Bergé reflects on YSL, Billabong crashes, Alpha male, Middle ground, Branquinho's back

Pierre Bergé: "Yves died at the right time" (The Talks)
"I didn't know very much about fashion at that time. I was a very close friend of Christian's and of some other haute couture masters like Balenciaga, but for me fashion was not an art. In my eyes, it was just something to make money."

Billabong surfwear shares crash (Telegraph)
"Shares in Billabong, the Australian surfwear company crashed by 36pc following a heavily discounted rights issue that failed to allay fears about the future of the company."

Sport Rules for the Alpha Male (IHT)
"Maybe it is the European soccer championship — the matches emptying the streets of Milan as followers run to a screen — for the prevailing mood is sporty and alpha male."

The luxury middle ground returns (Material World)
"So after all the chat about the current economic situation driving a polarisation of price-points – either super-high-end luxury or cheapo Uniqlo – Euromonitor has come out with some research that begs to differ."

Veronique Branquinho makes a comeback (MPDClick)
"Following the recent return of Jil Sander and Hedi Slimane to the catwalk, Veronique Branquinho is now also making a ready-to-wear comeback. After years of absence, the Belgian fashion designer will present her first collection for spring/summer 2013 at Paris Fashion Week this September."