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.
You can find the correct answer and detailed explanation for each question immediately following the question (simply highlight to read), along with all the answers at the end of the quiz. Good luck!
Question 1: Who said, "You really have to honor the way a five pocket jean has always been made"?
a. Levi Strauss
b. John Elliott of John Elliott + Co
c. Mickey Drexler of J.Crew
d. Sam Kershaw of Mr. Porter
Answer 1: Choice (b) is correct. "You really have to honor the way a five pocket jean has always been made," says designer John Elliott. "I take a more modern, architectural approach — with clean lines and less of the 'authentic' details. We don't have hidden rivets; we don't have the stitch details that reference a vintage feel."
Question 2: Jonathan Van Meter's first celebrity profile was of ___.
a. Carrie Donovan
b. Elsa Klensch
c. Joan Rivers
d. Diana Vreeland
Answer 2: Choice (c) is correct. Jonathan Van Meter recently shared, "The very first real profile I did was with Joan Rivers. I will never forget she was wearing a Calvin Klein pea green dress and holding her little dog Spike under her arm and we ran around the city together all day and into the night."
Question 3: This week, Penske Media bought WWD and its related media sites for $100 million. All of the following companies have once owned WWD EXCEPT:
a. Time Warner
b. Advance Publications
c. Capital Cities Communications
d. Walt Disney
Answer 3: Choice (a) is correct. Fairchild, owner of WWD, was founded in 1892 by Edmund Fairchild. The company was owned by Capital Cities Communications for a number of years before that company's acquisition by Walt Disney Co. Advance Publications, the Newhouse family's publishing business, acquired Fairchild from Disney in 1999. Time Warner has never owned WWD.
Question 4: Which company to date has contributed to the Rana Plaza Donors Trust Fund, a money pot "open to contributions from any organisation, company or individual"?
a. Primark
b. Benetton
c. Matalan
d. Walmart
Answer 4: Choice (c) is correct. UK clothing retailer Matalan has paid into the Rana Plaza Donors Trust Fund.
Question 5: The three pillars of menswear brand John Elliott + Co are:
a. denim, jersey, and activewear
b. French terry, denim, and jersey
c. French terry, activewear, and jersey
d. knits, activewear, and denim
Answer 5: Choice (b) is correct. "The foundation that we built this company on was really three pillars: French terry, denim and jersey," says John Elliott, the designer.
Question 6: Women's apparel sales rose 1 percent to $116.2 billion in the U.S. in the 12 months ending in June. Which women's apparel category grew twice as fast?
a. designer sneakers
b. pants
c. t-shirts
d. jumpsuits
Answer 6: Choice (b) is correct. While women's apparel sales rose 1 percent to $116.2 billion in the U.S. in the 12 months ending in June, sales of women's pants grew twice as fast to $8.2 billion, according to NPD.
Question 7: Who said, "Anna Wintour won the charm offensive through phone calls and flowers"?
a. Grace Coddington
b. André Leon Talley
c. Tonne Goodman
d. Jonathan Van Meter
Answer 7: Choice (d) is correct. After doing freelance writing for everyone, from Vanity Fair to The New York Times Magazine, Jonathan Van Meter wound up signing a contract with American Vogue, because, as he puts it, "Anna Wintour won the charm offensive through phone calls and flowers."
Question 8: Where does John Elliott + Co manufacture its garments?
a. Paris
b. Prato
c. Los Angeles
d. Worldwide
Answer 8: Choice (c) is correct. John Elliott + Co is manufactured entirely in Los Angeles. Materials are stocked and supplied by a third party company and, as Aaron Lavee puts it, "We can pull the trigger at a moment's notice and get the wheels turning so that we can produce garments that are needed at a relatively quick turnaround time. That gives us a tremendous advantage."
Question 9: Brazilian men's swimwear brand Frescobol Carioca has a high profile investor. Who is it?
a. Mario Testino
b. Giselle Bündchen
c. Nacho Figueras
d. Isabeli Fontana
Answer 9: Choice (a) is correct. Fashion photographer Mario Testino has invested in Frescobol Carioca.
Question 10: Between 1989 and 1991, how many American Vogue covers featured celebrities?
a. 2
b. 10
c. 15
d. 20
Answer 10: Choice (a) is correct. According to Jonthan Van Meter, "In the two years that I myself worked at American Vogue (1989-1991), the only celebrities we ever put on the cover were Madonna and Ivana Trump, when she was having the divorce scandal of the century. André Leon Talley famously re-did her whole look, so, in a way, it became a fashion story. But it was very unusual; two out of twenty-four issues."
Answer Key: 1. (b) 2. (c) 3. (a) 4. (c) 5. (b) 6. (b) 7. (d) 8. (c) 9. (a) 10. (a)
From analysis of the global fashion and beauty industries to career and personal advice, BoF’s founder and CEO, Imran Amed, will be answering your questions on Sunday, February 18, 2024 during London Fashion Week.
The State of Fashion 2024 breaks down the 10 themes that will define the industry in the year ahead.
Imran Amed reviews the most important fashion stories of the year and shares his predictions on what this means for the industry in 2024.
After three days of inspiring talks, guests closed out BoF’s gathering for big thinkers with a black tie gala followed by an intimate performance from Rita Ora — guest starring Billy Porter.