The Business of Fashion

Links: Crazy Robertson and Web 2.0

Wall Street Journal: In West L.A, A Homeless Man Inspires New Brand
Back in August when the BoF touched down in L.A. to poke around the lively local fashion scene, I witnessed a very interesting character twirling  down Robertson Boulevard in an outrageous outfit. Today, I read this article in the Wall Street Journal about the same gentlemen, who has inspired a range of t-shirts that are all the rage in the City of Angels.

Fashion Inc: Web 2.0 at the Luxury Briefing Conference
I had the full intention of attending all three of the London conferences this Autumn dedicated to the web 2.0 and luxury. Unfortunately, I am home-bound due to a nasty bout of Shingles (yes, really), and so was happy to see Lauren's as-it-happens report from today's conference.

WWD: What's Next for Fashion Networks (subscription required)
Even WWD is getting in on the social networking act, though they don't necessarily seem to "get it" just yet. They begin the article by saying it remains to be seen whether niche sites could grow as big as MySpace and Facebook. So, quick answer: Not likely at all. The most interesting insight was that Forrester Research says "16% of adults online belong to social networks and predicts that social media will increase in effectiveness in the next three years: In 2007, marketers spent $600m on social media and that figure is expected to more than double to $1.5b next year and rise to $6.9b by 2012.

Crazy Robertson photos courtesy of WSJ.com

Links of the week: Sexless Gucci, Gianni-less Versace, Thom and Brooks Brothers

The Times of London: G-Force
Frida Giannini, the last remaining designer of the trio that was selected to replace Tom Ford at Gucci, is an advocate for Gucci without the sex. According to The Times, the results speak for themselves with a 16% increase in sales to over £1.5b - the highest in the company's history.

The New York Times: The Murder on Ocean Drive
Gianni Versace, who was feted at a glamorous ballet last weekend in Milan, was murdered 10 years ago this month. Cathy Horyn gives us a behind-the-scenes take on that shocking week in Miami in 1997, showing a different side of Gianni's replacement, his sister Donnatella.

The Wall Street Journal: Brooks Brothers tries hip line: Will it suit?
As a collaboration with Thom Browne and Brooks Brothers launches in stores, the masses will for the first time have access to Mr. Browne's directional short-suit silhouette. The WSJ muses on the potential of the line, which while less expensive than his own astronomically-priced line, is still 30-40% more expensive that Brook Brothers normal price points.

Photoclip courtesy of the New York Times

Links of the week: Ethical plastic, Tom Ford, and Rodnik for HBS

Thisismoney.co.uk: Exposed: I am not an Ethical Bag and Susie Bubble: I am not a Smug Twat
The Anya Hindmarch "I am not a Plastic Bag" PR catastrophe got worse when it was revealed that the bags were made in China and probably cost a carbon fooprint fortune to get them over to the UK. Now, in an even funnier twist, Susie Bubble has photos of ripoff bags m0cking the buyers of those bags, saying "I am not a smug twat" on sale for £19, but currently sold out. Certainly not the expected turn of events for Sainsbury's, or Anya Hindmarch, or most upsettingly, for the genuine campaigners for ethical and socially responsible consumption. BoF first discussed this issue back when a horde of desparate shoppers queued up my street, clamouring for the bags on weekday morning.

New York Magazine: Tom Ford After Sex
Another article on Tom Ford (he's clearly got PR under control) this time from New York Magazine. If you want to get into the psyche of the man himself, this article will help you get there.

Financial Times, Style: Models of a Financial Kind
You've heard of Roland Mouret for Gap and Giles Deacon for New Look, but now its Rodnik for HBS. Back in the Autumn, I talked to Rich and Phil of Rodnik about designing a t-shirt for the 5th year reunion of my business school class. They have woven this into their latest Financial Times column on the Adventures of Fashion.

© 2007 Copyright Imran Amed - The Business of Fashion.

Links of the week: Ecko, Underwear, Blow, Fashion Inc

CIT: Behind the Business - Mark Ecko
I enjoyed this series of video interviews with Mark Ecko, the graffiti artist-turned fashion entrepreneur,  who  founded  *ecko unltd which is now a multi-brand fashion and apparel company with combined annual revenues of $1.2b. Mark also shares nuggets of  insight at eckolog, a blog on running a creative business.

New York Times: Coloured undies
This is an article which shows how finding and developing an underserved, ignored or altogether empty market niche can be one of the best ways to build fashion and apparel brands. Novelty underwear, in bright patterns and colours, from the likes of Ginch Gonch, Aussie Bum and American Apparel, is a rapidly growing market segment, says the article by David Colman. These zany briefs are capturing share in the $1.1b mens knit underwear market, possibly as high as 50%, in a market, that up until now, has always been reserved for tighty-whiteys.

International Herald Tribune: Isabella Blow, Fashion Loses an Inventive Icon
The accolades have been pouring in (and the rumour mill has been working overtime) since the death of Isabella Blow, one of the fashion world's true eccentrics, earlier this week. While there were many obituaries written, I found Suzy Menkes' tribute the most honest and accurate. That Isabella Blow was, in and of herself,  a "work of art", was the highest of compliments from fashion's reigning Queen of the critics.

Portfolio: Fashion Inc.
There's some interesting fashion and business commentary, with the occasional gossipy diversion, at Fashion Inc, one of the new blogs that has emerged with the launch of Portfolio magazine, which is focused on various parts of the business world. Lauren Crowe, a former writer for DNR and one of my favourites, Time Style and Design, is the blogger behind Fashion Inc.  The latest news from Lauren is that Jil Sander may be on the block again, following Change Capital Partners' investment only 2 years ago.

Photo courtesy of the New York Times.