Overview: 12 Must-Read articles from September

Fashion

FashionUnited takes a moment to list its top twelve articles of the month September - in case you may have missed them.

1. The problem with New York Fashion Week

New York Fashion Week is undergoing an identity crisis, and has been for some time. With a mishmash of a schedule and empty rails left by the decamping of its most interesting designers to Europe (Thom Browne, Proenza Schouler, Rodarte, to name but a few) the global start to fashion week kicks off without any critical cohesion.

2. Beyond the Runway: Parsons Presents Paths to Progress

As NYFW enters its third act, a group of insiders break away to occupy a different stage. Parsons in conjunction with diversity advocating designer, Becca McCharen of Chromat, presents as part of their Nth Degree Series a panel discussion on the topic ‘Fashion, Culture and Justice; A NYFW Dialogue.’

3. Footwear market: Automation, consolidation emerge key to success

In 2016, more than 21 billion pairs of shoes were produced globally, which means about three pairs of shoes were made for every person in the world. According to market research conducted by IndexBox, driven by the world population growth, global footwear market as a whole is projected to continue an upward consumption trend over the next nine years. Fast to market approach is what footwear brands are now targeting to fulfil the growing consumer demand. Are consolidation and full automation of the footwear making process an answer to this need?

4. King & Tuckfield: 'Every time you wear a pair of our jeans, you create your own identity'

Stacey Wood always knew that she wanted to launch her own brand. However, rather than searching for inspiration within the world of fashion, Wood chose to turn a more personal source instead, namely her own family history. The stories of her grandmother; Joan Marion King; and her father; Graham Aubrey Tuckfield, became the cornerstones of her premium denim-drivenbrand: King & Tuckfield. Offering timeless classics with a contemporary twist, the new label has managed to carve out a name for itself within three seasons, thanks in party to its 'Made in the UK' denim and quality driven designs.

5. The Life & Career of Manolo Blahnik:'The Boy who made Shoes for Lizards'

Manolo Blahnik, for those less familiar with the footwear designer, has been hailed as the 'King of Shoes' for the past four decades. To mark the launch of the documentary, FashionUnited shares some of the high points from Manolo Blahnik life and career.

6. Ecco x Shoe Surgeon: Step by Step Customisation

With more than 170k followers on social media, Dominic Chambrone a.k.a the Shoe Surgeon, is seen as one of the most recognizable sneaker customizers in the USA. FashionUnited had a chance to follow the steps of the Shoe Surgeon’s shoe personalisation during one-on-one appointment at W-21, the Experimental Shoe Store of ECCO Sko A/S in Amsterdam, where Chambrone consults directly with clients seeking to co-design their own shoes.

7. Timeline: Celebrating 10 years of Cos at LFW

It may be difficult for some to believe, but this year marks ten years since Cos, H&M older and more experimental sister label was launched. In honor of the brand’s anniversary, FashionUnited shares some of the brand’s milestones in the timeline below.

8. Q&A: Heidi Klum discusses her debut Lidl collection

Supermodel Heidi Klum launched her highly-anticipated Esmara collection for budget supermarket Lidl this month and it has already been a massive success story, with the line selling at a rate of 106 products per minute in the UK on the first day.

9. Alexa Chung on launching her label: ‘Shit got real pretty quickly’

Most industry insiders argue that it was only a matter of time before Alexa Chung - tv presenter, model and allround British celebrity darling - launched her own fashion label. But for Alexa Chung, the journey from model to tv presenter to designer muse and now creative director was not as smooth as you may think.

10. New blood and old masters keep qipao dressmaking alive

In a quiet workshop in Taipei, three young women meticulously sew and iron under the watchful eye of a master dressmaker with decades of experience in creating the classic "qipao". Lin Chin-te, 74, is among a handful of craftsmen in Taiwan who still specialise in handmaking the high-collar, figure-hugging garment which was once part of many women's daily wardrobes.

11. Paris Fashion Week: Luxury houses debut new designers

Paris fashion week is full of debuts this season, with all eyes on those bringing change to a series of luxury brands we have come to know so well. Natacha Ramsay-Levi succeeds Clare Waight Keller at Chloe; Olivier Lapidus has taken over the reigns from Bouchra Jarrar at Lanvin; Clare Waight Keller replaces Riccardo Tisci at Givenchy, and Olivier Theyskens is back to his own label after a hiatus post Theory and Rochas.

12. First New York Denim Days: Consumer focused, with a hint of Dutch

The first-ever New York Denim Days follows on from several, successful editions of big-sister event Amsterdam Denim Days, as members of the event organisations felt the time was right to introduce the concept in the United States. FashionUnited spoke to Lucel van den Hoeven, one of the organisers of New York Denim Days, before the event kicks off to learn more about his vision of the festival.

Homepage image: courtesy of Esmara by Heidi Klum available at Lidl

must read

overview