The New Normal

Since April is Earth Month, we wanted to kick it off by sharing with you a chat we had with Anne Gillespie, a specialist in sustainable textiles. Together, we discussed a subject matter close to our hearts: how can we bring sustainability to the mid market where it can really make an impact? We are very much  in sync with Anne and believe that change will be driven by larger companies. Once one large company creates a sustainable, transparent and profitable format, the rest will follow in suit. It’s all about stimulating peer pressure just like how fast fashion companies Zara and H&M provoked snappier delivery cycles.

photo via Anne Gillespie

With a background working for both MEC and Textile Exchange as well as a co-founder of the Continuum Tradeshow we discussed in our previous post, Trading Spaces, Anne has extensive expertise regarding the supply chain from developing organic fibers to consulting. We had the opportunity to ask Anne her thoughts on a few matters pertaining to what is actually happening in the industry:

MBF: How are larger companies responding to the subject of sustainability?

Anne Gillespie: Big companies are genuinely committed to making things happen. Business has the opportunity to drive change. We are starting to build a strong business sense about sustainability because resources are going to be gone and we need to start looking for new energy sources. Change will be driven by large companies because once it is amplified it will move very quickly. While larger companies may move slower (large ships are harder to turn), there will be lots of depth.

MBF: What do you think are the biggest drivers?

AG: The drivers are coming within the industry itself for example scarcity of resources, oil and cost control. Being called out prevents companies from marketing themselves as sustainable. You have to be transparent.

In our opinion, the apparel industry is in need of new norms to drive an appetite for sustainability and buying sustainable goods. More and more consumers are starting to look at slow and mindful consumption, especially the next generations, Y and Z who are already challenging traditional retail models. Here are some examples of companies that have been implementing these new norms: Patagonia, Icebreaker, Anvil, Nike, C&A, Marks & Spencer, Trigema, A.P.C., Walmart, H&M and Eileen Fischer. While some may be doing more or less than others, we feel it is important that something is being done as these leaders in the industry re-establish today's standards.

Therefore, we would like to highlight five of the latest new business ideas and concepts embracing this change within the fashion industry. What really is being done and by who?

photo via youtube.com

1. H&M Glamour Collection Launching on April 12th
We've reported on both the "Garden Collection" from 2010 as well as the "Conscious Collection" from 2011 as H&M has consistently made an effort to produce sustainable collections annually during the month of April. This year's debut which releases today, the "Exclusive Glamour Collection," is inspired by celebrity red carpet fashion and is comprised of a range of dresses made from organic cotton, hemp and recycled polyester. Not only is it inspired by celebrity fashion but celebrity fashion is inspired by it as Michelle Williams, Amanda Seyfried, Kristin Davis and Viola Davis have all been spotted wearing the eco-conscious collection.

photo via ecouterre.com

2. C.L.A.S.S. and Green Carpet Challenge
Livia Firth, the creative director of eco-age.com is teaming up with Giusy Bettoni of the tradeshow C.L.A.S.S. to establish the first green carpet challenge library. Firth's Green Carpet Challenge featured high end designers dressing such A-listers as Meryl Streep in Lanvin, Viola Davis in Valentino, Michael Fassbender in Giorgio Armani and Kenneth Branagh in Ermenegildo Zegna all in sustainable fabrics. Overall, we have seen a growing interest in celebrities representing green fashion on the red carpet and we are excited to see who wears what next!

photo via inhabitat.com

3. NYU's Sloth Campus Thrift Store
NYU's on campus thrift store, Sloth, looks to challenge traditional retail models with the idea of mindful consumption by slowing down fashion and going beyond buying and selling resale clothing. Run by senior students, the shop embodies the idea of ethnical fashion and socially conscious spending habits that support fair wages, safe working conditions, environmental sustainability and economic transparency. It's about appreciating garments, textiles and excellent design that tell stories and hold memories from generations before, not to mention encourages conscientious spending on ethical, green and recycled products. Sloth not only seeks to enhance an already campus wide community experience but has the opportunity to interact globally with its exchange program and high quality, reasonably priced items. This global aspect distinguishes Sloth from any other thrift or pricey designer resale shop.

photo via ecouterre.com

4. Loomstate's Reversible, Rotatable "321" Garments
Think of clothing as a rubik's cube and you have Loomstate's new multi-functioning collection. With panels of color blocked fabric, an array of personalized color combinations can be reversed, rotated, you name it! According to Rogan Gregory the labels co-founder, this idea of multi-functional clothing is yet another approach to sustainable design. He also states, "We want to reinvent the way women think about their clothes." While the clothes are already made in the U.S.A. from 100% Tencel, this new design concept is the perfect approach to incorporating freedom, creativity and uniqueness into the way we dress.

video via joinless.org

5. JoinLess
The 60's had the peace sign and we have the less-than symbol (<). That's right, JoinLess is a new symbolic movement and the world's first open source brand that reminds us less really is more. Free of any unauthorized trademarking, this anti-brand is owned by no one and free to use by all. This branding technique or technically lack there of, promotes the benefits of living a sustainable lifestyle by slowing down, collaborating, connecting and doing more for others. While corporations have mastered the art of mass production, the (<) mark is anything but a business and instead believes in "grass production". Our society is so obsessed with the thrill of having and buying "stuff" but all that really is is a temporary fix of happiness. Owning, buying and spending has become such a culture obsessed addiction. We need to start focusing on bettering our future and experimenting with new forms of exchange and doing business. When it comes down to it money is just a symbol but it's the idea behind that money that makes it powerful. With a core belief system and a concrete message, as long as the (<) brand sticks to its roots, we suspect it will one day have the power as well to really make a significant impact.

From the red carpet to college campuses, high-end designers and the mid-market, the desire to create and maintain a responsible and sustainable lifestyle is here and its growing. As this awareness and accountability begins to filter through the industry, more and more companies will begin to feel pressured to revise their current strategies and business models. In the end, compulsive buying and spending habits will only get us so far because it's all just useless stuff isn't it? As we shift towards this new norm, we will soon see the power of (<) and how much of a difference it can make.

Something borrowed, something blue...

For your average fashion fan, without benefit of Anna Wintour's six-figure clothing allowance, the closest she'll come to owning a runway dress is buying a Forever 21 knockoff. Two recent MBAs in New York had another idea, though: why not rent designer dresses to women at a fraction of their retail price?

Their new online service, Rent the Runway, offers the chance to attend a party in high style for as little as $50 for 4 days, dry cleaning included; and as an online service, it's just as convenient for the birthday girl in Nebraska as it is for a debuting actress in New York. With all the complications of making sure a dress fits long-distance, it remains to be seen whether the business model can turn a profit, but interest is certainly running hot: A feature on the company has remained among the top 5 on the NY Times' most emailed list since it came out yesterday morning.

Photo via NY Times

Fashion's Night Out and more: Updates from around the Web

Well, it looks like we were wrong, wrong, wrong about Fashion's Night Out's success, or lack of. WWD reports today that the Sept. 10 event was SO smashingly successful that it's going to be repeated next year — and it'll be bigger and smashing-er than ever!!! Everyone's still mum about actual sales figures for the night, with Bergdorf ceo Jim Gold pronouncing that "More importantly… Fashion’s Night Out set a fun, optimistic and energetic tone for the fall season.” Yes, we'd forgotten, retailers always measure their success by the tone. Bloomberg, Wintour, and co. are looking to outdo themselves by getting New York's sales tax repealed for the day, meaning deeper discounts for those buying items over $110. Can it work? Of course it can!!

In other updates, we made an egregious oversight in posting Tuesday's bike commuting story without linking to this handy guide to the two-wheeled commute in NYC. Let it be known that MBF does not in any way condone bike commuting without use of helmets (in the US, at least), lights, and a good contingency plan for rainy weather!

Lastly, we seriously underestimated the number of licensing deals inked for Where the Wild Things Are. In addition to the two clothing collections we mentioned, there was a skateboard series, Uggs, vinyl collector toys, and jewelry... Check out the comprehensive round-up at CoolHunting!

Photo by essgee on Flickr

6 ways Fashion's Night Out is like the internet

Both are 1) open late, 2) extremely well-connected, 3) rife with celebrity appearances, and 4) swarming with enthusiastic visitors, making it 5) nearly impossible to filter out the noise… but at the same time, 6) neither has turned out to be the instant moneymaker everyone thought they would be.

This we suspected already the night of the big party, with crowds, performances, and fancy displays making it difficult to actually shop for clothes. As it turns out, we're not the only ones who felt this way: Barneys creative director Simon Doonan, admits that although "just from an energy point of view it was fabulous," the much-heralded evening of shopping was "not incredible from a business point of view." In the same interview, Doonan refused to say whether Barneys lost money on the night, but acknowledged that the event "was not inexpensive."

Of course, as with any promotional stunt, the question is whether Fashion's Night Out can have an impact long-term, perhaps getting people back in the mood for shopping so they'll return another time and actually buy things. Measuring that, however, is best left to posterity.

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9/16/09: Comments NYC gossip blog Gawker on the situation:

The problem isn't that people don't like shopping, it's that they have no [unprintable term] money!

Well put indeed.

Photo via The Cut

When high-low goes even lower...

Hard to know which event this week was more shocking: Anna Wintour making an appearance in a Queens shopping mall for her pet project, Fashion's Night Out; or Emanuel Ungaro hiring Lindsay Lohan as an "artistic advisor". It's quite clear, however, which move was commendable and which was a bizarre attempt to pander to celebrity-obsessed fans.

Meanwhile, also during last night's Fashion's Night Out, Opening Ceremony had designers sell their authentic wares out of battered vans much like those selling counterfeit bags on nearby Canal Street; and Louis Vuitton, staunch anti-piracy crusader when it comes to its own much-copied bags and inciter of several recent Canal Street pogroms, was sued by New Balance for —drumroll, please — copying a pair of its sneakers.

Okay, people. We know the fashion industry has been shaken up plenty by the recession, globalization, etc, etc. But troubling as these times may be, they provide a fantastic opportunity to shake things up a bit: streamlining operations, improving the product, strengthening the brand, and coming out stronger than ever on the other side. Not to compromise essential values and cheapen your image — and yes, Ungaro and LV, we're talking to you.

Sales down, theft up!

There's bad news, and then there's... more bad news. According to an article in WWD, retailers already hard-hit by reduced sales are seeing a wave of theft, both from organized and disorganized criminals. To wit:

A survey released in May by the Retail Industry Leaders Association, which measured the first four months of 2009, found 61 percent of retailers had seen an increase in amateur and opportunistic shoplifting, while 72 percent had seen an increase in organized retail crime.

In a move straight out of a cops-and-robbers movie, one gang has been stealing jewelry from J.C. Penney's locations in Texas and Louisiana by hoisting themselves down from the roof.

But it's not all customers who are doing the thieving. In Chicago, high-end clothing boutique Jake has stiffed 28 designers for sums ranging from $860 to $48,000 by closing down their parent company and opening a new one, while continuing to run the shop itself under the same name.

The designers have collectively filed suit to recover their unpaid money; for smaller designers such as Costello Tagliapietra, the more than $20,000 they are owed represents a significant chunk of their business, while 3.1 Phillip Lim's brand director, Maria Vu, says the suit is also a matter of principle.

Regardless of the outcome, the designers, whose numbers also include Chris Benz, Lutz & Patmos, and Band of Outsiders, are pleased to have banded together created a community where they can discuss the issues facing them collectively as young designers..

Photo via Jason Tester on Flickr.

News flash: Less is more, again

Looks like minimalism is back – both as æsthetic and business strategy.

This summer, Camilla Stærk's sudden, unannounced closing of her Soho boutique set off alarms, but it turns out she was conserving her resources to regroup for the recession in a clever way: by creating Stærk Signature, a tiny line consisting of the 8 essential pieces that her customers demand from season to season.

Like designer, like retailer: stores, too, have begun paring down their inventory, as WWD reported yesterday. The still-suffering (and possibly for sale to Uniqlo?) Gap learned years ago that too much merchandise can mean smaller profits, as customers learn to wait for sales instead of buying at full price; a lesson missed by many retailers who have been offering deep discounts since before Christmas. Louis Vuitton, on the other hand, was recently rated the most valuable luxury brand in the world – thanks largely to its tight control of distribution and its strict no-markdowns policy.

The new face of retail: Personalized service for all

Business as usual just doesn't cut it anymore. The recession has proved to be fertile ground for innovation as lackluster business shift their strategies to keep up with our fast-changing world. According to a recent article in the NY Times, even super-sized Wal-Mart stores is cutting brands and streamlining inventory, while moribund department stores Sears and JC Penney are entering the 20th century by copying Barnes & Noble's longtime innovation of offering in-store customers the use of computers linked to the store's inventory system. If something they're looking for is out of stock, they can place an order right away.

Meanwhile, Macy's has introduced "My Macy's," a system of merchandising that customizes the selection for each individual store by getting input from the people who know best: the sales staff, who know, for example, if strapless dresses are too modest for Salt Lake City's clientele. Saks is going even more custom by installing software that gives salespeople easy access to a database of clients' preferences and earlier purchases, so returning customers can be welcomed with tailor-made service.

Another way to cater to client preferences has been through the internet, where Facebook and Twitter are fast becoming the preferred way for designers and retailers to interact with their clientele, according to a new WWD article. Designers such as Charlotte Ronson and Rachel Roy tweet sales as well as tidbits from their personal lives, putting a more human face on their brands, while the more established Oscar de la Renta and Donna Karan have Twitter feeds written by their PR girls.

News flash: Fashion, out on the town and around the world

Knitting lessons at Barneys? Rock shows at 3.1 Phillip Lim? Believe it – Fashion's Night Out, a special event from no lesser luminaries than New York mayor Michael Bloomberg and freshly-minted TV personality Anna Wintour, is arriving Sept. 10 in New York as well as as-yet-unnamed cities in Britain, France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Japan, China, Taiwan, Russia, Brazil and India. 

Without any real details posted, it's hard to tell whether the magnitude of this year's event is a mark of retail desperation, a sign of feisty can-do attitude, or some combination of the two. But in a nod to society's altruistic mood, the designers and retailers involved are not only saving themselves, but nobly collecting clothing in a drive that has yet to be explained on the event's website.