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

CHAMPION® Athleticwear celebrates "100 Years for the Team" with launch of global campaign

Athletic wear CHAMPION® brand partners with sports legend Magic Johnson in a quest to find unique teams around the world to share their stories.

Champion®, the global athleticwear brand based in Rochester, New York, is celebrating a century of teamwork with the launch of its centennial anniversary campaign – “100 Years for the Team” – that will explore what it means to be a team in 2019 from the perspective of participating teams, clubs, squads and crews across the world.

Urban Dove for Champion's "100 Years for the Team" Anniversary Campaign (Photo: Business Wire)

Champion will engage with teams small and large around the world to share their passion about teamwork and what it means to them to be a team.  Throughout the year, Champion will highlight and celebrate teams through social media, a special website, exclusive product collections, events and influencer partnerships. Select teams will even be featured in a centennial celebration video.

Magic Johnson for Champion's "100 Years for the Team"
Anniversary Campaign (Photo: Business Wire)

“This significant milestone for Champion allows us to reflect on what ‘team’ and the evolution of ‘sports’ means today to consumers around the globe,” said Jon Ram, Group President, Global Activewear, Hanesbrands Inc. “Helping people come together as teams and being innovators in the industry has been an important part of our brand’s story since the very beginning. Now is the time to look ahead and celebrate how teams today have the power to change the world for the better, and how we assist in enabling them.”

The campaign will launch with a special film that features someone who has experienced the power of the team personally – the iconic basketball legend Magic Johnson. In the film, Johnson shares his reflections and insights into what truly makes a great team. 

“As part of the ‘Dream Team,’ I experienced first-hand the power of people coming together to achieve great things,” said Johnson. “I’m pleased to celebrate the power of teams in Champion’s 100th anniversary campaign.”

Love is in the Air - in the world of Jan Constantine

Jan Constantine launches new pop art collection

British textile designer and entrepreneur Jan Constantine, renowned for her unique collection of hand embroidered textiles, has launched a new range full of LOVE boldly appliqued with graphic letters and motifs onto cushions, wall hangings and throws, in black, cream and bright rainbow colours.

“I want to create something that will bring joy to people and be handed down, just as the embroidery skills of my artisans have been handed down through many generations," says Jan.

Jan says: “ I’m delighted with the vibrant colours of my new Pop Art Collection and how the word “Love” plays a major role.  I also love the jungle animal cushions on bright colours and how they mix in so well.”

Inspiration for individual designs in the Constantine Collection comes from favourite things and traditional hand-embroidery, according to the designer, whose work are hand-done on quality natural cottons, linens and wools. 

Year of the Pig celebrations in Hong Kong

Hong Kong welcomes  the Year of the Pig with a colourful parade featuring festive floats and various performing groups representing local and the Mainland as well as other parts of the world, including  world-class performers and world record holders, according to organisers at the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB)

Photo: Hong Kong Tourism Board

The 2019 Cathay Pacific International Chinese New Year Night Parade was staged on 5 February (the first day of the Year of the Pig) in the popular shopping district of Tsim Sha Tsui.

Themed ‘Best Fortune. World Party.’, the parade featured 34 floats and performing troupes from over 11 countries and regions. It consisted of a number of world-renowned performing teams and world record holders, including Junior New System from the Philippines, which gained fame in the American talent show “America’s Got Talent”, Face Team Acrobatic Korfball from Hungary, which holds 10 Guinness records, Hiplet Ballerinas from the US, whose videos have achieved overwhelming popularity on social media platforms, and multi-award-winning Austrian acrobatic troupe The Freaks Acrobatic Show.