MA FASHION MANAGEMENT AND COMMUNICAGTION

April 26, 2016

LONDON, United Kingdom — Ten years ago, the Middle East was famous for producing fashion stars with a reverence for the rituals of couture. Most of the designers who made an international breakthrough were either wedded to the eveningwear category or moulded by red carpet style. Today, those making inroads from the Middle East to the fashion capitals are a much more diverse bunch than the generation led by Elie Saab, Reem Acra and Zuhair Murad. And that means that the more daring among them often appeal to a broader slice of the global marketplace.

“As the world gets smaller, I think our design language gets richer but, at the same time, it becomes more coherent across different cultures and markets, don’t you think?” offers Elinor Avni, who together with Tammar Edelman designs the cutting-edge accessories brand, Noritamy.

Having gained stardom in her hometown of Tel Aviv, Avni made the leap from Israel to Europe a few years ago where she started selling at the Paris trade show Premiere Classe and exhibiting at the showrooms during London Fashion Week. Now she counts tastemaker boutiques like Luisa Via Roma, Kabiri and 10 Corso Como Seoul as stockists, and says she is in talks with one of London’s major department stores.

“Before, you could often sense which part of the world a design was coming from. But these days, you can’t really tell unless a brand’s collections are specifically orientated that way. In my opinion, design can definitely benefit from a sense of place, but I think it’s more powerful if it’s working below the radar on a more subtle or even subconscious level,” she adds, gesturing toward one of her collections that infuses delicate geometric architecture with dramatic motifs of primordial nature.

Adding nuance and light and shade to apparent design contradictions seems to be a common theme for many of the young designers of Avni’s generation, regardless of where they call home across the great expanse of the Middle East, with its myriad cultural codes and clothing traditions.

“We love our culture but when we’re creating, we don’t think it belongs to a certain place; we think it’s for everywhere,” says Shiva Vaqar, one of the two Iranian sisters behind the Tehran-based label Vaqar. Boasting a “modern and casual” aesthetic, which she says is aimed at a woman who “has her own values and her own point of view”, Vaqar was nominated for this year’s LVMH Prize.

April 17, 2016

Analysts expect several months of falling or barely-growing revenues from Gap, American Eagle Outfitters and other US mall mainstays.

SAN FRANCISCO, United States — It's shaping up to be another tough year at the mall.

Warnings from apparel maker Perry Ellis, whose clothing brands fill the racks of many retailers, and other companies suggest teens and other shoppers are still ho-hum about spending on fashion and that investors should be cautious, especially about mall-dependent retailers.

A trifecta of Silicon Valley-led trends could hurt companies that depend on foot traffic at suburban shopping malls: Teens are spending more time on devices and less at the mall; consumers are increasingly willing to buy clothes online, often from internet-only stores, and consumers in general have shifted their priorities away from clothing and toward technology and home improvement.

Wall Street analysts on average expect several months of falling or barely-growing revenues from Gap, American Eagle Outfitters and other mall mainstays. They see a glimmer of hope at year end, with shoppers potentially buying more winter attire than in 2015, when the weather was mild in parts of the United States.

"We've had a hard time finding very many names in apparel retail," said Robert Marvin, co-portfolio manager of the $130 million Hood River Small Cap Growth Fund, who said he is mostly steering clear of the sector because it does not seem favorably priced, based on the restrained outlook.

The fund does own shares of shoe and cap seller Genesco because Marvin expects a turnaround after last year disappointed and after the company shook up leadership in its Lids division.

With the propagation of privately held fashion ecommerce stores like Everlane and ShopBop competing with Amazon, as well as more customer-friendly shipping policies from traditional retailers, clothing and accessories outsold computer gear online for the first time last year, reaching $17.2 billion in the fourth quarter, according to comScore.

"Kids don't need to go the mall anymore to socialize," said BB&T stock analyst Corinna Freedman, who frequently visits Foot Locker, Coach and other retailers she covers. "The mall is no longer the hangout place it once was."

Shares of apparel retailers have performed poorly. Aeropostale has lost 93 percent in the past year and recently warned of potential liquidity problems. Shares of L Brands, the owner of Victoria Secrets, are down 12 percent so far in 2016, missing out on much of a stock market rally since mid-February.

Some of the blame for those woes has been laid at the feet of teenagers happy to wear inexpensive outfits mixed and matched from "fast-fashion" sellers like privately held Forever 21, with little interest in the brand-labeled clothes sold by longer-established stores like Abercrombie & Fitch Co.

Apparel and accessories retailers in the S&P 500 retailing index are expected to post a 1.3 percent drop in first-quarter earnings, followed by a 1.9 percent increase in the second quarter, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S analyst David Aurelio.

Many of them will close out their fiscal first quarter in April and report results in May.

Macy's, the operator of Bloomingdale's as well as its eponymous department stores, is seen posting three quarters of declining revenue before eking out a 0.3 percent increase in the holiday quarter. In comparison, home improvement retailers are expected to report a 16 percent climb in profits in their first quarter and second quarters.

Perry Ellis International on Tuesday warned that retailers are being cautious about their inventories. Buckle, which sells clothes for teens, saw its sales fall 11 percent in March, and Gap reported a worse-than-expected 6 percent drop in March same-store sales.

March 10, 2016

Hong Kong is getting a bad rap as megabrands face tough times in the market, but for smaller luxury brands, this city still means big business, says Monica Vinader.

LONDON, United Kingdom — It has been over a year since our first flagship opened in Hong Kong. The protests were in full swing then and the media’s downbeat portrayal of the Hong Kong luxury market has grown steadily ever since. But despite concerns over the city’s ability to keep affluent shoppers buying and all the talk about Greater China’s recent downturn, we have had nothing but success from our new venture there.

The opening of our first Monica Vinader boutique at the IFC mall was smooth. For all the reports about the market challenges, everything was delivered on time, on budget and to an exceptional standard. Our customers in Hong Kong are 80 percent local and 20 percent expat — and performance from that demographic alone has been strong enough to persuade us to open two more doors in the city, which we recently did.

At our second boutique in Harbour City and our counter at Sogo Department Store, it is the overwhelmingly high number of mainland Chinese visitors, particularly during the weekend, who drive our sales. Although it is still early days, we are greatly encouraged as shoppers have been quick to embrace our everyday diamonds, semi-precious stones, friendship bracelets and same-day complimentary engraving service that is synonymous with our brand. Now, it’s about building loyalty.

As a British jewellery brand with a global vision, I find Hong Kong an incredible place to do business in. Taxes are low; the infrastructure is world-class; and the growth opportunities offered by the city’s easy access to mainland China are phenomenal. The business culture there is marked by a refreshingly can-do attitude. Word-of-mouth works magic. Decisions are made quickly. Things get done.

Granted, we were lucky to build a good team from the start and have good business contacts too, who supported the brand from day one, whether it was landlords, press, fashion influencers or friends of the brand. Serving an exceptionally cosmopolitan, wealthy and sophisticated clientele, Hong Kong is a dynamic place for younger brands and start-ups. We’ve found that there is a real understanding of quality and luxury among our customers and partners, as well as a genuine appetite for new things.

From my first trip, I knew it made absolute sense to choose Hong Kong as the first step towards our expansion in Asia. The city is the commercial star of modern China. As well as using Hong Kong as a base for our Asia expansion, we are also looking at how to tackle the mainland China market in 2016.

The world of luxury is cutthroat and competitive, and there is no denying that Hong Kong is a tougher market than it used to be. We have a lot of work to do to connect with our customers and to keep their loyalty, but so far the city has exceeded our expectations.

From where I am standing and judging by early results, I’d say that the city is still a powerful platform for luxury entrepreneurs with a strong product and big ambitions.

March 05, 2016

Coming off a huge win that all but guaranteed Donald Trump the Republican party's nomination for president, the real-estate mogul tweeted early Wednesday defending one of his Democratic rivals.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders scored a surprising win in the Indiana Democratic primary on Tuesday, but he's still unlikely to beat his rival, Hillary Clinton, for the Democratic nomination.

Clinton, a former senator and secretary of state, still maintains a substantial lead in popular votes, pledged delegates, and superdelegates.

Trump, meanwhile, beat out his rivals in the Indiana Republican primary, prompting Texas Sen. Ted Cruz to drop out of the race. Ohio Gov. John Kasich remains, but he has no chance of winning the required number of delegates to secure him the nomination through state contests.

That means it's almost certain that Trump will face Clinton in the general election this fall. He's now taking aim at Clinton while defending Sanders, whom he has nicknamed "Crooked Hillary."

"What a great evening we had. So interesting that Sanders beat Crooked Hillary," Trumptweeted Wednesday morning, using his preferred moniker for Clinton. "The dysfunctional system is totally rigged against him!"

He continued in a subsequent tweet: "I would rather run against Crooked Hillary Clinton than Bernie Sanders and that will happen because the books are cooked against Bernie!"

Trump has ridden a wave of populist support to the Republican nomination, and Sanders has been pushing a similar message in focusing on a system he says benefits society's billionaires at the expense of the middle class.

March 01, 2016

If you spent less money on handbags in 2015 than in years previous, you're not alone — women across the U.S. are spending less on expensive totes and midsize bags in favor of smaller, less expensive satchels, and it's transforming the businesses of Kate Spade, Michael Kors and other brands that have long depended on those big-ticket purchases for a sizable portion of their income.

Kate Spade, for its part, ushered in 14 new product categories — most notably children's — and expanded to eight countries in 2015, and the results paid off, with sales ringing in at $1.24 billion for the year, up 9 percent from 2014. Same-store sales were up 13 percent. Over the fourth quarter, net sales increased 8 percent to $428 million, driven by strong demand for novelty items, its Everpurse collaboration and its buy online/pick up in-store offerings over the holidays, CEO Craig Leavitt said on a call with investors Tuesday.

Kate Spade expects to see high-single and low-double-digit growth going into 2016, forecasting annual sales of between $1.39 billion and $1.41 billion. Driving that growth will be the introduction of yet more categories, including activewear, sleepwear and a bridal capsule this spring, as well as continued geographic expansion, including a range of stand alone stores in India, announced today.

While the strengthening dollar has hurt sales to tourists all across the U.S., Kate Spade has been able to offset most of the damage by strengthening relationships with local customers, Leavitt said. The company is also continuing to focus on winding down promotions and the availability of off-price product to boost full-price sales.

Investors were pleased with the report, with company shares trading up 9 percent Tuesday afternoon.

February 29, 2016

In very exciting news that I'm positive you've already heard, Leonardo DiCaprio won his first Oscar on Sunday night for his leading role in "The Revenant." It's about time! Sadly, like many other editors, buyers, etc. who are in Milan for Fashion Week, I wasn't able to watch this monumental pop cultural moment go down in real-time, although it was certainly a great tidbit to wake up to on Monday. But to be quite honest, I've had DiCaprio top of mind over the past couple of weeks for another reason: His face, along with Kate Winslet's, is emblazoned on a black Vetements hoodie that I've seen, like, 10 times in Milan alone. (I also spotted it on model Hari Nef in New York, though she topped hers with a white fur.)

It's no surprise that Vetements pieces have been ubiquitous during Fashion Month, especially since nothing sounds more appealing to wear in rainy, cold weather than an oversized hoodie. But over the past few days, I've nearly been run over by a street style photographer wearing the "Titanic" hoodie while trying to get a shot, and spotted a model off-duty wrapped up in one while sneaking a cigarette post-show. At an evening show, Vogue's Accessories Editor Selby Drummond decided to dress down by changing into the T-shirt version (see below), and in the audience at Roberto Cavalli, i-D's Senior Fashion Editor Julia Sarr-Jamois gave it a spin, too.

February 22, 2016

Estée Lauder has added another fragrance brand to a sophisticated portfolio that includes Jo Malone, Tom Ford, Le Labo and Frédéric Malle: By Kilian, a nine-year-old perfume company that operates a small but very international handful of boutiques in locations ranging from Paris and Moscow to Doha, Qatar and Lugano, Switzerland, each decorated in shades of black and white.

With prices like $475 for 1.7 ounces of its "Pearl Oud" fragrance, $4,000 for a monstrously large (22-ounce) bottle of its iris-inflected "Prelude to Love, invitation" and that pulse-quickening "Price Upon Request" for a custom scent, By Kilian is definitely what you'd call a high-end perfume brand, sitting a step above Estée Lauder's other fragrance lines. At Frédéric Malle and Le Labo, a 1.7 oz fragrance goes for more like $160 or $185 to $200, respectively — though to be fair, some of By Kilian's scents do get down to $295. While that sort of pricing weeds out a good chunk of potential customers, it could do something to elevate Estée Lauder's overall positioning in the beauty business.

"Kilian’s heritage of sophistication and luxury is a terrific match for The Estée Lauder Companies," said William P. Lauder, the executive chairman of Estée Lauder Companies, in a statement. That would be family heritage: the brand's founder is Kilian Hennessy, as in the LVMH-owned Cognac brand.

February 18, 2016

It's been nearly a year since Alessandro Michele showed his first womenswear collection for Gucci, and although his quirky, exuberantly adorned designs quickly began appearing in the pages of fashion magazines and on the backs of street style stars, the jury was still out about whether consumers were on board as well. But according to Kering's latest financial results, the Italian brand's sales returned to growth in the final quarter of the year, suggesting that shoppers are indeed fond of its new direction. Good thing, because let's be honest: no matter how many magazine covers Gucci graces, that doesn't mean much to its publicly traded parent company if everyday women aren't biting.

Gucci's had its ups and downs this year. While comparable sales dipped 8 percent in the first quarter of the year, they popped up 4.6 percent in the second, thanks to Chinese tourist traffic and increased product discounting in China — they weren't buying Michele's designs just yet, though, since his first collection arrived in stores for fall. The third quarter brought flat sales (down 0.4 percent) — Gucci's cruise collection hit at the end of that period — but in the fourth they were again up 4.8 percent. And that was Michele's work selling.

As Kering's biggest brand, Gucci's success is a big win for the company overall. Saint Laurent, too, continues to crush it at the cash register, with its 2015 sales up nearly 26 percent compared to the year prior. Let's hope thatrumored change-up in Saint Laurent's creative management doesn't mess up its roll. 

February 17, 2016

It's a gutsy move to ditch a secure career in medicine to build a luxury footwear brand from scratch. "I didn't know the first thing about sourcing, so I needed help with that," says Minneapolis-based Marion Parke. "And then getting into the right factory."

What she did know, however, was how to create a new insole thanks to her career as a foot and ankle specialist. By using medical-grade material that has similar properties to human soft tissue, the insole — usually found in prosthetics — molds to the foot over time. Plus, its sculpting and contouring follows the natural curvature of the bottom of the foot, along with arch support that helps release fatigue over time and a heel cup to support the ankle. To patent her original insole, Parke has been sorting through a lengthy legal process that's expanded to specific countries outside of the U.S.

Upon founding her footwear line in 2014 and developing a crude prototype in the U.S., Parke traveled to Italy and approached the same factory responsible for assembling shoes by high-end brands like Jimmy Choo, Isabel Marant,Miu Miu and Acne. "I was floored that they were willing to work with me," she says. "It takes a lot of patience to have that balance of an anatomical perspective and beautiful design." As for heel height, 85 millimeters is the highest Parke will make her shoes. She says it's not a scientific decision, simply a wearable and cosmetic preference.

By 2015, she had developed her own prototype and original lasts (foot molds) to start manufacturing her debut collection for spring 2016. She recruited staff in Italy and New York City. After learning that her shops' clients were often purchasing more than one pair from her namesake brand, Parke has made the strategic decision to launch e-commerce this year. She's also expanded her line with new styles for fall, including flats and ankle boots.

Given that her shoes are being designed from the perspective of a surgical podiatrist, Parke still has to distinguish herself from easily being placed in the comfort shoes category. "First and foremost, it's a luxury and fashion shoe — with intelligence and knowledge built in," she says. But retailers are catching on, especially when the price points range from $595 to $875. Moda Operandiis currently holding a trunk show for its pre-fall collection and the label is available at such boutiques as Boboli in Vancouver and Stanley Korshak in Dallas.

February 16, 2016

Scanning the homepage of Urban Outfitters's website, the retailer's product selection and imagery seems right on trend. A trio of models, including rising runway star Damaris Goddrie, wear sporty clothes in nude tones evocative ofKanye West's Yeezy collections; the men's section showcases a denim Calvin Klein hat; in beauty, Milk's new makeup collection, the recipient of much Instagram love from various coastal cool girls, is on display. The photographs are shot in pale, natural light, and the site's layout is equally pared down. 

It's not an original aesthetic, but in the context of Urban Outfitters's mission to get itself back on point with young shoppers, it's a step forward. Over the past few years, we've watched the brand's sales plummet and, after a concerted effort from its management, creep back into growth. On Tuesday afternoon, Urban Inc. execs said that they believe the brand is "back in sync" with its core customer, noting that social engagement is up. Still, they qualified, there's a lot of work to be done, including better controlling brand-eroding markdowns and editing down redundancies in the women's clothing assortment. All in all, Urban Outfitters saw its comparable retail sales decrease 3 percent during the fourth quarter of the year, which ended Jan. 31.

It was a muted quarter across all of Urban Inc.'s brands, though, with the typically successful Free People's sales increasing just 2 percent. Overall company sales were $1.01 billion, the same as last year. And as we've seenover the past month or so, the 2015 holiday season wasn't kind to many retailers, with warm temperatures tamping down shoppers' exuberance over winter clothing.

February 15, 2016

Reporting its 2015 financial results on Thursday, Puma noted that Rihanna's first shoe designs for the brand have 'ignited' its women's business and helped its footwear category achieve sales growth of 11 percent, bringing in €360.8 million. That's totally unsurprising, of course: The singer, who showed her first Fenty for Puma collection at New York Fashion Week earlier this week is, by some counts, the most marketable celebrity out there at the moment. And her work with the German sportswear company hasn't even hit stores in full yet.

Puma's performance wasn't perfect across the board. Though it closed out the year with strong fourth quarter growth across all of its categories, profit dropped from €64.1 million in 2014 to €37.1 million last year, partly due to adverse currency effects.

Fortunately, Puma has some potentially lucrative events to look forward to, including the upcoming summer Olympics in Rio and a spring/summer women's campaign confirmed to be starring an 18-year-old from Los Angeles named Kylie Jenner. Is it a thirsty hire? Sure. But given how quickly the youngest Ms. Jenner moves product, we'd guess that a year of her and Rihanna's combined influence will have done really good things for Puma's women's business by this time next year.

February 14, 2016

In the first and second quarters of fiscal 2016 (aka March through September), Ralph Lauren spent $45 million and $38 million, respectively, on company-wide restructuring, including hiring a new CEO, Stefan Larsson, in September. (Ralph Lauren, the man, then moved into the dual roles of executive chairman and chief creative officer.) That restructuring has yet to translate into significant sales growth, however, as evidenced by what Larsson called a "very disappointing performance" in the three months leading to Dec. 26, 2015, during which total sales declined 1 percent to $1.9 billion. 

Ralph Lauren's biggest problems lie in North America, where total sales decreased 4 percent due to unseasonably warm weather, a decline in tourist activity and "product assortment challenges in the Lauren brand." Meanwhile, European sales grew 6 percent even though stores in France and the U.K. briefly closed following the Paris terrorist attacks in November. Wholesale sales were another problematic area, decreasing 3 percent to $786 million, and comparable retail store sales fell 5 percent. (Thanks to new store openings and e-commerce growth, though, retail sales were overall unchanged from last year.)

In an earnings call on Thursday, Larsson said he still has a lot of work to do to "match the business performance with the strength of the brand," adding that he will have a more specific plan of action to share when the full year results are revealed in May. He likened the task ahead of him to similar challenges he faced at his two previous employers, Old Navy and H&M. "We will build Ralph Lauren into a stronger position," he said, adding that it is a "long term" endeavor. 

February 13, 2016

Valentino has 6.5 million followers on Instagram. Chanel: 11.8 million. Even younger brands in the fashion and beauty space — Everlane, Warby Parker,Baublebar — have hundreds of thousands of followers apiece. With numbers like those, launching an Instagram account for a new company can feel daunting: a bit like slinking into a party that's already in full-swing, and not knowing a soul.

But don't despair! Not only are you not alone, but in some ways, launching an account on Instagram is easier now than it was when the first platform first launched in late 2010. "It's actually a good time to do it, because you can build the right community," says Jessica Kia, co-founder of digital marketing consultancy RJK Project and the former head of global digital and social media at Kate Spade New York. "There are so many more tools to build a following with your customers — to target your email subscribers, or the people who have visited or converted on your website. You can engage a community that has already proven valuable to you, rather than gathering numbers for the sake of sheer numbers."

If you're a fashion or beauty brand, there's no question about whether youshould be on the platform — given the audience size (Instagram has more than 400 million monthly users), and the popularity of fashion and beauty content with that audience. "Instagram is the new business card," says Rachel Tipograph, founder of mobile shopping network MikMak and the former global director of digital and social media at Gap. "When people are doing new partnerships, or people are trying to learn about your brand, they'll go to Instagram instead of to your company website, instead of LinkedIn. It will help with your recruiting, and from a partnership standpoint it will show your authenticity and influence. For your customers, it shows that your brand is alive."

We spoke to a mix of social media experts — all of whom have, at some point in their careers, helped build a major fashion or beauty brand on Instagram virtually from scratch — about the steps to take when starting out.

February 12, 2016

Burberry Group Plc, the British luxury fashion brand, sued J. C. Penney Co on Tuesday, accusing the US retailer of trademark infringement for selling outerwear that featured exact copies of its famous "Burberry check" pattern.

Burberry said it has used its check trademark since the 1920s, in its original red, camel, black and white color combination as well as other combinations.

Founded in 1856, Burberry is one of many luxury brands to sue over the sale of alleged knockoffs that they fear can reduce sales, or damage reputations and customer goodwill.

February 11, 2016

The company promises will go beyond a traditional runway show — will air on a “global multi-media broadcast network" and will be targeted at consumers and press. 

February 10, 2016

In the last decade, luxury handbag prices have skyrocketed. Now, brands are making smaller versions of iconic styles to win back aspirational consumers.

February 07, 2016

Burberry live social media advertising.

Strategies:

-Against copy of fast fashion, such as ZARA

-They are global brand, they need care about different country have different season

-It can promote sales

-Burberry leading this change, and more brands will do like this

-customers do not have patient to wait 6 mouthes for purchasing fashion clothes. They pay more attention to buy the fashion goods what they see immediately.

February 01, 2016

After Shanghai, Beijing, Paris botiques, the first theme concept store opened in Beijing on 1st February, 2016. The products choose from all serices of Shang Xia. This store will has different themes at every season and there are tea set, art exhibition, culture salon and so on. It reflects the elegant lifestyle of the Orient. Red is main colour in the spring of new year.

October 31, 2015

IT was a combination of the French Riviera and Paris in springtime that played out on the Ralph Lauren catwalk today – with Julianne Moore, Jessica Chastain and Alec Baldwin among those there to take it all in, Frank Sinatra chiming away in the background. Quite the holiday.

What to pack for it? Ralph suggests bold graphic maxidresses, here they curved in lines of red and blue; wide palazzo pants and fine-knit bodysuits complete with cutouts. Of course, you’ll need a ballgown – in stripes – and plenty of preppy shirting, for which the designer is so well-known.

And while that takes care of your wardrobe, you’ll need to think about adding an extra bit of hand luggage for the accessories – here they really stood out: ladylike little box bags or raffia numbers with “Ralph” stitched on. Top that off with a pair of huge Eighties visor sunglasses and you have the Ralph Lauren mini-break done.