It's Summer, and the Wardrobe Should Be Easy

Here at FA2L, we love summer clothes but ask a lot of them: they should be comfortable, hold up to considerable wear and tear and, above all, look effortless–when it's 90 degrees in the shade, no one appreciates tricky effects. But that doesn't mean abandoning fashion.

In other words, there are basics, and then there are chic basics. So instead of flip-flops (best kept for the beach), women might want to consider French Sole's comfy, quilted leather ballerina flats from Manhattan's new French Sole Comfort store. Men, if the occasion calls for a tie, should skip heavy silk and try cotton knit versions by J.M. Dickens. As for hats, they're not just good-looking, they're smart: they protect your face and scalp from the broiling sun. This one's by Rod Keenan, who imbues each design with personality to spare. Meanwhile, "the basics" have been left far behind in the wake of a stylish summer.

Polaroid photographs by Anthony Philip Festa, www.anthonyphilipfesta.com.

Burberry Prorsum: I'm Shopping As Fast As I Can

It's official: the fashion industry is jumping the shark by letting fashion junkies pre-order men's clothes and accessories that literally just came down the runway. Balmain did it last season–this time, it's Burberry Prorsum (ostensibly for Spring/Summer 2011). So you can buy a sharp cotton trench, a chic studded shoulder bag or a slim navy military coat now, and receive your order well before anyone else sees these products in stores. But it does beg the question–what's next? Perhaps brands will preview their runway shows, so editors, store buyers and other savvy customers can sit in the audience already dressed in the same clothes being shown on the models. By which point, the hamster wheel of fashion will be turning so fast it may all just become a blur.

Passport to Profit - New Service

PROFITsystems Launches "Passport-to-Profit"

- Home Furniture Business, June 7th, 2010

Furniture retail automation vendor and consultant Profitsystems Inc., Colorado Springs, Col., has launched "Passport-to-Profit," a new program designed primarily for new clients with the goal of getting them up to speed on their business' key metrics. The program is open to current clients as well.

Passport-to-Profit kicks off approximately three months after a client goes live on the software, or existing clients can participate any time they feel the desire for additional help. One of Profitsystems' customer satisfaction representatives works with the client to gather reports that provide baseline metrics on the business. The metrics include things such as GMROI, sales per square foot, and inventory to sales ratio. A senior consultant reviews the reports and metrics and formulates a plan specific to that particular business. The consultant and the client meet to review findings and provide the client a list of concerns and opportunities for the business. The consultant also makes recommendations as to where the owner and manager concentrate their efforts. After six months, the process is repeated to monitor results and offer new insights to keep the client's momentum going.

"We are in a unique situation where we not only have software to help manage a business, but a consulting department that can take a client to the next level, what ever that may be," said Profitsystems COO Shelley Parlin . "Many retailers come to use our software because they are either not able to make the profit that they should, or just can't grow their business with their current tools. Our new Passport-to-Profit project is exciting because from day one we can help them focus on the area where their business needs the most help, and we can provide them the expert advice that will get them there quickly."

In working with retailers to develop the program, Profitsystems found that many business owners know where their trouble spots are but just don't know the best way to overcome them. Others know that they have room for improvement but just can't step back far enough to see what they can change. Often, they have done things a certain way for so long that it doesn't even occur to them that it might not be the best way to do things now.

"Our mission is to make retailers more profitable and our software has incredible tools that do exactly that," said Profitsystems CEO Jeff Niskern . "We also know that owners and managers get pulled in so many directions by the day-to-day operations of their business that effectively tracking everything they have to do is extremely difficult. This new project gives us a great opportunity to step in and help executives look at their businesses with fresh eyes to see what opportunities they have to impact their bottom line."

For more information on Passport-to-Profit contact Wayne McMahon by e-mail.

Polaroid Echoes and Perfect Perfume Memories

Ben Gorham, the creator behind Stockholm-based Byredo, is a compellingly contemporary young man. He's tall, dark and handsome, but also heavily tattooed; his father is Swedish, his mother, Indian, so he grew up around the world; and he's a guy's guy who played professional basketball but then turned from that to dive into perfumery. FA2L was also happy to discover he's a smart conversationalist who enjoys discussing anything except his fragrances, which he generally prefers be allowed to speak for themselves.

Gorham's most recent creation is La Tulipe, which smells exactly like its namesake. There are notes of freesia and vetiver (providing a tenacious base), but the clarion call at the perfume's heart is as sharp, green and pretty as a bowl full of bright Dutch stems. This is no small feat: few, if any, fragrances are based on tulips. Not everyone will love it (soliflores, built around a single flower, are notoriously difficult to wear) but those who do will fall hard. Which is precisely what makes perfume so compelling: like Anthony Philip Festa's polaroid, it resonates in the memory, plays tricks with time and hints at moments, however fleeting, when you felt beautiful, witty or blissfully happy.

Photograph by Anthony Philip Festa.