Years ago when New Yorkers heard a little known Japanese store called Uniqlo was coming to Broadway in SoHo, we heard it described as “the Gap of Japan.” Fast forward five years and Fast Retailing, Uniqlo’s parent company, is gearing up for the much anticipated launch of two huge new U.S. stores, both located in New York. To date, the SoHo store is the only U.S. Uniqlo location but the addition of the 34th Street and Fifth Avenue stores will bring the stateside count to three, not including the pop-up stores around Manhattan.

Uniqlo's 64,000 sq. ft. 34th Street location opens Friday October 21, 2011

What is so special about Uniqlo? At first glance, nothing. But affordable cashmere and skinny jeans that give you the illusion of the ass you’ve always wanted are actually a monumental delivery from a retail company. Now that The Gap no longer has Patrick Robinson as its design guru, one might guess that it is vulnerable to a foreign invasion of the “basics” market.

Now skinny jeans are a touchy subject among women but I think I’ve sold at least five women I know on the ones from Uniqlo. Granted it was a sad day when I learned that the $40 miracle jeans went from a cotton-synthetic blend to all cotton, which means less give, which means more reality about the way one’s rear actually looks. But, Uniqlo still holds a place in my heart. Given that I’m in Boston and I missed all of New York Fashion Week, I thought it apt to show a business perspective on a growing international retailer, Japan’s Uniqlo. Uniqlo Americas COO Yasunobu Kyogoku told Bloomberg in a video interview that we can expect more designer collaborations from Uniqlo. For now, we’ll focus on the facts: two new stores, a visible corporate social responsibility policy, sponsorship of a new roller skating rink in a hip Manhattan ‘hood, and an initiative with the United Nations Commissioner for Refugees.

Uniqlo's Fifth Avenue store, their largest store in the world, opens Friday October 14, 2011

There’s a reason I’m dying to know if this stock is available for purchase stateside. They are as ambitious as Forever 21, which has a gigantic store in Times Square that’s open past midnight, just in case you need a new outfit around 1 a.m. But these two companies have entirely different strategies. Forever 21 pursues the buyers in search of cheap trendy goods they can afford to trash after a season. Uniqlo goes after those seeking staples like nice denim, lounge wear and cashmere sweaters. Both are making big bets and one can only imagine the rent Fast Retailing is paying for the 89,000 square feet that will be home to its new Fifth Avenue locale. But I say, never underestimate the power of a pair of skinny jeans and the Uniqlo jeans have gone viral. So have their non-bubble puffy jackets. How many places in the Northeast can a lady find a warm down jacket that doesn’t make her feel like a cow, and that comes with an adorable faux-fur trimmed hood, for about $200? Right now my answer is one: Uniqlo. And, these used to sell for only $95! Sex may sell but vanity draws sales.

The two new stores in Gotham are opening a week apart and according to a 2010 report from Bloomberg, represent the beginning of Uniqlo’s U.S. expansion, which originally faltered when they made an attempt at a New Jersey store. This time around, they are hitting NYC hard, likely with the plan to push for press, supported not just because of the quality of product, and the size and design of the two new stores, but also because they are sponsoring a roller skating rink under the High Line in Meatpacking, one of NYC’s most hip areas. The rink is open until Sept. 26 and is on the northern end of the High Line, at 30th Street and Tenth Avenue. There is an onsite bar and food trucks are in rotation. All in all, this is a great publicity ploy that will last for two years.

Uniqlo also brought its recycling initiative to the West, with a Sept. 1 start for stores in the U.S., U.K., and France. The program is a partnership the company has with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Originally the company planned to have customers bring in old Uniqlo threads to be recycled for “industrial use” but they then decided to have the clothing go to refugee camps. According to a recent press release, the company has, over the last five years, “provided 4.23 million items as aid to refugees and survivors of disasters.” That definitely trumps H&M’s dealings with clothing recycling, or lack thereof.

On January 6, 2010 no one wanted to be a publicist for H&M. The day prior a New York Times article had revealed that clothing the company determines they are unable to sell is not always donated or recycled for industrial use. The then discovery of seemingly unused clothes in the trash outside an H&M store caused a big stir, for H&M and Wal-Mart, as a student found bags of seemingly unused products on the street meant for sale at Wal-mart, too.  Within a day, the New York H&M rep said it wouldn’t happen again and that it wasn’t standard practice. But one can see how a little thing is not without impact.

Uniqlo’s recycling program only allows for the collection of Uniqlo garments, which must be washed before donated. donations from the U.S. stores will go to refugee and IDP camps thanks to the collaboration with UNHCR, while the collections from stores in the U.K. and France will be distributed among the homeless via local nonprofits.

That said, Uniqlo is not without critics. Greenpeace included the retailer in a recent report and alleged that some items from foreign Uniqlo stores had chemicals on them, though the report allegedly says the amount of chemicals on the clothing was not believed to pose any health risk to those wearing it. The truth is, if we wear cotton clothes and they are not made from organic cotton, we are likely wearing clothes made with cotton coated in pesticides, just as the non-organic food we eat is likely coated in pesticides. The truth is out there, we just have to decide what we want to do with it. Right now, clean food seems like a more important fight than chemical-free clothing.

Click here to learn more about Uniqlo

The wait is reportedly over for the Prada offering. According to Reuters, the IPO is reportedly planned for Hong Kong, though it could happen at a different stock exchange. There is still no word on timing, but the newswire reported that the board of the Italian fashion house finally approved the float, on Thursday.

Miuccia Prada, the granddaughter of the company’s founder, Mario Prada, is at the helm of design at the couture house. Prada also owns the brand Miu Miu.

Prada has tapped Intesa Sanpaolo, UniCredit, Credit Agricole’s CLSA and Goldman Sachs Group as joint coordinators and book runners for the share sale, according to Dow Jones. An unnamed source told Dow Jones the IPO could occur as early as July.

L’Oreal has hired another celebrity to help boost branding and ultimately, sales. Rocker, Fashion Designer and Mother of two Gwen Stefani is now a face of L’Oreal Paris. The celebrity, whose signature look usually includes platinum blond hair and bright red lipstick, said this of the new opportunity: “I can’t believe I get to be one of the L’Oreal Paris girls. I love playing dress up, on stage or shooting videos, it’s always been one of my favorite parts of being in a band. And to get to work with such a modern, talented group of people is really exciting.”

L’Oreal Paris USA President Karen T. Fondu added: “Gwen’s unique personal style and vivacious spirit, together with her career accomplishments in both fashion and music, makes her an inspiration for women everywhere, and an exciting addition to the L’Oreal Paris family.”

This is not her first beauty move. Stefani has a set of fragrances that are separate from her fashion brands, but similarly inspired by international fashion and design scenes. She is also working on a new album with No Doubt to be released later this year. Stefani is among a long list of celebrities representing different types of beauty for the French cosmetics giant, inluding Beyonce, JLo, Diane Kruger, Diane Keaton, Julianna Margulies, Freida Pinto and Kerry Washington.

Weight Watchers has tapped fashion expert and Liz Claiborne Chief Creative Officer Tim Gunn as a consultant to help dieters embrace fashion. The former head of Parsons’ fashion design department was hired to provide inspiration during the weight loss process and has already worked with the Weight Watchers PointsPlus™ program advertising campaign featuring Jennifer Hudson. This year, Weight Watchers members and Weight Watchers Online subscribers will get more tips and “motivation” to improve self image and maintain goals.

Among Gunn’s top style tips are:

• Follow the major fashion fundamentals: silhouette, proportion and fit.
• Be open to pay for staples, such as wrap dresses, belts and skirt/top combinations.
• Be a savvy shopper by remembering your weight loss goals and your wardrobe. New pieces should fit with your existing wardrobe.
• Accept and love your shape and learn what styles are most flattering on your body. Make these determinations before you go shopping. This is a lifelong process for most women, but keep it at it. Aim to be healthy and in shape, not to have another man or woman’s body. Aim for your best figure, not someone else’s body.

Trendcetera’s Tips

• Avoid loose, tent-like clothes like ponchos
• Avoid pleated plants and tapered pants, unless the latter are skinny jeans to be worn with knee-high boots or high heels
• Never underestimate the power of a pencil skirt
• Avoid patterns in your problem areas
• Don’t buy anything just because it’s on sale, even if all your girlfriends say it’s a must-have.
• Keep the faith!

Click here for more information on Gunn and WW.

Fashion’s Night Out is one more attempt by Vogue Queen Bee Anna Wintour to help the retail industry salvage earnings and for that, we applaud it. But, Trendcetera is about encouraging Americans to be open minded, well educated, smart shoppers and that means shopping for what you need not what you want. Still, avoiding the impulse buy on Friday evening will be difficult, especially since the stores and their liquor sponsors get customers good and sauced.

But willpower isn’t the only issue that comes to mind when discussing the second annual Fashion’s Night Out festivities. Other issues include transportation, time, and comfort. Midtown was a madhouse last year and the attempt to get into Bergdorf Goodman’s, which secured a very long list of A-list celebrities, proved quite unsuccessful. While many might want to hit Grand Central and the three Bs–Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdale’s and Barneys–an area further south might be less stressful. Whatever you choose, try to focus on one neighborhood, wear a medium heel, opt for an unlimited day subway pass over cabs, and stash a big bottle of water and an energy bar in your carryall. Here’s Trendcetera Magazine’s guide to FNO. The focus here is on SoHo because it is far from the chaos of midtown, the streets are closer together, and there are loads of events to keep you busy. Below you’ll find details on a few events, including the freebies, celeb appearances, liquor details and a link to FNO maps.

Key Midtown Picks

The W Times Square is encouraging shoppers to splurge at their store, where spenders will get one of the limited edition bags designed by fashion Illustrator Danny Roberts. Running from 5-8 p.m., the store will have Roberts onsite live to sign the bags of the first 100 to make a purchase at the W store and to show off his favorite work, at The Living Room bar. Plus, one shopper will win a free sketched portrait by Roberts and anyone that spends at least $250 will get a free cocktail from the “SIPS” menu. Bliss Spa workers will be onsite to offer hand massages at the W Times Square and W New York locations.

Jewelry designer and Nix & Stones Founder Amy Nix is selling her Angel Wings at the Plaza Hotel on FNO. The wings have a metal base and are covered with Swarovski crystals, on sterling silver or gold filled chains. The wings retail at $88 for the smaller size and $98 for the larger, with 25% of proceeds going toward a shelter for women. Nix sets herself apart by employing some of the women from the shelter to help make the wings. Click here for more on the Angel Wings collection.

Heading Downtown…

For Unique Menswear & Quality Booze…

Store: Rimmel London and Reiss are hosting an event with the new face of Rimmel, Coco Rocha, and makeup artists offering touchups. All full-priced products are 10% for the evening. 

Special: The gift with purchase includes a Reiss makeup bag that includes Rimmel’s new Lash Accelerator Mascara, which will be out next month.

Liquor Sponsor: Bulldog Gin

Location & Time: 387 West Broadway between Spring and Broome

Store: Korres Natural Products is hosting an event with cupcakes, makeovers and antioxidant-infused cocktails inspired by some of the commonly used ingredients, such as wild rose, pomegranate, Thyme honey and raspberry.

Location & Time: 6-11 p.m. 110 Wooster at Spring and Prince. Call 212-219-0683 or email Woosterstreet@korresusa.com to book a free makeover.

Express Mania: Manis, Tarot Readings & Major Discounts

Store: Express is hosting what promises to be an eventful FNO stop, even if you have never purchased clothes at the mass retailer before. From 9:30-10:30 p.m. Supermodel Jessica Stam is spinning and from 9-11 p.m. daring fashionistas can get a free tarot reading. Plus, the whole event is modeled around the launch of the retailer’s first fragrance for women, Love Express (1.7oz $44.90, 3.4oz $59.90), which has fruity-floral scent whose notes include blackberry, mandarin, pineapple, jasmine, vanilla musk and white iris.

Specials: From 7-9 p.m. the retailer is offering free hot pink manicures and all night customers will get $30 off purchases of at least $90!

Nourishment: Cocktails, brownie pops and ice cream.

Location & Time: 6-11 p.m. 545 Broadway at Houston and Prince

Bananas! Shut the Front Door! I Die! I’ve Come Undone…

Rachel Zoe Photo by Jeff Vespa/Getty Images for Montblanc

Piperlime is the reason Los Angeles-based stylist and Bravo star Rachel Zoe will be in SoHo on Friday. The waify stylist and QVC designer will be at the Pimerlime popup star from 8-10 p.m. The popup store opens at 93 Mercer Street on September 9 and will stay open through October 3. Standard hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. but it will stay open until 11 p.m. on Friday. Plus, customers will get a free tote bag with purchase, while supplies last. To RSVP, email piperlime@alisonbrodpr.com

Spanish retailer Mango will have makeup artists and stylists at their 561 Broadway store during the FNO event, from 6-11 p.m., when they’ll offer 30% off.

Click here for the complete list of events.

Click here for the NYPost map of events and the official FNO customizable map.

Click here to find a list of events for Fashion’s Night Out outside of NYC.

To some, fashion is art. To others, it is simply an industry that supplies the clothes on our backs. To keep it light, have a laugh at fashion’s new drama queen, Rachel Zoe.

A mother-daughter clothing line–such is the life of the celeb child. Madonna and her first born, Lola (Lourdes), have released the ads for the upcoming Macy’s junior brand, The Material Girl. The collection is the product of a joint venture between the queen of pop and Iconix Brand Group. The ads, shot by photographer Tom Munro, feature Gossip Girl actress Taylor Momsen, also a singer for the band The Pretty Reckless.

The line is set to launch exclusively at 200 Macy’s stores and at www.macys.com on August 3rd. The JV is placing ads in Teen Vogue, Seventeen, Nylon and Cosmopolitan among others, online and in movie theaters this summer. A quick glance shows the collection isn’t far from the punk-inspired looks dancer-turned entertainment mogul “M” sported in her early days in Gotham. A closer look reveals a continuation of current fashion trends, from skinny jeans to the ever shrinking hemline.

The group will kick off the launch with an appearance and performance by Momsen on August 3rd at Macy’s Herald Square in New York, on the 4th floor from 5-7 p.m. In the fall, Madonna and Lola will be at Macy’s Herald Square on September 22nd. Meanwhile, in the spirit of the media zeitgeist, Lola is blogging about the collection. Check it out at http://blog.materialgirlcollection.com.

It is with great displeasure that I reveal the best of the looks from Zac Posen’s collection for—yes, who else, Minneapolis-based retail giant Target. I usually have a blah feeling about some piece in all of the GO collections but Posen’s line is just plain confusing. For one, it is disappointing because it feels like a page out of the 1980s. We might’ve expected this from Madonna and Lourdes’ upcoming collection, but from the CFDA-winning New York native? So, we culled out the looks that don’t look like Madonna circa 1986 or a 1990s prom dress. Here goes.

The Mod Look for Work?

The native of lower Manhattan began his design career with a high school internship at the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, after which he headed to the UK to study womenswear at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design at the University of the Arts. After that, he was named a 2001 Fresh Face by GenArt, opened his own studio and debuted a collection, all by 21. So, naturally, we expect more from this type of person than most. Years, later, he wins the CFDA award for RTW and the list goes on. But, in this case, something is missing.

These two short dresses are fun and playful but the rest leave me wondering why he just raided the Material Girl tour archives for inspiration? Add to that the funky, lace-inspired black and tan bustier dresses and the black lace-up dress, all of which scream JPG, whose own Target line was just released, and I’m utterly perplexed. Still, while the collection is a bit teenybopper, and 50s meets 80s, thanks to the tulle, print and ankle sock combo, there are decent frocks in the collection.

Finally, a casual summer style for the 30+ crowd. Paired with metallic flats or wedges, and either big hoop earrings or a chunky necklace, this would work well from day to night.

Check the styles out for yourself at Target, from April 25 through May 30.  The prices range from $17-199.

It doesn’t take long for a woman to realize that trip to Sydney, Australia, will mean too much time shopping and not enough exploring. Maybe it’s the proximity to China, where almost all clothes are made, that offers an intense selection of shopping given the size of the city. From cheap and trendy to expensive Japanese imports and classy, work-appropriate threads, Sydney has it all. So to give you some details from the experts, a few shots from the pages of Australian Vogue…

Many magazines in Australia were showing lace tops and shoes, and punk-inspired trends, with pale light layers and black and gray separates and accessories, as well as print dresses.  On the street, young women were wearing an asymmetrical vests and sweaters that hang longer in the rear, often with leggings. It is worth mentioning that Aussies are now just entering fall, as we enter summer.

Spring trends…

The It Girls’ looks. What were they wearing out?

Kate Moss for Longchamp. This follows her fragrance, Topshop collaboration and many endorsements and campaigns.

Finally, a few shots on the fashion Bible’s bets for trends for less.

And Playful…

What are you wearing this spring? Email us at info@trendcetera.com with your name, city, age and spring fashion and/or beauty wishlist.

Fashion Week is upon us and yet we are still struggling to make ends meet, even those of us with jobs. For the first time in our lives, for those in Generations X and Y, we truly understand what it means to appreciate having any job. This personal and global credit crunch is just one more reason to bow to the holy gods in Minneapolis, yes the folks at Target that keep us entertained and clothed. Target keeps us satisfied without forcing us to break the bank and disobey Suze Orman’s rules about living within your means, saving the maximum for retirement, and starting a rainy day savings (~six months of expenses). Start saving, any way you can, even if it is only $20 per paycheck. Try ING since their savings rates are better than the average bank and you won’t be tempted to use it, since there are so few ATMs. In the meantime, we snagged some images of the Jean Paul Gaultier collection for Target.

Spring/Summer Work Attire: Good Girl Gone Bad?

Jean Paul Gaultier at Target. These are words we never imagined in one sentence but fashion does what is must to survive and JPG is not to be questioned. He is among the geniuses, like Karl Lagerfeld, Coco Chanel and Marc Jacobs, the latter of which is Just Saying No to Celebrities. It’s not about the jetsetera, it’s about the clothes, the art…Meanwhile, who will entertain while he continues to start his shows two hours late? But back to JPG.

He has mastered the art of bringing conflicting styles together, making opposites attract-the rough with the romantic. It’s like the first time I saw someone wear an above-the-knee floral print dress with brown, broken in boots, half laced. It was thread love.

Biker Babe Meets Urban Chic

Sweet Home Alabama-In Gotham City

Prep School Cum West Village

Target seems to have made these images and the accompanying press release impossible to find, just hours after I downloaded them in the early hours of the morning. If memory serves well, this collection will be on sale from March 7 through April 11. You know where to go and leave the kids at home. This might get ugly.

Target just won’t let us go. From grill pans from the sexy Food Network star to the latest brand linkup, we just keep heading back for more. Truth be told, the purchase I keeping heading back to Target for is the 3-pack of seamless thongs from Gilligan & O’Malley for $9.99. But, that will soon change when I rush with the masses for what appears an excellent collection of staples from Converse.

The Target and Converse release of the Converse One Star spring 2010 collection reminds me Sporty Spice, but don’t take that in a bad way. Just recently launched, the collection aims to fuse the style elements of classic American sportswear and vintage clothing. While the 1990s were a period where most of us were ignorant about our horrible fashion choices, these options offer comfortable, work-safe outfits at reasonable prices. According to Target, the edgy collection “celebrates the optimistic rebel, and incorporates authentic downtown influences and vintage touches on versatile, affordable closet staples.”

The collection includes both feminine boho chic and edgy downtown styles, with micro-floral prints on tanks, blouses and dresses, as well as chambray shirred dresses, plaid shirt dresses and tunics. Swimwear options include bikinis and one-pieces, in plaid and stripe options. Finally, the women’s shoe collection includes bright pink and red shoes, and laceless gingham and khaki options.

Men’s options include casual, stylish pieces, such as lighter wash jeans, western-inspired shirts, board shorts, and striped tees. The collection is an edgy, gender-neutral take on all-American staples.