The World’s 10 Most Powerful Luxury Brands” y 11 mas

The World’s 10 Most Powerful Luxury Brands
Why Don’t More Women Wear Bell Bottoms?
Miu Miu is the Cat’s Meow and Zara Thinks So, Too
Fashion Law at Fordham
Would You Rather…? Ladylike Bags
First Look: Elizabeth Kiester for Madewell
Gilt Groupe’s Domination Continues with the Launch of Gilt City
H&M’s Musical Moment
Fashion News Roundup: Daria Does Dossier Nude, Bidding Wars & LV’s iPad Sleeve
Step Inside Miu Miu’s Haunted Parisian House
Neiman Marcus CEO Burt Tansky Will Retire This Year
Anna Sui’s Coming Out With a New Line of Tights

The World’s 10 Most Powerful Luxury Brands

Posted: 28 Apr 2010 04:00 AM PDT

Last year was rough for luxury brands. While mass fashion labels and retailers began to feel the effects of the recession as early as 2007, luxury retailers were isolated for a bit longer. Those circumstances made 2009 a challenge.

That’s why very few gained value on Millward Brown Optimor’s annual list of the World’s Most Powerful Brands, released this morning. (A little background: Millward Brown is part of WPP, a massive company that’s made up of a bunch of advertising firms, including Grey and Ogilvy & Mather. Optimor does brand analysis for many of these firms.)

Fashionista chatted with Millward Brown Optimor director Pierre Dupreelle, who worked on the list. Dupreelle explained that while the luxury category was down overall by 3%, it’s still an exciting place to be. Brands like Burberry and Prada–which didn’t make the top ten this year–made strides in digital marketing. What’s more, brands like Louis Vuitton and Hermes actually did better than last year.

Why is that? Well, brands that focused on heritage and history instead of high fashion did better. Louis Vuitton’s travel campaign, Gucci’s appraisal partnership with Christie’s and Hermès’ sponsorship of a horse competition in Paris served them well. “They’ve been very quick to respond and recenter their brand positioning.”

Here are the top ten most powerful luxury brands in the world, according to Millward Brown:

1. Louis Vuitton
Last year’s ranking: 1
Overall Brand Value: up 2% to $19.78 billion
Louis Vuitton’s focus on its heritage as a travel brand helped it to retain its core customer–the jet setter.

2. Hermès
Last year’s ranking: 2
Overall Brand Value: up 8% to $8.46 billion
The majority of Hermès is still family-owned (71% is family; 29% is public shares), which means it has the luxury of taking risks when it wants to and staying the course when it doesn’t. For instance, the company–which also owns shoemaker John Lobb–chose at the end of 2009 to buy Shang Xia, a new brand based in China tailored to the Chinese consumer. What’s more, not only does the company charge far more for its handmade leather bags than its competitors, it also keeps tight control on who can sell those bags. (That’s why you shouldn’t find Hermès leather goods anywhere but its own retail boutiques.) This year, the firm also chose to focus on its heritage, sponsoring a horse competition in Paris.

3. Gucci
Last year’s ranking: 3
Overall Brand Value: up 2% to $7.59 billion
Gucci’s partnership with Christie’s–in which the firm appraises vintage Gucci luggage and handbags–gave it a one-up on its competitors. Now, the PPR-owned luxury goods maker has a tighter control its secondary market.

4. Chanel
Last year’s ranking: 4
Overall Brand Value: down 11% to $5.55 billion
Chanel’s dip in brand value is a sign of the times, according to Millward Brown Optimor director Pierre Dupreelle. During the recession, consumers turned to more practical products. While Chanel still attracted many with its classic quilted bags, cosmetics and fragrances, those determined to buy just a few investment pieces stayed away from the ready-to-wear. However, Dupreelle feels that consumers are looking for some newness in 2010, which Karl Lagerfeld always brings to the runway. He predicts the fashion house will see an uptick over the next couple of years.

5. Hennessy
Last year’s ranking: 6
Overall Brand Value: down 1% to $5.37 billion
This LVMH-owned cognac brand is ultra popular in China.

6. Rolex
Last year’s ranking: 5
Overall Brand Value: down 14% to $4.74 billion
Rolex, along with many other high-end watch and jewelry makers, suffered greatly throughout the recession.

7. Moët & Chandon
Last year’s ranking: 8
Overall Brand Value: down 12% to $4.28 billion
While it’s not as strong as it once was, Moët is still the top champagne brand.

8. Cartier
Last year’s ranking: 7
Overall Brand Value: down 19% to $3.96 billion
Cartier’s dip in sales affected its ranking. The Richemont-owned brand reported lower sales through its own boutiques and a more severe decline in sales to third party retailers.

9. Fendi
Last year’s ranking: 9
Overall Brand Value: down 8% to $3.20 billion
Fendi, which is pretty much only known for its string of hit “It” bags here in the US, has an incredible presence in Asia. LVMH is aiming to position the brand, whose ready-to-wear line is designed by Karl Lagerfeld, as its answer to Gucci.

10. Tiffany & Co.
Last year’s ranking: unranked
Overall Brand Value: up 6% to $2.38 billion
While Tiffany didn’t even rank on last year’s list, the brand was heralded in 2009 for its refusal to discount, as well as its plans for expansion in both Asia and Western Europe.

Why Don’t More Women Wear Bell Bottoms?

Posted: 27 Apr 2010 04:15 PM PDT

Skinny jeans are fantastic, but nothing makes a woman—any woman—look as tall, skinny and leggy as a pair of proper bell bottoms.

This does not include wide-leg jeans, or slightly flared jeans, but only the insanely flattering ’70s silhouette in which denim hugs your thighs all the way down to your knees and then flares out so dramatically that it covers the whole of your foot, and then some.

I asked Emily Current and Meritt Elliot—the genius designers behind Current/Elliot—if they’d be making some of that kind of bell bottom for fall.

“Of course! We always make bell bottoms,” they promised.

But those bell bottoms never make it into stores, at least not that I’ve seen, and they were kind enough to give me a sample. I wore them on Friday, with the requisite six inch wedge, and felt like a supermodel (or as close to a supermodel as I’ll ever feel). Kate said she’d never even considered wearing bell bottoms, but now they’d moved to the top of her shopping list and Lauren, who says she doesn’t have hips and only looks good in skinnies, wants a true bell bottom, too.

Have you found the perfect cut?

Miu Miu is the Cat’s Meow and Zara Thinks So, Too

Posted: 27 Apr 2010 03:33 PM PDT

Miuccia Prada's SS10 collection for Miu Miu was one the most memorable and well-loved collections from spring. It adorned (and continues to adorn) the pages of nearly every editorial on newsstands. So it’s no surprise that the collection's pretty printed pieces have influenced more than just editors and stylists.

Zara’s taken a liking to the collection, as well. Nitrolicious posted some images from their May look book, and we stumbled across this during our daily blog reading.

The designers at Zara ditched the embellished dresses and cut-out blouses for more simple construction: a short romper and bodysuit—which we admit, are much more wearable. But as one commenter noted, the cat print and the color ways are “literally the same”.

The best part: Zara topped it off with a shirtless collar.

Click through to see a larger image!

Fashion Law at Fordham

Posted: 27 Apr 2010 02:22 PM PDT

I attended the panel discussion on "Asian Americans in the Fashion Industry" at Columbia University this past Sunday evening. Joe Zee, Phillip Lim, Carol Lim & Humberto Leon (co-founders of Opening Ceremony), Tina Chai and other fashion notables spoke to a packed auditorium of students. They all wanted to know one thing: how to break into the industry.

One young woman in the audience was already working as a lawyer. She wasn't happy and she was concerned about the feasibility of switching professions so late. Tina Chai (who had done an internship at a law firm) and Carol Lim (who had been an investment banker) both encouraged her to pursue a career in fashion law, a field that is getting more complex. It appears that a gap in the industry is now being addressed.

Fordham Law School’s creating a new Fashion Law Institute, the first such center ever dedicated to fashion law. Its mission will be two-fold: to train lawyers who are interested in representing the fashion industry and to provide support to emerging designers and students.

The CFDA’s providing financial backing to the Institute and Diane von Furstenberg told WWD, "We need lawyers, and it's very nice to have people who want to specialize in law for the fashion business."

The Institute will also dispense free legal advice to students and designers. Designers and the creative forces behind fashion are going to need to be fluent in the language of the business and this Institute sounds like it will be an invaluable resource for them in this awful economic environment.

Would You Rather…? Ladylike Bags

Posted: 27 Apr 2010 01:29 PM PDT

Would you rather carry Chloe’s Louise or shoulder Celine’s simple satchel?

First Look: Elizabeth Kiester for Madewell

Posted: 27 Apr 2010 12:31 PM PDT

If you don’t already know Elizabeth Kiester’s story, read this.

But to sum it up, the former fashion editor fell in love with Cambodia, picked up and left New York for Cambodia, and opened her own shop, Wanderlust. Said shop caught the attention of quite a few people, including a friend who worked at Madewell. And now, just one years later, the two have teamed up for a collaboration—Wanderlust for Madewell.

The thing about Wanderlust though, is that everything’s made by hand by local women. So how does that translate into enough stock to fill a Broadway store? We asked Elizabeth. Her answers, and a first look at the collection, after the jump!

You’re in Cambodia & Madewell’s in New York, how did this all come together?

A great friend of mine works at Madewell, and last summer, she asked me if I could make some of Wanderlust’s recycled eco friendship bracelets for the Madewell store opening in East Hampton. So we made a bunch,and they sold like mad, and it got the attention of Mickey Drexler, the awesomely cool big boss at Madewell & J.Crew, and well…here we are!

How did you decide on these pieces? Did you start with the fabric or the shapes?

I showed the design team a bunch of silhouettes that I thought would be cool for Madewell and we whittled it down to two dress styles that we all agreed reflected the spirit of both Madewell and Wanderlust. And we knew the eco bracelets HAD to be included, of course! So we did those in new patterns and colors and the rest of the accessories were fun to do. We just went crazy, “let’s do flip flops!”, “how about scarves?!” We just wanted to build upon the happiness and joy we felt the dresses and the bracelets emitted and expressed.

Does this collection overlap with what you sell in your stores in Cambodia?
Yes, these are some of my signature styles, but we did exclusive colors and patterns for Madewell. We dyed the sarongs to match the colors in their denim program for summer, and the hand woven scarves, too—they match the entire Madewell range. It’s very very Madewell with a Wanderlust wink.

What was the biggest challenge, the hardest part of this collaboration?

Time! In New York, everything is “fast, fast, faster!!!!!!” In Cambodia, it’s “slow down, breathe, take it easy…” the west and the east work in very different ways and I am a hybrid of both now! Every single thing in the Wanderlust for Madewell collection is done by hand, by a young woman who takes her time to really hone in on her craft. There are no factories being used, no machines pumping out scarves, no robots packaging bracelets. Every item is a work of art done by a human being, and that involves time and care and attention to detail. There is love and care and hope in every stitch, in every buttonhole, in every tag, in every fringe on every scarf and that is beautiful. Beautiful things sometimes take time.

Gilt Groupe’s Domination Continues with the Launch of Gilt City

Posted: 27 Apr 2010 11:29 AM PDT

Sometimes, we’re really jealous of those who initially invested in flash sales site Gilt Groupe back in 2007.

Why? Because after a fast ascent to the top of the online retail mountain, the company continues to dominate the scene with new products, including Gilt Man, Gilt Fuse, travel deals Web site Jetsetter, an iPhone app and, most recently, an iPad app. And while several sources inside the company say that talk of a private label is false, it’s always a possibility….

But right now, the company is focusing on Gilt City, a new leg of the site that offers deals on restaurants, salons and other lifestyle businesses throughout New York City.

Gilt City is being compared by techies to Groupon, a very popular sales site that offers discounts on products if a certain amount of people sign up. But it’s different because, while there’s a limited quantity available in each deal, it doesn’t require a minimal amount of participants. And of course, the offers are a bit more high end. Initial deals have included 50% off dinner at Rouge Tomate and 50% off packages at Vartali Salon, a midtown spot beloved by Gilt founder Alexandra Wilkis Wilson.

If Gilt City is successful in New York, it’ll expand to other metropolises.

Of course, all this good news about Gilt is exciting, but the company still has its faults. One of which is its insane return policy, highlighted today on Racked National.

But as Gilt moves in the direction of going public, it’s likely that issue will be resolved.

H&M’s Musical Moment

Posted: 27 Apr 2010 10:30 AM PDT

Coachella may be long gone, but for those lucky enough to follow the festival circuit there’s still Bonnaroo, Glastonbury and Roskilde—and now you can have your very own leopard print tent to tote along.

H&M’s launched their festival collection and snagged Lou Doillon and Lizzie Jagger to star in the campaign, shot by Dan Martensen. Aside from the tent, there’s a sleeping bag and plenty of fringed tees and bags to land you a spot on some street style blog somewhere. But if you’d rather be on stage than on the grass, you can sign up for H&M’s battle of the bands.

The winning band will get to perform live at the Fashion Against AIDS launch party in New York May 19. Band members will also win gift cards and a trip to New York. How to enter, after the jump!

1. Upload a video of your band playing to Youtube.
2. Submit your band name and the video link here.
3. Wait until May 8, when they name the top ten finalists—and hope that you’re one!

Fashion News Roundup: Daria Does Dossier Nude, Bidding Wars & LV’s iPad Sleeve

Posted: 27 Apr 2010 09:25 AM PDT

We Dream of Daria: Daria Werbowy strips down for Dossier Journal’s spring issue. The spread was styled by Turner and shot by Cass Bide in the supermodel’s NYC loft. {Fashion Gone Rogue}

Going once, Going Twice: The auction for a week-long internship at Vogue, including face time with Anna Wintour, ends Thursday. {Charity Buzz}

Got it Covered: Leave it Louis to debut the first designer iPad accessory: a simple sleeve available in both the Monogram print or the Damier Graphite. {GQ}

Home Sweet Home: Refinery29 went inside stylist Masha Orlov’s eclectic apartment. Masha shows off her closet and talks about her favorite stores, style and daily inspiration. {Refinery29}

Quiet On the Set: Sean O, Christian Brylle, Siri Tollerød and Meghan Collison star in a behind-the-scenes video of of Sebastian Faena's recent VMAN shoot. And it’s much more exciting than the resulting editorial. {Fashionisto}

Step Inside Miu Miu’s Haunted Parisian House

Posted: 27 Apr 2010 08:50 AM PDT

Miu Miu held its Autumn/Winter 2010 show at 47, Avenue Foch in Paris. The grandiose mansion was littered with spongy purple seats, the walls were lined in mirror and the winding staircase draped in a purple and orange carpet. Willy Vanderperre filmed Lindsay Wixson and Mariacarla Boscono playing ghosts for AnOther Magazine. And stylist Olivier Rizzo summed it up with, “Lindsey's character is young and playful, open to discovering new territories in her black silk and wool dresses and coats with silk and metal flowers and bows and Mariacarla is there to guide her into the pleasures of adulthood, in her violet mohair fur, warm and comforting.”

Regardless of who’s playing what, it’s beautiful.

Neiman Marcus CEO Burt Tansky Will Retire This Year

Posted: 27 Apr 2010 07:49 AM PDT

The world of luxury retail changed forever last night when Neiman Marcus announced group CEO Burt Tansky would retire in October 2010.

Tansky, at the helm since 2001, is 72 and has been with the company since 1989. He’ll be succeeded by Karen W. Katz, who is currently president and CEO of Neiman Marcus.

A little explanation of the company’s structure: The group consists of both Neiman’s and Bergdorf Goodman, which is currently run by James J. Gold, who has been promoted to President of Specialty Retail, a new position. Gold will be responsible for merchandising and operations for the 41 Neiman Marcus stores as well as Bergdorf’s.

While Tansky’s retirement is anything but shocking, in some ways it still marks “an end of an era.”

The company, owned by private equity firms Warburg Pincus and TPG Capital (formerly known as Texas Pacific Group) since 2005, has proved stable in a sea of unstable department stores, much to the credit of Tansky. There’s no doubting these firms want to eventually take Neiman’s public, and Katz, whose worked for the company since 1985, is most likely the best person to lead it through an IPO.

Anna Sui’s Coming Out With a New Line of Tights

Posted: 27 Apr 2010 06:59 AM PDT

Are you an Anna Sui girl? Good news: There’s yet another chance to buy into the New York icon’s beautiful world.

The designer has teamed up with Leg Resource to create a collection of tights inspired by her runway collection. (The hosiery company already produces lines for designers like Anne Klein and Betsey Johnson.)

The range, which hits stores this fall, is priced between $20 and $40 (you might have noticed them on Sui’s Fall/Winter 2010 runway).

Sui should be pleased–these are the kinds of licensing deals that not only help a designer gain exposure on mass level, but also prove lucrative, since they’re typically produced for several seasons.