Over the past 30 years China has been a key pillar of manufacturing in general and even more of fashion manufacturing, but the last times has put the colossus under pressure. Nowadays Italy is the nearest competitor in fashion manufacturing , producing an eight of Chinese average output, but staying far far away from the surprising percentage of China, that yield the 60% of the world’s shoes and the 43% of world’s clothing. However Zhongguo is facing a storm that could lead to the loss of its primacy: the arrival on the scene of cheaper sourcing hubs in Africa and Asia and the always higher production costs, together with long term…
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Being a Fashion Intern : A look behind the Instagram Feed
Images Courtesy of: Megan Hess I just finished my last day as a fashion intern and boy has it been an eye opening experience! I’m sure many of you reading this right now have either thought about applying for an internship, are currently an intern or look at fashion interns’ Instagram feed wide-eyed wondering “How can I get that job?!”… Well I am here to tell you that it’s not easy, but SO worth the work in the end. I was lucky enough to do an internship in Milan and learn from some experienced people in the field who were wiling to take the time to teach me and include…
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Fashion Small Businesses: The risks, the successes and the women who run the world (or at least Canada)
As my last week in Canada I wanted to take this moment to celebrate some truly inspiring Canadian women who have taken the risk of starting their own fashion small businesses in the country. Now I am going to be very honest with you (especially all you readers who do not live in Canada), our country is very very big and there is no way for me to be able to know, have met or justly recognize all the Canadian women making their mark in the small business fashion sector. However it has been my privilege to see the growth of the following women and see their risks pay off…
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Saint Laurent: A Strategy For Success
Saint Laurent has undergone major changes in the last month. The fashion world rendered homage to Hedi Slimane’s departure from his position as creative director and welcomed Anthony Vaccarello as his successor. What’s more, last week Kering reported buoyant growth in revenues up 27% in the first quarter of 2016, driven by retail sales and double-digit growth in all geographies and all product categories. What are the pillars of this winning strategy? Earlier this morning an interview with YSL CEO Francesca Bellettini by Imran Amed (BoF’s editor in chief), helped giving some clarity to the quasi-abnormal growth, and cleared the air after the confusion and press talk after Slimane left.…
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High Tech & Retail: The Next Big Move?
As the shopping experience is gradually moving from the physical retail store to online shopping platforms, stores are fighting to stay relevant in an increasingly digital world. Many retailers are now exploring high-tech gadgets as a sales tool to compete with online sellers for shoppers’ attention. Tommy Hilfiger is the first international retailer to make use of Virtual Reality gadgets: during fall fashion week 2015, they introduced the Samsung Gear VR Headset in their Manhattan store. This virtual reality headset gave shoppers a three-dimensional, front-row view of the fashion show, held at New York’s Park Avenue Armory. The shopper would sit a few virtual feet from the models while they…
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A Thousand And One Reasons Why Dubai Can Be The Next Fashion Capital
Dubai as the capital of a new-born fashion industry? Here is why I think it is possible. 1. THE RETAIL MECCA Dubai’s alluring and exotic modernity is tempting travellers from all over the world, making it one of the most desired holiday destinations. Market data are astounding: according to Bain’s luxury report, the Middle East is the tenth largest luxury goods market, with sales exceeding 6 billion euros. Dubai alone accounts for 30% of this amount. Those consumers bear an international trademark: market studies demonstrate that the city is the second favourite shopping destination in the world, overstepping even NYC. This success is partly due to Dubai’s affirmation as an…
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Lineapiù Italia
Disclaimer: The following is not an advertisement for Lineapiù. The author visited Lineapiù as part of a school excursion. People often think of big brands and corporate-styled conglomerates when it comes to the business of fashion. However, manufacturers and contractors play an important role in the fashion ecosystem too. Without them, it would be difficult for companies that run on a horizontal system (put simply, they do not own their own mills and ateliers) to sustain themselves because owning everything cost money. Despite the importance of these manufacturers, there is little awareness on their creativity and the innovation they bring to the fashion industry. Lineapiù Italia is a great example. A Florentine based company,…
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Fitness in Fashion
As the warm weather draws closer (well it snowed the other day here in Canada so maybe I still have to wait a while…) we all start to think about the famous bikini that we will have to dig out of our drawers soon. When I hear the word bikini I get all nervous because I know that I am SO not ready to look at myself in the mirror in one. Don’t get me wrong – I love my body and would totally hit up a beautiful beach in southern Puglia tomorrow if I had the chance, I just know that I could feel so much better if I…
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The Cult of Counterfeits
China is going to be one of the next luxury producing countries. It will develop its own brands and will conquer a substantial portion of the luxury market backed by the purchasing power of the ubiquitous Chinese consumer. This is a strong statement, but a closer look at emerging Chinese brands shows the opposite: the typical Chinese entrepreneur has a tendency to imitate rather than create, an attitude which could explain the impressive success of a “sector” that makes up 8% of Chinese GDP: the flourishing counterfeit business. Let’s take a short trip to Shenzhen, the capital of Chinese fashion. Just next to the train station, the naïf western tourist…
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Is The Luxury Market In Trouble?
The luxury industry has continually experienced growth in the last 5 years, and has rightfully gained its nickname as the “recession-proof” industry with the major consumers located in America, Europe and Asia. The largest one, Asia, accounts for 40% of global luxury sales in 2015. Recently, however, the luxury market has been put to the test. In the last few years, China has played an increasing role in the growth of the luxury market. Chinese natives are now players in international tourism, and this has given a huge boost to luxury brands worldwide, especially in Paris, Milan and New York. Every name brand has since opened stores in China, and…
