Fashion in the news: most interesting reads in August, 2019

Every month, FashionUnited selects the most interesting reads about the fashion industry published across American and British news outlets. Here’s what you may have missed this month:

“A man for all seasons: inside the world of Tom Ford”, Vogue

Vogue US visited Tom Ford’s Los Angeles home to catch a glimpse of his private life and creative process. If you want to get to know the man who built a 2 billion-dollar empire and is set to open a new chapter for the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), this article is for you. Read it in full here.

Speaking of interesting interviews published in August, Harper’s Bazaar spoke with Valentino’s creative director Pierpaolo Piccoli about his aesthetic vision, and The New York Times met Jonathan Anderson to discuss his work at Loewe and his eponymous brand, JW Anderson.

“How a single pair of sneakers explains the booming billion-dollar sneaker resale industry”, GQ

The sneaker resale market has caught the eye of major investors. StockX, a resale platform in which sneakers and streetwear items are treated as stocks, with a running ticker for every model and indexes for the biggest brands, became fashion’s latest unicorn in June, when a 10 million-dollar capital injection boosted the company’s valuation to 1 billion US dollars. Six months earlier, luxury platform Farfetch acquired another sneaker marketplace, Stadium Goods, for 250 million US dollars. Ever wondered why sneakers have been elevated to the status of investment pieces? Cam Wolf, a reporter for GQ magazine, asked himself the same question. To understand the resale market a little better, he followed a particular pair of sneakers being resold on Stadium Goods. Read his piece here.

“As customers begin to shop through voice assistants, what can brands do to stand out?”, Harvard Business Review

The more people shop via digital assistants the more likely they are to rely on their recommendations, which poses a serious threat to smaller retailers, as the likes of Alexa and Siri tend to suggest only a couple of well-known brands appearing at the top of search results. What can smaller retailers and brands do to stand out in such a scenario? An interesting article published earlier this month by Harvard Business Review shares a few tips. Read it in full here.

“What would happen if we cancelled Fashion Week?”, Dazed Digital

Is it possible for the fashion industry to replace the traditional calendar model with a sustainable alternative? Dazed asked this question to several industry leaders, including Caroline Rush, CEO of the British Fashion Council, and Jennie Rosén, CEO of the Swedish Fashion Council. Here’s what they said.

“Sale for some: welcome to the Promoconomy”, The New York Times

Retailers have always used promotions and coupon codes to entice consumers to shop, a practice which has become even more widespread following the economic crisis of 2008. Now this strategy is becoming more and more sophisticated, as people may be quietly, specifically targeted according to their online behavior. Read NYT’s article in full here.

Photos: courtesy of CFDA, Stadium Goods Facebook, courtesy of Amazon