Keeping you updated on the latest luxury fashion resale, retail, and tech news by the Luxclusif R&D team.?
- The North Face introduces an in-store take-back program in the US, expanding its high-end apparel scheme, Renewed. The retailer first piloted the Renewed Take Back program in select stores throughout early September 2022. Starting in November, the offer will be available at its retail stores and outlets in the US and Canada. To participate, customers can bring any used The North Face item into the stores, scan a QR code on a dedicated app, and receive shopping credit for future purchases. The items will be returned in bulk to the company's logistics partner, Tersus Solutions, to be packaged, cleaned, repaired, and resold through the brand's resale website, The North Face Renewed.
- Selfridges expands its rental offering and is launching its first Kidswear Rental collection. The curated edition covers occasion wear, outerwear, streetwear, and accessories. Brands in the collection include Self Portrait, Off-White, and Kenzo, with sizes ranging from six months to 16 years. The offering, powered by the Hurr rental platform, will expand further to include skiwear for children later this year, as Selfridges noted that its ski rental, initially launched in 2021, accounted for 33% of the retailer's total fall/winter rentals. It added that bringing the category to children's apparel presented a more planet-friendly option for children who are likely to regularly grow out of skiwear year after year.
- Balenciaga releases a coat made with Ephea, a leather alternative. The Kering-owned fashion house is the latest luxury brand to use mycelium instead of leather, as the industry thrives on alternative materials. In March, Balenciaga sent a black hooded jacket down the runway during its Fall/Winter 2022 show, set against a swirling, snowy backdrop. On sale for €9,000, the jacket is now only available in select Balenciaga stores in Beijing, Beverly Hills, London, Milan, New York, Paris, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Toronto. Balenciaga said it is evaluating other opportunities to use Ephea in different product categories. Ephea was created by material innovations company Sqim, which began working with Balenciaga in early 2021.
- Bottega Veneta is offering a lifetime warranty on its bags, with the intention to maintain products in use for longer, reducing the need for replacement. Entitled "Certified Craftsmanship”, this new warranty program for those who own BV handbags, arrives with a complimentary care service with unlimited updating and repair on each design. The brand's CEO Leo Rongone shared that the Certificate of Craftsmanship is born out of a desire to offer customers superior service in the long-term preservation of their products. Starting in November, Bottega Veneta customers will receive a physical card with a unique serial number for each product that can be repaired for an unlimited period of time. The service will begin with the brand's classic handbag styles, followed by its latest designs.
- AI is now being used to design clothing. Companies are starting to release AI tools that can generate new clothing designs from something as simple as a text description. DALL-E is part of a new crop of AI capable of creating extraordinarily detailed and realistic images from quick text, making it easy for anyone to use. Cala, an all-in-one platform for apparel design and production, is adding AI design powered by DALL-E to its service. To create a new AI design on the Cala platform, users choose a template from one of a few dozen product categories, which go beyond clothing and include items such as bags and even packaging. They enter adjectives to describe the look they want in one text field, and in another field, they enter details for trims and features. The program will spit out six different examples based on the prompts, and the user can continue to regenerate new options with the click of a button.
- As the holiday season approaches, FatFace is preparing to unveil a live shopping channel on its website as part of its efforts to expand its digital focus. Launching on November 3, the initiative will emphasize the brand's high-end products, with episodes including style tips, gift-wrapping ideas, and advice on closet updates. The videos will be presented by FatFace's head of womenswear design Jo Collins alongside influencers. Powered by Go Instore, each episode can be viewed live by shoppers, who can then purchase products from the video through the retailer's online website.
