As the Dow Jones Industrial Average soared to an all-time high Tuesday on declining oil prices, retail shares went along for the ride. The sector was also strengthened by a robust sales report from Kohl's Corp.

But for retail shares, the day was a clear winner. The S&P Retail Index closed up 1.8 percent to 480.43. In August and early September, the index hovered between 430 and 440. And in July, as gas prices soared at the pump to near $4 a gallon, the index bottomed out at 420.

In the retail sector, some of the top gainers included Limited Brands (up 3.3 percent to $27.65), Nordstrom Inc. (up 2.8 percent to $44.03) and Aeropostale (up 3.1 percent to $30.25). The advances in retail stocks were on top of prior gains made over the past two weeks.

Kohl's, meanwhile, said its September same-store sales rose 16.3 percent, which is far beyond the retailer's planned comps gain of 2 to 4 percent. The stock finished the day up 3.1 percent.

As a result, Goldman Sachs raised its third-quarter earnings-per-share guidance on the retailer to 63 cents from 56 cents. Today, Kohl's is holding an analyst meeting, and Goldman Sachs said it expects "management to highlight its new prototype, an evolution of its current box with more customer-friendly initiatives."

On Thursday, most of the retail sector releases same-store sales. Eric Beder, senior vice president at Brean Murray, Carret & Co., said Tuesday's rally was in anticipation of improved results. "It is going to be a good September due to lower gas prices, colder weather and stronger fashion trends," Beder said. "All these pieces put together will result in good numbers."

Craig Johnson, president of Customer Growth Partners, said the rally in retail "was clearly affected by Kohl's numbers."

"Their results were really very strong, but we do need to put it into perspective a little bit in regards to the surge in stock prices," Johnson explained. "Stock prices have had an up and down year. They are back up again. A major reason they are back up is the decline in gas prices, which began around mid-august or so. Obviously there are some merchants who have done a great job in bringing in new merchandise, but the major reason seems to be declining gas prices, which have been matched only by last fall, when Katrina ran up prices and then they quickly declined."

Johnson said for discretionary items, such as apparel, "consumers feel like they can hold back and see what's going on in the economy. Once the pedal goes off and the needle runs back down, people can start spending again."

Sander's new chapter: Prada to sell brand to London equity fund.

COPYRIGHT 2006 Fairchild Publications, Inc.

MILAN - Only three days after Raf Simons showed his first women's wear collection for Jil Sander, the company is about to undergo another seismic change - new ownership.

Change Capital Partners, a London-based private equity fund headed by former Marks & Spencer chief executive Luc Vandevelde, is buying Sander from Prada Group, WWD has learned.

The deal, which could be announced as soon as today, could signal a new wave of mergers and acquisitions for the fashion and luxury sector (see related story, next page).

purchase price: $119.1 million

Prada Group is said to have held talks with several potential buyers for Sander, including other cash-rich European equity players. It also is understood several parties have expressed interest in the Prada-owned Helmut Lang business.

London-based Change Capital - a 300-million euro fund backed by the Halley family, major shareholders in French retailer Carrefour - clearly has stated its interest in fashion and retail concerns. Last October, it backed the buyout of Republic Retail Ltd., the young adult fashion retailer with 76 locations in the U.K., for 105 million pounds, or $183.2 million.

In an interview last year, Vandevelde told WWD: "Companies with a market-leading product and/or a strongly differentiated customer that offer platforms for growth [are the best investment opportunities].

"Companies that have embraced multichannel strategies and made them work, with robust distribution and fulfillment infrastructures, will rightly be seen by investors as attractive," he said then. "[We] are looking for companies where we can take controlling positions and can identify and create platforms for consolidation and growth."

According to its Web site, Change Capital focuses on middle-market investments that leverage its expertise in retail and consumer industries. It aims to invest between 10 million and 15 million pounds, or $17.4 million to $26.2 million, per transaction.

Meanwhile, Prada Group has been increasingly vocal about its intentions to dispose of money-losing businesses and focus on its core brands of Prada and Miu Miu - with a move to Paris Fashion Week for Miu Miu the latest buzz-inducing initiative. Last fall, Prada chairman Patrizio Bertelli formed a new company, Prada SpA Group, that includes Azzedine Alaa and Car Shoe but excludes Sander, Helmut Lang and its minority interest in Church's.

The group has been busy restructuring Sander to get it to break even on an operating EBITDA level in fiscal 2006 - and thus become more attractive to potential suitors. Key efforts have included whittling down expensive German manufacturing, building Sander's accessories business and introducing new fragrances, a home collection and a relaunched eyewear collection. The most recent financial results indicate Jil Sander Group narrowed its net losses to 9.7 million euros, or $12.3 million, in the first half of its fiscal year on sales that rose 3.1 percent to 69.8 million euros, or $88.6 million.

Still, the house has been rocked by turmoil in the design department practically ever since Prada first acquired its 75 percent stake in Sander in August 1999 for an estimated $105.6 million at the height of the industry's acquisition spree.

Sander's team took over the design reins until the appointment last May of Simons, a Belgian who had won wide acclaim for his modernist men's wear. "I am eager to carry forward the simple and pristine design," he said at the time of his Sander appointment.

如果我一直在这里不动，你依旧会找到我吗

数学做得懊恼，猛然间想起我心爱的GF - Gianfranco Ferre'.
学建筑出身，在建筑毕业生吃香的年代毅然决定从事女装设计，风格自然是结构层次分明。 线条的简明和流畅能与Giorgio Armani媲美，多的是一种其他众多设计师少有的霸气。接近于男装的剪裁以柔软的面料来平衡，传统观念中女性的温柔典雅已不能定义Ferre'所表达的理想女性形象。在尝试男装后更融入较多的硬朗元素，使他手笔下的女人成为时装界最帅的之一！

这个很像上季的Balenciaga, 不过这个面料不同，多了些春夏的飘逸：


Fall 2003


这张让我想起90年代的Giorgio Armani, 可是对肩和腰的处理更加贴身，注重volume, 与Armani的deconstruction(解构）不同。



心潮澎湃后不禁想起了亚洲女性/生形象。20好几了还瞪着杏眼撅着嘴装lolita，花边蕾丝粉红色系，装可爱是期望谁来爱的？这是因为对亚洲男生口味的一种迎合吗？自己不够tough所以要找个小鸟依人说话嗲气的才能体现自己的大男子气概？中国作为发展中国家，男女性地位已算很平等，尤其在家庭和事业的范畴，而恋爱观呢？爱情体现在人格性格的相互征服，生活中的相互照顾，而不是谁要小鸟依人般依附谁。
今天无意中看见毒药blog上一句话，也有同感 - 中国人腿再长也要迈小碎步，而外国人腿再短也要跨大步走。“以后有了自己的孩子，我会告诉他/她要挺起胸大步走。” 当一个女子穿着Gianfranco Ferre' 跨着大步凛然走过，亚洲男人们，你们敢追吗？亚洲小女生们，你们又会以何种目光注视她呢？

为什么两个人走得很近就会变得平淡，每天同时上厕所刷牙，抬头不见低头见，一个人无聊时抄起电话就打，没话就吭叽，反正知道对方已经很熟不会怎样。可是我就是怕这样。。。。再近也不要天天在一起3个小时，再闲也不要毫不犹疑就打电话。结果还是被粘，抱着电话听着嘀咕想睡觉，却还要在人家话尾有所反映。对自己的冷淡有罪恶感，可是每天干什么都在一起真是好烦! 再这样下去我就要关灯关机锁门装睡了

--------------------

我这是怎么了。坐在屋子里把中文歌听了一遍，尤其是周大侠的。枫，退后，千里之外，发如雪，听妈妈的话。外面下着雨看干枯的树枝哗啦哗啦抖着，想回国想得无法集中精力。谈恋爱的也没这样吧。我想的还是好几个。当思念强烈到一定程度就不是动力了。应该是时间到了吧。平均2，3年见次面。

发现一直以来仅有的大头贴都躺在离手最近的第一层抽屉里，翻来看看，傻得掉渣，不过里面还是俺跟大米看着顺眼，哈哈。竟然还是泛黄发皱的信：

“放在心里比放在身边难得多。“ -- 某虫
“一直都相信你，就像相信自己一样。“ --某马

既然如此，我去做复数分析了。


看看有谁？

世间琐事，能否在此刻如烟所散，同灰沉淀，或像烟蒂让我狠狠地踩在脚下？
入夜，睡了。。。。。

剪刀般犀利的步伐，将黑夜瀑布般拉下
你是何方神盗，在我回过神前已掠去我的心

像雾，像雨，又像风。
披着羽翼穿过晨雾，纯如天使却为何散发着诱惑？
此刻骤然凝固，究竟是你我谁的错？

没有balenciaga的坚挺躯壳或alexander mcqueen的复古华丽。雷厉风行之优雅，风起叶落剑光刀影留下的只是挥之不去的黑白梦幻。女人道，何谓矫情矜持妩媚？！

周末突然开始nostalgia, 对着电脑思念地球那几个角落的那几个人，像几年前刚到意大利时疯狂地想回中国，凭空想象某些细节；然后又盯着屏幕对某人花痴 -_-|||。 晚饭时间到了也没有胃口，盯着钢盆里那些饲料催肥的鸡腿们皱眉。想农大里的小米粥和北外食堂里的所有食物。跑到quad大院里的马路牙子上坐下，一口绿苹果一口红色万宝路交替着，想
鲶鱼坐马路牙子上喝啤酒
我彻夜狂欢5点钟回家却看见她苦恼得整夜没睡
凌晨2点大金窝里骡子看着站在阳台上叹气的我，拍了拍我的肩膀说我陪你抽
10年前在她家我们在沙发上跳上跳下拿着报纸作的剑互相追逐
在北京边抽小熊猫边看她叹着气讲自己恋爱受挫
然后跟某妹穿着情侣装拎着香瓜鸡腿北大仓下火车
我怎么每次看见付静就想起你，没人家帅却也一东北爷们作风
跟小乐子坐在北外校园里对着来往的人群比赛谁吐西瓜子吐得远
在大鹅岛的竹筏上一条腿扎进水塘里
我心爱的小绿帽被她洗掉了色
在她家附近上网她突然隔着帽子把下巴放在我的头上
陪她上数学课却比她听得认真
我们没有成行的泰山之旅
拉着方方在她家陪我看日出却等来一片乌云
小达镇静地打来电话说我买好了票今晚的火车我到上海找你去
我对着扇子跟虫子在电话里怒吼
两口酒下肚忘了自己生日的界元
大米大米，你睡在我同学家的糗事
寒冷的冬日我们相搀着往flushing辽宁饭店赶
你外表颓废却内心脆弱
我们几年不见一面我连关心你的机会都没有
只能看见寒风里你夹着烟的手指掏出一块冰凉的zippo


出国近10年我对中国的留恋已经感到陌生，可是我知道我一直这样的爱着你，你和你。事隔几年，一个冬日里紧紧的拥抱，哪怕是一个伸手可触的笑脸足以成为我的动力。这么多年来早已对淡如水的友情司空见惯，以至我不知道要把我们也归为友情还是其他什么。我只知道，我爱你们。