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Showing posts from September, 2019

Coach and Michael B. Jordan Debut First Collection

Coach launches today its first collaboration collection with men’s wear ambassador Michael B. Jordan. The partnership that was first revealed one year ago in September culminates with this collection inspired by Jordan’s influences, highlighting unique voices and anime, more specifically “Naruto,” the Japanese manga that was first published in 1997 and first adapted to anime in 2002. “I wanted to use something personal to me,” said Jordan about the collection inspiration. “Incorporating Naruto into the collection felt really authentic since it meant so much to me growing up and still does. It’s not often that I get to blend business with personal and it’s a rare coincidence when those two worlds meet up.” Naruto Uzumaki, the series’ titular character, is a young, optimistic ninja who realizes his potential despite rejection and tribulation. Symbols, motifs and attire from the series are prevalent in the unisex collection like the signature eye that was reworked with the luxury house’s ...
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Losing Hong Kong Retail Could Be Devastating to Global Luxury Brands

Hong Kong retail has long been seen by the U.S. and foreign retailers and brands as a stepping stone to China’s market, with its large regular influx of Chinese tourists and close proximity to Macau. Now, as the territory’s anti-China protests intensify and go into their fourth consecutive month, some analysts are beginning to consider the unthinkable — a scenario in which Hong Kong’s role in global retail becomes significantly diminished. Here, I’ll explore Hong Kong’s role as a global retail center and what retailers could do in the event of a collapse in retail sales there. Why Hong Kong Retail Matters Hong Kong retail matters because it’s one of the world’s most iconic luxury retail centers. As one of the world’s top financial centers, Hong Kong is littered with Chanel and Dior stores, and there is no shortage of impeccably well-dressed bankers strutting the streets. The city is estimated to contribute 5 to 10 percent of the world’s luxury sales. Hong Kong was Tiffany & Co.’s f...
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Forever 21 Falls, a Fast-fashion Bankruptcy

Forever 21’s bankruptcy crystalizes the end of a retail age — one that was characterized by an ever-expanding brick-and-mortar presence and ever-lower prices. The fast-fashion company limped into bankruptcy late Sunday with too many stores that were too big, not enough of an e-commerce business and an international expansion that stretched its quick-turn supply chain to the limit. Rather than embracing today’s main themes in retail — where sustainability, a smaller footprint, an emphasis on experience and strong brick-and-click connections rule — the L.A.-based company jumped at real estate opportunities in a rapidly shifting market, doubling down on old-world retail just as the consumer took a hard turn. Now the retailer, which at its peak employed 43,000 people and logged $4.1 billion in annual sales and has long been known for its legal battles, plans to trim down and grow its web business — hoping to keep a family dream alive and adding a second chapter to a 35-year-old company tha...
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Fashion Is Smitten With Beauty Executives: Here’s Why

Take a seasoned beauty executive, add some retail experience and a scoop of creative management know-how and — voilà — the fashion executive of tomorrow. It’s a recipe that’s become increasingly popular as a host of fashion and luxury firms, led by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, speed up their recruitment from the L’Oréals and P&Gs of the world, attracted by the formidable marketing, digital, brand and consumer engagement skills baked in there. Over the summer, Pierre-Emmanuel Angeloglou became the latest to cross over, exiting his position as global brand president of L’Oréal Paris to become director of strategic missions for fashion and leather goods at Louis Vuitton. According to sources, he is learning the retail and product ropes at Vuitton’s store network in Scandinavia. “Fashion houses need fresh perspectives,” said Béatrice Ballini, managing director at search firm Russell Reynolds. “Consumers demand that brands engage with a wider audience rather than portray themselves...
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EXCLUSIVE: Wacoal America Is Getting a New CEO

Wacoal America’s changing of the guards is moving into the next phase.  Starting Oct. 1, Mitch Kauffman will be elevated to president, as Bob Vitale, who has been chief executive officer and president of the women’s intimates apparel company for more than seven years, takes on a lesser role in preparation for his upcoming retirement. The move is part of Vitale’s succession plan, which has been in the works for six months. Kauffman will officially become ceo of Wacoal America in March, the end of the company’s current fiscal year.  “I feel very, very confident that Mitch is the right person for this position,” Vitale told WWD. “The beauty of this situation is that Mitch has been here for three-and-a-half years. So he already understands our culture and our people. And I couldn’t be more delighted in terms of someone taking over my role.” Bob Vitale, current chief executive officer and president of Wacoal America.  Courtesy Vitale, who has been with Wacoal America for 22 ye...
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EXCLUSIVE: Rei Kawakubo Shakes Up Beauty Retailing at New Paris Outpost

PARIS — “I want to find the equivalents of Simone Rocha and Craig Green in the beauty business.” Name-checking two of London’s most singular, uncompromising fashion talents, that’s how Adrian Joffe summed up the ethos of the new Dover Street Parfums Market, where he and his wife Rei Kawakubo shunned pretty much every cliché of fragrance selling in their latest Paris project, which opens Wednesday in the Marais district. “Not a normal beauty counter,” Joffe quipped during an exclusive walk-through on Sunday with WWD, noting the absence of glass cases, advertising collateral, back walls, logos — and gifts with purchase. “It’s a forest of pillars.” Indeed, Kawakubo conceived an array of striking columnar, floor-to-ceiling display units in a range of silvery and white materials, including tiles, stucco, galvanized steel and sparkly silver lacquer. A lumpy totem covered in a patchwork of knitted squares by textile artist Magda Sayeg anchors the stairwell, beckoning shoppers downstairs to ye...
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Aliza Licht’s Podcast Doling Out Career Advice Under Way

Aliza Licht, the brand marketing and digital executive, who penned the book “Leave Your Mark,” has launched her podcast on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify and other outlets. The 15-episode season serves up career advice, inspiration and honest talk from Licht and guests who include Danielle Bernstein of @weworewhat; author Nicole Lapin of “Becoming Super Woman”; Rachel Blumenthal, founder and chief executive officer of Rockets of Awesome; Patti Cohen, former executive vice president of public relations and communications at Donna Karan International, and Licht’s former boss; Alexandra Wilkis Wilson, cofounder of Gilt and GlamSquad; John Demsey, executive group president at the Estée Lauder Cos. Inc., and Jill Kargman, who did the TV series “Odd Mom Out.” Among the topics explored are how to become a major fashion influencer; pursuing your passion even when you can’t find a job; how to build a successful online brand from scratch; how to change career midlife; working your way to the top a...
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Moschino Taps Stefano Secchi as GM

MILAN — Moschino parent company Aeffe SpA will reveal today it has appointed a new general manager, Stefano Secchi. Secchi, 42, succeeds Gabriele Maggio, who held the same position for three years. WWD first reported earlier this month that Maggio was said to be leaving the Italian brand.  Secchi leverages experience in the luxury fashion industry on an international scale. He was previously commercial director at Etro for three years. Before that, he was global wholesale director at Versace. Secchi’s career began at the Giorgio Armani Group, with increased responsibilities over eight years, becoming group strategic marketing manager in 2011. “We welcome Stefano Secchi at Moschino and trust he will be skilled to lead a further phase of the brand’s growth and enhancement, while respecting the strong and distinctive brand identity, seizing new opportunities for commercial development and successfully facing the challenges that an increasingly global marketplace offers,...
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EXCLUSIVE: Cara Delevingne Named Face of Dior Joaillerie Collections

DOUBLE DUTY: Cara Delevingne is the new face of Dior Joaillerie, starting with the Rose des Vents campaign, WWD has exclusively learned. The actress and model is already entrenched in the maison’s stable as a beauty face, where she fronts both Dior Addict Stellar Shine lipstick and Dior Capture Youth line. Delevingne has walked catwalks for numerous fashion houses and has been on the cover of many magazines worldwide, but recently has been picking up steam for her acting credits, appearing in films such as “Suicide Squad,” “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets” and “Her Smell.” Delevingne stars in the Amazon prime show “Carnival Row,” which premiered in August. Rose des Vents translates to “wind rose.” The fine-jewelry collection, designed by Victoire de Castellane, is inspired by Christian Dior’s travels around the world incorporating the star motif and his favorite flower, the rose. It launched in 2015. The campaign was photographed by Alasdair McLellan and filmed by Carol...
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Next Phase for Hill City: Let’s Get Physical

Gap Inc. is taking Hill City “out from behind an iPhone screen” and into the brick-and-mortar realm. That’s the word from Noah Palmer, general manager of Hill Street, discussing what lies ahead for the fledgling Gap Inc. men’s active brand. Hill Street isn’t ready to open bona fide retail stores. Yet the team is cautiously setting the groundwork for a possible rollout one day with a string of strategies launching this season to raise the brand profile and the distribution. Among the plans: wholesaling the collection at specialty retailers and on third-party web sites; opening a pop-up shop in the heart of San Francisco in mid- or late October, and selling Hill Street inside the Athleta sister division of Gap Inc. Next week, Hill Street hits the road with a mobile truck selling and spreading the word about the Hill Street collection. “We are definitely moving into a second phase of the business, but we are not in a position of pouring gasoline on it,” Palmer told WWD in an exclusive int...
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Barneys Bankruptcy Draws Eclectic Group of Suitors

Barneys New York gained a bit more breathing room — and found it still has enough cache to gather at least a small crowd. The bankrupt retailer received five letters of intent from parties interested enough in buying all or part of the company to put pen to paper, according to sources. There are also said to be several other would-be buyers taking a close look at the company that could potentially jump into the process. Barneys’ potential buyers are an eclectic group. Trade show veteran and Kith backer Sam Ben-Avraham is said to be one of two players to have submitted letters of intent that envision a deal to buy the company as a going concern. Authentic Brands Group is also believed to have officially signaled its interest. Among the players staying close to the process, but not believed to have submitted letters of interest, are Nordstrom Inc. and Neiman Marcus-parent Ares. Another strategic player is said to be very active in its interest. ABG has been interested in Barneys since be...
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EXCLUSIVE: NYX Cosmetics’ Toni Ko Launches Bespoke Beauty Brands

NYX Cosmetics founder Toni Ko, who sold the company to L’Oréal in 2014 for a reported $500 million, is making her return to beauty with Bespoke Beauty Brands, an “incubator” partnering with influencers to launch niche beauty brands. “My life goal is to build another successful company,” said Ko, who’s based in Los Angeles. “…I came here when I was 13 years old, a first-generation immigrant.” With parents in the cosmetics industry, in retail and later working as wholesalers, Ko was immersed in the business growing up and would end up dropping out of community college in Glendale, Calif., to work for them full-time. At the age of 25, she saw a gap in the market and, after receiving a $250,000 loan from her parents, started NYX Cosmetics. Any regrets about selling the company? “No, my life motto is to not have regrets in the decisions you make,” said Ko. “I do wish I had the company for another year or maybe two. But L’Oréal is an amazing buyer for the brand. I was just in Scotland walkin...
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American Eagle Introduces ‘Mood’ CBD Wellness Line

American Eagle is looking to help teens and young adults combat stressors and practice self-care with the launch of Mood, the company’s new wellness and personal care product line, on Oct. 1. Teens are becoming more vocal about the stress in their lives, whether it be their grades, friendships, family life and social media. A poll from social network After School found that 45 percent of high school students feel they’re stressed “all the time” due primarily to their relationships and teachers. Pew Research Center released a survey in February that found that teens between the ages 13 and 17 believe anxiety and depression is a major problem among people their age. “Kids are definitely stressed out today between social media and doing well in school and in sports and we want kids to feel encouraged to reset and feel calm and ready to go,” said Chad Kessler, American Eagle global brand president. “We see so much research and feedback that kids feel stressed and need to relax and reenergi...
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Paris Hilton: Fragrance Entrepreneur and ‘Undercover Nerd’?

Paris Hilton is launching her 25th fragrance. Called Electrify, the scent is meant to capture the rush Hilton feels when she is DJing. “Electrify was inspired by nightlife, me DJing, and just being on stage and performing in front of people and that amazing feeling I get where I feel like I’m electrified,” Hilton said during a wide-ranging business interview at her Manhattan apartment. Hilton has been in the beauty industry since 2004, when she launched Paris Hilton — her first fragrance. Since then, her brand is estimated to have done $2.5 billion in fragrance sales. For context, Jennifer Lopez has done about $2 billion in fragrance sales since 2002. She has also branched out into other categories, launching a skin-care range that’s set for a store rollout in Asia, making tech investments, and opening Paris Hilton retail stores in the Middle East and Asia. In all, Hilton now has 19 product lines. At her New York loft — which is decorated mostly with large-scale photos of herself, plus...
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Dryrobe’s U.S. Invasion Has Begun

Dryrobe has made its Stateside debut by popular demand.    Starting this month, the cap-like gown, with its waterproof exterior and fuzzy lining, is available in the U.S.  While the oversize robe-like jacket was originally intended to keep athletes warm while changing outdoors — (Longtime surfer Gideon Bright came up with the idea after realizing that it was uncomfortable, not to mention cold, when changing out of his wetsuit on the beach.) — these days the likes of Rob Lowe, Harry Melling, “Game of Thrones” stars and films crews around the globe have been spotted in the frock. So have athletes like Jonny Brownlee and Paralympic swimmer Ellie Simmonds. Emilia Clarke of “Game of Thrones” on set in a Dryrobe.  Courtesy “There wasn’t a lot of options to use before Dryrobe,” Bright told WWD. “It seems crazy. But you’d use a towel to change. That was a barrier for kids, for anyone really, trying to enjoy what they’re doing.” The polyester fleece lining, multiple pockets (...
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Forever 21 Files for Bankruptcy

Forever 21 Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protect late Sunday, joining the ranks of traditional retailers struggling mightily adapt in an era of online shopping.   In a letter to customers posted on the retailer’s web site, the company said it had filed for Chapter 11 but stressed its stores remained open and it continued to operate. “As part of our filing, we have requested approval to close a number of stores across the U.S.,” the company said. “The decisions as to which domestic stores will be closing are ongoing, pending the outcome of continued conversations with landlords. We do however expect a significant number of these stores will remain open and operate as usual, and we do not expect to exit any major markets in the U.S.” “We are confident this is the right path for the long-term health of our business. Once we complete a reorganization, Forever 21 will be a stronger, more viable company that is better positioned to prosper for years to come,” it added. Furthe...
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Givenchy RTW Spring 2020

If there’s one thing that’s courted controversy on the runways in Paris, it’s denim, from the fraying denim shorts as base layer for the circa 2020 “le smoking” at YSL, to Seventies Landlubber throwback jeans at Celine, to ripped and shredded Nineties iterations at Givenchy, reworked from actual upcycled vintage pieces in a nod to sustainability, bravo Clare Waight Keller! It’s not that designer denim is a new phenomenon, far from it. But somehow, in this era of class and climate warfare, it’s been a lightning rod. But the beauty of denim is that it can be the uniform of the aristocrat and the protester. Designer denim costs more simply because it can, because customers are willing to pay for context and emotions and values. And at Givenchy, Keller has created the whole package, carving out a feminist fashion niche that is honest and questioning (dressing a duchess for her big day didn’t hurt, either). Titled “NY Paris 1993,” Waight Keller’s latest collection was a look back at a parti...
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EXCLUSIVE: Thom Browne Launching First Fragrances

SIX SCENTS: Thom Browne is dipping into the world of fragrance for the first time, with a collection of six scents, due out in October. “I wanted to create a collection of timeless and iconic fragrances for both men and women…a very personal collection with its central core being vetiver,” the designer told WWD, describing the scents as “brave” and “pure.” “I do appreciate fragrances that confidently and unabashedly stand on their own, fragrances that provoke a true emotion.” Each scent, created with Givaudan, contains an accord of three vetiver extracts. There’s Vetyver Absolute, then combinations such as Vetyver and Cucumber, Vetyver and Grapefruit and Vetyver and Rose. The designer said he chose vetiver “because it is an iconic scent which served as a good base for my fragrance collection.” Each perfume is named with the date of the designer’s birth, 09.27.65, and then the numbers 01 to 06, according to the scent. “Because the fragrance collection was so personal to me, I based the ...
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EXCLUSIVE: Gisele Bündchen Named Face of Dior Capture Totale

NATURAL FIT: Gisele Bündchen has been named the face of Dior Capture Totale. The Brazilian model will appear in a new print and digital advertising campaign for the skin-care line in 2020. “The perfect embodiment of healthy beauty, our new spokesmodel is the icon of wellness, generated by a unique idea of healthy and purely authentic beauty,” said Claude Martinez, president and chief executive officer of Parfums Christian Dior. “This very same idea lies at the heart of the origins and the history of Capture Totale. “Inner beauty nourishes, regenerates and radiates infinite external beauty with its full power and vital energy,” the executive continued. “Today, we are celebrating a supermodel glowing with health, who is an accomplished, stunningly beautiful woman, and of course, the iconic muse of conscious beauty, who joins us to convey and celebrate the house of Dior values.” Alongside being a model, Bündchen is also an actress and environmentalist, who has designed and co-created some...
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Holiday Retail Reports Say Consumers are Ready to Shop — Now

Research released this past week revealed insights into the upcoming holiday season. According to Sensormatic, MiQ and RetailMeNot in separate reports, shoppers are entering the shopping season sooner and armed with optimistic outlooks while starting to think about gift-giving as early as September. In the annual ShopperTrak report presented by Sensormatic Solutions of Johnson Controls, the Thanksgiving Day weekend, including Black Friday, and the Saturday after Thanksgiving, are set to continue to be crucial days for all U.S. retailers this holiday season. Despite some ahead of the curve consumers getting a jump on the holidays, the report suggests nearly half of all holiday sales can still be narrowed down to 10 peak traffic days, with eight days landing firmly in December. “It’s clear that the physical store is still a key to holiday success for retailers,” said Bjoern Petersen, president at Sensormatic Solutions. “With the top shopping days making up 45 percent of retailers’ ho...
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Sustainable Econyl Fibers Comprised ‘Green Carpet’ at Fashion Awards

Think of it as a different kind of magic carpet. Italian synthetic fibers and polymer firm Aquafil Group provided a 2,000-square-meter “green carpet” for the third annual Green Carpet Fashion Awards in Milan, made of Econyl, its yarn made of regenerated nylon created from discarded fishing nets and other nylon waste. The event took place at Teatro alla Scala on Sunday evening, and was organized by Eco-Age and Camera Nazaionale della Moda Italiana. The firm noted that the event “celebrated the commitment of fashion houses to sustainability, as they work to embrace rapid change while preserving the heritage and authenticity of small-scale producers.” Aquafil Group Acquires O’Mara Inc., Discusses Sustainability The carpet was inspired by Leonardo da Vinci, in the 500th anniversary year of his death — a nod to the carpet covering Piazza della Scala, the square that connects La Scala with the Palazzo and features a monument of da Vinci in its center — is an “homage to da Vinci with an aesth...
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EXCLUSIVE: Diesel, Coca-Cola Team on Sustainable Capsule Collection

MILAN — Diesel’s latest collaboration is a bubbly affair — and sustainable, too. The Italian fashion label is teaming with Coca-Cola for a cobranded capsule collection dubbed “The (Re)Collection,” which is set to be unveiled with a special event in Paris on Sept. 28 at Galeries Lafayette. News of the tie-up was first reported by WWD last week, after the OTB-owned label teased a save-the-date to the Paris event, cryptically including the Coca-Cola logo. In addition to signaling fashion’s ongoing craving for cross-pollination and collaborations, the collection also highlights both companies’ commitment to sustainability, as the capsule incorporates recycled fabrics and materials, including textiles derived from PET Coca-Cola bottles, as well as recycled cotton. “As a leading pioneer in denim and casual fashion, Diesel has always been known in the industry as an innovator. The (Re)Collection is a collaboration between two authentic and iconic brands that are both committed to a more respo...
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Could Archie Mountbatten-Windsor’s Wardrobe Outshine Mother Meghan’s?

LONDON — Eyes may be locked onto the Duchess of Sussex as she travels around Africa with husband Prince Harry and Master Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor on the family’s first official overseas tour. But her wardrobe won’t be the only one under scrutiny during the 10-day trip to the continent.  Although he’s only a few months old, Archie’s outfits will also be making headlines, and undoubtedly causing brand web sites to crash as parents around the world get the first glimpse of the royal baby’s style. Why not? Prince George caused a craze for Crocs when he was younger, while Princess Charlotte and her little floral dresses gave a boost to the Spanish brand M&H, among many others. Archie, meanwhile, made his first appearance in Africa on Wednesday, wearing striped overalls from H&M. Around the time that Archie was born, The Centre for Retail Research estimated that Meghan Markle could have the same impact on the children’s wear market as she has had on fashion in gen...
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Bridget Foley’s Diary: Rooney Mara’s Other Gig

Sometimes, life doesn’t work out as planned. When Rooney Mara was a little girl, she wanted to be a pet shop lady. Instead, she grew up to be an Oscar-nominated movie star. The love of animals stuck. So much so that it led her to a second career, as a principal with partners Chrys Wong and Sara Schloat of the vegan fashion line Hiraeth. (Hiraeth is a difficult-to-translate Welsh word meaning something along the lines of a longing or wistfulness for home that can’t be recaptured and perhaps never existed.) Wong and Schloat are in Paris through Oct. 1, showing the Los Angeles-based collection at Le 31 showroom in the Marais. After an informal meeting with Mara and Wong in New York during fashion week, the women agreed to interviews. Wong and Schloat spoke on conference from Los Angeles and San Francisco respectively, and Mara, in a separate conversation, from Kathmandu. Hiraeth was Mara’s idea, sprung from her lifelong passion for animal welfare. After a failed attempt to go vegan as a c...
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EXCLUSIVE: Jennifer Lopez Expands $2 Billion Fragrance Franchise With Promise

Jennifer Lopez is having a milestone year. The music and fashion icon, who turned 50 in July, recently shut down Milan Fashion Week with a reminder of the pivotal moment that inspired Google Images. Lopez closed out Versace’s spring 2020 show wearing a reimagined version of the same jungle-inspired Versace dress she first wore to the 2000 Grammy Awards. She has also been garnering Oscars buzz for her role as Ramona, a veteran stripper, in the film “Hustlers,” and was confirmed today to perform at the 2020 Super Bowl halftime show. Now, she is also launching her 25th fragrance. Promise is the 25th addition to Jennifer Lopez’s $2 billion fragrance franchise.  Courtesy Image Promise is the 25th installment in Lopez’s successful fragrance franchise — and is a new pillar for the brand. The franchise has done more than $2 billion in retail sales since its launch in 2002, according to industry sources. About 65 percent of those sales are said to have come from Lopez’s Glow by JLo fragranc...
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Karim Sadli on Family, Vanessa Paradis and Shooting for Chanel

PARIS — Karim Sadli is reaping the benefits of his busy spring season. This fall will see the release of the photographer’s fashion editorials in Vogue Paris, Vogue Homme and The Gentlewoman, the cover of L’Uomo Vogue and his first Chanel fashion campaign. Yet his parents still ask him the same question as when he first started out 10 years ago: “Did you get paid?” “My family took a while to understand how fashion photographers work,” said Sadli, lounging at a café terrace in the Marais on a slow August afternoon. “They couldn’t get their head around the fact that you have to pay editorial expenses upfront, and you are actually paid once the magazine is released. They struggled with the idea that I had to spend money to work.” Karl Lagerfeld’s name, though, elicited a different response. “I don’t come from a fashion background: Both my parents were factory workers,” said the 39-year-old photographer, who was born and raised in the Parisian suburb of Argenteuil. “So the only fashion des...
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Digital Forum: ThredUp Goes for Big-Time Growth

ThredUp has been gaining momentum online and off — Macy’s and J.C. Penney just tapped the online thrift shop to add some resale to their stores — but that might only be the beginning. The San Francisco-based company has raised more than $300 million and is bulking up, building infrastructure that’s intended to handle $50 billion to $100 billion worth of product, at retail value, according to Anthony Marino, president. Last month, ThredUp formally launched its resale as a service platform, which is showing up first in 40 Macy’s doors and 30 J.C. Penney locations. Marino said the combination of selling new and old together is a powerful one. “When you put them together, it’s a one-plus-one-equals-three scenario,” he said. It doesn’t hurt that younger consumers are taking to secondhand shopping like never before and traditional retailers are looking for ways to keep bulking up even as consumer preference changes. “It turns out [secondhand is] a big market, there’s a lot of people,” Marino...
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Digital Forum: Turning First-Time Shoppers Into Loyal Consumers

Attracting new people is expensive.  But turning one-time shoppers into loyal customers can be complicated.   “It’s a subtle mix between the right category and the right ticket price,” Agathe Westad told the crowd during the WWD Digital Forum in New York City earlier this month.  That’s where Optimove comes in.  The Tel Aviv-based software company, which also has offices in New York and London, uses data analytics to develop personalized marketing strategies. Turns out, consumers are dropping hints all the time as to whether they’ll come back. On the flip side, Westad said there are things companies and brands can do to minimize the likelihood that they’ll get ghosted by the shopper.  But the formula varies.  “Segmentation is idiosyncratic; it’s about what makes your customer stick,” said Westad, director of new business at Optimove. “For each brand, you have to understand what that life cycle is. If you don’t have an understanding of what that life cy...
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Digital Forum: Retailers Should Stop Copying Amazon, ForwardPMX Exec Says

To be like Amazon or not be like Amazon. Is that the question?  When it comes to fashion and apparel, Martin McNulty, global chief executive of ForwardPMX, a brand consulting and growth-strategy firm, said no.  “In the apparel space and certainly in the luxury space, Amazon is not your competition,” McNulty said. “People go to Amazon for something they know they want. They go to retailers for something entirely different. Yet, I think Amazon has really defined the thinking that people adopt.” That thinking, McNulty said, has lead to pop-up stores and experiential shopping and curated assortments.  “I’m not entirely sure that that’s the salvation of retail,” he said.   It leads to one of two outcomes, McNulty said. The company either tries to mimic Amazon, and quickly realizes they don’t have the scale to compete. Or, the company or brand will completely reverse course and try to do things the e-commerce giant can’t, like the ubiquitous pop-up shop with experient...
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Digital Forum: Birchbox Plans Small-Format ‘Expressions’ in 500 Walgreens Stores

Birchbox — which has toyed with retail concepts over its nine-year trajectory — may have found one that sticks. Katia Beauchamp, Birchbox cofounder and chief executive officer, said that the company is planning to expand further with Walgreens in November. “We are launching 500 stores with small expressions in November of this year,” Beauchamp told the crowd at the WWD Digital Forum. So far, Birchbox has been opening up shop-in-shops with Walgreens, which have been “meaningfully changing beauty sales” in the Walgreens doors they are in, Beauchamp said. Birchbox also just gave employees in 3,000 Walgreens stores the ability to subscribe people to Birchbox, Beauchamp said. “The next thing we’re testing is how can we leverage humans to remove the friction for the casual consumer,” she said. The idea, she noted, is to think about what “nirvana” looks like for the shopper, and then try to create that. For Birchbox, that means targeting a different consumer than most in the beauty industry, ...
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Digital Forum: Macy’s Jill Ramsey Riffs About E-commercerce Experience

As someone charged with building out delivery options and optimizing them for consumers, Jill Ramsey, chief product and digital revenue officer of Macy’s Inc., admitted that she’s no different than the retailer’s customers. “I get very excited to see that package on the doorstep,” she said. Speaking during a conversation with WWD deputy managing editor Evan Clark, Ramsey revealed that Macy’s on Oct. 1 will relaunch same-day delivery in 30 markets nationwide. The service will be offered free for a limited time with qualifying purchases of $75 or more. Same-day delivery will be available on thousands of eligible top-selling items across a range of categories, with inventory specific to each of the 30 mostly urban locations. To find eligible products, customers enter their zip code and filter search results by same-day delivery products. They build a bag with only those items, and unlock free shipping when the value of the bag reaches $75 or more. Ramsey said with the relaunch, Macy’s wil...
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Digital Forum: StockX’s Josh Luber on Supply and Demand

When StockX closed its Series C funding round for $110 million in June, the Detroit-based company skyrocketed to the top of resale. Called “the stock market of things,” StockX competes in the realm of sneakers and streetwear with top sneaker resale companies Goat and Stadium Goods, and smaller companies Project Blitz and Urban Necessities. StockX cofounder Josh Luber helped break down the allure and opportunity of sneaker resale and how basic financial principles and trading laid the foundation for StockX’s valuation. “Who wouldn’t buy any asset that is worth five times as much money as it’s being sold for?” Luber asked. He used the Air Jordan IV sneaker as an example to break down the basic principles of supply and demand. On one side there’s a pair of black Air Jordan IV sneakers that were available on general release for $190 and sold for $230 on the secondary market, and on the other side, another pair of black Air Jordan IV sneakers that are reselling for $23,000. The second pair ...
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Digital Forum: Ron Johnson on ‘Embracing Disruption’

Ron Johnson believes consumers want the convenience of e-commerce combined with the competence of physical stores, so he created a company that leverages the best of both platforms. Enjoy.com provides last-mile delivery by trained tech experts for brands such as Google, Sonos, AT&T and Magic Leap. Johnson, chief executive officer and cofounder of Enjoy.com, launched the company with chief creative officer Tom Suiter, whom he met at Apple in the early Aughts. Each of Enjoy’s experts receives more than 160 hours of training before they can schedule an appointment to deliver products such as Magic Leap One’s virtual reality headset or Sonos speakers and teach consumers how to use or set-up the devices. “Service is a luxury in today’s world,” Johnson said. “Enjoy works in the comfort of consumers’ homes and on-demand. “I’ve always been a kind of contrarian,” he added. “We’re entering the golden age of retail — for surviving retailers.” Johnson witnessed the evolution of the shoppin...
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Digital Forum: Jetblack’s Jennifer Fleiss on Conversational Disruption

Jennifer Fleiss, who helped kick-start the rental revolution by cofounding Rent the Runway, is on to her next disruptor — the Walmart Inc.-backed Jetblack. And while the conversational commerce company, which helps consumers buy just about anything via text, uses the latest technology, it’s based on a nearly antique version of customer service that’s ready for a digital-age resurgence. Fleiss, who leads Jetblack as chief executive officer and cofounder, traced retail history back to the mom-and-pop shops consumers used to rely on. They had a limited selection, but the shopkeeper could be a trusted resource when it came to recommendations. As national retailers such as Sears and Woolworth, and later mass retailers, including Walmart and Target, established themselves, product selection grew and stores moved closer to consumers, but those personalized recommendations from the local shopkeeper were lost. “More of the work was put on the consumer,” Fleiss said. “People in those stores don’...
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Digital Forum: Why Companies Should Work to Build Trust With the Biggest Shopping Generation

“No one says I love how I paid for that, but people say they love Afterpay,” said Nick Molnar, global chief revenue officer and cofounder of Australian buy-now, pay-later company. In just over a year in the U.S. market, the company has already partnered with more than 6,500 retailers and helped over 1.5 million shoppers by catering to Millennials who Molnar says do not have credit cards. Without credit cards, the solution has become Afterpay to buy now and pay later with users, even deferring to the payment method to decide where to shop. In Australia, Afterpay is now the second-largest traffic driver after Google and last month drove four times as much traffic to Steve Madden as Instagram. Molnar also shared that brands report to seeing higher orders when customers use this payment method. As a Millennial himself, Molnar explained that Afterpay’s success is premised on a deep understanding of Millennials and Gen Zers as consumers, how they differ from each other, and how they differ f...
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Digital Forum: Gen Z, Millennial Chinese Consumers: What Do They Want?

There was a paltry show of hands when Dealmoon’s Rose Blackmore, senior managing director of business development and partnerships, U.S. and Canada, asked the audience who was strategizing to reach the Chinese consumer — right now. Dealmoon, the largest Chinese-American shopping site, is largely aimed at students coming from China. But it may be better known as the “Chinese Instagram,” integrating with Weibo and WeChat with a reach of more than 10 million followers. Among other things, Blackmore spoke of the ways brands can better engage the Millennial and Gen Z Chinese consumer without falling victim to cultural appropriation. “This audience does not forget,” said Blackmore during her session. She cited examples from luxury brands such as Dolce & Gabbana, Versace and others, as to how branding and product mishaps can “keep coming back to haunt them.” Read More: Dolce & Gabbana: Assessing the Fallout China’s Millennial and Gen Z consumers will account for 46 percent of global l...
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Digital Forum: Shopbop President on Influencers and Instagram

Shopbop brand president Shira Suveyke may not always be comfortable with some of the posts of the influencers that the global online retailer works with, but the strategy of giving them complete creative control on sponsored content on their respective Instagram accounts is one that has proven to be successful. “Their followers come to them for their authentic voice, not for you as a brand to dictate what they’re saying, so we give our influencers complete creative control, anything from the product they select, to the format of their post and what they say in the post — which isn’t always comfortable,” she said. “But that creative freedom that we’ve given influencers, that’s translated to authenticity around Shopbop when you’re seeing the influencers’ posts. That’s definitely our secret sauce.” Amazon-owned Shopbop relies heavily on influencers and Instagram when it comes to marketing and the promotion leading up to the opening of its first pop-up in Manhattan’s SoHo to market its...
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Wellness Central: Ever/Body Aims to Be the Millennial Version of a Med-Spa

Millennials are showing interest in noninvasive cosmetic procedures — think Botox, Emsculpt and microneedling — and a former Lauder executive, backed by VC funding, has just the place for them to get work done. Ever/Body, posited as a Millennial take on the stuffy Upper East Side cosmetic derm’s office, is set to open this week with a flagship storefront in a retail-heavy area of SoHo. The concept is part modern med-spa meets wellness clinic, offering a menu of no-downtime noninvasive services that run the gamut from tame (microcurrent) to high-tech (lasers, IPL, injectables). Services are booked online, and for that matter, Ever/Body is “entirely tech-enabled,” according to cofounder and chief executive officer Kate Twist, a former global marketing and digital executive at Clinique and Xcel Brands. An online evaluation is available for customers who are unsure of which services are best for them, and existing clients can track progress over time via photos housed on the brand’s web si...
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Digital Forum: The Keys to Growing a DTC Brand and Making an Omnichannel Shift

Tula points to just a few key growth drivers to explain the 150 percent growth year-over-year it is on track to see in 2019: product innovation strategy, influencer marketing, and venturing into brick-and-mortar. “It’s about offering customers products that they need and want from those they trust the most and where they want them,” said Savannah Sachs, chief executive officer of Tula. Product innovation is crucial to Tula’s growth. The company is set to launch 10 new products this year alone, including two more acne products at the end of this month, responding directly to customer feedback. “We really think about customers in demographic and psychographic terms and as a digitally native and largely direct-to-consumer brand we’re steeped in that customer data,” Sachs said. A digital skin quiz on Tula’s site is one of the best ways to gather this data, allowing the company to gain direct insight into customers’ wants and needs and drive the customer to buy product. Sachs shared that Tu...
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Karl Lagerfeld Gets Shirty in Paris

When Karl Lagerfeld chief executive officer Pier Paolo Righi called Tommy Hilfiger and asked if he might create a white shirt as a tribute to Karl Lagerfeld, the American designer didn’t hesitate. “That’s amazing, count me in,” was his immediate reaction, Righi related. Ditto for the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Helen Mirren, Cara Delevingne, Lewis Hamilton, Takashi Murakami and scores of others, whose creations were unveiled Wednesday night at Karl Lagerfeld’s Paris headquarters — some spinning on silver carousels, others suspended from wires like artworks. The scale of the project, which widened to include Farfetch as a key distribution partner for seven designs being sold 77 times at 777 euros each, speaks to the momentum of the brand — and the goodwill and genuine affection that is fueling it at a rapid pace, only seven months after the death of the legendary German designer. Righi said the brand is projecting growth of more than 25 percent this year, and that’s on top of a more tha...
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Digital Forum: Equinox Media Flexes the Power of Engagement

Equinox might be synonymous with physical fitness, health and wellness, but Equinox Media’s chief executive officer Jason LaRose is all about the power engagement. From his standpoint, the reason to talk about the fitness industry is that it is one of the rare sectors where the digital and the physical are growing together. Having joined Equinox Media this spring after working as Under Armour’s president of North America, LaRose said, “The mission we are up against is to really break down the borders and not talk about digital and physical any more, just really make the brand highly accessible by giving them the best branded class content, personalized programs for one-to-one, world-class coaching and seamless online and offline experiences.” The Equinox Group’s diversified portfolio includes Equinox-SoulCycle-Blink Fitness enthusiasts who comprise “a highly engaged community,” LaRose said. “They are very vocal, they have some very strong points of view,” he said. The holding company a...
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Want to work at McDonald's? Ask Alexa or the Google Assistant for help

McDonald’s is launching Apply Thru to let you apply for a job with the fast-food chain by asking Amazon Alexa or the Google Assistant.             from USATODAY - Tech Top Stories https://ift.tt/2l2fng3
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Eight Places to Shop, Eat, Pamper and See Art During Paris Fashion Week

PARIS — From the “smash burger” at Dumbo in Pigalle to La DoubleJ’s pop-up store and Hassan Hajjaj’s first retrospective in France, there’s always something to see or do this ready-to-wear season. • Sample the best of Israeli cuisine at Assaf Granit’s latest venture. Following the success of Balagan, the chef has just opened Shabour, a new restaurant in the 2nd arrondissement celebrating the beauty of Mediterranean products — think grilled squid coated in harissa, poached eggs with tahini or olive oil chocolate mousse. — Fleur Burlet • Discover a new type of hamburger: the “smash burger.” At Dumbo in Pigalle, a new burger joint taking its name from the Brooklyn neighborhood. Here, the meat patty is pressed down on a sizzling plancha before being slid under two fluffy buns and coated in melted cheese. Hurry, though. Only 100 of these one-of-a-kind burgers are served each evening. — F.B. • For a shopping fix, swing over to the Left Bank to visit the La Prestic Ouiston’s new store in the ...
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