The biggest news at Paris Fashion Week continues, as Dior chief today attends ousted designer John Galliano's private label fall runway showing in Paris (above), and says he will keep continue to financially support Galliano's label for now. Other fashion news:

• Also making a splash at Paris Fashion Week: Chanel fetes Blake Lively as brand's latest handbag ambassador ... LVMH circles its next target: Hermès ... Former Burberry ambassador and Harry Potter star Emma Watson is collaborating on an eco-friendly fashion collection for Alberta Ferretti.Continue reading...

With the ouster of designer John Galliano from haute fashion brand Christian Dior, once again we see a brand scrambling to pick up the pieces as one of its celebrated spokespeople gets embroiled in controversy. We have heard this story many times before. The Tiger Woods debacle, which affected a number of brands including Nike, is one glaring example.  

For brands linked to high-profile personalities who are not always predictable, swift and decisive damage control seems to be part of the package in this era of swift and loud real-time public outcry.

For Dior, though, the removal of Galliano has to be particularly painful — even though the designer has issued a public apology following charges of anti-Semitism sparked by a web report by UK tabloid The Sun, which posted damning video of a ranting Galliano in a Paris café.Continue reading...

Super Bowl XLV combatants, brand marketers including Kraft and Verizon, automakers and other game advertisers and fans gird for the game in north Texas this weekend between the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Apple and Campbell Soup say that iAds are twice as effective as TV. 

AT&T reaches out to business users. 

BJ’s Wholesale places itself on auction block

BMW may lease, not sell, its Megacity EV.

Dunkin’ Donuts foresees 50% hike in expansion deals this year.Continue reading...

Altria, R.J. Reynolds and Lorillard face tougher tobacco marketing rules in US.

Apple launches app store for Mac software.

Bank of America categorizes clients, adds fees.

Boeing loses major 747 order due to delays.

BP spill inquiry to report that disaster "likely" to recur; and hears that microbes may have mitigated methane damage in the Gulf.

CNN books Oprah as first guest for Piers Morgan's post-Larry King debut on Jan. 17; Madonna still banned as "boring."Continue reading...

Amazon exceeds Kindle sales estimates.

American Airlines allowed to exit Orbitz partnership.

Burberry CEO rewarded for bumper year.

Cisco eschews cloud services.

Comcast, Verizon and other US cable/telco broadband operators must abide by new net neutrality rules.

Deutsche Bank settles tax shelter case.

FDA powers broaden in new US food safety bill.Continue reading...

Adobe creative suite spurs rebound.

Apple's iPhone 4 discounted in Wal-Mart holiday special, following Radio Shack deal.

AT&T spends nearly $2 billion to acquire wireless spectrum from Qualcomm.

Boeing to build 3-satellite system for government of Mexico.

Cadillac taps Laurence Fishburne as its new voice.

Coca-Cola awards $4 million to support active lifestyles, education and environmental programs in North America.

Continental Airlines and Spanair to start codeshare flights.Continue reading...

Amway signs former NFL Super Bowl MVP Kurt Warner.

AOL is mulling a breakup, Reuters hears, followed by a merger with Yahoo.

Borders weighs hedge fund backing of takeover attempt of Barnes & Noble.

China Dandang aims to be mainland's Amazon with US IPO this week.

Cigna faces class-action suit by employees over pensions under ERISA.

Disney tops weekend box office with Tangled.Continue reading...

LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton is sponsoring a first of its kind concert performance tomorrow (Dec. 3rd) at Carnegie Hall in New York — an ode to the city's elevated train track, the High Line, which opened to great acclaim last year. 

Ryan Francis, a gifted young Juilliard grad from Brooklyn, will premiere The High Line, his winning composition in a prize sponsored by LVMH and the American Composer's Orchestra to create a Greener New York City-inspired sonic branding for the park. If Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue defined Manhattan (the place and Woody Allen movie) of old, then think of this as a modern-day Rhapsody in Green.

How did Francis create the aural experience and evoke the audio essence of the High Line experience?Continue reading...