On February 13th, 2019 ISKO hosted the “Responsible Denim” event to share knowledge and experiences on the development of an integrated field-to-fabric approach all along the value chain. An occasion to think about what choices can be made to give shape to a greener and better future.

Highlights of the event that took place in Paris, at 47 Rue des Tournelles, were:

-A special panel to talk about how the denim industry can become more responsible.
-A Responsible Denim Presentation by Lambert + Associates
-A presentation of ISKO Earth Fit, ISKO’s lowest-impact denim collection.
-An educational exhibition with a strong focus on what everyone – brands, designers as well as manufacturers – should be aware of regarding responsibility in the industry.
-The launch of the third Eyether collection, created by Creative Room and François Girbaud with innovative ISKO fabrics.

As the industry still appears to be facing a lot of “greenwashing”, it is important to take a stance in order to achieve the implementation of definite best practices. ISKO brought together five industry experts to provide insight that could help brands make informed decisions concerning responsible products. ISKO commitment towards Responsible Innovation is a longstanding one, deeply rooted in the company DNA. This approach has led ISKO to play a major role in supporting and pushing the industry to raise the bar. During the event, a Responsible Denim Exhibition was featured, intended to shed light on ISKO’s efforts and on the tools deemed essential for the fulfilment of a truly responsible denim vision.

At the 28th edition of Milano Unica, the Italian Textile and Accessories Exhibition, held at Fiera Milano Rho from 5 to 7 February, together with the number of exhibitors (421) similar to the one recorded in February 2018, a substantial confirmation was also confirmed of the number of visiting companies, both Italian and foreign, which were around 6,000. The attendance of Chinese companies was down due to the concomitance of the celebrations of their New Year, to a large extent recovered from the Korean presences and Japanese and the overall good performance of European presences. A result that, considering the general trend of the textile-clothing fairs, confirms the rightness of the choice of the advance in July also as a tow for the winter edition.

During the ceremony the ‘e-milanounica’ project was also presented, the marketplace launched in a pilot version that will be fully operational for the July 2019 edition. The initiative, thanks to the system partnership with Pitti Immagine, pursues the objective to promote the textile-clothing-fashion by extending digital the traditional activities of the fair, through marketing, content and promotion, allowing companies and their customers a constant updating throughout the year.

“The organizational effort, more and more aimed at making Milano Unica an essential appointment in the international panorama of textile fairs, has found a general positive feedback from buyers and exhibitors – said Massimo Mosiello, General Manager of Milano Unica, at the operational guide of the event textile-accessories since the first edition -. Upstream of this result there has not only been an important selection process aimed at guaranteeing high levels of quality of the collections presented, but also the accurate ways in which we have been able to present the various thematic areas and content projects. This work is the fruit of a great team game put in place at the system level, made possible by the indispensable support of the Ministry of Economic Development and the extraordinary collaboration of ICE. A result to which we must also give credit to the commitment lavished by the staff and collaborators of Milano Unica. A special thanks, finally to Japan Fashion Week for the original thematic evening dedicated to the tenth presence of the Japan Observatory in Milan.”

HUB 1922 is born, the new subsidiary company of RUDOLF GmbH. It will be based in Busto Arsizio near Milan, the capital of Italian fashion.

RUDOLF GmbH has been a leader in the textile chemicals industry for 100 years. The decision to open HUB 1922 has a specific objective: to give life to collaborations with brands and international retailers. And through product innovation, give space to new ideas and useful functionalities at the crossroads of Italian fashion: Milan. 

The task of HUB 1922 is to research and develop innovation primarily for the garment processing industry, denim and beyond. And it will do so with the introduction of its own exclusive elements of diversity: deep scientific knowledge, true environmental responsibility, technical innovation and creativity. 

«The strategic intent is to introduce a whole new approach that embraces both product and concept development. An extraordinarily robust R&D centre that is also a novel marketing and communication channel» says Dr. Wolfgang Anton Schumann, Managing Director of RUDOLF GMBH. He continues: «HUB1922 can count on RUDOLF’s global service, manufacturing, sales and distribution networks as a secure and transparent global fulfilment partner for brands/retailers and their supply chain partners». 

«The idea is to start pursuing ideas that are conscious, necessary and useful» says Alberto De Conti, Head of Fashion Division at RUDOLF Group. «If they meet all those criteria, we won’t hesitate to make them beautiful». He continues: «Emphasis is put on listening attentively to the market and on engineering solutions proactively, even before being prompted». 

Nowadays science plays an irreplaceable role in society: fashion research should focus more on scientific research. HUB 1922 is born for this. To get away from consolidated industrial processes from an industrial point of view, but increasingly incompatible with the environmental point of view. And to give space to every opportunity that can change the state of things and give things a new state: the quality of the product. 

The bi-anual event Magic, by UBM, which takes the US fashion industry to Las Vegas has started with many visitors pouring in. Magic now combines multiple fashion trade shows under one roof. Asides the classic menswear collections in Project and (the more premium lines) in The Tents, one can also discover exciting womenswear lines from all over the world at Project Womens.

This season Project Womens partners with the Conscious Fashion Campaign supported by the United Nation Office for Partnership to drive sustainable development goals set by the United Nations. For this occasion, Project Womens has also published a special lookbook to raise awareness: “We are honored to continue leverage our platform and audience to propel the mission of the Conscious Fashion Campaign supported by the United Nations,” shares President of Womenswear, Danielle Licata. “We are proud to amplify this partnership with first-ever PROJECT WOMENS look book created by Egyptian-Australian dancer and content creator, Mimi El-Ashiry that features several Conscious Fashion labels as well as Australian labels in an exquisite setting.”

WeAr’s team is once again at the Magic shows and reports here live about the brands and booths.

Black Orchid creates a fresh wind in LA’s denim scene

LA based brand Chasor stays on top for tops

Scotch & Soda surprises with a cool booth

Johnny Was shows a very L.A. collection

L.A. based brand Rails shows its collection

Cool for dudes – Robert Graham also launched a womenswear collection last year

Project Womens has special decoration

Hats can also be found at Magic

…as can accessories and cool items for concept stores

Further impressions

Hunting World, the 54-year-old brand collaborates with Ben Eine, a street artist based in London renowned worldwide, regarded as a pioneer in the exploration of graffiti letterforms and for his projects with fashion brands. The collaboration was revealed during the FW2019 fashion week and included T-shirts, hoodies, caps as well as HUNTING WORLD’s iconic bags and small leather goods. 

“The understated timeless style of Hunting World luggage makes the perfect canvas for EINE artwork. It brings a whole new meaning to The Elephant in the Room, interpreting the signature logos and symbols of both brands and creating complimentary contemporary products that will be deemed future classics.” Ben Eine

Launch dates of Hunting World x Eine London collaboration will be announced soon.

The international textile and fashion industry kicks off the 2020 Spring/Summer season of Munich Fabric Start. More than 1,000 fabrics, additionals, denim & sportswear suppliers exhibited their latest product and trend developments in 1,800 collections from 29th to 31st January 2019 at the MOC Munich and in the Zenith Area. 

They were complemented by a growing number of service and sourcing providers as well as young brands and start-ups that presented their philosophies and the ideology of forward-looking process solutions as well as solutions for resource-saving material sourcing and their areas of application. 

This dynamic and mutually inspiring exhibitor structure brought about one of the most important international trade fair platforms for sourcing materials and in-depth networking and, hence, for linking fashion with technology with a view to shaping the future.

In terms of trend concepts for 2020 this future is characterised by emotionality, empathy and community. This is expressed by WHAT IS LOVE as a source of inspiration – passionate, playful, pragmatic. Spring.Summer 20 indulges in a rich choice of fabrics, in innovative silhouettes, in philosophical wealth but also in tongue-in-cheek kitsch and – last not least – a new lightness at heart, which is never entirely uncritical. 

The ReSOURCE segment is MUNICH FABRIC START’s enhanced sourcing platform flagging up new dimensions of sustainability for an innovative and future-oriented production. This is how a forum initiated and supported by experts was established that offers comprehensive sustainability solutions. Boasting over 500 articles ReSOURCEshowcases the latest developments in sustainable fabrics and findings as well as innovations in the categories:  RECYCLED | ORGANIC / NATURAL | REGENERATED CELLULOSICS | INNOVATIVE (HYBRIDS & BIOPLASTICS) | LEATHER & ALTERNATIVES | DENIM | GOTS.

Shandong Ruyi Investment Holding, one of the leading textile and apparel companies in China, announced that it has completed its acquisition of INVISTA’s Apparel & Advanced Textiles business. The transaction includes all associated assets and contracts. 

The new company will operate as The LYCRA Company, an independent subsidiary, and will continue to manufacture advanced fiber and technology solutions for the apparel and hygiene industries. The LYCRA Company is named for LYCRA fiber, the original spandex/elastane fiber and the company’s best-known product.

“We are fortunate to be purchased by Ruyi, a company that shares our vision and our commitment to delivering high-quality products, technical expertise, and unmatched marketing support to our valued customers,” said Dave Trerotola, chief executive officer, The LYCRA Company. “With the continued investment of Ruyi, we look forward to working with our customers to bring exciting innovations to market. Our new shareholder’s textile and retail experience will be a tremendous asset as we develop differentiated fibers that deliver the lasting performance benefits consumers have come to know and expect from our brands.” 

“We are thrilled to acquire The LYCRA Company and will continue to invest in its innovation pipeline and brands in order to reach our objectives for business growth,” said Yafu Qiu, chairman of the board of Shandong Ruyi Investment Holding. “As a spandex producer ourselves, we have admired the iconic LYCRA® brand for years, and we see the value The LYCRA Company adds to our business. We believe its assets and capabilities are a perfect complement to our own and will help strengthen our position as a world-class, fully-integrated textile company.” 

For summer ’19, BARTS  is going back to the beach. The brand’s summer collection will be extended with swimwear for men, women and kids, designed with creativity and produced with the quality standards that you are used to from Barts. The collection includes bikinis and bathing suits for women and girls as well as swim shorts for men and boys. It’s the answer to a common problem of their customer: there seems to be no qualitative, sparkling swimwear collection that fits well ánd is friendly to your wallet-Until now. The collection includes classic Breton stripes, leopard prints and beautiful trend colours. Of course sun hats, kaftans, (beach) bags and towels are also back.

Kelly Wieck, responsible designer for this new launch, had been searching for a high quality swimwear brand for a long time. Born and raised in Australia, she  was kind of spoiled with all the best swimwear brands. Here in Europe, she never really found a competing brand. Now that Barts has developed a solid summer collection, it’s time to complete it. And that’s how Barts swimwear was born.  Starting point was combining quality and fit from Australia within a price range that’s corresponding to Barts. Kelly is proud with the results: “I really wanted a premium collection based on high quality fabric and materials. I love the beach and surf lifestyle. If it were up to me, I’d live in a bikini!” Barts targets a young, self-assured woman, but the age group can be much wider – like you’re used to from Barts. Expect beautiful bathing suits, sexy triangle bikini’s, but also wire cups. In addition, there are bottoms for every figure: from high cut briefs to hipster bottoms with a wider brim. The designs are versatile: beautiful florals, leopard prints, Breton stripes and chic solids. Commercially strong, but distinctive.”

The Only at TRANOÏ operation presents simultaneously a selection of 25 capsule collections only available at TRANOÏ Paris for buyers and also a limited choice from these same collections, presented exclusively at Galeries Lafayette for end customers, from January 16 to February 4 2019.  Among the 150 participating brands, 25 of them are showcasing a 20-piece capsule next January. Only available in Paris, for buyers, in an immersive itinerary, at the Palais Brongniart, the historical TRANOÏ location. At the same time a selection of these limited edition pieces will immediately be released for sale at the 1st floor of Galeries Lafayette Haussmann, within a ONLY AT TRANOÏ corner designed by  Studio Avoir – Arthur Van Peteghem.

To create a strong and lasting link between designer, buyer and final customer is one of the major challenges of tomorrow’s retail industry. ONLY AT TRANOÏ is part of this dynamic combining BtoB and BtoC in a project on the scale of Paris.
By placing exclusivity at the heart of its approach, this operation allows buyers and customers to discover new collections first and only in Paris. 

During our visit to the Tommy Hilfiger denim lab in Amsterdam we got to know more about this workshop laboratorium where denim is constantly tested and treated with several techniques such as laser printing, dry-washing and various colour treatments. The lab is used internally by the brand to develop new fits and also give workshops externally. There is a huge focus on sustainability throughout!

On the morning of 15th January 2019, Anita Tillmann, Managing Partner Premium Group, Michael Stracke, Chief Business Development Officer and Ole Tillmann, Founder & CEO Peak, welcomed the auditorium at Kraftwerk to the ninth edition of #FASHIONTECH BERLIN.

Stracke says, “We are extremely pleased with this year’s edition of #FASHIONTECH BERLIN. Our thanks must once again go to our high-calibre international speakers and partners without whom this continuous growth wouldn’t be possible. We are unique in Europe at this level, which is also apparent from the consistently positive feedback from participants during and after the conference.Among other things, we have increased the exhibition space by 300% and we have had even more interactive workshops and masterclasses going on for those attending, to ensure knowledge transfer. The slightly modified concept – #LISTEN, #LEARN, #EXPERIENCE and #BUSINESS – was very well received, as we want to do justice to the individual needs of all participants.”

“It was especially gratifying this year to experience the positive atmosphere on site and to ascertain that the topic of digital transformation has finally grown in importance for the fashion industry too, which was also evident in the renewed increase in and international character of the visitor numbers. Digitalisation is fun of course, and you can achieve much more in a short space of time than was possible previously, and respond to customers’needs much more strongly and in a more targeted way.”

The goal of the conference is for everybody who faces digital disruption to walk away with inspiration and hands-on advice to be able to get started or continue their own digital transformation and get ready for the future. Learn from leaders and innovators from other industries to be among the first in the fashion industry to implement innovation.

On the main stage: keynote presentations from innovators and visionaries from fashion and other industries (#LISTEN). In the exhibition area: the latest developments, products, solutions and innovations in the fields of retail and ecommerce solutions, robotics, AI, omnichannel or digital model booking with international exhibitors from Germany, France, UK, Hungary, Sweden, Israel and the USA (#EXPERIENCE). Telekom Fashion Fusion presented the latest developments in wearable technology and Bonprix used the platform to introduce the “fashion connect”pilot store,which opens in Hamburg in February.

Anyone interested in a closer look at how to transform their own organisation was able to find more in-depth approaches in the masterclasses,or get hands-on in the workshops (#LEARN). Electrolux AEG gave insights into caretech,and Collabary by Zalando showed how to create an engaging Influencer Marketing campaign in just one hour.In the networking area visitors can connect with the speakers, industry insiders and entrepreneurs to foster business connections and meet potential business partners and generate new business leads (#BUSINESS!).

The central question was: “How to transform your organisation”, which was broken down and discussed through four aspects: Leadership & Culture, Future of Work, Innovation & Technology and Customer Journey.

Today marked the premiere of Neonyt, showcasing state-of-the-art sustainable collections and innovations during Berlin Fashion Week.

What does the future hold for the fashion industry? Answers to this question can be found from today at the premiere of the global hub for fashion, sustainability and innovation at Kraftwerk Berlin. “The change of fashion is now – we are certain of that. And what this transformation looks like is being demonstrated at Neonyt. We are pooling the most urgent topics currently facing the fashion industry, offering space for discussion and presenting well thought-out solutions. Even more varied events and the fashion expertise of around 150 brands are making the kick-off of this pioneering, forward-looking format a real must-attend event!” says Olaf Schmidt, Vice President of Textiles and Textile Technologies at Messe Frankfurt.

At the Neonyt Trade Fair, which is replacing the two successful formats Greenshowroom and Ethical Fashion Show Berlin, international and national sustainable fashion brands are presenting their autumn/winter 19/20 collections. And in addition to the tradeshow itself, there is an even more comprehensive line-up of accompanying events with the Fashionsustain and Fashionimpact conferences, the design-thinking format Thinkathon and the Neonyt Fashion Show during MBFW, as well as showcases, presentations, press conferences, networking events, the Neonyt Party and influencer and blogger event Prepeek. This makes Neonyt the world’s biggest B2B event for sustainable fashion. Against this backdrop, the United Nations, as a partner of the Conscious Fashion Campaign, will be presenting their sustainability agenda known under the name Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) to a European fashion audience.

Check out our Buyer’s Guide on WeAr Global Network for Neonyt brand highlights and impressions!

With keynote presentations from leading international experts on stage (#LISTEN!), interactive masterclasses to boost your knowledge (#LEARN!) and the exhibition area that will introduce visitors to the latest developments, products, solutions and innovations on the market (#EXPERIENCE!), #FASHIONTECH has united the four most important sections to prove being the leading content hub for technology, digitalisation, and innovation in Europe. 

#FASHIONTECH stages also as the platform for interdisciplinary exchange between the various industries. In the networking area visitors can connect with the speakers, industry insiders and entrepreneurs to foster business connections and to meet potential business partners and generate new business leads (#BUSINESS!). 

The main topic at the upcoming conference is “How to transform your organisation”, which will be addressed through aspects of Leadership & Culture, Future of Work, Innovation & Technology and Customer Journey. 

With the collaboration between PREMIUM GROUP holding the #FASHIONTECH conference taking place on 15 January 2019, and Messe Frankfurt with FASHIONSUSTAIN taking place on 16 January 2019, visitors are provided with an extensive programme containing industry-relevant content. 

For this edition, PREMIUM is partnering with Spanish fashion label and sustainable clothing pioneer ECOALF. The brand will present its lifelong mission and latest collection in a dedicated space as well as an art installation together with conceptual artist Juan Garaizabal. 

ECOALF creates high-quality garments using recycled materials collected from the bottom of our oceans. Commitment, sustainability and innovation are at the core of everything the company does, resulting in both conscious and stylish urban, adventure, knitwear and activewear pieces. 

On Wednesday, January 16th, at 10am and 2pm, Goyeneche will present his brand’s values, philosophy and way of working on the experience floor of SHOW&ORDER X PREMIUM at Kühlhaus, right next to the STATION area. Show visitors, media and other exhibitors are invited to listen, learn and discuss. 

The art piece in partnership with Garaizabal unveiled at PREMIUM on January 15th is filled with waste to portray our everyday reality, and purposefully interactive so that visitors can throw their own trash inside the installation. The aim is to educate about correct waste disposal and show that every individual’s decision matters: Stop, Think, Act. 

“2019 is all about digital first and an active debate about social and environmental issues. Transparency and sustainability are key words. By reducing plastic waste on all our shows, teaming up with ECOALF and giving this wonderful brand dedicated space and time for spreading their message, we are taking steps into the right direction. Every little action counts. We should talk about the things we do more instead of talking about what we are not doing. We all need to wak up. Now.” – Anita Tillmann, CEO PREMIUM Group 

The global hub for fashion, sustainability and innovation – this is the claim that Neonyt aims to live up to from 15-17 January. The Neonyt Trade Show will thus be supported with a broad-ranging fringe programme. This will examine the sustainable transformation of the fashion industry along the entire value chain from different perspectives. 

Four stages, three days, two conference formats, one goal: a paradigm shift in the fashion industry towards a fairer future that saves more resources. ‘The current change in consciousness’, says Olaf Schmidt, Vice President Textiles & Textile Technologies at Messe Frankfurt, ‘is not taking place in a vacuum. It’s hasn’t just appeared from nowhere. Rather, it is the result of discourse and discussions, competition and collaboration. The aim of Messe Frankfurt as a global player in the fashion and textile industry is to accompany this process of change and give it a platform. This is why we’ll be expanding the fashion trade show Neonyt in a consistent manner to include an even more broad-ranging fringe and conference programme whose content will partly be generated from our global Texpertise Network and will in turn be reflected in it’. Neonyt, which is taking place for the first time, is the synthesis of the two successful formats Greenshowroom and Ethical Fashion Show Berlin and will take place from 15-17 January 2019 as part of Berlin Fashion Week at the Kraftwerk, thus continuing the tradition. 

Pitti Immagine will be thirty years old in 2019. In fact, back in January 1989 it was actually Pitti Immagine Uomo that inaugurated the group’s new name and all the other fairs followed on its heels. To celebrate this anniversary a stamp dedicated to Pitti Immagine will be issued – created by Italo Lupi, one of the best known and most highly esteemed Italian designers in the world – and an exhibition, The Fashion Mail Box, about the relationships between the world of fashion and that of stamps to be staged in the Pitti Uomo Press Room at the Fortezza: around 80 stamps particularly beautiful and in some cases very rare, linked to fashion from all over the world. The issue of the Pitti Immagine stamp by the Italian Ministry for Economic Development was realized thanks to the Istituto Poligrafico, Zecca dello Stato and Poste Italiane, and the official presentation will take place on Tuesday 8 January, during the official inauguration of Pitti Uomo (Palazzo Vecchio – 10.30 a.m.) and at the same time in the Fortezza da Basso (Entrance Hall).

Vilebrequin Denim – the Seventies capsule: The logo is the 1971 original designed by the founder of the brand, Fred Prysquel. Jacket, trousers, overalls, hat… all the must-have variations of denim make up the Seventies capsule from the first VILEBREQUIN DENIM collection. An ode to the same sense of freedom, comfort and fun that you could feel in St Tropez in the same years in which Vilebrequin was born. The capsule will be on sale starting from March 2019 exclusively at the Vilebrequin boutiques in Milan, Milan Malpensa airport, Rome, Rome Fiumicino airport and Forte dei Marmi.

The VILEBREQUIN DENIM collection is entirely made in Italy thanks to the license agreement with Giada SPA that will oversee all production and distribution.

“Vilebrequin has been thinking about creating a denim collection for a long time: cool and chic and emblematic of the ’70s – denim pants are definitely part of our heritage. It is a true opportunity for us to be able to work with Giada: we share the same attention towards quality and the same Mediterranean roots “, said Vilebrequin CEO Roland Herlory.

“The launch of VILEBREQUIN DENIM” – adds Giada SPA CEO Franco Catania – “is an exciting venture for our company that certifies its position as a leader in the denim and luxury sector. We are really pleased to add VILEBREQUIN, a brand with a strong tradition and global recognition, to our portfolio. This opportunity will contribute to strengthen our expertise in design, production and distribution. The prestige of the brand Vilebrequin will be an incentive to broaden an extensive international distribution as we expect that VILEBREQUIN DENIM will be well received from the market.”

Hand picked makes its return to Pitti Immagine Uomo with a new collection that features many new styles. New cuts of pants are added to their offer of iconic denim styles – the trademark of the brand – together with other pieces, for a man that wants to stand out for the quality and sophistication of its wardrobe.

High-quality denim is the starting point: it is produced with a particular cotton that is grown using
traditional techniques with great attention to water consumption, creating a fiber that guarantees unparalleled performances. The resulting fiber is spun in Japan, a land with a millennial tradition in textile industry and a worldwide reference point for denim.

The new collection that will be presented at Pitti Immagine Uomo is made of iconic elements of the men’s wardrobe for the Hand Picked man.
The classic five-pocket denim pants with buttons and rivets in hand-worked copper and grosgrain in the closure will be enriched by five new colors of back tags combined with grosgrain ribbon. Four new pant shapes, from chino to five-pockets, will be coordinated with matching vests made of soft fabrics in warm colors, and knitwear, jackets and classic-cut coats with an urban feel. Technical pieces too will be featured, such as brand-new denim windbreakers and comfortable cotton sweatshirts.

Pure London has confirmed that it will be launching a new floorpan for its February edition taking place in London. Visitors to February’s fashion trade show Pure London will be treated to a re-edited layout and a surge of new British and international brands who have signed up to showcase their AW19/20 collections.

Julie Driscoll, Managing Director of leading festival of fashion Pure London says; “The show must go on. We are at a crossroads in terms of Brexit uncertainty and in the way the fashion industry works but Pure London is demonstrating that not only can we make a stand for better practices in fashion, we can provide a space for the most inspirational, creative and exciting brands and designers to showcase their wares. The February show will offer visitors a host of new brands and we are really looking forward to revealing our floorplan re-edit which will freshen the show, offer new discoveries, and give the space new life.”

Effective immediately, Raf Simons has departed his role as Creative Director at Calvin Klein. The Calvin Klein brand will not be showing a collection for the upcoming season this coming February. Simons was appointed Creative Director at the brand in 2016, after departing his role at Dior.

Pitti Uomo is an extraordinary Surprise Box, a container of ideas and news to open and change from season to season. At the Fortezza da Basso, in a set design curated by the lifestyler Sergio Colantuoni, the new theme THE PITTI BOX presents a multi-sensory journey “in-and-out of the box”. As a welcome, the Infinity Box, a special video-art gallery with high energy potential curated by Visual Fodder; the Park Box dedicated to sharing food and relax with the Soup Bar, the Pasta Bar, a large central fire and much more; the Recharge Box to recharge the batteries, the Silence Box to allow 5 minutes of unmissable “switch-off”; and again Out of the Box, ten large nature photo-windows from the Reda archive, inviting us to look beyond and listen to a message of responsibility towards nature.

The Pitti Box is a tribute to a feature common to all the Pitti Immagine fairs: that they are “Surprise Boxes”, extraordinary receptacles of ideas and innovation to be opened up every season in order to present the latest vibrations between fashion and lifestyles.

The WeAr team wishes their readers, clients and visitors a very happy holiday season! May these days bring you happiness, love and joy.

Best Wishes,

The WeAr team

Zalando, the German online retailer, who just announced its cancellation of the Bread && Butter event in Berlin has further bad news.
On Monday, Dec. 17th 2018 Zalando slipped 18% on the stock market. This is almost the lowest level, since its stock market debut 2014. Bad numbers in fashion retail are given as a reason. ASOS, the UK competition to Zalando was equally shocking the market with a turnover and profit warnings.
ASOS made a significant decrease in the fashion environment responsible. Its shares lost around 38% in London. In light of ASOS problems, also shares of Hugo Boss, adidas and PUMA lost. Since months bad news from the fashion retail segment are making the round. Last week Sportsdirect and Superdry published bad news and so did in Germany Tom Taylor.
We got used to bad news by classic brick-and-mortar retailers, but now even online retailers like Zalando and ASOS are getting under pressure.

By February 2019 Dondup will launch its first D/Zero sustainable jeans capsule as part of a project aimed at redefining its own identity as premium forward-thinking denim brand. The project was developed as a collaboration with premium denim manufacturer Candiani Denim and Chicco Barina, head of design, Dondup, a longtime insider of the jeanswear industry as well as the owner of creative consulting agency Black Studio.

“The new D/Zero capsule collection offers 100% Made in Italy organic cotton T-shirts and a selection of six jeans treated with sustainable, traceable and certified washes and carrying water-printed graphics on their inner surface. The jeans are made with Candiani Denim fabrics produced according to eco-friendly manufacturing processes that employ Kitotex and Indigo Juice, exclusive treatments using 50% less water and 70% less chemicals than the production of standard fabrics. By adding special certified treatments and finishing on this special selection of denim garments, Dondup can save an average of 75% water, 20% chemicals and 58% energy, as verified by E.I.M. software by Jeanologia.”

The retail-program ‘Altogether to Munich’ supports starting immediately sport-retailer from the UK, Italy, Spain, Austria, Poland, Switzerland and Scandinavia with their planning for ISPO Munich.
This ‘no trouble’ package includes registration and hotel booking to setting of appointments and trade-show walks in their own language and everything that retailers need in order to gain a good market-overview.
This program is an extension of the ‘Club ISPO France’.
ISPO will be taking place in Munich February 3rd-6th.

German company Handstich, known for its high-quality outerwear collection, has signed a new distribution agreement. Ben Botas and his agency BEN&. based in Düsseldorf and Munich will take over its distribution for Germany and Austria starting Autumn/Winter 2019.

Handstich will start its wholesale season with Pitti Uomo 8th of January in Florence and will focus on its expansion in the international market. It will further present its collection at Premium during Berlin Fashion Week. “Handstich is already positioned as an important brand, thanks to our efforts and that of our distribution partners. Today we start a new level which is stamped with our values and our ever newly interpreted own brand DNA.”, says André Berger, owner of Handstich.

Star of the new FW 18/19 collection, the exclusive cashmere-lined denim by Richard J. Brown offers new contemporary style for a warm, sophisticated Christmas. Entirely lined in cashmere and silk, the RJB 5-pocket wraps the wearer in precious softness. The elegant, distinguished Richard J. Brown denim was created for those who won’t give up a personal, dynamic look even in the coldest winter weather.

Not just jeans, but true trousers created with quality fabrics and embellished with unique details combined in an original way. Unlimited colours and materials chosen for tags, labels, buttons, rivets and lining at the centre of a versatile scheme that favours the utmost personalisation like the Tokyo model created for the contemporary, spirited man who favours a slim fit or the Jacklyn model for women who want the latest trends and prefer a closer fit.

Available in landmarks of style like La Rinascente in Milan and Rome, Lodenfrey in Munich, Boon the shop in Seoul, Salon le Chic Select – Takashimaya in Tokyo, Cavour in Oslo, Pauw in Amsterdam, and Cashmere and Silk and Bosco dei Ciliegi in Moscow and Sanahunt in Kiev.

The January edition of Top Drawer has announced the launch of MR.—
a dedicated area designed as a concept store, showcasing an exclusive edit of the hottest, out of the ordinary men’s fashion accessories and jewellery.

With the menswear market set to outperform womenswear globally by 2020, MR. has been developed in response to industry demand and will present the UK’s most dynamic display of design-led accessories, jewellery, grooming and lifestyle products for gents.

As the first lifestyle buying show of the year, Top Drawer’s MR. is committed to bringing the latest offerings and newest brands to the most influential buyers with its impactful and enticing curation of what customers will be seeking next. Arne Jacobsen Watches, Mr ELK, Il Bussetto, Anchor & Crew, Thomas Clipper, Double00, Orbitkey, Mahi Leather and Secrid are amongst the brands on display.

Only a few more months to go until the next MICAM, the international footwear show coming up at Fiera Milano (Rho) February 10 through 13 next year. Following a number of initiatives around the world intended to establish contact between Italian footwear makers and the world’s biggest markets, MICAM prepares to come back to Italy in an event-packed show with a bold personality.

There are plenty of preparations underway for this important event, and a number of strategies are being put in place behind the scenes which – just like a pair of top quality shoes – combine a knack for understanding the demands of the market with plenty of imagination and creativity, indispensable traits for anticipating trends in consumption with an innovative charge.

In order to offer the best possible response to the demands of the companies and professional dealers, MICAM has organised an in-depth analysis of its exhibitor database, in line with its visitor profiling initiative, comparing the figures collected over the past six editions of the event (from February 2016 to September 2018).

The analysis had four key goals: mapping exhibitors’ categories, origins, interest, and frequency of participation in the event (identifying faithful returning exhibitors and new exhibitors); coming up with actions for promoting the event (such as new marketing, promotion and retention programmes focusing on the various different exhibitor clusters identified); improving a number of organisational aspects (the layout of the pavilions and stands); and comparing analysis of the MICAM exhibitor dashboard with the results of customer satisfaction surveys.

Art, the creativity that will be the key to MICAM 87, shifts the focus from the conflicting “sinful” sentiments associated with the covetous desire to possess a pair of quality shoes to the object itself. The slogan “Be inspired by Art, ye who enter” underlines the discovery of the object as work of art, a template for joy and completeness for all those capable of appreciating it, bringing new life to everything around it.

PROJECT TOKYO, previously MAGIC Japan, will take place on March 27-28, 2019 at Tokyo International Forum. The Tokyo International Forum is highly regarded for its architecture and sits between Marunouchi, Tokyo’s central business area and the Ginza shopping and entertainment district.

Unlike MAGIC Japan, which encompassed a broad mix of categories from men’s, women’s, children’s, footwear, accessories and sourcing, PROJECT TOKYO will serve as a highly curated event focusing on men’s and women’s advanced contemporary, denim and accessories, including Japanese, European and American brands.

“We have continued to generate momentum from the Asian market through MAGIC Japan and look forward to delivering a more focused, curated event that our customers have been asking for and that best serves the industry,” states Christopher Griffin, President, International Business Development for UBM Fashion.

Additionally, PROJECT New York, which takes place at the Jacob Javits Center in midtown Manhattan and serves as the leading men’s fashion trade event in the U.S. will host and introduce 5 Japanese menswear designers to the U.S. market. PROJECT Las Vegas which houses both men’s and women’s contemporary brands will also host 5 womenswear designers during MAGIC which is held at Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

ReMode’s inaugural edition brought together over 1,000 participants, both days, representing all sectors of the fashion industry including thought leaders, top brands, retailers, technology providers, finance partners, and NGOs. Partnering with schools and educational institutions around the world, ReMode’s content reached a global audience with an additional 1,000 participants viewing ReMode’s sessions via live stream. Attended by 115sponsors and exhibitors, and 100 press and journalists, ReMode’s debut served as an innovative platform for collaboration, network building, and opportunities for growth and partnerships across the industry. 80% of ReMode attendees actively used the AI-powered ReMode networking app to make over 2,700 connections and 1,600 meeting requests. 

After two days of panel discussions, workshops, and sessions, recurring themes around how to scale sustainable supply chains, adopt new technologies, authentically connect with customers, and create engaging retail experiences consistently emerged. Over the course of ReMode, sessions were scribed in real-time by a visual graphic artist allowing attendees to reflect and make connections throughout the sessions and experiences happening simultaneously at ReMode.

Closing out day one of the event, ReMode presented the ReMode Fashion Awards, a celebration of the solution providers and brands at the forefront of innovative platforms, disruptive technologies, and sustainable practices in the industry. Winners were selected across ten categories by an elite jury selected for their expertise in fashion, technology, and sustainability. Entries in each category were judged based on creativity, sustainability, and consumer experience. The 2018 ReModeFashion Awards winners include:

 Best AI Solution: Heuritech

Best Blockchain Technology: Arianee

Best Cross-Border Ecommerce Solution: Flow

Best Customer Experience Solution: EverThread

Best Design Technology: Euveka

Best Digital Wholesale Solution: INTURN

Best Financing Solution: Affirm

Best Sustainable Manufacturing Solution: Nineteenth Amendment Smart PLM

Best Virtual and Augmented Reality Solution: Allure Systems

Sustainable Brand of the Year: Reformation

German retailer Manufactum celebrated the opening of its 11th store in Hannover, Germany.

The retail space stretches over 600m2 and through three levels. Once entered customers can find groceries and kitchenware, whereas the lower floor shows garden and office articles as well as furniture. The first floor then displays fashion and beauty and on the top floor is a restaurant.

Manufactum started being a catalogue and developed from there its retail houses, it aims to invest into high-quality and sustainable products since 30 years.

The store wants to host in the future regular events and seminars as well as workshops with the aim to elevate the store to a destination, adding to a growing number of successful brick-and-mortar stores that aim to deliver experience and quality to an established and growing customer base.

Amongst others it carries brands like Armor Lux, Ecoalf, Lanius, Haikure and Engel Sports

Manufactum Warenhaus Hannover
Georgstraße 34
30159 Hannover
Opening: Mon-Sat 10am – 7pm

For the first time in Russia, the Moscow Kremlin Museums presents a retrospective exhibition with pieces of high jewellery art by world-known Italian Maison BVLGARI, which history dates back more than a hundred and thirty years. Over four hundred unique pieces of high-end jewellery from the Bulgari Heritage Collection, as well as pieces from the private collections from around the globe, will be on display at two exhibition halls of the Kremlin museums — the Exhibition Hall of the Assumption Belfry and the Exhibition Hall of the Patriarch’s Palace.

The formation of such an original style of BVLGARI in all its variety is represented by works created during many decades, beginning with the earliest silver items, accomplished in Neo-Grec tradition by the founder of the family business Sotirio Bulgari in the 1870s and 1890s, including luxury pieces of the 1950s and 1960s —La dolce vita epoch, as well as extraordinary works of the 1970s and 1990s. The exhibition is on until 13th January 2019.

Menswear trade show Jacket Required has announced that it is adding two new sections to its line-up for its upcoming edition taking place in January 2019. ‘Introduces’ and ‘Living’ are the sections where visitors will find new talent and homeware products alike. 

Taking place at The Old Truman Brewery in London on January 23rd and 24th, the new ‘Introduces’ platform will showcase Jacket Required’s breakthrough talents of the new season and future contemporary classics. These emerging designers will sit alongside its international line-up of contemporary menswear, selected womenswear, footwear, accessories and lifestyle products.

The ‘Living’ section will offer a selection of contemporary products and accessories from some of the most progressive interior design brands.

At the recent Denim Days in New York City, a panel of experts solidified the notion that denim is entering a new era of sustainability—one that prides minimizing water use just as much as ushering in the latest trend.

Speaking on a panel moderated by Lenzing director of global business development for denim, Tricia Carey, industry experts including, “The Godfather of Denim” Adriano Goldschmied, 3×1 founder Scott Morrison and Reformation director of denim and special projects Jordan Nodarse spoke about denim’s shift and what to expect from a greener blue-rooted industry.

Putting it plainly, Goldschmied said, “We’ve realized that our industry doesn’t have any future at all if we’re not seriously thinking about sustainability.” Carved in Blue caught up with some bluebloods in the audience to hear their insights into the discussion.

Beyond just the discussion of sustainability, innovative concepts emerged from the talk, too. “What struck me as new from this discussion was Adriano‘s point that there should be a Silicon Valley-esque global innovation hub for our industry…and it should be in Los Angeles because California is arguably the birthplace of the jean,” said Michelle Branch of Markt & Twigs. “The indigo culture certainly exists. And there’s loads (pardon the pun) of talent there. Not to mention that it would help to keep the existing denim economy in LA alive. It’s an intriguing idea!”

For Denimology managing editor Lisette Geller, the panel took things even one step further for her. “The most impressive and probably the most important issue for the whole world is and should always be sustainability. Especially with denim that used to go through a lot of chemical processing,” Geller said. “But the most impressive mind-changing thing happened after the ‘official’ talk. When I spoke with Jordan about connecting and asked for his card, he said he’s ‘paperless.’ What an amazing flash—I never had thought about this in terms of business cards. Just bank statements and recycling newspapers and boxes. No more printed business cards for me.”

“ What a highlight to New York Denim Days to have three generations of denim designers explain their design philosophy.  With so much passion for the blue world, I enjoyed hearing their responses to the question ‘ If you were not in denim industry, what would you be doing?’.  For Scott it was an architect; Adriano said something in technology; and Jordan quickly responded the music industry.  I am pleased they are blue-bloods!, “ stated Tricia Carey from Lenzing.

ISKO hits ReMode, the LA-based platform promoting growth and sustainability, to foster networking and knowledge sharing by showcasing its active commitment towards responsibility. The leading denim ingredient brand set the agenda with several activities: 

• Impressive sculptures made of ISKO Earth Fit denim by the artist and fashion designer Lucy James showcased at the ISKO booth.
• The new Eyether capsule collection, created in collaboration with François Girbaud, was unveiled at the ISKO booth.
• Garments made of ISKO Arquas innovative fabrics were on display at the Trend Gallery special section.
• ISKO took part in the “The Future of Denim” panel. Denim with a Conscience – Responsible innovation and ISKO Earth Fit
  Nature, beauty, and responsibility turned into inspiring denim art. ISKO innovative fabrics are the ideal materials to shape into life the mindful creativity of Lucy James, artist and fashion designer: with an experience designing and developing menswear collections, Lucy combines conceptual fashion with art and music and is now creating projects related to sustainability in the fashion and textiles industry.The collaboration with ISKO sparked three nature-inspired denim sculptures – a coral, a wood, and a feathery wing –, which have become the focus of the new ISKO’s “Denim with a Conscience” campaign. These are made entirely of denim fabrics from ISKO Earth Fit, the top-end ISKO collection when it comes to a fully integrated responsible approach and the only one worldwide to have been awarded both the Nordic Swan Ecolabel and EU Ecolabel certifications. The ISKO Earth FitTM line, which embraces articles from all the ISKO collections, uses innovative and responsible fibers such as organic cotton, recycled cotton and recycled polyester from PET bottles.

  Responsibility for ISKO goes beyond just using low impact materials, extending to its entire culture and systems. ISKO is the first denim manufacturer in the world to obtain pre-certified Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for the Life Cycle Assessment (LCAs) of all its 25,000+ denim fabrics, meaning there is full transparency about the environmental impact of all fabrics in the collection. These EPDs have been used to create independently developed Product Category Rules (PCR), which will help, for the first time ever, to have standardized assessments for denim across the industry. 

In May 2018, COMME des GARÇONS announced “a new brand using the CDG symbolic logo signifying Forty Years of COMME des GARÇONS creation”. The brand launched with a preview capsule, ‘CDG BREAKING NEWS’. A dedicated CDG e-shop shipping exclusively to Japan followed in July.

From 27^th October, physical CDG retail spaces launched within DSM Beijing, London, Los Angeles, New York and Singapore as well as COMME des GARÇONS Hong Kong and Seoul. Also opening are two standalone brick-and-mortar CDG stores in Tokyo and Osaka.

The Denim Window is a showcase of denim innovation where denim connects companies to brands and promote the denim industry through events and showcases.

When you walk into The Denim Window you will have the opportunity to learn about all the steps involved in creating a final garment. In this one place, you will find fabric mills, garment makers, chemical suppliers, fibre producers, trims.

Each company showing at The Denim Window will be the only one for a particular product category and geographic area so as not to create competition but rather stimulate great collaborations. Silvia Rancani, the curator of the showroom, both coordinates a collection’s calendar and presents rend directions for the participating companies in order to make a cohesive environment for events and one-to-one meetings.

“I would like to create a casual and cozy environment where people of denim hangout, either producers or designers will get in touch and share knowledge” – Silvia Rancani

Sophisticated streetwear is the essence of the new Man Spring/Summer 2019 Collection by DROMe. Taking further concepts that started with F/W 2018, it continues to portray a man that looks for his own style and not fading trends. Everything from hooded sweatshirts, sporty jacket, raincoats and bombers: essential shapes are revised with unexpected details and flashes of strong colours such as orange, electric blue and yellow. Modern manufacturing techniques are employed to redefine the classic elegance that recalls the heritage of the made in Italy: the contemporary taste meets the traditional handcrafting. 

The Fashion for Good Experience is now open in Amsterdam, and is the world’s first interactive, technology-driven museum dedicated to sustainable and circular fashion innovation created by experience design studio, Local Projects.

Supported by founding partner C&A Foundation and corporate partners adidas, C&A and PVH Corp, the museum aims to change the hearts and minds of visitors by helping them discover the stories behind their clothes, learn how they can take action and explore how they can have an impact on both an industry and international level. Through a personalized journey towards transformation, visitors will learn about the history of good fashion, discover more sustainable products and explore future fashion innovations. 

Designed by Local Projects, the space incorporates a personalised digital journey with an RFID-bracelet you can learn about the history of good fashion, discover sustainable products and explore fashion innovations of the future.

Fondazione Prada presents the exhibition “Sanguine – Luc Tuymans on Baroque”, curated by Luc Tuymans, in its Milan venue taking place from 18 October 2018 to 25 February 2019.

Organized with M KHA (Museum of Contemporary Art of Antwerp) and KMSKA (Museum of Fine Arts of Antwerp) and the City of Antwerp, the project will be featured in Milan in a new and more extensive version, following its first presentation in the Belgian city from June to September 2018. Luc Tuymans conceived an intense visual experience presenting more than 80 works by 62 international artists, including 25 exhibited exclusively at Fondazione Prada.

“Sanguine” is a personal interpretation of the Baroque based on innovative juxtapositions and unexpected associations of works by contemporary artists and Old Masters. Avoiding a rigid chronological order or a strictly historiographical approach, Tuymans evades the traditional notion of the Baroque and invites viewers to reconsider 17th century art, as well as the contemporary research, by placing artists and their role in society at the center of the exhibition narrative.

Inspired by Calik Denim’s ‘Ever Evolving’ motto, the first in their unique new series of annual events, ‘Ever Evolving Talks’ took place on the 23rd of October in Amsterdam to great acclaim. Leaders from the fashion world shared the stage with influential figures from a variety of global disciplines and sectors to delight international audiences from the industry and beyond with their pioneering experiences and contrasting views about the future. This dynamic new event platform will take place every October, a day before the Kingpins Show Amsterdam.

Guests saw into the future through an array of talks discussing fashion industry insights while experts and disrupters from outside the sector revealed the latest thinking on wider themes such as simplicity and innovation, wearable technology and Millennials’ consumer behaviour.

Speaking from the event Calik Denim CEO Hamit Yenici further explains: ‘Our ‘Ever Evolving’ motto reflects our vision to continually progress. But it’s not just our brand that we aim to move forward; we created Ever Evolving Talks by Calik Denim to move our sector into a more sustainable future, breathe new life into existing events and fulfilling our promise to be truly ‘Ever Evolving.’ Today is about making our promise tangible. Thank you all for believing in our beliefs’.

This past week, WeAr has visited Brazil in order to check creativity and possibilities in one of the biggest countries in the world counting roughly 200 million inhabitants.

The local currency, the Brazilian Real, is at an interesting level for foreign buyers, which makes it worthwhile to look into possibilities. In terms of fashion, creativity and quality are at a high standard throughout the brands and designers as well as in manufacturing.

Despite a poorly coordinated timing between São Paulo Fashion Week and Veste Rio, the latter emerged into a well-visited event. Veste Rio happened one week ahead of São Paulo Fashion Week. We would like to encourage all fair organisers to better coordinate their dates in order to make it easier and more rewarding for international buyers, as it is almost impossible for international buyers to see both and at the same time decreases the number of visitors for both events. At Veste Rio, buyers were seen amongst others from Mexico, the U.S., France, Uruguay and other Brazilian states. None of those buyers we talked to were able to extend their trip to São Paulo. They prefer to visit Rio de Janeiro as an event attracts not only with the venue itself but also with its surroundings. Rio de Janeiro has a lot of emerging creativity and is a great place to find Brazilian brands and discover how they present themselves.

To experience fashion in Rio de Janeiro, visit areas: Ipanema, the adjoining Leblon and Jardim Botânico. There one can see noteworthy mono-brand stores like Osklen, Farm, A. Niemeyer for ready to wear, Havaianas for Brazil’s famous sandals or Salinas for swimwear, but also Dona Coisa, one of the best Brazilian multi-brand stores and a treasure chest to discover Brazilian designers that will function as a jewel in every retailer’s portfolio.

The fair itself was well organised and hosted in a wonderful location near the brand new Museo Amanhã in the harbour area. The views to the sea are incredible and the renovated industrial halls are professional and iconic at the same time.

Exhibiting designers presented a mix of jewellery, swimwear, accessories and ready to wear. The exhibitor list was not very large, but well selected.

Interesting was the set-up of the fair: it combined the trade event with an outlet show in an adjoining building starting on the second day of the event and open to end-consumers. This attracted a lot of public interest and encouraged the consumer to buy more designer brands.

WeAr advises combining such a trip with São Paulo. Rua Harmonia in Vila Madalena and Rua Oscar Freire in Jardins have many creative stores, designers and brands to check and get inspired by. Brazil is not only a Mecca for swimwear but for fashion in general and worth the time to be discovered.

WeAr has covered Veste Rio on our Instagram page for further insights and was invited by renowned Texbrasil, a government organisation helping to strengthen the Brazilian fashion industry.

Fashion for Good has just opened its brand new Fashion for Good Experience in Amsterdam. The Experience is an interactive technology-driven museum focusing on sustainable and circular fashion and innovation. The museum aims to change the hearts and minds of visitors by helping them discover the stories behind their clothes, learn how they can take action and explore how they can have an impact on both an industry and international level. The museum challenges guests to not only appreciate the aesthetics of fashion, but to actively contribute to making fashion good. Through a digital and personalised journey, visitors can learn about the history of good fashion, discover more sustainable products and explore future fashion innovations.

One of the key exhibits in the museum is an Innovation Lounge where guests can discover over 50 amazing innovators who are about to disrupt the fashion industry. This space answers questions like: How is biodegradable glitter made? Can a dress be made from mushroom roots? How can blockchain technology make the garment production process more transparent?

Following 20 years of commitment in Paris, Tranoi is starting a new chapter in China in April 2019 with the same mantra: curation; but also with adapted support to the brands. To celebrate this, a launch event will be held during which an experiential fashion exhibition will be presented, organised in collaboration with international fashion experts Nelly Rodi, describing 6 profiles of fashion consumers in China as well as immersive fashion shows featuring European brands.

An online fashion manufacturing marketplace, Sewport has secured £650,000 investment from a venture capital fund, after launching at the end of 2017. The fully-automated marketplace seeks to ‘matchmake’ budding and established fashion designers and brands with manufacturers around the world. It currently has more than 500 manufacturers on board, as well as more than 4,000 brands.

The company connects small to medium sized fashion brands and budding designers with manufacturers at all stages of development, enabling them to bring their designs to life in an easy and cost-effective way. Boris started the company after working with luxury high fashion brands and realising there was a gap in the market for a ‘one-stop-shop’ manufacturing marketplace for both established brands and new designers.

Lacoste has announced the appointment of Louise Trotter as Creative Director. 

The very first female to lead the creative direction of the brand with the Crocodile, the British designer will present her first collection during the next fashion week in Paris. 

“We are very happy to welcome Louise. Her visionary approach on lines and materials, as well as her expertise in creating highly technical pieces will be real assets to strengthen the positioning of our collections.” Says Thierry Guibert, President of the Lacoste Group. 

“I am delighted to join this French brand with such a unique heritage. For 85 years, the modernity of the Lacoste style lies in this singular fusion of sport and fashion. I am proud to contribute to the writing of a new chapter in its history.” Says Louise Trotter. 

Belgian designer Glenn Martens, creative director of Y/PROJECT mens and womenswear Paris-based label will present the new Y/PROJECT FW 2019/2020 mens collection in Florence with a special event. Winner of last year’s prestigious Andam Grand Prize Award, Y/PROJECT is considered one of the most original voices on the contemporary fashion scene.

“Glenn Martens has created with Y/PROJECT a new aesthetic language that is driven by contradictions”, says Lapo Cianchi, Pitti Immagine Director of Communications and Special Events,” in which chic is combined with extravagance and eclectic references, while streetwear elements are enriched by historical and couture touches sometimes out of scale. A conceptual design, which has already entered into sync with the most advanced parts of the market. A designer who expresses an acute sense of humor, with a vision of fashion that is extremely personal, where there is room for the freedom to dress as you like, experiment and have fun – without raising barriers of any kind”.

“Florence’s exquisite heritage has been a never-ending source of fascination to me. I am extremely honoured to have been asked to show Y/Project at Pitti Uomo, in the core of this mythical city”, says Glenn Martens, designer of Y/Project.

LD Luxury Distribution is a concrete example of female entrepreneurship that takes hold of the market, confronting it with professionality and seriousness. 

It is not just a simple showroom, even if it is located in the prestigious location of Via Della Spiga, 15 in the heart of the Fashion District and houses quality brands. It engages a sui generis concept, unlike any other. The background of the two founders, Angelika Kelch and Sydney Haley, speaks for itself: both have a rich and varied career path, devoted more to 360 degrees consultancy than to mere distribution. 

If Angelika boasts a resume that spans precisely the distribution of fashion brands in the premium and luxury sector (especially in Europe and China), marketing, brand development, sourcing and building line, Sydney is her perfect counterpart: born in America, with 25 years’ experience in the luxury goods sector and international promotion of Italian brands. Thanks to the collaboration with important private equity groups, she has refined the ability to select the right brands, those that know how to “pierce” the market. 

“We rely on four mantras,” explains Angelika…

“The first, which is very close to our heart, is support for the female entrepreneurial world. As foreign women we have chosen to live in Italy for more than 20 years. Every day we touch firsthand a reality. 

The second is democratic luxury. “In response to the specific needs of international buyers, looking for quality brands, but with affordable prices (and in this the Italians are second to none). 

The third being a focus on Italian creativity and innovation. “In our showroom we prefer projects that are research driven and that are committed to using particular production techniques. All with a common thread, the real “Made in Italy.

“And the fourth mantra? “It can only be sustainability,” concludes Sydney, “Aware of the fact that fashion can also help save the planet we pay special attention to all the biologically correct materials and processes, always and in any case, companies managed by female entrepreneurs”.