Discussions about the fashion industry thread

[LA Guy]

Bringing this thread back to the top - I’ve seen no commentary here on the recent and deeply discounted sales of Matches and Farfetch (the companies, not their merchandise!) and the questions hanging over Mr Porter. Would love to get peoples’ thoughts…

Why luxury goods just isn’t a platform business
https://on.ft.com/41LkpgY

Without reading the article, it should be noted that Barneys was so badly off financially that it liquidated a month into the pandemic, Neiman Marcus is in perennial trouble, having declared bankruptcy in 2020, and laid off staff and is again in trouble Q1 2023. Saks is owned by HBC, which had to sell off a bunch of real estate to finance its retail operations. Saks is also delaying payments to suppliers to manage cash flow. So, traditional brick and mortar luxury retailers are not doing so hot either.

 

[smittycl]

Do you have a gift link? That's behind a firewall and I have enough subscriptions already. And that one is especially expensive.

Very short read.

Subscribe to the Financial Times

A subscription to the Financial Times provides you with the insights and perspective you need to succeed, now.

on.ft.com

 

[Mariokartfever]

Very short read.

Subscribe to the Financial Times

A subscription to the Financial Times provides you with the insights and perspective you need to succeed, now.

on.ft.com

Imagine if you subscribed for that article. That writer was going for the teachers assigned 400 word count essay and no more.

 

[cchen]

FT opinion pieces (and Bloomberg as well) on consumer/retail have really dropped in quality recently

 

[Texasmade]

Without reading the article, it should be noted that Barneys was so badly off financially that it liquidated a month into the pandemic, Neiman Marcus is in perennial trouble, having declared bankruptcy in 2020, and laid off staff and is again in trouble Q1 2023. Saks is owned by HBC, which had to sell off a bunch of real estate to finance its retail operations. Saks is also delaying payments to suppliers to manage cash flow. So, traditional brick and mortar luxury retailers are not doing so hot either.

NM has had issues for years even before the pandemic. I can't remember a time when they didn't struggle.

 

[cb200]

Multibrand online shops of all sizes have faced the same headwinds that digital only DTC brands have in increased price competition, challenges in logistics and reveselogistic cost, the google and facebook tax, changing spending habits post covid, and raising interest rates making it super hard.

What's added to the multi brand's challenges digitally and physically is that that almost every brand has leaned - and will continue to lean- more and more into taking that tasty direct consumer sales margin.

 

[LA Guy]

NM has had issues for years even before the pandemic. I can't remember a time when they didn't struggle.

I suppose that that was my point. Multibrand stores, especially scaled to a level at which community is not possible, and there is basically no curation, (SSENSE - where everything is available for everyone). does not have any draw except for reliability and price. Neither value proposition is winning for luxury.

 

[smittycl]

Gift link.

How online shoppers fell back in love with the high street

The pandemic turbocharged internet clothing sales, but a return to stores has left the UK’s ecommerce pioneers with serious challenges

on.ft.com

 

[smittycl]

Another good reason to avoid synthetics and also synthetic blends. I only use them for athletics. Refuse to budge on that one.

"Wicker got the idea for the book in 2019, when a radio producer called to ask if she could comment on a lawsuit filed by Delta employees against Land’s End alleging that the company’s uniforms were making them sick. “I’d heard nothing about fashion or textiles being toxic enough to affect people’s health,” she tells me. In fact, flight attendants at several major airlines were complaining of rashes, hair loss, fatigue, brain fog, heart palpitations, and breathing problems. “Their bodies would start shutting down,” she says. “They couldn’t work, and in some cases that completely ruined their lives.”

 

[cb200]

Interesting article but am compelled to say that fabric finishes, dyes, and fibres can be irritants and potentially bad for you regardless of the type of fibre inputs in the textiles. Concern is warranted but many natural sourced fibres are treated and dyed with the same kinds of treatments as synthetics and many have anti-mold treatments that may not be used on synthetics.

More testing certainly is needed and more consumer information made available regarding how things are made would be a positive. Absolutely wear what you prefer but the lack of testing applies across categories of textiles. Like many things without inspection, testing and certification consumers have nothing to go on. If it's cheap enough I think some folks would wear a lead painted, asbestos lined, kitten fur knit piece, sewn in a concentration camp powered by coal justo t get a fit off.

 

[smittycl]

Interesting article but am compelled to say that fabric finishes, dyes, and fibres can be irritants and potentially bad for you regardless of the type of fibre inputs in the textiles. Concern is warranted but many natural sourced fibres are treated and dyed with the same kinds of treatments as synthetics and many have anti-mold treatments that may not be used on synthetics.

More testing certainly is needed and more consumer information made available regarding how things are made would be a positive. Absolutely wear what you prefer but the lack of testing applies across categories of textiles. Like many things without inspection, testing and certification consumers have nothing to go on. If it's cheap enough I think some folks would wear a lead painted, asbestos lined, kitten fur knit piece, sewn in a concentration camp powered by coal justo t get a fit off.

Oh yeah. I gave up on non-iron dress shirts ages ago because of the chemical treatments although my reasoning was based on fabric breathability rather than chemical pollution.

 

[smittycl]

My younger sister, who runs and edits the WIRO, pointed out the review I missed.

To Dye For: How Toxic Fashion Is Making Us Sick — and How We Can Fight Back | Washington Independent Review of Books

The Independent is an important voice in the community of readers and writers dedicated to book reviews and writing about the world of books.

www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com

 

[cb200]

! That's a pretty steep climb.

 

[Keyser_Söze]

View attachment 2109827
! That's a pretty steep climb.

A&F quality is great and they toned down the branding on their clothes A LOT. I'd recommend them these days.

 

[sftiger]

Did Begg rebrand by changing their & to an X?

I guess to seem more modern? Odd.