fashion

3 Trends Are Converging To Drive New Demand For Fashion Retail - Forbes
April offers 3 fashion events for Arkansans - Arkansas Online
Society Notebook: Fashion from away on the runway - Press Herald
Rachael Ray Launches Fashion E-Commerce Site Featuring Female-Founded Brands - HarpersBAZAAR.com

3 Trends Are Converging To Drive New Demand For Fashion Retail - Forbes

Posted: 23 Mar 2019 08:08 AM PDT

Spring fashion

Photo by Thanh Tam on Unsplash

The movie The Perfect Storm illustrated the devastating effects when three weather systems converge to become a monster mega-storm. Right now three trends are converging that could have quite the opposite effect on fashion retail–a perfect optimum that will drive new demand for fashion.

The trends–tax refunds that put more money in consumers' pockets, Marie Kondo's call for people to clean out their closet clutter, thus making room to buy new things that bring joy, and an early spring and late Easter–will give a much needed boost to fashion retail. And heaven knows, fashion retail needs it.

In a retail market that grew 5.3% last year, excluding motor vehicle and parts dealers, clothing retailers underperformed, advancing only 4.3%, and department stores, heavily dependent upon apparel sales, did even worse, down -.9%.

Tax refunds are bigger this year than last

Tax refunds are an annual rite of passage. The National Retail Federation reports that nearly two-thirds of Americans (65%) expect a tax refund in 2019 and some 39% of those with incomes over $50,000 expect a bigger refund this year than last.

The Treasury Department confirms that through the first four weeks of the filing season the average tax refund was $3,143, up 1.3% over last year. However, the tax refund windfall is likely to come later this year as only 49.9 million returns have been received so far, as compared with 51.7 million in 2018, a 3.5% decrease.

While the NRF survey found saving that refund and paying down debt are what the greatest share of those getting refunds plan, what people say they will do is not always what they actually do. Those good intentions may go by the wayside given the other two trends.

Marie Kondo's KonMari philosophy is a cultural phenomenon

Since the 2014 publication of her book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, Marie Kondo is bringing order to chaos in American homes. To help people get rid of materialistic baggage that is dragging them down, she introduced a principle called KonMari, guiding people to keep things that "spark joy."

Now with 2.8 million Instagram followers and a new eight-episode series called Tidying Up with Marie Kondo on Netflix, her approach to wardrobe decluttering and reorganization is attracting new adherents daily and giving a boon to resale shop's inventory.

Kondo has tapped a pressing need. An international survey conducted last year by relocation company Movinga found that 82% of the items in American's wardrobes go unworn. Only Belgium's closets have more clutter.

I know looking at my two big closets, if I rid myself of clothes I don't wear, don't fit or don't really like, my hoard would easily be reduced by two-thirds. Clearing out my closets would give me an immediate feeling of joy, no doubt. But not long afterwards, my mood would change, as my empty closets cry out for filling with new, more stylish items. After a couple of shopping trips, my joy would be restored.

That I think will be the ultimate Kondo effect–a demand to replace some, if not all, discarded clothing.

We are Americans with a lifetime of acquisitive habits that are hard to break. We find joy in consuming and American's newly decluttered, reorganized closets will require we fill those empty spaces with a few carefully-selected items. Those new purchases will bring renewed joy as spring blossoms.

A warm spring and late Easter will bring more people out to shop

The Weather Company just released its spring forecast, and Paul Walsh, IBM's global director for consumer strategy, says it couldn't be better for fashion retail. After a particularly late winter, spring will come early this year with milder weather than last. It will supply a favorable tailwind to fashion retail.

While fashion retailers think in terms of seasons, consumers react to weather. "Now a days, we don't buy based on the calendar; we buy based on how we feel. For seasonal apparel, the switch is turned on when it feels like spring," Walsh told me. "Only then do we look into our closets and say it is time to update."

It's what Walsh calls the "cabin-fever effect." Last year it happened quite late as spring didn't really turn until late April and early May. Combined with an earlier than usual Easter last year, people didn't feel like it was time to refresh their wardrobes until much later in the year.

This year will be different, as a late Easter, April 21, will give a longer runway to sell spring and summer fashions. "When it starts to feel like spring, we will see an extra amount of demand," Walsh predicts, which should start to happen next week.

Given the differences in last year's and this year's spring, he sees retailers will benefit from good weather-driven comps. "Our predictions show that it will be a warmer than normal April," he says, noting that The Weather Company is a subsidiary of IBM.

This, however, could challenge retailers that may not be ready to meet increased demand for spring apparel. "Most retailers plan their upcoming seasons based upon the last season, so obviously they are planning for a relatively slower start this year," he shares.

It doesn't have to be so, since weather forecasting is getting better at predicting weather effects on retail. "All consumer businesses, including retailers, CPG and QSR companies, are increasingly looking at weather differently," he says.

"We now have the data, forecasts and ability to measure precisely what the weather will mean in terms of what consumers will be wanting and buying and change our businesses accordingly," he continues.

That gives fashion retailers the ability to pull weather data into their replenishment systems so that on Monday or Tuesday they can anticipate what inventory needs to be in the store to fulfill customers' needs on the weekend.

"That data can also go into their pricing systems, to adjust prices to move excess inventory quickly," he adds.

Retailers that leverage weather data have an unprecedented ability to meet consumer demand where and when it is needed. "Weather used to be an uncontrolled risk factor. Now retailers are beginning to leverage it to better serve their customers and so better serve their shareholders," Walsh continues.

Walmart and Subway are retailers that use weather insights to anticipate customer needs in advance of changing weather. He also shared how Walgreens and hair-care brand Pantene used weather strategically to bring people into the store.

Themed around the concept of the ubiquitous bad-hair day, Walgreens and Pantene used data analytics to study the different kinds of weather that cause them, such as dry days, humid days, windy days. Together they aligned the appropriate Pantene product for that kind of day in a "Haircast" mobile campaign, that was geo-targeted with a $2 coupon to redeem for products at Walgreens.

"It was super effective at driving traffic into Walgreens and sparked product demand," Walsh shares. "But it also had a halo effect when people came into the store and bought other things they saw."

Just think of the amount of flip flops, shorts and bathing suits a similar weather-targeted program could move?

In a final question, I asked Walsh about how weather may impact online shopping, since even in a Polar Vortex or a Bomb Cyclone–two foreboding-sounding weather systems the country faced this winter–people can shop online, as long as the electricity holds out.

"Weather's influence on shopping is increasing no matter if you are shopping in-store or online. But today people can plan their lives around the weather, especially now that we carry weather forecasts in our pockets thanks to mobile phones," he explains.

" The favorable weather we will see this spring will encourage people to get out and shop for seasonal fashion earlier . And once they are in the store, fashion retailers can benefit from the 'halo effect' to buy other things that catch their eye,'" Walsh concludes.

With a bigger tax refund in people's pockets, an early spring and a late Easter giving them plenty of time and opportunity to refresh newly-edited wardrobes, thanks to Marie Kondo's KonMari teaching, fashion retailers are set for a great spring season. Get selling.

April offers 3 fashion events for Arkansans - Arkansas Online

Posted: 24 Mar 2019 12:23 AM PDT

The 2019 edition of Designers Choice Fashion Preview -- "live music, fashion and fun for a cause!" and featuring actor Morris Chestnut as host -- will take place April 6 at the Metroplex, 10800 Colonel Glenn Road in Little Rock.

This 12th-anniversary evening will begin with a VIP reception at 6:30 p.m., which will include a meet-and-greet with hosts, heavy hors d'oeuvres and bar. VIP ticket holders will also enjoy special seating and swag bags. Doors open at 7 for general-admission guests to enter and stroll the red carpet.

The fashion show starts at 7:30 and displays the talents of Bruce Davis, Crystal Hamilton, Dalun Smith, Donna Brown, Markia Herron, Nichelle Terry, Oliver Michael Fitzpatrick and Tremaine Pollydore. Featured boutique will be Tonia Grant's Bag it Up Boutique. Guests will also be treated to the "DCFP All Stars": Korto Momolu, Ruby Moore, Shonda Ali Shamaa and Teiraney Ousley. The Rodney Block Collective will provide music. Also, according to the Facebook event page, this year's event is a "Blackout" party. Black and/or glowy neon color attire is encouraged.

Tickets are $40 general admission, $75 VIP. All proceeds go to the Timmons Arts Foundation, dedicated to restoring visual arts and music education opportunities to public-school students. Foundation activities for this year will include a Cultivating the Arts Youth Summer Camp fashion design class with Momolu. Visit DCFP12.Eventbrite.com.

PASSION FOR FASHION

The sixth Passion for Fashion Style Show, a fundraiser for the Horace Mann Transitional Class of 1972's Edwin L. Hawkins Scholarship, will take place from 5-7 p.m. April 14 at the Centre at University Park, 6410 W. 12th St. in Little Rock.

This event includes a reception followed by the show, which will be divided into different scenes. "Bollywood in the Rock" will highlight Indian attire provided by Arundhati Reddy, former owner of the boutique Glam East. "Of Just Do It: Kneel" will showcase Nike attire styled to recognize the marketing genius of the brand. "Off to the Races" will feature the latest hat craze and coordinating outfits for this year's horse races. "Leather Forever" will display leather fashions. "Midnight Love" is the show finale. Tickets are $20 general admission and may be obtained by calling Carolyn Brooks, (901) 289-3104, or Carl Vault, (501) 416-6523.

The Horace Mann Transitional Class of 1972 consists of students who attended the former Horace Mann Senior High School for their sophomore and junior years, then were reassigned to other schools as a part of Little Rock School District desegregation efforts.

NORTH BY NORTHWEST

Northwest Arkansas Fashion Week is coming of age. It's beginning to look as big and splashy as New York Fashion Week. More shows and events than ever are planned for the Spring 2019 incarnation, to be held April 3-6 in Bentonville.

Here's the schedule.

Wednesday, April 3:

• Pecha Kucha at Crystal Bridges, hosted by NWA Fashion Week and Arkansas Arts & Fashion Forum, 7--9 p.m., Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, 600 Museum Way, Bentonville. Speakers: Lance Cheramie, University of Arkansas; Shaul Cohen, Jordache, New York; Zach Freeze, Walmart; and Alyssa Bird, Regenerous Designs. (Pecha Kucha presentations are fast-paced presentations featuring 20 slides shown for 20 seconds each.) The event is free.

Thursday, April 4:

• NWAFW x Bridal, the fashion week's first bridal event, 6:30-9:30 p.m., 21c Museum Hotel, 200 N.E. A St., Bentonville. Tickets, $35-$60.

• NWAFW x Active, the week's inaugural athletic wear showing, 6:30-10 p.m., Record, 104 S.W. A St., Bentonville. Tickets: $45-$150.

• NWAFW x After Party, 21c Museum Hotel. DJs: Brock Entertainment and Ambrosia Johnson. Tickets: $25.

Friday, April 5:

• Meet & Greet with Northwest Arkansas designer Rosie Rose, 5-6 p.m. in the lobby of Arvest Bank, 201 N.E. A St., Bentonville. Rose's gowns will be on display in the bank lobby through May 10. Free.

• NWA Fashion Week x Ready to Wear, the fashion week's first show "dedicated to a shoppable runway" and featuring vendors and designers, 6:30-10:30 p.m., Record. Tickets: $50-$220. (An after-party is in development.)

Saturday, April 6:

• In Conversation: Gabrielle Korn, editor-in chief for online magazine Nylon, 2-4 p.m., Haxton Road Studios, 222 S.E. Second St., Bentonville. Attendees will participate in a group activity to envision a fashion magazine for NWA. The event is free; space is limited.

• NWA Fashion Week x Avant Garde, 6:30-10:30 p.m., Record. In the spotlight: Arkansas and Oklahoma designers whose creations "are on the cutting edge of creative apparel." Following: An after-party in partnership with restaurant The Holler. Tickets: $50-$220.

For more information, featured designers/stores and ticket information, visit nwafw.com.

REVIEWS

Recently submitted to us for your approval -- samples of fashion and beauty items found online:

• Products from Woosh Beauty (Wooshbeauty.com), a convenience-driven line of cosmetics with familiar products in never-seen-before incarnations along with never-seen-before beauty gadgets. Woosh's Fold Out Face Palette ($45-$99, without and with brushes) is a mega-compact that includes foundation, concealer, contour and blender powders, highlighter, blush, and eye shadow/liner. "I like the portability of the kit," says a co-worker who agreed to review the kit. "Everything you need, right there. Two shades of cover-up and base were provided to mix if I needed to make the right color. The blush and eye shadow colors were flattering." The base/foundation, in powder form, "was a bit drying," she noted, but didn't think this would present a problem in the summer. The reviewer also liked the lip gloss, which she found easy to apply and also found to be moisturizing without being sticky. Meanwhile, I tried the Flex & Curl Mascara ($20), with its two-in-one wand that offers straight and curled positions to add volume and length to upper lashes and provide easier access to lower ones. The mascara itself doesn't go on as thick as I prefer, but I won't say somebody won't find this mascara handy.

Other Woosh products, $8-$29: Even Eye Stencils for perfect eye shadow and eyeliner; the Mascara Shield to guard against mascara "accidents"; the Corner Brush Eye Stamper with V-shaped brush for flawless eyeliner and smoky eye shadow looks; Spin-On Lip Gloss, complete with paint roller-like applicator; and the Eyeliner Wheel.

• Enticing unmentionables from Viva Voluptuous (Vivavoluptuous.com), a plus-size lingerie line with glamorous, nicely constructed pieces at working-class prices. Among the offerings are the Red or Black Ecstasy Harness Plus Size Lightly Padded Bra and Ecstasy Strap Plus Size Panties. Thin, sturdy accent straps run over the bust and between the bra's main straps and rise above the panty. And it doesn't have to be Valentine's season for the Black/Red Romance Lace Plus Size Unpadded Bra and matching Romance Lace Plus Size Panties, black garments decorated with red and pink hearts. Both bras are $29; both panties $17. The website also includes a Gentleman's Guide to buying lingerie for that special Rubenesque woman.

• An Arkansas Derby-ready hat from the 98-year-old Tenth Street Hats (Tenthstreethats.com). The now-sold-out Lippizan style -- whose name brings to mind those magnificent show horses, the Lippizaner Stallions -- provided an example of the impeccable workmanship of these hats. The lightweight, double-layer, stunning straw piece is close to 2 feet in circumference and accented with a sinamay-fabric bow and matching feathers. Too bad it's out of stock ... but check out Tenth Street Hats' Kentucky Derby collection of women's and men's race-day-ready toppers. Among the standouts are the flirty, flower-accented Falabella ($100, three color choices), the regal Shire ($85, black or ivory with pearls and rhinestones and epic bow) and the men's Paddock ($140), a straw boater with nautical-stripe band.

Got fashion and beauty news? Email:

hwilliams@arkansasonline.com

Photo by Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/ HELAINE R. WILLIAMS
Youthful pizzazz: Marcus Lewis' M Lew Clothing takes the stage at the 2018 Designers Choice Fashion Preview. The fundraiser for the Timmons Arts Foundation takes its 12th turn April 6.

Photo by Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/HELAINE R. WILLIAMS
Gettin' some luv: Apparel from Luv Boutique is showcased at the 11th annual Designers Choice Fashion Preview, a fundraiser for the Timmons Arts Foundation. The 12th incarnation of the show takes place April 6.

Photo by Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/ HELAINE R. WILLIAMS
Tiers of joy: This ensemble ruled the catwalk at the fifth annual Passion for Fashion Style Show. April 14 is the date for this year's event, a scholarship benefit for the Horace Mann Transitional Class of 1972.

Photo by Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/ HELAINE R. WILLIAMS
Welcome to the Motherland: African wear takes command at the 2018 Passion for Fashion Style Show, a benefit for the Edwin L. Hawkins Scholarship given by the Horace Mann Transitional Class of 1972. The 2019 show is April 14 at the Centre at University Park.

Photo by Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/ HELAINE R. WILLIAMS
Color me good: Designs by Sofia Caballero Gutierrez dominate the catwalk at last year's De- signers Choice Fashion Preview.

High Profile on 03/24/2019

Society Notebook: Fashion from away on the runway - Press Herald

Posted: 24 Mar 2019 01:00 AM PDT

The 10th annual Women United Around the World Fashion Show and Gala at the Italian Heritage Center on March 9 celebrated the beauty of cultural diversity with dozens of Maine women modeling traditional fashion from the countries where they were born.

The star of the show was a woman more often behind the scenes, pinning bustles on bridal gowns: Adele Masengo Ngoy, a fashion designer who fled war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo nearly 20 years ago, supported her three children as a seamstress and, now owner of Antoine's Tailor Shop in Portland, designs custom-made formal wear. She has also trained 28 other immigrant women how to make a living as professional stitchers.

"I want to help others," said Ngoy, who started the annual Women United Around the World fashion show in 2009 to solicit donations for sewing machines and other materials for her students. "Women, if they are well-established or they are doing something they love or have a better job, it will affect the family, the kids."

"I'm pleased to come in second fiddle to Adele Ngoy, who knows how to convene a multicultural event," said emcee Danielle Conway, dean of the University of Maine School of Law. "She has dedicated all of her life and especially the past 10 years to promoting multiculturalism and women's rights."

Three other Maine women were honored for their work with diverse communities: Valerie DeVuyst, who recently retired after 18 years as ESOL (English to speakers of other languages) program coordinator at Portland Adult Education; Florence Olebe, an Egyptian refugee who works as a medical interpreter and has formed a coalition to raise awareness about domestic violence; and Sister Patricia Pora, who oversees the Hispanic ministry for the Diocese of Portland.

Entertainment by Rwandan dancers and drummers, dancers from the Chinese and American Friendship Association of Maine, and singing sensations Shy Paca and Natalia Mbadu of Reiche Elementary School warmed the crowd up for the unveiling of Ngoy's Red Carpet Collection and an international fashion show featuring representatives from dozens of nations.

"I don't know about you but I feel like I've traveled around the world and back tonight," said volunteer event coordinator Amber Hoxha of Maine Marketing & Events. "And Women United Around the World empowers women, and helps them get jobs as seamstresses at David's Bridal, Ramblers Way, Sea Bags, Local Roots and other local places."

Amy Paradysz is a freelance writer and photographer based in Scarborough. She can be reached at:

[email protected]

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