Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen by Amy Troost | Source: WSJ Magazine
Sisters of the Divine (WSJ Magazine)
“Watching Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen pose for a photo shoot is like watching a hypnotic piece of performance art. Former child stars, extraordinarily savvy brand nurturers, founders and owners of an estimated $1.5 billion business empire and, now, designers of the critically acclaimed high-end fashion line The Row, the Olsens have spent the great majority of their 26 years either in front of a camera or otherwise hard at work.”
Menswear E-Tailers Peddle Salvation in a Box (BusinessWeek)
“Fashion is the fastest-growing segment of online commerce, and its growth is being propelled by men. Like Kaplan, more and more guys are fleeing malls and department stores and flocking to websites that claim to have taken the pain out of shopping. Sites such as Bonobos and Thrillist are capturing a bigger share of the $41 billion U.S. fashion e-commerce market with services such as personalized recommendations based on purchase history or brief online surveys.”
PPR’s Gucci says trading tougher in China (Reuters)
“Gucci, the Italian fashion brand owned by French group PPR, said trading had become tougher and competition fierce in China’s largest cities. Gucci, the world’s No.2 luxury brand behind Louis Vuitton in terms of sales, confirmed a slowdown in the luxury sector as its revenue growth decelerated to 7 percent in the third quarter from 10 percent in the second and 12 percent in the first.”
Pitti Names New Guest Designers (Vogue UK)
“Kenzo and Maison Kitsuné have been chosen as Pitti Uomo and Pitti W’s next guest designers. Kenzo will take part in the menswear event, while French label Kitsuné will hold its first womenswear presentation.”
Progressive Dress (WSJ Magazine)
“For Issey Miyake, who remains one of the most experimental and enduring designers in fashion, truly great design goes beyond changing the way we dress or how we decorate our homes—it’s about liberating the mind and igniting ideas.”