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Article: Burst Baubles; Judith Leiber Bags Define Luxury. But in 9-11's Wake, Is Luxury Out of Fashion?
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- November 17, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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On Sept. 10, this would have been the tale of an American luxury
brand celebrating fizzy times despite a tough economy, the sturdy
foundation in the ambitious -- perhaps foolhardy -- construction of a
new luxury conglomerate.
But in the passing of a day, times changed for the Judith Leiber
handbag company. Sales went flat in some stores and spiraled downward
in others. Retailers canceled orders -- in one instance, $200,000 in
wholesale merchandise was erased from a single invoice. Layoffs are
coming and the workweek will be cut from five days to four. Even the
conglomerate that it anchors is reeling.
It's definitely not business as usual. "This is a hold-tight"
situation, says company ...