Social media is journalling for millennials, advertising one product: the self. | | Acne Studios creative director Jonny Johansson looks to "portray households of today, in all constellations” for fall ad campaign. (Inez and Vinoodh/Acne Studios) | | | | “Social media is journalling for millennials, advertising one product: the self.” |
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| rantnrave:// What a week for high end stunt accessories. ICYMI, SUPREME released images of its fall/winter collection, whose accessories include chopsticks, a plastic sled, and a paperweight that’s literally $100 USD encased in lucite; RAF SIMONS released rolls of duct tape retailing at $200 a pop; and HERMES announced a line of skateboards and longboards, which will be available in September for around $3K. This rash of ordinary items with a light designer spin is feeling tired to me. It just looks like a straight INSTAGRAM ploy (for the brand and the shopper) and easy headlines. There’s a sense of desperation and a feeling of "stuff for stuff’s sake." I wonder if Gen Z will stand for these kinds of flashy stabs at attention-grabbing, I feel like no. I humbled myself and watched WENDY LAM’S $70,000 Supreme x LOUIS VUITTON haul video with the thought that maybe I’m missing something—maybe there are cool design details or especially amazing craftsmanship techniques. But as I suspected: It’s just hype… Meanwhile, in European high-end e-tail news: MATCHESFASHION is said to be exploring a sale (to the tune of £600m), while AVENUE 32 completely shut down. I would not want to be a businesses trying to compete with NET-A-PORTER; I have no idea how anyone selling the same brands would come close to rivaling the slick experience—from brand discovery to logistics—NAP has tweaked over its decade plus in business. Gives me anxiety to even try to abstractly formulate competitive ideas for that space... One more good thing to catch up on as we close out the week: CEO fallout post-CHARLOTTESVILLE. The NEW YORK TIMES has a good summary of the timeline of events, including an explanation of the risk at stake for these companies to speak up. But how could they afford not to? As BILL GEORGE, former CEO in the medical industry and current board member of GOLDMAN SACHS, told the paper of record: “These executives cannot live with customers thinking they are in cahoots with someone who supports white supremacists or neo-Nazis.” Duh!... Hey, it’s been great guesting here at FashionREDEF for the last two weeks! Please feel free to drop me a line if you’ve enjoyed my curation—or if you want to explain the vital Supreme x LV detail I’m missing: nicolafumo@gmail.com. | | - Nicola Fumo, guest curator |
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| A millennial will take 25,700 selfies in their lifetime, so how has all this picture-snapping affected apparel? Meet these industry-swaying selfie trends. | |
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Why the industry’s double gender gap matters. | |
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And how to not confuse one for the other. | |
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Influencers talk about the shifting tides in the business of blogging. | |
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Hip-hop and the fashion industry have long been intertwined, but in recent years, that relationship has become so much more. | |
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Digital strategies must be tailored to each brand's needs, as making customer connections are being prioritized over sales. | |
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Despite living in a world dominated by fast-fashion retailers, which make runway lookalikes affordable and almost instantly available, fewer and fewer millennial women are looking for fakes when it comes to luxury goods. | |
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From our infatuation for Raf’s Ozweegos to the geriatric genius of Balenciaga’s latest, we try to make sense of the industry’s loyalty to the ugly shoe. | |
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In the last four years, Ulta has successfully repositioned itself -- from the equivalent of a suburban drugstore retailer to a beauty powerhouse. Though Ulta has been around for 25 years, it only recently became a viable competitor of Sephora. | |
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Supreme's decision to close their Fairfax location leaves a glaring retail hole which speaks to the overall health of the neighborhood itself. | |
| What sounds like it could be a new underground streetwear label straight out of Moscow is actually the highest stamp of approval from "Vogue’s" Editor in Chief, Anna Wintour. | |
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Over the weekend, the country's attention was focused in horror on Charlottesville, Virginia, where hundreds of young men bearing tiki torches swarmed the "Unite the Right" rally organized by white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and other hate groups. | |
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The Circular Economy is being marketed as a guilt-free solution to consumerism, but a sustainable economy can only be achieved if businesses stop selling goods argues Sara Arnold, one of 10 winners of BoF’s Future VOICES challenge. | |
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If anyone exemplifies the notion that the artist is separate from the art, it is Jordan Dalah. Sitting by the Granary Square fountains in the sweltering summer heat, the Australian designer looks minimalistic and sporty in his shorts, T-shirt and trainers -- a look that couldn't be more different to his opulent final collection. | |
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Investors are beginning to value the e-commerce giant and Tencent, its rival, on par with Facebook and Amazon as their sway in China grows. | |
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Donald Trump is fixated on a vision of masculine, blue-collar employment. But the retail sector has long had a far greater impact on American employment -- and checkout-line technology is putting it at risk. | |
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Are health trackers imparting a permanent psycho-awareness of our bodies? | |
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The Japanese designer has developed a singular, theatrical vision. "T" goes inside his strange, beautiful world. | |
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The shift from brick-and-mortar retail to e-commerce is also an issue, as several very-resourceful Emmy-nominated designers noted during a panel discussion. | |
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Earlier this year fashion icon Alexa Chung had her many fans reeling with the news of her own label. The campaign saw the model, muse, presenter and writer put her trend-spotting taste to use in creating her own collection. Such an exciting move from Alexa had to look slick and playful in every aspect, from the clothes to the branding, which was created by Studio Frith. | |
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