Industry News – April 27th, 2016

Curated fashion industry news links for Wednesday, April 27th, 2016…

TOPSHOP AND NET-A-PORTER HAVE COLLABORATED ON A COLLECTION JUST IN TIME FOR SUMMER’S EVENTS – Nylon
“Get ready to kick off your summer’s social calendar on a high fashion note. Topshop Unique, Topshop’s higher-end runway collection, and Net-A-Porter have collaborated on a capsule collection, inspired by the Henley Royal Regatta, the annual British rowing event that takes place every July. The High Summer collection is comprised of 20 pieces, ranging from tea party floral dresses and blouses to open knit sweater vests, as well as a to-die-for black-and-white striped suit (swoon!), all inspired by the English social season. The range is meant to take you from a cricket match to summer wedding, with a slew of casual, yet elegant, daytime pieces as well as more formal looks.”

ATHLETA JUST LAUNCHED A MAJOR COMPETITOR TO LULULEMON’S KIDS’ LINE – Business Insider
“Athleta is encroaching in on Lululemon’s turf. The company just launched its kids’ line, Athleta Girl, today, Racked reports. The company had announced that it would be launching this line back in January. “A girls’ line is something our customers have been asking for – girls today want to dress sporty. They are living more active lives. We see Athleta Girl as an opportunity to offer her clothes that are comfortable, stylish, high-quality, built to move and will perform for her. We are also looking forward to inspiring her with amazing products and engaging experiences,” Brand President Nancy Green said in an email to Racked.”

COACH’S TURNAROUND IS FINALLY TAKING HOLD – Business Insider
“The retailer on Tuesday said North American same-store sales were unchanged in the fiscal third quarter. Sure, it doesn’t sound like much, but last quarter the same measure was down 4%, and this time last year comparable sales were down 23%. And overall net sales rose 11%, also an improvement from the previous quarter.  This is a big improvement. Until recently, the fear about Coach was that it was too ubiquitous to maintain its popularity – a kiss of death for luxury brands.”

ADIDAS RAISES 2016 OUTLOOK AS IT TURNS TABLES ON NIKE – Fashion Mag
“Germany’s Adidas gained ground on larger U.S. rival Nike at the start of 2016, reporting a jump in quarterly sales and profits and raising its outlook for the year, sending its shares to an all-time high. Adidas is benefiting from collaborations with celebrities such as Kanye West and Pharrell Williams and has scored major fashion hits with retro Superstar and Stan Smith sneakers.”

PIA MIA NAMED FASHION DIRECTOR OF MADONNA’S MATERIAL GIRL LABEL – Footwear News
“Madonna has strong track record when it comes to identifying “it” girls. Since launching her fashion label Material Girl in 2010 with Iconix Brand Group Inc. and her manager, Guy Oseary, the hitmaker has tapped breakout stars such as Rita Ora, Zendaya and Georgia May Jagger to front the brand. Her newest partner is recording artist and social media favorite Pia Mia, who has been named fashion director for Material Girl.”

J.C. PENNEY EXPANDING ITS 10-YEAR RELATIONSHIP WITH SEPHORA – RetailingToday
“The number of Sephora shops inside J.C. Penney stores is about to increase. The department store retailer announced it will open 60 additional Sephora shops in Penney stores, including a flagship set to open in November. At 3,000-sq.-ft., the flagship will be one of the largest Sephora stores inside a Penney store to date. Located in the newly relocated Penney at Northridge Mall, Salinas, California, it will feature a larger assortment of emerging brands, merchandise displays and expanded room for service. The average size of Sephora inside Penney is 2,000 sq. ft.  Nearly half of the 60 new Sephora shops will open on April 29, with the majority to be open by June 17, presenting an opportunity to capture greater market share before the key back-to-school and holiday shopping periods, the company said.  When Sephora made its debut inside Penney in 2006, it was a revolutionary concept, noted Angela Swanner, senior VP for Sephora inside J.C. Penney.”