Weather Gauge: Balmy Temps Boost Retail but Chill Is Forecast

Balmy weather in January sent shoppers to malls, where they not only bought clothes on sale, but picked up full-priced spring fashions, too.

Kalman Ruttenstein, Blooming­dale’s late senior vice president of fashion direction, left an estate worth more than $1 million.

Avon Products’ fourth-quarter profits fell by nearly 37 percent, hurt by restructuring costs and higher-priced discounting.

Berkshire Partners has made an investment of $250 million to $300 million in Citizens of Humanity and now holds a majority stake in the firm.

“I’m not trying to take over the world, but I do want to show that accessories can be made from a more ethical viewpoint.”

A brief look at some of the day’s stories.

Olympus Fashion Week doesn’t officially begin until today, but Elie Tahari, Ports 1961 and Reyes got a head start on the field.

Gap has transformed dramatically since the San Francisco-based company started in 1969.

Parfums Givenchy apparently wants an upscale, aristocratic image for its next women’s fragrance, with an ad campaign reportedly starring Marie de Villepin.

Tom Ford is feeling blue–the blue of the Mediterranean sea, that is with Azuree, his second collection for the Estee Lauder brand.

Marc Jacobs plans to wade back into the fragrance spotlight this spring with Marc Jacobs Splash, a trio of limited-edition scents.

The dapper rapper waded into a melange of celebrities ranging from Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, Nelly, Kelis and Ashanti to the likes of Rev. Al Sharpton, Pamela Anderson and Ben Stiller.

Beauty companies remain committed to supporting fashion week, with a host of players spinning fresh ideas to get in on what has become a marketing must for brands seeking glamour status.

Tokyo-based Kanebo Cosmetics Inc., whose acquisition by Kao Corp. was officially completed this week, is eyeing China, Europe and the U.S. as growth markets.

One reason mass market beauty sales increases are stalled at less than 4 percent is because shoppers aren’t inspired to buy beauty on impulse.

Following sales declines, Max Factor has tapped its best chance of capturing the fashion-forward, makeup aficionado it calls its ‘target customer’: Pat McGrath.

For years the show has raised the profiles of smaller entrepreneurial companies by shining a spotlight on their brands.

Thanks to several recent fragrance launches and strong December sales with the Prevage skin care line, Elizabeth Arden Inc. reported a 4.1 percent increase in net income on a 7.1 percent gain in net sales for the second quarter of fiscal 2006.

What do Glamour, Gwyneth Paltrow and a bunch of snow have in common? On the surface, not much.

New editors taking over existing magazines have a safety net of sorts: the ability to blame their predecessors for the parts of the magazine that don’t quite work.

U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman launched negotiations for a free trade agreement with South Korea on Thursday.

Standing beneath oversized photographs of the honorees’ signature work, Stan Herman offered pithy comments about Oleg Cassini, Carolina Herrera, Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, Mary McFadden, Diane von Furstenberg and Vera Wang.

Hazel Haire, a women’s fashion designer who often collaborated with her husband, Bill, died Jan. 24 at the Chapin Home in Queens, N.Y. She was 70.