Fashion, luxury and lifestyle news aggregator – July 2018

July saw Burberry’s brand protection efforts increased from previous years following the decision to destroy £28.6 million worth of surplus stock – leading commentators to fall on either side of the ‘fashion paradox’ (please shareholders by expanding: risk diluting the brand’s exclusive identity and creating excess stock). On the other side of the spectrum, the widening of intellectual property rights in the UK and EU could impact catwalk models who ‘walk the walk’ as ‘performers’ in ‘artistic works’. This is something premium fashion brands may need to start considering. The tug of war between fashion and sustainability has continued and Tiffany & Co’s innovation is set to break the trend in the ‘the bricks and mortar story’. While the US President’s daughter is closing her namesake store, Farfetch is to align itself with Chinese consumers. Finally, technology has been shown to have an impact on employment and marketing… no surprises there!

• Burberry surplus stock worth £28.6 million destroyed in a responsible manner
  (total value of goods destroyed in the past five years exceeds £90 million) 
  Source: BBC News
• Runway models could be ‘performers’ when considering the breadth of intellectual property rights in fashion shows
  Source: The IPKat
• Zara, ASOS and M&S lead the way on critical sustainability issue ‘viscose’
  Source: Retail Gazette
• Tiffany & Co to open new flagship store in Covent Garden showcasing innovative concept focusing on consumer experience and self-expression
  Source: Retail Gazette
• Ivanka Trump shuts her namesake fashion brand
  Source: Business of Fashion
• E-tailer Farfetch strategically expands with the acquisition of a Chinese digital marketing agency to sell luxury brands on WeChat – which currently has 1 billion active users
  Source: Bloomberg
• The British Retail Consortium reports a reduction in time worked and labour force as it explains how technology is disrupting the retail industry
  Source: Retail Gazette
• Influencer marketing, some brands have just ‘got it’ 
  Source: Business of Fashion