Category: Crafting

Capsule Captures Mix of European, Japanese, American Brands, Plus Surprises with Compelling Outdoor Brands

Capsule_200

Story and Photos by Tom Wallace and Kathleen Gasperini (capsule) trade show was among the trifecta at Modern Assembly in Las Vegas, NV, February 17-19, 2014, along with Agenda and Liberty Fairs that provided exhibitors and fashion industry leaders insights into top brands from Europe, Japan, and North America. Launched by the agency BPMW, which […]

Liberty Fairs Brings Intelligent Style, Leading-edge Denim, and Reconstructed Streetwear to the Forefront

Ouigi_200

Story and photos by Tom Wallace and Kathleen Gasperini There’s no question that Liberty Fairs, now in its 4th show, reminds those of us in the fashion industry of the early days of Project. The show, which was launched by Sam Ben-Avraham, the original founder of Project, has made his latest incarnation of a trade […]

Fashion Shows Liberty Fairs, Agenda, Capsule at the Center of Vegas Fashion Trade Shows Showcasing Brands and Styles on Forefront of the Industry–Introduction

Beard_200

The triangle of today’s most leading-edge trade shows in Las Vegas, NV, called Modern Assembly have challenged the traditional Magic and Project trade shows hosted by Advanstar in new ways. From February 17-19, 2014, these shows including Liberty Fairs, Agenda, and (capsule) have brought together trendsetting brands in streetwear, denim, contemporary, and music-inspired cultures towards […]

Retail Round-Up: Zumiez Net Sales Down 24.3%: Gap Closes Design Studio; Billabong Looks Into Selling Swell

gap1969_200

The struggles rippling through fashion retail are resulting in many changes for brands, especially those in action sports, denim, and sportswear. Zumiez’s January financial reports released February 5, 2014 record a net sales decrease of 24.3% to $38.1 million from $50.3 million last year within the same five week period. Comparable store sales are down […]

Bonfire Snowboarding Turns 25 and Still Burning Hot: Brings Back the Fireman Parka, Launches Collab with Fourstar

25TH-BUTTON_200

Premium snowboard outwear brand Bonfire celebrated their 25th Anniversary at the SIA Snow Show last week in Denver, CO. The brand, which was one of the first to incorporate a street-sensibility and artistic lifestyle element into snowboarding can also claim durability and quality to their pants and jackets, as attested by many riders who wear […]

Outdoor Retailer Winter Trade Show Expands Efforts for Diversity, Youth, Plus Why Outdoor Apparel Is Getting More Fashionable

TNF_200_2

Story and Photos by Tom Wallace and Kathleen Gasperini The big question is why is the outdoor lifestyle becoming more popular? The jam-packed Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2014 from January 21-24, 2014, in Salt Lake City, UT, was energetic, inspirational, a networking hub, and business-central for a marketplace that seems less effected by the economic […]

Agenda Trade Show Announces Collaboration with Flexfit, and Agenda Emerge Names Speakers

3092_200

AGENDA, the leading forum for the action sports, surf, streetwear, lifestyle and footwear industries, has a lot going on for its upcoming trade show January 7-8, 2014, in Long Beach, CA. First, it’s announced a strategic partnership with FLEXFIT—one of the world’s largest vendors of custom, private label headwear—as its exclusive headwear sponsor for an […]

Katiness-Fever: Capitol Couture Connects Hunger Games Fashion with Revolution Style

wedding_200

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire which premiered this past week not only broke box office records, bringing in $307 million in the first weekend, but has also inspired the fashion industry, particular high-end designers to launch film-inspired collections, videos, Tumblr blogs, and magazines. The latest to note is Capitol Couture by Trish Summerville, the designer […]

Art + Music + Youth Culture For Change: Shepard Fairey Creates Visual Identity for 6-Part MTVU Series Rebel Music

Rebel_Music_200

Young people continue to rise-up for change through art and music, and MTV-U has captured this effectively in a new 6-part series called Rebel Music. Utilizing short videos to showcase changes being made in Israel, Palestine, Afghanistan, Mexico, India, Egypt, and Mali, the series shows how powerful art and music can be towards creating an […]

Youth Lead Walk-Out at United Nations Climate Change Conference in Warsaw—Plus, How Youth Culture Is Changing Sustainable Brand Strategies

climate-articleLarge_200

The United Nations Climate Change Conference in Warsaw, Poland, was already dealing with complications from the very beginning, but yesterday, November 21, 2013, a walk-out of some 800 people, mostly young, from organizations such as 350.org, Greenpeace, WWF, Oxfam, Friends of the Earth, and others, left the conference in an act of protest wearing T-shirts […]