Hurricane Sandy didn’t just wreck homes and businesses – it’s also wreaked havoc on the US fashion industry. Rescu. investigates…
The American fashion industry has suffered a massive blow from Hurricane Sandy.
The destruction in New York impacted the famous Fashion District, where some of the country’s biggest retailers reside, and hit hard on areas where smaller independent designers do business, like Brooklyn.
Manhattan below 39th Street is almost entirely underwater, with big consequences for the showrooms and business centres of retailers like Macy’s, Victoria’s Secret and Ann Taylor.
The lasting power outages and massive flooding will probably affect stock, and many designers and store workers are marooned without power, unable to get into the stores.
Saks Fifth Avenue, one of the city’s most exclusive department stores, is trying to re-open, but says it can’t be sure whether it will have enough staff to carry on.
New York fashion, however, is resilient. The big blow is to the internet fashion industry.
With massive flight cancellations, roads cut off and no power in many warehouses, internet fashion retailers like Fab.com and eBay are suffering setbacks in making their fashion deliveries.
Fab.com’s New Jersey warehouses were in the path of the hurricane, and their New York offices are blacked out. eBay, Amazon and Gilt Groupe are warning customers that they may not get their orders for days.
So how can you help?
If you’re expecting an order from the US, particularly from a smaller seller like Etsy, contact the seller to make sure they’re OK and check on their store’s status.
The disruption to the airports means many international orders will be weeks overdue, so be patient.
Image: New York’s Saks Fifth Avenue covered in hurricane boards.
Hermes has been in the news lately – it was discovered that one of their eccentric scarf designers works as a reclusive postal worker in a remote part of Texas, while his handiwork sells for nearly $AU700 per scarf.
Now, however, its focus is on Australia – and a Melbourne fashion institution.
Lillian Wightman, who founded the Melbourne shopping haven Le Louvre Melbourne 90 years ago this year, is the inspiration for the new Hermes Monsieur & Madame scarf.
From 1922 onwards, Le Louvre was helmed by the indomitable Wightman, who – despite never having been to France – moved to Melbourne from Ballarat and created a business empire founded on French chic.
And Wightman was a personality to be reckoned with. A profile of her and her daughter, Georgina Weir, in the Age in 2003 was entitled “She who must be obeyed”.
Hermes Australia is paying homage to the queen of Melbourne inspiring fashion with the new scarf, which plays on Wightman’s signature sartorial looks – bright pink and ocelot print.
The exclusive scarf will only be available in Australia, and, obviously, at Le Louvre.
Will you be buying a piece of Australian fashion history?
Image: Wightman scarf by Hermes.
It’s the beginning of the Christmas style campaigns, and RESCU’s inbox is filling up.
Some are attention-grabbing: Harvey Nichols, in the UK, is advertising their new Beauty Bazaar by depicting beautiful clones kissing, with the headline “Love Thyself”.
And some, like the ASOS Christmas campaign, are just plain excellent.
ASOS always has its finger on the pulse for young women who want edgy, well-made style without too much trendy same-ness. And their latest choice of models indicates they’re absolutely on-target.
Their three models for the Christmas campaign are the epitome of cool: Charlotte Free, the pink-haired model who’s taking Paris by storm, long-haired rapper Azaelia Banks, and British songstress Ellie Goulding. It doesn’t get more cutting-edge than that.
And they revealed their new faces on the fashion girl’s best friend – online pinboard Pinterest. ASOS produced sweet little puzzles for each of the three faces, to be unscrambled to reveal their identity.
Plus we’re loving what they’re rolling out for the Christmas season: the Best Night Ever campaign, in three parts, celebrates all three celebrities, although only Charlotte Free’s segment has been released thus far.
Their picks for the big trends? Massive tulle skirts for that Nutcracker look, and sequins on everything, from skirts to ladylike 1950s dresses.
Will you be shopping the ASOS Best Night Ever?
Image: Charlotte Free for ASOS.
