Plus, LVMH postpones prize-winning ceremony for young designers.
These are the stories making headlines in fashion on Wednesday.
I Saw It First hopes to strike gold as “Love Island”‘s new fashion partner
Last year, Missguided outfitted the cast of “Love Island” and saw a 40% sales bump, with some items worn by popular contestants seeing an instant 500% sales spike. But this summer, I Saw It First, a two-year-old brand founded by Boohoo co-founder Jalal Kamani, is taking over as the show’s official fashion partner. Similar to Missguided, the British retailer will outfit the female contestants and offer viewers an opportunity to buy the same clothes via the same app they use to vote for who they want to save from the island. I Saw It First has also built a dedicated “Love Island” fashion website, which will make it easy for shoppers to find the clothes they see on screen. {Business of Fashion}
Fashion schools tackle sustainability
Fashion is based on excessive consumption of items made from plastics or resource-intensive natural fibers like cotton, and contributes millions of tons of waste a year to landfills, making it one of the most polluting industries in the world. Brands are finally starting to address these issues, but training the next generation of designers on how to be more environmentally responsible may be the key to fixing systemic industry challenges. From a masters program in biodesign to a curriculum that aligns with the sustainable development goals established by the UN, Business of Fashion spotlights various ways fashion schools across the world are tackling sustainability. {Business of Fashion}
LVMH postpones prize-winning ceremony for young designers
LVMH announced Wednesday that the ceremony naming the winner of its annual LVMH Prize, which is typically held in June, has been postponed until Sept. 4. The luxury conglomerate did not provide a reason for the delay, but a source familiar with the situation cited calendar conflicts among some of the senior executives and designers who were expected to attend. {WWD}
The Conservatory at Hudson Yards overhauls experiential business model
One experiential retail model at Hudson Yards is already a bust: The Conservatory, a showroom-like concept from Forty Five Ten co-founder Brian Bolke, has decided to offer more inventory on-site, based on immediate feedback from customers, the majority of whom are tourists. The store opened two months ago with only 20% of its items available to take home, but has now shifted that figure to 70%. {Vogue Business}
Kate Spade New York pays tribute to founder by donating $1 million to mental health organizations
Kate Spade New York announced the completion of its $1 million donation pledge to support mental health organizations on Wednesday, the one-year anniversary of Kate Spade’s passing. The company will also match public donations made to the JED Foundation from June 5-12, up to the amount of $100,000. “Protecting the emotional health of teens and young adults is vital to helping them grow into healthy adults,” said John MacPhee, CEO at JED in an official press statement. “Kate Spade’s generous support will allow us to expand our programming and impact to help ensure that more young people get access to the resources and support they need to navigate life’s challenges.” {Fashionista inbox}
How brands can effectively capitalize on viral styles
Once a style goes viral, the brand responsible for the popular item is met with such an overwhelming demand that it may not have the logistical abilities or funds to handle. However, if the company can overcome the initial struggle that comes with a sudden, massive spike in traffic, the benefits of the brand awareness are immediately tangible and can be translated into long-term success. One example of this is Self-Portrait‘s Azalea dress, which generated a lot of buzz and later helped the label expand to other styles. {Glossy}
What to know about selling clothes in a tough market
On June 13, Alex Mill, the men’s shirting label relaunched earlier this year as a men’s and women’s essentials business by entrepreneur Alex Drexler and designer Somsack Sikhounmuong, will open a physical store in Soho. Sikhounmuong, a 16-year veteran of J.Crew Group, sat down with Business of Fashion to share what he’s learned about building a startup in a not-so-friendly market and why he believes opening a store will steer the emerging label in the right direction. {Business of Fashion}
Does Barbie deserve recognition from the fashion industry?
On Monday night, the CFDA honored Barbie with an award previously given to Michelle Obama and Gloria Steinem. “It’s jarring to see the industry honor Barbie in the same way it did Obama. The former first lady underscored fashion’s usefulness as a form of diplomatic communication and as a symbol of national pride,” writes Robin Givhan for The Washington Post, who also argues that honoring a doll doesn’t do the fashion industry any favors. “When design houses are wrestling with social ills related to diversity, women’s advancement and treatment in the workplace and fashion’s role in the broader culture, celebrating the fact that a doll company is finally doing what a doll company should have been doing all along is a sign of an industry that doesn’t seem to grasp the depth and breadth of its responsibility — and, more important, its potential.” {The Washington Post}
Promo image: Dave Benett/Getty Images for Boohoo
Source: Fashionista.com
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