American Apparel started out as an idea Dov Charney, the founder and long-time CEO, had in his Tufts University dorm room in 1989. The company started out as a wholesale retailer of high-quality cotton T-shirts. This proved to be extremely successful and the company quickly expanded to selling its manufactured goods in 260 shops in 19 countries. In 2005 it was listed among the fastest growing US Companies with a 440% three-year growth and revenues of over $ 211 million. The clothes manufacturer is known for its “Made in America” policy, which shuns the sweatshops of Asia to support US manufacturing. It is a vertically integrated company: all storefronts are…
-
-
5 Things You Didn’t Know About Vaniday.
When I moved to Milan, I strove for finding a decent beauty salon at a student-pocket price. Moreover, when I detected the one I perceived as a good trade-off, getting a slot in their appointments agenda seemed incredibly hard. Some weeks ago, I decided to download Vaniday, the new booking service for wellness and beauty services, and this is what I found out.
-
The Business Strategy Behind The H&M x Balmain Collaboration.
Balmain and H&M are two very distinguished fashion companies, in terms of their pricing, customer profile, product quality and company size. Thus, it seemed unnatural that the two collaborate on a collection. After identifying itself as a high-fashion brand, wouldn’t a collaboration with H&M ruin Balmain’s reputation? Some argued the collaboration stained the brand’s credibility whereas others rejoiced to the fact they could finally afford an item associated to the Balmain name. And both reactions are completely understandable. Previous owners of Balmain pieces should be annoyed that others are getting Balmain products for cheaper, and that the luxury value of Balmain clothing decreases.
-
Roberto Capucci: elegance, beauty, inspiration
The master of the Italian elegance, Roberto Capucci, returns to the stage with a prêt-a-porter collection. Everyone thinks about Roberto Capucci by referring to his historical Haute Couture collection, which has become internationally famous for its ability to make a woman always fascinating and seductive. As he says: “Elegance is seduction, charme, mystery. It is not pure appearance”. Last week, for women’s fashion week in Milan, he launched a totally innovative collection that, in its modern style, never forgets fundamental rules of the Italian elegance. Contemporary sweaters, suits, shirts and coats mix high quality textiles and research of colors with them of past icons. Roberto Capucci started to draw dream…
-
The Business of Fashion Week
Hey, it’s fashion week! Some of you are probably thinking ‘Oh god, another week of brilliantine, armies of models, maps in hand and crazy people strutting down the streets convinced they are THE new fashion icon’. Well, I can’t say that this won’t happen, but I can assure you, fashion is a lot more.
-
Suit 101: The white shirt – camicie su misura
Note: This is part of an ongoing series known as Suit 101. A white shirt can create emotion, even if it is just a shirt. And if we look at shirt-making as an artform and an act of craftsmanship, then we began to sense the possibilities of making this staple…something special. – Sonya Glyn Nicholson, Parisian Gentlemen Bespoke shirts are no stranger to the man’s world — akin to how stilettos are no stranger to a woman’s world (Feminists may argue otherwise but let’s not get too deep here). Like shoes, a dress shirt — with its various permutations of patterns and colours — can give the entire outfit a fresh look. This could explain…
-
Mario Dice and his “vintage of the future”
Mario Dice is a young fashion designer who, after many collaborations with famous fashion houses such as Trussardi, Krizia and Gattinoni, in 2007 founded his own brand with both men and women’s collections. “If I had to describe my collections with three adjectives, I would say: elegant, ductile and saleable” His interesting career began when he was only 15 when he started working for Clavin Klein in New York. Then he continued more and more to improve his skills finding every day something new, innovative and fascinating for his prêt-à-porter items. After years of experiences, now Mario Dice is ready to show to his public what he really intends as fashion…
-
Painting Pantone
2014 has barely bid us goodbye, yet talks of 2015 trends have sprung alive. And no surprise, Pantone — American based provider of universal colour systems — have named their colour of the year: Marsala. “A naturally robust, earthy wine red, Marsala enriches our minds, bodies and soul” – cr: Pantone.com Last year, Pantone had “Radiant Orchid” — a curious blend of purple and pink — as colour of the year, and the year before, the ever-green “Emerald” rose as their choice (no pun intended). 50 Shades of Emerald – cr: Pantone Many (including me) wonder: what is the significance behind Pantone’s choices? What is Pantone? What makes Pantone so important? Fret shall answer these…
-
(Insert luxury brand here) Made in Sweatshops
Gucci made it to the headlines again — and this time, for the wrong reason. A recent report claimed that Chinese employees for Libero Mondo — one of Gucci’s subcontractors in Italy — worked 14 hours a day on handbags, instead of the contracted 4 hours. Worse, Libero Mondo’s Arnoldo Guidotti proclaimed that Gucci is fully aware of the exploitation, and Gucci buys those bags from Libero Mondo for 24 euros. In store, a Gucci bag retails for approximately 1000 euros. Kering (once Pinault Printempts Redoute or PPR), Gucci’s parent company, responded that they would include additional measures to ensure that incidents like these would never repeat again. Yet, in 2002, Brylane — a US based clothing supplier for Kering —…
-
Fashion: Recession Style
Google “Recession 2015”, and one is bo mbarded with headlines about the economy going from bad to worse. Falling oil prices, the devaluing rouble, whispers about a Chinese credit crisis, and the possibility that Germany will fall into recession along with the rest of the Europe, paint a bleak new year. Consumer confidence is in its all time low and people are spending lesser. In the midst of this a new wave of trends emerged: 1. Style a la recession Prada’s S/S Uomo 2015 Drab dresses, sloppier silhouettes and conservative colours dominated the runways. Minimalist is the key. Excess is out, austerity is in. The rise of the “recession chic” style came as a response of…
