A timid homage at Gianfranco Ferré
Whatever collection the designer Lars Nilsson had concocted for Gianfranco Ferré before he was so brutally ejected two weeks ago, it could not have been worse than the empty vessel that was proffered Monday.

Cashmere learns to play with others
At Ballantyne and Pringle of Scotland, cashmere has learned how to play well with others, pairing wool with other materials for unusual results.
- A quiet collection at Moschino Cheap & Chic

Lights! Camera! Action! — Expanding fashion's range
Watching a two-minute video of Chloë Sevigny trying on a young designer's clothes might not be as popular as some of the Hollywood star's fashion magazine shoots, but the clip has become a top item in her YouTube category in five short months.

It's the limit - in more ways than one
When the concept store Colette in Paris put in an order at Yves Saint Laurent a few seasons ago for a minaudière in the form of a dinky envelope, YSL made a suggestion: Turn the small purse into a limited edition.

Milan's fashion houses are moving into high-tech homes
It's "Ciao!" to the palazzo and "Hello!" to high tech for some of the biggest names in fashion.

Emporio Armani: The return of wide pants
The fashion choice from this Emporio Armani collection would have to be pants, while at Just Cavalli, it was a riotous choice of prints, mostly on the hosiery.

Loro Piana: Going beyond fabric
A one-time textiles company that gained fame for its Olympic equestrian jacket in 1992 has spawned 105 retail stores worldwide, selling suits, sweaters and overcoats, and moving into a home furnishing line.

Italian gold masters struggling to survive
No longer No. 1 in gold jewelry production, Italian masters are struggling to stay in business; high-end retailers, however, say spiraling gold prices have not caused them much trouble.

The clutch, in the light of day
Thanks to a whole slew of designers - from Yves Saint Laurent to Sonia Rykiel and Michael Teperson to Belen Echandia - the clutch purse is moving from an evening standard to seeing the light of day.

Fabric that creates electricity: Could your shirt power your iPod?
Someday, your shirt might be able to power your iPod - just by doing the normal stuff expected of a shirt.

Skate and surf wear goes mainstream
Urban influences continue to be the leading trend for makers of skate, surf and snowboard apparel and accessories. Meanwhile, the active sports apparel firms also are offering more classic looks.

Kimono folds seen as Japan's couture
In this most brand-conscious and fashion-obsessed of Asian countries, Japan remains strangely distanced from the culture of couture -- but then kimonos could be considered the country's true couture heritage.

Manbags stalk the runway again
Designers are competing to capture growing demand as more men become bag lovers, with new styles by Duckie Brown, ZZegna, Louis Vuitton and others.

Mariella Burani group considering leather goods acquisition
Mariella Burani Fashion Group, the Italian luxury goods maker founded in 1960, is considering an acquisition in the leather goods industry to expand in emerging markets, its chief executive, Giovanni Burani, said.

Hugo Boss stock plummets on news of Sälzer's departure
Hugo Boss, Germany's largest clothing company, said its chief executive, Bruno Sälzer, will leave after 12 years, sparking speculation he clashed with the new owner, Permira Advisors.

Spain gets women's measurements down
A yearlong government study in Spain, which used laser beams to measure more than 10,000 women, concluded that 4 out of 10 have trouble finding clothes that fit them.

Burberry pins hopes on accessories
The British luxury goods house, whose brand has been experiencing its biggest revival since its clad British soldiers in trench coats in World War I, is focusing on handbags and accessories as a way to grow in an economically unsure time.

For 2008, more fashion anniversaries, but looking to the future
If 2007 bulged with fashion anniversaries, 2008 is much the same. But instead of looking back to a glorious past, this New Year is about celebrating the future.

Jelly brand molds Brazil's footwear style
Cheap, cheerful and totally disposable, the plastic jelly shoe is about as ubiquitous as footwear gets. And in Brazil, it's Melissa that dominates the market.

David vs. "David": The battle below the belt in men's underwear
The David vs. "David" standoff marks the moment that underwear has come out of the drawers and off the shelves to become, to men's fashion, the female equivalent of the handbag. It is an accessory - and even a necessity - that can be turned into big bucks.

Designer handbags? Sorry, there's a limit.
Readers of the fine print on the Web sites of luxury retailers like Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman may be surprised to discover that there are limits on the number of designer handbags that they are allowed buy.

DeBeers suggests leaving dollar behind when it comes to pricing gems
The diamond industry should consider pricing gems in another currency to the dollar as the world's largest economy slows, said Gareth Penny, chief executive officer of De Beers.

Boucheron's 150th: A modern take on Art Nouveau
The kitsch and irony of Jeff Koons seems a long stretch from voluptuous and sensual jewelry. And even if Damien Hirst recently embedded diamonds in a skull, you would hardly expect to see his work alongside a swooping diamond necklace.

Tiffany and other U.S. jewelers refuse to use Alaskan gold
Five of the United States's leading jewelers have refused to use gold that could someday come from the Pebble Mine, a huge deposit near the world's most productive wild sockeye salmon stream.

Helping the mind to cope with novelty and overload
"Design and the Elastic Mind," a new exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, looks at the changing role of design and how designers can help us adapt to innovation.

Easier voting through graphic design
Rather than leaving a redesign of the voting system to election officials, Marcia Lausen, author of "Design for Democracy: Ballot and Election Design" and a co-founder of Design for Democracy, determined to apply the highest possible standards of information design to make the system clear, accessible, easy to use and the results accurate.

What Stefan Sagmeister has learned in his life so far
'Things I Have Learned in My Life So Far," celebrates a seven-year project in which Sagmeister dreamed up unorthodox ways of spelling out slogans in public places around the world.

Women go for watches
One of the strongest trends to come out of the Basel watch fair in Switzerland this past April was a new focus on the women's watch market.

Britain winds up a home of masters again
With London again claiming supremacy, at least in matters of global style and the vogue for all things British, a bevy of contemporary brands, most of them Swiss-made, are resurrecting the British horological tradition.

Soviet meets Swiss: Sturdy utilitarianism "inspired" design
Developing an all-consuming passion for Soviet watches -- from the dawn of the Bolshevik revolution in 1917 to the demise of the Soviet system in the early 1990s.

The strange collision of fashion and dog shows
Now that Uno, the 15-inch beagle, has captured the crown, becoming the first of his breed to win best in show at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show, it seems fitting to consider an overlooked aspect of this crowd-pleasing sport: the strange collision of fashion and dog shows.

L.A. - A fashion world of its own
In the days of wagon trains and Gold Rush, there was talk of a republic of California. It never happened - but even now some people say Los Angeles is in its own little world, especially when it comes to fashion and lifestyle trends.

Madonna, Malawi and Gucci
Madonna, Gucci and a slew of celebs - from an all-smiling, gum-chewing Tom Cruise, through pretty-in-pink Gwyneth Paltrow to Drew Barrymore and Jennifer Lopez - set New York Fashion Week alight.

Avedon exhibit in Milan
An exhibition of the work of photographer Richard Avedon celebrates his collaboration with the fashion house Versace.

Oscars's fashion coordinator: Expect color, color, color
Hollywood stars and the designers who dress them grabbed Oscar's spotlight on Wednesday in a fashion preview featuring vivid colors and the sparkling jewelry expected to wow fans on the Academy Awards' red carpet.

Perfume fades in popularity among Americans
At a time when the number of perfumes on shelves has dramatically increased, consumption of fragrances is declining, industry analysts said.

Bringing a sense of soul back to Estée Lauder
Aerin Lauder brings family sensibility to the beauty company founded by her grandmother.

Muscovites find beauty in makeup and fragrances
The world of beauty has become a focal point in the minds of Russian consumers.