Industry News – June 2nd, 2016

Curated fashion industry news links for Thursday, June 2nd, 2016…

LOVE IS LOVE: WORLD PRIDE 2016 – AmericanEagleOutfittersBlog
“For the fourth year, American Eagle Outfitters is proud to be a supporter of Pittsburgh Pride taking place on the streets of downtown close to our Headquarters on June 12th. And there are many events taking place all over the globe this month! On June 26th, New York City and San Francisco will be hosting their annual themed March and Pride Parade, respectively. We wanted to support the cause too! So we designed limited edition “Love is Love” t-shirts, underwear and temporary tattoos that will be sold in select stores and online! To help ensure that these events continue to take place all over the globe, 100% of sales will be donated to InterPride. Read on to learn more about InterPride, what they stand for and the amazing work that they do.”

LULULEMON FOUNDER SLAMS COMPANY MANAGEMENT, BOARD – RetailingToday
“Wilson, the company’s largest shareholder with a 14.2% stake, on Wednesday issued an open letter to investors in which he sharply criticized the apparel retailer’s management, calling its competence “uninspiring at best.” He called for annual election of the board to hold members accountable for Lululemon’s performance. Declaring his love for Lululemon and its employees, Wilson said he remains the chain’s biggest believer and supporter.”

KANYE’S LATEST SHOES ARE DROPPING JUNE 6 – GQ
“Kanye’s new Yeezy 750 Boosts are set to hit shelves later this month, but it’s a different Kanye-designed shoe that’s dropping this week. Dubbed simply the “crepe sole boots,” this footwear originally made its debut at the Yeezy Season 2 showroom in Paris. The style is an ultra-high boot that draws inspiration from military boots (much like the Adidas 1050 boots that released alongside Yeezy Season 1), and is a perfect example of West’s dusty-hued, oversize aesthetic. But two things set these apart from the 1050s: 1) Those crepe soles, like the ones on Kanye’s favorite Chelsea boots, and 2) They are not made by Adidas.”

SMART CLOTHING TO DISRUPT FASHION’S FUTURE; MARKET TO TOP 18 MILLION ARTICLES IN 2021 – PRNewswire
“Smart clothing will soon extend beyond fitness to target a wide range of personal, health, and enterprise uses, disrupting traditional fashion trends. In new analysis by ABI Research, the leader in transformative technology innovation market intelligence, the smart clothing market will top 18 million clothing articles annually by 2021, a 48% CAGR.”

IN HER WORDS: FEMALE DESIGNERS TALK EMPOWERING WOMEN THROUGH SHOES – FootwearNews
“For fall ’16, distinctive footwear styles are envisioned by women, for women. Here, we asked 12 leading female designers to share personal thoughts on handpicked shoes — from platforms to loafers — and what it means to empower in them. The through line? Forward-thinking design and a sense of wearability.”