Sold: Betsey

In international fashion financial news this month, Betsey Johnson, the quirky designer known for her colourful designs and customary cartwheel down the runway each season, has sold a controlling interest in her label to Castanea Partners, a Boston-based private equity firm. According to FashionWatch.com, the 30 year old brand generates more than $200 million (USD) annually in retail sales, and operates 51 free-standing boutiques. The new partnership is being viewed as a strategic alliance to further develop and grow the brand.

Model Mourning

Her name may not have been Daria, Kate, or Gisele, but in the 1970s, Sayoko Yamaguchi was the legendary supermodel known for her shiny, straight black hair and Japanese doll appearance. She passed away on August 14, 2007 from acute pneumonia. According to FashionWatch.com, Yamaguchi was one of the first Asian models to make it big on European runways, making her debut in Paris in 1972, and being named one of Newsweek Magazine’s top six models in 1977.