"It’s too early to tell what the future holds for Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen, but from the look of her first collection for pre-spring, the vista is promising indeed. Case in point: the strapless and draped printed chiffon in red and black — a stunner. Inspired by Hans Bellmer’s dolls and samurai warriors, Burton said she wanted to “juxtapose the pale and the delicate with the bold and armorial. It’s about a highly structured torso that gives way to a more fluid silhouette or drop waists that lead to a finned trouser or skirt.” Materials include lacquered raffia, hand-worked lace, wool crepe and silk — in pinks and white with flashes of red, mint green and gold."
"It is celebratory, charming and accessorized to a fare-thee-well — Miuccia Prada’s sophisticated cruise lineup at Prada, that is. Many of the looks give a gypsy-caravan dimension to the idea of Sunday best. Dresses, perennial favorites here, turn up in appealing variations from ruffled, floral-print versions in bold, zesty prints that nodded to the Thirties to sleek black styles shown with colorful accessories — all presented in postcardlike country settings depicting imaginary landscapes. The vivid costume jewelry is made from methacrylate, a lightweight glasslike material. Shoes include platforms and pumps with faux-coral or beaded embellishments and ballerina flats that tied around the ankles, while the bags are fashioned from canvas and exotic skins, or mixes of the two."
"Ralph Rucci has dropped some of his signature details for what he says is “a more relaxed, fun resort mood.” He shows soft satin sarong skirts and simple little tops, lots of color and even a perfect white cotton piqué shirt. His elegant side is here, too, reflected in lean, lightweight wool dresses and suits. But this collection, as Rucci calls it, is “Chado light.”
(stylelist)Jean Paul Gaultier and La Perla Lingerie Collaboration - Brilliant!
"It was only a matter of time before Jean Paul Gaultier went legit when it comes to his lingerie designs – after all, it's only been almost 30 years since he first dabbled in ladies under things. The French designer chose esteemed lingerie house La Perla as his partner for the collection, which will be available in November at select La Perla and Gaultierboutiques, and select department stores. "Lingerie is part of my DNA and of my heritage," Gaultiersaid in a press release. "In my latest prêt-à-porter collection I revisited the conical bras and corsets worn as outerwear. This collaboration was a natural and logical step, especially since La Perla is the pearl of the lingerie, with the best savoir faire." "Cooperating with Jean Paul Gaultier filled us with satisfaction from the very start," Alain Prost, La Perla's C.E.O., said in a release. "A perfect synergy immediately came to light between his vision and the values of luxury and elegance that have always been cornerstones in La Perla's history." Two special, limited-edition pieces – a backstitch satin bra with a shoulder-strap motif and a garter belt – will make their debut at Gaultier's July 7 haute couture show in Paris." read more
(wwd)Retailers Slow to Launch Mobile Commerce
"Nearly two-thirds of apparel, accessories and footwear retailers either don’t have a mobile-commerce strategy in place or are just getting started on one, according to a study on “The State of Online Retailing” released today by Forrester Research Inc. and Shop.org, the National Retail Federation’s digital division. Fifteen percent of the 26 apparel, accessories and footwear retailers included in the study said they had no mobile strategy, and another 50 percent said their strategy was at an early stage or just being developed. Nineteen percent said they had a strategy in place and were implementing or refining it, 12 percent said they had a strategy and were starting work on implementing it and 4 percent simply said they had a strategy. Among the 84 online retailers overall, 20 percent said they were implementing or refining an existing strategy, 10 percent said they were starting work on implementation and 8 percent said they had a strategy, versus 36 percent that were in the early stages of developing a strategy and 26 percent that didn’t have a strategy at the present time. Reflective of their larger size and sense of urgency about mobile commerce, general merchandisers were the furthest along of the five retail “verticals” studied, with 36 percent boasting of having already implemented a strategy and working on refining it. Along similar lines, general merchandisers have earmarked $490,000 for mobile investment this year versus an average of $65,000 for apparel, accessories and footwear retailers. Beauty and personal care retailers plan to invest $203,000 in mobile this year, on average, while sporting goods retailers have budgeted $127,000. Only home retailers, at $25,000, plan to invest less in mobile than the apparel-related specialty merchants. The average for all retailers in the study was $170,000." read more