Industry News – May 3rd, 2016

Curated fashion industry news links for Tuesday, May 3rd, 2016…

AEROPOSTALE PREPARING TO FILE FOR BANKRUPTCY THIS WEEK – TheWallStreetJournal
“Aéropostale Inc. is preparing to file for bankruptcy protection this week and close more than 100 stores, according to people familiar with the matter, as the teen-apparel retailer contends with mounting losses and falling sales.”

AT THE MET GALA, MINIMALISM IS A RELATIVE TERM – TheNewYorkTimes
“The theme of the exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Anna Wintour Costume Center this year was fashion and technology. This meant that people like Andrew Bolton, the museum’s new head curator, along with Jonathan Ive of Apple — who served as a sponsor — spoke in lofty tones about the dichotomies of man versus machine, haute couture versus ready-to-wear, hand-sewn versus mass produced. For lay people, it meant a carefully curated exhibit of wild designer gowns and a gala celebration on Monday night at which the bulk of celebrity attendants wore metallics.”

FAST-GROWING RETAILER TAPS ROOTS CANADA EXEC AS PRESIDENT – RetailingToday
“Kit and Ace announced that Wendy Bennison has been named president. Interim CEO Paul Wilson will resume his role as CEO of Hold It All Inc.“We feel very fortunate to have Wendy on board,” said Wilson. “She is a proven leader with an incredible depth of knowledge in the retail marketplace – both here in Canada and internationally. We’re confident that there is no better person to helm the next phase of our growth.” Bennison joins Kit and Ace from Roots Canada Ltd., where she served as president and COO. While at Roots, Bennison’s primary focus was the expansion of company’s category portfolio, as well as increasing sales and profitability by growing merchandise margins and reducing overhead.”

HOW THE ARMARIUM APP MADE PREPPING FOR THE MET GALA LESS INTIMIDATING – Pret-a-Reporter
“Enter Armarium. Launched in April, the startup allows users to borrow rare and ultra-luxe runway pieces through either their mobile app, e-commerce site or New York City showroom. With everything from silk Valentino gowns and ruffled Roberto Cavalli skirts to crystal Marchesa clutches and ostrich feather headbands by Eric Javits — the experience can feel like having a magazine’s fashion closet at the tips of your fingers. Where Armarium takes their one-stop-rental-shop idea a step further, though, is with their Style Brigade — a team of stylists who can assist with day-of dressing needs.”

MODELS FROM OLD NAVY’S INTERRACIAL FAMILY AD HAVE SOME WORDS FOR THE HATERS – Yahoo!Style
“This weekend, racist trolls on Twitter got up in arms over an Old Navy ad featuring an interracial family, because it’s 1916 and not 2016 — and, also, people are terrible. But don’t worry: Not all of humanity is this disappointing. The backlash to the ad was met with its own backlash and an outpouring of people expressing support for the ad and the display that love comes in many different colors.”