The New Vuitton

WWD

PHOTO BY GIOVANNI GIANNONI

Nicolas Ghesquière made his much-anticipated debut at Louis Vuitton with a collection that, in keeping with the designer’s reputation, was modern, precise and pragmatic. With a slight Sixties vibe, many looks were cut in clean A-line shapes and detailed with big pockets and zippers, as shown on this leather coat paired with a mini bag version of the house’s signature trunk. For more from Paris, see pages 4 to 7.

THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 2014 ■ $3.00 ■ WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY

MEN OF THE WEEK

PARISFALL 2014

COLLECTIONS

The great, the good, the OK – and the very bad – among the men at the Oscars. PAGE MW3

JACK NICKLAUS IS HOPING HIS MEN’S GOLF APPAREL LINE CAN

BE A $1 BILLION BUSINESS. PAGE MW2

GOLDEN TOUCH

WWD.COM2 WWD THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 2014

TO E-MAIL REPORTERS AND EDITORS AT WWD, THE ADDRESS IS FIRSTNAME_LASTNAME@FAIRCHILDFASHION.COM, USING THE INDIVIDUAL’S NAME. WWD IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ADVANCE MAGAZINE PUBLISHERS INC. COPYRIGHT ©2014 FAIRCHILD FASHION MEDIA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.VOLUME 207, NO. 46. THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 2014. WWD (ISSN 0149–5380) is published daily (except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, with one additional issue in March, April, May, June, August, October, November and December, and two additional issues in February and September) by Fairchild Fashion Media, which is a division of Advance Magazine Publishers Inc. PRINCIPAL OFFICE: 750 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017. Shared Services provided by Condé Nast: S.I. Newhouse, Jr., Chairman; Charles H. Townsend, Chief Executive Officer; Robert A. Sauerberg Jr., President; John W. Bellando, Chief Operating Officer & Chief Financial Officer; Jill Bright, Chief Administrative Officer. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, and at additional mailing offices. Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40644503. Canadian Goods and Services Tax Registration No. 886549096-RT0001. Canada Post: return undeliverable Canadian addresses to P.O. Box 503, RPO West Beaver Cre, Rich-Hill, ON L4B 4R6. POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY, P.O. Box 6356, Harlan, IA 51593. FOR SUBSCRIPTION, ADDRESS CHANGES, ADJUSTMENTS, OR BACK ISSUE INQUIRIES: Please write to WWD, P.O. Box 6356, Harlan, IA 51593, call 866-401-7801, or email customer service at wwdPrint@cdsfulfillment.com. Please include both new and old addresses as printed on most recent label. For New York Hand Delivery Service address changes or inquiries, please contact Mitchell’s NY at 1-800-662-2275, option 7. Subscribers: If the Post Office alerts us that your magazine is undeliverable, we have no further obligation unless we receive a corrected address within one year. If during your subscription term or up to one year after the magazine becomes undeliverable, you are ever dissatisfied with your subscription, let us know. You will receive a full refund on all unmailed issues. First copy of new subscription will be mailed within four weeks after receipt of order. Address all editorial, business, and production correspondence to WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY, 750 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017. For permissions requests, please call 212-630-5656 or fax the request to 212-630-5883. For all request for reprints of articles please contact The YGS Group at condenast@theygsgroup.com, or call 800-501-9571. Visit us online at www.wwd.com. To subscribe to other Fairchild Fashion Media magazines on the World Wide Web, visit www.wwd.com/subscriptions. Occasionally we make our subscriber list available to carefully screened companies that offer products and services that we believe would interest our readers. If you do not want to receive these offers and/or information, please advise us at P.O. Box 6356, Harlan, IA 51593 or call 866-401-7801. WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RETURN OR LOSS OF, OR FOR DAMAGE OR ANY OTHER INJURY TO, UNSOLICITED MANUSCRIPTS, UNSOLICITED ART WORK (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DRAWINGS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND TRANSPARENCIES), OR ANY OTHER UNSOLICITED MATERIALS. THOSE SUBMITTING MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, ART WORK, OR OTHER MATERIALS FOR CONSIDERATION SHOULD NOT SEND ORIGINALS, UNLESS SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED TO DO SO BY WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY IN WRITING. MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND OTHER MATERIALS SUBMITTED MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY A SELF-ADDRESSED STAMPED ENVELOPE.

China Retreat Drags Revlon to Loss

Lauren to Receive Smithson Medal RALPH LAUREN will be awarded the James Smithson Bicentennial Medal at an event in Washington, D.C., that will include a naturalization ceremony, where 15 people will take their oath of allegiance to become U.S. citizens.

The ceremony, which will include po-litical dignitaries and constituents from the Smithsonian Institution, will take place in June. A date has yet to be determined.

The medal recognizes Lauren’s life-time contributions to American entrepre-neurship, artistry, creativity and vision. Lauren played a leadership role in the preservation of the Star-Spangled Banner at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. The flag, which inspired the national anthem, is celebrating its 200th anni-versary this year.

In 1998, Lauren donated $13 million as part of the

kickoff to the Save America’s Treasures campaign. The flag was the signature project of the campaign. The process of conserving the flag began in 1998 and

was completed in 2006. The goal was to sta-bilize the original fabric and clean the flag to preserve the original design; the flag was not preserved to look like new.

The James Smithson Bicentennial Medal was established in 1965 to honor the 200th anniversary of the birth of Smithson, found-er of the Smithsonian Institution. Smithson died in 1829. Lauren will be the 70th re-cipient since 1990. Past recipients have included Clint Eastwood, Billy Joel, Jerry Lee Lewis, Steven Spielberg, Jim Henson, George Lucas, Dale Chihuly, Julia Child,

Jacques Cousteau, Walter Cronkite, Rosemary Clooney, Hal Roach, Lady Bird Johnson, Tito Puente and Robert Redford. — LISA LOCKWOOD

By MOLLY PRIOR

REVLON INC. reported its year-end results against a backdrop of changes, including the acquisi-tion of The Colomer Group, an executive shuffle and the exit from China.

The beauty firm slid to a loss in the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, dragged down by its retreat from China. The company on Wednesday reported a net loss of $33.1 million, or 63 cents a dilut-ed share, compared with net in-come of $46.5 million, or 89 cents a share, in the year-ago quarter. Revlon recognized a $24.1 million loss from discontinued opera-tions in the three-month period, compared with a net loss of $2.1 million from discontinued opera-tions in the year-ago quarter, both primarily related to the firm’s de-cision to exit China. Revlon said the move would achieve annual savings of $11 million.

The company’s net sales in the quarter gained 28 percent to $491 million, compared with $383.5 mil-lion, boosted by the acquisition of Colomer. Excluding the impact of foreign currency exchange, net sales rose 31.2 percent.

Presiding over his first earn-ings call at the company, Revlon’s newly installed president and chief executive officer Lorenzo Delpani said together, Revlon and Colomer achieved sales of $1.9 billion in 2013. Delpani joined Revlon through the

Colomer acquisition and took the helm on Nov. 1.

“The refreshed company vi-sion is to establish Revlon as the quintessential and most innova-tive beauty company in the world by offering products that make the consumer feel attractive and beau-tiful. This sounds or may sound like a bold statement or quite ambitious, yet we mean it,” said Delpani. “We are here to win and we are here to make it happen. Through this mission, we will gen-erate value for our shareholders.”

Delpani told shareholders the company expects synergies from the integration of Colomer to yield between $30 million and $35 million in cost reductions by the end of 2015.

Citing his fondness for the phrase “fewer, bigger, better,” Delpani also acknowledged that there will likely be both dives-titures and acquisitions in the future. “It’s part of the portfolio cleaning exercise,” Delpani told Wall Street analysts. He noted that his focus on “fewer, bigger, better” extends to brands, geographies and people. That said, Delpani has wasted little time in putting together his management team.

“The team I have in place is a very strong team,” said Delpani. “I am almost done,” he added, al-luding to several more changes. Since he assumed the top post, both Chris Elshaw, Revlon’s former executive vice president and chief operating officer, and Julia Goldin, former global chief marketing of-

ficer and senior vice president, have decided to leave the company. In Elshaw’s place, Delpani has re-cruited former Alitalia executive Gianni Pieraccioni as executive vice president and global president of the Revlon consumer division, and promoted Sennen Pamich to the post of executive vice president and global president of Revlon. Following Goldin’s departure, Javier Asarta, the current cmo of the professional business, is lead-ing the Revlon consumer market-ing team in the interim.

When asked what skills he looks for in an executive, he said, “Achievement, innovation and drive. I call this AID.”

For the year, Revlon reported a net loss of $5.8 million, or 11 cents a diluted share, compared with net income of $51.1 million, or 98 cents a share. The results of dis-continued operations, primarily relating to the company’s opera-tion in China, were a loss of $30.4 million, compared with a loss of $10.1 million in 2012. The 2013 loss includes $20 million of restructur-ing and related charges related to Revlon’s decision to exit China.

The company’s net sales in 2013 gained 7 percent to $1.49 bil-lion, compared with $1.4 billion in the prior-year period. Excluding the impact of foreign currency exchange, net sales rose 9.6 per-cent. By segment, consumer sales declined 1.3 percent to $1.38 bil-lion, compared with $1.4 billion. Professional sales since the ac-quisition were $116.8 million.

ON WWD.COM

THE BRIEFING BOXIN TODAY’S WWD

The European Commission agreed on an aid package for Ukraine that, if approved, would fast-track the elimination and reduction of duties on Ukraine’s exports. PAGE 8 Fast Retailing Co. Ltd. made a strong debut on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, with its shares surging 5.6 percent amid press reports the company is in talks to buy J. Crew Group. PAGE 8 Men’s Health’s November issue will feature a cover subject that won’t be a model, celebrity or athlete. PAGE 8 John Varvatos has unveiled a 4,200-square-foot flagship on New York’s Madison Avenue that is a major leap into the thick of luxury retailing for the brand. PAGE MW1 Jack Nicklaus-branded merchandise will be introduced at 470 J.C. Penney stores on Friday. PAGE MW2 Will Leather Goods in April will open its third freestanding store, a 2,000-square-foot location at 29 Prince Street at the corner of Mott Street in Manhattan. PAGE MW3 Oscar winners Jared Leto and Lupita Nyong’o both attended the Miu Miu show in Paris on Wednesday — though the two avoided being photographed together. PAGE 12 The current Prada windows at Bergdorf Goodman are a testament to a unique partnership forged by Prada’s chief executive officer Patrizio Bertelli. PAGE 12 A solid performance in all its main markets lifted Yoox Group’s net profit last year by 23.9 percent. PAGE 12

Paris Fashion Week street style. For more, see WWD.com.

THEY ARE WEARING: WWD went off the runways and onto the streets and sidewalks for the best looks from Paris Fashion Week. For more, see WWD.com.

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CORRECTION

Stephen A. Schwarzman and Leon D. Black are founders of the Blackstone Group and Apollo Global Management, respectively. This was incorrect in a story on page 10, Wednesday.

IN THE WAKE OF a data breach that potentially impacted more than 100 million people and hit its profits and sales, Target Corp. is revamping its in-formation security practices.

And it is shaking up the operation’s management in the process.

Target said Wednesday that chief information of-ficer Beth Jacob had resigned. She had been in the position since 2008. The discounter is now looking for an interim cio to succeed Jacob.

“While we are still in the process of an ongoing investigation, we recognize that the information se-curity environment is evolving rapidly. To ensure that Target is well-positioned following the data breach we suffered last year, we are undertaking an overhaul of our information security and compli-ance structure and practices,” said chairman, pres-ident and chief executive officer Gregg Steinhafel.

The ceo himself has been under pressure in the wake of the data breach, but also as the retailer has struggled to recapture its momentum in the U.S. and with its expansion into Canada.

“We will be elevating the role of the chief infor-mation security officer and hiring externally for this position,” Steinhafel said of the planned changes. “Additionally, we will be initiating an external search for a chief compliance officer. We are also work-

ing with an external adviser, Promontory Financial Group, to help us evaluate our technology, structure, processes and talent as a part of this transformation.”

Until now, the responsibilities of a chief compli-ance offer were overseen by Target’s vice president of risk assurance and compliance, who had plans to retire at the end of the month. Before the restruc-turing, Target’s information security functions were divided among several executives.

Target disclosed that it had been a victim of a cy-bersecurity breach on Dec. 19, smack in the middle of the busy holiday season. The breach occurred between Black Friday and Dec. 15, Target has said, with information from debit and credit accounts po-tentially stolen from 40 million Target shoppers. The retailer on Jan. 10 said personal information such as names, phone numbers and e-mail addresses could have been taken from another 70 million consumers.

When Target reported its financials last week, the retailer included in its guidance about 7 cents related to the costs of the data breach and cau-tioned that these expenses could have a “material adverse effect” on its first-quarter results and be-yond. The company was unable to estimate future expenses related to the breach, but indicated that it’s likely to receive a $44 million insurance payout.

— SHARON EDELSON

Target CIO Beth Jacob Resigns Post

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4 WWD THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 2014

Louis Vuitton

AND THAT’S A WRAP. THE SHOWS ENDED WITH SOME THINGS PRACTICAL, OTHER THINGS FANTASTICAL AND, OF COURSE, A WONDERFUL DISPLAY OF OUTERWEAR.

Paris CollectionsFall 2014

Louis Vuitton

WWD.COM5WWD THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 2014

Louis Vuitton: It was the most anticipated show of the season, and it marked a sea change: whimsical romance out; chic pragmatism in. As Louis Vuitton’s creative mantle passed to Nicolas Ghesquière from Marc Jacobs, the difference came into sharp focus. Jacobs is an emotional designer, Ghesquière, a cerebral one — a distinction very evident in their work.

Ghesquière’s debut ushered in a new era for one of the most storied names in luxury. “It’s a balance of newness and heritage at the house,” Vuitton chief executive officer Michael Burke said postshow, explaining Ghesquière’s mandate. “Audacity that leads to eternity. There has to be a certain sense of timelessness.”

Guests to Vuitton’s vast tent in the Cour Carrée at the Louvre were struck by its newly low-key interior: a precision maze of multilevel seating covered in beige flannel and inset with sections of white cushions. Wide silver metallic blinds covered the clear sides of the tent.

The mood felt right in keeping with Ghesquière’s modernist reputation, and the clothes featured every bit of precision for which he’s known. Ghesquière’s work is cerebral not in the deep-thoughts philosophical sense, but in that his approach is both artful and clinical, with every detail plotted out and executed to exquisite perfection.

Yet those expecting a major statement of bravado were surprised. Unlike at Balenciaga, where he turned haute archival concepts into a bold futuristic look with a streetwise edge, here Ghesquière didn’t make a bold pronouncement of his definitive direction for Louis Vuitton. Rather, he established a template of beautiful, real-world clothes that many women will want to wear. He said he didn’t start with a story or theme, but thought about how the chic women in his life like to dress.

“The clothes have to be functional,” Ghesquière explained. “What do the girls around me want to wear? I’m surrounded by many women, so I listen to them. I collect a little thing from all of them and mix it. A wardrobe.”

Though he started out theme-less, the clothes had a subtle Sixties vibe, with dresses and skirts cut in crisp A-lines, a recurring shape, some detailed with big contrasting pockets or bold zippers. Ghesquière has always loved a fabric mix and worked several to impressive effect, particularly in sweaters with big, printed bands across the front and dresses in leather spliced with diagonal panels.

Not surprisingly, he put a big focus on coats, neat silhouettes in tweeds and glorious leathers that celebrated the house origins. As for the bags — they were both distinctive and immediately signature, from the utterly charming mini trunk to bigger styles with diagonal quilting.

Overall Ghesquière made an impressive start that established a premise of alluring practicality while addressing specific wardrobe needs. Surely legions of women will sign up.

Miu Miu: One imagines that Miuccia Prada is a designer not particularly concerned with trends. Yet there they were, some of the season’s most prevalent motifs — athletic practicality, fantastic knits and novelty furs, a subset of generally excellent outerwear — crystallized on her fall Miu Miu runway. The collection was on message with a fashion mood at large, but delivered with Prada’s own special slant.

The attitude was perky and young, captured in neat, sporty nylon jackets layered over hooded windbreakers and quilted minis. They came in combinations of sweet pastels — white with pale pink, sea-foam green and baby blue — and classic bolds — gray with royal blue, kelly green and yellow — that were eventually gussied up with foiled brocades and chunky embroideries. Throughout, the slightly Sixties silhouettes suggested school uniforms, particularly the series of tailored gray wools and sweater-and-skirt looks. It wasn’t all innocence. Underneath the multitude of great boxy boyfriend jackets, the models’ shirts were unbuttoned to show their bras, and animal-print furs added a moment of chic subversion.

After the show, Prada said the collection was “about no useless design,” adding that the intention was “to be more real.” Everything was highly wearable, utilitarian even, when it came to the long raincoats that came in clear plastic or were traced with bright graphic stripes, and flat rubber rain boots.

FOR MORE REVIEWS AND IMAGES, SEE

WWD.COM/runway.

Miu Miu

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Hermès: After a month of shows, the final one comes with notable challenge. Many important editors are already en route home. Those who remain are fully jaded; the only thing keeping them going is the hope of some real sartorial magic.

On Wednesday afternoon, Hermès closed the season for the second time in a row. Christophe Lemaire ended it on a sophisticated note, with a lineup executed in the ultraluxurious vein the house is known for. Yet it, and the production, lacked a little luster to justify the timing.

The venue: the Paris Bourse, the set a labyrinth of rooms separated by drab velvet curtains. It gave the space a rich feel — a suitable, if heavy, backdrop to the clothes.

Lemaire riffed on many fall trends, most notably men’s wear via oversize coats and suits, and textures that boldly mixed a variety of surfaces. There was an overall ease to the relaxed silhouettes, including the opening look, a chic gray coat over a white shirt and slouchy pants.

Standouts came with Lemaire’s play on the silk scarf. He worked it in unexpected ways — the back of a shearling vest, for example, or as the base of a silk-and-cashmere shell top shown with a decadent mustard-colored crocodile skirt.

This is Hermès, and so leather was key. Lemaire used it for a black draped dress and a dark green coat with an easy, sporty fit, among others. These luxe looks may not have had the

desired spark on the runway, but served in an orange box, the effect is almost certain to be entirely different.

Moncler Gamme Rouge: No pyrotechnics, no frightened Husky dogs and no complicated fashion messages to decode here. Designer Giambattista Valli went straight for the pre- and après-Soul Cycle set with a sporty, city-minded collection of outerwear for women and men.

His offhanded approach to luxury materials — mashed up with puffer nylon, camouflage prints and graffitilike brocades — was fun to watch. All the coats were worn with leggings and slip-on sneakers, the comfort shoe of choice up and down the front row, incidentally.

The show unfurled in three vignettes as floor-to-ceiling screens ringing the runway broadcast urban sprawl, collapsing icebergs and such. First up: Athletic stripes streaked across gray flannel or silvery leather anoraks and overcoats. The bands often came in triplicate, as in orange mink strips ringing the hips of a tawny astrakhan cocoon coat.

Next came a run of drab boiler suits and sturdy parkas in UPS-uniform brown, and lastly, trim gray flannel coats and hoodies paved in silver spikes. You can bet the farm they’ll be all over street-style blogs come September.

Karl Lagerfeld: It goes without saying that the Karl Lagerfeld collection is all about Karl

— his profile quilted on sweatshirts, embossed on a leather jacket and printed on jeans; the letter K used to decorate handbags.

For fall, it was all done with a sly wink and an eye for what sells. On that note, there was plenty of Lagerfeld’s signature black and white, including black leather moto pants and crisp white tuxedo shirts with superstarched collars, which remain the collection’s strong suit. But there were surprises, too — specifically, color. The palette broadened to deep blue for bouclé jackets and shorts laced with a bit of sparkle, and burgundy for a robust leather motorcycle vest. (Naturally, that also came in black).

Karl LagerfeldMoncler Gamme RougeHermès

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Alessandra Rich: Her Fireworks dress, a black gown with a sheer, point d’esprit bib down the chest and two crystal pom-poms positioned over the nipples, summed up the naughty-and-nice attitude of Alessandra Rich’s fall dress collection. She called it “Bad Reputation,” a lineup of lean, asymmetric dresses paneled in flirty lace and silk that were pretty and a little improper.

Ellery: For Kym Ellery’s second presentation in Paris, the Australian designer showed a well-tailored, wide-ranging collection inspired largely by the paisley and how it would cast a shadow if it were a 3-D object. Such

imaginary patterns appeared on pieces like a skirt,

scarf and ruched panel of a top.

The mostly monochromatic looks were worked in bonded and textured materials that created

unique volumes. Shapes ranged

from a boxy corset top paired with slouchy

pants to a dress with bell sleeves and a pleated apron.

Ellery said a New York freestanding store may be in the pipeline, and she plans to expand into footwear and jewelry.

Yves Salomon: Yves Salomon is stepping up his game. For his first fall ready-to-wear collection, the French furrier worked a chic contemporary vibe,

complementing the house’s fur coats with a group of skirts, tops and dresses. A long, sleeveless vest in gray lamb fur with short mink panels sewn on top looked sleek and modern when shown with a skirt in ponyskin.

Throughout, Salomon made a point of mixing different furs into one outfit, which climaxed in a great collarless overcoat done in raccoon and shearling panels with mink sleeves.

As for color: Cappuccino, chocolate, silver, beige and deep blue set the tone, but occasionally Salomon painted his coats with polka dots. That motif continued on a series of colored clutches for an urban and on-trend vibe.

Kolor: Since Kolor designer Junichi Abe is better known for his men’s wear, it makes sense that he drew from that collection, which he showed in January, for his women’s lineup. The ladies and guys shared the same inspiration — a reworked classic “bourgeois” motif — as well as some of the main fabrics.

As with his men’s, Abe worked with jumbo horizontal stripes in shades of camel-and-gray or navy-and-gray. They came on a mannish coat and a long-sleeve dress, both with leather details, demonstrating a casual classicism. There were also references to active wear, including a gray sweatshirt adorned with a big “10” patch in front, its sleeves in navy sweater knit and its back in satin with frills. Nylon parkas

came printed with animal spots and fur photo prints.

Abe said his women’s collection was meant to offer “twisted classics” to help

build an individual look. His plan worked

like a charm.

— his profile quilted on sweatshirts, embossed on a leather jacket and printed on jeans; the letter K used to decorate handbags.

For fall, it was all done with a sly wink and an eye for what sells. On that note, there was plenty of Lagerfeld’s signature black and white, including black leather moto pants and crisp white tuxedo shirts with superstarched collars, which remain the collection’s strong suit. But there were surprises, too — specifically, color. The palette broadened to deep blue for bouclé jackets and shorts laced with a bit of sparkle, and burgundy for a robust leather motorcycle vest. (Naturally, that also came in black).

PARISFALL 2014

COLLECTIONS

Alessandra Rich Ellery

Yves Salomon Kolor

2.5x7 (right)

For more reVIeWS AND ImAGeS, See

WWD.com/runway.

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8 WWD THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 2014

SEEKING AN EVERYMAN: Men’s Health is taking a brief hiatus from male models, celebrities and chiseled athletes on its cover. In a first for the U.S. edition, the title is gearing up to feature a mere mortal on the cover of its November issue. The lucky man will be weeded out by a search committee and then handpicked by a small panel of judges that will include editor in chief Bill Phillips and designer Kenneth Cole.

Cole’s company is sponsoring the contest, which will kick off the April launch of its newest fragrance, Mankind.

According to Men’s Health, the contest is a first for the U.S. edition, but not for its international ones. Generally, the magazine looks for a man it deems representative of the publication’s values — and that doesn’t necessarily translate to having a ripped six pack, but it wouldn’t hurt.

“We pride ourselves at being accessible,” publisher Ronan Gardiner offered.

Dubbed the Ultimate Men’s Health Guy, the average Joe-turned-cover model will be unearthed

from a nationwide contest that begins Tuesday. Aspiring models can submit their entries on mhguysearch.com or they can present themselves in person at Macy’s flagships in New York City’s Herald Square and Los Angeles’ Glendale Galleria on April 12. Subsequent auditions will take place in Houston, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Washington, Miami, San Francisco and Boston. In July, the

top three finalists will be flown to New York for a cover shoot and to make their final pitch for the gig.

“We don’t know how readers are going to react to this on the newsstand,” said Phillips. “Celebrities and athletes work for us, but I’ve said this before, celebrities’ projects don’t matter to the reader, it’s their stories. Whether the issue sells or not is not quite relevant.”

That last point is debatable.

Although the magazine’s total paid and verified subscriptions equaled 1.5 million in 2013, it registered single-copy sales of 375,111, a 33.2 percent decline from 2009, when single-copy sales totaled 471,083, according to the Alliance for Audited Media. So perhaps Men’s Health is hoping Everyman outsells Hugh Jackman on the newsstand.

— ALEXANDRA STEIGRAD

By LUISA ZARGANI

MILAN — Like the proverbial phoenix, Ballantyne is rising from its ashes.

After owner Charme Investments Ltd. set in mo-tion a number of radical measures, including a volun-tary liquidation of the original Ballantyne company it had acquired in 2004, the storied cashmere brand is starting with a clean slate. According to a source close to Ballantyne, unhappy with management and a dismal financial performance, Charme in the fall protected the brand, legally called Ballantyne Cashmere SpA, by moving its assets into a new company, naming it Alpha Srl.

“It’s simply the first letter of the alphabet,” said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “Charme did not want to liquidate the Ballantyne brand, just the com-pany. This is also functional to a future potential sale of the brand, although there are no discussions taking place at the moment. Also, a voluntary liquidation is a market-friendly operation to create the best conditions for a sale, as Charme did not want to go through a court-house to save the brand.”

Charme a lso c losed Ballantyne’s two boutiques, lo-cated in Milan’s Via Sant’Andrea and the luxury ski resort Cortina d’Ampezzo, and the fund is paying off its creditors and suppliers, according to the source.

Heavily exposed to wholesale and dented by Italy’s economic crisis, Ballantyne posted a loss of 7.7 million euros, or $9.8 million at average exchange, in 2012. “Charme was not necessarily displeased with Yossi Cohen or Roberto Menichetti, but the fund believed there had been too much discontinu-ity and that the designers emerged to the detriment of the brand,” said the source, referring to two of Ballantyne’s most recent creative directors.

Accordingly, Charme has selected a new designer in charge of shaping the brand’s new course, but is keeping mum on details.

The new company that owns Ballantyne is called Corso Italia, from the street where the firm’s show-

room is located in Milan, and was set up by Charme at the beginning of this year. While the fall collec-tion was not presented during Milan Fashion Week last month, it is now being sold out of the showroom. The source also said production is increasingly shift-ing toward Italy, as the brand is being manufactured by artisanal factories in the country, rather than in Scotland, where it was founded.

Charme Investments — which was set up by Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo, his son Matteo di Montezemolo and partner Tommaso Beolchini — has a 51 percent stake in Ballantyne and takes a long-term approach to its investments.

After 10 years, last month the fund sold its stake in Italy’s high-end furnishing company

Poltrona Frau SpA to Haworth Inc.Ballantyne, known for its staple ar-

gyle cashmere sweaters, was founded in 1921 in Innerleithen, Scotland, and became popular with celebrities from Audrey Hepburn, Jackie Kennedy and Grace Kelly to Nicole Kidman and Julia Roberts. In 2002, the late entrepreneur Alfredo Canessa, who had created the Malo brand and also owned the Gentry Portofino label, bought Ballantyne with de-signer Massimo Alba from Britain’s Dawson International plc, revamping its image and expanding its product offer. In 2004, Charme took control of the brand, maintaining Canessa as

its chairman. Under his watch, the brand grew to count almost 500 points of sale around the world, and stores in London, Tokyo, Portofino and

Florence, in addition to the Milan and Cortina units. In 2007, sales reached almost $40 million, doubling since the Charme acquisition.

In 2008, Ballantyne tapped its first creative di-rector, Dawidh di Firmo, previously senior designer at Prada for women’s wear, and in 2009, the year Canessa died, the brand tied up with Philippe Starck and knitwear designer Louise Goldin for exclusive collections. In 2010, Alfredo Argirò succeeded di Firmo, followed in 2011 by Cohen. Menichetti, known for his work at Burberry, Guy Laroche, Jil Sander and Céline, took over in 2013, but left after a few seasons. Last year, the company also launched a capsule knit-wear collection with Matthew Williamson.

The ad for the Ultimate Men’s Health Guy, which will run in the April issue.

MEMO PAD

By KRISTI ELLIS

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION agreed on an econom-ic and financial aid package for the embattled Ukraine on Wednesday that, if approved, would fast-track the elimination and reduction of duties on Ukraine’s ex-ports of such industrial products as apparel, textiles and footwear to the European Union.

The EC’s offer comes at a tense time between the West and Russia, which increased its military presence in Crimea, a Ukrainian peninsula, after the ouster of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and raised the stakes internationally as the West scrambled to offer aid to Ukraine and threatened sanctions against what some are calling Russia’s aggression. The U.S. offered an aid package of $1 billion in loan guarantees on Tuesday.

The EC’s package would provide 11 billion euros, or about $15 billion, in financial aid to Ukraine in the form of loans, grants and trade benefits over the next two years, according to EC President José Manuel Barroso, who unveiled the package at a news confer-ence in Brussels.

“The most immediate priority for the EU is to con-tribute to a peaceful solution to the current crisis, in full respect of international law,” said Barroso. “In par-allel, the international community should mobilize to help Ukraine stabilize its economic and financial situ-ation. The European Commission is proposing today a package designed to assist a committed, inclusive and reforms-oriented government in rebuilding a stable and prosperous future for Ukraine.”

Barroso said the broad package would be coordi-nated with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the European Investment Bank. In addition, some of it would be contingent on Ukraine signing an International Monetary Fund loan pack-age. On the trade front, Ukraine exported 474 million euros, or $651 million, worth of apparel, textiles, foot-wear and accessories to the EU in 2012, based on the latest figures available.

Under the proposed aid package, which will be presented to the EU heads of state and government at a meeting in Brussels on Thursday, the EC said it was ready to offer “the early application” of the duty re-ductions and tariff rate quotas embedded in the EU-Ukraine Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area deal, which has not yet been signed or implemented.

European Commission Moves on Ukraine Aid

Ballantyne Preps for Next Chapter

Fast Retailing Strong in HK DebutBy AMANDA KAISER and

KATE WHITEHEAD

FAST RETAILING CO. LTD. made a strong debut on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange Wednesday, with its shares surging 5.6 percent amid press reports the company is in talks to buy J. Crew Group Inc. for up to $5 billion.

The Hong Kong Depository Receipts (HDRs) of Uniqlo’s corporate parent ended the day 5.6 percent higher at 28.9 Hong Kong dollars, or $3.72 at current exchange. Each HDR represents one-hundredth of the company’s Tokyo-traded stock. Hong Kong’s benchmark Hang Seng Index ended the day down 0.3 percent.

Tadashi Yanai, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Fast Retailing, rang the Hong Kong exchange’s opening bell Wednesday. The executive appeared to dodge questions on a potential J. Crew deal throughout the day. He and other execu-tives met with journalists and analysts after the trading day ended but only took three questions, abruptly ending the meeting before anyone asked about J. Crew. A Fast Retailing spokesman said the J. Crew ques-tion came up at different points earlier in the day and Yanai reiterated the company’s no-comment stance.

Yanai did make a general comment regard-ing acquisitions during the briefing, stating that the Japanese retailer is focusing on or-ganic growth to expand and internationalize its business, particularly in Asia and the U.S., as it aims to reach its long-standing sales tar-get of 5 trillion yen, or $49 billion, by 2020.

“Rather than acquisitions, organic growth is what we aspire to achieve. We believe that good management practice is the key, and I personally feel that good man-

agement practice goes beyond borders,” he said, adding that Hong Kong has a very special place in his heart and was the first overseas place that he visited.

Its been reported that Fast Retailing is in talks to buy J. Crew from TPG and Leonard Green & Partners for up to $5 billion and a deal, if completed, could be finalized within the next two months. Such a trans-action would dramatically transform Fast Retailing, which still does the bulk of its business in Japan, but is seeking to become the world’s largest clothing retailer.

Yanai said he has ambitious plans for Uniqlo in the U.S., where the brand has 17 stores in the New York and San Francisco areas. Another 20 Uniqlo stores are expect-ed to open in the U.S. this year.

“We are developing a full-scale retail chain and aim to become the number-one brand in the U.S.,” the executive said, without speci-fying a time frame for that goal. “We are de-veloping a 100-store network on the East and West Coasts, opening 20 to 30 stores a year.”

Uniqlo is also aiming to extend its reach in China, where it already has a more devel-oped retail structure. The company plans to nearly triple its number of stores in Greater China over the next 10 years from the cur-rent 374 to 1,000 and eventually to 3,000.

The brand is also expanding in other markets. It will open Berlin and Melbourne, Australia, in April, and executives said Milan and Barcelona stores will follow.

Fast Retailing has said it was pursuing a secondary listing in Hong Kong to boost its pro-file in fast-growing Asian markets and broaden its investor base. The company did not issue new shares, so it is not raising capital through the operation. The company’s shares in Tokyo, its main listing, ended the day 3 percent higher at 36,975 yen, or $363.14 at current exchange.

A piece from Ballantyne.

MEN OF THE WEEK

March 6, 2014

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Going ProThe Jack Nicklaus golf line will make its debut at J.C. Penney on Friday, marking the Golden Bear’s return to the U.S. apparel market. For more on the line and what’s new with Nicklaus, see page MW2.

A 10,000-square-foot London unit will open this summer.

by SHARON EDELSON

NEW YORK — John Varvatos wants the up-town guy too.

The designer has unveiled a 4,200-square-foot flagship at 765 Madison Avenue between 65th and 66th Streets that is a major leap into the thick of luxury re-tailing for the brand. The store is not far from the likes of Tom Ford, Hermès and Michael Kors and within walking distance of Barneys New York.

For Varvatos, the flagship marks the beginning of a retail push, as well as other projects, including a record label (more on that later).

“We have a big retail rollout strategy. The Madison Avenue store is a big step,” Varvatos said, sitting in his office, which be-trays his passion for music with images of iconic rock stars covering the walls and vin-tage guitars leaning against his desk.

This marks his third store in Manhattan, but his first north of Second Street. Each unit has a different look. The Bowery store in the former CBGB space was inspired by the sem-inal East Village club where the Ramones played and Patti Smith and Blondie got started. The SoHo store concept is based on luxury, and the new flagship is modeled on a comfortable Upper East Side apartment, with elements of Varvatos’ own digs mixed in. White oak herringbone covers the floors; crown moldings line the walls; the ceiling is covered by 36 bronze convex mirrored pan-els, and there’s a skylight in the atrium. Store windows feature mannequins styled to look like Kiss, with full-on makeup. The group stars in the current Varvatos ad campaign. Products include tailored clothing, footwear, accessories, rock-influenced jewelry and Ernst Benz by John Varvatos limited-edition watches. Deluxe audio equipment, such as handcrafted modern record consoles from Symbol audio, round out the mix. A personal wardrobe service with tailoring is available.

“New York is such a small city, yet it’s so big at the same time,” Varvatos said. “We could possibly have stores on the Upper West Side and downtown. We’re looking at the World Trade Center.”

Also opening this year will be stores at the Houston Galleria and Beverly Hills, where the designer is finalizing a deal.

A 3,500-square-foot unit in Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre recently opened with a concept similar to the Bowery store. “We’re really not a big mall brand,” Varvatos said, “but they built a new wing. It doesn’t look like a mall store.”’

Outside the U.S., Varvatos is preparing to open his largest store yet, a three-lev-el, 10,000-square-foot flagship on Conduit

RETAIL ROLLOUT

{Continued on page MW2}

Varvatos Adds Stores in U.S. And Overseas

Performance golf shirt and pants by Perry Ellis International.

Oscar-night attire covered a wide range of choices. We decide

who gets the gold (medal, not statuette).

Page MW3

by JEAN E. PALMIERI

JACK NICKLAUS gives new mean-ing to the words hands-on.

The man widely viewed as golf ’s greatest player, now 74, can tick off the licensee, the design aesthetic and even the fabric con-tent of his apparel offerings through the years, starting with Revere in Boston in 1961 to Hartmarx in 1967 and now Perry Ellis International.

PEI acquired the license earlier this year and the mer-chandise will be introduced at 470 J.C. Penney stores on Friday. It will roll out to 600 units for fall.

According to Howard Milstein, who bought a minority interest in the golfer’s Nicklaus Cos. in 2007, apparel sales alone are expected to eventually become a $1 billion business. Already, there are 900 Jack Nicklaus boutiques in Japan, bringing in $100 million in sales, and another 100 in South Korea, which account for an additional $50 million in volume. The company is seeking a partner in China as well, as it strives to reach its lofty goal.

Milstein believes the U.S. mar-ket can bring in $300 million to $400 million, starting with Penney’s and then expanding to other retailers and channels of distribution as the label creates a lifestyle brand, one that will include everything from sport coats and dress pants to cash-mere sweaters and wovens.

Taking time out from last week-end’s Honda Classic at the PGA National Champion Course he designed in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., Nicklaus said he was “very pleased” with the new relationship with PEI and its work to “revive” the label in America.

Over the years, Nicklaus has seen golf style come full-circle. “We

had loud pants and wore wide belts — just like today,” he said with a laugh. “We haven’t gotten to bell-bottoms yet, but I’m sure we will.” Sweaters have remained “fairly consistent,” but the overall fit has changed and is now much slimmer.

He said he admires the style of some of the younger golfers such as Rickie Fowler, who is known for wearing bright colors and over-size hats from his sponsor, Puma. “I have one grandson who wants to wear everything Rickie wears,” Nicklaus said.

He also pointed to brands such as Under Armour, Peter Millar and Fairway & Greene as trendsetters. “And we’re trying to do the same by partnering with J.C. Penney.”

John Tighe, senior vice presi-dent and general merchandise man-ager of men’s for J.C. Penney Co. Inc., believes there’s a lot of poten-tial for the Nicklaus brand. “Golf is a big, growing segment of the indus-try and we’ve been underserved,” he said. Right now, Penney’s pri-mary offering is through PGA Tour

merchandise, also produced by PEI. But the Nicklaus merchandise of-fers “youthful styling that is sharp and clean, and is a great way to reach guys.” He said the floors will include graphics of Nicklaus and his accomplishments on the course

over the years — he has 118 profes-sional tournament victories and a record 18 major championship ti-tles including six Masters, five PGA Championships, four U.S. Opens and three British Opens, and is only one of five golfers to have won all four of the sport’s modern majors, known as the Grand Slam.

Although Penney’s won’t install traditional hard shops, there will be mannequins, wrap fixtures and other merchandising elements in stores. The merchandise includes shorts, pants, polos and layering pieces, many with wicking and stretch attri-butes. “It’s a tight collection but we’ll expand it for fall,” Tighe said.

Price points will range from $24.99 to $34.99. “The styling and pric-ing should be good for our core cus-tomer and his budget,” Tighe said.

Over the past few months, Penney’s has been working to “pull together beautiful branded ele-ments in men’s, and this spring, golf is the next initiative,” he said. “We’ll be focusing on the active side of the floor. Jack is a great partner and the all-time greatest golfer and he’s fully engaged in this project.”

Nicklaus said that he’s always been intimately involved with ev-erything that has his name on it: “If I don’t know about it, shame on me.” Although the plan was to “retire and fade into the sunset” in 2007 when he sold 49 percent of his company to Milstein, “it didn’t work out that way. It wouldn’t be fair to him, and my family still owns 51 percent so I have to make sure the business works properly and moves forward.”

He’s still active in golf course design, including many in the Far East, and travels extensively around the world. In fact, he has designed over 300 courses in 36 countries. One of his most recent ventures is the design of a line of golf balls. “You look at the shelf at a pro shop and the balls have lots of numbers on them. They mean nothing to the average person. A lot go by swing speed, but less than 10 percent of people know their swing speed. But they do know what tee they play from.” So

the balls are either black, blue or white to replicate the color of the different tee boxes on course.

“We’re trying to simplify things,” he said. “And we’re doing the same thing with clothing.”

Oscar Feldenkreis, chief oper-

ating officer of PEI, said the plan for the Nicklaus label is to eventu-ally expand it into a “full lifestyle brand” and his company is talking to Penney’s about other product categories for the future. “We’re asking how to expand the reach of the Jack Nicklaus label, which has such brand equity.”

PEI is developing the Jack Nicklaus Black Label for fall, a higher-end line that will be targeted to green-grass shops and will in-clude mercerized cotton for polos, cashmere sweaters and blended fabrics with performance attributes.

When he’s not working on ap-parel collections, Nicklaus still fol-lows the sport closely and singled out Fowler, Dustin Johnson, Jason Day and Keegan Bradley as young players he believes have the most promise.

But he also bemoaned the cur-rent state of the business. “Golf has become a stodgy game for the upper-middle class,” he said. “It didn’t start that way.”

He added: “Why are we losing people? We’ve lost 36 percent of women and 28 percent of kids and even five million core golfers, who are defined as those who play eight or more rounds a year.”

In his opinion, there are three reasons for this significant drop: golf takes too long, it’s too expensive and it’s too hard. He said those involved in the sport need to “think out of the box” to encourage more young people, women and seniors to play. Case in point: He said that, of his 22 grandchildren, only one plays golf.

Although the numbers might look grim, Nicklaus said there are sev-eral productive movements under way. These include the PGA’s Tee It Forward campaign, which encour-ages golfers to play from a closer tee box, and the SNAG (Start New at Golf) initiative for kids and new-bies, which uses Velcro sticks and tennis balls. “And I’m an advocate of 12-hole golf and eight-inch holes. It’s not for the core golfer, but it would encourage people who don’t play every day. It can reduce the time and cost and make the game easier and more fun. Then they’ll go to J.C. Penney and buy more shirts.”

Street in London in July or August. That store also will be in the thick of fashion and luxury retailing, near Hermès, Prada, Burberry, and Louis Vuitton. “In terms of in-ternational, we’re structuring the organiza-tion to accelerate Europe,” he said. “We’re looking at Paris and Milan. London is the fashion gateway to Europe.”

The company opened a showroom in Milan and is “working on the logistics to sup-port Europe in a stronger way and taking a stronger approach to European department stores,” the designer said.

The Continent isn’t the only place Varvatos is venturing with freestanding stores. In April, he’ll open, through a strategic partnership, a unit on Avenida Presidente Masaryk, which is known as the Madison Avenue of Mexico City for its plethora of high-end shops. Masaryk is located in the upscale Polanco district. Varvatos the same month will unveil a store in the Central Embassy on Bangkok’s main commercial artery, Ploenchit Road. Europe is run directly, but the Middle East will require a partner. In the Far East, Varvatos is “in dis-cussions with a few people.”

Varvatos also has new store concepts up his dandified sleeve — a footwear store, for example, because that business is so big — as well as a shop dedicated to accessories.

Then there’s the perennial question of women’s wear, which Varvatos launched in 2004 and discontinued a year later. “It’s al-ways a consideration,” he said. “Women al-

ways love the spirit of the brand. Right now, we’re focused on what we have. With women, you have to fit the body. That’s a whole other element to add to the company. It’s not going to happen in the next three years,” he said. “We have a three- to five-year plan to take the company to a significantly larger level.”

The aggressive retail expansion comes in the wake of Varvatos getting a new majority owner. In March 2012, Lion Capital signed a

definitive agreement to acquire a majority stake in John Varvatos Enterprises from VF Corp. for an undisclosed sum. Varvatos, who had a 20 percent stake in the brand under VF, retained a minority share of the company.

Cristiano Quieti, who joined the compa-ny in May as president and chief executive officer, said, “The brand is in a very good moment. When I joined, I found the brand being managed in a very clean way. John is

always true to the rock ’n’ roll lifestyle of the brand and the values of the brand.”

“I love all the stores we’re opening, but I’m as excited or more excited about work-ing on the product,” Varvatos said. “I hope I always feel that way.”

Varvatos said his business grew by 35 percent last year and he expects a 47 per-cent increase in 2014. According to industry sources, John Varvatos Enterprises had sales of $250 million last year at retail.

Now, for that record label. Varvatos signed a deal with Republic Records to launch John Varvatos Records. “I was born in Detroit, which is probably the melting pot of music,” he said. “I grew up in a little home with seven people and one little bath-room. My escape was listening to music. My parents weren’t big music fans. From a very young age, I listened to music.

“I’ve been personally connected to the music world,” he added. “Kiss said, ‘We think of John in fashion, but first, we think of him as being in the music world.’ I took that as a compliment.”

The label’s first album will be released this year. Varvatos said he’s talking to a few different artists, but hasn’t signed anyone yet. Musicians won’t have to wear Varvatos’ label and he’s not necessarily looking to do merchandising. “There are all these great tentacles for the brand, but I don’t want it to distract from what we do on a daily basis.”

Varvatos wants to nurture young musical talent, something he’s been unofficially doing for some time. “People have reached out to me, artists who want to find a home,” he said. “They feel like they’re part of a machine. We want to find the next Guns n’ Roses.”

Men’s WeekWWD THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 2014MW2

Varvatos Planning Retail Rollout {Continued from page MW1}

GOLF HAS BECOME A STODGY GAME FOR THE UPPER-MIDDLE CLASS. IT DIDN’T START THAT WAY.”

— JACK NICKLAUS

“

Jack Nicklaus Apparel To Launch at Penney’s

FOR NICKLAUS’ STYLE OVER THE YEARS, SEE

WWD.com/menswear-news.

FOR MORE IMAGES, SEE

WWD.com/menswear-news.

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by DAVID YI

NEW YORK — Where there’s a will, there’s a way.At least for Will Leather Goods, an Oregon-

based leather accessories brand that will open its third freestanding store, a 2,000-square-foot location at 29 Prince Street at the corner of Mott Street here in April.

The brand operates a flagship in Venice, Calif., as well as a store in Portland, Ore., and is sold to retailers including Barneys New York, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s. It hopes that its new location in New York City will open the brand, which is best known for its belts and bags, to the inter-national consumer.

“We call the New York store the world store since so many people from all over come,” said William Adler, the creative director and founder of the brand. “We want to share with the world the state of Oregon, with its inspiration of na-ture, trees, rivers, and the beautiful mountains.”

Adler will be replicating the aesthetic of his two other stores, which he designed in collaboration with his daughter, Shane, using Oregon’s state tree, the Douglas fir, for its walls, ceilings and floors.

“The Douglas fir has a very antique but rich brown tan tone,” Adler said. “I want custom-ers to come in and smell a mix of strong wood and leather.” But don’t expect any trees to be sacrificed for the sake of ambiance. “We’re not cutting trees down to build the store,” he said. “Oregon is a very ecologically friendly state and all the wood we use is from fallen trees.”

Antique blades, saws and other fix-tures dating back 100 years — all found in Oregon — will also be shipped to the new store. They will hang on walls as well as on top of wooden displays throughout the space.

Adler started in the business selling belts from a small stand on the Venice Beach boardwalks. He later sold that brand, moved to Eugene, Ore., and started his current leather business whose mainstay

continues to be leather belts that are beaded, embroidered and studded. One belt is beaded in reds, greens and yellows in a style of the Navajo, and sells for $165. A fully studded belt retails for $150.

Other than the belts, Adler is most excited about his antique bags, called Found, which will have their own section in the store. “We find materials from all over the world and then reoil and refurbish them,” he said.

One example is a Swiss medic bag from World War II that was discovered in an army surplus store. It had been there for 70 years before Adler purchased it, soaked it with olive oil and revived it to its original appearance. Today, customers can use the bag for a 15-inch laptop or for a camera. It sells for $225.

Another two bags are created from woven rugs from Oaxaca, Mexico, which Adler re-worked into duffle and messenger styles by fus-ing the canvas and cashmere fabrics into one.

“They are older rugs that are archaic and primitive in design, but we recreated them for a modern but vintage look,” he said. The messen-ger bag will sell for $350 and the duffle for $750.

Adler said the store will carry men’s, wom-en’s and home goods. And to entice customers to stay, Adler said he will offer an espresso bar with complementary lattes, espressos, coffees and teas.

“When people come into a Will store, we greet them as if they are coming into our home,” he said. “And whenever a guest comes over, you offer them a cup of coffee or water. Our mission is to have them stay for a while.”

Men’s Week WWD THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 2014 MW3

Will Leather Opening N.Y. Store

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The Academy Awards always bring out the best — and worst — in men’s eveningwear. With apologies to the recently completed

Winter Olympics, here are our picks for the night’s medal winners.

Men of the Week

A look from the line.

Winners Jared Leto and Matthew McConaughey stood out in white, while

Jason Sudeikis was completely transformed into a dashing red-carpet star in

his Prada tuxedo.

There’s nothing wrong with their style, but Kevin Spacey, Leonardo DiCaprio

and Brad Pitt are a bit too safe…

…here, on the other hand, Ewan McGregor, Michael B. Jordan and

Channing Tatum push it too much. Stars on the

collar — really?

It’s the Oscars, shorts, no tie and ill-fitting

suits? Come on.

Matthew McConaughey

Jared Leto

Kevin Spacey

Ewan McGregor

Will Smith

Pharrell Williams

Kellan Lutz

Michael B. Jordan

Channing Tatum

Brad Pitt

Leonardo DiCaprio

Jason Sudeikis

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HILFIGER, THE HOTELIER: Tommy Hilfiger is negotiating to buy The Raleigh hotel in South Beach. The Miami Beach property has been owned since late 2012 by New York-based developer David Edelstein, who owns the W South Beach, and hotelier Sam Nazarian, who owns the SLS South Beach.

“I’m in the process of buying it from them. I’ve always wanted a hotel property. We’re going to turn it into a five-star chic hotel with all the amenities,” said Hilfiger Wednesday. He declined to reveal the partners in his investment group.

The Raleigh, which is located on Collins Avenue and 18th Street, is the first step toward launching Hilfiger Hospitality — a hospitality experience centered on fashion, art, music and entertainment. Hilfiger said he’s exploring one-of-a kind properties in gateway cities in key U.S. markets, as well as international markets. Hilfiger said he expects to close the Raleigh deal sometime next month and will keep the Raleigh name.

The Raleigh is a landmark Art Deco hotel that was built in 1940 during the area’s hotel boom. Sources estimate the cost of the hotel around $100 million. The beachfront property has 100 rooms, a pool and several restaurants. “We will create a whole new dining experience,” said Hilfiger. He said the hotel “needs a full redo. It’s a bit dated.”

The onetime André Balazs-owned property was bought by Brilla Group in 2009 before being sold to Edelstein and Nazarian.

— LISA LOCKWOOD

WINNING PAIR: In a move likely to fan rumors of a budding romance, Oscar winners Jared Leto and Lupita Nyong’o both attended the Miu Miu show in Paris on Wednesday — though the two avoided being photographed together. Leto jokingly referred to Nyong’o

as “my future ex-wife” at the Independent Spirit Awards in Los Angeles last Saturday, but insisted he was in Paris to visit his friend, photographer Terry Richardson, before heading to Finland for a gig with his band Thirty Seconds to Mars. “I’m attending the show with Terry — Terryta,” he said.

Leto’s award-winning role in “Dallas Buyers Club” came after a four-year break from film. “It certainly makes you want to do more movies,

it makes you want to follow more dreams,” he said. “I was actually in the middle of a tour, and I took a few days to go back and join the celebration.”

While guests waited for Rihanna to arrive, Nyong’o

snapped selfies with Adèle Exarchopoulos and Léa Seydoux, stars of the controversial “Blue Is the Warmest Color.”

The Kenyan actress is one of the faces of Miu Miu’s spring ad campaign, alongside Elle Fanning, Bella Heathcote and Elizabeth Olsen, who also attended the show.

Olsen said she would start filming soon on “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” in which she will portray the Scarlet Witch opposite Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Robert Downey Jr., Jeremy Renner and Samuel L.

Jackson. “She has mind-control powers and she’s one of the most bad-ass characters. It’s really cool,” Olsen said.

Fanning was fresh off presenting “Low Down” at the Sundance Film Festival. It centers on the life of jazz pianist Joe Albany, and she immersed herself in his music. “I didn’t know much about it, but I learned a lot more on that set just because the director knew everything about jazz. He was like a huge fan, and we were always playing records,” said Fanning, who will also embark on a worldwide promotional tour for the release of “Maleficent” in May.

Bella Heathcote has been flirting up a storm with Hugh Grant. The two star together in the romantic comedy “The Rewrite,” which also features Allison Janney and Marisa Tomei. “There’s some sexual tension but not necessarily real romance for my character,” she said.

Margot Robbie was relishing the prospect of filming “Tarzan” in London opposite Alexander Skarsgård. “Weirdly enough, my costars seem to be getting taller and taller and taller, whereas normally in this industry it seems to, you know — generally actors are on the short side,” she said, noting that Skarsgård was almost 6-feet, 5-inches tall.

“Kissing scenes are just going to be inconvenient. Yeah, I think he’s going to have to be the height limit,” Robbie concluded with a laugh.

— JOELLE DIDERICH

By LUISA ZARGANI

MILAN — A solid performance in all its main markets lifted Yoox Group’s net profit last year by 23.9 percent to 12.6 million euros, or $16.6 million, com-pared with 10.2 million euros, or $13 million, in 2012.

The Italian e-tailer posted revenues of 455.6 million euros, or $601.4 million, up 21.2 per-cent compared with 375.9 mil-lion euros, or $481.1 million, at the end of the previous year. The fourth quarter showed an accel-eration on the first nine months, registering a 24.1 gain to 136.3 million euros, or $185.3 million.

Dollar figures were convert-ed from the euro at average ex-change rates for the periods to which they refer.

During a conference call with analysts, Federico Marchetti, founder and chief executive of-ficer of the group, said Yoox “proved to be a high-growth com-pany,” touting the effectiveness of its business model and de-scribing 2013 as the “best year.”

Based on a performance that “looks almost perfect,” the en-trepreneur was confident that “all the investments made will continue to fuel future long-term growth,” and that Yoox “will post another year of profitable growth.”

Marchetti said the plan is to continue to reinvest in innova-tion, with particular focus on mobile, which accounted for 40 percent of the group’s traffic at the end of the year, compared with 8.5 percent in 2012.

In the 12 months ended Dec. 31, the multibrand business line, which includes Yoox.com, Thecorner.com and Shoescribe.com, saw sales grow 25.3 percent to 328.2 million euros, or $433.2 million, boosted by a solid perfor-mance of all three online stores. In the fourth quarter, sales grew 29.6 percent, driven by an ac-celeration of Yoox.com, which “marked the biggest increase in sales ever registered in absolute terms, thanks to a significantly higher customer retention rate, a further improvement in the con-version rate and an outstanding Christmas campaign,” said the company. At the end of December, the multibrand business account-

ed for 72 percent of total sales. The Italian e-tailer also

manages e-stores for designer brands from Giorgio Armani to Ermenegildo Zegna, and this channel posted sales of 127.4 million euros, or $168.1 million, up 11.9 percent from the previ-ous year. In the fourth quarter, sales were up 11.9 percent. During 2013, the group launched e-stores for Missoni and Dodo.

Marchetti noted the “success-ful and timely launch” of all six online stores of the brands origi-nally included in the joint ven-ture with Kering, from Alexander McQueen to Bottega Veneta and Balenciaga, as well as the addi-tion of Brioni in November 2013.

Asked during the call wheth-er Gucci may join the joint venture with Kering, Marchetti said, “We hope, but it’s prema-ture [to discuss].”

Last year, the monobrand business line accounted for 28 percent of group sales with 37 online stores.

North America was the group’s number-one market, with net revenues of 102.8 million euros, or $135.7 million, accounting for 22.6 percent of sales, and gaining 26.1 percent in 2013. “The U.S. is a great opportunity for long-term growth,” said Marchetti.

Despite Italy’s economic strug-gles, the country showed a marked acceleration in the fourth quarter, with sales growing 31.3 percent, the highest rate recorded by the domestic market since 2009. The Rest of Europe gained 21.4 per-cent in the year, accelerating fur-ther in the fourth quarter (up 26.8 percent), boosted by an “excep-tional” performance in the U.K.

Japan was up 10.7 percent dur-ing the year and 7.4 percent in the last quarter, despite the sharp de-preciation of the yen. At constant exchange rates, Japan would have grown 40 percent in the year and 39.6 percent in the last quarter.

Other Countries grew 49.4 percent in the year.

Asked by an analyst about the performance of Asia-Pacific, Marchetti said China will con-tinue to fuel the group’s growth, also leveraging “a new addition-al logistics structure. We confirm our long-term strategy in China,” he said, adding that he was “very optimistic” about China in 2014.

Yoox Posts ’13 Profit Gain

Prada at Bergdorf Goodman: A Work in Synergy

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Adèle Exarchopoulos, Lupita Nyong’o and Léa Seydoux.

FASHION SCOOPS

By DAVID MOIN

BEYOND THE CURRENT Prada win-dows at Bergdorf Goodman, there’s a backstory about a unique partner-ship. Prada has leased shops in-side upscale stores, but that’s not the case at Bergdorf ’s, and Prada’s chief executive offi-cer Patrizio Bertelli takes a very hands-on approach to make it happen at BG.

“I have personally worked with many of the presidents who have succeeded each other in running the compa-ny: Dawn Mello, Jim Gold and now Joshua Schulman, to mention just a few,” Bertelli told WWD. “Our business relationship is based on a constructive collaboration. Each side has always sought to under-stand the needs of the other, and this approach has determined the success of our work together, in commercial

and sales terms, with a double-digit average growth.”

Bertelli said Prada and Bergdorf ’s “work in synergy in selecting prod-ucts, with the closest attention paid to

the requirements of the market and Bergdorf Goodman’s sophisticat-ed clientele. On many occasions, products have been made espe-

cially for Bergdorf Goodman,” he said, citing the Prada women’s spring footwear currently on display. Within BG’s Prada as-sortment is a selection of four shoe and two hand-bag styles exclusive to the store for a period be-fore the products arrive at Prada’s own stores.

The BG windows, in-stalled last week and get-

ting dismantled Sunday, feature large murals by Miles “El Mac” MacGregor based on the larger mural he created for the set of Prada’s spring fashion show last September, as part of an art collective entitled “In the Heart of the

Multitude.” Prada ready-to-wear, shoes and bags are juxtaposed with the art-ist’s close-ups of women’s faces, graphic patterns and colors, which are inter-preted as prints on Prada merchandise. Three adjacent vitrine windows display Prada women’s accessories.

Prada’s presence at BG has grown at Bergdorf ’s over the last few years. A men’s shop opened in November 2011 in Bergdorf Goodman Men’s. Last fall, BG renovated the Prada shops for rtw and bags, and Bergdorf ’s Web site sells women’s and men’s bags, shoes, small leather goods, accessories, sunglasses and fragrances. Women’s rtw occu-pies 1,300 square feet; accessories, 270 square feet, and men’s rtw, 1,100 square feet. “Bergdorf Goodman has the most comprehensive selection of Prada of any specialty or department store in America — and is the only one to rep-resent all categories of the brand,” said Schulman. “We work closely with the teams at Prada to curate selections for the Bergdorf Goodman customer and are particularly proud to have exclusive styles as part of this collaboration.” W

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Prada windows at Bergdorf’s marry art and fashion.

An exclusive Prada bag at Bergdorf Goodman.

FOR MORE SCOOPS, SEE

WWD.com.