Net-à-Porter had its first menswear day on its Tmall Luxury Pavilion shop on April 10, giving Chinese buyers a chance to check out what’s in trend for spring 2020.
   Since joining Tmall in September, Net-à-Porter has had plenty of attention from fashion-conscious online shoppers, and the menswear day sought to build on that, and Net-à-Porter’s Mr Porter brand.
   Net-à-Porter curated suggestions for men who wanted looks that would suit them for work, dating and fitness, and provided specials such as 15 per cent off new products, an interest-free period for menswear, free gifts for online orders, dry-cleaning coupons, and limited-edition notebooks.
   Brands included Fear of God, with its streetwear chic; Off-White, showing loose silhouettes and barbed-wire patterns; FengChenWang, with its focus on detailing; the emerging Chinese brand Staffonly, with a particularly ingenious diamond-patterned short-sleeved shirt; and Pronounce, with its terracotta warrior- and horse-inspired collections. Rick Owens, Common Projects, Thom Browne are also represented among Net-à-Porter’s spring menswear looks. The retailer expects plain, grey and khaki tones to be in, as well as neutral blues, and an overall sporty theme.

While British politicians continue to argue over Brexit, the British Fashion Council has warned of the dangers of a no-deal Brexit, in what this title believes is its first statement on the UK leaving the European Union.
   While some who voted to leave are happy to do so at any cost, saying that the vote was a simple binary one, politicians such as Michael Gove, one of the major supporters of the leave campaign, have said that no one ‘voted to leave without a deal’—even if the current government is potentially pursuing just that.
   The BFC’s warnings may well fall on deaf ears in the UK government, as have statements from the motor industry and others. The figures are dire: ‘Based on export figures from 2018 it is estimated that switching to World Trade Organization (WTO) rules would cost the fashion industry between £850 [million] and £900 million,’ citing the UK Fashion & Textile Association.
   ‘As an industry worth £32 billion to the UK GDP and employing more than 890,000 people—almost as many as the financial sector, we urge the Government to: [a] seek a deal with the EU that would guarantee the healthy and steady growth of the fashion industry; [b] give access to funding that would help create stimulus that will ensure British designer businesses continue to remain competitive internationally through trading agreements, access to finance, free movement of talent and support for promotion; [c] advise on all the different scenarios and translate them into what they mean to the fashion industry and the best way to navigate global trade challenges.’
   The BFC notes that fashion businesses are international from the outset, with their first sales often outside the UK. Material and talent sourcing take place globally, and the components themselves must cross multiple borders. To sell fashion, designers must also go to international trade shows and markets. The Council questions whether there will be delays in shipping to international customers, saying it is impossible to notify HM Revenue & Customs 24 hours in advance; and there is still no clarity on who will bear the additional costs of tariffs. It also notes that businesses will have to do VAT claims with 27 EU member states rather than with the EU as a whole, complicating the issue.
   Despite becoming an independent assessor for visa applications in the fashion industry, the BFC says skilled, lower-paid workers are not covered, leaving gaps in the industry. With Britain (and the US, for that matter) having outsourced for many years, the skills’ shortage is real.
   It adds, ‘The BFC considers [it] essential for the UK to retain its leading position in attracting global talent. It is very important that communications to international students and talent is clear and highlights the fact that the fashion industry still wants them to study here, start businesses here and work here.’

Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) has announced that it will provide a greater level of transparency about its garments on its website as of today, detailing materials used, country of production, suppliers’ names, factories’ names and addresses, and even the number of workers in the factories.
   While not the first brand to go into this depth, Swedish-based H&M believes it is the largest global retailer to make this move.
   This follows earlier efforts where H&M published its supplier list online in 2013, and in 2017, providing a transparency layer for its Conscious Exclusive collections. That showed that it was possible to provide transparency, and the move was embraced by Conscious Exclusive customers.
   H&M’s earlier efforts had already been recognized by the Swedish-based branding think-tank Medinge Group in 2008.
   H&M will also extend the transparency layer to its H&M Home interior products sold online.
   Those shopping in-store can scan the price tag using the H&M app to get the information.
   ‘We are so proud to be the first global fashion retailer of our size and scale to launch this level of product transparency. We want to show the world that this is possible. By being open and transparent about where our products are made we hope to set the bar for our industry and encourage customers to make more sustainable choices. With transparency comes responsibility, making transparency such an important factor to help create a more sustainable fashion industry,’ says Isak Roth, H&M’s head of sustainability, in a release.
   The transparency layer will appear in H&M’s 47 online markets today.

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John Phillips


Mike Marsland/BFC

The Fashion Awards, formerly the British Fashion Awards, have become one of the fashion industry’s most celebrated nights. As usual, the British Fashion Council, which runs the event, slowly drip-fed media over the last six weeks on this year’s developments: that Jack Whitehall and Alek Wek would host on December 10 at the Royal Albert Hall; that it would honour 100 trail-blazing young creatives from around the world; Miuccia Prada would be honoured with the Outstanding Achievement Award this year; Cyrill Gutsch, founder of Parley for the Oceans, would receive the Special Recognition Award for Innovation; and Dior men’s British designer Kim Jones would receive the Trailblazer Award.
   The disappearance of the word British in 2016 hadn’t changed much at first glance: Swarovski continued being the principal sponsor, and it remained a magnet for celebrities as well as the who’s who of fashion. New York has its Met Gala, London has the awards. There is some irony here as the awards were meant to paint London as a centre of global fashion, and for years they celebrated British culture, especially designers or personalities who had done the most to elevate the UK on to the world stage. These British Style Awards are no more, although specific awards honouring British designers continue. But from 2017, they were no longer the top awards of the evening.
   Perhaps in a UK arguing over Brexit, the abandonment of British from the Fashion Awards’ name seemed prudent. The Awards want to be seen as global and cosmopolitan, in stark contrast to Brexit which tends to look more inwardly for its strength; and if that helps British designers secure a future on the world stage, then so be it.
   This year’s celebrations saw 4,000 head to the Royal Albert Hall, with 15 awards conferred, voted by 2,000 key industry players. Five Special Recognition Awards were also given. Swarovski, of course, provided the trophies, designed by Sir David Adjaye. The company also pledged £300,000 in advance of the event to support the British Fashion Council’s Education Foundation.
   Eva Herzigová hosted the red carpet interviews this year. The arrivals were streamed live on YouTube, with an embed on the Fashion Awards’ website.
   Robert Pattinson presented Kim Jones’s Trailblazer award early in proceedings. The Urban Luxe award, presented by Dina Asher-Smith and Katarina Johnson-Thompson, was won by Virgil Abloh for Off-White. Georgian designer Demna Gvasalia for Balenciaga was named Accessories’ Designer of the Year (presented by Edie Campbell and Riz Ahmed); and Dame Vivienne Westwood was delighted to receive her Swarovski Award for Positive Change from Jerry Hall. Gucci’s Marco Bizzarri was named Business Leader this year, presented by Saoirse Ronan.
   Parley for the Oceans deserves a special mention here in Lucire, for being the organization that highlights not only the finite resource we have in our oceans, and the plastics polluting them, but for encouraging people to find ways to make some real change. Its AIR strategy (avoid plastic, intercept waste, and redesign the material) plays a part in Parley’s Ocean Plastic, a means of disrupting the plastic that winds up in the ocean. It’s a small start, and the plastic has wound up in products from Adidas, with numerous football teams making the conscious change to switch to Ocean Plastic in their kits. The Council notes that Parley’s partnership with Adidas earned over US$1,000 million in revenue. Parley also teamed up with Stella McCartney, who released footwear made from Ocean Plastic; earlier this year it collaborated with Porter magazine and Anja Rubik on a series of products made from the material.
   Doutzen Kroes, who makes very regular appearances with her active modelling career, presented the award to Parley for the Oceans’ Gutsch.
   Of the British emerging talent awards, Samuel Ross of A-Cold-Wall received the menswear award from Virgil Abloh and Winnie Harlow, and Richard Quinn received the womenswear one from Karen Elson and Matthew Healy.
   The top British awards of the night went to Craig Green for Craig Green, who was named British Designer of the Year for menswear; and to Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy, named British Designer of the Year for womenswear. Poppy Delevingne presented the award to Green. As a surprise presenter, a pregnant HRH the Duchess of Sussex, the former Meghan Markle, joined Rosamund Pike in presenting the award to Waight Keller, particularly fitting given that it was Waight Keller who designed the Duchess’s wedding dress.
   In the past, the British Designer of the Year gongs would have been the culmination of the evening, but the fact that special awards came afterwards shows how the Fashion Awards have changed their focus.
   Mert & Marcus took home the Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator (presented by Kate Moss and Penélope Cruz).
   Gucci was named Brand of the Year, with Lana Del Rey presenting the award; and Rita Ora presented the Model of the Year award to Kaia Gerber, who has taken her mother Cindy Crawford’s lead and entered the industry herself. Uma Thurman and British film director Steve McQueen presented Miuccia Prada’s award.
   The final award of the night was Designer of the Year—forget Britain’s place here. Last year it was Raf Simons for Calvin Klein, as the Fashion Awards redefined itself away from Britain. This year, Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli received his award from Brooke Shields—the new top honour of the night.
   Entertainment was provided by Ellie Goulding (who performed ‘Natural Woman’), and Boy George (with a tribute to Judy Blame and Michael Howells) for the finalé. Fat Tony DJed the after-party.
   VIPs attending included Suzy Menkes, Asta Valentaite, Aquaria, Caroline Issa, Alice Naylor-Leyland, Roksanda Ilinčić, Emma McQuiston, Presley Gerber, Sinéad Burke, Niomi Smart, Derek Blasberg and Edie Campbell, Martha Ward, Dame Natalie Massenet, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Jade Thirlwall of Little Mix, Lady Amelia Windsor, Tamara Beckwith, Lily McMenamy, Jess Glynne, Laura Bailey, Alexa Chung, Jodie Kidd, Erdem Moralioglu, Alison Loehnis, Kendall Jenner, Gabrielle Caunesil, Damson Idris, Carey Mulligan, Rita Ora, Paloma Faith, Erin O’Connor, Chiwetel Ejiofor, David Beckham and Victoria Beckham, Martha Hunt, Jenna Coleman, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Josephine Skriver, Olivia Palermo, Giles Decon, Neelam Gill, Cindy Bruna, Sara Sampaio, Arizona Muse, Suki Waterhouse, Jourdan Dunn, Georgia May Jagger, Lilah Parsons, Bianca Brandolini d’Adda and Alexandre Arnault, Michael Halpern, Naomie Harris, Hamish Bowles, Lauren Santo Domingo, Caroline Rush, Stephanie Phair, Nadja Swarovski, Saffron Vadher, Hannah Weiland, Charli Howard, Felicity Hayward, Siobhan Bell, Fran Summers, and Caroline Daur.
   Additional sponsors were American Express, Bird in Hand, Digital Domain, Getty Iamges, Lavazza, Mercedes-Benz, Rosewood London, Slingsby Gin, and YouTube.

Arrivals

Mike Marsland/BFC

At the show

Mike Marsland, Tristan Fewings, Jeff Spicer, John Phillips, Joe Maher

Chanel is travelling the world showing its cruise 2018–19 collection, with its second appearance in Bangkok (after Paris).
   Guests were invited to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel before embarking on traditional Thai boats to travel down the Chao Phraya River.
   Celebrities included Chanel ambassadors Lily-Rose Depp, Tilda Swinton, Caroline de Maigret, Soo Joo Park, Pharrell Williams and Gaspard Ulliel, Hong Kong actress Angela Yuen (袁澧林), and Taiwanese singer 9M88. Arriving at the venue for the catwalk show at the disused Sermsuk warehouse, dressed as the ‘Pier No. 5’ were actors Aokbab, Linn Mashannoad, Mew Nittha Jirayungyurn, Chompoo Araya A. Hargate, Nok Sinjai Plengpanich, Nychaa Nuttanicha Dungwattanawanich, James Teeradon Supapunpinyo, Ann Thongprasom, Pao Varit Leesavan Hongsananda, Ice Paris, Pat Chayanit Chansangavej, Jing Jing Yu, Kao Supassara Thanachart, Patricia Tanchanok Good, Ploi Horwang, Kat Sonya Singha, Thanaerng Kanyawee Songmuang, director Apichatpong Weerasethakul, singers Fang Dhanundhorn Neerasingh and Kaew Jarinya Sirimongkolsakul of Fang Fang Kaew, V Violette Wautier and Tong Twopee, and German–New Zealand artist Sandro Kopp.
   Models walked the catwalk on a set, dressed as the deck of a cruise ship, La Pausa.
   The collection has a nautical theme, with designs echoing sailors’ uniforms, complete with stripes, prints with nautical map devices, and double-breasted vests; light fabrics included cottons and silks.
   The post-show celebration saw local acts Thaitanium featuring Srei. Park showed her talents as DJ, while Williams performed for the first time in Bangkok.

Celebrities

On the catwalk




Olivier Saillant

Arrivals in Bangkok

Gisela Schober

Cara Delevingne starred in Volkswagen’s world première of its T-Cross compact crossover SUV, a new model that slots under the T-Roc.
   Delevingne—whom Volkswagen notes has 41 million Instagram followers—presented the new vehicle at the Amsterdam launch, which followed an earlier event in Shanghai and preceded one in São Paulo, all within hours of each other. They represent Volkswagen’s main markets: China, where Volkswagen has a major presence and two important joint ventures; continental Europe, where it began; and Brazil, where the brand continues to be a market leader.
   Joining Delevingne in Amsterdam were Volkswagen COO Ralf Brandstätter, chief designer Klaus Bischoff, and Andreas Krüger, who manages the brand’s ‘Small’ product line.
   Guests included Instagrammer Anna Maria Damm (1·3 million followers) and her sister Katharina Damm, and celebrities including Adrienne Koleszár, Florian Liebig, Jessica Cunningham, Vincent Cerutti, Hans-Joachim Stuck, Leslie Mándoki, and Ischtar Isik.
   The SUV market shows no signs of diminishing, and Volkswagen had been keen to extend its portfolio downward into the B-segment. T-Cross measures 4·11 m in length, with a 2·56 m wheelbase, with two one-litre three-cylinder engines (95 PS and 115 PS) at the entry level, and a 1·5 four-cylinder (150 PS) at the top. There is also a 1·6 turbodiesel (95 PS). Volkswagen stresses all the engines comply with the Euro 6d-Temp emission standard.
   Technical highlights include some features normally reserved for larger vehicles, including pedestrian monitoring with an emergency braking system, lane-keep assist, blind spot detection with rear traffic alert, inductive charging for cellphones, and up to four USB ports. Adaptive cruise control and park assist are optional extras.
   Production of the T-Cross takes place at Navarra, Spain, along with China and South America.
   T-Cross joins the T-Roc, Tiguan, Atlas (called Teramont in China) and Touareg in the Volkswagen SUV line-up.

Gisela Schober