Video: ShowStudio round-up Paris Fashion Week

In this video, Calum Knight and Hetty Mahlich round-up Paris Fashion Week. The pair discuss the designers who successfully responded to the Covid-19 pandemic, the designers who used this season to develop brand narratives and the ones who accomplished both the IRL and URL spaces. Watch the video below. Source: ShowStudio via YouTube Photo credit: ShowStudio, Facebook
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Video: Nike presents 'You Can't Stop Our Voice'

In this video, Nike presents 'You Can't Stop Our Voice' with the message of using sport as a platform for self-expression, with athletes including LeBron James, Naomi Osaka, Odell Beckham Jr., Sue Bird, Ja Morant, A’Ja Wilson, and Tim Anderson. Watch the video below. Video: Nike via YouTube Photo credit: Nike, Facebook
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Dior partners with Snapchat for AR sneaker try-on feature

Dior has partnered up with Snapchat for an exclusive augmented reality (AR) experience allowing users to virtually try on sneakers before purchasing them. In the new AR experience, Snapchat users can test six new pairs of shoes, including Dior’s new B27 sneakers. After trying on the shoes, users can proceed to purchase them through Dior’s profile on Snapchat or the retailer’s website. Snapchat has a large user base among its millennial and Gen-Z audience and more than 180 Snapchatters use AR features every day. Geoffrey Perez, head of luxury at Snapchat, said in a statement: “Dior is an incredibly innovative partner. They are one of the very first fashion houses to recognise the added value of augmented reality. “The way consumers interact with products has changed very quickly due to digitization and Dior has adapted to this very quickly. clothing in augmented reality will determine the user experience and future of social commerce." Research and advisory company, the Gartner Company, estimates that 100 million consumers will shop in AR online and in-store by the end of this year. Photo credit: Baas Amsterdam
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Podcast: Fashion is your Business interviews Di Di Chan on FutureProof Retail

In this episode of Fashion is your Business, Di Di Chan who is the president and co-founder of FutureProof Retail, which offers ‘scan and go’ mobile checkout, discusses the technology that is bringing personalisation and the convenience of e-commerce to physical stores. Listen to the podcast below. Source: Fashion is your Business via OmnyStudio Photo credit: Fashion is your Business, Facebook
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New sustainable brand ‘Another Girl’ launches

A new sustainable clothing label based in Liverpool, Another Girl, has been launched geared towards “women who care about the planet and the people that inhabit it.” The brand’s first SS21 collection is made up of 28 pieces and uses 50 percent sustainable fabrics. This includes 50 percent of its printed styles being made from recycled bottles and 50 percent of its knitwear being created with 100 percent organic cotton. For the label’s second SS21 drop, it aims to increase its sustainable fabric use by 80 percent and use 100 percent sustainable fabrics by its AW21 collection. Another Girl said is initially working with wholesale partners and retailers before next year starting its direct-to-consumer site. The wholesale prices range from 15-30 pounds and are available in UK sizes 6-18. Additionally, the brand has partnered with The Malala Fund and have pledged to donate a percentage of its profits to the charity. Senior designer, Karen Knowles, said in a statement: “Lockdown has given us all a chance to re-think what, when and how we consume. For us, that means creating a better, more socially concerned world. And we know that consumers demand the same. We are committed to making better decisions from production to packaging to shipping. “By the end of 2022, we will have introduced eco-accredited factories across our entire manufacturing base. We currently use recyclable plastics and recyclable FSC-certified paper on our product tags. All garments are packaged in 100 percent recyclable bags. It’s a long-term journey to making better decisions. This is only the beginning.” Photo credit: Another Girl
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Urban Outfitters expands partnership with AI company CB4

Urban Outfitters has expanded its partnership with CB4, an artificial intelligence (AI) software company, by rolling its software out to all 200 North American stores after a successful pilot. The retailer’s store staff use CB4’s AI solution to “uncover specific products with high local demand that aren’t meeting their full sales potential - prompting store teams to position the products better or make other adjustments to improve product buyability”. CB4 runs machine learning algorithms against a store’s point of sale (POS) data for brick-and-mortar retailers to distinguish physical problems in a store that are holding back sales. Retailers lose 3-5 percent of total sales due to human errors in-store, according to the company. Keith Spirgel, chief operating officer of Urban Outfitters, said in a statement: “CB4 doesn’t require a store merchandiser or the highest-level visual decision-maker to act. The recommendations are straight-forward, and folks on different levels can identify the greatest opportunities in the least amount of time, which has been very useful.” Yoni Benshaul, CEO of CB4, commented: “In working with apparel retailers, we’ve learned there are countless decisions for store teams to make every day. CB4 AI helps guide store associates to simple actions that lift sales, whether it’s making sure that a specific colour is prominently placed on the floor or un-layering something so it can be seen better.” The artificial intelligence company also works with retailers including Levi’s, Lidl, Eroski, Kum & Go and more. Photo credit: Unsplash
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Video: Raf Simons SS21 collection

In this video, Raf Simons presents his SS21 collection, which includes his first women's collection entitled 'Teenage Dream.’ Watch the video below. Source: FF Channel via YouTube
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LVMH to buy Tiffany for 131.50 dollars per share in cash

LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE (LVMH) and Tiffany & Co. have concluded an agreement modifying certain terms of their initial merger agreement reflecting a purchase price of 131.50 dollars per share in cash and to reduce closing conditionality. LVMH said in a statement that both the companies have also agreed to settle their pending litigation in the Delaware Chancery Court. Commenting on the development, Bernard Arnault, President and CEO of LVMH, said: “This balanced agreement with Tiffany’s board allows LVMH to work on the Tiffany acquisition with confidence and resume discussions with Tiffany’s management on the integration details. We are as convinced as ever of the formidable potential of the Tiffany brand and believe that LVMH is the right home for Tiffany and its employees during this exciting next chapter.” The company added that the modified merger agreement provides that the regularly scheduled Tiffany quarterly dividend of 58 cents per share due to be declared on November 19, 2020 will be declared and paid. “We are very pleased to have reached an agreement with LVMH at an attractive price and to now be able to proceed with the merger,” added Roger N. Farah, Chairman of the board of directors of Tiffany. Picture:Facebook/LVMH
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LVMH, Tiffany finally seal merger at lower price

French luxury giant LVMH and US jeweller Tiffany buried the hatchet in their bitter takeover battle on Thursday, agreeing to lower the price of the merger so that it can finally go ahead. Tiffany agreed to accept a lower price from LVMH in order to seal a deal that had been closed to collapsing, the French group said in a statement. “LVMH, the world’s leading luxury products group, and Tiffany, the global luxury jeweller, today announced that they have concluded an agreement modifying certain terms of their initial agreement to reflect a purchase price of $131.50 (per share) in cash and to reduce closing conditionality,” the statement said. “Other key terms of the merger agreement remain unchanged.” Previously, the price of the deal had been set at $135 per share. At the revised share price, the value of the deal will be around $15.77 billion, a decline of about $425 million based on Tiffany’s share count in US securities documents. The parent to luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Dior and Moet & Chandon, LVMH announced its plan to acquire Tiffany and its iconic robin’s egg blue gift boxes at the end of 2019. But the French company walked away from its proposal last month after claiming a series of poor decisions by Tiffany’s board since the deal was unveiled late last year. Tiffany has said there was no valid basis to call off the deal and lodged a complaint in a Delaware court, while LVMH responded with a counter-claim. The US court has set a trial date of January 5, 2021, while a judge in Delaware has urged talks between the parties to avoid litigation. “This balanced agreement with Tiffany’s board allows LVMH to work on the Tiffany acquisition with confidence and resume discussions with Tiffany’s management on the integration details,” said LVMH chief executive Bernard Arnault. “We are as convinced as ever of the formidable potential of the Tiffany brand and believe that LVMH is the right home for Tiffany and its employees during this exciting next chapter.” Tiffany’s board chairman Roger Farah said: “We are very pleased to have reached an agreement with LVMH at an attractive price and to now be able to proceed with the merger. The board concluded it was in the best interests of all of our stakeholders to achieve certainty of closing.” The deal is expected to be closed in January.
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Tiffany and LVMH resume meger talks

LVMH and Tiffany have revived talks to try to resuscitate their merger, which has been on shaky ground since late summer, a person close to the talks said Tuesday. Among the options, the companies are discussing possibly lowering the price, so LVMH would pay between 130 to 133 dollars a share for Tiffany, instead of 135 dollars under a 16.2 billion dollar deal, the source told AFP. The two companies declined comment. The parent to luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Dior and Moet & Chandon, LVMH announced its plan to acquire Tiffany and it's iconic robin's egg blue gift boxes at the end of 2019. But the French company walked away from its proposal last month after claiming a series of poor decisions by Tiffany's board since the deal was unveiled late last year. Tiffany has said there was no valid basis to call off the deal. The battle also has shifted to a Delaware court where Tiffany lodged a complaint and LVMH filed a counterclaim. The US court has set a trial date of January 5, 2021, while a judge in Delaware has urged talks between the parties to avoid litigation. On Tuesday, the European Commission gave a green light to the deal.(AFP)
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Podcast: The Glossy Podcast discusses the effects of taking a social stand with designer Daniella Kallmeyer

The Glossy Podcast speaks to designer Daniella Kallmeyer about her views on the effects of taking a social stand, the Asian wholesale market during the pandemic and what the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) does not offer to brands. Listen to the podcast below. Source: The Glossy Podcast via Megaphone
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TikTok steps into e-commerce with Shopify partnership

TikTok has announced a global partnership with Shopify that will reportedly benefit more than one million merchants to sell through its app. Through the new partnership, Shopify merchants can access key functions of the ‘TikTok for Business Ads Manager’ without leaving the Shopify dashboard. These functions include the new ‘one-click’ pixel which will allow merchants to install or connect their TikTok Pixel to track conversions faster. The ‘one-stop-shop’ for TikTok campaigns will allow merchants to create campaigns, target audiences and track performances in one place. Merchants will be able to create shareable ads and eligible merchants can claim ad credit worth 300 dollars for their first campaign. Blake Chandlee, vice president of global business solutions at TikTok, said in a statement: “As social commerce proliferates, retailers are recognising that TikTok’s creative and highly engaged community sets it apart from other platforms. We’re constantly exploring new and innovative ways to connect brands with our users, and Shopify is the perfect partner to help us grow and expand our commerce capabilities globally.” In a recent study, 88 percent of TikTok users said they find new content they enjoy through the app and about half of the users stated they encounter new products through advertisements. Shopify’s TikTok channel is accessible to users in the US and will be made available to other international markets in early 2021. “We’re thrilled to be the first partner to welcome TikTok to the world of commerce, particularly right now, as our merchants prepare for a busy online holiday shopping season. TikTok is one of the world’s fastest-growing entertainment platforms with over 100 million highly engaged users in the US alone,” said Satish Kanwar, vice president of product at Shopify. The partnership is also introducing #ShopBlack, TikTok’s first-ever co-branded Hashtag Challenge Plus (HTC+), aimed to celebrate black-owned businesses. From 10-15 November, TikTok users will be able to discover more than 40 million Shopify merchants with the hashtag. Photo credit: TikTok, Facebook
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Clarks begins rescue talks with landlords

Clarks has reportedly kicked off talks with landlords over a rescue deal that could see the company close stores and cut rents. The British footwear retailer and its advisers are meeting with landlords this week to discuss a potential company voluntary arrangement (CVA) that could see its stores moved to a 'turnover rent' model, Sky News reports. It could also reportedly result in the permanent closure of roughly 50 UK shops - the retailer currently trades from around 345 stores across the country. It comes as a growing number of British fashion companies look to CVAs as a way to mitigate the financial impact of Covid-19. In recent months, Next, Arcadia, Hotter Shoes and AllSaints have all looked to change rent terms with landlords. If the CVA gets the green light from creditors, the deal would reportedly pave the way for Clarks to secure a cash injection of more than 100 million pounds from Hong Kong-based private equity firm LionRock Capital. It would also see the founding Clarks family renounce majority control of the company for the first time in its 195-year history. In May, Clarks announced plans to cut around 900 jobs as part of its new ‘Made To Last’ transformation strategy which aims to ensure the company has a “sustainable and successful future” as it continues to adapt to the increasingly online retail landscape and the impact of Covid-19. The retailer said at the time those job cuts would be partially balanced by the creation of around 200 positions. Photo credit: Clarks Shoes, Facebook
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Spring/Summer 2021 womenswear catwalk theme trends

Rethinking traditional womenswear codes is key to the SS21 season. Proportion, shape and silhouette are all experimented with, taking inspiration from the past to create something new. Global cultural heritage references are interwoven, bringing an international flavour to an eco-friendly artisanal aesthetic. Trendstop brings FashionUnited readers the key themes emerging from the Women’s Spring Summer 2021 Fashion Weeks. Period Drama The vintage trend continues, delving further back into the archives to introduce historical costume inspired silhouettes and detailing. Voluminous skirts, corsetry constructions, lace and embroidery techniques are revived whilst recreating historic styles in performance materials lends a highly contemporary twist. Dramatic Proportions Proportional play is one of the hallmarks of the SS21 season, influenced by a combination of a renewed interest in historical dressing and the ongoing reassessment of traditional womenswear in line with today’s female consumer. Billowing forms and extreme volumes offer those fresh ideas with a touch of playfulness and a sense of the unexpected. The Eco Nomad Two of fashion’s biggest trends unite as eco themes are merged with a global outlook. A desert wanderer vibe imbues flowing caftan silhouettes and handcrafted accessories. Raw leathers, yarns and fibres have an untreated look that echoes the sustainable mindset with handmade constructions supporting the ‘return to craft’ ethos. Exclusive Offer: FashionUnited readers can get free access to Trendstop’s Fall Winter 2020-21 Key Themes Directions report, featuring all the essential themes from the FW20-21 collections. Simply click the banner 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.
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Podcast: Girlboss speaks to marketer Bozoma Saint John

In this episode, Girlboss speaks to marketer Bozoma Saint John about women needing to celebrate themselves more, the balance between one’s personal and professional life and tips on tackling work situations. She was recently named global chief marketing officer (CMO) at Netflix. Prior to this role, she was the chief brand officer at Uber and the CMO for Endeavor. Listen to the podcast below. Source: Girlboss
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Man Repeller ceases operations

Man Repeller, the website founded by influencer Leandra Medine Cohen, will be ceasing operations. The news originally broke on Business of Fashion. Medine Cohen had a Zoom call with the Man Repeller team on Monday, where she announced the publication would close. Employees will be receiving severance pay, an announcement for which will be made today. Medine Cohen stepped back from the company earlier this year after the company was criticized for a culture of racism and classism. The company would rebrand as Repeller and attempt to make more diverse hires, but alas, the efforts were still not enough to save the publication, which of course was also struggling from the economic hit from the coronavirus pandemic. Man Repeller originally launched In 2010 when digital publications were in a golden era. It was before they had to compete with Instagram, which was 2 years away from launch, and it was just coming off the golden era of the blogger. Cohen, who had a huge following, managed to turn her blog into a full-scale publication that had a huge audience among millennial women. However, after the coronavirus pandemic, advertising sales and branded content revenue were on the steep decline, as was an industry wide trend, with many companies having to furlough or let go of employees in an attempt to cut costs. There was no clear turnaround in sight for the company, so Medine Cohen opted to cease operations while she could still pay her employees severance. photo: Mango
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Video: The Fashion Institute of Technology presents 'Your Vote Matters!'

The Fashion Institute of Technology’s advertising and digital design student, Charlie Shelton, put together the film ‘Your Vote Matters!’ to inspire the community to vote in the upcoming election. Image and video: Fashion Institue of Technology via YouTube
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Podcast: CEO Jess Weiner addresses the need for change within the business world on Where Brains Meets Beauty

In the latest episode of ‘Where Brains Meets Beauty’ the CEO and founder of ‘Talk to Jess’, Jess Weiner, is brought on to discuss the change happening within the business world and the corporate responsibility of companies to stand for something they believe in to engage and understand the consumer's needs. Listen to the 30 minute podcast below. Source: Where Brains Meet Beauty via Listen Notes
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Adidas reportedly mulling sale of Reebok as early as March

German sportswear giant Adidas is reportedly mulling a sale of Reebok and could be looking to offload it as early as March 2021. Chinese sportswear giant Anta Sports and VF Corp, the US company behind brands Vans, The North Face and Timberland, could be among interested bidders, according to German business publication Manager-Magazine, though it didn’t provide a source. Neither Adidas or Reebok have yet commented on the report. Adidas looks to offload Reebok The publication also said Adidas has written down the book value of Reebok by almost half to 842 million euros in the past two years. If it were to go ahead, the deal would put an end to a relationship that hasn’t been as fruitful as Adidas had hoped when it snapped up the smaller US sportswear brand in 2006 for 3.8 billion dollars - a move the brand hoped would better position it to take on rival Nike in its home territory. Adidas CEO Kasper Rorsted has long refused to sell Reebok, despite repeated calls from shareholders to do so. As Covid-19 and store closures continue to impact the industry, Adidas’ group sales for the second quarter of the year were down 35 percent, while Reebok’s were down 42 percent. Photo credit: Reebok
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Moncler posts 15 percent revenue decline in Q3

For the first nine months of 2020, Moncler said that the company recorded revenues of 765.1 million euros, a decrease of 23 percent at current exchange and of 22 percent at constant exchange rates impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, whose effects continued also in the third quarter of this year, although with lesser effects. In the third quarter, Moncler registered revenues of 361,8 million euros, a 15 percent decrease at current exchange and 14 percent at constant exchange rates. Commenting on the company’s performance, Remo Ruffini, Moncler’s Chairman and CEO, said in a statement: “We ended the third quarter with better results than we expected. Not only is the Chinese market seeing high and constantly improving growth rates, but other markets and all distribution channels are also showing continuous progress in their performance, although in many cases they are still negative. The signs we are seeing in October are encouraging, but we know we have challenging weeks ahead of us, made even more uncertain by the current global economic and health situation.” Moncler’s performance across core geographies In the first nine months, the company’s revenues in Italy decreased by 34 percent in the first nine months and 29 percent in the third quarter compared to the same period last year influenced by a decline in the number of travellers, whose spending is particularly important during summer months. EMEA recorded a decline of 21 percent at constant exchange rates in the first nine months of the year and 18 percent in the third quarter also affected by the lack of travellers, particularly in the retail channel. In the third quarter, the company said, Germany, Russia and the Middle East outperformed the rest of the region, while France remained weak. Revenues in Asia and Rest of World marked a decline of 18 percent in the first nine months with a significant improvement in the third quarter, down only 4 percent driven by the performance of Mainland China and Korea that registered double-digit growth rates in the third quarter and to the significant growth in local demand. Contrasting this has been the performances of Hong Kong SAR and Japan. In the Americas, revenues decreased by 28 percent at constant exchange rates in the first nine months and 13 percent in the third quarter) with a significant improvement since August in both distribution channels, particularly in the retail network. Moncler retail channel posts 18 percent drop in Q3 The company said that the retail distribution channel reported revenues of 502.7 million euros, a decrease of 27 percent at current and constant exchange rates. In the third quarter, retail revenues registered a decline of 18 percent at constant exchange rates and 20 percent at current exchange rates), with a constant and progressive improvement compared to first half results, though still influenced by the lack of traffic in the store network. The online channel continued to register positive double-digit growth rates. The wholesale channel recorded revenues of 262.4 million euros in the first nine months, a decrease of 14 percent at current exchange and 13 percent at constant exchange rates. In the third quarter, wholesale revenues decreased by 6 percent at constant exchange and 7 percent at current exchange rates. As of September 30, 2020, Moncler’s mono-brand store network consisted of 217 directly operated stores (DOS), an increase of eight units compared to December 31, 2019 and 63 wholesale shop-in-shops (SiS), a decrease of one unit compared to December 31, 2019. During the third quarter of 2020, Moncler opened four retail mono-brand stores: one store in Japan, one resort location on Capri island (Italy) and two DOS in EMEA. Picture:Moncler media gallery
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Kering's luxury houses report positive sales growth in Q3

Kering’s consolidated revenue in the third quarter totalled 3,717.7 million euros, down 4.3 percent as reported and 1.2 percent on a comparable basis. This performance, the company said, represents a sharp rebound compared with the year-on-year contraction of 43.5 percent as reported and 43.7 percent on a comparable basis posted in the second quarter of 2020. Revenue from the group’s houses amounted to 3,600.1 million euros in the quarter, down 4.7 percent as reported and 1.6 percent on a comparable basis. “In a tough environment, Kering achieved substantial revenue recovery in the third quarter. The creativity of each of our Houses and the agility of our organization led to a sharp rebound in sales, nearly matching the level of the 2019 third quarter. Against a backdrop that remains uncertain, and despite limited visibility, we are well prepared and confident in our ability to deliver good performances over time,” said François-Henri Pinault, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Kering. Kering witnesses rebound in sales at its luxury houses The company added that Gucci’s revenue picked up sharply in the third quarter compared with the prior quarter. At 2,087.8 million euros, revenue was down 12.1 percent reported and 8.9 percent on a comparable basis, while retail sales were down 4 percent on a comparable basis. Gucci reported 43.7 percent rise in North America and 10.6 percent growth in Asia-Pacific, while lack of tourists weighed on sales during the period, especially in Western Europe, which was down 47.3 percent and Japan, down 25.9 percent. Online sales grew sharply worldwide, accounting for 12.6 percent of total retail sales, while wholesale revenue contracted 31.6 percent, in line with the House’s ongoing strategy of enhancing the exclusivity of its distribution by reducing the number of third-party retailers. Yves Saint Laurent returned to growth in the third quarter in both its directly operated stores and its wholesale channel. Total revenue of 510.7 million euros was up 0.8 percent year on year as reported and 3.9 percent on a comparable basis, while retail sales rose 5.8 percent on a comparable basis. In addition to its strong appeal among local customers in Europe and North America, Yves Saint Laurent’s market penetration is increasing in the Asia-Pacific region. Online sales more than doubled year on year, notably reflecting the successful launch of the House’s China e-commerce site in June and driven by the success of the fall 2020 collection, wholesale revenue also rose 3.4 percent. Bottega Veneta’s revenue totalled 332.5 million euros, up 17 percent as reported and 20.7 percent on a comparable basis. Sales generated in directly operated stores rose 12.1 percent, spurred by an excellent performance in Asia-Pacific and solid growth in North America, while online sales achieved triple-digit growth and revenue from wholesale jumped 63.4 percent. Overall, the Other Houses returned to growth in the third quarter, with revenue of 669.1 million euros, up 9.3 percent as reported and 11.7 percent on a comparable basis, while retail sales rose 10 percent and wholesale revenue was up 16.7 percent. Alexander McQueen and Balenciaga delivered double-digit growth in both retail and wholesale channels benefiting from the expansion of their directly operated store networks in Asia-Pacific and North America. Revenue for the “Corporate and other” segment rose 10.1 percent as reported and 13.8 percent on a comparable basis, led by Kering Eyewear’s solid performance during the quarter. Picture:Facebook/Saint Laurent
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