According to today's issue of WWD "French luxury conglomerate LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton said Tuesday that it has crossed the threshold of 20 percent of shares of Hermès International."

LVMH now holds 21,338,675 shares of the Hermes company's stock. Bernard Arnault, LVMH chief executive officer, surprised markets when he revealed in late October that he had accumulated a 17 percent stake in the famous brand, notorious for its Birkin handbag, made famous by Sex and the City, and its infamous silk scarves.

The Hermès company has vowed to defend itself against a potential takeover bid and recently grouped more than 50 percent of the capital of Hermès International into a nonlisted holding company.. “LVMH has no intention of launching a tender offer, taking control of Hermes nor seeking board representation,” LVMH said today in a statement. “The objective of LVMH is to be a long- term shareholder of Hermes. LVMH fully supports the strategy implemented by the founding family and the management team.”

According to Business Week, Hermes shares have climbed 77 percent in Paris since the May 1 death of former Chief Executive Officer Jean-Louis Dumas on speculation the company’s founding family may be more willing to sell.

Unfortunately, there isn't much originality in the Spring 2011 women's collections. It's all about the retro because most designers are afraid of originality and most retailers are buying safe. So, be prepared for a strong 70's retro with platform shoes, military inspiration, trench and slinky dresses.

Color and pattern is back and that certainly is refreshing. And, not just the usuals, but bold colors of orange, purples, greens and unusual combinations and patterns.

Layering was also a key trend, with sheer overlays and underlays, garments peeking out from underneath or draping over, creating an relaxed Annie Hall inspired look.

There are a few standouts:

Spring 2011 Fashion Trends - THE HITS!

60's Coats. Michael Kors Spring 2011

COmfort. Michael Kors Spring 2011

Michael Kors, spring 2011

Comfort and movement, in both garments and footwear by Michael Kors

Derek Lam channeled California with this easy-flowing gown.

Wide-Leg Pant. Spring 2011

Marc by Marc Jacobs, Tory Burch, Jason Wu, Tommy Hilfiger

Spring 2011 Fashion Trends - THE MISSES!

70's Slinky. Marc Jacobs Spring 2011

Marc Jacobs, spring 2011

Too literal of a retro for me. One-shoulder, slinky 70's-inspired dress. While the color is gorgeous, the silhouette is unflattering for any real woman, unless she is a size "0."

High-Waisted Pants. Derek Lam, Spring 2011

Derek Lam, spring 2011

High-Waisted Jean. As women in America have been comfortable in the jean just below the belly button, the high-rise is hard to wear for women who do not have the flattest bellies! This will be a hard trend for American women, even in those the junior market, to really embrace, outside of an occasional wear. The silhouette is unforgiving.

Rodarte's Brady Bunch rec-room theme carried through on oversized plaids and high-waisted cropped pants.

Pajamas? Spring 2011

Karen Walker, Vena Cava, Suno, Band of Outsiders

BUT....

Pajama Dressing Done Well! Spring 2011

Donna Karan finds endless inspiration in the earth. To wit, her spring collection was done in a near monochromatic palette of tan, with elements of beige, sand, and bone — a bold move that paid off.

Narciso Rodriguez's lineup of column dresses, flowing long skirts, and sheer tops was all sleek modernity done in a cool palette of icy neutrals.

Ralph Lauren worked a white and cream palette with plenty of fringe and lace, evoking a tony vision of prairie life.

Thakoon Panichgul started with an effortless, light touch — like air — on jackets, eyelet vests, and whisper-light dresses and ruffled skirts

COLOUR: Pantone's Color for All Seasons

Courageous. Confident. Vital. A brave new colour, for a brave new world. Let the bold spirit of Honeysuckle infuse you, lift you and carry you through the year. It’s a colour for every day – with nothing “everyday” about it.

Mpdclick's color report: While the 2010 colour of the year, PANTONE 15-5519 Turquoise, served as an escape for many, Honeysuckle emboldens us to face everyday troubles with verve and vigour. A dynamic reddish pink, Honeysuckle is encouraging and uplifting. It elevates our psyche beyond escape, instilling the confidence, courage and spirit to meet the exhaustive challenges that have become part of everyday life.

“In times of stress, we need something to lift our spirits. Honeysuckle is a captivating, stimulating colour that gets the adrenaline going – perfect to ward off the blues,” explains Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Colour Institute®. “Honeysuckle derives its positive qualities from a powerful bond to its mother colour red, the most physical, viscerally alive hue in the spectrum.”

Honeysuckle is guaranteed to produce a healthy glow when worn by both men and women. It’s a striking, eye-catching hue that works well for day and night in women’s apparel, accessories and cosmetics, and in men’s ties, shirts and sportswear. Add a lively flair to interior spaces with Honeysuckle patterned pillows, bedspreads, small appliances and tabletop accessories.

Courageous. Confident. Vital. A brave new colour, for a brave new world. Let the bold spirit of Honeysuckle infuse you, lift you and carry you through the year. It’s a colour for every day – with nothing “everyday” about it.

While the 2010 colour of the year, PANTONE 15-5519 Turquoise, served as an escape for many, Honeysuckle emboldens us to face everyday troubles with verve and vigour. A dynamic reddish pink, Honeysuckle is encouraging and uplifting. It elevates our psyche beyond escape, instilling the confidence, courage and spirit to meet the exhaustive challenges that have become part of everyday life.

“In times of stress, we need something to lift our spirits. Honeysuckle is a captivating, stimulating colour that gets the adrenaline going – perfect to ward off the blues,” explains Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Colour Institute®. “Honeysuckle derives its positive qualities from a powerful bond to its mother colour red, the most physical, viscerally alive hue in the spectrum.”

Honeysuckle is guaranteed to produce a healthy glow when worn by both men and women. It’s a striking, eye-catching hue that works well for day and night in women’s apparel, accessories and cosmetics, and in men’s ties, shirts and sportswear. Add a lively flair to interior spaces with Honeysuckle patterned pillows, bedspreads, small appliances and tabletop accessories.

ARabicity!

According to Fiona Jenvey, CEO of Mpdclick, Beirut today is a mecca for artists and creatives.

'Arabicity' - the recent exhibition of contemporary art from the Arab world reveals Beirut's creative ambition. The exhibition documents the city in a state midway between collapse and rebirth.

A beaten-up red Mercedes serves as the centrepiece for 'Arabicity'; rusted and dented, the car nearly creaks under the weight of a towering stack of household belongings piled high onto its roof. There are bedrolls, suitcases, plastic buckets, kitchen appliances, tables, chairs, a ladder, a toolbox, a bicycle, and lumps of even more stuff bundled into bright floral fabrics - all of which bring to mind a sadly ordinary sight, particularly in South Lebanon, of a family fleeing some known or unknown calamity. On top of this comical and exaggerated assemblage, there is a painting, held in a crude wooden frame, of a young boy with eyes full of sorrow, possibly fear. And then, the whole thing starts to spin: the car sits on a platform ringed in neon that rotates at regular intervals, periodically turning on its axis a few times before coming back to rest.

This exhibition featured works from Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abou-Rahme, Buthayna Ali, Chant Avedissian, Ayman Baalbaki, Hassan Hajjaj, Fathi Hassan, Susan Hefuna and Raeda Saadeh.

Arabicity reveals a conflicted relationship between creative endeavour and corporate ambition for a city which is in the middle of cultural rebirth. The exhibition’s glossy professionalism also signals a bright future for the city's creative culture.

Image source: de1000colores.files.wordpress.com

Opening Ceremony Collaborates With Disney

To Create TRON: Legacy-Inspired Collection For Fall/Winter 2010

and a Collaboration with ThreeASFOUR!

Opening Ceremony has collaborated with Disney Consumer Products to create a special capsule collection inspired by the new Walt Disney Pictures' film, TRON: Legacy. Opening Ceremony travels into the TRON universe where high-tech aesthetics and neon dominate to create a futuristic fashion collection.

TRON: Legacy's cinematic elements influenced this special capsule collection, from the high-speed Light Cycles to the characters' sleek uniforms. Incorporating the four main TRON colors, yellow, orange, blue, and black, the men's collection features Moto jackets, racer jackets, patchwork poplin shirts, and racer-styled cargo pants. Tech-driven fabrics comprise this collection: industrial neoprene, Melton wool, high dimension corduroy, and organic cotton twill fabrics.

The women's collection features bomber jackets with oversized funnel necks, snug scuba shirts, bodice dresses, seamed leggings and dresses with laser-cut ring patterns. The black raw edging found on neoprene styles was inspired by the exposed electronic circuits on TRON: Legacy uniforms, and the silhouettes of the Tulip Dress and Tulip Coat evoke the Light Cycle shape. Conceptualizing athletic performance, Opening Ceremony used stretch spandex with flat-lock stitching to create ergonomic, form-fitting styles.

Two accessories accompany the collection: a sculpted sock boot in neoprene and textured rubber and the Circle Bag, a three-way collaboration featuring ThreeASFOUR, in black or bronze leather. In collaboration with ThreeASFOUR, Opening Ceremony reintroduces the classic ThreeASFOUR Circle Bag as an interpretation of the Identity Disc weapon used in TRON: Legacy.

The Circle bag was initially the identity of the AsFOUR designers and their friends running around the Lower East Side in New York or from party to party at Paris Fashion Week. A few metallic leather colours were produced and sold at their select stockists.

"The original 1982 TRON film from Walt Disney Pictures remains an unparalleled classic in the sci-fi canon, a dreamy romp through the future as imagined in the 80s. The long-awaited sequel hits theaters on December 17th, and while you are waiting for the 3-D/Imax experience, you can check out our men's, women's, and accessories collections inspired by the TRON universe. High-tech aesthetics, neon, and laser cutting dominate in this super-structured collection. Also awesome is the three way collaboration bag, a ThreeASFOUR X Tron X Opening Ceremony revival of the classic circle bag."

This collection ranges in retail price from $230 for Bodice Tanks to $575 for Moto Jackets. The collection is available at Opening Ceremony New York, Los Angeles, Japan, Colette in Paris and Lane Crawford in Hong Kong.

About TRON: Legacy
TRON: Legacy is a 3D high-tech adventure set in a digital world that's unlike anything ever captured on the big screen. Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), a rebellious 27-year-old, is haunted by the mysterious disappearance of his father Kevin Flynn (Oscar®- and Golden Globe®-winner Jeff Bridges), a man once known as the world's leading video-game developer. When Sam investigates a strange signal sent from the old Flynn's Arcade—a signal that could only come from his father—he finds himself pulled into a digital world where Kevin has been trapped for 20 years. With the help of the fearless warrior Quorra (Olivia Wilde), father and son embark on a life-or-death journey across a visually-stunning cyber universe—a universe created by Kevin himself that has become far more advanced with never-before-imagined vehicles, weapons, landscapes and a ruthless villain who will stop at nothing to prevent their escape. TRON: Legacy is directed by Joseph Kosinski and produced by Sean Bailey, Jeffrey Silver and Steven Lisberger. The story is by Eddy Kitsis & Adam Horowitz and Brian Klugman & Lee Sternthal, and the screenplay is by Eddy Kitsis & Adam Horowitz, based on characters created by Steven Lisberger and Bonnie MacBird. Presented in Disney Digital 3D™ and IMAX® 3D and scored by Grammy Award®–winning electronic music duo Daft Punk, TRON: Legacy hits theaters on December 17, 2010.

About Opening Ceremony
Opening Ceremony was founded in September of 2002 in New York by Carol Lim and Humberto Leon with the idea of bringing their love of travel and fashion to a concept boutique. The company, besides operating four retail outlets in New York, Los Angeles and Tokyo, has also developed its own ready-to-wear collection for men and women, as well as a footwear line and apothecary division. Opening Ceremony maintains a wholesale showroom in New York that represents over 20 international and domestic brands.

To tweet this release, copy and paste http://bit.ly/TRONOpeningCeremony to your twitter handle.

CONTOURS

Christina Kruse production

for Interview Magazine

ThreeAsfour S/S 2010 C

ollection

Film featuring S/S 2010 ThreeAsfour Collection

CASHMERE TOILET PAPER DISPLAY!

Cashmere, a popular brand of toilet tissue, recently launched it's pink tissue line to raise money for Breast Cancer Awareness during the month of October. Proceeds will be donated to the Canadian Cancer Society.

The Hudson's Bay Co., known across Canada as The Bay is a department store known for their popular window displays each season. This year they challenged new designers to create gowns made of Cashmere tissue paper, as part of Hudson’s Bay Co.’s efforts to raise awareness on cancer research.

Hard to believe, but these masterpiece fashion creations are crafted entirely using toilet tissue. I had the opportunity to see them this past week and they are amazing and fascinating!

The intricate detailing shows a level of craftmenship only possible with hand of a skilled designer. These works of art are on display at The Bay's flagship store located in the heart of downtown Toronto at Queen and Yonge street.

See some of the dresses from 2009:

http://www.ecouterre.com/cashmere-tissue-rolls-out-toilet-paper-couture-for-breast-cancer-month/

The British Invasion

The Bay (The Hudson Bay) in Toronto is hosting an exhibit of up and coming British designers in THE ROOM! The Room is a space within The Bay department store that is a blank slate to exhibit and display each designer's installation. It is sleek and cool and is the vision of the new President of The Bay, Bonnie Brooks, the fashion executive who made Lane Crawford, the Hong Kong luxury retailer, a fashion landmark in the Far East

The designers: GILES DEACON (head designer at Ungaro),

Erdem, Jonathan Saunders, Charlotte Olympia Dellal, Mark

Fast, Nicholas Kirkwood, Marios Schwab and Mary Katrantzou. Each designer set up individual spaces to showcase their collections.

NEW AUTHENTIC RETAIL

For a long time now, I've believed that retailers need to be mroe authentic... in their product, process, design and decor, delivery, services and relationships.

Shopping in New York always offers an opportunity to discover new and innovative reatilers, off the beaten path and in the unusual locatons. Lately, for the last two years or so, I've been talking about "authenticity" in retail. I think retailers have lost who they are, they're out of touch with their customer and have no idea why they're even in the business. Product looks like all other product, knocked off in colors and patterns and fabrics, but no innovations. One retailer looks the same as the next and there's no differentation.

About 5 years ago, I stumbled on Earnest Sewn in the Meatpacking and knew it was the direction of things to come... truly authentic, unpretentious, about the product and the process. I am starting to see look-alikes, perhaps not by chance. But, my new favorite is AllSainsts Spitalfields in Soho. The store design brings back inspirations from the original garment industry, with 493 vintage sewing machines in the windows and throughout the interior of the store- an AllSaints signature design detail.


AllSaints reminded me of the first time I encountered Earnest Sewn in the meatpacking so many years ago... wow, I was blown away! And, then I noticed the followers.... but, that's all good too. If retail gets authentic again, that everyone wins. So, seeing others follow is a good thing.

Located in Nolita, bordering the Lower East Side (LES) and East Village, the area has attraced more interesting retail like Jamin Peuch, Double RL, Scotch and Soda, and others who get "boutique and authentic" retail. New stores in Nolita that are following this same trend, including Double RL, Ralph Lauren's concept and Scotch and Soda, a retailer based in Amsterdam, Area ID, and others who really understand the concept. Many focus their retail design on authentic aspects of their products, including spools of thread, machines that weave or sew, molds and models for product design, recycled product.

I believe that the emergence of these European brand is also a reflection of the slow mentality of American brands who just don't and can't move fast enough to change with the times. American brands work so hard to be something they are not. These European brands really seem to get it.

While Nolita is experiencing this cool Renaissance, LES is where innovation really is. One of the coolest retail enironments is KAIGHT on Orchard between Broome and Grand. Carrying many recycled and innovative products, KAIGHT offers an array of "designed" goods and products design in collaboration with such designers as Prada, Betsey Johnson, Alexander McQueen and others. My favorite were recycled plastic shoes designed by Melissa. Brazilian brand Melissa has become an international sensation because of its ethical and environmental focus, its use of advanced technology, its collaborations with such design heavy-weights as Vivienne Westwood, the Campana brothers and Zaha Hadid and, last, but not least, comfort.

KAIGHT is an eco-boutique dedicated to advancing the image of green fashion. KAIGHT stocks only the hottest emerging green designers from the U.S., Europe and Canada that make clothes that push the boundaries of fashion in an environmentally conscious and ethical way.

With such cool retail, the older formats will likely die quickly! Watch out!