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T h e M a g a z i n e f o r Canadian Fashion Retailers
Runway Review
Business or Entertainment?
Canada Post Agreement #41957515
Accessories
Taking S/S 2020 by Storm
Retail Success
Small Shops - Big Ideas
Top Ten Trends
2020 Retail Vision
January - July 2020
CONTENTS
trends
The Magazine for Canadian Fashion Retailers
J A N U A RY 2 0 2 0
S P E C I A L F E AT U R E S
38 Top 10 Trends
Socially and ethically minded youth impact SS20 womenswear
Vo l u m e 11 Issue 21 January 2020 trends and buying patterns.
58 Sustainability in Business
A sustainability strategy to future-proof businesses in an age
of informed and socially minded consumers.
Publisher / Editor
8 Kait Walker
kait@trendsmagazine.ca
Editorial Contributors D E PA R T M E N T S
8 Kirsten Mogg
8 Lucy Lau
8 Naeme El-Zein
08 Industry News
8 Ani Nersessian Dawn of a New Decade - opportunities and inspiration
amid environmental, political and business disruptions.
Editor / Art Director
8 Kim Walker
kim@trendsmagazine.ca 22 Retail Success
National Sales Manager. Small retailers with new ideas make landlords and municipalities
8 kait@trendsmagazine.ca recognize that independents have an important role to play.
705-426-1712
Website Address 8 trendsmagazine.ca
Email Address 8 info@trendsmagazine.ca 32 Accessories
Canadian designers take 2020 Spring/Summer runways by storm.
Subscriptions 8 subscribe@trendsmagazine.ca
Head Office 8 Beaverton ON L0K 1A0
42 Runway Review
Have entertainment and activism overtaken business interests?
Circulation 8 trends@publicationpartners.com Spring 2020 runways deploy new strategies as they try to adapt.
Toll-Free: 8 1-877-547-2246
50 Visual Merchandising
Avoid the Stockroom Syndrome - how to display merchandise
All rights reserved. effectively to tell a story and give shoppers a break.
Trends is published biannually.
Contents may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the consent of the
publisher. The publisher is not responsible for the contents of any advertisement.
Any representations or warranties are those of the advertiser and not the publisher. 52 Vancouver Fashion Week
The advertiser is responsible for obtaining permission to use any photographs or VFW presents the major trends of the season.
images used in an advertisement. The publisher is not liable for misprints that
are not the fault of the publisher and in such an event the limit of the publisher’s
liability will not exceed the amount the publisher charged for the advertising.
60 Show Calendar
Subscription Rates: Dates and venues for 2020 Canadian, US & International shows.
Canada 1 year CDN $22.00
United States 1 year $33.00
All other countries 1 year $44.00
Single Copies: Canada $11.00
Canada Post Agreement Number 41957515
Cover Photo
6 TRENDS 4 January 2020
Industry
News
By Kirsten Mogg
Dawn Of A New Decade
The ten-year post recession expansion cycle is either imminently doomed
or just getting started, depending on whom you ask. Global politics, climate
change, and technology continue to disrupt. Consumer activism is on the rise.
Trade policies are a question mark although the USMCA (NAFTA 2.0) agreement
seems finally to have bi-partisan approval and can proceed to ratification. The Color of the Year 2020: Classic Blue 19-4052
WTO is in disarray and trade agreements will need to be rewritten when the Courtesy of Pantone Color Institute
UK leaves the Canadian European Trade Agreement (CETA).
Pantone Color of the Year
Climate Change Pantone suggests that its Color of the Year 2020, Blue 19-4052, is both
Perhaps the most impactful challenge to the fashion industry, labeled as a futuristic and classic. Darker than the optimistic and peaceful sky blue
significant global polluter, is a demand for urgent action on climate change led Pantone selected a decade ago, this blue is closer to cobalt derived pigments
by sixteen year old Greta Thunberg. Consumers are responding by calling for used for centuries to tint glass, ceramics and paint. Being neither masculine
political and corporate action. nor feminine it suggests a genderless trend while at the same time reflecting
a trend toward highly contrasting points of view - either a refreshing yet
United Nations peaceful colour referencing an oasis of calm in troubled times or a
Mark Carney, the former investment banker and Bank of Canada chief is disappointing, moody safe choice more suited to cars, political parties,
leaving his post as the head of the Bank of England. He has accepted a new technology firms and conservative men’s suits.
role as United Nations special envoy on climate action and climate finance This blue will be successful in fashion when presented in modern materials
reporting to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Carney takes over from in a contemporary way or enlivened by its complimentary colours of
Michael Bloomberg, former Mayor of New York, and US Democratic Presidential orange, black and white. Expect to see it in dark jeans, suiting, sportswear,
candidate. Carney will build on the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial shimmery metallics, lace or velvet and in beauty products for nails, lips
Disclosures (TCFD) initiated by G20 leaders in 2015. About 80 percent of and hair.
top 1,100 global companies already disclose climate risks aligned with those
guidelines.
Convincing companies to take up this global financial reporting framework is of
great interest to investors who need to assess the corporate risks associated with
climate change. Although there is heated disagreement over the price of carbon
emissions, Canadian companies already operate in an environment that puts a
dollar value on climate risk. The Canadian Securities Administration and the
Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions issued new guidelines
for accounting and reporting standards for public and regulated companies last
year. Increasingly, taking climate related risks can reduce a company’s ability
to raise capital.
Preferred Fibre Production
The Textile Exchange defines ‘preferred fibers’ as materials with an improved
social and environmental impact, an important requirement for the UN SDGs.
In their latest Preferred Fiber and Materials Market Report, La Rhea Pepper,
managing director, outlined the scale of the challenge that could become even
more daunting.
“Global fiber production has doubled in the last 20 years, reaching an all-time
high of 107 million metric tons in 2018. If business-as-usual continues, it is
expected to grow to 145 million metric tons by 2030.”
Polyester has the largest share, followed by cotton and man-made cellulosics,
while linen, leather, silk and wool are a small and shrinking part of the global
fibre pie. The share of recycled polyester grew from 8% to 13% in just ten
years, although China’s ban on imported plastic waste caused a decline of 16%
in 2017. More promising is the reported increased production of ‘preferred’ Juno Award winning artist Iskwe opened Canadian designer
fibres. The share of other recycled synthetics and bio-synthetics remains very Lesley Hampton’s runway show in February 2019
small. Preferred cotton more than doubled over 2013/14 to reach 22% of global Hampton has Anishinaabe and Mohawk heritage
cotton production in 2017/18. Photo : George Pimentel
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Science Based Standards
The gold standards for textile sustainability are based on scientific measurements Canadian companies including Arc’terx, Aritzia, Lululemon and MEC sent
and broad-based industry collaboration. The non-profit Textile Exchange has representatives to the roundtables organized for specific fibres such as
facilitated working groups in specific textile sectors for years. Representatives polyester, cotton, cellulosics, wool and cashmere. There is much more
from fibre to finished product within each specialized area work towards to be done. The next Textile Exchange Global Conference will be held in
consensus and establish voluntary global standards for the industry. Dublin, Ireland during the first week in November, 2020.
The issues are many and complex, but there is progress and public corporate
commitments have been made by global players such as Kering, Ikea and
H&M Group. At the 2019 Textile Exchange conference held in Vancouver
last October, over 900 international industry product developers, production
and sourcing executives from fibre producers, mills, manufacturers, retailers,
NGO’s and standards organizations came together to discuss solutions and push
forward toward the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Scaling up is a priority and it’s clear that the leaders in the room were far ahead
of the industry in general. Presentations emphasized how some fiber producers,
textile and apparel companies and retailers are executing real, measurable
changes to their individual and collective industries. Some, like Kering, are
sharing open-source information and playing a leading role in convincing large
players to sign up to the Global Fashion Pact launched at the G7 in Biarritz,
France in August.
The key take-away for a Canadian apparel brand or retailer is this: sustainability
is no longer a single item, a marketing slogan, a compliance checkbox or a single
department. Actual movement towards sustainability must be led from the top
and operationally resourced with employees in every discipline who have Ikea and H&M Group made joint public
empowerment, training and the tools to design a product that approaches carbon commitments on their SDG2030 goals
neutral or carbon positive status as it moves through the textile pipeline. at Textile Exchange
Golden Opportunties
There are already many quality and compliance standards for textiles and
apparel. However, there is no single global standard against which all products
designed with environmental concerns in mind can be measured. Over the next
decade for-profit companies will move to create, license and provide policing
of environmental standards required by retailers and government authorities.
Apparel companies offering products on the cutting edge of climate change
standards are enjoying expanded business opportunities. Cruelty-free thermal fill insulates the
brand against vegan activism
Courtesy of Woodpecker
Woodpecker makes a strong statement
on giant new outerwear label
Photo : K.Mogg
Will Poho’s new Woodpecker
premium outerwear brand launched
successfully last fall with custom
camo, a variety of vegan friendly
‘cruelty-free’ insulated puffer styles
with slick wet-look fabrics. Instead of
typical external branding, animal
insignias adorn the sleeves. The neck
labels on men’s coats sport a giant
Courtesy of Nudnik Inc.
burning white house while labels
on the women’s line portray a Canadian children’s brand Nudnik
more inclusive family of bears of all shifted from post to pre-consumer
colours. Poho says the line did very organic cotton to ensure a circular
Men’s Bumnester Wet Black Gold & Women’s red penguin coats well and he expects sales to catch fire source, control of product quality and
Courtesy of Woodpecker for AW20/21. aesthetics, and the ability to scale.
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TH E UP S I DE O F D O W N
The implementation of standards and labeling for responsible down, recycled
down and sustainable down alternatives is a tribute to progress over the pursuit Updated Responsible Down Standard
of perfection.
The Responsible Down Standard appears to be gaining global acceptance
over the Traceable Down Standard and the Downpass Standard. The RDS
Stuffing Regulations first introduced in 2008 was written by the Textile Exchange, Control Union
Policy is easy to implement, but hard to reverse. Quebec’s enforcement of (a certification body), and The North Face. Last year, an updated RDS 3.0
antiquated Upholstered & Stuffed Articles regulations is “outdated, standard was released with input from global stakeholders.
arbitrary and punitive” and “a barrier to free trade”. So says a report to the U.S.
China is the source of 70% to 90% of the 270,000 metric tons of down
Trade Representative by the American Apparel & Footwear Association who
produced annually. Supply is highly fragmented with many small and
worked for years with the Canadian Apparel Federation (CAF) to remove
medium-size producers, however the Textile Exchange has certified over 6,000
this regulatory requirement on apparel.
farms and 904 processing sites in 2018, a significant increase since 2014.
Bob Kirke, CAF executive director, puts it a little more bluntly, “It’s a zombie Over 70 brands have certified supply chains using RDS, including Canadian
regulation. It serves no purpose for apparel and should be removed.” companies Arc’teryx Equipment, Aritzia, Indygena, Lululemon Athletica
Quebec is the only jurisdiction that still has decades-old rules with an ambiguous Inc., Mackage, and MEC.
and unenforced ‘health and safety’ rationale. What’s more, the restrictions
Patagonia remains a committed global leader when it comes to down traceability
represent a cost to Canadian manufacturers, importers and retailers. Rules
and standards. The company started to trace down in 2007 and today their fall
require any product made for Canadian distribution using recycled materials
2017 virgin down-filled products meet the advanced Global TDS standard.
such as polyester or down to have a label identifying the garment as a
“second hand article”. “It was neither cheap nor easy. And we had to re-examine our strategy and
business operations in the process. But building a long-lasting product that
Most affected are companies creating and selling insulated outerwear such as
helps you stay warm in good conscience is a legacy of which we are extremely
parkas and puffer coats. The trend to more sustainable recycled options leaves
proud.”
the government of Quebec behind the times and out of sync with the industry
and eco-conscious consumers. CAF is seeking an end to the requirement A proposal to merge RDS and Global TDS was dropped due to different
in early 2020 so that production of AW 20/21 winter outerwear can be stakeholders and areas of concentration.
unencumbered by outdated regulations.
Fall/Winter 19 Aritzia Super Puff coats
wear Responsible Down Standard tag Aritzia SuperPuff display
Photo : K. Mogg Photo : K.Mogg
RE:Down© email campaign, Sept 2019
Courtesy of Tommy Hilfiger Indygena is a sustainably-driven outerwear company founded in Montreal
in 2014 by three design and outerwear veterans: Jean-Pierre Ferrandez, the
Recycled Down former head of international development for Orage and co-founder of Lolë
Several European companies have developed methods to collect and produce and Paradox labels; Isabelle Vigneault, the executive director; and Stéphanie
recycled down. Allied Feather and the Neokdun brand from Navarpluma SL of Noël, who studied at Jean-Charles de Castelbajac in Paris, is vice president
Spain created a feather and down re-processing system sourced from the food of creation. The brand is available at MEC, Altitude Sports, Monod Sports
industry in 2001. In September 2019, Navarpluma and Applied DNA Sciences in Banff, Trailhead Paddle Shack in Ottawa and Arthur James Clothing
announced a partnership for a DNA based traceability project. The same month, Company in Newfoundland, among others. In August, the Canada Economic
Japanese company Toray announced a collaboration with Uniqlo to reclaim Development for Quebec Regions granted a $250,000 repayable contribution
and recycle down from apparel collected in Uniqlo stores. to Indygena to develop new markets in the U.S. The company places design at
Meanwhile, the French company RE:Down has built a commercial system that the centre of sustainable solutions while recognizing the challenges.
achieves 97 percent of their zero waste goal that did meet the Global Recycled “The complexity of the supply chain and multiple components of a garment lay
Standard (GRS). Re:Down partners with textile waste collectors, charities and great challenges in our quest for sustainable measures.”
retailers to collect post-consumer down products (clothing, stuffed articles,
bedding). Their energy-efficient and re-usable water facility in Hungary The company has published specific sustainability goals to be achieved by
separates, sterilizes and re-processes down without the use of chemicals to 2025. “Indygena is committed to replace synthetic fibers with recycled plastic
produce recycled down that retains its natural insulating properties. Other polyethylene terephthalate (PET), recycled nylon, natural and/or organic fibers
materials are recycled into non-woven insulation and broken feathers are turned by 2025 in its entire collection. 100% of our materials contain polyester or
into organic fertilizer. In 2019, brands such as Tommy Hilfiger began to nylon, where our greater environmental impact takes place right now in the
promote the use of re:Down in their products. supply chain.”
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TO O L CHE S T
Use The Free Library
Achieving sustainability may seem overwhelming for a small fashion company free access to a searchable library with extensive information from vetted
trying to do the right thing with limited resources. At the World Ethical resources that include reports, guidelines, standards, articles, podcasts and case
Apparel Roundtable (WEAR) in 2019, the host and organizer, Fashion Takes studies. The goal is to make information ‘findable’, which will help companies
Action, published The Sustainable Fashion Toolkit with the help of PWC. and individuals in the industry make progress toward sustainability.
The online resource (sustainablefashiontoolkit.com) gives apparel companies
FTA Sustainable Fashion Toolkit
BCorp: A Fashion Status Symbol
At the WEAR conference in Toronto last October, Ethan Song, co-founder Trust Tools
of Frank & Oak, explained why he took his company through the process to Truepic is a secure imaging pipeline. At the moment a photo or video is taken,
become a Certified B Corporation. its origin, contents and metadata are verifiable. The company offers digital
“From the beginning we were involved in sustainability, community forensics to organizations in need of certainty throughout their supply chain.
involvement. We always felt we were doing the right thing as a business, but how do
you know you are taking the right actions? BCorp offers a framework.” Second Hand Stigma Fades
Song was confident, but the process was tougher than expected. The fees were At WEAR, Chris Homer, co-founder of Calfornia-based reseller ThreadUP’
not substantial, but it required significant human and other resources to implement said, “We started with a mission to inspire a new generation of consumers to
organizational improvements in order to achieve the points needed to reach the think second-hand first. When we started there was a stigma - over time it has
BCorp standard. evaporated.”
ThreadUp designed and built its own software technology and in-house
“It took us two years to get certified and it gets more challenging as you get
bigger. The more complex your business, the more complex your supply chain processes and has the first data set in the world able to price items, add tags and
put attributes on those items, and determine which products should be available
and governance, the harder it is to get certified. I put together a cross-disciplinary
squad and we met for 2-3 hours every single week until we got it.” online or at physical retail. ThreadUP’s success lies in the ability to offer
shoppers a tailored treasure hunt covering 35,000 brands in 100 categories. Hot
A growing number of Canadian clothing companies of all sizes have become retail brand Reformation partnered with ThreadUP on a give-some-get-some
BCorps, including Kotn, Tentree, Grey Rock Clothing Co., and Poppy Barley, Reformation x ThreadUP campaign to help burnish their eco-credibility.
all of which have been part of previous Trends Magazine stories. Over the past year, ThreadUP’s business in Canada has grown by 70% before
its official launch.
EVE NTS & AWA R D S
Winter Sports Apparel & Gear Combo
Marisa Nicholson, Outdoor Retailer's senior vice president and show director, and 12 months of business mentoring. Last year, two promising Canadians were
announced in August the merger of the Winter Market and the Snow Show. short-listed: 3.Paradis men’s streetwear brand and Marie-Ève Lecavalier the
Renamed the Outdoor + Snow Show, the combined trade shows for winter winner of the CAFA/Swarovski Award for Emerging Talent in 2019.
gear and apparel will run from January 29 to 31, 2020 in Denver. Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards has set April 30, 2020 as the deadline for
nominations. The 2020 CAFA Awards gala at the Fairmount Royal York will be
Fashion Career Fair Returns to Toronto in March held on May 29, 2020. The Suzanne Rogers Designer Grant for International
After a successful one-day event in 2018, the Canadian Apparel Federation Development is a $20,000 prize that includes mentorship, one of the best
and the City of Toronto will again co-host a Fashion Career Fair and Expo financial opportunities for emerging designers in the country. However, it pales
on March 10, 2020. They plan to expand on the event, which drew over 350 in comparison to similar prizes for similar talent such as the LVMH Prize or
qualified candidates from area fashion schools and showcased speakers and the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund in the U.S. which hands out US$400,000 for
exhibits from some of the leading industry employers in the GTA. the winner and $150,000 to the two runners-up. A jury will select an outstanding
Canadian fashion designer or brand that has demonstrated significant impact,
The seventh edition of the LVMH Prize for emerging designers is open for growth, and maturity and is poised to expand internationally. In 2019, the
submissions until February 2, 2020. The most substantial award for emerging Suzanne Rogers grant went to Sid Neigum, who also received the CAFA
designer talent presents the winner with €300,000 Euros in financial support Womenswear Designer of the Year Award.
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RETA I L TREN D S
Super Winners A Modern Underwear Index
According to the 2020 State of the Fashion Industry Back in the 1970s, former U.S. Federal Reserve
report by McKinsey, only a few public global fashion chairman Alan Greenspan suggested an ‘underwear
companies are ‘Superwinners’ while the rest struggle index’ to predict where the economy is headed.
to make a profit. He based it on the premise that men buy new briefs
Increasingly, profit is gained at the retail extremes of when they felt confident about the future. The
luxury or discount. With the exception of Inditex informal index tracked Hanesbrands stock against
(Zara, Massimo Dutti), those in the middle are the Standard & Poors whereas the closest
weaker fiscal performers. The report identifies comparable public company in Canada today would
among the Superwinners LVMH on the luxury end be Montreal-based Gildan Activewear, which makes
with H&M and TJX (Winners, Marshall’s) in the basic t-shirts and socks. If Greenspan were around,
discount arena. he might note a divergence in the performance of
private high-end companies versus those dressing
Giant Tiger celebrated 50 years since opening in the middle market.
Ottawa’s Byward Market. The company has stepped
up its fashion and moved into the void left by Sears, Despite the collapsing fortunes of Victoria’s Secret,
Target and Zellers by opening 201 stores in cost- two Canadian underwear companies do provide
conscious secondary markets. Its profitable business promising predictions of the economic future.
model competes with Walmart. Saxx men’s underwear became the fastest growing
“By keeping our costs low, we compete on price and underwear brand in North America. Founded in
still make a profit,” Vancouver in 2006, it is known for its patented
~ Andy Gross, President and CEO of Giant Tiger ‘ballpark’ pouch. Trent Kitsch, Saxx founder, has
moved on from underwear to construction, cannabis
Giant Tiger men’s ACX reversible packable puffer
High Cost of Returns and wineries in the Okanagan after selling Saxx in
2015.
Courtesy of Giant Tiger The volume and costs of returns are staggering.
In the U.S. and probably in Canada, 11% of total Knix (Knixwear) is a body-positive brand for women
Digital Disruptors Weakening
annual retail sales are returned and of those returns started by Joanna Griffiths in Toronto in 2013.
For some time, bricks and mortar retailers have 13% are apparel items and 9% are footwear, according She led her company’s growth by acquiring highly
raced to join direct-to-consumer sales on digital to the National Retail Federation. engaged customers and adding a range of specialized
platforms. To compete with lower overhead, wire-free products that address parts of the market
Another statistic from Shopify should give
endless aisles and free shipping, traditional retailers previously ignored, like leak-proof fashionable
e-commerce retailers pause: in just four years, the
had to change their distribution platforms, reduce underwear and a range of sizes more fitting for the
total expected cost of return deliveries swallowed
their store footprints, and build a seamless and whole population.
by U.S. retailers is up by over 75% and forecast to
exciting shopping experience.
reach US$550 billion. In the fall of last year, Knix opened its first retail
Headlines still tout the death of traditional retail but
Recovering expenses on returned merchandise sold locations as long-term popups in Vancouver and
now there are signs that Amazon, the king of digital
at a discount costs retailers 4.4% of total revenue, Toronto where it introduced loungewear, maternity
disruption, has fallen on hard times as the costs of
according to DHL. That plus lost sales is why some and Knixteen, a sub-brand of underwear for teens.
e-commerce returns, delivery, and digital marketing
retailers are reducing the window for returns from Griffiths has raised $1 million through a record-
take a toll.
30 to 14 days or less. Others are trying the subscription setting crowd-funding campaign and small
In addition, Quebec and Saskatchewan introduced model or asking consumers to pay higher ‘restocking’ investments from advisors like Bravado Designs
new local sales taxes for foreign sellers a year ago, fees. These policies might help, but they may not go plus a partnership with Nordstrom. Last year she
something the Retail Council of Canada and local over well with customers used to more leeway. raised $5.7 million towards the next phase of growth
retailers such as Larry Rosen have been seeking The competition is just one click away. through Action Capital.
for a long time.
Cut To The Future
Graysha Audren, BA Textile Design, presented the design concept
“Seamless Woven Workwear For The Automated Future” as part
of the “Designing in Turbulent Times” exhibit at the University of
Arts in London. The weaving techniques bypasses traditional cut and
sew processes to create seamless garments of organic cotton and natural
indigo engineered directly on the loom.
Seamless workwear design by Graysha Audren
UAL exhibit, London 2019
Photo : K. Mogg
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Stores With Nothing To Sell
Luxury brands display minimal stock in highly controlled environments.
Canada Goose, for example, has opened a theatrically frozen but empty store
at CF Sherway Gardens in Toronto. There is a crevasse, fake ice and a room
resembling a snow globe, but almost no inventory. CEO Dani Reiss expects
to attract customers in search of an experience who then shop and post online
and tell their friends all about it. The new store is a marketing exercise to link
the brand with the harsh, cold north and to distinguish it from the increasing
number of premium coat competitors with high-end retail stores.
Reiss told the National Post, “You’re entering a new world. You’re entering
the world of Canada Goose. You’re entering the Arctic.” He also explained that
the store is not accountable for achieving the typical performance metrics
Ribbit app used by BIA’s in Toronto to encourage local shopping with rewards at other stores.
Delivery Too expensive To Be Disruptive “There are measurable objectives to do with this store, but they don’t have to do
with store performance or sales per square foot or any of that stuff. I think that
In the online food marketplace, delivery costs are the reason 37% of people would drive the wrong behaviour.”
choose not to order. Where market demand exists but rental rates are prohibitive,
restaurants are turning to ‘cloud kitchens’ to cook up better profits with no Luxury brands regularly introduce new, exquisite products and accomplish that
front-of-house and no wait staff. Similarly, shoppers abandon online shopping by hiring star designers who inject new concepts and bring along their followers.
carts at clothing retailers when they see the additional shipping costs. So far, Canada Goose is taking a marketing approach.
Amazon and Shopify are both building last mile distribution centres in proximity Fast-growing luxury reseller The RealReal posts an annual list of the top 10
to some of Canada’s larger markets, but free same day or next day deliveries is most-searched-for brands. Gucci and Louis Vuitton are the top two followed
expensive. In search of a solution that lets the company stock more product and by third place Chanel with less than half the interest. Demand for Gucci
fulfill faster, Nordstrom has partnered with two robotics startups, Attabotics and increased by 78 percent but Balenciaga had the most impressive gains taking
Tompkins Robotics, in a test of a new type of automated distribution centre in it to tenth spot for the first time. In the report issued in August, Sasha Skoda,
San Jose, CA. category director for women’s, said that when young visionary designers are
brought on board it helps heritage labels reach the top ten.
“Balenciaga brought in Demna Gvasalia, Louis Vuitton brought in Virgil Abloh
in men’s, and Gucci brought in Alessandro Michele. They all re-imagined the
brands in ways that speak to the Millennial and Gen Z customer base in a way
they previously have not.”
NRF 2020 Preview
Every January, the National Retail Federation hosts the “Big Show” in New York.
Technology suppliers offer retail tools to improve every aspect of merchandise
planning, store operations, e-commerce, distribution and delivery services to
AMEX shop small campaign for the Saturday after Black Friday 2019 packaging, in-store display, consumer tracking and engagement.
One of the challenges retailers have is evaluating which tech is right for them
Digital Marketing Costs Soar and how to affordably integrate the new cloud-based ‘big data’ options into
Search advertising has slowed globally, according to research by WARC. Global their legacy systems in a way that will give them a competitive edge. A full
search ad spend will rise 9.6% this year ($135.5 billion), the slowest rate since roster of candid guest speakers and an Innovation Lounge full of interesting
2015. The share of search internet advertising remains about the same proportion startup ideas provide an opportunity to gather valuable retail insights.
at 45.8%. Google controls 95% of search in Canada, but increased search
competition from Amazon has prompted testing of new revenue sources:
increased ad prominence in search engine results page; increased number of Food for Dinosaurs
ads in the same auctions; and forced search placements to other properties like Department stores and malls have been referred to as retail dinosaurs.
YouTube and Google Maps. Some are successfully avoiding extinction by selling off real estate (HBC) or
That last trend could impact independent retailers. Implementing automated battling back with smaller urban formats supported by smart warehousing and
‘smart’ formats for shopping and local campaigns takes control and distribution (Ikea). Some profitably sub-let space to brands and other retailers.
transparency away from advertisers. Some retailers looking for shoppers with Events, private brands and ‘discovery’ merchandise help to draw traffic.
‘search intent’ may do better by migrating their ad spend to Pinterest, Food also draws shoppers as evidenced by fine dining at Collette inside Holt
YouTube, Quora or Facebook where consumers spend more time researching Renfrew at Yorkdale Mall. Even the smallest retailer can add hospitality to the
before making a purchase decision. shopping experience by setting up a beverage barista, offering packaged foods
In November, Pinterest announced a new profile page in the U.S. called or take-out treats.
Pinterest Shop. Seventeen small brands were ‘selected’ to upload their For inspiration look to the great food halls of the world like the one at Harrods with
catalogues as part of Pinterest’s strategy to offer marketers an alternative to its robust multisensory experience. Harrod’s Motorcar Garage and Workshops
Google, Facebook and, increasingly, Amazon as a destination for their digital actually functioned as a warehouse from 1911 to 2016 when it was transformed
ad buys. If the initiative is successful the roster of businesses may expand to into luxury residences, offices and small ground-floor retail in close proximity
include both USA and international brands. to Chanel, Joseph, J. Crew and Stella McCartney.
18 TRENDS 4January 202044 INDUSTRY NEWS
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IN SP I RATI O N & I N S I G H T
High Fashion Fabrics
A newly refreshed Musée des Tissus
de Lyon has “reinvented itself as a
place of inspiration and reflection
celebrating the textile industry through
fashion, design and digital technology”
An exhibit on until March 8, 2020,
showcases works of the late Yves Christian Louboutin Pigalle shoe,
Saint Laurent featuring a replication © Christian Louboutin
of his studio with colour charts and Photo : Jean Vincent Simone
fabric sample books along with
25 pieces from his haute couture Christian Louboutin
collections from 1962 to 2002. On February 26, the Christian
The exhibit features sketches, muslins, Louboutin L’exhibition[niste] opens
photographs, and finished garments in Paris at the Palais de la Porte
seen only on the runway. Stunning Dorée. Olivier Gabet, director of the
jacquards, chiffon, taffeta and velvets Musée des Arts Décoratifs, with the
created by renowned silk weavers financial sponsorship of Nordstrom,
from the area will also be on display. has curated an exhibit from the designer’s
The show stopper is a gold and private collection.
Yves Saint Laurent jewel-encrusted ‘Shakespeare’ wedding During his adolescence, Louboutin
Shakespeare wedding dress dress from 1980 designed by YSL. lived near the museum that was to
play an influential role in his early
designs beginning in 1991. Forms and
motifs, such as the metallic leathers of
Yves Saint Laurent Cleopatra Dress his Maquereau shoe, were inspired
Spring Summer 1990 haute couture
© Yves Saint Laurent
by the iridescent fish in the museum’s
Photo : Pierre Verrier tropical aquarium. A cartoon of a shoe
with a red ‘X’ forbidding visitors to
wear high-heels was the inspiration
for his iconic Pigalle shoe.
Yves Saint Laurent Yves Saint Laurent silk suit (detail)
Cleopatra dress (detail) Spring Summer 1990 haute couture
Photo : Sophie Carré © Yves Saint Laurent
Photo : Sophie Carré
Canadian Design Excellence
In 2017, Avyn Omel, in St. Mary’s, Ontario, launched her brand of ageless
apparel designed with a dancer’s understanding of the body in motion and an
approach to excellence in craftsmanship. In March 2018, she showed her first
collection in Paris. In 2019, she won the RBC Foundation Design Exchange
(DX) Award for an emerging Canadian fashion designer. The collection is
produced in Veneto, Italy, using Italian and Japanese fabrics, leather and down.
Avyn styles are a minimalist contemporary merge of masculine and feminine
Silk and cotton sateen overcoat and silk plisse dress that draws on earlier work at conceptual fashion design studios in London and
SS20 collection by Canadian designer Avyn Omel Berlin. Her collection for AW 20/21 will show in Paris in February. The collection
Photo : Marina Denisova Courtesy of Avyn Studio Inc. is sold at INK in Hong Kong and Zoven Boutique in Shenzen, China.
20 TRENDS 4January 2020R ETAIL
Many shop windows have gone dark in big once avoided. An additional incentive comes from
cities and small towns, in malls and on main streets. consumers who are willing to pay more for a
Cheap capital, e-commerce competition and perverse shopping experience and personal services from
SUCCESS
tax incentives have combined to make it difficult interesting and locally connected shops.
for some retailers to operate profitably. Some This confluence of market forces might just make
Canadian municipalities and commercial property the best conditions for independent retailers to thrive.
owners have begun to reassess the important role
A Bounty of
Policy shifts can go some way to lifting barriers, but
small retail plays in sustaining their communities. for independent fashion retailers, competition remains
Municipal policies, such as vacancy tax rebates and intense and success requires astute identification
Boutique highest use valuations, have resulted in raised rents, of opportunities, investment in innovative concepts
which hastened the demise of many independent and products, and nimble execution.
Ingenuity retail businesses. While low interest rates have Here are five retailers achieving success in very
helped real estate investors enjoy escalated real different ways. One thing they all have in common
estate values, e-commerce has affected large tenants is a founder with international experience:
By Kirsten Mogg of mall and commercial real estate owners who now NARCES - a petite glamour spot
face their own vacancy challenges. BRIKA - a popup provider
Savvy small retailers launch new business ideas Some landlords have always embraced small unique STYLEARTIST - a cottage industry innovator
while landlords and municipalities begin to recognize retail concepts and even large Real Estate Investment INDOCHINO - a rising star in mass customization
that retail independents have an important role to play. Trusts see the rationale for including retailers they BANK & VOGUE - a remarkable recycler and reseller.
Narces Atelier
New boutique on Davenport Rd. Toronto
Photo : K. Mogg
NA RCES AT E L I E R Narces Atelier
Photo : George Pimentel
A Petite Glamour Spot
Narces Atelier
Canadian designer bridal and eveningwear brand, are on the other. A satin-draped change area is Photo : George Pimentel
NARCES, newly opened a street-front shop on busy toward the back. The overall effect is friendly, fun
Davenport Road, just north of the Bloor-Yorkville and intimate. It is definitely less intimidating than “I love having direct contact with my customers.
area in Toronto. many other bridal and eveningwear boutiques. They tell me what they like.” Wirthenson always
listens to learns. Relationships and a fitting service
The petite space used to be an artist studio, complete “It fits with how I want my customer to feel:
are important in this kind of high fashion retail.
with brightly coloured paint splatters on the floors. comfortable when wearing my gowns and enjoying
Narces designer, Nikki Wirthensohn Yassemi, herself themselves.” “I have been surprised at the amount of walk-in traffic
a painter, wanted to keep the artistic impression. She and husband/business partner Stefan Wirthenson we have had when the boutique is open to the public.”
She added her own splashes on the floor, some neon chose the location because it serves clientele who Like many Canadian designers, even though she has
lighting, velvet benches and enormous mirrors have a lifestyle that requires formal eveningwear a built considerable international business and
decorated with flowers. and cocktail dresses for weddings, social events and regularly participates in runway shows, it is tough to
Her sumptuous contemporary bridal gowns are galas. She offered custom fittings by appointment get local attention. Already she believes that having
hung in alcoves on one side, and colourful, at her old studio and continues the practice at the a street-front retail presence helps to increase
shimmery statement-making eveningwear pieces new location. awareness of the NARCES brand.
22 TRENDS 4January 2020B RIK A
A Transition to Turnkey Retail Solutions
Artisan curator Brika announced plans last summer to reposition as a B2B
marketplace provider. Since 2015, their POS, marketing, distribution and retail
platforms have been proven in-house, at street popup events, at large retailers
like Hudson’s Bay, and at shopping centres like Yorkdale and CF Square One.
Brika now offers its own turnkey temporary retail solution covering staffing,
interior design, inventory curation, merchandising, reporting, moving and storage.
Brika can source appropriate vendors as part of a short-term shopping
experience with a collective theme for customers planning to revitalize or fill
vacant or low-traffic space.
Brika created the ‘Wool Land’ popup in Yorkville Village
Photo : K. Mogg
Nordic Themed Mini Market
Brika partnered with Yorkville Village to craft the ‘WoolLand Nordic & Noël Edit’,
a popup mini market from late October to early January. A complimentary
woolland.ca e-commerce site accompanied its launch featuring style influencer
Liv Judd and Brika co-founder Jen Lee Koss who both have family connections
to Norway and the Nordic lifestyle.
Campisi said the event successfully combined a cold-weather theme with
active outdoor fashion.
“Winter weather was the synergy this time for the Wool Land brand from
Norway and the related Nordic-themed products have done very well.”
Forough compact tote by Zvelle,
the Toronto-based brand of fine
leather handbags and stylish
shoes was among the retail pop-
ups in Yorkville Village in late 2019.
Canadian-made Apres sweater Brika's ‘Wool Land’ popup in Yorkville Village
Photo Courtesy of GOGO Sweaters Photo : K. Mogg
First Capital Realty Inc. Temporary Retail Is Ongoing
The enclosed renovated shopping centre at Yorkville Village in Toronto is The popup retail phenomenon is not going away. As a mini-market curated by
Canada’s premium retail mecca. Much of the nearby street-front retail space is providers such as Brika or as a retail space dedicated to an individual brand,
owned by First Capital Realty Inc., one of Canada's leading developers owning popups are becoming the market expansion tool of choice for online retailers
and operating mixed-use urban real estate. The company is also an active because it is a competitive solution in an era where digital marketing costs and
co-owner and host of Toronto Fashion Week. Still, even a luxury mall owner clutter have escalated. It also benefits both the vendor and the property owner
needs to drive steady foot traffic to its stores and to maximize rent on vacant or by combining physical and digital retail to conduct test marketing that leads to
underutilized common space. a compelling product suited to the location and its shopper audience.
“We have been working with Brika since 2016 to bring new brands and products Campisi expects Yorkville Village to continue to have popups in the smaller retail
in short leasing inside Yorkville Village common areas.” ~ Melissa Campisi, spaces promoting brands that compliment but do not compete with other tenants.
manager of strategic partnerships and event marketing at Yorkville Village
“We have popups right now with Zvelle (fashion footwear and handbags) and
First Capital has assets of $10.6 billion and an interest in 166 properties, about The Good Goddess (nutrition products, chic workout and après-gym wear),
25.1 million square feet of gross leasable area. The company reported a 96.7% which fit perfectly with the fashion and health and wellness interests of our
occupancy rate on September 30, 2019 with a net rental rate increase of 11.8% clientele. They each have a strong online presence, but are not available
over the previous year. anywhere else at retail in Toronto.”
TRENDS 4January 2020 2344 RETAIL SUCCESS
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S T YLEART I S T
Style With Service
Port Carling is the municipal centre of the District of Muskoka Lakes and has
an established population of 6,588. The local Chamber of Commerce lists 38
shops. One might think the only fashion finds in Muskoka are casual t-shirts,
shorts, boat shoes, and the occasional fleece hoodie for cool nights. So why did
Catherine Abela open her first fashion-conscious StyleArtist retail location
there?
Photo Courtesy of StyeArtist
The challenges of a short season, short-supply employees and online competition
were some of the issues recently tackled at an event hosted by the Muskoka Small
Business Centre featuring longtime retail consultant, Barbara Crowhurst.
Corey Moore, the communications and economic development specialist for
the Township of Muskoka Lakes, says that there isn’t much in the way of
data or economic development grants to assist local business owner’s who are
directed to the Chamber of Commerce for resources and training or to The
Small Business Centre for loans through Muskoka Futures.
The municipality along with two others in the area (Lake of Bays, Georgian Bay)
and three BIA’s (Bracebridge, Gravenhurst and Huntsville), applied jointly and
won a $60,000 grant from the Ontario program for digital transformation of
small main streets.
“The group received the Digital Main Street grant and we will be launching a
program with a local squad in early 2020 to help local businesses develop their
online presence,” Corey Moore confirmed in December.
Testing the Waters - Timing Store Openings
Abela is ahead of the game having first tested her retail concept online.
“StyleArtist launched in 2017 as an online only shop, yet after the first year
StyleArtist fashions on the dock of business we received many requests for an in-person shopping experience.
at Duke’s Marina, Port Carling In 2018 we tested a couple of pop up shops, one in Muskoka and one in
Photo Courtesy of StyeArtist
midtown Toronto, and both proved successful.”
“Spending a good part of my summers in Muskoka over the years, I recognized In 2019, Abela leased her first permanent small space in Port Carling’s historic
an underserved market and the opportunity to bring a Toronto store to the Lakes. Duke’s waterfront marina, a busy hub of activity during the summer.
The women spending their summers in Muskoka are largely my target customers, The 1930’s building was originally a boat repair workshop purchased in 2011
including existing clients.” by Kathy McCarthy and Jeremy Fowler who restored the building and divided
it into several commercial spaces.
Abela’s retail instincts were right. The Muskoka lakes are a summertime play-
ground for Toronto area and international folk who have enjoyed the area’s Abela chose a location off the main shopping street as StyleArtist would be open
waters and natural wonders since roads, steamships and railroads made the area only during the peak summer and shoulder seasons. Last spring, the opening
more accessible around the time of Confederation. was delayed due to record flooding, but the store was busy every day - not just
on weekends.
Today, a more sophisticated Muskoka offers Pilates classes, shopping at marinas
and popular dockside lunch spots. It boasts high-end associations such as
‘Cottage Country’ and ‘Hamptons of the North’. More luxury waterfront homes
Social Shopping
than rustic cabins now perch on the rugged landscape dotted with rocks, trees As a buyer for Town Shoes and Hudson’s Bay, Abela understood how today’s
and historic retreats like the Victorian-era Windemere House on Lake Rosseau. customers prefer to shop and she developed a keen eye for spotting fashion that
will sell. A travelling executive with a busy family life, she has developed some
Local Knowledge and Resources practical tips for building a closet that makes getting dressed for work, leisure
In summer, the population swells to 27,000. One can expect such a seasonal or travel less stressful. Above all, she recognized a need by some women to be
boom of cottagers and visitors to benefit local businesses and, anecdotally fashionably dressed at work or on the dock without wasting time shopping for
at least, tourism and residential construction businesses are booming. clothes. Not everyone enjoys endless scrolling online to find a suitable fashion
However, data on tourist spending and consumer shopping patterns is lacking. and fit.
Understanding such a highly seasonal market is critical to any retail business “Our business model is a little unique. A significant amount of our revenue
plan and to retailers attempting to assess prospective locations. is generated through shopping parties and personal shopping appointments.”
24 TRENDS 4January 2020You can also read
