Meet Bill McComb: Claiborne’s New CEO Up for the Challenge

Microsoft chief executive officer Steve Ballmer outlined the company’s vision for retail at the National Retail Federation conference here Monday.

Shares of Gap Inc. are up about 6 percent since the beginning of the year after speculation swirled in the market last week that the company might put itself up for sale.

Investment banking firm Financo Inc. hired Steven H. Reiner as a managing director whose responsibility will be to head the bank’s new West Coast office, located in Beverly Hills.

In a move to put the spotlight back on its suits and sportswear, Givenchy Homme said it would nix runway blowouts, and has scaled back the role of Ozwald Boateng, the Savile Row tailor and reality TV star, WWD has learned.

Tumi is setting sail with David Chu as its first mate. The travel accessories company, which saw retail sales for 2006 hit $350 million, has tapped the Nautica founder to be its creative director.

Direction and Printsource, Bread & Butter, Fashion Market of San Francisco

Laurence Danon is stepping down as president of France’s Printemps, the department store chain confirmed on Monday after weeks of speculation that she was eying the door.

A group of 35 Turkish leather goods makers made their country’s first concerted effort to try to woo U.S. retailers during the inaugural edition of the Turkish Leather Goods show in Manhattan.

Buyers attending last week’s Nouveau Collective at the New Yorker Hotel were on the move to find practical but versatile items to help lift sales after a lackluster holiday selling season.

The dress craze looks set to make it through summer, at least for vendors at the Designers & Agents show. And they would know.

Jeffry Aronsson, most recently chief executive officer of Donna Karan International, has formed a company focused on acquisitions and proprietary brand development in the luxury market.

Ralph Rucci was positively buoyant at Thursday’s opening of the retrospective “Ralph Rucci: The Art of Weightlessness,” at the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology here.

Holiday markdowns at fashion retailers helped drive sales growth last month, although the impact on the bottom line is unclear.

Giorgio Armani has received another RSVP for his couture week festivities in Paris, and it’s a big one.

France’s leading perfumery chain, Marionnaud Parfumeries, is getting a makeover.

Michael Treschow will take over as chairman of Unilever NV and Unilever plc in May, the Anglo-Dutch consumer goods giant announced Friday.

A Paris court on Monday dismissed a claim filed by Karl Lagerfeld against journalist Alicia Drake.

G-Star is about to make its mark on the U.S. The trendy high-end denim brand, which is based in Amsterdam and reported increasing sales in Europe, plans a major growth spurt in the U.S. this year.

DHL, the global transport company, has signed with IMG Fashion to be a sponsor of IMG’s U.S.-based events, including Mercedez-Benz Fashion Week here next month.

Seven For All Mankind has wooed another VF Corp. veteran to its executive ranks and is making moves to overhaul its European management.

Levi Strauss & Co. has tapped a new European president, WWD has learned.

Bebe Stores Inc. has hired model-turned-actress Rebecca Romijn to succeed Mischa Barton as the marketing symbol of its bebe contemporary brand.

Martine Sitbon, a stalwart of the fashion scene here known for tempering a feminine sensibility with a rock edge, is making a comeback two years after her namesake house was forced to close.

Organizers of several international textile fairs scheduled to kick off here next week have momentum on their side.

Supima, the promotional organization representing the American pima cotton industry, will premiere its first textile show here next week, touting a premium message in a prime setting.

The Golden Globes weekend of parties kicked off Thursday night with a trio celebrating – naturally – fashion.

After a mere two months in the job, William L. McComb could be facing his first major crisis as the new chief executive officer of Liz Claiborne Inc.

Before there was Technicolor, Hollywood had little choice but to be all about black and white.

What’s an actress to do when she’s called on at the last minute to be a presenter at the Golden Globes?