LOEWE has announced a collaboration with performance brand On: a limited edition capsule collection of shoes and apparel designed for modern adventure. LOEWE and On have reimagined long established craft skills, combining a focus on sustainability with an emphasis on applying the handmade to technical pieces.

Crafted for city life the great outdoors, the collection features LOEWE editions of On’s iconic Cloudventure and Cloudrock performance shoes for both men and women. Available in five colourways —Gradient Khaki, Gradient Grey, Gradient Blue, Gradient Orange and Space Blue— the shoes feature both On’s trademark technologies, the Missiongrip™ rubber outsole and the Speedboard™ mid-sole hidden plate, as well as a recycled polyester upper, hand-pressed marbled outsoles, brass eyelets and a matte or  iridescent mudguard.

Outdoor footwear is paired with six ready-to-wear pieces for women  and seven for men, each built with a unique blend of performance properties and key On  features— weatheradaptable Running Pants, a moisture-wicking Waterproof Anorak,  temperature regulating Performance-T t-shirts and a unisex customizable insulation  three-layer Parka.

Each of the ready-to-wear pieces are available in two colourways for each gender: an organic palette of khaki, blue and orange that takes inspiration from nature, applied in gradient effects that suggest prolonged exposure to the elements en plein air. These effects, as well as the Japanese sashiko-inspired needlework print that resembles a starry night, are the result of a meticulous technical process to craft the perfect colour and pattern.

LOEWE x On is a shared exploration of performance and craft: a vision for a more sustainable future.

The collection launches March 9 on loewe.com and on-running.com, and in selected LOEWE stores on March 10. 

On April 20 and 21 Kingpins will take place in Amsterdam, and will present than 80 leading denim mills and factories. Kingpins Amsterdam will hold its shows at a venue called SugarCity which, like its name implies, was once a sugar factory. “We love the building, its age, its attitude and raw features that remind us of a piece of unwashed denim. It’s a large and open space and should allow all of us the space to meet and do business in a comfortable and safe environment.”

Furthermore, later this year, Kingpins will also take place in New York on July 20 and 21, at Pier 36 / Basketball City.

This year, once more, the LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers has confirmed its success and international scope: more than 1,900 candidates from all over the world have applied to the new edition of this competition.

When the applications closed, 20 young brands were selected for the semi-final. The designers hail from 13 countries: Belgium, Canada, China, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Nigeria, South Korea, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States and, for the first time, Sri Lanka, encompassing a great diversity of cultures and talents. We are also delighted to welcome back Palomo Spain, semi-finalist of the 2017 edition.

On 4th and 5th March, the twenty semi-finalists will present their collections and their creative world at a showroom in Paris. On this occasion, the international Experts of the Prize, specialists from the world of fashion, will vote for the eight finalists. This year once again, the LVMH Prize will be held digitally on the dedicated website lvmhprize.com and involve the general public: from March 4th to 9th, everyone will be able to discover the designers and vote for their favourite candidate.

LIST OF THE BRANDS SELECTED FOR THE SEMI-FINAL OF THE 2022 PRIZE

AIREI by Drew Curry, United States, menswear

AMESH by Amesh Wijesekera, Sri Lanka, genderless collections

ASHLYN by Ashlynn Park, South Korea, womenswear

BLUEMARBLE by Anthony Alvarez, France, menswear

CHENPENG by Peng Chen, China, genderless collections

ERL by Eli Russell Linnetz, United States, womenswear, menswear and genderless collections

GOOMHEO by Goom Heo, South Korea, menswear and genderless collections

KNWLS by Charlotte Knowles, United Kingdom & Alexandre Arsenault, Canada, womenswear

MAXIMILIAN by Maximilian Davis, United Kingdom, womenswear and menswear

MERYLL ROGGE by Meryll Rogge, Belgium, womenswear and genderless collections

NICCOLO PASQUALETTI by Niccolò Pasqualetti, Italy, genderless collections

PALOMO SPAIN by Alejandro Gòmez Palomo, Spain, genderless collections

PAULA CANOVAS DEL VAS by Paula Canova del Vas, Spain, womenswear

ROISIN PIERCE by Róisín Pierce, Ireland, womenswear

RYUNOSUKEOKAZAKI by Ryunosuke Okazaki, Japan, genderless collections

S.S. DALEY by Steven Stokey Daley, United Kingdom, menswear

TOKYO JAMES by Iniye Tokyo James, Nigeria, menswear

WEINSANTO by Victor Brunstein Weinsanto, France, womenswear

WINNIE NEW YORK by Idris Balogun, United States, menswear

YUEQI QI by Yueqi Qi, China, genderless collections

The Stone Island Spring Summer_’022 Collection finds the iconic Stone Island bluette developed in different product categories.

Overshirt in Membrana 3L TC: a 3-layer light performance fabric made from an opaque nylon outer face laminated to a breathable, water-resistant membrane. Vest made of an innovative Japanese ripstop nylon: composed of 60% bio-based polymers, derived from the processing of castor beans and 40% traditional nylon. 15-gauge hooded knit in cotton nylon. Explore the collection at www.stoneisland.com.

As part of its People’s Place Program, Tommy Hilfiger have teamed up with Harlem Fashion Row on a new initiative to amplify emerging Black fashion designers. Titled New Legacy Challenge, the design competition is a part of Hilfiger’s People’s Place Program.

The New Legacy Challenge began in 2021 by encouraging designers to showcase their thoughts on contemporary prep styles. Out of the top 12 applicants who exhibited their work in a virtual showcase, three finalists were selected for the last round. Under the mentorship of Tommy Hilfiger, the three finalists will reenvision six prep styles including a spring varsity jacket, polo, hoodie and more before presenting their final collections in March.

The People’s Place Program was launched in July 2020, drawing inspiration from Hilfiger’s very first store of the same name established in 1969 in his hometown of Elmira, NY. The initiative aims to amplify the company’s efforts and dedication of resources to increasing opportunities and visibility for underrepresented communities within the fashion and apparel industries around the world.

Boram Yoo, Paris-based designer, has won the grand prize at the Designers’ Nest 2022 showcase during Copenhagen Fashion Week with a collection that explored the history of forced labour uniforms in Korea.

Designers’ Nest is a non-profit initiative that supports fashion talents from the Nordic countries in their early stages after graduation. It features graduate designers who show high levels of originality, creativity, craftsmanship and responsible design.

Each year 10 finalists are selected to present their graduate work at a joint fashion show at Copenhagen Fashion Week. Awarded designers receive mentorships, internships and support to produce a commercial collection. In partnership with a museum, an Exhibition Prize is awarded to select designers that will be featured in an exhibition. Designers are selected by director Ane Lynge-Jorlén and a panel of industry experts.

Designers Nest talents have gone on to Givenchy, Maison Margiela, ACNE Studios and GANNI.

JOOR, the world’s leading digital wholesale platform, announced that JOOR Passport will power a set of marquee global fashion events for the third consecutive year.

Digital shows slated to run on JOOR Passport this spring include select CFDA Member brands showing during New York Fashion Week, London Fashion Week, Tokyo Fashion Awards, Showcase Japan (in partnership with the Japan External Trade Organization), UK in Fashion, and Passport to Spain, with others currently being confirmed.

JOOR technology will facilitate digital order-taking, creating a virtual component to each event that extends its timeframe and geographic reach, providing access to buyers from around the world.

Additionally, JOOR is excited to announce its support of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and its new Interim Membership Tier, which recognises exemplary emerging designers and aims to help strengthen and grow their business by providing direct access to industry resources and experts. JOOR will support the CFDA’s mission of strengthening the impact of American fashion in the global economy by providing relevant market information for Council Members and by enabling extended commerce opportunities through connection to leading retailers around the world.

“Digital adoption has become critical for success in the fashion industry today,” said Lisa Smilor, Executive Vice President at the Council of Fashion Designers of America. “We look forward to working with JOOR to provide the CFDA’s new Interim Members with knowledge of wholesale market trends, digital selling best practices, and access to JOOR’s powerful global network of retail buyers.”

As part of this announcement, JOOR released its Spring Market Survey results, which underscore the critical nature of digital wholesale commerce. This coming market season, 97% of brands are planning to leverage virtual showrooms and 87% of retailers plan to conduct virtual buying in some capacity. With this adoption rate, JOOR is on track to achieve a globally curated marketplace where brands and buyers have one centralised location to connect. JOOR continues to support both in-person appointments via its iPad app and custom QR codes, as well as virtual selling via its desktop platform.

On 16 and 17 of February, Prada will present the seventh iteration of Prada Mode at Genghis Cohen featuring an immersive installation by the artist Martine Syms, to coincide with Frieze Los Angeles.

A traveling social club with a focus on contemporary culture, Prada Mode provides members with a unique art experience along with music, dining, and conversations.

Prada Mode Los Angeles will occupy Genghis Cohen, the iconic restaurant and music venue on historic Fairfax Avenue. The location will be transformed by the artist Martine Syms with the interactive installation titled “HelLA World.

Premium Group, the German trade show for advanced contemporary fashion in Europe, is returning to the capital and, in July 2022, is set to present a completely new live event concept around the Berlin Radio Tower and summer garden.

Berlin’s new government brings Premium Group power back to Berlin: “Berlin is THE metropolis for the cultural and creative industries and Europe’s largest start-up scene. As the new state government, we are committed to an economically strong Berlin. Trade fairs and events are an important economic factor and a centre of attraction for Berliners and guests from all over the world. We are therefore delighted that we have succeeded in bringing the events of the Premium Group back home”, says Franziska Giffey, Mayor of Berlin.

For the upcoming July event, Premium Group creates interactive live event concept for B2B and D2C. Anita Tillmann, Jörg Arntz and the team are bringing their passion for people, fashion, innovation and entertainment back home and setting new standards for live fashion events.

The creators of PREMIUM, SEEK, FASHIONTECH and THE GROUND want to redesign the sustainability of future-proof fashion events. In the new Premium Group cosmos, brands can present themselves emotionally and interactively to retailers and consumers. All realities are represented: the new kids in the industry, such as D2C brands, e-commerce and influencers, are given their place in the Premium Group cosmos in the form of the new fashion festival THE GROUND. But also long-standing partners of established brands and representatives from traditional stationary retail will profit from further developed B2B spaces.

Taking into account the different needs of all visitors, the events will take place from Thursday to Saturday for the first time: from 7 to 9 July 2022.

‘Classic trade fair formats are no longer up to date’, sums up Anita Tillmann, Managing Partner of the Premium Group. ‘We have to reinvent ourselves and look to the future – to a new stage in the life of the fashion industry post-pandemic, which has changed everything. Digitization, climate change, pandemic, changing values, new industry cycles and new players, as well as topics around gender equality, diversity, metaverse, gaming and NFTs, are just a few areas we are dealing with. We aim to set new standards for the future of trade events and merge B2B and D2C with our new event concept.’

The planned kick-off of the Premium Group Events in Frankfurt am Main could not take place because of the coronavirus, and the plan to establish the events at the new location has fallen victim to the pandemic.

‘It’s a shame that the move to Frankfurt didn’t work out’, says Jörg Arntz, Managing Director of the Premium Group. ‘We all tried very hard and did our best. As an entrepreneur, you always have to remain capable of acting and questioning decisions that have been made. In order to do justice to our customers and the market environment, we have decided – after intensive discussions with the city of Berlin – to hold our events in our home city again. We are Berliners at heart and are confident that the new government will anchor Berlin as Europe’s creative metropolis in a sustainable and economic way.’

Thierry Mugler, the French pioneering fashion designer, has died at the age of 73. The brand announced on its social media page “It is with deep sadness that the House of Mugler announces the passing of Mr Manfred Thierry Mugler. A visionary whose imagination as a couturier, perfumer and image-maker empowered people around the world to be bolder and dream bigger every day.”

In order to mark the milestone birthday of August 4th, Louis Vuitton invited a mosaic of talents from all walks of life to take part in the initiative, spanning arts and culture, sciences, sports, humanitarian causes, and so on. The objective? Personalize the emblematic Louis Vuitton trunk and create their own version, with abstract concepts and dreamlike expressions.

Visionaries such as Jean-Michel Othoniel, Jean-Philippe Delhomme, Nigo and BTS have left their print. They all used a metaphorical blank canvas measuring 50 x 50 x 100 centimeters, approximately the dimensions of the original trunk that Louis designed in the 1850s, and left their imagination take over. Faye McLeod, Louis Vuitton’s Visual Image Director, says “this project has always been about creativity, a real tribute to Louis’ ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit. We get to see how such a cross-section of talents answered the same brief while also taking a moment to appreciate the man himself.”

The LV200 project remains a fully philanthropic undertaking. Indeed, the artists have directed all of their fees to 15 NGOs across 13 countries, selected for their focus on uplifting young people through their creative endeavors. Two million euros have been raised. In addition, at the end of the exhibition, all 200 trunks and derivatives will be sold under auction by Sotheby’s in December 2022. All proceeds will go directly to a scholarship program to bridge inequality gaps, throughout different creative fields, with the aim of ensuring access to artistic studies and skills development, regardless of the students’ financial resources.

Throughout the exhibition, visitors are taken to a thoroughly designed journey: connecting with Louis’ history, by paying him tribute, and presenting a unique visual experience. After this first stop in Paris, the exhibition will head to New York in February, and onward to other destinations every few months.

MICAM Milano, the international footwear trade fair, MIPEL, the international event for leather goods and accessories, and THE ONE MILANO, the haut-à-porter show, initially due to take place in February, have been moved to 13-15 March 2022, while the HOMI Fashion&Jewels Exhibition, the event dedicated to fashion jewellery and accessories, will partially overlap with these dates, being scheduled to take place – also at the Fiera Milano Rho exhibition centre – from 11 to 14 March.

This new schedule, requested by the market and by industry operators, aims primarily at creating a platform that brings together the entire fashion system and offering the international audience of professional visitors a single, great business opportunity at a time of greater serenity. Ever aware that physical shows are indispensable in the fashion business, the organisers unanimously decided to reschedule the events, in keeping with the claim #BetterTogether and, above all, with the needs of the market.

Pitti Uomo 101 is now underway, kicking off with its first day today. For snapshots & insights straight from Pitti, follow along with our Digital Buyers Guide.

At Pitti Uomo 101, a special preview will take place: the launch of “Metamorphosis”, the new collection of KNT, the acronym of Kiton New Textures, which is the urbanwear brand created in Italy by the twins Mariano and Walter De Matteis, the third generation of the family.

The KNT laboratory never stops. An acronym for Kiton New Textures, the brand has been launched in 2018 at the behest of twins Mariano and Walter De Matteis, the third generation of the family, and represents the experimental soul of the Kiton group. Increasingly defined in its cosmopolitan identity, KNT has combined research into fibers, yarns, and workmanship with sophisticated and effortless designs.

See more from 11 to 13 January, at the Fortezza da Basso, in a special dedicated area inside the Piazzale delle Ghiaia.

Our brand new issue of WeAr Magazine is now out! Issue 69 kicks off 2022 with everything you need to level up your business. Topics include:

– Digital fashion

– Fashion & Technology Alliance

– Phygital Experiences

– Best Fashion Retailers

and more…

Get WeAr Magazine Issue 69 in Print or Digital now via our bookstore. 

In a new exclusive series, LVMH gives voice to its talents to embody its new employer brand signature « Craft the future».

Each portrait highlights the way in which employees craft the future of luxury thanks to the four core values of the Group – innovation and creativity, entrepreneurial spirit, quest for excellence and a sense of commitment. A sense of commitment that guides them in the development of more sustainable practices and products, but also in the transmission to the next generations of the savoir-faire and legacy of its 75 Maisons.

LVMH and its Maisons are a playground where employees can fully express their passion for their métiers in their own way. Distinctive profiles that enrich the Group.

-In the first episode, we meet Cathelijne, who works on the development of LVMH’s sustainable sourcing strategy for raw materials. Her mission: developing best practices to contribute to the Group’s ambitious environmental objectives.

-In the second episode, meet Mathias, Director of Research & Development at Hublot. With his team, he continuously develops materials and mechanisms in the spirit of innovation and creativity of the Maison.

-In the third episode, discover Georgiana’s journey. She is an artisan from Loro Piana who participates in the creation of high-quality sweaters by assembling different knitwear items. She shares her passion for her métier every day by passing on her unique savoir-faire to the next generations.

You can discover 5 more episodes on the LVMH website as well as social media platforms until the beginning of 2022.

MUNICH FABRIC START Spring/Summer 23 taking place from 25th – 27th January 2022, has been cancelled.

BLUEZONE can’t happen in January 2022 as well, but will be moved to 3 – 4 May 2022 as a stand-alone denim and innovation concept on the Zenith grounds in Munich.

“As trade fair organisers, in addition to the major economic risk, we also have a high social responsibility. Due to current developments, we unfortunately have no other option than to cancel MUNICH FABRIC START. At the same time, we see a great opportunity in being able to offer a physical platform for denim and innovations in Munich from 3 – 4 May 2022: BLUEZONE X KEYHOUSE. There, you will find an impressive new format in the style of a blue festival with currently over 90 exhibiting denim mills and innovators.” – Sebastian Klinder

The Dior Fall 2022 men’s runway show went on the road to London.  Menswear artistic director Kim Jones drew inspiration from Jack Kerouac and his passion for innovation, a theme that resonates powerfully with Maison Dior. The world of On The Road – the American author’s second novel, is referenced in the collection’s different pieces.

From counterculture to culture, the collection merges the finesse of Parisian couture with the modern, casual ease of American sportswear.

Fair Isle knits are intricately embroidered with sequins, and cloqués are woven with the “CD Diamond” logo. The graphics of Dior carré scarves adorn shifts and jackets, each featuring a letter “D” framing a vision of a great American national park, including Yellowstone, Yosemite and Kerouac’s Big Sur.

The runway décor reinvented the legendary manuscript of On The Road, a continuous 120-foot scroll. This tribute to travel and America included a recreation of the library of rare first editions and documents in Kim Jones’ London home, curated by Sammy Jay, Literary Specialist at Peter Harrington rare book dealers.

In this latest collection, the new era of literature marked by Jack Kerouac meets the world of fashion by Kim Jones for Dior.

UK-based online fashion retail platform Farfetch has purchased resale platform LUXCLUSIF for an undisclosed amount.

LUXCLUSIF is a business-to-business (B2B) service provider that enables luxury goods to be acquired, authenticated and sold to and from auctions, retailers, e-commerce platforms and stores worldwide.

Farfetch said it has worked closely with the platform for a number of years, first through its start-up accelerator program and most recently through Farfetch’s resale service, Farfetch Second Life.

This week at Campomaggi’s “The Noise of Necessity” event in Milan, a live story was told, which represented a new way of recounting something essential to the Campomaggi brand, but going beyond that, experiencing it out loud.

Campomaggi is synonymous with craftsmanship and constant experimentation, but also with values that go beyond the idea of producing “fashionable” bags. A way of thinking that values inexperience as much as experience, the beauty of the imperfect, the richness that the signs of time and use leave on objects. Encounters, defeats, mistakes, individual choices, progressive discovery of oneself and one’s abilities, listening to one’s own noise and following one’s own convictions: many choices contribute to create a path of which often only the final success is told. Perhaps, however, the most important thing is hidden in what happened in the meantime, which makes this path a unique life story.

The book Campomaggi is a story in which it is easy to recognize oneself, because everyone has their own Noise of Necessity and it is important to know and listen to it in order to arrive at their own unique realization. Hence the idea of presenting the book through excellent interpretations and voices, starting from the very powerful voice of Roberto Mercadini, author-actor, writer, poet and popularizer who describes his storytelling in this way: “I tell stories (that contain other stories). Sometimes on a stage. Sometimes on video. Sometimes inside a book.”

The applications for the 9^th edition of the LVMH Prize will open from 8th December 2021.

Applications must be submitted on the Prize website: lvmhprize.com.

They will close on Sunday 30^th January 2022. The semi-final will take place on Wednesday 2^nd March 2022.

It will be available for viewing on the Prize website and social networks from Thursday 3^rd to Sunday 6^th March 2022, and will be an opportunity for the Prize Experts and the public to discover and select the competing designers.

LVMH launched the Prize for Young Fashion Designers in 2013. This initiative, open to fashion throughout the world, embodies the commitment to patronage of the Group and its Houses in favour of young talent.

The LVMH Prize is open to designers under 40 who have produced at least two collections of womenswear or menswear, or two genderless collections and is dedicated to designers from all over the world.

It rewards two designers:

-The winner of the LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designersreceives a 300,000-euro endowment and enjoys a tailored mentorship. The LVMH teams mentor the winners in many fields, such as sustainable development, communication, copyright and corporate legal aspects, as well as marketing, production and the financial management of a brand.

-The winner of the Karl Lagerfeld Prizereceives a 150,000-euro allocation and also enjoys a one-year mentorship by LVMH teams.

Furthermore, each year, in collaboration with fashion schools, the Prize distinguishes three young fashion school graduates. The three shortlisted graduates will be invited to join the design studios of Houses of the LVMH Group for one year. Applications are open from 8^th December 2021 to 15^th March 2022.

Burberry has launched a pop-up called “Imagined Landscapes” in department store Selfridges.

The “Imagined Landscapes” pop-up series was inspired by the brand’s first immersive brand experience in Jeju Island, Korea, where it built a large, “mirrored structure” which explores the brand’s “pioneering spirit and connection to the outdoors.”

The Selfridges pop-up carries a selection of exclusive styles, including casual shirts and knitwear and features images of the label’s outerwear campaign.

The Selfridges pop-up will remain open until January 16 2022.

On December the 4th 2021, Children of the discordance released Children of the discordance x Dover Street Market Ginza FW21, an exclusive capsule collection produced for Dover Street Market Ginza. The new capsule marks a new chapter of the long-term partnership of the Japanese brand with Dover Street Market Ginza.

The 5 styles collection, featuring a special hand-dyed bandana fabric, include a vintage bandana pullover, a vintage bandana bucket hat, an archive re-constructed t-shirt, and a Naoto Yoshida collaboration denim patch jacket and denim patch pants set-up.

The campaign produced for the capsule release features the worldwide recognised hip-hop artist Hideyoshi, already the protagonist, with his performance of dawn, the fashion movie released on the occasion of Milan Fashion Week in January 2021 to present the Children of the discordance FW21 collection.

The Children of the discordance x Dover Street Market Ginza FW21 capsule collection is exclusively available at Dover Street Market Ginza from December the 4th.

JOOR, the leading digital wholesale platform, released its end of year figures for 2021 and trend predictions moving forward into 2022. These data points confirm the continued acceleration of digital adoption among brands and retailers, and that even with the return of in-person markets and events, electronic B2B commerce continues to play an important and ever increasing role in the fashion ecosystem.

Key Takeaways…

-Hybrid model is here to stay: As physical events start to return, the industry does not want to lose the reach and efficiency afforded by virtual selling.

-Small business advancement: On the B2B side, JOOR observed a significant increase in small businesses leveraging our platform to source exciting product, streamline their wholesale process, create greater efficiencies, and drive growth. Recognizing the need to make discovery faster and smarter, JOOR will soon be launching a new and improved Marketplace, leveraging AI-powered search technology to make finding the perfect product for your store easy and efficient.

-Expansion throughout APAC: According to JOOR, APAC sales tripled versus the same period a year ago. While Japan is currently the largest APAC market on JOOR (approximately 30% of total), China is in the number two position and showing the fastest growth. This is evidenced by the success seen in 2021, with APAC-based brands accepting almost 50% more orders and selling over 80% more products on JOOR than in 2020.

-Sustainability still reigns: Sustainability is the #1 most clicked category across all of JOOR Passport. It represents 18% of clicks on ALL style stories across our 36 events this year. JOOR is working on providing information regarding product sustainability further upstream, allowing retailers to use this data to inform their purchasing decisions. Brands on JOOR have reported saving 30% on sample costs by adopting JOOR’s digital wholesale solution, a bene t to both the environment and the bottom line.

-Renewed focus on supply chain: Inventory Management – With JOOR’s wide array of seamless ERP integrations, buyers have real-time visibility to available inventory, so they can immediately see what’s in stock at any given moment in time. Because JOOR operates within one digital ecosystem, changes and delays can be communicated immediately—for example, if a style is canceled or a timeline is modified, brands can notify their retailers right away and offer an alternative to ensure no one is left unprepared.

Bravo’s “Project Runway”, Episode 1907: Are You Fur Real”, surprised contestants with a competition featuring faux fur made with Sorona. Sorona in collaboration with Ecopel developed Koba, one of the first commercially available bio-based faux fur collections. In the Avant Garde challenge, designers were paired up and asked to select from over 200 yards of the plant-based and recyclable faux fur in a wide range of colors, patterns and lengths. Judges Nina Garcia and Elaine Welteroth were joined by guest judge Esteban Cortazar and famously avant garde actor and singer Billy Porter. Host and designer Christian Siriano called the sustainable faux fur “groundbreaking” and “amazing”. This timely episode airs as the industry is buzzing with major brands and media outlets taking a stance against animal fur.

After selecting from luxurious faux options that mimicked leopard, cheetah, coyote, wool, and rabbit, designers created looks that went far beyond the traditional coat. Designers Chasity Sereal & Prajjé Oscar Jean-Baptiste stole the show combining a structured pink Sorona faux fur bodice and pillars with a bespoke street art style skirt.

“This episode of Bravo’s Project Runway is a call to action for the industry. Luxury and faux fur are not mutually exclusive,” says Sorona® Global Brand & Communications Leader Alexa Raab. “The world’s most influential thought leaders in fashion and media are advocating for innovative, sustainable fabrics. We’re proud to answer the call with options like the bio-based faux fur we offer in collaboration with Ecopel, called Koba®.” 

Arise IIP pan-African developer and operator of world-class industrial parks has partnered with FibreTrace to announce a new pilot program enabling spinner-to-garment traceability for ARISE IIP’s highly anticipated Republic of Benin spinning facilities at the Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone (GDIZ).

The partnership between FibreTrace and ARISE IIP will bring full traceability to the first of their kind, vertically integrated mills in the Republic of Benin to trace, verify and audit the lifecycle of their garments from spinning mills to stores, sharing the journey of Benin premium cotton with end consumers.

The partnership will position Benin at the forefront of textile innovation and technology, improving visibility, resilience, securing economic competitiveness, and creating a thriving value chain for African agriculture as the country is expected to have 98,000 tons lint cotton processing capacity per annum by the end of 2023.

Smallholder farmers are estimated to produce around 30% of total crop output globally, making them the foundation of global agriculture and the food sector.

“ARISE IIP will now be able to guarantee the sustainability of the premium cotton transformed on its industrial platforms across Africa thanks to the technology deployed by FibreTrace®. Across all its industrial parks, ARISE IIP ambitions to lead the way towards the sustainable transformation of local resources, where every stage of production is transparent for the benefit of local farmers and the end consumer,” said Gagan Gupta, Founder and CEO at ARISE IIP.

On Sunday, November 28th, Virgil Abloh passed away. At WeAr we’re passing our condolences and pay tribute to him as an individual as well as his great designer mastermind.

In July 2021, LVMH had acquired a majority stake in Off-White LLC, the trademark owner of Off-White™️, of which Virgil Abloh was the founder and Artistic Director since 2013. Additionally, LVMH and Mr. Abloh had announced the expansion of their relationship to launch new brands and partner with existing ones in a variety of sectors beyond the realm of fashion.

Born in Rockford, Illinois in 1980, Virgil Abloh was an artist, architect, engineer, creative director, and designer. After earning a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Wisconsin Madison, he completed a Master’s Degree in Architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology in a curriculum founded by Mies van der Rohe.

Virgil Abloh’s brand Off-White c/o Virgil Abloh™️ was started in 2012 as an artwork titled “PYREX VISION.” In 2013, the brand premiered a seasonal men’s and women’s fashion label showing runway collections during Paris Fashion Week since 2015.

In 2015, Virgil Abloh for Off-White c/o Virgil Abloh™️ is among the finalists of the LVMH Prize.

Abloh has also presented his work at major design institutions around the globe by the likes of Harvard Graduate School of Design, Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation and the Rhode Island School of Design. In 2019 he had a major exhibition of past and current work at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Chicago, Illinois.

Virgil Abloh has been awarded various prizes throughout his outstanding career, most recently winning the British Fashion Awards “Urban Luxe” award and International Designer of the Year at the GQ Men of the Year Awards in 2017.

Gucci’s chief executive officer Marco Bizzarri announced that Gucci will show its new collection with a runway show Milan in February 2022.

In addition, during the year, Bizzarri said that Gucci will also stage 2 additional runway shows, in late spring and in September 2022.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, Gucci has shifted to debuting its latest collection in digital format. Later, creative director Alessandro Michele decided to move away from the concept of seasonal collections such as “spring” and “pre-fall” and create a more momentary system.

The British Fashion Council has confirmed that Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele will be honoured with the Trailblazer Award at The Fashion Awards 2021, taking place on November 29 at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

The Trailblazer Award was introduced at The Fashion Awards in 2018 as one of the special recognition accolades, celebrating the very best innovators and creatives in fashion, whose work in the past year has been a game-changer and has significantly shaped the industry. Previous winners have included Kim Jones and Sarah Burton.

The Woolmark Company has revealed their seven finalists from the UK, the US, France, Australia, China, and South Africa for its 2022 International Woolmark Prize.

This year’s International Woolmark Prize’s theme, Play, will be a true celebration of forward-thinking design and innovation. Finalists are invited to experiment with textiles, design and business practices to drive change and innovation for a brighter future. With mentorship from industry experts such as Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, Stylist & Fashion Director, Garage Magazine; Holli Rogers, Chief Brand Officer, Farfetch; Sinéad Burke, Educator and Advocate; Sara Sozzani Maino, Head of Vogue Talents, Deputy Director Vogue Italia & Int Brand; Shaway Yeh, Founder YehYehYeh and Group Style Editorial Director Modern Media Group; and Tim Blanks, Editor-at-Large, Business of Fashion, as well as Innovation Academy partners, finalists will be guided through business and product development, supply chain connections and sustainability roadmaps.

The AZ Factory ‘Love Brings Love’ catwalk tribute to celebrate Alber Elbaz and his contribution to fashion held during Paris Fashion Week is being turned into an exhibition at the Palais Galliera fashion museum in Paris.

The tribute exhibition will run from March 5 to July 10 and will feature the 45 participating fashion houses and designers that created looks inspired by Elbaz, including Alexander McQueen, Balmain, Chloe, Dior, Christopher John Rogers, Gucci, Jean Paul Gaultier, Grace Wales Bonner, and Louis Vuitton.

During the catwalk, the show brought together Alber’s creative signature from AZ Factory and beyond: architectural details, couture-worthy proportions and seductively sporty silhouettes were all represented in looks from the world’s most renowned houses, eponymous labels and emerging talents, including AZ’s own design team.

Together with leading sports and outdoor brands, retailers, and industry associations, Messe München has made two groundbreaking decisions: Effective immediately, ISPO Munichwill be held permanently at the start of the winter season at the end of November, thus leaving the previous January date. OutDoor by ISPO is moving up permanently from the end of June to the end of May/beginning of June.

For 2022, this means that ISPO Munich 2022 will now take place from November 28 to 30, 2022 (Monday to Wednesday). The new date for OutDoor by ISPO 2022 is June 12 to 14, 2022 (Sunday to Tuesday).

The permanent shift in dates is a strategic decision due to the far-reaching market changes of recent years. Industry and retail are facing major shifts in the global supply chain, which also caused hanges to order cycles. Scheduling ISPO Munich in January or February, as was previously the case, is therefore too late for many industry participants. The permanently brought-forward date for OutDoor by ISPO also works much better with the new order cycles.

With the decision to move ISPO Munich, OutDoor by ISPO in June will be the first ISPO trade show in 2022. “We are thus strengthening the position of OutDoor by ISPO as the leading international trade show for the outdoor industry and a source of inspiration for everyone interested in the outdoors,” says Klaus Dittrich.

The Autumn Winter _’021 ‘022 Stone Island Shadow Project Collection pursues the ongoing mission of evolving the conception of contemporary menswear. In responding to the present and anticipating future world scenarios, the evolution of Shadow Project wants to serve the wearer.

The collection is divided in two chapters studied to support two seasons and they are engineered with functional and material research to serve through the transition from a hot to a cold climate.

Utilizing Stone Island’s unequaled expertise in textile research allows this project to once again fuse performance aspects, material innovation and colour into an expression of poetic innovation.

An enormous study on fits, shapes and detailing create intuitive solutions always serving the need for comfort.

Burberry has stated it will take action to “protect, restore and regenerate nature” as it builds on its climate positive commitment with a new biodiversity strategy unveiled at COP26.

The biodiversity strategy builds upon its recent commitment to become Climate Positive by 2040 and will expand the scope of its current initiatives by applying a nature-based approach in its own value chain and in areas of greatest need beyond its operations to help slow further global warming as part of the transition towards the 1.5°C pathway set out in the Paris Agreement.

Dr Gerry Murphy, chair of Burberry said “Climate change is not just a future environmental risk, it’s a socio-economic crisis that is impacting millions around the world today. Protecting, restoring and regenerating nature is key to safeguarding the planet for generations to come, and we must be ambitious in our intentions and action-oriented in our approach.

Stella McCartney has launched the ‘Future of Fashion: An innovation conversation with Stella McCartney’ exhibit at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow as part of the HRH Prince Charles Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI) at COP26.

The installation explores Stella McCartney’s nature-positive approach to fashion, as well as the brand’s use of next-generation materials, highlighting current achievements, as well as plans for the future.

The pieces can all be seen orbiting a sculptural and living fungi display, visually elaborating on the message shared with the brand’s spring/summer 2022 catwalk show.