The Marc Jacobs brand is arguably one of the most dynamic labels in the current marketplace. Sales were up 30%, at last check, while advertising campaigns remain gossip page fodder and boutiques continue opening at a rapid pace, most recently in Paris and Moscow. We caught up with Robert Duffy, vice-president of Marc Jacobs, while he was in Moscow to launch the brand's first boutique in conjunction with the Landau Fashion Group. Duffy gave us the lowdown on the company’s recent real estate explosion, what it's like dipping into Russian territory and why Victoria Beckham likes to pal around in a paper bag.

JC Report: What is the core of the Marc Jacobs brand?

Robert Duffy: Marc is the "core," and the fact that the brand is so developed in many ways.  read more »

Amusement is the first high-class lifestyle magazine dedicated to video games, digital entertainment and interactive culture—an expansive approach that has completely redefined traditional gamer magazines. Amusement puts top journalists from around the world in dialogue with equally impressive and international artists for a new angle on digital entertainment. The outstanding content is complemented by the publication's sophisticated aesthetic, thanks to contributions from world-renowned graphic designers, illustrators and photographers. JC Report recently caught up with Amusement's founder and editor-in-chief, Abdel Bounane, in Paris to talk about his background, what led him to create the magazine and his strategic plans for the future.

JC Report: How did you come up with the idea for Amusement?

Abdel Bounane: Playing video games has become a mass pleasure, but classic video and technology magazines tend to address solely teenagers. Their tone, artistic direction and editorial line hasn't really changed since the '80s when video games were just a pastime for kids.  read more »

In most parts of the world, "well-edited" is one of the highest compliments given to a boutique. But in Russian retail, as with many other things, the less-is-more ethos is a foreign concept. Rather than fill retail spaces with a succinct selection of painstakingly chosen items, Moscow's multi-brand boutiques contain an assortment of labels more extensive than any we've seen to date and that's even with an economic crisis looming.
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Moscow may harbor as many designer boutiques as any of the world's major fashion capitals, but given the solid display of talent seen during the city's recent fashion week, it seems surprising that more of those boutiques aren't fronted by Russian designers. And yet, three of the country's most celebrated names have recently opened their own shops in the capitol, combining innovative design and lifestyle elements with a distinct national flavor.
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Clemens en August is a unique, touring concept store. The chic, minimalist collection is sold on tour twice a year in select contemporary art galleries and museums around the world. The roving retail company with a minimalist aesthetic has a travel calendar that reads like a famous rock band's tour stops, and features a roll call of the world's most avant-garde galleries and museums.  read more »

As recession fears grow stronger by the day, there's no question that the fashion world is feeling the vertigo of the stock market roller coaster. Last week alone, Women's Wear Daily reported that US retailers are cutting orders by an average of 10-15% due to the economic climate, while it was announced that consumer confidence reached an all-time low in October. Given these factors, it would be easy to think the nation has put its credit cards on lockdown.  read more »

Hussein Chalayan first highlighted the relationship between furniture and fashion in his autumn/winter '00 collection. In a runway twist that few can forget, models took apart prop furniture and began putting it on as clothes—chairs seemed to transform into dresses and a coffee table became a skirt. Though the two artistic mediums are rarely considered in conjunction, Chalayan's memorable show has opened a dialogue between fashion and furniture designers that continues to this day.
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An Vandevorst and Filip Arickx recently rang in ten years of partnership under their label A.F. Vandevorst. Lauded as the "new guard" of Belgian superstars by America Vogue's Anna Wintour, the Belgian design duo have produced some of the most varied and creative ready-to-wear collections and costumes over the last ten years—giving fashion a structural and intelligent aesthetic to keep up with.  read more »

New York City's venerable punk-rock outlet BESS is hitting its stride. Buoyed by fashion's current affair with rock 'n roll—from Balmain's rocker runway to Alexander Wang's nouveau grunge looks—the beloved store's selection of reworked vintage and studded apparel is a hotbed of activity for biker babes and It girls alike.
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The neighborhood of San Telmo hides magnificent treasures of an almost-forgotten past—when Argentina was one of the richest countries in the world and Buenos Aires the Pearl of South America. Beginning in the second half of the 19th century, porteños began importing the finest goods from all across the globe—a symbol of the triumph of colonialism and the predecessor of post-modern globalization.
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