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.

Stone Island presents Polypropylene Denim; a new interpretation of a classic. Polypropylene, a material with antibacterial properties, is the lightest available fibre on earth. 

Even very bulky garments made in this material astonish for their specific lightness. These denim cloth weaves a polypropylene yarn into an indigo dyed cotton warp. The result is a denim tela with a drastically reduced weight: it has the look of a 19 ounces material but weighs only 10. 

The jumpsuit, the outerwear pieces, the trousers and backpack of the Stone Island collection have undergone the DARK treatment, a manual sanding and light stonewash as well as an enzyme wash. 

The Polypropylene Indigo knit is made by weaving yarns, an innovative technique from the knitwear industry. For this project a yarn was especially created from indigo dyed polypropylene and cotton yarn with chain construction.

The Indigo Fleece features the WASH treatment.

Four Marketing have completed the purchase of iconic outerwear brands Penfield and Cape Heights from CEO and Creative Director James Barshall. 

Penfield and Cape Heights are distributed worldwide via department stores and premium independents. 

Four Marketing is an international premium fashion agency representing over 30 brands including Stone Island, CP Company, Paul & Shark and Velvet by Graham & Spencer. For each of these brands the company owns the flag ship retail store together with the relevant e-commerce site. Four Marketing also owns the new multi-brand store 18montrose which launched early this year. 

Crocs, the shoe company from Colorado that started in 2002 and developed a twisted boat shoe into a footwear icon, is now the 10th largest non-athletic footwear company.

With a loyal customer following, it is now expanding its European offices but also its line with its SS 2017 collection.

This season Crocs presents different collections to fully cover their customers’ needs.

Isabella consists of styles created for women and girls, all having a more feminine and less bulky character than the conventional Crocs. The sandals feature different prints, and the flips and wedges are ideal for the warmer weather. For men, the CitiLane Roka Collection is popular, especially the styles that look like a boat shoe with a perforated upper.

Swiftwater is specially created for the customer who shops for every member of the family. The shoes are multi-purpose and combine function and style, offering feminine versions for women and cute styles for kids.

Crocs also introduced special models for the most fashionable customer in its Sloane Collection, which is at a slightly higher price point. It consists of multiple sandals such as black sandals with a hammered metal  upper, which can be worn, without a doubt, at every fashion event.

As a whole, this collection has the Miami feel and shows that Crocs has developed into a brand that, apart from its classic model, also has a big variety and can cater to the retailer’s and consumer’s needs.

Milano Unica is repositioning the F/W edition of its international textile-accessories exhibition to July  2017 from September, following requests from the market and the textile industry. This shift makes Milano Unica, the Italian textiles and accessories trade show, one of the first international textile fairs to be held in the world calendar.

Hudson Jeans has announced its new HUDSON Unfiltered Live in NYC experience which is taking place at Coterie NYC tradeshow this September. Hudson is bringing a new exciting approach to how people experience Tradeshows that has never been done before. With the belief that one of the most powerful tools for this is the Arts and the Youth, they will this season at Coterie donate 10% of Sales to the Arts benefiting the following causes:

#BARS Workshop NYC is a workshop on rap for musical theater presented by Hamilton Star, Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal. For the Rapper who wants to step into theater, or Actor who wants to incorporate rap into their wheelhouse – this gets you firmly at the center. Develop rap, rhythmic narrative, spoken word and improvisation skills to bring yourself to the forefront of the next evolution in musical Theater. 

Get Lit – Words Ignite is a youth poetry literacy non-profit committed to lowering drop-out rates and creating education reform one poet at a time. Through an innovative curriculum that fuses classic, iconic poetry with students’ original spoken word responses, Get Lit places the greatest poets of our time in dialogue with over 20,000 teens each year who transform their lives and communities through art and social consciousness. 

Performances by musicians and poets as well as artists will take place at their booth during the tradeshow. With this, the brand will make the visitors’ experience at their booth an interactive one with offering of food, drinks etc given.

The trade shows Who’s Next and Premiere Classe have now closed their doors. The objective for this edition was clear: to create an influential and flourishing setting, suitable for the act of buying in a lively and friendly trade show environment. For this new edition the team curated around the theme of the “Mediterranean”, which altogether proved very popular among the visitors and exhibitors.

To put it in figures, there were 38,258 visitors who walked the aisles of the Parc des Expositions at the Porte de Versailles. A decrease of 7% in the number of visitors compared to September 2015 (-8.2% of the French public and -5.4% international visitors). An expected decrease but still remains reassuring for the business of the next edition of the trade shows.

The trade shows proved to have a strong presence from northern European countries such as Sweden (+11%) and Denmark (+16.9%). In contrast, there was a fall in the presence of southern European countries, particularly with Italy (-8.3%) and Spain (-5.7%), Portugal remained unchanged and there was a return from Greece. The trade shows also attracted the American continent (+7.6%) with an increase in the number of visitors from the USA (+13.3%). In a sensitive context, the Middle-East stabilised itself, as well as Asia with China (8.1%), South-Korea (+1.2%) and Japan (-3%).

The last point, a reconnection with business for all participants, during which new French investors were present. This suggests a wealth of confidence for 2017.

In the past edition of Munich Fabric Start, Nastrificio Victor, famous for its high quality nastris, showed considerable innovation in their booth concept. 

Rather than just the normal booth size- with some products, a table and a chair- they made it into an experience. A colorful booth, inspired by a tropical theme displaying parrots and flamingos, invited customers into a feel-good atmosphere. 

Attached to this colorful setting were the most recent nastris, for visitors to touch or take samples from. They also showed that creativity has no limits with different animals being construed with their nastris, making them absolute eye-catchers. 

As a whole- it offered visitors not only a destination to make business, but also an interactive platform to experience the entire brand-world and network whilst at the same time taking a moment to relax ,dipping into the tropical feeling for the Nastrifico Victor world. 

Matteo Marzotto has acquired stake in Dondup and has been named president. Its former president Massimo Berloni will remain with the brand as honorary president. Manuela Mariotti, who co-founded the brand in 1999 with Berloni, will remain creative director. 

Greenshowroom and Ethical Fashion Show are expanding their exhibition space for their winter edition taking place from 17th till 19th of January 2017. With this, their catwalk shows ‘Salonshow’ and ‘Ethical Fashion on Stage’ will be moved to the Energie Forum next door. The remaining space will then be used for more exhibition space.

In designing the 5:31 Jerome collection for men and women, Jerome LaMaar looks to the future through the evolution of the human race, and explores the idea of the cosmic race of multicultural fusion. Street wear, oceans, tan skin, ethereal ideas and evolution of glamour all come together in this collection, AWAY, which featured  which featured sweaters and jackets with Swarovski crystals, in avant garde cuts.

“The look refers to a conceptualized approach to futurism and the high tides that are forecasted to arrive at our shores,” says Lamaar of the collection. The handpainted straw hats symbolize a UFO. The shapes of the models’ fingernails referenced surfboards , and the eyewear was hand crafted in Japan in collaboration with Archibald Optics. On the models’ feet were Birkenstocks, encrusted by hand with seashells and pearls."

This latest visual travelogue features an escape on the Mediterranean sea, where Massimo Rossetti – the Parajumpers’ Creative Director – is braving the waves on his Californian vintage sailing boat. Inspired by “Corto Maltese”, the main character of Hugo Pratt’s comic book, the “The Ballad of the Salt Sea”, Massimo Rossetti reflects on past, present and future and his love of sailing and the immaculate beauty of the sea, comparing himself to Maltese, who is “a gypsy, a sailor that travelled the world and had extraordinary adventures”.

“’Stories' is about boundary-pushing personalities who are inspired and driven by everyday beauty, something we often tend to ignore” explains Rossetti. “We want to give them a voice, to let them tell their very own stories – stories that become the filter through which we define our dreams, goals and possibilities” he adds when referring to the recent video footage of 'Stories by Parajumpers'.

Mustang, the Denim specialist from south Germany, has upgraded its brand architecture and presents this for the first time at Karstadt in Hamburg on more than 30m².

It now features a selection of high-quality materials combined with unique elements bringing about a modern, bright and friendly appearance: white lacquered wood meets warm rolled steel and oiled oak, resembling a marriage of modern zeitgeist and traditional craftsmanship. This concept will be integrated step-by-step into all Mustang showrooms, shop-in-shops, trade-show representation and enterprise retail spaces.

The recently opened Mustang monobrand store in Dubai also was designed according to this concept and so will be the relaunch of Mustang retail spaces at Kaufhof Düsseldorf and Karstadt Frankfurt, which follow later this year.

“It was important for us to find a language of design and form that reflects both our heritage as well as our vision for the future”, explains Dietmar Axt, CEO of the MUSTANG Group. “Even if our current innovative product development is occasionally ahead of its time, we will never forget our roots as the first European jeans brand.”

Tommy Hilfiger has announced #TOMMYNOW, its first ever in-season fashion show, taking place on Friday, September 9, 2016 on “Tommy Pier” at South Street Seaport in New York City. The Fall 2016 designs, including the TommyXGigi collection designed in collaboration with Gigi Hadid, will be available to purchase globally through e-commerce, retail, wholesale and social commerce channels the moment they hit the runway.

The #TOMMYNOW runway show will be open to the public, reflecting Hilfiger’s longstanding vision to democratize fashion and engage consumers in a fun, unique experience both onsite and online. The shoppable live stream will allow those at the show and those watching remotely to immediately shop every look on tommy.com. The runway collection will be immediately shoppable at the show using digital touchscreens, and remotely through live stream and social commerce channels, including Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and Pinterest.

Amsterdam Denim Days will be debuting in 2017, a New York edition of its denim festival. The event is set to combine the artistic and cultural organisations of both cities.

&ldquo Yes, the big word is out! Next year New York City will turn indigo blue as we run a serious New York Denim Days edition in 2017! Wanna hear more about about this Blue Festival come and visit our talk 'Towards a Brighter Blue' at the Dutch Consulate in NY this Friday starting at 9.00 a.m. See you in NY!"

E-tailer Zalando hosted the first “new” Bread & Butter in Berlin after BBB’s collapse as Europe’s dominant leisure-wear trade event. Around 25 leading sportswear brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Levi’s, G-Star, Converse and others took brave initiative and substantial investment by creating impressive futuristic booths, offered visitors, who were end-consumers en large, possibilities to customize product and interact with the brands. Zalando did its best to entertain visitors by all means. However, if such big (and impressive) investments from brands will be seen in person by only 20,000 consumers (those were the officially reported visitor numbers), not industry professionals, the question arises, whether this justifies the costs. Of course, the goal was to reach consumers via all channels of the internet, but this will happen as well during B2B fairs.

Let’s for one moment take a step back and do the maths: compare the combined budgets present at trade-shows of global buyers from department-, multi-brand or bigger online store (like Zalando itself) and compare it to the effect of inviting 20,000 end consumers including their possible followers to an event. Where are guaranteed sales? What advances a brand globally?

It is clear, that there are marketing advantages. However, even using Gigi Hadid is short-term and relevant only for a certain market, and only substantially for the one brand using her, despite Tommy Hilfiger having done so very well.

Further, despite current efforts of many brands to desperately sell to consumers directly and cut middle-man to control all sales – do not forget, that such thinking got quite some big brands into existential trouble, such as the Sixty Group. Too many own stores, long leases for too much money, no more flexibility, not interesting enough by themselves to truly attract enough end consumers into the stores-  to make it short: brands should concentrate on creating desirable and sellable fashion; Retailers should concentrate to market this fashion best and create environments of interest and pleasure, inspiring consumers to buy such products.

That is still the best working formula today, if done properly and adapted to today’s times with online-stores. Most major brick and mortar stores operate also an online store today and generate more online sales than offline sales in their traditional stores. But they need both to be successful and there is no way around these influential retailers in order to position a brand globally and long-term.

I do not have to remind this industry that the multiplier effect of the big retailers marketing a brand and a product correctly is substantial. Not only brands can use the power of digital influencers.
Don't make the mistake, some have done before, to put all eggs into one basked, but use this power retailers have and are curently inventing models to use this even more efficiently. 

A further feature of this industry is to give smaller brands a chance, to advance those that bring varieties to the big ones and really make fashion a creative industry. Those do not have even a close shot at either building huge booths, nor paying digital influencers or even reaching a critical mass of end consumers. They still need retailers.

Don’t get me wrong: Zalando invested heavily, did a great job, but aimed clearly and solely to reach consumers. This Bread & Butter had nothing to do with the old one, a typical B2B fair, connecting and inspiring the industry.

How will Bread & Butter evolve? Zalando already said they will continue it. Brands do not have results yet to comment how happy they will be to return again.

In my mind, unless the concept will change into a B2B/ B2C event, Karl Heinz Müller’s correctly assumed but wrongly executed route, this will not be the perfect answer to today’s question how to market a brand successfully to consumers on a global level whilst generating the necessary sales. Don't forget – marketing and sales is not only B2C or B2B – it is all about the correctly balanced mix. 

Klaus Vogel

Publisher & Editor
WeAr Global Magazine

TISSUE' is not just a new brand, it is also a different approach to style: a unisex, precise, unconventional language. For S/S 2017, the outfits reveal a sober, timeless, conscious elegance. A strong reference is made to the logic of uniforms, but also an intense desire to get away from the past and explore new idioms. Sharp silhouettes and wide volumes are dismantled and influenced from a number of different points of view. The choice of fabrics marks out the creative project from its roots, but with a renewed consciousness of style.

The collection allows the masculine and feminine to share aesthetical principles and values, whilst still keeping their absolute identity.

Inspired by 18th century court dress worn by Louis XV’s mistress, Madame de Pompadour, the ISKO Commission was made for the Love Thy Denim exhibition using fabrics supplied by the exhibition’s sponsor ISKO, global leader in denim manufacturing and textile innovation. The concept behind the ISKO Commission is to show the versatility and beauty of denim.

The ISKO Commission will be just one of many pieces in this fashion exhibition exploring the origins and versatility of denim from its workwear heritage in the Wild West through to its adoption into mainstream fashion and becoming the fabric of our everyday lives. Alongside the Commission, will be a jacket and trousers from Vivienne Westwood’s 1991 Cut, Slash and Pull collection, a Jean Paul Gaultier men’s ensemble on loan from the Fashion Museum Bath and a piece from Maison Margiela’s S/S 09 Artisanal Collection. Also on display will be 19th century denim artefacts dug up from US silver mines, iconic denim advertising images, denim accessories including sunglasses and denim art.

Love Thy Denim will be open in The Gallery, Winchester Discovery Centre until Sunday 23 October. It then opens at Gallery @ Gosport Discovery Centre on Saturday 29 October. Admission to both venues is free of charge, donations are welcome. 

CORDURA brand has announced its collaboration with TENCEL from Lenzing, showcasing the softer side of durability with the next generation of soft-comfort performance fabrics. First in the collaboration line-up are new softened strength denims featured in the latest CORDURA Denim ‘Infinity’ Collection, with more innovations across the CORDURA fabric family forthcoming.  The Denim ‘Infinity’ Collection, part of the "Authentic Alchemie” Collection portfolio, presents latest generation performance denims crafted to integrate the “best of both worlds” – softness with strength, fashion with function and durability with definition. 

 “Our latest fabrics incorporating Tencel fibre go beyond traditional denims, migrating to lightweight and comfortable denims that can travel effortlessly with you throughout the day – wherever you may go,” said Cindy McNaull, global CORDURA brand and marketing director. 

According to Tricia Carey, director of global business development at Lenzing Fibers Inc., “As denim takes on modern evolution, we’re able to use our denim fabrics in ways that address our lifestyle. CORDURA brand brings the long-lasting durability and strength, and we help enhance it with comfort and softness.”

Products from the collaboration can be seen at MUNICH FABRIC START on the LENZING TENCEL stand (H3 | C15), as well at the Artistic Milliners stand (H7 | B24) within BLUEZONE, an independent concept for the denim and sportswear community.

Fashion Forward Dubai, a biannual fashion showcase has named the designers who will be showcasing their Spring collections at the event. The event is supported by the Dubai Design and Fashion Council and will be held from October 20th till 23rd 2016, at the Dubai Design District.

"We are pleased to extend our support to Fashion Forward. Now in its eighth season, Fashion Forward has established itself as an important platform to celebrate creativity and fashion, and to showcase the work of our designers from the region. The event continues to gain momentum each season and we look forward to witnessing the breadth of talent on display during this edition." — Nez Gebreel, CEO, Dubai Design and Fashion Council

Catwalk and Presentations designers:
Amato by Furne One, Amira Haroon, Arwa Al Banawi, Bedouin, Bouguessa, Amal Al Raisi, Dima Ayad, Ezra, Michael Cinco, Mira Hayek, Mrs. Keepa, Orkalia, Said Mahrouf, Salta, Sotra, Starch Foundation, Salim Azzam, Timi Hayek, Tair, Zaid Farouki, Varoin Marwah, Zareena, Zena Presley, Alessa Jewelry, Bleuis Bags, Exocet, Rula Galayini, Madiso, Myriam Sos, Nathalie Trad, Ns by Noof, Vanina, and Vinita Michael.

Jason Wu has signed on as an ambassador for the Woolmark Company. His role will be to implement ideas on how Australian merino wool can be incorporated into his own designs. Wu’s Fall collection already features several pieces of certified Woolmark, but for Spring, Wu will be implementing ‘cool wool’ into his collection.

“Merino wool has always played an integral role in my designs,” explained Wu. “Yet partnering with The Woolmark Company really allowed me to further explore and develop wool for summer. What my Spring/Summer 17 collection does is push the boundaries with conventional seasons, creating year-round luxurious pieces, which I could achieve by working with wool.”

Tommy Hilfiger has announced that together with supermodel Gigi Hadid, they will launch their collaborative TommyXGigi collection at Bread & Butter by Zalando in Berlin on the 2nd of September 2016. 

The collection is currently seen on Tommy.com and available from September 1 there and on Zalando.com.

Toronto-based design studio Sonya Lee will present the S.L.02 Collection at Capsule New York Women’s Accessories for S/S17, taking place from September 17th till 19th 2016. The distinctive ten-piece offering of handmade bags and accessories represents a physical concept in practice. 

Through designer and co-founder Stephanie Ibbitson’s multifaceted approach to industrial design, architecture and contemporary perception, Sonya Lee selects the highest quality vegetable tanned leather as its preferred medium for creativity. Revealing the marks of time and decay throughout its history, the expressive nature of this organic material shapes the singular identity of each silhouette.

GEN ART FRESH FACES IN FASHION returned to Los Angeles with their signature runway show, highlighting a notable group of West Coast designers including, womenswear brand 34N118W, menswear brands Bristol and Elliott Evan, and accessories brands Rafa and Legier. Each designer showcased a curated collection of looks that will be featured in a shoppable experience in partnership with online retailer, Spring on August 11, 2016. As an extension of the Fresh Faces in Fashion program, Gen Art is launching their first concept shop at Bloomingdales SoHo during September 2016 New York Fashion Week. The shop will feature collections from select designers of their fashion roster in a unique and engaging in-store experience. 

Mavi, along with Orta Anadolu, have announced their continued advocacy to protect endangered sea turtles by supporting the Ecological Research Society’s (EKAD) Indigo Turtles project for 2016.

The Indigo Turtles project, which was launched in 2014 and saves nearly fifteen thousand hatchlings every year, aims to protect two species of sea turtles native to the Mediterranean, Caretta caretta and Chelonia mydas, each of which has navigated the earth for 110 million years. By helping sea turtles reach the sea, the Indigo Turtles project raises awareness of volunteering while making a difference. The project resounds not only in Turkey but also around the world. 

Kicking off the second annual Indigo Turtle project, Mavi and Orta have introduced children’s T-shirts to their existing line of men’s and women’s T-shirts, encouraging support at a younger age. Every purchase of a Mavi Indigo Turtle T-shirt safeguards the lives of 10 baby sea turtles and makes a contribution to the Mediterranean basin.

Creative Recreation, is launching their Autmun/Winter 2016 campaign with musician Nick Jonas, who is currently serving as the company’s brand ambassador. The Fall ’16 collection is a play on the co-existence of heat and serenity. The campaign showcases Jonas wearing a pair of red Creative Recreation kicks in the Deross silhouette. Built on a Vibram rubber outsole and Vatabond EVA midsole, this sneaker is provides wearers with easy on/off acces with its pull loops and elastic stretch fit system.

The New School and Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum will be launching New York Textile Month with an exhibition called ‘Talent’, exhibiting design students’ creations. The students will come from varying schools including Parsons School of Design, Central Saint Martins, Kent State University, the Royal College of Art, the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, Politecnico di Bari, Philadelphia University and Pratt Institute. Housed in two colonial buildings, the pop-up exhibition will be open to the public from September 1, 2016 until September 18, 2016.

New York Textile Month will showcase through a continuous 30-day event, various exhibitions, shows and workshops with the aim of putting emphasis on the textile industry and the creativity it brings.

Mavi and Project are hosting a Q&A discussion panel with Adriano Goldschmied on the topic of denim innovation. The panel named ‘past, present and future of denim” at the event titled “Adriano Goldschmied Unthreaded” will take place at the Project trade show from Aug 15th till 17th at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.

The panel will focus on the future of denim by addressing topics such as fabric innovation, product development, sustainability and the long term direction of denim. The event, which is being held in partnership with Mavi Jeans, is one of a number of special events hosted by Project to promote its new P1VOT section.

NYDJ has opened one of their first stand-alone retail locations at Roosevelt Field Mall in Garden City. The 1,500 square-foot store, which features an entirely mobile point-of-sale system, will offer NYDJ’s full collection of denim, pants, tops, and jackets. With over 65 sizes across women’s, petite, plus, and a newly-launched maternity collection. In addition to NYDJ styles, the store will carry a selection of luxury basic t-shirts from Road22, an organization that employs formerly incarcerated women and gives them a fresh start.

Residential in feel, the store was designed in partnership with NYC-based firm Kramer Design Group and utilizes a sophisticated and soothing neutral color palette with lavender and gray accents. A central denim table inspired by a home’s kitchen island serves as the store’s focal point and is a key area for discovery and education. The fitting rooms are feminine, plush and spacious with a boudoir-meets-living room aesthetic and offer a comfortable environment for women to experience the brand. 

The Long Island store is the first of two NYDJ stores to open in the United States this year, the other location opened at Fashion Square Mall in Scottsdale, AZ. 

The Met’s Costume Institute in New York will debut this coming autumn its new exhibition called ‘Masterworks: Unpacking Fashion’. The latter will feature 60 works acquired by the museum in its archive over the past 10 years. It will explore how the department has honed its collecting strategy to amass masterworks of the highest aesthetic and technical quality, including iconic works by designers who have changed the course of fashion history and advanced fashion as an art form. 

“Our mission is to present fashion as a living art that interprets history, becomes part of the historical process, and inspires subsequent art,” said Mr. Bolton. “Over the seven decades since The Costume Institute became part of The Met in 1946, our collecting strategy has shifted from creating a collection of Western high fashion that is encyclopedic in breadth to one focused on acquiring a body of masterworks.” 

The exhibition will be exhibited in the Anna Wintour Costume Center from November 8th 2016 till February 5th 2017.

Partnering with the AOL Charitable Foundation Award, the names of the Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund and 2016 Award recipients have been announced. The AOL Charitable Foundation Award provides grants to filmmakers whose feature-length documentaries illuminate the lives of women and youth around the globe, and spotlight the ways they are working to improve their communities and futures. 

This year the winning documentaries all explore social and humanist questions, receiving a subsidy of 150,000 dollars to finance their production.

18for18/Project Rescue holds an annual skydive (from 18,000 feet which to put in perspective is 3.4 miles up making this the highest possible commercial jump) every August to raise awareness, funds and other resources to combat the sex trade and trafficking. Human sex trafficking is the 2^nd largest criminal enterprise in the world. For the past two years Hudson Jeans has supported this organization. This year the goal is to raise $100,000 to help in the fight to eradicate human sex slavery.

DONATE HERE: https://www.crowdrise.com/ProjectRescue18for18/fundraiser/PeterKim 

Parajumpers has announced the 6th episode of its ‘STORIES by PARAJUMPERS’. The entree called ‘Scottish Treasure’ presents the life of two passionate bespoke trunk designers that take their ideas and inspiration from the stunning scenery and spectacular wilderness of the Scottish countryside. Trunk-making is more than just a passion for Method Studio’s designer-duo, it’s a family affair. The studio was established in 2009, in rural Scotland, by the husband and wife partnership of architect Marisa Giannasi and second-generation cabinetmaker Callum Robinson. Working closely with prestigious luxury brands and discerning private clients, Method Studio meticulously handcrafts exclusive bespoke trunks and furniture ever since – trunks which are proved to be as novel and elegant as they are ingenious. 

“Scotland is really the land of elements, the sea, the wind, the rain…extreme environments, but also beautiful environments. We take a great amount of ideas and inspiration from the landscape surrounding us” explains Marisa Giannasi, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Method Studio, an innovative design company specialized in bespoke trunks and case goods. 

This coming September, Capsule Paris Women’s will cooperate with Paris Sur Mode Tuileries and Premiere Classe to implement a show-within-show concept at Paris Sur Mode Tuileries. Taking place from September 29th till October 2nd, Capsule will present approximately 50 brands, and with a united effort strengthen and enliven a fractured Paris women’s market week. With this Capsule at Paris Sur Mode Tuileries will provide a one-stop shop for the world’s premiere retailers to experience hundreds of leading women’s labels under one roof.

“In an ever-changing trade fair landscape, it is an exciting honor and fantastic move for our community to join forces with Paris Sur Mode Tuileries and Premiere Classe Tuileries exhibitions,” said Deirdre Maloney, co-founder of Capsule. 

The 82nd edition of theMICAM is coming up at Fiera Milano (Rho) from September 3rd till 6th, 2016. The exhibition area will include a new “Luxury” sector alongside a product design area, the International Designers Area; an area with a special focus on “Contemporary” style; an “iKids” area showcasing children's footwear featuring “iKIDS Square”, and lastly, the “Active” and “Cosmopolitan” areas for leisure footwear. The 82nd theMicam will feature screening of a short film, “Niente per caso”, by Consorzio Vero Cuoio Italiano, the association of Italian leather enterprises. This short fashion movie pays homage to the Italian fashion system, looking back over half a century of Italian fashion. 

At MICAM, the spring/summer 2017 collection will be eclectic: a mix of urban grit and romantic folk creating unique looks contaminated by the exotic flavour of the many different cultures of the world's biggest cities, creating a glamorous look to show off on the beach by day or out on the town at night.

Denim Première Vision is moving back to Paris starting from its upcoming edition taking place on November 2nd and 3rd, 2016. The show will take place at the Paris Event Centre at 20 Avenue De La Porte de La Villette. The show was held in Paris up until 2014, before moving to Barcelona, where it took place for 5 editions. Moving the show back to Paris comes together with the aim to meet the expectations of the global denim market. With the change of venue, the organisation also changed its dates to taking place 15 days ahead of the scheduled dates.

&ldquo Each season for the last 10 years, the show has reinvented itself to better meet the needs of a demanding and versatile industry, and the expectations of brands and of consumers in the constant quest for what’s exclusive and inspiring.”

Tommy Hilfiger’s new Fall/Winter 2016 Hilfiger Denim global advertising campaign called ’24/7 Hailey Baldwin & Lucky Blue Smith’ follows the two models and influencers on a 24-hour adventure through Los Angeles, California. From cruising down Sunset Boulevard to a pit-stop at the iconic Pink’s Hot Dogs, the campaign’s concept opens the door to a unique perspective on the brand, the influencers and the city of L.A. to consumers everywhere. Celebrating a millennial-minded spirit, the campaign engages consumers and interacts with them through a new digital approach.

The concept kicked off in April 2016, when Hailey, Lucky and Bryant Eslava, Hilfiger Denim’s social campaign photographer, invited their social media followers to send creative Snapchats to @TommyHilfiger for an opportunity to attend the campaign photo shoot. 

Woolrich Europe continues with its retail expansion policy by implementing the development plan in the area of mountain resorts: following on from Cortina d’Ampezzo, a new store will open in the centre of Courmayeur with more to follow in other European mountain areas.

The business plan leading up to 2020 foresees strong expansion, through the opening of retail points in Italy, Europe, the USA, Canada and Japan, with the objective of arriving at more than 75 Woolrich Stores globally. 

The Woolrich Store of Courmayeur is light, airy and yet at the same time sophisticated in appearance, recalling the outdoor origins of Woolrich. The aesthetic and philosophical choice of Woolrich John Rich & Bros when designing its stores is to create a new way of perceiving the store, seeking to tell a story that brings together within the one place the objects and products of the store and offering new value to the store. The store furnishings see a fusion between the historical roots of the brand and contemporary style. 

LVMH has sold Donna Karan to American manufacturer and license holder G-III Apparel Group for $650m. The sale of Donna Karan (as well as its DKNY label) makes it the second time LVMH has sold a fashion brand, after the sale of Christian Lacroix in 2005. Founder, Donna Karan stood down last year to concentrate on her new lifestyle business Urban Zen.

To celebrate their 30th anniversary, Diesel will debut their fall collection with a fashion show in Japan which will be available in stores and online on the very same day. The event will be followed with an exclusive after-party. Furthermore, creative director Nicola Formichetti will be curating an exhibit that day to showcase Diesel archive looks from back in 1978 to today.

Finally, Diesel will launch two denim capsule collections which will be available from September 6th whilst also launching three separate collections which will be distributed exclusively in Japan in collaboration with Japanese brand N. Hollywood, designer Yuko Koike and Porter-Yoshida & Co.

CORDURA brand is presenting its latest innovative fabrics and products centered on the following trends:

Authentic Heritage; The latest fabrics epitomize the heritage that CORDURA brand brings. Traditional materials used in traditional products. The latest outdoor fabrics are geared towards the “essentials”.

Simplicity In Style: The latest bags, packs and apparel featured in this category are designed to embrace this spirit with clean simple minimalistic lines and all around durable style. 

Going the Distance: multi-functional fabrics are showcased in the latest CORDURA brand collections and combine the best of both worlds – strong with soft, fashion and function, durability with definition. “Durable Plus+,” gives a long lasting, enhanced comfort and performance.

ISKO I-SKOOL, involving more than 50,000 students from all over the world this year alone, has challenged young students coming from the most important universities worldwide in two contests, one dedicated to designers and one to marketing professionals. Students were asked to create denim outfits in one of three style moods: 

• Renovated denim icons: starting from an in-depth study of the evolution of denim and a thorough analysis of indigo history, contestants created their own denim icon, a symbol of fashion that never goes out of style. Here the winner was: Anna Biotti (IUAV), awarded by REPLAY 
   
• Athleisure: the contest challenged students to create outfits in the mood of the latest fashion trend, a mix between elegance and sports that is changing the everyday approach to style, using the most iconic ISKO fabrics, from ISKO BLUEJYM to ISKO FUTURE FACE, JEGGINGS, ISKO XMEN’S and ISKO BLUE SKIN. Winner: Joona Rautiainen, (Aalto), awarded by MAVI
   
• Jool: students had the unique occasion to experiment ISKOTM’s ultimate creation, ISKO JOOL, a new fabric that mixes denim and wool. Very versatile and particularly adaptable to haute couture, this fabric was an exciting challenge for participants. Winner: Ester Rigato (IUAV University), awarded by haikure
   
• Overall winner Denim Design Award: Ester Rigato, IUAV. 

This article is an extended version of the same which appears in the WeAr Magazine Denim Special, out June 2015.

Words: Monica Fossati

In the beginning, the denim and jeans industry was green, since pesticides and GMOs didn’t exist at that point. Nevertheless, producing green clothes has always been a fashion trend, for a brand, a designer, a niche or a season. Over the past 15 years, the denim and jeans industry has made significant efforts to reduce its environmental impacts. Preserving water for denim’s treatment has been one of the main targets. François Girbaud, who launched the stone wash technique in 1965, which consumes lots of water, answered the first one in 2003, with his laser technique Wattwash. Many other waterless initiatives have been born since then. This is due to the growing awareness of the need to answer to the warnings of NGOs and governments, because the issues are real threats today: pollution, depletion of resources and working conditions.

Producing eco-denim is not that difficult, as it relies mainly on the material, the dye, the water and energy consumption and the treatments. First, the material: as organic cotton is rare and original treatments are key trends for denim. So imagination and research have been able to bring about new materials recycles from water bottles, linen or paper yarns. Meanwhile, textile waste, recycled materials, natural fibers and artificial fibers such as Tencel mixed together can provide many possibilities for eco-fabrics.

Dye remains natural in authentic denim, as indigo is a plant. The best eco-dyestuff is recognized thanks to labels like OEKO-TEX from Germany, which indicates the additional benefits of tested safety for skin-friendly clothing and other textiles to interested end users. It approves that a product is harmless for the environment, but also healthier for the wearer. The eco-design approach also analyses the whole lifecycle of a product. That means the whole way of production, so aside from less-water technologies, sewage treatments awareness and renewable energy developments are taking place into mills in developing countries.

A major impact on climate is transportation, so local sourcing as much as possible and greener, slower and optimized distribution help to reduce CO2 emissions that affect our climate. Plus, thinking ahead to the garment’s ending, the easy disassembling of the materials (textiles, metals) has to be anticipated, therefore some brands use stitches instead of metal rivets, and so on.

The fabric itself can be eco-designed, for example Kassim Denim does so with an environmental management system. But a pair of jeans includes other stages of manufacturing; it is a complete ‘lifecycle’. Levi’s made the first eco-designed jeans in 2006, with a 100% organic cotton denim, a coconut shell button on the waist and stitches instead of rivets. The indigo finish came from potato starch, mimosa flower and Marseille soap. The best eco-jeans rely on the whole chain: the store contributes to the global impact of the product, and the wearer as well, with the washing and the choice of ending waste.

Producing the best eco-denim for the industry is a mixture of all these ideas, aiming to reduce all environmental impacts as much as possible. Today, most denim manufacturers – the first witnesses of the whole jeans’ lifecycle – propose very smart products, such as ISKO, BOSSA and US Denim Mills. The good news is that whether you are a designer, a wearer, a buyer, or a manufacturer, every time you touch a denim, you can participate to make it greener at this stage of its life, with your choices and behaviour.

Thomas Thompson

For years we were kept in the dark. The predicted return of multibrand stores in China never really came, but then, like most things over here, it happened almost overnight – and according to all the market players, we are looking at yet another bubble in the near future.

However, the long-awaited awakening is showing maybe even more potential than what could have been hoped for. “Only the stores with a strong marketing platform and a unique perspective on buying will survive,” predicts Ritchie Chan, Founder of Triple Major (three multibrand stores in Shanghai, Beijing, and Chengdu). Roy Xu, Founder and Chairman of the P+ Group (sixty P+ shoes and accessories multibrand stores; 200+ other multibrand and distributed brand stores), agrees: “it is an absolute necessity for multibrand stores to become brands in their own right, with a long-term vision and the ability to provide complete customer experiences.” But isn’t this what any brand wants?

The key difference between China and mature markets from the West is its fast-evolving consumer base. Unlike stores in Paris or London, which have a strong and stable identity, Chinese retailers constantly need to reinvent themselves to retain consumers. “In China, there is no mercy when it comes to loyalty,” continues Richie, who knows that the strong following he has built up since 2009 will disappear overnight if he is no longer perceived as their go-to fashion retail store. As a consequence, 30% of his range is new every season – and that’s an opportunity everyone can take advantage of.

The operator of ten different multibrand concepts, including Maria Luisa, which it purchased last year, P+ is in a position to push this logic even further. Pure product buying is not the most important part of its business model. Instead, the stores serve as brand incubators to create a customer following and, once potential has been detected, the group will invest heavily in developing a brand in China or Asia-Pacific, as they are doing right now with Neil Barrett.

At the other end of the spectrum, Ring Cao, Head Buyer for MyPlay (founded in 2010; twelve stores by the end of 2014), demands a lot of support from her brands. “The market is moving quickly, especially for men who are more and more fashion conscious but need guidance and lots of advice. There is huge demand for fresh brands with the right balance of design, quality, and price point, but the consumer also needs to be reassured that they are making the right choice.” This is why she will favor brands that are reactive in constantly providing PR and marketing material, and that can quickly deliver on a mid-season reorder. “The fact that more European brands now propose three to four collections a year is a huge plus for us, as it helps us retain consumers through constant novelty, especially in the growing segment that feels that fast fashion does not meet its needs in terms of guidance and shopping experience.”

In short, multibrand stores in China are progressively becoming the entry point that foreign brands always hoped they would be. Many will come and go, but by identifying the serious players, both small and medium-sized brands now have a perfect point of entry. That being said, getting orders in is just the first step, and providing guidance and marketing support to a range of buyers – ranging from very mature through to high-potential beginners – is key to long-term development.

Close monitoring of sales and customer feedback will be the cornerstone of successful market entry, whether directly managed or prepared in conjunction with these new-found partners.

Triple Major – Richie Chan, Founder

The 3 Triple Major stores (SH/BJ/CD) are just a window into the Triple Major platform, complemented and backed up by an in-house brand and a creative/branding studio and agency.

The core value and goal is to reinvent popular culture.

Triple Major aims at trying to broaden the definition of what a multibrand store can do, increasing value by organizing many events and non-apparel brand installations, live design studio events where VIP clients can watch designers at work, and redecorating and changing around the store layout and contents, and providing interesting concepts from the start (TCM dispensary concept in BJ, Center for Panda Studies in CD)

The fact that Triple Major host an in-house brand along with other designers is not an issue as its sole purpose is to complement the brand mix, focusing mostly on footwear and also trying to broaden the scope to compensate for the fact that some emerging designers that Triple Major supports only have very few SKUs per collection.
Unlike I.T., Triple Major is not doing the same but cheaper, the major differentiation is product type not price point. The lines are story-oriented and non-seasonal.

Triple Major has a different view of what a multibrand concept is supposed to be, and started its own path in 2009.

There is a feeling in the market that multibrand as a concept is going through a bubble, with little evaluation of viability and sustainability.

In Europe multibrands have existed for a very long time, but let’s look back also at how the Chinese market was back in the early 90s: it was also all small-scale multibrand stores, so the system has existed for a long time already – it’s the entry of major monobrands that changed the rules of the game.

There is a huge supply of independent designers in China, more than people are looking for and the market ready to absorb.

The whole system right now is prosperous on the surface, but one should expect a major reshuffle in about 2 years. Only those with a strong marketing platform and a unique perspective on buying will survive. This comment is also valid for designers who need to work in a more structured and sustainable way.

BUT there are still lots of good signals.

One of the key points of sustainability of “mature” markets is that the clientele is more static, with stable and predictable taste which enables the established multibrands to have a strong identity they can maintain without having to change too much or too quick. There is almost a certain conservatism when you go season after season to the key stores in Paris for example.
There are a couple big differences which characterize the China market:
– Unexpectability : even the consumers are lost and don’t know exactly what fits them, they sometimes might have a label of preference but barely (as a consequence there needs to be a few key opinion leaders for the model to become successful)
– Relatability : the consumers need to identify themselves to a store, to feel they will always find something that fits them there. It is indispensable to be distinct from others, to have a very personal, non-replicable style. A concern to the multibrand model as it is right now is that not so many people are aware of this critical requirement.

How about the United Arrows model in Japan?

There are a few obstacles and differences with China.

In Japan, a consumer follows a brand or given style pretty much from birth to grave, but in China they drop you the second you’re not cool anymore. “No mercy for loyalty”. This is why in Triple Major 30% of the buying focuses on new brands every season.

Uniqueness is key, cannot give a feeling of uniformizing everything and everyone. “Other people can dress like you but they will never be you”.

It is absolutely necessary to make your success abroad known and visible to the Chinese consumer. They will value this and see it as a safe sign they are making the right choice.

Take Opening Ceremony: they would need to take their successes in Tokyo, New York and replicate them here, taking their signature strengths as they are and localizing them just a little. They are for example very active on Facebook and Instagram, but these platforms are either blocked or not so followed in China so they need to switch the medium, but not the content.
Cool people like Jay-Z and Rihanna wear their clothes, they throw crazy warehouse parties as signature events — just need to do the same here!

Working with local KOLs that fit your style and using the media that the Chinese follow all the while staying true to yourself is the recipe for success.

As a buyer, Richie feels that browsing the internet can be even more efficient than going to trade shows to find new brands because the product is only a part of what a brand is. The shootings’ art direction, VI/CI are more ‘3D’, more complete in terms of branding compared to a clothing rack.

Regarding the delayed design and production cycles in China, 80% of the sales of most independent designers are still within their home market so more time is better to prepare and adjust a collection. The shift will happen but it will be gradual until they catch up on the cycles from the international market.
Uma Wang is a good example that this is possible as she is already showing in Milan although selling a lot in China. Designers will start pushing their processes and make sure that at least part of the collection is ready for international buying cycles.

P+ Group – Roy Xu, Chairman

Roy has been in the retail industry for 20 years, and started the P+ shoe multibrand chain in 2006, and then carried on to Maria Luisa last year, acquiring or creating a total of 10 multibrand concepts along the way.

P+ Group is getting ready to acquire a men’s multibrand concept, 6 to 7 of which are already planned to open from 600 to 1000sqm each. Also just signed with Bonini to bring the whole concept into China.

The true necessity to a successful market entry is the right knowledge and a strong platform to push the product through.

There is real potential and a great future for multibrands, but those who will truly succeed won’t be so numerous. Small local stores will come and go for lack of a long-term vision.

P+ is about to acquire a new format mobile APP in order to add value and points of contact with its customer base. A completely new model, different from VIP.com or Glamour Sales that will rely heavily on A-list celebrities endorsement.

There is an absolute necessity for multibrand stores to become real brands, with a strong follower base and all the marketing and PR support that a stand-alone brand would require.

Everybody keeps talking about O2O but the true meaning of this has never been implemented yet. The actual product part of the story is still disconnected from the rest.

Strength of multibrand concepts in Europe vs. mono-brand stores?

20 years ago, China was all about buyer stores. The first wave of established brands to come in (Pierre Cardin, etc.) started establishing a monobrand logic that didn’t exist until then, and that was consolidated by the massive entry of luxury brands.
In the past 2-3 years we have seen a return of the multibrand concept.
But at the end of the day, mono or multibrand is not so relevant, because we can see easily that P+ for example is a brand of itself. And at the same time is serves as an incubator: if a brand sells well its shoes in P+, and has a complete range of product, then this will call for a deeper collaboration and the opening of monobranded stores to capitalize on the brand’s potential. As a brand, opening one’s own stores is still an absolute necessity in China.

Maria Luisa is also a good example of how to implement a multibrand concept in a new way. Flagships in Beijing and Shanghai are opened already, with many more in the pipeline. But only with two stores in existence P+ Group already created a relative in-house brand called Maria Luisa Studio to better learn from the brand incubator that multibrand stores have become.

If you look closely at Lane Crawford, at the end of the day their success is not so big. The store is respected and selling well in Hong Kong, but overall the success of the model is still limited.
10 Corso Como in Shanghai is the same, but only relying on the content instead of capitalizing on the name for itself.

An in-house brand is an absolute necessity.

I.T. Already has 25 years history. Their business model of own in-house brands resembling a lot their buying brands can have an influence and be a problem for mid-market brands represented by them, whereas it is a huge opportunity for the bigger names: customers become hooked-up through the i.t. concept, and some of them will then turn into loyal I.T. clients.
When it comes to the A-list, people don’t want copies or something similar, they want the real product and full experience.
Overall, I.T. pushes the brands and solidifies the name, and i.t. makes the bulk of sales. i.t. will become a brand of itself and they are for sure getting ready for it.

The world is just one big interconnected network, at the end of the day even the biggest most famous brands also rely on smaller up-comers’ designs to feed their own collections with. People look down on China for this, but from New York to Paris everybody uses this development mode!

When P+ acquired Maria Luisa, the first move was to create the related in-house brand with its own dedicated design team in order to progressively create a brand with its own DNA.

Re/ Distribution and partner choices

Many many brands come knock at the door. The first step will be to run them through the buying and merchandising teams to evaluate the potential and relevance within the existing portfolio. Second step if the 1st one is successful, is to look into the possible operations modes and business model, and to run a detailed sales projection.
P+ as a group will not just buy products anymore, they will carefully select high-potential brands, and become real partners that will invest heavily in them.

Traditional distribution models have been dead in China for 5-6 years already, and P+ does not open the door to this model except for very rare exceptions like Neil Barrett, but in return will obtain the full APAC region instead of just China.

License opportunities are still big in China, P+ even has a whole team solely dedicated to licensing brands as an incubator. The M&A team is also very active, and helps better define the best fitting collaboration mode, from license to JV or full Asia representation.

MyPlay – Ring Cao, Head Buyer

How do you look for new brands?

Media and online platforms quite important to get double feedback.
Collaboration with showrooms also very deep in order to play on the safe side as you know them well already, and can rely on their designer choices.
Celebrity collaborations also important: celebrity friends like some brands and will tell MyPlay about them to help pushing the product.
Fashion weeks, international trade shows and personal travels are also a very important part of this in order to get a more direct, personal connection with the market. Trade shows are an interesting one-stop solution because they are curated and bring many brands under the same roof.

Price is very important when it comes to a new brand. The Chinese consumer is hungry for new things, but for them you need more than something that looks good: the balance between design, quality and price is key to the decision.

How to attract your attention as a new brand?

The brand support and reactivity is key to collaboration. Whenever something is needed must get immediate reaction and feedback.

Many European brands’ production cycles are very long, vs. a shorter and shorter cycle for many Asian brands which can deliver within 4 to 5 months from design to production delivery into the stores.

The market changes are very fast right now in China, so it is necessary to have partners and point of contact that are very quick and supportive.

Do you plan to make changes to your buying or make it evolve?

Most Euro brands only have 2 collections a year, but more and more will get out 3 to 4 collections. This helps a lot adjust the buying on a safer basis.

MyPlay’s background is very street and cool fashion style. But there are more and more male customers in MyPlay who request more brands that correspond to what they want. They don’t feel that fast-fashion brands can answer their needs and really want more options and support.

How do you see the future of the menswear segment in China?

The market is huge, and the demand is very high. High-level, rich or evolved guys will always find what they need. The focus has to be on slightly less complex men who have high needs in terms of support and advice. They don’t need very complex pieces, it’s a matter of finding basics with a twist that will make them feel both safe and fashionable at the same time.
The level of fashion understanding is increasing very quickly in China, so it is necessary to accompany their evolving.
They are beginning to have more and more precise requests and tastes, which is why it is important to stay close enough to them to be able to anticipate the needs.

Is the answer with local brands or international cool stuff?

Classic menswear is very strong in China, but fashionable, cool things are still mostly coming from abroad. It thus remains key to keep bringing in more and more brands that can answer these needs.

Any plans to create an own brand?

Thinking about it, but it is still too early. Need to gather more feedback and better understanding.

The market potential is very big, so this can be a way of attracting more purchasing power.

MyPlay would most likely create lifestyle brands – accessories, coffee shops, etc. – not necessarily apparel lines. The idea is to bring a more complete experience to the consumer and provide a more 360 degrees

If a brand is doing so good with you would you distribute?

This could be considered, but at this stage the focus goes on building up the MyPlay brand as itself in order to not jeopardize the original platform’s strength.
Need first to see which brand would be so strong that this could be justified but until now no candidate has emerged.

The way P+ operates is very safe because you first create a strong brand following before taking it one step further in its development.

The most successful brands in MyPlay are those that have been sold for the longest time like Boy London (UK), Glad News (JP), 5Preview , Ground Zero .

Eleven Paris still needs more time. It will be a specially promoted brand for 2015 hope the results will be good – for now going through Hong Kong to get product. The big attention Eleven gives to final consumer price by making the right steps in controlling the price for the consumer is very important and should yield good results in the longer term.

With Scoop International just around the corner, WeAr interviews the show's founder and director, Karen Radley, to find out about the next event.

Scoop Internation takes place in London's Saatchi Gallery from February 1st to 3rd 2015.

Q&A with Karen Radley, founder and director of Scoop

WeAr: What are you excited about for the next edition of Scoop?

KR: I'm excited about the show being a very busy one.  The collections showcased at the next Scoop are extremely strong from established designers but also we will be having a strong focus on emerging talent.

WeAr: Why should buyers visit the show, how does it stand out?

KR: Buyers should visit show because of the wide range of collections that Scoop offers.  As well as showcasing womenswear designer collections, Scoop offers footwear, accessories and apparel.  Scoop is a one stop shop for any buyer, but more importantly a wonderful experience to seek out new and upcoming designers.  It stands out from other shows due to the aesthetic of the show being held within an art gallery – The Saatchi Gallery.

WeAr: Is there anything new for this edition?

KR: For this season we have added extra space within the Saatchi Gallery to accommodate more exhibitors!

WeAr: Are there any brands you’re keeping your eye on as ones to watch?

KR: Cultuli Cult (scarves), Majo Lab, Mr.Mrs.Shirt, Schiesser Revival, Bobbl Hats, Rosso35, Amelie Allure, Empathie, Natalie & Alanna, Bruta Shirts…. I could go on, but there are too many to mention – thats why a visit to Scoop International is so important!

WeAr: Where should visitors go after the show in London?

KR: The Beaumont Hotel and the London Edition Hotel

WeAr: Finally, what can we expect from the newly added edition of Scoop in September?

From this summer onwards an exciting new concept will see  two Scoop shows taking place each season at the Saatchi Gallery. The popularity of Scoop has seen a profuse number of brands wanting to join the family and now with this year’s schedule extending to August and September with plans to host four shows a season, an even richer selection of designers will have the opportunity to exhibit in London.The timetable has been devised to cater for overseas labels and their production agendas as well as the high-end collections and young British designers who expressed an interest In Scoop running alongside London Fashion Week. The fact that Scoop London will be taking place during London Fashion Week will also make it easier for international buyers to come to the show, as many of the key stores from Europe, the US and further afield only make it to London once each season. The first edition of this new show, Scoop London, will run at the Saatchi Gallery this year on 20-22 September 2015. 

TROPICAL MOOD. PARADISE ON YOUR BACK
Distant worlds, dream worlds to wear: from Acapulco with its 1950s glamour to the Amalfi Coast
and its unforgettable shades of blue. On the beach, at the pool, in a boat or on a surfboard,
underwater or just floating – it’s beachwear, beachwear, and more beachwear. Prints will take
us to luxuriant places, to other latitudes closer to the sun we waited for during too-long winter.
Next summer, the contemporary man’s vacation wardrobe will be more sophisticated, reflecting
tastes that have evolved and are open to the new. Miami, with its unique energy, blue swimming
pools and lush tropical vegetation is at the center of the season’s imagery. Denim-look palm
trees and hibiscus blossoms are the patterns on unlined jackets and on shirts. It is a sunny look
that blends into natural tones and textures in collections pervaded by the relaxed mood of island
life. Tropical garden print shirts are made to be worn over sun-bleached pastel shorts or
distressed jeans embellished with embroideries or pictorial touches. But those jeans go just as
well with washed t-shirts and accessories with waves, green palms and raffia on the linings.
Bright shades of mandarin orange, blue and pink enliven “organic” shapes – corals, tropical fish
and geometric rocky landscapes on totally fresh swim shorts. The beach couture picks up on
crossover suggestions: from the early surfing repertoire to traditional African motifs all the way
to limited edition original photo prints.

URBAN TAILORING: SARTORIAL, TECH and SLIM FIT
The avant-garde man’s outfit interprets a passion for design in an unusual combination of
sportswear and new-generation tailoring: meticulous attention to cut and detail go hand-in-hand
with research on materials, and innovative textures embellished with digital prints. Slim fit urban
tailoring is meant for an elegant, cosmopolitan man: it uses tech-fabrics and deconstructs the
lines and proportions of classic menswear. And the contemporary dandy’s uniform? The tailored
jersey suit, the hand-sewn Neapolitan style shirt, and micro-patterned Bermudas in tech fabrics
– all meant to be worn with super-light fiber scarves and hats, crafted nappa and soft suede
slip-ons and leather-and-canvas espadrilles.

BAGS FOR THE ENDLESS SUMMER
Style, line and function come together in a harmony of fine materials and masterful
craftsmanship in collections of one day bags created to meet the needs of today’s
professionals. Ethnic hints for a new way of travelling: roomy bags combine leather, canvas,
and wood but with extremely clean lines making them as perfect for the city as they are for the
beach. Summer presents a world of accessories of no-compromise quality and timeless,
minimalist styling: fine craftsmanship, top quality hides such as Italian vacchetta and 100%
cotton canvas with the fewest possible metal fittings that would make them vulnerable to
weather. The favorite styles? The evergreen messenger and tote bags, the 24 hour bag, and
the increasingly trendy rucksack – all made to use all the time: from business meetings to the
gym to the weekend getaway.

THE OUTFIT FOR THE URBAN JUNGLE IS SPORTY-CHIC
The new metro look turns to sportswear, freely mixing heritage and tech materials, taking
sports-based elements out of context and using them together with urban wear classics. The
result is a sporty-chic DNA that generates items embellished with mesh details, bonded and
pierced fabrics, printed knits and high-tech, matelassé effect sweatshirts. The palette creates
fascinating contrasts on fabrics and in the prints: bold color blocking, floral patterns and pop
highlights. The raincoat is now perfect for all occasions and meets all needs: from the eskimo
with a protective hood to the short, high-performance vintage parka. Simple, squared lines,
inside pockets and plastic zippers stand out on fabrics that breathe. The season’s must-haves:
the water repellent, super-comfortable, thermal microfiber over jacket with ergonomic sleeves.
This is a world where jersey shorts are naturals for summer evenings, while shirts and jackets
with updated lines are made of stretch fabrics and enhanced with full-color graphics.

VOYAGE VOYAGE
Here is a wardrobe that evolves in its travels through the seasons: different weights, and
performance levels that can face any changes in weather. “Voyage” also means function and
comfort and we see it in clothes with utility details and stretch fabrics that are pleasing to the
touch. The docking point? A composite look suited to getting around in the city, with a new take
on sailing, or with biker-inspired items. In spring, windproof, water-resistant stretch fabrics take
the lead in field jackets, shirts, polos and pants, along with a contemporary traveller pack in
shape-memory fabric for blazers, coats and trench coats with functional pockets, while military
cotton is the preferred choice for pea coats and eskimo jackets. The summer turns the
spotlights on super-light fabrics like ottoman micro-cotton and a sophisticated look with lively
prints on everything – from field jackets to swim shorts.

INDIGO SHADES
Denim, in every possible shade and finish: from raw to sartorial to the environmentally
sustainable, from light wash to cold over-dyed, from check prints to monochrome floral patterns
on shirts and pants. This is true research and it extends to styles and combinations: cargo
pants, bermudas, capsule shirt collections all the way to the denim jacket – including the 5-
pocket version – making for a 100% denim look…and of course there is always stretch denim
and indigo fleece with novelty print details.

THE WORLD OF T-SHIRTS: DIGITAL PASSION
The kids on the streets of Tokyo and London with their apparently improved, exuberant look are
the inspiration for the item that dictates trends more than any other. Always more customized,
daring and colorful, the T-shirt is a whole generation’s ID. When it’s embellished with edgy
photo prints it speaks to a fashion-conscious allure, but it is also the vehicle for stories of
rebellion and artistic passions. As a manifesto of style, it blazes the path for excessive, amusing
and unpredictable looks as it mixes animal prints, geometric patterns and multicolor flowers,
rock graphics and extreme wash processes. In the eye of this perfect storm – the t-shirt with 3D
digital prints, underground icons and bright vitamin colors. And…t-shirts that speak to surfing
paradises, designed for dreaming of a summer oasis in the midst of a frenetic, always-rushing
city.