons. ¶ “I felt like in men’s wear we abandoned belt loops,” said Taylor. ¶ The line retails from $500 for a button-down shirt to $3,200 for a suede trench. — ARIA HUGHES
M O M E N T H O M M E
¬ Cofounders Chris Pappas and Ryan Crenshaw believe their new brand, Used Denim Product, is filling a void in the selvage denim category. “We saw a hole in the market for amazing quality prod-ucts that were on trend but had an accessible price point. That was the premise behind starting this brand,” said Crenshaw.
The New York- and Los Angeles-based founders are launching this self-funded line at The Tents @ Project and focusing on a core collection of denim that includes six styles and 14 different fabrics with four to five types of washes. The collection, which is made from Japanese selvage denim, will retail from $160 to $245. Jeans feature authentic pony leather patches, copper rivets and rip-and-repair detailing.
Pappas said 75 to 80 percent of the line retails for under $200.
Crenshaw is familiar with Project as he used to act as director of The Tents at the trade show. Pappas previously worked in sales and public relations at Donna Karan and Hugo Boss before helping denim lines including Diesel, G-Star and PRPS establish their brands in the U.S.
Pappas and Crenshaw foresee the line expanding to be a full lifestyle collection and will intro-duce tops and leather items next season.
According to Pappas, UDP is targeting a wide variety of consumers.
“There’s something for every-one in this line,” said Pappas. “We are trying to create our own demographic.”
— A.H.
U S E D D E N I M P R O D U C T
¬ The Nasserbakht family has been producing custom shirts for more than a century so the skills of choosing the finest fabrics, cutting patterns and sewing shirts run deep within their veins. With that as a backdrop, the Nasserbakhts opened a boutique on Elizabeth Street in New York in 2010 called The Sock Hop, where they personally cut and sew custom shirts at the back of the store. The small store also sells socks, accessories and hard goods from other craftsmen from around the world.
“My dad was born in Tehran and learned the business from his dad,” said Vincent Nasserbakht, the third generation of the family to operate the business. “He taught my brother and me.”
But it was the third generation that decided to take the plunge and branch out beyond custom shirts.
“We basically have two busi-nesses now,” said Nasserbakht, “custom and ready-to-wear.” He described the rtw collection, which launched three seasons ago, as “elevated casualwear.” Among the pieces that will be offered for spring are shirts in lightweight Japanese denim and French linen with single-nee-dle construction, as well as a shirt-jacket.
“We cut everything here,” he said, pointing to the cramped area behind the cash register at The Sock Hop store. The garments are then produced in small factories in New York City’s garment district.
The prices for the rtw collection are $180 for shirts and $225 for the shirt-jacket, which is designed to layer over a T-shirt. The compa-ny’s custom shirts start at around $300.
Nasserbakht said what sets The Sock Hop’s shirts apart from others in the market is the styling. For instance, collars are smaller and the backs of the shirts are cut tighter than the front to improve the drape. Details are also important, he said, pointing to the tortoise shell buttons on a white oxford shirt.
The spring rtw collection, which is labeled Shirting by The Sock Hop, will be shown at the Capsule show.
— JEAN E. PALMIERI
¬ The team behind men’s wear brand Second Layer is bringing an elevated touch to the South-ern California aesthetic.
“Our whole concept is tailor-made daily wear,” said cofounder Joshua Willis. “We are not trying to do something that’s surf or skate or street, but inherently it is in the collection because that’s who we are.”
Anthony Franco and Joshua Willis held posts at Stüssy and footwear brand Creative Recreation, respectively, before launching Second Layer in 2013 with Joshua’s brother Jacob Willis, who previously worked at a creative agency.
The Los Angeles-based brand, which is stocked in retailers including H. Lorenzo and Isetan, will present during Capsule’s slot at the inaugural New York Fashion Week: Men’s and participate in the
trade show the following week.According to Willis, the brand
will showcase its basics — loose T-shirts, deconstructed suits and oversize trousers made from an Italian knit twill — along with new categories including denim jeans, which are cropped with a higher waist and an unfinished hem and graphic T-shirts.
The majority of the collection is made in Los Angeles, with jackets priced from $900 to $1,100; trousers and shirts at $300; basic T-shirts and fleece separates from $120 to $150, and jeans from $235 to $250.
When the team isn’t working on Second Layer, it is designing shoes for high-end sneaker brand Article Number, which is carried at department stores including Barneys New York, Selfridges and Colette.
— A.H
S E C O N D L A Y E R
T H E S O C K H O P
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NEW YORK SPECIAL EDITION16 14 JULY 2015
Marching to His Own Beat A night out with John Varvatos at a Paul Weller concert in New York shows off the designer’s musical references and points to his rock sensibilities.
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By JEAN E. PALMIERI
‘Like a lot of kids, I thought about being a rock star and a singer,” said John Varvatos. “But I never really pursued it because I didn’t have that caliber of talent.”
So he channeled his creativity into becoming a designer instead, developing a now well-established aesthetic that is infused with rock-’n’-roll influences, and over the years attracting a cult following among the very singers he admired.
One of those singers is Paul Weller, who started out with The Jam and The Style Council before going solo in 1991. “He was in our ad campaign four or five years ago,” Varvatos said over a Diet Coke prior to a recent Weller concert at Terminal 5 here. “I’ve always been a huge fan of The Jam and The Style Council and I also think he’s one of the most stylish guys in music.
“Music and fashion are incestuous. All musicians want to be fashion designers and all designers want to be musicians,” he added with a laugh.
That’s true in the case of Weller, who has his own men’s wear line called Real Stars are Rare, a collection of basics such as suits, henleys and slim-cut trousers.
“Make sure you mention my line,” Weller said immediately after greeting Varvatos backstage with a bear hug.
“It’s really just a labor of love for me,” the singer said of the Real Stars collection. “It’s manufactured in Portugal and avail-able by mail. I’m a clothes buff and as long as I can remember, I’ve loved clothes. In fact, I taught John everything I know.”
Varvatos smiled and brought the conver-sation back to Weller’s family and touring schedule.
Even when he’s hanging out with rock legends, Varvatos is still soft-spoken and down-to-earth. Dressed in a distressed leather jacket, worn-in boots, chunky sil-ver jewelry and a casually tied neck scarf, Varvatos could still pass for a rock star. But considering his success in fashion, he appears to have chosen the right path.
Since launching his own brand 15 years ago, Varvatos has built a solidly successful men’s wear label with reported sales of over $250 million. In 2012, Lion Capital LLC acquired a majority of the company from VF Corp., with Varvatos owning the remainder, and the two are working together to expand the label here and abroad.
All along the way, Varvatos and music have remained hand in hand — as is evident in the inspiration for his spring 2016 collection, which will be shown Thursday as the close of NYFW: Men’s. Varvatos describes it as “a bit of Brit-ish-dandy-meets-Seventies-SoCal,” adding, “There’s definitely a Keith Richards vibe in parts of the collection.”
No wonder, as Varvatos says, that “our style appeals to a lot of musicians. They started shopping with us and we designed clothes for their tours. Being a music nut, when I talk to them, they know what I’m talking about. They look at me as being more in their world than mine. I’m not perceived just as a fan who’s using them for their connections, and that’s the big-gest honor.”
Over the years, he has used musicians such as Ringo Starr, Iggy Pop, Alice Cooper and Kiss in his advertising. His New York City flagship is in the former site of the seminal rock club CBGB. His office is filled with autographed instruments and framed photos of luminaries in the music indus-try. And in 2014, he even teamed up with Republic Records to start his own record label, where he serves as president and curator.
Varvatos stresses that his record label is eclectic and not just for rock artists. In fact, the first group to sign on was the Zac Brown Band, which is a country act.
His musical tastes run the gamut as well. “I listen to a lot of jazz, mostly old clas-sics,” he said, adding that he “can’t work in the office without music playing. But I’m inspired by different kinds of music. I probably have 15,000 to 20,000 vinyl records.”
The father of three has also passed down his love of music to his children, who listen to everything from punk to country. Varvatos lights up when he talks about his youngest, a seven-year-old daughter, who recently informed him while “Rock and Roll All Nite” used to be her favorite song, she now likes pop music.
While Varvatos doesn’t shy away from his rock sensibility, he believes his label is more than just one-dimensional. “I’m defi-nitely inspired by rock, but it’s not the only thing. That’s a misnomer to a degree,” said the designer, whose career path included Polo Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein. “Most of what I design is just great clothes with great attention to detail.” ■
Marching to His Own Beat A night out with John Varvatos at a Paul Weller concert in New York shows off the designer’s musical references and points to his rock sensibilities.
John Varvatos describes his
collection as “a bit of British-dandy-meets-
Seventies-SoCal.”
Photographs by JENNA GREENE Model preview by SHAWN BRACKBILL
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NEW YORK SPECIAL EDITION
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18 14 JULY 2015
DAVID HART● The graphic prints that originated during the Bauhaus movement in the Twenties and Thirties in Germany were the overrid-ing visual elements for David Hart’s spring collection.
The designer continued to shine with his tailored clothing offering, which this season centered around the use of sum-mer fabrics including Irish linen, and super 130s merino wool. While the single-breast-ed style remained body-conscious, the double-breasted model was boxier, which Hart said was intended to look “more intimidating.”
In seasons past, he concentrated on Hawaiian and atomic prints, but this time, geometrics ruled and they worked best on lightweight wool cardigans, Italian silk shirts and woven tuxedo blazers.
— ALEX BADIA
BOYSWEAR● “The Sound of Music” playing in the background was a hint that Jackson McK-eehan’s inaugural presentation wasn’t just another show. The designer referenced two polar opposite families: the Von Trapps and the Mansons — yes, that would be Charles Manson — but the marriage actual-ly worked. He blended the two seamlessly in a lineup that included prints of nuns in the Alps, dancing goats, psychedelic hippie prints and cuckoo clocks.
There was a clear androgynous feeling, as evidenced by the tapestry-printed Tyrolean jacket with a ribbon bow tie and coated linen culottes.
“It’s very important to keep things fluid,” McKeehan said.
A welcome surprise in the first day of fashion week, McKeehan shows great promise for a bright future. — A.B.
OPENING CEREMONY
● “We wanted to focus on all things we love in our wardrobes, but mashed up.”
That was the way Humberto Leon summed up the spring collection of Opening Ceremony, the brand he runs with Carol Lim.
That translated into an innovative take on basics such as T-shirts, classic dress shirts and shorts, all of which were inten-tionally crumbled and wrinkled — and often resulted in a double-take. For instance, the “concert” Ts weren’t for David Bowie or The Rolling Stones, but for Tchaikovsky and Bach. The jackets sported Velcro patches that said “symphony” or “concerto” and could be removed and customized on different pieces within the line.
A ribbed tank top was offered as a knit sweater, the dress shirt was in an airy mesh and the railroad stripes were used for an anorak top and oversize shorts. “We’re playing around with the idea of shirts,” Leon said.
Since its founding in 2002, Opening Cer-emony has been spot on with its youthful take on sportswear basics for the ultimate cool kid, and this season is no exception.
— J.E.P.
Nick Graham has been in the men’s wear business for more than two decades, but it took until now for him to jump into tailored clothing.
Fueled by last year’s investment by Iconix Brand Group, Graham has created a collection of suit separates and formalwear that will be unveiled during his presenta-tion at NYFW: Men’s today.
At the end of 2013, Graham, the irrev-erent designer and founder of Joe Boxer, launched a dress shirt and neckwear brand under his own name. The clothing will complement that line, which is sold in Macy’s and Lord & Taylor, and will be targeted to midtier department stores with price points of $250 for a jacket, $150 for pants and $395 for a full suit. Dress shirts retail for $59, or $69.50 for a shirt and tie merchandised together.
“This is the younger child of Ralph Lauren and Paul Smith,” Graham told WWD at a preview at his Manhattan office overlooking Bryant Park, “but for the main floor. I think there’s a big opportunity here
and globally.”The line is being manufactured by
Lanier, a division of Oxford Industries Inc., and Graham describes its aesthetic as “post-prep.” It’s “more eccentric” than much of the tailored clothing on the market, he believes, and includes florals, stripes, paisleys, checks, seersuckers and other “traditional” men’s wear fabrics and patterns offered up in a nontraditional way. For instance, a shadow stripe suit is shown with a polka dot pocket square and paisley shirt.
The line will include 60 swatches and there will be two fits. “Our niche is to give the younger consumer value with Euro-pean styling and influence.” The New York cut will be slim but not skinny, Graham said, and will be targeted to the guy seek-ing a “modern fit.” The Everywhere Cut is more relaxed.
In keeping with Graham’s sense of humor, the company will offer a “shacket,” which is an unlined shirt-jacket, as well as a “shant,” which are pants made of shirting
‘Shackets’ and ‘Shants’: Graham Goes ‘Post-Prep’The colorful designer launches suit separates.BY JEAN E. PALMIERI
fabrics such as ginghams. The label reads: New York, London, Everywhere.
Graham said he views Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Kenneth Cole and others at this tier as competition, “but this has more sensibility and character,” he said. “It’s got a main floor sensibility but with a little more edge. I think American guys are ready to take that step.”
The line is being manufactured by Lanier, a division of Oxford Industries Inc., and Graham describes its aesthetic as “post-prep.” It’s “more eccentric” than much of the tailored clothing on the market, he believes, and includes florals, stripes, paisleys, checks, seersuckers and other “traditional” men’s wear fabrics and patterns offered up in a nontraditional way. For instance, a shadow stripe suit is shown with a polka dot pocket square and
The line will include 60 swatches and there will be two fits. “Our niche is to give the younger consumer value with Euro-
‘Shackets’ and ‘Shants’: Graham Goes ‘Post-Prep’The colorful designer launches suit separates.
“We wanted to focus on all things we love in our wardrobes, but mashed up.”
That was the way Humberto Leon
Opening Ceremony, the brand he runs with
That translated into an innovative take on basics such as T-shirts, classic dress shirts and shorts, all of which were inten-tionally crumbled and wrinkled — and often resulted in a double-take. For instance, the “concert” Ts weren’t for David Bowie or The Rolling Stones, but for Tchaikovsky and Bach. The jackets sported Velcro patches that said “symphony” or “concerto” and could be removed and customized on
A ribbed tank top was offered as a knit sweater, the dress shirt was in an airy mesh and the railroad stripes were used for an anorak top and oversize shorts. “We’re playing around with the idea of
Since its founding in 2002, Opening Cer-emony has been spot on with its youthful take on sportswear basics for the ultimate cool kid, and this season is no exception.
— J.E.P.
Nick Graham
Looks from the tailored line.
New YorkCollections
2016
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Congratulations to REDA on their 150th Anniversary
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