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Tag: Footwear

  • Skechers Takes Control of India Business

    Skechers Takes Control of India Business

    Skechers has bought its joint venture partner in Skechers India, taking the business inhouse. Skechers India has 223 retail locations across the country, 61 of which are company owned and operated, with the remainder franchised. Last year, Skechers saw double-digit increases in wholesale and retail sales and an 80 per cent increase in pairs sold, reaching 2.7 million.

    An additional 80 to 100 stores are planned for this year – of which about 20 will be company-owned.

    The dual-ownership model is expected to allow Skechers India to grow and expand its presence faster, the parent company said in a statement.

    “Skechers is still a relatively young brand in this country, having been in India for less than a decade, yet in the last five years, we have seen significant growth through our joint venture,” said Michael Greenberg, president of Skechers.

    “The substantial existing retail network of over 200 stores, a strong wholesale business and a recently launched e-commerce site is a solid foundation that we can build upon. These accomplishments, as well as opportunities we see to increase the brand’s exposure and drive sales, give us great optimism and confidence for the growth of Skechers in India.”

    Rahul Vira, CEO at Skechers South Asia, said the company was delighted to become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Skechers.

    “This development will enable us to amplify our growth plans, accelerate expansion of our operations and build a stronger network to further gain market share in India,” he said.

    Skechers India will continue operating under its existing structure and from its existing headquarters in Mumbai.

  • Foot Locker buys out Goat Group stake

    Foot Locker buys out Goat Group stake

    Specialty athletic retailer Foot Locker is making a US$100 million strategic minority investment in Goat Group, a managed marketplace for authentic sneakers operating the Goat and Flight Club brands. The partners expect to make joint efforts across digital and physical retail platforms to create exclusive experiences for their customers in an attempt to elevate customer engagement. The investment is also expected to help accelerate Goat Group’s global operations, expanding its omnichannel experience and innovative technologies.

    “At Foot Locker we are constantly looking at new ways to elevate our customer experience and bring sneaker and youth culture to people around the world”, said Foot Locker’s chairman and CEO Richard Johnson. “We are excited to leverage Goat Group’s technology to further innovate the sneaker buying experience and utilise their best-in-class online marketplace to help meet the ever-growing global demand for the latest product.

    “Together, Foot Locker and Goat Group’s shared commitment to trust and authenticity in the sneaker industry will provide consumers with unparalleled experiences and diversified offerings,” said Johnson.

    “In 2015, we pioneered the ship-to-verify model with a mission to bring a seamless and safe customer experience to the secondary sneaker market,” said Goat Group’s co-founder and CEO Eddy Lu. “With more than 3000 retail locations, Foot Locker will support our primarily digital presence with physical access points worldwide, bringing more value to our community of buyers and sellers. Having Foot Locker as a strategic partner will also expand our business as we continue to scale our operations both domestically and internationally.”

    Scott Martin, Foot Locker’s senior VP for strategy and store development, will join Goat Group’s board of directors.

    The Goat Group deal follows Foot Locker’s recent investments in innovative, digital-first companies including leading women’s luxury activewear brand Carbon38; tactical play and children’s lifestyle brand Super Heroic; and footwear design academy Pensole.

    Foot Locker’s investment will bring the total raised by Goat Group to $197.6 million since it was founded in 2015.

  • Fashion to contribute Rs 70,000 crore to revenue in 7 years: Future Group India

    Fashion to contribute Rs 70,000 crore to revenue in 7 years: Future Group India

    Kishore Biyani, Chairman, Future Group says his company is planning to step up its focus on men’s footwear retail since the category is becoming an important accessory for the Indian consumer. According to Biyani, footwear today is no longer category defined for just women. It’s equally important for men – almost as important as buying trousers. With brands like Koovs, Lee Cooper, Clarks, Converse under one roof, Future Group claims to be the number two footwear retailer in India.

    “We aim to be number one footwear retailer in India,” he says, adding, “Men are equally inclined towards buying footwear and on an average have at least 20 pairs to go with different trousers. This is the reason why we are expecting footwear to contribute approximately 18 percent to the overall revenue, an increase from the current 11 percent,” he says.

    “We are expecting the share of footwear to increase from Rs 1,600 crore to Rs 2,500 crore by next year and we aim to be the number one footwear retailer in the country very soon,” he adds at the re-launch of Central at Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj. The contribution of private labels to the group’s revenue is around 40 percent presently.

    At Central, Hyderabad, the footwear section spans across 30,000 sq. ft. and even in Central, Vasant Kunj, footwear occupies a major space covering 15,000 sq. ft. Area.

    Exploring Central Vasant Kunj

    The re-launched Central Vasant Kunj, spanning across 44,000 sq.ft area, is a high-definition store offering luxury experiences while keeping the price of the products at masstige level.

    “Many online brands like Koovs, Craftsvilla have come offline with us. We are expecting an average ticket size of Rs 4,000 here and plan to take this up to Rs 8,000,” Biyani states.

    With state-of-the-art décor, minimalistic fixtures and an aspirational fashion boutique feel, Central aims to provide a delightful shopping experience to its customers right from the time they enter the store to the time they reach the billing section. The space has subtle displays that compliments the store design and aesthetics. The store is designed and specialized to offer an enhanced and a more customized service to shoppers as per international standards.

    The outlet showcases a premium mix of national and international brands in various categories like Men’s and Ladies Formal Wear, Casual Wear, Ethnic Wear, Cosmetics, Fragrances, Handbags, Watches, Men’s and Ladies Footwear, Toys, Kids Apparel, Lingerie and more. From brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Guess, Gucci, FCUK to acclaimed designer like Micheal Kors, Giorgio Armani, Ferragamo, Calvin Klein, Diesel, Roberto Cavalli, Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Central serves as the one stop shop for fashion-conscious customers of the capital.

    Central, which has at present no plans to go Omnichannel, has always believed in redefining the fashion and lifestyle retailing concept in India. Offering world class designs, with over 500 brands displayed in high definition and latest trends, the stores offer an enhanced and a more customized service to customers as per international standards.

    According to Vishnu Prasad, CEO, Central, “Every brand and its products have their own story to connect with customers and indulge in the latest in fashion. We also have exclusive brands in store resulting in a new and improved shopping experience.”

    “We intend to make next-gen Centrals ‘experience-savvy’ stores rather than ‘tech-savvy’ stores, s all services and features that we are offering will be in that direction,” he adds.

    Highlighting the services that set Central apart from others, Prasad says, “We have features like WhatsApp shopping – i.e. if a shopper likes something in our store but is not sure about the purchase, we can reserve the product for them and they can Whatsapp us once they have made up their mind to buy and we deliver the item to their doorstep.”

    Loyalty, cashback, wallets and HD services are some areas where Central has been focussing and has seen better results with technological advancements.

    “With the help of technological advancements, we have observed a hike in business contribution from loyal customers and payment wallets to overall customers,” Prasad says, adding, “A few other features that we offer at Central include priority billing counters for our customers, introduction of many unique services like automated wheel chairs in store for special customers.”

    Currently, the company is operating 44 Central stores in large cities (including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune) and some in smaller cities such as Indore, Patna, Baroda and Surat.

    “We shall be touching 50 stores in just a few months from now,” says Prasad. “Our focus is towards nurturing and identifying the relationship with loyal patrons along with using digital wallets and digital medium as an overall means to enhance the formats footprints,” he adds.

    At present, Future Group – which is selling 30 crore garments annually – occupies a 35 percent market share in the fashion segment.

    “We are expecting fashion to contribute Rs 70,000 core to the company revenue in the next seven years,” says Kishore Biyani.

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  • Fila to open 100 exclusive retail stores in India over the next 5 years

    Fila to open 100 exclusive retail stores in India over the next 5 years

    Fila India, owned by Cravatex Brands Limited, the Indian arm of the $150 million Batra Group, is adopting an aggressive expansion strategy in India. 2018 saw the comeback of sports brands, both globally and in India, due to the shift in consumer preference towards sports inspired athleisure clothing. A key player in the Indian market, Italian sports and fashion brand Fila has planned to capitalize on this trend and strengthen its presence in the country with an aggressive expansion strategy. The brand is projecting sales to grow more than 50 percent by the end of this financial year.

    As part of the new Heritage Store format, Fila has been opening one store a month and expects to keep this momentum going in 2019. The next 3 months will see stores coming up in Mumbai, Bhubaneswar, Baroda and Chennai among other cities. The focus will be skewed largely towards Fila Heritage format stores, driving fashion lifestyle imagery in the premium sportswear segment with a global Heritage collection across footwear, apparel and accessories.

    Aside from main metros and mini metros, Fila has set its sights on the North Indian market with a focus across Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, and the entire region of Punjab; followed by South India. While company owned stores will be the primary objective, the brand is identifying some key partners to pursue a franchise model.

    Maintaining uniformity across layout and design, the average store size is expected to be between 1000-1200 sq feet carpet area with larger flagship locations in metros.

    Speaking on the strategy, Rakesh Singh Kathayat, Chief Operating Officer, Cravatex Brands said, “The resurgence of sportswear in mainstream fashion is the most relevant conversation in the industry today, particularly among millennials and Gen Z. Fila’s retro aesthetic and nostalgia-tinged DNA has thus, gained relevance and this conversation has supplemented its evolution into a sports fashion label. While we’re steadily making this progression in perception, supplementing consumer demand with supply is the need of the hour. Our offline retail growth in India focuses on strengthening our pan-India presence to create easier access and increased engagement with our growing consumer base.”

    Fila India is a licensee held by Cravatex Brands Limited which is a part of the Batra Group, a Global Retail, Brand Licensing, Distribution and Sourcing company with a presence across the Indian Subcontinent, United Kingdom, Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.

  • Sergio Rossi redefines the power pump

    Sergio Rossi redefines the power pump

    “It is a new definition of the power pump,” is how celebrity stylist Elizabeth Stewart describes styles from her capsule collection with Sergio Rossi. Stewart, who counts Julia Roberts and Viola Davis among her clients, celebrated the launch of the collaboration Thursday in Los Angeles at the Italian luxury brand’s pop-up store at Westfield Century City.

    Pumps and sandals in black, red and light pink are emblazoned with empowering words like “strength,” “hope,” “kindness” and “sharing.” The messages are meant to give women a chance to embrace style, substance and solidarity, with 100 percent of sales supporting Time’s Up, an organization dedicated to women’s safety and equality in the workplace.

    “I wanted the shoes to be a sort of a talisman for the wearer,” Stewart told Footwear News at the event. “First it was ‘strength’ and ‘power’. The idea being you can go on a job interview and you put them on and it gives you strength, but also I don’t want to forget things that women want to be, like kind and sharing. It’s a reminder and source of strength.”

    Sergio Rossi Group CEO Riccardo Sciutto said working with Stewart on the collection was an organic process as she has had a longtime relationship styling her famous clients in the brand’s shoes.

    “When you get trust, the relationship is stronger and it’s easy to do something together all the time,” Sciutto said, adding that it’s the label’s first time supporting a social movement issue.

    Though the words and messages on the shoes were easy to conceive, rendering them on the shoes proved to be a challenge. Initially, Serigo Rossi designers tried to emboss the verbiage, but the production technique used to pull the leather material made the words unreadable, Sciutto explained. To achieve the desired effect, the designers created a special technique to print the words in a slightly different but matching color on the material.

    Along with Stewart’s capsule, which is sold exclusively at the store through March 6, the space also features 37 different styles from Sergio Rossi’s resort ’19 and spring ’19 collections, as well as a customization bar.

    The temporary digs are a part of Sciutto’s retail expansion strategy in the American market. “Half of the business is in Asia, and the rest is split between Europe and America. America is the opportunity. It’s the smallest market for us,” he added.

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  • Manolo Blahnik opens its first flagship store in Taiwan

    Manolo Blahnik opens its first flagship store in Taiwan

    In May 2018, Manolo Blahnik opened its doors to the public at the triple tower complex Marina Sands Bay in Singapore, strengthening its presence in Asia with Bluebell Group. In January 2019, Manolo Blahnik continues its expansion into Asia with the opening of its first flagship store in Taiwan. The brand is known for its original and creative flair as well as timeless classic styles, which loyal customers from film stars to leading editors, to women who just trust his perfectionism, come back to again and again.

    The newly opened Manolo Blahnik store, a 65 square metre space with a privileged location within the Nanshan Plaza shopping centre, showcases the world-renowned shoes on the first floor of the new upscale retail destination.

    Nick Leith-Smith, the brand’s long-serving architect, said: “Taipei flagship celebrates a material play on Taiwan’s deep cultural and historical connection to bamboo – with a rotating bamboo forest as a central motif. At first, orderly, and geometric, yet with the dynamic movement introducing a curious playfulness to entice and enchant.”

    The new store is another step forward for the company in its expansion across  important markets; and another milestone achieved in the history of the family-owned business that has prevailed in the luxury shoe industry for nearly fifty years.

    The creative soul of the brand is still Mr. Blahnik who, with a career spanning over 40 years, has become one of the world’s most influential footwear designers. His shoes have spellbound an international set of adoring and loyal devotees across the globe.

    He was born in the Canary Islands to a Spanish mother and a Czech father, he studied languages and art in Geneva before moving to Paris in 1965 where he decided to become a set designer.

    On a visit to New York in 1970, he showed his theatre designs to Diana Vreeland, then editor-in-chief of American Vogue, who honed in on his shoes and encouraged him to concentrate on them. Blahnik learnt the art of making shoes by visiting factories, where he talked to machine operators, pattern cutters and technicians. By 1970, he was in London making shoes.

    A year later, Ossie Clark, then the most famous designer in London, used his shoes and from there his career blossomed.

    Manolo Blahnik was established in 1970 with the opening of the first boutique
    in Chelsea, London. It is still a privately owned and family run business with Mr. Blahnik as Creative Director and his sister Evangelina Blahnik led by the enthusiasm of  Kristina Blahnik.

    Kristina, CEO of the company since 2009,  is in charge of brand expansion and optimization of the business worldwide, and in Asia, their transformation is the the result of a long-term partnership with Bluebell Group, which stated in Japan, Malaysia, and Singapore, and Taiwan.

    Kristina, the walking embodiment of the woman her uncle, Manolo designs for, before the latest opening said: “I am thrilled at our new venture with the Bluebell group, they have already demonstrated to be an excellent partner in launching beautiful spaces in prestigious locations”.

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  • Crocs India opens 109th store

    Crocs India opens 109th store

    Crocs, the iconic casual footwear brand, announced the launch of its 109th store in India at Ballygunge, Kolkata. Crocs inaugurated the 580 sq.ft. store situated in one of the poshest high-street vicinity of Kolkata. With this new store, Crocs promises to strengthen the reach of the iconic brand in the ‘City of Joy’; where now has seven stores. The other stores of Crocs in Kolkata are located at City Centre New Town, Camac Street, Forum Courtyard, City Centre Salt Lake, Axis Mall, Rajarghat-New Town, and Acropolis in Kolkata.

    The new store showcases the recently launched Spring Summer’19 collection along with an array of styles which include sandals, loafers, sneakers, flip-flops, and clogs suitable for all age groups.

    Speaking on the launch, Deepak Chhabra, CEO & MD, Crocs India, said, “Kolkata is crucial market for us with huge potential and high fashion sensibilities. We are pleased to announce the launch of our 7th store in the city and will continue to strengthen our presence in the state of West Bengal. In addition to aggressively growing our EBOs, we will be strengthening our presence in tier-2 cities via MBOs and Kiosks. Further, e-commerce will remain an integral part of our distribution strategy and help us reach out to consumers where our brick and mortar presence is limited.”

    With unparalleled brand awareness and break-through product innovations, Crocs is progressing towards becoming India’s top non-athletic casual footwear brand. India is currently the 6th biggest market for Crocs globally with a double-digit growth year on year.

    Over the past 16 years, Crocs has sold more than 350 million pairs of shoes worldwide. Crocs as a brand will continue to focus on clogs and sandals, along with new product innovations and extensions of the current product line.

    Last year, Crocs launched its newest innovation ‘LiteRide™’ which is available in Flips, Slides, clogs, shoes and sandals. The LiteRide™ Collection merges sporty, on-trend styles and silhouettes with the legendary Crocs comfort that consumers expect. LiteRide™ has redefined comfort, taken the brand’s style quotient a notch higher and it has been a stellar success across genders and age groups.

    The associations with Christopher Kane and Balenciaga in the last couple of years has also further elevated the fashion appeal of the brand.

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  • Nike appoints new Converse CEO

    Nike appoints new Converse CEO

    In the week leading up to Christmas 2018, Nike Inc. said it has recruited a new leader for its Converse brand, naming G. Scott Uzzell as its president and chief executive officer, to helm the heritage sneaker company in the New Year. Uzzell replaces Davide Grasso who has decided to retire at the end of this calendar year. He will report directly to Michael Spillane, President, Categories and Product, Nike Inc.

    Effective January 22, 2019, Uzzell’s new appointment comes at a time when the brand is setting “the stage to move into new spaces by reconnecting to its heritage in sport,” according to a press release in December from Nike Inc.

    “Scott’s unique blend of experience driving both strategic business growth and strong brand development is well-suited to help unlock the full potential of the Converse Brand and lead its next phase of growth globally,” said Michael Spillane, President, Categories and Product, Nike Inc.

    Uzzell comes to Converse from The Coca-Cola Company, where he most recently served as President, Venturing & Emerging Brands Group (VEB).

    As head of Coca-Cola’s VEB Group, the consumer goods executive led a portfolio of high-growth brands for The Coca-Cola Company, including Honest Tea, ZICO Coconut Water, Fairlife Milk and Suja Juice.

    Uzzell began his career within sales and marketing for companies such as Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola and Nabisco, before returning to Coca-Cola in 2000 in the Strategy & Planning division. Since then, he has held a number of leadership positions across its business including McDonald’s U.S. Division, Global New Business Development, Global Marketing, ZICO and VEB.

    In addition, he is a member on the boards of State Bank and Trust Company; Fairlife and Suja Juice Company, as well as being a member of the Florida A&M University Foundation Board and is part of the Executive Leadership Council (ELC).

    Founded in 1908, Boston-based Converse is today owned by Nike. Converse shoes are sold globally in over 160 countries.

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  • Organic Footwear: Is the Indian consumer ready?

    Organic Footwear: Is the Indian consumer ready?

    Footwear brand Neeman’s has partnered with The Woolmark Company – the global authority on wool – to launch a range of shoes made from 100 percent Merino wool. The eco-conscious brand showcased its attractive range of men’s shoes in New Delhi.

    Neeman’s is India’s first footwear brand to use natural, renewable and biodegradable fibre in its shoes. The brand’s footwear collection comprises joggers (multi-functional, lightweight running shoes), classic sneakers with a modern twist, and simple, yet elegant, loafers in subtle colours, fit for all occasions. Its shoes are suitable to wear throughout the year with the ability to withstand every weather condition.

    Celebrating the unique organic inclusion in Indian lifestyle through their exclusive men’s shoes, Taran Chhabra, Founder, Neeman’s explains that it was his own personal struggle to find a shoe that could truly provide all-day comfort. “This led me to look beyond synthetic fibres and my search ended with the naturally versatile Merino wool fibre,” he stated.

    Ajay Pradhan, Marketing Manager, The Woolmark Company, India says, “The Woolmark Company is looking at innovative ways to showcase the versatility of the Merino wool fibre and this collaboration with Neeman’s allows us to do exactly that. Merino wool is the world’s most revolutionary natural fibre that’s trans-seasonal, breathable and has a variety of eco-credentials, making it the perfect addition to your wardrobe be it in the form of luxury apparel or innovative. We cannot wait for consumers to try them and experience the natural benefits and versatility of Merino wool.”

    The Idea Behind Neeman’s

    Neeman’s focuses on two core principles – true comfort and creating a culture of sustainability.

    “We are focused on bringing truly comfortable footwear that looks good, feels good and is good for the planet. Today, when the whole world is talking of organic and natural resources, we decided to take undervalued ‘comfort’ for wearers to the heart of the shoe industry and follow nature’s path of environmental sustainability using natural fibres along with recycled and renewable materials,” Chhabra says.

    While in the pursuit to understand footwear manufacturing, Taran Chhabra had travelled to many footwear manufacturing hubs around the world and what he saw left him perplexed. He found that footwear manufacturing units use too many synthetic materials like nylons, polyesters and leathers and consume a lot of non-renewable resources like petroleum in the manufacturing process. Apart from this, the industry is responsible for emitting a huge amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

    “According to a recent study, around 10 percent of the carbon dioxide that is emitted in the atmosphere is by footwear units alone. So these things kind of hit me,” he explains.

    As a result, while making Neeman’s, he made a conscious decision to remove everything synthetic and unnecessary, and kept only the stuff that was required to actually make shoes. He chose a natural fiber like Merino wool from Australia in-place of synthetic materials. Merino wool is a superfine and lightweight fiber with features like moisture-wicking and breathable, naturally odour resistant and keeps skin cool and dry even in extreme temperatures.

    “Merino wool comes from Merino sheep, and all it takes is water, sunshine and grass to raise them. So we are not spending any energy, we are not emitting any carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, we are not using any petroleum based oils and we are preserving our environment,” he says.

    Another important component within a shoe is the insole. Traditionally the insole is made of petroleum based foams. Neeman’s also reduced the amount of petroleum based foam with a natural plant-based castor bean oil and recycled rubber.

    A Global Brand

    The shoes—conceptualised in America and designed in London—are made from the finest Merino wool sourced from Australia. The Merino wool then travels to South Korea, where it goes through a proprietary process of combing, drawing, steaming and being made into a fabric. There, three different type of fabrics are being produced, one for the shoe upper, another for the insole and a third for lining the shoe. Then the fabric travels to China, where a highly specialised women-owned shoe manufacturing unit—which has been in operation for the past 30 years—assembles the shoes. After that the shoes finally reach India to be sold.

    Market, Consumer & Retail Strategies

    The opportunity for brands like Neeman’s in India is immense. “The Indian footwear market is very vast. India is the second largest in terms of footwear manufacturing and the third largest in terms of consumption. It is just behind China,” says Chhabra.

    Operating within the premium range, the brand’s target consumers are the one who seek comfort. Precisely, any male from 26 to 40 years is its target customer. “Just by looking at the consumption rate in India, there is a vast segment that looks at economy range but there is still a major segment that looks at premium range and we fall within the premium segment,” he says.

    At present, it is being sold through its website (www.neemans.com). Being a direct-to-consumer, the brand has excellent customer acquisition strategies to share, such as educating its consumers through content on social media. “We plan to travel and organise several demo locations, pop-ups locations within major places where people can come and experience our products,” Chhabra says.

    The brand is taking expansion slowly

    “We aren’t giving our shoes to outlets for now. The focus is to drive people to our website and help them understand what Neeman’s stands for. So right now we are keeping a very close hold on how and where our product is being represented. Right now our focus is India and then may be to spread Neeman’s to different countries within Asia in the next year,” he concludes.

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  • Carlton London launches its first store in Mumbai

    Carlton London launches its first store in Mumbai

    Carlton London, the leading fashion footwear and accessory brand has launched its first store in Mumbai at Phoenix Marketcity, Kurla. After running nine stores successfully in the Northern region including Delhi NCR and Punjab, the tenth store in Mumbai marks the expansion of the brand in the Western region of the country. Spread across an area of 1,200 sq.ft., the new Carlton London store is extremely spacious and offers a complete range of fashion footwear along with an exclusive collection of accessories.

    The store displays a wide range of footwear from party collection, work-wear and ballerinas to premium collection for men. Being one of the fastest growing fashion and accessory brand, Carlton London aims to target consumers across the country. The brand thrives at its philosophy of providing highest quality designs to the customers, which are at par with the international standards. Their diversified product line offers comfortable fashion which creates a mark of luxury while being affordable. Having established itself as one of the key players in the footwear industry, the brand caters to various age groups and target audience.

    Commenting on the store launch , Director, Carlton London, said, “We are extremely delighted to announce the launch of our first store in Mumbai. Being the fashion capital of India, Mumbai is a key market for us and we aim to expand our retail footprints in various parts of the country. We always work towards providing fresh and innovative designs to our customers and keep our collection in sync with the global runway trends.”

    “Like our other stores, the theme of the new store is inspired by rich British architecture. With a minimalistic approach, the store has soft and subtle lighting with elegant couches and fancy mirrors,” he added.

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  • Li-Ning X EDG Joint Apparel Anounced

    Li-Ning X EDG Joint Apparel Anounced

    Chinese sports apparel brand Li-Ning has released a collaboration with esports organisation Edward Gaming (EDG). The Li-Ning X EDG apparel line, which includes hoodies, jackets, tracksuits, and shoes, is now selling at its retail location in Shanghai’s Daning shopping complex.

    Li-Ning has become one of China’s largest sportswear brands, having signed multiple sponsorship deals with international-league athletes. EDG is best known for its League of Legends team, which competed in the world gaming championship earlier this year. It closed a funding round of close to RMB100 million (US$15.7 million) last May.

  • Steve Madden has launched in Malaysia

    Steve Madden has launched in Malaysia

    American footwear brand Steve Madden has opened its first store in Malaysia. The new location at Mid Valley Megamall in Kuala Lumpur is the second Steve Madden store launched by the brand’s retail partner Valiram after the first opening in Takashi­maya Singapore.

    A statement from the brand that describes the new store’s aesthetic as “distilled urban” reads: “Making use of several materials, the intention is to stage the stars – shoes and accessories – in a way that allows each of them to tell their style story.”

    Featured in store is the brand’s Holiday 2018 collection for women, as well as its signature rock-n-roll-inspired shoes and leather goods.

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  • GEOX appointed new leader for Asia Pacific

    GEOX appointed new leader for Asia Pacific

    Geox is a leading brand in the International lifestyle footwear Market. The success of Geox is due to the constant focus on the application of innovative solutions and technologies on the product that guarantee both impermeability and breathability. Geox technology is protected by over 60 different patents registered in Italy and extended internationally.

    Over 65% of its turnover is achieved abroad in more than 110 countries worldwide. Geox distributes its product through around 10,000 multi-brand selling points and a network of 1.157 mono-brand shops worldwide.

    Effective from today, Fillipo Gori, former CEO APAC at Roberto Cavalli, will lead the Asian expansion of the brand.

    Filippo Gori is a fashion professional with a finance and consulting background. After having worked 3 years in management consulting he joined GE Energy where he worked 3 years in FP&A. Soon after he began his journey in fashion, working for Emilio Pucci (Retail Controller), Gucci (Greater China CFO) and Replay (CEO APAC).

    In 2016 Filippo joined Vip.com as BD Director for international brands and established a profitable business in less than one year.

    In 2017 Filippo joined Roberto Cavalli, in one year and a half he opened in 3 new markets and increased the store network from 2 to 20 across Asia. In 2019 most of Asia markets will be reopened either through DOS or franchisee partnerships.

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  • Clot x Air Jordan XIII Low release date revealed

    Clot x Air Jordan XIII Low release date revealed

    International brand and retailer CLOT’s Air Jordan XIII pays tribute to co-founder and creative director Edison Chen’s youth, which he spent between Canada and Hong Kong. Chen chose to work on the Air Jordan XIII because it was his go-to during his high school basketball career — and remains a favorite shoe.

    To honor his Chinese heritage, he drew from a recent visit to Lintong county, Shaanxi province, where the Terracotta Warriors statues have remained for more than 2,000 years.

    To replicate the oxidation of that terracotta earthenware, the CLOT x Air Jordan XIII Low uses a Sepia Stone, Terra Blush and Canteen colorway.

    The design of the padded upper mirrors the armor worn by the Terracotta Warriors.

    Subtle nods to MJ come through in the side panel, where dots on each tile appear in twos and threes. To finish it off, metallic gold CLOT and Jordan Brand logos appear on the tongue, heel and sole.

    The CLOT x Air Jordan XIII Low releases exclusively at Innersect Shanghai, China, on December 8, followed by a global release December 13 at Juice Stores.

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