Online apparel retailer Asos has once again partnered with African clothing workshop SOKO Kenya to release its latest sustainable fashion collection.
The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA) is taking home a record haul of medals from the world’s largest inventions event – with innovations including new functional textiles from bio-based and degradable fibres, and the development of fine worsted yak yarns and fabrics.
Succeeding in the global denim market could be down to avoiding the temptation to embrace verticality and ensuring you actively engage in managing your retail customers, according to a new report.
Changing consumer needs and an evolving retail marketplace helped the US apparel industry to a 3% rise in overall sales last year, but new research also warns the apparel industry is not delivering the product experience to drive greater growth.
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has pledged a EUR15.5m (US$16.5m) investment to support the production of cotton in the Central African country of Cameroon.
GOGGLEBOX: “TV turned me into who I am,” Jean Paul Gaultier declared in an interview with French TV magazine Télécâble Sat Hebdo, which made him guest editor of its latest issue.
It’s timed to coincide with the screening of the documentary “Jean Paul Gaultier Voyage” (“Jean Paul Gaultier Travels” in English) on cable channel Paris Première on April 19. Director Emmanuel Le Ber followed the designer on a trip to Argentina, Mexico and Brazil last year to launch his fragrances in those markets.
Shoving vanity aside, Gaultier gleefully defaced his photograph on the cover of the magazine, adding touches like hand-drawn red nails, red lips, blue eyes and forehead wrinkles, which he said looked like the stripes on his signature sailor tops.
In a filmed extract of the interview, Gaultier confessed to being a TV addict. “I sometimes cancel professional commitments to watch certain things on TV,” he said. “I mostly watch things that are liable to inspire me.”
Indeed, Gaultier featured French reality television star Nabilla Benattia, dressed in a va-va-voom black bustier gown, in his fall 2013 haute couture show, and bearded drag performer Conchita Wurst, winner of the 2014 “Eurovision” song contest, was the star of his fall 2014 display.
Meanwhile, the
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KORS ON STAGE: The ever-quotable and enterprising Michael Kors will have plenty to share with Alina Cho when he headlines the June 21 opener of “The Atelier With Alina Cho” at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
With his signature label in its 36th year, Kors has weathered the waves of American fashion better than most. (Last year his company’s fiscal revenues hit $4.55 billion.) The “Project Runway” judge is known for his quick wit and direct manner. His friendship with Cho, editor-at-large at Ballantine Bantam Dell, should only heighten their banter. Their chat will be part of the third season of “The Atelier” series, which has featured such fashion figures as Alber Elbaz, Diane von Furstenberg, Olivier Rousteing, Donatella Versace, Alexander Wang and Anna Wintour.
From a business perspective, the 2010 CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award winner will talk about his company’s initial public offering and success as a public company. While Wall Street has cooled a bit on Michael Kors Holdings Ltd. shares, the company continues to cast a wide net. Along with a few new smartwatches and a renewed commitment to plus sizes, Michael Kors has broadened its product offerings, amped up its global footprint and bolstered its e-commerce.
In February, Kors
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HIT THE BRAKES: Two historic landmark Gansevoort Street buildings will remain as they are for the time being, thanks to an interim stay issued Tuesday.
In the ongoing legal battle between Save Gansevoort and the Historic Districts Council versus the City of New York and its Landmarks Preservation Commission in New York State Supreme Court’s appellate division, the exteriors of 60-68 and 70-74 Gansevoort Street cannot be altered, pending a full bench motion, according to a court representative.
Judge Joan Lobis’ summary statement noted, “The respondent developer has provided notice, that on April 6, 2017, it will demolish two historic, landmark-protected buildings — unless a stay were to be issued.”
In fall 2015, Aurora Capital Associates’ and William Gottlieb Real Estate’s plans to develop several buildings between 46 and 74 Gansevoort Street kicked off great debate. Pending approval, the cobblestone block’s footprint would substantially increase with plans for one eight-story building and another six-story one. The project falls within the Gansevoort Market historic district, which was landmarked in 2003.
The Save Gansevoort group first filed a lawsuit last fall. Opponents challenged the proposal in court and at public hearings, claiming the proposal would destroy the historic character of Gansevoort Street. That stretch of the
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Hood by Air is putting things on pause.
The streetwear brand and collective, which was cofounded by Shayne Oliver and Leilah Weinraub, revealed this afternoon that it would be put on hiatus effective immediately.
Oliver will concentrate on his new role at Helmut Lang, where he will create a special men’s and women’s collection that will be unveiled in September. The designer canceled his Paris women’s fashion show this past February.
Weinraub, who was the company’s chief executive officer, will focus on filmmaking and her directorial career with her project “Shakedown,” which is featured in the Whitney Biennial and debuted in May.
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Garrett Leight California Optical has collaborated with Guichard, the French malletier, on a limited-edition eyeglass carrying case. Leight was inspired by his own Guichard cases, which he discovered while attending the Silmo eyewear show in 2009 just before he opened his own store. “Guichard has always been a hidden gem at the optical shows,” said Leight. The French company, which specializes in handmade leather cases for eyewear, jewelry and footwear, was founded in 1933 by Rene Guichard and is a favorite among eyewear pros.
“For obvious reasons I take my case whenever I’m traveling, and every time I get asked about it,” said Leight, who launched the case April 4 in his own stores. “People want to know what it is and where they can get one. There is clearly a demand for this kind of accessory and it quickly made sense to me that we should create one for GLCO. It simply provides a convenience for our customer without sacrificing style.”
The GLCO x Guichard case is $595 and is available in brown, gray, orange and black leather, and features six interior slots to store frames. The cases can be custom monogrammed through GLCO stores in Los Angeles, New York, San
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