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”

Focusing on “remote” visitors, the Fondazione Prada’s and its social media channels have been turned into a laboratory of ideas, a platform in which to test new formats and codes that will be able to develop in a further way in the future, beyond the current state of emergency.

The foundation has opened its archive where via a list of key words users can explore its “Glossary” section. By publishing archive images and videos, unpublished texts, excerpts from catalogues and reviews from the press, thematic paths and ideal dialogues between various activities will be established, Fondazione Prada said in a statement.

“In compliance with all the decrees published to date, we have promptly implemented all the measures necessary for guaranteeing the safety of the people who work at Pitti Immagine, both with and for us. We have also got ourselves organized in order to continue to be operational, using all the instruments, tools and networks available for working from home, in constant contact with each other, sector to sector… and with all of you.

What we want to tell you loud and clear is that we are all working hard to open next June’s fairs on the dates announced. We have never stopped. Put simply, it is our duty: no more or less than our duty towards you.

We are fully aware that this fair season will not be like all the others, it will be an exceptional season, combating the fear and the emergency. Not in order to remove them but rather with the aim of facing them and realistically laying down the foundations for a relaunch that is as rapid as possible.  For this reason, we have decided to invest.

We are, in fact, working on a dual track basis, physical and digital, with innovative and complementary services to boost the efficiency of the relationships between companies and buyers. The physical fair, rich in content and with even more new features, will be flanked by the e-PITTI Connect digital platform, which, beyond the current emergency, constitutes a patrimony that we have been developing for quite a long time and with which we will be launching a brand new and advanced version in June in order to offer new functionality, more contents and also remote interaction modes. With your contribution: we are a system and we work as a system, that is an undeniable treasure.

We want to continue to be a stable and safe point of reference, without concealing the difficulties and monitoring the evolution of the situation in Italy and around the world day by day, hour by hour.

We will continue to keep in contact, to stay up to date, to be flexible and fast, to adopt the most opportune measures reliably and with the necessary courage.  New scenarios will open up that will not always be predictable, we will work harder but, above all, better, drawing on both our as well as your creative skills. We are certainly not alone and will never be so because over all these years, even before creating a successful commercial event, we have built a true community with you.

In this regard, we should add one last thing.

As citizens, parents, children and members of wider communities, we would like to express our feelings of gratitude, affection and solidarity to the thousands of doctors, nurses and volunteers working in healthcare structures who have committed themselves to continuously taking care of us in the best possible way. If there are any heroes at this time, it is them.”

For S/S 2020 Stone Island presents: Big Loom Camo. The camouflage pattern is created on ‘Big Looms’: looms capable of creating complex and oversized jacquard designs. The design comes to life through the double dye bath garment dyeing procedure, which colours all the textile components with different yields.

Jackets and accessories are made of a cotton, nylon and viscose fabric, with a slight external resin finish.

Twenty years after founding Yoox as an off-price e-tailer, and five years after a merger with Net-a-Porter, Federico Marchetti will be stepping down as Yoox Net-a-Porter’s CEO. He will however, will remain as chairman of the company, which in 2018 was acquired by Richemont in a €2.8 billion deal.

In 2000, Marchetti founded YOOX, the world’s first lifestyle e-commerce destination, long before the launch of Facebook, Instagram and the iPhone. YOOX was listed on the Milan Stock Exchange in 2009, the first IPO in Italy for 18 months; today, it remains Italy’s sole “unicorn”. In 2015, Marchetti drove the game-changing merger of YOOX and NET-A-PORTER to create YOOX NET-A-PORTER GROUP, the world leader in online luxury fashion.

Under his leadership, YOOX NET-A-PORTER has signed important partnerships worldwide. In China, a joint venture between Richemont, YOOX NET-A-PORTER and Alibaba announced in 2018 puts the Group in pole position in the world’s biggest luxury market. In the Middle East, YOOX NET-A-PORTER has partnered with Mohamed Alabbar, the most visionary entrepreneur in the Gulf, since 2016.

The Kingpins Amsterdam denim supply chain trade show will not host its April 2020 edition due to the health concerns and travel restrictions linked to the coronavirus, COVID-19.

“We have been monitoring this situation very closely and had been hoping to have the show go on, but in light of the travel restrictions our attendees and exhibitors are experiencing and the overarching concern for the health and safety of our community, we have no choice but to cancel Kingpins Amsterdam,” said Andrew Olah, founder of Kingpins Show.

Kingpins Amsterdam is the second show Kingpins organizers have canceled due to health and travel concerns related to COVID-19. In February, organizers announced  the cancelation of the Kingpins Hong Kong show, originally slated for May 13/14.

“We are following the Center for Disease Control’s recommendations for limiting the spread of COVID-19. The CDC is recommending people avoid all nonessential travel, including to several countries that have reported high levels of infection,” Olah said. “This includes countries where many of our friends, exhibitors and attendees are based. We encourage everyone to practice common sense and get their information from trusted sources.”

While the health and safety of the denim supply chain is forcing the closure of key Kingpins events, organizers say they are searching for solutions to help the denim industry stay in touch with customers and suppliers.

“We cannot stop the world over this virus,” Olah said. “A total economic shutdown is not a realistic option for any of us although the earth is benefitting from less activity.”

Kingpins Amsterdam exhibitors and attendees will be contacted with further information regarding booth contracts and registrations.

Givenchy has named Renaud de Lesquen as their new CEO. Currently, de Lesquen is president and CEO of Dior Americas, and will step into his new role on April 1st, 2020.

MOSCOT, New York City brand and renowned eyewear institution opened in 2019 its second standalone shop in Italy. The new location, which opened on December 12th, 2019, occupies a 65 square meter space at 22 Via Ponte Vetero, Milan, Italy. MOSCOT Milan combines MOSCOT’s signature style with the local flare of Brera. The newest Shop embodies the MOSCOT spirit—classic, historic, and metropolitan—all while situated in the global capital of fashion and design. The MOSCOT Milan Shop showcases the full breadth of the MOSCOT eyewear collection with familiar touches that are distinctly MOSCOT, including tchotchkes, vintage furniture and artifacts from the family archives, tin ceilings made in New York that are quintessential to historical Lower Manhattan architecture, and the overall nostalgic feeling of having stepped into Great Grandma Sylvia Moscot’s living room, whose iconic photo is now donned on a reusable canvas tote bag that comes with each MOSCOT frame purchase.

To celebrate the opening of the Milan Shop, MOSCOT also released a Milan exclusive style, in the iconic LEMTOSH optical and sunglass frame in a first-ever Matte/Shiny Crystal colorway. The collectible frame has “MILAN” engraved on the left temple tip and is numbered in a limited run of 100 frames. The exclusive LEMTOSH is available for purchase only at the new Milan Shop for a limited time.

Berwich opened its first Flagship Store in Milan in 2019, on 23 October. The company chose the city of Milan for its first single-brand store, the privileged stage of the most important events internationally associated with the world of fashion. Via Manzoni 42 is the home of Berwich’s Flagship, right in the heart of the fashion district, which has always been a place where new styles and trends coexist alongside historical brands, giving life to the most renowned “made in Italy” in the world.

“Be Green Be Berwich”, is the concept that reflects the “sustainable” soul of the Italian brand. The interior design comes from a careful choice and awareness of details, which tell the value ​​of the brand, such as research, roots, travel and especially attention to sustainability. For this reason the lighting of the store – as well as the air conditioning – are low consumption. The paints used are obtained by virtuous production cycles that lower its environmental impact and the furniture wood is recycled, reinventing its shapes and colors.

In the new flagship store, the customer can choose from numerous models from the Berwich and Madame Berwich collections and its purchases will be identified through innovative softwares. An “identity card” of the trousers to which the store will be able to log in to keep a history of the orders of each of its customers and then reschedule them fully digitized a new purchase.

Starting from 2020, with a view to retail expansion, the project will be replicated in other countries, in particular in the Middle-East. 

Eastman, the maker of sustainably sourced Naia cellulosic filament yarn, has announced the expansion of its Naia fiber portfolio at Première Vision-Paris, the international fashion and textile exposition. With the introduction of its new cellulosic staple fiber, Naia offers another versatile eco-conscious material choice for sustainable fashion.

“We are thrilled to expand our product offerings, and we have been working with a strong network of innovative spinner partners around the world to introduce our new Naia™ cellulosic staple fiber,” said Ruth Farrell, global marketing director of textiles for Eastman. “Working with our value chain partners, we’re facilitating quick and easy access to Naia™ fibers for our mills, and ultimately brands, regardless of their location.”

Naia staple fiber has inherent softness, is quick drying and reduces pilling. It blends well with other eco-friendly materials, such as lyocell, modal and recycled polyester—to produce sustainable fabrics and garments that are ideal for everyday wear.

Eastman will be working with several best-in-class spinners worldwide to create Naia staple fiber, including Karacasu Tekstil in Turkey, Shandong Long Run Textile and Dezhou Huayuan Eco-Technology on Mainland China, Pratibha Syntex and RSWM Ltd. in India and Linz Textil in Austria. These industry-leading spinners blend Naia staple fiber with other sustainable fibers to meet the needs of manufacturers across the globe.

French fashion house Jean-Paul Gaultier has announced a new strategy where it would name a new designer for each of its seasonal Haute Couture collections after its founding designer said farewell to catwalks in January.

In an Instagram post Gaultier wrote: “I have the pleasure to announce the new concept for my Haute Couture. Each season, I will invite a designer to interpret the codes of the House and I am doubly pleased that Chitose Abe of Sacai Official will be the first one!“

British designer Henry Holland has announced that he will be stepping back from his House of Holland fashion brand he founded in 2006, after asking management consultancy firm KPMG to see new investors.

Commenting on his decision to leave the brand, Holland said in a statement: “After the most incredible ride, my journey at the helm of House of Holland has come to an end. When I first started this brand, no one could have predicted the success that we would achieve and the fun we would have.”

Tommy Hilfiger footwear is exploring more sustainable solutions through apple skin fibre, a bio-based leather alternative derived from the apple farming industry waste. 

The sneakers feature a sturdy and thick leather alternative resulting from recycled apple skin fibre, which as a lower environmental impact than other vegan leather alternatives. 

Available in white and navy, the speckled shoe styles for both men and women feature recycled apple fibres.

Lenzing, famous for its TENCEL fiber, dressed the stars at the Oscars this year in TENCEL Luxe. The company has a rich history of positioning its products over and above the direct B2B contact and in a way that the end-consumer can relate to it. Initiated already in 2019, Lenzing went into a partnership with Red Carpet Green Dress, founded by Suzy Amis Cameron, wife of producer James Cameron.

Subsequently Oscar winner for ‘Best Documentary Short Subject’, Elena Adreicheva, wore a dress created out of TENCEL Luxe.
Also luxury house Louis Vuitton, designed an evening gown for James Bond lead actress Lea Seydoux out of the luxury TENCEL material. And Golden Globe nominee Kaitlyn Dever arrived at the Oscars in a custom-made ethical Louis Vuitton as a partner of Red Green Carpet, wearing a dress in collaboration with TENCEL Luxe.

This highly successful cooperation received significant praise thorughout media and Lenzing, once again, managed to gain global attention with a truly special project.

Apart from this innovation, Lenzing Group announced the introduction of Eco Pure technology, at the recent Premiere Vision in Paris. This enhances the production of environmentally responsible modal fibers for the textile industry. TENCEL Modal fibers with Eco Pure technology are considered as the most environmentally responsible option among existing modal fibers in the industry. Total chlorine-free bleaching in pulp and fiber delivers the industry’s new standard of clean modal fiber production. With the gentle bleaching process, textiles made predominantly of such fibers tend to be softer than conventionally bleached TENCEL Modal fibers, and are very suitable for undergarments, loungewear, bedding and more. The Eco Pure technology features an eco-responsible production process guided by the EU Ecolabel, a label of environmental excellence that is awarded to products and services that meet high environmental standards throughout their life-cycle. 

Over the few past years, brands have made conscious decisions to better understand their supply chain with a core focus on sustainability and transparency in clothing production. In light of this, the TENCEL Modal fibers with Eco Pure technology are identifiable through a special identification technology, making the eco-fibers identifiable throughout all stages of the textile manufacturing process. 

“The ongoing innovation in cellulosic fiber technologies and eco-responsible production processes has witnessed more sustainable fiber alternatives across the textile value chain. This has provided businesses and brands with new opportunities and perspectives to enhance product quality and improve sustainable practices. The introduction of Eco Pure technology for TENCEL Modal fibers is providing brands and consumers with great comfort and more responsible environmental options. With sustainability in our DNA, we will continue to review customers’ feedback to develop and produce high-quality fibers that suits their needs and preferences.” said Florian Heubrandner, Vice President of Global Business Management Textiles of Lenzing. 

Milan Design Week has announced the postponement of its event in April to June 2020 taking place from 16th till 21st of June 2020. The change of date for the event is aimed to support the manufacturers who will be able to present their finalised work to an international public and hopefully welcome more visitors. The 2019 edition had hosted 2,200 exhibitors, recalled 386,000 visitors from 184 countries – of whose 30,000 were from China.

The newly designated dates will overlap with some key events related to fashion including Pitti Uomo and Milano Moda Uomo (Milan Menswear Shows).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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