With a rise in demand and support its aggressive growth plans, Page Industries plans to double its installed capacity from the existing 260 million pieces in the next five years. Engaged in manufacturing, distribution and marketing of innerwear, athleisure, sleepwear and swimwear for men, women and kids, Page Industries is the exclusive licensee of Jockey International Inc. of the US in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, the UAE, Oman and Qatar, and for Speedo International Ltd. (UK) in India and Sri Lanka.

The company’s units cover over 2.40 million sq. ft. in 14 locations in Karnataka and one location in Tamil Nadu. It is currently setting up a greenfield manufacturing facility on 27acre in Anantpur. The facility will manufacture menswear in this facility. The company will also set up a new unit at K.R. Pet near Mysore for manufacturing and raw material warehousing at a leased-out building by Q2 of 2019-20.

Fashion and lifestyle brand Nicobar’s latest collection is inspired by Jodhpur. Men’s wear features round-collared shirts, jackets, and waistcoats as well as kurtas in a range of blue hues with subtle checks and floral prints. The brand’s women’s wear offerings are also inspired by Jodhpur with more eclectic textiles such as polka dot print cotton and causal stripes.

This fashion and lifestyle brand retails clothing, fragrances, bedding, jewelry, accessories, homeware, tableware, and shoes. Nicobar’s new Gurgaon store features a modern interior where industrial elements mix with more rustic natural wood. The space includes a courtyard style area to showcase the brand’s homeware and an open-plan area for its clothing lines. Nicobar is focusing on physical space to create a very holistic experience, where the mood is of relaxation and wanderlust. Importance is given to creating a sensory experience for customers.

The brand has stores in seven Indian cities as well as a multi-brand store presence and a dedicated e-commerce store. Nicobar is a design studio so a lot of focus is on design of products. It already has stores in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore apart from pop-up entities at Delhi, Mumbai and Jaipur. Nicobar actively engages with the larger design community to test and strengthen its offering.

July 2019 same-store sales including online sales at Uniqlo Japan, part of the Fast Retailing Group decreased by 10 percent year on year while total sales including online sales decreased by 10.3 percent.

The company attributed same-store sales decline in July to markedly unseasonal cool weather throughout the month resulting in weaker demand for summer clothing.

During the month under review, the company opened one store in Japan and closed two stores.

Picture:Facebook/Uniqlo

Unknwn, the sports and streetwear brand owned by LeBron James, Jaron Kanfer, and Frankie Walker, is launching a luxury travel basics collection called ‘Hotel’ on August 2.

The Hotel capsule collection aims to refine the idea of loungewear, added the brand, with the pieces designed in-house using custom cut silhouettes, ranging from pool-wear to contemporary sportswear with luxe finishes including a gold 3M Unknwn path icon logo and gold hardware as well as touches of athletic mesh across the apparel.

The collection is designed to take the traveller “from the airport lounge to the resort and from the beach to the streets”, and will debut with T-shirts, hoodies, pants, shorts, socks, briefs, as well as footwear such as sandals.

“Unknwn is always going to be a reflection of the lifestyle of the three owners,” explains Unknwn chief executive officer, Jaron Kanfer in a statement. “This is reflected in our formula of global designers, and is very present in the new Hotel line. These pieces make sense integrated with our designer roster.”

Kanfer added: “The drops will reflect trending colour stories and will expand into additional accessories and fun items like you find in a gift shop but through our Unknwn lens. We are a luxury emporium and know this life intimately. We created this as a collection that speaks to the luxury consumer, but with tactile versatility.”

The Unknwn Hotel label will launch on August 2 with prices ranging from 10 to 70 US dollars.

Images: courtesy of Unknwn

German women’s shoe brand Caprice was able to win the Taiwanese actress, singer and TV host Barbie Hsu as its new brand ambassador in China. The 42-year old will utilise her popularity in the Asian market to support the brand that entered the Chinese market about a year and a half ago and belongs to German shoemaker and distributor Wortmann Schuh Holding.

"Over the past few seasons, Caprice has been able to continuously increase sales in China, and we are seeing a great deal of consumer interest in our products. Therefore, we are starting early on investing in brand building measurements to position ourselves accordingly in the Asian market," commented Jürgen Cölsch, managing partner of Caprice, in a press release published on Wednesday.

The collaboration between the women's shoemaker and Barbie Hsu is accompanied by a large-scale omnichannel advertising campaign, which will further drive brand development in China, which began with the brand’s market entry in 2017.

"The cooperation with prominent testimonials and influencers offers us the opportunity to present us to a different audience. Especially in a country like China, where digitization is progressing so fast, this cross-media approach helps us to target our customers more efficiently," added Cölsch.

The shoe manufacturer has also intensified its cooperation with Chinese internet giant Alibaba and joined its e-commerce platform Tmall just in time for Singles Day on 11th November 2018.

Caprice was founded in 1990 to combine fashionable women's shoes with comfort and wellness, developed at the company’s innovation and technology centre in southern Germany. Along with the shoe brands Tamaris, Marco Tozzi, Jana and s.Oliver Shoes, Caprice belongs to Wortmann Schuh Holding, which is based in central Germany.

Photo: Caprice

Columbia Sportswear Company CEO Tim Boyle has voiced his concerns about Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs on imported goods from China beginning September, calling it a “massive tax on employers and consumers, not on China.”

President Trump took to Twitter on Thursday to announce that a 10 percent tariff would be imposed on the remaining 300 billion dollars of imports from China beginning 1 September, 2019. In a statement, Boyle said the tariff would be “a disaster for the American economy, employers and consumers,” adding that it would force Columbia Sportswear, along with other manufacturers in the industry, to raise prices on its products.

Boyle said: “Footwear and apparel are some of the most highly taxed products in the United States. Herbert Hoover-era tariffs as high as 37.5 percent are already in place and are being paid by U.S. consumers. With President Trump’s proposed 10 percent tax on goods manufactured in China, the American people will see almost half the cost of their shoes and clothing go to taxes.”

He continued: “Furthermore, raising tariffs creates uncertainty, which makes it difficult for American business to make investments that can continue to grow the U.S. economy. We’ve been fortunate to have a strong economy for the past decade. Let’s not tank the economy with the misguided conception that trade wars are fun.”

In June, Columbia Sportswear’s director of global customs and trade, Katie Tangman, testified against the Trump administration’s fourth tranche of tariffs of up to 25 percent on imports of Chinese goods. During her testimony, Tangman stressed that fresh tariffs would force the company to either increase the price of its products or curtail investments.

“2019 is planned to be a record year of investment for Columbia Sportswear Company - over 130 million dollars, primarily in the US,” she said during her testimony before the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) in Washington. “Reducing investment to pay millions of dollars in extra tariffs and to move production, will seriously hinder our ability to continue to grow and create more US jobs. At a time of rapid retail change, we simply cannot afford to slow our investments due to these punitive tariffs.”

Photo credit: Columbia Sportswear, Facebook

On the evening of 6th June, students and graduates of the class of 2019 of the University of Applied Arts Vienna presented around 240 outfits as part of their fashion show, for the first time in the University’s new atrium. A brand new magazine “Arachne – An Almanac on Clothing and Culture” was also presented along with awards and prizes. Last but not least, Professor Hussein Chalayan who was head of the class for the last five years, received a farewell as he will leave “Die Angewandte” at the end of this academic year.

Dalia Hassan wins Birkhäuser Prize

Graduating student Dalia Hassan was delighted to receive the Birkhäuser Prize amounting to 2,000 euros, which was awarded for the first time. Her final collection "Sornaga - business casual" was strongly inspired by the 29-year-old’s family background and her queer feminist attitude.

28-year-old Louise Streissler from Vienna won not one but two prizes for her graduation collection "This could be real", inviting guests to a romantic and aesthetic country life that perceives nature as a resource for renewal: The Rondo Fashion Prize worth 3,000 euros and the Fred Adlmüller Scholarship worth 2,500 euros.

Among the degree students’ collections, 26-year-old Ivan Iveljić presented "The secret life of daydreams", designs with recognizable and everyday silhouettes and garments such as t-shirts and jackets, shorts and trousers.

Her native Nigeria inspired 36-year-old graduate student Motunrayo Olaogun, whose "Waterearth" collection represents her sustainable approach to design and focuses on deconstructing existing pieces.

Graduate collections range from thoughtful to humorous

Anna Sedlmayr’s collection "Kapitál I" was a tribute to her grandmother with serious and gloomy, but also comforting and funny outfits made of wearable pieces that can easily be combined with everyday basics.

Her classmate Valentine Déhan put the mostly unpaid and invisible work of women at the centre of her feminist collection "Ouvrage de dame". She used the apron as a symbol, sometimes twisted or wrapped, and worn over a catsuit or tight t-shirts.

New Zealander Georgia Ferguson, an Erasmus student who spent a year with the fashion class of Die Angewandte, showed uniform, comfortable, practical, durable and unisex silhouettes in her final collection "Black sheep".

In her graduate collection "Old fear and the private revolution of the individualists", 20-year-old Anna Hambira also posed the question of genderless fashion. Her outfits were characterized by patterns and silk prints as well as fabrics from times long gone.

The students of the younger classes also showed creative outfits that demonstrated professional craftsmanship through experiments with designs and materials, ranging from flashy to colourful and provocative to suitable for everyday use.

The new experimental publication format "Arachne - An Almanc on Clothing and Culture" provided another insight into the work of the fashion class at Die Angewandte. It brings together unconventional fashion positions from Vienna as well as an extraordinary visual language.

Photos: Salvatore Dragone / University of Applied Arts Vienna

The fashion and retail industries has reacted to Donald Trump’s announcement on Thursday that he planned to impose a 10 percent tariff on the remaining 300 billion dollars of imports from China beginning 1 September, 2019.

The American Apparel & Footwear Association condemned the President’s decision, describing additional costs for “hard-working American families” as “truly shocking.” Rick Helfenbein, president and CEO of the American Apparel & Footwear Association, said in a statement: “This decision will increase the tariff bill on all clothes, shoes, and home textiles, like blankets and sheets - products that already account for the vast majority of the duties collected by the U.S. government.” Helfenbein added that it was “concerning” these decisions came after just one meeting with the Chinese delegation.

The list of products, which was under a public comment period in June, includes all imports of apparel and footwear products. In 2018, 42 percent of apparel and 69 percent of footwear sold in the US was imported from China.

The National Retail Federation warned that a “flawed” tariff strategy would do more harm than good to the US economy. Senior vice president for government relations, David French, commented: “As we’ve said repeatedly, we support the administration’s goal of restructuring the U.S.-China trade relationship. But we are disappointed the administration is doubling-down on a flawed tariff strategy that is already slowing U.S. economic growth, creating uncertainty and discouraging investment. These additional tariffs will only threaten U.S. jobs and raise costs for American families on everyday goods.

French continued: “The tariffs imposed over the past year haven’t worked, and there’s no evidence another tax increase on American businesses and consumers will yield new results. We urge the administration to bring our allies to the table and find new tools beyond tariffs to achieve better trade relations.”

The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), applauded Trump’s announcement. NCTO President and CEO Kim Glas, said: “China’s rampant abuse of intellectual property rights and IP theft has gone on far too long at the direct expense of the U.S. textile industry and its supply chain, resulting in the loss of US manufacturing jobs in this critical sector.

“We have long encouraged the administration to include finished products on the tariff list, given China’s rampant intellectual property abuses and the significant impact it has had on our sector. We believe this move will lead to more re-shoring of production to the United States and the Western Hemisphere production platform—and will also address and mitigate China’s rampant trade distortions.”

Photo credit: Geralt, Pixabay

H&M has unveiled its first-ever collaboration with an African label, South Africa’s Mantsho, celebrating “the elegance and vibrancy of Africa”.

Launching on August 15 in all South African H&M stores, as well as all H&M online markets and exclusive flagship stores around the world, the Mantsho collaboration will feature “flowy, easy fitting cuts, frills and gathers” in a range of colour palettes from blues, browns to blacks, hues of pink and amber reds.

“This is my love letter to the world from Africa,” said Mantsho’s head of design, Palesa Mokubung in a statement on her H&M collaboration. “I hope customers around the world will enjoy this ensemble of my stand-out pieces from my last three collections.”

The collection caters for what H&M calls the “stylish carefree woman” who are after “modern edgy designs” and includes print dresses, skirts, tops, and trousers, as well as “Afrocentric fashionable” accessories including shoes, earrings and a clutch bag.

H&M launches its first collaboration with an African firm

Pernilla Wohlfahrt, assortment manager for collaborations and special collections for H&M, added: “Palesa’s creativity with colour, print and silhouettes is inspiring as she celebrates the female form through her designs which complement the female shape in a flattering and playful way. We are so excited to share this collection with our customers across the globe.”

The Mantsho label, meaning ‘black is beautiful’ in Mokubung’s native Sesotho language, was founded in 2004 and has showcased on the catwalk in Greece, India, USA, Jamaica, Nigeria, Botswana and Senegal.

H&M x Mantsho is expected to retail from 19.99 euros for a pair of earrings to 99.99 euros for a maxi dress when it launches on August 15.

Images: courtesy of H&M x Mantsho

Ailing lingerie retailer Victoria’s Secret is expected to announce it will cancel its annual fashion extravaganza as one of its models, Shanina Shaik, said in an interview with the Telegraph that there will be no show this year.

“Unfortunately the Victoria’s Secret show won’t be happening this year,” she said. “It’s something that I’m not used to because every year around this time I’m training like an angel.”

The news comes as the struggling lingerie brand has been faced with ongoing criticism for being out of touch with a generation that values inclusivity and diversity. According to the New York Times viewership of its annual show, which airs in December, has drastically fallen from nearly 10 million viewers in 2013 to only 3.3 million last year.

Victoria’s Secret knows it has a problem, and in May this year Leslie Wexner, the chief executive of Victoria’s Secret parent company L Brands, said in a memo to employees that the company had been “taking a fresh look at every aspect of our business,” while noting that the brand “must evolve and change to grow”.

“With that in mind, we have decided to re-think the traditional Victoria’s Secret Fashion show,” he wrote. “Going forward we don’t believe network television is the right fit.”

A formal announcement is yet to be made

The American-based company has not made an official statement regarding the show's cancelation. Shaik in her interview reveals it is part of a "re-definition" plan of the brand, although if a complete overhaul of the brand, product and its marketing strategy is part of that plan is yet to be revealed.

Earlier this year American lingerie giant announced the closure of 53 stores, citing a "decline in performance" as the reason for the closures. The company's same-store sales dropped 3 percent during the last quarter in 2018.

Where once Victoria Secret had virtually no competitors and dominated the affordable bra market, it now faces stiff competition from brands such as Aerie and True&CO rewriting what it means to be sexy.

Behind the scenes Victoria Secret is struggling to keep its marketshare. Two years ago VS cut its swimwear and fashion businesses, and just a year ago the company announced it would close 20 stores due to poor performance.

The brand is simply not connecting and resonating with consumers in the way that it once did. Indeed, we would go so far to say that its overt sexuality, its focus on airbrushed glamour, and its dark and moody stores are completely out of step with the mood of most modern consumers.

While the #metoo media moment may have subsided somewhat in 2019, Victoria’s Secret has failed to retain relevance amongst shoppers. Lest not forget, In a Vogue interview last year, L Brands chief marketing officer Ed Razek stated he didn't think the company's annual fashion show should feature "transsexuals" because the show is a “fantasy.” He further stated “we market to whom we sell to, and we don’t market to the whole world.” When a social media backlash subsequently ensued, Razek offered a public apology for his insensitive comments about transgender models. Let's wait and see if public opinion will influence further changes.

Picture:Jewel Samad / AFP

Trendstop brings FashionUnited readers a first look at the essential menswear colour stories emerging for the Spring Summer 2020 season.

The Trendstop team give FashionUnited readers an exclusive look at three key colour directions fresh from the Spring Summer 2020 runways, that will be informing the menswear market throughout the season and beyond. Menswear is elevated across the formal and casual sectors via refined neutrals and elegant fashion shades that reinvigorate the classic men's palette. Our curated catwalk trend reports and dedicated galleries evaluate each trend's commercial value and longevity, giving you the best possible basis for your decision making.

This week Trendstop present three inspiring SS20 menswear shades. Sea Foam Tones introduces a fresh, sophisticated feel to nautical colour combinations while Genderless Blush Tones sees traditionally feminine hues evolve a new masculinity and embrace the gender-neutral trend. Mushroom Tech Neutrals contemporises core neutrals with a tech-meets-nature aesthetic.

Sea Foam Tones

Blue/green hues take on a summery sea foam hue for SS20, updating the popular teal tones seen for previous seasons. All-over applications and solid blocks of colour make a subtle statement across formal and casualwear with understated check patterns and technical material qualities adding depth and dimension to fresh, cooling shades.

Mushroom Tech Neutrals

Neutral tones lend a new refinement to performance menswear pieces. Soft, pale mushroom browns introduce a contrasting natural element to high-tech fabrications and channel outdoor influences in a more sophisticated direction. Solid single colours or gentle ombre shading highlights technical materials and enhances the season's new silhouettes.

Genderless Blush Tones

As fashion takes an increasingly seasonless, genderless approach, darkened blush tones are emerging as a key menswear colour. Wearable pink hues retain a masculine appeal with soft grey or brown casts while the use of textural materials such as suede, terry and corduroy enhance the depth of softly saturated shades.

Exclusive Offer

FashionUnited readers can get free access to Trendstop's Fall Winter 2019-20 Neutral & Foundation Colours Forecast featuring all the must have colours to update your seasonal palette. 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.

Smart sourcing in Morocco –

competitive advantages through nearshoring

• Nearshoring, the future trend of sourcing
• Morocco rising: economic growth and expansion of the textile industry
• Optimization of the supply chain through production in Morocco
• Marrakech, the first African culture capital

From October 17 to 18, 2019 around 200 top suppliers, all-round suppliers and CMT producers from the Mediterranean area present themselves at Maroc in Mode – Maroc Sourcing to buyers and retailers from Europe and overseas on an exhibition area of around 5.000 sqm on the site of the motor racing circuit Moulay Hassan. The fair offers an comprehensive overview of the Moroccan textile and garment industry from fast fashion to high-quality production of trend peaks up to offers of sustainably produced collections.

The fair will be segmented in the fields

• FAST FASHION
• DENIM
• JERSEY, KNIT, LINGERIE
• SPORTSWEAR, LEISURE WEAR, TECHNICAL GARMENTS
• LEATHER, SHOES

The fair program will be supplemented by special B2B meetings and conferences, which deal with current production topics. Around 1,500 visitors from all around the world are expected.

Sourcing trend: nearshoring

The rising production costs in Asian countries make near shoringcountries like Morocco attractive and put them in the focus. The price difference between the production countries decreases continuously.

Especially short-lived trends, which develop from street styles and instagram posts, require a quick response market with short lead times.

For fashion focused companies a quick adaption and offering of trends is essential to stay competitive. These trends spread independent from seasons, the importance of in-season-flexibility increases constantly.

A current McKinsey study sees nearshoring, amongst others for online retailers, as decisive relevant. An agile supply chain being very important to master the stability of the business model. For short product development processes and low quantities nearshoring is the key. Moroccan producers are progressively adjusting to this demand and offer more and more options of low quantity production.

The survey of 100 executives in the course of the study shows that 79 percent of the study's participants see a shift from offshoring to nearshoring in the future of sourcing.

Production country Morocco

Continuous economic growth and expansion of the textile industry in Morocco

Morocco is in a phase of continuous growth due to foreign investments and an expansion of its infrastructure. For this year an economic growth of 3% is expected, the GDP is supposed to rise from 118,5 billion US$ in 2018 to 125,5 billion US$ in 2019, based on estimations of Economist Intelligence.

In 2018 the garment industry generated 15% of the industrial GPD of the country and 25% of the Moroccan export goods, around 3,6 billion Euro. The over 1,600 companies of the industry employ over 190,000 workers and have a production capacity of over one billion items. For 2020 Morocco set ambitious goals for the expansion of the textile industry. With investments of around 450 million Euro the Moroccan textile federation wants to create 62.500 new jobs and increase the sales by 1,5 billion Euro. The fields knit, technical textiles and denim are in special focus.

The ecosystems, clusters, which forward the modern production, the design and the accordance with international standards, play an important role for the expansion of the textile industry. In this context the denim cluster is taking a leading position and is highly supported in the course of the industrial promotion and sustainable production.

Morocco convinces with substantial benefits

• Fast fashion experts
• Short delivery routes
• Quick delivery with short-term delivery dates
• Optimal price/performance ratio
• Duty-free production by EU convention

Morocco is a reliable production location through its geopolitical situation as well as its political and social stability. Besides the worldwide leading position as fast fashion champion Morocco offers fast delivery by land with short-term delivery dates thanks to its proximity to Europe. The shortening of the delivery routes is also a way to reduce the ecological footprint of the companies, an important aspect in the course of sustainable production, a decisive factor for future competitiveness. In addition many producers in Morocco are BSCI and GOTS certified.

Morocco scores as well with an excellent price / performance ratio, through EU agreements production in Morocco is duty free.

Trade fair location Marrakech: first African culture capital and source of inspiration for the fashion world

Marrakech will become the first capital of culture in Africa in the coming year. Not least because of the opening of the museum MACAAL, which shows contemporary African art, and the art fair 1:54, which took place first time in Marrakech last year, the Moroccan metropolis could establish itself as a center of art and culture. The 2017 opened Yves Saint Laurent museum with the adjoining Jardin Majorelle thrills the art and fashion scene alike. For a long time Marrakech has served the Haute

Couture as a source of inspiration. Fashion house Dior just presented their African inspired cruise-collection in Marrakech this spring.

MAROC IN MODE – MAROC SOURCING is organized by Amith, the Moroccan Textile Association in cooperation with the Moroccan Foreign Trade Ministry and AMDIE.

MAROC IN MODE – MAROC SOURCING
Marrakech, October 17-18, 2019

www.marocinmode.ma
www.marocsourcing.ma

Further Information:
Press contact

JANDALI MODE.MEDIEN.MESSEN
FASHION HOUSE 2 .OFFICE A013
PHONE: +49-211-30264337
DANZIGER STRASSE 111 .40468 DÜSSELDORF. GERMANY
MAIL: INFO@JANDALI.BIZ

Designer-sister duo Kate and Laura Mulleavy, the creative directors behind Rodarte, presented an‘80s-themed capsule collection in partnership with MADE, a fashion discovery platform through IMG, and Mastercard. For the limited-edition collection, which is available exclusively at Fred Segal, fashion label worked with artist and painter Mari Eastman for its designs.

The capsule collection features a selection of sweatshirts and T-shirts featuring Eastman’s artwork and will be available for purchase at Fred Segal Sunset until August 14. Rodarte’s capsule collection is also the first of three capsules for the MADE and Mastercard partnership.

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A post shared by MADE (@made) on Aug 2, 2019 at 9:53am PDT

Each piece from the collaboration features a tag with a QR code that acts as a demonstration of Mastercard’s blockchain-based Provenance solution, which offers consumers visibility into product journeys. Shoppers can also verify authenticity scanning the code with their smartphones.

“We are thrilled to work closely with MADE and Fred Segal on this shared mission to unite female creatives through projects like these that sit at the intersection of art, fashion and technology,” said Mastercard’s executive vice president of digital partnerships, Sherri Haymond in a statement. “Leveraging innovative technology solutions, we are able to tell the stories of the products consumers are buying.

Along with it-bags and luxury beachwear, Gucci is beloved by consumers this year. Global fashion search engine Lyst reported in its second quarter index that Gucci reigns supreme as the “hottest brand,” after having fallen behind at the top of the list last quarter.

Lyst analyzed online shopping behavior of over five million consumers over a three month period. It took into account search data from its own platform, Google search data, conversion rates and sales, engagement statistics and social media references to brands and products, and engagement statistics.

Gucci surpasses Off-White as hottest brand

Gucci has been on the rise as of late, reporting a 16.3 percent growth for the first half of 2019 and having risen to a rank of no. 52 in the BrandZ Global Top 100, compared to a rank of 80 two years ago. Consumer offerings such as the addition of AR technology to its app to allow shoppers to try on sneakers virtually, as well as TEXT poised the brand to reclaim its number one spot on the Lyst index, after losing the position to Off-White last quarter.

Off-White, on the other hand, ranks at number two, followed by Balenciaga, who holds the same rank it held for Q1.

It-Bags continue to hold strong

Handbags account for 30 percent of the top ten hottest women’s products reported in the Q2 index. The hottest products were determined based on global demand versus volume of stock, with the Lyst formula that filtered six million items. The formula calculated the volume of social media mentions, searches, page views, interactions and e-commerce sales across thousands of retailers to determine which products had the most demand.

The Off-White 1.4 Jitney “Cash Inside” Bag held the top place in the top-ten ranking of products. Lyst noted that demand for the product rose weeks before it was released in June and quickly sold out. Also mentioned in the list is the Chloé C Mini Croc Effect Shoulder Bag, which was the brand’s most-viewed product on its website and drove a 900 percent increase in global searches for Chloé compared to last quarter.

The Bottega Veneta “The Pouch” Bag ranked at number five on the list, due to its popularity on Instagram and the fact that it had sparked over 10,000 monthly views since it launched. Lyst also noted that the bag constantly sells out.

Notable mention to luxury beachwear trend

In menswear, Lyst named luxury beachwear as an “increasingly powerful category,” as demand increases across the globe in searches and sales. Online searches for slide sandals increased by 32 percent in the second quarter, while searches from swim shorts and bucket hats went up by 51 percent and 64 percent, respectively.

Particular products mentioned were the Prada banana and flame-print shirt, Gucci GG jacquard swim shorts and Palazzo Medusa pool slides. Prada’s search incited more than 155,000 searches for the brand throughout the quarter and helping the brand to move up from sixth to fifth place in the global ranking of hottest brands.

Images: Lyst

He might have been no fan of retrospectives himself, but Karl Lagerfeld might be getting his own at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2022. Any homage to the legendary designer, who toward the end of his life was creative director of three labels including Chanel, Fendi, and his own eponymous label, is expected to be larger than life. Lagerfeld was well known for continuously transforming the Grande Palais several times a year for his Chanel runway shows into grandiose fashion spectacles.

With the potential retrospective being three years out, the word is mum on the exhibit, as The Met does not comment on potential future exhibitions. However, this would mark the second time in history that Karl Lagerfeld's designs have gotten special focus from The Met. In 2005, the museum hosted an exhibit focused on Chanel, where at the time, Lagerfeld had been creative director for 22 years.

Karl Lagerfeld retrospective expected at The Met in 2022

Despite all of his years in the spotlight, Lagerfeld never wanted a big fuss over his death. He gave instructions for his funeral to be limited to industry friends and colleagues and to be held at The Grand Palais. An entire retrospective dedicated to the designer would be the greatest posthumous ode to him imaginable.

While the 2022 Costume Institute exhibit is three years away, and people are still salivating over their current exhibit, Camp, the possibility of an exhibit dedicated to one of the most renowned designers in history would be both welcomed and deserved.

Picture: Bertrand Guay / AFP

For its first half period, Safilo Group S.p.A. reported net sales from the continuing operations of 495.9 million euros (551.7 million dollars), up 6.5 percent at current exchange and 3.9 percent at constant exchange rates compared to the same period of 2018 with the wholesale business showing an improvement of 4.1 percent. The company posted profit of 8.7 million euros (9.6 million dollars) compared to a net loss of 4.3 million in H1 2018. In the second quarter, Safilo net sales equalled to 248.6 million euros (276.6 million dollars), growing by 9.7 percent at current exchange and 7.4 percent at constant exchange rates with 7.5 percent increase in the wholesale business.

Commenting on the results, Angelo Trocchia, Safilo Chief Executive Officer, said in a statement: “The results we achieved in the first six months showed a positive sales progression. The performance of the second quarter was solid. A first half of the year that confirms our expectations for a positive 2019, reflecting a careful execution of our top and bottom line plans and where the sale of the Solstice store chain, completed at the beginning of July, further enables us to free up focus and resources to pursue existing and new strategic projects.”

Review of Safilo’s H1 and Q2 performance

The company said, first half sales trends reflected the positive progression recorded by the group's brands in the main European and North American markets, where the portfolio grew by respectively 3 percent and 1 percent at constant exchange rates. The recovery was strong in Asia-Pacific, up 27.9 percent at constant exchange rates, driven in particular by the travel retail channel and China, while sales in the Rest of the World turned slightly positive by 0.8 percent. H1 2019 performance was particularly positive for the group’s own core brands, with Polaroid, Smith and Carrera which recorded overall growth of around 8 percent at constant exchange rates. On the licensed brands portfolio, the company added, Dior, Hugo Boss, Tommy Hilfiger and Max Mara continued to stand out as key positive drivers.

In the second quarter, the recovery in sales was higher in the European markets, while business performance in North America improved at the independent opticians’ channel and in chains. At constant exchange rates, sales in Europe and North America increased respectively by 4.8 percent and 2.7 percent. Sales in Asia-Pacific grew by 36.2 percent, while net sales grew 14 percent in Rest of the World, mainly driven by the positive business trends recorded in the Latin American markets of Brazil and Mexico.

H1 gross profit of the continuing operations grew by 11 percent to 266.2 million euros (296.2 million dollars), with the margin on sales up by 220 basis points, from 51.5 percent to 53.7 percent. On a pre-IFRS 16 basis, H1 adjusted EBITDA of the continuing operations grew by 12.9 percent to 34.2 million euros (38 million dollars), with the margin on sales at 6.9 percent. On a pre-IFRS 16 basis, Q2 2019 adjusted EBITDA of the continuing operations equalled 17.7 million euros (19.7 million dollars), with the margin on sales standing at 7.1 percent.

Picture:Facebook/Polaroid Eyewear

Bata is planning to open another 500 franchise stores in small towns over the next five years. As of now, the brand has 150 franchise stores. The company has over the past three years pumped in around Rs 260 crores for modernising its manufacturing plants and renovating its retail stores. The company’s thrust is to improve customer experience, get more contemporary and attract, younger people to the stores.

The footwear major has invested around Rs 100 crores on its stores in the last three years. Bata now has seven entirely women-run stores, and is planning to open one in South Kolkata, which will also be its first such outlet in eastern India. In Bata’s 500 top stores, 22 per cent of team members are women. As much as 85 per cent of the company’s sales are through its stores, while about five per cent comes from e-commerce. The company now sells over 47 million pairs of footwear in India, with its business now growing at a rate of two to three per cent. In 2018-19, Bata opened 71 new retail stores in India and 51 franchise ones, besides renovating 47 outlets. It relocated 47 outlets and closed down 28.

French lingerie and Beachwear brand Aubade has entered India recently. The brand forayed through the India Intimate Fashion Week (IIFW) Season 3, held in Pune. The company has entered India through IIFW’s business subsidiary ‘Candy Shop’, a brand that helps Premium Indian and International Intimate Fashion Brands. Aubade plans to offer its franchise across metros in India and will also be taking the e-commerce route to spread out. With the strategic association with IIFW, Aubade will showcase its finest range of new products for the Indian market during the upcoming seasons of the India Intimate Fashion Week.

Post the showcase, these products will be available across Candy Shop India’s ‘Shop in Shops’ and Franchise stores across the country. Candy Shop will be the official and exclusive Indian partner for marketing and promoting the Aubade products and its franchises in India.

Fanbytes, one of the fastest-growing video influencer platforms in the UK helping brands target Gen Z on social platforms Tik Tok, Snapchat and Instagram, has received “strategic investment” from KM Capital to further support retail brands engage with Gen Z audiences.

Fanbytes help brands reach young audiences aged 13-30 on social media using Tik Tok, Snapchat and Instagram by formulating a creative strategy with brands that lead to guaranteed views from their network of over 1,000 influencers.

Since its launch in 2014, Fanbytes has created successful viral campaigns with fashion brands such as Boohoo, Missguided and I Saw It First, as well as beauty brands Charlotte Tilbury and Barry M. Its global network of social communities and influencers has more than 110 million views daily.

The funding from KM Capital will be used to drive growth around retailers targeting Gen Z consumers, as well as “make an even bigger impact” in new markets after successful campaigns with clients such as Sony, WMG and Universal.

Commenting on the investment, KM Capital chief executive Adam Kamani said in a statement: “We have a track record of investing in exceptional and ambitious teams and Fanbytes ticks all the boxes. We think we can use our resources and connections to help them grow even faster.”

KM Capital have been responsible for scaling some of the UK’s most high profile growth businesses in recent years, including Prettylittlething.com, Betfair and Zoopla.

Image: courtesy of Fanbytes/KM Capital

Jewellery company Pandora has named Erik Schmidt as its new chief HR officer to add “further momentum” to its company-wide turnaround plan, ‘Programme Now’.

Schmidt, will join Pandora on August 12 from Britax, a world leader in child safety products, where he has served as its chief HR officer. Prior to this, he held leading HR positions with HSBC, Avis, Lego, and Diageo.

“Pandora has embarked on a major transformation journey to reignite our brand and assert our position as the leading jewellery company. At the core of this transformation stands the need to support and develop our global workplace and our employees in the best possible way,” said Pandora chief executive Alexander Lacik in a statement. “This requires an HR executive with extensive global transformation experience as well as operational experience from some of our key markets – and that is what Erik Schmidt brings to Pandora.”

Schmidt will replace Pandora’s current senior vice president group HR, Mads Kamp, who following a short handover with Schmidt in August will leave the company.

Lacik, added: “Due to significant changes in requirements for this position, I have agreed with Mads Kamp that he will leave Pandora. I want to express my gratitude and respect for the hard work and the results he has delivered together with his team. He has developed HR during a very challenging time and has put in place many of the HR processes that will help us work more as one global company. I wish him all the best in his future endeavours.”

The appointment coincides with Pandora announcing a relaunch of its jewellery brand that will include a global roll-out of new store designs, new online platforms, as well as global partnerships and new products as it looks to renew its entire customer experience to drive a “higher brand relevance”.