Bring the vibes of Florida to your home. Wall murals by Paul Fuentes at Wallsauce

"Palm Springs Car" by Paul Fuentes at Wallsauce.com

As pink continues to be a choice of colour for interior décor, here  are inspiring images from Paul Fuentes - a graphic designer and photographer from Mexico - who has captured the unique pop-art colours and vibes of the US state of Florida with these made-to-measure wall murals available on Wallsauce.com.

"Florida" mural by Fuentes at Wallsauce.com

These wall murals by Paul Fuentes are super cool for the modern travel buff, from stylised graphics to retro scenes and  a pastel palette to set the mood.

Paul Fuentes examines the world through a surreal lens.  He first became noticed when he began sharing his abstract images of food, objects and animals on Instagram.  He has a collection of 25 murals at Wallsauce all available on a choice of wallpaper materials to suit different needs.

Luxury Sector becoming less opaque

Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London until 

1 September 2019.
  Designs by current Dior creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri .

Photo by Lucia Carpio.

Luxury brands Gucci and Bottega Veneta are the highest scoring luxury brands reviewed  by Fashion Revolution’s Fashion Transparency Index 2019 to have made the 31-40% range of scores, and have achieved 100% on policy and commitments and governance. Chanel’s score increased by 7%, Sandro and s. Oliver by 9% and Christian Dior by almost 22%, demonstrating that for the first time ever, several major fashion brands are beginning to disclose supply chain information. Chanel also published its first ever Report to Society and s. Oliver launched a responsibility section on its website for the first time.

Only five brands (2.5% of the brands reviewed) scored zero this year, compared with nine brands (6%) last year. These are Eli Tahari, Jessica Simpson, Mexx, Tom Ford and Chinese menswear brand Youngor.  Another 10 brands are disclosing almost nothing (less than 2%), including Longchamp, Max Mara, New Yorker and several others.

“There is still a lot of work to be done”, Sarah Ditty, Policy Director and report author, cautioned, “detailed information about the outcomes and impacts of their efforts is still lacking. The average score among the biggest fashion brands and retailers is just 21%, showing that there are still far too many big brands lagging behind. Major brands are disclosing very little information and data about their purchasing practices, which means that we still don’t have visibility into what brands are doing to be responsible business partners to their suppliers.”

Fashion Revolution believes that the major fashion brands have the moral imperative and ability to effect change on a global scale for large numbers of people. Brands will also need to innovate, use fewer resources and help their customers consume less, take better care of their clothes and use them for longer if we are to tackle the climate crisis..

"To help drive this change, each year we explore a few key issues in deeper detail. This year we have  chosen 4 out of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals that are particularly relevant and urgent for the global fashion industry to achieve by 2030 as this year’s Spotlight Issues:  SDG5: Gender Equality, SDG 8: Decent Work, SDG 12: Sustainable Consumption and Production and SDG 13: Climate Action.

Sarah Ditty concluded: “We will continue to use the Index to measure brands’ progress and help push them harder and faster towards taking on more responsibility for their policies, practices and impacts.”

Sportswear and Outdoor brands championing transparency

According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a charity launched to accelerate the transition to a circular economy, the apparel industry is one of the culprits in causing our environmental and pollution problems, as globally a mind-boggling 73% of materials used for clothing are being sent to landfill or incinerated every year, with less than 1% being recycled to make new clothing.

Designs by Christopher Raeburn at the Jackets Required London trade show in January 2019.
The designer , a pioneer in recycling and upcycling, set up RÆBURN, a collaborative, creative fashion studio where daily design meets painstaking production, alongside monthly events, discussions and workshops.
Photo by Lucia Carpio.

Thus it is welcomed news that Fashion Revolution’s Fashion Transparency Index 2019 reveals today that three sportswear and outdoor brands are leading the way on transparency among the world’s 200 largest fashion brands and retailers by disclosing a wide range of human rights policies, commitments and outcomes, as well as who their suppliers are.

Adidas, Reebok and Patagonia each score a total 64% out of 250 possible points, followed by Esprit and H&M in the 61-70%. C&A, ASOS, Puma, Nike, Converse, Jordan, The North Face, Timberland, Wrangler, Vans and Marks & Spencer rank at the top end of the 51-60% range.

This is the first year since the Fashion Transparency Index’s inception that brands will score over 60%, showing that progressive brands are now taking real, tangible steps to disclose more about their social and environmental policies, practices and impacts.

However no brands score above the 70% range showing that there is still a long way to go towards transparency amongst all major fashion brands.

Since 2016, Fashion Revolution has tracked global brands and benchmarked their performance against five key areas: policy and commitments, governance, traceability, supplier assessment and remediation, and spotlight issues, which this year focus on the Sustainable Development Goals.

Sarah Ditty, Policy Director and report author says: “The progress we are seeing this year, coupled with the feedback Fashion Revolution has received from brands, suggests that inclusion in the Fashion Transparency Index has motivated major fashion brands to be more transparent. We are seeing many brands publishing their supplier lists and improving their scores year on year.”

Amongst the 98 brands reviewed in 2017, 2018 and again in 2019 there has been an 8.9% increase in the average score since they were first included in the Index.

11 brands have increased their scores by over 10% this year, showing significant efforts to be more transparent, and data shows that more brands are embarking on their journey towards greater transparency.

The report shows the following findings:

·         Brands are disclosing very little about their efforts to empower women and girls and achieve gender equality, despite the fact that women make up the majority of the workforce in the fashion industry from factory to shop floor.

·         Some progress has been made on disclosing equal pay policies and the gender pay gap by major fashion brands, but little is published about how brands are addressing gender-based labour violations in garment factories.

·         55% out of the 200 brands are publishing the annual carbon footprint in the company's own sites, although only 19.5% disclose carbon emissions in the supply chain – where over 50% of the industry’s emissions occur.

·         Given that major brands are expecting trust and transparency from suppliers, they too should share more information publicly about their own commitments and efforts to be responsible business partners. Only 9% of brands disclose a formal process for gathering supplier feedback on the company's purchasing practices and just 6.5% of brands publish a policy of paying their suppliers within 60 days. 

The highest scoring brands in the Spotlight Issues section this year are H&M, Adidas and Reebok, Patagonia as well as Bershka, Massimo Dutti, Pull&Bear, Stradivarius and Zara (all owned by Inditex), ASOS and C&A, respectively.

Sustainability is today a buzzword in the global apparel industry; Fashion Revolution Week 2019 (22-28 April)

News that more and more global fashion brands and retailers are striving to tackle sustainability continue to emerge as we enter Fashion Revolution Week 2019 (22-28 April) which promotes greater transparency in the fashion supply chain.

London-based eco-footwear brand
Po-Zu  uses sustainable materials.
On Monday 29th April, Po-Zu founder, 
Sven Segal  will be speaking on the 
Nature Of Fashion panel, one of many events 
organised by Know The Origin for their 
Fashion Revolution 2019 pop-up shop. 
Photo by Lucia Carpio.

For one, US-based jeans brand Wrangler, owned by the VF Corp, has launched a new Made-in-USA denim collection that supports five US cotton-growing states – and takes the brand towards 100% sustainable cotton adoption by 2025.

Elsewhere, US retailer Walmart is teaming up with international bank HSBC to roll out a sustainable supply chain finance programme that pegs a supplier's financing rate to its sustainability performance.   Under the new scheme, suppliers that demonstrate progress on Walmart's Gigaton or Sustainability Index Program can apply for improved financing from HSBC based on their sustainability ratings.

Meanwhile German sportswear giant Adidas has launched a 100% recyclable performance running shoe called the Futurecraft.Loop, which is made without glue and from materials that can be broken down and reused to create a brand new running shoe.

And a company that produces sustainable textile fibres made from waste materials has raised EUR3.7m (US$4.2m) in funding from investors, including global fashion retailer H&M, to scale up production at its plant in Finland.

H&M announces bringing Product Transparency to Scale allowing customers to make informed choices.

H&M urges consumers to join its sustainable fashion future by launching transparency layer for all their garments on hm.com starting April 23.  By sharing extended details on where their garments are made they make it easier for customers to make more informed choices when shopping.

H&M's sustainable commitment began in 2013 when they were the first global fashion retailer to publish our supplier list online and starting in 2017 they tried out the transparency layer at a smaller scale on their Conscious Exclusive collections.

They are now taking this work one big leap further by launching product transparency for all garments on hm.com. In addition, the majority of H&M HOME interior products sold on their website will have this as well, according to their statement released today.

For each of their garments, H&M now share details such as production country, supplier names, factory names and addresses as well as the number of workers in the factories. In addition, customers can find out more about the materials used to make a specific garment.

“We are so proud to be the first global fashion retailer of our size and scale to launch this level of product transparency. We want to show the world that this is possible. By being open and transparent about where our products are made we hope to set the bar for our industry and encourage customers to make more sustainable choices. With transparency comes responsibility, making transparency such an important factor to help create a more sustainable fashion industry”, says Isak Roth, Head of Sustainability at H&M.

As of April 23, the transparency layer will be available in H&M’s 47 online markets. Customers can also access this information when shopping in their physical stores by using the H&M app to scan the price tag on a product to see its details.

Elegant, ethical and eco-friendly shopper baskets from Lola & Mawu

Hand-crafted baskets are all the craze.

The Bulga baskets from Lola & Mawu are hand-woven by female weaving cooperative in the Bolgatanga area, Northern Ghana.  The elegant shoppers are made from natural straw and finished with PU leather handle.

Lola & Mawu's Summer collection of Shopping Baskets are beautiful alternative to plastic bags.  They also all the boxes for ethical consumers as they are fair-trade, sustainable, and vegan.

The baskets come in a multitude of designs and various sizes, with a choice of classical natural straw or bold designs with bright colours.

Made in Ghana, these eco-friendly Bolga baskets are patiently handwoven by all-female artisan collectives. Each shopper takes three to five days to complete.

According to Lola & Mawu, an ethical décor and lifestyle brand based in London, the baskets are fair trade, and every purchase provides vital income to the makers.

Lola & Mawu is committed to working with artisans to create homeware and accessories that combine traditional techniques with modern tastes.

The name of the brand is a symbol of the partnership between Lola, who founded the company, and Mawu, the African goddess of creation.

Lola & Mawu also has a collection of Bolga baskets, made exclusively for the brand, which come in a range of fabulous colours, which can be used as planters or for storage for your craft projects, knitting, newspapers, toys or even fruit and veg.  The baskets are 100% straw and cruelty-free! (The tags are faux leather).  

It's Cherry Blossom season in Japan and lifestyle brand Muji opens hotel in Tokyo's Ginza district.

It's Spring time in Japan, and tourism is booming in this oriental kingdom as visitors flock there to admire Cherry Blossoms.

A luxurious gown  from Christian Dior SS 2017 haute couture collection designed by Maria Garzia Chiuri, elaborately embroidered to channel Japanese cherry blossoms as a nod to the Hanami - Japan's National Cherry Blossom Festival - and echoing Monsieur Dior's 1953 "Jardin Japonais" dress.  This is one of 200 rare Dior haute couture gowns now on show  in the Christian Dior - Designer of Dreams Exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, until 1st September 2019.

Photo by Lucia Carpio.

According to BBC business news earlier this week, the blossom season is worth billions for Japan.  The season attracted nearly five million people and boosted the economy by some US$2.7 billion, according to figures from Bloomberg.

Cherry blossom represents the nature of life and a season of renewal in Japanese culture.  Events and festivals are held in Japan each spring during "Hanami", or "flower viewing" season.

If one has the luxury of time to travel to Japan this Easter break, you may like to try out the Muji Hotel Ginza, operated by the Japanese retail chain Muji - known for their minimalist designs.

The hotel is to open this Thursday in Tokyo as a novel way to experience the brand's wide range of lifestyle products.

The hotel offering 79 guests rooms which will be decked out with Muji's own lifestyle-related products, from furniture, to slippers, to toiletries and toothbrushes.

The hotel is situated above its shop - from 6th to 10th floor - above the commercial complex.  This is very handy because if guests like any of the items, they can buy them at a Muji store below.

The hotel is viewed as a kind of showroom where guests can experience using their products, according to officials at the chain's operator, Ryohin Keikaku, which has revealed that sales of Muji products are on the rise, mainly in Asian countries, and they hope the new hotel will further boost its brand recognition and help expand sales globally.

The Ginza hotel will be the company's first in Japan; it follows ones already opened in China, in Shenzhen and Beijing.

Tom Dixon showcases new collections in a Milan restaurant: The Manzoni

Good designs should be displayed of course but can benefit greatly from being shown off in a commercial setting that showcases their functionality.

This is the thinking behind London designer Tom Dixon's new venture in Milan as he has chosen to show off his new collections at The Manzoni currently until Sunday 14th April 2019 to coincide with Milan Design Week.

The Dining Hall in The Manzoni, a restaurant and also an experimental space cum a theatrical backdrop of Italian food and an international stage to present the designer's latest innovations and best sellers.

The Manzoni, a formal dining experience in the centre of Milan. Tom Dixon design meets Italian cuisine, expressed in a Restaurant, Showroom and Shop.

Tom Dixon has returned to Milan after a year's absence and decided that a better strategy for showcasing his design brand is to embed itself into the heart of Italy's commercial and cultural capital.

The Manzoni is a new 100-cover restaurant created by Tom's Design Research Studio.  It is pre-opened this week to coincide with Milan Design Week; after the fair it will re-open as a permanent restaurant and a showroom for his new collections.

The Jungle inside The Manzoni, Milan.

The Manzoni is open for Salone del Mobile from Tuesday 9th — Sunday 14th April 2019, and will re-open permanently after Design Week.

Tom Dixon says The Manzoni will be the brand's first mainland European home.
He says: "After years of doing 5-day exhibition in Milan, we finally decided that we had enough of putting such huge energy into pop-up interventions.  We wanted to look at different ways of being present in Milan.  With the city being so active and engaging right now, it is the right time to forget being temporary and build something permanent.

Tom Dixon's restaurant and showroom in Coal Harbour, London.  Photo by Lucia Carpio.

"Just like in London, we don't think it's enough to just have a showroom.  We need a place where people slow down and experience our products in a live setting.  There is nothing dustier than a conventional lighting and furniture showroom.  But with The Manzoni, people are able to experience our new collections in an active context.

Another view of the Dining Hall, in The Manzoni, Milan.

The bar and shop.

The Manzoni is a restaurant and also an experimental space, a theatrical backdrop of Italian food (lunch is by invitation only) and an international stage to present the designer's latest innovations and best sellers.  New collections on show include FAT, SLAB, OPAL and SPRING.

Every element of The Manzoni is an exploration of traditional and new materialities and manufaturing processes, according to Tom Dixon.  The materials have been sourced from different regions of Italy; stone from Mount Etna in Sicily, marble from Verona and flowers from Sardinia, for example.

The entrance of The Manzoni features a monolithic block of granite, which serves as the foundation of the bar.  Exotic lava stone tiles decorate the wall, which complements the materiality of the Testi stone bar.  New lighting range Opal illuminates the space with an ethereal glow.

The dining hall features monastic cork dining tables where guests are invited to dine in a communal setting for lunch and dinner.  Tom Dixon's new FAT dining chairs upholstered in Raf Simons latest collection for Kvadrat are shown here along with SPRING pendant light installations suspended from the ceiling.

In the gallery is a dense jungle of greenery supplied by Sardinian florist, Art Flowers Gallery.  Palms and vines flourish from spun aluminium planters and cluster together to create a wild overgrown oasis.  In the centre of The Manzoni is a courtyard which features a custom-made forest green marble table designed by Testi and JKL Design Studio.

Images of The Manzoni from Tom Dixon.

Berlin's KaDeWe opens 3D-Knit-Lab with AlphaTauri

On many occasions lately when discussing with industry experts and peers about the state of high streets in the UK and Europe, especially how online retailing is presenting a challenging environment for bricks and mortar outlets, most people agree that shops need to up their game to improve or even create exciting events and unique experiences for shoppers.

Here's one great example of how shoppers can become more engaged and in fact, informed about a new line of products at the Berlin international department store KaDeWe which is co-hosting a pop-up shop with AlphaTauri, the stand-alone fashion brand of Red Bull.

KaDeWe, Germany's equivalent of Harrods and Galeries Lafayette, and the second largest department store in Europe (after London's Harrods), has opened the AlphaTauri 3D-Knit-Lab in a 64-sq. metre AlphaTauri Pop-Up area where two 3D-knitting machines that produce custom-made, seamless 3D-Knitwear made of Performance Knit are set up.

Berlin-based influencer and blogger Masha Sedgwick said of the interactive pop-up concept: "The choice of different colour and personalization combinations is so great that I could 
hardly decide. Individuality and uniqueness is what it is all about. The AlphaTauri 3D-Knit-Lab offers both customization and personalization!" 
Ms Sedgwick is seen here with the two knitting machines by the Japanese based company Shima Seiki.
 (Photo by Franziska Krug/Getty Images for KaDeWe)

"The 3D Knit Design Lab combines the online with the offline world."

The initiators of the concept are Petra Fladenhofer, Brand & Marketing Director of the KaDeWe Group, and Ahmet Mercan, General Manager of AlphaTauri & Head of Global Consumer Products who said at the opening night at the Berlin shop on 3rd April, "The 3D Knit Design Lab combines the online with the offline world.  The future will not be purely digital.  It's about bringing the worlds together and harnessing the power of 3D-technology and innovative tools to create added value for the consumer."

German TV presenter Rabea Schif at the KaDeWe X AlphaTauri 3D-Knit-Labs in Berlin, Germany.

(Photo by Franziska Krug/Getty Images for KaDeWe)

The AlphaTauri 3D-Knit-Lab offers both customization and personaliaation.  Customers visiting the pop-up shop have the choice of a selection of colours when creating tailor-made knitwear to suit their individual body profile.

In addition, AlphaTauri presents a 3D-Knit-Cashmere-Merino-Capsule Collection exclusively made for KaDeWe in 14 different colour combinations,
which can be personalized with initials or emojis in the Pop-Up.

(Photo by Franziska Krug/Getty Images for KaDeWe)

Some 300 guests and fans of the brand including top screen, stage and TV personalities got to experience the opening of the AlphaTauri 3D-Knit-Lab at KaDeWe in Berlin while being entertained DJ set by duo ALYGANY, Gia Cordes and Alyssa Haupt from Berlin.

Glorious blooms. Funky Flowers.

Spring flowers in All Saints Park, Eastbourne.
Photo by Lucia Carpio

This is a most beautiful time of the year when the days are longer and vibrant floral blooms bring a sense of optimism, even when the frustrated political climate threatens our sanity.  But the blooms won't last and we can capture the unique moments by photographing them for continuous admiration even after the flowers are gone.

Hydrangia Clock from the Funky Florals collection at Perkins & Morley.
Each clock is hand made and decorated in Pershore in Worcestershire, UK.

Over at Perkins & Morley, their 'Funky Florals' collection  - Made in the UK - showcase large overblown flowers against contrasting primary colour backgrounds bring the good vibes indoors.  Hydrangeas, lupins, pansies, poppies, tulips and marigolds are given a pop art makeover to produce a bold statement on cushions, mugs and clocks.

Tulip Cushion (45cm X 45cm) made in England from the Funky Florals Collection at Perkins & Morley.
Available in either faux suede or cotton linen options.

Marigold Mug from the Funky Floral mug range at Perkins & Morley.
Each ug feature different flowers shown in cropped detail.
The mugs are in fine bone china sublimation printed in West Cornwall, UK.

The funky designs were taken from lino cut artwork by Jill Perkins, who co-founded Perkins & Morley with designing partner Jan Morley.  The two have been a designing duo since 1987;  they both studied graphic design at Middlesex Polytechnic and have shared passions for art, design, travel and nature.

China's huge automotive market presents opportunities for nonwovens producers at China International Nonwovens Expo

China is undisputed the world’s front-runner in the global car market, leading the way in both production and sales. 

While new car sales in China dropped for the first time last year since 1992, production still reached 27.8 million vehicles in 2018, including 23.5 million passenger cars and 4.3 million commercial vehicles. While these numbers were down slightly year-on-year, the opportunities for global textile producers are still unrivalled given the overall size of the market.

At this year’s biennial China International Nonwovens Expo & Forum (CINE – supported by Techtextil), which runs from 3 – 5 June in Shanghai, a number of leading automobile brands, and textile suppliers to these companies, are expected to be sourcing at the fair. Previous buyers have included Autoliv, Honeywell, Johnson Controls, Lear Corporation, Lydall, Toyota Boshoku, Volkswagen, Wangbo Co Ltd and more, according to organisers at Messe Frankfurt's Hong Kong office.

This edition, buyers can source from a range of automotive nonwovens suppliers. This includes Shanghai Shenda, one of the country’s largest producer of automotive textiles, who will group together a number of automotive interior suppliers.   The CINE 2019 fair will take place in a new venue, the Shanghai Convention & Exhibition Center of International Sourcing, located conveniently between Hongqiao airport and downtown Shanghai.

China's strong automotive market growth is evident also in in new energy vehicle (NEV) sales, as well as exports of all vehicle types.  NEV production totalled 1.27 million units last year, a staggering 60% increase, while sales grew by nearly 62%.  More e-vehicles are sold in China than rest of the world combined, while the government recently set a target of selling 7 million e-vehicles by 2025, ensuring growth in this sector will remain robust for some time. Exports of all vehicle types in 2018 did not grow as fast as NEVs, but the 1.04 million vehicles produced for overseas markets last year still represented growth of 16.8%.*

* Sources: China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, China Industry Information Network, MarkLines, Nonwovens Industry.

The China International Nonwovens Expo & Forum (CINE – supported by Techtextil) is organised by the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT; the China Nonwovens & Industrial Textiles Association (CNITA); the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry (INDA); and Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd.

Photos from Messe Frankfurt (HK) taken at CINE 2017.