The Style File Daily Cheat Sheet

(babble)Maternity Fashion For Teens

Forever 21 sells affordable fashion to a mostly under-21 demographic. However, they have dabbled  Menswear, Children's wear and now... Maternity!? Perhaps we can thank MTV shows like I'm 16 and Pregnant for this for this new market. Don't get us wrong, affordable fashion is important, but we just can't help but wonder if this is a new trend we will see in the near future- teen maternity lines:

"Youth-focused trend-purveyors Forever 21 are proving the point with a new maternity wear for their (largely teenaged) customers. Some people are wondering whether a clothing line that sells primarily to teens should be doing a maternity line at all. Is selling maternity clothes to teens marketing teen pregnancy? Or are we beyond that by now? As Heather at Kidglue jokes: “If you’re a pregnant teenager, no doubt the first thought that crosses your mind is, “Darn, if only I could get my hands on some trendy and affordable maternity clothes!”  (I mean, what else could you possibly have to worry about?)” She also points out that the in-store locations are conveniently located in the states with the highest teen pregnancy rates. The Love 21 Maternity line is fashion-forward and wallet-friendly, not unlike Forever 21’s other offerings. And like their other offerings, these clothes will probably be worn by women who are well over the under-21 target audience. (Forever 35 doesn’t have quite the same ring.) read more

(wwd)Levi’s Loss Expands in Second Quarter

"Levi Strauss & Co. said its second-quarter loss widened as financing costs erased the positive effects of higher sales and margins and advantageous currency swings. For the three months ended May 30, the net loss attributable to the San Francisco-based denim and sportswear firm rose to $14.4 million from $4.1 million in the year-ago period. Included in the bottom-line result was a $16.6 million pretax loss on the early extinguishment of debt. Operating income, exclusive of the debt effect, was up 23.4 percent to $69.2 million from $56.1 million a year ago. Sales rose 8.1 percent to $958 million, versus $886.5 million in the 2009 quarter, and licensing revenue grew 3.2 percent to $18.6 million from $18 million. Total revenues moved up 8 percent to $976.5 million from $904.5 million, and gross margin rose 522 basis points to 51.1 percent of sales against 45.9 percent in the year-ago period. The company said that the improvement reflected the increased contribution of the company’s stores and their higher margins compared to wholesale operations. In the Americas, sales were up 8 percent, to $558 million, and grew 6 percent on a constant currency basis. In Europe, sales increased 9 percent, to $240 million, and gained 7 percent at constant currency. Asia-Pacific sales hit $178 million, an 8 percent rise that, upon conversion for currency effects, translated into a 2 percent decline. “We continue to invest behind the brands,” John Anderson, president and chief executive officer, said on a conference call with analysts. “We believe we have a compelling consumer proposition. We selectively look to continue to invest in retail. It’s a battle.”  He said Japan continues to detract from results in the Asia-Pacific region, but added that he was somewhat encouraged by results in Europe: “If there’s good news, it is that there is no further deterioration.” read more

(wwd)EBay Ups Fashion Game With iPhone App

"The Web site, which revolutionized e-commerce in 1995 by connecting buyers and sellers in an auction format where price was set by the convergence of supply and demand, unveiled its first fashion app for the iPhone on Thursday. The company recently introduced an iPad fashion app, and an app for the BlackBerry mobile phone is due next. The new fashion app could have major consequences for eBay and its competitors, and for consumers as well. Users will have access to the 20 million fashion items offered through eBay’s Marketplace. The app can be used to browse, virtually try on and buy products at any time of the day, anywhere the iPhone gets a signal (airplanes, yes; subways, no.) It can be downloaded for free on iTunes. EBay’s core iPhone application has been downloaded 10 million times, the company said. A measure of the iPhone app’s potential: EBay expects to more than double its $600 million gross fashion merchandise volume of last year to $1.5 billion this year. “Over the past year, we have made significant investments in dramatically enhancing the way customers shop for fashion on eBay,” said Dinesh Lathi, eBay Inc.’s vice president of North America. “[We] feel that mobile offers a great medium to continue our innovation in delivering a personalized experience and connecting our buyers with the world’s largest online selection of branded, designer and vintage clothing, shoes and accessories. It also enables our sellers, regardless of their size, to participate in mobile commerce in groundbreaking ways.” With $5.45 billion in worldwide gross merchandise volume in apparel last year, eBay is the largest seller of clothing online. Apparel is also the company’s top mobile category in terms of items sold, and the second-largest after automobiles in terms of volume. Not content with merely selling more apparel online than any other company, eBay wants to offer more exclusive fashion to its client base of more than 90 million active users. For example, eBay this year introduced exclusive capsule collections by Narciso Rodriguez and Norma Kamali. Products are listed under the headings women’s, men’s, kids, baby and vintage, with the latter organized by decade." read more

(wwd)Burberry Buys Back China Operations

"Burberry has agreed to buy back its China operations for 70 million pounds, or $107.8 million at current exchange, in cash. The company said it would acquire the stores and “related assets” in China currently operated by its longstanding franchisees. Burberry said the transaction was in line with its strategy to unify and consolidate operations worldwide, and increase its exposure to high-growth luxury markets. “With a solid foundation of 50 stores across 30 cities, operational expertise and strong brand momentum, this is an optimal time for Burberry to integrate this business,” stated chief executive Angela Ahrendts. She said Burberry planned to “drive productivity” in existing stores and to open new stores, while rapidly implementing digital marketing initiatives. The transaction is expected to add up to 20 million pounds, or $30.8 million, to group operating profit in the fiscal year 2011/12."

(fibre2fashion)IMG, Japan Fashion Week Organization Reach Deal

IMG Fashion announced that it has signed a five year agreement to partner with the Japan Fashion Week Organization (JFWO), which organises and manages Tokyo Collection Week held biannually in Tokyo. IMG Fashion will act as JFWO’s sole and exclusive representative for the exploitation of sponsorship rights. IMG Fashion will help to maximise the efficiency of a series of industry and consumer events that make up Tokyo Collection Week staged by the JFWO. JFWO has been created to strengthen the competitive power of the Japanese textile and fashion industry, and to encourage growth. It is also designed to further increase Tokyo's reputation as a significant textile and fashion hub. The event brings together manufacturers in the textile and fashion industries, fashion designers and distributors from across Japan, greater South East Asia and the world. "This is a very exciting partnership," said Mr. Peter Levy, Senior Vice President and Managing Director of IMG Fashion, Worldwide. "Tokyo Collection Week is one of the more significant fashion events held annually and has reached a stage in its lifecycle where it is capable of achieving substantial growth. Our globally connected team at IMG Fashion is ready to take on this challenge and work closely with the JFWO to realize the event’s true potential."

The Style File Daily Cheat Sheet

(wsj)Forever 21 Pursues Big-Store Branding

"Forever 21 Inc. is set to open a massive new store in New York's Times Square on Friday, the latest and most aggressive step in the low-priced fashion retailer's plan to expand from a clothing boutique into a department store. The privately held, Los Angeles-based company is expanding aggressively at a time when most retailers are holding back or downsizing, a move enabled in large part by the recession. Forever 21 snapped up real estate vacated by brands such as the now-bankrupt Mervyns LLC chain that were forced to downsize or close because of dwindling sales. Teens continue to swarm Forever 21's piles of inexpensive, high-fashion-imitating party dresses and tank tops. But moving into cavernous spaces, like the 90,000-square-foot spot near 46th and Broadway, is forcing the chain into new categories like menswear, children's clothing and beauty, where its hold on consumers is less certain." read more

(wwd)H&M Profits Up 24 Percent in Second Quarter

"Hennes & Mauritz AB, the world’s third-largest fashion retailer, said net profits rose 24 percent in the second quarter, but sales of its spring garments were disappointing due to unusually cold weather in most of its markets. Net profits in the three months ended May 31 amounted to 5.21 billion kronor, or $710 million, on sales of 31.6 billion kronor, or $4.3 billion. Same-store sales were down by 1 percent in the quarter. Dollar figures are converted at average exchange rates for the period. Like-for-like sales fell 4 percent in May compared with the same month last year, with the retailer reporting that unspecified calendar effects had a negative impact of 3 to 4 percentage units in the month. Including new stores, sales grew 6 percent in May and 22 percent during the period of June 1-22, it added. The Swedish high-street giant said weaker-than-expected spring sales had left it with 2 percent more stock than last year. “This could lead to a higher price reduction level in the third quarter compared to the corresponding quarter last year,” it said. Gross margin — a key measure of profitability — rose to 65.9 percent in the second quarter from 61 percent a year earlier, boosted by a weaker dollar during the purchasing period for garments sold in the quarter. “Other factors, such as greater surplus capacity at suppliers, lower transportation costs, favorable raw material prices and efficiencies in the buying process also impacted the gross margin positively in the second quarter 2010,” it said. H&M announced it would enter Croatia and Romania in 2011 with store openings in Zagreb and Bucharest in the spring. Also next year, Morocco will become a new franchise market with a store opening in Casablanca in the fall. The company said it had postponed the planned opening of a COS store in Hong Kong from fall 2010 to sometime next year."

(wwd)U.S. Retailers Push in China

"China is beckoning mainstream U.S. retailers as never before. With the country’s middle class growing fast — projected by Euromonitor to total 700 million people in 2020 — companies such as Gap Inc., American Eagle Outfitters Inc. and Bebe Stores Inc. are making their first forays into China. Others, including Guess Inc., Iconix Brand Group Inc. and Levi Strauss & Co., are enlarging their footprints. The activity comes as China has decided to let its currency appreciate gradually against a basket of currencies, including the dollar, which could — along with rising wages for Chinese workers — boost the purchasing power of its consumers and make the world’s most populous nation an even more enticing market.  The push by retail and apparel firms in China, preceded by the expansion of luxury brands, has accelerated as they seek to diversify geographically because the international economic crisis exposed the vulnerability of developed markets while China’s economy grew 8.7 percent last year."

(Independent)Madonna's Fashion Line to Hit Macy's in August

"Macy's has released the first images of popstar Madonna and her daughter Lourdes's first fashion range for the US department store, called Material Girl - due out for back-to-school season in August. Judging from the sketches, there will mainly be 1980s-inspired clothes (complete with a range of fingerless gloves), including flowery bustier dresses, star prints, and 'jeggings.' According to the press release, the new line relies on mixing unexpected items, "like a tutu dress and studded-combat boots, or an oversized boyfriend sweatshirt with a floral print mini skirt." Even though the fashion world is starting to get fed up with celebrity fashion lines, this collection is highly anticipated not just because of Madonna's star power, but also because of her successful design debut for Swedsih retailer H&M a few years back. All items, expected to cost under $40, will hit Macy's stores and its website on August 3." read more

Fashion's Night Out--Officially--Coming to L.A.!

"Cynthia Ruiz, the president of the city’s Department of Public Works—and also known as the mayor’s fashion ambassador—confirmed that the mayor’s Office of Economics & Business Policy, under the jurisdiction of Deputy Mayor Austin Buetner, has started to plan Los Angeles’ participation in the night-long shopping extravaganza. The U.S. edition of Fashion’s Night Out was created last year through a partnership between Vogue, the Council of Fashion Designers of America and N.Y.C. & Co. (New York City’s tourism site) as a global initiative to celebrate fashion and boost consumer confidence, shopping and the local economy. The F.N.O./L.A. committee will soon reveal how the city of Los Angeles is planning on translating this much-awaited night into sales, events and an opportunity for local designers to be showcased. “I love the idea of L.A.’s FNO having some of the elements that the Downtown L.A. Art Walk has been able to implement—a little something for everybody,” Commissioner Ruiz said. Last year during the inaugural launch of F.N.O. in New York, Los Angeles held a few in-store shopping events around town. Now, after the efforts of many, L.A. will officially join the lineup of Fashion’s Night Out cities, alongside New York and several other fashion capitals around the world."

The Style File Daily Cheat Sheet

Men's Spring 2011, Burton to Take Over at McQueen, Richemont Profits Fall, Theyskens New to Theory, Gaultier Leaves Hermes, AEO Profits Fall and Everyone is Over Sex and the City 2.

A Change in Seasons in Men's Suits

"For spring 2011, suit vendors are once more celebrating American heritage by featuring the khaki suit as the ultimate ensemble for the season. Look for cotton suits and separates in a multitude of khaki shades in cropped silhouettes and softly constructed blazers."

see more pictures

(wwd)Burton to Be Named Creative Director at McQueen

"Sarah Burton, the late Alexander McQueen’s trusted colleague, is set to be named creative director of the London-based fashion house, WWD has learned. Burton worked alongside McQueen on his women’s wear collection for more than a dozen years, and completed the fall collection after the designer’s suicide in February. Burton’s appointment should further solidify the future of the company. Shortly after McQueen’s death, Gucci Group vowed to keep the company open, saying the designer had set the “building blocks of a brand” that would allow the business to continue. However, Robert Polet, Gucci Group president and chief executive officer, declined to comment on any succession plan at the time."

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(wwd)Richemont Sales, Profits Decline in Year

"Sales and profits may have declined last year at Compagnie Financiere Richemont SA, parent of brands including Cartier and Dunhill, but Johann Rupert, Richemont’s executive chairman and chief executive officer is decidedly optimistic about the next 12 months. On Thursday, the company said profits in the year to March 31 fell 18 percent to 603 million euro, or $850 million, due chiefly to currency translation losses on net financial assets. Sales, meanwhile, fell 4.5 percent to 5.18 billion euro, or $7.3 billion, due to a decline in spending worldwide and lower inventory levels during the recession." read more

(boston.com)A genre that's out of fashion

"After more than a decade of Patricia Field-designed costumes for films and TV series, the genre has been wrung out, like the last of Samantha Jones’s delicates on wash day. Which makes the arrival of “Sex and the City 2’’ perhaps the most anticlimactic sequel of the summer, and the reason I won’t be queued up tonight to see it alongside the ladies who smell of cranberry juice, vodka, and Sarah Jessica Parker’s Lovely Moments perfume. Didn’t everyone’s dreams already come true in the first film?" read more

(wwd)Olivier Theyskens to Design for Theory

"Theory is bringing Olivier Theyskens back to fashion. Theyskens will design a women's capsule collection for the contemporary brand, which will bow for the spring-summer 2011 season. For Theyskens, one of the most revered designers, it will mark a return to fashion after stints at Rochas and Nina Ricci. Further details were unavailable at presstime." read more

(businessweek)Hermes Says Jean-Paul Gaultier to Quit Fashion House

"French fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier will step down as the artistic director of Hermes International SCA’s women’s ready-to-wear unit after seven years in the role. The 58-year-old French couturier, best known for designing the cone bra worn by singer Madonna on her 1990 Blond Ambition tour, will be replaced by Christophe Lemaire, Hermes said today in a statement. The spring-summer 2011 collection to be presented in October will be the last one created by Gaultier for Hermes. Gaultier’s exit marks the end of a formal arrangement that began when Jean-Louis Dumas, former president and chief executive officer of Hermes, signed the designer up to bring new blood to the maker of luxury handbags and silk ties. Dumas died this month at the age of 72." read more

(wwd)AEO Profits Fall in First Quarter

"American Eagle Outfitters Inc. flew into pockets of turbulence in the first quarter, cutting profits in half, and said Wednesday it expects more choppy skies ahead. While heavy discounting and the cost of closing the Martin + Osa division took their toll on first-quarter results, a second-quarter earnings projection slightly below analysts’ expectations played a larger role in dropping shares of the Pittsburgh-based teen specialty retailer $2.57, or 16.7 percent, to $12.81. For the 13 weeks ended May 1, net income totaled $10.9 million, or 5 cents a share, compared with $22 million, or 11 cents, a year earlier. Stripping out charges from the closure of the 28-door Martin + Osa chain, adjusted profits amounted to 17 cents a share, matching analysts’ estimates." read more

The Style File Daily Cheat Sheet

DKNY Resort, AE Profits Fall, Cathy Horyn on Ungaro, Burberry's Profits Rise and Obama's Trade Bill With Haiti.

(wwd)DKNY Resort 2011

click to see more pictures

(wwd)American Eagle Profits Fall

"American Eagle Outfitters Inc. issued cautious guidance for the current quarter and said the closure of the Martin + Osa business weighed on first-quarter results. Net income was cut in half to $10.9 million, or 5 cents a share, compared with $22 million, or 11 cents a year ago. Excluding the charges and losses related to the shuttered Martin + Osa business, adjusted profits of 17 cents a share met Wall Street’s expectations. Citing weaker business trends, the retailer projected adjusted profits of 12 cents to 16 cents for the second quarter, falling short of the 21 cents analysts expected." read more

(nyt)Cathy Horyn's Take on Giles Deacon and Ungaro

"Ungaro may seem “a poisoned chalice,” as one of my fashion sisters in England called the Paris house, but this is an industry that dauntlessly recovers from bad taste. If my count is accurate, Giles Deacon is now the sixth ready-to-wear designer at Ungaro in the past decade (and I’m not counting the very brief and strange Lindsay Lohan episode). That’s a lot of designers trying to give a modern look to a label known for prints and a zesty femininity. Mr. Deacon is well liked and reasonably well known in England, where he started his business in 2003, and his clothes have a quirky elegance. But many young-uns have busted out since then and the world keeps changing daily. Fashion folks point to the success of Balenciaga and Balmain — very different businesses but examples nonetheless of old houses that have been re-energized." read more

(wwd)Burberry Profits Rise to $131.5 Million

"Burberry Group plc said Wednesday profits in the year to March 31 rose to 82.2 million pounds, or $131.5 million, fuelled by a 6.5 percent spike in sales and a string of cost-efficiencies. Sales rose to 1.28 billion pounds, or $2.04 billion. The fastest growing category was non-apparel, which accounted for 36 percent of revenue. “Burberry has delivered record profits in what have been very challenging markets,” said chief executive Angela Ahrendts." read more

(wwd)Obama Signs Haiti Trade Bill

"President Obama has signed into law a bill that almost triples the amount of apparel made in Haiti that can be shipped into the U.S. duty free. The bill is intended to help Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, rebuild after the devastating earthquake in January that disrupted the mainstay of its economy — the apparel and textile industry. The centerpiece of the legislation would increase the allowances of third-country fabric of knit and woven apparel to 200 million square meter equivalents from 70 million SMEs in each category. But it would also place sublimits of 85 million SMEs on the duty free benefits for certain high-volume knit apparel products and limits of 70 million SMEs for certain woven apparel products."read more

The Style File Daily Cheat Sheet

Giles Deacon at Ungaro, Lindsey Lohan's New Accessory, New Projects at LV, Textile Import Fraud, PVH Corp. and Tommy Hilfiger, Fashion on the Tennis Court.

Giles Deacon for Ungaro

(nymag)Emanuel Ungaro Hires Giles Deacon to Design

We are really hoping that after struggling for years with it's so-so Creative Directors and designers, Ungaro has FINALLY made a good decision. "With the housekeeping finally complete and Lindsay Lohan and Estrella Archs tossed out like cigarette-burned leggings, Emanuel Ungaro has finally appointed a new designer: Giles Deacon. The designer — a designer first and foremost by profession, it must be noted — will stage a presentation at Paris Fashion Week in October, and probably another presentation for the following Fashion Week in March. He wants to really get his feet wet before hitting the runway — no slapdash "I wasn’t aware of the nipple tassels on the girls until they were walking out" kinds of collections." read more

(cbs)SCRAM Bracelet: Lindsay Lohan's Newest Court Ordered Fashion Statement

What the heck is a "SCRAM" bracelet?

"Simply put, it's "Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitoring" or an alcohol monitoring device, like the one Lohan wore after her arrest on a DUI charge in 2007. The actress has been on probation since August 2007 after pleading guilty to misdemeanor drug charges and no contest to three driving charges. A judge ordered her to wear one today after her appearance in a Los Angeles courtroom over a missed probation hearing. You might recall she claimed she was stuck in Cannes after her passport was stolen last week." read more

(wwd)Yves Carcelle Talks Retail Projects for Louis Vuitton

When asked by WWD in an interview on Tuesday, "what is the company’s bigger priority this year, opening stores or optimizing business in the existing stores?",  Yves Carcelle, CEO say's both. "It was clear there was a period when we needed to cover the planet as quickly as possible. I would say that in the last 10 years we really needed to conquer new countries where luxury was appearing. The desire for luxury design had become a worldwide desire. I think today we have already covered [the globe] quite well, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have new countries in our plan. This year, we opened our first stores in Lebanon, Poland and the Dominican Republic — that makes three new countries this year. We will open in three new cities in China — Nanning, Hohhot and Fuzhou — and some second stores in Chinese cities." read more of the interview

(wwd)Congress Seeks Tougher Policing of Textile Import Fraud

"Congress will consider legislation to crack down on textile import fraud, which is battering the weakened domestic industry. Yarn spinners and denim fabric makers said they have suffered major damage from the increasing illegal activity that undercuts their $10.2 billion export business to Central America, Mexico and four Andean countries, all of which have duty preferences with the U.S... The Textile Enforcement and Security Act, sponsored by Reps. John Spratt (D., S.C.), Howard Coble (R., N.C.), Larry Kissell (D., N.C.) and Walter Jones (R., N.C.), is intended to close enforcement loopholes by placing additional Customs inspectors in Central America and Mexico, expanding penalties to more firms in the supply chain, decreasing the use of “blanket” affidavits that certify all imported products comply with U.S. rules and starting a verification system to track yarn and fabric in regions that have free trade agreements with the U.S." read more

(wwd)Hilfiger Buy Weighs on PVH in Qtr.

Phillips-Van Heusen Corp. said Monday that it posted a first-quarter loss, hurt in part by expenses from the $3 billion purchase of Tommy Hilfiger and hedges to cover a portion of that euro-denominated acquisition. For the three months ended May 2, the net loss was $27.6 million, or 53 cents a diluted share, versus net income of $24.7 million, or 48 cents, in the year-ago quarter. Eliminating over $100 million in onetime costs related to the Hilfiger acquisition, earnings per share rose to positive territory, coming in at 83 cents, 4 cents higher than the consensus estimate of 79 cents. The Hilfiger transaction, in tandem with the earlier purchase of Calvin Klein, created a global powerhouse with two of the most recognized designer brands. “This extended brand portfolio and operating platform creates unique growth opportunities across additional geographies and product categories, which we are positioned to capitalize upon to drive future revenue and earnings growth as well as strong returns to our stockholders." read more

(washington post)Williams Sisters Turn Heads with Fashion at the French Open

Fashionable tennis wear? I'm not quite sure the Williams sisters have it down yet... Here are some pictures of their most recent fashions on the court... what do you think?

The Style File Daily Cheat Sheet

American Apparel Struggles, Target's Profits Rise, Designers and Digital Prints, Lucky's new CEO and A Tour of The CFDA Incubator

(wwd)American Apparel Facing New Credit Crisis

"Shares of the Los Angeles-based retailer fell more than 40 percent Wednesday after it said it does not expect to be in compliance with a covenant covering debt to adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization under a credit agreement with Lion Capital as of June 30. The firm based the projection on “existing trends” and results for the first quarter ended March 31.  London-based Lion provided American Apparel with $80 million in financing in March 2009, allowing it to pay off a $51 million loan from SOF Investment, an arm of computer tycoon Michael S. Dell’s MSD Investments. American Apparel said it is working with the lender to amend the agreement, but could provide “no assurances” it would obtain appropriate amendments prior to the anticipated covenant default."  read more

(wsj)Are You Wearing a Watercolor?

"Presenting high fashion—now brought to you by inkjet printer. The stores and runways this spring are full of clothes with intricate prints—not just flowers but unique, often enigmatic designs resembling artwork. Behind this profusion of patterns is a familiar piece of technology: a printer not unlike the one sitting on your desk." We love that designers can take inspiration and images directly from nature and with digital technology,  instantly turn it into the most beautiful printed fabric.  read more

(wwd)Target 1st-Qtr. Profits Gain 28.5%

"Customers “are putting well-considered discretionary items back in their baskets,” said Kathryn Tesija, executive vice president of merchandising. “They are indulging while feeling smart in their decisions. We’re seeing this trend particularly in home and apparel. Both men and women are freshening up their casual wardrobes and picking up new shoes and accessories for spring.” For the quarter ended May 1, Minneapolis-based Target reported net income of $671 million, compared with $522 million in the same year-ago quarter." read more

(wwd)New Lucky Brand CEO Seeks Sharper Focus

"Four months after joining Lucky, DeMattei is applying his 25 years of retail experience gained at Williams-Sonoma, J. Crew, Gap and Banana Republic to turn Lucky around. His first order of business is to entice shoppers with snazzy display windows that show off jeans selling for less than $119. Second, he plans to do more direct marketing to the 500,000 customers in Lucky’s database with e-mail blasts and catalogues. Third, all Lucky stores will begin using a new computerized replenishment system that will help them restock popular styles more quickly. Last, and perhaps most important, he plans to focus intensely on product and merchandise management. DeMattei is reducing the number of graphic T-shirts, increasing the number of women’s styles by 30 percent and expanding offerings for woven tops, sweaters, dresses, skirts and jackets." read more

(wwd/style.com)CFDA Fashion Incubator Is Ready to Go

"The incubator was launched by the Council of Fashion Designers of America with Mayor Michael Bloomberg in partnership with Newmark Holdings and the New York City Economic Development Corp. The initiative consists of a full floor at 209 West 38th Street, where 12 up-and-coming designers have taken two-year leases for studios at rents from $1,000 to $2,000 — far below the market rate for space so centrally located in the Garment District. It also provides mentorship from industry professionals." read more

The Style File Daily Cheat Sheet

(NBC) Express Goes Public with Lunchtime Fashion Show in Wall Street

"Express went public today, and to celebrate 30 years in the biz, models rang the bell at the NYSE and this afternoon, they'll host a fashion show on Wall Street itself. Headliners Alek Wek, Isabel Goulart and Flavia de Oliveira will lead the catwalk down the main thoroughfare of the financial district at 12:30pm, before taking to the streets with "mystery" gift cards loaded with up to $75 -- according to Modelinia, there'll be thousands up for grabs."

(WWD) Zac Posen May Show in Paris

"The designer told a visitor to his showroom Tuesday that he will show his spring 2011 ready-to-wear collection in Paris where, he said, “they understand my clothes.” Posen cited as an additional reason for the move his inability to secure his preferred time slot during New York Fashion Week."

(WWD) Nordstrom Earnings Up in First Quarter

"Reporting after the markets closed Thursday, the high-end retailer said first-quarter earnings for the period ended May 1 jumped to $116 million, from $81 million.Sales rose 16.6 percent to $1.99 billion from $1.71 billion, while same-store sales rose 13.7 percent."

(WSJ) At Gap, Two Brands on Mend, One to Go

"While Gap Inc.'s Old Navy and Banana Republic divisions are showing signs of life, the Gap brand itself continues to struggle with styles that consumers find easy to ignore.This week, Gap is expected to post its first quarterly same-store sales rose in more than five years—the first of Mr. Robinson's tenure. But a rise, for the quarter ended May 1, would come with the caveat that last year's quarter was especially bad. The question is whether Mr. Robinson can build on the gains and convince people inside and outside the company that a turnaround is under way."

(WWD) Urban Outfitters Profits Leap

"Urban Outfitters, which operates the Anthropologie, Free People, Leifsdottir, Terrain and Urban Outfitters brands, on Thursday reported record first-quarter earnings of $53 million. Net income was 31 cents a diluted share, a 72 percent increase over last year’s 18 cents, when earnings totaled $31 million. Glen Senk, chief executive officer of Urban Outfitters Inc., said  “We achieved record sales and earnings, but to do so within the greater context of our longer-term goals of investing in store productivity, e-commerce penetration, international expansion and new brands, is even more satisfying.""