The Business of Fashion
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
THE CHEAT SHEET
Burberry's Results Will Finally Reflect Tisci's Impact
Burberry Autumn/Winter 2019 | Source: InDigital.Tv
The Bottom Line: One area to watch closely in this week's results is leather goods, a perennial weak spot for Burberry that the brand is eager to fix.
Amazon Prime Day Conquered E-Commerce. Will it Conquer Fashion?
Amazon website | Source: Shutterstock
The Bottom Line: Many retailers are trying to wean themselves from relying on heavy discounting to move products. Amazon is cleverly undermining these efforts by forcing rivals into a cycle of annual Prime Day-adjacent sales.
Two Conventions Offer Very Different Visions for Fashion
Daniel Jacob's Air Jordan sculptures and jewellery will be among the attractions at ComplexCon | Source: Instagram/@complexcon
Superheroes' superfans have been gathering for decades to worship their idols, preview upcoming releases and buy plenty of merch at annual conventions. It's a bit surprising that nobody thought to adapt the format to fashion until recently. The gold standard for fashion conventions is ComplexCon, the annual streetwear gathering in Long Beach, Calif. The event has proven so popular — and lucrative for media platform Complex and its owners, Hearst and Verizon — that a second edition is planned in Chicago this week. Today there's a thriving circuit of fashion and beauty-themed conventions, with companies ranging from Sephora to Hypebeast getting in on the act.
Meanwhile, in San Diego, well over 100,000 people are expected at the 50th annual Comic-Con. The event has become an unconventional source of new fashion trends; after all, its Marvel movies are dominating the box office and science fiction offerings like Black Mirror are driving the cultural conversation. There are more ties between ComplexCon and Comic-Con than you'd think; Netflix is sponsoring ComplexCon and will no doubt have a heavy presence at Comic-Con, and hypebeast favourite Nike released tie-in sneakers timed to the release of the latest season of Stranger Things.
The Bottom Line: Packed conventional halls are a sign of the times; as the cultural mainstream fractures, formerly niche subcultures are a source of commerce and inspiration for fashion brands and designers.
Editor's Note: This article was revised on 15 July 2019. A previous version of this article misstated that Burberry had recently set a goal to go carbon neutral by 2022. This is incorrect. Burberry announced this goal in 2017; it recently set new greenhouse-gas emission targets.
COMMENT OF THE WEEK
The Levi's "batwing" logo T-shirt has become a common sight on city streets worldwide. | Source: Getty Images/Christian Vierig
"Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best." @cointrelle, commenting on "
[ How Levi's Sells a Logo Tee a Second ]
"
SUNDAY READING
Professional Exclusives You May Have Missed:
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Artificial intelligence, preserving a sense of humanity and the power of representation were just a few of the topics covered by speakers including Chanel CEO Leena Nair.
Join us for the BoF VOICES 2023 livestream, taking place from Tuesday, November 28 to Thursday, November 30, to examine the cultural, technological and economic forces shaping the global fashion, luxury and beauty landscape.
Join our annual gathering for big thinkers from Tuesday, November 28 to Thursday, November 30 as we unite the movers, shakers and trailblazers of the global fashion, luxury and beauty industries with the thought leaders, entrepreneurs and inspiring people shaping the wider world.
We are delighted to announce the speakers from across the worlds of film, music, philanthropy, activism, contemporary art, architecture and design who will be joining us at BoF VOICES 2023, from November 28 to November 30. Register for the global livestream.