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The Tender Trap NEW YORK — What an elegant party it is — at least, it will be when you show up in a flirty concoction. Designers can’t get enough of girly effects such as pastel colors, gentle frills and ultra-feminine shapes, and they all come together in the season’s party dresses. Here, Oscar de la Renta’s cotton organdy frock with a handkerchief linen appliqué. For more on resort, see pages 6 and 7.

The Future Is Sparkling: Fine Jewelers Foresee 20% Growth in Sales By Marc Karimzadeh

LAS VEGAS — Fine jewelry retailers are anticipating a glittering fourth quarter. After three years of declines, high-end retailers proclaim that luxury spending is on a roll, on the back of a steadily rising stock market and a rosier job picture. Few seem more confident about the comeback than the fine jewelry sector. Perhaps the hardest hit in the past few years, jewelry makers and retailers shopping the Couture Jewellery Collection & Conference in Phoenix and the JCK and JCK Luxury shows here earlier this month claimed it has been a

PHOTO BY THOMAS IANNACCONE

See Jewelry, Page8

WWD, MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2004

Vornado, Sun Capital Eye Mervyn’s By David Moin NEW YORK — Target Corp. wants to sell Mervyn’s as an ongoing business, and the field of suitors is widening, with Vornado Realty Trust and Sun Capital Partners reportedly expressing interest, according to sources. Others previously reported as interested parties include Blackstone Group, which is said to be keen on Mervyn’s real estate, as well as Kohlberg-KravisRoberts and the Apollo Group. For Target, selling off Mervyn’s is tougher than Marshall Field’s. It’s taking longer — bids aren’t reportedly due until mid-July, but they might be postponed, a source close to the situation said. Also, Mervyn’s lacks cachet and has long been considered a candidate for liquidation. While Mervyn’s still spits out a good deal of operating profits, earnings before interest and taxes have been declin-

ing for the past few years. Marshall Field’s, on the other hand, is a nationally recognized nameplate with plenty of room for improvement. The source said that ultimately there could be six bidders for Mervyn’s, primarily private equity firms. Vornado, a real estate investment trust based in Paramus, N.J., is among the largest commercial property holders in the New York metropolitan area. The company has a history of purchasing retail real estate, including the former Alexander’s chain. About two weeks ago, Vornado agreed to purchase a real estate portfolio in California containing 25 supermarkets for $65 million. The properties are all in Southern California and are being purchased from the Newkirk Master Limited Partnership, in which Vornado currently owns a 22.3 percent in-

terest. Vornado is leasing the sites back to Stater Brothers, a regional grocery chain. A spokeswoman for Vornado said she believes the supermarket deal represents Vornado’s first move into California. However, she would not comment on the rumor about Mervyn’s, which is based in Hayward, Calif. Sun Capital, an investment firm that likes to tackle turnaround situations, is based in Boca Raton, Fla. In the past year it bought Musicland from Best Buy as well as Hub Distributing, operators of the Anchor Blue and Levi’s Outlets by M.O.S.T. chains, from the American Retail Group, among other deals. Sun focuses on leveraged buyouts and has invested in more than 60 companies during the past several years. Asked about Mervyn’s, Sun’s co-founder and managing director Rodger R. Krouse said, “We don’t comment on rumors.”

Gap Taking Aim at H&M? By David Moin and Kristin Young NEW YORK — Gap Inc. is reportedly seeking a growth vehicle and could be developing a new division to target a trendier audience. One source said Gap is developing a chain, said to be codenamed D-Fifty, that would target Hennes & Mauritz with cheap and chic styles. The company is said to be working with the architectural firm Rockwell Group to develop the format. Rockwell declined comment. “They’ve been talking about it for a while,” said a source familiar with the company. “They’re trying to figure it out to get some growth, and to get the stock up. But creating a fast-fashion format requires fast-fashion merchants. I don’t think it’s in the Gap DNA now. You’ve got to have a merchant with a vision.” Paul Pressler, who as Gap’s chief executive has overseen a turnaround in the company’s fortunes, said in May that it was considering multiple opportunities for growth. One area of focused

attention is how to obtain growth within the value sector, the ceo said. Other considerations involve reviewing key customer demographics that are not currently served by the present offerings by each of the three brands. In the past, Pressler had identified the over-35 demographic as a potential group target. “We’re obviously looking at a lot of new opportunities for growth,” said Stacy MacLean, a spokeswoman for Gap Inc. “We’re definitely exploring areas. But we haven’t made any announcements beyond that. They may come in the form of international expansion, or a new brand is a possibility. But right now, we’re very focused on organic growth — just growing the existing brands.” Adrienne Tenant, a retail analyst at Wedbush Morgan Securities in Los Angeles, said rumors have been surfacing about Gap’s hunt for acquisitions. “At one time, they were thought to be acquiring Arden B.,” the contemporary division of Wet Seal, she said. “But that never materialized.” Marsha Jong, an analyst with

the Los Angeles office of Sanders Morris Harris, said, “I’ve heard [Gap] was interested in doing something older — the Baby Boomer customer,” she said. “I’ve also heard they would do something separate for accessories. I’ve heard many different things.” Jong questioned whether Wall Street would accept a cheap chic fashion chain from Gap. “It’s not like it’s been something that they’ve been doing in existing stores and branching out into its own concept,” she said. “This is a completely different segment. However, the company has a broad customer base with a strong portfolio targeting babies all the way up to the Banana Republic customer. They could leverage that experience to target another customer base.” Shares of Gap have consistently outperformed the S&P 500. Recent trades have been around $25, near the top of its 52week high, though investors don’t consider it a growth stock, in the class of Urban Outfitters. A new division, or an acquisition, could change the outlook.

WWDMONDAY Accessories/Innerwear/Legwear

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GENERAL Jewelry makers and retailers shopping two key trade shows in Phoenix and Las Vegas said business is back and looking strong for holiday. Vornado Realty Trust and Sun Capital Partners are eyeing Mervyn’s, which Target Corp. has on the block. Gap Inc. is reportedly seeking a growth vehicle and could be developing a new division to target a trendier audience. Michael Kors Inc. has just signed a multiyear worldwide licensing deal with Warnaco Swim to create swimwear lines that will bow for cruise 2006. New York’s SoHo, once an artsy area, was malled in the Nineties, fell on hard times after 9/11, and is now being boosted by Bloomingdale’s. FASHION: Designers are saying it with a wink and a nod this season, getting flirty with chiffon flounces, lace trims in hues from hushed pinks to sexy reds. ACCESSORIES: While two actresses wearing the same dress is the ultimate fashion faux pas, the same apparently can’t be said for diamonds. INNERWEAR: Doing business amid terrorism and armed conflict has changed the business rules for Israeli manufacturers. EYE: Talking shop with Nina Griscom and Antony Todd in their Southampton gift boutique...And with Ria Browne at her shop at the Sunset Beach Hotel.

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To e-mail reporters and editors at WWD, the address is [email protected], using the individual’s name. WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF FAIRCHILD PUBLICATIONS, INC. COPYRIGHT ©2004 FAIRCHILD PUBLICATIONS, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. VOLUME 187, NO. 128. WWD (ISSN # 0149-5380) is published daily except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, with one additional issue in January, May, June and November; two additional issues in February, April, September, October and December; and three additional issues in March and August, by Fairchild Publications, Inc., a subsidiary of Advance Publications, Inc. PRINCIPAL OFFICE: 7 West 34th Street, New York, NY 10001. Shared Services provided by Advance Magazine Publishers Inc.: S.I. Newhouse, Jr., Chairman; Steven T. Florio, Vice Chairman; Charles H. Townsend, C.O.O.; John W. Bellando, Executive Vice-President and C.F.O.; Jill Bright, Executive Vice-President_Human Resources; John Buese, Executive Vice-President_ Chief Information Officer; David Orlin, Senior Vice-President_Strategic Sourcing; Robert Bennis, Senior Vice-President_Real Estate; David B. Chemidlin, Senior VicePresident_General Manager, Advance Magazine Group Shared Services Center. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and at additional mailing offices. Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40032712. Canadian Goods and Services Tax Registration No. 88654-9096-RM0001. Canada post return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: 4960-2 Walker Road, Windsor, ON N9A 6J3. POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY, P.O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA 91615-5008. FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS, ADDRESS CHANGES, ADJUSTMENTS, OR BACK ISSUE INQUIRIES: Please write to WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY, P.O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA 91615-5008; Call 800-289-0273; or visit www.subnow.com/wd . Four weeks is required for change of address. Please give both new and old address as printed on most recent label. First copy of new subscription will be mailed within four weeks after receipt of order. Address all editorial, business, and production correspondence to WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY, 7 West 34th Street, New York, NY 10001. For permissions and reprint requests, please call 212-221-9595 or fax requests to 212-221-9195. Visit us online: www.wwd.com. To subscribe to other Fairchild magazines on the World Wide Web, visit www.fairchildpub.com. Occasionally, we make our subscriber list available to carefully screened companies that offer products and services that we believe would interest our readers. If you do not want to receive these offers and/or information, please advise us at P.O. Box 15008, North Hollywood, CA 91615-5008 or call 800-289-0273. WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR LOSS, DAMAGE, OR ANY OTHER INJURY TO UNSOLICITED MANUSCRIPTS, UNSOLICITED ART WORK (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DRAWINGS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND TRANSPARENCIES), OR ANY OTHER UNSOLICITED MATERIALS. THOSE SUBMITTING MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, ART WORK, OR OTHER MATERIALS FOR CONSIDERATION SHOULD NOT SEND ORIGINALS, UNLESS SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED TO DO SO BY WWD IN WRITING. MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND OTHER MATERIALS SUBMITTED MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY A SELF-ADDRESSED OVERNIGHT-DELIVERY RETURN ENVELOPE, POSTAGE PREPAID.

COMING THIS WEEK

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MONDAY: Fashion Shoe Bologna, Bologna, Italy (through Wednesday). WEDNESDAY: Pulse show, Chicago (through Friday). THURSDAY: Hong Kong Jewelry & Watch Fair and Asia’s Fashion Jewelry & Accessories Fair (through Sunday). Nike Inc. reports on sales and earnings for the fourth quarter and year. FRIDAY: Sposa Italia bridal and formalwear fair, Milan (through June 28).

Kors, Warnaco Sign Swim Deal In Brief By Melanie Kletter NEW YORK — Although Michael Kors for years has shown a selection of swimwear looks as part of his ready-to-wear collection, the designer is now diving full force into the business for cruise 2006. Michael Kors Inc. has just inked a multiyear worldwide licensing deal with Warnaco Swim, formerly Authentic Fitness, which will make, distribute and market swimwear and related accessories and coverups under the Michael Kors and the better-priced Michael Michael Kors brand names. Warnaco Swim is a division of Warnaco Group Inc., the $1.37 billion diversified apparel firm. “Now it’s part of the cake, instead of just the icing,” said

Michael Kors Friday. “I always think of swim as a ready-to-wear wardrobe. It’s kind of an extension of evening clothes. I like playing around with a gown and relating it to swimwear.” Describing how he envisions the line, Kors said, “Just as with ready-to-wear, you do soup to nuts, casual to urban to glamorous at night. With swimwear, you get to explore. Not everything that’s a swimsuit is meant to do Olympic diving in. There are bathing suits to wear to lunch, or on a boat, or to a party. With the right partner, we will be able to do all these things.” Swimwear is the latest category for the rapidly expanding Kors brand, which has sales of about $100 million at retail. The new Michael Michael Kors apparel and accessories line will

hit stores in August. The Kors licensing stable continues to grow and now includes watches, eyewear, belts, footwear and fragrance. The company, a division of Sportswear Holdings Ltd., is also opening stores, including a second collection unit in Beverly Hills slated to bow in the fall. Warnaco, meanwhile, has been steadily building up its swim business. The company distributes Speedo in North America, owns Anne Cole and Cole of California and Catalina and also produces swimwear under license for Nautica. At the Miami Swim Show next month, Warnaco will debut swimwear for Choice, the new junior brand from Calvin Klein, as well as new divisions for Speedo, including a fashion-forward line called Speedo Platinum.

● JONES, MAXWELL MAKE A DEAL: The shoe may at last be on the other foot, as Jones Apparel and Maxwell Shoe Co. finally penned a definitive merger agreement after months of acrimonious battles. Under the $346 million deal, Jones will acquire all outstanding shares of Maxwell for $23.35 per share, well above the $20 initially offered in February. Takeover talks had been bitter for months, with Jones asking Maxwell shareholders to replace its board with Jones-nominated candidates. But the tone changed after Jones boosted its bid, and now Maxwell’s board of directors is unanimously approving the deal and encouraging stockholders to tender their shares. The deal would add Maxwell brands, including AK Anne Klein, Mootsies Tootsies and Sam & Libby, to Jones Apparel’s extensive footwear, apparel and accessories line. ●

MONTBLANC AWARD: Montblanc will present filmmaker Caroline Baron with the Montblanc de la Culture award during a reception at the Four Seasons Restaurant in New York on Wednesday. She is being recognized for her work founding FilmAid International, a nonprofit organization that brings educational and entertaining films to refugee camps. The group also teaches refugee youths camera and editing skills so they can produce their own films and documentaries. Montblanc established the prize in 1992 to honor contributors to arts and culture. Past winners include Tony Randall, Susan Sontag and Russell Simmons.

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WWD, MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2004

SoHo Begins to See a Retai By Sharon Edelson NEW YORK — On a recent sunny day, crowds swarm lower Broadway, a virtual mall with stores like Banana Republic, Old Navy, Skechers, Club Monaco and the new Bloomingdale’s. There’s barely an empty table at Jerry’s, the neighborhood canteen on Prince Street, and the scene inside the nearby Apple Computer store looks like the opening day of a museum exhibition, with clusters of people milling around admiring the state-ofthe-art merchandise. But look a little closer and you’ll see empty stores with “For Rent” signs in the windows along West Broadway and SoHo side streets such as Wooster, Spring and Broadway — about 35 at last count — breaking the continuity for window shoppers. It’s just one of the dichotomies of SoHo, the iconic neighborhood that became known for its art galleries in the Eighties and commercial activity in the Nineties, then fell on hard times after the terrorist attacks of Sept 11, 2001. Just 1 1/2 miles from the site of the World Trade Center, SoHo was hurt by a confluence of negative events, including its proximity to the disaster, the economic downturn and a decline in tourism. Other parts of the city recovered more quickly from the city’s 2 1/2-year recession, which included multibillion dollar budget deficits and a decline in tax revenues. But now SoHo seems to be slowly making its way back. In recent weeks, the pace of lease signings has picked up, a testament to the area’s lasting appeal and ability to transform itself time after time. Real estate brokers and landlords are buzzing that SoHo is improving. There’s no denying the streets — especially when the weather is good — have an energy that hasn’t been seen for some time. But the idea of a complete recovery may be a little premature. “SoHo is starting to turn around,” said Bruce Sinder, president of Sinvin Realty. “Landlords are getting more reasonable with their prices. Rents really got ahead of themselves just prior to 9/11, and it’s taken them a while to come down.” Bloomingdale’s on Broadway, where rents range from $125 to $150 a square foot, has given the area a shot of adrenaline, even if store owners debate its impact on their businesses. Mitchell Moss, the Wright Professor of Urban Planning and Architecture at New York University, sees Bloomingdale’s as a magnet, bringing people further west and south. At the height of the market in 2000 and most of 2001, asking prices for prime retail space notched up to $300 to $350 a square foot. Rents today are down 25 to 30 percent, according to Caroline Banker, a broker at Douglas Elliman. “SoHo had been overheating,” she said. “Rents were way out of proportion. It took a long time for landlords to get to this point. The vacant spaces are being absorbed.” West Broadway has more vacancies than other streets, partly because landlords have been reluctant to lower rents. “West Broadway has some of the most foolish, shortsighted property owners,” said Moss. “It’s in free fall. It’s gone from art galleries to retail paralysis. All the energy has been drained from West Broadway.” Marc Bagutta, who operated a 3,200-square-foot multidesigner store on West Broadway for 16 years, moved his business to Greene Street last August after his rent increased to $32,000 a month from $21,000. “We only survived after 9/11 because of our regular clientele,” said Bagutta. “We barely stayed alive.” The space on West Broadway sat idle for almost a year and was just recently leased to Links of London. Meanwhile, the 8,000-square-foot Bagutta Life at 72-76 Greene Street is on track to do $5 million in sales this year, with designers such as John Galliano, Christian Dior, Roberto Cavalli and Alexander McQueen, among others. Lately there’s been some action on West Broadway. British fashion retailer Reiss recently signed a lease to open a 5,100-square-foot flagship at number 387, and the Elie Tahari Company plans to open a 3,200-squarefoot store in July at number 317. Tahari wants to reach out to an international audience. “Every tourist visits SoHo, and if we don’t have a store there they may miss us completely,” said the designer, who expects the unit to generate $6 million in sales in its first year. “SoHo is on their itinerary. Every guide book has a map of SoHo.” Several other overseas tenants have picked SoHo for their entry into the U.S. or New York market. In addition to Reiss, Nigo, a 33-year-old Japanese designer, chose 91 Greene Street for the debut of his Bathing Ape store in the fall. G Star Raw, the Netherlands-based denim manufacturer, is opening its first U.S. unit at 63 Prince Street, and Von Dutch is reportedly close to signing a lease in the neighborhood. SoHo has also become a place to introduce new concepts. A Calvin Klein Underwear store at 104 Prince Street was the first of its kind when it opened. LF at 149 Spring Street is the California company’s first store here, and Garrard, the London jeweler, is making its statement on the third floor at 133 Spring Street. “We get young people who are drawn to the music and entertainment industries because of the styling and designer Jade Jagger’s background,” said Robert Donofrio, president of Garrard USA. SoHo always seems to have the last word. Just when the neighborhood appears to be in the midst of a downward spiral — as it was in the early Eighties, when stores selling T-shirts and other inexpensive trinkets invaded West Broadway — it somehow reinvents itself. “SoHo always changes, and it always will,” said Winka Dubbeldam, a principal of Archi-Tectonics here and professor of architecture at the University of Pennsylvania. “Its constant renewal and capacity to adapt itself to different things is typical of New York City.” Moss said, “It’s got shops, a mix of housing and a fabulous pedestrian feel. It’s also very accessible by public transportation. It’s such an easy place to consume.” Retailers agree. “SoHo is now going through another wave,” said Alexis

tourist visits SoHo, and “if weEvery don’t have a store there they may miss us completely. ”

— Elie Tahari

Chanel is among the wave of luxury retailers that has moved into SoHo.

WWD, MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2004

The Garrard salon at 133 Spring Street. Bittar, who opened his first jewelry store on Broome Street this year. “It still attracts a huge cross section of customers, from sophisticated people with money to spend to American and Japanese tourists. The rents have come down somewhat since 9/11. It’s a great opportunity right now.” In the mid-Eighties, SoHo was the chic epicenter of the art world, with dealers such as Mary Boone firing up the market with young stars like Julian Schnabel, Eric Fischl and David Salle. But in 1987 the stock market crashed and the party ended. By the time things stabilized around 1994, SoHo was being rediscovered by national chains. Local residents and retailers bemoaned the arrival of Swatch, Sunglass Hut, Vitamin Shoppe and J. Crew, complaining that the neighborhood would lose its quaint and quirky character. A clear sign that things were changing came in 1998 when Comme des Garçons’ designer Rei Kawakubo —a retail innovator who catered to the art community when she arrived in 1983 — moved to Chelsea, along with an early wave of art dealers. “There was a whole different fabric down here,” she said at the time. “The opening of our store on Wooster Street definitely represented a pioneering spirit.” But as Kawakubo moved out, luxury brands such as Prada, Bottega Veneta, Chanel, Ferragamo and Burberry gradually moved in to ply $1,500 bags and $400 shoes. Cartier, Yves Saint Laurent, Ermenegildo Zegna and Movado also signed leases but either occupied their spaces only briefly or never moved in. H. Stern, which was constructing a building on the corner of Mercer and Prince Streets, never opened. Balthazar, which opened in 1997, has weathered SoHo’s various fortunes well. “Balthazar today is busier than ever,” said restaurateur Keith McNally, referring to the Spring Street eatery. “Bloomingdale’s has had a slight impact, but much more of an impact has been the recent rejuvenation of SoHo.” While business in SoHo can be dependent on the weather, Olive & Bette’s on Spring Street is a phenomenon, packed with young shoppers buying T-shirts by Free People and Sanctuary or Tamara Henriques’ colorful rubber boots, rain or shine. More than 1,200 people can pass through the store on any given Saturday, said its owner, Stacey Pecor, who added a second cash register to keep up with the volume. “We’re on track to do 52 percent more business than last year, and we had a great year last year,” Pecor said. Tourists are out in force on the weekends — good for Bloomingdale’s, but not great for high-end fashion-driven stores. “I don’t think Bloomingdale’s has anything to do with SoHo,” said Bagutta. “The Broadway customer is a completely different customer that spends $300 max.” Beth Buccini, a co-owner of Kirna Zabête, which carries Balenciaga, Matthew Williamson and Clements Ribeiro, among others, said, “Some Bloomingdale’s customers have come in and been shocked at our prices. They say, ‘Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, $600 for a pair of pants!’” Popular-priced players are pounding Broadway’s pavement. Spanish retailer Mango is reportedly considering a site directly across from Bloomingdale’s, which would be the company’s first foray to the U.S. Susan Kurland, a broker at Cushman and Wakefield, who represents Mango, hopes the retailer moves quickly. “There aren’t a lot of vacancies, and things are going fast. You can make a deal between $125 and $150 a square foot,” she said, sounding a like a used car salesman. “SoHo is cyclical,” said Elliot Resnick, a broker at Newmark/New Spectrum. “It definitely has had its ups and downs. It’s on its way up — but it has some way to go.”

PHOTOS BY THOMAS IANNACCONE

il Rebound

A Broadway Hit By David Moin NEW YORK — Bloomingdale’s SoHo has been on a sweet ride. According to sources, expectations for first-year volume now exceed $50 million, compared with a preopening forecast of $45 million, and productivity is close to $600 in sales per square foot, compared with $500 initially forecast. “We are pleased beyond belief with our start,” said Michael Gould, Bloomingdale’s chairman and chief executive. Besides basking in the numbers and the positive feedback from suppliers and consumers, Gould sees the SoHo store as a vindication of a three-year-old chainwide strategy focusing on more upscale brands, less widely distributed labels, crisper editing and reduced clutter. The Bloomingdale’s on San Francisco’s Market Street, seen opening in fall 2006, will adopt many of the elements of the SoHo store, including an assortment skewed to contemporary and bridge fashions and an ambience shaped more by Bloomingdale’s decor and personality than by vendor shops. San Francisco will be the chain’s largest branch with 270,000 square feet for selling. Other locations modeled after SoHo are expected to be smaller than that store, which has 79,000 square feet of selling, to keep costs down and because some could be in smaller cities, such as Miami, or in markets with less demand for trendier apparel, such as Boston. While the company also is said to be considering Los Angeles, no locations have been announced. “People who have been very critical of department stores for not getting out of the [old-style] business said this is clearly out-ofthe-box thinking,” Gould said. “There is no question this concept, in a little different configuration of square footage, could play elsewhere in the country.’’ “Bloomingdale’s is dynamic in its approach to a SoHo customer,” said Walter Loeb, the retail analyst. “It’s innovative, welledited, with a great assortment that reflects the taste of young people — a little more advanced, trendy and there’s a blaze of color in all departments.” That’s not to say all is perfect. As Loeb noted, “This is a very difficult store to operate at the high velocity it’s been at.” Located at 504 Broadway in a 142-year-old red brick loft, “There is no regular receiving platform. You have to stage [merchandise] in the sub-basement and expedite it upstairs. With the constraint of space and with the level of business being done, it’s tough to get the stuff out to the floors. That’s part of the challenge of running an old building. It’s unusually labor- and service-intensive.” Loeb also cautioned not to read too much into the first several months of business since the April 24 opening. “You have to go through a couple of seasons,” before judging a store fairly, he said. Shoppers have to travel six floors to see all the merchandise, whereas most stores in SoHo have one or two levels, and a few departments, such as men’s wear and gifts, seem underspaced. “One of our great concerns was whether we could get people up to the fifth floor. But we’ve been blown away by that,” Gould said. “Theory, one of our most important resources on the top floor, has been doubling its plan. People find the store comfortable. There’s an energy that pulls you through.” There are no products displayed in the aisles potentially clogging traffic, and there’s a “narrowness to each floor,” Gould said, compared to a cavernous flagship. “It enables you to see all the products.” For the immediate future, “We’re not moving anything around,” Gould said. “We are just going to let it sit for a while to see what evolves. There is no question this is a success, from an architectural, artistic and assortment point of view. The only thing left up in the air is: How do you tweak this to play around the country?” Bloomingdale’s SoHo is selling more of the Young East Sider contemporary category than any other store in the chain, except for the flagship. Outside 59th Street, SoHo also is tracking as the top branch for men’s designer sportswear, the top cosmetics branch and the number-three branch for handbags and fashion accessories. There has been some print advertising, no TV ads and no direct mail to speak of, Gould said. “Word of mouth has been unbelievable.” Among the best-selling lines he cited were Juicy Couture, Theory, MAC, Bobbie Brown, Creme de la Mer, Jo Malone, Trish McEvoy, Laura Mercier, Lancôme and Jack Spade. Premium denim has also been strong. Bloomingdale’s SoHo is pursuing more frequent, though smaller, deliveries of the latest fashions for better turns and fewer markdowns. Potential price promotions remain a

concern for designer and multibrand specialty shops nearby, since many sell the same products as Bloomingdale’s. “Bloomingdale’s will probably be very kindly with markdowns in order to always be on the leading edge with new merchandise,” Loeb said. “It will not be like uptown. It will be a disciplined approach.” Arnold Aronson, managing director of retail strategies at Kurt Salmon Associates, said the store’s markdown cadence can be more like the single-brand specialty stores in SoHo. A reduced sale-price promotional strategy can preserve gross margins and a better store image, Aronson said. He sees Bloomingdale’s SoHo operating with a “very fresh and very quick merchandise flow relevant to the marketplace and in quantities to satisfy the area’s demand.” It’s also less promotional since home furnishings, a promotional business to start with, are limited at the SoHo store, Aronson noted. Markdowns at the store surfaced around Memorial Day but were restricted to some spring goods, not fall goods, Gould stressed. “We’re not going to do big events in SoHo. We will be no different from a fine specialty store, if we have merchandise to clear. We know we need to do things, but we’re taking a much smaller approach to the way we clear goods.” Sigerson Morrison sells six handbag styles to Bloomingdale’s SoHo, compared with the 35 or so in its NoLIta shop, and its diffusion shoe line. Markdowns at Bloomingdale’s could happen a week ahead of Sigerson Morrison markdowns, said Barbara Parisotto, director of

Bloomingdale’s in SoHo.

public relations for the brand. “But in general, the price is the same. It’s pre-discussed. We suggest a retail price and they stick to it, though they have to do what they have to do. All department stores have this. I don’t think it is going to hurt us.” Having a limited selection in Bloomingdale’s, even with the markdowns, generates interest in the brand. “Bloomingdale’s has attracted a lot of tourists down here. We definitely see a lot people in our store with Bloomingdale’s bags.” Other stores feel the impact of their big new neighbor. At Guess, which sells Marciano suits to Bloomingdale’s SoHo, but not Guess sportswear, traffic went up at least 20 percent,” since Bloomingdale’s opened, said a manager at Guess, 537 Broadway. “Everyone is asking where Bloomingdale’s is.” Robin Marino, president of Kate Spade, which operates Jack Spade at 56 Greene Street and Kate Spade at 454 Broome Street and sells both brands to Bloomingdale’s downtown, said, “We share many retail markets with Bloomingdale’s and never had any issues. We think it’s had great impact on traffic in SoHo.” She said the Kate Spade store is up 35 percent since Bloomingdale’s debuted. Asked how Bloomingdale’s markdowns could affect her stores, she said, “I don’t get involved in pricing issues with any stores we do business with.” Aside from traffic, rents are up in SoHo as well — by 10 percent to an average of $175 to $200 a square foot between Broome and Houston Streets along Broadway, since Bloomingdale’s announced its SoHo site in fall 2002, said Laura Pomerantz, co-principal, PBS Realty Advisors LLC. “Rents can still go higher by virtue of Bloomingdale’s. It’s a proven entity downtown,” Pomerantz said.

5

6

WWD, MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2004

Flirtation Walk NEW YORK — When in doubt, say it with a wink and a coquettish smile. In fashion terms, that parlays into a definite flirty appeal — chiffon flounces, lace trims and colors that swing from hushed pastels to deeper hues.

Oscar de la Renta’s beaded silk chiffon dress.

Valentino’s cotton tweed jacket and silk dress.

Rena Lange’s lace-trimmed cotton tweed suit.

WWD, MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2004

7

Rena Lange’s silk chiffon dress.

Nina Ricci’s silk and cashmere sweater over a silk chiffon shirt and ruffled shorts.

PHOTOS BY JOHN AQUINO, THOMAS IANNACCONE AND DAVID TURNER

Nina Ricci’s embroidered silk chiffon and tulle dress and scarf.

Valentino’s silk satin dress and embroidered belt.

8

WWD, MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2004

Fine Jewelry Report

Jewelry Strikes Continued from page one strong year for fine jewelry sales so far, and they expect business — particularly with high-ticket precious pieces — to positively roar in the fourth quarter and beyond, if the upward economic trend continues. And it’s not just diamonds. While traditional diamond jewelry still accounts for the lion’s share of many retailers’ businesses, fashionable designs mixing precious and semiprecious stones are increasingly popular, particularly with the self-purchase customer. Pearls, long considered conservative and dowdy, are also making a fashion statement and are often coupled with gold and diamonds. “It is a time for jewelry,” said Melissa Geiser, fine jewelry buyer at Stanley Korshak in Dallas. “You are seeing it on the runway now. We had such a minimal time [in the Nineties], but now it’s come full circle. I have talked so many people into small earrings in the early Nineties — now I am going to be talking them into big ones.” Despite ongoing turmoil in the Middle East and the upcoming presidential election, both of which could impact the economy, many retailers project over 20 percent growth in fourth-quarter sales, and they’re planning the season accordingly. Total jewelry and watch sales in the U.S. are estimated to have been $43.56 billion in 2003, according to 2 Degrees Freedom Ltd., a London-based marketing and research consultancy that began tracking jewelry sales last year. According to the Commerce Department, 2002 jewelry and watch sales were $42.3 billion in the U.S., and the department predicts 2004 sales of $48.3 billion. “The jewelry business is very strong and healthy, and definitely driven by the high end,” said Thomas Blumenthal, president and chief executive officer of West Coast jeweler Gearys Beverly Hills. “It’s been the major purchases that have been the incremental business this year.” Nidhi Handa, director of stores at Boston jeweler Alpha Omega, said, “In general, our business is on the upswing. Diamonds are a huge part of our business…as far as engagement rings and wedding bands, but also self-purchases. We are really seeing traditional pieces still accounting for a major part of the sales; however, our fashion jewelry sales have been continuously increasing.” Whereas pricing at retail was an issue in the past two years, and customers were increasingly turning to the Internet (and even Wal-Mart) to find better deals for diamond jewelry, buyers noted that the free-spending customer is back in stores — and spending on high-ticket pieces. “The customer is spending again,” said Geiser at Stanley Korshak. “Last August, I was walking into the marketplace asking for less-expensive prices from everybody, but this year, it didn’t matter. Last spring and last fall, we saw a strong designer jewelry business, and now that business is soft, and fine jewelry is trending up.” Robert Mednikow, ceo of Mednikow Jewelers in Memphis, explained that customers are willing to spend more again on the quality and service that local jewelers can offer — and that’s often missing with online jewelers. “What is fueling the sales now are quality, design and serv-

Above: Leslie Greene’s 18-karat white gold and diamond pendant. Left: Temple St. Clair’s 18-karat gold, green tourmaline and diamond ring.

PHOTOS BY JASON MILLSTEIN AND ROBERT MITRA

John Hardy’s 18-karat yellow gold, shell, sapphire and diamond and white gold, shell, moonstone, tanzanite and diamond rings.

WWD, MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2004

9

Back ice, much more so than price only,” Mednikow said. “The customer is getting more educated, because the jewelers have learned how to compete against the Internet and can offer service and the same price as the Internet.” There are a few clouds in the sky, however. Expressing concern about the ongoing weakness of the dollar against currencies such as the euro, many U.S. buyers conceded they carefully considered purchases from vendors abroad, often sourcing locally or turning to those European jewelry makers willing to keep prices in check and take a cut in margins at their end. “I sensed the European manufacturers adjusted prices because they hadn’t seen that much business in Basel [Switzerland],” said Richard D. Eiseman, president and ceo of Dallas-based jewelry retailer Eiseman Jewels. ”We saw more flexibility. I didn’t want to buy and present our clients pieces that had the weakness of the dollar included in the price, because then we can’t give our clients value. We were very careful on our European purchases.” Jim Rosenheim, owner of the Tiny Jewel Box store in Washington, noted: “It’s more expensive to get merchandise [from Europe now], and that will affect [our] judgment. We still buy strongly in the European market, but we are being quite careful. The Europeans who are not making compromises and adjusting their prices will find this to be a tougher year. But we are looking at domestic production and finding some strong domestic companies we are happy with.” Among the key trends at Couture and JCK: ● Pearls, from South Sea to Tahitian and keshis, often mixed with 18-karat gold and diamonds. ● Long linear stiletto or button earrings. ● Open-work bubble-like circular shapes for earrings, necklaces and bracelets. ● Fancy briolette sapphires, dangling from rings, pendants and watches. ● Tactile rings and bracelets that rattle when shaken. ● Swirly, vine-like tattoo motifs. ● Color in metals and stones, from yellow gold to pink and yellow sapphires and semiprecious stones in all available hues and often used for one piece. ● Cabochon moonstones in a variety of colors, from gray to chocolate brown, green, peach and black.

Orlando Orlandini’s 18-karat yellow gold and black Tahitian pearl necklace.

Doris Panos’ 18-karat white gold, vixen aqua and diamond bangle.

“For us, the strength of color is continuing,” said Sue Ann Newberg, vice president and divisional merchandise manager at Saks Fifth Avenue. “Big, bold color in stones will continue for fall, like those we have seen from Rodney Rayner. We still feel strongly that for fall it will be a range of pinks and greens, from pink tourmaline to morganite, and greens, from aqua to peridots. In pearls, it’s pinks and peaches.” Pearls, long shunned in favor of other precious stones, were a prominent feature with many exhibitors. But whereas in the past, designers offered pearls in traditional strands, now they are using them as an accent to jewelry pieces, mixing them with gold and diamonds and other precious stones, including Mikimoto, Prince Dimitri for Assael and Mimi. Others integrated shells into their fine jewelAntonini’s 18-karat ry pieces, including John Hardy, which white gold, ceylon launched the Cinta Shell collection, sapphire and featuring shells from Indonesian waters diamond earrings. cut into bold rings set with precious and semi-precious stones. Each piece is a one of a kind, and prices range from $2,000 to $15,000. “Pearls will be the fashion statement for the season,” said Aida Alvarez, vice president of merchandising at jewelry chain Mayors Jewelers. “They are hot everywhere, in every classification, combined with precious gems and diamonds.” Newberg at Saks concurred: “The pearl business will be very important. Designers are having fun with pearls, particularly with colored pearls and freshwater pearls like those at Mimi. Before, this was at the low end, but now it’s at the fine jewelry level. It plays into the ladylike, Miss Manners trend.” Tim Greve, president of Carl Greve & Jewelers in Portland, Ore., explained: “Pearls are now a design feature rather than the central focus of the piece. Perhaps it’s one of those cases where the industry is a bit ahead of the public, though. The industry is having fun designing with them; now it’s our responsibly to teach [customers] how to wear them, or else we will sit on a pearls inventory.” Many buyers praised David Yurman for his pearls collection, which he had previewed at Baselworld and showcased at Couture and JCK. The collection features necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings made with fine South Sea pearls and combined with 18-karat gold, silver and diamonds. There are also one-of-a-kind pieces. Prices range from $1,000 to as much as $250,000. Continued on page 10

Rodney Rayner’s 18-karat yellow gold rings with moonstone, yellow and orange sapphire, and pink sapphire, diamond and cabochon rubellites.

10

WWD, MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2004

Fine Jewelry

Jewelry Grabs the Spotlight

Faraone Mennella’s 18-karat gold, lime citrine and diamond necklace. Right: Henry Dunay’s 18-karat gold carved coral and diamond tassel necklace. Anthony Nak’s 18-karat yellow gold, blue topaz, lemon citrine and mint ice quartz earrings.

being among her favorite collections, but she also Continued from page 9 “By translating his yellow gold collection into pearls, lauded Stefan Hafner for Bernard Grosz, Antonini, David Yurman reached a new pinnacle,” said Sande Stephen Webster and Orlando Orlandini. Finkel, director of marketing and advertising for London It wouldn’t be a proper jewelry buying season without Jewelers, adding that other top lines include Stephen a slew of grand galas, parties and awards ceremonies. Webster, H2 at Hammerman, Di Modolo and Meyers, a Now in its 10th year, the annual Couture Design Awards watch collection featuring an interchangeable bezel set Gala honored founder and VNU Jewelry Group’s group with dangling sapphires, emeralds or rubies. “I loved and brand director, Nancy Robey, with a Lifetime Achievement Award. bought pieces that were tactile, movable and danAlso honored were Hyde Park Jewelers of Phoenix, gling…wearable pieces of art,” said Finkel. which picked up the newly Earrings continue to be a key classification, created Retail Design though chandelier styles are on the Award; Penny Preville, wane, replaced by a sleeker who won the Outstanding stiletto design. With ladylike looks expected to top sales Achievement in Advertising Award, and first-time this fall, many jewelry designers brought back the Couture exhibitor Erica button earring. “The long Courtney, who took home earring will still be strong the Outstanding AchieveDavid Yurman’s for fall, but I feel we will see ment in Marketing/Public RelaSouth Sea and a return to the button on the tions Award. Tahitian pearl ear again,” said Saks’ Newberg. Winners of the Best of Design necklace with an Pins may have featured promiAwards were Rodney Rayner for col18-karat gold ored gemstones; Leo Pizzo for dianently on fashion runways, and renaissance they play well into fall’s tweed and monds; Calgaro for gold; Schoeffel for brooch clasp. pearls; Michael Bondanza for platinum; bouclé suits, but jewelers are divided Memoire for bridal, and Stefan Hafner for on the trend. “We can say it’s a pin year, but only pin Bernard Grosz for haute couture. The ladies will buy pins,” said Lauren Editor’s Choice Award went to Anthony Kulchinsky, vice president and fine Di Modolo’s 18-karat Nak, the line designed by Anthony gold and diamond jewelry buyer at Long Island jeweler Camargo and David Nakard ArmTriadra cluster. Mayfair Diamonds & Jewelry. “Every jewelstrong, which features bold gemstones er will be stuck with them in their showwrapped in fine, delicate chains. The case, because 99 percent of American jewelry awards were presented by Town & Country. clients will buy a necklace, earrings and a ring Meanwhile, the JCK Show selected five designers as before they buy a pin, unless it’s from bridge [a “Rising Stars” and gave each the opportunity to showcase less expensive category]. The ones who would buy a their designs in the exhibition’s Design Center area. This pin have them already.” year’s choices were Cyrille Jeantet, Matt Bezak, Lata K., Suzy Kulchinsky cited Elizabeth Rand and Rodney Rayner as Landa and Enric Majoral.

Robert Lee Morris’ 18-karat yellow gold and peridot earrings.

soft. gold. 14 karat.

for more information call: aurafin (800) 327-1808 ja new york. booth 2222 www.aurafin.com

12

WWD, MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2004

Accessories Report

Jewelry Stars in Red Carpet Reruns LOS ANGELES — Red carpet watchers must have done a double take when Kate Hudson showed up to her Hollywood premiere earlier this month of “Raising Helen” wearing yards of Neil Lane diamonds and then, two weeks later, Catherine ZetaJones hit the pavement at “The Terminal” premiere in the exact same necklace — albeit with an additional 300 carats of bling strung around her neck. Clearly, while two actresses wearing the same dress is the ultimate fashion faux pas, the same can’t be said for diamonds. Recent repeat sightings on major stars indicate that jewelers aren’t shy about loaning their pieces to more than one woman, nor does it cause the uproar that one might think. “There’s a myth that you can’t wear the same jewels as someone else, that it would be horrendous,” said jeweler Neil Lane. “But I find that jewels become unique to the wearer and transcend that fact.” At times, multiple loans occur out of necessity. With only four major groups in its collection, twoyear-old De Beers LV has limited samples, plus the task of exposing the world to its jewelry. Its most popular group, the Wildflowers, has been worn in various incarnations by Meg Ryan (Cannes 2003), Mira Sorvino (British Academy of Film and Television Arts 2003), Laura Linney (BAFTA 2004), Evan Rachel Wood (SAG Awards 2004) and Scarlett Johansson (Golden Globes 2004). “It has paid off, because it’s our most popular group with customers,” said Joan Parker, De Beers LV’s marketing director. “I’m always careful not to loan the same piece at the same event.” Sharon Stone, who was the first to wear De Beers’ Wildflower necklace, at the 2002 AmFar benefit in Cannes, likes to keep things exclusive to her. “Who

wants to wear something that’s already been worn six times?” she quipped last week at a luncheon. But maybe she has short-term memory. Some pieces resurface the following year. The Neil Lane diamond choker Christina Aguilera wore to the 2002 Grammys was worn by Stone to the Golden Globes in 2003. The L.A.-based Lane sees nothing wrong with that, as long as his pieces are tweaked a bit for each individual. With Lane’s historic estate pieces, such as the chunky diamond cuffs from Mae West’s collection, the stigma disappears entirely and is replaced by cachet. Actress Sarah Wynter, who was the first to wear the West cuff to the Vanity Fair Oscar party in 2002, has subsequently noticed the piece on other women that she considers fashion icons, like Gwen Stefani. “I think, ‘Wow, it’s amazing that I got to wear that.’ It’s a piece of history that transcends a look or a bag of the moment,” she said. Wynter herself has even borrowed the same pieces — the diamond cuff and some diamond drop earrings — twice. “Not letting yourself do that is like saying you can only look at the “Mona Lisa” once,” she said. “It would be tragic if only one person wore them,” she said. Of course, some non-one-of-a-kind pieces that are made in multiples are bound to be worn by several people. Carol Brodie Gelles, global director of communications and marketing at Harry Winston, noted that a diamond grid cuff had been borrowed by two different women, but made clear that the house practices full disclosure when loaning a piece for the second time. “As long as they know and don’t mind, it’s fine,” she said. “But my clients who are the producers of the films that these stars are in don’t want to see a star borrowing something that they paid for.” On the flip side, if a star borrows a piece, then

Nicole Kidman wore these Bulgari earrings at the Metropolitan Museum’s Goddess gala; they later reappeared on Natalie Cole in Cannes.

Scarlett Johansson’s De Beers necklace at the Oscars reappeared on Mia Maestro in Cannes.

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Catherine Zeta-Jones’ Neil Lane pendant necklace at the premiere of “The Terminal” also appeared on Kate Hudson at the “Raising Helen” premiere.

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wins an Oscar in it, its desirability increases with non-Hollywood clientele. “Its provenance is then lovely, and it adds a cachet to the piece,” said Brodie Gelles. And famous diamonds aren’t just immortalized in photographs. In 1933, Mae West made her cuff famous in “She Done Him Wrong,” and in 2002 Zeta-Jones wore it in her Oscar-winning role in “Chicago.” But in the end, who can blame jewelers for trying to get more mileage out of a quarter-million-dollar necklace? After all, sometimes there can be fairy-tale endings, even outside of Hollywood. “I had the same necklace on Queen Latifah at the Grammys and Amber Valetta in Vogue,” recalled Lane, “and a European princess just bought it.”

KATE HUDSON PHOTO BY GREGG DEGUIRE/WIREIMAGE; NATALIE COLE BY JEAN BAPTISTE LACROIX/WIREIMAGE; NICOLE KIDMAN BY RANDY RUNNER/WIREIMAGE; CATHERINE ZETA-JONES, CHRISTINA AGUILERA AND SHARON STONE BY STEVE GRANITZ/WIREIMAGE; SCARLETT JOHANSSON BY ALBERT L. OMEGA/WIREIMAGE; MIA MAESTRO BY JEFF VESPA/WIREIMAGE

By Marcy Medina

WWD, MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2004

13

Innerwear Report

Selling Lingerie the German Way carpeting. Sex toys are displayed on black velvet pillows or in gold-framed and red velvet-lined niches. HAMBURG, Germany — Mae B., the Innerwear makes up about 30 percent German answer to Victoria’s Secret, is of Mae B.’s merchandise mix. There is an eroticizing German intimate apparel reemphasis on a broad color range in a vatailing. riety of embroidered lace bras, corsets, The subsidiary of the Flensburg-based camis, French-cut briefs, thongs, string Beate Uhse AG sex shop empire is bringbikinis and coordinating garter belts. ing together lace and leather underwear, body care and bath products, culinary Brands include Irma la Douce, Revanche tidbits and a full range of what the retailde la Femme, Change of Scandinavia, er calls “Girls’ Best Friends” — mini to Aubade, Huit, Zours, Speidel and the maxi vibrators and fake fur handcuffs — Mae B. private brand. Private label under one softly lit roof. makes up about 30 percent of intimate Mae B. opened its first two stores here apparel offerings, and is produced in at the end of March. One outlet is a 1,400Germany, Italy, Turkey and the Far East. square-foot stand-alone unit on There is also a selection of black lace-up Bleichenbrücke, around the corner from leather bikinis, strings, corsets and vests Neuer Wall, the city’s most prestigious, by the American leather line Allure. designer boutique-studded stretch. The The pricing and sizing policy is broad, second is a 450-square-foot shop in the with something for women of most lingerie department of the Karstadt deshapes, inclinations and budgets. Bras repartment store. tail from $35 to $120, and while the core An 860-square-foot shop is to open in assortment is cup size 34B to 36C, some Karstadt’s Berlin Hermannstrasse styles are available in sizes 32A up to branch in July, followed by three addi38DD. tional in-store shops in late summer and Mae B. displays a wide variety of undergarments, from frilly and feminine to S&M-inspired. Mae B.’s bath and body products not fall at Karstadt stores in Frankfurt, only smell good, but taste good, as well. Munich and Cologne, a Mae B. spokeswoman said. By 2007, Mae B. plans to have 30 to Best-selling items include KamaSutra’s sweet honey dust body powder, and Bedside 40 doors operating in Germany. Box, a gift box filled with items such as Honey Dust, Oil of Love massage oil and Love Mae B. officials would not disclose a first-year sales projection, saying only that Liquid personal lubricant. Sweet Touches by Mae B. offers three scented massage sales at Karstadt were “way ahead of plan.” The Beate Uhse sex shop empire, which and bath oils, and there is also a Mae B. range of sensitive body cream, slimming gel, operates 50 proprietary stores and 56 licensed units in Germany, as well as a mail- bust firmer and contour oil. order business, generated revenues of more than $300 million in 2003. The Mae B. label Lust Trends offers aromatic teas, as well as special chocolates in While it has sex shop parentage and an assortment of exotic extras, Mae B. has flavors named Revenge, Love, Desire, Madness and Innocence. A top-selling item is made a point to go the refined rather than raunchy route. Conceived as a modern liquid chocolate body paint. woman’s pleasure dome, the interior design features two-foot gold frames filled with Giving new meaning to point-of-sale materials, the retail specialist offers cusred feathers in the windows, while back walls feature quilted leather insets. Quilted tomers an in-store pamphlet called “The Story of M.” It outlines the story of the red leather poufs are strewn across dark wood floors, a white ceiling is embellished German sex education pioneer Beate Rotermund, who first made a name for herself with circular red and gold insets and dressing rooms are cocooned in cream-color distributing leaflets on natural birth control methods right after World War II.

By Melissa Drier

Keeping Business Flowing in a Volatile Climate By Jessica Steinberg

PHOTO BY DEBBIE HILL

JERUSALEM — As the war in Iraq was about to begin in March 2003, a customer asked Arnon Tiberg, chief executive officer of Israeli intimate apparel maker Delta Galil, to create a contingency plan in case there were disruptions at Delta’s plant in Jordan. Tiberg arranged to use the company’s Thailand plant, and though there were in fact no interruptions, the proposal for outsourcing production provided a sense of comfort. “You have to scatter your risk — not political risk, but business risk,’’ Tiberg said. “In the end, it’s all about the business, and luckily our business can withstand the political situation.” Doing business amid terrorism and armed conflict changes the business rules, both for manufacturers in Israel seeking to keep product flowing and for customers who have been reluctant to travel to Israel. For Delta Galil — a $25 million private label intimate apparel maker that produces underwear, bras and socks for Calvin Klein, Donna Karan and Tommy Hilfiger, as well as Victoria’s Secret, J.C. Penny, J. Crew, the Gap and Banana Republic — the name of the game has always been vertical production. The company has factories in Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Thailand, China, Honduras and Business has not been interrupted for the Caribbean Basin. When the company considers risks that Israeli innerwear manufacturer Delta might interfere with production and distribution, it believes its Galil. Here, an in-store display. Middle East factories are the most vulnerable, he said. Still, with four sewing plants in Cairo and 10 in Irbid, Jordan, Delta has never had a political or security issue that stopped or prevented exports or shipments. The flow of bras, underwear and socks has been smooth during the almost four years of the latest intifada, with the Jordanian wares making their way to the U.S. and the Egyptian products to Europe. “In Egypt we have over 4,000 employees, and another 5,000 that work for us through outsourcing,” Tiberg said. “But there’s a limit to the number you can employ in one place. That’s why we have the spread of production in the Far East and Central America that can offer backup if we need it.” It’s a similar story for Tefron, an Israeli manufacturer of seamless and cut-and-sew undergarments and activewear. With annual sales of about $200 million, Tefron’s customers include Victoria’s Secret, athletic wear manufacturers Nike and Adidas, the Gap, Banana Republic and Calvin Klein, as well as Target and Wal-Mart. Tefron has a logistics and customer service plant in North Carolina, and research and development and production facilities in Israel, Madagascar and Jordan. Its production and distribution channels have continued to function without disruption, ceo Yoss Shiran said. Terrorism has meant that both Delta and Tefron’s clients have been less willing to come to Israel, particularly after any U.S. State Department advisory warning against travel to the Middle East. When Talya Hanan, Tefron’s vice president for global innovation, began working with sneaker

maker Nike on seamless activewear in 1998, the Nike designers and executives traveled from Portland, Ore., to the company’s factory in northern Israel to learn about Tefron’s seamless technology. With the onset of the intifada, Hanan had to begin packing up each season’s line and bringing it to Portland, communicating in between by phone and e-mail. By 2003, Tefron opened a sales office in Portland, with an employee to answer any questions from Nike and Adidas, which have offices there. Tefron also has two salespeople in New York who work with the company’s other American customers. “That’s been the hardest thing in the last couple of years, the fact that clients aren’t coming,” Hanan said. Like the Tefron executives, Delta Galil employees also are traveling more to the U.S. and Europe. It’s less effective, said Tiberg, because meetings are pushed into shorter time slots instead of having several days to a week for them in Israel. To compensate, Delta has enlarged its development offices in London and New York, with staffs that work closely with the American and European clients. In the recent few months clients have begun returning to Israel, perhaps because “they’ve gotten used to the situation,” Tiberg said.

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14 WWD, MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2004 Financial

Weekly Stock Index 52-Week High Low

P/E

Sales (000’s)

Last

Amt Change

38.00 29.71 31.43 24.33 5.97 17.95 22.50 35.44 25.50 20.16 8.76 47.60 32.85 43.00 27.01 23.51 23.40 18.72 44.13 55.06 25.38 14.80 6.48 19.58 10.00 32.30 38.13 69.98 65.44 21.65 36.48 37.87 59.70 42.05 25.78 9.60 32.86 17.92 56.06 17.23 42.01 15.30 8.30 39.17 47.40 26.12 59.04 37.42 61.31 12.99 10.15 31.30

23.07 13.51 18.02 11.93 0.76 4.77 17.10 12.50 17.05 9.18 4.52 19.39 16.72 26.17 17.58 12.87 16.91 12.20 26.51 35.17 16.99 7.05 1.79 5.61 0.01 16.89 15.57 21.23 39.59 14.77 21.84 20.31 35.50 18.99 14.97 1.90 20.50 9.10 32.62 12.02 22.18 5.00 6.25 28.41 36.19 17.55 17.28 28.80 50.50 5.05 1.95 19.04

Retailers Abercrombie & Fitch Aeropostale Ann Taylor Bebe Bluefly Bon-Ton Burlington Coat Cache Cato Charlotte Russe Charming Shoppes Chico’s FAS Children’s Place CVS Deb Shops Dillard’s Dollar General Dress Barn Family Dollar Federated Gap Goody’s Gottschalks Guess Harold’s Stores Hot Topic J.C. Penney Kmart Kohl’s Limited Brands May Dept. Stores Mothers Work Neiman Marcus Nordstrom Pacific Sunwear Retail Ventures Ross Stores Saks Sears ShopKo Stage Stores Stein Mart Syms Talbots Target TJX Urban Outfitters Walgreen’s Wal-Mart Wet Seal Wilsons Leather Zale

17.2 27.3 16.6 28.1 12.8 17.8 18.0 14.8 27.3 16.5 33.5 21.0 19.0 24.0 48.7 22.3 51.8 21.3 12.4 19.6 15.2 16.9 50.1 19.4 23.7 26.2 13.8 19.4 9.1 13.6 20.0 18.2 42.9 18.0 23.3 3.5 10.3 12.7 46.2 19.7 21.8 17.9 38.6 28.4 26.3 14.2

49771 51465 42938 4578 3321 5802 2905 6069 4450 11366 38883 33473 13887 85885 728 74378 108180 5209 46961 50434 164565 5493 1381 9325 108 46400 113837 64128 140106 94827 97540 891 9985 37943 84892 12410 70475 70532 118818 6640 9142 13762 171 13284 128102 80390 47130 120187 400681 21048 15554 14833

37.67 29.43 28.40 20.38 2.08 15.99 19.02 23.51 22.18 19.19 8.68 43.54 23.05 41.96 23.40 22.26 20.30 17.20 32.72 50.19 24.46 10.98 5.54 16.33 2.66 19.31 37.85 69.19 45.45 18.73 28.19 21.23 54.89 41.69 20.42 9.00 26.92 15.26 38.65 13.72 40.84 14.55 8.05 38.22 45.99 25.26 57.16 34.90 55.62 5.60 4.00 27.13

0.36 0.64 -0.23 -0.48 -0.29 1.97 0.06 -0.04 -0.15 -0.06 0.29 -1.10 -0.24 -0.56 0.81 -0.97 -0.18 0.01 -1.13 0.19 -0.14 -0.51 0.50 1.93 0.20 -0.80 1.25 4.03 -2.09 -0.67 -0.68 -1.99 0.84 0.32 -0.48 0.63 0.69 -0.17 -1.66 0.03 1.12 0.10 -0.17 0.57 0.24 -0.14 -0.56 0.28 -1.58 -0.30 0.66 -0.59

48.27 45.94 27.41 24.75 45.80 59.39 34.48 23.94 48.15 26.64 12.00 38.40 33.36 39.74 45.10 37.39 38.90 6.90 32.50 78.56 2.65 47.50 29.95 19.95 37.05 25.16 42.95 46.56 3.93 20.39 4.76 18.25 8.59 48.49 21.85

33.54 30.47 19.80 17.75 24.00 46.81 21.44 12.70 32.60 15.07 6.50 29.18 7.00 27.98 29.50 18.55 32.09 2.80 20.15 49.60 1.31 19.52 18.68 13.51 24.90 14.70 31.50 27.76 2.05 15.43 1.37 8.56 0.90 33.43 12.83

Vendors Alberto Culver Avon Benetton Cherokee Coach Columbia Sprtswr Del Labs Elizabeth Arden Estée Lauder Fossil G-III IFF Inter Parfums Jones Apparel Kellwood Kenneth Cole Liz Claiborne Mossimo Movado Nike Novel Denim Oxford Perry Ellis Phillips-Van Heusen Polo Ralph Lauren Quiksilver Reebok Regis Revlon Russell Tarrant Tommy Hilfiger Tropical Sprtswr VF Corp. Warnaco

32.2 28.9 29.9 14.2 35.3 17.7 15.3 31.4 16.6 8.6 18.2 25.7 16.3 14.5 19.6 13.2 13.8 16.3 21.6 20.3 13.1 20.1 20.8 13.7 19.5 13.9 10.0 12.6 -

12706 94824 147 851 60287 13660 728 10535 59233 22120 115 12880 6674 37076 55938 3191 30518 267 1404 40055 114 3809 2306 5391 30086 65231 32118 7048 55859 6716 1924 34972 9138 13843 18549

47.80 44.18 22.99 24.17 42.82 55.50 30.00 20.52 47.14 25.83 7.85 37.01 22.11 38.59 42.00 33.80 35.03 3.80 30.53 71.62 1.35 36.10 23.72 18.79 34.93 24.60 36.49 44.92 3.41 17.33 1.51 14.74 3.10 47.65 21.58

0.42 -0.56 0.51 0.68 -2.88 0.50 0.40 -0.09 0.58 1.22 0.08 -0.19 -1.81 -0.15 -2.07 0.67 0.83 -0.14 -0.45 0.37 -0.05 -0.32 -0.32 0.09 1.43 1.54 0.14 0.14 0.20 0.90 -0.34 0.54 0.79 -0.15 1.16

WWDStock Market Index

Biggest Percentage Changes For Week Ending June 18 Gainers

Composite: 1102.13

Retailers: 1080.17

Vendors: 1218.52

-13.84

-16.91

6.44

Index base of 1000 is keyed to closing prices of Dec. 31, 2002.

Tropical Sprtswr Wilsons Leather Bon-Ton Guess Gottschalks

Losers Tarrant Bluefly Mothers Work Inter Parfums Coach

Close 3.10 4.00 15.99 16.33 5.54

Change 34.20 19.76 14.05 13.40 9.92

Close Change 1.51 2.08 21.23 22.11 42.82

-18.38 -12.27 -8.57 -7.57 -6.30

WWDComposite Stock Index vs. S&P 500

SOURCE: DATA NETWORKS, STANDARD & POOR’S

WWD Index Dips, but Kmart Surges NEW YORK — A comparative dearth of quarterly earnings news on which to peg trading, as well as continued uncertainty over energy prices, an interest rate increase and the situation in Iraq, pushed the WWD Composite Stock Index down 1.24 percent to 1,102.13 from 1,116 a week ago. The decrease marked the first time since May 14 that the index failed to advance weekover-week. In the wider market, the S&P 500 dipped fractionally, or 0.1 percent, to 1,134.98 from 1,136.47 last week. Despite the overall retreat in share prices, Kmart Holding Corp. continued its uncanny run as one of the hottest stocks around. After making public its deal with Home Depot Inc. to sell up to 24 stores for a maximum price of $365 million, the retailer’s stock has been on a tear, setting a new 52-week high of $69.88 in midday trading Friday. By close, the stock finished at $69.19, up 6.2 percent, or $4.03, from the week-ago close of $65.16. Kmart’s stock has more than tripled in the last 52 weeks. At Warnaco Group Inc., investors applauded the news, first reported in WWD, that Helen McCluskey, president of the Special Markets Group at Liz Claiborne Inc., has been tapped to become group president of Warnaco’s Intimate Apparel Division. Warnaco’s shares advanced 5.7 percent to $21.58 over last week’s close of $20.42 McCluskey will be faced with the challenge of repositioning Warnaco’s two mature bra brands, Olga and Warner ’s, which in fiscal 2003 generated $180 million in combined worldwide revenues, down 28 percent from $250 million the prior year. In its second-quarter earnings report last week, Quiksilver Inc. said above-plan sales helped the company beat Wall

Street’s forecast and put the company on track to blow past the $1 billion revenue mark by fiscal yearend. As such, Quiksilver upped its third-quarter and full-year guidance, and investors responded in kind, trading up the company’s shares 6.7 percent to $24.60 from $23.06 a week ago. VF Corp., for its part, said last week it’s loading up its backpack business, acquiring bag and accessories manufac-

the board said. In its analysis, the board said in a statement that the gains signal “the continuation of this relatively strong rate of economic growth in the near term.” There’s also increasing optimism in the small business segment, which is poised for growth, according to the 2004 CIT Small Business Outlook. The survey is a joint project between the CIT Group Inc. and BusinessWeek Research Services.

The enthusiasm expressed by small “businesses across the country indicates that the U.S. is indeed experiencing an economic recovery.



— John Canning, CIT Small Business Lending Corp. turer Kipling Belgium NV. VF didn’t disclose the purchase price, but said the wholesaler’s 2003 sales were $69 million, and it expects Kipling to contribute $40 million to VF’s revenues this year. Acquisitions typically take a while to be accretive to earnings, and so it was no surprise that investors cooled ever so slightly on the company’s stock, sending it down 0.3 percent to $47.65 from $47.80 a week ago. The Kipling brand joins VF’s outdoor brand portfolio, which includes The North Face, JanSport, Eastpak and Napapijri. Despite the chilliness on Wall Street, the leading economic indicators continue to show strength. The Conference Board, in its most recent report, said the U.S. leading index for May showed a 0.5 percent gain while the coincident index jumped 0.3 percent and the lagging index increased 0.1 percent. “The leading index increased again in May, and the increases in recent months have continued to be widespread,”

The survey revealed that 85 percent of the small business owners and executives polled “believe that now is a good time for companies/firms to invest in their organizations.” It also found that 72 percent of those polled “are confident about the future of the U.S. economy,” while 80 percent “believe that their sales revenue will increase in fiscal 2004 compared with 2003.” “The enthusiasm expressed by small businesses across the country indicates that the U.S. is indeed experiencing an economic recover y,” said John Canning, president of C I T Small Business Lending Corp., a subsidiary of CIT. “Throughout 2004, small business has been one of the fastest-growing segments of the national economy and, according to our survey results, we can expect this growth to continue into 2005. This is positive news for entrepreneurs and corporate America alike.”

— Dan Burrows and Arthur Zaczkiewicz

WWD, MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2004

15

Taking Stock of Natura Success DIFFA Celebrates Anniversary RIO DE JANEIRO — When Natura Cosmeticos SA, Brazil’s biggest cosmetics firm, launched the country’s first initial public offering in two years on May 26, its share price on the Brazilian stock market soared 15.6 percent by the end of the first day of trading. By mid-June, Natura’s shares were trading more than 28 percent higher than their $36.50-per-share opening price. To attract investors to the IPO, Natura also became only the third of 361 listed companies to list its stock on Brazil’s New Market, a corporate governance-based index that allows only common — not preferred — stock listings and requires more rigorous transparency rules and stronger shareholder rights than those that govern Brazil’s other stock indices. The IPO raised 768.2 million reais, or $244 million calculated at current exchange, representing 24.6 percent of Natura’s total capital, the company stated. Neither investors nor analysts were surprised by the success of the IPO and the stock’s soaring prices because the direct-sales cosmetics firm had been a financially sound market leader, with high-quality products for a number of years, analysts said. Natura posted gross operational sales of 1.91 billion reais, or $622 million calculated at average yearly exchange rate, in 2003, a 35.4 percent increase over 2002. “Because Natura is the cosmetics market leader in Brazil, has high-quality and competitively priced products, little debt, strong sales and growth prospects, it was no surprise that its IPO did well,” said Amaryllis Romano, the retail analyst at Tendências Consultoria Integrada, a consulting firm in São Paulo. “The IPO also did well because Natura, unlike some companies, made the move to go public only after it had become the market leader with a strong brand name.” Brazilian companies have not risked launching IPOs in the

past two years because of local stock market volatility. The last company to go public was a toll road operator in February 2002. Natura decided to maintain its May 26 IPO, according to analysts, despite a peak in market volatility during April and May as a result of increased local political and economic instability, rising world oil prices and the risk of higher U.S. interest rates. “The fact that Natura did its IPO during a time of high market volatility showed that the company had confidence,” said Romano, who believes Natura will use its IPO proceeds to grow in Brazil, the rest of South America and abroad. The company, which was founded in 1969, has subsidiaries in Peru, Chile and Argentina, and distributes its products in Bolivia. Foreign sales account for 3 percent of Natura’s total volume. Earlier this year, Natura announced plans to invest 20 million euros, or $24.1 million at current exchange, to open its first store in Paris either later this year or early next year. The store would only sell Natura Ekos, a line of 30 products that includes shampoos, perfumes, body crèmes and oils made with Amazon rain forest and other natural ingredients, which the company claims are grown and harvested in an ethical and sustainable way. A Natura spokeswoman said the company targeted France as its first non-South American country because it is the biggest cosmetics-consuming country in Europe, and because the French are environmentally conscious consumers. She added that Natura hoped that the Paris store will help the firm get a retail foothold in European markets, in particular England and Germany. Natura is also considering introducing Natura Ekos in the United States, but only after launching in Europe.

BEAUTY BEAT

— MichaeI Kepp

Fashion Scoops DOLCE’S GROWN-UP SALES: Dolce & Gabbana inaugurated its new instore boutique on Bergdorf Goodman’s second floor last week by ringing up $1.5 million in sales during a two-day fall trunk show. The new 1,800-square-foot space is Dolce & Gabbana’s largest in-store shop in America — its own stores are bigger — and showcases the entire breadth of offerings in the designer collection, including shoes, handbags, accessories and a special collection of exclusive dresses priced in the neighborhood of $30,000. Robert Burke, vice president and senior fashion director of Bergdorf Goodman, said the preview event had a strong impact on sales of early fall merchandise already delivered to the store. Among the top sellers were turquoise and purple tweed separates, gray tweed jackets, floral dresses, jackets with fur collars and dresses and suits trimmed with velvet — overall, a bit dressier items than the store had anticipated. “We were selling very much the suiting element and very much of the

ladylike look, which is great for Dolce & Gabbana,” Burke said. “They were always such a strong force in the rock ’n’ roll category, but now we are also selling the ladylike suit that has a certain twist to it. This collection appealed to the widest range of taste and age that I’ve ever seen shop from Dolce.” CULTURE VULTURE: It looks like François Pinault is moving quickly to get his contemporary art museum off the ground on Paris’ Ile Seguin. Word has it he’s about to name France’s former minister of culture, Jean-Jacques Aillagon, to head the project. As reported, construction is expected to start on the museum soon. It is scheduled to open by the end of 2007 with a Jeff Koons retrospective. Meanwhile, Pinault is hopping mad at Paris Match for publishing an article saying he was about to sell his Chateau Latour winery to Chanel’s Wertheimer family. His family holding, Artemis, issued a stern denial and said it may take legal action against the magazine. A correction appears in this week’s Paris Match.

By Rosemary Feitelberg NEW YORK — Once the Cuban music is blaring and the mojitos are flowing at DIFFA’s “Viva Glam Casino” Thursday night, the AIDS-fighting charity will have much to celebrate — its 20th anniversary, for starters. In the past two decades, the Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS has raised $32 million, with about $350,000 coming from its annual bash. This year’s edition will be held at the Copacabana, where the decor will resemble a Havana supper club, thanks to David Beahm Design, the force behind Catherine Zeta-Jones’ wedding. The dress code, like the atmosphere, will be festive, but the cause strikes a more somber tone with a few key organizers. After her father died of AIDS, Maggie Rizer said she, her sister Julia and her father’s partner Scott Discount came up with the idea for the annual party. Not wanting to set up another four-hour, sitdown chicken dinner, Rizer suggested an evening of cash-free gambling with luxe prizes provided by sponsors. In years past, guests have been more than willing to lighten their wallets when models are dealing the cards or manning the craps table. Gisele Bündchen and Bridget Hall will be shuffling the decks at the Copa for prizes provided by Prada, Gucci and others. “We’ve raised close to $2 million. It makes me happy to be part of something that makes a difference and helps someone else,” said Rizer. “It’s nice to know we’re influencing other people, educating children and making people’s lives a little bit better.” Last year, 3 million people died of AIDS and 5 million people were infected with HIV. About 40 million people worldwide are living with the disease. Architect David Rockwell, DIFFA’s chairman, was initially drawn to the group because his brother, Rick, died of AIDS. “My whole point of view about design is optimism, to create spaces that alter the way people feel. But after Rick died, I felt so futile, and that didn’t go along with my idea that you can make a difference,” he said.

Maggie Rizer covered in MAC body paint. Todd Oldham and Murray Moss are among the recruits Rockwell has landed for DIFFA’s board. However “cathartic” his 10year involvement has been, Rockwell said, “The sad truth is, it’s as necessary as it has always been. But DIFFA is living proof that the spirit and energy of the design community really matters. Design is about controlling an environment, but we haven’t figured out a way to control this. What we can control is encouraging the design community to go do that.” That has been a priority since the group’s early days, when designers would get together informally in showrooms after work and would literally pass around a hat for contributions to help friends and colleagues suffering from AIDS cover their medical and personal expenses, said DIFFA’s executive director, David Sheppard. About a dozen people showed up for the first DIFFA meeting at textile designer Pat Green’s offices at Groundworks in 1984. Larry Pond, who wound up co-founding the group with Green, was the first to respond. Another attendee, Maureen Missner, who was then at Donghia, said, “There was a sense of desperation among us that we had to do something, right now, that nobody was listen-

Ruben Toledo’s sketch of Maggie Rizer for this year’s invitation to Viva Glam Casino. ing, while all around us our friends and colleagues were disappearing and dying.” Today DIFFA has 15 chapters nationwide and bills itself as the oldest and one of the largest funders of HIV/AIDS service and education programs in the U.S. For the past decade, MAC Cosmetics has been among its leading supporters, raising $1.3 million, said John Demsey, MAC’s president and the honorary chair for Thursday’s bash. MAC Viva Glam is the title sponsor, and Chloé Sevigny, one of five Viva Glam spokespeople, will be on hand. Last year MAC used body paint to dress up Rizer like a playing card. Ruben Toledo sketched her as a woman ready to rumba for this year’s invitation. MAC is considering rolling out the Viva Glam Casino events in other cities, such as Dallas and Minneapolis. The company has sold $3 million worth of its Viva Glam lipsticks, with some proceeds benefitting DIFFA. Moving forward, DIFFA is looking to develop more associations with manufacturers, products and concerts instead of just events, Rockwell said. “As New Yorkers, we’re bombarded with requests for money for large charitable events. Giving can easily become obligatory. We can work on celebrating the moment.”

WTO Upholds Brazil Claim vs. U.S. By John Zarocostas GENEVA — A World Trade Organization dispute panel, in a final ruling on Friday, upheld Brazil’s claim that subsidies paid by the U.S. government to producers, users and exporters of upland cotton violate global trade rules. While the three-member panel’s decision was not released publicly, the U.S. and Brazilian governments confirmed that it found the so-called Step 2 certificate program payments were illegal export subsidies and called for them to be withdrawn by July 1, 2005, at the latest. In a statement, the Brazilian government said it “welcomes with great satisfaction the panel’s findings,” and that “the government of Brazil expects that the U.S. will comply with the panel’s decision as soon as possible.” However, a spokesman for

the U.S. Trade Representative said: “We have serious concerns with aspects of the final panel report and, after closely reviewing the report, we will appeal.” He said the U.S. farm programs “were designed to be and are fully consistent with our WTO obligations.” He added the U.S. will defend its agricultural interests “in every forum we need to.” The next step will be for the panel’s ruling to go before the full WTO for implementation in July or August, at which time the U.S. appeal would occur. Normally, the WTO’s appellate body makes its determinations within three months, which could drag the process on until late fall. Gonzalo Sanzul, policy adviser on trade and agriculture with the humanitarian group Oxfam International, in a phone interview from São Paolo, Brazil, said the ruling is “a legal victory for Brazil

and a moral victory for the African cotton producers who were not taken seriously at Cancún.” A group of developing nations brought the September trade talks in that Mexican city to a halt when they walked out early after complaining that rich nations were unwilling to discuss ending their agricultural subsidies. Exports of agricultural commodities are often a key source of foreign earnings for developing nations, which typically cannot afford to pay subsidies to their farmers. Industrial countries such as the U.S. subsidize agricultural exports to encourage production and to ease the burden of seasonal price fluctuations. Brazil filed its politically sensitive WTO complaint in September 2002 and a dispute panel was established in March 2003 after bilateral consultations failed to resolve differences.

16

WWD, MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2004

Buyers Get on Board Early in Dallas By Rusty Williamson DALLAS — Buyers took a multiseason approach and shopped for summer immediates, fall fillins and holiday and resort styles during the women’s market that ran June 3-7 at FashionCenterDallas, the new wholesale mart atop the World Trade Center here. Releasing lines early has become a common practice among vendors and allows stores to book orders to avoid missing out on hot styles that might sell out quickly at wholesale. Key trends included crocheted ponchos, embellished eveningwear, social-occasion separates, cashmere sweaters, denim jeans and jackets and a range of prints, from vintage to abstract. Retailers’ budgets were mostly even to higher by less than 10 percent. Stores said spring business was brisk, and they were upbeat about third- and fourth-quarter sales. Cindy Morris, chief operating officer at the Dallas Market Center, parent of FashionCenterDallas, said attendance at the June show increased by more than 25 percent. “On the heels of a very successful grand opening [in March], we had better traffic than in five years and attracted many new buyers,” Morris said. “Clearly, the message is out to our customers that the product level and the excitement level are high at FashionCenterDallas.” Showrooms said traffic was typical for a June market, exemplified by a laid-back pace and buyers previewing or leaving paper for summer through resort styles. Buyers focused on finding hot items and salable trends to entice shoppers and distance themselves from the competition. Penny Dixon, owner of Pen-E-Ventures, a specialty store in On the Rocky River, Ohio, boosted her budget by at least 10 percent runway in and shopped the mart for the first time in a year. Dallas, “I carry a wide range of sizes, from 2 to 24, and I looks shopped for fashion innerwear with control from Body from Wrap, Cosabella and Spanx; colorful and embroidered sportswear and dresses from Muse; novelty jackets Muse

(here) and Miller Girl.

Rose Marie Bravo Earns 100% of Salary as Bonus LONDON — Burberry chief executive Rose Marie Bravo last year won the accolade every company dreams about: the 100 percent bonus. In exchange for hitting Burberry’s internal sales and profit targets for the year ended March 31, Bravo received $1,568,000 — the equivalent of her base salary — as her annual bonus, according to the company’s annual report, which was issued Friday. Bravo’s total annual package — not including gains from share options — was $3,567,000. That’s a 10 percent increase over the previous year’s salary package of $3,240,000. All figures were reported in dollars. The total package includes $94,000 in cash as reimbursement for her accommodation, and benefits worth $337,000. In addition, Bravo collected approximately $2 million after cashing in 833,333 share options during the year. Bravo and her team have turned Burberry into one of the fastest-growing luxury brands around over the last six years. As reported, Burberry had a record year in 2003-04, with a 75.3 percent surge in profits to 91.5 million pounds, or $167.4 million at current exchange, on a 13.8 percent rise in sales to 675.8 million pounds, or $1.24 billion. The growth resulted from strong women’s wear sales, aggressive retail expansion and the launch of Burberry Brit fragrance last fall. And, Bravo has indicated, the momentum is expected to continue. “In many ways, this is a new era for Burberry,” she said in May. “We’ve completed the turnaround, and now we’re hopefully in growth mode.”

We had better traffic than “in five years and attracted many new buyers. ”

PHOTOS BY GEORGE MAYO HENSON 2ND

— Cindy Morris, Dallas Market Center

from Aphrodite; classic sportswear in sophisticated fall colors such as sage and cranberry from Votre Nom, and lots of special-occasion and prom dresses,” Dixon said. “I really liked Shani’s black and red dresses with piping, Cattiva’s ostrich feather wraps and Chrystine Forti’s ruby red dresses. I think all the embellishment and embroidery for fall will be a big hit with shoppers.” Angela and Geoffrey Cantor, owners of the 18-unit Emma Somerset chain in England, shopped Dallas for the first time along with David Barker, who is buying the chain that was founded in 1969 by the Cantors in Manchester. “We were shopping the market in New York and realized we had some extra time built into our schedule, so we decided to fly to Texas and check out FashionCenterDallas,” Angela Cantor said. “We are shopping for eveningwear and mother-of-the-bride dresses, focusing on glamorous styles in vibrant colors such as fuchsia, green and turquoise.” Barker said, “Dina Bar-el party dresses look amazing. I like the colors and the sexy styling. We also loved Tadashi’s black lace dresses, which really appeal to our 30- to 55-yearold, upscale customer base.” Riva Vanas, a buyer, and Tammy Eyring, owner of H. Alger, a contemporary store in Houston, said they were shopping with a flat budget. “We cater to hip misses’ customers from 30 to 60 years old and beyond, but nothing too edgy,” Vanas said. “Our shoppers want contoured, but not tight, social-occasion dresses and sportswear. We liked Teri Jon’s dresses and tweed and fur-trimmed sportswear; Randy Kemper’s turquoise, red or black sportswear, and Poleci’s beautiful and colorful mix of prints and plaids.” Calli Saitowitz, owner of BB1 Classic, which has two stores in Houston, shopped for fall and holiday items and praised the show’s diverse offerings. “Our goal was to find luxury at affordable prices, sassy colors, fresh and classic sportswear and dresses and the must-have items,” Saitowitz said. “We shopped with an eye to find items such as a convertible skirt, dinner pants and cashmere sweaters with an edge. “We couldn’t resist Miller Girl, the new line from Nicole Miller. It’s a casual-yet-edgy designer look for the fashion-forward gal,’’ Saitowitz said. “The new Darjoni cashmere collection in eyecatching colors looked fabulous. We really liked B Zen, a group of innovative fashion items, such as tops that work with three new denim lines — Alvin Valley, Zoompie and Branded B Jeans.”

EUROPE WATCH HIGH DRAMA: Leave it to Kabuki Louis Vuitton, celebrating performers. its 150th anniversary this year, to unearth a parallel milestone in the arcane, but oddly beautiful, Japanese theater form kabuki. The French luxury giant plans to co-sponsor, with insurance firm AXA, 12 rare performances at the Chaillot National Theater in Paris Oct. 8 to 22 — including a gala night during fashion week — highlighted by the first performance in 150 years of two generations of the legendary Ichikawa family of actors. Twenty-six-year-old Ebizo Ichikawa, the Justin Timberlake of present-day kabuki, is slated to perform with his father, Danjuro, the famous dance of the two lions. The 400-year-old art form is prized for its graceful, ritualized movements, extravagant costumes and dramatic makeup. To wit: Vuitton’s custom workrooms whipped up, to Danjuro’s specifications, a trunk especially for Ebizo’s facepainting supplies. — Miles Socha

dream a little dream ...or possibly a big one. • The largest standard guest rooms of any Manhattan hotel • Tw o r e s t a u r a n t s • 24 hour business center • Meetings/event space • More style than you can imagine

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WWD, MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2004

17

Better / Contemporary sportswear and dress co. has the following positions available:

JUNIOR DESIGNER GIVENCHY

ELLEN TRACY

ROUND THE CLOCK

Current exp. in jr. sportswear collection department store level required. Min 4 yrs exp, sketching skills & designing a complete collection, conduct fittings, and full knowledge of domestic and European fabric market.

EVAN PICONE

LEGWEAR IS BACK ! Established Woman’s Fashion Legwear & Bodywear company seeks experienced, independent, motivated sales representatives to sell our collections to Department, Shoe & Specialty Stores. Most territories open. Prefer an individual currently selling apparel or accessory lines and have either a field sales organization or a showroom in any of the regional markets. Please send resume with current lines being carried and why you feel you are right for us. Fax or E-mail to JBT Group, Attn Sales Reps:

ASSOCIATE DESIGNER Experienced in designing sportswear collection. Dress and social separates exp a plus. Must have contemporary taste level and have full knowledge of European fabric market and well rounded in sourcing.

212-764-3475 / [email protected]

Arteffects !

TECHNICAL DESIGNER

FABULOUS FOOTWEAR 18 year old contemporary Women’s & Jr. Footwear Co. seeks Accessory Reps with Foremost Fashion Luggage & Accessory est’d. clientele in the following areas: Co. seeks creative leader to manage team •Northern California •Southern California of 6+ Designers; coordinate the disci- •Texas Metro •Southeast •Northeast plines in each creative area with the team •Midwest. and the Asian factories. Northern NJ New price point line 1 year old and exploding with rapid growth. Contact Lou at: location. Fax/E-mail resume/salary to: 973-812-3196 / [email protected] Tel: 404-369-1286 / Fax: 770-888-4442 E-mail: [email protected]

Experience in wovens a must. Must have full knowledge of garment construction, pattern- making, and grading. Excellent computer skills and technical drawing.

Design Team Leader

Fax resume to Lynn at 212-302-2399

Jersey + Rib Lycra Fleece + Velour Drake Fabrics 718-389-8902

Head Designer / Merchandiser Strong Jr’s urban brand seeks full time Head Designer / Merchandiser. Must be creative, innovative and HIGHLY EXPERIENCED.

Cash For Retail Stock & Closeouts. No Lot Too Big or Too Small. Call CLOTHES-OUT: (937) 898-2975

Production Asst 3-4 years exp. Follow-up sampling, accessories, production details. Orient experience a plus. Fax resumes, Attn: Ralph 212-221-9287

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PATTERNS, SAMPLES, PRODUCTIONS All lines,Any styles. Fine Fast Service. Call Sherry 212-719-0622.

PATTERNS, SAMPLES, PRODUCTIONS

Showroom / Office / Retail We find you space-best deal-no fee Sublet 525 7th/ready Garment Center Real Estate Call Paul 212 947-5500 X 100

Showrooms & Lofts BWAY 7TH AVE SIDE STREETS Great ’New’ Office Space Avail ADAMS & CO. 212-679-5500

Samples and patterns full servcie shop to the trade. Fine fast work. 212-869-2699.

PTTNS/SMPLS/PROD High qlty, reasonable price. Any design & fabric. Fast work. 212-714-2186

Product Line Wanted

Showroom Sublet-Brand New 171 Madison 3800 FT Wood Floors Prime Manhattan Jon 212-268-8043 Search-www.manhattanoffices.com

YOU DESERVE CLASSIER SPACE Show your boss/partner you can get better for less. Quality 1,500-10,000 sq ft. Call Allan Gallaway Bernstein R.E. 212-594-1414 Ext 251

Well financed company with its own distribution center is looking to expand its business by adding another company or product line. Interested parties with at least 3 million dollars in sales of an imported product, please fax 201-871-9790.

Great opportunity to show us what you can do….Major Infant Accessory Co seeking self starting individuals JOB REQUIRES Graphic skills, flat sketching, specs & DESIGNER a creative mind. Must be Mac lit, *PRODUCTION*DESIGN* CHILDREN’S WEAR (Photoshop, Illustrator), capable of han*TECH DESIGN*GRAPHIC DESIGN* Leading girl’s dress mfr has position dling multiple deadlines. Positions *MERCHANDISING* for exp’d Design Asst. Computer entry, are in packaging gift area & diaper bag See career listings @www.apparelstaffing.com supervise sample rm, knowl of fabric Established large importer & sourcing graphics for generic & licensing lines. Or Fax Resume To: (212) 302-1161 and trim market. Able to complete co. of private label apparel seeking a 1-5 yrs exp in any infant line. Competidesigner for the children’s division. design projects. Salary neg. tive salary & benefits. Computer graphic skills & Color Matter Fax resume: Attn: Design Assistant: Fax to: 646-452-5583 Att: Giti experience preferred. Must be organ1-631-758-5597 ized and a team player. Overseas and Designer $100-$120K. Cuirrent exp. in domestic travel required. Responsibili- Designer/Handbags/JR.MKT/to 65k womens casual sportswear. Woven+ knits. ties include prints, embroideries, Entry level position w/toy company. Must hang w/ Liz Clairborne, Jones Appa- specs, will directly assist salesperson Leading Accessory co. seeks experienced handbag designer for their Jr. Requires self starter, detail & creative rel, August Silk, etc. Travel to India, China. and interact with the accounts. Specialty Store line. Req: create line,trend person who communicates well and Call 973-564-9236 Jaral Fashion Agency Resume builder--great experience! analysis, strong Illust /Photoshop skills able to multi-task. Strong Word & ExPlease fax resume to 212-643-80170 & detailed handsketching, w/3+ yrs recel skills. Support person to designers lated access expr. Growth oppty. and product development team. E-mail resume: [email protected] Designer $125-150K. Current exp. in Fax resume: 212-239-4841 (Fax)212-725-7116 (Tel)212-481-1941 private label moderate woven women’s DESIGNER sportswear. Must hang w/ Kazu, Bonnie and Norma, Yellowriver, J. Suzette, BanDaniel M Friedman Inc Designer/Handbags CAD Artist to $70K. Current exp. in ner Ind., FOB, Hi Fashion, CMT, Signe, Leading Accessories Firm for JLO, SR. DESIGNER/to 75k primavision 5.2 Photoshop/Illustrator. burbank, etc. Call 973-564-9236 Jaral Agcy Betsey Johnson, Unionbay looking for Great oppty to bring your excellent a Handbag designer and Belt Designer creative design skills to this major AcStrong in Full Fashion sweaters, jackards, with min of 3yrs experience, Technical cessory company. Your ability to develop a prints, stripes, plaids, embroideries etc. Designer $65-$80K. Current exp in mens den- drawing a must. Please fax resume to line, trend analysis, for ladies bags /access. Missy JR & girls. Call 973-564-9236 Agcy im bottoms. Good knowldge of washes, fin- Kenny Horowitz 212 643-8464. Req: strong Illust /Photoshop skills & deishes, fabrics, construction. Must hang w/ tailed hand-sketching, w/3+ years relatPolo, DKNY, Guess, Paper, True Religion, Dieed accessory experience. sel, Lucky, Mavi, etc. Call 973-564-9236 Agcy CAD DESIGNER E-mail resume: [email protected] (Fax)212-725-7116 (Tel)212-481-1941

Apparel Staffing, Ltd. DESIGN ASSISTANT

Assistant to Product Development

Leading Intimate Women’s & Children’s Apparel Mfr seeks eager, creative, organized individuals. Please fax resume & salary requirements to: 212-685-3534, Attn: C. Lee

Designer $80-100K. Current exp. in private label cut & sewn knits + sweaters. Fashion vision of Emma James, Cold Water Creek, Christopher Banks etc. Call 973-564-9236 Agcy

DATA PROCESSING ANALYST

Designer $90-100K. Current exp. in 2-7 boys denim based sportswear required. Must hang w/ Gap, Levis, Old Navy, etc. Call 973-564-9236 Agcy

Leading sptswr mftr seeks wellorganized individual with strong computer skills & knowledge of order entry, allocation, and inventory control. 3 yrs experience in garment center is a MUST. Fax resumes to 212-268-4920

Designer $90-$100K. Current exp in Jrs/ contemp full fashion sweaters required. Private label or branded OK. Must hang w/ Free People, American Rags, Language, etc. Call 973-564-9236 Jaral Fashion Agency

1411 B’way - 1 Year Sublease

FASHION RESUMES SINCE 1970 Lifetime Updating/Phone Interviews Rush Service Available PROFESSIONAL RESUMES, INC. (212)697-1282/(800)221-4425 www.resumesforfashion.com

Designer - Freelance

Asst. CAD Designers

Low Floor; 530 sq. ft. w/special bonus 1 Month Free Rent if can Occupy Immediately. Call: 212-719-3220

8th Ave #555 24/7 Attendant Best Deals On The Avenue 1675-3108 sq ft Beautifully Renovated Owner 212-695-0005 Or 718-387-0500

ASSISTANT DESIGNER CHILDREN’S WEAR

Sleepwear/Lingerie Private label import/mfr. seeks designer. DESIGNER IMMED Must be able to merchandise fashion DIRECTOR groups including fabric/color, style $$TOP$$ sketching, specs and executing samSLEEPWEAR ples with foreign factories. Min. 3 [email protected] years experience designing knits, satin, silks is necessary. For immediate consideration, please email resume with fees to: [email protected] Est’d. Ladies’ Sleepwear Co. seeks highly motivated/talented indiv. to constantly create/develop new & exciting designs/ ideas for our Jr. & Missy lines. Exp. necessary in print work, fit, flats, CAD/ Mac capable. NO patternmakers please Salary based on exp. FT/Freelance avail. E-mail res. to HR Dept: [email protected]

Designer/Merchandiser

18

WWD, MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2004

Receptionist INTIMATE APPAREL

BOX STUDIOS Fashion photography retouching studio seeks Receptionist for 11 AM - 8 PM shift. Must be neat, organized, well groomed, and have experience with heavy volume calls. Word & Excel proficiency req’d. E-mail resume to: [email protected]

NATIONAL DIRECTOR OF SALES

Fashion Accessories Co. seeks exp’d. Receptionist for its midtown location. Qualified candidates will have a minimum of 2 years experience & excellent phone manners. Duties include ordering office supplies, scheduling messengers, and handling the mailing of overnight packages. E-mail confidential resume with salary with salary requirements to: [email protected]

RECEPTIONIST A once in a lifetime chance to join an exciting, expanding organization offering the unique sleepwear, daywear and foundations of Betsey Johnson. We seek an experienced "people person" with a passion for seeding and a love of great product. We are a "value added" resource who strives to provide extraordinary levels of planning and service to our retail partners. Our introduction of this line during the March Market was met with incredible enthusiasm, and it is our intention to grow this fabulous collection into a major business. Carole Hochman Designs is a wonderful organization, filled with talented and dedicated people at every level. We take great pride in claiming our staff is the "best and the brightest" in the industry, and our reputation and successful track record are proof of this. M

Senior Handbag/ Belt Designer Seeking fashion forward designer w/ min. 5 yrs. exp. Must be proficient in Illustrator/Photoshop. Excellent opportunity w/benefits. Email resume to: [email protected] or fax: 212-268-9861

Asst. Product Merchandise Mgr.

VF, the global leader in creating powerful brands of apparel, is seeking an Asst Product Merchandise Mgr for its Intimates Division. The successful candidate will possess 3-5 yrs merchandising exp, preferably in intimates, strong communication skills, proficient PC skills and a college degree in Fashion Merchandising, Design or Textiles. Great opportunity for a very talented, Qualified candidates should send their self-motivated, detail oriented bra design- resume and salary requirements via er to join a fast growing California based email to [email protected] Lingerie Company. A minimum of 10 For more information about our company, please visit our website at years experience with strong organizawww.vfc.com tional skills as well as deadline oriented VF Intimates is an EOE Intimate apparel company specializing for a fast paced environment is required. in bras and panties seeks experienced Creative innovation with design execution Men’s Activewear/Underwear and energetic designer/merchandiser. from concept to production is essential. $100K Work out of New York and New Jersey. Required talents and experience include; Merchandiser $150K Please fax resume to: 201-871-9790 technical knowledge of bras, first pattern Design Jennifer *Just Mgmt* 800-544-5878 making, draping, grading, fitting, garment Designer/Merch.to 100K+ [email protected] construction, measurement and sewing Men’s Loungewear/Underwear For established company’s "hot" branded specs (ALL a MUST). Please Fax or Merchandiser $150-$175K. Current exp. in urban licensed lines (dept./specialty E-mail resume to: girls 7-16. Direct designers w/ fashion stores) Req: expr designing/merch. men’s 818-349-5502 / [email protected] vision. Strong relationship w/ Wal-Mart. (prefer Urban) lounge, underwear, ability Call 973-564-9236 Jaral Fashion Agency to manage other artists, strong Illustrator /Photoshop skills. E-mail resume: [email protected] NY based sleepwear/slipper/flip flop co looking for art director and graphic ar(Fax)212-725-7116 (Tel)212-481-1941 Established 20 year old importer of tists. Entry level and experienced will SOCKS, HOSIERY and ACCESSObe considered. Illustrator/Photoshop a RIES seeks hands on individual with must. Good drawing skills a must. experience. Individual must be Please fax resume to 212-202-4396 creative and convert new concepts into new products. He/She needs to Graphic Designer to $75K. Current exp. in merchandise and direct design from A mens or boys t-shirts, strong in urban ska- to Z. Person needs to have good ter look req’d. F/T permanent position exp. communications skills and be able to work directly with approval process, a must. Call 973-564-9236 Jaral Agcy designers and products. Minimum Size 4-16 designer wanted to work in four years experience. Track record exciting new children’s division of HIS with SOCKS/ CASUAL FOOTWEAR/ International. Phenomenal opportuni- Head Technical Designer COLD WEATHER GOODS a plus. ty for creative & organized individual Childrenswear company seeks experi- Possible travel overseas. Must have experienced in the children’s market. enced Technical Designer with kids knowledge of Mac, Photoshop, Illustrator. Comprehsive sportswear line with con- background. Must have knowledge of Send resume, cover letter with centration on woven bottoms. Quali- flat sketching, grading, and garment requested salary to fied applicants please forward resume construction. Must be detail oriented [email protected] and have good communication skills. to: Good salary and benefits. [email protected] Merchandiser to $100K. Current exp. Fax resume to 212-239-2766. or fax attn Fernando to 212-967-7494 in womens, mens or kids outerwear required. Product devel. Process 1st proto’s, counter source fabric, assist sales exec. Call 973-564-9236 Agcy Seeking exp’d contemporary Sweater Fast paced Private Label Co. (ladies Designer in all aspects of line developsportswear) is looking to fill the follow- MFG Mgr Global $150-170K ment, sketching, illustration, specs & ing positions. Pls note all candidates Must be Technical. Intimates A Must. cads. Fax resume (212) 302-7672 or must be team players w/excellent Joy *Just Mgmt* 800-544-5878 Call Charman @ (212) 302-0444 communication skills, detail oriented [email protected] and computer literate. Design

Foundation Technical Designer

Designer/Merchandiser

Graphic Artist/Designer

MERCHANDISER/LINE BUILDER

DESIGNER

DESIGNER - Sweaters

JEWELRY DESIGNERS Major Branded Jewelry Mfr. seeks a well versed Designer with classic, career oriented design background. In addition, a trendy, innovative, over the top Designer with Dept. & Specialty Store distribution channels. Send resumes/salary history to: Box#M 1067 c/o Fairchild Publications 7 West 34th Street, 4th Fl New York, NY 10001

DESIGN/Sales Leading evening handbag importer is seeking an assertive candidate with a positive attitude! Must have fashion sense, ability to work independently; computer literate and be detail oriented. Job responsibilities include: all phases of product development, set up/ attend trade shows, small store sales. Travel mandatory. Looking for an applicant ready to commit for a growth opportunity with a well established team. Salary is commensurate with exp. Reply to: [email protected] or by fax to: 212-629-6418.

HELP WANTED

Product Manager 3-5 yrs Private Label experience. Must be able to work independently, posses great follow through skills and be able to coordinate between Customer, Design and Production. Must be familiar with domestic and import piece goods market. Dept store contacts a plus.

Associate Product Manager 1-2 yrs Private Label experience. Must be a hard working individual, able to assist in all aspects of product development.

Assistant Product Manger Must be a quick learner. Some experience preferred. Attn: SM (212) 302-1856

Jr Accessory Designer

Creative junior designer for ladies/junior fashion accessories (hats,gloves,scarves) needed for Estb. New York Accessory Co. Must be profiDesign cient in Adobe Illustrator/PhotoShop. Must have great color sense, ability to spot trends, and handle projects from Major branded Jewelry Mfr. is seeking a concept to finished product. Must be seasoned professional who can lead a organized, detail oriented, and highly design staff to the next level. Must possess motivated, w/excellent communication a branded background distributing to skills, work well independently, and Dept. Stores throughout the U.S. Please under pressure w/ good attitude and a submit resume/salary history to: willingness to learn. 2-3 yrs. exp. in Box#M 1064 accessories preferred. Exp. with c/o Fairchild Publications Wal-Mart plan-o-grams a +. Salary 7 West 34th Street, 4th Fl commensurate with experience. New York, NY 10001 Please fax resume to: 309-437-0579

Vice President of Design

If you are qualified, hard working, dedicated, capable and knowledgeable individual who wants to accept and exciting and rewarding challenge, please fax your resume to: 212-725-1890

Carole Hochman Designs, Inc. Patternmaker VIVIENNE TAM High end Designers Co. seeks highly skilled expd.frm 1st to Prod. Patternmaker, must be good in draping & flat pattern for eveningwear. Fax Resume w/c letter to (212) 398-9695

Production Assistant Seeking experienced Production Asst. with knowledge of specs and garment construction. Please fax resume to: (212) 967-9287

Sales Assistant - F/T Must be motivated, intelligent, and well spoken. No experience necessary. Pleasant midtown office. Diverse duties. Please Fax resume to: 212-268-1546

SEAMSTRESS/TAILOR Fusha Design Inc., based in N.Y.C. Fashion District, seeks seamstress/tailor (part-time). Minimum 5 years exp. Call Cindy at: 212-564-7741

SHOWROOM ADMINISTRATOR Leading sunglass co. seeks highly motivated, responsible, team player w/ showroom and merchandising experience. Responsibilities include maintaining all aspects of showroom plus administrative duties. Candidate must have great organizational and communication skills. Must be proficient in Excel and Word. Interested parties may fax resume to: (212) 481-4293. SPEC TECHS IMMED GREAT FIRMS $35 TO $45K [email protected] Tech Designer $70-85K. Current exp. in women’s or men’s outerwear required. Send tech pakages to Far East. Computerized. 7th ave at 38th St. Call 973-564-9236 Jaral Fashion Agcy Tech Designer to $75K. Current exp, in full fashion sweaters. Embellishments, beads, embroideries. Tech sketching + specs. Call 973-564-9236 Jaral Agcy Technical

Associate Technical Designer

Missy sportswear mfr seeks a highly motivated self-starter w / positive attitude & strong interpersonal skills to create development technical packages. Must PRODUCTION ASST (Eng/Chinese) Brooklyn Accessory Import Mfr seeks create specs and grading, fit comments, Product Devel Mgr $100-$120K. Current F/T Asst to liaise bet. China & US follow up, technical knowledge & some exp, in home furnishing reqred. Kitchen + prod’n. Written/verbal skills. Fax 718- flat sketching. Must be computer literate & have patternmaking and fitting exp / tables tops textiles, or bedding etc. Ability 333-9089 or [email protected] knowledge in knits, wovens, and sweaters. to make presentations to accounts as well as plan calandar and direct fashion trends. Production Coord $40-50K. Current exp. Friendly work environment w/great Will relo to NJ. Call 973-564-9236 Agcy woven sportswear req’d. Knowledge of con- benefits. Fax resume: 212 768 1826 or struction of woven garments. Track and email: [email protected] EOE schedule production from inception to Textile Production Manager completion. Call 973-564-9236 Jaral Agcy Correspond w/ overseas mills on daily basis, detail oriented w/ good comp Major apparel company seeks individual PRODUCTION COORDINATOR skills, ability to multi-task in a fast with minimum two years experience. paced environment, strong import prod Responsibilities include approving lab ASSISTANT exp w/ textiles, order processing, L/C’s dips, fabric & accessories. Individual PRIVATE LABEL Fax Resume 212-695-7548 will review design worksheets and We are a major moderate to better coordinate information between design dress, sportswear and suit manufacturdept and production dept. Must have er. We are seeking an individual to good organizational, communication perform and coordinate various and computer skills. Fabric functions between and with our construction knowledge a plus. overseas offices, sales people, design Fax resume 212-239-2766 and customers. Ideal candidate should have private label manufacturing experience and understand the step by step procedures with private label retailers and cataloguers. Strong communication skills written and Est’d. Accessories Mfr. seeks a motivated verbal and computer literacy is person to handle major accounts & com- essential. Fax resume with salary municate with Hong Kong office. Must requirements attention HR: 212 869 4011 NATIONAL SALES REP be computer literate, detail oriented & Nationally known fine/fashion jewelry exp’d. in Product Development. E-mail resumes to: [email protected] designer / manufacturer based in Major importer seeks aggressive indiPhiladelphia seeks aggressive sales PRODUCTION $40 TO $90K vidual with good communication skills person for exclusive representaPRESTIGE to handle production, development and BIG NAME LABEL lab dip follow-up. Fax or E-mail resume: tion in new business expansion w/ [email protected] 212-290-1997, [email protected]

Product Development Coordinator

Product Development/ Sales Assistant/Bookkeeper

Production Coordinator

Production Assistant

Better Accessory company seeks person with minimum 3 years experience. Must be computer literate and very organized. Duties include specing line and hands on domestic production. We are not importers. Email resume in confidence w/ salary requirements to: Miss’s size 8 for fitting & related duties. [email protected] Basic measurements: Height: 5’7" to 5’8"; Bust: 36"; Waist: 28"; Low Hip: 38½"; other measurements discussed at interview. Leading children’s wear importer Call Diane at: 212-719-9190 seeks 2 experienced production assistants. Responsibilities include daily e-mail communication with overseas VF, the global leader in creating power- factories and all phases of approval ful brands of apparel, is seeking a process. Ideal candidates are team Molding Technician for its Intimates players with 2 to 3 years experience; Division. The successful candidate will knowledge and understanding of possess 2 years experience in a me- garment construction, knit and woven chanical background preferably in fabrics. Must be detail oriented with apparel, strong communication skills, good communication skills, computer proficient PC skills, attention to detail skills and able to work under pressure. is essential. Qualified candidates should Fax resume and salary requirements to: 215-243-8216 Attn HR e-mail resume & salary requirements to: [email protected] PRODUCTION ASSISTANT For more information about our Major apparel company seeks three company, please visit our website at production assistants with 1-2 years www.vfc.com experience. Responsibilities include VF Intimates is an EOE tracking of all pre production approval submits, processing of all price tickets, and ordering/tracking of accessories & labels. Individual should be detail oriented & have excellent computer skills. Ladies designer company seeks highly Fax resume 212-239-2766 skilled patternmaker/draper w/ strong background specializing in tailored pieces and min 5 years experience. ReMajor private label apparel company quires working very closely w/ designer. seeking Production Asst. CommunicaPlease fax resume w/ salary tion experience with Far East a plus. requirement to 212-764-6646 Tremendous attention to detail and follow up is essential. Must be detail Patternmaker to $70K. Current exp. in oriented and be able to work under bras or swimwear. Secaucus New pressure. Please fax resume to: Jersey location. Growing company. (212) 768-0835 Call 973-564-9236 Jaral Fashion Agcy.

MODEL

Production Assistant

Molding Technician

PATTERNMAKER / DRAPER

Production Assistant

Production Coordinator Private Label Ladies Knitwear Co. Seeks individual 3-5 years experience cut & sew knits- import & domestic Respon. include enter/order/track bill of materials, issue P.O & cutting tkts & coordinate shipping & oversee all aspects of prod.liason between sales & shipping dept. Must have computer exp.- Mac pref. Please email or fax resume & salary to: 212-278-8696 [email protected]

upscale majors, indep’t jewelry, and specialty stores. Exp. in fashion/accessories sales a plus. Base + Commission + Benefits. Email to [email protected]

ACCESSORY SALES $$$

GARMENT PRODUCTION

Hot Jr. accessories co. looking for all levels of salespeople. Excellent oppty! Experience with Department/Specialty stores a must. Salary based on exp. Call Cindi: 212-947-3399 x16 or Fax: 201-894-1186 or Email: [email protected] KARLYN FASHION RECRUITERS

Production Mgr. (5 yrs. exp.) Production Asst (2 yrs. exp.) Largest Miami based domestic mfg. Co. seeks hands on candidates knowledgeable from cutting to shipping. Fast paced enviroment. Fax Salary history to: (305) 634-0077

Account Exec $$ Hi Open. Current exp. in women’s outerwear with a follwing req’d. Must hang w/ Amorex, G-III, Gallary, Rothchild, Weather Proof, Marvin Richards, Bromley etc. Lg. expanding co. with several divisions. Growth oppt’y. Call 973-564-9236 Jaral Fashion Agcy

Production

PUBLIC RELATIONS Leading NYC Fashion PR Agency is looking for an Account Executive with at least 2 years fashion agency exp. Must have exp with the following: pitching short-lead press, product publicity, fashion show exp, a cool fashion style & the ability & desire to succeed. Company name confidential. Please send your resume by E-mail to [email protected] or Fax it to 212-727-9032.

Account Exec-Watches PEUGEOT , a leading dept store brand, seeks an aggressive & highly motivated sales person w/good people skills to manage existing accts as well as cultivate new business. Must have excellent analytical, retail math skills. Min 3 years exp. NYC based. Fax 212-997-1062 or [email protected]

Apparel Trim Components

Major global mfr. seeks an energetic & motivated Account Executive to work out of our NYC office calling on existing & prospective accounts - major apparel brands & retailers - to promote our global Women’s apparel manufacturer seeks offer, services, and capabilities. Experiupbeat person for general office duties. ence in denim, trim management, techniMust have Word & Excel exp. Great cal design and/or apparel construction a plus. Competitive benefits package. opportunity for growth. Salary commensurate with experience. Please fax resume to Jeffrey Lodge Please Fax resume to: 212-561-6468 212-302-5763.

RECEPTIONIST/ ADMIN ASSIST

WWD, MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2004

19

RETAIL

SALES ASSOCIATES Housing Works, an innovative nonprofit agency, is seeking sales associates to work in our Manhattan shops. Prior exp. a must, interest in vintage and/ or collectibles a +. To qualify you must have a HS diploma or equivalent and haev excellent organizational/ communicatrion/ interpersonal skills. We offer a competite compensation package commensurate with exp. Email your resume w/ position and salary req to: [email protected] or fax 212-868-4222 Ho phone calls EOE

Sales/Account Executive Leading Intimate Apparel Mfg. is seeking an Account Executive to join our growing sales team to support our rapidly expanding product lines. Requirements are: •3-5 years of sales/retail experience in Department and Specialty Stores. •Intimate Apparel experience a strong plus. •Knowledge of fashion, replenishment, and private label businesses. •Strong analytical/retail math and computer skills. •Proven track record of building strong customer relationships. •Travel. Salaries, incentives, and/or commission structure are based on experience and sales volume. Please fax resume in strictest confidence to: Attn: NY1 at 212-929-1560

Elie Tahari is opening its Flagship Store in SOHO and is looking for qualified Sales Associates

Sales Associates Candidates should have at least 2 years of fashion retail experience. Our ideal candidates will have a strong client following and be customer service driven. We currently have Store Manager, Assistant Store Manager and Sales Associate positions available at our other premier Manhattan location!

Store Manager/Assistant Store Manager Qualified candidates will have at least 2-4 years of high-end retail management experience, be fashion forward, sales driven and customer service oriented. Our ideal candidate will have a track record of building a strong team and have an entrepreneurial spirit. To be considered, please email your resume and salary requirements to [email protected] or fax to: 212-764-3116. Elie Tahari offers flexible schedules, competitive compensation, merchandise discounts and 401(k). EOE Learn more about Elie Tahari @ www.elietahari.com BOUTIQUE SALES Busy W. Village shops need sales pros. Min. 3 yrs. shoe/fashion exp. Fax Alida: 212-675-6360

Sales/Account Executive

Cole Haan, a leader in branded luxury footwear, accessories and outerwear is looking for a talented individual to join our accessories sales team in the following capacity. Account Executive - Women’s Accessories This position, based in New York, is directly responsible for the growth of key strategic accounts. This position requires 2+ years in wholesale sales or planning experience. This qualified candidate must have the ability to establish and build effective working relationships and possess strong organizational and communication skills. In addition, the proven ability, enthusiasm, and business management skills to help successfully meet sales objectives is critical in this position. To apply to for this position please forward your resume to: [email protected], reference Account Executive in subject line or fax to (212) 515-1626 Please visit colehaan.com for information about Cole Haan products. We are an equal opportunity employer. M/F/D/V

Leading Intimate Apparel Mfg. is seeking an Account Executive to take our rapidly expanding product lines to: Specialty Chains, Mass Merchants, Ware House Clubs, Mail Order, Television, Internet. Requirements are: •3-5 years of sales/retail experience, in the above segments of distribution. •Knowledge of fashion, replenishment, and private label businesses. •Strong analytical/retail math and computer skills. •Proven track record of building strong customer relationships. •Travel. Salaries, incentives, and/or commission structures are based on experience and sales volume. Please fax resume in strictest confidence to: Attn: NY2 at 212-929-1560

SALES ASSISTANT NADRI JEWELRY GROUP Fast growing, prestige costume jewelry company seeking multi-tasker to work with buyers, help with advertising and marketing projects, and assist sales management. Candidate must be detail oriented, have excellent customer service skills, and a whiz in Excel and Word. Knowledge of graphics-related programs a plus. Please send resumes to: [email protected]

Sales - Contemporary Req’s strong organizational skills & self motivation. Excellent phone manners & good grooming essential. Team player only. College plus 2 yrs. exp. Please fax resume to: (212) 302-4798

Sales Director

NEW YORK Account Executive Well established International sportswear company has an immediate opening for experienced Account Executive. Candidate must have five years experience with both specialty and department stores. Strong retail planning and account management skills are required. Position is based in New York and some travel is required.

Nationally recognized bridge fashion jewelry company, specializing in high volume designer sterling silver and semi-precious stone, seeks highly motivated professional, with superior communication skills and 5+ years experience to lead our sales team. Ideal candidate will have established department store, specialty store and private label relationships, plus a proven ability to grow the business. Must be able to develop and execute sales plans as well as manage house accounts. Superior math skills are a must. Excellent benefit and performance package offered. Fax/email salary requirements and resume to: 212-268-7264 /[email protected]

Please call New York Showroom for a personal appointment with Lloyd Singer (212) 398-0330.

Intimate Apparel Sales PRIVATE LABEL SALES Intimate apparel company specializing in bras and panties seeks experienced and energetic salesperson. Work out of New York and/or New Jersey. Great opportunity. Fax: 201-871-9790.

NEW CAMPAIGN A Kellwood Division Account Executive & Sales Manager Established accessory company seeking motivated person to grow business in handbags & other accessories for a leading lifestyle brand. Must have strong contacts within the industry, minimum 3 years experience in handbags. Must be able to manage accounts independently. Ideal candidate must be computer literate with sales analysis experience. Organized, detailed and energetic, possess a proven track record in seeking and developing sales with mass-market accounts. Please fax resume, including salary requirements to: 212-355-1100

We are a major sourcing and manufacturing apparel company with a global presence in all woven and knit categories. We are seeking a key account sales executive with significant retail connections from volume users only. We offer both FOB and LDP full package capability. We DO NOT produce a line.The ideal candidate must have private label experience and the ability to secure business with little to no design input. In order to achieve competitive pricing, we are only interested in business whereby the retailer supplies us with their detailed objectives / tech packages for us to execute. Reply in confidence with salary requirements to HR. Fax 212 869 4011.

SALES PROFESSIONAL Midtown Manhattan / Los Angeles Are you creative & goal oriented? We are an international firm that designs & produces handbags & GWP fashion accessories. We currently seek a relationship builder with a proven track record of finding& developing new clients. If you are a team player and believe in accountability, and thrive in an exciting work environment... we should talk. Learn more about our business, and apply for this strong opportunity by viewing our website careers section: www.macher.com

SPORTSWEAR SALES Est’d, well respected sportswear co seeks energetic & creative sales pro w/ department & specialty store following. Excellent sal/comm commensurate w/exp. Fax resume to: 212-768-9058/Call: 212-221-1155

Cecile & Jeanne SALES ASSOCIATES A European leader in fashion jewelry, is seeking exceptional, highly motivated Sales Associates for Full or Part Time floor positions at its exclusive Manhattan boutiques. Must have a minimum of three years sales experience in fashion retail, high-end preferred and have excellent customer communication skills. Please fax resume to: (212) 595-5097 Email: [email protected]

DOONEY & BOURKE FULL TIME SALES ASSOCIATE F/T salesperson for Flagship Madison Ave store. Min 2 yrs exp in specialty fashion retail sales. College preferred but degree not req’d. Ability to relate to teen market important. Highly motivated, energetic indivs who are enthusiastic about our product and connecting w/ our customers. Good communication skills & desire to provide great customer service a must. Competitive compensation and benefits. Fax resume to: 212-223-3856

Major Swimwear Apparel Designer Independent Sales Reps Needed Midwest, Southeast & New England Established branded swimwear company is seeking independent sales reps to manage and grow existing territories. Current account base already exists. Should have 3-5 years of apparel or swimwear sales experience. Fax cover letter and resume to: 513-874-1878 Southeast + Midwest Positions 732-254-1409 New England Position

JEWELRY SALES REP Linea Nervenkitt, an independent jewelry co seeks sales reps in all territories. Must have strong contacts w/ dept & specialty stores. [email protected]

Sales Reps Missy knit tops & Sleepwear Company seeks aggressive, exp’d sales reps on commission basis. All territories open. Fax resume to: 212-937-3790

ATTENTION CONVERTERS/MILLS Former Sales Mgr. of major Textile Converter catering to dressy trade seeks the right opportunity... Call: 212-679-1089

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WWD, MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2004 Nina Griscom and Antony Todd at their store in Southampton.

Sunday Best SHELTER ISLAND, N.Y. — As all chic women know, looking effortlessly stylish while on vacation takes work — untold hours of shopping for the perfect selection of bathing suits, sunglasses, hats and après-sun coverups. That’s to say nothing of tote bags, jewelry and, of course, beach towels. It’s no surprise, then, that Ria Browne’s shop at Andres Balazs’ Sunset Beach Hotel here on Long Island is a hit. The name of the store — Sunday at Sunset Beach — pretty much sums up its breezy and casual ambience. Unlike the typical hotel boutique, Sunday is decidedly unslick and inviting, with a whitewashed, nautical decor. And tucked inside is everything the chic beachgoer could ever need. For Browne, who founded the flip-flop company Mella

Beach Combers SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — You may not think you need a bone-ivory articulated lobster (price on request). But the crustaceans — there are also crabs for $650 — are causing something of a sensation at the gift boutique Nina Griscom opened here a few weeks ® ago with her friend, the flower guru Antony Todd. “All the legs and antennae move,” Griscom explains. “I’m already running out of stock.” Todd and Griscom met about five years ago at a dinner party hosted by Marjorie Gubelmann Raein. “We were seated together,” recalls Todd, “and then we went back to her house and sat up ’til dawn talking about life. Talking, talking, talking.” But it wasn’t until about three months ago that they decided to venture into business together. Todd thought he’d found the perfect space: a whitewashed barn with a big garage door on Hampton Road. “I imagined some young good-looking girls and boys in blue Antony Todd aprons selling flowers,” he says. “I rang Nina up for some advice.” “I told him, ‘Bad idea. The location will kill you,’” Griscom reports. But the phone call sparked something. “When I hung up, I thought, ‘It’s time to get off your butt and go back to work.’” The idea for a lifestyle store and flower shop channeling both of their tastes (called simply Antony Todd Nina Griscom) was born. This is the first retail endeavor for Griscom and Todd, and after settling on a location on Jobs Road a few blocks from Griscom’s home, “We just busted butt,” she says. “It was a big learning curve.” Todd and Griscom work as separate agents. “He picks his and I pick mine.” Most of the products are for the tabletop, but Griscom has also chosen to feature Kirat jewelry, silk chiffon caftans, Ashley Hicks trays with coral handles and beaded beach bags she found in Mexico. Todd’s pieces include a Lucite chandelier, Indo-Portuguese columns from the 18th century and hand-carved marble urns that he describes as “quite divine.” Griscom compares her approach with tending a garden, meaning the items she chooses to feature will be constantly rotating and, of course, always in season. “I’ve hand-picked everything myself — I don’t have any gnomes going out there scouting,” she quips. “I’m just trying to eyeball things I like and pray to God that others like them, too.” The pair hope to eventually get into branding and licensing their own items. “The store is a great way to test out the reaction to my eye,” Griscom notes. For Todd, it’s a way to show he’s not just about flowers. “I’ve done interior work,” he explains. “People can come into the store and get a sense of my decorative style. This is very much a positioning of more things to come, but I’m keeping the flower business.” There is a snag. Griscom has found she can’t quite enjoy what summer in the Hamptons has to offer: rest and relaxation. The store will be open seven days a week through August, and Griscom wants to be there all the time. (It will be open on weekends through January.) But she’s compensated by asking her friends to hang out at the shop. A colonial daybed makes browsing more comfortable, and Griscom will host book signings for pals Bettina Zilkha and Sirio Maccioni in the next few weeks. “By the time I get home, all I want to do is relax with a glass of wine with my friends,” she says. “The upside is I guess I won’t get any skin cancer this summer.”

RIA BROWNE’S FIVE ESSENTIAL ITEMS FOR SUMMER 1. Institut Esthederm’s Refreshing After-Sun Fondant. 2. Yves Saint Laurent tinted lip balm with SPF 10 in candy apple red. 3. Alexis Bittar chandelier earrings. 4. Mella animal print Ultrasuede flip-flops. 5. Missoni swirl-printed caftan.

NINA GRISCOM’S THREE ESSENTIAL ITEMS FOR SUMMER 1. A red Vespa for tooling around. (Not recommended for highways.) 2. A pair of Faraone Menella gold hoop earrings. 3. A copy of “Grace and Power: The Private World of the Kennedy White House” by Sally Bedell Smith. “It’s ideal beach reading — a serious, well-researched take on the Kennedy White House.”

TODD AND GRISCOM BY STEVE EICHNER; SUNDAY AT SUNSET BEACH BY TALAYA CENTENO

eye

— Marshall Heyman

Ria Browne

four years ago, vacations are serious business. “I tend to research exhaustively in order to find things that my customers are going to really love,” she explains. “They’re very savvy shoppers. I want to give them something that they can’t find elsewhere.” Browne does her buying like a glamorous magpie — picking out only the best tidbits. As a result, the selection has a distinct viewpoint that’s evocative of Saint Tropez, Positano and Capri with a soupçon of California surfer chic tossed in for good measure. This translates into treasures such as colorful Muriel Brandolini and Allegra Hicks caftans, fresh white cotton dresses from Nicole Farhi and Miguelina, terry cloth Pucci tote bags and towels, and piles of C&C T-shirts and ikat sarongs from Bali. The store also stocks an extensive collection of chandelier earrings and sunglasses, including Boucheron frames designed by Solange Azagury-Partridge, which are usually only carried at the jeweler’s boutiques. But not everything screams luxury. A basket of classic Nantucket rope bracelets for $4 a pop adds a dash of Yankee charm. And since Sunday is a hotel boutique, a shelf behind the counter holds the requisite disposable cameras and toiletries. “It’s always been my dream to have a beach store,” says Browne, who approached the Balazs team in January 2003 with the idea. Balazs was so happy with the concept that he signed Browne on as a retail consultant for his other properties, including the boutique at the Raleigh in South Beach, which opened a few months ago. Of course, Browne tailors her buy to fit each store’s respective locale. “Shelter Island is a bit more American, a bit preppier,” explains Browne, “while South Beach is more Latin and more European.” To that end, the Raleigh store carries labels like Versace and Missoni, which aren’t stocked at Sunday. And of course, there are no Nantucket rope bracelets in Florida. After the long weekends she spends at Sunday and the weekdays at her Midtown office making sure all is well with her small staff at Mella, Browne will get only a four-day vacation this summer to jet off to Panarea. But she won’t stop thinking about work. Even on such a short jaunt, Browne can’t help but take an anthropological eye to her fellow vacationers. “I like to see what other people are wearing on the beach,” she says. “European women are so ahead of what’s going on resort-wise. I love the research part of my job.”

— Meenal Mistry