What a weird year! It feels odd talking about new-season trends, all things considered, but there is going to be a new season and even if you’re not buying, there are other ways to be inspired by newness. Let’s say it’s also a way of looking forward, so a sort of exercise in cautious optimism. Here’s what’s in the air for AW20… (more…)
While it’s doom and gloom in the world of retail (Selfridges is letting 450 staff go), I can’t help believing that there’s still life in the physical retail model. And now is the perfect time for some fresh thinking.
Nike has just built its new Paris flagship, a ‘House of Innovation’ (below) serving as a temple for its most loyal worshippers. As it moves away from the wholesale model to focus on selling directly to these loyalists from its own stores, its goal is to focus on full price products that die-hards don’t mind paying for. (more…)
I’m catching up on the ss21 menswear collections that designers have been producing during lockdown.
An early trend is for three-dimensional or heavily crafted pieces and those with intricate surface decoration. Collaborations with artisans are another ‘thread’ to a brand story that designers can weave, showing support for their craft, or putting the spotlight on their own pattern makers.
Two standout videos I’ve enjoyed – Berluti and Loewe. (more…)
Digital LFW was overall a bit of an anti-climax. Unlike many, I don’t ridicule the British Fashion Council for it. I applaud them for trying in #unprecedented times. The main criticisms of the new ‘digital hub’ format were that the content wasn’t exciting enough, there were too few new collections, the panel discussions were too focused on the same topic (Covid) and panellists were ‘the usual suspects’. (more…)
