River Island Launches Activewear

River Island is launching its first activewear line, RI Active, the brand has exclusively revealed, and according to designer Hannah Hope, there couldn't be a better time to do it.

"Activewear is such a huge market at the moment - with athleisure and wellness both being huge trends, we felt 2016 was the right time to launch the collection, especially with the ever rising presence of fitness sensations on social media," she explained.

The first collection - which includes crop tops, slim-fit leggings, shorts, vests, padded gilets, fleeces and hooded ponchos - launches in store and online in May and has been finely tuned, according to Hope, to make sure that the details that set sportswear apart from everyday ready-to-wear are on point.

"It's important to us to ensure the range is technical as well as being fashion focused," she explained of the 23-piece range that caters to sizes 6 to 18. "We have used breathable and active stretch fabrics for maximum comfort with all of the styles being ergonomically designed to flatter and support the body, for example deep waistbands for sculpting the body; special seaming; and double layered fabrics."

Being a trend-led retailer, the aesthetic was as important as the structural elements, and the design team have worked to make sure the collection "was fashion forward and in keeping with the River Island brand aesthetic".

"This includes strong urban camouflage prints, irreverent slogan vests and vibrant pops of colour," revealed Hope. "Our aim is for our customer to look good whilst keeping fit."

RI Activewear will be priced between £18 and £38 and will be available from May in store and online at Riverisland.com.

M&S Needs To Be More Stylish, Says New CEO

Marks & Spencer´s new chief executive, Steve Rowe, attributed the brand's declining clothing sales to lack of style yesterday in his first official address.

"We have not been as stylish as customers wanted us to be, we have not had the availability of product when they wanted it and need to make sure we have the right product in the right place in terms of our ranges," he said, reports The Telegraph, which also states that a part of Rowe's new plan could be to terminate capsule clothing ranges (such as Per Una, Classic, Indigo, Limited Edition and Autograph) amidst claims that customers are confused by what they find on the shop floor.

"Let me be very clear, this performance was not good enough," he said, adding "We have started to make improvements in that and we can see that in our like-for likes but we have lots more to do and we will work really hard on that."

Rowe - who has worked at M&S since he was 15, rising through the ranks from Saturday boy, to merchandiser, to manager, to the head of the profitable food department (currently the jewel in the company's crown) - said that he was disappointed with the performance of the womenswear category and plans to study in depth where the brand is falling short.

In the last year the brand has enlisted several famous fashion faces and launched a number of exclusive initiatives to entice customers back into stores, including the Archive By Alexa collection (which goes on sale next week); a collection designed by fashion East founder Lulu Kennedy; an eco collection by Livia Firth; and a childrenswear collection by Vogue cover star Jourdan Dunn. It also enjoys a long-running and successful partnerships with David Gandy and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, whose lingerie and underwear collections for the store have been widely lauded and popular with customers.

According to data from Kantar Worldpanel, the company's share of the clothing market has declined for 17 consecutive quarters. Rowe's full strategy for how to turn around the fortunes of its womenswear will be unveiled next month.

Beyoncé Sues Feyoncé For Engagement Merchandise

Beyonce is suing Feyoncé, a brand that she claims is making money from "infringing merchandise" that trades on her name. The company - which sells T-shirts, sweatshirts, mugs and other items - is using the word Feyoncé, a "misspelling of fiancée" the lawsuit claims, along with the phrase, "He put a ring on it" to deliberately trade upon "the goodwill and notoriety of Beyoncé, arguably one of the most famous musical artists and entrepreneurs in the world".

"Seeking to capitalise on the notoriety of Single Ladies, with its famous line, 'Put a ring on it,' defendants are selling merchandise bearing the 'Feyoncé' mark, intending to call to mind Beyoncé and her famous song. Some of the defendants' merchandise even bears the lyrics 'Put a ring on it' further solidifying the connection between Beyoncé and the unauthorised products."

The three defendants behind the brand - Andre Maurice, Leana Lopez, and Lee Lee - have not yet spoken publicly about the legal action, which sees their brand accused of "federal trademark infringement, unfair competition, and trademark dilution". Beyoncé's team alleges that the defendants' use of the Feyoncé mark is "causing immediate and irreparable harm to Beyoncé," which is why the singer is seeking "injunctive and monetary relief", The Fashion Law reports.

They may have a chance of reprieve however, since a recent case between Louis Vuitton and My Other Bag proved that US courts are keen to support creative freedom when it comes to parody - meaning that if the brand in question can prove that the mark was intended to amuse or entertain rather than to cause consumer confusion between the brands, it might be allowed under pro-parody legislation. "In some cases, it is better to accept the implied compliment in a parody and to smile or laugh than it is to sue," said the judge in the Vuitton case. The French house is now in the process of appealing the ruling. 

Vetements CEO On Limiting Luxury

As CEO of Vetements, which he set up with his brother Demna, Gurum Gvasalia is a man in demand. Since the label arrived on the fashion scene in 2014, rapidly becoming one of - if not the - most talked-about labels in the world, its unconventional attitude has been the subject of much debate and never more so than when it comes to the issue of luxury and exclusivity.

"We are always trying to change the supply curve, making it just a little bit less than the demand curve, to make sure that you sell out," he told Sarah Mower of the brand's approach during a discussion at The Royal Institute this week, reports 1 Granary. "It is always better to sell one piece less to a store and to be sold out than to sell one piece extra and to go on sale. Because once you go on sale, there's no going back... Because if something goes on sale, it means it was overproduced."

Happy to give a case in point, the businessman and London College of Fashion graduate gave Louis Vuitton's inventory model as an example of what he is trying to avoid for his brand.
If something goes on sale, it means it was overproduced

"Luxury was always something that was scarce. Today, I don't consider Louis Vuitton to be a luxury brand - yes, the quality is luxury, but if you can go to the store and get whatever you want, it's not luxury," he explained. "For us, the important thing is that we don't restock and once you come to the showroom, it's the only chance you're going to have to place an order. Once it's sold out, it's sold out. We had hoodies from the first season that sold out super quickly and we had thousands of requests to make the hoodies again. If we were to, we would probably be able to make a million in a day. It's out of respect to the people that bought them first that we don't."

Explaining how the brand puts a cap on the number of items one retailer can buy (10 pairs of jeans and for Italian stores only four jersey tops) in order to keep the items special, Gvasalia also addressed the high price point of the brand that sees hooded tops fly off the shelves for over the £400 mark.

"There are a few reasons. One is that we work with amazing factories. These factories are not cheap. Another thing is the fabric. For example, the hoodies Demna likes to use molton cotton that is very heavy. It is almost 480g compared to the usual 240g. The price of creating this heavy cotton is double the price of creating a regular one," he said. "It all comes together with the shipping costs. It is nicer when people save up. They can buy this one piece that they cherish for a longer time, rather than spending money on clothes every week that they throw away afterwards. The whole idea is to limit the production, having less pieces and making sure that people who buy these pieces can cherish it for a longer time. It's moving away from this idea of fashion fashion, to this idea of slow fashion."

Supermodel Sentenced For DUI

Nineties supermodel Stephanie Seymourappeared in court yesterday to be sentenced for driving while under the influence. The model did not receive a custodial sentence - instead being instructed to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings twice a week, complete a six-week treatment program at Greenwich Hospital and take two victim impact panels - although the judge cautioned her that her actions had been "serious". If she completes the programmes, the offence will be expunged from her record in a year.

Seymour was arrested and charged with DUI in January of this year when she backed into another car while at the wheel of her Range Rover. She was then later charged with knocking over a utility pole on the same evening. Police claim that she showed signs of intoxication at the time of her arrest - including that she "smelled of alcohol", had "bloodshot eyes", and took "seven attempts to find her identification", Page Six reports.

The model - whose career saw her grace the cover of magazines the world over and take to the catwalk for almost all the major brands of the time alongside contemporaries such as Cindy Crawford and Christy Turlington - smiled in court as Judge Auden Grogins passed sentence, assuring the court that she felt remorseful for her actions.

"I am incredibly ashamed that I did something that could have come out much worse," Seymour said. "I would also like to apologise to my family and the lady who I backed into."

As well as the rest of her sentence, the judge ruled that Seymour would have to pay any restitution not covered by her insurance company, and cautioned: "It wasn't just one accident but two accidents here, so it is serious. I'm glad that you are taking this seriously. You should take it seriously."

Anthony Vaccarello Named YSL Creative Director

Anthony Vaccarello has been named creative director at Yves Saint Laurent with immediate effect, confirming widespread rumours that the designer would succeed Hedi Slimane at the French fashion house. Vaccarello will present his first collection for the house in October for spring/summer 2017.

Earlier today it was confirmed that Vaccarello had left his role as creative director at Versus Versace, paving the way for his appointment at the Kering-owned YSL. Slimane exited the label last week after his contract was not renewed.

"I am very proud to welcome such a vivid and young force among today's creative fashion talents to Yves Saint Laurent," François-Henri Pinault, chairman and CEO of Kering, said in a statement this afternoon. "Anthony Vaccarello's unique style will greatly express the maison's creative signature and fashion authority, building on the brand's solid foundations, and further developing it to realise its full potential. Together with the entire Yves Saint Laurent team, Anthony Vaccarello will strongly contribute to the maison's growing accomplishments."

"Mr Saint Laurent is a legendary figure for his creativity, style and audacity," said Vaccarello as news of his appointment broke. "I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the history of this extraordinary house." As to whether he will continue his eponymous line - as he did while working at Versus - it is not yet known.

Vaccarello's departure from Versus, for which he designed collections for three years, was an amicable one, with Donatella Versace wishing him well in a statement on Monday.

"While I'm sad to see him leave the Versace family, I wish Anthony Vaccarello tremendous success with his next chapter," Versace said, adding that she is happy that the label offers something of a training ground for designers - including JW Anderson and Christopher Kane - who have helmed the label.

"In each instance, their time on Versus Versace led to them making a huge advancement in their design career," she said. "I appreciated the chance to work with each of these three designers, and I enjoyed seeing what they brought to a brand I truly love. I'm proud that Versus can be such a remarkable global platform for emerging design talent."

Is Valentino Buying Balmain?

Valentino is rumoured to have made an approach to acquire Balmain, a French newspaper has claimed this weekend. Reports in Les Echos state that the French luxury label has offered €500 million for the much-talked-about brand, helmed byOlivier Rousteing.

Owned by Qatari investment vehicle Mayhoola, Valentino has some competition for the takeover of the brand, with an unnamed "Chinese group and an American investor" also providing solid offers, The Fashion Law reports. The company's founding family - now represented by the heirs of Balmain's former chairman and majority owner, Alain Hivelin - are said to have until Thursday to decide whether to accept any of the three offers.

Balmain's profile has risen exponentially over the past five years since Rousteing took the helm from former creative director Christophe Decarnin. The first designer to reach a million followers on Instagram, Rousteing's youth and gaggle of famous fans, who he christened the "Balmain army" - teamed with anH&M collaboration in 2015 that brought global awareness - have attributed to a newfound interest in the storied French house, founded by Pierre Balmain in 1946.

Les Echos reports that Bucéphale Finance, a French investment bank, was given a sale mandate by the family with the view that the house should be sold for between €300 and €400 million. Balmain's annual revenue is estimated to amount to €30 million.