S/S 2011 Buyers Reports

[kimair]

all from wwd, starting with new york:

The Seventies Return, As Do Ladylike Looks

NEW YORK — Will the economy still be in the doldrums come spring? 

If one follows the long-held view that when times are good skirt lengths go up and when they’re bad they go down, then the spring collections just shown on the runways here — which generally received rave reviews — may not be enough to pull the economy out of its doldrums. Skirts are longer for spring, while wide-legged pants are also back. 

And if further evidence is needed that American designers might not be feeling particularly optimistic about the economic outlook, many collections shown during New York Fashion Week last week referenced another period of malaise: the Seventies.



Despite all that, the overall mood was buoyant as the season celebrated a new show venue, Lincoln Center, and store buyers felt the collections on the runways were stronger and more commercial than in quite a while. And there was lots of white, which buyers said represents optimism.

So go figure which way the economy is headed.

“This is the most exciting season I’ve seen in years,” said Stephanie Solomon, vice president of fashion direction at Bloomingdale’s. “When the silhouette changes, it’s good news for retailers.”



As for the Seventies looks seen at the likes of Marc Jacobs and Tom Ford and drawing inspiration from everyone from Ali MacGraw to Yves Saint Laurent, retailers agreed customers would respond to bell bottoms and platform shoes. “Think halters, high-waisted trousers, gypsy blouses and fluid midi-length skirts and dresses,” said Linda Fargo, Bergdorf Goodman’s senior vice president for the fashion office and store presentation.



Some felt the celebrities at the shows had reached a fever pitch. “The consumer is still celebrity-obsessed,” said Barbara Atkin, vice president, fashion direction for Holt Renfrew, Canada. “The designer is becoming that celebrity as well. We’ve got to move away from turning [fashion week] into a circus.”



Ken Downing, senior vice president and fashion director of Neiman Marcus, was enthusiastic about spring’s trend but remained grounded in the reality of consumers’ financial health. “We’re still not through this economy,” he said. “Fashion designers need to bring as much newness to the market. The customer is not buying anything she already has in her closet.”

Here, a look at buyers’ favorites and the key trends for spring as seen in New York. Now on to London, Milan and Paris.

Stephanie Solomon, vice president of fashion direction at Bloomingdale’s


Trendspotting: Longer lengths for skirts and dresses, wider-legged pants, a plethora of prints and color and white.


Sound off: “The fact that some of these [bloggers] are not experts is misleading and their blogging isn’t accurate. It dilutes the message of the store or the designer. Some bloggers are really credible and good. My issue with the bloggers is that they don’t have the authority.”

Jeffrey Kalinsky, executive vice president of designer merchandising at Nordstrom


Trendspotting: Ladylike cool, as seen at Proenza Schouler and Jason Wu. He also liked Olivier Theyskens’ Theory, especially boot-leg jeans with a white jacket, and the Seventies-style printed sheer pants and sheer top at Thakoon. 


Sound off: “Are there too many celebrities at fashion week? Anything that brings attention to New York Fashion Week is great. More people than ever are taking an interest in fashion. Customers don’t fit one profile anymore. There are people who love instant gratification and people who bought their fall-winter 2010 clothes in June, July and August. There are people who love to shop in a store, people who want to buy online and people who want it now. Fashion can’t stay stagnant.”


Nicole Fischelis, group vice president and fashion director at Macy’s Inc.


Trendspotting: Sport combined with feminine, the Seventies, white, shine and shimmer and knits. “There was shine and shimmer blended in unexpected combinations. There were fabric manipulations and a whole new treatment of lace and crochet.”


Sound off: “There’s something to say about celebrity power and blogger power. It influences businesses. It’s not just who designs [the clothes], it’s who wears them. What worked very well was all those static presentations. You see the clothes even better because you’re closer to the clothes. In many ways it’s much better this way. Designers have to leave their egos at the door. What Tom Ford and Ralph Rucci did will probably lead the way toward rethinking a new way of presenting. The whole show concept needs to be completely revisited.”



Linda Fargo, Bergdorf Goodman’s senior vice president for the fashion office and store presentation


Trendspotting: The Forties and the Seventies. “We will see new silhouettes in sportswear separates for seasons to come. The trend for clothing with ease and away from the body will have legs, as well as the new buoyant mood for color and prettiness.”

Julie Gilhart, senior vice president and fashion director at Barneys New York


Trendspotting: “Trends that have staying power.…A sexy dress from L’Wren Scott; a trenchcoat from Derek Lam; white will always look fresh, Thakoon; an easy pant from Proenza Schouler, and even a great pair of shorts from Marc Jacobs.”


Sound off: “The intensity of the schedule!”


Miriam Lahage, general manager at eBay Fashion


Trendspotting: The resurgence of the American spirit. She particularly liked the trench at Derek Lam, Tory Burch’s midlength skirt with a white blouse, the black asymmetric top paired with slim pants at Narciso Rodriguez and Sophie Theallet’s cream sheath with black lace layering. “Minimalism made a comeback on the runway. It always has staying power.”


Sound off: “Truly, people adapted to all of the new environs and seemed pleased at the ease of check-in especially — no more bottlenecks!”




Barbara Atkin, vice president, fashion direction at Holt Renfrew, Canada


Trendspotting: “The big story was American sportswear and the whole idea of the timeless classics, easy toppers, trenches and beautiful, easy pants. In a way, another trend is New York producing a whole new wave of young designers with more democratic price points, such as Alexander Wang, Phillip Lim and Theyskens’ Theory.”


Sound off: “Everyone’s taking pictures of everyone else. Everybody has a blog and some site they wanted to drive you to. We’re being swallowed up by social media. People are adapting a look and seeing how to wear it immediately as the runway show is happening. Social media will affect how we buy and it will affect our deliveries. Consumers have no patience. They want instant replies.”

Ken Downing, senior vice president and fashion director of Neiman Marcus 

Trendspotting: Flowers; the white pantsuit à la Bianca Jagger; shorts; Yves Saint Laurent-style colors and le smoking and lingerie details. “There was also a Boho carefree spirit or rich hippie lux.”


Sound off: “The conversation that appeared most throughout the week was the challenge of how many shows are uptown, downtown, uptown and downtown, back-to-back. They should try to bundle or cluster the shows within one neighborhood by day or time period.”



Colleen Sherin, women’s fashion director at Saks Fifth Avenue


Trendspotting: The new midi length; the Seventies; the trenchcoat; white, which was especially well done at Ralph Lauren, neutrals and bold colors; transparency; abstract painterly prints; python; the flap handbag, and the city sandal, often with a wooden sole.

 

[kimair]

milan...

Milan Fashion Week Draws Raves

MILAN — With shots of bold color on the catwalk, Milan Fashion Week injected a sense of optimism into the spring season.



Buyers praised the punchy prints, fine craftsmanship and bohemian spirit that characterized many of the collections, citing Prada, Jil Sander and Dolce & Gabbana among standouts. “It’s clear that the big Yves Saint Laurent retrospective that ended in Paris in August had a big impact,” said Ken Downing, senior vice president and fashion director at Neiman Marcus. That was reflected in the strong Seventies trend, with maxiskirts and dresses, peasant blouses and a focus on vibrant color.



Barbara Atkin, vice president of fashion direction at Canada’s Holt Renfrew, said the best collections pointed the way to a new casual wave in fashion.



“The 21st century luxury customer now lives a life less focused on formalwear and more focused on a relaxed, active lifestyle,” she said.



This season’s longer schedule also gave buyers time to check out emerging talents at events such as the “Who Is on Next?” showcase co-sponsored by Vogue Italia, and the city’s fashion trade fairs, including White, Touch, neoZone and cloudnine. 

Here is what buyers had to say: 



Tancrède de Lalun, general merchandise manager, women’s and men’s apparel, Printemps

“Color is back, with very saturated shades that are sometimes so intense they border on fluorescent. There is also a strong trend toward floral prints, and Milan has confirmed the white trend we saw a lot of in New York. When you see black, it tends to be head-to-toe. The other noteworthy trend is a return to a type of femininity and softness in the shapes and textures, with fabrics like crepe de chine and lightweight cotton. Broderie anglaise is a strong trend, both on the catwalk and in showrooms. Our budgets are on the rise. With fashion undergoing a renewal, women will want to update their wardrobes, so we are optimistic.”
Standout collections: Prada, Jil Sander and Dolce & Gabbana. 



Barbara Atkin, vice president of fashion direction, Holt Renfrew

“Milan has proven to be a powerfully optimistic season of bold color and print, remarkable craftsmanship, new longer hemlines and simple shapes that we are confident will drive customers into the stores. Bold color, tribal influences, bohemian Seventies, fringe, longer lengths and floral prints are some of the key trends that will impact the clothes for spring. The designer business is on an upward trend with many collections experiencing double-digit growth. Our budgets reflect this growth, while at the same time we are keeping our inventories in line for spring, having successfully right-sized our business last season. Our shopping list includes easy toppers, flared pants, the longer-length skirt and dress, soft blouses and tunics and simple, easy jackets. The longer week has provided the opportunity to visit the many new stores in Milan in search of new concepts and spend more time with new designers. Our eyes are on MSGM, Vincenzo De Cotiis, Drome and Isabella Tonchi.”
Standout collections: Gucci, Prada, Jil Sander, Dolce & Gabbana and Brunello Cucinelli.



Maiko Shibata, women’s buyer, Restir, Tokyo

“Milan is kind of an established fashion market, ruled by king Armani, queen Versace, D&G, Gucci. We need something new to explore new types of fashion. Vogue magazine has started to support new designers, and I think that’s the great step for young creativity.” Restir’s budgets for Milan are down. “The reason is that Giambattista Valli and Valentino show their collections in Paris, and I can’t find any new talent to go with this season’s feeling. But I hope to add more next season. Every product has to have a message or strong identity. For example, Carmina Campus has a strong policy to support the environment which can’t be copied by Zara and H&M.”


Raya Dernaika, co-owner of Plum, Beirut

“Italian designers are going back to sensuality: It’s a new trend which is positive for our store. We needed a change, as buyers and customers alike are fed up with grunge and military looks. I really liked Jil Sander — everybody could see how different the mood was.” 



Ken Downing, senior vice president, fashion director, Neiman Marcus

“It was very exciting: bold color, bordering on neon, and all of the bohemian, romantic spirit is very appealing as well. I feel the maxiskirt and the maxidress will be an important trend. White will be equally important, as well as lace, stripes and floral prints. The houses have also upped the craftsmanship, which is something you look for in Milan.”
Standout collections: Jil Sander, Prada, Pucci, Versace and Gucci. 



Leonardo Girombelli, brand manager, TheCorner.com, owned by Italian e-tailer Yoox

“I noticed in general a modern, confident, fluid and more relaxed approach. Silhouettes were longer, volumes were simpler and less close to the body, with sack shapes, therefore more easy and comfortable. Colors were vivid, energetic and not shy at all with blue, magenta, grass green and orange in strong accents. I liked the idea of strongly pushing sportswear and playing with it, as seen at Marni. I particularly appreciated the work of Raf Simons for Jil Sander for his supermodern vision that pushed sportswear close to couture, for the proportions and the sharp contrasts between strong yet sophisticated colors.” 



Colleen Sherin, fashion director, Saks Fifth Avenue

“Milan has offered a solid fashion season, infused with new ideas that will entice women to shop. The explosion of bright, vibrant color was a welcome jolt to the season, and the bold colorblocking. The Seventies trend continued to gain momentum in Milan, with the recent Yves Saint Laurent exhibition in Paris clearly providing great inspiration. Other key categories and items include the longer length for skirts and dresses, fringing effects, stripes, knitwear in crochet and macramé, trenchcoats, bold sunglasses, Seventies hats, python and suede.”

Standout collections: Jil Sander, Emilio Pucci, Gucci, Etro, Prada and Aquilano.Rimondi.



Stephanie Solomon, vice president of fashion direction, Bloomingdale’s

“There were shocking bursts of color on every runway, except of course for Dolce & Gabbana, which heralded another strong trend: white. I see this season as being one filled with high energy and fun prints. They can range from the standard polka dots to stripes to artist’s prints to florals. Armani, meanwhile, felt like an oasis of blue amid a sea of color and print, and it was beautiful. I would vote for the longer lengths this season because most of us own a miniskirt already, and the maxi looks very new and fresh. I think designers were having fun, and that’s what dressing should be. Among emerging designers, I really liked Aquilano.Rimondi. They’re evolving into that stratosphere of really talented world- class designers.”
Standout collections: Prada, Jil Sander, Giorgio Armani, Aquilano.Rimondi and Salvatore Ferragamo.

 

[kimair]

finally paris...

Buyers Laud Paris Trends, From Sixties to Minimal

PARIS — Hot, crowded and hectic: Paris Fashion Week put buyers through their paces, but the traffic jams and security concerns were worth it for retailers, who lauded an upbeat and diverse lineup.

“What’s emblematic of Paris is the degree of individuality and house-specific vision,” said Linda Fargo, senior vice president, fashion office and store presentation at Bergdorf Goodman.

The shadow of Yves Saint Laurent, whose retrospective at the Petit Palais ended in August, loomed large, with peasant blouses, jumpsuits, gypsy skirts and brilliant color as key elements of the season.

But that wasn’t all.

“It must be said, there were a lot of differing messages. We have seen punk, Sixties, Seventies, plays on feminine-masculine, a mass of diaphanous clothes, pale denim — and everything in between,” said Sarah Rutson, fashion director at Hong Kong-based Lane Crawford.

Buyers were energized by a memorable presentation at Chanel and strong collections at Dries Van Noten, Lanvin, Haider Ackermann, Valentino, Givenchy, Balenciaga, Rick Owens, Celine and Akris.

They also praised two anticipated debuts: Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen and Giles Deacon at Emanuel Ungaro.

“There was overall more optimism than in the past few seasons. Everyone’s firmly convinced we’ve turned a corner,” noted Ed Burstell, managing director at Liberty of London.

“We’re feeling really optimistic with all the color, lightness and beautiful clothing,” said Jeffrey Kalinsky, executive vice president of designer merchandising, Nordstrom. “We always find Paris to be wonderfully individualistic.”

He said Norstrom’s four favorite collections — Dries Van Noten, Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent and Lanvin — offered “real clothes for real women” that were chic and modern.

But stress levels ran high as the crowded schedule and far-flung venues caused long delays, while a travel alert issued by the U.S. State Department on Sunday, warning of a risk of terrorist attacks, revived buried fears for many attendees who were in New York on Sept. 11, 2001.

New names that caught notice included Hakaan Yildirim, Anthony Vaccarello, Lahssan, Harry Halim and Felipe Oliveira Baptista.

Here, a look at buyers’ favorites and the key trends for spring as seen in Paris.

Linda Fargo, senior vice president, fashion office and store presentation, Bergdorf Goodman
Trendspotting: Strong color, prints derived from nature, longer lengths, feminine interpretations on men’s wear, YSL. “We are noting crisp white shirt dressing, great trousers, vivid color as items, colorblocking in accessories and unique pieces with strength of character. We felt that Paris was especially strong in luxury materials and workmanship, and unique directional product.”
Sound off: “We were concerned about the high security alerts but recommended that our teams utilize cars and taxis versus any public transport. We will collectively wrap up the season tired, but very satisfied and enthused to bring it all home.”

Barbara Atkin, vice president and fashion director, Holt Renfrew
Trendspotting: “Short hemlines coexisted with floor-grazing lengths. We saw the fragile and the structured, the masculine and the feminine. The Paris collections have translated into options for the customer: Pleating, longer lengths, androgyny, punk, sheer layers, cutout details, stripes, leather, tailored denim and Seventies influences are some of the trends we are seeing.”
Sound off: “With the popularity of live-streaming, we will have to better understand how the retailer can service a customer who now has access to a season that has not yet been delivered to the stores. Current retail inventories may no longer support the trends that the customer sees online.”

Ed Burstell, managing director, Liberty of London
Trendspotting: White, as seen at Dries Van Noten; long lengths, especially at Alexander McQueen; tailoring; leather for spring; pleating; pop color. “Carmen Cass in that diaphanous cornflower blue top at John Galliano was gorgeous.”
Sound off: “I think there’s going to be some boredom for minimalism. I’m not sure everyone’s willing to walk away from things that are a little more fun and sexy to [looks more suited to] a Connecticut soccer mom heading for lunch.” Burstell added, “The Goth and the punk should be left to the experts.”

Nicole Fischelis, group vice president and fashion director, Macy’s
Trendspotting: White; neons; stripes; prints; “lace, lace, lace” and macramé; transparencies and layering; biker influences; shirting; the Seventies as seen by Yves Saint Laurent — peasant blouses, jumpsuits, new lengths.
Sound off: “Getting from location to location is an inevitable part of this job. It will always be that way, unless designers suddenly decide to show their collections in a different way. In fact, we saw more collections presented in a static environment this season in formats that were successful and actually allowed you to see the clothes up close. We are probably in a period of transition, where some collections perhaps don’t need to be shown on the runway.”

Ken Downing, senior vice president and fashion director, Neiman Marcus
Trendspotting: “Paris has been an interesting juxtaposition: The effusive, Yves Saint Laurent fever with rich peasant, bohemian look on one side, and pared-down chic, with the love of white on the other. A woman has to have pinks, oranges and coral in her wardrobe next season, and floral prints of all kinds.”
Sound off: “I’m not feeling this punk spirit with great enthusiasm. It’s an interesting mood no one was anticipating.”

Linda Dresner, owner, Linda Dresner, Birmingham, Mich.
Trendspotting: “The punk spirit was certainly a strong trend. A long fluid skirt will certainly be a key item to drive business this spring as a new silhouette. Prints were a strong presence also in the collections.”
Sound off: “The shows were overcrowded, hot and uncomfortable. It is exhausting and a struggle to inconvenient locations. The present organization concept is dated.”

Sarah Rutson, fashion director, Lane Crawford
Trendspotting: “The customer has had enough of neutrals from fall. We need to set the sales floor alive with color and print. Also longer lengths for sure: knife- and sun-ray pleated skirts, the pant and skirt with shirting, and the jacket has overtaken the dress. Flat shoes again are the major choice. However, we continue to sell strongly the highest, most extreme heels and shoe styles.”

Colleen Sherin, fashion director, Saks Fifth Avenue
Trendspotting: An interplay of masculine-feminine elements, and bold, vibrant color, worked in color-blocked or monochromatic ways. “I feel I saw more monochromatic head-to-toe looks.” Feathers replace fringe as the embellishment of choice. The minimal refinement of easy-chic, wide-leg fluid trousers, tunics, shirts and longer-length skirts and dresses, often pleated, “feels right,” said Sherin, adding she particularly liked the cotton poplin shirts at Celine.
Sound off: “None, it was a smooth and positive week.”

Kelly Golden, owner, Neapolitan, Winnetka, Ill.
Trendspotting: “Important trends are peasant blouses, elongated silhouettes, flared pants and monochromatic minimal looks. My clients want to look good every day, not just on special occasions, and Paris offered them plenty of options. I think the focus has been shifting to daywear, and away from the over-the-top cocktail attire. The Seventies, chic bohemian feeling continued. My clients will absolutely appreciate all of the flat sandals and shoes that were popular this season.”

Nicholas Mellamphy, creative director of The Room, Hudson’s Bay Co., Toronto
Trendspotting: “Paris was softer and gentler than the other cities on the tour. The color palette was more muted, with many pale pastels. The softness continued into the fabrics. The dress and skirt lengths continue to be interesting. Overall, a sense of optimism swept the collections. Paris seemed to be in an even more individualistic state.”

Patricia Bagattini, head buyer, Daslu
Trendspotting: White, black and pale pink, animal prints. “Leopard print is the new black — it was a big element of the collections, both in terms of clothes and accessories, and we see animal prints being a recurring theme. A lot of collections, like Valentino, were more feminine. We’re seeing a lot of ruffles, which work really well for us. Yves Saint Laurent was a defining collection in a season where many people were inspired by its founder.”
Sound off: “Because the whole market is changing, we’ve been looking at more brands and different designers. You just want to see more and, all of a sudden, everything is too crammed. It was very intense but very promising. We were very excited about this market.”

Andrew Keith, president, Joyce
Trendspotting: “We felt it was an interesting season for Paris, with diverse approaches from many designers. With exceptional performances from all of our Paris brands for spring-summer and a very strong start for fall-winter, we are on the market with increased budgets and looking for innovation and a point of difference. We felt that it was an interesting season for Paris, with diverse approaches from many designers.”

Averyl Oates, chief buying director, Harvey Nichols, London
Trendspotting: “White, again, was prominent, as was the new longer length, sheer and draping.” Oates said her team was confident about the explosion of color; true reflections of each brand’s DNA, and the “exciting contrast” of silhouettes from short to leaner and longer. For Oates, the revival of the Seventies trend reflects the mood of that period today, “when we are looking for inspiration and a positive outlook towards the future.”

Julie Gilhart, senior vice president and fashion director, Barneys New York:
Trendspotting: Gilhart said the season was full of prints, bright colors and lace. “Paris nailed the season’s trends and gave us our one and only ‘fashion moment’ at Lanvin, with five beautiful models walking like female warriors in a mixture of prints. There was a black-and-white story that permeated everywhere, many times with an undertone of punk.”
Sound off: “It was a great season. The big concern for us is how to translate the things we loved into business. We are working on new and innovated ways that can entice our customer. The economy is still fragile so we have to be strong to get the customer to buy. We have to keep giving her more intelligent, authentic reasons to want to spend the money on fashion.”

 

[Uemarasan]

No mention of standout collections from Paris yet? I'm actually interested in knowing what will be available at the stockists

 

[ilaughead]

Whoa, is anyone else surprised and even slightly offended by the oldfashionedness of this sound-off?

Stephanie Solomon, vice president of fashion direction at Bloomingdale’s


Trendspotting: Longer lengths for skirts and dresses, wider-legged pants, a plethora of prints and color and white.


Sound off: “The fact that some of these [bloggers] are not experts is misleading and their blogging isn’t accurate. It dilutes the message of the store or the designer. Some bloggers are really credible and good. My issue with the bloggers is that they don’t have the authority.”
​

Are we really in an age where stores can complain that not everyone is pushing the same trends? Not going to lie, this kind of disgusts me... (If I'm reading this correctly, at least. It's been a long night and I might be totally off. In that case, ignore me completely.)

 

[deer_st0p]

No shock that Holt Renfrew chose Gucci and Prada as standouts in Milan...they have a special room in the store dedicated to each of them! Would like to see more diversity there.

 

[Meg]

ilaughed - I think the point he is trying to get across is that not all bloggers are of the same quality, which I think is a fair and accurate point. I mean, I could start up a blog today and have an invite to shows at the next round of fashion weeks - does that mean I'm an authority on fashion? If it's just my opinion, that's one thing. But I see a lot of people with "fashion blogs" that really couldn't be further from the truth....