. DECEMBER 2017 Night of Stars Modern Voices 3 FGI Frontliner Bringing Fashion Home 4 FGI Frontliner NIGHT OF STARS The Total Man: A Shot in the Arm For Retail? 5 FGI Frontliner Strategies for Entering the Chinese Market 6 Five Questions with a Rising Star Dana L. Bronfman Peyman Umay Kia Ragland 1 2 7 Upcoming Events 8 Spring / Summer 2018 RTW THE PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE 3 4 Chair Katie Kretschmer Editor/Contributing Writer Writers / Editors Wendy D'Amico, Creative Consultant Nancy Jeffries, Contributing Writer Carolyn Moss, Contributing Writer Melissa Pastore, Contributing Writer 5 6 Graphic Design 1. Fashion Superstar Dries Van Noten with presenters Jack McCollough & Lazaro Hernandez Debora DeCarlo, DDC Graphics 2. Lord & Taylor Fashion Oracle Award winner Kerry Washington with Liz Rodbell 3. Fashion Star Thom Browne with presenter Dwayne Wade 4. Beauty Star Jamie Kern Lima with presenter Sunhee Grinnell Photography Nancy Jeffries 5. Humanitarian Star Terry Lundgren with presenter Tommy Hilfiger Patrick McMullan Co. 6. Board of Directors Media Award winner Bridget Foley with presenter Marc Jacobs 1 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Night of Stars . Modern Voices Superstar Dries Van Noten Fashion Stars Tom Browne, Simone Rocha, Isabel Marant Humanitarian Award 7 8 Terry Lundgren for Macy’s Lord & Taylor Fashion Oracle 9 Kerry Washington Beauty Jamie Kern Lima, IT Cosmetics Sustainability Marie-Claire Daveu for Kering 9 10 Board of Directors Media Award 10 Bridget Foley, Women’s Wear Daily Multimedia Retail Michael George, QVC Technology in Brand Development Rebecca Minkoff & Uri Minkoff Fashion Legend Marylou Luther 11 11 12 FGI’s annual Night of Stars gala at Cipriani Wall Street on October 26 brought out a glamorous galaxy of fashion, retail, design and beauty stars, all in their sparkly best and out to celebrate “Modern Voices,” who “change the way we build lives.” The night began with a “Big Bang” when an unexpected Fashion Legend award for was presented to Marylou Luther by another icon, Stan Herman. Margaret Hayes, FGI’s president, thanked the evening’s generous sponsors: AHQ – Accessory Headquarters, Arcade Beauty, Avon, Ecco Domani Wines of Italy, Geoffrey Beene, Hearst Magazines, IT Cosmetics, Kering, Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s, Mozna, Paris Hilton Fragrances & Parlux Ltd., QVC, Rebecca Minkoff, and Scent Marketing Inc/IFF. Guests were wined and dined and awards were presented. Partway through, the evening’s emcee, Simon Doonan reminded the modern voices and their presenters to keep their speeches short. Not everyone took note, but then again, all the accolades and many (many) words of praise and thanks were well deserved. –– Katie Kretschmer Editor/Contributing Writer 7. Fashion Star Simone Rocha with presenter Stefano Tonchi 8. Multimedia Retail star Michael George for QVC with presenter Martha Stewart 9. Fashion Star Isabel Marant with presenter Inez Van Lamsweerde 10. Sustainability Star Marie-Claire Daveu for Kering with presenter Kelly Slater 11. Fashion Legend Marylou Luther with presenter Stan Herman 12. Technology & Brand Development Stars Rebecca Minkoff and Uri Minkoff with presenter Olivia Palermo 2 FGI Frontliner Bringing Fashion Home. What are the connections between fashion and home interiors? Do fashion trends influence house and home? A panel discussion held September 14, at the New York Design Center, examined how the marketing approaches of each industry informs the other. Fashion Group International and interior designer Christopher Guy, in whose showroom the event was held, welcomed attendees to enjoy the perspectives of an illustrious panel. Ilene Shaw, founder of Shaw & Co. Productions, introduced the event, held at the opening of From left: Jon Spurlock, Patrick Mele, Elisa Miller, David Sprouls, and Mike Piirainen Design Week in New York City. She thanked Marimekko for its sponsorship, and acknowledged “We’re a tiny brand. You come to learn about it In response to an audience question regarding the the role of the Fashion Group International, which, and you fall in love with it, and you keep returning role of e-commerce and the purist culture of each as a cornerstone of the fashion industry, also because of the aesthetic,” said Miller, who has of their brands, Miller said, “Calypso’s e-com- recognizes and welcomes the home industry, been with Calypso St. Barth for 11 years. “We’ve merce is quiet. We make sure it’s styled in an and encourages and awards young rising stars never had an ad campaign. Our brand is geared to unexpected way, but we don’t push it. It could be in both arenas. She thanked Guy for supporting an individual who is not chasing the trend, but is bigger and faster, but it’s very healthy for our the presentation, and introduced Jon Spurlock, more about the woman and her mind, her passion, operating costs, which are extremely low. People head of creative at Christopher Guy, who intro- her travels. We really have an aesthetic we stay ask if we’ve been traveling to Indonesia or else- duced the panel. true to,” she said. where, and the answer is no. It’s good to have a budget. It makes you more creative. I actually like Home and Fashion Represented Mele said he didn’t believe in trends. “I’ve prided the challenge. It’s better to have some restraint.” myself on the world history of design and aesthetic David Sprouls, president of the New York School of movements. I believe that the work that a designer Piirainen provided an example of serendipitous Interior Design was the moderator. He welcomed completes is really their calling card. That has brand outreach, describing how the recent Georgia the panelists, including Elisa Miller, creative director been my marketing,” he said. O’Keeffe exhibition at The Brooklyn Museum for Calypso St. Barth; Mika Piirainen, fashion included two Marimekko dresses among designer for Marimekko; and interior designer Miller said Calypso had shifted away from offering O’Keeffe’s collection. “That was like free advertis- Patrick Mele. larger items for the home, like couches. “They ing to us,” he said. weren’t selling. We now include home in our Sprouls’ first question focused on how fashion brand, so you’ll see a pillow, for example, that Clearly, the intersection between home and fash- influences the home aesthetic. Miller noted that looks like our dress. It’s part of the lifestyle brand ion is permeable, and while borrowing design aes- at Calypso, their design concept is a seasonal one. we have. We look at the textiles and when we put thetics, each segment retains uniqueness. FGI “For us, the color palette or print direction we’re the Calypso handwriting on the item and collabo- President Margaret Hayes asked whether there was feeling is translatable from fashion to home. rate, it’s exciting and sells better. Getting back to a course at the New York School of Interior Design These things can be interchanged, particularly the intimacy aspect, buying a rug is less intimate focusing on that intersection. Sprouls responded, smaller things,” said Miller. then buying something for the body. But, you still “For younger students, it’s really lifestyle. There’s may have an emotional experience buying a rug.” Piirainen said, “Marimekko designs for happy days no specific course in the blurring of the lines, but it is part of what the students are learning in many for everyday life.....For us, clothing and interior Origins of Inspiration have always been related.” For Mele, each particular of their courses.” client informs how the design will be created. “We Mele said that inspiration comes from all different Brand connection and longevity of the aesthetic create our line based on a heightened version of areas of life. “The most amazing thing I’ve seen is remained paramount for the panelists, with Miller that client. In terms of how the two are related, the redesign of the Calvin Klein flagship on noting a jadedness in the overload of social media there is a constant conversation. There are ad Madison Avenue. I was floored. It was designed by that didn’t always ring true. The panelists all campaigns around the collections that create the Raf Simmons, and to me it did what Calvin Klein valued the authentic connection rather than zeitgeist of each collection,” said Mele. has always done. I thought it was unbelievable.” fast-paced social media for brand promotion. Mele concurred regarding social media traction. “It’s a Marketing Differentiation Marimekko’s designer acknowledged the influence of the Emmy-winning Netflix series, “The ‘for now’ phenomenon with the millennials. I think Asked whether marketing for home and fashion Handmaid’s Tale.” “The dresses, the acting, the craze around a particular person is going to has changed over time, the panel provided a range the mood, the color, it was Hitchcockian,” said wear thin,” he said, suggesting that clients will of perspectives. Piirainen said, “We sell an idea Piirainen. “As a Finnish person, I love nature ultimately opt for authenticity. rather than dresses at Marimekko. We don’t follow and lakes, there’s a strong connection with the trends at all. As a Finnish designer, we are very outdoors,” he said. — Nancy Jeffries practical and functional. Our dresses from the ’60s are still functional. Right now, we’re doing For Miller, an inspiration is music. “I’m from Contributing Writer, [email protected] our Spring 2019 collection, so we trust what we’re Brooklyn, and I just saw DJ Khaled and Dave doing. We’re not closing our eyes, but we’re just Chappelle three weeks ago. Music really speaks to doing what we’re doing. We have intuition.” me,” she said. 3 FGI Frontliner The Total Man: A Shot in the Arm For Retail? . From left: Todd Snyder, Alex Badia, Eric Jennings, Matthew Marstan and Donrad Duncan Trends and zodiac signs were top of mind denim trend by referencing popular ’90s TV shows After the trend review, Badia did his best to live on October 5th, when FGI gathered a group “Friends” and “90210.” This led the panel to up to the panel’s title.