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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.

  • E-commerce saved fashion designer Tadashi Shoji during pandemic

    E-commerce saved fashion designer Tadashi Shoji during pandemic

    After closing all his stores, veteran fashion designer Tadashi Shoji said he has been able to keep his business afloat during the Covid-19 pandemic thanks to the success of e-commerce and custom sales.

    The Los Angeles, California-based brand released its digital runway show online on Saturday during New York Fashion Week.

    Keeping costs low, the video was filmed in the company’s cafeteria with creative lighting and editing.

    “Logistically it’s very hard, but it’s very fortunate for us because of Covid our e-com is increasing tremendously. That’s helping me to survive in this Covid time,” Shoji said.

    “If we didn’t have this strong e-com infrastructure for us I think, I think our business went down,” he said.

    Shoji said this season was inspired by “boundless expression” and has added different silhouettes to his normal body-con repertoire.

    Menswear was the inspiration for many looks with stretch velvet, shimmer and slits providing femininity.

    The designer’s signature draped tulle, lace and hand beading made the collection look familiar to his long-time fans.

    New York Fashion Week will end on Feb 16 with over 150 designers having presented their collections live or online.

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  • Havaianas parent’s sales surge as international strategy pays off

    Havaianas parent’s sales surge as international strategy pays off

    Alpargatas, the parent of Havaianas, is reaping the benefits of a three-year-old international expansion strategy, despite the impact of Covid on cross-border travel.

    In the year to December, Alpargatas recorded sales of  US$739 million, a 25.7-per-cent improvement in 2020. Outside its home market of Brazil, net revenue climbed 41.5 percent US$227 million.

    “The numbers are the result of a long-term strategy. Three years ago, we established that Alpargatas’ long-term value creation thesis would be based on leveraging the strength of desired and hyper-connected brands such as Havaianas,” said CEO Beto Funari.

    “In this short period, we have proved this thesis as we accelerate the brand’s growth and restructure the business portfolio.”

    The company sold a record 260 million pairs of flip-flops, up 13 percent year on year. Of those, 31 million pairs were sold outside Brazil, an improvement of 38.8 percent versus 2020.

    Funari also said the company’s growing portfolio of non-flip flop products – sandals, flats, sneakers, accessories, and apparel – increased by more than 200 percent during the period.

    In December, Alpargatas secured a deal to acquire a 49.9 percent stake in Californian sustainable footwear brand Rothy’s. Now it is planning a share issue to help fund the acquisition, expected to raise around $400 million.

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  • Boohoo launches vegan makeup and beauty range

    Boohoo launches vegan makeup and beauty range

    The range called Boohoo Beauty, features items for brows, lips, eyes, and face, and is available in various shades to suit multiple complexions and skin tones. It comprises lip gloss, lip liner, blusher, bronzer lipstick, and a contour stick.

    Customers can also buy tools and accessories including a brush cleaner, light-up mirror, fast-drying wrap for hair, and a false lash applicator.

    Available to purchase on boohoo.com, prices range from £5 for a lip gloss to £38 for a make-up palette.

    Lou Maddison, lead hair and make-up artist at Boohoo, said: “As well as the range being 100% cruelty-free and made with a vegan formula, all packaging used within this collection is recyclable. Products are boosted with ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, aloe, coconut oil, and botanical extracts.

    “The products are lightweight, water-resistant, and transfer-proof, perfect for everyday use and taking a look from day to night.”

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  • Breitling unveils Seoul flagship with a cafe and its first restaurant

    Breitling unveils Seoul flagship with a cafe and its first restaurant

    Breitling opened its largest flagship, the 8,000-square-foot Breitling Townhouse Hannam. Located in the fashionable Hannam district of Seoul, South Korea, known for its international embassies and luxury fashion flagships, the space combines retail with a Breitling Café, terrace, and the first-ever restaurant, Breitling Kitchen. The Breitling Townhouse’s combination of retail with food and beverage will make it a top destination in this vibrant area.

    All Breitling boutiques are designed as chic industrial lofts that combine vintage decor with streamlined contemporary design for a modern-retro feel. A second recurring motif is “air, sea, and land” – the three universes that the Breitling watch families were developed for. In the Breitling Townhouse Hannam, these design themes are very prominent.

    The flagship boutique is a 2,000-square-foot retail space that has Breitling’s latest watch collections on display in an aviation-lounge-inspired atmosphere. The brand’s newest flagship is also home to Breitling Equipment – a shop-in-shop that carries tools and accessories inspired by Breitling’s universes.

    Breitling Kitchen is the brand’s first-ever restaurant led by chef Kim Hyeong-Kyu. Guests can choose from seating zones themed by air, sea, and land or reserve a private dining room in the Breitling universe of their choice. Breitling Café is an inviting street-level coffee shop that serves a well-crafted selection of specialty coffees, freshly baked goods, and fine patisseries.

    Customers and visitors can also enjoy an outdoor seating area that serves as both an extension to the café and private event space. Vintage Corridor is a walk-through heritage experience that tells the Breitling story with interactive displays.

    This opening gives a clue at what to expect from Breitling as a leader in the neo-luxury space.

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  • Nike cries foul over virtual shoes, suing retailer that sells sneaker NFTs

    Nike cries foul over virtual shoes, suing retailer that sells sneaker NFTs

    Sneaker giant Nike sued online reseller StockX in New York federal court on Thursday for selling unauthorized images of Nike shoes, marking the latest lawsuit over digital assets known as non-fungible tokens.

    Nike said StockX’s NFTs infringe its trademarks and are likely to confuse consumers. Its lawsuit asked for unspecified money damages and an order blocking their sales.

    Detroit-based StockX, a platform for reselling sneakers, handbags, and other goods, was valued at more than $3.8 billion last year.

    A representative for the company did not respond to a request for comment, nor did Nike or its attorneys.

    Nike said StockX last month began selling unauthorized NFTs of its sneakers, telling buyers they would be able to redeem the tokens for physical versions of the shoes “in the near future.”

    The complaint said StockX has sold over 500 Nike-branded NFTs.

    The lawsuit said complaints about the NFTs’ “inflated prices and murky terms of purchase and ownership” and buyers’ doubts about the legitimacy of StockX’s model have hurt Nike’s business reputation.

    Nike said it will release “a number of virtual products” later this month in conjunction with the digital art studio RTFKT, which it acquired in December.

    NFTs have recently exploded in popularity, and lawsuits over them have begun to hit U.S. courts. Miramax sued director Quentin Tarantino in November over his plans to auction NFTs related to the 1994 film “Pulp Fiction,” which he directed and the studio distributed.

    Last month, Hermes sued artist Mason Rothschild over his “MetaBirkin” NFTs of the French company’s Birkin bags.

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  • Vans owner slips as production delays, China curbs hit sales forecast

    Vans owner slips as production delays, China curbs hit sales forecast

    Vans shoe maker VF Corp cut its full-year revenue forecast on Friday as it struggles with material shortages, labor issues at factories, and a slump in sales in China due to COVID-related lockdowns, sending its shares down over 6 percent.

    Fresh pandemic restrictions and store closures late last year in many Asian countries, including China, took a toll on many US apparel makers that for years have relied on these countries for the bulk of their production and sales growth.

    VF Corp said the fast-spreading Omicron variant of the coronavirus was also impacting its sales across the world.

    “The latest virus surge across Europe has contributed to declining consumer confidence, deteriorating traffic, and stretched retail staff in our stores,” VF Chief Financial Officer Matt Puckett said on an earnings call.

    Despite facing labor and raw material shortages, VF said it expected manufacturing to return to near full capacity in the coming weeks.

    The company cut its fiscal 2022 revenue forecast to about US$11.85 billion from US$12 billion. It expects revenue for its “Active” unit, which houses the Vans and Supreme brands, to increase between 31 percent and 33 percent, compared with a prior range of 35 percent to 37 percent gain.

    The Denver, Colorado-based company’s total revenue rose 22 percent to $3.62 billion in the third quarter ended Jan 1, slightly ahead of analysts’ average estimate of US$3.60 billion, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.

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  • Victoria’s Secret sells stake in China business to new JV partner

    Victoria’s Secret sells stake in China business to new JV partner

    In a statement, Victoria’s Secret CEO Martin Waters called Regina Miracle “a valued merchandise supplier partner for more than twenty years.”

    The brand is maintaining control of its business in China, but has turned to a local, known player to run it, and that makes sense, according to Jane Hali, chief executive at Jane Hali & Associates.

    “This seems to be a wise solution to distribution in China,” she said by email. “Companies are successful when they are consumer-centric and know their customers wants and needs. Victoria’s Secret was in China but it was unsuccessful under their management.”

    The brand’s results in China have nevertheless represented a bright spot in its global performance, according to UBS analysts led by Jay Sole. Victoria’s Secret’s international growth has been disappointing for the last five to seven years, possibly due to an over-emphasis on its Victoria’s Secret Beauty and Accessories stores in some places and because “the intimate apparel category is proving to be more nuanced than previously thought, in terms of what styles, sizes, price points, and brand messaging consumers want in each market,” according to the UBS research note. The analysts pointed to several ways that Victoria’s Secret has sought to gain traction abroad, including via joint ventures like the one announced Tuesday, along with franchising, wholesale and company-operated stores.

    Waters said the establishment of this joint venture finishes up a multi-year repositioning of the brand’s international operations. “We expect the partnership will positively impact the speed and agility of the business to benefit consumers and provide us with a platform for a strong future in this important market,” he said.

    UBS analysts do see room for growth in China. They crunched WeChat data and found the brand to be “on a solid path,” even improving among Chinese consumers while other U.S. brands weathered backlash there. Furthermore, Victoria’s Secret’s social media initiatives seem to be resonating with Chinese consumers, and the brand could probably add to the 63 stores it was running there as of October, UBS also said this week.

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  • FLC launches jewelry brand

    FLC launches jewelry brand

    Conglomerate FLC on Wednesday entered the jewelry industry with the new brand FJC, establishing its first store in Hanoi.

    Located at Bamboo Airways Tower in Cau Giay District, FJC’s first store sells 24-karat gold, jewelry, diamond and fengshui accessories.

    The jewelry business will help FLC complete its ecosystem, which already includes real estate, aviation and tourism, said FLC Deputy Chairwoman Dang Luu Van, who is also the chairwoman of FJC.

    More FJC stores will be set up at FLC resorts and urban areas across the country, she added.

    The main competitors of FJC will be long-established jewelry brands like Saigon Jewelry Company (SJC), Phu Nhuan Jewelry (PNJ) and DOJI.

    FLC targets a revenue of VND27 trillion and profit of VND2.1 trillion this year, double from last year.

  • Uniqlo set to come to Hai Phong

    Uniqlo set to come to Hai Phong

    Japanese fashion brand Uniqlo plans to open its first store in the northern city of Hai Phong this summer.

    It will be a 2,000-square-meter outlet at Aeon Mall Le Chan.

    Uniqlo, which came to the Vietnamese market two years ago, now has 10 stores in Hanoi and HCMC.

    Globally, it has over 2,300 in 25 countries and territories.

    German research firm Statista estimates Vietnam’s fashion industry to grow at an average annual rate of 22.5 percent in 2017-22 to reach US$988 million.

  • First Adidas Brand Centre launches in Singapore, brand’s largest there yet

    First Adidas Brand Centre launches in Singapore, brand’s largest there yet

    Sportswear brand Adidas launched its first Singapore brand center, named Homeground, in Knightsbridge along Orchard Road. Occupying three floors, it claims to be the largest mono-brand retail sports destination in the country. It offers the largest array of Adidas performance and Originals apparel, footwear, as well as accessories in Singapore.

    Adidas claims that the design of the brand center is “deeply rooted in Singapore identity” and “celebrates its diversity as a multicultural country”. Created in partnership with numerous local designers, the design takes inspiration from iconic everyday Singapore scenes. For example, a wall-mounted mural that takes the form of an Adidas shoe is actually a collage of locally-inspired elements weaved together in a wall-mounted mural.

    In addition, the brand center’s sustainability wall is inspired by the coastline of the Singapore River and is made with layers of crafted reclaimed wood.

    The “Local Delights” section features vibrant artwork that is inspired by traditional cakes and snacks such as Tutu Kueh, Ang Ku Kueh, Kueh Bahulu, Muruku, and the colorful Kueh Lapis cake.

    There’s also an anamorphic ceiling installation in the MakerLab, where 180 pieces of stainless-steel trefoils come together to form an intricate ceiling artwork that is both a trefoil and the coastline of Singapore at the same time.

    Besides enjoying first-in-region launches and Singapore exclusives at the Homeground store, shoppers can look forward to the Singapore Key City Tee, a local-themed graphic print t-shirt.

    In line with the brand center’s launch, Adidas will be rolling out the “Bring it to Me” service over the next few months, which will be exclusive to the brand centre.

    Shoppers can have the products delivered to them as they continue browsing the other items at the store by scanning the footwear via the Adidas app or QR code to indicate their preferred sizes.

    For more information, you can check out the Adidas Homeground website, Adidas Singapore’s Instagram, and Facebook pages.

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  • Asos hit by supply chain disruption, volatile Christmas demand

    Asos hit by supply chain disruption, volatile Christmas demand

    British online fashion retailer ASOS reiterated its already downgraded outlook on Thursday after supply chain constraints and volatile demand limited sales growth in its four months to Dec. 31 trading period.

    It posted total sales growth of 5%, following a 22% rise in the year to end August, and said gross margin decreased by 400 basis points to 43.0% driven by a need to discount goods and higher freight costs.

    For the full year it reiterated its outlook of revenue growth in the range of 10%-15% and adjusted profit before tax of 110 million pounds to 140 million pounds. That hit its shares when it was published in October, and would represent a more than 40% drop on the year before.

    “ASOS has delivered a robust start to the year, in line with the guidance we set out at full-year results, despite challenging market conditions,” Chief Operating Officer Mat Dunn said.

    ASOS, once a darling of the stockmarket, was hit by a difficult end to 2021, when it cut its annual profit forecast and parted ways with its CEO following supply chain pressures and a return by shoppers to pre-pandemic ways.

    While shoppers often return partywear clothing and fashion, incurring a cost for the company, they retained the athleisure wear bought during the pandemic to use at home, giving the company a boost to its finances during lockdowns.

    Its shares are down 56% this year, prior to Thursday’s update, mirroring similar falls seen at rival Boohoo which has also been hit by high product return rates, disruption to international deliveries and inbound freight costs.

    ASOS added that it intended to move to the LSE’s main stock market, expected by the end of February.

  • Uniqlo owner’s profits boosted by overseas surge as Japan sales fall

    Uniqlo owner’s profits boosted by overseas surge as Japan sales fall

    Japan’s Fast Retailing, owner of clothing brand Uniqlo, said on Thursday overseas markets powered profit growth in the first quarter, even as sales declined at home and in China.

    The results marked a reversal from the past few years when China and Japan were the big sales and profit growth drivers for the retailer.

    Operating profit rose 5.6 percent to 119.4 billion yen ($1.04 billion) in the three months ended Nov. 30. That beat the market’s consensus of 102.6 billion yen, according to the average of analysts’ forecasts from Refinitiv.

    The company maintained its forecast for operating profit to climb 8.4 percent to 270 billion yen in the fiscal year ending in August.

    Uniqlo’s international business reported record first-quarter results, driven by sales from South Asia, North America, and Europe. The pandemic weighed on results in China, while warm weather in Japan depressed sales of Fall and Winter clothes.

    The company said in October it expects a gradual recovery to pre-pandemic levels as Covid-19 vaccinations progress and as it makes further inroads in the Chinese market.

    Fast Retailing opened a flagship store in Beijing in November, its third megastore in mainland China, and plans to open 100 locations in the country each year going forward.

    But the company has also flagged the risk of continued production and logistic delays that have plagued major clothing groups. In September, Fast Retailing said some clothing releases would be delayed due to pandemic-related lockdowns at partner factories in Vietnam.

    In addition, the rapid depreciation of the yen is raising costs for raw materials and shipping, adding to domestic pricing pressure, chief financial officer Takeshi Okazaki told reporters in Tokyo.

    “We have reached a point where we have no choice but to raise the prices of some products,” he said.

    As the company becomes increasingly global, strength or weakness of the yen will become less important, and stable currency markets are ideal for operations, he added.

    Fast Retailing’s shares have fallen 9.5 percent year-to-date, compared with a 1.1 percent drop in the benchmark Nikkei 225 index.

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  • Adidas Japan to launch brand centre in Harajuku

    Adidas Japan to launch brand centre in Harajuku

    The largest Adidas store to date on Japanese soil extends over two floors and a surface area of 1,000 square meters. In addition to countless products for a wide range of sporting activities, the new Adidas Brand Center, which is located just a few minutes’ walk from Shibuya Station, also offers an exclusive “Tokyo Collection”. This was designed especially for the new store and is exclusively available here.

    The “Digital Footwear Wall” offers space for up to 45 different shoe models and can be filled with matching campaign images as required. The store was designed in cooperation with a number of Japanese artists, whose works partly also decorate the salesrooms. In addition, characteristic design elements can be found throughout the store, which serves as references to the metropolis of Tokyo.

    On the occasion of the opening of the Brand Center at the end of July, visitors had the opportunity to purchase limited-edition T-shirts created in cooperation with the store’s artists and designers. According to Adidas, the store will continue to be used as a regular venue for events featuring local artists even after the opening-period.

    The Tokyo store also includes a special area dedicated to sustainability, offering Adidas Parley and Primeblue products and communicating information about the sustainability efforts of the Herzogenaurach-based sporting goods manufacturer. In partnership with the non-profit organization Parley, Adidas collects plastic waste before it can be discharged into the sea and uses it to produce high-quality sportswear. “Partnering with Parley on a shared mission to use 100% recycled polyester in our products by 2024, we created Primeblue. A high-performance recycled material made in part with Parley Ocean Plastic,” says the statement on the Adidas website.

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  • Thousands strike work after Nike supplier cuts Tet bonus

    Thousands strike work after Nike supplier cuts Tet bonus

    Thousands of workers of Taiwanese-invested footwear maker Pouchen Vietnam, a Nike contract manufacturer, struck work Friday, demanding the same Tet bonus as last year.

    They refused to return to work after finishing their lunch to protest the company’s policy to pay less bonus than last year for the coming Tet (Lunar New Year) festival. Tet, the most important Vietnamese festival, falls in early February this year. The workers stood on national road 1K in front of their factory’s entrance, causing traffic congestion for hours. The strike affected others and all 14,000 workers of the factory in Bien Hoa Town, southern Dong Nai Province, stopped working.

    A mobile police team was dispatched to maintain order in the area. A female worker said that the company had announced Thursday that employees who have worked for it a full year or more will be given Tet bonuses of 1-1.54 months’ salary – around VND5 million ($217) to nearly VND20 million.

    The highest bonus in 2021 was 1.87 months’ salary, and in previous years, 2.2 months. “With this (coefficient), workers’ Tet bonus in 2022 will be lower than before,” she added.

    A Pouchen representative said that in 2021, the company had faced difficulties in production and business. When the fourth wave of Covid-19 broke out, the factory had to stop working from July 12 to Sept. 30, 2021. On Oct. 5, 2021, it resumed production, but at 60 percent capacity.

    Due to the failure to fulfill the production plan, profits fell, so the Tet bonus, the biggest and most anticipated reward for workers, could not be the same as the previous year. The rep also said that under the collective labor agreement, the company would pay Tet bonus to employees based on its business performance.

    Nguyen Thi Nhu Y, head of the Dong Nai Provincial Labor Confederation, said the union was coordinating with authorities to resolve the situation. She noted that Pouchen’s Tet bonus was higher than the local industry average.Nguyen Huu Nguyen, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Bien Hoa, said relevant agencies are trying to negotiate with the board of directors of Pouchen to increase the Tet bonus. “However, employees need to share the company’s difficulties, because Covid-19 has caused businesses to suspend operations for months,” he said.

    Pouchen Vietnam, part of Taiwan’s Pouchen Group, has one more factory in Dong Nai and six others in HCMC and the three southern provinces of Tien Giang, Tay Ninh and Ba Ria – Vung Tau for a total of 130,000 employees. The group is expected to spend more than VND1.2 trillion on Tet bonuses this year.

  • Procter & Gamble buys Tula skincare

    Procter & Gamble buys Tula skincare

    Procter & Gamble is buying Tula Skincare for an undisclosed amount. According to industry observers, Tula had sales of $150 million last year. The acquisition is P&G’s third in just two months and underscores the CPG giant’s focus on prestige beauty. In November, P&G purchased Farmacy Beauty. Last month, P&G acquired Ouai, a haircare company.
    The three acquisitions bolster P&G’s existing prestige brand portfolio, which already includes SK-II and First Aid Beauty. Clearly, the maker of Olay is ready to take on competitors like L’Oréal, Estée Lauder , and Unilever in the prestige beauty space.

    Looking for more insights on the dynamic skincare market? Check out Efficacy Challenges and Anti-Aging & Wellness Corner. Our industry experts keep you up-to-date on the latest skincare innovations.

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