Author: Nori Fumataki

GoPro World Longboard Championships Bring Top Longboard Surfers to China

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The world’s best surfers on traditional 9-foot plus boards have arrived in Hainan Island for the annual GoPro World Longboard Championships, China hosted by Wanning (WLC). The event runs from December 5-12th of December at Hainan Island off the far south coast of China. The event takes place at Riyue Bay, a consistent reef/point break […]

Women’s Surfing World Champion to Be Crowned at Target Maui Pro—Event Is Back After 5 Years

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In the next week, the world champion of women’s professional surfing will be crowned. After a 5 year hiatus in which the women’s ASP tour lacked sponsorship, it’s great to see that it’s back on the schedule and with various numbers of sponsors. Now called the Target Maui Pro, presented by Schick Hydro Silk, it’s […]

Uniqlo Eyes the U.S. for Expansion and Profit

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Japanese fast-fashion retailer Uniqlo (Fast Retailing) has announced plans for expansion, particularly in the United States. Similar to H&M, preferences for Uniqlo clothing within our youth culture studies is on the rise, but the addition of more stores and greater awareness via its ecommerce platform will impact the teen retailer landscape even more in the […]

Macy’s Plays Sustainability Catch-up—Adds More Measures to Become More Eco-Friendly

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When it comes to sustainability, it’s no longer about incorporating a strategy to get ahead of trends, but rather, a sustainability strategy is needed in order to not be left behind. With fast-fashion kingpins H&M and Uniqlo already far ahead of the status quo when it comes to strategies incorporating sustainability and fair trade, Macy’s, […]

Made in Japan’s Levi Strauss Denim Now to Be Available Worldwide

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Japan is known for making some of the best denim in the world. Levi’s “Made in Japan” collection is a unique combination that combines local Japanese artists towards creating Japanese boro details, different, deeper, indigoes, and various finishes. Levi’s has announced that it will bring its Made in Japan collection worldwide, rather than just available […]

Coca-Cola Launches 2nd Lives, Recycling Plastic Bottles Into New “Tools”…with More Plastic

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Coca-Cola continues to try and be green and gain credibility with global youth markets, but their latest campaign called 2nd Lives is a bad idea in numerous ways. The concept of recycling is obviously good, but the real motive is so obviously transparent as to make 2nd Lives look like the biggest greenwashing gimmick to […]

Sally Fitzgibbons Claims Victory at theFiji Women’s Pro Surfing on the 2014 Samsung Galaxy ASP Women’s World Championship Tour

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An epic Finals day at the Fiji Women’s Pro, Stop No. 5 on the 2014 Samsung Galaxy ASP Women’s World Championship Tour (WCT), saw Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) reign supreme and claim victory after a day of pumping surf at Cloudbreak. She went head-to-head with five-time ASP Women’s World Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) in their first […]

Swimwear Fabrics Moving Sustainable: LYCRA Introduces Bio-Derived Spandex

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Good news for swimwear manufacturers and brands that create anything with LYCRA as owner INVISTA announced last week the launch of a bio-derived spandex. The spandex fiber will come from a renewable source, dextrose, which comes from corn. According to Sustainable Brands, INVISTA, which also produces the COOLMAX®, CORDURA®, STAINMASTER®, ANTRON®, THERMOCOOL® and THERMOLITE® brands, […]

Ethical Fashion Monster-Mega Chain Planned by Japan’s Cross Company

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Cross Company, the big giant retailer out of Japan, has plans to challenge with likes of fast-fashion players such as Uniqlo and H&M. But the twist? Sourcing it all from ethical products and creating entirely eco-friendly fashion. According to a series of reports from Japan, as well as the Business of Fashion, the plan is […]

Chrome Browser X Mobile Phone Interactive Sky Sculpture Launches TED’s 30th Anniversary

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In a very fitting tribute to TED’s 30th anniversary celebration in Vancouver, Canada, artists Janet Echelman and Google’s Creative Director Aaron Koblin collaborated to create Unnumbered Sparks. This is an enormous textured sky sculpture, 745 feet long hoisted between two buildings that allow participants to paint the sky via a mobile phone app. At  night, […]