THE BEST GIFT EVER CONTEST
In the spirit of the holidays, Eddie Bauer let me pick out a jacket from their impressive winter collection to give away to one lucky reader. The Yukon jacket jumped out at me right away – it’s like wearing a lightweight down sleeping bag, with quilted patch details and a color you most likely don’t have yet in your closet, a rich chestnut. So what does it take to win? Simply email me the best holiday present you ever received, with a line or two why. In two weeks on the 14th, I’ll pick a winner and send you the jacket in your size. Write to: greetings@fahlgreninc.com and keep it brief, funny, creative – there aren’t a ton of rules on this one. I may publish a few if there are any good ones. And since my readership is modest, I like to say targeted, your chances of winning are high! What would my entry be? (more…)
ART BASEL MIAMI BEACH PREVIEW
AN ART BASEL MIAMI BEACH PREVIEW. Talented writer and man-about-town Darrell Hartman shows us 10 reasons we should be in Miami Beach this week. [STYLE.COM]
CYBER SALES HIT RECORD
CYBER SALES HIT RECORD. The $1.25 billion in sales is the heaviest online commerce day ever, according to research firm comScore Inc., and represents a 22% rise from last year’s Cyber Monday. Cyber Monday last year saw then-record online purchases totalling $1.03 billion. [WSJ]
SAMSUNG GETS A WIN IN THE APPLE WAR
SAMSUNG GETS A WIN IN THE APPLE WAR. Samsung Electronics Co. won a significant victory Wednesday in its global tablet war with Apple Inc., as a panel of judges lifted a temporary ban on sales of its devices in Australia. [ALLTHINGSDIGITAL]
ONE TO WATCH: KIM JONES
British designer Kim Jones took home the award for “2011 Menswear Designer” at last night’s glitzy British Fashion Awards in London. Jones was appointed Style Director at Louis Vuitton earlier this year and previously helped infuse at serious jolt of energy at Dunhill while honoring their impressive heritage. Jones is a creative force, having designed for Mulberry, Louis Vuitton, Alexander McQueen, Topman and Uniqlo while also contributing as a stylist and art director for Dazed and Confused, Arena Homme + and Another Magazine. The award for emerging talent in menswear, the first year it was given, went to Christopher Raeburn. (more…)
MAGAZINES PULL BACK ON TABLET BELLS AND WHISTLES
MAGAZINES PULL BACK ON TABLET BELLS AND WHISTLES. When the iPad launched, magazines rushed to shovel expensive rich-media features into their tablet editions. Now that the field is growing, however, with tablets like Amazon’s Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble’s Nook Color, many magazines are rethinking their strategy and taking a simpler tack. [ADWEEK]
THE NORTH FACE + JIMMY CHIN
This is retail branding at it’s absolute best. For The North Face’s first foray into national broadcast television they chose top mountaineer Jimmy Chin as the face of the brand. He recently discussed the partnership on his blog: “Earlier this year, The North Face came to Camp 4 Collective and asked us to put together a few ideas for a 30-second national broadcast commercial spot. It was The North Face’s first major push into national broadcast TV commercials. There was a lot of pressure to create something amazing, something that would speak to a broad general audience, but still remain authentic to the brand and its core community of climbers, skiers and mountaineers. I wrote out (more…)
WHO IS THE 2011 MENSWEAR DESIGNER OF THE YEAR?
WHO IS THE 2011 MENSWEAR DESIGNER OF THE YEAR? Monday night at the Savoy is set to be one of the glitziest evenings in the fashion calendar: the British fashion awards. Up for the best menswear gong are Margaret Howell and Oliver Spencer for their eponymous labels, alongside Kim Jones, head of menswear at Louis Vuitton. [GUARDIANUK]
ROUGH WATERS FOR BILLABONG
ROUGH WATERS FOR BILLABONG. Surfwear company Billabong International Ltd. says there is no discernible reason for the gnarly performance of its share price last week. The Australian apparel company’s stock is now down about 58% over the past 12 months, and fell 13% Thursday alone. It’s asking a lot to think sentiment has turned against board shorts. [WSJ]
HUGO BOSS CONFIDENT ABOUT HOLIDAYS
HUGO BOSS CONFIDENT ABOUT HOLIDAYS. “The buying behavior is better than the mood,” Chief Executive Claus-Dietrich Lahrs told Reuters in an interview in New York on Wednesday. Boss raised its 2015 sales target last week, helped by a big push to open more of its own stores on top of the sales its gets from chains such as department stores. In the United States, that means another 20 stores by 2015 on top of its current 42 locations. [REUTERS]
BLACK FRIDAY SALES UP 6.6%
The holiday selling season got off to a huge start as Black Friday sales increased 6.6% over last year, the largest increase since 2007. Retailers should be feeling very optimistic this morning compared to a year ago, when sales rose a tiny .3%. Unfortunately the losers in the deal were the hundreds of thousands of store employees who were required to report on Thanksgiving as stores moved up their schedules. No word yet on whether “Small Business Saturday” succeeded.
SHARP KITCHEN STYLE: QUISTGAARD
Sometimes the best finds in life are classic pieces from another era and there is no better example than the Kobenstyle collection of cookware from Dansk. Bright bold colors, graceful lines and natural wood accents make them stand out, even from today’s trendier and hugely over-priced Le Creuset line. Back in 1956, Danish designer Jens Quistgaard debuted the collection of enameled cookware, which were functional and visually attractive and able to be brought directly from the kitchen to the table, with the lid serving as its own trivet – a nifty innovation at the time. Today you can find individual items (more…)
GILT GROUPE CONSIDERS GOING PUBLIC IN 2012
GILT GROUPE CONSIDER GOING PUBLIC IN 2012. Gilt Groupe, a “flash” sales site for designer clothes, plans to join its peers Groupon and Amazon as a public company, perhaps by the end of next year, when the company will be close to generating $1bn in annual sales. [FINANCIALTIMES]
MENS APPAREL SHOWS RETAIL STRENGTH
MENS APPAREL SHOWS RETAIL STRENGTH. Men’s growing appetite for fashion and a dressed-up look may turn out to be a retail bright spot this holiday season.. Total U.S. men’s apparel sales rose 6.5% to $53.7 billion in the year through September, outpacing the 1.2% increase in women’s, according to market researcher NPD Group. [WSJ]
TOP SITE: HESTRA OF SWEDEN
I like how this website from Swedish glove maker Hestra seamlessly blends their rich history with an innovative and well designed layout. Their branding is just about pitch-perfect, including the beautiful photograph and authentic looking logo that makes you want to drop everything and go skiing – after buying a pair of gloves first. The graphic color bars to the left are (more…)
A STUDY IN CONTRASTS
No this is not an image from a Burberry advertising campaign, it’s a photo from last night’s highly anticipated match-up between Chelsea and Liverpool, with Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas looking resolutely on. One thing is for certain, European managers know how to coach and dress themselves. The sartorial battle between Europe and the U.S. is not even close. The only person who gets any style cred is still Pat Riley, he of the huge shoulder Giorgio Armani suits and Gordan Gekko slicked back 80′s hair. I wrote about one of the most stylish men on the planet in a previous post, Josep Guardiola, manager of F.C. Barcelona. Here are some highlights from the American sidelines: (more…)
STRANDED ON FAIR ISLE
It appears that just about everyone has jumped on the toboggan when it comes to wearing fair isle this season. And why not? It’s one of the few areas in menswear where bold color and patterns are embraced. So much so that it’s become an almost tired trend? “Fashion Fatigue” hits men much earlier than women, especially with the savvy male shopper of today who values originality. Nevertheless, fair isle – traditionally reserved for sweaters, can now be found on socks, hats, ties and even an occasional sports jacket as designer Junya Watanabe can attest with this beauty. If you’re gonna wear it head-to-toe, it’s good to know the history of the term. (more…)
FASHION’S NEXT FRONTIER FOR SOCIAL MEDIA
FASHION’S NEXT FRONTIER FOR SOCIAL MEDIA. Brands and retailers such as Coach, Mr Porter, Gilt Man, Ben Minkoff, John Varvatos and Ermenegildo Zegna have spent a lot of time studying the differences between the ways men and women approach fashion, tapping into their male audiences with a host of initiatives they feel will resonate best with their target consumer. [WWD]
POWER DRESSING
POWER DRESSING. “I tend to be conservative and classic and gravitate toward products I can wear for ages. I’ve been working with my tailor since I was 25; having suits made is quite a pleasure in life.” Patrick Perrin, President of the Pavilion of Art and Design. [FINANCIALTIMES]
