Craftsmanship news and archive

South African mohair: production, traceability and industry challenges

Graaff-Reinet (South Africa) - The Karoo, a vast South African semi-desert, is criss-crossed by dirt tracks. These paths lead to several centuries-old farms where angora goats graze, raised for their mohair. The country accounts for over half of the world's production of this natural fibre. Steel blades of pumping windmills are the only things...

Fashion

In Bangladesh, Tangail's sari weaving art hangs by a thread

Tangail (Bangladesh) - Despite its recent official recognition by Unesco, the centuries-old art of Tangail sari weaving is struggling in Bangladesh. It is threatened by the relentless evolution of fashion and economic competition. In his workshop in the town that gave its name to the craft, Ajit Kumar Roy holds little hope for the future of the...

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Business

Fashion shifts away from hype as consumers demand authenticity

Fashion’s long reliance on spectacle-driven marketing is beginning to feel outdated. Industry observers note a gradual but unmistakable shift in how luxury brands present themselves, driven by changing consumer expectations and a cooling global market. Leadership changes—such as Balmain’s recent decision to part ways with Olivier Rousteing after...

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Business|Interview

From California to Europe: How Calle Del Mar is scaling a handmade brand without sacrificing craft

In today’s fast-evolving luxury market, Calle Del Mar is betting that craftsmanship – not speed – will win over the next generation of European consumers. The Californian knitwear label is entering the market not simply to reach new retailers, but to tap into a region that still protects and invests in craft. For Calle Del Mar, Europe thus...

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Fashion |In Pictures

SPFW N60 celebrates 30 years by championing Brazilian identity

On October 20, the 30th anniversary edition of São Paulo Fashion Week (SPFW) concluded with the Lino Villaventura show at the Pavilhão das Culturas Brasileiras in Ibirapuera Park, São Paulo. The venue, nicknamed PACUBRA, shared the spotlight with the Iguatemi Shopping theatre and several historic locations. These included the Mário de Andrade...

Fashion

Albania's women silk makers weave big dreams for ancient trade

Albanian women have long been famed for their stylish and colourful traditional attire that some still wore until relatively recently. And few were more chic than the women of Zadrima who wore their own handmade silks and headdresses, their fine gauze blouses set off with belts and swathes of red silk. But that age-old know-how was almost lost...

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Fashion |Opinion

Kapital sale to LVMH raises stakes for artisanal fashion independence

LVMH-backed L Catterton's acquisition of Kapital, a Japanese clothing brand celebrated for its artisanal denim and Americana-inspired designs that was founded in the 1980s, has sparked concerns among enthusiasts and industry observers. The acquisition, finalised in the second half of 2024 according to High Snobiety, came just months after...

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Business

True blue tradition: how Japan's coveted jeans are made

Kojima-ajino, Japan - Call it an antidote to fast fashion: Japanese jeans hand-dyed with natural indigo and weaved on a clackety vintage loom, then sold at a premium to global denim connoisseurs. Unlike their mass-produced cousins, the tough garments crafted at the small Momotaro Jeans factory in southwest Japan are designed to be worn for...

Fashion

Floor-length and horns: Namibia's Herero dress endures

Windhoek, Dec 18, 2024 (AFP) - From his humble Windhoek workshop, Namibia's leading fashion designer is keeping alive the love for the Herero people's traditional dress with horned headgear, a full-length skirt and a link to German colonisers accused of genocide. McBright Kavari's sewing room is piled high with seemingly ordinary fabric that he...

Fashion |In Pictures

Burberry highlights British craftsmanship with Tricker’s collection

Heritage brand Burberry is spotlighting British craftsmanship in footwear with a collaboration with English shoemaker Tricker’s for autumn/winter 2023. The collaboration, which debut as part of Burberry’s autumn/winter 2023 collection, features a range of brogues, Chelsea boots and Derby shoes designed by Daniel Lee, chief creative officer of...

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Business

Bottega Veneta to launch new academy to preserve craftsmanship

Bottega Veneta on Monday announced the establishment of a new academy. Called the Accademia Labor et Ingenium, the school reinforces the luxury brand's commitment to traditional craftsmanship. Named after the brand's founding values, 'Labor et Ingenium, Craft and Creativity,' the academy will offer training, workshops, and lessons at its...

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Business

LVMH joins forces with French Government to promote craftsmanship

Luxury group giant LVMH has taken a leading role as the main partner in the inaugural edition of the Rencontres Économiques des Métiers d'art forum in Tonnerre, Burgundy. This event aims to unite key stakeholders from the economic, political, institutional, and social spheres to foster new collaborations among artisans, organizations, companies,...