A Miu Miu Holiday, Rating Retail Real Estate, The Great and Birkenstock Team
HAPPY MIU YEAR: Remember the packed, multipocketed bags paraded last month at the Miu Miu spring 2024 fashion show? They are about to get fuller.
Miu Miu is to release its complete holiday campaign, offering a better look to its extensive gifting collection filled with festive options across ready-to-wear, accessories and lifestyle items.
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Logoed hair clips, velvet slippers and even a branded hot-water bottle appear next to the label’s glam apparel and signature matelassé leather bags. For the first time, the company also collaborated with Polaroid and Marshall on co-branded tech items, including a camera with logoed strap as well as headphones and speakers in a black leather Miu Miu case.
While prices for the tie-ups will range from 650 euros for the Polaroid camera to 850 euros for the items developed with Marshall, little accessories, like the enameled hair clips, will start retailing at 270 euros and the hot-water bottle will be priced at 580 euros.
The house’s bags will come with price tags ranging from 880 euros for the micro Wander matelassé design, to 2,100 euros for the same style in shearling.
Elsewhere, handbags in polished red or encrusted with crystals add to the festive options, while the ready-to-wear assortment will include skirt suits in black cady, organza designs embroidered with crystals; glossy leather pieces with contrasting collars and gold buttons; cashmere cardigans and jersey separates coming with sportswear-inspired Miu Miu-branded trimming.
Bicolored mary jane flats, small leather goods, chunky bijoux and eyewear are also included in the collection.
A dedicated campaign photographed by Zoë Ghertner and styled by Lotta Volkova sees talents Nyaduola Gabriel, Ying Ouyang, Yura Romaniuk and Annabelle Weatherly posing with the pieces in the collection, while additional still life images lensed by Annemarie Kuus offer close-ups on a selection of objects.
The images follow the holiday campaign fronted by longtime Miu Miu muse Emma Corrin that the brand shared on its social media last month. — SANDRA SALIBIAN
RATING RETAIL: People just can’t get enough of in-store shopping, especially for fashion and beauty, according to Cushman & Wakefield’s latest European Retail Radar report.
In the first six months of 2023, fashion brands leased the most shop space compared to any other type of retailer. The brands accounted for more than 40 percent of retail floor space leased across Europe by Cushman & Wakefield.
The real estate services firm said it analyzed nearly 1,000 retail real estate transactions across Europe and found that the majority of the deals were made by mass market fashion retailers.
Other brands fast opening doors across the region include the French down-jacket retailer JOTT (Just Over the Top) and the U.S. sportswear retailer Lids.
Fashion also accounted for the largest share of leases for bigger spaces — larger than 11,000 square feet — in the period.
Cushman said fashion accounted for almost one-third of all deals for all unit sizes but, for the largest units, it represented more than 40 percent of deals.
Other retailers going for larger spaces tended to be home and do-it-yourself, mixed goods and leisure brands.
“The pessimistic cries about the demise of brick-and-mortar retail now feel like a distant memory as physical retail enters a new norm,” said Rob Travers, head of Europe, the Middle East and Africa Retail at Cushman & Wakefield.
“While core retail sectors continue to dominate transactional activity, emerging trends are bringing new brands into the marketplace. Our analysis clearly shows that physical retail remains vital as brand touch points, supporting customer engagement and a wider range of business activity. And retailers continue to become more demanding of their retail real estate,” Travers added.
The report said the food and beverage sector was the second most active in terms of the number of transactions in the period.
F&B accounted for 17 percent of the total number of deals done, and represented 8 percent of the total volume of space let, slightly up from volumes in the corresponding period last year.
Operators committing to space included the Belgian casual dining chain Hawaiian Poké Bowl and the U.S. chicken fast-food chain Popeyes, which continues to expand in Europe.
Health and beauty operators, particularly premium brands, were also highly acquisitive in the first half of 2023 with the volume of space transacted almost twice that of the corresponding period last year.
Jo Malone, Aesop, Freshly Cosmetics, MAC and Space NK have been particularly active, according to the report.
Cushman added that activity in the six months was dominated by demand for small units.
Across the entire sample of nearly 5,000 transactions since the beginning of 2021, more than 80 percent of deals were for units of less than 6,500 square feet, with the smallest units of less than 2,200 square feet accounting for more than half of all deals.
Cushman also looked at the reasons behind the spike in demand, and found they were a desire to create experiences, and to show off automotive innovations.
The report pointed to recent openings by Paradox Museum and Museum of Illusions in places such as London, Hamburg, Barcelona, Athens, Budapest and Dublin.
It also mentioned the Netflix “Stranger Things” installation in Milan, and the “Friends” Experience of interactive sets inspired by the TV show in cities across Europe.
The report said as consumers become more demanding of new and exciting in-person experiences, culture and entertainment-based experiential brands are expected to require more space on both shorter- and longer-term bases.
It added that electric car companies such as Lucid, Polestar, HiPhi, Vinfast and NI0 have all invested in new retail spaces in recent years. Others — such as Chinese vehicle makers BYD and Xpend as well as U.S. giant GM — are planning to launch or expand in European markets in the near term.
The retail spaces they are typically creating include vehicle showroom space and areas that create “brand discovery and customer engagement in different ways,” Cushman said. — SAMANTHA CONTI
GREAT BIRKENSTOCKS: L.A.-based casual Americana brand The Great, founded in 2015 by designers Emily Current and Meritt Elliot, is releasing a Birkenstock collaboration.
Available Wednesday at all six of their retail stores, and Thursday on their thisisthegreat.com website, the collaboration features hand-painted, customized Boston clogs in two paint-splattered colors and Arizona sandals in three paint-splattered colors.
“The brand has been woven into my life since growing up in Northern California, where our family tradition involved an annual visit to the local mom-and-pop Birkenstock shop,” said Current.
“We have been good friends with Emily and Meritt for years. Their philosophy at The Great naturally connects with the Birkenstock attitude of being comfortable and loving what you dress in, regardless of where you are going. It’s a pleasure to see our lifelong fans put their splash on these unique styles,” said David Kahan, president, Birkenstock Americas, in a statement.
In addition to the limited-edition footwear, the brand will also introduce a curated selection of its American-made knits featuring the same hand-painted aesthetic, including vintage-inspired sweatpants, pocket Ts, and college sweatshirts. Prices range from $285 for the Arizona and go up to $325 for the Boston, while the painted apparel ranges from $135 to $225.
“From fading to mending to paint splatters, we love finding vintage treasures that have character and traces of wear. We wanted our design for these Birkenstock to echo that same sentiment, giving each piece a perfectly imperfect paint splatter print that looks loved, lived-in, and full of stories to tell,” said Elliot, adding, “From the start of The Great, these iconic styles have been part of our campaigns and shoots year after year. They embody the casual, relaxed and effortless aesthetic we crave — a defining expression of our core identity.”
This is the first chapter of an ongoing collaboration between the two brands; a second drop will come in early spring. — BOOTH MOORE
ALWAYS BE KIND: For anyone that may have encountered a goat at Nasdaq’s Times Square headquarters in New York City on Monday, there was in fact a reasonable explanation.
Beekman 1802, the skin care company that cites its two main ingredients as being goat’s milk and kindness, was there to honor World Kindness Day and of course had to bring its chief mascot along.
In honor of the occasion, Beekman 1802 founders Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Dr. Brent Ridge, along with Ulta Beauty’s vice president of merchandising Penny Coy, rang Nasdaq’s opening bell.
It’s not the first time the two companies have joined forces for kindness. Last year, Beekman 1802 and Ulta worked with Kindness.org on a study to measure how kindness shows up in the workplace. The study’s results showed a direct correlation between kindness and overall employee happiness and job satisfaction.
“At Beekman 1802, World Kindness Day is way more important than Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and we are so honored to partner with Ulta and Nasdaq to help remind people of New York City and the world that there is beauty in kindness,” said Ridge.
Beekman was founded by husband-and-husband team Ridge and Kilmer-Purcell from their Sharon Springs, N.Y., farm in 2009. They started selling bars of soap made from goat milk to their neighbors and gradually built Beekman 1802 into a full-fledged skin care line. Eurazeo Brands acquired a controlling stake in Beekman 1802 in 2021. — KATHRYN HOPKINS
SECOND TIME: Remi Bader will release a second collection with Revolve on Tuesday.
For the newest drop, available in sizes XXS to 4X, the content creator — who’s a size inclusive brand consultant — utilized feedback she received from her social media audience.
“I really wanted feedback whether it was positive or negative,” Bader told WWD in an exclusive statement. “This is a learning process for me, so all feedback was necessary. My favorite part of the process was learning what I could do better and that’s why I am so excited for this collection to release.”
Launching on Revolve.com, the line now includes blouses, two-piece trouser sets and eveningwear. She’s reintroducing bestsellers from her debut in new colors and details, like quilting and contrast stitching. Bader had the freedom to choose the colors, silhouettes and fabric, she said.
“A lot of the feedback was that people wanted options that were less tight and cropped and more items that were loose and flowy, so I made sure to incorporate that into this collection,” she said. “I also made sure to make the colors and fabric more cohesive and really stuck with the idea that it’s a holiday collection, which I think you will feel and see in the pieces between their different fabrics and colorways.”
The partnership with Revolve kicked off after Bader made a “realistic Revolve haul” video discussing her wishes for the brand.
“I was talking about how I wish I could wear more of the clothes as a curvier girl, but not being able to because they didn’t have my sizes available,” Bader said. “Once that video was circulated, Revolve reached out immediately saying they had been wanting to expand their sizes and wanted to do it with me.”
Revolve, known for innovating influencer marketing with its partnerships and destination trips — attracting Millennial and Gen Z shoppers — is getting ready to take Bader to Amsterdam as part of the size-inclusive launch. Bader herself handpicked the content creators invited to join.
“I really have the same inspiration as I always have, making a collection based on being a plus-sized girl who struggles to find things to wear in the fashion industry,” Bader added. “I thought to include cool two-piece sets, sexy dresses, and skirts that might not be available to a larger body in the industry.” — RYMA CHIKHOUNE
LAGOS’ BEST: Moda Operandi will introduce its fourth annual “Best of Lagos Fashion Week” Trunkshow featuring designers Kìléntár, LilaBare, Orange Culture and Oríré.
The Trunkshow recognizes the designers, who are steadily building their profile and a global audience.
“Every year we are inspired by the celebration of creativity, ethical practices and vibrant culture,” said Kelsey Lyle, buyer for Moda Operandi, of Lagos Fashion Week. “Our clients come to Moda as a destination to discover new brands from across the globe, and Lagos Fashion Week is a hotbed of emerging talent. We are excited to announce three new designers this year: LilaBare, Orange Culture and Kìléntár, which is exclusive to Moda. Kìléntár was founded by British-Nigerian designer Michelle Adepoju, who draws inspiration from a diverse range of African cultures and historical eras. Moda will also welcome back Lagos-based brand Oríré.”
Spring ’24 looks range from Oríré’s denim and updates in their signature tie-dye technique to Nairobi-based sustainable LilaBare, whose inspiration began with its Indian-Kenyan designer Ria Ana Sejpal’s mother’s wedding dress. Orange Culture offers delicate silhouettes and matches them against rigid cuts and fabrics, while Kìléntár’s spring line was entirely crafted in Nigeria, reflecting their commitment to artisanal techniques and handwork.
Omoyemi Akerele, the founder of Lagos Fashion Week, said, “It’s great to have consistent partners in Moda Operandi. For Lagos Fashion Week, it’s important that we explore avenues beyond the runway, opportunities that provide access to new markets. This season, we introduced our community to fresh talent from across the continent, and it’s exciting to see that reflected in our Trunkshow with LilaBare and Kìléntár, as well as seasoned brands Orange Culture and Oríré. Each is distinctive in storytelling and craftsmanship, which should make an exciting discovery for Moda Operandi customers.”
“The Best of Lagos Fashion Week” Trunkshow launches for preorder on Tuesday and runs through December. Prices range from $160 to $800. — LISA LOCKWOOD
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