Michael Kors retail locales have been popping up left and right. His newest store will be replacing the 7,000 sq. ft. Rockefeller Center shop at 49th Street and Channel Gardens currently housing Kenneth Cole (which is slated to close its doors this April, along with eight other full-price locations). The much-sought-after space will don marble floors, wood displays and a zebra hide motif.

Ready-to-wear from the Michael Michael Kors line alongside accessories from the Michael Kors, Michael Michael Kors, and Kors Michael Kors collections will be featured.

“The opening of my lifestyle flagship boutique at Rockefeller Center is an extremely humbling and exciting reality,” Kors said. “As both a designer and a native New Yorker, what could be more incredible than a store in the heart of the city at Rockefeller Center?”

Michael Kors is making big moves all over the world with lifestyle boutiques already in operation in Andorra, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Canary Islands, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and the UK-just to name a few.

The brand is currently eyeing space on Robertson Boulevard in Los Angeles, Madison Avenue in New York as well as a three-year plan to open 50 stores in the greater China region. {Daily Front Row}

The most unexpected aspiration? Kors would follow Vera Wang in jumping on the burger bandwagon if asked by the right chain. “I want a deal with In-N-Out Burger — to do a special sauce or a wrapper. I’m horseradish-obsessed!” {LA Times} Not sure if an In-N-Out burger with purchase will draw in the fashionistas, but if anyone can make it work, it would probably be Kors.

If youâ€re one of those people who likes to buy an item of clothing, wear it once, then return it to the store, beware: retailers are on to you, and they have now developed a way to track “wardrobers.”

Retail Equation is new software that allows stores to pinpoint “serial returners,” or those who practice what retailers call “wardrobing.” Retailers certainly needed this software, as stores lost an estimated $14.8 billion last year due to shoppers who brought back gently used items. {WSJ via The Cut}

We’ve all made the routine impulse buy that can’t be justified a few days later, but people who “wardrobe” on a regular, continual basis has to be beyond annoying for retailers. Anecdotally, we’ve always heard about serial returners who’ve received “thank you for your business, but don’t bring it here” letters, so the idea behind the software probably isn’t completely new.

The prospect of lessening this practice is not the only good news here, though: some stores are adopting more lenient return policies for shoppers who don’t push the return policy rules since they can now track “wardrobers.” Among them are Macyâ€s, Toys “R” Us, OfficeMax and Best Buy, which recently eliminated its unpopular 15 percent restocking fee. {WSJ}

Itâ€s still not clear exactly how the software will work and what will be done to offenders (we vote for barring them from returning worn or used merchandise indefinitely) but hopefully there will be a way to distinguish repeat returners who are “wardrobing” from those who just happen to get a lot of misfit holiday gifts.

The situation is definitely a win-win for retailers, since studies have shown that consumers buy more when return policies are more relaxed and less risk exists in purchasing an item they are unsure about. {WSJ via The Cut}

A stroll through Forever 21 boutiques reveal baskets, upon racks, upon displays chock full of cute accessories that are as adorable and versatile as they are affordable. Just in stock for the busiest season of the year is the result of the brand’s most recent partnership with the United Nations World Food Program.

Beginning today you can find an array of these colorful, beaded $5 bracelets that are hand-made in Guatemala. The trendy wrist wear is part of Forever 21’s charitable participation in helping world hunger.

Children from all over the world go to bed hungry every night and Forever 21 knows they can help. The six colors of  the bracelets represent a different country: Swaziland, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Honduras, Haiti and Pakistan. The sale of one bracelet sends two meals to children suffering from hunger in those countries. {Fab Sugar}

The perfect stocking stuffer for you or someone you love and a warm meal for a child in need. What more could you ask for?

After calling 475 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan home for the last six years, reps for P.Diddy’s clothing line Sean John announced this week that their flagship store will be closing due to what they feel is business disruption due to scaffolding.

Only about a year ago Diddy’s representatives filed a lawsuit over scaffolding around the building that was erected in 2006. Sign blockage and customer disruption because of said scaffolding were the reasons given for a drop in revenue the company had been experiencing over the last few years. In spite of a well publicized recession that caused almost every retailer to experience some kind of decline over the past few years, Sean John reps are insisting that construction is to blame. A Sean John spokesperson says, because of “inadequate selling space.” the only retail store they have would in fact shut down. The rep assured WWD that the label is looking for spaces in New York and L.A. to open new stores. {NY Mag}

As shopaholics we can’t help but thing brand loyalists would still shop with or without scaffolding. On one hand, 3 to 4 years of  scaffolding does seem excessive. On the other, it’s a bit of a stretch to think that Sean John was one of the only clothing retailers who wasn’t affected in any way by economic conditions.

Come December 30th, the store will close permanently as the company decides where to relocate. We wish them luck!

Donâ€t get too excited yet – Nordstrom Spokesperson Pamela Lopez said a day after the announcement was made that the store will be a thrift shop and will not carry the Nordstrom name, nor will it be Nordstrom-branded. It will be owned by the fashion retailer, but will seem nothing like a typical Nordstrom store to shoppers.

That's not it's name. Nordstrom's Manhattan store won't actually be a Nordstrom

It looks like a lot of the details have yet to be worked out, but the 11,100 square feet of the first and second floors at 350 West Broadway (between Grand and Broome) have been leased to Nordstrom for a shop that donates all of its proceeds to nonprofit organizations. {Racked NY} Nordstrom has never opened a concept store like this before – and as far as we can tell, no other major fashion retailer has ever owned a charity shop.

Lopez told Racked NY the project is something Nordstrom wanted to try based on a general spirit of philanthropy.

Exactly what type of clothing the store will carry and to what charities the profits will go has yet to be decided, but apparently the shop will not even accept Nordstrom credit cards. {The Cut}

A lot of businesses have found great success with cause marketing – or promotions that entice consumers by donating a portion of profits for a particular item to charity – so perhaps Nordstrom is hoping customers will enjoy guilt-free shopping in their thrift store so much that they will stop by regular Nordstrom stores as well. This may backfire, however, if the Nordstrom brand is nowhere to be found in or on the West Broadway store, as less fashion-news conscious consumers may not even know they are in a Nordstrom-owned space.

Because Nordstrom will not be using its name for the store, the retailer may simply be undertaking a purely charitable initiative.

Whatever the folks at Nordstrom intend to accomplish with this new location, they certainly have our attention – especially since we never thought Nordstromâ€s first Manhattan store would be anything other than a massive, long-awaited flagship. Weâ€ll keep you posted as more details arrive.

Last yearâ€s FNO produced mixed financial results, with some retailers reporting the night was far more successful in terms of energy than from a business perspective. This yearâ€s event was, however, more promising, with 1,000 retailers participating to last years 800 and added pre-event buzz.

So how did retail sales fare this year?

Unfortunately, not much information exists on the topic. Apparently, many retailers did not measure the exact business results, with some admitting they were more concerned with the social aspect. {Vancouver Sun} We’ve reached out to retailers large and small, but are still awaiting responses on questions related to sales for the evening.

Here is what we do know:

-New York City foot traffic increased 50 percent after last yearâ€s event, according to research firm ShopperTrak, and this yearâ€s FNO is estimated by many to have attracted an even larger crowd.

-Seventy-five percent of FNO attendees bought something, according to a survey of 1,300 consumers by NYC & Co. {Vancouver Sun}

-The official site for the event claims only that FNO was a “huge success.”

-Anna Wintour said in a CBS News interview following the event, “We were thrilled. It was already a huge success last year. Last year we were really running a campaign with an unknown candidate. And this year we had the incumbent on our side, so at least we were talking about an event that people knew what it was. They were excited about it and they turned out in droves…If you walked through the streets, as I did, of New York on Friday, everbody was dressed up, they were having fun, but most importantly they were shopping.” {ShoppingBlog}

It is all very vague, and we suppose it may be a bit soon to say whether FNO had a lasting impact on retail sales. We just cannot understand, however, why so little information exists on the economic success of an event whose purpose was to be an economic stimulus. A search for Fashions Night Out of Bloomberg News, for example, yields no results pertaining to the financial outcome of the event.

Perhaps more information will become available in the coming weeks, and if it does we will be sure to update you.

On September 11th at New York Fashion Week, Madden debuted his first high-end collaboration for the Spring/Summer 2011 Z Spoke show for Zac Posen at Lincoln Center. The collection is truly unique and the sky-high, strappy numbers are fit for an eclectic and bold fashionista!

Making their Fashion Week debut, Madden’s shoes included metallic green (left) as well as black sky-high platform sandals with ankle straps and buckles, black peep-toe stiletto lace-up ankle booties, and ladylike lavender pumps with wicked heels. The line was made especially for the runway so it is unlikely we will see mall-goers rocking these elite styles- but we have no doubt that the man known for knockoffs will jump at the opportunity to reinterpret his own designs (at least he won’t have to worry about legal fees). {Stylelist}

Even model Ataui Deng wobbled in the tipsy footwear and fell victim to Fashion Week’s first tumble on the runway. {Refinery 29}

Tell us what you think about Steve Madden’s luxury footwear collaboration! Would you rock these styles?

Events are sure to draw a crowd, but will they draw buyers?

This yearâ€s event promises to be even bigger and more star-studded than last year, with retail store appearances from such celebs as Mary J. Blige, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, Bar Rafaeli, Nigel Barker and Simon Doonan among others. The hype has been spiraling for weeks now, but, while part of the point of Fashionâ€s Night Out is to boost enthusiasm for fashion among shoppers, the goal of boosting retail sales is just as, if not more important for the future of the fashion business.

So, will Fashionâ€s Night Out 2010 exert the desired push on consumers to come out and buy products to ignite fashionâ€s economic state?

It really could go either way. Last year, an impressive $500,000 was raised for the NYC AIDS fund with the sale of FNO T-shirts {Gather Business}. This year, 40 percent of sales from the shirts will again go to the AIDS fund {Fashionâ€s Night Out}, and the charity initiative is likely to be a continued success.

As for actual retail sales, last yearâ€s results were quite mixed. {The Huffington Post}

Barneys Creative Director Simon Doonan said last yearâ€s FNO was not “incredible from a business point of view. But from an energy point of view, it was fabulous.” {Gather Business}

The 2010 event, however, already has a leg up on last yearâ€s festivities. Even more events and celebrity appearances have been planned, with 1,000 retailers scheduled to participate to last yearâ€s 800. Add to that the augmented pre-event buzz and the fact that more people are likely now aware of FNOâ€s existence and legitimacy (as well as Mayor Michael Bloombergâ€s support) and FNO 2010 could be the financial success that last yearâ€s event fell somewhat short of.

It certainly looks promising, but here is why we worry that once again the energy of the night will outperform the actual sales: the average shopper is not in much better shape financially than they were last year. This shopper for one is not even sure she wants to attend FNO because she knows she cannot afford to buy a damn thing, and there will be just too much temptation. If she does go, she is leaving her credit cards at home. Letâ€s hope not too many other fashion lovers feel the same way. Check back here soon to find out how the night went!

Although most are optimistic about the move, not everyone sees Lincoln Center as quite the right fit for such a massive showcase. Businesses surrounding the center are voicing concerns about what this means for the future. Fashion week alone has estimated revenues upwards of 1/4 of a million dollars annually, entertaining thousands of people.  Hotel owners note that during fashion week they do peak business, leaving little to no available vacancies. Will the influx of people be too chaotic for surrounding businesses?

Fashion week doesn’t last forever, and we think that this move could open up opportunities for other companies to profit. More exposure can lead to more business, which would be a win/win for everyone.

Henri Bendel, for example, has a couple new locations in Beverly Hills — and although NY designers are by no means relocating to sunny SoCal (Sophomore designer Chrissy Miller, for one, doesn’t “get all the embellished denim and crazy graphics” of LA), expect several more east coast shops to open cross-country.

Perhaps it’s the sunny climate or the hippie history, but California tends to be much more casual and thus more receptive to creative experimentation than New York: a gold-mine for high-end retail brands in a still-recovering financial market.  Whatever the case, we look forward to seeing what comes out of these new east-meets-west endeavors — and have one more reason to use up our frequent-flyer miles.

Read the full story  {LA Times}