Articles by Esmerij van Loon
Esmerij van Loon has been editor-in-chief of the FashionUnited news platform since 2002. Having started as a contributing editor-in-chief, since 2015 she has focused on the professional development of the in-house editorial team, freelancers, and guest contributors. Integrity, diligence, and innovation are central, both within the fashion industry and the field of journalism.
NRF 2025: Four tech start-ups that address key retail challenges
Paris - At NRF 2025: Retail's Big Show Europe, FashionUnited selected four start-ups to spotlight from a broad group of retail innovators. The companies were part of the Startup Hub featuring 62 retail tech businesses from 15 countries, as well as an Innovators showcase section with over 30 technology companies. This year's event, which took...
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NRF expands to Europe: Jill Dvorak on the new retail show
Paris - This week marks the debut of NRF Retail's Big Show in Europe, a new trade show organised in partnership with Comexposium to serve the European retail market. The show, which takes place in Paris from 16-18 September 2025, is a natural expansion for the National Retail Federation (NRF) following its long-standing show in New York and a...
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How Action uses AI to drive growth and efficiency: NRF Retail Big Show
Paris - At the NRF Retail Big Show in Paris, Action chief executive officer (CEO) Hajir Hajji spoke about the company's growth strategy and how technology, including artificial intelligence (AI), is being implemented to support its rapid expansion. The Dutch discount retailer, founded in 1993, has grown from a family-owned business to a European...
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A new start for Berlin Fashion Week
“Fashion has to change and the change starts in Berlin.” With that ambitious statement, Mandie Bienek of lobbying organisation Fashion Council Germany (FCG) kicked off the first post-Covid fashion week in the German capital on September 6. Besides ambition the statement also showcased activism, as although FCG represents the interests of the...
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Sara Blakely, CEO and founder of Spanx, donates 5 million to help female entrepreneurs
New York - In an article posted shared through LinkedIn, Sara Blakely, CEO and founder of Spanx, explained her decision to donate 5 million dollars “directly to female entrepreneurs to help their businesses, families and employees.” In the context of a pandemic that is rapidly taking a fatal toll on lives and businesses worldwide, Blakely points...
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Lidewij Edelkoort: Green will be the trend color 2021
Green will be the fashion colour of summer 2021. At least, that's what trend forecaster Lidewij Edelkoort said last Monday during her semi-annual trend presentation 'Green Wave'. The event, organized by Appletizer, was styled with decor representing nature, scenes of gorgeous Dutch landscapes, ironically with a bustling highway in the distance....
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Maddie Williams wins Redress Design Award
Womenswear designer Maddie Williams and Fashion Design graduate of the Edinburg College of Art has won first prize in the Redress Design Awards 2019 on Thursday. The finale show and award ceremony were organized during the Centrestage fashion trade fair currently taking place in Hong Kong. Redress was launched in 2011 and is a global sustainable...
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Web Summit 2018: Alexander Wang in search of a virtual muse
Lisbon - Alexander Wang is in search of a company that can build him a virtual muse, as the American designer dreams of having his own influencer who he can dress and have visit the various restaurants and shops he wants to promote to fans. That’s what Wang said on Wednesday at the world's largest internet technology congress Web Summit, which...
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Web Summit 2018: 'Soon there will be robots in our stores'
Lisbon - "In ten years time there will be robots in our stores, what they do there exactly, how they are used, I do not know yet, but they will be there, I'm sure." That's what Daniel Grieder, CEO of Tommy Hilfiger, said on Thursday at the internet technology congress Web Summit that took place last week in Lisbon. Grieger, a self-declared...
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Opportunities & obstacles for fashion companies looking to do business in China
A visit to fashion fair Chic in Shanghai is an overwhelming experience. Everything is big and hard - from the four hundred thousand square metre exhibition floor, to the hermetically closed off pavilions with droves of people waiting in front of them, the huge language barrier, the more than 1200 exhibitors, the staggering amount of a hundred...
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