VISVAS: March 2015

Tuesday 31 March 2015

Blue Nile Taps Monica Rich Kosann for Exclusive Collection

ON THE NILE: Monica Rich Kosann is getting a new online home. The fine jewelry designer has created a new collection exclusively for online jewelry retailer Blue Nile. “Blue Nile is one of the leading retailers in the digital space and are credited as being one of the first to develop a new model for selling jewelry online,” said Rich Kosann. “As a brand with an omnichannel perspective, we welcomed the opportunity to create an exclusive collection for them.” Inspired by the act of storytelling, the collection consists of classic lockets and unique charms, such as family trees, handprints and wedding bells. The pieces are made of 18-karat gold and sterling silver, with accents of sapphires, mother-of-pearl and blue topaz. “The collection stays true to the locket and charm collections that underpin our business,” explained Rich Kosann. “We had always seen an opportunity to create an opening price, petite 18-karat gold charm collection that would fit the growing merchandising matrix for our brand. We felt Blue Nile was the ideal launch partner for that.” With the collection, Rich Kosann joins Bree Richey, Robert Leser, Lisa Jenks and Sloane Street & Sage as part of the Blue Nile Designer Collective, the

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Fall 2015 Accessories: Milan

WWD scouted the season’s best shoes, handbags, jewelry, eyewear and more — direct from the runways and designers’ showrooms in New York, London, Milan and Paris — to showcase here. Check back as we roll out our accessories selections throughout the week.

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Gap’s Art Peck and Levi’s Chip Bergh Speak Out Against Discrimination

ANTIDISCRIMINATION DUET: The chief executive officers of Gap Inc. and Levi Strauss & Co. have joined forces to make a statement, but it’s got nothing to do with a collaborative capsule collection. Art Peck, ceo of Gap, and Chip Bergh, president and ceo of Levi’s, cited their firms’ “long history of standing up for equal rights and equal opportunity for all” and against discrimination based on “race, se x or sexual orientation” in adding their voices to others in the business community in opposition to Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act, scheduled to take effect July 1. “As Indiana, Arkansas and states around the country enact and consider legislation that perpetuates discrimination, we’re urging state legislatures to stand up for equality by repealing and voting against these discriminatory laws,” the two stated. “These new laws and legislation that allow people and businesses to deny service to people based on their sexual orientation turn back the clock on equality and foster a culture of intolerance.” The heads of the two San Francisco-based firms noted such laws “are unquestionably bad for business, but more importantly, they are fundamentally wrong. They must be stopped.”

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Costume Institute’s Andrew Bolton Talks Fashion and Museums

Legions of visitors to The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute have seen Andrew Bolton without even knowing it. Working at the Fifth Avenue museum since 2002, the British-born curator has contentedly gone about his days behind-the-scenes. But in the past 12 years, he has put his personal touch on 12 exhibitions that have been gazed upon by thousands, including many with the Costume Institute’s curator in charge, Harold Koda. Now, as this year’s Vilcek Foundation fashion prize winner, Bolton can’t shake the spotlight. The prize — whose jury included Koda, Cecilia Dean, Jimmy Moffat of Art + Commerce and Julie Gilhart among others comes with a $100,000 award. So one wintry morning, Bolton agreed to talk shop in The Costume Institute library, just steps away from his office. With the Barneys-bequeathed Diana Vreeland mannequin looming playfully, the ultraorderly atheneum with a pencils-only policy was a fitting location to learn about his career. Fastidious as the Met is about preserving fashion and its role in history, Bolton, along with Koda and the team, are very much focused on tomorrow. “We want to be on the cusp of predicting what might be interesting to people. But I think fundamentally what we do is

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Dylan Lauren and Havaianas Team for Flip-flops

Dylan Lauren hopes to hit a retail sweet spot with her newest collaboration: flip-flops with Brazilian sandal brand Havaianas. The limited-edition footwear collection hits Dylan’s Candy Bar, Bloomingdale’s, Lester’s, Havaianas and dylanscandybar.com on Friday. “I always knew I wanted to create a lifestyle brand — and watching my dad go from having a tie company to a full lifestyle collection was certainly very inspiring,” said Lauren, founder and chief executive officer of the candy store that bears her name. In addition to her newest partnership, Lauren in the past has partnered with Maclaren for strollers, with LeSportsac for bags and with Claire’s on jewelry, tech accessories, nail polish and lip products. As for the flip-flops, she said, “I seriously could design 1,000 candy patterns if Havaianas wanted to make them all.” At launch, two styles of sandals adorned with Dylan’s Candy Bar’s most well-known signature candies — swirled lollipops and round lollipops — will be on offer. The flip-flops will retail for $30 and are available in tween to adult sizes, from 3/4 to 11/12. Lauren — who noted she looks at candy as an art form that connects the worlds of art, fashion and pop culture — has many seasonal collections. “But unlike

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Tiffany Looks to Boost Watches With CT60

NEW YORK — Tiffany has a long history in the men’s watch business, but for the past several years, the jewelry retailer hasn’t emphasized the category. That’s about to change. On Thursday, Tiffany will launch the Tiffany CT60, a collection of watches inspired by founder Charles Lewis Tiffany. The watches are patterned after a Tiffany & Co. gold watch given to President Franklin Roosevelt in 1945, but with a modern twist in design as well as marketing. The retailer is planning to launch the collection with a social media campaign. “We wanted to reach out to men and let them know there’s something for them at Tiffany,” said Linda Buckley, vice president of public relations for Tiffany North America. She said the company had started selling men’s watches in 1877, “but it’s a while since we focused on them.” Tiffany’s recent history with watches has been sketchy. In 2013, a Dutch arbitration court ruled that the retailer had to pay $448.79 million in damages to Swatch Group after a partnership formed in 2007 to develop watches under the Tiffany name was unsuccessful. What had been planned as a 20-year deal ended in 2011. This time, Tiffany is taking on the men’s market itself with

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Quidsi Site Becomes E-Tail’s New Incubator

The marketplace site Jet is perhaps the most buzzed about e-commerce company right now — and it hasn’t even launched. Founder and chief executive officer Marc Lore has already raised $220 million for the venture from investors including Bain Capital and Accel Partners — and was in a plum position to do so. He sold Quidsi, the parent company of brands like Diapers.com and Soap.com in which he cofounded with Vinit Bharara, to Amazon in 2010 for more than $500 million. Lore stayed on at the e-commerce giant until summer 2013 before departing to build Jet, a place that he says will maximize order profitability for retailers and provide the most cost-efficient option for consumers. The marketplace will open to the public sometime in “late spring.” While Jet in and of itself has been generating lots of attention, less remarked on is the central role Quidsi has played in spawning a slew of e-tailers, mainly in the children’s wear and kids’ space. This week alone saw the expansion of Bharara’s content platform Some Spider, which acquired the highly trafficked parenting destination Scary Mommy, and the launch of Primary by Galyn Bernard and Christina Carbonell that is a direct-to-consumer e-commerce destination for children’s

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Fall 2015 Trend: Spanish Class

Graceful translations of aristocratic proportions gave a regal elegance to a number of fall collections.

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Hip-Hop Photos on Show at Museum of City of New York

When hip-hop was just beginning to emerge as an art form in New York in the late Seventies and early Eighties, three photographers became deeply involved in documenting it — Joe Conzo, Martha Cooper and Janette Beckman. Now the Museum of the City of New York is devoting an exhibit to their work, a total of about 100 photographs, taken of the DJs, dancers, rappers and graffiti artists of the period. The exhibition, “Hip-Hop Revolution: Photographs by Janette Beckman, Joe Conzo and Martha Cooper,” will run through September 13. Conzo grew up in the Bronx and was simply photographing the scene around him on the streets, in gyms and clubs. “I just happen to have gone to school with some of the pioneers of hip-hop,” he says. Martha Cooper is a documentary photographer who became passionate about the street culture of New York City. Her photos have appeared in dozens of magazines throughout the world. Janette Beckman, who is English, had been photographing the punk rock scene in Britain, came to New York on vacation and never left. “I had been documenting punk for Melody Maker and The Face,” she says. “It was kind of mind-blowing.” She photographed LL Cool J,

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Showrooms Serve as New Mode of Branding for E-Tail Start-ups

Online, high-end eyeglasses seller David Kind is opening showroom space at its headquarters in a move several e-tailers are making to solidify their brands in the real world. The space, by appointment only, is located on the ground floor of the company’s Venice, Calif., headquarters and opens Monday. David Kind launched in January 2014 and has four employees, two of which are optometrists. David Kind sells 18 styles — each priced at $295 — all of which are designed in Los Angeles and then made in either Italy or Japan. Customers are sent, free of charge, up to six pairs of eyeglasses to test out at home. The showroom could help the company grow its international base, which is a sliver of overall revenue — less than 1 percent — and mostly coming from Canada. For those international customers visiting in the area for long enough, stopping in at the showroom makes sense, founder and chief executive officer Dave Barton said. “Virtual try-ons just don’t cut it. People want to touch and feel. Frames are like jewelry,” he said. Barton is an eyewear industry veteran, having most recently served as president of eyewear development and design company Bartolomasi. He’s also a former Oliver Peoples senior line

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Fashgasm 31.3.2015

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31.3.2015

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Lawsuit Against Estée Lauder to Proceed

SUIT AGAINST LAUDER SURVIVES: A lawsuit seeking class-action status filed back in August 2013 by Donna Tomasino against The Estée Lauder Cos. Inc. has been allowed to proceed. U.S. District Court Judge Edward Korman on Thursday reversed an earlier decision in August 2014 dismissing the complaint. The plaintiff since then submitted an amended complaint with the Brooklyn federal court. It was Lauder’s move to dismiss the amended complaint that was decided by Korman on Thursday. Korman on Tuesday made an amendment to Thursday’s order, but the change does not affect the substance of last week’s ruling. At the heart of Tomasino’s complaint were allegations that Lauder’s Advance Night Repair collection was advertised in a false, deceptive or misleading way and that the products “do not and cannot live up to” the advertised promised to repair DNA damage to make skin look younger. Executives at Lauder could not be reached for comment.

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Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom Opening Stores in CT

Bloomingdale’s and Nordstrom will open stores in the fall of 2018 in a 700,000-square-foot enclosed shopping center being developed by General Growth Properties Inc. in Norwalk, Conn. Both retailers indicated they will create three-level, 150,000 square-foot units. “Our goal is to provide a unique shopping destination that serves as a gathering place for great retail, dining and entertainment,” said Sandeep Mathrani, chief executive officer of GGP, who added that the shopping center would complement existing merchants in South Norwalk and attract new customers. “This is our only brand-new, ground-up development,” said Kevin Berry, GGP’s vice president of investor relations. GGP does have several expansion projects happening, including adding 660,000 square feet to the Ala Moana Center in Honolulu and 200,000 square feet to the Baybrook Mall south of Houston. Asked about competition in the Norwalk area, Berry said, “There is none. It’s a complete hole in the marketplace. The nearest retailing is in Greenwich, seven miles away and there are some small shops in South Norwalk. In terms of shopping malls, there are none in the area.” The nearest would be the Stamford Town Center eight miles away, and after that, the Westfield Trumbull, 13 miles away, Berry said. The Norwalk mall, which has yet

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Bain to Sell Remaining Burlington Stake

Bain Capital Partners LLC and affiliates will complete their exit from ownership of Burlington Stores Inc. with the sale of nearly 12.5 million shares in a secondary offering of common stock. Burlington, acquired by Bain for $2.06 billion in 2006, went public through the offering of 15.3 million shares, at $17 a share, in 2013. Bain has sold off pieces of its remaining stake since then and it ceased to be majority owner last year. In January, Bain reported to the Securities and Exchange Commission remaining holdings of 12.49 million shares in the off-price retailer, corresponding to 16.4 percent of those outstanding, following the sale of 11.3 million shares at $48.75 through a secondary offering of stock. Since those sales in January, the stock has continued to climb and closed up 0.1 percent at $59.42 in New York Stock Exchange trading Tuesday. While the sale of remaining shares would reduce its holdings to zero, Bain would retain its attachment through a management consulting agreement that runs through next year and is renewable through agreement by the parties. J.P. Morgan is sole book-running manager for the second offering. Click Here for the WWD Global Stock Tracker >>

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JD.Com Enters Equity Crowdfunding Business

JD.com Inc. is getting further entrenched in the equity crowdfunding business. China’s online direct sales company on Tuesday disclosed its new JD Equity Crowdfunding platform to create an ecosystem to help finance, develop and promote the creation of start-ups in China. The new venture expands the offerings from JD Crowdfunding, which was established in July 2014 and became China’s first crowdfunding platform. The latest equity platform not only introduces entrepreneurs to a broad set of possible early-stage investors, it also provides training and support options, making it more of an incubator in operation. The companies that are selected to participate are also able to sell their products through JD.com’s e-commerce platform. There are 11 firms that have raised funding through the new platform. Among them are Thunderobot, Fastwheel and WeBuzz, which focus on gaming laptops, personal transportation devices and social media, respectively. Richard Liu, founder and chief executive officer of JD.com, said, “As the leader in Chinese e-commerce, JD.com is ideally positioned to create a premium platform to give China’s early-stage companies access to resources and seed capital from a broad range of investors. With the advantages of JD.com’s national brand, resources and commitment to supporting early-stage companies, we are confident that JD.com will

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Madewell Experiences Growth Despite Downward Trends

For Madewell, volume growth doesn’t imply a change in fashion strategy. In terms of image, “It actually means staying the course,” Somsack Sikhounmuong, the brand’s head designer, told WWD. “There’s great momentum at Madewell, but we are being consistent and sticking with our message.” Denim; leather accessories and boots; chambray shirts; layering; easy, casual classics, and tomboy-ish appeal are constants, though there’s always tweaking for greater variety. In a preview of the fall collection, Sikhounmuong cited a “huge push to reimagine jeans” and showed off the flared denim overalls and longer-length jeans that represent an evolution from Madewell’s “Perfect” summer jean and maintain the high rise and vintage character. Flared jeans are outselling skinny styles, noted Sikhounmuong. “We start with denim and then determine what do we want to layer in.” He also highlighted knit dresses in French marine stripes shown with a shearling coat and Lafayette bucket bag, as well as two-piece sweater dress and traditional blazers that have been elongated. To sustain the tomboy overtone, the collection features men’s checks and tweeds, boyfriend jeans, fedoras and traditional army boots with a zipper in back to slip them off easily. In late February, Madewell began distributing via Nordstrom’s Web site and the Net-a-porter

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Diptyque Launches Beverly Hills Candle

To celebrate Diptyque’s newest boutique in Beverly Hills, the company has created a limited-edition candle inspired by the famed zip code. The citrus scent blends lemon essential oil, mint essential oil, orchid accord and freesia accord. To coincide with its 90210 roots, the candle’s packaging is a nod to the wallpaper designed by Don Loper for the Beverly Hills Hotel. “Our three founders all had strong roots in the arts and as a company, it’s important to us to maintain this heritage and identify ways to support the arts in local communities,” said Donna DiDonato, Diptyque managing director. “When we opened our first boutique in Beverly Hills last year, we partnered with Lauri Firstenberg and LAXArt to donate a portion of sales from our opening weekend to the organization. This candle is the next step for us in our partnership.” Diptyque Beverly Hills Candle retails for $70 and 10 percent of the proceeds will be donated to LAXArt, a nonprofit contemporary art space in Los Angeles.

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Chanel Launching E-commerce

Chanel, long a holdout in the rush to offer shopping by device, will soon launch e-commerce. The move could come as early as fourth-quarter 2016, according to Bruno Pavlovsky, Chanel’s president of fashion. In addition, three of the Métiers d’Art companies, owned by Chanel under its Paraffection subsidiary, will launch e-commerce by the end of this year. In New York for tonight’s Métiers d’Art show at the Park Avenue Armory, a redo of the one presented in Salzburg in December, Pavlovsky declined to elaborate on plans for the Chanel brand’s foray into e-commerce. Asked if the house will start with a single-category or a tight product offering across multiple categories, he said “we are testing the approach,” but that it’s “much too early” to discuss specifics. The move should come, “probably the end of next year, September. But everything that we are doing has to be linked with some brick-and-mortar boutiques.” Chanel is looking to develop the businesses of the Métiers d’Art companies, all of which are profitable, Pavlovsky said. To that end, separate e-commerce sites are in the works for glove-maker Causse, milliner Maison Michel and cashmere house Barrie Knitwear. “Because we don’t have a lot of point of sales, we

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Joanna Coles Interviews Elizabeth Warren at Hearst Tower

COLES’ PRESIDENTIAL RUNAROUND: No matter how hard she tried, Joanna Coles wasn’t getting her big scoop on whether U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) is planning a presidential bid in 2016. The editor in chief of Cosmopolitan permitted Warren to give what sounded like a well-rehearsed stump speech, with Clinton-esque gesticulations (Bill’s, not Hillary’s) on financial reform, the state of the economy and why “Washington is broken” — a familiar talking point among politicians of both parties (and pretty much every person of voting age in America). The interview, which took place Tuesday morning at Hearst Tower in Manhattan, gave Warren the chance to promote her new book “A Fighting Chance,” but let’s face it, the real reason why the small auditorium was standing-room only was to get a glimpse of the potential presidential candidate — and, Coles, a former newspaper reporter, knew that. “You’ve come straight here, flying from the ‘Today Show’ studios where you denied fervently that you’re going to run for president,” Coles said. “We’ll come back to that.” And she would, but first, the editor sat patiently — squirming only minimally — for about 30 minutes while Warren talked policy and her personal travails. Those included her mother’s struggles raising

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Michelle Phan, Endemol Beyond to Launch Icon Network

Michelle Phan has a color cosmetics line, beauty sampling company, a YouTube channel and record label. That must not be enough because today, the beauty vlogger unveiled her partnership with Endemol Beyond— a content network that spans 20 platforms like YouTube, Yahoo and AOL — for a global lifestyle network for women called Icon. Icon will feature original programs ranging in topics from beauty to food. Additionally, Phan will mentor other online personalities while spearheading new ideas for the platform. Some of the original series set to debut on Icon include Pretty Little Pranksters, Skinside Out and Decode Beauty.

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Obama Vetoes Congress Measure on Unions

WASHINGTON — President Obama vetoed a measure Tuesday that would have blocked a controversial National Labor Relations Board rule shortening the time frame for union elections. The NLRB rule, which is set to take effect in mid-April, will eliminate a 25-day waiting period between when an election is ordered and when it is held. It also requires employers to give employee e-mail addresses and phone numbers to union organizers. “A while back, the National Labor Relations Board put forward some common sense, modest changes to streamline the voting process for folks who wanted to join a union,” Obama said. “And unfortunately, the Republican Senate and House decided to put forward a proposal to reverse those changes. I think that’s a bad idea.” Obama said unions have historically been at the forefront of measures like the 40-hour work week, the weekend, and the establishment of benefits and decent wages. “And one of the freedoms of folks here in the United States is that if they choose to join a union, they should be able to do so, and we shouldn’t be making it impossible for that to happen,” Obama said. Obama also announced the White House will host a summit this fall on worker rights. Unions back

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Dior Hosts Mid-Winter Gala in San Francisco

DIOR IN SAN FRANCISCO: The California Palace of the Legion of Honor was the dramatic setting Friday night for the Christian Dior-sponsored Mid-Winter Gala. Kate Bosworth, Kate Mara, Jordana Brewster, Suki Waterhouse and model Anne Vyalitsyna, all in Dior, natch, provided the eye candy while Alexandra Richards played the part of DJ. “This is my big debut party in San Francisco,” Vyalitsyna said. “I just moved to the city and I’m so happy to be here.” Brewster used the opportunity to plug her latest movie, “Furious 7.” “I love the action of this film, and I adore Vin Diesel,” she said. The event, a fund-raiser for the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, was founded over a decade ago by honorary cochairs Vanessa and Trevor Traina, Kathryn Lasater and Allison Speer. Pamela Baxter, Ken Fulk, and Jenny and Roman Coppola were among the others nibbling on lobster salad on Dior-engraved plates. Some time after midnight, as Richards played “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” cowritten by dad Richard, guests headed for the exits. It was time to call it a night. “Adored,” was how Fulk summed up the evening.

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France Leads in Cosmetics Exports

PARIS — French cosmetics exports grew 4 percent in 2014, making them the fastest-growing of France’s top-three commodities sold abroad, according to the country’s Fédération des Entreprises de la Beauté. French cosmetics generated a trade surplus of 8.9 billion euros, or $11.8 billion at average exchange for the year, ranking second after aeronautics and leading the food-processing industry, which rose 2.5 percent and declined 8 percent, respectively. FEBEA said that for numerous years France has been the world’s number-one cosmetics seller abroad. In 2013, it boasted 15.9 percent of the export market, eclipsing the U.S. with 10.8 percent and Germany with 10.7 percent. French products represent about one-third of Europe’s cosmetics sold outside of the continent “far in front of Germany,” according to the Federation. French cosmetics exports retailed beyond the European Union made up 51.8 percent of the international business. “In 2014, French cosmetics exports progressed in almost all of the regions of the world,” stated FEBEA. The exports rising the most, by 11.7 percent, were to Asia, which was French cosmetics’ second-largest market after Europe with 16.9 percent of the business. “France remains the first exporting country of cosmetics products to this zone, although the competition there is intense with major operators originating from

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Amazon India Fashion Week Focuses on Indian Crafts

NEW DELHI, India — Dozens of models and many of India’s leading designers packed the runway while the audience rose to a standing ovation at the close of Amazon India Fashion Week. Showing two pieces each from 25 designers in glowing and burnished oranges, reds and pinks, the fall runway appeared to be on fire for the finale of the five-day event at Pragati Maidan, the event’s venue. Ranging from gowns to fusionwear and culminating in bridalwear, with heavy embellishment and layers of silk and gold, the finale was an unusual signal of unity for the country’s fashion world as designers put aside their differences and came together to celebrate the theme of the crafts of India. JJ Valaya, Ritu Kumar, Wendell Rodricks, Suneet Varma, Sabyasachi, Tarun Tahiliani, Rahul Khanna and Rohit Gandhi, David Abraham and Rakesh Thakore, Pankaj and Nidhi, Rina Dhaka, Anamika Khanna, Varun Bahl and Rohit Bal were among the designers who walked the runway for the finale. India Fashion Week was celebrating a big anniversary — its 25th season. It also marked the first season with the Indian arm of Amazon as the sponsor. The previous sponsor, Wills Lifestyle, had strength in brick-and-mortar retail with more than 40 stores across

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Rihanna Attends M$$ x WT Launch Party in New York

“This party is a little too turnt up for a weekday.” It was Monday at 7:30 p.m. and as one partygoer so eloquently mused, the vibe at Opening Ceremony was “turnt up.” The occasion? A launch party for M$$ x WT, Melissa Forde’s new line of bucket hats, a one-off capsule collection for rapper Wale’s Wrkng Title hat line. As Rihanna’s resident bestie-sidekick, Forde has learned to party with the best of them, and for her own debut, she decided to show those skills off — Monday night be damned. Revelers packed into the space, popping into a makeshift photobooth and bopping to the DJ’s playlist, a stream of Jay Z and Kanye West hits played several decibels too loud. Forde rode solo for the majority of the evening, flitting around the SoHo store in a hat of her own design and sipping out of a plastic cup filled with D’ussé, a cognac favored by rappers and the party’s only alcoholic option. “I really love Opening Ceremony, not to be biased,” Forde said. “I just really like the store.” The feeling was seemingly mutual, as designer Humberto Leon arrived early in the evening to show his support — or maybe just to

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An elfin beauty that strikes you with magic

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Between her naturally delicate features and hair styling by Nicolas Eldin that highlights graceful ears from beneath slicked locks, Meghan Collison is the definition of Elfin beauty. Gorgeously shot by An Le for Numero Russia, Collison is not the sort of faerie who resides in the spring valleys and forests but rather one of Arctic origin, accompanied by makeshift icebergs and a lupine friend. Phuong My’s styling merges gracefulness with relaxed sensuality, whether in ornate heels paired with Prada’s raw-edged brocade shift dress, or a minimalist white Celine frock worn with flat, mannish lace-ups.

meghan collison by an le

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L’Oréal Finalizes Buy of Niely Cosmeticos Group

PARIS — L’Oréal said Tuesday it has finalized the acquisition of Niely Cosmeticos Group in Brazil. The French beauty giant, which announced the deal in September, described Niely as the largest independent hair-color and hair-care company in Brazil. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. In 2014, Niely generated revenue of 406 million Brazilian reals, or $173.4 million at average exchange for the year. The firm’s two main brands are Cor & Ton for color and Niely Gold for shampoo and care. Niely’s distribution includes supermarkets, pharmacies, perfumeries and wholesalers. “A strategic move for L’Oréal in Brazil and [the] Spanish-speaking Latin American zone, the acquisition of Niely Cosmeticos will complement the products offered by L’Oréal’s Consumer Products Division in Brazil,” stated the company. Daniel Fonseca de Jesus founded Niely in 1981. It has industrial and logistics facilities based in Nova Iguaçu, part of the greater Rio de Janeiro area.

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India’s Cotton Exports to Tank 41 Percent as China Curbs Buying

MUMBAI (Reuters) – Cotton exports from India, the world’s second-biggest producer and seller, are expected to fall 41 percent to 7 million bales this crop year ending on Sept. 30 as top buyer China curbs purchases, Textile Commissioner Kiran Soni Gupta said. India on Tuesday also lowered the production estimate to 39 million bales from the previous forecast of 40 million bales made in October. The prior export forecast was 9 million bales for this season. China, the world’s largest cotton importer, accounts for more than 60 percent of total raw cotton exports from India. The rest goes to Bangladesh, Pakistan and Vietnam.

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TJX Boosts Quarterly Dividend

The TJX Cos. Inc. has raised its quarterly dividend 20 percent, to 21 cents a share from 17.5 cents. The increase will be payable June 4 to shareholders of record May 14. Carol Meyrowitz, chief executive officer of the Framingham, Mass.-based off-price retailer, noted that this was the 19th consecutive year the company has raised its dividend, which has grown at a compound annual rate of 23 percent. RELATED CONTENT: WWD Earnings Tracker >> Details of the dividend increase are consistent with those outlined on Feb. 25, when TJX reported its fourth-quarter and full-year financial results. The company said at that time that it would repurchase approximately $1.8 billion to $1.9 billion of its own stock in the current fiscal year, between $100 million and $200 million more than was repurchased in 2014. With $1.3 billion remaining from its previous stock repurchase authorization, TJX’s board approved a new program authorizing the buyback of an additional $2 billion of its stock “from time to time.” Meyrowitz commented, “With our financial strength and strong cash flow, we remain committed to returning cash to shareholders while simultaneously investing in our business to support the near- and long-term growth of TJX.” Click Here for the WWD Global Stock Tracker >>

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Clarks Originals launches WhatsApp campaign

Footwear brand Clarks Originals is using the WhatsApp social messaging platform to promote its Clarks Desert Boot.

Video: Tech highlights from Internet World 2015

Drapers takes a look at the retail technology highlights at this year’s Internet World ecommerce fair held in Munich last week, including virtual reality headsets, touchscreens and smart changing rooms.

Ralph Lauren, USPA Continue Legal Squabbling

The ongoing battle between Ralph Lauren Corp. and United States Polo Association entered its fourth decade with the resolution of a dispute with USPA’s Indian licensee and the continuation of a trademark case in New York. Arvind Lifestyle Brands Ltd., the USPA licensee, informed the Bombay Stock Exchange Monday that it had agreed to pay Ralph Lauren $3.2 million after what it termed “good faith discussions” resolved allegations that Arvind had failed to comply with a 2003 agreement calling for USPA merchandise to provide disclaimers indicating that USPA isn’t affiliated with Ralph Lauren. The settlement, reached after Judge Thomas Griesa of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York sent the case back to Bangalore for arbitration before a three-judge panel. The settlement involved no admission of wrongdoing by any of the parties. Griesa cited the 2003 agreement in his decision and its requirement that trademark disputes generally revolving around similarities between Polo’s polo player logo and USPA’s “Double Horsemen Mark,” be resolved through arbitration rather than litigation and, in cases involving a licensee or sublicensee, be considered in the “principal place of business” of the licensee. Arvind Brands, a division of Arvind Ltd., became a USPA licensee in 2007 and

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Brand positioning key to Ben Sherman's future success

Ben Sherman must clearly define its brand positioning if it is to re-establish itself in the UK market, menswear industry insiders have said.

Mothercare bolsters management team

Mothercare has boosted its management team with two new hires, appointing its first chief information officer and a new retail operations director.

Net-a-Porter and Yoox merger: the companies in detail

As Net-a-Porter signs a merger deal with Italian etail rival Yoox, Drapers takes a look at both companies and the combined group.

Monday 30 March 2015

Kohl’s Kevin Mansell Sees Compensation Grow

Kevin Mansell, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Kohl’s Corp., saw his total compensation rise 18.2 percent to $9.7 million from $8.2 million in 2013, with the $1.5 million increase stemming almost entirely from a boost in his stock awards, which rose to $7.5 million last year from $6 million in the prior year. Mansell’s salary increased 1 percent, to $1.35 million from $1.34 million, and his cash bonus was up the same percentage, to $541,000 from $536,000, for cash compensation of $1.89 million versus $1.88 million in the prior year. Mansell qualified for the minimum amount of cash bonus — equivalent to 40 percent of his salary — because Kohl’s exceeded the low end of its initial earnings guidance for the year. Guidance issued in February 2014 was for earnings per share of $4.05 to $4.45 a share and the company finished fiscal 2014 with EPS of $4.24. Net income declined 2.5 percent to $867 million while sales were essentially flat at $19.02 billion. Figures for the top executives at Kohl’s were disclosed in the company’s definitive proxy, released to the Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday. While the increase in stock awards boosted Mansell’s reported income, it won’t necessarily enhance his

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Joseph Altuzarra Among SCAD Headliners

For the 10th installment of SCADstyle, the Savannah College of Art and Design has recruited Joseph Altuzarra, FEED’s Lauren Bush Lauren and Warby Parker’s Neil Blumenthal to headline some of the five days of festivities. More than 25 international style leaders have signed on for the various lectures, panel discussions and one-on-one conversations. Set to run April 12 to 16, this year’s event will also include satellite programs in Atlanta and Hong Kong. Events will include Altuzarra’s “Guide to Deconstructing the Power Suit” with Style.com’s Nicole Phelps; Lauren discussing “Cultivating a Stylish, Philanthropic Business” with Elle’s Anne Slowey, and author Dana Thomas talking about her book “Gods and Kings: The Rise and Fall of Alexander McQueen and John Galliano.” Other sessions include “Red Carpet Style: Marketing Design in a Culture of Celebrity,” with Edie Parker’s Brett Heyman, and jewelry designer Irene Neuwirth and Juan Carlos Obando talking about the ins and outs of navigating the Hollywood crowd with New York Times fashion critic Vanessa Friedman. “How to Self-Promote Your Brand Through Visual Media” will feature Wren’s Melissa Coker, fashion bloggers Garance Dore and Meagan Cignoli and jewelry designer Jennifer Fisher. Other Savannah participants will include Loeffler Randall’s Jessie Randall, Clare V’s Clare Vivier and

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Refinery29 Hires Paula Goldstein Di Principe and Anne-Marie Guarnieri

GETTING MORE REFINED: In the midst of securing what is said to be $50 million in financing, Refinery29 has hired Paula Goldstein Di Principe as fashion director and Anne-Marie Guarnieri as deputy editor, fashion, beauty and shopping. Executives at Refinery29 declined comment Monday. In addition, Connie Wang has been promoted to fashion features director from style director. Wang will zero in on long-form content, investigative reporting and profiles, and Goldstein will focus on raising Refinery29’s profile via events, influencer-led initiatives, and designer and brand relationships. They will also team to expand its fashion video development and production. Noting that Refinery29 has 22 million unique visitors a month and will be adding new editorial sections, Goldstein plans to build relationships with established designers and young up-and-coming photographers, stylists and designers. Until last August Goldstein was site director at Purple magazine’s online platform. Goldstein, who is leaving London to be primarily based in New York, will continue as the editor in chief of Voyage D’etudes, a travel-focused site that will launch in print this summer. Goldstein also previously oversaw digital development at Dazed & Confused and worked as a stylist and brand consultant. She will continue to work as a creative consultant, brand ambassador,

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Model Call: Esmeralda Seay-Reynolds

With long, teal fingerless gloves, a miniature feathered top hat and big, blue eyes poking out from beneath a pair of oversize sunglasses, Esmeralda Seay-Reynolds made quite the entrance into WWD’s Bryant Park offices. “Today I was feeling kooky and Tim Burton-esque,” explained the Next-repped model of her style. “But tomorrow I might be feeling Diana-Rigg-Sixties-Mod. It kind of bounces all over the place. I like extremes. Anything with a strong aesthetic; as long as it’s powerful. It makes [fashion] more fun.” With less than two years on the modeling circuit, Seay-Reynolds has already walked all the top runways — Chanel, Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Saint Laurent, to name a few — and graced the pages of Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, i-D and W. Scoring such high-profile gigs would be a thrill for any new girl, but Seay-Reynolds seems to get more excited about what’s happening behind the scenes. She may have been raised in rural Pennsylvania, but the 17-year-old model is no typical small-town girl. Having grown up in a creative, fashion-loving family, Seay-Reynolds took fashion classes at Parsons The New School for Design while in middle school and has an almost encyclopedic knowledge of the industry. “It’s nice because

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Misha Nonoo Among Crain New York Business’ 40 Under 40

SOUTH OF FORTY: Misha Nonoo, Story’s Rachel Shechtman, BaubleBar’s Amy Jain, American Ballet Theatre’s Misty Copeland and “Humans of New York” photographer Brandon Stanton are among the picks on Crain New York Business’ 2015 40 Under 40 list. Nonoo’s husband Aditya Julka, cofounder of Paddle8, also made the cut as one of the city’s rising stars in business, as did Reddit’s Alexis Ohanian, Ogilvy & Mather’s Lauren Crampsie, Narrative’s Tricia Clarke-Stone and New Inc’s Julia Kaganskiy. Honorees will ring the closing bell on April 8 at the New York Stock Exchange, an operation headed up by yet another list-maker — Thomas Farley.

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Fall 2015 Accessories: London

WWD scouted the season’s best shoes, handbags, jewelry, eyewear and more — direct from the runways and designers’ showrooms in New York, London, Milan and Paris — to showcase here. Check back as we roll out our accessories selections throughout the week. SEE THE NEW YORK ACCESSORIES HERE >>

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ENK Vegas to Collaborate With Project

ENK Vegas and Project are about to get more intimate. This August, ENK Vegas will be combined with Project and renamed Project Women’s. The shows will continue to be held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center as part of the MAGIC Marketplace and will run Aug. 17 to 19, and all of ENK’s initiatives, including Oasis, a special curated area, will remain in place. In 2012, Advanstar Global, parent of Project and MAGIC, acquired ENK International for $155 million. In addition to the Las Vegas show, ENK operates women’s and children’s shows in New York under the Fashion Coterie, Intermezzo and Accessorie Circuit names. Those shows are tied to their particular markets and are not impacted by this move. The combined shows will become the largest marketplace in Las Vegas for men’s and women’s advanced contemporary, premium denim, accessories, footwear and designer collections, according to Advanstar. “We’re always trying to perfect how we service retailers,” said Tommy Fazio, president of Project. “It’s been a little disjointed with all the shows and all the different names. So we’re building a really cohesive contemporary platform for men and women under the Project name.” This will help retailers navigate the shows and provide a “seamless” experience for

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Katie Hillier and Luella Bartley Launch Luxe Brand

LONDON — Katie Hillier and Luella Bartley are poised to become luxury’s latest double, launching the women’s ready-to-wear and accessories brand Hillier Bartley for fall, WWD has learned. The duo, working out of a studio in East London’s Rochelle School, presented their high-end collection to buyers in Paris during the show season in March. They will be delivering internationally to select retailers from August. The collection will include rtw, bags and accessories full of classic English references. The designers told WWD their brand has “a masculine elegance,” which makes use of Savile Row cloths, velvet, silk, merino wool and shearling across tailoring, dresses and separates. The collection will be manufactured in the U.K., with fabrics sourced predominantly from British mills. Bags will be produced outside Venice, Italy. WWD first reported earlier this month that Hillier and Bartley were pursuing a creative venture of their own amid speculation that the Marc by Marc Jacobs line was set to be assimilated into that brand’s main collection. Marc by Marc Jacobs had been designed by creative director Hillier and women’s design director Bartley since 2013. According to industry sources, the duo’s decision to launch their own label was separate from Marc Jacobs’ decision to fold Marc by

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Marquit Offers Secondary Lingerie Line

Lingerie designer Deborah Marquit is expanding her repertoire. For spring, Marquit has developed a new label, Dé Marquit, priced 30 to 50 percent below her signature collection. The first group, Ballet, will be sold this spring at stores such as Journelle and Azaleas in New York, Urban Outfitters and Soho House’s “the Store” in Berlin. “I decided to offer a secondary line, in a price range that customers are able to buy on a regular basis, with the same vision as my higher-end line, using less costly laces and trims and less complicated workmanship,” said Marquit. She said the new line would be affordable enough to be replenished often and in each season, with the same fit and similar styling as her higher-end pieces. The first-year sales projection for Dé Marquit is approximately $300,000, said Marquit. The new line, which wholesales from $20 to $60, will start with two groups, two types of fabrics and many shapes within each. Described as similar to “dancewear or athleticwear,” the line features bras and matching lingerie pieces to be coordinated and layered with one another and geared to be dependable basics, in a range of classic and fashion colors like fluorescent pink, royal blue, acid, violet

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Fiber Price Sheet: March 31, 2015

Ludovic Le Gourrièrec Leaving Façonnable

EXITING FAÇONNABLE: Ludovic Le Gourrièrec is exiting as deputy managing director of Façonnable effective today, WWD has learned. Reached by telephone, Le Gourrièrec confirmed his departure, but declined further comment. Le Gourrièrec joined Façonnable in 2013 and spearheaded a repositioning and expansion drive after installing Dublin-born designer Daniel Kearns as artistic director. Le Gourrièrec’s next move could not immediately be learned, and his successor has yet to be named. Moustapha El-Solh is chief executive officer of the Nice-based firm. Façonnable officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Before joining Façonnable, Le Gourrièrec headed the men’s wear division at Yves Saint Laurent in Paris, and had also worked at Lanvin and John Galliano.

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Jacquie Aiche Heading to Coachella With Accessories Capsule Collection

FESTIVAL FANCY: Jacquie Aiche is Coachella-bound. The jewelry designer has teamed with Gillian Rose Kern and Laura Hall of the lingerie brand For Love & Lemons on a capsule collection of festival-ready accessories. The collection consists of body chains, finger bracelets, anklets, armbands, ear cuffs, rings, toe rings, chokers and bolo ties. Made up of diverse materials — gold, diamonds, leather and bone — the collection is geared to be worn with For Love & Lemons’ lace-heavy festival collection. The line hits retail on Wednesday — just in time for the first weekend of Coachella — and will be sold on both brands’ Web sites, as well as at select boutiques. Prices range from $275 to $2,625.

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San Francisco Equity Partners Acquires Japonesque

JAPONESQUE DEAL: San Francisco Equity Partners is building its beauty portfolio with the acquisition of Japonesque. Terms of the deal, which takes effect today, were not disclosed. But industry sources estimate that Japonesque generates retail sales south of $25 million. Japonesque was founded in 1984 and is a company with a deep heritage of creating beauty products inspired by the professional makeup tools used in Kabuki theater in Japan. The product line includes makeup brushes, eyelash curlers, tweezers, makeup cases and other beauty accessories. The company recently launched color cosmetics, which can be found at retailers in the prestige beauty, drug and mass channels. With the purchase, SFEP, which already holds in its consumer stable brands such as Yes To, Method Home and ICU Eyewear, is looking to rev up and fully capitalize on Japonesque’s distribution channels. “We see significant opportunity for growth on both the Japonesque-branded tools and recently launched color cosmetics line in the beauty channel, particularly at Ulta, which is a big opportunity,” said Scott Potter, managing partner at SFEP. “We also see significant growth opportunities in taking the company’s “category management” approach to managing the beauty tools and accessories program for large drugstore and mass retailers to additional customers,

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