Industry News – July 28th, 2016

Curated fashion industry news links for Thursday, July 28th, 2016…

UNDER ARMOUR TO PARTNER WITH KOHL’S IN PUSH TO BECOME MAINSTREAM – Bloomberg
“The partnership — more than two years in the making — gives Under Armour greater access to the suburban, middle-class consumers with whom the brand already is popular. For Kohl’s, the deal expands its selection of national brands and bolsters its efforts to become a destination for athletic apparel, said Michelle Gass, the chain’s chief merchandising and customer officer. While the retailer has been struggling to boost clothing sales, one category that is seeing consistent demand is activewear and accessories, which grew 15 percent at Kohl’s last year, Gass said.”

VINEYARD VINES ANNOUNCES SPONSORSHIP WITH GERMAIN RACING AND CASEY MEARS – PR Newswire
“Brothers Shep and Ian Murray, CEOs and co-founders of vineyard vines, have just announced a partnership with NASCAR Germain Racing and driver Casey Mears, for five upcoming races in 2016. vineyard vines is one of the first lifestyle clothing brands to be associated with a NASCAR team, and their whale logo will be prominently displayed on the No. 13 Germain Racing car and the driver’s fire suit.”

ONLINE KID’S APPAREL BRAND MAKES RETAIL DEBUT WITH SUBSCRIPTION MODEL – RetailingToday
“A new start-up is looking to take the hassle out of shopping for kid’s clothing and accessories. Rockets of Awesome was created by a team of parents with experience in retail and technology, according to a report by Crain’s New York Business. The company will offer its own designed and manufactured boys’ and girls’ clothing, sending a 12-item box four times a year to subscribers, the report said.”

THIS SHOE BRAND JUST LAUNCHED—BUT IT’S ALREADY A RED CARPET STAPLE – Vogue
“Neil J. Rodgers knows a thing or about what goes into a great red carpet moment. In his 15 years as a stylist, working with the likes of Beyoncé, Gisele Bündchen, Anna Kendrick, Gerard Butler, Gugu Mbatha Raw, and Joe Manganiello, he’s been responsible for more than a few of them. Now the L.A.-based Brit is throwing his own hat into the sartorial ring, debuting an eponymous line of luxury shoes that will delight A-listers and us mere mortals alike.”

HOW VF CORP. IS MAKING SURE IT WILL KEEP GROWING – Forbes
“Mr. Wiseman treats his coalition like a portfolio manager and makes changes in order to reflect the times. At the same time the company is working on new ideas that can benefit all the coalitions.”

LVMH THRIVES ON SELLING FRENCHNESS TO AMERICANS – WallStreetJournal
“Few brands are as exposed to European tourism as Louis Vuitton. Given the recent slew of terrorist outbursts on the continent, which have made wealthy Asians and Americans more reluctant to travel there, parent group LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton is showing surprising resilience.”