Faran Krentcil

For those of us working in Sustainability in fashion it can feel lonely. When I worked at Theory 19 years ago, one of my responsibilities was to develop all the trims. I insisted that all metal trims be "nickel free" Nickel is a hard silvery-white metal that may cause irritation to the skin. Exposure can harm the lungs, stomach, and kidneys. Exposure to nickel may lead to cancer. Workers may be harmed from exposure to nickel.This was not popular because nickel finishes are super shiny and appeals to design sensibilities and cheaper. Luckily I had the authority to insist that we only use nickel free products. Eight years ago when I was heading up production at 3.1 Phillip Lim we were faced with the dilemma of a coating on a fabric that would make it waterproof but contained PFAS, versus a coating that would only be water repellent that did not contain PFAS. Again I insisted we should proceed to not use the waterproof coating despite sales would like it to be waterproof. PFAS is a forever chemical that has health effects on immunological, developmental or reproductive, hepatic, hormonal and carcinogenic – basically everything from asthma to testicular cancer. There is now the beginnings of a ban on them. Often there may not be regulations or awareness of the harm many of the materials or substances used in the production of clothing. Sustainability at a fashion company is not a department that drives revenue, your actions are often not popular like turning over rocks in the supply chain. But your work is important and vital. As I reflect on actions I made in the past this week, I am grateful that I insisted and that they had impact for both people and the environment.

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🚨 Big Shakeup in Luxury Fashion: Burberry Replaces CEO Amid Industry Downturn 🚨 I always check major shifts in other industries. Here's what's happening in luxury fashion, courtesy of the NYTimes: • Burberry, Britain's largest luxury brand, is facing significant challenges: Revenue down 20% in latest quarter Dividend suspended CEO Jonathan Akeroyd replaced after 2.5 years • Joshua Schulman, former CEO of Michael Kors and Coach, steps in as new chief executive • The luxury market downturn is "proving more challenging than expected," said Burberry's chairman • Burberry's shares dropped 16% following the news This shake-up reflects broader turbulence in the luxury sector. There have also been leadership changes at Valentino, Balmain, Gucci, and others. What can tech learn from luxury's struggles? How might digital innovation help heritage brands navigate changing consumer behaviours? Thoughts? #LuxuryFashion #BusinessStrategy #LeadershipChange #TechInnovation https://lnkd.in/e5yCNuN3

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Dear mass fashion: the big picture is that the US consumer continues to set spending records Up nearly 6% yoy in March to $19 TRILLION What exactly is this macro environment fashion exec bros keep blaming for their utter failure to keep up w/girls on TikTok? NYX does not suffer this issue have ya’ll not heard?? #duckplump IT’S FOR LIPS ONLY #iykyk That’s how you get the #1 video on TikTok TODAY It's no accident sales followed B/c the TikTok consumer is spontaneous She’s a power user And actively engages in her own trend research She can’t wait to share her #dupe She craves new experiences, variety, freedom, & trends Your job this era is to get her attention + motivate her to act Product & content development must intersect w/creator passion & audience interests - this is how you win the era of social commerce A market worth $11.1T by 2030 run by digital natives unlocking products communities can’t wait to promote is simple Well if you have the right tools ;) Stop paying millions for one-off one size fits none mass campaigns For trend forcing reports And inventory no one asked for Toss kpis based on reach & frequency Get down to the neighborhoods b/c I can all but guarantee the super user in her bedroom understands more about community than any exec bro Hence historic stockouts, unsold inventory, profit loss totaling $1.77T ly WE'RE GOING THE WRONG WAY TikTok was a cultural disruption that unsettled the capital TikTok Shop gives ALL people in the districts financial freedom This is why the ban Most social listening or ai platforms I’ve demo’d are arduous b/c you have to know that something’s already happened or go down hours long rabbit holes to find out where the conversation originated, who has the most influence, & why it resonates NONE of them dig into communities This is THE opportunity B/c this is where social commerce originates & gets amplified trends are irrelevant if you don't know who to connect them to I want to know what the problems are, what people are talking about to help them NOW I want to know the people getting others to participate in the dms, in the comments Social listening is a result of a conversation that’s already happened– I want to know happening NOW to join w/content + products while it still matters and to serve Given these insights, brands could become the conduits for the remix... Just ingest what's working now & produce something similar, fast At scale Not 6 months later The market is real time - creators will start to use every ai tool up & down the video value chain And your job is to keep pace if you wish to sell stuff The inability & unwillingness to serve is a massive 150-door closing problem Macy's can't enter a bold new chapter until they identify their power users w/ precision & understand that speed + relevance trumps everything in social commerce #thegreatfashionreset #creatoreconomy #communitycommerce #contentistheproduct #tiktokisthestore

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Beauty collaborations are having a big moment. As diverse players — from E.l.f. Beauty to Augustinus Bader — increasingly invest in the space, co-branded beauty drops are driving record value for brands looking to capitalize on culture and generate buzz. There are the seemingly left-field collaborations, such as E.l.f.’s recent Goth-punk makeup collection with the fast-growing canned water company Liquid Death, to the slew of “Bridgerton” tie-ins preluding the premiere of the show’s third season in May by brands including Lush, Pat McGrath Labs and Beekman 1802. “Brands often see these collaborations as an opportunity to tap into established fan bases,” said CreatorIQ’s director of research and insights, Alex Rawitz, adding that because such limited-edition collections often entail eye-catching packaging and multiple products, “they’re a chance to put a stake in the ground across different product categories…and [they’re] one of the more effective things a brand can do in order to make a splash across social media.” More on WWD, including the top 10 beauty collabs by EMV this year. https://lnkd.in/enqXyRq4

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🗣 The industry has been buzzing since EXPRESS filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and announced the closure of at least 100 store locations. In addition to the retailer’s namesake chain, the bankruptcy applies to other brands in its portfolio: Bonobos and UpWest Express. 📉 Managing director and retail analyst at GlobalData Plc Neil Saunders told Inside Retail US Retail that Express has struggled to gain traction with consumers and “it has been obvious for quite some time that bankruptcy was the inevitable destination for Express”. 🔎 Find out more information on Express' current situation via the link below! #insideretail #retail #retailnews #express #bankruptcy #brickandmortar #ecommerce #webcontent #linkedin #editorial

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COLLAGERIE's chief creative officer, lucinda chambers, shares her plans for US expansion and reveals the common denominator shielding fashion players from economic headwinds. Subscribe to read the interview below. #MyFashionLife #fashionnews #international #expansion #fashion #retailnews

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The industry is at a clear inflection point, but companies still have an opportunity to fully integrate DEI into their operating models. It’s still good business to do so, and it’s still the right thing to do. Well done Sheena Butler-Young. Keep on holding up that mirror to our industry. #corporateaccountability #dotherightthing

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Everyone in the fashion world is speculating about what happens if the Tapestry-Capri falls apart. Many are focused on the Versace outcome—it’s so valuable, it’s luxury, they should sell it! But Versace is still small, with just over a billion dollars in sales in 2023. In reality, the F.T.C. doesn’t care about Versace, or the shoe businesses—Tapestry’s Stuart Weitzman, Capri’s Jimmy Choo—which are also relatively tiny. Instead, the agency is fixated on the consolidated power of Coach and Michael Kors, two leaders in the mid-priced North America handbag market and, most importantly, its off-price handbag market. (I’ve heard some estimates suggesting the two brands comprise upward of 70 percent of the latter.) That market position could allow Tapestry to raise prices by, say, $5 per bag, which could potentially increase their profits by hundreds of millions of dollars and arguably screw real Americans. A $5 bump may not sound like much, but it’s something. Read about this and more in the latest Line Sheet Puck: https://lnkd.in/gJ-krXRp

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Hoop hurray! Shall we thank them now, or if this ever gets passed and wriitten rightly into law? Enviornmentally speaking, time is ticking. Urgently, and with every passing hour, more obscenely. It is unbelievable to me that we are knocking the 1.5 degree, and STILL have fashion operating freely? Serious obsenity. Legislation is obscenely negligent in protecting as this entitlement of system is not very speedy. In exception of course to the recent EU passing against greenwashing. This law managed to crawl up the mighty hill of unliklliness and passed unusually quickly. Not so for the whole of the fashion industry, All are accountable today for sustainable shifting. With the scientific news of Earths tipping points tipping… every choice after matters intentiy. We know who, and what is accountably harming. We know. Globally we see. Legislation is past due on acting and protecting. Decades have been lost to government foot dragging. To “the business” of running the industry of economy by “collectively” ignoring the science to keep this “growth” business model flowing. Regardless of the harm we are causing. Now the corals are bleaching. The world is watching. Act urgently and accountably. #Planetfirst is everything. 🌍👁

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Anthropologie recently introduced an adaptive fashion collection! As a disabled woman, I’m thrilled to see more companies embracing inclusivity in fashion. This new collection features eight of Anthropologie's best sellers, reimagined in adaptive styles. To develop this collection, Anthropologie collaborated with Lucy Jones, founder and CEO of FFORA, a lifestyle brand dedicated to disabled people. Jones also connected Anthropologie with disabled brand ambassadors, ensuring authentic representation. To promote this collection, Anthropologie cast disabled creators Allison Lang, Maya Moore, April Lockhart, and Bri Scalesse as models and ambassadors. I love that disabled models were used here! Additionally, each clothing item was tested at least seven times on different disabled bodies to ensure functionality and comfort. Testing is important because there’s so much diversity within disability. Adaptive fashion is crucial because it ensures everyone can express themselves through clothing. It promotes independence, boosts self-esteem, and enhances the quality of life for disabled people. I can’t wait to see more companies follow suit. What do you think of this news? #AdaptiveFashion #Inclusivity #DisabilityAwareness https://lnkd.in/e3xYRCvZ

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In this Expert Analysis #3E's Cassidy Spencer stitches together the details of the Fashion Environmental Accountability Act, a.k.a. the New York Fashion Act. What does the Met Gala have to do with supply chain best practices for sustainability? Read our blog to find out: #supplychain #nycfashion #NewYorkFashionAct

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Barneys Plots a Bigger Comeback Thanks to Neiman-Saks Deal. Talks include Barneys-branded home goods, outerwear lines. Contingent on negotiations, close of Saks-Neiman deal https://lnkd.in/euFeFyzJ #tradeguard #receivableputoptions #arputs #receivableputs #tradereceivables #accountsreceivables

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TEMPLA LAUNCHES UNWORLD WINTER BOOTS WITH ANOTHER-1 SOLUTIONS METAVERSE FASHION MAGAZINE For the release of their first footwear project, TEMPLA has teamed up with web3 phygital expert Another-1 to create a winter boot designed for both the real and digital worlds. Developed with deep winter and mixed terrain in mind, the Unworld Winter Boots is a combination of components designed for inclement conditions. From the ground up, the deep lugged Vibram® sole maximises grip for extreme applications, while the high rubber midsole extends the waterproofing up the side walls to keep you warm and dry through slush, sleet and snow. The thermally insulated upper is wrapped in a hard-wearing ripstop shell and is complimented by a ribbed cuff to trap heat and a luxurious high-pile fleece lining to create a cosy interior. The Unworld Winter Boots is created with Templa’s signature handwriting, merging the swagger of streetwear codes through exaggerated proportions with refined details and a boosted silhouette to create a commanding presence. In partnership with Another-1, the physical boot will serve as a gateway to a unique digital experience that extends beyond the tangible world. By simply tapping your smartphone against the AN1 tag (Near Field Communication Chip) embedded into the boot, you will be guided on the Another-1 platform to enter a unique 6-digit code to pair it with an NFT, guaranteeing authenticity and access to exclusive digital content. The acquisition of the physical Boots also grants the owner access to a digital wearable compatible with Union Avatars and a limited edition Unworld NFT artwork series created in collaboration with visual artist Jordan Donaldson. The artwork series consists of eight unique atmospheric landscapes defined by a rarity level. Adopting a gamification process, an algorithm will randomly assign one of the artwork series to its owner during the redemption process. Given TEMPLA was founded in the mountains, the Snow World –Tier No.1 Common series represents our connection with the real-world. From here, the environments progressively gravitate away from the tangible towards the pure imagination; culminating in the Glitter World – Tier No.8 Mythic. https://lnkd.in/gESw6pdb #web3 #metaverse #fashion #investment

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Good article on Puma outlined by Ken Pucker on how they were able to decouple increased growth from lowering emissions. Impressive data that since 2017, Puma has doubled revenues to $9.3 billion, while cutting carbon emissions by 30%. On a per unit basis, that is a 66% reduction. At my last company, I created a model to show that the consolidation of markets, with a calendar adjustment could reduce emissions by 18% allowing a reduction in carbon emissions and creating a savings from air to sea freight alone. This is one of the highest impact adjustments companies can make to really lower emissions.

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Denim is one of the hottest fashion trends around, yet Levi Strauss & Co. sales missed estimates, says Andrea Felsted for Bloomberg Opinion Shares in Levi Strauss & Co. fell as much as 16% in premarket trading after second-quarter sales missed expectations. Although revenue in the three months to May 26 came in at $1.44 billion — only just below the $1.45 billion average of analysts’ estimates — the performance should have been better. Let’s not forget that shout-out from #Beyoncé in March, prompting the company to change its Instagram name to “Levii’s.” That’s the kind of publicity that other apparel companies can only dream of. Read why Wall Street mistook a fashion trend for a turnaround: https://lnkd.in/dyb6xqgP #fashion #retail

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