DAILY EDITION 1 APRIL 2016

Remembering
Zaha Hadid

The fashion world recalls

the renowned architect,
who died Thursday at
age 65. PAGE 4
Fashion. Beauty. Business.

To Sir,
With
Love
FASHION

LONDON Beyonc and Sir Philip Green on

Thursday unveiled the fruits of their venture,
an activewear/streetwear line called Ivy Park
that will bow worldwide on April 14. The
megastar revealed the name via a YouTube
video, an outtake of which is seen here. My
goal with Ivy Park is to push the boundaries of
athleticwear and to support and inspire women
who understand that beauty is more than your
physical appearance, Beyonc told WWD.
For more, see pages 5 and 6.

denim
IN D

H D

ENI M
E PT

beyond the blues

An Advertising Opportunity

Issue: April 20
Ad Close: April 6
Materials: April 18

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT PAMELA FIRESTONE, ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

AT 212 256 8103 OR PFIRESTONE@WWD.COM

1 APRIL 2016

RETAIL

Shandong Ruyi to
Buy SMCP Majority

The private equity giant

Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.
will retain a minority stake.
BY MILES SOCHA

PARIS Chinese textile concern Shandong

Ruyi Group said it would ramp up global
expansion of Sandro, Maje and Claudie
Pierlot, particularly in Asia, as it acquired a
controlling interest in the three hot fashion
chains.
WWD reported on March 29 that the private equity giant Kohlberg Kravis Roberts &
Co., which owns 70 percent of the retailers
corporate parent, SMCP, was close to a
deal.
KKR is to retain a minority interest in the
group, the three firms said in a joint press
release, noting they had signed an exclusivity agreement for the acquisition.
Financial terms were not disclosed and
the parties noted that transaction remains
subject to works council consultation and
customary regulatory approvals.
The deal has been estimated at 1.3 billion
euros, or $1.45 billion, including debt,
giving new standing to Shandong Ruyi,
relatively unknown to several U.S.-based
fashion dealmakers. Its the latest in a wave
of acquisitions by deep-pocketed Chinese
firms. The group Anbang, for example, was
in a multibillion dollar bidding war with
Marriott Hotels for Starwood but pulled out
on Thursday.
Chinese fashion companies have been
strong on production capacity, but generally havent committed to buying global
brands, despite being on the hunt for years.

Majes 2,000-square-foot store at

114 Spring Street in New York.

Shandong said it would retain SMCPs

design and creative teams in Paris along
with its current strategy and organizational structure, while benefiting from
the global retailing expertise of its new
shareholder.
Parisians Evelyne Chtrite and Judith Milgrom founded Sandro and Maje in 1984 and
1998, respectively, while Claudie Pierlot set
up her business in 1984.
Shandong chairman Yafu Qiu called
the acquisition a significant step in its

ambition to become a leader in the fully

integrated textiles and fashion business
both in China and globally.
He added that Shandong would help
SMCP achieve its long-term objective of
becoming a global leader in accessible
luxury.
Daniel Lalonde, president and chief
executive of SMCP, noted the chains would
continue to expand in Europe, North America, Middle East and, particularly, Asia,
leveraging Shandongs expertise.
J.P. Morgan advised Shandong Ruyi and
underwrote the associated debt transaction
financing while Bank of America Merrill
Lynch and UBS acted as financial advisers
to SMCP and KKR.
Last October, KKR began evaluating
strategic options for the company and
had been looking to raise up to $190 million
by listing at least a part of SMCP on the
Euronext Paris stock exchange, potentially
in June. That now seems a tactic to flush
out buyers and speed the sale process. KKR
bought the business in 2013.
Earlier this month, SMCP reported its
2015 revenues vaulted 33 percent to 675
million euros, or $748 million at average
exchange rates, while earnings before interest, taxes, deprecation and amortization
advanced 44 percent to 107 million euros,
or $118 million.
The 1,118-door business operated in 33
countries at the end of 2015 and is gunning
to add between 80 and 100 stores this year.
Lalonde recently called out the potential
of the Chinese market, forecasting that
between 2011 and 2020 the number of
households entering the middle class there
could grow to 85 million from 33 million.
They represent new customers for us, he
said.
Thats familiar territory, though, for
Shandong, which makes and sells woolen
textile goods in China and internationally.
The Jining-based company markets its
products under the Ruyi brand name and
boasts more than 3,000 points of sale in
Asia Pacific alone.

Movado
Hands in Good
Quarter, but
Lowers Outlook

Movado Red Label

Calendomatic With
Small Seconds.

WWD rounds up the best

top-handle day bags for Fall
2016 from the New York,
London, Milan and Paris
collections.
Beyonc1s Run: Singer
Reveals Ivy Park, Her
New Collection With
Sir Philip Green

Zaha Hadid Dies at 65

Halle Berry Joins
Instagram and Twitter

As of close March 31, 2016

ADVANCERS
Vince Holding Corp.
+8.67%

BY DEBRA BORCHARDT

Maje photograph by Steve Eichner; Bag by Xavier Granet

The 30 Best
Top-Handle
Bags of
Fall 2016

Global Stock Tracker

The watchmaker beat analysts

estimates for Q4, but the
lowered guidance caused the
stock to tumble.

Movado Group Inc. stock is falling after

the watchmaker reported that it beat
analyst estimates for the fourth quarter,
but then guided below consensus for fiscal
year 2017.
Net income for the quarter was $7.9
million, or 34 cents a diluted share, up
from $10.1 million, or 40 cents, a year ago.
Adjusted earnings per share totaled 40
cents and was 1 cent above the 39 cents
that FactSet projected.
Net sales for the three months ended
Jan. 30 increased 7 percent to $143.3
million from $133.9 million a year earlier.
The FactSet estimate was for sales of $139
million in the quarter. For the full year,
the companys net sales rose 1.4 percent
to $594.9 million compared to $587 million in fiscal 2015.
Our sales increase of 5.5 percent on
a constant currency basis, gross margin
expansion and adjusted operating income
growth of 3.7 percent in fiscal 2016 reflect
our ability to navigate and execute in a

ON WWD.COM

They Are Wearing: Paris

Fashion Week, Spring 2016

BUSINESS

TOP 5
TRENDING

Luen Thai Holdings Ltd.

+8.33%
Iconix Brand Group Inc.
+7.48%
Ascena Retail Group Inc.
+3.08%
Chicos FAS Inc.
+2.55%

challenging retail environment, said

Efraim Grinberg, chief executive ocer at
Movado.
Looking ahead, Grinberg said, Our fiscal 2017 guidance reflects our expectation
that the retail environment will remain
challenging. As a result, we are planning
for sales of $585 million to $600 million
and diluted earnings per share of $1.85 to
$2. The Capital IQ estimate was for sales
of $615 million. Movado stock fell by over
3 percent in early trading to $29.25.
Movado forecast net income for fiscal
2017 to be about $43.3 million to $46.7
million.
Gross profits were $75.4 million in the
fourth quarter or 52.6 percent of sales, an

improvement over last years $67.4 million, or 50.3 percent of sales. The increase
was attributed to a favorable shift in
channel and product mix, selective price
increases and sourcing improvements. It
was partially oset by foreign currency
headwinds.
In addition to the earnings, Movado also
revealed the retirement of Rick Cote, the
chief operating ocer and has no plans to
replace Cote. He will retire in June after 16
years with the company.
The board also approved an 18 percent increase in the dividend to 13 cents
a share. In addition to that, the board
authorized a new share buyback plan in
the amount of $50 million.

DECLINERS
Movado Group Inc.
-9.26%
Lotte Shopping Co. Ltd.
-5.09%
Trinity Ltd.
-4.71%
I.T Ltd.
-3.61%
Seven & I Holdings Co.
-3.41%

EYE

Fashion Industry
Remembers
Zaha Hadid

The architect died at age 65

in Miami of a sudden heart
attack.
BY WWD STAFF

LONDON Dame Zaha Hadid, the

Iraqi-British architect who died Thursday at
age 65, was esteemed in the fashion world
for her sculptural and futuristic designs
ranging from an art project for Chanel to
jewelry and footwear for brands such as
Georg Jensen and Melissa.
Hadid had contracted bronchitis earlier
this week and died of a sudden heart attack
while being treated in a hospital in Miami,
according to her company.
The Baghdad native, whose work stood
out for its advanced spatial concepts and
innovative use of technology, had been
commissioned to create distinctive, flowing
and often Space Age-y structures around
the world, including the London Aquatics
Center for the 2012 Olympic Games and
the MAXXI: Italian National Museum of
21st-century arts in Rome. The first woman
to receive the Pritzker Architecture Prize
in 2004, she was twice awarded the Riba
Stirling Prize, the most prestigious architectural prize in the U.K. Started in 1979, her
London-based firm employs more than 400
people and her numerous buildings include
BMWs Leipzig, Germany, factory, the Dubai
Opera House, a 90-meter ski jump in Innsbruck, Austria and 1,400 acres of industrial
space in Istanbul.
One of her most talked-about works in
fashion was the project in 2007 dedicated
to Chanels classic quilted handbag. Hadids
contemporary art container made its
debut in Hong Kong in 2008 and traveled

devastated. Her influence was immense and

will last. I am beyond sad. She was a friend
with a huge sense of humor, continued
Lagerfeld.
In addition to her work as an architect
and furniture designer, Hadid also channeled her creativity through fashion. There
exists much more fluidity now between art,
fashion and architecture, she told WWD
last year. Hadid often stood out for wearing
dramatic jewelry and outerwear by Comme
des Garons, Issey Miyake and Prada to
match her signature all-black ensembles and
was a regular fixture at industry events.
Although fashion and architecture operate on two cycles one permanent, the
other perishable she found a correlation
between the two and was always expanding
her creative scope through collaborations
with designers such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Melissa, Georg Jensen, United Nude,
Lacoste and Atelier Swarovski. I do think
fashion gives you an immediate idea about
the time things happened, she told WWD.
Even when [clothes] are retro, its always
dierent.
In fact, Hadid confessed she had toyed
with the idea of a career in fashion instead of
architecture, fascinated by the original stark
Joseph boutique in the Eighties designed by
Eva Jiricna and its mix of designer and indie
labels. I would like to do fashion, but there
are some really great people out there who
do it better, she said.
Donna Karan on Thursday described
Hadid as someone she admired enormously
as a foremost leader in architecture, a
creative visionary and as a woman I called
my friend. The designer added, Her
spirit, passion and brilliance were evident
in everything she did. Her uncompromising
devotion to her art, the lessons she taught

Chanel contemporary art

pod by Zaha Hadid.

to Tokyo and New York, showcasing 15

contemporary artists from Daniel Buren to
Yoko Ono who created works inspired by
Chanels iconic 2.55 handbag. Reminiscent
of the Starship Enterprise or a UFO, the
toroidal building has a gridlike surface that
vaguely evoked the bags quilted surface.
Chanels resort show in Seoul last year
was held at the DDP, a modernistic space
designed by Hadid with the Korean studio
Samoo.
Karl Lagerfeld, a frequent collaborator
and longtime fan of Hadids avant garde
work, credits her with making a visual
break from the Bauhaus principles that
have defined architecture for decades. He
told WWD, She liked the idea of this kind of
container. I never saw a project realized so
quickly.
One genius less in the world. There are
few people I admired as much as her. I am

Zaha Hadid for

Atelier Swarovski.

us all, and the extraordinary vision she

brought to all that she did in life. She was
unique inside and outside. Whether it was
how she dressed or the remarkable buildings
she created and put out there to the world,
Zaha left a lasting impression that will not
be forgotten. To me, Zaha was a woman and
an artist of her time and yet she was very
much ahead of it, too.
Design Miami chairman Craig Robins
said Hadid helped to put that event on
the map by getting involved the first year
out in 2005. Whether designing a capsule
collection of Lacoste footwear, signature
furniture or a Chelsea residential tower,
Hadid approached them all the same. I
dont think they were necessarily dierent
to her. They were just creative challenges or
ways to express herself in a dierent genre.
Shes definitely going to be remembered as
an architect, but her desire and willingness

Zaha Hadid

to play in dierent areas was especially

inspiring, Robins said.
The generous and spontaneous Hadid
liked to do whatever appealed to her regardless of the medium, he said. A few years
ago while dining with Robins and his wife at
their Miami home, the architect was asked
to take a look at the couples plans for new
bathtubs. The following day Hadid phoned
Robins to say, Those bathtubs are rubbish
and oered to draft them herself. Two
days later she called again to say, Ive been
thinking about it. I have to do the whole
bathroom, Robins said. Of course, now
its a nightmare because whenever anyone
comes over to our house, theyll want to go
hang out in our bathroom.
Earlier this month at Baselworld, Hadid
had unveiled an eight-piece jewelry
collection in collaboration with Georg
Jensen. Inspired by Beijings Wangjing Soho
complex, a recent project she had designed,
Hadid created rings and cu bangles resembling interweaving mountains. Inspired
by the Danish houses designs and links to
nature, Hadid also created an installation
used as a lounge at the Swiss watch and
jewelry show.
By working with Zaha over the past
years, we got to know a woman of extraordinary vision who inspired all of us myself
included to think bigger, do better and
try harder. The world has lost a luminous
and transformative talent, said David
Chu, Georg Jensens chairman and creative
director.
The Jensen collection wasnt the first time
Hadid had created jewelry; in 2013 she also
designed a limited-edition ring and bracelet
for the Swiss brand Caspita. The same year,
she was commissioned by Atelier Swarovski
to create an installation paying tribute to her
original drawings for the Vitra fire station, as
well as a chandelier for the houses Crystal
Palace.
Zaha Hadid has been an incredible
mentor to me and a fantastic collaborator to
Swarovski. Her outstanding vision enabled
innovative and impactful creations, truly
leading a new spirit and aesthetic in design.
We have been so honored to have had the
chance to work with her on various projects,
all of which reflect her spirit so poignantly.
The strength of her contribution to the world
of architecture was truly groundbreaking.
She is, and always will be, a great inspiration
and will remain in our thoughts, said Nadja
Swarovski.
A self-confessed shoe addict, the architect also dabbled in footwear. In 2008, she
explored the concept of fluidity with a capsule collection of pumps for Brazilian footwear label Melissa and later on, she worked
alongside Rem D Koolhaas of United Nude
to create a haute couture metallic platform
that aimed to reinterpret the classic shoe
typology, pushing the boundaries of what is
possible without compromising integrity.
Retail was another area Hadid was always
keen to get involved in. Her signature curving designs are featured in Stuart Weitzmans
stores, as well as in the Beirut-based luxury
retailer Aishti and Neil Barretts boutique in
Tokyo and in Londons Harrods. Barrett was

drawn to Hadids monochromatic aesthetic

and ability to combine the fluid with the
linear. He said, Zaha had an incredible,
charismatic presence and she was unique
in verbalizing her vision in a powerful
and pure way. From her words you could
instantly envisage her design concept. Her
contribution to contemporary architecture is
phenomenal and will stand the test of time.
At the opening of his Hong Kong boutique,
Weitzman told WWD: Zaha always seems
to be at the forefront of breaking every
architectural rule. She comes up with these
structures that are really quite amazing.
After the 2008 economic crisis cut short
the multicity tour planned for Chanels
futuristic pavilion, the company ultimately
donated the building to the Arab World Institute, the Jean Nouvel-designed museum in
Paris. Bruno Pavlovsky, president of Chanel
fashion, described Hadids design as a
futuristic work at the forefront of architecture and design that will be remembered
for its originality and audacity at its various
stops around the world.
Fendi was another fashion house that
blended its traditional codes with Hadids
futuristic vision. Sylvia Venturini Fendi met
Hadid when she came to Rome to inaugurate the MAXXI museum in 2010, pleased
to encounter a fiercely intelligent woman of
few words and an anity for creativity of all
stripes. She went on to invite Hadid to customize a Peekaboo bag for a London charity
auction in 2014.
I have so much respect for her. Her work
is so personal, Venturini Fendi said. She
achieved so much, especially in a field like
architecture where there are few women.
Im sure she had to work double.
The designer said Hadids MAXXI had
an enormous impact on Rome, which is
quite conservative, especially when you
talk about culture.
Whats more, Hadids ergonomic and
amorphous shapes influenced architecture,
fashion and other design realms. If you look
at her forms, with all the curved surfaces,
theyre very powerful, but at the same time
you can see a womans hand at work, she
said.
In addition, being one of the few women
of Middle Eastern origin in the male-dominated world of architecture, Hadids success
stood as an inspiration that empowered
other women. She had been featured in the
Design Museums Women in Power exhibit
and last year she was the subject of De Beers
Moments in Light shot by Mary McCartney campaign in support of the Women for
Women charity.
At an event during spring London Fashion
Week celebrating the campaign with De
Beers, Hadid told WWD she found the
experience of being shot for the campaign
enjoyable and easygoing, given that she
was a longtime friend of McCartneys. Even
though her busy schedule would not allow
her to attend too many shows that season,
she had been trying to make time to attend
the Gareth Pugh show.
A champion of young talent, Hadid often
provided her gallery space in East London
for designers including womens wear
designer Thomas Tait and jeweler Noor
Fares to present their collections and supported them by being a regular client.
Zaha was a visionary with a talent that to
this day continues to bae me. I have always
felt both lucky and extremely proud to count
Zaha not only as a loyal client, but also as a
friend. I cherish the time I have spent with
Zaha, especially the moments we spent in
her bedroom trying on my collections and
discussing the wonders and the challenges
of our respective businesses, said Tait.
Zaha has always been an inspiration to me.
The curvilinear lines in her work continue
to influence my approach to pattern-cutting
and creating silhouettes.
Perhaps Hadids boundless drive is best
described in her own words, which her firm
tweeted Thursday I will never give myself
the luxury of thinking, Ive made it.

Hadid photograph by Mary McCartney

1 APRIL 2016

1 APRIL 2016

FASHION

Back by Popular Demand:

Beyonc Unveils Ivy Park

The singers joint venture

with retail tycoon Sir Philip
Green will land in stores
internationally April 14.
BY SAMANTHA CONTI WITH
CONTRIBUTIONS FROM MELISSA DRIER

LONDON Wheres your park?

Thats Beyonc talking in the motivational video about her new activewear
brand Ivy Park, the fruit of a joint
venture between the global superstar
and retail tycoon Sir Philip Green. The
stand-alone brand with 200 styles will
land April 14 in more than 12 retailers in
50 countries worldwide including Topshop, topshop.com, Zalando, Net-a-porter.com, Selfridges and Hudsons Bay.
The collection is aimed at women
who love to sweat whether theyre
running, lifting, yoga stretching or
kickboxing and who equate physical
strength and well-being with happiness.
The pieces are meant to fit like a second
skin, with built-in support and robust
wicking fabrics that are designed to
last.
On Thursday, the singer revealed the
Ivy Park name, uploading a video of
herself on YouTube wearing some of
the pieces. On Instagram, she posted
an image of herself suspended from a
series of hoops in a gym.
The video which should bring some
viewers to tears features Beyonc
working out in a leafy park and a gym,
with a voiceover by the singer talking
about how her daily workouts help
her stay balanced, feel good, and kick
stress.
I would wake up in the morning and
my dad would come knocking on my
door, telling me its time to go running, she says in the video. I remember wanting to stop, but I would push
myself to keep going.
It taught me discipline, and I would
think about my dreams. I would think
about the sacrifices my parents made
for me. I would think about my little
sister and how I was her hero. I would
look at the beauty around me, the sunshine through the trees. I would keep
breathing.
She talks about her fears and that
her neighborhood park was the place
she could always put them to rest.
Before I hit the stage, I go back to that
park. When it was time for me to give
birth, I went back to that park. The
park became a state of mind. The park
became my strength. The park made
me who I am. Wheres your park?
The collection itself is meant to
perform in and out of the sports arena,
and has been designed around a variety
of body types, ranging from XXS to XL.
The company has not revealed price
points, but they will sit in the highstreet bracket.
There are three legging shapes, made
from a sweat-wicking, non-pilling, double-faced polyamide elastane.
The three shapes identified as the
I, the V and the Y have been designed
to enhance a range of body types with
signature seaming on each, all meant
to elongate and flatter the leg. The core
leggings feature inner contour shorts
to smooth and support and each rise
appears in three lengths, just under the
knee; on the calf, and to the ankle.

There are tank tops with built-in

sports bras, seamless knits and bodysuits fitted with fishnet sleeves for
a glam touch as well as logo sweatshirts, basketball mesh oversize T-shirts
and vests, and three-quarter length
parkas. The outerwear pieces have
heat-sealed tape bonded holes for headphone wires.
The color palette is neutral and slimming, and features cobalt, gray marl
and black. There are also digital and
reflective prints and embossed patterns
in a honeycomb shape.

In addition to the Ivy Park logo, the

clothing features the number four
the date of Beyonc, her mother and
her husbands birthdays, as well as the
couples wedding anniversary. She is
married to Shawn Carter, aka Jay Z. The
iv in ivy is a reference to the Roman
numeral four and also to the couples
daughters name, Blue Ivy Carter.
WWD broke the news of the collection in October 2014, and it was
clear from the start the two partners
had much more than a collaboration
in mind. They immediately formed

a 50-50 joint venture, stand-alone

company, Parkwood Topshop Athletic
Ltd., with its own sta and design team
based in London.
Although Greens Arcadia Group
owns Topshop which will stock the
line its very much a personal business project for both partners.
Sir Philip has created some amazing
collaborations, but I wanted a partnership and a stand-alone brand, Beyonc
said. When Im working and rehearsing, I live in my workout clothes,
but I didnt feel there was an athletic
brand that spoke to me. My goal with
Ivy Park is to push the boundaries of
athleticwear and to support and inspire
women who understand that beauty is
more than your physical appearance.
She said true beauty comes from
healthy minds, hearts and bodies. I
know that when I feel physically strong
I am mentally strong and wanted to
CONTINUED ON PG. 6

Beyonc

Here and left:

Looks from
Ivy Park.

1 APRIL 2016

Looks from Ivy Park.

Back by Popular Demand:

Beyonc Unveils Ivy Park
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

create a brand that made other women

feel the same way.
Green told WWD in an interview
Thursday that the aim is to build a real
brand. New colors and items will be
added in six weeks time, and the next
big step is to build up the distribution
channels. The distribution channels are
still quite tight. Its a new brand but
shes going on a world tour. So thats not
really hard is it?
Green was referring to the Formation
World Tour, an all-stadium aair that will
start in Miami on April 27 and wrap up
in Brussels. She revealed the world tour
after performing Formation during
half-time at the Super Bowl earlier this
year.
Like Beyonc, Green said he was not
interested in a short-term collaboration.
He also said by good fortune Topshop
had never played in the ath-leisure space
and the time was right to break into it.
He declined to give any sales projections for Ivy Park: I think the line
is great, but ultimately the customers
will tell us. You can never guess these
things, can you? Green said, adding that
Beyonc was 100 percent on board with
brand development, testing all the pieces
herself. A further 50 people tried out the
collection, which was made by specialist
factories.
Shes a fabulous professional. If shes
going to do something, shes going to
do it well or shes not going to it. And
thats the key thing for me. She had a lot
to say about the fit, the straps. She was
very engaged, he said, adding that she
was an ideal partner in other ways, too.
If you were going to pick somebody,
you would want her. She loves exercising, she believes in what shes doing
and what were doing, he said.
Its not often or ever that youre going
to get the chance to work with somebody like Beyonc. Its a pretty unique

opportunity, so I think you have to

develop this on both sides. She trusts me,
she trusts us. And shes been a customer
for years. I used to take her shopping with
her kid strapped to her back.
Greens Topshop currently has no
celebrity tie-ins, though it collaborated
with Kate Moss on collections as oneos a few years ago. The hard-charging
retail mogul has lined up some serious
media coverage for his latest initiative.
Elle has the exclusive Beyonc interview
on the launch, with 45 covers worldwide
including Italy, Spain, Finland, Poland,
Denmark, Australia, Singapore and the
Netherlands and 10 page features inside
each of the magazines. The issue goes to
subscribers on Friday, and lands on newsstands on Monday.
Beyonc launched her fifth fragrance,
Heat Wild Orchid, last year, licensed to
Coty.
In 2004, the singer and her mother,
Tina Knowles-Lawson, founded House
of Deron fashion business and sold it to
a division of Li & Fung in 2010. It is no
longer trading.
Ath-leisure is one of retails hottest categories: On Monday Selfridges in London
will open its largest-ever department,
called the Body Studio, a concept store
dedicated to all next-to-the-skin clothing,
activewear and lingerie. The space aims to
cater to a wide variety of body types and
budgets.
As for other stockists of Beyoncs line,
the Berlin-based retailer Zalando, which
operates in 15 European markets, is taking
on Ivy Park as it accelerates its activewear
push. Zalando will oer an exclusive
campaign and activation called #MyPark
parallel to the April 14 online launch. Via
#MyPark, consumers will be invited to
share their park on social media and its
digital hub.
We are extremely excited to collaborate with Ivy Park for Europe, said
Carsten Hendrich, vice president of brand
marketing at Zalando. The collection for
both on and o the field embodies the
vision of empowerment, strength and
well-being for all women, wherever
they are.

1 APRIL 2016

RETAIL

Hong Kong Retail Sales

Tank 20.6% in February

More discouraging news while

Hong Kong retailers struggle
as Mainland Chinese tourists
opt to bypass the city.
BY AMANDA KAISER

It was a bad Chinese New Year for Hong

Kong.
The Special Administrative Regions
retail sales tanked 20.6 percent in

February to 37 billion Hong Kong dollars,

or $4.8 billion at average exchange, Hong
Kongs Census and Statistics Department
said Thursday. It is yet another piece
of discouraging news for Hong Kong
retailers, who are struggling as mainland
Chinese tourists opt to bypass the city in
favor of other shopping destinations such
as Japan.
The government also revised sales
figures for January. They slid 6.6 percent
on the year, slightly worse than the 6.5

percent slide forecast earlier.

The census department reiterated the
same cautious outlook it did when reporting its preliminary January figures earlier
this month.
The near-term outlook for retail sales
will still be constrained by the weak
inbound tourism performance and uncertain economic prospects. The Government will continue to monitor closely the
retail sales performance and its repercussions on the wider economy and job

market, the government body said.

Given the fluctuating dates of the
Chinese New Year holiday each year, the
Hong Kong government said it makes
the most sense to consider January and
February sales combined in terms of
a year-on-year comparison. Consumption tends to peak in the lead up to the
holiday. Lunar New Year kicked o Feb. 8
this year but Feb. 19 last year. Hong Kong
sales in January and February collectively
declined by 13.6 percent on the year.
Apart from the severe drag from the
protracted slowdown in inbound tourism,
the asset market consolidation might also
have weighed on local consumption sentiment, the government said.
In terms of categories over January
and February combined, sales of jewelery, watches, clocks and valuable gifts
decreased by 24.2 percent. Apparel sales
slid 11.4 percent while that of medicines
and cosmetics fell 7.7 percent.

BEAUTY

Luxe Skin Care,

Innovative
Korean Brands
Rule Hong Kong

High-quality products are big

sellers at beauty retail.
BY KATE WHITEHEAD

HONG KONG High-quality skin-care

products and innovative beauty brands
are the top sellers in Hong Kong with
popular Korean brands setting many of
the industry trends.
At Hong Kong retailer Lane Crawford,
which has a portfolio of more than 100
beauty brands across Greater China,
skin-care products have long been the
top performer, popular with customers
because they allow for an easy pampering routine at home. Masks and serums
are the big favorites in this category.
Especially popular are the range of
masks from hydrating to brightening
from U.S. brand Fresh. Also good sellers
are brands that use traditional botanical
ingredients and offer specialized skin
benefits, such as Sulwhasoo, Cl de Peau
Beaut and Whoo.
Skin-care products also trump the
beauty lines at leading luxury department store Joyce, where top sellers of
the leading brands include ReVive, 111
Skin and Perricone MD as well as brands
with cutting-edge formulas such as
Omorovicza and Tatcha.
Well-known high-quality brands are
the beauty products of choice at T Galleria by DFS stores in Hong Kong. Este
Lauder Cos. Inc. and Lancme are popular as well as prestige brands such as
Crme de La Mer, La Prairie and Cl de
Peau Beaut. Also selling well are products that focus on natural ingredients.
We have also seen that our customers are engaging more with brands such
as Fresh and Kiehls that have built
wellness and well-being into their brand
DNA, and have adjusted our portfolio
to reflect these brands with that strong

emotional connectivity, said Ariel

Gentzbourger, senior vice president,
general merchandise manager of beauty
at DFS.
She said technological products, such
as the cushion compacts from Korean
brands such as IOPE and Sulwhasoo, are
increasingly in demand with customers.
Lane Crawford and Joyce have also registered the impact of Korean brands and
culture on the customer palate.
In the lipstick category, Lane Crawford finds that Yves Saint Laurent,
Givenchy and Tom Ford have all gained
significant traction. Andrew Keith, president of Lane Crawford and Joyce, has
noticed a correlation between marketing efforts and customer engagement.
Most notably was the success of Tom

Ariel Gentzbourger

Andrew Keith

Ford Lips & Boys launching 50 shades of

lipstick all at once, each shade cleverly
named after a boy, said Keith.
In terms of lipstick colors, bold red
and fuchsia are trending at Lane Crawford. While DFS finds the color segment
doing well when linked to fashion
brands such as YSL or Giorgio Armani
or artistry such as MAC, Franois Nars
and Make Up For Ever.
High-end fragrances such as Editions
de Parfums Frdric Malle and Maison
Francis Kurkdjian are the hot brands at
Lane Crawford, while Joyce customers
have an appetite for other artisanal
fragrance brands such as Diptyque and
Byredo.
The consumer trend for products with
good efficacy has also seen them turn
to domestic beauty devices. Previously
the domain of professional therapists,
increasingly skin-care treatments are
also being done at home, representing
a cost savings as well as convenience.
At Joyce, the most popular domestic
beauty devices are from NuFace, Foreo
and Clarisonic that all regularly update
their machines to incorporate higher
sophistication and elevated functions.
There has also been a shift in the way
customers are buying beauty products.
Lane Crawford has noticed an increase
in online spending at a high-triple-digit
rate of increase versus last year, mainly
thanks to its younger and digitally savvy
customers.
Bricks still represent a large part of
the business, with face-to-face interaction mainly through consultations and
product recommendations remaining

a crucial element to the strong performance of the skin-care category, said

Keith.
Looking ahead, he expects the beauty
market to remain highly competitive
and dynamic.
Competition has increased due to
the popularity of Korean brands, their
innovative products and midrange
pricing, with Korean cosmetics now
accounting for nearly a quarter of the
cosmetics imported to China. We expect
this upward trend to continue, said
Keith.
Lane Crawford plans to continue to
invest in newness and diversity around
products and brands that will give customers the opportunity to experiment
and develop their preferences.
Luxury retailer Joyce, which has
a portfolio of more than 60 brands,
more than half of which are under its
exclusive distribution in Greater China,
takes a niche approach to curating its
avant-garde beauty collection. It plans
to continue to launch and incubate cutting-edge and innovative brands.
Gentzbourger said as a travel retail
store, it has noticed that customers from a variety of cities and age
groups Millennials in particular are
seeking out the brands and products
they love, but often cant find them at
home, during their travels. Responding
to this demand, it has broadened its
beauty offering to include more exclusive, localized products and last year
launched a new retail concept, T Galleria Beauty by DFS, with four new stores
in Hong Kong and Macau.

1 APRIL 2016

FASHION

Eberjey Heads
To Lido Marina,
Meatpacking District

Alber Elbaz Talks Freedom,

Individuality in China

The Miami-based swimsuit and

lingerie line is set to open a pair of
stores on both coasts.
BY KARI HAMANAKA

The discussion at Tsinghua

University here on Thursday
was moderated by Vogue
China editor in chief
Angelica Cheung.
BY AMY CHUNG

Twenty years ago Eberjey was born out of an idea

to design underwear for those lacking a bit in the
derriere.
The Miami swim and lingerie company celebrates
20 years in business this year and is making moves to
new markets on the East and West coasts with a pair
of company-owned Eberjey stores opening in June.
The company currently has two stores in Miami, one
measuring 350 square feet and another at about 700
square feet.
The stores at the Lido Marino Village project in
Newport Beach, Calif., and the Meatpacking District
will total roughly 1,200 square feet.
The site selection process has been a little bit akin
to the Goldilocks fairy tale, with the company learning
more with each store but not yet having found quite
the right store footprint. Eberjeys first brick-and-mortar was the 350-square-foot test, which turned out to
be too small, although the door was profitable. The
second, 700-square-foot location, profitable in year
one, was also not quite right.
What were in the process of doing right now is
really figuring out what the ideal footprint is and what
that looks like, said Mariela Rovito, who cofounded
the company with Ali Mejia. And we stepped up New
York and Newport Beach to a 1,200-square-foot store
and we think that will be enough. We dont want to
go too big because we dont want to lose the intimate
feel.
That was the whole point of opening retail to begin
with for Eberjey: tell the brand story and merchandise
it in a way that cant happen within the companys
wholesale accounts of which there are 1,400 specialty
shops and 25 department stores in the U.S., Europe
and Asia.
The privately held company, which has about 60
workers at headquarters, is projecting about 25 percent growth in overall revenues. Rovito declined to say
how much the companys doing in annual sales.
E-commerce is the companys largest door, but
brick-and-mortar retail has potential with the company
exploring locations for future stores. Eberjey did shop
the Los Angeles market before inking a deal at Lido
Marina and is still looking, according to Rovito. One
more store could follow the two opening in June this
year with another two to three more in 2017. The
ramp up in stores was just timing rather than a capital
infusion from outside investors, Rovito said.
Were in a very good place cash-wise right now,
where were able to aord these retail expansions and
thats being led mostly by our wholesale business and
our e-commerce business as well, she said. Were
not sure what the maximum number of stores will
be. I think as we continue to expand, the market will
dictate that but its definitely not a 300-store concept.
Lido Marina will be the first of the two stores to
open June 1. Its neighbors include Clare V, Steven
Alan, Publica by Zinque and Jenni Kayne. The project,
a marina rehab by DJM Capital Partners Inc., has
generated buzz for the type of tenants that have been
attracted to the coastal property. It has also snagged
Nobu and Pacific Palisades boutique owner Elyse
Walker for her second store after 16 years in business.
Aesthetically [Lido Marina] is just very much
on-brand, and we know from our e-commerce
statistics and demographic that well have a strong
customer base, so were excited by the look and feel of
the center as well as the cotenancies and other brands
that are going to be there.

BEIJING Be true to yourself. That was

the message that Alber Elbaz drove home
to students at Tsinghua University here
on Thursday. The talk, soaked in humor
and life lessons, was moderated by Vogue
China editor in chief Angelica Cheung.
Throughout the two-hour discussion,
the former Lanvin designer stressed the
importance of fashion education and
being authentic.
Fashion is a very long marathon where
we run but dont lose calories. We work
so hard and we have to prepare ourselves
to learn how to do fashion and its not
enough just because youre famous,
Elbaz said in front of 300 students. The
speech was also streamed live on online
education platform Uni-Class.
At this point, Cheung asked: Do you
want to repeat what you said to Victoria
Beckham?
Ahhhh, yes I will, Elbaz laughed.
Shes a friend and I love what she
doesafter my 10-year anniversary [at
Lanvin], I came out after the show and
I sang a song: Que sera, sera, whatever
will be, will be. That was really big news
because Im not really a singer. A month
later, I saw Victoria and [she] told me:
Alber, how dare you, I hear you started a
singing career. I told Victoria: if you can
do fashion, I can sing. So here we are,
which is a big compliment to Victoria.
Prior to his visit to Beijing, Elbaz was
in Korea where he said he was visiting
friends, spoke with students and wrapped
up his visit with karaoke. At the beginning
of the speech Thursday, the designer gave
a gargantuan gold chain necklace with the
word Love to Cheung, who plugged her
new magazine Vogue Me, throughout the
talk.
I brought you a little gift from Paris
that is love, Elbaz told Cheung as he
placed the necklace on her.
The designer spoke about how the
digitally charged Millennial generation is
living in a world of distraction, obsessed
with social media and not living enough in

RETAIL

Flared Denim,
Cropped Tops
And More Seen
Helping Retail

Jefferies analyst Randal

Konik zeroed in on trends
that could lead to a much
improved year for retailers.
BY EVAN CLARK

Eberjey New York

store illustration

The return of trends from the Seventies,

Eighties and Nineties are helping set up
fashion stocks for a good year and Jeeries
stock analyst Randal Konik, at least, is
singing Hallelujah.
After several seasons characterized by
a lack of newness and a dearth of major
fashion catalysts, we see several key trends
emerging for spring, many of which are
capable of driving consumers to restock

the present.
I feel people are just posting theyre
not looking, theyre filming. Theyre not
listening, theyre taping. [Theres] less
communication we have between us. The
decision to come in person [is] to tell you
that I really love China, I love being here.
Its not a post, its not a tweet, its to tell
you in person that you are a wonderful,
wonderful country, he said to a fashionable, iPhone-savvy audience, who were
giddily photographing his talk.
Elbaz has been visiting the Middle Kingdom for 15 years and talked about his love
for Chinese culture and traditions, but
how the country has also quickly adapted
to the globalized world. He cited an example of a waiter oering him ketchup at a
restaurant.
He went on to tell the students about
preserving traditions, taking the time to
travel, work odd jobs and continually
learn and gain work experience instead
of rushing to launch their own label after
graduation, deeming the move as provocation and in the end, nobody buys into
this provocation. The simple ingredients
of fashion, consisting of a seamstress,
needle and thread, is now being overshadowed by the clout of technology.
As an example, he shared his observations at an Apple Watch party he attended
in Paris.
I looked out in the industry and saw
a beautiful fashion industry, but I saw a
fashion industry that was a little bit tired,
a little bit confused, a little bit anxious, a
little bit in fear. On the other hand, I saw
the Apple boys and they look like the new
James Bond. When I came out of this, I
thought: how sad, whats happened to
fashion? How can technology take over
the glamour of fashion?
As a solution, Elbaz oered how smart
design could help move the industry
forward by mixing technology and the
humanity and beauty of fashion to make
beautiful clothes, he said.
In a country reputed for copycats, rote
learning and restricted freedoms, Elbaz
continually stressed the courage to push
the boundaries and be true to yourself.
Dont be afraid to be you, dont be
afraid to be me. Be dierent from everyone else, dont use a formulawhat we
have to do is make mistakes and mistakes
are the mother of creation, he said,
sharing a story about a Golden Globes

dress he made for actress Emma Stone

that was about to be shelved the day of the
show. It was the day several Charlie Hebdo
cartoonists were killed in Paris and large
demonstrations ensued.
All the leaders of the world were walking the streets of Paris to show solidarity
to the freedom to be what we are, not to
hide and be someone else. So I wrote to
Emma: youre an actress, youre a smart
woman.I said: Do what you believe,
dont listen to anyone. Go with your
heart. Its more important to go and be
authentic and go with your heart than to
listen to all people You know what? Just
a second after I sent [the message], I got
back a message from Emma and she said:
Alber, Im wearing the dress that you sent
me and I give all the love and support to
people in France, he said.
He added: When you do things by
yourself, sometimes its more dicult, but
the achievements are faster, are higher
and better.
Responding to this call for courage, an
audience member probed Elbaz about
how his relationship was with Taiwanese
media magnate and Lanvin majority
shareholder Shaw-Lan Wang, who ousted
him from the Paris fashion house last year,
ending his 14-year tenure. Elbaz remained
mum and asked if he had another question while Cheung stepped in to steer
the questions back in line to the focus on
education.
Elbaz said hell be working with students at Tsinghua University on Friday
and fly to Tokyo on Monday to meet
with friends and eat sushi. As for his next
steps, he said hes simply taking his time
to think what is it that I would love to do
and bring me joy again.

their closets, Konik said. This, combined

with a more favorable consumer backdrop, better weather and input costs tailwinds, support our view that 2016 should
shape up to be a much improved year.
The analyst scoured the mall and found
lots of evidence of whats old becoming
new again. Retailers could use it a boost
after a very tough holiday season and a
generally lackluster consumer coping
with lower incomes despite the improving
economy. Many have been keeping an eye
out for tough times ahead, making Koniks
outlook all the more welcomed.
His top trends for spring are:
O-the-shoulder tops/shoulder cutouts
Destroyed denim
Flare-leg denim
Cropped tops/bralettes
High-waisted (and short) shorts for
girls
Short shorts for guys, too
Bottom-knot tops
Halter dresses
Mad for Plaid
Mellow Yellow: yellow and citrus
Among those, the move toward flared
denim could have a particular impact if
it holds.

After years of skinny denim and

multiple failed attempts on the part of
retailers to push flare/wide-leg denim on
the consumer, it appears the consumer
is finally read to embrace it, Konik said.
If this silhouette shift were to truly catch
on, it could be the type of transformational trend capable of truly reigniting
the market, similar to what skinny denim
did nearly a decade ago. Still, we dont
think consumers are ready to fully ditch
their skinny jeans yet, and expect it
to take some time for this trend to be
mainstream.
The analyst noted that this influx of new
old fashions comes just as the consumer
backdrop is improving, as prices stabilize,
sourcing becomes easier for retailers and
weather is seen as more seasonable than
it has been.
Its the kind of convergence the fashion
industrys benefited from before. In 2012,
spring weather was warm, colored denim
was gaining and costs for retailers were
easing as cotton grew cheaper. During that
year, Konik noted that the average apparel
company stock returned 26 percent, twice
the 13 percent growth rate seen in the
S&P 500.

Angelica Cheung
and Alber Elbaz

Elbaz photograph by Shannon Fagan

RETAIL

1 APRIL 2016

Emayatzy Corinealdi on Don Cheadles

Miles Davis Biopic, Roots Remake

Corinealdis wider ambitions include writing, as well as an eventual move behind the camera.
Its only 10:15 a.m. and
Emayatzy Corinealdi is in
full makeup, hair and heels.
Its a recent Wednesday
and the actress is at West
Hollywoods The London
Hotel to promote the highly
anticipated Miles Davis
biopic Miles Ahead, written and directed by its star
Don Cheadle.
This project means so
much to him. I just really
wanted to do the best that
I could, says Corinealdi,
who plays Davis first wife
Frances Taylor Davis. She
won the role via a sent-in
audition tape and didnt
even meet Cheadle until
filming began in Cincinnati.
He was in character as
Miles. It was really intense.
Miles Ahead hits
theaters in New York and
Los Angeles on Friday with
a wide release on April 22.
Meanwhile, Corinealdi has
a busy couple of months
ahead. Next week, shell
resume filming season
two of the Amazon drama

Hand of God opposite

Ron Perlman (she plays
a high-priced escort and
confidante to Perlmans
vigilante judge) while her
indie thriller The Invitation
with Logan Marshall-Green
hits theaters on April 8.
Shell also appear in The

History Channels Roots

reboot, which aims to
reintroduce the landmark
1977 miniseries, this time to
the Millennial generation.
Its an honor to do something thatsmade such an
indelible mark on culture
and society. Its so much

bigger than me, she says

of the four-night, eight-hour
series, debuting on May
30. Its exciting to have all
of these things out at the
same time because theyre
so different, she says.
A military brat (her
mother is Panamanian
Emayatzy Corinealdi

and her father is Italian),

Corinealdi left her native
Fort Knox, Ky., when she
was three months old
and bounced across the
country, even living in
Germany. After dabbling
with summer theater in
high school, the once-aspiring attorney decided on
acting. It was something
I always enjoyed doing,
but I didnt think of it as a
career choice, she says,
adding that she hasnt
looked back since moving
to Los Angeles in the early
Aughts. (She also found
happiness in a quintessentially L.A. moment: she met
her husband in a Macys
parking lot at a mall in the
San Fernando Valley.)
Corinealdi got her big
break when she was cast
as the lead in writer/director Ava DuVernays 2012s
indie drama Middle of
Nowhere opposite David
Oyelowo. She earned a
Film Independent Spirit
Award nomination for her

Corinealdi in
Miles Ahead.
role as Ruby, a young newlywed awaiting her husbands release from prison.
We often called that our
Thelma & Louise moment
because we grew so close
to each other during that,
she says, noting the trio
have discussed working
together again in the near
future.
Meanwhile, the actress
acknowledges it hasnt
always been easy. I came
up in a family that believed
in hard work, she says. I
realized early on that that
doesnt necessarily apply

to this business. At the

same time, Ive done the
work. Im committed to this.
I also think its important
to be involved in creating
things, to have that part
of your psyche exercised.
She hopes to eventually
get behind the camera.
Writing and directing is
something Id love to do. I
dont know about [doing it]
to the magnitude of which
Don has done, wearing all
hats at once. Hes been in
the game for a while, so Im
going to need some more
time.
LINDZI SCHARF

BUSINESS

Calif. Minimum Wage Hike Inches Closer

The bill whirled through

Assembly and Senate hearings
Thursday.
BY KARI HAMANAKA

Cheers and applause erupted after the

California State Senate Thursday pushed
through a bill to hike the states minimum
wage to $15 by 2022.
The bill was fast-tracked through the
legislature following a weekend deal
reached between union ocials and
Gov. Jerry Brown. The bill was headed

to Browns desk for approval as of press

time. The historic deal would raise the
states minimum wage to $15 an hour via
incremental increases that would begin
Jan. 1, 2017, thereby creating an ocial
policy statewide amid a patchwork eect
that has taken place in recent years as
some municipalities, such as San Francisco and Los Angeles, have passed their
own measures raising the minimum wage.
The Senate vote was 26-12 in favor of
the bill and followed the Assemblys 48-26
vote made in the early afternoon.
The bill is expected to fend o two
separate measures backed by labor

RETAIL

R/GA, Westfield Labs

Set Accelerator Program

The two entities formed a

partnership to discover startups that will impact the retail
industry.

Corinealdi photograph by Michael Buckner

BY SHARON EDELSON

R/GA announced the R/GA Commerce

Accelerator in partnership with Westfield Labs, the global digital lab that
is an entity of Westfield Corp. The
accelerator is accepting through May
23 applications from growth-stage and
early-stage start-ups that could propel
the retail industry squarely into the
digital age.
R/GA and Westfield are hoping to
discover up to 10 start-ups that will help

redefine the mall/in-store experience

and enhance consumers engagement
with brands at any stage of the transaction process, among other things.
Westfield said the start-ups could help
power its $10.5 billion development
pipeline, which includes projects such
as the World Trade Center in Manhattan
and centers in Los Angeles, Milan and
London.
Start-ups selected to participate in the
90-day accelerator program will receive
$120,000 in exchange for up to 5 percent equity. Theyll also get input from
program partners, including Macys,
Shopify Plus, Bank of America Merchant
Services and Verizon. A series of four
roundtable discussions will be held with

groups that could have made their way

onto the November ballot and would not
have allowed for temporary stops to the
scheduled wage increases, which this bill
does should the state see negative job and
sales tax growth or should the budget fall
into a deficit.
The first increase will take the starting
wage from $10 an hour to $10.50 and
would impact about two million workers at a cost of $19 million to the state,
according to a Department of Finance
analysis. The cost to the states General
Fund is expected to rise to $3.6 billion
once minimum wage reaches $15 an hour

in 2022 when some four million workers

would benefit from the bill, according to
the analysis.
The bill has drawn mixed reactions
from the apparel manufacturing and
retail industries with the heads of both
the California Retailers Association and
California Fashion Association saying
Monday, when Brown announced the
deal, that the inevitable eect is increased
costs to business.
Meantime, some business owners have
argued theyre already paying their workers more than minimum wage or are on
track to meet the $15 target.

the program partners and third-party

experts from around the world.
The start-ups will also have access to
Bespoke, a 40,000-square-foot space at
Westfield San Francisco that combines
co-working areas, demonstration areas
and pop-up shops where [companies]
can collect feedback from consumers
and fine-tune their products, said
Kevin McKenzie, global chief digital
officer of Westfield Corp.
Jonathan Bradley, director of R/GA
Accelerators and a partner in R/GA
Ventures, said the commerce accelerator differs from traditional accelerator funds because it can partner with
later-stage and growth-stage companies.
Were going for companies that are
prepared and have the ability to begin
piloting, he said. Were still looking
at early stage companies, but we want
companies that have traction and have
businesses.
Other areas Westfield is seeking to
innovate include mobile commerce,
payments, merchandising, customer

service, analytics, CRM and loyalty,

block chain, point-of-sale and delivery
and distribution. Virtual reality is
starting to become really interesting,
McKenzie said.
Bradley cited conversational commerce and social commerce and how
applications like WeChat, which has
partnered with retailers and other applications to embed commerce opportunities within social conversations. For
example if two friends are texting about
going out to dinner, the WeChat app
would pop up and suggest a restaurant
where a reservation has been made
for two. It involves all technologies,
natural language detection and artificial
intelligence is represented, Bradley
said.
The accelerator program will start on
Aug. 1 and end in late October with an
invitation-only demo day where startups will present their ideas to investors
and industry leaders from across the
retail, e-commerce and technology
industries.

DIGITAL FORUM LONDON

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ALIBABA GROUP

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YOOX NET-A-PORTER

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MYTHERESA.COM

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AMAZON FASHION

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11

1 APRIL 2016

Fashion Scoops
On the Double

A look from
Gerard Darels
capsule collection
inspired by Jackie
Kennedy.

A Kooples suit made

with Loro Piana fabrics.

Haute Stuff

Loro Piana is coming soon to popular French contemporary chain The

Kooples.
The haute fabric specialist and
ready-to-wear brand owned by
LVMH Mot Hennessy Louis Vuitton
is to provide wool for a new permanent range of mens suits due to
arrive in stores from mid-April.
A regular suit at The Kooples
retails for 590 euros, or $670 at
current exchange rates, while a
Kooples x Loro Piana model will go
for 895 euros, or $1,020.
The brand plans to employ a
different Loro Piana fabric each
season and offer suits in classic
and fitted cuts, and in blue, gray
and black.
Based in Quarona, Italy, Loro
Piana bills itself as the largest cashmere manufacturer and the biggest
single purchaser of the worlds
finest wools.
MILES SOCHA

First Lady

Gerard Darel has launched a

capsule collection inspired by Jackie
Kennedy.
The line, which goes on sale
this week in a selection of stores in
France and on the French fashion
labels Web site, is designed to coincide with the exhibition Elle sappelait Jackie (Her Name Was Jackie
in English) taking place at the Galerie
Ferrero in Nice until the end of May.
The pieces are inspired by the former First Ladys off-duty style, with
casual chic items such as cashmere
sweaters, cotton poplin shirts, flared
jeans, a trenchcoat, a striped top
and sailor pants. Prices range from
45 euros, or $50, for a T-shirt to 375
euros, or $425, for a suede skirt.
In 1996, Gerard Darel purchased
Kennedys pearl necklace at an
auction at Sothebys in New York and
subsequently produced replicas of
the necklace in various colors.
JOELLE DIDERICH

Versaces Palazzo
Empire bag.

Stella McCartney is doubling up in

Paris. She is to open a 2,000-squarefoot location at 231 Rue Saint-Honor by the end of the year, WWD has
learned.
McCartney opened her first
boutique in the French capital in
2008 in picturesque Palais Royal,
also home to such retail banners as
Rick Owens, Acne Studios and Pierre
Hardy.
The British designer will land on
one of the hottest shopping strips in
Paris, which recently welcomed the
first French outposts for Alexander
McQueen, Coach and Tory Burch.
McCartneys new boutique is to
replace the popular chocolate-maker Jean-Paul Hvin, which is to close
its two-level unit, which included a
restaurant, on April 2 and relocate to
a nearby courtyard. M.S.

Take Your Shot

Versace launched a competition called 7 bags for 7 cities on

Thursday, asking participants to help
customize limited editions of the
brands Palazzo Empire bag model,
taking inspiration from seven cities
around the world.
To join in on the opportunity,
participants have to photograph an
iconic building or unique moment
in their respective cities Beijing,
Hong Kong, Milan, New York, Paris,
So Paulo and Tokyo and submit
the image on the contests Web
site palazzoempire.versace.com by
May 16.
The brands design team will then
pick one standout image from each
city, which will be used to create
seven personalized Palazzo Empire
bags that are limited to ten pieces
each and will be sold in Versace
stores in the seven cities. The seven
chosen contestants with the winning
submission will win a trip to Milan in
September and attend the Versace
womens fashion show for spring
2017.
Current uploads to the Web site
include multiple shots of the Eiffel
tower in Paris, the Statue of Liberty
and the Empire State Building in New
York and a view of Milans Piazza
Duomo. LUCIE JANIK

Memo Pad
Climbing Into
The Box

Mens Health is adding subscription boxes to its arsenal

of offerings. The Rodaleowned glossy has teamed with
The Box Out Group for its first
foray into the space.
Buyers of the box will get a
mix of fitness, food, tech and
grooming products four times
a year. The content of each box
is selected by Mens Health
editors, represent best-ofclass products that have been
tested and, in most cases,
featured in the magazine. Each
box costs $89.99; consumers
get 10 percent off if they sign
up for a yearlong subscription
four boxes for $323.96.
According to editor in chief
Bill Phillips, there is a separation between what brands
editors put in the box and
which brands advertise in the
pages of the magazine.
Ultimately, were the filter
for our reader. We want to
meet our readers where they
are, Phillips said. Even on
the advertising side, we see it

again and again, our readers

buy [products from the magazine]. Theres no reason they
wouldnt buy from us.
The first box, which ships in
April, has a retail value of $280,
comprises 11 items selected
by fashion director Brian Boye,
fitness director BJ Gaddour
and food/nutrition editor Paul
Kita.
Contents include Zing
Socks, Clinique SPF 21 Moisturizer, Recipe for Men Under
Eye Gel, Fatmans Beef Jerky
Sweet & Spicy and XD Aluminum Handle jump rope.
The partnership with The
Box Out Group is three-year
licensing agreement that
extends through 2018. Rodale
executive director of business
development and global
licensing Kevin LaBonge characterized it as a revenue-share
deal with Box Out, which has
helped with the marketing
and sourcing of the products,
among other things.
Case in point: Mens Health
filmed a TV commercial for the
box, which have begun airing

on ESPN and CNN this week.

Although the team at Mens
Health is aware of the fickle
subscription box market, LaBonge said the competition is
sparse in the mens market. He
noted that while a few brands
have boxes, there arent any
other mens magazines that
offer a curated selection of
products. As a result, the team
is testing out pricing and other
offerings that may include a
subscription to Mens Health
down the line.
LaBonge also noted that
Rodale will likely extend the box
subscription service to other
Rodale titles such as Womens
Health and Runners World.
ALEXANDRA STEIGRAD

Style Counsel

CNN is bringing its digital style

site to television.
Aptly named CNN Style,
the show will debut on April 9.
The monthly, half-hour show
will premier on CNN International, and will be a companion
to the networks digital style
vertical, which was launched
in July.
According to CNN, the TV
show will be informed by the
work of Elsa Klensch, who produced and hosted Style with
Elsa Klensch for the network
from 1980 to 2001. The new
show, which will be hosted
by Derek Blasberg, will cover
luxury, art, fashion, autos, architecture and design, CNN said,
offering that the first episode
will feature pop star Rita Ora,
Qatari art collector Sheikha
Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin
Khalifa Al-Thani, British artist
Tracey Emin and F1 star Lewis
Hamilton.
This year, CNN Style will
cover a variety of events
including New Yorks Met Gala,
Milan Design Week and the
Venice Architecture Biennale.
We are taking inspiration
from CNNs rich past in style
and reverse engineering the
DNA from our hugely successful digital product to bring CNN
Style to TV viewers worldwide,
Ellana Lee, senior vice president of CNN International
said. A.S.

RETAIL

Bloomingdales Sets
Festival-Themed Pop-ups

The retailer is getting into the

festival trend big time with
window displays and pop-ups
at all stores.

Bloomingdales photograph by Tim Griffith

BY SHARON EDELSON

Bloomingdales is festival-bound.
The retailer is hitting the festival
trend hard with 150-square-foot womens pop-up shops opening Friday at all
of its stores. Mens pop-ups will appear
in select Bloomingdales locations,
including the 59th Street flagship in
Manhattan; Beverly Hills; San Francisco;
Roosevelt Field Mall in New York; Santa
Monica and South Coast Plaza in California, and Ala Moana Center in Hawaii.
The retailers Lexington Avenue
windows at the 59th Street flagship are a
tribute to music phenomenon.
Festival style isnt new. Free People,
the Urban Outfitters subsidiary, continues to mine the genre with lace flare-leg
pants, cold-shoulder paisley tops and

flower tiaras, and Bloomingdales big

sister, Macys is calling the style Modern Hippie.
It isnt new for this season, but
festival created a platform for a lot of
fashion thats been happening, particularly on the West Coast, said Brooke
Jaffe, operating vice president and fashion director of womens ready-to-wear.
With this opportunity and lens of looking at fashion, our eyes were opened to
new ideas within existing brands and
also the opportunity to hunt for new
resources. A lot of the new resources
have such approachable price points
its created a whole other avenue of
business and exploded an aesthetic that
probably has been under the surface for
a while and now has exploded.
Parker, Chaser, Mara Hoffman, Sunset
+ Spring, Sol Angeles, Toms, Herschel,
Aqua, Show Me Your Mumu, Lovers
& Friends, Tularosa and Wayf are
among the labels that can be found in
the pop-up shops. Theres also Flying
Monkey, a new, younger approach to

A rendering of
Bloomingdales
festival-themed pop-up shop.

denim, Jaffe said, and leather jackets

from BB Dakota and Jet Set Diaries.
Jaffe said Bloomingdales festival
offerings will appeal to Millennial flower
children, a cohort the retailer has been
trying to attract. Festival is very young
in spirit and theres a lot of energy and
freedom in the clothes, she said. Its
very happy, positive, liberating clothing
and theres a lot of opportunity to be
very unique in your individual styling.
The more you mix up all the categories,

the better.
Bloomingdales shot an online look
book and marketing campaign in Austin,
Tex., that begins Friday and will run for
three months.
The retailer formed a partnership
with DJ Hannah Bronfman to promote
festival music and dress. Bronfman
created a dedicated Spotify playlist
that will be heard in all Bloomingdales
stores. Shes scheduled to appear at the
59th Street flagship on April 7.