How much do top fashion brands really depend on China? When, in July 2011, LinkedIn hired Dan Roth, everyone in the media industry thought the “professional” social network was up to something big. Roth came with an impressive résumé: Forbes, Condé Nast Portfolio (a great but ill-fated glossy), Wired, then Fortune, where he served as managing editor before being poached by LinkedIn. Four years later, Roth snatched Caroline Fairchild, a young, talented writer and editor from Fortune. Again, many thought this was the moment. Everyone (yours truly included) was wrong about LinkedIn editorial potential; it didn’t became a significant business media player—and most likely never will. Why? First of all, instead of developing true journalistic content, as expected from its impressive talent line up, LinkedIn opted to bet on quantity. If Quartz or Politico taste like espresso, LinkedIn’s editorial content feels more like American coffee: cheap, bland, diluted but unlimited refills.
Luxury Brands Focus On “Instagram Generation” Ultra Rich Customers It’s a brave new world out there, though not the one Aldus Huxley envisioned. Technology is all-pervading in more ways than we actually realize. While browsing the web you always come across headlines with celebs touting the latest and greatest. Whether it’s a reality star, a Hollywood A-lister or a singer, everyone knows what they’re doing, where they are, what they’re wearing – oh, and what they are driving. The paparazzi will soon be a thing of the past. To automotive company executives, it sounds like a golden opportunity. Give them what they want, that’s the answer. Everyone is getting on the game. Of course they do; the restrained options remind them of their parents’ or grandparents’ cars. A chrome Bentley or Rolls may cause loyal customers a heart attack, but in the end it’s only business. Eric Lawrence, director of specialty products for Black Book, oversees publication of its Collectible Vehicle Value Guide. He calls it “The Instagram Effect”. Story Reference: Autonews
Luxury brands continue to lag in omnichannel retail: report Image courtesy of Salvatore Ferragamo In today’s retail environment, digital touchpoints serve as the “connective tissue” between Web sites, bricks-and-mortar storefronts, inventory and the consumer, according to a new report by L2. The “L2 Intelligence Report: Omnichannel Retail 2015,” developed in partnership with RichRelevance, provides insights into how digital alone does not offer marketers substantial ROI. But, an omnichannel approach, offering consumers a number of “fluid” touchpoints, leads to higher consumer spend. “Luxury retailers have built their brand on the idea of exclusivity, beauty and high touch,” said Diane Kegley, CMO at RichRelevance, San Francisco. “They have been slow to adopt digital because it’s historically been a transactional channel: buy immediately. “This mentality is shifting as more and more luxury consumers head online to research and browse,” she said. One of the standout indicators of omnichannel retail’s success is net sales capabilities.
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Confidence MADE IN BRITAIN - Topshop Blog Featured Tis the season to be British – tralalalala… lalalala… With the Jubilee and the Olympics encouraging our patriotic tendencies, we thought it was high time classic, quintessential style hit the fashion headlines and thus, our new collection Made in Britain was born. Marrying tradition with innovation (because isn’t that so the British way?) Queue our fashion fantasies of countryside frolicking in a sailor dress and wellies, pounding the city streets in the ultimate biker jacket and not to mention enjoying a spot of afternoon-tea (with her majesty and corgis of course), while sporting the cutest swan-print jumpsuit. Made in Britain is available now at our Oxford Circus London Flagship, New York store and Topshop.com – so whether you’re British by birth or simply British by nature, it’s time to don some Union Jack nails and wave your tips with pride!
The Cool Hunter - Welcome Elegance Can big brands catch up on sustainable fashion? | Guardian Sustainable Business Imagine a pair of trousers you could throw on the compost. After years of use, they could decompose among the eggshells and tea bags to leave behind nothing but some fertile soil to help grow new raw materials. It takes the circular economy to a whole new level. This is the idea behind F-ABRIC, a range of materials developed by Swiss company Freitag. Until recently, Freitag’s only line of business was making bags out of old truck tarpaulins. While natural fibres like cotton will compost over time, synthetic fibres like polyester won’t, and natural fibres are often blended with synthetic. The fact that it is biodegradable does not make the fabric any less hard-wearing, says one of the founders, Daniel Freitag. Freitag is not the only company looking to microorganisms for inspiration. Essi Johanna Glomb, head of design at Blond & Bieber, says: “The colours for dyes are extremely toxic and really harm the people working with them and also nature. The fashion hub is funded by H&M.
Bean sprouts: the strange trend taking over China Over the last few years, we’ve seen a lot of weird fashion trends emerge on the internet. First there was normcore (coined by K-HOLE), which, technically speaking, was aggressively generic as opposed to weird. Then there was bonnetcore, the phenomenon of Brooklynites wearing bonnets (identified by Paper magazine). And more recently, there’s been bagcore – Taiwanese women wearing carrier bags (yep, we coined that shit). Bejing’s style trailblazers have been wearing these accessories, which, in something of a trompe d’oeil, create the illusion of beans growing out of their hair. And it’s easy to participate in this fashion phenomenon: bean sprout hair clips are available to purchase from eBay for just £0.63.
Economy Of Fashion: How Different Trends Reflect The Financial State It's common knowledge fashion is cyclical in nature. The concept of “newness” in fashion doesn't refer to the premiere of a trend, but rather its revival. Why fashion cycles in this manner, however, is less obvious. One one of the most surprising factors to influence the cycle of fashion, though, is the state of the global economy. If you think about it, it makes sense. During tougher times, if you need new clothes, the focus is less on passing fads and more on classic, quality pieces worth the expenditure because they’ll last (which also aids in cutting down cost per wear). As FIT professor John Mincarelli tells ABC News, “In rough economic times, people shop for replacement clothes,” adding “basics” prevail during an economic downturn. Economist George Taylor was the first to notice the correlation between fashion and the economy; he developed the “Hemline Theory” to describe his findings. Pinterest Once the market crashed, longer skirts became de rigueur. We Heart It How? We Heart It
Investigating The Sustainability Claims Behind H&M ColumnIs fast fashion giant H&M really making moves to become more sustainable, or is it all just greenwashing? Editor’s Note: This is Jessica Marati’s first column for Behind The Label, which will explore whether brands claiming sustainable initiatives are going green – or just plain greenwashing. It’s so easy to love and hate H&M. On the one hand, the Swedish fashion chain has played a significant role in democratizing fashion and bringing trends once reserved for the upper classes to the masses. On the other, H&M’s fast fashion model has accelerated the fashion cycle to its current frenetic pace, driving down prices and increasing pressure within the industry to produce more, quicker, with little regard to the people and environments involved. In recent years, H&M has made efforts to be more transparent with its social responsibility efforts, releasing a hefty Conscious Actions Sustainability Report in 2010 that outlined its sustainability goals and action roadmap. Images: H&M.
Interview with Olivia Burton founders, Lesa Bennett and Jemma Fennings Succeeding in creating a women’s watch collection that is distinctive, creative and fun – we wanted to know a little more about the women behind the Olivia Burton watch brand, that brings us such delectable and affordable British styled wristwear. How did you decide that making wristwatches was what you wanted to do? We’re both very passionate about watches and have talked about starting our own business for a while. Jointly we had both been working in fashion buying and production for 15 years and felt that we were ready to take the plunge. You met each other on your first day at London College of Fashion, would you say your friendship is paramount to the success of Olivia Burton? It certainly contributes to the success! What are your plans for future collections? We will continue to take our inspiration from vintage, catwalk and nature. What watch/accessories are you wearing right now? We have an absolute weakness for accessories. Which jewellery / watch brands do you lust after?
What Makes Them Tick: Meet Olivia Burton's Creators - Story by ModCloth Wearing an Olivia Burton watch is like sporting a gorgeous piece of exquisite art. Classic silhouettes, pretty, decorated faces — this UK brand is rife with character-rich, vintage-inspired details to delight. After admiring these standout accessories for some time, we just had to know more about Lesa and Jemma, the dynamic duo behind the company. Why watches? Lesa and I met at the London College of Fashion, where we often dreamed about starting up a business together — it was just a case of waiting for the right moment. What are your roles in the company? Lesa and I look after different aspects of the business. What is it you love most about watches? Wrist watches as we know them today were first worn by women over 100 years ago. When/why did you get interested in fashion? From a young age, we both loved fashion and knew it was the only career we wanted to pursue. Who is “Olivia Burton”? About Anna