How Tommy Hilfiger thrived on hip hop (without being accused of cultural appropriation) (BoF)
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How China tariffs could make your sweaters and pants cost more [BoF]
CULTURE
Catwalk cover-up: how the west is falling for modest fashion [The Guardian]
Miley Cyrus takes a stand for reproductive rights with Marc Jacobs [Vogue]
‘The models have bellies, hips and thighs that jiggle’: the rise of body-positive swimwear [The Guardian]
The Nike London flagship now has plus-sized mannequins [Teen Vogue]
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How are you thinking about innovation? We’re all about finding you the perfect partners to do so. Current Global is a consultancy transforming how fashion, beauty and consumer retail brands intersect with technology. We deliver innovative integrations and experiences, powered by a network of top technologies and startups. Get in touch to learn more.
Target is the latest retailer to take on Victoria’s Secret [Quartz]
BUSINESS
Swarovski, CFDA part ways for Fashion Awards [WWD]
LVMH plans London hotel and new flagship in experiential push [BoF]
Anya Hindmarch to split with partner Mayhoola for investments [WWD]
Burberry launches staff training plan after ‘noose’ hoodie row [The Guardian]
L Brands to shutter 53 Victoria’s Secret stores [Retail Dive]
Puma signs mega global deal with Manchester City owner, its biggest deal ever [Fashion Network]
Macy’s new restructuring to cut 100 senior positions, save $100 million annually [Fashion Network]
CULTURE
Sesame Street’s turning 50, and InStyle dressed our favorite characters for the party [InStyle]
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How are you thinking about innovation? We’re all about finding you the perfect partners to do so. The Current Global is a consultancy transforming how fashion, beauty and consumer retail brands intersect with technology. We deliver innovative integrations and experiences, powered by a network of top technologies and startups. Get in touch to learn more.
The beginner’s guide to how blockchain could change the ethical fashion game [Fashionista]
Why brands are under increasing pressure to be transparent about what they believe in [AdWeek]
Stella McCartney: ‘Only 1% of clothing is recycled. What are we doing?’ [TheGuardian]
RETAIL & E-COMMERCE
Brandless, the ‘Procter & Gamble for millennials’ startup that sells everything for $3, is launching a pop-up, but you can’t buy anything [Business Insider]
Glossier opening permanent retail space in LA [WWD]
MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA
Two computer-generated influencers are at war right now, and nothing is real anymore [W Magazine]
With privacy updates, Instagram upsets influencer economy [BoF]
How Vans is shaking up its experiential marketing to get more personal [BrandChannel]
Snapchat has launched in-app AR shopping, with Adidas and Coty among the first sellers [TheDrum]
BUSINESS
Adidas partners with Lean In to promote equal pay for women [WWD]
Gap CEO Art Peck: Big data gives us major advantages over competitors [CNBC]
Robots like Pepper, on show at CES 2017, are becoming increasingly relevant to retail
Last week’s CES trends might have been pretty heavy on the automotive and voice control technology front, but there were lots of bits hidden in there more directly relevant for the fashion and retail markets too. If you, like me, decided to give the Las Vegas Convention Center and its endless trade show booths a miss this year, here’s a round-up of everything you missed, as written by other people all over the web…
Here come smart stores with robots, interactive shelves [Associated Press]
Google moves into augmented reality shopping with BMW and Gap [Bloomberg]
Why Under Armour’s CEO is competing with Apple [WWD]
Under Armour launches Athlete Recovery sleepwear [Fibre2Fashion]
L’Oréal launches smart hairbrush at CES: a bargain at $189? [AdAge]
Happy New Year and welcome to 2017… may it be a fortuitous one for all of us; the industry at large included. On that note, here’s a wrap up of everything you might have missed over the holidays and this past week, from new tech at CES to lots of thoughts on what to expect in the market throughout this year.
Also worth checking out is an interview on sustainability with Kering’s François-Henri Pinault, a deep-dive on all things WeChat (seriously a must-read), and an exploration of the worker robots hitting Japan. If you haven’t seen it, don’t forget to also check out our list of the 8 tech trends that will shape fashion and luxury retail in 2017.
TOP STORIES
Google moves into augmented reality shopping with BMW and Gap [Bloomberg]
L’Oréal launches smart hairbrush at CES: a bargain at $189? [AdAge]
This week’s news is of course dominated by the Black Friday weekend results. Online sales reached new highs in the US on Black Friday itself, up 21.6% year-on-year to $3.34bn. Unsurprisingly, mobile was a significant part of that growth, generating 36% of total digital sales, in a 33% rise from 2015, and 55% of all mobile shopping visits, according to Adobe. It was a similar story for Cyber Monday, with mobile generating 53% of online visits and 35% of sales.
In the UK, meanwhile, over 57% of traffic came from mobile devices on Black Friday rising to 75% at certain times of day. Overall online sales were only up 6.7% year-on-year however, yet footfall in stores was also up 2.8%, despite an expected 5% drop. “This demonstrates the fact that customers want a balance. Between online and physical shopping experiences, the high street isn’t as obsolete as some might think,” said Rupal Karia, managing director for retail and hospitality, UK and Ireland, at Fujitsu.
We’ve otherwise rounded up some of the best stories to read summarising everything that happened below. Also worth checking out from this week past is a deep-dive on Zara’s recipe for success, further updates on everything Instagram versus Snapchat, and an ultimate guide to chatbots.
BLACK FRIDAY / CYBER MONDAY UPDATE
Cyber Monday sales surge to record $3.45bn in the US [Retail Dive]
The US winners and losers of Black Friday 2016 [Retail Dive]
Black Friday online sales growth falls short in the UK but shop visits rise [Sky]
About 10 million more Americans shopped online than in stores over Black Friday weekend [Fortune]
How did Manhattan’s luxury stores fare on Black Friday? [Bloomberg]
Patagonia donated 100% of Black Friday sales to eco-causes [Ecouterre]
We might look back on 2016 as the year Black Friday hit an inflection point [LeanLuxe]
OTHER TOP STORIES
Zara’s recipe for success: more data, fewer bosses [Yahoo!]
Gap’s CEO missed the brand’s biggest problem when he called creative directors “false messiahs” [Quartz]
Email outpacing social media in e-commerce, stoking innovation [WWD]
BUSINESS
Yoox Net-A-Porter Group to launch in the Middle East [Fashionista]
Matchesfashion.com launches 90-minute delivery service in London [WWD]
Is e-commerce really better for the environment than traditional retail? [BoF]
SOCIAL MEDIA
Is Snapchat the next Facebook, or the next Twitter? [WWD]
Instagram is now letting users stream Live videos that disappear as soon as they end [Wired]
How this quirky clothing brand uses Snapchat to sell more shorts [Venture Beat]
Spyder using NFC to connect with customers through social media [WWD]
RETAIL
Missguided unveils first standalone store in Westfield Stratford [The Industry]
TECHNOLOGY
The ultimate guide to Chatbots: Why they’re disrupting UX and best practices for building [Medium]
Uniqlo is experimenting with MindMeld’s ‘smarter bots’ on Facebook [Engadget]
These new adidas shoes are made from lab-grown spider silk [Motherboard]
Scientists have created a solar-powered fabric that would let you charge your phone with your jacket [Quartz]
Soon you can scan a garment’s label to find out how sustainable it is [NY Observer]
START-UPS
How Stitch Fix blends AI and human expertise [HBR]
The holiday season has become a big opportunity for retailers and brands to create a deeper emotional connection with their customers at a pivotal time of year for spend. 2016 continues much in the same way, powered by big launches including a message of female empowerment from M&S with Mrs Claus, another iconic nod from John Lewis with Buster the Boxer, and a big cinematic piece from Burberry.
Whether the intention is to encourage happy tears or just have your audience laugh, brands are stepping up to the challenge of showing a strong sense of self, and conveying a powerful message in the process, all in a bid, of course, to drive some of that all-important Q4 revenue in their direction.
Read on for our pick of the best campaigns across the fashion and retail space in Europe and US this year (beyond those already mentioned), as well as a bevvy of further ones to know about below…
Mulberry: It’s What’s Inside That Counts
Mulberry tugs at the heartstrings for the holiday season with an endearing story of love and acceptance played by child actors pretending to be grown-ups. The two-part film, which was shot in the British countryside in Surrey, tells the story of a traditional Christmas where three siblings return to their childhood home to spend the holidays with their difficult mother. As the story unravels, secrets and problems come to light. At the end of Part I, in an act of generosity, one sibling gifts her sister her much loved new Bayswater bag, in a realisation that “it’s what’s inside that counts”.
Directed by Albert Moya and written by Hugo Guinness (The Grand Budapest Hotel), it explores a deeper meaning of accepting each other for who they are. As Johnny Coca, the label’s creative director, explains: “When I was a kid, all that I wanted to do was to be grown up so I could be like my dad. Now that I am an adult, I just want to be a kid again! Christmas brings out the kid in all of us, and this is what I love about using children to tell our story this year.” The second and final version, which shows the family coming to terms with each others’ faults and weaknesses, premieres later this month.
Macy’s: The #SantaProject
The tagline for Macy’s holiday campaigns has long been about the idea of “Believe”. For 2016, they’ve turned that into an exploration of whether children today do indeed believe in Santa Claus. Cue a series of seriously cute clips featuring young kids sharing their thoughts on the miracle of Christmas, before a reminder message of the sort of realities they’re faced with when turning to the internet to search out the truth instead. It’s a positive note revolving really around kindness with what we post online, which let’s face it, can be applied to all parts of life, especially after this rocky year.
Rebecca Minkoff: Holiday My Way With @arielle
Rebecca Minkoff teams up with Vine star Arielle Vandenberg to tell the story of an independent woman trying to navigate the holidays by herself as she decides to stay in the city for the first time, and not go home to see her family. Each video, or chapter, focuses on a different achievement as the main character stumbles into adulthood, from decorating the apartment, to hosting a Friendsgiving, alluding to Thanksgiving as well.
Rebecca Minkoff, the designer herself, makes a cameo as a friend disappointed with the (clumsily wrapped) gift she receives from the main character. On other platforms, the #holidaymyway hashtag is being used to promote a Christmas gift guide and additional marketing content.
Harrods: A Very British Bear Tale
Seemingly inspired by Disney’s Frozen, Harrods tells an animated tale of a young teddy bear serving as the only (snuggly) survivor when an ice storm takes over the palace thanks to a mischievous elf. Hugh, as he’s called, comes to the rescue by climbing to the rooftop in order to signal help from Father Christmas in the North Pole. As the narrated story continues, the spell is broken and Hugh ends up crowned a prince thanks to his courage.
In addition from Harrods this season, is A Very British Fairy Tale in partnership with Burberry; a stop motion short made from paper cutouts.
Coach: A Holiday Film Starring #RexyTheCoachDino
Coach continues its good-humoured approach to luxury with a holiday film starring its now beloved mascot, Rexy the Coach Dino. The film shows what happens at the label’s New York City workshop after hours, when one rogue Rexy leather dinosaur comes to life. Aiming to wreak havoc, the dinosaur runs free pushing over boxes, breaking baubles and generally creating a mess, all while dancing – by herself – to the soundtrack of Billy Idol’s “Dancing with Myself”, as sung by The Donnas. As the sun rises, Rexy spots an open window and sets herself free, roaming the streets of the city independently.
Kate Spade: Make Magic Happen
Kate Spade’s short but sweet spot, starring model Jourdan Dunn and stylist Catherine Baba, features a small cameo by the iconic Miss Piggy. Shouting over the spot in a possessive manner, “Mine! Mine! Mine!”, the fabulous Muppets’ character attempts to keep all handbags to herself. The campaign also promotes the designer’s latest collaboration, with Miss Piggy herself. The holiday line includes wallets, phone cases, and accessories with the character’s “Who, moi?” catchphrase.
Speaking to WWD, Miss Piggy talked of her excitement to join the great group of women associated with the brand: “Moi was already a big fan of Kate Spade New York’s Miss Adventure’s series. I mean you see all these fabulous and incredibly strong and wonderful women like Anna Kendrick and Zosia Mamet having fun. So, I thought: I’m fabulous, incredibly strong and wonderful, I need to be part of this. When I discovered they wanted to create product inspired by moi: Well, it was a done deal.”
Target: The Toycracker
Target is betting big on its holiday campaign with an eight-minute musical titled The Toycracker, a cheeky take on the Nutcracker classic that reimagines the Tchaikovsky soundtrack as a modern hip hop track. Developed by ad agency 72AndSunny, the spot stars singer John Legend as the Rat King, his wife, model Chrissy Teigen, as the Nutcracker and Isabella Russo (The School of Rock) as Clara. This year’s popular toys, such as Trolls and Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtles, have replaced classic characters such as the Sugar Plum Fairy and toy soldiers, while the play’s famous sword fight scene will be told as a rap battle.
The full musical will air in two four-minute spots during ABC’s network premiere of the film Frozen on December 11 in the US. Meanwhile, the brand has launched behind-the-scenes footage of the night of the musical in the shape of a trailer, starring the Bullseye dog and a young girl, Marisol, as well as toys that have come to life to work on the production. The campaign will be supported by further marketing activity that includes a Snapchat filter and a “10 Days of Deals” promotion.
Farfetch: The Holiday Remix
For this Christmas season, Farfetch is presenting a remix of all things festive with a shoppable video that takes on a modern twist of the Nutcracker story. The e-tailer worked with choreographer Dana Foglia, of Beyonce’s Formation fame, to create a modern-day version of Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy, with dancers donning this season’s best partywear.
When watched on Farfetch.com, the video allows customers to shop by displaying circles over certain garments, thanks to a partnership with touchable video platform Cinematique. Clicking the circles will showcase more information about the outfit, and allow users to add to a basket and checkout at the end.
Warehouse: #TheGirlsRoom
Warehouse continues its ‘Resolutely British’ reinvention, under the helm of newly appointed creative director Emma Cook, with a video campaign that celebrates what happens in the girl’s room, or the ladies’ room at public spaces, from nightclubs to bars. The short video shows women touching up their make-up, socialising and generally letting their guard down, in a space where “strangers become allies, the compliments are free and the drama is left on the dancefloor”.
Topshop: The Anti-Cliché Christmas
Topshop appeals to its young and trendy demographic with a call to express individuality. The spot showcases models of all different styles, from modern sportswear to grungy, walking as cuts outs in front of backgrounds including cityscapes and the beachside, emphasising the idea of party dressing “without the one-size-fits-all approach” in order to represent an anti-cliché sort of Christmas.
To celebrate the sentiment, Topshop has also launched its still image campaign presenting its next generation of rising fashion stars, which are models Stella Maxwell, Londone Myers, Cami Morrone, Jing Wen, Kiki Willems, Marjan Jonkman, Damaris Goddrie, Caitie Green and Lottie Moss, Kate Moss’ youngest sister. Explaining the campaign, Kate Phelan, the retailer’s creative director, says: “This season is about the individual spirit of a woman – she no longer wants to be part of a tribe, she has her own style.”
House of Fraser: Christmas is Coming for You
British retailer House of Fraser is aiming to convey the excitement and anticipation that precedes the season with a modern dance spot, in the same vein as Farfetch. Teaming up with choreographer Suzette Brissett, the spot showcases dancers going through a whirlwind of settings, including an opulent dining table and a forest where trees are filled with presents. The upbeat soundtrack is courtesy of British songstress Laura Mvula, who reinterprets The Fugees’ classic Ready or Not track.
And more…
Additional ones to check out below include Cartier, Very.co.uk, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Harvey Nichols, Jack Wills, Boohoo.com, Debenhams, New Look, Tiffany & Co, Gap and Banana Republic. As a bonus: also tugging our heart strings outside the fashion space, is Sainsbury’s The Greatest Gift.