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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.

  • Shein chooses Tokyo for its first permanent store in the world

    Shein chooses Tokyo for its first permanent store in the world

    Fast fashion retailer Shein is set to open its first permanent store in the world – in Japan’s capital Tokyo.

    The store, located in the bustling fashion precinct of Harajuku, will open on November 13.

    Shein’s first brick-and-mortar store will display items and styling that caters to the Japanese market. Spanning 201sqm and two storeys, the store features three fitting rooms and an Instagrammable photo booth.

    Customers can purchase products by scanning the QR code on the tag through the Shein app. However, they cannot purchase on the spot at this store – the products are shipped to their home or office.

    The store announcement follows the launch of the Shein Osaka pop-up store, which will open for three months until January 27. Located in the western metropolis of Osaka, the pop-up store houses nine fitting rooms and displays about 800 items, ranging from men’s and women’s wear to home and pet products.

    Founded in 2008, Shein sells online in more than 150 countries and regions, mainly in the US and Europe, but not its home market China, where it produces its clothing. In February, the company shelved plans for its US market listing, according to Reuters.

  • Diesel Japan opens Ginza flagship

    Diesel Japan opens Ginza flagship

    Italian fashion retailer Diesel has launched its new flagship store in Japan, at Ginza Marronnier Gate 1, Tokyo.

    The shop, which features two floors, is designed by creative director Glenn Martins with red and white as the primary theme colors. Diesel says this renovation reflects a refreshed image and looks under Martins’s creative guidance.

    The first floor’s walls, which are red and white, reflect the brand’s red logo, and the store aims to create a spacious, airy feel by using metal racks that surround it. It also includes a big sofa, modern industrial modules, and resin shelves.

    On the other side, the basement floor also has red and white displays and walls, as well as cutting-edge architectural features. Customers can purchase an all-gender selection of denim, apparel, shoes, bags, and accessories from the Diesel Fall/Winter 2022 collection and runway looks. In addition, products from the Diesel Ginza limited and pre-sale collections are now accessible in the red look that debuted during the Diesel 22FW fashion show in Tokyo in June.

    Diesel has made Japan one of its main markets after spending more than 36 years there. The apparel company debuted its first Asia-sized flagship shop in Ginza in 2008 and its first large-scale global concept store in Tokyo’s Shibuya neighborhood in 2010.

    The brand is also growing in other markets like Singapore, Hong Kong, and Korea. In collaboration with RTG Consulting and Muse Group, Diesel launched China’s world’s first Diesel Hub last year. The 900sqm Hub combines dining and retail, with a restaurant named Diesel Brave Bar occupying nearly a fourth of the area.

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  • Shein’s offline popup store debut in the Philippines

    Shein’s offline popup store debut in the Philippines

    Chinese fashion retailer Shein has opened its first pop-up store in the Philippines, seeking to build brand awareness in the market.

    An opening took place last week at Ayala Malls Manila Bay, featuring a fashion runway, partnerships with Alipay+ and its e-wallet partner GCash and Filipina actress Belle Mariano, its newly appointed local brand ambassador.

    Pureplay online retailer Shein was founded in 2008 by Chris Xu and is recognized for its low-cost clothing. The company currently has customers in more than 150 nations and markets worldwide.

    Statista reports that Shein accounted for 3.4 percent of desktop traffic in May of this year and was the most popular site in the global fashion and apparel category.

    Shein, which aims to surpass other fast-fashion retailers like Zara and H&M, does not have a permanent physical location but has amassed millions of customers worldwide thanks to its broad selection and low pricing.

    After Amazon, it is the second-most popular online buying destination for teenagers in the US. With more than 1.2 million downloads last year, the retailer ranked as the second most popular shopping app in the US App Store.

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  • Fashion label Lemonplet opens first flagship store in Japan

    Fashion label Lemonplet opens first flagship store in Japan

    Paris-based fashion brand Lemonplet has launched its first flagship location in Japan, as part of its Asia expansion plan.

    The store, in Omotesando, Tokyo, has a 92.56sqm retail space and is adorned with warm tones and flora throughout the space. There is also a flower gate at the entrance.

    Lemonplet is also sold in Japan at Isetan Mitsukoshi, Hankyu department stores, and Takashimaya.

    Customers can purchase the brand’s jackets and vests that use shaggy eco-fur, hooded maxi vests with smooth textures, short jackets and other items at the flagship store. Its products are priced from US$96 to $746 inclusive of tax.

    Lemonplet, launched in 2017 by Korean-French designer Choyo Joo, is known for its ‘eco-fur wear’, which includes garments, ready-to-wear lines, and accessory collections made from in-house designed eco-fur textiles.

    The fashion brand intends to expand globally. In addition to Japan, the label sells products in Korea’s Galleria, Shinsegae, and Hyundai department stores

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  • Ray-Ban maker EssilorLuxottica sees “good surprise” performance in Asia

    Ray-Ban maker EssilorLuxottica sees “good surprise” performance in Asia

    EssilorLuxottica reported a rise in its third-quarter revenues on Friday as the world’s biggest eyewear maker saw a rebound in sales in the Asia-Pacific region and slight growth in North America.

    The French-Italian company, which makes Oakley and Ray-Ban sunglasses, reported revenue of 6.39 billion euros ($6.24 billion) for the three months to Sept. 30, up 8.2% on the year at current exchange rates.

    Asia-Pacific was the group’s fastest-growing region with a 22.7% revenue rise in the quarter at constant exchange rates to 761 million euros.

    The retail business in particular bounced back strongly in the region, EssilorLuxottica said, after a negative second-quarter performance hit by COVID-19 lockdowns in mainland China.

    Sales in North America, the company’s biggest market, increased by 3.4% to 3.01 billion euros at constant exchange rates, driven by the direct-to-consumer division, the group said.

    “It’s a solid and reassuring publication,” Stifel analyst Cedric Lecasble told Reuters, noting a “resistant” performance in North America and a “good surprise” in other regions, notably Europe amid the macroeconomic downturn and Asia.

    While EssilorLuxottica’s broad consumer base in the United States and Europe exposes it to macro pressures in those regions, it is more insulated from inflation than peers in the discount eyewear business thanks to its luxury licences, Bernstein analyst Luca Solca said.

    EssilorLuxottica makes glasses for brands such as Chanel and Prada, among others.

    Despite concerns that the luxury industry’s post-pandemic boom could be cooling, Birkin bag maker Hermes on Thursday said there were no signs of a slowdown so far as U.S. shoppers took advantage of the dollar’s strength in Europe and China rebounded sharply, echoing earlier comments from Louis Vuitton owner LVMH.

    EssilorLuxottica’s shares were down 1.8% at 0743 GMT, slightly underperforming France’s blue-chip index CAC 40 that fell 1.2%.

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  • Love, Bonito acquires Singapore-based activewear label Butter

    Love, Bonito acquires Singapore-based activewear label Butter

    Southeast Asian omnichannel fashion retailer Love Bonito has acquired Singapore-based activewear brand Butter and a minority stake in healthcare startup Moom Health for an undisclosed sum.

    The activewear line will be rebranded as ‘Cheak’, a play on the word ‘cheeky’. The company said the acquisitions are part of Love, Bonito’s ambition to build “a holistic female ecosystem with a house of brands curated for Asian women”.

    The deal follows Love Bonito’s series C funding last year where it raised $50 million led by a Chinese venture capital giant Primavera.

    “Our long-term vision is to be a true life partner for our community of women, in and beyond fashion, and activewear is a key category we’ve looked to venture into since two years ago,” said Dione Song, CEO of Love, Bonito.

    “Merging forces with Butter came at the right place and time for both of us, and we look forward to reshaping our evolution into a female ecosystem alongside emerging passion-driven women-led brands.”

    Founded in 2020 by two Singaporean female entrepreneurs, Olivia Yiong and Tiffany Chng, Butter offers affordable activewear designed for Asian body types. Generating $500,000 in revenue in its first year of business with a five-product range, the fashion label is on course to reach 138 per cent year-on-year growth.

    Moom Health was founded by two sisters, Mili and Maya Kale, offering to formulate supplements with experts that combine ancient tradition with modern scientific practice. The Singapore-based startup raised $854,000 in a seed round last month led by DSG Consumer Partners, which was also joined by Love, Bonito.

  • Ralph Lauren launches cafe in Pavilion KL

    Ralph Lauren launches cafe in Pavilion KL

    US luxury fashion label Ralph Lauren has launched a cafe in Malaysia, part of its plan to strengthen its presence in the Southeast Asia market.  The new coffee shop is located at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, right next to its fashion retail space. It provides both on-site and takeaway services and is adorned in Ralph Lauren’s signature white and green. Customers can purchase the brand’s exclusive blends, including Ralph’s Roast, Decaf, and Espresso, which are roasted and packaged in Phil

    The new coffee shop is located at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, right next to its fashion retail space. It provides both on-site and takeaway services and is adorned in Ralph Lauren’s signature white and green.

    Customers can purchase the brand’s exclusive blends, including Ralph’s Roast, Decaf, and Espresso, which are roasted and packaged in Philadelphia by La Colombe and use ethically cultivated beans from Central America, South America, and Africa.

    Ralph Lauren was established in 1967 and specializes in the creation, promotion, and sale of high-end lifestyle goods across five different categories, including clothing, home goods, fragrances, and hospitality.

    In 2014, Ralph Lauren launched its first coffee shop in New York City. Since then, it has expanded its network of coffee shops and Ralph’s Coffee trucks.

    Opening its first Asia outlet in Hong Kong in 2018, the company just opened a new store in the region in July, expanding its portfolio in Mainland China. Ralph Lauren also has operations in Japan and France.

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  • Swedish fashion label Filippa K launches into Mainland China

    Swedish fashion label Filippa K launches into Mainland China

    The online store features the brand’s new autumn/winter 22 collection, as well as the core women’s, men’s, active and loungewear collections.

    Creative Director Liisa Kessler’s first collection for Filippa K, the spring/summer 23 pre-collection, will be available from November.

    Filippa K’s CEO Rikard Frost said: “Scandinavian customers have loved Filippa K for many years, so I’m very excited to have introduced the brand to China this year. The house has a unique position within high-end fashion, offering a distinctly Scandinavian design perspective that’s rooted in sustainability. I hope the Chinese audience will appreciate this approach as much as we do.”

    Mei Chen, head of fashion and luxury in the UK, US and Northern Europe at Alibaba Group, said: “The Chinese market offers great potential for Scandinavian fashion brands, where there is a strong demand for timeless Scandinavian design and quality goods with a sustainability profile, qualities which Filippa K embodies. Connecting brands like Filippa K with over 1 billion consumers, Tmall continues to support businesses in their international growth strategy.”

    Filippa K was founded in 1993 by designer Filippa Knutsson. She stepped away from the creative director role in 2019 but remains as a shareholder.

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  • Uniqlo owner set for record annual profit, but all eyes on China showing

    Uniqlo owner set for record annual profit, but all eyes on China showing

    Japan’s Fast Retailing Co, owner of clothing brand Uniqlo, is expected to post a record annual profit on Thursday as the yen’s slump has boosted the value of its overseas sales even as soaring living costs dampen prospects for retailers.

    The company, Japan’s biggest retailer, has posted strong performances in North America and Europe in the first three quarters of the fiscal year that ended in August, but investors will look for signs of a recovery in China, its biggest foreign market with nearly 900 stores.

    Operating profit for the fiscal year is expected to rise nearly 17% to 291 billion yen ($1.99 billion), according to an average of 12 analyst estimates from Refinitiv. Fast Retailing has forecast 290 billion yen.

    That would exceed the previous profit record of 263 billion yen in the year ended in August 2019. For the fourth quarter, analysts expect a 7% drop in profit.

    The company, founded by Japan’s richest man, Tadashi Yanai, is a bellwether for global retailers operating in China, the world’s second-biggest economy but where sales and profits have been hurt by strict COVID-19 control measures.

    As its Chinese operations slumped, Fast Retailing has put increased focus on North America and expects to turn an annual profit in the region for the first time this year.

    But even in the United States and Europe, people are avoiding shopping for clothes, hurting sales at companies including H&M and prompting retailers to slash prices to clear inventory.

    “China is continuously failing to live up to the company’s expectations and the only factors holding Uniqlo’s share price from breaking down are the North America growth and the yen depreciation,” LightStream Research analyst Oshadhi Kumarasiri wrote in a report on the Smartkarma platform.

    “Those too are now under threat, with a looming recession and Fed rate hikes failing to curb inflation,” he said.

    The yen slid to a fresh 24-year low against the dollar on Wednesday. Fast Retailing’s shares are up 18% in 2022, compared with an 8.5% drop in the benchmark Nikkei index.

    Yanai, who founded the company and owned about 21% of it as of February, and his family had a net worth of $23.6 billion as of May, according to Forbes.

    Seven & I Holdings, another Japanese retailer with a large U.S. footprint, raised its full-year profit forecastlast week, citing the weak yen and strong fuel sales at its convenience stores in North America.

  • Adidas puts partnership with Kanye West under review

    Adidas puts partnership with Kanye West under review

    Adidas says it is reviewing its Yeezy partnership with Kanye West days after he showed a “White Lives Matter” T-shirt design at Paris Fashion Week.

    The company did not mention the controversy but said “successful partnerships are rooted in mutual respect and shared values”. The rapper and fashion designer responded on Instagram, claiming the firm “stole” his designs. That post now appears to have been deleted.

    Adidas told the BBC it had made the decision to put the partnership under review after “repeated efforts to privately resolve the situation.” A spokesperson for the German sportswear company also said that the “Adidas Yeezy partnership is one of the most successful collaborations in our industry’s history.”

    In his Instagram post, Mr West also used a strong expletive, adding “I AM ADIDAS.”

    Earlier this week, he was criticised after he presented a collection at Paris Fashion Week that included T-shirts with the slogan “White Lives Matter”.

    The phrase Black Lives Matter, which represents opposition to racism and police brutality, was widely used after George Floyd, an unarmed black man, was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis in the summer of 2020.

    Vogue’s Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, who is global fashion editor-at-large at the fashion magazine, was among those who criticised West over the T-shirts, calling the move “hugely irresponsible.”

    In response, Mr West responded by lashing out at Ms Karefa-Johnson and posted photographs of her mocking her appearance to his 17.9 million followers.

    “She was personally targeted and bullied. It is unacceptable. Now, more than ever, voices like hers are needed and in a private meeting with Ye today she once again spoke her truth in a way she felt best, on her terms.”

    The almost decade-long partnership between Adidas and West has been strained for some time.

    At the centre of their collaboration is a hugely popular range of sneakers – known as Yeezy – which cost hundreds of dollars, with new releases often selling out within minutes.

    In June, he accused Adidas of making a shoe that looked similar to the distinctive Yeezy design, but was not part of their deal.

    Adidas said it will continue to co-manage the partnership while the review is under way.

    The announcement from Adidas comes less than a month after West’s lawyers sent a letter to fashion chain Gap to say he would no longer work with the firm.

    He accused Gap of failing to honour terms of the deal, including by failing to open standalone stores for his Yeezy fashion label.

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  • Valiram opens Indonesia’s first Salvatore Ferragamo store

    Valiram opens Indonesia’s first Salvatore Ferragamo store

    Valiram, the Malaysian retail group, has opened the first Salvatore Ferragamo store in Indonesia. Located in Plaza Indonesia, the store is part of Valiram’s growing international network of stores under multiple licensed brands, including Victoria’s Secret, Tumi, Bulgari and MLB.

    The Indonesian store offers a range of the brand’s premium handbags as well as shoes.

    Salvatore Ferragamo was founded in Florence in 1927 by its namesake fashion designer and offers high-end clothing, accessories, and footwear for men and women, along with fragrances, watches, and eyewear.

    In July, the fashion business unveiled a brand-new concept store in Soho, one of New York City’s most fashionable neighbourhoods, at 63 Greene Street. It is the luxury brand’s first foray into fusing an upscale retail environment with digital creativity and customisation.

    Valiram has retail stores and businesses throughout the Asia-Pacific region, including Singapore, Indonesia, Australia, the Philippines, Thailand, Macau, and Vietnam.

    The business, which runs more than 350 stores, boasts 200 brands spanning many different categories, including fashion and accessories, watches and jewelry, perfume and cosmetics, as well as confectionery and dining concepts.

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  • Swiss watchmaker Jacob & Co launches its first store in Japan

    Swiss watchmaker Jacob & Co launches its first store in Japan

    Swiss luxury watchmaker, Jacob & Co, has landed in Japan, opening its first brick-and-mortar store in the bustling district of Ginza this month.  The opening ceremonies, scheduled to take place on October 13, will be attended by the brand’s chairman and founder Jacob Arabo.  Situated between Ginza Station and Shimbashi Station and spanning one floor, the Jacob & Co Ginza store adapts the brand’s signature store design concept in black and white. While the ceiling features L

    Situated between Ginza Station and Shimbashi Station and spanning one floor, the Jacob & Co Ginza store adapts the brand’s signature store design concept in black and white. While the ceiling features LED lighting with Jacob & Co’s geometric lines, a large LED monitor is stalled on the wall to display the brand’s latest campaign.

    The store will be home to Jacob & Co’s full collection of watches, including the brand’s signature ‘Five Time Zone Watch’, which simultaneously displays the time in five different countries.

    The launch is part of its international footprint expansion plan. CEO of Jacob & Co, Benjamin Arabov, earlier this year said the company was planning to double its international footprint in the coming years.

    Founded in 1986 by Jacob Arabo, Jacob & Co has a presence in 31 countries and regions, including South Korea, India, Mainland China, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore.

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  • Jim Thompson enters a new era with reimagined flagship in Bangkok

    Jim Thompson enters a new era with reimagined flagship in Bangkok

    Jim Thompson, Thailand’s iconic global lifestyle brand signals a new era with the opening of Bangkok’s must-visit landmark the Jim Thompson Heritage and Creative Quarter. Inclusive of the original Jim Thompson House Museum, it features a new “Museum About the Man”, a Home Furnishings Exhibition, a café and a new Iconic Store.

    Local and international visitors will get to soak in the rich history and stunning architecture of what was once the residence of Jim Thompson and explore the beauty of Thai culture, silk traditions and the Thai spirit of innovation as well as discover exhibitions about the life and work of the “Silk King”.

    Frank Cancelloni, Group CEO at Jim Thompson explains, “We are excited about this new chapter. This is not just any lifestyle brand; it was founded by an iconic man who revived the Thai silk industry. The project will be 100% completed by April 2023 with the opening of a restaurant, a bar and a multifunctional hall, all reflecting the spirit of Jim Thompson.”

    Jim Thompson House Museum

    Comprising of 6 teak houses sourced by Jim Thompson from all over Thailand, his residence also became home to an extensive collection of Southeast Asian art. After his disappearance in Malaysia in 1967, his home was carefully preserved and turned into a museum.

    Museum About the Man

    Drawn from the archives of The James H.W. Thompson Foundation, “The Man Himself” highlights the critical milestones in Thompson’s life, from his early years to the last day that he was seen. The exhibition also charts the journey of Jim Thompson fabrics from Vogue to Broadway and on to becoming Thailand’s only global lifestyle brand.

    Home Furnishing Exhibition

    ‘The Evolving World of Jim Thompson Textiles’ is an exhibition that unveils the story of the Thai Silk Company Limited and the prominent creative figures behind the company’s successes in the textile and fabric world after the mysterious disappearance of Jim Thompson in 1967.

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  • Esprit opens innovation hubs in New York and London

    Esprit opens innovation hubs in New York and London

    Esprit has announced London and New York as two new locations for its Futura innovation hubs. Futura is part of its digital strategy to “reinvent customer engagement experiences by turning data into insights, fuelling the brand’s global expansion matched to the fast-growing scale of digital change in today’s fashion retail landscape”.

    As part of its wider strategy, the brand has been moving key functions to strategic locations, “creating a truly global presence”. It said the two metropolises are global cities “with strong cultural influences and 24-hour connectivity. They will be heavily integrated and connected to the brand’s commitment to digital and creative innovation”.

    New York will be the global creative and design hub “to inspire forward thinking and bring contemporary concepts and talent to its new branding strategy”. This is intended to “solidify the ambition to rebrand one of the world’s most iconic companies. [It] will take the lead in Esprit’s rebranding venture”.

    Futura London will be the firm’s global customer experience innovation hub “to provide unique customer experiences for an avant-garde omnichannel connection to the Esprit universe”.

    They join the existing Amsterdam hub that combines e-commerce and technological advancement. As the first physical hub, “it will lead in driving portfolio management innovation, creation of new ideas and pilots, enhancing and renewing the existing omnichannel business, and digital execution”.

    The company said the steps it’s taking are an important part of “turning the iconic brand into an omnichannel technology and data-driven fashion powerhouse”.

    The new hubs “aim to create transformative change in culture, mindset, and business process, discover new growth opportunities for Esprit, and improve innovation performance through a technology-driven approach that focuses on customer experience and embraces circularity”. This new structure “will also provide opportunities to enable staff to have more flexibility with increased international exposure”.

    CEO William Pak said: “Esprit is in the process of transforming into a truly global company with the creative minds and processes in key cities enabling consumers to be connected to the brand on a multi-dimensional level. This enables [it] to adapt to major challenges in fashion and the macro environment in order to propel into the future. Creating an exciting customer experience with smart design and a connection to the brand is an exciting path forward.”

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  • Berluti makes its Vietnam debut

    Berluti makes its Vietnam debut

    LVMH-owned Parisian shoemaker Berluti has expanded its footprint into Vietnam, opening its first store in Hanoi in partnership with local partner S&S Group.

    Located in the heart of Hoan Kiem district across from the famous Metropole Hotel, the Berluti Vietnam boutique follows the brand’s signature simple design dominated by wood and leather elements.

    After passing through the stripe pattern glass facade, customers are welcomed with a leather wall highlighting the brand’s ‘art of patina’ and a designed chandelier inspired by Vietnam’s tiered ‘rice ladder fields’.

    The store offers a full selection of Berluti’s men’s accessories, including shoes and leather goods.

    Founded in 1895 by Alessandro Berluti, the brand is known for its elegant craftsmanship and deep understanding of producing men’s footwear and accessories. Berluti has more than 60 boutiques across several markets, including South Korea, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan.