Following a research conducted by Reebok, woman around the world could do with bit more fitness fun. The research tells us that women are looking for a way to take the boredom out of staying fit. The British producer of athletic footwear, apparel, and accessories identified the need to bring fun back into fitness through proprietary research and information gathered by GFK/Roper Worldwide. In 2008, based on 15,000 women in 25 countries, GFK/Roper Worldwide found that nearly half of the women said that while they know exercise and keeping fit is very important to their overall health and well being, less than 25% participate in fitness often.
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Luxury group PPR reported solid operating and financial performances with net income up 141%. François-Henri Pinault, Chairman and CEO, commented: “Our solid performances in the first half can be attributed to the favorable balance of our Group profile and the strength of our global brands. PPR has always been able to take advantage of periods of slower growth and the present case is no exception. We are determined to further improve our commercial effectiveness and optimize our operational structure in order to benefit from a decisive and immediate competitive advantage as soon as there is an upturn in growth.
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IIn the first half of fiscal 2008, retail brand Hugo Boss showed a positive trend and operating income, the fashion group’s sales went up by 5% to EUR 831 million. In Europe, sales adjusted for currency effects increased by 4% in the first six months of 2008, with Germany showing a decline in sales of EUR 174 to EUR 177 million last year. By contrast, sales in the rest of Europe rose by 4% to EUR 299 million. In particular Hugo Boss’ own retail stores continued to be the driving force for the sales development in the first half of 2008. (more…)

Mr Roberto Cavalli doesn’t think he’s too old for ‘entertainment & nightlife’. The 68-year old designer of sexy-fashion will shake up the Dubai scene with the November opening of his Cavalli Club in the Fairmont Hotel on Sheikh Zaved Road. Two floors, its own private entrance and a surface of an estimated 25.000 square feet.
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Not only is Levi’s retooling its signature button-fly 501 into the same fit for all consumers worldwide, but also will the jeans company launch a global marketing campaign, with one global slogan: “Live Unbuttoned”. It is the first integrated global campaign and the biggest marketing program the brand has ever undertaken. Levi Strauss CEO John Anderson told the Wall Street Journal that the company is going with both a global fit and global campaign because it believes straight-leg jeans are a global fashion trend, and now is the time to establish the 501 as the obvious option for shoppers around the world. Nevertheless, the financial aspects are relevant: it is simply cheaper to produce, sell and market one kind of jeans than dozens of varieties. (more…)

The principal theme of the Bulgari accessories collection is its synthesis of the maison’s historic memory and characteristically innovative spirit. This is expressed in the search for unusual chromatic contrasts and absolutely unconventional treatment of skins.The palette of colors is inspired by Renaissance art, where the uncustomary and captivating tones of slate blue and orchid violet are applied to a base of neutral nuances, which include brown, ebony, walnut, and carob tones. The brown nuances are substituted by sulfur yellow and malachite green on the evening bags only, to highlight their dynamic and surprising contrasts.
The result is a collection suffused with a sophisticated and elegant light that is both luxurious and refined. (more…)

Christie’s is to hold an auction of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé’s extensive art collection in Paris. The sale will be held in early 2009 in association with Bergé’s own Paris auction house, Pierre Bergé & Associates, reports Womenswear Daily.Works of art by Goya, Mondrian, Matisse and Léger are expected to be sold as well as a formidable collection of furniture by the likes of Eileen Gray, Pierre Legrain, Jean-Michel Franck, Pierre Chareau and Eugene Printz. (more…)

Diesel has bought a majority stake in Viktor & Rolf. The Italian denim brand, run by founder Renzo Rosso, acquired the Dutch artisan fashion label for a yet undisclosed amount, stating he would retain the brand’s distinctive character. Only The Brave, Diesel’s parent company, is planning to create new licensing agreements, in addition to opening new stores in key cities, all the while building it into a luxury brand.The deal shows that despite the credit crisis, merger and acquisition activity is continuing in the high-end fashion arena. Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren, who founded the company in 1992, are famous for bridging the gap between fashion and art with their eye-catching designs, stated the Telegraph. (more…)

A French court ordered eBay to pay 40 million euros ($63 million) to LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton. The verdict: eBay didn’t do enough to stop sales of counterfeit goods on its site. The commercial court found that eBay had committed “serious errors” by allowing the sales of fake LVMH goods and violating the sales distribution network set up by Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior Couture. eBay should be forcing sellers to post more product information to guarantee authenticity, like series numbers. (more…)

The New York City based designer plans to show his first collection in more than 10 years on September 9, at the New York Fashion week. Roth (39) was an industry darling in the late eighties and was picked up by high end stores like Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Barneys New York and Bloomingdales. He made a name for himself with inventive dresses with colorfull crayon motifs and graphic prints of money, shown on the runways. He was forced to close his business in 1995, after losing financial backing. The designer has since worked for Nordstrom, Tommy Bahama, Anne Klein and Bernardo Collection. (more…)