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Bigger BackyardThe North Face steps up its Made in the USA collection The Backyard Project with more styles and production. PAGE 10

Blonde ExpansionChiara Ferragni of The Blonde Salad plans to open a store in Milan as her business grows. PAGE 8

Owners AgainBadgley Mischka buy their brand back from Iconix. PAGE 3

Fashion. Beauty. Business.

● Revenues rose 48 percent in 2015 and the company forecasts double-digit sales growth this year — but no IPO is imminent.

BY LUISA ZARGANI

MILAN — Valentino has joined the $1 billion club – two years earlier than it expected.

The fashion house has revealed that revenues leaped 48 percent last year to reach 987 million euros, or $1.09 billion, compared with 667 million euros, or $880.4 million, in 2014. And it expects double-digit growth to continue in 2016.

“In 2012 [when Qatari-based Mayhoola for Investments took control of the com-pany], we set the goal to reach 1 billion euros in five years, but we reached it in three years, up from 370 million euros,” said Stefano Sassi, chief executive officer of the Rome-based firm. “The one-billion

figure is symbolic; we have arrived at a dimension and critical mass that the brand did not have, with significant cash and profitability.”

He noted 2015 was “an exceptional year,” and once again praised creative directors Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier-paolo Piccioli.

Asked about a possible initial public offering, Sassi pointed out that market conditions are unfavorable and ruled out a listing this year, confirming a WWD report in December. Valentino’s owners have “manifested an interest towards a listing, and have started to evaluate [an IPO] but not the process,” advised by the Rothschild Group, as reported.

“There will be no IPO before 2017,” said Sassi, confirming that “no date had ever been forecast.”

Earnings before interest, taxes, depre-ciation and amortization last year rose to 180.2 million euros, or $200 million, from 98.5 million euros, or $130 million, in 2014.

Operating profit totaled 104.4 million euros, or $115.8 million, compared with 43 million euros, or $56.7 million.

Dollar figures are converted from the euro at average exchange rates for the periods to which they refer.

The ceo touted a “very solid organic growth in all markets” in 2015, with a 20 percent gain in like-for-like sales and two wholesale campaigns that performed very well. “Currencies helped and we

FASHION

Valentino’s Magic Number: Brand Tops $1B in Sales

CONTINUED ON PG.11

As the question of a possible future at Saint Laurent looms, Anthony Vaccarello maintained his reputation as a master of sexy without being hemmed in by it. His fall collection, including this sharply tailored skirt with corset detailing, displayed more range than ever. For more on the Paris shows, see pages 4 and 5.

FASHION

Le Smoking Hot

CollectionsFall

2016 ● A newly energized Milan Fashion Week left retailers planning to earmark budget hikes.

BY WWD STAFF

MILAN — Gucci fever isn’t fizzling out.Retailers enthused about creative

director Alessandro Michele’s fall collec-tion which, together with Prada’s power-ful show, were seen as drivers of a newly energized Milan Fashion Week, leading retailers to earmark budget increases. Statement outerwear and beautiful knitwear, decorative looks, rich fabrics, bold colors and embellished accessories contributed to a strong season.

“We are no longer the Cinderella of fashion weeks,” said Tiziana Cardini, fashion director at La Rinascente. “There is a resurgence of Milan, but it’s not magic. It comes from a mix of different factors — a more positive situation in the country, an increased national pride, a younger generation that has matured, and Italians are resourceful.”

She contended that Michele’s taste and identity are very Italian, rich and decorative. “Gucci has authorized us to be ourselves again and Michele has taken over the Italian codes for a very Italian brand in a contemporary way, and this has been a great stimulus to others, each with their own style, as this is a very individualistic country, so that Marni is

Marni, Versace is Versace and Cavalli is Cavalli,” she added.

Cardini also cited Prada, Marni, Bottega Veneta, Roberto Cavalli, Marco de Vincenzo, MSGM, Arthur Arbesser, and Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini as her favorite collections.

Roopal Patel, Saks Fifth Avenue senior vice president, fashion director, also praised Michele, who “set the tone for the rest of the week. That was one big takeaway for me this week, his influence. We all get to Milan with this anticipation for Gucci.”

Her top collections also included Prada and No. 21 for its “take on Nine-ties grunge that felt very in-line with the trends we’re seeing.” She also cited Dolce & Gabbana, Gianvito Rossi and Brunello Cucinelli. Three categories stood out for her: a return to eveningwear; sports outerwear, and iconic accessories.

“The idea of the statement bag and the ‘It” bag has returned,” said Patel. “That felt really strong at Gucci.”

Ken Downing, senior vice president and fashion director at Neiman Marcus, also couldn’t get enough of Gucci and Michele’s “enormous influence.”

“It’s so great to see his eclectic roman-ticism and opulence at Gucci permeate through many fashion brands,” the Neiman’s executive said.

Downing also named Fendi, Missoni and Prada as his top picks. Of Prada, he said the coats were particularly strong

FASHION

Gucci, Prada LeadResurgence in Milan

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2 MARCH 2016 3

Inside The Oscars 2016: Vanity Fair After Party● From Lady Gaga to Taylor Swift, the stars let loose at Vanity Fair’s A-list bash.

● They Are Wearing: Milan Men¹s Fashion Week Fall 2016

● New York Fashion Week Fall 2016 Street Style

● 2016 Oscars Red Carpet

● London Fashion Week Street Style Fall 2016

Global Stock TrackerAs of close March 1, 2016

ADVANCERS

DECLINERS

Kate Spade & Co. +10.95%

Luen Thai Holdings Ltd. +6.19%

Ascena Retail Group Inc. +4.73%

Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group +4.73%

Kose Corp. +4.33%

The Bon-Ton Stores Inc. -5.79%

Anta Sports Products Ltd. -5.12%

Iconix Brand Group Inc. -4.37%

Global Brands Group -4.35%

I.T Ltd. -2.13%

TOP 5TRENDINGON WWD.COM

● Fashion designers team up with Titan Industries and apparel licensee MJCLK LLC to manage products in-house.

BY LISA LOCKWOOD

NEW YORK — Mark Badgley and James Mischka, in a joint venture with footwear licensee Titan Industries Inc. and apparel licensee MJCLK LLC, have acquired the rights to the Badgley Mischka trademark and other Badgley Mischka IP from Iconix Brand Group for $16 million in cash.

“It’s really been our quest to own the brand again and control all the nuances that go into a business today. We missed a lot of those things and making certain decisions,” Mischka told WWD. They had been negotiating for about six months.

“We have had a productive 11 years working with the Iconix team to build Badgley Mischka from its red-carpet origins to a full lifestyle luxury brand,” added Badgley. “We are excited to man-age our core product categories in-house on the luxury aspect in both product and image.”

Badgley Mischa, which has been in business 27 years, has developed into a lifestyle brand. Known for their simple, streamlined and elegant designs, the designers’ products now encompass eveningwear, day dresses, sportswear, outerwear, bridal, swimwear, footwear, handbags, eyewear, and timepieces. Among their celebrity clientele are Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Sharon Stone,

Jennifer Garner, Julia Roberts, Kate Wins-let, Helen Mirren, Taylor Swift, Sarah Jessica Parker and Carrie Underwood. The collection is sold in such stores as Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Harrods and Har-vey Nichols, in addition to the Badgley Mischka flagship in Beverly Hills.

“We intend to capitalize on the strength of our women’s couture and ready-to-wear collections, and especially the success of the shoe collections, to further this partnership with Titan, a company with tremendous expertise in the luxury market,” added Mischka. “The core values of Badgley Mischka have always been luxury and timeless glamour; buying the brand back in this partnership will provide the basis to develop these attributes in a modern and exciting manner.”

Joe Ouaknine, cofounder and chair-man of Titan, said, “As the long-time footwear licensee, I have always had a special affinity for the brand, as well as Mark and James as the eponymous designers.” He added that he was happy to help them to regain ownership of their namesake brand.

Titan, founded in 1998, by Ouaknine, holds the footwear licenses for such brands as Charles Jourdan, Lamb by Gwen Stefani, Joe’s Jeans and Daya by Zendaya, in addition to Badgley Mischka.

The designers noted that Titan has been their largest and most successful licensee (besides apparel), and when they were trying to put a deal together, they turned to them first. “It’s really a natural for us to team up. He loves our

brand,” said Mischka of Ouaknine.MJCLK was founded in 2008 by Badg-

ley, Mischka, Christine Currency, Lara Piropato and Kimberly Lee-Siu to be the apparel licensee for the Badgley Mischka brand. The company is responsible for the design, sales, manufacturing and distribution of Badgley Mischka Couture, Badgley Mischka Collection and Belle Badgley Mischka worldwide.

The company has developed a strong business overseas, selling in the Middle East, China, Germany, Italy, France and the United Kingdom.

Now that they own the business, Badg-ley said that they plan to look at their core categories and expand where it makes sense. They would like to get back into the jewelry business and would also like to relaunch a fragrance. They would also like to expand retail.

Mischka said their decision to buy back the business had nothing to do with Securities and Exchange Commission investigation into Iconix’s accounting practices. “Our discussions started before anything happened with them,” he said. “They were terrific. They encouraged us to be more than red car-pet, $10,000 ballgowns. They believed in our expansion and it’s been a huge help to our business. It’s become much more of a lifestyle brand.”

The designers declined to reveal the company’s current volume.

The designers met at the Parsons School of Design and started their busi-ness in 1988. In 1993, Badgley Mischka sought financial support to bring the company to the next level and joined forces with Escada. In October 2004, Iconix acquired Badgley Mischka from Escada.

The designers said they closed on the deal Monday night “and were sort of in shock.” They said they planned to cel-ebrate Tuesday night before taking the collection to Paris to show retailers.

THE MARKETS

Badgley Mischka Buys Back Brand From Iconix

● The net was brought down by last year’s Ann Inc. acquisition and Dressbarn results, though other divisions are performing well.

BY DAVID MOIN

The Ascena Retail Group, impacted by its Ann Inc. acquisition last year and soft sales at the Dressbarn division, posted a net loss in its second quarter, but the company is experiencing positive spring selling trends.

The specialty retailer incurred a net loss for its second quarter ended Jan. 23, of $22.6 million compared to net income of $8.7 million last year. Yet on a comparable basis, inclusive of Ann Inc., adjusted net income for the second quar-ter was $1.7 million as compared to a net loss of $3 million last year. Including Ann, operating income for the second quarter was $29.1 million, compared to $23 million in the year-ago period.

On a diluted share basis, Ascena reported a net loss of 12 cents compared to net income of 5 cents a year ago. Adjusted earnings were 1 cent per diluted share compared to a loss of 2 cents in the year-ago period.

“The good news is that we actually came up a penny ahead. That’s not much, but originally we guided to a loss, so we came in stronger than we thought,” David Jaffe, president and chief executive officer, told WWD.

“Spring is off to a good start,” he added. “This warm February has helped get some traffic and brought some

business. We got a really good read on what selling,” which will help Ascena chase trends that are selling.

He cited a “strengthening performance at Loft, margin rate favorability at Justice and good progress integrating Ann into Ascena. Maurices delivered another solid quarter, and we continue to see improve-ment at Lane Bryant,” Jaffe said.

Ascena’s shares fell 5.2 percent, or 46 cents, to $8.39 in after-hours trading on Tuesday, after the company said it expected to earn 10 to 14 cents in the current quarter, below Wall Street’s expectations of 19 cents.

Net sales for the second quarter were $1.84 billion compared to $1.29 billion last year, with the increase driven by the acquisition of Ann Inc.

On a comparable basis, including Ann, net sales for the second quarter were $1.84 billion versus $1.94 billion last year. Comparable sales were down 6 percent. With Ann, total comparable sales were down 5 percent and 1 percent when excluding the anticipated declines at Justice, which related to its new, less-pro-motional selling strategy.

Asked what’s selling well this season so far, Robb Giammatteo, executive vice president and chief financial officer, told WWD, “We believe we are in a woven cycle,” benefiting all of Ascena’s retail brands. Giammatteo also singled out strength in large sizes, and not just at Lane Bryant, which specializes in the category, but at Maurices as well, which has been expanding the its own plus-size offerings. Cacique, the lingerie label sold at Lane Bryant, is also performing well, he added.

Most of the impact of the Ann Inc.

acquisition (primarily the write-off of inventory) is now behind the company, though there will be some lesser impact reported in quarters ahead, according to the executives.

Austyn Zung, creative director in charge of the design teams for Ann Taylor, Loft and Lou & Grey, is making changes that will be seen primarily in the third and fourth quarters. “It will be totally subtle, more of an evolution, not a revolution,” said Jaffe. “We are shifting a bit from some key items, especially in sweaters. We are not buying too deep in basics,” while novelty looks get pumped up.

Ascena has been turning around its Justice division and is anticipat-ing steadily improving comp sales. “I wouldn’t say it’s game over, but we made the big changes last back-to-school season when we implemented a new merchandising and promotional strat-egy, which have been well received by customers,” he said.

Jaffe added that Justice’s fall per-formance exceeded plan, and that for Christmas and spring so far, results have been on or above plan.

Under the stewardship of Jaffe, Ascena has become aggressively acqui-sition-prone, having made four major deals over the last decade — Maurices in January 2005; Tween Brands in Novem-ber 2009; Charming Shoppes in June 2012, and Ann Inc. in August.

The company, at about $7.4 billion in annual revenues, is the largest U.S. spe-cialty apparel retailer focused exclusively on females through its eight retail brands — Ann Taylor, Loft, Catherines, Dress-barn, Justice, Lane Bryant, Maurices and Lou & Grey.

Through the Ann Inc. acquisition, Ascena expects to realize $150 million in savings in three years.

RETAIL

Ascena Posts Net Loss in Q2

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Anthony VaccarelloThere was heightened attention on Anthony Vaccarello this season. He’s collateral in the high-profile rumors that Hedi Slimane will soon be out at Saint Lau-rent; his likely replacement: Vaccarello. Whatever is in the works — he wouldn’t comment on the subject backstage — something put him in a noticeably more open and experimental state of mind for fall. The collection was different — more diverse.

Vaccarello has established a very precise look — short, fast, sharp and seductive with an emphasis on exposed flesh and asym-metrical cuts — and draws narrow thematic lines within which to work each season. This time he lifted restrictions. “There’s no theme,” he said. “It’s my vision of free-dom.” Getting specific, Vaccarello men-tioned Princess Stéphanie of Monaco in the Eighties, her smoldering, white diamonds and black leather phase, as well as big shoulders and variations on T-shirts, which came in sporty, bare perforated black

dresses. The show opened with a corset concept. There was only one classic bust-ier — lace, worn with a mannish blazer and trousers. Otherwise, Vaccarello cut a cool, black blazer with corsetlike laces instead of traditional buttons. There were stretch wool laced minis with laced-up with hemlines that missed flagrant indecency by mere centimeters. A thick black leather hoodie dress with laces on the bottom felt like something new.

Lean and all legs, the lineup was signa-ture Vaccarello, which will never classify as relaxed, though it certainly demands an innate sense of confidence and comfort with the body. Yet there was a sense that he allowed himself, and the clothes, more breathing room. Past all the slick black tai-loring with bands of diamonds (real or fake couldn’t be determined from the runway) around the sleeves, and wispy, studded sheer tanks that floated over skin-tight jeans, came a more expressive portion of the show: two oversize ivory corduroy jackets lined in thick white fox; a black leather blazer over a perforated mini with

red, curly cut leather insets; and, finally, a series of pretty, vividly colored sequined florals.

“I really wanted to have something happy and positive,” Vaccarello said of the flowers, which also nudged at romantic. It turns out the master of sexy has a soft side. — Jessica Iredale

JacquemusSimon Porte Jacquemus lives in an apart-ment full of round shapes — from tables to mirrors to furniture. “It’s a real obsession,” he confessed backstage.

The circle has become a symbol of his young Paris house, which attracted a Spe-cial Jury Prize in LVMH’s young designer contest last year. It’s a shape he slaps onto the front of short suede skirts and employs as shoe heels. (Imagine a hockey puck stuck to a ballerina.)

His intensive focus on naïve shapes yielded an intriguing and uncompromising fall collection, which gave perhaps even more airtime to the square. He opened his

show with a pin-striped pantsuit nearly as big as the ones David Byrnes wore in his “Stop Making Sense” days.

The monster shoulders were repeated on striped shirts, velvet coats and cable-knit sweaters, helping cement supersize proportions as a key trend this European season. Their masculinity was tempered by quirky colors — from pale blue to intense purple — and, occasionally, thigh boots.

Other exits were freewheeling collages incorporating one-shoulder tops, puffy sleeves and silvery disco dresses, one of the latter splayed across the front of a navy jumpsuit, as if plastered there by a strong wind.

Jacquemus said his runway clothes, while experimental, are what he actually sells, and he cited promising order taking, which he commenced in January to ensure early delivery. While bare-bones, his show in the Tuileries tent was made possible with the help of Valentino, Elie Saab, Carven and Issey Miyake, which were big enough to help shoulder some of the costs. — Miles Socha

The Reviews

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Karl LagerfeldMascot of the Karl Lagerfeld label, and arguably the fashion world’s most famous house pet, Choupette looks adorable in a pixelated photo looking over the shoulder of her master, immediately identifiable by his white ponytail. The image is plastered on a white sweatshirt that looks cute tucked into a short black pencil skirt.

But for once, chic trumped Choupette as the designer steered his fall collection in a more soigné direction, loading it up with neo tuxedos and architectural cocktail dresses with strong shoulders and zippered details.

Zipper teeth edged the bib front of a tuxedo shirt, adding a tinge of rock ’n’ roll, while zippered waists rendered transform-able coats, jackets and dresses. (Lower panels could be zipped off or left to dangle.) Metallic tweeds and black chiffon — used to top a jumpsuit — also heightened the after-five vibe.

Yet this is a collection that does not take itself too seriously. Cue the metallic brocades splattered with Pop Art-inspired Karl logos and minaudière’s signed liked postcards, “With love from Karl.”

There are still big helpings of Choupette, too, on leather goods, T-shirts and trinkets — albeit in a more formal guise — wearing glittering sunglasses, or dressed in a dark suit and tie. Just like you know who. — Miles Socha

NeheraNehera’s creative director Samuel Drira is quickly gaining a following with his quietly chic approach, built on a mostly cream and beige palette and enveloping, minimalist silhouettes.

Indeed, his tone-on-tone separates — via clever layering and wrapping — add up to complete looks with a strong sense of purpose.

For fall, the designer sent out a bunch of urban nomads sporting roomy tunics in wool or crushed velvet, which he styled with lean silk dresses and cocoonlike coats. Capes strapped over a turtleneck sweater had large pockets in the back, as did some softly rounded Eighties blousons. Drira

referred to the pieces as “wearable luggage” and said that the goal was to blur the silhou-ettes of a woman he had imagined “walking in the fog.”

The dreamy concept ultimately trans-lated into a compelling and realistic pro-posal for fall. — Paulina Szmydke

Sharon WauchobBidding adieu to Paris, where she has worked since graduating from Central Saint Martins more than 20 years ago, Sharon Wauchob is relocating her studio and family to London in the coming weeks, where she says she is eager to catch a drift of the city’s “youth and positivity.”

The move made the Irish designer instinctively look to her own past for fall.

The Nineties were the most obvious reference, a period “tough with elements of punk, street and deconstruction but still precious and fragile,” as she noted, though Wauchob tamed her enthusiasm for the era with a contemporary approach to fabric which, when mixed with sharp tailoring, resulted in an exchange between soft and hard throughout.

To wit: Masculine coats and capes got softened by artsy lace embroideries, cozy fur details or side slits, which only then revealed the delicate lace tops underneath, while boyish pleated pants channeled a soft, feminine vibe when done in ultralight wool or jacquard.

As for her signature lace, Wauchob cut its floral patterns into bands and stitched them back together for a chain-mail effect, which looked modern on body-conscious dresses, or she pleated the fabric, which in one instance made it look like tweed, a technique she said she would like to explore further.

Presenting in one-on-one appointments (the designer is slated to revert back to fashion-show mode once her slot on the London fashion calendar has been con-firmed for September), Wauchob revealed that she would also test the see-now, buy-now waters with a few “signature pieces,” though she was quick to add that she did not wish to change the format entirely, as it would affect quality. “A new lace takes three to four months to develop, which is longer

than a season,” she said, adding: “If you take shortcuts it shows.” — P.S.

AaltoTuomas Merikoski’s Aalto collections always draw inspiration from youth culture in his native Finland and this time the designer looked to the remote Lapland tribe and how modern urban life has impacted the younger generation. This concern was transmitted via symbolic graffiti signs adorning leather jackets and fleece tops, something between a nomad tent and an anarchy symbol. Apart from those, the lineup was an evolution of what the designer has produced in the past for the contemporary brand, experimenting with shapes, volumes and colors.

The dropped waists, voluminous belted coats and dresses, elongated sleeves on knitwear with panels floating at the cuffs and double layered pants with different hem lengths were sometimes tricky. But the color palette emerging from the dark mood was intriguing, hitting on a singular Sev-enties and folkloric vibe and ranging from mustard yellow Alcantara suede and deep dark burgundy tartan used for tailoring to bubblegum pink for knit dresses and large pants and a bright blue inspired by Sami traditional costume.

Merikoski also used a pleated fabric for black tuxedo pants and tunic dresses, giving a trompe l’oeil effect when worn with ribbed knit sweaters. The collection’s title, “Hellsinki,” a play on the city name, was used as a crest on the sleeves of tailored jackets. — Laurent Folcher

Each X OtherEach X Other believes in the commercial power of poetry. Indeed, Robert Montgom-ery’s poetic phrases, printed on the collar of a cropped sweatshirt and on the wrist of a bomber jacket, captured the fall collec-tion’s distinguishing characteristic. “Poetry Finally Kills ‘Celebrity Culture’” declared one black hoodie. “The Homage of Each Other” read the chicken scratch on a nude turtleneck layered under an apron dress. There were other slogans, but god bless anyone who could read them in the dim of

Le Trianon theater. Otherwise the lineup’s androgynous tailoring, tough streetwear and denim fit right in with current con-temporary market fare. Those who dig the melancholy cool-kid look will find plenty to buy into here. — Jessica Iredale

Léa PeckreLéa Peckre’s fall collection gleaned inspira-tion from 5 a.m., at the threshold between night and dawn, and when early birds catch the first subway of the morning.

As in the past, the designer added a subtle sensual tailoring by juxtaposing fabrics such as stretch tulle and vinyl.

She also played with proportions, widening trousers and cinching shirts along the sleeves and midriff, and injected strong colors such as fuchsia or eggshell blue into the predomi-nantly white, black and midnight blue line.

The body-conscious collection had a sporty take this season, especially with the draw-strings that abounded, snaking through ruf-fles and ruching on dresses, skirts and tops.

While patches reading 5 a.m. that pep-pered some pieces took the season’s theme too literally, they didn’t detract much from the line’s overall strength. — Jennifer Weil

AnrealageKunihiko Morinaga went for a noisy col-lection for fall. The designer teamed up with computer programmer Toru Urakawa to cre-ate a series of black-and-gray fabric patterns mimicking the visual static from analog TVs, along with the accompanying sounds.

Models paraded inside a plastic box, and when they approached the walls — thanks to visual cryptography — the patterns occasion-ally flickered or changed from checkered to floral motifs. It’s not clear how the fabrics’ transformative qualities would ever manifest themselves in the real world.

Gimmicks aside, the collection reflected some innovative tailoring, which included wrap coats with extra-bulky shoulders, and pencil skirts and fitted blazers with slanted hems. While the latter two were rendered in pretty jacquards in various shades of gray, Morinaga also created pixilated patterns with laborious patchworks counting more than 1,000 pieces. — P.S.

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6 2 MARCH 2016

because the fabrics were very transi-tional. “Heavy fabrics are of no interest to us because of fall never getting cold,” said Downing. In terms of trends, he called out Victorian, military, gold, velvet and a new range of shoe heels “replacing sneakers.”

The renewed in Milan energy tele-graphed brisk business.

Justin O’Shea, Mytheresa.com global fashion director, said business is “up” in Milan. “Gucci was amazing,” he said, defining Prada as “pretty awesome,” and also citing Dolce & Gabbana. He named Attico as a new Italian street-style brand that could have potential. On trends, O’Shea wasn’t convinced: “Milan was pretty divided. Half were sticking to their roots and the other half were trying to reinvent themselves. But I don’t think there are specific ‘trends’ which are relevant.”

Helen David, fashion director at Harrods, said that “with the strength of Gucci, Prada, Dolce, and Fendi this season, it looks to be a season of strong growth for us.”

David described Gucci as “the hot ticket of the season, and it now appears that other houses have followed suit and upped their games. Many houses went back to what they do best, and this was reflected nowhere as well as at Prada — the Prada show was the best we have seen in years; every exit was spot-on with what Miuccia does best: Cinched waists, brocades, lust-worthy outerwear, and romantic prints, all done with an understated but uberluxurious hand. Fur was everywhere, again.”

Statement outerwear and embellished eveningwear were two key trends, and velvet “seems to be the fabric of the season,” she added.

Linda Fargo, senior vice president, fashion office and store presentation at Bergdorf Goodman, also hailed Milan’s new energy and creativity with major credit owed to Gucci and Prada, which “lifted the season and led the movement with exceptional and influential collec-tions,” she said. “Both collections were

highly original and packed with fresh ideas.”

Fargo applauded the season’s deco-rative richness and playful use of bold colors. As for new designers — the search is on. “We’re still looking for more new and emerging talent from a city which is rich in experience and resources,” she said.

Brooke Jaffe, Bloomingdale’s operat-ing vice president of fashion direction for ready-to-wear, said that “in spite of the bad weather trend, everything about Milan inside the shows was sparkling. There was a definite energy to the week. The theatrics of the individual presenta-tions was exciting – it felt like we were celebrating fashion.” In terms of bud-gets, she believes “there is a great deal of opportunity in Milan.”

Her favorite collections included Marni, Gucci, Prada, Fendi, Etro, Dolce & Gabbana and Versace. She also ranked “the chandelier dress that walked the Moschino runway” as the “highlight of the week. Jeremy Scott knows how to make fashion fun. Another true highlight was Dolce & Gabbana’s fairy tale-themed show. The environment was immersive and you wanted to be part of the story.”

Tomoko Ogura, senior fashion direc-tor of Barneys New York, listed Prada, Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini and Mis-soni as favorite collections, and Rossig-nol as a new discovery. “Luxe eclecticism is the strong statement coming out of Milan; a purposeful collage of decades, themes, textures, colors, etc. translated into a new kind of glamour.”

Accessories and shoes continue to be strong categories in Milan. “We loved both the fashion and commercial offering at Gianvito Rossi. He has perfected the slouch in the boot of the season. Fontana Milano presented a beautiful array of new colors and textures and we continue to be drawn to the standout craftsman-ship,” Ogura said.

Pascale Camart, head buyer of wom-en’s wear and accessories at Galeries

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Gucci, Prada Lead a Resurgence in Milan CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

PradaGucci

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Backstage at Gucci.

Lafayette, said Milan was a “very rich, fresh and colorful season.” Increasingly eyeing a “more local customer” given the changing patterns in global tourism, Camart said most the commercial cate-gories seen in Milan were fur — “always a good sell and as this season we also like it in faux, that lowers the prices” — and knits.

The Galeries Lafayette executive’s favorite collections included Fendi, Gucci, No.21, Pucci, Marco de Vincenzo, Jil Sander and Dolce & Gabbana. New dis-coveries were Chinese designer Shushu/Tong and Aalto. “This was a very rich season full of color with good energy, very strong styles in every designer we highlighted, yet commercials items to sell, the designers are becoming very clever and we can notice that they are into business too, not only creation,” Camart said.

Leila Yavari, fashion director at Stylebop, said the Milan season was “energetic” with a dominant trend of “younger, more sensual spin on max-imalism.” Yavari said “there has been such a great influx of talent over the last year and for [fall] you really saw the fruits of their labor; for instance, another standout collection from Lorenzo Seraf-ini at Philosophy, Alessandro Michele at Gucci and a striking outing from Mas-similiano Giornetti at Ferragamo. This revitalized outlook resonated across the shows — with a sportier direction for Pucci and the youthful sensuality at Cavalli, which showcased Peter Dundas at his best.”

The strong collections from Milan designers will accordingly be reflected in budgets for fall, she said. Yavari expected outerwear, with new options such as “updated admiral coats to the new maxi proportions and mixed-media treat-ments” to be hits, as well as knitwear year-round. Favorite collections included Gucci, Roberto Cavalli, Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini, Fendi and Marni, with Cavalli being “a standout.”

“There is definitely more creative energy in Milan. Gucci is really inspiring the market with its take on eccentric maximalism and highly covetable items in all categories,” said Jennifer Wheeler, vice president, corporate merchandise manager of women’s designer apparel at Nordstrom. “The Italian designers have always been more aligned with the maximalism camp so they can play to their individual strengths with this trend being so compelling. Understatement is overrated in an Instagram world.”

Nordstrom favorites: Gucci, Missoni, Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi and Marni, and Attico as a discovery. “Milan budgets could be up for the collections that we really loved,” Wheeler said. “Overall we

felt Milan had a lot of excitement, new-ness and strong fashion and commercial items to offer this season.”

“The abundance of print and color, as well as precious fabrics and embel-lishments will work very well for us,” said Sarah Rutson, global vice president of buying at Net-a-porter, praising the return of the “maximalist” aesthetic across all categories.

Among important items, Rutson listed statement jackets, pantsuits, midiskirts and exceptional knits, while accessory trends included top-handle bags, new versions of the pump and vintage-look jewelry.

Net-a-porter’s favorites included Gucci, Prada, Max Mara, Philosophy and Gianvito Rossi.

“With the reinvention of Gucci at the helm of Alessandro Michele, other

designers have refreshed their collec-tions with creative newness,” said Kelly Wong, general merchandise manager of women’s wear at Lane Crawford. “Overall, the shows reflected a feminine trend, with sequins, embellishments, soft shapes and vintage floral patterns.”

Wong also trumpeted designers emerg-ing in Milan who are “getting attention from our customers — For Restless Sleep-ers, Blazé and Ports 1961. Our focuses are to bring the best edits of these collections to Greater China, and inspire our customers.” As far as the collections overall, her favorites included Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana and Ports.

Sebla Refig Devidas, buying director, ladies merchandise group at Beymen in Turkey, noted that outerwear has been the major category since the beginning of pre-collections, followed by knitwear. She characterized the Milan season as driven by established designers , who mainly played it safe.

“Shows have been more mainstream; however, the focus on quality and rich fabrics has been the major strength of

Milan,” she said. “While ready-to-wear gets more subtle, shoes and accessories are definitely on the opposite trend with over-the-knee boots, embellished stilettos, chunky heels and platform shoes, printed and multiple material handbags.”

She said Beymen would keep Milan budgets flat this year because of a tough outlook for luxury and economic turbu-lence in Turkey. “We expect a challeng-ing 2016,” she said.

Beymen favorites were Bottega Veneta, Missoni, Dolce & Gabbana, and Giuseppe Zanotti while new discoveries included For Restless Sleepers, Blaze and Aquilano.Rimondi.

“A slew of new designers have abso-lutely bolstered the creative energy in Milan,” said Suzanne Timmins, senior vice president and fashion director of

The Hudson’s Bay Co., whose new dis-coveries included Attico. She highlighted retro retreads. “The Eighties influence was very evident in the supersize-me silhouettes, while many designers embraced a kind of glam-punk attitude,” she said. “Sporty elements were infused in most collections with a nod to ski and downhill racing.”

Accessories also stood out, with Tim-mins singling out “punky combat boots, loads of novelty legwear, bold earrings, multiple pins, the return of the belt, long scarves and statement strapped bags.”

In apparel, key styles include oversize sweaters, power suits, louche trou-sers, slips and “anything that shines.” Hudson’s Bay’s favorite collections were Marni, Jil Sander, Ports 1961, MSGM and Moschino.

Emmanuel de Bayser, co-owner of The Corner in Berlin, said that in Milan there were “three types of women: the romantic, the cool and the sensual…and multiple combinations of these three. It is all about re-interpreting the Seventies mainly and the Eighties with a mix of bohemian, chic and sporty.”

De Bayser praised the collections’ “incredible craftsmanship” and “atten-tion to details,” pointing to Gucci, Fendi, Prada, and Mr & Mrs Italy as favorites.

“We definitely felt the sense of cre-ative energy in Milan. This city is the birthplace of the current ‘geek chic’ trend we see impacting many fashion markets,” said Steven Cook, senior vice president, buying and merchandising, at Toronto-based Holt Renfrew. “A standout moment this season was the luncheon held by [Italian Prime Minister] Matteo Renzi that further instilled the support for the Italian fashion industry and galvanized leaders from design, retail, media and manufacturing all together.”

Cook hailed a “strong season,” particularly with key brands Gucci, Prada and Fendi. “The new direction at Gucci is fresh and we are seeing a great response in our stores,” he said. “The Prada collection was one of the strongest we’ve seen recently. And at Fendi, the craftsmanship was exquisite. This house always finds a new way to reinvent.” He also praised Etro and Philosophy. Besides “nerd chic,” he highlighted “dark Victorian” styling seen in blouses, ruffles, long-sleeve, midi-length dresses, and voluminous sleeves.

2 MARCH 2016 7

Gucci, Prada Lead a Resurgence in Milan CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

“Luxe eclecticism is the strong statement coming out of Milan; a purposeful collage of decades, themes, textures, colors, etc. translated into a new kind of glamour.” — TOMOKO OGURA, BARNEYS NEW YORK

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● The handbag space seems less risky now for investors.

BY VICKI M. YOUNG

Pulling back on promotions and fine-tun-ing the product seems to have provided a kick to the handbag category, with Kate Spade, Michael Kors and Coach all showing better fourth-quarter results. Even Wall Street may be a believer.

Shares of Kate Spade & Co. rose 11 per-cent to close at $21.99 in Big Board trading on Tuesday. Its competitors in the handbag wars also saw their shares rise: Michael Kors Holdings Ltd. was up 1.1 percent to close at $57.29, while Coach Inc. rose 1 percent to $39.33.

Kate Spade’s shares jumped following the company’s posting of fourth-quarter results. Chief executive officer Craig A. Leavitt said the company on “an apples-to-apples basis saw comps rise 14 percent on top of [a 28 percent] comps gain” a year ago.

The company said net income for the three months ended Jan. 2 fell 51.4 percent to $61.5 million, or 48 cents a diluted share, from $126.5 million, or 99 cents, a year ago. On an adjusted basis, excluding

operations being wound down, the com-pany met Wall Street’s earnings per share expectations of 32 cents, compared with the year ago EPS of 24 cents. Net sales rose 7.6 percent to $429 million from $399 million a year ago, and up 14 percent on an adjusted basis.

The company provided guidance for 2016, which included a forecast of a net sales range of between $1.39 billion and $1.41 billion, diluted EPS of 70 cents to 80 cents, and direct-to-consumer comps

growth in the low to mid-teens.Leavitt said the company has been

focused on protecting the quality of its sales and has done that in part through a pullback on promotional events last year. He also said there will be some additional pullback in the wholesale channel likely through June. The company said e-com-merce, which represents 20 percent of its reported business, saw double-digit growth on its flagship e-commerce site last year. Kate Spade added the option of buy-ing online and shipping from store over the holidays. It plans to allow consumers to buy online and pick-up-in-store as an option later in the year.

The ceo cited growth in backpacks and satchels, plus strong market share in the cross-body category. Leavitt pointed to the Kate Spade New York collaboration over the holidays with Everpurse for a collec-tion of bags incorporating wireless iPhone charging technology. Calling the product line successful, he said, “The consumer is interested in that technology. We will continue with the collaboration in 2016. This shows that the consumer is looking for both fashion as well as utility from us. This is a place where we can win.”

On the international front, the com-pany saw more impact at its outlet store

business. “This is where tourists cluster. There [will still be] some headwinds with the international consumer in terms of the amount of traffic and size of the transac-tion,” Leavitt told WWD. Separately, the brand will be available in India later this year.

Wells Fargo Securities analyst Ike Boruchow said, “Kate continues to take share in the handbag space,” adding that the company’s shares continue to receive renewed momentum, as do their peers Coach and Kors, “as the handbag space is becoming less risky in the eyes of investors this year.”

Although Kors last month said net income slipped 3 percent for the fourth quarter, the company benefited from contribution from the digital flagship busi-ness and growth in international markets. Overall, the company had been pulling back on its wholesale distribution to better control sales in its own retail stores. The new spring product line for the handbag category has a bit more focus on small-er-size bags, such as cross-bodies. While the smaller bags equal flat sales due to lower price points, actual unit sales have gone up as consumers were also buying different-size accessories to fit the smaller bags, Kors ceo John Idol said.

At Coach, which also has been pulling back on flash sales on its own sites, the company in January said the quarter reflected a sales gain for the first time in 10 quarters. It’s the first time the company can say that it has proof that the new Stuart Vevers’ line, and shift to a lifestyle brand, is gaining traction with consum-ers. The company is planning for positive comps by the end of the fourth quarter.

ACCESSORIES

Fewer Promotions, Better Product Lift Handbag Firms

● Ferragni is paving the way for bloggers who want to be brands.

BY RACHEL STRUGATZ

It’s a blog life for The Blonde Salad’s Chiara Ferragni, who’s bringing her kid sister into her ever-expanding business, which is also opening a store in Milan, relaunching its flagship site and on track to boost shoe sales by almost 30 percent to $10 million this year.

Born in Milan but based in Los Angeles, Ferragni has 5.6 million Instagram followers and a blossoming multihyphenate career that puts her at the vanguard of the blog-ger-turned-businesswoman movement. She’s also a model (she’s the face of Pantene, Ama-zon Fashion in Europe and has appeared on the cover of 27 magazines including Vogue Espana and InStyle Berlin) and creative director of her shoe company, Chiara Fer-ragni Collection.

It’s the shoes that really bring in the money. Sold in about 300 doors worldwide, the footwear business accounted for about 75 percent of her company’s nearly $10 million in revenues last year. Soon the brand will have its own home in the real world. Ric-cardo Pozzoli, cofounder and chief executive officer of Chiara Ferragni, Theblondesalad.com and Chiara Ferragni Collection, said the first Chiara Ferragni Collection flagship store in Milan by early next year.

But the fastest-growing parts of the busi-ness are The Blonde Salad Web site and Fer-ragni’s personal appearances and partner-ships, according to group general manager Alessio Sanzogni. Theblondesalad.com and personal appearances by Ferragni together drove over $2 million in revenues last year

and are projected to reach $3.8 million this year, a 75 percent jump.

This boost is largely driven by partner-ships with megacompanies. Ferragni’s Ama-zon.com campaign goes live online this week and appears in the March issues of Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and Elle in France, Spain, Italy, Germany and the U.K. Her footwear collection will also be sold through Amazon.

Sanzogni declined to reveal terms of the Amazon deal, but a source in the digital space told WWD it’s lucrative. The e-com-merce giant is reportedly paying Ferragni about $300,000 to be the face of Amazon Fashion for one season in Europe. Amazon declined to disclose the financial details of the partnership.

To position itself for further growth, the company will introduce a redesigned The-blondesalad.com in June.

“We want to internalize and fully manage all the advertising, [including] display, engagement and all of the commercial parts of the The Blonde Salad,” Sanzogni said, admitting advertising revenues were “quite low last year.” The majority of turnover came from integrated editorial content, social media and events attended on behalf of brands, including a yearlong partnership with Calvin Klein.

According to an industry source, Calvin Klein forked over six figures to work with Ferragni and advertise on Theblondesalad.com. It was not an exclusive deal, since Ferragni continued to work with different brands, from Pantene to Revolve Clothing.

“These are big deals, but we haven’t done anything super, crazy big because we like working with a lot of brands,” said Ferragni, who avoided disclosing specific fees.

“We expect a higher deal to be exclusive to only one brand at the moment,”

Sanzogni added.That could be a reference to Kristina

Bazan, the blogger who reportedly landed a seven-figure contract with L’Oréal in October. While this is said to be the largest blogger deal to date, Bazan is likely exclusive to the beauty giant and therefore unable to work with a competitor while under contract with L’Oreal. L’Oreal declined to comment on terms of the deal.

Theblondesalad.com will also roll out an e-store in September, selling exclusive product from 30 brands to start (including Ferragni’s own). Ferragni worked with Levi’s to design two custom pairs of 501 jeans that will each retail for about $270. Thirty pairs were made of each style, which Ferragni described as “deconstructed and vintage-in-spired” and containing elements such as embroidery and hand-painted hearts.

Ferragni is also bringing her sister into the business. Valentina Ferragni, who is 23 and has 900,000 Instagram followers, is now managed by TBS Talent, the company’s newly formed management arm.

The younger Ferragni, who already was seated front row at Ralph Lauren’s show during New York Fashion Week, has a “complementary” positioning to Chiara, according to Sanzogni, who said Valentina’s “younger target demographic and differ-ent style” were attractive to followers. TBS Talent represents Pozzoli, as well, who has a sizeable following of 155,000 on Instagram.

“All of the interest around Chiara’s uni-verse and friends and family is super high,” Sanzogni said.

MEDIA

Chiara Ferragni’s Blogging Business

A Kate Spade bag for spring.

“These are big deals, but we haven’t done anything super, crazy big because we like working with a lot of brands.” — CHIARA FERRAGNI

Chiara Ferragni at Milan Fashion Week.

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● The design duo has created a seasonal collection based on organic and geometric shapes.

BY SAMANTHA CONTI

Forest and trees: Peter Pilotto and Christopher de Vos have joined fellow designers including Christopher Kane, Mary Katrantzou and Joseph Altuzarra in launching a seasonal jewelry collection for Atelier Swarovski.

The collection is based on the wintry northern landscapes that inspired the duo’s fall outing, and on their abiding use of color and geometric patterns.

The range is called “Arbol” and fea-tures more than 10 styles. It will go on sale to clients in Paris starting this week. Prices range from $99 for a hairpin to $1,250 for necklaces.

The rhodium settings are spare, with shapes both organic and mechanical, the latter with an air of Alexander Calder’s spindly sculptures. Square- and round-cut crystals resemble bits of hard candy in colors such as amber, deep purple, royal blue, amethyst and clear like diamonds.

Designs range from statement pieces, such as a choker and a large cuff, to more delicate ones, as in the dangling earrings.

Models wore some of the pieces — including earrings and hair ornaments — at Pilotto’s runway show in London last week.

“When we started designing we were looking at our embroidery and graphics and how we could make them come alive in three dimensions,” Pilotto told WWD.

He added he and de Vos also spent time working out how those patterns and colors could fit on the body and under-standing the mechanisms of components such as chains.

He described the designs as “offering functionality with a natural feel” and said the earrings resemble miniature mobiles.

Backstage after the designer’s runway show, which was filled with winter sky colors, embellishment and shine, Pilotto said some of the jewels were meant to look like “frozen-looking mechanical branches and glass.”

During the interview, de Vos added that it was natural for the duo to move into jewelry.

“We love jewelry and we love looking

at it on women. We also have an ongoing relationship with Swarovski and we looked at what we were doing with the crystals in our clothing and how that would apply to jewelry,” he said.

Peter Pilotto has been part of the Swarovski Collective for the past four seasons and won the inaugural Swarovski Collective award in 2015. The Collective program encourages designers to use crystals in innovative ways in their ready-to-wear collections.

Nadja Swarovski, a member of the Swarovski executive board, said Pilotto and de Vos “manage to combine both new and classic perspectives in women’s clothes brilliantly.”

She added that after the duo scooped the Swarovski Collective Prize last year, “it felt like a natural evolution to collab-orate with them on an Atelier Swarovski jewelry collection.”

Atelier Swarovski is a luxury crystal accessories line that launched in 2007 and has featured collaborations with some 60 designers from creative fields including fashion, jewelry, architecture and design. It follows the fashion cycle by launching new collections twice a year during London and Paris fashion weeks.

ACCESSORIES

Peter Pilotto Links With Atelier Swarovski

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● The unit, now called New Avon, is majority owned by an affiliate of private equity company Cerberus Capital.

BY ALLISON COLLINS

Avon Products Inc. has officially separated its North America business.

The deal for the company to form a strategic partnership with private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management LP has closed, giving majority ownership of the North America unit to a Cerberus affiliate. The business is now called New Avon LLC.

Under the terms of the deal, which was revealed in December, Cerberus invested $435 million in Avon for a 16.6 percent stake in the business, plus $170 million in New Avon for 80 percent of the business. Avon still owns 20 percent of the North American operations.

“Our strategic partnership with Cerberus sets Avon on a solid path to profitability and growth by providing a solution for the North America business as well as capital, focus, and resources to support Avon Products Inc. in the execution of our transformation plan,” said Avon chief executive officer Sheri McCoy. “The partnership, along with other actions we are taking, also further increases our financial flexibility. We have significant capital resources and liquidity with which to fund working capital, restructuring costs and opportunistic debt retirement.”

“Having now spent months with the com-pany, its management team, its representa-tives and its associates, we are even more enthusiastic about investing in the North American representatives and business,” said Cerberus senior managing director and co-head of global private equity Steven Mayer. “Our goal is to make the direct-selling model and the representative experience more contemporary, efficient and profitable by reinvigorating the Avon brand, improving New Avon LLC’s competitiveness and posi-tioning it for long-term, sustainable growth.”

Avon said in January that it would implement a cost-cutting plan to save $350 million over the next three years, as well as explore alternatives for its China business, which made up about 1 percent of Avon at that time. That news came at Avon’s investor day, where executives said Cerberus would continue to work with the company to try to rationalize the supply chain, modernize busi-ness processes and make decisive strategic choices.

Aside from China, Avon faces declining revenues in Latin America, in part because of high inflation. The company reported its 16th straight quarter of sales declines in February, with a $333 million net loss for the fourth quarter, up from a $331 million loss from the prior-year period.

BEAUTY

Avon ClosesSpin-off ofN.A. Business

Avon Luck for Him and Luck for Her.

● The theft marks the second fashion robbery in Europe in recent days.

BY ALEX WYNNE

PARIS — Thieves broke into Cho-pard’s boutique on Place Vendôme on

Thursday, a spokesman for Paris’ Préfec-ture de Police confirmed.

According to reports, two armed rob-bers broke into the store at lunchtime on Thursday, breaking a display case and escaping on foot with its contents.

A Chopard spokesperson declined to comment, saying a police investigation

was under way in France.The theft marks the second fashion

robbery in Europe in recent days. On Monday, thieves stole 20 to 25 handbags from the Bottega Veneta flagship in Milan’s Via Montenapoleone. The Italian company confirmed the robbery but declined to specify the number of hand-bags stolen or their value.

France has seen a slew of jewelry rob-beries in the last few years, and Chopard has often been a victim. In December, the brand’s boutique at 72 Rue du Fau-bourg Saint-Honoré — not far from Place Vendôme — was robbed in broad day-light. The thief reportedly made off with jewelry worth an estimated one million euros, or $1.1 million at current exchange.

ACCESSORIES

Chopard’s Paris Boutique Broken Into

Backstage at Peter Pilotto RTW Fall 2016.

10 2 MARCH 2016

● The second installment of the Made in USA Collection involves more colorways.

BY ARTHUR FRIEDMAN

The Made in America movement can put another notch in its belt: The North Face has launched the second installment of its locally produced clothing line, The Back-yard Project.

In its second year, The Backyard Project has scaled up production nearly 15 times, tapped new partners across the U.S. and evolved production to bring eco-preferred fashion to more consumers. The company said it’s about selecting the best available materials and processes that are less impact-ful on the environment.

The outdoor apparel, equipment and footwear brand, a subsidiary of VF Corp., said it challenged itself in the new incar-nation to find ways to expand and scale its pilot project, with a goal of increasing domestic production and the collection’s impact.

In November 2014, The North Face set out to design its first all-cotton hoodie grown, designed, cut and sewn within 150 miles of its headquarters in Alameda, Calif. Taking key lessons from the inaugural cap-sule collection, which had some sourcing

challenges, this year’s Backyard Project has significantly expanded in terms of both quantity and the number of styles while decreasing the hoodie price about 20 per-cent, with styles for men and women now selling for about $80 to $90 and T-shirts for $40.

From last year’s single-color, unisex hoodie, the project has grown to now include men’s T-shirts, and men’s and wom-en’s full zip and pullover hoodies, and will now be available in at least eight colors — all

sourced and manufactured within the U.S.“The Backyard Project is about connect-

ing with local artisans right here in the USA,” said Sumi Scott, director of sports-wear at The North Face. “It’s about knowing which farms grew your cotton, who spun the yarn or how your product was dyed. We learned a lot during Backyard’s 2014 introduction and challenged ourselves to produce a bigger run of locally sourced clothing this season.”

The North Face moved the majority of

production from the Bay Area to Los Ange-les for this edition in order to expand the project. This allowed the brand to work with small Los Angeles-based businesses, includ-ing JC Industries and Care-Tex Industries.

“The Backyard Project emphasizes the importance of Made in the USA,” said Paul Kang, director of Care-Tex, which dyed the project’s garments this year. “The more that large brands can raise awareness of the potential for domestic production, the more likely the consumer will be to seek out domestically produced garments. It’s great to see The North Face supporting this movement.”

All of the cotton used for the project was grown in the U.S. The North Face benefited from the expertise of American farmers such as Jim Olvey of The Natural Hue Co., who has been a cotton breeder for 40 years, as well as Ted Sheely, who uses innova-tive precision irrigation technologies and aerial imagery and GPS tractor guidance to maximize yields on the Sheely Family Farm in Stratford, Calif. The cotton for this year’s Backyard Project was also ginned in Califor-nia and Arizona and spun into yarn in South Carolina, before being dyed, cut and sewn in Los Angeles.

In the last few years companies such as yarn makers in North Carolina, fabric firms Cone Mills and Burlington Industries, apparel maker Gildan Activewear and legwear firm Peds USA, as well as major retailers like Wal-Mart Stores Inc. have invested in and committed to boosting Made in America production. The reasons have run from expediency and quality control to marketing and job creation.

The new Backyard Project line will be available in select stores and online starting Tuesday.

The North Face is sold at premium retail-ers and sporting goods stores globally, as well as its own stores worldwide.

THE MARKETS

North Face Expands Backyard Project

● Heather Thomson is back in court over control of her company Yummie by Heather Thomson.

BY ROSEMARY FEITELBERG

NEW YORK — After five months of battling in the courts over control of the Yummie by Heather Thomson brand, Heather Thomson Schindler and her cofounders have yet to strike common ground with the company’s manager, Eric Rothfeld.

The legal dispute kicked off in September when Thomson and Yummie’s cofound-ers, her husband Jonathan Schindler and Michelle Mooring Daray, requested a tem-porary restraining order — which has since been granted — that prohibits Rothfeld from taking retaliatory action against them. The trio owns 51 percent of the company and Rothman has 49 percent.

Initially named Yummie Tummie by Heather Thomson and focused on intimate apparel, the company was funded through a $1 million loan from Rothfeld’s REI Capi-tal. A lawyer in his own right, Rothfeld is chairman and chief executive officer of REI. In a hearing earlier this month in New York State Supreme Court, Thomson’s legal team aimed to replace Rothfeld as the brand’s lead decision-maker since the founders claim to have repaid the loan. Wendy Herman, who is said to have served as president of Yummie Tummie by Heather Thomson for the past two years, was the potential successor.

During that Feb. 19 court appearance, Judge Eileen Bransten advised the respective

attorneys for Rothfeld; Thomson and her husband; Daray, and Herman to resolve the dispute through a mediator. “There are very qualified people out there that would help you, by the way, for a price. They don’t come cheap, these wonderful people, to get to that stage that you can resolve these issues. It’s always better to resolve rather than spend money coming to see me,” Bransten said.

Thomson’s attorney, John H. Reichman of Wachtel Missry, said Friday, “We are confi-dent that ultimately, we are going to prevail in court, if there is not a settlement. But we are concerned that by the time the court rules, the company could be irreparably damaged by Rothfeld’s management.”

Thomson declined to comment Friday. She, her husband and Daray are said to have exited the company. Their numerous legal claims include Rothman being unqualified

to be manager, his fraudulently marking down inventory, blocking factory orders and failing to submit financial statements to Wells Fargo.

Rothfeld did not respond to a request for comment Friday, nor did his attorney Donald Zakarin of Pryor Cashman. Herman’s attorney, Bijan Amini of Storch Amini & Munves, also did not respond to a request for comment Friday.

During their most recent court exchange, lawyers for Thomson and Rothman disputed the value of Rothman’s 49 percent stake, for which Thomson’s team had offered $5 million. The company’s total value has been pegged at between $30 million and $40 million, according to other court filings.

While Bravo fans recognize Thomson for her role in the knock-down-drag-out reality show “Real Housewives of New York City,” a good number of fashion industry executives have known her to be a familiar face for 20-plus years. After graduating from SUNY Plattsburgh, she worked as a ski instructor at Catamount Ski Area in the Berkshires not far from her hometown of Hillsdale, N.Y. Switching gears, she joined Cypress Apparel, learning the ins and outs of the industry during what became a five-year run. That led to jobs at Calvin Klein, Smith Jeans and Sun Apparel — the latter is where she worked with Rothman, who at one time served as chairman and ceo.

After Sun Apparel, Thomson helped launch Sean John sportswear as director of design. She later took a similar role when Jennifer Lopez introduced her own label. After that, she went on to work for Beyoncé and Tina Knowles at House of Deréon. As

reported, while busy with her House of Deréon responsibilities and dealing with a chronically ill son, she dealt with post-baby extra weight by developing the three-patent tank, which unknowingly wound up being the launch product for Yummie Tummie by Heather Thomson.

In line with the brand’s expanding prod-ucts beyond intimate apparel, the company was renamed Yummie by Heather Thomson in 2012. Thomson’s decision to join “Real Housewives” was reportedly driven by the marketing potential it provided. With more than one million viewers tuning in each week, Thomson was known to be vocal about the fact that being a “Real Housewife” was all about creating a broader audience for her brand. In 2012, in step with her TV fame, Thomson joined with HSN to sell Yummie by Heather Thomson, selling about $350,000 in that first year, according to a source familiar with that venture. HSN was said to tally about $12 million in retail sales of Yummie by Heather Thomson last year.

Thomson is said to be due back on air for HSN on March 13. But a source said the com-pany’s namesake, whose annual salary is said to have remained at $225,000 since Day One, has not been paid for 18 months. That allegedly has also been the case for Michelle Daray, who earns $125,000 annually and until recently was based in Yummie’s Cleve-land office.

This is not the first time Thomson has wrangled in court, having also taken Spanx and Maidenform to task in separate shape-wear-related infringement suits. Thomson is said to be considering a return to “Real Housewives” in some capacity.

MEDIA

Former ‘Real Housewives of New York’ Star in Court Over Yummie Brand

Heather Thomson Schindler

The Backyard Project comes in seven styles and more than eight garment-dyed colors.

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also added 30 boutiques last year,” he observed.

Retail accounted for 55 percent of rev-enues. The group’s store network encom-passes 160 units.

Accessories represented 50 percent of sales. Sassi underscored the increasing relevance of men’s wear, which last year accounted for 10 percent of revenues. “We have presence and visibility, and opportu-nities to grow in the next years,” he said.

The executive said the company plans to adhere to its strategy of focusing on “quality, long-term solid bases, clear val-ues, modern style on solid values of refer-ence, craftsmanship and timeless beauty” and to continue its expansion this year.

Declining to provide financial targets, Sassi said retail growth will be “controlled and balanced,” with an additional 20 to 30 stores, including relocations, opening this year. Despite difficult market condi-tions, Sassi said he expected double-digit growth in 2016. After a very good Decem-ber and good January, Sassi said this year was variable, seeing a contraction among Asian consumers. “The first quarter saw a moment of reflection, a slowdown in fash-ion, but I am not worried,” said Sassi.

Coming up, he pointed to a “very important opening” in London’s Bond Street in March and new stores in Ger-many; the U.S. (Miami and Honolulu); in Japan, in Tokyo’s Omotesando in the sec-ond half; in Korea, and in the Middle East.

While expanding and evolving the group’s retail network, Sassi also believes in the relevance of wholesale, increasing the brand’s penetration at “very quali-fied points of sale. We are happy to be in top-quality boutiques.”

Valentino in the 2013 to 2105 period invested between 250 million and 300 mil-lion euros, or $275 million to $330 million

at current exchange, in building its retail network because “we were recovering to close the gap with competitors,” but Sassi declined to pinpoint a figure for 2016 and 2017. “It depends on the market,” he said.

He underscored the “very relevant efforts” made last year, ticking off open-ings in New York’s Fifth Avenue, Canton Road in Hong Kong, and in Rome, near the Spanish Steps. “The investment now is more in line with that of competitors,” the ceo added.

After the Mirabilia Romae couture show in Italy’s capital last year, no major event has been planned for 2016. “That was such an important event and defined the level and quality we are aiming for,” said Sassi.

Asked about the ongoing debate over the timing of fashion weeks and the see-now, buy-now concept, Sassi said Valenti-no’s position is in line with that of Italy’s Camera della Moda and France’s Chambre Syndicale, underscoring “the values, substance, creativity and quality very connected to our way of doing things; but we are ready to evaluate alternatives. For sure we want to innovate at a digital level. That is a revolution and we are aware of the opportunities.”

Sassi reiterated that the Valentino brand will continue to show in Paris, given its history, and not move to Milan.

Discussing the currency fluctuations that have impacted fashion companies, he conceded they “have generated an earth-quake, with benefits, but also expanded the delta from market to market. We have already done some adjustments,” adding that more steps will be evaluated. The Chinese have been traveling extensively in Europe, Japan and Korea. “They are intelligent and rational, they benefit from a market increasingly more open. In the long-term [prices] will be more reason-able, depending on the exchange rates,” he said.

Commenting on the store opening last year in Hong Kong, Sassi said: “I doubt Hong Kong will return to what it was, or if so, not shortly, but it is still a big market. We are very attentive to the visibility of the brand and the upgrading of its image

[wherever it is present].”Sassi was also upbeat about prospects

in Japan, where Valentino “started later,” and its “very good growth rate.”

The U.S., which accounts for 25 percent of sales, continues to be “very solid” and is posting growth. Europe, including Italy, represents 40 percent of total revenues.

Valentino’s Magic Number: Brand Tops $1B in Sales CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Pierpaolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri

● After increasing wages for its U.S. associates, the retailer is turning its attention to customer service.

BY SHARON EDELSON

Wal-Mart is putting its money where its mouth is when it comes to improv-ing customer service: The retail giant is opening training academies inside or near 200 of its U.S. stores.

The retailer will use the academies to train front-line hourly supervisors and department managers. The program will involve classroom instruction as well as training on the sales floor. The first week of the two-week program will cover retail basics, while the second will offer hands-on sales floor training.

“Employees will gain the knowledge and skills to run a specific department,” a Wal-Mart spokesman said. “We’re going to have a dedicated training staff at all the facilities.”

The first academy bowed in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area on Friday and will be followed by two training centers in Arkansas. The company is opening academies in locales that can service about a dozen stores. Wal-Mart expects all 200 academies to be operational by 2017. “We’ll put more than 140,000 folks

through the training programs annually,” the spokesman said.

The new training replaces Wal-Mart’s previous method where a worker would shadow a designated employee in a store. Completing a computer-based training module, which included online simulations of the store experience, was also required.

Wal-Mart’s service has long been viewed as lacking. One reason is simply its vast size and the difficulty of training

so many employees — it is the largest private employer in the world with more than 2.2 million workers. The retailer’s low wages were also seen as a deterrent to motivating workers.

As Wal-Mart and other retailers fight for consumers with online behemoth Amazon, store service becomes critical; poor service means customers won’t be motivated to enter a store. “To grow and succeed, our associates, and Wal-Mart as a company, will require new skills and the ability to meet needs of shoppers,” a Wal-Mart spokesman said.

The training academies will be located across the U.S. “They’ll provide consis-tent, purposeful training,” the spokes-man said. “Leadership skills will be part of the training for some. Also, employees will better understand the career paths available to them in the stores. [The training academies] will help create a better, more consistent customer experience, increased management retention, and a pipeline of talent for our company.”

After years of being criticized for its low wages, the Bentonville, Ark.-based retailer last year said it would raise wages for more than 1.2 million U.S. Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club associates and some managers. The first phase of the increase went into effect in April when Wal-Mart increased its starting rate to $9 an hour

for associates and raised associates earn-ing below that level to $9.

The second phase kicked in last month, when the average hourly rate for full-time employees rose to $13.38, and the average part-time hourly rate became $10.58.

The wage increases, which were part of Wal-Mart’s two-year, $2.7 billion investment in its workers, were partly responsible for the company’s forecast that earnings will fall every year until 2019, including a 6 percent to 12 percent drop in 2017.

“Wal-Mart has a history of saying one thing to the public and doing the opposite in stores,” said a spokeswoman for Making Change at Wal-Mart, which is supported by the United Food and Commercial Workers Union. “Just ask any worker who had their hours cut or store closed as Wal-Mart was touting its so-called investment in employees.

“Wal-Mart has a long way to go before it can be considered a responsible employer,” the Making Change spokes-woman said. “Workers need better wages, better schedules and better treat-ment at the workplace. Better training would be on that list as well. However, unless Wal-Mart actually keeps its prom-ises, it will continue to face the same problems that have plagued it for some time now.”

MEDIA

Wal-Mart Initiates Training Academy

12 2 MARCH 2016

Paris Scene: Eat, Drink, Shop, ExploreFrom auctions and shops to spas, eateries and exhibitions, there’s no lack of interesting diversions this show season in the City of Light.

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Like a HomeAnna Molinari, founder and designer of Blumarine, said it was time to revamp her little boutique on the grand Avenue Montaigne. “It’s the most beautiful avenue in Paris with so many pretty bou-tiques that have been redone lately — I wanted to make ours new and elegant,” she said of the venue slated to fete its new design with a cocktail party on March 5.

The 3,200-square-foot unit stretching over two floors is mod-eled after a Parisian townhouse, boasting chandeliers by French crystal maker Baccarat next to luscious fauteuils and marble tables set against light gray wooden floors. Among the categories stocked are the brand’s ready-to-wear (includ-ing a selection of styles from Blu-girl, Blumarine’s younger sister), shoes and accessories, jewelry and fragrance as well as pieces from the label’s home goods collection.

As Blumarine strives to modern-ize, the new retail concept will also be applied to the brand’s Monte Carlo unit, scheduled to reopen in April, Molinari revealed, as well as two new stores in Tokyo and Dalian, China, later this year.

The family owned company runs about 63 boutiques around the world, and while Italy remains its largest market, generating 30 percent of total sales, the brand is also growing in Japan, China and Russia, the designer said. — Paulina Szmydke

Blumarine56 Avenue Montaigne, 75008Hours: Monday to Saturday, 10:30

a.m. to 7:30 p.m.Tel.: +33-1-45-61-33-22

The Pause That RefreshesBy the time they get to Paris, most of the fashion flock could use some pampering. For that, there’s Insti-tut Paloma, a recently opened spa in the 8th arrondissement.

The spacious, 1,555-square-foot institute with five treatment rooms offers a full range of services using Babor cosmetics (an exclusive for France) and Molton Brown.

A 90-minute “relaxing” body treatment goes for 170 euros, or $187 at current exchange, and an 80-minute “Derma Cellular” facial runs 140 euros, or $154.

Institut Paloma also offers man-icures, pedicures and waxing. For eyelash extensions, Elodie Raheria is on hand.

Clients’ skin is analyzed before each treatment session with a Babor diagnostic tool, and they are invited to return two weeks later for another reading to gauge progress.

In warmer weather, the sizeable terrace is open to relax and sip detox juice, coffee or tea. — Jennifer Weil

Institut Paloma17 Rue de la Tremoille, 75008Tel.: +33-1-47-20-10-63Hours: Monday to Saturday, 10

a.m. to 7 p.m.

In the BagChristie’s France is hosting its third Sacs & Accessoires auction on March 5.

The sale will spotlight accesso-ries from houses including Hermès, Chanel, Dior and Louis Vuitton. On offer will be unique pieces, special orders and limited editions with prices ranging from 2,000 to 70,000 euros, or $2,220 to $77,722.

Among the collection is an Her-mès Kelly Natura 28 Vert Céladon, made with a traditional process revisited by the house in 2000 that gives a transparent jade hue. Chris-tie’s said it’s believed that there are

less than 10 of these bags made with the special technique, making it one of the rarest Kelly bags in the world. Yet with an estimated price tag of 15,000 to 20,000 euros ($16,655 to $22,206), it might seem reasonable, compared to the Birkin 35 that sold for 108,300 euros ($120,247) last season from the same collection.

The auction also includes a lim-ited-edition Hermès Birkin, part of the So Black collection. No longer in production, the extremely rare alligator bag features a black metal trim instead of the model’s usual gold or silver. It is estimated to fetch between 40,000 and 45,000 euros, or $44,390 or $49,939. — Jan Vincent Gonzales

Sacs & Accessoires, March 5Christie’s Paris9 Avenue Matignon, 75008Tel: +33-1-40-76-85-85

Deliciously GreenForget charcuterie. It’s a vegan, gluten-free and alkaline moment in Paris, and “Entourage” star Adrian Grenier is seizing it.

When the actor came to Paris for the climate summit earlier this winter, he posted a selfie on Insta-gram in PH7 Equilibre, a new vegan eatery on Rue Le Peletier in the Grands Boulevards neighborhood. The caption read: “Found

this great little vegan restaurant in Paris called @ph7equilibre based on balance diet. I need to alkalize!! (Well I guess we all do.)”

Opened by Claudia Zémor, who’s 28, and her mother Murielle, PH7 Equilibre follows the principle that an acid-alkaline balance draws locavores (including employees of Michael Kors and Lacoste, whose offices are nearby). The menu includes “L’Essentielle” and “L’Alcalinisante” salads, at 12 euros and 14 euros, or $13 and $15, respectively. “L’Alcalinisante” contains lentils, polenta, chickpeas, carrots and a spinach-and-cheese gratin. (Vegans can trade the gratin for Indian cauliflower.) There’s a combo for an extra 4 euros with a dessert including panna cotta with coconut milk, carrot cake, choco-late mousse or stewed fruits.

Libations include juices, chai latte and kefir, a homemade fer-mented drink with fruit that keeps the body in the alkaline zone.

Another healthy spot, Wild and the Moon, just opened in the Marais neighborhood on Rue Charlot, next to the Monsieur Lacenaire and Ron Dorff stores. It’s the brainchild of Emma Sawko, who’s already behind the Comptoir 102 concept store in Dubai that stocks labels including Jerome Dreyfuss and Isabel Marant and has a healthy eatery there.

Sawko, who lived in New York, said she was missing juice bars and vegetarian haunts in Dubai and Paris “that are both laid-back and sophisticated.” The 860-square-foot, bright space with plants, seats 35. Its menu includes soup, a choice of salads, such as quinoa, kale and avocado, and dessert. The pear tarte tatin, with no butter or added sugar, is a hit. There’s also a chia pudding with almond milk.

“I don’t believe in detox. I believe in tasty food,” said Sawko, whose dream is to roll out her concept to other locations, making it “the Starbucks of organic food.” In the meantime, Wild and the Moon is the official caterer for Next models this season.

Meanwhile, Angèle Ferreux-Mae-ght, who is 28, is the great-grand-daughter of the late art dealer Aimé Maeght and his wife, Marguerite, has been creating a buzz with La Guinguette d’Angèle, which bills itself as a “detox corner.”

Parisians keep a keen eye on the menu that’s posted every morn-ing on La Guinguette d’Angèle’s Facebook page and line up at its storefront. Take-away options include a salad, soup and a hot dish, including a mix of legumes and cereals, plus vegetables with a pesto sauce and a slice of glu-ten-free bread from Chambelland bakery. There are also açai bowls, juices and matcha lattes.

Ferreux-Maeght has been catering for the likes of Chopard, Jo Malone, Inès de la Fressange and Dior. — Laure Guilbault

PH7 Equilibre21 Rue Le Peletier, 75009Tel.: +33-9-83-87-95-95

CONTINUED ON PG.13

Inside Institut Paloma.

Inside Blumarine’s renovated Paris

flagship

Angèle Ferreux-Maeght

PH7 Equilibre

SylvestreManko Paris

Wild & The Moon

La Guinguette d’Angèle

Christie’s France’s Sacs & Accessoires.

C’Juice

2 MARCH 2016 13

Hours: Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Thursday evening by reser-vation only.

Wild and the Moon55 Rue Charlot, 75003Tel.: +33-9-51-80-22-33Hours: Tuesday to Friday, 8 a.m.

to 7 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

La Guinguette d’Angèle34 Rue Coquillière, 75001Hours: Monday to Friday, and the

first Saturday of each month, 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

All Juiced UpFor a healthy botanical pick-me-up during Paris Fashion Week, try the C’Juice shop, new on the Left Bank, for freshly made cold-pressed juices blending raw fruits and vegetables, enriched with plants.

Founder Claire Courtin-Clarins had a strong belief in the power of plants instilled from a young age by her grandfather Jacques Cour-tin-Clarins, the founder of Groupe Clarins.

The juices’ ingredients — billed to be chockablock with nutri-tional value — are chosen by Claire Courtin-Clarins along with ethnobotanist Jean-Pierre Nicolas and nutritionist Sandrine Billaud. The concoctions are said to have cleansing, purifying and regenerat-ing properties.

The juice bar also offers peda-gogical information about various ingredients in its drinks, such as sage, aloe vera and nettle.

Each of the six juices and the two smoothies in 330-ml. bottles go for 8.50 euros, or $9.35 at current exchange. Every one of the three 30-ml. “shots” of lemon, aloe vera or “dragon ball” are priced at 4.50 euros ($4.95), while various “cures” — such as detox or slimming — com-prises four drinks each from 24 to 28 euros ( $26.45 to $30.85). — J.W.

C’Juice21 Rue du Dragon, 75006Hours: Monday to Saturday, 9

a.m. to 7 p.m.

Peruvian ChicPeru’s most famous chef, Gastón Acurio, opened his first restaurant in Paris, Manko-Paris, in February at 15 Avenue Montaigne, an address that’s already home to the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées and the Mai-son Blanche restaurant.

Acurio’s 10,700-square-foot space has a 100-seat restaurant, a bar and a cabaret.

The ambitious project was the brainchild of Benjamin Patou, a descendant of Jean Patou, who owns Paris’ famous club L’Arc, among other hotspots. He teamed with Acurio and Canadian singer Garou on the new venture. Tony Gomez, a figure of Parisian night-life, was named general manager.

“Paris is definitely one of the most exciting and inspiring cities,” Acurio told WWD.

About opening on the Avenue next to the Plaza Athénée hotel and luxury boutiques, he said: “It is a huge responsibility because it is the chance of putting our Peruvian culture [among] recognized world

brands. It’s a huge opportunity to open a new vision [of] Peruvian experiences.”

Acurio tapped Rubén Escudero, who worked with him in Lima, to head the kitchen.

On the restaurant’s menu are ceviches, such as the Clasico with white fish and sweet potato or the Nikkei with blue fish, avocado, rad-ish, sesame oil and tamarind leche de tigre. There are also anticuchos, Peruvian brochettes and grilled fare, such as black angus with chimichurri sauce and tacu tacu. Desserts include Peruvian choco-late mousse with crunchy quinoa and lucuma ice cream.

There’s a menu at 36 euros, or $40, for lunch and 65 euros ($71) for dinner, excluding drinks, which include variations of the pisco sour cocktail.

Acurio, who said he’s confident Parisians will like Peruvian flavors, plans to open restaurants in San Diego and San Francisco this year. His empire already includes more than 40 locations worldwide. — Laure Guilbault

Manko-Paris15 Avenue Montaigne, 75008Tel.: +33-1-82-28-00-15Hours: Monday to Saturday, 11

a.m. to 2 a.m.; Cabaret open Friday and Saturday, starting at 11 p.m.

China in ParisFor the first time in a decade, Chinese contemporary artists are the focus of an exhibition in France. The Fondation Louis Vuitton is showcasing the works of a dozen young artists alongside masterpieces of well-known artists from China, from its permanent collection. Through a wide array

of media, they demonstrate the complexity and constant transfor-mation of society in the People’s Republic.

The Far East is also highlighted at the Fondation Cartier, where Japanese photographer Daido Mori-yama returned to show his most recent works in color that display Tokyo urban life. There’s also a spe-cially commissioned installation. In the same venue, a Colombian city, Cali, is being examined through the eyes of former photojournalist Fernell Franco. Expressive pictures from 10 series illustrate the muta-tions of this urban environment.

Elsewhere in Paris museums, the Jeu de Paume is offering one of Portugal’s greatest artists, Helena Almeida, a chance to display how painting and photos can relate on canvas. Her works center around the body and gesture.

Also taking place is the first retro-spective in France for photogra-pher François Kollar. It comprises 150 prints, ranging from his con-tributions to fashion magazines in the Thirties to his delicate pictures of industrial life in the Fifties and Sixties.

Activist painter Gérard Froman-ger is the focus of a show at the Centre Pompidou. Grouped by themes, the paintings, drawings, sculptures and a film span the past 50 years and underline his role in France’s May 1968 civil unrest.

The meaning of art history is being questioned at the Grand Palais with a groundbreaking exhibition of 180 works drawn from prestigious museums. From Rembrandt to Annette Messager, it offers an unusual journey through different styles, eras and countries.

Tony Cragg is back with a solo show at the Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac. The self-proclaimed “mate-rialist” has brought 25 new sculp-tures made of steel, wood, bronze and stone, which he layered, spiraled, swerved and twisted into staggering, emotionally charged formations. The show coincides

with the Brit’s solo exhibition at the Hermitage in St. Petersburg. — Anne-Aymone Gheerbrant

“Bentu — Chinese Artists in a Time of Turbulence and Transformation,” through May 2

“A Selection of Chinese Works,” through August 29

Fondation Louis Vuitton8 Avenue du Mahatma Gandhi,

75116Tel.: +33-1-40-69-96-00Hours: Monday, Wednesday and

Thursday, noon to 7 p.m.; Friday, noon to 11 p.m.; Saturday and Sun-day, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

“Daido Moriyama — Daido Tokyo,” through June 5

Fondation Cartier261 Boulevard Raspail, 75014Tel.: +33-1-42-18-56-67Hours: Tuesday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.,

Wednesday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

“Fernell Franco — Cali Clair-Ob-scur,” through June 5

Fondation Cartier261 Boulevard Raspail, 75014Tel.: +33-1-42-18-56-50Hours: Tuesday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.;

Wednesday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

“Helena Almeida — Corpus,” through May 22

“François Kollar — A Working Eye,” through May 22

Jeu de Paume1 Place de la Concorde, 75008Tel.: +33-1-47-03-12-50Hours: Tuesday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.;

Wednesday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

“Gérard Fromanger,” through May 16

Centre PompidouPlace Georges Pompidou, 75004Tel.: +33-1-44-78-12-33Hours: Wednesday to Monday, 11

a.m. to 9 p.m.“Carambolages,” through July 4Grand PalaisGaleries Nationales, Clemenceau

entrance, 75008Tel.: +33-1-44-13-17-17Hours: Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 10

p.m.; Thursday to Monday, 10 a.m.

to 8 p.m.“Tony Cragg — Sculptures,”

through June 30Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac69 Avenue du Général Leclerc,

93500 PantinTel.: +33-1-55-89-01-10Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 10

a.m. to 7 p.m. — P.S.

Star SpangledAfter “Top Chef” judge Jean-François Piège left the Thoumi-eux restaurant and brasserie to open his “Grand Restaurant” this fall, Thierry Costes, Thoumieux co-owner, tapped Sylvestre Wahid to succeed him. The Pakistani-born chef, who worked at Alain Ducasse at the Essex House in New York and won two Michelin stars at Oustau de Baumanière in Les Baux-de-Provence, in the south of France, has made his mark in Paris. He’s one of the winners of the Miche-lin Guide’s 2016 edition, having scooped two Michelin “maca-roons” for the acclaimed restaurant renamed Sylvestre.

Christian Louboutin and Nicolas Sarkozy are among those who have dined there since he took over. The chef also mans the brasserie, which now offers a “brunch royal” on Sundays for 48 euros, or $53.

Other Michelin Guide winners this year include Le Cinq at the George V hotel, Alain Ducasse at the Plaza Athénée — both newcom-ers to the three-star league. With two Michelin stars each are Piège’s Le Grand Restaurant and Mathieu Pacaud’s Histoires and La Réserve’s Le Gabriel. — Laure Guilbaut

Restaurant Sylvestre79 Rue Saint-Dominique, 75007Tel.: +33-1-47-05-79-00Hours: Thursday and Friday,

12:30-2:30 p.m.; Tuesday to Satur-day, 7:30 to 10:30 p.m.

Brasserie Thoumieux79 Rue Saint-Dominique, 75007Tel.: +33-1-47-05-79-00Hours: Monday to Sunday, 12:30

to 2:30 p.m. and 7 to 11:30 p.m.

Paris Scene: Eat,

Drink, Shop, ExploreCONTINUED FROM PAGE 12

Isaac Julien – Ten Thousand Waves, 2010.

Gérard Fromanger – Album Le Rouge, 1968.

Sculpture by Tony Cragg

François Kollar – The Model Muth, Balenciaga, 1930s.

Daido Moriyama – Dog and Mesh Tights, 2014-2015

Zhang Xiaogang – My Ideal, 2003-2008.

Liu Shiyuan – From Happiness to

Whatever, 2015.

Fernell Franco – Series Galladas, 1970.

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ATTEND: KIM MANCUSO, KMANCUSO@WWD.COM, 646.356.4722 SPONSOR: ALEXIS COYLE, ACOYLE@WWD.COM, 646.356.4719

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DIGITAL FORUM LONDONAPRIL 20, 2016 • NEW YORK CITY

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● “The Women of Harper’s Bazaar, 1936-1958” is on view at the Museum at FIT through April 2.

BY ROSEMARY FEITELBERG

In advance of Harper’s Bazaar’s 150th anni-versary next year, the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan is spotlighting the legendary teamwork of editor in chief Carmel Snow, fashion editor Diana Vreeland and photographer Louise Dahl-Wolfe.

A walk-through of the compact exhibition “The Women of Harper’s Bazaar, 1936-1958” reveals their vision and resourcefulness. Orga-nized through the School of Graduate Studies with the Museum at FIT, the show features decades-old magazines, personal notes, video clips and archival designer pieces set against oversize images of the Bazaar shoots the

clothes appeared in.One of the show’s four graduate student

curators, Nancy MacDonell, said, “There was a real richness to the relationship because they worked together for 22 years. That’s ages for a magazine. They knew what each others’ strengths were, and they were different. Diane Vreeland was flamboyant and Louise Dahl-Wolfe was methodical. Carmel Snow was definitely charged. Her nickname around the office was ‘Bossy.’ But everyone respected her and she respected talent.”

The alliance is believed to have started after Snow spotted Vreeland dancing in Chanel at the St. Regis in 1936, and persuaded her to write the “Why Don’t You?” column for Bazaar. “She made a lot of provocative suggestions like, ‘Why don’t you wash your blonde child’s hair in dead Champagne as they do in France?’ or ‘Why don’t you turn your old ermine coat into a bathrobe?’ This was in the middle of the Depression. It was parodied in The New

Yorker,” MacDonell said. “It got Bazaar a lot of attention. That’s what prompted Snow to hire Vreeland to be the fashion editor.”

Snow later “snatched up” Dahl-Wolfe after Dr. Mehmed Fehmy Agha turned her away from Vogue. Once the creative trio was in place, they took to marathon workdays, especially in Europe for the collections, where Snow was all systems-go at 6 a.m., requiring

little sleep and little food. Testimony to that is a 1953 photo of Dahl-Wolfe at the bedside of Snow, who is reviewing contact sheets in her nightgown and pearls. There is also a Life magazine shot of Snow editing pages by laying them out on the floor so that she could see an issue in its entirety.

“Famous for driving the pressman mad,” Dahl-Wolfe relied on copper plates to perfect or reimagine colors, said MacDonnell, adding, “With digital printing now, we don’t even think about how easy it is to change things.”

Art, culture and societal issues were fea-tured in-depth, as evidenced by a 1939 edition on view of Walker Evans’ photos of families living in New York City housing projects or the first-person essay by a maid in that same issue who compared her job to “human slavery.” There were also articles about yoga, becoming a mother for the first time at 40 and political issues.

On view until April 2, the exhibition has a 1942 shot of Vreeland modeling outside of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Rose Pauson House in Phoenix. Vreeland stepped in as model after Bijou Barrington suffered heat stroke in the desert. She had famously once described her job as giving the public “what they never knew they wanted.”

MEDIA

FIT Exhibit Details Carmel Snow Years at Harper’s Bazaar

No RepriseNoomi Rapace, who was among front row guests at Anthony Vaccarello Tuesday afternoon, is still mulling over projects to come after she has wrapped up her role as Maria Callas in an upcoming biopic.

One thing’s for sure — she knows what she will not be working on. The Swedish actress confirmed that contrary to initial plans, she will not star in “Alien: Covenant,” the sequel to Ridley Scott’s 2012 movie “Prometheus.”

Rapace also has no plans to reprise her role as Lisbeth Salander in any potential adap-tation of the controversial fourth volume in the Millennium series, written by David Lagercrantz and published last year.

“I don’t like to repeat myself,” she smiled.

“For me, it’s not written by him,” continued Rapace on a more serious note, referring to Stieg Larsson, who died after completing the third volume in the series. “He wrote three books that came from his heart, and that was it. I have no desire at the moment to [even] read it.”

Rapace was also critical in her appraisal of the lack of diversity in the movie industry, a subject that has come to a head

this awards season.“I do think that a lot of [minori-

ty] actors are not represented at all, and there is a lack of female directors. There are a lot of problems in our business in general, and it comes to light more when it’s awards season because you see it more,” she said.

Further down the front row, Lucky Blue Smith took in the show while in Paris for a shoot to take place on Wednesday, al-though he was keeping mum on the details. The model, actor and musician will then head back to Los Angeles to work on his music with band The Atomics, which he formed with his three sisters.

“Our EP should be out in less than a month, which is excit-ing,” he said. “There’s a heavy bass and drum groove with old surf-inspired guitar. It’s really groovy.” — ALEX WYNNE

Opening NightNo stranger to the world of stage and screen, Jean Paul Gaultier had always dreamed of creating costumes for a cabaret show — a dream that just became reality for the first time. Gaultier has designed the

costumes for a new revue to be staged at Berlin’s Friedrich-stadt-Palast starting in the fall.

“I dreamed of working on a re-vue ever since I was a little boy and I saw the opening night of Les Folies Bergère on my grand-mother’s TV,” said Gaultier. “I got in trouble at school the next day because I was sketching the girls in feathers and fishnets.

“It’s even more of a dream come true that the first revue I am designing the costumes for is in Berlin, the city that defined cabaret in the Twenties,” he continued.

Gaultier turned his hand to creating around 500 different costumes for The One Grand Show’s performers, who num-ber more than 100. His designs are inspired by Berlin and cabaret but feature elements from his own repertoire like the sailor stripe and deconstructed silhouettes.

The One Grand Show, which is described by the theater as a portrayal of “the living diver-sity of the cultural metropolis,” officially debuts on Oct. 6, with previews starting Sept. 22. It is scheduled to run until mid-2018 at the 97-year-old Friedrich-stadt-Palast, the largest theater stage in the world, in Berlin’s Mitte district. — A.W.

Fashion Scoops

Techies Do Read PrintSure, there’s a lot of tech and business in Silicon Valley, but what does one do with all the money — and the free time — that those afford? That’s a problem Anh-Minh Le, editor in chief of the new magazine Silicon Valley, hopes to solve.

The bi-monthly magazine, the latest publication from Modern Luxury, launches in the San Francisco Bay Area this month. According to Modern Luxury vice president and editorial director Beth Weitzman, it will focus on what she sees as an underserved market.

“Silicon Valley made sense as the epicenter and as a leading wealth-generating center in the world,” Weitzman said. “There’s a need in the marketplace to provide our readership with how to live the best life in Silicon Valley. In your free time, where do you eat, what do you do, how do you spend those hard-earned dollars?”

The magazine’s first issue includes a cover story on Palo Alto entrepreneur Tristan Walker, founder of health and beauty brand Walker & Co., and a story on high-tech off-duty devices that Le considers game-chang-ers. It also includes a futuristic photo shoot in San Jose’s city hall, styled by Modern Luxury national fashion director James Aguiar.

Going forward, Le said, the

magazine will use as many local contributors as it can, although at launch, the masthead does share many names with sister publication San Francisco magazine, including publisher Paul J. Reulbach. San Francisco style and design editor Lauren Murrow wrote the cover story, and San Francisco editor in chief Jon Steinberg is credited as group editor of Silicon Valley, among others.

Initial advertisers include Coldwell Banker, Goyard, Sereno Group Real Estate, Gucci, Hugo Boss, Max Mara and the Cosmo-politan Las Vegas. Future issue themes include home design, restaurants, real estate, arts and philanthropy.

A one-time, full-page ad is $6,945.

According to Weitzman, the magazine will be available in newsstands across the U.S. with a controlled mailing in a targeted geographical area in the region to households with income of more than $500,000 a year. The initial circulation is slated at 30,000, while readership is 108,000.

“‘Silicon Valley’ is in line with our Modern Luxury core publications, which focus on high luxury,” Weitzman said. “It’s a universal city.” — MAGHAN MCDOWELL

Taking a TripChanel-owned cashmere house Barrie Knitwear has

tapped photographer Evangelia Kranioti, who scooped the spe-cial prize of the jury at the last Hyères International Fashion and Photography Festival, for a video and photo project.

Greece-born, Paris-based Kranioti impressed the festival’s photography jury, which was presided over by Eric Pfrunder, image director at Chanel, with a film on travels and islands.

The cashmere manufacturer, based in Hawick, Scotland, gave her carte blanche to create a film and a book of photographs.

“Evangelia Kranioti’s photo-graphs convey the clap of the waves, which echo the sound of the weaving looms. But also the dancing clouds, so unpredict-able, mingling with the impec-cable choreography of criss-crossing threads,” wrote author Anne Berest in the introduction to the book featuring the artist’s contemplative images shot in Scotland.

An exhibition of Kranioti’s photographs for Barrie is to be held during the upcoming edition of the Hyères festival, which is scheduled to run from April 21 to 25. The book will be available later this month for Barrie’s wholesalers, clients and the press. It will not be for sale.

The videos, in 1-minute, 50-second and 3-minute, 40-second formats, will go live on the brand’s YouTube channel and its Web site on Wednesday. — LAURE GUILBAULT

Memo Pad

A photograph by Evangelia Kranioti for Barrie Knitwear.

The cover of Modern Luxury’s Silicon Valley.

Lucky Blue Smith

Drawings of the Jean Paul Gaultier costumes for the

One Grand Show.

2 MARCH 2016 15

Model Jean Patchett in Alhambra, Granada Spain

wearing a Givenchy ensemble. Photography by Louise Dahl-Wolfe, color proof,

featured in Harper’s Bazaar, June 1953.