Help for Maui, Dressing Beyoncé, Taylor Swift Pays Off

MAUI EFFORTS: Delivering Good, which provides people impacted by poverty, disaster and other tragedies with new merchandise donated by retailers and manufacturers, is preparing a response to support the victims of the wildfire that has devastated parts of Maui.

The nonprofit organization is ramping up its operations to ensure the group is ready to act as soon as the situation in Maui stabilizes. The team is working to identify the best partners to help get and distribute donated merchandise on the ground in Maui as soon as possible.

While the situation is still in flux with many areas either unreachable or with restricted access due to emergency rescue efforts, the charity’s experience has shown that essentials such as underwear, socks, T-shirts, children’s clothing, diapers and baby wipes are some of the items that are most needed during the early recovery period.

Delivering Good is accepting donations of new merchandise and funds to support its relief efforts. Financial gifts are critically needed, the group says, and are tax deductible. Donations are 100 percent tax deductible and can be made at give.delivering-good.org.

Companies with merchandise to donate should contact Delivering Good’s product procurement department at donateproduct@delivering-good.org. Their team can accept donations and facilitate the transport to Maui.

“Delivering Good provides companies with a simple way to connect their generosity with those who are dealing with tremendous loss right now,” said Matthew Fasciano, Delivering Good president and chief executive officer. “With our long history of responding to disasters in places like Haiti, Puerto Rico, Ukraine and throughout the continental U.S., Delivering Good has developed the expertise to provide support for individuals and families in times of crisis. We know how to work with the right partners to get the right supplies, to the right place when they are most needed.” — Lisa Lockwood

STICKING TOGETHER: Coty Inc. may be, sources say, in talks with Kim Kardashian to sell back her beauty brand, but it is certainly holding onto its license with Adidas, which it has just renewed.

“Adidas is perfectly positioned to capitalize on the new well-being and athleisure trend in beauty amongst today’s consumers,” said Coty chief executive officer Sue Nabi about the renewal, of which terms were not disclosed.

It has partnered with the activewear giant since the ‘90s and introduced its first product in the U.S. in 1999 with the Adidas Moves for Him scent, followed by Adidas Moves for Her in 2000.

Nabi noted that in recent months, Coty has elevated Adidas’ body care offering with the launch of the Adidas Active Skin and Mind range.

“Consumers have responded very positively to the launch, and we look forward to building on this progress with an exciting pipeline of further innovations and lines as we drive growth in new and existing markets in the future,” she added.

After the launch of the Active Skin & Mind Range in Europe, Coty is looking to drive growth in China, forging a partnership with Su Yiming, the Chinese gold medallist in snowboarding, as an ambassador for the brand.

As for its other partnerships, at the end of last year, Coty sold its Lacoste fragrance license back to Lacoste by mutual agreement for an undisclosed sum and separately renewed its license with Hugo Boss. In May, it renewed its license with Davidoff, extending the companies’ long-running partnership, which began in the ‘80s.

There has also been much speculation about what will happen with its license for Gucci Beauty. Gucci owner Kering has been making a series of high level hires in its beauty division as it looks to become a serious player in the sector. The Gucci license is expected to expire in 2028. — Kathryn Hopkins

SPARKLE SWEEPSTAKES: Fashion brands seem to be getting slightly more bang for their buck from dressing Beyoncé for her “Renaissance World Tour” than Taylor Swift for her “Eras” concerts.

For example, Alexander McQueen won $7.7 million in media impact value, and Tiffany & Co. $7.2 million, for placing designs on Beyoncé, compared to Versace garnering $6.3 million after dressing Swift, data from Launchmetrics show.

The data firm’s tallies show that “Eras” has so far generated $97.5 million in media impact value, or MIV, and “Renaissance” $187 million. The proprietary MIV figure calculates the impact of relevant media placements on all channels (online, social and print), inclusive of paid, owned and earned mediums.

Roberto Cavalli accumulated $4.9 million in MIV, and Zuhair Murad $2.3 million, for dressing Swift.

By comparison, Balmain garnered $5.6 million and Valentino $3.7 million in MIV for dressing Beyoncé.

The two tours, playing to sold-out arenas and triggering viral moments on social media, represent “the perfect stage for brands to capture the gaze of millions, generating unparalleled exposure and reinforcing their image in the hearts of both dedicated fans and the broader public,” Launchmetrics said.

But a certain doll with a penchant for pink seems to have trumped the music superstars.

Zara’s decision to partner with Mattel on a capsule collection inspired by the looks of the hit “Barbie” movie won the fast-fashion retailer $11 million in MIV, according to Launchmetrics.

Brands that also won the attention sweepstakes with Barbie collaborations include Nyx, whose makeup collaboration garnered $8.5 million in MIV, and Boohoo, scoring $3.7 million for its co-branded collection of 38 styles.

Crocs also generated $3.7 million in MIV with its Barbie-themed collection of shoes and charms, while shoe chain Aldo scored $2.7 million with its range of footwear, bags and jewelry.

The Barbie x Gap collection, spanning apparel, accessories, kidswear and even pets clothes, generated $1.8 million in MIV.

In a separate research study, Launchmetrics analyzed TikTok data, which shows beauty brands growing 53 percent faster than fashion in the first five months of 2023 versus the same January-to-May period last year.

Louis Vuitton, Chanel, L’Oréal and Fenty Beauty were among new entries in its top 10 ranking of fashion, luxury and lifestyle brands on TikTok. Sephora bumped Shein from the top spot and Fashion Nova, Balenciaga, Adidas and Walmart dropped off the list.

Launchmetrics noted that the “share of voice” garnered by TikTok influencers dropped 8 percent, with branded content logging the most growth at 4.5 percent.

Beauty brands grew at a monthly rate of 15 to 16 percent across prestige and mass market segments.

By contrast, luxury fashion and premium fashion brands outpaced mass market players, logging growth of 11 percent, 12 percent and 7 percent respectively. — Miles Socha

ART AND SEOUL: The Frieze Seoul frenzy will kick off Sept. 2 with “Lady Dior Celebration,” a new exhibit featuring 24 contemporary Korean artists at the house’s Seongsu-dong concept store.

The exhibit brings together a collective of eclectic artists to continue the interpretations of work inspired by the house’s famous Lady Dior handbag.

Lee Bul’s famed “Cella” sculpture, originally created for the Miss Dior exhibit at Paris’ Grand Palais in 2013, will sit center stage. The 16-foot-tall crystal-shaped suspended cocoon invites the viewer inside the reflective piece.

Twenty-four Korean artists will create two interpretations each, for a total of 42 pieces on display.

Dior settled on Seoul for the exhibit due to its growing voice in the global cultural scene — not to mention its thriving luxury market — and the house’s historical ties to art.

“The ‘Lady Dior Celebration’ exhibition, which runs parallel to Frieze, is a unique and exceptional event, celebrating the powerful ties forged between Dior and South Korea, as well as the many unfailing affinities that unite our house and the art world,” Dior chief executive officer Delphine Arnault told WWD.

“At the heart of this unprecedented occasion, the Lady Dior, a timeless icon in perpetual reinvention, is reinterpreted by a selection of prestigious contemporary artists, pushing the limits of the imagination and savoir-faire of excellence more than ever; a fascinating, multifaceted tribute to the passion for creativity cultivated by Monsieur Dior, who was a collector and gallery owner long before he became a couturier,” she added.

“Odes to the beauty of dreams and emotions, these fascinating works — including those by emblematic Korean artists, are revealed in this exclusive retrospective,” the company added in revealing the artistic slate. “These leading creators, with their multiple imaginations, share the same goal: to translate and poetically sublimate the excellence and essence of the Lady Dior object of desire.”

Among the creators contributing to the exhibit are sculptor Bahk Seon-Ghi, visual artist and production designer Choi Jeong-hwa, still-life painter Gigisue, multimedia humorist Gimhongsok and monochrome Dansaekhwa artist Ha Chong-hyun.

Photographer Heewon Kim, sketch artist Jia Lee, Jay Sae Jung Oh, whose works with sustainable materials blur the lines between sculpture and furniture, and Jukhee Kwon, who works with disused books, will also be featured.

Other artists in a range of disciplines include Jungjin Lee, Jungpyo Hong, Kwangho Lee, Kyungwoo Chun, Lee Hun Chung, Lee Kun-Yong, Minjung Kim, Oh You Kyeong, Ran Hwang, Soo Sunny Park, Suki Seokyeong Kang and Wonmin Park. Yesum Yoon and Zadie Xa will also be part of the retrospective.

The works will surround the central exhibit space in which Bul’s “Cella” serves as the anchor, with themed rooms jutting off like spokes to feature specific pieces and shapes, including a room dedicated to the Lady D-lite embroidered version and another to the rectangular Lady D-joy. Bags are perched atop mirrored pedestals, on display under glass, while others are tucked into coves.

The new exhibit is a spin on the “Lady Dior as Seen By” roving exhibit the brand launched in Shanghai and traveled the world to Hong Kong, Milan, Tokyo, São Paulo and Berlin over the decade to 2021, and the Dior Lady Art project, which pulled in artists from as far afield as China, Egypt and Qatar.

The second edition of Frieze Seoul is scheduled to take place Sept. 6 to 9 at the COEX convention center in the city. The “Lady Dior Celebration” exhibit will run until Sept. 17. — Rhonda Richford

NYFW THRIFT: Resellers are dialing up their presence at fashion week.

After holding intimate swap events for the past two years, ThredUp is assembling a “Thrifting Suite” and swap event on the eve of New York Fashion Week to “inspire more editors and influencers to wear thrift to NYFW,” according to the company. The invite-only thrifting suite in TriBeCa will be decked out with the reseller’s hand-curated items for fashion week.

Meanwhile, Poshmark is also coaxing influential fashionistas into its ranks. The reseller will return to its peer-to-peer activations with a live selling suite at The Hotel Chelsea for a one-on-one consultation and guided resale experience in late August ahead of NYFW. The Posh team is offering up the service to media and special guests to offload the selling responsibility. Sellers bring in five to 10 items and meet with a closet consultant. From there, all sellers have to do is tune in to a live show, set the price of their goods and watch as viewers bid on their items.

The social aspect is a reigning differentiator at Poshmark. “As social media increasingly accelerates microtrends, consumers are purchasing, wearing and discarding their clothes more than ever,” said Chloe Baffert, head of merchandising and curation at Poshmark. “Shopping secondhand is an easy and sustainable way for consumers to keep up. From the cultural phenomenon of Barbie and highly sought after merch from Beyoncé and Taylor Swift’s summer tours, to Bella Hadid’s soccer-inspired blokette aesthetic dominating the athleisure category, social media trends quickly populate on Poshmark.”

Given National Thrift Shop Day on Aug. 17, promotions ran all month across ThredUp and all week at GoodwillFinds (the e-commerce store for Goodwill), with special promotions and parties popping up from independent sellers on Poshmark.

Though GoodwillFinds has no planned presence at fashion week, Matthew Kaness, chief executive officer of GoodwillFinds, said the company is still riding the thrifting high. “The key to fashion in any era is responding to consumer trends and cultural moments — and given the heightened interest in the circular economy, thrifting is an undeniable component in fashion’s future.”

According to insights from First Research, the used merchandise industry in the U.S. encompasses more than 20,000 stores with combined annual revenue of roughly $15 billion. Publicly listed resale companies are catching their strides as they chase profitability. Reseller ThredUp posed a strong second quarter lifted by new company initiatives while The RealReal further fine-tuned its new strategy under CEO John Koryl. — Kaley Roshitsh

OUT OF THIS ORBIT: This year’s Superstar award winner at the Fashion Group International’s Night of Stars will be someone whose work always celebrates someone else: Andrew Bolton.

As the Wendy Yu curator in charge at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, he has introduced millions annually to the work of scores of designers. His vast knowledge base is evident in his body of work, which includes “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty,” “China: Through the Looking Glass,” “Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty,” “Camp: Notes on Fashion” and “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.” During his 20-year tenure, the celebrity-studded Met Gala has gained global traction from one year to the next. Simultaneously, Bolton’s star has also risen from the standpoint of FGI, which honored him with its Oracle award in 2016.  

FGI will salute other standouts at the Oct. 17 Legends and Leaders gala at The Plaza Hotel. The group’s 39th annual event will hand over the Fashion Star award to Proenza Schouler’s Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez and the Humanitarian award to musician and Maestro Cares Foundation cofounder Marc Anthony.

With a track record of 40-plus years and still running, Dennis Basso will accept the Lifetime Achievement award. This year’s Beauty Innovation award will go to Gail Boye of Shiseido Americas. Fashion and culture thought leader Antoine Phillips will receive the Agent of Change award.

FGI will present the American Icon award to Whoopi Goldberg, the moderator of ABC’s “The View” and an EGOT-winning actress-producer-writer.

Next month, Bolton will be picking up another honor. Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts, New York’s premiere preservation organization, will honor Bolton and Thom Browne with its Ambassador to the Upper East Side Award. — Rosemary Feitelberg