Week in Review | London 2012 Olympics, Technology and Fashion Collide, Learning from Piaggi, Hughes and Vidal

The Fashion Trail | London 2012 Olympics (Opinion)
"Ostensibly, the intention was to show the inextricable links between British fashion and music. But while it may have made for powerful imagery in the pages of Vogue, on the global stage of the Olympic stadium, it simply wasn't impactful."

In Digital London, Technology and Fashion Collide (Fashion 2.0)
"In recent cycles, London's rising technology and fashion sectors have intertwined, not least because East London is a magnet for both of these communities, offering, as it does, cheap warehouse space and vibrant nightlife. And as entrepreneurs, technologists and creatives have collided, they have begun to define a whole new growth vector for fashion business and creativity."

Colin's Column | What Fashion Can Learn from Vidal, Hughes and Piaggi (Opinion)
"To lose three people of great cultural value in a couple of weeks seems a cruel deprivation. First, Gore Vidal, then Robert Hughes and, finally, Anna Piaggi — belles lettres, art criticism and fashion knowledge lightly worn. They will be missed in their different ways."

Keeping zombies out of the mall (FT)
"The Garrard Street mall in Reading, a 40-minute drive from west London, is a warning to developers everywhere. Abandoned and soon to be demolished as part of a broader redevelopment… A lethal combination of thrifty consumers and a commercial real estate slump have turned malls into the walking dead of retail."

Rich toddlers draw fashion designers' eyes (Business Week)
"Top fashion designers are pushing more expensive duds for the increasingly lucrative affluent toddler demographic. This fall, Oscar de la Renta, Dolce & Gabbana, and Marni launched collections for the pint-sized."

J.Crew Taps Street Style, Industry Insiders, and Tumblr's Founder (Fashionista)
"You won't see any big-name models in J.Crew's fall 2012 ad campaign–but that doesn't mean you won't recognize any of the faces. The mega-retailer has tapped a handful of successful fashion industry types (who just, you know, happen to be model-good-looking) to star in its latest ad campaign."

Downtown Comes Uptown (NY Times)
"Conspicuous consumption has made a resounding return to Madison Avenue, at least on that mile of glistening shops stretching north of Barneys New York at East 60th Street. But it isn't quite the same Madison Avenue as what was there before. Nearly 50 stores have opened in the last 18 months, including a diverse mix of European luxury labels."