Gap Inc. credits its record first quarter results to Banana Republic's first designer collaboration: the two-time Mad Men collection created by the show's costumer, Janie Bryant. Now it's hoping lightning will strike twice, with its second collaboration also evoking the swinging sixties, thanks to designer Trina Turk.

Banana Republic’s North American same-store sales rose 5 percent in the three months ended April 28, the most in two years, while total revenue at the unit rose 7.4 percent to a first-quarter best of $622 million, according to Gap’s earnings reported on May 17th. 

As Mad Men grapples with the changing styles and mores of the 1960's, Banana Republic is continuing on the same path by signing Turk, known for her colorful, Palm Springs-inspired, 'cocktails by the pool' summer-ready capsule collection, including the strapless dress worn by model Coco Rocha (who's guest style editor for Target this month), above. (A selection of Turk's BR designs, arriving June 7th, will be available in a Gilt.com pre-sale at noon ET on Wednesday.)Continue reading...

The cola wars continue, but not just between the two biggest soft-drink brands. The real skinny: it's a battle between diet soft drinks and our obsession with weight, tied up in a fashionable bow.

Category champ Coca-Cola has set out a three-year strategy for its Diet Coke brand that focuses on all things “fashionista,” all part of a comprehensive strategy from TV spots to merchandising, packaging and digital — pushing out Coke’s internal message of "a lighter approach to fashion."

It’s now apocryphal that fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld lost 90 pounds by consuming only stewed vegetables and Diet Coke. It’s a love affair that’s producing another round of limited-edition bottles for Diet Coke that will be released in June.Continue reading...

Is it just me, or are thighs suddenly in?

In the March issue of Elle Magazine, shoe retailer Nine West displayed a model sprawled in the ocean and the first thing I noticed, before even her shoes, were her thighs. A few pages over, Tommy Hilfiger’s model had some meat on her bones, and distinctive thighs. Hugo Boss featured a model holding a handbag – and she had some girth to her as well.

Rest assured, rib cages and concaved chests have not disappeared from the latest fashion ad campaigns. But today many fashion brands are willing to cast a model that has a more relatable – meaning bigger – body type to potential customers. And some models are even choosing to take their health over the opportunity to walk in a high profile fashion show or fit into sample sizes used in ad campaigns.Continue reading...