Generation Genderless - Issue #10

Hi - my name is Kris Harrington, CEO and Creative Director of Kris Harring Apparel Group. We specialize in gender-inclusive fashion design and product development.

Generation Genderless is your guide to the top news and insights covering gender equity and society within the fashion industry and beyond.

Spiralling freight costs, agonisingly slow delivery times, and home-based workers swapping office attire for track pants are all combining to make life tough for the clothing industry.

The re-emergence of Covid-19 forced the postponement of New Zealand Fashion Week’s 20th anniversary event, and under current alert levels sales reps can’t hit the road with samples for the next winter season.

Even prior to the latest lockdown, the pandemic had created considerable challenges for a sector with tight seasonal dWellington Silk Living owner Laurian Godwin says air freight for an average order from China has quadrupled to $4500, making it out of the question, and the cost of shipping by sea has at least doubled.

“Whereas it was 80 cents [a garment] and about a month to get here, it’s now $2 and five or six months to get here, so it makes planning excruciating,” Godwin says.

Shipping times are also highly unpredictable. One ship sat off Auckland for three-and-a-half weeks waiting to dock.

“An entire new colour-range that was supposed to be launched for last summer only arrived​ on Christmas Eve.

“A customer in Germany bought clothes for her newborn but had to return them because by the time they arrived seven weeks later the baby had already outgrown them.”

Godwin says British and European customers accustomed to speedy deliveries baulk at the lengthy delays, and there is a risk they will simply go elsewhere, especially since handling fees, tax and import duties can add €62 (NZ$104) to the price of a €100 top.

About 60 per cent of Ruby garments are made here with the remainder manufactured in China where the label also sources the bulk of its fabric. Ruby general manager and designer Emily Miller-Sharma likens the freight situation to a lolly scramble.

“You never know if a vessel is going to take six weeks or 12.” (Read More on Stuff)

Old Navy is revolutionizing the shopping experience with the launch of BODEQUALITY. Beginning on August 20, Old Navy will redefine size inclusion, offering every one of its women’s styles, in every size, with no price difference. As a brand committed to the democracy of style, Old Navy will be the first value retailer to offer sizes 0-30 and XS-4X for all women’s styles at price parity. With this launch, the brand is reimagining the shopping environment in all stores and online to be more size-inclusive, giving women everywhere the fashion and experience that they deserve.

Old Navy is transforming its fleet of over 1,200 stores and online shops into fully size-integrated shopping experiences. Every store will offer all women’s styles in sizes 0-28 merchandised together – no special sections. Stores will also offer new inclusive visual cues for shoppers, including mannequins in sizes four, 12 and 18, alongside new BODEQUALITY marketing imagery. Old Navy associates will play an important role in the revamped store model, participating in extensive customer-focused training to create an environment where every shopper feels they belong.

Online, the brand is merging its Women’s and Women’s Plus collections from the navigation menu to provide one size-integrated shopping destination for sizes 00-30.3 Women’s styles will be showcased on models in sizes four, 12 and 18, and shoppers can use a new toggle feature to select their preferred default model display size.4

With the launch of BODEQUALITY, Old Navy reinvented its fit process and size standards to create the brand’s most democratic, comfortable, and consistent size run and fit ever. After years of extensive research, customer consultation and design reviews, Old Navy is proud to offer shoppers clothing that is fit for confidence and feels good on each and every woman as they are, no matter the size. Steps the fashion retailer implemented into their women’s fit and design process include:

“Developing BODEQUALITY allowed us to rethink the way we serve women in the retail industry,” said Alison Partridge Stickney, Head of Women’s and Maternity Merchandising at Old Navy. “We set out to understand what women of all sizes wanted from fashion and the shopping experience and were inspired to revolutionize every area of our business – from how we fit and design our products, to how we communicate to customers in stores and online – to ensure that all women feel welcome and represented. This launch is a transformative moment for our brand and the fashion industry.” (Read More on Philanthropy Women)

By now, it’s clear that the fast fashion business model of creating cheap, disposable clothing is terrible for the planet. A few years ago it seemed like consumers might turning against brands like H&M and Zara, as their sales waned and stock prices went down. But the truth is that fast fashion is far from dying. In fact, new giants are rising.

Chinese e-commerce brand Shein launched in 2008, mimicking European fast fashion brands’ approach of churning out of-the-moment styles at rock bottom prices. Now, Shein has exploded in popularity and is poised to outperform its competitors: In 2020, it doubled its sales to $10 billion, and by 2022, analysts believe it will overtake Zara’s revenues. In May, Shein was the most downloaded app in the U.S., beating Amazon. This year, Alibaba—one of the largest conglomerates in China—launched its own fast fashion e-commerce brand called allyLikes, which will compete directly with Shein.

These brands are targeting Gen Z shoppers around the world with cheap, fashionable clothes, but some retail analysts and environmental experts believe that unless they begin take sustainability seriously, young consumers will eventually turn against them.

H&M and Zara pioneered fast fashion in the mid-20th century by building supply chains that manufactured off-the-runway looks quickly and cheaply. They now dominate the fashion industry, each generating around $20 billion in annual revenue. Shein is quickly catching up and has been very successful at selling to Western consumers. The Economist reports that America is its biggest market, accounting for 35% to 40% of its sales, while another 30% to 35% comes from Europe. But there are many other brands in this space, from the newly launched allyLikes, to the U.S.-based Fashion Nova, to the U.K.’s Boohoo and Asos. These brands closely mimic early fast fashion models—but turn products around even faster and cheaper.

Zara launches 10,000 new products every year; Shein drops 6,000 new items a day and allyLikes drops 500 a week. Both of these brands sell products that cost between $8 and $30, which is between 30% and 50% less than Zara and H&M, according to analysts. The Economist says Shein crunches data to determine what fashion trends are bubbling up, then leverages a network of factories to make small batches of products. If the item sells well, the company instantly makes more. Shein has more than 3,000 suppliers in China, and “has a reputation for having strong relationships with its suppliers, which tend to be small and mid-sized factories,” says Sucharita Kodali, principal analyst at Forrester, who specializes in retail. “Many retailers cancelled orders during the pandemic, but Shein paid suppliers for what they made.”

Unlike the original European fast fashion brands, Shein and allyLikes operate entirely digitally, which means they’re not weighed down by brick-and-mortar stores. This allowed Shein to thrive during the pandemic, while H&M and Zara suffered financial losses when foot traffic slowed or stopped entirely. At the same time, Shein has been smart about taking advantage of social media to sell products. It has more than 250 million followers across Instagram, TikTok, and other social platforms, and has brought on dozens of influencers who are famous for unboxing “hauls” of Shein outfits. And this year, Shein will debut a design competition show that will stream on its social platforms and be judged by a star-studded cast, including Christian Siriano, Jenny Lyons, and Khloé Kardashian. (Read More on Fast Company)

By now you’ve probably heard the news and seen the Twitter reactions: Facebook is now Meta, and is welcoming users to the ‘Metaverse.’ Whilst this comes with many interesting feats, one of the most curious is definitely the realm of fashion and virtual fashion. Here’s a closer look.

Facebook and its founder Mark Zuckerberg may be in the middle of multiple lawsuits (thanks, Frances Haugen), but that hasn’t stopped the social media company from taking to the spotlight with its own news: it has rebranded as Meta.

It’s not just a name change. The company plans to invest at least US$10 billion (approx. THB 332,545,000,000) into Facebook Reality Labs, which focuses on creating augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) hardware, software and content to build Facebook’s very own metaverse. The division already includes 10,000 employees — with another 10,000 workers expected to join them — and it will be aided by the expertise of the many VR start-up companies that Facebook has acquired.

Zuckerberg has also offered a look into Facebook’s upcoming metaverse through an hour-long keynote presentation: with the use of VR and AR hardware (likely made by Oculus, which Facebook bought in 2014), users can enter a virtual world to play games like Grand Theft Auto, attend virtual parties and concerts, do some shopping or even… work.

Users can enter the metaverse through their digital avatars, which means that they’ll also have their own virtual wardrobes. The idea of virtual fashion is one that has been gaining a lot of attention in the last couple of years, thanks to the rise of start-ups offering (and successfully selling) virtual clothing.

Luxury fashion brands have also been embracing the technology, tapping on virtual models and partnering with video game platforms to launch their own virtual collections to millions of players around the world. Some notable examples include Gucci x Roblox, Louis Vuitton x League of Legends, and the ongoing tie-up between Balenciaga and Fortnite.

How will Facebook contribute to the evolving landscape of virtual fashion? Below, we list what to expect, according to the Meta announcement.

As Meta is positioning itself to be used pretty much all the time, it will allow users to present themselves through different types of 3D avatars, from a photorealistic one for work meetings, to a cartoonish, Fortnite-like avatar for gaming and social activities. “You’re not always going to want to look exactly like yourself,” explained Zuckerberg. “That’s why people shave their beards, dress up, style their hair, put on makeup and get tattoos… You’ll be able to do all that and more in the metaverse.”

If you play video games like Fortnite, Roblox, or League of Legends, then you’re familiar with the concept of changing your character’s appearance with “skins”. Zuckerberg demonstrated that Meta users will likewise be able to switch between different outfits worn by their 3D avatars. “You’re going to have a wardrobe of virtual clothes for different occasions, designed by different creators and from different apps and experiences,” he shared. The virtual clothing will also be made to simulate actual garments when users interact with them in the metaverse. (Read more on Lifestyle Asia)

Nike Inc. is seeking to trademark its brand for various virtual goods in the US, including shoes and clothing, as digital products become more popular.

The Beaverton, Oregon-based sportswear giant filed four requests with the US Patent and Trademark Office on October 27 to protect its marks in categories including “downloadable virtual goods” and related services for retail stores and entertainment.

Digital items listed in the filings include headwear, eyewear, bags, backpacks and sports equipment. The applications are on an intent-to-use basis, and won’t be finalised until they’re in commercial use.

Virtual goods including apparel are gaining more interest as consumers scoop up items like digital art and video-game skins — decorations like outfits and accessories for virtual characters — for popular titles including Fortnite and NBA 2K.

Brands have also been selling digital assets like non-fungible tokens, which are digital goods that are authenticated through blockchain technology. A Dolce & Gabbana NFT collection fetched about $5.7 million at auction in October.

A representative for Nike didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment outside normal business hours. (Business of Fashion)

Amazon.com Inc.’s AMZN 1.09% planned department stores will aim to boost its apparel sales by offering shoppers a chance to try on clothes from its own private-label brands in technology-fueled dressing rooms, according to people familiar with the matter.

The department stores, which the online shopping company could open next year, will primarily function as a place for Amazon AMZN 1.09% to sell T-shirts, jeans, and other items from its own labels, as well as a mix of outside brands that sell clothing on its website, the people said. Amazon wants to see if the potential department stores can improve the brand recognition of its apparel while addressing some of the irritants of both online and bricks-and-mortar clothes shopping, they said.

One idea that has been tested is for customers to scan QR codes of items they want to try on by using a smartphone app and for associates in the store to gather the items and place them in fitting rooms, the people said.

Once there, customers could ask for more items using a touch screen, which might be capable of recommending additional clothing based on the pieces shoppers liked. The rooms could use sliding doors for associates to bring more clothes without seeing shoppers, the people said. Robots or other forms of automation could eventually be deployed in the stores, one of the people said.

The plans aren’t completed and could change, they said.

The online shopping company has made an effort to keep its clothing concept secret, giving it a code name. The first department stores are slated to open near San Francisco and Columbus, Ohio. The Wall Street Journal first reported on the stores in August.

Since it was founded in 1994, Amazon has aggressively pushed to expand the number of items sold online, gradually disrupting retail markets as it cemented its relationship with customers. Its online dominance helped usher many bricks-and-mortar stores into bankruptcy as shoppers gravitated more to purchasing items online. Now it is moving to inhabit the spaces those companies once commanded for decades, turning to physical retail for groceries, books, and now clothing. It sees physical stores as a promising avenue to reaching new customers and testing out its technology prowess.

The retail industry has seen a surge with people returning to physical shopping at certain points this year as lockdowns and stay-at-home mandates from the Covid-19 pandemic receded in some places. Chains including Macy’s Inc. and Kohl’s Corp. reported recent strong sales as shoppers restocked their closets after reducing clothing purchases last year.

The use of new tech by Amazon in physical outlets largely came with the opening of its Amazon Go cashier-less convenience stores, which arrived in 2018. The company now has Go locations in Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle and last year said it had started to sell the technology behind the stores to other retailers.

Although the disruptive potential of Amazon’s expansions is well-known, the company has stumbled on occasion in rolling out new products, services, or stores. It launched a doomed smartphone in 2014 and shelved a restaurant delivery service in 2019. That year it said it would close many “pop-up” stores it had opened in malls. The small shops were a showcase for such devices as smart speakers, tablets, and Kindle e-readers.

Amazon has for years focused on building its apparel sales. This year it surpassed Walmart Inc. as the country’s largest seller of clothing, according to a report from Wells Fargo, which predicted earlier this year that Amazon’s total sales of clothing and shoes, including those made by others, will surpass $45 billion in 2021. Amazon doesn’t disclose the financial figures of its apparel sales. Goodthreads and Lark & Ro are among Amazon brands on the site.

Fashion goods typically have higher profit margins than other items. Having physical space for clothes will enable Amazon customers to try outfits on before purchasing them and could reduce clothing returns. The company has historically given priority to gaining market share in industries over profits.

Amazon has never featured apparel in its various physical-store concepts. Its department stores are expected to sell men’s and women’s clothing and be similar to the casual styles found at such companies as Gap Inc., according to people familiar with the matter.

Amazon rolled out private-label apparel in 2016, and it now has more than 100 brands, according to Wells Fargo.

The retailer has attempted to build out its fashion business by giving customers more options on how and where to buy. It has had a tougher time, though, scaling the high-end fashion business, with few luxury brands selling on its website.

The Wells Fargo report said Amazon’s endless-store ethos in some ways has run counter to the fashion-industry culture, which thrives on premium shopping experiences, carefully chosen styles, quality design, and brand power. Amazon has tried to rectify its shortfalls by offering features including a subscription model called Personal Shopper that provides customers with a stylist who makes personalized recommendations.

Some customers have indicated a desire for Amazon clothing stores. In a survey by Wells Fargo, shoppers listed having to pay for shipping if they aren’t Prime members and preferring the experience of a physical store among the top reasons they disliked shopping on Amazon’s website.

Many clothing brands such as Levi’s and Adidas have sold on Amazon, but others have resisted because of concerns that Amazon is down-market or that the retail company could copy their products using data on their bestsellers. Moreover, some of Amazon’s plans for its stores aren’t entirely new concepts. Nike Inc., for example, is a retailer that has had associates prepare items ahead of time in fitting rooms if customers scan products on their phones. (Flexi-News)

Perhaps the rise of the non-fungible token (NFT) should come as no surprise; it has conquered the minds of crypto-collectors and art-lovers, and is now soon to bestow its presence among fashionistas.

Following the close of Paris Fashion Week earlier this week, fashion studio AZ Factory created a series of limited-edition organic cotton T-shirts to commemorate late founder and designer – and former creative director of Lanvin – Alber Elbaz, who passed away in April of this year.

The fashion industry bade farewell to the designer on Tuesday night to mark the end of Paris Fashion Week with an iconic send-off and closing tribute runway show, marking Elbaz’s influence on the fashion industry.

Attended by many in the fashion world, the show presented by AZ Factory was titled Love Brings Love and took place at the monumental Paris tourist office building Carreau du Temple.

Some 45 fashion houses and their designers contributed a number of designs in Elbaz’s honor to celebrate his vision with a homage collection to forever immortalize his legacy and confirm that the brand will and can continue without him.

The collaboration between AZ Factory and SharpEnd to release the range of T-shirts with a unique NFT attached reflects Elbaz’s experimental nature and fearlessness at trying out new things.

Laurent Malecaze, AZ Factory’s chief executive officer, said: “Alber was at the forefront of bringing technology into fashion, so it seems only fitting to showcase the newest technologies in the market as part of one of our tribute designs in his honor.”

There are five styles available within the collection, each designed with a quote from the late designer and his signature embroidered with a grosgrain ribbon set against one of his hand-drawn prints.

The T-shirts also link to their own NFT of an original Alber Elbaz drawing, although there is a limited number of NFTs produced for each shirt. The NFT drawings contain an original identification number to verify and track its ownership, guaranteeing exclusive possession of the digital asset. (Read More on The Drum)

Physical events may be coming back, but for George Yashin, founder of fashion label ZNY and digital fashion platform Zero10, a democratic and digitally enhanced reality is the only way to go.

Launching on Thursday, Zero10 is an iOS application using 3D body tracking, cloth simulation and body segmentation technology to allow users to purchase, wear and collect digital garments from brands and create content for social media.

Yashin said he didn’t intend to break any traditional fashion industry rules or repeat what others have been doing in the augmented reality space with Zero10. Instead, he believes digital fashion is a much more sustainable and affordable way to give consumers what they want and provides the same emotions as buying new, real clothes.

“We offer the industry a new type of interaction between users and brands, and this interaction has no borders — no deliveries, no production issues, no differentiation in countries, gender, race or complexion,” he said.

“The fashion industry has been stable for years. It’s changing but not evolving in a radical way and digital fashion seems like something that can finally shift this. Endless production cycles and overconsumption seem to only increase.…It’s a vicious circle. We are very close to the consumption limit. We have almost reached it and to prevent the game from destroying itself, it is important to look into new possibilities or even build them. That’s a reason we decided to join the new course and dive into the field of digital fashion,” he added.

The platform adopts a collaboration and drop model. New items will be released every two weeks and all the collections are produced in collaboration with emerging or luxury designers. Items are usually priced around $1 to $20, which is a fraction of what other major virtual fashion platforms are asking.

For the launch, Zero10 is offering 12 unisex digital items for free from brands like Ksenia Schnaider, ZNY, AV Vattev, Florentina Leitner and Ttswtrs.

The Kyiv, Ukraine-based Schnaider said she agreed to get on board with Zero10 because its infrastructure enables the brand to transition to a more sustainable model, on top of the fact that augmented reality fashion is by nature more democratic and offers a unique experience to users. (Read More on Yahoo Fashion)

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