The Shophound

HUMAN RESOURCES: Bergdorf Goodman Gets A New Boss

As a customer, you might not have known that Bergdorf Goodman has been without a president for about two years, as its previous chief, Jim Gold, has been overseeing the store from Dallas as president of specialty retail for the Neiman Marcus Group, the store's parent. Yesterday, however the company admitted that Bergdorf's really needs a more hands-on leader, so it named Joshua Schulman the store's president (pictured at left). It marks the first time that Bergdorf Goodman has been led by an executive whose experience comes from the wholesale side of the business. Schulman, whose most recent position was as CEO of Jimmy Choo lacks the traditional merchandising background one would expect from a retail CEO, but has decades of experience working with Bergdorf's as an executive with luxury brands like Jimmy Choo, Yves Saint Laurent and Gucci, where he was worldwide director of women’s ready-to-wear. It was there, ironically, where he oversaw the removal of Gucci women's apparel from Bergdorf's in 1999 when the label was displeased with the way the line was being presented in the store (By the way, having watched this happen with our own eyes, we can report it as a smart move on his part at the time. Gucci apparel returned after a hiatus of several seasons with a much larger department for women on the second floor).

Any gaps in the new President's experience will be covered by Gold, to whom he will report. “Although I’ve been a vendor, I’m not coming in with any preconceived notions. I will be working on a new strategic plan,” Schulman tells WWD, who suggests that strengthening management at Bergdorf's may be part of a larger strategy of preparing Neiman Marcus Group for a public offering.

Joshua Schulman Heading to Bergdorf Goodman by David Moin (WWD)

EXECUTIVE ACTION: Neiman's and Bergdorf's Name Matt Singer To Men's Fashion Post

Neiman Marcus Group filled a conspicuously empty menswear post today by naming Matthew Singer (pictured right) men's fashion director for both Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman stores. Name not familiar? A google image search shows that he's not quite the internet icon that his predecessor Nick Wooster has become, but he is apparently not quite the same kind of individualistic dresser, and coming from Bloomingdale's, he has had a relatively smaller position in the higher-end Men's market than he will have at Neiman's and Bergdorf's. Singer will be arriving at one of the country's largest and most influential men's luxury retailers in Neiman's, and one of it's most exclusive at Bergdorf's where he will help oversee a major renovation of the Men's Store that is already taking shape with a big new Lanvin boutique and the long awaited return of Prada with an even bigger one.

Singer has been appointed just in time for the Fall 2012 Men's shows in Milan and Paris which begin next week. That should give him just enough of a chance to get a few flashy new duds so Tommy Ton and all the other street photogs can learn his name.

Neiman Marcus Names Matthew Singer Men’s Fashion Director (WWD)

LUXURY DOG RUN: A Canine Crew Cavorts Through Bergdorf Goodman

It's no longer enough to produce lavish window displays and a Holiday advertising campaign. Stores must operate on all media channels to compete for business, hence, we have "Unleashed", Bergdorf Goodman's Holiday Video embedded above. Cleverly tying in to the store's "Carnival of the Animals" theme, the video shows the elegant store overrun by a pack of wild dogs... or, well, maybe just a group Upper East Side house pets.

Still, there's something strangely mesmerizing about watching this play group frolicing throughout the the store, and the video promotes not only the legendary retailer but also the Humane Society of New York with a sweet subplot (can a four-minute video have a subplot?) about Bergdorf's iconic doorman and pet adoption. If Christmas shopping at Bergdorf Goodman is just a bit out of your reach, then adopting a pet in need of a loving home may be a worthy alternative.

Previously:
The Window Watcher: Bergdorf Goodman Unleashes A Holiday Menagerie

THE WINDOW WATCHER: Bergdorf Goodman Unleashes A Holiday Menagerie

You will, no doubt, be hearing a ton today about that other store that is debuted its Holiday windows last night in conjunction with a huge pop star, but yesterday afternoon, we strolled a few blocks away to Bergdorf Goodman where our favorite windows of recent Holiday seasons have been found. The Shophound was not disappointed. Once again, Bergdorf's has presented five individual but related scenes in their Fifth Avenue windows that are a marvel of lavish design. The theme, this year is "Carnival of Animals", incorporating creatures of the land, air and sea (above) in fanciful tableaux that are causing passersby to stop for extended gazes into the windows as they try to take in the all the intricate elements that make up the designs. Along with the Bergdorf visual team's prodigious handiwork, he windows actually work in a bit of product from the store here and there, including a specially designed dress by our favorite glittermeister, Naeem Khan, but the overall goal is less to sell specific items and more to stop people in their tracks. The Men's Store across the street joins in as well with a more whimsical series of windows featuring a weightlifting executive lion (below) and a snazzy singing cardinal among other gentlemanly beasts.

Of course, all those gawkers make it damned hard for The Shophound to photograph these windows for you, but Bergdorf's own blog, 58th at 5th, has dutifully documented them far better than we could. We have reposted some of our favorite images, but be sure to click HERE for a complete slideshow of all the windows, or better yet, just go down there and see them for yourself so you can really take in all the impressive details that Bergdorf's has made part of its Holiday signature —and don't forget to have a look inside. The store's visual team has not neglected the interior by any means. The main floor of the Women's store is an opulent sight on any given day, but the team has outdone themselves this year in creating striking decorations that blend seamlessly with the store's already ornate design. It looks like a Beaux-Arts, winter forest is taking root amongst the vitrines and caselines (above left and right).

We'll have more about that other store later, but, for now, you should know that the pop star has some worthy competition over on Fifth Avenue.

They’re Alive: Carnival of the Animals (58th at 5th/Bergdorf Goodman)

Now A Flea Market Is Happening At... Bergdorf Goodman?

It really has become a full time job to keep track of the various Flea Markets around the city. There are the longtime favorites in Manhattan, the hipper, cooler ones in Brooklyn, and even the artisanal-and-heritage-brand-centric Pop-Up Flea, which we hear is returning this Fall at a date to be announced.

It was inevitable that someone more established would latch on to the idea, and this Sunday, Bergdorf Goodman will host the "5F Flea" on its fifth floor from 1 to 4 PM. The event will feature vintage tees from What Goes Around Comes Around and House of the Gods, vintage eyewear from Oliver Peoples, personal engraving from Emily & Ashley, pendants and palm readings from clairvoyant jewelry designer Amy Zerner as well as special appearances from designers Amy Smilovic of Tibi and Ramy Sharp of Ramy Brook.

We're not really sure that it will replicate the experience of the city's more eclectic, exciting flea markets, but you could do a lot worse than shopping Bergdorf's fifth floor on any day. While we're sure that some hipsters will bemoan the way the Fifth Avenue luxury store has co-opted the whole flea market concept, you could probably make a good argument that New Yorkers have co-opted flea markets to the point that some of them are now as expensive as shopping at Bergdorf's.

5F Flea at Bergdorf Goodman, Sunday October 2, 1 PM - 4 PM, 754 Fifth Avenue between 57^th & 58^th Street, Midtown

Fashion's Night Out 2011 OR The Shophound Finally Has A Drink With Cintra Wilson

Having Fashion's Night Out at the beginning of Fashion Week can feel at times like something of an imposition to The Shophoun,, especially since it seems to be on its way to becoming an annual institution. After all, we already have more than enough to do this time of year without having to figure out a way to cover an immense event that is essentially un-coverable. There seems to be everything going on all at the same time all over the place.

We can't very well ignore it, as much as we might like to sometimes. Frankly, we don't really need celebrities or a party to get us to go out to stores because we do that all the time, and shopping with crowds is typically something we try to avoid. Our solution is to take a minimalistic approach and pick a few friends to visit and get out before things get crazy. We started out at Saks Fifth Avenue which is arguably an epicenter for FNO madness. Thankfully, years working the selling floor taught The Shophound how to quickly make our way through a crowded store, and we made it past, among other things, Jo Malone's fairy fragrance model (above right), a digital graffiti wall, a buoyant choir and crowds scrambling to shoot baskets with the new Mr. Kardashian, Kris Humphries, to visit our friends from Sebago who were showing off their new Artisan Collection collaborations with Vane and Ronnie Fieg (pictured at left). As if we didn't know, good shoes remain worth going out of our way for.

Next we headed a mere two blocks up the street to Gant where Michael Bastian and Rugger designer Christopher Bastin were appearing in support of their respective lines. We talked blogging with Bastian whose Sunshine Days blog about his upcoming Spring 2012 collaboration collection is thoroughly entertaining, in no small part because he genuinely writes every word himself. We hope he keeps it up as a regular thing, not that designing two collections a season and reorganizing his own brand is likely to leave him much extra time.

By this point we would have called it a night and headed home to get to work on Fashion Week posts, but we heard that Cintra Wilson, our very favorite erstwhile Critical Shopper, would be making an appearance at Bergdorf Goodman's men's store with Whoopi Goldberg and a panel of other luminaries including designers Marlon Gobel, Alexander Olch and Philip Crangi, David Coggins, writers Max Blagg and Glenn O'Brien to discuss the merits and shortcomings of the various forms of male facial hair (pictured in the sadly grainy picture at right). We missed most of the panel, so we really can't report their conclusions, but we got there just in time to meet La Cintra in person for the first time. We had corresponded occasionally over the past few years but had never actually met face to face, so when we discovered that we might have an opportunity to correct this obvious lapse, we put on our stalking hat (and by that we mean the king that Sherlock Holmes famously wore, of course) for just a moment and set out to find her. And find her we did, and we're happy to report that she is every bit as funny, witty and generally delightful as we could have hoped all wrapped up in a sleek black ensemble and a killer pair of PHI boots.. She's the kind of lady anyone would want to have a few drinks with, and so, thanks to Bergdorf's convenient open bar, we did. What did we talk about? Scandalous things we couldn't possibly recount here, of course. All we can say is Fashion's Night Out turned out to be more satisfying than we could have expected —not an imposition at all.

HUMAN RESOURCES: Neiman Marcus & Bergdorf Goodman Lose Their Men's Fashion Director

Nickelson Wooster abruptly left his post last week as Men's fashion Director for Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman. As far as we know, he is the first person to hold the responsibilities for both divisions of Neiman Marcus Group (Roopal Patel, a fellow Bergdorf veteran continues to hold the women's counterpart post).  Wooster's history with NMG goes back over two decades to when he was buyer for the most advanced Men's Designer Collections at the opening of Bergdorf Goodman's Men's store. He returned to the company a few years ago after having held posts at Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, among other companies and, most prominently, as president of John Bartlett from 1996 to 2001. Since returning to NMG, Wooster has also become a favorite of style bloggers like Tommy Ton, and his distinctive personal style has been chronicled exhaustively during fashion weeks.

There are no rumors about trouble between Wooster and NMG, and a lot of people are curious about what his next move will be. Wooster has made no comment about his departure, but the most recent entry on his Tumblr (pictured below) should give anyone who is wondering a pretty good picture of his current state of mind.

Nick Wooster Departs Neiman’s (WWD)

THE WINDOW WATCHER: A Rich Treasure Trove In The Windows At Bergdorf's & Barneys

Last week, The Shophound couldn't help rolling our eyes a bit at the Daphne Guinness "dressing room" stunt last week in Barneys' windows before the Met Ball. Don't let that bit of silliness keep you from a visit to the rest of the store's windows, however. We passed by the store yesterday and saw them crammed with selections from Guinness's vast clothing archives including one section devoted to some iconic items that belonged to the late Isabella Blow. Guinness purchased Blow's wardrobe in order to preserve it intact for just such an occasion, and all the windows are filled with some genuinely remarkable clothes, accessories and outrageous shoes (pictured above).  Some are by famous designers like Alexander McQueen, Phillip Treacy and Gareth Pugh, while others are by less famous makers and yet others are antiques or things specially made for Guinness. While the flamboyant dresser may be a neophyte performance artist, she is an accomplished collector of couture, and the windows make a pretty convincing case for a full exhibition devoted to her own wardrobe. Given her obvious ambition, we imagine that it isn't far off. Sadly, the lighting in the windows is low to preserve the clothing, so they are difficult to photograph, but we think it's well worth your time to make your way to Barneys just to press your nose against the glass in person.

While you're in the neighborhood, a trip a few blocks away is in order to see Bergdorf Goodman's tribute windows to Alexander McQueen (below), timed to coordinate with the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Savage Beauty exhibition, dedicated to the designer. Bergdorf's has taken some items from the McQueen archives that didn't make it to the Met and constructed displays around them that rival the store's opulent Holiday windows in lavishness and fantasy. Visual Merchandising chief David Hoey has pulled out all the stops with the five Fifth Avenue windows, and though you can view full pictures at Bergdorf's blog, they really should be experienced in person as well. Hurry, though, the displays are set to come down after this weekend.

So if you haven't had a good midtown window shopping trip in a while, now is clearly the time before the windows are switched out for more prosaic fare and consigned to memory.

Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty (58th/5th—Bergdorf Goodman)
Daphne Guinness on The Window (The Window—Barneys New York)

CRISIS MANAGEMENT: More Japanese Relief Efforts From UNIQLO, Bergdorf Goodman, Lady GaGa & Others

We're keeping an eye out for as many New York retail relief efforts as we can find. Even if you've only been giving the situation in Japan minimal attention, it's hard not to see the cataclysm as escalating by the hour.

Here are some more relief efforts that we have discovered so far:

Bergdorf Goodman has converted its Facebook page into a relief portal with multiple options for donating including the American Red Cross, Shelter Box, Doctors Without Borders and iTunes. Click on the "Earthquake Relief" sidebar link (and, no, we don't think you get any InCircle points for that).

Fast Retailing's Tadashi Yanai founder and president of the company that owns UNIQLO and Comptoir des Cotonniers, will personally donate 1 billion yen ($12.2 million) of his own money towards relief efforts and has committed 400 million yen ($4.9 million) from the company's corporate funds as well. That's in addition to the clothing collection that is being arranged at those stores' New York locations as well as at Theory stores.

Lady Gaga's red and white "We Pray For Japan" bracelet has already raised a reported $250,000 for Japan in a matter of days, and promises to be an effective fundraiser. It is available on her website and costs a mere $5.

Tadashi Shoji is reportedly donating 10% of sales online and at boutiques in Las Vegas and South Coast Plaza to the Red Cross.

SushiSamba has created $12 special sushi rolls which will divert 100% off its proceeds to The Red Cross. As of Monday morning, nearly $4,500 had already been raised in its New York restaurants. The roll will be available through the end of March at all SushiSamba locations, and each one will feature a different roll.

Brookstone is accepting donations to help efforts through Save The Children at all of its stores including its three Manhattan locations as well as through its website until the end of March. Notably, Brookstone will match up to the first $50,000.00 in donations collected from its customers.

Steven Alan is donating 15% of all sales through March 17^th to International Medical Corps for their relief efforts in Japan.

Bergdorf's Linda Fargo Turns Her Fashion Week Style Over To A Lucky Winner

Linda Fargo, Bergdorf Goodman's Women's Fashion Director has become renowned, along with her professional accomplishments, for her singular style, but come this fashion week, she is relinquishing her wardrobe decisions to a lucky contest winner, at least for one day.

From today until January 31st, Bergdorf's is inviting fans to join the store's Polyvore site and style outfits for Ms. Fargo to sport in the front rows of Fashion Week. Of course, aspiring stylists are to be reminded that a busy fashion executive is expected to run all over town from show to show, quite possibly during a snowstorm, so the part of the challenge is to incorporate a modicum of function into all that high style.

The winner will be flown to New York, given a Bergdorf makeover including a hair appointment at the John Barrett Salon, a Trish McEvoy makeup session and a $2,500 Bergdorf Goodman gift card all in preparation to accompany Ms. Fargo in her winning outfit to a runway show (and trust us, she doesn't waste her time with anything but the best collections).

See polyvore.com/bergdorf for more information.

Dress Linda for New York Fashion Week! And you could join her on the Frontlines... (5th at 58th)