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Tag: design

  • Coach, Kate Spade parent strikes strategic alliance with Tmall China

    Coach, Kate Spade parent strikes strategic alliance with Tmall China

    US-based luxury retail company Tapestry has entered into a strategic alliance with Alibaba’s Tmall platform to boost the sale of its Coach, Kate Spade, and Stuart Weitzman products online in China.

    The partnership, announced last week, will see Tapestry unveil flagship stores for its suite of luxury brands on Tmall later this month, where it will offer exclusive products and personalized content and services to Chinese shoppers.

    The partnership reflects a step forward in Tapestry’s ChinaNext strategy, which aims to grow the company’s China business and gather digital learnings that can be leveraged in other markets.

    Currently, less than 20 percent of Tapestry’s revenue comes from China. The company is looking to increase that figure by tapping into Tmall’s active user base of over 750 million shoppers.

    “Tapestry is committed to the Chinese market. We have a leadership position in China and all of our brands have a tremendous opportunity for further growth,” Jide Zeitlin, Tapestry CEO and chairman, said in a statement.

    “Given Tapestry’s focus on customer experience, creating innovative strategic partnerships with leaders such as Tmall helps us to connect our unique lifestyle brands with the important fashion and digitally savvy Chinese consumer,” he said.

    Beyond the new digital flagships, Tapestry is also working with Alibaba on intellectual property rights protection. Coach is a member of the Alibaba Anti-Counterfeiting Alliance and leverages the e-commerce company’s tools, technology and cooperation initiatives to protect its brand.

  • New Look same-store sales down

    New Look same-store sales down

    Same-store sales fell by 10.1 percent in the first quarter for UK-headquartered fashion retailer New Look.

    For the 13 weeks to June 29, the company says it was affected by bad weather which led to lower footfall in stores, compounded by consumer uncertainty surrounding the Brexit crisis.

    Combined UK and Ireland retail sales fell by £35.5 million (14.1 percent) to £210.3 million for the quarter.

    Pippa Stephens, a retail analyst at GlobalData, says the retailer is continuing to struggle as it progresses with its transformation process, which includes closing stores, axing menswear from physical locations and attempting to revive the broad appeal of its products.

    She said that with falling like-for-like sales in its core business, the company must continue to focus on improving its remaining stores to boost footfall.

    “With like-for-like sales rising 2.2 percent for the first eight weeks of the second quarter, New Look is starting to show signs of green shoots. While its ‘Revive’ program for refurbishing its smaller destinations will help to attract shoppers, it should also improve its visual merchandising by displaying products more clearly to enhance the shopping experience, as its stores often feel cluttered – making them difficult to browse,” said Stephens.

    While consumers are shifting to shopping online, New Look’s e-commerce sales have continued to decline, with group sales (excluding third-party e-commerce) falling £1.3 million to £38.1 million.

    “Although its digital channel outperformed versus total sales, New Look must drive more traffic onto its site through increased digital marketing, and by offering more affordable and convenient delivery options,” said Stephens.

    “Although the high prices of its fulfilment options will make its online channel more profitable, uncompetitive prices are off-putting for shoppers, hindering conversion. Its delivery-saver scheme is priced at £19.99, double that of other value players like PrettyLittleThing and Boohoo.com, so this should be lowered to become more competitive.”

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  • Top young Hong Kong fashion designers revealed

    Top young Hong Kong fashion designers revealed

    This year’s top young Hong Kong fashion designers have been revealed, capping off the Centrestage festival.

    Three winners of the 2019 Hong Kong Young Fashion Designers’ Contest (YDC) were chosen from a final pool of 16.

    Champion Wilson Yip received a monetary reward together with a one-month internship working in the studio of Japanese fashion designer Mihara Yasuhiro, sponsored by Sun Hing Knitting Factory.

    Yip’s prizewinning “Forgetful Still” was a whimsical collection inspired by the aesthetic of absentmindedness. Yip also took the Best Footwear Design Award.

    Designer Louis Chow was named first runner-up for his collection “Already But Not Yet”, while the award for second runner-up and new talent was given to Enzo Chan for his “Since 1996”.

    The judges assessed the top young Hong Kong fashion designers’ works based on creativity, originality, market potential, craftsmanship, use of fabrics and overall aesthetics, and offered expert feedback to each of the participants. VIP Judge Mihara Yasuhiro had particular praise for the winning piece, saying that Champion Wilson Yip “managed to paint fashion over the backdrop of everyday life, using elements of daily wear and injecting them with novelty and creativity”.

    The YDC has been organized by the HKTDC for more than four decades with the objective of nurturing and promoting young fashion talent. In 2012, to further promote the international visibility of local Hong Kong designers, the HKTDC launched fashionally.com, an online platform that showcases the work of local labels and talents to link them with global industry insiders and opportunities.

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  • Global Vans shoe design competition kicks off

    Global Vans shoe design competition kicks off

    Sports shoe & apparel brand Vans is launching its interactive “Vans shoe customisation competition”, designed to inspire artists around the world.

    The Global Custom Culture competition aims to provide the means for self-expression through digital and canvas mediums unique to Vans. This is the inaugural year of the Vans shoe customization competition, encouraging artists from around the world to turn a pair of classic Vans shoes into their personal art piece.

    The contest will award three winners – one each from Asia Pacific, North America and Europe –  a US$25,000, and the designers will have their shoes produced and sold by Vans, experience a trip to the Vans design headquarters in Southern California, and have the opportunity to partner with Vans to donate $100,000 to a charity that will further enable creative communities.

    “Our goal through Vans Global Custom Culture is to create a platform that is accessible to everyone,” said Vans senior director of global brand marketing April Vitkus. “A barrier to creativity is having access to the tools needed to create something unique, and as a brand it’s our purpose and commitment to provide a range of platforms to empower and enable individuals.”

    The public will have the chance to vote for their favorite design submissions, helping determine the top 10 finalists from each geographic region, in early October. Once the top 10 have been selected, the Vans shoe customization competition finalists will receive a pair of Era shoes to apply a new design onto Vans’ literal canvas. The top 10 will be announced on December 5, where all the artist’s creations will be displayed online for a public vote.

    On December 19, Vans representatives from the design and marketing teams, as well as selected art ambassadors, will choose one grand prize winner in each region.

    Throughout the month of September, Vans will host creative workshops, as a way to participate and support competition participants in a collaborative environment.

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  • Zimmermann opens another US store

    Zimmermann opens another US store

    Australian designer brand Zimmermann has opened its 12th store in the US and its third in New York City with the launch of a new boutique on the Madison Avenue.

    The prestigious shopping street is home to the likes of Carolina Herrera, Christian Louboutin, Ralph Lauren, Valentino and other designer brands.

    The 160sqm store, which opened last week, was designed by Australian designer and architect Don McQualter of Studio McQualter to create the feeling of a local apartment, with each room in the heritage-listed 1940s building styled to frame the collection.

    The store includes a mix of vintage pieces, such as a 1960s Murano glass Italian chandelier and 1930s De Coene desk, with handmade floor and wall tiles and custom metalwork, light fixtures, display tables, millwork and virtual merchandising fixtures designed by Studio McQualter.

    The store is meant to be a physical embodiment of the Zimmermann brand, conveying a relaxed femininity, air of freshness and light and unyielding optimism.

    Co-founders Nicky and Simone Zimmermann celebrated the new Madison Avenue store and upcoming Spring 2020 collection by co-hosting an in-store cocktail event followed by an intimate dinner nearby at Flora Bar at the Met Breuer with VIPs and close friends of the brand.

    “New York is like a second home for us. I have spent a lot of time in the city over the years and we’ve always loved the energy Madison Avenue brings. We are excited to now be a part of the Uptown community,” Nicky Zimmermann, creative director and co-founder, said.

    The brand plans to open a second boutique in Florida in Palm Beach in November 2019.

  • Peu a Peu opens new flagship in Hangzhou

    Peu a Peu opens new flagship in Hangzhou

    Hangzhou-based Chinese design firm So Studio has created a retail space for sporting goods brand Peu a Peu featuring a system of pulleys, steel racks, and large metallic spheres.

    The store’s 70sqm interior, which was recently celebrated in a Designboom report, is inspired by the movement and interaction observed on a sports field as well as contemporary pop artist Jeff Koons’ balloon series.

    Peu a Peu, owned by JNBY, a designer brand focused on contemporary apparel, footwear and accessories.

    The retail space shows off metal finishes alongside grey coloured floors and walls, attempting to create a futuristic and industrial atmosphere. The detachable racks serve to divide up the room as well as supporting the metallic spheres that move around the shop area.

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  • Pomelo Purpose range now features recycled PET fabrics

    Pomelo Purpose range now features recycled PET fabrics

    Omnichannel fashion brand Pomelo has released a third collection for its permanent sustainable line Purpose.

    Seeking to lead the sustainability charge in the Southeast Asian fashion industry, the brand will be introducing Recycled PET (RPET) material to its Pomelo Purpose production processes for the first time.

    As with the brand’s previous Pomelo Purpose collection, which placed a focus on clothing made exclusively from organic fabrics, dyes and cruelty-free materials, this collection intentionally incorporates eco-friendly practices from within the supply chain. Aiming to bring awareness to the importance of building sustainable fashion futures, the latest addition to the Purpose line is produced using RPET material and organically-sourced fabrics including linen, cotton, and natural dye.

    RPET material, which is obtained from EcoMax, one of the few Asian suppliers of environmentally-friendly renewable fabric, is made from 100-per-cent post-consumer PET bottles that would otherwise enter landfills or pollute natural habitats. By incorporating RPET material into the production of Purpose pieces, Pomelo hopes to create higher-quality, lasting pieces that ease production pressures on finite natural resources.

    Pomelo is encouraging its customers to drop off used clothing at its select partnered locations and offline stores, including the newly-opened Singapore flagship store at 313@Somerset. Pomelo Purpose shoppers can also schedule free pick-ups by scanning a QR code stitched into their Purpose products. All collected clothing is then redistributed to underprivileged partner communities, organisations and charities in Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia.

    “Purpose by Pomelo has led the way for the fashion industry in the region to adopt environmentally-friendly practices through sustainable materials and processes,” said Pomelo CEO David Jou. “With this launch, we are hoping to make an even bigger impact by providing all Pomelo shoppers an opportunity to start their recycling journey using our free pick up service. We’re very excited to continue bringing innovation to this very important topic.”

    From now until September 5, all Pomelo online customers in Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia will be able to book a free pick-up for up to 3kg of used clothing via the Pomelo App. After the promotional period, free pick-ups will be limited to first-time Pomelo Purpose shoppers only.

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  • Simone Rocha opens store on Hong Kong

    Simone Rocha opens store on Hong Kong

    Fashion label Simone Rocha has launched a brand-new store in Central.

    The store is only the third standalone Simone Rocha outlet in the world since its first opening in London in 2015, which was followed by a store New York two years later. Each new store is designed to invoke an intimate and unique retail atmosphere, offering customers a chance to engage with the clothes physically and to experience and understand the fabrics up close.

    “I am very proud to be opening my first stand-alone store in Hong Kong,” said designer Simone Rocha, “with the support of I.T Group after our long-term relationship of eight years. Their belief in my vision and creativity makes me very excited for our upcoming journey together.”

    The 900sqft store is located on Ice House Street. It features Simone’s signature perspex furniture and hand-made sculptures, a balance of craft and modern materials that will be reimagined within the store each season. Alongside these interiors are hand-molded floral cornicing, pink marble and curated art pieces.

    “The unique aesthetic and brand values of Simone Rocha have always been in line with the philosophy and vision of I.T Group,” said I.T Group executive director and CEO Kar-Wai Sham.

    “We see great potential in the brand’s development in the Greater China market, and it gives us great delight to partner with Simone Rocha in opening the label’s first store in Asia.”

  • Jony Ive left Apple

    Jony Ive left Apple

    It is absolutely the end of an era at Apple. The company announced that it’s chief design officer, Sir Jony Ive, is leaving the company. The man responsible for the design of many iconic devices including the iPhone and the iPad is forming an independent design company. And yes, Apple will be one of its major clients. In addition to creating the look and finish of many Apple products, Ive’s distinctive British accent could be heard narrating most of Apple’s new product videos during the iPhone era.

    Ive first came to Apple in 1992, working as a member of the company’s industrial design group. One of his first assignments was to work on the design of the second generation Newton personal digital assistant (PDA) and the MessagePad. In 1997, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs returned to Apple and Ive was promoted to senior vice president of industrial design. He and Jobs combined on an amazing run of successful new products that might never be topped. It started with the all-in-one Apple iMac G3 released in 1998. With a brightly colored translucent case, the design stood out in a sea of dull desktop PCs. In 2002, a whole new design was used on the iMac G4. Keeping with the all-in-one theme, the screen was attached to an adjustable arm with the motherboard and hard drive placed inside the dome-shaped base. The success of these two products helped revive Apple.

    Ive also had a big hand in the design of the Apple iPod, which was first released in 2001. Apple’s mp3 player was a massive success and combined with the iTunes platform, Apple sold hundreds of millions of units. And then came the iPhone, followed by the iPad and the Apple Watch. By the time Apple’s tablet was released, Ive had more power than anyone at Apple outside of Steve Jobs. With that power came a huge paycheck estimated to be as high as $30 million by 2011, with an additional $25 million stock bonus.

    Following the fiasco that was the launch of Apple Maps in 2012, the company removed software chief Scott Forstall and Ive took on new responsibilities as the Senior Vice President of Design (no “Industrial in the title). The man who designed hardware for Apple was put in charge of designing iOS 7. After giving up control of the design team in 2015 so that he could work on Apple’s new campus, the executive regained that control two years later. That same year, Apple unveiled the iPhone X with a completely new design. The device featured thinner bezels, an edge-to-edge-screen and Face ID (replacing Touch ID). The design chief said that the phone was the closest he had come to his original goal of creating a phone that was all screen.

    The company is not immediately planning on naming a new chief design officer. Instead, Apple said that design team leaders Evans Hankey, vice president of Industrial Design, and Alan Dye, vice president of Human Interface Design, will report to Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams.

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  • Porsche 911 Heritage Design Packages Coming

    Porsche 911 Heritage Design Packages Coming

    Porsche has a glorious history of making dazzling and gorgeous performance cars. It has given the world some iconic models in the past and the Stuttgart based carmaker is now planning to revisit its heritage. Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur and Style Porsche design departments are working on a new Heritage Design Package which will be introduced in the next year, i.e. 2020. The 911 is one of the most iconic Porsches of all times and has led the charge several times for new developments. Once again, Porsche will start introducing the Heritage Design Package in the 911 range and is likely to follow with other models.

    The Porsche 911 Speedster concept which was showcased at the New York Auto Show was adorned with the Heritage Design Package and gave us an initial outlook of the design. The Heritage design models will get special colours and materials along with special paintwork and liveries to characterize the classic appearance of special models. Porsche designers have taken inspiration from old models and have used old colours, equipment cards and retro design elements. A hint of the same was the circular, chrome finished wing mirror on the 911 Speedster. The same treatment and finish will also accentuate inside the cabin of the car. Retro elements such as corduroy, the Pepita pattern, the Pasha pattern or tartans will be redesigned and comprehensively tested and will have sumptuous material characteristics for the special models.

    Porsche design is also developing matching timepieces, exclusively for the owners of Heritage Design vehicles. The company is trying to bring back the spirit of Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, the designer of the 911 and founder of Porsche Design.

  • India Circus parent eyes 10-fold growth

    India Circus parent eyes 10-fold growth

    India Circus, the design and lifestyle brand owned by Godrej & Boyce home decor,  is anticipating growth by a factor of 10 by next year, according to company management.

    The firm aims to surpass revenues of ₹300 crore (US$43.12 million) within that time.

    “Our current revenue is ₹35 crore ($5.03 million) and we are working towards achieving a ₹300 crore revenue by 2020 and ₹700 crore ($100.62 million) by 2025,” said India Circus founder and executive director Krsnaa Mehta.

    He added that the firm will rapidly grow its online and offline businesses to drive the growth. Sixty percent of the firm’s revenues are from online.

    “Currently we have five stores in total, two in Mumbai, one each in Chennai, Bengaluru and Kolkata,” said Mehta. “We are looking at a company owned, the company operated and franchise model to expand our presence across cities. Our aim is to have 40 stores by 2020, which is almost over one store per month.”

    The firm also has eyes on global expansion and has retailed in Mauritius, Singapore and Qatar as well as in Europe via the West Wing Group. It plans to be globally accessible online within five years.

    “Licensing and royalties are one of the clearest whitespaces for us,” added Mehta. “We want an omnichannel presence. Currently, we are looking at marketplaces and premium partnerships with online players like Amazon, Myntra, Jabong, Pepperfry and other players in the space.”

  • Stosa Cucine opens first Singaporian store

    Stosa Cucine opens first Singaporian store

    Italian kitchen-design studio Stosa Cucine has opened its first store in Singapore.

    Located at the Apex @ Henderson building, the showroom spans 140sqm, displaying four kitchen models: Aliant, Natural, Infinity, and Aleve, for customers to experience.

    Products on display add a hi-tech touch to the kitchen as well as a functional solution for shelves, baskets and drawers.

    Customers can also get personalized options and design their own Stosa Cucine kitchens.

    The brand says it chose Singapore for its first international store because the city is one of the world’s most cosmopolitan, and an important hub for international trade.

    After Singapore, Stosa Cucine plans to expand into other Asian markets.

  • Inclusive design could help retailers o make more Profits

    Inclusive design could help retailers o make more Profits

    Businesses could generate an extra $4 billion in revenue and reach more consumers if they built products and services with an inclusive design in mind.

    That is according to new research from Adobe, Microsoft, PwC and Australia’s Centre for Inclusive Design released this week in PwC’s report, The Benefit of Designing for Everyone.

    The report reveals that five million Australians are unable to access products and services because of poor design, and yet they possess over $40 billion in annual disposable income.

    This number includes people living with a disability and seniors, however, there are millions of Australians who are also vulnerable to exclusion due to location, gender, ethnicity or financial status.

    Within the retail products sector, up to 20 percent of Australians are unable to access and use goods appropriately, the PwC report states. Retailers could promote accessibility and improve the user experience for more consumers by using inclusive design.

    This means keeping in mind the needs of people who have disabilities when designing products. Last year, for instance, Coles introduced an autism spectrum-friendly low-sensory “Quiet Hour” experience in 173 of its stores.

    “The initiative has not only impacted shoppers with autism but also shoppers who want peace and quiet while they shop,” the report states.

    The benefit of inclusive design is that the products ultimately cater to a wide audience, not simply those with special needs. As the report noted, various retail products that were originally designed with edge users in mind are now used by a wide majority of consumers.

    “Electric toothbrushes were created for patients with limited motor skills but have also become popular with consumers who don’t have this issue,” PwC said.

    “Design that considers the full range of human diversity with respect to ability, language, culture, gender, age and other forms of human difference means more people are included,” said Dr Manisha Amin, CEO of the Centre for Inclusive Design.

    “We commissioned the research to identify and determine the necessary means by which Australia can act to reduce these gaps.”

  • Microsoft brings redesigned Apple Watch notifications for Outlook

    Microsoft brings redesigned Apple Watch notifications for Outlook

    A quick heads up for those of you who are using Outlook for iOS on a regular basis. It looks like Microsoft has decided to revamp the Outlook notifications for Apple Watch, so if own the wearable device, you should start seeing them after you download the latest update.

    As per Microsoft’s announcement, the new notifications should allow Apple Watch users to see important emails, reminders, as well as detailed event information via Outlook calendar. It’s the only important change included in the update, at least according to the official changelog from the App Store.

    This is the third Outlook update aimed at Apple Watch users that Microsoft releases this month, but that doesn’t mean that other platforms have been neglected.

    Microsoft revealed last week important new features that will be coming to Outlook for Android and iOS soon, including the option to select favorite persons and notifications, Office Lens upgrades and a couple of other nifty improvements.

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  • Sandro IFC store Opens with Fresh Feel

    Sandro IFC store Opens with Fresh Feel

    The Sandro IFC Mall store has been expanded and relocated, the design upgraded design to introduce the French affordable luxury brand’s newest retail design concept.

    The 139sqm store features both menswear and womenswear collections and is the first boutique in Asia to present the brand’s new interior style.

    Accented by a contemporary design and modern decor, the boutique showcases the most diverse range from the brand in an understated setting with Marimorino texture finish walls and Herringbone wooden floors, complete with wooden furniture and an LED video panel showcasing the latest digital content and materials from the brand.

    Sandro operates more than 600 points of sales worldwide, almost a third of which are located in Asia.

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