UNESCO says demand for African fashion is skyrocketing

In Lagos, Nigeria, the runway is busier than ever. According to a UNESCO report released during Lagos Fashion Week, Africa’s fashion industry is rapidly growing to meet local and international demand. But it’s also lacking the adequate investment to achieve its full potential. Currently valued at $15.5 billion worth of exports annually, the earnings from the continent’s fashion industry could triple over a decade with the right investment and infrastructure, according to the United Nations cultural body. “It’s people now coming to realize that there is a lot of treasure in the Nigerian culture and particularly in the fashion industry,”…

Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan? It’s his Hackney dad fashion era

Timothée Chalamet on the streets of New York shooting his upcoming musical drama about a young Bob Dylan, decked out in a suede jacket, jeans and cowboy boots — just like Dylan, pictured right, in 1963 (ES) In news that has shaken the internet — Timothée Chalamet is out and about New York dressed up as Bob Dylan. From where we are sitting, though, he really does just look like a member of the young Hackney dad brigade. For those who haven’t seen, the Wonka actor has begun filming for A Complete Unknown, a Dylan biopic directed by James Mangold.…

Loreto Bray TY student crowned winner at sustainable fashion competition

Loreto Bray’s Beatrice Fortuna, pictured with judges Lorraine Keane, Aisling Duffy, Joanne Rourke and Arran Murphy. The future is looking bright in the fashion world after a Transition Year student, from Loreto Bray, was crowned Overall Winner of the Relove Fashion Design Competition, held in the Rediscovery Centre, Ballymun on Thursday March 21. Beatrice Fortuna’s winning design, an elegant evening gown, wowed the judges, Lorraine Keane, Aisling Duffy, Joanne Rourke and Arran Murphy and was selected ahead of 20 other designers who showcased their work at the finals. The Relove Fashion Competition is a sustainable fashion competition run by local…

France mulls penalising ultra-fast fashion brands, Marketing & Advertising News, ET BrandEquity

Fashion brands with ultra-fast product turnover such as China’s Shein should be subject to penalties of up to 50% of their garments’ selling price to offset their environmental impact, French ruling-majority MPs have proposed in a new bill. The MPs say that ultra-fast fashion brands, rather than renewing their collections four times per year like traditional clothing brands, offer thousands of new products per day, inciting excessive spending and unnecessary pollution. “This evolution of the apparel sector towards ephemeral fashion, combining increased volumes and low prices, is influencing consumer buying habits by creating buying impulses and a constant need for…

Gucci’s China shock reverberates across the luxury landscape, ET Retail

Fears of a slowdown among Chinese shoppers have dogged the luxury industry for the better part of a year. Last week the scale of the problem hit home for one of fashion’s biggest but most exposed brands, Gucci. French group Kering SA saw $9 billion wiped off its market value after warning that sales of the Italian label’s products in China have slumped this quarter. The slowdown is also starting to show up in other corners of the luxury industry. A separate report showed Swiss watch exports to the country — a leading destination for high-end timepieces — tumbled last…