Banana Republic’s new creative director Simon Kneen unveiled his debut collection last night, showing clothes in soft neutrals accented with pops of blues and greens.
“A lot of what we’re known for is still there,” Mr. Kneen, who was previously vice president and creative design director at Brooks Brothers, said. “But it’s updated and made modern for people who live and work in the city.”
Retail sales, which are being closely watched this fall, strengthened a bit in the week ended Oct. 18, rising 1.1% from the same period a year ago, according to ShopperTrak RCT.
The uptick reflects the Columbus Day holiday and cooler weather in the Midwest and the Northeast, ShopperTrak says. The comparable 2007 results didn’t include the Columbus Day weekend.
Does this Bordeaux go with my Noe bag?
LVMH conducted an odd experiment in corporate synergy Thursday night when it held an intimate party pairing its handbags with its wines. (Bags were matched to wines, according to “personality” and “heritage,” and not because, say, a bag’s caramel leather details suggested a wine’s buttery finish, the company said.) Vuitton’s Noe bag, which was paired with a Cheval Des Andes, was chosen because it was originally designed to hold five bottles of Champagne (three on the bottom, with two inverted on top). A Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, a bright citrus-y white was paired with the Papillon, because both are “youthful” and “exhuberant.”
Despite spring’s archetypal association with soft pastels and printed florals, designers instead offered an edgier evening option.
Story continued...
