Roberto Cavalli to sell 15-20% stake

Italian fashion house Roberto Cavalli is prepared to sell a minority stake in the company to a private equity firm, it has been reported.

According to a Reuters report citing the Il Sole 24 Ore publication, owner Roberto Cavalli has agreed to sell 15-20% of the business to Italian investment firm Clessidra.

Licensebox signs licensing agreement with D&G

LicenseBox Inc, a wholly owned subsidiary of multimedia group Moda Entertainment, has signed a licensing deal with Italian fashion designer Dolce and Gabanna.

LicenseBox completed the licensing deal on behalf of its client, Greta Garbo, with Dolce & Gabbana for a limited series of men's and women's long and short sleeve T-shirts.

The T-shirts are expected to be part of Dolce & Gabanna's Fall/Winter 09 Collection and are to be sold worldwide by Dolce & Gabbana.

Lord & Taylor to receive $60m finance injection

Department store chain Lord and Tailor has been boosted by a US$60m lifeline cash injection from owner NRDC Equity Partners, reported the New York Post.

The retailer, which operates more than 45 stores in the US, needs the funds after a disappointing Christmas period and continued pressure from lenders, according to the newspaper.

Federated Department Stores, now Macy's, sold the Lord & Taylor chain to NRDC for nearly $1.1bn in October 2006.

Victoria Beckham models for Armani underwear campaign

Italian fashion giant Giorgio Armani has unveiled the first images of celebrity Victoria Beckham appearing as its official worldwide model for Emporio Armani Women's Underwear.The shots will coincide with Armani's Spring Summer 2009 advertising campaign, the company said.

Its first advertising campaign featuring Victoria Beckham, also known as Posh Spice, will roll out in Spring around the world in fashion and lifestyle magazines and on signature billboards in major cities such as New York, Los Angeles, London, Milan, Rome, Paris and Tokyo.

Giorgio Armani said: "I chose Victoria Beckham to launch our new global Emporio Armani Women's Underwear campaign because she is a stylish and intriguing woman."

"Great underwear is alluring and provocative, and so I wanted to work with someone who would make a real impression. I'm sure Victoria's presence will generate great excitement and contribute to the continued international growth of our Emporio Armani Women's Underwear business."

True Religion uses Oracle to streamline supply chain

Upmarket denim brand True Religion Apparel is streamlining its supply chain and financial operations to meet growing international demand for its American-made jeans and sportswear.

The investment in the Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 is intended to support long-term growth, and is part of a broader strategic initiative to expand product collections and improve inventory management.

To gain access to industry-specific functionality, True Religion chose the Oracle Accelerate solution, a pre-packaged application bundle designed for midsize companies.

The E-Business Suite incorporates day-to-day business flows and best practice processes drawn from the retail sector.