BOYS’ NIGHT OUT BY JESSICA IREDALE

Jamie Johnson on love, money and cavities. The rich may be different, but they still need novocaine. Page 7.

new realities

Seeking Solutions At the Trade Shows In Las Vegas Updated fashion trends seen mitigating the price increases expected to saturate the market by fall

Photo by Giovanni Giannoni

GoingGray

By DAVID LIPKE and JEAN E. PALMIERI

LAS VEGAS — “I don’t know if you’ve heard this or not, but prices are going up,” grinned Doug Ewert, president of The Men’s Wearhouse Inc.

The rising cost of raw materials — cotton pushing $2 a pound, oil and leather prices going up along with labor and shipping — was the primary topic of conversation among re-tailers and manufacturers at MAGIC, Project and the other trade shows here this week.

Eric Beder, managing director of equity re-search at Brean Murray, Carret & Co., wrote in a research note that wholesale price hikes for fall could be as much as 25 percent above last year, “the first substantial increase in clothing and footwear prices in over a decade.”

The increases were across the board and unavoidable, giving many retailers pause as they ponder how consumers will re-spond to the hikes. “It’s the real world,” said Ronny Wurtzburger, president of Peerless International. “Anybody who tries to hold pric-es won’t be here a year from now.”

As a result, retailers had no choice but to accept the inevitable and scoured the aisles at the trade shows throughout town to find the most appealing items to soften the im-pact. Outerwear with lots of bells and whis-tles, nondenim bottoms, chunky sweaters, knit shirts, slim suits and dress shirts were among the pieces they hope will be the solu-tion. In denim, vintage washes were making a comeback over the clean looks that have been popular the past few seasons. In tops, vendors were moving beyond heritage looks like plaid and into trends such as checks and prints.

“We’re looking to lock in at the current prices because cotton costs are through the roof,” said Scott Collins, general merchandise manager for Downtown Locker Room.

“At least the cotton issues are consistent,” said Jonathan Greller, senior vice president and general merchandise manager of men’s for Lord & Taylor. “Everything is up.”

Despite the price concerns, the mood among stores was decidedly upbeat at the shows, which included ENK Vegas, MRket, Capsule and the Off-Price Specialist. Men’s wear sales have been consistently strong for several months, as consumers have become weary of holding back and seek out new fash-ion looks to update their wardrobes.

{Continued on page 4}

Monochromatic light gray suiting on textured lush flannels was one of the key trends on the European runways this season, and the momentum continued during New York Fashion Week, where Calvin Klein was one of the leading labels to push the look forward while enhancing the brand’s minimalistic DNA.

February 17, 2011

2 WWD THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2011 Men’s Week

5x3

Reebok, Swizz Beatz Team To Revitalize Classics Brandby JEAN E. PALMIERI

LAS VEGAS — It’s been a good week for Swizz Beatz.

Fresh off his Grammy win with Jay-Z for “On to the Next One” on Sunday night, the artist-producer unveiled a collaboration with Reebok designed to breathe new life into the company’s Reebok Classics brand.

During a press conference at its Project show booth here late Tuesday, Reebok said Beatz, who is married to singer Alicia Keys, will help develop sneakers and apparel for holiday and will lend his street cred to the brand begin-ning immediately.

In fact, Beatz tweeted a link to a hip-hop-themed video of him wearing an updated version of the Classics sneaker right before he stepped onstage for the press conference. This prompted Todd Krinsky, global head of the Classics brand, to shake his head and say: “Swizz is always two steps ahead.”

Krinsky said when Reebok

Classics was introduced it was “a key fabric of street culture; every kid had a pair. But they got away from that.” To reverse the trend, Reebok has created a new logo, and will soon introduce a new marketing campaign and fresh product in addition to its collabo-ration with Beatz.

“This is not a sneaker deal,” Krinsky said. “Swizz will be in-volved in the campaign.”

Beatz, who unveiled the fi rst product in the line, the Kamikaze model, said he’s eager to “make the world know that Reebok has a new voice.”

Krinsky said a “tight collec-tion of apparel” and higher-end sneakers will make their debut for holiday and roll out during 2012. Distribution will include boutiques and select urban retailers. Shoes will retail for $75 to $150, with the higher prices for limited edition models. The apparel is still being worked on, he added, but will be a lifestyle collection rather than a performance line.

Swizz Beatz will be the new face of Reebok Classics.

by VICKI M. YOUNG

PHILLIPS-VAN HEUSEN CORP. said Wednesday it has licensed Arvind Mills Ltd. to manufacture and market men’s, women’s and

boys’ apparel and accessories under the Izod brand in India and the Middle East.

The initial term of the license is through 2019, with renewal op-tions that would extend the term

Arvind Licensed for Izod in India, Middle East

By DAVID MOIN

OLD NAVY is putting its kitschy Supermodelquins to rest and today will launch a spring campaign that’s equally light-hearted but more kinetic, with original music videos and sassy singer-dancers.

In some of the ads, the center of attention is a female resembling Kim Kardashian, who dances on store counters and cars and is decked out in Old Navy clothes, as are the other male and female performers in the group created by Old Navy, called Audio Threadz.

“Supermodelquins ran two years. It’s time to make a change,” said Amy Curtis-McIntyre, senior vice president of marketing at Old Navy, a divi-sion of Gap Inc. “But I also think it’s important to recognize the campaign in terms of its success.” The Supermodelquins, which are custom-made mannequins, “were great at putting us back on the map as a value player in special-ty apparel.” They haven’t been seen in Old Navy ads since just before Christmas; however, they remain inside Old Navy stores, which continue to be remodeled.

The new campaign, called “Old Navy Records: Original hits. Original styles,” includes the “must-have” looks of the season

as well as songs — a mix of hip-hop, rap and pop — created by the company and Crispin Porter + Bogusky, which created the Supermodelquin campaign.

The new ads focus on Old Navy’s target customer “Jennie,” a 25- to 35-year-old woman looking for on-trend fashion at great prices for herself and her family. “By in-tegrating music with Old Navy’s on-trend looks, we build more energy between Jennie and the brand,” said Curtis-McIntyre.

The music and videos are pro-duced by music house Honor Roll and directed by Joseph Kahn, who produced such videos as Eminem and Rihanna’s “Love the Way You

Old Navy Launches New CampaignLie” and Maroon 5’s “Misery.” Old Navy has partnered with Shazam, a mobile music provider, to integrate Old Navy into the mobile lifestyle. With the Shazam app, shoppers can “tag” Old Navy songs on their smart phone wherever they are play-ing — TV commercials, YouTube, Facebook and in Old Navy stores — and then get access to key looks featured in the videos, as well as styling tips and deals. They can download the song and watch the video, and learn more about the bands Old Navy has assembled. Depending on the source (e.g., TV, in-stores), shoppers can also im-mediately purchase the looks from oldnavy.com.

through 2029. Arvind, based in Bangalore,

India, and a longtime licensee of PVH’s Arrow brand, will produce a wide range of apparel as well as accessories, such as women’s hand-bags and men’s and boys’ small leather goods.

The product range will be sold in India and in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bhutan, Madagascar, Seychelles, Oman, Yemen, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

The license agreement also includes the development of Izod retail locations. Arvind, which also operates retail stores in India, has opened the fi rst free-standing Izod store in that coun-try, in Ahmedabad. There are more than a dozen shop-in-shops in department and specialty stores such as Shoppers Stop, Lifestyle, Central, Kapsons and Club America. The agreement also provides for a network of up to 100 freestanding Izod stores for the licensed territory over the next fi ve years.

Allen Sirkin, PVH’s president and chief operating offi cer, said, “Based on our extensive experi-ence with Arvind as a licensing partner and Arvind’s knowledge of consumers and retailers in India and the Middle East, we strongly believe that Arvind is the right partner for us in these emerging markets.”

J. Suresh, chief executive offi cer of Arvind Lifestyle Brands Ltd. and Arvind Retail Ltd., said his fi rm was “very confi dent that we can dupli-cate with Izod the enormous suc-cess we’ve had with Arrow.”

PHOT

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A still from an Old Navy ad.

MARCH 29 ✛ MANDARIN ORIENTAL, NYC

MEN’S WEAR INDUSTRY

PHILLIPS-VAN HEUSEN CORP.Emanuel Chirico

MR PORTERJeremy Langmead

LEVI STRAUSS & CO.Robert Hanson

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MAGICSHOW MOOD: The continued strengthen-ing of sales boosted the spirits of depart-ment and specialty stores shopping the show at Mandalay Bay. From the more sedate mood of the Menswear section to the rollicking pulse of the Streetwear and new Ride Unltd. areas, traffic and attitude were noticeably improved this season.

MAGIC International president Chris DeMoulin said retail attendance was up around 30 percent and there was “a lot of dy-namic energy,” indicating an improved atti-tude among merchants. Collins of Downtown Locker Room said business is “tremendous” and he’s investing in brands that are perform-ing right now such as Levi’s, LRG, Parish, Rolling Papers, Adidas and Rocawear. “We think it will be an excellent year,” he added. “The consumer is shifting into a mode where he’s looking for something he doesn’t have in his wardrobe. So new and fresh items are going to sell very fast.”

L&T’s Greller agrees. “We’re keep-ing our foot on the pedal,” he said, noting men’s sales are still up in the double digits through February. “We’re layering in differ-ent price points and looking for new brands in knits, Ts and outerwear.”TRENDS: Both Rusty and True Love & False Idols showcased washable earphone technology that was attached to apparel for easy plug-and-play of iPods — even while surfing or stand-up paddling in the ocean. (Both brands are produced by La Jolla.) “Our goal is to have everything wired,” said Casey Fleming, director of sales and marketing at Rusty, which incor-porated the technology into rash guards, Neoprene jackets, snowboarding jackets, fleece hoodies and backpacks — at retail prices ranging from about $49.50 to $180.

And how safe is skating or surfing while blasting The Offspring into your ears? “Go to any skate park and the majority of skaters are listening to music,” pointed out Fleming.

Surf brand O’Neill emphasized stretch in both its surf and walk shorts, with ap-pealing prints like beer or cocktail motifs on some designs. “Our hybrid group of boardshorts that look like a casual walk short is one of our fastest growing categories,” said Shawn Peterson, senior design director at the brand. “You can surf in it and then go to dinner.”

One thing not in the line was lots of flannel shirts. “They seem to be dying because they’ve be-come so commoditized,” noted Peterson, highlighting nylon windbreakers that looked like chambray, slim-fit chi-nos and fleece jackets.BEST IN SHOW: The new Ride Unltd. skate section of MAGIC was a high energy — and noisy — showcase for brands like L-R-G, DGK, HUF, The Hun-dreds, Obey, Analog and Gravis. A 2,500-square-foot street course packed with skaters outdoing each other with ollies and kickflips served as a backdrop for buyers shopping the show.

“It’s cool that MAGIC is embracing this market. We can do business here but it’s a little free-form and exciting for retailers,” said

Seamus Deegan, brand manager at Zoo York, which had one of its skaters, Eli Reed, per-forming on the skate course.

The brand, which is owned by Marc Ecko and Iconix Brand Group Inc., showed new licensed sunglasses at the show, which in-cluded Eighties fold-up styles that retail for $25. In apparel, wovens featured more tex-ture, shoestring pulls adorned hoodies and magnetic snaps closed pockets.

“It’s the details that bring everything to-gether,” said Deegan.

In the Menswear section, Haggar moved outside its comfort zone with the introduc-tion of a new collection, Life Khaki, for fall. The younger, more-updated assortment of bottoms included five styles and three fits of cotton-blend casual slacks that will retail for $36.99 and include complementary in-store graphics. The Texas-based brand also un-veiled its Haggar Heritage collection, a new line that will be exclusive to Macy’s for fall. Available in both casual and dress styles, the line of cottons, cords, twills, flannels and solid wools feature a variety of fits and a slew of details to separate them from the pack. Retail prices will be $39.99 to $49.99.

On the outerwear front, Weatherproof had good success with its ultratech “Obama jacket” as well as microfiber and microsuede bombers and slightly longer versions. Fake wool jackets and the 32 Degrees collection of technical outerwear were also popular.

Dockers showed its Alpha Khaki collec-tion that morphed a dress pant with denim construction to appeal to the guy who is seeking a comfortable fit with a dressier look. Dakota Grizzly offered a more reason-ably priced alternative for retailers seeking authentic Americana styling. Originally tar-geted to outdoors stores, the brand is now branching out to more contemporary retail-ers with snap-front Western shirts, heavy flannels and vibrant plaid wovens.

In streetwear, Rocawear showcased a collaboration with the Peanuts cartoon, with characters on T-shirts that were embla-zoned with corresponding Jay-Z lyrics, such as Linus and “Brush your shoulder off,” or Snoopy with “Forever young.” A varsity pro-gram featured leathers, fleece and rugby styles, while asymmetric zippers on the

neckline of a hoodie, leather pullstrings on Windbreakers and leather American flag patches on baseball caps injected fashion elements to the line.

“In denim our regular fit has been the bestseller, it’s not the baggy fit that some

people still associate with the brand,” said Tanya Bryson, national sales

director, pointing out a basic jeans program that re-tails for $58. “We’ve re-ally held the line on price as other brands go up,” she noted.

At Akoo, the line backed by hip-hop star T.I., denim was priced at $72 to $125, with crossed

riding crops em-blazoned on back

pockets. Suede flaps embellished other

denim pockets, while preppy themes like ging-

ham were used for tops.SHOW BUZZ: The finals

of the Maloof High Ollie Challenge, a new pro-am skateboard competition, on the trade show floor drew a crowd to the new Ride Unltd. action sports area.

ENK VegasSHOW MOOD: Over 200 brands showed at ENK Vegas this season and there was a greater emphasis on men’s wear, which accounted for about 75 percent of the floor space.

New brands showing at ENK Vegas included Hugo Boss, J. Lindeberg, Façonnable and the Portland Collection by Pendleton.

“Buyers are taking less notes and leav-ing more paper,” said PPD co-founder Paige Adams-Geller. “People aren’t as afraid and they’re coming here with their budgets more prepared.”TRENDS: Ken Giddon, president of Roth-mans in New York City, liked No Excess’ chunky sweaters and fun, European-influ-enced outerwear, as well as W.R.K.’s “very edited, sophisticated” sportswear. “We’re less concerned about collections and are being more selective,” he said. “We’ve made the mistake of buying too much from individual vendors and now we’re looking for great pieces.”

No Excess offered an “Americana-esque look with a European flavor,” according to brand manager James Costa. Sweater-knit jackets with a plaid lining and pullover sweaters with shawl or mock turtlenecks, toggle coats and down jackets with fur hoods were among the highlights.

At Victorinox, the brand blended techni-cal attributes with fashion flair for its out-erwear and layering pieces. “You can wear these golfing or watching a soccer game,” said Jim Bresnahan, vice president of sales. Other strong pieces included sweaters with military influences and a lightweight nylon ripstop jacket.

BEST IN SHOW: “Men like the feeling of a sweatpant and this really feels like a sweatpant,” said PPD’s Adams-Geller, of the brand’s supersoft jeans. Even styles with a raw look had a lived-in feel. Also in the fall lineup were canvas jeans — which Adams-Geller said were replacing the twill styles that were popular in past seasons — and more skinny fits.

Genetic Denim also focused on clean washes and raw denim with a soft hand. The Los Angeles-based company revamped its logo, getting rid of its fussy double-helix

Seeking Solutions in Vegas00 WWD xxxxxxxxx, xxxxxxxx xx, 2011 Men’s Week

Innovative fashion ideas needed to combat an expected rise in prices.

4 WWD thursday, february 17, 2011 Men’s Week

{Continued from page 1}

Mac attracted attention from retailers at MRket.

Weatherproof’s 32˚

Rocawear

For more Vegas coVerage, see

WWD.com/menswear-news.

signature that adorned jeans and replacing it with a minimal “XY” metal stamp. “It’s a cleaner and more modern take on the logo,” said the brand’s co-founder, Ali Fatourechi.

At Citizens of Humanity, overdyed twill jeans in brown earth tones, tapered chi-nos and skinny corduroys stood out in the collection. Lush, chunky sweaters and out-erwear were the emphasis at Hugo Boss’s Orange line, such as a sherpa-lined coated canvas bomber that retails for $350.

Façonnable brought its newly launched jeans collection to ENK. “It’s for a slightly younger customer who wants more style and a contemporary feel in his clothes,” said presi-dent Bob Green of the washed and rugged line. Green also revealed that the first free-standing jeans store will open in Nice, France, in March, and the company is looking for space in New York and Los Angeles as well.

The 7 Diamonds collection had lots of im-mediates available for spring delivery, with a focus on shirts. “Plaids are still doing well for us,” said David Dagnino, head of market-ing at the Orange County, Calif.-based brand. Western chambrays, workwear styles and stripes were also key trends, with prices in the $89 to $110 range helping drive sales.

Expatriate was a new brand from Company of We co-founder Jayzel Samonte — the latter was shuttered this season — that offered luxurious soft jackets in Loro Piana cashmere fabrics at sharp prices. One style with a rabbit fur collar retailed for $695, while a camel hair blazer with contrast lapels was $395. “I use a broker that sells excess fabric from companies that overcut,” explained Samonte of his pricing strategy.

MRKETSHOW MOOD: Improving business trends among independent specialty stores resulted in a positive vibe at the show, which increased its floor space 20 percent at this edition. “Retailers are a lot more confident,” said Britton Jones, president and chief executive of Business Journals, which runs the show. “There’s a positive flow of energy again.” TRENDS: Hybrid jackets, nondenim bottoms and slim-fitting suits and furnishings were among the items that drew the attention of retailers shopping the show. “There’s a lot of good product here,” said Mike Zack, owner of Circa 2000 in Plano, Tex. “Fun” outerwear pieces along with knitwear at-tracted his attention. “Guys want something different,” he said. “Our job is to get people in the door and re-energize them.”BEST IN SHOW: Mac, a large German brand that has just begun to infiltrate the U.S. market, offered chinos, corduroys and gabardine pants with stretch that answered the demand for nondenim bottoms. A vari-ety of fits, sizes and color options and retail prices that average $155 to $195 offered stores lots of choices and good margins. Hawke & Co. showcased outerwear that blended fashion and performance, includ-ing everything from down parkas and carbon cotton vests to more fitted hybrid jackets. Phillips-Van Heusen’s furnishings

division offered dress shirts and ties from designers ranging from John Varvatos to Michael Kors. “Stores want to buy collec-tions,” said president Mitchell Lechner, noting that slim fits in both dress shirts and neckwear were most popular with stores.

Peerless Internationals’ Wurtzburger also said slimmer silhouettes were “drawing the business. We’re an industry that goes 100 percent one way or the other. If it doesn’t have the word ‘slim’ in it today, retailers aren’t interested.” Rainforest, which also of-fered updated outerwear options, pioneered a new way of selling at the show: via the iPad. Retailers were offered the option of perusing the col-lection on the screen, where they could tag their favorites and have a pdf or iPad app version to bring home. “It won’t replace the trade show,” said president Jack Wu. “But it’s the next step.”SHOW BUZZ: MRket’s decision to open at 8 a.m. on its first day was a hit with re-tailers struggling to see thousands of vendors at various locations around town in three short days. POOLSHOW MOOD: An inde-pendent spirit perme-ated this show, which features emerging brands for both men and women.KEY TRENDS: Ts with vintage-inspired graphics continued to dominate the of-ferings for men’s wear. Accessories such as leather bags, trucker caps and heavy, masculine jewelry were also showcased.BEST IN SHOW: Homage, a three-year-old Columbus, Ohio-based business, paid “homage to the good ole days,” according to founder Ryan Vesler, with Americana-inspired graphic Ts “rooted in sports and pop culture.” Fellow Columbus brand Babcock Apparel offered “graphic Ts for adults who don’t want to be branded with a company’s name,” according to owner Seth Harris. “Our shirts have a sense of humor and are snarky.” Some even sport naughty sayings. For fall, the brand has added hats, leather goods and a gas-sta-tion attendant-style jacket. SHOW BUZZ: Pulling down the walls between Pool and its sister shows, Project and MAGIC Menswear’s section, encour-aged retailers to browse Pool’s 203 brands more easily, according to show director Lara Matthews

CapsuleSHOW MOOD: “I think this is the stron-gest sector of the men’s market — it’s the consumer who cares about brands with

history and wants to buy into that artisanal passion,” said Capsule co-founder Minya Quirk of the 200 progressive brands at the show. A sig-nificant presence of

progressive Scandi-navian and Japanese

labels — such as Kiffe and Momotaro Jeans—gave the floor an appealing interna-

tional vibe.“We call it buying ‘glocal’ —

it’s locally made things but from all over the world. You’re buying the best brands from wherever they happen to be from,” said Quirk.TRENDS: Heritage and Americana themes still pervaded collections, but new trends like stylized prints, checked shirts and ethnic motifs — ikat anyone? — were strong influences, as well. “We’re mini-mizing flannels because there’s so much out there,” pointed out Doug Burkman, co-founder of Burkman Bros.

Corduroy was a popular alternative to denim and moleskin popped up regularly in outerwear. “Of course everyone is dealing with pricing and the increases in raw materials and production costs,” noted Kevin Dougherty, na-tional sales manager at John Varvatos Star USA, where leathers, light jackets, textured wovens and knitwear were key sellers. BEST IN SHOW: Burkman Bros. used ikat prints and dobby techniques to enliven twill pants and oxford shirts, as well as a jacquard motif on drawstring canvas pants. The brand has continued to grow in the challenging retail climate, and the two founding brothers have focused on keep-ing pricing accessible.

“We have a shirt with leather piping that sells for $198 and we took a margin cut on it because of cotton prices, but we don’t want it to go over that $200 mark,” said Doug

Burkman. “We want the retail prices to be where they need to be for consumers.”

The company will launch its first e-com-merce site in March, selling the collection as well as antiques and trinkets from the designing duo’s global travels.

Epperson Mountaineering had a wide range of eye-catching backpacks in multiple colorways and Japan’s Lovege showcased jackets and shorts in clever multicolor jac-quard camouflage designs.

Gilded Age showed its first women’s line next to its twisted-seam men’s denim, washed canvas pants and double-layer cot-ton shirts in plaids, checks and stripes. “Everyone is trying to move away from plaid so we have a lot of checks,” pointed out Paul Witt, a sales consultant for the brand.

Pierre-Henri Mattout, previously the de-signer of Victorinox, was showing his recent-ly relaunched namesake label, with elegant corduroy sport coats with denim linings, leather-trimmed sweaters and camel-hair knit blazers with leather elbow patches. Polyester ribbons adorned shirts and one sweater featured a laser-cut neckline.

PROJECTSHOW MOOD: Over 1,000 brands show-cased new collections at Project, with retail registration up more than 30 percent from last February and on par with this past Au-gust, which is traditionally a more popular show, according to show organizers.

“We feel optimistic about the current retail climate. We are seeing comps up double digits because of newness,” said Susan Kellogg, president of VF Corp.’s con-temporary brands, including Seven For All Mankind. “The biggest competition is the consumer’s closet, so newness is key. Men’s continues to be a bright spot for us. It’s cur-rently outperforming our plan.”

The same was true at True Religion. “Guys are not as price sensitive as women and men didn’t see the shift to nonden-im that you saw in women’s,” said Lynne Koplin, chief operating officer. Women’s wholesale has been the softest part of the company’s business, noted True Religion president Michael Egeck, who added that straight-leg styles have been the brand’s biggest sellers for guys.

Ben Sherman booked 123 appointments over three days at Project. “This is our busi-est show ever,” said Joseph Cook, senior vice president of sales and marketing, highlighting the top-end Plectrum collection where chunky sweaters at $149 to $229 were key sellers.

“We had a really good fall and that’s con-tinuing into spring,” said Mario Bisio, who operates stores in Seattle and Portland, Ore. “We need to be on the offensive with inno-vative and fresh merchandise. We’re look-ing for soft jackets, great outerwear and inspired sportswear — that’s what’s selling.”TRENDS: After several seasons of clean, dark washes in jeans, vintage washes and nicks and abrasions made a comeback for fall. In nondenim bottoms, an array of options in canvas, twill, chino and cargo styles pervaded many collections. Earth tones in browns and beige were popular alternatives to conventional indigo shades.

00WWD xxxxxxxxx, xxxxxxxx xx, 2011 Men’s Week 5WWD thursday, february 17, 2011Men’s Week

Lovege

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Hugo Boss

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6 WWD thursday, february 17, 2011 Men’s Week

Price bumps abounded due to wide-spread increases in raw materials and labor expenses. At Lacoste, prices in-creased on average by about 6 percent said Steve Birkhold, ceo of Devanlay US, the brand’s apparel and accessories licensee. “Retailers understand the increases be-cause they have their own private label businesses impacted with the same is-sues,” he added.

However, Lacoste held the line on its iconic L1212 polo at $79.50. “We’re at a nat-ural price point under $80, and there are certain thresholds for consumers we don’t want to cross,” said Birkhold.BEST IN SHOW: Alternative Apparel has enjoyed 30 percent sales growth in each of the last two years, according to founder and chief creative officer Greg Alterman. The company specializes in vintage-inspired Ts, shorts and lightweight sportswear that are incredibly soft and faded. “We invented the burnout for the T-shirt,” said Alterman, fingering one style that looked like it had been through a hundred wash cycles.

Key accounts for the brand include Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s, Nordstrom, Dillard’s and Urban Outfitters. It also supplies blank Ts to high-profile clients like Ralph Lauren and Marc Jacobs. The com-pany will open its first freestanding store in L.A. next month.

“We have product readily available in stock which allows retailers not to commit to a lot of inventory,” said Alterman of the retail climate. “That means we have a lot of cash tied up in product, but that’s the busi-ness we’ve chosen to be in. Sometimes it’s the guy with the product that gets the order.”

The Levi’s Made & Crafted collection of premium denim showed in the U.S. for the first time with a line of natural indigo jeans and jackets, enhanced with luxury details like hand-distressed buffalo bone or olive wood buttons. Ninety percent of the line’s fabrics are proprietary, such as Japanese madras shirts and cotton duck canvas pants, noted designer Jonathan Cheung.

Sales were up 21 percent at AG Adriano Goldschmied last year, said Sam Ku, de-sign director at the brand and son of com-pany founder Yul Ku. “It all stems from the product but it’s a combination of service, quality and better brand recognition,” he explained. For fall, the brand used lasers to replicate the authentic whiskering and wear

of a pair of jeans worn for two years straight with minimal washing by a sales rep named Dwight — and named the style for him.

J Brand introduced its stylish Trooper men’s cargo pant, with a skinny fit and in-ventive seaming and darts, with the aim of replicating the success it’s had with its women’s Houlihan cargo pant. The men’s style launched at Barneys New York this spring and has been “a bonanza at retail,” according to Julian Medina, national sales manager at J Brand.

Lacoste showcased the Live line geared towards younger consumers, with polos adorned with enlarged croc logos in con-trast colors, brightly hued down jackets and fine-gauge cardigans. The brand’s jeans collaboration with Earnest Sewn continued into fall with additional cordu-

roy styles, designed to bulk up Lacoste’s bottoms programs.

In the expanded Workroom section geared toward directional, boutique brands, Filson introduced a new capsule collection for the fashion-forward stores that have made its waxed tin-cloth luggage trendy among city dwellers — and who probably aren’t the duck hunters and fly fishermen the brand traditionally caters to. Dubbed the Passage collection internally at Filson, the line has jackets and vests with a slimmer fit than the brand’s core designs.SHOW BUZZ: At the Gant by Michael Bastian booth, Project introduced a new online tool powered by Visuality that will be rolled out to all vendors and buyers in coming shows. The digital platform allows brands and stores to interact year-round and improve management of orders and deliveries. “It’s a fashion portal that extends the connections made at Project,” explained Andrew Pollard, president of Project, promising more details in a few months.

In a compact and brief New York Men’s Fashion Week, here are some of the key trends for fall. — Alex Badia

Nordic Sweaters

English Tweed

Gilded Age

Gant by Micheal Bastian N.Hoolywood

Lacoste Live New York

State of MindLight Gray

Levi’s Made & Crafted

{Continued from page 5 }

Michael Kors

Marc by Marc Jacobs

Tommy Hilfiger

Patrik Ervell

Robert Geller

Antonio Azzuolo

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Men’s Week 7WWD thursday, february 17, 2011

Keri Hilson

Kanye West

Julia Restoin Roitfeld

Zoe Kravitz, Alexander Wang and Karen Elson.

Leigh Lezark

There are still a few

days left, but the fashion week party scene sure felt like it hit its crescendo at precisely 12:58 a.m. Wednesday morning on the dance floor at The Garden, the party space at the newly opened Mondrian Soho. Shortly after a strobe light lit up the crowded dance floor, about

$5,000 in dollar bills and facsimiles thereof — began to drop on the guests, care of several industrial fans in the corners of the room.

Partygoers grabbed cash off the floor (and each others’ heads and shoulders), though it wasn’t quite the ruckus one might expect.

“I just made our cab money back,” one resigned young woman said to another. “I don’t make money in publishing.”

Their benefactor was V Man, which had dreamed up the stunt (as well as a guest list that included Keri Hilson, Tallulah Willis, Sean Avery and Leigh Lezark) to commemorate its most recent issue. The magazine’s current cover features a shot of Kanye West with hundred-dollar bills erupting from his mouth. As the money dropped, the

EYE

Alexander Wang Party

Santigold, Spank Rock and Irina Lazareanu.

rapper sat above the fray in a cordoned-off VIP section. A number of guests at the Mondrian — including

West, Zoe Kravitz and Alexander Wang — had made their way there from Wang’s new SoHo flagship, which had just hosted a Lauryn Hill concert to celebrate its opening.

“I don’t know — who told you that?” the designer had asked earlier in the evening when confronted with

Hill’s rumored performance. “You know, you cannot keep any secrets these days in the fashion industry, can you? Don’t tweet that yet, please.”

Further uptown, Kate and Laura Mulleavy welcomed well-wishers to Riff Raff’s for a

low-key celebration of their fall line. The tiki theme of the venue was potable. Cocktails were offered in hollowed-out coconuts and plastic pineapples with bendy straws. One partygoer carried an actual pineapple, which wore its own pink plastic sunglasses. Shortly before midnight, the disco balls began revolving, illuminating the

Malaysian tapestries lining the walls. Revelers including Maggie Cheung, Carlos Quirarte and Justin Bond bopped on the dance floor. Rodarte devotee Kirsten Dunst alternated between embracing the

Mulleavys and kicking up her heels. When Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers’

“American Girl” began to play around 1:30, she threw both arms above her head to shout, “It’s my song!” It certainly was.

THE MonEY PIT

Lauryn Hill

ho knew Jamie Johnson had anything to say about any-thing other

than rich people? I met the dedi-cated chronicler of the upper class at the Gramercy Park Hotel the other night expecting an hour of deadpan musings on the lives of Manhattan’s elite. Johnson, of Johnson & Johnson, has made two documentary films on the subject. He writes a weekly column about the rich for vanityfair.com. Last year, he launched a small collec-tion of expensive tailored clothing (coming soon to Bergdorf Goodman) and named it Black Sweater in an obscure reference to a outdated tra-dition of social ostracism in Jupiter

Island that has evolved into a play-ful joke among the rich. Right now, he’s in the midst of making another documentary for HBO, which is “about similar themes as my last films,” says Johnson. “But I prob-ably shouldn’t get into it.”

So, it’s about rich people?“Actually, it’s about

society with a capi-tal S,” says Johnson. He just started film-ing a month ago and, by his estimation, the release date is at least a year and a half away, so there’s really not much to talk about at this point. Which is fine, because what’s more interesting right now is the fact that Johnson is wearing bright red socks and today is Valentine’s Day.

Seriously? No, it is not a show of roman-

tic spirit. Johnson is, in fact, firmly against Valentine’s Day. He repeat-edly refers to it as a “construction.” As it turns out, Johnson has come straight from the dentist where he had three cavities filled (even the rich have weak enamel). He’s pumped full of novocaine and has to concentrate extra hard when he sips his water to avoid dribbling all over himself like a baby. The socks, he says, were an attempt to add a little color to a day when he was faced with a drill in the mouth. Using socks as a mood enhancer is not typical for him. “Not only am I not thinking when I put my socks on, I also don’t have that many options in the sock drawer.”

Regardless, this conversation has provided a seamless segue into a subject on which you can really get Johnson going: women. Specifically, what has he learned about them?

Johnson does not deflect. He perks up. “That’s a great question,” he says. He thinks he knows a thing or two about the female species and is openly eager to take on such a topic.

Johnson’s lack of enthusiasm toward Valentine’s Day isn’t anyone else’s problem this year because he isn’t dat-ing anyone at the mo-ment. Did a sad face

accompany that answer or was that the novocaine? Surely this can’t be true. He, a straight, 31-year-old, good-looking guy with an excellent command of vocabulary, who is over 6-feet tall and also happens to be loaded with a capital L?

It’s not because he finds dat-ing in New York difficult — rather, being single is just so easy here. “No one in New York feels like they have to be with one person out of neces-sity,” he says. “People here have a higher threshold and it’s a wonder-ful thing for some of the challenges that being single presents. There are certain vulnerabilities and inse-curities that go along with not being linked to another person in a con-tractual way, even if it’s an unspo-ken contract. People in New York manage that pretty well. I prefer choice and desire over convention and limitation.”

Yes, Johnson really talks like that. But in person, the lofty, intel-lectual tone is offset by the fact that he’s casual and engaging and does not seem to take himself entirely seriously. Besides, if you get past the affected language, his point of view has a poetic ring to it. Single people in New York, we’re all in this together.

But there’s more.“The worst thing you can do in

a relationship, and what’s really unattractive about it, is that people begin to limit each other,” he says. “And because they’re insecure, they’re like, ‘Hey, no, you can’t go and f--k that other person because it’s going to make me feel like s--t about myself.’”

First of all, that boils. I point out that relationships, marriage in particular, are by nature limiting — that’s kind of the point — and Johnson contends that’s mainly be-cause people are terrified of aban-donment, which is toxic. People shouldn’t not sleep with other people because they’re afraid their spouses won’t talk to them again.

They should not sleep with other people because they don’t want to. Furthermore, married people are supposed to want what’s best for each other, and sometimes a little action on the side can do a body good. Johnson says, “What if it re-ally were in your best interest to go and have an amazing romance with someone who made you feel better and made you look better and it was just, like, this really satisfying experience?”

I would say that’s a beautiful thought, especially when you’re the one who is never insecure and gets to have all the action.

Just to be clear, we’re talking about open marriage, right?

“Not necessarily,” he says. This is all unresolved in

Johnson’s head, and admittedly a “messy, messy topic,” but a fun one. It also has the potential to make him sound like a pompous ass in print, which could be why he has another thought to add via e-mail at 2:12 a.m.: “As much as I believe in everything we discussed — freedom of choice, desire over need, etc. — I also just simply love women. I was very close with my mother growing up. I have four older sisters who were an important part of my life. And I’ve been very close to all the women I’ve dated. I feel most com-fortable around women. That’s part of the equation, too.”

I would have considered it dam-age control, but then came his re-sponse to my request for clarifica-tion on the circumstances under which he sees himself getting mar-ried: “I think that if I were in a sat-isfying marriage I would probably choose monogamy, but I wouldn’t want that to be a requirement.”VM

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Boys’ night outBy Jessica Iredale

WJamie Johnson Wears Red On Valentine’s Day

V Man Party

Fabiola Beracasa

Tallulah ormsby-Gore

the global pick for fashion online

fall 2011 ready-t0-wear Marc Jacobs

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