N. Fungible launches globally

N. Fungible, a launchpad and marketplace for fashion brands in the metaverse, has launched globally. Backed by senior executives from some of the world’s leading retailers, N. Fungible is designed to simplify and streamline entry into the metaverse for brands, designers, and retailers unfamiliar with the crypto ecosystem. N. Fungible clients can expect a holistic, end-to-end suite of services, from the designing and minting of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), selling and management on NFT marketplaces, to digital brand protection, digital authenticity, and physical manufacturing and distribution. In recognition of the growing interest among fashion brands in experimenting with digital collectibles and virtual showcases, N. Fungible aims to inject greater value in enabling phygital (physical and digital) experiences. N. Fungible handles the entire end-to-end process for brands, not limiting them to only designing digital products, but also transforming them into real-world items that customers can buy and enjoy. The corresponding NFTs then enable the asset holders to earn royalties on their physical counterparts, bringing real-world value to digital collectibles. In a statement, Nikolai Prettner, CEO of N. Fungible, said, “It’s undeniable that the future of fashion is digital. In the past year, we’ve seen some of the world’s largest names experimenting with branded in-game skins or virtual pop-ups, exemplifying the new, innovative ways that fashion is evolving in line with consumer preferences. At N. Fungible, we recognized a unique opportunity to play a leading role in powering the next generation of NFT innovation — one that can go beyond digital collectibles to assets that can appreciate in value while equipping brands with the right tools to mitigate risks on the horizon in an increasingly virtual market.” Through the NFT minting process, N. Fungible ensures that every brand’s NFT is minted on the Ethereum blockchain as a unique, one-of-a-kind digital asset. As enabled by blockchain, each NFT is assured of its authenticity, enabling brands and users alike to identify original items and fakes from specific brands. N. Fungible also handles the storage and logistics process, ensuring that brands don’t need to worry about how their NFTs are being managed and stored in the long-term. To celebrate its launch, N. Fungible will be debuting an exclusive NFT collection in partnership with Carlo Rino, a contemporary leather goods and footwear brand that sells over 300,000 bags from its collection every year. As the first brand to launch on N. Fungible, Carlo Rino is releasing a collection of 10,000 of its bags to be minted as NFTs. In a statement, William Chiang, CEO of Carlo Rino, said, “Working with N. Fungible has allowed us to enter the crypto ecosystem in a simple, straightforward way, enabling us to focus more so on our design and our craft. We’re thrilled to be launching our first NFT collection with them, introducing the Carlo Rino brand to a whole new global audience while enabling us to engage with our existing base of dedicated customers in a new, creative way.” Carlo Rino will physically manufacture 100 designs from the 10,000 minted NFTs — this will be based on the trading volume of the NFTs, allowing users to decide which bags will be produced. What differentiates N. Fungible’s role in the partnership is that it will ensure that every NFT holder benefits from royalties upon the sale of the physical bag. 50 percent of the royalties tied to these NFTs will go to a Collection Pool that all NFT holders have a right towards, and the other 50 percent will go directly to the NFT holders, excluding gas fees on the transaction. The partnership is a first of its kind, enabling NFTs to benefit from true utility and allowing their holders to benefit from them physically and financially. In a statement, Giulio Xiloyannis, advisor at N. Fungible and group COO of Zalora, said, “It’s an incredibly exciting time to be in fashion as the digital and physical realms continue to converge. With N. Fungible, brands can be assured that they’re entering the metaverse in a meaningful, authentic way that will appeal to their existing customer base while bringing about new value streams to reward their loyalty.” At launch, N. Fungible will be working directly with brands on the designing, minting, branding, marketing, and sale of their NFTs. Throughout 2022, the team will be rolling out its marketplace function and will be working toward its Digital Authenticity offering. While NFTs currently represent a new innovation in proof of ownership, N. Fungible strives to take this to the next level, designing functional NFTs that can transform proof of ownership into intellectual property with trademark protections. N. Fungible is led by CEO Nikolai Prettner, a multidisciplinary designer with over 10 years of experience in the fashion and analytics space. Prettner also currently leads the design and web development team at Omnilytics, a leading retail market intelligence platform. The executive team also comprises COO Elaine Low, a fashion industry veteran with over 20 years of experience in the luxury goods arena, having held senior positions at Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Versace.
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Tennis brand Prince adds new footwear partner

Prince, the global tennis brand owned by Authentic Brands Group (ABG), has signed a footwear deal with Pajar Canada to expand its lifestyle offering. The new footwear partnership will allow Prince to expand its lifestyle assortment for men and women as part of its plans to elevate the brand’s off-court style. The new collection will feature strong sport silhouettes with details including heritage woven labels, terry cloth linings, and ultra-lightweight injected comfort insoles, as well as vibrantly coloured slides accented with the Prince logo. Taryn Washenik, senior vice president of fashion, classics and outdoor at ABG, said in a statement: “Pajar Canada is a highly trusted footwear operator, which brings generations of expertise to this important category for the Prince brand. This new partnership will help to further build out Prince’s lifestyle offerings and presents an opportunity to capture the attention of a new set of fashion tastemakers.” Jacques Golbert, president of Pajar Canada, added: “We challenged our design team to create a footwear collection that authentically embodies the heritage and style of this iconic brand. We look forward to building the demand for Prince by incorporating unique design elements and on trend details to this new product offering.” Pajar Canada is a fifth-generation family shoe business founded in 1963. Based in Montreal, Quebec, Pajar is a full-service company that designs, manufactures, and distributes footwear and outerwear. The new Prince footwear collection will be available in the US and Canada at select speciality retailers, department stores and on princetennis.com in summer 2022.
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Harrods brings annual sale forward as Omicron spreads

Image: Harrods via Pexels Harrods has moved its annual Boxing Day sale earlier this year “in response to ongoing trading realities.” The luxury department store already has discounts of up to 50 percent on selected goods on its online store, with further discounting expected to be applied on Boxing Day. As the Omicron virus continues to feverishly spread across the UK, shoppers are being forced to stay home. High street visitor numbers remain down and a lack of international tourists continue to negatively impact retailers during the year’s ‘golden’ period. Businesses are reporting lower customer demand since the Plan B restrictions came into force in the first week of December, while the current spike in the number of people testing positive with the Omicron variant has also seen many consumers staying away from crowded places, said the Retail Gazette.The UK’s economic growth is forecast to its slowest pace since February, with trade unions asking for additional support. Harrods managing director Michael Ward said in a statement: “As we enter this important moment in the trading calendar, we are delighted to give our customers the festive treat of the Harrods winter sale to enjoy wherever they are, be that at our iconic Knightsbridge store, online or through our remote shopping services. “Harrods has never been afraid of adapting to suit the changing needs of our customers, and we hope that bringing our sale forwards will give our clients all over the world an opportunity to enjoy the magic of Harrods at Christmas for longer.” Harrods is one of London’s largest retail emporium’s operating a seven-storey building has with one million square feet of floorspace. The sale will run throughout the festive season and into January.
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Tommy Hilfiger partners with Roblox creators on virtual collection

Image: Tommy Hilfiger x Roblox Premium fashion brand Tommy Hilfiger has revealed a partnership with eight user-generated content (UGC) designers from the Roblox community to create a collection of thirty digital fashion pieces that players can use to dress their avatars. The Tommy x Roblox Creators collection is available through the online platform’s global marketplace. Looks draw influence from signature real-life designs from the brand and are merged with design twists developed by the UGC creators. Items available include a Tommy Jeans backpack, bucket hat and head bow, as well as a headset and 20 2D skins by two designers. Partners were given creative freedom to reinterpret brand pieces in both 2D and 3D digital items. Image: Tommy Hilfiger x Roblox “I love how the brand has already been unofficially adopted into the Roblox platform, with users creating their own Tommy Hilfiger styles,” commented Hilfiger, in a release. “We couldn’t pass the chance of partnering with some of these fans to take this self-expression one step further, empowering them to bring their creative twist to official brand styles.” Hilfiger joins the growing array of designers and brands who have taken to the Roblox community to offer a digital take on their collections. Ralph Lauren, Nike and Vans are among those swarming to the platform, offering everything from avatar outfits to full-blown immersive experiences. This also isn’t Hilfiger’s first exploration of the digital sphere. In 2020, the brand partnered with in-game creators of Nintendo’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons, building the ‘Tommy Island’ for players to visit, explore and shop digital collections.
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Workers Rights Consortium urges American retailers to join international Safety Accord

Image: Clean Clothes Campaign The Bangladesh factory collapse in 2013 took over 1,100 lives and led to an international Safety Accord to protect local garment workers. Now with 155 global apparel brands and retailers having signed the agreement, it has become apparent that a number of key American retailers are not signatories. In another tragic incident, a fire that broke out in a sportswear factory on the outskirts of Dhaka killed 29 workers died 11 years ago. These workers made clothing for brands including Target, Kohl, JCPenney, Carter’s, Abercrombie & Fitch amongst others. These American retailers all maintained labour rights monitoring schemes that were supposed to protect workers’ safety—yet the companies took no apparent action in the months and years before the fire to address the hazards that ultimately killed 29 garment workers, said the Workers Right Consortium. Despite calls in the wake of this disaster for all apparel brands and retailers producing in Bangladesh to help address the sweeping safety deficiencies across the country’s 3,000 garment factories, multiple US companies rejected the creation of a new safety agreement. For example, Walmart claimed in 2011 that it was “not financially feasible” for it to pay better prices to suppliers to help pay for safety renovations like proper fire exits. Kohl’s, Target, JCPenney, Carter’s and A&F have not signed the Safety Accord Incredibly, when a binding agreement between unions and brands to address worker safety in Bangladesh was finally created after the 2013 Rana Plaza building collapse, most of the brands that produced at That’s Its Sportswear refused to sign it, including Kohl’s, Target, JCPenney, and Carter’s. Abercrombie & Fitch did sign, but then refused to remain in the agreement when it was renewed in 2018. To date, none of these brands have signed the new International Safety Accord. “Safety renovations generated by the Accord across 1,600 factories have made conditions safer for more than two million workers”, said Scott Nova, Executive Director of the Worker Rights Consortium. “Participation by additional retailers such as Target, Gap, and Kohl’s would bring this life-saving program to cover thousands more workers in Bangladesh and could help ensure its expansion to other countries.”
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Podcast: The Glossy Podcast speaks to Cleobella founder, Angela O' Brien

In this episode, the Glossy Podcast has interviewed the founder of sustainable fashion brand Cleobella, Angela O' Brien. Listen to the podcast below. Source: The Glossy Podcast via Megaphone Photo credit: Image: The Glossy Podcast
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H&M posts 11 percent increase in Q4 sales

Image: H&M image gallery Net sales at H&M Group in local currencies increased by 11 percent in the fourth quarter 2021 compared with the corresponding period last year. The company said in a statement that for the 2021 financial year net sales increased by 12 percent in local currencies. Converted to SEK, net sales increased by 8 percent to 56,813 million Swedish krona in the fourth quarter and net sales increased by 6 percent to 198,967 million Swedish krona in the full year. The company added that despite continued restrictions and the negative consequences of the pandemic, the H&M group’s sales in local currencies were back at the same level as in the fourth quarter of 2019. At the beginning of the quarter around 100 stores were temporarily closed, mainly in South-East Asia. At the end of the quarter around 115 stores remained temporarily closed, mostly in Austria and Slovakia.
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Item of the week: the boiler jumpsuit

(From left) Image: Garcia, Humanoid, Michael Kors ## What it is: The boiler jumpsuit, or boilersuit, has cemented its place in both history and fashion. Typically, the item is a loose-fitting piece covering the whole body, often cinched at the waist with an opening from the fly to the collar. Its history spans back to the Industrial Revolution, worn by men who tended coal-fire burners. Later adopted by female munitions workers during the Second World War, it didn’t make its mark in fashion until the early 80s, when it became common for designers to draw inspiration from workwear. It has since become a staple piece in customer wardrobes and on runways, arguably influencing catsuits, jumpsuits and other popular silhouettes that mirror this utility-like look. Image: Scotch & Soda ## Why you’ll want it: As a unisex item, the boilersuit appeals to a broad audience and is the perfect option for customers who prefer to keep their legs and arms covered. It provides a stylish alternative to a jeans and t-shirt combo, meaning many shoppers can sport the look without compromising their personal comfort zone. Its regular appearance in both the SS and AW seasons, allow for it to remain popular throughout the year. This allows for the possibility to be seen as an investment piece for shoppers, who want an item that can hold a lasting value in their wardrobes. Additionally, the suit holds the ability to act as a glam, night-out option or a more casual daily look, taking the wearer from day to night effortlessly. Image: Ted Baker ## Where we’ve seen it: The boilersuit has found its place among menswear for the coming season, with many big designers adopting the style into their SS22 lines to display the genderless appeal the suit has. Appearing a number of times throughout Louis Vuitton’s catwalk, Virgil Abloh merged the suit’s industrial origins with rave culture, the inspiration behind the collection. The result: electric blue and red suits designed in monogrammed leathers that contrasted the tailored, grey two pieces also revealed. Helmut Lang and Dries Van Noten took a more traditional approach to the boilersuit, both utilising industrial colour palettes, with Lang directly inspired by nautical uniform elements. In womenswear, Isabel Marant and Zegna displayed more fashion-led formats, offering up the loose-fitted silhouette featuring an array of design details that exhibited a dressier version of the look. Image: Humanoid ## How to style it: Another great thing about the boilersuit is the simplicity and ease of how to style it. For a day look, pair the suit with trainers and a long line cotton coat, both with neutral undertones to keep in line with the colourings of the one piece. To transform the suit into eveningwear attire, grab a pair of strappy heels and a clutch bag to glam the garment up. Don’t be afraid to play with the style a little and experiment with a belt to bring together the dressy outfit. In consideration of the colder winter months, a layering opportunity is always a good way to go. A neutral coloured turtleneck sweater thrown under the boilersuit can add a bit of warmth when the weather turns, with lace-up ankle boots and a long coat adding further protection from the outdoors. Image: s. Oliver The boilersuit’s long history proves its place in fashion, as the beloved 80s garment has continued to stand its ground season after season. It is a stylish piece that comes without gender barriers and appeals to shoppers through its ability to stay in their comfort zone, albeit as an alternative to more basic garments. It is certainly a good staple addition to a shop, that will remain popular for the coming year and beyond. Image: Superdry Similar items available for (pre)order can be found in the FashionUnited Marketplace. You can find them by clicking on this link.
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FW22 Key Color Predictions For Menswear

Pexel/Sophicolor Ahead of the FW22 men's buying season we present key color predictions using colors from the Sophicolor.com library. Recharge and reset In Fall/Winter 2022 society continues to pursue 'a new normal' with a slower pace of life and a renewed emphasis on health and wellbeing. It's time to recharge the batteries and reset one's value system, focusing on spirituality, community and the environment. Weather patterns are unpredictable and consumers will become more aware of seasonal changes, while still desiring trans-seasonal color palettes in some instances. This will have a direct impact on their color choices. Harvest Pexel/Sophicolor Inspired by a festival that predates religion, celebrating a successful harvest can be found in various forms the world over. It's a busy time of year for the farming community as they gather in the crops; inspired by wheat fields and golden skies. It's a classic fall palette for sweaters and outerwear. Color Palette: Yellow and brown shades mix with burgundy and orange, and a pop of grey blue. Bouquet Pexel/Sophicolor Focusing here on the flowers, such as pansies, that bloom in the winter months. Flowers can speak to us put us in touch with our spirituality. It's a palette that lends itself to intarsia patterns on sweater knits and prints for shirts for use throughout the season. Color Palette: Bold shades of peach, pink and orange work back to purple, brown and cream. Beach Pexel/Sophicolor Walking on the winter beach can be just as alluring as in summer and is beneficial to health. The pale sunlight evokes a sense of wellbeing, while walking on sand, instead of the sidewalk, strengthens muscles. This palette works well for high-tech materials for use in rainwear and casualwear. Color Palette: Icy and acid toned pastels are toned down by navy, teal and dark green. Wonderland Pexel/Sophicolor Due to global warming, heavy snowfall is more rare than 20-30 years ago. Go out and enjoy the winter wonderland, as it is usually short-lived. This is a color palette that works well for outerwear, sweater knit layers and plaids. Color Palette: Classic blue, green and ochre tones are tempered by navy, off-white, shades of grey and popped with neon blue.
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Video: Ralph Lauren launches on Roblox

In this video, Ralph Lauren has debuted its look on Roblox. Watch the video below. Click here to read more about the launch. Video: Ralph Lauren via YouTube Photo credit: Image: Ralph Lauren x Roblox Meta keys: cat: video: country_names: com, UK, au, in, NZ, ca, ie Author: FashionUnited
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Foot Locker launches womenswear brand Cozi

Image: Foot Locker Foot Locker has announced the launch of its first womenswear brand, Cozi. The brand launch follows the successful release of Lckr, and capsule collections by Melody Ehsani and Don C. Cozi looks to provide women with footwear and wardrobe staples. Foot Locker will promote the brand alongside a group of women. They include singer songwriter Sy’rai Smith, skateboarder Briana King, content creator Iliana Ayala Garcia, photographer Christina Paik, video producer Hannah O’ Flynn, DJ Amrit and musicians Angel and Dren Coleman. Smith, who is 19, will act as a brand ambassador for Cozi, and star as the face of its first collection. Cozi is available only at Foot Locker and Champs Sport. The selection of items range from apparel to footwear, painted in a neutral palette. The brand plans on releasing seasonal collections throughout 2022. “At Foot Locker Inc. we are always thinking about the consumer. We understand that laid-back apparel isn’t just for lounging anymore, and wanted to bring a female-centric apparel line to the market that is comfortable, affordable and stylish,” said vice president of GMM global women’s at Foot Locker, Kirta Carroll. “The introduction of Cozi allows women to feel confident in pieces that mix and match with their own style and personality.”
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Gildan acquires Frontier Yarns for 168 million dollars

Image: Gildan media resources Gildan Activewear Inc., through one of its wholly-owned subsidiaries, has acquired 100 percent stake in Phoenix Sanford, LLC, the parent company of Frontier Yarns for a total cash consideration of approximately 168 million dollars. The company said in a release that Frontier is a producer of 100 percent cotton, polyester, and cotton blend yarns primarily manufactured on open end and vortex (MVS) spinning technology. The yarn operations of Frontier acquired by Gildan include four facilities located in North Carolina employing approximately 800 employees. During 2021, approximately forty percent of Frontier’s production was dedicated to yarn sold to Gildan for textile manufacturing in Central America and the Caribbean. “As a long-time trusted yarn supplier of Gildan, with a dedicated and experienced workforce, we are delighted to welcome Frontier into the Gildan family” said Glenn J. Chamandy, President and CEO of Gildan. The company added that the acquisition of Frontier will allow Gildan to build on its global vertically integrated supply chain through further internalizing yarn production. In addition, it will support yarn availability for Gildan’s textile capacity expansion plans in Central America and the Caribbean. “Having developed a long-standing relationship with Gildan over the years, we are excited for our employees given this new opportunity for collaboration and growth,” added Robin Perkins, CEO of Frontier Yarns.
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Tell Your Friends collaborates with Playboy

Image: Walker Drawas Elevated leisurewear label Tell Your Friends has collaborated with lifestyle brand Playboy to create a unisex ready-to-wear collection for holiday 2021. The 10-piece capsule collection uses retro motifs on the signature silk and loungewear separates Tell Your Friends is best known for to pay homage to Playboy’s legacy of pleasure and luxury. Styles include a reversible bomber jacket, an oversized sweater with a spray-painted Playboy logo, a long kimono style robe with custom allover print featuring both the TYF and Playboy Rabbit Head logos, and silk separates. The collection has debuted simultaneously across the Playboy, Revolve, and Fwrd platforms on. Retail prices range from 198 dollars to 398 dollars. Collaborations have become a key part of Playboy’s business as they work on their growth. The brand has recently collaborated with Yandy for a successful collection that strengthened both brands positioning.
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Podcast: Conscious Chatter interviews Farai Simoyi

In this episode, Conscious Chatter has interviewed Farai Simoyi, founder of lifestyle brand The Narativ. Recognisable from her stint on Next in Fashion, Simoyi has discussed her work elevating global artisans and designers through The Narativ. Listen to the podcast below. Source: Conscious Chatter via Libsyn Photo credit: Conscious Chatter
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Simple steps for e-commerce brands to accelerate global growth

Infographic Flow.io Interview A recent survey conducted by Flow Commerce, a company which facilitates e-commerce brands to expand into international markets, revealed that across the 8 top global markets, 76 percent of online consumers said they have placed an order on a site outside their own country, with Gen Z shoppers skewing even higher.  Apparel and accessories were the number one item shopped outside of a brand’s home country. FashionUnited talks to Flow Commerce’s CEO Rob Keve to understand what mistakes brands make when it comes to capturing the overseas consumer and how to leverage next-generation technology to amass a global footprint, especially among Gen Z shoppers. Flow was launched in 2015 by Keve and Mike Bryzek, who had founded fashion e-commerce giant Gilt, when they met at a running track and realized that they shared a vision of the future of e-commerce. According to the Flow Commerce website some brands have seen a 400% increase in their international sales using its cross-border solution. Clients include Ulla Johnson, Good American by Khloe Kardashian, PAIGE, Rowing Blazers and Universal Standard. Pandemic drives cross-border sales “The increase in traffic and the increase in sales for cross-border has really gone ballistic in the last eighteen months,” says Keve. Consumers in lockdown unable to visit physical stores began buying internationally like never before and, with ongoing pandemic surges and new variants emerging around the globe, there is no indication that this will change. Companies, however, need to change their behavior so as not to undermine the consumer experience. “Brands are very focused on customer experience excellence, but that tends to be domestically,” he says. “If 20 percent of site traffic comes from overseas, brands think it will be easy revenue, but it tends to fall apart.” The most common failings are easy to point to. For one, price point. “Are prices nicely rounded and displayed in local currency?” asks Keve. Payment methods are also important. “Are you just offering cards and PayPal because, if so, that’s not a thoughtful checkout experience for consumers in many countries who do not have international cards and don’t use PayPal,” says Keve. Shipping is another area of unnecessary consumer disappointment. It may not end up being free and certainly may not be next day. Duties and taxes are also complicated to get right. “They vary by product and by country and it’s the most awful shopping experience to have a carrier arrive on your doorstep with the product you ordered two weeks ago demanding 50 dollars to cover the duties and taxes you weren’t aware of.” Infographic from Flow.io Countries which take the lead in international retail “If you looked at the ranking of countries that consumers are buying from, it’s vacillated so much in the past 18 months,” says Keve. “That’s largely in line with which countries were in lockdown, and unemployment rates.” Prior to Covid, the ranking was reasonably static and the top countries for a US merchant were Canada, UK, and Australia, followed by some combination of high-GDP countries like France, Germany, Korea, Japan, or Hong Kong. But the order and ranking has since changed which has revealed one of the most interesting takeaways to come out of the pandemic for merchants: the importance of diversifying. “There is such a thing as geographic risk, not just economic risk,” says Keve. “If the US is in high lockdown, and other countries are in a different situation, a diversified retailer can capture that overseas revenue.” According to Flow’s data the more unique products are the ones in highest international demand. Haus Labs, Lady Gaga’s beauty brand, is one of Flow Commerce’s clients. “It’s not available in your average store, so if you are a fan, you’ll be purchasing from her site regardless of where you are in the world.” He says people are willing to shop internationally for more expensive items that aren’t readily available at multiple outlets. “High fashion, handbags, jewelry and beauty have done particularly well.” Determining how much revenue can be generated overseas is a tangible thing as all brands have to do is look at their site traffic and the ip addresses. But Keve says more often than not brands don’t realize how much potential for international growth exists within their business already. “You could be boosting your revenue by 10-20 percent overnight simply by making sure the customer experience is good. That’s low hanging fruit.” Finally, understanding that consumers internationally all behave differently, that it’s not one homogenous market but 200 different countries with different expectations, is key. He advises brands to identify the top 30-40 countries which will probably deliver 80 percent of the volume. This represents enormous potential for the brand to keep expanding without additional structure or a dedicated team. 
 Fashion editor Jackie Mallon is also an educator and author of Silk for the Feed Dogs, a novel set in the international fashion industry
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Frank and Oak opens first Asian store

Image: Frank and Oak Montreal-based sustainable clothing company Frank and Oak presents its new collection “Traced by VeChain” in its first physical store experience in Asia. It is located in the new Tai Koo Li shopping centre in downtown Shanghai, which opened on 1st December 2021. The Shanghai store was designed by Montreal-born Sacha Silva, who has been pioneering sustainable design and construction in China for more than 20 years. For example, 62 percent of the materials used in the shop are biodegradable or recyclable at the end of their lifetime. The demountable and modular display systems can also be reused in future shops. Image: Frank and Oak store in Shanghai / VeChain The opening collection includes Frank and Oak’s most iconic winter products made with sustainable fabrics and processes, such as the unique yak sweaters and accessories made with yarns and processes traceable by VeChain. While the yarn stems from UPW, a leading spinner of luxury yarns, the upstream yak wool comes from Shokay, a sustainable textiles brand that sources yak wool directly from Tibetan herders. Frank and Oak, Shokay and UPW have committed 1 percent of proceeds from the sale of this collection towards a grassland conservation program in Sichuan. Shokay and UPW use VeChain’s blockchain technology to easily capture supply chain data and manage proof of production. Through the data visualisation module, Frank and Oak can communicate its sustainability efforts directly to consumers who can scan the QR code in-store to experience the stories behind the style. “VeChainThor Blockchain is one of the most sustainable L1 smart contract platforms in the market, bridging blockchain technology and real green entrepreneurship. With Proof of Authority consensus, VeChainThor is well-designed to serve both enterprise users from all levels with its advanced technical features, balanced governance structure and sustainable economic model,” comments VeChain in a press release. The certified B Corporation Frank and Oak was founded in 2012, three years prior to VeChain Technology. The latter was founded in 2015 with the aim of connecting blockchain technology with the real world by providing companies with blockchain-enabled solutions tailored to their business needs.
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LVMH to take full of control of eyewear producer Thelios

Image: Celine Thelios, the eyewear company founded by LVMH in partnership with Marcolin in 2017, will now be under its full control. The Paris-based luxury group bought the remaining 49 percent stake in the eyewear producer, which draws on Italian design and craftsmanship to manufacture the high-end glasses of its Maisons including Fendi, Givenchy, Celine and Dior. Marcolin in turn will buy back the 10 percent stake LVMH acquired in its business when Thelios was founded in 2017, the companies said in a joint statement. In times of flux and uncertainty, such as the pandemic, having full ownership of production capacity is why many brands and groups are investing in their own factories.
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