style in progress 4.13 EN

spring summer 14 # 4.2013

Boredom – Putting the Bite on Customer Frequency. Too Much of the Same /// The Art of Optimisation. An Interview with John Cloppenburg /// Room at the Top. Quo Vadis, Shoe Trade? /// Denim, Camouflage and the Colour of Hope. Trends S/S 2014 ///

style in progress

“What is the value of creativity if you don’t know how to sell it?”

Marc Worth

€ 6.90

Her Favourites WWW.MARC-O-POLO.COM

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FOLLOW YOUR NATURE

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W W W. 0 0 3 9 I TA LY. C O M

006 editorial

What to Buy?

Welcome to these lines.

The first trade fairs are over – and now it's time to continue to brood. When it comes to order books the whole industry is once again asking: “What to buy?” There is certainly no shortage of things. except maybe ideas. When enrico acciai, Ceo of the sportswear division of the industries Group speaks in his interview with Thesy KnessBastaroli of a "crisis of ideas" (The Courage of a Company, Placing its Faith in talent, from page 096) – many will agree with him. Would Marc Worth, founder of the trend platform WGSN and now owner of Stylus contradict this? in his interview with editor-in-chief Stephan Huber (The longview, from page 052), he states that nobody can predict trends anymore in any case. He also speaks about one of the most exciting cities in the world – Berlin. on the pavements of Berlin ina Köhler, Martina Müllner, Bernhard Musil, Kay Plonka, isabel Faiss and Nicoletta Schaper captured as much of the atmosphere as possible (Be in Berlin, from page 026). our editors also kept cool heads at the Pitti immagine Uomo – an extensive trend report is intended primarily as a visual guideline (remixed & Sampled, from page 108).

are you looking for even more ideas for buying? Then we recommend you pay close attention to the “Want it” chapter (from page 034), which is full to the brim as always – a cross-section of ambitious brands, fresh ideas and impressive comebacks.

Without any claim to comprehensiveness and fully conscious of the subjectivity of a magazine whose idea was never to write about everything and everyone. rather: we search, select and empty out email inboxes rigorously. What’s left, and what makes it into a magazine, should be creative enough to inspire you during orders. and because you don’t just find inspiration in your own backyard, we have put out feelers far and wide for this edition. ina Köhler’s background report on China (a Gold rush in the east, from page 072) or our invitation in the chapter “Just go There” (from page 076), which is to be taken literally – in which local correspondents report on the secrets of the market in Shanghai, New delhi and rio de Janeiro. The change in perspective brings with it one thing in particular: the recognition that even in a market that’s booming, everything that glitters isn’t gold. it also brings the recognition that both here and over there you need to roll up your sleeves if you want to be successful. don’t believe us? Well ask Mr Wang (Think Big, from page 104) – son of a taiwanese-born mother, who is sailig toward success in China and reports this in a thrilling way to isabel Faiss.

With this in mind, we would like to wish you many insightful moments and, as ever, lots of pleasure reading our magazine.

Your style in progress team

Cover Photo: David Secombe

413 style in progress

ERRATUM: One of them is a brilliant snowboarder, the other has a knack of transforming cashmere into exquisite knitwear creations: In Issue 3.13 of style in progress, we got Allude founder Andrea Karg and snowboarding world champion Isabella Laböck to trade places. Our sincerest apologies to both women.

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008 CONTENT

052

The Longview 052 "we Don’t Dictate Any Trends" style in progress in interview with Marc Worth

whAT's The sTory 058 A heart for the new generation Where to get the next generation of sales assistants, shop managers and management staff?

062 shoe Trade, Quo vadis?

Turnover arrives, stomping its feet 068 Backstage: square, Practical, waterproof The "Made in China" label can also represent quality – KTC demonstrates this 072 A gold rush in the east The Golden Middle Kingdom discovers leisure(fashion)

058

076 Just go There: it's a Jungle out There A fashion portrait of Shanghai, New Delhi and Rio de Janeiro

The TALk 088 roundtable Discussion: Too Much of the same!

What increases the appetite for fashion? A discussion among experts 096 The Courage of a Company, placing its Faith in Talent Enrico Acciai on Sportswear Division of Industries Group's strategy 098 "our strength is the Art of improvement" A great legacy: John Cloppenburg gives all the answers 102 "i Find obvious shows of Luxury vulgar" Massimo Alba places an emphasis on being natural 104 Think Big Harry Wang wants global success for his company 088

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107 5 Questions for riccardo Abati Why polo is more than a sport

rene-lezard.com

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010 CONTENT

©breadandbutter.com/Andre Wagner

FAshion

026

026 Be Berlin 108 Pitti Trends 120 But it wouldn't be nothing, nothing without a woman or a girl 130 same as same

in sTore 138 The Pretty one and The Conqueror Carina e Vincenzo, Vienna 140 good and Tough Dreist, Aachen 142 A Pioneer with an explorer's spirit Vater & Sohn, Hamburg 144 salt, Paper and Fashion Grundtner & Söhne, Hallein 146 A Passion for rare items Adler Altona, Hamburg

120

148 Time for Modernisation Jaspers, Düsseldorf 150 A Luxury Market economy Marché de Luxe, Zürich 152 it wasn’t Planned Like That Rita Hess Moda Donna e Uomo, Thalwil 154 A Monkey as a Mascot Youtopia, Ravensburg 156 where it All Began Classico, Hamburg 158 The seed's sprouting Sprout, Munich

130

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sTAnDArDs 006 eDiToriAL 012 righT now 034 wAnT iT! 160 eDiTor's LeTTer/iMPrinT

rene-lezard.com

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012

RIGHT NOW Alberto

CreAtive Flights oF FAntAsy

The headquarters of the men's trousers specialists Alberto have been topped up.

Completed in April, a new area for creative thinking has been added to the third floor of the building called cloud 7. Distribution, marketing, sales, CAD and product development will all come together here to develop the collections. "The work on our creative centre was similar to the work on our collection," says Marco Lanowy, Managing Director of Alberto GmbH & Co. KG: "We also want to convey the quest for the perfect product with the building." This high expectation was realised by means of a modern architecture with clean lines, high-quality materials and by lending the building a lavish visual appearance with mirrored walls, a broad façade of windows and a wide roof terrace.

Alberto is present in 56 countries; the company founded in 1922 is currently working on expanding the existing markets. www.alberto-pants.com

Creativity on top: On cloud 7 at Alberto.

Drykorn

For BeautiFul PeoPle

Since it was founded in 1996, Drykorn has adopted the snappy slogan "For beautiful people" – and the successful label has to continually justify this.

The website www.forbeautifulpeople.tv should now prove to everybody that it's not talking about Size Zero models. Real people with all their flaws and imperfections are presented in short video clips talking about their perception of beauty. The project is a subject that is truly dear to Drykorn's heart and says a lot about the values of the brand itself. Whether a designer of porcelain from Weimar, a restorer of classic cars from Berlin or a skater from California – all the people in the presentation impress with their unpretentious manner. Exactly the way the Drykorn founder, Marco Götz, wants the brand to be seen. www.forbeautifulpeople.tv

The Nudie jeans cycle: from raw denim jeans to the Recycled Denim Maniacs programme.

nudie Jeans

The Naked TruTh

What is beauty?

The people giving an answer to this question posed by Drykorn are just like you and me.

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Since 2012, all trousers by the Scandinavian brand Nudie Jeans have been made of 100 per cent organic cotton. This currently stands at one million pieces per year. The material for them comes from Turkey, Italy or Japan; the denims are produced and washed in Italy.

Retail prices range from 99 to 189 euros. Now Nudie wants to start a new sustainability offensive: This year, end consumers should be able to look at all production facilities on the website like e.g. the fair trade certified T-shirts that are manufactured in India. By 2015, the Gothenburg jeans brand wants to ensure that every pair of trousers is equipped with a code with which the whole process from the cotton plant to the preliminary stages and the end product is not just traceable, but, as a member of the Fair Wear Foundation, is also transparent. Already today, trousers are repaired free of charge in Nudie’s 15 stores, or are taken for recycling in exchange for a voucher and then reintroduced to the textile cycle, e.g. in the form of carpets. www.nudiejeans.com

RIGHT NOW 013

lucky de luca

New Team for ausTria

From this coming season, the colourful collection of shirts and blouses by the designer Valentino de Luca will also be represented on the Austrian market by the Clothing Concept agency from Salzburg with its own sales and marketing team. Agency owner Erwin Kronawettleitner is starting off sales with one collection which will have a particular focus on the roots and origins of Lucky de Luca. The essence of Italian film history from the '60s. The images and inspiration for the new prints, styles and colours came from regions such as Naples – the home town of Valentino de Luca – and from Capri, Positano and Ischia. www.luckydeluca.com

Follow Your Nature: Jeff Bridges for Marc O’Polo.

Marc o’Polo

GReaT CINema

There are very few Hollywood stars who rise above it all, both in terms of reviews and the audience. Jeff Bridges is one of them. The dude from "The Big Lebowski," Duane Jackson from "The Last Picture Show," and Jack Baker from "The Fabulous Baker Boys" was finally awarded an Oscar in 2010 for his role in "Crazy Heart." As well as his incredible portfolio as an actor, Bridges also enjoyed success as a photographer, painter and musician and always remained amazingly authentic. Marc O’Polo couldn’t have found a more impressive brand ambassador for their current campaign under the motto "Follow Your Nature," because that’s exactly what Bridges has done all his life.

This is also true for Amber Valetta, who successfully made the leap from supermodel to style icon and actress. Both stars were portrayed by Mario Sorrenti for Marc O’Polo; he has been a trend-setting photographer in recent years. No half measures! www.marc-o-polo.de

The designer, Valentino de Luca, allowed copious amounts of charm to flow from his Italian roots into the current spring/summer collection by Lucky de Luca.

red Wing shoes

exPAnDeD heADquArters

Everything under one roof: boosting efficiency and production and, at the same time, returning to the roots of Red Wing Shoes.

The Red Wing Shoe Company in Minnesota has now come to the end of the renovation and expansion project that has occupied quite a few years now. Back at the beginning of June, Red Wing opened a newlyrefurbished area spanning 2,300 square metres on the first floor of the company headquarters to bring together in one place all 60 employees involved in logistics. Until then, these employees had been spread over four different buildings dotted around the city. "We have invested more than 18 million dollars in the city of Red Wing over the last three to four years," said company spokesperson Peter Engel. "If nothing else, this conveys our strong bond with the city. But our facilities were just not sufficiently modern and needed to be brought up to date."

Over 1,000 employees work for the shoe company in the small city of Red Wing, after which the company is named, with operations ranging from manufacturing to back-office services. Shoes and boots for the Heritage line are still manufactured in the company headquarters, which also has its own tannery. www.redwingheritage.com

style in progress 413

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g-star raw x leica

Denim meets inDustrial Design

Mountain Force

G-Star is joining forces with the German camera manufacturer Leica to present a special edition of the Leica D-LUX 6" series at the Pitti Uomo in Florence. Anton Corbijn is a photographer and long-standing cooperation partner of G-Star and is acting as the ambassador for the crossover between the jeans brand and the camera manufacturer. He took receipt of the first Raw-Leica camera at the trade show.

Shubhankar Ray, Global Brand Director of G-Star: "The cooperation is just a logical synthesis of G-Star, Leica and Anton Corbijn. The common factor that combines them are found in their roots in street life, raw and real. Nowadays, it is the intrinsic value of a desired object that makes it a luxury object. The value of the product and its empirical value are, therefore, essential characteristics." The G-Star crossover includes collaborations with such brands as Vitra, Cannondale and Land Rover.

The camera is available in selected Leica stores and from g-star.com for 990 euros.

G-Star also gave a preview of its eyewear collection at the Pitti Immagine Uomo, which will be available in stores from November. www.g-star.com

New oN Board

In June of this year, Mike Stöhr joined the Swiss ski clothing specialist Mountain Force as their new International Sales Director Ski. The 44-year-old had previously worked for Peak Performance as their Country Manager for Austria and Switzerland. "Mountain Force is growing steadily," says Roman Stepek, CEO of Mountain Force AG. "We are delighted that we've managed to get a real professional like Mike Stöhr on board. He brings a great deal of experience with him and will be responsible for selective development of the markets." Stöhr's predecessor, Sabine Weissbacher, has assumed the position of International Sales Director for the fashionable urban collection, Studio Collection, and will also be supporting Mike Stöhr in sales and marketing of the ski wear.

The company from Rotkreuz devotes itself equally to mountaineering, the Swiss tradition as well as to the durability of its products. Consequently, there is also a reconditioning service which repairs garments without affecting their original design. www.mountainforce.com

Made by hand: The G-Star Raw Leica with its industrial look.

Parajumpers

suMMer sPortsWeAr

Cotton meets nylon in the new Fleamarket Series by Parajumpers, the Italian premium sportswear brand.

By combining red nylon details with the washed cotton jackets available in classic colours of navy, army and khaki, a modern vintage look is created. The Californian Series revives the classic quilting technology of traditional American sportswear, giving a contemporary twist. The ultra-light down jackets have already been a successful hit over the last few seasons, but now, with its broader range of colours, they are given a fresh new look. Feather Weight is the name given to this further development of the summer down; it weighs practically nothing and yet is able to provide excellent protection – even during the warmest summer months. Generally speaking, Parajumpers is reflecting on its roots and places equal amounts of importance on its classic jacket models Newport (the classic bomber jacket) and Desert (field jacket) in terms of detailing, style and function. www.parajumpers.it

Cotton meets nylon in the new Fleamarket Series.

Experts for skiwear.

413 style in progress

“I FEEL LIKE I’M WEARING HISTORY,

SOMETHING AUTHENTIC,

SOMETHING CLASSIC. I FEEL MYSELF. ”

FRANCOIS, ASSISTANT CHEF AND MODEL March 28TH - 2013 TIME 15:20

SELF-PORTRAIT STORIES

KOMET UND HELDEN SHOWROOM - LODENFREY PARK - MÜNCHEN INFO@KOMETUNDHELDEN.DE shop online woolrich.eu - wpstore.com

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uvu

Practical

Uvu is the name of the high-end endurance sports collection that devotes itself to the latest technologies for highly functional garments.

To do this, Uvu Holding operates in Hong Kong under the name of Uvu Racing Laboratory and is collaborating with well-known endurance athletes for these innovations - for example with the extreme marathon record holders Richard Donovan and Andrew Murray, who have helped develop the Arctic Race running collection for freezing temperatures down to minus 40 degrees. The results achieved by the team members from the Racing Laboratory pretty much speak for themselves because their latest triumphs have been in winning the famous Marathon des Sables, the Uvu North Pole Marathon and the ultra-cross-country skiing race, the Arctic Circle Race. The company wants to continue along the path of practical development and has brought the vet and speed ski mountaineer Sebastian Haag on board. As team manager of the Uvu Racing Laboratory he will be assisting with product development, the aim being to further strengthen cooperation with athletes and to allow these new findings to flow into the commercial Uvu collection. www.uvuracing.com

The speed ski mountaineer Sebastian Haag is team manager at Uvu.

replay

Shop Makeover

A rough image in the vintage look: PME Legend sets up shop-in-shops in Germany – according to the example of its own stores such as Rotterdam.

PMe legend

ConneCted to Retail

The Dutch brand PME Legend is setting up its first eight shop-in-stores in Germany this autumn. Just Brands, the company behind the brand, places great emphasis on cooperation with retail partners. This year for the first time, the brand displayed a so-called web powered retail pillar, which was set up in customer areas. By means of this eye-catcher, the end consumer can directly order sizes that are missing. What’s special about this: The products are sent to the store. “So the sales stay with the customer,” says Robert Theijssen, CEO for Germany, Austria and Switzerland. PME Legend has a presence here with showrooms in Düsseldorf, Sindelfingen, Munich, Hamburg, Salzburg and Zurich. Since it began in January 2012, PME Legend has gained about 150 customers, including Dodenhof Posthausen, Reischmann in Memmingen or May in Waldshut. In the Benelux countries, the brand already has 1,500 points of sale. Its own stores under the umbrella title Just Brands were developed in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Haarlem or Zwolle. www.pme-legend.com

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Replay has given its shop plans in Germany a face-lift: After their premiere in the Cologne store last year branches followed in Düsseldorf and Oberhausen in March and April 2013. “This has already had a very positive short-term effect on sales,” says CEO for Germany Thomas Wirth, who is also responsible for Switzerland and Poland. In the long term, all stores are to be reworked. The Italian label has run new branches in the ECE Centre in Hamburg since May: Further openings are planned for autumn, including in Weiden, Cologne and another location in North Rhine-Westphalia.

“Alongside the city centre locations, we also see good potential in shopping centres – in stores covering between 120 and 150 square metres,” says Wirth. He also says that in the medium term, it is conceivable that they could open their own stores with shoes and accessories. In addition, Replay will also begin franchise plans in 2013 and, in this way, it will develop its retail commitment more. As an additional service for wholesale customers, a permanent showroom in Sindelfingen was re-established. This year Replay has moved its headquarters and showroom in Düsseldorf to the Plange Mühle on the harbour. www.replay.com

A New Look – Replay’s stores are being gradually relaunched.

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mytheresa.com

lAunCh oF An ArAbiAn Website

In May, the online shop for luxury fashion mytheresa.com launched a website specifically designed for its Arabic-speaking customers.

Localised special features in sectors of payment, shipping, exchange and return complement the existing premium service of the shop.

An Arabic-speaking Customer Care Team are available for customers from Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates at any time. The launch took place as part of mytheresa.com's internationalisation strategy. In February 2012, the company went online with its Italian website.

This was then followed by the French version in September 2012. The gradual localisation of the webshop for the international markets reinforces the strong growth of mytheresa.com in the luxury fashion sector. www.mytheresa.com/en-ae

Luxury for Arabia: mytheresa has designed a website specifically tailored for customers from the Middle East.

Time for networking: Specialists from all over Europe met for the visual merchandising conference Vision 2013.

vision 2013

INspIrINg

Visual merchandising is becoming an ever more important factor for retail. Specialists met in London at the Vision 2013 conference from 11 to 13 June. The Fürth-based company Barthelmess issued the invitations. Visual merchandising decision makers from all around Europe were present, including those who work for a diverse range of companies such as Marks & Spencer, Harrods, Wöhrl, Tchibo, Charles Vögele, Laurèl, Basler, Levi’s, Harvey Nichols or Topshop. “There aren’t enough places to meet to exchange ideas and get fresh stimulus in the industry. We want to contribute to this with the Vision,” says CEO of Barthelmess Wolfgang Bastert. The list of speakers was appropriately diverse, consisting of visionaries and industry practitioners: Trend researcher Li Edelkoort spoke in the London club Kensington Roof Gardens about the future of visual merchandising, management consultant Hermann Scherer about how to think unconventionally, Jonathan Baker from the London College of Fashion showed examples of best practice from all around the world. Professor Jos Gamble focused on Chinese retail and Stephan Austrup presented the strategy employed by Sonae Sierra, a shopping centre specialist from Portugal, responsible for designing the Alexa Center in Berlin. www.barthelmess.com

Luis smiles down from the wall on guests: The largest hotel project was constructed in Hezelhof, Central Franconia, in cooperation with Luis Trenker.

luis trenker

PlayiNg HosT

It’s not the first hotel to offer select suites tailored to the brand's Alpine lifestyle, but it is the largest project to date.

Hotel Hezelhof in Dinkelsbühl in the district of Ansbach opened its doors, including both Luis Trenker suites, Suite 24 and Suite 42, in mid-May. There is also a restaurant named after the legendary mountain climber, along with an infrared cabin which the South Tyrolean brand develops and markets in cooperation with Physiotherm. "Hotels have always been important points of contact with our brand," says Michi Klemera, explaining the strategy. "We look for partnerships with outstanding establishments – for example the Luis Trenker Chalets in the mountain village of Priesteregg in Leogang, suites in Hotel Zum Rosenbaum in Nals in South Tyrol, in Das Kronthaler by Lake Achen in Tyrol, in Hotel Quellenhof in St. Martin near Meran or Hotel Alpin Juwel in Saalbach-Hinterglemm." In addition to this, Luis Trenker is an outfitting partner to high-quality hotels – and this, for example, is how the crew at the newly-opened Falkensteiner Hotel in Schladming were kitted out by the Bozen-based label. www.luistrenker.com

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INTERNATIONAL CONTACT: WWW.MINIMUM.DK HEADOFFICE GERMANY: DELUXE DISTRIBUTION / +49 (0)30 69597690 INFO@DELUXE-DISTRIBUTION.DE

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li ning

sPortsWeAr FroM the FAr eAst

One of the leading sports brands from the People’s Republic of China is run by Olympic champion in artistic gymnastics and floor exercises Li Ning, and it is also named after him. In China, the Li Ning Company Ltd. will hold the exclusive production, marketing, distribution and retail rights to outdoor sports products under the name Aigle for the next 50 years. Over here, as well as being committed to manufacturing badminton equipment, Li Ning is primarily involved in the running sector. The Finnish L-Fashion Group was contracted for its exclusive marketing and distribution – excluding badminton articles – in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Slovenia, Finland, Croatia, The Netherlands and Russia.

The brand was launched with a special Europe collection in 2012. Li Ning has been one of two premium partners for the Hamburg Marathon since 2013 and acts as the new official supplier to the Zurich Marathon. www.li-ning-europa.de

Over here, Li Ning is taking on the big guys in the running sector.

Copenhagen Fashion Week and Who’s next Paris

a TickeT for Paris aNd coPeNHageN

Celine Klauser and Elvis Giglione founded the Stand

by Fashion agency.

stand by Fashion

Pooled exPertise

“We want to guarantee fast deliveries so we can react in line with market conditions,” says Elvis Giglione, who, together with Celine Klauser, founded the agency Stand by GmbH in May. Both of them bring along certain expertise in the field of women’s and men’s fashion. Elvis Giglione was sales manager at the agency Ben And and was at Hugo Boss for nine years before that, while Celine Klauser has managed an agency under her own name for the past four years.

Their portfolio includes vintage parkas with a fashionable finish by Barbed from Florence, and Sartoria Tramarossa from Veneto, a collection with a focus on trousers, with lots of denim which can be personalised with your own initials. Dresses

by Backstage from Sydney are presented in a casual, elegant way, while San Francisco 976 goes for a sporty overall look.

Good Works from Los Angeles specialises in wristbands with heart-warming sayings on them and donates 25 per cent of its turnover to charitable causes. All of which be seen in the Munich showroom, at the Show & Order in Berlin as well as at the Supreme in Düsseldorf.

Labels: Annie P, Ananda, Backstage, Barbed, Fineday Friday, Good Works, Made in Heaven, Orciani, My T-Shirt, Mono and Me, Mrs. Goodlife, Powell, Sartoria Tramarossa, San Francisco 976, Springa, Saint Noir, Very Simple Stand by Fashion, Munich/Germany, info@standby-fashion.com, www.standby-fashion.com

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The tradeshow Who’s Next Prêt-à-porter in Paris and the Ciff, Gallery Int. Fashion Fair and Vision in Copenhagen have entered an exclusive partnership which is initially set to last for two seasons. Entrance tickets to the Who's Next Paris, which took place from 6 to 7 July 2013, are also valid during the Danish round of tradeshows in Copenhagen from 8 to 10 August 2013. The aim of this alliance is to promote interest in the buyers from northern Europe for the Parisian location and to make it easier for the traders from southern Europe to visit Copenhagen as well as demonstrating European unity at an international level. Christian Gregersen, founder and owner of the Gallery Int. Fashion Fair Copenhagen: "By having a joint ticket for the two events we are making it easier for the specialist trade visitors to visit the leading trade shows in Paris and Copenhagen. They only need to register once and are able to then gain entry to the two trade shows. Such a thing is the first of its kind in the fashion show segment and the first step in increasing the level of service for our visitors and exhibitors." There is a possibility that this partnership will be expanded to include other leading European events but these were not yet known at the time of going to press. www.whosnext.com, www.cfw.dk/trade-fairs/

Love, peace and unity: unity between the organisers of the Who's Next in Paris and the tradeshows in Copenhagen during the Fashion Week.

TAF • BAT

www.aigle.com

STYLE IN PROGRESS (GER) • SP Plein Papier • 220 x 300 mm • Visuel:Chèvre • Parution= • SEPTEMBER • Remise le=02/juil./2013

Aigle Store Düsseldorf, Königsallee 60, Tel.: 0211-13065988.

Händlernachweis über info@aigle.de, Tel.: 0211-23956910.

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aGeN CIes Agentur toepfer

Four in one go

Cheerful colours and several pattern variations are the distinguishing features of Happy Socks.

brandpool

Happy SockS

The agency Brandpool is now taking over the sales and distribution of the young Swedish brand Happy Socks in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The socks brand, which was founded in 2008, wants to gain more of a foothold in the German-speaking market with Brandpool. “Our main aim is to play our part in this young, yet already impressive, success story. We want to continue along this path and to continue to grow together with Happy Socks and the products,” says the head of Brandpool Hakan Temür.

The colourful and eclectically-patterned cult socks have purchase prices of about three euros, retail prices of eight euros, tights and overknees have purchase prices of six euros and retail prices of 15 euros. As well as the approximately 100-piece spring/summer and autumn/winter collections for men and women, there is a stock programme and a 25-piece kids' line. Limited editions appear regularly, so far in cooperation with people such as Mike Snow, Curtis Culig, Manish Arora or Terry Richardson among others.

Labels: Alternative Apparel, Atelier Heschung, Bleu de Chauffe, Common People, Cowboysbelt, Delicate Love, Denham, Death by Zero, Deus, Mr. Blacks, Natural Selection Denim, Nudie Jeans, Oscar Jacobson, Pauls Boutique, The Last Conspiracy, Uniforms for the Dedicated, Wolverine 1000 Mile Brandpool GmbH & Co.KG, Offenbach am Main/Germany, T 0049.69.82993390, info@brandpool.biz, www.brandpool.biz

The Agentur Toepfer from Düsseldorf is expanding in every direction in 2013, and not just their sales team but also their portfolio. Four new brands are signing up in one go (alongside Good Genes, see Want It): BLK OPM, Kim & Zozi, Seafarer and Valentina de Pietri. In the spring/summer season, the Canadian-Australian brand Kim & Zozi are set to add sneakers that are just as gaudily patterned as their ethnic jewellery line dubbed "hippie bling". BLK OPM (Black Opium), a T-shirt and sweatshirt label associated with the Parisian concept store L’Eclaireur, is darker. The classic sailing trousers by Seafarer were revived for women in spring 2013. The silk scarves and tops by Valentina de Pietri from Italy, now at the helm of the 50-year-old family business, were so successful as to warrant a significant enlargement of the summer collection. The casual-chic style of all these brands slips seamlessly into the product range the agency already provides, nestled between HTC’s glam rock and the Cote d’Azur femininity of Erika Cavallini.

Labels: 8PM, Barena, Basalte, Bella Luxx, BLK OPM, Blue of Vespucci, Blum, Charli, Circolo 1901, Erika Cavallini Semi-Couture, Esgivien, Eugene is My Middle Name, Faliero Sarti, Fine Collection, Free City, GMS 75, Good Genes, Headhunter, HTC Hollywood Trading Company, Indress, Kim & Zozi, L-Cashmere, Laneus, Leigh & Luca, Luca Venturini, Meo Fusciuni, S-Dress, Samantha Sung, Seafarer, Siyu, U di Aviu, Valentina de Pietri, VSP Agentur Toepfer, Düsseldorf and Munich/Germany, office@agentur-toepfer.com, www.agentur-toepfer.com One of four new labels at Toepfer: Kim & Zozi with urban ethnic jewellery.

The Spanish ecofashion label Ecoalf is one of the newcomers to the Bässler and Kappler agencies.

Agentur bässler/Agentur Kappler

"PReseNCING ..."

"... is the motto for the coming seasons. The term was coined by Otto Scharmer, the professor of philosophy. It is composed of the two words "presence" and "sensing" and essentially means: leading from the future as it emerges," says Marcus Bässler, explaining the direction his agency and the Munich partner agency of Constanze Kappler is taking. With regard to content this primarily means rigorous streamlining of commercially-oriented collections to add a clear focus. The product range is to be honed into a more avant-garde collection through the addition of four new-comers whose first duty is to elevate the expertise of the two agencies to a higher level of fashion. New additions to the product range, beside the collections of Isabel Benenato and the American denim brand RTA, are Philippe Model from Paris (clothing) and the Spanish eco-fashion label, Ecoalf.

Labels: Ai-Riders On The Storm, Dadcrown, Ecoalf, George Gina & Lucy, Giorgio Brato, Gwynedds, Hetregó, Isabel Benenato, Liebig Berlin, Original Vintage Style, Philippe Model, RTA, Soisire Soiebleu, Swiss Chriss, Szen, Tkees, Tyoulip Sisters, Up To Be, WLG by Giorgio Brato Agentur Bässler, Düsseldorf/Germany, office@agentur-baessler.de, www.agentur-baessler.de Agentur Kappler, Munich/Germany, office@agentur-kappler.de, www.agentur-kappler.de

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Photo by Irene Schaur Unbenannt-3 1

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Annette bailleux Kollektionen Compagnia Maglia gmbh

rooM, use, PlAn

When the agency owner, Annette Bailleux, talks about her life in the fashion scene, about innovative companies, about loyal business partners and fantastic encounters, it's easy to see her passion for the profession. However, the self-made fashion expert has carefully planned and built up her business step-by-step since it was founded in 1996. For the past seven years, the Compagnia Maglia GmbH has been headquarted in a 150 square metre loft in the Schärer-Areal in Erlebach on Lake Zürich, a place of creativity in a former machine factory. Once the number of customers started to enter triple figures, it was time to grow in other areas, too. An additional 200 square metres were rented and these are now able to provide sufficient scope to present the collections over the two levels in an appropriate manner and bring one of the members of staff, Julia Winkler, on board into the Compagnia Maglia GmbH as a partner. The new spaciousness also offers more room for another of the owner's passions: modern art. She is the proud owner of a collection of original ceramic Disney figures: Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. They keep guard over Drykorn & Co. and conjure a smile on every visitor's face.

Labels: Argonne, Closed, Drykorn, FFC, Flowers–Shirts, Graham & Spencer, Mabrun, Velvet Compagnia Maglia GmbH, Erlenbach/Switzerland, info@annettebailleux.ch, www.annettebailleux.ch

Well look here: Traditional costume goes really young, made of cashmere in vibrant colours by ZauberAlm, new at Gabriela Kofler.

A clear case: Plenty of light and air for more fashion and more customers. ©Patrizio di Renzo

aGeN CIes

Aco Modeagentur

A New BusiNess segmeNt with First liNes

Back during last season the Modeagentur Aco began developing a new business segment with the promotion of Parosh, and they want to reinforce this once again in coming seasons. “First lines by Roberto Cavalli (the women’s, men’s and accessories collection) and the men's and women's collections by Iceberg have come on board for spring/summer 2014,” says Michael Schulz. In doing so, the agency is concentrating on collections that only exhibit in Milan and/or Paris. They will take over distribution and customer service for these brands on the German and Austrian markets. Another newcomer to the product range is the brand Zapa Paris which, after a comprehensive relaunch, wants to implement a long-term strategy for the German market in cooperation with Aco. They have gained a high-quality knitwear label from Italy in Anne Claire. “Basically, our priority is to concentrate on our bigger and promising brands and that’s why the number of newcomers is limited,” says Michael Schulz.

Labels: Anne Claire, Bikkembergs Underwear/Beachwear, Day Birger et Mikkelsen, Dsquared Underwear/Beachwear, Frankie Morello, Geospirit, Hardy Amies, Ice Iceberg, Iceberg, Just Cavalli, Parosh, Pinko, Pirelli P Zero, Roberto Cavalli, Rossoforte, Versace Collection, Who’s Who, Yves Salomon Homme, Zapa Paris Aco Modeagentur, Düsseldorf/Germany, info@acomode.de, www.acomode.de

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One of the newcomers to the Aco fashion agency is the label Zapa.

gabriela Kofler Fashion Agency

iNfecTed wiTH THe fasHioN Virus

Gabriela Kofler calls what infected her and induced her to open a fashion agency a fashion virus. The trained optician always had a total insight into all things fashion, experienced the fashion business very closely as a business model. The Salzburger started her own distribution agency and now has a permanent employee in Christina Seer as well as her 21-year-old daughter Karla as junior talent, and a showroom spanning 130 square metres. Her speciality: Being able to offer the whole programme to customers from head to foot. This season Gabriela Kofler discovered five new brands that cleverly expand her portfolio, notably the young traditional costume collection by ZauberAlm from Germany, which is made of cashmere from Cariaggi. Also new: Rockstars & Angels, which Kara Kofler looks after very particularly, Hot Spot L.A., Just Over The Top (summer down) and Stephan-K (leather).

Labels: Amorph, Arma, Blonde No 8, Crick it, Drakewood, Exit Brooklyn, Freds Bruder, Hice, Hot Spot L.A., I Heart, Just Over The Top, Rockstars & Angels, Shivadiva, Silver Jeans, Stephan-K, ZauberAlm Gabriela Kofler Fashion Agency, Salzburg/Austria, gabriela@gabrielakofler.at, www.gabrielakofler.at

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The MarkeT is Moving

The market is moving – that’s what Bread & Butter reflects, no matter how much irritation Beststeller’s participation has stirred. And although the trade show’s claim reads “tradeshow for selected brands”, this time around, it features the successful brands rather than the chosen few. Text: Kay Alexander Plonka. Photos: Kay Alexander Plonka, Cordula Groth/Bread & Butter

bread & butter "The real clincher is ThaT The qualiTy of visiTors here is righT. We are very saTisfied, alThough There are feWer people. all of The imporTanT cusTomers aTTended and ThaT's greaT. all We can say on The Topic of enTrance prices is ThaT qualiTy comes aT a price."

AlexAnder GedAt, CeO MArC O’POlO

Philippe Dugardin, Sales Director at Aigle "We wholeheartedly welcome the new regulations on visitors. We had all the key-accounts from Europe here at our stand on the very first day, and we had a lot of positive meetings. It pays to be a loyal exhibitor."

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Karl-Heinz Müller, President of Bread & Butter "We do what we believe is right. This has always been our strategy, and we trust in our feel for the market. Bread & Butter is a commercial enterprise, so we need to strike the right balance. There are always discussions when you try something new or different. But lots of retailers come here, and that is what counts for our exhibitors. I am convinced that we are on the right track and in touch with the times.

But we'll have to come up with something new for next season – and we look forward to it."

"leT's WaiT and see WhaT The summer has up iTs sleeve! here aT The BBB We are surrounded By laid-Back Brands; The music is good and all in and all iT's a nice seTTing.

We are fairly relaxed aBouT The coming season and are looking forWard To a good sTarT." MArkus Meindl, MAnAGinG direCtOr At Meindl FAshiOn

Klaus Kirschner, Managing Director at Stetson Europe "The response is still good – the trade show is running well, everyone is happy and the only thing missing this year is the sun; but we can put up with that. There are fewer people in among the stands, but the quality of visitors has remained on the same high level.

Everyone is sitting down, working, and there are no interruptions from people wanting to sell or lease things. We are entirely focussed on our customers."

Reiner Pichler, CEO Holy Fashion Group "All of our business partners were at the show and that is important. We are very satisfied with the numbers and with the quality of visitors – so even after the second day we can say that it's been great. The setting and the brand mix in the areas where we are located with our brands Strellson, Joop and Windsor harmonise well with the market; this is true of the Urban Base, the Urban Superior and also the L.O.C.K. Hall."

Jürgen Putzer, Head of Marketing, and Ralph Böhm (right), General Manager at Club of Gents "Lots of international buyers, from Asia and Europe especially, stopped by at our stand, even on the first day. The quality and the quantity of visitors exceeded our expectations."

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Marcus Meyer, President & CEO of Highline United "Premium is the right platform for conducting very concrete, preliminary talks. The season was really tough, so now buyers are on the lookout for brands offering something really new; in order to delight trendsetters, we need to cater to what they want."

Andreas Schmied, Owner of the Free Mountain Agency "Yes, customers are looking for something new – as long as it's affordable luxury and is backed by a reliable system. Trade fairs like the Premium are an important way of giving this search a home. After all, the days of gambling on risks and buying anywhere are over now."

See

Maria Gsenger, Womenswear Buyer and Martina Russegger, Merchandising Adelsberger, St. Johann i.P. "We are looking for new brands because anything that doesn't work is rigorously replaced," says Maria Gsenger. For Martina Russegger the trade fair is also a place to "simply look at people, to take in street styles and to go home inspired."

and Be Seen

Established as an information platform, valued as a trend setter and dubbed a treasure trove for new brands – at Gleisdreieck, the VIPs of the German fashion trade push their way through the crowds.

At the heart of the trade fair event: the sustainability symposium Parley.

Text: Martina Müllner. Photos: Bernhard Musil, Premium

premium berlin

"you can only groW from a niche – and so Buyers are more soughT afTer Than ever Before. people WiTh a clear image in Their heads, Who design a personal look for Their sTores, come ouT on Top aT Times like These." COnstAnze kAPPler, Owner OF AGentur kAPPler Daniela Holnsteiner, the Peuterey Group Area Manager for Germany, Austria Switzerland and Scandinavia, and René Michaelis, the Peuterey Group Agent in Southern Germany "The Premium is, without doubt, the right platform for Germany and Northern Europe because, in contrast to the Pitti Immagine Uomo, you also see the smaller customers," says Daniela Holnsteiner. "It's important for the trade fair to select; but it isn't really arrogance, just a means of keeping the trade fair homogenous," adds René Michaelis.

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Silke Ochsenkühn, Sales Manager Europe for Lauren Moshi "We write a substantial part of our orders at the Premium.

The feedback from retailers: no basics, we want things that are novel and special.

So if your collection reflects this, buyers will be open."

Michi Klemera, Founder of Luis Trenker "They can't do airports but they can do trade fairs," teased the founder of Luis Trenker goodhumouredly after the governing mayor Klaus Wowereit's visit to his stand at the Premium.

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welldeveloped eveloped

panorama

A harmonious overall look, wearable and high-selling collections. Panorama confirms the second time round that its concept is paying off. Even the remote location is a non-issue now. Text: Nicoletta Schaper. Photos: Bernhard Musil

“The panorama is a place for us To demonsTraTe our modern image.

We like The Trade shoW scene and an open plaTform is alWays Welcome.

We've Been missing ThaT for a While noW in Berlin.” dAniel GOttesdiener, Owner OF Oui

Ben Botas, Managing Director of the Ben Agency and Agent for the D.A.CH. region for the brand Sand “Customers are giving us great feedback. The mix of Scandinavian fits and Italian materials is very well received. As a new fair, Panorama has given us the right platform and good support – and that's precisely what we need.”

Wilhelm Ehrlich, Owner of Sportalm “This year we are celebrating our 60th company anniversary with a mega-event up on the mountain in Kitzbühel, unlike anything they've seen before in Austria. First thing in the morning on the first day of the fair, we had important retailers here in our stand at Panorama, and the brand profile has improved once more.”

Walter Moser, Managing Director at Airfield “The customers are motivated, regardless of the tough spring/ summer season. Here at Airfield we have increased the rhythm to four collections with ten delivery dates. The main factor is that the merchandise is there at the right time; after all, customers want to wear what they buy immediately.

So we have to offer it.”

Knut Horsch, Product Manager at Carl Gross “At the end it comes down to one thing: Who was there? We greeted very important customers at our stand right on the first day.

It clearly confirmed our belief that the trade fair is just right for us.”

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Style

and atmoSphere

show & order

Verena Malta, the person behind Show & Order, is thrilled to be a young mother and also to welcome new exhibitors like Cop. Copine, Pennyblack, King Louie, IKKS or Young Couture by Barbara Schwarzer.

A sterling concept with slightly modified portfolio: The Show & Order, held in the former power plant in Berlin-Mitte, has emerged as the place to be for retailers on the lookout for something special, offering a relaxed yet focused atmosphere, appreciated consistently by exhibitors and visitors alike.

Text: Ina Köhler. Photos: Bernhard Musil

Tanja Hellmuth, Managing Director of St.Emile “We are very happy to be here. First of all we really like the location. Secondly, we believe in the concept, in placing an emphasis on the project. Thirdly, all of the important retailers are here. And we really do enjoy the laid-back atmosphere that helps us conduct very productive and concentrated meetings. All in all it is a successful start to the season.”

Max Schulte, Head of Sales at Tigha, is here for the third time.

“It’s the perfect place for us. We can use the power plant as a dramatic backdrop to present lifestyle.

We are very content with the way it is, all things considered.

Good customers – from Wormland and Breuninger to P&C – a great and pleasant atmosphere, smooth service. And Verena whipped another great idea out of her hat with the Late Night Order.”

"The locaTion is fresh and modern; i like iT a loT. iT's jusT The righT place for us, and Business has Been good." steFAn BrOsius, PArtner in the tOPs' COlleCtiOn sMillA

The Friendly Hunting brand by Christian Goldmann is attending the Show & Order for the first time, presenting cashmere scarves and accessories.

"It really does have a special atmosphere," says Moritz Münch, responsible for sales in Bavaria, BadenWürttemberg and Austria.

"We could have done with a few more visitors, especially on the first day. But we are pretty satisfied."

Carsten Brinkmann, Brand Manager at Tribeca, is a secondtime attendee. "We find that there is a very pleasant working climate here. It is never hectic; customers are fairly relaxed when they arrive. The quality of visitors dispels any concerns, and our most important customers drop by. But the first day was a bit sluggish."

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Celine Klauser from Stand By GmbH came here with a whole stack of brands: Backstage from Australia, the newly appointed celebrity brand with its eye-catching patterns, is hot off the presses, just like Mono & Me. "We've had some fantastic customers here, and the quality of retailers impressed me greatly. It's a pleasant place for us to write orders – and certainly worthwhile for orders on short-notice items such as T-shirts and jewellery."

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DEyK: TOTALLy RELAxED Deyk used the plush setting in Hotel Das Stue to present its spring/summer collection to friends and partners. A wonderful evening in an equally wonderful location.

BREAD & BUTTER OPEnInG: HIGH-VOLTAGE A boisterous mood at the former Tempelhof Airport. Later in the evening, thunder and lightning called a surprising halt to the high-spirited opening event.

FaShion Week

at the

Evening functions, offside shows and numerous fashion events run side by side with the large number of fairs and catwalk programmes at this year's Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in Berlin. Text: Isabel Faiss. Photos: Brands

MARC STOnE: SUCCESSFUL LAUnCH On the first day of the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, the designer Marco Steiners presented his collection for the label Marc Stone in front of packed stands in the Show Tent at Brandenburg Gate.

DESIGnER FOR TOMORROW: THE BIG STAGE Iona Ciolacu staged her collection on the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week catwalk.

She is this year's winner of the Award Show in the Designer for Tomorrow competition, curated and financed by Peek & Cloppenburg under the patronage of John Cloppenburg (left) and the designer Stella McCartney.

PARLEy: A PLETHORA OF STARS AT THE PREMIUM Parley (a term describing peace negotiations among pirates) came up with idea, and Anita and Norbert Tillmann created the decidedly exclusive platform at the Premium: Coming together for a good cause – sensible use of plastic waste recovered from the ocean – the illustrious group of American rapper Pharell Williams, the deep-sea diver Fabien Cousteau and film director Fisher Stevens, among others, joined in cooperation with the New York-based fabric manufacturer Bionic in appealing to the industry to treat plastic as a valuable resource and to ensure its recycling. (from left to right: Cyrill Gutsch, Susan Hartland, Anita Tillmann, Fisher Stevens, Fabien Cousteau, Tyson Toussant, Pharell Williams, Tim Coombs, Norbert Tillmann).

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034 Good People

want it Max et Moi

Christian Cota

Christian Cota

New York's most aNticipated Parsons graduate, New York-based fashion designer Christian Cotas has been a rising talent for quite a while...Back in 2009, Cota won The Fashion Group International's Rising Star Award in the women's apparel category.

In 2010 he was selected as a finalist for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund. But in 2012 however, Cota has been selected for the CFDA’s highly coveted Fashion Incubator programme, which he is participating in from 2012 through 2014. Cota's collections are works of art, his multicultural background and his skills as a painter continue to distinguish his work, from detailed tailoring, hand-painted motifs and digital prints, to collections inspired by colors and textures of his native Mexico. Utilising his heritage in a free-spirit yet a mindful approach makes his designs so admired and loved by

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celebrities such Blake Lively, Jessica Biel, Eva Mendes. Cota admired the style of his mother and grandmother and lists them as muses. Their grace has inspired collections that astutely combine strength with exquisiteness and timeless femininity. Christians Cota collections are sold in Saks on Fifth Avenue in New York City and Harvey Nichols in Hong Kong to name a few.

Christian Cota, New York/USA, T 001.212.938.1933, christian@christiancota.com, www.christiancota.com

textiles industry, coupled with almost 90 years of experience and the exclusive use of natural and high-quality materials. As well as its various locations in its domestic market, Max et Moi is also represented at Jelmoli in Zürich, Münstermann in Meerbusch, Caroline VK in Heidelberg, Ortner in Dortmund, Editon K in Vienna and Elena in Düsseldorf among others.

SAS Lederer, Paris/France, T 0033.1.47701854, eshop@maxemoi.com, www.maxemoi.com

Max et Moi

The joys and challenges of being a man – the Dutch label Good People wants to celebrate both. How do they do this? With casual, but never careless, style and a collection based on traditional values despite its modern appearance. This includes the finest of Japanese and Italian materials and handmade knitwear.

Tailor-made shirts, fitted sports jackets, soft knitwear and jackets with premium finishing make up the look of the label founded by Ivo van Deyzen in 2007. With retail prices of about 50 euros for shirts and up to 260 euros for sports jackets, the collection covers a good price range. The collection can be found in prestigious stores in the Benelux countries.

They are working on a similar performance in the German-speaking market. In spring, the trade fair Munichfashion was used as a presentation platform to achieve this.

Good People, Barendrecht/The Netherlands, T 0031.10.2923150, info@thegoodpeople.nl, www.thegoodpeople.nll

traditioNal craft with a moderN twist When Elie Lederer founded the label Max et Moi in 2006, he was building on a family company that had existed since 1925. The Lederer Company, which was founded by his great-grandfather in Paris and which specialised in the professional processing of furs, began to establish itself in the high-fashion market back in the ‘90s. In cooperation with the French designer Sylvie Simah, Eli Lederer ultimately managed to move in a new direction and to implement a modern style while maintaining quality. In this way, fur is still used today and its combination with high-quality materials like cashmere, leather or silk is the charm of the label. There are two collections every year, whose purchase prices range from 30 euros for accessories to over 3,000 euros for luxurious furs. What is it that distinguishes this brand? Love of detail and passion for the

Good People

freedom is makiNg choices

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Ecoalf

iN trash we trust Since the birth of his first child, this has become the motto of Javier Goyeneche, founder and Managing Director of the new Spanish Ecoalf label. The innovative entrepreneur proves that eco-fashion doesn't have to be expensive and that it is still able to look stylish in the process too. A lot of research and energy are found in the fibres taken from PET bottles, car tyres, fishing nets and coffee plants used in manufacturing the sporty-casual collection. The label presents itself in a fun and modern way – and on the internet, too. For example, on the website you can discover that 202 PET bottles were recycled to make the windbreaker jacket and 235 grammes of fishing net for the bags. Despite this, the end consumer still only needs to pay 69 euros to buy it and 39 euros for T-shirts, 59 euros for sweatshirts and less than 100 euros for bags and backpacks. Prominent customers across the world include Bloomingdales (US), Merci (Paris), Fred Segal (California), Scoop (New York), Barneys (New York) and Harvey Nichols (London). They all appreciate the blend of sustainability, design and innovation.

Ecoalf Recycled Fabrics, S.L., Madrid/Spain, contacto@ecoalf.com, www.ecoalf.com

increase its use further. The brand was established in the Bronx in 2012 and has a branch in Amsterdam. It combines gentlemen’s tailoring and the sturdiness of working clothes. The focus is on jeans for men and women that are made exclusively from Japanese, US and Italian selvedge denim. The selvedge borders are not just visible on the upturned trouser legs, but also on the rolled-up sleeves. As well as jeans, the brand offers all necessary pieces for a complete look, from knitted jumpers to suits and shoes. The focus here is also on the best materials such as baby Alpaca wool from Peru and cashmere from Italy. The retail prices for jeans range from 180 to 280 euros, a sports jacket costs 800 euros, a wool coat 1,000 euros. As well as stores in New York and Amsterdam, Good Genes will also be at 14 oz. in Berlin, Jades in Düsseldorf or Different on the Island of Sylt from autumn 2013.

Good Genes, Amsterdam/ The Netherlands, info@thegoodgenes.com, www.thegoodgenes.com

Bob

Good Genes

aN origiNal from prato

Denim is developing from a mass-produced good into a desirable object. The selvedge culture is the best indicator of this. Good Genes also relies completely on selvedge denim and is continuing to

Six years ago, the two thirty-somethingyear-olds, Alessio Bonaiuti and Tommaso Bellini, decided to bring their own polo shirt collection to market. With the vast wealth of know-how and the manufacturing capability of their home town at their backs and the experienced businessman, Enrico Giarrè, as a third party by their sides, they started expanding the collection, originally based around the hand-painted polo shirts. Meanwhile, along with the T-shirts (40 to 50 euros retail prices) and polo shirts (50 to 90 euros retail prices), the line also includes trousers, fleeces and jackets (150 to 190 euros retail price). The characteristic DNA of the brand is colour. Bob collaborates with artists from Tuscany in creating the

selvedge deluxe

Good Genes

unusual designs, whereby postcards from the '50s are also used as a source of inspiration. The collection is already represented in stores such as Luisa Via Roma in Florence, Harvey Nichols in Dubai, Seibu in Hong Kong and Loft in Luxembourg. The label is also starting out on the German market this coming season and for the first time will also be presenting at the Premium in Berlin.

La Socie’te’ Srl, Prato/Italy, T 0039.0574.818643, info@bobcompany.it, www.bobcompany.itl

Ecoalf

Bob

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Mäser

the relauNch of aN origiNal Founded in Austria in1884, Mäser is undergoing a relaunch for the autumn/winter collection. Designed

by Salvatore di Bella, the former designer of Bogner, the collection – made up of 60 styles – impresses with modern materials. With this, Mäser is consciously moving away from wool and, for most of the new collection, it uses high-quality polyester and refines all of this using innovative technologies.

This is how Coffee Charcoal is used – a raw material made of recycled and charred coffee grounds. The investor, who has had Mäser’s global distribution rights since 2001, managed to land Mark Orzech for the development of an international distribution network. The 42 year-old distribution expert knows the challenges of premium performance wear all too well, not least thanks to his distribution activities for Spyder. The collection will be made available in normal pre-orders and will be delivered between mid-August and the end of August 2013.

Mäser Austria GmbH, Essen/Germany, T 0049.201.4517346, info@maeser-austria.com, www.maeser-austria.com

Blue Roses

orgaNic & made iN europe When he founded the brand Blue Roses in 2011, it was clear to Nikolaj Hust from the Danish Claire Group that a perfect fit and great washes can be the key to success for women’s jeans. The distinguishing features of the lovely collection are that this package also has an attractive price, organic materials and European production. High-quality, soft-washed denim in four cuts and elaborate handfinishes – what more do you need? Great attention is paid to the trousers' green footprint: Both when washing and dying, Blue Roses relies upon water and resource-conserving methods. Along with the

two pre-order collections, there is also an express programme available at all times. The jeans, whose purchase price is between 30 and 45 euros, have a markup of 2.7.

EIAs are determined by the importer.

Blue Roses, Ikast/Denmark, T 0045.97.153122, nh@claire.dk, www.blueroses.dk

Mud Jeans

lease a JeaNs In January, the Dutch denim company Mud Jeans launched "Lease a Jeans", an innovative, fun and smart jeans concept. Customers pay a start-up fee of 20 euros and after that a lease fee of 5 euros a month.

After a year, the customer can decide to return the jeans or take another lease-contract. With this concept, a "used and worn-in" jeans will be literally used and worn-in.

Customers may keep their jeans for as long as they want, in that case they pay 20 euros deposit money, which they will get back when they return the jeans to Mud Jeans, no matter when. Returned jeans may be leased to another customer, or they may be used as a base for new jeans. Another great thing about Lease a Jeans is that the jeans are made of high quality organic and recycled cotton and that the factory staff enjoy good working conditions.

Lease a Jeans is available for men and women, in three different washings.

Mud Jeans International B.V., TZ Rhenen/The Netherlands, T 0031.317.398789, info@mudjeans.nl, www.mudjeans.nl, www.leaseajeans.nll

Mäser

Blue Roses

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Mud Jeans

handstich.de

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Allevol

skirts from 98 euros, jackets from 398 euros, dresses from 179 euros, trousers from 119 euros (all wholesale prices).

Asandri, Rüti/Switzerland, T 0041.5526.01661, info@asandri.com, www.asandri.com

Allevol

existeNtial deNim

Asandri

Asandri

coNstaNtlY iN motioN Alexandra Pfister and Stefan Wiedmer have always considered life to be a journey. The couture seamstress and the interior designer have tried to express this feeling in their fashion since making their first collection in 2010. The results are individual pieces suitable as business attire for women and made from highquality fabrics and which are now available in boutiques in Germany, Austria, Italy, France and even the United States, as well as in online shops. Asandri even risked a possible setback, for example, when they included the use of Swiss red fox as trimmings and for accessories into their programme. The furs originated from regulated stock, but despite this 'up cycling' animal rights activists were not amused. The duo from Asandri discovered an old textile factory as headquarters, used lots of Swiss fabrics and had their sewing done in Switzerland and Europe. Prices: tops from 119 euros,

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Jeans attract fanatics. No other material knows such unconditional disciples as the blue work material. Japanese enthusiasts claim to be denim's closest allies. Takashi Okabe proves this with every fibre of his being. Together with his wife, this Japanese man worked and lived in England for eight years on the ultimate jeans. The two of them founded the "Allevol" label in 2005 – mainly to tailor jeans for themselves. But when quality dictates you conduct production on old weaving looms back in Japan, you might as well start up your own professional business. The two of them went on a round trip through the UK in 2007 selling their trousers from the boot of an old Toyota Corolla. Since that time, they have built up a small, but all the finer, denim world, collaborating with similar spirits such as the Japanese Superior Labor label. And they inspect the quality of each individual pair of jeans with the eyes of a hawk. Allevol can be bought outside of the UK from their website; retail prices range between 150 and 250 euros.

Allevol Ltd., London/UK, info@allevol.com, www.allevol.com

Nylo

Nylo

No limit to creativitY It was with this approach in mind that Rinaldo and Federico Nardini established their Nylo label in 2009. While Federico brought his visionary designs and the perpetual flow of new ideas to paper, his father Rinaldo, the Maestro, was master of the craft techniques employed in the traditional Florentine art of shoemaking. The result of this work can be seen in the hand-crafted welted shoes (for men and women) and accessories made from washed leather with a vintage look, available in 30 to 40 different models every season. Every shoe is a one-off. With retail prices ranging between 240 and 380 euros, Nylo is aiming to reach the upscale specialist shoe retailer and selected department stores. For the autumn/ winter 2013/14 season, Highline United Europe with headquarters in Munich will be taking over distribution of the Italian premium brand, essentially to promote expansion into Europe. The brand had its début launch in the White Cubes at the last GDS in Düsseldorf. Further measures also in the pipeline are now to restructure the international distribution network and to position the brand within the upscale premium retail market.

Highline United Europe, Munich/Germany, T 0049.8924.411890, torsten.schwehm@highlineunited.eu, www.nylo.itl

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Goodforall

eNviroNmeNtalism meets desigN In Naarden, Holland, all signs have been pointing to sustainability since 2007 – at least in the case of the label Goodforall founded by Marja Baas. 100 per cent fair trade and 100 per cent environmentallyfriendly processing are the demands the designer makes of her products. Coupled with ambitious design, this ensures an interesting line of accessories that knows how to convince its customers in various ways. For example: An innovative method of tanning and dying that only uses plants and so avoids all harmful substances. The recycling process is also optimised. What is left of the lines My Paper Bag or My Saddle Bag is worked into the Patch 8 line for small accessories, such as purses and cases for iPhones, iPads and notebooks. Cooperation with renowned artists gives the brand another boost. Retail prices range from 19.95 euros for keychains up to 279 euros for the Paper Bag. Goodforall BV, RS Naarden-Vesting/ The Netherlands, T 0031.35.6956610, info@goodforall.eu, www.goodforall.eu

Smitten

label onto the market in the spring of 2012. A company creation and one that is particularly interesting since TAM does not leave the risk entirely in the hands of the retailers. "There is a great deal of willingness on the part of retailers to try out something new," says Alexander Rump and he should know owing to the meteoric rise in the number of retailers, up to 180 in Germany alone now. Trends can be quickly delivered, production facilities are in Europe as well as in Asia. When asked if he would be willing to risk his good name in vouching for the correctness of the production conditions: "We know the firms, we work with a variety of different, trusted establishments."

Hailiy’s has tops and bottoms available, along with accessories, a shoe collection and basics, party styles and streetwear with retail prices between 4.99 euros (T-shirt or shorts) and 99.99 euros (jackets).

Hailiy’s by TAM Fashion GmbH, Hamburg/Germany, T 0049.4677.5682, rump@hailys-fashion.com, www.hailys-fashion.coml

Smitten

accessories to ward off itchY feet Ethnic patterns were the surprise last season. Smitten, the accessory label, is trying its hardest to ensure the hype doesn't all blow over. With their product range running the gamut from Peruvian belts to Indian scarves and Indian jewellery, the founders

of the company, Silke Braun and Kirsten Jahn, are firmly putting ethnic fashion on a solid long-term footing. Their working philosophy is to travel and try on the items themselves. The two globetrotters select producers while travelling around the world. Only once the working conditions and products have both passed their own personal style controls, are the items accepted into the product range.

Smitten adds new accents to western fashion through the artisan craftsmanship of the people in regions of South America, Africa and India, and is hence able to improve the living conditions of the local craftsmen there.

But the label-founders are also undogmatic enough to take on a New York bag designer, such as Jo handbags, if it fits in with the Smitten aesthetics. Retail prices for belts and embroidered scarves are 89 euros, for handembroidered pillowcases 119 euros. In addition to their own online shop, Smitten is also carried in stores in Germany, Austria, Belgium and Switzerland.

Smitten GmbH, Düsseldorf/Germany, T 0049.211.94213590, service@smitten.de, www.smitten.de

Hailiy’s

fashioN as required

Goodforall

413 style in progress

A numerical example: Ten articles are being tested on company test sites (e.g. B.Modepark Röther). The products that prove to be best sellers after a few days will be immediately offered to retailers for ordering. This is what is known as intelligent area control with regular flash programmes, says Alexander Rump, one of the three founders of TAM Fashion GmbH – the other two are Thomas and Michael Röther – whose company launched the Hailiy's

Hailiy’s

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042 want it

Binné

Wunderwerk

Binné

Brogues go femiNiNe

Wunderwerk

greeN fashioN from düsseldorf The Düsseldorf label Wunderwerk is celebrating its première with the autumn/winter collection 2013/14 and presenting a compact, full collection with T-shirts, sweaters, knitwear, trousers and jackets for men and women as well as a small short-term programme for the summer of 2013. Prices are situated in the mid-range segment: T-shirts around 40 euros, jeans and chinos from 89 to 139 euros. Production predominantly takes place in Europe.

Organic cotton is also used in the process besides wool which comes from certified organic animal husbandry. Furthermore, only additions that are not based on petroleum are used. An important factor for the Wunderwerk founders, Heiko Wunder and Tim Brückmann, is the use of water-saving, low-energy and environmentally-friendly production techniques. This has resulted in novel environmentally-friendly procedures using oxygen such as those employed in refining the batik denims and which thereby eliminate the need for chlorine bleach and potassium permanganate.

Wunderwerk, Rheinstoff GmbH & Co. KG, Düsseldorf/Germany, T 0049.211.91180882, tim@wunderwerk.de.com, www.wunderwerk.de.com

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In 2011, the Hamburg designer sketched her first designs; in 2012, the decision to establish her own label matured; in 2013, the first presentation at the Düsseldorf Supreme ultimately followed. By deciding to go with the order platform, the designer opted for an exhibition that paid sufficient attention to collections such as hers. The shoes by Binné are enough of an eyecatcher in themselves, simply because the shoe that she has based her 17-piece collection on is the typically masculine Brogue.

The so-called Brogueings come with optional stars, hearts, peace signs or skulls decorating the tips of the shoes and all have a distinguishing feature in common – their lilac-stained leather soles. Retail prices for the models start at 399 euros. Manufacture takes place in Portugal. The launch will initially begin with dealers in Germany such as Frau Becker in Kassel, for example and then the designer will consider taking her products onto the European market.

Binné, Hamburg/Germany, T 0049.40.60563141, info@binne-hamburg.de, www.binne-hamburg.de

Leshoesette

souNds freNch But is italiaN 100 per cent made in Italy – this is just one of the many promises of quality made to the customers of the Leshoesette shoe brand founded in 2013.

There are five entrepreneurs and one designer behind the shoe line. They have a common ambition which is to interpret the Italian art of shoemaking and transport it into the here and now.

The collection consciously focuses on extraordinary models – these may be in the form of rivets decorating the heels, monks that taper to a point or T-strap shoes that sparkle in exquisite metallic shades. This craftsmanship is then translated into modern, contemporary shoes. The prices also reflect this detail: The shoes retail for between 375 and 700 euros – the brand-name makers are aware that in so doing they are targeting an extremely high-end price bracket. But it is precisely at this upper end of the pyramid that a label such as Leshoesette feels most at home. Presentations have been conducted at tradeshows such as the White in Milan.

Leshoesette, Lissone/Italy, T 0039.0362.991787, info@leshoesette.com, www.leshoesette.itl

Leshoesette

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044 want it

available from Doll in Salzburg, from Käfer in Munich or Blumen Heiko Kalitowisch in Cologne, for example. The company is represented in Europe at the Tendence and Ambiente trade show in Frankfurt.

Uashmama Creative Lab, Pieve a Nievole/Italy, T 0039.0572.950399, info@lesorelle.toscana.it, www.uashmama.it

Sutor Mantellassi

qualitY made iN italY

Sal y Limon

Sal y Limon

off the cuff Colourful diversity and individual combinability are just two of the many things that have made the handmade sleeves by Swiss label Sal y Limon famous and popular since it was founded in 2009. Raffaella Iten Metzger and Mehmet U. Inan rely on vivid and colourful models, increased every season by an average of 14 colours and looks in various widths from small to extra large. This allows every customer to create her own personal collection and to constantly be combining new things. As well as the basics, which are available all year round, there are two annual collections and seasonal specials, which were extended to include a children’s collection in 2012. Purchase prices range from 7.55 to 17.20 euros depending on the model and size and the new models are ready to be delivered two months after the collection’s presentation at the Bread & Butter.

Sal y Limon’s sleeves are represented in over 15 countries, some even by its own stores.

Sal y Limon, Zürich /Switzerland, T 0041.438106481, call@salylimon.com, www.salylimon.com

Uashmama

four sisters aNd a paper Bag The Uashmama label (pronounced "wash mama") is a registered trademark of Le Sorelle, a family-run company based in Pieve a Nievole in Tuscany.

Initially focusing more on the production of household goods, the four sisters also started to offer accessories a little while later as well as a collection of bags made from washable paper. Handbags in calfskin or crocodile leather-look, reversible and two-tone models, satchels and shoppers in a variety of different colours. Cellulose fibres are used as the raw material which is derived from sustainable cultivation and worked using a patented process. The entire collection is made by hand and is exclusively manufactured in Tuscany. Handbags start with a retail price of 79 euros, the carrier bags at 49 euros. The products are

Uashmama

Sutor Mantellassi

413 style in progress

The blue sole is not the only common feature of Sutor Mantellassi’s welted shoes, they also stand out thanks to their precise processing of high-quality materials. Founded in 1912 in Pistoia Italy, Sutor Mantellassi founded his first shop in Milan in 2012, then another in Shanghai.

There are two collections every year – alongside men’s shoes, these also include women’s models, as well as handbags and belts. Purchase prices are between 150 and 200 euros on average, for models in crocodile, purchase prices go up to 1,700 euros. Retails prices aren’t stipulated – existing retailers usually calculate a markup of between 1.6 and 1.8.

The three main markets for the brand are currently Russia, the United States and Italy. At the moment, there are still no retailers in the German-speaking world.

"We hope to change this soon and we see Sutor Mantellassi as ideally placed for menswear retailers," according to René Marchand from the agency of the same name in Mönchengladbach. The agency keeps a showroom both at the Modetage in Düsseldorf as well as the MICAM in Milan, where the collection can be ordered on the spot with a delivery period of two to three weeks.

Sutor Mantelassi, Milan/Italy, T 0039.031.3523111, info@sutormantellassi.com, www.sutormantellassi.coml

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046 want it Monge

Jay Ahr

fashioN alchemist A globetrotter who first travelled half the world to later decide what he could conjure up using his talent: Jonathan Riss knew in which cotton factory in Ukraine you could manufacture the best uniforms, where in Bombay to find opulent ornaments and precious stones, in which part of Kashmir you could buy the most valuable materials and how to come across rare diamonds in Angola. This, implemented into a creative jewellery collection, first earned him the DeBeers Diamond International Award – and later a fashion company, located in Paris, which he named after the phonetics of his initials.

Since 2005, the maison has been the insider tip in all of Paris, and dresses are the designer’s strength. Alongside fashion, Jonathan Riss also still pursues his passion for jewellery.

In order to promote both, he has also had a branch in New York since 2008 – a touch of Versailles in the Big Apple.

Jay Ahr, Paris/France, 0033.1.42969523, info@jayahr.com, www.jayahr.com

Monge

Knights & Roses

Shoemakers came to Majorca long before any tourists did. The tradition has existed since the Middle Ages. Pedro Monge, former fashion journalist and active in marketing and product development at Camper, established the Monge shoe label on the island in 2012, stylishly bringing the craftsmanship boom into the present day.

His men's collections combine classic models such as the monk strap, the loafer with tassels or the brogue with unusual colours and material mixes. A simple loafer gleams in a golden nappa leather, a laced boot is composed of a patchwork of suede and smooth leather with a tweed shaft.

All shoes are made by hand on Majorca. Retail prices are between 360 and 400 euros.

In addition to his online shop, Pedro Monge opened his first store in Palma de Mallorca in May 2013. The first women's collection by Monge is exclusively available here in addition to the men's shoes. The women's models follow the men's lines to some extent, but instead of stilettos or wedges Monge has focused on flat slippers and lace-ups with caps in subtle shades of pastel. Besides the store in Palma de Mallorca, Monge is also available in multi-brand stores in Spain and France such as The Outpost in Barcelona or Lander Urquijo in Madrid.

Monge, Palma de Mallorca/Spain, T 0034.971.719965, info@mongestudio.com, www.mongestudio.com

How appropriate for a product from the Hanseatic city: timeless, elegant and yet modern. This is how the leather accessories by the Hamburg label Knights & Roses can be described. The brand was created by the design and entrepreneur duo Katharina Kern and Nicholas Hinrichsen in 2010. High-quality leathers are processed, and the label does not use extra varnish or sprays. Despite all of the exclusivity in its production, the label wants to remain affordable: Prices begin at eight euros for small accessories and go up to retail prices of 180 euros for weekenders, with a markup of 2.7. The collections, which appear twice a year, can be examined carefully in the showroom in Hamburg; an on-site warehouse facilitates quick reactions to product demand and colour trends. Knights & Roses doesn’t use any agency for its distribution; for the time being, they make direct contact with retailers themselves. The founders present new models at the Munich Fashion fair in Munich and the Supreme in Düsseldorf, among others. In doing so, the label has already managed to land its first reference customers in Germany and Austria.

Knights & Roses UG, Hamburg/Germany, T 0049.163.2642034, info@knightsandroses.com, www.knightsandroses.coml

shoes made iN maJorca

Jay Ahr

Knights & Roses

413 style in progress

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048 want it

Namami

Lili Radu

Lili Radu

stYlish uNderstatemeNt After a variety of different stations in Germany, Austria, Spain, Italy and North America, by establishing the label with the same name in 2010 Lili Radu fulfilled her life-long dream. The hand-made accessories are made from calfskin and stand out from the crowd with their timeless elegance, puristic style and the careful processing of high-quality materials. There are two collections and special editions in stingray every year, whereby wholesale prices range between 23 euros for a key ring and 375 euros for a weekend bag, and have a markup of 2.5. Products from the warehouse can be ordered via the online shop and are delivered within two days. Delivery time is three months for orders taken at tradeshows. The new collection will be pre-

Another Bag

413 style in progress

sented at the Bread & Butter in Berlin and at the Tranoï in Paris. The young fashion brand is already available at retail stores, which include Lodenfrey in Munich, Hayashi in Frankfurt am Main, Jelmoli in Zürich, Grüner in Klagenfurt and even in Korea. Lili Radu's primary markets are in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, whereby plans are already in the pipeline for her next market outlet project intended in the United States.

Lili Radu GmbH, Maintal/Germany, T 0049.174.4888834, lili@liliradu.com, www.liliradu.com

Namami

so stroNg, so delicate The luxury jewellery line Namami was launched last year and has got off to a resounding start with the fashion editors, from Vogue to Elle to Madame. Now, Namami is entering the second round. The ten-piece collection will be running under the title of

Anthems of Fading and is a salutation to the transient nature of things. With delicate origami flowers, preserved by means of a white latex coating, and the shimmering yellow of citrine, a gemstone that was revered as a sun stone during the Middle Ages. The typical Namami metal link chains still remain an integral part of the collection, along with the cords made from Atlas silk.

Nadja Marcela König is the fashion designer behind Namami – she has already designed for Strenesse and Hugo Boss and is currently designing for Escada Sport – along with her husband, Johannes König, who is employed as art director and graphic artist. The jewellery for retail trade is only available as a strictly limited collection and can be found in the fashion boutiques LST and Susanne Benter in Munich as well as in the online shop. Retail prices range from between 59 to 320 euros.

Namami, Munich/Germany, T 0049.171.7455828, info@namami.net, www.namami.net

Another Bag

cool clutch They rock a bit, but remain femine, captivating in their subtle coolness. This season, the agency Hoferer Connects & Cares has taken over the Europe-wide distribution of the newly-founded bag label Another Bag. “Another Bag is fashionable and also appeals to a wide target group,” says Marion Hoferer. “We still want to keep distribution small and to be consciously selective.”

Two twelve-piece collections are planned for early delivery dates in November and July. The programme ranges from wallets, to clutches, rucksacks and weekenders in black, rose and ice, a very light shade of grey. The styles can also be delivered without studs. Retail prices are between 200 and 300 euros with a mark up of 2.7. Wiedner & Iltar KG from Vienna is behind Another Bag. They also produce leather jackets under the name Montgomery.

Agentur Hoferer Connects & Cares, Munich/Germany, info@b-kleidung.com, www.modeist.coml

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052 THE LONGVIEW

"We don't dictate any trends" People like him are surrounded by an aura of mystery. Although Marc Worth denies knowing what trends will be dominating the creative industry in a few years, he is always one step ahead of his time. The founder of WGSN was THE pioneer of an entire industry that quickly and successfully established itself online in the trend research and trend publication sectors.

It is, therefore, all the more surprising that Marc Worth does not like talking about trends. With his stylus platform launched in 2009, which collates, evaluates and monitors influences from 20 different industries, Marc Worth is one step ahead of the industries yet again.

Interview: Stephan Huber.

Text: Isabel Faiss.

Photos: David Secombe

Mr. Worth, trends are by their very nature short-lived, difficult to define, difficult to plan.

You established your own business model for WGSN in 1998, basing it on something that is practically uncontrollable. How did you come up with such an idea?

To answer this I have to go back to the very beginning. My background has always been in the fashion industry. I joined the family business when I was 16 and at that time it was making labels and patches, printing T-shirts in the service industries.

So, our clients used to be the manufacturers that were supplying the big retailers and the big brands that were very innovative, both in term of design and also in terms of products. My interest was in the product development side in the factory, and I learned that we were turning out lots and lots of pieces of artwork and designs speculatively and if you are lucky the client will take maybe one out of ten. Back in 1997, it was a particularly difficult time for the business, trade wasn't very good, we tried to take costs out of the business to survive and we had around 11 full-time designers who left us in the lurch. That was the moment when my cousin from Atlanta showed me an idea on the internet which I had never even heard about but it sounded interesting.

So, we came up with the idea to take these 90 per cent of the artworks we were more or less creating for no reward every day and put them onto an internet site where our potential customers could download them.

So it was the prototypical online shop?

413 style in progress

It was probably the first but we never actually did it. But we did keep that sort of thinking – what else could we use in that business that could be done better?

What could we do differently?

In the family business, we used the traditional trend forecasting platforms, mostly French services and we figured there's got to be a better way of doing this.

Seeing as they were all hardcopy publications at the time (we are still in 1997) the minute they were published they were already outdated. And they were only published twice a year.

And their publications were extremely expensive.

Exactly. They were showing lots of little pieces of fabrics and swatches and it was very difficult to share around your organization because they were literally around ÂŁ10,000 per copy. So, for a big company you had to buy more copies to be able to share. We figured there's got to be a better way to do this and we came up with the idea of trend forecasting online. And we thought again that probably wouldn't be enough, so what else could we do? Many of our clients used to spend a huge amount of time travelling around the world looking at what everyone else was doing, either going to stores taking pictures and getting kicked out, or taking photographs of the store windows. So, we had the idea to take on the risk ourselves by having our own photographers and researchers doing that for them professionally. The next thing we did was we covered London, Paris and New York four times a year, just taking pictures of store windows and then we created a few city

maps showing travellers where they can find these hot places.

That was the WGSN embryo in 1998 and it really did thrill the international industry because it was something very new that had never been done before. People were intrigued by the internet, particularly the fashion industry, because they were among the last to embrace this new technology.

So, when we first developed the product we focused on it being very visual and we didn't want to compromise on the quality of the content we were providing. You remember how long it took to download a photograph back then? About 2 minutes, it was a nightmare. So, when we first launched the product, we broadcast our content by satellite, not by internet. For the first 120 clients we went around and installed a server and a satellite dish on their roof tops.

That sounds extremely expensive, too ...

That was very expensive and never really worked. But in this way we had some really big companies signed up to the concept and they believed in the product. We even put it into 25 companies in Australia, to then find out that actually there wasn't a satellite connection.

People were paying ÂŁ15,000 per year per company just for this technology, and it didn't work.

At the beginning of 1999, Levi's in San Francisco were trying to get a planning concept for a dish on their roof and that was the moment when we said, can't we do the same on the internet, too? So, we tried and it worked perfectly. From that point on we made a huge amount of money, about 20 million pounds. We

THE LONGVIEW 053

With WGSN, Mark Worth laid the foundation for a global trend research industry on the internet.

With his latest project, Stylus, he is going one step further.

style in progress 413

054 THE LONGVIEW

sold a third of the business to an investor and carried on building the business. Then we bought out the investors in 2004 and in 2005, with about 1,500 clients across the world, we sold the business to Emap, a publisher.

I think that was also the time when the Financial Times called us the "fashion trend bible". We had finally made it.

When you look back, would you say the idea of this trend forecast platform WGSN was a success story?

Yes. Because we were the first and because we made money it became very hard for anyone else to set up with the same idea.

Today, the concept has changed a little bit. It is still about trend forecasting but it goes more into product development. You can download sketches of dresses and simply colour them in.

So, the original idea of a platform for as-yet-unused designs and creative ideas is still part of the business?

Yes, but I think the WGSN product had become more of a product development tool, in

"ThaT is one of The criTiques i have abouT The inTerneT. You have 3,000 companies looking aT The same informaTion.

The consequence is ThaT everYone is doing exacTlY The same."

parts like buying inspirational resources. And I think what it has done, without being detrimental to WGSN, it has almost produced a little bit of a lazy creative industry because now I can remember a lot of people who had passed college and university using it as a source of ingenuity. You see something, you download the preparatory sketch and just colour it in. But where is the creative inspiration?

I mean, it's still a good product, serves its purpose and many fashion companies couldn't do without it. But there were some companies I came up with at Stylus who categorically said that they would never ever use a service like WGSN because it would be the end of their own signature.

What happened after the sale of WGSN in 2005?

I took a little bit of vacation and then I got bored. I came to the conclusion that I wanted to start another business and build something from nothing.

So I started again in 2009. The idea behind Stylus originally

was going to be something like WGSN just for the furnishing and interiors industry, nothing more. So, I assembled some of the people from former WGSN and started to put a blueprint together for Stylus. As we started to develop the idea it became quite clear that several things had changed in the industry, but actually the idea of looking at just one industry in isolation is antiquated. Everything is connected today. There is only one industry and that is creative design. So, the product went live in September 2010. At that time we still had an emphasis on interiors but the balance has shifted and now when you look at the content, it's very broad and equally balanced between all creative industries like product design, architecture, technology and fashion. The other big difference between Stylus and other trend research platforms is that we are building a bridge between two different approaches. For example, WGSN is very focused on product development. Other services and magazines concen-

"Aren't trend researchers also setting trends themselves through their method of selection?", Marc Worth (right) discusses this issue in his interview with style in progress editor-in-chief Stephan Huber at the headquarters of Stylus in London.

413 style in progress

THE LONGVIEW 055

Trends are surrounded with an aura of mystery. Even Marc Worth doesn't believe that you can reliably predict today what's going to be a trend in a few years time.

trate on marketing and consumer research. We do all the three of them. Because we think, before you can even start to develop a product or a campaign, you absolutely have to understand the consumer mind-set. And on the other hand, what's the value of creativity if you don't know how to sell it? Responsibillity towards consumers is equally important.

If you want to create a smart product or even campaigns, you have to look not only across different industries but also across these three disciplines of consumer lifestyle, product and personal responsibillity. And we try to link it all together. Today, we are a global business with 300 clients and 60 full-time analysts creating content in London and we also have a network of at least 100 freelance correspondents throughout the word.

Trend research and trend analysis no longer appear to be actually at the forefront of activities at Stylus. So, what actually is the output of the platform?

"our clienTs are The smarT companies who lead The markeT and don'T follow The oThers. sTYlus is noT for companies who jusT wanT To copY whaT everYbodY else is doing."

If you have to use the word trend, which I don't like, I would say it is trend tracking.

It's identifying trends that are emerging. Today, nobody can forecast and set a trend. Maybe ten years ago you could, maybe even five years ago you could.

But with the emergence of social media, trends today happen too fast to be able to forecast them.

So, you either have to follow the trend or spot it as it is still in its infancy. Companies need time to react, so we try to spot these trends almost before they happen and then follow them as they evolve into emergents – where they begin to be adopted in small pockets – and then through the rest of the lifecycle of maturing and declining.

But you definitely do make a selection. We see millions of tiny trends appear every year.

Do you sift and select them in some way? And wouldn’t it be true that your selection helps create trends? You decide which emerging trend to follow and which not…

I think with 300 clients you can't set a trend. Maybe with 3,000 clients you come to a self-fulfilling prophecy. That is one of the criticisms I have about the internet. You have 3,000 companies looking at the same information and all of them look towards WGSN, for example, and see that a certain look is going to be the big thing in spring 2014. Everybody is going to do this trend. The consequence is that everything looks exactly the same. So yes, large forecast platforms are setting trends in a way. But, because at Stylus we cover different industries, we don't want to dictate these are the colours, these are the shades and style that Europe is going to wear next summer. We provide inspiration, we report on innovation that we believe is going to affect that inspiration And how does the selection process work?

We have a team of experts who had previously worked in the industry or were involved with other forecasting businesses. style in progress 413

056 THE LONGVIEW

They are looking at several underlying and emerging cultural and technology trends that are affecting the way people are looking at a product, how they are using it and how they engage with the underlying brand. For example, one of the early trends we saw a while back was what we called 窶話alanced values'. It was all about taking a step back and balancing values in your life. That came out of research done by our insight team, the creative thinktank looking to these emerging cultural trends. They would then sit down with the product development team and think, ok, what could that mean in terms of the fashion industry and its products, for example. One of the trends we saw coming out of that was one of minimalism.

The media and marketing team then gets involved to see how this move towards minimalism is reflected in brands and their engagement, including marketing and advertising. They consider how brands should market the product. So, as you can see, it is a process that starts with looking at consumer lifestyle, looking at shifts in culture and shifts in mind-set or behaviour. And then it naturally flows through to the rest of the team. Our approach is very scientific.

In my opinion, the fact that trends are no longer evolving from a sub-culture and remaining a local phenomenon for the first two or three years before they spring up as previously used to be the case, is a great disadvantage. Doesn't this real-time industry that we have nowadays absorb everything within the space of a few seconds?

That's the throwaway culture.

If you look at balanced values as a concept, it is about slowing down. About not getting bored so easily. Current mainstream culture, I guess, is the very nature of seen it, done it, move on to the next thing. That is what the internet has done, it has changed the culture of living in many different ways. But we are now seeing a move back towards the slow pace of life.

But this also greatly affects your business.

Yes, because we too have to be very fast moving. That is why we are tracking trends and not 413 style in progress

"i don'T believe ThaT a forecasT can show me whaT consumer behaviour will be in 2015. no one can know whaT's going To be going on in 2015 because Things change so quicklY."

forecasting trends. Because I don't believe that a forecast can show me what consumer behaviour will be in 2015. No one can know what's going to be happening in 2015 because the world is simply moving too fast for that. What we try to tell our clients is that if they want to be one step ahead of their competition they have to be innovative and they have to create a product that is different and stands out from the rest.

So, your staff documents all the news in the media and social media forums?

Of course we have to be on top of this. Our clients need to know what their customers are going to want. And it's all driven by social media today. We can provide ideas but the validation of this idea is really driven by the media.

How can we imagine your type of client?

We have clients in different job functions and across industries and geographies but, in general, I can tell you about four major groups. First is the advertising and media industry, second the automotive, third hospitality and food & beverage, and fourth fashion, design, interior and beauty. Our clients are the smart companies who lead the market and leave the following to others. Stylus is not for companies who just want to copy what everybody else is doing. There's this very interesting statistic that I saw last week: In the last twelve months, the number of top-selling companies that have appointed somebody as head of innovation has increased by 33 per cent over the last twelve months. This is a new area that's growing and we have our eyes firmly set on it.

As you work globally and as your clients are global, are there hot spots that provide a lot of input for you? Can you define them geographically?

Yes, of course. This is not a clichﾃｩ, it's happening. At the moment, Berlin is one of the most influential cities, also South America with Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. Then, of course, there's America and certain Asian countries.

Isn't the service you are giving to these companies to some degree a replacement of their own creativity?

I strongly refute that. If people ask me why am I doing this again, my answer is that I just felt like true creativity was gone.

Not totally disappeared, but certainly there isn't that sort of creative design out there like it was 15 or 20 years ago. So, I wanted to try to restore that a little bit.

If I could somehow help to bring back originality and innovation to product design and marketing, I would consider it a huge success. I don't remember the last time I went into a fashion company and saw some designer drawing. That's a disgrace. And even if we can only return five per cent of creativity, then our job will be damn well done.

Thank you for the interview.

"At the moment, Berlin is one of the most influential cities, also South America with Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo."

Marc Worth style in progress 413

058 WHAT'S THE STORY

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WHAT'S THE STORY 059

A Heart for the New Generation Training is one of the key issues for the fashion industry in the coming years: recruiting suitable young talent has become a demanding task for both retailers and the industry.

Text: Ina Köhler. Photos: Companies.

Illustration: Andreas Klammt

Acquiring young talents in the fashion industry? Heck no, the people surely come themselves.

That’s ancient history. The fashion industry is actually attractive for young people – beautiful products, an environment that’s appealing to young people, dealing with famous brands.

However, there are also negative aspects: not always a very attractive salary and longer than average working hours. There are already tangible shortages of junior staff in visual merchandising or IT today. Many companies have already taken action and are cooperating closely with training institutes such as LDT Nagold, one of Germany’s elite training centres for retail. “We traditionally cooperate with many companies in the fashion industry,” says Managing Director Manfred Mroz. “From Hugo Boss to C&A, Tommy Hilfiger to Wöhrl.

That goes so far that managers like Jürgen Hahn, CFO of Marc O’Polo, teach classes at our academy.” So the companies wanted to make very early contact with the young talents and to position themselves as more attractive employers, says Mroz.

“Good young workers are really fought over,” says Stephanie Bauch, Head of HR Retail Europe & Sales International at Marc O’Polo. “My estimation is that it has become more difficult to find suitable young staff,” confirms Thomas Weckerlein, Head of the Human Resources Division at Wöhrl.

Careers Fairs are Booming

This calls for a professionalisation of the staff acquisition. Careers fairs such as “Mönchengladbach zieht an” (Hochschule Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences), projects, advertisements, internal recruitment

events and, not least, presence on Facebook, or your own showroom are important tools in recruiting. New talent trade fairs are to become ever more important, says Jürgen Müller, Managing Partner at Hartmann Consultants, a Munich-based human resources consultancy.

The use of personnel services providers is also increasing, admittedly only above certain levels, he continues. “The demands placed in staff have increased, many companies no longer leave important positions to chance, but look for the best.”

At the same time, the industry is making an increasing effort to train young people and to recruit from among their own ranks.

Training in Your Own Hands

Some companies are held up as examples time and again: Peek & Cloppenburg in Düsseldorf, for example, invests a lot in its own young employees with the widest variety of programmes. This begins with recruitment. “Along with our own events, P&C also places an emphasis on thematic and subject-specific careers fairs,” says Christina Kremer, Head of Employer Branding/Personnel Marketing. “The applicants of today have become very demanding and want to check in advance if the company and the career paths offered suit them.”

If you want to become someone in the trade, you have to have sales skills.

Jürgen Müller, Managing Partner of Hartmann Consultant

After graduation as a commercial specialist, the company offers some candidates the opportunity to undertake distance or on-site learning at the FH Riedlingen.

Another option is a course for fashion and design managers at the AMD Fashion & Design Academy Düsseldorf. Four days study and one day’s work at P&C – a strict programme with subjects like business administration or collection development.

“The link between theory and practice is important,” says Professor Peter Schmies, who heads up the course in Düsseldorf.

“We also organise company projects.” Studying and working – Peek & Cloppenburg also trusts in the model of dual studies: those with high school diplomas can complete a Bachelor of Arts at the FOM Hochschule in Essen while they are working.

Trainee programmes focus on high school graduates in order to gain staff for the fields of management, central buying or international brands.

The Combination Makes It

The applicants of today have become very demanding and want to check in advance if the company and the career paths offered suit them.

Christina Kremer, Head of Employer Branding/Personnel Marketing at Peek & Cloppenburg KG Düsseldorf

Marc O’Polo also works with a whole package of measures, says Stephanie Bauch, who is responsible for young talent: “There are a lot more activities than there were a few years ago,” she says. It starts with recruitment and leads to diverse advanced training offers. They attend five to eight careers fairs per year; workshops at training style in progress 413

060 WHAT'S THE STORY

Ordering like in real life: Students of LDT Nagold simulate an ordering event at Marc O’Polo in the showroom.

institutes in their headquarters in Stephanskirchen and in their own stores also help with recruitment. There are direct partnerships, for example with a dual course of studies with the LDT Nagold or the DHBW VillingenSchwenningen. The outcome is that highly qualified specialists with various qualifications then work for the company, e.g. as textile specialists, as Bachelors of Arts in International Business or Finance. “We are considering further partnerships,” says Bauch “the combination of theory and practice is important to us.” The training programme was also developed with buying as its theme: Eight different categories such as sales and marketing, production, IT, public relations or trade marketing are part of the internal programme. Internships, internal qualifications and training are further measures for young staff. “Staff who want to make a difference and perform excellently are always welcome here.”

Business Management and Fashion Sense

Taking qualification into your own hands is not a new idea: together with the Otto Group, the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (HAW) devel-

LDT traditionally cooperates with a very large number of companies in the fashion industry. Manfred Mroz, Managing Director at LDT Nagold 413 style in progress

Recruiting professionally: Students can make contact with potential employers at training fairs such as “Mönchengladbach zieht an.”

Good young workers are hard fought. Stephanie Bauch, Head of HR Retail Europe & Sales International, Marc O’Polo

oped the master’s degree course Multichannel Trade Management. “At the time, we had the idea of training our own young workers in accordance with the new challenges of the market,” says Professor Oliver Klante of HAW Hamburg. “There was a lack of young staff who were well versed in sales and marketing as well as purchasing who communicate with one another.”

The proportion of practical work is relatively high: Mandatory work placements, projects, working students and master theses, developed in cooperation with retail companies, are part of the three semester programme.

Graduates then work for the Otto Group as well as for management consultancies, Zalando, Hugo Boss or in retailing. “This is how we manage to bring the vision of business management and the textiles point of view together,” says Klante. You don’t actually need a master degree to be successful in the industry, says Klante, but the increasing requirements in e-commerce call for highly-trained specialists who are well versed in multichannel structures in the trade.

“As before, the fashion and textile industry is sometimes a little hands-on," says Oliver Klante. “However, the industry

Learning for the real thing: In competitions like the “Wool School Project” students from the Hochschule Niederrhein work with the Marc Cain design team. Design boss Karin Veit from Marc Cain with the participating students.

is becoming noticeably more academic. I would be delighted if certain companies were a bit more open-minded with regards to young talent. We should be more willing to give young people a little more responsibility.”

As before, the fashion and textile industry is sometimes a little hands-on. However, the industry is becoming noticeably more academic.

Professor Oliver Klante HAW Hamburg

Many companies push for training and further training to tie young talent to their company.

In-house training like an etiquette seminar at the Wöhrl Academy is one example.

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Messe D端sseldorf GmbH Postfach 10 10 06 40001 D端sseldorf Germany Tel. + 49 (0)2 11/45 60-01 Fax + 49 (0)2 11/45 60-6 68 www.messe-duesseldorf.de

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062 WHAT'S THE STORY

Conveying the flair of the Mediterranean right next to the Viktualienmarkt in Munich, the Shoekeria store.

Shoe Trade, Quo Vadis?

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WHAT'S THE STORY 063

In the Floris van Bommel flagship store in Amsterdam, the collections are presented in a fresh, attractive way every season so that it provides an up-todate atmosphere.

There is a pretty big struggle for survival going on in the shoe trade. While consignors and discounters – both online and offline – are competing for the attention of customers with bargains and early reductions, the classic shoe specialised retail sector is increasing its focus on premium concepts in bricks-and-mortar businesses. Is this a sign of change? A glimmer of hope? Or is it simply just the right time to start going the right way?

Text: Kay Alexander Plonka.

Photos: Manufacturer

Based on figures from the Federal Statistical Office, the Bundesverband des Deutschen Schuheinzelhandels e.V. (BDSE) otherwise known in English as the Federal Association of German Shoe Retailers, reported that in 2012 turnover in the bricksand-mortar shoe retail sector increased by 0.3 per cent. Around 11.5 billion euros were spent on shoes last year in Germany.

And yet, consumer spending for shoes in a longer-term context is declining. Over the last five years, that is to say from 2008 to 2012, the expenditure for shoes dropped by 4.3 per cent. During this period, the proportion of spending on shoes as part of

overall consumer spending also declined, too.

These figures speak for themselves, creating an impression that trading with the fast consumer – who is solely focused on price – seems to be a safe bet. It would seem that this is what's inspiring the discount market’s expansion plans. This year, Reno is expanding its network further; believe it or not, Deichmann wants to open up 200 new stores. Even Shoe4You, who are part of the Austrian Leder & Schuh AG, has opened up seven new locations in the first quarter of this year already.

Holger Scholz, Managing Direc-

tor of Sales at Shoe4You says that this conscious positioning in the market and clear distinction towards the discounters is a decisive factor for success.

“Our retail concept is aimed at budget-conscious smart shoppers, who consider the brand name and value for money to be more important factors than the elaborately-staged shopping experience.” Scholz continues: “Shoe4You has never had any ambition to present itself in any other way than it already is.” An honest trade promise dealing in trust and credibility with the customer and which certainly forms the basis for long-term customer loyalty. style in progress 413

064 WHAT'S THE STORY

Tessa and Patrick Grassl have created their own small world with Shoekeria – an homage to the beautiful things in life.

Good Prospects for the Upper Mid-Priced Segment

Siegfried Jacobs, Managing Director of the Federal Association of German Shoe Retailers, announced in his statement at the HDS press conference in March 2013, that many shoe stores had rather hoped that turnover would develop slightly better than it actually did over the course of last year.

The simple explanation: The summer arrived too late and the winter was too mild in many parts. More than 40 per cent of the companies in the shoe retail trade surveyed by the BDSE recorded a decline in the number of sales and complained that customer figures were dwindling.

It was only by increasing the sales efforts and through a higher purchase amount per customer that this weak footfall could be compensated for. However, even though the average price of shoes has dropped in a longerterm context, the BDSE did also observe a trading-up process over the last few years, whereby the premium price segments and the upper mid-price segments were expanded. As a result, the average price brackets in the specialised trade also rose slightly last year.

Shoe chain stores such as Dielmann profit from this. The owner-managed company with a staff of around 300 at 25 locations numbers amongst the top 15 leading shoe trading companies in Germany and has continuously and steadily grown over the 413 style in progress

past 75 years. Managing Director Markus Dielmann, who together with his brother Thomas Dielmann runs the company in its third generation, explains what retailers need to do in the market in order to be successful in future: “The strength of Dielman clearly lies in the mid-priced segment; we feel at home there.

Here, it’s all about being faster and more fashionable, creating a product range with a strong own brand yourself, so that you can set yourself apart from the rest and develop your own fashionable signature. Being able to move around a lot within the season, is an issue that is becoming increasingly important. We can develop themes which are on the retail floor within two weeks and at the same time we are also working on new models which will come out in six to eight months. It’s crucial for the future that this is done simultaneously.

In addition, you need to factor in the major keys to success – the knowledge about the market and the correct weighting of the product range.” It was only at the end of February that Dielman first opened its Destijl store concept in the pedestrian area of Darmstadt and which covers a retail area of 245 square metres.

Besides shoes from brand names such as Prada, Marc Jacobs, Chloé, Nina Ricci, Hogan, Carven, Santoni and Ludwig Reiter, there are also bags and accessories on display. “Destijl is our understanding of luxury, lifestyle and passion for shoes.

We address our new premium concept customers – people who are self-confident and have a high brand affinity and who want to make a statement with their shoes. Destijl brings a new dimension to shoe shopping, but not one that is loud and pushy, it’s more a stylish and aesthetic one,” says Dielmann.

In the Netherlands, the classic shoe retailer has been focussing on the upper price segment for a very long time, as Pepijn van Bommel, Commercial Director of the Dutch shoe brand Floris van Bommel, reports: “The result of this development in our home market is that the upper price segment is dominated by the independent shoe trade. At this point, the specialised shoe trade can prove its actual added value: the service it provides its customers. The fact that the German shoe retail trade is also increasingly looking towards the upper price segment is a sign of the healthy, long-term development."

of design of the brand portfolio, product range and pricing. In addition to quality and individuality of the merchandise and besides the technical environment and the advice given, a key factor is having a passionate and enthusiastic staff working in sales who know how to attend to the discerning clientèle. Then, if the concept and staging are unique, there is nothing else to stand in the way of a successful execution.

You can mostly find good examples of this among small businesses who have fulfilled their dream of having their own shop and are stepping up to the plate with a firm determination to successfully implement their vision.

Take the Munich couple, Tessa and Patrick Grassl, for example.

They opened their own concept store Shoekeria for shoes, accessories and wine in March 2013 next to the Viktualienmarkt in Frauenstrasse 18. The shoes they sell are extravagant, visionary and have a uniquely individual design. These include names such as 10sei0otto, Rick Owens, OXS Rubber Soul, Marsell,

Be Different from the Others

Especially in the premium sector, customers expect retailers to have something special, today more than ever before. Besides having the direct and personal contact with the customer through conversation, one of the most important points is comparability or to differentiate oneself from other retail formats.

And this should be considered both in terms of shop fitting for presentation as well as in terms

Pepijn van Bommel, Commercial Director Floris van Bommel, offers retailers stock that can be re-ordered online and are delivered within one or two days.

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25.06.13 12:18

066 WHAT'S THE STORY

Markus Dielmann, Managing Director of the Darmstadt Dielmann group, knows the market and makes decisions on the correct weighting of the product range.

Destijl, the new Dielmann store concept, is focusing on designer labels, luxury classics and trendy newcomers in the luxury and upper premium segment.

Damir Doma, Layer 0, Shoto, Officine Creative, Marsell, Vic Matié and The Last Conspiracy.

"We wanted to give the fashionconsciousness of our home town a non-conformist direction and create new stimuli that are a little less commercial – simply bringing the avant-garde to Munich. The thinking behind our portfolio is to also establish progressive labels in Munich – labels that have already been introduced into other cities – and to convince people of the quality and individuality of the design and the products," says Tessa Grassl, who additionally offers hand-made jewellery and selected, untreated natural wines.

“Hand-crafted products and art come together in our store and clear a way back to their roots – away from mass-productivity and modernisation. We design the pieces of jewellery together with an artist from Elba, the stones we work on mainly come from the island. The wines are hand-picked, with no added sulphur and free of any additives.”

413 style in progress

The shop design provides each individual shoe its own stage and gives it plenty of room. The inspiration for the furnishings and fittings in Shoekeria came from the closeness and deep-seated roots with the Mediterranean island of Elba and Ibiza. Natural surfaces and organic shapes pleasantly lift the pieces to create original effects which act as a contrast to the white and highgloss finish of the boutique’s furnishings.

But the industry cannot live from small concept stores and ambitious newcomers alone. Patrick CoppolecchiaReinartz, Managing Director of the Agentur D-Tails, which has showrooms in Düsseldorf, Munich and Milan representing brand names such as Baldan, Kélian, Serafini, Pollini, Veeshoo, Olo and Neonboots in the shoe sector, assesses the current situation in the specialised trade in a rather more critical manner: “It is very complex at the moment.

Even if the small new shops are doing a very good job, the turno-

vers and store traffic of many of the large, old-established and mainstream shoe speciality retailers have slumped over the last few years, by as much as 20 per cent at a time. Unfortunately, it appears that this trend is going to continue.” In Germany, the mistakes of the past still seem to weigh heavily. Patrick Coppolecchia-Reinartz visited around 100 customers at the end of the autumn/winter order round 2013/14 and came to the following conclusion: “There seems to be a state of shock prevailing as far as the traditional shoe retailer goes. Only a small number of customers are showing a sustainable position or have done their homework in this area, a few individual customers recorded a 30 per cent decline in turnover for the first quarter of 2013. Some of the big houses have bought substandard products over the last few seasons and resold these with a high margin; this has now come back to bite them in the foot because they have lost credibility with their customers through doing this. Now many of them are looking for highquality brands which haven’t been exhausted. This naturally brings new opportunities with it, but also means a great deal of work in terms of building confidence.

A Better Life without Zalando

In traditional sales and marketing especially, the trust between customer and retailers has been placed in the balance, but these aren’t the only ones feeling the effects. The same thing is also

increasingly applying to the trust between brand names, commercial agencies and, in particular, the multi-brand retailers. “Customers are trying out the new brands offered by an agency in their portfolio and are first looking at the development in two or three seasons time. If the delivery dates, fit and the distribution concept are consistent, then an order is simply tripled without any further ado," says Patrick Coppolecchia Reinartz. “But the distribution policy is first put through its paces. When we started to represent Pollini, we got rid of Zalando as a customer and we gave up a turnover that went into five figures. If you observe Zalando’s pricing policy on a pan-European level, you can see just what chaotic consequences this price-dumping

by Zalando has had for a brand name. It’s no wonder that Zalando has made no profit despite the billions of sales.” According to the preliminary business figures for Zalando, the online shop for shoes and fashion has achieved a net turnover of 1.15 billion euros. Its own data suggests that the break-even point appears to have been reached in the core regions of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. But the Berlin e-commerce company again closed the 2012 financial year with a loss amounting to around 92 million euros.

Dynamic Online Business

However, the supposedly young online business is still cutting a considerably better figure in terms of turnover development than the bricks-and-mortar retail sector. Customer demand is growing from year to year. Based on the surveys of several research institutes such as TNS Infratest of the Institute for Research in Retailing, the BDSE is expecting online turnover for shoes to be between 1.2 and 1.3 billion euros for 2012. This would correspond to a market share of around ten per cent. Nearly 18 per cent of bricks-and-mortar shoe specialist retailers are already present with sales activities on the Internet. But the fact of the matter is: The intensity of competition is ferocious. Added to this, investments in software and logistics, extremely high advertising costs and a high ratio of

WHAT'S THE STORY 067

returns are often the reason for the lack of economic success.

The Dielmann group, for example, does without sales via the Internet. "So far, we only operate in the bricks-and-mortar retail trade. Of course, every now and again, we acutely scrutinise whether online trading makes economic sense. If you do decide to go for online, then you should be able to make money with it over the mid-term. Whether this is at all possible needs to be answered by every retailer for themselves. As long as we cannot answer this question with a Yes, then we will continue to stay away from online sales," says Markus Dielmann.

Pepijn van Bommel sees the greatest challenge in successfully combining the online and bricksand-mortar shoe retail trade in the tangible presentation of the merchandise within the retail space, which offers consumers a different sense of accessibility, thereby also creating confidence.

"Which is why I think there will always be a healthy playing field for a combination of local shoe and online retailers besides the major, pure online players," says van Bommel.

A new multi-channel study by the e-commerce centre in Cologne conducted in collaboration with Hybris, the software developer, has also come to this result. This clearly illustrates the interaction between the individual distribution channels.

According to this, bricks-andmortar turnover begins in the online shops. Nearly 58 per cent of German consumers directly conduct their research in a vendor’s online shop. An even more clear result has been determined in Austria. Here, around 75 per cent use the search engine of the selected online shop to find information. In 2011, only 23 per cent of bricks-and-mortar sales had been primed by researching online shops, nowadays this has turned into almost two-thirds.

Conversely, customers first gathering information in the bricks-and-mortar store before making a purchase from the online shop, lies at around eleven per cent. "On the one hand, the results of the studies very clearly indicate that the influence the digital channel has on the entire purchasing process is growing to

Buying brand name shoes the simple, plain and easy way: the new Shoe4You chain store in Esslingen.

Holger Scholz, Managing Director of Sales at Shoe4You: “I think that the most important thing is not to start off the online adventure like a headless chicken just because you see formats that are very successful.”

be significantly crucial. On the other hand, it is also becoming increasingly clear that the consumer does not think in channels, instead he demands a shopping experience that transcends the various channels," says Michael Hubrich, Country Manager Germany by Hybris, explaining the situation.

A simple, but certainly effective example of this, can be seen in Shoe4You. It’s true that customers cannot buy online using the new website, but to counteract this, a pick-up service is being offered instead. This process involves checking availability of a shoe selected from the Internet with the branch store, it is then reserved at the store and can be picked up from there immedi-

ately. This reservation tool with its 48-hour guarantee has already won two e-commerce Quality Awards. Holger Scholz from Shoe4You: “As an offliner, you need to have done a different set of homework before you can successfully launch an online business. The strategy for Shoe4You is to gradually approach e-commerce step-by-step – this also gives our structures the opportunity of growing into the subject. In this way, staff, merchandise management, logistics and all the challenging issues that need to be mastered during the transformation process into an onliner, are given the opportunity of being able to gently familiarise themselves with this new distribution channel.”

The user-friendly operation of the website also has easy navigational features, clearly-arranged buttons, large-format product photos and quick-look functionality which also includes efficient filter and search options, and all adds up to make surfing through an online production range that covers hundreds of products to be an extremely simple experience.

The Way for the Future?

The bricks-and-mortar speciality retail sector is facing major challenges in continuing to maintain its competitive position against the pure online retailers and dis-

counters. Targeted cross-channel strategies offer opportunities to meet the changed behaviour of consumers, as do trading-up and focusing on personal customer relations as well as providing an advisory service that is more in-depth along with excellent service. Perhaps there is also a need for a more strenuous refusal policy on the part of many individual retailers in order to make it clearer to some floors in sales and marketing who it is that makes the brand names on the market into what they want to be. Furthermore, it is a matter for manufacturers and retail agencies alike to reconsider their policies regarding purchasing and distribution, so that they might protect small retailers if they don’t want to completely go without the clientèle of customers who are loyal to the specialised trade one day. Allowing end consumers to become accustomed to reduction periods, which are occurring at an ever faster pace, and attracting them with outlet VIP shopping and secret-deal promotions by newsletter or in the FOC so that they can completely convince them of the non-binding nature of manufacturer’s recommended retail prices, is not going to bring anybody an increasing yield on turnover or higher foot traffic over the long term – no matter the weather. style in progress 413

068 WHAT'S THE STORY

Square Practical Waterproof

BACKSTAGE

What’s the secret to a waterproof jacket? To find this out, you generally have to travel very far because most outdoor products are manufactured in the Far East and there are enormous differences in quality there. style in progress was on the lookout for the best: In the Chinese city of Heshan, KTC has established itself as a producer based on uncompromising quality and membership in the Fair Wear Foundation.

Text: Ina Köhler. Photos: KTC, Ina Köhler

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WHAT'S THE STORY 069

1. QUALITY

“In general, China is associated with cheap production. This is total nonsense,” says Gerhard Flatz, CEO of KTC. His credo is quality from the first to the last step of production. This even begins with the materials: Before fabrics go to the production facility they undergo various checks and procedures. They are tested for visible mistakes among other things and these are highlighted. This is important for the cutting carried out at a later stage.

Shrinkage is prevented using thermal treatment.

3. CUTS

The prototypes department is the heart of the company: This is where the actual models are created before they go into production. The cuts are designed on CAD programmes upon receipt of technical drawings, which are provided by the designers with exact dimensions. In the case of waterproof outdoor jackets, it’s important not to include too many dividing seams.

The cuts are subsequently graded (converted to different sizes). The cut report guides the workers to create the optimum material saving cut on the computer.

2. MOnITOrInG

In the lab, fabrics are inspected for colour-fastness, pilling, UV resistance or chemical characteristics among other things. Washing machines by various manufacturers imitate subsequent washing processes. Outdoor jackets are strained more intensively than other clothes and the materials are therefore subject to particularly strict criteria. For example, KTC is also developing the line UVU – a collection for extreme runners who are out and about in the harshest climatic conditions.

4. CUT

The individual cuts are printed out on big plotters – and then laid out on panels of fabric and e.g. plotted in chalk (for prototypes). In the later stages of production, the cutting is mostly no longer carried out by hand – this is done using either a laser or a saw in the case of repeatedly overlapping fabric panels. Small parts are punched out using moulds made of stainless steel.

6. LOGOS

5. EMBrOIDErY

Many outdoors wear manufacturers work with complicated embroidery.

Pieces that have just been cut are placed under the machines by hand – the optimum image for the embroidery is communicated on the computer. Then the needles get to work. The stabilising insert is then cut out of the back by hand. This is seen as a quality feature.

Three-dimensional logos made of plastic or other materials are put in position and applied to the fabrics, sometimes the logos are also lasered and sometimes have a patch added to them. Then, the fabric needs to be resealed here so that no water can penetrate it at a later stage.

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7. MEMBrAnE

In the case of hard-shell models, the membrane is laminated onto the individual pieces. The seams perforate the membrane, so it needs to be heat sealed once again. This only happens when the jacket is almost completely finished. Absolute specialists are needed for this work because the head of the machine, which helps to seal the seams, has a temperature of several hundred degrees.

9. SEAMS

The seaming of the jacket happens in what’s called a line – one step after the other is executed in succession in the factory. In the case of a jacket, for example, it would be the following: closing up seams on the torso, applying sleeves, then turning down the collar and stitching the jacket. With certain materials, new technology replaces conventional stitching: The edges of the cut pieces are stuck together using ultrasound.

8. POCKETS AnD ZIPPErS

The position of the zippers is firstly sketched out, the reinforcement is ironed on by hand. Then a laser cuts out the shape of the zipped pocket.

The zipper is welded to the outer material so it’s watertight. In high quality jackets, the beginning and end of the zipper is in a so-called garage, a small piece of fabric. The zippers are, of course, also watertight.

10. IrOnInG OUT

The seams are ironed out so the jacket sits better. Ironing is an intermediate step that facilitates stitching.

12. FInAL CHECKS, PACKInG AnD SHIPPInG

11. SEALInG SEAMS

The seams are stuck together using ribbons and are thermally sealed so no water can penetrate it later. Then they are finally tested for tear resistance and water-tightness. A lining is sewed into certain models.

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Finished jackets are checked for details. Depending on the manufacturer and the monitoring criteria this can be very complex. The jackets are sorted into bags according to size, packed into boxes and then are shipped via Hong Kong by container, and we Europeans long for them because it’s raining heavily again, of course, and we want to wrap ourselves up in something watertight.

unsere neue kollekton hw 14/15 ist da! our new collection aw 14/15 munich fabric start première vision

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03.-05. sept. 2013 ∙ 17.-19. sept. 2013 ∙

Hall 4/C21 Hall 6/ N10

Steiner GmbH & Co KG, AT-8974 Mandling 90, tel: +43 6454 7203, www.loden-steiner.at

072 WHAT'S THE STORY

A Gold Rush in the East China is a country with seemingly limitless possibilities. However, what opportunities does it offer Western brands? On the one hand, the sports and outdoors market is booming but things move at a very different pace to the West.

Text: Ina Köhler. Photos: Brands, ispo, Ina Köhler

Clichés stick: if we are to believe German media sources such as Der Spiegel or Focus, then a thick cloud of smog hangs constantly over Beijing. When I get off the plane, the sky is blue – a nice contrast to the confusing architecture of the China National Stadium, better known as the bird’s nest. The construction, which was built for the 2008 Olympic Games, has become the symbol of modern China. A few hundred metres away, the ispo Beijing has moved into its area – with the aim of sweeping the national sports and outdoors market. Rapid growth characterises the eight years since the Germans came to China. “If we continue in this vein, then, in seven years, ispo Beijing will be on a par with ispo Munich,” Tobias Gröber, Head of the Consumer Goods Business Unit for Messe München, predicts the development. This is also backed up by the figures. Turnover in the clothing retail sector in city regions was approximately 44 billion euros in 2010 according to a study by the Boston Consulting Group, they predict this will triple to 150 billion by 2020. The China National Commercial Informational Centre refers to a growth rate of 14.3 per cent for the retail sector in 2012.

Between Old and new

A look at the squeaky clean Beijing underground shows that, in everyday life, people wear outdoor jackets but they are often not branded products.

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and is on a par with clothing as a status symbol. In the capital city, glamour and shabby chic appear side by side: on the one hand the newly built shopping miles and the Western inspired quarter Sanlitun are shiny and glittering. Esprit, Nike, Apple, Adidas or Uniqlo fit in seamlessly with ultra-modern hotels and chic restaurants. A hundred metres further on, you push through two greasy plastic doors into the Ya Show Fabric Market – and enter another world. Here, skirts, dresses, pullovers, sleeping bags, baby linen, tea, teapots and ties are piled up in the tiniest spaces over several floors – a view of the old China. You see the same image on the streets: a high-rise building next door to a traditional tea house in Hutong, an SUV next to a bike, a star restaurant next to a street kitchen.

The size of the market is the challenge: China has a huge population. The market has not yet been saturated, so possibilities are enormous.

Luca Pedrotti, CEO Lizard footwear

Size Matters

Facilitating Sport

The sheer size of the market seems breathtaking. According to Bain & Company, the Chinese spent 17.7 billion euros on luxury goods alone in 2010 – and this is a growing trend. Luca Pedrotti, CEO of the Italian shoe brand Lizard footwear puts it like this: “The size of the market is the challenge: China has a huge population, the market has not yet been saturated, the possibilities are enormous.” However, even in the capital city, everything that glitters isn’t gold: On a normal weekday, the shopping Until now, Chinese outdoor consumers were still very focused on price but this is changing. Jun Suk, Kang, Manager Black Yak

centre near the Olympic Centre is completely empty. If you visit it, you are all alone with the huge selection of fashion labels – and the many sales assistants who would only love to get rid of their stock. Pedrotti also sees the difficulties: “The market is not easy: There are already a lot of players and the competition is tough. In addition the local brands are getting ever stronger.

Distribution and retail work differently to what we are used to in Europe and North America.

As well as this, the market is very demanding when it comes to quality and service.”

In China, there are 164 listed mega cities with several million residents. Only a small number of them have been tapped, many regions have not yet been developed – the so-called T2 and T3 cities, which we barely know in the West, remain hugely important for growth to continue.

However, it’s not just about providing products, but also a lifestyle so as to create needs.

“Chinese consumers are hungry for leisure experiences. We just need to show them how,” this is Klaus-Dieter Waltner’s observation, a German designer and product manager who has been working for Western and Chinese sports brands in China for many years. It sounds logical: People who don’t go skiing or

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Modern architecture such as the China National Stadium’s “bird’s nest” characterises Chinese cities.

The Olympic Games in 2008 gave sport a boost.

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Shopping streets modelled on Western examples, like the Sanlitun quarter, shape the image of modern China.

snowboarding don’t need the clothes for these activities either.

Mega City Versus Mongolian Border

Skiing is a relatively exotic sport in China. However, international companies see opportunities here and have, for example, invested in the skiing area Secret Garden. In Chong Li, near the Mongolian border, about three and a half hours by bus from the mega city of Beijing, the Genting Group have developed a resort based on the Western example – state-of-the-art Doppelmayr lifts operate on the mountain, the slope map promises a lot of diversification on paper. However, grandiose statements that praise Chong Li as the “Davos of the East” are simply a joke. Most of the construction projects only exist on paper, the slopes of rock hard snow are ice rinks, the fivestar construction sire is being Chinese consumers are hungry for leisure experiences.

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The “Davos of the East” needs more snow – artificial snow and construction sites characterise Chinese skiing areas such as Secret Garden.

used to a third of its capacity at most. This is not the picture of success.

The Outdoors Sector Is Booming

Opportunities lie elsewhere: Those who spend hours everyday in the never-ending rush hours of mega cities like Beijing, Shanghai or Guangzhou can understand why the prosperous

middle classes yearn for experiences of nature. This is where the real potential lies – outdoor wear occupies 22 per cent of the Chinese sports market – and this is a growing trend. The ispo’s selection of brands also reflects this. The Korean outdoors brand Black Yak has been in the neighbouring market since 1999 and serves about 200 points of sale here. “We are growing sustain-

ably and steadily with very good growth rates,” says Manager Jun Suk Kang. “Until now, Chinese outdoors consumers were still very focused on price but this is changing,” says Kang. The big players have also been discovering outdoor wear as an area of growth.

In 2013, Adidas is to present its outdoor line Terrex for the first time at the ispo. The Chinese brand Li Ning also planted its flag with outdoor products.

However, their claims are already defined: The market share of the ten most important brands in the outdoor market was at 74.9 per cent in 2012. The leaders are Columbia (10.4 per cent), Toread (10.1 per cent), The North Face (9.9 per cent) or Jack Wolfskin (9.3 per cent).

So this is not an easy field for newcomers to the market.

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“Prices Are on a Level With the West” Munich’s ispo has been present in China since 2005. style in progress spoke to Tobias Gröber, Head of the Consumer Goods Business Unit at Messe München about the opportunities that exist for Western brands.

How has the market changed since you started out here?

In the beginning, many companies thought: Great, we come from the West, everyone knows us and wants to buy us. Unfortunately, this was not the case. The market was still in its infancy.

Many Western brands were unknown and there were not a lot of good Chinese brands. In the first five years, it wasn’t easy here.

After the financial crisis, the situation changed: Companies who had previously said to us: No, we are growing in Europe and the US began to sense the crisis there. The only growth market was China. At the same time, production was cut back – then, Chinese producers filled this gap with their own brands.

They already had the know-how in terms of the product back then, in the meantime they have also been catching up in terms of design and marketing.

“This industry is still pretty much in its infancy.” Tobias Gröber, Head of Business Unit Consumer Goods Exhibition

What’s happening in retail at the moment?

What opportunities exist on the market for Western brands?

Opportunities lie in the size of the country and the market.

Even though we have now been here for eight years with an amazing number of brands that are very active, we are just beginning as an industry. The key area for distribution is still clearly on the coast and in cities like Shanghai and Beijing. However, the cities that are ranked second or third are only now waking up.

There are 600 million consumers in China who live in cities. So far

products never see a mountain, but are worn on the underground or in the city. What’s also developing alongside outdoor wear is fitness and health, determined by the Western lifestyle, which is spreading. Bikes are also a big theme but this still needs to develop. In Beijing, consumers prefer to use a car to show off their wealth. It’s also pretty dangerous to travel by bike.

However, in Southern China, in cities like Shenzhen, the bicycle is also a tool for sports and lifestyle. People there use mountain bikes and road bikes. The theme of e-bikes is generally very strong – the Chinese market is the biggest overall market for e-bikes and Pedelecs.

the sports sector has only been covering a fraction of buying interest and consumer behaviour.

Why does the ispo Beijing focus on outdoor wear?

This is determined by market development. Many Chinese people look for happiness in the open air. They spend everyday in metropolitan areas and simply like to go outside during their free time. However, one thing is also clear: 80 per cent of outdoor

The most important distribution channels are department stores and shopping malls with mono-stores. However in the outdoor segment, there are also many speciality stores – Sanfo is one of the most famous. There are now also multi-brand sports concepts like the ones we have, comparable with Sportscheck.

This has potential. Intersport wants to open stores in China in the future. Mono-brand stores, with their massive presence, are even being cut back somewhat at the moment.

At first the market in China was very focused on price. Has this changed?

Yes, now prices in the big cities like Shanghai and Beijing are at Western levels. You can still eat very cheaply, but clothes are more expensive even. However, as a status symbol and to express their own personality, people are prepared to invest money in the relevant products – in originals, not fakes.

The ispo has been in China since 2005 – with rapid growth rates.

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It’s a jungle out there The French Concession in Shanghai is the most elegant district in the city and is now playing host to the latest fashion scene. Far away from the flagship stores of the global luxury brands they gather here in order to create their own style and carve out their own area of the city.

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At the moment, China, India and Brazil are the most exciting emerging countries in the global fashion industry.

A look behind the scenes into the new middle class in Shanghai, the legacy of British colonial times in New Delhi and the great expectations for the Football World Cup 2014 and the Olympic Games 2016 in Rio de Janeiro provide a complex image of fashion retail and its characteristics in these three cities. How does the market in Rio work? What potential does New Delhi hold for European brands and will the new niche between high fashion and streetwear take root in Shanghai?

Shanghai has long basked in its illustrious reputation as China’s fashion capital with a big appetite for bling bling. But in between the scintillating facade of a Chanel boutique and Uniqlo’s multifloor mega-store, there hasn’t been a whole lot else to satisfy shoppers desiring something different. Until recently.

Text, Photos: Hart Huguet Hagerty

Shanghai

A Little in the Middle With experts predicting that China will account for 20 per cent of the world’s luxury sales by 2015, the motto ‘more is more’ reigns supreme in the Pearl of the Orient, where it’s not uncommon to see a custompainted hot pink Porsche illegally parked outside Fendi’s flagship.

Meanwhile, shoppers with lower incomes are just as voracious, having fuelled the exponential growth of fast-fashion retailers like H&M and Zara since they first moved in during the mid-noughties. The last few years have seen the blossoming of a new crop of shopper and in-the-know retailers catering to their sophisticated sartorial sensibilities. If you can manage to look beyond the barrage of bling and frenzy of fast-fashion, you’ll see this quiet new niche of well-travelled and educated 20 to 40-year-olds who crave unique design of under-the-radar labels.

Perpetually plugged-in, this discerning set sources Chinese and western fashion blogs for new trends, but – unlike their fashion victim predecessors – have a keen eye for sifting out only what compliments their personal style.

And those flashy logos? In between China’s e-commerce flash sales and a sea of legit-looking fakes, luxury is losing its lustre amongst this group.

Whether shopping for local labels, foreign brands, vintage or luxury, this cultured Chinese consumer is demanding more from retailers in all aspects of business – from specialised customer service to exclusive design. This new niche is hard to

Designer Sean William Salim operates two stores in Shanghai under his men’s fashion label S2VS.

impress, but not impossible, as evidenced by these savvy Shanghai retailers.

Small but Personalized

On a sunny afternoon in the Former French Concession – Shanghai’s chic neighbourhood of Art Deco villas, winding treelined streets and sidewalk eateries – stylish 20-somethings pat their poodles and sip espressos in a tranquil courtyard. It’s not a cafe scene; it’s the showroom of Xinlelu.com, a young Chinese e-tailer with a decidedly different strategy from giants like Asos.

Targeting young Chinese women who desire to chicly dress against the grain, Xinlelu.com has a tightly-edited selection of affordable foreign labels handpicked by owner Jillian Xin on visits to major trade shows like Coterie in New York City. Often first

introducing young brands like Alice & Trixie to China, Xin prefers collections that “endure the test of time” because “the Chinese customer is getting much more sophisticated now in terms of knowing what suits her, rather than chasing a few big brands or trends.”

Although Xinlelu.com is a tiny fish in China’s e-commerce sea, Xin sees her small size as an advantage. Being small means more personalised customer service, especially within the ultra-chic showroom, where “many of the regular customers become friends.” Another advantage, says Xin, is how “small labels appreciate our dedication to every aspect of discovering new designers.” no need to Suit Up

Leveraging being little is a similar strategy at Shanghai-born style in progress 413

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1+4 | The streetstyle in Shanghai has long since evolved from its blatantly overt style of luxury to a deep fashion consciousness – with a local identity.

2+3 | With her Alter store, Sonja Long represents a new landscape of retail fashion currently evolving in Shanghai.

menswear label S2VS, offering affordable classic sportswear with refined twists in its two stores.

Founder and designer Sean William Salim, a Jakarta-born Parson’s graduate, invests a lot of time learning about his customer to create clothes that “not only suit his lifestyle, but bring him up a level.” He believes many profit driven mass-market brands fail to truly connect with local community desires, a necessary step because the internet has made shoppers more informed and selective than ever before.

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Salim says, “They immediately know what looks good on them and what to avoid.” S2VS aims for outstanding products with great value and excellent customer service. But Salim warns, “These are the easiest yet the hardest things to do in China.”

Easy due to lack of competition, and hard because manufacturing and staff training are “the biggest nightmares in China.”

Character and Quality Wanted

A major player in Shanghai’s vintage scene is also catering to a

more selective customer. According to Philip Fust – owner of two vintage shops Emporium and No. 3975 – much of Shanghai vintage is “extremely overpriced” and poorly curated. Along with Lucius Wei, Fust opened No. 3975 this year to pander to guys looking for “authentic, wearable pieces with character and quality.” The shop is dedicated to European military pieces, like WW2 canvas backpacks and Navy pea coats. The demand for the new shop, says Fust, “reflects a growing Chinese desire to

see oneself as an individual rather than a consumer following brands.” The guys-only store has won over highly-educated, well-travelled men who work in fashion, architecture, engineering, and Harley fans, too. Look for the pack of motorcycles parked outside.

Private Shopping at Alter

While this new niche isn’t so keen on flashy logos, they don’t eschew luxury altogether. Enter high-end concept store Alter, whose eclectic, edgy mix of brands

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6 5 | Philip Fust and Lucius Wie have created a shrine to vintage items in their Store No 3975.

6 | Owned by Jillian Xin, xinlelu.com presents a selection of foreign brand names who often are able to gain entry into the Chinese market through her website.

7 | The two stores by the Shaghai menswear label S2VS have secured their own niche.

woos Shanghai’s wealthiest women. While big names like Gucci and Chloe will always have strongholds in China, their ubiquity – both real and fake – are making Alter’s more exclusive, hard-to-find labels like Sass & Bide and J.W. Anderson even more appealing. Once a week a VIP will come in for private shopping. Assisted by a store stylist and fuelled by flutes of champagne, sprees often top 100,000 renminbis. Red-carpet treatment aside, what ultimately drives success, says owner Sonja Long, boils down to “offering exactly what customers want, which is what nobody else in China has.” At Alter, unique

personal style can come at any cost. Long says, “Price isn’t really an issue. When our customers see something beautiful, they want it. They’re in tune with our concept of creativity being priceless. Now that is magic!”

Creativity is at the crux of the new consumer niche. Being on-trend isn’t the main priority of this highly sophisticated set actively seeking out low-profile labels and styling them in innovative ways. The next few years will see this new wave sweep further across China: A style that certainly can’t be faked nor replicated.

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The Indian market is booming and more and more international fashion brands are flirting with the idea of entering the third-largest economy in Asia. It’s not easy to gain a foothold in India. Anyone who wants to enter the Indian market needs a partner on site who has a 51 per cent stake in the company.

Text: Georg Andreas Suhr.

Photos: Christopher Peetz, Georg Andreas Suhr

new dehli Daily Delhi Desi Arranged marriages are common practice in India, not least when it comes to business. Recently, the Spanish brand Zara was obliged to accept a proposal from Tata, one of India’s biggest conglomerates, which actually produces steel. However, the market potential seems to make it all worthwhile because consumption has become a new religion in India. Their temples are mainly malls. There are only a few isolated specialist stores and multi-brand concepts, as we know them in Europe and this is what big brands like Adidas, Puma, Zara, Mango and Benetton were developed for. In India, it is still the tradition to go to one of the countless markets to find a fabric and have your clothes tailored to fit you. A sari, kurta and pyjamas are the basic clothing of every Indian and it is only good taste to wear these at social events. The Indian couture designer Gaurav Gupta,

for example, has brought the sari into the modern age and so has won modern, young, Indian women as his target group. This is because fashion consciousness is increasing. Mega trends still come from Bollywood for the most part. However, more and more fashion-conscious Indians look towards the Indian editions of international fashion magazines. Countless fashion weeks and fashion events regularly present the latest trends and give an overview of the Indian design scene.

Luxury as an Oasis

In New Delhi too, luxury fashion plays a huge role in your social reputation. No wonder this segment is growing the fastest at the moment. Unlike in China, for example, local brands set the tone here: Wills Lifestyle and John Players are two of the biggest brands in the luxury segment of the Indian tobacco

company ITC (Imperial Tabacco Company). The old nobility and the constantly bored-looking Desi (Indian) girls and boys from the new middle class like to spend their time in the DLF Emporium, the new luxury palace in South New Delhi. India’s biggest real estate company, DLF, erects, with this mall, a memorial to labels from couture. About 70 national and international brands such as Giorgio Armani, Bally, Dior and Diesel Black Gold are presented here on four floors, in good company with their Indian colleagues such as Rina Dhaka, Rahgavendra Rathore, Rohit Bal, Suneet Varma, Janavi, Varun Bahl or Gaurav Gupta.

In keeping with your status, you can be dropped off right at the door by your chauffeur. You make your way through a noble corridor made of cool marble to the main hall with palm trees and a comfortable café. Subdued live music from a grand piano, fresh, pleasantly cool air and an amenable emptiness let you completely forget that you are in the hectic, loud and always overflowing New Delhi. Slowing down – Indian style.

Kimaya – the First of Its Kind

Luxury shopping malls like the DLF Emporium are like oases in the hectic city life of New Delhi. Fashion brands are still a status symbol. No wonder the luxury segment is growing the fastest.

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The fashion retail landscape of New Delhi is chaotic. Issues such as brand management, product range design, customer relations management and purchasing plans are a foreign language to most entrepreneurs. One pioneer among the Indian fashion retailers is Kimaya. The sophisticated chain of boutiques was founded in 2002 by Neha und Pradeep Hirani and contains in its multi-brand concept not just hip brands from India, but also selected brands from Italy, France, the US and Sri Lanka among others. With 149 brands currently in its portfolio, Kimaya is number one in India and operates three stores in the best locations in New Delhi.

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The Indian fashion scene is still influenced by traditional garments.

Among others, the brand Gaurav Gupta presents old influences with new style features.

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1 | Shorts instead of a sari. The new Indian middle class has liberated its fashion awareness.

2 | Domestic brands like Gaurav Gupta have also established themselves in the DLF Emporium.

3 | Traditional clothes characterise the image of New Delhi as a city but, particularly in Hauz Village, a fashion culture has developed that strays away from this.

Both owners’ know-how and their feel for fashion make the young company one of the most professional and revolutionary department stores in India.

Hauz Khaz Village – Delhi meets Kreuzberg

This is where the scene meets.

Countless bars and fashion boutiques can be found in this small autonomous village. It is one of the liveliest quarters of the city. Concept stores come and go in a weekly cycle. The private property has just one entrance and provides its own electricity. Anything is possible here. Hipsters stroll through the winding alleys in the hope of discovering an It girl or It boy.

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Artists work in the countless workshops. Cafés and restaurants on the roof terraces invite you to linger. Young design nerds and established creative wizards like the chief stylist of the moment Aaditya Walia get their inspiration here. The quarter is a real insider’s tip.

Huemn – Avant-Gardism and Innovation made in India

The newcomer designer duo Shyma Shetty and Pranav Mishra from Huemn was the celebrated star of the GenNext designers at the Lakmé Fashion Week in Mumbai in 2013. New young labels in India must open their own boutiques in order to bring current collections onto the

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4+5 | Shyma Shetty and Pranav Mishra run the Indian fashion label Huemn together, for which they are desperately seeking retailers as partners.

5 | Shorts instead of a sari. The new Indian middle classes have defined their own autonomous consciousness 6 | Hauz Village is the creative and innovative focal point of the city where artists, hipsters and students meet.

7 | A landscape of boutiques has developed in Hauz Village that is unheard of anywhere else in New Delhi. Domestic brands in particular are sold in the small commercial premises.

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market. “Without financial support from sponsors this is barely possible. Through your own initiative and 20 hour days, it is achievable somehow. However, there is a lack of small boutiques to sell our collections. For all I care, even on commission as is common in Europe. This would release us and we could concentrate on the creative side,” says Shyma Shetty.

The Big Boom – Online Bargain Market

One of the biggest opportunities to succeed on the sub-continent without Indian partners is the online trade. Here, outlet stores with European and international

brands are particularly booming. One of the market leaders is currently a German company, Qvendo, from Munich, which brings hugely reduced products by labels from the young sportswear segment, such as Quiksilver, to India. Here, products are sent directly from Germany to Indian buyers. As a result of the barely existing infrastructure in the smaller cities, online trade is a welcome alternative to the young, trend-conscious fashion chains for young buyers. H&M has been planning to enter the market for years. Native companies have it easier: Completely new to the market is the chain store Reliance, the latest

offspring of the Reliance empire owned by oil billionaire Mukesh Dhirubhai Ambani.

So India is a promising market with lots of unknowns. The theoretical potential of a gigantic target group has a lot of practical hurdles and problems to contend with.

External factors such as a bureaucracy that is far too complex, a lack of infrastructure, state-prescribed partnerships and cultural differences have so far scared off many foreign brands.

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They characterise the new image of Rio de Janeiro: Streetstyle guru Carlos Mach (left), who is also owner of the Farm store, and the businessman Domingos de Alcantara.

retailers in rio de Janeiro are already rubbing their hands in anticipation: They will soon be hosting the football World Cup and the Olympic Games and their cash registers will be ringing. The mayor called for a large-scale clean-up operation, which mostly affected the favelas.

However, will the fashion trade also embrace this change? If so, then how?

Text: Sue Chester.

Photos: Luciana Whitaker

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rio DE JANEiro JANEiro

Set to Become World Champion?

In Rio de Janeiro, there are two types of buying behaviour.

Either almost random on the way to and from the beaches in Ipanema and Leblon, or completely specific and almost ritual-like. The former happens on the main shopping streets like the Rua Visconde de Pirajรก and Avenida Ataulfo de Paiva.

The big Brazilian brands can be found on both, as well as some mini shopping centres with smaller boutiques. For a specific shopping trip, however, you dress up nice and chic and go to the newer, glittering, perfumed luxury shopping malls that have sprung up in the past ten years in Leblon, Barra and Sao Conrado.

This shopping mall trend began in 2007 with the luxury shopping mall Leblon, where the first international high-fashion brands timidly began to push their way onto the scene among all the domestic brands. This mega-luxury centre was then trumped at the end of 2012 by The Village: This mall brought

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“The people of Carioca need a special type of clothing. It needs to be comfortable and cheerful. Society in Rio understands this need. So, you can also go to dinner in a Havaianas.” Fernanda Nassif and Suellen Mandela also embody this motto in Shopping Leblon, the luxury shopping centre.

the first Apple Store to Brazil along with Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co, Cartier and Prada. The new middle class in Rio particularly loved to wander around it and to soak up the ultimate “millionaire for a day” atmosphere, especially on rainy days. The concentration of actual millionaires is now high. After all, Brazil has produced 19 new millionaires every day since 2007, at least according to Forbes.

Brazilian style influences have always been celebrated internationally: Primark sells bikinis with a Brazilian cut, Marks & Spencer sells Brazilian-cut under-

wear, the feet of hip Europeans are graced with Havaianas and Madonna swears by her Gilson Martins bag. However, does the international world of fashion also have something to celebrate in Rio? Yes, Take Richards for example.

The Brazilian premium collection has been successfully using the London Liberty print in its women’s blouse collections for a long time. From what began as a modest men’s fashion store in Ipanema grew a brand with men’s, women’s and children’s fashion and, recently, home accessories, with 13 stores in Rio and a

further 77 in Brazil. “We started working with the Liberty looks 3 years ago. It’s been a huge success. My customers love liberty prints; the small flowers, the colour,” explains Richard’s Style Consultant Paula Fernandes.

However, she admits that typical Cariocas (people who live in Rio) are also keen on Gap and Abercrombie & Fitch – yet to appear in Brazil – and that “Zara has been very successful here for some years.”

Proud Cariocas

Incidentally, it was also emigrant Europeans who, since the

30’s, have made the greatest impression on today’s iconic Brazilian look. When they finally discovered Ipanema in the 60’s and 70’s, the European influence blended with the Brazilians’ Indian-African roots to produce a colourful, sporty, stylish, feminine, and always cheerful, happy style. However, Paula Fernandes believes that the native brands are still the most popular. “Cariocas are proud of their brands. They believe that Cariocas require a special kind of clothing. They must be comfortable and cheerful because here in Rio you go to the beach in the style in progress 413

086 WHAT'S THE STORY

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1 | Celeb appeal: Gisele Amaral also prefers the typical Carioca look.

2 | Brazil’s answer to international luxury brand names is the premium collection by Richards.

3 | The hippy market of Ipanema portrays the essence of the Brazilian lifestyle, so to speak.

4 | The luxury shopping centre Shopping Leblon opened in 2007 and established a major trend for gigantic shopping centres in the city.

morning, then on to a party at night, without going home to change your clothes. It’s as if you are always on holidays! Society in Rio understands this, so you can come to dinner in Havaianas.

It’s cool.”

A poster child for the Carioca look is the label Farm. Originally sold at a stand at the hip Babilônia Feira Hype market, since 1997 it has developed into a chain of 51 stores, nine of which are in Rio with a flagship store 413 style in progress

in Ipanema spanning 300 square metres. The Farm design team’s main sources of inspiration are the beach and the university campus. “We don’t follow celebrities. New trends come from young people. The PUC [a Leblon University] sets the tone completely. Girls who are still studying or have their first job are our main target group at Farm. They like prints, patterns, colours and a relaxed, feminine lifestyle,” explains Farm’s Brand

WHAT'S THE STORY 087

5

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5+6 | Fred d’Orey founded his own fashion label Totem because he was frustrated by the difficult conditions for the retail sector.

7 | The Farm label symbolises the typical Carioca look in Rio de Janeiro.

Manager Carlos Mach. Farm also likes to cooperate with other brands through temporary partnerships. However, the biggest problem in Brazil is “far too little expertise among the buyers,” explains Mach. At Richards, on the other hand, they emphasise the difficulty of finding good sales assistants, which means that

comprehensive personnel training is necessary.

Bureaucracy as a Stumbling Block

Brazilians don’t tend to be pessimistic, but the overall economic situation also affects the fashion industry. Property prices have increased vastly. There is indeed

an oil boom, however the rapid growth of the past 20 years has slowed down significantly – and predictions that the bubble will burst are increasing. Brazil has already dropped in ranking from 130 to 126 in the World Bank’s category of “Ease of doing business.” A complex tax system makes it difficult for Brazilians to run their businesses, with high import duties scaring many foreign brands away.

When Fred d’Orey opened a boutique in 1995, he bought various different brands for it.

However, just two years later, he closed down again and founded his own brand Totem. The beachwear brand for men became a unisex label due to high demand from women (as was the case with Richards). Its bright colours and prints inspired by

beachwear led to its very own Carioca style. Totem already runs seven stores in Rio and 250 throughout Brazil, but that’s not enough for Fred d’Orey. The brand exports to Australia, Portugal, Greece, England and the USA. Fred d’Orey believes the biggest disadvantage for Brazilian fashion retail is the so-called “Brazil Cost.” “This is the name we give to the bureaucratic and economic hurdles, and the lack of investment in the country.

Our taxes are the highest in the world and our industry receives hardly any incentives, despite generating approx. R$130 billion (approx. 65 billion US dollars) per year and being one of the of the fastest growing sectors in Brazil.”

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088 THE TALK

RoundTAbLE discussion

Too Much of the Same!

Risk or safe option? Gabriele Frantzen, Owner of the Agency Best of 19, and Georg Eder, Fashion Distributor Eder, know the position from the distributor’s and retailer’s side.

413 style in progress

THE TALK 089

On the same wavelength: Peter Eberle, Managing Partner of Konen (left.) and Christoph Huber, Managing Partner of Garhammer.

Boredom in the store, unexciting product ranges and everything looks the same everywhere. In these circumstances, retailers need to be more on the ball than ever before in order to tempt customers to buy – but only some are brave enough to take the risk. In the roundtable discussion, industry professionals from distribution and retail discuss the issue.

Interview: Nicoletta Schaper, Stephan Huber. Photos: Julian Henzler

Nicoletta Schaper, Editor of style in progress: We have had

difficult seasons and it is therefore understandable that those in retail would prefer to take the safe option rather than a risk.

However, Garhammer in Waldkirchen is an exception, currently expanding its headquarters from 6,000 to 9,000 square metres. A big investment…

Christoph Huber, Managing Partner of Modehaus Garhammer: With our development in

recent years, we are now bursting at the seams. We saw significant growth in recent years, especially in our high-quality product ranges. With the investment, we are creating the framework in which we can continue to develop positively. We should always create our own economic boom. There is no logical way we can operate on 6,000 square metres in a town like Wald-

kirchen with 10,000 residents.

We simply need to be better than the others.

Nicoletta Schaper: Konen has the motto “Garden of style,” which is not just the current campaign motto, but the firm’s philosophy.

Peter Eberle, Managing Partner of Konen: This is the second

time that we have defined one motto for all our points of contact with the customer. “Garden of style” in the display window, in the store, on rickshaws pedalling around Munich. There was also a journal for our customers and as a supplement with the süddeutsche Zeitung. We have learned that it makes a lot more sense to present the same content through several channels. What is the point of having brad Pitt on a poster, brax in the catalogue and something else in the display window? We have noticed that

the new strategy is going down extremely well with customers.

Traditional catalogue advertising is simply not as effective as it was ten years ago, which encouraged us to spend our money more wisely on more targeted campaigns. This is because in a city centre as big as Munich, we are in competition with many different concepts, and also with the internet.

Stephan Huber, Editor-in-Chief style in progress: but the stulz

business model works in the countryside in Waldshut-Tiengen, where the catchment area isn't as big.

Thomas Wartner, Owner of Stulz-Mode:Genuss:Leben: We

moved to the area five years ago and are not locals. You need to love the place and the job and to do something special with the store. our concept of combining fashion and delicatessen products style in progress 413

090 THE TALK

From the beginning, you need to make sure that you don’t buy too much. You also need to look critically at the minimum orders that suppliers sometimes impose. Georg Eder, Owner of Eder am Chiemsee and Fashion Distributor Eder

was bandied about as a joke initially, people saying: “Food and clothes don’t go together.” but we believed in it and it has proven successful. At our store, customers are meant to feel at ease and should have the sense that they can browse in peace. so they enjoy buying things.

Stephan Huber: Georg Eder, the store Eder in Prien am chiemsee is in a very similar position.

Georg Eder, Owner of Eder am Chiemsee and the Fashion Distributor Eder: i am in a special

position because i work on two levels. on the one hand as an agency representing the Jet set ski brand for d-A-cH, on the other hand i have my own store with designer brands, which i have been running for two years.

Here, i mostly attract regular customers who appreciate an interesting product range and who like to receive personal advice.

However, this process requires a lot of time, and from the beginning you need to make sure that you don’t buy too much. You also need to look critically at the minimum orders that suppliers sometimes impose.

Nicoletta Schaper: Are minimum requirements still that strict? They really aren't up to date if you look at the pressure that the retail sector is under.

Georg Eder: For a big store 25,000 euros is a small order in the premium segment, but for me with a retail space of 60 square metres it is very ambitious and risky, too. The supplier doesn’t care very much about my risks as a retailer. on the other hand, as an agent, i say to my smaller customers that i want the store to present an image of the Jet set ski collection in order to guarantee a certain volume of sales. Generally speaking i like to find the golden mean: A product range that is adapted to the store, which presents the brand appropriately, but no fixed minimum requirements that apply just as much to surface areas of 30 as to 12,000 square metres. in general, the pressure to achieve minimum turnover has expanded, even if it doesn't suit the current climate.

413 style in progress

Gabriele Frantzen, Owner of the Agency Best of 19 and Gabriele Frantzen Jewelry: We

don’t like to impose minimum limits, but i still want to ensure our brands are well presented. it’s important to me that the product ranges in the various cities don’t look the same. in the past, i ran a shop with my mother and i was always delighted when a customer said to me that they had never seen anything like that before. it was always an incentive for me to tailor my orders accordingly.

Jörg Korfhage, CEO of the Agency Colorful Trade: When it

comes to the generally uniform minimum level, i can’t compare any Munich location with Prien am chiemsee. However, from a distributor’s point of view, i want a minimum statement on the floor space. if Konen were to order 50 pieces from the XY collection tomorrow, i would have to ask myself if i can communicate the core brand with that or if i would be better off saying no. The pertinent question in my view is not whether there is a minimum i have to fulfil, but what message i am conveying.

Gabriele Frantzen: i think that agencies should really be delighted with a retailer’s willingness to take risks. You should be able to find a solution if a potential customer wants to try out a product at a time when it doesn’t yet suit 100 per cent, but still believes in the merchandise. Agencies also have to advise against certain unsuitable products and suggest alternatives.

Stephan Huber: This is a good way to return to the central theme: uniform product ranges.

The question that keeps cropping up in terms of orders refers to the best items and what the competition has ordered. do they really come up that often?

Jörg Korfhage: Very often! but there are two sides to that story: on the one side the question of the best items, on the other side the distributor who is always intent on guiding the customer in a certain direction. but here we have some people sitting at our table who over recent years have

very impressively demonstrated that a major factor in their success is independent management of product ranges.

Peter Eberle: over the past two years, we have tried to make the selection in our design departments somewhat sharper. so first of all we encountered the minimum order discussion. i can understand that a brand needs to make a certain statement.

Take the case of 35,000 euros PP, although 25,000 would also be enough to make a meaningful brand statement. so the buyer puts together a great package and then tries somehow to fill up the remaining 10,000. And it is precisely these fillers that most commonly end up unsold. At the end of it all, the impetus that the new brand could have brought to the department is destroyed. now to the other question: We often and consciously try to interpret brands in a manner set apart from our competition.

Quite simply to make sure that beck and co. don't end up presenting precisely the same things.

Nicoletta Schaper: With tangible success?

Peter Eberle: Less so this summer. but otherwise, yes! This is the feedback we are getting from our customers.

Georg Eder: i also believe that the brands need to rethink. in the past, people in locations like my current one used reasonable volumes of sophisticated and handpicked brands. now, as a smaller store, i have stock for 10,000 euros here, for 25,000 euros there. A little is working everywhere but i don’t believe that this is the right and sensible way.

Stephan Huber: The context of this minimum order discussion is the attempt by specialists to impose a total look on stores. suddenly, you could no longer get a shirt without taking the shirts and jackets with them.

Nicoletta Schaper: How free are customers then to make their own decisions?

Christoph Huber: by and large the relationship between retailers and the industry has become

more open. However, on the issue of uniformity in product ranges: it is not primarily just about the selection. customers only perceive visible uniformity because there are always the same shop-in-shops by always the same brands, and they are even located door to door. it’s also about the presentation in store.

We always mix smaller labels with the big ones; that simply makes it more exciting. if all stores looked the same, no retailers would invest money in their stores for presentation, settings and image any more. i always make sure i am shown the best pieces out of principle, to make sure i know their strengths. i don't believe that uniformity comes about simply because we buy from the big brands, too.

Nicoletta Schaper: Are big brands important to the customers at the moment?

Thomas Wartner: For some sizes of locations, big brands might send out a signal to the outside world. but it is by no means imperative if you manage to offer customers a selection that suits, providing a package of advice, service and product range. The product needs to be right.

Stephan Huber: Established brands have encountered fewer problems over recent seasons, though. i frequently heard from distributors that these have been tough seasons for new and unknown brands. This contradicts the theory of taking a chance with newcomers.

Peter Eberle: i believe that there is simply less money to play with. i need to budget with greater care. i can no longer pay large-scale amounts like 10,000 to experiment with collections.

These days we need to invest in the store and really step on the gas. Anyone stagnating in the current retail climate, be it in their shop space or decoration, will fail sooner or later. The customer always wants something new and fresh.

Gabriele Frantzen: As an agency we stand for bringing small, new labels onto the market, labels that introduce something new.

Customers only perceive visible uniformity because there are always the same shop-in-shops by always the same brands, and they are even located door to door It’s also about the shop presentation. Christoph Huber, Managing Partner of Modehaus Garhammer

b.m.h werbeagentur | hamburg

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092 THE TALK

"The successful ones are focused on their customers". Jörg Korfhage, CEO of the Agency Colorful Trade.

This requires a bundle of energy and costs a lot of money, so i would be delighted if the retailer also looked at new things. sometimes people don’t perceive that the agencies invest a lot.

We often hear that the retailers don't have the time. This is a shame because, as an agency, we only have three opportunities to perform in Germany: in berlin, düsseldorf and Munich. i would welcome retailers creating the time for niche agencies at the trade fairs. After all, they will order from their main suppliers anyway.

Jörg Korfhage: When i set up my agency, i noticed too that there is less money to play with. but monotony in product ranges is not down to that alone. An example: How could a big chain of stores design individual product ranges when it has to furnish 100 outlets? A company with central operations wants to manage as many brands as possible and as uniformly as possible in the department stores. Experi413 style in progress

ence has taught me that today's buyers tend to be little more than number crunchers. i get the feeling that at least 50 per cent of buyers act rigidly according to the figures. but that is not the way to make a better product range.

Stephan Huber: i suppose they always take yesterday's figures, right?

Jörg Korfhage: Yes, exactly. so the current collection is not evaluated, just yesterday’s figures. in my experience, i can say that it’s often quite simply down to allocating funds. And that is another contributing factor in the status quo as we have it today.

The successful people around us are faced with the same framework conditions and difficulties. but they stay focused on their customers.

Christoph Huber: You can only be successful when you have a clear approach. This is true for smaller stores and also the major outlets. When we set off to place our orders, we already

know exactly where we want to go. The days are gone where you simply go to the trade fair, look at everything and order from 24 labels. our buyers are in the store every saturday, if they are not at a trade fair. As the boss, i place great importance on this.

They need to sell and to know our customers. We put product ranges together for our customers and for no one else.

Peter Eberle: However, we do notice that some agents seem to travel along pretty much preordained paths through a city like Munich. For instance, if the agency XX has a very good relationship with one of our competitors, the competitor may well end up getting first option on every new label. And if the other retailer decides not to buy shortly before the end of the

latest round of orders, it's too late for us to step in. i would welcome greater openness from some agency colleagues at the beginning of the order rounds – and it would be good if the beaten tracks were less hewn in stone and rigid. Especially for women's collections, seeing as exclusivity is pretty high on the cards when it comes to that topic.

Gabriele Frantzen: We are delighted with any customer who comes to us. However, i do find it a shame if a retailer doesn’t give me the chance, as an agency, to take up another customer in the same city, if the original retailer decides for whatever reason not to order or to order less in a certain season. i am very much in favour of partnerships on both ends, but hardly anyone says to us: i think it’s oK if you take on

I would welcome retailers creating the time for niche agencies at the trade fairs. After all, they will order from their main suppliers anyway. Gabriele Frantzen, Owner of the Agency Best of 19 and Gabriele Frantzen Jewelry

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094 THE TALK

I get the feeling that at least 50 per cent of buyers act rigidly according to the figures. But that is not the way to make a better product range. Jörg Korfhage, CEO of the Agency Colorful Trade

new customers and we will see if we can order more again next season.

Peter Eberle: i do think sometimes that the industry representatives are not keen on the risk involved in allowing other retailers to take centre stage with new collections. it’s very difficult to tell which side is actually exerting the pressure.

Gabriele Frantzen: i, for example, would like to have two big retailers in one location. on the internet, the brands are everywhere all the time; it makes more sense to assign individual limits there. seeing that everything is available anywhere in the world, it is all the more important that we consider our customers

in what we offer. What’s great about retail is offering customers advice, up front and in person – this is the most important thing.

Christoph Huber: This is the most important thing, of course. but people are also asking for more. When i see young people in our store, just out of training and already driving up in a new Audi…i didn’t have that kind of car in my late 20’s. They all travel to Mallorca on their holidays. but things were very different just 10 or 15 years ago.

Hardly anyone is happy with the middle ground anymore. if we want to be successful in retail, we need to look at this as a whole.

The complete package needs to be right.

Georg Eder: Earlier on, we spoke a lot about having money to play with. but barely anyone can afford it anymore because what you need to earn has become so astronomical. i can’t have the best staff and the greatest store if i don’t have a certain guaranteed turnover. customer expectations grow in line with ambitious brands and product ranges. The higher the prices of the product range, the more important it is to have a sensitive, independent sales force that knows how to advise on, and sell, very expensive products.

Stephan Huber: Let's say i'm a customer and am willing to spend 1,000 euros on a jacket. i don’t necessarily need advice. i need a real person there to discuss it with on the same level. it's not easy to find staff like that.

Jörg Korfhage: Well, only if you are willing to invest in them.

"Our concept of combining fashion and delicatessen products was bandied about as a joke, but it has proven successful." Thomas Wartner, Owner of Stulz-Mode:Genuss:Leben.

413 style in progress

Peter Eberle: i also think that

we can achieve a lot through staff development nowadays. i used to see this aspect differently. but today i realise that the right training and leadership within departments can yield success.

Thomas Wartner: i mentioned earlier that i love the place where i live. i radiate this. All of my staff came of their own accord, without advertisements. i am proud of this.

Christoph Huber: The media reported on our expansion, and so we have seen quite a few applications come in. We haven’t received as many applications in the past 50 years as we have had in recent months.

Nicoletta Schaper: i think that the applicants have seen, from a customer’s point of view, that the store represents something, has a profile.

Jörg Korfhage: This shows that people get what we are up to.

THE TALK 095

“We don’t like to impose minimum limits but I still want to ensure our brands are well presented.” Gabriele Frantzen, Owner of the Agency Best of 19.

The image of the profession is perhaps so bad because along vertical channels, if you look at everything together, you pretty soon end up as nothing more than a warehouse manager.

Christoph Huber: And we are a big part of the problem in that respect! As a retailer, i am a service provider and i need to provide reliable advice. This is our strength and we need to focus on it. in order to do this, i need to invest. And it really isn't a surprise at all how things are if i see everything that the competition is not doing, although it would be easy in terms of offering advice and providing service if we just decided to do it.

Stephan Huber: We said that you need a clear plan for orders.

Where can you find new inno-

vations, where do you see new developments?

Thomas Wartner: For me, it’s the input i receive from customers in my store – and the trade fairs. i come back from Florence full of ideas, but then i need to adapt them all to my location. i also need to sell the package to my customers. At trade fairs, i need to take more time for other products in future. After all, the core products i need are always going to be good.

Christoph Huber: 15 to 20 people from our team travel to berlin. There always ten or twelve of us in düsseldorf for three or four days too, although everyone calls it a dying location.

There's a lot to choose from. We have more information than ever before. it's more of a problem to leave something out.

I come back from Florence full of ideas, but then I need to adapt them all to my location. I also need to sell the package to my customers. Thomas Wartner, Owner of Stulz-Mode:Genuss:Leben

We have a defined goal of reducing the number of labels, and this doesn’t always mean sticking with the safe ones. We actually need to take countermeasures to promote greater attractiveness. Peter Eberle, Managing Partner of Konen

Nicoletta Schaper: is it not actually the broad selection that provides the opportunity to be individual, or is it more a question of focusing on smaller brands in the product range?

Peter Eberle: of course! We have a defined goal of reducing the number of labels, and this doesn’t always mean sticking with the safe ones. We actually need to take countermeasures to promote greater attractiveness. in certain departments, we have covered a segment with two, three or sometimes even four brands that are completely interchangeable and that are not all performing well because they can’t be presented very well.

However, lots of our buyers are afraid that their department will lose out because their customer will no longer find brand XY

and that they will disappear.

However, this doesn’t happen.

The customers trust the store and look for what they like there.

Jörg Korfhage: We all need to think more about developing exciting product ranges. not just moving from all black to all colour. The customers we need are not just buying less because of the weather, but because they can tell what’s happening in Europe. They are wondering whether they really need the next pair of jeans or if the old pair will do. but if we touch their emotions, we have a chance to make it through the valley of tears unscathed. You can tell that in the way that the successful ones among us proceed.

Nicoletta Schaper and Stephan Huber: Thank you very much for

this discussion!

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096 THE TALK

Henry Cotton's caused a furore back in 1978 with its classic Modern Country line, now the collection is being given a contemporary twist for the autumn/winter 2013/14 collection.

The Coast+Weber+Ahaus collection was presented at the Pitti Immagine Uomo in June for the first time.

413 style in progress

THE TALK 097

The courage of a coMpany, placing iTS faiTh in TalenT At the beginning of May, the Industries Sportswear Company separated from the luxury fashion company Industries Group (Moncler) so that it can go its own way in the future. According to Italian media negotiations on a sale are already taking place.

CEO Enrico Acciai in an interview with style in progress outlines the current situation.

Text: Thesy Kness-Bastaroli. Photos: PR

You have been managing the sportswear company which recently split from Moncler (Industries Group) for a good year now. Where does your focus lie?

Enrico Acciai: We're in the process of creating a joint project for four of the brands, Henry cotton’s, Marina Yachting, coast+Weber+Ahaus and 18cRR81 cerruti, but one in which each one of the brands still retains its individuality. The president and major shareholder, Remo Ruffini, has, at the same time, shown entrepreneurial courage by placing his trust in new talent.

You have employed twelve international designers. Has this now completed your stylist team?

no, other designers will join the team in a little while. At the moment, we are in the process of going back to the roots of the individual brands. The guiding principle is: Less is more.

How did the crisis affect the Industries Sportswear Company? Can you see an end to the crisis?

We have seen a reduction in sales in recent months. After all, 60 per cent of the total sales are concentrated in italy where consumption is spiralling downwards. This share should decrease. in 2011, the italian market still had a share of 71 per cent. in my view, this crisis at the moment isn't just about pure economics, it's more a social crisis, a crisis of ideas. if we don't manage to put the brakes on this crisis of ideas, then i don't predict a turnaround. The crisis has brought about something good: We have found our way back to ourselves again.

There are media reports on a possible sale of the Industries Sportswear Company.

Are negotiations already in progress?

one thing is certain and that is the sportswear division will be operating independently of the industries group in future. i can neither confirm nor deny that sales negotiations are taking place. However, it is in the nature of financial investors to sell off their shares sooner or later. (The French private equity company Eurazeo controls a good 30 per cent of the group. Editor's note)

The 53-year-old CEO Enrico Acciai is to press ahead with the independence and expansion of the Industries Sportswear Company.

carrying on a business with four brands, in terms of marketing, for example. For the first time, all our brands have come together at a joint stand during the Pitti immagine uomo trade show in Florence. And we had also premiere a group fashion show in the stazione Leopolda. our focus lies in the affordable luxury market segment.

How have you organised distribution?

Two-thirds of the sales are via wholesale, one-third via retail trade. This ratio should also remain constant in future. We have discovered a good formula for selling our remaining stock in outlets and are in the process of creating an e-commerce business tailored to the individual.

Thank you for talking to us!

Where does production take place?

it takes place wherever we can find the best value for money: for instance, knitwear in italy, jersey products in Turkey, nylon and polyester merchandise in Asia.

Are you interested in purchasing additional labels?

if opportunities present themselves, we will think about them. There are advantages to style in progress 413

098 THE TALK

Since the end of last year, John Cloppenburg at Peek & Cloppenburg has been responsible for the premium departments, the Designer for Tomorrow project and the online store Fashion ID.

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THE TALK 099

“our STrengTh iS The arT of iMproveMenT” John Cloppenburg started selling trousers in his grandfather James Cloppenburg’s department store at the age of sixteen. After many years at the top of the Anson’s company and in top management at Peek & Cloppenburg KG, Düsseldorf, he is now responsible for developing the premium segment and is a member of the jury in the “Designer for Tomorrow” award for young talent. He belongs to a big family, a role in which he has been given substantial responsibility.

Interview: Stephan Huber. Text: Isabel Faiss.

Photos: Peter Schaffrath

notice. so admittedly there are years in which the weather makes it look like we are offering the wrong products. i do find it amusing, though, that we start discussing the fundamental quality of product ranges when bad weather and poor sales arrive – only for the debate to stop as soon as the weather improves and sales pick up.

You were put in charge of developing and managing the premium segment at Peek & Cloppenburg. How do you define this segment?

i have been responsible for the premium segment since december and i am still learning. so i'm still not really in a position to talk about THE premium segment because it varies a lot according to the size of the store.

The bigger the store, the more the premium segment moves towards the luxury segment. one of P&c's unique selling propositions has been its abundance of smaller department stores. it’s often overlooked that this is exactly how we set ourselves apart from other big European multi-label retailers who tend to focus on a few stores. it’s extremely important to Peek & cloppenburg that we can offer a premium product range to customers in smaller department stores. This is why we maintain ties with a few core partners, Hugo boss for instance, who are perfectly suited to this strategy. our plan for the future is to place greater emphasis on the differences in ranges found within medium-sized stores and big-city department stores. An example of this is our store on Kärntner strasse in Vienna, where we can offer entirely different product ranges in the premium segment, ones that help us move up a few notches.

Does Peek & Cloppenburg draw strength from its core presence in smaller cities?

Yes, i believe this is what sets us apart from our competitors. There aren't many concepts around that work well in big and small cities alike.

Mr Cloppenburg, we have been questioning shifts in ordering and delivery cycles in retail. Shouldn’t retailers consider it their duty to tailor their product range to customer demand rather than to industry cycles?

demand is not just one thing; there are different groups of customers. Men shop to meet immediate needs. For women it’s far more emotional. The structure of demand differs also, not just the scheduling. naturally, we could respond much faster to the needs of customers if we had another week's

We have observed an almost exclusive trend towards concentration on urban centres for years now. How have you perceived the development in smaller locations?

our business is all about details, and the level of personal commitment we show on the ground can make a huge difference in terms of success. i don't really see any need at the moment to down tools at the smaller locations. i believe that the key to success is understanding the needs of customers in smaller cities. but customers do expect different things of the Peek & cloppenburg

brand, depending on the size of the city they live in. There are products and brands that won't get customers jumping into their cars and flocking to the next biggest centre. on the other hand, though, there are certainly product groups we would be well-advised to maintain in order to cover a basic demand, rather than using premium products to prop up a market that simply doesn't exist in smaller cities.

Do you feel that as a long-term goal, you could improve the support offered to these smaller stores and also promote their integration by strengthening the online presence?

integrating online and offline channels is the key to success for many traditional retailers.

You meet customers at their chosen location.

The way we handle the medium is no doubt different to large competitors with an entirely different business model. but we intend to stick to our chosen path.

It is still ambitiously late to launch the online store Fashion ID in March 2013.

True, but let us not forget that the up-front costs are fairly prohibitive for a traditional retailer with no mail-order business. now we are finding our feet, and the product range isn't yet quite the way we would like it to be in the long-term. i am confident nevertheless that we will continue to learn which factors are crucial for success.

Prominent brands in this segment are already represented in most Peek & Cloppenburg locations in Western and Southern Germany; their principal concern is to prevent over-distribution. How would you argue to get them to sign up?

From a brand perspective, Peek & cloppenburg is an excellent partner for brands seeking to develop a larger target group. by and large we can dispense with the fears our customers express by pointing to the architecture of our department stores and the diversity of our product ranges. These factors help brands present themselves to customers who had never noticed them before.

How strictly do you regulate the issue of cut-price sales in your company, especially in smaller stores? Or put differently: How much time does a product have these days for sale at full price?

We have defined periods in which we do not cut the prices at all; this is a commitment we offer our partners. now while this works well mainly in physical stores, it is clear that online stores also introduce this kind of discount during the season. so by and large style in progress 413

100 THE TALK

it has become more difficult for retailers and brands to consistently maintain stable prices.

So what kind of ratio in cut-price sales do suppliers accept, so to speak? When do they start feeling happy?

it depends very much on the brand and the pricing. but the sales figures do provide us with precise information on which brands are popular and which are less so. There are other factors that need to fit also, such as the weather, of course. so success can’t be measured against sales figures alone. selling bermuda shorts at a 50 percent mark-down when the weather is five degrees below freezing point is a success, but not so much if it is plus 25 degrees. We have a clear perception of what success means across our whole product range.

To what extent are manufacturers expected to shoulder responsibilities?

This also varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. Each manufacturer must face up to comparison with more successful brands and maintain a sense of responsibility after the order. This has to be based on partnership. naturally, it's our fault if we throw our weight behind the wrong partner in terms of what we buy. We can't blame the manufacturer for that. The market has already undergone significant changes. Just a few years ago, the number of retailers in a position to accept risk was substantially higher. but the environment in which retailers operate has been turned on its head due to the wide variety of different channels the industrial sector opened up. it was not the retailers that brought upheaval to the market, for instance in pricing. in quite a few cases it was the

brands themselves that first offered these prices while expanding their own stores. but no matter the market environment we operate in, we are well-advised to take a critical look at ourselves before seeking the reasons for our success or failure in others.

The Designer for Tomorrow project is another symbol of Peek & Cloppenburg's ongoing stylistic development in the premium segment. What were the expectations in terms of this project?

i have been part of dfT for three years now and i have to say that the “designer for Tomorrow” award has been a very interesting journey. The competition and the accompanying development programme for young designers have acquired a significantly more professional approach, and the recruitment of internationally renowned patrons has most certainly contributed to this. The last two years have seen Marc Jacobs provide support and stella Mccartney is now on board to offer expertise. The attention the award receives through her involvement alone is very helpful. For me personally, it is a very pleasant development that dfT provides added flavour to the berlin Fashion Week.

Do you see this project as more of an investment in your own image or do you feel it may produce actual results with a definite influence on your product ranges, perhaps even open new doors?

it’s still a learning process. naturally, the award is ultimately an investment in young talent. but that is an aspect for the longterm, and we don't perceive the project as a business model in which you invest a certain sum and expect a specific output. There is a

Stella McCartney (here with John Cloppenburg) succeeds designer Marc Jacobs as patron of Designer for Tomorrow, who curated the competition before her.

clear focus on emotional values. Any other values would be wrong, and if that's what you're looking for you shouldn't start the project at all. if i cast an eye over how the project has developed, i am convinced that having dfT as something more than just a marketing platform is positive. Maintaining its development programme can help young designers to find their way from the very structured routine of design schools to making it in the fashion industry.

The so-called leap into real life?

Exactly. dfT is on the cutting edge between art and commerce. in recent years i have seen many of our young designers emerge from school with entirely different aims to those we have in the world of retail. if dfT can mediate between these two points of view, some exciting ideas will hopefully emerge.

Thank you for taking this interview.

The Peek & Cloppenburg branch in Düsseldorf was reopened at the end of March 2013 after being refurbished. As part of the refurbishments the premium department was thoroughly redesigned.

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102 THE TALK

"i find obviouS ShowS of luxury vulgar" His own name is well-known.

Certainly better known are those he has already revived, rejuvenated or recently defined: Malo, Agnona, Piombo and, finally, Ballantyne. He established the line which majestically bears his name, in 2007, it's guiding principle being its uncompromising quality. Something appreciated by 150 retail customers all over the world.

Interview: Martina MĂźllner.

Photos: Massimo Alba

He was successful for others for many years, now he is successful under his own name: Massimo Alba.

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In times like this, how do you define luxury?

My idea of luxury is that it has to be invisible. Luxury, intended as a way of showing off or anything that is too obvious or too showy, is something i have always considered to be "vulgar". invisible luxury, for me, is the ability to make a good choice, perpetually being in touch with beauty in a discreet way.

For this reason, our clothes only have a small tag on them. i feel it is rather sad that people nowadays feel the need to present themselves through fashion logos. i live in a city, Milan, where the most beautiful gardens are "secret", hidden behind the walls of buildings.

For me, having the ability to see and discover

beauty is the real luxury. Facing life with a smile, is a luxury.

What makes your collection unique?

The way in which we combine textiles, prints and colours. The impression that everything comes from the past but also that it still has something to do with the future. Emotional comfort is the sensation you have when you wear something that protects you, makes you feel comfortable and doesn't make an exhibition of you. our colours aren’t violent, rather softened and sweetened from washings. Everything feels wonderfully soft, even the collars and cuffs. We use a very soft, opaque yarn, we have this dyed in a single batch just-in-time using water-based colours.

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Fashion by Massimo Alba wants to enjoy more than one season – and more than anything it wants to represent a value.

We use these same colours for our velvet jackets as well as the silk and cotton.

Is it difficult to find a high enough standard of raw materials to meet your needs?

our fabrics and textiles are exclusively produced for us and a lot of research goes into this. We also use special processing technology, and it's a combination of these two factors that makes our products something exclusive and recognisable.

The result of all this is that the prices are higher. Does the consumer understand this difference?

Well, of course, prices are always going to be a matter of debate because at the end of the day you have to pay. but shouldn't it really be the value of an object that counts? We don't have any added value with our products – simply the value of the product itself.

We design our pieces so that they are perfect for everyday wear and are items that you can live in. We are constantly refining our style.

i know that once people have bought our products they will do it again. i couldn't really conjure up any clearer evidence that the consumers understand, could i?

Where is the new spring/summer collection for 2014 heading?

My work is always a work in progress. i like to think that past and future collections are united and mixed in a certain way. because there is always a common thread that connects and defines the brand. on the one hand, you have the textiles taken from historic fabric archives and on the other hand, you also have the textiles exclusively produced for us and which have been dyed using natural chemical-free pigments.

and what goals do you have in mind for Germany and Austria?

My wife's mother was born in Potsdam.

Perhaps this is why i feel such an affinity for this market. There is no doubt, a section of the German-speaking market is interested in a project such as ours, a project with an international message and a colourful range of products that embodies life, and that is able to prove that aesthetics are not just a matter of a logo. We already have very important clients in Austria and Germany such as dantendorfer, Frauenschuh, braun, bungalow, Purple Phoenix and Mood.

Knitwear needs to be ...

.... light, soft and gentle to satisfy my customers.

You are currently focussing on the German-speaking market with the D-Tails agency. What is the reasoning behind this

Massimo Alba T 0039.02.89415710, info@massimoalba.com, www.massimoalba.com

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104 THE TALK

big Think

When Harry Wang speaks about his ambitious growth targets, the enormous potential of the Chinese fashion market becomes a reality once more.

The fact that Harry Wang speaks from the point of view of a Taiwanese brand makes it all the more exciting. He is the CEO of the family company Shiatzy Chen, which is one of the first Chinese luxury brands to successfully compete with the global high-fashion corporations, and which particularly depends on the domestic market in doing so.

Text: Isabel Faiss. Photos: Shiatzy Chen

Mr Wang, how would you describe the Chinese idea of luxury?

it has changed rapidly in recent years, moving away from the typical, oversized logos towards real, high-quality products. Things like the shopping experience, the brand’s dnA, and the exclusiveness of the products are becoming ever more crucial in terms of the product development of luxury goods for chinese people.

Your parents established the brand and the company. Since joining the company in 2001, you've mainly been a driving force in opening new stores in Hong Kong, China as well as in Europe.

35 years after we first established our company in Taiwan, we run more than 40 stores there. The brand is very successful locally but our concern is the global market. in 1990, we set up our own fashion studio and our first boutique in Paris to serve the global market. We have also been represented in mainland china since 2003; our first store was in shanghai. since then, we have opened 14 more stores in mainland china, five stores in Hong Kong and Macau, and one in Malaysia. We focus primarily on the chinese and Asian markets because the huge extent of their potential is becoming ever clearer. My goal is to open 200 new stores by 2020, with 413 style in progress

around 100 stores in china, ten in Hong Kong and Macau, ten in southeast Asia, 60 in Taiwan and Japan, and the rest in the us and Europe.

While Europe is experiencing stagnation and resignation, your market is growing, and your company with it. Your ambitions are still pitched very high, 200 million US dollars in turnover by 2020?

Yes. This target is based on sales results in recent years, when our turnover in china increased enormously.

Are you expecting more potential from the Chinese domestic market than from the American and European markets?

of course. The chinese market is much stronger than the European market at the moment, not just for our brand. More and more Western luxury brands are increasingly transferring their focus from the European to the chinese market. The new middle and upper class in china is growing into a prosperous luxury clientele.

You get all your fabrics from Italy. For the European market this is an exciting development because the tables have turned in recent years: cheap production in China, sales in Europe. Has the tide turned?

i can’t speak for other chinese brands, but the fact that we import fabrics from italy and

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Since 2001, Harry Wang has been leading Shiatzy Chen, the company set up by his mother, in a strategy for the future, which is focused on the global market.

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106 THE TALK

In 2005, Shiatzy Chen opened its gigantic flagship store in Shanghai, located in this listed brick building dating back to 1901.

The biggest advantage of the chinese market, i think, is the rapidly-increasing demand for luxury products and the economic growth associated with this. European customers are definitely more rational when purchasing luxury products.

Chinese influences meet modern interpretations and influences from other cultures. Shiatzy Chen is authentically Chinese without intentionally trying to look that way.

cooperate closely with italian manufacturers to test new patterns and prints is an essential distinguishing feature for shiatzy chen.

Do you think it is realistic for Western brands to hope to be able to establish themselves on the Chinese market as the most promising future market?

Most new brands need at least 5 years to become established in china. They need to invest a lot in marketing and PR to develop the brand image and to find really good locations for their own stores. on this market, everything actually depends on a good location for your store; for example being placed in one of the high-end luxury malls makes a big difference.

What advantages does the Chinese market have over the European market?

The European market has shrunk dramatically, but mostly thanks to the increasing number of tourists from the Middle East, Russia, and Asia, it’s exciting for us to consider the price advantages on the European market.

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Are international luxury brands still regarded as a status symbol or is demand in fact growing for domestic branded products?

At the moment, it is international brands with a long history in particular that have absolute cult status. There is a small group of consumers who prefer local brands but it will take years before local brands can truly compete with the big international names.

Are you represented in multi‐brand stores in Western markets?

Yes, we are. As a matter of fact, we are represented in several stores in Europe, and we would like to develop this area of business significantly.

What are your long‐term and medium‐ term goals for Shiatzy Chen?

First, to have 200 of our own stores around the world by 2020. our long-term goal is to establish shiatzy chen as an international luxury brand, which can compete with the established Western luxury brands.

Several Western luxury brands have already tried to score with collections and store designs specifically geared towards the Chinese market. In your opinion, why has this always gone wrong so far?

Most Western brands are doing a great job.

However, this is not true of concepts that they created specifically for the chinese consumer. i think this is because they were created by Western designers, who don’t really know china or the local culture. simply adding dragons and a phoenix just isn’t enough. You need to go deeper.

Is something like a retail environment, like what we have in Europe, developing in China at the moment?

The idea of multi-brand stores is still in its infancy. Most luxury brands prefer to have their own stores instead of selling to boutiques. At the moment, the few multibrand concept stores that we have in china still sell small independent designer brands or newcomers from china and overseas.

In 1978, the Taiwanese designer Wang Chen Tsai-Hsia founded Shiatzy Chen in Taipei. In China, the company currently employs about 180 staff and operates 60 of its own stores around the world.

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"creaTiviTy and QualiTy are The SoluTionS To The criSiS" FIVE QUESTIONS FOR Riccardo Abati, Owner and CEO of Indas SRL in Medolago, Italy with the brands Etiqueta Negra and Tortuga Academy.

Interview: Stephan Huber. Photo: Etiqueta Negra

Italy, the great land of fashion, is deep in crisis, its industry as well as its trade.

What opportunities do you see for recovery?

There’s no doubt that we are in crisis. italy as a whole is going through a time of great changes and adjustments. such a process is always difficult because not everyone is prepared for the necessary changes. However i am convinced that we can overcome this challenge. What is essential is an acknowledgement of the key 'Made in italy' values: creativity and quality. We also need to increase personal communication with our customers.

What have been the most significant changes in the fashion business over recent years?

The digital revolution has changed our business more significantly than we could have imagined a few years ago – particularly because it allowed both companies and end consumers to access a global market. This holds as many opportunities as it does risks because, especially on the internet, it's about establishing a real relationship of trust between brands and consumers. Everyone still has a lot to learn when it comes to dealing with these possibilities. E-commerce will no doubt continue to grow sharply in the years to come. it will become even more professional and technical possibilities will become more refined.

How did the Indas Group adapt to these changes?

As an italian producer, quality and flexibility are the only things that will bring us success on the international market. We absolutely cannot and do not want to embark on a price war. instead, it is our responsibility to invest consistently in innovation. in the medium term, in light of many global changes, i see great potential in products that are made in italy or made in Europe. The consumer outlook is changing; prices are rising in the strongholds of cheap production. This is an exciting development and we are well prepared for it.

Does this also apply to your own brands Etiqueta Negra and Tortuga Academy?

The challenges are basically the same. Today, with Etiqueta negra and Tortuga Academy, we have two sportswear brands with great potential. However, we need to face up to the changes in the fashion retail landscape, particularly in the areas i mentioned. We need to be a reliable partner to our customers. We need our own stores to strengthen the brand and we need to understand e-commerce and use it cleverly for the customers of today.

Etiqueta Negra and polo culture, they’re more than just business for a horse lover like you. Where does this passion come from?

My whole family is crazy about horses. i have been surrounded by horse breeding and equestrian sports all my life. This passion gave me an almost logical connection to the game of polo. it’s all about skill and fair play.

For us, polo is never just a short-lived trend; it's part of our culture, which also makes it part of our business culture. sponsoring Ellerstina, the world's best polo team, makes me immensely proud.

"Polo is all about expertise and fair play. These are also our company’s guiding principles." Riccardo Abati, Owner and CEO of Indas SRL.

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Remixed & Sampled. Still here? Here again? You won't succeed in categorising the plethora of micro and macro-trends if you stick to the old standards. So what is this old standard? One that tries to detect global trends. But those days are over, and they're not coming back.

Trends

Text: Martina Müllner. Photos: Bernhard Musil, Manufacturers

Spring/Summer 2014

Worlds of imagery

roy roger’s add

Whether woven or printed – patterns and prints inspire the imagination of designers. The blueprints come from Africa, Hawaii or provide artistic depictions of nature. Whether it’s palm trees or Paisleys, flowers or buds: The images can be laid on thick. They can also be worn solo all over.

pharmacy harmacy industry Drykorn

Henry Cotton’s raparo

Habsburg

gloriette

Schneiders

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Sand

Bomboogie

manuel anuel ritz

pepe Jeans

pence 7 For All mankind

monitaly

monocrom

Bob

White Siviglia

inverni

Drykorn gabriele pasini

grace

Diemme

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Camouflage & Disguise War paint? Nothing of the sort.

Camouflage is everything other than discreet. The pattern’s motto is to stand out rather than fit in. Whether it’s glasses, bow ties, watches, shoes or scarves – accessories are the trends on the front line. On the same mission: trousers and jackets in creative new interpretations of camouflage.

Komono

Bomboogie

Woolrich

Blauer uSA

monocrom

north orth Sails Jet Set

matchless

Blauer uSA

Dami

Anderson’s

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Derrière

Tatras

FASHION 111

Waxed

Blundstone

Herschel Supply Co

Aigle

msgm

manebi anebi

Wool & Co

galleni alleni

nixon monitaly

gwynedds

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mabrun abrun

greenery

The colour of hope?

Perhaps. In any case it’s the colour of choice among designers and product managers. Rich grass green, cheerful lime green, sun-bleached yellow green. Alone or to freshen up brown tones, or in a summery duet with brilliant white. Or in a bouquet with all the flowers and blossoms that send tendrils through the trendy prints of the season.

pantone antone universe

raparo

Jupe

South Lane

Smilla

Canada goose

inverni nverni

Buttero

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FASHION 113 Henry Cotton’s

gloriette

Super Duper

Claudio Cutuli

White Siviglia

1881 Cerruti

rené Lezard

Habsburg

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nixon

encore

Far more than mere trappings: Accessories make or break an outfit. The right choice ennobles the buyer, not just the wearer.

We say be daring, courageous, open. Increasingly, consumers are risking the unconventional.

The trend is there: All we need is the touch to ride it.

inverni

We Wood

Stetson

grafik rafik plastic

Freds Bruder Floris van Bommel peuterey euterey

Jupe

Super Duper

Barbour

manebi

roda

Diemme

ecoalf

Orciani

Buttero

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my nylons

FASHION 115

ecoalf

To cut to the chase: they're here to stay, sporty jackets made of technical fibres, designed for the summer or the way it used to be in Europe. Filled with light down, the jacket is a loyal friend during wind and bad weather. New styles: long jackets with zips and cords, designed in slim cut.

Country Frey

Baracuta parajumpers arajumpers

norwegian orwegian rain

geospirit eospirit

peuterey

Hancok & pierre-Louis mascia

marina Yachting Woolrich

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Success Story

The blue chip of the fashion industry: denim. It's in and out just as frequently as it passes the shop counter. This is because the deep indigo blue, refined washes and new, eco-friendly finishes whet the appetite. No wonder many exciting lookalikes are coming to the fore: hemp fabrics or delicate eyelet embroidery that exude a blue-blooded air.

Closed

Stetson

gilded ilded Age

Swiss Chriss

Blauer uSA Saint paul aul

Buttero

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made ade in Heaven

FASHION 117 Delikatessen

roy roger’s monitaly

7 For All mankind White raven

pepe epe Jeans

C.p. p.. Company p Sartoria Tamarossa

Converse

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Dapper

Quite dapper today. In the double-breasted coat, the check blazer with a chic shirt and a fine handkerchief. Off-the-peg clothes as a contrast, a variety of clothing. If you're not compelled by dress-code, why not try out a cheeky dinner jacket as daytime business attire? Because there's nothing to stop you experimenting!

Serdar uzuntas

Drykorn

Salvatore piccolo

Woolrich

1881 Cerruti

Henry Cotton’s

Billtornade

Habsburg Sand

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FASHION 119

manuel ritz

Brando Hardy Amies

nigel Hall

roy robson

renĂŠ enĂŠ Lezard LBm 1911

Boglioli

Brunello Cucinelli

montezemolo ontezemolo

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Photos: Alexandra Kinga Fekete, www.alexandrakingafekete.com Art Director & Production: Mody Al Khufash, www.modyalkhufash.com Hair/Make-up: Servullo@nude-agency.com with I+M natural cosmetics Models: Doreen & Nora w/Izaio Models Biking Professionals: Kai Haase, Dennis Garhammer, Marc Fischer Photography Assistants: Frank Groll, Halim Dogan Fashion Assistant: Peninah Amanda

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Left: Hat: Stetson Vest: Drykorn Shirt: Mavi Shorts: Guess Shoes: Vagabond Right: Jacket: Woolrich Shirt: Bloom Belt: HTC Shorts: Blaumax Shoes: Vagabond style in progress 413

Left: Vest: Schott NYC Skirt: AG Adriano Goldschmied Shoes: Stylist’s own Right: Jacket: Rockstars & Angels Top: Drykorn Shorts: Vans Shoes: Red Wing

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MODE 123

Jacket: Replay Trousers: Guess style in progress 413

Jacket: Minimum Shirt: Mavi Shorts: Guess by Tiesto Shoes: Vagabond 413 style in progress

Left: Jacket: Tiger of Sweden Trousers: Malaikaraiss Shoes: Meindl Right: Vest: Mavi Shirt: Rockstars & Angels Trousers: Deyk Shoes: Vagabond style in progress 413

Jacket: Blaumax Shirt: SweewĂŤ Shorts: Vans Boots: Vagabond 413 style in progress

Hat: Stetson Vest: AG Adriano Goldschmied Pants: G-Star style in progress 413

Hat: Stetson Jacket: Blauer USA Bustier: Stylist’s own Trousers: Stone Island 413 style in progress

Jacket: Handstich Shirt: Rockstars & Angels Trousers: Lerock Helmet: Aeronautica Militare Shoes: Vagabond style in progress 413

Photos: Federica Roncaldier, www.federicaroncaldier.com Styling & Production: Friederike von Bock, www.sowow.de Hair/Make-up: Memo Schmage, www.memoschmage.com with products by YSL Models: Aaron and Johanna, www.vivamodels.de Photo Assistant: Alexander Wohlrab, www.alex-wohlrab.de Styling Assistant: Christina van Zon, www.christinavanzon.com Hair/Make-up Assistant: H端lya Karacay Special thanks to: frontlineshop.de

Cap: Odyll Studios Necklace: Akkesoir Jumper: Drykorn Watch: G-Shock Bracelet: Pieces Jeans (and braces): Lee Boots: Dr. Martens 413 style in progress

Jumper: Odyll Studios Watch: G-Shock Bracelet: Pieces Jeans (and braces): Lee style in progress 413

132 MODE

Jacket: Witty Knitters Collar: Rita in Palma Sweatshirt: The Shit Shorts: Muubaa Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell Socks: American Apparel 413 style in progress

MODE 133

Jacket: Drykorn Sweatshirt: The Shit Shirt: Drykorn Trousers: Joop Sneakers: Converse style in progress 413

Left 134 MODE Jacket: KOF Trousers: Odyll Studio Shoes: Marc O’Polo Right Necklace: Perlensäue Jacket: Odyll Studios Cardigan: Cruciani Jumper: FTC Dress: KOF Ring: Perlensäue Tights: Falke Shoes: Vladimir Kareleev

413 style in progress

MODELeft: 135 Vest: G-Star Shirt: Stussy Watch: Nixon Trousers: G-Star Right: Jacket: G-Star Hoodie: American Apparel T-Shirt: Better Rich Trousers: G-Star

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136 MODE

Sweater: Minimum Jacket: Replay Braces: American Apparel Shirt: Lucky de Luca Jeans: Mavi Shoes: Dr. Martens 413 style in progress

MODE 137

Earring: Pilgrim Jacket: American Apparel Braces: American Apparel Blouse: 0039 Italy Trousers: Levi’s Shoes: Pepe Jeans style in progress 413

138 IN STORE

The Pretty One and the Conqueror Carina e VinCenzO / Vienna. With the opening of the concept store Carina e Vincenzo in the 7th district of Vienna, Daria and Varvara Khosroeva realised their dream of bringing style, beauty and personality together under one roof.

Text: Katharina Wohlfahrt.

Photos: Carina e Vincenzo

Carina e Vincenzo is the name of the concept store opened in Vienna’s 7th district by Daria and Varvara Khosroeva in September 2012. With their adaptable concept, the two sisters wanted to create something that did not yet exist in the Austrian capital. “We agreed that we didn’t want to be just another clothes shop in the city, we wanted to be something more,” says Daria Khosroeva. “Fashion and cosmetics are indeed the cornerstones, but that’s not all.”

Fashion, Photos and Organic Wine

In this vein, alongside women’s and men’s clothes, their concept also entails make-up, antique furniture, modern photographs or Italian organic wines. “We offer high-quality products, up to 95 per cent of which are produced in Europe, and no brands that everyone knows and are available on every corner,” says Daria. Their multi-brand concept builds on comprehensive research and distinguishes itself by only selling products that the owners like personally.

“From femininely playful to romantic, or casual, you can find it all at our place. All styles can

Carina e Vincenzo – Style, beauty and personality all united under one roof.

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be combined with each other naturally, daring clashes in style being our favourite theme,” tells Daria. She describes her main target group as “people with personality, who also know how to express their personality because Carina e Vincenzo gives them the opportunity to completely rediscover themselves.” On their many journeys, both accumulate personal impressions and inspirations, which are integrated into the concept in a very natural way.

The name is also personal. “It was almost as difficult as for a baby. We wanted it to evoke a lot,” says Daria. So, the name is composed of one word that was important to each of the owners.

Varvara chose her daughter’s name, and Daria chose her partner’s name: Carina e Vincenzo.

A name that is appropriate in two ways. Firstly, it is a personal reference to the owners, and, in Italian, it also means “the pretty one and the conqueror,” and so describes the clash between femininity and masculinity.

healthy business. First we want to establish ourselves and to develop a customer base,” says Daria. “Lots of customers have now become our friends and we notice that they like to come back.” The storeowners have lots of ideas for their next steps: New stores or their own label are possibilities. However, first, Daria and Varvara Khosroeva want to concentrate on making their concept into a brand that everyone immediately associates with style, beauty and personality.

Customers as Friends

Both sisters want to proceed with caution. “Of course we are interested in growth, like every

Carina e VinCenzo Breite Gasse 11, 1070 Vienna/Austria, www.carinaevincenzo.com Opening: September 2012 Owners: Daria und Varvara Khosroeva Staff: none Retail space: 140 sqm.

Labels: Aviu, Barena, Daniele Fiesoli, Edwin, Fine Collection, Giannetto Portofino, Laneus, Semi-Couture Labels shoes: Cocorose London, Mel, Mou

IN STORE 139

Its loving design and personal atmosphere characterise the concept store Carina e Vincenzo in Vienna’s 7th district.

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140 IN STORE

Welcome home, raw denim enthusiasts.

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IN STORE 141

Good and Tough Dreist / aaChen. aachen is looking to cover new ground in fashion. rob Kriescher is breaking into the raw denim empire with his store Dreist. not just sterile and immaculate.

Text: Jan Joswig. Photos: Dreist

paramount. Raw denim is the core of his fashion philosophy.

This means that he is covering new ground in Aachen. With his product range, he wants to offer fashion that grows with the wearer, fashion with which he can identify himself: “Men are looking to buy something beyond a suit on a rack. I can give them that. More and more women are acquiring a liking for raw denim. Enthusiasts buy in my store, they come by every week to show me on which wall or which tree they scratched themselves in their jeans.”

From stall to store

Aachen is a student city with a cheerful disposition. Eating, drinking, partying, you can do all of these with great enjoyment in the city on the Dutch border.

Only when it comes to their attire is something lacking. The fashion-conscious from Aachen were forced to travel to Cologne or Maastricht to find something beyond the standard products.

However, the gap is closing.

Rob Kriescher, from the Dutch town of Heerlen 15 kilometres away, opened a 70 square metre enclave of fashion in Aachen’s old city. It’s tough, lasting and honest. “Rough and tough,” is how Rob Kriescher succinctly summarises the concept. “The combination of fair production and indestructible materials is

Dreist is located amid ‘60s cafés and second-hand stores that are currently the subject of some hype. Individualised shopping is becoming ever more important for people in Aachen. Rob Kriescher is also reacting to this with his store design. “Homely or cosy is not a store concept that exists in Aachen. Here everything is sterile and immaculate. I like to leave things as they are, it only makes them more beautiful,” he says, and adds “In the past, there were cows on the wooden floor…” He has constructed a vault in the basement under the store, in which he offers his old collections at discounted prices. He can also imagine displaying second-hand raw denim jeans that are looking for a new friend here. There’s no such thing as throwing away. So, he also provides a repair service on an old Pfaff sewing machine. a Feel for Combining

However, Rob Kriescher is not a dogmatist. For him, combining different fashions to create an individual style is the real skill when it comes to fashion: “An elegant shirt goes very well with Eat Dust trousers!” The people of Aachen are on the ball. Rob Kriescher catches them in front of his shop with his camera.

“Fashion is made on the street.

You should buy in the shops what you combine on the street.

I pick out the people of Aachen who have a feel for combining.

I post the photos on Facebook and put them on my blog.” In

Rob Kriescher lives the Dreist concept.

this way, Rob Kreischer isn’t just revolutionising the Aachen fashion scene but also bringing happy customers to the rest of the world straight away. A real ambassador for an Aachen where people are looking better and better while eating, drinking and partying.

Dreist Lothringerstrasse 11, 52062 Aachen/Germany www.dreist-ac.de Opening: December 2011 Owner: Rob Kriescher Staff: 2 Retail space: 70 sqm.

Labels women: Eleven Paris, Gitta Plotnicki, Just Female, K.O.I., Le Fab. Marcel de Bruxelles, Minimum, Nudie, Ruby Tuesday, Sinstar, Skargon, Studio Ruig among others Labels men: Blue Blanket, Deus, Eat Dust, Indigofera, K.O.I., Merz b. Schwanen, Minimum, Nezumi Denim Co., Nudie, Pike Brothers, Reign Italia, Sitka, Wrangler among others Labels shoes: Havaianas, Hummel, Pony (from August 2013), Red Wing (from September 2013), Wolverine 1000 Mile, Zeha Berlin Labels accessories: Atelier de l’Armée, Beck Söndergaard, Christys’, For Holding up the Trousers, Icons, Midori, Rooktown, Tannergoods, Tom Shot Berlin

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At Vater & Sohn a gold-trimmed border on the ceiling, exposed brickwork and old tiled flooring meet old Thonet chairs, factory lamps and well-preserved furniture pieces.

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A Pioneer With an Explorer's Spirit Vater & sOhn / hamburg. the makers of Vater & sohn are addressing men who want to live their life consciously and who are also interested in sustainability, background and tradition besides good quality. Text: Kay Alexander Plonka.

Photos: Vater & Sohn

The team of Vater & Sohn in Hamburg‘s Eimsbüttel started out by wanting to create awareness for the product itself. The name of the store says it all for Stefan Kudla, Tobias Pflug and Sascha Kampmeyer. The three of them have had many years experience in the retail sector and want to offer merchandise that is of an excellent quality and that will last for a long time, something that could traditionally be handed down from father to son.

The three proprietors are passionate for products whose manufacture has remained unaltered over the decades and which combine craftsmanship, history and passion. This drove them to create a new place for the men in the Hanseatic city to go. „We wanted to turn our idea of a good men‘s store into a reality here in Hamburg and worked together to develop the

concept. At the same time, it was also important to have good and honest products that we can stand behind and that we ourselves consider to be good“, says Tobias Pflug explaining the concept. Behind the black façade of the business with its large window front, lies a wonderful little shop with its original, old tiled flooring, exposed brickwork and rustic wooden panelling which provides the perfect foil for the store‘s fixtures and fittings and the old factory lamps. The three of them tackled all the interior and fixtures completely themselves. authentic Quality

Denim and product fans who love the characteristics of the material and the manufacturing processes or who want to rediscover old and beautiful things again, are definitely in the right place at Vater & Sohn. The spectrum they have there ranges from gentleman soaps, shaving foam and its own espresso roast, to different types of folding knives and bread knives over to Chromjuwelen Motor Öl (yes, with „Ö“) and high-proof organic corn schnapps from the museum distillery. Everything‘s spread around in antique display cases, on old tables and large stands or chest-of-drawers where leather belts, Stetson caps and hats or model cars can be found lying next to tweed jackets, raw denim or granddad shirts.

That‘s because the people who come to Vater & Sohn are all a mixed bunch, says Tobias Pflug. „On the one hand, we get informed customers coming to us who know exactly what they want, they‘ve already done their research on the internet and then, on the other hand, we get the classic passing trade who have made a small detour from their shopping spree on the neighbouring Weidenstieg and have just found us.“ best shoe Forward

Consistent and quality-conscious: Stefan Kudla, Sascha Kampmeyer and Tobias Pflug (f.l.t.r.).

Shoe stores in Hamburg and Berlin, to create „Joy & Venture“ The Bootery @ Vater & Sohn. „We have made it our common goal to show the best and most versatile portfolio of boots in the Bootery that the shoe world has to offer“, says Tobias Pflug. In addition to well-known classics from the Red Wing heritage line, there are also Dr. Martens - made in England, Tricker‘s and the Wolverine 1000 Mile Collection. The product range is also to be expanded in due course with White‘s boots, Viberg boots and Alden shoes.

Everything at the back of the store is all about the shoes and boots. Vater & Sohn have collaborated with Kay Knippschild, who also runs the Red Wing

Vater & sohn Eppendorfer Weg 54, 20259 Hamburg/Germany, www.vaterundsohn-hamburg.com

Opening: March 2013.

Owners: Stefan Kudla, Tobias Pflug and Sascha Kampmeyer Retail space: 60 sqm.

Labels: 3Sixteen, Blue de Genes, Dr. Martens, Emma Opitz, Fat Boy Clothing, Fidelity, Filson, Gitman Vintage, GRP, Hirsch, Indigofera, Levi’s Vintage Clothing, Merz b. Schwanen, Monomento, Mühlenmesser, Passion France, Red Wing Shoes, Rising Sun, Stetson, Timeless Leather, Tricker’s, Wolverine

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Lukas Grundtner (right) has found the perfect partner for fashion in his brother Simon.

Salt, Paper and Fashion grunDtner & söhne / hallein. “and now for something completely different… (monty Python). it’s time for us to do something new. moving away from standardised clothes shops and their selections, we want to breathe new life into the world of fashion.”

Text: Daniela Angerbauer.

Photos: Grundtner & Söhne

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This is how Lukas Grundtner best describes, in his own words, the philosophy for his Grundtner & Söhne store. He realises his visions in an extraordinary and passionate way, he is constantly working on implementing new ideas and projects.

economics in Innsbruck, saw his ambitions change over the years.

An internship as store manager at French Trotters in Paris was ultimately game-changing for his career and, as he says, “great training in presentation and quality.”

the early bird Catches the Worm

taking on the Future with history

The path to his own store emerged early on. When he was just twelve years old, Lukas Grundtner began to develop the skate and streetwear section in his father’s bike store. However, Lukas, who studied international

The building where Lukas Grundtner finally found the perfect location for his own store is 600 years old. Back then, the salt, after which the historical city is named, was kept within these walls. For the past 80 years,

it then was home to a bookshop, the old counter attests to the era.

Generally, Lukas and his brother Simon, who studied fashion with Bernhard Wilhelm in Vienna and who always stand by his side, managed to put the hidden gems in the shop premises in the limelight – from the old wooden floor, to the roof which is not painted but simply whitewashed, to the display window or the old wood stove which keeps the shop warm in winter. manly Clarity

“We have adapted the style and statement to men’s buying

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Clear, streamlined and still with a lot of attention to detail and to the past. This is how Grundtner & Söhne presents itself in the historical old city of Hallein.

behaviour. They say what they want in a straightforward way,” Lukas Grundtner is convinced of this and so argues that he simply needs to present every item in one size. When selecting brands, their main criteria are quality, interesting cuts and countries of production. “We don’t necessarily want to ride the wave of green sentiment. The reason why 90 per cent of our brands are made in Europe is simply because we want to provide fashion for the long term.” It’s also important to him to offer a mix that gives young designers the opportunity to be combined with well-known brands. Their target group is turning out to be just as interesting. Their youngest customer

was 12 years old, while their oldest was an impressive 86.

While the Grundtners don’t want to use age as a benchmark, they also don’t want to define themselves through their price levels. So you can find a T-shirt for 20 euros as well as for 150 euros. Their own online store is perfect for browsing and informing regular customers about new collections.

GrunDtner & söhne Unterer Markt 15, 5400 Hallein/Austria www.grundtnerundsoehne.com Opening: September 2011 Owner: Lukas Grundtner Retail space: 70 sqm.

Labels: Airbag Craftworks, Carven, Études, FTC, Gitman Vintage, Howlin, Icebreaker, Libertine-Libertine, Matthew Miller, Norse Projects, Our Legacy, S.N.S. Herning, Sixpack, The Jante Law, Wemoto Labels shoes: B-Store, Mark McNairy, Opening Ceremony, Our Legacy, Sperry Top-Sider Labels accessories: Airbag Craftworks, Études, Hestra, Howlin, Libertine-Libertine, Norse Projects, Our Legacy, S.N.S. Herning, Sandqvist, The Jante Law Magazines: Dank Magazine, Fantastic Man, Monocle, Port Magazine

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Clothes racks made from flotsam and jetsam: The neon-illuminated wooden beams were washed up on a beach in Denmark.

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A Passion for Rare Items aDler altOna / hamburg.

Christian adler studied business studies in hamburg, worked as an employee as well as being his own boss in catering, event marketing and sales and in september 2012 - from an affinity for exclusive clothing and books - opened his men's boutique in altona.

Text: Kay Alexander Plonka.

Photos: Adler Altona

You will find Christian Adler's boutique for men on the stretch of main road that leads from the railway station in Altona and takes you to Ottensen. He has lived with his wife and two children for ten years in Altona himself. Many families have moved into the old workingclass district in the last few years owing to the changes that have taken place here. Everything has now taken on a more lively and colourful air but along with this, of course, it has also become trendier and more expensive.

What catches your eye in the Adler Altona are the wooden clothes racks holding the merchandise, illuminated as they are from the inside. "The long beams are flotsam and jetsam. A friend found them on the beach in Denmark. He cut up the wood using a chainsaw so it could be easily transported and then winched it up onto the back of his Landrover straight away to bring it back to Hamburg with him", says Christian Adler.

The business furnishings have been created with great attention to details and were specially designed for him by a friend's agency, the Salon91. "My greatgrandfather was the founder of the Argo shipping company Richard Adler & Söhne. The designs for the lettering and logo of my boutique were based on the shipping company's old advertising posters", he says.

the London Smart Turnout label, Californian hand-made shirts by Taylor and Stitch or sweaters and basics from the French Fleur de Bagne label. "The label Atelier Awash has zoomed right to the top of the sales rankings from absolutely nowhere. The designs

by Davide Grazioli are special, easy-to-understand, up-market, sustainable and timeless." the book to the Jacket

Besides accessories such as Laco clocks from Pforzheim, Swiss army knives, weekenders and shoppers made from leather from the Danish Baach label or highquality and particularly elaborately made baseballs, basketballs and footballs from the American sporting goods manufacturer Leather Head Sports, Adler complements his portfolio with books from the neighbouring book store Christiansen. "Wallets or leather belts are more often bought as gifts and my passion for books and the need for gift ideas can easily be combined in this way. A beautiful photo album or an interesting book are simply lovely and unexpected forms of inspiration when out shopping", says Adler. The product range is rounded off with gin and vodka from the Adler label which comes from a Berlin spirit manufacturer or rare Japanese whiskies. Because, after all, a good drop is the perfect complement to a good book.

Christian Adler turned his good taste into a business – a men’s boutique in Altona.

exclusive and One-of-a-Kind

The majority of Christian Adler's portfolio was put together over the internet. "I found pictures, brands and products in blogs and if I liked them I would sometimes painstakingly track them down so that I could order them", he says. "Some of the labels haven't been seen in Hamburg yet, others not even in Germany, and some of them not even in Europe. As far as it was possible, I moved away from preorder cycles determined by the calendar and decided to focus on 'non-seasonal' products."

Examples of these include jackets produced in Manchester by the Private White label, classic BritLook tops and watch straps from

aDler altona Bei der Reitbahn 3, 22763 Hamburg/Germany, www.adler-altona.de Opening: September 2012 Owner: Christian Adler Retail space: 60 sqm.

Labels men: A.D.Deertz, Atelier Awash, Big E, Bridge & Burn, Fleurs de Bagne, German Garment, Gitman Vintage, Han Kjøbenhavn, Hiut Denim, Peter Scott, Private White, Smart Turnout, Stutterheim Raincoats, Taylor & Stitch, YMC Labels accessories: Baach, Laco, Leather Head Sports, Victorinox

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The rough element has remained; overall the store has become cleaner and is more clearly presented.

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Time for Modernisation JasPers / DüsselDOrF. in august 2010, norman Jaspers opened his store for high-quality sportswear on Carlsplatz. in march of this year, he made a clean break, renovated and carried out not insignificant adjustments to his product range. Text: Nicoletta Schaper.

Photos: Jaspers

What does my store stand for?

Where do our strengths lie? Norman Jaspers asked himself these questions with great intensity when looking at his Jaspers Lifestyle Fashion & Denim store. In some areas, he came across new answers. “Lots of those who go by our windows thought that we were just a men’s store, while up to 70 per cent of our product range is women’s fashion,” says the Düsseldorf native. “I wanted to use renovations to make this more visible.” The project seems to have succeeded: The look of the store is less rough, and so is cleaner and more clearly presented. The great imposing wood counter has been sold and no longer blocks the way to the shelves of trousers, so that the customers can browse themselves. The new cash desk on the opposite wall is less bulky so that there is a clear view of the products. However, the renovations are not the most significant thing.

less casual and more feminine, grown-up. With brands like April May, Femme by Michele Rossi or K.O.I. Kings of Indigo and still Denham. Accessories also focus on a few core brands, for instance, bags by the Italian leather specialists Campomaggio, Herschel and Freds Bruder. grey or White

There has been positive feedback, particularly from women, on the streamlined product range with its new look, and now the regular clientele should continue to grow. So far, Jaspers has not parted with his beautiful, grey expoxy-resin coated floor, which underscores the industrial charm of the store. “I thought about painting it, but I moved away from this idea,” says Norman Jaspers. “However, if I see that people still don’t get that we also sell women’s products here, then we will make it white.”

Courage and flexibility: Owner Norman Jaspers asserts himself on Düsseldorf’s lively Carlsplatz.

Fewer brands, more to the Point

More than anything, the product range has transformed, as has its look, moving away from the very masculine brands with rough, used visuals. “I don’t have the target group,” he says. “In addition, eight out of ten men are dressed by their wives, and many Düsseldorf women are not too enthusiastic about the authentic petrol station attendant or lumberjack look.” Instead, the men’s selection is composed of fewer brands, for example Roether, Mason’s and Nudies.

Now delivery capacity and good value for money are particularly important for Norman Jaspers, who organises purchases for the store together with his employee Biggi Stölting. For example, Q1, with stretch shirts for up to 90 euros, in five colours and easily combined. Jaspers has also reduced the complete number of pre-orders by more than half so that he can be more flexible in the current season and can once again react to fashionable trends.

This plays a role, particularly in the case of women, for whom the product range has become

More feminine, more grown up: the women’s selection.

Jaspers lifestyle fashion & Denim Carlsplatz 1, 40213 Düsseldorf/Germany www.go-jaspers.blogspot.com Reopening after renovations: 15th March 2013 Owner: Norman Jaspers Staff: 3 Retail space: 80 sqm.

Labels women: April May, Femme by Michele Rossi, Gas Jeans, K.O.I. Kings von Indigo, La Fée Maraboutée, Leigh & Luca, Mason’s, Mes Demoiselles Paris, Oakwood among others Labels men: Blue Blood, Edwin, Denham, Nudie, Paul Smith, Q1 among others Labels accessories: Cowboy Bags & Belts, Freds Bruder, Herschel, Stetson among others

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A Luxury Market Economy marChé De luxe / zuriCh. there are department stores that decorate themselves with the term "luxury." there are luxury brands, luxury boutiques and even luxury trade fairs. but a luxury market? Text: Dörte Welti.

Photos: Mathias Mangold

When you hear the term ‘market,’ you immediately picture a general store, over-the-top stands and loud hustle and bustle.

Felix Blasers’ latest innovation is very far from all of this. At first glance. a Whole host of Customer services

Upon a second look, the concept, developed by the resourceful fashion businessman, reveals itself. The store is situated a little away from the most expensive shopping mile in Switzerland (seventh in the world by the way…), Bahnhofstrasse in Zurich.

And yet, lots is happening on this Saturday, a day when people like to go to a market out of habit. There is chat with customers, an espresso please, a bowl of water for the dog, what are the children doing? And the customers, who often come from the surrounding cities like Lucerne, Zug or Basel enjoy the visibly relaxed atmosphere. All of which is the work of Felix Blaser. A stal-

Full House: Customer events bring the whole society into the store.

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wart of the fashion scene, even if he doesn’t like to hear it himself.

Blaser comes from a family of textile manufacturers in Zurich and has spent his whole life in the fashion business. For years he has been opening and closing stores in top locations in Davos, Klosters and Zurich. He always kept his team, implemented a better idea every time and generated even more success. Now he has the market, or the Marché de Luxe. Once again something that concerns Felix Blaser personally.

He is guardian, many customers have been regulars of his for years, they come to him whatever store he is running. They take his advice. Do these trousers match the blazer? Which bag goes with this coat? They happily buy luxury stuffed animals or one of the great design books by TeNeues.

An Old Hand at Fashion: Felix Blaser created the concept of the Marché de Luxe.

Can it be Worth a little more?

Everything is somehow luxurious and yet casual, even how a market stand is presented in an alluring way. From shoes, which can be hand-sewn and custom made, to brands that are possibly still in Geneva but nowhere else in Switzerland. The finest towels and bags, numbered bicycle saddles by exclusive City-Bike from Japan, cool hair products from the US in Dandy style. Felix Blaser is the master of ceremonies of this shopping culture. He knows his customers, knows what he can advise people to buy and what not. The product counts, the processing, the most important thing is quality because complaints are a ‘no go’ in this world. Market-goers agree on this. The second glance makes it clear: Here is where people meet who like to shop well, they don’t just want to spend money. They are used to quality from hosts and he doesn’t disappoint them.

Always at your service.

marChé De luxe St.-Peter-Strasse 1, 8001 Zurich/Switzerland www.marchedeluxe.ch Opening: October 2012 Owner: Felix Blaser Surface area: 220 sqm.

Staff: 4 Labels: AG Adriano Goldschmied, Allegri, Arfango, Bagutta, Belvest, BlackFleece by Brooks Bros, Brook Saddles, Cheany Shoes, Christys UK, Dieter Kuckelhorn, Drakes, Drome, Edwin Japan, French Sole, Gallo, Haute Hippie, Ines & Marechal, Jack Spade, J Brand, Jellycat, Lucky Tiger, Max Verre, MM6, Mother Jeans, MP Massimo Piombo, Philippe Audibert, Pierre Balmain, Ralph Lauren, Richard James, Rosebud, Spalding NYC, Sommerfeld, TeNeues

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Exemplary product: At MDL, only the best products are for sale.

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It Wasn't Planned Like That rita hess mODa DOnna e uOmO / thalWil. even after nearly 30 years in the fashion business, rita and max hess have the feeling that they can leave it anytime. the globetrotters certainly hadn't planned on being so settled.

Text: DĂśrte Welti. Photos: m2fel.ch

The business women, who also worked as a model, and the draughtsman lived in a rather more ad hoc fashion as they call it themselves. Earning money today, travelling tomorrow, for as long as possible, as far away as possible and living for the moment. As far as banknotes could carry them. Then, at some point, along came this friend who was into liquidations and who had this excellently-positioned shop in Thalwil that he was supposed to convert into cash. Somehow or other that looked like a good plan. To have a fashion business with good service in a good location with good regular customers - what a great project. Rita and Max Hess grabbed it fast. They reckoned five years should do it, an absolute eternity for the wild ‘80s.

"When something's authentic, then that's a good thing"

Thalwil was already a hotspot even back then, something like a back-road station for the hoi-poloi who had settled on the shores of the lake, just a few minutes drive away from Zurich. In the meantime almost 30 years have gone by and the Hess couple are still in Thalwil, have been there for almost 20 years but are now in a considerably larger location.

"It didn't take us long before we were able to triple our turnover", says Rita Hess reminiscing, "it simply screamed out for a bigger retail space." And so they opened a Dependance in Zug with a further 80 square metres and have remained true to one thing above all else: Their fundamental philosophy. "Quality is our

main argument", says Max on the question of how any fashion business can possibly survive outside the hustle and bustle of the city in today's climate.

"Right from the very beginning, we focused on a few good and authentic labels and provided a service to a target audience that makes up ten per cent of the population at most, and who appreciate good quality, style, serious production and good advice and are able and want to pay a serious price for it." "the Designers are Our age"

The clientèle - mainly between 40 and 60 years of age - felt right at home, some of them travel a great deal to come there (with the constrictions in Switzerland, having parking spaces right outside the front door is one of the reasons why regular customers drive more than a 100 kilometres to get there). Customers who are 70 or 80 years old by all means too because as Rita Hess explains "they are completely neglected by the market nowadays".

The fashionable pieces Rita and Max Hess carry in their stores don't have a sell-by date, nor does their attitude to life either.

Max Hess is a perfectionist and he finds it painful to see more and more designers being led by marketing and their products losing their individuality and soul. "We represent a certain standard of living here", he says and continues by pointing out the excellent quality of the welted shoes in the shop window. "We are material freaks", he strokes a sweater made from pure cashmere with silk, "and we know we are operating in a niche market." A niche market that is actually experiencing an up cycling, values such as those of the Hess couple are back in demand again. And why not?

"When nobody wants beautiful merchandise any more, then we'll stop."

In pairs: Rita and Max Hess only sell the style and qualities that they themselves prefer.

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Spacious: The generouslysized sales area provides the perfect stage for merchandise.

Spin-off: The store in Zug is much smaller but is designed to be just as open.

rita hess moDa Donna e uomo Alte Landstrasse 127, 8800 Thalwil/Switzerland, www.ritahess.ch Opening: 1986 Owners: Rita and Max Hess Retail space: 200 sqm.

Staff: 5 Labels women: Brunello Cucinelli, Bruno Manetti, B Private, Friedmann, Gaisberger, Henry Beguelin, Jacob Cohen, Kimmich, Odeeh, Piazza Sempione, Peserico, Peuterey, Strenesse, Uli Schneider, Un端tzer, Windsor Labels men: Brunello Cucinelli, Crocket & Jones, Fioroni, Giampaolo, Grigioperla, Jacob Cohen, Windsor Sartorial

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Monkeys are the visual motif for the young fashion store Youtopia, which opened in Ravensburg in March.

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A Monkey as a Mascot YOutOPia / raVensburg. in ravensburg, a brave concept for teenagers and young adults has opened in the form of Youtopia. some of its factors of success are specifically addressing the target group, visual accents and a conscious product range design. Text: Ina Köhler.

Photos: Youtopia/ Guide Leifhelm

who has been responsible for the main store for six years. “Youtopia is a purely young boutique, which clearly breaks away from our classic fashion store for the whole family.” The concept has been doing really well since its opening in mid-March, says Gieseke. The target group is consciously focused on 15 to 39 year olds. Alongside consumer articles at entry price levels, there are also branded products for teenies, youths and young adults and a special fashion department for events and going out.

Queens and Kings

Teenagers and young adults are not an easy target group. Then, there is also the seemingly overpowering competition of the vertical market. How can you serve companies like Primark, H&M or Abercrombie Paroli? Then how do you do this in a relatively small city like Ravensburg with 50,000 residents? “It works,” says Gerhard Gieseke, CEO of Youtopia. The new store, behind which is the traditional company Bredl, is expected to create a special shopping experience for youths in a catchment area of about 400,000 people. “It’s worth investing in Ravensburg as a working location,” says Gieseke,

Gerhard Gieseke, Managing Director of Youtopia wants to specifically target young consumers.

Behind the art nouveau façade on the central Marienplatz in Ravensburg, different worlds are concealed on four floors and about 900 square metres. This is reflected through language: Queens Casual on the ground floor is reserved for fashion and accessories for young women, in the basement, under the heading Queens Glamour, you will find going-out fashion, underwear and shoes. On the first floor, active and street brands are kept under the heading Queen and Kings Sport. Kings Casual on the fourth floor focuses on young men and their favourite brands. The floors have names like Sparkling Jungle or Brave New Brainiac. Monkeys are the central mascots of the store, the Monkey’s Lounge is a meeting point.

Clear Communication

The new Youtopia was created over four weeks of renovations and it particularly wants to score when it comes to visuals: The design language is colourful, bright, loud and striking.

Splashes of colour, strips of tape and street art features are extended throughout the whole store: Details such as high heels as coat hooks, mannequins with monkey masks, or an old workbench as a product display, are critical features of an unusual design. In terms of communications, too, the store is going in new directions: Customers can photocopy their favourite item in the Photobox Photopia and share the images with their friends on Facebook. This is also one of the main tasks for Youtopia, which has even developed its own manifesto: “We need to adapt to the target group in the way we communicate,” says Gieseke. “This also means that we differentiate ourselves clearly from the traditional store.” Here, he is getting some support from the capital city: Dan Pearlman, a company from Berlin, is responsible for designing the overall concept.

Behind the art nouveau façade, is a complete store for teenagers and youths.

This target group wants a different design to that of their parents’ generation: Street art, playful features and strong colours characterise the look.

youtopia Marienplatz 55, 88214 Ravensburg/Germany www.bredl.com Opening: March 2013 Manager: Gerhard Gieseke and Karl Otto Gieseke Staff: 15 Retail space: 900 sqm.

Labels women: Gang, Guess, Ichi, Jane Norman, Key Largo, Khujo, Little Mistress, Nymph, One Green Elephant, Vila Labels men: Adidas, Bench, Boombap, Carhartt, Humör, Jack & Jones, Key Largo, Naketano, Nike, Review, Scotch & Soda, Selected, Solid Labels accessories: Adidas, Buffalo, Converse, Nike

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Walls shifted: Following renovations, the Classico chain store now shows off a generous and spacious appearance.

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Where It All Began ClassiCO / hamburg.

Classico now has a total of eleven stores, plus a well-established online store. Christine and harald heldmann have recently completely renovations on the store in the Colonnaden where it all began – time to look back, but especially to look forwards.

Text: Martina Müllner.

Photos: Uli Mattes

What started in 1991, is still a gleaming example today, or at least following the latest renovations it its. Which is how it should be for a store that is only a stone's throw away from Hamburg's Binnenalster, the lake within the city limits of Hamburg. By renovating the first of their now eleven stores, Christine and Harald Heldmann have rewarded themselves. Because having such a respectable address as the one in Hamburg's Colonnaden is great advertising.

Particularly when so much emotion has been invested into one location.

Where it all began

The Heldmann's have worked hard for many years and succeeded in reaching the top of their segment. A success that applies equally to their bricksand-mortar retail business as it does to their online store and yet they have managed to remain true to their roots in the process. Because even after 22 years, it is still premium fashion that is bringing this success. The couple have never been tempted to stock expensive designer collections. No wonder, ultimately they love what they do. Christine Heldmann never tires of looking for that certain something at the tradeshows she attends with her team of buyers and sellers. Beside his Bloom, Smilla and Made in Heaven labels, Harald Held-

mann still finds enough time to manage Classico, which he does in a strategic and economic manner.

Passion for Fashion

"We must convey a passion for fashion to our customers in a credible way – and this also means that we need to style our stores so that they transmit a presence in a way that is as up-to-date and clear as possible," says the entrepreneur convincingly. The presentation in the stores is also to be awakened through emotions. The mighty, modern chandelier provides the perfect backdrop to showcase the numerous small bijou items beneath it, such as scarves, accessories or bags. The materials selected for the furniture and interior decoration are expensivelooking without being overbearing. Something that would not really suit the fashion, the customers nor the owners. And, this is a perfect example of the sophistication regarding details.

The vintage-stained floor, the intelligent use of lighting, large mirrors and high-gloss surfaces.

All these features add up to give the store – which is a mere 140 square metres – a deceptively large appearance. Walls were shifted, work went on night and day for a whole three weeks – until at the end when the sales staff inspected the results in amazement "and could hardly believe that this was their store", says Harald Heldmann with a smile.

Open 24/7

A good address for Hamburg, a good address for the Heldmann's: The company's office premises are above the shop.

Classico has a sibling, the online store myclassico.com, and this presence is also fostered in the bricks-and-mortar stores. Monitors in the stores introduce the customers to the rich assortment of different products available online. Trained sales assistants also advertise shopping via the internet – and definitely once a shopping basket for the chain stores can also be done online too. "Online and offline mutually benefit from each other, we are doing our level best to get our sales assistants to actively promote the online shop", says

Harald Heldmann describing the course they're taking. Because even though he thanks his lucky stars for the successful shop every day on his way to work, he also completely realises that, nowadays, the good luck of a visionary retailer isn't only to be found offline.

ClassiCo Colonnaden 13 20354 Hamburg/Germany Opening: August 1991, renovation 2013 Owners: Christine and Harald Heldmann Staff: 5 plus temporary staff Retail space: 140 sqm.

Labels: 1921, 7 for all Mankind, AG Adriano Goldschmied, Aglini, American Vintage, Ana Alcazar, Ancini, Antik Batik, Arma, Beck Söndergaard, Better Rich, Bloch, Blonde No. 8, Bloom, Boss Orange, Caliban Rue de Mathieu, Dorothy Blue, Drykorn, Don’t Label Me, Earnest Sewn, Ella Luna, Fab, Flowers for Friends, Gustav, Gwynedds, Hemisphere, Hugo, Hunter, Iheart, IQ Berlin, Ivi Collection, J Brand, Joana Danciu, Lauren Moshi Liis Japan, Liu Jo, M Missoni, Mabrun, Made in Heaven, Maison Scotch, Majestic, Mason’s, Michael Stars, Monocrom, Moschino Cheap & Chic, Mother, Nolita, Otto d’Ame, Parajumpers, Parker, Parola Italia, Peuterey, Private Suite, Roberto Collina, Rockstars & Angels, Sack’s, Schumacher, See by Chloé, Sophie, Steffen Schraut, Superdry, Ted Baker, Treasures Design, True Religion, Woolrich, Yippie Hippie, Yummie Tummie, Zoe Karssen Labels accessories: Ash, B.Belt, Candice Cooper, Fred de la Bretoniere, Henry Christ, Hipanema, Leigh & Luca, Liebeskind, Mala & Mad, Michael Kors Michael, Oakwood, Philippe Model, Plomo o Plata, Pretty Ballerinas, Primabase, Taschen Verlag, TeNeues, Tyoulip Sisters, Ugg Australia

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158 IN STORE

Teamwork: As an experienced retailer and designer, Philippe Stolte perfectly complements Laura Bohnenberger’s expertise in fashion journalism and art history.

The Seed's Sprouting sPrOut / muniCh. "there's nothing at all like this for women in munich," a criticism that Philipp stolte from harvest store was often confronted with. and so often, that it was finally time to seize the opportunity. in June, his new concept for women's fashion, the sprout store, was launched in a joint partnership with laura bohnenberger. Text: Isabel Faiss.

Photos: Frieder Schneider

Philipp Stolte almost managed to do the impossible with the Harvest Store in Munich: Its location is off-the-beaten-track in Zieblandstrasse, far from the bustling pedestrian shopping street, but despite this, or maybe it's more because of this, in his characteristically quiet and clever manner he established a range of products for men's fashion, a range that is extremely progressive for Munich standards. With success. Thanks to its trend-setting function, Harvest has managed to turn itself into a brand and has gathered quite a collection of loyal regular clients around it. the Offshoot

Mid-June, the second store was then opened in Munich under the name of Sprout. The name and the CI of the store make its proximity to Harvest clear.

The interior has many art-deco elements, is rustic but elegant, classical, the entire styling has 413 style in progress

been well thought-out through the entire store. In keeping with its name, tendrils of organic, vegetable shapes intertwine, flower-like, around the gigantic, semi-circular shop window of the offshoot. "The inspiration for this came from the seed, which unfurls, grows and flourishes.

The whole thing is about having something natural but we didn't want to just look as though we are the next organic chain store, we wanted to introduce more of a contrast to the boutique chic of the '90s," says Philipp Stolte, explaining the reasoning behind this. He himself only works in the background at Sprout, the front woman is Laura Bohnenberger. Bohnenberger has a background in fashion journalism and also studied art history, two things which complement Stolte's know-how in the retail fashion market and, combined, made them an excellent team in terms of purchasing right from

the very beginning. "Our focus is on classic basics which are only marginally influenced by trends.

We transfer, as it were, the style that can be found in Harvest onto the womenswear segment.

To help us do this, we have also adopted the women's collections of several brand names such as APC, Acne or Comme des Garçons from Harvest. It is a very reduced, androgynous and casual style," says Bohnenberger. The best example of the Sprout attitude can be found in the brand name SNS Herning, who manufacture high-quality knitwear for men and who come from the fishing-wear sector. They have recently expanded their collection by adding a few pieces of knitwear for women, Stolte and Bohnenberger were immediately smitten with them. new neighbours

With the location on Theresienstrasse, the team consciously

IN STORE 159

Mid-June, the Sprout store opened in the Theresienstrasse in Munich, beside the Harvest store, this is the second project by Philipp Stolte in Munich and a first for Laura Bohnenberger.

made the decision to go for a street that is considerably busier.

It may not be considered a shopping street but through its proximity to the university campus and the surrounding shopping streets, there is significantly more footfall to be had. Naturally, as a result, this also increased expectations towards the store, individual brand names overlap with established houses such as Schwittenberg or Theresa. "We don't wish to be perceived as a pure point of sale, where you can just buy things. For us, it's more about being perceived as a creative bunch of people who unite influences from several different areas," says Laura Boh-

nenberger. The price structure has been designed with this in mind, consequently, the range includes something for both the student and for the fashionista and which emotionally binds them to the store. Philipp Stolte is well-known for his strict discount policy, something he also wants to continue at Sprout.

At the same time, he realises the surrounding streets and their small commercially-focused boutiques has caused the competitive environment to change, adding a certain pressure, however, he sees great advantages in the new concept. "When our customer sees the amount of commitment we are putting into displaying

The highlight of the store is its large, semi-circular shop window, which shapes the entire store front.

our small store in such a highly sophisticated fashion, she will thank us for this to such a degree that she will accept our prices." independence in the network

Sprout will be sharing a joint presence with Harvest in the online shop. "With Harvest, this was a subject that we grew into slowly and bitterly. In the meantime, we sell all over the world, which also gives us a certain degree of freedom in purchasing, of course, and we can work more progressively with labels, and this allows us to be independent with no need to purchase with the customers in Munich in mind," says Philipp Stolte.

sprout Theresienstrasse 25 80333 Munich/Germany www.sprout-store.com Opening: June 2013 Owners: Laura Bohnenberger, Philipp Stolte Retail space: 30 sqm.

Labels women: Acne, APC, A Kind of Guise, Band of Outsiders, Comme des Garรงons, Dunderdon, Folk, Grenson, Han Kopenhagen, The Hillside, In God We Trust, Jo Gordon, Lee, Nike, Penfield, Pendleton, Patagonia, SNS Herning, Sunspel, YMC

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160 editor’S Letter /// about uS

Specialist Retailers Are No Rabbits

Publisher, editorial office, advertising department and owner UCM-Verlag B2B Media GmbH & Co KG Salzweg 17, 5081 Salzburg-Anif Austria T 0043.6246.89 79 99 F 0043.6246.89 79 89 office@ucm-verlag.at www.ucm-verlag.at Management Stephan Huber Nicolaus Zott Editors-in-chief Stephan Huber stephan.huber@ucm-verlag.at Martina Müllner martina.muellner@ucm-verlag.at Art direction/production Elisabeth Prock-Huber elisabeth@ucm-verlag.at Managing editor Stefanie Spreitzer stefanie.spreitzer@ucm-verlag.at

T

he weather has gained a powerful competitor.

Nowadays it seems as if online trading is the number one excuse if customers, and therefore sales, fail to materialise in the specialised fashion business. i’m not trying to belittle the indisputable shifts in market shares towards the web here.

Pretty much everyone rightly says that the digitalisation of our lives and hence the possibility to order everything, truly eVerYtHiNG, online both day and night is the most significant change that the fashion industry has undergone in recent decades. it wasn't for nothing that armand Hadida described this change as a revolution in his interview with style in progress (issue 3.13). The German Chancellor angela Merkel was ultimately not too far off with her comment, met with scorn and derision by the online community, that the internet is still uncharted territory for everyone. after all, who among us are able to predict the (long-term) effects of the digital revolution – sociological, cultural and even economic. There are huge misapprehensions in the conflict between analogue and digital, between bricks-and-mortar specialist retailers and e-commerce. e-commerce is not the enemy that will wipe out all established structures. online trading does 413 style in progress

not represent the snake and speciality stores the rabbit.

Nevertheless, online trading is a troublesome manifestation that mercilessly lays bare the deficits in bricks-and-mortar retailing.

Just pay good attention to how you behave as a consumer.

Consumers everywhere are on the lookout for that little bit of added benefit on top of the product they purchase. and it can come in all different shapes and sizes. unfortunately, though, it is all too often the price. apparently, this is a major argument in favour of online trading. i say apparently because a huge number of search engines geared at bargain hunting do nothing other than fuel ruinous competition among the online stores themselves. Specialist fashion retailers should reaLLY have learned from all that H&M, Zara & co. took on board that the price war is the wrong battle and ultimately cannot be won.

Should have! unfortunately, though, they failed to do so in many areas, forgetting all along the added benefit they can offer their customers on a significantly higher level than their digital or vertical competitors – namely, personal service, a meeting of equals, perceiving the customer as an individual. These assets satisfy the profound human urge for respect, and hence cannot be valued highly enough. Who else

but the specialist retailers can exploit this advantage, provided it comes with an attractive product range, tailored to the needs of the customers and wrapped up in an exciting, ever-changing store concept? Nobody is doubting that to offer this expected performance every day in new and different styles under conditions that can only be described as difficult is more demanding and strenuous than ever before. achieving long-term economic success with a fashion store is, without question, significantly more challenging than it was twenty or merely ten years ago.

Nevertheless, specialist retailers still have all it takes to come out on top. if they focus on the right added benefit. and so even in the midst of the tumultuous and often confusing revolution, this makes me extremely optimistic.

Specialist retail trade has a future because the consumers, no, because the PeoPLe want it!

Cordially yours, Stephan Huber stephan.huber@ucm-verlag.at

Contributing writers Daniela Angerbauer Sue Chester Janaina Engelmann-Brothánek Petrina Engelke Isabel Faiss Jeanette Fuchs Miranda Hoogervorst Hart Huguet Hagerty Jan Joswig Mody Al Khufash Thesy Kness-Bastaroli Ina Köhler Kay Alexander Plonka Sonja Ragaller Nicoletta Schaper Georg Andreas Suhr Dörte Welti Katharina Wohlfahrt Photographers/Illustrators Hart Huguet Hagerty Julian Henzler Alexandra Kinga Fekete Andreas Klammt Ina Köhler Mathias Mangold Uli Mattes Bernhard Musil Christopher Peetz Federica Roncaldier Peter Schaffrath Frieder Schneider David Secombe Georg Andreas Suhr Luciana Whitaker Image editor Anouk Schönemann anouk.schoenemann@ucm-verlag.at Advertising director Stephan Huber stephan.huber@ucm-verlag.at Publisher’s assistant, distribution Sigrid Staber sigrid.staber@ucm-verlag.at Christina Hörbiger christina.hoerbiger@ucm-verlag.at English translations transmit-Deutschland, Petrina Engelke Printing Print&Smile Druckgesellschaft m.b.H. Oberndorf/Salzburg Printing coordinator Manfred Reitenbach Account info Volksbank Salzburg 105 627 BLZ 45010 Next issue 7 January 2014

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