Macy’s to open eight small format stores in 2022

Image: Market by Macy's, Business Wire Macy’s has announced that, as part of its Polaris strategy, the company will open four new off-mall, small-format stores this fall. By the end of 2022, Macy’s plans to expand Market by Macy’s to eight total locations. The four locations will include Market by Macy’s, a smaller store that offers customers its curated assortment of the latest fashion trends, as well as the first-ever dual Market by Macy’s and Macy’s Backstage off-price location. “As exciting brand extensions, Market by Macy’s and Macy’s Backstage each offer unique shopping experiences – one celebrates discovery and convenience, while the other appeals to the customer who loves the thrill of the hunt for a great value,” said Marc Mastronardi, chief stores officer at Macy’s in a statement. Throughout Fall 2022, the company added Market by Macy’s will open in Johns Creek Town Center, in the St. Louis area on THF Blvd. in Chesterfield Commons, while the first dual Market by Macy’s and Macy’s Backstage store will open in Chicagoland with Market by Macy’s located on the first floor and Backstage on the second floor. As part of Macy’s ongoing assessment of its store portfolio, it has decided to close the Macy’s Chesterfield location and will replace it with the new Market by Macy’s near Chesterfield Commons.
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Nordstrom announces appointment of two senior executives

Image: Nordstrom Nordstrom, Inc. has announced the appointment of two new senior executive leaders. The company said in a release that Deniz Anders was promoted to senior vice president and chief marketing officer, and Nina Barjesteh, a senior executive at Dick's Sporting Goods, will join the company as president, Nordstrom Product Group. "Deniz is a proven leader with the ability to drive integrated marketing strategies and plans to grow the business and connect with customers in meaningful ways across all channels and touchpoints" said Ken Worzel, chief customer officer at Nordstrom. Nordstrom promotes Deniz Anders to SVP and chief marketing officer In her new role, the company added, Anders will lead all marketing efforts on behalf of the company, including brand programs, digital marketing, creative strategy and corporate affairs. Anders has been with the company for 22 years, most recently serving as vice president of marketing. Anders steps into the role previously held by Scott Meden, who announced his retirement earlier this year. Nina Barjesteh to join as president, Nordstrom Product Group Barjesteh joins Nordstrom from Dick's Sporting Goods, where she served as senior vice president of product development and design, leading the strategy, management, and execution of the company's product development organisation. "Nina's experience leading and transforming private label businesses will position us to take full advantage of this growth opportunity, and to continue building Nordstrom Made products that put our customers first through design, quality, and value," said Pete Nordstrom, the company’s president and chief brand officer. Prior to joining Dick's, she served as chief merchant of Rue 21, and spent 20 years at Target Corporation in various roles including vice president general merchandise manager women's apparel, vice president merchandise manager kids, and vice president apparel and accessories branding.
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Curbing retail staff abuse as UK and US cases soar

Image: Retail Since the pandemic, violence against retail staff is at an all time high, with the UK and US seeing a surge in cases. In America, from 2018 to 2020, assaults reported to the F.B.I. by law enforcement agencies rose 42 percent, according to the New York Times. In the UK, abuse against retail staff was already at record high with over 400 incidents per day, but data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) Crime Survey 2022 Report revealed that incidents of verbal and physical abuse targeting retail workers nearly tripled in number year on year during the 12 months ended 31 March 2021 to 1,300 every day. The #shopkind campaign, an initiave from the UK’s biggest retailers, the Home Office and Crimestoppers, aims to counter this, urging the public to be kinder to shop staff, emphasizing that we should all treat workers and other customers with respect, kindness and gratitude. Verbal abuse has a detrimental effect on retail workers According to the report, verbal abuse can have a huge impact on the health and wellbeing of retail workers. 100 percent of retailers in the BRC’s report said they saw violence as a top threat. In the US, a bid to reduce incarceration rates have made punishments more lenient for retail theft, where a 1,000 dollar theft threshold in many states for shoplifting sets a bar for priorities. Thefts of lesser value may go unpunished or not be prioritised. “Violence and abuse towards shop workers is utterly despicable and unacceptable, everyone has the right to feel safe at work. As the daughter of shopkeepers, I fully support ShopKind, a reminder to customers to consider their behaviour towards shop staff, and I would encourage all retailers to fully support it," said Priti Patel, Home Secretary, UK Government. In the US, the mantra "the customer is always right" is embedded into the American retail experience. According to Business Insider this has created a sense of entitlement among shoppers that has led to aggression and even violence toward retail workers. There should be no place in retail for abuse and violence. For now, government intervention may be the only solution to ending curbing abuse.
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PVH appoints David Savman as chief supply chain officer

Image: Tommy Hilfiger, Facebook PVH Corp. has appointed David Savman as executive vice president and chief supply chain officer (CSCO). The company said in a statement that he will join PVH in late 2022 from H&M Group where he spent 19 years, most recently as head of global supply chain. Savman succeeds Sarah Clarke, who is leaving PVH as of October 31, 2022 to pursue other interests. Savman, the company added, will be responsible for the global supply chain and sourcing strategy for PVH’s global brands, including Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein, and will report to CEO Stefan Larsson. Commenting on Savman’s appointment, Larsson said: “With David’s proven ability to simplify complexity, strong ability to create value through a demand and data driven value chain, deep experience in international markets and commitment to sustainability, he will play an important role driving our PVH+ plan forward.” At H&M Group, Savman led all sourcing, procurement and warehouse operations and managed an organisation across over 80 countries. He previously managed key functions including supply chain, production and purchasing, and worked in several international markets across Asia and Europe. “I am excited to be joining at this pivotal time for the company, and will be focused on pursuing opportunities to add significant value and make lasting, positive contributions to deliver on the PVH+ plan. I look forward to supporting Stefan and the entire PVH team to deliver sustainable long-term growth,” added Savman.
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US skincare brand Proven to launch in EU and UK

Image: Proven Skincare Proven Skincare is set to make its first international expansion into the EU and UK after its launch in Canada in July 2021. The company’s decision to expand into new regions is based on the global demand for personalised skincare solutions, it said in a release, and comes after a period of “significant” growth for the brand. Since its founding in 2017 and its official launch in 2019, initially in the US, Proven has secured a patent protecting its skincare solution and “solid” seed funding led by Social Capital. The brand utilises artificial intelligence (AI) and big data to develop the five products it currently offers, applying its proprietary Skin Genome Project, a beauty database, to help craft the personalised solutions. In light of its expansion into the UK and EU, Proven said it has gathered local environmental data on the region and executed a “major tech build to incorporate it into Proven’s existing AI”. The brand’s co-founder and CEO, Ming S. Zhao said: “Too many customers still rely on one-size-fits-all skincare products that do not take into account their unique concerns and needs. Proven provides personalised, adaptive, effective skincare solutions that take into account a person’s skin, life and environment.” Customers in the UK and EU will now have access to Proven’s cleaner, moisturiser, night cream, day eye cream and night eye cream, each of which can be purchased either as collections or separately.
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Wolford chief operating officer Andrew Thorndike resigns

Image: Wolford; Andrew Thorndike and Silvia Azzali Luxury skinwear and hosiery brand Wolford has confirmed that its chief operating officer Andrew Thorndike has resigned and is exiting the company at the end of July. In a short statement, Wolford said that Thorndike, who is a member of the management board, and the supervisory board have “mutually agreed to terminate [his] board mandate effective July 31, 2022”. No additional reason was given for Thorndike’s exit. Thorndike has been chief operating officer of the business since October 2019, tasked with completely restructuring the company, and in 2021, Wolford reported its EBITDA in 10 years, with double-digit growth in turnover and earnings, as sales hit 108.9 million euros. Wolford added: “The supervisory board expressively thanks Andrew Thorndike for his commitment to the company.” The skinwear and hosiery brand said that the process of appointing a new member of the management board has begun. Until an appointment is made, management board member Silvia Azzali will run the business as sole director.
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Next apologises after IT failure left staff underpaid

Image: Next Plc Next has issued an apology to its staff after the integration of a new computer system failed and left many underpaid for months. The British retailer has been working to resolve issues caused by outsourcing its payroll functions to Oracle, a US technology company, which it struggled to merge with its own software. Initially reported by the Sunday Times, problems first arose in February and have affected both weekly and monthly paid employees. The publication said that employees have been underpaid by up to 200 pounds a month, with some having to rely on food banks to make ends meet. In response, Next reportedly assigned a dedicated team to spot errors and pay the missing money each week. According to The Guardian, the retailer has declined to say how many of its workers have been affected, but a spokesperson for the company told the media outlet that the number has declined since its peak. The spokesperson continued: “Over the last few months we have experienced a number of issues with our new payroll system and have been tackling them as a matter of urgency. This is one of the very few instances where Next has outsourced critical software and we have learnt some important lessons about integrating our in-house applications with third-party platforms. “We are acutely aware of the problems these payroll errors have caused some of our colleagues. We sincerely apologise to all those affected and assure them that we are resolving these problems as a priority.”
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Richemont fund manager requests board change

Image: Richemont Compagnie Financière Richemont has said that Bluebell Capital Partners, a fund manager, has requested a number of board changes be added to the agenda for the luxury conglomerate’s upcoming annual meeting. As part of its request, Bluebell is asking that the company designates a representative of the holders of ‘A’ shares, which are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange, and elect that representative to the group’s board. It is also requesting to increase Richemont’s minimal number of board members to six and each of its ‘A’ and ‘B’ shareholders to have an equal number of representatives. Richemont said it will be submitting the proposals to shareholders at the upcoming meeting, which is to be held on September 7.
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Saks appoints DEI exec

Image: Saks Game Day Campaign Luxury e-commerce platform Saks has announced it has appointed Alicia Williams as vice president, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), effective immediately. As part of the ESG team, led by Cara Chacon, Williams will be responsible for boosting Saks’ DEI efforts and commitments across the company while formulating its future strategy. Williams joins the company with more than 15 years of experience in similar roles, including at Morgan Stanley where she led the bank’s DEI strategy, talent management and business impact. In a release, chief people officer of Saks, Sarah Garber, said DEI commitments and ensuring an inclusive culture were priorities for the company and its leadership team. Garder continued: “Alicia has an exceptional track record in launching and implementing DEI initiatives, and we look forward to benefiting from her deep expertise as we build on the progress we have made to date and strengthen our efforts across our business.”
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Source Fashion to replace Pure Origin from February 2023

Image: Pure London July 2022 UK sourcing trade show Pure Origin will be replaced by Source Fashion from February 2023 as part of a “brand evolution reflecting a new vision for sustainable, ethical, and inspirational material and textile sourcing”. Pure Origin, which runs alongside womenswear trade fair Pure London, focuses on all things sourcing, from raw materials and trims to fabrics and packaging. The current edition is taking place from Sunday 17 July to Tuesday 19 July at Olympic London. The first Source Fashion will run alongside Pure London at the same location from Sunday 12 February to Tuesday 14 February. Organisers of the show, Hyve Group, said Source Fashion will also “place research at its core by announcing a call for content to invite the fashion community to share innovations in process, sustainability, and materials”. Suzanne Ellingham, Hyve Group’s director of sourcing, said: “We believe that Source Fashion represents an important step change in responsible sourcing that the Fashion community craves.” Hyve Group said the new show will have four key values: responsibility, sustainability, inspiration, and ‘creating connections’. Ellingham continued: “Against the backdrop of shifting supply chains and consumers demanding more sustainable options from retailers we believe that Source Fashion arrives at the right time to drive momentum of sustainable and responsible sourcing. “We have had enormous support for this show from the buying community and international governments and look forward to building Europe’s most important sustainable sourcing show, here in the UK.”
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Frasers Group reportedly considering I Saw It First bid

Image: I Saw It First Frasers Group could be swooping in on another fast fashion retailer soon, as reports have stated that Mike Ashley’s retail group is considering a takeover of I Saw It First, an online brand owned by Boohoo founder Jalal Kamani. According to The Telegraph, the group, which owns the likes of Sports Direct, Flannels and House of Fraser, could be adding the e-commerce brand to its growing portfolio over the coming weeks. However, the publication’s sources said the deal could still fail to go ahead. Kamani launched I Saw It First in 2017 after helping his brother Mahmud found Boohoo in 2006. Frasers continues chain of acquisitions As direct competitors, Boohoo and Frasers Group have previously battled over struggling retailers, the most recent being online fashion site Missguided. Despite reports that Boohoo was making a move, Frasers acquired the struggling retailer at the start of June after it collapsed into administration. Since the acquisition, former Missguided CEO and founder Nitin Passi returned to the helm of the brand, stating at the time that he was “committed to rebuilding [its shareholder’s] trust”. Frasers has also been snapping up stakes in various retailers over the past few months, including Australian-based fashion marketplace MySale and Hugo Boss, for which it has upped its stake three times since the start of the year. Now holding a 4.9 percent stake, the group initially invested in the German fashion brand in 2020 as part of its ongoing elevation strategy, which looks to reposition the group as a more up-market business.
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Blenders Eyewear debuts new philanthropic initiative

Image: Blenders Eyewear Blenders Eyewear launched a new charitable giveback programme 'Blenders Cares' to support impactful non-profit organisations “to make positive and long-lasting change for important issues”. Since its inception in 2012, Blenders Eyewear has supported and celebrated causes including breast cancer awareness and LGBTQIA+ rights. The Blenders Cares initiative is about continuing and amplifying the company’s “philanthropic endeavours and ongoing mission in encouraging all to live boldly and participate in causes that they’re passionate about”. To kick off the new charitable initiative, Blenders Cares’ teamed up with San Diego Pride as the official sponsor of the parade, which took place on July 16. Christian Scott, vice president of marketing at Blenders Eyewear, said in a statement: “Blenders Eyewear was founded upon the motto of, ‘Life in Forward Motion,’ a notion close to our hearts that goes beyond our products. “We’re excited to carry out this mission and inspire others to get involved through Blenders Cares. San Diego Pride’s year-round philanthropy within and beyond the San Diego community embodies this mission. Partnering with and supporting them for the Pride parade is the first of many initiatives that we’re thrilled to unveil as part of the Blenders Cares programme.” In addition, Blenders Eyewear has also launched new limited-edition Pride North Park X2 sunglasses featuring rainbow mirrored lenses. 100 percent of the proceeds from the sunglasses will go directly to San Diego Pride.
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Ted Baker reportedly under cashflow pressure

Image: Ted Baker media gallery Ted Baker is facing the heat as credit insurers reportedly pulled their cover on the fashion retailer’s suppliers during the pandemic. According to The Sunday Times, the British brand has been trading without credit insurance since 2020, when big insurers such as Euler Hermes and Atradius cut ties with the apparel firm. The publication said it has placed Ted Baker under cashflow pressure as it was left with just 3.1 million pounds in net cash in January after it garnered more stock in anticipation of a post-Covid recovery. Without the insurance cover, it is likely that suppliers will seek tighter payment terms, causing a strain on cashflow. The report comes amid the company’s lengthy sale process, which it initiated in April following an unprovoked takeover offer from Sycamore Partners. Since its launch, the sale has been said to have attracted a number of interested bidders but was thrown into doubt after Ted Baker’s preferred bidder, reported by Sky News to be Authentic Brands Group, backed out of sale discussions.
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H&M Group begins ‘winding down’ in Russia

Image: H&M Following its decision to pause all sales in Russia, as announced March 2, the H&M Group has now said that it will be taking steps to wind down its business in the country, citing “operational challenges and an unpredictable future”. As part of the process, the group, which has been operating in the region since 2009, will temporarily reopen its physical stores to sell its remaining inventory. “After careful consideration, we see it as impossible given the current situation to continue our business in Russia,” said Helena Helmersson, CEO of the group, in a statement provided to FashionUnited. Helmersson continued: “We are deeply saddened about the impact this will have on our colleagues and very grateful for all their hard work and dedication. Furthermore, we wish to thank our customers for their support throughout the years.” New laws in Russia The fast fashion group said that it “regrets” that it could not continue its operations, however, it noted its intention to ensure a responsible winding down process and support of its colleagues over the coming months. H&M added that it expects the winding down to cost a total of approximately two billion Swedish crowns (160.99 pounds), one billion of which will have a cash flow impact. The full amount will be included as one-time costs in its results for the third quarter of 2022. It joins a number of Western companies making the step to fully exit Russia since its invasion of Ukraine in February. Most recently, US sportswear giant Nike completely cut ties with the market, while LVMH-owned beauty retailer Sephora sold its Russian subsidiary. The latest spate of exits comes ahead of new laws set to be introduced in Russia, which will allow the state to seize assets of companies that have suspended business in the country.
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Science fiction influences shape the future of leather

FashionUnited Science fiction is a tool for ambitious thinkers. This was the message running through the leather trend presentation at Lineapelle in NYC last week. But just as science fiction is difficult to define, ambiguity is omnipresent in trend forecasting with references to science, technology, AI and human exploration, and the enormous global uncertainty touching every facet of our industry. We are recalibrating, moving into unknown territory, rejecting the past yet pointed towards a future that is unclear. We are the Timothée Chalamet character in Dune, heirs to a legacy but one which comes with enormous obligations and struggle. Color palettes for fall 2023 feature neutrals—beige, sand, concrete—elevated with shades of tamarind, coriander, nutmeg, caraway, turmeric, chili and cardamon, indeed the spice at the center of Dune's conflict, the substance necessary to give users vitality and power which has caused the war in the desert planet of Arrakis. Verdant tones mixed with moody and glacial blues close out the palette and suggest better days to come. FashionUnited There is perhaps no other apparel material more representative of the struggle in this not-always-hospitable landscape than leather. A creature is terminated and its skin harvested to provide us with this luxury material yet we were also being told throughout the presentation that nothing is obsolete; nothing is destroyed; everything is transformed and designed to be reused. Ethics and Ingenuity Fashion must be in constant motion and everything is fluid so there is an acceptance of this superficial harmony. Science fiction is speculative and dependent on human imagination. Our constant scrolling must have content and there is freedom and possibility in that. But while science fiction often creates a sense of wonder, there is a general feeling of having been here before. We will click Like anyway, because we must in order to advance. Ethics and Research are constant bedfellows. Undyed, natural materials which save water, energy and reduce pollution are key but have been around for seasons. Extraneous steps will now be removed from the manufacturing processes while technology ensures that we will not lose essential elements. Glues, for example, will be replaced by technology that molds a garment together in a single step. Leathers will be augmented with technology for increased performance. Retro-Future For Fall 23 we will be revisiting heritage and exploring our archives but applying modern know-how and cutting edge technology. Chanel-style tweeds, for example, will be repurposed, and embroideries and jacquards manufactured with less operations. Artisanal crafts and traditions from around the world will be discovered by the younger generations. Shiny, cozy and padded will exist together, for example, in one oversized jacket molded from luxury lightweight nappa and elevated with an eco-friendly dewy sheen. In the “Reptilarium”, alligator and snakeskin effects will be achieved with visionary print treatments. In this world, neither new, nor old, possibility is endless and hybrids are ubiquitous. We’re starting anew at zero and science and technology define the terms of collaboration, cooperation and coexistence we need to succeed. FashionUnited Digi-Real As reality and the virtual overlap, we enter a hyperreality. Pretty but subversive fabrics emerge that evoke cellular structures glimpsed under the microscope or beautifully colored micro pixels—perhaps shadows of our shared pandemic experience and too much time sitting in front of screens. “I want to be perfect and unique. Like everyone else.” We enjoy templates, filters, backgrounds that hide our messy lives on zoom, but we still value a sense of individuality. In this vein, next fall will see classics imbued with novelty. The traditional romance of the open road has been replaced by the mysterious call of navigating a foreign landscape. We are time acrobats, responding to blurry sounds and vibrations, glimpsing visions of the future, just enough to keep us going. Innovations have only just begun and we need new words to define these new concepts.
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