women’s wear daily • the retailers’ daily newspaper • october 2, … · prada, gucci and...

ARMANI’S $346.5M PAYCHECK/2 THE ZEN WORLD OF DONNA/9 Women’s Wear Daily • The Retailers’ Daily Newspaper • October 2, 2007 • $2.00

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The Lace WayPARIS — For spring, John Galliano delivered a

more low-key version of the retro message he

has been conveying at Christian Dior for the past

two seasons. But that doesn’t mean there weren’t

some stellar clothes. Here, one example: his little

strapless lace dress. For more, see pages 6 to 8.

WWDTUESDAY Ready-to-Wear/Textiles

See China, Page12

China Pressure Cooker: Ethical Questions Grow Over Low-Cost SourcingBy Evan Clark

Low prices are coming at a cost that consumers and fashion companies

can no longer ignore.Globalization and relentless retail

competition among the likes of Wal-Mart, Target, H&M, Kohl’s, Gap and Macy’s might have turned supply chain “efficiency” into a high art, but the pressure on factories has spurred a slew of sweatshops, industrial pollution and consumer safety concerns that many expect ultimately will increase prices.

At the same time, rising wages in China are only increasing pressure on manufacturers there as they strive

WWD.COM2 WWD, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2007

WWDTUESDAYReady-to-Wear/Textiles

FASHIONThe Paris collections got under way with John Galliano’s Old Hollywood-inspired party girls and Rick Owens’ cerebral take on cocoon dressing.

GENERALGlobalization may have turned supply-chain “effi ciency” into an art, but the pressure on factories has led to concerns that many expect will increase prices.

Giorgio Armani paid himself $126 million, and gained $220.5 million via a company share transaction, according to the 2006 annual report.

RTW: Donna Karan is banking on a new clothing collection and store un-der the name Urban Zen as another facet of her humanitarian program.

Ralph Lauren was honored last week by the Association of a Better New York and 100 Black Men Inc.

Karl Lagerfeld struck a deal with Marchon Eyewear for a new line of women’s and men’s eyewear that will be launched at retail in January.

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● UNITED RETAIL WAITS NO MORE: United Retail Group Inc. and Redcats USA Inc., a subsidiary of Redcats Group, a part of PPR, said Monday that the U.S. federal antitrust agencies granted early termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act in connection with Redcats USA’s pending acquisition of United Retail. The purchase is via a tender offer that began on Sept. 25, and is scheduled to expire at midnight EST, at the end of Oct. 23, unless extended. PPR’s Redcats plans to acquire the plus-size retailer for $198.9 million, or $13.70 a share, in cash, a 23 per-cent premium on trading in the 90-day period ended Sept. 7. The deal should close by yearend.

● OLDIES BUT GOODIES: Although the latest handbags from Prada, Gucci and Bottega Veneta are coveted, their vintage counterparts are rare. Bagborroworsteal.com, the Seattle-based Web site that rents out handbags and jewelry to con-sumers, is starting Vintage Collection, which will offer vintage designer handbags from the likes of Hermès, Moschino and Chanel. Claire Watson, a former couture consultant at auction house Doyle New York, was tapped to curate and assemble the collection, which comprises 70 bags and will be available next month. By yearend, the collection will increase to 100 bags.

In Brief

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WWD IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ADVANCE MAGAZINE PUBLISHERS INC. COPYRIGHT ©2007 FAIRCHILD FASHION GROUP. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.

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Giorgio Armani’s Big PaydayBy Amanda Kaiser

MILAN — It’s a $346.5 million payday for Giorgio Armani.

The designer paid himself a dividend of 100 mil-lion euros, or $126 million, and pocketed an addi-tional 175 million euros, or $220.5 million, through a share transaction within his own company, according to Giorgio Armani SpA’s 2006 annual report.

Dollar fi gures have been converted from the euro at average exchange rates for the period.

Specifically, Giorgio Armani SpA repurchased 500,000 treasury ordinary shares, or 5 percent of its total share capital, from Armani himself. The design-er netted 175 million euros, or $220.5 million, from the deal.

An Armani spokesman said the fashion house bought the shares from the designer to reduce some of the company’s excess liquidity. The transaction is a fi rst for the group.

The fashion company released its full-year results, down to the operating profi t level, in April. But the annual report also provides a net fi gure. Net profi t for the year ended Dec. 31 actually dropped 25 percent to 131.7 million euros, or $165.9 million, due to high taxes as a result of changes in Italian tax legislation, the company said.

Armani’s full-year 2006 earnings before inter-est and taxes rose about 19 percent to 246.5 million euros, or $310.6 million. Consolidated sales grew 9.1 percent to 1.47 billion euros, or $1.85 billion.

The report also revealed the company invested 104.5 million euros, or $131.7 million, last year in property, equipment, production streamlining and new stores. Armani also ramped up advertising last year, spending 98.7 million euros, or $124.4 million. That’s 31 percent more than the fi rm spent in 2005.

By Marc Karimzadeh

NEW YORK — Bonnie Young, senior creative director for Donna Karan Collection, has left the company to focus ex-clusively on her namesake chil-dren’s wear label.

When reached on Monday, Young, whose last day at Donna Karan International was on Friday, said she had been mull-ing the move for months, and made the decision based on the speedy growth of her own label. Launched last year, the children’s wear line has al-ready been picked up by retail-ers around the world, including Barneys New York in New York and Los Angeles, Harvey Nichols in London, Club 21 in Singapore and Mercury in Moscow.

“I launched my own company a year ago, and it is going so well

that I can’t keep track of every-thing,” Young explained.

Another contributor to leav-ing DKI is the plan to open her fi rst freestanding store in Aspen, Colo., this December. Located on Cooper Street, the unit is a partnership with hedge fund executives Dana and Tim Presutti, who are the parents of a school friend of Young’s daughter, Celia Isadora. “We ran into them on the street one day and my daughter asked to have her friend over for a playdate,” Young said. “She came over with her mother, who saw the clothing, and said, ‘We’re mov-ing to Aspen, can I open a store for you?’”

The children’s wear designer plans to turn her collection into a whole lifestyle concept. She recently launched boys’ wear, and said she would like to add

cosmetics, shoes and hosiery to her assortment. “When you have your own store, you can do any-thing you want,” she said.

As senior creative director at DKI, Young worked in such areas as fabrics, inspirations and the general directions of the Collection.

She added that leaving the fashion house after almost 16 years was a diffi cult decision to make, since she considers it her “home,” and Karan “a second mom.”

Young said Karan has been very supportive of her new ven-ture and sells the children’s col-lection in her own Collection stores. Young will continue to work closely with Karan on spe-cial charity projects concerning children. “It’s a personal con-nection that will never go away,” she said.

Young Leaves Donna Karan

The photo at right is from Salvatore Ferragamo’s spring runway show. The cap-tion was incorrect in Milan accessories cov-erage on page 7, Monday.

● ● ●

In a story on page 13, Monday, three captions in the Viktor & Rolf bag story were incorrect. They should have read, clockwise from top: The Good Evening bag, the How Are You bag and the I’m Fine bag.

Corrections

Wall Street rallied to a record high Monday amid specula-

tion that the subprime mortgage crisis has bottomed out, and ap-parel retail stocks benefited.

The biggest industry win-ner was preppy retailer J. Crew

Group, which jumped 4.9 percent to close at $43.53. Specialty re-tailers such as AnnTaylor Stores Corp., Gap Inc. and Abercrombie & Fitch Co. also recorded in-creases. Shares of Ann Taylor were up 1.2 percent to close at

$32.05, teen retailer Abercrombie & Fitch was ahead 1.92 percent to $82.25 and Gap shares inched up 0.3 percent to $18.50.

The department store sector had gains as well. Macy’s Inc. spiked 3 percent to $33.28, J.C. Penney Inc. increased 1.04 per-cent at $64.03 and Sears Holdings Corp. rose 2.4 percent to $130.28.

Among high-end stores, Saks Inc. gained 1.6 percent to $17.42, and Nordstrom Inc. increased 0.8 percent to $47.28.

The Dow Jones industrial av-erage was up 1.4 percent to close at 14,087.55, which broke the previous high of 14,000.41 set on July 19. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index gained 1.3 percent, to 1,547.04, and the Nasdaq rose 1.5 percent, to 2,740.99, the highest in six years.

— Jeanine Poggi

Retail Stocks Get Bump as Dow Sets Mark

Giorgio Armani on the runway.

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Stricken with a series of hand injuries that left him unable to perform and sometimes unable to play a single note

on the piano, Murray Perahia worried a few years ago that his musical career might come to an end. Instead, he has made a successful comeback and will open Carnegie Hall’s fall season Wednesday night.

Perahia will perform Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 at The Opening Night Gala of Carnegie Hall’s 117th Season with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, conducted by David Robertson. The pianist will return to the fabled venue in November for a solo recital, where he will perform the works of Bach, Beethoven, Brahms and Chopin, as part of a nine-city tour.

“It’s a great thrill to be back because there were times I didn’t think I would play again,” says Perahia. “I hope to keep playing.”

His long road back to the tour circuit has been a diffi cult one. Perahia’s health problems began in the early Nineties, when he suffered a severe cut on his fi nger. He was given a clean bill of health later in the decade for a comeback, but several years ago, other hand problems fl ared up.

During his most diffi cult times, Perahia turned to the works of Bach for solace.

“His music provided me with spiritual comfort and nourishment, and I saw hope through his music,” he says. “Playing music isn’t just a job for me. It’s a language I speak, and without it, it’s like having my tongue cut out and being unable to communicate.”

After two years of listening to scores of Bach and Handel,

burying himself in the famous composers’ biographies and studying analytical works by Heinrich Schenker, Perahia was poised to make yet another comeback.

“All the music I had listened to had an effect on me,” he says. “Perhaps it made me stronger musically.”

His upcoming stops at Carnegie Hall stir fond memories for the musician.

“I used to sneak in and hear concerts practically every

Saturday night. The key is to get to know the ushers,” jokes the now 60-year-old Perahia, who has performed as a soloist and conductor in every major concert hall around the globe.

While Perahia didn’t always know he wanted to be a soloist, he developed a love of music early in life, when his father took him to concerts and operas. Perahia later enrolled in Mannes College, a music conservatory, where he majored in conducting and composition. Shortly after graduating, he began teaching at his alma mater and the Curtis Institute of Music, where he served as Rudolf Serkin’s assistant. Still, he never considered a solo career until a manager suggested he enter the Leeds International Piano Competition in 1972, which he won.

Although Perahia claims his favorite pieces are the ones he’s working on at any given time, he enjoys the works of Beethoven, Chopin, Brahms and Schumann. He especially likes Mozart’s “humanity and complication,” and considers Mendelssohn an underrated composer. Yet Perahia still fi nds challenges in every piece he plays.

“Whatever I’m playing is always diffi cult because of every piece’s many aspects, from the music and tone to the color and emotion,” says Perahia. “To make music without getting lost in its ‘technical forest’ is a challenge musicians are all faced with.”

As for which composition sets apart the true world class pianists, Perahia cites Mozart’s work as a true standard of excellence.

“There aren’t many notes, so a pianist can’t just get away with pure virtuosity. Every note has to speak,” he says. “A certain sincerity is required because every note has to matter and mean something. Playing Mozart is like a refl ection of the pianist’s soul. It’s not just making pretty music and nice sounds.”

— Michelle Edgar

Foreign AffairsEven the most evolved men sometimes have a hard time dealing with their wives’ success. Take Sidney Harman, the electronics tycoon who’s married to Rep. Jane Harman, a seven-term democrat from California. In 2003, he donated $20 million to the Shakespeare Theatre Company to help fi nance a 775-seat ultramodern glass extension of the troupe’s performance space. And, when discussing his gift Sunday night at the British Embassy in

Washington, he said: “I had to fi nd something I could do to upstage my wife. And when you see the theater, I think you’ll agree I’ve done a pretty good job.”

He wasn’t the only one at the theater company’s big celebration tooting his own horn. Toronto architect Jack Diamond, who designed the $89 million edifi ce, took a swipe at the competition. “Too many theaters are blind. You don’t have a sense of how the theater connects with the street,” said Diamond, comparing his newest design — which looks out onto a busy city street — to the windowless Kennedy Center complex.

Another star of the evening was gala chairman Ann Nitze. “I’ll tell you the attraction for coming down from New York,’’ said guest Pat Patterson. “Ann Nitze — she called me 10 times and twisted my arm.”

Partying started early with pre-embassy cocktails Saturday night at the Harman’s D.C. home, where Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice led the list of powerful political women including Sen. Susan Collins and former Democratic vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro. “We’re going to have Condi play at the new theater,” Jane Harman told guests.

Sunday night’s embassy parties also included dinner at Villa Firenze, the elegant home of Italian Ambassador Giovanni Castellaneta and his wife, Lila. With racks of shimmering dresses designed by Renato Balestra on display in the front hall in preparation for a fashion show at the embassy Wednesday, Lila Castellaneta accessorized her magenta and black Balestra cocktail dress with a swirl of wriggling fur — her new fi ve-month-old bichon frise puppy named PoFac, which means “puffy cheeks” in her native Persian.

Winding up the party triathlon, the gang reconvened Monday night for a gala performance. As outgoing British Ambassador Sir David Manning aptly observed: “This event deserves a glass of Champagne in each hand.”

Up north, a social set of a different order convened on Thursday night in New York, when Louis Vuitton’s Antoine Arnault and Daniel Lalonde toasted the cast of “The Darjeeling Limited” with a dinner at La Grenouille. The evening held an air of an eclectic family reunion with players from Wes Anderson fi lms past and present, including Anjelica Huston, Noah Baumbach, Waris Ahluwalia, Amara Karan and Roman Coppola, breaking baguette with Francesco and Chiara Clemente, Susan Gutfreund and Jacqui Getty, who had just fl own in from Los Angeles.

The one-of-a-kind custom-made luggage Marc Jacobs created for the fi lm took center stage during a silent auction, but Jason Schwartzman was stuck with another accessory for the night — a wooden cane. “I broke a couple of toes two weeks ago in a soccer accident,” he explained. “I personally don’t think I need the cane, but my doctor thinks I may have to use it for up to six weeks.”

Adrien Brody’s accoutrements, namely a pair of Day-Glo orange chaussures, also earned him some attention. “They had put aside a good selection of suits for me,” said the actor, who had gone to the Vuitton boutique on Fifth Avenue earlier that day to pick out his getup. “But I asked them, ‘Would you mind if I dressed in something a little different?’”

Piano Man

Some actors fi gure out their characters through the accent. Others do it through their backstory. For Tilda Swinton, it all starts with the clothes. “Basically, I just fi gure that out and then have a good laugh,” she said Sunday night at a screening of “Michael Clayton.” In the fi lm, she stars opposite George Clooneyas a crooked corporate lawyer with a penchant for pearls. “All of those women wear that,” Swinton said. “It’s like a uniform. There are a couple of earrings you can wear, but you always have a string of pearls and you can pretty much lose your job if you wear the wrong color hose. I studied a whole bunch of women like her, and they also loved Manolos and Ferragamo, but they only wore them under their desk, never to court. Too much personality.”

Others in attendance at the screening included Clooney and his girlfriend, Sarah Larson; Christopherand Amanda Brooks; Joan Collins,and director Tony Gilroy.

EYE SCOOP

Anjelica Huston

in Louis Vuitton.

Jason Schwartzman in Louis Vuitton.

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Mary McFadden and Ambassador of Colombia Carolina Barco at Villa Firenze.

Ann Nitze in Renato Balestra.

Elsa Pataky and Adrien Brody.

Murray Perahia



Pat Patterson

Tilda Swinton in Haider Ackerman.

FOR PROGRAM DETAILS CALL 212.630.4947 OR EMAIL [email protected]

OCTOBER 29-30, 2007 | THE ST. REGIS HOTEL, NEW YORK CITY

Ralph LaurenChairman and CEOPOLO RALPH LAUREN CORP.

Tory Burch Creative Director TORY BURCH LLC

Harvey Weinstein Co-Chairman THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY LLC

Mackey J. McDonald Chairman and CEO VF CORP.

Jane Elfers President and CEO LORD & TAYLOR

Mark Lee CEO GUCCI

Shireen El Khatib CEO AL TAYER INSIGNIA

Mohan Murjani Chairman MURJANI GROUP

Stefani Greenfi eld Co-Owner SCOOP NYC

Rishad Tobaccowala Chief Innovation Offi cer PUBLICIS GROUPE MEDIA

You can’t afford not to hear them

6 WWD, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2007

Flappers and PhiloChristian Dior: Fashion can be likened to working out —

sometimes you go at maximum power until there’s not another move left in you, and sometimes you pull back and give yourself

a break. After his extraordinary work surrounding Dior’s 60th anniversary celebration — two extravaganza couture outings

and one for ready-to-wear — on Monday afternoon John Galliano did the latter for spring, showing a

collection that featured a scaled-back variation on last season’s divine retro.

As Sting and Trudie Styler sat in the front row, the singer’s “I’m an Englishman in New York” came over the soundtrack, to accompany a model in three-piece pinstripes and beret, the fi rst of many girls dappered out in natty, demonstrative tailoring. Then, the counterpoint: dresses and suits with a Thirties-Forties vibe, the former typically graceful bias cuts, the latter, all curves with Joan Crawford shoulders, and perhaps a Swarovski explosion somewhere to fl aunt the luxe. For diversity’s sake, Galliano inserted a fl apper here, a Fifties cocktail number there, not to mention a whole lot of wild-kingdom lingerie, sometimes combining his motifs, as when he put a crystal-pinstriped jacket and vest with animal-spotted undies.

For evening, Galliano could not have moved further from the intricate, how’d-he-do-that origami New Look constructions that started in couture and made their way into fall. Instead, he opted

for red carpet-ready sirens, many of them beautiful, though they felt a bit wanting in

the thrills department. Perhaps Galliano felt the time had come for a statement about clothes of an obviously grounded sort, just to remind us they’re in his repertoire, too.

PARISspring ’08spring ’08

PHOTOS BY STEPHANE FEUGERE AND GIOVANNI GIANNONI

Christian Dior

Christian Dior

Christian Dior

WWD.COM7WWD, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2007

As the Paris collections began, the city played host to a pair of polar opposites. In

one corner, there were Galliano’s Old Hollywood-inspired party girls for

Christian Dior; in the other, Rick Owens’ cerebral takes on cocoon dressing. osophers

Rick Owens: Fashion fit for a futuristic avatar? At Rick Owens, anything is possible, and it can even look good at times — although it’s certainly not everyone’s cup of tea. Owens has never shied from weird or unwieldy looks. This season, for example, it would be hard to call his spiky, towering wedge boots worn with black gym socks a model of typical sportif chic. But his gazar dresses and jackets, manipulated into intricate geometric patterns, were interesting propositions, as were a jacket in folded ostrich, geometrical striped dhoti pants and kimono-like jackets. And both the intriguingly draped white dresses and high-necked, cocoon-like jackets had modern allure. Still, it may take effort to integrate many of these pieces into a wardrobe, but then Owens has never been about making fashion easy.

Christian Dior

Rick Owens▲

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TAILOR MADE: Hedi Slimane has been replaced by none other than Karl Lagerfeld — as the photographer of the Dior Homme campaign. Kris Van Assche, who replaced Slimane at the design helm of Dior Homme in April, confi rmed he tapped Lagerfeld for his fi rst advertising spots, but was mum on details as he exited Monday’s Dior show. Lagerfeld has been one of Dior Homme’s biggest followers and clients — especially during the Slimane days — so shooting the collection should be, well, a snap.

SCREEN SAVER: It looks like Sidney Toledano has been moonlighting — as an actor. The Dior honcho plays a TV presenter in a shopping channel spoof to showcase the house’s latest fi ne jewelry collection, WWD has learned. “I’m trying a new job,” the affable executive said with a chuckle. Toledano stars alongside Dior jewelry designer Victoire de Castellane. Filmed by Loïc Prigent, the spot, which lasts around 12 minutes and features a set inspired by Dior’s salons, will be screened at the fi rm’s headquarters on Saturday and Sunday.

TIME AND SPACE: There’s a limit to being fashionably late, and Courtney Love crossed it, arriving long after most editors and buyers had fi led out of the Rick Owens show on Sunday. A few photographers remained, but couldn’t coax a smile out of the tardy rocker.

SUCK UP: The common vacuum cleaner may not speak volumes to most people, but Issey Miyake’s artistic director Dai Fujiwara got so taken with the domestic object, or rather its wind-making capacities, that he’s developed an entire stage set around it. The construction, engineered by the vacuum pros at Dyson, and inspired by the brand’s “cyclone” technology, will be unveiled at the Issey Miyake show today. Let’s hope for weighty shoes for those slender models taking part in the show, to help them keep hold of the runway.

BUSY BEES: Music was in the air at the overheated Dior show on Monday, as fashion regulars Kanye West and Sting slid into their seats. West had attended the Vivienne Westwood show earlier that day, and he’s also working on his

own new clothing collection, Pastel, that will launch this spring. “It will be classic with a touch of Pop Art,” said the rapper.

Meanwhile, John Galliano has added another muse to his pack, the Franco-Chinese actress Mylène Jampanoï. She said she would appear in a Dior beauty campaign, to be released in the U.S. and Asia in the spring. “It’s been crazy busy,” said Jampanoï, who is currently fi lming “Martyrs,” with Isabella Adjani.

As for Marisa Berenson, she said she would be making her Paris theater debut next year. “It will be my fi rst time on stage in Paris,” said Berenson, who sat with her daughter, Starlite Randall.

DINNER AND A MOVIE: Not only a star on the screen, Catherine Deneuvenow is applying her touch to the movie theater itself. She recently redecorated the Cinema du Panthéon and its tea salon. To give the space an Art Deco ambience, Deneuve sourced various objects and furniture at fl ea markets in various cities between takes. Deneuve is also an adviser for the menu, which features organic salmon from Denmark, Spanish ham and carrot cake. Deneuve is expected at the Gaultier show today.

YOUTHQUAKE: Starting today, the Petit Palais will play host to a new fashion initiative aimed at exposing young designers. Organized by the French ready-to-wear association, the event will allow the public and buyers alike to peruse behind-the-scenes material of fi ve French brands, including Burfi tt, Requiem, Véronique Leroy, ES-Orchestres and Sakina M’sa. One designer will be showcased per day. The show also will include a MySpace-inspired installation, designed by Loïc Prigent,geared to unveil the personal universe of each participant, from their favorite music to the contents of their wardrobe. While in a separate space, professionals will have access to static presentations of their spring collections.

EARLY START: Those who huffed and puffed that the spring fashion season started too early last month may want to start mentally preparing for the fall show schedule (Marc Jacobs included). New York’s next fashion week is slated to kick off on Friday, Feb.1, and run through Friday, Feb. 8, bringing the week closer to January than ever. It shouldn’t come as a surprise for those who keep track of such things, since the New York shows have been traditionally starting on the fi rst Friday of the month for the past few years. That would mean that in 2009, the shows will run Feb.6 to 13, which should allow some New York designers some extra breathing room.

Fashion ScoopsFashion Scoops

Vivienne Westwood and Kanye West

Courtney Love

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Robert Normand:Robert Normand’s sun-kissed beachy collection offered fl oor-sweeping T-shirt dresses splashed with fl oral prints and colorful abstracts, plus bubble-shaped batik minis that were charming.

Estrella Archs:Poetic riffs on the dress — one sporting jutting diamond-shaped hips — formed the bass note of Estrella Archs’ breezy debut collection, which alternated between fl uid and geometric shapes.

Manish Arora: Indian motifs and psychedelia collided to giddy effect at Manish Arora’s Paris debut — think mirrored rainbow dresses, Day-Glo pom-pom jackets and a glow-in-the-dark gown crammed with butterfl ies.

▲ Bless: Design duo Desirée Heiss and Inès Kaag took their sportswear spin literally this season and turned their fashion presentation into a soccer game with models scurrying about in deconstructed T-shirts with knitted patches and zippers, as well as quirky oversize shorts, sleeveless jumpsuits and hooded sweatshirts.

Bernard Willhelm:Americana stars-and-stripes creations were among the highlights of Bernard Willhelm’s witty spring collection — presented on models positioned in neon-lit crates — along with the designer’s signature knotted cotton smocks in punchy hues.

Dice Kayek: Turkish designer Ece Ege showed her fl air for tailoring with sharply constructed vests worn over transparent chiffon pants, while short satin dresses with bell-shaped sleeves added a feminine touch.

more fromthe shows...La Vie Boho

Call it hippie minus the dippy. A lightly

bohemian style, seen in everything from

fringed scarves to tribal embellishments, made

its presence felt on the Paris runways.

Balmain: Over the last few seasons, Christophe Decarnin has shown talent for sexy, sparkling and dangerously short evening gear. While he continued down a similar path for spring, the designer, who has drawn some attention to the dusty house of Balmain, went Native (American) this time. A minidress came with an embroidered eagle and fringe, while another short dress was printed with a feather motif. But Decarnin’s Pocahontas was hardly a one-look wonder — she could also do the bohemian thing, including a long flowing hippie-deluxe print dress with an intricately beaded bodice and a psychedelic tie-dyed dress embroidered with silver stars. Decarnin has found his niche in sexy party clothes, and while some may find his range limited, he definitely delivers the merch young “It” girls crave.

Vivienne Westwood: There are designers who have earned their laurels — and rest on them. These days, Vivienne Westwood seems to have reached that comfortable plateau in her career where churning out more of her greatest hits — with very subtle variations — is enough to keep the machine chugging along. To wit: There were more than a fair share of her signature disheveled dresses, high-waisted pants and bias-cut assembled evening confections. What was new? In her program notes, Westwood said one of her working ideas was imagining what would have happened if “Marilyn Monroe had married an English lord with a country estate and had a kinky relationship.” Judging from Westwood’s pink gym shorts paired with a bustier, short sequined dress and funny use of cowboy-like fringe, it probably would have been a marriage that ended in divorce.

Isabel Marant: Isabel Marant delivered a straight shot of her signature street mix: legions of jackets — tailored and cargo types — for the most part shown with ethnic prints and slouchy, tapered drawstring drawers. The dusty military palette combined with abstract camoufl age tops, bottoms and baby-doll dresses and Palestinian-print djellabas and scarves could be interpreted as political posturing — a notion Marant dismissed preshow. She’s just feeling the desert legionnaire thing right now. Considering the schoolish jackets and scarves — two items Marant has down to a science — her stylishly nonchalant lineup felt on point, if at times a little washed out due to the legion of army green and khaki pairings.

Commuun: Hitting the catwalk for the first time is often a sign that a brand is ready to take its vision to another level. And sure enough, Commuun, the emerging eco-oriented French brand designed by Kaito Hori and Iku Furudate, delivered a collection that is sure to woo a wider clientele. The brand’s minimalist airs are still intact, but more sophisticated forms have emerged for spring via constructed cocoon-inspired dresses and fluid silhouettes honed from combinations of draped chiffon and ultralight jerseys.

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By Marc Karimzadeh

NEW YORK — Donna Karan has turned to fashion to further her humanitarian ef-forts.

Karan, who launched the Urban Zen initiative with a 10-day seminar on well-being and patient advocacy in May, is banking on a new clothing collection and store by the same name to provide another facet to her program.

The 1,200-square-foot store at 705 Greenwich Street here opened temporarily dur-ing the program’s fi rst installment, but Karan decided to make it a permanent fi xture last month. A banner that reads “Raise Awareness Inspire Change” — Urban Zen’s mantra, according to Karan — brings attention to the boutique and the initiative.

Karan started her initiative after witnessing the medical system’s shortcomings fi rst-hand when her late husband, Stephan Weiss, and her friend Lynn Kohlman battled cancer. Her desire to incorporate alternative and holistic healing methods, including organic nutrition, restorative yoga and healing rooms into established medical institutions led to Urban Zen. Karan, who cofounded the initiative with her friend, designer Sonja Nuttall, also produced a subsequent seminar on Africa, and next month Urban Zen

plans to host a series of events with the SFK (Spirituality for Kids) Foundation. In preparation, Karan recently trav-eled to Israel to work with Israeli and Palestinian children.

A portion of the profits from the store will go to Karan’s foundation and to Urban Zen’s programs. The bou-tique is adjacent to the Stephan Weiss Studios, where the Urban Zen events have taken place.

The Urban Zen collection and retail unit are independent of Donna Karan International.

“The store truly represents the com-plete concept of Urban Zen, touching a person by its coziness, its comfortable-ness, its caring-ness, its simplicity, its sensibility of people today and how they want to have objects of desire,” Karan said.

The space and collection explore Karan’s more spiritual, holistic interests. The unit itself has a raw aesthetic feel that Karan warms with artifacts she has gathered from around the world. “The

beauty of it is the simplicity of the raw space, and using the space as is,” she said.Karan described the collection with one of her signature Donna-isms. “It’s fi nd-

ing the calm in the chaos of dressing,” she said. “It’s clothes that will hopefully last forever. It’s not about a seasonal fashion statement of winter, spring and summer, and yet it will evolve. I think these are clothes that are collectibles, like the objects in the store. A lot of it is recycled, re-dyed and over-dyed, and fabrics are cashmere, silk, cotton...the staples.”

Although some of the pieces blend in easily with her other collections, Urban Zen focuses more on the utilitarian aspect of dressing. Cases in point, the line in-cludes a utilitarian jumpsuit, jodhpur pull-on yoga pants, a double-layered hooded cardigan and cashmere pieces suitable for layering. Urban Zen apparel retails from $295 to $2,995.

“It’s very much about layering, tak-ing them on and taking them off, and rolling them up so you can go any-where in the world,” Karan said. “It’s defi nitely for the person who is con-stantly on the go and constantly trav-eling, or for the person who just wants to hang out and do nothing.”

The boutique is selling pieces by other designers, too, such as Forme by Koeun Park, Bonnie Young children’s wear, Lainey knitwear and James Perse. The jewelry is by Wanga from Namibia and Agas & Tamar from Israel. Shoes are by Simple, and are sustainable with natural materials such as organic cotton, recycled car tires and cork, and espadrilles are by Toms, which aims to combine fashion with a social conscience, with each sold pair resulting in a donated pair for a impoverished child. There are also one-of-a-kind artisan items and home pieces, including stone sculp-tures by Celine Cannon. “There’s a hand and a soul and an art in every single thing,” Karan said.

For the mind, the store offers lit-erature devoted to wellness and yoga, and for the senses, there are essen-tial oils by Young Living, massage oils and body lotions by Como Shambhala, which is part of Christina Ong’s Club 21 empire.

Those who attended the DKNY and Donna Karan Collection runway shows last month understand how passionate Karan has become about the collection and store, as she spent much time before and after the shows to personally pull in editors and buy-ers for support.

“The one thing I love about the store is that we’re in season,” Karan said with a laugh, referencing one of her pet peeves about the fashion system. “We’re probably the only store that will show fall in fall and spring in spring.”

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“I think these are clothes that are collectibles, like the objects in the store.”— Donna Karan

WWD, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2007

Ready-to-Wear Report

Donna Karan and Sonja Nuttall, co-

founders of the Urban Zen Initiative.

An interior view of the Urban Zen boutique.

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Fall looks from Urban Zen.


Karl Lagerfeld Entering Eyewear By Caroline Tell

Glasses are as much a part of Karl Lagerfeld’s image

as white shirts and slim-fitting suits. So it comes as no surprise he is launching his own eyewear collection; the only question is why it took him so long.

Lagerfeld’s fi rm will launch women’s and men’s eyewear collections under the Karl Lagerfeld label, beginning in 2008. In a licensed agreement, Marchon Eyewear will be re-sponsible for their production and distribution.

“Dark glasses are like por-table eye shadow and the world looks more beautiful through tinted glasses,” Karl Lagerfeld said in a statement. “Everybody looks 10 years younger. That is why I wear dark glasses always.”

Those buyers and press viewing Lagerfeld’s collection Wednesday in Paris will be given a preview of some of the frames. They were developed in collab-oration with Lagerfeld and the design duo Christian Roth and Eric Domege, best known for their high-tech, glamorous sen-sibility that has infl uenced the optical world since 1984.

In stores in January, Lagerfeld’s sun collection fea-

tures 24 styles, each in four color options — from tones of blue to red, black and tortoise. The opthalmic group will be available by April and will in-clude 14 styles, each with four color choices.

All Karl Lagerfeld eyewear will be sold worldwide in select department stores and specialty stores and will retail from $175 to $250.

Ralph Lauren Honored For Cancer Care CenterNEW YORK — At Ralph Lauren’s 40th anniver-sary show and black-tie dinner here last month, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that if asked for a great New Yorker, central casting would send the design-er. That sentiment was echoed last Thursday, when Lauren and phy-sician Harold Freeman were honored by the Association of a Better New York and One Hundred Black Men Inc.

The event at the Loews Regency Hotel brought out those close to Lauren, such as his wife, Ricky, son David, brother Jerry, as well as his extended family of senior Polo ex-ecutives, including Buffy Birrittella, Bette-Ann Gwathmey, Charles Fagan and Scott Bowman. New York City schools chancellor Joel Klein was among the guests, along with ABNY chairman William C. Rudin and One Hundred Black Men president Philip Banks Jr.

Accepting his crystal, apple-shaped award, Freeman, the medi-cal director of the Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Care and Prevention in East Harlem, recalled starting his medical practice in 1967, the same year Lauren began his business. Referring to their fi rst meeting in 2001, when Freeman made a presentation to the designer for the proposed center, Freeman recalled, “He said the simple words, ‘I will help you.’ He was a man who meant what he said.” Lauren’s Center for Cancer Care and Prevention, a partner-ship between Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and North General Hospital, opened in May 2003.

Banks praised Lauren for being the fi rst designer to give African-Americans a real opportunity in fashion, citing designer Jeffrey Banks and model Tyson Beckford as examples.

“Our honoree is the epitome of the word brotherhood,” he said.

Lauren recalled his youth in the Bronx, when his mother dis-closed that she had found a lump in her breast. Her doctor sug-gested going to a specialist downtown, but she was frightened to make the journey. Patient navigation — helping patients make their way through the medical system to get the best care — is crucial, he said.

Lauren said that if he had to be remembered for something, building the cancer center would be key. “If I saved one life, I think I have done my job,” he said.

— Marc Karimzadeh

FRENCH LETTER DAY: Jonathan Newhouse, chairman of Condé Nast International, is to receive an award of merit from the French government and will be pinned as an Offi cer in the Order of Arts and Letters during a ceremony in Paris on Jan. 16. “I regard this really as recognition of the excellence of our magazines rather than a personal honor. It refl ects the brilliance and talent of our editors,” Newhouse told WWD. “I suppose if I have any gift, it’s fi nding the best editorial talent to produce our magazines.” Gilbert Brownstone, president of his namesake foundation and former curator of the Museum of Modern Art of the City of Paris, will bestow the honors and pin the medal on Newhouse, who has operated Condé Nast magazines outside the U.S. since 1989. Condé Nast France publishes Vogue Paris, Vogue Collections, Vogue Homme International, AD and Glamour. A French edition of GQ will be added in April. — Miles Socha

OLDIES BUT GOODIES: Don’t get between foxnews.com’s Roger Friedman and his music. The commentator on Monday called for a boycott of Rolling Stone magazine after the release of this year’s nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, who include Madonna, the Beastie Boys, Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp. In “Rolling Stone Magazine Hits a Sour Note With Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominees (like Madonna),” he writes, “OK, just so we’re straight on why Rolling Stone must be boycotted. It wants the Beastie Boys before Randy Newman, The Hollies, Tom Jones or Mitch Ryder’s ‘Devil With a Blue Dress On.’

“Hit publisher [Jann] Wenner, who controls the Rock Hall, where it hurts,” reported Friedman. He also asked readers to refrain from clicking on the ads on Rolling Stone’s Web site. “Then maybe Wenner will get the message that no one can take his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame seriously anymore.”

Of Friedman’s piece, a Wenner Media spokesman said: “Roger’s accusations are moronic nonsense.” Meanwhile, Joel Peresman, president and chief executive offi cer of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, joked one of the reasons Friedman is bitter is because his “demands for free tickets to events” are not met. “Jann isn’t even on the nominating committee,” Peresman added. “People are always going to be upset. They are very passionate about the artists and get angry if certain people aren’t inducted.” Right you are. So can we talk about Tiny Tim? — Amy Wicks

NET MOVES: Condé Nast suffered a defection at its MagNet division, which houses the individual Web sites for its various magazines. Julie Hansen, who for

the past year was the executive director of MagNet, resigned Monday to join the ncaa.com. Hanson became the head of the division after serving as director of business development at Golf Digest Publications. At MagNet, Hansen reported to John Bellando, Condé Nast’s chief operating offi cer. Most Condé Nast magazine sites are getting upgrades to include video, blogs and other interactive features, and are under the oversight of each magazine’s editor in chief. Hansen was the liaison between Bellando and editors such as Graydon Carter, Anna Wintour and David Remnick and helped facilitate resources for the sites. The task was not easy, suggested one insider, who commented Hansen had to deal with “20 huge egos that want to remain in control of their Web sites” while at the same time fi elding complaints they weren’t getting the millions they demanded. A replacement for Hansen has not been revealed. — Stephanie D. Smith

I DO: The real star of TLC’s new series “Say Yes to the Dress” may be Kleinfeld’s 35,000-square-foot New York fl agship at 110 West 20th Street. The 13-part series, which premieres on Oct. 12, documents the trials and triumphs involved in choosing a wedding gown. “Say Yes,” which is described as part bridal story, part fashion transformation and part family therapy, “is wrought with intense drama,” TLC boasts. Each episode introduces three brides who traveled to Kleinfeld from across North America, some arriving with an entourage of parents, friends and extended family. While not exactly bridezillas — the badly behaved brides on the WE show of the same name — the betrothed on “Say Yes,” have their tearful moments but generally handle pressure with a bit more dignity. Of course, they have the Kleinfeld team to guide them, an army of 250 bridal consultants, fi tters, seamstresses, beading specialists and steam pressers. Kleinfeld, which was founded in Brooklyn in 1941, is owned by Ronnie Rothstein, Mara Ursheland Wayne Rogers, and claims to have the largest selections of bridal gowns in the world. But what about the bridesmaids’ dresses? — Sharon Edelson

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Eyewear by Karl Lagerfeld.

Ralph Lauren and Dr. Harold Freeman

Kleinfeld consultant Keasha Rigsby helps bride-to-be Stacey Kaaz shop for a wedding gown.

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Eco-Friendly Fabrics Fetch Premiums at Première VisionBy Katya Foreman

PARIS — Visitors to the eco-friendly section of Première Vision applauded the diver-sity of fi bers on offer, as well as the wide range of ultralightweight fabrics.

But with prices high due to expensive production costs, most buyers said they would make the category only an element in their collections.

“We can only afford to use eco-friendly fabrics for our higher-priced lines, such as denim,” said Wil Beadle, a designer for the British brand All Saints. “When it gets to selling a T-shirt for over $50, it’s a bit of a problem.”

Beadle said the Japanese brand Saka Kura had the most directional choice of earth-friendly fabrics on display.

“Their organic cotton range had great textures, with an authentic, vintage aspect,” he said.

Stefanie Vermeulen, production manager for the soon-to-be-launched children’s brand, Fy, based in Belgium, said, “The cost of eco-friendly fabrics is a great problem, as people won’t buy product that is too highly priced.”

Building a whole collection around eco-friendly fabrics can also limit design, she said, adding she found a lack of interesting coated fabrics in the category.

Meanwhile, some buyers voiced concern about potential political minefi elds linked to the eco-friendly domain.

“We’re looking to incorporate eco-friendly elements, but you really have to have done your research before going there,” said French actress Lou Doillon, who was scouting fabrics for her second clothing collection for Lee Cooper.

“Fibers might be eco-friendly, but the dyeing process often isn’t,” said a spokeswoman for Helmut Lang. “There’s a lot of false advertising.”

Jo Conlon, senior fabric technologist for Crystal Martin International Ltd., which supplies eco- and fair trade-friendly fabrics to Marks & Spencer, said she was reconsidering using soya due to a current debate questioning its eco-friendly status.

“Instead, we’re looking for bamboo and Tencel, as well as hemp-based fi bers that are being viewed as a good future alternative to cotton,” she said, adding she was particular-ly impressed by the range of fi bers presented by the South Korean newcomer G-Vision.

“They were on a par with those from European mills that have been out of our budget until now,” said Conlon, adding the fi rm’s lightweight jerseys were particularly beautiful.

Meanwhile, Veronika Kapsali, director of the British fi rm MVR Partners, which sources eco-friendly fabrics, lauded the developments at Figli di Michelangelo

Calamai, an Italian manufacturer that specializes in recycled fab-rics and organic African cotton.

“I’ve been watching this manufacturer for a long time and this season they have come up with a range of incredibly fi ne recycled

jerseys,” she said, adding the fi rm’s offer ticks all of the boxes in the ethical and sustainable fi elds. “It’s impressive to see what was once used

clothing re-enter the chain as a fi ber.”A new Japanese mill, Ichimura Sangyo Co. Ltd., also caught her eye, special-

izing in textiles made using Apexa, a biodegradable polymer.“They also presented a package of fasteners and trimmings made using the Apexa

polymer [in association with other manufacturers],” she said.Many designers were after lightweight fabrics.“We love the organic cotton range at Avanti, but they tend to be a bit rough to the

touch, as it’s grown in Texas where it’s windy,” said Kaito Hori, co-founder of the Paris-based contemporary brand Commuun.

He complained of a dearth of organic mills at the show compared with the last session.“Japanese manufacturers are extremely well advanced in that respect, so we’re

sourcing from over there for now,” he said.

Textile & Trade Report

Figli di Michelangelo Calamai’s recycled jersey and the fl oor at Première Vision.

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to maintain the nation’s status as the world’s low-cost factory across a variety of product categories. This could result in even more short-cuts being taken by suppliers as they subcontract out more of their production. (See related story, next page.)

Recent safety recalls of Chinese-made toys, bibs and tooth-paste prompted consumer outcries and governmental reviews in both the U.S. and China that could lead to new regulations in both countries. The misery and human toil of sweatshops never fails to resonate with Western consumers at some level, and the green issue has gained traction in the last year, especially with tales of industrial pollution making front-page news.

What is becoming clear in these scandals is the relentless drive toward lower and lower prices — whether it’s a toy or T-shirt — in turn comes at a price, be it greater pollution, displaced popula-tions or possible safety hazards.

“This is potentially hugely important — all these issues do be-come lumped together,” said Charles Kernaghan, director of the National Labor Committee, a watchdog group that has uncovered worker abuses, such as those discovered in special Jordanian trade zones last year. “If there are a few more recalls [of Chinese prod-ucts], then I think we’re going to see some real change.”

While these issues rarely impact the luxury or high-end designer world, they could come to bear more and more on designers and ce-lebrities as they increasingly strive to broaden the bandwidth of their brands, be it Karl Lagerfeld for H&M, Vera Wang for Kohl’s or Sarah Jessica Parker for Steve & Barry’s. And, while none of these brands have been involved in these issues up to now, consumers are un-likely to give any company a pass on product safety in the long run.

“When it comes to the point where children are sucking on a toy with lead paint on it, that’s where they draw the line,” said Kernaghan. “What will the Congress, what will the ad-ministration do to guarantee the safety of these products? It’s something that’s so pow-erful and so frightening to people [that] it does bring it right into their home.”

Paul Charron, former chairman and chief executive offi cer of Liz Claiborne Inc., said China has had such incredible growth, it’s “like the Wild, Wild West.”

“There’s a lot of pollution in the Pearl River Delta,” Charron said. “There has been unbridled growth without appropriate checks and balances. I think that period of un-bridled, undisciplined growth is about to be over.”

It isn’t just China. Much of the apparel supply chain relies upon the developing world, where it can be diffi cult for companies to get a handle on their suppliers. But now consumers want companies to do just that, and they might start expecting even more guarantees that fi rms aren’t polluting or otherwise cutting corners, just as they did with sweatshops in the past.

“The balance is tipping a bit and now we do have product safety and climate change and environmental stuff on the front burner as we didn’t before,” said Barbara Franklin, commerce secretary under former president George H.W. Bush and a con-sumer product safety commissioner in the Seventies.

“Right now, there are some different points of view, what we expect and what the developing world’s trying to do,” said Franklin. “It’s just one of the fault lines between developed and developing as we become more and more global.”

The cultural differences or levels of development that have contributed to environmen-tal and other problems require more of a multifaceted understanding from companies.

“A lot of the sins of the father are now coming back to haunt the sons and daugh-ters,” said Elaine Hughes, president of executive search fi rm E.A. Hughes & Co. Sourcing executives have had to evolve beyond their traditional role as experts of the technical aspects of making goods overseas, she said.

“They need to be a little more well rounded in understanding the supply chain and logistics pieces to it,” said Hughes.

As a result, fashion companies are starting to take a broader look at ethical stan-dards in their sourcing practices.

“What we’ve been doing has been focused on labor and safety in the factories,” said Laura Wittman, vice president of compliance and human rights at Jones Apparel Group. “However, we do anticipate expanding that to consider environmental and other areas.”

The intertwining of product safety, environmental and sweatshop concerns marks a signifi cant evolution in the sourcing landscape navigated by fashion brands, retail-ers and importers in general. The combination of the three issues might be enough to awaken the consumer in ways worker conditions alone rarely have.

So far, apparel hasn’t been caught up in the product safety scandal beyond an in-vestigation by the government of New Zealand into unsafe levels of formaldehyde re-portedly found in some Chinese-made apparel. Most apparel consumer safety issues are centered on fl ammability and drawstrings that could choke children.

However, there seems to have been some interest on the part of fashion companies to make sure their goods don’t contain harmful substances.

“The last four months have been crazy,” said Dina Dunn, marketing agent for the International Oeko-Tex Association, who has been working to establish a U.S. busi-ness for the Zurich-based fi rm that tests textiles for harmful substances. “Now, they’re

coming to us. There are a lot of people talking about it. Right now it’s toys, but it’s not going to be long until apparel gets onto that list.”

Given the catch-as-catch-can nature of Washington politics and policy making, fashion companies could get caught up in the sweep of changes, even if they avoid a consumer safety scandal.

For instance, Sen. Susan Collins (R., Maine) said the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee would investigate the safety standards not only for children’s toys, but also clothing in the current Senate session.

When it comes to new standards, industry tends to favor voluntary guidelines and a market-based approach in which the ultimate consumer would punish brands whose policies fail to keep their goods and supply chain up to snuff. That might no longer be enough, though.

“We’ve seen too many instances in which companies can counter any bad publicity with clever p.r.,” said Robert Reich, who tackled sweatshop issues as former president Clinton’s labor secretary, in response to e-mail questions. “Moreover, it’s far from clear that consumers are willing or able to keep

the pressure on companies to clean up their acts.”Big changes, though, are going to require some kind of buy-in from the consumer/voter.“If Congress is going to make any headway, the public has to be willing to pay more

— in the form of a carbon tax if we want to avoid global warming, for example, or higher prices if we want higher wages and better working conditions,” said Reich, now a professor of public policy at the University of California at Berkeley. “There’s the rub. And I’m not sure the public is willing to bite these bullets quite yet.”

Consumers have indicated that they are willing to pony up more money for goods produced ethically, or for products labeled organic. Anecdotally, this can be seen by a proliferation of fashion lines at least claiming to be “green,” though that means dif-ferent things in different instances, and charging a premium. The same applies to the beauty industry.

More scientifi cally, a 1999 survey by Marymount University showed that 86 percent of the people polled would pay an extra dollar on a $20 apparel purchase if it were guaran-teed to not come from a sweatshop. Similarly, three-quarters of consumers would avoid shopping at a store they knew to sell goods produced under sweatshop conditions.

That attitude, if extended to environmental and safety issues and brought fully to bear, could increase pressure on brands.

Harmful chemicals that might work their way into fashions on store shelves and into waterways outside of factories are also a worker safety issue. Such a connection helps give industrial pollution a human face, which makes combating it an easier sell to the consumer.

“The antisweatshop movement probably hasn’t paid enough attention to this,” said Bob Jeffcott, policy analyst at the Maquila Solidarity Network, which agitates for worker rights. “We have to make sure the consumers are also equally aware of the impact of these dangerous chemicals used in the production of these products.”

Unions also are taking note and planning to mobilize.Bruce Raynor, general president of apparel union UNITE HERE, said the spate of

tainted products from China is a serious blow to the sourcing status quo.“This is not going to go away,” said Raynor. “This is the biggest major development

since the sweatshop issue.”Raynor pointed to Wal-Mart and said the company was being impacted by cam-

paigns highlighting its business practices to consumers. Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, has come under fi re for its antiunion efforts, its health care benefi ts and conditions at overseas factories.

“The consumer is the boss and the consumer is now making judgments about sourcing,” said Raynor, who described the legacy of tainted consumer goods as the “third leg” that will force the debate to a new level.

“We need to see campaigns led by unions and student organizations,” he said. “You’re going to see consumers react with their buying power.”

If interest groups are going to use ethical sourcing habits to nudge consumer be-havior or attitudes on trade issues, they are going to have to make the issue “real” to shoppers.

China Backlash: The Ethics of

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Toys made in China, such as this Batman action

fi gure from Mattel, have been found to contain unsafe levels of lead.

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Industrial pollution is an increasing problem in China.


By Kathleen E. McLaughlin

BEIJING — After nearly two decades of stag-nant wages and poor labor conditions, China’s manufacturing workers have started demanding higher salaries, pushing up the price of produc-tion nationwide.

According to labor researchers, wages for Chinese manufacturing jobs have risen on aver-age 10 to 15 percent annually over the past few years. The increases have come in response to growing employee shortages across the country, as the migrant workers who primarily staff fac-tory lines opt to stay on the farm rather than leave the countryside for negligible rises in in-come. In addition, a large portion of the mas-sive migrant workforce, now estimated at be-tween 150 million and 200 million people, has been working on the road for a decade and has pricier experience and skills.

“Compared to their previous positions, they can now ask for higher wages and packages, and bet-ter working conditions,” said Cai Fang, director of the Institute of Population and Labor Economics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Cai, who recently completed a study on rising wages and labor shortages, said that from 2003 to 2006, the average salary of manufacturing la-

borers, including those in textiles and apparel, rose by 21 percent. In 2003, the average industrial worker earned $103 per month, compared with $124 per month in 2006. Leading up to 2002, wage increases in the manufacturing sector were min-iscule for nearly two decades as industries relied on a seemingly endless stream of workers arriving in the eastern industrial areas from rural areas.

Yet China’s seemingly inexhaustible labor supply is showing signs of strain. Across the na-tion, including the interior and western provinces where so many migrant laborers came from, pock-ets of worker shortages have started to appear.

The fi rst came in the Pearl River Delta man-ufacturing hub in 2002. Researchers argue over the exact number of workers needed to oper-ate factories and how much the shortage might grow. But China’s stature as the world’s manu-facturing giant and its growth means demand for workers will keep rising.

“It’s not like in the past, when all a factory had to do was put up a sign and there would be people in line for jobs,” said Cai.

The wage increases are overdue, analysts contend. During the fi rst two decades of eco-nomic reform and expansion, as China’s labor-ers poured into factory towns, there was virtual-ly no overall salary increase in industrial work.

Even though starting salaries were low and working conditions less than ideal, factory work was lucrative enough to lure millions of farmers and others who couldn’t make much at home, explained Li Chang’an, a researcher with the China Labor Studies Center at Beijing Normal University. Not so now, numbers indicate. Help wanted posters are common sights in most major cities and employers have been forced through old-fashioned rules of supply and de-mand to increase wages in response.

“China’s advantage for a long time has been low-cost labor. Now it’s losing that edge a little bit,” said Li. “But it has not totally disappeared.”

In a recent report, the World Bank stated

there are several indicators China is not facing a labor shortage that would threaten its manu-facturing capabilities. Instead, there are pock-ets of low labor supply and regional shortages, while other areas have an oversupply of labor.

“[The] eventual end to surplus labor will be an occasion to celebrate, since — if well man-aged — it will lead to widespread sustainable im-provements in living standards, the ultimate goal of development,” the bank said in its September quarterly economic forecast for China.

As yet, labor shortages and the increase in in-dustrial wages haven’t led the thousands of mul-tinational companies that have invested here to leave the country. Smaller fi rms may choose to go to nations with lower wages, researchers said, but China retains huge competitive advan-tages because it has a valuable manufacturing and shipping infrastructure that smaller nations can’t afford. In addition, the researchers said, the Chinese government has positioned itself as a hub of labor effi ciency.

And while China’s reputation has taken a beating with controversies over unsafe products and pollution, offi cials have stated in the past that they don’t want the country to simply be the world’s lowest-cost manufacturer. China’s deci-sion in August to curb exports of labor-intensive,

low-cost products including garments, plastics and certain types of yarn by requiring export de-posits is aimed at moving the country’s manufac-turing base toward higher-priced products. “The policy is not just an attempt to regularize the management of the process trade, but a step to promote the sector’s healthy and sustainable de-velopment in the long run,” He Li, an offi cial with the China General Administration of Customs, said in the state-run Xinhua news service.

The pressure on wages is expected to heat up further, especially this year, as China struggles to cope with some of its highest consumer infl a-tion in more than a decade. Central government economic planners have said a 3 percent rise annually in the consumer price index — the main measure of infl ation — is the maximum Chinese can accept.

Fueled by soaring food prices largely due to meat shortages from a disease that attacked pork supplies, China’s CPI increased by 6.8 per-cent in August, an 11-year record, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. The CPI may increase 4.5 to 5 percent this year, based on gov-ernment and international estimates, and price hikes are even higher in rural areas. With rising pressure on prices, there will be more calls for higher salaries.

And with wages increasing, manufacturing companies might start to look outside of China for production bases. Analysts say, however, that losing the low-end producers who pay the least and choose China only for cheap labor will not be a bad result. The government has already started moving forward with plans for an “in-novation-based” economy by 2020 to replace straight manufacturing. A loss of corporate tax breaks to attract foreign investment is also ex-pected to drive out the bottom-end producers.

“Some companies just want to absorb the blood of Chinese workers,” said Cai. “China doesn’t want those companies, so it’s fi ne, they can go.”

Labor Shortages Push Wages Up“Until they can take it and turn it into something people can see,

touch and feel — if they can take that message and make it concrete, then it’s more likely to effect the way people think, but otherwise it’s abstract,” said Laura Peracchio, professor of marketing at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.

They also are going to have to appeal to the early adopters — not just celebrities, but fashion-minded people who set trends. Consumers generally don’t move quickly, though.

“Behavior is slow and hard to change,” stressed Peracchio.It also might be hard to change the dynamics between manu-

facturers, vendors and retailers. As John Eapen, chairman of the American Apparel & Footwear Association’s environmental task force, told WWD in August: “You have to honor and reward suppli-ers that have the know-how, that have the knowledge level and have the resources to do the right thing. [If] you go for the cheap stuff, this is what you get. When you don’t have the relationship and you don’t pay them properly, they’re trying to cut corners and you can get into trouble. When you have 2,000 suppliers, somebody’s going to cheat you.”

In the end, though, the bottom line might be that ethical sourc-ing, no matter how engaged the consumer is, is just good business. The implementation of such practices across the industry could re-sult in what Wal-Mart has found with its push for more environmen-tally friendly practices and products: The push has resulted in cost savings across the board.

“I’m seeing a rapid trend toward long-term sustainable enter-prise that may increase costs somewhat,” said Steven Jesseph, ceo of Worldwide Responsible Apparel Production, a nonprofi t organi-zation specializing in certifi cation of ethically sourced goods.

“When you start imposing systems at a factory, is there a cost involved? Yes, but there are also effi ciencies that are gained,” said Jesseph, who retired from Sara Lee Branded Apparel in 2005 as vice president of compliance and risk management. “It therefore becomes an investment and there is a return on investment.”

As with everything else in business, companies simply can’t af-ford to take their guards down.

Kevin Burke, ceo of the American Apparel & Footwear Association, however, said the increase in freer trade after the elimination of a global system of quotas in 2005 has streamlined the supply chain and made it easier to source goods responsibly.

“There are not as many factories making products as there were,” said Burke. “Now they can have long, steady relationships with factories. There are fewer and fewer bad players. They can’t afford to be in business anymore.”

f Low Prices

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The combination of product safety, environmental and sweatshop concerns marks a change in the sourcing landscape navigated by fashion brands.

Labor shortages across China have led to wage hikes.


By David Moin

Leda “Lee” Pucci, who with her late husband Nicholas

founded the Pucci Manikin Co. in the basement of their Mount Vernon, N.Y., home in the Fifties, died of pancreatic can-cer on Sept. 27. She was 87.

Pucci Manikin, now known as Ralph Pucci International, was originally a mannequin repair company that evolved into a mannequin design and manufacturing fi rm. Pucci’s son Ralph took over in the Eighties, transforming it into a company creating high-end mannequins in the likenesses of top models and collaborating on mannequin designs with top fashion designers and illustrators. Ralph Pucci International, based at 44 West 18th Street in the Chelsea section of Manhattan, has further evolved into an eclectic showroom for international deco-rators, furniture designers, photographers and illustrators, and continues to design and manu-facture mannequins for stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus.

Pucci was born in Gallipolis, Ohio, and was

raised in The Bronx before moving to Westchester and then Manhattan. Before starting the business with her husband, who died in 1988, Pucci was a hairstylist for mannequins. That experience gave her the idea to form the mannequin re-pair fi rm.

She was active in Ralph Pucci International until be-coming ill last January. “When it came to business, she was incredibly tenacious and feisty, yet very elegant and extremely fashionable, and up until a year ago, she still came to work at 8:15 and left at six,” Ralph Pucci said. “Behind the scenes,

she had her fi ngers in everything. Business and Pucci were in her blood.”

In addition to Ralph, Pucci is survived by an-other son, John, three grandchildren, Michael, Nicole and Jennifer, and a great-grandson.

A funeral Mass is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday at Epiphany Roman Catholic Church, 22nd Street and Second Avenue in Manhattan. In lieu of fl owers, contri-butions may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, P.O. Box 50, Memphis, Tenn., 38101.

By Rachel Brown

LOS ANGELES — Too Faced co-founder Jerrod Blandino believes women are begin-ning to opt for a bolder lip — whether shiny or matte.

And he’s putting his money where the tinted mouth is: Too Faced is re-introducing lipsticks into its spring cosmetics line-up after a six-year hiatus. The Irvine, Calif.-based brand’s eight-unit lipstick collection is dubbed Lip of Luxury and it features champagne- and shea but-ter-infused formulas with pink-brushed metal cases that are topped with a stone mimicking a 17-carat diamond.

“For a long time, make-up went into a shimmery phase. Gloss started to dominate the planet and lipsticks faded back,” said Blandino. “But there is a resurgence of retro glam. We are going back into that more seri-ously made-up look.”

Too Faced dug into its archives of lip stains to create the color palette. A deep blue-red called Drop Dead Red is derived from a shade Too Faced crafted for Madonna in 1999. A fi re engine red labeled Runway Red is a take on a hue made for Gwen Stefani, and a certain newsworthy pop icon whom Blandino declined

to name inspired Celebrity Meltdown, a gold-tinged rose.

“I definitely think that darker lipsticks are significant, but I

don’t think we should discount the basics like nude or pink,” he said. “It is going to be about color-drenched lipsticks. Even if they are nude, they are going to make a statement.”

The price of lipstick — $18 at retail — remains unchanged since the product was in the early repertoire of Too Faced, which will turn 10 years old next year. “I am hoping to gain on volume,” said Jeremy Johnson, Blandino’s founding partner. “It is really important for us not to overprice because we feel it should be af-fordable to everybody.”

Too Faced projects the lipsticks will generate $1.5 million to $2 million in their fi rst year and plans to add about four shades (two are likely to be seasonal) for the fall. In total, the company generated $52 million in sales last year and estimates that sales will increase by 30 percent this year.

By resurrecting lipsticks, Too Faced is gambling that lip gloss’ momentum is ebbing — and there’s some evidence in the brand’s favor. Katherine Heigl, Heidi Klum and Kate Walsh all sported bright red puckers at the recent Emmy Awards. And although Kline & Co. reported that lipsticks’ total sales in the U.S. declined by 3.8 percent during 2006, the market research fi rm forecasts that they will experience a 2.8 percent bounce through 2011.

To help support the lipstick launch, Too Faced is boosting its 2008 advertising budget by some 35 to 45 percent from this year to more than $3 million. The campaign has yet to be fully developed, but the company is considering a lipstick sample program and will be placing in-store visual displays in its key accounts. Too Faced is available in 550 doors in the United States, including Sephora, Ulta and Nordstrom.

But Too Faced isn’t betting the house on lipsticks. The com-pany has entered into a 50-50 partnership with Fuze Beverages, which was bought by the Coca-Cola Co. earlier this year, on three lip glosses that will be released for December and January. The lip glosses — in blueberry raspberry, dragon fruit lime and straw-berry melon fl avors — cost $18.50 each and contain carnitine, Super Citrimax, chromium and vitamin C. They are meant to suppress appetites like Fuze’s Slenderize drinks. Their tag line: “Always on the lips, never on the hips.”

“We will defi nitely look at what lip glosses work for us and won’t work for us,” said Johnson. “We are never going to walk away from it [lip gloss] because there is going to be a customer for both lip gloss and lipstick. There is just going to be a bigger variety for the consumer.”

Changes at HermèsPARIS — Hermès announced Friday two executive changes here.

Catherine Fulconis, formerly managing director of Hermès Parfums, has become chairman of its board.

Veronique Gautier, who has been managing director of Hermès since April 2006, also takes on the title of chairman of Hermès Parfums’ supervisory board.

Both executives report directly to Patrick Thomas, Hermès’ chief executive offi cer.

Too Faced Returns Lipstick to Lineup

BEAUTY BEATObituary

A new Too Faced lipstick.

Leda Pucci, Mannequin Manufacturer, 87

PARIS — Everyone knows fash-ion is theater. But what happens when theater becomes fashion?

That is the subject of the lat-est exhibit at the Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent Foundation, titled “Yves Saint Laurent: Theater, Cinema, Music-Hall and Ballet,” which opens Wednesday night here.

Many of Saint Laurent’s most extravagant confections for the stage are on show, including the fantastical bejeweled and feath-ered creations the now-retired couturier whipped up for Zizi Jeanmaire in her hit shows dur-ing the Sixties and Seventies.

Visitors enter to see Saint Laurent’s fun costumes for the ballet “Notre Dame de Paris,” which played at the Opera de Paris in 1965, directed by Roland Petit.

Saint Laurent had many fruitful collaborations with Petit, starting in 1959 with “Cyrano de Bergerac” and running through other hits like “Sheherazade” and “Les Forains.”

“He loved the ballet,” said Bergé on Monday. “He was to-tally at ease in that world.”

But Saint Laurent was equally at home in the world of fi lm. He dressed Claudia Cardinale in “The Pink Panther” and put Isabelle Adjani in a black evening gown for Luc Besson’s “Subway.”

Most memorable, perhaps, are the outfits YSL gave Catherine Deneuve for her role as a bored wife-turned-pros-titute in director Luis Buñuel’s “Belle de jour.” The black frock with a white satin collar Deneuve wore in the fi lm is on display.

Though Saint Laurent had myriad collaborations with the theater, he only designed both sets and costumes on one oc-casion. That was in 1978 for a production of Jean Cocteau’s “L’Aigle à deux têtes” at the Théâtre de l’Athénée. “It was a great success,” recalled Bergé.

An entire room in the exhibit is devoted to the sumptuous stage set with its elaborately carved, eagle-like chair and tow-ering candelabra.

YSL Exhibits Past Creations for Stage, Screen

Kihachiro Onitsuka, chairman of Asics Corp., a leading footwear and activewear company,

died of heart failure in a hospital in Kobe, Japan, on Saturday. He was 89.

Onitsuka founded Onitsuka Co. Ltd. in 1949, as the fi rst athletic shoe company in Japan. In 1977, Onitsuka merged with equipment manufacturer G.T.O. Co. and activewear vendor Jelenk Co. to form Asics, a name derived from the Latin phrase anima sana in corpore sano — a sound mind in a sound body. Onitsuka became Asics’ president, and in 1992 was named chairman, a post he held

until his death. He led the company to become the world’s fi fth largest sporting goods manufacturer.

Born May 29, 1918, in Tottori Prefecture in west-ern Japan, Onitsuka made it his mission after World War II to inspire young people through sports.

In addition to his business career, Onitsuka was president of the Japan Basketball Association and lifetime honorary president of the World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry. He also was an author of works including “My Personal History” (1992).

— Whitney Beckett

Asics Chairman Kihachiro Onitsuka, 89

Leda “Lee” Pucci

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Two installations from the exhibit.


J’aime Collection Courts Wider AudienceBy Rusty Williamson

Jaime Pressly is on a roll with an Emmy, a baby and now a lifestyle fashion col-

lection launching for spring.Pressly, who last month won the

Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Emmy for her role in the NBC hit “My Name Is Earl,’’ plans to launch J’aime Collection on Oct. 15 during Los Angeles Fashion Week.

J’aime Collection marks the rebranding and expansion of her two-year-old con-temporary knitwear line called J’aime by Jaime Pressly, which has been sold mainly to upscale women’s specialty stores. Now knits are only a part of the line.

“Why am I doing this? I want to reach more women and address a broader range of their lifestyles with my designs,’’ Pressly said in an interview. “My collection is now a comprehensive ready-to-wear brand that includes casual, career and party styles that can be dressed up or down.

“Before my line was a traditionally simple knitwear collection mostly made of Modal, a versatile and washable knit fabric,’’ she said. “Now knits are only part of the story. We’re featuring for spring washed linen, cotton voile, stretch cotton sateen, silk, chiffon and eyelet. We

also want to try to keep ahead of the com-petition. There are now so many knitwear knockoff lines out there at bargain or dis-count stores that are so poorly made but that cost $20 or less.’’

Spring wholesale prices range from $50 for a pair of city shorts to $120 for a silk dress. There’s lots of navy, chocolate, rust and white, as well as Indian ethnic and paisley prints, among others.

Pressly, who turned 30 in July, has had quite a year. In May, she and her fi ancé, hip-hop DJ Eric Cubiche, became the parents of a son, Dezi James.

Becoming a mother has expanded Pressly’s creative awareness as a de-signer and inspired her to look ahead for ways to grow the business, she said.

“I’m showing at least 35 to 40 styles for spring, and then we’ll offer additional capsule deliveries of new styles between the major seasonal collections,’’ Pressly said. “There are a range of dress sil-houettes from baby dolls to sundresses, wide and slim pants, several styles of shorts, jackets and other classics as well as trend-driven items. And I absolutely have plans to do brand extensions into other fashion and lifestyle categories in the future.”

She hired French designer Renee

Bardot as her in-house design collabora-tor to help produce the array of designs and concepts.

“There’s a great creative and produc-tive energy when Renee and I collabo-rate on the collection,’’ Pressly said. “I am totally enjoying being as creative as I want to be and then working with Renee

to help me execute my vision.”Pressly is succinct about what she

wants to accomplish.“The collection, as always, was de-

signed fi rst and foremost to fi t and fl at-ter the body of every woman,’’ she said. “My goal is to design clothes that make women look and feel confi dent.”

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Looks from J’aime Collection.

WWD.COM/CLASSIFIEDS

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Natural.

Cotton. The environmentally-friendly fiber.Cotton is the natural fiber choice for these eco-conscious times. Modern farming practices and

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