2022 JANUARY
iApparel Journal Quarterly Issue
FROM THE DESK OF
THE PUBLISHER
Andrew Sia
This is the time of the year that we would like to send you our best greetings and wishes. We found the above logo for the new year, 2022, and we feel that we have to start to set our goal as well as we have to aim at our targets. We can’t let this darn pandemic drag us down as we have to live with it now and learn how to contain and tame it. We need to bury our hatchet and come to agreements with so many differences we have built over the last two years—2020 and 2021, with people around us. We should plan everything together and make sure that whatever we do will always have the consideration of the others.
I would like to share with you part of the prayer that I made for the new year and please refer to the following:
Let’s share and help one another and, most importantly, understand the love You have with us
After this catastrophic event, regardless of the reasons behind its emergence
May we learn to be more forgiving and humble, and renew our life in Christ again
We have learned to trust and obey, once again, we know that there is no other way out there
From our office here, we want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy & Healthy New Year!
– Andrew Sia
Founder & Publisher
Preview all articles of this
Quarterly Issue !
Special Report
Global Fashion and Exhibition Calendar - January to June 2022
By Andrew Sia
Originally Salon International de la Lingerie and Interfilière Paris was planned for January 22 to 24, but because of the Omicron, where France is suffering from more than 300,000 cases a day, the organizer decided to move it to June 18 to 20 and hope that the situation can ease off.
For the show organizers, it has been a very difficult two years for them, and going into the third year, when the Covid-19, especially with the new variant, Omicron, is still very contagious. Traveling is still not recommended and some countries are lockdown because of the surging of the Covid-19 cases. This has not only affecting the visitors, but also affect those who are regular exhibitors.
We suggest the visitors to check with the organizers before traveling.
We have also taken out a lot of exhibitions from China and Hong Kong knowing not only the time for the quarantine is becoming unbearable, but take for China for instance, it simply shutdown completely for foreign visitors.
The whole thing is not helping the business at all.
Coronavirus Regional Report
OCTOBER | NOVEMBER | DECEMBER
2021
By Andrew Sia
In the last week of November, Omicron, a new variant came out suddenly and it put the world on high alert. Fortunately, it is not as fatal as the Delta variant. But because of its rapid spread, it put the medical system at risk and even at the brink of collapse.
We have been reporting the covid cases since March 2020 and since then we have been making the monthly report. We have been very saddened in recording those numbers seeing that they are surging from different parts of the world. We are also beginning to wonder if there is a pattern and what we have learned from these reports.
Entering into 2022, which is only a few days away, we will reposition ourselves and find out what is the most useful way to let our readers know about this virus which seems to stay with us for a longer time than we could have first expected. We have to learn how to live with it.
Market Intelligence
Market Intelligence Short Read - Part 1
By Andrew Sia
We are still in the topic of resell of garments and the preowned market is still very much in demand. Could it be the short of supply as the market has caught in a crunch of supply chain?
More and more the luxury business is going online and it is going to grow.
We have seen the COP26 is applying pressure on the fashion business and whether those brands who have committed would be able to come up with a more definite plan by the end of 2022. They just moved their target to cut one-third of the carbon emissions to a half now in 2030. This is going to be challenging.
Market Intelligence Short Read - Part 2
By Andrew Sia
In the part 2, we talked more about the fashion brands which we found our readers have more interest. There are marketing strategies that the brands have adopted during this time of the global pandemic. We mentioned already that previously for any changes that would take longer time for taking the decisions but at this time, the decision processes have been shortened. Perhaps the changes are really necessary in order for survival.
We can take those strategies into considerations and apply to our daily operations as well. After all, we have always to learn to change for the better.
The picture we used here is Lululemon’s Mirror Home Gym which went into dispute with Nike.
Zara Has Found Its New Heiress
By Andrew Sia
Zara has always been a very good case study for business although I am not a fan of Zara and definitely don’t find myself in any of the fast fashion arena. Especially in today’s business climate where the sustainability is very much emphasized. We have a lot of room to study how to improve our industry’s performance and to “buy less” and to “buy better” has always been something that I have been emphasizing.
Its founder, Amancio Ortega, is already at 85 and for him to find his successor is something that the shareholders are also anxious to know.
This time he picked his daughter, Marta Ortega, who has been with the company already for 15 years. But there is this Pablo Isla, who Amancio picked 15 years ago, and since then he has been the chief executive of Inditex.
Then there is Oscar Garcia Maceiras, the general council who just joined the company.
We have to see how it goes and especially now it is running under the business environment that is affected by the Omicron, and for the country like Spain it is being the most affected. We have to see how Zara can sail itself under this storm.
Fashion & Design
Brand Intelligence:
Introducing Nensi Dojaka - Winner of the LVMH Prize in Lingerie by InDigest
By InDigest
The student by then, Nensi Dojaka, was still studying at the London School of Fashion and entered into the international lingerie design competition by LVMH. The jury expressed their impressiveness by her work and the look. She was able to use the fragility, strength and boldness in her collections.
She didn’t stop there but take up internship at Peter Pilotto and Fyodor Golan, a famous women clothing line. She also studied in the Master of Arts course at Central Saint Martins to refine her design skill of her own brand that began in 2017.
I found the layered gauze, use of tulle in layering, mix-and-match of organza and stretch georgette that reminded me how the lingerie should be presented.
Brand Intelligence: Zhilyova x Khrysty Ana
By InDigest
For a change, InDegest team brought us introduced us a designer, Valeria Zhilyova from Ukraine. Her handwriting is very refreshing. She has been adding different dimensions to her collections which has to do with outer space. She is very creative.
Brand Intelligence: Introducing La Perla
By InDigest
La Perla is the luxury brand for lingerie. It has not been profitable for a very long time already. The founder was Ada Masotti from Bologna, Italy. It was founded in 1954. Ada Masotti was a corset-maker and one of the few fashion houses founded by women.
I doubt if it ever made any significant money, except that investors who thought that they could turn the company around and attempted to take it international. They ended up losing a lot of money.
Ownership has been changing hands and now the new owner is the Sapinda Group. The last we heard that it took the brand to China but the timing was wrong as the Covid-19 broke out and I wonder how is the business in these days.
Fashion Quote by Giorgio Armani
Written by : Andrew Sia | Illustrated by : Elita Lam
In the fashion world, Giorgio Armani is a famous name. Not only men are craving for his suits, but also those career women. This year he is entering into his 88 years-of-age and he is still going strong. In 2021 we saw that he received the highest honor—Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.
He has a retail network of Armani boutiques to cover every market in 37 different countries and it is the highest achievement.
He is still presented in every fashion show which is incredible for someone with his energy. The picture that we showed was taken during his Giorgio Armani Men’s Spring Show in the Middle East.
Market Report
Market Report Short Read - Part 1
By Andrew Sia
We began with the report of problem we have observed from the supply chain as it will continue to bother us for a long period to come.
Then we have the hottest topic, COP26 which was held in the beginning of November in Glasgow, Scotland, that led to the sustainability.
We have not to forget that the Covid-19 is entering into its fourth wave for countries in Europe. We realized that we have to learn how to turn all the
Market Report Short Read - Part 2
By Andrew Sia
In this issue, we are circling on plastic bottles, using of the coal, carbon emissions, and all these were hot topics as brought up from the COP26.
Then we followed by mentioning the pandemic as we have been following on those increasing cases from the German speaking countries.
And because of the covid and the new variant, Omicron, it further disrupted the supply chain that created the congestion of the key ports in the United States. We come to realize that this is not going to solve very quickly but to take more time and wisdom to entangle this gridlock.
Market Report Short Read - Part 3
By Andrew Sia
It is the continuation of following the carbon emissions and the new variant of the pandemic, Omicron, which has taken the effect of the businesses. Its damage on the supply chain will take a very long time to repair. We also brought out “green” hydrogen as an alternative for clean energy.
China the Giant Juggernaut - Part 9
By Andrew Sia
This year we have read a lot of news about China and the world is overwhelmed for what the country is doing. But we can only hear one single voice from this most populous country. It is only through Xi Jinping, or its foreign office, aka the wolf-$warrior diplomacy. The curb of the fintech doesn’t make sense and unless Xi has something bigger and more stern that he would like to keep the country under his control. We pointed that the cold war will never play to anyone’s interest.
ENVIRONMENTAL & SUSTAINABILITY
Progress Report on the Paris Climate Agreement - Part 14
By Andrew Sia
COP26 was the hottest topic regarding the climate change and it was held in the beginning of November 2021 in Glasgow, Scotland. We have to notice that the summit of 2019 was cancelled because of the Covid-19.
All the world leaders were there as more than 200 countries turned up. One person that was missing was Xi Jinping from China. Biden and Xi tried to follow up by a teleconference for many other issues, and they caught up with mentioning about climate which was one of the key topics. We observed that China and the US are the biggest carbon emitters and the leading actions should be taken up by these two countries.
On the other hand, China and India, both the world’s biggest users of coal, tweaked the words from “phase out” to “phase down” in order to reach the phasing down of using coal as an energy.
Renewable Energies in a Nonrenewable World
Caroline is known to write about the environmental and sustainability and it is perhaps where she is going to have her permanent column with our journal. It also make sense as she is a young writer and the world belongs to her and her generation. For whatever remedy and effort we have tried to repair for this planet world, in the end they are the one who will inherit eventually. The earlier they can get involve and with the say, the better the situation will become.
I think that this will be a joint effort along all mankind and between all age groups, but we shouldn’t tolerate any political play among the world powers.
To Lead A Sustainable Life
By Andrew Sia
This is an article that reported the four books that I have come across lately. These books can make us think before we make any purchase of clothing. After all, we have a lot more than we can use.
SUPPLY CHAIN
Globalization Needs Reinvigorate - Part 3
It is all about the challenges that we are facing with the supply chain. No doubt that the market has grown for many folds in the last twenty years, and because of this, it attracted a lot of new players to join. This led to the price war and we have seen: every day new price, special deals and discounts, endless promotions, that have overwhelmed the consumers.
I remembered that I was once in the department store on a Saturday during the second week of May, and the following day would be the Mother’s Day, and I was buying something for my wife. The shop manager told me that if I would be there the following day, everything would be 25% off. And during the year, there are so many promotions that fall into these important days that the shoppers will take advantage and the retailers would use them to push their sales.
We have written so much in this report and I hope that the information can be useful for planning ourselves going forward.
Entrepreneurship & Business
Case Study - John Lewis Partnership Agony
By Andrew Sia
John Lewis Partner is a very reputable and admirable company. It is aiming for the better market and its supermarket Waitrose is also serving that market as well. Its problem was its aggressive expansion which resulted the closing of a third of its 50 stores which is still far too any.
I recalled it at the time when it was less than forty stores and sometimes it was a struggle to meet the minimum for the production lot.
I hope that its business will improve after introducing some changes and the use for the under-utilized locations to convert them into home projects will help.
The Story of David Hoffmann, Chairman of Hoffmann Family of Companies
By Terri Fisher
The story of this entrepreneur, David Hoffmann and his wife, Jerri Hoffmann set a very good example to the people as the one who is hard working, dedication and respect for people. And in Terri’s words that their vision is “one of longevity, not to buy and flip, and add value to the communities they love and their people”.
I have been completely taken in also by David for “What a great country America is” and “We can do anything we want to do here”. I found myself can’t agree more to his view about the seismic shifts to how Americans look at “work”, knowing that for the last two years haven’t easy for anyone in particular during the pandemic. In fact there is the shortage of talent from every level to the C-suite, as all levels are looking for people.
We want to use this article as written by Terri to encourage everyone out there to start to think and to step out again into this new world which is waiting for you and I to rebuild together.
BOOK REPORT
The First Lady of Underfashions
Report by Andrew Sia
It was written as a memoir by the founders’ daughter, Christina Erteszek, about her father and her mother. Like many of the businesses, the husband and wife were survivors of the last war, and in their case they migrated to the US and ended up outside Los Angeles. The father Jan Erteszek, found the world-renowned Olga. I was touched by the way Jan did for the staff and the care he extended.
The most touching part was Jan’s intention to leave the world as a better place because of him. I highly recommended the book to you.