Weekly Fashion Refresh
Fendi Prints On X Nicki Minaj
It has been announced that the Fendi collaboration collection with Nicki Minaj will be available on fendi.com from today (14th October) and in 52 boutiques worldwide from the 16th. It was first rumoured that Minaj was working with Fendi back in July and this was confirmed in early September at the same time as the rapper revealed plans to retire from music to “have a family” (BBC, 2019).
As far as the collection goes, it is exactly what you would expect – think high-end glamour, metallic details and a pop of neon pink. Flaunt magazine has summed it up as “barbie doll in outer space”. It is bold with a sophisticated touch. Minaj herself appears in the campaign images shot poolside in LA by photographer Steven Klein.
The capsule range has been developed with the help of Silvia Venturini Fendi (creative director for men’s lines and accessories) and the label’s design team and is a mixture of Minaj’s signature body-hugging attire balanced out with some classier pieces, athleisurewear and out-there accessories. Men aren’t excluded, the range includes t-shirts, tracksuit bottoms, bags and more for them. Plus, if they really love silver metallic trousers they are in luck!
From the outside It looks like the designers gone with a simple concept – take wardrobe staples like bomber jackets, puffer jackets, tulle and bodycon dresses that everyone needs and put a crazy “Nicki Minaj” spin on it. With the FF logo plastered over everything, the clothes are far from dull to look at. In the next few days, Fendi should see if this Collab has truly paid off or not.
Debenhams Menswear Relaunch
Source: Drapers Online
The announcement of a new menswear relaunch to differentiate between the brands housed instore comes as no shock as Debenhams fights to stay afloat despite a flop in sales (latest figures show a decline by 5.3% in the first part of this year) and follows the September launch of the womenswear own brand collection “kley”.
Recently appointed figures in the company such as Trading Director Andrew Lepp have noted that mainstream menswear brands like Red herring and Mantaray, and the more premium Jasper Conran saw too much duplication in styles. Looking forward their aim will be to offer greater distinction between them in stores to attract back disinterested customers.
To do this each brand housed in Debenhams will have their own buyer, designer and planner – and their own brand “collection” line has been scrapped. The relaunch social media campaign utilises celebrity endorsement from the likes of Love Island’s Curtis Pritchard, including a meet and greet opportunity hosted in their Oxford Street store last week.
This is the first time Debenhams has ever relaunched their menswear, with its own independent Instagram (@/debenhamsmens) so it will be interesting to see if it proves to be a success or just another failed attempt by the company to stay relevant.
Amazon Fashion Goes Offline With 'Destination Denim'
The global retailer is set to hold its first ‘experiential’ event in Berlin this month. The omnichannel event will be on and offline from the 24th October for a 4-day Stint in the Kuehlhaus event space. Berlin-based shoppers will be able to access the retailer’s extensive denim category featuring brands such as Levi's Wrangler, G-Star, Replay and exclusive products from Tommy Jeans and Amazon essentials. (Fashion United, 2019).
However, Customers based in other parts of the world will not miss out either – the whole event-specific collection of denim items will be shoppable online throughout the event run. Playlists, tutorials and denim edits curated by fashion influencers will add an interactive dimension to the online side of the event to help participants discover jeans through a fun and unique experience (Amazon Fashion, 2019).
Amazon fashion appears to be leading the way as exclusively online brands seek an offline element to their brand to improve customer experiences and deepen the relationships they can form with consumers, especially as the on and offline worlds are becoming increasingly linked.
Words by Isabelle England
References
BBC online (2019) Debenhams in profit alert as sales continue to slide [available online at] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-47453271 (accessed 6/10/19)Whelan, G. (2019) Debenhams Menswear Relaunch promises differentiation [available online at] https://www.drapersonline.com/news/latest-news/debenhams-menswear-relaunch-promises-differentiation/7037861.article (Accessed 6/10/19)Turk, R. (2019) Amazon fashion announces experiential “destination denim”. [available online at] https://fashionunited.uk/news/fashion/amazon-fashion-announces-experiential-destination-denim/2019100445611 (Accessed 4/10/19)Murphy, M. (2019) FENDI PRINTS ON X NICKI MINAJ. [Available online at] https://www.flaunt.com/content/fendi-nicki-minaj (accessed 11/10/19) BBC online (2019) Debenhams in profit alert as sales continue to slide [available online at] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-47453271 (accessed 6/10/19)Whelan, G. (2019) Debenhams Menswear Relaunch promises differentiation [available online at] https://www.drapersonline.com/news/latest-news/debenhams-menswear-relaunch-promises-differentiation/7037861.article (Accessed 6/10/19)Turk, R. (2019) Amazon fashion announces experiential “destination denim”. [available online at] https://fashionunited.uk/news/fashion/amazon-fashion-announces-experiential-destination-denim/2019100445611 (Accessed 4/10/19)Murphy, M. (2019) FENDI PRINTS ON X NICKI MINAJ. [Available online at] https://www.flaunt.com/content/fendi-nicki-minaj (accessed 11/10/19)
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