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.
Egyptian puppet, Abla Fahita, who recently debuted a wildly popular new Netflix show, has now been unveiled as the star of a new Adidas campaign for the new “more sustainable” version of its classic Stan Smith sneakers.
Fahita, who was created and is voiced by Hatem El-Kashef, first appeared on screen in Egypt in 2011 as part of a satirical television show, and is famous for her sharp tongue, acerbic humour, and apparent defiance of taboos. She’s an edgy character in a largely conservative region and has a loyal following among those who have grown up with her.
Already this year, Gucci has teamed with Japanese cartoon character Doraemon for its Chinese New Year campaign and Loewe featured My Neighbour Totoro in a campaign similarly designed to tug at the nostalgia strings of young consumers. Fahita is likely to have a similar impact on the young people who have grown up with her on their screens.
Though e-commerce reshaped retailing in the US and Europe even before the pandemic, a confluence of economic, financial and logistical circumstance kept the South American nation insulated from the trend until later.
This week’s round-up of global markets fashion business news also features Korean shopping app Ably, Kenya’s second-hand clothing trade and the EU’s bid to curb forced labour in Chinese cotton.
From Viviano Sue to Soshi Otsuki, a new generation of Tokyo-based designers are preparing to make their international breakthrough.
This week’s round-up of global markets fashion business news also features Latin American mall giants, Nigerian craft entrepreneurs and the mixed picture of China’s luxury market.