Facebook has announced the launch of its new shopping feature allowing businesses of all sizes to set up a free online store on Facebook and Instagram.

Facebook Shops allows businesses to set up customized online stores which can be found by people through the business’ Facebook Page or Instagram profile and targeted ads. Shoppers can then browse items and purchase them either through the company’s website or directly through the app.

After 10 successful editions and while fully prepared for the 11th edition of Ventura Projects during Milan Design Week 2020, Ventura Projects is no longer feasible. Both Ventura Centrale and Ventura Future had to be cancelled due to the global COVID-19 outbreak. Unfortunately, these cancellations have had a massive and irreversible impact on the company. Margriet Vollenberg, founder and art director of Ventura Projects, sadly had to make the impossible and heartbreaking decision to stop all Ventura Projects activities, leaving a massive gap in the entire design world. This means that after many successful editions the Ventura Projects events, organised by Organisation in Design, will no longer be on show during Milan Design Week and other international design events in the future.

“It is with great sorrow that I’ve had to witness how the corona crisis has hit the entire world and event and design industry, and thus my company. I spent many sleepless nights worrying about whether and how I could save or transform my company to adjust to a new normal to still be able to serve the design world and enable the talent as we have always done. It is therefore with great pain in my heart that I came to the conclusion that it is no longer feasible to build my dream, and therefore the dreams of many designers and design studios. The current circumstances leave me no other choice but to endVentura Projects,” says Margriet Vollenberg.

For twenty-one years Vollenberg took a role as an organiser, coordinator, and matchmaker during Milan Design Week and over the past eleven years, as art director of Ventura Projects, she focused on giving a forum for international creatives launching their projects. With the support of two dedicated teams in the Netherlands and Italy, Ventura Projects exhibitors were offered guidance and promotion to give them the attention and exposure they deserved.”

Vollenberg continues: “Over the last few days my team and I have personally called individual designers, relations and exhibitors of Ventura Projects. It was one of the most difficult tasks we have ever had to accomplish as a team. It was deeply sorrowing as well as heartwarming to talk to all our trusted friends and design lovers. For now, I look back with tremendous pride and gratitude on what my team and I have been able to accomplish in the international design world. With more than 7000 exhibitors, we have presented countless ground-breaking and incredible solutions to the world. We sincerely hope that the energised atmosphere of global design events will return soon. More than ever, to cope with this crisis and the aftermath the world is in need of the creativity, playfulness and ingenuity that design can offer.”

Scotch & Soda presents two new fragrances just in time for the Launch of the new Spring/Summer 2020 collections. Inspired by tropical scents, “Island Waters“ comes in 2 variations and is available from this month onwards.

In line with Scotch & Sodas DNA, the perfumes embody the brands values of free spirited creativity growing out of a passion for the unknown. Precious finds from all corners of the world, combined with classic, contemporary elements, define the eclectic collections of apparel, accessories and perfumes.

Island Waters along with the entire Spring/Summer 2020 apparel collection is inspired by the free spirited Musa-Shiya, also called „The Shirtmaker“ and creator of the original „Hawaiian Shirt. Driven by his insatiable creativity and teamed with a strong sense of business, the entrepreneur moved from his birthplace Japan to the island of Hawaii in the 30ties where he created the foundation of his business together with a team of loyal supporters of local craftspeople and surfers, who came to love the now iconic fashion item.

“Musa-Shiyas story of team spirit, fortunate timing and new interpretations of a classic style had us inspired and taught us, that anything is possible, if we wander through our world with open hearts & eyes.” – Marlou van Engelen, Creative Director Scotch & Soda

MICAM Milano has started to prepare for the coming edition to be held at the Rho trade-fair centre from 20 to 23 September, with the aim of providing an opportunity for the industry to get restarted after a difficult period for the world’s economy.

While the fair organisers work to prepare an event that will hopefully provide both Italian and foreign footwear companies with a springboard to recovery, following the difficult period the whole sector has gone through during the health emergency, the creative concept behind MICAM’s brand image for 2020 continues to be developed.

In this way, the second chapter in the #micamtales series, dedicated this year to MICAM in Wonderland, also becomes a sign that the event does not stop, and that it intends to go on providing those in the footwear market with important business and trade opportunities. The protagonist of the fairy-tale we were introduced to in February reappears once again in the September edition, at the centre of a series of curious events that take place in an enchanted garden: a tea drunk in the company of a white rabbit, a party that goes awry despite the fervid preparations, or a bizarre attempt to paint white roses red.

Over the coming weeks the fair will confirm a number of other new initiatives for the September edition aimed at sustaining the sector, while in these difficult months Assocalzaturifici has never stopped listening and supporting the Italian footwear companies

Effective immediately, Patrick Valeo has been named as Diesel North America’s new CEO. Reporting to global CEO Massimo Piombini, he will lead the brand forward focusing on growth throughout.

Most recently Valeo was president of the Americas and global head of commercial sales at MCM. Prior to that, he was president and COO of SMCP, vice president retail at Dolce & Gabbana and vice president retail at Gucci Americas.

Missoni has appointed Livio Proli as their new CEO. Proli had a lengthy tenure at Giorgio Armani where he held the positions general manager and managing director. He departed from all of his Giorgio Armani affiliated roles last year.

Proli will be the first ever CEO of Missoni. In addition to being a family owned company, Italian fund FSI also has a 41.2 percent stake in Missoni.

In light of the health and economic crisis the world has been experiencing over the past several weeks, Première Vision has taken a firm position to making a strong strategic commitment to a severely impacted fashion industry. In an expression of solidarity with its exhibitors and brands, the group has launched a series of measures to actively support and assist the sector in preparation for the resumption of business operations.

-Confirmation of the Première Vision Paris show next September.
-Modification of some show calendars to ensure their smooth operation given relevant health constraints, with some being re-thought and adapted to the situation: Made in France Première Vision, Denim Première Vision, Blossom Première Vision, Première Vision New York, Première Vision Sport.
-Easing of registration conditions for exhibitors.
-Free access for visitors.
-Simplification and lifting of charges for digital services on the Première Vision Marketplace.
-Accelerated digitisation of show services and content: products, seasonal fashion information, webinars, etc.

Gilles Lasbordes, General Manager of Première Vision said: “We, along with fashion manufacturers and brands, fully share a desire to work together in emerging from this crisis, which is having such a severe impact on the industry. We have explored every possible option to provide tangible support to the market. First, we believe that companies will have a vital need to come together again to help re-launch businesses that, in some cases, have been dramatically weakened. And this, of course, must be done in compliance with the health precautions that will be in effect. At the same time, we very quickly took the decision to provide an online digital version of the fashion information prepared for our exhibitors, to ensure our on-going creative support. Looking ahead to September, we will be taking even further steps. Already, as of mid-March, we have made it free for our exhibitors to showcase an unlimited number of their products on the Marketplace, to help them remain in contact with their clients, provide samples and fulfil orders. Lastly, for Première Vision Paris, we have pushed back the registration process as late as possible, and relaxed their conditions as well. We have decided to assume 100% of the risks of cancellation of the show, should holding it be banned by the authorities. Our teams are currently fully committed and mobilised with the industry to face the new challenges that lie ahead.”

Berwich has created a capsule collection of trousers called Bibliotheca, as archive and research, together with Lacerba, well-known boutique in Rimini, composed of three fits for the contemporary and cosmopolitan man: trousers without or with one pleat and the cargo. These trousers, made of rustic coarse-grained fabrics such as herringbone, blends of linen, canvas and twisted cotton, are available in natural colors such as beige, tobacco and khaki.

The Dupont Sorona brand team is launching a new brand architecture and hangtag program designed to bring simplicity of choice and fabric confidence to designers and apparel brands. New fabric collections offered by mills are tested and certified through the DuPont Sorona Fabric Common Thread Certification Program to assure the fabrics have the unique molecular footprint of partially plant-based Sorona polymer as well as meet key fabric performance attributes. Starting now, apparel brands and designers will be able to request that mills provide their DuPont Sorona Fabric Common Thread Certificate to show their Sorona fabrics truly have the unique fabric performance and feeling that Sorona fibers provide.

“Fiber producers are able to create many unique constructions from Sorona®polymer enabling a wide variety of textiles exhibiting diverse performance properties from wrinkle-resistant outerwear fabrics to lightweight breathable insulation products, permanent stretch and recovery, and newly launched Sorona faux fur,” explains DuPont Biomaterials Global Marketing Director Renee Henze. “We are committed to ensuring that mills, designers and brands have clarity on our offering and that they can trust the source of the materials when they’re choosing fabrics using Sorona.”

New fabrics which are certified through the Common Thread Fabric Certification Program will provide the Sorona fabric performance characteristics that designers and apparel brands are searching for.

The Kingpins24 digital event which just closed its (digital) doors, saw exhibitors, industry partners and thought leaders, who are all isolated and stuck at home and dealing with their own crises, rallied to make content to share with our audience in a matter of days. Then, THOUSANDS of their peers, colleagues, clients and friends joined in – some waking up in the dead of night to watch our livestream, others using the magic of AppleTV to push hours of our livestream and on-demand content to their TVs.

The denim industry, like all international business, has been heavily disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. But the denim community still needs to connect to share ideas, information and inspiration for the Fall/Winter 2021 season.

Throughout the event presented were:

Exhibitors on-demand: FW2021 presentations from the textile and trim exhibitors showcasing new offerings, sustainability missions & more…

Show Initiatives on-demand: Causes the trade show supports, ideas they want to share, voices you should know.

Interviews/Panels on-demand: Interviews, panels and conversations covering various subjects relating to the denim industry.

“We, as a whole, are resilient, resourceful and optimistic,” said Andrew Olah, founder of Kingpins Show. “When one door closes another opens. We believe Kingpins24 can give our global industry a chance to connect and share information. We have no other desire but to be a conduit for the denim world during these difficult times, where most of us, including me, are at home far away from our normal world.”

Kingpins24 has not taken the place of a Kingpins trade show. Instead, Kingpins organizers have distilled the content, energy and point of view that make Kingpins Shows unique and brought that same mind frame and approach to an online event. The goal is for attendees to have an understanding of the denim supply chain’s offerings for the F/W 2021 season and much, much more.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread, businesses everywhere have been affected. For some brands, online sales have quickly become a way to both continue to sell products and to help relief organizations provide support to those affected by the virus. Below, are 3 designers that are supporting the COVID-19 Relief Efforts.

Sep Jordan

Sep Jordan is known for their embroidered table linens, which are made by refugee artisans. Now, their products are helping yet another good cause: For every purchase made, the business will donate $20 to COVI19 medical aid for Jordanian refugee camps. ‘In the face of the current COVID-19 situation, no one has escaped these life changing events, and the impact was overwhelming for refugees and those in the developing world.  At SEP it has been our priority to support and protect residents of the Jerash camp throughout this pandemic. Our pledge for every online order received during the COVID-19 crisis, is that $20 will be spent on hand sanitisers, medicines and food in Jerash camp.’  Sep. Also in solidarity with our workers of the frontline, the nursing staff in Switzerland, as a very small thanks from SEP, each week, for the next few weeks, they will offer one of our “secchiello” bags embroidered by hand to someone nominated by the public who is working in the public health system.

Pangaia
Pangaia have delivered 10,000 N95 surgical masks to Mount Sinai Hospital in Queens one of the hardest hit boroughs in New York. Although they are young start up, their collective efforts and partnerships with JUST Bethenny Frankel and B Strong amongst others has made this possible.  They thank and salute all the heroes putting their lives at risk. 

Drajée Jewellery Hamsa Hand.
‘To help during the global pandemic Drajée London will be donating 10% of all their online sales split across both the Trussell Trust & the NHS COVID 19 Appeal.  They have also created a little Hamsa Hand bracelet with 20% going to the NHS a little symbol of hope and solidarity.  Both charities have been working tirelessly to ensure NHS staff and food banks are fully supported throughout the UK.  The Trussell Trust are a nationwide network of food banks who provide emergency food and support to people locked in poverty, and campaign for change to end the need for food banks in the UK.  In the UK, more than 14 million people are living in poverty – including 4.5 million children. They support more than 1,200 food bank centres in the UK to provide a minimum of three days’ nutritionally balanced emergency food to people who have been referred in crisis, as well as support to help people resolve the crises they face. Between April 2018 and March 2019, food banks in our network provided a record 1.6 million food supplies to people in crisis, a 19% increase on the previous year. 

Capgemini has this week launched a new report, which looks at the impact of coronavirus on consumer shopping behaviour. The findings are based on a survey of over 11,000 global consumers at the beginning of April 2020.

Some key findings of the research are: 

Globally consumers are optimistic about recovery: 48% are optimistic about recovery from the current crisis in the next six months. When asked about the next 12 months, positive sentiment increases, with 70% optimistic about recovery.

However, UK shoppers are more pessimistic: only 37% are optimistic that the UK will recover in six months

Attitudes to in-store shopping: 59% of consumers worldwide said they had high levels of interaction with physical stores before COVID-19, but today less than a quarter (24%) see themselves in that high-interaction category. In next 6-9 months, only 39% of consumers expect a high level of interaction with physical stores – clearly below the pre-COVID levels.

Automation is becoming a must-have: 57% of consumers would be more comfortable with complete in-store automation that does not require touch-based practices in a post-pandemic era (for example, product information search, in-store navigation, and order to payment is done on the consumer’s phone).

Safety is now a key differentiator: 77% of consumers will be more cautious about cleanliness, health, and safety in the post-pandemic era. Nearly 62% will also switch to brands that show higher levels of product safety and 54% will prefer local items over imports due to safety concerns over the use of foreign products. This increased consumer awareness translates into increasing demand for safety measures during in-store shopping and delivery.

For Earth Day 50, Tommy Hilfiger highlights some of their sustainable product initiatives for this season…

“At Tommy Hilfiger, we’re committed to making fashion that wastes nothing and welcomes all. As part of this commitment, we are shipping a circular fashion brand- one which limits its carbon and water footprints, and where all the materials we use are part of a sustainable loop.” – Tommy Hilfiger

100% recycled denim
The Tommy 100% recycled denim styles feature stitching thread made from recycled plastic PET bottles. Using an innovative technique that blends cotton scraps from the factory floors of the apparel industry and bed linens of the hotel industry, the brand has reduced the amount of water and energy used to make a pair of jeans.

100% organic cotton
The brand’s organic cotton products contain independent certified organic cotton, meaning it was grown without chemical pesticides, chemical fertilisers and genetically modified seeds.

Recycled Polyester
The brand’s recycled polyester products contain independently certified recycled polyester from used textiles, manufacturing waste or plastic bottles, reducing its environmental impact.

The LYCRA Company will share its latest sustainable stretch and performance innovations at the Kingpins 24 livestream event on April 22-23. Kingpins is transitioning its spring denim tradeshow in Amsterdam to an online format amid COVID-19 concerns.

Under its EcoMade family of fibers, The LYCRA Company has developed a variety of offerings with pre and post-consumer content.  The latest of these is the LYCRA EcoMade fiber, made partly with pre-consumer material, it’s certified to GRS standards, offering the same high-quality performance as the other LYCRA fiber offerings. Another stretch vehicle, LYCRA T400 EcoMade fiber, contains 50% post-consumer content and can be used in conjunction with LYCRA fiber for higher stretch with lasting shape retention.

The performance polyester fibers give new life to plastics – COOLMAX EcoMade technology helps keep the wearer cool and dry and is made with 100% post-consumer recycled materials. And for lightweight warmth, our THERMOLITE EcoMade fiber is engineered to help optimize comfort & performance.

To dispel some myths about sustainabilty the company will deliver a presentation titled “Sustainable Stretch – Get the Facts” April 22^ndand 23^rd. In addition, videos on The LYCRA Company’s Planet Agenda sustainability platform and LYCRA EcoMade fiber will run during the Kingpins 24 livestream.

“We want to thank Kingpins for giving us the opportunity to come together as a denim community and engage our customers on these important topics in a new and exciting way,” said Jean Hegedus, The LYCRA Company Sustainability Director.  “At The LYCRA Company, we’re focused on developing solutions for a circular economy.  Under our Planet Agenda platform, we are also working on technologies for recycling stretch garments, extending garment wear life, and helping our customers use fewer, and more sustainable resources.

Kingpins 24 will feature livestreamed panel discussions, interviews and exhibitor presentations focused on sustainability and corporate social responsibility, plus a variety of on-demand content about the denim supply chain’s offerings for the upcoming seasons. Registration is now open which grants free access to the livestream and on-demand content.

Premium Exhibitions has confirmed that due to government regulations it won’t be holding the event as planned from 30th June till 2nd of July 2020.

Pinko was one of the first brands to sign on to Shanghai Fashion Week after organizers announced plans to move the entire event online. In under two weeks, Pinko staged a “See Now, Buy Now” runway show, featuring 25 looks from its current collection against a virtual backdrop.

The garments were designed with confident and determined modern women in mind – those who were “ready to take life always by the horns, even in difficult times like these,” said Pietro Negra, CEO and founder of Pinko.

The digital fashion-show experience was very positive, said Negra. “I am especially surprised by the ability to react and implement, in such a short time, an event with a worldwide resonance.”

Participating in the new digital format was a natural decision for the brand, which values innovation and experimentation, he said. The use of digital technologies also allowed Pinko to maintain sales in China and keep customer relationships alive amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Negra said the brand will invest further in livestreaming to build greater interactions with consumers on Tmall. He said particularly in China, where young consumers are highly informed and digitized, brands need to step up efforts to win their attention and loyalty.

“For Pinko, Tmall is not only a sales channel but a vehicle for promotion and awareness,” Negra said

As the Government’s new ‘home isolation rules’ came into force throughout March, the fashion industry was sent into a whirlwind of unprecedented uncertainty. In a month where Spring buying would typically set in, online clothing sales were down -23.1% Year-on-Year (YoY), according to the latest IMRG Capgemini Online Retail Index, which tracks the online sales performance of over 200 retailers. Digging deeper into fashion sales, menswear was down a staggering -42.9% and footwear was down -32.8%.

Indicative of a very mixed set of results on a category level, the warmer weather and increased amount of time spent in the garden during the lockdown sent online garden sales soaring to +94.4% YoY. Beauty also continued to build on strong February sales, spiking to +36.0%, while electricals recorded March’s third standout performance – surging by +40.2%. In fact, during week 2 of the month when the Government raised the outbreak risk from moderate to high, electrical retailers saw sales jump by +47.7% YoY as consumers turned to home entertainment and raced to set up their offices.  

With the category results doing their best to balance each other out, the overall growth for March limped in at -5.1% YoY – well below the 12-, 6- and 3-month rolling averages (+4.5%, +6.7% and -2.1% respectively) but still above last month’s performance by +2.6% (MoM). Perhaps marking the start of stockpiling, March started off with poor online sales for the first fortnight, but seemed to recover in weeks 3 and 4 following the Government’s announcement of official home isolation rules on March 17.

Meanwhile as they are forced to shift more operations into the digital sphere, multichannel retailers outperformed their online only counterparts for the first time since April 2019, recording growth of -4.0% versus -5.5%.

Lucy Gibbs, managing consultant – Retail Insight, Capgemini: “Online sales performance this month is a mixed story, as retailers are faced with a multitude of challenges. ‘Non-essential’ stores closed their doors on the high street which led to the majority of multichannel retailers gaining a boost in online performance in the latter half of the month as consumers channelled their demand into digital.  However, the changing demand and customer needs has also polarised impacts on different product categories where the appetite for fashion dropped off significantly compared to garden, home and electrical which are seeing unusually high demand as we spend more time at home.<>

Next month we are likely to see a continued rise in online demand however it has never been more important to listen to consumer needs to respond to new spending patterns, communicate in a way that resonates with the concerns and needs of customers and using datapoints to inform next steps as we navigate through the changes”<>

Andy Mulcahy, strategy and insight director, IMRG: “There is a bit of a myth going around at the moment that online sales are booming. It’s more accurate to say some online retailers are experiencing huge demand, outstripping even that seen over Black Friday, because so many people are in the exact same situation – ie stuck at home. That has created very lopsided demand among product categories.

“People simply don’t have much need for new clothes or shoes at the moment, which is why at the overall level sales growth is down. How and when a stronger balance in demand might be established is a pressing question for retailers currently on the wrong side of that divide.”

Canadian outerwear brand Nobis, has announced its global initiative with which 100% of proceeds from online sales in April will be donated to healthcare facilities at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19.

The program will be complemented with a $ 100,000 donation to hospitals in the state of Ontario. “Nobis,” we, “in Latin has always had a clear importance on the community, we are very proud and grateful to our health workers whose courage and selflessness are a beacon of hope in these uncertain times. Never before has this been necessary support our community. For this reason Nobis is doing everything that is possible for recognize and support the incredible sacrifice of people at the forefront of this battle.” says Robin Yates, Co-founder and Vice President of the brand

Customers who make a purchase from the Nobis.com site during this time will have the option at when checking out, send the donation to an organization of their choice from those mentioned.

The German sustainable label Lovjoi is offering a makeshift mouthguard which is” Made in Germany” from 100% TENCEL fabric by Lenzing. This lyocell fiber has many positive properties and is therefore well suited as a material for makeshift mouth protection:

Lyocell is temperature regulating, anti-allergenic, resistant to mites and bacteria, moisture-absorbing, tear-resistant and durable. The makeshift mouthguard can be washed with laundry up to 95°C or disinfectant. The fiber is also used in textiles in the medical field and in industrial products. Mixtures of polyester and lyocell are already used as work clothing for nursing staff and doctors.

The makeshift mouthguards from Lovjoi are manufactured by hand in their own company in southern Germany and are available in numerous colors and patterns.

The Board of Directors of Pitti Immagine made decisions regarding the calendar of the Pitti Uomo fairs scheduled for the 2020 summer season with a new calendar as below:

Pitti Immagine Uomo no. 98 is confirmed and will move to 2 to 4 September (3 days), once again at the Fortezza da Basso, Florence

Pitti Immagine Bimbo no. 91 is confirmed and will move to 9-10 September (2 days), at the Fortezza da Basso, Florence

Pitti Immagine Filati no. 87 is confirmed and its exact position on the calendar will be discussed at the next Technical Committee, scheduled for April, 8^th

Fragranze no. 18 is confirmed with the original dates, 11-13 September, at the Stazione Leopolda in Florence

Super n. 16 is confirmed with the original dates, 24-27 September, at the Padiglione Visconti in Milan

Taste no. 15, which was rescheduled for the beginning of June, is canceled and postponed until the next ordinary dates for 2021 (13-15 March)

The Kingpins New York trade show originally scheduled to take place on June 2nd and 3rd, 2020, has been cancelled due to health concerns and travel restrictions related to COVID-19.

In a statement Kingpins mentioned “Kingpins cancelled its June show in New York as the coronaviris crisis continues to keep people around the world at home in hopes of flattening the curve and reducing the impact of COVID-19 on all of our daily lives. By now, we all know someone affected by this crisis. And, sadly, we are likely to be further impacted as medical professionals work to contain the disease while they treat patients and look for a cure. The scale of the economic impact on us all is impossible to measure. But there is comfort in community and Kingpins has always been about fostering community, working together and looking for ways to innovate our industry.”

On April 22 and 23 Kingpins24 will take place, the online event created to bring the industry together in these uncertain times.

Jeanologia, world leaders in sustainable and eco-efficient technology development, has repurposed its ozone based G2 technology, which it uses for the sustainable treatment of jeans into an innovative method for sanitization and disinfecting face protection masks.

Making its technology the last link in the production chain for certain sanitary equipment, before being delivered to the hospitals. Considered an “essential” business by the Spanish government during the COVID-19 crisis, the company is making a great effort, working together with other technology centers and universities in coordination with the government, and acting altruistically.

Enrique Silla, Jeanologia’s founder, has highlighted that “facing the global uncertainty, we have transformed ourselves in record time, showing our capacity for leadership”.

He has also indicated that “after Covid19 eco-sustainable production will become obligatory for everyone.  Only the companies that have put people and planet before profits and have a purpose will be able to survive.”

Silla also highlights that at Jeanologia they are experts in producing ozone, “for more than 15 years we have been applying it in the textile industry to make the industry more sustainable”. That’s why with the current situation, where sanitization is primary in combatting the virus, “we have challenged ourselves to transform our G2 technology within the timeframe of only one week.”

For the sanitization process, we take the face protection masks to be disinfected and put them into a hermetically sealed chamber – Sanitizingbox – subjecting them to a determined quantity of ozone. Through advanced oxidation, bacteria is eliminated and the material is disinfected.

Ozone is the strongest antimicrobial disinfectant and strongest oxidant in nature. Once it has been used, it is treated and returned clean to the atmosphere having been converted into oxygen.

The G2 technology transformed into the Sanitizingbox, becomes the key link for sanitization and is capable of disinfecting 15,000 masks a day. The disinfection protocol is certified by the Valencian government’s health authorities and complies with international health and safety specifications.

The founder at Jeanologia has forwarded that “we are going to continue working in this direction with our R+D team because the sanitization of apparel and workwear is demanded by brands and consumers. Only through sanitizing will be able to speed up regaining consumers’ trust, guaranteeing the fast recovery of our industry.”

Debenhams is preparing to call in administrators after the struggling department store was forced to close all its outlets under the coronavirus lockdown.

Debenhams was taken over last year by a group of its financial backers, including the US hedge funds Silver Point and GoldenTree, after falling into administration.

With 142 stores closed and the majority of the 22,000 staff on furlough, the current owners want to push the business into administration then buy it back debt-free.

Debenhams said: “This move will protect Debenhams from the threat of legal action that could have the effect of pushing the business into liquidation while its 142 UK stores remain closed in line with the Government’s current advice regarding the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Levi’s has launched a new program on its Instagram Live platform to support artists and musicians while encouraging watchers to stay at home. The program, titled 5:01 Live, is hosted on the channel every weekday at 5:01 PST.

On their recent post the brand said “Our Levi’s Family, it’s in times like these that many of us turn to music to feel a sense of community. Tune in tomorrow, March 23rd, for our first 5:01 Live. Levi’s is proud to bring you live performances from some of your favorite artists as we encourage you to stay home and stay connected. We’ll be live every weekday at 5:01pm PST. We are unified by music and all in this together.”

The board of directors of Pitti Immagine has decided yesterday to move the dates of their shows: “Considering the evolution of the health emergency in Italy and around the world and in the light of the concrete prospects of an extension to the restrictive measures concerning production and commercial activities and the movement of people, the Board of Directors discussed and deliberated the proposals presented by the CEO Raffaello Napoleone who, together with the heads of the various company departments, had carried out a broad survey of the opinions received from exhibitors, buyers, agents and other members of the trade over the past few weeks:

_ Pitti Immagine Uomo no. 98 is confirmed and will move to 2 to 4 September (3 days), once again at the Fortezza da Basso, Florence;

_ Pitti Immagine Bimbo no. 91 is confirmed and will move to 9-10 September (2 days), at the Fortezza da Basso, Florence;

_ Pitti Immagine Filati no. 87 is confirmed and its exact position on the calendar will be discussed at the fair’s next Technical Committee, scheduled for April, 8^th;

_ Fragranze no. 18 is confirmed with the original dates, 11-13 September, at the Stazione Leopolda in Florence;

_ Super n. 16 is confirmed with the original dates, 24-27 September, at the Padiglione Visconti in Milan;

_ Taste no. 15, which was rescheduled for the beginning of June, is canceled and postponed until the next ordinary dates for 2021 (13-15 March).”

“With regard to our three fashion fairs” says Raffaello Napoleone, Ceo of Pitti Immagine “it is clear that they will be exceptional editions where our primary duties will be to guarantee the complete maintenance of hygiene of the exhibition space and prepare an organization of the spaces and layouts that takes into account people’s safety. An experimental layout which could also turn out to be useful on next occasions. This will also apply to Fragranze at the Stazione Leopolda which we believe, in this phase, could represent an indispensable point of reference for the entire artistic and experimental perfumery world”.

Napoleone also added that Pitti Connect, will be a new and advanced version of previous digital platform and will aim to network the buyer to brands through high-quality editorial contributions. This should not be seen as a complementary tool of the shows but as an integration into the physical fair. Pitti will be presenting this project to exhibitors and test it in the next few weeks and after that gradually introduce it.

This of course will set a shift in the trade show calendar for this SS21 season. However, it remains to be seen if Pitti will revert back to old dates for 2021 or whether the Covid-19 crisis will mark a shift in the overall trade show calendar.

The board of directors of the Fédération de la haute couture et de la Mode have cancelled Paris Men’s Fashion Week and Haute Couture Week with coronavirus which continues to halt international travel and plague France. Just today, the country’s prime minister warned of an extremely high surge in coronavirus cases.

Paris Men’s was originally scheduled to take place from June 23 to June 28, and Haute Couture was originally scheduled for July 5 to July 9. Designers are currently looking for alternative ways to showcase their collections.

A press release “In light of the spread of the Covid-19 epidemic worldwide, strong decisions are required to ensure the safety and health of Houses, their employees and everyone working in our industry. Consequently, the Board of Directors of the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode has come to the decision that, in the present conditions, the Paris Fashion Week® Menswear, scheduled from June 23rd to June 28th, 2020, and the Haute Couture Week scheduled from July 5 to July 9, 2020, cannot take place”

Chanel joined the likes of Gucci in stopping production for the short-term amongst the global coronavirus outbreak. The company is closing factories in France, Switzerland, and Italy for the next two weeks.

“Chanel took the decision, in accordance with the latest government instructions, to close the entirety of its production sites in France, Italy and Switzerland [watchmaking] as well as its haute couture, ready-to-wear, métiers d’art and jewelry,” the company said in a statement.

Due to the increasing spread of the coronavirus and on the basis of the recommendation of the Bavarian State Government and the responsible health authorities, Messe München has cancelled OutDoor by ISPO 2020. This step was carried out in consultation with the industry association EOG (European Outdoor Group) and is responsible for the health of exhibitors and visitors. The next OutDoor by ISPO will take place in summer 2021.

Mark Held, President of the EOG: “The corona pandemic presents the outdoor industry with previously unknown challenges. We have decided that a cancellation of OutDoor by ISPO 2020 frees up valuable resources in the companies that they can use to support employees, retailers and other stakeholders along the supply chain. The more we do now to protect everyone involved, the better off we will be after this crisis. Once the crisis has been overcome, OutDoor by ISPO 2021 will provide an important platform for the entire industry and set standards for the economic comeback. ”

Our brand-new issue 62 of WeAr Magazine is now out! Featuring Trends, Brands, Designers, Lookbook, Retail Tips, Bestseller & Denim Specials, Fiber Report & more…

WeAr’s editorial team has attended the all-important shows this season and filtered out the best-of-the-best for you, in case you have been unable to travel.

Use our Lookbook to get seasonal inspiration. Look up these fantastic brands and dare to order directly from them. If your customers can buy online, so can you! Need an extra confidence boost?

We have compiled another one of our Bestseller Specials where we interviewed showrooms and retailers worldwide about what is hot and where things are going. Take this as a guide to your buying choices.

Our Denim Special will help you navigate through the tough times. We have asked the movers and shakers of the industry to give us their ideas on storytelling through, and around, denim – they know a thing or two about surviving turbulence.

And for the rest of your needs, check out our reports, where we always aim to write about things that can improve your business.

Get the latest issue of WeAr Magazine | https://www.wearglobalnetwork.com/bookstore/

Now more than ever, it is time to focus on how to use tools to digitalise your store. Here are three providers that can help your store to function better.

FITOM
Online shopping is ridden with customer uncertainty about whether an item will fit. Fitom mitigates this by displaying garments worn by a variety of people. It encourages users who have access to a retailer’s garments to try them on, photograph themselves and post their picture on the app; every post brings them points that can be exchanged for discounts. Users who don’t have access to the physical store, on the other hand, can get an idea of how garments look on real people by looking at these photos. The application is launching with the famous Japanese retailer United Arrows as its first partner and plans to expand to other brands towards the end of 2019.
www.fitom.jp

INVENTORUM
POS, merchandise management, accounting and an online shop all in a single app: that is Inventorum. The app, available in German and English, runs on iPad, allowing retailers to complete the selling process with the customer anywhere in the store – a physical cash register is only needed to give change. The system is browser-based, which means the accountancy features, including a daily closing balance and electronic cash ledger, can also be accessed on a PC. With a click, you can add new products, check your inventory, introduce discounts and view customer history. The app is especially useful for sole proprietors, who can save time and money by digitizing their business processes. Fees can be paid either monthly or annually, and a two-week trial is offered free of charge.
inventorum.com/en/

SARAFAN
Sarafan recognizes fashion products in photos and videos and finds similar items in online stores. Here is how it works: the app enters into partnerships with influencers and media outlets, on the one hand, and online retailers on the other. Affiliate influencers receive a code script to embed into their website/feed, which enables Sarafan’s algorithms to scan their images and detect items analogous to those offered by its affiliate stores. The app then places a link next to the post, inviting the viewer to shop and redirecting them straight to the retailer. The influencer/media receives commission from every transaction, the app gets paid for every transfer, and the store gets new custom. At present, over 150 retailers are using Sarafan.
https://sarafan.tech/en

In the APP-DATE section of WeAr reviews the best apps and software platforms used by retailers and brands. Some of them are available to all stores and markets; others are exclusive to one retailer or territory but will hopefully inspire others and help them keep abreast of changes in the digital fashion landscape.

Due to Covid-19 stores have to close and shoppers are in no buying mood, not even online. It is simply not fun to shop and not be able to wear something new outside your home. It is also not fun to hear of the dire situation and meanwhile go on a shopping spree. However, every crises offers chances. 

We at WeAr spoke to countless retailers and brands and came to the following suggestion:

1) All delivered spring /summer items will be packed and stored for March/April 2021

We simply skip S/S 2020. Brands can still produce some “key-pieces”, but the bulk gets packed and stored and used for spring 2021. 

The advantage of this scenario will  be that retailers are not forced to heavily discount or even write-off merchandise, but can sell it to the regular price. Whatever won’t sell now, will be sold in a year.

Brands will lose one season of sales, but save a lot of their clients from dire financial situation and potentially bankruptcy, which ultimately will result in the client not being able to pay its brand-partners. All retailers have to pay for, is the interest and storage fees for 12 months.

Autumn winter could run as usual and losses would be minimized.To now force retailers to quickly get rid of stock with heavy discounts, will flood the market and not generate profit.

2) Shifting Sales Season

Trying to make the best out of the tragic situation should also trigger a new way seasons are currently handled by all participants from trade-shows, producers, brands to buyers.

It makes no sense to discount a pullover in the best time of winter, when consumers need warm clothing most. Instead, these items need to be discounted at the end of the winter, if at all. 

3) Delivery of merchandise and shifts of Order Rounds

The entire system has to get re-booted. Winter should get delivered 6 weeks ahead of winter, not in summer, as we sometimes do. The same applies of course for spring/summer. Subsequently: Order Rounds should start for autumn/winter in February and March and for spring/summer early September. 

If we would implement this mechanism, which used to be standard in the industry, merchandise can be sold quicker, cash-flow would be quicker, write-offs will be less. Win, win, win. This way the impact of Corona would be minimzed and offset by better bsuiness in the years to come.

Please let us know your thoughts  and suggestions, as it’s time for a change.

Stay healthy and all the very best,
Yours WeAr Global Magazine team.

In lieu of the Coronavirus COVID-19 situation, DFO will be organizing a fully integrated online and offline showroom for its AW20 season.

For buyers who will not visit Shanghai, DFO will help them place orders via our online showroom. DFO will help brands create attractive video and image content and create dynamic brand experience digitally.  In addition, China’s 5G technology will make DFO’s online experience enjoyable and convenient for buyers.

Via DFO’s own social media platforms and reaching out directly to China’s buyer pool, DFO will continue to create dedicated promotion for brands. 

“The fashion industry in China will only be strong again if all of its participants support each other.  With a fully integrated strategy spanning over one-month, we believe we will be able to help strengthen the fashion market in China, as well as our brands and retailers, through this challenging season.” – DFO

Strenesse frees up resources to support regional companies in times of Corona. At the headquarters in Nördlingen, mouth and nose protection made from breathable cotton is produced in the Strenesse-own sewing shop with high-pressure aids. In particular, employees in the food retail sector who guarantee basic care but are not taken into account in the state supply chain should benefit from this.

The makeshift mouth and nose protection can also be found via the online store www.strenesse.com. The reusable protective masks are made of 100% skin-friendly cotton, which is washable up to 90 degrees,

“In these difficult times we have to stick together and we are happy to have found a way to support our fellow human beings. My special thanks go to our employees on site who made this project possible with such commitment. ”Said Micaela Sabatier, Managing Director of the Nördlinger fashion company.

In a statement Kingpins mentioned “We’ve tried to round up a few bright spots alongside the news that is hard to hear but worth noting.

Also, with all the information and talking heads, we know it is hard to discern what we should be doing (or not doing) and what guidance we should be following. We’ve collected a few links from the experts – the World Health Organization, namely – to help you find unbiased and fact-based information.

Finally, the Kingpins team is working on two big projects right now that will help keep us all connected and informed. The first is our new website – which will launch on March 30.”

With this they also mentioned the live-date for their new digital event “We’re going online. Kingpins24 – our new online event – will bring the denim industry together when we are apart. EVERYONE can join”