TURF BATTLE: Under Armour Appears To Have Won The The Former FAO Schwarz Space

It's been a tough fight, but it looks like rising athletic megabrand Under Armour has won out among the prospective tenants for the former FAO Schwarz store in the GM Building (pictured above). A couple of months ago, it seemed that Nike and Apple were vying for the space as a possible new home for NikeTown or as an above-ground expansion for Apple's 24-hour flagship store underneath the plaza in front of the building. Then, Under Armour stepped in as a surprise spoiler, and now C.E.O. David Plank has announced that the company will take 53,000 square feet of the former toy store on the ground and second floors of the building officially known as 767 Fifth Avenue. It's going to be a bit of a wait before we see what Plank is calling "the most breathtaking and exciting consumer experience ever conceived at retail" as the company is not taking possession of the space until sometime in 2018. Apple is still reportedly going to be using some of the space as a temporary store while it renovates its flagship under the iconic cube entrance, but it appears that Under Armour has won the contest to stake its claim as a brand worthy of one of the most high profile retail spaces in the city.

(Commercial Observer)
Previously:
Turf Battle: Is Under Armour Fighting Nike And Apple For Space In The GM Building?

 

SAMPLE CIRCUIT: Bottega Veneta Returns To The Sale Scene + Sferra , Derek Lam, Isaia & Eidos

This is one of those weeks where there aren't a ton of sample sales, but the ones we do have are worthy of note.
Lets start with the heavy hitter: BOTTEGA VENETA
The famed Italian luxury brand hasn't had a sample sale for a full year, so there should be a good complement of merchandise available for eager sale shoppers. The two-day sale starts tomorrow, Wednesday the 27th, at its regular venue, the Metropolitan Pavilion promising all product categories for men and women including shoes, handbags, leather accessories, ready-to-wear apparel, jewelry and more. Expect the kind of frenzy typically associated with european luxury brand sales, although, hopefully we won;t be subjected to Hermès-level insanity. If you ever wanted one of those famous woven intrecciato bags, this would be your chance.

Back up a day to Tuesday, and you will still have plenty more luxurious Italian goods to shop on sale. The SFERRA sale which can rove between a few regular venues, will be landing at 260 Fifth Avenue today through Sunday featuring the sumptuous bed linens, bath towels, table linens and other home accessories you have come to know and love. Note that while the elaborately patterned damask bed linens can still come in at a hefty sum even with the discount, there are usually plenty of more affordably proved but no less fine sheet sets and other items to be found at the sale. It's a must-visit for anyone  who likes to keep a well-appointed bedroom and bathroom.

Also on Tuesday, the reliably luxurious ISAIA is launching its seasonal sale at 150 Greene Street in SoHo through Sunday. This sale is one of the most highly anticipated for sartorially-minded gentlemen who make it a point not to miss the discounts on the label's immaculately tailored Neapolitan suits and sport coats. Shirts, ties, accessories and other dress furnishings are typically included as well as luxurious sportswear items and shoes. As always, the brand's increasingly popular sibling brand EIDOS will also be on hand. Under new creative director Antonio Ciongoli, the more casual line has been gaining a devoted following to rival its progenitor, so look for more fans than ever.

Finally, also on Tuesday, Clothingline will be matching downtown designer favorite NILI LOTAN with DEREK LAM who will be offering both his main collection and more affordably priced 10 Crosby labels for a three day sale at its Garment District headquarters. Look for shoes and accessories along with apparel at this wide ranging sale.

Be sure to check out our SALE ROLL sidebar at left for hours and locations and any late-breaking sales. Next week looks light on sales, as is expected for August, but keep an eye out for Fivestory's seasonal off-site clearance sale and, hopefully, more to come.

CHANGING HANDS: LVMH Unloads Donna Karan International

screen shot: DKNY.com

After a relatively brief period of intensive rumors, French fashion and beverage conglomerate LVMH has sold its Donna Karan International brand for$650 million to G-III Apparel Group, only marginally more than the $643 million it paid for the company in 2001.
The division had long been the subject of rumors, as the parent company had never been able to grow its two labels, the designer level Donna Karan New York and contemporary positioned DKNY, in any decisive way. Last year saw the departure of the company's namesake, designer Donna Karan, and the closure of the signature designer collection in favor of focusing on the more broadly distributed DKNY brand. The installation of acclaimed Public School designers Maxwell Osborne and Dao-Yi Chao to lead the label creatively was considered a bold move, but somewhat risky as the pair had made a splash in menswear but little relatively experience with women's apparel, especially in the highly commercial terrain that DKNY had always occupied. While LVMH has said it is happy with the results of the changes, others have reported a muted response to the new designs from customers. The two are still in the early stages of DKNY's revamp, having only shown two seasons for the label with the second, Fall 2016, just beginning to arrive in stores.
As for the buyer, G-III is one of America's most prominent apparel companies featuring a lengthy roster of owned, licensed and private label brands encompassing names ranging from Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger and Karl Lagerfeld to Jessica Simpson and Alyssa Milano. It often manufactures and distributes part of a brand's offerings, such as women’s sportswear, suits, dresses, performance wear, handbags, luggage and cold weather accessories for Calvin Klein under license, for example, while it owns outright brands like Vilebrequin and G.H.Bass and, now, Donna Karan and DKNY. It also operates retail stores for many of its labels, giving it a breadth of expertise that is well suited to the DKNY business as well as a market clout that could prove useful in growing the brand.
What plans are in store for Donna Karan's labels remain to be announced. It is expected that Osborne and Chao will remain at least through the closing of the sale sometime early next year. While the Donna Karan Collection remains suspended for now, it seems unlikely that G-III would be quick to revive it, as higher end designer apparel is somewhat outside the company's wheelhouse. In addition, LVMH leaders have long been rumored to be frustrated by designer Donna Karan's increasing attention to her personally owned lifestyle brand Urban Zen, which has already begun to appear in stores like Bergdorf Goodman as a replacement for the departed Donna Karan Collection. The Donna Karan Collection brand is not fully absent from the market with licensed home, hosiery, intimate apparel and fragrance collections ongoing, and items from the designer's final, Fall 2015 collection still available for purchase at DonnaKaran.com.
What is most unusual for LVMH is the selling of the division at all. The parent company is known for sticking by its owned designer brands until it finds the right creative approach to achieve commercial traction, often going through a succession of designers at brands like Céline, Loewe and even Givenchy over several years before hitting on a winning formula. This time, LVMH decided to walk away with little profit to show after 15 years, which may be either the exception that proves the rule or a signal of a new, less patient approach at one of the fashion industry's biggest players. At the very least, the sale now puts one of America's iconic fashion brands back in the hands of an American company, with a new, as yet unknown future ahead of it.

(WWD)

THIS WEEK ONLINE: Oscar de la Renta at 80% Off, Alexis Bittar, Paul Smith, Moncler, Saint Laurent, Porsche Design, Diesel & More

Here is your weekly sampling of some of the brands you can expect to find on the bigger online Flash Sale Sites this week. You should click over to the sites themselves for a full schedule of events, and be sure to check for the correct start time for each sale. Shop well!

GILT GROUPE

Oscar de la Renta, Dolce Vita, Alexis Bittar Fine Jewelry, Intimately Free People, Être Cécile, Aqua di Parma, Pauk Smith, Globe, Harding Lane, Mezlan, Antik Batik, Helen Kaminsky, La Prairie, Aidan Mattox, Rivkah Friedman Jewelry, Saint Laurent Paris, Clarins, J.Lindeberg, Prada, Room 101 Jewelry —join HERE

RUE LA LA

Moncler, Samuel B., Yumi Kim, FENDI, 7 For All Mankind, CATHERINE Catherine Malandrino, Movado, Robert Graham, L'Space, Porsche Design, Bobeau, Keratin Complex, Summer 4Ever Sale  —join HERE

HAUTE LOOK

Cynthia Steffe, Gorjana, UGG Australia, John Varvatos Men's Sun, Lucky Brand, Keds, Akribos XXIV, Johnny Was, Diesel, Bony Levy Jewelry, A.B.S. by Allen Schwartz, Wolverine, Isaac Mizrahi —join HERE

COLLABORATION ANTICIPATION: Is Alber Elbaz Making A Comeback With Uniqlo?

Another rumor is making the rounds as the summer's dog days approach, and this time it's former Lanvin designer Alber Elbaz who is said to be in talks with Japanese chain Uniqlo for an unspecified collaboration.
If there is any designer among the slate of those currently benched that everyone wants to see back in action, it's Elbaz, but what, if anything, does he have in mind for Uniqlo? It wouldn't be the first time he has allied with a big chain, as he is a veteran of a Lanvin collaboration with H&M from a few years back. Both parties are predictably mum on the subject, and it may be a while before we hear any kind of official news about it due to the inevitable non-compete clauses and the fact that Elbaz has not completely settled his separation from Lanvin.The disposition of his equity stake in the company is yet to be determined. In the meantime, however we can just imagine how Elbaz could lend his unique sense of style to Uniqlo's famously utilitarian wares. It's not likely that we will see the mega-chain venturing into evening and cocktail dresses, but maybe we will see some cashmere sweaters with a little extra flair? Possibly there will be some tricked out denim separates to follow up the Lanvin/Acme collab of sessions past? Even some well designed t-shirts wouldn't be outside his wheelhouse, so the possibilities are promising. Stay tuned.

Is Alber Elbaz Joining Uniqlo? (WWD)

COLLABORATION ANTICIPATION: Adidas Said To Be Preparing Major Team-Up With Alexander Wang

An Alexander Wang look from Spring 2015 inspired by Adidas Stan Smith and Rod Laver sneakers

We're not sure if there is an official name for Alexander Wang fans (Wang-heads? That seems wrong.) but, according to WWD, they should start getting excited about now because a collaboration with Adidas is reportedly in the works. The collaboration would presumably be announced right after the designer's Spring 2017 show on September 10. Details of the rumored line are not yet available, and the principals are remaining mum at the time, but it is said to be conceived along the lines of the athletic-wear company's long running collaborations like the ones it continues to produce with Stella McCartney, Raf Simons, Rick Owens, Pharrell Williams, Yohji Yamamoto and, of course, Kanye West, whose brand concept has just recently been fully fleshed out. Whether or not it will be under the main Alexander Wang, T by Alexander Wang or another newly created moniker remains to be seen, but it is guaranteed to leap to the top of the designer collaboration list whenever it materializes. Look for confirmation in the coming weeks, and think about what the designer who once created dresses that pay tribute to the iconic Stan Smith and Rod Laver tennis shoes (pictured at right) could do with a full collaboration line at Adidas.

Alexander Wang Said to Be Adidas’ Next Fashion Collaborator (WWD)

SAMPLE CIRCUIT: A Rare M·A·C Sale Hits Chelsea + Thomas Pink, Zachary Prell & Intermix

We may be heading into the slowest part of the year, Sample Sale-wise, but some of our hardworking venues are doing their best to keep things going with a mix of seasonal favorites and unexpected newcomers this week. Here are the highlights:

Over at Clothingline in the Garment District, British shirtmaker THOMAS PINK has been holding a four-day sale which started yesterday and runs through Thursday the 21st. Do we recall seeing a Pink sample sale in the past? Not really, so this may be a rare chance to pick up some smart shirts, ties & furnishings from the label at a deep discount. This one's mainly for the guys, though a small selection of women's items have been promised.

Fans of  JACK ROGERS's signature woven sandals will be heading to the label's showroom for 75% off a full size range of footwear plus clothing and accessories from a host of labels also found in the brand's boutiques. Shop through Friday the 22nd.

The big, rare event of the week is an unexpected and relatively unprecedented sample sale from the popular makeup brand M·A·C. From Tuesday the 19th through Friday the 22nd, look for throngs of eager fans to converge on the Metropolitan Pavilion for the brand's first ever Sample Sale, at least in New York. While we have often seen sample sales from makeup brands, we rarely see them from ones as big and beloved as M·A·C, so this is something of a major event. 60% discounts are promised on regular merchandise as well as special collaboration collections. Prepare to fight off crowds.

Our friends at 260SampleSale are offering a pair of summer sales that should keep two of their venues humming this week. At the main location at 260 Fifth Avenue, contemporary chain INTERMIX appears to be taking over the sadly departed Scoop NYC's warehouse sale slot. Look for 70% off women's apparel, shoes and accessories with plenty of summer time left to enjoy them.

Down at their Greene Street outpost, emerging menswear designer ZACHARY PRELL will be offering discounts on his refined, classic men's sportswear pieces. Both sales run through Sunday the 24th.

Be sure to keep an eye on our SALE ROLL sidebar at left for locations and hours as well as late-breaking events that we do our best to update as soon as we hear of them. Next week, look for sales from Derek Lam, Nili Lotan, Isaia, Eidos and an always welcome return of the Sferra sale.

ZONING DRAMA: Restoration Hardware's Upcoming Meatpacking District Flagship Is Currently Illegal.

Rendering of 9-19 Ninth Avenue via DNAinfo

Keith McNally may be enjoying some schadenfreude right about now.
It turns out that the Restoration Hardware store that ejected McNally's popular restaurant Pastis from its very successful Ninth Avenue home is running into some legal problems of its own. We aren't talking about the initial contractor whose principals are awaiting trial regarding the death of a 22-year old worker in the construction site's excavation pit last year. The current problem that the store faces is that it is nearly six times the size of any retail store that the site is zoned for, and the Department of Buildings has not yet issued an exemption.
According to the D.O.B., the maximum size of a retail store for the building being gut renovated and expanded at 9-19th Ninth Avenue is 10,000 square-feet. The store planned for the site is 58,659-square-feet, which is somewhat larger to say the least. DNAinfo reports that the developers of the site were informed in early March of this year that their permits would be revoked for failure to comply with city code. In addition, the nature of the business was misrepresented as an "interior decorating establishment" which, oddly enough, would only be allowed to take up a mere 750 square-feet in such a structure according to current zoning laws. Construction has not been halted, because the developer immediately engaged the D.O.B. to resolve the dispute, but it has been over four months since the notification without resolution. If discussions fall through, the construction will be immediately halted not because the building is not up to code, but because its intended use is.
Since the talks are apparently continuing, its a good bet that the store will eventually open as planned, but possibly with some concessions that are yet to remade clear. It has been known for quite some time that the store intended for the site was meant to be extremely large, but it is not yet a done deal. At the moment, it's not out of the question that Restoration hardware may either have to settle for a smaller store sharing the building with other retailers or pull out entirely and find a suitable site to build the flagship it had intended.

Restoration Hardware Flagship Is Too Big for Meatpacking District: City (DNAinfo)

THIS WEEK ONLINE: Max Mara, John Varvatos, Miu Miu, Rebecca Minkoff, Paul Smith & More

Here is your weekly sampling of some of the brands you can expect to find on the bigger online Flash Sale Sites this week. You should click over to the sites themselves for a full schedule of events, and be sure to check for the correct start time for each sale. Shop well!

GILT GROUPE

Max Mara, Saylor/Falcon & Bloom, John Varvatos Collection, Montegrappa, Bottega Veneta, PLENTY by Tracy Reese, Tom Ford Sunglasses, Seychelles, Ingrid & Isabel, G-Star, Jared Lang, Lanvin Footwear, Sleepy Jones —join HERE

RUE LA LA

Rachel Zoe, Adrienne Vittadini, Miu Miu, Ermenegildo Zegna, Max Mara, Shoshanna, Trina Turk, Lancôme, Steiner Memorabilia, Taryn Rose, Brookstone, Pandora —join HERE

HAUTE LOOK

Rebecca Minkoff, Maaji Swim, Hudson Jeans, Ron Tomson, Earth Wood, Joseph Abboud, Jean Claude Jewelry, Asics, Splendid, PLENTY by Tracy Reese, Happy Socks, Unknown New York, To Boot New York, GANT, Y3 by Adidas, Paul Smith Sunglasses —join HERE

EXPANSION MODE: Leading New York Boutique Kirna Zabête Is Multiplying

Rendering and mood images via WWD

Enduring SoHo women's boutique Kirna Zabête has weathered all sorts of retail conditions the have felled lesser stores since it appeared in 1999, and is more than surviving —it's expanding. After buying out her business partner Sarah Easley's ownership stake earlier this year, now sole owner Beth Buccini is launching a temporary store for the next couple of months in East Hampton —not a terribly surprising development— and, more importantly a permanent satellite location not in the expected NYC area, but in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania on Philadelphia's main line.
While seasonal Hamptons stores are a time honored business opportunity for city retailers, opening in another city is a more daring move. Bringing her boutique to wealthy uptown shoppers who would be a safer strategy, but an expansion to another city gives Buccini the opportunity to bring Kirna Zabête's boundary pushing point of view to an affluent shopping area with less competition than one would have to fight in a designer-heavy market like New York. “I’ve been observing the fashion and I found women are hungry for new ideas and excited about fashion and they’re really underserved,” Buccini tells WWD. “I really went deep into the demographics in the area. There are so many universities and private schools all around, and really the only game in town is the mall.” Having moved her family to the area, the retailer is familiar with the market. The upcoming 32,000-square-foot store (pictured) will reflect the bold look of the SoHo mother ship and will open in a new shopping development aimed at affluent shoppers who can expect to see the store later this fall, opening with resort and holiday collections.

Kirna Zabête Expands With Two New Stores (WWD)