Léa Seydoux gets the travel bug for Louis Vuitton campaign
The first fruits of the contract between Louis Vuitton and French actress Léa Seydoux have been unveiled with a new campaign in the brand’s Spirit of Travel series.
Dyson: Air flow tech goes from suck to blow with hairdryer launch
Should hairdryer manufacturers be quaking in their not-very-innovative boots? Maybe. Dyson is getting in on the act with a new dryer, the Supersonic, that’s just been launched in Japan.
BHV in Paris goes athleisure crazy with Fashion Sport department
If you’re visiting Paris and grow tired of the art, the couture and the history (as if!) you can now pop down to department store BHV for an athleisure fix. While BHV is one of the most local shopper-focused of the big Paris stores, it may just be worth adding to your tourist itinerary now.…
Handbag wars revisited: Coach back to profits growth
Years ago I used to headline every Coach results story with words like “unstoppable” or “powering ahead”. But then came the inevitable reversal when profits fell off a cliff and it seemed the whole world was buying Michael Kors bags instead. So it’s good news that, after a bruising period, Coach appears to be back…
Self-cleaning clothes: Are they finally here?
There’s a 1950s British movie called The Man In The White Suit in which scientist Alec Guinness invents a durable, self-cleaning fabric that he thinks will be boon to mankind. But he ends up as a hate figure as businesses and their workers realise they won’t need to make any more textiles or garments. Maybe…
Killer heels: How women defy the pain barrier
Are women mad? That’s the question that often springs to my mind when I see a woman hobbling by in a pair of crazy heels. Having given up high heels after a few brief years of experimentation back in my late teens, I can strike an air of pitying superiority whenever I see someone in…
SS16 campaign: Calvin Klein Platinum
The Calvin Klein Platinum line (which is available in Europe and Asia) has released its SS16 campaign with an outdoors location but certainly not an outdoors feel. The mood is actually more urban sophistication, although I’m not sure if that sits easily with the brand’s tagline. I always feel that use of the “I do…
US department stores: Space glut vs productivity gap
US department stores have a tough time ahead – at least that’s according to a new report. They need to close 20% of all anchor space in US malls if they want to return to the productivity levels they had a decade ago, Green Street Advisors claims. The research, reported in The Wall Street Journal,…
Digital ads: Surging sales, video, mobile and the social media effect
US digital ad revenues reached an all-time high of $59.6bn last year, according to a new report. That’s a 20% surge over the previous record-breaking year. And the pace is quickening because Q4 saw a 23% year-on-year rise to $17.4bn and an 18% surge over the previous quarter.
John Lewis list: Enlightening or indulgent?
It was fascinating this morning to read about John Lewis’s list of the10 must-have items it thinks will sum up the AW16 season. Each item says a lot about us as consumers, the way John lewis has changed and how much money some people are prepared to pay for some items. OK, we all know…
