Plus, designers are turning to leftover fabric to create their collections.
These are the stories making headlines in fashion on Wednesday.
Kim Kardashian’s new shapewear line faces backlash
On Tuesday, Kim Kardashian announced her upcoming line of shapewear called Kimono on Instagram. Many were pleased to learn that her latest business venture will offer garments in nine different shades as well as sizes XXS through 4XL, but others were quick to criticize its name. Twitter users — especially those from Japan — accused the reality star of cultural appropriation, saying that it is disrespectful to name an undergarments brand after a traditional item of Japanese clothing. {Hypebae}
Burberry sets goal to become carbon neutral by 2022
Burberry plans to become completely carbon neutral by 2022. In an official statement released on Tuesday, the brand said it has set two new, ambitious climate goals approved by the Science Based Target initiative: The first is to reduce scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions 95% by 2022 from 2016, and the second is to reduce scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030. Scope 1 and 2 apply to the brand’s direct operations — and include electricity and gas consumption at stores, offices, manufacturing and distribution sites — while scope 3 relates to indirect emissions in the supply chain. {Burberry}
Designers are turning to leftover fabric
A growing number of established designers are turning deadstock into big business. Mass retailers have also started to incorporate leftover materials to boost their sustainability credentials. But while sourcing deadstock can be a creatively stimulating and sustainable alternative to buying new fabrics, finding usable amounts of quality deadstock can be a struggle, making it difficult to manage inventories and meet orders from retailers. {Business of Fashion}
Fashion shows are becoming a new form of mass entertainment
Balmain‘s Spring 2020 menswear show was modeled after a music festival complete with an outdoor concert, a late-night DJ set and thousands of people. It was a “raucous demonstration of the entertainment value of fashion shows, a reality Karl Lagerfeld cottoned to early and pursued aggressively with the increasingly over-the-top spectacles he staged for Chanel,” writes Guy Trebay for The New York Times. The difference, however, between Lagerfeld’s supermarkets and beaches, is that these fashion shows are no longer pitched to industry insiders. Instead, they are becoming forms of mass entertainment, and soon “their vaunted exclusivity will disappear.” {The New York Times}
Is couture the final frontier when it comes to diverse casting?
While diversity on the ready-to-wear runways has been improving, couture is still lagging behind. The casting process is largely to blame for couture’s lack of inclusivity, seeing as how agencies may not represent many models of color or have a financial incentive to send models to couture. “It’s about the economics,” veteran casting director James Scully explains to British Vogue. “Chanel, Dior, Givenchy and Valentino will fly you out, but there aren’t many other couture houses left that have advertising attached to them. They’re not the most important shows for a model’s career, they don’t pay well, and no model gets more than one or two shows, especially models of color.” {British Vogue}
Retailers are growing their food businesses
More retailers are growing their restaurant businesses as a way to boost foot traffic and sales. Department stores, in particular, are increasingly adding food and beverage options to their assortment of luxury clothes and shoes. Barneys New York has plans to open another Freds location at its Boston shop in the fall, while Neiman Marcus recently opened up a restaurant at Hudson Yards that specializes in craft cocktails and house-made pastas. Nordstrom‘s new flagship store for women, opening later this fall in New York, will have six eateries inside, including a cocktail bar on the shoe floor. {CNBC}
Japanese menswear designers want to go global
Japanese designers Yoshio Kubo, Bed J.W. Ford, Auralee, Christian Dada, Kozaburo, Fumito Ganryu and Sulvam all showcased their Spring 2020 collections during Paris Fashion Week Men’s. Many of them were highlights on the schedule and point to new generation of sartorial talents who want to be in the spotlight and put their work on a global stage. Bed J.W. Ford is one such designer: “I think it’s true Japanese people are shy culturally, but I want to be a designer who receives attention and I’m not afraid to be watched.” {Business of Fashion}
Sign up for our daily newsletter and get the latest industry news in your inbox every day.
Source: Fashionista.com
Be First to Comment