Industry News – March 15th, 2016

Curated fashion industry news links for Tuesday, March 15th, 2016…

FOREVER 21 IS UNDER FIRE FOR A “RAPEY” T-SHIRT – Yahoo!
“People are not happy with a men’s Forever 21 shirt. The shirt, pictured above, has been criticized by Cosmopolitan’s Hannah Smothers for being “incredibly rapey.” Racked’s Cameron Wolf seconded that notion, writing that “the T-shirt’s slogan is highly suggestive of rape and it’s shocking that it was ever even suggested, let alone produced and made for sale.” However, some commenters on the women’s websites are suggesting otherwise.”

YOU CAN SOON PAY FOR YOUR AMAZON ORDER WITH A SELFIE – Hypebeast
“Amazon has been introducing a ton of innovative ideas lately, but its latest might just be the best one. The e-commerce behemoth just filed a patent to for a “Pay By Selfie” technology, where one can take a selfie picture or video to authorize payments as opposed to keying in a password. The method is aimed to make it safer for shoppers to buy article online by relying on photo identification as opposed to a password — which can be hard to remember and dangerous if stolen. According to the patent, the camera “can prompt the user to perform certain actions, motions, or gestures, such as to smile, blink, or tilt his or her head.” These actions are so the computer can prove that it’s a real person, and not an impostor holding up a photo or video.”

ABERCROMBIE & FITCH HAS QUIETLY ABANDONED ONE OF ITS MOST NOTORIOUS RULES – Business Insider
“Abercrombie & Fitch is in the process of a transformation. One major change? The retailer now sells black apparel. This is a sharp detour from its previous policies regarding the color. In 2013, Business Insider’s Ashley Lutz reported that the company was staunchly against selling black apparel. Further, according to the company’s stringent dress code, employees were forbidden from donning black clothes at the retail and corporate levels. Much of the blame lay with then CEO Mike Jeffries.”

AMAZON IS MAKING IT EVEN HARDER FOR J. CREW AND GAP TO TURN AROUND BUSINESS – Business Insider
“Many traditional retailers have been fighting to survive. But now they face another challenge: Amazon. Amazon’s fashion sector is a huge threat to these retailers, Thomas Lee of The San Francisco Chronicle writes. Lee points to a Bloomberg story from this past summer in which Cowen and Co. estimated that Amazon would surpass Macy’s by 2017. ”

KOHL’S OVERHAULS ITS LARGEST PRIVATE HOME AND FASHION BRAND – RetailingToday
“Kohl’s has unveiled a re-launch of its Sonoma Goods for Life private brand that includes new designs, in-store and online. “As part of Kohl’s Greatness Agenda, we want to inspire our customers by giving them amazing products that deepen their engagement with our brand,” said Michelle Gass, Kohl’s chief merchandising and customer officer. “Sonoma Goods For Life is one of Kohl’s largest brands and also represents the greatest opportunity for growth. We’re elevating the collection and creating a more exciting and cohesive offering. We believe that the new Sonoma will resonate with our customers and build great momentum for Kohl’s.””

ADIDAS ORIGINALS GIVES PHARRELL WILLIAMS HIS OWN SIGNATURE SNEAKER – Hyperbeast
“After it emerged that singer Pharrell Williams contributed a far greater portion of sales at adidas than the Yeezy Boost thanks to his Superstar range, the sportswear giant has appropriately designed a signature silhouette for the i am OTHER founder. Recently unveiled on Pharrell’s Instagram, the new sneaker is called the adidas Originals PW ZX333, and takes design cues from the ZX lineage for a neoprene construction rendered in an eye-catching shade of teal — very much in line with Pharrell’s previous flamboyantly colored footwear designs.”