Alibaba head of European operations steps down

Alibaba has to look for a new chief executive to oversee its European business after confirming that previous manager Terry von Bibra has left the company.

Terry von Bibra has worked for the Chinese online retailer since November 2015 and most recently held the position of general manager Europe. Von Bibra, who was the former manager of German department store chain Karstadt, left Alibaba in December, his LinkedIn account indicates.

"Terry did an amazing job in his four years with Alibaba", said a spokeswoman for the Hangzhou China-based group. “We were glad to have him on board and wish him all the best for the future.”

During his time at Karstadt, von Bibra was responsible for the omnichannel division. Prior to that, he spent time at Yahoo! Marketplaces and Amazon.

* This article was originally published here

Gant announces new sustainability goals, launches rental service

Gant has announced it is bolstering its sustainable credentials with a number of new environmental targets, the launch of a rental service, and The 7 Rules by Gant - an initiative to educate consumers on how to better care for their clothes.

For 2020, the Swedish fashion brand has said nearly 80 percent of its collection will be sustainably sourced. Additional targets include using 100 percent sustainably sourced cotton by 2022; reducing water use in manufacturing by 50 percent by 2025; using 100 percent sustainably sourced key materials by 2025; and reducing its climate footprint by 30 percent throughout all operations by 2030.

The brand will also be launching a selected 10-piece rental service in May for items from its Spring 2020 range. The service will be available at the brand’s flagship store on London’s Regent Street and at at least one store in each of its European regions. Available from May, the service will allow shoppers to rent items for three days for 20 percent of their price, with the option to pay the remaining cost if they want to keep the item at the end of the service.

7 Rules by Gant

Additionally, the brand has announced ‘The 7 Rules by Gant’ - a set of rules to inspire and invite consumers to take joint responsibility to extend the life of their clothes. The 7 Rules includes Rent, Reuse, Refresh, Remake, Repair, Regive and Recycle, and will be rolled out globally during the year.

“The opportunities to make more sustainable clothes have never been bigger or more needed,“ said Jessica Cederberg Wodmar, the brand’s global sustainability director. “Gant has always created high-quality and long-lasting products. We are using more sustainably sourced materials to increase the speed of transformation that our industry needs. Yes, it’s complicated, but not impossible. The Gant approach is to work together with both the industry and our consumers. We will keep making conscious choices and drive change.”

As part of its sustainability initiatives, Gant has launched partnerships with the following companies and organizations: Waterkeeper Alliance, United Nations Global Compact, RISE Chemical Research Institute, Textile Exchange, The Fashion Pact, Sustainable Apparel Coalition, Better Cotton Initiative, Fashion Industry, Charter For Climate Action and Business Social.

Photos courtesy of the brand

* This article was originally published here

Coronavirus: consequences for fashion weeks and apparel fairs at a glance

The current coronavirus situation affects fashion weeks, trade fairs and other industry events in China, but also in Europe and America. While Chic Shanghai, Playtime Shanghai and Beijing and Shanghai Fashion Weeks have already been postponed, Ispo Beijing and Kingpins Hong Kong have been cancelled altogether. Messe Frankfurt's textile fairs Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics, Yarn Expo and Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles, scheduled for March, have also been postponed. The Materials Shows in Boston and Portland, USA, popular with visitors from China, which were planned for February, are also to be held at a later date and the fashion shows in Europe will do without the many Chinese visitors that are normally seen. Berlin's Asia Apparel Expo, which was to start in a week's time, has been postponed until June. FashionUnited has summarised the latest fair news at a glance.

Cancelled fairs:

• Ispo Beijing, 12th - 15th February
• Kingpins Hong Kong, 13th - 14th May - next edition: May 2021

Postponed fairs:

• The Materials Show, Boston, MA, USA, 5th to 6th February - new dates: TBD
• The Materials Show, Portland, OR, USA, 12th - 13th February - new dates: TBD
• Playtime Shanghai, 19th - 20th February - new dates: summer 2020
• Asia Apparel Expo, Berlin, Germany, 18th - 20th February - new dates: 23rd - 25th June
• Chic Shanghai, 11th to 13th March - new dates: TBD
• Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics, 11th - 13th March - new dates: TBD
• Yarn Expo, Shanghai, 11th - 13th March - new dates: TBD
• Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles, 11th - 13th March - new dates: TBD
• China Fashion Week, Beijing, 25th - 31st March - new dates: TBD
• Shanghai Fashion Week, 26th March - 2nd April - new dates: TBD

New fairs planned:

Première Vision will take place during Fashion Source in Shenzhen, China, in November

The influence of the coronavirus for the fashion industry does not stop at fashion weeks and trade fairs; these can mainly be seen as the tip of the iceberg. Many international brands and retailers have already decided to temporarily close some of their stores in China. Just like travel destinations for people, transport routes for goods are also affected - international ports are seeing less traffic than usual. And although work has resumed in China after the New Year holidays, factories have been shut temporarily or are producing at reduced capacity, including those manufacturing for the fashion and luxury industries. Luxury brands are already bracing for the impact of the coronavirus.

Also read:

• Coronavirus forces China buyers to desert Europe’s fashion events
• Somber start to NY Fashion Week for Chinese label Mukzin over virus fears
• From LVM to Tencent, the fashion industry donates to fight coronavirus threat in APAC
• Virus phobia boosting online retail sales in China
• Virus and bushfires - could medical masks become the next streetwear trend?
• How the coronavirus is affecting the fashion industry

Photo: Ispo Beijing

* This article was originally published here

Private equity firm Permira acquires Golden Goose from Carlyle Group

New York – Golden Goose, Permira and The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG) announced Wednesday that the private equity firm will acquire Carlyle’s majority stake in the Italian luxury fashion brand. The transaction is subject to customary conditions and is expected to close in the next months.

“This is really about backing the sneaker trend, the casualisation of everybody’s wardrobes,” said to the ‘Financial Times’ Tara Alhadeff, a principal at Permira who worked on the deal. Once people realise you can look good and be comfortable, that’s an irreversible move people make in their wardrobes,” she added.

Although no financial details have been confirmed by the involved parties as yet, sources familiar with the matter quoted by Reuters pointed out that when Carlyle in December kicked off the sale process, it was waiting to receive bids valuing the brand at no less than 1.2 billion euros. Another source close to the deal said that Permira was vying with rival private equity firm Advent and U.S. SPAC Acamar, as informed by Nasdaq.

Carlyle divests from Golden Goose after doubling revenue in two years

Carlyle is divesting from the coveted sneakers’ brand two years after it acquired it through Carlyle Europe Partners IV (CEP IV), a European-focused, upper-mid market buyout fund, and Carlyle Asia Growth Partners V (CAGP V). During their ownership, revenues have grown from 100 million euro to estimated revenues in excess of 260 million euro for 2019, according to Carlyle.

Carlyle has a well-established presence within the fashion and luxury industry, with investments including Moncler, Twinset and Hunkmöller. Permira isn’t new to the industry either, having invested in Dr. Martens, Reformation, Hugo Boss and Valentino.

Commenting on the deal, the CEO at Golden Goose, Silvio Campara, said that “Since the foundation of Golden Goose in 2000, we have strived to create innovative products for our customers, combining craftsmanship and a refined and modern style. We thank Carlyle for their support and partnership in leading the company through a phenomenal period of growth. Today marks an important milestone for the brand, as we partner with Permira. Their experience and excellent track record in the consumer sector will be invaluable to us as we continue to grow and deliver our products to an increasingly global audience.”

Similarly, Francesco Pascalizi, Partner at Permira, explained the reasons why they decided to invest in the high-end fashion brand, highlighting that “Golden Goose is a “next-gen” luxury brand and can be considered the ‘creator’ of the high-end sneakers category. Over recent years the company has experienced outstanding growth, driven by its excellent management team. We look forward to leveraging our experience to support Golden Goose through the next phase of development.”

Finally, Massimiliano Caraffa, Managing Director at The Carlyle Group, highlighted some of their partnership’s milestones: “We are particularly proud of having contributed to the company’s exceptional growth over the past three years, including opening 100 directly-owned stores globally and establishing a leading omnichannel platform.”

Established in 2000 in Venice, Italy, Golden Goose is one of the fastest growing luxury fashion brands. The company has operations in Europe, US and Asia, has a network of 100 directly-owned stores and a fast growing online presence.

Photo: Golden Goose, GG Facebook Official Page

* This article was originally published here

Gucci opens first U.S. restaurant in Beverly Hills

Gucci is laying down more roots in Los Angeles, only this time, it’s in the restaurant and hospitality industry. The Italian luxury label announced in Feb. 11 that it will be opening up Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura Beverly Hills, which is posed to be an intimate restaurant on top of Gucci’s Los Angeles store. This is both Bottura and Gucci’s first restaurant in the United States.

Set to officially open on Feb. 17, Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura Beverly Hills is an extension of the Michelin star-rated Gucci Osteria at the Gucci Garden in Florence, the chef’s collaboration with the label that began in 2018.

With fresh produce from the local farmers’ markets, the offerings at the new Beverly Hills restaurant will “honor the complex variety of culinary influences from around the world that can only be found in Los Angeles.” Gucci’s Los Angeles outpost of Gucci Osteria will feature classic Italian dishes transformed into cross-cultural plates with a blend of references, techniques, and flavors.

The new location is set to seat 50 guests for lunch and dinner every day of the week.

Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura Beverly Hills is located at 347 N Rodeo Drive. Guests can access the restaurant from inside the label’s Beverly Hills store and from Rodeo Drive.

Images: Courtesy of Pablo Enriquez for Gucci

* This article was originally published here

Ted Baker confirms interim creative director appointment

British retailer Ted Baker has appointed American fashion designer Michael Bastion as its interim creative officer, with immediate effect.

In a short statement, Ted Baker confirmed to FashionUnited over e-mail: “We are pleased to confirm the appointment of Michael Bastion as interim creative officer at Ted Baker, leading the design direction for the brand for both men’s and women’s wear.

“Michael is highly regarded within the industry, having been the driving force behind successful brands such as Gant.”

The appointment brings together Ted Baker’s new North American chief executive Ari Hoffman and Bastian, who both worked together at Gant to re-create the Gant Rugger label, and will see Bastian splitting his time between New York and London.

Bastian is best known for his own namesake menswear label based in New York, which he founded in 2006. It was launched as a direct result of his experience as the men’s fashion director at Bergdorf Goodman, a position he held for five years. The brand has been recognised with six CFDA Menswear nominations culminating in CFDA Menswear Designer of the Year for 2011.

Michael Bastion joins Ted Baker as interim creative director, succeeding Ray Kelvin

On his personal Instagram, Bastian commented the news, saying: “I’m very excited to be joining Ted Baker as interim creative director for this great brand, as well as working with my friend Ari Hoffman.

“If you start seeing lots of posts from me here from London this is why— for the next few months I’ll be dividing my time between New York and here. But don’t worry— I’m still very much committed to my own Michael Bastian brand. In fact, I’m working on something very exciting that I hope to share with you all soon.”

As well as working on his own label in New York, he has also collaborated with Gant, Uniqlo and created a smartwatch produced by Hewlett Packard called the Michael Bastian Chronowing.

Bastian takes over the role held by founder Ray Kelvin who left the retailer last year after reports of inappropriate behaviour toward employees.

Image: courtesy of Ted Baker

* This article was originally published here

Somber start to NY Fashion Week for Chinese label Mukzin over virus fears

New York Fashion Week started on a gloomy note Thursday, with a Chinese designer showcasing its wares to a partially empty room amid fears the coronavirus could force labels from the Asian giant to cancel their catwalks.

"Mukzin might be the only Chinese brand you will see at this New York Fashion Week," said an announcer, before introducing the autumn-winter 2020 collection of designer Kate Han.

The compere referred to the deadly virus that has killed more than 560 people and sparked global alarm as it spreads around the world as "a disaster and a sad, sad story."

"We're not here only to present the great pieces of the design but also we're showing Chinese people and the people around the world we have strong will and strength and love through all difficulties and hardship," she added.

There were rows of empty seats, a rarity for New York Fashion Week, at the beginning of Han's parade of designs which fuse traditional Chinese influences with a modern twist.

A cloud is hanging over the involvement of Chinese designers, buyers and journalists this week due to the deadly coronavirus.

Chinese label Sheguang has said its New York show will go ahead and Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), which helps run Fashion Week, says it has no information about possible cancellations.

But Chinese fashion houses Angela Chen, Ricostru and Hui have already canceled runway appearances at Milan Fashion Week later this month because of the virus.

Around 1,000 Chinese buyers, journalists, stylists and other industry staff are also going to miss the event, Italian officials have said.

"I felt very confident and very safe here to make the show," said Han.(AFP)

* This article was originally published here