Womenswear resort trends 2022

Resort 2020 kicks off with a focus on new consumer mindsets. Putting sustainability at the forefront of a whole house’s ethos, not just a collection, is an emerging hallmark of the season as designers fully embrace working methods necessitated by lockdown. The coveted youth market, a sector with a strong eco-consciousness are also being well catered for as labels seek to not only reflect their values but also produce products that echo their life and style. Chloe Gabriela Hearst is continuing the remodelling of Chloe into an environmentally and socially responsible brand. Deadstock broderie anglaise and denim treated with lasers instead of water, and recycled wooden buttons adorned hand spun, crafted pieces as a response to industrial mass production, referencing the Arts & Crafts and bohemian Pre Raphaelites as sources of inspiration. Coach Coach’s Stuart Vevers’ idea of incorporating archival pieces into new collections has become a full-time working method. Leftover plaids from became black lace trimmed midi dresses and much of Fall’s offering was reworked to incorporate new Resort pieces. Rejecting the idea of products specifically tied to certain seasons, the label’s popular intarsia knits, lug-soled boots and skier inspirations were reworked in pastel hues for a global, transeasonal appeal. Missoni Broadening the label’s appeal and tapping into the Gen Z market is the focus for Missoni as their artisanal knit techniques are reworked into urban leisure pieces such as hoodies, track pants and mini dresses that give nod to luxury sportswear. Cocooning shapes offer the comfort of loungewear whilst signature knits come mixed with spongy textures, shiny quilted nylon and sequins in pastel hues for a more youthful flavour. Exclusive Offer: FashionUnited readers can get free access to Trendstop’s Spring Summer 2021 Key Themes Directions. 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.
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PVH reveals new corporate responsibility report

Tommy Hilfiger, Facebook PVH has published its thirteenth corporate responsibility report, detailing new targets for its Forward Fashion CR strategy. The US-based company which owns brands including Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein revealed a number of initiatives towards its commitment to transparency and accountability. Stefan Larsson, PVH CEO said in a statement: “Through the power and passion of PVH’s people, we made notable progress across key initiatives on inclusion and diversity, environmental sustainability, human rights, and climate change. These areas of focus and our values are at the heart of everything we do. “We will continue to build on our core strengths, connect to our consumers in ways that are meaningful to them, and remain dedicated to innovation and continuous improvement.” The report also revealed PVH’s efforts to increase renewable energy usage by 15 percent, meaning 43 percent of the energy used in their offices is from renewable sources. Meanwhile, the company launched its first circular business scheme through Tommy Hilfiger’s Tommy for Life program, which has already diverted more than 36 thousand kilograms of textile waste. PVH also continues to work on eliminating single-use plastic by partnering with Fashion for Good.
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Selfridges owners could sell the business for 4 billion pounds

Image: Selfridges Department store group Selfridges is reportedly considering selling the business for 4 billion pounds. Various reports revealed the Weston family has consulted advisers from Credit Suisse to explore the potential sale after receiving an unsolicited bid. The sale of Selfridges would include branches located in Manchester and Birmingham along with Brown Thomas and Arnotts in Ireland. The sale price also reportedly includes 2 billion pounds in property assets such as the historic flagship store on Oxford Street in London. It’s believed the buyer could be from China or the Middle East, as Qatar Holdings acquired the popular UK department store Harrods in 2010. Selfridges went private in 2003 The department store was founded in 1908 by Harry Gordon Selfridge and was purchased in 2003 by the Weston family in a 598 million pound deal. The late WG Galen Weston handed the reins of the Selfridges group to his daughter Alannah two years ago. The family has pumped millions into the company over the past 18 years to ensure it is at the forefront of luxury retail. Since the pandemic, Selfridges has implemented a string of initiatives including outdoor spinning classes, a rooftop bar, and a new online fashion rental service. The Oxford Street location also opened a cinema, a champagne bar and has secured a license to host weddings.
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Fall/Winter 2022: Sustainable color trends

Trendstop brings FashionUnited readers Sustainable Colour, a key seasonal development that will be influential for Fall Winter 2022 and beyond. As the fashion industry works towards becoming more sustainable, one area that needs to be addressed is colour and designers, brands and retailers around the world are increasingly looking to natural, non-toxic dyes and colouring methods to create their products. With consumer interest focused on environmental considerations and a greater desire to reconnect with nature the colour palette is becoming softer and less saturated, inspired by a revival of traditional techniques using eco-friendly vegetable and botanical sources. Washed Eco Pastels Pastel tones move away from the overly sweet, synthetic shades of previous seasons, taking on more muted, nature-inspired hues. Delicate fern greens, pinks imbued with earthy undertones and cooling, yellow-based creams appear washed-back and faded, applied to gently tactile materials that further soften the colour palette. Soft Chestnut A sophisticated addition to the autumnal palette, Soft Chestnut works well for both women’s and menswear. Cooler undertones offer a more refined take on classic browns whilst still looking natural and with less saturation. Textural materials and soft handle fabrications prevent the colour from looking flat and create subtle surface interest. Dawn Frost Fresh green tones are not just for spring as designers increasingly introduce ideas of transeasonality into their fashion palettes. Crisp, pale shades are underscored with a cooler tint, reminiscent of foliage on a frosty morning. They offer a fashion-forward, elevated alternative to neutral tones and classic light shades such as white. Exclusive Offer: FashionUnited readers can get free access to Trendstop’s Spring Summer 2021 Key Colour Directions. 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: Fashion your Seatbelt speaks to Alisa Volskaya of AVEC

In this episode, Fashion your Seatbelt speaks to Alisa Volskaya of AVEC, a public relations firm, to discuss the future of luxury public relations. Listen to the podcast below. Fashion Your Seatbelt · 074 Alisa Volskaya: The Future of Luxury PR Source: Fashion is your Seatbelt via SoundCloud Photo credit: Unsplash
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28 Sustainability efforts of the fashion industry in May 2021

Continuing from April, there were sustainable efforts galore in May too. Now, even rivaling brands like Adidas and Allbirds shake hands when it comes to circular innovations that are best tackled together. Brands and retailers continue offering consumers more sustainable choices and it is heartening to see that young designers have more choices too when it comes to finding sustainable fashion courses or information about being more environmentally conscious. Last but not least, the number of podcasts on the subjects also rose with listeners being spoiled for choice. This month, FashionUnited is highlighting 28 sustainable initiatives that were presented in May 2021. Collaborations & Projects LVMH and UNESCO expand joint Amazon project Photo: LVMH and UNESCO LVMH and UNESCO MAB (Man and Biosphere) recently announced the launch of a joint project to combat deforestation in the Amazon, which is a major threat to the region’s precious ecosystems.The initiative is part of the Group’s own program LIFE 360 (LVMH Initiatives For the Environment), through which it is committed to contributing to the rehabilitation of five million hectares of habitat for flora and fauna across the world and to limiting the environmental impact of its activities. Read more… Related news: * LVMH presents commitment to circular economy at ChangeNOW Summit Primark teams up with Recover on sustainable leisurewear Photo: Primark Fast fashion retailer Primark has partnered with innovative sustainable textile producer, Recover on a new leisurewear collection for women made using recycled materials as part of its Primark Cares range. Read more… Related news: * Vitamin A and Misha Nonoo launch sustainable summer collection * Asos and Fashion-Enter team up with Kornit Digital * Rosie Assoulin announces partnership with HIM Co Brands & Retailers Kust launches sustainable swimwear collection made with Econyl Photos: Kust Polish underwear label Kust has launched a sustainable swimwear collection made using recycled materials. The premium menswear brand has made the collection using Econyl, a recycled nylon made from regenerated fishing nets and other waste found in the ocean. Read more… Related news: * Boohoo launches collection made with recycled materials * H&M launches swimwear collection from recycled polyester * Animal relaunches with eco-friendly offering Adidas unveils low-carbon shoe collaboration with Allbirds Photo: Adidas/Allbirds Rival sportswear brands Adidas and Allbirds have unveiled the first product from their collaboration, Futurecraft.Footprint - a low carbon running shoe. The sportswear companies have partnered up and shared proprietary technologies and material innovations, as part of both companies goals to reimagine a lower-emission design process and make a performance running shoe with no carbon footprint. Read more… Related news: * Timberland launches first products made with community cotton * H&M collaborates with Good News for sustainable unisex trainer H&M launches Higg Index Sustainability Profile Photo: Sustainable Apparel Coalition H&M has launched the first version of the Higg Index Sustainability Profile across its online stores in Europe and the US, sharing performance scores on the environmental impact of materials used to create its products. Read more… Related news: * YNAP joins The Prince of Wales’s Sustainable Markets Initiative * LVMH releases first comprehensive social and environmental report * Puma to make 90 percent of products with more sustainable materials by 2025 * Diesel reinforces sustainability with ‘Diesel Library’ initiative * Lenzing invests 200 million euros in Asia for group-wide climate neutrality * Zalando launches diversity and inclusion strategy * Fashion CEOs set sustainable priorities as gaps between goals and action remain Asket to open first physical store in Stockholm Photo: Asket Swedish slow fashion brand Asket has opened its first physical store in Stockholm on Saturday, 22nd May 2021. Launched in 2015 as an online-only D2C brand, Asket has used its online presence to spearhead transparency and accountability and now wants to bring this same approach to physical retail. Read more… Related news: * H&M launches its first rental service in the US with ONE/SECOND/SUIT * Vinted launches in Canada following 250 million euro fundraising Companies, Education, Events & Awards * Fashion for Good selects young creatives to create Grow 2.0 exhibition with biomaterials Photo: Fashion for Good As announced at the beginning of the year, global sustainability initiative Fashion for Good has been looking for creatives for its talent project Grow, a three-month program that will start in July 2021. Now, six young creatives have been selected and presented to the public: four fashion designers - Frederieke Broekgaarden, Charlotte Bakkenes, Huong Nguyen and Eva Sonneveld - as well as content creator Christian Mpamo and copywriter Zainab Goelaman. Read more… Related news: * Fashion for Good launches Sorting of Circularity project * Wardrobe Crisis Academy launches online sustainable fashion course Photo: Wardrobe Crisis Academy Wardrobe Crisis Academy is launching a six-week introductory online course designed to “shake up” sustainable fashion education. The sustainable fashion platform states it is targeting broader sustainable fashion education with its online course, describes as “accessible” and “engaging” to offer a foundational knowledge of the issues driving sustainable and ethical fashion today. Read more Related news: * Submissions open for Tom Ford plastic innovation prize * Fashion District shortlists ten tech start-ups for Manufacturing Futures 2021 Also read: * How Denmark wants to become a circular frontrunner * Plastic bag price in England to double form May 21 * 2021 is the year of the Creative Economy for Sustainable Development * Podcast: The Glossy Podcast interviews Saucony president Anne Cavassa * Podcast: Fashion is your Business interviews CEO Kim Castellano * Podcast: The Wardrobe Crisis interviews textile designer Ýr Jóhannsdóttir * Podcast: Conscious Chatter discusses reimagining the term ‘seasons’ * Podcast: Conscious Chatter speaks to designer Mikaela Clark * The Glossy Podcast interviews Andrea Alvares about conscious consumerism * Video: Adidas ‘End Plastic Waste’ campaign * Video: H&M discusses the meaning of circular fashion * Video: H&M discusses circular fashion part two * 36 Sustainability efforts of the fashion industry in April 2021 Photo: Adidas/Allbirds
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Burberry pledges to be climate positive by 2040

Image: Burberry Burberry has pledged to become climate positive by 2040, going further than its earlier target to be net-zero by that same year. The company said it is the first luxury brand to set out the goal, which it will achieve by investing in key initiatives “to support wider climate change efforts beyond its value chain”. The British luxury brand said as part of the target it aims to cut emissions across its extended supply chain by 46 percent by 2030 - ahead of an earlier 30 percent target. The company said it will invest in “nature-based projects” that protect and restore natural ecosystems that remove carbon from the atmosphere, as well as “climate resilience projects” that empower vulnerable, frontline communities. Burberry announces new sustainability targets “Burberry was built upon a desire to explore nature and the great outdoors and they have remained our inspiration for more than 150 years,” said Burberry CEO Marco Gobbetti in a release. “Drawing on this heritage of exploration and driven by our creative spirit, today, we are setting a bold new ambition: to become climate positive by 2040. As a company, we are united by our passion for being a force for good in the world.” Burberry also announced its support for the Fashion Avengers, a coalition of global fashion organisations working together to promote action towards achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As part of this, Burberry is supporting the Forest for Change, a UN Global Goals installation created by British designer Es Devlin for the 2021 London Design Biennale.
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Video: Balenciaga SS22 collection

Photo credit: Elena Verdandi, Facebook In this video, Spanish luxury fashion house Balenciaga has presented its SS22 collection entitled 'Clones'. Watch the video below. Video: Balenciaga via YouTube
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Video: Vetements SS22 collection

Photo credit: Renata Litvinova, Facebook In this video, French luxury fashion brand Vetements has presented its SS22 collection. Watch the video below. Video: Vetements Official via YouTube
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M.I.A unveils debut eyewear collaboration with Parley for the Oceans

Image: courtesy of Parley for the Oceans, Clean Waves Sri Lanka born, UK-based artist Maya Arulpragasam, who performs as M.I.A, has unveiled her first eyewear design collaboration with Parley for the Oceans. The luxury ‘Clean Waves’ brand created by Parley for the Oceans invites elected artists, creatives and activists to design innovative products made from Parley Ocean Plastic, a range of premium materials created from upcycled marine plastic waste by the organisation’s Global Cleanup Network. The new Clean Waves range includes a core ‘Archetype’ model in 14 variations and an exclusive capsule collection of modular sunglasses by M.I.A created from marine plastic debris and reclaimed fishing nets, one of the key threats to sea turtles, whales, sharks and other marine life in the world’s oceans. The brand also acts as a creative fundraising platform and 100 percent of net proceeds will support the expansion of Parley’s remote island cleanups, education and infrastructure projects. Parley’s Global Cleanup Network hopes to reach 1,000 islands around the world, beginning with a series of locations dotted throughout the atolls of the Maldives. Cyrill Gutsch, founder and chief executive of Parley for the Oceans, said in a statement: “Clean Waves is a new idea of a luxury brand, a creative fundraising platform where artists, designers, activists and material scientists unleash their skills to drive the Material Revolution alongside the protection of islands and oceans. “Every Clean Waves collection is designed to provoke a future of creativity, collaboration and eco-innovation — with the goal of creating a world where humans live in peace with the ecosystems of nature.” To connect consumers with the remote islands they are helping clean up, GPS coordinates are subtly engraved on every Clean Waves product. Through their purchase, consumers help protect these areas by supporting Parley projects and receive updates and exclusive content from the area. Image: courtesy of Parley for the Oceans, Clean Waves Gutsch added: “Plastic is everywhere – it’s a design failure that harms sea life and human health. While we can’t phase it out overnight, we can stop making more. Clean Waves is the urgently needed platform where creators support our movement by designing products from Ocean Plastic – our premium material made from upcycled marine plastic debris.” The Clean Waves collection is available exclusively online at cleanwaves.com, at Selfridges in London and select Dover Street Market locations globally. Clean Waves M.I.A. Edition sunglasses are priced at 250 pounds / 340 US dollars / 300 euros, while the Clean Waves Archetype sunglasses are 200 pounds / 280 US dollars / 240 euros. Image: courtesy of Parley for the Oceans, Clean Waves
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German e-tailer About You eyes 4bn euro valuation in IPO

Image: About You, Facebook German fashion e-tailer About You has set a price range of between 21 euros to 26 euros a share for its float on the stock market, valuing it at around 4 billion euros. The company, which is owned by Otto Group, said it aims to raise between 600 million euros and 941 million euros via a private placement which it will use to scale its offering internationally, accelerate the expansion of its software-as-a-service (SaaS), and strengthen its tech infrastructure and distribution centres. Shares of the Hamburg-based company are expected to begin trading on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange on Wednesday June 16. Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, and JPMorgan are acting as joint global coordinators and joint bookrunners on the deal, with Numis Securities, Societe Generale and UBS Investment Bank also acting as joint bookrunners. Unlike some of its online rivals, About You couldn’t fully capitalise on consumers’ shift to online channels during the pandemic as demand for going-out fashion - which is one of its main categories - plummeted. “We were not a lockdown winner,” co-founder Tarek Mueller said in a recent interview. “Our offering is geared more toward going-out clothes - there wasn’t much going out during the lockdowns, but we believe that there will be a big post-Covid pickup in that category. Investors clearly see us as a recovery play.” Despite that, the company, which currently operates in 23 markets, managed to increase net sales by 57 percent in its 2020/21 financial year to 1.17 billion euros.
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Spinnova wins 2021 ANDAM Innovation Award

Image: courtesy of Spinnova Finnish start-up Spinnova has been named the 2021 ANDAM Innovation Award winner for developing 100 percent sustainable textile fibre directly out of FSC-certified wood and waste streams without dissolving or other harmful chemical processes. As winners, Spinnova will receive 50,000 euros and a one-year mentorship from Yann Gozlan, founder and president of Creative Valley. The award was launched in 2017 to support and encourage technological innovations that contribute to transforming and reinventing the fashion industry. It is open to any entrepreneur or start-up, French or international, who are willing to develop their project in France. The projects have to offer innovative and technological solutions in fashion design, production and distribution to help develop “an accountable and transparent fashion industry, considering economic, environmental and social issues”. Spinnova impressed the judging panel for the way it is transforming how textiles are made sustainably with technology that can make cellulose-based materials that are cost-efficient and environmentally friendly. Lotta Kopra, chief commercial officer at Spinnova, said in a statement: “Spinnova transforms the way textiles are manufactured globally. Our unique mechanical process without any harmful chemicals enables production of textiles fibres that have minimal environmental impact. “We feel honored to receive the ANDAM Innovation award. We see this as a great opportunity to introduce our sustainable solution to the fashion industry in France and beyond.” ANDAM Innovation Award won by Finnish start-up Spinnova Yann Gozlan, founder and president of Creative Valley, added: “2021 has been adversely affected by the sanitary crisis and its hardness; number of players of the fashion industry were forced to stop their business others managed to reinvent and deeply rethink their business. We welcome their efforts to save employment and know-how and contribute to the international outreach of our French industry. “The technologies we had the opportunity to discover through this edition of the ANDAM Innovation Prize are full of hope, the early signs that our industry has decided to change, to take care of our natural resources, water, carbon, energy, without ceasing to inspire us, project ourselves into a desirable future where porosity between the physical and the virtual worlds is constantly growing.” Spinnova were up against tough competition from start-ups covering fashion labels, traceability, fashion design, retail management, circular manufacturing processes, and a unique reverse image search engine. 2021 ANDAM Innovation Award finalists Studio Infinity x Acid Rays - creates virtual and digital identities for fashion labels using 3D modelling, AR and VR. Trustrace - helps brands achieve full product traceability and complete supply-chain mapping. Eva Engines - is a digital platform simplifying the fashion design process. Booxi - is an appointment management platform designed for retailers to enable their customers to schedule experiences with their staff, via video or in person, proven to increase basket size and conversion. Fairbrics - is developing circular manufacturing processes that use renewable resources instead of petro-sourced products. Fairly Made - allows fashion brands to monitor the impact of clothing and accessories with 4 indicators - traceability, social, environment, and recyclability. ModaResa - is a B2B web app that reinvents how apparel brands plan, meet and interact with their retailers during fashion weeks worldwide for physical or virtual buying appointments. Navee - is developing a unique reverse image search engine to track frauds and counterfeits across the internet. ZoomLook - is a luxury digital experience technology that brings a website alive in an entirely new way with immersive photo VR images. All finalists will benefit from access to the ANDAM Expert Committee and network to help them in the development of their structure and strengthen their link with the fashion industry.
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Wolverine Worldwide expects to report strong growth in Q2 sales

Image: Sperry, Facebook In an update on the second quarter results, Wolverine World Wide, Inc. has announced that its performance has accelerated in the quarter of the year, fuelled by the strength of its largest brands and compelling product innovation. “The Company continues to see strong momentum and better-than-expected trends across nearly all brands in the portfolio, with Merrell, Saucony and Sperry leading the way,” said Blake W. Krueger, Wolverine Worldwide’s chairman and chief executive officer. “We now expect second quarter 2021 revenue will exceed 2019 levels, and we are reiterating confidence in our latest full-year revenue outlook of 2,240 million dollars to 2,300 million dollars,” Krueger added.
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Garrett Leight California Optical receives investment from The Untitled Group

Image: courtesy of Garrett Leight California Optical (GLCO) Los Angeles-based eyewear lifestyle brand Garrett Leight California Optical (GLCO) has announced a strategic investment from The Untitled Group to drive global direct to consumer growth. The Untitled Group has invested 20 million US dollars into GLCO in exchange for a majority share of the company, explained the eyewear brand while adding that founder Garrett Leight will continue to hold a “significant stake”. As part of the partnership with Untitled, founder Garrett Leight will remain a key executive, focusing on enhancing all aspects of the consumer experience including collection development, store design, partnerships, sustainability and earth-conscious initiatives, and a growing lifestyle segment. The Untitled Group is an investment platform that specialises in emerging consumer brands. Its partnership will see it bringing primary capital investment, operating guidance and real estate expertise to GLCO’s ten years of family-owned success to provide “the ideal platform for global expansion”. Commenting on the investment, Leight said in a statement: “My path forward has never been clearer. I knew that I needed a strategic partner to help GLCO achieve our growth potential and I’m genuinely excited to have found that in Untitled. “This investment will allow us to realise so many of the larger goals I’ve had for the brand, and I am both confident about and inspired by what the future looks like for GLCO.” Image: courtesy of Garrett Leight California Optical (GLCO) The Untitled Group becomes majority shareholder in Garrett Leight California Optical (GLCO) The investment will also help the company add key hires across multiple departments, including the a president, a new role for the brand and the formation of a Board of Directors by the existing key stakeholders. Joining GLCO in an advisory capacity will be fashion industry veteran and longtime friend of Leight, Josh Peskowitz, who joined the Untitled team as a consultant in 2020. Peskowitz will bring his decades of multifaceted industry experience to help guide the company’s growth. Image: courtesy of Garrett Leight California Optical (GLCO) Adam Freed, co-founding partner of The Untitled Group, said: “GLCO excels through its robust network of distribution relationships worldwide, and we are eager to help expand the brand’s presence in direct-to-consumer. Garrett’s track record in eyewear design is unmatched and has tremendous resonance with customers globally. We are excited to build on this legacy and invest in the tools and resources that have earned the brand its industry-leading reputation.” GLCO targets retail openings both in the US and abroad following partnership with The Untitled Group GLCO was founded in Venice Beach in 2010 to offer a fresh perspective to classically tailored eyewear by blending old and new with innovation to produce optical and sunglass collections. The company has six proprietary stores, including two Los Angeles locations (La Brea and Venice), San Francisco (Hayes), Austin (South Congress), New York (Grand), and its first international location in Toronto, which opened earlier this year. It is also distributed in more than 25 countries on six continents in high-end speciality retail and optical boutiques. With the investment from Untitled, GLCO is looking to open multiple boutiques in both the US and abroad, with a new location in Brooklyn, New York and the Silverlake area of Los Angeles to debut in late 2021. The goal is to open 10-15 new locations over the next five years, added GLCO. Image: courtesy of Garrett Leight California Optical (GLCO) Untitled’s co-founding partner Josh Rowan, added: “We firmly believe GLCO is one of the strongest names in eyewear globally and are committed to building on the strong foundation Garrett has forged over the past decade, rooted in a long lineage of best-in-class eyewear expertise and design.” The Untitled Group, led by Rowan and Freed, is a New York-based strategic investor and long-term partner for the “next-generation of aspirational consumer brands”. Untitled makes strategic investments in brands across fashion and apparel, beauty and wellness and digitally oriented retail concepts. Image: courtesy of Garrett Leight California Optical (GLCO)
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Onitsuka Tiger launches collaboration with DoiTung

Image: courtesy of Onitsuka Tiger Japanese fashion brand Onitsuka Tiger has partnered with DoiTung, a sustainable project originating in Thailand to launch a collaborative collection of sustainable footwear. The partnership represents both Onitsuka Tiger’s and the DoiTung Development Project’s commitment towards the growing global sustainability movement, explain both companies in a press release, and features three models with patterns carefully selected from a range of locally produced traditional fabrics. At the core of the Mexico 66, Mexico 66 Paraty, and Serrano footwear styles are hand-woven textiles, which take a week to produce, from spinning the thread to the appearance of the pattern, explains Onitsuka Tiger. Compared to machine-woven fabric, the material used in these products is softer, and the finished designs are more delicate. The products combine the traditional handiwork of craftspeople in Thailand with Onitsuka Tiger qualities to transcend borders, added the Japanese brand. The goal was to create a timeless design, durable and comfortable in construction while maintaining environmentally conscious manufacturing processes, using sustainable materials. Image: courtesy of Onitsuka Tiger The main upper fabric of the Thai-exclusive Mexico 66 model is woven at DoiTung using 100 parent recycled PET thread from plastic bottles. The Thai-exclusive models are in black fabric with an Onitsuka Tiger logo embroidered in one model and an intricate tiger-patterned fabric in the other. Red and yellow on the sole are a nod to key colours for DoiTung and Onitsuka Tiger. The other styles have a red and blue colourway pattern designed to evoke the tricolour featured in Onitsuka Tiger Stripes. The Doi Tung Development Project is the flagship project of the Mae Fah Luang Foundation under Royal Patronage, a non-profit organisation in the Kingdom of Thailand. Image: courtesy of Onitsuka Tiger
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Helmut Lang collaborates with artist Hank Willis Thomas

Image: courtesy of Helmut Lang Helmut Lang has launched a collection in collaboration with American conceptual artist Hank Willis Thomas, focusing on his text-based lenticular work ‘It’s All About You / It’s Not About You’. The limited-edition collection of ready-to-wear includes hoodies, T-shirts and dresses, which read ‘It’s All About You’ or ‘It’s Not About You’ depending on the viewers’ vantage point. The collection aims to address what the brand is calling a moment in time where we are all being called to examine our own privileges and biases, as the project compels people to think about how their own position literally affects what they see. To translate the experience of standing in front of Thomas’ lenticular work, the Helmut Lang design team explored several printing and garment techniques to translate the experience, including a lenticular print process, printing on sheer fabric, and a reverse print on the inside of the garment. “Art has the power to shift people’s perspective,” said Hank Willis Thomas in the press release. “My role as an artist is to wake people up, and I often use language as a tool to do this. I see this collaboration with Helmut Lang as an extension of my artistic practice exploring advertising and the ubiquity of messaging.” Helmut Lang adds that this is a creative endeavour collaboration rather than a commercial partnership, and as such the artwork and artist are credited directly on the garment. The Helmut Lang x Hank Willis Thomas collection will donate 15 percent of the sale proceeds to Incarceration Nations Network (INN), a think-tank that concentrates on innovative prison reform efforts around the world. Image: courtesy of Helmut Lang Image: courtesy of Helmut Lang
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Lockdown results in permanent shift to online shopping

Dressipi The length and severity of lockdown in the UK has resulted in a permanent shift to consumers shopping online, new data reveals. Physical stores reopened in the UK on April 12 and most other businesses resumed on May 17. Recent data by Dressipi revealed shoppers are continuing to make purchases online instead of in-store, with around 30 percent growth online year on year. The research also found that retailers who would previously make 70 percent of their sales in-store will now likely be closer to 50 percent. As for what customers are buying, jeans and tops are extremely popular. Meanwhile, dress purchases are only slowly increasing to 2019 levels with a larger focus on highlight dresses than occasionwear. Online shopping leads to better customer insights The increase in online shopping means many retailers now have access to more customer data than ever before. The digital imprint of customers means businesses know who each visitor is and what their intent is. This provides a great opportunity for retailers to gain a deeper understanding of what areas need to be improved to increase the customer experience and revenue. Online sales are predicted to grow post-pandemic and brands will be expected to integrate the digital and physical shopping experience. Services such as buy online, pick up in-store, curbside pick-up, digital checkout, virtual concierge, will come to be expected by consumers.
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500 John Galliano-era Dior pieces to be auctioned

Image: Vintage Dior by John Galliano Approximately 500 vintage Dior items from John Galliano’s designs between 1996 and 2011 are to be auctioned at French auction house Cornette de Saint Cyr. According to WWD nearly 300 items originate from an unnamed Russian lady who acquired the items from Galliano’s debut collection for fall 1997. “The sale is very representative of the evolution of Galliano’s style at the house of Dior,” Hubert Felbacq, director of Cornette de Saint Cyr’s luxury and vintage department, told WWD. Other items were sourced from a client who favoured tailoring such as Dior’s iconic Bar suit. Prices range from 30 euros for a floral camisole top to 6,000 euros for a red double-breasted python coat from Dior’s AW06 collection. The auction will take place on June 7th. The collection can be seen here. Image: Vintage Dior by John Galliano
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