loose threads

J.Crew Poaches Zoë Bruns From Bazaar; J.C. Penney Slashes Staff

Zoë Bruns leaves her job as Harper’s Bazaar’s photography and bookings director to join J.Crew as vice-president of brand design. [WWD]

• J.C. Penney fires 900 employees as part of its reinvention plan. [WWD]

Buzzfeed examines recent trends in prom attire and explains (with commentary from the market’s experts) just how the dresses got so risqué. [Buzzfeed]

With hair dyed red, Victoria Beckham covers the May issue of Harper’s Bazaar China. [DesignScene]

Cotton, Inc. taps Emmy Rossum and Camilla Belle for its “Fabric of My Life” campaign. [WWD]

Salvatore Ferragamo’s Fifth Avenue flagship reopens today after its thirteen-week-long renovation. [Stylefile]

Yves Saint Laurent’s new eyewear collection, made in collaboration with Safilo, will be in the label’s stores and boutiques this month. [WWD]

• Maje appears to have named a dress after Zoolander’s villain fashion designer, Mugatu. [Fashionista]

Thanks to cheerful colors, warm weather, and an early Easter, retail sales rose an average of 4.3 percent last month (when compared with March 2011) — better than the 3.5 percent increase that analysts projected. [NYT]

Chris Benz on designing the outfit for the latest presidential Barbie: “Pink, for me, is an inspirational color. No matter what it is, whether it’s like a food or a car or something, it always is a little bit encouraging and uplifting. It’s a really nice color. I accidentally dyed my hair pink and now I’m stuck with it, too.” [Styleite]

Wal-Mart plans to launch a five-year program with the goal to empower 60,000 women who work in its factories, teaching them skills such as communication, hygiene, reproductive health, occupational health, and safety. [WWD]

Rachel Zoe invested in outfit-sharing app Pose. [Mashable]

J.Crew Poaches Zoë Bruns; J.C. Penney’s Firings