UD/DESIGNS AW16/17 TREND FORECASTING
CONSUMER FORECASTING R E S E A R C H WO R K B O O K
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street style London Fashion Week S/S 15 sees an eclectic array of styles on the street, as is to be expected from the quirky fashion capital. Subtle femininity is seen throughout casual and dressed-up looks Soft colours such as dove greys and feminine pinks add to the contemporary feminine theme that has emerged from the London streets. Silhouettes are minimalist in tactile fabrics, with head-to-toe colour Prints are playful and outlandish, worn as matching sets in intense colours for a bold look. Outerwear is also bright and daring with primary colours leading the pack
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Denim is heavily represented this season. Distressed looks are moved on by raw frayed edging. Dressed-up denim looks are popular. Slim-
Colour > Forecast: Creative Direction > A/W 16/17 > Product Category fit dungarees are a key item, with casual workwear styles seen in colours as well as blue washes
Retro vintage looks are starting to creep back in to to street style, with waisted dresses fresh out of the 1940s and 1950s and circle skirts continuing
retailing trends Street Style > Fashion Week Streets > London
STREETS > FASHION WEEK STREETS : F/W 14 WOMEN / JUNIORS - PRINT & PATTERN
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08 materials research 08
Colour > Forecast: Creative Direction > A/W 16/17 > Colour Forecast
concept development
HIGHLIGHTS Power, Wealth, Success
Comfort, Ease, Convenience
Corruption, Conflict, Crisis, War
Health, Well-being, Appearance, Environment, Nature
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10 YEARS OF LOOKING
What’s the future of the British high street?
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North America's avocado obsession is draining Chile's water supply Katherine Martinko (@feistyredhair) Living / Green Food October 9, 2014
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0 comments (http://www.thelondoneconomic.com/2014/09/08/whats-the-future-of-the-british-high-street/#respond), 08/09/2014, by Contributor (http://www.thelondoneconomic.com/author/contributor/), in Business Advice (http://www.thelondoneconomic.com/category/business-advice/), Retail (http://www.thelondoneconomic.com/category/retail/) By Ikràn.M.Omar @IkranM Confronted with e-commerce and evolving shopping habits the future of the British high street has never been so clouded.
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Today the high street is no longer the only destination. Both e-commerce and the allure of behemoth out-of-town shopping centres have irreparably altered consumer habits placing high streets across the country in an empty grey void, ghosts of their former selves. First hit hard by the recession then by the austerity which hit the poor harder than the rich, Britain’s once booming commercial centres have become home to boarded up shops, bookies,
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pawn shops or yet another fast food restaurant specialising in breaded chicken. Across London and the country, high streets lay characterless and seem to only come alive in the run up to Christmas or during sale periods. To get consumers and life back to local high streets there needs to not only be places to shop, but also places where local people can socialise and places
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where people can get specialities that they can’t acquire in Tesco or Westfield. One scheme that the government has put forward is a billion pound local businesses boost that will give a break to small business and whilst proving
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much-needed entertaining spaces in high streets such as restaurant and pubs. This came into force in April of this year having been announced in 2013 by communities secretary Eric Pickles. The scheme is likely to aid and create more local jobs and presented a much-needed boost to start-up businesses, many of whom close in under a year
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because of high and excessive rents imposed by landlords. During the recession, 78 per cent of all shops that opened were independent local shops according to research done by London School of Economics. Independent small stores can bring new life to the high street and identity, whilst
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The unending economic crisis makes us feel powerless – and paranoid
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Future seems far from bright Osborne atallthe Conservative You see it clearest of in people’s attitudes to war Six years into the economic crisis we can still… getGeorge and disaster. Earlier this yearImages the editor of the BBC’s days – asconference. with last week’s market correction – Peter where Macdiarmid/Getty party Photograph: the froth blows off the recovery and reveals only something flat and stale beneath. The fundamental economic problems have not been solved: they’ve just been palliated.
Today programme admitted they were having trouble retaining listeners in the face of relentless bad news: Syria, Isis, Libya, Gaza. It was not the scale of the horror that turned them off: it was their own powerlessness in the face of it.
mitigate risk, regain control over fluid situations.
feeling of deja vu. We know what it’s like to get all your preconceptions blown out of the water, and see talented people flounder.
Six years into the economic crisis we can still get days – as with last week’s market correction – where the In today’sblows economy weoff neverthe quite seem to turn the and reveals only froth recovery And it is logical to feel powerless if you witness the corner towards rising growth, falling poverty, best educated and briefed people of your generation stabilised public finances. so much winter beneath. something flatNotand stale The fundamental without Christmas, but winter without ever getting to flounder – as politicians and diplomats have – in the economic have solved: they’ve just facebeen of a collapse of global order. But for economists the shortest day. Andproblems that is doing something to ournot – veterans of Lehman Brothers, Enron and the psychology. It is destroying our confidence in been palliated. dotcom boom and bust before them – there is a “agency” – the human ability to avoid danger, In today’s economy we never quite seem to turn the corner towards rising growth, falling poverty, stabilised public finances. Not so much winter without Christmas, but winter without ever getting to the shortest day. And that is doing something to our psychology. (The Guardian, 2014) It is destroying our confidence in “agency”
CORRUPTION, WAR, ISIS, CONFLICT
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Britain's autumn statement reasons for cheer Part of the downward revision to borrowing as a share of GDP reflects changes in the way in which this ratio is calculated (it was exaggerated by the previous methodology). But there has also been a genuine improvement in deficit dynamics and the level of borrowing is now around half of what it was at its peak (10.2% of GDP in 2009-10).
On December 3rd George Osborne, Britain’s chancellor, delivered the autumn statement, the country’s annual mini-budget. We are hosting a round-table discussion of the statement and the direction of British economic policy. Today’s contributor is Kevin Daly, chief UK economist for Goldman Sachs. Our view is that some of the pessimism surrounding Britain’s public finances is overdone and that the deficit is likely to fall more rapidly than the OBR’s projections imply. Three points are worth highlighting in this regard:
Second, to the extent that tax revenues this year have been disappointing, much of that weakness appears to be due to timing issues. The top rate of income tax was reduced from 50% to 45% in April 2013 (i.e. at the start of the 2013-14 fiscal year) and, as a consequence, some higher rate tax payers deferred wage income from the 2012-13 tax year into the start of 2013-14. This had the effect of boosting PAYE (pay-as-you-earn) receipts at the start of 2013-14 but at the cost of depressing growth in those receipts at the start of this fiscal year. The impact of this effect on tax receipts for 2014-15 as a whole will be less pronounced than has been the case in the first half of the year (a trend that can already be observed in the better performance of public sector finances data in recent months). Moreover, there is likely to be a sizeable boost to income tax receipts at the end of January 2015, when self-assessment returns for 2013-14 come due. Third, and most importantly, although the OBR revised its 2014 and 2015 growth forecasts higher in the autumn statement, its forecasts still appear too pessimistic, in our opinion. Output grew by 3.0% in the year to the third quarter, and business surveys and other activity indicators suggest that it maintained a growth rate close to this level in the fourth quarter. However, the OBR’s forecasts imply that growth has slowed from a 3.0% annual pace to a 2.0-2.5% annual pace in the fourth quarter and that it will remain close to this level through 2015. The OBR’s 2015 GDP growth projection of 2.4 per cent is 0.4 percentage points lower than our forecast and 0.5 percentage points lower than the Bank of England’s forecast.
First, although Britain’s public sector deficit is still large, it is much closer to a sustainable level than appeared likely even quite recently. In March 2013, the OBR forecast that the deficit would equal 7.5% of GDP in 2013-14 and 6.5% of GDP in 2014-15. A Our views on the prospects for growth are closer to year and a half later, those figures are 5.6% and 5.0% the Bank’s than to the OBR’s. Reflecting our more of GDP. positive views on the economy than the OBR’s, we are also more optimistic on the outlook for public sector borrowing. CORRUPTION, WAR, ISIS, CONFLICT
(Economist, 2014)
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Gaza: Rebuilding homes, lives and hopes
What are the main challenges now facing people in Gaza?
What message would you like to share with people suffering the effects of the conflict?
The priority now is "to rebuild" – to rebuild homes, vital infrastructure, schools, hospitals and factories ... but also, in many cases, to rebuild lives. The recent high-intensity conflict has visibly worsened living conditions for most of the 1.8 million people living in Gaza. In addition, winter has started, and there are tens of thousands of particularly vulnerable people living in partially destroyed or otherwise inadequate housing where they are unprotected from floods and cold weather.
Palestinians and Israelis went through another episode of intensive conflict this summer. The ICRC did everything it could to help people in need, but no amount of emergency work and assistance from us could have met the expectations of people caught up in a highintensity conflict and desperate for hope.
Even before the latest conflict, Gazans already faced a host of daily problems, including high unemployment, poverty, restrictions on movement, fuel shortages and difficulty obtaining clean water and basic health care. In addition, they have only limited access to certain goods and building materials needed in their daily lives and to sustain the local economy. Above all, Gazans need to rebuild their lives. It would be impossible to exaggerate the personal and collective trauma the conflict has inflicted on the people of Gaza, and the bleakness of the current outlook. Gazans need to rebuild hope and a dignified future for themselves, their families and their communities. 10
Let me also say how much I admire the resilience and the ability of the people affected by this conflict to cope in such difficult circumstances. It takes great determination and courage to start one’s life over again after a conflict. In the last 15 months, I have met many people from different horizons, in Gaza, Nablus, Hebron, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. I can only say that I sense that people are exhausted and fed up with this continuous cycle of violence, which again this year did not bring any substantial improvement in their daily lives. We will of course continue to do our best to help heal some of the wounds and provide a coherent emergency response. What is needed now, however – now more than ever – is change and long-term solutions – which of course cannot be brought about by humanitarian organizations. (www.icrc.org, 2014) CORRUPTION, WAR, ISIS, CONFLICT
Study: Social Media Can Moderate Users’ Politics
A new paper argues that social media doesn’t lead to users becoming more polarized in their political leanings — saying instead that it moderates opinions by exposing people to more points of view. The paper posted Monday by New York University researcher Pablo Barberá finds that many people are getting diverse voices in their Twitter TWTR -0.03% newsfeeds – not just an “echo chamber” of their own ideologies. These diverse voices, he writes, “provide evidence that social media usage reduces mass political polarization.” His findings run counter, to some degree, with other findings about social media. For instance, an August Pew study concluded that people aren’t eager to share their politics on social media, fearing that people may disagree with them. And a separate Pew study out Tuesday showed some Americans eager to drop friends over political differences. The Pew survey found 26% of overall Facebook FB +0.01% users — and 44% of “consistent liberals” and 31% of “consistent conservatives” — said they have blocked or de-friended someone on Facebook over politics. For his study, NYU’s Mr. Barberá tracked how people interact on social networks by taking active Twitter users in five states – Arkansas, California,
Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio — and then matching them up with voting records. Mr. Barberá ended up with a data set of 94,411 U.S. voters that matched Twitter profiles with 2012 voter turnout and party affiliation. Mr. Barberá found that those users who identified with a party often started out strongly leaning left or right in whom they followed – a conservative often started out following Republican members of Congress or the GOP on Twitter while a liberal may start following Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama — but about a quarter of the people he tracked slowly added other voices into their feed, creating a feed that was increasingly more mixed in its politics. These users also followed what Mr. Barberá called “weak links” – connections from high school, social acquaintances and coworkers, which before social media wouldn’t necessarily be labeled as “friends.” Now, on social media, connections are sharing news and links – and often their political ideologies – with each other. “The common wisdom is that when you go on social media, you are going to be exposed to content that reinforces your beliefs,” Mr. Barberá said. “What these studies are ignoring is who is on social media and your level of interaction with those people.” (Wall Street Journal 2014)
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The power of fashion: why the next generation of successful women will dress however they like
“As Nick Clegg’s wife, I have been judged by what I wear. But those times are passing, and the eyecatching red dress I wore to last year’s Lib Dem conference now appears in a new Design Museum exhibition, Women Fashion Power” One of the differences between the new wave of feminism and previous ones is that feminists do not seem to care any more about what clothes women wear. Long gone are the days when being a feminist implied hating fashion and burning bras (as a 46-year-old woman who has had three children, I am naturally grateful for the latter). Indeed, since feminism has turned towards women’s freedom to take their own decisions in life, women wearing what they wish (be that plain, colourful, wide, narrow, on trend or outdated) fits neatly with that concept. When it comes to clothes it is difficult to put the finger on what is gender discriminatory, because (unfair as that may be) first impressions of both men and women are often formed by how we look. A comment about women having to shorten the length of their skirts in order to be successful is clearly discriminatory. But if a businesswoman or female politician goes to a meeting in flamboyant clothes or shoes and people or the media comment on them, does it happen only because she is a woman? Would that happen if a businessman or male politician went to a meeting in flamboyant clothes or shoes? Much has been written about women in power being judged mostly by their clothes (a newspaper’s parade, this summer, of female ministers as a models’ line-up being a reminder of how little things have changed since the 1960s for some). And yet there are many women in some of the highest positions in power (from Merkel to Lagarde and from Clinton to Rousseff) who are hardly ever judged by their clothes. The same is true in the business world: nobody judges, for example, the (super-impressive) CEOs of easyJet, Morgan Stanley or the British Fashion Council by what they wear. So perhaps it is just a matter of exposure: the more women in power are (The Guardian, 2014) 12
known, the more they are judged by what they do and less for what they look like. When we started the Inspiring Women campaign last year – which aims to introduce girls from state schools to female role models across the country – I was warned that some girls felt they had to choose between looks and brains, and that they often thought that “hard subjects” like physics or maths were not for “girls who like fashion”. However, one year after we launched the campaign, I have seen very little evidence of that – most of the girls I have talked to (and I have talked to many) are indeed perfectly aware that scientists can dress however they like. It is refreshing that girls can look up to so many examples nowadays of successful women in the fashion world. In the UK alone, fashion is an industry worth £26bn, and it therefore offers many job opportunities, to girls as well as boys. That is why, as part of the Inspiring Women campaign, we are organising a Women in Fashion event with Vogue where we hope to expose girls to the wide variety of roles in fashion – from designers to models to CEOs, editors, window designers, hairdressers, make-up artists and photographers – and we will do so with role models (some of whom are also fashion models) who have reached the very top of the sector through their hard work and effort. When at the Inspiring Women events I ask girls about who they look up to, the most recurrent name is Beyoncé, a woman who lives with daily public comments about her looks. But when I ask them why, the most recurrent answer is: “Because she is a great singer and works.” So there you are – perhaps the new generation sees things more clearly than most of us.
POWER, Wealth, SUCCESS
Politically charged fashion show opens in Toronto
But the politics of what women in positions of power choose to wear now is much more complex than this, and ever-changing, yet seldom debated. A new exhibition that opens next month at the Design Museum at-tempts to revisit the topic afresh. Women Fashion Power is, says co-curator Donna Loveday, “an opportunity to explore how women of power and influence use fashion to define their place in the world” - from female figureheads such as Boadicea and Elizabeth I, through to women like Coco Chanel who shaped wardrobes for the 20th century, and trail-blazers such as Margaret Thatcher, to 25 current power women who have all contributed their clothes and their thoughts on dressing to the exhibition.
POWER, Wealth, SUCCESS
The show illustrates just how early on women were using fashion politically. In the 16th century, for in-stance, Elizabeth I not only used her clothes to denote her position and power by adopting the masculine doublet (the first power shoulders?), but also used fashion as an economic weapon, preventing foreign im-ports that would damage British trade. Thatcher, too, understood how what she wore sent a powerful message. “The power suit was very much based on a male construct,” says Loveday. “Really, today, women are freed from those constructs, free to dress as they wish.”
(Lexix Nexix/ Telegraph, 2014) 13
Politically charged fashion show opens in Toronto
Canadian fashion authority, Jeanne Beker, is presenting a smart and stylish new exhibition exploring the relationship between political discourse and clothing. Canadian style icon Jeanne Beker co-curated the exhibit with DX curator Sara Nickleson. (Courtesy Jeanne Beker) The installation features more than 200 works from 1960 to the present day highlighting how society uses fashion as a form of political discourse. From Woodstock's anti-war flower power to Margaret Trudeau's wedding dress and the unisex designs of Montreal's Rad Hourani, the show covers decades of fashion activism on war, sexuality and consumerism. The exhibition has particular relevance this week after British designer Vivienne Westwood sent her models down a catwalk in London wearing badges calling for Scottish independence.
(Lexix Nexix/ CBS, 2014) 14
POWER, Wealth, SUCCESS
Centre for Sustainable Fashion
Fashion and politics have a long and multidimensional relationship, fashion’s political voice taking on a wide variety of guises inside and outside of the pillars of state. The communicative power of fashion’s artistic practices can bring challenge to a political status quo, a brilliant exemplifier of this was drawn together through ICA’s recent offsite exhibition A Journey through London Subcultures showing work from LCF based Mark Lebon amongst others. It can also champion identity and solidarity within an existing culture or society in delightful ways – think Pearly Kings and Queens. Fashion’s business practices also have inextricable links to political ambitions and endeavours, offering a conduit for economic and societal ambitions of a state to be realized in tangible form. As a designer, trained by a maestro, Katharine Hamnett, I gained a grounding that helped me to place fashion’s political role at the forefront of centre for sustainable fashion’s explorations in sustainability, its members creating new political dialogues through their work. One such question is being raised there and elsewhere, #insideout, a means for students to come together as part of Fashion Revolution, through a simple fashion act, that can ask each one of us
POWER, Wealth, SUCCESS
to reveal the inside story of our clothes on our bodies. The discussion of fashion and durability must go much further however. Fashion, in many of its practices, has responded to an economic model based on cheap, consequence free growth through making, selling and discarding – one of the greatest successes of the built in obsolescence model for growth. Reducing unsustainability through actions such as re-cycling and reducing washing temperatures are vital, but we must not get too distracted by them or pacify ourselves through them into thinking that this is enough. Fashion can shape as well as respond to culture and as we reflect back over the last 5 years of our work and set out our stall for the next half decade, our research takes us into areas and disciplines that go deep into the core of our nature and society. Engaging with economists, anthropologists, psychologists, urban planners, philosophers, historians and poets, alongside working with fellow designers, artists, photographers and craftspeople, my hope is that just as Don Letts said that ‘When the pistols took to the stage, it was cultural year zero’ the next five years can mark a cultural shift towards Better Lives through fashion aesthetics and ethics with great music of course!
(Sustainable Fashion, 2014) 15
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Economy
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Economy tracker: Unemployment
Latest news:
Background:
Unemployment fell by 63,000 to 1.96 million in the three months to the end of October, according to the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures.
A few months after the start of the recession in 2008, unemployment started to rise sharply. When the global financial crisis hit, the unemployment rate was a little over 5% or 1.6 million.
The number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance in October fell by 26,900 to 900,100, the ONS said. The jobless rate was 6%, matching its lowest level in six years.
Towards the end of 2009, with the UK coming out of its severest recession since the 1950s, it was almost a million higher at 2.5 million, or 8%. Unemployment peaked at almost 2.7 million at the end of 2011, its highest level for 17 years.
As the unemployment rate begins to fall, there are signs that consumers of fashion will have less time and become busier in the future. Therefore, there could be a growing trend for effortless, and easy fashion.
(BBC News, 2014) 18
POWER, Wealth, SUCCESS
Ethnographic Trends: Bulgarian and Romanian migration to the UK
Statistics show that there’s more people migrating to the UK than emigrating.
There has been a lot of public interest in Bulgarian and Romanian migration to the UK, due to the end of transitional employment restrictions that took place on 1 January 2014. These restrictions had previously placed limits on the kind of employment Bulgarian and Romanian citizens could undertake in the UK. Latest figures for the year ending March 2014 show that 28,000 EU2 citizens migrated to the UK. This represents 5% of total immigration to the UK.
(Office for National Statistics, 2014)
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UK economy bigger and growing faster than thought, says ONS
Britain’s economy was bigger and grew faster than previously thought over the second quarter, according to official figures that measure GDP in a new way. The economy also recovered sooner than previously thought from the recession. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the economy expanded 0.9% over April to June as both the dominant services sector and construction enjoyed strong growth. That beat economists’ forecasts for GDP growth to hold at a previous estimate of 0.8%. But at the same time the ONS revised down the first quarter figure to 0.7% from 0.8%, leaving the estimate of year-on-year growth at 3.2%. The size of the economy was also upgraded as the ONS moved to a new European-wide way of measuring GDP and incorporated other changes. Under the new method, illegal activities such as drug dealing and prostitution are included and other
activities are accounted for differently, including research & development and military spending. Explaining the figures, the ONS said: “The new data are based on the most far-reaching set of improvements to the national accounts in the last 15 years or so.” The ONS left full-year GDP growth in 2013 unrevised at 1.7%. But it said the changes meant that UK GDP recouped lost ground from the downturn sooner than previously thought. Overall, he forecasts growth will have slowed in the third quarter of July to September. “The latest economic news remains largely strong, although it has been a little more mixed recently. It looks likely that consumer spending growth slowed to some extent in the third quarter, while the manufacturing sector clearly lost momentum,” Archer added.
Tumbling oil prices mean inflation is on course to fall below 1pc in the coming months, but interest rate rises remain on the horizon
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(The Guardian, 2014)
POWER, Wealth, SUCCESS
David Miles: low inflation will put UK economy in a better place
A lot has changed since then and the inflation outlook today looks significantly different than it did in mid-June. Inflation is now 1pc and may well fall further in coming months. This has substantially altered market perceptions of the likely path of interest rates. Right now market expectations are that the first rate rise will not come until after I leave the committee at the end of August 2015*. The implications for monetary policy of weak energy prices have to be judged in the light of what caused them. To the extent that they reflect a weakening in global growth they would bring both lower UK inflation and weaker demand. But if it is the strength of the supply of energy that is the bigger factor then the impact on demand for UK produced goods is more positive. What we have seen over the past six months is both signs of stronger supply and of weaker demand, some of which stem from slowing growth in countries where production is very energy-intensive, most significantly China. It is relevant here, and in fact helpful, that the UK exports relatively little to China – we get the benefit of the boost to real incomes from lower commodity prices that weaker Chinese growth brings but we don’t pay much of a price in terms of weaker exports. CORRUPTION, WAR, CrIS, CONFLICT
First, debt deflation risks are not well measured by what is happening now to CPI inflation. Debt deflation is a position where people’s ability to manage debt is eroded by their nominal incomes falling relative to the value of their debt. But the main reason CPI inflation has fallen quite sharply in recent months – and is likely to fall further – is that we have seen big falls in the world price of many commodities and some delayed effects of earlier strength in sterling. The falls in energy and food prices are more likely to have increased the ability of households and firms to manage their debt. I also don’t take too seriously the risk that people will postpone spending because they think prices might be slightly lower a year from now. Many people would not postpone spending if they thought prices might be 1pc lower tomorrow. So I don’t think that lower inflation than seemed likely six months ago means that more expansionary policy is now needed; but it does mean that there is no great urgency in starting the process of moving monetary policy back towards a more normal setting. So even though it is possible that I may yet get to the end of my term and never feel able to vote for a rate rise, all in all, this is not such a bad place for the UK economy to be. (Telegraph, 2014)
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IMF predicts Britain’s GDP growth rate will surge to 3.2% by year end
The International Monetary Fund has raised its forecast for Britain's economic growth rate for the second time this year. The Washington-based organisation said Britain would maintain its status as one of the world's fastest expanding major economies following a surge in growth to 3.2% by the end of the year. The lender of last resort, which is headed by former French finance minister Christine Lagarde, uprated the UK's outlook for GDP growth by 0.4 percentage points this year and 0.2 percentage points to 2.7% next year in its latest world economic outlook. After 18 months of recovery, the forecast that growth will continue for the rest of the year and into 2015 is a boost for George Osborne, especially after the same organisation criticised his austerity programme only last year. Last year the IMF said George Osborne's austerity
(The Guardian, 2014) 22
policies were "playing with fire" and could trigger a slump. Olivier Blanchard, its chief economist, said then that the risk for Britain of "having no growth, or very little growth, for a long time is very high" if the government maintained its austerity strategy. Since then the UK has seen employment expand rapidly and the economy has regained its prerecession level of output. In April this year, the IMF forecast that the UK would outperform other big economies with 2.9% growth. On Friday the Office for National Statistics is to give its first estimate of GDP in the three months to the end of June following a strong first quarter that saw expansion hit 0.8%, giving an annual growth rate of more than 3%. Despite a recent slowdown in high street spending and a cooling in house price rises, the figures are expected to confirm Britain has passed its previous peak and is reaching new highs.
POWER, Wealth, SUCCESS
Russia's ex-finance boss warns of 'full-blown crisis'
Russia's former finance minister has warned the country is entering a "full blown economic crisis" and will enter recession next year. "We are entering or have already entered a fullblown economic crisis, and we're going to feel it to the full next year,'' said Alexei Kudrin. His warning came as Russia's central bank lent Trust Bank 30bn roubles (ÂŁ339m) to stop it going bankrupt. It marks Russia's first bank bailout since the rouble's sharp collapse. The Russian currency has lost more than 45% of its value against the dollar since the start of the year, with falling oil prices and Western sanctions both weighing on the country. Despite the sharp fall, deputy prime minister Igor Shuvalov indicated the government would not intervene, saying it "opposes'' currency controls as a way to tackle the rouble crisis, and saw "more harm in them'' than potential advantages. 'Serious challenge' Russia's central bank has already tried unsuccessfully to stabilise the currency, buying roubles in the markets and raising its main lending
CORRUPTION, WAR, Crisis, CONFLICT
rate to 10.5%. But those efforts have been overwhelmed by the fall in the price of crude oil - one of the country's main exports - and by concerns that international sanctions over Ukraine might be stepped up. On Monday, Mr Kudrin said that even if the price of oil, currently trading at around $62 a barrel, rose to $80 a barrel the Russian economy would still contract by at least 2%. If oil remained at around its current level he said the economy would shrink by 4%. "This is a serious challenge to the economy," he said. He calculated that low oil prices accounted for as little as a quarter of the rouble's decline, with western sanctions against Russia accounting for 40%. The Russian government warned earlier this month that the country would fall into recession next year as western sanctions and falling oil prices began to bite. Its economic development ministry estimated the economy would contract by 0.8% next year, compared to its previous estimate of 1.2% growth.
(BBC News, 2014) 23
John Lewis weekly sales up despite slow demand for autumn apparel, online soars Sales at John Lewis for the week ended October 4 rose 7.9%, despite demand for seasonally-focused assortments "not yet firing on all cylinders due to inclement weather conditions". Online saw a healthy 19.6% boost, and good signs were seen at retail which was up 3.6%. The business says it expects to be in a strong position to capitalise on demand once weather turns more favourable. The home entertainment and electricals business had a strong week, up 6.8%, with a good showing from Vision, Computing and White Goods and some encouraging signs from newly-introduced product ranges. (WGSN, 2014)
UK online sales grow 20% despite quiet August It predicted that the UK will dispatch a record 900m orders or 930m parcels in 2014. The Index also revealed that a growing number of consumers opted for next day or specified day deliveries during the quieter August, although economy options remained the most popular overall. “It does suggest that consumers are feeling more comfortable in making last minute purchasing decisions, knowing they can trust retailers to make next day deliveries successfully," said Angela O’Connell, marketing and strategy director at MetaPack. UK online retail sales fell 13.6% month-on-month in a slow August but jumped 20% year-on-year, according to the latest IMRG MetaPack Delivery Index. Based on e-tail delivery patterns, IMRG said order volumes are expected to increase 10% in the run up to Christmas to reach a peak of 120m deliveries in December. (WGSN, 2014) 24
“Giving customers more choice and freedom on deliveries will underpin how well the industry handles the pressures of the Christmas peak. She added: “It seems that August was a dry run for these alternatives and unsurprisingly shoppers have seized the opportunity to take greater control, supporting further investment in Sunday delivery and click & collect services."
Doddle expanding parcel shop network to six UK stations
Doddle, the parcel shop business run by Britain’s railway infrastructure firm Network Rail, is opening new stores this week in six stations around the UK. The company, a joint venture between investor and Travelex-founder Lloyd Dorfman and Network Rail, said it is opening outlets in Southampton, Tonbridge, Woking, Glasgow Central, Chancery Lane and Basingstoke stations. It has also opened an outlet at the Westfield Stratford City shopping mall in East London, as part of the concierge services there. Doddle’s business model relies on fewer parcel shop branches compared to rival parcel shop networks, but with each one located at stations where there are potentially much higher footfalls. Hopes are to ultimately open 300 Doddle branches at stations across the UK. The company said it is in the process of integrating business wear retailer T.M.Lewin into its system, so that customers of the T.M.Lewin will be able to collect purchases at Doddle stores once they have completed the checkout process on the retailer’s website, as an alternative to in-store click and collect or next-day
delivery services. Doddle will also be part of retailer ASOS’s free returns network. Tim Robinson, CEO at Doddle, said: “The Doddle service offers a convenient service for all shippers and retailers and is another way for them to improve their customer experience. It is clear that consumers are looking for a broad range of alternatives rather than one size fits all. By partnering with Doddle, they are providing their customers with another easy and convenient way to collect and return their online shopping where and when they want, normally at no additional cost.” The new store at the Westfield shopping centre in East London represents a slight departure from the station-based model for Doddle, but Myf Ryan, Marketing Director, UK & Europe at Westfield said the company saw an opportunity to respond to shoppers’ needs to host Doddle services. She said: “The Doddle collection point located at concierge on the Lower Ground Floor is part of our broader strategy to deliver digital solutions that enhance the customer shopping experience and drive sales opportunities for our retailers.” (Post and Parcel, 2014) 25
Gap Inc. November Sales Jump 6%
SAN FRANCISCO, United States — Gap Inc. said late Thursday that a key revenue metric rose 6 percent in November, as surging sales at its lowpriced Old Navy chain offset sluggish sales at its namesake business.
cater to mobile-savvy shoppers
That figure surpassed Wall Street estimates for a 1.4 percent drop, according to Thomson Reuters.
By brand, Gap’s key metric called revenue at stores opened at least a year, was down 4 percent, while Banana Republic’s sales rose 2 percent. Old Navy’s revenue at stores opened at least a year surged 18 percent.
The results offer encouraging signs for the San Francisco-based company, which hit a rocky patch this year after enjoying a turnaround since early 2012. Last month, Gap Inc. cut its full-year profit outlook after reporting a sales shortfall in the fiscal third quarter and announced leadership changes at its Gap and Banana Republic brands. The moves were spearheaded by Art Peck as he takes on the role of CEO of Gap Inc. in February, succeeding Glenn Murphy who has been at the helm since 2007. Peck, a 10-year-veteran at Gap, had been its digital leader overseeing new innovations that (Business Of Fashion, 2014) 26
The retailer reported after the markets closed that total sales for November rose 6 percent to $1.72 billion from $1.63 billion in the year-ago period.
Revenue from stores open at least a year is considered a key indicator of retail performance because it strips away the impact of recently opened or closed stores The company has more than 3,200 companyoperated stores and more than 400 franchise stores, along with its online shopping sites. Shares of Gap Inc. rose 3.6 percent, or $1.44 to $42 in after-market trading, after slipping 4 cents to $40.56 in regular hours. POWER, Wealth, SUCCESS
Gap Lowers Profit Forecast as Sales Slump at Namesake Brand
SAN FRANCISCO, United States — Gap Inc., the biggest U.S. apparel- focused retailer, cut its annual profit forecast as sales at its namesake brand continue to struggle. Earnings per share in the year through January will be $2.73 to $2.78, the San Francisco-based company said in a statement today. That’s down from the company’s earlier guidance of $2.95 to $3. Analysts estimated $2.91, on average. Chief Executive Officer Glenn Murphy has been working to improve merchandise at Gap-brand stores, which have slashed prices to clear out slow-selling styles. Same-store sales at Gap slid 5 percent in the quarter. Murphy, 52, said last month that he’ll step down as CEO in February and hand the reins to Art Peck, president of Gap’s growth, innovation and digital unit. The “third quarter was not a quarter for the record books as Gap brand underperformed,” Tom Filandro, a New York-based analyst at Susquehanna Financial Group, wrote in a note to clients yesterday. He has a neutral rating on the shares. Gap shares gained 1.2 percent this year through the POWER, Wealth, SUCCESS
close of regular trading yesterday, compared with an 11 percent increase in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index. Net income in the quarter ended Nov. 1 rose 4.2 percent to $351 million, or 80 cents a share, from $337 million, or 72 cents, a year earlier. The average of analysts’ estimates compiled by Bloomberg was 79 cents. Net sales fell 0.1 percent to $3.97 billion. Brands’ Sales Sales at stores open at least a year and online declined 2 percent last quarter, compared with a 1 percent gain in the same period a year earlier. Comparablestore sales at the Banana Republic brand were little changed, versus a 1 percent decline a year earlier. Sales on that basis at Gap’s discount Old Navy brand rose 1 percent after being little changed a year ago. Murphy has been working to integrate the company’s website and stores to better compete with online rivals. In addition to its reserve-in-store feature, the retailer said this week that it’s introducing an online tool that allows shoppers to create wishlists of products across all of its brands. (Business Of Fashion, 2014)
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Zalando to Sell Gap Clothes in Europe, Shares Trade Higher
BERLIN, Germany — Zalando SE, Europe’s largest online fashion retailer, said it will start selling clothes from Gap Inc. in Europe, sending its shares higher. Gap will open an online shop on Zalando’s platform as part of a European partnership, the two retailers said in a joint statement today. Gap clothes for women, men, children and babies will be available beginning summer 2015. Zalando shares rose as much as 3.3 percent.
“This partnership represents Gap’s first foray into multibrand retailing in Europe,” Stefan Laban, head of Gap’s international business, said in the statement. Gap, the biggest U.S. apparel-focused retailer, opened its first European store in 1987 and now has 190 of its own stores and 33 franchise shops across Europe. The partnership will complement Gap’s own online presence while extending the product range for Zalando. Zalando traded 2.7 percent higher at 19.52 euros as of 9:45 a.m. in Frankfurt.
Zalando SE, Europe’s largest online fashion retailer, said it will start selling clothes from Gap Inc. in Europe, sending its shares higher.
(Business Of Fashion, 2014) 28
POWER, Wealth, SUCCESS
Zalando Regains IPO Price as Online Retailer Nears Profitabilit
BERLIN, Germany — Zalando SE traded above its initial public offering price for the first time since last month’s stock market debut after Europe’s largest online fashion retailer forecast it will end the year “slightly profitable.” Shares in the Berlin-based company rose as much as 11 percent to 22.36 euros. Since an intraday gain of 14 percent disappeared on the first day of trading, they have consistently traded below the 21.50-euro IPO price amid waning investor enthusiasm for e-commerce stocks. Profitability is a significant landmark for a company that was founded six years ago by the billionaire Samwer brothers and has grown to be valued at about 5.4 billion euros ($6.7 billion). Zalando also said today that revenue will grow by as much as 25 percent in 2014, providing more cause for optimism. “As many online businesses have proved, fast growth in this channel and the expansion into new markets makes it hard to achieve profitability, therefore Zalando being able to produce a positive Ebit margin is good news,” Maureen Hinton, an analyst at researcher Conlumino in London, said by POWER, Wealth, SUCCESS
e-mail. “That said, it will have to keep a very tight control on costs to sustain margin growth.” The company’s third-quarter performance was better than expected, according to Juergen Kolb, an analyst at Kepler Cheuvreux in Frankfurt. Sales rose 24 percent to 501.4 million euros and the loss before interest and taxes narrowed to 2.56 million euros from 50.9 million euros a year earlier. Revenue growth outpaced the overall online fashion industry, which faced a tough start to the fall/winter season due to unseasonably mild weather, Rubin Ritter, a member of the Zalando management board, said in a statement. The shares gained as much as 2.29 euros to 22.36 euros in Frankfurt and were up 9.6 percent at 22 euros as of 10:46 a.m. The retailer said this week it will start selling Gap Inc. clothes in Europe, beginning summer 2015. Topshop, introduced during the third quarter, is now one of Zalando’s best-selling brands, Ritter said on a conference call. (Business Of Fashion, 2014) 29
H&M’s October Sales Up 14%, Surpasses Estimates
STOCKHOLM, Sweden — Hennes & Mauritz AB’s October sales growth exceeded analysts’ estimates, giving a boost to shares of Europe’s second-biggest clothing retailer. Revenue including value-added tax increased by 14 percent from a year earlier in local currencies, H&M said in a statement today. That topped the 9.1 percent gain anticipated in a survey by SME Direkt and compares with 8 percent growth in September. “Sales momentum continues to be volatile, but this result is reassuring against a notably tough German market,” Simon Bowler, an analyst at Exane BNP
(Business Of Fashion, 2014) 30
Paribas, said in a note. “We assume H&M has not been immune there, but has seen sales strength across the remainder of the business.” H&M is expanding its online business and investing in new concepts as the Swedish retailer faces rising competition from low-cost clothing retailers such as Primark. Higher garment costs will weigh on margins the rest of the year, H&M has said. The shares traded 1.3 percent higher as of 9:23 a.m., leading gains in the OMX Stockholm 30 index.
POWER, Wealth, SUCCESS
Guess Beats 3Q Profit Forecasts
LOS ANGELES, United States — Guess Inc. on Wednesday reported fiscal third-quarter net income of $20.8 million.
For the current quarter ending in January, Guess expects its per-share earnings to range from 53 cents to 63 cents.
The Los Angeles-based company said it had profit of 24 cents per share.
The company expects full-year earnings in the range of $1 to $1.10 per share.
The results topped Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 18 cents per share.
Guess shares have fallen 29 percent since the beginning of the year. In the final minutes of trading on Wednesday, shares hit $22.16, a drop of 35 percent in the last 12 months.
The clothing company posted revenue of $589.8 million in the period.
POWER, Wealth, SUCCESS
(Business Of Fashion, 2014) 31
Aeropostale Reports 3Q Loss
NEW YORK, United States — Aeropostale Inc. on Wednesday reported a loss of $52.3 million in its fiscal third quarter. On a per-share basis, the New York-based company said it had a loss of 66 cents. Losses, adjusted for asset impairment costs and non-recurring costs, came to 45 cents per share. The results matched Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was also for a loss of 45 cents per share.
The teen clothing retailer posted revenue of $452.9 million in the period, which beat Street forecasts. Analysts expected $445.6 million, according to Zacks. For the current quarter ending in January, Aeropostale expects its results to range from a loss of 44 cents per share to a loss of 37 cents per share. In the final minutes of trading on Wednesday, the company’s shares hit $3.19. A year ago, they were trading at $9.74.
Aeropostale Inc. on Wednesday reported a loss of $52.3 million in its fiscal third quarter. On a per-share basis, the New York-based company said it had a loss of 66 cents.
(Business Of Fashion, 2014) 32
Prada 3Q Profit Drops 44%, More Than Analysts Expected
MILAN, Italy — Prada SpA reported a 44 percent drop in third-quarter profit as weaker spending by wealthy Chinese consumers weighed on the luxurygoods maker’s revenue growth. Net income fell to 74.5 million euros ($92 million) in the three months through October from 132.6 million euros a year earlier, the Milan-based seller of brands including Miu Miu and Church’s said in a statement today. Sales fell 5.6 percent to 801 million euros.
At the same time, pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong have disrupted business in greater China, where the company gets about a quarter of its sales. Burberry Group Plc said last month it sees a tougher market for luxury goods after currency fluctuations and weak Asian demand led to a drop in earnings. Prada has said profit margins will remain under pressure in the second half, while annual sales will be little changed.
A lack of new handbags in the 1,000-euro to 1,500euro price range is weighing on Prada, according to Mario Ortelli, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein.
Prada SpA reported a 44 percent drop in third-quarter profit as weaker spending by wealthy Chinese consumers weighed on the luxury-goods maker’s revenue growth
(Business Of Fashion, 2014) 33
Asos Misses Estimates as International Revenue Declines
LONDON, United Kingdom — Asos Plc, the U.K.’s largest online- only fashion retailer, reported lower first-quarter sales growth than analysts anticipated as trading conditions abroad “remained challenging.” Retail sales advanced 8 percent in the three months through November, the London-based company, which sells Vivienne Westwood clothing and Vans shoes to twenty-somethings, said in a statement today. The median of 14 analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg was for 9 percent growth. U.K. retail sales grew by 24 percent while international sales declined by 2 percent.
Asos shares have lost 61 percent in 2014 after more than doubling in both of the previous years. Sales growth has slowed, particularly outside the U.K., where currency movements have made its clothes relatively more expensive. A fire at a distribution center disrupted business in June. “September and October were challenging,” Chief Executive Officer Nick Robertson said in the statement. “Our sales have since gathered momentum and we had our biggest ever trading week over cyber weekend in November.” Asos said it has now introduced zonal pricing in the U.K., Australia and France to improve performance.
Asos Plc, the U.K.’s largest online- only fashion retailer, reported lower first-quarter sales growth than analysts anticipated as trading conditions abroad “remained challenging.”
(Business Of Fashion, 2014) 34
Tiffany Misses 3Q Forecasts as Sales in Asia Slow
NEW YORK, United States — Tiffany & Co., the world’s second- largest luxury jewelry retailer, missed third-quarter profit estimates and cut its forecast after sales in Japan and other Asian markets slowed. Net income tumbled 60 percent to $38.3 million, or 29 cents a share, from $94.6 million, or 73 cents, a year earlier, the New York-based company said in a statement today. Excluding a one-time loss related to repaying debt, earnings amounted to 76 cents, missing the 77 cents projected by analysts. Chief Executive Officer Michael Kowalski, who will step down in 2015, said the company is facing “economic and geopolitical challenges around the world.” Still, the jeweler is boosting marketing and adding new stores in a bid to maintain growth. Tiffany also is raising prices, including on entrylevel pieces like sterling silver jewelry and other items part of its new Tiffany T collection that debuted last quarter. Tiffany shares fell as much as 2.8 percent to $102.06
in early trading after the results were released. Through yesterday’s close, the shares had added 13 percent this year. While same-store sales increased 11 percent in the Americas last quarter, they declined 3 percent in the Asia-Pacific region. In Japan, comparable-stores sales dropped 6 percent, hurt by the nation’s sluggish economy and a new consumption tax. Tiffany also scaled back its full-year forecast, calling for a sales increase in the mid- to high-single digits. The company had previously said the growth would be in the high- single digits. It maintained its profit forecast of $4.20 to $4.30 a share for the fiscal year, which ends on Jan. 31. President Frederic Cumenal will take over the top job on April 1, the company said last month. Kowalski will remain on the board as nonexecutive chairman. Tiffany ranks second to Cie. Financiere Richemont SA in global sales of luxury jewelry. (Business Of Fashion, 2014) 35
Urban Outfitters Misses 3Q Forecasts
PHILADELPHIA, United States — Urban Outfitters Inc. on Monday reported fiscal third-quarter profit of $47.1 million. The Philadelphia-based company said it had profit of 35 cents per share. The results missed Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 42 cents per share.
The clothing and accessories retailer posted revenue of $814.5 million in the period, which also did not meet Street forecasts. Analysts expected $818.4 million, according to Zacks. Urban Outfitters shares have decreased 17 percent since the beginning of the year, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 index has climbed 10 percent. In the final minutes of trading on Monday, shares hit $30.85, a fall of 23 percent in the last 12 months.
Urban Outfitters Inc. on Monday reported fiscal third-quarter profit of $47.1 million. The results missed Wall Street expectations.
(Business Of Fashion, 2014) 36
UK service sector growth 'hits 10-month high'
The UK services sector has recorded its fastest growth for almost a year, a survey suggests. The Markit/CIPS services purchasing managers' index (PMI) hit 60.5 in August, up from 59.1 in July. Any score above 50 indicates expansion. But a similar survey suggested that growth in the eurozone's services and manufacturing sectors slowed. Experts said this would put pressure on the European Central Bank to act at its meeting on Thursday. The UK PMI survey represented the sharpest rise in business activity in the service sector since October last year. Demand remained strong with marketing activity increasing as a result, it found.
There were, however, concerns about future levels of business, leading to a fall in overall business confidence to a 15-month low. Earlier this week, the PMI survey of the manufacturing industry showed the sector grew at its slowest pace in 14 months. "An acceleration of growth in the vast services sector and an on-going construction boom offset a weakened performance in manufacturing in August," said Chris Williamson, chief economist at Markit. He said the services and manufacturing data suggested the UK economy was on course to post "strong" economic growth in the current quarter, in line with the 0.8% recorded in the first two quarters of this year.
(BBC, 2014) 37
The five biggest threats to the UK economy
Tumbling oil prices Brent crude fell below $60 a barrel on Tuesday, following weak data from China and Russia’s surprise move to hike interest rates overnight. The decline from June's high of $111 reflects a combination of weaker demand and increased supply. The Bank said price movements had also become more volatile. Policymakers believe falling oil prices will boost the UK economy, as well as struggling nations in the eurozone, which import more oil than they export. Falling prices translates to cheaper prices at the petrol pumps for consumers and businesses, who use the cash saved to spend on other goods and services. The Bank said: Overall, lower oil prices appear likely to provide support to global activity. Lower oil prices would benefit net oil importing countries, boosting real incomes, including in large economies such as China. But there would be some offset at the global level from a decrease in the incomes of oil exporters.
(Telegraph, 2014) 38
“A sustained lower oil price also has the potential to reinforce certain geopolitical risks. And there is a risk that, in economies where core inflation is already weak, particularly some parts of the euro area, low headline readings further depress expectations of future inflation.” When consumers believe prices are falling, they put off purchases, which forces businesses to cut prices to entice people to spend. Workers also feel the pain through wage cuts or staff redundancies. This hits growth and tax revenues. While nominal income falls, the size of a country’s debt pile stays the same - pushing up debt as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP).
Housing bubble This summer, Mr Carney said an overheating housing market posed "the biggest risk to UK financial stability". In response, Bank policymakers told lenders to limit the number of people borrowing more than 4.5 times their income to no more than 15pc of new lending. Banks are also required to "stress test" borrowers’ ability to repay loans if their mortgage rate were 3pc higher than the rate at the time the loan was approved. By the end of this Parliament, the Bank will have the legal power to tighten these rules if needed. Policymakers said concerns about further risks stemming from the housing market had "not so far occurred".
It noted that annual house price growth had moderated, while the number of mortgage approvals had weakened, reflecting operational delays linked to the Mortgage Market Review (MMR) and banks' own decisions to tighten lending criteria. However, the Bank noted that UK household debt levels, at 136pc of income, remained high relative to incomes. It said: “Some recovery in mortgage approvals may be expected over coming quarters. For example, mortgage applications rose by 10pc in October. Some quoted mortgage rates have declined recently. And changes announced as part of the Government’s Autumn Statement, in December, will reduce the stamp duty paid on house purchases with values between £125,000 and £937,500. That may help to support near-term activity.”
Geo-political risks The consequences of a downturn in Russia are increasingly on the minds of Britain's top lenders. The Bank said that geo-political risks could "affect the outlook for financial stability in the United Kingdom if concerns about persistent low growth lead to a sudden reappraisal of underlying vulnerabilities in highly indebted economies". It added: “Geopolitical developments could affect financial stability, for example via sharp adjustments in asset prices and increased volatility. Responses on geopolitical risk focused mostly on the Russian/ Ukrainian conflict and to a lesser extent on the conflict in the Middle East.” Renewed downturn in the euro area Tied to political risks are concerns about a renewed downturn in the eurozone. Falling oil prices, low inflation and low borrowing costs could translate into low growth for a number of years. Banking system and cyber threats Three of Britain’s biggest banks - two of which are taxpayer-backed - would be vulnerable if another financial crash hit the UK, according to the Bank’s latest stress tests. Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), Lloyds Banking Group and the Co-operative Bank were found to be the most susceptible to a 35pc fall in house prices
and spike in unemployment. However, only the Co-operative Bank will be forced to speed up plans to improve its finances. The Bank also suggested that lenders were not taking the threat of a cyber attack seriously. It said: “Regulators have noted some areas for improvement, including a tendency among firms to view cyber threats as a “technical” problem — rather than as an issue which merits board-level attention given the evolving nature of cyber threats and the key importance of cyber resilience to continuity of financial services.”
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Socio-Economic
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Demographic Trends
An ageing population Older people are going to make up a much larger proportion of the UK population in the future. The number of over 80s is set to more than double from 3m in 2012 to 6.1m in 2037. The proportion of the UK population aged 75 and over will grow from 7.9% in 2012 to 13% in 2037. This will have the effect of driving the average age of someone in the UK up from 39.7 years in 2012 to 40.6 years in mid-2022 and 42.8 years by mid-2037. The figures also show a 31% growth in the number of people of state pension age putting it up to 16.1m in 2037.
(Figures: The Guardian, 2014) 42
“As women aged over-45 will account for close to half of the female population by 2020, there is a growing need for more clothing retailers to shift their focus to this lucrative target market who want clothes that fit well and flatter their ageing body shapes, while still giving a nod to the latest fashion.� (Mintel, 2014) What it means Given that women aged over-45 will account for close to half of the female population by 2020, there is a growing need for more retailers to shift their focus to this less catered for age group, who have more disposable income than increasingly squeezed younger consumers, making this is a lucrative target market. A retailer such as M&S could help reconnect with its traditional customers by using older models in its ordinary press ads and campaigns, thereby highlighting how its more fashion focused outfits can also look good on women aged 50 and over. There is scope for retailers to appeal to older shoppers interest in good customer service at the same time as helping older women deal with issues surrounding fit and style when shopping for clothes by offering pre-bookable personal styling advice from expert older stylists that have a better idea of what these mature females are looking for. (Figures: The Guardian, 2014) 43
Health officials say clean eating can become obsessive disorder
Health officials say clean eating has become a popular trend. With that trend, a disorder called orthorexia is becoming more frequent.
"They start cutting out whole food groups altogether. Dairy, bread, grains, things like that, because of the way that they are processed,� Overstreet said.
"They get fixated on one certain type of eating. They actually start neglecting the other types of food that can bring them certain nutrition and vitamins and minerals, that they are not getting from the food groups that they are eating," said Becky Henderson, Licensed Counselor with Samaritan Counseling Center of Tyler.
Henderson says those who suffer from orthorexia make their food choices out of fear.
Clinical Dietitian Natalie Overstreet says a healthy lifestyle doesn't start out as an obsession. Typically the person is trying to avoid becoming overweight or getting a disease like diabetes. "It spirals out of control as you add more and more rules, you start becoming more strict. Everything has to be pure and organic and if it's not it does not touch your plate," Overstreet said. As a result they can lose drastic amounts of weight and become deficient in certain vitamins and minerals.
(KLTV 2014) 44
"If they are truly eating healthy, then that should lead them into more freedom," Henderson said. The condition doesn't just impact their health but their social life as well. "You don't go out to eat with your friends because you're not going to eat what's at the restaurant. You don't have potlucks at work," Overstreet said. Experts say living a healthy lifestyle is all about balance. "Let yourself splurge. Food is supposed to be nutritious, yet provide us with a source of pleasure at the same time," Overstreet said. They suggest to enjoy everything, even the healthy stuff, in moderation.
HEALTH, WELL-BEING, ENVIRONMENT, NATURE
North America's avocado obsession is draining Chile's water supply
Avocados have become a supermarket staple in North America. You can get them everywhere, no matter how small the town or how cold the season. They are imported in great volume from California, Mexico, and Chile to satisfy our relatively new obsession with this soft, dense, fatty fruit, and nobody can get enough of them, vegans and Paleo folks alike.
Civil Eats suggests that a good solution would be to buy avocados that come from small farmers, but that is very hard to do, since “90 to 95 percent of the Chilean avocados sold in the U.S. come from large producers.” Regardless of what approach you choose to take, this is yet another indicator of how important it is to eat as locally and seasonally as possible. It’s kinder to people and to the planet.
This indicates that people are becoming more comfortable with consuming healthy fats and they are caring more about their appearance/well-being.
HEALTH, WELL-BEING, ENVIRONMENT, NATURE
(Tree Hugger 2014) 45
Lifestyle changes ‘could protect 80,000 from dementia’
Dementia is the bogeyman of the modern age - most of us believe there is nothing we can do to prevent its onset. But a new study reveals that simple lifestyle changes could save more than 80,000 people a year from the disease. The research, seen by the Daily Telegraph, suggests action should be taken earlier in life to combat diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, amid evidence that deterioration of the brain starts when a person is in their late 40s. The findings of the report will be presented to the World Innovation Summit for Health in Doha in February, the newspaper said. The summit's chairman, former Labour health minister Lord Darzi, said people should act quickly to change their diet and exercise and stimulate their brains through puzzles. Writing in the Telegraph, he said: “The degenerative brain condition that strips sufferers of their dignity and humanity is among the most feared of all those that afflict our species. It is one of the greatest health (Huffington Post, 2014) 46
challenges we face. “At an individual level we need to look after our brains - sharpen those chess skills, pick up that crossword and solve that puzzle. “Eating a healthy diet, avoiding obesity and getting plenty of exercise are all important to brain health because what is good for our hearts is also good for our heads.” Some 850,000 people will have dementia in the UK by 2015, the Alzheimer’s Society has said. According to the Telegraph, the report will suggest that each year, 80,294 cases of dementia could be prevented in Britain by lifestyle changes. Half of such cases might be avoided if action was taken to reduce blood pressure in mid-life, by adopting a healthy diet and exercise, the study found. Type 2 diabetes is responsible for more than one third of cases, it added. Lord Darzi said the results marked a “significant breakthrough” in showing that individuals could curb the effects of dementia. HEALTH, WELL-BEING, ENVIRONMENT, NATURE
COMFORT, EASE, Convenience
Rising number of young adults live with parents ‘for easy life’
Nearly 500,000 working young adults between 18 and 34 are choosing to live at home with their parents because they prefer an easy life, a new survey reveals. The research, conducted for budgeting account provider thinkmoney.co.uk, has revealed that 17 per cent of live-at-home adults do so because they prefer to, rather than be on their own or with friends. Furthermore, thinkmoney’s research showed that just 44 per cent of young adults living at home pays rent. 42 per cent contribute nothing financially and a further 15 per cent only pay rent from time to time. But the benefits of living at home are not just financial. Four out of five parents, 84 per cent, admitted to doing the laundry for the grown-up children living with them; 83 per cent said they did the cooking; 82 per cent the food shopping; 55 per cent do their ironing and 25 per cent even clean their grown-up children’s bedrooms. When asked for the best things about living with their parents, the most mentioned reasons were “saving money”, “home cooking” and “home comforts”. Across the country, those living in the North West were the most likely to say they preferred to live COMFORT, EASE, Convenience
with their parents. Nearly a third (28 per cent) of respondents here said they liked to live at home rather than moving out, closely followed by 26 per cent of respondents from the North East who said the same. In contrast, just 2.9 per cent of people in the South East and the same proportion from East Anglia said it was their preference to stay at home. Whilst 17 per cent of 18-34s living at home actively chooses to do so, a larger proportion are forced back for economic reasons. Over a third of those living at home (35 per cent) do so because they can’t afford to rent a place of their own and a further 17 per cent do so because they can’t afford to buy. Ian Williams, spokesman for thinkmoney, says: “There have been many reports in recent years that 20-somethings are being forced back into the family home because they can’t afford to get on the housing ladder or rent their own place. Whilst there is no doubt that finances are a key factor for the majority, a sizeable minority are choosing to live at home to enjoy an easy life. “Not having to contribute financially or help out around the property certainly makes staying at home with mum and dad a cushy choice.” (Telegraph, 2014) 47
Social Ad Spending Past, Present and Future
Social media ad spending has been a huge topic of discussion all year. As the industry continues to grow, so to do the budgets of marketers attempting to capitalize on the growth. Even smaller social sites are upping their advertising offerings to cater to the market. An infographic from Invesp.com analyzes the past and future of social media ad spending. Perhaps the broadest prediction about the future is the huge increase in revenue the industry will see. Revenue is predicted to increase more than 194 percent by 2018, pushing the industry above $15 billion.
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(Social Times, 2014)
Mobile social revenue rates were already $1.5 billion in 2013, and by 2018 they are expected to hit about $7.6 billion. That’s an impressive, but attainable, growth rate of 38.3 percent. And the mobile market has been booming this year. When it comes to spending per user, there will be increases across the board. Between 2013 and 2015, U.S. spending will increase from $26.05 to $39.89. Asia-Pacific will see a $4 increase. Worldwide spending per user will increase from $5.14 on average to $7.98 on average.
Way Forward To A Convenient Life
Indian consumers are becoming as global in their thinking, preferences and orientation as their western counterparts. The ability to travel abroad for business and recreation, the exposure to the Internet and other information and communication tools, lifestyle influencers from print, TV and film media, among other drivers, are shaping Indian consumers’ shopping behaviors and mindsets towards consumption. Indians, who typically followed a savings-oriented approach, are enjoying the benefits of higher incomes and are often splurging on lifestyle-oriented goods. The increased spending power and the desire to acquire global, trendy and current products are incentivizing consumers to purchase products across categories, in the mass, premium and luxury segments. The consumption pattern of consumers is greatly influenced by convenience which directly affects their product choices. This suggests that products offering less convenience will be deemed less preferable to consumers. Therefore, adding convenience traits to certain products deemed healthy and/or beneficial could increase the consumption of these specific products. For consumers, convenience is by far the most important dynamic, and will continue to be so over the next five to 10 years, according to any number of prognosticators. Consumers are willing to pay more for convenience as their work habits and lifestyles change. The same can be said even for shoppers in developing nations. It's a trade off many are willing to make, especially as disposable income rises in many countries. It's all about time, and the consumer would rather buy time than prepare food. Have you ever felt the need to buy something in the middle of the night? Are you in such a hurry that you do not want to go through a long line at the
grocery only to pay for a few items? Yes, even the fast lane in the grocery is taking too much of your time sometimes. These days, people want things done with a snap of a finger, and we are not just only referring to gadgets here. Nowadays, everyone is living the fast life and to keep up with that, services have to be done as quickly as possible to meet the needs of the people. We see drive-through, automated teller machines, and other services made to make everything faster. This is why we see convenience stores sprouting everywhere. Why then would a customer wait for the shopping mall to open in the following morning to get what he or she needs when there’s an open store he can go to right now? The convenience they get keeps the customers devoted. This is why they keep coming back again and again. This is also the reason the convenience store concept has managed to thrive despite the presence of retail giants all around. Convenience stores are found almost anywhere. You do not have to go too far or wait till morning to buy what you need. May it be oil for your car or as simple as a hot chocolate or coffee, the staff at would be happy to be of service. Though there are not many players dotting the sector, yet good prospect is noticed in their gradual dominance and increasing revenue structure. The sector has still a long distance to travel especially when impediments like human resource constraints, customer migration, lack of logistics support and regulatory challenges continue to baffle. Though convenience store market in India is in a nascent stage, yet it is headed towards profound growth in near future. Certain determining factors work towards shaping the growth of such stores by translating the challenges into opportunities.
Everyone is living the fast life and to keep up with that, services have to be done as quickly as possible to meet the needs of the people, says Samir Modi, Director, Twenty Four Seven Convenience Stores. COMFORT, EASE, Convenience
(Business World - India, 2014)
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How to dress your way out of a breakup
Coco Chanel once said: “If you are sad, if you are heartbroken, make yourself up, dress up, add more lipstick and attack.” She certainly knew a thing or two about heartache. For 10 years, she was the mistress of polo player and renowned playboy Boy Capel, a man she described as the love of her life even though he married someone else while he was with her.
Tim Willis; for Marilyn Monroe, who first appeared in sleek black clothing after her divorce from Joe DiMaggio, it allowed her to move away from her cheerful pin-up image.
Sartorially speaking, heartbreak can be the making of someone. I was recently broken up with over text message (iMessage, to be precise) and plotted a thousand fashion revenges, many to be curated on Instagram – documenting a multitude of minuscule, date-hinting outfits. “For Chanel and young divorcee Madeleine Vionnet, their single status (atypical for the time) meant radically rethinking their relationship to the male gaze and therefore to style,” explains Alice Litscher, a professor in fashion communication atthe Institut Français de la Mode in Paris. “Vionnet’s loose bias cuts or Coco’s tweeds expressed a radical sense of liberation from classical femininity and seduction.” In the case of Isabella Blow, her humorous hats were a distraction from her painful separation from 50
(The Guardian 2014)
POWER, Wealth, SUCCESS
2014: a year of brave, inspiring, young feminists
Malala Yousafzai Malala Yousafzai won the Nobel peace prize, becoming the youngest recipient at 17 and sending the message to girls everywhere that they have the power to change the world.
Fahma Mohamed and Muna Hassan Meltem Avcil She has campaigned tirelessly to shine a light on the treatment of women and girls seeking asylum. This year, Avcil saw her efforts pay off, as Labour pledged to end the detention of pregnant women and trafficking victims, and to launch an investigation into the treatment of detainees at Yarl’s Wood immigration detention centre.
Together with a team of young women from youth charity Integrate Bristol, the activists successfully persuaded Michael Gove to contact every school about female genital mutilation (FGM), as well as collecting 250,000 petition signatures and winning the backing of Ban Ki-moon, UN secretary general. Hassan’s mum grounded her for telling the prime minister to “grow a pair” on national TV, but it was a small price for resounding success. Yas Necati
POWER, Wealth, SUCCESS
Necati campaigned for No More Page 3, the Campaign4Consent, #SREnow and #PassItOn, blogged prolifically and written for Powered By Girl about intersectional feminist issues. She has given talks to other young people about becoming a feminist campaigner, spoken at universities, taken part in panel debates, organised protests and championed consent on the BBC news. Just a quiet year then! (The Guardian 2014)
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The Feminist Celebrity of the Year Is ... Emma Watson
Emma Watson has been voted the top feminist celebrity of 2014 in a Ms. Foundation for Women online poll, which was conducted in partnership with Cosmopolitan.com. The Harry Potter star’s win is due in part to her work as a U.N. Women Goodwill Ambassador, the announcement of which crashed the U.N.’s website. According the U.N.’s site, which is now up and running, Watson planned to “dedicate her efforts as U.N. Women Goodwill Ambassador towards the empowerment of young women and will serve as an advocate for U.N. Women’s HeForShe campaign in promoting gender equality.” To that end, recent Ivy League graduate gave an impassioned speech on feminism and gender at the U.N. (which you can watch below) and launched the “HeForShe” campaign, which aims to conscript men and boys around the world into the battle to end the inequality against women and girls. “The more I spoke about feminism, the more I (Vanity Fair, 2014) 52
realized that fighting for women’s rights has too often become synonymous with man-hating. If there is one thing I know for certain, it is that this has to stop,” she said in her address to the U.N. “For the record, feminism by definition is the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities.” The 24-year old actress, who proudly calls herself the F-word (that’s “feminist,” people) got Russell Crowe, Tom Hiddleston, Lena Dunham and more to tweet their support for the HeForShe campaign, helping to bring awareness to the important cause. In addition to Watson, the Top 10 2014 feminists, based on the Ms. Foundation’s poll, are a who’s who of women either in the news or making the news: Orange is the New Black star Laverne Cox, news anchor Rachel Maddow, one-named legends Beyoncé and Cher, upcoming Golden Globes hosts Amy Poehler and Tina Fey, Into the Woods actress Meryl Streep, The Mindy Project star Mindy Kaling, and journalist Ann Curry. POWER, Wealth, SUCCESS
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's first fashion campaign, for Balmain – stylewatch
Clearly, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have been on a mission to woo the fashion industry for the past couple of years – and boy is it working. Having appeared on the cover of Vogue, and sat front row at Paris Fashion Week with baby North West, they now star in their first joint fashion campaign, for luxe French fashion house Balmain. Caught on the edge of passion, indulging in a
moment of pre-snog face-gripping, Kardashian wears the censorship-inspired dress from the label’s spring/summer collection while West is all about the slightly hairy heavage. The couple are great friends with Olivier Rousteing, Balmain’s creative director, whose brand ethos veers towards the sexy and sultry. With echoes of a David and Victoria Beckham perfume advert, this is very much on-brand for all concerned.
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are the new faces of Balmain Paris. Will this have a negative longterm effect on the brand? Or will the brand reach a wider range of audience? POWER, Wealth, SUCCESS
(The Guardian 2014) 53
Anti-social behaviour in the genes
WASHINGTON: A new study has revealed that both positive and negative experiences influence how genetic variants affect the brain and thereby behavior. Sheilagh Hodgins of the University of Montreal said the evidence show that the effects of variants of many genes that are common in the population depend on environmental factors. Further, these genetic variants affect each other. The researchers conducted a study to determine whether juvenile offending was associated with interactions between three common genetic variants and positive and negative experiences. The Monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) gene is a key enzyme in the catabolism of brain neurotransmitters, monoamines, especially serotonin. Catabolism is the breaking down of complex materials and the releasing of energy within an organism. Hodgins said that about 25 per cent of Caucasian men carry the less active variant of MAOA and among them, those who experience physical abuse in childhood are more likely than those who are not (Tribune, 2014) 54
abused to display serious antisocial behaviour from childhood through adulthood, while among females it is the high activity variant of the MAOA gene that interacts with adversity in childhood to increase the likelihood of antisocial behaviour. The researchers found that the three genetic variants interacted with each other and with family conflict and sexual abuse to increase the likelihood of delinquency, and with a positive parent-child relationship to decrease the risk of delinquency. They said that among carriers of the low activity variants of all three genes, those exposed to family conflict or sexual abuse or both reported high levels of delinquency while those who reported a positive and warm relationship with their parents reported little or no delinquency. Thus, the same genetic variants were associated with high and low levels of delinquency depending on exposure to negative or positive environments. The study was published in the International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology. — ANI
Research Links Addictive Social Media Behavior With Substance Abuse
Plenty of research has demonstrated that the addictive quality of social media is very real. And according to a new study, heavy social media use may also contribute to a different type of addiction. The researchers surveyed 253 undergraduate students, asking questions about their social media use, Internet addiction, emotion regulation and alcohol use. They found that roughly 10 percent of users experience "disordered social media use," meaning that they exhibit addictive behaviors in the way they use platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. To assess disordered social media use, the researchers included questions that reflected modified diagnostic criteria for alcohol dependence, such as, "How good does Facebook make you feel?" and "Do you check Facebook first thing when you wake up in the morning?" Psychologist Julia Hormes, who led the study, said that Facebook was found to have especially addictive properties. The respondents spent an average of one-third of their online browsing time on Facebook, and 67 percent received Facebook push notifications on their phones. "New notifications or the latest content on your newsfeed acts as a reward. Not being able to predict when new content is posted encourages us to check back frequently," Hormes said in a statement. "This uncertainty about when a new reward is available is known as a 'variable interval schedule of reinforcement' and is highly effective HEALTH, WELL-BEING, ENVIRONMENT, NATURE
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in establishing habitual behaviors that are resistant to extinction. Facebook is also making it easy for users to continuously be connected to its platform, for example by offering push notifications to mobile devices." The new findings join a growing body of research investigating the addictive potential of Internet social media use. MRI data has shown that the brains of compulsive Internet users to exhibit similar changes to those seen in people with alcohol and drug addictions. Harvard research conducted in 2012 provided some insight into why using Facebook in particular seems to be so highly addictive. Disclosing information about ourselves, the researchers found, is intrinsically rewarding. It activates the Nucleas Accumbens, a brain area that also lights up when cocaine or other drugs are ingested. But it's not just posting on Facebook that's addictive -- it's also receiving all those likes and comments. Another study found that receiving positive feedback about ourselves also activates the brain's reward centers. "The question of whether or not disordered online social networking use can be considered a 'true' addiction is a tough one," Hormes said in an email to the Huffington Post. "I think the answer really depends on your definition of 'addiction.' Many people think of addictions as involving ingested substances. However, if we think about addiction more broadly as involving some kind of reward then it is easier to see how behaviors may be addictive." (Huffington Post 2014) 55
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Technology
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5 Fashion Brands Actually Eyeing Bigger Pockets for the iPhone 6 Plus
Your pants aren't happy about the new iPhone 6 Plus. Along with Samsung's mammoth Galaxy phones, Apple's phablet mega-sized phone is starting to look like the future of mobile tech. That's bad news for your pants. Gone are the days of casually stuffing your palm-sized phone in your pocket. Phablets are too big for such a trend, causing people to worry: Where do we put our phones now? If you're not prone to carrying a purse, the answer may be to just keep your device in your hand at all times. Although, that hasn't stopped people from buying the phones like crazy — the 6 Plus was sold out within 24 hours.
For fashion, the opportunity is either a huge headache or a design opportunity. Some brands are considering what this could mean for the future of pants. A representative for Japanese brand Uniqlo recently told Quartz the company is “having conversations currently with the product development team regarding technology overall, and how our clothes can provide compatibility from a user perspective. Jean pockets is one of those conversations.” A few other brands, while not saying anything conclusive, told Mashable their company’s stance on the hot topic. Some already produce pants that can hold a phablet — others are considering future pocket design in merchandising conversations.
There is clearly a growing trend to consider a larger pockets to be able to fit our larger smartphones. This could work perfectly well with jeans, outerwear or even pocket designs in bags.
(Mashable, 2014) 58
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American Eagle's spokesperson: "Currently our men's pockets already accommodate the larger phones including the iPhone 6 [and 6 Plus]. Women's is still being evaluated." Levi's Head of Global Design, Jonathan Cheung: "Without being iPhone 6-specific, our mantra, like [Steve Jobs'], will always be to design products that make people’s lives a little better.” L.L. Bean's spokesperson: "Within certain product lines, such as our men’s active apparel for instance, (specifically cargo/utility style pants that have side pockets that are natural spots to carry phones), we do use iPhones and Samsung phones in our fit sessions to ensure that the pockets are large enough to accommodate these larger phones. The iPhone 6 would fit in the pockets now." J. Crew's head of women's design, Tom Mora: "Throughout the design process, we try to consider every aspect of the way our customers live their lives, and changing mobile technology is no exception. We think about all of these details — whether it's introducing new tech accessories for the new iPhone 6 — or special interior pockets to carry the various generations of iPads or tablets." Lee Jeans designer, Whitney Neary, says her company started discussing pocket size as soon as the iPhone 6 Plus debuted, though they haven't committed to anything concrete: "It’s something that we always are considering, in terms of the
functionality of our garments. Of course, we’re always going to make sure that we’re going for something that’s flattering for the consumer...but we’re always thinking about how she wears the garment, what occasion she’s wearing the jeans for and what she needs to just make them work for her everyday life.” Though it might seem silly (and quite literally the definition of a first world problem), the reality is that larger pockets could become a necessity if you want to comfortably tuck your phone away. Back pockets, traditionally deeper than front pockets are the safest bet for now, especially in the wake of BendGate. Thanks to the new iPhone 6’s malleable aluminum, the device can be slightly bent if users place it in their front pockets, where it can succumb to the pressure applied when one sits down or moves around. Wired took an in-depth look at the physics behind BendGate, calculating precisely how tight a pair of jeans would have to be to bend this line of iPhones. Outside the conventional fashion realm, designers have already brainstormed smart solutions. In 2012 (when smaller phones roamed the earth), startup I/O Denim created a successful Kickstarter for a line of men’s jeans with deep, side-positioned pockets, closer to the knee than the hip. Thanks to their originally large design, the pants, now sold on Amazon, can also handle an iPhone 6 Plus or Samsung device. (Mashable, 2014)
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Tech That’s Revolutionizing Your Daily Chores
We're inching closer to the possibility of a household fit for The Jetsons. We have robots to clean our floors, car services at the swipe of a finger and kitchen gadgets that text us when it's time to buy milk. With all this tech to help navigate our everyday lives, it's almost impossible to imagine there was a point in time when people did things the old-fashioned way.
If you hate cleaning and daily chores, then you’re in luck: There are countless nifty gadgets, apps and services to revolutionize the way we accomplish these tedious tasks — and in a fraction of the time. Below, we’ve compiled a list of the coolest and most technologically advanced gadgets and gizmos to lessen the burden of your everyday chores. The gadgets that do your chores for you What’s your least favorite chore? Laundry? Grocery shopping? Doing the dishes? Whatever it is, there’s a handy appliance or device that can cut the time in half.
Technology plays a huge part in making our lives easy and convenient. Whether it be smartphone apps that help us manage our time better, or technology that revolutionizes the daily chores- we have certainly relied on technology to do the work for us and there are signs that people will be very used to living a convenient lifestyle.
(Mashable, 2014) 60
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Instead of trekking to the dry cleaners or unearthing your unwieldy ironing board from the depths of the closet, the SWASH clothing care system promises to restore your clothes in as little as 10 minutes. ("Live your life unhampered," the website cleverly proclaims.) A handy option for clothes that need a light refresh, SWASH de-wrinkles and removes odours without the wear and tear of a traditional washing machine or dryer. The system cleans using "precision misting" and a "rapid thermal drying" process. And it plugs into a standard outlet, so you can easily store it in your bedroom or closet. For sweeping, mopping and vacuuming: The iRobot Roomba and the Scooba, and (coming soon) the Dyson 360 Eye Robot The Roomba is useful for more than just creating smash YouTube videos with your cat or periodic cameos on Breaking Bad — it also means you’ll never have to spend hours sweeping and vacuuming
again. Though it’s not exactly new-to-market (the first version came out in 2002), the technology used in these nifty robots continues to improve. To date, more than 10 million Roombas have been sold worldwide, and the “Roomba family” now includes automated gutter cleaners, pool cleaning robots, and floor scrubbing and mopping models (the Scooba). For Dyson fans, the brand recently announced the release of its own robot vacuum — the 360 Eye — which uses a (you guessed it) 360-degree monitoring system to track its path and clean your floors. The robot can climb over “small obstacles,” and, in true 21st-century fashion, users can control the device via smartphone app. It’s not yet available for purchase in the U.S., but interested consumers can sign up for a notification when it’s released (likely in fall 2015) at dyson360eye.com.
(Mashable, 2014) COMFORT, EASE, Convenience
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Adobe Looks to Bridge Gap Between Mobile and Desktop
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IMAGE: MASHABLE COMPOSITE.
to create customized brushes Adobe is making new efforts to bring its everBY KARISSA / 4 DAYS AGO based on photographs. Snap a photograph and users growing suite of mobileBELL apps more can focus in on a portion of in line with its flagship desktop offerings. The goal, Adobe is making new efforts to bring its ever-growing suite of mobile apps more they say, isintoline create with itsan flagship desktop offerings. The goal, they say, the is to image create an that will become the brush stroke. Once environment where users seamlessly transition projects and workflows from created, brushes can be saved environment where users can can seamlessly transition mobile to desktop. via Creative Cloud for later use in Illustrator or projects and workflows from Photoshop on the desktop or the mobile to desktop. To help further this vision of "truly mobile to desktop workflows," the company rolled out a series of updates Monday, including nine new andIllustrator updated mobile Sketch iOS app. apps, enhanced Creative Cloud tools and improved touch optimizations for the To help further of "truly mobile to Surfacethis Pro vision 3 and Windows 8 devices. Shape transforms mobile photos into vector desktop workflows," the company SEE ALSO: The 12 Best Free Photoshop Plugins for Designers rolled out a series of updates Monday, including nine illustrations, which can then be used in Illustrator or the Illustrator Line iOS app. Take a new and updated mobile On the imaging side, Adobe added two new Creative Cloud-connected iOS apps: apps, enhanced Cloud tools andallows improved andbrushes the app generates Adobe Creative Brush and Adobe Shape. Brush users to create photo customized based on photographs. Snap a photograph and users can focus in on a portion of based on the lines and borders in the an illustration touch optimizations for the the image that will become the brush stroke. Once created, brushes can be saved Surface Provia3Creative and Windows 8 devices. Adjust Cloud for later use in Illustrator or Photoshop onphoto. the desktop or the the portions you Illustrator Sketch iOS app. want to save and the image will be saved to your On the imaging side, Adobe added two new Creative Creative Cloud Library. Shape transforms mobile photos into vector illustrations, which can then be used Cloud-connected iOSor apps: in Illustrator the Illustrator Line iOS app. Take a photo and the app generates an illustration basedShape. on the lines and borders in the photo. Adjust the portions you Adobe Brush and Adobe Brush allows users want to save and the image will be saved to your Creative Cloud Library.
(Mashable, 2014) 62
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Adobe Shape allows you to turn photos into illustrations that can be opened in Illustrator or Illustrator Line. IMAGE: ADOBE
Adobe Sketch and Adobe Line, the two companion of its Creative SDK, which e also unveiled a new video app, Premiere Clip. The video editing is a allowsapp third-party developers to tap into the Creative apps to Adobe's Ink Stylus of paredand down version Premiere Pro that streamlines basic editing features Cloud Platform for their Slide Ruler, have been renamed Photoshop hones and iPads.Users can trim videos, apply filters, transitions, soundtrack Sketch and Illustrator Line to own apps. The SDK is currently only available for low motion effects to videos. iOS but the company says it emphasize compatibility with their respective desktop counterparts. The plans to make one available for Android and Windows. Photoshop Sketch update also adds six new built-in But Adobe isn't totally ignoring Windows— brushes and better Creative Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro Cloud support. and After Effects have all been updated with better Similarly, Adobe Ideas— now Illustrator Draw— has been given the same touch support— including new gesture controls in Illustrator— for the Surface naming treatment and now supports the Ink and Slide accessories. Photoshop Pro 3 and Windows 8 devices. Mix, another app that launched alongside Ink and All of the new and updated apps are available now. Slide, is now also available for iPhone users who want to take advantage of the app's The iOS apps are free and the updated desktop apps are free to existing Creative compositing and masking features. Cloud subscribers. The company is also rolling out the first public beta
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Premiere Clip takes iPhone and iPad videos and adds music, transition and other effects automatically.
(Mashable, 2014) 63
Apple Watch Graces Cover of Vogue China
The much-hyped Apple Watch isn't even out yet, but it's already made its editorial cover debut on one of the most revered magazines in fashion: Vogue China. Its appearance comes just a week after the U.S.version of Vogue printed an interview with Apple chief designer Jony Ive earlier this month, detailing the approach behind the smartwatch’s design. There are also several other editorial shots of the Apple Watch within Vogue China’s November issue (on newsstands Monday), which was first spotted by Business of Fashion. The pictures give a glimpse of how the device could be paired with various outfits
(Mashable, 2014) 64
to become a true fashion accessory. The move to get onto the pages of Vogue is a strategic one for Apple as it tries to position itself as a fashion-forward wearable. Many of the smartwatches on the market today are considered ugly, clunky and look more like wearable computers than jewelry. The company has invested considerable resources into hiring staffers, including Angela Ahrendts (the former CEO of Burberry) and JeanClaude Biver (former head of LVMH’s luxury-watch division), to help shape the device’s style.
POWER, Wealth, SUCCESS COMFORT, EASE, Convenience
Ecommerce, Retail, Womenswear Metail’s 'try on' clothing app raises £7.5m
UK technology firm Metail has raised £7.5m from Hong Kong investors to help expand its business that includes a fashion app that allows shoppers to 'try on' clothes online, according to The Mail on Sunday. The Metail system allows users to create an online version of themselves, matching their real measurements, that can then be used to try on clothes at online fashion stores. Founder Tom Adeyoola said that he had been forced to look abroad for backing after failing to attract interest from UK venture capitalists. Adeyoola told the newspaper: “We launched in the UK in 2008 and all the UK clothing businesses were struggling. That's why we have been pulled to emerging markets, where they do not have legacy problems and debt and they have the right talent to understand the technology. “Now we are starting to see UK businesses coming out of the doldrums. All online businesses are looking for new ways to grow.” Existing clients in the UK include Warehouse and House of Holland.
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(WGSN, 2014) 65
Google Expands Same-Day Delivery to Chicago, Boston and D.C.
A year and a half after launching Google Shopping Express, the search giant is expanding its same-day delivery service into three new cities — Chicago, Boston and Washington, D.C. — and adding alcohol to the menu in the Bay Area. The service was previously available in only the Bay Area, Los Angeles and New York. Google also announced that it has added 16 merchants over the past few months, including REI, Staples and Whole Foods, plus regional brands like Stop & Shop in Boston; Giant Food in Washington, D.C.; and Wrigleyville Sports in Chicago. Finally, Google has shortened the name: to simply Google Express. Designed to compete with same-day delivery options from Amazon and eBay, as well as startups
like Instacart, Google Express fulfills orders via a fleet of couriers. To get the service, you can get a membership for $95 a year or $10 a month — or pay $4.95 per eligible order (those from participating retailers for orders of $15 or more). Google is also offering a free three-month trial. The announcement comes not only just as holiday shopping is about to kick into gear, but also as Amazon has reportedly planned to open a store/ distribution center in Manhattan. Amazon currently offers same-day delivery in parts of New York, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas and Washington, D.C., among other cities. Amazon Prime members pay a $5.99 per-order fee for such deliveries.
As retailers offer services that makes consumer shopping experience more convenient, my prediction is that consumers will become more impatient in the future as products are being shipped faster to their doorstep.
(Mashable, 2014) 66
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Beacons Pop Up in Stores Ahead of Holidays
Estimote beacon technology | Source: Estimote The square or rectangular devices, smaller than a smartphone, can hang on a wall or be placed on a machine and communicate with your phone via Bluetooth signals. Accessed through apps you download to your smartphone, beacon technology can do everything from guide you to the correct airport terminal to turn on your coffee maker as you sleepily enter the kitchen. In retail, beacons aim to entice you to spend money. As you enter a store, your smartphone might light up with a sale alert. Stand in the dress section for a while and a coupon may pop up for something on a nearby hanger. “The most important thing a shopper might need to get access to when they go into a store are ratings and reviews, coupons and promotions,” said Erik McMillan, CEO of Shelfbucks, which is working with video game retailer GameStop and others on its beacon marketing. Beacons give customers that research right there in the store — when they have their wallets and are looking to buy. Macy’s Inc. has installed beacons in all of its 840 department stores; other chains such as Kohl’s are COMFORT, EASE, Convenience
testing them in some locations. McMillan likens beacons to the early days of retail websites in the 1990s when “all of a sudden it got to the point that ‘you can’t not have a website’.” He predicts the technology will skyrocket from the 50,000 beacons in use now to between 5 million and 10 million next year. The vast majority of shopping is still done in stores. E-commerce is fast-growing but accounts for only about 9 percent of total retail sales, according to Forrester Research. Beacons merge in-store shopping with mobile access to information — and data shows they work. “I wouldn’t mind letting a retailer know my location if it meant I’d receive coupons or benefits when I’m in the store,” he said. “This type of data is collected when we sign into Facebook or Twitter or any other social media application. I’m essentially already providing that information, so I might as well get something out of it in the process.”
(BOF, 2014)
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Why smartphone scent transmission will not be the next big thing
Having your smartphone recreate the smell of bacon sizzling on the hob; a wild-flower meadow in summer; or a bubbling pan of mulled wine, might not be at the top of your wishlist for new technology. But that has not deterred Nesta, the “innovation charity that helps bring great ideas to life”, from declaring scent transmission to be one of its top 10 predictions for 2015. It is already technically possible to send the aroma of freshly baked bread along with a picture of the loaf that has just been plucked from the oven to a friend’s smartphone – as long as it has an attachment called the Scentee. But Nesta reckons that next year will be the moment when the technology really takes off. Adrian Cheok, professor of pervasive computing at City University in London, was responsible for the technology behind Scentee. It plugs into a smartphone’s headphone socket and uses alcoholbased aroma cartridges to emit a puff of vapour after being triggered by a signal.
The scientist is also working on a way of avoiding the need to use chemicals and cartridges to achieve the same goal. However, it involves an electronic mouthguard that sits in the back of the user’s throat to stimulate the olfactory bulb. Marketing such a device could be a tricky sell. Nesta also mentions the iPhone as further evidence that scent transmission is about to go mainstream. The pipe-shaped device allows scent messages, or oNotes, to be sent from an app called – you guessed it – oSnap. It is about half a century after Smell-O-Vision – and its lesser-known rival AromaRama – failed to convince cinema goers (and owners) that scented movies were the way of the future. Indeed Smell-OVision made it into Time magazine’s list of the 100 worst ideas of all time in 2000. Whether Scentee and its rivals are destined to meet the same fate remains to be seen – or rather, smelled.
(The Guardian, 2014) 68
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Samsung says wearables will be the next ‘power’ trend in the workplace
In a new trends report (first spotted by The Verge), Samsung says the next wave of "power dressing" for workplace leaders will include wearable technology. That's right — business professionals will be all about smartwatches and other wearables in 2015, which will become a status symbol of savviness and professionalism. The toy industry is getting on board too: Kickstarterfunded Robot Turtles teaches kids as young as 3 the basics of coding in a traditional board game format. Samsung is among the companies that believes the smart home revolution is just beginning. Soon, products in the house will be connected to the Internet and work together — your fridge will send a message to your TV telling you you’re out of milk; the lights will flicker if you’ve left the front door open. In September, Samsung gave members of the press a peek at its vision for smart home automation. BK Yoon, president and CEO of Samsung, said during the 2014 IFA tech conference in Berlin that the future home will be responsive — the walls will move to create new floor plans when, for example, POWER, Wealth, SUCCESS COMFORT, EASE, Convenience
you’re hosting a big dinner party and want to borrow a little space from the living room. The refrigerator will tell you when items within are expired. You’ll be able to cook over a stove top with the help of recipe holographics, so you don’t have to get your devices dirty by accessing directions via mobile. In its 2015 prediction report, Samsung said automated home systems will move from “geek to chic driven by a dramatically improved user experience.” Samsung also highlighted virtual reality headsets as a trend to watch in 2015. The company revealed its own take on the technology at the IFA tech conference with the launch of the Samsung Gear VR, which uses a Samsung Galaxy Note 4 as the display built within an Oculus VR system. Experts believe virtual reality headsets, which provide fully immersive 3D experiences that make you feel like you are actually inside a game or movie, could revolutionize the way we play video games and consume media. Virtual reality headsets made a big splash in 2014 when Facebook acquired Oculus VR for $2 billion. (Mashable, 2014) 69
US Consumers Warm to Wearable Tech, Europeans Cooler
LONDON, United Kingdom — Consumers are warming to the idea that wearing a computer on their wrists or clothing may not be the fashion faux pas that early clunky prototypes led many to fear, with 2015 poised to be a breakout for the much-hyped trend, a new study has found. Consumers are more likely to imagine wearing watches or health monitors on their wrists, followed by devices which clip onto clothing or fit in the ear or on so-called smart glasses. “The wearable market will take off as brands, retailers, sports stadiums, healthcare companies, and others develop new business models to take advantage of wearables,” J.P. Gownder, the author of the report, wrote. More than two-thirds of business decision-makers polled for the study, or 68 percent, said developing a wearables strategy for their business was now a priority.
Look for wearables that monitor the safety of field workers, location-aware smartwatches that help managers assign shift workers in real-time and video and photo devices that augment the human insights of technical inspectors, researchers said. The business poll was conducted in June among 3,104 business and technology decision-makers. Working with the polling firm Ipsos, Forrester surveyed 13,003 European consumers in April and March. More than 4,500 U.S. consumers were surveyed in March. The report follows a flurry of research from financial and market research firms showing a coming wave of growth over the next few years. Morgan Stanley, in a report published last month, predicted the category could top one billion devices by 2020 in its most bullish scenario, with growth ramping up faster than smartphones or tablets did in their breakout years.
Consumers are warming to the idea that wearing a computer on their wrists or clothing may not be the fashion faux pas that early clunky prototypes led many to fear, with 2015 poised to be a breakout for the much-hyped trend. HEALTH, WELL-BEING, ENVIRONMENT, NATURE 70
(Business Of Fashion, 2014)
COMFORT, EASE, Convenience
Farfetch Launches New Click-Collect Service
LONDON, United Kingdom — More than 100 independent clothing boutiques from New York to Stockholm are teaming up to offer click-and-collect services for the first time. Farfetch.com, an Internet portal through which in excess of 300 luxury fashion shops sell online, is today introducing a service that allows shoppers to place an order for apparel and accessories with one of its retailers and collect it from another potentially thousands of miles away. The effort is the latest example of what consultant Bain & Co. has coined “digical,” or the fusion of digital and physical distribution.
“The consumer is pushing everyone to be more agile and come up with more convenient ways to shop,” Stephanie Horton, chief marketing officer of London-based Farfetch, said in an interview. The service “is a function of how people live and work these days.” Burberry Group Plc, the London-based maker of $1,600 trench coats, was the first luxury company to introduce a click-and- collect service in 2012. Farfetch gives shoppers access to apparel and accessories from in excess of 2,500 brands in more than 300 stores in 26 countries.
Farfetch.com is introducing a service that allows shoppers to place an order for apparel and accessories with one of its retailers and collect it from another potentially thousands of miles away. POWER, Wealth, SUCCESS COMFORT, EASE, Convenience
(Business Of Fashion, 2014)
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Drones Are Now Helping Fight Malaria in Malaysia
Researchers on the island of Borneo are using flying robots to map out areas affected by a type of malaria parasite (Plasmodium knowlesi), which most commonly infects macaque monkeys. In recent years, public health officials in the Malaysian state of Sabah have seen a rise in the number of cases of humans infected with this deadly parasite, which is spread, via mosquitos, from macaques to people. By mapping the communities where these cases occur, researchers hope to figure out why the parasite is spreading from monkeys to people with greater frequency, said Chris Drakeley, a professor of infection and immunity at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in the United Kingdom, and one of the researchers involved in the project. Drakeley and his colleagues used a small, cameracarrying drone called a senseFly eBee to create maps and digital surface models of the land and vegetation surrounding communities where P. knowlesi has
turned up in humans. The drone can fly for up to 50 minutes and carries a 16-megapixel digital camera. “What we’re doing is creating a detailed map, which we can then superimpose or overlay with the human and the macaque movement,” Drakeley told Live Science. The movement patterns of both monkeys and humans were derived from GPS data. Locals were asked to carry around GPS tracking devices, while certain macaques were fitted with GPS collars. The hope is that this GPS data will help the researchers pinpoint where humans and macaques are most likely to interact, and the drones will show the researchers what these areas look like and help them figure out why both species might be drawn to those areas. “I think there are a lot of advantages to drones — the relatively low cost, the fact that you can get much closer and get much finer detail” - Drakely.
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(Mashable, 2014)
COMFORT, EASE, Convenience
EBay Pushes Local Delivery in Renewed Bet on Retail
EBay Inc is retooling its local delivery program and extending more logistics options to smaller merchants that make up the bulk of the e-commerce giant’s sprawling base of marketplace sellers, an executive said on Wednesday. EBay also plans to dismantle its standalone mobile app for its $5 same-day delivery service “eBay Now” as soon as this week. The service will instead be folded into eBay’s mobile app and website. “The big play in the U.S. has been around buy online, pick-up in store,” Tom Allason, head of eBay Local, said Wednesday. The shift reflects how eBay and other technology companies, including Amazon.com Inc and Google Inc, still struggle with the high cost of same-day delivery. Only a fraction of a small retailer’s sales come from customers who also opt for same-day delivery, making it difficult to make a profit. Earlier, the e-commerce giant intensified efforts to
court retailers as it prepares to split its marketplaces division next year from PayPal, the payments unit that has been the fastest-growing part of its business. EBay had planned to expand same-day delivery to 25 markets by the end of 2014, but it is only available in New York, San Francisco, the broader Bay Area, Dallas and Chicago. Last year, EBay bought Allason’s U.K.-based sameday delivery startup, Shutl, a marketplace connecting eBay sellers with local courier companies who are available to deliver packages. EBay initially used “valets” to deliver packages, but switched over to the Shutl platform in the United States this spring. Allason said the delivery costs have dropped but declined to say by how much. EBay is exploring other delivery options for the United States, Germany and other markets, including the “click-and-collect” model used by Shutl in the United Kingdom, in which shoppers pick up certain eBay purchases from British retailer Argos.
EBay Inc is retooling its local delivery program and extending more logistics options to smaller merchants that make up the bulk of the e-commerce giant’s sprawling base of marketplace sellers.
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(Mashable, 2014)
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Environment
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Hollywood A-Listers Voice Nature’s Biggest Concerns
Conservation International’s “Nature is Speaking” campaign is giving nature a literal voice via Hollywood A-listers. Watch as Harrison Ford, Kevin Spacey and Julia Roberts, among others, perform powerful monologues paired with beautifully edited shots of nature, with hopes of raising awareness about humanity’s abuse of the world’s natural resources.
from people,” Dr. M. Sanjayan, Conservation International’s executive vice president and senior scientist, said in a press release. “By making it clear that people need nature to survive, we are turning the conversation around and making the movement relevant to entirely new audiences.” The campaign premiers Monday night at SXSW Eco in Austin, Texas.
“The environmental movement has missed the mark when talking about nature, because it tends to present nature as something that is separate Penelope Cruz is Water
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(Mashable, 2014)
Harrison Ford is The Ocean
Julia Roberts is Mother Nature
Kevin Spacey is The Rainforest
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The Ozone Layer Is Recovering
Remember the hole in the ozone layer? The one caused by refrigerants used in air conditioners and aerosol spray cans? Yeah, that never really went away. Each frigid Antarctic winter, the ozone hole has reappeared, allowing higher amounts of ultraviolet rays from the sun to reach the Earth’s surface. Some years, such as in 2011, a significant hole even opens up over the Arctic, too. But finally, after years of cutting emissions of ozonedepleting substances known as Chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs, and halons, scientists are detecting signs of recovery in the thin upper reaches of the stratosphere, according to a major U.N. report released Wednesday. In other words, that problem you may have thought was fixed is now in fact well on its way toward being fixed. But there’s a catch. Many of the substances that industry used to replace the harmful CFCs, such as hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs, and hydroclorofluorocarbons, or HCFCs, don’t harm ozone, but turned out to be potent global warming HEALTH, WELL-BEING, ENVIRONMENT, NATURE
gases. By using them at an increasing rate, there’s a risk that gains in solving one environmental problem will inadvertently aggravate another, according to the report. “The world avoided a major problem by getting rid of ozone-depleting substances via the Montreal Protocol,” said Achim Steiner, the director of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), at a press conference in New York. “We are at a critical point.” The Montreal Protocol, a 1987 global agreement that mandated cuts to CFC emissions, has been one of the most successful environmental treaties in history. The report says the Antarctic ozone hole will continue to occur each spring throughout the century, even after CFC and halon emissions cease altogether. “We now have the early hints that the ozone layer may be healing itself,” “We now have the early hints that the ozone layer may be healing itself,” Newman said. The report predicts that stratospheric ozone should return to its 1980 level, which predates the decline in ozone, by about the year 2030. (Mashable, 2014)
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Tiny Ants Might Be Helping Cool Earth’s Climate
Ants may be some of Earth's most powerful biological climate brokers, a provocative new study claims. The average ant lives and dies in less than a year, but a long-term experiment tracking the insects' effects on soil suggests they cooled Earth's climate as their numbers grew.
the start of his career, 25 years ago, Dorn buried sand at six sites in the Catalina Mountains in Arizona and Palo Duro Canyon in Texas. Every five years, Dorn has dug up a bit of sand from the sites and measured how much the minerals olivine and plagioclase have degraded from exposure to water, insect activity and chemicals from tree roots.
Dorn’s experiment revealed that ants appear to break "Ants are changing the environment," said lead study down the minerals 50 to 300 times faster than sand author Ronald Dorn, a geologist at Arizona State left undisturbed on bare ground. At the same time, University in Tempe. the ants were gradually building up limestone within their nests. Dorn thinks the ants may be scavenging calcium and magnesium from the minerals and using Dorn has discovered that certain ant species these elements to make limestone. In the process, "weather" minerals in order to secrete calcium carbonate — better known as limestone. When ants the insects may trap carbon dioxide, a greenhouse make limestone, the process traps and removes a tiny gas, in the rock. The transformation could take place bit of carbon dioxide gas from the atmosphere. when ants lick sand grains and stick them on the walls of their nests, but Dorn said the process is truly Dorn discovered that ants were powerful weathering a scientific mystery. agents by tracking the breakdown of basalt sand. At
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(Mashable, 2014)
COMFORT, EASE, Convenience HEALTH, WELL-BEING, ENVIRONMENT, NATURE
Ocean Study Shows the Planet’s Heating Faster Than We Thought
New climate model and satellite data suggests that ocean warming from 1970 to 2004 in the upper levels of Southern Hemisphere oceans has been massively underestimated. The findings are reported in two new studies in the journal Nature Climate Change.
conclusion that warming has been underestimated agrees with previous studies, however it’s the first time that scientists have tried to estimate how much heat we’ve missed.”
In 2004, researchers began collecting more accurate measurements by deploying 3,600 robotic "This underestimation is a result of poor sampling measuring devices, called Argo floats, which relayed prior to the last decade and limitations of the analysis information on the heat stored in the upper layers of methods that conservatively estimated temperature the world’s ocean currents. changes in data-sparse regions," said oceanographer Paul Durack, from Lawrence Livermore National Determining how fast the oceans are warming relates Laboratory, and the lead author of one of the papers. directly to how fast the atmosphere is warming and how much sea levels will rise, the researchers wrote. The findings are important because oceans absorb about 90% of the planet's excess heat, and the “Our other new study on deep-ocean warming found Southern Hemisphere accounts for 60% of the that from 2005 to the present, Argo measurements world's oceans. The latest data suggests that the recorded a continuing warming of the upper planet is warming faster than previously thought. ocean,” said co-author Felix Landerer of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, who contributed to both “By using satellite data, along with a large suite of studies. “Using the latest available observations, climate model simulations, our results suggest that we’re able to show that this upper-ocean warming global ocean warming has been underestimated by and satellite measurements are consistent.” 24% to 58%,” Durack said in a press release. “The
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(Mashable, 2014)
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Automated mobile phone service hopes to stop spread of Ebola in west Africa
People in rural areas of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea battling Ebola could be helped by an automated phone service that offers advice about how to avoid contracting the virus. The company is trying to acquire mobile phone numbers from the networks operating in these regions to enable them to make the calls. When people answer, an audio message with information and advice about the virus is played back. By using influential people to record the calls in local languages and dialects, Halt!Ebola believes it could help stop the spread of the disease, said Michael Chu’no Ike, the firm’s co-founder. “Most people [in rural areas affected by Ebola] have access to mobile phones. We want to place calls to them in a language that they understand, and get people who have the same belief system as them – like elders and religious leaders – to convince them to change their behaviours. We believe that this kind of message will resonate better with rural populations,” Ike said.
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The group has placed test calls to about 150 numbers since it was founded in November, Ike said. It has recorded calls in pidgin English, common in Liberia and Sierra Leone, and it is looking for volunteer (The Guardian, 2014)
translators to record messages in other local dialects. The service was set up during a hackathon hosted by German technology hub Ampion. The hackathon involved 50 participants travelling more than 600 miles across five west African countries on a fiveday road trip. Entrepreneurs, drawn mainly from west Africa, were able to meet with people who are affected by the problems they wanted to help to try to solve, said Jan Schafft, co-founder of Ampion. “The startups on the bus were encouraged to develop healthcare solutions [for Ebola-affected countries],” Schafft said. “Part of the trip is always that [participants] go out and talk to local people [about] their experiences.” The teams spent five days travelling together before pitching their ideas at a technology conference in Ivory Coast. Participants travelled from Lagos to Contonou, Lomé and Accra before finishing in Abidjan. Halt!Ebola hopes that after the current Ebola crisis, its platform will remain useful for government, development partners and civil society in communicating information to rural areas
HEALTH, WELL-BEING, ENVIRONMENT, NATURE
Environment Agency: 7,000 properties to be lost to sea East Riding and Scarborough - are expected to lose more than 200 homes each. Local groups are campaigning for compensation if they are forced out of their homes. The government has resisted this call, which could set a precedent for paying damages to people affected by climate change. Friends of the Earth has accused the government of dumping the costs of climate change on to vulnerable people. 'Routine exercise' An Environment Agency spokesperson told BBC News: "The recent announcement of ÂŁ2.3bn investment over the next six years will see significant investment in coastal flood and erosion risk management, with 15,000 properties better protected from coastal erosion over the next six years. An estimated 7,000 properties around England and Wales will be sacrificed to rising seas over the next century, according to the Environment Agency. Analysis by the Agency, based on current funding levels, projects that more than 800 will be lost over the next 20 years as coastlines erode. The cost of protecting these properties is considered to be too high. The Environment Agency estimates that more than ÂŁ1bn worth of properties will disappear as a result. The coast of England and Wales is being steadily eaten by the waves, and climate change is projected to increase sea-level and drive up the intensity of storms. In the coming 100 years, six local authorities - Great Yarmouth, Southampton, Cornwall, North Norfolk,
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"The Environment Agency uses a range of advanced techniques to monitor and assess the causes and impacts of coastal erosion," they explained. "We work with local authorities, which lead on shoreline management plans, to identify erosion risk management schemes, coastal erosion monitoring and further research on how we best adapt to these changes." The Agency said the estimates of flood damage were calculated as part of a routine exercise and had not been previously published. The properties expected to be lost include 3,453 homes and 3,216 non-residential properties, including businesses. The Agency has been told by government to prioritise flood defences in areas in heavily populated areas. This is why agricultural land on the Somerset Levels was allowed to flood last winter.
(BBC News, 2014)
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NEW LUXURY MILLENNIALS Eleonor von Garaguly, 25, is a sales manager at a Stockholm-based fashion agency. Interview by Jonna Dagliden Photography by Christopher Hunt ‘My work is my passion,’ says Stockholm-based New Luxury Millennial Eleonor von Garaguly, 25. As sales manager at fashion agency Flodell Agenturer, Eleonor is constantly researching new fashion brands to represent in Sweden, such as niche luxury brands Campomaggi, Ambre Babzoe, Munderingskompagniet and Andersen & Lauth. These, as well as more classic labels such as Louis Vuitton and Missoni, are among Eleonor’s favourites. ‘It is great to be able to use my own personal taste when I’m on the hunt for brands around the world,’ she says, ‘in places such as Amsterdam, Milan, Paris, Porto and Tokyo. It is hard work but it is definitely worth it.’ Of her £3,000-plus-bonus monthly salary, Eleonor spends £1,000 on clothes, and £500 on eating out and socialising.
Social networker Besides clothes, Eleonor loves spending time with friends such as Katja, Ida, Hanna and Sarah, as well as the rest of her 700 Facebook friends. The walls of her flat are covered with framed photos of her with her friends. Always out Eleonor lives on Stureplan, an expensive area in the centre of Stockholm, home to many of the city’s best restaurants, bars and nightclubs such as The Obar, V and White Room. ‘Stockholm has a lot to offer. It is not too big, but not too small,’ she says. ‘On a Wednesday I meet friends at the Lydmar boutique hotel for drinks. On Thursday we go to the more prestigious Sturehof. And if it is a warm summer’s day we sit outside at Josefina.’ Location, location, location The studio flat she owns is small in comparison to what she could get just a few metro stops away. ‘Sometimes when I want to get away from it all, I spend time with family in our summerhouse on Österlen in the south of Sweden,’ she says. ‘But I would never trade living in the centre of Stockholm for more space. I prioritise other things now.’ Her hectic lifestyle can be seen throughout her flat. The fridge is empty – she usually eats one meal a day in a restaurant or café – but there are plenty of Nespresso coffee capsules lying around. ‘I’m too busy catching up with friends over dinner or drinks in the evening,’ she says. ‘And work takes up a lot of time too.’ 84
Amber Atherton, 20, is a model, student, tv personality and entrepreneur based in London. Interview by Alison Bishop Photography by Angela Moore ‘So far this year I’ve been to Paris, New York, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Florence,’ says New Luxury Millennial Amber Atherton, 20. This summer she is going to Mumbai, Dubai, Tokyo and Bali. These are not simply holidays. Model, student, tv personality and entrepreneur Amber mixes business with pleasure each time she touches down, when she researches buyers for the jewellery collections of MyFlashTrash.com, the brand she created when she was still at school. ‘I want it to be the Net-A-Porter of the jewellery world,’ she says. After growing up in Hong Kong, Amber now lives in London with her parents. As well as running her business, she is studying fashion design at Central Saint Martins college of Art and Design, and has a nascent media career. She recently featured in reality tv show Made in Chelsea and has 14,000 Twitter followers. ‘I blog about what I’m wearing on the show,’ she says.
The raw and the cooked Amber is a fan of raw food, which she discovered on a visit to Los Angeles. Her favourite raw food restaurants are Planet Raw in Santa Monica and Whole Foods Market in London. She also likes specialist meat dishes. ‘I love St John in Clerkenwell, London, especially the bone marrow dishes,’ she adds. Apple of her eye Amber’s favourite technology brand is Apple. ‘Apple rules my world,’ she says. ‘I have an iPhone, an iPad, an Apple laptop and I’m always online.’ Her favourite websites are Mashable, The Business of Fashion, Luxury Society, as well as Facebook and Twitter. ‘That’s how I keep up with all my friends and work at the same time,’ she says. Intimate experiences When she’s in London, Amber socialises in European-influenced restaurants and bars with outdoor areas, such as the Boundary Rooftop bar in Shoreditch and Café Boheme in Soho. She also goes to more luxurious places, such as the bar at The Connaught and Bob Bob Ricard. ‘I love the private booths there for an intimate experience, she says. ‘They make every visit special.’
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Primary Consumer
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PRIMARY RESEARCH
67% consider themselves to be ‘Experiencers’ who are fashion consumers, and driven by stylish design - which indicates the style and quality direction A/W16 should offer (Stylish and fashionable). Just under 30% consider themselves to be Thinkers who look for the functionality, durability and the value of the product. 0% of the survey takers (aged 17-29) consider themselves to be Makers who prefer value to luxury.
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Street Style
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Primary Research: Street Style
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Primary Research: Street Style
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Blogger: Paint me in the landscape
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(paintmeinthelandscape,2014)
Blogger: The Haute Pursuit
(thehautepursuit, 2014)
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WGSN Street Style
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WGSN 17/12/2014 16:41Zoomed In Image
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Celebrity Street Style
(Olivia Palermo, 2014)
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Paris
Prince of Wales checks and grid Boys.
Monochromatic or two-color sch with faint large-scale grids on to pattern
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Milan
London
Paris
d-like patterns gain traction as womenswear designers continue to borrow from the
hemes work well / Stark white-on-black makes a bold statement / Printed ginghams op / Shiny fabrics like duchesse satin are unexpected in this typically masculine
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WGSN Street Style
SLEEVELESS JACKET ITEM
Street Style > Fashion Week Streets > London
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Classic minimalist looks inspire is styled as a casual or tailored back and neatly cut.
e the sleeveless longer-line jacket. In solid colours and lightweight tailoring fabrics, the jacket d look. Panelling and hem details are popular options; ultra-minimalist looks are stripped
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VOGUE Street Style
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(Vogue Street Style, 2014)
Fashionising Street Style
(Fashionising, 2014)
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Lookbook.nu Street Style
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Layer an oversize, boxy crop top over a high waist skirt to minimize your middle. This combination has the added bonus of making the waist look slimmer in comparison to the wide cut of the top.
WWD/ They are wearing: London
From Shoreditch to the West End, they accessorized it all by wrapping voluminous scarves in unique ways and adding bold pops of color via bags, gloves and hats. (Womenswear Daily, 2014) 113
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Retailing trends and Inspirations
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Primary Research
Topshop, 2014
COS, 2014
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(Images, Author’s Own, 2014)
H&M, 2014
COS, 2014
All Saints, 2014
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Momo Cafe Restaurant
I went to Momo and Sketch Restaurant in November and I found myself truly inspired by the interior designs of both sister restaurants. Both offered a unique way of retailing merchandise that I have not personally come across in restaurants before. Sketch involves a vending machine that allows diners to purchase luxury plates and cutleries (Right), where as Momo allows diners to purchase their visual merchandising in the restaurant which include the Moroccan style lighting, as well as the little ornaments displayed on the wall. (Top Image)
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(Google Images, 2014)
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The Future Of Shopping In Three Trends which is kind of amazing to think about since e-commerce seems both very new and indispensable at the same time. Either way, the world has had plenty of time to digest the trend. It makes some sense then that the pace of e-commerce growth appears to be decelerating in both the developed and developing worlds. I should note that a deceleration in the developing world means going from say, 94% year-over-year growth in China in 2012, to 64% in 2014. Those are still monster numbers, and there’s still plenty of land to grab, but the peak growth rates appear to be in the rearview. In the U.S., the pace of growth is a more stately 14%. The sector attracts a healthy sum of sum of venture money–nearly $1 billion in Q1 of 2014, according the very helpful people at the NVCA. But all of that strength doesn’t mean that the future of shopping is as simple as buying everything online. Consider our first trend: Back in 2012, I wrote a piece titled, Five Trends Driving Traditional Retail Towards Extinction. Looking back, I’m generally happy to see that the trends I examined are still valid, though “extinction” might be a little strong. But the retail and e-commerce industries still interest me and living in New York provides a firsthand view into the petri dish that many of these companies use to experiment. So almost two years later, I’ve revisited the space to focus on three more trends that are changing the way we shop. (I’m leaving out an exploration of mobile for the moment, since it’s probably worth its own post.) The Macro View First, a brief look at the bigger picture. Last month marked Amazon’s 20th anniversary,
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Location-based Technology For online retailers, it’s always been relatively easy to gather data about customers. If you run a Web company you can track all kinds of information about shoppers who visit your site—where they’re located, how they reached your page, what they look at and where they get held up during the shopping process. This helps e-commerce companies adjust tactics quickly to maximize sales. For brick-and-mortar stores, that kind of granular data has been harder to come by. Locationbased technologies promise to bridge that data gap. Apple AAPL +1.46% recently introduced iBeacon, a set of small sensors that can be placed around stores to track and communicate with customers’ iPhones. Startups like Estimote, Nomi and inMarket, meanwhile, sell similar technology to retailers.
What does this look like? Let’s say these beacons track a spike in foot traffic near a rack of bathing suits in a highend department store. But that foot traffic isn’t prompting a comparable increase in sales. Are customers intrigued by the style, but put off by the price tag? If that’s the hypothesis, the store can ping each shopper who approaches the section with a 10% discount on the bathing suits. If the hypothesis was correct, customers now buy more bathing suits and the company can subsequently reduce the bathing suits’ price to increase sales. This kind of technology helps brick-and-mortar retailers to optimize their store layouts, pricing, and improve ad campaigns. It also figures heavily into the next trend. Omni-channel Retail Since e-commerce first started gaining traction in the late 90s, nearly every brick-and-mortar brand in the country has developed an online sales strategy. But traditionally, it hasn’t worked in reverse. Amazon, eBay EBAY +0.15%, Blue Nile and other online pioneers never opened up physical shops for customers to browse items. That’s starting to change as more and more e-commerce companies warm to the benefits of brick-and-mortar. Warby Parker, a sunglasses brand that started out online in 2010, has set up six stores since opening its first in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood last year. Why? It turns out that customers buy way more stuff if they can actually see, feel and try on items in person. Andy Dunn of Bonobos, a men’s clothing brand that started out as an e-commerce company in 2007, told Bloomberg that only 5% of visitors to the company’s website make a purchase. In its 10 stores, that number is 83%. Other online companies like Etsy, Everlane, Birchbox and Harry’s have also dabbled in setting up physical stores, often experimenting with temporary locations or popup shops before devoting more resources.
Meanwhile, traditional brick-and-mortar brands are getting smarter about integrating online efforts with their physical outlets. Nordstrom JWN +0.95% sets the pace among department stores. It bought HauteLook, a flash sales site, for $180 million in 2011 and invested $16 million into Bonobos. Web sales at the company grew 33% last quarter and it’s using brick-and-mortar locations as distribution centers for fast shipping. Other retailers are following suit, at the very least integrating their online inventories with those of their stores. The latest crop of tablet-ready POS systems, like Lightspeed, Revel and Tulip Retail, are helping streamline the process. Top Brands Now Start Online For years, one name has struck fear into hearts of young e-commerce entrepreneurs: Amazon. The online retail giant has a reputation for ruthlessly competing against upstarts, undercutting them on price and diverting millions of marketing dollars to drive them out of business. So how do you build an Amazon-proof online retail business? In short, make your own stuff. (Bessemer’s Jeremy Levine pointed this out in an interview last year.) More and more, we’re seeing online brands emerge that control every aspect of their businesses, from design and manufacturing to technology and distribution. So instead of taking clothes from, say, Calvin Klein and selling them over the Web, companies are now making their own clothes and creating their own fashion brands. This control allows them to match traditional competitors on quality while undercutting them on price. There’s Warby Parker for sunglasses, Chloe & Isabel for jewelry, Chubbies for shorts, even MeUndies for underwear and Tuft and Needle for beds. The biggest retail brands of the next decade are being built online, right now. (Forbes, 2014) 121
Me Ality at Bloomindales
Bodymetrics at New Look
Department stores are adding scanners to fitting rooms, brands are using 3D scanning to identify which groups are underserved by current sizing, and new digital bespoke retailers are positioning scanners at the centre of their business models.
Digital bespoke In December 2013, digital bespoke menswear company Acustom Apparel opened its first walk-in store in New York’s SoHo district. The company uses scanners to map men’s bodies with 200,000 distinct data points, working with customers to design ideal suits, blazers, jeans and shirts. The designs are then sent to be hand-tailored in Guangzhou. Digital scanning also helps retail-averse men outsource their shopping, says Shaw. ‘Their view is ‘if I get scanned, then my wife or my partner can buy clothing and I never have to go into the store again’,’ she says. ‘That’s the dominant male message we hear.’
3D Print 122
Personal
Shape
Matching bodies with brands Selfridges has used Bodymetrics 3D scanners in its Denim Studio, and the devices have popped up at Westfield Stratford City. Stateside, Bloomingdale’s has installed 3D scanners by Me-Ality at locations in New York, Maryland and California. Me-Ality scanners use millimeter wave technology – similar to the systems in use in airport security – to obtain detailed body measurements beyond what is available with traditional tailoring. A customer can match his or her body type to a database of corresponding brands and styles available at a given store. Me-Ality’s algorithms take account of how details such as fabric content and colour quality affect sizing, for example distinguishing the difference in fit between dark and light denim. Body scans often empower women to shop out of their comfort zones, says Me-Ality CEO Tanya Shaw. ‘Maybe their body has changed and they are confused by what size to wear, or they have been sticking to the same brand because they know it fits,’ Shaw tells LS:N Global. ‘Some 57% of customers say they have bought a brand they never would have considered trying before because they would have felt selfconscious.’
Body Scan Tailoring
key words:
Dominant
Personalisation
The Left Shoe Company
Scanning futures Consumers are already using 3D scanning in ways not directly related to clothing, but retailers have yet to embrace the available opportunities. 3D scans can help users monitor their fitness or weight loss, match them with equipment such as mountain bikes or backpacks, and create realistic avatars for use in virtual gaming. Future retail innovators could have customers’ body types on file and show them images of what they would look like in a given item of clothing, whether online or in-store. Shaw says the next generation of 3D scanners will move from room-sized chambers to hand-held devices, which could even be rented and operated
at home to perform body scans of whole families. And with lower costs, scanners will proliferate throughout stores, with multiple devices available in menswear, womenswear, lingerie and more. Emerging markets such as South Korea, India and Dubai all have expressed a strong interest in 3D scanning, she says.
What this means to your brand Still in its early days, 3D scanning offers brands an opportunity to attract new customers, but could also harm brand loyalty if customers see that other brands offer a better fit. Brands should consider how 3D scanning might facilitate greater personalisation in clothing design and in the shopping experience.
The Acustom Experience
(LSN Global, 2014) 123
Retailing Trends
Click & Collect
Allows customers to shop online, and collect the items usually free of charge. This is perfect for someone who prefers to browse online and pick it up in-store.
Vending Machines
This targets a younger audience as it brings fun, which triggers the emotions into the shopping experience. It is perfect for smaller products such as iPhone covers, key rings, or even jewelry. Sketch Restaurant in London has done a similar concept for small, luxury plates and cutleries; placed inside the resetaurant for diners to purchase. 124
(Images: Google Images)
Interactive Tech Retail/ App-tailing
Many retailers are turning to interactive shopping experiences to solidify relationships. Since purchases are often the result of emotions, maximizing a customer’s hands-on experience within a retail environment -- whether in a physical store or online -- may increase positive feelings and brand loyalty.
(Trend Hunter, 2014) 125
Retailing Trends
Retail on-the-go service
Starbucks teamed up with the Swiss Federal Railways in 2013 to launch two branded commuter carriages on the train service between Geneva airport and St Gallen. This Starbucks-on-wheels works as an example of ‘outreach retail’ branding, and enables the coffee chain to own the offer for the on-the-go consumer.
Relocating Retail
As online retail continues to grow, leaving many retailers with redundant physical store space, it’s worth considering service options that make the store a go-to destination for something other than just product.
(WGSN, Business & Strategy 2014) 126
Seven drivers of change 1. Aging and tech savvy. The demand for online purchasing opportunities is increasing as more tech-savvy generations are getting older. A quarter of US consumers aged 24 to 35 currently do around a quarter of their shopping online, according to The Economist.[4] This is driving the growth of online sales and will continue to do so in the next 10 years. They do not intend to save as much for their children as earlier generations, and are using their savings to improve their own quality of life. This is a clear trend in countries like Denmark, where luxury spending between 2005 and 2010 grew three times as much among couples over 60 years old, compared to the average Danish household.[5] These baby boomers are much more used to handling smartphones, computers and the internet than their parents 2. Bring it home – just in time for personal use. There is evidence that a growing number of people do not bother to go down to the store and bring home products themselves anymore. This reflected a shift in behaviour that is affecting more and more industries; People just want to go online and make their orders without having the hassle of driving to the store and picking up the goods themselves. This trend is seen even in the food business, where groceries and fresh food are delivered right to your door by firms such as Linas Matkasse in Sweden and Årstiderne in Denmark. 3. Always online. Until recently, it was fairly easy to separate online activity from other activities. There was a clear pattern to how people used the internet. You could see how they went online in the morning, how the activity went down by lunchtime and then how they came back online in the afternoon. After work, the levels of use would again recede while people were having their dinner, and then they would go back online for another couple of hours in the evening. This pattern has all but disappeared today, replaced by even online use from early in the morning until late at night as a result of the marked increase in the use of smartphones and tablets. The
first thing many people do when they wake up in the morning is to go on Facebook, and the last thing they do at night is to check their profile. They do not bother to go on the internet and type in an address or to do a search on Google anymore. 4. Mobile retailing. Mobile retailing, or m-commerce, is growing even more rapidly than any other kind of retailing activity. eBay’s global mobile sales reached close to USD 2 billion in 2010. In 2011 this figure more than doubled, to USD 5 billion. This pattern has also been seen in Europe, where a UK forecast mentioned by the Economist Intelligence One trend is that consumers are starting to use mobile apps for their shopping.[8] They are also tending to show greater interest in mobile services closely associated with nearby places and things. 5. Social commerce. Social commerce takes place when online social networks and group activities are combined with e-commerce and/or offline retailing. The key to social commerce is to create an interest among buyers so that they spread the word to their contacts on social networks and other places. In just a few years, the internet has turned from being something perceived as being more or less anonymous to an arena for expressing identity and for self-promotion. This is mainly due to the rise of Facebook, and the phenomenon is creating a growing identity economy in which people show who they are through their lifestyles and patterns of consumption. This creates a basis for viral marketing on a hitherto unseen scale.[10] 6. Multichannel world. Multichannel retailing is a powerful trend that is gaining momentum. Most traditional retailers are moving in this direction or will be forced to do so in the coming years. We can therefore expect discount retailers like Tiger and Jysk to continue to sell cheap goods at locations near to us. The picture is more blurred in the luxury end, as online sales have taken off for luxury items previously only sold in stores. One example is De Beers, which is now selling diamond rings costing USD 10,000 online – which would have been unthinkable just a few years back.
(Scenario Magazine, 2014)
127
H&M Hi-Tech Store in New York
128
(WGSN, Business & Strategy, 2014) 129
Attitudes towards brands and social networks I don't mind being marketed to buy brands on social networks as long as the brands or products are relevant to me
8%
I think that being on a social network is good for the brand's image
10%
I only engage with brands on social networks if they are offering a coupon, compeAAonor other promoAon
17%
I don't like seeing informaAon from brands in my social media feed
23%
I try to avoid interacAng with brands on social networking sites
37%
I have "liked" a company page on facebook
39% 0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
Online reviews may be less fashionable than social media, but they carry much more weight with shoppers – consumers are more interested in what their peers have to say than what brands want to communicate.
(Mintel, 2013)
I read reviews online before purchasing online
17% 25%
2%
I have bought something in response to a recommenda=on on a social media site "A lot can be said about a person from the furniture he/she owns"
27% 29%
"The design of my furniture reflects my personality" "Buying furniture is a way of expressing ourselves"
“I am very proud of my furniture and also my art work. It reflects who I am and what I believe in. I like who I am!”
(Consumer Attitudes and Buying Behavior for Home Furniture 2013) 130
INTERACTIVE TECH RETAIL
Technology service providers such as Verizon and AT&T know the future of retail is about personalised services and education about how devices can be integrated into consumers’ lives. Heavyweight technology brands such as Microsoft, Samsung, Intel and Google have moved to open upscale retail concepts separate from crowded multi-brand megastores. Apptailing Verizon Wireless is inviting consumers to come and play with its products in its new Minneapolis flagship store, where zoned areas emphasise how technology can enhance different parts of customers’ lives. In-store entertainment offers include the chance to pilot a toy drone, track athletic performance on a treadmill and be a DJ virtually from a wireless sound system. Each activity is facilitated by downloading a specific app. ‘The focus of the store is to talk to people about their lifestyle demands and how technology can help them,’ says Joanna Felder, strategy director for the US design agency responsible for the Verizon retail concept, Chute
Gerdeman. ‘It’s been interesting to see young people sharing their technology expertise with the more senior consumers. They are like reverse mentors.’ Felder adds that the store targets a wide variety of consumers, tempting professionals with travel apps while highlighting how Verizon products can help anyone, from a FedEx delivery man to a food truck manager. In the store, products are grouped together in zones. An IM Convergence zone facilitates device pairing while the Family/Kids zone contains gaming and education apps. The A/S zone is a troubleshooting area. A lounge and coffee bar encourages visitors to create bespoke cups of coffee using a dedicated app. (LSN Global, Insight Markets, 2014) 131
Inspiration: Interiors
(Mimar Interiors, 2014) 132
Inspiration: Gert Voorjans
(gert voorjans interior life, 2012)
133
Inspiration: Kasia Bielska
134
Inspiration: Kasia Bielska
135
Inspiration: Kasia Bielska
136
Inspiration: Kasia Bielska
137
138
Secondary source of forecasting
139
VOGUE Fashion Trends The New Power Dressing WHAT do Diana, Princess of Wales, Naomi Campbell and Margaret Thatcher have in common? They were all masters of power dressing and are the subjects of an exhibition at the London Design Museum, Women Fashion Power, which opened this week. Fear not, this is not a retrospective celebrating clichĂŠd visions of Eighties shoulder pads - instead it focuses on the language of fashion and those women who are fluent in it: Michelle Obama, Vivienne Westwood, Anne Hidalgo (the mayor of Paris) are all subjects too. Trying to make an impression via your wardrobe?
Lean In With Colour
140
(Vogue, 2014)
Richard NicollWallflowers need not apply. The new power-dressing is about matching your corporate wardrobe to an optimistic, fearless state of mind. Head-to-toe colour is an easy way to make an impression.
VOGUE Fashion Trends
On The Move Victoria BeckhamShelve the trainers and step into a sharp, strident flat. Bottega Venetta, Prada and Victoria Beckham shoe the feet of powerbrokers from fashion to finance.
The Power Blow Never underestimate the power of confidence when it comes to your workwear arsenal and if anything brings a boost, it’s a great blow-dry. We’re not talking Dallas levels of volume - but do go for a polished, groomed finish.
The New White Shirt Crisp, clean and perfectly pressed, the classic white shirt is a true power piece. Layer with a knit for colder months or overly air-conned offices.
(Vogue, 2014)
141
VOGUE Fashion Trends How To Wear White Trainers AT the time most of us were busy aping Philo’s clothing style - her wide-leg trousers, long shirts and boyish blazers - yet continuing to wrestle our feet into high heels. But those in the know (let’s call them the brave, high-heel refuseniks) rocked Philo-style top to toe and nicked her shoe swish, too. Fashion editors and tastemakers alike were kicking it in box-fresh trainers, and now sneakers have become so entrenched in our shoedrobes that a jazzy fashionista can be identified at 20 paces just by her personality trainers - fluoro Nike Flyknits, Chanel tweed trainers or Dior’s haute-couture sneakers are the ultimate signifiers.
142
(Vogue, 2014)
VOGUE Fashion Trends Equal Opportunity Borrowing from the boys has long been in vogue, but now the gender-neutral wardrobe is proving to have unisex appeal. Ladies, your wardrobes are about to be liberated. This season, clothing takes a boundary-breaking unisex turn, as Miuccia Prada - fittingly dressed in a baggy, men’s-style sweater - declared backstage: “I think to people, not to gender.” While the tradition for fashion brands is to show menswear and womenswear on gender- specific catwalks, with this Prada show she fused the two on one runway. “I think the combination is more real,” she continued. “It’s more ‘today’, otherwise it looks like we are in classes, in the time of my grandfather, when women were divided from men.”
"Clothes are becoming trans-seasonal and lines are rapidly starting to blur. For instance, we sold a lot of Givenchy girls' sweaters to boys because they liked the graphics."
(Vogue, 2014)
143
WhoWhatWear Trends: Conversation Bags
144
(WhoWhatWear, 2014)
WhoWhatWear Trends: Stylish Sneakers
COMFORT, EASE, Convenience
(WhoWhatWear, 2014)
145
3.1 Phillip Lim - Pre AW15/16
146
(Vogue, 2014)
POWER, Wealth, SUCCESS
Alexander Wang Pre AW15/16
CORRUPTION, WAR, ISIS, CONFLICT
(Vogue, 2014)
147
6397 Pre AW15/16
148
(Vogue, 2014)
COMFORT, EASE, Convenience
Josh Goot Pre AW15/16
HEALTH, WELL-BEING, ENVIRONMENT, NATURE
(Vogue, 2014)
149
21/12/2014
Women Fashion Power
Women Fashion Power
by Laura Yiannakou / 12.17.14
Think Tank > Culture > Art
Think Tank > Culture > Art
150http://www.wgsn.com/content/board_viewer/#/55815/page/8
1/4
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Women Fashion Power
Think Tank > Culture > Art
Think Tank > Culture > Art
Having the first trend be inspired by power, success, wealth and authority, this report is found to be very inspiring and helpful towards the trend. http://www.wgsn.com/content/board_viewer/#/55815/page/8
2/4 151
21/12/2014
Women Fashion Power
Think Tank > Culture > Art
Think Tank > Culture > Art
152http://www.wgsn.com/content/board_viewer/#/55815/page/8
3/4
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Women Fashion Power
Think Tank > Culture > Art
Think Tank > Culture > Art
http://www.wgsn.com/content/board_viewer/#/55815/page/8
4/4 153
WGSN Fashion Trends Tailored jackets and trench coats are renewed with tonal or contrasting pops of colour. Refresh lapels, cuffs and belts with sandy neutrals or washed-out blue hues.
3.1 Phillip Lim
Jason Wu
Adam Lippes
10 Crosby by Derek Lam
Catwalk Analysis > Pre-Fall 15 > Apparel > Trend Alerts
With its premium, purist look, Yves Klein Blue remains important for outerwear and dresses. Saturated azure tones create bold, contemporary statements in this season’s PreFall collections.
19-4050 TCX
McQ
19-3864 TCX
Jason Wu
Colour > Market Reporting > Catwalk Analysis
154
19-3864 TCX
10 Crosby by Derek Lam
19-3864 TCX
Proenza Schouler
19-3952 TCX
Sonia by Sonia Rykiel
WGSN Fashion Trends The turtleneck emerges as a winter-appropriate key base layer for Pre-Fall 15. Tightly fitted on the body and neck in fine-gauge, fully fashioned knit, the turtleneck becomes a fashion staple, while sequins add a more glamorous feel.
Proenza Schouler
Alexander Wang
Christian Dior
Mulberry
Jason Wu
Catwalk Analysis > Pre-Fall 15 > Apparel > Trend Alerts
WGSN Zoomed In Image
http://www.wgsn.com.ucreative.idm.oclc.org/m‌lders/zoom_image.php?item_id=image.16204170
17/12/2014 16:56
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convenience kənˈviːnɪəns/ noun noun: convenience 1 & 2. the state of being able to proceed with something without difficulty. “services should be run to suit the convenience of customers, not of staff” synonyms: benefit, use, good, comfort, ease, enjoyment, satisfaction “a shower and toilet were installed for the convenience of swimmers” 3. the quality of being useful, easy, or suitable for someone. “the success of the food halls in large stores is due to their convenience” synonyms: expedience, expediency, advantageousness, advantage; More antonyms: inconvenience, disadvantage, inaccessibility 4. a thing that contributes to an easy and effortless way of life. plural noun: conveniences “voicemail was seen as one of the desktop conveniences of the electronic office” synonyms: appliance, amenity, facility, device, labour-saving device, gadget, machine; More
156
Concept development
157
The state of being able to proceed with something without difďŹ culty.
158
The quality of being u or suitable for someon
Convenience 1:
Convenience
Power Authority Luxury (Opulence)
Comfort Accommodat Time saver Ease Effortless
useful, easy, ne.
e 2:
ting r
A thing that contributes to an easy and effortless way of life.
Convenience 3: Fitness Life Health Nature (Salubrity) Vigour
AW/16.17
159
po
160
authority
ower
161
WGSN Zoomed In Image
162
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WGSN Zoomed In Image
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A new direction for the monochrome trend emerges with black-on-black techniques giving the look a modern luxurious feel, as seen at Alexander Wang for H&M. This noir approach is also being adopted in illustration, giving a refined slickness to designs, and can be explored as an unexpected contrast for high-summer photographic prints.
163
neutral
164
Effortless
Comfort
soft 165
166
167
Theme 3
health
168
life
VIGOUR
nature
169
170
171
172
Materials research
173
Fabric Research (Secondary) This season, Lineapelle moved from Bologna to a new home in Rho Fiera, Milan. The tanneries and brands on offer were much the same, but a reduction in the number of components brands showing was evident. For A/W 15/16, an overall softening of leather stories was apparent, with pearlescent and soft metallics driving the market alongside suede. Further developments in the technologies associated with leather continue to influence new
Pellegrini SRL
finishes, coatings and treatments.
Other noticeable developments include a wider range of hybrid leathers, with the traditional natural material combined with nylon, foam and plastic. This is due perhaps to the increasing price of leather.
Fedi Silvano Leather
Sports influences are still very relevant, with many padded and neoprene constructions combining leather in new and interesting ways. There was less presence in the non-woven area this season, with a real emphasis placed on sophisticated skins and basic leathers winning through simplicity.
Conceria Vignola
Tenerias Omega
Materials & Textiles > Materials > Trade Shows > Trade Shows
Double-faced and hybrid materials are central this season. Laminated, quilted and doublesided materials improve functionality and add a technical twist to traditional leathers Technological developments such as thermocoatings further push leather into new realms of functionality Metallics are softened to include new stories such as pearlescent and soft glittery surfaces Suede returns as a new staple material in luxury finishes and deep, rich colours Conceria Vignola
Conceria Vignola
Samur SRL
ROC Pellami
Materials & Textiles > Materials > Trade Shows > Trade Shows
I understand that this is an Autumn/Winter 15/16 fabric trend, however it is a great indication on what sort of materials will be on trend in the next coming years. (Lineapelle- A/W 15/16 Trend Analysis) 174
Antica Manifattura Pelli
Bizzaro Leather
Fedi Silvano Leather
Conceria Vignola
Bizzaro Leather
La Garzarara
Painterly effects and abstract markings are popular graphic and surface treatments this season. In these styles, the surfaces are flat but give the illusion of texture. A palette of greys and earthy tones gives this treatment a geological feel. Popular in soft-feel nappas as well as more structured skins, surfaces are matte and dry.
Materials & Textiles > Materials > Trade Shows > Trade Shows
Antica Manifattura Pelli
Samur SRL
Conceria Vignola
Antica Manifattura Pelli
Antica Manifattura Pelli
Samur SRL
Neoprene featured strongly at the show this season. This traditionally active material added a sports luxe feel when combined with leather. In addition to leather combinations, we also see sports luxe looks coming through in trompe l’oeil mesh, laser-cut mesh and motocross-inspired padded materials.
Materials & Textiles > Materials > Trade Shows > Trade Shows
(Lineapelle- A/W 15/16 Trend Analysis) 175
Fabric Research (Secondary)
La Garzarara
Antica Manifattura Pelli
Samur SRL
Samur SRL
Samur SRL
Samur SRL
A bold approach to exotic skins comes through this season in colour, print and pattern. From unnaturally tinted skins, bold zebra and metallic overlays to the graphic creation of imaginary skins, there is development of a more fantastical and fun take on exotics. A move-on from WGSN’s S/S 15 Biodynamic trend.
Materials & Textiles > Materials > Trade Shows > Trade Shows
Antica Manifattura Pelli
Tenerias Omega
MOS Italia
Bizzaro Leather
MOS Italia
Pellegrini SRL
Oversized and exaggerated crocodile skins are of note as an important exotic skin trend this season. In a creative play on the traditional, graphic re-creations, embossed and smooth combinations, rubbed-back surfaces, as well as the more traditional 1970s-inspired brown polished versions emerge. The combination of embossings with metallic surface finishes also marks a move towards less traditional exotic skins.
Materials & Textiles > Materials > Trade Shows > Trade Shows
(Lineapelle- A/W 15/16 Trend Analysis) 176
Samur SRL
Samur SRL
Samur SRL
Pellegrini SRL
Samur SRL
Samur SRL
The new interpretation of the highly textured rough-finish leather includes crumpled and crinkled effects. Particularly important for metallics, ‘crushed foil’ effects become a leather direction to watch out for. Traditional cracked surfaces remain, but are updated with metallic coatings and rubbed-back and scratched finishes.
Materials & Textiles > Materials > Trade Shows > Trade Shows
Pellegrini SRL
Fedi Silvano Leather
Pellegrini SRL
Tenerias Omega
Pellegrini SRL
Bopell
Deep red and orange-red tones indicate a return to classic reds. Blood red and chili shades ranging from paprika to deep oranges were seen throughout the show. From highly glossy patent leathers with embossed and laser-cut surfaces to warm furs, this colour will be essential for A/W 15/16 across a range of finishes.
Materials & Textiles > Materials > Trade Shows > Trade Shows
(Lineapelle- A/W 15/16 Trend Analysis) 177
Fabric Research (Primary)
I took a work placement in a Buying and Merchnadising department for a large department store, and they were kind enough to give me fabic samples that they did not need anymore. These samples are for the Autumn/Winter season, which makes it more relevant for this particular project. This particular swatch may be too small for the trend book, so it will not be included however this material may work well with Trend 1 & 4. 178
I labelled each fabric swatch with Trend numbers that I think would work very well with each of the concept. 179
Fabric Research (Primary)
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Fabric Research (Primary)
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Fabric Research (Primary)
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Fabric Research (Primary)
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Media Experimentation
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DIGITAL PRINTING Printing digitally means faster turn around, accurate colours and greater flexibility with personalised content. Using the latest direct print digital technology, we can produce your short-run, full colour business cards, leaflets, brochures, catalogues, datasheets, wedding stationery, calendars and more, for much less when compared with traditional printing methods. As well as basic finishing services such as folding, creasing, drilling and stiching, we also offer a wide range of specialist printing services to add even more imapct to your printed material. These include: Thermographic / Raised Foil Blocking Embossing / Die Stamping Die-Cutting Engraving Silk Screen Printing Contact Us
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KWT Printing Services Limited Address: 80 Long Acre, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 9NG
Telephone: 020 7240 2062
Business Registration: 01200943
VAT Registration: 241 2057 08
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KWT Printing specialises in high quality litho, digital, large format, promotional and specialist printing services in Covent Garden, Central London.
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Student printing
Students frequently require printing services, be it for coursework, university projects or promoting social events. The printing needs to be to a high quality but it also needs to be reasonably priced. That’s why students from London’s top universities and colleges keep coming back to us again and again. Having served London’s students for over a decade, we’re very well aware of their needs and are able to offer a cheap printing service, even for large formats. Whether it’s for a last-minute presentation or dissertation with a looming deadline, our 24 hour London printing service can be a life and grade-saver.
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Basingstoke Printers ... fast turnaround printing & copying! As Basingstoke's leading local & independent printers and printing company, Colour Inc, offer a fast printing and copying service - including large format printing and scanning. Whatever your printing or copying requirements we are there to help - with friendly, reliable service and competitive prices. According to our customers, Colour Inc are a
Christmas Hours! At Colour Inc we are open until lunch time on Christmas Eve and then returning back for business on Monday 5th January 2015.
popular printers and printing company! See What The Customers Say Colour Inc are easy to find too! Based on Winchester Road, between B & Q and McDonalds, in Basingstoke Business Centre. There is easy access and ample free parking. Call in at any time or telephone us on 01256 843151. Basingstoke's "One Stop Shop" printer for all your print, copy and finishing jobs!
The Perfect Family Christmas Present... Professional Canvas Prints, a personalised work of ark ready to hang, from your [family] photo!
fast print & copy services For business and personal printing requirements, no matter how large or small, including:Large format printing, posters, plans, plots & scans Digital and litho printing Colour and black & white printing
Business Opening Hours Monday – Thursday 9:00am to 5:30pm Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm
Photocopying Finishing and binding Graphic design and artwork Colour Inc provide a fast, friendly & flexible print service - with free local delivery (subject to minimum order). Christmas Printing | Personalise your Christmas Cards Print your 2015 Calendars Perfect Christmas Present... Print Photos on Ready to Hang Canvas
Colour Inc Ltd Unit 9 Basingstoke Business Centre Winchester Road Basingstoke RG22 4AU
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