At one point I steadily posted a series of blog entries called, Fashion in the News where I would collect articles that caught my attention and what I thought would make for an interesting read. The last Fashion in the News post was back in July 2011 which means I’ve been a bad blogger – oops!

For 2012 I want to switch things up and instead of gathering general fashion articles I want to turn my focus more towards shoes, after all this is mainly a footwear blog. These new entries will be simply titled, Footwear in the News and I aim to publish these posts at least once a month. Read on and enjoy!

How I’m Making It: Rem D Koolhaas, Creative Director of United Nude (Fashionista) – “"In terms of design aesthetic, the brand (United Nude) has become known for producing conceptual, innovative designs that probably wouldn’t be possible without Koolhaas’ architecture background. In a way, he told us, his lack of accessory design training was an advantage.”

Rem D Koolhaus, Founder and Creative Director, United Nude

How Crocs Moved from Fashion Trend to $1 Billion Phenom (Forbes) – “The company whose fugly footwear has been the foundation of its business just announced it expects its full-year revenue to exceed $1 billion for the first time in its 10-year history.”

Little Red (Litigious) Shoes (New York Times) – “Last summer a federal court denied Louboutin’s request that YSL be stopped from selling its red shoes... Now, the shoedown escalates to the appeals court."

20 waiting list worthy shoes for spring 2012 (Telegraph UK) – a listing of 20 must have shoes for spring 2012, break out the bank loan.

Worker stitching L.L. Bean duck boots in factory 

L.L. Bean boot gets a kick from retro trend (USA Today) – “L.L Bean's familiar duck boot with leather uppers and rubber soles — designed for slogging through mud and snow — has become something of a fashion statement owing to its newfound popularity on college campuses, the company says.”

Indonesians Protest With Flip-Flops (Wall Street Journal) – “Indonesians have dropped thousands of old flip-flops and other footwear at police stations and a child protection group to protest the heavy-handed treatment of a 15-year-old boy accused of stealing a policeman’s sandals in the northern state of Central Sulawesi.”

Fashion in the news is a collection of articles and blog entries that catch my attention, and is in my opinion worth reading. Enjoy!

Earlier this month, Vogue.com won a Webby Award for the category, “People's Voice Winner.” In its 15th year, the Webbys are held annually to honour excellence on the Internet. Vogue’s Editor-in-Chief, Anna Wintour, was on had to accept this award and in keeping with the time-honoured Webbys tradition – honourees are limited to a five word acceptance speech – she summed up her feelings on fashion and the Internet. Wouldn’t it be amazing if all award shows operated like this?

What will be a luxury in the future? (BBC) - "Worldwide sales of luxury goods are booming and predicted to keep on growing, but the history of luxury shows us just how much the concept of luxury has - and is - changing."

Fashion 2.0 | Finding the Luxury in Mass Customisation (Business of Fashion) – In light of world-wide mass production “the rise of a new mode of production called ‘mass customisation’ promises to restore individuality to the product design process.”

Slow but steady: J.Crew plays it safe with Canadian expansion (Canadian Business) – “J.Crew, will soon be available to Canadian shoppers. The brand has announced that it will open its first store at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre in August 2011.”

Busting Through Blogging Plateaus (Independent Fashion Bloggers) – “Plateaus don’t have to be permanent. But they do require hard work to break through them.”

Five ways to end your fashion design career (Final Fashion) – “Christobel Balenciaga chose when to retire, saying ‘it’s a dog’s life.’ It is a rare designer who can exit so gracefully. From history, here are five more ways to drop out as a fashion designer.”

C-Suite: Joseph Mimran's Fresh strategy (National Post) – Joe Mimran talks “about taking Joe Fresh apparel to the U.S. market with a Fifth Avenue flagship store, the impending arrival of Target to Canada and his first-timer's approach to putting clothes into a grocery store.”

LVMH Will Not Rehire John Galliano (The Cut) – “Bill Gaytten has been named creative director of John Galliano...LVMH Chief, Bernard Arnault told (Cathy) Horyn that Galliano would definitely not return.”

Fashion in the news is a collection of articles and blog entries that catch my attention, and is in my opinion worth reading. Enjoy!

McQueen: Savage Beauty on Nowness.com

The video above is a behind-the-scenes look at the Costume Institute of New York's McQueen retrospective at the Metropolitan Museum of Art which opened last week. The video highlights milliner, Philip Treacy and jeweller, Shaun Leane and their work with McQueen in which their pieces are featured in the retrospective.

French luxe clothes seller buys skate brand Volcom (Bloomberg) – “Volcom Inc., a California-based skater store that brands itself as "youth against establishment," expects to be bought by PPR, the French company that runs luxury brands including Gucci and Alexander McQueen.”

Fashion 2.0 | Fashion PR in the Digital Age (Business of Fashion) –“Today, in exclusive conversations with the industry’s leading publicists, BoF examines how new media has transformed the PR landscape and how the sector’s top agencies are adapting to life in the digital age.”

LVMH backed funds looking to buy emerging Asian brands (CPP Luxury) – “A $650-million private equity fund backed by the world's top luxury retailer LVMH is on the prowl for emerging Asian brands in the hope of transforming them into global names.”

Pierre Cardin puts fashion label up for sale: report – (Reuters) – “Cardin, known for his avant-garde designs, told the paper he was hoping to get as much as 1 billion euros ($1.48 billion) for his business, principally made up of license contracts, which critics say have contributed to weakening the brand's image.”

John Galliano's latest legal battles (Telegraph UK) – “Fashion designer John Galliano, facing trial for a drunken anti-Semitic rant, is suing his former lawyers for embezzlement and is being counter-sued for defamation, the two sides' legal teams confirmed today.”

Designer Patrick Robinson to Depart After Four Years in Latest Shake-Up (Wall Street Journal) – Patrick Robinson’s “departure after four years of lackluster results was yet another sign of Gap Inc.'s failure to breathe new life into its namesake brand, which peaked in the mid-1990s.”

Video courtesy of Nowness

Fashion in the news is a collection of articles and blog entries that catch my attention, and is in my opinion worth reading. Enjoy!

The video above is of Jonathan Saunders’ fall/winter 2011 runway show during London Fashion Week last month. He creates a beautifully sophisticated, modern and simple collection with lots of colour blocking and clean lines. The leaf, zig-zag and triangle patterns on suit jackets and a-line skirts do not over power, adding dimension and character to the collection.

Colin’s Column: What is Wrong with Haute Couture and Fashion Today (Business of Fashion) – “In over thirty years in fashion I have seen a minor but exceedingly disciplined and beautiful art form degenerate into the bread and circuses of the creative world, frequently no more subtle than the world of football — and quite as manipulative of its followers who demand not goals but endless new ‘ideas’.

The reasons behind the major shake up at GUCCI GROUP (CCP Luxury) – “Since taking over from his father in 2005, Francois Henri Pinault has radically changed management within the PPR Holding company, with a much more active, creative and visionary approach, responding fast to market conditions.”

Thrifting 101: Tips for newbies, and dealing with the squick facor (Dress with Courage) – “Thrift store excursions put one face-to-face with musty odors, dust, and dirt. There's a guaranteed ewww factor...However, I think there's another group of potential thrifters who could use some advice: those who have never, ever been thrifting, and are simply intimidated to enter the store in the first place. I thought I'd add my own tips to both groups.”

Checked past (National Post) – “Dior acted quickly in firing him (John Galliano), in accordance with parent company LVMH's zero-tolerance racism policy. And those entrenched in the French fashion and beauty industry know another reason Dior's actions had to be swift and decisive: this latest tirade is simply another chapter in the industry's complex and checkered history.”

LVMH bags jeweller Bulgari in $5.2 billion deal (Reuters) – “French luxury group LVMH (LVMH.PA) is buying Italian peer Bulgari (BULG.MI) for 3.7 billion Euros ($5.2 billion), adding lustre to its jewellery business and broadening its exposure to emerging markets.”

Designing a bulletproof retail experience (STRATEGY) – “The current U.S. economy has sent many retailers scrambling to find new markets, and expanding to Canada is more straightforward than entering Asia or the Middle East. This year, a slew of U.S. retailers including Marshalls, J. Crew, Intermix, Express and Zumiez will all open their first Canadian stores, following in the footsteps of Victoria’s Secret...”

Fashion in the news is a collection of articles and blog entries that catch my attention, and is in my opinion worth reading. Enjoy!

The video above presents highlights from the spring/summer 2011 haute couture collection by Armani Privé. The collection is a departure from Armani’s normal aesthetic for the line – the designer adopts a space age look this season using strong jewel tones and cut-out silhouettes that mainly accentuate the hips. The fabric and colour combinations contribute to the stunning and captivating characteristics of this collection.

Asian shoppers thirst for luxury (BBC) – "China is emerging as what will soon be the biggest luxury market in the whole world... their buying power will shape the needs and demands of the rest of the world.”

Prada Said to Decide on IPO (Bloomberg) – “An announcement could follow as early as February, paving the way for a possible listing in June or July... Hong Kong is among markets Prada is looking at for a possible listing.”

Inside Berlin Fashion Week (Flare.com) – Good friend and fellow blogger, Danielle Meder of Final Fashion recounts her experiences at Berlin Fashion Week by contributing a series of blog entries on Flare.com.

U.S. retail invasion gathers steam (Globe and Mail) – U.S. retailers are posed to invade Canada as early as this spring and the Globe and Mail lists 12 companies which Canadian should watch out for.

Japanese Department store sales fall 3.1% in 2010 (Japan Times) – “Japan’s department store sales in 2010 declined 3.1% from the previous year on a same-store basis, down for the 14th consecutive year due to weak consumer confidence amid the economic downturn.”  

With Target, Canada’s retail landscape set for massive makeover (National Post) – “HBC sold the bulk of its weakest chain, Zellers Inc., to the U.S. retail giant. Target will assume control of up to 220 Zellers stores and said it will spend more than $1-billion to convert 100 to 150 of them to its own banner within the next two to three years.”

Fashion blogger designs first collection for H&M (Reuters) – Hennes & Mauritz and "Swedish fashion blogger Elin Kling had created a minimalist collection to be launched exclusively in Sweden on February 3."

Pierre Cardin is one of the first names in fashion I learned of as a child and since then he’s held a reverent part in my psyche. Recently, celebrations were held to commemorate his 60 years in the fashion industry. The New York Times also published an article and video interview of the legendary designer, “Pierre Cardin: One Step Ahead of Tomorrow.”

Carine Roitfeld Leaving French Vogue (Fashion Wire Daily) – “Carine Roitfeld has resigned her position as editor-in-chief of French Vogue after a decade in the job and in the wake of a scandal involving her parallel consulting career as a consultant and stylist” – sooner or later her mess up with the House of Balenciaga would come back to bite her in the ass.

“Tron: Legacy” costume designer talk light-up suits, pixie hairdos and Spanx (LA Times) – Skin tight body suits which light up – now that’s my kind of Halloween costume! Booth Moore interviews Christine Clark, co-costume designer for Tron: Legacy about “what exactly went into designing the garb worn on and off the grid.”

Fashion PR: Fashion Blogger Burnout? (PR Couture) – Crosby Noricks of PR Couture insightfully writes, “My nose is crinkling with a whiff of impending ‘fashion blogger plus fashion brand’ overkill... I’m calling for fashion brands, and by extension their PR departments to take a step back. Think about your long-term strategy, brand perception and promise” – article via Danielle Meder of Final Fashion.

Trendspotting: 11 retailers who do social media right (Retail Big Blog) – A listing of the top 11 retailers who are making innovative moves in the social media sphere such as Amazon, Zappos and Burberry.

Young designers invade Brussels with fashion trail (Reuters Fashion) – “Brussels might not have the couture cachet of London, Paris or Milan, but a small group of avant-garde fashionistas is giving the Belgian capital an underground designer edge.”

Ports 1961 Gets Into Menswear (Textile Global) – “The New York-based company will launch with the Fall 2011 collection, and will be designed under the creative direction of Fiona Cibani... the men’s line will be presented in Milan in January 2011, during the city’s Men’s Fashion Week.”

10 Best Runway Shoes of 2010 (WWD Footwear News) – WWD’s Footwear News takes a look back “on the year’s biggest shoe hits. From spring’s rampant clog trend and playful Lucite styles to fall’s hiking and menswear-inspired looks, these trends were memorable this year.”

Video from Dailymotion

Fashion in the News is a collection of articles/blog posts that catches my attention and is in my opinion worth reading. Enjoy!

Canadian women’s wear designer, Nada Shepherd launches her new fragrance titled, NADA. A dancing flash mob kicked off the introduction of the scent available in “Toronto’s Bayview Village and online across North America at NADAdesigns.com/perfume/NADA.html in December for $149 per 100mL/3.4oz bottle.” I've included the recorded video of the flash mob above.

Guest blog: Toronto's fashion bloggers (The Agenda) – Fashion blogger, Anita Clarke of I Want – I Got contributes a guest blog entry to The Agenda. She writes about the fashion blogging scene in Toronto, its development and present condition – Anita also gives me a shout out in her post.

Gap Unveils The Exclusive Valentino Capsule Collection (The Fashionist) – “The highly anticipated seven-piece collection goes on sale in Europe on Saturday (November 27th) and everything features trademark Valentino details...Sadly, none of the limited edition pieces will be available in North America.”

How luxury brands can tap the blogosphere’s growing influence (Luxury Daily) – Imran Amed, founder and editor of The Business of Fashion, shares his insights on the world of blogging and highlights that luxury brands should identify “bloggers and content creators who are genuinely passionate about what your brand is trying to do” since they are increasingly becoming more trusted than traditional media.

Living in the Future (Sweet Spot) – One of my favourite stylists/trend reporter/bloggers, Arren Williams, provides a brief account of his travels in Japan (my former home) – his recount brought back a lot of interesting memories.

Decoding the LVMH Stake in Hermes (WWD Blog) – “LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton told the French market regulator that it achieved the Hermes stake through several cash-settle equity swaps... LVMH's filing also suggests it also owned about 4.9 percent of Hermes.”

Video courtesy of Nada Shepherd

Fashion in the News is a collection of articles and blog posts found online that catches my attention, and is in my humble opinion worth reading. Enjoy!

Finance & the Fashion Blogger: Ignore-ance (Dramatis Personae) – Ashe Mischief of Dramatis Personae wrote this entry back in April, but re-reading it again struck a chord with me as lately I’ve had to justify my spending and shopping habits – to myself and others. Fashion bloggers will “write about fashion – but we don’t often write or talk about the financial choices behind our sartorial choices.”

Alexander McQueen’s final dress (The Fashionist) – Alexander McQueen’s fall/winter 2010 collection was bittersweet – the clothing created was spectacular but the designer’s suicide was an unexpected blow to the fashion world. Now, it’s said that a “stunning silk charmeuse gown with a collar of sliver feathers (was worn) to Elton John's White Tie and Tiara Ball. Reports are now circulating that the dress was actually McQueen's final creation.”

American Apparel Shares Fall as Woes Rise (The New York Times) – “Shares in American Apparel plummeted 25.9 per cent on Tuesday, to $1.03. They have fallen 67 per cent this year.” Yet, when looking a back at American Apparel’s controversial advertisements, employee practices and the choices Dov Charney, chief executive, has made it doesn’t come as a surprise.

The Rise of the Blogger (WWD) – “Industry players said blogs have gained clout and relevance because they can post information about a company or show its product much faster than traditional media...  The blogs also serve as marketing tools that can go beyond conventional advertising, allowing brands to connect more closely with customers.”

How long as it been since I’ve written a Fashion in the News entry? Too long!

Fashion in the News is a collection of articles and blog posts found online that catches my attention, and is in my humble opinion worth reading. Enjoy!

Report From BlogHer 2010: The State of Fashion Blogging (Fashionista) – I like Cheryl Wischhover’s overview about the fashion blogging session at the 2010 BlogHer conference. She calls out to a lot of the topics and challenges fashion bloggers face, such as haulers and blogging as a hobby.

Liz Claiborne revamp drives upbeat outlook (Reuters) – Liz Claiborne Inc. hasn’t turned a profit in around three years and now the company is restructuring by “closing underperforming stores and hiking marketing spend.”

Fashion first as Marc Jacobs mulls clothes for larger women (Telegraph UK) – The debate continues on the production and publicizing of designer clothing for full figure women. Marc Jacobs shared in this dialogue with he designed the fall/winter 2010 collection for Louis Vuitton and he plans on taking this one step further with a line dedicated to plus size females.