In an ever-changing digital age and saturated luxury industry, modern-day customers who shop for designer clothes and accessories – both on- and offline – are constantly on the look-out for authenticity and want to be engaged in new, unique ways. Anissa Draa, e-buyer at French department store Printemps, discusses the status quo of fashion buying and its challenges and what it takes to perfect...

The latest edition of the Planet Shopper Index (PSI) – a quarterly rundown of the top 25 most lucrative source markets for European retailers – reveals that international shopper activity across Europe accelerated in the second quarter of the year, mainly driven by US shopper activity and a bounce-back of visiting nations’ currencies against the pound and euro.  In fact, a strengthened dollar...

Just over a decade ago, investors with a penchant for luxury goods were reeling over the slew of IPOs that rocked the markets – family-run businesses like Salvatore Ferragamo and Prada among them, following in the steps of Bulgari and Tod’s.That all changed after the financial crisis. Today, trade woes, weak EU banks, Italy’s bad debt crisis, and political malaise continue to toss cold water on...

Today, more than ever, social media – and Instagram, more importantly – is undoubtedly the luxury industry’s pot of gold waiting at the end of the rainbow. And Heuritech, a Paris-based company, intends to turn this pot of gold into valuable nuggets of market data.  In fact, the company just released the Spring/Summer 2020 main industry trends across all four cities (Paris, Milan, London, and...

Amid troubling times for fast-fashion and brick-and-mortar stores, apparel behemoth Hennes & Mauritz AB pledged Thursday to cater to its customers, concentrate on sustainability, and invest in technology like artificial intelligence.In its third-quarter earnings results, the Swedish apparel behemoth said that its costs rose by SEK2.67 billion (EUR246.7 million) in the third quarter of the year,...

Just north of Papua New Guinea and a three-hour flight south of Tokyo, lies a tropical US territory called Guam. A remote, yet cosmopolitan shoppers’ paradise for Japanese and South Korean tourists who flock there to relax in the beachside luxury hotels, buy American goods at retail chains like Gap and Macy’s, and chow down at the island’s Olive Garden and KFC.There are about 160,000...

It might come as a surprise, but heritage sells. In this increasingly connected and newness-obsessed world, traditional heritage brands are being resurrected from the past, and old icons are generating some serious revenue.  In the case of treasured early-20th century brands like Schiaparelli, Vionnet, Lanvin, and most recently Patou – all it took was updating the creative narrative by weaving...

“Zona Industrial Moda Portugal” is a new business initiative promoted by CENIT (Portuguese Centre of Intelligence for the Textile Industry) and ANIVEC (Portuguese Association for Clothing and Apparel Industries). Co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, as part of the Portugal 2020 Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalization, the initiative aims to promote...

In the past two weeks, the Kering group (owners of Gucci) committed to full carbon neutrality across the board, the LVMH group announced new commitments to protect the environment and biodiversity, teenage Swedish activist Greta Thunberg spoke at the UN to say her generation would never forgive the previous one for not having done more for the planet, and author Dana Thomas spoke to the media...

Gucci’s 1955 Horesbit Bag, which was relaunched in a multitude of colors at its 2020 Cruise collection, has sold out, in what marks one of the fastest sell-outs in the brand’s history. The Horsebit bag, inspired by equestrian code, features a double ring and bar and is modelled with the same shoulder strap it featured over six decades ago. Since its relaunch, it has been worn by Sienna Miller,...

Established brands could learn a thing or two from some of their more inexperienced, yet more innovative peers. On a quest to engage the luxury consumers of tomorrow, novice, tech-focused players are employing new tools and strategies that are revolutionizing retail as we know it.
That shift starts with fast fashion. Pressure to produce unique collections, on the fly, is a reality for...

Yesterday, the South African designer Thebe Magugu won the famous LVMH Prize, which includes a financial grant of €300,000, plus various benefits, including a year of mentorship by LVMH in multiple fields, such as brand image and communication, production and distribution, as well as sourcing, among other cross-disciplinary subjects.Thebe Magugu at the finale of the 2019 LVMH Prize at the...

Over the past seasons, fine jewelry and high-end costume jewelry have taken a crucial place in Paris' Haute Couture calendar. Understanding this new trend, as well as the need to reinvent the way jewelry is exhibited and sold, Muriel Piaser, a Paris-based buying consultant, will unveil the second edition of Precious Room on July 3rd at the Palais Vivienne, where 30 meticulously selected...

The “fashion month,” as we industry professionals call it, and its countless runway shows and presentations of all kinds – from menswear, to Resort, and Haute Couture – is almost over for this season, and yet, we journalists are far from seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. In fact, our reviews and trend reports are still causing much ink to flow. All the more reason to see how our...

Florence, Italy — Pitti Uomo, the most prominent menswear event in the world, is an arena where peacocks fly, as they say.  Men in striking fashions, who strut their stuff, fan about, waiting to get their picture taken. Emil Levin. Photo: Courtesy of PR.On the penultimate day, emerging from the crowd on a motorized wheelchair, dressed in dandy made-to-measure, was perhaps the most striking bird...