Are Unpaid Internships Acceptable? | Opinion, Op Ed | BoF. NEW YORK, United States — Forget fringe. Accepting an unpaid internship and then suing after its completion for unpaid wages and overtime compensation is the newest movement in fashion and, as it turns out, Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate Olsen’s award-winning brand, The Row, is right on trend. The 29-year-old twins, who took home their second Council of Fashion Designers of America Award this year, are the most recent designers to be sued in connection with an unpaid internship.
According to plaintiff Shahista Lalani’s complaint, which was filed this month in New York state court, she worked for The Row for four months in 2012. Lalani claims that as the “head intern” she performed the same work as “some full-time employees,” such as photocopying, sewing, cleaning, and running personal errands, including carrying “like 50 pounds worth of trench coats” in 100-degree weather, without receiving compensation or college credit. The unpaid internship is ubiquitous across America and beyond. Not one British city made it into the top 50 best cities to live. It seems our tiny corner of the planet isn’t all that great. Not a single British city was included in the list of the top 50 best places in the world to live in 2015. ‘Best’ places should not be confused with ‘happiest’ places (although we’re probably not on that list either).
‘Best’ refers to the best quality of life, which was measured based on 30 qualitative and quantitative factors spread across stability, infrastructure, education, healthcare and environment. MORE: Chelsea ‘enter talks over Alexandre Lacazette transfer’ The Top 50 Melbourne, Australia, took the top spot for the fourth year in the row, and Adelaide, Sydney and Perth were also in the top 10. Three Canadian cities – Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary – made the top 10, which was rounded off with Vienna, Austria, Helsinki, Finland and Auckland, New Zealand. The top cities are usually mid-sized with relatively low population densities in wealthy countries.
Manchester Named The Best City In The UK To Live In. Manchester has been named as the best UK city to live in. It was the only city in the country to make the top 50 in the annual Global Liveability Survey, which is compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit. Manchester jumped from 51st the previous year into 46th place.
The survey rates cities out of 100 on a combination of factors, including health care, education, stability, culture and environment and infrastructure. So it's more about quality of life rather than individual happiness. London came in at number 53, and the highest ranking European city was Vienna. Melbourne, Australia, was voted as the world's most liveable city for the fifth consecutive year. MORE: Here Are The Cheapest Cities In The World To Buy Beer In MORE: A Canadian City Is Close To Completely Ending Homelessness Andrew Stokes, chief executive at Marketing Manchester, said he was not shocked to see Manchester top the UK list.
Credit: Duncan Hull The five most liveable cities 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. The five least liveable cities. American Apparel Raises ‘Going Concern’ Doubts as Losses Mount | News & A... LOS ANGELES, United States — American Apparel Inc. said it may not be able to sustain operations as a going concern for the next 12 months, even after the clothing chain increased its credit line. A group of lenders, including hedge fund Standard General, replaced its $50 million credit facility with a larger $90 million one, the Los Angeles-based retailer said on Monday. The company said last week that Standard General intended to take this step. The clothing maker has been in turmoil since it suspended and then fired founder and Chief Executive Officer Dov Charney for alleged misconduct. Charney, who was replaced as CEO by Paula Schneider, has sued over his ouster and said the allegations against him are baseless. The retailer also on Monday confirmed second-quarter results that it reported on a preliminary basis last week.
As of Aug. 11, the chain had $11.2 million in cash. The company declined to comment beyond the filing. Is American Apparel A Dead Brand Walking? “We believe that we may not have sufficient liquidity necessary to sustain operations for the next twelve months,” read a release from American Apparel, connected to a regulatory filing triggered by its inability to meet a scheduled debt payment to one of its major creditors Monday. “These factors, among others, raise substantial doubt that we may be able to continue as a going concern.”
Translation: American Apparel may have just months to live. Now, this is far from the first time the once-inescapable hipster basics brand has missed a payment, declared serious losses, or indicated how close it is to complete insolvency—but it is the worst economic report Dov Charney’s Lycra-infused brainchild has ever given. And with good reason. The company has lost 87% of its stock value in 2015 alone and, as a report from Fortune suggests, it lacks both the cash and the borrowing power to make its next credit payment scheduled for October. Okay! (Via Fortune) And with good reason. Okay! (Via Fortune) Do You Know Who Your Consumer Is? | Intelligence | BoF. LONDON, United Kingdom — ‘Wine o’clock’ browsing from your iPad in London, an impulse buy made on your mobile phone in Los Angeles, a purchase returned to a flagship store in Shanghai.
It isn't easy keeping tabs on today’s increasingly mobile and digital consumers, who now interact with brands and retailers across a dizzying array of touchpoints. According to Bain’s 2014 Global Luxury Study, more than 50 percent of all luxury goods spending takes place outside the home countries of consumers. Meanwhile, according to a recent report by McKinsey, nearly half of luxury goods buying decisions are influenced by what consumers hear or see online, on retailer sites and beyond. And in the data trails left by consumer interactions, brands and retailers are trying to piece together a unified ‘single view’ of individual customers across devices and geographies.
“The thing that companies are trying to do is identify customer signals to trigger a marketing activity,” explains Masri. The Global Economics of Clothing: Part 2 - Fashion | Elliott Morss. Introduction In Part 1 of this series, I described the global economics of the clothing industry: where is the demand, where is it produced, etc. This part will focus on fashion. Since I know little about fashion, I have asked a friend who works in the fashion industry to comment. What Is It?
“Fashion” applies to a lot of things: furniture, artifacts, architecture, watches, pens, dishes, stoves, cooking utensils, wine selections, coffee makers, bathroom fixtures, dishwashers, and, oh yes, even clothing. While basic necessary clothing is always available and changes little year-to-year, leaders of the fashion industry manage to set new trends season after season, constantly offering the consumer something new.
Fashion Friend’s Comment: There is an entire portion of the industry devoted to trend forecasting and color forecasting. Is clothing fashion any different than wine? Wine choices are rarely connected to taste. Fashion Friend’s Comment: I think this is a great comparison. No. What is the biggest threat facing the world today? ‘Distorted’ home prices in Vancouver, Toronto push market higher. Average home prices in Canada jumped strongly again in July, new figures from the country’s real estate association released Friday show, mainly as a result of sustained exuberance among buyers in Vancouver and Toronto. “These [cities] remain the only places in Canada where home prices are growing strongly,” Gregory Klump, chief economist at the Canadian Real Estate Association, said in a statement.
The average home price climbed 8.9 per cent last month, to $437,699, but excluding the “distortion” created by Vancouver and Toronto – which account for 60 per cent of the national market – prices climbed a much more tame 4.1 per cent (to an average $341,438). “The reality is that, outside of those two markets, price trends are very well distributed and contained overall,” BMO economist Robert Kavcic said. ‘The national average home price continues to be upwardly distorted’ MORE: ‘Liar loans’ help heat up already hot housing markets, experts say Only B.C.’s Fraser Valley posted a bigger jump. Rock Creek and Westbridge evacuated; 2,500 hectare fire threatens homes. WATCH: People are fleeing an enormous wildfire in the BC interior.
John Hua has the latest. NEAR ROCK CREEK — A fire that is now 2,500 hectares in size has caused the evacuation of hundreds of residents and campers in the Rock Creek area. “Despite the best air tankers and crews on the ground, it’s just grown very quickly,” says Fire Information Officer Fanny Bernard. The fire, which was first reported 1:30 Thursday afternoon, is near the junction of Highway 3 and Highway 33, 40 km east of Osoyoos.
B.C. Wildfire officials say several structures have been lost in different areas of the Rock Creek fire, including homes. It is not know how many have been lost at this time. #RockCreek resident says this is her home this AM. The evacuation order includes the areas between Rock Creek and Westbridge, along with several roads further to the north in the Christian valley. The fire is within metres of Highway 33, and massive plumes of smoke can be seen from as far away as Midway. “But I don’t know. Investing in Girls' Education Delivers Results. Past, Present and Future of Blogging: 3 Infographics. Blogging started in the 1990’s as online diaries. In 2011 Huffington Post, which became the largest blog in the world was sold to AOL for $315 million.
Blogging has changed! We are witnessing the biggest revolution in publishing since the Gutenberg press was invented over 570 years ago. The printing press enabled writers to become best selling authors by providing them with the means to mass produce books for the first time. Authors that were in the right place at the right time included Luther and Erasmus (who was reputed to have sold 750,000 copies during his lifetime). Italy became the early publishing center of Europe with print shops established in 77 cities by 1500.
Blogging platforms such as WordPress and a web that makes sharing efficient and viral are transforming how we produce, consume and engage with knowledge and information. Blogs as Global Online Magazines Many blogs are transforming into online global magazines that measure readership in the tens of millions every month. 1. The Future Of How We Shop [infographic] Technology has changed the way we shop, buy, and sell. It has revolutionized the marketing landscape, forever altered the way businesses connect with consumers, and had far reaching impacts on the retail marketplace. As mobile technologies proliferate, consumers gain unprecedented access to novel resources that enhance the shopping experience.
In fact, 21% of all consumers today use their smartphones while inside retail outlets to help them shop. And amongst smartphone owners, 79% use their devices to shop at least once a month. From social media customer service to mobile wallets and online reviews, the benefits of being a digitally connected consumer are clear. As businesses rush to tap into this emerging market, online shopping platforms are becoming more seamless and efficient than ever. Bixa Media | How Current Social Networks Compare To Our Global Economy. If Facebook were a country, it would have the 3rd largest population in the world, but where would it stand economically? While the number of users among social media giants continues to rise, their economic viability is not necessarily proportional. In fact, numerous networks do not even generate revenue at all!
In this infographic, we explore how various social networks would line up in comparison to countries around the world in terms of population, GDP (revenue) and GDP per capita (revenue per employee). To embed this image on your site, use the embed code below. 1. 2. 3. Embed This Image On Your Site (copy code below): Adidas struggles to catch up with Nike’s runaway success. East Africa: The next hub for apparel sourcing? In the past two years, a number of European companies—among them, H&M, Primark, and Tesco—began sourcing some of their garments from Ethiopia.
The rest of the apparel industry took notice: since 2013, there has been rising interest in not just Ethiopia but also other East African countries as potential sourcing destinations for apparel. Also contributing to the buzz is the renewal of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which gives certain countries in sub-Saharan Africa duty-free access to the US market.
What is the true potential of East Africa to grow into a major garment-sourcing hub? To find out, we visited factories in the region; interviewed stakeholders, including manufacturers and buyers; and analyzed market data. In addition, we conducted our third survey of chief purchasing officers (CPOs), this time with a series of questions focused on East Africa. This year, 40 apparel CPOs, representing a combined $70 billion in 2014 purchasing volume, responded to our survey. Captured by cotton: Girls duped into bonded labour in India's textile mills. ERODE, India (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - From her two-room concrete home nestled among the lush coconut plantations of southern India, housewife Kavita has seen the region's textile industry flourish for a decade, thanks to the labour of poor, lower caste women like herself. Promising a better life, "agents" have for years visited these poor, rural parts of Tamil Nadu and taken a steady stream of girls and women to work in thousands of cotton spinning mills, part of a textile and clothing industry that is one of India's biggest employers and a major exporter.
The image of women from remote hamlets going to work, staying in hostels and earning money spinning cotton as part of a booming global garment supply chain, should be empowering in a country like India, an emerging power still plagued by poverty and male domination. "I tell all the women I meet not to go and work in the mills. I know what the agents promise and what is real. (Reporting by Nita Bhalla. Stella Jean Leverages Multicultural Heritage to Empower Women in Need. Stella Jean exploded onto the fashion scene in late 2011 with collections recognized by their juxtaposition of classic silhouettes and bold prints. Representative of her multi-cultural background, the contrast aids in materializing the designer’s personal experiences.
Jean’s path to fashion design was not a canonical one. Jean tells Ecouterre that when she was younger she dreamed of being a diplomatic official. However, once Jean discovered fashion design she found it to be a truly authentic mode of communication that allowed her to express and resolve any inadequacies she felt as a child. Being part of a multiracial family in Italy shaped the designer as a person, but also provided the framework to find her identity as a designer.
Jean refers to the symbol of her signature style as her “Wax & Stripes Philosophy” wherein the wax design motif fabrics refer to the Haitian roots of her mother and the masculine stripes of her Italian father. . + Stella Jean. Can a New Label Help Eradicate Child Labor in the Garment Industry? A 400% rent hike is forcing london's fashion designers out of their studios. You Can Now Drop Off Your Unwanted Clothes at Any Levi's Store. PETA Strikes Victoria's Secret Off Its List of Cruelty-Free Brands. The China Edit | Currency Devaluation, Prada Demand Wanes, Hong Kong Rents | ... Yuan Devaluation Points to China’s Growing Risk for LVMH, BMW | News & An...