Tag: brands

FASHION

Fashion Brands Must Act on Inventory Overhang or They’ll go Out of Style

Maria B. White

The last two years have been a rollercoaster for fashion brands. The supply chain disruptions of 2021 led to many merchants struggling to get their hands on enough inventory, and then overbuying to compensate. But now, with an economic downturn looming and the threat of reduced spending, companies that overstocked during the pandemic are stuck hoarding mountains of goods in their warehouses that they can’t shift.

In fact, according to a recent survey by Inventory Planner, 44% of fashion retailers have surplus goods they’re desperate to offload, accounting for almost 20% of their entire stock holding. The poll also found that globally, one in four fashion stores wrote off excess stock as a loss last year, at huge cost to the business.

The danger of sitting on inventory for too long is clear. Target saw its shares tumble after it slashed prices to clear out unsold inventory. And

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SHOPPING

Footwear Entrepreneurs Weigh In on Social Media and Sustainability at FN CEO Summit

Maria B. White

Starting a new company is never easy, especially launching a shoe brand in the midst of a global pandemic. But some emerging designers have found solid footing, and they shared their experiences on Aug. 3 at FN’s CEO Summit in New York, which was sponsored by FDRA, NuOrder by Lightspeed and Aetrex. In a panel talk about emerging talent, Tina Bhojwani, chief executive officer and cofounder of Aera; Marina Larroudé, chief creative officer and cofounder of Larroudé; Will Cooper, senior vice president and general merchandise manager of women’s shoes, handbags and accessories at Saks, and Amina Means, creative director and founder of Nalebe, sat down with FN style director Shannon Adducci to talk about the big factors impacting their businesses, from social media and sustainability to keeping the momentum going in fashion’s diversity push.

Below are highlights from their conversation.

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On the importance of social media in

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DESIGNER

Africa’s coolest fashion designers will soon have their clothes in a s

Maria B. White

When you visit a chic shopping area–say, the Meatpacking District in New York or the Champs Élysée in Paris–you’ll find the best-known luxury brands of our time, from Chanel to Tory Burch. The vast majority were founded by white designers, with a distinctly Western point of view.

Amira Rasool [Photo: The Folklore]

Amira Rasool thinks this is a problem; she’s on a mission to help African designers to take their place among their American and European counterparts. Four years ago, she launched The Folklore, a marketplace that curates top African designers, like Ahluwalia or Thebe Magugu. But on September 7th, the company is expanding beyond single item sales, and will soon be unveiling a new platform called The Folklore Connect that makes it easy for retailers to place bulk orders from these designers to get their clothes in front of new customers.

Rasool grew up loving fashion

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