Disingenuous endorsements is the number one reason why individuals unfollow influencers, according to Instagram creative firm Takumi and a study released last week by Marketing Charts, a hub for data, graphics, and research analysis. Based on a survey of 2,251 representatives in the UK, the US, and Germany, a significant crowd of 16- to 24-year-old consumers credit influencers for their “trendy...

The kimono has always been an object of fascination. Even in Japan, where it is considered an intangible cultural treasure, designers can’t help but put their hands on it to reinvent it and challenge traditional perception.Yoshiki Hayashi, an influential composer and musician-turned-designer, did just that during the latest week of runway shows in Tokyo. As of today, the best-selling artist –...

In our current times that are defined by social media and selfies, it is not uncommon for fashion designers to solely focus on the front sides of the garments they design. Is this a reflection of our current digitally-obsessed era, or does this tendency reveal a decline of true craftsmanship?The contrast was striking. On September 25th, Anrealage’s Creative Director Kunihiko Morinaga chose to...

The French luxury Maison under the creative direction of Natacha Ramsay-Levi and UNICEF just announced a new 3-year global partnership to advance gender equality through innovative tech solutions developed with and for adolescent girls.The partnership will include support to flagship UNICEF programming models that equip adolescent girls and young women from Bolivia, Jordan, Morocco, Senegal,...

“Brazilian creatives have gone through a whirlwind following the dramatic political scandals of the past few years and throughout this scenario, SPFW has become a tool to keep the system alive,” said Paulo Borges, the CEO and founder of São Paulo Fashion Week, which will close its 48th edition on Friday. A visionary ahead of his time, Borges started São Paulo Fashion Week 24 years ago. The...

In a swish of Balenciaga jumpers, Gucci tees, and doll-like Chinese KOLs live streaming to their fans on their phones, Shanghai Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2020 is coming to a close. It was a week of sunshine, rainstorms, and blustering winds, as buyers, media, and fashionistas traversed between Xintiandi (home to shows on the main official schedule) and the Labelhood runway platform – this time...

When you are in Shanghai, the only thing you need to worry about is always keeping your phone charged and connected – as everything passes through these devices, and without it you are lost. Cash no longer circulates; the QR code pays everything. This, of course, offers more control on transactions and, I guess, fewer tax evasion problems (at least for shopping). This is one aspect of the...

Milan’s Fashion Film Festival will unveil “Peter Lindbergh: Women’s Stories” at Milan’s Anteo Cinema on November 10th.“Engaging and intimate, this film depicts the German photographer and features Naomi Campbell, [his wife] Astrid Lindbergh, and Helga Polzin,” organizers said Tuesday.The Lindbergh documentary was directed by Jean-Michel Vecchiet, who also depicted the life of Jean-Michel...

The Greek fashion designer Sophia Kokosalaki has died. News of the London-based designer’s death was reported by the culture minister for Greece, Lina Mendoni, on Monday."It is extremely sad when a young person dies, a creative spirit, a dynamic and self-made woman who starred in the harsh and competitive world of international fashion for a 20-year period," she said Kokosalaki, who had dressed...

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...

Interview with Cherry Pick’s Justin Stewart Now that the first artificial intelligence-engineered fashion collections are already on the market, there is no better time than the present for the beauty industry to dive in head first. Yoox, Amazon, Alibaba, and fast fashion retailers like H&M and Zara have all invested heavily in artificial intelligence, an innovation that has been at the core of...

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...

Outside of the four major fashion weeks, Shanghai has emerged as one of the most important fashion hubs in the East. Though the country’s most established names like Masha Ma and Uma Wang prefer to show in Europe, Shanghai Fashion Week provides a platform for young, independent labels such as Xuzhi, Oude Wang, and Shushu/Tong. It's also an occasion for foreign journalists and buyers to discover...

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...

It’s been a productive week for Chanel. Not only did the luxury French fashion house strengthen its portfolio of specialty métiers, it also unveiled 19m: the very building that will become a hub for its Métiers d’Art, set to open next year.Located in the northeast of Paris at Place Skanderbeg, the 25,000-square-metre building designed by French architect Rudy Ricciotti will bring together 10...