HanesBrands and US National Park Foundation launch exclusive apparel range

The magnificent landscape of YellowStone Park, USA with the Rockies in the background.  Photo © Lucia Carpio 

The national parks and landmark destinations of America are well-known the world over for their great beauty and regal scale.

Awe-inspiring grizzly bears and wildlife are major attractions one
can spot in US National Parks. Photo © Lucia Carpio

Having visited many of them, I am pleased to learn HanesBrands - best known for everyday basic innerwear and activewear apparel – along with the US’s own National Park Foundation (NPF) @GoParks is launching an exclusive new collection of apparel celebrating the magnificence of America’s natural, cultural and historic treasures, just in time to celebrate the country’s National Park Week.



Look for the Hanes short-sleeve T-shirts, which feature Golden Gate, Rocky Mountain, Zion and Sequoia national parks, the “Pack it In, Pack it Out” message and, for the first time ever on product, a licensed logo from the National Park Service.   The logo, unveiled in 2014 as an expansion of the National Park Service brand family, complements the iconic Arrowhead that continues to serve as the official insignia of the National Park Service.

“Wear your love of parks on your sleeve with apparel that gives back to our national treasures in a huge way,” said National Park Foundation President Will Shafroth.

HanesBrands is the first National Park Foundation partner to launch product incorporating this licensed logo as part of the Find Your Park/Encuentra Tu Parque movement to help raise awareness about America’s national parks.

The inaugural designs - first-of-its-kind apparel collection are initially available online at hanes.com/nationalparks.

The licensed collection is a component of a five-year partnership between HanesBrands and the National Park Foundation – the official nonprofit partner of the National Park Service – that will generate US$4 million for NPF.

“As the official apparel of the National Park Foundation, HanesBrands is focused on greatly expanding the distribution of NPF-affiliated apparel, raising the profile of the foundation, increasing revenue for the foundation, and using our consumer-leading brands and significant graphic apparel capabilities to create beautiful clothing worthy of the grandeur of our national parks,” said John Marsh, group president of global activewear for HanesBrands.

HanesBrands also intends to market officially licensed T-shirts, fleece sweatshirts and bottoms, socks, hats and other innerwear and activewear clothing under its other leading brands, including Champion, Alternative and Gear for Sports.  Officially licensed apparel will be available in all consumer retail channels, including mass merchants, mid-tier and department stores, along with the Hanes online store and retailer selling websites.

Additionally, HanesBrands will be a preferred supplier of licensed NPF and NPS apparel for the official Find Your Park store.  Royalty income generated by HanesBrands will benefit the National Park Foundation’s Centennial Campaign for America’s National Parks.

The I LOVE LINEN campaign has landed in London

I LOVE LINEN being promoted in the atrium of the Peter Jones department store, Sloane Square, London.
Photo © Lucia Carpio 2018

Sharp-eyed shoppers and eco-conscious consumers probably already notice that an extensive campaign is going on in London this month in major retailers and brand name shops around town where a natural and wonderfully versatile fabric – Linen - is being promoted.

Following successful campaigns in Milan (2017) and in Paris (2016), the I LOVE LINEN campaign has arrived in London to raise the awareness on the wide range of applications and qualities of this eco-friendly natural fabric.

Billed as the world’s oldest fabric, linen comes from flax, the only fibre of plant that originates from Europe, here 80% of the world’s supply is grown along Normandy and the northern coasts of France, Belgium and the Netherlands.

During the month of April until May 13, a series of special events are held at the Victoria and Albert Museum, and in a network of some 40 local partner brands. The I LOVE LINEN message is splashed across some 200 shop windows representing the best of British fashion and home furnishings.

Jaeger is one of the brands promoting
linen in their Spring 2018 collections.
Photo © Lucia Carpio 2018

For example, at John Lewis and Peter Jones department stores in London where metres of linen fabrics are hung in the centre atrium of the stores promoting the I LOVE LINEN campaign.

Other participating brands include Poetry, Oska, L.K. Bennett, Ally Capellino, Jigsaw, Uniqlo, Vivienne Westwood, Jaeger, Skandium, Brora and Velorution, to name but a few – all promoting the qualities of linen through men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, children’s wear, sportswear, home furnishings and fashion accessories etc.

Just opened this week at the V&A is the event Fashioned from Nature and it is the UK’s first exhibition to showcase the complex relationship that fashion has with the natural world.  The comprehensive and informative exhibition highlights how fashion has been inspired by nature, and the demand the industry calls for raw materials, the enormous impact on the environment and the technology advancement is affecting our daily lives.   The European Confederation of Flax and Hemp - CELC, the authority of linen, is the major sponsor of this landmark exhibition which runs to January 27, 2019.

Also at Chelsea College of Arts – University of the Arts London, third year BA textile design students explore the fibre and fabric as part of a special creative project, in tandem with the V&A.
For more information on linen you can visit the ilovelinen.uk website.

I LOVE LINEN is jointly financed by the flax/linen industry and the EU. 

Photo © Lucia Carpio 2018.

London Sustainable Fashion Rooms Pop-Up Shop for Fashion Revolution Week

It’s Fashion Revolution Week (April 23 – 29) and a number of London events are held to look at ways to bring greater transparency and responsibility to the fashion industry.

During the week, ethical consumers can take part in the journey to find sustainable solutions and deepen your knowledge of the issues and do something.

Taking centre stage will be London sustainable and vegan brand Po-Zu which is gathering a number of ethical fashion designers for a pop-up boutique in which workshops and panel discussions with industry leaders are taking place.

Po-Zu’s pop-up shop is set at the Truman Brewery at the heart of Brick Lane.  In the London Sustainable Fashion Rooms, Po-Zu has brought together some of London's best known ethical fashion brands and designers, including Po-Zu's own SS18 Mainline and Star Wars | Po-Zu range of sneakers; Fair Trade fashion pioneer and womenswear leader - People Tree; vintage-inspired ethical fashion and knitwear by Lowie; Howies; luxury clothing from Wear the Walk; “Who Made Your Clothes?” installation by Brothers We Stand and Earth Positive.

Here is a list of other events during Fashion Revolution Week.
Monday 23rd April 17:00-19:30
Speed networking & launch of London Sustainable Fashion Rooms -
Tuesday 24th April 18:30-19:30
Rana Plaza - Never Again - 5 Years On
Thursday 26th April 18:30-19:30
Sustainable Design, Sourcing and Buying
Saturday 28th April 11:00-12:00
The New Frontier - Broadening the Media Debate on Ethical Fashion and The Vegan Revolution

For full programme and more information, Click HERE.

Footwear images above from Po-Zu.

Eco-friendly, sustainable luxury bags from Ministry of Tomorrow

The Ministry of Tomorrow (MOT), reportedly Africa’s hottest eco-fashion House, has a mandate to “save the world one bag at a time.”

The brand for vegan, eco-friendly, sustainable luxury unisex bags is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, with its bespoke atelier located in Nairobi, Kenya. 

CEO and founder Julian  Prolman set up the MOT-built facility in Nairobi to help solve the unemployment problem in Kenya, such as sponsoring skilled tailors who are recruited from within Kibera, one of Africa’s largest slums to make designer unisex bags, creating sustainable livelihoods for its employees, who are paid fair wages, receive bonuses based on quality production and are able to work in a safe, comfortable, and clean environment.

Only vegan and animal-free materials are used to create the MOT bags. Where fabrics are used, the company choose either cruelty free leather from Italy or Japan, or 100% Certified Organic and Fair-Trade cotton, sourced from Rajlakshmi Mills in Kolkata, India that buys its cotton from the Chetna Organic Farmers Association a collective of more than 6,000 organic cotton farmers.

The farmers growing the cotton are paid a fair price for their crop, are not exposed to harmful pesticides, and the organic farming methods do not contaminate the earth.

For more information, go to the Ministry of Tomorrow website.

UNIQLO X JW ANDERSON - SS2018 collection inspired by the English Beach culture

The English Channel - Photo © Lucia Carpio

The English summer may be unpredictable but to many of us in the UK it is a glorious time of the year when we will find any excuse to head out to the beach.   And one of our favourite beaches very accessible from London is in the southern coast on the English Channel. 

Brighton Beach is inspirational for many creative souls including London-based fashion brand JW ANDERSON which is launching a new Spring Summer 2018 men and women’s collection at UNIQLO, the Japanese global apparel retailer that has a strong following in the UK market and around the world.

Uniqlo announced that the new UNIQLO X JW ANDERSON collection will launch at UNIQLO stores* and UNIQLO.com in 19 countries and regions from Friday, April 20**.

Uniqlo photos.

The line highlights designer JW Anderson’s unique take on the Brighton culture. Complementing the unisex designs that are basic to the range are items enabling casual mixing and layering for an array of styling alternatives. The collection highlights the enjoyment of LifeWear fashions for everyone, regardless of age or gender, according to Uniqlo.

Commenting on the launch of the 2018 Spring/Summer line, Jonathan Anderson, founder of JW ANDERSON, said  celebrates the 1950s heydays of Brighton.

“In the 2nd collection of the collaboration, I’m looking for this idea of ‘British Summer,’ the idea of being on the Brighton beach. Something which is very lightweight, very airy, with a lot of linen, and cotton that has a 1950’s sub-cultural movement. With a little bit of ease and something which is quintessential.” He added, “As a UNIQLO customer, I know exactly the quality that the brand gives to its products. I am very proud of the level of execution and the attention to details that we delivered on this new Spring/Summer collection.”

Commented Yuki Katsuta, Group Senior Vice President of Fast Retailing and Head of UNIQLO Global Research and Design, “As befitting its dedication to ‘Simple made better’, UNIQLO’s mission with LifeWear is to create apparel that embodies simplicity, quality and longevity and is always stylish.

Uniqlo is known for its wide range of functional designs and designer collaborations, fusing quality fabrics with fabulous fit.  This week, Japan’s Fast Retailing Co, owner of clothing chain Uniqlo, posted a 35 percent rise in second-quarter operating profit and upgraded its full year forecast by 13 percent as its international sales continue to drive growth.

*Availability for collection items may vary. **Launch dates will differ in some markets.

Secret Pillow Project tells a story of empowerment and of hope

Fritha Vincent, founder of Secret Pillows, with a bed of her colourful pillows that tell a story of empowerment and of hope.

The Secret Pillow Project is a social business set up to train and empower women in India through making and selling Secret Pillows. Making these pillows mean women can feed, clothe, and send their children to school. Secret Pillows offer a future, according to founder and social entrepreneur, Fritha Vincent.  Determined to find a way to empower disadvantaged women. Fritha is driven by the statistic that 80 per cent of children in institutions are there because their parents can't afford to take care of them.

Fritha Vincent, the founder of the project training a group of Makers in Tamil Nadu, South India.
Secret Projects Makers are paid double minimum wage per hours they work. Through the Training for Empowerment Programme funded by the sales of the products, Makers are trained, helped to professionalise and develop, with the ultimate goal of being independence. 

Fritha said: "By empowering women and providing them with access to an international market to sell their products, Secret Projects believes it can be part of the solution to help keep families together.”

The business started out as an experiment called Secret Pillow Project and through a series of successful crowdfunding  campaigns a commited, global customer base grew. With the launch of their second product, Secret Sari Dress, the business was relaunched Secret Projects.

Secret Projects Makers are paid double mimimum wage per hours they work. Through the Training for Empowerment Programme funded by the sales of the products, Makers are trained, helped to professionlise and develop, with the ultimate goal being independence.

Secret Projects sells fashion and home ware. Their trade mark is that all their products fold up into themselves and unfold women's power as they are sold.

Mediaworks white paper: Online retailing key to fashion industry’s success

It has been reported earlier this week that visitor traffic to UK retail stores last month was down nearly 12% year-on-year and down close to 29% in the first week of the month.

According to Ipsos Retail Performance, despite Easter falling in March, footfall failed to pick up over the public holiday and that it was the 11th consecutive month that year-on-year store footfall has declined across the UK.

Photo © Lucia Carpio.

As often the case, the weather had been blamed as the culprit as much part of the nation experienced an unseasonal cold snap with a lot of snow.  But consumers did not need to stop shopping, especially for non-food items, even if they are stranded at home.

According to a recent study by Mediaworks, online retailing has been driving the fashion industry’s success.  Both luxury brands and high street retailers are turning to the online sphere to strengthen their brand.

Estimating that the global worth of fashion is £2.24 trillion, Mediaworks revealed that in 2017, the UK’s online fashion spend jumped to a huge £16.2 billion, while predicting it will increase by a further 79% by 2022.

Through the Fast-paced Fashion: The Digital Forecast 2018 white paper, Mediaworks examine the six key trends expected to impact the industry in 2018 and providing actionable insights for retailers.

First and foremost is Mobile First, as it is imperative for fashion retailers to fully explore and utilise their relationship with customers through their mobile phones.

Another key trend is Journey personalisation, which is essential in focusing on delivering an in-store experience online, as Mediaworks predict that by 2020, customer experience will become the main reason a customer will choose a brand over another, overtaking both cost and product.

Another trend is Voice search, as more voice searches are being carried out than ever before, and retailers need to cater to more conversational search behaviours, and the need to review existing content’s style, format and flow.   MediaWorks also urge retailers to consider implementing visual search, something retailers like John Lewis and Boohoo.com are already experimenting with.

Other trends include Customer Profiling, transitioning from segment-based to signal-based data to gain greater visibility while mindful of data protection and attribution is important for marketing success.

For more information about each of the above, visit digital marketing agency Mediaworks’ website to download the white paper.

An Evening of Smart Innovation in New York

An artistic installation designed by renowned Paris-based knit designer Cécile Feilchenfeldt that showcased an array of exquisite knit creations was among the highlights of a recent event hosted by the Milan-based C.L.A.S.S., the platform for Creativity Lifestyle and Sustainable Synergy, with the support of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) in New York.

, Textile installation by Cécile Feilchenfeldt. Photo courtesy of Rodin Banica

Entitled An Evening of Smart Innovation, the intimate gathering in New York on March 22nd gave fashion industry leaders, educators, designers and members of the press the opportunity to be inspired and to explore the limitless possibilities using innovative smart materials. So, with responsible design in mind the guests were able to touch and feel the luxurious smart textiles supported by sustainable credentials from a number of textile mills and yarn producers: Bacx by Centro Seta, Bemberg™ by Asahi Kasei, ECOTEC® by Marchi & Fildi, Organic Cotton Colours, Re.VerSo™, ROICA™ by Asahi Kasei, TINTEX Textiles, and Zignone. The new generation of beautiful cottons, rich silks, lush wools and opulent cashmeres showcased throughout the C.L.A.S.S. event are currently available to the market.

The evening was orchestrated by Ginger Design, a team of Italian creatives, filmmakers, food and textile designers as a way to create a unique immersive experience telling the story of C.L.A.S.S.’ visionary journey. Thus, providing guests with an awareness and chance to embrace knowledge related to four key areas that set new standards for fashion vital to C.L.A.S.S.’ business philosophy: Heritage, Smart Innovation, Circular Economy and Design Responsibility.

With imagination and responsibility at the forefront of the event, guests were also treated to a film by Cristina Picchi that represented harmony between the various phases of the textile process and the cycles of natural elements.

The March 22nd date also coincided with International Water Day and a crucial reminder for sustainable water management, a key issue in textile manufacturing. Many of C.L.A.S.S.’s partners, such as ECOTEC® by Marchi&Fildi, Bemberg™ and ROICA™ by Asahi Kasei and TINTEX Textiles use technological breakthroughs to offer fashion materials that provide significant reductions in water during the manufacturing process, an important step toward responsible future fashion systems.
“In touting significant reductions in water, energy usage and CO2 emissions, C.L.A.S.S.’s  message has always been one of consistency but now with today’s customers becoming increasingly environmentally mindful, the timing has never been better to bring awareness to the ways that responsible sustainability can be incorporated, in an authentic way, into a fashion or lifestyle brand increasing the bottom line without compromising design integrity,” said C.L.A.S.S. founder Giusy Bettoni.

Bottletop London store marries industrial design with contemporary art

The interiors of British ethical fashion brand, Bottletop’s store at 84 Regent Street, London is a unique project that showcases recycling to the hilt, marrying industrial design with contemporary art, just like its desirable range of bags and accessories.

The Bottletop store is claimed to be the “world’s first zero-waste retail space”
and is a “synthesis between the hand-made and the most high-tech.” 

Projected through its unique environment of a retail concept that speaks to the heart of its values, collection, story and core materials – raw metal and certified Amazon zero deforestation leather, visitors to the Bottletop store are able to experience the sustainable concept of materials while shopping the collections and learning about the mission of the brand.

Bottletop co-founders Cameron Saul and Oliver Wayman’s vision was realised by working with London architects Krause Architects and Ai Build, with the use of 3D print to decorate the store’s wall using upcycled plastic bottles gathered from the streets of Delhi in India, as well as some 2,700 cans individually treated and suspended overhead  to form a metal canopy embedded in to a 3D printed lattice structure, which is a play on the concept of negative space, inspired by the British contemporary artist Rachel Whiteread.

Even the shelving has been wrapped in certified zero deforestation leather from Sao Matheus Farm in Alto Floresta, while consoles were wrapped in re-purposed sheet aluminium.  the space is completed by flooring made from upcycled rubber tyres, a bespoke in-store scent from perfumer Timothy Han, and a series of bespoke playlists from record producer Mario C, the name behind Beastie Boys and Bjork recordings.

Photos © Lucia Carpio