JANUARY
5 Several changes — including new venues and IMG’s acquisition of Made Fashion Week — are slated for New York Fashion Week following the departure of Mercedes-Benz as its title sponsor.
5 Nanette Lepore agrees to sell majority ownership of her brand to Bluestar Alliance LLC.
5 Stella McCartney and Adidas team up for StellaSport, an athletic collection aimed at a younger audience.
6 Coach finalizes a deal to acquire Stuart Weitzman for just shy of $600 million from Sycamore Partners.
7 Macy’s Inc. International Concepts brand celebrates its 30th anniversary with ambassador Heidi Klum and Gabriel Aubry.
7 Jonathan Anderson joins the all-star jury for the LVMH Prize.
7 Chris Burch shutters his C. Wonder brand, laying off 100 staffers and closing 11 stores.
8 Target and Lilly Pulitzer reveal their collaboration for spring.
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12 Frida Giannini makes an early exit from Gucci after principals terminate her contract early.
13 John Galliano makes his debut at Maison Margiela couture.
14 A guilty verdict is issued for three Teresa Moda warehouse managers for charges pertaining to a fire in a Prato, Tuscany, factory that killed seven Chinese garment workers.
14 Haute Hippie, the contemporary brand from Trish Wescoat Pound, looks for investment and is said to be drawing interest from a number of would-be partners.
15 CFDA discloses plans for the online-only Fashion Calendar, which it acquired from founder Ruth Finley.
16 Dean and Dan Caten mark the 20th anniversary of Dsquared2.
16 Fendi teams with Rihanna, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jourdan Dunn and others on a charity project to inaugurate the brand’s flagship on Madison Avenue.
19 José Luis Duran exits as chief executive officer of Lacoste.
20 Macy’s launches an exclusive multiyear collection with Thalía Sodi, the Mexican songstress, soap star and wife of music mogul Tommy Mottola.
20 Christophe Lemaire re-brands his label as simply Lemaire and plans a redesign for spring.
21 Converse and Ralph Lauren reach a settlement to terminate a trademark infringement case involving footwear.
21 Moschino opens its first store in Los Angeles at 8933 Beverly Boulevard.
21 Tommy Hilfiger launches a digital sales showroom at its New York headquarters, eliminating the need for physical samples.
22 Gucci names Alessandro Michele creative director.
22: Coach pledges $500,000 to FMI, or Fashion Manufacturing Initiative, a CFDA program in partnership with the New York City Economic Development Corporation.
23 Michael Kors divulges plans for a 7,800-square-foot store in Tokyo’s Ginza district.
26 Despite record sales in 2014, couture shows begin in Paris with a feeling of uncertainty on the heels of terror attacks at the Charlie Hebdo magazine headquarters.
27 An eclectic crowd gathers at the Chateau Marmont to toast Rodarte’s sneaker collaboration with Superga.
27 Mulberry taps Georgia May Jagger as the face of the brand in a campaign shot by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin.
28 New York-based designer and Parsons graduate Ximon Lee scoops the international H&M Design Award.
28 Bergdorf Goodman gives Alexander Wang creative license to take over two of its Fifth Avenue windows, stage an installation and design a sneaker-themed pop-up on the contemporary floor 5F.
FEBRUARY
2 Derek Lam gets in on the ath-leisure trend through a deal with Gap-owned Athleta.
3 Former Dolce & Gabbana president Federica Marchionni joins Lands’ End as ceo.
4 Viktor & Rolf exit ready-to-wear to focus on couture, fragrance and special projects.
5 Under Armour drops $560 million to buy two wellness companies, MyFitnessPal and Endomondo.
9 New York Fashion Week’s economic impact nears $900 million a year, more than the U.S. Open, the 2014 Super Bowl and the New York City Marathon.
9 In a first for Fashion Group International, Sally LaPointe and Haus Alkire’s Julie Haus and Jason Alkire tie for FGI’s Rising Star women’s wear award.
10 Michael Kors opens a 22,000-square-foot store in SoHo — his largest one to date.
11 Balmain opens a 2,350-square-foot London flagship, aiming to generate about $2.8 million in first-year sales via local shoppers and tourists from the Middle East and Asia.
12 In a two-fold partnership, Apple and Pinterest team up with Apple launching its first boards on Pinterest and a new iteration of the Rich Pin, or pins that include information like real-time pricing of a product, where to buy something or maps, addresses and phone numbers.
12 New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio triples the city’s investment in fashion to $15 million to play up Made in New York goods and, as an aside, names a street in the Bronx after Oscar de la Renta.
12 Supreme creative director Brendon Babenzien exits after 20 years to start the men’s wear label Noah.
12 Jay-Z recruits Patrick Guadagno (a former Versace and Dolce & Gabbana executive) to join Roc Nation Apparel as ceo.
17 Yoox launches an e-commerce app in China, knowing that Chinese consumers spent nearly $150 million shopping with mobile devices in 2014.
25 Mark Wahlberg teams up with Indian Motorcycle for a limited-edition apparel collection and borrowed a few bikes to ride in “Daddy’s Home.”
27 Gwyneth Paltrow invests in Juice Beauty, which in turn invests in Paltrow’s Goop site and will collaborate on a range of beauty products.
MARCH
2 Giorgio Armani unveils his new women’s line called “New Normal.”
3 Sephora launches a facial contouring app called Map My Beauty.
4 The first major retrospective of Oscar de la Renta’s work opens at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
5 Givenchy opens a men’s flagship in the Marais district of Paris.
5 Olivier Rousteing hits 1 million followers on Instagram, making him the fourth most-influential French person on the platform.
9 Kanye West hosts a surprise concert at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris.
10 “Zoolander 2” stars Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson close the Valentino fall 2015 show.
12 The Daily Front Row starts a pay-for-play model for editorial coverage.
12 Reed Krakoff closes operations.
15 Elton John calls for a Dolce & Gabbana boycott following the designers’ comments about “traditional families.”
19 Peter Dundas is appointed creative director of Roberto Cavalli.
23 Marc Jacobs ceases production of contemporary label Marc by Marc Jacobs and assimilates the lower price point into signature collection.
26 Kendall Jenner stars in Calvin Klein’s campaign for #mycalvins Denim Series, a limited-edition, logo-driven offering.
31 Chanel’s Métiers d’Art Show bows at the Park Avenue Armory in New York, a restaging of the brand’s Paris-Salzburg show held in December.
APRIL
6 Steven Alan hires Financo Inc. to find an investor to help his brand grow.
8 Valentino unveils its biggest global flagship on Piazza di Spagna in Rome.
9 Donna Karan and The New School’s Parsons School of Design plan to open DOT — the Design, Organization, Training Center for Haitian artists in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
10 Before its dive into e-commerce planned for 2016, Chanel discloses plans to test digital waters with a fine jewelry in-store shop on Net-a-porter.com.
13 IMG confirms that New York Fashion Week will move to two spaces in September: Skylight at Moynihan Station in Midtown and Skylight Clarkson Sq in SoHo.
14 French and Japanese fashion brand Maison Kitsuné opens its second flagship in New York on the Lower East Side.
16 Carine Roitfeld says she will collaborate on a capsule collection with Uniqlo.
17 Catherine Malandrino is honored with the Chevalier of the French Order of Arts and Letters.
20 Thakoon Panichgul is next up in Kohl’s seventh installment of its DesigNation limited-edition collection, with a misses’ line of apparel and accessories.
20 The Benetton Group contributes $1.1 million to the Rana Plaza Donors Trust Fund.
21 Alice + Olivia partners with the CFDA on a new three-year program to support the organization’s efforts in promoting young fashion designers.
21 Thom Browne teams with the Joyce Group to open a flagship in Hong Kong, his first in China.
22 Max Mara partners with the new Whitney Museum of American Art for its official unveiling.
22 Heidi Klum launches contemporary bras and panties, Heidi by Heidi Klum, exclusively at Macy’s.
24 WWD publishes its final printed newspaper edition.
27 Annelie Schubert scoops the Première Vision Grand Prize at the 30th edition of the Hyères International Festival of Fashion and Photography.
28 Diane von Furstenberg taps Paolo Riva as chief executive officer, a new post.
28 Designers, editors, former colleagues, executives, socialites and family turned out at a memorial service in New York for John B. Fairchild, former chairman and editorial director of Fairchild Publications and publisher of WWD, who died Feb. 27.
29 Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne of Public School are named creative directors of DKNY.
29 Bertrand Guyon, a couture designer at Valentino, is named design director of Schiaparelli.
29 Woolmark nominates Teatum Jones, J. JS Lee, Thomas Tait, Fyodor Golan, Phoebe English, Agi & Sam, Craig Green, A. Sauvage, Lee Roach and Kit Neale as nominees for the International Woolmark Prize.
MAY
1 Clessidra acquires a 90 percent stake in Roberto Cavalli and sets its sights on an IPO.
4 Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli unveil the Rem Koolhaas-designed headquarters of the Fondazione Prada in Milan.
5 Gap Inc. reveals it will open its first store in India on May 30 at the Select Citywalk mall in Delhi.
5 The Nordstrom brothers, Blake, Pete and Erik, are named copresidents, a change that falls in line with the corporation’s unorthodox approach to management.
6 Jewel thieves rob a Cartier store in Cannes a week before the city’s famous film festival.
6 J.C. Penney Co. Inc. and Joe Fresh end their relationship and remove in-store shops from the department store’s floors.
6 Bonobos founder Andy Dunn steps down to make way for Coach Inc. veteran Francine Della Badia, who takes over as ceo.
6 Alibaba reveals that Daniel Zhang, its former chief operating officer, will become ceo.
7 House of Holland says it will launch a men’s line.
8 Drake curates music for Sotheby’s “I Like It Like This” exhibition.
8 Ralph Lauren says it will open a luxe concept in Milan in September. A month later, it reveals plans for the first Polo stand-alone shop in Italy.
8 IMG opts out of Miami Swim Fashion Week.
11 Wal-Mart acquires 13 former Target locations in Canada.
12 Farfetch buys London department store Browns.
13 Sephora and JD.com partner to launch an online China flagship.
14 Johan Lindeberg exits BLK DNM, which he founded in 2010.
15 Patti Cohen, Donna Karan’s chief of marketing and public relations, leaves the company.
18 H&M and Balmain reveal their collaboration in the fall.
19 American Eagle Outfitters Inc. expands its portfolio of international stores through licensing arrangements with retailers in Greece, South Korea and Singapore.
22 Despite claims that Kanye West was planning to purchase the bankrupt online streetwear retailer, Karmaloop is sold to Comvest Partners and CapX Partners for $13 million.
26 Band of Outsiders shutters its business.
28 Ralph Lauren joins the men’s show schedule in Milan and New York.
JUNE
1 Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s partner with George Zimmer, founder and ousted chairman of Men’s Wearhouse, on his new concept, zTailors, to provide customized alterations for customers who shop for men’s and women’s apparel online.
June 3: Proenza Schouler inks a fragrance deal with L’Oréal.
4 Gawker Media employees unionize with the Writers Guild in New York, making Gawker the first major digital media company to organize.
5 Christian Siriano signs a collaboration deal with Lane Bryant.
9 Sarah Jessica Parker becomes the face of Jordache jeans.
10 Nike is named the official uniform and apparel provider for the NBA, succeeding Adidas, which withdrew from extending its contract with the league.
15 Gap says it will close 175 stores in North America.
15 Alessandro Cremonesi leaves his post as ceo of Jil Sander.
16 Men’s wear designer Aaron Levine departs Club Monaco for Abercrombie & Fitch.
19 J. Crew fires Alejandro Rhett, its vice president of men’s merchandising, after he posts distasteful photos on Instagram about layoffs at the company.
22 Proenza Schouler brings on Castanea Partners as a minority investor, and ceo Shirley Cook is replaced by Ron Frasch.
24 Unilever acquires Dermalogica.
30 Nike founder Phil Knight, who had been the chairman of the company since stepping down as ceo, announces he will exit the brand and recommends Mark Parker, president and ceo, to succeed him as chairman in 2016.
JULY
July 5: Princess Charlotte is christened in London.
6 Tory Burch opens a Paris flagship on Rue Saint-Honoré.
6 Louis Vuitton opens La Galerie museum on Paris’ western edge.
8 Karl Lagerfeld’s Chanel couture show converts the Grand Palais into the Cercle Privé casino.
9 Valentino takes over Rome with its couture show, flagship opening and special city-themed exhibition.
13 J. Crew reveals plan to launch a lower-priced division called J. Crew Mercantile.
13 Stefano Pilati says he will exit Agnona.
14 The inaugural New York Fashion Week: Men’s launches.
14 Jill Granoff resigns as ceo of Vince.
15 Amazon launches Prime Day, its first e-commerce holiday, taking a cue from Alibaba’s Singles Day.
16 John Varvatos runway show closes NYFW: Men’s.
17 China’s Canudilo retail group acquires a majority stake in Dirk Bikkembergs.
17 Activist investor Starboard Value reveals a stake in Macy’s, and asks the retailer to unlock the value in its real estate.
21 Marquee Brands acquires Ben Sherman for $63.7 million from Oxford Industries.
23 Hudson’s Bay Co. creates a venture with Simon Property Group to capitalize on undervalued real estate assets.
28 Converse’s Chuck II sneaker hits retail.
29: Belgian fashion fund CLCC SA is awarded Band of Outsiders’ name and inventory at a public auction.
AUGUST
2 Beatrice Borromeo wears Armani Privé to the religious ceremony of her marriage to Pierre Casiraghi.
4 Neiman Marcus files for an IPO, the plans for which are later stalled.
6 Following an eight-year run, Brooks Brothers says it will drop its Black Fleece line designed by Thom Browne.
11 The Chinese government devalues the yuan by nearly 2 percent, sending ripples of fear through the financial community that the nation’s bubble had finally burst.
12 Social media public relation stars Aliza Licht of DKNY and Erika Bearman of Oscar de la Renta both reveal plans to depart their respective positions.
17 The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute says its 2015 exhibit “China: Through the Looking Glass” attracted a record number of attendees — outpacing its former top attraction, “Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty,” in 2011.
31 The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute curator Harold Koda says he will retire in early 2016.
31 Givenchy’s creative director Riccardo Tisci breaks with convention and discloses a lottery enabling 820 members of the public to win tickets to the French label’s New York Fashion Week show.
SEPTEMBER
2 Natalie Massenet resigns as executive chairman of the Net-a-porter group, following the firm’s merger with the Yoox Group.
9 At its fall keynote, Apple surprises the fashion community by revealing a watch design tie-up with Hermès.
10 Primark makes landfall in the U.S. and opens its first store in Boston’s Downtown Crossing district.
11 Hermès says it has mended relations with Birkin Bag muse Jane Birkin, after a video reportedly showing poor conditions at its crocodile farms upset the animal-friendly chanteuse.
14 With the spring 2016 fashion show season, onetime-upstart talents Phillip Lim, Alexander Wang and Nicholas Kirkwood each mark 10 years in the business.
16 Public School’s Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne unveil their vision for DKNY at New York Fashion Week.
17 Marc Jacobs switches his fashion show location from its traditional home at the Lexington Avenue Armory to the famous Ziegfeld Theater, where he presents his new singular brand vision.
22 Hearst Corp. invests $21 million in pop culture media force Complex.
24 Carine Roitfeld and Uniqlo unveil their high-street collaboration, inspired by the editrix’s signature style.
29 Ralph Lauren abdicates his role as chief executive officer of his namesake brand, installing Old Navy alum Stefan Larsson in his place. Lauren remains executive chairman and chief creative officer.
OCTOBER
2. Instead of a traditional show, Tom Ford presents his spring collection in a runway film shot by Nick Knight and starring Lady Gaga.
2. Christopher Bastian leaves his post as creative director of Gant.
3. Jimmy Fallon and G-III will collaborate on a sports apparel line, Hands High, which features team logos under a fan’s arms.
3. Guests at Dior’s Paris ready-to-wear show entered through a mountain of blue delphiniums, built in the urban courtyard of the Carrée du Louvre.
3. Coach opens its first flagship in Paris, on Rue Saint-Honoré, near fashion hangout Hôtel Costes.
8. Giorgio Armani teams with La Cinémathèque française in Paris to support an exhibition dedicated to Martin Scorsese.
12. Karl Lagerfeld announces his e-commerce launch with Artnet.com, which is to auction off three one-of-a-kind bags along with the original sketches by the designer.
13. Facebook says it will test a shopping section to make it a one-stop mobile hub.
15. Moncler launches a capsule collection with Los Angeles-based artist duo Friends With You to mark the opening of its Ginza flagship in Tokyo.
16. Ralph Lauren opens his first store in Brooklyn, a Double RL men’s shop in Williamsburg.
27. Chanel teams with TriBeCa Enterprises on the launch of Through Her Lens: The Tribeca Chanel Women’s Filmmaker Program, designed to support emerging women filmmakers.
30. Chemena Kamali and Lucio Finale design Lanvin’s pre-fall 2016 collection after the ouster of Alber Elbaz.
NOVEMBER
2 In an ongoing copyright infringement lawsuit filed by graffiti artist Rime, Jeremy Scott shoots back with a declaration claiming that a graphic designer at Moschino “selected and created” the print in question.
3 Prabal Gurung is said to be looking for an investor to spur growth.
3 The British Fashion Council will honor Karl Lagerfeld with the Outstanding Achievement award at the British Fashion Awards.
4 Chanel delves deeper into multichannel retailing with plans to begin selling its eyewear online in the U.S.
4 Kate Spade will launch a shoe and handbag line called Frances Valentine, her first venture since exiting her namesake brand in 2007.
4 Burberry is merging its Prorsum, London and Brit collections under a new, single Burberry label.
4 The newly restored Trevi Fountain is unveiled in Rome after months of work financed by Fendi.
5 Olivier Rousteing’s Balmain x H&M collection receives a frenzied response at retail, with a few ardent fans lining up for days in advance.
6 Sources deny that Raf Simons could be heading to Calvin Klein in a top creative role anytime soon, citing a stringent non-compete agreement with Dior.
9 Model Martha Hunt previews the standout Swarovski look in advance of the 20th annual Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.
10 Former head of design at Dries Van Noten, Sander Lak, plans to launch a women’s ready-to-wear label called Sies Marjan.
11 Alber Elbaz joins Instagram.
17 Carolina Herrera receives the Portrait of a Nation Prize at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington.
17 Fendi is set to unveil its newly refurbished Palazzo Fendi as a hotel — which will also contain the brand’s largest store in the world.
17 The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute inaugurates its exhibition, “Jacqueline de Ribes: The Art of Style.”
18 Marcus Wainwright and David Neville step in as co-chief executive officers of Rag & Bone, taking the reins from former ceo Michael Tucci.
19 Actress Kristen Stewart channels a young Coco Chanel in Karl Lagerfeld’s latest film for Chanel, “Once and Forever.”
19 Gwyneth Paltrow’s first Goop Mrkt pop-up store in New York will partner with Valentino on a “Wonder Woman Valentino” capsule collection.
20 Chanel expands and revamps its London watch and fine jewelry boutique with help from Peter Marino.
20 John Demsey is promoted to executive group president at Estée Lauder Cos. Inc. and Jane Hertzmark Hudis rises to group president in the wake of Lynne Greene’s decision to retire.
23 Former CFDA executive director Peter Arnold is named ceo at Cushnie et Ochs, which sold a minority stake in the business to Farol Asset Management and a group of fashion investors.
23 Renzo Rosso’s OTB purchases Marni in full after acquiring a 61 percent stake three years ago.
24 Original founders of Vince, Rea Laccone and Christopher LaPolice, return to the brand to oversee product, merchandising and creative efforts under a two-year consulting pact.
24 Jonathan Anderson wins the two top prizes at the British Fashion Awards: Menswear and Womenswear Designer of the Year.
25 Simon Holloway is tapped as Agnona’s creative director.
25 To mark its 30th anniversary, Paris museum Les Arts Décoratifs will showcase 300 years of fashion history in its next exhibition.
25 Harold Koda will be saluted with the Lifetime Achievement award at the Pratt Institute Fashion Show + Cocktail Benefit.
30 LVMH takes minority stake in jeweler Gaia Repossi.
30 Versace christens a flagship in Tokyo — its third store opened in the city in 2015.
DECEMBER
3. Louis Vuitton mounts an exhibition at the Grand Palais that decrypts more than 160 years of history of the storied trunk-maker-turned-leather-goods-powerhouse.
7. Valentino and Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop collaborate on a capsule collection.
7. Nike seals a lifetime deal with NBA star LeBron James, whose namesake sneaker sales reached about $400 million this year.
8. Buzz among the Brits: Jonathan Saunders shutters his business, parting ways with business partner, Eiesha Bharti Pasricha, but retaining rights to his name, while Thomas Tait rethinks the runway.
9. Alexander Wang launches a jewelry line featuring locks and chains.
10. Warren Buffett takes an 8 percent stake in Eddie Lampert’s Seritage Growth Properties Inc., the real estate investment trust that was spun off from Sears in July.
11. Vivian Chou’s company Bright Fame Fashion acquires a controlling interest in Thakoon Corp.
14. Jared Leto is named the new face of Gucci Guilty men’s fragrance.
14. Louis Vuitton and its artistic director of women’s collections Nicolas Ghesquière have confirmed May 28 as the date for their cruise in Rio de Janeiro. The increasingly itinerant fashion season is to begin on May 3 with a Chanel show in Havana, while Gucci is heading to London for its cruise showing on June 2.
14. Rebecca Minkoff says she’ll take her fashion show straight to consumers in February — and will present her spring collection that will already be in stores, rather than her fall one.