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Category: Fashion

Retail News Asia is committed to providing both local and global retailers with the latest Fashion news throughout the Asian market. This on a daily base.

  • Giordano to open six more store in the Middle East

    Giordano to open six more store in the Middle East

    Giordano Middle East has opened six new stores and relaunched its e-commerce platform.

    The new stores are located at the Ajman City Center and Ibn Battuta Mall in the UAE, Riyadh Park, Villaggio Mall and Lulu Briman in Saudi Arabia and at Al Kout Mall in Kuwait.

    The Hong Kong-headquartered, global fast-fashion brand has also opened its first stores in France, South Africa and Mongolia this year.

    Ishwar Chugani, MD at Giordano Middle East, and part of the management committee of Giordano International, says the new stores feature a fresh new look “redefining simplicity and embracing a more classic and refined concept”.

    Space is maximised for product displays and customer interaction. The Giordano Middle East stores feature wider entrances and larger, more comfortable fitting rooms. Products are also showcased in different ways, with an emphasis on accessibility and demonstrating different matches and styles.

    Chungai says natural wood accents have been added to the interiors to create a feeling of warmth and comfort while energy-efficient LED lights enhance the customer experience and minimise the brand’s carbon footprint.

    “Our customers have been the main focus in the design of our new CIM (Customers In Mind) stores. Giordano embodies simplicity in design and quality in substance, and we have endeavoured to simplify and improve our customers’ shopping experience, enabling them to mix and match items and avail of excellent quality apparel at great value,” said Chungai.

    “We are committed to bringing our brand closer to our customers located across the region. The substantial investments earmarked for this expansion program stem from our confidence in the region’s current developments and future initiatives.”

    Giordano’s cardless loyalty program World Without Strangers boasts more than 500,000 members from the Middle East and 11 million worldwide. The brand has also increased its social-media engagement, with more than 3 million followers on Facebook alone.

    Founded in Hong Kong in 1981, Giordano opened its first store in the MIddle East in 1993. Giordano Middle East is a wholly owned subsidiary of Giordano International.

    The group operates more than 2400 stores in 30 countries across Asia, Australia, Africa, Canada, Central America, Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East.

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  • Chanel buys stake in F.P. Journe parent company

    Chanel buys stake in F.P. Journe parent company

    International fashion brand Chanel has acquired a 20 per cent stake in the parent company of luxury Swiss watch brand F P Journe.

    The investment, the value of which has not been disclosed, follows the purchase of holdings in Romain Gauthier several years ago and Bell & Ross back in 1998.

    A statement by Chanel read that the purchase “is part of the desire to preserve and develop expertise and to support independent watchmakers who share the same values of creation and excellence as Chanel”.

    The sale, according to parent, watchmaker Francois-Paul Journe, was made to preserve the brand given that the watch manufacturing business would not be continued by his descendants.

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  • Esprit confirms to experience heavy loss

    Esprit confirms to experience heavy loss

    Struggling fashion label Esprit is looking to a new CEO and incoming chairman to turn the business around after a horror year.

    The Hong Kong-listed company posted a loss of HK$2.554 billion (US$325.5 million) for the year to June 30, pretty much in line with a profit warning issued early last month.

    On the plus side, the result included a raft of write-downs, including costs of exiting the Australia and New Zealand markets, cancelling leases for non-performing stores and many other one-offs, leaving the new management team with a clean slate to commence a turnaround.

    With widespread store closures, total group revenue fell 11.1 per cent to $15.455 billion, yet overheads were trimmed just 3.3 per cent, widening the business’ operating loss. New executive chairman Dr Raymond Or Ching Fai, said in a stock exchange filing the sales decline was higher than expected with falling customer traffic at both online and offline stores.

    He said Esprit had been affected during the year by “the rapidly evolving retail industry, fueled by the continuous growth of e-commerce leading to changes in consumer consumption patterns, and the intensification of price competition driven by both pure digital players and fully vertical retailers”. To be fair, the same factors are affecting every fast-fashion and mid-tier fashion brand, yet few of them are performing as badly as Esprit.

    By region, in Germany, Esprit’s largest market accounting for about half of total sales, revenue of $7.79 billion was down 10.9 per cent on last year.

    For the rest of Europe, America and the Middle East, sales fell 9.8 per cent and in Asia Pacific, which accounts for just 12.3 per cent of total revenue, sales fell 15.2 per cent. Offline sales in Asia-Pacific fell 17.1 per cent and online sales fell 5.3 per cent.

    ‘Far from satisfactory’

    Or said the company recognises the results are “far from satisfactory” and the situation has challenged both the board and the management team.

    “We believe the fundamentals of the strategic initiatives as presented in our last annual report (namely brand rejuvenation, product elevation, channels next generation, markets rightsizing and expansion, and cost reduction) remain sound and are necessary to recharge the potential of the group. However, we concede that the progress to date has yet to reignite sales momentum or translate into a positive financial performance.”

    He said that despite the operating loss, the company remained in a healthy financial position, debt-free and with a net cash balance of $4.5 billion, $700,000 less than at the end of the previous year. Some of that cash – $237 million – was used to repurchase about 2.9 per cent of the company’s shares.

    New group CEO Anders Kristiansen, who took the helm on June 1, Is leading what Or describes as a “vigorous” update of the strategic plan, scheduled to be finalised within three months.

    “In our drive to support growth, we must sharpen the brand identity, create an inspiring omnichannel shopping experience for our customers, and launch stylish and geographically adapted collections to improve sales per square meter productivity. We will continue to leverage on the newly installed dual product engines organisation, whereby the main line focuses on catering to existing customers in our core markets, and the fast-to-market line aims to introduce trendier products for the online and Asia markets, particularly China,” he said.

    “These efforts will work in tandem with data generated from extensive consumer research to ensure that our brand, products and channels properly resonate with Esprit’s target customers. We will bring our customers and what Esprit stands for as a brand to the centre of everything we do in order to become more relevant to our customers again and provide them with a strong brand experience.

    “While we certainly have a lot of work in front of us, I am convinced that by aligning the execution of our Plan, the better days of Esprit are ahead of us.”

    However the company has warned shareholders of a further drop in sales for the current financial year in the “low double-digit percentage” range year on year, mainly due to the continuing rationalisation of its distribution footprint and further decline in customer traffic amid Esprit’s execution of a plan to rebuild store visitor numbers.

    This year marks the 50th anniversary of Esprit, and its 25th anniversary of listing on the Hong Kong stock exchange.

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  • V-Mart Retail evaluating Omnichannel strategy to expand business

    V-Mart Retail evaluating Omnichannel strategy to expand business

    Value fashion and lifestyle products retailer V-Mart Retail, which primarily operates in smaller towns, is evaluating a Omnichannel (offline and online retail) strategy to expand business and reach its customers.

    According to a report: The company is also looking at investing Rs 100 crore next fiscal to open new stores and setting up a new warehouse.

    V-Mart primarily operates in Tier II, III and IV cities and follows a cluster-based model approach to expand and has a set a target to invest Rs 300 crore to double store count and treble its turnover to Rs 3,500 crore in the next five years.

    “We are considering an Omnichannel strategy and plan to get into online retail to reach our customers. It may happen by end of next year,” Lalit Agarwal, Chairman and Managing Director, V-Mart Retail said.

    It currently operates about 185 outlets in over a dozen states in India. The company plans to add more than 200 stores in the next five years to create a network of 400 outlets.

    In 2017-18, the company had reported a revenue of over Rs 1,200 crore.

    The company also plans to invest Rs 100 crore next fiscal to open new stores and set up a new warehouse in the country.

    “We are looking at setting up a new warehouse to service our stores. It will come up in Uttar Pradesh or Bihar,” Agarwal further said.

    About 75 percent of V-Mart’s stores are located in just four states — Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Bihar.

    V-Mart, at present, has a distribution centre located near Gurugram to service all its stores.

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  • Zalora Basics is up for sale

    Zalora Basics is up for sale

    Online fashion retailer Zalora has released its own label, Zalora Basics.

    The collection features lightweight materials in neutral colours and styles, offering women’s wardrobe essentials designed to be comfortable to wear and able to be combined to create different looks. Planned upcoming collections will feature easy-to-wear blacks, whites, navies, greys, and some elements of colour.

    Zalora’s chief commercial officer Saskia Dejongh said Zalora seeks to delight fashion consumers in the region by ​creating high-quality basics that will never go out of style​.

    “Through Zalora Basics, we plan to be part of every woman’s wardrobe. This collection is not about having the latest fashion trends, but owning pieces that are good quality, basic clothing with good fabrics and cuts. Our Zalora Basics also ​fulfills the needs of a growing millennial market seeking a casual luxe look.

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  • Beautytap California flagship store open door

    Beautytap California flagship store open door

    South Korean beauty platform, Beautytap, has opened its first fully fledged retail location in California.

    Located at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, the store is a one-stop destination for Korean beauty education, advice, content, community engagement and products.

    The store offers premium luxury beauty products, direct from Seoul, selected by Beautytap’s team.

    The brand has also launched a website for the US market featuring community-driven content on K-beauty, intended to complement the in-store experience and educate customers.

    Alongside Beautytap’s own products, the store also stocks products from K-pop star Jessica Jung’s Blanc & Eclaire skincare line Serein Skincare, her second point of sale in the US.

    “Skincare is a passion of mine, and I chose to partner with Beautytap to carry my Serein Skincare line because they embody K-beauty as an everyday lifestyle,” Jung said.

    James Sun, founder and CEO at Beautytap, said that with 90 per cent of beauty products still being purchased in physical stores, the company knows it has to go above and beyond an online experience to build a true relationship with its customers.

    “This is where the physical element comes in, by allowing customers to come into our store so they can experience and learn about products and interact with our educated staff, in-person,” he said.

    South Coast Plaza is one of the US’ top-grossing shopping centres and features a high concentration of designer boutiques. “It was the perfect location for our first retail store,” said Sun.

    K-beauty experts will be in store at the Beautytap flagship to explain products to customers and recommend the most appropriate products for customers.

     

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  • US fashion label Henri Bendel to close after 123 years in business

    US fashion label Henri Bendel to close after 123 years in business

    L Brands is to close down its 123-year-old luxury womens fashion brand Henri Bendel.

    “We are committed to improving performance in the business and increasing shareholder value,” said L Brands CEO and chairman Leslie Wexner. “As part of that effort, we have decided to stop operating Henri Bendel to improve company profitability and focus on our larger brands that have greater growth potential. This decision is right for the future growth of our company, but not easy because of the impact to our L Brands family.”

    Henri Bendel has 23 stores operating in 11 US states, including a flagship on Fifth Avenue. It also has an e-commerce site.

    The company will implement a staged close-down, with new stock shipped for the peak holiday season and stores shuttered in January.

    L Brands predicts Henri Bendel sales to reach US$85 million this year, with an operating loss of $45 million. That figure excludes closedown expenses.

    L Brands is the parent company of Victoria’s Secret, Pink and Bath and Bodyworks.

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  • Sunnies Studios to expand into Vietnam

    Sunnies Studios to expand into Vietnam

    Filipino eyewear brand Sunnies Studios has announced plans to expand into Vietnam.

    The fashionable brand, specialising in affordable frames for women, has enjoyed a successful run in the Philippines with more than 40 branches. The Vietnam store, expected to open before the end of the year, will be its first international outlet.

    Sunnies’ creative director Martine said: “Now that the brand has been really established here, we can finally start looking global because that’s the original vision of Sunnies was always to be a truly global brand for the world – not just for the Philippines, but showing the world what the Philippines can produce also.

    “We’ve always wanted to expand in Asia. And Vietnam is so similar to the Philippines I think the market will be equally receptive to the brand.”

  • Dunhill Ginza flagship store opens in Tokyo

    Dunhill Ginza flagship store opens in Tokyo

    Men’s clothing designer Dunhill London has opened a new flagship store in Ginza, Tokyo.

    The Dunhill Ginza store blends bar and barbershop environments to create “a masculine and contemporary space” alongside the latest collections by creative director Mark Weston. It also features a new tailoring room for bespoke and made-to-measure services.

    CEO Andrew Maag said the new Dunhill Ginza store brings a complete elevated brand experience to the brand’s most important market and further cements its position as the leader of British luxury menswea

    A bar on the first and second floors serves Japanese contemporary fusion food with a British twist, while on the first floor the Dunhill barber service offers tailored men’s grooming, shaving and treatments in partnership with The Barba Tokyo.

    The store’s design features bronzed brass and wood, together with signature black leather and black metal details, all recognisable codes of the brand’s stores.

    A metal-and-glass facade leads to an open and clean space that showcases apparel in what Dunhill describes as “a subtle and approachable way”.

    A shoe lounge features marble and metal displays, highlighting Dunhill’s newly launched sneakers and handmade English shoes, alongside a tailoring room for Bespoke and Made-to-Measure services.

    View the pictures in the gallery below :

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  • Burberry to stop burning unsold items after green criticism

    Burberry to stop burning unsold items after green criticism

    Luxury retailer Burberry on Thursday said it will no longer destroy unsold goods, but rather expand existing efforts to reuse, repair, donate or recycle items. The retailer will also stop using real fur and angora in products.

    The move comes after Burberry revealed in a presentation to investors in July that it had destroyed £28.6 million ($51.4 million) worth of unsold product in the previous year.

    The admission created a PR nightmare for Burberry, which suddenly became the poster child for the controversial yet fairly common practice among luxury retailers of destroying unsold goods, rather than allowing discounted items to diminish brand value.

    Burberry’s decision to end the practice is in keeping with steps other retailers have taken to operate more responsibly – whether that relates to the environment, use of low-wage labour, or internal diversity – in response to consumer pressure.

    Burberry CEO Marco Gobbetti said this is the new reality for brands today.

    “Modern luxury means being socially and environmentally responsible. This belief is core to us at Burberry and key to our long-term success,” he said.

    Five-year agenda

    Last year, the retailer launched a five-year responsibility agenda that focuses on three goals: driving positive change through 100 per cent of Burberry’s products, becoming carbon neutral and revaluing waste and positively impacting one million people.

    Since then, Burberry has become a core partner of the Make Fashion Circular Initiative and partnered with sustainable luxury company Elvis & Kresse to transform 120 tonnes of leather offcuts into new products over the next five years.

    The retailer also established the Burberry Material Futures Research Group with the Royal College of Art to invent new sustainable materials.

    Animal rights

    Alongside its decision to stop destroying unsold goods, Burberry announced on Thursday that it will no longer use real fur, which had been restricted for many years to rabbit, fox, mink and Asiatic racoon.

    The company said it will ban these materials as well as angora from future Burberry collections.

    Fashion retailers Asos and Gorman stopped using mohair this year, following pressure from animal-rights groups.

  • Forever 21 and Kodak launch collaborative capsule collection

    Forever 21 and Kodak launch collaborative capsule collection

    Kodak and Forever 21 have teamed up to create an apparel collection featuring logos and designs from the Kodak brand’s history.

    The bright and vibrant apparel uses many of the original colors from Kodak branding and packaging from the 90’s and draws inspiration from the company’s days as a Nascar race team sponsor.

    The Kodak and Forever 21 collection offers women’s t-shirts, crop tops, jackets and lounge wear; the men’s line includes tees, polos, pullovers and jerseys. Altogether, 26 items will be available in more than 600 stores globally.

    Both Kodak and Forever 21 are enthusiastic about the collection which links back to the days when the Kodak logo was seen virtually everywhere.

    “Kodak is such an iconic brand that so many people love and respect, and we were excited to bring our customers a fun and unique way to celebrate photography,” says Linda Chang, VP of marketing at Forever 21.

    Kodak has been working on collaborations to drive brand awareness and advocacy with new audiences.

    “Rather than be a fad or trend, we want to retain an aspirational product aimed at our core audience and those that they influence,” said Dany Atkins, chief brand officer at Kodak. “What could be better for a brand transformation than everyone wearing your logo on a t-shirt?”

    The collection was produced with Hybrid Apparel, a Kodak Licensee who works closely with the company on brand licensing efforts in the apparel space.

    “Kodak has always been synonymous with our life’s best memories, including past, present and even future aspirations,” said Bonnie Segall, EVP of new business development at Hybrid. “We were able to capture this by leveraging the current streetwear trend and creating a new ‘Kodak moment’ for a new generation of enthusiasts.”

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  • H&M launches sustainable collection soon

    H&M launches sustainable collection soon

    Two H&M sustainable collections just revealed will benefit global conservation work.

    The Swedish fast-fashion retailer has released an online-only recycled cashmere and velvet collection at hm.com and a separate childrenswear collection.

    Launching September 27, the collection “Conscious Exclusive F/W 2018” claims to “merge the life and journey of lost historical artifacts with the latest in sustainable fabric innovation.” Ten per cent of the sale price from each product will be donated towards WWF’s conservation work.

    The materials used in the collection are intended to highlight H&M’s innovations in fabric. By way of example, the company has put years of research into its new velvet made from recycled polyester to create a quality high enough for use in garments.

    H&M creative advisor Ann-Sofie Johansson said: “It started with a desire to create a statement coat in a sustainable material that could be worn for both special occasions and day-to-day life, but then evolved into something more substantial by merging the journey of historical artifacts with a modern design sensibility.”

    Head of sustainability at H&M Anna Gedda added: “We believe in a sustainable fashion future where fashion is made and consumed in a way that’s sustainable for the planet. We have an ambition to be fully circular, and as part of that we have set the goal to only use recycled or other sustainably sourced materials by 2030”.

    H&M group has been working in partnership with WWF, the world’s leading conservation organization, since 2011. The partnership focuses on water stewardship, climate action and sustainability strategy, with the aim of making H&M and the broader fashion industry more sustainable.

    WWF International’s head of corporate marketing partnerships David Bloch said: “This campaign, which is an extension of our long-term transformational work with the company, will not only raise funds for WWF’s conservation work but we hope it will also inspire a new generation of environmental champions.

    The collection stands testament to how it is possible to produce at scale clothing that is better for both the environment and little ones”.

    Childrens range

    Meanwhile, the second of the H&M sustainable collections, for babies and children up to 14 years old, includes pieces such as cozy sweatshirts, soft leggings and fun hood dresses. The colour palette runs from pastels and neutrals to black and grey and organic cotton is the key material used in the collection.

    AD: GUNILLA ENGDAHL, Styling: Jet Vervest, MUA: Maria Martinez, Production Company: Alana international production service,

    The range will be launched in more than 50 markets on September 27 and as with the Conscious Exclusive release, 10 per cent of the sale price of each product will be donated towards WWF’s conservation work.

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  • Lane Crawford x Luxarity for sustainable luxury

    Lane Crawford x Luxarity for sustainable luxury

    From August 1 to October 16, 2018, Lane Crawford gives 3,000 Lane Crawford Rewards Points for every pre-loved designer brand item donated to Luxarity.

    Items collected will be donated to LUXARITY – to be resold in a pop-up in November 2018. LUXARITY partners with Blockchain for Social Impact to sponsor grants for products and solutions that address social and environmental challenges across the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals: #12 Responsible Consumption & Production, #4 Health & Well-being & #3 Quality Education.

    In 2017, sales generated from the ‘MADE IN LOVE’ 2017 Pop Up & conscious community gave LUXARITY the opportunity to award grants toward supporting the future of sustainability & innovation.

    2,000 pre-loved luxury goods contributed to a circular fashion ecosystem, raising nearly HKD$1 Million in sales revenue.

    This allowed for the empowerment of the future leaders of fashion & technology with an education built on sustainable practices.

  • Cartier pop up opened Tokyo convenience store

    Cartier pop up opened Tokyo convenience store

    A Cartier pop up is set to be hosted in a Tokyo convenience store.

    In a stark contrast of venue for the distinguished luxury heritage brand, the store-in-store will exhibit the brand’s latest jewellery collection Juste en Clou, designed to resemble the iron nail, elevating the unremarkable object to a premium status.

    The convenience store on Jingu-mae will be open from September 21–30, operating from 12–8 pm daily.

    The line is currently already featuring in a gallery setting in Roppongi Hills, which will also run through to September 30.

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  • JD Sports sees revenues and profits soar in ‘record result’

    JD Sports sees revenues and profits soar in ‘record result’

    JD Sports saw profits increase more than 17 per cent to £95.4 million (US$124.1 million) in the six months to August 4, from £81.1 million in the previous corresponding period.

    The sporting retailer saw gross revenue jump 35 per cent to £1.84 billion, from £1.36 billion, while basic earnings per share increased 24 per cent to 10.05p, from 8.09p.

    “This is another record result for our group demonstrating that our multibrand multichannel premium offer has resilient profitability in its core UK and Ireland market with capacity for continued growth across an increasing number of international markets,” JD Sports executive chairman Peter Cowgill said.

    “Sales to date in the second half have continued at a similar levels to those in the first half, supporting our continued confidence in the robustness of the JD proposition.”

    Cowgill reported significant positive progress in Australia, where JD Sports has opened four new stores during the period, including the conversion of three former Glue stores.

    This brings JD Sports’ total presence to six stores in Sydney and four stores in Melbourne.

    The company plans to open a further three stores in the second half, including a flagship store on Pitt Street in Sydney, according to Cowgill.

    Like-for-like store sales for the APAC region stayed flat.

    The company said it will issue a more robust trading update after the Christmas period.

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