Who's Next & Premiere Classe have chosen to explore a societal theme and place it at the heart of the trade shows for the January edition. Through the prism of the #GIRLSQUAD, the trade shows retain their utmost important values: creativity, commitment, freedom of expression and team spirit.

Around this powerful theme, Who’s Next & Premiere Classe are reinventing themselves in order to offer a unique and complete experience, 100% led by girl gangs. With a selection of exclusive brands and pop-up stores, guest influencers, a music programme, a unique scenography… Who’s Next and Premiere Classe are offering a complete and inspired interpretation of this truly urban revolution.

The Trendy and Urban areas of Who’s Next, will be presenting women-led brands,The Fame area will exclusively present the new ‘Pièces’ project, developed by Julia Van Hagen* & her team of exceptional women. ‘Pièces’ unites 5 craftswomen who work with ceramics, textiles and are involved in the art industry.

As for the Premiere Classe trade show, it will welcome the famous fashion Dress Code Festival, via a selection of accessory, ready-to-wear and lifestyle brands.

PREMIUM has announced the winners of its PREMIUM YOUNG DESIGNERS AWARD:

Womenswear: Twins Florence (Milan)
Menswear: Milano 140 (Milan)
Accessories: Manfredi Manara (Milan)
Activewear: P.E Nation (Australia)

PREMIUM will guide the winning young designers over the next two seasons on their path to success with a comprehensive award package designed to support them on both B2B and B2C levels. In the first season, having a presence at the fashion trade show will provide B2B exposure, as will inclusion in PREMIUM’s internationally focused PR. In connection with the ordering season, the winners will also be featured in a special showcase in the display windows of Galeries Lafayette from January 16th till February 5th, 2017, coming face-to-face with shoppers in downtown Berlin. During PREMIUM, a shuttle service will transport visitors from the trade show to the doors of Galeries Lafayette at Französische Straße 23.

From January 1, 2017, denim specialist MUSTANG will be granting the exclusive production and distribution license for the Legwear product segment to camano in Pleinfeld.

“We are extremely happy to enter into a partnership with a tradition-rich brand like MUSTANG, which is also brand leader in the denim segment,” claims Burkhard Stuhlemmer, CEO of camano GmbH & Co. KG. “With MUSTANG we will extend our licensing portfolio to include a significant market segment and consequently further build our retail competence. This will allow camano to strengthen its position as an innovative and competent retail partner.”

The first delivery of the MUSTANG Legwear Collection is planned for Fall/Winter 2017. A small collection selection will be presented to a professional audience in January at the Panorama in Berlin.

Menswear

Warm, super soft wool and flannel pants are making a comeback and feature prominently in ALBERTO’s collection for winter 2017. Keeping with the times also means changing the cut of its pants – sometimes subtly, sometimes radically.  Deluxe denims are also a must-have for the coming season. It isn’t only the cut and sophisticated details but also the elaborate washes, ingenious surface treatments and high-quality Italian fabrics that make the collection stand out. 

The coming winter, these classic cut wool pants made of high-quality Italian fabrics containing fine silk and Spandex will be making a comeback. Rough on the outside, ultra-trendy on the inside – the Mönchengladbach-based pants tailors from ALBERTO have created a characterful cotton line for the winter season that is ideal for men who want to make a statement. ALBERTO’s Smart Ceramica and Cosy Pants will again bridge the gap between casual and elegant. ALBERTO’s denim line for winter 2017 are off the vintage styles which are deliberately rough and tough with elaborate destroyed and repaired elements and cool 3D crease effects, while triple-dyed pieces give fashionable used styles that extra flair with extra color depth and ultra-comfortable stretch fabric. ALBERTO’s Premium Business Jeans segment is a symbiosis of traditional denim culture and pure luxury fashion

Womenswear
ALBERTO’s winter 2017 women's collection focuses entirely on wool and Ceramica, Retro, rock chick, sporty, cozy and even luxurious, ALBERTO has created all kinds of variations that strike a perfect balance between subtle and tough.

Next winter, ALBERTO woman will be relying on a combination of colors, cuts and patterns for its extensive new interpretation of the modern urban casual look.  ALBERTO woman is once again introducing a lot of newcomers for winter 2017. The PPT styles appear as plain T400 satin Superfit pants with sophisticated seam effects in the dye, some featuring Baroque-style floral flocking and fine vintage dyes. Cool cotton and extra-comfortable jersey prints bring rock and roll back to fashion with camouflage and leopard prints, animal jacquards in matching shades, elaborate coatings, woven Lurex stripes and abstract three-tone allover patterns. Asymmetric dividing seams and appliquéd metal zips give a hint of high fashion. The absolute highlight is a series of stylish pants made of soft, flowing velvet with floral and paisley allover prints.  The next winter season is all about Ceramica which is gentle on the skin, crease-resistant, easy to iron and able to regulate temperatures. For winter 2017, ALBERTO woman presents a denim range that bridges the gap between the beginnings of this precious blue commodity to the present day, featuring a mixture of elaborate used treatments and state-of-the-art fabrics. ALBERTO woman’s colors for the next winter season are extremely subtle. Deep black, military and earth shades create a harmonious, restful look accentuated with pastel rosé and mint, opulent royal blue, muted red, light berry and glamorous silver nuances.

The Italian footwear brand Pantofola d’Oro 1886 launched the exclusive Custom Made project in selected stores presenting the clientele the iconic PdO Gold sneaker belonging to the brand’s archives dating 1967. Receiving advice from the company’s artisans, the clientele has the possibility to personalize the shoes in the colour, eyelet, laces, lining and sole. A special personal touch can be given with the own signature or monogram embroidered on the shoes that are delivered fifteen days after the order is placed.

The project started in October with a three-day collaboration in London’s Carnaby Street and continued at Isetan in Tokyo and November at La Rinascente in Milan lasting one week. The following will take place in Singapore from 10 to 14 March 2017 and at fifteen other stores in Italy throughout next year.

Based in Ascoli Piceno in the footwear region Marche, the company celebrated this year its 130^th anniversary. The original production focused on wrestling shoes and football boots that still belong to the brand’s production alongside the high-end quality handcrafted leather and canvas/leather sneakers. As CEO Kim Williams explains “We believe that our custom made service can make the difference, creating the exclusivity of a product that cannot be found online. The connection with the clientele and retail is furthermore absolutely crucial today as well as the quick delivery of the items”.

Tommy Hilfiger has announced that it will host the TOMMYNOW Spring ’17 fashion show in Los Angeles on Wednesday, February 8, 2017. The west coast runway event is a continuation of the brand’s commitment to innovation and the democratization of the runway, including new partnerships and a celebration of local talent that builds on the Fall ’16 “Tommy Pier” experience in New York.

This will be the brand’s second in-season, immediately shoppable fashion show, and will present the looks from Spring ‘17 Hilfiger Collection, and the TommyXGigi collaborative capsule, the second collection designed together with supermodel Gigi Hadid. 

“The casual, cool, chic look that is leading the fashion world this season was born and bred in L.A., and I knew this show would feel at home on Venice Beach. In September, TOMMYNOW led the democratization and reinvention that is taking place in our industry right now and I’m excited to bring the full excitement and energy of our runway shows to L.A. this season. The Spring ’17 collections were designed with a clear West Coast spirit, and Gigi and I have loved fusing elements of her California lifestyle and a music festival atmosphere into the second TommyXGigi collection.” – Tommy Hilfiger

The 91st edition of Pitti Uomo, taking place on the 10th till 13th of January 2017, marks a step forward in the fair’s evolution. With its events and continually changing geography, Pitti Uomo captures the new vibrations of fashion and transforms them into original projects, beyond the concepts of fair and fashion week. The protagonists will be the great traditional firms that are projecting themselves towards the future, the new fashion talents and the brands that are on the way up, right up to the new worlds of menswear, even in a geographical sense.

The upcoming edition is expecting a total of approximately 1220 brands with 44% coming from abroad. Some highlights are big international brands which will launch their projects:

Z Zegna with the official premiere of the collection designed by Alessandro Sartori, the new creative director.Tommy Hilfiger, at Pitti Uomo for the first time, will present a precise selection of the Fall 2017 men’s collections inside an extraordinary hi-tech installa<>tion. Paul Smith will also be present at the Fortezza, with the PS by Paul Smith contemporary collection. 

Ahead of Small Business Saturday (3^rd December , retail tech start-up NearSt, which makes finding items in local shops easier than buying on Amazon, has today expanded its offering to consumer electronics, DIY goods, health & beauty products, sportswear, stationery, toys and gift shop services. The astronomical growth in ‘near me’ searches (over 146% year-on-year¹) means NearSt are now best placed to revitalise local shops on UK high streets, who can add over £4bn in sales² by connecting the items they sell to the smartphones of people searching for them nearby.

NearSt’s technology, called NearLive, enables any shop to set-up and start selling real-time inventory to shoppers through its website/app and directly in Google Search in less than 10 minutes. Shoppers simply search for something they want, see where it's in stock nearby, and in a few taps order it for 1-hour delivery or instant collection.

Woolrich Inc., America’s oldest outdoor clothing company and one of the world’s leading manufacturers of outdoor lifestyle apparel, and Woolrich Europe, licensee of the trademark for Europe and Asia, owned by W.P. Lavori in Corso, jointly-announced today the completion of an agreement to merge into Woolrich International, a new holding company responsible for leading and accelerating the future growth and development of the Woolrich brand, both in the North American market and worldwide.

The newly-formed company, Woolrich International will be headquartered in London and will coordinate the operating offices in New York City, Woolrich Pennsylvania, and Bologna and Milan, Italy. 

Woolrich International, at the end of the 4 years strategic plan, aims to be listed through an IPO in a prominent international stock market with the purpose to sustain the second growth phase on the emerging markets with superior potential. The execution of the IPO will be evaluated even considering possible strategic alliances which can accelerate the implementation of the 2017-2020 plan. 

Replay has launched a new model of jeans where the fabric gives the wearer a second skin effect. The jeans called ‘Touch’ provides performance through stretch-ability same as the Replay Hyperflex model, whilst taking it a step further and giving its wearer a one size slimmer effect. Due to the ‘Recall’ fabric technology by ISKO, no creases appear when wearing the jeans either. The latter have a feminine finish with buttons and rose gold finishings.

All four fits are skinny but give variety in a cropped, low-waist, high-waist and super high-waist styles. Colour palette comes in indigo blue, grey, black and white.

International luxury lifestyle and polo brand La Martina will is hosting its first ever brand and retail conference in Milan today and tomorrow. La Martina Brand Evolution: Brand & Retail Global Summit is a two-day event for La Martina retailers, exploring the evolution of the retail industry by bringing together the world’s most renowned experts in retail business, digital transformation and beyond. 

With the ever changing landscape of the global economy, the retail world is constantly challenged to adapt to emerging markets and trends. The guest speaker line up for the inaugural event includes a raft of industry leaders who will take on these themes:

&middot          Frances Corner OBE, Head of London College of Fashion

&middot          Giovanni Gagnoli, CEO of Bain Italy<>

&middot          Piers Fawkes, CEO & Founder of PSFK

&middot          Brian Solis, Principal Analyst at Altimeter Group

&middot          Francesco Morace, sociologist and writer

&middot          Simone Moro, alpinist and adventurer

Lando Simonetti, Founder of La Martina, says of the global summit: “We have learned so much over the past few decades and we want the opportunity to share our experiences with the industry. At the end of the day we are all in the same business and the changing economy impacts us all; this Global Retail Summit offers a platform for new ideas and new ways of thinking."

G-Star has appointed its new CEO duo. Patrick Kraaijeveld (former chief commercial officer) and Rob Schilder (former chief operations officer) will take on the roles of co-CEO’s. Both Kraaijeveld and Schilder are long-term employees at G-Star. The brand’s CEO for the past 27 years, Jos van Tilburg, will remain within the company as chairman on the board, focusing on strategic level operations.

Global Destination for Shoes & Accessories (GDS) will soon present its current Autumn/Winter 2017/18 collections, season highlights and inspirations in Düsseldorf from 7th to 9th February 2017.

The three well structured Lifestyle Worlds Highstreet, Studio, Pop international collections, the GDS Trend Programme and informative events will all be presented during the event.

The GDS Trend Spots are trend forums for shoes and accessories in the current ordering season. Seasonal themes will be visualised in exciting trend installations. While the Trend Spots provide ideas for visual merchandising at the POS, the GDS Trend Codes like topical shoe and accessory trends can be combined with the most important “fashion must-haves” of the season. Furthermore the Trend Info event organised by magazine TextilWirtschaft will provide an overview of the coming seasonal trends. At Modeurop Fashion Forecast trend expert Marga Indra-Heide will present the trends of the more distant future. The step* Trend View event by and with Karolina Landowski will show key insights into the most important fashion tendencies.

Los Angeles based premium denim brand Siwy has announced its first ever collaboration with contemporary art/fashion curators, Lulu Laboratorium Miami and owner/founder Elie Akiba to take place during Miami Art Basel on December 1st till 4th, 2016.
With its electro-eclectic aesthetic, the gallery is well-known for its exhibit and display of creative youthful talents, Lulu Labortorium has recruited artists to design and paint custom artwork on the back of Siwy’s limited edition collector’s denim jacket. Rock and Roll with a modern twist, the denim jackets will be on display at Lulu Laboritorium as part of its Wynwood Stock series of events during Art Basel. The participating artists range from painters, to vinyl and graffiti artists, including Lola Blu , Skott Marsi , Domingo Zapata , Lobyn Hamilton , AP Collection , Jumping Bull , and more.
In conjunction with the partnership, Siwy’s limited edition collector’s denim jacket, created as the canvas for the artists, will be available for purchase at the gallery.

The trouser specialist from Mönchengladbach, Germany, has opened its first store in its hometown.

The brand adopted the theme ‘Buy your pants local’ and opened the retail space in October on 130m2.

The new store should help to test new sales models, which should then benefit Alberto’s retail partners. It almost creates a concept store experience, with cups and other small items being on sale, but with the pant in the spotlight.

The interior design is created around the term ‘flexibility’, modular furniture that can be changed from day to day, a big flat screen can create different moods through movies or greet individual clients, as well as wall space that can feature a different image and therefore change the store’s atmosphere.

Alberto especially focuses on high-quality sales engagement, the sales staff goes so far as to even cycle to the warehouse, should a size be out of stock and needed by a client. Alberto also implemented a loyalty system, which allows entry to exclusive events and opening hours as well as discounts and the chance to participate at a pre-shopping.

On top of this, Alberto wants to revive the historic center of Mönchengladbach and opening the store in its location is the first step in that direction. 

Mustang is based on a fundamental denim philosophy, which places naturalness and originality at the forefront. The A/W 2017 collections are supplemented by a perfectly coordinated lifestyle offer, which completes the range of denim with shoes, leather, bodywear and accessories.

Women’s
The women’s collection is defined by a new generation of stretch materials in the trousers area. The especially feminine fit allows the focus to go on high-waist shaping fabrics. Even in the colder months, the ankle can flash out from the cropped denim and establish itself as an important styling tool for this season.

Ethnic influences from South Africa as well as decorative elements such as embroidery, are mixed with sport-influences from the 90s

This season also has a special focus on the details: buttons, embroidery, zipper and labels have been reinterpreted and give each jeans a distinctive look. Another highlight of this season is Mustang’s "Soft & Perfect" program. For this, high-performance materials have been developed to shape and support the curves of the woman without restricting freedom of movement.

Men’s
The key pieces for men’s F/W 2017 season are cropped denims made from firm stretch materials. The very authentic fabrics and the loose and shortened fit stand for a really relaxed look – especially nicely implemented with the brand new "Bonneville" fit. Denim jackets with hand-written prints on the back are the main features in the range of tops. Knitwear is all about heavy indigo dyed knits.

Mustang places emphasis on soft cotton qualities in structured optics as well as new fabrics which look like wool but can be worn like denim. The Mustang man combines authentic jeans in shortened silhouette with uni-colored tops and a vintage denim jacket this season He has edited individually. Authentic menswear colors make the palette for this season: navy, khaki, black, grey and some shades of brown and red.

Salvatore Ferragamo has named Guillaume Meilland as its new menswear design director, heading up all ready-to-wear. Meilland since 2008, held a position as senior menswear designer at Lanvin and prior to that at Yves Saint Laurent and Cacharel. 

Meilland will present his first collection for the brand in January for autumn/winter 2017.

For their A/W 2017 edition, taking place in Florence from January 10th till 13th 2017, Pitti Uomo will hold it around the theme ‘Dance Off’. ‘“Pitti Dance Off” says Agostino Poletto, deputy general manager of Pitti Immagine, “is an invitation to express your body and your own style. The edition will look at the way that dance can present ultimate diversity and freedom, the same way fashion does. Pitti Dance Off will be interpreted with the usual ironic touch, the settings will invade the Fortezza da Basso with a street dance rhythm and in step with its contests, with a set design and layout curated by architect and designer Oliviero Baldini. Pitti Immagine has also launched a special #PittiSign, a small distinctive salute that symbolizes the initials of Pitti Immagine. A gesture destined to spread virally and to be shared on Pitti Immagine’s social networks, identifying the fairs for the winter season.

The theme is interpreted by the new Pitti Uomo 91 digital art project: Pitti Immagine’s collaboration with talented video makers also continues with the production of the digital art project that accompanies the advertising campaign for the fairs. 

Pepe Jeans has acquired 100% of the brand Façonnable, part of the Lebanese group M1 (also the owner of Pepe Jeans itself. Façonnable was owned by US department store Nordstrom up until 2007, when it was acquired by M1. Pepe Jeans will be entirely restructuring the French brand Façonnable, especially in its retail side of business. Façonnable will still be based in Paris, but the design office will relocate to Spain.

Erwin Licher, CEO of Herrlicher celebrated in Munich's Kohlebunker his 70th birthday. Among family, friends, celebrities & press, 3 other guests had their birthday on the same day. Licher gained fame with Freeman T Porter before he started one of Germany's coolest sportswear label Herrlicher. Happy Birthday from WeAr!

The Triennalle Design Museum is hosting until 21st January 2017 the ‘Antonio Marras: Nulla dies sine linea’ exhibition. The latter is an anthological exhibition of works of art executed over the last twenty years, illustrating Antonio Marras’s visual trajectory.

The exhibition’s title – Pliny the Elder’s famous phrase with which he referred to the painter Apelles who “never let a day pass without tracing a line” – alludes to how Marras has always combined his work as a stylist with that of the artist. 

Antonio Marras, known as “the most intellectual of Italian stylists”, is renowned above all for creating fusions of the worlds in the creative universe, from cinema to poetry to history and visual art. This last is in fact the focus of the exhibition. The exhibition relates Antonio Marras’s visionary world, highlighting the emotion-driven and intellectual signs that marked important stages in his life. 

In the words of curator Francesca Alfano Miglietti, the exhibition is intended as: “a fully-involving experience, a journey into a stimulating, provocative world (stimulating because it is provocative) that is sometimes absolute, sporadically uninhibited”.

American Apparel has filed for its second bankruptcy in just over a year. The company listed assets and liabilities of between $100m and $500m in its bankruptcy filing.

American Apparel’s board fired founder Dov Charney from his position of chairman in June 2014 and sacked him as chief executive in December for sexual misconduct.

An icon of British design and style who unites heritage, pop inspiration and eclecticism, has chosen Pitti Uomo 91 as the stage for a special event to launch his PS by Paul Smith collection. PS by Paul Smith, the designer’s contemporary line, offers a fusion of luxury design and performance characteristics, technical fabrics and ergonomic cuts. Paul Smith will be realizing a special fashion installation for the occasion.

Dries Van Noten will soon release its new documentary film called ‘Dries’. The latter will show the journey of the house’s designer Dries Van Noten. The film which includes several guest appearances (from the likes of Iris Apfel and Suzy Menkes) will be debuted at the American Film Markets and Conferences the coming week at a “work in progress” screening and is set to be released in cinemas next year. The film, produced by Reiner Holzemer, shows how the latter followed the designer over the time period of a year, taking viewers on a journey of the production of four collections, highlighting the career of the designer so far.

Holzemer has previously produced fashion documentaries on Juergen Teller and Karl Lagerfeld.

Stella McCartney has unveiled the debut of her first menswear collection, ready to be launched during the S/S 2017 season. The launch consisted of an event held at London’s Abby Road Studios; reminiscing the days that Paul McCartney and the Beatles brought fame to this location.

The collection has been available to pre-order from this week and will be distributed across stand-alone stores as well as boutiques and concessions in international department stores, as well as online at stellamccartney.com

The Metropolitan Museum of Art announced that The Costume Institute's spring 2017 exhibition will be Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons on view from May 4th through September 4, 2017. Presented in the Museum's Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Exhibition Hall on the second floor, the exhibition will examine Kawakubo's fascination with interstitiality, or the space between boundaries. Existing within and between entities—self/other, object/subject, fashion/anti-fashion—Kawakubo's work challenges conventional notions of beauty, good taste, and, ultimately, fashionability. The exhibition will feature approximately 120 examples of Kawakubo's womenswear designs for Comme des Garçons, dating from her first Paris runway show in 1981 to her most recent collection.

In celebration of the opening, The Met's Costume Institute Benefit, also known as The Met Gala, will take place on Monday, May 1, 2017. The evening's co-chairs will be Katy Perry, Pharrell Williams, and Anna Wintour. Rei Kawakubo will serve as Honorary Chair. The event is The Costume Institute's main source of annual funding for exhibitions, publications, acquisitions, and capital improvements. 

On the 17th of November 2016, White Milano will host a special event at the Italian Embassy in Berlin. The latter ispart of the international promotion projects that White Milano organised in key global fashion capitals.

The road-show “IT’S TIME TO WHITE” will bring abroad a taste of the tradeshow’s brand mix including established Italian brands and more upcoming designers, in order to promote the Italian contemporary fashion companies worldwide through special fashion events conceived to attract the international press and buyers alike. 

For the event in Berlin – besides the special evening with informal modelling performance in the big halls of the prestigious Italian Embassy – three designers with a special bond with the German capital have been picked as guest speakers: Italian designers Melampo and Ludovica Diligu founder of the brand Labo.Art, who have both chosen to be based in Berlin, although they produce in Italy, and, last but not least, Berlin’s designer Simone Vera Bath who lives and works in Rome, the latter will share her experience as winner of the Time Award contest at WHITE. 

Cotton is the major raw material of denim production. Therefore, BOSSA follows every step taken towards a more sustainable production. BCI program is an important contributor to achieve the goal on this matter.

BCI Initiative defines what a better and a more sustainable way of growing cotton through an intense cooperation with a multi-stakeholder group of organisations must be like. The product of this method is called “Better Cotton.”  It is based on 6 basic principles:

1. Better Cotton is produced by farmers who minimize the harmful impact of crop protection practices

2. Better Cotton is produced by farmers who use water efficiently and care for the availability of water.

3. Better Cotton is produced by farmers who care for the health of the soil.

4. Better Cotton is produced by farmers who conserve natural habitats.

5. Better Cotton is produced by farmers who care for and preserve the quality of the fibre.

6. Better Cotton is produced by farmers who promote decent work

Having 35 % of Bossa’s total cotton consumption from BCI cotton, the company have committed to increase the consumption dramatically to 60% in 2017. The target for 2018 is to make Better Cotton 90% of their consumption while remaining 10% will be organic cotton, allowing only sustainable cottons to the production at the mill.

Bruce Weber will receive the Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator at The Fashion Awards 2016 in partnership with Swarovski. Bruce Weber will be honoured at this year’s ceremony on Monday 5th December at the Royal Albert Hall for his incredible creative achievements within the global fashion industry. 

Weber’s broad sweep of interests is anchored by his erotic and risqué but always uniquely stylish portraits; models, musicians, actors, artists and creators of all kind come alive in his vast catalogue of work. The warmth and exuberance of his work, alongside that unique ability to make each image feel intimate, is what makes Bruce Weber one of the foremost fashion creators working today.

Since 01.11 Strellson has showcased its “Unstoppable Heliskiing’ video on Youtube, Facebook and Instagram. The video produced by Mehmet Arici in St. Moritz shows two men, two suits, a helicopter and one Mission: “Make Yourself Unstoppable”. Mountain guides Gian Luck and Marcel Schenk take the viewer on the ultimate heliskiing adventure in their AS350 Écureil on 3546m altitude at the Morteratsch Glacier in St. Moritz; all whilst being decked out in Strellson suits.

Orta has launched its first Vintage Book – the 5374 Vintage Showroom Book. The book takes its name from Orta’s great vintage showroom housed in the Istanbul headquarters and tells the story behind 49 pieces selected from the wide archive. It is dedicated to the 49ers – the milestone of the global denim industry.

The birth of denim is globally synonymous with the Californian Gold Rush. When James W Marshall found gold at Sutter’s Mill in Coloma on January 24 1848, he inadvertently started the largest mass migration in American history. The Forty-niners were the first; the pioneers. The origins of denim are so tightly interwoven with these early settlers that this book is dedicated to them, with the selection of 49 inspirational pieces from Orta’s collection. The stories behind these 49 pieces belonging to different time periods from different locations around the world are told in the book with amazing pictures showing the details kept secret in each one.

ISKO has inaugurated a brand-new showroom in Amsterdam, in the vibrant Oud-West neighborhood. Located near Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Pepe Jeans offices and many young creative hubs, the location is a symphony of culture, fashion and art. 

On October 27th ISKO opened the doors of its new showroom to unveil the latest innovations and technologies in the S/S18 collection. Through the cutting edge technology of augmented reality, guests were able to interact with the collection, with new fabrics coming to life in 3D models that flicker on screen. 

In the evening, ISKO celebrated the new showroom with a party for guests and several key market VIPs. ISKO hosted the event with Denim Curator Wouter Munnichs, who has specialized in denim retail over the last 20 years. The event also presented talented denim professionals: Daphne Bleeker, who brought her art live to fabric and Dailybags & Sashikodenim, on hand to share ideas on how to re-use and recycle denim so it can have a second life. 

US Denim brings to industry shows all-new fabrics, giving designers original opportunities. Several such innovations will be featured at the November 2nd-3rd 2016 Denim Première Vision show in Paris.

Bi-directional stretch selvedge denim has adapted a vast array of authentic antique selvedge looms to introduce this new Bi-Stretch selvedge fabric.

Comfort and luxuriousness stems from three new collections Airy Yarn technology enhancements which give extra breathability and summer comfort in a wide range of new denims. Furthermore two other collections: Ultra-Light and Ultra-Comfy – use blends of Modal, Tencel, Viscose and special long staple yarns create a luxurious soft feel.

These creations, like authentic indigos, and bio-degradable synthetic blends – are featured at booth 27, among a range of US Denim fabrics that display the company’s product, technology and sustainability strengths.

Moda Made in Italy, the key Assocalzaturifici event for footwear in Germany, has announced new dates and a new position in the German trade fair calendar. The event will be held October 6th till 8th, 2017 rather than in September.

Due to the postponement of theMICAM (the international footwear trade fair scheduled for September 17th till 20th, 2017) Assocalzaturifici has decided to reposition Moda Made in Italy in the month of October to ensure that the German event preserves its specific role – universally recognised among buyers – as the trade fair at which end-of-season orders are finalised. The intention is to recover the former sales figures, which were halted in the most recent edition due to the early arrival of the new season.

The partnership with WGSN, an international fashion trend consulting firm, continues, allowing Moda Made in Italy to present dealers with footwear fashion trends and provide them with useful information for understanding consumers' needs and finalising their sales strategies in Germany and elsewhere.

WHITE Milano celebrated its debut international road shows with the first event in China in Shanghai on October 15th. Now the next stop is Dubai, where on the 23rd of October, contemporary trends will be unveiled. Dubai has been chosen as one of the 4 stages of the roadshow, due to its growing position as a strategic hub on the fashion and design industry map.

The special event called IT'S TIME TO WHITE made a stop in Seoul, Dubai and Berlin… An installation showcased the best of Italian and Chinese fashion: a selection of designers (already present at the show in Milan as part of WHITEAST) project which is reflected in terms of trends, use of reference materials and buyers, proving that there are no boundaries and that China is a thriving market for this particular fashion segment.

Roberto Cavalli SpA recently met with union representatives to discuss a project to reorganize the company. The project’s aim is to return to operating profitability in 2018 and provide a solid platform for the brand’s rebirth. 

The reorganisation includes the simplification of the Company’s corporate structure and the closure of its Milan corporate and design offices with the transfer of all functions to Osmannoro, Florence. Moreover, under the reorganisation production and logistics will be rationalised as will retail business operations, through a number of store closures and/or relocations. 

The project contemplates the reduction of the Company’s global headcount of 672 by approximately than 200 positions. 

Announcing the world premiere of Kartell à la mode’s spring/summer 2017 collection. The brand continues its partnership with major fashion names, presenting a new line by Paula Cademartori. #EnjoyTheFrontRow, a project by the Rinascente department store in Milan, which unveiled the collection this week, with five days of fashion shows and events featuring a hand-picked selection of fashion brands. 

The concept of the collection, which includes a sandal and a handbag, is based on a fresh and contemporary tropical mood, with strong use of bright colours and vivid shades. The collection was inspired by the exotic exuberance of the Botanical Garden in Rio de Janeiro, a tropical paradise in the very heart of the city, featuring the delicate hues of the orchids and bromeliads and the vibrant shades of the many species of butterflies and toucans bringing to life a fun yet extremely feminine style. 

The injected plastic Parati handbag plays with woven patterns and is offered in four different colour combinations: shades of black, optic white and grey, alongside brighter colours that range from pink to purple and orange. 

Only hours after it was announced that designer Peter Dundas will be leaving Roberto Cavalli after being with the brand for 19 months, chief executive officer Gian Giacomo Ferraris has announced a radical reorganisation of the entire company. With this, Roberto Cavalli will be closing its Milan operations and transferring all functions to its offices in Florence. Production and logistics will be rationalised and the company will close, relocate and sell stores across its retail network. Cavalli, which currently employs 672 people, will eliminate 200 positions. Ferraris expects the company to return to operating profitability in 2018.

The 3rd edition of Global Denim Awards, made possible by e3 Cotton, will take place on October 26th, 2016 in Amsterdam. GDA is the world’s premier platform for the future of denim design, sustainability and craftsmanship. Having almost doubled the number of participants since debuting in 2014, GDA now presents the 11 paired fashion designers and progressive denim mills that will present their co-created capsule collections during Global Denim Awards 2016.

The 11 collections that result from the collaborations between selected mills and designers,will be judged by a jury of international denim experts on the overall look, the innovative nature of the design, and the creative use of denim. The designer of the winning collection will receive a €10,000 award, made possible by e3 Cotton. An additional award goes to the mill with the most innovative fabric. The winning collection will be exhibited at Kingpins Shows in New York City and Hong Kong, before returning to the Netherlands for Amsterdam Denim Days 2017. 

This edition’s presentation will be held at De Hallen Studios. Instead of a traditional runway show, models will present themselves on three spectacularly lit stages. It will be attended by a carefully selected audience of 500 international denim professionals from mills, wash houses, suppliers, brands and retailers.

Denham, the international premium denim brand from the Netherlands, opened its 300sqm flagship store in Amsterdam, located at Hobbemastraat 6-8, near the famous Hoofstraat shopping district, yesterday.

The store is designed to provide a fresh and innovative platform to show the brand's signature denim range as well as collections for men, women and children's wear. Footwear brands such as The Last Conspiracy and Converse and emerging jewelry brands in the likes of Ivy & Liv and Overload studio are available in the store. 
Jason Denham, always on the look-out for new things, has also teamed up with NORR 11 to create a Mammoth Chair & Ottoman, handmade using soft tumbled Indigo dyed camel leather, which is on display at the store. The leather was also featured in the leates Bowhill leather jacket, which is available in stores starting now. 

The interior consists of an eclectic mix of old vs. new – in line with Denham's mantra 'Worship Tradition – Destroy Convention'. The 3-level shop experience features, of course, the brass-handled tailor's scissors, Denham's unique icon, exposed steel beams, vintage U.S. advertising yardsticks repurpose as counter-top marquetry and floors, that are made from recycled ceiling paneling from a French farmhouse. All this is supplemented by European vintage display furniture and original Japanese roof tiles. 

There is also a Denham Coffee bar in-store and all staff is barista trained to ensure maximum consumer experience. A gallery space showcases photography and story-telling around the topic denim. There is even a Japanese inspired garden at the rear of the stores, also open to customers and serving Denham's favorite Sake rice wine on the weekends. The space has been designed to serve as a customer destination and offers an oasis of relaxation for shoppers.
It also features Denham Service Co – an on-hand repair service that washes and services your jeans as well as personalizes it with an embroidery machine, so customers can have their monogram stitched to it. To complete the customer experience, the store has a mirror on the women's side that contains 300-degrees to be able to check the perfect Denham fit from every angle. 

Premium Group, which organises the international fashion trade shows Premium, Seek and Bright as well as the conference #Fashiontech, has after its acquisition of Bright now also acquired Show&Order, making another step towards taking over the Berlin trade show market as well as consolidating its position as a market-leading organiser of trade show platforms.

Founder of Show&Order, Verena malta, remains the show's face and it will also keep its location in the iconic 'Kraftwerk' venue in Berlin's Köpenicker Straße, ideally placed between Premium, Seek and Bright.

Verena Malta explains, that she actively approached the Premium Group in order to use synergies between both platforms and offering retailers a robust and improved trade show platform.  The platform, currently showing womenswear fashion in the higher premium segment, will in the future also show women's footwear. 

Anita Tillmann, Managing Partner Premium Group says: "By bringing together expertise and knowledge, as well as with the help of our international network, we want to continue to strengthen the market and give retailers what is currently lacking in the market – a curated platform that translates global trends into feminine looks. (…) In times when selfie culture and social media are prevalent, it is becoming ever more important to offer to end consumers something new and exclusive to address the demand for individuality."

The Issey Miyake x United Nude project explores the potential future of creating original products based on the ISSEY MIYAKES’ concept “TEN SEN MEN” (point, line and surface). United Nude, with whom the project was started, regards shoes as architecture. Their manufacturing incorporates cutting-edge materials and techniques. The shoes created from this collaborative work put the people who will wear them at the forefront of the design process and are both functional and playful. 

ROCK is based on the concept of “structure”, these shoes are characterized by their dynamic, structured heels looking as if hewn from rock. They are a runway style fusing functionality based on structural dynamics and a colorful playfulness. They are available in six colors: white, black, pink, beige, yellow and green. 

WRAP is based on the concept of “wrapping,” these shoes are designed to envelop the foot with just a single sheet of leather. This basic model has an elastic band that improves the fit making the style simple and easy to wear. They are available in three colors: white, black, and silver, and in both flats and low heels. 

Harvey Nichols exclusively unveils NORTH WIND an installation in partnership with CIFF. Housed in the London store’s concept space, Project 109, NORTH WIND represents CIFF’s vision of the modern Scandinavian male and presents a carefully curated edit of menswear, art, gastronomy, design and lifestyle objects, that offer a glimpse into how the Scandi man lives, works, dresses, what he eats and how he designs his home. Pushing the boundaries and reinventing the traditional trade fair concept, Harvey Nichols and CIFF short circuit the usual trade-to-retail-to consumer model by offering products direct to the customer.Under the direction of Mr. Kristian W. Andersen Director & Creative Director for CIFF. The new concept will be in place for a total of seven weeks, and has three distinct phases that will showcase a unique blend of curation, creative collaborations and an unfailing eye for spotting and nurturing emerging design talent.

Fashion, talent, creativity and consciousness: these were the main guidelines of the special talk “Denim 360° – Jeans and innovation: today’s experience, tomorrow’s key players” which was presented by ISKO and Vogue Talents during the Fashion Week in Milan. 

ISKO was able to contribute its consolidated knowledge about trends and dynamics in this industry, as well as experience in training young generations, also thanks to the outstanding support from Vogue Talents, the international platform for up-and-coming talents created by Vogue Italia. The debate also focused on the limitless potential of the denim sector, both for fashion as a whole and for young talents in the industry, based on an approach involving sustainability as well as – and most importantly – “consciousness”, from an environmental and ethical perspective.

Christie’s Handbags & Accessories team have announced the launch of the department in London. In advance of the first London sale in June 2017, the department will host the first exhibition of Handbags at Christie’s King Street. The exhibition will feature both highlights of the Paris auction and a collection of private sale handbags available for immediate purchase. 

For the bi-annual sale in Paris on 9th November 2016, for the first time at Christie’s in Paris, collectors and connoisseurs from around the globe will have the chance to acquire an Herm egrave;s, Exceptional Shiny Bleu Marine Porosus Crocodile Diamond Birkin 35 with Diamond & 18K White Gold Hardware estimated €100,000 to €150,000. In addition, also by Herm egrave;s, the sale will feature a Himalaya Kelly 25, the most sought-after of the Himalaya collection, estimated at €65,000-80,000. Another first for the season, the sale will feature the finest grouping of Louis Vuitton trunks and handbags to ever be auctioned. All of these highlights will be on view in both London and Paris. 

LVMH will be purchasing the majority stake in German travel and carry-on luggage manufacturer, Rimowa. With this for $716 million, the group will put in charge Alexandre Arnault, son of LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault, who will become co-chief executive officer of Rimowa alongside Dieter Morszeck, who will keep his 20 percent stake in the company.

LVMH said the deal between the two companies is expected to be complete in January next year.

Outstanding creativity and originality marks the partnership between Philipp Plein, the famous German designer, who in no time at all has scaled the heights of the global fashion world, and Claudio Pironi, the architect whose studio Claudio Pironi & partners is behind the concept for the brand’s flagship stores. In the company of the fashion world’s big players, today marks the opening of the designer’s new showroom, 3000 square metres covering seven floors housing all the Plein lines. 

Set in one of Milan’s most up-market neighbourhoods, the showroom captures the very essence of the brand: explosive, outrageous, rock-inspired and conceived to amaze. The individual brand identities of the Philipp Plein Woman, Man, Junior and accessories lines are reflected to perfection in the customer areas, grouped by merchandise category. 

The pure fashion genius of Gianfranco Ferré and the photographic artistry of Michel Comte identify, respectively, two exhibitions part of the bicentennial celebrations marking the arrival in Parma, of Marie Louise of the House of Hapsburg-Lorraine, Austrian archduchess who ruled as Empress of the French and as the Duchess of Parma, Piacenza and Guastalla.

“Ferré and Comte DETTAGLI. Two Great Fashion/Art Expressionists Delve Into Details” — a project ideated by Alberto Nodolini and produced by Ankamoki — will grace the halls of the first and second floors of Palazzo del Governatore in Parma from September 30, 2016 to January 15, 2017.

The first floor will host “Gianfranco Ferré and Marie Louise: Unexpected Assonances”, an exhibit curated by Gloria Bianchino and Alberto Nodolini in collaboration with the Gianfranco Ferré Foundation, while the second will exclusively feature Michel Comte’s installations in the “Neoclassic” show curated by Jens Remes in collaboration with Alberto Nodolini e Anna Tavani.

Vibram, the sector leader in high-performance rubber soles, yesterday inaugurated in London its second Academy flagship store inspired by the Vibram Sole Factor concept. This is a project developed by Vibram to give customers the opportunity to personalise and improve the performance of their footwear with the application of a high-performance Vibram sole. 

The Vibram Sole Factor concept provides an original solution to improve footwear performance, and users can find inspiration from the various possible combinations of compound and colour, with something for everyone: there are oversized but extra-light soles, camouflage versions, soles in EcoStep compound for a sustainable alternative and soles with extraordinary grip. Products that offer the perfect combination of functional design, high quality materials and aesthetics to satisfy even the most creative and eccentric of tastes. 

The new Vibram Academy of London store occupies an area of 60 m2 and offers, alongside the services of Vibram Sole Factor, an area featuring the brand-new Vibram FiveFingers models (five-toed socks are also available), FUROSHIKI The wrapping sole, and Vibram Pet Toys. A space with an open-plan workshop where visitors can get a close-up view of the sophisticated processes employed by skilled footwear specialists.

For its annual “Holiday Collector” edition, LACOSTE takes us on an unusual journey, an idea that came about after Felipe Oliveira Baptista, the house’s creative director, met Jean-Paul Goude. The former gave the latter carte blanche to design not only the logo on limited-edition items – polo shirts, bomber jackets, bags and clutches – but also their packagings and ad campaigns for Christmas. 

Jean-Paul Goude, “graphic artist” as he likes to term himself, left his mark on the 80s and 90s through his work with his muse Grace Jones and the various TV spots he did for brands such as Chanel, Perrier and the Galeries Lafayette. Today he meets the famous crocodile. 

The collection shows a dressed-up and sophisticated, two parading saurians, straight out of Jean- Paul Goude’s imaginary world, are embroidered upon the items of a capsule collection comprised of men’s, women’s and children’s polo shirts, as well as a tote bag, a clutch and a limited edition bomber jacket. This collection will be available in all LACOSTE stores worldwide from November 2016 onwards.