PHOTO BY ROBERT MITRA; STYLED BY ANTONIA SARDONE

The Tribe VibeThe Tribe VibeNavajo-inspired patterns are big for resort, making for looks that are far more chic than crafty. Here,

Thakoon’s silk shirtdress with lace trim and Ten Thousand Things for Gregory Parkinson belt. For more, see pages 4 and 5.

ON THE SEESAW

Polo and Macy’s Go Up,But Markets Go Down

IN WWD TODAY

WWDTHURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011 ■ WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY ■ $3.00

MOD

EL: E

MEL

Y FA

RDO

FOR

ONE

MOD

EL M

ANAG

EMEN

T; H

AIR

AND

MAK

EUP

BY C

ABIR

IA R

OSAD

O; F

ASHI

ON A

SSIS

TANT

: PEA

RL S

HIN;

PHO

TO A

SSIS

TANT

: LAU

REN

POGG

I

SEE PAGE 3

THE BUSINESS AND FASHION TRENDS EXPECTED AT THE UPCOMING MEN’S SHOWS.

PAGE MW1

Vera Wang links with Zales for a bridal jewelry

collection. PAGE 6

�

By VICKI M. YOUNG AND DAVID MOIN

NEW YORK — Polo Ralph Lauren Corp. bucked the trend Macy’s Inc. could not avoid as global stock markets plunged again Wednesday, sending yet more shivers down consumers’ and retailers’ spines.

On a day when both fi rms reported double-digit growth in quarterly prof-its, Polo saw its shares leap on the New York Stock Exchange, while Macy’s stock followed the markets down. There are heightening fears about America’s credit rating and the health of the global banking sector and its exposure to shaky sovereign debts in countries like Spain and Italy — all of which could feed into consumers’ psyches in the weeks and months ahead.

Investors pushed the Dow Jones Industrial Average down almost 520 points Wednesday, erasing the prior session’s rally. The Dow fell 4.6 percent to 10,719.94, dropping back below 11,000. The S&P Retail Index retreated 4.4 per-cent, or 21.65 points, to 465.90 — the sector’s fourth-steepest decline since 2008.

The sell-off was an about-face from Tuesday’s gains of 4.8 percent for retail stocks and 4 percent for the Dow.

Bank shares, once again, took center stage. French bank Société Générale saw its stock drop nearly 15 percent, and the fi nancial sector in general waned as investors fretted over sovereign debt in Europe.

Christian Louboutin Loses Ruling PAGE 3FASHION: A New York judge declined to grant Louboutin an injunction to stop Yves Saint Laurent from selling red-soled shoes. Kurt Geiger’s New Bag PAGE 6 ACCESSORIES: The British brand and retailer, which recently was acquired by The Jones Group, is launching accessories.

Jay Strongwater Sold PAGE 6FINANCIAL: The luxury gift brand has been acquired by a private equity fund that plans to expand it into more categories.

�

�

VERY VEGASPLUS: VERA’S

NEW RING

�

Phot

o by

Kri

stin

a ni

Kish

ina/

EPsi

lon/

GEtt

y im

aGEs

To e-mail reporTers and ediTors aT WWd, The address is firsTname.lasTname@fairchildpub.com, using The individual’s name. WWD IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ADVANCE MAGAZINE PUBLISHERS INC. COPYRIGHT ©2011 FAIRCHILD FASHION MEDIA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.VOLUME 202, NO. 29. THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011. WWD (ISSN 0149–5380) is published daily (except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, with one additional issue in May, June, October and December, and two additional issues in February, March, April, August, September and November) by Fairchild Fashion Media, which is a division of Advance Magazine Publishers Inc. PRINCIPAL OFFICE: 750 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017. Shared Services provided by Condé Nast: S.I. Newhouse, Jr., Chairman; Charles H. Townsend, Chief Executive Officer; Robert A. Sauerberg Jr., President; John W. Bellando, Chief Operating Officer & Chief Financial Officer; Jill Bright, Chief Administrative Officer. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, and at additional mailing offices. Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40644503. Canadian Goods and Services Tax Registration No. 886549096-RT0001. Canada Post: return undeliverable Canadian addresses to P.O. Box 503, RPO West Beaver Cre, Rich-Hill, ON L4B 4R6. POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY, P.O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA 91615 5008. FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS, ADDRESS CHANGES, ADJUSTMENTS, OR BACK ISSUE INQUIRIES: Please write to WWD, P.O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA 91615-5008, call 800-289-0273, or visit www.subnow.com/wd. Please give both new and old addresses as printed on most recent label. Subscribers: If the Post Office alerts us that your magazine is undeliverable, we have no further obligation unless we receive a corrected address within one year. If during your subscription term or up to one year after the magazine becomes undeliverable, you are ever dissatisfied with your subscription, let us know. You will receive a full refund on all unmailed issues. First copy of new subscription will be mailed within four weeks after receipt of order. Address all editorial, business, and production correspondence to WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY, 750 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017. For permissions requests, please call 212-630-5656 or fax the request to 212-630-5883. For reprints of articles, please contact Scoop ReprintSource at 800-767-3263 or via e-mail at sales@scoopreprintsource.com. Visit us online at www.wwd.com. To subscribe to other Fairchild Fashion Media magazines on the World Wide Web, visit www.fairchildpub.com. Occasionally, we make our subscriber list available to carefully screened companies that offer products and services that we believe would interest our readers. If you do not want to receive these offers and/or information, please advise us at P.O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA 91615-5008 or call 800-289-0273. WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RETURN OR LOSS OF, OR FOR DAMAGE OR ANY OTHER INJURY TO, UNSOLICITED MANUSCRIPTS, UNSOLICITED ART WORK (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DRAWINGS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND TRANSPARENCIES), OR ANY OTHER UNSOLICITED MATERIALS. THOSE SUBMITTING MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, ART WORK, OR OTHER MATERIALS FOR CONSIDERATION SHOULD NOT SEND ORIGINALS, UNLESS SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED TO DO SO BY WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY IN WRITING. MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND OTHER MATERIALS SUBMITTED MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY A SELF-ADDRESSED STAMPED ENVELOPE.

■ EYE: See Celebrity Fashion: Shouldering Up at WWD.com/eye.■ ACCESSORIES: More pictures of Kurt Geiger’s new collection at WWD.com/fashion-news. ■ BUSINESS:More financial news and daily stock movements at WWD.com/accessories-news.■ RETAIL: See more pictures from the Unionmade store in San Francisco at WWD.com/retail-news.

Mila Kunis in Elie Saab.

Today on WWd.CoM

daily QuoTe

Even when the market gets whipsawed, the luxury consumer still has the money to spend, just not the emotional desire to do so. — POLO RALPH LAUREN CORP.’S ROgER FARAH. PAgE ONE

fINANCIAL 1,3fASHION 2,4-5,7ACCESSORIES 6MEDIA 7

RETAIL 7 TRADE SHOWS MW1, MW6-15MEN’S RETAIL MW4MEN’S fASHION MW4-MW12

SeCTorS in ThiS iSSue

By Lisa Lockwood

NEw YoRk — Nanette Lepore, a staunch supporter of domestic production, has set its sights on opening stores in china.

Lepore has signed a three-year agreement with Tokyo style co. Ltd. and Tokyo style shanghai commercial to open freestanding stores and shop-in-shops in shanghai, Beijing and Hong kong.

The first shop-in-shop will open next March or april in Jiu Guang department store in shanghai, followed by four more freestanding stores or shop-in-shops during 2013. Two will open in shanghai, one in Beijing and one in Hong kong, according to Robert savage, chief executive officer and president of Lepore. These shops will range from 1,600 to 1,800 square feet, he said. whether they are freestand-ing stores or shop-in-shops will depend on the availability of space, said savage, who is Lepore’s husband.

To date, Lepore’s only chinese distribution is with seibu department stores in Hong kong.

Most of the clothing carried in the chinese shops will be manu-factured here, and it will be supplemented with licensed merchan-dise. Lepore already has 21 in-store shops and freestanding stores in Tokyo. its other international store is in the London neighbor-hood of Notting Hill.

stateside, Lepore has seven freestanding shops: two in New York, and one each in chicago, Los angeles, Las Vegas, Bal Harbour, Fla., and Boston.

FaShion

Lepore to Open China Units

Basic SkillsKey Items Bolster Existing Wardrobes for Back-to-School

This article is one in a series that appears in these pages on Thursdays. The data contained is based on findings from the Cotton Incorporated Lifestyle Monitor™ survey, a consumer attitudinal study, as well as upon other of the company’s industrial indicators including its Retail Monitor and Supply Chain Insights analyses. A digital version of this column and other relevant information can be found at CottonLifestyleMonitor.com.

Many a child has long considered back-to-school shopping “Christmas in September.” There are the pumped up kicks and tricked

out backpacks—not to mention all the new clothes, of course.

But this year, after having spent the summer hearing all about the nation’s debt crisis and a weak global economy, parents and college kids are re-thinking their own spending. They are expected to go through the closets and see what is still wearable before heading to stores. Although basics are still a staple, they are taking on a bit of a dressier look, perhaps to better polish the existing wardrobe.

Whether basics, boho or prep-inspired styles, brands and stores should keep in mind that 76% of consumers say cotton and cotton blends are their favorite fibers to wear, according to the Cotton Incorporated Lifestyle Monitor™ Survey.

The National Retail Federation’s Ellen Davis, vice president, says today’s parents are focused more on value, not price.

“They’re willing to pay more for merchandise they believe is a little higher quality,” Davis says. “What we have seen this year is a bit of a shift from very casual back-to-school styles to more dressy or fashionable looks. But basics don’t go out of style, so for parents on a budget who pay attention to price and value, basics make a lot of sense. You just might see them opting for khakis, and button-down polos rather than tees.”

Among those who plan on shopping for back-to-school items this year, 61% plan on spending the same amount of money on clothes as last year, while 21% plan on spending more and 14% plan to spend less, according to Monitor data. Additionally, about 70% say they are very or somewhat concerned that the prices of B-T-S clothing may be higher this year compared to last year.

According to NRF’s 2011 Back-to-School survey conducted by BIGresearch, families with children in grades K-12 will spend an average of $603.63 on apparel, school supplies and electronics, within a few dollars of last year’s $606.40 average. Total spending on grades K-12 is expected to reach $22.8 billion. The NRF’s Back-to-College survey is separate, and combined with K-12 figures, spending is expected to reach $68.8 billion, serving as the second biggest consumer spending event for retailers behind the winter holidays.

The Monitor finds B-T-S consumers plan to spend about $233 per person on apparel. Additionally, those earning $50,000+ per year are planning to spend significantly more on B-T-S clothes than consumers making less than $50,000 ($258 versus $171).

Many parents are expected to find some savings right at home. If clothes still fit, are not covered in stains and

do not have any holes, they may be good enough to start the school year. However, most parents recognize the summer months take a significant toll on clothes.

Almost three-fourths (74%) of consumers with children living in their household say they plan on purchasing new children’s apparel this fall, according to the Monitor survey. Among these shoppers, more than half (54%) plan to do so because their child’s fall clothes are too small or big, followed by “it’s a good time

for sales” (13%), their child’s clothes are worn out (13%), and their child wants new clothes or styles (11%).

Davis says the NRF is seeing many retailers promote uniform styles, which translates into sales of chinos, polo shirts and skirts in khaki colored knee-length styles. “A lot of stores took it up a notch in the dressiness of

back-to-school. Some traditional retailers are promoting the uniform look even though less than 20% of school children wear a uniform.”

Old Navy sells uniform styles as part of its B-T-S offering. This season it was offering uniforms until early August that included polo shirts from $5.50, khakis from $12 and shorts from $9.50.

“We want to be able to provide all the back-to-school items we know are important for our target

customer and her kids,” says Catherine Rhoades, Gap Inc. spokesperson.

At Karmaloop, basics evolved as the recession ended, says Jasmine Imani, head women’s buyer.

“People are now transi-tioning back into the ‘not-so-basic’ basic,” Imani says. “At one point a nice, plain tee made with a great mate-rial would blow out, and now that basic tee is over-sized with a wide neckline

and maybe a slanted hem. I think parents are back to buying, as well as college students, because there are now more options out there for trendy, affordable clothing. People have learned how to make it work with what they’ve got.”

Among those who plan on shopping for back-to-school items this year, nearly 90% are likely to shop before the first day of school, Monitor data reveal. Nearly 80% say they are likely to purchase shirts/tops for their children this fall, followed by jeans (78%), socks (71%), pants (65%), outerwear (53%), sweaters (51%), and sleepwear (48%).

In July, summer deals and B-T-S items helped U.S. chain-store sales rise by 4.6% on a year-over-year basis according to the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC).

As Michael P. Niemira, chief economist and director of research for ICSC noted, “Sales growth continued to show strength in July, which may be a good omen for the back-to-school season that gets underway in earnest in August.”

“We have seen a… bit of a shift from very casual to more dressy or fashionable looks. You might see [parents]… opting for khakis, and button-down polos rather than tees.”Ellen Davis, National Retail Federation

61%

21%14%

4%

Same More Less Did not have to buy last year

Source: CottonLifestyleMonitor.com

Do You Plan on Spending More, Less, or the Same on B-T-S Clothing

Compared to Last Year?

WWD.COM3

Polo, Macy’s Up, but Market Down

By EVAN CLARK

NEW YORK — A Manhattan federal judge de-nied Christian Louboutin a preliminary injunction Wednesday that would have barred Yves Saint Laurent from selling red-soled shoes from its 2011 cruise collec-tion, arguing that restrictions on a single color could stifle both art and commerce.

Louboutin sued YSL in the Southern District of New York in April in an effort to protect its 2008 red-sole trademark.

“Because in the fashion industry color serves orna-mental and aesthetic functions vital to robust competi-tion, the court finds that Louboutin is unlikely to be able to prove that its red outsole brand is entitled to trade-mark protection, even if it has gained enough public recognition in the market to have acquired secondary meaning,” wrote Judge Victor Marrero in his ruling.

“I think the court is completely wrong,” said Louboutin attorney Harley Lewin of McCarter & English. “The court essentially indicated that it does not

believe that a single color can be a trademark in the fashion industry. We’re disheartened.”

Lewin said the company was assessing its options and acknowledged that Louboutin’s trademark was at risk.

“YSL is thrilled that Judge Marrero agreed with us that no designer should be allowed to hold a monopoly on a primary color for an ar-ticle of apparel,” said the company’s attorney, David Bernstein of Debevoise & Plimpton LLP.

Bernstein said YSL would ask the court for a summary judgment, which could result in Louboutin’s trademark being canceled. He also said YSL would continue to press its counterclaims, which charge that Louboutin interfered with YSL’s ability to sell its shoes by prompting department stores to return some inventory to the brand.

Judge Marrero was complimentary of the designer’s ac-complishments, even as he denied the requested injunction.

“Sometime around 1992, designer Christian Louboutin had a bright idea,” Marrero wrote of the designer’s famed red-soled shoes, which he noted sell 240,000 pairs annually in the U.S., with sales this year

projected at $135 million.But Marrero posed a hypothetical lawsuit in

which Pablo Picasso attempts to prevent Claude Monet from displaying or selling his water lil-

ies painting because it uses an indigo too close to “the color of melancholy” that de-

fined Picasso’s Blue Period.“Fashion designers and painters both re-

gard themselves, and others regard them, as being engaged in labors for which artistic talent, as well as personal expression as a means to channel

it, are vital,” he wrote. “Moreover, the items gener-ated by both painters and fashion designers ac-quire commercial value as they gain recognition.”

But Marrero said placing a color off limits would unduly hinder commerce, competition and art and that both painters and designers require artistic freedom and fair competition to survive.

“In both forms, the greatest range for cre-ative outlet exists with its highest, most vibrant and all-encompassing energies where every pigment of the spectrum is freely available for the creator to apply, where every painter and designer in producing artful works enjoys equal freedom to pick and choose color from every streak of the rainbow,” he said.

Shares in Europe closed down sharp-ly, with the CAC 40 off 5.5 percent in Paris and the FTSE 100 down 3.1 per-cent in London. Asian markets extended Tuesday’s rally with the Hang Seng Index gaining 2.3 percent in Hong Kong and the Nikkei 225 rising 2.3 percent in Tokyo.

Polo was one of the rare U.S. stocks to rise on Wednesday, climbing 4.5 per-cent to $125.28 after the company posted first-quarter results in which profits rose 52.4 percent and revenues gained 32.4 percent, with earnings per share beating analysts expectations by 45 cents. For the three months ended July 2, income rose 52.4 percent to $184.1 million, or $1.90 a diluted share, from $120.8 million, or $1.21, last year. Analysts’ consensus esti-mate was EPS of $1.45.

Revenues rose 32.4 percent to $1.53 billion from $1.15 billion. Total sales for the quarter rose 33.3 percent to $1.49 billion from $1.12 billion. Analysts were expecting sales to grow to $1.41 billion. Included in the sales total was a 28.7 percent jump in wholesale sales to $673 million and a 37.3 percent gain in retail sales to $813.5 million as consolidated comparable-store sales rose 19 percent. The balance in income came from licens-ing revenues. First and third quarters tend to be bigger retail periods for Polo, while second and fourth quarters are big-ger wholesale periods.

Polo said it expects second-quarter consolidated revenues to increase at the high-teens to low 20 percent range, and for revenues for fiscal 2012 to show gains at the mid- to high-teens rate.

Ralph Lauren, chairman and chief ex-ecutive officer said, “The consistency of our approach has supported our strong fi-nancial performance, and the momentum of our brand worldwide is tremendous.

Looking ahead, the company is exe-cuting against its original objectives and sales plans for fiscal 2012, fully aware that there are potentially unknown clouds ahead particularly on the interna-tional front where revenues grew 60 per-cent, or 36 percent of consolidated sales.

Polo is growing its wholesale and re-tail distribution in Europe, in particu-lar its presence in Eastern Europe and the Middle East through partnerships with local experts. The company in-tends to launch e-commerce in France and Germany over the next three months. In Asia, the company said it is exceeding sales and profit plans in all major regions.

Roger Farah, president and chief op-erating officer, said, “The surprise [in the quarter] is that domestic sales continue to grow nicely,” noting that there hasn’t been any trade-off where growth comes

just from overseas distribution.He did acknowledge that there’s a

chance more bad news on the economic front could impact the luxury consumer.

“What we learned in 2008 and 2009 is that at some point the psychological im-pact on the luxury consumer is more of an issue for that customer than their ac-tual means. Even when the market gets whipsawed, the luxury consumer still has the money to spend, just not the emotion-al desire to do so,” Farah explained.

Currently there are reports that the banking sector globally might see massive layoffs over the next few years. Farah said that if the financial community did shed jobs at a high rate, it would be a “nega-tive” for the luxury sector, both for those laid off and for those still employed due to its psychological impact.

As for cost inflation, he said the com-pany won’t know the impact of its pric-

ing actions until mid- to late September. Farah said Polo has looked at trends for merchandise categories by region for both inventory levels and pricing struc-ture.

“We may have adjusted a price to a certain category that is growing in Asia, while remaining cautious in its price structure in the U.S.,” he said.

Price increases have ranged between 5 to 20 percent, and where there’s con-cern over consumer response to the in-crease, the company has also pared back on some units so as not to be over-inven-toried, Farah explained.

Cotton costs have come down some-what, though they are still relatively higher than before the substantial in-crease of a year ago as prices for cash-

mere, wool and silk have gone up. And while Polo has elected not to mix natu-ral fibers with synthetics to maintain the overall quality of the product, Farah said fabrication mixes might have been an op-tion if the company had a bigger moder-ate business.

Macy’s saw its shares fall 3.6 percent to $24.52 on the NYSE even though its net income rose 63.9 percent to $241 million, or 55 cents a diluted share, in the second quarter ended July 30, from $147 million, or 35 cents, in last year’s period. Total sales rose 7.3 percent to $5.94 billion, from $5.54 billion; same-store sales rose 6.4 percent, and online sales (macys.com and bloomingdales.com combined) were up 40.2 percent in the second quarter.

“This was our most successful second quarter and spring season in more than a decade,” said Terry J. Lundgren, Macy’s

chairman, president and chief execu-tive officer. “Importantly, it came on top of an impressive first-half performance last year. To date this year, we have driv-en significant additional sales growth, gained market share, maintained strong margins, managed expenses and gener-ated a very healthy level of cash.”

The quarter’s strongest categories were jewelry, watches, handbags, ho-siery, cosmetics, fragrances, men’s wear, home and private brands led by I.N.C., according to chief financial officer Karen Hoguet. However, casual traditional fem-inine apparel and intimate apparel were weak. Macy’s Charter Club traditional in-house brand is being “retooled,” though without any major impact this fall, Hoguet said.

“The two major factors driving this strong performance are first and fore-most profitable sales growth and sec-ondarily the improvement in our credit performance,” Hoguet said, citing a $57 million credit income increase in the quarter. Officials also credited the My Macy’s strategy to localize assortments, the Magic Selling program retraining 130,000 store associates on customer en-gagement, and efforts to reach customers in new ways across all channels, as help-ing the company transcend the sluggish economic environment.

“All of our key strategies are working — and working in unison — to help us better understand our customers, deliver the assortments and value they want and expect, and engage them in stores, online and via mobile devices,” Lundgren said.

Reflecting its improving trends tem-pered by the weak economy, the $25 bil-lion Macy’s raised its guidance and is now expecting same-store sales in the second half to be up between 4 and 4.5 percent, and full-year same-store sales to be up between 4.8 percent and 5.1 per-cent. At the beginning of the year, guid-ance was for a 2011 same-store increase of about 3 percent. It went up to 4.8 per-cent in July.

Macy’s is increasing its 2011 earnings guidance to $2.60 to $2.65 per diluted share, compared with previous full-year guidance of $2.40 to $2.45 and initial guidance of $2.25 to $2.30 at the begin-ning of the year.

The convulsions in financial markets and apparel prices seen rising 5 to 7 per-cent this fall admittedly are concerns. “Clearly there is market disruption, but how that affects customer spend-ing, I don’t think we know that yet,” said Hoguet. “Should we start to see weaker sales, we will react — but doing that right now might be an overreaction.”

Hoguet said that in addition to rising raw material and labor costs, average unit retail increases can be attributed to shifts in the mix to more higher-priced products with greater style. Also, more regular-priced selling can yield AUR in-creases, she added.

Regionally, “We are producing our strongest sales trends across the South, and in the major tourist areas such as New York City, downtown San Francisco, Miami, Las Vegas, Orlando, Hawaii and Chicago,” Hoguet said. “Bloomingdale’s had a very good quar-ter, comparing favorably to upscale competition,” Hoguet said.

A few stores could close at the end of the year, and capital expenditures for the year are expected to still be at $800 mil-lion, as projected earlier this year.

— With contributions from E.c.

Christian Louboutin Injunction Denied

A red-soled peep-toe shoeby Christian Louboutin.

phot

o by

Rob

eRt

Mit

Ra

Inside the Ralph Lauren flagship on Madison Avenue.

{Continued from page one}

WWD thursday, august 11, 2011

phot

o by

tho

MaS

iaNN

aCoN

e

4 WWD THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

Cross-Cultural ChicFrom Moroccan and safari motifs to ikats and macramé, designers have gone terrifically tribal for resort. — Antonia Sardone

PHOTOS BY ROBERT MITRA

Tory Burch’s silk kaftan and Gregory Parkinson’s cotton jersey bikini top. Ten Thousand Things for Gregory Parkinson necklace; BaubleBar bracelets; Stuart Weitzman shoes.

Hervé Léger by Max Azria’s rayon, nylon and spandex jacquard dress. Satya Jewelry necklace; Kelly Wearstler cuff; Christian Louboutin shoes.

WWD.COM5WWD THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

MOD

EL: E

MEL

Y FA

RDO

FOR

ONE

MOD

EL M

ANAG

EMEN

T; H

AIR

AND

MAK

EUP

BY C

ABIR

IA R

OSAD

O; F

ASHI

ON A

SSIS

TANT

: PEA

RL S

HIN;

PHO

TO A

SSIS

TANT

: LAU

REN

POGG

I

Tribune Standard’s

rayon macrame top

and Harvey Faircloth’s

cotton pants. Jacquie Aiche

necklaces; BaubleBar

bracelet; Barbara Bui

shoes.

Missoni’s silk dress. Kelly

Wearstler necklace; Missoni headband;

BaubleBar bracelets.

Silvio Liu’s linen jacket and Fuzzi’s cotton top

and silk pants. Jacquie Aiche pendant; BaubleBar

necklace and bracelets.

Jen Kao’s Modal jersey dress. Jacquie Aiche and BaubleBar necklaces; Kelly Wearstler cuff.

WWD THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 20116

Vera Wang, Zales Say ‘I Do’

Kurt Geiger Launches Accessories

JAY STRONGWATER, a standout luxury home furnishings and gift brand at Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue, has a new partner in Twin Lakes Capital.

“Jay is an incredibly talented designer. We think it’s time to move to the next chapter in the development of the brand,” Lee Feldman, a partner in the Twin Lakes Capital private equity firm, told WWD on Wednesday.

“We are really going to broaden the assortment with other addi-tional product categories and materials in home and personal ac-cessories, but we will remain true to Jay’s core design aesthetic,” Feldman assured.

Strongwater is known for his picture frames, boxes, pins, orna-ments, compacts, figurines and American craftsmanship. He typi-cally works in pewter, enamel, metal and crystal. He opened his first studio above a pizza parlor in Fort Lee, N.J., in 1982 and soon started selling at upscale stores. Eventually, he relocated to New York City.

Feldman declined to disclose the terms of the deal. However, he said, “Jay has a significant equity interest” in the new com-pany being formed through a partnership called Jay Strongwater LLC, which owns and controls all aspects of the business. Prior to the deal, Strongwater owned the brand and had a licensing ar-rangement with Weingeroff Enterprises in Cranston, R.I., which expires this fall. The first collection under the new company will be for spring 2012. “We are really committed to doing a lot of the manufacturing in the United States,” Feldman said.

In May 2008, Twin Lakes Capital led the purchase of MacKenzie-Childs, another iconic American home furnishings brand. Feldman said that despite the tough economic times that followed soon after the acquisition, MacKenzie-Childs doubled its revenues through an expanded assortment and distribution.

At Jay Strongwater LLC, Feldman is chief executive officer and Howard Cohen is chief financial officer. Feldman and Cohen have the same titles at MacKenzie-Childs. Jay Strongwater be-comes creative director.

“I want to thank my partners at Weingeroff Enterprises with whom I have worked closely and successfully for the last 16 years,” Strongwater said. “I’m pleased to continue working with them as we launch our final collection together this fall.”

“Jay Strongwater has been a very important brand at Neiman Marcus for well over a decade,” said Russ Patrick, senior vice president and general merchandise manager of the gift galleries and The Man’s Store at Neiman Marcus. “We know Twin Lakes well as a result of their ownership and management of MacKenzie-Childs, which is experiencing rapid growth.” — DaviD Moin

By MARC KARIMzADEH

NEW YORK — Vera Wang is feeling a lot of Love for zales.

Today, zale Corp. will unveil a new strategic partnership with the Vera Wang Group to launch Vera Wang Love, a diamond jewelry collection of engagement rings, wedding bands and solitaire jewelry. It will become available in about 500 zales stores in North America, as well as on zales.com, in October, and will be supported by a mar-keting campaign ranging from in-store collateral to print advertising and TV commercials.

“Vera Wang has a uniquely American success story that resonates with us and we think will resonate with our [customers] and jewelry consul-tants,” zale Corp.’s chief executive officer, Theo

Killion, told WWD. “As a brand, she is the person most identified with the category that we are most identified with. The idea of being able to connect and partner with Vera Wang the person and the brand is tremendous for us.”

The sentiment was mutual. “I searched for a jewelry retail partner who met my quality and design philosophy and found zale to be a perfect match,” Wang said.

The deal is expected to further extend Wang’s appeal in the more mainstream bridal sector. Wang also has a dress deal with David’s Bridal, offering wedding gowns and bridesmaids’ dresses

under the White by Vera Wang label at the 300-plus mass retail chain.

“Vera now wants to complete the story of the David’s bride,” explained Vera Wang Group presi-dent Mario Grauso. “For so long with bridal, Vera never went into that price point. Now that she is in it, I think she should have a complete offering.

“zales is an obvious place for us to go to do en-gagement rings and wedding bands,” Grauso added. “They are an exceptional partner, not just their orga-nization and quality, but also because of their reach across the United States, which is similar to David’s.”

The Vera Wang Love collection will feature more than 50 engagement rings, each with a signature blue sapphire signifying everlasting love, accord-ing to Killion. The rings will be 14-karat gold, and stones — from five-eighths to three carats — will be round, princess, cushion or pear cut. Among the de-

signs are solitaire and three-stone rings, as well as matching wedding

bands for the groom and bride. Each ring will be engraved

on the inside with the Vera Wang Love logo.

Engagement rings start at $1,999 and wedding bands at $649 retail. zale Corp. did

not reveal sales projections.This isn’t Wang’s first ven-

ture into fine jewelry, though it is her first at these more accessible price points. In 2003, she launched a high-end fine jewelry collection with Rosy Blue Fine, with the bulk of the collection priced between $5,000 and $20,000 at retail. The high-end line no longer exists.

The ad campaign features model Rosie Tupper, who is also

the face of Wang’s collection for David’s Bridal. In addition to print advertising and TV commer-cials that will air in November, the jewelry col-lection will be featured in zales’ bridal and holi-day books. Wang also worked on the packaging, a round gray suede box that fits a round paper box.

As for the future evolution of the collection, the immediate focus will remain on rings. “There is a very distinct possibility that we will expand the collection from a store standpoint and have it in more than 500 stores, but for right now, we will stick to our knitting, which is engagement rings and wedding bands,” Killion said.

By SAMANTHA CONTI

LONDON — Kurt Geiger, the British footwear brand, is diving headfirst into the accessories business with a raft of merchandise, a new retail concept and a refreshed Web site that will allow customers worldwide to buy its products.

The new collection is called “Everything but the Dress,” and ranges from handbags to hairpins. This new direction for Kurt Geiger, which was acquired in June by The Jones Group Inc. for $350 million in cash, will be unveiled today with a new, 1,000-square-foot store on Grafton Street in London’s Mayfair.

A revamped Web site, kurtgeiger.com, will also launch today, giving consumers worldwide access to the brand’s full offer, including the ac-cessories collection.

“It’s the day that Kurt Geiger turns into a but-terfly,” said chief executive Neil Clifford in an in-terview at the colorful and blingy Grafton Street unit. “We’re not just creating a few handbags. This project has been two-and-a-half years in the mak-ing, and we’ve created everything in-house.”

The brand hired a seven-strong design and mer-chandising team to create the accessories, which range in price from 450 pounds, or $725, for a cin-namon black python-embossed leather bag; to 10 pounds, or $16, for a bejeweled ring, and 8 pounds, or $13, for a pair of Alycia pyramid hairpins.

All figures have been converted from the pound at current exchange rates.

The collection will follow the seasons, with fake fur snoods and cashmere gloves on sale for fall, and a range of sunglasses bowing for spring.

Inside the store, Kurt Geiger is calling the smaller, less-expensive items “Candy.” Those items are packaged in shiny gold bubble-wrap en-velope-style bags, and have their own stand — like a glittering market stall.

Clifford said 90 percent of the accessories col-

lection is cheaper than the brand’s footwear. The shoes range in price from 60 pounds, or $97, to 695 pounds, or $1,119.

“We want to give our customer more reasons to buy,” he said of the decision to launch accessories. “And it gives us a huge opportunity to sell gifts.”

The Grafton Street store and the new Web site will sell the accessories exclusively until Sept. 6, when the 55 Kurt Geiger stand-alone stores will be converted overnight to sell the new product.

Clifford said he expects the Grafton Street unit to generate about 800,000 pounds, or $1.29 million, in sales during the first year.

The brand has invested 4 million to 5 mil-lion pounds, or $6.4 million to $8.1 million, on “Everything But the Dress,” half of which was spent on the new store concept. The architect John Field, who has worked with Tom Ford, cre-ated the new shop concept with its shiny metal shelving and whimsical displays, including a “shoe chandelier” hanging from the ceiling.

The brand has also tripled its advertising spend to 3 million pounds, or $4.8 million, to promote the new project, which includes a reworking of the logo and packaging. The new brand color is a glossy lipstick red, brighter than the former burgundy. The goal is for accessories to generate 30 percent of turnover at Kurt Geiger stores, and 20 percent of total turnover, which is currently 230 million pounds, or $370 million. The products will remain exclusive to the stores and will not be sold at department store concessions.

In the U.S., Clifford said he plans to roll out three to five Kurt Geiger stores in the first half of next year. One or two will be in New York — there is already a shop on Bleecker Street — while other potential venues include Los Angeles, Houston, Miami and Costa Mesa, Calif. All of the stand-alone stores will carry accessories.

Clifford said he plans to begin wholesaling the Kurt Geiger footwear in the U.S. a full year after the first stores open.

Strongwater, Twin Lakes Partner

The campaign for Vera Wang’s jewelry line for Zales features Rosie Tupper.

excLuSiVe

Fashion Institute of TechnologyWhere creativity gets down to business.

School of Continuing and Professional StudiesOver 3,000 courses in art, design, business, and technology.

THIS FALL YOU CAN:• Study evenings, weekends, and online• Enroll in a degree or certifi cate program• Take affordable credit and noncredit courses

Advisement and RegistrationAugust 22 and 23, 5-7 pm

Go to fi tnyc.edu/wwd today to view courses and register online, or call 888-FIT-IS-NYC x4 to request a catalogue.

FIT is a State University of New York college.

For the truly creative mind, a good idea is just the beginning.

WWD.COM7WWD THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

Britain Braces for More RiotingA CONFIDENT RUPERT: Rupert Murdoch said Wednesday that he will remain as chairman and chief executive officer of The News Corp. and that he has no interest in selling off any part of his publishing business. In the company’s quarterly earnings conference call, Murdoch said in an opening statement that, “The board and I believe I should continue in my current role.”

When asked by an investor if the scandal and closing of The News of the World had given Murdoch any pause about whether or not to sell his prized possession, the newspapers in the company, he defiantly said no. “I’m feeling very confident,” he said, adding that “everything is fine” and that the phone hacking scandal was limited to “one small corner.”

Murdoch was also asked whether his son James, who is the ceo of his British operations News International, is still seen as a viable replacement for taking over the entire company down the line.

“I hope the job won’t be open in the near future,” said Murdoch, to riotous laughter of News Corp. executives. Murdoch said that chief operating officer Chase Carey is “my partner, and if anything would happen, I feel he would get it immediately.” Murdoch added that, “Chase and I have full confidence in James.”

Perhaps as an indication of how little interest Wall Street seems to have in the phone hacking scandal, nearly every question from investors was about another part of the company’s business — topics that ranged from stock buybacks to BSkyB and the Fox Business Channel. By the time reporters were invited onto the call, they were given less than five minutes to ask questions, and Murdoch said little during that time.

Unlike the previous conference call, there were no updates on Murdoch’s iPad app, The Daily. In the last quarter, Carey said it had lost $10 million.

For the quarter, income from continuing operations for News Corp. was $982 million, up from $902 million a year ago. Net income was at $683 million, down from $875 million a year ago as a result of a $254 million loss on the sale of MySpace. The increase in income was driven by the company’s cable TV and TV segments. In the publishing operations, quarterly operating income rose 37.8 percent to

$270 million from $196 million. For the year, News Corp. reported net income of $2.89 billion on revenues of $33.4 billion, with publishing operating income of $864 million, up from $467 million the prior year. The yearly figures include charges of $125 million and $500 million for fiscal 2011 and fiscal 2010, respectively, related to the settlement of litigation at its Integrated Marketing Services division. — JOHN KOBLIN

MAURA EGAN HEADS TO THE BEACH: After almost five months after she was hired away from The New York Times, Huffington Post deputy entertainment, culture and lifestyle editor Maura Egan is leaving the Web site. “I’d like to leave it at that,” she wrote in an e-mail Wednesday morning, adding that she hopes to spend the rest of August at the beach and will look into “various possibilities” after that.

Formerly travel editor at T: The New York Times Style Magazine, Egan joined the Huffington Post in the spring as part of a post–AOL acquisition hiring burst. “It’s really almost heartbreaking to leave, but this was an opportunity that I couldn’t refuse,” she said in March about her decision to leave the newspaper.

“Maura has decided to pursue other career opportunities,” said a Huffington Post spokesman. — ZEKE TURNER

BRIT PACK: Alfred Dunhill has found its voice for fall. For the second consecutive season, the British luxury label is featuring men who speak to the essence of the brand in its print advertising campaign. This installment features explorer and exhibition leader Sir Ranulph Fiennes, theater director Michael Grandage and principal dancer Rupert Pennefather. The ads include a black-and-white photo of the person and a text box detailing a personal experience in his life.

“‘Voice’ is designed to complement and reflect the values and essence of Dunhill, namely actively promoting elegance, individualism, commitment, expertise and personal style,” said Jason Beckley, global marketing director. Beckley said the men featured in the fall ads are individuals who “stand up for what they believe in — people who define themselves by their actions, who cannot be anything less than they are because it is their nature.” The ads will run globally in print magazines, starting with the September issues, as well as in outdoor ads; there will also be a digital element, Beckley said. — JEAN PALMIERI

By SAMANTHA CONTI and NINA JONES

LONDON — As British cities remained on high alert Wednesday in anticipa-tion of more rioting, retailers attempt-ed to rebuild their businesses and re-turn to normal trading.

Shops across the country, from the upmarket stationer Smythson to neighborhood convenience stores, have all been victims of break-ins, looting and arson.

Meanwhile, as of Wednesday after-

noon, four people had died as a result of the riots, with three men killed by a car in Birmingham Tuesday night and another man shot in London Monday. London’s Metropolitan Police had arrested 805 individu-als in connection with the riots, and charged 251 with offenses.

Stores in the most affected areas con-tinued to close early on Wednesday eve-ning. Manchester Arndale, a mall in which 14 stores were damaged Tuesday night, closed at 5 p.m. Wednesday. The mall opened as normal Wednesday morning, with only one store — Foot Asylum, a sneaker store — stay-ing closed during the

day, as it had been badly affected by gangs breaking its windows and looting stock Tuesday night. The Bullring mall in Birmingham, which was hit by riot-ers Monday night, also closed early at 4 p.m. Wednesday.

MeMo pad

Fashion scoops AMERICAN APPAREL PLUS: American Apparel continues to look for new ways to reinvigorate its stores — and more third-party merchandise may be one answer. Company founder Dov Charney and chief business development officer Marty Staff are scheduled to be in Las Vegas later this month walking trade shows like MAGIC and Project, meeting with brands to potentially sell in its 254 stores, said sources. American Apparel already sells Bass penny loafers and Casio watches and the retailer is especially keen on adding more accessories to the stores, which are heavy on apparel. Accessories account for sales in the low single-digits in the stores, a figure that company executives would like to push up to at least 20 percent. American Apparel is in talks with several sneaker brands regarding potential collaborations, added sources.

PROJECT URBAN: For the first time, Urban Outfitters has teamed up with an art school, Pratt Institute, for the chain’s Designed By: collaboration. Nine students had just six weeks to whip up a jersey dress. Before showing off their finery to buying and design teams in the brand’s Philadelphia head office, each candidate’s work was filmed, from sketches to final fittings. And three winners — Sam O’Brien, Simone Kurland and Kindall Almond — have had their creations produced for the Designed By: Pratt Institute fall line.

LIVING THE BRAND: After pedaling 110 miles in one day during last weekend’s Pan-Mass Challenge, Lance Armstrong made his way to Nantucket for a little R&R. But Nike’s favorite Tour de France winner hadn’t exactly gone belly-up when spotted chatting with chil-dren Wednesday at one of the island’s sleepier beach-es. Fresh from a pedal with one of the guys, the soon-to-be 40-year-old wore a white Livestrong bike shirt

and black bike shorts. “He wasn’t majorly conspicu-ous, but he also wasn’t to-tally inconspicuous,” said one onlooker. “And he was humble.” While his pal lamented the 11-mile post-beach trek that awaited, Armstrong told a fellow Pan-Mass-er that this year’s $34 million cancer-fighting fund-raiser had been his first one. He wasn’t the only politically minded cyclist in the 5,300-person pack

— Massachusetts junior state sena-tor Scott Brown and its senior one, John Kerry (who was also unwinding on the island), also went the distance.

BROOKLYN’S FINEST: The design-minded Hotel Williamsburg, Brooklyn’s first full-service boutique hotel, has turned to Brooklyn Industries to suit up its staff. Bellhops, waitresses and front-desk reservationists will wear an assortment of pieces from the local label.

There weren’t even any high-rise buildings when Brooklyn Industries opened its Williamsburg boutique in 2001, said co-founder Lexy Funk. The latest addition to the neighborhood is right up the road and is expected to start welcoming guests to its 64-room hotel at the end of the month. Visitors to either location will be able to buy a signature Brooklyn Industries co-branded T-shirt or nightgown, and other items are in the works. Staff will start out wearing

dresses, pants, shorts, blazers and other items in blue or gray, and additional styles will be added two or three times a year.

Graves Hospitality, which has 94 hotels, wanted to get the vibe for its Brooklyn property just right. Next month revelers will have an assortment of bars and restaurants to choose from including a Toby Maloney cocktail lounge and a rooftop bar that will stay open until 4 a.m. Chelsea and Bryant Park will be the locations for Graves’ next hotels. Brooklyn Industries is also on the march, with plans to for another yet-to-be-disclosed store in New York City.

Lance Armstrong

Brooklyn Industries designs for the Hotel Williamsburg.

PHOT

O BY

BEN

GRA

VES

PHOT

O BY

SCO

TT R

UDD

PHOT

O BY

PA

WiR

E/PR

ESS

ASSO

CiAT

iON

imAG

ES

Windows at American Apparel’s Manchester store were damaged.

COMMERCIALREAL ESTATE

SpacesFor more career opportunities log on to WWDCareers.com.

(800) 423-3314, or email fpclassified@fairchildpub.com

Call 800.289.0273

for individual

subscriptions,

or email

wwd@pubservice.com

Subscribe today! 33rd-57th St West-All Sizes

Menswear ShowroomsD. Levy Adams & Co. 212-679-5500

Showrooms & LoftsBWAY 7TH AVE SIDE STREETS

Great ’New’ Office Space AvailADAMS & CO. 212-679-5500

LUXURY RETAILBUILDING FOR SALE

Trophy Asset Los Angeles, CAElizabeth Clark: (310) 525.3702

BRC Advisors DRE LIC: 0181124 6

PATTERN/SAMPLESGarment center location. Professional/Reliable Quality. Men & women all style.Low Cost. Small production. 212-563-3331

SALES REPLooking for inhouse sales rep to carryour junior, missy, girls (7-16) line, do-mestically produced in USA, who is wellexperienced, diligent, communication& follow up is excellent. Jeff (213)880-0234 bluplanetinc@hotmail.com

ANTE UP

Las Vegas PreviewHabitual relaunches men’s denim, Eugenia Kim spins off

Mr. Kim and Duck Head returns for spring. Page MW14

PLUS:Is Fed Chairman

Ben Bernanke’s

style investment

grade? Page MW4

August 11, 2011

It’s an uncertain time for retailers. But by zeroing in on must-have items such as ethnic prints and textured sport coats at the upcoming trade shows, they’re hopeful the momentum in men’s wear will continue. For more, see pages MW8 to MW12.

Law of the Jungle

PHOT

O BY

ELI

SCH

MID

T; M

ODEL

: NIC

K S.

@ V

NY M

ODEL

MAN

AGEM

ENT;

STY

LED

BY A

LEX

BADI

A

{Continued on page MW6}

TRADE SHOWS

Men’s Retailers

Face Uncertainty

On Eve of Shows Merchants headed to Las Vegas seek strategies to off set fi nancial roller coaster.

by JEAN E. PALMIERI

THE LATEST GYRATIONS in the stock market and the endless chatter about a dou-ble-dip recession could not come at a worse time for the men’s wear industry.

With the lucrative fall season about to kick into high gear, the fear is that the neg-ativity blanketing the airwaves may keep men from opening their wallets. The un-employment rate is still hovering around 9 percent, prices on commodities such as gas and food are up, and the housing market is still in the doldrums.

Since last fall, men’s wear has been the leading apparel category for most retailers around the country and men’s wear execu-tives are biting their nails as fall goods hit the fl oors.

Last week’s July same-store sales num-bers did nothing to assuage their fears. While the luxury sector continued its strong showing — Saks Inc.’s sales rose 15.6 per-cent, Neiman Marcus Inc.’s were up 7.7 per-cent and Nordstrom Inc. was up 6.6 percent — the middle market was muddled. Bon-Ton Stores’ comps fell 1.6 percent, while J.C. Penney Co. Inc.’s were up 3.3 percent. Kohl’s Corp.’s dropped 4.6 percent, while Target Corp. was up 4.1 percent.

Despite the uncertainty, industry ob-servers are not expecting the latest fi nan-cial downturn to have a signifi cant impact on the men’s wear industry going forward. Although some of the momentum may slow, especially at the moderate end, they’re not expecting it to come to a screeching halt.

That’s the scenario the men’s wear in-dustry is facing as it prepares to head to Las Vegas next week for the men’s apparel trade shows including MAGIC, Project, ENKVegas, MRket, Capsule and the PGA Expo.

Steve Pruitt, founder and senior retail consultant for Blacks Retail, said in the company’s most recent retail report that he is not expecting a double-dip recession, but if it happens, “it will affect the lower end of the market the fastest, and they are already struggling. [Better and luxury stores] will be the least affected. They are in a better posi-tion to manage this because they have been outpacing big-box retail in terms of growth over the past several months.”

Although Pruitt isn’t expecting a big downturn in the fall, the situation may be-come more precarious next year. “We’re coming to the end of a normal retail cycle,” he said. “They tend to run 24 months, and

E. Tautz’s linen blazer,

Burkman Bros.’ cotton shirt

and Nuco’s cotton shorts.

Men’s WeekWWD THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011MW4

by RACHEL BROWN

RETAILER UNIONMADE IS the product of two gaps. The first is Gap Inc., which unintentionally prod-

ded Todd Barket to start Unionmade in 2009 by lay-ing him off after 19 years with the company, ascending from salesperson to senior creative director of mar-keting at Old Navy. The second is a gap that Barket sensed in the San Francisco shopping scene for a store with classic men’s fashion pieces. “There wasn’t a lot going on in men’s at the time in San Francisco, and I felt there was a hole for nice quality men’s stuff on the timeless side,” he said.

Plugging the gaps in men’s shopping and in his résumé has proven fruitful for Barket. Unionmade’s concept built upon an Americana theme with stan-dard staples for a man’s closet such as jeans, oxford cloth shirts and shoes has caught on with a segment of 20- to 65-year-old men who Barket describes as “re-ally educated consumers” that “like nice things in general all through their lives. We’ve done the work of going through the lines and really editing for them,” said Barket, who singled out Gitman Vintage, Levi’s Vintage Clothing, Filson, Alden and Saint James as among Unionmade’s best-selling brands.

Sales per square foot in the original 1,300-square-foot San Francisco store, which is a converted li-quor store at 493 Sanchez Street, were around $1,000 last year, and Barket predicts that figure will rise this year. This month, Barket plans to add another 1,000 square feet to the store to expand on its base of American merchandise as well as dabble more heavily into European brands, as well as gift, apoth-ecary and home items. Unionmade opened a smaller, 800-square-foot location at the Brentwood Country Mart in Santa Monica, Calif., in April and will open a third 1,000-square-foot unit in September at the Marin Country Mart.

Unionmade carries roughly 40 brands at its San Francisco store, and 25 at its Santa Monica one. Barket, who considers Millard “Mickey” Drexler, chairman of J. Crew, a huge influence, is, along with Ron Herman, one of the only stores in the U.S. out-side of J. Crew stores to carry J. Crew. Other brands at Unionmade include Jean Shop, Patagonia, Carhartt, Florsheim, Woolrich Woolen Mills, A.P.C., Raleigh Denim

and Oliver Spencer. The store regularly collaborates with brands, and Tellason, The Hill-Side, Golden Bear and Steele Canvas have teamed with Unionmade for pieces set to hit the store in September. An average transaction at Unionmade runs $200 to $250, accord-ing to Barket.

Jim Rosenfield, a principal at Brentwood Country Mart and Marin Country Mart owner J.S. Rosenfield & Co., was on the hunt for a multibrand men’s store for his properties when he came across Unionmade. “For the guy that dresses casually, it is all well made, well priced, exactly what the doctor ordered for these times,” he said.

The look of Unionmade stores relies upon a sim-ple, clean aesthetic Barket learned from the Gap. “The thing we have done with the stores is made them cozy. It’s a clean box, and it is a lot of white and black, and the product is the hero. When you get heavy hand-ed in store design, it takes away from the clothes,” he said. Unlike boutiques that limit the sizes of clothes on the selling floor, Barket said, “We actually have stacks of clothes you can dig through and find your size.” He explained the goal for the store to be “self-serve with good customer service.”

In the future, Barket expects Unionmade will open a store in New York. He is also developing merchan-dise under the Unionmade label with Levi’s former design director of premium brands Carl Chiara, who is his boyfriend and the co-owner of Unionmade.

Marcraft Invests in Willis & WalkerMen’s big and tall brand to hold runway show during fashion week.

Man of THE WEEK

PHOT

O BY

BRE

NDAN

SM

IALO

WSK

I/GET

TY IM

AGES

The Wall Street hero —(or goat) depending on the day — Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke keeps his cool by acing a contemporary business dress code with a touch of old-school elegance.

BEN BERNANKE: A-

by JEAN E. PALMIERI

WILLIS & WALKER is planning a full-court press for September.

The men’s big and tall brand has entered into an undisclosed “equity partnership” with Marcraft Apparel Group, its tai-lored clothing licensee and is planning a runway show in New York City during Fashion Week.

The Willis & Walker brand has been around since 1988, primarily focused on premium denim. But earlier this year, co-founder and designer, former NBA star Kevin Willis, decided to expand into a full lifestyle collection, offering everything from suits, sport coats and dress shirts to knitwear, nondenim bottoms and shoes.

To achieve these goals, Willis, who is no longer asso-ciated with his former part-ner Ralph Walker, turned to Marcraft for its apparel indus-try expertise. They will work together “to develop the over-all strategic development and brand positioning [of the brand] and explore growth opportuni-ties both domestically and inter-nationally,” the companies said.

“We met about a year ago and had discussions about the changes in the tailored clothing market,” said Gary Brody, president of Marcraft. “Younger guys are wearing suits, and everybody is getting bigger. Yes, there’s the obesity issue, but the countertrend is fitness. The customer who is buying clothing as a general statement is a more fit guy.”

As a result, Willis & Walker sees an opportunity to bring well-proportioned apparel tar-geted to the fit man 6 feet 3 inch-es and over. “There’s slim pick-ings for guys that size,” Brody

said. “Not only are they not fashion-right, they also can’t find clothing fit to their scale.”

Marcraft worked for six months to rejigger the exist-ing patterns to properly fit the target customer. A normal suit has a 6-and-a-half-inch drop, but the Willis & Walker suits will have an 8-inch drop.

Willis, who is a trim 7 feet, said the “whole feel and drape [of the Marcraft product] is to-tally different.”

“Trim-fit suits are nearly 40 percent of all suits sold over $200,” Brody said. “And it could be 50 percent of suit separates.”

Although the anchor item for Willis & Walker will be suits and suit separates, sportswear will be an impor-tant component of the collec-tion as well, the partners said. Most of that product will be produced by licensees with the exception of the denim, which will be produced by Willis & Walker.

Willis and the Marcraft team will co-manage the line and it will be shown at the Marcraft booth at the MRket show in Las Vegas later this month. The target distribution will be high-end department and specialty stores such as Boyds, Barneys New York and Neiman Marcus, which can sus-tain a business with off-the-rack suits in the $1,000 range.

To further raise its profile, the brand is planning a fash-ion show at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City on Sept. 13. Willis is expected to include some current and for-mer NBA players, including former Knick Allan Houston, or men he refers to as “brand ambassadors,” in the show.

Unionmade opened in 2009.

Unionmade Grows Doors

A look from the

Willis & Walker

collection is

worn by a model

who is 6 feet,

7 inches.

Kevin Willis flanked

by Marcraft’s Gary

and Jeff Brody.

A little Santa

Claus-y: lose it

or trim it.

Collegiate yet

conversational —

the mix of patterns

adds a chic-ness

factor.

Fits him

perfectly. The

high two-

button stance

provides an air of

youthfulness.

Width of shirt,

tie and lapel are

perfectly in sync.

Good balance

between strong and

not overpowering.

The break of the pant is the exact

right length but the shoes are too

soft. Try a British wing tip.

FOR MORE STORE PICTURES, SEE

WWD.com/retail-shows.

PHOT

OS B

Y GE

ORGE

CHI

NSEE

Men’s WeekWWD THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011MW6

this fall should be the end of the rebound cycle. We saw gains in June, exceeding ex-pectations, and we should see the same trend in July. Everything is indicating that fall will be strong as well.”

He said the situation in the U.S. today is very different than it was two years ago. “This time the markets are reacting to a purely psychological situation when it comes to the U.S. economy. Whether U.S. consum-ers hold back because of the psychological implications remains to be seen, but I don’t think it’s time to panic yet.”

He urged retailers not to “get sucked into the cycle of negativity, urging them to “con-tinue to rely on positive instincts, and real-world numbers.”

But he also recommended stores employ a contingency strategy in case sales begin to slip. First, cut 10 percent from spring open-to-buy and “negotiate approval before delivery.” If the situa-tion worsens, be ready to cut 20 percent from future orders. “Have those plans in place, but you may not need them,” he said. “One thing we do know is that some retailers can post growth even in recessions since we saw it the last time around. It’s all about timing of deliver-ies, and fresh product.”

Doug Arvanites, merchandise man-ager for men’s wear at The Doneger Group, agreed. “The economy is not in good shape. A lot of people are nervous, but there’s optimism as well. There’s a lot of newness in the market and the retailers that can give new, wearable product and not replacement items will get growth.”

Although the luxury end has been more robust of late, Arvanites said that may be because this retail tier fell more dramatically during the recession and had more room to make up. “The luxury shopper is not afraid to go shop-ping now,” he said. “Before, even if they had the money, they thought it looked insensitive. Now, they feel like they’ve earned it. People want to feel good, and apparel is a way to do that. Either that, or they go to an electronics store and buy another iPad.”

Even so, Arvanites said there is a “wide variance of performance at every level” of retailing, from high-end to moderate. The winners, regardless of price, are those who will provide cus-tomers with the right “content, service and engagement.” In men’s wear, the trend toward classic American apparel is where retailers are seeing the most action, he said. “The more Gothic looks have run their course and are winding down to the end of their cycle. Even younger consumers are wearing clean, almost preppy American sportswear.”

Madison Riley, managing director of retail consulting firm Kurt Salmon, is likewise not expecting the financial pic-ture to significantly impact men’s sales this fall. “Men are driven by replenish-ment more than desire,” he said, “so this fall, we may see improvement. Men have been cautious and eventually they may have to pull the trigger, go out and buy.”

That being said, value will continue to be a key issue, particularly for the moder-ate customer. “It will be highly promotion-al,” Riley said. “If you look at Jos. A. Bank, that’s what drives their business. It’s at a level beyond what we saw three years ago. And Kohl’s, J.C. Penney, Bank and Men’s Wearhouse know it, too.”

Eric Beder, managing director of equity research for Brean Murray, Carret & Co., is slightly less bullish. “We’re going to see fur-ther caution on the part of the consumer,” he said. “The S&P downgrade and the rest of what’s going on came as a surprise and put a capper on a season of poor economic mood.”

But while he expects the consumer to be cautious when heading out to shop this fall, he’s not expecting a significant decline.

“With men, there are two types of custom-ers,” he said, “the traditional and the fash-ion-driven twentysomething. The business with the twentysomethings will remain pret-ty strong. If he has a job, he has money and he will spend it. But the bread-and-butter, 35- to 50-year-old man will pull back.”

The winners — whether they target older or younger customers — will be retail-ers who are “different and unique,” Beder said, “someone with an edge.” By provid-ing product that consumers just cannot resist, he said, “they can still drive people to the stores.”

Beder said retailers cannot get caught

up in the economic uncertainty and have to focus instead on running their businesses every day. “They can’t pull back and be con-servative in times like this,” he said. “They have to be aggressive and offer quality mer-chandise, innovative fabrics and [alluring] color. The same-old, same-old,” he said, is a recipe for disaster.

Mark Montagna, vice president and se-nior analyst of specialty retail at Avondale Partners, believes the biggest impact on consumer spending right now is “headline risk,” or the psychological reaction custom-ers will have to the flurry of economic doom and gloom news they see in the headlines. This may hurt the higher-end customer first, but is unlikely to have a major impact on the lower tier, he believes. “Men earning

$100,000 or more look at their future based on how their stock portfolios are doing. But for the moderate customer, a lot of these people don’t own stock, so they probably won’t pull back.”

They may trade down, however. Montagna expects footwear to fare better than apparel for back-to-school. He said footwear prices rose around 5 percent while apparel is up 10 to 20 percent, so “the rela-tive value is greater.”

Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst for The NPD Group, said for the past sev-eral months, “the men’s business has been the healthiest of all businesses” but he ex-pects the latest rash of bad economic news to break some of that momentum. “It’s not normal for men’s to lead a recovery,” he said.

However, the consumer has proven quite resilient, despite what Cohen calls the “dis-tractions” that have arisen.

“Gas hit $4 a gallon and the consumer didn’t falter,” he said. The weather has wreaked havoc around the country, and “it still hasn’t slowed the men’s consumer.” Shoppers have also absorbed the 6 percent, on average, increase in apparel prices. “But we’re going into fall with a major thorn in our side. Most consumers are not affected by what’s happening in the market, but it may stifle any growth opportunities in the job market and cause companies to put the brakes on for another month or two. So, un-less something dramatic happens and chang-es the confidence of the consumers, we will see slippage and the men’s market will expe-

rience less growth.”But the primary reasons for the strength

in the men’s business remains. “Men, young and old, recognize that they need to look better to get or keep a job. And when they have a job, they need to look the part to keep it. So that’s an opportunity. But we’re also heading into an election year in 2012, and that could be a further distraction come June. So I think we’ll see a pullback short-term, a recovery for holiday and another pullback next year.”

Frank Tworecke, group president of sportswear for The Warnaco Group Inc., was actually upbeat about the moderate market.

“We’re still very optimistic about the op-portunity that exists in the middle tier, both the potential for expansion of market share

of brands as well as gains for the midti-er itself. It’s a critical piece in shopping patterns — they clearly provide value and they clearly provide convenience in access to the store and, once you’re in a store like Kohl’s, ease of shopping. The midtier has developed its fashion quotient, too — both with brands that have been developed and nurtured by those retailers and also through ex-clusives. They’re a powerful engine for growth. At Warnaco, the Warner’s, Speedo and Chap brands marry well to the strategic direction being played out in the midtier.”

During the company’s recently second-quarter earnings call, Helen McCluskey, chief operating officer of Warnaco, said Speedo posted a small sales increase but an operating mar-gin near 22 percent. Chaps, which is an anchor of the men’s business at Kohl’s, was hurt in the second quarter by mark-downs taken to clear inventory and late Father’s Day sales, prompting “aggres-sive promotions” to clear inventory.

John Tulin, chairman and chief ex-ecutive officer of Swank Inc., said: “The tier-two department stores have really done a tremendous job of understand-ing [their] customer. They understand what the economics are very, very well, and what they’ve tried to do is bring fashion into the mix very strongly but at a very affordable level. They don’t allow their vendors to spit on quality. When a guy walks into a store — with all the pressures and price increases and job pressures on them — be as friendly and understanding as possible. The Kohl’s and Penney’s people of the world are good merchants, and I think they know how to handle it. They know they can’t approach the consumer as someone who’s going to be back if the shirt goes out of style in a few months. Kohl’s — as well as Penney’s, Macy’s, Belk and several others — doesn’t panic after a bad month or even an economic crisis, but they take a much longer view and a much more broad-based approach to how to run their businesses. They don’t react month to month or even season to season. You may have a debt crisis or a downgrade or a stock market contrac-

tion, but you can’t base your business on that. The companies that are still around and still doing business do a good job of partnering with their vendors. A lot of those who aren’t made it impossible to do business.”

Doug Ewert, ceo of Men’s Wearhouse, summed the situation up this way: “Our customers are responding well to our as-sortments and value proposition. Among the categories doing well are big and tall (all categories) as well as suits, sport coats, pants and dress shirts. Looking forward to fall, we believe we have our inventory dollars invest-ed in the right products and a promotional strategy that communicates our compelling value proposition.”

— WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM ARNOLD J. KARR AND ALEXANDRA STEIGRAD

MERCHANTS ENCOURAGED TO EMBRACE UNIQUE PRODUCT

{Continued from page MW1}

Buffalo’s jacket and Dickies’ shirt, both in cotton. Arnold Zimberg scarf.

PHOT

O BY

ELI

SCH

MID

T

Men’s WeekMW8 WWD THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

FashionOASISLas Vegas exhibitors are drawing inspiration from a joyful sabbatical for spring. Softly constructed blazers, textured linen safari jackets, garment-washed detailing and a vintage ethnic-print explosion are the key trends for this season’s young explorer’s wardrobe. — Alex Badia

Amongst Friends’ jacket, CPT

by Cockpit USA’s shirt, Saint

James’ sweater and Adriano

Goldschmied’s pants, all in cotton.

Alternative Apparel’s jacket,

Lightning Bolt’s tank top and

Levi’s Made & Crafted’s pants,

all in cotton.

Christopher Fischer’s sweater

and Nuco’s shorts, both in cotton.

Arnold Zimberg scarf.

Just a Cheap Shirt’s cotton jacket,

Tallia Orange’s linen blazer,

Diesel’s cotton T-shirt and

Onia’s polyester swim trunks.

Men’s Week MW9WWD THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

Photos by ELI SCHMIDT

MOD

ELS:

NIC

K S.

, HEL

GE, R

USSE

LL A

ND C

HRIS

TIAN

P. @

VNY

MOD

EL M

ANAG

EMEN

T; H

AIR

BY M

ARTI

N-CH

RIST

OPHE

R HA

RPER

AT

KATE

RYA

N IN

C. F

OR R

EDKE

N; M

AKEU

P BY

MAR

K ED

IO; F

ASHI

ON A

SSIS

TANT

: LUI

S CA

MPU

ZANO

; FAS

HION

INTE

RNS:

JEN

NIFE

R PE

NAFL

OR A

ND K

ATE

BROW

N

Men’s WeekMW10 WWD THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

Ambiguous’ jacket,

Ben Sherman’s

blazer, W.R.K. T-shirt

and Scott James’

shorts, all in cotton.

Barbour’s jacket,

Robinson Les Bains’

sweater and Aviator

Nation’s denim

shorts, all in cotton.

Men’s WeekMW12 WWD THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

Perfecto by Schott NYC’s

jacket, Rogan’s T-shirt

and Plain Jane Homme

pants, all in cotton.

Lucky Brand scarf.

by DAVID LIPKE and JEAN E. PALMIERI

HABITUALAfter several years without a men’s line, Los Angeles-based Habitual will re-launch men’s denim for spring, showing at ENK Vegas. The collection empha-sizes clean, modern looks in black, gray, dark indigo and medium indigo shades.

“It’s a very tailored and sophisticated look with a European aesthetic,” said Jennifer Wojinski, design director for both men’s and women’s at Habitual. “It’s more of a city look than the vintage look a lot of other brands are going for these days.”

Retail prices will range from $175 to $195 for basic washes to $225 for jeans with slight abrasion and $325 for a selvage style. Jean jackets are $275, with a jazzed-up version with leather sleeves at $575. All the product is made in Habitual’s own factory in Los Angeles from European-sourced fabrics, includ-ing some stretch blends.

The men’s jeans come in a skinny fit, slim straight, regular straight and relaxed boot. Black-and-white details adorn the collection, such as a white bar tack on the rear center belt loop and a black leather back patch with white stitching on the sides. Habitual has just started showing the men’s line to retailers and it has so far been picked up by American Rag and LASC.

Habitual was originally founded by Michael and Nicole Colovos but went bankrupt in 2008. Current owners Bobby and Teal Ahn acquired the brand from Pacific Marketing Works and brought on Wojinski as the new design director this past January.

DUCK HEADAsk any self-respecting Southerner to name their favorite khaki slacks and the name Duck Head is sure to be mentioned. The brand traces its history back to 1865 when two Nashville brothers, George and Joe O’Bryan, turned duck, heavy canvas sur-plus used for Army tents, into sturdy work pants and overalls. The company’s pants with their mallard duck logo became a wardrobe staple and the company changed hands several times over the years until being sold to Goody’s, a Southern retailer, in 2003. Goody’s itself fell on hard times

and went out of business in 2009. The Duck Head name was auctioned off and pur-chased by a group headed by Virginia inves-tor Ross Sternheimer. He brought on board Bill Reese, who worked for the brand for 22 years, to serve as president of Duck Head Apparel Co., and moved the headquarters back to Nashville.

For spring, Duck Head will return to the market, offering an updated lifestyle collection that is rooted in khaki pants and shorts, augmented by polos, woven shirts, tees, caps, accessories and foot-wear. The line will be shown at MAGIC.

“We started from scratch,” said Scott McFadden, executive vice president of Duck Head. “It needed to be updated. Goody’s was putting a duck on anything and everything, and we wanted to make a quality product.”

The initial focus will be on basics, with pleated or flat-front pants in multiple col-ors for $49 retail. Shorts average $43 and will be offered in seersucker, plaids and

other updated patterns. Polos are $38 to $45 and T-shirts are $20 to $22.

McFadden said Duck Head is expect-ing its first push to Southern retailers and is targeting stores such as Belk, J.C. Penney and Stage Stores, which pur-chased the Goody’s name.

AIREDALENamed for the breed of dog — the largest in the terrier family — Airedale is a new brand launching for spring at the Project show. The company was founded by Los Angeles-based custom tailor Waraire Bo-swell, who is known for outfitting a slew of top NBA players. One such player, who prefers to remain anonymous, is a silent financial backer of Boswell’s new collec-tion of preppy-tinged, casual sportswear.

Boswell has tapped two industry vet-erans who now run their own consulting firm, Eric Sorensen and Todd Katz, to head up the merchandising and planning of Airedale, which is based in New York. Sorensen spent a good portion of his ca-reer at Mossimo, both before and after it was licensed to Target, while Katz is an alumnus of The North Face and the New Balance apparel line.

Airedale emphasizes classic styles in high-quality fabrics, with precise details

like bias-taped finishing on pants and French seams on shirts. Standout items in the first spring collection include a double-layer, gauze-weight Japanese cotton shirt in a vivid plaid; chinos in a crisp, non-sanded cotton with a straight leg; a waxed cotton cagoul jacket, and a half-zip, seersucker pullover with terry cloth lining — perfect for après-swim.

Retail prices are $160 to $200 for shirts, $110 to $140 for shorts, $150 to $200 for pants, $150 to $180 for cotton-cashmere sweaters and $200 to $300 for jackets. Swimwear comes in four styles in various color options and ranges from $140 to $175.

As Boswell himself is 6 feet, 7 inches tall — and that unnamed NBA star is a backer of the line — Airedale offers ev-erything in two fits: a regular fit and a “royal” one, which is cut for taller cus-tomers but keeps the lean silhouette.

“In the marketplace now, it’s diffi-cult to find fashionable product for tall guys as the trend has been to cut small for these types of brands. Our royal fit is meant for that tall, athletic guy who still wants to look fashionable,” said Katz.

MR. KIMNew York-based milliner Eugenia Kim will relaunch her men’s collection for spring at the Workroom show (an offshoot of Project) under the Mr. Kim brand. For the revamped line, she’s tapped new cre-ative director Gordon Hull, co-founder of the hip design collective Surface to Air. The line was formerly sold under the Eugenia Kim name, but Kim decided to create a separate, more masculine iden-tity for the men’s collection — including a new e-commerce site at Mrkimnewyork.com that will launch in January.

For spring, the collection encom-passes fedoras in hemp or straw with contrast silk ribbon details, newsboys in eye-catching ikat patterns, driving caps in waxed linen or brushed cotton, and basic baseball styles with faded “Cuba” logos. The collection was inspired by Ernest Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea,” noted Kim.

“Gordon has a huge personal collec-tion of hats and he has a really interesting point of view as he’s such a hat guy,” said Kim of her new partnership with Hull.

Wholesale prices range from $35 for the baseball caps to $105 for a fedora with twisted jute cord details and embel-lished with feathers and charms. Kim lowered prices by about 30 percent from her previous men’s collection under the Eugenia Kim name.

Kim is an accomplished milliner, first launching her label in 1998 out of her East Village apartment and grow-ing it to stores like Barneys New York, Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale’s, Net-a-Porter and Saks Fifth Avenue, in addition to more than 200 specialty boutiques worldwide. She

Men’s Week

Winning HandsA number of men’s labels are launching or relaunching at the upcoming Las Vegas trade shows this month. Here, a sextet of new or returning men’s collections vying for attention.

MW14 WWD THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

Airedale

Habitual

Mr. Kim

Duck Head

won the CFDA Perry Ellis award for ac-cessories design in 2004 and her hats have been used on runway shows for Ralph Lauren, Catherine Malandrino, Diane von Furstenberg, Donna Karan and Michael Kors. Kim has also collabo-rated with Coach, Opening Ceremony, Urban Outfi tters and Target on hat lines.

ARNIETiger Woods isn’t the only legendary golfer on the comeback trail. Thanks to a newly inked license with Quagmire Golf, Arnold Palmer will also be making a re-turn for spring — on store shelves at least.

A new apparel collection, which will be marketed under the Arnie name, will make its debut at the PGA Expo. It will have a vintage feel and is inspired by what Palmer wore in the Fifties, Sixties and Seventies. In fact, according to Quagmire co-founder Geoff Tait, the de-sign team literally took a pair of Sixties-era pants from Palmer’s closet and re-created them. The only difference is that the fabrics are contemporary and offer performance attributes that didn’t exist then.

Tait said Palmer was quite involved in the design of the collection, which had been absent from the American market for more than a year after the former license was dissolved. Quagmire even added a cotton/poly-ester blend sweater and a polo with a semihard collar after specifi c requests from the legendary golfer.

“We showed the designs to Mr. Palmer and his camp and they were pleased,” he said. “His daughter was with us step-by-step to make sure the col-lection met the integrity of her father.”

The fi rst delivery will be Fifties-inspired, with short plackets, small

collars and shorter sleeves; pants will be fi tted. The Sixties-era collection will have wider legs and collars, while the Seventies collection will have a more modern sensibility.

Polos will range from $59 to $79, bot-toms will retail for $79 to $89 and sweat-ers will be $99 to $109, Tait said. All the products will feature Palmer’s signature umbrella logo with the Arnie name. The collection will initially be targeted to bet-ter green grass retailers and high-end golf shops, but Tait said the plan is to “build the brand,” and eventually it may be offered to large golf-specifi c retailers as well.

DEFIANCE USAChristopher Wicks is a rock ’n’ roll guy. The founder of Defi ance USA has creat-ed a business combining his passion for music with his apparel industry prow-ess. The London-born entrepreneur, who considers himself a child of the Sixties, started out as a designer of men’s formal

shirts at the age of 22. Over the years, he steered more toward sportswear and eventually launched English Laundry, whose motto is “The Crossroads of fash-ion, rock and all things English.”

He has acquired the license for both Fender and Jimi Hendrix apparel as well as Designs Inspired by the Art of John Lennon, a collection derived from the artwork and personal style of the former Beatle.

“A day without music is a day without inspiration,” Wicks said. “My obsessions with music and fashion go hand in hand, and a clothing line exemplifying the aura and artwork of the brilliant John Lennon is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. Both as a life-long fan and a design-er, I have great respect for his music, art, style and his message.”

Defiance also has the rights for English Heroes, featuring lyrics from Lennon and Paul McCartney.

Lena Hermansson, design director of Defi ance USA, said the John Lennon line for spring will skew heavily to-ward printed T-shirts with about 20 percent of the mix devoted to classic woven shirts. “Everything is based on his art,” she said. “And it was all looked at and approved by Yoko [Ono]. It’s very much a tribute to John.”

The spring offerings will feature reverse and all-over prints, classic pinstripes and collar-less shirts. The T-shirts retail in the $40 range while

the wovens range from $89 to $112.The Lennon/McCartney collection is

also primarily statement T-shirts, such as “All You Need Is Love.” Hermansson

said: “That’s really all you need to say.”The Defi ance booth at MAGIC will

also offer a new brand called Vintage Concert Ts and the relaunch of the DaVinci lifestyle brand.

Men’s Week MW15WWD THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011

A look from the

John Lennon line.

Arnie