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–Nikki Cho Russo

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Banana Republic Opens SoHo Prototype

by JEAN E. PALMIERI

A new Banana Republic has sprouted in SoHo. 

On Wednesday, the upscale division of Gap Inc. unveiled the New York City version of its new store prototype at 552 Broadway between Prince and Spring Streets. 

The two-level, 18,000-square-foot store offers a series of “boutiques” off a main boulevard, each designed “like idealized walk-in closets,” the company said. For example, the highest-priced Monogram collection is front and center and there are “hubs” for accessories, city work, city weekend, a “going-out room” and the vintage-inspired Heritage collection. Jewelry, handbags, shoes, eyewear and small leather goods also are offered, along with Banana Republic’s two newest fragrances, the Republic of Men and Republic of Women. 

The store is split evenly between men’s and women’s wear, with women’s housed on the main floor and men’s — outside of Monogram — on the upper level. A wall that separates men’s from women’s on the main floor will eventually be removed once the proper variances can be obtained, a spokeswoman said. 

The company was careful to retain the architectural significance of the landmark building, incorporating 19th-century cast-iron columns and mosaic floors into the design. Blending old and new, the unit also features a new sweeping staircase to the second floor as well as a curated assortment of artwork from local artists. 

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Jason Wu to Design Capsule Line for Tse

by MARC KARIMZADEH

NEW YORK — Jason Wu is joining the ranks of designers who moonlight on the side. 

Tse has tapped Wu to create a limited edition collection for fall 2010. The capsule assortment will be unveiled to press and buyers during New York Fashion Week in February, and consists of about 15 looks for women. 

For Wu, the collaboration is an extension of an existing partnership. Tse has been producing his knitwear for the past two seasons, and the designer worked closely with Christina Peng-Gerschultz, who was promoted to Tse’s chief executive officer in September. 

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Dress Shirt Brands Evoke Americana Themes

by BRENNER THOMAS

Americana, that lineup of sartorial archetypes that stretches from preppy schoolboys and elegant Gatsbys to starched World War II officers and dusty hobos, has seeped beyond trend-oriented sportswear collections to the staid environs of the dress shirt floor. 

Taking cues from American-inspired designer collections such as Woolrich Woolen Mills and Thom Browne, dress shirt makers have begun to include more vintage references in their ranges, like old school collars and patterns and time-honored fabrics. 

“In uncertain economic times, people seek nostalgia,” said Mitch Lechner, president of Phillips-Van Heusen’s dress shirt division. “It’s safer and more classic. Men don’t want to take risks, so they find vetted styles they feel aren’t risky.” 

Within the PVH portfolio, styles based on preppy classics such as banker stripes and oxford cloth are trending in the Trump and Eagle brands. Button-down collars — an American invention more associated with sport shirts than dress shirts — have been selling well in both Tommy Hilfiger and Van Heusen. 

The more casual collar, Lechner said, is not only an appeal to a more relaxed down-home style, but also a rejection of the European influence that has long held sway over American men’s wear.

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Black Eyed Peas Musician Taboo in Sneaker Deal

by DAVID LIPKE

After bandmate Will.i.am’s launch of a licensed men’s collection at Project in September, Black Eyed Peas musician Taboo is getting into the fashion game as well, via a line of cobranded sneakers with footwear maker Jump. The $298 sneakers will be available exclusively at five Saks Fifth Avenue stores this month, with distribution expanding to other high-end retailers in February. 

“The moment I wore my first pair of Jump shoes I knew there was something extra fresh and unique about them,” said Taboo, whose given name is Jaime Gomez. “It went perfectly with my style and it had such a great fit while I performed on stage. I’m so honored to have the opportunity to collaborate with such a great company.” 

Jump Corp. is a New York-based footwear maker that was founded in Taiwan in 1975. This year, the company launched Jump Deluxe, a line of fashion-forward sneakers, at Bloomingdale’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, Zappos.com and Amazon’s Endless.com, which was the foundation of the new Taboo collaboration. 

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Brioni’s Collaborates With Royal College of Art

by SAMANTHA CONTI

LONDON — What’s lighter than a jacket, but weightier than a shirt? 

Brioni has asked students at the Royal College of Art to solve that sartorial riddle by re-creating the camigiacca, or shirt jacket, as part of an ongoing collaboration between the Roman brand and the London institution. 

“We looked in our archives and found about 70 different camigiacche, and I thought we could challenge the students to update it,” said Antonella De Simone, the brand’s communication manager, at a recent luncheon here. 

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Fashion Scoops: Alaïa’s Italians… Heading to Blass?… Beth Ditto, Burning Bright…

by WWD Staff

LORD OF THE RING: The Memphis Group, the colorful Italian design and architecture movement from the Eighties, is on display at designer Azzedine Alaïa’s gallery in Paris until Dec. 4. Architect Michele De Lucchi said he continues to win commissions for avant-garde designs. “I have a lot of work in Georgia, including a bridge called the ‘Bridge of Peace,’ made out of metal and glass,” he said. The bridge is to be inaugurated on May 5. Among some of the notable works on display is Japanese architect Massimo Umeda’s “Ring,” a bed in the form of a boxing ring. Designed in 1981, the bed was purchased by Karl Lagerfeld and placed in his Monegasque villa.

TRYING AGAIN: There are rumblings Jeffrey Monteiro is next in line to design a women’s collection for Bill Blass. Executives at Peacock International Holdings declined to comment Wednesday other than to say news about its plans for Bill Blass should be revealed in the next few weeks. Peacock bought Blass for $10 million from NexCen in late December, just a week or so after NexCen had laid off 60 staffers and pulled the plug on the New York operations of Blass. In 2001, Monteiro relocated to New York from Australia to work in design for Mayle, and later served as design director at Derek Lam, where he also worked on the Tod’s ready-to-wear collection. Monteiro launched his own collection in the fall.

LONDON LUMINARIES: The British Fashion Council is celebrating its 25th anniversary by honoring a leading London fashion figure at its annual British Fashion Awards in December. The winner of the onetime award, called London 25, will be decided by a public vote being held on the British Fashion Awards’ Web site, britishfashionawards.com. According to the BFC, the winner should embody “the spirit of London,” alongside acting as an international ambassador for the city’s fashion industry. The BFC has posted a list of suggested nominees for whom visitors can vote on the site, which includes designers Alexander McQueen and Sir Paul Smith; fashion platesSienna Miller, Alexa Chung and Kate Moss, and retail figures such as Topshop owner Sir Philip Green and Joan Burstein of Browns. The winner will be revealed at the Dec. 9 ceremony to be held at London’s Royal Courts of Justice.

NUDE TO TOWN: Rem Koolhaas did not have a hand in the design of his nephew’s new futuristic United Nude boutique in Amsterdam, but the kin, who share the same name, seem to share the creative gene. Like his namesake, the junior Koolhaas is a big believer in retail theater. “For me, the shops are about experience,” he said Tuesday. To that end, the United Nude store is entirely dark, save for The Wall of Light, a computer-powered LED wall that illuminates a gridlike area with individual shoes that are encapsulated like art. United Nude’s molded footwear with carbon heels lend themselves to the artistic presentation. The younger Koolhaas plans to open stores in Shanghai and New York next year. He also has teamed up with a group of photographers for an exhibition and book that will be showcased in Shanghai at next year’s World Expo.