just-style bloggers
Leonie Barrie
Bangladesh safety plans leap forward
20 May 2013 19:04
Some of the largest retailers and brands sourcing apparel from Bangladesh - including H&M, Primark, C&A, Tesco and Inditex (operator of the Zara stores) - last week committed to support a new Accord on Fire and Building Safety, intended to improve safety in the country's clothing factories.
Petah Marian
JC Penney begs customers to come back
3 May 2013 14:57
JC Penney has released a series of ad begging for consumers to give it a second chance, following the departure of former CEO Ron Johnson after his ambitious plan to transform the business failed.
Katie Smith
Abercrombie & Fitch under fire over plus-sizes
20 May 2013 10:41
Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries has come under fire over the issue of plus-sized clothing - or lack of it in the case of this teen apparel retailer.
The just-style guest blog
Tech advances make work a home from home
28 September 2011 12:54
Launch shows for new software applications into the apparel industry are, I must admit, not a regular entry in my diary.
Latest just-style blogs
Bangladesh safety plans leap forward
By: Leonie Barrie - 20 May 2013 19:04
Some of the largest retailers and brands sourcing apparel from Bangladesh - including H&M, Primark, C&A, Tesco and Inditex (operator of the Zara stores) - last week committed to support a new Accord on Fire and Building Safety, intended to improve safety in the country's clothing factories.
Abercrombie & Fitch under fire over plus-sizes
By: Katie Smith - 20 May 2013 10:41
Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries has come under fire over the issue of plus-sized clothing - or lack of it in the case of this teen apparel retailer.
Sense of urgency on factory safety
By: Leonie Barrie - 13 May 2013 14:31
Just two weeks after the collapse of the Rana Plaza factory complex near Dhaka, where the death toll has now risen to over 1,000, another fatal fire at a Bangladesh apparel factory has killed eight people.
JC Penney begs customers to come back
By: Petah Marian - 3 May 2013 14:57
JC Penney has released a series of ad begging for consumers to give it a second chance, following the departure of former CEO Ron Johnson after his ambitious plan to transform the business failed.
John Lewis bags top retailer award
By: Katie Smith - 3 May 2013 08:37
Department store operator John Lewis has reclaimed its title of the 'UK's best retailer' after its online sales passed the GBP1bn mark earlier this week - a year ahead of schedule.
Bangladesh building disaster
By: Leonie Barrie - 29 Apr 2013 14:59
A single story dominated the news headlines last week, with Bangladesh's worst-ever industrial accident once again throwing the country's garment manufacturing industry into the glare of the global media spotlight.
Gap's speed to market focus
By: Leonie Barrie - 22 Apr 2013 11:38
As turnaround efforts finally start to take hold at US specialty clothing retailer Gap Inc, the company is now focusing on leveraging its global brands to gain a larger share of the $1.4trn global apparel market.
Another mis-step for JC Penney
By: Leonie Barrie - 16 Apr 2013 19:10
Ron Johnson, the man tasked with turning around struggling US department store retailer JC Penney, has left the business after less than two years in the post.
New Billabong bid signals major step down for founder
By: Petah Marian - 10 Apr 2013 14:19
The news yesterday that Billabong has entered exclusive talks with a consortium led by former Americas boss Paul Naude after the bid was cut by 45% was lost in the frenzy around the the news that JC Penney's Ron Johnson has been dismissed from the ailing retailer.
Industry challenges and opportunities
By: Leonie Barrie - 9 Apr 2013 10:01
Always a good barometer of the latest challenges and opportunities facing the apparel industry and its supply chain, this year's Prime Source Forum in Hong Kong was no exception.
Target's Manatee label weighs on communication
By: Petah Marian - 8 Apr 2013 15:18
The importance of internal communication was highlighted last week when a Target consumer discovered a product naming discrepancy that some plus-sized shoppers found offensive.
The only constant is change
By: Petah Marian - 4 Apr 2013 17:21
It's easy to forget how much the apparel industry has developed over the past 30 years. The apparel sector has evolved from being a slow moving local industry, with few suppliers based a short distance away, to the complex, fast-moving business it is today.
Bangladesh strikes cause apparel industry concerns
By: Petah Marian - 2 Apr 2013 14:38
Ongoing general strikes in Bangladesh are raising concerns among apparel manufacturers that foreign buyers will shift their orders to other countries as they face difficulties fulfilling orders on time.
A change is as good as a rest
By: Leonie Barrie - 29 Mar 2013 17:25
The theme of change was a common thread running through this year's Prime Source Forum in Hong Kong.
just-style takes an Easter break
By: Katie Smith - 28 Mar 2013 17:22
We're heading off for the Easter break here in the UK, which means there will be no site updates or email newsletters on Friday (29 March) or Monday (1 April).
Lululemon caught out by fabric recall
By: Petah Marian - 25 Mar 2013 15:31
US active wear brand Lululemon suffered an embarrassing and costly error last week after it had to recall black trousers made with its Luon fabric after discovering they were sheerer than expected.
Preparing for Prime Source Forum
By: Leonie Barrie - 22 Mar 2013 11:27
I will be making my way to Hong Kong this weekend for what has become something of an annual pilgrimage to attend Prime Source Forum (PSF).
How skinny can jeans get?...
By: Katie Smith - 21 Mar 2013 17:03
...so skinny that teenagers will feel like they're wearing nothing at all, according to American Eagle Outfitters.
China cracks down on pollution
By: Leonie Barrie - 18 Mar 2013 11:56
China's textile sector is one of seven industries being targeted by efforts to prevent and control chemical pollution in the country by 2015. The five-year chemical management plan issued by the Ministry of Environment will see the government come up with phase-out, restriction and elimination lists - with 58 chemicals blacklisted for the first time.
February chill cools US retail sales
By: Leonie Barrie - 11 Mar 2013 18:54
US retailers battled significant headwinds in February, with sales of early spring merchandise getting off to a slow start in the face of cool weather, higher payroll taxes and economic uncertainty. Same-store sales increased by 4.2% during the month, according to figures released last week.
Gap's "less is more" philosophy
By: Leonie Barrie - 4 Mar 2013 12:52
US retail giant Gap is making huge strides in becoming more responsive to what its customers really want, with a new "less is more" philosophy combining with improved speed to market enabling it to take fewer risks with its assortment.
Wal-Mart sees light at the end of the tunnel
By: Leonie Barrie - 25 Feb 2013 17:56
US retail giant Wal-Mart is finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel as far as its domestic apparel business is concerned - last week reporting the first full-year of positive comparable apparel sales for seven years.
Closed loop challenges
By: Leonie Barrie - 18 Feb 2013 10:26
Sportswear firm Puma last week became the latest company to launch a "closed-loop" collection of footwear, apparel and accessories, all of which are either entirely biodegradable or recyclable. The InCycle line has earned the brand its first 'Cradle to Cradle' certification.
Ethical wardrobes go mainstream
By: Leonie Barrie - 14 Feb 2013 18:17
With ethical consumerism on the rise - especially among young people - a new challenge facing retailers who want to tap into this market is that of producing animal-free fashions. And indeed, taking materials like leather, fur, wool, silk, down and exotic skins out of the supply chain is nothing short of a challenge.
Cautious optimism prevails for 2013
By: Leonie Barrie - 11 Feb 2013 11:40
2013 got off to a strong start for US clothing and footwear retailers in January, with many reporting their best performance since September 2011. Comparable-store sales rose 4.5% year-on-year during the month, according to figures released last week.
New pressure for worker safety
By: Leonie Barrie - 4 Feb 2013 11:49
Calls for retailers and brands to take steps to ensure the safety of workers making their clothes have been stepped up again following yet more deaths in a garment factory fire in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh factory fire fallout continues
By: Leonie Barrie - 28 Jan 2013 14:09
As news emerges of yet more deaths in a garment factory fire in Bangladesh at the weekend, the repercussions of the Tazreen Fashion blaze last November, in which 112 people lost their lives, continue to reverberate across the industry.
Flash fashion show launches UKFT awards
By: Petah Marian - 25 Jan 2013 10:17
Commuters at London's St Pancras station were surprised on Tuesday night as a flash fashion show took place to launch the NatWest UK Fashion and Textile Awards 2013.
Billabong buy takes another turn
By: Leonie Barrie - 21 Jan 2013 14:06
The race to buy Australian surfwear brand Billabong took another turn last week with a new bid from VF Corp and private equity firm Altamont Capital Partners. The AUD524m (US$551m) offer matches another tabled last month by North American division boss Paul Naude and Sycamore Partners.
M&S leak draws conspiracy theories
By: Leonie Barrie - 14 Jan 2013 18:12
Conspiracy theorists had a field day last week when UK retailer Marks & Spencer was forced to release its Christmas trading update early after the results were leaked. An internal attempt to discredit chief executive Mark Bolland, a rival or potential bidder seeking to destabilise the business, or a simple mistake?
