What do you call a retail model that is not going down but getting divided based on the economics of the world, consumer behaviour and early adopters? Let's dive into the fragmentation of retail.

I’ve lost count of the number of times I have seen the terms ‘retail apocalypse’ and ‘perfect storm in retail’ being used in the last 2-3 years. I have watched the collapse of several major chains with an increasing sense of dismay and ‘the end of an era’ nostalgia. Department stores, toy specialists, electronics giants, they were all institutions in their own right!

Now, an apocalypse is a profound word and means ‘the total destruction and end of the world’. Grave! English is not my first language but intuitively it feels wrong to associate the word with the current retail situation. Some retailers are thriving while others are suffering. The respective financial performances are polarised.

Besides the multi-channel retailers with a strong USP and online pure-plays, marketplaces are the bi...

Why is there a rise in demand for personalised products? In this age of mass production and over consumption it’s apparent that consumers want to feel special and to stand out from the crowd. But, does it go further than this and who are the brands offering personalisation well? Let's find out.

Within every hierarchy of fashion, be it high street, middle market or high-end, personalisation has a place.

From sports shoes in Nike town, where customers are able to put a NikeID to their runners and have a bespoke pair delivered within two weeks.

Or the mass appeal of the mid-market e-tailer, who took off after recognising the demand for customisation.

Obviously, high-end brands such as Hermes have been monogramming product since the beginning of time.

When I was a teenager I wanted to look a bit different from my peers and I was lucky enough to be able to make my own clothes to instigate this.

Unfortunately, not everyone is able to create their own clothes or accessories and this is ...

We can’t all afford the designer styles we see on celebrities and runway models. So, we often settle for cheap alternatives. Unfortunately, there’s a price to pay for affordable clothing – and we’re not talking money-wise.

Much like fast food, fast fashion was made to cater to those on a budget as a quick and easy solution. Fast fashion clothing is characteristically cheap, trendy, and mass-produced. There are a number of global fast fashion brands, most of which we’ve likely frequented without knowing any better. Some you may have heard of include:

• Charlotte Russe
• Fashion Nova
• Forever 21
• H&M
• Topshop
• Urban Outfitters
• Zara

Not only are the practices of some of these brands morally and ethically irresponsible, but they’re also environmentally wasteful.

Unfortunately, we’re easily disillusioned by their reasonable prices and up-to-date styles.

Aside from the fact that they promote sweatshop culture, they often lack in quality as well. Fortunately, if you frequent these ...

If you’re looking to become a jewellery designer, there are plenty of ways to go about achieving your goal. While there’s no one “right” way to ensure success, there are several early career options for aspiring designers who are looking to make their mark on the jewellery industry. How do you decide which route to take?

The best way to become a jewellery designer will be based on your skills, needs, resources and personality. What works for one person might not be the best plan for you and vice versa.

When you are starting a business in a new field, it is an important time to take stock of who you are and what you have to offer. In doing so, you’ll be able to develop an understanding of the best path to success for your (jewellery) career.

In this article, we will show you how you can discover four paths to become a jewellery designer and how to understand which process will be the right one for you.

1. The Traditional Jewellery Maker Path

For many years, the best way to become a...

Working with clothing manufacturers overseas is a natural progression for many fashion brands. The move is often necessitated by two main factors - a need for larger volume production or a necessity to reduce costs and increase margins.

Finding clothing manufacturers overseas or any fashion manufacturers for that matter has got easier over the last few years. There has been an influx of multiple online fashion manufacturing directories focusing on different areas and verticals of the fashion industry. Yet, working farther away is not got much easier.

It is not impossible either! It is important to go into these new relationships and make this big change with eyes fully open.

Many fashion brands make the mistake of getting excited by the potential savings they will make by moving their production offshore, and neglect to see the obstacles and challenges such a move will instigate.

No challenge is insurmountable, but choosing not to recognise it early enough and deal with, will o...

Buying ethical clothing and talking about ethical fashion has become the "in" thing of our generation. But what does it mean? What makes clothes ethical? Few ask the question let alone look into the process and meaning of this modern-day term so many feel so passionate about. The truth is, ethical clothing is not something that starts and ends with the designing and sewing of them. It's important that the actions before and after the actual creation process are also ethical. What does that mean exactly?

"Ethical clothing" can refer to many different aspects of production. It can mean that the materials used for manufacturing those clothes have been grown in an organic fashion. It could also mean that the people who are creating those clothes are working in adequate conditions.

But it could also refer to the actual workers who are growing the cotton crops used for making the clothes, and their work conditions.

Read more about ethical manufacturing here.

What can you do to ensure th...

The rise of cruelty-free fashion and beauty brands is apparent and all around us. Over the last few years, keen followers of fashion, no doubt would have noticed a sharp increase in consumers seeking more conscious fashion choices.

For many, the search led them to nowhere. Others chose to do something it and launched their own brands in this increasingly popular product niche.

The poor state of the planet we live in is highlighted daily. No longer do we witness natural disasters from a safe distance. More and more of us experience first-hand or know of someone who has been directly affected by such climate change provoked calamities.

Most causes point to the vast amount of land, claimed through (mostly) deforestation in order to make it suitable for growing crops that will feed the animals. According to a study done by the Harvard University approved in 2013, around 30% of the worlds ice-free surface land is farmed to support the feeding of chickens, pigs and cattle that we consume....

Sustainable fashion terminology can be confusing to most. Like many other industries, fashion is shaped by economic and political forces. It is like a living organism – always evolving and changing. I'm sure – like me – you must find it hard to keep up with all the terminology used by industry insiders. Not only are there new words and labels emerging, but often they overlap in meaning and it is confusing to know what they all mean exactly.

So, here is a handy guide that will clear up the confusion. Even help you understand, if you are in fashion, what you should look out for and stand for.

Conscious Fashion

Conscious fashion is a catch-all term. It is often used by people to imply “sustainability”, “ethical” practices or “eco”. Some brands use the name to imply “mindful” and “purposeful” and in fact even use it as part of the brand name. They don’t always have to be a sustainable fashion brand, though some may be. It is best to check for more information on their website and even c...

Vegan Leather or Real Animal Leather? Sustainability and making fashion more responsible and better for the planet have been on the global environmental agenda for a number of years now. 

According to the global fashion aggregator Lyst, the appetite for more sustainable fashion is on the increase, reflected in searches for sustainable fashion brands up by 75 per cent year on year.

One of the hot topics in the industry for a while now has been the debate if faux or often referred to as “vegan” leather is better environmental and sustainable choice than real animal leather?

The answer is complicated with passionate arguments for both “for” and “against”.

Personal preferences aside – let’s take a look at the factual side of the evidence.

REAL ANIMAL LEATHER

It is often cited and said that the animal leather is a by-product of the meat industry. While not all animal leather used in fashion is of a single type and classed as a “by-product”, it is certainly the case for cow derived lea...

Years ago when the British manufacturing industry was thriving, there would have been no question as to whether local manufacturing would have been your first option or a preferred one. However, during its decline, the rise of alternative options offshore was too attractive to brands to overlook. In this article, we will talk about what the right manufacturing method is, for your brand - offshore manufacturing or local manufacturing.

Before embarking on production for your fashion start-up, it would be wise to research the differences between local manufacturing or offshore manufacturing.

The main reasons designers and brands choose either of these options is rarely on personal grounds. Usually, it has something to do with one or more of the following:

• Tangible factors of consideration: cost, minimum order quantity (MOQ), skill, location (distance)
• Intangible factors of consideration: level of experience manufacturing, trust, communication

Making a choice, to begin with, is...