Trendstop brings FashionUnited readers a first look at the essential womenswear colour stories inspiring the Spring Summer 2020 season.
The Trendstop team gives FashionUnited readers an exclusive look at three key colour directions straight from the Spring Summer 2020 runways, that will be informing the womenswear market through the upcoming season and beyond. Designers examine the power of colour to channel mood and meaning in SS20. Tones that communicated the feeling or enhanced the ethos behind a collection create an impactful statement across the international Fashion Weeks. Our curated catwalk trend reports and dedicated colour galleries evaluate each trend's commercial value and longevity, giving you the best possible basis for your decision making.
This week Trendstop present three key SS20 womenswear shades. The big topics of sustainability and feminism are explored through colour in Eco Ecru and Empowered by Shocking Pink. Refined 70s Browns taps into the growing nostalgia trend, reviving core tones from eras past.
Eco Ecru
Unbleached pales reflect the fashion industry's increasingly sustainable direction. Ecru tones worn as a single colour look are applied to smooth sheen wovens, exotic scales and refined rib textures rather than the rough handles of previous seasons, putting a new subtle and sophisticated spin on natural colour palettes.
Images courtesy of Trendstop, left to right: Jil Sander, The Row, Zero Maria Cornejo, all Spring Summer 2020.
Refined 70s Browns
A key shade for footwear, accessories and leather products, the season's brown tones look back to the 1970s. A retro nostalgia comes through in the supple skins and suedes in solid tonal blocked hues while blackened burnishing, embossing and leatherwork highlight the vintage warmth of core colours.
Images courtesy of Trendstop, left to right: Prada, Fendi, Salvatore Ferragamo, all Spring Summer 2020.
Empowered by Shocking Pink
Fashion ushers in a new era of feminism as designers reclaim vivid tones of shocking pink as an inspiring and empowering hue. Head-to-toe looks, voluminous silhouettes and exaggerated proportions in saturated, almost luminous shades make a bold statement, empowering the wearer to stand out from the crowd.
Images courtesy of Trendstop, left to right: Dries Van Noten, Marni, Valentino, all Spring Summer 2020.
Exclusive Offer
FashionUnited readers can get free access to Trendstop's Fall Winter 2019-20 Key Colour Directions report featuring all the must-have colours from the catwalks. Simply click here to receive your free report.
Trendstop.com is one of the world's leading trend forecasting agencies for fashion and creative professionals, renowned for its insightful trend analysis and forecasts. Clients include H&M, Primark, Forever 21, Zalando, Geox, Evisu, Hugo Boss, L'Oreal and MTV.
Eurazeo Brands, the consumer brands division of Global investment
company Eurazeo, has announced the acquisition of a minority stake in
Herschel Supply, the Canadian lifestyle brand best known for the Little
America backpack.
Herschel Supply has received a capital injection of 60 million US
dollars in an investment round which also included Alliance Consumer Growth
(ACG), a consumer-focused growth equity firm, and HOOPP Capital Partners,
the private capital arm of the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan.
"Herschel has established a strong, authentic brand that has enabled
them to design, market, and sell timeless and high-quality accessories,
addressing the needs of today's modern, multi-tasking consumer,” said
Adrianne Shapira, Managing Director of Eurazeo, in a statement. "Herschel
reimagined the backpack and in doing so changed the category forever, but
that was just the beginning. We are thrilled to partner with Herschel
management, ACG and HOOPP to leverage the company's powerful customer
engagement and accelerate growth across categories, channels and
geographies."
"We are delighted to add Herschel to Eurazeo Brands' portfolio of
differentiated consumer and retail brands with global growth potential,
including NEST Fragrances, Pat McGrath Labs, Bandier, and Q Mixers,” added
Jill Granoff, CEO of Eurazeo Brands. “This is our first investment in a
Canadian brand and we are confident that the company will achieve continued
success."
Founded 10 years ago by brothers Lyndon and Jamie Cormack, Herschel
Supply is currently present in 90 countries, mostly through wholesale:
9,000 of its 10,000 retail points are wholesalers. Last year, the company
started investing in wholly-owned stores with the opening of a flagship in
its hometown, Vancouver.
Worn by athletes all over the world, from the AFL to the NBA, 2XU has become a leader in performance garment, specifically known for their medical grade compression tights. The company’s Sales and Marketing Director (EMEA), Mike Martin, tells FashionUnited, “aside from our tights providing amazing performance and recovery advantages, the high quality powerful lycra we use also makes you look great which appeals to those wearing our tights in more casual environments.”
To be fit is now fashionable which has been driven by people’s increasing awareness of their own health and environment. As we all lead increasingly busy lives, it is evitable that our work and personal time blend more-so having the right clothes to wear that can help you step from one environment into the next without appearing out of place is increasingly important.
What does being the Sales and Marketing Director of EMEA at 2XU entail?
My role entails managing our team to drive sales via all sales channels. The UK and Nordics are subsidiary business, so I dedicate about 70 percent of my time to these markets whilst the rest of my time is spent on finding new customers and assisting our current distribution partners across EMEA.
From a marketing perspective I am responsible for the marketing strategy via all touch points, sponsorships, events, social and retail. We have been focused on improving how we look in-store and online to drive greater sell through and to educate our customers as to what sets 2XU apart from our competition
What does a typical workday look like for you?
I am based in the UK and spend on average about two days a week in the office with our great team-the rest of the time I am out in market across EMEA assisting our distributors or key wholesale accounts. I also find it really useful to work at sporting events which we may be sponsoring or just attending, to stay in touch with our customers and listen to their feedback.
The casual sportswear market is on the rise globally, how has 2XU been affected by this phenomenon?
2XU was certainly in the market at the right time as with 70 percent of our business coming from compression-with the majority of that being women’s tights. We experienced an uplift globally, when leggings started to out sell denim.
Although the sportswear market has become increasingly competitive, we have remained focused on being performance driven which gives us a strong point of difference from a lot of our competitors.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I enjoy working in an industry where I’m genuinely passionate about being with my colleagues and customers who all love talking about sports and what personal challenges they have set for themselves.
How did you become the Sales and Marketing Director of EMEA at 2XU?
While finishing up my MSc in Management at Bath, I was also training as a triathlete. By chance I met Mike Trees (former triathlete and owner of TCL Sports (2XU UK distributor) at a lake where I was visiting to practice some open water swimming. He was just starting to launch 2XU as a distribution business in the UK and was looking for help get it started. At the time I was looking at starting a role within consultancy but the truth is I had no real passion for it so decided to take advantage of the opportunity and work with Mike to build up 2XU. This then set me on a rollercoaster ride for several years while we established the brand in the UK.
What was it like being involved at such an early stage of the company?
We all worked tirelessly but had great fun and learned a lot. We started literally as a bedroom business and built it over the years. At the end of 2014, we decided we had taken the brand as far as we could and it was time to transition the business back to being a subsidiary. I then helped manage the transition and became the Sales and Marketing Director for the UK business. Over time, our team has grown, and I have been able to move into a wider role looking after the sales and marketing across EMEA.
Did you always want to work in the sportswear and retail industry?
Yes, although I was a competitive runner and triathlete, I soon realised I was not good enough to earn money from being an athlete, so I was so fortunate when I had an opportunity that combined my passion with a career. Although triathlon is only about 11 percent of our business globally, it is still the arm of the business that is of most interest to me.
Do you have any tips for people who would like to work for 2XU?
Treat the business as if it were your own. If you feel ownership you will care about what you do and it will make you drive yourself harder to ensure you achieve what you set out to do. It is a tough market at the moment, but I believe that part of our success is as a result of the passionate team we have.
What’s the best advice you've ever received?
My job is only ever complete once a customer has bought a product, worn it out and has come back for more. We should always be focused on the sell through and supporting our customers to achieve this, we like to work with our partners for the long term so it’s important to always do the right thing.
Any memorable moments in your career at 2XU that you’d like to share with us?
The founders have become good friends and seeing the hard work and sacrifice they’ve put in over the years to build up 2XU has taught me a lot. After 10 years working for the brand they presented me with a lifetime service award which meant a great deal knowing that the effort I had put in over the years had been recognised.
This article was created in cooperation with 2XU to promote working in fashion.
Apply for sales and marketing jobs in fashion on FashionUnited:
The University of Navarra's Atelier by ISEM is the first Spanish
vertical accelerator of fashtech startups and has been a leader in helping
companies consolidate technological solutions in the fashion sector. In its
third edition, the program is geared towards startups that innovate and
utilize disruptive technology. This year’s finalists will be announced on
December 4 and the program will officially begin on January 13, 2020.
What differentiates Atelier by ISEM from other accelerators is the
opportunity for startups to be able to test their product for seven months
in a fashion company. Atelier by ISEM is a meeting point between
entrepreneurs, managers of companies with years of experience, venture
capital, and business angels. Every accelerated company will have a
customized mentorship and training by specialists in key areas such as
digital marketing, corporate communication, finance, HR and more.
The main participating advocates are Spanish fashion companies,
recognized for their ability to innovate and for their commitment to
sustainability and social issues. This year’s collaborators include brands
such as Camper, Mango, Pepe Jeans, Tendam, Bimba y Lola and Sephora.
Counselors and mentors in association with ISEM Fashion Business School
will also be offering their expertise to the accelerator. For example,
eight former directors from Accenture will be conducting the majority of
mentoring startups in this year’s program.
As a preview of the Future Fabrics Expo in January 2020, C.L.A.S.S. key
members will bring a selection of innovative and responsible materials to
the UK. Two masterclasses will be held at The Sustainable Angle's West
London studio on November 7.
Based in Milan, C.L.A.S.S. is a unique multi-platform hub with a focus
on integrating smart values into fashion, products and businesses. Since
2007, C.L.A.S.S. has become the global resource for smart material
innovation, education, marketing and empowers businesses by providing them
with the guidance needed to be competitive yet socially responsible.
Giusy Bettoni (CEO and founder of C.L.A.S.S.) and Luca Olivini (Eco Hub
Material Manager) will be presenting innovative materials from the
Smart Material Bank and will hold two masterclasses on the topics
of responsible innovation and circular economy in the fashion industry.
C.L.A.S.S. will discuss how a new way of design thinking with materials
can shift our culture and empower designers to be socially responsible
while remaining competitive. During the masterclasses, the unique education
platform and e-shop Smart Material Bank will also be presented.
This platform aims to foster the creativity of responsible fashion students
and designers with small order quantities.
The masterclasses will take place at London's Sustainable Angle studio
where over 5000 sustainable materials from 170 global textile suppliers are
showcased. Fabrics on display are suited for a wide range of market levels
and product types, making it one of the largest and most diverse showrooms
of commercially available sustainable materials in the fashion
industry.
BACKGROUND In its judgment of
10th September 2019, the German district court in Hanover decided that it
is not misleading to consumers when handbag manufacturers label vegan
products with the terms ‘vegan leather’ or ‘apple leather’. Does that make
sense?
A contradiction in terms: vegan leather
Everybody is familiar with terms like ‘vegan sausage’, ‘soy milk’ and
‘vegan leather’ and it is clear that vegan sausages contain no meat and
soybeans no milk. The same is true for vegan leather, which is not made
from skin and can therefore never be leather. However, some people do not
appreciate this blending of contradictory terms. In 2017, a court
prohibited manufacturers of milk alternatives to use the word ‘milk’ in
their product name. Thus, ‘soy milk’ became ‘soy drink’. And for some time
now, even the association of the German leather industry (VDL) has been
wanting to stop ‘vegan leather’, ‘apple leather’ or ‘mushroom leather’ to
be called such because it is not leather. In a legal dispute with the
German manufacturer of vegan leather handbags Nuuwai, the district court of
Hanover has now ruled that these terms are permitted. The VDL had argued
that they were misleading and anti-competitive.
The VDL has been sending threatening letters to companies
Nuuwai is not the only label that was contacted by the association.
German label Zvnder also received a letter asking them to come up with
another word for their tinder fungus leather and mushroom leather. The
VDL’s justification in the letter is rather dry: "As leather, genuine
leather or with a term that, according to current opinion, appears on
leather or a type of leather (box calf, nappa, nubuck, morocco leather,
etc.), can only be described, for sales purposes, a material made from the
unsplit or split animal skin or coat through tanning under preservation of
the grown fibres in their natural interweaving. Which material can
basically be called leather is defined in designation regulation RAL 060 A2
- the differentiation of the term leather compared to other materials."
"They are threatening us with penalties of up to 250,000 euros per
violation," says Svenja Detto, managing director at Nuuwai.
Contradictory jurisdiction
Why did the controversy arise? "In short, every product should say what
is in it,” says Thomas Heinen, vice chairman of the VDL and managing
director of Heinen Leder, Germany’s last tannery for leather used for shoes
and bags. "This makes sense for all participants because then it is also
clear what one is paying for, what it can be used for and what not.
Consumers are then not misled positively or negatively by a name that has
nothing to do with its content." There is also leather tanned on a
vegetable basis, something one could mistake apple leather for.
For the VDL, the verdict is a harsh defeat. So far, the court’s
justification is not yet available, and the association is still
considering whether to appeal as it actually has a series of successful
lawsuits to boast: In eleven similar cases, the association was allowed to
deny furniture stores and other retailers to use terms such as vegan
leather, textile leather, eco leather or PU leather.
Vegan leather just means that it is not leather
The aim of the association is to ensure that regular leather is not
linked with products that have nothing (or want nothing) to do with
leather. "Leather has inimitable haptic, optical and technical properties.
These properties have resulted in a consistently positive image for
centuries. Now, this positive image is being ‘diluted’," says Heinen and
adds that one has to defend oneself against that. It is unlikely that
vegans share the same enthusiasm for leather and the question remains: Why
do they name their products like this then? Though there would be hardly
any consumers who would mistake vegan leather for genuine leather - and no
one is being misled (as the court argues) - the term does, however, obscure
what it actually is. Vegan leather just means it is not leather but what is
it then? In Nuuwai’s case, apple leather is made half from apple waste and
half from polyurethane, while Zvnder’s mushroom leather is made 100 percent
from the tinder fungus. Oftentimes, vegan leather is actually polyurethane
or made from other synthetics, i.e. petroleum-based plastics that once
snarkily used to be known as artificial leather or ‘pleather’ (plastic
leather).
A clear terminology would be more honest
It would be more honest to come up with new terms, such as Pinatex, the
‘leather-’like material made from pineapples. Probably the term ‘leather’
is only used out of necessity because there is no other terminology for
vegan leather yet. But this should change soon in view of the growing
popularity of veganism. The VDL accelerates this process and gives the
companies it identifies a nasty shock. In terms of content, however, vegan
leather producers have no problems. "I don't really care about my material
being called leather,” says Zvnder founder Nina Fabert. She is currently
coming up with a new term.
This article was originally published on FashionUnited DE. Edited
and translated by Simone Preuss.
Swiss luxury group Richemont and designer Alber Elbaz have announced a joint venture called AZfashion. Details of the new partnership have not been disclosed, but Richemont in a statement said AZfashion will be an innovative and dynamic start up, meant to turn dreams into reality.”
The Swiss luxury group is keen to captivate a millennial customer, a move rival groups LMVH and Kering have been more adept at when installing creative heads for their portfolio brands, like Virgil Abloh at Louis Vuitton, Kim Jones at Dior and Daniel Lee at Bottega Veneta.
Elbaz, who’s near 15 year tenure at Lanvin ended in 2015, has largely shunned the fashion limelight and not taken any high profile roles since his unceremonious departure, other than low-key accessory collaborations with Tod’s and LeSportSac.
Elbaz can be credited with turning Lanvin from a small business with just 15 wholesale accounts into a global, bonafide luxury brand and is widely respected by the industry. He has always hinted he would return to the industry, and said the new partnership is “going to be about things I believe are relevant to make.” Whether that is a new approach to manufacturing, distribution and marketing remains to be seen.
Header 2Starting a new brand is never easy
Starting a brand from scratch is no easy feat, not even for a seasoned designer with the backing of a luxury group. For now, Richemont said the partnership would be project-based. “We are not going to do pre-collections, collections, post-collections, and we are beginning really, really small,” Elbaz told the New York Times. Perhaps he was referring to the relentless fashion cycle of 6-8 collections a year, widely seen as the norm, but hardly sustainable considering the amount of clothes that remain unsold at the end of the season.
Still, the teaming up of a star designer and luxury house without a heritage brand could prove to be an exciting and refreshing venture that could set a new precedent. While the retail landscape has changed considerably since 2015, Richemont, the parent company of Net-a-Porter and Yoox, will have all the data and analytics it needs for AZfashion to be a digital-first business.
This was iterated by Johann Rupert, Chairman of Richemont, who said: “Upon hearing Alber Elbaz describe his vision for fashion and the projects it inspires in him, I was again struck by his creativity and insight. His talent and inventiveness, with his sensitivity towards women and their wellbeing, will be of great value to our Group and its Maisons.”
“I am very happy to partner with Richemont and to establish my “dream factory”, which will focus on developing solutions for women of our times. I am extremely excited to collaborate with good people, talented and smart individuals and look forward to also having a lot of fun with this new adventure.”
