Industry News – October 7th, 2016

Curated fashion industry news links for Friday, October 7th, 2016…

THIS HIP, WEIRD CLOTHING STORE WANTS TO TAKE OVER AMERICA – Bloomberg
“ModCloth, the seller of vintage-inspired clothing and accessories, is finally growing up. Once, the hip online retailer sold almost nothing but weird, nutty fashion items for the retro girl. Now, as mainstream sellers of “normal” clothing retreat in the face of teen rejection, the company hopes to fill the breach and attract a wider set of shoppers—in part by modulating its wacky aesthetic.”

ALEXA CHUNG ON HER NEW UGGS COLLABORATION, AND WHY SHE MIGHT LOVE SHOES MORE THAN BOYS – Vogue
“It’s a rainy Thursday morning in the German capital and one of Britain’s chicest—and perhaps, most self-deprecating—exports, dressed in a plunging, apple green Réalisation print dress and a pair of black classic short Ugg boots, is about to announce the online campaign she art directed for the brand.”

L BRANDS TOPS STREET IN SEPTEMBER AS SOME OTHERS DISAPPOINT – ChainStoreAge
“The retailer’s results were fueled by a 9% increase in comp sales at its Bath & Body Works brand. L Brands’ net sales rose 6% to $919.9 million in September. The handful of other retailers who still report same-store sales did not fare so well.”

WARBY PARKER, BONOBOS HAVE BIG PLANS FOR PHYSICAL STORES – TheWallStreetJournal
“The chief executives of Warby Parker and Bonobos—two of the largest e-commerce-driven retail brands in the U.S.—say they would consider building store footprints comparable to those of some traditional retailers.”

CHICO’S FAS, INC. ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF DIANE ELLIS AS PRESIDENT OF ITS CHICO’S BRAND – PRNewswire
“Ms. Ellis has more than 35 years of retail experience and joins Chico’s from The Limited, where she served as chief executive officer and was instrumental in driving the strategy behind the company’s growth and business transformation over the past three years. Prior to The Limited, Ms. Ellis was president and chief operating officer of Brooks Brothers, where she led the stores, ecommerce, IT, HR, sourcing, product development, finance, supply chain and planning functions in support of the global operations of the brand.”

ALTRA HAS A NEW SHOE READY FOR THE NYC MARATHON – FootwearNews
“The TCS New York City Marathon is a month away, and running’s top brands are starting to deliver race-themed sneakers for its runners to wear. Coming next week is a drop from Altra, dressing its best-selling road shoe with graphics inspired by the Big Apple.”