Photo:@Gucci/Instagram
These are the stories making headlines in fashion on Friday.
How Gucci cracked the Gen Z code
As Gucci continues to grow (the brand kicked off 2018 with a casual 49 percent sales jump), Ryan White examines how Alessandro Michele’s glamorously bookish aesthetic and attention-grabbing design has translated brilliantly onto social media, in turn winning over the rising generation of consumers. White argues in “appealing to Gen Z and understanding that Instagram isn’t a marketing tool, but an extension of your brand — offering kids what they want, rather than telling them what they need — Gucci has modernized luxury fashion and won the youth vote in the process.” {I-D}
Amazon reports $51 billion in revenue and a 43 percent sales jump in Q1
Amazon reported first quarter earnings on Thursday and blew away expectations with mind-boggling revenues of $51 billion and a 43 percent jump in sales. That means it’s another strong quarter for CEO Jeff Bezos, whose e-commerce juggernaut continues to defy expectations and remain highly profitable as it expands into markets like food delivery, grocery chains and consumer electronics. {WWD}
Pinterest introduces new inclusive beauty feature
On Friday, Pinterest announced a new search tool that will make it easier for users to find beauty ideas and products for different skin tones. Inspired by feedback from Pinners, the new feature will allow users to customize their beauty search results by a skin tone range. {Fashionista Inbox}
Nailing the $254 billion Muslim fashion market
Major fashion brands, such as Burberry and Dolce & Gabbana, tried to tap into the the $254 billion modest dressing market by creating Muslim-focused lines, but they failed to appeal to Muslim shoppers because they offered them boring, colorless clothes. Now, there’s a new wave of Muslim-founded fashion start-ups who are putting their own spin on modest dressing and nailing just how Muslim women want to look and feel. Big brands should take note: If they learn how to get modest fashion right, the long-term payoff could be huge. {Fast Company}
Balenciaga apologizes over incident with Chinese customers
Over the past couple of days, Chinese netizens have urged shoppers to boycott Balenciaga after a four-second video circulated showing an alleged instance of racial discrimination at Printemps in Paris. According to the user who uploaded the video, the fight broke out when French shoppers attempted to cut a line of Chinese customers waiting for their turn to buy Balenciaga sneakers. Balenciaga released an apology statement on Thursday saying, “Balenciaga sincerely apologizes to the customers who were present and reaffirms its strong commitment to respect equally all its customers.” {WWD}
Lemaire to hold a coed show in September
The Paris Men’s Fashion Week schedule is dwindling with yet another brand deciding to hold a coed presentation. On Friday, Lemaire announced that it will present its Spring men’s and women’s ready-to-wear collections together on Sept. 26. {WWD}
Why fashion brands should embrace artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence offers a plethora of ways to better serve customers and drive profits for fashion, but it’s important not to hop on the AI bandwagon too soon, argues Chris Boos, the lead researcher and chief executive of a German-based AI company. Not only does the addition of AI allow brands to gain insight into sales trends and more effectively automate forecasting, it also prevents the large amounts of surplus products that have left companies like H&M sitting on billions of dollars worth of unsold merchandise. {Business of Fashion}
Mr. Porter launched a capsule collection with Prada
Mr. Porter teamed up with Prada to create an exclusive menswear capsule rooted in bowling nostalgia. To celebrate the launch, they’ve released a comical campaign video shot at a retro Prada-branded bowling alley, which you can watch below. {Fashionista Inbox}
