We're back after a long holiday weekend, Hope you all had a great Memorial Day!
(wwd)Missoni Cruise 2011
"Angela Missoni described her collection as “strong, with lots of character and color.” Indeed, the house’s patterns were super graphic and bold, inspired by Africa in the way of motifs and color combinations, while the shapes — long halter dresses, plain shifts and elongated cardigans over T-shirts and pants — took their cue from the swinging Sixties. Topping off the mood were stacks of colorful printed bangles, summery hats and bandanas." read more
(wsj)The Mystique of the Handmade
"Louis Vuitton has been caught pulling the wool—a very fine and delicately woven wool, no doubt—over the eyes of consumers. Britain's Advertising Standards Authority this week demanded that the luxury company cease and desist with ads that imply their products are made by hand.
Why the preference for the handmade, anyway? Yes, there are still goods where skilled craftsmanship makes all the difference: No machine can match the judgment of an experienced luthier, who has to adapt to the acoustic quirks of each piece of wood he carves for a violin. But does it matter whether a product is crafted by hand or stamped out by machine, if the consumer can't tell the difference?" read more
(wwd)Moncler Appoints Lavia as CEO
"Moncler Group has tapped Alberto Lavia as its chief executive officer, joining the firm July 15. The appointment comes as the group prepares for product expansion and gears up for a public listing sometime this year. Lavia, who exited his post as ceo at Façonnable Group in May, will also be in charge of the group’s other brands, which include Marina Yachting, 18CRR81 and Coast + Weber + Ahaus. President and creative director Remo Ruffini said that Lavia’s appointment “represents a further strengthening of the managerial structure.” read more
(wwd)Retail Stocks Decline in May
"Retail stocks managed a 1.6 percent gain last week despite a decline on Friday, but the advance wasn’t strong enough to prevent their first losing month since January. The S&P Retail Index ended Friday’s trading session at 443.45, down 1.2 percent for the day. The pullback erased some, but hardly all, of the appreciation from Thursday’s 3.2 percent rally. The sector ended May with a 6.7 percent decline, the first down month since January, when it was off 3.3 percent. The index began trading this week 11.3 percent off the 499.91 high for the year reached on April 26. Retail issues have been sensitive to the increasingly cautionary language used by stores in providing guidance about the second quarter and the rest of this year, even as retailers generally met or exceeded analysts’ expectations in reporting first-quarter results." read more
(wwd)Organic Cotton Sales Grow
"Global retail sales of organic cotton apparel and home textiles increased 35 percent in 2009 to an estimated $4.3 billion from $3.2 billion a year earlier, according to the Organic Exchange.Growth in the organic cotton market was fueled by a combination of consumer interest in “green” products and retailer and brand expansion of organic cotton programs, according to the Organic Exchange. For cotton to qualify as organic by the Organic Exchange, it must be grown through a system of farming that maintains soil fertility without using pesticides and fertilizers or genetically modified seeds. “Many people thought the recession would mean an end to all things organic, but the market reacted in quite the opposite way,” said LaRhea Pepper, senior director with the Organic Exchange and author of the report. “Consumers dug in their heels and continued to support the use of organic cotton and other sustainable fibers, while brands and retailers maintained or even expanded their commitments to making their product lines more sustainable by continuing to increase their use of such fibers and safer manufacturing processes.” read more