Shoes and accessories TruePDF march 2019

Contentsmarch 201908 The Month That Was | Updates India | International 24 Launch Trends Editor’s Pick 28 Trends | What We Spotted Spotted this Month 32 Brand Watch | StruT Bags at Guilt

Trends • MarkeTing • reTailing

March 2019 // Vol 11 // No 03 // `100 // US$20

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Spirit of Adventure

KalKi Koechlin’s

creative head hariom sharma

graphic designer Deepak Shakya

production

sr general manager manish kadam

assistant manager ramesh gupta

circulation

logistics support shyam singh

Trends • MarkeTing • reTailing

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Editor: Amitabh Taneja

A third of all Chinese rivers are currently classified as too polluted for direct human contact.

Alongside environmental concerns, fast fashion is also affecting social cohesion Low wages and pollution mean locals are no longer willing

to work in the factories and so immigrants from poorer provinces have moved in to do the work This has even caused riots between locals and in-comers.

To remain viable in a marketplace demanding sustainability, manufacturers must be able to demonstrate compliance with sustainable practices This means independent oversight.

Manufacturers and suppliers of clothing, textiles and footwear need

to find ways to prove sustainability to an ever more demanding customer-base.

AMITABH TANEJA

Editor-in-Chief

Contentsmarch 2019

08) The Month That Was | Updates

India | International

24) Launch Trends Editor’s Pick

28) Trends | What We Spotted Spotted this Month

32) Brand Watch | StruT

Bags at Guilt-Free Prices

35) Brand Watch | Hush Puppies

Treating the World to Their Favorite Shoe

40) Trend Report | Lakme Fashion Week

Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2019 Trends

50) Seminar | Global Perspective

Global Perspective on Indian Leather Sector

56) Expressions | Hidesign

She Loves Adventure

62) Trade Meet | Lee Cooper

Lee Cooper Hosts Autumn Winter 2019 Range Preview

66) Trade Event | Fashion Access

Fashion Access Hong Kong 2019

68) Report | Global Footwear Executive Summit

Agility in Action!

70) Trade Event | IILF

India International Leather Fair: Largest global leather event in Asia

78) Fashion Show | Chennai Leather Fashion Show ’19

Runway Bike

84) Opinion | Sustainable Business

Introducing Environmental Changes at Business

86) Opinion | Handbag Industry

Indian Handbag Industry

88) Trade Event | Designers Fair 2019

Designers Fair: To Boost Manufacturing Opportunities for Indian Entrepreneurs

94) Style File | Trailblazers

2019 Grammys: From the Red Carpet

The Month That Was | Updates I India

Da Milano bags ‘Dynamic Retailer of the Year’

Da Milano has been honored as the most

‘Dynamic Retailer of the Year’ at the ET NOW Global Awards for Excellence in Retail Marketing held at Taj Land’s End

in Mumbai The award brought together retail giants across sectors that were nominated under various categories

On receiving this honor Sahil Malik, Managing Director, Da Milano said, “It

is always a pleasure to be recognized for all the hard work you put in It is motivational not only for me, but the entire Da Milano team I would like to thank ET Now Global Awards for Retail Excellence for honoring us with the prestigious award.”

Presented by ET Now and organized

by Asia Retail Congress, Global Awards for Retail Excellence is widely recognized

as one of the most prestigious awards in Asia The platform recognizes disruptors, high-achievers, and leaders under various categories in the retail space and honors them for their remarkable contribution to the sector

Da Milano has demonstrated exemplary growth as the brand has scaled newer heights in this fiercely competitive market space of fashion retail

Adding yet another title to its roster

of honors, the prestigious award was accepted by Sahil Malik Managing Director

of Da Milano Under Sahil’s competent direction of over two decades, the brand has witnessed brisk expansion to become one of the leaders in the retail space

Sahil Malik

Puma Partners with Mary Kom

Global sports brand PUMA has announced

their partnership with world boxing

champion, Mary Kom Magnificent Mary, as

she is popularly called, has signed a two

year deal with the brand With this, Mary is

now PUMA India’s new ambassador for their

women’s training category and shall represent

the brand in marketing campaigns in the

Talking about the association with PUMA, Mary said, “Being a woman and a mother

I have faced several challenges that I have powered through thanks to my family and team PUMA as a brand has always believed

in supporting and encouraging women, which made it a perfect fit for me PUMA products are a fusion of high technology

march 2019

With the plan to aggressively extend its

footprint in India, K Swiss has appointed BFL

Brand Folio Pvt Ltd, incorporated in 2018 in

New Delhi, as its licensee of brand K-Swiss for

India Kamal Gupta CEO of BFL Brand Folio

Pvt Ltd says, “We are planning to expand

rapidly in India by opening exclusive brand

stores and shop-in-shop formats with all the

potential key accounts and online Portals in

the year 2019 We are planning to open 5

exclusive K-Swiss brand stores by the end

of December 2019 and also start K-Swiss

business with all potential key accounts by

starting 100 shop-in-shops within the same

timeline.”

Founded in 1966, K-Swiss is a heritage

American tennis brand Since its inception,

K-Swiss has represented innovation, quality,

performance and style Its signature K-Swiss

“CLASSIC,” the first leather tennis shoe, made

years later is still a style staple Today, K-Swiss has expanded from tennis footwear, to include lifestyle and training footwear that stands

up to the performance demands of class athletes and trendsetters alike K-Swiss became an acclaimed worldwide style statement both on and off the court K-Swiss' modern brand mission is to outfit and inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs

world-To emphasize on K-Swiss business proposition in India, Kamal says, "While our competitors are Nike, Adidas, Reebok, Puma, Fila, our business focus will be on K-Swiss tennis performance range, premium dress sneakers and Gen-K collection, positioning K-Swiss brand as a leading brand in India for young entrepreneurs and upcoming CEOs who are the new heroes of youth culture.” He added, "On the choice of locations for K-Swiss exclusive stores, we will be focusing on the

We are primarily targeting Delhi, NCR, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Cochin and Chennai We will also unveil the K-Swiss Autumn/Winter collection for the year 2019 in our new office at Golf Course Extension Road, Gurgaon.”

Skechers buys Future Group’s 49% in joint venture

Future Group has exited its joint venture with

US lifestyle and footwear brand Skechers,

which will now run the Indian operations

independently Though the company didn’t

disclose the deal size, it is believed that

Skechers paid nearly `580 crore for the 49%

stake that it doesn’t hold in the JV

Skechers, which entered India in 2012,

has been doubling its business with plans to

add its own manufacturing units and newer

categories Globally, the retailer sells watches,

apparel, socks and sunglasses, among other

merchandise The brand has about 223 stores,

including 61, which are company owned

An additional 80 to 100 stores are planned

for 2019—of which approximately 20 will be

company-owned, company-operated

“The effort of our team has resulted in

significant growth as illustrated in our

year-over-year numbers — 2018 saw double-digit

increases in wholesale and retail sales and

an 80% increase in pairs sold, reaching 2.7 million,” said Michael Greenberg, President

of Skechers in a statement The company believes that combining the experienced team and Skechers’ proven sales and marketing capabilities will allow it to grow the brand and its presence in a faster, more efficient manner, ultimately meeting its fullest potential The Skechers India subsidiary will continue operating under its existing structure and from its existing headquarters location in Mumbai “Skechers is still a relatively young brand in this country, having been in India for less than a decade, yet in the last five years,

we have seen significant growth through our joint venture,” stressed Michael “The substantial existing retail network of over 200 stores, a strong wholesale business, and a recently launched e-commerce site is a solid

foundation that we can build upon These accomplishments, as well as opportunities

we see to increase the brand’s exposure and drive sales, give us great optimism and confidence for the growth of Skechers in India.”

According to Rahul Vira, CEO, Skechers South Asia, “Skechers in India has achieved great success over the past few years As we look into the future, we are delighted to be a wholly-owned subsidiary of Skechers This development will enable us to amplify our growth plans, accelerate the expansion of our operations and build a stronger network to further gain market share in India.”

According to David Weinberg, chief operating officer of Skechers, few markets match the potential for growth of India, which

is why the company entered the market initially, and why it recently decided to purchase the minority stake in the joint venture “The effort of our team has resulted in significant growth as illustrated

in our year-over-year numbers—2018 saw double-digit increases in wholesale and retail sales and an 80 percent increase in pairs sold, reaching 2.7 million We believe the strength of our diverse product and our marketing insight will help expand our product offering in India As a subsidiary,

we will be able to leverage our capital, product, logistics, and business model to better maximize our brand exposure to the 1.3 billion consumers in this country,” added Weinberg Skechers is a $4.64 billion global leader in the performance and lifestyle footwear industry, Skechers USA, Inc designs, develops and markets more than 3,000 styles for men, women and children

K-Swiss eyes wide footprint in India

The Month That Was | Updates I India

Bata India Bounces back Strong in Q3

Modello Domani Launches Women Collection

Bata’s strong Q3 results sparked a rally,

taking its share price to an all-time high

An array of initiatives undertaken in the

recent past are bearing fruit; a key strategy

has been to introduce many high-end and

premium brands This has not only helped

increase same-store sales, but also helped

the brand increase visibility Industry experts

contend that Bata India stores are seeing

greater walk-ins, with more millennials and

youngsters increasingly opting to purchase its

merchandise

In fact, the revenue mix is now further tilting

from wholesale sales towards retail Retail

sales rose to 88% of revenue, and registered

strong 18% growth, year-on-year Also, the

company topped the high revenue growth

with an expansion in Ebitda (earnings before

interest, tax, depreciation and amortization)

margin, even surpassing many analysts’

estimates

The company kept a tight leash on rental costs, which have held in the same range for about two years It negotiated six-month contracts with its suppliers, against three-month contracts earlier.In terms of geographic spread, Bata India has been increasing the number of stores, adding retail outlets in malls and high-street locations The management expects to add about 150 stores

in FY19 to take its total reach to about 1,525 outlets

With Mi Men’s Sports Shoes 2, Xiaomi forays into footwear in India

Chinese major Xiaomi is expanding its product offering in India by launching its sports shoes branded Mi Men’s Sports Shoes 2 This is the first time these shoes are being sold here The company has chosen its crowdfunding platform online

to sell the product which is being made available in three colours black, grey and blue

These shoes are being offered at a discounted price of `2,499, against the market price of `2,999 Xiaomi has set

a goal for itself to sell 5000 pairs on the crowdfunding platform and it has crossed that target comfortably with over 7750 orders already booked and counting These orders have come

on just day 1 of the 10-day window allowed The orders being now booked will be delivered from March 15 onwards

The shoes, Xiaomi claims,have been assembled with 5-in-1 uni-moulding technology that combines five different materials making them shock-

absorbent, durable, and slip-resistant The five are synthetic rubber outsoles, vacuum press midsole, TPU midsole balancing patch, cushion patch, and a

PU supporting layer

Explaining the merits of the accessory, the company says that

After successfully establishing itself in the

mens’ footwear segment, Modello Domani

has forayed into the women’s segment

The design element in the women’s line

is mainly inspired by the wedding season,

creating a collection that caters to all occasion

wear needs This range is an amalgamation

of rustic and ethnic designs, the main colour

schemes being black and gold With this

new line of shoes, Modello Domani has

incorporated a fusion design element,

bringing in the traditional zardozi work with

modern silhouettes Apart from that, casual

styles which are more wearable will also be

introduced in this range

The women’s collection is created keeping

in mind the most common problem that every

woman faces at an Indian wedding: Prolonged

wearing of heels causing discomfort and shoe

bites

In the women’s traditional footwear segment, the jutti trend is quite prevalent but excessively worn, hence Modello Domani offers a wide range, from slip-ons to loafers entering the market with something fresh The brand believes in keeping things unique and yet the price is quite approachable starting from `3999 going till

`7999 for the distinctive range they have designed Be it a wedding or a casual day

at the mall, Modello Domani has a pair that can be worn at any occasion, fully customized according to one’s liking

The wedding collection has more to offer and thus Modello Domani is coming up with several new designs, elements and capsule collections in collaboration with designers

The shoe can be easily matched with both western and Indian outfits, it makes this brand

a must in every woman’s wardrobe!

S H O E S | B AG S

The Month That Was | Updates I India

Ralph Lauren launches flagship

store in New Delhi

American label Ralph Lauren finds a new

home in India After launching Polo Ralph

Lauren in DLF Emporio a few months ago,

the brand has opened its very first flagship

store in luxury mall, The Chanakya in New

Delhi Spread across two floors, the space

will feature apparel and accessories for both

men and women, along with pieces by Purple

Label, Ralph Lauren Collection and classic

Polo Ralph Lauren From tailored suits,

party-ready dresses to their classic polo tees, it has

everything you’d need for a sartorial update

Staying in line with their American heritage

and exquisite craftsmanship, the interiors

Hummel signs Kartik Aaryan as India Brand Ambassador

Fila strengthens omni-channel presence

Cravatex Brands, the licensee of Fila, has

partnered with Ace Turtle, Asia’s leading

omni-channel platform company to strengthen

the brand’s omni-channel strategy as it aims

to reach out to more than 100 million online

shoppers in India As part of the new Heritage

Store format, Fila has been opening one store

a month and expects to keep this going in

2019

In addition to its core focus footwear

segment, the brand also has launched

collections for its apparel range in India

“Over the last few years, Fila as a brand has constantly endeavored in resonating with the demand of millennials seeking for stylish and sophisticated collections in the sportswear segment While, we have managed to achieve that objective, engaging with our customers across the country consistently through the channel of their preference is something we are currently focusing on Partnering with leading omnichannel enablers such as Ace Turtle is a step towards that effort to showcase the omnichannel strength of our brand and

seamlessly connect with our customers,” Rakesh Singh Kathayat, chief operating officer, Cravetex Brands, said

India’s sportswear market has evolved from a niche segment, which was exclusively aimed at Sportspersons, to a burgeoning consumer sector The industry has witnessed rapid growth over the past few years, driven

by growth in income levels, changing lifestyle and the entry of foreign brands in the recent years In addition to this, the trend of using sportswear as casual wear has expanded the definition of target consumers for leading brands Some brands also offer collections to cater to this demand for casual wear

“By 2020, sportswear segment is expected

to grow at an annual growth rate of 12 percent with sales expected to reach $8 billion Having a well-orchestrated omni-channel strategy will play a critical role in accelerating the growth of leading brands in this segment in India Over the past few years, Fila has witnessed tremendous response from Indian consumer looking for highly sophisticated and premium sportswear collections We are delighted to partner with Cravetex, to strengthen Fila’s omnichannel offering and confident that our best in class technology platform will add significant value

to Fila’s plan of enabling a seamless online experience for its customers,” Nitin Chhabra, CEO, Ace Turtle, said

The Month That Was | Updates I India

GJEPC presents The Artisan Jewellery Design Awards 2019

The Gem& Jewellery Export Promotion

Council (GJEPC) presented The Artisan

Jewellery Design Awards 2019 powered

by GIA (Gemological Institute of America)

and co-partnered by the DPA (Diamond

Producers Association)

The artisan awards celebrate the highest

levels of art, creativity and innovation by

honoring the best talent in jewellery design

and elevating designers to their rightful status

of artistes Rightfully so, as creative minds

from diverse walks of life gathered together to

discuss, debate and deliberate on creativity

of young designers who are wooing the consumers’ minds with their imagination, spontaneity, artistry and visualization

Pramod Kumar Agrawal (Chairman, GJEPC), said, “The Indian gem and jewellery industry has a history of more than 5,000 years The rajas and maharajas have supported this art, and we have a tradition of passing this skill from one generation to other We always had the advantage of skilled artisans and karigars when catering to global markets Today, total gem and jewellery exports account

for $42 billion annually The industry contributes around 7% to India’s GDP and employs more than 5 million people It’s time that the world is made aware of India’s jewellery design potential and portray India

as a design destination for jewellery The artisan awards is an initiative and a sincere effort by council to encourage the true design talent in the industry and showcase India’s design extravagance to the world.”Actress Aditi Rao Hydari graced the momentous occasion of the grand finale where the eventual winners triumphed from over 550 entries and 23 shortlisted sketches, which got into manufacturing process and the final judging process based on these finished products The selection was based on various predefined parameters

Colin Shah (Vice Chairman, GJEPC), said, “The importance of India in the global jewellery design context is growing to what it used to be historically when Indian influence on luxury jewellery was evidenced from the creations of Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels and Harry Winston for the maharajas and nawabs Incidentally, GJEPC chose the theme of ‘Enchanted Cosmos’ for the Artisan Awards 2019 much before it becomes the design theme for buying season 2020 The contest theme, Enchanted Cosmos, helps designers explore the mysteries of galaxies and universes known and unknown We were overwhelmed to receive 550 entries across India in the three categories: a) Rings or Pendants b) Brooches or Pins c) Earrings or Bracelets.”

Amazon cuts deal with Cloudtail to return products to India website

In a hastily arranged deal intended to comply

with stringent new e-commerce regulations,

Amazon.com Inc resurrected thousands of

suspended product listings in India by selling

much of its stake in top local venture partner

Cloudtail

It is reported that the Amazon entity sold

25 per cent of its shares to Prione Business

Services Pvt, a company run by billionaire

Narayana Murthy’s Catamaran Advisors LLP

Prione now owns 76 per cent of the venture

government banned Amazon and Walmart’s Flipkart from cutting exclusive arrangements with sellers, offering deep discounts or holding any business interest in online merchants on their websites

Amazon’s deal with Catamaran’s Prione complies with that latter rule, the people said,

as Amazon’s Indian entity, the marketplace called Amazon Seller Services Pvt, has no direct relation to Prione whose stake is held

by a Singapore-based Amazon entity

of consultancy Technopak Advisors Pvt, has estimated their revenue growth could fall to

15 per cent in coming months from 25 per cent to 30 per cent previously

Meanwhile, items on Amazon Pantry grocery service also made a comeback on the platform Amazon Retail India Pvt, the food retailing unit of the Seattle giant, was deemed compliant with India’s laws, which allow 100 per cent foreign investment in food retailing The company has written to the government

The Month That Was | Updates I India

Myntra restructures business to comply with FDI Norms

Flipkart’s subsidiary Myntra has clarified that

it does not own any equity stake in sellers on

its platform thereby complying with the new

FDI norms The move signals a significant

restructuring at Myntra since the company

continues to sell brands through third-party

merchants instead of directly from its brand

stores

Myntra and other e-commerce retailers

like Amazon have been bringing on board

new seller entities so that they do not flout the

regulations which prohibit online marketplaces

to own equity stakes in sellers The regulations

also disallow an e-commerce marketplace from

making exclusive deals with sellers

Fast-fashion brand, Chemistry is now sold

on Myntra by Wiztech Corp, while AKS, and Anouk sell through FashionTech, while Mango

is sold by WandWagon Other private labels are being sold by sellers including Unistand, and Mayazen

Myntra holds stakes in brands including Chemistry and ethnic wear brand AKS through its accelerator programme launched in 2017, which it said would drive about 5% if its sales The programme offered brands technical, design and financial support and the company at that time said that it will partner with about 10-15 local fashion brands The fashion

etailer also has a strategic partnership with Spanish brand, Mango along with holding stakes in celebrity fashion brands owned

by Saif Ali Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Deepika Padukone and Alia Bhatt, which exclusively sell though their portal

‘Foreign e-tailers must have registered entity in India'

Reliance Retail may launch IPO by June: report

E-commerce sites or apps available for

download in India must have a registered

business entity in the country, according to

latest draft e-commerce policy The draft also

proposes regulation of cross-border flow of

data collected by sector players in India

The move to make it mandatory for foreign online retailers to register entities

in India follows the relatively recent spread

and expansion in the country of Chinese

e-commerce platforms which do not have

an Indian presence

These include Chinese portals such

as Shein, Romwe and AliExpress and the

proposed registration norms come after

complaints made to the government by

traders’ bodies like the All India Online

Vendor Association about Chinese online

operators shipping cheaper products to

Indian customers as gifts in order to avoid

in India are transacted

The draft policy has also proposed a ban

on all parcels designated as gifts, with the exception of life-saving drugs

Moreover, as per the draft policy, all data collected by e-tailers in India and stored abroad should not be made available to other business entities outside the country, for any purpose, even with customer consent

However, the government will have the right to access the data of Indian consumers stored abroad

Restrictions on cross-border flows of data would not apply to data which is not collected in India, business-to-business (B2B) data sent to India as part of a commercial contract between a business entity located outside India and an Indian business entity

Software and cloud computing services involving technology-related data flows,

which have no personal or community implications and multi-national companies, moving data across borders, which is largely internal to the company and its ecosystem, would not have to follow the regulations

New foreign direct investment (FDI) norms, which prohibit the e-tailers from selling products of companies in which they have stakes, came into effect on February 1 despite both Amazon and Walmart seeking a six-month delay in their implementation

The second e-commerce draft policy has been welcomed by sector players like Snapdeal and trader associations such

as the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT)

Snapdeal said the draft policy’s rejection

of inventory based e-commerce must be followed by effective implementation of FDI norms to ensure marketplaces do not own

or control inventory, directly or indirectly

Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd, the retail unit

of Reliance Industries, could launch its IPO

by June this year as Mukesh Ambani-led

company's betting big on his consumer

handles joint ventures with global fashion brands, Reliance Retail Ltd has over 9,900 stores in over 6,400 cities across India

"It may be after June and the company

annually over the next 10 years

The retail business, which completed 11 years of full-fledged operation in 2018, had recorded revenues of Rs 69,198 crore in the

The Month That Was | Updates I International

The Man Who Defined Luxury

No designer has else stayed

on top of so many labels for

so long like Karl Lagerfeld

Karl explored and exploited couture, ready-to-wear and even mass-market fashion for many decades He

transformed Chanel into a global powerhouse

after becoming creative director in 1983 In

addition to his day job churning out numerous

collections a year for Chanel, Fendi, and his own eponymous label, he managed to forge

a multitude of admired mini careers He was

a photographer, a publisher, a stylist, an illustrator, a gallerist, a director, a curator,

a costume designer, and a conjurer of fine tableware and deluxe furnishings

He mentioned of his strict upbringing, governess, and the family’s oil paintings

But some records downgrade his father to

a successful businessman, his mother to a lingerie saleswoman He later dropped the final letter of Lagerfeldt to arrive at a more marketable name

Karl was rarely seen without his dark glasses, a silver ponytail and fingerless gloves gaining him the reputation as the most recognizable man in fashion Chanel CEO Alain Wertheimer said in a statement that the late designer was “ahead of his time” and his

“creative genius, generosity and exceptional intuition” contributed to the House of Chanel’s success throughout the world.”

Born in Hamburg, Germany, Lagerfeld went

on to win a womenswear design competition

in 1954 He got his start in Paris working under Pierre Balmain in the 1950s, moving three years later to the House of Patou He had stints as a freelancer for Chloé and was hired by Fendi in 1967 as a consultant director, responsible for modernizing the Italian house’s fur lines

Not only did his designs turn Chanel into one of the world’s most valuable couture houses, but Lagerfeld’s business savvy made him an early proponent of the now ubiquitous luxury collaborations with high street brands

In 2004, he became the first designer to design a collection for H&M, a trend that was later followed by the likes of Stella McCartney, Comme des Garcons, Versace and Maison Martin Margiela

When he was absent from Chanel’s haute couture shows in Paris, there were speculations over the 85-year-old designer’s health They were ripe, the most prolific designer of the 20th and 21st centuries and

a man whose career formed the prototype of the modern luxury fashion industry is now no more

Not only did his designs turn Chanel into one of the world's most valuable couture houses, but Lagerfeld's business savvy made him an early proponent of the now ubiquitous luxury collaborations with high street brands

Puma Signs a New Multiyear

Deal With NBA

The NBA announced that it has entered

a new multiyear partnership with Puma,

making the brand an official marketing

partner of the league The deal, according

to the league, allows Puma to feature

athletes in their respective NBA uniforms

and team logos, and develop original

content to tell the stories of the brand and

its athlete ambassadors

“We are thrilled to partner with the NBA to

bring Puma to the next level in our re-entry

to the basketball market,” global director of

brand and marketing Adam Petrick said in a

Asics Replaces North America’s CEO with Koichio Kodama

Asics announced changes to its leadership team , which includes a new CEO of its North American division In a release, the company stated Gene McCarthy — who assumed the role of president and CEO in October 2015, is out He is replaced by Koichio Kodama

“Gene made countless contributions to Asics America as he navigated the brand through

an incredibly turbulent time for our industry and implemented numerous changes that set the region on course for success,” Alistair Cameron, Asics Corp executive officer and senior general manager of the geography strategy division, said in a statement “We thank him for his energy, spirit and being a true champion of the brand during his time with Asics.”

Other moves in the leadership ranks include the appointment of Richard Sullivan to EVP of sales, categories and marketing, Craig Gillan to VP of operations and Paul Ljucovic to VP of finance.The brand also announced a new category structure, separating its products into three buckets: Performance Running, Core Performance Sports and Sport Style

Macy’s Promotes Patti Ongman

as Chief Merchandising

Officer

Macy’s named Patti Ongman as its new chief

merchandising officer, succeeding Jeff Kantor,

who is retiring after serving in the position for

more than four decades

Ongman, who is currently executive vice

president and general business manager

for Home merchandise, will take the reins

on March 1 Her duties will include leading

merchandising, private brands and planning

for the company’s five “families-of-business”

(Ready-to-Wear, Center Core, Beauty, Men’s

and Kid’s, and Home)

The promotion comes after more than

30 years with the retailer Ongman said in

a statement that she anticipates a smooth

transition with Kantor’s support

“I’m excited to lead the Macy’s

Merchandising organization along with my

team of first-class merchants.
We will build on

the great work the team has done, and we will

continue to get better every day,” Ongman

said

Macy’s president Hal Lawton praised

Ongman’s track record with the company

“Patti is a world-class merchant with a

stellar reputation in the market,” Lawnton

said “As a 33-year veteran at Macy’s, she’s

a trusted leader to our colleagues and a

valued partner to our vendors I am confident

that Patti is the right person with the right

experience to continue transforming our

merchandising organization to move faster

and be more flexible.”

REI’s Jerry Stritzke Resigns

REI president and CEO Jerry Stritzke has resigned following the conclusion of

an investigation surrounding a “personal and consensual relationship” between the executive and the leader of another organization in the outdoor industry, the company announced

Stritzke will exit the co-op on March 15, and REI COO Eric Artz will take on the role of interim CEO

The investigation into Stritzke’s relationship with the unnamed executive was conducted

by an external law firm and overseen by REI’s board As part of the probe, REI said the law firm also thoroughly evaluated the working relationship between REI and the partner organization and found that there was no financial misconduct

Despite his untimely exit, REI’s board and other key leaders continued to sing the praises of Stritzke, who has helmed the company since 2013 and helped it become a strong voice on social issues with initiatives like #OptOutside, which encouraged employees and customers to go outdoors during the Thanksgiving weekend

as opposed to working or shopping at retail

The retailer also has joined in the highly publicized push for protecting historic monuments

“Jerry has been an excellent CEO for REI and together with a strong team has consistently delivered outstanding results for our co-op He has led REI through remarkably challenging times in retail He has built a great team and the co-op is stronger today than when he joined,” said REI board chair Steve Hooper “We will always be grateful for Jerry’s drive, his many contributions to the co-op and the successes he and his team have made possible.”

However, he added, “The conclusions of the investigation were clear Errors of judgment were made and Jerry and the board agree

that REI needs a new leader to take the co-op forward from its very strong position Eric is

a seasoned leader and steward of REI He is deeply committed to the purpose of the co-op and will do a great job as the board considers the longer-term needs for the co-op.”

The company said Stritzke tendered his resignation with an acknowledgement “that the facts led to a perceived conflict of interest, which he should have disclosed under the REI conflict of interest policy.”

“I love REI and I believe fiercely that the work that the co-op has done for 80 years has had an unmatched positive impact on the outdoors I feel incredibly fortunate to have led this organization REI is full of amazing people and I am grateful for the role the co-

op has played in my life, even in the toughest times,” said Stritzke “I regret few things in life, but I am sorry that I did not disclose the relationship, and it’s time for the co-op to have a new leader The last thing I want is

to damage REI and I deeply regret that any

of this could impact the co-op You deserve better Even so, the co-op is in a great place and I have enormous confidence in Eric and the leadership team and the thousands of employees of REI to get REI to next.”

Amazon abandons plans to build 2nd headquarters in NY

Amazon will abandon plans to build 2nd headquarters in New York Amazon.com Inc said it will not move forward with plans to

Amazon had announced it would create 25,000 jobs and build one of two new headquarters based in the Long Island City

Stores: | Ispahani Center - Nungabakkam, Chennai | Bazaar street, OMR | Available at leading outlets

Online shopping: www.swansind.com

Johnston & Murphy’s Jon Caplan Announces Retirement

The CEO of Johnston & Murphy has

announced that he will step down from

leadership at the brand, effective the end of

June Succeeding him is Danny Ewoldsen,

who was named president of Johnston &

Murphy in January 2018

“It has been an honor and a privilege

to be part of the remarkable growth and

success of Johnston & Murphy,” said Caplan

in a statement from the company “I have

long admired the company’s dedication to

the highest standard of craftsmanship and

have the utmost confidence in Danny and the

rest of the leadership team’s ability to carry

Johnston & Murphy’s legacy into the future.”

Caplan has spent the past 16 years steering the historic men’s label, and also leading the Branded Group for parent company Genesco Inc Under his tenure, the 168-year-old Johnston & Murphy brand has worked

to maintain its status as a trusted American shoe source, while also broadening its appeal with targeted initiatives aimed at women and younger male customers Of late, the label has been a bright point in the Genesco portfolio, delivering consistent comp-store sales gains

Caplan’s career first began at Genesco

in 1982, leading to several roles in the organization He then left for a 10-year stint, which he spent mainly overseeing the Stride Rite and Keds brands, and returned in 2002 to head up Johnston & Murphy

In a statement, Caplan’s successor praised his long and successful leadership “Jon’s strategic vision, industry expertise and personal warmth made him an effective and unique leader,” said Ewoldsen “He led with humility and never missed the opportunity

to teach or offer support at all levels of our organization We thank him for all he has done for our team and for establishing J&M as a viable and growing business.”

Micam to Start Consumer Sneaker Event, Step Up Focus on China, U.S

In September, Micam will launch a business-to-consumer sneaker event called Plug-Mi, which will be loosely modeled after ComplexCon in the U.S “We want to embrace the sneaker culture revolution,” said Micam CEO Tommaso Cancellara “One day, we hope

to become half of what ComplexCon is, but we also want [to focus on European style.] Here, sneakers are a bit more classic A lot of made-in-Italy companies are doing more and more of them, and focusing on sustainability.”

In the meantime, Micam brought five top Chinese influencers — with a total social following of more than 10 million fans — to this edition of its show China is a primary focus, and Cancellara believes there is plenty of opportunity ahead “Despite the Chinese New Year period, we are seeing

so many new faces from China, and we are happy to experience that,” he said, noting that the country’s presence should be even bigger in September

While there has been some concern about a slowdown in the Chinese market, Cancellara said it continues to grow

at a pace that’s far beyond the current potential in Europe Consumer shopping patterns are also good news for small and midsize Italian firms “They are sophisticating themselves as consumers and are looking for different kinds of fashion and shoes.” the executive said

“They not want to be standardized; they want to be unique.”

On the other side of the world, the U.S market is also high on the agenda for the Italian footwear industry Through new partnerships with FN and WWD, as well

as organizations like FDRA and CFDA, Micam is amping up its message to the American market this year

At this edition of the show in Milan, 1,304 total companies are exhibiting, including 755 Italian players Other countries with a major showing include

Over Backlash, Katy Perry’s Shoes Pulled from Shelves

Two styles from Katy Perry’s shoe collection — the Ora Face block-heel sandal and the Rue

Face slip-on loafer — sparked an uproar on social media for their problematic resemblance to

blackface makeup

In response to the attention, Perry’s shoe partner, Global Brands Group has moved to remove

the shoes from retailers such as Dillard’s and Walmart, as well as the brand’s own site

The music star issued a statement, saying, “The Rue and the Ora were part of a collection that

was released last summer in nine different colorways (black, blue, gold, graphite, lead, nude,

pink, red, silver) and envisioned [them] as a nod to modern art and surrealism I was saddened

when it was brought to my attention that it was being compared to painful images reminiscent of

blackface Our intention was never to inflict any pain.”

The conversations around racially insensitive products and marketing have been increasingly

prevalent in the fashion industry, lately pointed at high-end brands such as Gucci and Prada

(which drew criticism in December for selling and displaying monkey figures that resembled

blackface characters) Gucci, meanwhile, is still addressing the fallout from its black wool

balaclava sweater featuring a mouth cutout with outsized red lips

march 2019

Adidas Originals Reveals

ZX 10000C for SS19

Adidas Originals has revealed the

ZX10000C for SS19 Consortium line-up

While this latest release diverges from

the usual adidas Consortium way of

working, in that it was created in-house

by adidas, the final outcome was only

made possible – and elevated to such

great heights – due to the input of

former adidas Director of Footwear

Creation, Jacques Chassaing Jacques

was the designer responsible for one of

the most iconic adidas lines of all time

- the ZX running shoe series – which

utilized an equally enduring technology

also designed by Jacques, the adidas

Torsion system The sleek craftsmanship

of the ZX range – which originally ran

between 1984 and 1989 and was later in

1991 replaced by the equally as iconic

Equipment range – ZX embodied adidas’

commitment to high-performance

functionality, with the Torsion system

playing a key role By using a TPU arch to

bridge the heel and forefoot it allows the

front and rear of the foot to operate and

adapt to surfaces independently, offering

high degrees of support and stability

The ZX 10000C is the long awaited

answer to many collectors question ‘what

happened after ZX 9000?’ The ZX 10000

C retains the Torsion system that remains

a proud part of adidas’ performance

capabilities to this day, in a shoe that at

first glance reads like a never before

seen model from the original ZX archives

that has only just been unearthed Its

aqua, orange and neutral coloring

inspires nostalgia for a very specific era

of performance footwear, utilized across

a diverse blend of natural and technical

fabrications that include mesh underlays,

webbed Three Stripes, premium suede

overlays and reinforced TPU on the ghilly

and heel

Teva Celebrates Grand Canyon’s 100-Year Birthday

Footwear brand Teva has honoured the 100-year centennial of Grand Canyon National Park with its spring GC100 Collection It’s no surprise Teva is paying tribute to the historic landscape With its colors, textures and sweeping views, the Grand Canyon itself served as inspiration for the new line, featuring men’s, women’s and children’s styles available now on Teva.com

Design details include a webbing pattern that nods the canyon’s layered red rocks, rivers and sunset colors on remixed versions of the Hurricane XLT2, Original Sandal and Original Universal

New models like the Hurricane XLT2 Alp and the Hurricane Sock are also included in the line

In a statement, the company praised the campaign for offering both style and substance, 'We are taking this opportunity to celebrate a monumental milestone for this iconic landmark, and to accelerate Teva’s commitment to the preservation of our outdoor treasures.Given the existential risks facing our parks in today’s political environment, Teva’s pledge is a first step toward a solution in this time of uncertainty, by making access for all a priority Our goal is to bring as much awareness as possible to this initiative, so the Grand Canyon can be explored by adventurers for years to come.”

Sia and Repetto Design Ballet Flats Inspired by Her Signature Style

With a gigantic black bow atop a colored wig to serve as her hair, Sia boasts

dual-a stdual-age presence thdual-at hdual-as undenidual-ably contributed to her own unique sense of style

Now the nine-time Grammy-nominated artist is bringing that sartorial creativity to the table, teaming up with French heritage dance clothing and accessories company Maison Repetto on a footwear collaboration that marks the pop icon’s first foray into fashion design

Aptly dubbed Repetto by Sia, the limited-edition capsule is inspired by the artist’s expressionistic performances and one-of-a-kind presence The shoe models champion movement, dance, style and

freedom, driven by the singer’s mantra: “I love you, keep going.”

It introduces three of the label’s classic styles, starting with a ballerina flat in a trio of colorways: one solid black, one solid white and the other a combination

of both — similar to the two-toned bob often worn by Sia during live performances

With a decorative bow, soft construction and dainty silhouette, the Sophia shoes are easy on both the eyes and the feet — and they’re available to preorder exclusively on the Repetto site for $195

The brand will also release a designed dance slipper and oxford shoe in

Sia-a vSia-ariety of colors

Editor’s Pick

Creating versatility with accessories

Kiwi by Musskan

The fun side of “going with the season” is to shop

for the season Kiwi is offering a collection of bold

jewellery pieces, Tanjore Jewellery art, to add unique

touch to your style The collection also offers delicate

statement pieces, simple studs, pearl earrings,

Swarovski pieces, an amalgamation of Indian festive

and western looks

Metro

Metro’s 2019 collection of shoes is the perfect mix of comfort

at an affordable price They offer myriads of options from

leading footwear brands, all under one roof Delivering quality

footwear that flaunts style is the ‘Metro Motto’

Himayalan by Kohinoor Jewellers Agra

The collection is an ode to the colossal Himalayan ranges that serve

as the crown of India Infusing the silhouttes, patterns and rocks

of the pristine ranges, the collection is exquisitely designed with exceptional artistry Keeping impeccable craftsmanship and quality

at the forefront, each jewellery piece is a tribute to the alluring natural beauty and is sure to win a woman’s heart Incepted in 1862, Kohinoor Jewellers belong to a family lineage that can be traced back

to five generations of jewellery connoisseurs

Puma

PUMA has dropped a bunch of new RS silhouettes, the RS-X The all-new RS-X extends the brand’s Future Retro range that takes inspiration from the past to inspire future Sportstyle designs Back in the ‘80s, the RS was an innovative and high-quality cushioning technology Today, PUMA has revived and reinvented this design ground

up to embody all-things extreme, exaggerated and remixed Embracing the future and honoring the past, the OG-inspired silhouette celebrates extreme reinvention with its bulky design, material mixes, and bold color palette

Specially designed for vibrant personalities and made from pure

leather, Swansind is a known name in the market Its durable purse

offers single zipped slot to accommodate cash and more, making it

easy to carry where ever you want As for the shoe, it is designed to

offer comfort at its best without compromising on style

of the chess board Two opaline dials complement the current collection

Toni Rossi

Derby is one of the sedulous shoes you can have in your wardrobe Not as formal as the classic oxford but it holds its place as a great option if you’re looking for something that’s honestly formal and mildly casual These derbies by Toni Rossi are innovative in their own right, providing you with the perfect support throughout the day whether it is office or

a casual occasion Let these Raynold – Tan carry you while you bask in its comfortable glory and borrow a fair amount

of attention Raynold is also available in bold black

Available at: www.tonirossi.com and all leading E-commerce platforms

Trends | What We Spotted

this Month

Spotted

march 2019

15,000 crystals-covered Air Jordan Sneakers

Conceptual artist Dan Life (Daniel Jacob) has transformed the popular Air Jordan 1 into a wearable piece

of art with his latest Jordan 1

“Northern Lights.” This luxurious version of the kicks will utilize the “Los Angeles” Air Jordan 1 Retro colorway as the foundation, featuring more than 15,000 crystals that have been set by hand The sneaker glistens from the tiny blue-tinted gems individually placed throughout the entirety of the upper

Vans x Led Zeppelin

Vans and Led Zeppelin announced that they have partnered to commemorate the

50th anniversary of Zeppelin’s debut self-titled album, which was released in 1969

The Zeppelin Sk8-Hi comes with a black suede and canvas upper that showcases

the album’s artwork printed on the quarter panel The shoe is complete with a black

leather side stripe, black laces and red branding Additionally, each of the band

member’s symbols is woven into the label on the internal tongue

Trends | What We Spotted

Reviva by Crocs

Crocs has enhanced the comfort

footwear experience It has

launched Reviva, a new comfort

technology collection based on

footbeds that feature built-in air

bubbles that provide a revitalizing

bounce and soothing massage

effect The collection also feature

Crocs’ proprietary molded Croslite

uppers for a collection that is

durable, washable and

water-resistant

march 2019

Don C’s New Converse

Converse and Don C are

looking to make noise with

their latest ERX 260 Jewel

collaboration Utilizing a

color palette that’s inspired

by the host city’s NBA

Hornets team, the designer

puts his own spin on the

brand’s classic basketball

sneaker from the 1980s The

hoop-ready hightop model

boasts a white-based leather

upper that’s paired with teal

and purple overlays found

on the eyestay and heel

counter

Adidas Yeezy Boost 700 ‘Salt’

Adidas has launched Adidas Yeezy Boost 700 “Salt.” The shoe was launched

globally on February 23 The sneaker features an upper composed of suede

and premium leather, with mesh underlays and a black gum sole The shoe

has Adidas’ signature triple-stripe emblazoned on the side, with a reflective

heel The majority of the shoe features gray hues A full list of where fans can

cop a pair of the kicks can be found on the Yeezy site

Brand Watch | StruT

Bags

at Guilt- free Prices

Shreya Thakkar never thought of becoming an entrepreneur but accidentally became one, shuffling the letters of life from Finance

to Fashion The founder reckons that the main motive to start the label StruT was to create a range of colourful and quirky bags for all

at guilt-free prices Initially, she started with buying 20 ready made bags made from Vegan Leather and are light in weight She informs S&A, we are further planning to expand in the southern region of

march 2019

Launching StruT and its Positioning

It was an urge to ideate about your

creation, to not follow a 9-5 ritual, to be

your own boss, and to do something

different made me start my own

venture I never thought of becoming an

entrepreneur but accidentally became

one, shuffling the letters of my life from

Finance to Fashion After working for a

year and a half in the field of finance post

my MBA I thought of moving out of the

comforting corporate life to do something I

would love to do my entire life

From childhood, my favourite

accessory has been bags and I always

felt that good bags were not affordable

to all and the cheaper ones were not

attractive in looks and hence to fill this

gap I decided to try my hands on bags

My love for bags made me decide why

not to do something which gives me

work satisfaction Initially, I started

Brand Watch | StruT

with buying 20 readymade bags I had decided on one thing that even if no one buys those bags, I will keep them for myself Fortunately, all of those 20 got sold within a week’s time itself People liked the collection and asked for more variety hence I decided to explore in this field only We started this in the month of Jan’15 and sold these bags for 4 months finally, in the month of May we started with designing and manufacturing on our own

Brand’s DNA

At StruT, all the bags are handmade

by local artisans through traditional craftsmanship using Indian Fabric and Vegan Leather One of the reasons to start the brand was to create a range of colorful and quirky bags at guilt-free prices Our price range starts from Rs 290 till Rs 2500

Product portfolio

Our product range varies right from Sling bags, Backpacks, Handbags to Fanny packs, Diaper Bags, Yoga mat bags, Luggage Tags and Footwear We even do customisation

march 2019

Target audience and brand’s presence

Our target audience is anyone between the

age group of age 20-45 residing across the

country who are looking out for something

different and unique We are further planning

to expand in the southern region of India

through online channels as well as offline - by

doing the tie-ups with designer stores, as it

has more number of working women, who

are not only financially independent but also

are open to trying something unique and

handmade

Challenges in the market

Creating a niche segment for our products

and finding the customers and acquiring

them was challenging Also, in today’s time

when there are so many e-commerce players

existing in the market offering a wide range

of products at various price points building

the brand loyalty was one of the challenges

Growth expectation

India is one of the fastest growing economies

in the world with still a wide portion of the

market untapped The Indian accessories

market in India is sized at approximately Rs

25,000 crore and has been growing at 20%

per annum

With the increase in personal disposable

income, increase in the number of working

women, brand awareness, penetration and

acceptance of online shopping, it has led to

the increase in demand for more and more

accessories and hence the growth of this

segment

In the next 5 years, we are planning to start

our own website, offering much more variety

of products in bags and footwear category to

Brand Watch | Hush Puppies

Since the brand entered the Indian market, how is it positioned today?Hush Puppies entered the Indian market

20 years ago and initially positioned itself

as the premium men dress footwear brand In the last 5 years, the team has

Treating the World to Their Favorite Shoe

Hush Puppies entered the Indian market 20 years ago and initially positioned itself as the premium men dress footwear brand The brand has traversed from being Men Dress brand to becoming a ‘Lifestyle footwear’ brand in the last few years, and it now offers an array of casual and multi-occasion footwear range In an interview with S&A’s N Bobo Meitei, the brand’s Vijay Gogate said, “With increasing per capita footwear consumption and a wide variety of national and international brands operating, Indian market has become a really exciting turf to play on.” Vijay is Flagship Retail Head & Vice President-International Brands

at Bata India Limited.

march 2019

Dress brand to becoming a Lifestyle

footwear brand in the last few years

The product mix varies from dress to

casual, from closed to open footwear in

both men’s and ladies’ segment with a

strong presence in hand bags as well

It now offers an array of casual and

multi occasion footwear range

What new markets is the brand

targeting? At present, where is the

consumer mostly concentrated?

Currently, the main focus is on urban

Indian residing in metros and in the

tier 1-2 cities through Hush Puppies

concept stores and through a wide

Bata network that reaches tier 3

cities as well Fast growing online

channel is helping us virtually reach

every corner of India and making

Hush Puppies accessible to every

Indian

Does the brand see an independent

retail strategy in the near future ?

Hush Puppies already has 90+

company-owned and managed

exclusive brand outlets which

continues to grow and will cross the

100 mark by end of 2019 We will also

be exploring the franchisee model in few select markets

Share with us the retail strategy you have adopted for the Indian market

What’s the way forward?

Hush Puppies is a desired brand for urban India and we will continue

to attract the consumers though exceptional products, beautiful stores which are in-line with global store concepts and best in class customer servicing which will help us drive excitement among consumers

How successful is your online strategy

in comparison with offline?

Our on-line strategy is complementary

to our brick-and-mortar channel and has started contributing double digit share of the total brand revenue

What are some of the challenges you are facing in the Indian market?

Rising retail costs, diminishing retail space and plethora of new brands launched in online space are some

of the challenges every retailer faces

in India But it pushes us to explore newer market rather than just limiting

Brand Watch | Hush Puppies

ourselves to few select markets There has been talk of markets being weak How much has it impacted your brand’s growth?

Hush Puppies believes in vision of

“treating the world to their favorite shoe” The great value Hush Puppies offers in terms of product quality, design, premiumness and consumer trust has helped attract new customers

We continue to offer innovation in our products that has helped us stay ahead of the competition

How hopeful are you about the Indian footwear industry? In such a landscape, where do you see Hush Puppies in the next five years?

With increasing per capita footwear consumption and a wide variety of national and international brands operating, Indian market has become really exciting turf

to play on Hush Puppies would like to maintain its leadership position in market

as well as in the heart of Indian consumers and keep on treating them

Exclusively Available at

Shop Online at www.zenyataa.com | planning@mapskoshoes.com | 01244-64 98 95

Mapsko Shoes Pvt Ltd, Plot No-141, Sector-4, IMT Manesar, Gurugram, Haryana.

Unparalled luxe exhibiting an imagery

of timeless elegance and courtesy

Trend Report | Lakme Fashion Week

For each season of Lakmé Fashion Week there are several new trends and designs that are presented in the shoes and accessories sections too For Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2019, held in Mumbai at Jio Garden from January 30 to February 3, nearly every designer completed the look of the collection with the appropriate shoes, bags and accessories that were exciting and eye-catching on the ramp Fabrics, leather and unconventional materials were used for the accessories

and shoes with comfort being the buzzword for the designs.

– BY MEHER CASTELINO

LAKMÉ FASHION WEEK SUMMER/

RESORT 2019 TRENDS