Superdry Spring Summer 2010 | Source: Superdry

Sales soar at fashion label Superdry (Telegraph)
“The chain said that expectations for pre-tax profit for the year to the start of May will be ‘not less’ than the £25.7m it outlined in its IPO prospectus earlier this year. Total group sales over the year are up by £63m, or 83pc, to £139m.”

Italy’s Yoox Posts 1Q Growth In Net Profit, Revenue (WSJ)
“Italian Internet fashion retailer Yoox SpA (YOOX.MI) said Tuesday its revenue and net profit grew in the first quarter as business performed well across all segments and territories. Net profit for the first quarter increased fivefold to EUR2 million from the EUR0.4 million a year earlier.”

Fuller’s fashion website closed for lack of funds (Times)
“Fashionair was the brainchild of the former manager of the Spice Girls and Sojin Lee, a former Net-a-Porter executive, and was established as an ‘entertainment and shopping platform’. Last week staff were told that they would be made redundant after an investment review by its American parent.”

Fashion sales double with new system (Internet Retailing)
“In the first five weeks since launch, net retail sales on lkbennett.com rose by more than 100%, compared to the same period a year ago, and customer conversion also more than doubled. Compared to the previous season, sales were up by more than 70%.”

Is ‘wearable technology’ the future of fashion? (Telegraph)
“The ‘Look at me, I’m electric!’ appeal of wearable technology could prove far more lucrative than acting as a mere vehicle for its attention-hungry wearer. Surely it will only be a matter of time before arriving at the Oscars with your latest movie trailer playing on a loop across your chest maximises box-office longevity.”

Hermès Spring Summer 2010 | Source: Luxuo

Hermès reports 1st-quarter sales up 19 percent (Marketwatch)
“Hermès, the French luxury goods maker, reported that first-quarter sales rose 19% to 507.7 million euros. All sectors performed well, with sales growth at the group’s own stores “particularly robust,” up 26% at constant foreign exchange rates, the company said in a Thursday statement.”

Fashion, entertainment nonprofit Gen Art shuts down (Crain’s)
“After 16 years in business, Gen Art has become another victim of the recession. The nonprofit, which produces film, concerts and fashion shows featuring emerging talent is closing its doors.”

Asos plan online marketplace (Fashion United)
“Asos announced plans that it will launch an online marketplace for customers to buy recyclable clothes and encourage customers to shop in a more environmentally-friendly way.”

What’s a fashion consultant? (Globe and Mail)
“If you think fashion consultants have anything in common with fashion police, think again. Far removed from the world of television shows such as What Not To Wear, these professionals offer expertise that can benefit a range of small businesses beyond those immediately related to the apparel industry.”

Fashionair to Shutter (Fashionista)
Fashionair “is set to close down in the near future, according to sources. Currently, there’s an announcement on the homepage that says: ‘FASHIONAIR is going through some changes. We will be back just as soon as we can.’”

But there were no signs that the medium was condensing around fixed codes. Quite the opposite. What we saw was the kind of restless innovation and constant evolution that characterises the fluid nature of digital media itself, with an explosion of new films that energised, but also transcended, the seasonal presentation schedule, speaking directly to consumers across the internet as part of in-season digital campaigns.

During the Paris menswear collections, Stefano Pilati opened the Yves Saint Laurent show with “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing,” a 7-minute film by legendary photographer Bruce Weber, while on the first night of New York Fashion week, a mesmerising film by Nick Knight, featuring Ranya Mordanova in a fractured, postmodern ritual, beautifully complemented Korean designer Jung Kuho’s deconstructed Hexa collection. A week later in London, the British Fashion Council inaugurated a special screening zone at Somerset House for a series of film presentations by young designers like Craig Lawrence, Louise Gray and Katie Eary.

But much of the action took place outside the official fashion week schedule. We saw fashion films inhabiting online advertising units on sites like The New York Times, as well as the emergence of new editorial channels like TEST and NOWNESS, which joined SHOWstudio, Dazed Digital, brand websites, video sharing sites, and Diane Pernet’s international festival, A Shaded View on Fashion Film, as platforms for striking films by avant garde designers and established brands alike.

Last October, we brought you our first seasonal ranking of the Top 10 Fashion Films. This season, the competition was stronger than ever. So sit back, turn up the volume, and enjoy the Top 10 Fashion Films of the Season — and since most of the films are in HD, we recommend you expand the videos to fill your screens with the latest in digital fashion creativity.

(RSS and Email subscribers, click here to view the films).

1. FRED BUTLER “SUNSHOWERS” by Elisha Smith-Leverock
There is a hypnotic, sharply focused beauty about Fred Butler and Elisha Smith-Leverock’s film “Sunshowers” that makes it dance through your head long after you’ve seen it. Created for A Shaded View on Fashion Film in response to a one-word brief (“Light”) from Diane Pernet, the film uses ritualistic movements, flashes of golden sunlight, and rhythmic soundtrack to perfectly heighten the experience of stunning accessories and headpieces by Fred Butler and Rosy Nicholas for Fred Butler. We think the film feels primal and utterly elegant, timeless and contemporary — all in the same breath. BoF offers you an exclusive look at this film, developed in association with Vogue Italia.

“Sunshowers” premieres at ASVOFF on May 25 in Milan.

2. HEXA by KUHO by Nick Knight
To complement Jung Kuho’s deconstructed and reconstructed A/W 2010 collection, inspired by ecdysis, “shedding our outer skins to re-emerge spiritually as more perfect or purer beings,” Nick Knight stripped away all excess to create an almost religious, masterfully controlled, magnetic film, featuring Ranya Mordanova undergoing a postmodern metamorphosis. The editing work was nothing short of sublime, playing with repetition and ceremonial body movements perfectly synced to a spellbinding soundtrack.

3. AANTENI for RODARTE by Todd Cole
Shot by photographer and video artist Todd Cole in the deserted grounds of the California jet lab that houses PayPal founder Elon Musk’s Space X initiative, this hallucinatory techno thriller stars Guinevere van Seenus wearing pieces from Rodarte’s S/S 2010 collection. Appearing in-season on new, LVMH-owned content site NOWNESS, the film invites consumers into the enigmatic, textured world of the Rodarte brand, blending art, fashion, mystery and science with visual impact and conceptual daring.

4. CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN for FASHIONAIR
Entitled “Dancer in a Daydream” and presented on FASHIONAIR, this film features the world’s most famous shoe designer, Christian Louboutin himself. The film begins with Mr. Louboutin at work in his Paris atelier, but he quickly slips into a daydram that transports him to New York’s Broadway, where he tap dances like Fred Astaire alongside two showgirls wearing his signature red-soled shoes. It’s a fun film. But what’s most compelling from a business point of view is the way FASHIONAIR displays the video alongside shopable and sharable products featured in the film — an elegant and highly effective way to integrate content and commerce and turn engagement into sales.

5. PRADA S/S 2010 by Steven Meisel
This spring, along with a YouTube channel, Prada launched not one, but two digital fashion films. The 9-minute First Spring was beautifully shot by Chinese artist Yang Fudong. Indeed, high-resolution screengrabs from the film were also used by Prada as print advertising, underscoring the flexibility of capturing content in high-definiton digital video. But we were more intrigued by the 1-minute S/S 2010 womenswear film shot by Steven Meisel. Featuring Rasa Zukauskaite as a sexy accessory-holic, twirling to a hip-hop soundtrack with bright red lips and ponytails, the film’s visual device is simple, and the focus is squarely on product. But what’s most interesting about this film is the way it appeared in online advertising units that seemed to target a younger audience.

6. Y-3 S/S 2010 by Lloyd & Co
This season, Adidas and Yohji Yamamoto also leveraged high-definition digital video to power a cross-media campaign for their sportswear collaboration Y-3, photographed by Alasdair McLellan, styled by Nicola Formichetti, filmed by Theo Stanley and art directed by Doug Lloyd. Capturing the simplicity and grace of a classic team portrait and timed to coincide with the run up to this summer’s World Cup, the campaign features football legend Zinedine Zidane and lives cohesively and seamlessly across multiple media formats, from online video to print advertising.

7. KATIE EARY A/W 2010 by Kathryn Ferguson
Shot by Kathryn Ferguson for London-based menswear designer and rising star Katie Eary, this film screened on both Jaime Perlman’s TEST magazine and Dazed Digital to coincide with London Fashion Week. The kaleidoscopic effects and use of lighting complement Ms. Eary’s A/W 2010 collection perfectly, while the film’s underground, sci-fi gothic aesthetic is charged with just the kind of raw energy and intrigue a young designer needs to catapault into the spotlight. We only wish TEST and Dazed Digital had let fans easily embed the video in their own blogs.

8. DOLCE & GABBANA by Pierre Debusschere
Created for NOWNESS in collaboration with AnOther Man’s “Outlaw” issue, this surreal film by Belgian filmmaker and fashion photographer Pierre Debusschere celebrates Dolce & Gabbanna’s tailored S/S 2010 menswear collection. Featuring young British actor Robert Sheehan, the film has an otherworldy feel, punctuated by a visual arsenal of fireworks, strobe lights and green lasers and set against a sunrise in the middle of the woods. We like that AnOther Magazine and AnOther Man are extending their print editorials online with movement and sound and giving viewers a digital asset they can share with each other in between issues.

9. YSL “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing” by Bruce Weber
At the Paris menswear, the Yves Saint Laurent show kicked off with a black and white film by legendary photographer Bruce Weber, featuring music by Marvin Gaye and a special appearance by Bunny Yeager, one of Weber’s favorite photographers. As the fashion show began, a trailer for the film was circulated on Facebook and YouTube, with video from the show and Weber’s complete film appearing online a few hours later at Vogue.co.uk, YSL.com and elsewhere. By choosing to work with a photographer like Bruce Weber — perhaps best known for his semi-nude campaigns and catalogues for Abercrombie & Fitch — YSL creative director Stefano Pilati no doubt sought and succeeded in building online buzz around his menswear collection.

10. THE LOVE THING by James Lima

Independent pioneers like Dazed Digital have often presented fashion films that accompany stills shoots. But Condé Nast’s LOVE, edited by superstylist Katie Grand, is the first magazine to create a high-octane fashion film as a commercial for a “multi-media extravaganza” coming soon on their own website, thelovemagazine.co.uk. Featuring an all-star cast of internet favorites like Dree Hemingway and Pixie Geldof playing in traffic while wearing leopard coats, sheer trenches, black garters, or nothing at all, the film was shot on the revolutionary RED Mysterium-X and released on Valentine’s Day for maximum impact. “I’m very excited by the idea of moving image; clothes and bodies look better in motion. The new technology surrounding the iPad is very interesting to me, and it’s thrilling to try and find a new way of working with fashion that isn’t two dimensional,” said Katie Grand. At BoF, we couldn’t agree more.

Which fashion films made your eyes pop this season? Let the BoF community know which films you thought were special.

Sojin Lee, Co-Founder, Fashionair.com

LONDON, United Kingdom — Over the last decade, the internet and the mp3 have revolutionised the way people access and consume music, fundamentally threatening the system of controlled distribution that traditional record companies had built. Now a similar digital tidal wave is giving consumers unprecedented access to the once closed, “insider” world of fashion.

The rapid pace of chance is causing disruption across the industry and calling into question the logic of the current fashion calendar, where consumers have access to collections online months before they arrive at retail and fast fashion copycats create and market look-a-like merchandise faster and cheaper.

In the context of these underlying shifts, Sojin Lee, former chief buyer for Net-a-Porter, has teamed up with multi-millionaire and founder of 19 Entertainment, Simon Fuller, whose impressive track record in the music industry includes managing the Spice Girls through the peak of their success. Together, they have launched Fashionair, a new platform for “fashion entertainment” that’s both digital and democratic.

Fashionair packages fashion for a more mainstream audience, blending accessible interactive shopping with consumer-friendly content. Given Mr. Fuller’s success with TV franchise Pop Idol, it’s not surprising that Fashionair’s content takes many of its cues from television. The site features a series of online video programs like Fashion Insider, which offers portraits of some of today’s top designers, make-up artists, photographers and stylists; 7 Days of Chic, which chronicles the lives of fashionable young women; Chic Fix, which presents a weekly update on fashion news, shops, restaurants and exhibitions; and Style Profile, which takes viewers inside the homes of influential fashion personalities.

With popular interest in fashion higher than ever and a month of launch events planned at London department store Selfridges, BoF caught up with Sojin Lee via email to talk about Fashionair and learn what it means to produce “fashion entertainment” for all.

BoF: You used to work at Net-a-Porter. How did you get involved with Simon Fuller?

I wanted to explore the next conception of the fashion experience online and Roland Mouret, who is a great friend, introduced me to Simon. Simon is our biggest supporter, as well as being our business partner and co-founder of Fashionair. His brilliance and focus as a pioneer in entertainment and music has given us the freedom to develop Fashionair and we consider ourselves incredibly lucky to have him as our partner.

BoF: Historically, the fashion world has been cautious in its approach to the internet. What makes now the right time to launch something like Fashionair? Do you think there’s been or will be a seismic change in the way the industry thinks of digital?

The time is right because the internet is stable, the technology is right and consumer behaviour demands it. I felt there was a gap in the online marketplace in terms of format and depth of experience. There was a huge opportunity to create a site that creates deeper emotional connections and enhances the experience of fashion with new storytelling formats and original video content.

Fashion was still being siloed and we understood that was simply not how consumers behave, online or off. Our positioning makes us unique; the site has always been about the democracy of fashion and being inclusive. Our sources of information are so very diverse. The industry is definitely shifting. And Fashionair exists because there is that shift.

BoF: By shifting you mean becoming more open and democratic? Fashionair is often described as a website for “fashion entertainment.” What does that description mean to you?

Entertainment is escapist; it’s colourful, emotional and creative. All the things that I think fashion embodies. “Fashion entertainment” means bringing that to life for the end consumer

BoF: Fashionair features a lot of high definition video content that was shot at a TV studio. It also features a daily schedule of programs. Is video the future of fashion online? And what has Fashionair borrowed or learnt from television?

For me the films and videos we’re doing are really important. Video is the medium that best brings the emotional creativity and colour of fashion to life. We’re trying to make fashion feel more personal, whether that means following an unknown girl for seven days to see how she chooses her wardrobe or offering a peek into the world of Sophia Neophitou, the editor of 10 magazine. The medium itself is not new, but how we use it is different.

Fundamentally, we are creating something that is consumer facing. If consumers respond and relate to celebrities because it is emotional, I see no reason why we can’t make celebrities of people in our industry. There are some amazing people, so if we can help create that emotional connection with the public and vice versa that’s great. I’m a huge consumer of TV and film myself, so I think the more we can bring that type of high production programming to fashion and online the better. Fashion content can’t all be user-generated! Why create TV programming just for TV? I say, create it for online as well and give fashion the quality it deserves.

BoF: Fashionair aims to include a “wide range of fashion voices” and “offer a unique editorial perspective without an editorial bias.” What is Fashionair’s editorial point of view and who defines or guides it?

Our voice is inclusive, celebratory and fun and that will always manifest itself in every piece of content we produce. It’s driven by how we can best spotlight the personality of our subjects. It’s always collaborative.

BoF: Sites like Fashionair are finally fusing editorial content with online commerce. Why do you think it’s taken the industry so long?

I think it’s taken so long because the leaders in content and commerce have existed in silos. I think bringing them together as a part of the consumer experience is mandatory now, because that’s how people use the internet: Googling everything, multiple tabbing.

BoF: One might say that part of fashion’s appeal is its exclusivity or inaccessibility. But Fashionair breaks down the latest look trends and inspirations and provides quick shopping links for all. When everything is easily digestible and accessible, what happens to the mystique of fashion?

I think it’s a mistake to assume that accessible and inclusive immediately mean dissection. This is still fashion so we still have to be aspirational, but it has to be more relevant, useful and helpful. What is the mystique of fashion anyway? I think the fantasy, the moment, the thrill can still be achieved without being inaccessible.

BoF: You’re launching Fashionair with a month of events and activities at Selfridges. What have you got planned?

Selfridges’ democratic approach to fashion is perfectly in tune with the Fashionair ethos. And this gives us the opportunity to extend the Fashionair experience offline. There are a number of ways people can participate, including the opportunity to enter in a series of open castings to be a Fashionair presenter, which we’re really excited about.

The castings will take place in our exclusive video booth at Selfridges and at start at 5pm on Thursday with Brix Start-Smith on hand to offer style tips, and continue through September with Brix also appearing on Saturday 19th & 26th between 2-3pm. The final videos will be judged by Roland Mouret, Suzy Menkes and Sarah Doukas. We also have our team roaming the store, seeking out stylish guys and girls, and asking them what inspires them. The most inspiring sound bites will secure a star spot in the windows at Selfridges!

Vikram Alexei Kansara is a digital strategist and writer based in New York. CEO Talk is an ongoing series of discussions with fashion entrepreneurs and business leaders. Previous interviews are listed below:

• Natalie Massenet, Chairman and Founder, Net-a-Porter
• Camilla Skovgaard, Shoe designer and Entrepreneur
• Susan Lyne, Chief Executive Officer, Gilt Groupe
• Priya Kishore, Founder and Creative Director, Bombay Electric
• Alex Bolen, Chief Executive Officer, Oscar de la Renta
• Jeffrey Kapelman, Chief Executive Officer, Hilldun Corporation
• Bonnie Takhar, Chief Executive Officer and President, Halston
• Sara Ferrero, Chief Executive Officer, Joseph Group
• Paolo Fontanelli, Chief Executive Officer, Furla
• Stella Iishi, President and Founder, The News Inc.
• Greg Furman, Founder and Chairman, Luxury Marketing Council
• Sarah Curran, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, my-wardrobe.com
• Brian Hill, Chief Executive Officer, Aritzia
• José Neves, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, farfetch.com
• CEO Talk | Federico Marchetti, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, YOOX Group

Fashionair.com homepage

Showbiz moguls target the world of style (FT)
“This week pop culture maestro Simon Fuller, the man who created the Spice Girls and the American Idol format, launched his new venture, Fashionair, an online fashion-meets-entertainment platform.”

Web fashionistas are just a click away from high street acceptance (Times)
“Sir Philip Green is famously reluctant to follow slavishly the latest fashionable idea unless it makes good business sense. Asked for his opinion on a social-networking proposal called Mint by fashion students, a site that had won plaudits from hard-nosed types such as Terry Green, Tesco’s fashion supremo, Sir Philip curtly renamed it Skint. It was his shorthand for dismissing it as an extravagance.”

Jaeger chairman eyes Aquascutum bid (Reuters)
“Harold Tillman is considering a bid for 158-year-old fashion brand Aquascutum.”

Celebrity clothing ranges in the men’s market (FT)
“If, thanks to the likes of Kylie Minogue, Jennifer Lopez and Elle MacPherson, the women’s wear market has long accepted direct celebrity involvement, it is – apart from the hip hop and urban clothing market – still a new idea for men’s wear. Until now.”

The Fabric of New York (New York Times)
“The blocks from 34th to 40th Streets between Broadway and Ninth Avenue have been home to America’s fashion industry for more than 100 years. But all that could change. The district is in danger of disappearing, with its factories and workers forced out by landlords seeking higher-paying tenants.”

Dishevelled London mayor graces fashion cover (AFP)
“London’s famously dishevelled mayor, Boris Johnson, will grace the cover of fashion bible Elle next month in what many will see as a surprising partnership to mark 25 years of London Fashion Week.”

Burberry has come home (Telegraph)
“The launch of this collection will be a massive event, the highlight of London Fashion Week. Not only is it the 25th anniversary of LFW and the British Fashion Council, it is also the first time since Bailey joined the brand as creative director in 2001 that Burberry has shown its collection on home ground.”

Fashionair on hunt for next presenting star at Selfridges (Drapers)
“Fashionair.com, the fashion website launched by pop svengali Simon Fuller, will host a series of events at Selfridges including a competition to become one of its presenters to celebrate the site’s official launch later this week.”