Madonna's Fashion Tour - WWD

LUXURY BOARDWALK/15 BULGARI’S INN STYLE/16Women’s Wear Daily • The Retailers’ Daily Newspaper • May 20, 2004 • $2.00

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By Katherine BowersMINNEAPOLIS — Target Corp. said itexpects to complete the disposalsof Marshall Field’s and Mervyn’sby September.

At its annual meeting, held

Wednesday at the Art Institutehere, chief financial officer DouglasScovanner promised a “definiteannouncement about bothbusinesses” within 60 to 90 days. Hesaid the company is in the process of

qualifying “interested retailers andothers” with whom they will sharefinancial specifics.

But the pending sales didn’t meetwith universal approval from some

Target Counting Down: Sale of Field’s, Mervyn’s Seen by Fall

See Target, Page 5

LOS ANGELES — When Madonna kicks off her

“Reinvention” tour here Monday night, she’ll

be bringing along lots of her friends — at

least fashion-wise. The icon has asked

such designers as Christian Lacroix, who

did the crystal-studded corset seen here;

Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel; Dolce & Gabbana,

and Stella McCartney to reinterpret some of the

key looks from her past extravaganzas. And the

styles are sure to reverberate through the fashion

world. As Arianne Phillips, stylist and costume

designer for the tour, told WWD: “No one can deny the

unique relationship Madonna has with fashion and fashion

has with Madonna.” For more on the tour, see page 3.

Madonna’s Fashion Tour

GENERAL Target Corp’s. cfo promised shareholders a “definite announcement” aboutthe sale of Marshall Field’s and Mervyns within 60 to 90 days.

Madonna’s 18-city North American Reinvention Tour will feature custompieces from 14 designers, certainly a record if such things were kept.

EYE: The bling was flying at the Asprey store opening on London’s BondStreet…Cannes security guards in the spotlight…a yacht of a scoop.

Charming Shoppes, Dress Barn, Goody’s Family Clothing, Hot Topic andTalbots reported sizable first-quarter earnings gains.

FASHION: Resort swimsuits are hitting the beach in delicate florals, pastel stripesand whimsical swirls in styles such as triangle tops and string-tied bottoms.

Jones Apparel Group ceo Peter Boneparth, one of fashion’s biggest dealmakers, expects more consolidation, he said at the firm’s annual meeting.

There’s a new game coming to Atlantic City and it’s called The Pier atCaesars, a $145 million luxury retail, dining and entertainment complex.

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● HIGH TIDE AT HARRODS: Harrods has poached Susanne Tide-Frater, currently head of creative direction at Selfridges, to be itsnew creative director. Tide-Frater, who joined Selfridges sevenyears ago, will take up her role at Harrods London on Sept. 1, re-porting to Richard Simonin, the London store’s chief executiveofficer. The position is a new one, created to “further developnew concepts and innovations,” the store said in a statement.Tide-Frater will work closely with the buying and marketing divi-sions. Prior to her current position, Tide-Frater was head of fash-ion direction at Selfridges. However, the departure should comeas no surprise. As reported in February, Alannah Weston, daugh-ter of Galen Weston, the new owner of Selfridges, this month be-comes the store’s full-time creative director. And Tide-Frater isnot the first in the exodus — Peter Williams stepped down asSelfridges ceo in February, and David Riddiford, the buying andmerchandising director, announced his departure last month tojoin Lane Crawford in Hong Kong.

● THE PARSONS PROJECT: As their senior class project, a groupof Parsons School of Design students studying entrepreneurshipwere asked to come up with an event that would make money —but they took the assignment a step further by tying their event toa charitable cause. The students have organized an auction thatwill take place on Friday night at David Rago Auctions inLambertville, N.J., and will be managed by Parsons instructorNicholas M. Dawes, who is also a host on the “Arts & AntiquesRoadshow” on PBS. The proceeds will benefit The CFDAFoundation Inc.’s various philanthropic efforts. The class aggres-sively pursued fashion contacts for donations, putting together aseries of packages, one of which includes a Dior saddlebag, a vin-tage wrap dress from Diane von Furstenberg, a salon package atSaks Fifth Avenue, a leather bag from Ungaro, cashmere knitsfrom Cynthia Rowley, clothing and a showroom tour from Zegna,clothing from Parsons senior Chris Benz and a spring basketfrom Ralph Lauren filled with a dozen each of men’s andwomen’s Polo shirts. Clea Driscoll, a Parsons senior, noted thatfor those unable to attend the auction in person, bids can bemade through eBay at its ebayliveauctions.com Web site.

● FLYING HIGH: Zambesi, a New Zealand label, is revamping theuniforms worn by 3,000 Air New Zealand employees as part of itspitch to put Kiwi fashion on the international map. The companyrecently took over sponsorship of New Zealand Fashion Week.The new looks for Air New Zealand are expected to be intro-duced in 2006. Nina Ricci and Christian Dior are among the de-signers that created in-flight attire in the past for the airline.

In Brief

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Most people are familiar with the three “C’s” when buying a diamond: color, cut and clarity. But replace clarity with comfort, and you likelyhave a formula that defines the factors integral totoday’s intimate apparel purchases.

“Comfort is clearly the most important consideration for women when they’re making an intimate apparel purchase, particularly in underwear,” shares LindaDeFranco, creative trend fore-caster for Cotton Incorporated.“But right now, it’s also aboutcolor. There are great, punchycolors that women are using foran overall layering effect.They’re looking for bright huesthat make them feel good.”

In addition to cuts aside fromthe everyday bras and panties,says DeFranco, “Camisoles,thongs and boy shorts are greatsilhouettes that women areadding to their wardrobes.”

When asked what she sees as important, Susan DeMusis,vice president of corporateresearch for Carole HochmanDesigns, manufacturer of itsown eponymous designs as well as intimate apparelcollections for Betsey Johnson, Oscar de la Renta,and Lauren by Ralph Lauren, relates, “All colors;brights, really fun colors, and lavenders and pinks,all done in interesting ways.”

“Women are buying anything as long as it hascolor,” affirms Rebecca Apsan, owner of La PetiteCoquette, an intimate apparel boutique in NewYork City’s Greenwich Village. “It’s about feelinghappy with what we have on.”

With feeling good in mind, many industryexperts were quick to point out that there may justbe a fourth “C.” “It’s cotton that she loves,”notes Cindy Kelly, president of Hanro USA, theUnited States division of the worldly collection ofintimate garments sold in upscale shoppingdestinations. “It’s all about comfort and well-being.I think it relates to the well-ness idea and that feeling offreshness, it’s about havingsomething that feels goodagainst our skin.”

Natural fibers are all impor-tant in the intimate apparelselection process, as data from the Cotton IncorporatedLifestyle Monitor™ supports.A significant 71.8% ofwomen told the Monitor thatthey prefer all cotton for their underwear selections,6.8% silk and 5.3% cotton blends. In the firstquarter of 2004, 63.5% of female consumers saidthey were willing to pay more for natural fiberssuch as cotton, representing a nearly four-pointincrease from 59.6% for the same year-ago period.

“It’s the purest and softest of all fabrics,” declaresCarole Hochman’s DeMusis about cotton. “Womenunderstand it.”

They most certainly do, and they take care toseek out favored fibers. When asked by the Monitorhow often they check fabric content labels, 30.8%of female consumers said always, 22.3% usually,and 30% sometimes. Only 12.5% of womenadmitted to never looking at fiber content labels.

And even if the bra or panty isn’t 100% cottonthroughout, the inserts are likely pure cotton andremain important to women. “Verde Veronica,which makes a fabulous bra, is lined in cotton andoffers an amazing fit. Women love it,” relates Apsanof La Petite Coquette.

She sells the garment in her boutique and saysthe bra is flying off the shelves, despite its hefty

$90 price tag. “This is an exampleof when something works, itworks, regardless of price. It fitsso beautifully. Once we have acustomer try it on, she’s hooked.It looks fantastic.” Shares Apsan,“I will only wear items with cottoninserts. It’s that important.”

Apsan encourages her customersto try on her selection of braswith a T-shirt to emphasize howthe right fit can make for astylish silhouette. She reportsthat women are buying bras invibrant and varied colors, andpairing it with complementaryT-shirts and allowing the color to show through. “Whynot, when the bra is so beautifuland looks great?”

“Showing straps is still okay, too,” DeFrancoadds. “If you’re spending the money, you want toshow it.” And show it you should, particularlywhen it comes to camisoles. “Camisoles with abuilt-in shelf bra are tops that can stand on theirown. With the warmer weather coming on, theyare definitely important. Pair a camisole with aneasy skirt and flip-flops and you practically have asummer uniform.”

Our experts are also quick to point to other newsilhouettes making their mark on fashion thesedays. “The caftan has been updated as the new keyloungewear item to have,” DeMusis from CaroleHochman relates. But this isn’t your grandmother’shousecoat. “The modern version is younger in feeland has a higher taste level. There are great printsand daring colors that make them youthful. It’s the

coolest thing to lounge in.”Trend expert DeFranco

suggests taking the caftan outin the open. “Wear a caftantop with a casual denim cutoff skirt or jeans, and youhave a great look for right now.”

But don’t forget about bottoms from the intimateapparel world, says Hanro’sKelly. “Cropped pants sold inthe daywear collections are

still important. It’s a creative way to bring crossoverto your wardrobe.”

With all these stylish cuts, colorful hues and ultimately comfortable options in intimate apparel,it’s easy to see how these items can be great for showor just for yourself. Just remember the three “C’s”:color cut and comfort!

A weekly update on consumer attitudes and behavior based on ongoing research from Cotton Incorporated

™

UNDER ESTIMATESColor, cut and comfort drive today’s intimate apparel purchases

“Comfort is clearly the mostimportant consideration for womenwhen they’re making an intimateapparel purchase, particularly

in underwear.”– Linda DeFrancoCotton Incorporated

This story is one in a series of articles based on findingsfrom Cotton Incorporated’s Lifestyle Monitor™

tracking research. Appearing Thursdays in these pages,each story will focus on a specific topic as it relates to theAmerican women’s wear consumer and her attitudes and behavior regarding clothing,appearance, fashion, fiber selection andmany other timely, relevant subjects.

All Cotton 71.8%Silk 6.8%Cotton blends 6.3%Nylon 6.2%Polyester 1.3%Rayon 0.7%No preference 1.5%All Other/Don’t Know 6.4%

Fiber Preferences for Underwear Female

3WWD, THURSDAY, MAY 20, 2004

By Rose Apodaca Jones

LOS ANGELES — On Monday, when the spotlight revealsMadonna on the opening night of her Reinvention Tourat the Great Western Forum here, Christian Lacroix willbe right there with her. So will Karl Lagerfeld forChanel, Stella McCartney, Dolce & Gabbana, Jean PaulGaultier and several more friends.

Superstars these days might not be able to leave homefor tours without a high-profile European designer pro-viding at least a couple of wardrobe changes, but leave itto Madonna to have almost all of them. The pop icon isbreaking a record (if such things are kept) by taking onher 14-city North American tour — along with stops overthe Atlantic in London, Paris and Arnhem, Holland — notone designer but the custom pieces from 13 of them — 14if you count Alexander McQueen’s contributions from hisarchival signature and Givenchy collections.

And by the end of it all, 750,000 people are expectedto see her — at prices ranging from $65 to $930 a ticket inthe U.S. alone.

“No one can deny the unique relationship Madonnahas with fashion, and fashion has with Madonna,”Arianne Phillips, stylist and costume designer for the tour,told WWD late Tuesday night following dress rehearsalsfor the two-hour concert. “Madonna has a history of col-laborating with fashion designers. We didn’t want to missthe opportunity to collaborate with several of them.”

And enlisting so many different designers made per-fect sense for a tour cheekily titled after the way thesinger is chronically described for exposing yet onemore aspect of her endlessly layered personality.

The concept, continued Phillips, who started work onthe tour March 1, is “a wink, a nod to parts of her career.Despite what journalists constantly say — that she’sreinventing herself, it’s really an organic transition ofwho she is. It’s not like she sits down and plots her nextmove. Madonna has this great sense of humor. She leavesno stone unturned, including winking at us by calling itthe ‘Reinvention Tour.’”

Throw in a musical journey from which to draw andthere was no shortage of inspiration for wardrobe.

Lacroix was called on to reconfigure the original cou-ture he created for the Steven Klein-photographed port-folio that appeared in the April 2003 issue of WWD’s sis-ter magazine W. Several of the images from that shootwill appear on screens onstage and then “come to life inthe three-dimensional aspect of the costume,” saidPhillips, who’s worked with Madonna since 1997. This isher second tour with the artist, following 2001’s“Drowned World Tour,” which marked the pop icon’sreturn to concerts following a seven-year break.

There are corsets, of course, potentially inhibiting forsinging, that had to be worked out in multiple fittings. Theoriginal from the Klein shoot didn’t move. “But Mr. Lacroixwas the perfect designer for this,” said Phillips, “becausehe’s designed for the opera, so he and his atelier under-stand the nature of performance and costume completely.”

Much of the embellishments — the baroque embroi-dery, beading, handpainting and mass of Swarovski crys-

tals — remained, but the costume has now been cut insofter fabrics.

Lacroix said the Klein images “epitomized the dramaof couture, theatrical skill and today’s show business.”He reinterpreted the red-sequined and embroideredcorset from the W shoot in nude and glitter for the tour.

“I’m not a close friend of Madonna’s, but I always feltthat she’s a very Christian Lacroix girl,” the designersaid. “I remember she sent her measurements for thevery first collection in 1987 and she was gorgeous inVogue magazine in a black jacket with carnation pipingand a ‘Madonna’ embroidered on her back.”

The pair, in fact, have only met once, he recalled by e-mail Wednesday, at a post-couture party for him.“Privately, I know we do have a lot of inspirations incommon. And I would like to dedicate our work for herto her biggest fan in France, afriend of mine who died from AIDSa few weeks ago, who was so happyknowing I was going to create some-thing for this tour.”

The Klein shoot, in fact, infusesthe entire concert. “It had to do withthe process of the performer,” saidPhillips. “Madonna always talksabout focusing on the process andnot just the end result. If you do thebest you can you’ll reach certaintyin the outcome. That is the spiritualside of Madonna and something yousee throughout the show.”

Klein also photographed the tourbook. For that production, McQueenforwarded some 50 pieces from hisown archives and designs he’d donefor Givenchy Couture.

Act three goes to Chanel, withKarl Lagerfeld dressing Madonna “ather sassiest — as the sexiest chorusgirl you could ever imagine,” saidPhillips, who, for the sake of keeping some element of sur-prise, remained mum on the details of the clothes and thesong list. “She shows the precociousness we love about her.This part is a wonderful Fellini-esque carnival. What’s real-ly important to Madonna is that the show, the costumes, thechoreography all have a subtext of entertainment.”

The “emotional heart of the show,” she continued,bows next. The costumes are quieter, but no less power-ful. The Stella McCartney silhouette, Phillips said, “isMadonna at her best.”

McCartney, who hints at the look by referring to its mas-culine, bespoke styling, calls it a “less is more” moment.“She has worn my bespoke clothing a lot in the past. In fact,the first thing of mine she bought was a bespoke suit.” Thisparticular design, the designer added, is “very StellaMcCartney in spirit, but for Madonna, mixing very mascu-line elements with her iconic energy. It’s simple and tastefuland very wearable. But she’s playing with her masculinityand making a statement of a certain attitude and sexuality.”

Yet audiences also may find Madonna in that fourth

act looking equally as striking in a black Yves SaintLaurent top, worn with trousers by Los Angeles risingstar Louis Verdad, whom Phillips put on the radar only ayear ago after dressing her high-profile client in hisForties-flavored clothes.

“Some of the costumes will change from night tonight,” said Phillips. “It can get routine on the road, sowhat I learned last time is to keep an element of interestand surprise for both Madonna and the audience.”

So, for the third act, Lagerfeld designed two optionsand Phillips designed another.

In fact, despite all the outreach, Phillips had her workcut out for her. Besides Madonna’s five costume changes,there are two background singers who also change fivetimes, 10 dancers and their six changes, and the four mem-bers of the band who only change twice. And the entire com-

pany tests the limits of theirwardrobe, dancing and singing nightafter night, which is why four to six ofeverything — including the couture —has been made in advance.

Phillips designed the completesecond and last acts of the five-partshow. Act two is a “real rock ’n’ rollsection” based on Madonna’s recent“American Life” album. And thefinale, she revealed, merges hip-hopsensibilities with traditional Scottishelements, including kilts — some-thing introduced in the last tour.

The extended wardrobe creditsare a departure for Madonna, whohas always relied on a single design-er to costume the bulk of her tours.Her most intimate collaboration hasbeen with Gaultier. As much as hewanted to participate, time con-straints — in part due to his newcharge at Hermès — made it impos-sible, said Phillips. But his pres-

ence is there in the shirts he sent over for the dancers. “The generosity from the fashion community has just

been incredible,” she noted.That goes down to Madonna’s toes. Shoes are neces-

sary for the choreography, and several designers swiftlyobliged with custom pairs. There are the steep 4-inchheels, no less, from Miu Miu, and Jimmy Choo and Ginaof London provided footwear for a video portion. And,Phillips noted, “Yves Saint Laurent shut down produc-tion” to make six pairs of above-the-knee leather bootswith 3-1/2-inch heels, based on a favorite pair Madonnaowns from a couple of seasons ago.

In a video clip, there is a costume by Jeremy Scott, andDolce & Gabbana provided most of the undergarments.

Asked about the wardrobe budget, Phillips pausedbefore replying: “No expense was spared, whether it wassomething we covered, or the designers covered. Money’snever been an issue. These fashion designers put a lot oftime and energy and heart into being a part of this.”—- With contributions from Robert Murphy, Paris

Madonna’s Latest Look

An icon’s style,

from left: A Jean Paul

Gaultier design from

“Blonde Ambition”;

kilts from the 2001

“Drowned” tour, and

a Dolce & Gabbana

outfit from the

“Girly” tour.

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Steven Klein’s W shoot inspired the costumes.

WWD, THURSDAY, MAY 20, 20044

“We’re all blinged up!” said Keira Knightley, the face of theupcoming Asprey campaign, at the mega-bash Tuesdaynight to open the brand’s 40,000-square-foot store on BondStreet in London. Knightley, who was wearing strand uponstrand of diamonds around her neck, couldn’t quite getover the turnout. “I walked through the front door and

thought ‘Oh my! I can’t even move.’”“I feel like a proud papa,” said Lawrence Stroll as he and co-host

Silas Chou surveyed the place, decked out in purple, right down tothe garbage bins.

Purple-uniformed shoeshine men sat outside Asprey’s front entranceto give the 1,500-strong crowd — including Jade Jagger, Molly Ringwald,Sir Elton John, Hussein Chalayan and Zara Phillips — a last-minute polishwhile male window-washers in overalls and no shirts shined the glassuntil it sparkled. Inside, servers passed around boiled quails’ eggspacked into purple Asprey gift boxes while the luxury firm’s artisans satat worktables polishing silver plates and mounting diamonds in rings.

“It was a very understated affair,” announced Kenneth Cole, with asmile. “A very moderate display of mid-priced merchandise.”

Stroll later hosted a dinner at Annabel’s for 150 Asprey brass andpersonal friends, including Norman Foster, David Mlinaric, SarahFerguson, Crown Prince Pavlos and Marie-Chantal of Greece.

“Now we shareholders want to make our money back,” Chou told hisguests. “And please, don’t just buy Asprey for yourselves. E-mail yourfriends! E-mail your enemies! And tell them all about our new store.”

eye®

CANNES, France — As rumors of a burglarized villa and stolenlaptops circulate around the Cannes Film Festival, thelegendarily attractive security guards — assigned to protectthe millions of dollars worth of borrowed jewels adorning thenecks, ears and wrists of the beautiful people — havesuddenly found themselves in the limelight.

Though these strong, silent types often manage to elude thecamera, high-profile guards like Luc Fournier of De Beers andLuc Charpiot of Chopard can always be spotted on the redcarpet, just a few steps behind a high-wattage star, orpresiding over the jewels at the boutique. Both refuse todivulge any specific incidents of theft at this year’s festival,but say they aren’t afraid to use their impressive physiqueswhen necessary. Ladies, take note.

— Marcy Medina

LUC FOURNIER, De BeersHeight: 6’1”Weight: 190Age: 29 Former Job: CookCan Also Spot Him At: Cartier,

Louis Vuitton Security Strategy: “Intimidation

is the best prevention.”Workout: “Exercise bike, Greco-

Roman wrestling, Thai boxing andone hour in the gym every day.”

Dress Code: “Classic, understated suits. I like ties so Ichange them often.”

Sorry, Ladies: “I’m married, but don't have kids yet. There’snot enough time.”

Job Perk: “I give my wife diamonds when I can. I know thedifference between D and D flawless.”

LUC CHARPIOT, ChopardHeight: 5’8”Weight: 145Age: 42 Day Jobs: Firefighter,

bodyguardSecurity Strategy: “Be subtle.

Always use discretion.”Training: Black belt in karate.Favorite Client: Emannuelle

Béart. “But we are only told onehour prior who we will bewatching.”

Dress Code: Tux forpremieres, comfortable shoesand shades when it’s sunny. “It’snot a cliche.”

Gems 101: “I know thedifference between a ruby, a diamond and an emerald.”

Surgical Skills: Knowing how to undo those tricky clasps.“It’s more important to be able to take it off than put it on.”

Hours: “All day, all night. Staying with actors until 4 a.m. ispart of the job.”

Diet: “We live never knowing what or when we are goingto eat.”

Purple ReignSHOW BOAT: Forget the red carpet —all the news in Cannes is aboard theyachts. Media-shy San Francisconovelist Melanie Craft, a.k.a. Mrs.Larry Ellison, played hostess Tuesdaynight on her husband’s boat, Katana,which has been docked in Cannes allweek. The annual fete for ICMhoncho Jeff Berg, who sits on theboard of Oracle, Ellison’s billion-dollar software company, was theusual intimate gathering of powerplayers, including Roman Polanski,Brett Ratner and Serena Williams. Butthere was also a touch of Euro-glam:Princess Olga of Austria with her beauof four years, Johnny Pigozzi, and theirpal Christian Louboutin. Over dinner onthe top deck, surprise guest DonJohnson jokingly demanded a rebate.“My wife buys so many of your shoesthat I think I’m entitled to somemoney back, or at least a discount,”he declared.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Ellison excusedherself from the table to retire early,saying, “I’m way too shy to be outhere, so I sort of let Jeff take overthis night.” Her outspoken husbandwas back in California closing a deal,while she has quietly been enjoying aweek on the Riviera with eight guests.Alas, it was her final cruise aboardKatana, which has been sold to theBritish media entrepreneurs, theBarclay brothers. Ellison’s new vessel,Rising Sun, which measures 410 feetversus the 244-foot-long Katana, willbe ready for christening in November.“I tried to get Larry to call it PrincessMelanie, but that got shot down prettyfast,” she said.

ON THE BLOCK: Christopher Mason spentlast Friday night ensconced at themahogany dining room table of AnnNitze’s elegant Georgetown house,signing copies of his new book, “TheArt of the Steal,’’ which chronicles theinfamous Christie’s/Sotheby’s price-fixing case. (Nitze fluttered a black fanthat matched her Ungaro dress. “I’m afan of Christopher Mason,’’ she said.)“I want a copy for my friend ScottMueller,’’ said Louisa Riley-Smith, wifeof a top British Embassy counsel, andpart of Mason’s Cambridge-Oxfordmafia. Gamely signing the book overto the New York attorney who helpedrepresent Alfred Taubman, Masonimpishly grinned, “I’m not sure he’sgoing to like what I’ve written.’’

Mason recalled leaner days whenhis first book on Gianni Versace nevermade it into print because ofobjections from Versace’s sister,Donatella. So what convinced Mason totry again? “Alfred Taubman’s daughter,Tiffany Dubin, is a very dear friend ofmine,’’ he explained, confiding he’shard at work on another as-yetundisclosed book subject. “Corruptionin high places is what I specialize in.’’

EYE SCOOP

Jacquetta Wheeler

To Catch a ThiefAnn Nitze and Christopher Mason

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Zara PhillipsZara Phillips Celia and Silas Chou Sarah FergusonSarah Ferguson

Sir Elton

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Keira Knightley in Goat.Keira Knightley in Goat.


By Kristin Young

ANAHEIM, Calif. — PacificSunwear of California Inc. ison a roll, with robust salesgrowth and a plan to expand itsstore base by more than 50 per-cent in the next three years,said Greg Weaver, chairmanand chief executive officer ofthe surf and skate retailer.

Weaver said at the annualshareholders’ meeting here onWednesday that store numbersare expected to expand from907 to 1,400 by 2007, bumping upsales. The retailer, comprisingPacSun, PacSun Outlet andurban division Demo, surpassed$1 billion in sales last year andhad an $80.2 million profit.PacSun, along with the compa-ny’s Outlet division, is projectedto operate 1,000 stores by theend of 2007, Weaver said. Demowill run another 400 stores.Square footage growth is to in-crease by 13 to 15 percent eachyear for the next three years.Some 110 new stores areplanned to bow in 2004.

“We’re off to an incrediblestart in 2004,” Weaver said.After noting that the companyalmost doubled its sales growthin 2003, he added that “By anymeasure, our plans remainhighly aggressive. We will con-tinue to grow PacSun stores,Outlet stores and Demo stores.”

Young women — especiallythe 15-year-old target customer— continue to be the drivingforce behind PacSun. PacSun’sgoal for the last several yearshas been to evenly split mer-chandise between youngwomen and men, once thedominant segment of business.In 2003, clothing for youngwomen accounted for 47 per-cent of the mix — “its highestlevel of total sales to date,” saidWeaver. “You can see we’re get-

ting very close.”Nodding to the 100 or so

employees at the meeting,Weaver said, “Our employeesconstantly seek progress. We’rejust shy of 1,000 stores, and al-ready we’ve grown into a verydominant force in teen retail-ing,” he said, noting the U.S.demographic of 32 millionteens with a total of $170 bil-lion to spend. Comp stores todate have risen 12.7 percent.

Weaver also cited PacSun’sbrand focus — now 67 percentof the total merchandise mix— and pointed to several newvendors the retailer began car-rying this year, including DVS,Adio and Osiris. Footwear hasracked up double-digit compsin the last three years, whileaccessories accounted for 19percent of last year’s sales.

Urban hip-hop chain Democontinues to be the company’sgrowth vehicle, said Weaver.In 2003, the 16-to-24 age groupbumped up comp-store sales 4percent, and year-to-date istracking 6 percent ahead ofplan. “There is very limitedcompetition,” said Weaver,noting that Demo’s sales persquare foot topped $405 in2003, higher than the compa-ny’s average of $363. Youngwomen here, too, have beendriving sales, making up 35percent of total apparel sales.In response, the company istweaking its store prototype.“We felt our stores were a lit-tle bit too urban, a little bittoo masculine,” said Weaver.

Even if there’s a chance theeconomy could turn south,Weaver is optimistic. “Interestrates are going to go up in thenext few years,” he said, notingthat the indicator directly affectsretail. “Our customers couldcare less. They have only one in-terest. They want to look good.”

Strong Sales DrivePacSun Expansion

NEW YORK — Spring’s explosion of color fashions coupled with shoppers doling outfull prices sent first-quarter earnings skyward for specialty retailers reporting re-sults Wednesday.

Charming Shoppes Inc., Dress Barn Inc., Goody’s Family Clothing Inc., Hot TopicInc. and Talbots Inc. reported sizeable year-over-year earnings gains as customerspaid full price for vibrant spring and summer offerings.

On the teen front, Hot Topic scored a 21.5 percent net income gain on sales that soared27.3 percent to $128.1 million. For the older demographic set, color and fabric were key.

“Through the business, color fashion and new fabrications are driving sales,” saidHarold Bosworth, vice president and chief merchandising officer for Talbots, duringthe company conference call.

Talbots’ 13.4 percent boost in earnings was largely generated by a strong perform-ance at its retail stores.

Arnold Zetcher, chairman, president and chief executive officer, said during thecompany’s call that retail-store sales rose 7 percent to $353.4 million while same-storesales were up 1.7 percent. Comps were offset by softness in marked-down sales due tolean inventories, as well as a general weakness in the dress business. Catalogue salesdipped slightly to $65.6 million from $65.8 million.

The company said it will be adding a suiting package to 115 store locations inAugust, which will center on one suit jacket along with four bottoms, two options inpants and two in skirts. Also for fall will be a change in the denim component ofTalbots’ casual business that will incorporate new lighter-weight fabrics.

While Talbots said it is making changes to reverse weakness in its dress compo-nent, analyst Neely Tamminga of Piper Jaffray noted in a research note that casualdresses “become a much less important contributor to total sales in the fall relative tothe spring.”

However, Tamminga said management’s decision to run television advertisementsfor its semi-annual sale, a first for the company, should generate greater store traffic.The clearance event begins in late June. Her firm reiterated its “outperform” ratingon Talbots.

Meanwhile, triple-digit earnings gains at Charming Shoppes were fueled by salesfrom its Lane Bryant and Fashion Bug segments where jackets, skirts and blouses

found their way back among the top sellers. “What we’re encouraged about is that we had a very strong wear-to-work business

in our Fashion Bug division as well as our Lane Bryant division for spring,” said DorritBern, president and chief executive officer, during the company conference call.

According to Bern, skirts have regained prominence in the work apparel category.Blouses have followed suit. “It seems that the blouse business is back. I can’t believeI’m saying that, but the blouse business is back, at the same time that this wear-to-work career business has turned around for us,” said Bern.

According to Gayle Coolick, director of investor relations, sales at Lane Bryant ex-ceeded expectations, coming in at $246.6 million with a 5 percent comparable-store gain.

The strong sales response, coupled with tight inventory controls made for a 100basis point improvement in merchandise margins.

— Ross Tucker with contributions from Vicki M. Young

Full-Price Selling Bolsters Specialty Retailers

Continued from page onenostalgic Target shareholderswho questioned the rationalefor the sale of Marshall Field’s.

Meanwhile, in New York, an-alysts and consultants threw afew names in the ring of partieswho would be interested in tak-ing the two businesses off ofTarget’s hands.

It has been widely expectedwithin the analyst community thatMay Co. or Federated DepartmentStores, which said it was explor-ing the acquisition, will pick upField’s and that Mervyn’s may bebroken up for its real estate.However, in a research note is-sued Tuesday, A.G. Edwards ana-lyst Robert Buchanan said mar-ket sources indicated a groupled by publicly traded invest-ment firm Apollo Group, includ-ing former Macy’s East ceo HalKahn, may be interested in buy-ing and operating Mervyn’s.

Kahn firmly denied any in-volvement with Mervyn’s orApollo. “There is absolutely notruth to this whatsoever, and Iwould think that a quality ana-lyst like Robert Buchanan woulddo more due diligence before hespreads rumors and at the veryleast check with me,” said Kahn.“Other than a 20-minute conver-sation with Apollo when I toldthem I was not interested inMervyn’s, I have had no involve-ment — zero — with Apollo onMervyn’s or any other ventures.”

Alan Schlesinger, the formerceo of Filene’s Basement andLamont’s and currently a consult-ant, is said to be involved withApollo on pursuing Mervyn’s. “Ican’t confirm or deny it,” he saidWednesday.

There was also another reportthat Robert DiNicola, the retiredchairman and ceo of Zale Corp.,may be involved in pursuingMervyn’s. DiNicola could not bereached for comment.

At the annual meeting, Targetis acting as if it has alreadywashed its hands of its laggingdivisions. Neither Marshall

Field’s president Linda Ahlersnor Mervyn’s president DianeNeil took their customary placeson stage during the shareholdermeeting, and neither offered asecond-quarter outlook on thecompany’s first-quarter confer-ence call May 13.

In a sign of where a baggage-free Target Stores is headed,chairman and chief executive of-ficer Robert Ulrich focused onthe flagship division’s perform-ance for the past 10 years, point-ing out that Target is now, at $41billion, roughly the size Wal-Mart

was a decade ago. It operates1,249 stores across 47 states; inits strongest markets, includingMinnesota, California and NewJersey, it commands 10 percentof the market or more, accordingto company data.

In a press session, Ulrichcharacterized operations at bothdivisions as “business as usual.”

This year, shareholders wereallowed to submit questions inwriting, easing some of the stingthey felt last year when Ulrichunceremoniously adjourned aperfunctory 15-minute meetingwithout the customary question-and-answer session.

Questions focused on the ra-tionale for the Marshall Field’ssale, which seemed to hit hardestwith local shareholders mourn-ing the last link to Dayton’s,beloved for its philanthropy here.

“The department stores arelosing meaning. They’re passingthem around like cards at atable,” complained Minneapolisresident and longtime share-holder Mary-Lou Robertson.

Shareholder Aaron Epstein,who flew in from North Holly-wood, Calif., last year and was

subsequently irate when ques-tions were banned, asked point-edly what Target was doing to en-sure it didn’t face the same“problems affecting our friendsin Bentonville [Ark.],” such as il-legal cleaning crews and employ-ees forced to work off the clock.

Target executive vice presi-dent and general counsel JimHale said the company uses anannual survey and an 800 num-ber, which handles thousands ofconfidential calls annually, tomake sure proper labor policiesare being followed.

Ulrich said Target’s expansionfor the next decade will focus onthe U.S., and he expects the com-pany to double its footprint andtriple sales in that period.

Eventually, the retailer will gointernational, likely starting inCanada or Mexico, but there areno immediate plans to push be-yond profitable domestic territo-ry, which Ulrich said could re-turn the company 15 percent an-nually for the foreseeable future.

Along the way, Target will haveto grapple with Wal-Mart forevery bit of market share, even onthe Minneapolis-based retailer’shome turf. Wal-Mart is buildingits first stores in the Twin Citiesmetro area, Target’s strongholdwhere it operates about 40 stores.

“Certainly Wal-Mart is a majorthreat. Personally, I wish Wal-Martwouldn’t exist,” Ulrich said in arare candid comment that drewwhistles and scattered applausefrom some shareholders. “But itcertainly keeps Target a sharperand more focused company thanif we weren’t competing with oneof the world’s biggest companies.”

— With contributions fromDavid Moin

Target: Asset Sale Soon

First-Quarter Results(in millions)

RETAILER EARNINGS EARNINGS % CHANGE SALES '04 SALES '03 % CHANGE(LOSS) '04 (LOSS) '03

Charming Shoppes Inc. $26.9 $9.7 177.9 $592.7 $564.3 5.0Dress Barn $5.4 $2.6 106.6 $183.3 $165.7 10.6Goody's Family Clothing Inc. $8.1 $1.9 332.8 $302.9 $283.0 7.0Hot Topic $5.4 $4.4 21.5 $128.1 $100.7 27.3Talbots Inc. $33.3 $29.4 13.4 $419.0 $395.0 6.1

SOURCE: COMPANY REPORTS

“Certainly Wal-Mart is a major threat.Personally, I wish Wal-Mart wouldn’texist.” — Robert Ulrich, Target Corp.


Garden VarietyGarden Variety

LOS ANGELES — Resortswimwear blooms brightwith bikinis in whimsical

patterns and sexyshapes. Here, delicate

florals and playful pastelsadd a retro touch to

triangle-shaped tops andstring-tied bottoms.

Indah’s terry

cloth tube top;

Girl Star’s

polyester and

spandex bikini

bottoms. Mella

flip-flops.

Polyamide swimsuit

from Sophia by Vix.

Hollywould sandals.

Aaron Chang’s polyester

and spandex swimsuit.

Mella flip-flops.

Dr.

Bombay’s

nylon and

Lycra

swimsuit.

Mella

flip-flops.


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Dahlia’s polyester and nylon swimsuit.Dahlia’s polyester and nylon swimsuit.

James Jeans’ New CauseAfter handily exceeding its first-year growth targets, James

Jeans is moving out on its own. The company has partedways with the New York-based Brothers and Sisters Showroomthat launched the line, and moved into its own 4,000-square-footshowroom at 250 West 39th Street in Manhattan.

Owner James Lim, who owns the brand with his designerwife, Seun, said the company has booked $33 million in orderssince launching this spring. That’s well ahead of an initial tar-get, set last fall, of $2 million in its first season and also sur-passes the $20 million goal the company cited in March.

“It’s really been great, but just so fast — too fast,” Limsaid. “I am just glad that the customers are getting it and thatour fit has been working out so well.”

James Jeans’ signature darted back pockets wrap around thecontour of the behind to enhance definition. The jeans arewashed in a way that makes the inner thighs appear thinner andlegs look longer. The hip area is highlighted to create a lift effect.

Lim acknowledged that one casualty of the line’s successis that it’s running about two weeks late on deliveries,though he maintained this is a new and temporary problem.Lim said he will be 100 percent on track to deliver on timewith the James fall 2004 orders. As of now, Lim said the com-pany ships between 1,500 and 2,000 units every day.

To help meet demand for deliveries, James Jeans beefedup its production staff. It has also moved into a new LosAngeles headquarters for manufacturing and now has threededicated sewing facilities there. Lim said there are nowmore than 500 people involved in putting together the line,with about 50 directly employed by the company. That com-pares with four people on the payroll in January.

Lim said he is looking to partner with a larger company tohelp with marketing, distribution and production duties.

“I’ve met with a lot of companies, and I would say I amin the final stages,” Lim said. “We just need the help, sincewe grew so quickly.”

— Julee Greenberg

Denim Dish

Warnaco Charts a CourseWarnaco Group Inc. president and chief executive

officer Joseph R. Gromek said at the firm’s annu-al meeting Wednesday that the company’s businessunits can be broken down into two main groups: Thoseripe for revenue growth and those where managementneeds to improve profitability.

In the first camp are the Chaps men’s wear brand,Calvin Klein underwear and Speedo. In the second areCalvin Klein Jeans and the rest of Warnaco’s U.S. inner-wear business.

Looking at the $1.37 billionfirm from a broad perspective,Gromek said adding brandsthrough licensing and acquisitionwill be a key priority.

“Definitely, we believe that weneed to enhance our portfolio ofleading brands and we will continueto add,” he said in an interview afterthe meeting, held in Manhattan.

Gromek declined to commenton whether Warnaco was eyeingany particular brands, but addedthe firm would be ready to move“if the opportunity comes up.”

Illustrating Warnaco’s financialreadiness to acquire, senior vicepresident and chief financial offi-cer Lawrence Rutkowski noted thecompany began the year with $53.5million in cash on hand and $211.1million in long-term debt. That’smore cash than the $26.9 millionon hand when Warnaco exited Chapter 11 bankruptcyprotection in February 2003 and less debt than the$246.5 million on the books at the time.

Gromek called the Chaps business “our leading rev-enue-growth opportunity” and noted the men’s jeansline launched under that brand could bring in $25 mil-lion in second-half sales.

He said the CK innerwear business — a label forwhich Warnaco owns the rights — last year posted 16.5percent revenue growth — to $279.1 million, accordingto a filing with the Securities and Exchange

Commission — and a 57 percent increase in operatingincome. With the brand’s upcoming launches of ChoiceCalvin Klein junior intimates and Calvin KleinSensual Support full-figure bras, Gromek said growthat that unit should continue.

The Calvin Klein Jeans business, which Warnaco li-censes, is a different story. There, Gromek said, thefirm is “focused on improving profits, versus top line.”He said the business recorded an operating profit ofonly 4 percent last year on its $282.7 million in sales.

Warnaco has cut back sharply on sales of CalvinKlein Jeans to off-price and wholesale-club retailers,

which played a significant role inWarnaco’s $30.2 million, 7 percentslide in first-quarter sales to $393.3million. In a sign the strategy waspaying off, Gromek said the unitrecorded a double-digit percentageoperating profit in that quarter.

The sale of Calvin Klein Jeansto wholesale clubs was a contribu-tor to the souring of relations be-tween former Warnaco chairmanand ceo Linda J. Wachner and de-signer Calvin Klein, which endedin a legal dispute in late 2000 andearly 2001. That brouhaha was set-tled out of court, though Warnacowound up filing for Chapter 11protection in June 2001.

Current Warnaco managementhas sought to put the stormy years ofthe company’s recent history behindit, and chairman Charles R. Perrintold the approximately 30 share-holders and executives in atten-

dance at the annual meeting that last week’s settlementby Wachner and other former and current Warnaco exec-utives of an SEC probe should mark the final piece of un-settled business from that era. Wachner agreed to pay $1million in the settlement, which concerned a probe intoprevious earnings restatements at the company.

“It’s important to note that the inquiry had nothingto do with any of our current financial recording mat-ters,” Perrin said. “This last chapter in the oldWarnaco is now closed.”

— Scott Malone

Star StruckInspired by vintage styles

and Old West charm, StarJeans is making its debutfor fall retailing.

The line is backed byNew York-based juniorsportswear company StarCity. It’s run by JamesMiller, executive vice pres-ident, and Scott Aimetti,vice president of sales,who both came to launchthe label from young men’sand junior jeans companyPlugg. Currently, the jeansline shares space with itsparent firm; however,Miller and Aimetti saidthey plan to move into ded-icated space.

“We both learned somuch over the years in thedenim business, and weare confident that we arelaunching a great prod-uct,” Miller said. “We have re-created a lot of vintagestyles and paid a lot of attention to the details.”

The first collection includes an array of denimstyles, including a basic five-pocket, a pencil skirtand miniskirt. Also included are denim and corduroyjackets accented in fake fur and knit hoods. The sig-nature logo on the denim is a subtle star sewn intoone back pocket, as well as one star rivet on a frontpocket. Many styles feature ribbon belts or rhine-

stone chain belts,while denim jacketsand blazers come withdecorative pins.

“The customers havebeen reacting reallywell to the extras thatwe have added,” Aimettisaid.

Miller said they aretargeting specialtychains and depart-ment stores. The linewholesales for $11.50to $20. Miller expectsto reach about $15 mil-lion in first-year sales.Next up, the companyis planning a youngmen’s line to be readyfor spring 2005.

— J.G.

Tarrant Cuts LossTarrant Apparel Group’s withdrawal from

Mexican production cut its first-quarter salesnearly in half, but it also allowed the company to re-duce its loss.

For the three months ended March 31, the LosAngeles-based apparel and fabrics marketer had anet loss of $3 million versus a loss of $3.9 million inthe prior-year period. On a per-share basis, the loss-es were 10 cents against 24 cents, due to an increasein the number of shares outstanding. Sales plum-meted 46.5 percent to $42.2 million from $78.7 mil-lion in the 2003 quarter, as the company absorbedwhat is expected to be an annual top-line decline of$60 million to $75 million due to its exit fromMexican manufacturing.

“By withdrawing from Mexico, we no longer havea need to accept low- or negative-margin orders forthe purpose of filling production capacity duringslow periods,” president Barry Aved said on a con-ference call with Wall Street analysts.

Patrick Chow, chief financial officer, said quarter-ly sales were in line with expectations and “relative-ly flat” when excluding year-ago results attributableto Mexican production.

Company officials said they expected their newfocus on private brands to drive top-line growth. GerardGuez, chairman and chief executive officer, said privatebrands accounted for about 15 percent of sales duringthe first quarter and could grow to between 35 and 50percent of volume by the end of next year.

The American Rag program is in junior depart-ments in 153 Federated Department Stores doors,and Guez expects that number to surpass 200 thisyear. Additionally, a men’s program for that label isbeing explored, and “another three to five projects”could be launched before the beginning of 2005.

Tarrant has an exclusive distribution agreementwith Wet Seal for No Jeans and manufactures Seven7 jeanswear exclusively for Limited Brands’ Expressdivision. It recently inked a licensing deal withCynthia Rowley for women’s jeanswear.

— Arnold J. Karr

Two

looks

from the

fall Star

Jeans

line.

James Jeans has

booked $33 million

in sales so far.

Joseph Gromek said Warnaco would consider

acquisitions “if the opportunity comes up.”

STAR

JEA

NS P

HOTO

S BY

TAL

AYA

CENT

ENO


By Melanie Kletter

NEW YORK — Lucy Activewear, the13-unit chain that was one of thefirst retailers devoted exclusivelyto active women, has named a newpresident and chief executive offi-cer, Michael J. Edwards, to directa store expansion program andoversee the company’s growth.

Edwards will take over the ceoslot on June 14, succeedingfounder and current president SueLevin, who will continue to serveon the board of directors and actas a strategic adviser.

Edwards, 43, has an extensivetrack record in the retail business,most recently as executive vicepresident of operations at craftchain Jo-Ann Stores. He has alsoheld merchandising and executivepositions at May Co., Target Corp.,Golfsmith and CompUSA.

“I believe I took Lucy as far as Icould or should take it,” said Levin,a former Nike executive, in a phoneinterview Wednesday. “As we devel-op and grow, we need someone whohas retail rollout experience. Mike’svast retail knowledge and opera-tional strength will enable us togrow the company rapidly and prof-itably in coming years.”

Edwards couldn’t be reachedfor comment.

Lucy, which is based inPortland, Ore., and has estimatedsales of about $15 million, recent-ly received a round of new financingto help facilitate its growth plans,Levin said. Its investors includeSutter Hill Ventures, Maveron LLCand Oak Investment Partners.

Levin declined to reveal theamount of the additional invest-ment, or to give many detailsabout the store openings. Shesaid the scope of new units will bedetermined when Edwards offi-cially joins, adding that the firmand its investors see potential foraggressive national expansion. “Iam still going to be very involved,”she added. “This change allowsme to focus on the things where Ihave greater strengths. I am not aconstruction project manager.”

Levin founded Lucy in 1999 asa Web site and catalogue catering toactive women of different ages,sizes and fitness levels. Then knownas lucy.com, the firm spent millionsof dollars in its first year on anextensive marketing campaign thatincluded direct mail, print advertis-ing and online advertising. Follow-ing the Internet bust in 2001, Lucyshifted its focus to brick-and-mortarstores. In the last few years, the firmhas been relatively quiet, opening afew stores a year.

Lucy still occupies a relativelyuncrowded niche in the market.While a number of new active cata-logues for women have sprung up inrecent years, there are still fewstores focused on this category. Nikeplans to develop its Nikewomenconcept, formerly known as NikeGoddess, and other competitioncomes from established sportinggoods chains such as SportsAuthority and Lady Foot Locker.

The company had a boutique inManhattan at Crunch gym, but thatlocation will close next monthwhen the lease expires, Levin said.The stores carry a range of brandedmerchandise from firms includingPuma, Nike, Adidas and Om Girl,as well as its own namesake brand.


Active LifestyleX

By David Moin

NEW YORK — The Sports Authority, thelargest U.S. sporting goods retailer, gotbigger by buying Gart Sports in August.Now it wants to get better and boostproductivity.

The chain is dumping the oldchrome racks and moving away fromthe warehouse look by establishingsleek in-store shops with bigger graph-ics and deeper assortments of better-quality brands.

A 50,000-square-foot prototype, about10,000 square feet larger than the typicalSports Authority box, opened April 24 inKing of Prussia Mall in Pennsylvania,kicking off a plan to remodel 135 storesover the next two years.

Elements of the prototype will beblended into other stores to varyingdegrees, depending on the location, toprovide a more unified look chain-wideand across the divisions. The SportsAuthority also operates Sportmart andOshman’s stores, which had been ownedby Gart, for a total of 385 stores. In addi-tion, a joint venture with AEON Co. Ltd.operates Sports Authority licensedstores in Japan.

With a uniform interior design ap-proach, all stores may eventually be calledThe Sports Authority, though there is nodefinite plan for that yet, and the companyhas changed nameplates in only a fewmarkets so far.

“We are trying to play up any syner-gies we can,” said Karl Salz, the chain’sregional director of Mid-Atlantic stores.“Sports Authority has primarily beenknown for team sports and athletics, andGart has been a great outdoor store.”

Merchandise strengths from bothchains will be shared, he said. Forexample, since Gart is strong in skiequipment, The Sports Authority storesnext winter will be able to beef up skibrands such as K2 and Salomon, whileGart units will adopt some of Sports Authority’s strength in huntingand fishing gear, Salz said.

In addition, The Sports Authority will beef up some higher-pricedbrands, such as The North Face, Salz said. One-thousand-square-footNorth Face shops started rolling out last year. Other key brandsinclude Columbia, Head, Nike, Fila, Adidas, Huffy, New Balance,Reebok, Under Armour and Alpine Design. “Customers are askingfor better brands. That’s what we are moving into,” Salz said.

He said the merchandise flow hasimproved since the merger, so there arefewer instances of stockouts and of staleproducts lingering on the selling floors.About 30 percent of The SportsAuthority’s business is in apparel. Fiscal2004 sales are projected to be about $2.6billion.

Merrill Lynch, which recently renewedcoverage on The Sports Authority, said ina report that the Gart merger will helpstrengthen relationships with key nationalbrands. “We should see more premiumbrands in all stores as vendors look at thenew and improved Sports Authority as adesirable retail partner,” Merrill said. Thefinancial services firm cited “tremendouspotential for cost savings” because of themerger, estimated to come to $20 millionin fiscal 2004, $40 million in 2005, and $50million after that.

Merrill also said that “significant”remodels will occur in 99 locations andthat a 2.2 percent comp-store sales boostwill generate sufficient return on invest-ment of about 35 percent. Merrill saidpast remodels have generated highercomp gains, so 2.2 percent is doable.

Larger prototypes that are the size ofKing of Prussia cost about $1.6 millioneach, according to Merrill. Once theinner transformation is complete, theEnglewood, Colo.-based Sports Auth-ority plans to unveil new marketing andadvertising. It’s working with the BostonConsulting Group on consumer re-search, Watt International on branding,Cliff Freeman on advertising and Integ-rated Corporate Relations on investorrelations.

Features of the prototype include:● A 2,700-square-foot “golf day” con-

cept shop with a driving cage and a 15-foot graphic wall.

● A team sports and team logo appar-el department.

● Increased vendor branding. ● A full-service performance-footwear

wall, a cleat shop and a “lifestyle” footwear shop with vendors suchas Columbia, Merrell and Salomon.

● A stone bridge to try out hiking footwear on inclines anddeclines so there will be no surprises, such as blisters, on the actualhike. The bridge is 10 feet long and 3 1/2 feet wide, is made fromstone and metal and has a 45-degree slope.

● Twenty-foot graphic walls in fitness and camping departments.● Fitting rooms in four areas, instead of being centralized.

NEW YORK — Many people only think about theOlympics every two years as the Games get underway, but for Martin Cooper, a Burberry design ex-ecutive and a photographer, they’re something ofan obsession.

For eight years, Cooper has been developing“The Altis: Portraits of the Immortals,” a photoproject inspired by the ancient Greek Olympics.

“I have always had a thing for antiquities,”Cooper said during an interview at the studio andshowroom in Manhattan’s financial district that heshares with his wife, accessories designer KarenSuen Cooper.

Martin Cooper, also a CFDA member, has metic-ulously studied the Games to create his series.Many of his mostly nude images incorporate ancientsymbols, such as a bow and arrow, feathers or a dis-cus. With their dramatic lighting and deep tones,the prints have a mysterious and moody feel.

But there’s one big difference in Cooper’s takeon the ancient competitions: “Women weren’t al-lowed to participate in the Games, which I thinkwas a huge injustice, so by casting the project onlywith women I address those inequalities,” he said.

The term Altis comes from the Greek name forthe sacred olive grove where the ancient Olympicstook place, Cooper said. The project is broken intocategories, each showing a different element of theGames. For example, the preparation photos depictathletes getting ready for their sport, while the

event photos show models in various athletic poses.The project, which comprises about 250 pho-

tos, has been on display around the world and isnow being shown by appointment at the Jayne H.Baum/JHB Gallery in New York.

What began in 1996 as a photographic projecthas morphed into other mediums. Altis inspired a

dance work by Boston Ballet choreographerRebecca Rice in 2002, for which Cooper de-signed the costumes.

“I also want to turn this into a book to showthe breadth of the series,” he noted. “And itcould make a great fine art film.”

— M.K.

Lucy NamesNew PresidentA Sleeker Sports Authority

Branded apparel is becoming a bigger part of the mix.

The Sports Authority is remodeling many of its stores.

A Fresh Take on Ancient OlympicsImages from

Martin Cooper’s

photo project

“The Altis:

Portraits of the

Immortals.”


Stop 1: Tamara Henriques at Items Showroom

Salesperson: Theresa Barone, owner, ItemsShowroom.

What Pecor found: “Tamara’s boots are con-stant bestsellers in the stores; right now I amcompletely sold out of one style and there are 35customers who already paid for them on a wait-ing list,” Pecor said of the black boots with redhearts painted on them. “They were featured inthe New York Times and they just sold right out.I am waiting for those to come in, but in themeantime, I am looking for new boots for a Julydelivery.”

Pecor has sold $150,000 worth of the bootssince January. She said she could sell muchmore, but because of the increased demand,Tamara, who is based in London, is having ahard time keeping up. From start to finish,it takes about eight months tomake one pair of the $118retail items because they areall hand-painted. The aver-age wholesale price is $49 each.

Pecor ordered some new styles,such as the tweed-painted boots in col-ors like brown, blue and pink. The pinkones will be exclusive to Olive &Bette’s for at least six months.

“Stacy has really been a launch-ing pad for us in New York,” Barone said. “So we reallytry and work with her to provide her with exclusives.”

In addition to the tweed boots, Pecor ordered a newwavy-stripe style; black, white and red dog-printedboots, and the paisley model.

What Pecor did not find: “I have been really aggres-sive with Tamara to come out with more prints,” Pecorsaid. “Right now she is working on some animal- printboots that are great, but really, I could be selling so manymore of these boots and she just cannot make them fastenough. Now there are so many companies making bootssimilar to these, so the pressure is especially on now.”

Pecor said she did not like the newest boots availablefor fall. Done in the signature rubber, the boots are madewith a shoelace in the front, which is not functional, butexists simply for the look.

“My customer would love the print and would wearthese with a cute skirt,” Pecor said. “But she wouldn’tlike the tie. It just looks like it doesn’t belong. It’s unnec-essary.”

Stop 2: Ella Moss at L’AtelierShowroom

Salesperson: Samantha Schwartz,sales representative.What Pecor found: “I’ve been doing

really well with Ella Moss’ signaturestriped tops and dresses,’’ Pecor said. “Mycustomers come in asking for it sinceCarrie wore it on ‘Sex and the City.’”

Pecor hopes to purchase some more tubetops since selling out of them within a week.She needs the clothing in medium and largesizes, because they seem to be cut small.

“I only have small and extra-small left,”she said.

Pecor said she also would like to find somenew pieces. She adores the long, striped top inblack with a hood that sits flat on the back.

“I love this,” she said, “I think these long topsare so great. I wish people were doing more of

them. They are so flattering.”What Pecor did not find: “I

am actually pretty disap-pointed with Ella Moss rightnow,” Pecor said. “I was real-ly expecting to go in and see alot, but I just think this seasonwas a miss.”

Pecor said she particularlydidn’t like the Alaska group,which included a series of wool andacrylic tops. They are made thin forlayering purposes.

“They just don’t look expensiveto me,” she said of the group, whichwholesales at about $45 each.

Pecor said she was hoping to seesome more miniskirts, as she sellsmore of them in the fall than inspring and summer.

“Girls feel more comfortablewearing a mini with tights in the fall, so I tend to sellmore for fall,” she said. “The skirts that Ella Moss hasthis season are the same ones she has been offering forseasons now. I was hoping to see something new.”

Stop 3: Splendid at L’Atelier ShowroomSalesperson: Eleanor Pan, sales representative.What Pecor found:“I carry a lot of T-shirts, but Splendid

has some of the great basics,” Pecor said of the contem-porary T-shirt line.

She ordered more basic long-sleeved V-neck andcrewneck styles in some of the new colors being offered,such as bright pink and plum. For the end of August, Pecorplaced orders for light jersey crewnecks and turtlenecks.

“The turtlenecks are great to wear under jackets,’’Pecor said. “I’ll sell a lot of them.”

She also placed orders for thermal zippered sweat-shirts with hoods, as well as a French terry hoodie: “My

private school girls, stroller moms and tourists will alllove them,” she said.

Pecor also placed orders for the French terry and Lycraspandex pants, which are consistent bestsellers in all ofher stores. This season, Splendid shows the pants withcuffs at the ankles. Pecor asked for them without the cuffs.

What Pecor did not find: “Really, I think Splendidlooks great,’’ she said. “They are a great company towork with. They provide exclusives; I am 70 percentsold-through at this point, and they are our number fourvendor right now. The only complaint I would havewould be to offer some more colors. I’d love to see a real-ly nice green — they don’t have one this time.”

Stop 4: Seven For All MankindSalesperson: Anja Michals, sales representative.“I am really trying to build up my denim business,”

Pecor said of jeans, which account for 5 percent of herbusiness. “My customer comes to me for everything else— T-shirts, accessories — why should she be going tosomeone else for jeans? To me, this is business I ammissing out on.”

While she doesn’t carry many denim brands yet exceptfor AG, Seven For All Mankind and James, Pecor said shewas determined to pick up Seven For All Mankind sinceit’s so popular among her customers. The only problemwas that, when she first tried to buy from it, Seven was notaccepting any new accounts because it was having diffi-culty delivering on time to its existing accounts.

“It’s a problem, but a good problem to have,”Michals said. “We are really working hard to get

everything fixed.”To convince the salespeople at the company

to take her appointment, Pecor sent the show-room packages highlighting the number “7.”

“I sent them 7-Up, and all of these otherthings until they would see me,” Pecorsaid. “Finally, they did. The only problemnow is that I can only carry them in two ofmy stores since they couldn’t handle ship-ping to the third one. And AG sells betterfor me than Seven does. Maybe I am not

selling them correctly. That’s what I’mhere to see.”

This has become an issue for Pecor,since Seven For All Mankind

will only sell to her MadisonAvenue and Columbus Ave-nue shops and her best-per-forming store for denim isthe Spring Street location.

Pecor wanted toplace orders for whitejeans, which Seven ForAll Mankind wasn’toffering this season, aswell as cropped jeansthat tend to sell wellfor early fall. She mayorder more croppedjeans, but said shewould prefer them toship first.

“Seven has such anamazing product,” Pecorsaid. “They are every-

one’s basic. My customerstell me all the time that

they own several pairs ofSevens. So I really wouldlike to get more of them inthe stores.”

1. Theory

2. Autumn Cashmere

3. Tamara Henriques

4. Splendid

5. Michael Stars

By Julee GreenbergNEW YORK — Ah, the tribulations of a retailer: demanding customers, gambling on styles, getting shipments on time and more.

Stacey Pecor, owner of Olive & Bette’s, a three-unit contemporary sportswear chain here — with a fourth to open at384 Bleecker Street in August — is prototypical. She faces all of these pressures. WWD accompanied her on a buyingtrip to four different wholesalers to see what works for her boutiques, what doesn’t work and what prompts her tomake those decisions.

Pecor, who carries labels such as Theory, Nanette Lepore, Velvet, Tibi, Generra and Michael Stars, said her customersusually shop with a specific item in mind. They may have watched Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) wear it on “Sexand the City,” or seen the clothing in a magazine feature, she said. Her clients are serious about fashion, so it’s importantfor Pecor to provide them with something distinctive.

Pecor headed out to the market last month looking for items to sell for early fall, as well as fresh styles to fill her newBleecker Street shop. Here is a diary of her travels, some of the things she bought and didn’t buy and why.

Shopping With Olive & BetteThe Beat

OLIVE & BETTE’S TOP FIVE VENDORS

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Stacey Pecor in her

first New York

boutique on

Columbus Avenue.

These Tamara

Henriques boots will

be exclusively at

Olive & Bette’s.

Pecor’sfavorite

piece fromElla Moss— a long,

black,hooded

top.

“My private school

girls, stroller moms

and tourists will all

love them,” Pecor

said of Splendid’s

thermal hoodie.

Pecor is trying to give her

denim business a boost with jeans

from Seven For All Mankind.

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NEW YORK — Phillips-VanHeusen Corp. shattered WallStreet’s first-quarter estimate bya nickel thanks, in part, tostrong results from Calvin Klein.

For the three months endedMay 2, the New York-basedbranded apparel manufacturerreported net income of $1.6 mil-lion, which translated to a loss of12 cents a diluted share after de-ducting preferred stock divi-dends. Last year, by comparison,the company recorded a net lossof $2.2 million, or 22 cents.

However, after excludingcharges in both years from theCalvin Klein acquisition andother items, earnings grew 42.3percent to $11.1 million, or 18cents, from $7.8 million, or 11cents, a year ago. Wall Streethad anticipated earnings of 13cents.

Total revenues dipped 0.6percent to $381.3 million from$383.7 million a year ago, but in-creased 1 percent from $377.7million after excluding restruc-turing and other items. In addi-tion to the Calvin Klein pur-chase, restructuring charges in-cluded PVH’s discontinuation ofits wholesale footwear businessand the closure of some under-performing retail outlet stores,among other items.

As for the Calvin Klein busi-ness, total revenues amassed to$41 million, which represented a1.5 percent decline over last yearbefore special items, but a 15.1percent improvement when com-paring continuing operations.Moreover, the segment posted op-erating income of $13.2 millionversus a year-ago loss of $2.7 mil-lion. On a comparable basis, op-erating income advanced 6.7 per-cent from $12.4 million.

“The Calvin Klein betterwomen’s sportswear line, li-censed to a joint venture formedby Kellwood and GAV, has re-ceived excellent response andsales have been strong since itslaunch in March,” said chief ex-ecutive officer Bruce Klatsky ina statement.

In guidance, PVH said sec-ond-quarter earnings excludingcharges are forecast at 24 to 25cents a share, which is in linewith the current consensus esti-mate of 25 cents. Full-year earn-ings without charges are forecastat $1.13 to $1.18, better than WallStreet’s current outlook of $1.13.

— Dan Burrows

Calvin Klein LiftsPVH 1Q Earnings

By Evan Clark

NEW YORK — Peter Boneparth,Jones Apparel Group’s chief ex-ecutive officer and one of fash-ion’s biggest deal makers, ex-pects even more industry consol-idation down the road.

“A small number of compa-nies in this industry will end upbeing much larger,” he said afterthe firm’s annual meetingWednesday, held here at Bear,Stearns & Co.’s Madison Avenueoffices.

Despite a busy year for thecompany in 2003, Boneparth saidJones will continue to be a majorplayer in that consolidation.

Rather than focusing on howlarge Jones will ultimately be,Boneparth is concentrating onhow to increase sales by doubledigits. In addition to organicgrowth, Jones plans to maintainits pace of acquisitions and newbusiness launches.

At the meeting, Boneparthsaid, “Clearly, we create morelong-term value by ownership ofbrands.”

He declared the company’shealth “excellent” and its bal-ance sheet “rock solid.” Lastingabout six minutes, the meetingpassed with a speed and smooth-ness that belied the dynamic yearit brought to a close.

“This has been a year of verypositive change,” said Boneparthin his report on the company’sprogress.

In 2003, Jones dropped thecontested Lauren by RalphLauren license and filed a $550million breach-of-contract law-suit against Polo Ralph LaurenCorp., which owns the name andhad licensed it to Jones. Thesuit could go to trial next year.

For spring, Jones launchedthe Jones New York Signatureline, which competes with theLauren line now produced byPolo. Signature is on course tobring in sales of more than $200million this year.

The vendor also expandedthrough the acquisition ofKasper A.S.L. last year, whichbrought the Anne Klein NewYork, AK Anne Klein, Kasper,Le Suit and Albert Nipon busi-nesses on board, along with an-nual sales of about $375 million.

“The goal here is to create abullet-proof company,” saidBoneparth, noting that thiswould come by not being overlyreliant on any one customer orchannel of distribution.

Jones’ stable of businessesincludes better and moderatewholesale apparel, footwearand retail. In 2003, the firm’searnings dipped 1.1 percent to

$328.6 million, or $2.48 a dilutedshare, after the exclusion of anaccounting adjustment. Salesfor the 12 months ended Dec. 31rose 0.8 percent to $4.38 billion.

“It’s been a good year,” saidBoneparth. “Our job is not to getcomplacent.”

The corporate machineryhasn’t slowed much, as Jones isnow in the midst of a hostile bidfor Maxwell Shoe Co. After themeeting, Boneparth noted,“Maxwell is certainly a companywe would like to buy, but it’s nota company we have to buy.”

There are also productlaunches “in the test tube,” hesaid, declining to be specific.

Boneparth Says Jones Will Keep Up With Acquisitions11WWD, THURSDAY, MAY 20, 2004


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TheWWDList

SOURCE: THE REAL ESTATE BOARD OF NEW YORK, SPRING 2004 RETAIL REPORT *SIGNIFIES A TIEPHOTO CREDITS: EMPIRE STATE BUILDING AND DEAN & DELUCA: GAIL MOONEY/CORBIS; TRIBECA GRILL: THOMAS A. KELLY/CORBIS; WALL STREET: CRAIG AURNESS/CORBIS; FLATIRON BUILDING: BILL ROSS/CORBIS; ERIK FREELAND/CORBIS SABA; TIMES SQUARE (SEVENTH AVENUE): JEFFCHRISTENSEN/REUTERS/CORBIS; TIMES SQUARE (BROADWAY): ALAN SCHEIN PHOTOGRAPHY/CORBIS; SAKS FIFTH AVENUE: JAMES LEYNSE/CORBIS; MADISON AVENUE AND MACY’S: LYNN GOLDSMITH/CORBIS; THIRD AVENUE: LAWRENCE LUCIER/GETTY IMAGES; DIOR: JAMES LEYNSE/CORBIS; ZABARS: DAVID TURNER

Manhattan StorefrontPercentage change, per square foot, in average asking rents for 13 neighborhoods,comparing March 2004 with March 2003.

Much of Manhattan retail real estate has proven to be surprisingly resilient despite 9/11 and therecession. Average asking rents rose 12 percent throughout the city for stores of 1,000 square feet orless. Available space declined by 19 percent, or 2.7 million square feet, according to the Real EstateBoard of New York’s Spring 2004 Retail Report, which provided the data for this list. The neighborhoodswith the biggest rent increases are those with high foot traffic and plenty of tourists. Times Square, West34th Street, 57th Street and Fifth Avenue all fit the bill.

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TIMES SQUARE: BROADWAY, BETWEEN 42ND AND 47TH STREETS22.8 percent 2004 asking price: $398; 2003 asking price: $324Broadway’s theaters are dependent on tourists, and tourists need places to eat and shop. ESPN Zone, Planet Hollywood, Sephora, Footlocker, the Virgin Mega Storeand Toys ‘R’ Us with its giant Ferris wheel and T. Rex have turned Broadway into the theme park-like attraction they crave. With more than 250,000 people passingthrough Times Square subway stations every day, the area has one of the highest pedestrian counts in the city.

TIMES SQUARE: 42ND STREET, BETWEEN SIXTH AND SEVENTH AVENUES1.2 percent 2004 asking price: $169; 2003 asking price: $167 42nd Street, which was synonymous with crime and prostitution, has become a family destination. In place of peep shows, there’s good wholesome entertainment atvenues such as Disney’s New Amsterdam Theater, The New Victory Theater for children and Madame Tussaud’s. Retailers such as Gap, Sanrio’s Hello Kitty storeand Quiksilver take advantage of the 1.7 million people passing through the area each day.

FIFTH AVENUE: BETWEEN 49TH AND 59TH STREETS10.9 percent 2004 asking price: $717; 2003 asking price: $646The most desirable stretch of Fifth Avenue keeps changing. In the Eighties, there were entertainment retailers and electronics stores having permanent going-out-of-business sales. They’re both gone now. Luxury nameplates have always staked a claim to Fifth Avenue and now have the biggest presence, but there are also brandswith wider appeal. In addition to Gap and Mexx, Zara will open a flagship in the former Façonnable store on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 54th Street.

TIMES SQUARE: SEVENTH AVENUE, BETWEEN 42ND AND 47TH STREETS30.2 percent 2004 asking price: $271; 2003 asking price: $208Times Square has been buffed and shined to a gloss. The stretch of Seventh Avenue in the heart of the theater district is not for the meek. Restaurants such asBubba-Gump Shrimp and Paramount Cafe cater to big appetites. Stores such as R.A.G., Sunglass Hut, Watch World and Perfumania ply the tourist trade. It’sno surprise the vacant One Times Square — formerly the Warner Brothers Studio Store — is being marketed as a retail and branding opportunity.

BROADWAY: BETWEEN 72ND AND 86TH STREETS-0.83 percent 2004 asking price: $238; 2003 asking price: $240There’s always a pioneer. In the Seventies and Eighties, Charivari, the edgy fashion emporium, led the way to the Upper West Side, but succumbed to bankruptcy in1997. Barneys Co-op, which has had its own share of woes, is now opening a store on Broadway and 75th Street. It will be the most upscale store in the area withneighbors such as Papyrus, Body Shop and Health Nuts. But if things go well, expect other apparel retailers to follow.

MADISON AVENUE: BETWEEN 57TH AND 67TH STREETS3.7 percent 2004 asking price: $701; 2003 asking price: $676 Global brands with flagships on Fifth Avenue or 57th Street, such as Chanel and Gucci, view Madison Avenue as a different market — the neighborhood is astomping ground for wealthy New Yorkers — and have opened second and third units there. Louis Vuitton has the same idea. There are fewer “For Rent” signs thanlast year. New stores include boutiques for Judith Leiber and Jimmy Choo.

57TH STREET: BETWEEN FIFTH AND PARK AVENUES54.8 percent 2004 asking price: $850; 2003 asking price: $549 East 57th Street continues to command some of the highest retail rents in Manhattan. In the past year, activity on the street has included the opening of an 11-storyLouis Vuitton flagship, the biggest in the world, as well as the debuts of boutiques for Christian Dior Homme, Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche and Furla.

THIRD AVENUE: BETWEEN 60TH AND 72ND STREETS-3.5 percent 2004 asking price: $193; 2003 asking price: $200 The roster of stores on Third Avenue, between 60th and 72nd Streets, reads like a mall directory with national brands such as Ann Taylor Loft, Gap, Club Monaco,Banana Republic and Starbucks. Above 72nd Street, it’s a different story. Independent chains such as L’Occitane, Molton Brown, Kate’s Paperie and Scoop havetaken root on the upper stretch of Third Avenue.

34TH STREET: BETWEEN FIFTH AND SEVENTH AVENUES83.2 percent 2004 asking price: $262; 2003 asking price: $143 With more than 100 million people passing through the four corners of 34th Street and Broadway annually, many chains, including Gap, have their highest-volumeflagships on the street. Zales, Forever 21, American Eagle Outfitters and Famous Footwear are opening stores on the thoroughfare, Herald Center is getting afacelift and Manhattan Mall is attracting tenants such as Aeropostale and Charlotte Russe.

TRIBECA: HUDSON STREET, BETWEEN CHAMBER AND CANAL STREETS-10 percent 2004 asking price: $54; 2003 asking price: $60The TriBeCa Grand Hotel heralded the neighborhood’s arrival. It’s become a nexus for home furnishings shops and art galleries, many of which fled SoHo’sprerecession rent increases. The Issey Miyake outpost on Hudson Street is a destination for the designer’s fans, and restaurants such as Nobu bring the uptowncrowd downtown. TriBeCa landlords are now competing with the more populous SoHo, where rents have dropped.

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DOWNTOWN: BROADWAY, BETWEEN BATTERY PARK AND CHAMBERS STREET-10 percent 2004 asking price: $54; 2003 asking price: $60 The partnership of government agencies and the private sector has accelerated the recovery of downtown Manhattan. Luxe hotels such as The Regent Wall Street,Ritz-Carlton in Battery Park City and new Millennium Hotel bode well for the future and residential development is on the rise. The new World Trade Center willhave about 650,000 square feet devoted to retail space and could be anchored by a department store.

AVERAGE MANHATTAN RETAIL RENTS BY STORE SIZE12 percent 2004 asking price for 1,000 square feet and under: $155 per square foot; 2003 asking price for 1,000 square feet and under: $138 per square foot.

SOHO: BROADWAY, BETWEEN HOUSTON AND BROOME STREETS-1.8 percent 2004 asking price: $162; 2003 asking price $165 The opening of Bloomingdale’s has given Broadway a shot of adrenaline and the traffic is spilling over to other parts of SoHo. The area is attracting new names suchas Japanese import Bathing Ape, West Coast players American Apparel and LF and Netherlands-based G Star Raw. The Elie Tahari Co. is marking its return toretail with a store in SoHo, and Lynn Cohen, who owned Rue de Reves on West Broadway in the Eighties, is back with a store called Runway.

FLATIRON: FIFTH AVENUE, BETWEEN 14TH AND 23RD STREETS-12.7 percent 2004 asking price: $137; 2003 asking price: $157 Since the Flatiron district began attracting fashion companies in the late Eighties, it’s become an urban mall with the added attractions of great restaurants and aGreenmarket. Esprit, which will take over the Emporio Armani space, will join Anthropologie, Club Monaco, Eileen Fisher, Kenneth Cole, J. Crew, Banana Republicand Daffy’s. Activity is also heating up in Union Square, where Mexx opened a unit.

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Pump up your retail space.

NEW YORK — Procter & Gambleis revamping its global businessunits and is streamlining thenumber of units it operates,ahead of the retirement of sever-al senior officers in the next sixmonths to a year.

One of the five senior officersretiring is Martin J. Nuechtern,president, global hair care, whowill leave inJune after over26 years withthe company.

On July 1,P&G will streamline its businessunits from four to three: globalbeauty care, global health, babyand family care and globalhousehold care.

Each unit will be headed by avice chairman. Among thosenamed to such a role was SusanE. Arnold, current president,global personal beauty care andglobal feminine care, who willbecome vice chairman of theglobal beauty care unit. Her newpost adds global hair care and re-tail hair colorant responsibilitiesto her duties, although she willnot serve on the company’s boardof directors. Arnold will report toP&G chief executive A.G. Lafley.

Bruce L. Byrnes, currentlyvice chairman of the board andpresident, global beauty and fem-inine care and global health carewith responsibilities for haircare, will become vice chairmanof the board and of the globalhousehold care unit.

As well, P&G’s global beautybusiness will now be realignedunder four presidents, reportingto Arnold.

Christopher de LaPuente, cur-rently vice president, UnitedKingdom and Ireland, will be-come president of global haircare. Paolo deCesare, currentlypresident, global prestige beautyand skin care, will become presi-dent, global prestige beauty, skinand global personal cleansing.Marc S. Pritchard, currently pres-ident, global cosmetics, deodor-ants/Old Spice and hair colorants,will become president, global cos-metics and hair colorants. MartinRiant, current president, globalfeminine care, will assume re-sponsibility for deodorants/OldSpice and will become president,global feminine care and globaldeodorants/Old Spice.

— Andrea Nagel

Doctors Boost BeautyDALLAS — Does a little educa-tion sell beauty products andservices? Jose Llados-Comengethinks so. The skin care entre-preneur got together a few otherhigh-profile physicians andhealth consultants to give anhour-long beauty seminar lastThursday evening at Nordstromin the Dallas Galleria mall.

Topics included nutrition,skin care, noninvasive beautytreatments and tooth veneersfor the perfect smile.

Afterward, the 150 guests,mostly women, were invited tocheck out Comenge’s BioTextureskin care line, as well as nutri-tional supplements and books, orto chat with the speakers aboutcosmetic dental and plastic sur-gery procedures.

“This is intended to educatepeople to take better care of

themselves and give them a senseof empowerment,” Comenge as-serted. “We are trying to bring tothe retail environment more thanbeauty advice, but also health ed-ucation. For doctors to come tothe store, it changes the environ-ment. Obviously, it’s also to sellthe product.”

Comenge and his business-partner wife,Debra Kaye,plan to bringtheir “dreamteam” on the

road and do similar presenta-tions at Nordstrom in Seattleand Bellevue, Wash., in July andChicago, San Francisco, LosAngeles and possibly Miami inthe fall. “We may also do it withassociations and charities thatare not store-related,” Kayenoted.

“It’s public education — andit gets your name out,” saidWendy Lewis, a skin and plasticsurgery consultant and authorwho introduced the panel andlater signed copies of her book,“Beauty Battle.” “Consumers re-spond really well to a physicians’seminar,” she said.

Comenge told the assemblagethat metabolism, glands andhormones are the triggers ofaging, and he claimed, “We havethe ability to address how hor-mones and metabolism makethe skin work.”

Nordstrom executives de-clined to reveal sales for theevent. Store manager Sally Mc-Devitt said, “It’s really about con-necting with the customer andhaving new relationships, and wemet a lot of new people who had-n’t been in the store before.”

A portion of sales was ear-marked for Attitudes & Attire, anonprofit group that advises dis-advantaged women on how toenter the workplace — and dress-es them for it. Most of the guestswere supporters of the charity.

After the presentation, aswomen received complimentaryMAC makeovers and foot mas-sages with Kneipp oils, the longestline trailed from nutritionist OzGarcia, who met customers andsigned his book, “Look and FeelFabulous Forever.”

In his talk, Garcia had blamedsugar for adhering to body tissuesand “increasing the rate at whichyou age.” He recommended cut-ting back on wheat and increas-ing consumption of vegetables,berries and foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish.

The other panelists wereGregg Lituchy, a New York cos-metic dentist, and Fritz E. BartonJr., a Dallas plastic surgeon andretired head of plastic surgery atthe University of Texas South-western Medical School. Lituchyshowed before-and-after imagesof smiles made more brilliant byporcelain tooth veneers. Bartondescribed the pros and cons of in-jectable facial fillers and cau-tioned, “If you put a fad on yourface, you’ve got it forever.”

Petra Ramelo was uncon-vinced. “I’m from Europe, andthere is such a youth crazinesshere,” she commented. “I havespaces in my teeth, but it’s mysmile. I’m over 50 and I havewrinkles on my face, but this ismy life — this is my face.”

— Holly Haber

P&G RestructuresGlobal OperationsBy Eric Wilson

NEW YORK — Steven Kaufmann,a descendant of Pittsburgh’sKaufmann retail dynasty and afixture in the late designer BillBlass’ circle of high societyfriends, died Tuesday at his Man-hattan home. He was 90.

Kaufmann was diagnosed withlung cancer less than a year ago,said publicist Paul Wilmot, afriend. He retired from PBMApparel Co., the former Bill Blassmen’s wear licensee, last year andremained in good spirits just aweek ago, correcting a friend whohad meant to compliment Kauf-mann when describing him as“the last of the boulevardiers.”

“He asked me, ‘Did you everlook up what boulevardier meansin the dictionary?’” said TomFallon, a longtime design associ-ate of Blass who works for theCarlisle Collection. “He said itisn’t very attractive. But I meant itin the best sense of the word, thatI had run into him on the streetsso many times over the years andhe always was perfectly dressed.”

Kaufmann was a member ofthe family that founded theKaufmann’s Department Storechain — the son of Nathan andSelma Kaufmann. He was acousin of Edgar Kaufmann Jr.,who owned the famed FrankLloyd Wright-designed house,Fallingwater, in Mill Run, Pa.

Steven Kaufmann arrived inNew York after World War II, hav-

ing served as a noncommissionedofficer on the Queen Mary, whichcarried troops to Europe from theU.S. He became part of a groupthat included Blass, Glenn Bern-baum (who owned and operatedMortimer’s restaurant until hisdeath in 1998) and Jerome Zipkin,the society walker who died in1995.

Former First Lady NancyReagan described Kaufmann as“a nice man who will be missedby many. I’m sure he will bemissed by his many friends.”

Thanks to family money, Kauf-mann did not have to work formost of his life, but after he suf-fered losses in the stock marketwhile in his 70s, Blass hired himat PBM, then known as PincusBros.-Maxwell, the master li-cense for Bill Blass men’s wear,Fallon said. PBM is in the midstof transferring the Blass men’sbusiness to Neema Clothing Ltd.

David Pincus, chairman ofPBM, described Kaufmann’s rolethere as that of an ambassador tothe brand, building client rela-tionships and working the indus-try black-tie circuit for the firm.

“He was probably the mostlovable person, a father figure, agrandfather, rabbi, patron saintthat anybody could ever haveworking for them,” Pincus said.“We’ve been in business for 95years. I’ve been at this firm over50 years, and I’ve never had any-one that was so loved and caredso much about anybody in our of-

fice or any customer that we had. Kaufmann cut a dashing fig-

ure, wearing fine-tailored clothingwith high collars and always a tie.

“He was a true raconteur andboulevardier,” Wilmot said. “Thejoke was always that Stevie livedlife in reverse, which is the bestway. Everybody should live theirlives that way, having fun in theiryouth and then working at theend. He remained curious to theend. That is the way to hang on toyour youth.”

Fallon recalled that when hemet Blass in 1968, Kaufmannwas already part of the regularcrowd at holiday parties withBernbaum and Zipkin. Blassand Kaufmann spoke every dayfor as long as he could recall,noting that Kaufmann was oneof only four individuals whowere named in the designer’swill when Blass died in 2002.

“I once asked Blass, ‘Who, ofall the people you’ve met inyour life, who could you tell meis really happy,’” Fallon recalledof a philosophical conversationhe once had with the designer.“He said, ‘That’s easy. StevieKaufmann. He’s enjoyed his lifemore than anybody I everknew.’”

Kaufmann is survived byEdward DeLuca, his companionfor 18 years.

Funeral services were plannedfor 11 a.m. Friday at TempleEmanu-El, 1 East 65th Street atFifth Avenue.

Steven Kaufmann, Bill Blass Confidant

BEAUTY BEAT

ObituaryWWD, THURSDAY, MAY 20, 200414

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By David Moin

NEW YORK — There’s a new game com-ing to Atlantic City — and it’s called luxu-ry fashion retailing.

Gucci, Hugo Boss, Louis Vuitton,Armani A|X, Bebe, Bebe Sport andBurberry are among the brands thatGordon Group Holdings has signed to betenants for its $145 million retail, diningand entertainment complex, called ThePier at Caesars, Scott Gordon, presidentof the family-owned developer based inGreenwich, Conn., told WWD in an exclu-sive interview.

The 575,000-square-foot project is torise on the site of an existing pier and ex-tend 900 feet into the Atlantic Ocean. Itwould have about 100 retail and restau-rant tenants on four levels that cover atotal of 315,000 square feet, Gordon said.The plan is to open The Pier for the sum-mer 2005 season.

“About 20 tenants will be pure luxu-ry,’’ he said. “That’s a good chunk and

definitely enough to make a statementwith luxury brands, but not an over-whelming chunk.”

Atlantic City, unlike its main gamblingand entertainment competitor, Las Vegas,has not had an enclave for luxury or de-signer brands. Hotel-casino operators,such as Donald Trump, said that meansuntapped potential.

“Atlantic City is the biggest sleeper interms of retail,” said Trump, whose hold-ings include Trump Plaza, Trump TajMahal and Trump Marina. “You watchwhat happens. The Pier at Caesars will be atremendous success. There is a huge mar-ket. Some of the people walk around in T-shirts and spend a million [dollars] a night.”

Atlantic City draws about 32 millionvisitors a year, according to statistics fromthe Convention and Visitors Bureau. LasVegas had 35.5 million visitors in 2003,said the Las Vegas Convention andVisitors Authority. Las Vegas had $6.1 bil-lion in gaming revenues in 2003, while theNew York Times reported that AtlanticCity compiled $4.3 billion in gaming rev-enue in 2002.

Seventy-five percent of Atlantic City’srevenues are through gaming and 25 per-cent nongaming, including retail andrestaurants, Gordon Group said. In LasVegas, it’s a 50-50 split.

Burberry, Vuitton and Gucci each aretaking 4,000 to 5,000 square feet, whileHugo Boss will occupy 2,600 square feet,Gordon said. The luxury component willconstitute about 50,000 to 60,000 squarefeet. Gordon Group, which is known for cre-ating unusual retail settings and then sell-ing them, is also in discussions with Tiffany,among other top retailers, Gordon said.

“We don’t do cookie-cutter projects,”Gordon said. “We pride ourselves onchallenges and we focus on niche prop-erties. We are a family business. Not aREIT [Real Estate Investment Trust]. Wetake one project at a time.”

Gordon said there would be some cos-metics stores, each in the 1,000-square-foot range, as well as other better brands,including Guess. Gordon Group has code-veloped Forum Shops in Las Vegas,which is now owned by Simon PropertyGroup, and developed The Shops atMohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut, aswell as having leasing and developmentassociations with Bridgemarket in NewYork City, San Francisco Center and TheBeverly Center in Los Angeles.

“We are trying to tap into the millionsof people who never looked to AtlanticCity for anything more than gambling or

a beach,’’ Gordon said. “Now they’ll havesomething else.”

His father, Sheldon Gordon, chairmanof Gordon Group, said in a statement,“Just as The Forum Shops was a catalystfor the explosion of Las Vegas, The Pierat Caesars is an overture of what AtlanticCity will become in the future.”

While a few of the retailers in Trump’scasinos do sell fashion merchandise,when it comes to designer goods, it’s pri-marily accessories. Cache has stores inTaj Mahal and Trump Plaza, while theTaj also has Andrew Geller shoes and ac-cessories. Bernie Robbins fine jewelryhas units at Taj and Trump Marina, andat Trump Plaza there is also FineLeathers by Barron, selling Prada, Coachand Fendi, among other major brands.

“At this point, we are looking at ex-pansion plans with Trump Taj Mahal,and that will include additional retail,but there is nothing to announce yet,”said Paul R. Ryan, executive vice presi-dent of operations for Trump HotelCasino Resorts.

In addition, The Walk outlet center inAtlantic City plans to expand and theBorgata Casino Hotel & Spa is proposinga 500,000-square-foot expansion thatmight bring more luxury retailers. TheBorgata project also includes addingbars and restaurants and spa enhance-ments. The hotel does not have brandeddesigner shops.

Michael Facenda, director of market-ing services of the Borgata, whichopened in July 2003, said, “Based on cus-tomer research, pre- and post-opening, itis clear to us that the right retail offer-ings add to an upscale experience. It’svery important and the customer is ask-ing for it. We are doing $1,400 [in salesper square foot] and we are working todesign the right formula for a productmix for the expansion.”

The Borgata has 11 specialty units, in-cluding the Carina boutique withwomen’s apparel, accessories and shoes,with styles from Prada, Dolce & Gabbanaand Manolo Blahnik. There is also theMisura men’s shop, selling designerssuch as Hugo Boss and Prada as well asfurnishings; Borgata Jewels, with itemsfrom Rolex, Cartier, Brietling and FranckMueller, among others, and Bambino, forchildren’s wear and toys.

“In Atlantic City, merchandise retailhas been more of a convenience — thekind of things that people need whenthey are in hotel, as opposed to leisureshopping,’’ Ryan said. “There is no ques-tion that the marketplace is changing.”

Gordon said he thinks The Pier canultimately exceed $1,000 in sales persquare foot, making it one of the moreproductive centers in the U.S., but hesaid he had no idea how productive itwould be initially. The Forum Shops inLas Vegas exceeds $1,300 in sales per

square foot and is undergoing its secondphase of expansion. It’s consideredamong the most productive major shop-ping centers in the country.

Elkus Manfredi of Boston and theRockwell Group of New York are creat-ing The Pier at Caesars, which is arestoration of an old pier and located inthe center of the Boardwalk.

“It will be very contemporary, with aboardwalk which is like teak wood,”Gordon said. The Pier would be 200 feetwide. The second level is to house thetop-priced luxury merchants and abridge to Caesars casino hotel, while thefirst level would be more for impulseshopping, with Bebe as well as jewelryand athletic shoe stores. The third andfourth levels are intended for restau-rants and night clubs.

Restaurants in The Pier are to includeStephen Starr’s Buddakan and El Vez, aswell as Phillips Seafood of Baltimore. PierDevelopers Inc., an affiliate of GordonGroup Holdings LLC., plans to announcemore fashion tenants and restaurants, andis expected to officially announce thethose tenants today.

The Pier would be connected to CaesarsAtlantic City by a skybridge and be linkedto Bally’s Atlantic City, which includes theClaridge and Wild Wild West casinos.

Caesars Entertainment, which owns thepier itself, will lease to Pier Developersfor 75 years.


“Atlantic City is thebiggest sleeper interms of retail.”— Donald Trump

Atlantic City Rolls the Dice for Luxury

Rendering of The Pier at Caesars.

Rendering of the interior at

The Pier at Caesars.

By Eric Wilson

NEW YORK — The Council of Fashion Designers of America is in aNew York state of mind.

Given the selection of New York-centric designer Donna Karanfor a lifetime achievement award and the flattering attention gar-nered by a new generation of designers who have broken onto thecity’s fashion scene in recent years, the CFDA felt it was befitting touse Manhattan as the conceptual point for its annual awards nighton June 7 at the New York Public Library.

The decor of the event is envisioned as reflecting the city at twi-light, with shades of blue and green on glass, crystal, mirrors andlighting in the dining area, and the cocktail reception bathed inlights reflected from curtains embroidered with thousands of peri-dot-colored crystal balls, in a nod to the event’s underwriter,Swarovski. The CFDA has enlisted Eric Ripert, chef of one of thecity’s luxury restaurants, Le Bernardin, to create a menu for thenight with caterer Hank Tomashevski for the $2,000-a-plate dinner.The organization also asked designers to offer quotations on theirimpressions of New York, which will be featured in a journal beingproduced by creative director Doug Lloyd of Lloyd & Co.

“One of the things that we have always heard from members ofthe CFDA is that they want the awards to be relevant,” said EdFilipowski, a president of KCD, which is producing the event for thesecond consecutive year. “We felt that was an important note to hit —to celebrate the things that are great and diverse and brilliant aboutNew York.”

Peter Arnold, executive director of the CFDA, added, “We have allcome to appreciate the scope, the brilliance and the diversity of thecommunity of designers working in New York, and in all parts ofAmerica.”

This year, following cocktails in Astor Hall and preceding the sup-per-club-style awards presentation in the NYPL’s Celeste BartosForum, dinner will be served in the Gottesman Exhibition Hall onthe first floor. The event is expected to raise in excess of $1 millionfor the CFDA.

This is the first time a dinner is being staged in the Gottesmanroom, which is directly behind the Astor Hall at the library’s mainFifth Avenue entrance.

“The room is symmetrical, with beautifully carved arches andceiling, all of which gives you a feeling of intimacy,” said JulieMannion, another KCD president, noting that elements of the decorinclude blue linen tablecloths, illuminated vitrines and, in the cen-ter of the room, a glass-and-crystal sculpture made for the event byartist Harry Alan that is meant to evoke the city’s skyline.

Video presentations being directed by Jun Diaz and DouglasKeeve will include references to New York, and Lloyd’s journal fea-tures a similar color theme to the library, each purple page printedwith images from the nominees’ runway shows spliced into a filmstrip and quotes about their New York inspiration. Women’s weardesigner of the year nominee Marc Jacobs, who is hosting the awardswith Narciso Rodriguez and Karan, for example, said, “What is mostinspiring about New York is its variety — many voices, ideas, ener-gy and stimulation. New York is a good meeting place for people wholike to move a lot.”

By Amanda Kaiser and Samantha Conti

MILAN — Bulgari has unveiled its latest jewel —and the company is hoping the brand extensionwill dazzle as much as a mountain of diamonds.

On Tuesday morning, chief executiveFrancesco Trapani unveiled Hotel Bulgari, thefirst in a chain of seven luxury hotels and resortsthat will bear the brand’s name. Prices for thehotel’s 52 guest rooms — there will be 58 by year’send — range from $680 to $890 a night for a stan-dard room up to $4,160 for the Bulgari suite.

“It’s an instrument we’re using to reinforce ourbrand image,” Trapani said as he cut the ribbonduring a news conference at the hotel here, locat-ed on Via Fratelli Gabba, just behind La Scala.

The ceo is hoping the hotel will build theBulgari brand in the eyes of the public, and he’salready thinking about the myriad cross-market-ing and public relations opportunities.

“There’s no reason why we can’t sell anengaged couple their rings, host their wedding atour Milan hotel and then send them off to ourBali one for their honeymoon,” Trapani toldWWD in an interview last month.

Bulgari’s next hotel will open on the Indonesianisland at the end of 2005. It will feature 60 cliffsidevillas, each with a pool and terrace. “We want it tobe the best resort in Bali,” said Trapani, adding thecompany also has two “magnificent projects” onthe boil in London and New York.

Trapani said he plans to pick through theBulgari files to find prospective hotel clients andopen Bulgari stores in his future hotels wherethe brand isn’t already present.

“Of course, if clients come and see somethingugly, poorly managed and if the food is bad, thenit could damage the brand and the PR machinebecomes a bomb,” he said with a laugh. “Butthat’s not going to happen.”

Indeed, he said during Tuesday’s news con-ference that the attention paid to detail “goesback to another time, like a circa-1930 hotel or acruise ship.”

Designed by the Italian architect and interiordesigner Antonio Citterio, Hotel Bulgari haschocolate walls, dark furniture and high ceilings,and a look more monastic than English country.The materials, however, are rich. The walls aremade of teak, and some of the furniture is cov-ered in black leather, while the low, wide-backedarmchairs and long overstuffed sofas areswathed in organic cotton.

Upstairs, the rooms are furnished with thesame cotton fabrics in earth tones like barley,chocolate, ecru and heather. In the spirit of theproperty’s past life as a convent, some of therooms even have designated meditation corners,complete with tatami mats.

Downstairs in the spa, butterscotch stone fromVicenza covers the walls, while the underwatersteps on the shallow side of the emerald greenpool glitter with gold mosaic tiles reminiscent ofthe ancient world.

Trapani said it was crucial that Citterio createa contemporary, but not a minimalist, feeling.“Bulgari is not about minimalism — which is whywe used heavy, rich materials. This is not a bou-tique hotel; it’s a big, prestigious hotel, which iswhy we wanted a sense of gravity.”

The ground-floor restaurant looks out onto agarden, which has its own meditation paths forsolitary walkers.

Trapani said that, since announcing plans fora hotel chain with Marriott in February 2001,there have been some changes. He admits thatopening seven hotels by 2008 now seems “a bit onthe optimistic side,” as it has not been easy find-ing ideal properties. “And I don’t want to com-

promise the uniqueness of this project. I don’twant to open hotels for the sake of it.”

Trapani also said the original budget foresawspending about $10 million on average for eachhotel. The Milan project, however, cost less thanthat. Indeed, Trapani said Bulgari is renting theMilan space from a real estate company that paidall the building’s restructuring costs.

With regard to the Bali resort, Bulgari won’tbe investing anything — a local investor will pickup the bill, and Bulgari will collect royalties.

Trapani confirmed, however, that the estimat-ed value of the seven projects will still be in theregion of $800 million. However, the format of thenew ventures means Bulgari’s financial expo-sure to the hotels will be minimized comparedwith the original plan.

Trapani said the hotel project isn’t going tohave an impact on the company’s consolidatednumbers. “It’s not going to make a difference toour core business,” he said.

With regard to the impact of the strong euro,and the threat of terrorism in Europe, Trapanisaid: “Europe still has the raw material fortourism: It has nature, it has art. Unless thethreat of terrorism continues, I don’t think thiswill be a long-term crisis.”

Hotel Bulgari Opens DoorsWWD, THURSDAY, MAY 20, 200416

REPUBLICAN RETREAT: Bryant Park is now officially safe for fashiondesigners and Democrats. A proposal to hold a Congressionalluncheon in the park at the conclusion of the Republican NationalConvention in September had thrown designers for a loop whenthey realized it would curtail prep time for the installation of the7th on Sixth tents — to the point where the venue would beinfeasible for the Sept. 8-15 Olympus Fashion Week.

But according to Fern Mallis, executive director of 7th onSixth, the city has intervened. “The tents are going up asscheduled,” she said Wednesday after meeting with city

officials, who were able to persuade the Republican group tofind another location for its luncheon.

PAJAMA PARTY: Calvin Klein’s head of visual display, DaleRozmiarek, has been scouring the city for an unusual array ofbeds, chaises and boudoir tables for the launch party for thelatest offerings from Calvin Klein Underwear on Friday night,which is being hosted by campaign models Hilary Swank andFreddie Ljungberg. Five women and at least a dozen male modelshave reportedly been booked to lounge provocatively in theirbriefs during the event, although Swank and Ljungberg areexpected to keep their clothes on. Although Ljungberg’scampaign broke several months ago, the first images of Swankin Calvin Klein’s new Sensual Support collection, shot by Steven

Meisel, are expected to be unveiled at the party.

ALL THE NEWS: Neil Kraft, president of KraftWorks, the New Yorkad agency, and photographer Peter Lindbergh were ridingdowntown Tuesday to the Meatpacking District to do a shoot forWonderbra when Kraft read that day’s article in The New YorkTimes about Harper’s Bazaar. In it, Sam Shahid, owner of adagency Shahid & Co., was quoted as saying that he wasn’t buyingadvertising in Harper’s Bazaar for his clients such as Abercrombie& Fitch and Wonderbra. At first, Kraft was taken aback (he was onhis way to his client Wonderbra’s fashion shoot, after all), but thenhe and Lindbergh laughed it off when, further down, the articlereferred to Lindbergh as the “Swedish-born fashion star.” He wasactually born in Germany. So much for truth in advertising.

Fashion Scoops

CFDA’s Awards GalaTo Applaud Hometown

From top: abedroom, thespa area, and

an outdoor view.

A rendering of the dinner decor planned for the

New York Public Library’s Gottesman Exhibition Hall.

It’s all about DENIM!

For more information on this or other denim issues, please contact Gus Floris, Fashion Manager, at 212-630-4636, or Maurice “Corky” Newman, Associate Publisher, West Coast at 323-951-1803, Elena De Giuli, Account Executive,

in Milan, at 011-39-02-7600-3926, Elizabeth Haynes, European Advertising Director, in Paris, at 011-331-4451-1303, or your WWD sales representative.

WWDMediaWorldwide®

Be a part of educating retailers on the story of denim.WWD’s editors present a comprehensive encyclopedia ondenim including terminology, definitions and background.

Coverage will include the latest lingo relating to the hottesttrends and the differences in textiles used. Chronicle will be

saved and referenced by industry executives for years to come.

So many styles, so little time

WWD Denim ChronicleSection II: June 24, 2004

Close: June 10

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18 WWD, THURSDAY, MAY 20, 2004

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RetailEnergized.

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Aeropostale is a rapidly expanding retailer with a fresh ap-proach to fashion. Our commitment to success is reflected inthe attention we give to developing dynamic careers. Current-ly, we have the following opportunities available in our NewYork, NY office:

Technical DesignersMen’s Woven’s

Women’s Knits and Sweaters

In this position, you will be responsible for the preparation offit reports and the coordination and facilitation of fit sessions.Qualified candidates must have a minimum of 2 years techni-cal design experience and a strong knowledge of garmentgrading/specifications, garment fit and construction and pos-sess the necessary skills related to their area of expertise.Knowledge of Microsoft Excel and Outlook along with excel-lent presentation, verbal, organizational and follow-up skillsand an understanding of our customer and lifestyle are es-sential to success.

CAD OperatorIn this position, you will be responsible for input of all pat-terns and mini bodies for design as well as the input of yarndye patterns into correct constructions. You will also com-plete color ways for all inputs and sew stitch simulation withdifferent gauge cable. The qualified candidate must have 1-2 years of related experience and be proficient with Prima Vi-sions "Graphics Mode" and "Knit Expert."

DesignerAccessories

In this position you will be responsible for Women’s dormwear. To qualify, you must have a minimum of 5 years relat-ed experience with strong presentation skills and a strongprint sensibility. Candidates should be able to work well in acollaborative team environment and have a clear understand-ing of our customer and lifestyle.

We offer a competitive salary and comprehensive benefitspackage that includes a generous merchandise discount, bo-nus opportunities, a casual work environment and growth po-tential. Please forward your resume, indicating position of in-terest, to: Aeropostale, 112 West 34th Street, 22nd Floor,New York, NY 10120; Fax: (646) 485-5430. Or email:[email protected] We are an equal opportu-nity employer M/F

AEROPOSTALE

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Research and identify market trends. Establish merchandisingplans, create line plan for specific product to be developedfor the US market. Oversee forecasting and buying process.Merchandise French collection for US market.

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ACCOUNTS PAYABLELong Island City based Jr. Sportswearco. seeks individual for accounts payabledepartment. Candidate must have bothdomestic & import "Garment Center"exp. and be proficient in Solomon A/Psystem, Blue Cherry & Excel. MedicalInsurance & 401K. Company is con-veniently located near the subway.Email resume & salary requirements to:

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Design

Accessory DesignerSpec designer for watches and gift box-es. Great fashion sense. 2-3 yrs exp.Watch exp a+. Able to work independ-ently. Knowledge of Illustrator &Photoshop A+. Friendly atmosphere.Medical benefits. Please fax resume212-947-7601

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DESIGNERDue to growth, we are seeking a candi-date with a high taste level to join ourdesign team. Individual must be highlymotivated, creative and well organizedw/ experience in contemporary dressesand sportswear. Familiar with andunderstands the Shoshanna concept.Contacts & knowledge in fully fash-ioned knits and beading. 3+ years ex-perience required. Please e-mail or faxresume and pertinent information to:

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Immediate opportunities available forSales Account Execs w/ better dept. storeexp. & strong retail math (60-100K),Sourcing Coordinators with bi-lingualChinese (40-50K), Associate SweaterDesigner (50K). Also seeking VisualMerchandisers, Tech Designers, etc. atall levels. Please submit resumes to ourFashion Division:

fax: (212) 924-1503e-mail: [email protected]

FASHION OPPORTUNITIESArtists - Designers - Merchandisers -Production - Sales - Technical - Etc.

Call Barbara Murphy (212) 643-8090 (agcy)

FREELANCE

FOOTWEAR DESIGNERWanted for high end/quality designs.Please call Richard @ (917) 750-6903

GRAPHIC ARTISTArt dept at NYC childrenswear co.seeks indiv. to create innovative artfrom concept to final art for brandedand license lines. Proficient in MACPhotoshop/Illustrator. Fax resume to:

Eli 212-967-9328. [email protected]

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Young men’s jeanswear co. seeking atalented graphic artist to join ourteam. Create cutting edge lifestylegraphics for our young men’s urban &skate brands. Excellent Adobe Illustra-tor & Photoshop skills required forthis position. Fax resume to: DesignDirector 212-575-1109.

GRAPHIC DESIGN INSTRUCTORManhattan Company is looking for

Photoshop and Illustrator instructor.Must have fashion design experience.

PT/FT. Fax resume to 212-465-8826.

HUMAN RESOURCE MGRLocation: Manhattan and Five Towns

Area - LIRR Station Stop.Fast-paced leading branded men’s /ladies accessory co. seeks hands-onhuman resources mgr with experiencein recruiting designers, merchandisers,sales and warehouse personnel. Knowl-edge of employment law, compliance,employee benefits and HR relatedissues. Duties include: maintaining HRrecords and employee orientation. Excel-lent communication skills and highenergy level req’d. Experience workingfor an accessory or apparel co. preferred.Salary commensurate with experience.This is a one person department. Greatopportunity!

Fax resume to 718-471-3707 or emailresume to: [email protected]

Import Prod. CoordinatorGirlswear Co. seeks exp. ProductionCoordinator, accustomed to fast pacedbusiness. Must be organized and havestrong communication and computerskills. Technical a plus.Fax resume to 212-869-2781, Attn. Cathy

JewelryGrowing manufacturer / importer

seeks qualified individuals:

Sales Executive: Exp req’d selling ma-jor dept stores and mass merchants.Seeking growth oriented professionalwho has ability to manage accountsand focus on business development. Sales Assistant: Entry level in busysales dept. assisting with clerical du-ties, samples, telephones, showroom.Designer: 1-2 years exp in jewelry de-sign or product development. Excel-lent sketching & technical drawing re-quired.

Fax resume / salary history :(718) 609-2726 or email to

[email protected]

Manager/ProductionEntry level position with dynamicsmall eveningwear co. Responsible

for studio and production operations.E-mail: [email protected]

MERCHANDISER $$$Established Bridge Line seeks Mer-chandiser with design background.Will work closely with designers torecognize trends. Excellent careeropportunity. Immediate Hire!

Contact Cindi, 212-947-3399 x16,email: [email protected]

or fax 201-894-1186.KARLYN FASHION RECRUITERS

OFFICE MANAGEREric Gaskins DesignFast growing, established couturedesign co seeks F/T or P/T candidatewith thorough knowledge of computer-ized business programs, A/P, strongorganizational and communication skills.3-5 yrs experience. Benefits.

Please fax resume 212-575-3691

PATTERNMAKERNew York based luxury high end women’scollection seeking highly experiencedand detail oriented patternmaker forfirst line/couture collection, with specialhand for "flou", silk, chiffon. Workingknowledge of European high fashion isa must. Please fax resume with salaryrequirements to: (212) 941-5751

PATTERNMAKERWell known Mfr. of Ladies’ ModerateSportswear seeks person exp’d. in fulllined jackets. Medical & 401K available.Call Gus at: 212-869-3619

Prod Assistant-Entry LevelP.L. of Women’s Sportswear seeks ahighly motivated & detail orientedperson to assist in Production Dept.Must have strong follow up skill. Goodknowledge of Excel is a Must.

Please fax resume to 201-867-4042

PRODUCTIONCOORDINATOR

SEVENTH AVENUEWOMEN’S APPAREL COMPANY

needs someone with 8+ yrs experiencein overseas production. Must be strongin sweater and cut/sewn knits. Candidatemust be highly motivated, computerliterate (AS400), detail oriented multi-tasker in prod planning, lab dip appro-val, cutting tickets and fabric orders.Good communication skills and be wellorganized, must follow up in all phasesof production. Please send resume to:

Box#M 1059c/o Fairchild Publications7 West 34th Street, 4th Fl

New York, NY 10001

Production MgrBridge suite house needs EXP personw/ability to follow prototype from fit toend product’n know of MS Word & Ex-cel is a must. Fax res. to: 212-869-5393

Retail ManagementMajor downtown shoe store with cultfollowing seeks pro-active individualwith leadership qualities to run ourflagship store. Must have experiencein staff management, retail buying andsales analysis. Must have sharpcomputer and motivational skills.Knowledge of POSIM a plus. Excellentcompensation package.

Fax resume to: 212-226-5126

RETAIL PLANNER (2) $50-90k+(1) Accessory Co’s Baby Div.

Must have Wal-Mart, retail link exp.(2) Men’s, Boy’s & Jr. "City wear"

apparel co. Dept. store, specialty store.Must have strong analytical skillsalong with retail and wholesale experi-ence pref. knowledge of EXCEL.E-mail resume: [email protected] (Fax) 212-725-7116 (Tel) 212-481-1941


Retail Planner/SellerZENA JEANS

Seeks retail planner w/ 2-3 years exp.Must be detail-oriented with stronganalytical skills, proficient in Wordand Excel, along w/ understanding ofdept store financials / 6 month...flows.

E-mail: [email protected]

SALES ASSISTANTT-shirt company for high profileaccounts seeking full time sales assis-tant. Responsible for sales follow up,tracking orders, and maintainingpaper work. Computer experience amust. Excellent opportunity in a busyand fast paced environment.

Fax resume to (973) 268-2667

SamplemakerFor Couture Evening Co. Needs veryexperienced worker. Excellent salary.

Call 212-944-7144

Sewing SupervisorMen’s Clothing; Min. 5 years exp. withall types of sewing machines. Brooklynlocation. Salary + benefits. Referencesreq’d. Fax resume: 718-853-8805 EOE

Technical CADDesigner

Fast paced branded & private labelym’s & boys jeanswear co seeking ex-perienced tech CAD designer. Createproduction pkgs for overeseas officeto include technical flat sketches, colorstandards, trim pkgs & constructiondetails. Adobe illustrator/photoshopskills a must for this position.

Fax resume to: 646-674-1246

Technical DesignerCalvin Klein Outerwear seeks energeticand detail oriented technical designer.Understanding of garment construc-tion and spec requirements a must.Tracking of samples and maintainingclear records of all development. CADexperience a plus. Please fax resumeto Jonathan @ 212-944-5333.

Technical DesignerLadies mfr. seeks exp’d tech w/ strongknowledge of garment constructionfit, grading from development thruproduction. Must be hardworking,detail oriented & focused on gettingthe job done! Must have min of 5-10yrs exp. w/ excell. Pls fax resume to :

(212) 358-9287

TechnicalDesign/ProductionMajor Jr Denim Import/Mfg seeks anexperienced individual to be responsi-ble for initial to production spec pack-ages for development, analyze fit sam-ples and communicate with overseasoffices/follow up. Must be detailed &work closely with design team -computer literate.

Fax resume & salary requirementsattn: RS 212-398-2287

SALESMANAGER

A leading H.K. based under-wear and children’s wearco. is seeking a motivated

Sales Manager will beresponsible to develop

and maintain strong salesrelationships with chainstore accounts includingWalmart and K-mart.Must have extensive

apparel contacts and salesexperience. Involvementwith merchandising andproduct development.

Excellent salary & benefits.Please e-mail resume to:[email protected]

SALES REP.A very well established denim co.seeking a highly motivated salesteam in N.Y., L.A. and Atlanta forour high end line. Must haveexperience with denim sales tospecialty stores.

[email protected]

Account ExecutiveJunior Activewear Company seekssalesperson to manage departmentstores; Kohl’s and Target accounts. Faxresume to (212) 354-1740, attn Robert.

SALES ASSOCIATE/MANAGERSoundgirl, a JUNIOR denim basedcollection w/ a CONTEMPORARYEDGE and a unique music-lifestylebranding strategy, is seekingsalespeople with 5 or more yearsexperience in trendy SpecialtyChain, Better Department orBoutiques. Excellent benefits andsalary. Please send resumes to:

[email protected] orfax 212-730-1128

AMY JO GLADSTONE Amy Jo Gladstone lifestyle brand, aleader in the high-end slipper and foot-wear market is seeking to fill the fol-lowing positions. Footwear back-ground not essential. Bronx Locationconvenient to subway, public trans &parking.

SALESPERSONLeader to grow moderate and privatelabel business which has explosive po-tential. Our product can cross merchan-dise into a multitude of retail opportu-nities from spa’s to dept.stores to life-style catalogues. Great growth poten-tial! 6-8 yrs exp.

SALES ASSISTANT Extremely organized, meticulous per-son that can multi-task and assist withcustomer service, sales, regional rep’s,retail web site, trade shows, and dataentry. 3-5 years experience.

Email resume to:[email protected] or

Fax to 718-620-3600

Director of SalesRapidly expanding established NYhigh-end Eveningwear Company hasan immediate opening for a hands-onDirector of Sales to strengthen oursales team.We are seeking an individual w/ abilityto bring in new accounts to impact thesales growth of our company. Individualwill work closely with Design and Pro-duction department. Must have exp.with merchandising, sales projection,budgeting, customer service, calendarsand imports. Candidate must haveextensive experience working withdepartment and specialty stores withknowledge of replenishment businessas well as private labels. Excellent com-munication, analytical, follow-up andcomputer skills required. Requiresminimum 5 years experience as SalesExecutive.Please fax resume and salary require-

ments to (212) 575-1644

Dynamic Sales ProEstablished Junior Sweater Co. seeksenergetic Salesperson w/ existingcontacts in chain, specialty & discountmass markets. If you’re looking for anexciting opportunity, we want to talkto you. $$$ potential excellent for theright person. Fax: 516-374-1586

James JeansSales and Asst Sales positions availablefor N.Y. showroom. Candidates shouldbe highly motivated and extremelyorganized. Specialty store knowledge aplus. Please e-mail resume to:

[email protected]

JSong International Inc.Embroidered sportswear & dresses co.seeks experienced sales executives.Good relationship with specialty chains,boutiques & catalogues. Fax resume:212-736-1686 or e-mail [email protected]

RAMPAGE HANDBAGSSeeking Account Executive to managetrendy private label division. Minimum5 years experience required. Establishedrelationships with major departmentand specialty stores a must. Exhibitsuperior leadership and communica-tion skills. Competitive package.Fax resume with salary requirements to:

212-244-5897 / Attn: VP

SALES ASSOCIATEMajor textile company seeking young,energetic, and experienced person fortextile sales in junior, missy, andspecial occasions market.

Please call 212 398-0011 X231

Sales/Brand Manager/100k++ Junior/Urban/City Wear

This very "hot" Jr. branded licenseneeds an exp brand mgr to guide itwithin this very successful & growingUrban/City wear multi brand co. Req:must have experience in this JR. mkt(hanging w/Rocawear, Ecko Red, PepeJeans etc.), strong sales, brand manage-ment /merchandising abilities.E-mail resume: [email protected](Fax) 212-725-7116 (Tel) 212-481-1941

SALES EXECUTIVEBetter sportswear company seeks dynamicand motivated Private Label AE w/min 5yrs exp. Able to develop existing bizand bring in new accounts. Must becomputer savvy.Fax resume/sal req. to (212) 768-7651

SALES EXECUTIVEEstab Ladies R-T-W Co looking forexp’d, agressive Sales Executive. Musthave proven track record. Ref. a must.Fax resume to 212-302-5259.

SALES EXECUTIVELeading sportswear co. seeks candidatesw/ min 3 year exp. Fax resumes to:212.695.9483 or email: [email protected]

SALES - JeansSeeking experienced sales person to

sell junior bottoms. Establishedrelationships with major discounters,

specialty chains and departmentstores a must. Fax resume to:

212-869-5047 or [email protected]

SALES MANAGEREmerging Luxury Outerwear brand seeksexperienced, energetic Sales Professionalto manage its wholesale sales from NYCshowroom. Established relationships withstores, knowledge of fur, and the abilityto travel are required. Candidates mustpossess strong presentational, analytical,and communication skills. Please Faxresume/salary history to: 516-338-0215

Sales ManagerWomen’s Uniforms Sales Team Devel-oper wanted for midsize Uniform Mfrlocated near Miami, Florida. Experiencedesired in ladies’ sportswear/lingerie.

E-mail resume to:[email protected]

Sales ConsultantSales Consultant for Madison AvenueBridal Couture Boutique. Must have

sales experience. Fax resume to(212) 583-1715

CASUAL MISSY CONTEMPORARY•"Outstanding…you have hit every key trend."

-NY Buying Office

•"Congratulations…colors, prints and stretch fabrications areright on the mark."

-Catalog Buyer

•"Perfect for our customer…missy fit with young casual looksand great colors."

-Florida Retailer

•"A reps dream…experienced honest people, tight focusedcollection, good commission rate and sample policy."

-East Coast Road Warrior

Spring ’05 August ReleaseKey Territories AvailableJune Market Interviews

Email [email protected] (212) 944-1482

Junior Line - NYEstablished Junior Co in L.A. seeksexperienced Sales Rep in N.Y. to sellsuccessful junior line. Must have estab-lished relationships with chain / dept /mass market stores. Fax resume toSteve @ 1-818-242-8025.

Sales RepresentativeA global garment buying agency cover-ing countries such as Kenya, Tanzania,Bangladesh, India, Dubai, Vietnam,Sri Lanca, China, Tanbolia, and Taiwan.Currently work with companies suchas Wal-Mart, Levis, Disney and others(in both FOB offshore and LDP terms).We are seeking Sales Rep with mini-mum 10+ years experience in B2B salesin the garment field and have knowl-edge of overseas purchase. Please faxyour resume to Diana at: 909-598-0728

Sales Representative"By the Sea" is seeking experienced,

commission based Road Reps for well-known moderate to better designer

swimwear. Available Territories:California, Florida, Texas

Email: [email protected]: 212-695-2341

SENIOR EXECUTIVEWell-connected in USA Majors & AccessoryIndustry. Built #1, most recognized,premier handbag/small leather goodsbrand in USA & Asia. Increased volumefrom zero to $ half billion. References:CEO’s, Pres., VP/GMM’s of Majors.NO RTW/Dresses. Call: (516) 510-7331

WAREHOUSE MANAGER/OPERATIONSTired of needless chargebacks & a dis-organized warehouse? I am an organ-ized, energetic, detail oriented, teamplayer w/ over 20 yrs in whse manage-ment. Call Steven @ 516-791-6636.

creative

Feel better. Think better. Work better. People prefer cotton in the workplace.Cotton. The fabric of our lives.® www.cottoninc.com

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Madonna's Fashion Tour - WWD