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During coronavirus, it is 'survival of fittest for fashion brands' - Crain's New York Business

ambeliapride Nisan 17, 2021

During coronavirus, it is 'survival of fittest for fashion brands' - Crain's New York Business

During coronavirus, it is 'survival of fittest for fashion brands' - Crain's New York Business

Posted: 29 Apr 2020 05:48 AM PDT

Felicia Lynch started a dream job in November as an assistant knitwear designer for a luxury brand in Lower Manhattan before the coronavirus pandemic took full swing in New York's fashion capital and tossed her off the payroll.

Now the 23-year-old Fashion Institute of Technology graduate, whose résumé includes an internship in Milan and a study-abroad program in London, isn't sure whether she'll get her job back.

"We are all worried," Lynch said. "When things start to pick up, there won't be entry-level jobs."

Lynch is one of thousands of people either furloughed or laid off in the New York fashion world, which is reeling from the financial fallout of the pandemic. It has caused sudden store closures as well as the cancellation of fashion events and orders amid social-distancing and stay-at-home directives.

Many of the out of work acknowledge the challenges ahead but still hope they can reinvent themselves as the fashion world contracts further and shoppers perhaps look to stay closer to home.

A lot is at stake. More fashion designers work in New York City than anywhere else in the country. The metropolitan area accounts for more than one in three of the country's nearly 19,000 fashion designers, according to a 2019 congressional report. New York's fashion industry employed about 4.4 % of the total private sector and generated more than $11.4 billion in wages, according to the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics quarterly census of employment and wages.

The timing of the stay-at-home orders happened as designers were shipping their spring merchandise. Now spring designs are being returned, and future orders are canceled. It all spells disaster for designers who paid to produce the merchandise and who operate with practically no cash cushions.

"The cash flow is challenging because they are sitting on inventory," said Steven Kolb, president and CEO of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, which counts about 500 designers as members. "It's all a domino effect. The stores have rents and leases, and it trickles down."

The CFDA has joined with the Vogue Fashion Fund, set up after 9/11, to form the Common Thread fundraising initiative, which aims to raise money to help design houses of all sizes, as well as factories that produce the clothing. It has raised $4.1 million for grants so far and has received more than 800 applicants, Kolb said.

Well before the pandemic, the fashion industry was struggling with the disappearance of a slew of high-end stores, including Barneys and Henri Bendel, both of which supported young designers. The crisis is putting Neiman Marcus and other luxury stores further in peril, setting off a rippling effect throughout the industry.

Students at New York's fashion colleges eager to pursue careers in the industry are facing a grim employment outlook.

Michael Londrigan, assistant professor and advisor to the provost at LIM college in Manhattan, said all the internships for its fashion students were canceled through the summer. Those internships typically have led to permanent jobs, he said.

"They were counting on jobs after graduation, so we are counseling as best as we can," Londrigan said. But, he added, "There's a lot of creativity. The fashion industry is fairly resilient."

Londrigran and Kolb said there will be new startups, similar to in 2008, when flash sites launched during the financial collapse.

Lynch said she is not dismayed by department stores' troubles. The web is the future of fashion, she said. Right now she's working on her portfolio and is hoping to get a higher job title of associate designer.

Nyleah Ford, 26, who lives in Brooklyn, is doing freelance work in technical design, an extra gig she picked up before she was furloughed from a knitwear company in mid-April.

"You can't look for a [permanent] job," said Ford, who had been with the knitwear company for a year. "I am going to focus on what I do have, because I am lucky to have this."

She said she hopes she'll get her job back, but she worries that consumer spending choices might affect her chances. The sweaters sell for $150 to $250.

"I don't think people are going to throw their money away," she said.

Other young designers are helping during the crisis by making masks and other essential items while trying to reinvent themselves.

Laura Ciccarello, 35, was running sales for a Chinese factory that specialized in dresses. Although the factory was slowly reopening after the peak in the pandemic in China, once it spread to the United States, she said, the factory had no choice but to put her job on hold because all its orders got canceled by retailers in mid-March.

Ciccarello is updating her résumé and portfolio while pairing up with a supplier for loungewear she designed. She also teamed with a supplier to produce masks, gowns and gloves to sell to medical providers and restaurant chains. And she's using her political contacts to help bring back manufacturing to the U.S.

"This will be survival of the fittest for fashion brands," she said.

Derek Nye Lockwood, 51, has more than 25 years of experience in tailoring for actors on Broadway and film, but he started to focus more on his work as a tailor for celebrities for the past three years.

Lockwood recalls what happened when work disappeared after 9/11.

"People don't want to dress up after a huge major bad thing," he said. "I think it will take a year or two."

Lockwood brought his sewing machine to his apartment in Spanish Harlem from his design studio in the Garment District and is making masks for hospitals. He said he believes his skills as a seamster will be useful post-coronavirus, as he thinks there will be more attention to craftsmanship.

But right now he feels good about filling an essential role.

"When I was going to school, I always asked myself, 'What am I going to do when the end of the world happens?'" he said. "Is my job really that important? Am I going to make a dress? No. I am going to make masks. Who knew? So I am important."

Dive into history of New York Fashion Week - RU Daily Targum

Posted: 28 Apr 2020 09:00 PM PDT

Ever since I was a kid, I've imagined what it'd be like to go to New York Fashion Week (NYFW). The creative clothes, the hoards of photographers, the sweet smell of elitism coating the air, where do I sign up? 

The glory that we all now know as NYFW had to start somewhere, so let's take a deep dive into how it all began and what it may become.

NYFW has a long and interesting history. New York took a lot of inspiration for its fashion week from France, which is presumably where the first fashion show was ever held. Charles Frederick Worth, a Paris-based designer, was the first to have models show off his designs to an audience. These live shows were called "fêtes," and later "fashion parades," and spread across Europe through the 1800s and 1900s. The shows were private, high class and focused on selling the product. In 1903 New York City, there was the first-ever fashion show held by the Ehrich Brothers.

By 1943, the first ever NYFW was held, originally named "Fashion Press Week" by publicist Eleanor Lambert. These "press weeks" took place in the fall and spring of each year and were held in multiple locations over the city so editors could attend to write about the designer's upcoming release for that season. 

As one could imagine, holding shows all over the city and at overlapping times was hectic and all-consuming. But I like to think that the chaos was very "New York" or at least fit right into the image New York wanted to present to the world: A city that is obsessively involved and is always on the move. Regardless of whether the chaos was entertaining, eventually NYFW organized shows all operating in one location. 

In 1993, Fern Mallis, former executive director of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, wanted to centralize shows to make it easier for buyers, models and editors to attend as many shows as possible. For the next 16 years, the shows took place in tents in Bryant Park. By this time, New York had established itself as a fashion capital, alongside London, Paris and Milan. Organized shows changed everything as it formed a united front and unified the fashion scene in New York City.

Still the phrase "New York Fashion Week" hadn't been officially used, even though the average person often referred to it as such starting in the mid-'90s and other cities, like London, had been using the words "Fashion Week" for years. 

Instead, it was called "7th on Sixth" after the event management company 7th on Sixth. The name of NYFW changed depending on who was sponsoring the event, which caused what we now know as NYFW to previously been titled Olympus Fashion Week and Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. 

As fashion week grew in popularity, it became overwhelming for Bryant Park tents to contain all the shows and guests. By 2010, celebrities frequenting the shows became common which only made the event more prestigious — and unfortunately, very crowded. So the shows moved to Lincoln Center in the same year. Companies even started streaming shows online or made them available to view at a later time, perhaps due to people's rising interest in fashion week.

Slowly, with the rise of accessible technology, the scene of fashion week began to change into what it is today. More and more influencers are attending, which takes away from fashion week's reputation of being exclusive. It's even possible for anyone to buy tickets within a package called NYFW: The Experience.

The shows became decentralized once again, with many held in beautiful and unique locations like St. Bartholomew's Church on Park Avenue which housed Rodarte's fall 2020 fashion show. 

While the purpose of fashion week was originally to persuade viewers to buy styles immediately, with models of the past even wearing numbers on their outfits so people could easily find the exact look later, now the shopping world is completely different. 

Many of us do our shopping all online and all the time — we aren't waiting for the seasonal drop. To make matters more complicated, fashion week carries a certain message about society. It feeds off of people's desires to be trendy and a "good consumer." 

Yet, we live at a time where overconsumption and emissions from the fashion industry are dangerously affecting the environment. So, even with all this history, is there a future for fashion week?

Honestly, I'm not sure. It's something I've glorified for basically all of my life. Yet, there are so many parts that are perhaps not ethical or useful about it. 

One thing I do hope for fashion week is that it takes on sustainability as these designers could contribute greatly to reducing emissions and promoting sustainable fashion. I also hope there is more focus on creativity rather than consumption — I felt this shift after reading about the most recent NYFW in February, where designers continued to drift away from traditional runway shows and focused more on performing by incorporating dances or artwork alongside the clothes and models. 

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Forget fast fashion! Six ways to bring clothes back to life – from darning to stain removal - The Guardian

Posted: 29 Apr 2020 10:19 AM PDT

The high street is shut, the world has ground to tortoise pace and people who previously bought sliced bread are spending hours nurturing sourdough starters. So it could be a good time to learn a skill that can set you up for life: sewing.

As the pandemic brings news of warehouse workers and drivers being forced to put themselves in harm's way to deliver clothes to our doorsteps, the need to slow down fashion has never been more pressing. As one recent report stated, the global fashion industry is a major factor in putting the planet on course for environmental disaster, due to the throwaway nature of seasonal trends.

One way to help tackle this is to stop buying new clothes – and to make the most of what you have. From mending and customising to darning, we asked the experts for tips on rejuvenating and repairing your wardrobe.

Fixing holes

"Darning is easy," says Layla Totah, a sewing teacher at Nest in London. "It's the same method for holes in socks as it is for moth holes in jumpers."

If you have never used a needle and thread, it would be worth going through the basics before you start darning. Totah recommends Wendy Ward's Sewing Basics for Every Body and Tilly Walnes's Love at First Stitch as good books for beginners. Lily Fulop's new book, Wear, Repair, Repurpose has some good illustrations for newbies, too.

Before starting to stitch, you will need something solid to put behind the hole, to make it easier to work on. If you don't have a wooden darning mushroom, Totah recommends an orange or a rounded glass. The idea is to create a weave to cover the hole. First, working from the fabric around the edge of the hole, stitch horizontally across the hole with a running stitch. Then, do the same vertically. "You're essentially creating an extra layer of fabric," she says.

How to do a running stitch.

If the hole is fairly big, you will have to make your stitches longer to cover it, but otherwise keep them small. Be careful not to stitch too tightly, as this can distort the hole.

Use a yarn that is similar to the garment. "Sometimes knitted garments come with a length of the yarn that's been used to make it," says Lauren Guthrie, who owns the Guthrie and Ghani sewing shop and school in Birmingham (it also has excellent online resources for beginner sewers). This is useful if you want to colour-match your repair job. If not, don't worry. "You can make it into a feature and use contrasting colours," says Totah. "Choose a rainbow of colours and repair each hole in a different one. It looks really beautiful."

Bringing frayed jeans and jackets back to life

Knees, bottoms, thighs and elbows have a tendency to fray – especially on denim. The simplest thing is to buy an iron-on denim patch. If you want to do it properly, though, you will need a sewing machine.

Find a piece of denim that is bigger than the frayed area and is close in colour to the garment. Pin the fabric behind the frayed area and tack (roughly stitch) it in place. "Then put it into the sewing machine," says Totah. "Go backwards and forwards many times with a wide, tight zigzag stitch to create a dense mass of stitches all around the edges." Totah says you could also "stitch within the patch itself. If you've picked a matching thread, this should help to make it blend in."

If it is a larger hole, Guthrie suggests making a feature of the repair with a patch. Totah suggests using a contrasting, textured fabric, such as flannel or corduroy. Straight stitch or edge stitch around the patch by hand to attach it. You can make a feature of this, too. Totah points to the Japanese art of sashiko – a form of repair that is traditionally done with white thread on indigo fabric.

Fixing hems and seams

Again, this is pretty straightforward, says Totah. Iron-on webbing will do the trick quickly (be careful with synthetic fabrics under the heat of the iron, though). For a more thorough job, fold the hem over twice to fully cover the raw edge and, with a matching thread, catch stitch your way around the hemline.

How to do a catch stitch.

To do this, bring the needle up through the fold from behind with your first stitch, then, says Totah, "at a diagonal angle, take another stitch on the garment, but only catching a few fibres. Repeat this, going back under the fold so that the stitch only goes into the folded fabric – the hem – and not into the outside of the trouser or skirt." The idea behind the stitch, she says, is that "it doesn't show on the right side – you only see little pin pricks, if anything at all."

Seams are even easier, says Totah. They can be done by hand or using a machine. "Sew on top of the original stitching line where it has come unattached, making sure to overlap some of the remaining stitches and back stitch at either end so it doesn't unravel," she says.

Replacing a button

The basic method is to thread a needle and sew through the fabric and the buttonholes over and over until it is attached. But why not double up your thread to speed things up, says Totah. "Each stitch will count for two."

If you want to give your standard buttons some of the resilience of shank buttons (those that are threaded through a loop of metal or plastic at the back), leave a few millimetres of thread each time you stitch the button, so that you are not pulling it tightly against the fabric. "Once you've finished sewing it on, you've created a little shank – wrap your thread around it a few times." This technique is particularly useful for replacing buttons on thick garments such as coats.

Removing stains

If you have clothes at the back of your wardrobe that you have not worn since that unfortunate incident with a bottle of red wine, there may be hope. The internet is awash with good stain removal advice, from the broad (how to rid items of fruit stains) to the specific (how to get rid of Silly Putty).

Dr Lisa Ackerley, AKA the Hygiene Doctor, recommends cleanipedia.com, while Stephanie Zia's book, Clean: Organic Household Tips That Don't Cost the Earth is full of ideas.

With most stains, the Martha Stewart-approved rule of thumb is: act fast. But not always. "Some stains are set by hot water, some by soap, some by ironing," says Zia. "Trickier stains don't always come out the first time; for those, it is about repeating the process rather than acting fast."

Stain removal is a vast field of science, but Zia has a few basic rules. Learn to recognise your stain type – greasy, protein or tannin – and act accordingly. For grease, say engine oil, use hot water and washing up liquid, but don't leave it soaking for too long. For protein stains, say cheese or sweat, use cold water and washing up liquid. For tannin stains, say coffee, perfume or spices, avoid soap, but do use hot water.

Beware of combination stains, though – the way you would treat a straight-up coffee stain is complicated if you take yours white with sugar. Dye stains, she writes, such as from cherries or blueberries, "are one area where a commercial stain removal product is worth keeping handy in your store cupboard".

Repurposing your old clothes

These tie-dye joggers are £44 from Urban Outfitters. You can make your own for much less
These tie-dye joggers are £44 from Urban Outfitters – you can make your own for much less.

I have given T-shirts a new lease of life by tie-dying them. "Do a whole batch of things at once rather than one thing at a time, as it's quite wasteful," says Totah, who also suggests natural dye.

There are a range of techniques, such as the Japanese shibori – which is where you stitch, fold, bind or twist fabric for different effects. Alternatively, add texture by binding small objects such as coins and pebbles into your fabric.

Transforming old jeans into shorts is a classic, and easy, way to repurpose them, says Totah. Cut to the length you want them to be, then "sew a line of stitching in the same colour around the hem – you'd still have a raw edge, but it would be a barricade to stop it unravelling too much".

Guthrie says: "Embroidery is also a lovely way to add some personalisation." Adding details to collars or back pockets can make old items sing again.

If all these skills designed to extend the lifespan of your clothes have you feeling creative, maybe it is time to learn to make your own clothes. Start small, with a tote bag or a sunglasses case. Remember: even Versace had to start somewhere.

This article contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if a reader clicks through and makes a purchase. All our journalism is independent and is in no way influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative. By clicking on an affiliate link, you accept that third-party cookies will be set. More information.

Fashion of the Fittest - Yahoo Finance

Posted: 29 Apr 2020 07:30 AM PDT

Click here to read the full article.

Over a month ago, I, like many others around the world, began to shelter in place as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Forced to stay home, I adjusted my life accordingly with Zoom conferences, grocery deliveries or curbside pick-up, doing a few projects and a mix of anxiety for good measure. While all of this has been an adjustment, nothing prepared me for the fitness obsession that would take hold via Instagram and TikTok challenges.

Suddenly, it was no longer about just staying home and surviving this pandemic, it was an all-out battle of who would emerge the best when this was over. This scenario was not only playing out in the confines of my home and mind, but also in the industry I had navigated for the better part of 20 years. Fashion retail is facing its greatest crisis yet and only the fittest will prevail.

More from WWD

Strength, endurance, flexibility and agility all determine a person's fitness level. In fashion retail, fitness is measured by brand strength, financial endurance, creative flexibility and operational agility. As brands are in the midst of change they have to assess their current performance level and implement an organizational workout plan that leaves old fashion systems behind.

Brand strength building

COVID-19 has caused many consumers to rethink how they spend and with who. Brand strength in these times does not come from sending gimmicky e-mails to your entire CRM database. It also does not come from highlighting the current situation. True brand strength at this time is using your existing muscle to be of service and of value to the community. The methodology of "economies of scale" will not be of use during this time. Instead, brands will need to begin looking at how to build "communities of scale."

This global pandemic has impacted weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, proms and graduations. How can you create a dialogue that bridges communities and eases anxieties, and continues to do that in the future?

Financial endurance

In a recent report published by Boston Consulting Group, they determined that only a "fraction of all available capital has been invested in fashion and textile technology, leaving many innovators stuck in a financing gap." Retail fashion has often been criticized for its outdated fashion systems and supply chain management. Most financing capital has been used for store expansions, remodels or subpar clientele management systems.

Investing in sustainable business models is not only about protecting the environment but also about supporting an organization's business continuity plan (BCP), which helps ensure the business can sustain itself and its employees in times of crisis. As younger consumers reemerge they will not expect businesses to go back to the way it was but rather,  that organizations are investing in new futures that benefit the environment and positively impact socioeconomic concerns.

Creative flexibility

If there is one positive to COVID-19, it would be that it has forced us all to be more creative and certainly more flexible in how we approach our daily process. Immersive start-ups of the last few years like BYONDXR Immersive Commerce Platform and Obsess Augmented and Virtual Reality both allow for brands to take CX to the next level. Augmented reality is not the future, but the present reality of how fashion can truly engage with consumers in a new way. Immersive commerce allows consumers to experience a retailer's space from their home or mobile device.

Basic e-commerce will no longer suffice in a post-pandemic world. Augmented technology provides users to see the brand's space in 3-D, but also allows them to experience clothing in 3-D. The possibilities are endless if you have the creative flexibility to leverage the technology.

Operational agility

The importance of agility in fitness can only be compared to the importance of operations in retail. Without the ability to move effectively and quickly, your business will be slow and cumbersome. While there is little most organizations can do about their operations right now, as supply chains have been impacted in every area, and even if associates can process transactions through VPN, there is still the challenge of getting items packed and shipped.

Once we emerge from our isolation and begin to engage in physical retail spaces, what will the experience be like for concerned customers and their health? While customers will visit your store, how much interaction will they want with their associate and the space relative to other shoppers? New payment solutions will be a major concern as this progresses. How can a shopper pay for a product without having to use a payment terminal? Can this be leveraged through the retailer's app, can QR codes be leveraged to allow shoppers to scan an item themselves and then leave? Fashion retailers should begin revisiting conversations with Samsung and Apple to see how to better integrate mobile payment solutions.

A new fitness plan is never easy and often intimidating but once you start, you notice the changes and everyday gets easier and easier.  Some results you see right away and others take time but one thing you know for sure, change occurred and you are better than yesterday. This is no doubt the most challenging time for many industries and many people around the world. The commitment and dedication you put into an action plan now will ensure that your brand emerges as one of the fittest in the pack.

Christopher Lacy is an assistant professor of fashion management at The New School's Parsons School of Design.

Fashion Reseller Poshmark Fast Tracks Video Feature, Targeting Shoppers Stuck At Home - Forbes

Posted: 29 Apr 2020 08:14 AM PDT

Poshmark is joining the social media juggernauts capitalizing on a captive consumer base by adding a video feature to its fashion marketplace that aims to make shopping for used clothing on your phone feel more like, well, shopping.

With stores and restaurants shuttered and millions of people stuck at home, platforms like Zoom, TikTok and Instagram are thriving, and now the San Francisco-based business, which sells used clothing, shoes and accessories, will allow its eight million sellers to post live 15-second videos or upload footage from their phones that links directly to the items they are selling.

Poshmark was founded by Manish Chandra, Tracy Sun, Gautam Golwala and Chetan Pungaliya in 2011 as a way for women to sell clothes they no longer wore. The app lets them "like" and comment on other people's listings, which helped make Poshmark a more personal experience than shopping for secondhand stuff on eBay. It has since expanded into categories like menswear, kids and home décor, taking a 20% cut on sales. In 2019, it said it paid out $2 billion to sellers, double the previous year. It was reportedly valued at $1.25 billion after some existing investors sold shares in a secondary transaction last year, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The company has been building and testing a video option for over a year and planned to roll it out in the second half of 2020 but fast-tracked the launch due to the pandemic so it could offer more of a "real-world experience" to shoppers. The new feature allows sellers to show off the ways they styled an outfit they have for sale or give the backstory on how they acquired a particular item, for instance. The content will automatically disappear after 48 hours.

The feature mimics Instagram, which lets influencers and brands tag clothing, furniture or other items in their posts and link to a website where it is available for purchase. Instagram has been doubling down on its shopping features and last year began allowing customers the ability to checkout from some retailers without leaving the app. Social shopping apps such as LikeToKnow.It also offer people the ability to shop the looks that they see on celebrities and influencers. However, none allow for the purchase of secondhand clothing, a segment that is growing 21 times faster than the overall apparel market.

"Physical retail is challenged in this environment," says Chandra, 52, CEO. "People are looking and turning in so many ways to online."

Chandra is hoping that video will increase engagement and sales among its 60 million registered users, who spend an average of 23 to 27 minutes per day on the Poshmark app. With purchases generally correlating to time spent on a service, Poshmark sees this as a way to forge a better connection between buyers and sellers, and help move the $175 million worth of inventory that gets uploaded to its platform every week (Poshmark doesn't hold any inventory, leaving users to buy and sell directly from each other).

While many retailers are struggling amid prolonged store closures and a looming recession that has cut into discretionary spending, Chandra says that Poshmark's business has been fairly steady. A wave of new sellers have turned to the platform for supplemental income after cleaning out their closets or even as a main source of income. The bigger challenge is demand. Poshmark is reliant on apparel sales, which dropped a whopping 52% on a national level in March, according to the Department of Commerce. Chandra declined to provide specifics, but says demand has picked up after lagging at first.

"We were concerned in the early days of the crisis," says Chandra. "But it seems to have balanced out."
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