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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.

  • Hugo Boss opens menswear store at Singapore Changi

    Hugo Boss opens menswear store at Singapore Changi

    Hugo Boss has opened a 95sq m store at Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 1.

    The Boss Menswear Store features a new interior concept featuring “clean, angular aesthetics” that has already been adopted by select stores in other cities.

    Hugo Boss considers the travel retail channel to be a dynamic part of the fashion business, and has opened its latest store at Changi Airport.

    The design is said to embrace harmony between lines, shapes and colours, and showcases the brand’s collections.

    “Throughout the store layout, matte and textile surfaces contrast with high-gloss and mirrored materials,” noted Hugo Boss. “The overall outcome is a refined space with a classic, yet airy, modern feel.”

    The store offers Boss Clothing, Boss Sportswear, Boss Green, and men’s shoes & accessories.

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  • Amazon provides ideal channel for Vietnam’s apparel sale in EU

    Amazon provides ideal channel for Vietnam’s apparel sale in EU

    At the event, held by the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association, Vietnamese businesses were provided with advice about e-commerce trends via Amazon by experts from Germany’s Vorwarts GmbH company.

    Vorwarts GmbH CEO André M. Åslund cited statistics that up to 76 percent of consumers use mobile phones to shop online, and 50 percent of mobile phone users shop via Amazon.

    He said the quality of Vietnam’s garment products completely satisfies EU consumers. Many enterprises in Vietnam and Asia often sell their products to the EU via intermediaries or outlets. However, they can cut down this intermediary step if products are sold on Amazon, thereby reducing cost and improving Vietnamese apparel’s competitiveness in EU markets.

    Consumers’ behaviours have changed much, he noted, elaborating that instead of being solely based on the prestige, their trust in a product is now based on many other tools such as the product review and description, or other consumers’ assessment.

    Therefore, businesses should pay more attention to quality information provision and product quality so as to increase good assessments. Those evaluations will in turn encourage EU consumers to buy Vietnamese products, Åslund said.

    He also noted some challenges facing businesses when they want to sell goods via Amazon. He asked them to comply with regulations of EU markets and improve product design to meet consumers’ taste.

    Once consumers are satisfied, they will introduce products they bought to others, making Vietnamese goods known more widely, the German expert added.

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  • LVMH confirms launch of multi-brand fashion site

    LVMH confirms launch of multi-brand fashion site

    LVMH is launching a multi-brand e-commerce website inspired by its exclusive Parisian department store Le Bon Marche, as the world’s biggest luxury goods group steps up the digital side of its business.

    The new website, named “24 Sevres” after the Rue de Sevres location of Le Bon Marche in the chic 7th arrondissement, will offer fashion, cosmetics and luggage products from LVMH’s own portfolio as well as brands from outside the group.

    Overall more than 150 labels, including 20 of LVMH’s own stable such as Louis Vuitton, Dior, or Fendi, will be featured.

    The size of the investment amounted to several million euros and marks the biggest digital initiative taken by LVMH since it hired former Apple music executive Ian Rogers in 2015 to craft its digital strategy and capitalise on the luxury sector’s online sales expansion.

    LVMH, controlled by French billionaire Bernard Arnault, said the new site would go live on June 6 in more than 70 countries.

    Competing with established rivals such as Yoox Net-a-Porter , MyTheresa, Matchesfashion.com or LuisaViaRoma, it echoes the high-end positioning of the Le Bon Marche store.

    It will give international clients “very Parisian choices” in the selection of exclusive products, Rogers told Reuters.

    “The idea is to be attractive with unique products, not necessarily have a huge offering,” said Rogers.

    E-commerce is still a relatively small part of the global luxury goods market, representing 7 percent of industry sales, but this is expected to rise to 12 percent of industry sales by 2020, according to the Boston Consulting Group.

    Luxury goods companies face a dilemma over trying to reach young Internet-savvy shoppers while preserving the sense of exclusivity that drives up the value of their products.

    LVMH has already tapped into the increasing importance of online social media by setting up LVMH Luxury Ventures to invest in start-up luxury goods projects.

    Until now each LVMH brand has had its own separate digital strategy, with some brands such as Fendi and Kenzo putting significant resources into this area while other brands such as Celine had no E-commerce website of their own.

    The new website will complement the offering available on the respective websites of the LVMH brands, Rogers said.

    Big fashion brands such as Prada, Gucci or Valentino will be sold on the site as well as Maison Margiela, seen as a more cutting-edge label, or others such as Kitsune or APC.

    LVMH’s online sales of €2 billion ($2.2 billion) last year equated to 5.3 percent of overall group revenues.

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  • Paul & Shark opens stores in Singapore and takes control of Asian business

    Paul & Shark opens stores in Singapore and takes control of Asian business

    Italian sportswear label Paul & Shark, produced and distributed by Dama Ltd, has opened two new monobrand stores: one in London, its first in the UK, and another in Singapore.

    The 200 m2 London store is located inside St. James’s Market, a newly re-developed business and retail complex in the West End featuring starred restaurants and a luxury shopping parade. The Paul&Shark store overlooks Regent St. and showcases the label’s men’s, women’s and children’s collections.

    The Singapore store, also extending over 200 m2, is instead located inside the Marina Bay Sands shopping mall, one of the city’s most popular retail destinations. “This is more than just a new opening, it is where we will directly manage our Asia business,” said Andrea Dini, CEO and owner of Paul & Shark, at the store’s inauguration, which marked the operational debut of the Paul & Shark Asia Pacific company.

    From January 2017, the newly created company manages the label’s Asian operations, having taken over the franchised stores opened by Paul&Shark’s former local partner, the ImagineX Group, a satellite of the Lane Crawford Joyce Group.

    The Italian label celebrated its new Typhoon 20000 technology, with three performances staged at the Singapore Wine Vault, inside refrigerated cells recreating different climactic conditions, and presenting a trailer of the ‘Typhoon Planet’ short film by director Wong Kar-wai.

    Paul&Shark is distributed in 73 countries via over 250 monobrand stores, featuring men’s, women’s and children’s total-look collections and several capsule collections inspired by the world of sailing and adventure.

  • 2017 Mekong Beauty Show eyes four emerging markets

    2017 Mekong Beauty Show eyes four emerging markets

    Mekong Beauty Show, which will be held on an area of 10,000 square metres at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) in District 7, will be an exclusive opportunity to gain exposure, find new partners and set up strategic global alliances in the four emerging Mekong countries: Viet Nam, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar.

    According to an IMF forecast, the four countries are expected to have a combined GDP of US$441 billion by 2020. The region is also an emerging market in the consumer beauty and personal care products, with average annual growth of 30 per cent in the last few years.

    The only international business-to-business beauty exhibition in Viet Nam will feature more than 200 exhibitors from Europe, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, China, Taiwan, and Viet Nam. The expo will be a comprehensive international business platform for industry players in the entire supply chain covering beauty and cosmetics, hair and nails, herbal and health, and OEM and packaging.

    The Korean beauty industry will be among the most important drivers of the event. South Korea is the leader in the Asian beauty market based on its reputation for quality and safe ingredients and trendsetting marketing and packaging.

    A delegation of 300 brands from South Korea will showcase K-beauty at the exhibition. There will be various interesting onsite activities to explore the international beauty world.

    The expo from June 15 to 17 is expected to attract more than 10,000 trade visitors and 120 VIP buyers.

    K-Beauty trend

    The Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) is going to launch its 2017 K-Beauty Global Empowerment Conference in Việt Nam at the Mekong Beauty Show.

    The annual event, which gathers Korean pop stars, top Korean cosmetics brands and others will hold forth on the latest K-beauty trends and analyse Korean beauty stars’ styling.

    “K-Beauty exhibitors have already achieved remarkable success at K-Beauty Expo’s first international foray in Bangkok,” Dominic OH, division director of KINTEX, said.

    “The Mekong Beauty Show will be the best opportunity to showcase the latest K-beauty and global beauty trends to the four Mekong countries.”

    Top South Korean models will perform at the show using the most popular K-beauty make-up styles and also hold onsite fitness sessions.

    Viet Nam Beauty Distributor & Retailer Club

    With support from Saigon Cosmetics Corporation, Medicare, Nielsen Vietnam, Beautystreams and Centdegrés, Mekong Beauty Show is aiming to gather top retailers and distributors and provide them with information and opportunities for co-operation.

    It is important to create a strong community of distributors and retail chains in Viet Nam. Consumers are changing every day and to catch their attention and build brand awareness, all products should focus on the marketing and branding strategy. So the expo plans to bring in Beautystreams, a leading international beauty consultancy and Centdegres, which has great expertise in design, to educate the market.

    The topics on the agenda will include building a collaborative relationship between beauty brands and conventional/online retailers, digital marketing as a key pillar of the marketing campaign, case studies from international beauty retail experience, and the Viet Nam retail market annual report and trends. www.mekongbeautyshow.com

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  • The Body Shop rolls out £10m digital transformation strategy

    The Body Shop rolls out £10m digital transformation strategy

    L’Oréal-owned cosmetics brand The Body Shop has launched a £10m, three-year digital transformation strategy in a bid to revamp its online appeal and boost the e-commerce channel.

    As part of the strategy, the British retailer has launched in 11 countries a new mobile-first e-commerce site which integrates content and commerce. The countries where the site is now live include the UK, US, Canada, France, Germany, Brazil and Indonesia, with 20 further countries expected to be added throughout the year.

    Given the scale of the business, The Body Shop has given regional variations to its new platform, which means its presence will be adapted to each relevant market according to consumer preferences for merchandising, payment and delivery fulfillment.

    The new website has a live appointment booking service for in-store consultations and a personalised skincare diagnostic tool. A click & collect functionality is also expected to launch later in the year.

    The Body Shop was founded in 1976 and quickly became a retail favourite with its colourful range of body butters, but in recent years it has struggled to remain relevant in a highly competitive market.

    The £10m investment to expand its global e-commerce footprint comes after the retailer saw a 19% increase in online sales in 2016 – double than the prior year’s figure. The share is expected to reach 20% this year.

    “With the successful launch of a responsive, content-rich digital platform, we have established a strong foundation to support our future innovation agenda and global rollout,” said chief digital officer Harriet Williams.

    “The Body Shop is a big business, operating in a large number of countries with both franchise and non-franchise markets. The platform needed to strike the right balance between global brand consistency and local relevance, being flexible enough to meet the needs of each individual market.”

    The Body Shop sells its nature-inspired products in more than 3,000 stores in 66 countries.

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  • Pandora grows in China and Australia

    Pandora grows in China and Australia

    Jewellery giant Pandora had a good Q1, the Danish firm said Tuesday, with revenue from its owned retail stores leaping ahead, although not every market was buoyant.

    While the company saw strength in France and Italy, and Asia Pacific surged due to Chinese grwoth, the Americas saw a decline and the UK was hurt by the falling value of the pound.

    So, let’s look at the numbers. Overall revenue rose 9% to DKK5.196bn (£589m) and was up 8% in local currencies. Pandora’s owned retail stores saw revenue surging 39% to now make up 38% of group sales. Comparable sales in Pandora’s own stores rose 8%.

    Revenue from the EMEA region rose 5%, or 9% in local currencies, boosted by those higher sales in France and Italy but dented by that UK weakness.

    A strong performance in important growth markets such as China in Asia Pacific saw revenue rising 44% (40% in local currencies) with the region now accounting for 25% of group revenue.

    But the Americas decreased 5% (or an even worse 9% in local currencies), including a negative impact from network restructuring in the US.

    The company said its ambitions to offer a full jewellery line-up are progressing with revenue from rings, earrings and necklaces/pendants all up more than 40% and with the three categories now representing 25% of total revenue

    That all added up to higher profits as EBITDA rose 7% to DKK1.879bn, although the gross margin was 73.3%, down from 74.6% a year ago as it was hurt by currency headwinds and the product mix.

    CEO Anders Colding Friis said he was ‘satisfied” with the results, and “very pleased” with the performance in its important growth markets. “Some of our most developed markets continue to perform,” he said, adding that revenue from Australia up 27% but that the retail climate in the US remains difficult.

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  • Estée Lauder And DFS Create Beauty Digital First With #BEAUTYALLNIGHT Campaign

    Estée Lauder And DFS Create Beauty Digital First With #BEAUTYALLNIGHT Campaign

    DFS and Estée Lauder are transforming fans into influencers with the launch of the exclusive #BeautyAllNight campaign this May. Inspired by the popularity of online beauty tutorials, DFS partnered with Estée Lauder to create the perfect #BeautyAllNight look whether you stay in or go out. From May 1 – 31, customers can discover the best of beauty at DFS locations worldwide with a DFS exclusive Love of Night set and the launch of latest Pure Color Love lipstick shades.

    The campaign creative follows three travelers visiting New York, Venice and Hong Kong as they unpack and apply their beauty travel essentials, snapping selfies and sharing their look on social media. To bring the #BeautyAllNight look to life for fans, followers of DFS’ WeChat channel can place themselves in the campaign and share their #BeautyAllNight look with friends on social media. In a beauty digital first, the dedicated WeChat page leverages facial recognition technology that allows the user to choose whether they would like the “staying in” or “going out” look. Fans can then select products from the DFS exclusive Love of Night set or Pure Color Love lipsticks to virtually try-on and share their #BeautyAllNight selfie on their WeChat Moments.

    “Today’s beauty shopper wants to see, test and share her next beauty look before even stepping into the store to purchase. She crowdsources everything, from where she should shop to what are the must-have products, often trusting peer-to-peer recommendations above all else,” said Ariel Gentzbourger, Senior Vice President Beauty, Fragrances and Wellbeing. “We’re proud to partner with Estée Lauder to harness the power of the social network and deliver this beauty digital first on WeChat with our #BeautyAllNight campaign. We’re confident that through this innovative online approach we’ll drive awareness and engagement of these beauty essentials in store with the growing Millennial segment.”

    To build excitement in store, DFS kicked off the campaign with an event at T Galleria Beauty by DFS, Causeway Bay in Hong Kong on May 4. The event centered around a #BeautyAllNight pop-up featuring an interactive photo booth, a skincare animation featuring the Advanced Night Repair Collection and a “Wall of Kisses” highlighting the latest Pure Color Love lipstick shades. In addition to Hong Kong, customers can discover dedicated #BeautyAllNight pop-ups at T Galleria by DFS, Hawaii and T Galleria by DFS, Macau, Studio City.

    Throughout the campaign, customers can enjoy 30 percent savings versus individual purchase when they buy the DFS exclusive Love of Night set featuring fan favorites including Advanced Night Repair (50ml), Advanced Night Repair Eye Gel (15ml), Advanced Night Repair Eye Serum (15ml), Advanced Night Repair 7ml Deluxe Sample, Resilience Lift Night Cream 5ml Deluxe Sample and Re-Nutriv Ultimate Lift Age-Correcting Eye Cream 5ml Deluxe Sample.

    Discover the #BeautyAllNight campaign and DFS exclusive Love of Night set at the below locations:

    T Galleria by DFS, Hong Kong, Canton Road

    T Galleria by DFS, Hong Kong, Tsim Sha Tsui East

    T Galleria Beauty by DFS, Hong Kong, Causeway Bay

    T Galleria by DFS, Macau, City of Dreams

    T Galleria by DFS, Macau, Shoppes at Four Seasons

    T Galleria by DFS, Macau, Studio City

    T Galleria by DFS, Hawaii

    T Fondaco dei Tedeschi by DFS

    DFS, Los Angeles International Airport

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  • Laneige opens first flagship store in Beijing

    Laneige opens first flagship store in Beijing

    Cosmetics brand Laneige opened its first brand image concept flagship store at Beijing apm.

    With an area of 139 square meters, Laneige’s new flagship store at apm features the design elements of water and light and the base tone of its overall internal design is blue and pink, which highlights the two product lines of Laneige. Blue represents skin care and it emphasizes water technologies; while pink represents the company’s makeup products series.

    In addition, the store uses popular geometric line elements and spotlights in the display area, aiming to attract young customers.

    There is an exclusive beauty class area in the store and it will hold regular activities for members of Laneige, including brand introductions, new product launches, and popular makeup tutorials. In this area, Laneige will also provide afternoon tea appointment services to VIP customers.

    Moreover, the Beijing apm Laneige flagship store will provide exclusive limited products which are only available in flagship stores. Those products will have unique package designs to provide a unique buying component for high-end consumers.

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  • Uniqlo wants to double EU store count by 2020

    Uniqlo wants to double EU store count by 2020

    Uniqlo said it plans to take its European store count to 100 outlets over the next three years, in a bid to strengthen its retail presence outside of Asia.

    In doubling its current store number from 50 to 100, the fast-fashion chain will make its first foray into Spain and Italy, according to local media.

    A planned Barcelona location will mark Uniqlo’s entry into Spain this autumn, while a Milan store will open in Italy, according to a report by the Nikkei Review.

    The Fast Retailing-owned brand already operates some 50 stores in France, Russia, Germany, the UK and Belgium.

    The firm said it would be opening new locations in regional cities in some European countries too, those it is already selling in. This includes regional stores in smaller French cities such as Bordeaux and Toulouse.

    With the store openings in the EU, Uniqlo will be facing stiff competition from two global fast-fashion moguls. Namely Zara, which is operated by Spain’s Inditex, and Sweden’s H&M, both of which have a solid history on the continent and a loyal consumer following.

    The Japanese chain told the Nikkei Review that demand for its highly functional basic apparel, however, is strong enough to warrant such fast-paced and vast expansion. This is particularly apparent now, given the Japanese firm’s domestic sales growth has plateaued.

    “Overseas operations are what our growth hinges on,” said Fast Retailing CEO Tadashi Yanai.

    However, Uniqlo is heavily reliant on Asia.

    Overseas sales came to 655 billion yen in 2016, with China accounting for half of the firm’s fiscal 2016 revenues made in foreign markets.

    Yanai said Uniqlo is eyeing global sales of 3 trillion yen ($26.6 billion) by the fiscal year ending August 2020. Japanese sales lifted just 3% to around 800 billion yen in fiscal 2016. Meanwhile, the number of stores in Japan has remained steady at around 840 for several years.

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  • Kiko Milano seeks to open 100 stores in India

    Kiko Milano seeks to open 100 stores in India

    Beauty isn’t skin-deep: It’s mega business for specialist cosmetics brands such as Kiko Milano. The Italian company, at the forefront of Europe’s expanding beauty and wellness industry, now seeks to harness an increasingly affluent India’s desire to look better, and would invest about GBP 25 million to open 100 stores in the country in the next five years.

    Millennials’ obsession with digital platforms and more disposable cash with them would be the ideal investment draw-cards for Kiko Milano, which expects the South Asian nation to be among its top ten markets in a decade.

    “Potentially, India is absolutely huge and I don’t think it is an immediate market and it is changing, and it will take 6-8 years,”said Stefano Percassi, founder of the 20-year-old specialist cosmetics company Kiko. “In the next ten years, India will be among the top ten markets for us. But it depends on the availability of malls and the (overall) economic situation.”

    Like Europe, where the number of new beauty and wellness shops exceeded that of any other type of retailing outlet in 2016, India is witnessing a boom in the fashion and beauty industries. Beauty salons are now ubiquitous across most Indian towns and cities, with larger shopping malls in metropolitan centres stocking beauty products of major mainstream cosmetic brands.

    The demand for beauty and wellness products has risen exponentially as telecom tariffs reduce in India, and the social media become available to its 1.3-billion people.

    “In countries with not much entertainment or low access to entertainment, people take to the social media dramatically,” Percassi said.

    “For example, in the Middle East, it is either shopping centres or their homes. So, what they do is a lot of social media: They have look good and that means more and more business for us.” Euromonitor expects India’s beauty and personal care market to swell 67 per cent to Rs.1.43 lakh crore by 2020 from about Rs.85,414 crore in 2016.

    Kiko entered India in September last year in a 51-49 per cent joint venture with DLF Brands, and has so far opened three outlets here. Percassi is in New Delhi to roll out its 1,000th global outlet at Ambience Mall in Gurgaon, on the outskirts of the capital. Kiko chose India over the Netherlands for opening its 1,000th shop.

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  • Manolo Blahnik opens Tokyo Ginza Six store

    Manolo Blahnik opens Tokyo Ginza Six store

    Luxury footwear brand Manolo Blahnik has opened a new store in Tokyo at the new Ginza Six luxury shopping mall.

    Artfully designed by architect Nick Leith-Smith, and covering 60 square metres, the retail boutique’s interior design emulates that of Japanese tradition and culture, but in a modern form.

    The focal element is the wall installation. Reflective of timber and bamboo scaffold structures, the new Ginza Six store boasts contemporary crisscrossed and folded wooden slats, which interlace and connect the walls and
    ceilings, acting as shelves and hanging places for shoes and accessories.

    Fusing the industrial with the elegant, opposing walls are cast concrete reliefs with a curve pattern inspired by the gingko leaf. The back wall is painted in a striking blue, inspired by the traditional Japanese indigo plant dye.

    The complete Manolo Blahnik collections and products will be available at the new Tokyo flagship.

    Manolo Blahnik has seen recent success in Asia. The Spain-born, UK-based designer has launched three new retail spaces in Japan in the last 12 months in partnership with local luxury specialist Bluebell Group.

    The Ginza Six store is the third Japan location to open for Manolo Blahnik. It follows the opening of a store in the Matsuya Ginza department store in Tokyo and a second space in Umeda Hankyu department store in Osaka, late last year.

    In November, Bluebell Group also partnered with Manolo Blahnik to bring the brand to Malaysia, opening a new 1,022 square foot store in Pavilion Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.

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  • Geox opens fourth store in Kuala Lumpur

    Geox opens fourth store in Kuala Lumpur

    Geox is expanding its international footprint with the opening of a new store in Kuala Lumpur. The 110 sq mt space launched at Pavilion shopping centre, which attracts more than 30 million visitors a year.

    The new location joins seven further shops across Malaysia. The Italian footwear brand has three stores in Kuala Lumpur and 19 concessions in the country’s leading department stores.

    The brand’s full shoe collections, known for their patented systems, will be available in the new Pavilion store including children’s shoes. The store will also showcase Geox’ men’s and women’s clothing lines.

    Geox has made innovation a key part of its brand identity and boasts of over 60 different patents registered in Italy and extended internationally.

    Geox has currently a retail presence in 110 countries and is stocked in more than 1,161 standalone stores and 10,000 multi-brand retailers.

    The group has recently appointed Gregorio Borgo as its new CEO. The company’s consolidated net sales for 2016 increased by 3% to 900.8 million euros.

  • Chanel opens first cosmetic boutique in Vietnam

    Chanel opens first cosmetic boutique in Vietnam

    Chanel has opened its first dedicated cosmetics and perfume boutique in Vietnam.

    Opting to debut in Ho Chi Minh City, the new store is located on the ground of the capital’s Saigon Centre shopping mall. Covering 133 square metres, the Chanel shop is designed with a tri-colour theme of black, beige, and burgundy.

    The Vietnamese outlet will sell Chanel’s latest makeup, skincare, and perfume collections – with special emphasis on the ‘Les Exclusifs de Chanel’ perfume collection with 16 scents.

    Local customers are also privy to Chanel’s special skincare service called Sublimage from Chanel beauty team.

    Chanel’s Vietnam cosmetic store opening signals the French fashion house’s continued push in to Asia, a market that is growing.

    In March, Chris Leung joined Chanel as rewards manager, Asia Pacific. Based in Hong Kong, Leung has his five years rewards experience as regional reward manager for Asia Pacific at Oxford University Press.

    According to Euromonitor International, Vietnam’s cosmetics market is vastly made up of imported foreign products, namely from South Korea, Europe and the US, accounting for 90% of the local market.

    A recent report from the Trade Map of ITC (International Trade Centre) and the World Bank showed that Vietnam imported $1.1 billion worth of foreign brand cosmetics in 2016, with the figure expected to double by 2020 to $2.2 billion.

    Perfume topped the list of biggest cosmetics items, accounting for 55% of total imports, followed by makeup products, which account for 21%.

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  • Timex opens first worldwide monobrand store in Tokyo

    Timex opens first worldwide monobrand store in Tokyo

    “Timex Tokyo” is set to open in Jingumae 6th street, near the Jingumae intersection. The store will be located on the 2nd floor of the building. The store will also feature a ‘strap bar’ for leather maintenance and engraving, and will also feature exhibition pieces.

    Timex was established by the Waterbury Clock Company in Connecticut in 1854. In the 1890s it launched the first edition of the pocket watch, Yankee, which sold 4 million units in 20 years. The label’s timepieces were also said to have been worn by the writer Mark Twain.

    The brand later released its first military-issue watch, dubbed ‘Midget.’ By the 1960s the company occupied a 50% share of the US watch market as the nation’s most popular brand, and is perhaps best known for the appearance of the ‘Ironman’ model on the wrist of Bill Clinton at his 1993 inaugural speech.

    The brand has gained visibility in Japan of late due to Timex’s Japan-exclusive collaborations, including a partnership between Engineered Garments and Japanese retailer Beams. Relaunches of classic models such as the Camper, updated last year by Timex Japan in stainless steel and limited to 1500 pieces, have also been a hit.