News Type: General

Lee Jeans has introduced “For A World That Works,” its first global sustainability platform uniting the brand’s legacy of innovation and purpose with a responsibility to build a stronger, more sustainable world.

In conjunction with the new sustainability platform, the Kontoor Brands-owned label also debuted Indigood Denim, a signature denim collection that eliminates water from the denim dyeing process.

The Lee brand’s new platform is focuses on 3 key areas…

“All People”
‘Lee is committed to bring more people together to transform communities in which we operate. Every year, our employees spend hundreds of hours of volunteering for their communities around the world. From installing denim insulation after natural disasters to planting gardens, we encourage and support employees to give back.’

“Our Planet”
‘Lee is committed to seek out more sustainable solutions. We are committed to embed sustainable business practices throughout our global operations and supply chain. Lee has reached zero-waste designation for all of our owned distribution centers in North America. This means that at least 95% of the waste from these facilities will be diverted from landfills through recycling, composting and reuse. We are also committed to further reducing waste in product design, retail stores and composite offices.’

“Everything We Do”
‘Lee is committed to finding more innovative design solutions to deliver better products that meet consumers’ growing demand for high-quality apparel looks good and fits great and uphold our values for social and environmental impact. Lee is proud to partner with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Jeans Redesign. By forming guidelines that minimize waste associated with denim production, establish requirements for jean durability and recyclability, and ensure positive impacts on the environment, this initiative is transforming our approach to design. We’re developing high-quality clothing that’s less harmful to the planet, our communities, and the people who craft our products. Lee has become an industry leader in the world of virtual design, using technology to revolutionize the way we develop our products. Our advancements in virtual design technology have reduced the number of physical prototypes generated by 30%. Producing fewer prototypes saves the same amount of water as 72,000 Americans use in a day and reduces the equivalent carbon emissions of nearly 1 million passenger-vehicle miles.’

Supreme Women&Men Munich reported a successful order season finale with men and womenswear labels as well as selected accessories and shoe brands presented over 800 top collections on two fully booked levels of the popular venue MTC World of Fashion in Munich. 

Following Berlin and Düsseldorf in Germany’s fashion event calendar, Munich asserts is position as “final authority” for the market as numerous buyers representing retailers in the German-speaking countries and neighboring regions took this opportunity to finalize their season on four action-packed days, despite the adverse weather. 

A 90-percent return quote and strong influx of new exhibitors confirmed Supreme Women&Men’s position and strategy as key order platform for the premium to luxury segment and progressive new design labels.

The collections presented at this latest edition reflected the continued awareness for sustainability in the industry. The strong focus on high-quality materials and manufacturing – par for the course for most labels in the premium and luxury segments – is a key success factor, even and particularly in view of the challenges of globalization. “Made in Europe” is the magic formula. 

“Premium manufacturing in Europe, inventory management with foresight and a close eye on changing market and consumer needs: these are the key strategic elements that make fashion industry players more independent from volatile international logistics chains,” says Aline Müller-Schade. 

The next edition of Supreme Women & Men will take place from Saturday, 8th till Tuesday, 11th of August 2020 at MTC world of fashion in Munich.

For its S/S 2020 collection, Stone Island presents a Plated Reflective jacket with a dust colour finish. This garment is made from an innovative reflective fabric engineered for finished-headed dyeing. A nylon canvas base is plated with a water- and wind-resistant highly reflective coating made of a resin bath that incorporates thousands of glass microspheres. The garment is dyed, dried and then undergoes a Dust treatment.

From 2 April 2020, Raf Simons will join the Prada brand as co-creative director, working in partnership with Miuccia Prada with equal responsibilities for creative input and decision-making. The first Prada collection designed by Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons will be the Spring/Summer 2021 womenswear show, presented in Milan in September 2020.

This partnership, encompassing all creative facets of the Prada label, is born from a deep reciprocal respect and from an open conversation – it is a mutual decision, proposed and determined by both parties. It opens a new dialogue, between designers widely acknowledged as two of the most important and influential of today.

Conceptually, it is also a new approach to the very definition of creative direction for a fashion brand – a strong challenge to the idea of singularity of creative authorship, whilst also a bold reinforcement of the importance and power of creativity in a shifting cultural landscape. As times change, so should creativity. The synergy of this partnership is far-reaching. It is a reaction to the era in which we live – an epoch with fresh possibilities, permitting a different point of view and approach to established methodologies.

COTERIE the premier global event connecting women’s apparel, accessories, and footwear designers with top international retailers, held its first market of the year from Tuesday, February 11th to Thursday, February 13th at the Jacob Javits Center. The event showcased over 2,000 brands in the COTERIE marketplace from around the world with expanded emphasis on sustainability and international brands uniting the global fashion community. 

COTERIE’s biggest new initiative for February 2020 was working with Global Management Consulting Firm, McKinsey & Company to feature technology that will change the future of retail space and how customers shop. 

McKinsey & Company collaborated with Mall of America to design, build, and operate a live, tech- enabled store called Modern Retail Collective. Here, retailers can work with McKinsey to test dozens of new technologies and discover what’s possible when multiple technologies, analytics and store operations work together to elevate in-store experiences. At the same time, shoppers can interact with retailers in new ways in-store and across a variety of channels. The store, which opened in September 2019, has had a rotating roster of retail and technology partners, with each rotation lasting 3-4 months. 

Consumer Retail experts from McKinsey & Co. were also onsite at COTERIE to meet with brands interested in participating in a future wave of the Modern Retail Collective Store. The store will reopen in the coming months with a new Mother & Baby focus.

“The timing to coincide with NYFW has been terrific, we have seen greater International attendance from stores such as Net-A-Porter, Harrods, Galeries Lafayette, Printemps, and Ron Herman Japan among others. Retailers have been responding positively to the newness of the season and trend-driven product from the brands on the show floor. There are over 1100 brands exhibiting at COTERIE this season, of which over 200 are new brands. I was very pleased with the community at COTERIE this season and the global reach the platform has in helping international brands successfully launch their wholesale businesses in the United States. The advances in sustainable materials and resources that many brands have integrated into their design and manufacturing processes was also of note. The panels on our Live Stage were extremely well-attended and covered topics ranging from the State of Fashion, New Retail Technologies, Monetizing Instagram, and the Relevance of Recycled and Upcycled Materials. I look forward to growing our future programs and to introducing new initiatives to further develop and elevate the business.” – Colleen Sherin, President COTERIE

As part of the TOMMYNOW spring 2020 show, Tommy Hilfiger presented the fourth joint TommyXLewis collection, again focusing on sustainability, inclusion and diversity. Grammy winner H.E.R. awarded the twelve designs of TommyXLewisXH.E.R. Capsule collection with an authentic touch. For the seventh season, the runway event returned to the British capital on February 16, 2020 at 8:00 p.m. as part of London Fashion Week: In The Tanks at the Tate Modern.

This season is about loyalty: loyalty to yourself, to what you believe in and also to the desire to shape a sustainable future. Tommy Hilfigers and Lewis Hamilton’s fourth community collection is the embodiment of this philosophy; no wonder that the word loyalty can also be found as a tattoo on the arm of the brand ambassador Hamilton and thus also acts as a guiding principle for the spring 2020 collections.

This season TOMMYNOW will be reduced to what matters most: a sensual journey into Tommy Hilfiger’s sustainable fashion world – with designs that do not waste resources. In London, Tommy Hilfiger and Lewis Hamilton presented their most sustainable line to date with the TommyXLewis collection: More than 75% of the designs are made from 100% organic cotton, recycled materials, down alternatives and denim washes with low environmental impact.

In spring 2020, TOMMYNOW is once again the embodiment of the “Style for All” philosophy; a firm commitment to the belief that fashion cannot make a difference in gender, age, nationality and body size. TommyXLewis and TommyXLewisXH.E.R. is available for all sizes, the HILFIGER COLLECTION, however, enables classic designs to be exchanged between the sexes.

Informa and Micam have announced to be joining forces for the August 2020 edition starting 17-19th August 2020. They will have MICAM Las Vegas alongside Project and Magic at the Las Vegas convention center. “By making this announcement we are connecting the entire footwear world. We need to energise the footwear community brands and retailers.” – Tom Nastos

From 26 February 2020, the Palais de la Porte Dorée will present a major exhibition devoted to the work and creativity of Christian Louboutin, the internationally renowned footwear designer and key figure in the fashion world. Designed as an invitation to discover Christian Louboutin’s rich universe, the exhibition will explore every facet of his multi-referential work, in an institution that has played an important role in inspiring his vocation. From the beginning, Christian Louboutin infused his designs with a great wealth of motifs and colours inspired by his love of art and different cultures.

The entire exhibition is a challenge: how to give a sense of the passage of time without stopping it, how to show the designer’s effervescence without steri- lizing it, how to reveal what constituted the network of such vital inspirations and friendships? Christian Louboutin chose a generous approach, reflecting his personality, an imagination and a freedom rooted in a sound knowledge of the world, of art and fashion, a voyage in which inventiveness, emotion and know- how, taste for showmanship and sense of humor are never dissociated. The unprecedented space that Christian Louboutin occupies in the world of contemporary fashion is also attributable to the fact that his work has its roots in popular culture, in the noblest sense of the word. Through metonymy, in cinema, and music, Louboutins are now the quintes- sential shoes, favored by all sexes, genders and ori- gins, via the Nudes series. A child of the Palace (the iconic Parisian nightclub in the late 70s and early 80s), Christian Louboutin connected his work and his name very early on to inclusive and positive figures, athletes or musicians, as illustrated by the famous photo on the cover of the New York Post in memory of Aretha Franklin: “Going in style, dressed in peace: Fire-red Louboutins, gold-plated coffin, three cos- tume changes.” 

Tommy Jeans is making strides this season with 100% recycled denim styles made using an innovative technique that blends cotton scraps from the apparel industry’s factory floors and hotel industry’s bed linens.

This season spotlights 100% recycled denim styles featuring stitching thread made from recycled plastic PET bottles. And for the first time, a selection of the 100% recycled denim styles are elevated in stretch fabric using recycled elastic.

Première Vision has announced the launch of a new event in China in November 2020, a side-by-side show in the heart of Fashion Source, one of the leading textile and fashion trade shows in Asia, which takes place twice a year in Shenzhen. 

This new event will bring together a creative range of materials – yarns, fabrics, accessories, leathers, textile designs – from a broad selection of Asian and European producers. 

The event will enable the group to establish a position in China in this market that – looking beyond the current health situation – is expected to become the world’s largest in terms of clothing and luxury goods as of 2025. Première Vision’s intention is to help companies develop their activity in this major fashion market, which is rapidly growing more sophisticated and upscale, particularly in southern China, which is seeing an extremely rapid development of industry players. 

Première Vision has had a local presence in China since 2004 through a promotional office and events held in Shanghai and Beijing, allowing it to develop an expertise in the Chinese fashion sector and its specific characteristics. It is now partnering with Fashion Source, which since 2018 has been a subsidiary of the GL events group, to introduce a high-quality and complementary offer, along with its unique know- how regarding fashion forecasts and information. 

The next edition will take place from 27th-29th November 2020 as well as May 2021.

The Stone Island Shadow collection Project_Spring Summer ‘020 continues on the path towards the most evolved contemporary menswear concepts. The collection explores the concept of density, both in terms of shapes and of effects, such as the result of constructions, when combined and contrasting with soft materials.

 This season the COMPACT treatment is introduced, a special highly compacted nylon cotton that serves as a base for a wide variety of translations. The fabric resulting from the treatment has a high level of rigidity due to the compacting of the nylon fibres and a slight patina effect on the outer face.

HEAVY COMPACT NYLON is a fabric composed of nylon and cotton. Developed exclusively by Stone Island for Shadow Project, the base fabric undergoes a metamorphosis from the Compact Treatment process. The napped inner face creates unique dynamism between the density of the outside and the comfort inside.

 COMPACT 50 FILI Derived from a classic Stone Island fabric, this cotton-nylon blend undergoes the Compact Treatment. The napped inner face of the fabric softens the texture and creates an elegant contrast with the overall density of the fabric.

 The very high density of COMPACT treated panels integrated into a section of the garment help maintain the shape and create a supporting base for the remaining softer fabric.

OPAK is a lightweight, semi-transparent nylon-polyester fabric impregnated with polyurethane resin.

DPM CHINÉ JACQUARD is an exclusive fabric in a blend of cotton and polyester, resin-coated inside. In its third evolution it combines the depth of colour, graphic details and soft draping of the previous version with an additional jacquard weave texture that creates the striped areas of the fabric. The print is applied only to the warp of the fabric for depth and unique visual texture. 

STRIPED NYLON METAL reinterprets a classic Stone Island fabric obtained through weaving polyester fibres in ‘striped’ areas of the fabric. Through various changes to the garment dyeing process, the stripes are made opaque in contrast with the metallic sheen of the base fabric.

LIGHT NYLON-R consists of a 3-layer composite structure that combines a windproof, water resistant and breathable performance membrane in polyurethane, between a micro mesh base and a high-density nylon jersey outer layer. Lightness and packability are emphasized in this fabric, as is the unparalleled colour obtained from Stone Island’s experience in finished garment dyeing.

The introduction of the first Shadow Project duffel and bag is complemented by a rich series of graphics and by slip-on suede shoes.

Kingpins has announced the cancellation of its Hong Kong edition due to the coronavirus, the organisation announced in an official press release. The fair would have taken place on 13th and 14th May 2020, but the organization sees “the current health risks and significant travel restrictions in force” more than sufficient grounds for the exhibition not let go by.

“We are very concerned about the situation in China and understand that many of our exhibitors and attendees are dealing with extreme difficulties and uncertainty due to efforts to contain the spread of the virus,” says Andrew Olah, founder of Kingpins Show. “In light of these issues and the expectation that the disruption will continue for some time, we felt it best to cancel our Hong Kong event.”

Harrods will be home to Tiffany & Co.’s next Breakfast at Tiffany’s café, a concept café that has already took place in Shanghai, Hong Kong, and New York. The 1961 film, Breakfast At Tiffany’s, directed by Blake Edwards has been the inspiration for the café decorated in the infamous Tiffany blue. From the ceiling to the dishware, customers will be surrounded by the sparkling jewelry whilst being able to enjoy all three meals along with other sweets in the café, being completely immersed in the Tiffany & Co brand. Holly Golightly’s expectations would be exceeded. The goal of the blue box café is to immerse customers in the world of Tiffany’s. The expected opening is February 14, 2020.

The Lyst Index is a quarterly ranking of fashion’s hottest brands and products. To compile the results, global fashion search platform Lyst analyses the online shopping behaviour of more than nine million shoppers a month searching, browsing and buying fashion across 12,000 designers and stores online. The formula behind The Lyst Index takes into account global Lyst and Google search data, conversion rates and sales, as well as brand and product social media mentions and engagement statistics worldwide over a three month period.

In this key commercial quarter for brands and retailers, festive gifting and seasonal mark-downs boosted sales. But despite a climate of aggressive discounting around Singles Day and Black Friday, full price sales propelled many of the quarter’s hottest brands within The Lyst Index. Shoppers gravitated towards recognisable ‘core’ or non-seasonal products that are not marked down, or searched for a brand on sale but then bought full price.

For many of the hottest brands, Q4 wasn’t just about maximising sales, but was also a moment for announcing sustainability and brand purpose activities. From Prada signing a loan that will see interest rates lowered in exchange for meeting sustainability targets, to Burberry announcing a partnership with resale site The RealReal, to Gucci CEO Marco Bizzarri launching the CEO Carbon Neutral Challenge, these initiatives offset the traditional ‘buy, buy, buy’ mentality of the quarter – and point towards a wider shift in the industry.

This quarter, Off-White retains its number one spot in The Lyst Index as the hottest brand in the world, buoyed by strong demand for its T-shirts, hoodies, sneakers and accessories. Towards the end of 2019, Off-White’s founder and creative director Virgil Abloh predicted the death of streetwear in the coming decade. But for now at least, streetwear remains the most powerful force in fashion.

Yeezy re-enters the 20 hottest brands list this quarter, climbing 9 places to 16th position, with searches and social mentions boosted after designer Kanye West unveiled a futuristic clog — dubbed ‘foam runner’ — made from an algae-derived material and set to go on sale this year. Stone Island and Nike retain their positions as 11th and 12th hottest brands in the world respectively, and luxury brands including Balenciaga and Fendi, which have adopted a streetwear focus in recent years, continue to place highly in the Index, at 3rd and 6th place respectively.

But some of the moves among the hottest brands suggest change is afoot. Having helped define the luxury streetwear movement, Vetements falls 5 places to 15th position, following the announcement earlier in 2019 that designer Demna Gvasalia would step down. Meanwhile, Bottega Veneta – which offers a non-streetwear take on luxury – continues its ascent, moving up 2 places after searches for the brand increased 32% during the three-month period.

The 3 biggest movers in The Lyst Index this quarter were driven by seasonal demand for insulated outerwear and robust footwear. Moncler rises 10 places into 4th position, Canada Goose climbs 14 places into 18th position and Dr. Martens moves 12 places into 19th position. For Canada Goose and Dr. Martens, this marks their first appearance in The Lyst Index hottest brands ranking. Acne Studios was also boosted by seasonality, re-entering The Lyst Index this quarter in 17th position, propelled by demand for its bold knit accessories.

Copenhagen Fashion Summit and Copenhagen International Fashion Fair (CIFF) have announced the business space for sustainable innovation C+, set to launch in August 2020 during Copenhagen Fashion Week.

With an extensive, growing environmental and social footprint across the globe, there is an urgent need to accelerate the fashion industry’s sustainable transformation. That is why Copenhagen Fashion Summit and CIFF are joining forces to launch C+, a business space for sustainable innovation designed to help small and large fashion businesses implement innovative solutions to create more sustainable products. At a curated trade and exhibition area at CIFF, C+ will present some of the world’s most promising sustainable solutions covering the entire value chain. The business space will have approximately 100 solutions on exhibition and also a stage programme with panels focusing on sustainable solutions. C+ will also offer a matchmaking programme with facilitated and pre-scheduled business meetings between fashion brands and solution providers to help companies take the first important steps towards (further) implementing sustainability.

“We must accelerate the pace of progress, and we believe that connecting brands with solution providers is what will help them advance most quickly. Copenhagen Fashion Summit is restricted in terms of how many companies we can engage, which is why we’re beyond excited about our collaboration with CIFF and having the opportunity to access its huge network in the Nordics. Creating direct connections between fashion brands and innovative solutions aligns well with our mission to mobilise and guide the fashion industry to take bold and urgent action on sustainability,” says Eva Kruse, CEO, Global Fashion Agenda, organiser of Copenhagen Fashion Summit.

The business space for sustainable innovation C+, which will launch during Copenhagen Fashion Week SS21, will be open to visitors from 4-5 August 2020.

DuPont Sorona faux fur was awarded the ISPO Textrend “Best Product” in the Accelerated Eco category for the Fall/Winter 2021/22 season. As the apparel industry is increasingly pivoting away from the use of animal fur, this innovative product provides a thoughtful solution to fur with a luxurious, premium look and feel that designers can incorporate into their garments.

Sorona faux fur is made with 70 to 100 percent bio-based Sorona polymer fibers, creating one of the first commercially available faux furs using plant-based ingredients. Current styles vary from classic mink to plush teddy-style fur, providing limitless solutions for fashion apparel – such as the inside lining of a jacket, or the trim on a collar – as well as footwear and accessories – including fur-lined shoes, earmuffs and more. The faux fur pushes the boundaries of sustainability in fashion, while providing consumers with an ethical option that is also better for the planet.

New Sorona faux fur is a long-lasting and luxurious fur alternative with an array of performance attributes including warmth, design flexibility and dyeability. With exceptional softness and uncompromising durability, this natural feeling alternative to fur will not break down over time due to heat or UV rays. This can lengthen the life of the garment for multiple uses and when it is finally time to retire the garment, it can be mechanically recycled rather than being directed to the landfill like spandex. Sorona faux fur will be on display at ISPO Beijing on February 12-15, 2020 in the Textrends display area.

Fashion brand Scotch & Soda has launched eyewear for Spring 2020, offering a collection of men’s and women’s sunglasses and opticals.

The new category has been introduced with licensee partner Mondottica and will be stocked at Scotch & Soda stores, on its website and at selected opticians globally. The collection includes 11 men’s sunglasses and 10 women’s sunglasses, as well as 10 men’s and 11 women’s optical styles.

Inspiration comes from the landscapes of Hawaii, and references across the collection include colourful sunset gradients, palm-leaf engravings and tonal seascape-inspired lenses.

The DuPont Sorona brand team is challenging designers to think about the full lifecycle of a garment by showcasing a ski jacket where every layer is a spandex-free stretch solution that can be recycled. The ski jacket – using partially bio-based Sorona fabrics for the inner and outer layers, the insulation, and the faux fur trim – is debuting exclusively at the upcoming Outdoor Retailer Snow Show on Jan. 29-31, 2020 in Denver, Colo., and at ISPO Munich, Jan. 26-29, 2020.

Combining the long-lasting performance of Sorona® fabrics with the concept of circular economy, this jacket is compatible with single stream polyester recycling, meaning the fabrics can have a second life when it’s time to finally retire the garment. Designed by Youngone, this stylish jacket incorporates the recently launched ECOLoft™ FLEX SR insulation based on UNIFI REPREVE® fibers and bio-based Sorona® polymer fibers offering warmth and long-lasting stretch for hitting the slopes time and time again.

“Stretch fabrics with even 1 percent spandex or elastane, if not reused, tend to head for the landfill,” explains Laurie Kronenberg, Global DuPont™ Sorona® Brand Manager. “That is why it is so important to understand that if a polyester stretch garment has elasterell-p or elastomultiester to enhance the garment’s stretch performance, it can be mechanically recycled. Educating everyone from designers to the material handlers in the recycling facilities that there is a stretch fiber option that can be mechanically recycled in a 100 percent polyester construction will have a positive impact on the environment.”

“We’re working with multiple value chains and thinking of the entire lifecycle of a garment,” said Renee Henze, DuPont Biomaterials Global Marketing Director. “Every stakeholder has to pull together to create solutions for sustainable fashions. We’re proud to debut this soft and luxurious jacket that features partially plant-based Sorona® fabrics throughout and has the added benefit of being recycled at its end of life.”

Premium, sustainable and streetwear menswear show Jacket Required has announced it is moving to a new home as of July 2020. For the SS21 show, taking place on the 22^nd – 23^rdJuly, Jacket Required will be moving to the iconic Saatchi Gallery in south west London.

Martin Arnold, Fashion Portfolio Director at Hyve Group plc said in a statement: “We want to give the SS21 edition of Jacket Required a significant reboot, so in line with our plans to really push the premium edge of Jacket Required and make it the UK’s only true home for premium menswear once again, we’re moving to the iconic Saatchi Gallery. As many regular Hyve Fashion attendees and exhibitors will know, our premium womenswear show, Scoop, also calls this venue home. As we continue to align the fashion portfolio, we wanted to bring Jacket Required in line with Scoop’s setting and values, to ensure that our premium offerings across men’s and women’s fashion truly match. While the two shows will remain separate, running to their own original datelines, we believe that aligning Jacket Required with Scoop will help to solidify our premium identity.”

Uniting four distinct shows, COTERIE, FAME, SOLE COMMERCE and MODA —The COTERIE Marketplace brings together all categories of women’s fashion under one roof, in the heart of Hudson Yards.

Every February and September, The COTERIE Marketplace anchors the New York market and kicks off the global sales calendar for the new season.

This February, CHILDREN’S CLUB—Elevated Lifestyle Collections for Children, is colocated with COTERIE, FAME, SOLE COMMERCE and MODA at the Jacob Javits Center, NYC.

Hey Geoffrey B. Small presented his 110th collection in Paris entitled “just another Boston guy” dedicated to the style and art of Ric Ocasek former band leader of the The Cars during the AW2020 men’s week. The 43 outfit extreme handmade rocker collection featured the American designer’s superflux sustainable concepts in pure cashmere, wool, linen, cotton and silk all made in Italy at the designer’s  independent Cavarzere workrooms, as well as a 100 thousand euro supercoat made from Fratelli Piacenza 1733’s pure Vicunya fabric and the all-new titanium monocoque handmade collaboration sunglasses created by Ti Kwa and Rigards for Geoffrey B. Small. The very exclusive collection is currently carried in about 25 of the world’s top directional men’s designer clothing stores. Geoffrey B. Small is an American designer originally from Boston, who now lives and works in Italy. 

Jean-Paul Gaultier had announced that his next fashion, will be his last one. On the designer’s Instagram page, he announced that he has a new concept in store and said ‘This show celebrating 50 years of my career will also be my last. But rest assured Haute Couture will continue with a new concept.’

After its highly successful debut, the PLAYERS DISTRICT – the area specifically created inside MICAM Milano to provide the variegated world of outdoor and sports shoes with its own exclusive space – will be back at the forthcoming edition of the international trade show, to be held at the Fiera Milano from 16 to 19 February 2020.

The PLAYERS DISTRICT is a clear reflection of market trends which indicate that the sports footwear segment is expanding rapidly. A further consolidation, therefore, following an increase of over 5% in both expenditure and quantity recorded at the end of 2018. Along with sneakers, the sports sector is the only one to show an increase in sales on the domestic market, which has been undergoing a long period of stagnation. Figures provided by the Italian National Institute of Statistics (Istat) regarding exports of Italian sports shoes are also positive: in the first 9 months of 2019, in fact, Italy exported 11.8 million pairs, amounting in value to 645.4 million Euros (with a tendential increase of 9.5% and 6.7% respectively). Extending the analysis to the European Union as a whole, according to Eurostat the 28 member States exported more than 200 million pairs (considering trade flows both within and outside the EU) in the same period, for a total of 6.3 billion Euros; this was in line with January-September 2018 levels, although trade flows towards non-EU countries showed an increase of 5.5% in volume and 15.3% in value. Assocalzaturifici has been monitoring trends regarding this type of footwear for some time and has set up this area both to demonstrate the importance of this specific segment and provide manufacturers and buyers in the field with an exclusive area in which to do business.

At the September edition of MICAM, when the Players District made its debut, sports shoes were in fact amongst the products most dealt-in at the fair, attracting 8.5% of buyers’ attention (in particular, amongst the visitors interested in this type of product, 34% were looking for men’s sports shoes and 40% for women’s). Remaining in the field of sports and outdoor shoes, it is worth mentioning that 16% of interest in this segment was concentrated on “Trekking and outdoor footwear” (37% menswear and 37% womenswear).

As far as the business aspect is concerned, therefore, the next edition of the PLAYERS DISTRICT will once again undoubtedly represent an important vantage point from which to observe this constantly changing market, as well as providing all those in the trade, dealers and retailers, with a unique business opportunity. Once again, the layout’s central feature will be The Arena, an area dedicated to demonstrating all the variegated types of sports footwear “in action”, through a series of performances and dynamic events perfectly in tune with the spirit of this commodity segment. So, to recap: the not-to-be-missed appointment with the PLAYERS DISTRICT for dealers and companies operating in the sector is confirmed for the forthcoming edition of MICAM Milano, from 16 to 19 February 2020.

The British designer Stella McCartney will be releasing biodegradable denim in May 2020 with a special collection for its Autumn/Winter 2020 collection. The development and release of this type of denim is in part of McCartney’s commitment to the sustainable fabrics innovation.

The fashion industry as a whole has been addressing the issue of how large of a carbon footprint the fashion industry leaves. Many brands are working to manufacture and create their pieces in a more environment friendly way. McCartney utilizes the Coreva Stretch Technology along with using plant-based yarns to create her biodegradable denim.

When denim is made using the Coreva Stretch Technology it is safe and toxic-free compared to the normal way to produce jeans. There is no use of toxic dyes or chemicals to make one pair of jeans. The Coreva Stretch Technology uses organic cotton wrapped around a rubber core and uses less water consumption. McCartney furthered her sustainable efforts by teaming up with Candiani to have the denim pieces made from plant-based yarns. This utilizes a renewable resource while also maintaining the denim’s biodegradable and compostable material.

Burberry has launched its new Chinese New Year 2020 campaign and collection which is a vibrant celebration in red- heralding joy, health and happiness for the year of the rat.

Shot by Shanghai Photographer Leslie Zhang, the campaign stars Zhou Dongyu, Llang Jiyuan and He Cong, captured in a series of intimate poses dressed in Riccardo Tisci’s Chinese New Year Capsule Collection. House codes meet vivid shades of red, a symbol of joy, vitality and prosperity, in a series of modern silhouettes. From refined tailoring to sports-influenced separates and fresh iterations of the iconic Burberry sneaker (The Union) and the infamous Runway Bag (The Lola)

Burberry’s Chinese New Year collection includes a limited-edition Thomas Burberry Monogram motif, inspired by the Chinese zodiac and animated with an original illustration in honour of the Year of the Rat, which appears throughout.

On Tuesday, 14th January 2020 at 6.00 pm, the official runway of Berlin Fashion Week at Kraftwerk provided the venue for the NEONYT Editorial Show. Under the motto “Back to nature – High street fashion meets outdoor”, renowned stylist Claudia Hofmann has put together a number of carefully considered multi-label looks. Maximum universal performance – minimum negative impact, that’s what the future holds.

Focus on function: The Neonyt Fashion Show interprets high fashion in the mix with high-performance innovative materials in an aesthetic, contemporary and disruptive way.

Creativity, dreams and genius: MICAM, the shoe industry’s
leading international fair, is poised to transform the world of footwear into a fantasy universe imbued with the enchanted atmosphere of the world’s most famous fairytales.

The creative idea and direction were curated by the MM Company, with accounting by Laureri Associates, and the theme will accompany the trade show over the coming editions. MICAM’s #micamtales aim to portray the fantastic world of creativity through a collection of fairy-tales ‘to wear’, revisited in a contemporary key. The concept will provide the setting for the numerous stories recounted by exhibitors, whose collections transform the trade-fair into the creative heart of the footwear world. To ensure the concept is clearly visualized, a different fairy-tale will be dedicated to each year, divided into two distinct parts: one in February (for the fair’s Autumn/Winter edition) and one in September (Spring/Summer).

The first fairy-tale of 2020 will be MICAM in Wonderland: a surreal transposition of the iconic fairy-tale based on the images taken by photographer Fabrizio Scarpa and directed by Daniele Scarpa. The items of clothing and accessories chosen for the marketing campaign are eccentric, exaggerated, voluminous. Attentive as ever to the ideas of emerging designers, MICAM has chosen to use the creations of a select number of new young designers to pep up its new campaign even further. In particular, the stars of the 2020 “MICAM in Wonderland” edition will be the
garments designed by Gianluca Alibrando, shoes produced by Les Petits Joueurs and the bags created by Benedetta Bruzziches.

Parajumpers presents REMAKELAND, an immersive video performance by digital artist Felice Limosani supported by trip-hop trio BowLand.

The performance took place on January 12 for Milan Men’s Fashion Week to inaugurate the Casa degli Artisti (House of Artists) cultural program. The historic building was founded in 1909 by the Bogani Brothers, far-sighted patrons who hosted studios and workshops on the corner of Corso Garibaldi and Via Cazzaniga.

Today, as a reflection of its heritage, the space is reserved exclusively for projects of artistic value. Fittingly, the structure was literally immersed in an architectural video installation blending animated digital images and electronic sounds with ethereal voices. Felice Limosani’s artistic concept begins with the collation of original sounds and melodies taken from Bowland’s personal archives, remixing them into a soundtrack which is then combined with monocratic video art mapped onto the internal surfaces of the building.

Through artistic metaphor, the project interprets the founding spirit of Parajumpers spanning Art, Technology and Humanity. It is an artistic dialogue between Felice Limosani and Bowland inspired by the brand. Art takes the expression of “well done”, technology becomes “innovation” and humanity is viewed as “people at the center of everything”.

The installation culminated with a live concert by BowLand with groovy rhythms performed exclusively for the event

Pitti Immagine selected SUN68 as a partner to dress the Pitti Boys & Girls at the Men & Children and Yarn Fairs in January 2020 taking place this week. SUN68 garments are customized on the theme of the Winter Salons Show your Flags! At Pitti 97 SUN68 three collections: clothing, footwear and the Pizza&Sushi capsule collection are showcase.

The main collection takes inspiration from the outdoor world and sport-heritage, attention to details and materials (new yarns and compositions); overlays: formal garments combined with those that are admittedly casual.
Footwear: unprecedented commercial success with numbers doubled compared to previous seasons; new articles in suede and nappa for a more mature and refined clientele available in autumn colors (navy, brown, burgundy), in addition to the iconic basics that expand the mid-season offer for a product that abandons the concept of seasonality.

SUN68 SUSHI is a transversal project featuring a young and street-wear product, dedicated to a new generation: t-shirt with ironic graphics, rain jackets, cotton sweatshirts and embroidered triacetate jackets. SUN68 SUSHI is a journey, an inspiration that refers to food as a cultural fusion element, increasingly trendy and without barriers. This year, Japanese attention for details meets warm Italian creativity by becoming “PIZZA&SUSHI”.
A slice of pizza, that is the undisputed symbol of the “Bel Paese”, and the precision of the cuisine of the Far East Country: two expressions of tradition and freedom of communication, that represent the essence of the SUN68 brand and its philosophy. Ideas do not know barriers, they have no age and they have no limits, so the new capsule it is not linked to a productive seasonality.

The SUN68 PIZZA&SUSHI Capsule Collection will be officially released in September 2020 and distributed exclusively in selected stores and in the brand’s official e-commerce store.

At the same time as the world’s largest sports trade fair, ISPO Munich 2020 will be happening, things will be getting really sporty in Munich and the surrounding area. While around 2,800 exhibitors from all over the world present the latest trends and products in the sporting goods industry to around 84,000 trade visitors in the exhibition halls, the Sports Week taking place from January 25th till February 1st, 2020 invites all end consumers to take action.

It starts with the expedition day on Saturday, January 25th at Globetrotter Equipment in Munich. Visitors can take part in workshops and short lectures given by the German Alpine Association (DAV) and the Berlin Center for Travel and Tropical Medicine, get tips from manufacturers and experience high-level taster courses in the Höhenkammer. On Sunday, January 26th, those interested can part at the Snow & Safety Workshop in the Keller Sports Store with the participation of the outdoor brand Mammut. Avalanche safety, behavior on the mountain, the functions of an avalanche airbag and many other topics are on the agenda.

The culmination of the Sports Week is the Night Run on Saturday, February 1st. There are running routes over 5 km and 10 km as well as a kids run.

The Gore-Tex Uphill Challenge runs throughout the Sports Week: runners who conquer the Olympic mountain from January 25th to February 1st and upload their run to Strava can win high-quality prizes.

Let’s put our best outfits on and start off this decade in Florence with a bang!

Pitti Uomo, taking place right now is more vital than ever to make new connections, discover new talent and create vital business.

Pitti has established itself as the event every season that offers not only a vast range of brands but also sees the greatest possibility for networking: everybody who is somebody will be there.

The fact that the industry is taking this event more seriously than ever can be seen from the events that are going on: more and more high-end brands host events during the trade show, other industries flog-in to get a taste of the fashionaistas and of course established brands host DJ sets, have influencers and celebrities at their booths and there is a vast set of educational activities going on.

If you need tips on getting around the city and want to know the key events, please go to the section WeAr To Go of our Buyer’s Guide. Otherwise, follow through to the Buyers Guide main page to find updates straight from the tradeshow including trends, street style, impressions, designer collections and more!

Miami’s Wynwood district is home to the largest, most ambitious project from Diesel Living, developed by Bel Invest. A vision of what metropolitan life can be, enriched by a host of comforts such as a pool, gym, meditation room, curated art gallery and a lush courtyard, the Diesel Wynwood complex embody the essence of Diesel: a total luxury place of comfort and cutting-edge design.

From urban art to natural elements, Diesel Wynwood nourishes the best of both worlds with 13 individually designed penthouses and maisonettes.

Alongside the launch of its apartments, the brand launched a campaign featuring T-shirts. “Talk about an investment piece. This exclusive Wynwood t-shirt comes with its own complementary condo in our new Miami apartment building. Whether you like urbane creative living or are just a big fan of a simple white tee, this is one not to miss.” Of course this comes with a legal side note stating “that the apartments are not really for free. And no, you will not get a free luxury apartment when you buy a t-shirt at that price. You’re actually paying for it. To be totally honest, it’s probably more the opposite: you buy an apartment and you’ll get a t-shirt for free.”

BOTIER Jewelry, the brainchild of Marina Botier, first came to be when Marina designed her first ring around 7 years ago. Through her connections and long lasting history with the diamond industry, she was always coming up with new designs for herself. 

That first ring she designed (The Bella) is now the strongest piece in the BOTIER collection and inspired so many new designs.

Bella, like all other rings, was created to magnify and reflect a person’s energy while they are wearing it. By combining two fingers when wearing a double ring, the person is making a statement on what they wish to accomplish in the world. The significance of each finger and ring is only revealed to the person after they have put on the ring, the way they feel it should be worn. 

The simplicity of the designs ensure a long lasting and timeless piece for the person. BOTIER strives to empower each person and make them feel strong and fashionable. 

Each piece is handcrafted in the Botier owned atelier in Antwerp, Belgium.
Only the purest 18 carat gold and most exclusive diamonds are used to create a BOTIER design. 

For next winter season, North Sails will present a new collection dedicated to 36th America’s Cup presented by Prada, the official clothing partner. 

The Auckland jacket, made with a 2 Layer Stretch Recycled fabric, with an inner padding made in Primaloft (a recycled and biodegradable material), is highly breathable (10.000 MVP Moisturise Vapour Permeability) and waterproof (10.000 MM water column).

But the most relevant feature is represented by High Frequency Welding, an authentic game-changer in product-creation. High Frequency Welding is a process that requires no stitching to join the component parts of a garment. Stitches create weakness; with such a technology, the bond at the seam is as strong as in any other area of the jacket.  

“No glue is a significant game-changer. Firstly, adhesives are pollutants, so we’re able to bring this jacket to market with a far smaller ecological footprint.  Furthermore, overtime glue dematerialized causing fabric delamination, which leads to seam failure.  High Frequency Welding eliminates this issue, leading to far longer-lasting garments.”

The efficiency and advanced design of this process also allows for seams to be flat; this entails less bulk in the design and a reduction in material use.  The outcome is a jacket which is lighter, smoother and more comfortable to wear, warmer and with greater waterproofing dependability.

Ultimately, High Frequency Welding creates a purer garment; a longer-lasting product of greater quality and performance-integrity, produced through a cutting-edge process which reduces ecological-impact.

WSM’s upcoming edition taking place from 11th till 12th January 2020 in Milan is developed to bridge the gap between the culture of sustainability and all of the stakeholders in the fashion industry. The purpose? Positive CHANGE. One brick at the time.

What does sustainability in the fashion industry really mean? A unique opportunity to discover it and become part of the change.

With this, in the heart of the Milan district WSM brings together brands, designers, artists, key opinion leaders, innovative start-ups, international organizations and exhibitions all united in their diversity by a common goal: sustainable development.