>> In the wake of the 23 percent decline in first-half profits it announced Monday, LVMH plans to postpone or suspend marketing and promotions for its brands that failed to be top performers, according to CFO Jean-Jacques Guiony.
He did not specify which brands would receive the "selective investments" still being made, but its wines, spirits, watches, and jewelry businesses were hurt in the past few months and seem like contenders for those being passed over. This new withholding strategy is part of LVMH's cost containment plan for the remainder of 2009.
Emilio Pucci
LVMH To Hold Out on Marketing Some of Its Brands for the Rest of the Year
Dundas Continues to Look Past House Prints at Emilio Pucci for Cruise 2010
>> Peter Dundas's debut Fall 2009 collection at Pucci was generally well-received — Carine Roitfeld and Lily Cole both ended up wearing dresses from the collection on the Cannes Film Festival red carpet — and notably took the house beyond its print heritage; the Cruise 2010 collection looks to do the same. Dundas said he was inspired by the sea, sailors, and the sun; Perhaps we owe the influence to a recent scuba diving excursion? Dundas told Style.com that his motto is: "I dive where I go on holiday, and I go on holiday where I can dive," and that "diving definitely makes me look at color differently."
>> INSIDER WIRE —Peter Dundas has only done one collection, for Fall 2009, in his new post at Emilio Pucci, but so far, so good — his work is already being embraced for the red carpet by fashion insiders. Lily Cole and Carine Roitfeld both wore Pucci at yesterday's amfAR gala — Lily's dress from the Fall 2009 collection, Carine's custom-made — which Dundas also attended, and Julia Restoin-Roitfeld has heels from the Fall 2009 collection already on display in her apartment. [Grazia]

2009 Costume Institute Gala Arrivals Have Started!
>> It's official Costume Institute Gala time: Anna Wintour is already snubbing press in her black and white Chanel, Bee Shaffer has already had help navigating in her sheer navy chiffon Nina Ricci gown, and Andre Leon Talley who is wearing "20 pounds" of Roger Vivier jewelry, has already exclaimed "Goddess" upon sight of Kate Moss.
Gisele Bundchen has arrived in sequined Atelier Versace minidress — she says she picked it out herself and they had to make it two inches shorter for her. Meanwhile, Eva Mendes grabbed Amber Valletta's booty on the red carpet, and Shalom Harlow, Amber, Natalia Vodianova, Eva Herzigova, and Stella Tennant have made a red carpet block while they stop to exchange air kisses.
UPDATE: More designer and model pictures have been added to the gallery!
*image: source, source, WENN.com
Fall 2009 Milan Wrap-Up: Still Whitewashed, But with Promising Talents Aquilano and Rimondi
>> Milan is infamous for being one of the hardest markets to break open for models of color, and unfortunately, that still seems to be the case, based on tallying by The Cut. The worst offenders? Burberry, Giorgio Armani, Missoni, Fendi, Salvatore Ferragamo, who all only used one model of color, while Gianfranco Ferre, Jil Sander, and Prada didn't use any.

Meanwhile, buyers have spoken on their Milanese favorites: Jil Sander, Prada, Marni, Bottega Veneta, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Pucci, Roberto Cavalli, and Gianfranco Ferré — surprisingly, Missoni was not in the mix.
A number of critics and retailers have Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi on their lists as Milan's most promising up-and-coming talent, but their situation at Gianfranco Ferre is currently tenuous — the front row Friday included three government-appointed special administrators, a reminder that owner IT Holding faces bankruptcy proceedings, and could take Ferre, Just Cavalli, John Galliano, and Malo down with it. Regardless, hopes are high — as Linda Fargo, fashion director of Bergdorf Goodman, put it, "Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi continue to show the promise of world-class design for the future — both in their own line and at Gianfranco Ferré. We hope the dust settles favorably on Ferre as the two designers are hitting the right notes."
Other highlights on the to-watch list: Christopher Kane at Versus and, for next season, Vionnet, under the care of Prada alum Rodolfo Paglialunga.
*image: source
Dundas's Debut Fall 2009 Pucci Collection Minimizes Prints
>> Matthew Williamson's gone from Pucci, and he seems to have taken the brand's bright, kaleidoscopic prints with him. Peter Dundas is in the house, and his interpretation of the Pucci heritage for Fall 2009 involves darker, moodier colors with a rock and roll vibe; the slit-up-to-there strapless gowns and super-minidresses are drawing Balmain comparisons from a number of sources. But critics — although some are unsure about the lack of prints — seem ready to give Dundas a chance: management did want a new, modern image, after all. WWD encouraged Dundas's movement beyond the print heritage: "The fact is that [Pucci] has to." The Moment agreed that the collection felt "relevent to the times and the house," as did Cathy Horyn: " If Dundas can develop 'the product,' as retailers say, he may just have something at Pucci."
*image: source
ACE Awards Go Green for Stella McCartney
>> At last night's annual Accessories Council ACE Awards, Nicholas Ghesquiere may have been awarded Designer of the Year, Sally Singer the Marylou Luther Award for Fashion Journalism, and Tamara Mellon's Jimmy Choo the Brand of the Year, but Stella McCartney was awarded the most special treatment.
The designer, who was flanked by Helena Christensen, Coco Rocha, and Dean Koons and anointed with a new award, Green Designer of the Year, had her table completely set with salads while everyone else had "a decadent lobster plate." And out of respect for her vegan views, even her award — a Judith Leiber miaundiere — was made green, with a black hemp lining in leather's stead and no stainless steel plating. Such attention to detail kept Stella in a high mood — she joked as she accepted her award, "Little did I know that my award would be second to last and I would need to use the ladies' room after putting on my unitard outfit. But that's life!"
*image: source, source
>> THE MODELIZER —The rash of model falls in Milan continues — at Emilio Pucci yesterday, Angela Lindvall fell not once, but twice — something that has never before happened in her modelling career. Karlie Kloss helped her up the first time she fell, but the same thing happened again during the finale, causing a domino effect among the procession. [Telegraph, Grazia]
Matthew Williamson Gives Pucci the Sendoff
>> Matthew Williamson took his final bow as the artistic director of Emilio Pucci earlier today — Peter Dundas will replace him Oct. 1 — but the reasoning for why he's leaving the company has been nothing more than he wants more time to focus on his namesake label — until now.

As the Guardian's Imogen Fox enlightens us, "recently there have been criticisms that the Pucci label was starting to look more like [Matthew Williamson's] signature line and less like a distinctive Pucci collection." The Pucci bosses are also rumored to be less than happy with all the multitasking and travelling Williamson was doing, and "in a recent interview Laudomia Pucci, daughter of the company's founder Emilio, stated how important it is that Dundas will be based in Florence." So among all the bright and happy Pucci prints, there was more than a little unrest . . .
*image: source
>> MODA OPERANDI —Although he shushed rumors last month, Peter Dundas — formerly of Emanuel Ungaro and currently of furrier Revillon — will be taking Matthew Williamson's place at Emilio Pucci. Wiliamson's last collection for the house shows in Milan Sept. 25 — he is departing to focus more on his signature collection — and Dundas's first Pucci collection will show next February for Fall 2009. [WWD]
*image: source






Nuance
Balenciaga
Paul Smith