6 January, 2021

TRP Travel Retail Style Index: January 2021

Welcome to the latest travel retail column for DRG by Alison Farrington aka The Retail Planner (TRP).

As the first update of the New Year, we kick off with a brief look at the new laws for duty free here in the UK, as well as some positive retail news from China.

1/ SEE EU LATER. This month, there will undoubtedly be much Brexsplaining going on as travellers come to terms with the cancellation of tax-free shopping refunds for luxury fashion purchases in the UK. As of 1 January, the government has abolished the VAT Refund Scheme for non-EU travellers in the UK, meaning that shoppers from overseas can no longer claim their tax back on luxury purchases when they return home, unless the goods are shipped separately from the traveller (cost prohibitive). Meanwhile, the good news is that duty-free shopping is back for travel between the UK and EU (for alchohol and tobacco only), which means a Brexit bonanza for fans of the booze cruise. (more…)

Disneyrollergirl 0 Comments Beauty, Brands, Business of fashion, News, Shopping Alison Farrington, Bamford, business of beauty, fragrance, Gucci, Helena Rubinstein, Jo Malone London, Penhaligon's, retail news, shopping, technology, travel retail

8 December, 2020

Dior X Kenny Scharf AW21 is the post-pop post-pandemic tonic we all need

Dior X Kenny Scharf AW21

Wow, what a trip!

When I heard Dior menswear was collaborating with Kenny Scharf for AW21 I tried to keep my expectations in check. You never know quite which way these things will go, but I’m happy to report the collection looks superb.

Scharf is a painter who achieved fame in the 80s alongside his NYC club kid cohorts Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat. I didn’t get my first close-up look of his eye-popping work till the late 80s. (more…)

Disneyrollergirl 1 Comment Art, Brands, Business of fashion, Design, Designers, Fashion shows, Menswear, News, Trends art, AW21, collabs, culture of fashion, Dior, Jean-Michel Basquiat, keith Haring, Kenny Scharf, Kim Jones, menswear, trends

7 December, 2020

Positive fashion: Gabriela Hearst is the new cd at Chloe

Gabriela Hearst is the new creative director at Chloe

Great to hear that Gabriela Hearst is the new creative director at Chloe. She has proven sustainability credentials, a contemporary-classic point of view (which I prefer to her predecessor’s) and clearly knows how to design fantastic bags.

It will be interesting to see if she can retain her considered approach while working for a brand that thrives on constant consumption. Perhaps we’ll see her instil a slower pace of product release. (more…)

Disneyrollergirl 1 Comment Brands, Business of fashion, Designers, News Chloe, Gabriela Hearst, gentlewoman style, handbags, luxury, positive fashion, sustainability

5 December, 2020

TRP Travel Retail Style Index: December 2020

Welcome to the latest travel retail column for DRG by Alison Farrington aka The Retail Planner (TRP)

As global travel slowly picks up, we look at the business and shopping trends of the travel retail world. Recent highlights include the launch of beauty retail ‘café’ destinations in Hamad Airport, Doha and a focus on exclusive duty-free products in Hainan, where Chinese consumers continue to ‘revenge spend’ their way out of the pandemic, while domestic travel is their only option.

1/ BEAUTY RETAIL-TECH ‘CAFÉ’ CONCEPTS. L’Oréal has launched two ‘phygital’ retail concepts at Hamad Airport, Doha. The new retail-tech destinations – from Lancôme and YSL Beauté – sit next door to each other as one beauty department within the Qatar Duty Free retail space.

The Lancôme concept features a French apartment-inspired décor and the addition of bar stool seating gives a luxury café atmosphere. The counters offer interactive touchpoints where customers can personalise their purchases. It’s the first store in the brand’s EMEAI (Europe, Middle East, Africa, India) division to launch Lancôme’s new Shade Finder tool – the skin tone measurement technology that can identify up to 22,500 shades for foundation matching. (more…)