Apparel

The ANNpower Vital Voices Initiative is a partnership between Ann Inc., parent company of Ann Taylor and Loft, and Vital Voices Global Partnership to empower young women from across the U.S. with the leadership skills they need to affect global progress, invest in their communities and begin their journeys as the next generation of leaders.  

New York -- Sunglass Hut has debuted a new retail brand, Shaded, in the form of a freestanding, open-air kiosk. Targeted at Millenials, the format puts an emphasis on interactivity, with a built-it photo booth that allows for on-the-spot photo taking and photo sharing. (See photos here.)

Seattle -- Nordstrom plans to open a Nordstrom Rack at University Crossing in Orem, Utah.

The approximately 30,000-sq.-ft. store is scheduled to open in spring 2015. University Crossing is owned and managed by University Crossing Shopping Center.

The recent announcement from Coldwater Creek that the women’s apparel brand will seek Chapter 11 protection and plans to start liquidating its inventory didn’t exactly come as a surprise. It has been years since the company posted a quarterly profit, and industry analysts and observers have been pointing to Coldwater’s worrying inability to compete stylistically in an increasingly competitive and youth-oriented women’s fashion market.

Armonk, N.Y. -- IBM said Tuesday that its Watson unit has invested in Fluid, a digital commerce firm, to develop personalized shopping applications using IBM’s cognitive computing tools.

New York – Nine basic attack patterns that vary from industry to industry are the source of 92% of the 100,000 security incidents analyzed by Verizon since 2004.

New York – Barney’s New York has released its iPad app. Created in partnership with mobile development and design firm Fueled, the app will allow users to experience the shopping functionality found on Barneys.com seamlessly integrated with relevant and exclusive content, providing background and insight into purchases.

Dallas - DGSE Companies Inc. has named James D. “Dusty” Clem to the positions of chairman, president and CEO, effective immediately. Clem replaces James Vierling, who has resigned as CEO and as a director of DGSE to accept a position with Elemetal LLC, DGSE’s largest shareholder.

Columbus, Ohio — First Interstate Properties has named Steiner + Associates as the exclusive retail leasing agent for its 610,000-sq.-ft. mixed-use Legacy Village in Lyndhurst, Ohio.

Barneys New York has launched an iPad app that offers consumers improved shopping functionality as well as relevant and exclusive content.

New functions on the app include a Personal Shopping scheduling tool, which Barneys touts as the first of its kind for a luxury retailer. Created in partnership with mobile development and design firm Fueled, the app is now available for complimentary download through the Apple iTunes store.