Trendstop Men’s Milan Fashion Week Overview

Trendstop brings FashionUnited readers a first look at the latest Men’s edition of Milan Fashion Week for Spring Summer 2022. Embracing positivity and looking to the future underscored the Milan Men’s Fashion Week with collections that channeled a fresh, summer-ready sensibility. Colour was key in creating an air of optimism as designers broadened the menswear palette with zesty pastels, yet pieces never lost sight of the need for functionality, incorporating highly practical elements throughout their apparel and accessories offerings. Sustainability remained at the core of much of the brand messaging as houses promoted longevity, eco-material usage and support for conservation projects. Fendi New perspectives and a sense of optimism for the future underpinned the refreshingly pastel hued Fendi collection, with shades of lemon, soft lime and lilac popping against cooling neutral tones. The subtly retro apparel fused effortless comfort and practicality with luxury hand feels. Shearling intarsia tees and shorts came with roomy cargo pockets and tailoring featured pockets for phones and AirPods. Accessories were equally functional with Fendi’s iconic Baguette reworked as a compact cross-body and bags with tennis racket pockets for sports lovers. Ermenegildo Zegna The fresh spring feel of the seasonal palette continued at Ermenegildo Zegna, with lilac and sky-blue set against a backdrop of warm earth tones and forest greens. Duster jackets and loose pant silhouettes were luxurious, but longevity was key. Hems were finished with a rubberised coating to prevent fraying and the whole collection was designed to harmoniously mix and match to create a perfect capsule wardrobe. Eco-friendly fabrics came to the fore with recycled fibres, hemp and regenerated Trivero wool. Prada As with many of the Milan collections, Prada’s short shorts, romper suits and show of skin, spoke to re-exposing the body to the elements as an antidote to so much time spent indoors. Beach and sailing vibes were evident in the nautical colours and print motifs of octopi, anchors, and fish, imbuing the collection with optimism and hope for travel and outdoor experiences, and bucket hats were the height of practicality, featuring special slits to hold sunglasses and neck-protecting brims. Filmed on the Sardinian coast, the label’s video also highlighted a location where Prada is funding marine ecosystem reforestation projects, as well as providing a high summer backdrop for the holiday-themed collection. Exclusive Offer: FashionUnited readers can get free access to Trendstop’s Spring Summer 2021 Key Apparel Directions Report. 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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In pictures: Pitti Immagine Bimbo 93

All images courtesy of Pitti Immagine The 93rd edition of Pitti Immagine Bimbo took place in Florence’s Fortezza da Basso from June 30 to July 2, with more than 100 exhibitors present physically. The kidswear and lifestyle fair was organised as a concept store in the Quartieri Monumentali and Padiglione delle Ghiaie spaces, presenting for the first time some ‘families’ collections including women’s and men’s wear. Introduced for the Spring-Summer 2021 edition of Pitti Immagine, Pitti Connect made its way into the children’s fair this season. The digital platform helped create a seamless experience between the physical and digital events, the main one being “I want to be green.” It was developed as a sustainable initiative built around diverse talks and events, all highlighting eco-conscious brands and projects. Thursday tackled “Is the future of fashion sustainable?” with Mezzanotte Store’s Barbara Mezzanotte and Friday dealt with recurrent topic “Can fashion be sustainable and still fashionable?” Some international stalwarts like Dolce & Gabbana and Petit Bateau were present, but many up-and-coming, green-focused brands filled the halls with eco-conscious offerings. Danhera Italy presented its 100 percent sustainable washing products while German brand Infantium Victoria showed “The story of a GOTS seed”, a child-friendly documentary explaining where its T-shirts come from and what they’re made of. The fair was “100 percent bambino” this season, recentering its offer on 12-year-olds and under. For buyers, a new personalised service dubbed “We are here for you” was introduced to give bespoke tours, propose exclusive content via Pitti Connect and provide targeted research. Discover in pictures below all the highlights of Pitti Immagine Bimbo 93.
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Ostwald on the craftsmanship of couture bags

Image: courtesy of Ostwald Interview When you think of couture, most people think of clothing from the likes of Chanel, Dior and Louis Vuitton, however, there is a growing appetite for one-off pieces in accessories and leading the way is German independent Ostwald merging subtle luxury and traditional craftsmanship to produce unique handbags from high quality tanned and refined leathers. Handbags have long been desired by women and Ostwald is tapping into the couture market with its heritage, this year marks its 99th year, as well as its unique and personalised approach to high-quality craftsmanship and avant-garde design. “At Ostwald we honour individuality, we make bags that are a little bit different,” explains owner Bernd Michael Ostwald over Zoom to FashionUnited. “As well as craftsmanship, all our bags and accessories are made exclusively in our factory by our fantastic artisans. We combine heritage with innovative, unique designs like our pyramid, as well as top quality tanned leathers. Each creation is unique - made with passion.” Image: courtesy of Ostwald; Bernd Michael Ostwald Bernd Michael Ostwald is the third generation of his family to work with leather, with the company started by his grandfather, Bernhard Ostwald who processed leather into high-quality shoes and accessories with the Oberfränkische Schäfte- und Schuhfabrik. Ostwald states that much of the same machinery and techniques are still used today by the company prides itself on embracing craftsmanship over technology for a truly personalised and niche approach to accessories. This is highlighted in its handmade approach to manufacturing with its own factory located in Nuremberg, just outside Belgrade employing around 30 artisans. These artisans utilise bag-making methods that have “almost been forgotten” and are usually no longer used in industrial production due to their high labour input. Family business Ostwald believes in the importance of craftsmanship This approach is “time-consuming,” notes Ostwald, but does mean that the label can offer an “unmistakable, personal signature” in the construction of its bags, as each style is made in full, from start to finish, by one artisan. Image: courtesy of Ostwald “Our USP is that we don’t follow the IT bag trends, we would never be able to can’t compete with that,” added Ostwald. “We are a niche brand keeping craftsmanship alive. We may have moved away from the traditional, in the bags we design, but not with the techniques we undertake - we finish our products with special refinement.” Craftsmanship is important to this family business, however, Ostwald describes the bag making trade as a “dying profession” and explains that it is getting harder to find people with the right skills. The company trains and develops its artisans, but even this is a lengthy process, with Ostwald stating it can “take at least a decade to grow in this craft”. Since the turn of the millennium alone, the company has seen 14 bag makers retire and trained 31 young bag makers. Image: courtesy of Ostwald “You have to collect knowledge, you have to train, develop and learn,” adds Ostwald. “Plus you need patience, as no matter how talented, it doesn’t happen overnight. But there is a passion with our people and they are proud of the work they do.” German bag brand Ostwald on why bespoke works for them The bespoke nature of its one-off production is what makes Ostwald stand out. Clients can choose a bag model, colour, and even leather type, “we like to let our clients creativity run wild, because we know that when you design part of it yourself, you cherish it much more,” explains Ostwald. Customers can book an appointment to visit the team in its studio or via video call to talk through the options for a truly personalised shopping experience. This bespoke approach is also reflected in the couture price tag and with customers having to wait on average six weeks for their bag to be constructed by hand. Image: courtesy of Ostwald To add to the uniqueness and exclusivity of its handmade leather bags, a metal plaque with a serial number is placed inside each bag. This information is noted in the company’s studio book for authenticity, recording the date of manufacture and the artisan who made it. Image: courtesy of Ostwald Ostwald is targeting “confident, sophisticated women with personality and independent style” and this is reflecting in its architectural and geometric product designs across its two collections. Ostwald Art Couture features sculpture-like bags that take around 35 production steps and up to 18 hours of detailed handcrafted work to produce, while Finest Couture Bags is a contemporary line of “subtle, classic design”. While the brand primarily caters for women, it also has a men’s collection highlighted by function. There is a Weekender travel companion in supple goatskin that comes with a trolley loop to attach to a suitcase, as well as front straps to secure an umbrella or newspaper, alongside a messenger bag, cardholder, wallet and travel accessories. Image: courtesy of Ostwald There is a complex and playful nature to Ostwald bags, such as designs curved like a petit fours or modelled on an accordion that are unique and also very minimalist in design. Ostwald cleverly makes them into statement investment pieces by using colour, materials, architectural elements and handmade craftsmanship. “I would never call myself a designer, I never studied it, I come at it from the craftsman side,” explains Ostwald. “Mostly, I start with an idea, things I’ve seen, like architectural, and something that I see as a challenge. But creating it that’s teamwork and includes creating prototypes, with some styles taking two years of development.” The sculptural couture designs make the biggest impact, such as the Harmonica with its fan-fold design that can be pulled apart or compressed. The bag is so unique and expertly constructed that it is on display at the German Leather Museum. Image: courtesy of Ostwald Another highlight is the Bow inspired by an oversized petit four featuring a leather bow that dominates the design. The bag also doesn’t have a top or a bottom, with two interior compartments accessible through zips at both ends. Then there is the Samurai inspired by the lines of defensive armour as well as the organic geometries of expanding bodies, and the Nautilus, an oversized clutch that looks like a shell. Image: courtesy of Ostwald One of the most innovative designs has to be the Pyramide, which combines a three-dimensional architectural pyramid body with the playfulness of a folding game, with the bag featuring magnets to allow the band to close by itself. “Our bags are not in fashion, they are rather part of our customers stories to show their personalities,” adds Ostwald. Ostwald prices start with clutches from 300 pounds. Image: courtesy of Ostwald Image: courtesy of Ostwald Image: courtesy of Ostwald
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Fashion Friday: COVID-19 drives digitalisation of fashion brands in Eastern Europe

Image: Anete Lusina via Pexels This month’s Fashion Friday podcast series by Euromonitor International analyses the impact of digitalisation of fashion brands in Eastern Europe. Euromonitor International · Fashion Friday: Accelerating the Digitalisation of Fashion Brands in Eastern Europe Digitalisation became a part of Eastern European fashion brands’ strategy a few years back, however, the impact of the pandemic forced the further development of the trend. Due to COVID-19 restrictions such as remote work, lockdown and travel restrictions, consumers were forced to spend more time at home, thus more time online. General panic of getting infected reduced visits to stores and led to consumers searching for options to get their orders delivered straight to their home. The majority of the clothing stores in Eastern Europe were closed for months and once reopened the footfall was limited. Under these conditions, e-commerce has become a convenient way for buying clothing and footwear thus for fashion brands to strengthen their position. Apparel and footwear was already the industry with one of the highest penetrations of e-commerce, which the pandemic further strengthened. In 2019, e-commerce penetration in the apparel and footwear market was 13 percent, and by 2020 the share of e-commerce increased to 20 percent. Overall, the channel increased by 32 percent RSP US$ value. The pandemic also showed a huge potential for online retailers to enter the market. AboutYou successfully started their business in more Eastern European countries including Hungary, Lithuania and Romania. The retailer launched a massive marketing campaign, which made it difficult not to be heard of. They began collaborating with local influencers, who actively promoted their brands. The importance of influencers in the promotion process has significantly grown over the past years in all markets in the region. It’s worth mentioning, however, that Eastern European consumers are still price-sensitive and deals seekers. Most of the times, influencers provide discount codes to all the fashion brands they are promoting, which is extremely appealing for consumers. Additionally, apparel and footwear brands' presence on social media platforms of brands is a must, as this is where their targeted customers spent most of their time. Written and created for FashionUnited by Euromonitor. Explore more fashion-related podcasts by .Euromonitor here
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The BBC and Walpole launch Love Letters from Britain series

Image: Johnstons courtesy Walpole A new documentary series called Love Letters from Britain is set to launch on July 5th. First announced in December last year, the series is produced by BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions for Walpole, the association for British luxury brands, and aims to inspire a global audience by showcasing innovative British creativity changing the face of a sector worth 48 billion pounds to the UK economy. Featuring some of the UK’s best loved brands including Bentley, Bicester Village, dunhill, Jo Malone London, London Sock Company, Molton Brown, The Balvenie, The Lakes Distillery, and the soon to be opened Londoner Hotel, this unique series of 20 stories explores why British brands lead the way in defining a new era of luxury. The films build upon a culture of innovation and adaptation, balancing heritage and modernity, and focusing on creativity and craftsmanship underpinned by a core commitment to sustainable practices. The series looks at what ‘luxury’ means today, examines its relevance and shows exactly why the UK’s luxury businesses are so fundamental to the country’s appeal all around the world. The British luxury sector is one of the UK’s greatest export success stories Love Letters from Britain brings to life exactly why the very best of British creative, entrepreneurial and innovative talent is the secret of the UK’s international success, and why these iconic brands are a powerful and alluring calling card for the country. The series will be distributed to a targeted international audience in key luxury goods markets, including the US, China, Japan, South Korea, India and across the Middle East. Simon Shelley, vice president of Programme Partnerships – part of BBC StoryWorks, said: “BBC StoryWorks are thrilled to be creating this series about an incredibly important part of British culture and society. British luxury continues to adapt and adjust to the demands of customers, innovating and modernising in a way that sets British brands apart on the world stage. We’re excited to see the response from audiences to a unique look at the sector, and the inspiring individuals behind this success story.” Helen Brocklebank, CEO of Walpole, said: “Walpole’s members, and the British luxury sector as a whole, have enormous strategic and economic importance to UK PLC, its people and communities. Post-pandemic and post-Brexit, we are entering a brave new world where businesses play a crucial role in driving sustainability and selling Britain abroad. Never has the UK needed successful and sustainable businesses more and Walpole is enormously excited to launch this series with BBC StoryWorks and the GREAT Campaign to showcase some of our amazing brands around the Globe. They are beautiful stories with amazing, passionate and committed people.” Following the 5th July launch of the first nine stories in the Love Letters from Britain series, a further eleven stories will begin production for release in October 2021.
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Icebreaker gets closer to plastic-free goal in latest transparency report

Image: Icebreaker Facebook New Zealand-based natural performance apparel company, Icebreaker, has released the fourth instalment of its annual Transparency Report that states the brand has reached 91 percent progress on its ambitious plastic-free by 2023 target. Icebreaker provides natural, high-performing outdoor clothing as an alternative to plastic-based synthetic apparel and has revealed that in 2021, 91 percent of Icebreaker’s total fibre composition is now merino or plant-based, with 65 percent more styles, compared to 2020 made with 100 percent merino or plant-based fibres. In 2021 alone, Icebreaker forecasts that it will sell more than 1.3 million units of 100 percent merino or plant-based apparel. Including its Tech Lite tee, Quantum mid-layer and ZoneKnit hoodie, all made from 100 percent merino. Jan Van Mossevelde, Icebreaker brand president, said in a statement: “Like many consumers around the world, we found ourselves facing the creep of plastic into our lives and our product line. So, in 2019 we made a bold commitment. “By 2023, our aim is for all our clothing to be made from merino wool or plant-based fibres. For the very small amount of petrochemical synthetics that cannot be removed, we’re working on alternatives, including using bio-based fibres for now.” Icebreaker forecasts it will sell over 1.3 million units of 100 percent merino or plant-based apparel in 2021 Icebreaker adds that it is more important than ever to become plastic-free as the pandemic has seen the use of single-use plastic consumption skyrocket as more consumers shop online, purchase disposable protective gear, and opt for bagged or wrapped produce. Other plastic-free initiatives noted in the report include the launch of plastic-free swing tags in 2019, saving more than 2 million units of plastic per year, and the introduction of plastic-free full-body mannequins, made from non-toxic paper pulp in 2020. When it comes to the last 9 percent, Icebreaker states it is “doubling down” on its commitments but admits that it does face “some specific challenges”. The synthetic fibres that remain in the range and that are still derived from petrochemicals include elastane in underwear for stretch, nylon in socks for strength, and polyester in jackets for lightweight strength. Icebreaker looking to pioneer plant-based fibres and bio-based elastane and nylon Icebreaker has also announced several initiatives to push forward on its sustainable journey, including a focus on regenerative agriculture by working with growers to conserve and rehabilitate the ecosystem, with the goal of 100 percent of contracted growers joining its programme by 2023. It is also looking to continue its partnership with Finnish start-up Spinnova, first launched in 2020, to pioneer yarn blending merino and cellulosic fibres, as well as develop bio-based elastane and nylon by collaborating with leading yarn producers and bio-feedstock suppliers. The apparel brand will also replace back neck and pip labels of new styles with ones made of 100 percent natural fibres by August 2022 by opting for organic cotton fabric printed labels versus synthetic woven labels. Icebreaker launched its inaugural transparency report in 2017 and has been detailing its progress to becoming a truly sustainable business. Other highlights from the reports include the removal of 59 synthetic-heavy styles, with a retail value of 7.9 million US dollars, alongside the innovation of its natural dye using renewable, plant-based dyes, and making its clothing PFC-free and acrylic-free in 2019. The natural performance apparel band was founded by Jeremy Moon in 1995 and is now part of the VF Corporation. Icebreaker is sold in more than 5,000 stores in 50 countries through wholesale, Touch Lab retail stores and e-commerce platforms.
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Ralph & Russo bought out of administration by Dressbarn owner

Image: Ralph & Russo US investment firm Retail Ecommerce Ventures (REV) has reportedly bought British couture brand Ralph & Russo out of administration. REV, which is a vehicle set up by entrepreneurs Tai Lopez and Alex Mehr, agreed to buy Ralph & Russo late on Wednesday, around three months after it fell into administration, Sky News reports. An announcement about the sale could reportedly come as soon as Thursday, insiders said. Neither co-founders Tamara Ralph or Michael Russo are expected to play an active ongoing role in the business under its new ownership. REV already owns fashion retailers Dressbarn and Stein Mart as well as homeware retailer Pier 1. New owner for Ralph & Russo Ralph & Russo collapsed in March with debts of nearly 28 million pounds after the London-based label was hit hard by the pandemic, which saw the mass cancellation of weddings and other formal events. Co-founders Ralph and Russo said in a joint statement at the time: “This difficult decision has been made to help ensure the company’s ongoing success and to restructure the business after the retail economy across the world has been badly hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.” But the future of the brand was cast in doubt in May after a takeover deal for the business fell through after the leading bidder dropped out just two days before signing the deal, according to filings at Companies House. Those same files revealed that co-founder Ralph left the business following a dispute with Russo. Ralph & Russo was founded in 2010 and has been a favourite of celebrities over the years such as Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Lopez and Kate Middleton. In 2017, the label made headlines when the Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle wore one of the brand’s black and gold embroidered gowns, which is said to have cost 56,000 pounds, in her engagement photographs with Prince Harry.
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Video: Casablanca SS22 collection

In this video, fashion label Casablanca has presented its SS22 collection at Paris Men's Fashion Week (PFW). Watch the video below. Video: Casablanca Paris via YouTube Photo credit: 10 Magazine, Facebook
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Video: Arturo Obegero at Paris Men's Fashion Week

Photo credit: Arturo Obegero, Facebook In this video, Spanish fashion designer Arturo Obegero has presented his SS22 collection at Paris Men's Fashion Week (PFW). Watch the video below. Video: Arturo Obegero via YouTube
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Video: Boramy Viguier at Paris Men's Fashion Week

In this video, Parisian designer Boramy Viguier has presented his SS22 collection at Paris Men's Fashion Week (PFW). Watch the video below. Video: IMAXtree.tv via YouTube Photo credit: Ignasi Vila Riera, Facebook
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Marco Gobbetti to revive Ferragamo after unexpected Burberry exit

When Burberry announced the unexpected departure of CEO Marco Gobbetti this week there was no mention of his taking the reins elsewhere. Gobbetti is leaving the UK, not just to return to his native Italy, but also to revive the Italian maison Ferragamo. Back in April when Ferragamo let its chief designer Paul Andrew go, there was no hint as to a new creative successor or indeed a foreshadowing of a change in management. Gobbetti has had a relatively short but tumultuous trajectory of four years at Burberry dealing with the exit of Christopher Bailey, moving toward a luxury strategy and navigating Brexit. Despite the hurdles, Gobbetti’s impact boosted the British brand’s market value by 37 percent under his seasoned stewardship. According to Reuters the news of his department and new venture sent Burberry’s London-listed shares tumbling as much as 10 percent in early trade while Ferragamo rose 2.3 percent in Milan. Ferragamo’s current CEO, Micaela Le Divelec Lemmi, has only been in the role since 2018, but a change in Ferragamo’s board last January may have been the catalyst. Ferragamo, which was founded in 1927 and began as a shoemaker before expanding with accessories and ready-to-wear, may want to take a similar route to Fendi, which has scored recent commercial successes with the appointment of Kim Jones working alongside the Fendi family. While the Ferragamo family remains very much involved in the company’s business activities, it hasn’t made the same impact as smaller luxury rival labels such as Bottega Veneta, Marni and Jil Sander. Gobbetti will be expect to distil his brand of magic to turnaround the Florentine house, after previously working with Phoebe Philo at Celine and with Ricardo Tisci at Givenchy.
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London welcomes Wearers Festival, a celebration of the power and joy of everyday dressing

Image: Naomi Zaragoza and Nessa Recine Interview “Here’s to the pony tails and locs, to the tattoos, to the fringes, zippers and buttons, to the corduroy, the denim and the silk. Here’s to our preferred lingerie and our office suits, here’s to the party dress, turbans, niqabs, and the hijab. Here’s to clothes as witnesses of our stories and documents of our memories. Here’s to clothes that make us dream, wish, and travel in time. Here’s to clothes that are armours, canvases, and cocoons. (…) Nothing in dress is ever ordinary.” This poetic piece of text is an extract from the manifesto of Wearers Festival, a newcomer to London’s cultural offering. A rhythmic ode to everyday clothes, the manifesto mirrors the festival itself, which involves a string of events dedicated to exploring the relationships between people and clothes. The festival was founded by London College of Fashion alumni Naomi Zaragoza and Nessa Recine and launched in April this year. With two successful events to look back on and many more to come, FashionUnited speaks to Zaragoza and Recine about the festival and the importance of talking about dress. To start off, what exactly is Wearers Festival? Zaragoza: Wearers Festival is a multidisciplinary platform that explores and celebrates everybody’s relationship with their clothes. It’s about the political, social, cultural and environmental meanings of dress, and the role of dress in identity building among different communities in London, the UK and the world. That is to say, our scope is international, but we mainly focus on London. The idea is to produce an annual programme with digital and physical events. These events vary a lot: we have online talks, exhibitions, workshops, and a book club as well as a film screening in the works. We also have a blog on our website. All of this we do in collaboration with diverse London-based and international researchers, artists, creatives and culture makers. We’re trying to build a community that is interested in dress and culture. On your website, it says Wearers Festival is not a fashion festival. Could you explain why you mention this? Zaragoza: If you say it’s a fashion festival, anyone will answer ‘oh, so it’s like Fashion Week?’ But it’s not, because Wearers Festival is not about designers, brands or the industry. Recine: We are both passionate about clothes, but from a very relatable perspective. We want to know why people wear what they wear on a daily basis. Just normal people like you and me, or the lady that works at the grocery store. Zaragoza: We sort of found a gap between platforms that address trends and the fashion industry, like ShowStudio, and platforms and magazines that address clothes and dress from an academic perspective, such as Vestoj or the Fashion Studies Journal. They are amazing and we love them, but there’s not really a platform which speaks to people, in a very accessible language, about what they wear every day - which is not necessarily what the fashion industry dictates. We only care about trends as long as we’re talking about everyday people. Recine: There is something to be said about the clothes you wear, and how you relate to them. There’s always something that is derived from your culture, your identity, and the people you associate with. Sometimes you’re influenced by the people you hang out with. Why? Sometimes you’re influenced by a colour. Why? That’s what we want to talk about. To some people, that might seem like a trivial topic. Why is all of this important? Recine: Oftentimes, dress and fashion have been deemed frivolous. But it’s not frivolous. We all get dressed, we all wear clothes. Zaragoza: We understand dress as a multidimensional phenomenon. Politics are embedded in dress, as well as cultural group dynamics, social status, our relationship with the environment…The way we consume clothes, whether we look after them or not, whether we buy and discard or buy and preserve - all these practices are just so relevant. Dress is part of all aspects of human life. For that reason, we think there’s always something that people can relate to and engage with. Recine: Wearers Festival is about building community and about sharing different points of view. We are lucky to already have started building an audience reach from across the world, which is really great. It’s interesting to see that people from all over the world can have strikingly similar outlooks on the same topic and at the same time, people from different ethnicities are bringing in different views. It is important to involve all of these voices. Zaragoza: The festival is about cultural diversity, too. It’s an urgent matter, especially in the UK, especially now, with things like Brexit and the Black Lives Matter movement going on. These social phenomena show that the UK is undergoing a big identity crisis - it doesn’t seem to know if multiculturality is a problem or a blessing. The festival is our way to show how much value and richness there is in multiculturality. We believe that dress is a fantastic way to address that - to celebrate the fact that many different ethnicities, groups and communities converse together, and inhabit a city like London, and make it what it is. Dress is a huge part of that.” How do you transform these ideas into events? Zaragoza: Our events are super diverse, but they have one thing in common: they bring people with different backgrounds and expertise together to discuss topics that are relatable for many people. Our first event in April, for example, explored the concept of professionalism in dress. This theme is on everyone’s mind right now, because we’re in a moment where many people are unemployed, looking for jobs and having interviews, or working from home, which results in changing dress codes. We invited two fashion psychologists and a curator who has a lot of experience recruiting and applying for jobs. We felt like we needed to bring all these different perspectives to the table. The event sold out, which was amazing. The people in the audience were very engaged, commenting, asking questions, and really challenging the speakers, which was very valuable. Last month we had an event on the intersections between dress and human rights, and the same thing happened. Later this year we’ll have events on dress and trans pregnancy, on queer youth and identity building through dress, on dress and black diaspora in the UK… just a few examples of what we are working on. Recine: We’re bringing in experts, but also always someone from the community who has something to say on the topic. It’s about engaging people, and making it known that they can approach us. If they have something to say, they should feel free and safe to say it. What is the audience that you want to address? Recine: Everyone. Whether in London, England, or the world. We especially want to include underrepresented voices, because they are often the ones who don’t have a platform. Zaragoza: Right now, because we just launched a couple months ago, our main audience is fashion students and fashion academics, which is also great, but the idea is to grow and be known as part of London’s cultural offer of festivals. Are there audiences that are difficult to reach? If so, which are they? Zaragoza: The hardest audience to reach is white heterosexual cis men, who usually don’t give a damn about dress and clothes or consider them as relevant topics to talk about. We recognise that historically, dress and fashion have been regarded as feminine topics, because everything that is related to femininity is related to domesticity as well, and is therefore considered irrelevant. Obviously it’s much more complex than that, I’m being very simplistic here, but it’s 2021 and there’s a general misconception that dress and fashion are topics for women and for members of the LGBTQ+ community. This is increasingly changing, but we want to support that process by encouraging white middle class men to talk about why they dress the way they dress, and how they feel about it. Finally, any person who is unfamiliar with fashion and academia is a challenging audience for us, but also the audience we are aiming for. Recine: There’s something to be said about the language that we use across our social media channels. It’s very informal. Because of that, audiences that are not informed about dress and the topics that we are discussing might otherwise be attracted. While if we’d communicate it in an academic language, they might not think twice about it. What can people expect from Wearers Festival? Zaragoza: What people can expect depends largely on funding. We started in a challenging year, obviously. It’s more difficult to get funding right now, not just for us, but for everyone, especially in the arts and culture sector. However, we’re working hard with the resources we currently have. In the short term, people can expect monthly digital events that are free for everyone. We have a few collaborations cooking in the oven with different institutions in London, such as a summer event series on mending and sustainability, an exhibition with Borough Market, and various activities in October. The actual rhythm of things depends on funding, but there will always be quality content on our blog, our YouTube channel, and we have plans to create a podcast. We want Wearers Festival to be an ongoing thing that is always active, as opposed to a festival that happens two weeks every year. Recine: In general, people can expect to have intimate and important conversations with people, to have fun, be surprised… Zaragoza: …And to be confronted as well. We are creating a platform for people’s enjoyment, but we also think it’s necessary for people to be confronted with various issues. For example, how dress may violate human rights, something that was discussed during our digital event in May. What happens when school uniforms defy children’s rights to comfortable clothing? What happens when uniforms incur racist or sexist practices? And how about France banning the hijab? We believe that people need to confront these topics, especially those who think this has nothing to do with them because they’re not refugees or Muslim women. These topics concern them as well. They concern us all. What are your dreams for the festival? Zaragoza: We want it to grow - we want it to be big. Most importantly, we would like to become an integral part of the cultural offer of London. Recine: We would like people to have dress at the back of their minds, to actively engage with it and contribute to the content and the efforts that we are delivering. Zaragoza: We would love for people to consider dress as something important. We are definitely not the only ones working on this, we are continuously inspired by the work of people in the fashion industry and that of fashion journalists and academics. But an ultimate goal would be to have people recognise that there is a festival on dress too, and that it offers an amazing programme of events. We want people to look forward to it every year. Image: Wearers Festival
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Etsy to buy Brazil-based handmade items marketplace Elo7

Image: Elo7, Facebook Just weeks after revealing it would acquire second-hand fashion platform Depop for 1.6 billion dollars, Etsy has announced it will buy Elo7, a Brazil-based marketplace for unique, handmade items. Etsy said it will pay 217 million dollars in cash for the company, subject to certain adjustments. Following the closing of the transaction, Elo7 will continue to be headquartered in Sāo Paulo and operate as a standalone marketplace run by its existing leadership team, Etsy added. Elo7, often referred to as the “Etsy of Brazil”, connects approximately 1.9 million active buyers with approximately 56,000 active sellers and currently has around 8 million items for sale, the majority of which are made to order. It sells items from over 40 retail categories, including fashion, and earns around half of its gross merchandise sales from the ‘special event and life moment’ categories such as wedding, baby, home decor, and children’s parties. “Elo7 is the ‘Etsy of Brazil,’ with a purpose and business model similar to our own,” said Etsy CEO Josh Silverman in a release. “Following our recent agreement to purchase Depop, we’re excited to bring another unique marketplace into the Etsy family.” Silverman added that the deal would give Etsy a “foothold” in Latin America, “an underpenetrated e-commerce region where Etsy currently does not have a meaningful customer base”.
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Kering partners with Black in Corporate

Kering has partnered with Candace Marie Stewart’s Black in Corporate on a month-long virtual mentorship program for Black professionals. The program will pair Black professionals at different stages of their career with a mentor at Kering Americas or one of the brands fashion houses. Some notable brands in Kering’s portfolio include Gucci, Balenciaga, and Bottega Veneta. “The majority of my experience working within corporate spaces has been in the luxury fashion sector — so to celebrate BIC’s first anniversary with our debut partnership with Kering feels like a full circle moment,” Stewart said, in a statement. “My hope for this collaboration is to open doors for other Black professionals who are eager to explore this realm, and to mitigate many of the obstacles that I dealt with in the beginning of my career in a sustainable, long-lasting way.”  In the wake of the 2020 civil rights protest surrounding the murder of George Floyd, fashion companies also came under fire for their history of lacking inclusivity at the corporate level. To rectify this, brands began taking efforts to diversify their ranks. Partnering with a program such as Black in Corporate, allows luxury fashion companies like Kering to foster and bring in a new generation of talent.
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Sears stores to be put up for sale

Image: Sears Sears is looking to sell as many as 50 properties to help generate cash flow and build up other properties and stores they own. Seritage Growth Properties, a real estate investment trust that was a product of the Sears bankruptcy, has plans to sell up to 50 sites that were described as “less interesting in terms of uses of our capital” by CEO Andrea Olshan. She described the sites as “not strategic for us to own” to Bloomberg. In 2018, Sears filed for bankruptcy, which resulted in store closures and terminated leases. Seritage owns 154 sites and has stake in another 25. Sears has a debt load of 1.6 billion, which is double its 800 million dollar market value. Sears’ 1.6 billion dollar loan from Berkshire Hathaway matures in 2 years. Sears had been struggling for years, but COVID-19 lockdown further worsened the company’s situation and accelerated their decline. Former Sears CEO Eddie Lampert, who at one time was the company’s biggest shareholder, is the current chairman of Seritage and another holding company that owns the remnants of Sears’ retail operations. Selling sites is only a short-term goal to help Sears generate cash as the company hopes to recruit tenants and restructure its real estate portfolio. Olshan is hoping to draw grocery store and retail tenants to some of its sites, and convert some of the land for residential buildings. Bloomberg has reported that Seritage has generated 1.2 billion from sales of its property since 2015. The retail landscape will be looking quite different after these sales as many pockets of America lose their Sears stores.
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The Industry We Want panel brings stakeholders across supply chain together

Aayushi Yadav / The Industry We Want A recent event by The Industry We Want (TIWW), an initiative launched by Fair Wear in January together with the Ethical Trading Initiative, was well attended, showing that the initiative’s goal - bringing industry stakeholders together to work on better labour conditions in the garment industry - is shared by many.  The event, which was jointly hosted by the Ethical Trading Initiative and the Fair Wear Foundation, attracted more than 270 attendees across the supply chain and featured a diverse set of speakers including Nazma Yesmin, from the Bangladesh Institute for Labour Studies; Bulent Alkanli from the Turkish Clothing Manufacturers’ Association; business and human rights specialist Olivia Windham-Stewart; the Sustainable Apparel Coalition’s Jeremy Lardeau; and Dorothy Lovell from the OECD.  The meeting on the 23rd of June started with hosts Pierre Hupperts and Ama van Dantzig sharing an overview of the achievements after the kick-off event in January: Many constructive conversations were held with a variety of key industry stakeholders, including focus groups and one-to-one conversations with workers, suppliers and trade union representatives in Bangladesh, Vietnam, Bulgaria and North Macedonia. Around 200 additional stakeholders joined six open-door working sessions to explore key areas and possibilities for measuring and driving progress.  The Industry We Wants presents three focus areas and 12 key metrics The result was the decision on three focus areas with twelve key metrics, which were announced at Wednesday’s event, four each for the three central pillars social, environmental and commercial, intended to create a more common conversation and being indicative of wider, systemic change in the sector.   “This is the only initiative in the clothing and footwear industry that looks at social, environmental and commercial with equal prominence, placing particular emphasis on commercial practices as key to unlocking social and environmental progress”, says TIWW.  For the social pillar, four indicators were presented: wages, remedy, social protection and collective bargaining agreement (CBA) coverage. The environmental pillar will focus on water, chemicals, waste and greenhouse gas emissions, whereas the commercial pillar will look at purchasing practices,  profit margin/value distribution, risk sharing/buyer power and inequality.  Aayushi Yadav / The Industry We Want Panelists stress alignment and holistic approach A common theme from panelists was the need to take a holistic approach to the three pillars in order to realise the ambitions of the SDGs, with a recognition that it is often changes in commercial practices that can support improvements to social and environmental conditions impacted by supply chains. Bulent Alkanli, managing director of Istanbul-based sourcing office Perseus Ltd and elected board member of the Turkish Clothing Manufacturer’s Association, stressed the pressure experienced by suppliers due to very short lead times. “This has an effect on workers and the value chain as a whole. Instead, we need equal value distribution, which is achieved through equal contracts and fair wages,” he says.  Nazma Yesmin, director of the Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS), pointed to the fact that there is currently no national minimum wage in the country. Garment workers earn on average about 8,000 taka per month (roughly 90 US dollars) but about 332 US dollars would be required as a living wage. “The social protection mechanism is low,” she says, which is apparent during the current Covid-19 pandemic. “We need financial assistance during Covid, a stipend for children’s education among others to build an ethical, inclusive and sustainable industry,” says Yesmin.  Living wages are key Kristina Ampeva, president of the Citizens Association of Textile, Leather and Shoe Workers in North Macedonia agreed. Asked what a better industry would look like, she also mentioned living wages, along with a pleasant working atmosphere, respecting the laws of a country and a more caring way of doing business in general.  Commenting on the industry’s environmental challenges, Jeremy Lardeau, vice president of the Higg Index at the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), said that tracking progress is important,but also keeping an eye on the industry’s footprint. “We need industry-wide standards to track and then need to gauge what the impact is,” he said.   Aayushi Yadav / The Industry We Want German supply chain law as a blueprint for EU Sebastian Herold, senior policy officer at the sustainable textiles supply chains and sustainable consumption unit of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), talked about the new supply chain act adopted in Germany on the 11th of June, which will be in effect after two years. First, it will apply to companies with more than 3,000 workers and one year later to companies with more than 1,000 workers. “This is a big step to ensure better human rights projection along the supply chain,” said Herold.  Asked why the German government decided to move ahead and why in this sector, Juergen Janssen, program director at the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ), said that the idea was to send the message that companies have a responsibility for their entire supply chain. Now, a similar law is to be applied to the EU as well and collaboration is on the way.  In terms of the recent Covid-19 crisis and the Rana Plaza tragedy, Janssen emphasised learning from the events, pointing to Winston Churchill’s famous quote “never let a good crisis go to waste”.  “The boat has been rocked; now we need to decide if we want to go back to old models or if it is time for change, collaboration? Many Organisations are trying to use this window of opportunity for change,” Janssen said.  The next milestone for The Industry We Want is a hybrid online/offline event in February 2022 (Covid permitting), timed to take place alongside the OECD Forum on Due Diligence in the Garment and Footwear Sector. 
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Koovs’ shareholders reported to request investigation into the retailer’s administrators

Shareholders in collapsed fashion retailer Koovs – known as the ‘India’s ASOS’ – are reported to have threatened legal action to remove FRP Advisory as administrator for the apparel business over its sale. Lawyers for four Koovs investors demanded an investigation into potential breaches of FRP Advisory’s duties in relation to a 3 million pounds that handed the company’s assets to founder and chair Lord Waheed Alli and wiped out their stakes, reported the ‘Financial Times’. FRP “was involved at key stages in advising [Koovs] and its board” before it filed for administration and announced the deal to sell its assets to SGIK 3 Investments, lawyers at Locke Lord said in the letter to FRP administrators Geoff Rowley and Jason Baker. It’s worth recalling that Koovs went public on London’s AIM market in 2014 with a value of 36 million pounds. However, the company never made a profit. Five years after floating, its shares were suspended, leaving the company’s valuation at around 12 million pounds. The same day the shares’ trading was suspended in December 2019, the retailer’s administrators were appointed and the business was sold to Alli’s company SGIK 3 Investments. According to the financial journal, FRP said that “Throughout the administration process the joint administrators have fulfilled their statutory duties and acted in accordance with all relevant professional standards. In securing a sale of the business and assets of Koovs PLC, the joint administrators ensured the best outcome for creditors.”
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Ajio’s fashion e-commerce contributes more than a fourth of Reliance Industries’ apparel business

Online fashion commerce platform Ajio has started to contribute over 25 percent of Reliance Industries’ apparel business, as highlighted by the Indian group’s chairman Mukesh Ambani during the company’s 44th annual general meeting. “Driven by innovation, Ajio now contributes to over 25 percent of our apparel business,” pointed out Ambani. Noteworthy is that Reliance Retail is the largest retailer in India by market share and a market leader across food & grocery, electronics and fashion & apparel. Launched in 2016, Ajio now claims to be having a portfolio of over 2,000 labels and brands with five lakh listings on its platform. According to a recent report by brokerage firm Goldman Sachs, Ajio managed to leave behind the market leader in online fashion Myntra in monthly app downloads year to date.
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Video: Walter Van Beirendonck SS22 menswear collection

Photo credit: Bris8.eu, Facebook In this video, Belgian fashion designer Walter Van Beirendonck has presented his SS22 menswear collection at Paris Men's Fashion Week (PFW). Watch the video below. Video: Walter Van Beirendonck via Vimeo
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