Despite only a year having passed since Bebe announced its plans to open freestanding stores for sub-brand PH8, the company have gone back on themselves by declaring the planned closure of all 48 of the sportswear shops. The move last year to push forward with PH8 shocked many, as Bebe is originally known for its sexy, party aesthetic, and so the "playfully sexy fashion-forward active street wear" seemed an odd move for the brand.
In a press release the company stated that the closures will all have taken place by the first quarter of 2011, with the plan expected to cost the company a mean $17 million charge. By doing so, the brand aims to focus on the profitability of Bebe, as well as growing its discount brand, 2b. Let's hope that 2b does better than PH8.
Visionaire, the ever beautifully created fashion and art bible have created a tribute to the late Alexander McQueen, fittingly entitled 'Spirit'. Nick Knight, Lady Gaga, Steven Klein and Mario Testino have all contributed to the limited edition book, which features images inspired by McQueen, all printed on paper embedded with wildflower seeds that if planted, watered and given sun would blossom.
"Visionaire first featured the designs of Lee Alexander McQueen in 1996 and since that time, he has been a continuous inspiration and a presence in Visionaire," the magazine's founders Stephen Gan, Cecilia Dean and James Kaliardos explained, "McQueen's special commissions are among our most treasured contributions. His daring and challenging ideas of fashion have consistently excited and provoked us."
It seems that McQueen must have felt a similar respect for the thrice-yearly Visionaire, as he had approached them long before his untimely death. "In 2003, McQueen came to our SoHo office and gallery to discuss collaborating on an issue of Visionaire - an issue that never came to be. This is our tribute to him." The Spirit edition of Visionaire can be bought in Alexander McQueen boutiques, Colette and on the Visionaire website.
