Richemont, the second-biggest luxury goods company, reported full-year profit that beat analysts’ estimates as sales were boosted by buoyant demand for high-end goods in the Asia-Pacific region. “Richemont continues to lead the pack in terms of organic growth rates,” HSBC analysts wrote today in a note. The current year “is off to a staggering start.”

Net income climbed 43 percent to 1.54 billion euros ($1.96 billion) in the 12 months through March 31, the Geneva-based company said today in a statement. The average of 14 analystestimates compiled by Bloomberg was 1.36 billion euros. Revenue gained 29 percent to 8.87 billion euros, including growth of 43 percent in Asia-Pacific.

Richemont rose the most in nine months in Zurich trading. The maker of Cartier jewelry gets about 42 percent of revenue in Asia-Pacific, where the luxury market will expand as much as 16 percent this year, according to Bain & Co. The forecast excludes China, which the researcher estimates will grow as much as 22 percent.

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Gap Inc said Hennes & Mauritz executive Stefan Larsson will take charge of its Old Navy brand, as the company seeks to turn around the struggling chain. Larsson, who joins Old Navy in October, most recently headed global sales at the Swedish retailer, which along with Inditex’s Zara displaced Gap’s position as the world’s largest apparel retailer.

In a bid to catch up to the “fast fashion” European retailers, U.S. companies like Gap, American Eagle Outfitters and Macy’s Inc have been hurt by lower margins as consumers resist high priced clothes. In January, Tom Wyatt, former head of Old Navy, stepped down to pursue a career outside of clothing retail. This marks a second such departure in a year by the head of a major Gap brand.

“We believe there is significant overlap between the H&M and Old Navy customer base, and Larsson’s knowledge of the inner workings of a successful value retailer is just what this brand needs to turn itself around,” Jefferies & Co analyst Randal Konik said in a note to clients. The chain has more than 1,000 stores and accounts for about 39 percent of Gap sales.

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Born in Taiwan, Jason Wu can be considered one of the most successful young fashion designers of this decade. Already, at only 29 years old, Wu has established his own eponymous private fashion label; been a finalist in the Council of Fashion Designers in America (CFDA)/Vogue Fashion Fund in 2008; and dressed countless celebrities and starlets for public appearances over the years.

A former Narciso Rodriguez intern, Jason Wu quickly became a favorite of downtown starlets who appreciated his signature brand of fuss-free elegance. From full-length gowns to more casual daywear, Wu’s pieces have clean, classic lines and incorporate bright colors and prints without being flashy. The result is modern and wearable but consistently noteworthy. It was Jason Wu—or rather his white, one-shouldered, silk-chiffon-and-Swarovski-crystal gown—that was selected by the First Lady for her inaugural-ball appearances.

His collaborations comprehend TSE (Fall 2010), a Bridal Collection for Net-a-Porter.com (2011), and the most recent one with Target – one of the largest discount retailer in the United States -, a women’s clothing and accessories collection inspired by French New Wave films. The 53-piece capsule features a selection of seriously covetable separates — blouses with Peter Pan collars, pleated skirts, and nautical-tinged dresses — as well as a hefty assortment of luxe-looking handbags and accessories.

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There’s been no official announcement as yet but it seems that Derek Lam, the American-Chinese designer (born San Francisco, 1967), is to give up the creative direction of the pret-à-porter and accessories collections for Tod’s, part of Della Valle’s group after six years of cooperation.

In 2006, after a handful of successful collaborations with Lam including a sport capsule collection inspired by chairman Diego Della Valle’s yacht, the Milan-based company tapped the designer as its first creative director. Since his debut at the company, Lam has expanded on classic calling cards like the D bag and introduced a full-fledged ready-to-wear line, helping to amp up Tod’s image and increase sales on the retail floor.

Lam apparently now wants to concentrate on his own fashion line (he was already designing his critically acclaimed main line, and he introduced a diffusion line —10 Crosby — earlier this year.). He won the CFDA Perry Ellis Swarovski Award in 2005 and has designed a line of clothing, accessories and jewellery that has been hugely successful, especially in the USA. His fans, in fact, include Michelle Obama. In September 2010, it was announced that Lam would renew his contract with Tod’s for an additional two years. If he really is leaving the company, he’ll have missed that mark by six months.

Last year, Tod’s SpA posted growth across the board for the retail period ending September 30, including a 23.5 percent jump in operating profits to $230.1 million. Tod’s currently has “no comment” on the matter, except to refute claims that John Galliano was in talks to design a capsule collection for Tod’s or join the design team at Schiaparelli.

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This week, Mr Glen Senk resigned as the CEO of Urban Outfitters, Inc., which also owns the brands Anthropologie and Free People. He was immediately succeeded by the co-founder and chairman Richard Hayne.

Urban Outfitters was founded in 1970 as “The Free People’s Store” in Philadelphia, U.S. Soon thereafter the store changed name to “Urban Outfitters”, offering a variety of funky and kitsch apparel and household products. Urban Outfitters has grown to nearly 200 stores across North America, UK, Germany, Belgium and Scandinavia. They are known for catering to “hipster” culture and fashion, which incorporates an influence from past decades. In recent years, the product offering includes designer products from other fashion brands. According to their website, Urban Outfitters’ “established ability to understand our customers and connect with them on an emotional level is the reason for our success.”

The founder Mr Hayne has been the chairman and president since the company was incorporated in 1976 and at the helm of the company until Senk was named the CEO in 2007. It is therefore a natural choice to elect Hayne to resume the responsibilities as CEO and chairman of the Philadelphia based corporation.

Glen Senk, 55, joined the company in 1994 as President of Anthropologie, became a director in 2004 and Chief Executive Officer of the company in 2007. In 2010 he was ranked within Fortune Magazine’s Top 50 Businesspeople of the Year and named the FGI Corporate Leader of the Year.

Senk serves on the boards of David Yurman, Tory Burch, and Melissa & Doug. Two days after the news of his resignation from the CEO post and the Board of Directors of Urban Outfitters, it was announced that Senk will be joining the jeweller David Yurman at the CEO from the end of February.

Urban Outfitters has frequently featured in the financial news recently, mainly because of the large volume and importance of its shares, traded on NASDAQ stock market in New York. The shares plummeted with the news of Mr Senk’s resignation on Monday 9th January 2012. However, during the consecutive days the shares picked up and the market seems more optimistic about the future of Urban Outfitters and the suitability of the current leadership.

The shareholders have also had to deal with the struggling Anthropologie chain that appointed a new management team in November 2011. With large inventories the brands had to offer large discounts during the important holiday trading period.

Urban Outfitters Inc. is a multinational retail chain targeting the trend aware young customer on the upper high street. It will remain influential in the European and American fashion lifestyle sector, but as an international multi-brand vertical retailer it needs to keep the fashion appeal high in this ever more competitive retail environment.

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Raf Simons has left the creative direction of the Maison Jil Sander on Saturday, after his last fashionshow at the Milan Fashion Week. At the helm of the German brand since 2005, the designer also created two parallel lines named after himself: Raf Simons and Raf by Raf Simons. Rumour has it that the designer could end up at Christian Dior, that has been looking for a profile up to John Galliano, or go to Yves Saint Laurent.

Raf Simons’ career got a foothold in 1995 when, after his industrial design studies, he started working with Walter Van Beirendonck in Paris, getting to know brands like Martin Margiela and Jean-Paul Gaultier. Often compared by the critics to excellent examples of the Fashion world, such as Azzedine Alaïa and Karl Lagerfeld, he’s now considered a fashion talent beyond compare, able to mix streetwear and much more elegant pieces.

Jil Sander, German fashion house whose name comes from the founder’s, was launched in the Seventies. In 1999 the Prada Group bought 75% of the shares, but the following year the fashion designer resigned as President and Creative Director of the company, due to irreconcilable differences both at a stylistic and operational level with the CEO of the brand, Fabrizio Bertelli. After this rift, the Company reported a huge loss of image and money, therefore Jil Sander surprisingly returned to the company in 2003, taking over the reins of creative direction once again, but it didn’t last long: in 2004 she terminated cooperation with the Prada Group for good and resigned from her post, subsequently withdrawing from the fashion world.

For a few years, until 2011, she started her own retail consultancy mainly in Japan. To this day a few people think that it’s going to be Jil Sander herself who will take the place of Raf Simons.

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In 1989, the most powerful man in luxury fashion today, made an important conquest: Bernard Arnault’s company Christian Dior acquired 42% of LVMH. It was a smaller group at the time and Arnault had benefitted from the financial crisis and a dispute between the Louis Vuitton and Moët Hennessy presidents in 1987, creating a rift between the two companies in the LVMH group. After a long battle, Bernard Arnault finally won control over the business.

Fendi was founded in 1925, as a fur and leather shop in Rome. Silvia Venturini Fendi is the third generation of the family, working alongside the Creative Director Karl Lagerfeld since 1992. In 1999, Prada and LVMH bought a total of 51% of the Italian Maison, with the Fendi family retaining 49% of the equity. In 2001, LVMH acquired Prada Group’s 25.5% stake and installed Michael Burke as the CEO. Burke started his career within Arnault’s real estate business and then spent a decade working with Christian Dior.

This year, LVMH has undertaken a management reshuffle within its stable of luxury brands. Most recently, it was announced that Michael Burke will leave Fendi in the beginning of 2012 to take up the reins of the most recent LVMH acquisition, the Italian jeweller Bulgari. He is hoped to bring the same boost to its precious business as he has proven at the leather and fur brand Fendi. Bulgari’s CEO Francesco Trapani is moving to head up the entire jewellery and watch division of LVMH. Burke will be succeeded by LVMH VP of Marketing and Communications, Pietro Beccari, leaving his position as Senior Vice President Communications and Marketing at Louis Vuitton, which he assumed in 2006.

In September this year, the world learnt that Louis Vuitton CEO Yves Carcelle will be leaving the business at the end of 2012. He will be replaced by Spaniard Jordi Constans, coming from the French yoghurt company Danone. Mr Carcelle has very successfully led Louis Vuitton since 1990 and is credited with having made LV the most profitable and well-known luxury goods brand in the world today.

Not only are the executive chairs turning, there is also much speculation about the changes of Creative Directors, influencing the share prices and popularity of the luxury brands within the group. Earlier this year Bernard Arnault’s first luxury acquisition in 1984, Christian Dior was hit by the scandalous statements from an intoxicated John Galliano. Arnault had always supported Galliano’s work and he was upset to see him depart. The Creative Director position is still vacant and Louis Vuitton’s Marc Jacobs has been suggested to take over. There are many reasons why Jacobs would not leave his successful LV (which he runs alongside his eponymous New York label) for the haute couture label that would diverge from his more accessible style.

Last week WWD reported that Raf Simons, Creative Director of Jil Sander, is in talks with Dior. However, question marks are being raised about his minimalistic modern design aesthetics to succeed Galliano’s extravagant creations. Bernard Arnault is in the centre of these world-turning fashion events, leading his luxury group from Paris. Recently, there have been speculations of LVMH plans to take over Hermes, Burberry and Jimmy Choo, with share prices moving as an effect.

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Digital Media and its strategic implementation has been hugely important to Burberry’s repositioning and resurgence, making it one of the coolest fashion labels of the 21st century. But it began in much more humble surroundings.

The fashion house was founded in 1856 by Thomas Burberry, a 21-year-old draper’s apprentice who opened a small outfitter’s shop in Basingstoke, Hampshire. His commitment to quality and innovation allowed the shop to grow into an ‘emporium’ and in 1880 Burberry made a breakthrough by introducing the gabardine, a hardwearing, water-resistant fabric and became famous for its waterproof coats.

By the turn of the century, Burberry was offering an extensive line of outerwear for both men and women. The company designed hats, jackets, pants, and gaiters especially for hunting, fishing, golf, tennis, skiing and mountaineering. During World War I, Burberry was commissioned by the War Office to adapt its officer’s coat to suit the conditions of contemporary warfare, resulting in the now renowned Burberry trench coat. This classic was made famous by the likes of Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca and has since been worn by everyone from the Queen to Madonna.

In 1997, Rose Marie Bravo was appointed CEO of Burberry and is widely credited with engineering the turn-around in the company’s fortunes. Burberry had become a brand for old ladies and Japanese tourists before she reinvented it as an icon for Cool Britannia. Four years later Bravo brought Christopher Bailey on-board as creative director and he was appointed Chief Creative Officer in 2009.

A key aspect of Bailey’s reinvention of Burberry has been his ability to re-imagine it as a brand that could be simultaneously vintage and very much of the moment. This was demonstrated with the launch of ‘The Art of the Trench’, a photo-sharing website dedicated to images, past and present, of people sporting the Burberry trench coat. Between its launch in November 2009 and mid-2010 the site had already notched up more than 7 million visits.

For the Burberry Prorsum A/W 2010 show the brand streamed its catwalk show live to events across the globe in 3D. Worldwide audiences were able to immediately order items on the Burberry online store. It was the start of a new 21st century move towards accessibility and availability of show material. For S/S 2012, Burberry launched its collection on twitter so its followers saw the show before Anna Wintour or Philip Green, in an attempt to challenge perceptions that these shows are for the industry and not for the consumer. A few hours after the launch, Burberry was the third most popular topic globally on social media.

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Guess? was established in 1981 by the Marciano brothers. The four brothers, from a Jewish Maroccan family living in Marseille, moved to Los Angeles in 1977 where they started to produce stone washed denim jeans. But their product was poorly received in the denim industry. However, as soon as they were accepted into Bloomingdale’s department store they sensationally sold out.

In the early 1980s Guess? began advertising using its iconic black and white photo shoots featuring famous supermodels like Claudia Schiffer, Eva Herzigova and later on Laetitia Casta and Drew Barrymore, Alessandra Ambrosio and Paris Hilton. The campaigns were created by renowned photographers such as Shaun Alexander, Dean Isidro and Ellen Von Unwerth.

The 1980s was probably the most successful decade for the brand: innovative, very sassy and youthful. In 1984 Guess? introduced a new line of watches, which is still in existence today and it also introduced a new line of children’s clothing: “Baby Guess”. During the 1990s there was a general slowdown in the sales, partly because of the rising popularity of competitor brands such as Calvin Klein, Gap and Tommy Hilfiger.

With a new, more aggressive look and new perspectives, during the past decade Guess? took a turn for the better, becoming one of the favourite brands among the young and trendy. Guess? was well received by customers and fashion critics alike and has made a great comeback in the fashion industry, focusing on the ad campaigns, the new products (such as a new fragrance released in 2005) and the international expansion.

According to the development plans for 2011, the store scheduled to open in Milan next month will be the final one out of the planned 30 store openings in Italy (a total of 130 in Europe) this year. As of October 2011 Guess? has a total of 1456 shops across 90 countries.

The brand has definitely pursued a massive internationalisation path; in 2009 Luca Donnini became the new President of Guess Europe. After 20 years in the Max Mara Group, building an expertise of the international markets, he is now in charge of the European business, including the company’s strategic initiatives in Europe and the Middle East.

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Stella McCartney exclusively put Minerva Group in charge of the recruiting of highly qualified staff for its groundbreaking flagship store launched this summer, just a few steps away from Piazza di Spagna in Rome.
Created by a team of British interior designers, the boutique is located inside an historic building whose brass-framed arch anticipates the mood of the shop: environmentally friendly materials like the oak floor, steel structures used as clothes hangers, ceramic tiles and stucco walls all convey the idea of an elegant and refined environment, in line with the values and the characteristics of the brand itself.
The store, which is 100sq.m., is equally subdivided into prêt-à-porter collections, accessories and kids clothing.

Born in London in 1971, the English designer started the label Stella McCartney in 2001. At the age of 16, she interned for Christian Lacroix and after completing her studies in fashion design at the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in 1997 she became the creative director of Chloé, the famous French Maison, following in the footsteps of Karl Lagerfeld.
In 2001 she started her entrepreneurial career with the Gucci Group (owned by PPR Luxury Group), which holds 50% of the shares. She succeeded in establishing a Company in her name, evolving both in a creative and a strategic way. As a matter of fact, the first Stella McCartney’s fragrance, named “Stella”, was introduced in 2003. In 2007, the designer, who is a dedicated vegetarian and who therefore does not use any fur or leather in her collections, launched a line of 100% organic skincare products. She also introduced a lingerie line to her collections in 2008 and in 2010 launched the Stella McCartney Kids collection for newborns and children up to 12 years old.

Stella McCartney has also had a lot of collaborations to her credit: H&M, LeSportsac, Disney and Adidas. With the latter, the working relationship was established in 2004 and has proven to be mutually beneficial, lasting and positive so far: the two brands have tried to create the perfect marriage between fashion and sport, designing clothes and accessories that can maintain and bring out the femininity of the bearer, who doesn’t compromise style nor comfort and high performance.

The brand has a strong presence on-line, with a very efficient e-commerce platform, recently extended to include another 28 countries on top of the existing UK and US e-shops. The online shop furthermore approaches the needs of the customers who through a new retail service can now reserve the desired item in the nearest store; alternatively, the online orders are elegantly packaged and shipped for free.
In addition, a new and improved version of the iPad app is available: specifically conceived for those who use the tablet to buy online, it enables the users to easily view what’s in stock.
A fluid and interactive navigation and engaging contents like videos and music tracks make the webpage exclusive and effective.

10 years after the establishment of the label, Stella McCartney is considered one of the best fashion designers of our times. Her creations are universally appreciated for their uniqueness; the accessories of her collections are eclectic and refined. It is no coincidence that Stella McCartney has been awarded many prestigious prizes for her achievements during her career to date.

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