Nike is world's most valuable apparel brand, says Brand Finance report.

According to Brand Finance Apparel 50 report on the world's most valuable and strongest apparel brands released this week, Nike continues to dominate as the world’s most valuable apparel brand, with a brand value of US$32.4billion, up 16% since last year due to its strong sales growth in key markets around the world, from China to the Middle Eat, Europe and Africa.

"Nike’s bold marketing makes it stand out in a busy marketplace of sportswear apparel brands. In a time when customers look for experiences and emotional connection, Nike’s offering comes with unambiguous messages and values that people can rally behind." Richard Haigh, Managing Director of Brand Finance.

Nike Inc. is looking into what went wrong after college basketball’s biggest star sprained his knee when his shoe fell apart, one of the most high-profile apparel failures in basketball history.

Zara and Adidas move up the ranks as H&M’s brand value decrease pushes it down to 4th place.

While Uniqlo is the fastest-growing apparel brand in the top 10, up a whopping 48% year on year
Rolex is the strongest brand in the sector, posting an elite AAA+ brand strength rating.

Luxury brands account for 7 out of the top 10 strongest apparel brands, showing importance of brand strength in the segment. Among the top performers in the Apparel 50 report are labels Cartier, Yves Saint Laurent, Hermes and Gucci.

Texworld group of shows in Paris reported a buzzing season of intense activity and record attendance

Messe Frankfurt Paris

Messe Frankfurt, organisers of the Texworld and Apparel Sourcing group of shows in Paris, held under the banner of “Fairyland for Fashion”, reported a new record high for attendance, registering 13,929 visitors at this season’s show held February 11 – 14, a 2.35% increase over the February 2018 figures.

Messe Frankfurt Paris

The group of shows held at Le Bourget, Paris twice a year encompass Apparel Sourcing Paris, Avantex Paris, Leatherworld Paris, Shawls&Scarves Paris, Texworld Paris and Texworld Denim Paris.

Europe saw an increase in visitors of almost 2% totally this session, with the highest number from French trade visitors, up 7% as in February 2018.  The second largest group was from Spain, disbanding the UK (due to impact of Brexit) to third place and Turkey to fourth place, followed by Italy at 5th position where attendance growth was stable and posted the strongest growth, up by almost 12%.

Other European countries posting healthy attendance included the Netherlands (up 11%), as well as Poland (+5%), Belarus (+14%), and Bulgaria (+10%).   Ireland and Greece also registered growth in attendance, up 7% et 8% respectively.  Organisers emphasised that Portugal also stood out with an increase of 44%, “which attests to the rise in this country’s capacity in clothing production.”

Elsewhere, from the Americas, the organisers also saw high growth in visitor numbers.  From Brazil, attendance went up 22%, followed by the USA up 20%, Colombia up 9% and Canada up 6%.
As for Asia, the overall growth in attendance was 14%, and in particular from India it went up 13%, South Korea up 6% and Japanese visitors went up 30.

“Business got going extremely quickly. Buyers were intent on determining how feasible their projects were and on getting in first when it came to exclusives,” said Michael Scherpe, President of Messe Frankfurt France.

Messe Frankfurt

Mr Scherpe continued: “From the very outset we were focussed on what is central to our work: trade talk and business. The atmosphere remained very vibrant throughout. Prime contractors attended the shows in the first place for work and to satisfy their curiosity. I am delighted to see the full effects of our strategy – encouraging contact with the materials, the skills and the people who offer them. It is an approach that I want to keep pursuing.”

Highlights of the fairs included shining a spotlight on environmentally friendly materials and sustainable developments, along with a series of lectures and presentations.

Dates for the next Messe Frankfurt France shows will be from 16 to 19 September 2019 at Le Bourget in Paris.

All photos from  Messe Frankfurt Paris.  

WHITE MILANO concluded another successful show. Trade visitors up 4.8%

Registering a total of 25,256 trade visitors and buyers, the  WHITE MILAN trade show held February 22 - 25 has been hailed as another successful event by the organisers at the Municipality of Milan, thanks to a well-balanced brand mix, the new areas and a focus on sustainability.

The attendance figure also included an increase of 2.3% in the number of buyers, with those from outside Italy up 6.8% , and those from Italy up 1.4%., when compared to the February 2018 edition.

«The dynamism of this show is the upshot of a successful combination of scouting activity, new exhibiting hubs and also of a project marked by a highly cultural profile, according to  Massimiliano Bizzi, founder of WHITE. 

Top international buyers who visited the February show included those from Printemps and Spree, of France; H.Lorenzo, Elisa B. and The Voyager, from the USA; The Outnet.com and Studio 120 from the UK; Andrews of Canada; Doshaburi of Spain); Tsum from the former Soviet Union; Onward from Japan and many others. There was also a notable attendance by some 1,200 international press and media.

Highlights this year included a new  GIVE A FOK-us sustainable hub developed in partnership with Confartigianato Imprese: an experience in the universe of sustainability within the framework of the wider project of enhancement of WHITE, supported by MISE and ICE Agenzia, as well as Camera Italiana Buyer Moda – The Best Shops, under the artistic direction of Matteo Ward, co-founder of the green label WRÅD.

The addition of two new theme areas, Knit Lab and Lounge | Sphere also opened “a wide perspective on leading-edge knitwear and homewear, expression of loungewear and lingerie, combined with the beauty proposal,” said the organisers.

Première Vision Paris reported more than 53,150 trade visitors - a solid attendance yet impacted by market concerns over Brexit

Politics and economic uncertainties can often influence business decisions and it is the case with  concerns over Brexit (Great Britain leaving the EU) that seem to have impacted on the Première Vision Paris group of trade shows which saw a slight dip in visitor numbers this February according to the organisers.

Photos at Première Vision Paris February 12 - 14 February 2019 © Lucia Carpio 2019

While the fair recorded a healthy attendance of 53,156 visitors from 127 countries at its latest edition held 12 – 14 February at the Parc des Expositions in Villepinte, north of Paris, Première Vision Paris saw a slight decline of 2.3% in visitors when compared to its February 2018 edition.

Organisers said the fair's 70%-international attendance is particularly notable for its high quality, demonstrating the show's robustness in the face of strong political and economic uncertainties in world markets and illustrated the strength of its leadership and influence on the global creative fashion industry.

This impressive performance was nonetheless marked by a slight decline in visitor numbers (-2.3% vs. February 2018), a direct consequence of the market's jitteriness in light  of the impending exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union. British fashion brands and buyers are playing it safe as Brexit edges closer, solidifying fears and slowing down decision-making.

Organisers reported that there was a significant 16% decline in British visitors, which alone accounts for two thirds of the decline in attendance at the show.

The Top 5 visiting countries remain unchanged in comparison with February 2018. China enters the top 10 in 9th place, Belgium moves from 10th to 8th place, and Japan moves down a place, dropping to 10th place in the ranking.




Some 76% of the visitors to Première Vision Paris were European led by France with nearly 16,000 visitors, which recorded a slight increase (+1%), and held steady despite a still fragile internal economic environment.  This demonstrates the indispensable nature of the show for French brands,
which are among the most important in the sector, according to the organisers.

In second place, Italy sent 5,985 visitors (11% of attendees), followed by the United Kingdom which,
with 4,466 visitors (8% of attendees), maintains its 3rd position despite a significant decline in its visitor base (-16%), due to uncertainty over Brexit.
This trio is followed by Spain (3,215 visitors), Germany (1,828 visitors, 3% of the total), and Belgium (1,478 visitors).

Some 9.5% of professional visitors came from Asia with an increase of 8%, buoyed by China which enters 9th place in the top 10 with 1,451 visitors. Next comes Japan, a leading buyer of fashion and creative textiles, with 1,421 attendees, and South Korea, a market for innovative and creative fashion, with 883 visitors.
Visitors from North America also registered a rise in attendance with over 1 996 visiteurs.
The United States posted a +6% increase in visitors, with 1,695 attendees, followed by Canada with 300 visitors.
Turkey maintained its ranking as the 5th visitor-country with 2,689 visitors, which was however a 6% drop, a reflection on the country's economic and political instability.

With 1,782 international exhibitors providing a wide range of textile, fashion, haberdashery accessories and designs, Première Vision is the industry valuable catalyst for the creative fashion and textile and materials sectors throughout the three-day show, that catered for the spring summer 2020 season.
The next edition of Première Vision Paris will take place 17, 18 & 19 September 2019.
Photos at Première Vision Paris 12-14 February 2019 © Lucia Carpio 2019.

Virginie Viard to succeed Karl Lagerfeld

The fashion maison of Chanel has announced that Karl Lagerfeld’s right hand Virginie Viard will succeed him as the creative head following the death of the Kaiser.

Regarded as Lagerfeld's closest collaborator for more than 30 years, Virginie was deemed the most important person for Lagerfeld and his atelier, as revealed by the German designer himself in the Netflix documentary 7 Days Out, which captures the drama behind the scenes seven days leading up to Chanel’s Spring 2018 haute couture show.  While Virginie has been the key person responsible for bringing Lagerfeld's sketches to life in the Chanel atelier, all eyes and ears will be on how she will bring her own personality to the French fashion house in the next couture show and beyond "so that the legacy of Gabrielle Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld can live on”,  according to Chanel CEO Alain Wertheier.

Rest in Peace, Karl Lagerfeld!

Karl Lagerfeld was one of the greatest creative giants in the world of fashion.  When he wasn't able to attend the Chanel Haute Couture SS2019 show last month, news abound that the German couturier’s health was not in good form. We are very sad to learn that our dearest Karl, the Kaiser of the fashion world, described as fashion’s first global superstar designer, and Chanel's creative director for three decades,  has died today.  He was 85.

So grateful I had the opportunity to attend a couple of his Chanel shows in Paris and even visited Coco Chanel's Rue Cambon apartment.  I've always admire his forward thinking in leading the fashion world with elaborate staging of his catwalk shows .  I had also heard him talk in conferences.  He was a quick thinking, inspirational speaker, and is known for his outspoken controversial comments.  But if you were  King Karl, you would speak your mind too. 
Karl Lagerfeld, may you rest in peace.

Karl Lagerfeld's fashion and jewellery designs along with portraits of celebrities photographed by the designer himself were on display in the Mademoiselle Privé exhibition - a tribute to Coco Chanel - held at the Saatchi Gallery in London in 2015.
Photo by Lucia Carpio.

Edward Crutchley and Colovos are winners of the 2019 International Woolmark Prize

IWP picture.

Congratulations to UK fashion designer Edward Crutchley and Colovos (husband and wife duo Michael and Nicole Colovos) of New York who are the winners of the menswear and womenswear 2019 International Woolmark Prize, presented at Lindley Hall during London Fashion Week . Crutchley was also announced the winner of the Innovation Award, celebrating the most innovative or sustainable approach to systems production, materials, textile design or product design.

Both winners will each receive AU$200,000 to help support the development of their business, and will also receive ongoing industry mentor support, Woolmark certification for their winning collection and the opportunity to be stocked in some of the world’s most prestigious department stores and boutiques, including Boon The Shop, David Jones, Harvey Nichols, Hudson's Bay, Lane Crawford, LECLAIREUR, mytheresa.com, ORDRE, Parlour X and Takashimaya.

There were12 finalists at this year’s competition who were selected from more than 300 entrants.  The finalists came from all over the world, including ALBUS LUMEN – Australia; ANGEL CHEN – China; Brandon Maxwell – United States; CMMN SWDN – Sweden; Colovos – United States; DANIEL w. FLETCHER – United Kingdom; EDWARD CRUTCHLEY – United Kingdom; i-am-chen – Hong Kong; Nicholas Daley – United Kingdom; Willy Chavarria – United States; Yohei Ohno – Japan; and YOUSER – Korea.

The award was judged by a panel of top experts made up of the industry movers and shakers including Alber Elbaz, Tim Blanks, Laura Brown, Sinead Burke, Gwendoline Christie, Julie Davies, David Fischer, Colette Garnsey, Marc Goehring, Gert Jonkers, Floriane de Saint Pierre and Sara Sozzani Maino along with representatives from the International Woolmark Prize retail partner network.

The impact of Brexit on UK fashion and textiles industry strongly dependent on international trade.

Due to the United Kingdom's high level of exports, reliance on international talent, and dependence of raw materials from abroad, the UK textiles, apparel, and footwear industry will be one of the hardest hit by the UK leaving the European Union in March 2019, according to the industry highly dependent on international trade.

The British Fashion Council, which organises London Fashion Week, quite understandably
recently came out in support of a second Brexit vote to avoid a no-deal exit.
Photo © Lucia Carpio.

The British designer-cum political activist Katharine Hamnett's slogan T-shirts reflect the sentiment of many in the UK textile and fashion industry.  Words like "CANCEL BREXIT", "FASHION HATES BREXIT" and "SECOND REFERENDUM NOW" say it all.

According to a report by the UK Trade Policy Observatory, some 63 percent of clothing designers and 55 percent of UK-based luxury-goods makers are engaged in exports, and around 10,000 EU citizens are employed in the UK fashion industry.

British quality fabrics sought after in the global marketplace.
Photo © Lucia Carpio at Premiere Vision Paris.

At the Fashion Roundtable, a lobbying body of consultants formed to advise the UK government on matters relating to Brexit respondents, some 80 percent of respondents said that they felt Brexit would be bad for fashion in the UK and European Union. The prospect of Brexit has also started to affect fashion companies in other countries, particularly those being paid in sterling, which has fallen by around 12 percent against the euro and 10 percent against the dollar since the Brexit referendum in 2016.  Consultants at Fashion Roundtable found 96 percent of business leaders in the British industry voted to stayin the EU.

London Fashion Week is big deal for Britain's booming fashion industry, with revenues for women's ready-to-wear rising by 5.5 percent to 30.9 billion pounds in 2018, according to market analyst group Mintel.

However, uncertainty surrounding Brexit, due to take place on 29 March, is causing great concerns to designers and British fashion houses who fear leaving the EU without a deal could be catastrophic for the industry's exports.

"The industry is anxious and worried and uncertainty is never good for the mood of anyone, let alone an industry based on freedom of movement," Tamara Cincik, founder and CEO of consultancy firm Fashion Roundtable, told AFP.

"Retail is already dealing with huge losses to footfall on the high street with the growth of online sales outlets. No deal will mean that we are stuck at borders or goods won't get in."(AFP)

Fashion Scout presents unisex brand Tolu Coker while Anya Hindmarch hosts Weave Project among highlights at London Fashion Week

Fashion Scout Merit Award winner London-based Tolu Coker debuts today during this season's London Fashion Week, featuring her unisex (genderless) autumn/winter 2019 collection at the Freemason Hall.

A graduate from Central St Martins, Coker's designs centres around inclusivity, diversity and social responsibility.  This image above released by Fashion Scout says it all.

Meanwhile, handbag designer with an eco conscience Anya Hindmarch is hosting her Weave Project in the Brewer Street Car Park, London from February 16 - 19.  The art installation will celebrate the new Neeson collection featuring a giant and interactive neon-blue, hand-netted tube by artist collective Numen/For Use,.  Visitors can climb through to experience the installation from unexpected and surreal angles.

Red a key colour for SS 2020 at Premiere Vision Paris February 12 - 14 2019

All photos by Lucia Carpio in Paris.

Paris Spreading the Love of Shopping for the visiting Chinese Tourists

As Chinese communities around the world are still celebrating the Lunar New Year (from Feb 5 - 19 this year), Paris retailers are laying out the RED carpet, so to speak to appeal to tourists from the retail world's most prolific shoppers of the moment - the Chinese, who are visiting en masse during this auspicious time the City of Lights.  They are everywhere, from the hub of luxury shops, the celebrated Faubourg de St Honore to the city's iconic department store, the Galeries Lafayette.
Chinese will be celebrating their own special day for lovers on 19th February this year, the last day of the Year of the Pig new year celebrations.  And the language of choice for their endearing message?  Not their native French, but Chinese and English even. Happy Shopping everyone! Happy Valentine's Day!

All photos © Lucia Carpio February 2019 in  Paris.

Sportswear goes Green at Première Vision Manufacturing Feb 12 - 14 2019

As we become more health conscious and learn more on maintaining our overall well-being and engaging in appropriate sport activities, our demand for good reliable sportswear grows.

At the Première Vision trade fair in Paris opening on February 12th, specialist sportswear manufacturers are presenting their latest products to the industry in the Manufacturing sector.

Naia showcased a selection of sportswear made by its customers using Eastman Naia™ cellulosic yarn, a cellulose diacetate filament, at Première Vision Paris in September 2018.
Naia™ is responsibly sourced from sustainably managed pine and eucalyptus plantations, ensuring no deforestation. Eastman holds FSC® and PEFC™ Chain of Custody certification, and all wood pulp suppliers have FSC® and/or PEFC™ Chain of Custody as well.  Photo © Lucia Carpio.  

Bulgarian company Natalia is promoting technicity  which it advises goes hand-in-hand with sustainability: “This is currently our number one priority. We aim to include a sustainable approach at all stages of the production process, from the choice of material to the services via the manufacturing,” explained Tsveta Slavova, the sales director of Natalia, founded in 1926.  Present for the first time at Première Vision Manufacturing – Proximity, Hall 6, this vertically-integrated circular knitting company meets high social and ecological responsibility standards (Iso 14001 and 9001, Bsci, Step by Eco Tex, among others).

Natalia's range of knitwear come in simple jersey, interlock, flannel, piqué or ribbed knit is coloured using dyes free from azo colouring agents. Pattern printing is done using colorants and inks that are Eco Tex 100 certified. “Our primary market, Germany, attaches great importance to that requirement.”  Natalia produces tee-shirts, sweat shirts, jogging pants and polo shirts for Gerry Weber and Hallhuber in a lifestyle vein. Its expertise in the area of finishes – anti-pilling, antibacterial, fire resistant, reflective – has opened up new horizons. The company provides technical anti-transpiration tee-shirts to the German army. In all, its production capacity is approaching 150 000 knitted items per month.

At Triwool, the company is also working towards sustainable manufacturing. “Brands we work with, such as Zara or Marks & Spencer, now respect very strict codes of conduct,” said Sandra Costa, the quality manager.  To comply with its customers’ requirements, this Portuguese manufacture of circular knitted fabrics has working on obtaining two labels: Ocs (Organic Content Standard) and Rcs (Recycled Claim Standard). The first applies to organic materials, while the second concerns the monitoring of recycled primary materials throughout the entire production process.

The Athleisure line of its fellow Portuguese company, Soeiro, is also tending towards responsible production. The sweaters made by this Portuguese manufacturer, which produces 90,000 items per month, are now offered in lyocell and viscose. Its women’s jogging pants are knitted in a jersey certified “Renew prime”, using bi-elastic and recycled nylon fibres. “Our clients, which are mainly European, Canadian and American, are sensitive to primary materials that respect the environment and well-being,” notes Ana Oliveira, the sales director.

The same perception of the sector has been seen at another Portuguese company, Toddler: “The sportswear manufacturing market is growing, driven by a durable trend and the quest for “green” products. Today, holding Gots certification is practically compulsory,” explains Sérgio Santos, the company’s sales director. Toddler produces technical clothing for the outdoor, fitness and yoga sectors as well as the casual fashion sector. Its manufacturing process includes cutting-edge technologies: ultrasonic bonding, laser cut-outs and flatlock seams – which has contributed to its reputation.

PREMIERE VISION MANUFACTURING – PROXIMITY – HALL 6 - Parc des Expositions, Paris, France. February 12 - 14, 2019.

Alin Le’Kal exquisite gowns and dresses at Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week for Spring-Summer 2019

Femininity and elegance: Australia-based designer Alin Le’Kal's ball gowns, bridal and evening dresses - long and short - showcased at Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week for Spring-Summer 2019 in January was as much about indulgence and finesse as power dressing and superb intricate workmanship.  

The designer captivated his audience and clients with sparkling crystals, angelic feathers, radiant beading and intricate detailing in his collection of “Reflected Elements”.

What will our high street look like in the future?

61% of Brits are worried the high street will disappear in the next 10 years

New research by KIS Finance has revealed that consumers are worried the high street is going to be lost completely due to the current store closures in the news. 

After surveying Britain’s consumers and finding out what the high street could look like in the future, KIS Finance have collaborated with Sam Edwards, an illustrator from London, to visualise these changes. 

Holly Andrews, Managing Director at KIS Finance says;

“With store closures flooding our news-feeds recently, we were interested to find out what the future holds for the high street and how consumers’ shopping habits might affect retailers’ footfall. It is obvious from our research that people do still like going into store to shop, but it just isn’t as accessible as online shopping is.

To save the high street many retailers need to ensure that they are thinking innovatively about how to draw customers in with clearer in-store stock checks, more staff and extended hours during busy periods. The reason why so many retailers are struggling with their stores is because consumer shopping habits are changing and the high street needs to change with it, creating a more community led atmosphere with more accessibility and variety for everyone.”

KIS Finance's recent research by KIS Finance has revealed the following after surveying 1,000 consumers in the UK:-

•61% of Brits are worried the high street will disappear in the next ten years due to recent store closures in the news

•Northern cities have by far been worst hit by store closures

•Food and beverage, value and fashion brands are predicted to be the next victims of the high street

•If local high streets had free parking and easy accessibility, consumers would be more likely to shop in-store