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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.

  • Céline changes name to ‘Celine’

    Céline changes name to ‘Celine’

    Céline is no more ‘Céline’. The French luxury house has lost its acute accent on the ‘e’ in its original name, rebranding as the simpler ‘Celine’.

    The new logo comes with a teaser shot of a look from the Paris label’s upcoming collection, which has been created with its new creative director Hedi Slimane at the design helm.

    Celine’s entire social media presence has been deleted and its Instagram has been left with just one image: a gold-coloured curtain, with the name “Celine” in black capital letters on a white background, the first ‘e’ with no acute accent.

    The LVMH group’s luxury label explained the newest look and logo, following Slimane’s appointment at the label in January, to head up womenswear, the future menswear line, haute couture and fragrances.

    “The new logo is inspired by the historic logo of the 1960s, featuring a modernist lettering dating back to the 1930s. The accent on the first ‘e’ is gone, signalling a focus on pared-down purity, as in the collections of the 1960s,” explained the label in the Instagram post.

    In the same week, Celine has unofficially enlisted Lady Gaga as brand ambassador. The pop star was snapped in the street modelling its first item designed by Hedi Slimane, a new handbag model.

    Celine’s first Hedi Slimane catwalk show is scheduled in Paris on the evening of Friday September 28.

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  • Takashimaya Bangkok is opening soon

    Takashimaya Bangkok is opening soon

    The long-awaited Takashimaya Bangkok department store will open in November.

    The Japanese retailer’s seven-story shop will be a key anchor of the IconSiam shopping centre under construction on the banks of the Chao Phraya River.

    IconSiam says the store will have 36,000sqm of space, offering “an authentic Japanese experience with modern, playful and exciting twist”.

    Kenji Horiguchi, MD of Siam Takashimaya (Thailand) says the store will deliver a new experience to customers who like authentic Japanese items.

    “With an extensive selection of quality products to serve people of all ages, the store carries more than 500 brands, 180 of which are well-known Japanese brands and 80 new to Thailand,” he said.

    An entire floor is dedicated to Japanese food, including a supermarket selling high-quality ingredients and premium restaurants.

    “As a highlight of this floor, Hokkaido Dosanko Plaza, a local specialty shop, will excite shoppers with fresh produces, sweets and delicacies,” said Horiguchi. There is also a tourism booth located on this floor for the island of Hokkaido.

    Another floor of Takashimaya Bangkok will be devoted to beauty products and perfume along with beauty-related services. There will be floors for women’s and men’s clothing.

    The last floor provides kid’s products, home products and restaurants.

    “The department store, preserving a Japanese charm, has chic cafes on each floor for shoppers to take a break after the shopping spree,” said Horiguchi.

  • Korean culture inspires Louis Vuitton

    Korean culture inspires Louis Vuitton

    Stylist Seo Young-hee has designed a special edition trunk for Louis Vuitton, influenced by Korea’s traditional marriage culture.

    Seo, who worked as a stylist for Vogue Korea before switching to work as an artistic director of fashion on a project basis, is known for combining Korean traditional crafts with modern fashion. She was inspired by the luxury brand’s “Volez Voguez Voyagez” exhibition in Seoul last year.

    At the exhibition, one of the brand’s signature trunks was decorated like a “hahm” using objects placed inside and outside it, Seo said. A hahm is a special box containing presents that is traditionally sent to a Korean bride’s house by the groom before the wedding.

    From last November, she discussed the project with a director from Louis Vuitton’s Special Order Trunk team. After a nearly yearlong project, a Wardrobe Trunk and a Cabinet Trunk were created.

    It is the first time that Louis Vuitton, known for its bespoke trunks for special occasions, has made a trunk influenced by Korean tradition.

    The trunks, decorated with traditional Korean fabric and embroidery, carry special ornaments related to the hahm tradition. The cabin size trunk was designed to be lower in height compared to other products, considering that hahm are usually carried on the back.

    “It was an unforgettable experience to visit a workshop in Asnieres, France, and talk about trunk-making with an artisan who worked with respect for and interest in Korean traditional culture,” Seo said.

    The limited edition hahm trunk can be custom ordered at local Louis Vuitton stores.

  • Guess Asia sales up on strong comps

    Guess Asia sales up on strong comps

    Guess Inc. announced on Wednesday that its total second-quarter sales lifted by double digits, pushed on by comparable sales growth in Europe and Asia.

    The Los Angeles-based company said total revenues increased 14% to $645.9 million with Asia recording the highest growth percentage in the quarter.

    Total revenues in the region lifted 32%, while comparable sales gained 17% while Europe revenues gained 22%. However, the Americas fell 2%, in retail terms, but lifted 5% in the wholesale segment, said Guess.

    Operating margins and net earnings for the period ending August 4, 2018, were pushed on by favourable currency exchanges. Indeed, net earnings rose 67.8 per cent from a year ago to $15.2m, or 31 cents a share.

    “I am pleased to report that our second quarter results finished above the high-end of our expectations for adjusted operating margin and adjusted earnings per share,” said Victor Herrero, Guess’s Chief Executive Officer, adding that he was “pleased by the momentum we are experiencing across the globe.”

    Looking ahead, the company plans to see positive comp growth across all of its regions, including a slight gain in the Americas. Elsewhere, comps in Asia and Europe are expected to grow in the low teens and mid-single digits, respectively.

    Finally, for the full fiscal year, Guess sees revenue climbing between 8.5% and 9.5%, marking an increase from its previous guidance for 7% to 8% growth, with adjusted earnings per share of $0.88 to $0.99.

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  • OnTheList launches in Singapore

    OnTheList launches in Singapore

    Hong Kong’s OnTheList flash-sale concept has launched in Singapore.

    The first OnTheList Singapore sale will run from September 19 to 22 in Ngee Ann City Tower B.

    It marks the first overseas foray by the independent, members-only flash-sale concept platform, founded in 2016 by French entrepreneurs, Delphine Lefay and Diego Dultzin Lacoste.

    OnTheList contracts to brands to move excess inventories in short-term sales, with discounts as high as 90 per cent. By selling to a pre-registered, members-only audience, the sales do not undermine those at mainstream stores, or clutter them with racks of off-price merchandise.

    Consumers enrol to attend sales online, with options of free access or a paid premium membership giving advance access to sales.  A separate website has been built for OnTheList Singapore.

    “When I was working in Hong Kong’s retail industry, there was an absence of options for distributors and brands to clear old inventory occupying valuable warehouse space,” explains Delphine Lefay. “To fill this gap, we founded OnTheList as an independent third-party platform and it was the first of its kind in Asia.

    “Through flash sales we hosted, we offered consumers access to premium products at attractive prices, and brands the opportunity to clear past-season items and connect with new customers,” she adds.

    Dultzin Lacoste says this method of clearing stock also promotes sustainability and minimises environmental impact within the retail industry, as old inventory does not go to waste.

    “OnTheList’s business model also gives brands the opportunity to reach out to a wider consumer database, engaging them through the flash sale platform as a first touch point.”

    In just two years, the business has gone from a few pop-up sales to over 150 flash sales and partnerships with over 250 premium brands, including Armani, Clarins, Diane Von Furstenberg, Ferragamo, Kenzo, Roberto Cavalli, and Ted Baker Le Creuset and Havaianas. In Hong Kong, OnTheList now has a permanent venue for its flash sales, but has grown so big it still needs short-term venues, often running multiple sales concurrently.

    OnTheList has now cleared more than 1 million items from its brand partners – and in one four-day sale last year it sold a pair of Havaianas every six seconds.

    OnTheList Singapore will launch with monthly pop-up sales, announcing participating brands just 10 days prior to the sale.

    “We are expanding into Singapore because its retail market has many similarities with Hong Kong’s,” says Lefay.

    OnTheList Singapore also hopes to tap into the large tourism market, as tourism receipts in the city have reached record highs during the past two years.

    “As visitor arrivals from China, India, Indonesia and Vietnam have increased tremendously, it is an opportune time for OnTheList to attract high spenders from the region and to use Singapore as a launchpad for future expansion in Asia and beyond.”

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  • Pandora’s 2018 achievements

    Pandora’s 2018 achievements

    Environmental, social, and governance concerns are growing everyday and progressively taking a e prominent place in business decisions across all industries.

    The demand for investing strategies based on ESG, factors is being driven by women and millennials, who, by 2025, will make up three-quarters of the workforce.

    Morgan Stanley’s annual ESG rating of the fashion industry once again found Pandora ahead of the heard. Indeed, for the second year in a row, the Danish jewellery manufacturer and retailer ranked ahead of renowned companies such as Kering, Adidas, Nike, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, Dior and Hermes.

    Source: Morgan Stanley

    Pandora is praised for their responsible purchasing of gold and silver and for excellent labour conditions.

    Trine Pondal, Pandora’s Head of Sustainability, renewed the company’s wish to make “jewellery as sustainable as possible, while also making sure that our employees all over the world enjoy good working conditions”.

    “We believe that our initiatives in this area not only benefit Pandora but also our suppliers and the rest of the jewellery industry”, he said.

    Pandora’s work in the ESG field has been made possible through close monitoring of the company’s process from manufacturing to distributing.

    As part of the company’s strategy to increase its own operated retail footprint in important markets, Pandora is taking back complete ownership of the brand in Greater China as it today signed an agreement with Carrera Corporation to acquire its Pandora store network in Taiwan on 1 January 2019.

    With the agreement, Pandora will add five concept stores and 14 shop-in-shops to its retail network giving the company complete ownership of the brand and distribution in Greater China (Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan).

    Pandora will pay approximately HKD 120 million (DKK 100 million) in cash for the assets. The sell-out revenue in Taiwan was HKD 240 million in 2017.

    Kenneth Madsen, President of Asia Pacific in Pandora, believes “having complete ownership in Greater China will support Pandora’s growth and development strategy in the entire Asia Pacific region”.

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  • Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen to open first India stores

    Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen to open first India stores

    Two of Europe’s biggest luxury fashion brands are opening official stores in India next year, according to reports.

    French label Saint Laurent and British Alexander McQueen are set to enter India with respective debut standalone stores, sources said last week.

    With a letter of intent signed, the stores are expected to bow in DLF’s Chanakya mall in Delhi mid-2019.

    “There are plans to launch the two brands in Chanakya by the middle of next year,” one of the persons cited earlier said.

    “A letter of intent has been signed between the brands and DLF and the lease deed is awaited.”

    Both luxury brands, which form part of the French conglomerate Kering, already have a soft retail presence in India, being stocked in local boutiques and e-stores.

    Alexander McQueen products are available through multi-brand portals like Rock N Shop, while Saint Laurent is currently sold via stores Kitsch and Luxe Polis, among others.

    It is not understood if the brands plan to roll out more India stores in the near future, nor if the current retail partnerships will remain once each respective flagship opens.

    The Chanakya mall, which reopened in 2017, has attracted a number of international luxury brands such as Ted Baker, Thomas Pink, Diesel, and Rolex in the last twelve months.

    Founded in 1992, Alexander McQueen has standalone stores in the UK, US, France, China, Italy, Thailand, and Japan among other countries. Kering acquired it in 2010, and bought a majority stake of 51% in the brand.

    Saint Laurent was founded in 1961 and is also part of the Kering Group. For the first half of 2018, the Kering Group reported consolidated income of €6.432 billion.

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  • Nine West Closes Last Beijing Shoe Shop as It Retreats From China Market

    Nine West Closes Last Beijing Shoe Shop as It Retreats From China Market

    Nine West China has closed its last Beijing store.

    The New York-headquartered women’s footwear retailer, which filed for bankruptcy in April, was popular in China from the mid-90s but has struggled with increasing competition. It is now pulling out of the region entirely, citing poor management of its stores. It closed its online store last month.

    Nine West China’s regional agency GRI Group has reported financial difficulties and withdrawn from Taiwan and Hong Kong.

    Nine West Holdings is now focusing on jewellery and apparel, rather than shoe retailing.

    Its Nine West and Bandolino footwear brands were sold to Authentic Brands Group in June for US$340 million.

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  • Good Goods Issey Miyake concept opens in Tokyo

    Good Goods Issey Miyake concept opens in Tokyo

    Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake has opened a new “Good Goods Issey Miyake” concept store in Daikanyama, Tokyo.

    The two-level 94sqm store, which opened next to label mate “Homme Plisse Issey Miyake”, stocks a curated selection of Issey Miyake pieces as well as some exclusive products. It sports a futuristic interior design by Tokujin Yoshioka.

    In a press release, Yoshioka said: “The space, which features aluminum dyed light green, is designed with the futuristic contrast of texture between concrete and aluminium. Diagonal slits extended throughout the space not only show futuristic expression, but also transform to function as shelves. Issey Miyake’s innovative spirit of making things is reflected in the space.”

    In future, the store will experiment with a seasonal rotation of brands and products.

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  • Fendi opens first Australian flagship

    Fendi opens first Australian flagship

    Fendi opened its first Australian flagship store in Melbourne, launching its retail presence in the nation outside a shopping mall or department setting.

    Located on the prestigious Collins Street, the luxury label’s new Melbourne store takes up residence inside the historical Athenaeum club and has been designed in a contemporary and heritage aesthetic.

    Plush pastel pink carpet, light coloured walls, metallic fixtures and mint velvet chairs are just some of the interior design style details.

    The Melbourne store will offer women’s and men’s ready-to-wear collections, as well as accessories and leather goods; all designed by Fendi’s creative directors, Karl Lagerfeld and Silvia Venturini Fendi.

    For the women, Fendi Melbourne will have an area for their bag and accessories collections, displayed on metal shelves with white and gold on the back wall.

    In the store’s centre will lie the women’s ready-to-wear and shoes items, while the men’s area is nearby, featuring mocha walls, cork shelving and straw panels.

    Fur tablets from the Italian brand archives and sketches by Karl Lagerfeld are also framed on the wall throughout the store.

    Marking the Australian flagship launch, Fendi threw a party opening in store with Australian male supermodel Jordan Barrett and influencer Elsa Pataky attending the inauguration.

    Fendi first opened two freestanding Australian stores in Sydney and Melbourne in 2016, opening in the heart of Sydney’s Westfield in the city centre, and in Melbourne’s luxury shopping hub, Chadstone.

    Founded in Rome on Via del Plebiscito, Fendi was bowed by Edoardo and Adele Fendi in 1925.

    Since 2001, the Italian brand has been a part of France’s LVMH Group, which controls more than 70 brands including Louis Vuitton, Dior and Hennessy cognac.

  • Foot Locker is coming to HK

    Foot Locker is coming to HK

    The US sneakers and apparel giant Foot Locker is coming to Hong Kong.

    The brand will be hosting an event the 19 of this month for the exclusive launch of its new store in TST.

    Located in Yue Hwa International Building, 1 Kowloon Park Dr, Tsim Sha Tsui , you cannot miss the billboard when walking by.

    Stay tuned for more info regarding the official store opening.

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  • Brooks Running arrives in South Korea

    Brooks Running arrives in South Korea

    South Korean fashion retailing group Samsung C&T has announced plans to sell Brooks Running products under exclusive contract.

    The Seattle-based sports apparel label occupies a large share of the American running gear market and is one of the top three running labels globally, with operations in more than 50 countries.

    The company expects to lead the local running market with its expertise and technology to match the growing wellness trend and number of runners in the country, according to an official spokesperson.

    The brand’s five-level flagship store will open in the fashionable district of Gangnam in southern Seoul.

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  • Shinsegae opens Show&Tell stores for men

    Shinsegae opens Show&Tell stores for men

    South Korean retail conglomerate Shinsegae has launched a lifestyle editorial shop for men.

    The “Show&Tell” store opened in two Shinsegae locations; one at the Starfield luxury shopping complex in Hanam, and the other as an outlet in Yeoju city.

    Described as “providing a new playground for men,” Show&Tell displays a range of local and foreign brands priced to attract consumers to visit offline malls.

    Shinsegae has recently introduced giant luxury and leisure shopping malls locally and a discount chain store in Japan.

  • Two new-format Maison Boucheron stores opens in HK

    Two new-format Maison Boucheron stores opens in HK

    Heritage jewellery design house Maison Boucheron has opened two new boutiques in Hong Kong.

    The boutiques, located at Pacific Place and Admiralty and IFC mall in Central, showcase a Parisian design ethic that recalls the historical Boucheron Hotel Particulier on the French capital’s Place Vendome. The Pacific Place boutique features a personal one-on-one experience in a dedicated VIP room.

    The openings further strengthen the presence of Boucheron in greater China as it celebrates its 160th anniversary this year. They represent the first steps in the brand’s expansion in the region, with more new boutiques marked for Hong Kong, Macau, Shanghai and Beijing. There are currently more than 55 Boucheron boutiques across the world.

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  • Sandro’s parent enjoys double-digit growth

    Sandro’s parent enjoys double-digit growth

    Affordable luxury fashion group SMCP has cited Asia as one of the reasons for double-digit growth across all its brands in the first half year.

    The French-headquartered affordable luxury brand has reported global consolidated sales of  €493.3 million, up 15.5 per cent at constant currency, driven by “outstanding” growth outside Europe of 27.2 per cent.

    CEO Daniel Lalonde said double-digit growth was achieved across all brands, together with “strong profitability” and a resulting reduction in debt.

    SMCP owns three contemporary Parisian fashion brands: Sandro, Maje and Claudie Pierlot. As at the end of last year, the brands were available at 1300 points of sale in 39 countries.

    Globally, like-for-like sales growth remained strong over the first semester, reaching 5.8 per cent, “driven by the dynamism of the brick and mortar store network as well as the exceptional results of the digital strategy,” which reached 14.3 per cent of net group sales.

    “This achievement underlines the effectiveness of our strategy, to generate profitable growth through the dynamic expansion of our core business, the success of our e-commerce approach and new store openings in highly attractive locations,” said Lalonde.

    “It also attests to the creativity and talent of our teams across the world. This well-executed strategic roadmap will continue to drive our long-term vision for the group.”

    Adjusted earnings before tax increased by 14.8 per cent from €73.1 million to €83.9 million in the first half, driven by strong sales growth and expanded margins.

    “This margin expansion is the result of a strong retail margin driven by the growing share of e-commerce and Asia-Pacific … while maintaining the pace of investment to support future growth.”

    Group net income rose from €1.1 million in the first half of last year to €27.4 million during the same period this year.

    Figures for Asia were not broken out, but the company has recently invested significant amounts in opening stores in Hong Kong and in Southeast Asia.

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