2 September, 2010 by BoF Team

BoF Daily Digest | Questioning fashion copyrighting, Chinese forays, Lanvin for H&M, Esprit’s decline, Revamping John Lewis

Canal Street AF1, created to drive counterfeit awareness | Source: Kicks on fire

Copyrighting Fashion: Who Gains? (NY Times)
“Paradoxically, the payoff from free copying has been enormous.  The fashion cycle turns faster, and the industry gets richer – and creates new designs more frequently. So why on earth would anyone want to change that?”

Luxury brands wrest back China market, eye smaller cities (Reuters)
“Many piled into China over the last decade, pairing with re-sellers and joint venture partners, but with so much at stake, they are severing these ties and bringing their own considerable financial and marketing muscle as well as expertise to China.”

Lanvin to Make Clothes for H & M (NY Times)
“Lanvin, one of the oldest Paris fashion houses, announced today that it will do a collection this fall for H & M. People can have their first look at the collection on Nov. 2, in a film that will be shown on hm.com. The clothes will go on sale Nov. 23 in 200 H & M stores worldwide.”

Esprit to Double China Sales After Decline in European Revenue (Business Week)
“Esprit Holdings, the biggest Hong Kong-listed clothier, aims to at least double China sales in the next five years after reporting an 11 percent drop in full-year profit. The stock fell the most in three months.”

Should John Lewis revamp their fashion? (Telegraph)
“The department store has just announced a revamp – the word alone will send a shiver down the spines of its fans – with the aim of becoming genuinely fashionable. Why on earth does Britain’s Favourite Retailer need to get groovy?”

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1 September, 2010 by Guest Contributor

The FashionStake Diaries | Part III: Going Live

FashionStake Screenshot | Source: FashionStake

The FashionStake Diaries is a four-part series that gives BoF readers a behind the scenes look at the crucial first months of a crowdfunding fashion startup, seen through the eyes of its founders. Today, as FashionStake goes live, the founders reveal their initial designer lineup and reflect on their journey thus far.

NEW YORK, United States — Almost one year ago to the day, we were sitting in a classroom at Harvard Business School drawing up an idea for a new fashion website. Shortly thereafter, we began the exciting, humbling and often heart-wrenching task of building a company at the intersection of fashion and technology.

Today, we are happy to launch the fruits of our labour. And in this post, we’d like to share some important lessons we learned along the way, introduce our initial designer lineup and encourage you to test drive the new site.

… Continue Reading

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1 September, 2010 by BoF Team

BoF Daily Digest | Asian acquirers, Outsourcing truths, Saks shares surge on bid talk, Boomers get social, McQueen memorial

MCM's Boston bag | Source: MCM

Relocated labels (FT)
“From individual consumers of luxury goods, the Chinese and Indians have become consumers of luxury companies, in a shift that has far-reaching implications for the $80bn (€63bn, £52bn) a year industry.”

When luxury brands outsource, should they tell? (Today)
“Italy’s Parliament has passed a law that [requires] manufacturers be able to prove that their products were primarily made in Italy and, if any part of the work was carried out elsewhere, a traceable location must be shown.”

Saks shares surge on report of possible buyout bid (Reuters)
“Saks Inc shares surged 22 percent… after a published report that a group of private equity firms may soon launch a bid for the New York-based luxury department store operator.”

Boomers and Zoomers: The Social Web Grows Up (Brand Channel)
“As Boomers continue to age, their social media skills are ripening. The latest Pew Internet survey reveals that social networking among Internet users in the 50+ segment nearly doubled, from 22% in April 2009 to 42% in May 2010.”

Memorial service at St. Paul’s for Alexander McQueen (Telegraph)
“The late, great British designer, Alexander ‘Lee’ McQueen, will be remembered at a Memorial Service, at St Paul’s Cathedral, on September 20th, during London Fashion Week.”

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31 August, 2010 by BoF Team

BoF Daily Digest | Marketing with cultural sensitivity, Sponsoring bloggers, Social CEOs, Ebay’s fashion push, Corrine Day’s legacy

Dior's Shanghai Dreamers | Source: antbazaar

Chinese people as identical Maoist robots? (Guardian)
“If fantasy is part of the appeal of fashion, then wouldn’t it be worthwhile for Dior, Chanel, and other couture houses to figure out how Chinese people fantasise and see themselves?”

Marketing’s New Rage: Brands Sponsoring Influential Bloggers (WWD)
“Forget about just display ads. Increasingly, the future of advertising online seems to be through sponsorships, contests, giveaways, product placement, widgets and games — often with bloggers.”

How CEOs Will Use Social Media in the Future (Mashable)
“Today’s CEO is not social… Very few of the CEOs at top companies in the U.S. and the rest of the world have any material presence on the popular social media sites… all signs are pointing to a future filed with CEOs who can speak the language of the people — social media.”

Ebay redoubles marketing efforts for fashion offering (Marketing)
“Since eBay launched its Fashion Outlet site in April, it has had 30 fashion retail brands, including Superdry, Karen Millen, Ted Baker and Office, join to sell their products through it.”

How the late Corinne Day changed my life (Telegraph)
“Her style of photography, and that British Vogue shoot in particular, kicked off the whole grunge movement in the ‘90s in a blaze of controversy. No discernible make-up, natural light, girls with flaws.. Her work was so unmistakably British and effortlessly cool.”

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30 August, 2010 by Imran Amed, Editor

Quotable | Tomas Maier on his new ‘smart design’ collection for H&M?

“

Smart women are so beautiful. I think they are the most beautiful to me. I also think that men and women that are very comfortable within their own skin are gorgeous.”

What appears to be Tomas Maier, Creative Director of Bottega Veneta, speaking in a YouTube video posted by H&M to tease the brand’s Facebook followers in advance of the announcement of H&M’s next designer collaboration on September 9th, 2010.

… Continue Reading

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30 August, 2010 by BoF Team

Kate Moss and Topshop part ways, Gucci’s digital flagship, Bulgari recovers, Boss sales rebound, Kolkata fashion weeks clash

Kate Moss for Topshop, Autumn 2009 | Source: Topshop

Kate Moss and Topshop to end design deal (BBC)
“A three-year design partnership between Kate Moss and Topshop is to end later this year. When the supermodel unveils her autumn and winter range in October – it will be her 14th and last collection for the chain.”

Gucci opens its new luxury digital flagship store (Fashion and Runway)
“Following an 18 month architectural renovation under the direction of Gucci Creative Director Frida Giannini, the new online retail destination takes advantage of the most innovative technologies available today.”

Bulgari Recovers Its Luster (Wall Street Journal)
“Though jewelry lies at the heart of Bulgari’s business, Mr. Trapani’s decision to diversify into watches, perfumes and accessories over the past 20 years has “radically changed” the company he joined in 1981, he says. These lines now account for almost 50% of the company’s sales.”

Hugo Boss Sees Sales Rebound (Bloomberg)
“Hugo Boss AG’s sales rebound will gather pace in the second half of 2010 as its U.S. business benefits from a shift by customers toward less-expensive luxury items, according to Chief Financial Officer Mark Langer.”

It is Gandhi-wear vs bridal-wear in Kolkata (Times of India)
“With one paying tribute to Mahatma Gandhi’s simple dressing style and another showcasing lavish bridal wear, the city is set for a double delight this September as two fashion weeks clash on the same date.”

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27 August, 2010 by BoF Team

BoF Daily Digest | American Apparel’s ethical conflict, Burberry’s online checkout, Modern milliners, Chloé’s new chief, Vuitton’s Diwali

American Apparel Summer 2010 | Source: American Apparel

American Apparel: The public won’t wear it (Guardian)
“[American Apparel] was now a vertically integrated company that seemed dedicated to getting women horizontal.  It turns out that, even in the fashion business, there’s such a thing as too much sex.”

Burberry: Runway to Checkout (NY Times)
“Burberry plans to offer customers a substantial portion of its Prorsum spring 2011 runway collection — to be shown Sept. 21 in London — for immediate online sale, with delivery in six to eight weeks.”

Thoroughly Modern Milliners (Vogue UK)
“With visionaries like Lady Gaga around, there’s a feeling that we should all be making more effort with our headgear – especially as the class of 2010 are redefining the art of millinery.”

French luxury vet steps in at Chloé (NY Post)
“On tap to replace Toledano is Geoffroy de la Bourdonnaye, a veteran of French luxury conglomerate LVMH and Walt Disney Co., who most recently engineered the turnaround of British department store Liberty.”

Louis Vuitton’s Global Flavor (WWD)
“Louis Vuitton’s holiday windows worldwide will have an Indian flavor this year. Starting Nov. 5, displays will pay tribute to Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, an ancient and joyous occasion to light oil lamps, wear new clothes and distribute sweets.”

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26 August, 2010 by Vikram Alexei Kansara

The Fashion Trail | Made in Fair Isle

Fair Isle jumpers | Source: FairIsle.org.uk

FAIR ISLE, United Kingdom — On the most remote inhabited island in Britain, 24 miles south of the Shetland mainland, 27 miles north of the Orkney Islands and 250 miles west of Norway, it’s always sweater season. With 600-foot cliffs overlooking the North Sea, thousands of acres of peat bog and a climate that’s perennially cool and damp, Fair Isle is a rugged place where wool is a way of life.

For centuries, the island’s resourceful inhabitants have been turning local fleeces into one-of-a-kind, handmade knitwear with distinctive, multi-coloured patterns arranged in horizontal rows. Sturdy as well as attractive, the jumpers were bartered with sailors on passing ships and spread along the trade routes of the British Empire. In the 1920s, the Duke of Windsor, briefly known as Edward VIII and famous for his eccentric sense of style, popularised the design and the jumpers are now known the world over as Fair Isles.

It’s remarkable to think that this tiny island of 70 inhabitants has a world famous brand name. But because neither the pattern, nor the name are trademarked, “Fair Isle” sweaters, cardigans, hats and scarves with variations on the traditional motifs are mass-produced in factories as far afield as China and sold in varying levels of quality by global brands like Gap, J. Crew, Marc by Marc Jacobs and Ralph Lauren, while the people on Fair Isle have struggled to capitalise on the iconic pattern and its local provenance.

… Continue Reading

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26 August, 2010 by BoF Team

BoF Daily Digest | What millennial girls want, Style.com vs Vogue.com, Toledano out at Chloé, Prada countersues, Tiffany launches handbags

Proenza Schouler Autumn/Winter 2010 | Source: Proenza Schouler

What Do Girls Want? (NY Times)
“You can understand why brands like Chanel want to limit their Web exposure, but what happens to interest if the immediate outlet is blocked? This is not a generation that will wait to get a number for admission.”

Style.com’s Faces Off With Vogue (WWD)
“Right after Labor Day, Style.com, once the online home of W and Vogue but now a brand in its own right, will face some stiff competition from one of its former comrades, as Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour unveils a major relaunch of vogue.com.”

Chloé Moves (Vogue.com)
“Ralph Toledano no longer holds the position of CEO and chairman at luxury fashion house Chloé… There are suggestions that Toledano was pushed out by his new boss, Marty Wikstrom who heads up Richmonts fashion and accessories businesses.”

Prada Japan hits back at ex-employee over harassment lawsuit (AFP)
“The Japanese unit of Italian fashion house Prada has launched a countersuit claiming defamation against a former employee who is suing the company for alleged sexual harassment and unfair dismissal.”

Something New in Tiffany Blue (WSJ)
“Tiffany & Co. now has bags to match its little blue boxes. The jeweler is launching an expansive collection of handbags, ranging from clutches to totes to satchels, in a dozen of its U.S. stores on Sept. 1.”


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25 August, 2010 by BoF Team

BoF Daily Digest | Britain’s shopoholics, Music and fashion viral synergy, Downing talks trends, D&G exits Japan, Beker for The Bay

Westfield Shopping Centre London | Source: Westfield London

‘Shopaholic’ Brits amass £24bn debt during downturn (Guardian)
“Despite the financial constraints, women have carried on copying the lifestyles and shopping habits of their idols and ignoring the debt they are racking up in the process.”

Music and Fashion: Looking for Viral Synergy (Time)
“Such forethought is key in a shoot like this, which is not a commercial nor an artwork nor a fashion shoot nor a music video, but a hybrid of all four — an exercise in content creation that is designed to summon up that most elusive of things: a digital video that will go viral.”

Dolce & Gabbana To Close D&G Shops In Japan (Luxuo)
“The decision to regroup in Japan.. also underlines the ground-shift in purchasing patterns in Japan, where consumers are increasingly focusing on mid-range clothing lines and other fashion items.”

Neiman Marcus’ fashion director talks trends (Canadian Press)
“If women are skeptical that they will be wearing a frothy shirt of lace beneath a tailored pantsuit or shoes trimmed with feathers this fall, they shouldn’t be…. [Downing], Neiman Marcus’ fashion director, has been digesting designer offerings.”

Beker’s affordable chic (Montreal Gazette)
“For Jeanne Beker, the Canadian fashion television pioneer, the most exhilarating change she’s seen in 25 years of covering the international style scene is what she calls the democratization of fashion. Now, Beker is getting in on [the] act with her own affordable line for The Bay.”

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