Luxury brands must redefine the way they do business | Media Network There were times when China was the holy grail for global retailers. Logo-obsessed Chinese buyers seeking opulence were armed with cash fresh from the economic boom. Luxury retail brands flocked to the new market, with the result of 35% of sales for brands such as Omega, Harry Winston and Balmain coming from Greater China, according to estimates by Exane BNP Paribas. The region is responsible for a whooping 25% of sales at Burberry and 20% of sales at Prada. The strategy of growth by opening stores in emerging and existing markets is neither new nor unique to luxury retail. The logic of this is that if consumers aren’t buying your stuff, create more stuff. From 2008 to 2011, there was a 42% spike in the number of luxury retail stores in Asia, compared with a 28% rise in Europe and 5% rise in North America, according to Lux Redux report by Boston Consulting Group. Overexposure is a bad strategy. Exactly how dangerous, luxury retailers are only about to find out.
Fast fashion online business have made a fortune for owners of businesses like Zara — Quartz In its first seven years of existence, Uber has irked cities, flouted regulators, and petrified whole industries. It has yet to make money but is worth a fifth more than BMW and almost a third more than General Motors, both the owners of tons of futuristic technology, tens of billions of dollars in capital equipment, and big profits. In recent deals resembling famous speculative bubbles, rich investors eager for a piece of this juggernaut have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into custom funds that provide exposure to Uber but no equity or financial disclosure. Which is to say that investors have made a one-way, uber-bullish bet on Uber, forecasting that the company will be at the center of an utter transformation of our collective lifestyle. If not everyone is betting on it, they’re at least not betting against it. Even if you wanted to short Uber, it is generally thought impossible to do. Part I: Self-driving technology is indisputably on its way There is logic to this view.
Raf Simons Confirmed At Calvin Klein After many months of speculation, Raf Simons has finally been confirmed as the new chief creative officer of Calvin Klein. Calvin Klein took to social media on Tuesday morning to confirm the news. "The arrival of Raf Simons as chief creative officer signifies a momentous new chapter for Calvin Klein. Not since Mr. Klein himself was at the company has it been led by one creative visionary, and I am confident that this decision will drive the Calvin Klein brand and have a significant impact on its future. Just yesterday, it was reported that PVH Corp. was close to confirming Simons' hire because his non-compete agreement with Dior, which he left in October 2015, expired at the end of July. In his new role, Simons will have even more responsibility than he did at Dior. Back in April, it was announced that Calvin Klein creative directors Francisco Costa and Italo Zucchelli were leaving the brand, which led to reports that Simons would take over the creative helm.
10 Most Powerful Luxury Fashion Brands In The World The luxury market has been growing significantly over the past couple of years and is still continuing on an upwards trend. Experts forecast an annual growth rate for the luxury goods market of 5-6% between 2013 and 2015. The Brain & Company estimated the luxury market to be valued at $274 billion, with a potential to reach an astonishing value of $290 value by 2015. Whilst the luxury market has been dominated by Louis Vuitton, which continues to be the most valuable luxury brand on a global scale, other names have been emerging as potential market leaders. Gucci and Prada have experienced the most significant growth. With great growth and potential, brands like Prada, Gucci and Hermes may one day overtake the market. and reach the number one spot. It is believed that Prada and Gucci experienced such high growth in brand value due to an increase in Asian customers, at home and abroad. Read on to find out the Top 10 World’s Most Powerful Luxury Brands. 10. 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1.
5 things you probably didn’t know about the fashion industry Mark Twain once wrote, “Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.” Whether we’re one of the millions of people employed by the sector or just someone who likes to shop on Fifth Avenue or in second-hand stores, we are all touched by the fashion industry. Before the early autumn ushers in fashion weeks around the world, here are five things about the global fashion industry you probably didn’t know: The fashion industry generates up to $2.5 trillion in revenue a year The fashion industry is huge and continues to grow rapidly – according to current growth projections, it will double in the next 10 years, generating up to $5 trillion annually. It’s not just big in terms of revenue – it also employs 60 million people around the world. Clothing accounts for 88% of Haiti’s exports Only 25% of board members of publicly-traded fashion companies are women But while the shop floor is one story, the boardroom is another. 24 April is Fashion Revolution Day Share
Global fashion industry statistics - International apparel Total trade of clothing and textiles: 726 billion dollars The most traded apparel and textile products are non-knit women’s suits, knit sweaters, knit T-shirts and non-knit men’s suits. Non-knit women’s suits: 54.6 billion dollars, 7.5 percent Knit sweaters: 52.8 billion dollars, 7.3 percent Non-knit men’s suits: 43.4 billion dollars, 6 percent Knit T-shirts: 36.9 billion dollars, 5.1 percent Knit Women’s suits: Knit women’s suits: 28.2 billion dollars, 3.9 percent Light rubberized knitted fabric: 23.9 billion dollars, 3.3 percent Synthetic filament yarn woven fabric: 20.9 billion dollars, 2.9 percent Raw cotton: 18.9 billion dollars, 2.6 percent Non-retail synthetic yarn: 18.8 billion dollars, 2.6 percent China is the largest exporter of apparel in the world, it has exported for 265 billion dollars in 2014. Total trade of footwear and headwear: 139 billion dollar Over 40 percent of all traded footwear are leather footwear.
Michelle Obama, Jackie Kennedy, and the Best Fashion Moments in American Political History At the Democratic National Convention on Monday night, First Lady Michelle Obama took the stage to deliver a rousing argument for uniting the party and casting a vote for Hillary Clinton. Her wardrobe choice—a sapphire blue cap-sleeved dress by American designer Christian Siriano—delivered a clear message, too. She picked the party’s color, matched perfectly to the Convention backdrop, as if to say: This isn’t about me. And Siriano is known not just for his, perhaps, more democratic ascent into fashion—he won Project Runway in 2008—but also for dressing women of all sizes, mostly recently, Leslie Jones for the Ghostbusters premiere. In one dress, the First Lady conveyed elegance and humility, political allegiance as well as national pride. Consider Jackie Kennedy as the beginning of this fascination with Washingtonian dressing. As her party’s greatest hope, these days Clinton looks comfortable in, even unapologetic about, her clothing choices. See more photos of: Read Caption
Fashion and Politics | Fashion Institute of Technology Gallery FIT July 7 – November 7, 2009Online Exhibition Fashion & Politics was a chronological exploration of over 200 years of politics as expressed through fashion. The term politics not only refers to the maneuverings of government, but also encompasses cultural change, sexual codes, and social progress. Throughout history, fashion has been a medium for conveying political ideologies and related social values. Fashion has addressed such important themes as nationalism, feminism and ethnic identity, as well as significant events and subcultural movements. "American Flag" costume, printed cotton, c.1889, USA, gift of Stephen de Pietri, 88.125.1 Vivienne Tam, suit, black and white polyester in checkerboard pattern of "Mao" portraits, 1995, USA, gift of Vivienne Tam, 95.82.5 Mainbocher for United States Navy, W.A.V.E.S. uniform, navy blue wool, 1942, USA, 84.2013.1 Dress, white cotton with red "IKE" print, circa 1956, USA. This exhibition was organized by Jennifer Farley and Melissa Marra.
Faux Fur is More Than a Faux Pas, it's Poison One of the arguments most beloved of the anti-fur lobby is that fake fur is actually better for the environment than the real thing. That argument, however, is as fake as the apparel it supports. And some new research has thrown the whole issue around man-made fibres more generally into the limelight. What are these microfibres? But this new study is only part of the story. What the activists have notably left out, however, are the gaping flaws in that research, not least the fact it was commissioned by three European anti-fur groups. On the one hand, we can prove this figure is vastly over-inflated. It also conveniently ignored that mink manure is used as fertiliser and biofuel, and, most importantly, that real fur lasts a long, long time. This last point is perhaps the crux of the matter. And, lest we forget, fake fur, comprising polyacrylates, requires the extraction and fractionating of petroleum as well as the subsequent conversion into fibres and mass manufacturing into products.