Industry News – April 18th, 2016

Curated fashion industry news links for Monday, April 18th, 2016…

FRED MOSSLER REFLECTS ON HIS TIME AT ZAPPOS – FootwearNews
“Mossler, who doesn’t have a formal title at Zappos, has been with the shoe e-tailer for 17 years. He helped to build the business into a powerful force in the industry, driving many brick-and-mortar merchants to begin more seriously experimenting with e-commerce and focusing on how to better serve customers online.”

RETAILERS LINING UP FOR SPORTS AUTHORITY ASSETS – RetailingToday
“On Thursday, Sports Authority was granted approval from the court to push back the planned auction from April 25 to May 16 amid “substantial” interest from several potential bidders. Nearly all of the chain’s assets―its stores, intellectual property and website — are on the block. Dick’s, based in Coraopolis, Penn., is the nation’s largest sporting goods chain, with approximately 600 stores nationwide. Texas-based Academy Sports operates approximately 200 stores, primarily in the South. Modell’s, based in New York City operates more than 150 locations mostly on on the East Coast.”

IN LONDON, ‘UNDRESSED’ UNVEILS THE HISTORY OF UNDERWEAR – TheNewYorkTimes
“This month, the luxury department store Selfridges unveiled its Body Studio, a 37,000-square-foot space dedicated to off-duty dressing, and an exhibition described as the largest ever devoted to the subject opened Saturday at the Victoria and Albert Museum. “Undressed: A Brief History of Underwear” examines the big role that undergarments have played in shaping cultural attitudes, gender tensions and shifting style trends, and it helps to explain our endless fascination with what lies beneath.”

POP-UPS MAY FIZZLE AS THE ECONOMY IMPROVES – Forbes
“However, landlords could stop the pop-up craze. Despite the excitement pop-ups can bring to a shopping center, the assumption is that many landlords will prefer the predictable cash flow of a long-term lease. Demand for pop-ups might also crash if they weren’t a bargain. A Guardian article noted that pop-up rents for the High Street fashion district last fall rivaled permanent shops.”

TARGET’S MARIMEKKO COLLECTION DRAWS MUTED RESPONSE – TheWallStreetJournal
“Target Corp. held its annual designer sale Sunday, but this year’s collaboration with Finland’s Marimekko failed to spark the excitement of previous collections when frenzied shoppers cleaned out stores and crashed Target’s website.”