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.

Kering and Phaidon have partnered up to bring Woman Made: Great Women Designers. This comprehensive new book spotlights women of the past, present, and future, and their contributions to furniture, textile, product, and lighting design. Aimed to inspire and educate the next generation of designers, this partnership offers free content and resources on the newly developed online platform: www.thewomanmade.com. Programming will also include a panel series at academic design institutions in the United States, and a scholarship to support a female undergraduate student for the upcoming school year.

Kering’s commitment to women is at the heart of the Group’s priorities, and through Women In Motion extends to the field of art and culture, where gender inequalities are still flagrant even though creation is one of the most powerful vectors for change.

In 2015, Kering launched Women In Motion at the Festival de Cannes with the aim of shining a light on women in cinema, both in front of and behind the camera. Since then, the program has been expanded to include the fields of photography, art, literature, choreography, and design. Through its Awards, the program recognizes both inspirational figures and talented young women, while its Talks provide an opportunity for leading personalities to share their views on the representation of women in their profession.

For 4 weeks from Sunday 10th October Parajumpers has made its entrance into the Galeries Lafayette on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, with a bright orange pop-up hosting the new Fall-Winter 2021 collection.

Already present for fifteen years in many French luxury stores, the outwear brand of Italian origin Parajumpers has finally presented its pop-up in the Galeries Lafayette, the new Parisian shopping center.

A long bright orange tunnel, the iconic shade of PJS, will guide the visitor into the world of Parajumpers: a large space that combines the natural world with the most functional and fashionable pieces of the collection, such as the Color Block Tribes series, a woman’s proposal that plays with contrasting colors and oversized shapes.

Displayed with the characteristic yellow parachute hooks, the FW21 Parajumpers collection presents a palette of new and modern colors, which blend perfectly into the bubbly Paris. From the timeless Masterpiece and Warm Up, to exciting new proposals such as the Reloaded, Hollywood and Limited Edition series for women, the collection plays with fun combinations of colors and styles, without ever losing sight of research and innovation.

Stone Island Sound is a curatorial project that supports contemporary independent artistic production: a harmonious set of curated soundtracks, record releases, playlists in- store and live events. The aim of the project is to champion local independent music scenes and to forge a world sound map of avant garde and new pop.

On 13 October 2021, two years on from the last Milan C2C Festival and Stone Island event, STONE ISLAND PRESENTS LONDON landed at the Roundhouse, London.

Six London-based acts from different geographic areas and each with their own specific artistic expression took the stage including Jockstrap, Nala Sinephro, Obongjayar, Pa Salieu, Silvia Kastel, Two Shell.

A brand new issue of WeAr Magazine has arrived!

This issue is dedicated to the topic of sustainability and guides the readers through the latest trends, innovations, brands and tips to navigate this new era of fashion.

To flip through a free preview visit www.wearmagazine.com

Ralph Lauren has unveiled its next limited-edition collection in partnership with Major League Baseball (MLB), once again featuring items for Yankees and Dodgers, with additional pieces for the Red Sox included in the assortment.

Released in time for autumn, the capsule aims to merge sportswear with modern design, resulting in luxe everyday wear pieces. Wool baseball jackets with leather patches, fleece hoodies and joggers, as well as canvas and leather totes, are all part of the new collection, with black-on-black colourways for each team.

Yesterday, MICAM, the International Footwear Exhibition, MIPEL, the event dedicated to leather goods and accessories, and THE ONE MILANO SPECIAL FEATURED BY MICAM, the Haut-à-Porter Exhibition, came to a close after three days, with all 3 events attracting a large number of visitors and dealers. Over the three-day period, a total of 22,274 trade visitors were able to peruse the products offered by the 735 companies exhibiting at the three events.

The synergy triggered last year under the project Stronger Together that brought all the fashion-accessory fairs together for the very first time, paid dividends by helping companies to keep focussed. This year, too, trade visitors demonstrated their enthusiastic support for the format by flocking to all three events. Among the stands there was an evident desire to experiment, with many companies focussing on new designs, new materials, and new shapes and colours, proving just how important the occasion is in presenting the market with innovative content and products.

Siro Badon Chair of Assocalzaturifici and MICAM Milano, was satisfied with the result:

“This edition marks our ‘renaissance’. The real protagonists were the exhibitors who once again believed in the event. Seeing in their eyes the light and the enthusiasm of those who are finally beginning to put a difficult situation behind them is priceless. MICAM reaffirms its strategic role for the entire sector as a hub for relaunching businesses, strengthening their presence and competitiveness in international markets. A positive trend also confirmed by the numbers which, after the crisis in 2020, see both industrial production (+ 13%) and turnover (+ 22%) increasing in the first half of the year, as well as spending by Italian families (+ 17.4%) and exports (+ 31.5% in value)”.

“The synergy we created a year ago has proved to be a first-rate instrument, capable, once again this year, of meeting the needs of those operating in the industry – comments Franco Gabbrielli, President of MIPEL. – “We are satisfied and proud. The results of this Mipel120 edition are even higher than expectations. The same spirit animates the first edition of Mipel LAB, which has started together with Lineapelle, and that will be an inspiration for the many activities that await us in the coming months”.

Tranoï Event September 2021 will take place from September 30th until October 3rd, 2021 at Palais de Tokyo. The 220 brands and designers on the Tranoï Link platform will also present their S/S 22 collections online. Buyers can explore the collections, get information on the designers participating in the trade show and organise their visit ahead of time and stay in touch with them after the show.

Tranoï x Wholesale Is Not Dead (W.I.N.D.) will present a series of live podcasts with buyers and retailers at the trade show (program details to be announced).

Each day, W.I.N.D. will focus on how the fashion business is evolving. French and international buyers will be invited to share their experiences and their outlook on fashion and the sector’s new challenges.

In the same week the French luxury label announced Japanese fashion designer Nigo as its new artistic director, it has also appointed Sylvain Blanc as its new CEO.

Blanc joins the fashion house from underwear label Undiz, where he’s been chief executive since 2018. Earlier in his career, he was vice president, Europe, of French label The Kooples, and is the founder and former CEO of high-end patisserie and chocolaterie Hugo & Victor.

Prada’s Spring Summer 2022 collection, designed in tandem by co-creative directors Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons, will take place live on 24 September at 3pm local time in Milan and 9pm in Shanghai, simultaneously.

In both locations, it will be possible for the shows’ guest audience to follow live on giant screens the show taking place in the other city, while the two events will be simultaneously streamed on prada.com as a live montage, providing a third way of enjoying the shows.

Richard J. Brown’s F/W 21-22 collection explores everything from urban origins to the borders of unexplored territories. From metropolitan contexts to rural and original dimensions. An elegant taste and refined comfort. A sense of personality and harmony of well-being. Contemporary denim interprets the essence of today and anticipates the innovation of tomorrow. It underlines the thread of tradition, reciting new narratives, post-modern trends, evolved costumes. It speaks of a strong character that is surprising and encloses expectations, emotions, hopes, perspectives. It becomes versatile and modular, a skilled expert in everyday life and on every exceptional occasion.

Denim winter soul, the even grittier fabrics, able to express, through their weft and warp weave, their temperament with even more power, without ever giving up the excellent performance. Elegance and quality continue to be the cornerstones of the collection. Traditional blue and black denim, available in different washes, flannel, moleskin and corduroy are combined with more unusual fabrics, enriched by more important flame coupling, for more sporty and dynamic versions, enhancing the idea of authentic denim.

Made with precious fabrics and lined with flannel, the RJB total look project moves forward with the new Steve, a new version of the denim jacket with classic shapes and creative details, finishes and choice of materials that look to the world of luxury. Cuts and creases, patch and slanted pockets, new lacquered horn buttons as well as the traditional jointed ones. An ideal Mix&Match for interchangeable weights and colours.

The chromatic panorama is reminiscent of different and complementary worlds, as if outlined by the decisive and rhythmic movement of a light swing. Mélange effects and contrasts recall boundless Nordic scenarios, amid water reflections, tundra and Canadian prairies, conifers, and millenary rocks.

Dark brown, bark, burgundy maple, and turtledove shine out. The luxury display moves to the English countryside and develops shades of beige, camel, forest green, sage and moss. The urban stage moves between royal blue, cream, cobalt, pearl grey and smoke, between energy and dynamism, flow and productive circulation.

The patched proclaim their identity role resulting from a constant pursuit for innovation and perfection. Novelties are the ostrich effect printed leather versions with metal finishes set in copper or silver plated, as well as the reinterpretation of the flannel patches with a heat- applied silver-plated logo.

In collaboration with Web3 digital fashion marketplace The Dematerialised, luxury fashion house Karl Lagerfeld will be releasing a non-fungible token (NFT) in the form of digital figurines inspired by the late designer.

The newly launched NFT coincides with what would have been Lagerfeld’s birthday and marks the houses first exploration of blockchain technology. The two figurines pay homage to the designer, with the cartoon avatar holding a distinct likeness to Karl’s iconic look.

“This is a remarkable first step into the future as we pave our way into the virtual world of NFTs and digital fashion,” said Karl Lagerfeld’s CEO and president, Pier Paolo Righi, in a statement. “We’re excited to add this innovative category to our portfolio and be able to inspire existing customers and new customers with this one-of-a-kind collectable.”

The final of the 8th edition of the LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers took place on 7th September 2021 at the Louis Vuitton Foundation, in the presence of six artistic directors from the LVMH Group, Virgil Abloh, Jonathan Anderson, Maria Grazia Chiuri, Marc Jacobs, Kim Jones and Stella McCartney, alongside Delphine Arnault, Jean-Paul Claverie and Sidney Toledano.

Among the nine finalists, the Jury awarded the LVMH Prize to Nensi Dojaka, 27, an Albanian womenswear designer based in London. She will receive a 300,000-euro endowment and will be mentored for one year by a team of LVMH experts.

After closing his namesake label in 2019 and selling his contemporary label to private label firm Public Clothing Company (PCC) at the start of 2020, Derek Lam is set to present his first full collection as chief creative officer of Derek Lam 10 Crosby next month.

10 Crosby will focus on a D2C model and will invest in its digital presence. According to Business of Fashion, Lam also said 10 Crosby will use PCC’s resources, particularly in its supply chain, to launch new product lines and expand internationally.

Kering Eyewear and the Lindberg family have signed an agreement for Kering Eyewear to acquire 100% of the share capital of LINDBERG.

This acquisition is an important milestone in the successful expansion of Kering Eyewear and perfectly fits with its development strategy. Since its start in 2014, Kering Eyewear has built an innovative business model that enabled the company to reach a critical size in the market with close to €600 million wholesale external revenues pre-Covid (FY2019). This acquisition will further reinforce Kering Eyewear as the most relevant player in the luxury eyewear market segment, adding to its portfolio a complementary and proprietary brand with strong legitimacy, undisputed know-how and best-in-class customer service in optical frames.
Thanks to their business complementarities, both companies will be able to leverage on their respective strengths across the value chain, with synergies in distribution and geographical reach notably. This will contribute to accelerate the growth and enhance the profitability of Kering Eyewear.

Ralph Lauren has announced its partnership with social networking and avatar simulation app Zepeto.

The app allows users to function in a fully articulated virtual world where they can socialise with others using a customisable 3D avatar. Users will be able to purchase a completely digital Ralph Lauren clothing collection, reminiscent of its physical apparel, giving users the opportunity to dress their 3D avatars in exclusive products.

The Ralph Lauren x Zepeto collection will feature 12 looks in total, with over 50 unique items on offer, including a mix of vintage Polo Ralph Lauren designs and pieces from its current summer collection. Shoppers will be able to get their virtual hands on limited edition skateboards and other special pieces exclusively designed for the collection.

AlphaTauri has launched its new online presence with their website, AlphaTauri.com.

Right in time with the new Autumn/Winter 21 collection, the site was built with a multi format customer experience in mind. 

The new design language highlights the relevance of looks as a reflection of the brands product strategy to increase the combination variety within the collection for more head-to-toe looks.

„The new website is more than an aesthetic statement- it is an expression of our brand promise. We are talking about new ways to purchase fashion as it complements the shopping journey in our stores on- and offline. Our hybrid collections have finally gone live cross-channel“ explains Ahmet Mercan, CEO – AlphaTauri 

The newly created website is also a portal into AlphaTauri`s brand world: whether its a behind-the- scenes view into the daily business or moving content around collaborations and latest innovations.

CHIC – China International Fashion Fair August 2021, originally planned from August 25-27, will be postponed due to the current coronavirus situation in China in accordance with the prevailing safety regulations. Asia’s leading trade fair for fashion and lifestyle will now take place with a new date from October 9-11, 2021 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai.

Around 500 brands will present the entire spectrum of the Chinese fashion industry in October. In addition to the physical exhibition on site, CHIC offers innovative hybrid and digital options for optimal exhibition results.

The Chinese market continues to develop positively. Retail sales are increasing, the growing middle class is driving the trend of “premiumization”, especially high-quality niche brands are in demand in the market of the future.

The next editions of CHIC will take place from November 3-5, 2021 in Shenzhen and from March 9-11, 2022 in Shanghai

From A for “avatar” to Z for “zero impact” – during Neonyt’s Fashionsustain conference from 6 to 8 July 2021, the status quo of the textiles and fashion sector was examined, innovation drivers identified and scope for action for the retail sector defined. The multidisciplinary conference streamed more than 20 hours of inspiration and insights, panel discussions and fashion deep-dives live from the FFW Studio. Participants included Grüner Knopf, Oeko-Tex, PwC and the Transformers Foundation.

The digital transformation is accelerating across the entire textile and fashion industry at an unprecedented pace. This is requiring everyone involved to adopt a more agile mindset in order to be able to adapt in disruptive environments. Holistic thinking is required – with regard to production standards, but also when it comes to the inclusion of the most diverse target groups. Fashion is a form of expression and identity. It is about political statements and a reflection of social issues.

“Even though we have certainly been noticing a sense of digital fatigue after three seasons online, there was no sign of it whatsoever during Fashionsustain,” said Thimo Schwenzfeier, Show Director of Neonyt. “Digitalisation is shaping a sustainable future and therefore also the international fashion scene; it is opening up brand-new synergies for the textile and fashion industry and extending the scope – as proven by the experts at Fashionsustain.”

Levi Strauss & Co has announced it is to buy US-based premium athletic and lifestyle apparel brand Beyond Yoga for an undisclosed sum as it steps into the high-growth activewear segment.

The US denim giant said the move will help diversify its business and will “provide substantial net revenue opportunity over time through channel, geographic, gender and category expansion”.

Today, Daniel Grieder, previous CEO Tommy Hilfiger and PVH Europe and now CEO at Hugo Boss, presented his strategy for the future of Hugo Boss, making Olympic references and claims back the brand’s lead at the top of the fashion pyramid. His battle quote being: “We love fashion and we will change fashion!”.

Grieder plans to revamp the company’s branding, its digital strategy and have a strong focus on the product with sustainability at its core.

With his new strategy he targets to reach 4 billion euros by 2025, doubling the company’s sales with a clear focus on increasing the brand’s perception with the young generation: GenZ, Millenials and Gen Alpha.

The new strategy focusses on the main brands: HUGO and BOSS. The latter will continue focussing on quality suits in the affordable luxury category, with fantastic fits and sustainable materials whereas HUGO will target a younger generation with streetwear, designs fitting to the influencer generation and colorful designs. 

Overall however, the brand will position itself more inclusive and aware of current topics: creating a better world, diversity and inclusion will be at its centre. Including even a unisex suit as part of the BOSS line. In terms of colorways the brand will adapt to black, camel and white colors. The BOSS camel collection will be a high-end made-to-measure collection.

Grieder also remarked that the brand could venture into new segments: make-up, homeware and even drinks in the future to complement its lifestyle image.

In terms of branding Grieder will move into Hugo Boss’ future with clear messages: “HUGO for glory” or “A BOSS meets a boss” – focussing on celebrity and lifestyle partnerships.

He particularly also highlighted the importance of the womenswear business and that it needs a boost. As such he wants to increase womenswear visibility across all consumer touchpoint starting with its own stores and wholesale parters. As such it seems as if Grieder will have a strong focus on wholesale and wants to increase Hugo Boss’ wholesale distribution which was traditionally strong but decreased in recent years.

Of course, as a master for digital strategy this will not be left out. As such he highlighted that experience is in the middle of the new strategy, given that Millennials will value experiences over owning material things. As such he will creative a new store design that will be ‘cool’ and professional but most of all data-driven in order to provide optimal and unique customer service. “The power of data is that it is more precise, quicker and smarter.”. Grieder wants to create a premium tech-driven fashion platform worldwide with Hugo Boss and be amongst the top 100 global brands by 2025.

Following the success of its digital semi-final, LVMH has announced that the final of the 8th edition of the LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers will take place on Tuesday, 7th September 2021 at the Louis Vuitton Foundation.

Last year, because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the final of the 7th edition of the LVMH Prize was cancelled and the €300,000 award was divided equally among the eight finalists of the 2020 edition.

On 7th September, the Jury will decide between the nine finalists and award the 2021 LVMH Prize, as well as the Karl Lagerfeld/Special Jury Prize, a tribute to the great designer and former member of the Jury who passed away in February 2019.

The owners of iconic British department store Selfridges have reportedly put the business up for sale.

The Weston family has kicked off a formal auction of Selfridges and has called in advisers from investment bank Credit Suisse who will “imminently” send out information memoranda to prospective buyers.

Two or three suitors have already expressed interest, but no formal bid had been made, sources told The Times.

At THE SKY in the Dreischeibenhaus, fashion pioneer and sustainability mastermind Heiko Wunder was presented with the Fashion Business Award on Sunday evening, July 25. For the Düsseldorf native, the state capital is not only the center of his life, but also the think tank and nucleus of his national success concept: his fashion brand “wunderwerk”. His commitment and enthusiasm for a fully sustainable lifestyle and the combination of trend-conscious and at the same time environmentally neutral fashion, which is celebrating great successes nationally, are the decisive factors for honoring him with the award. Mayor Dr. Stephan Keller welcomed 100 guests from the fashion industry to the award ceremony, which is the seventh time that the state capital of Düsseldorf has honored trendsetters in the fashion business.

The presentation of the Fashion Business Award took place this summer for the first time as part of the Düsseldorf Fashion Days – Festival Edition, which presented order and trade events as well as shopping events and fashion shows throughout the city from July 21 to 28, 2021.

Canadian premium outerwear brand Nobis celebrates its 15th Anniversary and presents its AW21 collection, design debut by the new designated Design Director, Michael Kerr.

With the AW21, collection Michael Kerr improved his experience combinig traditional tailoring and premium functionality. Kerr worked in the design team of different companies, both Canadian and international, such as Roots, Nike, Canada Goose and The North Face.

“This idea of innovation –– of making things that are crafted, not just mass-produced –– it’s crucial” he says. “Our strategy for upcoming designs? Sleek, expertly tailored pieces created for a customer that values quality over quantity and sustainability over fast fashion. I think we’re all very excited about this new generation. They want the best in class but are also minimalist. Instead of 20 mediocre jackets crowding the closet, you acquire three that work for everything”, says Michael.

“When designing outerwear, you’re making something that has to work with the person who will wear it. The goal is a jacket that allows you to go about your day in comfort, never thinking beyond ‘wow, this looks and feels great on me,’ but maybe this jacket has a membrane that allows it to breathe or perhaps it’s water repellent. The jacket might have a gusset that opens and closes to increase comfort. What we’re crafting is technical outerwear, meaning each piece works like a machine designed to increase its wearability, even without any mechanical parts.”

The game is a quest to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Louis. The gamer, in a shape of a Vivienne lives a quest. He/she encounters along the way enigmas (the anecdotes) and collects points. Points collected enable skin changes and unlock other digital goodies.

This art-forwarded adventure platform game created by French fashion house and luxury brand Louis Vuitton features the distinct monogrammed flower character Vivienne.

Join Vivienne on her travels as she journeys to seven vibrant locations across the globe in search of 200 collectible candles to celebrate Louis Vuitton’s 200th birthday. Each candle unlocks fascinating stories about the history and brand of Louis Vuitton

Take your time and explore the iconic fashion and art integrated into this stunning game. Moving through worlds inspired by Paris, London, Beijing, Tokyo, New York, and more as you compete against your friends on a global leaderboard to see who can collect all 200 stories in celebration of the momentous occasion.

Our hero, Vivienne, was born just a few years ago and still has a lot to learn about the world. Since this year in Louis Vuitton’s 200th birthday, it’s time for Vivienne to pick up her roots and go on an adventure. On the road ahead, the House’s origib story will be discovered and each anecdote experienced will award Vivienne a gift to take on the adventure. All the gifts collected will be presented at the end on the game for a special celebration of the 200th birthday.

In light of a further strong business recovery, HUGO BOSS recorded significant top- and bottom-line improvements in the second quarter of 2021, thereby exceeding overall market expectations. On a preliminary basis, currency-adjusted Group sales increased 133% as compared to the prior-year period. Also in Group currency, sales more than doubled, up 129% to EUR 629 million in the three-month period (Q2 2020: EUR 275 million). Compared to the second quarter of 2019, the decline in Group sales was therefore limited to 4% only, currency-adjusted.

Business recovery was clearly noticeable across all regions. While currency-adjusted sales more than doubled in Europe (+130%) and more than quintupled in the Americas (+416%), currency-adjusted revenues in Asia/Pacific were up by 51%, as compared to the prior-year period. Consequently, on a two-year stack basis, currency-adjusted sales in Europe and the Americas remained 4% and 5% below 2019 levels, respectively. In Asia/Pacific, currency-adjusted sales were down 3% as against the second quarter of 2019, with currency-adjusted sales in mainland China up 28% against the prior-year period and 33% on a two-year-stack basis, respectively.

From a channel perspective, HUGO BOSS more than doubled currency-adjusted sales in both own retail (+124%) and wholesale (+170%) as against the prior-year quarter. While own retail sales remained 5% below 2019 levels in the three-month period, wholesale revenues were down 2% on a two-year-stack basis, both currency- adjusted. Within own retail, the Company’s own online business recorded currency- adjusted sales growth of 27% in the second quarter, implying growth of 122% on a two-year stack.

Assocalzaturifici held its Annual Meeting the past few days in Bologna.

At the meeting, Chair Siro Badon emphasised the impact of Covid-19 on the footwear industry, one of the hardest-hit sectors of production, along with other components of the Italian Textiles, Fashion and Accessories sector.

In 2020 the sector lost about 1/4 of its total turnover (with the final balance being 10.72 billion euro, -25.2% compared to 2019) and national production. There were sharp reductions in both foreign trade and domestic consumption. After the collapse in levels of business during the first part of the year, as a result of the lockdown, there was just some respite in the severity of the decline in the next two quarters (although this still remained in double-digit territory), as opposed to a V-shaped recovery.
At this time of crisis, Assocalzaturifici has come up with plenty of challenging new projects for its members.

“Sustainability is definitely one of our top priorities,” explains Badon. “We have come up with a project supporting our members and other companies in the process of accreditation and commercial positioning of their businesses as sustainable and therefore highly competitive companies on Italian and international markets”. Assocalzaturifici has registered its own Sustainability trademark (VCS – Verified & Certified Steps), which may be granted to companies capable of achieving a quality standard based on certain requirements. The project will begin with a self-assessment which companies can conduct independently; we will then have reference benchmarks that tell us what the minimum criteria are to be considered a sustainable enterprise. Companies ranking above the bar will then be eligible for certification by the institute we appoint. Companies that do not meet the minimum requirements will be able to rely on the professional assistance of CIMAC, the Assocalzaturifici laboratory that has been conducting testing and certification to guarantee the quality and safety of fashion products for more than 30 years. CIMAC can help businesses begin, continue or improve internal processes aimed at meeting the requirements for sustainability certification.

Another important agreement was signed with one of the world’s most prominent startup accelerators: Startup Boot Camp Fashion Tech. As Badon explains, “With them, the Association will be able to count on an international organisation that helps us select, incubate and accelerate two start-ups a year which technologically promote and facilitate sustainability in our own specific industry and help MICAM through the long process of digitalisation”.

In addition, the Association looks toward the future with three innovative projects for Assocalzaturifici’s 550 or more member companies: one for creating a digital match between global demand for Italian know-how and industries and artisans capable of offering the immense added value of this unique know-how; one for building a true marketplace for consumers open to companies ideally representing the excellence of Italian manufacturing; and one using blockchain technology to ensure product traceability, on which the Association is working with a leading Italian consortium that has already completed a number of projects for the luxury sector.

Last, but by no means least in importance, is the study commissioned of Università Ca Foscari in Venice in partnership with M&C Saatchi. “Recognition of the prestigious label ‘Made in Italy’ is of critical importance for our economy,” notes Badon.

On 30 June and 1 July, Première Vision launched FASHION RENDEZ-VOUS, the first physical event for the upstream fashion industry since the Covid-19 crisis, in an exceptional location – the Grand Palais Ephémère in Paris – a new temporary event site ideally located across from the Eiffel Tower in the heart of the world’s fashion capital. 

After more than a year of not being able to meet in person, the players of the fashion industry were eager to get together. Surpassing the organizers’ expectations, more than 2,800 visitors and nearly 200 exhibitors gathered during these two days, attesting to the importance of re-launching business and networking in order to support the recovery of the industry and build the fashion of tomorrow.

MICAM, the leading international footwear show promoted by Assocalzaturifici, is scheduled for September 19 through 21, 2021 at Fiera Milano Rho. The event will be held in person once again, on the basis of a new formula concentrating visits to the stands over three days rather than four, presenting a preview of the Spring/Summer 2022 collections and the latest trends in footwear. Progress on vaccination campaigns suggests that large numbers of Italian and international dealers will be able to attend the event in perfect safety, under health and safety protocols implemented in partnership with Fiera Milano, to see the new products presented by the world’s top footwear brands for themselves and touch them with their own hands. 

“We can finally get started again in our traditional form,” explains Assocalzaturifici and MICAM chair Siro Badon. “Our member companies need to meet with buyers in person again and re-establish their relationships. We have been working tirelessly to provide all the tools necessary to re-launch business opportunities, negotiate orders, and help Italian companies penetrate international markets. This is the only way to revive an industry that makes an essential contribution to the Italian economy. Synergies between the physical and virtual events will be reinforced. The Covid emergency and the resulting travel restrictions have taught us the importance of speeding up digitalisation to reach and fulfil the needs of people who are unable to attend the event in person”. 

For this reason, the MICAM Milano Digital Show platform will be offered in addition to the physical event, between September 15 and November 15 2021, allowing brands to schedule visits and meetings with buyers before, during and after the trade fair.