Researching online for a column about suburbanites who dress up concrete lawn geese to match the season, the first hit connects me to Nancy Gardner, Class of 1968 Kaneland High School graduate, former Playboy bunny and the queen of lawn goose fashion. "At one point, I had six designers," says Gardner, 68, whose Lawn Goose Designs international internet business has been selling an assortment of concrete lawn geese and goslings, and hundreds of outfits for them, for the past 25 years. Her cheapest costume -- a summery barbecue chef outfit with a red-and-white checked apron, a white chef hat and cooking utensils to hang around a goose's neck -- sells for $21.79. Her most expensive outfit -- an elaborate Elvis jumpsuit with collar and bell-bottoms, flashy red cape with trim, wig and stylish glasses -- sells for $42.79. In between are outfits listed alphabetically from Amish Lady goose to the wintry Wool Coat goose, which she has sold to customers as far away as England, Scotland and … [Read more...] about Constable: From Playboy bunny to queen of lawn goose fashion
Fashion
Deal for Versace shakes up luxury fashion world
PARIS — It’s official: America has its first global luxury group. Michael Kors’ purchase of the Italian brand Versace for $2.1 billion vaults the company — to be renamed Capri Holdings, after the Italian island — into the ranks of fashion conglomerates, a rarefied world defined by Kering and LVMH Möet Hennessy Louis Vuitton. In his announcement Tuesday, John Idol, chief executive of Kors, called it a “milestone.” He was right, and not just in terms of Kors but in terms of the fashion and luxury industry itself. There are implications that go beyond the purely financial to the root of luxury identity and the international fashion world. And they have the potential to be as disruptive, and formative, as any revenue stream. They speak to national pride, and to luxury’s sense of its own history. And that is why, even as analysts muse over the stock-price implications, consumers have taken to Donatella Versace’s Instagram feed to … [Read more...] about Deal for Versace shakes up luxury fashion world
Destroying Unsold Clothes Is Fashion’s Dirty Secret. And We’re Complicit.
IMPACT 09/29/2018 05:00 am ET We may be shocked that brands burn and shred wearable clothes, but it's inevitable for a system that pumps out billions of pieces a year. By Lucy Siegle You get the sense that luxury fashion label Burberry very much regrets its decision to burn $38 million of unsold stock rather than let it fall into the wrong hands. It was embarrassing. The Burberry burn — #burnberry on social media — broke as a huge story in July, just two months after the brand announced it was a core signatory to Making Fashion Circular, an initiative aiming to design waste out of fashion and keep resources in circulation. When you cremate clothes, that’s obviously not going to happen. The materials are lost. It’s the antithesis of the circular economy. The company moved to stem the fierce criticism and this month announced it would immediately cease incinerating clothes. But the backlash shined some light on the practice of … [Read more...] about Destroying Unsold Clothes Is Fashion’s Dirty Secret. And We’re Complicit.
COTERIE Partners with Australian Fashion Council to Launch and Expand Distribution of Brands in the U.S. Market
/EIN News/ -- NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Coterie, the premier global women’s fashion event, is partnering with the Australian Fashion Council (AFC), a non-for-profit membership organization which works to promote the growth of the textile and fashion industry in Australia, to introduce Australian brands to the U.S. market. On October 9th, Coterie will host a seminar in Sydney from 4pm to 6pm at the QT Hotel, 49 Market Street, Sydney NSW in the Central Business District to present a detailed overview of how to successfully enter the U.S. market as an Australian brand and additional pertinent information on exhibiting at Coterie. While the conversation will focus on fashion brands, beauty and skincare brands are welcome to attend, and sought after in Beauty @ COTERIE, as well. “Australian brands have been increasing in popularity over the last 5 years and Coterie has helped to grow their footprint in the North American market. We are excited to … [Read more...] about COTERIE Partners with Australian Fashion Council to Launch and Expand Distribution of Brands in the U.S. Market
DC Fashion Week Features International Hybrid Designs
WASHINGTON — Fashion designer Ellen London uses textiles from all over the world in her designs, sometimes mixing them — combining a Thai fabric, for example — with one from the U.S. Appalachian region. “I believe that textiles and fashion have an idea to teach people about understanding and connection of different cultures through fabric,” London told VOA during a recent showing during (Washington) DC Fashion Week. As a former Peace Corps volunteer, London discovered what she calls her “gypsy” spirit. It has taken her all over the world in search of native textiles that she converts into “wearable” art with the help of her Thai design partner and a group of female tailors. According to her website, her collection includes “East and West African wax and printed fabrics, washed silks and cotton wovens from Thailand, and designer-created Japanese Shibori and Nigerian Adire batik techniques on some of our new designs. … [Read more...] about DC Fashion Week Features International Hybrid Designs