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August 27 - September 2, 2010
Fashion and Apparel News - Features - Apparelnews.net
In the next two years, shoppers will become even more oriented toward their homes, relying on technology, computers and smart phones to interact with the outside world.
Think 3-D television sets that give viewers a real-life experience. Imagine mobile-phone apps that let shoppers mix and match outfits from a brand’s latest collection. Consider streaming video that allows viewers real-time glimpses of runway shows and then offers them the chance to order the latest fashion lineup before they hit the stores.
“We are seeing the home being a safe environment to explore the world,” said Sally Lohan, head of West Coast content for more»
Forever 21 to Open in Saks Space in O.C, Calif.
August 27, 2010Fast-fashion retailer Forever 21 is also into fast expansion.
The Los Angeles–based retailer, whose new business model is to occupy larger stores, will be taking over the Saks Fifth Avenue space located in The Shops at Mission Viejo shopping center in Mission Viejo, Calif.
Larry Meyer, Forever 21’s executive vice president, confirmed that Forever 21 will move into the Saks space and open next spring.
On Aug. 17, Saks Inc., announced it would close its 121,000-square-foot store in Plano, Texas, idling 65 workers, and it would shutter its 98,000-square-foot Mission Viejo store on Oct. 23, laying off 60 associates.
When the former Saks emporium opens under the Forever 21 nameplate, it will be the largest Forever 21 store in the retail chain.
In January, Forever 21 opened an 85,000-square-foot flagship store at the Los Cerritos Center in Cerritos, Calif. In June, it opened another flagship store in New York’s Times Square, moving into a four-level, 90,000-square-foot space that was once more»
Columns
Manufacturing
Rough Surf
by Andrew Asch, Retail Editor August 27, 2010Tough times are making it harder for surf’s indie brands to break in.
For the once-freewheeling surf and skate fashion market, it has become increasingly tough for new and independent brands to find a way into the industry; the current economic situation might squeeze out new brands’ fresh ideas and hurt the entire industry, according to industry observer Shaheen Sadeghi.
“If the industry is to really thrive, we need young innovators to come in with new services and new more»
Profiles and Q&As
Sundek Returns to the West
Surf brand Sundek is back in California after years away from its West Coast roots.
Founded in San Francisco in 1958, the company is now owned by an Italian investment firm that recently moved the company to Southern California after two years in New York.
New Chief Executive Officer Agostino Magni has hardly had time to settle into the brand’s new home, located a few blocks from the beach on Santa Monica, Calif.’s Main Street. Instead, he’s been on a whirlwind international tour more»
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