Trendstop brings FashionUnited readers a first look at the latest trend directions from the Fall Winter 2020-21 edition of Europe’s biggest yarn and knitwear showcase, Pitti Filati.

The Trendstop materials team give FashionUnited readers an exclusive insight into the key trends from Pitti Filati in Florence. The imposing Fortezza Da Basso once again played host to the specialist textile industry event and featured an impressive international line-up of exhibitors and visitors. Themes of heritage, customisation and sustainability were explored with manufacturers transforming yarns and displaying the latest creative techniques across a variety of exhibitions and experimental projects. Our comprehensive material show coverage and accompanying galleries evaluate each trend’s commercial value and longevity, giving you the best possible basis for your decision making.

This week Trendstop present three key aspects from Pitti Filati FW20-21. Sustainable Futures illustrates the industry’s focus on green initiatives and a re-think, re-use, re-knit approach to manufacturing. Celebrating uniqueness and moving away from mass-production is the story behind Custom Made while Modern Heritage puts a contemporary spin on knitwear classics.

Sustainable Futures

Pitti Filati embraced green initiatives for FW20-21 as manufacturers utilised recycled fibres and surplus yarns to create new raw materials. Eco-friendly fibres such as alpaca, mohair and wool blended with recycled polyester offer materials with a contemporary iridescence while multi-coloured, multi-textured yarns were mixed and matched for a creative, socially responsible attitude to knitwear production.

Custom Made

Customisation techniques broaden their streetwear and denim associations to inspire a new experimental culture within the industry. A collection of 60 unique sweaters displayed a host of innovative dyeing processes and adornments with manufacturers able to offer infinite interpretations of a particular yarn.

Modern Heritage

The 1950s to 1980 inspired the Heritage experimental project area with designers rediscovering the classic, elegant and sculptural aesthetics that defined the decades. Motifs such as houndstooth and diamond patterns were reimagined and modernised via muted tones, layering effects and matte finishes.

Exclusive Offer

FashionUnited readers can get free access to Trendstop’s Fall/Winter 2019-20 Pitti Filati Fabric Show Overview, a complete guide to the event with trends for the upcoming season. Simply click here 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.

Sustainable fashion brand Outerknown — which was co-founded by professional surfer Kelly Slater — has partnered with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation for its first Jeans Redesign initiative, which plans to tackle waste, pollution and harmful practices during the production of jeans.

According to an announcement from the brand, Jeans Redesign initiative was created through the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Make Fashion Circular project. Together with the UK-based foundation, Outerknown created a set of guidelines, which include the minimum requirements on “garment health, material health, recyclability and traceability.”

By working with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Outerknown hopes to inspire change in fashion and highlight circular fashion, with resources and tools available to the industry.

With two successful seasons, India Intimate Fashion Week (IIFW), India’s only fashion week dedicated to lingerie and intimate wear is adding IIFW NXT - The Intimate Fashion Tour to its portfoilio. IIFW NXT was incepted to create awareness about plus size, queer fashion, and personal hygiene. The aim is to bust taboo around intimate fashion and personal hygiene. IIFW also introduced the famous French lingerie and beachwear brand, ‘Aubade’ which joins hands with IIFW & its business subsidiary Candy Shop (India), to enter and expand their footprints in the country, by launching 25 international lingerie brands to India. IIFW kickstarted in Pune and will continue its eight-city tour in Goa, Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai and more.

For Autumn-Winter ’19 Aubade celebrates the strong woman. Confident and determined, the Aubade women are blending independence with femininity in reminiscence of strong historical personalities, such as Sarah Bernhardt, Mata Hari and Isadora Duncan.

Jaipur-based designer duo Chhail & Malyaj who presented their beach wear line ‘Abhisar’ during the show focused on showcasing Indian cultural elements to the fullest. The crafts involved in this collection include hand-knitting, knotting, embroidery, appliqué work and more. The palette involves the use of vibrant yellows and peaches, coupled with cool shades of mauve, Indigo and sea green. They’ve incorporated the use of textiles such as cotton-silk, kota-doria and silk. The use of dying techniques such as solid dyes, tie-n-dye, folding and clamping are emphasised upon. IIFW NXT also introduced the talented next-gen designer, Simran Dhond, from NIFT Bengluru.

Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail )ABFRL) is all set to acquire 51 percent stake in fashion designer duo Shantanu & Nikhil's apparel firm Finesse International Design. Finesse International Design is primarily engaged in the business of bespoke occasion and ceremonial contemporary apparel for men and women under the brand name 'Shantanu & Nikhil'. The acquisition will be executed through a combination of primary equity infusion and secondary share purchase by way of signing of share subscription and purchase agreement and shareholders' agreement with Finesse and its shareholders.

The cost of acquisition subject to closing adjustments is Rs 60 crore including towards the subscription amount to be infused in Finesse. This partnership will further deepen ABFRL’s presence in this important and fast-growing segment and strengthen our leadership position in the overall branded apparel market.

As part of its 50th-anniversary celebrations, Moon Boot known for its padded oversized winter boots, has launched its first-ever spring/summer footwear collection.

The collection for spring/summer 2020 looks “towards the future,” explains Moon Boot and aims to challenge its “characteristically winter nature, while remaining true to its identity and style” with a new range of innovative footwear designed for the warmer months.

It’s first summer collection consists of four models for women, including the new concept Mars Boot, a reinvention of the classic Moon Boot in a summer version with breathable fabrics, cooling membranes and materials with specific high-tech treatments that have been made in collaboration with Heiq for the city and the summer.

The Mars Boots have a similar look to the classic Moon Boot, they feature the criss-cross lacing, the sole’s unique inverted seam and the distinctive logo ban, and they come in an array of fluorescent and metallic colours, along with new fabrics such as satin and mesh to make them a “seasonless product,” added the brand in a statement.

Other styles include trainer-style shoes with the unique Moon Boot sole, as well as sliders and flip flops in bold and colourful designs.

The spring/summer 2020 Moon Boot collection launches with the Mars Boots in December 2019, followed by the rest of the collection in January/February 2020.

Images: courtesy of Moon Boot

Vision Investment Co. LLC, the Dubai-based investment vehicle of millionaire Hussain Sajwani, owner of real estate developer Damac Properties Group, will acquire Italian luxury fashion brand Roberto Cavalli. This ends weeks of speculation that saw several potential buyers, among them German fashion designer Philipp Plein together with private equity firm Blue Skye Financial Partners, US brand management firm Bluestar Alliance, Renzo Rosso's OTB and Damac. The last three presented a binding offer on 14th June, of which the one by Vision Investment has now been accepted.

Vision Investment has already signed a binding agreement to acquire 100 percent of Roberto Cavalli SpA for an undisclosed amount. According to Private Equity News, however, 100 million euros will be paid to creditors and 60 million euros will be invested in relaunching the brand. Though the investment for Damac is far below that of Italian private equity company Clessidra, the current owner, it should not be easy to restore the brand to its former glory.

Hussain Sajwani’s Damac Properties Group acquires Roberto Cavalli

Damac has been working with the Italian luxury fashion house since autumn last year to furnish four of the group's five-star hotels in Dubai. "Through the vibrant spirit of the authentic Roberto Cavalli brand, we intend to respond to market demand for familiar points of contact while offering our guests distinctive experiences," Sajwani commented at the time.

Though details of the acquisition, which has already been approved by the local court, still need to be worked out, such as whether Roberto Cavalli will retain its headquarters and all its employees - which is important to the company - a relaunch of the brand seems certain.

Photo: Roberto Cavalli

Leading fashion brands and manufacturers including H&M, Gap and Tommy Hilfiger have teamed up with Make Fashion Circular, an initiative from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, to introduce Jeans Redesign, new guidelines that will help make the denim process more sustainable and environmentally friendly.

The Jeans Redesign guidelines have been put together by more than 40 denim experts from academia, brands, retailers, manufacturers, collectors, sorters, and NGOs, with the aim of setting out minimum requirements on garment durability, material health, recyclability, and traceability.

Based on the principles of the circular economy, the guidelines will work to ensure jeans last longer, can easily be recycled, and are made in a way that is better for the environment and the health of garment workers, in order to transform the way jeans are produced, to tackle waste and pollution, as well as the use of harmful practices.

Confirmed brands that have signed up to the new guidelines include Arvind Limited, Bestseller (through the Vero Moda brand), Boyish Jeans, C&A, Gap, Hirdaramani, H&M Group (through the H&M and Weekday brands), HNST, Kipas, Lee, Mud Jeans, Outerknown, Reformation, Sai-Tex, and Tommy Hilfiger.

The guidelines have also been endorsed by clothing collectors and recyclers Bank and Vogue, Circular Systems, EVRNU, HKRITA, I:CO, Infinited Fiber Company, Lenzing, Recover, re:newcell, Texaid, Tyton Biosciences LLC, Wolkat, and Worn Again, as well as NGOs Fashion Revolution and Textile Exchange.

Francois Souchet from Make Fashion Circular said in a statement: “The way we produce jeans is causing huge problems with waste and pollution, but it doesn’t have to be this way. By working together we can create jeans that last longer, that can be remade into new jeans at the end of their use, and are made in ways which are better for the environment and the people that make them.

“This is just the start. Over time we will continue to drive momentum towards a thriving fashion industry, based on the principles of a circular economy.”

The new guidelines build on existing efforts to improve jeans production, including the open-source guide created following C&A and Fashion For Good’s joint initiative to develop C2C Gold Certified jeans, and the Jeans Redesign will “drive others to join the project and produce jeans in line with the Guidelines at scale”.

Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Make Fashion Circular introduces jean manufacturing guidelines

“The respect of the health, safety, and rights of people involved in all parts of the fashion industry is a prerequisite, along with working conditions improvement in manufacturing globally,” states Make Fashion Circular. “Beyond this, the Guidelines provide minimum requirements for jeans on durability, material health, recyclability, and traceability.”

Key guidelines determine that jeans should withstand a minimum of 30 home laundries, while still meeting the minimum quality requirements of the brands, include garment labels with “clear information on product care,” as well as being produced using cellulose fibres from regenerative, organic or transitional farming methods and be free from free of hazardous chemicals and conventional electroplating. Stone finishing, potassium permanganate (PP), and sandblasting are prohibited.

Jeans should also be made with a minimum of 98 percent cellulose fibres (by weight), while metal rivets should be designed out, or reduced to a minimum, and any additional material added to the jeans, should be easy to disassemble, to aid with recyclability.

In addition, all jeans should have traceability, including information that confirms each element of the Guideline requirements, and the brands signed up can use the Jeans Redesign Logo on jeans to help consumers find sustainable and environmentally friendly denim, as each organisation will be “reassessed annually, based on compliance with reporting requirements”.

The first pairs of the redesigned jeans manufactured in line with the new guidelines are set to go on sale in 2020.

Image: courtesy of Ellen MacArthur Foundation - Make Fashion Circular

Bertrand Guyon has joined Christian Dior's creative studio where he will collaborate with creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri, the brand has confirmed.

This won’t be the first time the two have worked alongside each other. The pair also worked closely together at Valentino, where Guyon was the studio director and Chiuri shared the creative direction with Pier Paolo Piccioli. Guyon started his role at the beginning of the summer, though his exact function at the brand is unclear.

Guyon has previously worked with Valentino, Givenchy, Christian Lacroix and most recently Schiaparelli.

Photo credit: Dior, Facebook

French group SMCP has signed a deal to sell products from its brand Sandro Paris at Farfetch. “With more than 13 million clients per month worldwide, Farfetch will be the ideal partner to enable Sandro to address a wider, premium customer base”, celebrated the company in a press statement.

The partnership with Farfetch is the latest step in Sandro’s plans of digital expansion and diversification of its sales channels, following the development of its own ecommerce website and a deal with Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com.

“We are convinced that having our products on Farfetch will contribute to Sandro’s digital expansion across the globe, positioning it as a high-end luxury brand and enhancing its worldwide visibility and awareness,” said Sandro CEO Isabelle Alouch. Sandro is currently available for purchase in 190 countries.

Amazon Prime Day is proving to be a beneficial day for other large retailers in the United States. Retailers with more than 1 billion US dollars in annual revenue saw a 64 percent spike in sales on the first day of Amazon’s discount event, compared to an average Monday, according to Adobe Analytics. The difference is ten percentage points higher than last year.

Although smaller retailers may find it hard to compete with all the benefits that Amazon offers its customers, such as free shipping and express delivery, even smaller retailers have recorded higher sales last Monday, says Adobe. Online shops with less than 5 million dollars in revenue saw a 30 percent increase in sales, compared to the average Monday.

According to retail analytics firm Edited, Target, Walmart, Macy’s, Zappos, Nordstrom and Zara are the retailers offering the most aggressive markdowns around Prime Day. The biggest winner is still Amazon, of course. The retail giant informed in a press release that this year’s Prime Day was the best one ever in terms of sales: Prime members from 18 countries purchased more than 175 million items, surpassing Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined.

“Circularity” is replacing “sustainability” as the buzzword in the fashion industry. After all, it doesn’t suffice for companies to rethink the materials and energy used to produce their clothing, they should also take responsibility for the entire life cycle of the product.

With this idea in mind, H&M, Target, C&A Foundation, PVH Corp, Microsoft, Waste Management and other academic, design and sustainable fashion organizations have joined forces to create CircularID, a unique digital identity permanently attached to the physical product. The initiative is titled Connect Fashion.

H&M, PVH Corp, Target and Microsoft team up in circularity initiative

Similar to a tag, CircularID will use technologies like RFID, NFC, QR Code and UPC barcode to provide data that’s useful at the end of the product’s lifecycle, such as product name, brand, SKU, color, description, manufacturing location, material content, the dye process used, as well as recycling instructions.

The tool will also help the resale industry, which is expected to grow to 51 billion US dollars in the United States alone in five years. Products with a CircularID will have a “digital passport”, meaning a record of all its transactions, making it easier for resellers to authenticate and price the product.

The idea is to establish a global standard for the identification and management of products in a circular economy. If every brand adopts CircularID, it will be much easier to reuse, resale, repair, rent and recycle products. By leveraging the Internet of Things and Digital Identity to power intelligence, communication and transparency, it’s possible to unlock a global circular future,” said Shelley Bransten, Corporate Vice-President of Global Retail and Consumer Goods at Microsoft, as quoted by CircularID’s website.

The founding members of the initiative are currently inviting other players in the industry to give them feedback ahead of CircularID’s planned launch in November.

Image: Facebook page of the Connect Fashion Global Initiative

For the quarter to June 30, 2019, eBay Inc. reported revenue of of 2.7 billion dollars, up 2 percent on reported basis and 4 percent on a foreign exchange (FX) neutral basis, which the company said was primarily driven by gross merchandise volume (GMV) of 22.6 billion dollars, down 4 percent on reported basis and flat on a FX-Neutral basis. During the quarter, eBay delivered GAAP net income from continuing operations of 403 million dollars or 46 cents per diluted share and non-GAAP net income from continuing operations of 589 million dollars or 68 cents per diluted share.

"We remained focused on building our active buyer base, delivering outstanding customer experiences, and accelerating our growth initiatives in the second quarter," said Devin Wenig, President and CEO of eBay Inc. in a statement.

Highlights of eBay’s Q2 performance

In the second quarter, the company said, active buyers grew by 4 percent across its platforms, for a total of 182 million global active buyers. Underlying total eBay performance, the marketplace platforms delivered 2.2 billion dollars of revenue and 21.5 billion dollars of GMV.

Marketplace revenue growth was 1 percent on reported basis and 3 percent on FX-Neutral basis, and GMV was down 5 percent on reported basis and 1 percent on a FX-Neutral basis. StubHub platforms drove revenue of 264 million dollars, up 7 percent on both reported and FX-neutral basis and GMV of 1.1 billion dollars, was up 5 percent on reported basis and 6 percent on a FX-neutral basis. Classifieds platforms delivered revenue of 271 million dollars, up 5 percent on reported basis and 12 percent on a FX-neutral basis.

eBay reveals outlook for full year and Q3

For its third quarter, the company expects net revenue between 2.61 billion dollars and 2.66 billion dollars, representing organic FX-neutral growth of 1 percent to 3 percent, with GAAP earnings per diluted share from continuing operations in the range of 40 cents to 44 cents and non-GAAP earnings per diluted share from continuing operations in the range of 62 cents to 65 cents.

For full year, the company expects net revenue between 10.75 billion dollars and 10.83 billion dollars, representing organic FX-neutral growth of 2 percent to 3 percent, with GAAP earnings per diluted share from continuing operations in the range of 1.97 dollars to 2.07 dollars and non-GAAP earnings per diluted share from continuing operations in the range of 2.70 dollars to 2.75 dollars.

eBay's board of directors has declared a cash dividend of 14 cents per share of the company's common stock payable on September 20, 2019 to shareholders of record as of September 3, 2019.

Picture:eBay press room

Sales at Compagnie Financière Richemont SA for the first quarter increased by 12 percent at actual exchange and 9 percent at constant exchange to 3,740 million euros (4,202 million dollars) compared to the prior year period. The company said in a statement that excluding online distributors, sales rose by 6 percent at actual exchange and by 3 percent at constant exchange rates.

The company added that During the quarter under review, sales expanded in Asia Pacific and Japan, showed modest growth in the Americas, and contracted in Europe and the Middle East and Africa.

Review of Richemont’s results across core geographies

In Europe, sales were 1 percent lower compared to the prior year period as good momentum at the jewellery maisons was more than offset by a slower performance in the other business areas, with contrasted performance among markets.

In Asia Pacific, the 9 percent increase in sales reflected double digit sales growth in its key markets, with the exception of Hong Kong. The company added that growth was led by mainland China, where strong sales were supported by lower VAT and custom duty rates; sales in Hong Kong retreated, additionally impacted by the relative strength of the Hong Kong dollar and the recent street protests.

The company further said that sales in the Americas rose by 1 percent as growth at the jewellery maisons and the other business area outweighed lower sales at the specialist watchmakers. In Japan, the 6 percent progression in sales was driven by good domestic and tourist spending, and the full year impact of recently opened directly operated boutiques. Unfavourable currency movements and the severance of selected wholesale relationships weighed on sales in the Middle East and Africa, which decreased by 12 percent over the period.

Richemont's retail channel posts 6 percent rise in Q1

Following strong double-digit growth in the prior year period, the retail channel registered a 6 percent increase in sales, driven by the jewellery maisons and also specialist watchmakers. However, the company said, ongoing cautious watch inventory management and distribution optimisation initiatives continued to negatively impact the wholesale channel, which posted a 2 percent decrease in sales. The online retail channel delivered double-digit increase in sales.

The 7 percent sales progression at Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels was supported by jewellery and watches. Sales grew in all regions with the exception of the Middle East and Africa. Specialist watchmakers’ sales were 2 percent lower than in the prior year period. The 3% sales reduction in the group’s other businesses included the impact of the disposal of Lancel. Excluding this impact, Richemont said, sales decreased by 1 percent as the strong performance of Peter Millar contrasted with that of the other maisons.

Picture credit:Olaf Tamm Hamburg Germany for Richemont

British underwear and apparel brand Lounge debut their first-ever swimwear collection as part of Miami Swim Week’s Art Hearts Fashion showcase.

As one of the few British swimwear brands at the annual swimwear trade show, Lounge highlighted inclusivity on the catwalk featuring emerging models through to Instagram famous names including the likes of Kara Del Toro, La-Tecia Thomas, Steph Rayner and Natalie Roser, to represent a wide range of body types to showcase its debut swimwear line.

The move the British fashion brand stated was in line with its ethos to be as “representative as possible to women, encouraging body confidence and comfort, celebrating all women”.

Lounge chief brand officer, Melanie Paradise, said in a statement: “For me, this was all about celebrating our Female Family. We work hard to always reflect inclusivity in what we do and are so passionate about empowering women, encouraging them to feel amazing in their skin and to own their confidence as they worked the runway together.

“A big thing for me was to be diverse not only in our runway’s look but also in our selection of model status. We gave girls who had never walked before this incredible opportunity alongside faces we’ve worked with over the past three years. We loved the idea of making their dream come true, giving them this opportunity to walk for the first time. It was an incredibly proud moment to see our designs go down the catwalk on such an amazing team of strong, confident women.”

Founded in 2016, Lounge has grown from a young couple's dream in their living room, to a fast-growing brand aiming to revolutionise the underwear and apparel industry with “comfort made sexy” at the heart of its products ranging from everyday underwear to loungewear and daring and luxurious lace underwear for an “extra touch of sass”.

Lounge highlights inclusivity on the catwalk at Miami Swim Week

The Lounge Swim collection has been designed to complement the core intimates offering with shimmery fabrics, statement shapes and as well as comfort. Highlights from the debut collection include sexy triangles with cut out details, scooped tops with contrast bottoms, subtle pinstripes and adorable gingham prints.

Lounge has also introduced a bikini version of two of their best selling underwear pieces, its signature ‘Mesh’ style, a sleek scoop top designed with mesh underboob inserts, and the aptly named ‘Miami Triangle Bikini’ which boasts a sports-lux feel with minimal logo, plunging triangle top and high rise bottoms.

Lounge chief executive, Daniel Marsden, added: “The brand began with underwear and that is still and will always be our core, however, we were passionate about bringing swimwear into the mix as a continuation of ‘Comfort Made Sexy’; our core brand value.

“We’re really proud of this first collection and have been completely overwhelmed by how much our customers have loved it. Seeing Lounge Swim on the runway at Miami Swim Week has been absolutely amazing and is just the start for Lounge. We have big plans for the future, so watch this space!”

Images: courtesy of Lounge by Arun Nevader/Getty Images for Art Hearts Fashion

Brands including Ecoalf, Mud Jeans, Swe-s, Girlfriend Collective and Stripe + Stare will launch on Zalando in the coming weeks. The online retailer is reacting to an increase of searches for terms like “organic” or “fairtrade” and an increased demand for sustainable products by its customers.

“At Zalando, we know that customers are increasingly concerned about the future of our planet and want to make more sustainable fashion choices. Our customers’ demand for sustainable products, which we see in the increase of searches for “organic,” or “fairtrade,” for example, reflects the growing interest. One of the challenges our customers face is that it can be difficult to know what sustainability actually means, and how to find products according to their social and environmental values. We want to play a role in changing that,” said the German e-tailer in a statement yesterday.

Since 2017, Zalando flags items with more sustainable materials or certificates in the fashion store with a sustainability flag; since 2018 in all 17 markets. Currently, Zalando’s sustainable fashion selection consists of more than 15,000 items from over 240 brands, across all categories, and ranges from premium brands like Mother of Pearl and Filippa K to footwear with Veja, outdoor brands like Patagonia, denim by Nudie Jeans and Eco Fair Fashion for women and men by Armedangels.

In the coming weeks, newly added brands will further diversify Zalando’s selection with sustainable clothing by Spanish label Ecoalf, denim by Dutch label Mud Jeans, activewear from Girlfriend Collective or stockings by Swedish label Swe-s.

“Our current fashion assortment with a sustainability benefit is already one of the largest available in Europe, but we’re just getting started. Our ambition is to provide customers with a bigger assortment to choose from, clearer information to choose with, and all the inspiration they need to make more sustainable choices. Onboarding these new brands is an important step on our journey, and we’ll focus on adding more sustainable choices to our assortment in the upcoming months,” explained Sara Diez, vice president womenswear at Zalando.

Within the company too, Zalando is working on making more sustainable decisions. “We established several initiatives to improve parts of our business, for example, making our packaging more sustainable by changing Beauty Bags from plastic to paper. Our current sustainability strategy, our goals and further information about all corresponding initiatives can be found in the annual report,” said the company.

Photo: Sara Diez / Zalando SE, Svenja Krueger

Snapdeal has cut its losses by 71 per cent this financial year. The e-commerce marketplace’s consolidated revenues grew 73 per cent in the 12-month period. Revenue from operations grew 87 per cent with a significant reduction in the cost base.

This year Snapdeal continued its focus on driving growth a lean and capital-efficient foundation in its business. The company achieved a significant milestone when it reached cash break-even in the month of June 2018 and also made the highest ever net revenue in October 2018. Each and every order is fulfilled on Snapdeal is by independent, third-party seller partners. In the last two years, Snapdeal has sharpened its focus on the needs of the value-conscious buyers in India. More than 80 per cent of its users come from small towns and cities of India. Snapdeal now has more than 5,00,000 registered sellers, who have more than 200 million listings on the marketplace. The doubling of Snapdeal orders in the last one year is actually a two-fold increase in the business of the seller partners on its platform, the majority of whom are small businesses.

The market of nearly 400 million potential buyers in the small towns and cities of India is the fastest-growing segment in Indian e-commerce.

INTERVIEWWith a history dating back to 1897, Wrangler’s past achievements are well known: in 1996, one out of every five pairs of jeans sold in the United States was a Wrangler. The brand has also secured a spot among the best selling denim brands in the world. But what does the future hold for the American label, now that it is under a new parent company?

One year ago, VF Corporation, Wrangler’s owner since 1986, decided to spin off its denim brands Wrangler and Lee, creating a separate, publicly traded business called Kontoor Brands. Although VF announced the split as good news, saying the “exciting new step” would “mean that both VF and the new company will have the resources, management focus and financial flexibility to thrive in a dynamic marketplace, creating an even brighter future for both organizations”, analysts were quick to say the two denim brands were struggling to compete with athleisure.

Declaring leggings are the new jeans is a hasty conclusion, however. Although leggings do outpace denim in terms of growth, denim’s market share is still twice as big as that of leggings. In addition, mass retailers in the UK and the US went back to increasing the number of denim styles in their assortment after a dip in 2015 and 2016.

Also working to Wrangler’s advantage is the nostalgia trend catapulting heritage brads back to hype status. During the last Kingpins trade show in Amsterdam, experts Amy Leverton and Sam Trotman, from trend forecasting company Denim Dudes, predicted the demand for American iconography from the 1980s and 1990s to increase even more as a result from mounting frustrations about the current economy and politics. “Millennials are literally buying back their youth,” said Leverton. Many of them are turning to secondhand shops to find original pieces from those decades. As a result, brands which were popular in that period are actively going through their archives for inspiration on new designs, or even re-launching iconic pieces exactly the way they were. Wrangler is no different: in February, the label released its first global collection, Icons, featuring six restyled cult items from the past.

Considering denim is one of the most polluting segments of the fashion industry, the future of Wrangler’s designs inescapably involves addressing the issue of sustainability. The brand is starting to take its first steps in that regard: earlier this year, Wrangler launched its first collection using 100 percent sustainable cotton in the United States. Another line made with a new technology, which is said to eliminate almost 100 percent of the water typically used in the dyeing process, hit European stores in June.

FashionUnited spoke with Sean Gormley, Creative Director for Wrangler EMEA, to learn more about these developments.

Let’s start by talking a little bit about yourself. How did you enter the denim industry and how did you become Wrangler's creative director?

I was studying fashion design at Central Saint Martins in London, and I had an opportunity to intern at Fake London Genius, a cult luxury brand. They were designing premium jeans and casualwear in Wapping, an area of east London that had attracted fashion designers, artists and other creatives. It was during this year that my appreciation for denim grew and I returned to Saint Martins with clear ideas about how I would design my final collection. At that time I was one of only a few student designers using denim, which was probably helpful for getting me my first break.

What tips would you give to someone aspiring to work as a denim designer?

Do your homework on the history of denim, from a design perspective. Research the various eras of denim history – from the earliest American utility workwear to Sixties style, Eighties silhouettes and washes, and the Nineties grunge look and more – because elements of these all come around again and again, and influence current and future trends.

From a practical perspective, I’d advise an aspiring designer to really think about the type of brand or product that you would love to work on, research them and target those brands or designers. Make contact, show your work and show determination. It really helps.

How has the separation of Wrangler from VF Corporation affected you creatively? Does Kontoor Brands have any special plans for Wrangler?

As a part of Kontoor Brands, Wrangler is sharpening its focus on becoming a unified global brand with products that reflect today’s style, fit and finish expectations. This global approach influences how we think about design and creativity – we want to ensure we are bringing Wrangler’s western heritage to the forefront with products that excite consumers globally.

You see evidence of this approach in recent collection launches like Wrangler Icons, which was a global launch. The concept came out of Europe, and we collaborated with our regional counterparts to finetune and launch it globally. Under Kontoor, we are able to leverage and increase brand investments like never before in design, creativity and innovation.

Nostalgia is a big trend these days, especially in the denim scene. Wrangler has recently relaunched classic styles from its archive with the 'Icons collection'. How was it to go through the archives and redesign these styles?

I love working with Wrangler’s unbelievably rich product and marketing archives. As a heritage brand, we have decades of inspiring material. We’ve picked up rare denim treasures and curious oddities from the 100-year history of Wrangler and its predecessor brand Blue Bell, that inspires us constantly. The recently-launched Icons range came out of a clothing rail of amazing vintage garments that was wheeled around the office for a month or two, being discussed and edited down. One of the most important criteria we used to decide which styles to reissue in the Icons range was popularity. Brands don’t get to call products iconic, consumers do. A product only becomes iconic through its staying power in the test of time.

Some people say leggings are threatening the denim market. What do you think about that? What is the future of denim, for you?

I think denim and jeans will always be an important way to dress. The fabric and style has been interwoven with popular culture for decades. Denim will remain a symbol of youth, durability, freedom and self-expression -- and I can quite confidently say that the legging will never get close to that!

Wrangler is making an effort to be more sustainable. The brand unveiled its foam dyeing technique earlier this year. How is the strive to produce denim in a more sustainable way affecting the way you work?

As a designer today there is a great responsibility to demand better products for the environment at every level, from the production of the yard, to dyeing, to how people wash their denim at home. I’m proud of the way our product creation teams have embraced a culture of responsibility, and that the company as a whole has set its sights on becoming a global leader in sustainable manufacturing.

What are you most proud of in your work for Wrangler?

I’m most proud of the amazing team we have in Antwerp. It’s a small yet highly productive office with passionate people who love the brand and believe, like me, in the massive potential of Wrangler. Our recent Indigood launch of sustainably-dyed denim was the culmination of 18 months of collaboration with fantastic partners such as textile experts Tejidos Royo and Hilaturas Ferre. That was a big career highlight, and it feels great to work on genuine breakthrough innovation that will hopefully lead a revolution in the way denim is dyed.

Pictures: courtesy of Wrangler

New York – India’s Ritu Kumar, a fashion house which owns three designer labels, announced earlier this week it’s looking to raise up to 20 million dollars.

The new funding will go to scale up its casual contemporary women’s wear brand Label. Additionally, the fashion company is looking into expanding its namesake brand to new segments such as home furnishings and accessories.

“We are in the market this year looking for another injection, a larger injection than last time. Also, Everstone is coming to the end of their cycle, so they will be looking for an exit sometime soon," said in a corporate release Amrish Kumar, managing director at the fashion house Ritu Kumar.

Amrish is the son of designer Ritu Kumar, further added that the company was looking to raise anywhere between 12 million and 20 million dollars.

Currently, the retailer has close to 90 stores across its brands—the flagship Ritu Kumar—that sells daily and semi-formal ethnic wear; Ri—premium bridal and formal wear; and Label—a more casual contemporary women’s wear brand.

The fashion retailer currently has about 90 stores, of which 30 are Label stores.

After a successful trial in Canada, Instagram has hidden ‘likes’ on its platform in Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, Japan, Ireland and Italy. According to Instagram’s parent company, Facebook, the aim of the trial is to verify whether the absence of likes “reduces pressure” on users, following criticism about Instagram’s impact on users’ self-esteem and mental health.

From Thursday on, users from these countries will no longer be able to see the overall number of likes on individual posts. The owner of the account will, however, still be notified whenever someone hits the like button. No changes for businesses and influencers using the platform either, as they will still have access to the same engagement metrics.

“We hope this test will remove the pressure of how many likes a post will receive, so you can focus on sharing the things you love,” said Facebook’s Director of Policy for Australia and New Zealand, Mia Garlick, in a statement.

ANALYSIS New York –On Thursday, Asos Plc (ASOS.L) said in an unscheduled announcement that it expected full-year profits to be up to 45 percent lower than what the City expected.

This is the third time I the year to date that the online fashion retailer has issued a profits warning. Over the past eight months, Asos has constantly blamed continued problems at its warehouses in America and Europe for its poor trade.

Back in Christmas last year, the retailer argued trading was hit by a high level of discounting and promotional activity in the previous month. As a result, Asos cut full-year expectations in April. Profit before tax may fall as much as 71 percent in the coming months, they warned.

Asos’ last profits warning wipes off 513 million pounds in market value

This time, the third since December, the British online fashion retailer warned on profits saying problems ramping up warehouses in the United States and Germany had restricted product availability, hitting sales and raising costs.

Shares in the once favourite fashion stock lost 23.2 percent to close at 21.07 pounds apiece in London today and wiping 513 million pounds off the company’s market value. The stock has devalued by over 62 percent in the year to date.

Asos’CEO acknowledges the company’s overhaul’s delay is “a failure in execution”

“The major overhaul of our infrastructure has been bumpier and taken a lot longer than we originally anticipated,” Chief Executive Nick Beighton said on a conference call with analysts. Beighton referred to the group’s turnaround strategy, which includes a major overhaul of its warehouse and technology capabilities, moving from a UK-focused to a global-centric model so it can better access growth opportunities.

“We acknowledge that this is a failure in execution,” further recognized Asos’ CEO.

“Logistics and distribution costs have been steadily increasing as retailers compete on offering faster deliveries at cheaper prices,” said in declarations published by Reuters Nicla Di Palma, retail analyst at Brewin Dolphin.

Photo:ASOS official web