The creative director for Chanel and Fendi is taking his solo act to the Web.

With backing by Apax Partners, Karl Lagerfeld is launching "Karl," described as a "rock chic" diffusion line (priced at $85 to $400, reports AFP) as an online-only collection. The fashion e-tailer net-a-porter will sell the line exclusively starting January 25th before it goes on sale in February at KarlLagerfeld.com.

Lagerfeld, who dipped his well-shod foot into the masstige business with affordable streetwear collections for H&M (a collaboration that didn't end well) and Macy's, also has a second signature collection in the works.

According to Reuters, "Lagerfeld, 78, is also planning to launch in autumn 2012 a more upmarket label called "Karl Lagerfeld Paris", [to be] sold in multi-brand and department stores, with items priced between 300 and 2,000 euros."Continue reading...

You like fruit juice? You like chips? You are in luck. Jamba Inc. and Bare Fruit LLC, which sources its apples from the Pacific Northwest, are joining forces for a new line of Jamba-branded dried-fruit chips, according to the Associated Press. The licensing deal will result in "all natural" chip flavors that will include mango, Fuji apple, and Granny Smith apple, which should be in stores by the new year. The company, which has 746 Jamba Juice stores in the U.S. and six outside, “has been trying to grow by licensing its brand for consumer products,” AP notes.

"Our focus continues to be on developing differentiated Jamba-branded products that make it convenient and easy for health-conscious consumers to lead healthier and more active lives,” stated Julie Washington, senior vice president and general manager, Consumer Products, Jamba Juice Company. “This latest offering, created with Bare Fruit, leverages our collective expertise in fruit to create a line of wholesome snacks that are lower in calories, higher in fiber and naturally sweet.”

Jamba Juice was also just named as one of the latest round of retail partners for the Google Wallet "tap and pay" platform.Continue reading...

Vending machines, long the home of candy and sodas, are changing rapidly. Technology is now allowing for credit- and debit-card enabled machines to offer fresh fruit, yogurt, and other such healthy alternatives instead of just the sugarfests of old.

So consumers across the land can take a gander at this new generation of vending machines, the National Automatic Merchandising Association is taking 20 newfangled machines to six major cities to show ‘em off, according to Crain’s New York Business.

NAMA's "The Gratitude Tour" started in Boston, stopped off in New York and is due to finish up its travels in Madison, WI, today. Along the way, it also stopped in Atlanta; Austin, TX; Phoenix, and Minneapolis.

The idea behind the mobile branding campaign, according to the organization’s website, is to hit cities that have large university and Gen-Y populations.Continue reading...

Aloha Petroleum redefines brand.

Apple sees its biggest product launch ever with one million pre-orders in 24 hours for iPhone 4S.

Arista and Jive iconic music labels close, bumping Britney Spears and other artists to RCA.

BankUnited repositions brand.

Chevrolet turns 100, amps up green cred, plans new Camaro.

Chrysler whittles vehicle plan.

Conde Nast to increase branded content under new entertainment head.

Discovery banks on Rosie O'Donnell to save Oprah Winfrey's OWN network.Continue reading...

The Standard Operating Procedure with an in-house brand is that it’s sold, well, in-house, but Sears Holdings Corp. is about to break a new barrier for the company. According to the Chicago Tribune, Sears “has agreed to sell its Craftsman tool line through Costco clubs nationwide.”

And the two retailers aren’t wasting any time. The “hand tools, power tools and tool storage units will start appearing on Costco shelves as early as Saturday” over Labor Day weekend. Since Costco members don’t tend to shop at Sears or Kmart, the company has its hopes pinned on gaining new customers for the Craftsman brand via Costco's wholesale store.Continue reading...

The United States Postal Service is on the brink of financial collapse, reports the New York Times.

Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz hosts political town hall on Tuesday.

Amazon.com tests a site redesign as founder Jeff Bezos sees spaceship misfire.

American Apparel is in talks to raise up to $160 million in financing.

Apple retains appeal without Steve Jobs, while iconic designer Jonathan Ive stays on.

Baidu launches app store.

China’s Bright Foods looks to Australia for growth.

Cisco is accused of abetting Chinese government in Falun Gong crackdown.

CW marketer Rick Haskins attracts attention with provocative campaigns.

Domino's Pizza wants to be the first fast food joint on the moon (offer only good in Japan).

Glee star Heather Morris criticized for domestic violence-themed photo shoot.

Google Doodle pays tribute to Queen's Freddy Mercury.Continue reading...

Bandit brand pulls ultimate spoof on fellow Michigan native Chrysler with "Imported from Remus" ad for its wood chippers.

Denny's new Mac'n'Cheese Patty Melt will melt your arteries.

On eve of New York Fashion Week, Lady Gaga disses New York Times fashion critic and releases six-part "fashion film" series to promote new single:Continue reading...

Macy’s tops the list in the 2011 Digital IQ Index: Specialty Retail that measured the digital footprint of 64 brands using 350 data points across four dimensions: Site, Digital Marketing, Social Media, and Mobile. Developed by NYU Stern Professor Scott Galloway and experts from L2 in partnership with Buddy Media, the ranking assigns a Digital IQ score and a corresponding class of Genius, Gifted, Average, Challenged, or Feeble.

This year, 37% of the brands indexed received Gifted classification, but only Macy’s, Victoria’s Secret, and Nordstrom garnered distinction as Genius.Continue reading...