Fashion News Alert: Virgil Abloh’s Foot in Mouth, “Next in Fashion” Cancelled, and The CFDA’s Initiative in Support of Black Fashion Talent

June 4, 2020 by Leave a Comment

Image courtesy of fashionista.com

Fashion designer Virgil Abloh may be a star in fashion circles. However, that level of esteem and prestige is not held for Abloh in many communities of color as he put a proverbial foot in his mouth, condemning on Instagram protests and looting due to the murder of George Floyd. Abloh also only contributed $50 in bail money to protesters jailed by the police.

Cardi B’s stylist Kollin Carter clapped back on Instagram at Abloh for failing to support the protesters and take a stand against the racism that contributed to the murder of George Floyd. “Some of you fashion houses and CEO’s are absolutely bogus,” Carter fumed in a graphic on Instagram Monday. “You take from the culture, and us brown Men and Woman for your traffic and profit but have absolutely nothing to say now,” he continued in the caption, as reported in the nypost.com.

Since Monday, Abloh has apologized for his comments. “If looting eases pain and furthers the overall mission, it is within good standing with me,” said Abloh. “I am fortunate enough to be able to rebuild my stores. And I am seeking out anyone who needs help rebuilding.”

Abloh also addressed his measly contribution to protesters’ bail fund. “I also joined a social media chain of friends who were matching $50 dollar donations,” wrote Abloh, as detailed in the nypost.com, clarifying that he’d actually donated $20,500 in total to “bail funds and other causes related to this movement.” However, the pioneering designer claims that he was on the “fence about publicizing total dollar amounts because I didn’t want to look like I’m glorifying only higher amounts.”

Image courtesy of Netflix

No second season for “Next in Fashion”

“Next in Fashion” will not be back for a second season. “Next in Fashion” made its debut in January on Netflix. “Next in Fashion” was hosted by Alexa Chung and British fashion designer Tan France.

“It remains unclear why Netflix has scrapped the series after just one season, although the internet entertainment giant is known to act quickly when shows don’t perform well or become too expensive. And of course, there’s always the chance that the Covid-19 crisis could have had a part to play in its demise, explained Tan France in a Variety interview.

On “Next in Fashion” 18 contestants competed to be named the next great fashion designer, a cash prize of $250,000, and a debut of their collection on Net-a-Porter. Net-a-Porter was one of the sponsors of the show. “Next in Fashion” was created and produced by theoldschool and executive produced by Robin Ashbrook and Yasmin Shackleton with co-executive producer Adam Cooper.

Image courtesy of wwd.com

The CFDA wakes up, finally

The murder of George Floyd and the ensuing protests is producing some interesting results in the fashion industry. The Council of Fashion Designers of America’s (CFDA) chairman Tom Ford and the CFDA’s chief executive officer Steven Kolb have come up with an initiative that will produce systemic change when it comes to the fashion industry’s support of black talent. Both Ford and Kolb met with the CFDA’s board of directors to discuss creating an in-house employment for black talent, as well as implementing an inclusion and diversity program for their members.

Well, its about time; better late than ever. Read the full statement from Ford and Kolb, as detailed in fashionweekdaily.com, below:

The CFDA held a board meeting on Tuesday, June 2nd. Given the deplorable acts of racism and violence that we have seen play out in our country over this past week, our response as an organization was first and foremost on our minds and in our hearts.

Black people in this country are reeling from years of injustice stemming from institutional constructs such as slavery, segregation, mass incarceration, police brutality and economic and voter suppression. The Black community is experiencing anger and frustration on top of the effects of the global pandemic that has hit communities of color the hardest.

Having a clear voice and speaking out against racial injustice, bigotry and hatred is the first step, but this is not enough. This is a deeply disturbing moment that speaks to us all. Our world is in deep pain. Our industry is in pain and it is not enough to simply say that we stand in solidarity with those who are discriminated against. We must do something.

The CFDA outlines the below initiatives that will immediately be undertaken by the organization to create systemic change within our industry:

The CFDA will create an in-house employment program specifically charged with placing Black talent in all sectors of the fashion business to help achieve a racially balanced industry. This program will be tasked with identifying Black creatives and pairing these individuals with companies looking to hire.

The CFDA will also create a mentorship program and an internship program focused on placing Black students and recent graduates within established companies in the fashion sector.

The CFDA will implement and make available to our members a Diversity and Inclusion training program.

We will make immediate contributions and take up fundraising activities in support of charitable organizations aimed at equalizing the playing field for the Black community such as, but not limited to the NAACP and Campaign Zero—amongst others.

We urge each and every member of the CFDA to take stock of their corporate structure to ensure that they have a racially balanced workforce and we challenge the retail sector of the fashion industry to ensure that their roster of brands and their product assortment is representative of the Black talent within the industry.

—William S. Gooch

Fashion News Alert: Naomi Campbell’s New Gig, Paris Couture Fashion Week Goes Digital, and Versace, Michael Kors, and Jimmy Choo Stores to Re-open

May 28, 2020 by Leave a Comment

Image courtesy of dailymail.couk.com

COVID-19 may have slowed down the fashion industry, but it hasn’t slowed down Naomi Campbell. Any why should this pandemic slow down Naomi Campbell? After all, she is the ultimate supermodel.

Campbell has partnered with her friend of 25 years Pat McGrath to be the first-ever global face of PAT MCGRATH LABS. Campbell’s will be the face of the brand’s DIVINE ROSE collection and Campbell’s affiliation with PAT MCGRATH LABS will continue into 2021.

I am thrilled that my sister Naomi Campbell is our first official face at PAT McGRATH LABS,” McGrath says, as reported in dailyfashionrow.com. “Naomi’s beauty is without compare, but what truly makes her special, and the ultimate McGrath Muse, is her legendary loyalty, unparalleled work ethic and sublime soul. It is an understatement to say that I consider myself blessed to call her a friend. To be a part of her luminous legacy as a trailblazer in the worlds of beauty and fashion, is truly an honor.”

Image courtesy of tatlerthailand.com

The couture digital experience

The Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, the French governing body the regulates and controls Paris Fashion Weeks, recently announced that Paris Couture Fashion Week will be a digital experience only. Couture Fashion Week takes place from July 6 through July 8.

“This event will be structured around a dedicated platform. The principle of the official calendar is maintained. Each house will be represented in the form of a creative film/video. Additional content will be included in an editorialized section of the platform. All of this will be widely shared on the main international media networks,” explained the federation.

Most couture houses that present collections in Paris has agreed to work with the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode on this digital initiative. This initiative will operate under the title Paris Fashion Week Digital.

Image courtesy of fashionwindows.com

July is re-open month

As some stores and boutiques opened in Paris earlier in the week, some top luxury stores are primed to open in the US by early July. Capri Holding Ltd., the luxury group that controls Michael Kors, Versace, and Jimmy Choo recently announced that there a rollout of boutique openings in the US in early July. All three store brands have been closed since mid-March.

In a press release Capri detailed that they “[anticipate] having the majority [of stores opened] by early July 2020.  While we are still early in the re-opening process, we are encouraged by the initial response.”

Almost 60%of Michael Kors, Versace, and Jimmy Choo stores have opened in the Middle East, Asia, and Europe since their closure in Mid-March with stores in Greater China closing in mid-January. Capri is set open the rest of the stores by early July 2020. “Sales at reopened stores are approximately 50% of prior year volumes since reopening as compared to the same period last year,” said Capri, as reported in a fashionnetwork.com article.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted our lives and our business in ways we could not have anticipated.  We have a portfolio of three iconic, founder-led fashion luxury houses that continue to inspire passion and enthusiasm with their customers.  As the world emerges from the global shutdown, we believe our consumers will once again express themselves through fashion and luxury.  We remain confident and optimistic about the long-term opportunities for each of our unique luxury houses,” explained Capri Holdings Ltd. Chairman and CEO John Idol.
 
 With the re-opening of stores there will be a concentrated effort on health and safety protocols. These new safety protocols will include appropriate personal protective equipment, screenings and temperature checks.

—William S. Gooch

Fashion News Alert: Gucci Abandons the Fall Runway Season, Gareth Pugh to Return to Runway, the CFDA and the British Fashion Council Issue Joint Statement

May 21, 2020 by Leave a Comment

Gucci Pre-Fall image courtesy of fashionela.com

Alessandro Michele, creative director of Gucci, announced on Instagram that Gucci will not show for the upcoming runway season. Additionally, Alessandro Michele announced that the Gucci brand will produce only two shows a year in the near future.

“I will abandon the worn-out ritual of seasonalities and shows to regain a new cadence, closer to my expressive call. We will meet just twice a year, to share the chapters of a new story. Irregular, joyful and absolutely free chapters, which will be written blending rules and genres, feeding on new spaces, linguistic codes and communication platforms,” Michele wrote, as reported in fashionnetwork.com.

Though this announcement may seem dramatic, in real time Gucci had already cut back on the number of runways shows produced by the esteemed Italian house. Gucci only held three runway shows in 2019.

With this announcement, Gucci joins a growing list of designers that are abandoning upcoming runway seasons. Armani is skipping the upcoming couture season in late June, as well as July shows in Milan. In April, Saint Laurent confirmed that it will not present during Paris Fashion Week in September.

Image courtesy of cfda.org

The fashion statement of the month

On Wednesday, The CFDA and the British Fashion Council (BFC) released a joint statement about the future of the fashion industry. This statement was based on feedback from CFDA and BFC members and stakeholders’ concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on the fashion industry.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is hitting the fashion industry from every angle and severely impacting all the global fashion capitals, and there is no immediate end in sight, there is an opportunity to rethink and reset the way in which we all work and show our collections,” details a message from the CFDA and the BFC.

Some of the suggestions in the joint statement include fashion brands return to presenting collections in their respective showrooms, fashion collections launching closer to the intended seasons, and delivery of product closer to the cadence of the retail season. The CFDA and the BFC are suggesting that fashion designers only produce two collections a year. This reduction will cut down on the global carbon footprint and fashion journalists’ constant travel.

The directives in this press release also acknowledge sustainability. “Sustainability is an important conversation in every industry. Through the creation of less product, with higher levels of creativity and quality, products will be valued, and their shelf life will increase. The focus on creativity and quality of products, reduction in travel, and focus on sustainability (something we encourage of the entire industry) will increase the consumer’s respect and ultimately their greater enjoyment in the products that we create.”

Image courtesy of theskinnybeep.com

The Brit is on his way back

Gareth Pugh is on his way back. After purchasing 49% of his company’s trademark back from Rick Owens, Pugh is primed to return to the runway in September of this year. Rick Owens’ production partners Olmar and Mirta SpA purchased a majority of Pugh’s trademark in 2006.

“I’m really excited to start a new chapter,” Pugh told WWD, as reported in a recent fashionnetwork.com article. “We’re in a moment where we’re all being invited to invent the future, so for me it’s important to be part of that cultural conversation now more than ever.”

“Every designer should own his own name and I’m glad we were able to be any kind of help when he needed us,” Owens told the publication. “Gareth and [his husband Carson McColl] are family, and I love that we were all married for a minute. But we always will be.”

Pugh has experienced success outside of the fashion industry. Pugh has collaborated with the New York City Ballet, London’s Royal Opera House, Christina Aguilera, and Cardi B.

William S. Gooch

Fashion News Alert: Mary-Kate Olsen Files for Emergency Divorce, Condé Nast Layoffs, and JC Penny Files for Bankruptcy Protection

May 14, 2020 by Leave a Comment

Image courtesy of popsugar.com

Currently, life is not so great for Mary-Kate Olsen. There is trouble at home.

Page Six reports that Mary-Kate Olsen has filed for an emergency divorce from husband of five years, Oliver Sarkozy. According to court papers filed in New York’s Supreme Court, “it was clear my marriage was over… the relationship has broken down irretrievably.” Though her emergency divorce request has been claimed, New York City courts are closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mary-Kate Olsen claims that she filed for an emergency divorce because Oliver Sarkozy wants her out of their home by Monday, May 18. Olsen contends that Sarkozy cancelled the lease of their residence without her consent. “I am petrified that my husband is trying to deprive me of the home we have lived in and if he is successful, I will not only lose my home, but I risk losing my personal property as well.”

The Post got hold of an email to Olsen’s attorneys from Sarkozy’s attorney Adam Turbowitz. “Olivier advises he went to the NYC apartment yesterday and noticed that a number of items of personal property were removed from the apartment. While Olivier has no issue with Mary Kate taking what she wants/needs, he would like a list of what has been removed so that he can keep track of who has what for the overall personal property division.”

Mary-Kate Olsen and Oliver Sarkozy married in 2015. The cuts were announced via a memo from the publisher.

Image courtesy of wwd.com

Condé Nast cuts staffers

Condé Nast is laying off over 100 of its US employees. Additionally, staff will also experience a reduction in hours.

“These decisions are never easy, and not something I ever take lightly,” Roger Lynch, the company’s chief executive, said in the memo, as reported in a recent article on fashionnetwork.com. “I want to be transparent about the principles and approach we used.”  

Condé Nast announced in April that it would be cutting between 10% and 20% of the salaries of staff that makes over $100,000. Those affected salary cuts include Anna Wintour and Roger Lynch. These salary cuts are due to a lose in revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Image courtesy of pymnts.com

More trouble for JC Penny

This week, JC Penny Co. filed for bankruptcy protection. The Chapter 11 protection was filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas.

The COVID-19 pandemic has mounted additional financial stresses on the megastore chain. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, JC Penny’s was already experiencing a lot of financial difficulties. The megastore was struggling with $4 billion dollars of debt. The Chapter 11 protection helps the megastore negotiate an agreement with creditors for about $900 million (743.6 million pounds) of fresh financing to aid operations, while it navigates bankruptcy proceedings.

At one time, the 118-year old store operated 1,800 stores and employed over 200,000 employees. Currently, JC Penny Co. operates 850 stores.

—William S. Gooch

Fashion News Alert: Giorgio Armani Opts for Milan Over Paris, Jessica Simpson Brings Up an Old Beef, John Varvatos Files for Bankruptcy

May 8, 2020 by Leave a Comment

Image courtesy of RTVE.es

Giorgio Armani recently announced that he will present his Emporio Armani’s men’s show, and women’s shows, as well as that of its next Armani Privé collection in Milan in September. The iconic designer has also decided to show his couture show in Milan rather in Paris where the brand usually presents his collections. The company still has not decided what format will used when presenting the collections.

The Armani Privé Haute Couture show will be presented in Milan in January 2021. Again, opting for Milan over Paris. The show will be a timeless collection that will contain winter and spring garments.

Image courtesy of wsj.com

Another one bites the dust

COVID-19 is having a deleterious effect of many fashion brands and the retail market. It looks as though John Varvatos is one of those brands experiencing financial difficulties. Like most fashion brands, Varvatos suffered at major hit when he closed his stores and laid off hundreds of employees on March 18 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

One Wednesday, the John Varvatos Group filed for bankruptcy in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. And the company, as a part of the bankruptcy filing plans to sell to an affiliate of Lion Capital LLC, the majority owner of John Varvatos. Currently, the John Varvatos Group has listed over $140 million in debt.

The John Varvatos Group has been struggling financially for years. Though the company has had significant collaborations with the Stoli Group and Converse, as well as “cost-cutting measures that involved altering the brand’s clothing to attract customers in the mass market, which didn’t resonate with the brand’s existing customers,” said Joe Zorda, the company’s chief financial officer, in court filings, as reported in fashionnetwork,com, these efforts had not turned the company’s financial situation around. 

John Varvatos launched his eponymous brand in 2000. John Varvatos’ brand reflects his love of rock n’ roll music.

Image courtesy of thecut.com

Jessica claps back

Is Jessica Simpson still holding a grudge against Vogue magazine’s former digital creative director Sally Singer? Hmm, Maybe!!

Looking back at previous Met Galas, Sally Singer penned a retrospective article on vogue.com’s “Only at the Met: An Oral History of the World’s Most Glamorous Ball.” Singer wrote, “ [Simpson’s] breast maybe fell out of her dress on the red carpet…and then at dinner it was suddenly like, whoa, Jessica Simpson’s breasts are across from me at the dinner table and they are on a platter and I’m looking at them.”

Simpson clapped back at Singer on an Instagram post referencing a famous 1957 picture of Sophia Loren throwing shade at Jayne Mansfield. “Feeling a little like Jayne Mansfield after reading this (inaccurate!) oral history of the #MetBall where I am body-shamed by [Singer].” She continued: “I have persevered through shaming my own body and internalizing the world’s opinions about it for my entire adult life. To read this much-anticipated article about the classiest fashion event there is and have to be shamed by another woman for having boobs in 2020 is nauseating.”

Vogue issued a formal apology to Jessica Simpson on the “Today Show.” “We are sorry that Jessica felt body-shamed by the anecdote in our Met piece,” the statement said. “That was never our intent, but we understand her reaction and we apologize for including it.”

—William S. Gooch

 

Fashion News Alert: Andre Leon Talley Spills the T, Vogue’s June/July Cover, and Billionaire Kanye

April 23, 2020 by Leave a Comment

Image courtesy of pagesix.com

Just when you think Andre Leon Talley’s best days were behind him or he is fading into the fashion backdrop, he resurfaces. And this Andre Leon Talley re-emergence is the biggest ‘Venus rising from the sea’ event of all.

In September 2020, Random House plans to release Andre Leon Talley’s tome “The Chiffon Trenches: A Memoir.” According to the Daily Mail, Andre Leon Talley gives critical insight into his relationship with Anna Wintour. And the behind-the-scenes to their sometimes tumultuous personal and work relationship was not always pretty.

“I do not consider this to be a vengeful, bitchy tell-all. When the galleys were finalized and printed, the first person I gave the galley to was Anna Wintour. I sent her an e-mail saying, ‘if there is anything that you see in the galley that you would like to be removed, please tell me and I will be happy to do so,’” detailed Talley in a recent WWD post.

According to Talley, Wintour did request that the passages about Wintour’s daughter Bee Schaffer’s wedding and few other passages be deleted. Talley confided that the book was not written to hurt Anna Wintour, but he got the courage to write book because of the success of his 2017 documentary “The Gospel According to Andre.”

Talley was Creative Director and Editor-at-Large—not simultaneously—at American Vogue for over two decades and is still listed as a contributing editor However, Talley says that his relationship with Wintour and Condé Nast has all but dissolved to nothing. “[The atmosphere at and Condé Nast] is very hypocritical. It has the veneer of being very polite, courteous, well-groomed and polished. When you are in the halls of Vogue, there is a certain standard of politeness, education, kindness, just human correctness. But that doesn’t go to the core of people. People are treated and mishandled terribly at Condé Nast and it starts at the top,” explains Talley.

“Through a career in fashion journalism, I hope that [The Chiffon Trenches: A Memoir] will impart to future generations that you can survive as long as you are strong and that you believe in yourself. It is my goal that when I am gone of this earth, people will go to the library, pick up the book and be inspired by it.”

Image courtesy of usweekly.com

Kanye West is in the money

According to Forbes magazine, Kanye West is now a billionaire. Kanye West’s estimated wealth is $1.3 billion.

West’s ascendancy into the billionaire class is due primarily to his Yeezy footwear affiliation and development with Adidas. Kanye, who was once had development contracts with Nike, began collaborating with Adidas in 2015. The average Yeezy footwear sells for $200.

Kanye West’s fortune also comes from his music and real estate that he owns. Kanye West is the second rapper to be listed on Forbes billionaire list. West was preceded by Jay Z.

Image courtesy of fashionista.com

Vogue’s COVID-19 cover

It appears that American Vogue has jumped on the COVID-19 train, literally. Vogue’s June/July issue on cover states, “Our Common Thread. A Special Issue. Creativity in a Time of Crisis.”

This June/July issue has an unpublished Irving Penn photograph of a rose against a white backdrop. This marks in the first time in fifty years that Vogue has had still life on its cover.

“I’m of the great belief that we can find our way forward by also considering the past, and Mr. Penn’s legendary work is a beautiful and powerful conduit between the two; his decades of pictures for Vogue were always adept at conveying both deep emotion and journalistic acuity,” Anna Wintour wrote in an editor’s letter, as detailed in dailyfrontrow.com. “I was always proud of every image of his that we published, and this one is no different. I’m also pretty sure that he would have loved it.”

—William S. Gooch

Fashion News Alert: Kim K Launches Bangladesh Factories Continue to Battle Price Cuts, and Anne Klein to Provide COVID-19 Relief

April 16, 2020 by 1 Comment

Image courtesy of dailymail.couk

On this coming Tuesday, Kim Kardashian’s Skims Stretch Rib collection will launch and be available for purchase for consumers. And the timing is perfect!!

As more and more folks are sequestered at home or working from home, Kim K’s Skims Stretch Rib garments are perfect to wear around the house. The matching sets which are basically wear-around-the-house, comfortable sports bras and shorty biker shorts comes in three colors, soot, bone, and slate green.

You can mix and match the shorty biker shorts with sports bras that come in crewneck bra or halter neckline styles. And this collection comes in a wide range of sizes from XXS to 5X. Prices cap at $42.

Image courtesy of Atelier PR

Anne Klein gives back

Anne Klein’s granddaughter Jesse Gre Rubinstein is partnering with WHP Global, owner of the women’s wear iconic line, Anne Klein, to provide relief during the COVID-19 pandemic by purchasing 100,000 safety face masks. These safety face masks will be distributed to essential workers and community organizations.

“Uniting the brand Anne Klein with the founder’s family at this critical time and making a commitment to distribute 100,000 masks to those on the frontlines helping our communities, is a win/win. This is just the beginning of our planned collaboration with Anne’s granddaughter, Jesse. We’re thrilled to partner with her,” said WHP Chairman and CEO Yehuda Shmidman in a company press release.  

“I am honored to have the opportunity to play a role in supporting my grandmother’s legacy by highlighting inspiring individuals who even during this time of great uncertainty, embody the vision and strength to empower their community and uplift those around them,” added Jesse Gre Rubinstein, founder and CEO of social media agency, Hello There Collective. “My hope is that this initiative serves as the launch of a powerful network that can both support and inspire others to help not only in the present, but as we begin to rebuild.”

Image courtesy of theglobalpost.com

More financial woes for Bangladeshi garment workers 

Bangladeshi garment factories have achieved one coronavirus victory. Western garment companies have agreed not to cancel orders. And though this victory is significant, the victory has been set back by Western garment companies demanding a price cut of 50%.

“We are still observing their departure from original contract terms … which includes renegotiating prices as low as 50% of the original deal,” said Rubana Huq, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, in a recent fashionnetwork.com article. Kalpona Akter, a labor activist, warned that workers would bear the brunt of reduced or renegotiated orders. “We will be able to see the impact by next month, when workers will have to be paid their Eid bonuses and salaries,” Akter explained.

Bangladesh ranks behind China in garment manufacturing with its 4,000 factories employing mostly women, accounting for 80% of the country’s exports. The Bangladeshi government has come up with a $588 million package to help the crucial export sector pay its workers in March.

Though this package will help, labor activists say it is not enough to help garment workers. Hundreds of garment workers took to the streets to protest the cuts by Western garment brands and nonpayment of wages.

William S. Gooch

Fashion News Alert: Naomi Campbell’s Talk Show, Bye Bye Claire Waight Keller, and Louis Vuitton Makes Free Masks

April 10, 2020 by Leave a Comment

Image courtesy of stylerave.com

Supermodel Naomi Campbell doesn’t let any grass grow under her feet. In spite of the COVID-19 pandemic, Campbell finds ways to expand her empire and audience appeal.

Campbell has launched her own live talk show, “No Filter with Naomi,” from her New York City apartment. “No Filter with Naomi” appears to be a daily live talk show on Youtube with Campbell gabbing with fashion and entertainment friends that we all know and love.

Campbell’s first guest was iconic supermodel Cindy Crawford, followed on the next day by Marc Jacobs. On “No Filter with Naomi,” Campbell talks about everything from food to fashion to how to protect yourself during the coronavirus pandemic.

“No Filter with Naomi” launched on April 6 and streams daily on YouTube at 3pm.

Image courtesy of financialtimes.com

Claire Waight Keller moves on

British-born creative director Claire Waight Keller is leaving Givenchy. The 49-year old Keller came to Givenchy in 2017, replacing Riccardo Tisci, after working at Chloe.

“After three years, the womenswear show held on March 1, 2020 will be Clare Waight Keller’s last collection for Givenchy,” the 68-year-old Paris-based house announced on Friday morning in a press release. “The House’s new creative organization will be communicated at a later date,” LVMH stressed in its release. LVMH acquired Givenchy in 1988.

Though Keller successfully brought renewed attention to Givenchy—particularly, with Keller designing Meghan Markle’s wedding gown in her marriage to Prince Harry—the iconic fashion house sales in recent seasons has been lukewarm. Still, her collections for Givenchy received very positive press.

“As the first woman to be the artistic director of this legendary maison, I feel honored to have been given the opportunity to cherish its legacy and bring it new life,” said Waight Keller. “Focusing on a world based on Haute Couture has been one of the highlights of my professional journey. I have shared so many incredible moments with the brilliant Givenchy ateliers and design teams: your exceptional talent and dedication will forever remain in my memories. My heartfelt thanks go out to each of the unsung heroes and heroines behind the scenes, for their contribution from product to communications and retail, and every global team member, partner and supplier in between. Without all of you, I could not have brought my vision for Givenchy to life in such a beautiful way,” added 49-year-old Waight Keller, as reported in a recent fashionnetwork.com article.

Image courtesy of wwd.com

Louis Vuitton’s safety masks

On Wednesday, Louis Vuitton announced that five of its French workshops will start making masks for frontline health workers. In this respect, Louis Vuitton is following the House of Dior, who has been making masks for healthcare workers and hospitals since the end of March.

“In an exceptional show of solidarity, our wonderful petites mains (or “little hands”, as those who make luxury clothes are called) are working tirelessly” to protect health workers, the label said, as reported in fashionnetwork.com. Givenchy CEO Michael Burke explained that thousands of masks would be made in workshops that usually make luxury clothes and accessories.

—William S. Gooch

Weekend Fashion News Alert: Ralph Lauren and Abercrombie & Fitch Furlough Workers, The Modist Shuts Down Site, and Bangladeshi Garment Workers Are Ordered to Stay Home

April 4, 2020 by Leave a Comment

Ralph Lauren Purple Label Men’s Spring 2020

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. and Ralph Lauren will temporarily furlough retail workers and cut corporate salaries because of challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. This announcement is in line with other retail giants who have put most of their retail workers on furlough.

Ralph Lauren closed its North America stores in mid-March while it kept most of its employees on full salary. This compensation also applied to some of the company’s stores in Europe.

That is all about to change. On April 11, Ralph Lauren will put its retail employees and some of its corporate workers on temporary unpaid furlough. Furloughed employees will continue to receive regular benefits and have access to the company’s Employee Relief Fund.

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. has also closed stores in North America and had kept its employees on full salary since mid-March. As of April 12, retail employees will be temporarily furloughed without pay and some corporate associates will receive a 15% decrease in salary.

Image courtesy of wwd.com

Another one bites the dust

The coronavirus pandemic has caused e-retailer The Modist to shut their site down permanently. “The global pandemic crisis that hit the world shifted our position entirely and rendered our young business very vulnerable, which left us with no choice but to close down,” explained The Modist founder and chief executive officer Ghizlan Guenez on Instagram.

Launched in 2017, The Modist was one of the most promising e-commerce luxury sites in some years with investment from Nicola Bulgari, Farfetch, the Chalhoub Group, and Valtier 7. In just a small amount of time The Modest stockiest lists included Jil Sander, Burberry, and Marni.

Still, The Modist was a small e-commerce luxury site compared to Modi Operandi and Net-a-Porter. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a deleterious effect on the fashion industry, and that includes brick-and-mortar stores as well as online stores and e-commerce. Unfortunately, The Modist has fallen by the wayside.

Image courtesy of npr.com

Bangladesh layoffs increases poverty

Thousands of Bangladeshi garment workers have been laid off as orders from Western fashion brands have dwindled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Garment workers had already experienced a 10-day break enforced by the government. When the workers returned to their factory jobs, they were expecting to be back to business as usual.

That was not the case. Most garment workers were notified that they were laid off. “When they reached the factories this morning, most of the workers were told that they were laid off or that the factory would resume after the shutdown,” said Khadiza Akter, vice president of the union Sommilito Garments Sramik Federation. “They didn’t have to come back. They could have been told on the phone about the factory closures,” she said.

Bangladesh’s version of unemployment insurance pales in comparison to unemployment in Western countries. Though Bangladesh’s labor law guarantees to pay workers a portion of their wages until factories reopen, with wages being extremely to begin with, this protracted layoff will push impoverished workers deep into poverty.

Because of the impoverished state of garment workers, workers are call on the government and factory owners to help the factory workers until the pandemic passes. “Everything is more expensive because of the coronavirus as it is, and now if my salary decreases, I don’t know how I will survive,” said Babul Rahman, a garment worker.

Bangladeshi’s Ministry of Labour and Employment has asked factory owners not to lay workers off but pay them a full salary through April 12. “We know that there have been some issues, but we are hopeful that the owners will accept our request,” said a ministry spokesman Shib Nath Roy in a recent fashionnetwork.com article.

—William S. Gooch

Breaking Fashion News: Couture Fashion Weeks and Men’s Fashion Weeks Cancelled

March 28, 2020 by Leave a Comment

Image courtesy of popsugar.com

For those hoping for a return to normalcy in the fashion industry in a couple of months, your hopes may be dashed by the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, the governing body of French fashion. This austere governing body announced on Friday that the upcoming Men’s and Couture fashion weeks have been cancelled.

The prospective French fashion weeks were to take place on June 23 to 28 (Men’s) and July 5 to July 9 (Couture). The Camera Nazionale della Moda, which oversees Italian fashion, has also just postponed its slate of men’s shows which will now take place among the women’s shows in September. Additionally, the CFDA is advising US designers to hold their Resort 2021 shows later in 2020. The CFDA has postponed Men’s Fashion Week which usually takes place in June.

“In light of the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic worldwide, strong decisions are required to ensure the safety and health of houses, their employees, and everyone working in our industry. The Fédération is actively working with its members on possible alternatives,” explained the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, as reported in vogue.com.

The Camera Nazionale della Moda detailed in a press release, “We are working on new digital formats and new ways of encounter, in order to create a new storytelling on the days originally scheduled for the Milan Men’s Fashion Week: B2B and B2C platforms for the benefit of brands, luxury companies, and all the other players in the fashion industry.”

—William S. Gooch

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