Discussions about the fashion industry thread

[smittycl]

Did Begg rebrand by changing their & to an X?

I guess to seem more modern? Odd.

Looks like they did. Nice stuff. Very expensive.

 

[zissou]

Their beanies, which were the S&C beanies are twice the price and smaller 😅

 

[LA Guy]

Looks like they did. Nice stuff. Very expensive.

The scarves seem similar, but it looks like they made a lot of their knitwear with more modern silhouettes, and considerably higher prices (of course).

 

[jah786]

i subscribe to the newsletter puck so i can read fashion reporter Lauren Sherman's work. there is a lot of talk about YNAP and what will happen to it. it also seems like an open secret that they are contemplating shutting down Mr. Porter!!

this was from Jan. 18th.

• A Net-a-Porter update: Word is that the retailer—still owned, for now, by Richemont—is slashing the number of beauty brands it carries by as much as 50 percent. Will it exit the category? Beauty brings down the average order value—even a fancy cream costs far less than a pair of boots—and it’s simply a different business, with different inventory management systems and related infrastructural issues. If Yoox Net-a-Porter Group is truly streamlining (even contemplating shutting down Mr. Porter), this would make sense. A YNAP rep did not respond to a request for comment.

side note i think Lauren's work is super solid and worth reading (and for me worth paying for).

 

[smittycl]

 

[LA Guy]

i subscribe to the newsletter puck so i can read fashion reporter Lauren Sherman's work. there is a lot of talk about YNAP and what will happen to it. it also seems like an open secret that they are contemplating shutting down Mr. Porter!!

this was from Jan. 18th.

• A Net-a-Porter update: Word is that the retailer—still owned, for now, by Richemont—is slashing the number of beauty brands it carries by as much as 50 percent. Will it exit the category? Beauty brings down the average order value—even a fancy cream costs far less than a pair of boots—and it’s simply a different business, with different inventory management systems and related infrastructural issues. If Yoox Net-a-Porter Group is truly streamlining (even contemplating shutting down Mr. Porter), this would make sense. A YNAP rep did not respond to a request for comment.

side note i think Lauren's work is super solid and worth reading (and for me worth paying for).

Well, it’s only January, and Mr. Porter is already offering a 20% discount on new stuff. This is before the S/S deliveries have begun in earnest. That can’t possibly be a good sign. The whole next or two day fast shipping thing left the station a while ago now, which leaves huge online fashion retailers in this place in which discounted prices are their only real value proposition, which is clearly not sustainable. Smaller retailers and own brand boutiques offer better customer service, a more cohesive look and feel, both of which are needed to create a community of loyal customers who know to look to them for specific things. Has Mr. Porter ever made a profit in any given fiscal year? I honestly can’t say that I remember that.

 

[sushijerk]

I often wonder if these big loss taking e-retailers have subsidized a high end clothing bubble with vc money, and what would the landscape would look like if they all go bust. Would everything get even more expensive? That hardly seems sustainable. But can things get cheaper without the big reliable orders from ssense and porter bringing in scale? I guess there will just have to be less brands overall?

I feel like a lot of other industries had a golden era for consumers where great prices and great customer attention was fueled by cheap debt. Did we ever get that? It feels like we never really got that up front but I guess that's what the crazy sales are every year.

 

[smittycl]

I often wonder if these big loss taking e-retailers have subsidized a high end clothing bubble with vc money, and what would the landscape would look like if they all go bust. Would everything get even more expensive? That hardly seems sustainable. But can things get cheaper without the big reliable orders from ssense and porter bringing in scale? I guess there will just have to be less brands overall?

I feel like a lot of other industries had a golden era for consumers where great prices and great customer attention was fueled by cheap debt. Did we ever get that? It feels like we never really got that up front but I guess that's what the crazy sales are every year.

Holding out for the eventual epic Mr. Porter closing sale.

 

[LA Guy]

I often wonder if these big loss taking e-retailers have subsidized a high end clothing bubble with vc money, and what would the landscape would look like if they all go bust. Would everything get even more expensive? That hardly seems sustainable. But can things get cheaper without the big reliable orders from ssense and porter bringing in scale? I guess there will just have to be less brands overall?

It's not just VC funded companies though, it's all of the big multibrand stores. Neiman Marcus went through another restructuring, and HBC sold some of its real estate holding to fund Saks' retail operations, which seems like throwing good money after bad. Hard to see how this party ends.

 

[GG Allin]

Holding out for the eventual epic Mr. Porter closing sale.

I was just thinking this earlier today. I still have this feeling of uncanniness when I remember how Barney's closed a few years back

 

[smittycl]

I was just thinking this earlier today. I still have this feeling of uncanniness when I remember how Barney's closed a few years back

I miss Barneys. Fav NYC stop for years. If Derek were here we’d be arguing about buying at sale price rather than retail.

 

[jah786]

Well, it’s only January, and Mr. Porter is already offering a 20% discount on new stuff. This is before the S/S deliveries have begun in earnest. That can’t possibly be a good sign. The whole next or two day fast shipping thing left the station a while ago now, which leaves huge online fashion retailers in this place in which discounted prices are their only real value proposition, which is clearly not sustainable. Smaller retailers and own brand boutiques offer better customer service, a more cohesive look and feel, both of which are needed to create a community of loyal customers who know to look to them for specific things. Has Mr. Porter ever made a profit in any given fiscal year? I honestly can’t say that I remember that.

is there public data on whether mr.porter makes money? i guess i could search for a YNAP 10k but i don't even know what exchange they are listed on.

 

[LA Guy]

is there public data on whether mr.porter makes money? i guess i could search for a YNAP 10k but i don't even know what exchange they are listed on.

https://www.richemont.com/investors/results-reports-presentations/

Richemont and YNAP are all public, so...

And they lose a tooooon of money:

https://www.richemont.com/investors/results-reports-presentations/

Richemont Says Yoox Net-a-Porter Lost $137 Million In First Half As Sales Fell 10%

Richemont reported a six-month operating loss of €0.7 billion in its “discontinued operations” unit comprising Yoox Net-a-Porter (YNAP), citing continued losses and a €0.5 billion write-down.

www.businessoffashion.com

Richemont Says Yoox Net-a-Porter Lost $137 Million In First Half As Sales Fell 10%

In April-September, of 2023, -10% YoY, for a six-month operating loss of €0.7 million and a writedown €0.5 billion additional write-down on the asset.

 

[jbie]

Did Begg rebrand by changing their & to an X?

I guess to seem more modern? Odd.

They also opened up a small two-storey store in Picadilly Arcade - the staff is great, I’ve been at least 4 times now. I’ve been told they attract a celebrity crowd nowadays too.

 

[Zamb]

So............ Zac Posen is the New Creative director of the Gap.
interesting times my friends..............interesting times