Stella McCartney and Natalia Vodianova Pair Up For Another Season
For the third season, Stella McCartney decided to use model Natalia Vodianova as the face of the label. The fall ad campaign was shot in London by photographers Merton Alas and Marcus Piggott. These shots included a pale wood background and eccentric poses, showing off the fall line from head to toe. The point of this simple but eye-catching campaign was “to create a striking, memorable image…and capture the energy of the collection,” as McCartney said.
The pictures taken include Vondianova kicking up her heels, showing off her zipped booties, her flared, stretch, tweed paneled minidress, part of McCartney’s fall collection. With another ad showcasing the model holding a faux-croc Grace clutch bag and pouting alongside, it is clear that McCartney’s goal of having the upcoming campaign to have a sense of humor has definitely been executed by Vondianova. The ad will be seen everywhere from Russia’s Vogue to America’s Harper’s Bazaar.
H&M Is Coming Home
Start preparing the redecoration process. The beloved low-cost clothing store is going to be branching out into products for the home, which will be offered in America beginning early 2013. H&M Home, which has been offered in Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, and Austria since 2009, along with the U.K. in 2010, uses the fast-fashion principle towards home products. The line will be shown in stores according to the different rooms of the house.
The collection, driven from the current trends, mimic many of the styles and themes that are seen on runway. H&M will offer three main collections for each season and plans on offering a new round of accessories and furnishings every two weeks. Now Americans will be able to make their homes a “dose of cheap chic,” as WWD reports. Finally an option to have an adorable, affordable home furnishings to match our closets.
July Steps It Up With Sales
After having a soft June, retailers such as Macy’s Inc., Gap Inc., and Limited Brands Inc. reported higher sales numbers then expected. Macy’s Inc. was able to register a 4.1% gain, .09% higher than expected. Gap Inc. reported a 10% increase in sales, compared to the expected 3.8% increase. However, it was Limited Brands Inc. that saw the largest increase, with Victoria’s Secret raising sales to 12% and Bath and Body Works bringing up sales 17%.
Many other stores saw slight increases in sales, such as Target Corp., Stage Stores Inc., and Stein Mart Inc. Companies such as Wet Seal Inc. and The Buckle Inc. were not as successful with their spring sales. Despite the pitfalls of a slow economy, the industry was able to overall bounce back from June’s lack of sales.
– Lindsay Grundy
Source: WWD
