Bestseller will trace 25 million garments through pioneering blockchain collaboration

Image: Bestseller Facebook page Blockchain is providing fashion and style companies with the opportunity to explore new potential. Fashion retailer Bestseller will be one of the first major retailers to explore the power of blockchain in relation to fashion. The company is scaling a new blockchain solution to improve product traceability. Investments in traceability solutions are needed to ensure consumers get products they can trust and simultaneously ensure compliance with expected EU requirements for digital product passports. As consumers become more invested in where their products come from and the lifecycle of a product, demand for product traceability is on the rise. Digital product passports are part of Europe’s eco-design rules making them the norm for all products to have information necessary to enable circularity. Following on from the close collaboration on several successful pilot projects, Bestseller is now expanding its partnership with innovator TextileGenesis to trace man-made cellulosic fibers and direct-to-farm cotton throughout Bestseller's supply chain. As advocates for sustainable fashion continue trying to get more companies to go-green, it all starts with the supply chain. Creating a sustainable supply chain is the step one for any retailer looking to become more sustainable. Specifically, Bestseller will this year trace the fibers in approximately 25 million pieces of garments from raw material to end product. That already represents around seven percent of the company's total volume - a figure that will increase steadily in the coming years if this project meets its objectives. "Through our collaboration with TextileGenesis, we can ensure transparency and validation for a significant part of our fibers and products. It feeds directly into our Fashion FWD strategy, and will not only affect Bestseller, but can lead the entire fashion industry in a more transparent and sustainable direction," said Danique Lodewijks, senior project specialist at Bestseller Sustainability, in a statement. From 2024, the EU is expected to introduce a requirement for each product to have a digital passport. TextileGenesis' solution will help Bestseller meet those requirements, marking a major step forward for Bestseller - and for the fashion industry in general. "On some parameters, we have certainly not come far enough in the fashion industry when it comes to the ability to trace all our products, which will be a future requirement. Neither in Bestseller. On the other hand, with this collaboration we are taking a big step ahead of many others, as we already from this year are able to track several million products from start to finish," said Lodewijks in a statement. Together with a group of key suppliers, Bestseller is now embarking on the first part of the platform's implementation phase. The project will require significant input from the suppliers, who will now have to use TextileGenesis' new platform. The hope for them is that this becomes an industry-wide tool, equipping them with the capacity to deliver product level-transparency in line with the expected EU legislation. "We will gather feedback from the suppliers and with their input our objective is to create a system that is both workable and scalable for the entire supply chain. If this solution works the way it is intended, it would be a profound step forward in supply chain transparency," said Pernille Bruun, materials manager in Bestseller Global Supply Chain, in a statement. "Through this platform we can trace every step in the production process, giving us access to information we have not had previously, and enabling us to deliver stronger transparency to our company and customers," she added. The implementation of TextileGenesis' technology has demanded a close collaboration with everyone involved working as one global team with on-boarding and training of hundreds of suppliers across more than 10 countries. "Bestseller has an extremely open, pragmatic yet bold approach to creating end-to-end supply chain traceability. This collaboration has challenged us to continuously innovate and create one of the most pioneering traceability systems in the industry," said Amit Gautam, TextileGenesis' founder and CEO, in a statement. In total, TextileGenesis expects to roll out their solution to 400-500 suppliers across all tier levels. "Focusing on complete fiber-to-retail traceability at scale, BESTSELLER is at the cutting-edge in the industry. It's a significant step forward for the fashion industry, and partnerships like this one really pave the way for the entire industry to think and act boldly when it comes to supply chain traceability and transparency," Amit Gautam said in a statement. Since the global COVID-19 pandemic, fashion brands have been focusing on how to make their supply chains more environmentally friendly. Blockchain helps companies track production from raw materials to finished goods. Fashion industry supply chains can be very complex, because materials from multiple countries and sources can be used to create just one product. Blockchain characters, like consensus, decentralization, and immutability, make it great create a secured and trusted traceability program. Blockchain helps fashion brands see where goods were bought and imported. They can also validate materials authenticity and distribution of goods.
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Fall/Winter 2022 womenswear bag trends

Trendstop brings FashionUnited readers an insight into the key bag directions for the Fall Winter 2022-23 season. New season bag designs undergo a reinvention, taking the best elements of core themes and melding and merging them together. Transeasonality and practicality are key to longevity. Utilitarianism is refined as designers explore fusing comfort and functionality with high craft, premium qulity and beautiful vintage design elements. The Global Vintage Artisan Redesigned vintage shapes meet global artisanal detailing. Elements of premium vintage design such as luxurious textures and sophisticated colours blend with the earthy, traditional crafting sensibilities. Purist, minimal forms are embellished leather and metal mixes, considered tassel trims or placement accent patterns that accentuate shape and form whilst highlighting the skill of the artisan. Lightly Padded & Patterned With the comfort factor remaining high on the consumer agender, cosy wintry padding becomes more transeasonal with lighter, less bulky weights. Materials have a fly-away feel whilst technical fabrications become more fashion-focused via print, pattern, and colour usage. Traditional quilt stitching follows new lines, abstracted florals elevate softly cushioned forms with padded handles and oversized proportions. Redesigned Vintage Utility Functional utilitarian bag styles become refined through the application of vintage references. Sophisticated vintage hues, patent gloss and intricate pleating introduce an elevated fashion interest. Single colour usage and smooth finishes enhances clean, unfussy lines and finesses practical pocketing details applied to totes and belt bags. Exclusive Offer: FashionUnited readers can get free access to Trendstop’s Spring Summer 2021 Key Bags & Belts Directions Report. 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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Delta Apparel taps new board member

Image: Delta Apparel, Facebook Delta Apparel has appointed Sonya E. Medina to its board of directors. Medina has over 22 years of multi-industry and federal government experience. She spent seven years as a White House Commissioned Officer, as well as over 15 years in the business sector. For four years she served as vice president of community and external affairs at US beverage distributor Silver Eagle Distributors, and has been a board director at Papa Johns since 2015. “We are delighted to welcome [Medina] to the Delta Apparel board,” said chair and CEP Robert W. Humphreys in a statement. He continued: “[Medina’s] extensive background, including familiarity with serving on a public company’s board of directors, her proven leadership record, and global experience will contribute greatly to the company and our shareholders. We look forward to having her valuable perspective on our board."
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Puma announces it has cut back on CO2 emissions from operations

Image: Puma Sports giant Puma has said it has cut back on its own carbon emissions over the course of 2017 and 2021, stating that the company is on track to continue reducing emissions where necessary. According to Puma’s press release, the company’s carbon emissions dropped by 88 percent in 2021 when compared to its 2017 base year. It added that it had also managed to reduce emissions in its supply chain by 12 percent between the two periods. “For the first time, we published the numbers for our entire value chain, and we have made some real progress towards achieving our climate ambitions over the last years,” said Stefan Seidel, senior head of corporate sustainability. Seidel continued: “Our own emissions and those from purchased energy were reduced by more than what is needed to do our part to keep climate change below 1.5 degrees. We will not stop here and continue to make improvements to live up to our ‘Forever Better’ sustainability strategy.” Over the period, Puma said it has focused on purchasing 100 percent renewable energy through the likes of renewable electricity tariffs, electric engines for company cars and implementing efficiency improvements at its factories. Additionally, utilising less carbon intensive raw materials is something Puma attributed to the drop in emissions, as it recently expanded the use of recycled polyester and strives for the goal of making nine out of ten products from more sustainable materials by 2025.
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Luxury accounts for over half of seized counterfeit goods

Image: Pexels Over half of seized counterfeit goods in the U.S. are luxury items, with 435 million dollars of seized watches and jewellery and 283 million dollars of seized leather goods in 2020. Data from Statista shows luxury items such as watches, jewellery, handbags and wallets accounted for more than 50 percent of the seized merchandise’s retail value, despite accounting for only 30 percent of all seizures. The majority of the pirated goods seized by U.S. customs come from China, where 660 million dollars worth of goods originated in 2020. Hong Kong is the second largest market for fake items with 429 million dollars worth of goods seized in 2020. According to Statista U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seizes thousands of shipments of goods that violate intellectual property rights each year, with the value of the seized merchandise usually exceeding 1 billion dollars. In 2020, the retail value of the 26,503 seizures made by CBP amounted to 1.3 billion dollars, meaning that the seized goods would retail for that much if they were legitimate. Apparel accounted for 157 million dollars worth of seizures and footwear 63 million dollars. Tragically, the total market for fake goods is worth more than the GDP of Ireland, according to data from the Global Trade in Fakes report by the OECD and EUIPO. Gobal trading of counterfeit goods amounted to roughly 449 billion dollars in 2019, comparable to Ireland's economy generating approximately 431 billion dollars according to OECD data. The report also states pirated goods made up 2.5 percent of world trade and roughly six percent of imports into the European Union in 2019. Article sources: Statista, Global Trade in Fakes report by the OECD and EUIPO
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Ever Dye wins ANDAM Innovation Award

Image: Ever Dye Ever Dye, which is developing a new dyeing process combined with a new bio-based pigment to depollute the textile industry, has been named the winner of the 2022 ANDAM Innovation Award. The prize was launched to support and encourage the technological innovations that contribute to transforming and reinventing today’s fashion industry. Ever Dye will receive a grant of 70,000 euros to continue developing its innovative technology that allows the dying process to be quicker, while also using less energy and no petrochemicals. Nathalie Dufour, founder and general manager of ANDAM, said in a statement: “I founded the ANDAM Innovation Prize in 2017 with the ambition to highlight and support the game-changing innovation which will contribute to the necessary ecological transition of our fashion industry. “Thanks to the commitment of our sponsors, the 2022 endowment reached 70.000 euros; my priority within the next editions is to strengthen this Prize, which has a key role for the future of the fashion industry. I would like to congratulate Ever Dye; thanks to their green chemical solutions, they will contribute to reduce the energetic impact of the traditional dyeing process without using any petrochemical.” Image: Ever Dye Commenting on winning the innovation award, Ilan Palacci, co-founder and chief executive of Ever Dye, added: “The textile industry is facing a major shift in its production process: from fabrics to manufacturing and dyeing, all steps must be reinvented. I am proud that the Expert Committee saw in our dyeing process a serious response to the current environmental challenges and decided to grant it. ANDAM’s recognition and it’s mentorship will help us think bigger and go further in our business developments.” The other finalists for the innovation award were: Eva Engines, a digital platform that simplifies the fashion design process; Fairbrics, which is looking to fight climate change by developing circular manufacturing processes that use renewable resources instead of petro-sourced products; and Fairly Made, which empowers fashion brands to integrate French and European regulations to improve their social and environmental impact.
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Garment repair app Sojo secures 2.4 million dollars in pre-seed funding

Image: Sojo, Josephine Philips - founder and CEO Start-up app Sojo has announced the closing of its pre-seed funding which has seen it raise over 2.4 million dollars in a round led by CapitalT. Angel investors also involved in the funding round included founder of Depop, Simon Beckerman, ex-COO of Pangaia, Yael Gairola, vice president of menswear at Tom Ford, Peter Hawkings, and founder of Peanut, Michelle Kennedy. The UK app, which allows users to connect with local seamster businesses through a bicycle delivery service, hopes to expand on its concept of providing consumers with easy access to garment alterations and repairs. Founded in 2020 by Josephine Philips and launched the following year, the solutions-focused business is looking to further centralise and modernise the tailoring and clothing repair industry through the new funding, with the hope of making a positive impact on fashion’s waste issue. “It has been so incredible to see such a huge shift when it comes to consumer behaviour regarding sustainable fashion - like witnessing the huge rise of re-sale platforms like Depop,” Philips said in a release. She continued: “We are so excited to continue to drive circularity in the sector in a new way - through the repair and tailoring of our clothes. Having such a brilliant roster of investors onboard to enable us to have true scale and impact.” Expanding capabilities and B2B offerings The company has now raised a total of 2.7 million dollars, which included an angel investment round in September 2021, with a value of 400,000 dollars. In the same year, Sojo launched a B2B offering with fashion brand Ganni, allowing the label’s London-based customers access to free tailoring and repairs. Sojo said it is planning to take the feature nationwide following the initial pilot stage, with seven new partnerships set to launch in the second quarter of 2022. The new investment will help the company to scale up its team of five as well as further develop this B2B feature. Currently the app is only available in zones one and two in London, however, Sojo said it is hoping to expand both in the capital city and throughout the rest of the UK. “We need more circular solutions to minimise the environmental impact of our consumer society,” said Janneke Niessan and Eva de Mol, founding partners of CapitalT. “Bridging this gap between what is being done and what needs to be done is not an easy challenge. Exceptional challenges like these need exceptional founders – like Josephine.” The duo added: “Josephine is a go-getter who combines visionary strategy with powerful execution like no other. We are excited to back the Sojo team as they make fashion circular.”
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SMCP posts Q1 revenue growth, but APAC hit by Covid restrictions

Image: SMCP Premium fashion group SMCP has reported a near 24 percent increase in Q1 sales but said APAC felt the impact of fresh Covid restrictions. The French group, which owns brands Sandro, Maje, Claudie Pierlot and De Fursac, reported sales of 283 million euros in the first quarter, an increase of 23.7 percent on an organic basis compared to a year earlier. The performance was driven by like-for-like growth thanks to strong local demand, as well as “outstanding” momentum in the Americas and EMEA, which were up 44.5 percent and 72.9 percent, respectively. Sales in the group’s home market of France increased 22.7 percent. APAC hit by Covid outbreaks But despite a good start to the year, the group said it was “significantly” impacted by recent Covid restrictions in APAC, first in Hong-Kong and later in Mainland China. Sales in APAC dropped 13.9 percent in the quarter. Breaking it down by brands, Sandro posted the strongest growth, up 25.9 percent, followed by Maje, up 22.1 percent, and ‘Other Brands’, up 21 percent. Group CEO Isabelle Guichot said: “Globally, we continued to successfully follow our One Journey strategic plan, implementing initiatives to further increase the desirability of our brands, planning tailored openings in Europe and Asia, and achieving continuous significant progress in our full price strategy.” Looking ahead, Guichot said the group will continue “closely monitoring the health situation in APAC” and will restate its financial targets “provided that the situation improves relatively quickly”.
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Resale site Hewi introduces carbon neutral logistics

Image: Hewi Luxury resale site Hardly Ever Worn It (Hewi) has announced a new partnership with Advanced Clothing Solutions (ACS) that will see it introduce a carbon neutral logistics service to its features. Hewi’s logistics service will now utilise ozone technology to clean garments through microplastic filters that help minimise water pollution and recycle by-products to make building bricks. In a release, Hewi’s CEO, Tatiana Wolter-Ferguson, said: “We take great pride in our service offer and superlative product care - it is what our customers come to us for. Luxury items are made to last more than one lifetime; we needed a partner who could join us in truly honouring that, while providing us with a scalable solution following a period of exponential growth.” Wolter-Ferguson added: “ACS is that unique partner, and together, we are on track to achieve net zero logistics services by 2025.” ACS said its solution offers a complete end-to-end service for resale and it will further provide Hewi with access to its fashion fulfilment facility, eco-friendly cleaning and repairs, automated picking and bespoke packing and dispatch services.
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Paola Hernandez takes a full-moon approach to sustainability

Interview Image: Paola Hernandez Mexican-American designer Paola Hernandez is far from your traditional fashion designer story. Hernandez studied philosophy in college because she was trying to find and understand her purpose in life. Her original focus was writing, reading, and research. Toward the end of her studies, she realized her real passion was creating things. She had an idea for a skirt she wanted to wear, so she went to her friend who knew how to use a sewing machine to help her make it. The first day she wore the skirt, three women stopped her on the street to ask where she got the skirt. When Hernandez said she made it, they began begging her to make them skirts too. She eventually obliged, and thus her career as a fashion designer was born. Paola Hernandez is a Mexican-American designer on the rise Hernandez decided she needed to further her education in fashion, so she went to Central Saint Martins in London to focus on technical aspects of design. She eventually decided to name her brand after herself because she felt it was reminiscent of how artists sign their work. After graduating from Central Saint Martins, she went back to Mexico City and started showing her collections at Mexico Fashion Week. “When I started showing with my fellow designers, it felt like we were like a movement in fashion making changes that hadn’t been seen in Mexico before,” Hernandez said to FashionUnited. “Fashion started becoming more global and there was more focus on independent designers. I had a community of designers in Mexico that felt powerful.” When she decided to advance her career, Hernandez moved to New York City because she saw that the fashion industry here was more established, rather than still emerging like in Mexico. “Being in New York has allowed me to focus,” Hernandez said to FashionUnited. “I started doing knitwear a few years ago and got more involved in the process of making sweaters. During the pandemic lockdown, I took some classes with a professor at Parsons, and I learned how to use a knitting machine too.” Hernandez learned to sew by hand from her grandmother as a child, so she described taking this class as bringing back her childhood skills. She said that her early design inspirations came from music, especially rock’n’roll. She also found many of her own ideas during meditation and yoga practice. To this day, she describes her moments of silence as when her favorite ideas come to her. While many designers take either an aggressive direct-to-consumer or wholesale approach to their business models nowadays, Hernandez took neither. She grew her business very organically. She found customers showing at Mexico Fashion Week shows and showing her pieces at pop-ups and art galleries. When she moved to New York, many of her contacts in Mexico became her bridge in New York to find new customers. Sustainability is key to Hernandez’s design approach, and rather than design seasonal collections, she does drops in relation to the moon. Every full moon she releases one or two new products, some produced in Los Angeles, others with artisans in Oaxaca, Mexico, and some she designs herself. She started taking this approach during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and it has stuck. “I wanted to take an approach that was in touch with the moon, and femininity of the moon, rather than doing clothes two seasons per year,” Hernandez said. “This way, pieces can build off each other, they can match together or be worn as separates. Customers responded well to that. This approach goes more with my pace. Fashion can often feel rushed and frantic, and that energy is so opposite to mine. My pace feels sustainable and natural to me.” Hernandez focuses on using very sustainable materials, including unbleached yarns. She dyes her yarns with botanical dyes, which are much more eco-friendly. Most of Hernandez’s business is direct-to-consumer, although she does sell in one store in Sag Harbor. Her goal is to increase her brand awareness and build her direct-to-consumer model. She’s a star on the rise, and one to watch. Image: Paola Hernandez Image: Paola Hernandez
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5 Takeaways from Attest’s beauty and grooming 2022 report

Image: Unsplash Beauty and grooming routines, like fashion, were also partially affected by the pandemic, with many shoppers turning to DIY techniques and sustainable products to counteract restrictions and environmental disasters that took over the past two years. A new report by Attest has outlined what the most important factors are for British consumers, after the data firm carried out a study of 1,000 UK-based consumers. FashionUnited has detailed highlights of the findings, which look at everything from male beauty routines to the downfall of ‘vegan’ marketing. Men want to be included too Attest’s research found that 39 percent of male consumers are buying makeup, with nearly a quarter of them stating that they purchase it at least once a month. Millennial men were more likely to buy makeup, followed by Gen X and Gen Z, suggesting that brands should be turning their sights to more ‘gender-neutral’ marketing strategies, something 10 percent of male respondents said they were attracted to. Men were also found to be the biggest spenders for general cosmetics and grooming. A segmented group consisting of 56 percent male participants, defined by Attest, were found to be spending at least 75 pounds per month on products and take 45 minutes or longer on their beauty and grooming regime. This came in comparison to figures representing the average Brit, who was found to spend 10 to 25 pounds a month and took up to 30 minutes on their routine. This group also suggested a bigger interest in trying new brands and were more likely to engage with brands on social media, specifically looking for those with strong purpose and values. Clean ingredients are a must While the need and desire for sustainability is on the rise, it was natural beauty that had consumers more interested according to Attest’s report. A total of 45 percent of respondents said natural ingredients would peak their interest in comparison to the 31 percent who said they looked to sustainable qualities of a brand. ‘Natural’ was also the most favoured marketing term, outshining ‘free of harmful chemicals’ and ‘environmentally friendly’, which came in fifth place. It was people aged over 40 who expressed the most interest in both sustainability and natural ingredients, with the younger generations trailing behind on these qualities. DIY beauty treatments reign supreme The rise in at-home beauty trends can mostly be accredited to the pandemic, which had consumers looking into alternative ways to get their treatments. Many took to doing their own hair, nails and other forms of care, something that has seemingly continued after restrictions phased out. In fact, Attest found that 85 percent of consumers do at-home beauty and grooming treatments, the most popular being face masks or facials, which were followed by eyebrows and hair masks. At-home male grooming, though not as prominent, was also still a factor for consumers, with millennial men showing the most inclination towards DIY beauty. Influencers hold less weight in marketing While beauty influencers are a seemingly large part of marketing cosmetics, British consumers said that influencers were the least likely reason they would purchase or interact with a brand. Out of seven different content types, collaborations with influencers came last, outperformed by beauty advice, information on new products and discounts and special offers, which came first. Additionally, while social media is still an important part of beauty and grooming marketing, with 58 percent of respondents stating they interact with beauty brands on these platforms, Attest suggested turning brand investments into sampling products, which was found to be the most powerful form of marketing. Animal-welfare is a consumer priority Looking into the most attractive terms for British shoppers, Attest found there was less interest in ‘vegan’ and ‘plant-based’, each only appealing to under 12 percent of respondents. Meanwhile, ‘cruelty-free’ hit the top three favoured terms, garnering a result of 36 percent. Attest said in its report it was unclear why consumers were not attracted to the term ‘vegan’, pointing at the potential that shoppers could be assuming there are no animal products in an item or that they are fine with animal-derived ingredients as long as no harm was inflicted. Generation X, aged 41 to 55, were shown to be the most insistent on animal testing, naming it as their top priority.
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Personal beauty appliances to grow to 4 billion dollar market by 2026

Image: Household Beauty Appliance market The home beauty appliances market is expected to increase by 4.04 billion dollars from 2021 to 2026, as per the latest market report by Technavio. 36 percent of the market's growth will originate from North America during the forecast period, surpassing growth in Europe, South America, and the MEA. The growing fashion trends, such as new hairstyles and facial and skin treatments, and their increased adoption among millennials are the key market drivers. The key factors driving the personal beauty appliances market growth are the evolving fashion trends and increasing fashion consciousness among consumers as brands use a variety of networks for the promotion and marketing of their products. In addition, the major segment of older people adopting beauty products falls in the age group of 60 years or over. As the beauty industry embraces new technologies, smart household beauty appliances offer varied features enabling users to address various other beauty concerns using one device.
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Maurice and Paul Marciano re-elected to Guess board

Image: Guess, Facebook Guess has announced the preliminary results of its annual meeting of shareholders for the company’s board of directors, with shareholders voting to re-elect all four of its director nominees: Anthony Chidoni, Cynthia Livingston and Maurica and Paul Marciano. In a release, Guess said it greatly appreciated the engagement of its shareholders. It added: “Importantly, in our conversations, shareholders have recognised that Guess’ clearly defined transformation plan to elevate the Guess and Marciano brands, redefine the company’s global e-commerce strategy, optimise our store footprint, enhance our supply chain and drive efficiencies across the business is driving positive momentum and meaningful financial results.” The news comes amid a withhold campaign by one of Guess’ main shareholders, Legion Partners, which requested the removal of the Marciano brothers from the board following a string of sexual assault allegations against Paul Marciano. In response to the asset management firm’s public letter, Guess said it was to carry out an internal investigation but called the shareholder’s campaign “irresponsible” and a “massive distraction” from the company’s recent performance. Guess said in its announcement: “The board and management team remain focused on advancing Guess’ momentum, executing our transformation strategy and driving long-term growth and value creation.” Read more: * ISS calls for Guess shareholders to withhold votes on Paul and Maurice Marciano * Four more women come forward with misconduct allegations against Guess’ Paul Marciano * Guess says shareholder’s withhold campaign is ‘irresponsible’ * Guess stakeholder calls for removal of co-founders following sexual assault allegations
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Ugg releases carbon neutral impact collection

Image: Ugg UGG has unveiled its second carbon-neutral impact collection for Spring/Summer 2022, in its sustainability commitment to use better materials. The California-based company also debuted sheepskin sourced from farms that practice regenerative agriculture for the AW22 seasons. Three styles are crafted from low-impact materials with offsets purchased for the small number of emissions they create – making the materials carbon neutral, the company said in a statement. These are crafted from a looped blend of responsible wool standard-certified wool and Tencel Lyocell sourced from responsibly-harvested trees. Its outsoles are made with renewable sugarcane. UGG stated the company is “on a journey toward a more regenerative future, and materials are a key area where it can reduce impact.” The brand is working to integrate innovative, sustainable materials throughout its product line, using capsule collections like its Icon-Impact Collection to highlight these changes, and seeking better alternatives for conventionally used materials.
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Haircare brand Gisou receives investment from Eurazeo

Image: Gisou Beauty Gisou, the premium honey-based hair and beauty brand, has received investment from Eurazeo to support its ambitious growth plans to expand categories and internationally. Eurazeo secured a minority investment in Gisou, alongside co-founder Dutch-Persian influencer Negin Mirsalehi and her partner Maurits Stibbe who remain majority owners, and Vaultier7, an existing minority investor. The financial backing from Eurazeo will allow Gisou to enhance its digital and e-commerce capabilities, strengthen the brand and its community, and expand globally, specifically in the US. Gisou was founded in 2015 by Mirsalehi fueled by her family’s beekeeping heritage, with honey and propolis sourced from the Mirsalehi family Bee Garden being key ingredients in all the products. The brand launched with the Honey Infused Hair Oil and has recently expanded into complexion, with a Face Oil and a Lip Oil. Image: Gisou ## Eurazeo invests in haircare brand Gisou Laurent Droin, managing director of Eurazeo, Brands, said in a statement: “Gisou – through its natural, transparent and effective approach – is ideally positioned to benefit from the current attractive premium haircare trends. “Gisou is differentiated by being truly authentic and offering unique high-quality bee-based products to a large, global, and engaged customer community. We are eager to partner with co-founders Negin Mirsalehi, Maurits Stibbe and their team to support the future growth of the company.” Mirsalehi added: “As founders, Maurits and I are thrilled to achieve this milestone for Gisou. We are excited to take our brand to new heights with our partners at Eurazeo. The Eurazeo team shares our vision for building a desirable and sustainable beauty brand. They truly share our long-term view and we are confident they are the right partner to support us in realizing the next stage of our global vision.” Gisou is available through its own e-commerce platform as well as through wholesale partners including Sephora, Galeries Lafayette, Selfridges, Douglas, and Mecca. Image: Gisou
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Monica Vinader wins Queen’s Award for Enterprise

Image: Monica Vinader Jewellery brand Monica Vinader has won a 2022 Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development for its commitment to the environment and ethical design. The award follows Monica Vinader’s robust sustainability agenda to accelerate change across the jewellery industry by delivering agenda-setting goals guided by the UN Global Compact and its Sustainable Development Goals. In recent years, the brand has reduced its carbon footprint by using only recycled gold and silver, introducing 100 percent recyclable packaging, removing 90 percent of single-use plastic from its supply chain, instituting a jewellery recycling programme, as well as offering a 5-year warranty and lifetime repair service. In addition, Monica Vinader has also committed to reducing and avoiding emissions by offsetting its entire product and corporate emissions footprint via a Gold Standard climate protection project. The Queen’s Award for Enterprise is in its 56th year and all winning businesses can fly the Queen’s Awards flag at their main office and use the emblem on their marketing materials for five years. Winners are also given a Grant of Appointment (an official certificate) and a commemorative crystal trophy. Applications for the 2023 Queen’s Awards for Enterprise will open on May 1.
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Tory Burch names Sydney Sweeney as brand ambassador

Image: Tory Burch American fashion brand Tory Burch has announced actress Sydney Sweeney as its brand’s ambassador for handbags and shoes. Sweeney, an award-winning actress from HBO’s TV series Euphoria, who has previously starred in a Tory Burch holiday campaign, was chosen to become an ambassador due to her “entrepreneurial spirit and passion for supporting women”. Burch said in a statement: “Sydney is one of the most talented and relevant young actors working today, but I am equally inspired by her curiosity and confidence. She is unapologetic and empowered in her approach to acting and business. I am thrilled to start working together.” Commenting on becoming a Tory Burch ambassador, Sweeney added: “I’ve been a fan of her clothing and accessories for years, and I admire her tireless work to support women. I’m inspired not only by Tory’s vision and the business she has built, but also by her kindness and philanthropy. I am so looking forward to the beautiful partnership and meaningful conversations to come.”
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Arket adds external ready-to-wear from Klättermusen

Image: Arket Arket has added Swedish outdoor brand Klättermusen to its roster of brands, offering external ready-to-wear for the first time. In a statement, Arket said that Klättermusen would complement its collection with a “mindful selection” including outerwear such as jackets and vests, accessories including tote bags and cross-body bags, and T-shirts and basic layers, all made with sustainable materials. Karl Johan Bogefors, brand and communications director at Arket, said: ‘At Arket, we are proud to offer the best from other brands to complement our collections. Technical gear is part of our design library, so including Klättermusen in our assortment is a natural choice. “It’s also a celebration of our shared values: we both aim to offer sustainable products and high-quality Nordic design, and we are honoured to offer their expertise in outdoor equipment to our audience." Ida Holmen, head of global marketing at Klättermusen, added: “At Klättermusen we have challenged the optimal balance between performance and sustainability for almost 50 years, inspiring people all over the world to find the mountaineers within themselves. Bringing our ethos – "maximum safety for you, minimum impact on nature" – and our equipment to ARKET feels like a natural contribution.” Klättermusen's range of ready-to-wear and accessories will be available on Arket’s website and at its flagships in London, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Gothenburg and Stockholm. Image: Arket Image: Arket
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Rana Plaza - nine years later

Image: Denim Expert Ltd. Bangladesh Sunday marked the ninth anniversary of a collapse that shook not only the foundations of the Rana Plaza building but also those of the fashion industry, as the tragedy in Savar, Bangladesh highlighted grievances in other manufacturing countries as well. Safe workplaces were unveiled as a myth, supported by everyday occurrences such as blocked exits, barred windows, extreme time pressure and insults and harassment by superiors, but also structural building damage and a general lack of safety precautions. Soon, the industry came together to set an example in Bangladesh: “Made in Bangladesh” was to move from a mark of substandards to a trademark. Thus, factories were mapped for the first time, audited and action plans set in motion to address the repairs required. Bangladesh was supposed to become the safest garment industry in the world and factories like Denim Expert Ltd., for example, showed the way. Here, the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh and the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety stood out. They divided the factories among themselves and worked on upgrading them. However, both initiatives were initially limited to five years. While the Alliance ended after five years, the Accord was extended until 2020 and then handed over to the state supervisory authority RCC, or later to the RMG Sustainability Council (RSC). At that time, about 1,000 units of Bangladesh's around 4,000 garment factories were late in taking steps to become completely safe. This process is still ongoing today; with the pandemic being partly blamed for the delay. Image: Clean Clothes Campaign What has changed in the last nine years? Transparency is no longer the strange word it once was, and fashion brands and retailers have realised that there are tangible advantages to not guarding factory names but exchanging information with others and working together to find new solutions. The Corona pandemic was a case in point for long-standing relationships and good communication in the supply chain that allowed for modifying and dividing orders to relieve understaffed factories and to absorb supply shortages. If this was not the case and if there were short-term relationships and little communication, this also meant little sympathy for the situation of the other party: Here, buyers canceled orders or did not pay for finished goods on time or not at all, which forced many factories to give up and brought garment workers to their existential limits. An international Accord The Bangladesh Accord has become the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Garment and Textile Industry, which operates out of Amsterdam and came into force on 1st September 2021. Independence from a specific country makes the new Accord more international, but also provides a loophole for not joining: The BGMEA, for example, says it could not apply to factories in Bangladesh, and the RSC would not recognise it either. This brings the focus back to brands and retailers: if they make strict safety measures a requirement, including on-site verification before entering into new business relationships, and then adhere to regular audits, factories have no choice but to upgrade in terms of safety. Governments should subsidise these measures as they are expensive: around 175,000 to 260,000 euros (around 147,000 pounds to 220,000 pounds/188,000 to 280,000 US dollars) per factory, according to estimates. A Supply Chain Act, as planned by the EU, is also a step in the right direction, as is the Garment Worker Protection Act, passed in the state of California last year.
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