Zambernardi says Yohji’s new concept is out of the question, ABG strikes deal – WWD

ZAMBERNARDI EXIT?: After more than four decades of close collaboration with Miuccia Prada, Fabio Zambernardi will leave the Prada group, according to market sources.

The departure is said to have been amicable and Zabernardi is expected to step down as design director of Prada and Miu Miu in October following the release of the Spring 2024 collections for both brands.

The Prada group has not commented.

Zabernardi, 59, was appointed to his current position in November 2002, overseeing all business areas from ready-to-wear to footwear and accessories.

He has worked with the brand since 1981. He was promoted to shoe design director in 1997 and fashion design coordinator in 1999.

Although known for keeping a low profile, Zabernardi is well respected in fashion circles and considered influential within the company. He also worked with Prada and her husband Patrizio Bertelli, Group President and CEO, to develop image strategies.

The Prada Group reportedly enjoyed strong brand momentum at both Prada and Miu Miu, which helped report strong profitability and sales in the first half. In the six months ended June 30, the group’s net profit rose 62 percent to 305 million euros and sales amounted to 2.23 billion euros, up 17 percent compared to the same period last year.

Andrea Guerra joined the group in January as Chief Executive Officer. – LUISA ZARGANI

YOHJI’S NEW CONCEPT: As a push for future business expansion in the US, Yohji Yamamoto opened a new “Concept” store at 52 Wooster Street in New York City on Friday.

The 1,500 square meter exhibition space presents the Japanese designer’s main collections for men and women, as well as a range of lines including Y’s, the recently relaunched Y’s for Men and Limi Feu.

Also available here is the Wildside project, which includes collaborations with companies such as Ambush, Supreme or Borsalino and goes beyond fashion.

This marks Yohji Yamamoto’s return to New York. A previous store at the intersection of Mercer Grant Streets opened in 1988 and closed in 2009.

Behind the brick facade with an 80-foot window, the longline store with high ceilings and industrial flair also integrates a strong digital component.

A standout feature is its association with The Shop Yohji Yamamoto, the company’s online retail arm, which offers the full range of its brands. Consumers can interact with the sales staff from the e-shop via one of the dressing rooms on Wooster Street.

LED panels are also installed throughout the store, serving as windows into Yamamoto’s worldview. To open, the panels feature images of the Fall 2023 men’s collection, taken by fashion photographer Takay, a recurring collaborator at the brand.

The New York opening comes at a time when the Japanese label is ramping up its global retail development, noting a string of store openings in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Chengdu and Shenzhen, among others, in recent months. Further openings in Shanghai and Beijing are planned for 2024.

In Europe, the Yohji Yamamoto store on Rue Cambon in Paris reopened in January after a makeover, and the brand’s London store was relocated and reopened last March. Launching at both retail locations was the new Power of the White shirt line, centered on his take on this men’s and women’s staple.

The designer also recently launched Y-3 Atelier, a line that continues his longstanding partnership with Adidas and transforms the patterns of Yamamoto’s runway pieces into items that are closer to his eponymous brand than ever. – LILY TEMPLETON

OFFER CLOSED: Authentic Brands Group has annual retail sales in excess of $29 billion worldwide thanks to the deal to acquire Boardriders, which was completed on Friday.

In March, the brand development, marketing and entertainment company signed an agreement to acquire Boardriders, the parent company of Quiksilver, Billabong, Roxy, RVCA, DC Shoes, Element, VonZipper, Honolua and Boardriders, for an alleged $1.25 billion. At the time, Authentic had sales of $27.6 billion.

The company said it will soon begin executing on its plan to “announce a roster of world-class partners to propel the brands into their next phase of growth.”

For Authentic founder Jamie Salter, taking over Boardriders is in some ways a return to his roots. Born in Toronto, he started his career in sports marketing and co-founded ride snowboards in the early ’90s. After the company went public, he and Michael Rubin, founder and CEO of Fanatics, founded Global Sports Inc., which eventually became GSI Commerce. After retiring from this business, Salter turned to licensing and co-founded Hilco Consumer Capital. In 2010 he founded the Authentic Brands Group.

The company now owns more than 40 brands in different categories, from Reebok and Brooks Brothers to Nautica and Sports Illustrated. In addition to Boardriders, Rockport and Hunter were also recently purchased. — JEAN E. PALMIERI

Helping the Oceans: Krost continues its commitment to philanthropy with a new collaboration.

The New York-based streetwear label is collaborating with Nautica on a capsule collection that gives back to Oceana, an organization dedicated to protecting and restoring the oceans. Although this is the first time Krost and Nautica have worked together, both brands have a long history of giving back to Oceana.

“The upcoming release of Krost x Nautica in support of Oceana has been a truly amazing and exciting experience for me and the team,” said Samuel Krost, Founder of Krost. “We are honored and eternally grateful to have collaborated to create a collection that pays homage to Nautica’s iconic heritage while reflecting our shared values ​​of giving back.”

Both brands brought a nautical vibe to the collection, which includes pieces such as shirts, sweaters, cardigans, t-shirts, jackets, shorts, pants and hats. Both brands drew inspiration from Nautica’s archives and historical pieces to create a retro yet modern collection.

The collection also uses some of Nautica’s traditional design codes such as the stripe motif, color blocking and coastal designs.

“Our partnership with Krost was a thoughtful connection,” said Steve McSween, Nautica’s vice president of global design. “They are a young brand that has brought a nautical-centric perspective and a heart for our environment. I am thrilled to have spent time with them.”

The collaboration is Krost’s latest giveback initiative. For its Spring 2023 collection, Krost has teamed up again with the Eden Reforestation Projects to donate the proceeds to the organization dedicated to fighting climate change. Krost already worked with the organization in 2019 and was able to plant more than 12,500 trees in six countries. The brand has also worked with organizations such as March for Our Lives, Team No Kid Hungry and the New York Restoration Project, among others.

The Krost x Nautica collection is available for purchase on both brands’ websites, as well as at Nordstrom and Revolve. – LAYLA ILCHI

SALE CANCELLED: Christie’s has canceled the second chapter of the auction “The World of Heidi Horten”, the auction house announced on Friday.

Anthea Peers, president of Christie’s Europe, Middle East and Africa, said the auction house decided not to pursue any further sales of Horten’s estate because the sale of her jewelry “provoked intense scrutiny and the response to it has deeply affected us and us.” many others, and we will continue to consider it,” read an email statement.

The highly unusual move comes after months of controversy over the origin of the fortune Horton used to purchase the jewelry. Organizations representing Holocaust survivors had criticized the sale for its connection to the exploitation of Jews during World War II.

Born in Austria, Horton, who died in 2020, inherited significant funds following the death in 1987 of her husband Helmut Horten, a German retailer whose department store chain benefited from Nazi-era policies that led to him buying stores from Jews who were forced to sell them at a low price prices.

After the initial outcry, ahead of the May sales, Christie’s pledged to “donate a significant portion of its commissions to organizations that contribute to vital Holocaust research and education,” adding that it’s up to them to keep communicating .

A pre-sale estimate for the entire collection put the value at around $150 million, but was set to break records with the catalog of more than 700 jewels from brands including Harry Winston, Bulgari and Cartier.

The three May sales totaled $202 million across some 400 lots, with a number of items significantly beating their high estimates, such as Harry Winston’s “Briolette of India” necklace with a 90-carat D -Diamonds, which sold for 6.3 million Swiss francs (or US$7.1 million), or Harry Winston’s 55-carat necklace with ruby ​​and diamond pendant “The Star of Africa” ​​fetched 2.7 million Swiss francs Franconia (just over 3 million US dollars), almost twice the original maximum price.

The auction house director confirmed that the bulk of the value of Horten’s collection was sold in May at a physical auction in Geneva and two online sales, “raising important support for philanthropic causes including medical research, child welfare and access to the arts.” “. The proceeds of the Heidi Horten Foundation will go to medical research and to a museum in Vienna that will display the artworks collected by the couple.

The remaining 300 plots should be sold in Geneva in November.

In recent years provenance has become a determining factor in the value of jewels and other collectibles that are auctioned. According to experts, high premiums can cause prices to increase tenfold or more compared to similar, unsigned items. – LT