Charlotte Expands, Richie and Narciso Both Go Solo
♦ Charlotte Ronson continues with her role as the most respectable (and least annoying) member of Ronson family: She's signed a deal with J.C. Penney to design "a full contemporary sportswear collection" called I ♥ Ronson. [WWD]
♦ Did you sense that the fashion world had turned on its axis? That's because Richie Rich unveiled his first solo collection this past weekend in Miami Beach. [Miami New Times via Paper]
♦ Narciso Rodriguez is parting company with Liz Claiborne after an 18-month partnership; the designer will now have independent ownership of his brand. [WWD]
♦ Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen launched their Elizabeth and James line in London last night with the help of Henry Holland, Dasha Zhukova and Pixie Geldof. [FabSugar]
♦ PETA's Dan Mathews and his cohorts protested outside Giorgio Armani's Milan store yesterday; they claim that the designer has reneged on promises not to use fur. [Towleroad]
♦ Henri Bendel need not worry about visits from PETA: The store has decided to become a fur-free zone. [Nylon]
♦ People aren't spending money on clothes, understandably, and fashion retailers are hurting. [Ad Age]