Best of 2022: The year in interviews
As the year comes to a close, FashionUnited has sifted through the mass of notable interviews that have taken place and has highlighted some of the most stand out conversations from its archive.
January
Women in leadership: Isabella West, founder and CEO Hirestreet
Rental has inched its way into the fashion industry slowly but surely, and in recent years has seen significant growth in demand as consumers lean towards more sustainable alternatives to shopping.
Founded in May 2018, Hirestreet was one of the first rental platforms in the UK, launched by Newcastle Upon Tyne’s Isabella West. The idea sprouted from personal savings and flourished in her parent’s basement, from which the now nationally-renowned company was formed.
Read the article here.
Ready for take off: Ambitions of Berlin streetwear trendsetter Highsnobiety
Highsnobiety is more than a print or online magazine. Innovative retail concepts, cross-sector collaborations and its own collections have attracted international attention for the Berlin streetwear expert. In addition to its headquarters in Berlin, the platform also has locations in New York, London, Amsterdam and four other cities.
Read the article here.
February
Brooklyn-based BIPOC brand discusses impact of Black History Month on business
In honor of Black History Month, Edify, an online direct-to-consumer marketplace for ethical and sustainable BIPOC(Black, Indigenous, and people of color)-owned businesses highlights brands to make it easier for shoppers to allocate their purchasing power accordingly. Edify’s purpose of hand-picking products and companies that appeal to a conscious consumer simultaneously aims to support, empower, and celebrate underserved communities, with their ultimate goal to end racism in the fashion industry.
Read the article here.
S.Oliver head of sales Daniel Schmidt: ‘Currently we are above the level of 2019’
S.Oliver finally wants to leave the pandemic behind and starts the year optimistically. FashionUnited visited the Rottendorf-based clothing supplier during the Düsseldorf Order Days. Sales director Daniel Schmidt explains why the company has changed the order rhythm, how the current order date has gone and to what extent prices have been adjusted.
Read the article here.
LFW AW22: Rixo presents its most size inclusive collection
British brand Rixo brought a party atmosphere to London Fashion Week to unveil its autumn/winter 2022 collection inspired by the 1930s with a champagne reception at the opulent Goldsmith’s Hall in London.
Entitled ‘The Golden Age,’ Rixo co-founders Orlagh McCloskey and Henrietta Rix celebrated the opulence and splendour depicted on the Hollywood movie screens during the 1930s with geometric patterns, sequins and velvets adorning the brands signature hand-painted prints.
Read the article here.
March
Anine Bing on celebrating 10 years of her eponymous brand
In 2012, Anine Bing launched her brand from her garage in Silver Lake, fast-forward 10 years, the womenswear brand is heading into its biggest year to date, with more store openings, new categories, collaborations, and an expansion into China.
Read the article here.
April
Founder of kidswear resale platform Dotte: ‘The idea came from genuine parental frustration’
Launched during the height of the pandemic, Dotte’s debut fell in line with the swift emergence of resale as an alternative form of shopping. However, unlike other platforms, co-founders and mothers Samantha Valentine and Louise Weiss, decided to opt entirely for the resale of kidswear, a largely untouched market in the secondhand sector.
Read the article here.
CEO Interview: Sneaker investment platform Rares introduces secondary market trading
“Investing in culture” - that’s the core concept of Rares, a sneaker investment platform set up by former NFL player, Gerome Sapp.The platform allows users to invest in sneakers as they would do in typical stocks and provides sneaker enthusiasts an alternative to simply reselling shoes. In a discussion with FashionUnited, Sapp said the concept gives “people access to cultural relics that have somehow transcended into investment assets”.
Read the article here.
May
Primark Germany head: ‘We are not immune to inflation’
Since its founding in 1969, Primark has stood for affordable clothing.
In this context, the Irish clothing retailer often faces criticism,
especially when it comes to the issue of sustainability. The company wants
to get rid of this rather bad reputation and introduced its sustainability
strategy
Read the article here.
Richard Quinn on designing the Creative Spot + British Fashion Council pop-up
London-born fashion designer Richard Quinn is one of the UK’s brightest
fashion talents and a lot has happened since he presented his MA collection
at Central Saint Martins in 2016. Quinn was the first recipient of the
Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design
Read the article here.
June
OTB founder and chair Renzo Rosso talks the metaverse and IPO plans
The 15th edition of Greentech Festival in Berlin launched Wednesday with a gala at the former Tegel Airport, an area that is now called Urban Tech Republic. During the Green Awards gala, Renzo Rosso, the founder and chairman of OTB, received the 'Special Prize Italy‘, with Italy being this years' guest country of the festival.
Read the article here.
TM Lewin MD on website relaunch and post-pandemic formalwear
British menswear retailer TM Lewin relaunched its websites last month, six weeks after being bought out of administration for the second time in two years. Like many formalwear companies, it was hit hard by the pandemic as it faced prolonged store closures and the cancellation of large social events such as weddings and the Royal Ascot.
Read the article here.
July
’Shopping is about fit, not size’: Bods founder Christine Marzano talks virtual avatars and sexy tech
As returns and fit become increasingly evident issues within fashion, brands are looking into innovative ways to avoid playing a part in these areas. Los Angeles-based start-up Bods is hoping to help drive this change in the industry through digital-first fit solutions.
Read the article here.
August
Business in uncertain times: How Zalando is dealing with Brexit, inflation and shifted consumer sentiment
Online retailer Zalando is one of the leading destinations for fashion and lifestyle in Europe. The Berlin-based company serves 25 European markets with an overall consumer base of around 49 million. With its Platform Strategy at its centre, namely the marketplace model and connected retail, Zalando aims to achieve international growth by increasingly expanding its partner programmes to half of its gross merchandise volume (GMV) by 2025.
Read the article here.
Soon-to-be-launched marketplace Draup hopes to maximise the value of digital fashion
There is no denying that digital fashion is continuing to strongly cement its place in the fashion industry. However, the virtual world is still under constant development, a process that has been left in the hands of the few who have put it upon themselves to build the space up in a responsible manner. “Because we are so early, every platform that has launched in this space is not just representing themselves but also the whole digital fashion industry,” said Daniella Loftus, founder of a soon-to-be-launched digital fashion e-commerce platform, Draup, in conversation with FashionUnited.
Read the article here.
September
Swagga hopes to define the future of phygital fashion metaverses with its new platform
The ‘phygital’ concept is a one being rapidly adopted by brands, retailers and designers alike, and sees the merging of physical and digital activations, such as in-person events shown in the digital world or vice versa. Its integration into various marketing strategies has been adopted by a number of big name brands, including Tommy Hilfiger, which exercised the concept in its recent New York Fashion Week event, where it held a real life show parallel to a metaverse-based event on Roblox.
Read the article here.
Photogenics launches new avatar division helping models monetise in the digital world
LA-based modelling agency Photogenics has announced the launch of a new Avatar division, allowing brands to further explore the digital world while enabling models to monetise their careers beyond the physical.
Engineered alongside designers Nina Hawkins, also known as Ninocence of Lilium Labs, and Horizon Lab’s Sage Morei, with the help of John Caldwell of Wave Financial & Unicorn DAO, who served as a mentor, the new division will offer up avant-garde, photorealistic avatars, created by scanning a model’s face using a camera and a proprietary stitching algorithm.
Read the article here.
October
How The Edit LDN plans to take over the world of sneakers, resale and NFTs
Sneaker and apparel collectible culture has naturally intertwined with the world of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and circular resale models, bringing together already sizable groups into one enlarged like-minded community. It is this vast community that online marketplace The Edit LDN is hoping to continue building on, as it looks to spread its reach internationally, online and in the metaverse.
Read the article here.
Rails CEO Jeff Abrams discusses how the Californian brand is diving into European retail
“Over the last 15 years, we have grown from a 5,000-dollar investment to over 750 million dollars in retail sales, to date,” said Jeff Abrams, creative director and founder of Californian lifestyle brand Rails, in a conversation with FashionUnited. Since the brand’s founding in 2008, the company has grown beyond its LA-roots in pursuit of international markets, with the past two years’ focus on expanding physical retail.
Read the article here.
November
Plein Sport aggressively targeting 295 stores by 2024
Philipp Plein, known for his signature maximalism and more-is-more aesthetic, is taking on the active sportswear market with Plein Sport, complete with innovative products, a disruptive retail experience with a self-service vending machine concept, and licensing details. Just don't call it a diffusion line!
Read the article here.
The positive impact of virtual fashion according to the world’s first metaverse stylist
When gaming platform Roblox released its Metaverse Fashion Trends 2022
Read the article here.
Alibaba’s Mei Chen on how Tmall is helping luxury brands digitally transform for the Chinese consumer
Five years on from its launch, Alibaba’s Tmall Luxury Pavillion has positioned itself as a “one-stop shop” for China’s consumer, and as the segment continues to grow in the region, its impact on the global luxury industry is starting to spill out into wider markets. The high-end e-commerce platform initially launched in 2017, just as Chinese consumers were beginning to favour online stores over physical retail when purchasing luxury or high-end products.
Read the article here.
December
Axel Arigato founder: ‘If you don’t take risks, you’re dead’
Swedish sneaker label Axel Arigato is expanding in Germany and internationally. With the help of social media, the brand first took off digitally in the direct-to-consumer business before growing via wholesale and through its own stores in recent years.
At the opening of its newest store in Berlin Mitte, the two founders, creative director Max Svärdh and managing director Albin Johansson, explained why they value their physical presence despite starting out as a digital-native brand.
Read the article here.
Vestiaire Collective co-founder Sophie Hershan: Gen Z enters luxury consumerism with secondhand
The second hand market is booming and, especially with the current price increases, offers a cheaper and more cycle-oriented alternative for consumers. But it can also offer more than that, says Sophie Hersan, the co-founder of resale platform Vestiaire Collective. In the age of the internet, filled with fashion drops and the hype of exclusivity, second hand fashion is no longer reserved only for thrifty shoppers who rummage through bargain tables at the flea market - it also offers real treasures and investments.
Read the article here.
Victoria’s Secret alum built multi-million dollar lingerie business by putting people before panties
Almost an overnight success story, Michelle Cordeiro Grant founded her direct-to-consumer intimates brand Lively in 2015. A veteran of Victoria’s Secret, which built its global megabrand on the pillars of exclusion, unattainable beauty standards and a male gaze fantasy, she set about doing things differently. Her product celebrated comfort, community and inclusivity.
Read the article here.
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