BFC outlines new strategy to make fashion a ‘catalyst of change’

Image: BFC The British Fashion Council (BFC) has unveiled a new strategy that looks to position fashion in the region as a “catalyst of change” and amplify the industry through “responsible growth”. The plan was outlined in a letter to the council’s members and stakeholders from David Pemsel, the BFC’s newest chair who succeeded Stephanie Phair last October. In the letter, which was acquired by WWD, Pemsel said the strategy aimed to provide clarity to businesses on how to get involved and access the work the BFC is doing. The organisation’s main focus will be on core commercial and cultural areas of the fashion industry, including diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, Web3 and its Institute of Positive Fashion. The Institute itself was created as a platform for businesses to increase their sustainability efforts through global collaborations, with Caroline Rush, CEO of the BFC, stating to WWD that the council was planning to roll out additional webinars and forums to help members further their business. Additionally, the organisation is hoping to create connections, insights and advisory opportunities to help prepare for regulation, as well as to support emerging talent. Pemsel added: “Success will be to see businesses grow responsibly year on year, to build their networks to support growth, and to have the insights and advice they need at the different stages of their development. “As part of this, the community will support us to support the next generation of talent through the BFC Foundation and early-stage business mentoring programmes.” LFW schedule to shift, January edition unlikely to return Via an interview on the new strategy with Rush, WWD revealed that the layout of London Fashion Week could also change. While the event, alongside the Fashion Awards, is a prime part of BFC’s model, Rush told the media outlet that the upcoming showcase, set to begin June 9, was “a transition period”, with the next edition to look very different. According to Rush, the BFC has been in discussions with menswear businesses about potentially creating a new platform, with sights set on incorporating businesses that typically stray from fashion shows, such as Savile Row designers. Rush also noted that the January edition of LFW, which was initially focused on menswear, was unlikely to return due to its awkward timing, resulting in designers often heading to Pitti Uomo instead. In regards to the similarly influential Fashion Awards, Rush said the ceremony will now focus more on British designers over global ones, which have often been at the centre of the event, with the BFC now looking to bolster its celebration of the British industry.
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Vince Holding Q1 sales hit by Rebecca Taylor wind-down, but losses narrow

Image: Vince, Facebook US fashion group Vince Holding Corp managed to narrow its losses in the first quarter despite its sales dropping year-on-year as the wind-down of its Rebecca Taylor hit its top line. The company announced last September it would be closing down its Rebecca Taylor business to focus its resources on its namesake Vince brand. Sales in the three months to April 29 dropped 18.2 percent to 64.1 million dollars as Rebecca Taylor sales plummeted 99.2 percent to 0.1 million dollars and Vince sales dropped 6.3 percent to 6 million dollars. The group said the wind-down of the Rebecca Taylor business is now “substantially completed”. Despite the drop in sales, the company narrowed its net loss in the first quarter to 0.4 million dollars from 7.2 million dollars the prior year. Chief executive officer Jack Schwefel told investors: “Our first quarter results were largely in line with our expectations supported by our efforts to streamline our organization to focus on our core strengths while maintaining a disciplined approach to expense management as we continued to navigate a challenging macro environment.” The trading update comes after US giant Authentic Brands Group last month completed its acquisition of the intellectual property of the Vince label from parent Vince Holding Corp, resulting in a new subsidiary, ABG Vince. Authentic paid 76.5 million dollars for 75 percent majority ownership of the new subsidiary, while Vince Holding retained 25 percent. Schwefel said Thursday: “With our strengthened balance sheet in place driven by our recent transaction with Authentic Brands Group, we believe we are better positioned to execute our strategic initiatives and prioritize our commitment to improved financial performance over time.” Looking ahead, Schwefel said the company maintains a “cautious outlook”, particularly in regards to its wholesale channel.
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StockX says it halted 30 million dollars worth of fake sneakers last year

Image: Maison Margiela Resale platform StockX has published a new report outlining data surrounding its latest verification advancements, review process and its impact on consumers. Entitled ‘Big Facts: The Verification Report’, the document’s most notable figures come in relation to the amount of products StockX had rejected in the past year, hinting at a shocking problem with counterfeits. According to the platform, it had rejected nearly 90 million dollars worth of products that did not meet verification criteria during its vetting process. The top reasons for these rejections came down to manufacturing defects, representing 27 percent of the items in question, and fake products, at 20 percent. The report further noted that over the last 12 months, authenticators for StockX had stopped nearly 30 million dollars worth of fake sneakers from trading on the platform. Historically, it was high-value products that were found to be most counterfeited, however high-demand, lower price point items were also privy to imitations. In a release discussing the report, StockX CEO Scott Cutler said: “I am proud of the global team we’ve built and our commitment to helping millions of customers secure the products they love at the right price. “Knowledge is power, and this report offers visibility into our verification process and our efforts to deliver a best-in-class experience to buyers and sellers around the world.” StockX added that it has expanded its use of machine learning which is helping provide additional data points for the company to leverage during its verification process.
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Asos believed to have received takeover offer, Frasers Group ups share

Image: Asos, Multiverse. Property of Asos Shares for struggling online retailer Asos were boosted 7 percent after speculation over a rumoured takeover bid ran rampant through the media. According to The Sunday Times, the company was approached with a 1.24 billion dollar takeover bid in December 2022 by Trendyol, a Turkish online competitor backed by Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba. The media outlet said that the firm was believed to have worked with Morgan Stanley to form the offer and had also approached Asos’ largest shareholder, Bestseller owner Anders Povlsen, to see if he was also interested in partaking in the deal. Such a move has sparked speculation around a potential bidding war for Asos, and comes amid further reports that suppliers of the company had begun cutting back on providing goods after its credit insurance was believed to have been withdrawn. Suppliers cut back provisions The Times cited a number of anonymous suppliers who said they had stopped supplying the retailer as it struggled to maintain profits, stating that they had halted the process until the insurance came back. Asos noted in its own statement that, despite the tightening of its trade credit insurance, it had seen no impact on its trading. The retailer is among many that have struggled post-pandemic with widening losses and revenue drops largely due to falling consumer confidence and supply chain disruptions. Last month, it secured a 75 million dollar raise from three of its shareholders, including Povlsen’s Aktieselskabet Af, as it looks to return the business to sustainable profitability and achieve a flexible balance sheet. In an attempt to further its hold on Asos, Povlsen’s direct competitor Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group also upped its stake in the firm to nearly 9 percent, which takes the group one step closer to having the ability of blocking a takeover bid. The group has continued to increase its stake in Asos over the past year, suggesting that Ashley could be considering onboarding the retailer into its ever-expanding portfolio.
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Gabriela Hearst to exit Chloé

Image: Gabriella Hearst Gabriela Hearst is reportedly set to present her final collection for Chloé during the Spring/Summer 2024 season at Paris Fashion Week. The Uruguay-born, New York-based designer, is set to exit the French fashion house, according to WWD. While an official statement is yet to be released by both Hearst and Chloé's parent company, Richemont, it is expected that Hearst's departure will allow her to fully concentrate on her own eponymous label. This news coincides with Chloé's announcement of a partnership with Atelier Jolie, a circular fashion brand launched by Angelina Jolie. Hearst has designed a women's capsule collection for Atelier Jolie, incorporating the use of deadstock materials. The departure from Chloé aligns with the typical duration of designer contracts, which commonly span around three years. Hearst's exit, however, occurs at a time when her sustainability-focused approach has propelled Chloé to the forefront of sustainable luxury brands. During Hearst's tenure, Chloé achieved the distinction of being the first luxury house to receive B Corp certification. She also introduced the Social Performance & Leverage tool, an open-source platform enabling brands to evaluate supplier performance in areas such as gender equality and fair wages, as reported by Vogue. Chloé's commitment to embracing a circular business model was further demonstrated through the launch of Chloé Vertical, a resale program incorporating digital IDs. While Richemont does not disclose specific sales figures for Chloé, the brand experienced a significant 13 percent increase in revenue within the division during the fourth quarter compared to the previous year, according to the luxury conglomerate. The fashion industry's ever-evolving landscape of creative director appointments also includes other designers, such as Matthew Williams at Givenchy, whose three-year tenures are coming to an end this month.
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Sorel brand president Mark Nenow steps down

Image: Sorel, Facebook Columbia Sportswear Company has announced that Mark Nenow, president of the Sorel brand, has resigned in order to focus on his health. Nenow joined the company in 2007 to lead footwear. The company said in a statement that he recognized an opportunity to transform the Sorel brand, from primarily a men’s winter work boot to a fashion-forward, all season women’s led brand. “Mark led the brand to sales of 347 million dollars in net sales in 2022. His leadership has been invaluable to this company, and we wish him the very best,” said Tim Boyle, the company’s chairman, president and CEO. The company added that Nenow became president of Sorel in 2015 and focused his attention on growth through a relentless drive towards function-led style applied to boots, sandals, sneakers and more. Sorel has consistently seen growth year over year, establishing itself as the second largest of our family of brands. The company further said that Craig Zanon, senior vice president, emerging brands, will lead Sorel till a replacement is found.
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Spotted on the catwalk: WGSN and Coloro’s key colours for SS25

The colour trends for SS25 from Coloro x WGSN. Image: Coloro As part of their biannual webinar, WGSN and Coloro unveiled their five trend colours that can be expected to lead the way during the SS25 season. Each of the hues were selected for their ability to convey a sense of reassurance at a time of great uncertainty and global change, the trend authorities said, while also reflecting a “shift towards strategic imagination”. To encourage inspiration, FashionUnited has compiled some looks from recent runway collections in the colours selected by WGSN and Coloro. Future Dusk Coming out on top as Colour of the Year for 2025, ‘Future Dusk’ was presented as a “reliable blue” by head of colour at WGSN, Urangoo Samba, during the webinar, who said that the hue instilled “a sense of confidence and stability” while driving “the creation of new futures”. According to Samba, the decision to select such a tone was linked to the authority’s forecast that dark hues were to gain momentum during this period, as they tap into a time of transition. Future Dusk could already be seen in numerous iterations as part of recent designer collections, many of which could be linked to WGSN’s idea that the colour has a strong connection to the current fascination with the second space age. At Alberta Ferretti's ‘24 Resort, for example, the hue was used in combination with contrasting materials that formed a hooded dress with a panelled bodice, reminiscent of sci-fi attire. Meanwhile, at Saint Laurent’s SS23 show, the colour was present in a floor-sweeping leather coat resulting in a modernised take on the Matrix. Images (from left to right): Alberta Ferretti Resort 24, Dior FW23, Saint Laurent SS23. Credit: Spotlight Launchmetrics Images (from left to right): Dundas FW23, Keisukeyoshida FW23, M Rof FW23. Credit: Spotlight Launchmetrics Transcendent Pink Transcendent Pink is versatile and suitable for people of all genders and demographics, making it a “commercially reliable” choice, stated Caroline Guilbert, the creative content lead at Coloro. Unlike other pinks that have recently been popular – namely that of Barbie’s hot pink – this tone takes on a more subtle shade that comes across as earthy, therefore carrying a sense of stability, as suggested by Guilbert. For past seasons, many designers opted to use the fluid tone for eveningwear, seeing it incorporated into slinky dresses, heavy embellishments and flowing gowns. While a sheer dress with cowl neckline came weighted in crystal beading at Versace’s FW23, during the show of the typically bohemian Zimmerman, the tone was seen in a striking dress with ruffles traversing down the body. Other designers, however, used the opportunity to show this pink in a different light, incorporating it into outerwear attire, like ski coats and knitwear. A look in MaxMara’s collection saw the tone appear in a head-to-toe outfit, with chunky knits layered under a voluminous coat. Images (from left to right): Alberta Ferretti Resort 2024, Victoria Beckham Resort 2024, Versace Fall/Winter 2023. Credit: Spotlight Launchmetrics Images (from left to right): Versace Fall/Winter 2023, MaxMara Fall/Winter 2023, Zimmermann Fall/Winter 2023. Credit: Spotlight Launchmetrics Aquatic Awe This colour tone has a dual nature, embodying elements of both the natural world and the virtual realm. Aquatic Awe draws inspiration from marine life and its ecosystems, while also reflecting the growing trend of immersive virtual worlds. This unique combination bridges the gap between fantasy and reality, as noted by Samba, who labelled the tone among her personal favourites for 2025. Like its duality, designers that incorporated Aquatic Awe into their collections also presented differing outcomes, with the tone appearing on everything from streetwear to eveningwear to more experimental ready-to-wear. While Aitorgoikoetxea offered up the aqua-like hue in a netted cardigan, Speed took on an alternative of the suit, with a velvet skirt and blazer combo that saw the colour in an ombre print. Victoria Tomas, on the other hand, served an update to streetwear, using the tone in a metallic translucent material for a sheer co-ord. Images (from left to right): Lanvin FW23, Speed SS24, Victoria Beckham FW23. Credit: Spotlight Launchmetrics Images (left to right): Balmain FW23, Victoria Tomas FW23, Aitorgoikoetxea FW23. Credit: Spotlight Launchmetrics Sunset Coral This new take on coral looks to serve as a remedy for society's fixation on productivity and, despite its vibrant appearance, encouraging individuals to embrace moments of idleness and relaxation, Coloro’s Guilbert said. Additionally, the colour expert discussed the notion of "conscious hedonism" associated with Sunset Coral, as it aims to forge a meaningful connection between moments of indulgence and a greater sense of purpose. Like a breathtaking sunset, this shade embodies both joy and significance. While coral has been a consistent part of recent fashion seasons past, this fresh iteration of the hue provides a bolder take on the usually subdued pigment. This was also reflected in its runway appearances throughout 2023 seasons, where daring shapes and experimental silhouettes led the way. For its own FW23 collection, Act N.21 took on the shade in a fishtail gown whose neckline blossomed into an exaggerated fluffy cloud. Meanwhile, Palmer Harding played with silhouette as a whole, as seen in a dress that was gathered and tied in various locations forming an asymmetrical hem. Images: Gabriela Hearst FW23, Act N.21 FW23, Rojas SS23. Credit: Spotlight Launchmetrics Images: Yuzefi SS23, Christopher Kane FW23, Palmer Harding SS23. Credit: Spotlight Launchmetrics Ray Flower When speaking on Ray Flower, Coloro cited the work of multidisciplinary designer Jess Redgrave – who works with sunflowers to make natural dyes – as the source of inspiration for this vibrant yellow shade. Ray Flower was described by Samda as “inherently optimistic and soothing”, and referenced the growing trend towards more radical sustainability, where the environment is seen as a valued stakeholder in design and production. The bold tone was used in a similarly daring way for its appearance in designer collections, where it held a surprising versatility and exhibited many uses. For Ferragamo and OffWhite, the yellow appeared in the form of outerwear, in contemporary raincoats and parka-trouser combos. In a notable contrast, Jil Sander and Dundas presented the shade in red-carpet-ready eveningwear, either used in a structured sweeping skirt or for a silky flowing maxi dress. Images (from left to right): Christopher John Rogers Resort 2024, Dundas FW23, OffWhite FW23. Credit: Spotlight LaunchmetricsImages (from left to right): Ferragamo FW23, Jil Sander FW23, GCDS FW23. Credit: Spotlight Launchmetrics ### Background information: Colour trend forecasting involves predicting the future popularity of specific colours by analysing cultural trends, social movements and design influences among others. Companies like WGSN and its sister company, Coloro, employ their expertise and industry knowledge to examine current trends, consumer behaviour, and emerging styles. By doing so, they forecast the colours that will be in demand in the coming years, enabling their clients, and/or designers, manufacturers, and retailers, to stay ahead of the curve. This article has been edited by Jule Scott, Rachel Douglass and Esmée Blaazer. Read more: * The role of colour in fashion * Spotted on the catwalk: WGSN and Coloro’s key colours for AW23/24 * Spotted on the catwalk: WGSN and Coloro’s colour of the year 2025 Future Dusk
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