Tag Archives: fashion industry

For Designers Banking On Instant Gratification, “Seasons” May Become A Thing Of The Past

Leonora EpsteinDecember 27, 2010 //

While we are die-hard Fashion Week fans, we’ve often griped about the frustration it brings because winter collections are shown in the summer, spring collections in the winter, and so on and so forth. With the way the fashion world is set up, it often feels like you can never see what you want and then buy it the same day—even when the season is off. We spend all this time immediately analyzing trends off the runway and devouring photos, but by the time the clothes are released, we’re on to the next thing and they almost seem like old news. According to New York Times fashion critic Cathy Horyn, we may begin to see fashion houses appealing more to the consumer’s instant gratification desire. Keep reading »

Must Read: Twitter Feed @NoBtotheS Fashion Industry Insider Rants

Leonora EpsteinNovember 30, 2010 //

If you’re a sucker for “Project Runway,” “The City” or any other show that takes you behind the scenes of the fashion world (or supposedly portrays “real life,” whatever that is), you’ll love @NoBtotheS, an anonymous Twitter account representing the perspective of a woman in fashion PR. As her handle suggests, she’s dedicated to calling out all the BS she sees in the fashion industry, and we find her updates hilarious and juicy (plus, we totally recognize all the crazy behaviors of players in the style realm). Better yet, Fashionista has commissioned @NoBtotheS to write a column about her observations. Some of the best tidbits from her Fashionista column so far … after the jump! [Fashionista] Keep reading »

Is The Problem With Plus-Size Fashion In Fashion Schools?

Leonora EpsteinOctober 22, 2010 //

In the debate about plus sizes in fashion, there seem to be few solutions. Perhaps the place to start, however, is not by going straight to the solution, but asking why we have no answers. The Los Angeles Times brings up some points that delve deeper into the economic rather than moral side. First of all—why is the fashion industry geared toward smaller sizes when it would seem the money is to be made by producing larger sizes, due to the fact that there are more overweight Americans than model-sized Americans?

Apparently, it’s not just a question of designers not wanting to create plus sizes; it’s also a mechanical matter of not knowing how to do it, or not being able to make a runway look larger without it turning into something completely different … Keep reading »

Women Board Members In Fashion, Beauty, And Retail Industries On The Rise

Catherine StrawnMay 19, 2010 //

Women have made huge progress in the workplace over the last several decades, and the findings of a new study commissioned by WWD prove that we’ve come a long way, especially in industries with largely female consumers.

The study looked at how many women serve on the boards of various fashion, beauty, and retail firms in the U.S. and other countries. Among a selection of 17 of those types of companies in America, women represent 23.8 percent of board seats compared to 21.3 percent, the average for the Dow 30. Keep reading »

Are Your Jeans Responsible For Polluting China’s Pearl River?

Leonora EpsteinApril 27, 2010 //

Pollution of the Pearl River has long posed a problem for China’s ecosystem; however, the degree of contamination has become twice as bad since 2007. One reason, according to a new Greenpeace report, points to the denim factories lining the banks of the water. Clearly, China is a huge manufacturer of consumer goods, and the denim industry also relies heavily on Chinese production. According to CNN, Xintang (a town that is home to many of these factories) “produces 200 million pairs of jeans per year including 60 different foreign brands. That is just under half of the 450 million pairs of jeans sold annually in the United States.” During the dye process, garments are bathed in harsh chemicals, and while many of these companies claim that they recycle this contaminated water, the truth is that it’s simply dumped into the river. This isn’t just an environmental issue; several of the toxins released are cancer-causing. Keep reading »

Will The iPad Change The Way We Shop?

Leonora EpsteinApril 23, 2010 //

Post-iPhone fashion app boom, retailers are now focusing on iPad-specific applications for the new Apple product. And some believe that the device is about to revolutionize the way we think about fashion and shopping. For starters, the idea of mobile shopping may become more palatable. Are you really going to buy a $500 Marchesa gown from Net-A-Porter off your phone? Doubtful. However, if you’re dealing with larger visuals and special features that you might not even find on a website, purchasing with your iPad might not feel too different from doing it at home online. Also consider this: In the past few years, mail-order catalogs have been dying off. iPad catalogs, suggests Ad Age, might bring about its renaissance.

Don’t have an iPad and don’t plan on getting one anytime soon? You may still see a difference as retailers start incorporating them into the physical shopping experience, placing them in stores to provide customers with product info. Are you into the idea of experiencing shopping and fashion through this new medium? [PSFK] Keep reading »

Anonymous Columnist Will Make You Never Want To Work In Fashion

Leonora EpsteinOctober 30, 2009 //

Ever thought of making a career in the fashion world? The Daily Mail‘s anonymous “fashionista” columnist will definitely make you think twice. Reading her tales is kind of vom inducing, and her latest update recounts in shameless detail just how horrible she and her colleagues are. So, here’s our takeaway, boiled down for you, of what it means to work in the fashion industry, according to this nut anyway … Keep reading »

Does The Fashion Industry Need Government Aid To Survive?

Leonora EpsteinOctober 20, 2009 //

The fashion industry has been hard hit by the recession, and it looks like it may take some strategic political partnerships to find the path of recovery. After the collaborative efforts of Fashion’s Night Out, New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg is helping to launch another initiative to help stimulate the fashion economy. This time, it’s a designer contest which will begin next month, reports the Post: “The mayor will stage a competition to pick 12 up-and-coming designers for a new city-sponsored fashion ‘incubator’ facility. The project is aimed at helping New York attract young talent by providing cheap design space.” [NY Post]

Keep reading »

Unfogging The Fashion Future

Ali JawinJuly 7, 2009 //

A recent New York Times article stated that for every step fashion step forward, fashion took three steps back. This theory got me thinking, is it true that every new trend is actually a revamped version of trends past? While there is certainly no lack of innovation in fashion, very few styles are completely fresh and unseen. Even the most outrageous shapes and lines have often been seen before, possibly centuries before. Don’t believe me? Don’t those Grecian dresses look familiar? Haven’t you seen Oxford shoes in some period movie? Aren’t corseted women in every museum around the world? Oh yes, every runway show has at least a few items that harken back to the good old days. Taking inspiration from the past is hardly a minus on the creativity scale, as long as the styles are not taken too literally. Rather, I take comfort from the fact that I can predict the fashion future. With the arrival of a new decade, new president, new economic climate, etc., there are bound to be dramatic shifts in style. Instead of blindly stumbling into the fashion of a new era and decade, I have taken a cheeky peak into my fashion fortune telling ball to study the secrets of the fashion future inspired by the fashion past. Read what trends from olden days will make big come back after the jump. Keep reading »

The Three Ways Michelle Obama Is Influencing The Fashion Industry

Catherine StrawnMay 18, 2009 //

To say Michelle Obama’s wardrobe has attracted considerable attention would be an understatement. The world is obsessed with what Michelle wears. She always looks so put-together yet modern — and the designers whose clothes she sports get their names in the news. But are they actually seeing an increase in business? Michelle’s fashion choices seem to have one of three effects on the industry.

First, according to WWD, the First Lady has had an effect on designers, but it’s not always by increasing their sales. Since many of the clothes that Michelle wears are beyond the average American woman’s budget, designers are seeing an increase in name recognition, but they haven’t had dresses flying off racks. Kate and Laura Mulleavy of Rodarte said they have been emailed a great deal since Michelle wore one of their creations. Thakoon and Maria Cornejo said many more stores have requested appointments to see their collections and possibly pick a few items to offer their customers. Jason Wu’s recent trunk sales around the country have caused mob scenes. These higher-end designers have seen a greater response to their designs from people outside the fashion industry, which could translate to increased business down the line. Keep reading »

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