Creativity, passion, consolidated experience and plenty of enthusiasm: these are the key ingredients making the 84th edition of the MICAM, the international footwear trade fair at Fiera Milano which kicked off with its first day yesterday and will finish on the 20th of September.

This edition presents a number of novelties, in line with the ongoing process of renovation launched by Assocalzaturifici last February: first and foremost, the new synergy with the calendars of Milano Moda Donna when, for the first time, the last day of the MICAM will coincide with the opening of the Milanese fashion week.

International buyers were spotted reaching as far as Japan with Isetan attending. Furthermore the second day saw a visible increase in buyers at the show. The attendance of the big Italian footwear brands like Prasad, Gucci, Tods, Dolce&Gabbana saw the level of the show increasing and a new arrangement of brands gave the show a more pleasant flow.

This edition ”the MICAM” has chosen to focus on “Seduction” in order to portray the beauty and quality craftsmanship of the Italian shoe.”THE SEDUCTION OF FOOTWEAR – Italian Glamor” is shown every day at Pavilion 1, stand H05 – 09. The exhibition reveals the seductive power of women’s shoes, with a selection of 50 models representing the excellence of Italian manufacturing and style.

Coterie saw a strong start to its current edition, kicking off today.

Retail legend LeeAnn Sauter Founder @ CEO of Maris Collective partnered with Coterie to bring great talent to the broader public. You can find more on this in the coming issue of WeAr Magazine coming this January 2018.

RDIT at Coterie is a new section in the show featuring selected designer brands from around the globe.

Beauty @ Coterie provides a great source of information for concept stores.

UBM’S Coterie, the premiere advanced contemporary & designer fashion trade show is opening this month from the 17th till 19th of September.

Danielle Licata, VP of the show has tapped experts in the fields of beauty, lifestyle and luxury hospitality to curate newly formed sections on the show floor that offer retailers a compelling look into how to think outside the box when merchandising their stores for consumers. Maris Collective’s LeeAnn Sauter, celebrity makeup artist Beau Nelson and Sabrina Burda and Noelle Pallais of Random Acts of Creativity will serve as curators for the new neighborhoods.

Lifestyle curators of R.A.C., Noelle Pallais and Sabrina Burda are installing a shop-able lounge in six different thematic atmospheres where they are showcasing their product found from their international travels. Objects, art, furnishings and lifestyle items will be on display within the space along with 25 styling trends culled from 3×1 Misa, Furla, Emm Kuo, French Connect, Belstaff and more.

As from our previous news article, UBM has partnered up with Delivering Good to support those affected by the recent hurricane. Visit the site to donate.

Under its new tagline “Cloud of Fashion”, the next edition of Première Vision Paris will open its doors from the 19th till 21st of September, at the Parc des Expositions de Paris Nord Villepinte. This bold and ground-breaking campaign echoes both the invigorating vibrancy of the upstream side of fashion and the goal of the Première Vision Group to bring the entire industry together around creative innovation, both during and outside of its shows.

With its growing overall offer – up 3% vs. September 2016 – presented by its 1,954 exhibitors, Première Vision Paris is readying a rich and dynamic edition, despite a still complex global context marked by a changing fashion market and political, security and economic threats. A September edition marked by several new changes in terms of the offer and of commitments, as well as of experiences.

“In light of the recent natural disasters that have affected millions and displaced thousands from their homes, we’re asking the fashion industry to come together to support the victims of these storms.

UBM Fashion is committed to helping these communities recover and rebuild by contributing to our longstanding partner, Delivering Good, a nonprofit organization that provides support to people affected by natural disasters. Delivering Good is working diligently around the clock with the fashion and home industries to secure donations for those impacted by Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma.”

The athleisure brand NO KA ‘OI has been chosen to take part of “La Famiglia” exhibit of in Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche in Paris. After Brazil, Japan, Brooklyn and Paris, the department store has decided to celebrate Italy and La Famiglia, until October 22nd 2017. The teams of Le Bon Marché took interest in contemporary Italy beyond the stereotypes. The exhibition features a curated selection of innovative products that together showcase a captivating and unique vision of contemporary Italian creativity. This presentation highlights the avant-gardist wave in its exceptional capacity to respect the past while also reinventing it.

The NO KA ‘OI Fall Winter 2017 collection featured in “La Famiglia Rive Gauche” exhibit draws on the powerful unity of opposites. A playful mix-and-match approach of unexpected palettes, patterns, and textures; heavy fabrics are matched with lightweight, shiny with matte, straight lines coexist with curvy lines and dark colors with bright.

Anchored in its staple design of color block, this season’s bold blocks of color are embodied in muted neutrals, bright greens, and fiery red and orange hues. Each colorway contours the front and back of leggings, tops, sports bras and jackets. The collection continues to inject sports elements into its fashion-first aesthetic with a cubistic camouflage print. NO KA ‘OI’s moda pillar is rooted in haute couture craftsmanship and highlighted with a panoply of vivid textures, colors, and stitching techniques.

The worlds of film and fashion collided on Monday night at Veneto-based luxury outerwear brand Parajumpers’ cast dinner for Dee Rees’s “Mudbound” Oscar buzz movie during the Toronto International Film Festival. “Mudbound” is a film adaptation of Hillary Jordan’s prize-winning 2008 novel of the same name, which tells the story of two families, both at odds and tied together, while struggling to get by in the racially divided Deep South during World War II.

Celebrities and actors such as Mary J. Blige, Carey Mulligan, Garrett Hedlund, Rob Morgan and, “Straight Outta Compton’s,” Jason Mitchell, together with director Dee Rees, gathered to celebrate with industry influencers and Netflix executives to kick off its Awards Season presence.

“We felt honoured to be the hosts of this wonderful evening, celebrating such a talented cast and outstanding film. Parajumpers being aligned to MUDBOUND, the strong subject matter and media buzz surrounding Netflix’s new release, could not be a better brand fit for us. We have thoroughly enjoyed the evening and the company of our guests of honour, the MUDBOUND cast”

Parajumpers created 2 exclusive leather jackets for the occasion; 1 for Mary J. Blige and one to be auctioned off to raise funds for charity which was signed by the famous singer and actress.

The YKK London Showroom has announced a special 3 day event in honour of the Première Vision exhibition to be held in Paris between 19th and 21st September 2017.  During this time, the Showroom will showcase its latest products, catalogues and samples, and YKK technical experts will be on hand to assist with all enquiries.

YKK’s latest Excella Fin zipper will be on show, a unique product that can be used across all garments, shoes, accessories and luggage, with twenty colours available for the zipper teeth, and six hundred to choose from for the colour tape. The zipper has an innovative finguard structure extending the teeth to the material, ensuring it does not rip from a heavy usage and can be ordered as an open end, closed end or movable piece with two way sliders. It enables a smooth transition when using the zip. YKK’s latest button cap product will also be available, another product created to give users complete flexibility and originality, as the button can be incorporated into the same look and material of any item, including leather, grosgrain and denim. Individuals will be able to customize the cap to reflect their overall vision and also can personalize the product with initials or anything else of their choosing.

The recent Who’s Next has officially closed yesterday, with many brand impressions from French brands, like leather jacket label Zapa, or the lifestyle label Bensimon, both of which presenting impressive collections. Also Trench & Coat presented an interesting take on the classic trench-coat and added French flair to it.

But aside seeing French labels, and visitors, there was an increasing international presence at the show. Who’s Next has continued its collaboration with the Japanese department store Laforet.

Laforet’s team showed in an impressive installation some of its brands and brought the Japanese flair to the capital of fashion.

The trade show was separated into 5 areas showing a total of 700 RTW brands that ranged from the German Annette Görz to the Chinese YI Project.

In addition to Who’s Next, the venue also saw Première Classe presenting accessory and footwear brands. Buyers had the chance to combine both shows easily in one visit and get an impression of what the international market had to offer in this area, too.

What has received increasing interest from visitors was the conference area that was organised by the trade shows and was held within the Première Classe area.

From success stories told by leading retailers to tips and tricks how social media can help retailers, or trend talks. This concept offered that retailers can inform themselves over and above their usual buying route and improve their business.

Talking to Aude Chabanier, Who’s Next’s new show director, it became very apparent that the trade show is aiming to be even more international, professional and help the industry in every possible way: from services, to education.

New areas were established where tech fashion start-ups presented their concepts which is ever more important in this changing world.

With these new changes ahead, it will be a highly interesting show to follow on the international trade show calendar.

Check out our social media to stay on top about live news from the show.

The 29th edition of CPM Moscow, from 30th August until 2nd September 2017 at the Expocentre Fairgrounds, came to a successful close with highly encouraging figures: around 22,900 professional buyers (an increase of 7.42% compared to the previous year) from over 50 countries visited the platform in Moscow, which was also attended by 1,300 brands (an increase of 31% compared to the previous year) and 700 exhibitors from 27 countries, all showcased on a gross area of 45,000 m2.

Due to its location, CPM Moscow has represented “EAST meets WEST” for almost 15 years now: “Russia is not only an extraordinary market, but also an extraordinary country. As the leading order trade show for the Eastern European market, CPM Moscow is an extraordinarily diverse pulsating tradeshow that is constantly being further developed. And it all takes place in an extremely fascinating metropolis, which, in terms of its presence and development, is in no way inferior to any other global hotspots,” sums up Thomas Stenzel, Managing Director of the Messe Düsseldorf GmbH subsidiary in Moscow. “So we’re all the more delighted that as of 1 October 2017 we will be completely taking over the tradeshow from Igedo Company Düsseldorf, who will continue to act as co-organiser of the event.”

WeAr’s team has talked to some of the brands at Munich Fabric Start to hear first hand from the show’s vibe and find out about the latest trend the brands are exhibiting for this new season.

Coloro – Join the color revolution. Based on a 7-digit code describing Hue, Lightness and Chroma.

Nastrificio Victor enjoys great demand for their fashionable tapes as accessories get more and more important.

Dynamo: Gaetano is happy with the positive response buyers are having towards the new collection. Especially the new yarn dyed structures with wool touch are a runner.

Saving water and energy another key matter at Bossa.

Bossa’s Müge Tunceren comments on the collection: “This new collection we especially put our importance on colors. They are changing their colors after the washing process. The fabrics area also especially soft due to the inclusion of special fibres in the construction process.”

Calik promotes its Fly Jean fabrics in the popular athleisure style

This Munich Fabric Start kicked off the trade fair cycle for A/W 18/19 and already is in full swing.

Due to last season’s strong visitor numbers, especially also for the third day, the show has extended Bluezone for one more day, 3 days in total. It has also introduced a new format: Apparel Source to bring the industry forward in terms of value chain.

Further, new workshops will be held at Denim Club with talks from the Bluezone experts, after all this area comprises over 100 brands, and workshops covering new developments and trends.

Also Keyhouse, a relatively new format, being introduced a few seasons ago, will be a hub for new technologies, the future of fabrics, macro trends etc. After all, in times of 3D printing and other advanced technologies it is ever more so important to stay informed. Li Edelkoort will hold a trend seminar at Keyhouse the 6th of September talking about key trends for this season as well as for S/S 19.

Parallel to Munich Fabric Start and Bluezone will be Munich Apparel Source, which offers a portfolio of sourcing offices and manufacturing companies including Cut-Make-Trim (CMT) solutions and high-end finished goods production.

The team of WeAr is at the show, talks to the key-players and collects impressions for you. There was a very strong start of the show, with people queuing at the entrance. The show skillfully presented the key trends and also showed that accessories are key. The saying: ‘Simplicity – buy less, choose well’ seems to be meeting the demand of today.

Private equity firm Apax Partners has acquired a majority stake in MatchesFashion. The latter’s founders, Tom and Ruth Chapman, as well as existing venture capital backers: Scottish Equity Partners and Highland Europe, will retain minority stakes and control in the business.

The deal is said to be expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2017.

Carolina Herrera has announced that her Spring 2018 runway show will take place in the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden at The Museum of Modern Art. Taking place on September 11 at 8pm, the show will take place as part of New York Fashion Week.

For the F/W 2018 edition of Copenhagen International Fashion Fair, the tradeshow will unveil an ambitious expansion of its innovative runway concept. First introduced in February 2017 under the name CIFF SHOWSCENE, the highly curated runway concept originally conceived to offer emerging talent a cost-effective way to produce individual runway shows, will be known going forward as CIFF RUNWAY.

“The Fall/Winter 2018-19 fair (31 Jan to 2 Feb 2018 ) will mark CIFF’s 50th edition and we feel there is no better way to mark the occasion than to reinforce our longstanding commitment to supporting and nurturing emerging talent. Young talents represent the lifeblood of our industry. They take risks, push boundaries and help move our industry forward. We’re thrilled therefore to be expanding our runway show concept and unveiling a series of exciting new services designed to help emerging brands express their vision in highly individualized presentations.”– Kristian W Andersen, Fashion and Design Director

Buffalo is reintroducing its infamous platform boot style with a revival of this popular 90s style shoe. In collaboration with Berlin-based fashion designer Patrick Mohr, Buffalo will release a unisex line of the shoe towards the end of 2017.

Upon publication of its annual report for 2016, Cotton made in Africa can report positive results for the past commercial year: As the largest label for sustainable cotton from Africa, CmiA certified 30% of cotton production in sub-Saharan Africa. Growing demand for CmiA cotton in the textile industry meant that around 50 million CmiA textiles were put to the market in 2016. Thereby, the sustainable cotton initiative increased its license revenues by 47 percent in comparison to 2015.

Thanks to the boost in sales of CmiA certified cotton in the textile production countries, CmiA could achieve a consolidated revenue of plus 47 percent in 2016. The share of public financial aid in 2016 reached the lowest level of 1 percent. The result substantiates the motto of the sponsoring organization – Aid by Trade. Based on its goals, the foundation was able to increase the effectiveness of its contributed funds by a further percentage point in comparison to the previous year, reaching 72 percent. Successful project implementation in the cotton growing countries.

Above its standard implementation, Cotton made in Africa supports projects by village communities and provides financing. Among the projects are solar power projects for farmer training centers, water or women’s projects. The total volume invested in cooperation projects that have been active 2016 came to 950,000 Euros.

WeAr is currently in Las Vegas visiting the tradeshows that are putting forward the best trends, brands and designers for the coming season.

At Liberty Fairs, the first day saw a slower start but proved to be a space that was clean, modern and easy to navigate. At Liberty, we visited Calik Denim who presented their Fly Jeans which have incredible technical properties where performance is built into the denim joggers through the addition of protective inserts. The qualities of these jeans feature lightness, flexibility, softness, no-seam slippage, creaseless fits and super compactness.

Exclusively at Liberty Las Vegas, the Quest area showcases industry-leading designers who blend the lines of luxury sportswear and sartorial dressing, bringing them into a curated space that holds no creative boundaries.

Furthermore at Agenda, that also kicked off on a slower note, featured some amazing brands that used innovative props all throughout their booths.

Stitch, The Tents and Project are also presenting some great trends and innovative products. Robins for example, is showcasing its interesting new red label for the wider audience. Whilst At Project and The Tents, The Edit Looks give a selected overview of the best that is on offer.

Stay tuned for more!

For S/S 18  UBM’s FN PLATFORM, the internationally recognized event for footwear in the USA, that is hosted in August will see the following events taking place:

ACTOR BLAIR UNDERWWOD LAUNCH Q by Blair Underwood will launch at FN PLATFORM. The collection is a collaboration between renowned footwear designer, Pasquale, and actor Blair Underwood. The line focuses on designing well-made, yet accessible luxury footwear that allows men to express their personal style. Featuring a modern design with an edge, Q by Blair Underwood is made in Italy and exemplifies Italian craftsmanship.

The Home Shopping Network (HSN) is coming to FN PLATFORM. On Tuesday, August 15th Aspart of their American Dreams Initiative, a panel of executives, producers and presenters will hear live product pitches from MAGIC exhibitors.

During the NY Womens September Show ‘Footwear @ Coterie’ will showcase new to the show, Chie Mihara, from Spain, and Ivy Kirzhner.

Farfetched has appointed former Style.com fashion director Yasmin Sewell as vice president of style and creative. In her new role, Sewell will be responsible for the global editorial and creative teams and all the styling of the platform.

“Farfetch is undoubtedly one of the most innovative companies in today’s retail landscape. I’ve known José since the beginning – we are past collaborators, and it is an honour for me to become a full-time part of everything Farfetch is creating now and even more so, all that is to come.” – Yasmin Sewell

Premium Order Munich took place 5-7 August 2017, and showed a high attendance of 83% in international brands. In harmony with the concept, the 250 brands were staged against the industrial backdrop of the Zenith Halle. With a consistently high visitor frequency on the last two of the three trade show days, expectations were fulfilled in terms of both numbers and quality.

“The move to the open-plan Zenith Halle was the right thing to do. The atmosphere and vibe were fantastic and – as always in Munich – everything revolved around appointments. Our focus on the basics and consolidation was very well received by both exhibitors and buyers. There was particular praise for the service and degree of quality on offer, facets that continue to top our list of priorities. We are satisfied and are already starting to prepare the January event in Berlin.”
Anita Tillmann, Managing Partner of the PREMIUM GROUP 

From September, Who’s Next and Premiere Classe will be doing more to support their exhibitors and visitors by creating opportunities to exchange information and to find real retail and wholesale solutions.  With the the new conferences theme will be #successstories #business. A new area called Fashion Solutions, located in Hall 3, will be dedicated to business solutions and networking. Here 30 companies will offer concrete solutions for merchandising and other services, whereby 40 planned workshops will take place over the 4 days.

For the first time, Who’s Next and Premiere Classe will help a selection of brands develop their wholesale and retail business by giving them the opportunity to both exhibit B2B in tradeshows and to sell B2C online.

The tradeshows will soon announce and present the exciting collaboration with La Redoute’s La Brand Boutique.

For the coming edition in September 2017, Who’s Next is collaborating with the agency Trend Union to create a new service area : The “Gallery Store”, situated in the heart of Hall 4. An updated trends area giving visitors a new perspective on retail, providing information on innovative ways to present a product, or the furniture that will highlight the collection but also information on the situation of retail today.

Who’s Next and Premiere Classe are supporting this evolution by putting human interaction back at the centre of communication and discovery in order to create an interdisciplinary environment where skills and knowledge complement each other.

Invista’s Cordura brand first teamed up with Carhartt, in 1998 to bring advanced durability and fabric technology to its Extremes line. The collaboration led to a durable bond that has endured for nearly 20 years. Now, the two iconic brands are celebrating this history of collaboration through innovation and setting the foundation for a next generation of durable workwear in their new ‘Meet the Maker’ series video.

This “Meet the Maker” episode takes viewers on a journey behind-the-scenes – through the Carhartt of today and past decades, including an archival piece dating back to the 1800s. It also debuts a limited-edition Multicam

CORDURA Brand and Carhartt Live Durable in Latest “Meet the Maker” Series Installment

Black camo print version of the legendary, fit-for-anything, Carhartt Chore Coat, built with the long-lasting durability of CORDURA fabric. First produced in 1917, Carhartt’s legendary Chore Coat is reimagined in honor of both its 100^th anniversary and in celebration of the 50^th Anniversary of the CORDURA brand.

The Italian premium label Stone Island opens its biggest flagship store yet in los Angeles at the intersection of N La Brea and 1st Street. The independent building featuring large show windows facing the street is 500m2 big. It has been designed to provide vast space to create an emotional area transporting the Stone Island image and putting the Stone Island and Stone Island Shadow Project collections properly on show.

The fourth branch of Dover Street Market has officially opened in Singapore. Dover Street Market Singapore is located in a building that forms part of the a complex promoting a “lifestyle destination” filled with design-focussed shops and restaurants.

Just as in the New York, London and Tokyo stores, the interior design is conveyed by Rew Kawakubo, founder of Comme Des Garçons, and Dover Street Market. The key feature within the shop is a giant central hut complex, which is a signature element of all Dover Street Market locations throughout the world. Colorful arches then draw attention to the back of the store, accounting for the first time that color has been used architecturally in any DSM.

CIFF has announced that the menswear brand ABASI ROSBOROUGH will be joining its fair for S/S 2018.

Designers Abdul ABASI and Greg ROSBOROUGH met while studying fashion at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology and founded their eponymous brand in 2013. Since then, ABASI ROSBOROUGH has been making waves in menswear circles with their progressive take on men’s fashion and determination to reinvent the suit. Based in NYC, they were most recently nominated for the LVMH prize (2017) and were finalists for the Woolmark Prize (2016) and the Ecco Domani prize (2014) before that.

For CIFF, (in RAVEN Projects) ABASI ROSBOROUGH will be presenting their collection in a installation incorporating elements from their collaboration with artist, Justin Guariglia.

For ALBERTO women, ‘Cooler’ are the trousers for the diverse stylish summer business look, new as of Spring/Summer 2018. Until recently only the preserve of the world of golf, they are now also being introduced into the ALBERTO woman collection. Because more and more women who already know them from the green, also want Cooler for their summer office wardrobe. The intelligent high-tech material supports the body’s own active cooling system, with ALBERTO combining two technologies: On the one hand, the woven fabric of hollow fibres ensures that moisture is directly transported to the surface where it rapidly evaporates. An effect that improves the natural cooling function of the skin. On the other hand, the special 3xdry finishing withstands dirt just like liquid. Even spilled tomato juice on the plane can’t harm the trousers – it just rolls off. As moisture can’t settle from the inside or from the outside, the smart trousers reliably prevent heat accumulation on the skin. But if a bit of a cool wind does come along, the wrinkle-free bi-stretch trousers prevent unpleasant chills.

This month commemorates 15 years since launching the original Beach Clog, known today as the Classic Clog. The Classic has grown to become an iconic silhouette.

From the brand’s early days of making sales calls by carrying samples around on a fishing string to being named the fastest growing footwear brand by Footwear News in 2006, Crocs made an immediate splash with its colorful range of comfortable clogs. After experiencing immediate success with the clog, Crocs has steadily evolved to offer a broad portfolio of all-season products, while remaining true to its core molded footwear heritage.

In 2017, Crocs put out a call to consumers around the world to “Come As You Are”. The global marketing campaign focuses on the brand’s core, molded clog and sandal styles, while asking consumers to celebrate what makes them unique.

“Over the past 15 years, Crocs has never wavered from its identity: optimistic, versatile, comfortable and not afraid to poke holes in convention,” said Terence Reilly, Crocs’ Chief Marketing Officer. “’Come As You Are’ is an invitation for people to share their identity, their one‑of‑a‑kindness, which is so important in today’s world. Along with our great product, we hope this campaign can help make everyone comfortable in their own shoes.”

The first two days of Pure London have been full of energy and positivity as soon as the first visitors came through the doors on Sunday morning. The creative mood has continued on the catwalk with visually inspiring and uplifting trends, the SS18 Buyer’s Briefings by WGSN, a keynote address by Dr Pam Hogg and an inspiring interview with Henry Holland.

Bringing together key players in the industry from across the UK and abroad, a busy day of buying from retailers was accompanied by an informative and creative programme of on-stage content. After revealing her unorthodox approach to fashion design and career history, Dr Pam Hogg urged retailers to champion new designers and to offer the consumer something to feel excited about.

On Monday Henry Holland took to the stage and highlighted the importance of being unique when creating a brand. He said; “I have been lucky in the development of the brand DNA, it’s playful sense of humour can be translated across different price points and product categories so find your authentic tone of voice, your point of view, and stick to it.”

Mirroring Dr Hogg’s sentiments, Sara Maggioni, Director Retail and Buying at WGSN stated in her Buyer’s Briefing that consumers will be buying less but buying better. Versatility is key, seasonless and dual function items offer value for money and the blurring of genres and categories opens up cross merchandising opportunities.
On Sunday evening exhibitors gathered for the Pure London Display Awards to applaud creativity and celebrate the best stands, collections and service.

The winners were:
Best in Womenswear – Goose Collection
Best in Menswear & Athleisure – TrixTa
Best in Accessories & Footwear – E Barrito
Best in Show – King Louie
Best Premium Emerging Designer – DB Berdan

From August 6th till August 8th, at the Javits Center, New York., UBM Fashion at NY Women’s, Intermezzo Collections will debut its first-ever VINTAGE@Intermezzo consumer-facing fair within the show that will be epicenter of vintage shopping for retailers and consumers alike in the heart of Manhattan.

Featuring an unmatched curated selection of vintage dealers showcasing their one-of-a- kind apparel and accessories collections, the entire fashion community will have access to the best in vintage design, style and period pieces. Each vintage dealer will be showcasing a unique facet of the industry with product available for wholesale and retail.

VINTAGE@Intermezzo at Intermezzo Collections is held during UBM Fashion’s NY Women’s August Marketplace which offers women’s apparel and accessories with a strong focus on immediate deliverables, touting the largest accessories presentation with the two industry leading shows.

The supervisory board of Galeria Kaufhof GmbH has appointed Peter Herlitzius Managing Director and Labor Director, with effect from September 1, 2017. In this function, the 56-year-old qualified lawyer will assume responsibility for the company’s management areas of human resources and labor law.

“We are delighted to have recruited Peter Herlitzius to our company. With his extensive expertise and international experience, he will strengthen the important subjects of personnel and labor law while at the same time further developing the area of responsibility”, says Dr. Wolfgang Link, CEO HBC Europe

Peter Herlitzius is regarded as a recognized authority on human resources management. Over the years, he has held management positions at Unilever Deutschland, Reckitt Benckiser Deutschland and Tchibo. His most recent position was as HR director at Parfumerie Douglas GmbH.

In addition to the German and English online store, BRAUN Hamburg has now launched a French language version at www.braun-hamburg.com/fr/, thus responding to the growing demand in the French-speaking world and remains on an expansion course with over 30 delivery countries worldwide.

“We are experiencing very good growth abroad and would like to strengthen our international presence with the French online store. As a premium supplier, we want to present our online store not only as an addition to the stationary business, but rather to set new standards with it, “says Lars Braun, owner and managing director of BRAUN Hamburg.

According to the core market in Germany, Austria is the first market for BRAUN Hamburg and Switzerland is the largest market. This is followed by the United Kingdom, Scandinavia, the Netherlands, Spain and Eastern Europe. The focus now is on France, Luxembourg and Belgium; Markets in which BRAUN Hamburg already has a significant demand, but the customer is preferring the French user language.

Each year, the ISKO I-SKOOL contest involves the most brilliant and creative young minds from worldwide prestigious fashion and business institutions. The fashion show was held in the unusual setting of BASE, a post-industrial, multipurpose center in Milan that was perfectly in tune with the mood of this evening.

Everything was generated by a unique inspiration, denim: a journey into this versatile, evergreen style icon. The contest involved more than 60,000 students from all over the world. For the first time in ISKO I-SKOOL history, the contest invited independent students to compete, by sending their application through the official website of the competition, iskooldenim.com. Every winner will be awarded with internships with the brands that support the initiative. It’s a clear demonstration of the deep connection between the fashion talent contest and the market.

For the Denim Design Award, students were asked to create denim outfits for the season of their choice, following a daring theme, GENDERFUL, a celebration of the new and inclusive ways to conceive the many models of self expression that transcend traditional gender categories to promote new and evolving forms of identity.

The Marketing Award had students were design a strategic marketing plan and its tactical actions in order to explain and give value to one of the foremost themes in global fashion agenda today, the connection between fashion and sustainability, aesthetics and best practices.

Crocs has unveiled its latest collaboration with award-winning British designer Christopher Kane. The Christopher Kane x Crocs collection includes four colours of Classic Clogs, each featuring a tiger print and embellished with an ostrich feather, floral Jibbitz adornments and Christopher Kane’s signature “K”. The limited-edition collection is inspired by Christopher Kane’s pre-fall 2017 runway collection, which is now available.

Christopher Kane’s signature of constant innovation and rebellious femininity perfectly complements one of Crocs’ core brand values of celebrating individuality. On the heels of an innovative collaboration that shocked the fashion world last year, this new collection turns high fashion into affordable, ready-to-wear styles, starting at £64.99.

“When Christopher Kane approached us about this opportunity, we were delighted and excited to work together with such an iconic force in the fashion world,” said Michelle Poole, Senior Vice President of Global Product and Merchandising for Crocs. “Working with Christopher reinforces our belief that our iconic clog is incredibly relevant in today’s style arena. This partnership becomes a terrific vehicle for transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary, and elevating the everyday into desirable luxury, two of Christopher’s key design philosophies.

Known for his influence in the world of visual art and social activism, Keith Haring is one of the greatest pop artists of the 20th century.

As a homage to the street and pop culture of the 1980s, Herschel Supply released an exclusive collection of Keith Haring’s iconic stick figure drawings. Known for his influence in the world of visual art and social activism, Haring is one of the greatest pop artists of the 20th century.

The collection consists of bags, headwear, accessories and jackets in a striking blue-white all-over print with red accents. The Keith Haring line includes the backpack models Dawson and Winlaw, the popular Novel travel duffle, a Network Pouch as well as the practical chapter culture bag. The Sylas cap in the cotton twill as well as the Creek Bucket Hat with detachable chin, are also available in the dancing man print.

The collection is rounded off by five different models from the recently launched Apparel line. Including two jackets and a poncho from the travel voyage or a hooded jacket and a raincoat from the weather-resistant forecast collection. Key feature of the lightweight Voyage jackets is their collar-integrated pocket, which allows them to be folded and stored quickly and easily.

Colette is to close its concept store in Paris. WWD reports that staff in the French capital were told the news on Wednesday morning. The store, situated on 213 rue Saint-Honoré, first opened in March 1997 and will close for the last time in December.

Colette has announced that it will be closing its concept store in Paris, after 20 years. The store located at 213 rue Saint-Honoré will be closing on the 20th of December 2017. It is speculated that the location will be taken over by Saint Laurent.

Colette was founded in 1997 by Colette Roussaux, and has been run by her daughter Sarah Andelman in the last years.

Saint Laurent has partnered up with two leading fashion schools in France to develop and support a brand-new couture training programme. The latter will have ‘Institut Français de la Mode and the École de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne’ working with Saint Laurent to offer students a chance to work at the Saint Laurent head-offices as well as following 25 days of courses at the schools. At the end of March 2018, the students will present a special project to a panel of jury consisting of school faculty and Saint Laurent team members.

The programme set to last 6-months (launching in September 2017) will focus on innovation and sustainability. The application process is still open.

Just four days after separating from Bouchra Jarrar, the French fashion house of Jeanne Lanvin appoints Olivier Lapidus as the new Creative Director. He embarked on his new role immediately.
The first collection of the Paris-born designer is due to be shown as early as in September during the Paris ready-to-wear shows.
Besides his new role at chez Lavin, Lapidus will continue working on his own recently launched line, Création Olivier Lapidus, which launched this past haute couture season in Paris. He previously was at Balmain Homme before joining Maison Lapidus.
Lanvin has had a 23% fall in revenue since 2016 and hopes it can reignite the spirits former 14 year long creative director Alber Elbaz gave the brand, who left it following disagreements with its owner. Rumours have it, Lapidus wants to develop Lanvin into a French lifestyle brand, although these have not been substantiated.

For the MICAM84, to be held in September at the Milan Fair Centre and, to promote the forthcoming edition, Assocalzaturifici has promoted a teaser event in Seoul, in Korea to be held from 10th to 12th July at the capital’s Westin Chosun Hotel in conjunction with “La moda italiana a Seoul”, the trade fair for Italian Fashion Manufacturers organized by EMI, the Italian fashion organisation.

By accompanying a group of brands to the trade-fair, Assocalzaturifici intends to give continuity to promotional events in the Far East and consolidate the image of the MICAM in a fast-growing market by communicating the uniqueness of made-in-Italy footwear.

“South Korea represents the 13th largest market out of the various countries to which Italian footwear is exported, recording in 2016 a 16.7% increase in value with respect to the previous year – explains the president of Assocalzaturifici, Annarita Pilotti – The Asian market remains crucial for exports of made in Italy products. This is why we have decided to organise a series of promotional roadshows in the Far East with the aim of demonstrating to the world the excellence and quality of our footwear industry. The trade show in Seoul – Pilotti concludes – provides a perfect opportunity for talking about the new edition of theMICAM84 and for presenting the theme of September’s promotional campaign which is dedicated to seduction”.

Assocalzaturifici will in fact be setting up a special show entitled “The Seduction of footwear: Italian glamour” organised in collaboration with MIC the International Vigevano Shoe Museum which has selected under the supervision of the artistic director Armando Pollini, 20 pairs of stiletto heels: the leitmotiv of the exhibition is the high-heeled shoe which has been a perennial and universal symbol of secuction.

Marco Lucietti, Global Marketing Director will take on the new position of Senior Advisor for ISKO, the international leader in denim production and textile innovation.

“After eight incredible years, I’ve decided to change from the position of Global Marketing Director of ISKOTM to a different role working closely with the management of the Company”, explains Marco Lucietti.

Marco Lucietti managed the worldwide B2B (Business to Business) Marketing activity of ISKO and led a global team of Marketing Professionals. During his eight years as Global Marketing Director, Lucietti focused on conveying the innovative value of the Company to the market, and built long term partnerships in the industry, always playing an active role in company’s activities and actions.

2016 marked the beginning of ISKO’s development plan to align its communication and add a consumer facing ingredient brand message. This was intended to help fashion brands connect with ISKO fabrics more effectively, involving different channels of communication and new media. The creation also of a Brand & Communication team, headed by Fabio Di Liberto, ISKO Global Brand Director, became important to support ISKO’s new communication strategy.

Instead of exhibiting at Panorama as per previous year, Mustang this year launched its own event ‘Street Art Lab’ in Berlin’s Seven Star Gallery, presenting a mixed concept of showroom, pop-up studio and live event.

“In the search for a new, creative approach to presenting our brand during the Fashion Week in Berlin, we have developed this extraordinary event concept”, explains Dietmar Axt, CEO of the Mustang Group. “Great is that we can make the connection of street art and denim tangible. Authentic, approachable and hand-made – this is a perfect match for our brand! “The exhibiting artists are renowned street artists and will not only show some work but also be creative on the spot.

During the event, Mustang is also showcasing its S/S collection 2018.

Berlin this July was blessed with perfect weather. Not too cold and not too hot.

Premium Exhibitions started with a bang. International buyers were spotted already in the early morning hours from Ireland, Scandinavia, Czech Republic all the way to Japan. German buyers were numerous, too. Birkenstock even provided a nice terrace to have a cocktail during the sunny hours of the show, to relax from the orders placed. Many interesting brands, including some very creative Korean labels were spotted, well worth a visit. But also brands well capable to provide for the many are represented at the show.

At Show & Order, an experience platform was created, mimicking a concept store in a trade-show format. Couches, music, food, accessories and of course numerous high-end fashion brands were present.

Selvedge Run featured an overseeable amount of brands that all had one thing in common: elevated creativity.

Erwin Licher, owner of Herrlicher, presented his new upscale denim line Mr. Erwin at Seek. That show was in general well visited. Seek continuously focusses on sophisticated, urban menswear, so brands such as Herschel, Boxfresh, adidas Originals, Brooks, Burlington, Creative Recreation, Fred Perry, Ecoalf, Eastpak etc. were present.

Unfortunately not as much traffic was seen at Panorama, despite brands, well worth a visit such as Lieblingsstück, Fynch-Hatton, Alberto, the new line of Miss Sixty, Einstein Newton, Bobi LA, Pepe Jeans and other important brands.

Trends such as metallic effects out of copper, silver and gold elements worked onto the garments were seen. Floral and light, pastel colours meet jungle feeling complemented with plant-motives.

Lieblingsstück demonstrated with their latest campaign what fashion should be all about: laughing, positive, bubbly people that radiate happiness.

Check out our WeAr To Go section in this buyers guide to know where to have a beer, where to shop and where to party. Make the most of your trip here and find and support young up and coming labels that introduce creativity into our industry. Whilst not forgetting the established labels that bring customers to your store.

Should you not be in Berlin, our Buyers Guide will give you some impressions of the most interesting brands and what has been going on at the shows from the comfort of your home.

We’ll be back tomorrow with more Buyers Guide voices, and exclusive content on our social media pages!

The coming edition of Texworld which will take place in Paris from the 18th till 21st of September 2017, will introduce the launch of its new Texworld Denim section. The latter will showcase around 80 exhibitors who all specialise in the denim sector. Furthermore this area will also debut its own trend forum.

“We have introduced the Texworlddenim segment at our next show edition as a true reflection of the dominant position that denim occupies in the fashion industry,” commented Michael Scherpe, president, Messe Frankfurt France.

The new Denim sector will be regrouping the fabrics from Texworld and the ready-to-wear from Apparel Sourcing.

As part of the Fall / Winter 2017 Collection, Liebeskind Berlin presents ‘The Berlin Bag’ AKA the ‘B Bag’. The latter is a homage to a Berlin girl who wrapped herself in a large woven blanket to protect herself from the cold, held together by a leather belt with a round, metallic buckle. Her attitude embodies her own individual style: simple and confident, raw yet elegant.

The B Bag distills the essence of the city: a certain dynamism and freedom allowing one to be who they are- a citizen of the world.

Alaskan Bush Pilots have been the brave and iconic adventurers of the skies for over a century. They have tamed America’s most outlandish natural landscapes thanks to their outstanding courage and one-of-a-kind gut instinct – and Leighan Falley, a Talkeetna-based pilot, is one of them.

Falley is one of the very few female Alaskan pilots to continuously push boundaries in the great northern skies. Always graceful, even when under pressure, she explores Alaska’s idyllic yet raw nature with the courage of an explorer, following her instincts, while calculating risks. “The first memory of my entire life is being in the backseat of my father’s airplane,” Falley recalls. “I must have been a tiny baby, I remember feeling the airplane moving through the air and seeing the trees and the river below.”

In Talkeetna, situated some 115 miles north of Anchorage on the southern edge of the Denali National Park, Falley is one of the Talkeetna Air Taxi pilots. The company was established in the 40s, the early days of Alaskan aviation, and currently runs 10 bush aircraft.

She flies to the remotest locations in Alaska in order to capture the adventurous everyday life of the Great North, while bringing mountaineers to their final destination and helping those in need. Living her dream, Leighan Falley is not only a brave pilot, but also a mother, a ski guide, an alpinist, having reached the peak of Denali Mountain six times out of twelve expeditions. “Alaska is probably my favorite place on earth,” she continues. “I’ve been through different continents, climbed different mountain ranges, including the Himalaya, but Alaska is my favorite. It is so big and so wild, vast and untouchable. The biosphere is intact, the animals live in their natural habitat. Mountain ranges rise from a hundred meters to six thousand meters – it’s simply beautiful. In a place as beautiful as Alaska, you have to have an airplane to see all of it,” she concludes. “Discovering Alaska and climbing its mountains is a journey that involves a lot of beauty, a lot of hardship, and a lot of testing yourself mentally and physically.”

Follow the stories of modern-day heroes on the Parajumpers website where you can also watch exclusive video footage and discover Parajumpers’ latest collections.

Zalando and Bestseller United annoinced a joint venture to promote the B2B online platform fashiontrade.com.

Fashiontrade.com is another platform trying to promote digital fashion wholesale in order to transport also the B2B part of the fashion industry into the day-and-age of the Internet.

Most fashion trade is still done physically at trade shows, showrooms and client visits but it gets more apparent that part of it is possible to be done online.

The platform tries to connect retailers with brands and make trading online easier.

Fashiontrade.com was founded in 2015 by Besteller United (owner of Vero Moda, Jack&Jones et.al.) and Zalando now took over 50% of it. No financial details have been made public. Bestseller Group is one of Zalando’s largest shareholders.

Welcome to the latest edition of Berlin’s Buyers Guide, which will be live from tomorrow! From the 4th-6th of June we will cover Premium, SEEK, Selvedge Run, Show and Order, Panorama and further events. The aim of the tradeshows and the brands they present is to question systematically the way that fashion is worn and communicated.

The team of WeAr global magazine will communicate from Berlin, live, for you. We will interview decision makers, scout trends and keep you updated on what’s hot in Berlin.

Stay tuned on here and on our Facebook and Instagram channels so not to miss Berlin’s fashion week.

Have a look at the WeAr to go section to discover hotels, restaurants, bars, clubs and of course shopping for your stay in Berlin.

You can also read one of WeAr’s quality trend articles, provided by our global editorial team.

In its 16th edition, VIEW kicked off on a dynamic and progressive note and closed with a slight increase in visitors.

Materials with raised surfaces as super-soft wool types generated a great deal of interest. Also attracting a lot of attention were the sophisticated jerseys with a heavier feel for winter – some of them with standard reverse sides, others with printed or multi-coloured effects. All-important were the discussions revolving around sustainability, which serves for storytelling and clearly adds value to the fabrics and, hence, to the garments. In addition to this, there is a demand for more function in the form of technical material support – subtly integrated but strongly communicated and never as a technical element that determines the looks – at least not in the fashion segment. The innovative themes for winter include 3D technologies for texture and print.