Fashion Goes More Global with Carine, Neiman, and GAP

Several key players in the fashion industry-- already seemingly globalized -- have announced new strategies to further expand their reach, increase synergy, and develop business in the global arena. Here's the three biggest developments:

1. Harper's Bazzar appoints global fashion director

Carine Roitfeld.

Celebrated stylist and editor Carine Roitfeld was appointed as global fashion director of Harper's Bazaar. She'll style four fashion stories a year that will appear simultaneously across all international editions, according to WWD. “It’s a smart and clever thing for all of our editors to buy into because every edition of the magazine gets the benefit of this global story, and which magazine wouldn’t want a story styled by Carine?” said Duncan Edwards, the CEO of Hearst Magazines International. The appointment allows Harper's to save on production costs and provide a single vision across the globe.

Carine, who collaborated with Tom Ford at Gucci, and formerly of the Conde Nast family, is quite a score for Harper's.

Former editor of French Vogue, Carine left around a year ago to work on her own glossy, CR Fashion Book, and is taking the Harper's gig in a freelance capacity.

The cover (front and back) of the first issue of CR Fashion Book.

Carine was an early creator of the 90's porno chic aesthetic. 

2. Neiman Marcus debuts international shipping to 150 countries 

Neiman's online portal, neimanmarcus.com, who previously only shipped within the United States and Canada now offers shipping to over 150 countries. "The company hired FiftyOne Global Ecommerce to provide the technology to allow the international shipping features, including detecting an online shopper's country of residence to convert U.S. dollar prices into the local currency and figuring out sales taxes and customs duties," states Reuters. 

Karen Katz and other executives at the Glamour Sales announcement. 

Neiman's CEO, Karen Katz, is using e-commerce to branch into the International market. Earlier this year NMG acquired a large stake in Glamour Sales Ltd, a privately held e-commerce company based in Hong Kong, with the intent to launch a full price NM China site in 2013. “We are taking this bold step to establish Neiman Marcus Group as an international brand,” said Katz according to The Fashion Reporter. “Our strategic investment in Glamour Sales gives us a tremendous partner and a strong foothold in a rapidly expanding luxury market.” You can see the beginings at neimanmarcus.cn

3. GAP creates global brand management structure 

With the start of the 2013 fiscal year, the company will bring together its North American, International, Online, Outlet and Franchise divisions under a single global executive for each of its Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy brands. In addition, to build upon the company’s considerable online success and industry-leading technological advances, the company will form a new Innovation and Digital Strategy team to further its leadership position in this area. [GAP]

The initiative takes omni-channel to a new level. While many retailers are still struggling to align their direct and brick and mortar wings (which originally were built divergent in the catalog and then online era), this move brings together all of Gap channels under one roof, reporting to one executive, for each Gap brand. With critics saying the company solved it's decade old identity crisis this Spring, and a resurgence in the namesake brand sales, it's clear the company wants to optimize on global growth, and sees it done with one voice at the helm.

'Be Bright' catapulted Gap back into the black.