Fashion
Worldview: BRICS International Fashion Federation Launches in Moscow
đ·đș BRICS International Fashion Federation Launches in Moscow. The BRICS+ Fashion Summit hosted executives from dozens of international fashion week events including those in Algeria, Cambodia, Congo, Costa Rica, Ghana, Jordan, Morocco, Panama, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Qatar and Zambia. Some of these executives joined fashion and textile association CEOs and heads of educational institutions from more than 50 countries to form the BRICS International Fashion Federation. âFashion brands, designers and markets face common challengesâŠthat can be more effectively addressed through collective actionâŠso there is a need for a platform for emerging markets to amplify our voice,â said BRICS IFF memorandum signatory Sunil Sethi, chairman of the Fashion Design Council of India. The gathering took place at the second edition of the summit which aims to provide cross-border business opportunities between industry leaders in the original group of nations comprising the acronymed bloc (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) and newer members (Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates) as well as other countries in their sphere of influence. Held from Oct. 3 to 5 in the Russian capital, the summit coincided with Moscow Fashion Week, the biannual showcase organised by Fashion Foundation which featured over two dozen runway shows this season including local names like Yana Besfamilnaya, Gapanovich and Zhuat, as well as several overseas brands. Largely isolated from their counterparts in Western Europe and North America since the onset of the war in Ukraine, Russian fashion industry events have sought to capture opportunities in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and Eurasian Economic Union countries. [BoF Inbox]
đšđł Overseas retailers brace for subdued National Day Golden Week in China. Domestic traffic is expected to be marginally up on last year, with the Ministry of Transport forecasting around 1.94 billion domestic inter-city trips during the Oct. 1-7 period. However, China Market Research Group MD Shaun Rein predicted that the average spend per traveller will be lower. Overseas retailers hoping for a recovery of inbound Chinese tourists have been challenged by subdued traffic due to Chinaâs economic slowdown, with the number of international flights during the holiday standing at 85.5 percent of pre-pandemic capacity in 2019. [Nikkei Asia, CNBC]
đŻđ” Japanâs lingerie giant Wacoal Holdings acquires UKâs Bravissimo Group. The European subsidiary of the Kyoto-based company founded in 1949 that owns brands including its namesake, Fantasie, Freya, Huit, Elomi and Goddess will purchase the intimates and swimwear brand co-founded by Sarah Tremellen in 1995 for an undisclosed amount. Bravissimo CEO Leanne Cahill will use Wacoalâs wholesale network to pursue international expansion beyond Bravissimoâs current 26 store retail network. [Nikkei Asia, Draperâs]
đŠđș Australian apparel group Mosaic Brands to wind down five brands. CEO Erica Berchtold said that the firm will exit the Rockmans, Autograph, Crossroads, W.Lane and BeMe brands âwhich have become marginal and non-core,â she said, âallowing us to focus on five core growth brandsâ comprising Millers, Noni B, Rivers and Katies and the namesake Mosaic online marketplace, which will âhave a clearly differentiated market proposition, target customer, price point and product range.â [Ragtrader]
đčđ Thai retail giant Central Group to invest $460 million outside Bangkok. The Bangkok-based conglomerate, which owns an extensive portfolio of malls across Asia and controls Selfridges Group department stores in the UK, Ireland and Netherlands, KaDeWe in Germany, Italyâs La Rinascente chain, Illum in Denmark and Globus in Switzerland, is set to invest in new and upgraded mall properties in Thailandâs provinces, from large cities like Chiang Mai to smaller resort towns like Krabi, over a five-year period. [Nikkei Asia]
đ°đ US brands concerned for Cambodian workersâ rights group. The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) has said it has âserious concernsâ about the Cambodian governmentâs investigation into the Phnom Penh-based Center for Alliance of Labor and Human Rights (CENTRAL), after the latter criticised an assessment by the International Labor Organizationâs (ILO) Better Factories Cambodia (BFC) programme. The AAFAâs statement listed signatories such as Adidas, Gap, Puma, PVH Corp. and VF Corp. [Sourcing Journal]
đźđł Indian couturier Vaishali S opens Paris boutique. Launched on Sept. 30 during Paris Fashion Week, the Mumbai-based designer opened her first store in the Saint-Germain-des-PrĂ©s area of the French capital under her namesake brand Vaishali S. âI wanted to create a space where Indian textiles and crafts are given a global platform and the recognition they deserve,â said founder Vaishali Shadangule, who has shown at Paris Haute Couture Week for several years. [BoF Inbox]
đšđł Shein warehouse workers in China post videos about working conditions. Using social media and video platforms like Bilibili and Kuaishou, users purporting to be logistics gig workers for the China-founded, Singapore-based ultra-fast fashion e-tailer have shared videos outlining their wages, working conditions, and other details about their jobs, including the long hours, rapid speed and high targets some follow. [Wired]
đźđł Foot Locker partners with Metro Brands and Nykaa to enter India. The American footwear retailer has linked hands with Mumbai-based footwear retailer Metro Brands for its physical rollout in the country starting with a store in Delhiâs Select City Walk and with the digital-first fashion and beauty retailer Nykaa for its online expansion in the country. [Economic Times]
đčđ· Turkeyâs apparel exports decline 6.17 percent in January to August period. Despite a recovery in August the countryâs exports fell year over year to $11.74 billion in the eight-month period in 2024, with the knitted clothing category down 3.4 percent and non-knitted apparel down 9.5 percent. [Fibre2Fashion]
đ±đ° Sri Lankaâs garment exports rise 2.3 percent in January to August period. The countryâs exports increased year-over-year to $3.09 billion in the eight-month period in 2024, while textile exports declined by 14.9 percent. Other made-up textile articles rose by 7.3 percent. [Fibre2Fashion]