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.

Centre for Fashion Enterprise (CFE), based at London College of Fashion, UAL have announced their first Manufacturers Trade Show in East London. This one-day event, taking place on Tuesday 11th July at York Hall in Bethnal Green, will showcase over 20 exhibitors and aims to introduce fashion enterprises to manufacturers who can produce smaller scale quantities in order to progress their businesses.

The Manufacturers Trade Show is a part of CFE’s Fashion Technology Emerging Futures (FTEF) project, part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) with the vision to support the new eco-system emerging in London, recognising the convergence of fashion and technology SMEs. This will be the first of CFE’s commitment to a Manufacturer’s Trade Show as part of the FTEF project, and will happen twice yearly.

CFE have commissioned Making for Change to make a collection of tote bags for the Manufacturers Trade Show, featuring exclusive designs from CFE alumni and CFE Fashion Pioneer designer, Ovelia Transtoto. Making for Change are a social enterprise set up by London College of Fashion UAL as part of the college’s ethos of ‘Better Lives’, using fashion as a discipline, to drive change, build a sustainable future and improve the way we live.

Judith Tolley, Head of the CFE commented:

“London is known for nurturing the most innovative and authentic creative fashion designers and emerging businesses but without manufacturers to support and work with them their creative talent and growing businesses would not be realised. Our vision is to connect business with manufacturers with a view to developing long term working relationships.”

Rifle company (Rifle Jeans) has a new partner; the Swiss holding of investments Kora Investments Sa which took over 44% of the Rifle equity. The closing is expected in the next 45 days.

Franco Marianelli ex Guess and Gas Jeans  will be in charge to lead the new Rifle to the next level.

In  2018 – commented Giulio Fratini (owner of the company), who represents the third generation of the founders – “is the 60th anniversary of the company and this is the time to take our company in a new dimension, driving it to the 21st century with a financial investor that is realizing with us its first business in the fashion world.”

Rifle closed the 2016 with a turnover of € 21million as in the 2015. The turnover is almost completely realized in the domestic market. Infact one of the first goal is to develop a global strategy.

The coming edition of #FASHIONTECH Berlin taking place on 5th July 2017, will introduce a redesigned concept that puts the focus on business and practical solutions, Berlin’s meeting-place for fashion experts, industry insiders and future visionaries offers a comprehensive insight this season into the revolutionised value chain of fashion and presents the latest creative visions at the interface of fashion and technology. With the new concept, this season’s #FASHIONTECH Berlin will be interactive and experiential. Thereby, the many keynotes and the start-up pitches taking place on the #stage as well as the experiential #exhibition and the new #masterclasses will showcase all the latest tech trends.

The talks and keynotes on the #stage on the fifth floor of Kühlhaus Berlin will cover content from areas including Wearables & Smart Textiles, E-Commerce & Retailtech and Digital Marketing & Communication.

E-commerce giant JD.com and Farfetch announced a strategic partnership that will create the premier platform for luxury e-commerce across China, opening a gateway to an $80bn market.

The partnership leverages JD’s unparalleled logistics, Internet finance and technology capabilities and social media resources, including its WeChat partnership, with Farfetch’s leadership in global luxury, to create a frictionless and seamless brand experience. Farfetch has well-established operations in China and is already the partner of choice for 200 luxury brands and more than 500 multi-brand retailers. JD will help drive further brand awareness, traffic and sales for Farfetch in the market.

As part of this partnership, JD com will become one of the largest shareholders of Farfetch, investing $397 million, and Richard Liu, JD.com‘s founder and CEO, will join the Farfetch board. JD and Farfetch will partner on marketing, logistics and technology solutions to build the brand in China, while Farfetch will continue to be the customer-facing brand.

The combined strength of the Farfetch-JD partnership will benefit all 700 brands and boutiques that are part of the Farfetch community, enabling them to take advantage of the vast resources of this new gateway to China’s luxury market.

Leveraging JD Luxury Express, JD’s recently launched white glove service, Farfetch will be able to offer customers a premium level of service befitting the world-class brands sold on the site. For Chinese consumers, this combination of Farfetch’s luxury know-how, and JD’s blazing same-day delivery speeds and highly professional service, will provide an unparalleled luxury proposition.

Farfetch partner brands with a local retail presence will also have access to world-class omni-channel capabilities, including click & collect and in-store returns, connecting the brands’ physical retail stores in China to consumers.

Isabel Marant has launched its own dedicated e-commerce store in partnership with Yoox Net-a-Porter Group. The new site will feature the entire range of Isabel Marant products including the Etoile line and accessories lines. A special section called ‘La Valise d’Isabel’ will feature the designer’s perspective on the current collection. To mark the worldwide launch of the new platform, Marant is also set to unveil her new packaging, developed with German painter Katrin Bremermann. 

The website is available in 6 languages and offers worldwide shipping to 101 countries globally.

From 4th to 8th July, SEEK is bringing the rush of Fashion Week to the public in the form of a concept pop-up shop.

SEEK is taking Fechtner Delikatessen, one of Berlin’s finest organic coffee and lunch spots, and transforming it into a blank canvas for fashion insiders and outsiders alike to gather, shop, inspire and explore. The barriers between brand, buyer, media and consumer are breaking down season after season.

An experimental answer to the current retail situation, the space gives equal access to a curated selection of the best in fashion, food and lifestyle. Moreover, SEEK's Super Natural delivers what the most memorable shopping experiences always do: a concept everyone wants to take part in and share.

Dubbed Super Natural, the pop-up coincides with the release of SEEK Magazine No. 6. A portfolio of all-white clothing and lifestyle products populate a clear and reduced space. The launch of the latest print publication will be on 3th July at the pop-up shop.

Boasting a very creative energy and the overall quality of the proposals meeting the favor of the best national and international buyers at Pitti Immagine Uomo n. 92: foreign buyers confirm the excellent results of last June, while Italy has recorded a little drop.

As always, Pitti Immagine Uomo n. 92  presented in Florence the latest trends, designers and brands for men's fashion. The most important international and Italian buyers have chosen once again Pitti Uomo as a global reference point for lifestyle and scouting in menswear, confirming the importance of the selection and segmentation criteria adopted by the Pitti Immagine marketing team, that aim to present the more interesting news – in trends and products – from the best Italian and international companies that research and innovate in style and materials. The undisputed prestige of design and made in Italy, the completeness of the offer, the variety of the collections, the lively design and presentations, the different international partnerships (e.g. with the Guest Nation Australia, the Japan Fashion Week, Liberty Fairs..) and the special events (the exhibition at Palazzo Pitti, the JW Anderson and Off White shows, the presentations by the Italian designers Federico Curradi and Alanui …) did the rest.

In terms of figures, more than 19,000 buyers have been registered a few hours before the end of the show, with foreign countries confirming the levels of last June and with a drop of Italian buyers between 8 and 9%. A total number of more than 30,000 visitors is expected.

The WeAr team presented throughout the show exclusive insights into the fair, with voices from buyers/designer/visitors and various impressions including streetstyle in our Florence Buyers Guide. 

Stay tuned for Berlin Buyers Guide beginning of July 2017.

Swiss luxury brand Bally presented at Pitti Uomo for the first time, launching its Spring Summer ’18 retro sneaker collection. Bringing back the magic with the revival of its best sneaker styles over the past decades, Bally’s retro sneaker collection includes four replications of its most successful lace ups, from hip-hop era classics to smashing tennis shoes and sporty runners.

The replica will be presented alongside four additional derivations, exclusively for Pitti Uomo, in Kodak, garnet, marine and snuff. Reissued with a vulcanised sole and the same Bally logo on the side, the canvas shoes are available as replicas as well as three new derivations, in both hi and low top styles, and as full leather versions. Bally’s Galaxy runner, a shoe originally created for utility in 1988, has also been reissued and is now Bally’s lightest sneaker, crafted in canvas with suede detail. The original model in garnet has been reproduced alongside two new versions in Kodak and black, with the original running sole. The 1974 Vita-Parcours completes the collection, with original identifiable black and white check pattern and produced with a modernised sneaker sole, used in Bally’s Heimberg collection.

Bally’s retro sneaker collection is available in stores and online from January 2018 onwards.

Check out more on Pitti in our Florence Buyers Guide: http://www.wearglobalnetwork.com/buyers_guide/florence

Continuing on the success of last season’s first collaboration and ‘RECYCLE’ project, Save the Duck team up once again with award-winning British designer Christopher Ræburn to collaborate on a second luxury capsule collection for S/S 2018. In keeping with Save the Duck and Christopher Ræburn’s vision, a commitment to protecting the animal kingdom and planet, the collection presents a range of contemporary lightweight quilted jackets. These have been made from highly performing recycled fabrics, including Save The Duck’s PLUMTECH, an innovative padding and technical fibre that replaces down feathers.

As always considered sourcing is of paramount importance for both brands and all materials have been chosen inline with the “ANIMAL FRIENDLY” mission of Save the Duck. The capsule created by Christopher Ræburn for Save The Duck will be distributed to select luxury stores around the world in collaboration with the showroom Tomorrow.

JW Anderson presented the Italian debut showing of his S/S 2018 men’s collection on Wednesday, 14th June at Villa la Pietra. “I am truly honored by this invitation to show at Pitti Uomo”, said Jonathan Anderson. “Florence, with its extraordinary beauty will be the perfect backdrop for my collection”.  

“We have been keeping a careful eye on Jonathan Anderson’s career for several seasons”, says Lapo Cianchi, Pitti Immagine director of communications and events. “Above all, we are drawn to the creativity and eclecticism of his collections that are further enhanced by fine quality manufacturing and – in menswear by undisputable sartorial skill. The way he reinterprets elements from the contemporary art scene and from the youth culture, alternating emotional impact (out-of-scale volumes, for example) and transgressions that are projected towards anticipating the future leaving very little room for nostalgia, is very interesting. His shows are always surprising with great communicative power”.

For Pitti Uomo, Lindsay Kemp – who among many other things, directed the Ziggy Stardust Concerts for David Bowie – was a guest at IED from 12th to 15th June for a workshop freely inspired by Japanese Kabuki theatre and ukiyo-e prints from the Edo period, between the 17th and 19th centuries.

The workshop involved 40 students from the IED Group who – under the overall guidance of Kemp and the supervision of Giovanni Ottonello, IED Art Director – created the costumes for the event, using fabrics and products from companies in the Como area and Tuscany. The performance at the end of the workshop featured Kemp himself as protagonist, accompanied by two of his dancers. The students involved in the creation of the costumes wore them as part of Kemp’s performance event.

The performance is part of Secret Florence program. Secret Florence’s core mission is to enhance the attractiveness of the city of Florence during the opening week of Pitti Immagine Uomo. This is achieved through an innovational and high quality artistic proposal intended for a young, international audience interested in unveiling the connections between contemporary artistic languages and the extraordinary historical heritage of the city. 

Find more on Pitti in our Buyers Guide on WeAr Global Network.

MAGLIANO (Luca Magliano) is the winner of the 9th edition of WHO IS ON NEXT? UOMO, the scouting project that seeks out new talents in men’s fashions who are Italian or manufacture their collections in Italy, organized by Fondazione Pitti Immagine Discovery and sponsored by Pitti Immagine Uomo in collaboration with Altaroma and L'Uomo Vogue.

Luca Magliano has created a clear concept that is complete and minimalist, an “indispensable editing” of the contemporary man’s wardrobe. Highly appreciated for the quality of the manufacturing as well as the brand’s decisive attitude and character, Magliano has achieved results of an undisputed contemporaneity, a mix of genderless accents and military inspirations with an ironic twist.

In addition to the winner and the honorable mentions, the finalists were: MATTEOLAMANDINI, MILANO140 (Michele Canziani and Stefano Ghidotti) and OMAR (Omar Nardi). 

During the upcoming edition of Milan Menswear Week taking place this month, as part of the collaboration between the Italian and Dutch fashion industry, a selection of the creations by the winning Amsterdam Global Denim Awards will be displayed. Named ‘Best of Both’ the collaboration aims to strengthen the connection between Dutch and Italian fashion and denim.

The Global Denim Awards Exhibition has focused on the Italian and Dutch collaborations over the last 3 years, highlighting the best creations of Netherlands and Italy. On display will be the capsule collections of five designers (Jonathan Christopher, Alexandra Frida, Edithmarcel, Sartoria Diletto and Anbasja Blanken) and three Italian denim mills (Candiani Denim, Berto Industria Tessile and ITV Denim).

Stella McCartney has teamed up with Parley for the Oceans on a long-term project named ‘Ocean Legends’. McCartney already previously designed a pair of trainers made from ocean plastic, instead of woven/recycled polyester in her designs. 

As well as being made from upcycled marine plastic, each piece in the collection will be dedicated to individual pioneers within the ocean movement, as a "symbol of recognition". The first design, which will recognise Greenpeace co-founder Paul Watson, is an update on the existing Falabella Go backpack. Made from recycled polyester fabric salvaged from the sea, it will feature the brand's signature braided Falabella chain across its pocket, as well as Sea Shepherd badges, all made from ocean plastic.

Parley for the Oceans is the space and network where the creative industries come together to raise awareness about the oceans and collaborate on projects that can end their destruction. The ocean is a vital part of our planet and we are running out of time to save it.

Maison Margiela has announced its cancellations of its S/S 2018 menswear runway show which would have taken place during Paris fashion week this month. 

The change comes as the brand is undergoing a strategic review under its new Chief Officer Riccard Bellini.

Cindy McNaull, Global Cordura brand & marketing director, has been nominated as finalist for the first ever ‘Woman of the Year’ award offered by the Professional Clothing Awards. The winner will be announced on June 21st 2017, at the same time Cordura will announce further news on #Cordura50.

Cindy McNaull has been a driving force and “durable ambassador” at INVISTA’s CORDURA brand for more than a decade. In Cindy’s current role as global CORDURA brand and marketing director, she harnesses more than 25 years of passion and experience in specialty chemical, textile and non-wovens industries. She has lead the expansion of the brand from its heritage in military and outdoor applications to today’s durable performance textile powerhouse offering technical solutions for gear and apparel used in building & construction, endurance sports, motorcycling, commuting and increasingly everyday lifestyle activities where durability counts.  

Now, after ten durable years, she says “it's been a long journey that couldn’t have been made without our loyal brand customers, collaborative partners and durably passionate global CORDURA brand team – and we’re not stopping anytime soon.”

Two students are amongst some to have implemented CORDURA Fabrics into their designs that are part of this week’s Graduate Fashion displays in London.

Bethany Martin – Northampton University
Bethany won the CORDURA Durable Design Award in the Project 20/20 workwear contest last year. This is her final year collection and it is outdoor industry inspired.  Fabrics supplied to her are from two of the ISPO Textrends award winning mills – Yoonia and One Chang – both based in Korea.

Seunghee Lim – Royal College of Art
Seunghee has a workwear/military faceted collection that takes fabric inspiration and styling from athletic bags and equipment. She chose to work with CORDURA Fabrics that are traditionally used in bags and packs. Fabrics are from mills in Germany and Asia region.

This is what Seunghee says: “To me, the conditions of now-a-day's material reality is about functionalism. After looking back from my surroundings, I started from the frame of a ready-meal case. This generic frame is specific in its detail through a Molle [Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment] system and Labels. I wanted to show this as ordinary and reject a concentrated aesthetic of beauty. To show this concept through fashion, my collection want to be categorized by work-wear as the form of technical and functional solution. The stitch and fasteners should visible like the inside of machine to show the logical structure of cloth.”

With a new format of "BORN IN THE USA", Pitti Immagine continues its collaboration with Liberty Fairs, created by Sam Ben-Avraham. Staging a project that is now linked to contemporary-classic menswear, Liberty Fairs will bring to the Arena Strozzi, in an autonomous space but close to the collections of Futuro Maschio, some of the most well-known brands born and produced in the US – an accurate mix & match ranging from the classic world to sportswear.

Tommy Hilfiger will close London Fashion Week with the Fall 2017 TOMMYNOW experiential runway event on September 19th, 2017. Building on the success of “Tommy Pier” in New York City for Fall 2016, and Spring 2017 “TOMMYLAND” in Los Angeles, the London show reflects Tommy Hilfiger’s continued commitment to bringing TOMMYNOW to new cities and audiences around the world.

“My vision for TOMMYNOW was to create a global platform that could bring our shows to audiences around the globe like a rock-and-roll world tour,” said Tommy Hilfiger. 

The Fall 2017 TOMMYNOW fashion show will include men’s looks from Hilfiger Edition, marking the first time since 2010 that the brand’s men’s and women’s collections have shared the runway.  The show will also feature Hilfiger Collection, the brand’s most premium womenswear designs, and the Fall 2017 TommyXGigi collection, the third collaboration with supermodel and global brand ambassador Gigi Hadid.

The upcoming edition of European ShoeShow which was set to take place from September 24th till 25th 2017, has been announced as cancelled. The tradeshow which would have been exhibiting its second edition registered too low of numbers for the coming edition.

Jason Wu has announced that he will be showing his Resort 2018 collection in combination with his Spring 2018 collection in one big show called ‘Spring One’. The designer also announced that he will be showcasing his pre-fall together with his fall 2018 runway show.

To celebrate the occasion of the 'La Rinascente' name turning 100 years this year, Milan City Council | Culture, Palazzo Reale and La Rinascente have decided to tell this story in an exhibition in the Appartamento del Principe (Prince’s quarters), on the piano nobile of Palazzo Reale, from 24th May to 24th September. The name was thought up by Gabriele D’Annunzio, commissioned by Senator Borletti who bought the Bocconi department store in 1917, promoting its rebirth.

An exceptional variety and quantity of works of art, graphic design, design objects, historic images and previously unseen exhibits will tell visitors how La Rinascente managed to write important chapters in the history of costume, communication and retail. Right from its birth, it stood out as a laboratory for experimentation of new ideas arriving from the rest of Europe. Its innovative sales model, stemming from early French examples, with goods displayed on shelves at a fixed price, was not only a turning point for a modern economy, it also led to incisive changes in the everyday life of the growing consumer society. 

The location chosen is Palazzo Reale, Milan’s main exhibition venue and heart of that urban centre that represents the spirit of this city, just a stone’s throw from the Duomo, the Galleria, the Scala and La Rinascente, which stands for its manufacturing spirit. The exhibition is part of the annual programme at Palazzo Reale, and plays an important role due to the complexity
and articulation of the project. All this not only because Palazzo Reale is one of Milan’s main cultural institutions, but also because, like La Rinascente, it stands within the district that perfectly embodies the active, central role of this area’s cultural and productive life.

Invista's Cordura brand in partnership with DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products is bringing the first in a series of eco-innovations to Techtextil, driving the future use of new sustainable textiles. Based on the combination of the long-lasting durability of CORDURA fabrics combined with the bio-based performance of Susterra membranes and coatings, the first cutting-edge innovations resulting from this collaboration are on display at INVISTA Stand G25, Hall 4.1 at Techtextil, May 9-12, 2017, in Frankfurt, Germany.

“We continue to look at ways that we can benefit the environment as part of our innovation continuum – and CORDURA fabrics can do this by helping to increase a product’s utility and durability,” explained Cindy McNaull, global CORDURA brand and marketing director. “As the textile market continues to look for innovative solutions to help reduce its environmental footprint, we want to provide long-lasting products that need to be replaced less often. Through our recent collaboration with Dupont Tate & Lyle’s Susterra brand, designers of apparel, footwear and gear will have access to a wide variety of durable fabric technologies that incorporate high performance coatings and membranes based on plant-based materials."

 Bahrain-based fund Investcorp, which acquired a stake in the company in June 2016, along with the Corneliani family, decided to potentiate the management of its American subsidiary to implement the brand’s leadership in one of the most crucial international markets. In particular, Corneliani has announced the appointment of Maurizio Mantovani as its Americas Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately.  

In his new role, Mantovani reports to Corneliani Chief Executive Officer Paolo Roviera, and has the goal to confirm the brand as a leading player in the luxury men’s wear arena in the American market by boosting the brand’s wholesale network and retail business. In order to further reinforce the American sales and commercial department, Corneliani has appointed Sean Hieter as Senior Vice President of Sales. 

The new appointments reflect Corneliani’s new strategy aimed at innovating the company while respecting its unique, rich heritage. A stronger attention to the international markets, along with the research for the best and most engaging customer experience are the pillars of the path defined by the Corneliani family and Paolo Roviera to stimulate the brand’s growth. While restructuring its wholesale network, Corneliani will focus on the retail expansion and on the launch of an online store next year.   

Milliner, Justin Smith will be exhibiting his forthcoming ‘Gold’ collection of hats under his brand, J Smith Esquire, in the YKK London Showroom from the 16th May – 24th June.

Smith is notorious for his creative hat designs, showcasing strong skills in millinery craft and tradition, producing well made, durable pieces, with a client portfolio that includes A-list celebrities. The anticipated ‘Gold’ collection, taking three years to develop and involving extensive global travel for Smith to source materials and evolve ideas, officially launches in June 2017. Six pieces from this range will be on display exclusively in the YKK London showroom in May, demonstrating how YKK’s fastening solutions helped Smith achieve his creative vision; used in a decorative manner to creative unique showpieces. 

Materials, textures and understanding how these can be translated into something wearable have also been key inspirations for Smith in the creative process, pushing boundaries of millinery craft whilst maintaining the British tradition of hat wearing.

The exhibition at the showroom and launch of the ‘Gold’ collection coincides with the first of Smith’s teaching workshops at Pinewood Studios. He says, “I am proud that my brand, which I started from scratch, continues to prosper with the minimum of compromise and that I am still able push myself in my technical accomplishments and to fulfil my dreams.” 

One of the most popular sections at Pitti Uomo, Touch! expresses the eclectic spirit of the contemporary man's wardrobe, with an innovative and internationalist approach. For this edition of the show,Touch! is presenting at the Padiglione Medici for the first time, a strategic location within the main show, creating a new line of continuity with sections such as L'Altro Uomo and Unconventional.

Beyond and the students of NABA- Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti (Milan’s New Fine Arts Academy), have together kick-started a creative project for the Milan Design Week, sharing the endless search for new creative ideas and made-in-Italy high quality – of which they are the highest expression. 

A team of Fashion Design students designed an original FW 2017-2018 trainers collection of 10 models that make a statement. 

With their creations, they wanted to represent Beyond trainer in a collection which harmoniously blends women’s and men’s fashion items, resulting in unisex footwear that breaks all fixed rules and promotes an original contemporary look. 

With the technical and manufacturing support of shoe factory Elisabet, designers have put an emphasis on details, colours, and mixed materials, for an original and balanced collection, ideal to enhance all outfits. 

INVISTA owners of the LYCRA brand, along with Cone Denim and its parent company, International Textile Group have announced that INVISTA has purchased Cone Denim’s and ITG’s dual core patent portfolio. The patent estate covers a broad variety of dual core yarns, fabrics, and garments made from those fabrics, which are sold in the U.S., China, and most recently, Europe. The purchase is effective immediately. 

“This year marks the 10th anniversary of Cone Denim’s development of its dual core patented innovation, trademarked as SGENE&reg technology,” says Steve Maggard, Cone Denim’s senior vice president of operations. “Cone’s SGENE&reg technology integrates a stretch fiber, such as LYCRA&reg fiber, with an inelastic control filament. Cone is pleased to collaborate with INVISTA to provide a global platform to take this technology to the next level and will continue to produce yarns and fabrics made with the SGENE® technology under a license from INVISTA.” 

Last month, Cone Denim’s dual core patent was granted in Europe and is now part of the INVISTA patent estate. “The granting of the EU patent marks another milestone in dual core technology and should provide new opportunities for INVISTA’s customers,” Hegedus said. Over the next several months INVISTA will be meeting with its customers and other fabric producers to discuss its expanded dual core patent estate and license requirements.