Chinese sports brand to enter European market

One of China’s most successful sports footwear and apparel brand - 361° - is targeting the European market following successful soft-launches in the US and Brazil.

Owned by Yue Lei International, 361° (founded in Jianjing in 2003 and currently has more than 7,800 stores in China with annual revenues of over 1 billion euros), will be exhibiting its new spring/summer 2015 collection at the ISPO sports fair in Munich from February 5-8, where the company is a partner to the trade show’s annual Runner’s World shoe symposium taking place on the first day.

The brand’s portfolio includes sports shoes as well as sports apparel and functional wear for both indoors and outdoors.   Its 140-piece spring/summer 2015 collection comprises of running, training, trail and lifestyle shoes and clothing for men and women. The activewear brand is placing emphasis on its running division, and it is hoping that its highly specialised running shoes, such as the models Chromoso or Sensation, which feature three-layers in the middle sole providing enhanced stability and cushioning while offering featherweight comfort, will become its hero products.

According to the Chinese sportswear brand’s CEO Otto Lin, in addition to participating in Ispo, the brand is also sponsoring various sports events in Europe to create higher visibility to the consumer market, as well as supporting the Olympic Games and Paralympics in Brazil in 2016. The activewear label is providing the official torchbearer and others involved in front of and behind the scenes of the event with more than 100,000 outfits.

Traditional Crafts and Designs from Thailand highlight unique textiles and techniques

If you’re feeling the blues from the gloomy UK winter, there is a good chance that you are not alone.  A recent research from the Ukash Travel Money Prepaid MasterCard card reveals that more women across the UK suffer from the winter blues than men and are more than likely to book a holiday to combat the blues.   

How about Thailand which many consider to be a favourite holiday destination for that special place in the sun. But often we are attracted to the beach resorts and may not get to see the wide range of traditional craftsmanship available from the land of smiles.

A contemporary twist for traditional crafts.  Clothes by Nakarin Yano, Thailand's award-winning designer made in Chiang Mai in a village where natives are known as an "Ethnic of Happiness".

A recent exhibition of Thai Craft highlighted some of the design and innovative talents that Asian country has to offer.

The exhibition (held at Top Drawer earlier this month) was brought to London by the British Council in association with the SUPPORT Arts and Crafts international Centre of Thailand or SACICT.

Thai designer Prach Niyomkar established Mann Craft to preserve and showcase the unique indigo-dyed textiles and vegetable-dyed fabrics produced in the area of
Sakon Nakhon in Northeast Thailand.

Among the key products on show was a range of dyed and woven textiles in a large spectrum of blue tones as well as hand-painted fabrics using assorted natural dyes from Mann Craft.

According to Mann Craft designer Prach Niyomkar, the unique textiles are produced by local people in the area of Sakon Nakhon in Northeast Thailand, the centre of Thai indigo-dyed textiles where the craft has been produced for hundreds of years.  

Prach established Mann Craft  to support and preserve a weaving tradition.  Calling himself a dyer, he designs each piece and work with local weavers in order to achieve the desired effects.

From the Gemio brand are footwear made of hand-woven Thai textiles.  The shoes have special rubber soles which are said to be durable, super flexible and eco-friendly.  They are produced by the Seshaun shoes factory Akkarachai Techaweerapat which has been making footwear for four decades.

Larinn By Double P also showed laced up shoes made of woven natural-dyed fabrics sourced from the Thai Queen’s SUPPORT foundation mentioned earlier, and in support of weaving communities from the Northern Thailand region.  This brand was founded by two sisters to continue the family textiles tradition.

On exhibit also was a selection of handmade clutch bags from Pakpuraan featuring individually hand-embroidered patterns on leather. 

This was described as a new and contemporary application of the Royal Court of Thailand’s embroidery technique which normally serves religious and royal functions.

From Kaewwanna Natural Indigo were cushion covers and home textiles made from pure cotton yarns dyed in natural indigo known  as "Moh Hom", a crafted associated with Phrae in the North of Thailand.

Elsewhere there was a range of home wares, such as Varni's basketry made with “krajood”, a kind of sea grass from the Pattalung people in the south of Thailand; blue and white pottery and ceramic containers from Thaniya for holding their handmade aromatic products; contemporary designs from Pym jewellery and Maxima Creation; handmade silver jewellery from Agnsa from a village in Chiang Mai, and many more.

Next time you visit Thailand, seek out these unique crafts and products.

All photos by Lucia Carpio for My Fashion Connect.

Designers put their magical touch on hand-crafted jewellery.

Nature and animals are popular themes for many jewellery designers.  Here are a few featured at the new Jewellery and Accessories floor showcased at the Top Drawer London  fair last week at its new home at Kensington Olympia.

While admiring designer Amanda Coleman’s delicate handmade jewellery, I experienced an "Into the Woods" fairy-tale moment as her jewellery are whimsical and can take us into a magical world of playful scenes.

Amanda said she takes inspiration for her designs from her love of the natural world, all things miniature and the peculiarities of everyday life.

Equally pretty are Amanda Coleman's jewellery stands from which her magical jewellery are hung.  The stands are perfect complements to her jewellery.

Carved from birch plywood, as well as veneered mdf, cherry and walnut, each stand - which can be in the shape of a Big C featuring a woodland scene or in the shape of a Moose - and features an array of holes and hooks from which jewellery can be hung and displayed and these stands can be bought separately.  Perfect for the girl who has everything.

The hand-finished and hand-decorated jewellery from Mar Moo by Amanda Cope of Wiltshire are miniature works of art.  Amanda uses sterling silver, wood paper and clay for an array of necklaces, pendants, earrings and bracelets.

Each one - in the shape of a bird, dog or cat - is hand decorated so no two are exactly the same but are very similar.  Perfect for animal lovers.

Among its efforts to promote the new jewellery floor, Top Drawer London showcased two designers who were awarded as the fair's Fashion First “rising stars”.

Designer Clara Francis who taught herself the ancient craft of bead weaving, demonstrated her own unique style of bead-work at her stand .

Her designs are inspired by flora, fauna and a dose of pop culture thrown into the mix.  Among my favourites are her butterfly and star-themed designs.

This was the first time Clara had taken part in a trade fair having started her label over 10 years ago.
Using an average of 600 glass beads – ranging from 1.3 mm to 2.5 mm in diameter, Clara has created jewellery and accessories for wide ranging clients including Harvey Nichols and the Victoria and Albert Museum, and her designs have been worn by a number of red-carpet celebrities, including Alexa Chung, Victoria Beckham and Kirsten Dunst. 

Hard at work in her stand at Top Drawer, Clara was making a special bridal tiara for retailer Browns Brides.  “I have a delivery deadline to make and so I thought why not do them during the fair while trying to keep on schedule.”

“The bridal range started after my wedding a year ago.  I made for myself a star headwear which inspired me to develop more bridal designs, ” she said.

Designer Urvi Vora, a London College of Fashion graduate, started her unique Trousseau brand of bold and colourful jeweller.

Her stand at Top Drawer was a treasure trove of statement pieces.

Though London based, Urvi's one-of-a-kind pieces featuring ethnic influences are hand-made in India.  She uses semi-precious stones in various shapes and sizes, set in gold plated metal.

All photos by Lucia Carpio for My Fashion Connect.

Scoop London announces two shows per season. Top Drawer London reports success with new venue and format.

The format of fashion industry trade fairs as we know it is being challenged today as many in the industry are now examining how the growing number of exhibition around the world are competing for both exhibitors and quality attendees.   
The way trade shows operate and their formats have become hot topics in recent weeks due to the cancellation of the Bread & Butter January 2015 fair after 13 years which caught many by surprise.  An interesting article recently reported by The Ethical Fashion Source Intelligence:- Trends in Tradeshows: It’sTime For An Evolution - offers insights into the changing trade show landscape. 
The general consensus in the industry is that fair organisers cannot take past successes for granted and their fairs need to evolve to meet the needs of all parties concerned in order to maintain the relevance of their shows for both exhibitors and trade attendees.That is why it was great to learn two London-based fairs see the importance to evolve according to the needs of the industry and traders.

For one, Scoop London has just announced that from this summer onwards there will be not one but two SCOOP shows taking place each season at the Saatchi Gallery.  That means four shows a year. The changes will take effect next season.

This timetable allows for pre-collections at the beginning of the season and another to coincide with London Fashion Week.  

According to SCOOP founder and managing director Karen Radley, the first show, Scoop International, will be held on August 2-4 this year as previously announced and will have a similar profile to the existing show by featuring primarily international contemporary collections. The second show of the season, Scoop London, will feature international designer collections, first and second lines and collections from emerging British designers.  It will run during London Fashion Week at the Saatchi Gallery, on September 20-22 this year.

In a recent interview, Ms Radley said the two-show solution has been devised to cater for overseas labels and their production agendas as well as the high-end collections and young British designers.  No doubt other trade fair and event organisers will be keeping a close watch on this new development. 

This season, Scoop will be held soley at the Saatchi Gallery from February 1-3, rather than the two venues it has previously been held at for the past three seasons.

Colourful clutch by Aspiga. Clothes by Rosalyn Hind.
Photos by Lucia Carpio for My Fashion Connect.

Meanwhile, Top Drawer London has reported a phenomenal success for its recent edition held last week thanks to a face-lift that met with industry approval.  Organisers at Clarion Events said a major reason for positive feedbacks from exhibitors and the industry was due to the new Fashion & Accessories Floor created this season, and the move to a new venue - Kensington Olympia.

Shopping bag by Ceannis Living Accessories.
Clothes by Ines Arconada Vazquez.

Occupying the first floor gallery, the Fashion & Accessories floor provided exhibitors a new platform to showcase their collections.  There were more than 300 fashion & accessories brands making up 1/3 of the Top Drawer Exhibition.  Also Clarion had seen a 10% increase in ‘fashion’ related brands, with many using the exhibition to launch collections and new product lines.

Rubber band jewellery by Delight London.
Clothes by Rosalyn Hind.

Michelle Prah Top Drawer Fashion & Accessories Director said: “We wanted to launch fashion of Top Drawer as it's own entity:  to give it its own dedicated platform within the show, to achieve this we've invested heavily in a focused marketing campaign to attract fashion buyers from the UK and Europe.

Direct feedback from exhibitors reveal the “high quality” flow of buyers has been constant over all three days of the exhibition, she said, and has seen a significant increase in international buyers, with orders being written and placed on exhibitor stands. Clarion report “excellent” numbers of Fashion & Accessories exhibitors booking on site to stand again, at the September show.

Ms Prah adds, “As I have known most of these fashion exhibitors for nearly 5 years, I know they will always give me their honest feedback on how a show has performed...for it to be working so well for them in terms of new contacts, amount of orders and interest from overseas makes me feel extremely proud of what has been achieved.”

Jewellery by Tempest Design.
Photos by Lucia Carpio for My Fashion Connect.

In addition to the new location and Fashion & Accessories platform Top Drawer London added an extra ‘style’ element to the exhibition with the introduction of the Fashion & Accessories catwalk shows produced by Cult of Fashion.   

Pitti Uomo in Florence reported record attendance for its 87th edition.

Exhibitors and trade visitors at this season’s Pitti Uomo menswear fair held in Florence reported a positive mood at the event last week, and congratulated the event organisers for a successful show.

Raffaello Napoleone, CEO of Pitti Immagine, said attendance was much better than expected and emphasised the importance of the fair as a key buying destination for high end of the market especially for the European market.

Just released official figures supported Mr.  Napoleone’s comments.  The premium menswear fair attracted a record number of some 35,000 visitors this season, with nearly 24,000 total buyers’ attendance, representing a 15 percent increase year on year.  Foreign buyer attendance estimated to account for 11 percent or 8,650 visitors.  Italian buyers went up by increased 17 percent. The total number of visitors attending the fair is estimated at 35,000 attendees.

The highest number of foreign visitors came from Japan, followed by Germany, with an increase in visitors from nearly all European countries, including the UK, up 16 percent, Spain, up 17 percent and Portugal, up 45 percent.  Buyer attendance from France also rose by 35 percent.

Daniel Bradley, international sales manager of British exhibitor Aquascutum said one of the reasons for Pitti’s success this season could be due to the cancellation of Bread and Butter in Berlin, while Oliver Sweeney’s commercial director Simon Goodfellow said people were looking for new brands and their new collection across all sectors from formal to casual and sports footwear has been popular among buyers, including UK independents, the US and Asian markets especially those from South Korea and Japan.  Russian buyers gave this fair a miss this season reportedly due to the country's economic problems.

Mr. Napoleone, said the credit for these results goes primarily to the exhibitors who had been dedicated to “producing and presenting ever more creative and high quality collections, they are the true stars of the fair." 

The next edition of Pitti Uomo will be held 16 -19 June.

Marni presented its AW 15 collection at Pitti Uomo in Florence

Marni was the guest designer at the Pitti Uomo menswear show last week held in Florence, 

Presented at the Museo Marino Marini, the packed audience was treated to a show of bold colours and tactile fabrics amid abstract equestrian sculptures to set the mood.

Marni's Creative Director Consuelo Castiglioni showed a seventies-inspired easy elegance with zip-up tunics layered on wallpaper print shirts and ski-inspired trousers, fur tunics, printed shirts, and references to the 1970s.

Overall there's a modern sophistication for the Marni show.  

There were roomy, tailoring and jackets and collarless coats, double-breasted blazers.

Thomas Pink's AW2015 collection marks milestone in wholesale business

It is of course not unusual to see good-looking men having a good time at their favourite drinkery.  But look closely and you’ll notice this is no ordinary bar.

It is in fact the setting for presenting the London-inspired autumn/Winter 15 Collection of British shirt  maker Thomas Pink, which was unveiled earlier this week at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, as part of London Collections: Men.  

The collection was presented against the backdrop of a 30ft ‘long bar’ constructed entirely out of paper. The bar was built using crisp white 315gsm Kendal Manilla paper manufactured by James Cropper, the unique setup provided the perfect blank canvas for the brand’s expanding ready to wear offering. 

Blurring the boundaries between tradition and technology - paper and digital - guests were invited to leave ‘off the cuff’ written reviews on the paper bar using pink pens, which could then be shared via social media.

Each model bartender and punter showcased a different ‘Pink’ look.  Included in this season’s model line-up was Thom Evans (far right in picture above - the former Scottish international rugby union player and contestant of popular reality BBC show Strictly Come Dancing.)

Florence Torrens, Creative Director at Thomas Pink, says; “Shirts will always be at the heart of what we do, but they inspire other pieces to complete the look.  At Thomas Pink we’re broadening our offer to include more tailoring, outerwear and knitwear. To highlight this we worked with James Cropper - the oldest traditional paper mill in the UK - and Flow Creation - a group of highly skilled paper architects - to build an installation echoing the blank canvas of a white shirt. Inspired by the architecture of the ICA building itself, we re-created elements of the room in paper to embellish the bar.”

Frederik Willems, Head of Design at Thomas Pink, says; “Autumn/Winter 15 is inspired by a heady mix of London’s well known landmarks, motifs and characters. From Sir Michael Caine in the 1971 film ‘Get Carter’, to The Coach and Horses pub in Soho, we’ve drawn upon urban influences to create a collection which is daringly bold and eclectic in style. We’ve played with weaves and texture to develop solid colours with subtle design features and added intrigue. Checks and herringbone play a pivotal role throughout.”

Guests and models enjoyed cocktails mixed by Pontoon, made using Hennessy Fine de Cognac and garnished with paper foxes, whilst listening to British classics from The Clash, The Rolling Stones and Pulp. Continuing the iconic London theme, models wore Dr. Martens tasselled loafers.

Thomas Pink’s London presentation precedes its debut at Pitti Uomo currently held in Florence and subsequently Premium International Fashion Trade Show in Berlin.

The brand’s presence in these trade shows marks its move into key European territories and can be cited as a significant milestone in Thomas Pink’s development as a wholesale business.

New Harris Tweed designed for luxury Scottish hotel owned by Andy Murray

Judy Murray wears new Harris Tweed
designed exclusively
for Cromlix, in bespoke
jacket and Catherine Aitken Hayworth Handbag.

For fashionistas in the know, Harris Tweed Hebrides is the multi award-winning Scottish business (based at Shawbost on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis) which produces and supplies the unique Harris Tweed fabric to the world’s most discerning design houses including Chanel, Vivienne Westwood and Saint Laurent, to name just a few.

Now Cromlix Hotel, which was acquired by world-acclaimed Scottish tennis star Andy Murray and opened about a year ago, is celebrating the launch of a new accessories range using a unique bespoke Harris Tweed.  The unique tweed was  developed jointly by Andy’s mom Judy who is herself an established tennis coach and a star of the latest UK TV series - Strictly Come Dancing TV show) and Harris Tweed Hebrides.

The new Harris Tweed was inspired by the famous Wimbledon colours of purple and green and has been used by three renowned Scottish-based designers Catherine Aitken, Gráinne Broderick and Katherine Emtage, to craft a contemporary accessory gift range which will be available to purchase at the luxury hotel.

Ladies' toileries bag in Harris Tweed 

designed exclusively for Cromlix Hotel.

The Cromlix Collection includes a clutch bag, a messenger bag, a ladies handbag as well as a clip fastening change purse, ‘his and hers’ toiletry bags and Harris Tweed cufflinks set in sterling silver.  For modern-day gadgets there is also an iPad and iPhone 6 cover, and a cushion cover and tea cosy for the home. 

Each item has been handcrafted by all the designers blending both traditional and modern techniques.

The tweed itself has been hand-woven by independent weavers based in their croft sheds across Lewis and Harris, using pure virgin wool that is dyed with separate pigments before being carded and spun.  Just one single yarn can contain several different colours, blended together in order to obtain the perfect tone or hue, each reflecting aspects of natural surroundings such as heathers, mosses, lochs and mountains. It is this ancient process that defines all cloth officially certified with the world-renowned Harris Tweed Orb symbol making it genuine Harris Tweed – the world’s only commercially produced hand woven tweed.

Judy Murray launches new Harris Tweed designed exclusively for Cromlix in bespoke Wild Stole, Wrap Belt & Kate Clutch from new range by Catherine Aitken.

Judy Murray said: “I wanted to develop something unique for Andy’s hotel which would reflect Cromlix’s heritage and also showcase the fantastic textiles and craftsmanship that Scotland has to offer.” In addition to the accessories range a number of one-off items were also fashioned to showcase the beautiful fabric including a jacket for Judy in the new Harris Tweed by Perth-based Blues & Browns.
“Cromlix is a stunning location to visit and now guests will be able to take home something memorable from The Collection in the hotel’s signature Harris Tweed.”

The Cromlix Hotel in Perthshire is set in 34 acres of secluded woodlands and garden grounds, with its own chapel and house loch), and according to the hotel’s website, it offers guests the chance to experience the sort of decadent lifestyle once enjoyed by the Lairds of Cromlix.

Book of illustrations celebrating Menswear

In the past decade or so, there has seen a huge increase in the interest in menswear, due to the explosion in male grooming and sartorial blogging and the increase in men’s publications, rejuvenating the industry.   

Now a new book called Menswear Illustration from illustrator Richard Kilroy is focusing solely on menswear by up and coming illustrators. Whether drawn in pencil, splashed across a sketchbook or digitally rendered, the 290 colour and black and white illustrations are as varied in style as the clothing itself.   The book is the first up-to-the-minute survey of contemporary  menswear illustration, which is booming across editorial, advertising and brand communications.

The images explore the modern man and modern fashions and how they contribute to menswear.

A small preview of work from the book will be previewed at The Hospital Club during London Collections: Men trade show which opens on Friday 9^th January.   The illustrations will then be exhibited at Paul Smith in Albemarle Street during London Fashion Week (the womenswear fashion event) in February and until 6th March.

The book will be published on 23rd February.  Its author Richard Kilroy is a top menswear illustrator in his own right and has brought together forty of the most versatile creative talents from around the world, whether they be the leaders in the industry or the private sketches of designers … from the exuberant street sketches of Richard Haines which have been taken up by Prada, to the delicate drawings of Cedric Rivrain for Lanvin, or the vivid sketches of Julie Verhoeven whose work has been sampled by Louis Vuitton, Mulberry and Versace, these groundbreaking talents are expanding our perceptions of the modern man.