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Corte Madera, Calif. – Gary Friedman, chairman emeritus of Restoration Hardware, has been named chairman of the board and co-CEO. Friedman, former co-CEO of Restoration Hardware, will serve with co-CEO Carlos Alberini.

CORTE MADERA, Calif. — Restoration Hardware is a company one tends to associate with high-end home furnishings, but the company is expanding into new territory. RH recently launched Hierarchy — an apparel, accessories and footwear brand — and has edited its executive leadership team as a result.

LEXINGTON, Mass. — The Keds division of footwear manufacturer Wolverine Worldwide is back for an encore performance with superstar Taylor Swift.

This fall, Keds will launch its second footwear collaboration with seven-time Grammy award-winning, multi-platinum singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. The collection expands this season to 17 styles, offering a variety of prints, colors and finishes inspired by Swift.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A 36th birthday is not normally an occasion for an over-the-top celebration; however, that’s what multichannel retailer HSN is doing this month when it hosts what it’s calling the biggest party of the year.

To celebrate its 36 years, HSN has partnered with Toyota to give away four 2013 Toyota RAV4s in July as part of a month-long sweepstakes. Each week, customers can sign up via the HSN Arcade gaming portal at HSN.com and one winner will be announced on HSN every Saturday night at 8 p.m. EDT.

New York -- Urban Outfitters has signed a lease for 56,730 sq. ft. on three levels at W&H Properties’ 1333 Broadway site, where the retailer will create its innovative new “lifestyle center” concept with new features never before seen from the brand, according to Anthony Malkin, president of Malkin Holdings, which supervises the W&H Properties portfolio.

The retailer will take occupancy in September.  

Long Beach, N.Y. – For five-store women’s specialty retailer Ooh La La Boutiques, maintaining strong customer awareness is critical for successfully competing with larger, more established brands in its crowded vertical. Add in the impact of Hurricane Sandy and its aftermath on this chain which is located in and around Long Island, and you have a business in need of personal connection with its customers.

Brooklyn, Ohio – The Weiss family, which founded the public American Greetings greeting card company is now looking to take it private. As reported by Reuters, the Weiss family is raising an existing buyout offer of $18.20 per share to $19 per share.

The increased offer was contained in a regulatory filing made July 1.
 

Tampa, Fla. -- Madison Marquette Retail Services has announced the opening of five new retailers with five more to come this year at its Hyde Park Village shopping center in Tampa, Fla.

The five open retailers include a 1,430-sq.-ft. Francesca’s Collections and four local and regional names: Betty with 1,000 sq. ft., a 939-sq.-ft. Don Me Now Styling & Clothing Lounge, FITniche with 2,251 sq. ft. and Piquant, a French restaurant and bakery, which took 5,397 sq. ft.

The mantra of “move, nourish, believe” occupies a prominent spot on the blue walls of Lorna Jane, Santa Monica, Calif. With its bright colors, fashionable accents, and welcoming atmosphere, the store has an upbeat, sporty-girl vibe that is very much in keeping with the Australian active wear brand’s positioning. Motivational expressions can be found throughout the space.

Secaucus, N.J. – The Children’s Place is partnering with Israeli fashion chain Fox-Wizel Ltd. to open stores in Israel, starting in the first quarter of fiscal 2014. The two companies inked a 10-year franchise agreement.