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Tag: Fashion

  • Generation Z behind demand for male makeup

    Generation Z behind demand for male makeup

    The cosmetics industry is paying close attention to a surge in interest in male makeup – being driven by generation Z.

    South Korean manufacturer and retailer AmorePacific has just launched its first male makeup brand, BeReady – 74 years after the company’s creation.

    According to a survey by the Consumer Trend Center at Seoul National University, three out of 10 men in generation Z reported using face makeup more than twice a week. Furthermore, more than half experimented with colored makeup in middle school.

    AmorePacific says it plans to introduce products specifically targeting generation Z men in rapid succession.

    Another South Korean cosmetics firm, Aekyung Industrial, which is currently focusing on expanding its beauty range, launched the Sneaky brand in March.

    Since most male consumers purchase cosmetics online, Aekyung opted for an online distribution network. Sunscreen and lip balm are currently the most popular products at the online store.

    The sales figure backs up the interest of generation Z men in makeup.

    Olive Young, a major health and beauty (H&B) chain store, has also launched sales of male cosmetics products. Sales of male tinted cosmetics rose 77 per cent in the first half of this year compared to last.

    That figure surpasses the 40 per cent annual growth rate of men’s makeup for the past three years.

    Sales of base products such as cushions for men and BB and CC cream are also on the rise, up 43 per cent in the first half from a year earlier.

    “Not only cushion products, but also men’s color lip balm and eyebrow products are particularly popular,” an Olive Young spokesperson said.

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  • Esprit unveils its future proof store design in Beijing

    Esprit unveils its future proof store design in Beijing

    Fashion label Esprit has unveiled a new concept store in Beijing as it continues its long journey of reinvention.

    “Our new store in Beijing is a showcase for the Esprit brand,” said Esprit Group CEO Anders Kristiansen. “With surprising and functional design details and bright and social spaces, we think this is a great expression of the spirit of Esprit.”

    Hong Kong-listed Esprit sees China as a key market in its bid to resurrect its brand reputation, sales and profitability: it wants to open 220 stores on the mainland by 2023 and as many as 80 elsewhere in Asia.

    The most remarkable feature of the Beijing store which opened last week is the huge prominent opaque brand name across the store’s glass street frontage. Inside the design has been described as a blend of “California cool”, bold graphics and bright colours. The store was designed by Ettore Sottsass.

    A strategic change to the store layout is the relocation of the cashier’s counter into the middle of the store, a move aimed at optimising the interaction between store staff and customers.

    “This forms a social hub that invites customers to stay, converse and relax and further experience the Esprit brand,” said a spokesperson.

    Across the whole store, the space is clean and uncluttered, putting the focus back on the product.

    “Open areas encourage exploration and give space to create stories around the collections,” the spokesperson said.

    While features of the store are likely to be rolled out across Esprit’s global markets, for now the company wants to assess the impact on sales and customer engagement to refine the model.

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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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  • Timberland to plant 50 million trees in the next five years

    Timberland to plant 50 million trees in the next five years

    Global outdoor lifestyle brand Timberland has committed to planting 50 million trees around the world by 2025.

    The move builds on Timberland’s previous tree planting efforts; since 2001, the brand has planted more than 10 million trees worldwide.

    “At Timberland, we’re conscious of the impact our modern way of life has on the planet. And we believe as a global lifestyle brand, and as individuals, we have a responsibility to make it better,” said Timberland global brand president Jim Pisani. “Trees and green spaces help improve the quality of our planet as well as individual wellbeing. Our commitment to plant trees is a real, measurable way to act upon our belief that a greener future is a better future. We encourage people everywhere to join the movement by taking their own actions – small or large – to be heroes for nature.”

    To kick off its pledge, Timberland has launched its largest-ever global campaign, “Nature Needs Heroes,” calling on consumers around the world to join the movement by taking simple, small actions for a healthier planet. The campaign celebrates 12 eco-heroes who are making lasting, positive change for the environment and their communities. Each hero dons new styles from the fall 2019 collection, with city greenscapes as the backdrop.

    The campaign will come to life through media activations across print, digital, out of home, social media and PR. The brand will also engage the global community to be heroes for nature through a series of tree planting and greening events.

    To help realize its 50 million tree commitment, Timberland will partner with a range of organizations that support the environment through large-scale regreening and tree planting efforts. These organizations include the Smallholder Farmers Alliance, GreenNetwork, Tree Aid, the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, Connect4Climate – World Bank Group, Justdiggit, Las Lagunas Ecological Park, Trees for the Future, American Forests and Treedom.

    Projects in year one will focus on Haiti, China, the Dominican Republic, the US, Tanzania and Mali – including support of the Great Green Wall, an African-led movement to grow an 8000km line of trees across the entire width of Africa to fight climate change, drought, famine, conflict, and migration.

    “We are thrilled to have Timberland join the Great Green Wall movement – an emerging new world wonder that promises to grow hope for millions of people in the face of the 21st century’s most urgent challenges,” said Ibrahim Thiaw, executive secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.

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  • Le Saunda CEO resigns and on the search

    Le Saunda CEO resigns and on the search

    Le Saunda CEO Cheng Wang has resigned and will leave the company on October 16.

    According to a stock exchange filing, Cheng is leaving in order to pursue “his other personal affairs”. The Le Saunda CEO will also vacate his seat on the shoe retailer’s board.

    On the same date, another director, Marces Lee Tze Bun will also resign. The company said there was no matter with respect to either person’s departure that needed to be brought to the attention of the company’s shareholders.

    The statement coincided with a positive profit warning issued by the company.

    Based on unaudited management accounts, the company expects a consolidated profit attributable to shareholders for the first half-year of RMB 2 million (US$280,000), compared to a loss of RMB 9.585 million ($1.34 million) in the same period last year. The turnaround was due to improved sales Mainland China stores, reduced administrative expenses due to a restructuring of regional offices and the closure of underperforming stores across its network.

    Sales in Le Saunda’s self-owned stores (excluding e-commerce) were down by 6.5 percent in the second quarter, but same-store sales were up 17.5 percent, reflecting a streamlined store network. Online sales, however, plunged 28.4 percent.

    Le Saunda has shuttered 156 outlets between the end of the second quarter last year and August 31 this year, leaving its with 465 outlets in Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau. All but 56 of those are self-owned, as opposed to franchised.

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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.

  • Bossini issues revised loss warning

    Bossini issues revised loss warning

    Lifestyle apparel brand Bossini has warned shareholders its loss this year will blow out to about $139 million, citing Hong Kong’s rolling protests.

    That figure is higher than the $124 million it projected at the end of May after reviewing management accounts showing a loss of $92 million for the 10 months to April. It represents a five-fold increase from last year’s loss of $29 million.

    In May, Bossini chairwoman Bess Tsin said the final figure would depend on trading in May and June and yesterday she issued a “supplemental announcement” to the earlier profit warning.

    “The annual results recorded was slightly off track from what had been expected in the announcement because of the increase in the loss derived from the Hong Kong and Macau segment as a result of a further weakening in consumer sentiment and the adversity in business environment resulting from the social unrest in Hong Kong in the last month of this financial year.”

    The final result will be released within the next fortnight after an audit is completed.

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  • Superdry licensing deal signed with IMG

    Superdry licensing deal signed with IMG

    British fashion brand Superdry has appointed IMG to develop a strategic licensing program to extend the brand into select new product and lifestyle categories.

    The Superdry licensing deal will see IMG negotiating partnerships which broaden its product portfolio into such items as luggage and travel-related goods, personal accessories, consumer electronics and sporting goods, in accordance with Superdry’s brand ethos.

    “We look forward to working with IMG and partnering with other brands as Superdry enters the next stage of its growth,” said Superdry CEO and founder Julian Dunkerton. “IMG’s extensive licensing experience with fashion brands makes it the ideal partner and we are excited to explore creative opportunities that best resonate with Superdry’s brand.”

    Superdry is known for its distinctive designs blending vintage Americana with Japanese-inspired graphics. It is a fast-growing brand with a geographically and demographically diverse customer base.

    “With an instantly recognisable identity and a powerful brand personality that embodies fun and individual empowerment,” said IMG’s SVP of licensing Matthew Primack, “we see many opportunities to apply the Superdry style and philosophy to products of relevance and we are delighted to be working with the Superdry team.”

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  • Clot opens Juice store at K11 Musea

    Clot opens Juice store at K11 Musea

    Fashion label Clot has opened a Juice store at K11 Musea mall in Tsim Sha Tsui.

    The store opened on Tuesday, featuring a curated selection of brands – including exclusive in-house labels Clot and Clottee, alongside a range of top-tier names such as Fear of God, Alyx, A-Cold-Wall*, 99%is, Needles, White Mountaineering and Ambush.

    The new store will also carry signature streetwear imprints from the likes of Pleasures, Wacko Maria, and P.A.M, as well as lifestyle items from Kuumba and Medicom Toy, amongst others.

    Juice K11 Musea will also feature a sneaker wall with styles from Nike, Adidas, Converse and Vans as well as more niche footwear labels including Hoka and Salomon.

    With a modern design that still incorporates elements from its other local boutiques, the Juice store at K11 Musea will display a rotating selection of modern art and regularly host exclusive events and special releases.

  • Uniqlo Billionaire Founder Seeks Woman for Successor

    Uniqlo Billionaire Founder Seeks Woman for Successor

    70-year old Japanese billionaire founder of Uniqlo, Yanai Tadashi, said he prefers to be succeeded by a woman, in a move he foresees will bode better for the region’s largest retailer.

    The job is more suitable for a woman,» said Yanai Tadashi, president and founder of Fast Retailing, which owns Uniqlo as one of its subsidiaries, in a report. «They are persevering, detailed oriented and have an aesthetic sense.

    In addition to succeeding the throne, Yanai also highlighted ambitions to increase the female ratio of senior executives to more than half after reaching 30 percent of management positions last year.

    On the prospects of Maki Akida, an 18-year female veteran powerhouse that managed stores in Japan and China, becoming the successor, Yanai said It’s a possibility.

    Yanai’s expresses his commitments to not only more females in senior positions but also the development of youth and supporting workers in emerging markets. Yet despite the ESG-oriented nature of these remarks, he does not wax lyrical about Fast Retailing’s ethical superiority but rather how such moves are aligned to business needs.

    We’re in the business of selling clothes – it’s not so good that we’re old, he said, on youth.

    And on worker support, the firm will invest $1.8 million in a partnership with the International Labour Organisation (ILO), a United Nations arm, to support factory workers in Indonesia. The ILO will continue exploring ways for Fast Retailing to improve worker protection in other countries where it has contract factories.

    If we expand in a place where incomes are not growing, we cannot sell clothes, Yanai said, highlighting Southeast Asia as a key growth market for the firm.

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  • Karen Millen stores closing down

    Karen Millen stores closing down

    Administrators have been appointed to wind down the Australian arm of Karen Millen, after the business fell into administration in Britain last month.

    The UK fashion brand, which turned over approximately $19 million in Australia last year, operates seven independent stores and eight concessions in David Jones and Myer department stores.

    Deloitte partners Richard Hughes, Tim Norman and Michael Billingsley, who have been appointed joint and several administrators, said they would conduct a controlled wind-down of the business in the coming weeks.

    Approximately 80 employees, many of them casuals, will be impacted by the closure.

    “If quick, shoppers can expect some bargains with discounted stock being sold from stores and online until the end of this month,” administrators said in a statement.

    The local shut-down follows the collapse of Karen Millen in the UK last month. Administrators there are in the process of closing more than 200 bricks-and-mortar stores, putting at risk more than 11000 jobs. Head office staff have already been made redundant.

    Karen Millen’s online business was bought by global e-commerce fashion giant Boohoo for £18 million, a move that left some scratching their heads.

    “I don’t get it,” the CEO of an upmarket fashion retailer said, contrasting Karen Millen’s relatively high-priced garments with the £5 fast fashion items sold by Boohoo.

    Boohoo has a local online presence in Australia. It is unclear whether it will launch a local online presence for Karen Millen going forward.

    Karen Millen has stores in:

    • DFO South Wharf, VIC
    • Emporium, VIC
    • Chadstone, VIC
    • Doncaster, VIC
    • QVB, NSW
    • Chatswood Chase, NSW
    • Burnside Village, SA
    • David Jones concessions in Sydney and Melbourne CBDs
    • Myer concessions in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane CBDs, Bondi, Chadstone and Perth

    Customers holding gift cards or who are members of loyalty programs will have their benefits honored. Administrators advise those consumers to refer to the Customer FAQ section of the Karen Millen website for further details.

  • Uniqlo hitted by South Korean consumer boycott

    Uniqlo hitted by South Korean consumer boycott

    Fast-fashion chain Uniqlo is suffering from the South Korean consumer boycott of Japanese goods.

    “We can confirm that there has been an impact on the sales in Korea,” a spokeswoman for Uniqlo owner Fast Retailing told Reuters. She declined to release any figures, however.

    The two countries are involved in a diplomatic row relating to disagreements over the compensation for forced laborers during Japan’s occupation of Korea during the second world war. That dispute has spilled over into the populations with Japanese products in South Korea being boycotted by shoppers as a form of protest.

    Uniqlo has nearly 200 stores in South Korea, selling around US$1.3 billion worth of clothing annually, equal to about 6.6 percent of its total sales. The South Korean consumer boycott may lead to delays in new stores opening if it continues

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  • Sephora Hong Kong after being away for 10-years

    Sephora Hong Kong after being away for 10-years

    Sephora Hong Kong returns after a 10-year absence today, opening a 4200sqft store at IFC mall.

    The LVMH-owned global beauty retailer promises shoppers 40 brands new or exclusive to Hong Kong, along with the new Fenty Beauty by Rihanna, also an LVMH subsidiary which is simultaneously being launched by DFS Group’s T Galleria stores today.

    “We believe the new Sephora Hong Kong will be the ultimate one-stop beauty destination in the region that consumers will find joy in exploring the countless products and services on offer,” said Benjamin Vuchot, Asia president at Sephora.

    “We are really proud of the exciting brand portfolio for our new store.”

    Sephora Hong Kong has confirmed plans to open eight stores in its return to brick-and-mortar retailing in the territory. A second store is under construction at Windsor House in Causeway Bay, scheduled to open prior to Christmas. Six more stores will follow over a three-year timeframe, their locations as yet not revealed.

    The new IFC mall store features new customer services, including Virtual Artist, a beauty app designed to offer customers an opportunity to try on and compare different products digitally.

    Vuchot believes the technology will engage customers in-store and create a unique omnichannel model dedicated to offering an “unparalleled shopping experience in-store and online through its upgraded e-commerce platform”.

    Among the brands making their Hong Kong debut today are Drunk Elephant, Sunday Riley, Huda Beauty, Anastasia Beverly Hills, and Fenty Beauty; and niche fragrance labels including Clean Reserve, Kayali, Bon Parfumeur and Maison Margiela.

    Sephora Hong Kong will also introduce new beauty and fragrance brands that are making their debut in the market such as Loewe, Tarte, IT Cosmetics and Jack Black.

    More brands will be added later in the year – both instore and online – to provide customers with “endless new discoveries” across different categories.

  • Art meets fashion at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

    Art meets fashion at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

    The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands has created a host of activities for shoppers to “rediscover luxury” in celebration of the Fall-Winter 2019 fashion season.

    A chic installation will be located at the Grand Colonnade Bay Level of The Shoppes until September 17, housing an immersive art showcase by local artists @Lioncolony and Esther Goh.

    Both artists, who have made their own marks in the visual arts and fashion scene, will illustrate their interpretations of fashion and its influence on society.

    Here, shoppers may also view the latest Fall-Winter collections by brands including Balmain, CH Carolina Herrera, Chloe, Ferragamo, Gentle Monster, Gianvito Rossi, Kenzo, Longchamp, and Tom Ford.

    Following the recent opening of Paul Smith’s second boutique in Singapore, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands continues to welcome a host of luxury brands this year. Italian luxury labels Missoni and Pomellato will be opening their first flagship boutiques in Singapore, bringing The Shoppes’ flagship assembly to more than 40 stores and counting. Luxury watchmaker Panerai will add to the mall’s line-up of luxury watch brands, while French luxury label Celine will further expand its current single unit store into a duplex by next year, offering both men’s and women’s collections.

    Other anticipated premium fashion and lifestyle brands slated to join The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands this year include Aesop, CK Calvin Klein, Evisu, as well as La Mer’s first standalone boutique in Singapore which will house an exclusive facial cabin.

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  • Cecilia Woo opens outlet in Hong Kong

    Cecilia Woo opens outlet in Hong Kong

    The first store for California fashion label Cecilia Woo opens in Hong Kong, targeting an international audience at the new K11 Musea.

    The brand’s founder Cecilia Woo says that since the business was set up in late 2014 in California, the brand has been leveraging its concept to serve the specific needs of modern women. Over the years, Cecilia Woo has built a foundation in key mainland cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Chongqing, developing a significant following through physical and online channels.

    “Hong Kong is Asia’s world city,” said Woo. “This place is highly relevant for light luxury brands in terms of fashion trends and ways of life. The city also attracts travelers from around the globe. It is an ideal landing point for us with solid international opportunities.”

    She added that the company considers now is the right time to develop the brand across global markets.

    “We appreciate the spirit of women here as well as the work-hard culture, which is very much the essence of this city,” said Woo. “Our brand is dedicated to serving modern women. We cannot think of anywhere else that is more relevant than Hong Kong to develop our Muse concept for women.”

    “Hong Kong’s international status adds value for foreign investors targeting global markets,” commented the brand’s associate director-general of investment promotion, Dr. Jimmy Chiang. “In addition, we offer comprehensive systems such as a low tax regime, an effective legal system and an availability of experienced sales and marketing professionals, making our city the ideal place for brands that want to promote their products and concepts to the world. We are confident that Cecilia Woo can prosper in Hong Kong and thrive in the world markets.”

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