Tag - fashion

 
 

FASHION

A branch of the Fast Retailing clothing brand Uniqlo in Tokyo
BUSINESS
Apr 12, 2024
Uniqlo operator upbeat on Europe and North America after Q2 profit miss
Fast Retailing left its full-year operating profit forecast unchanged at ¥450 billion.
Around 90% of China’s increased oil demand between 2021 and 2024 comes from chemical feedstocks, driven by the manufacturing of products such as those sold by fast-fashion retailers Shein and Tamu.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 1, 2024
China's Shein and Temu are driving oil, not Toyota and GM
The cause behind recent a surge in China's oil demand is not to be found in people's transport habits, including car use, but in fast-fashion clothing.
Cute characters like Pikachu are deeply ingrained in Japanese culture. The global reach of kawaii has contributed to Japan's soft power and international appeal.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 26, 2024
What does the global power of kawaii say about us?
Kawaii is one of Japan's greatest cultural exports. But cuteness is more than just a fad or a commercial success story: It's part of our evolution.
A Zara clothing store in Brussels on November 2022. Inditex is an outlier among big clothing retailers in not publishing details of the factories from which it sources.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 12, 2024
Zara owner Inditex faces pressure from investors on supply chain disclosure
Regulators and investors want transparency from clothing retailers, to prove supply chains are free of forced labor and workers are paid decent wages.
A hiker walks toward Asahidake in Hokkaido. The health and environmental issues around PFAS could be a particular problem for Japan, which boasts a number of globally renowned outdoor brands and related suppliers.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability / OUR PLANET
Mar 10, 2024
Japan’s revered outdoor brands face down PFAS challenge
Outdoor apparel consumers are generally more environmentally conscious, but are likely to be using products that have a big environmental footprint.
Nao walks down the runway as a guest model during Paris Fashion Week.
LIFE / Style & Design
Mar 4, 2024
Japanese model with Down syndrome fulfills dream at Paris show
Parading down a runway in a kimono-inspired dress, Nao Saito's appearance at Paris Fashion Week came after five years of hard work.
1924
JAPAN / History / Japan Times Gone By
Mar 1, 2024
Japan Times 1924: Japan nice but men dress in queer ways
A piece by women visiting Tokyo gives us a century-old take on what tourists in the 1920s thought of "weird Japan."
Customers shop at the GU store in the SoHo neighborhood of New York. The brand's operator Fast Retailing hopes to expand its share in markets in the United States and Europe.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 26, 2024
Uniqlo’s sister brand GU takes aim at market in U.S. and Europe
International sales made up more than half of Uniqlo’s revenue in the latest fiscal year, GU has mostly only flourished domestically.
As their popularity grow, Shein and Temu together send almost 600,000 packages to the U.S. every day.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 22, 2024
Rise of fast-fashion Shein and Temu roils global air cargo industry
Their pursuit of limited air-cargo space to woo consumers with rapid transit times make off-peak seasons almost disappear and cause capacity shortages.
A Uniqlo store in Shanghai, China. The clothing chain's operator Fast Retailing announced last year that it expected to open 80 stores in China and roughly 60 new stores each year in Southeast Asia, India and the Australian region.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 9, 2024
Fast Retailing’s peer-beating 48% jump may extend on global push
Uniqlo owner has become one of the top performers among 10 other clothing companies worldwide that have a market value exceeding $10 billion.
Dancer Pau Aran Gimeno presents a creation by designer Yuima Nakazato in Paris.
LIFE / Style & Design
Jan 25, 2024
Yuima Nakazato stages operatic haute couture show on Paris runway
The designer's spring-summer runway collection was linked to the opera "Idomeneo," debuting next month in Geneva.
Uniqlo's Round Mini Shoulder Bag on sale at a store in London
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 16, 2024
Uniqlo sues Chinese fast-fashion rival Shein to defend hit bag
Fast Retailing joins rival Hennes & Mauritz in suing Shein for copyright infringement in Hong Kong where litigation has been underway since 2021.
Fast Retailing, the operator of Uniqlo stores, says strong overseas sales drove a 25% rise in first quarter operating profit.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 12, 2024
Uniqlo operator Fast Retailing's Q1 profit soars on strong overseas sales
Profit was ¥146.7 billion ($1.01 billion) in the three months through November compared with ¥117.1 billion a year earlier.
Japanese model Dulmi, 24, was selected as one of eight models in Vogue Open Casting's class of 2023.
JAPAN / Society
Jan 3, 2024
Dulmi: The biracial model bringing change to modeling in Japan and beyond
In a still-rare recognition of the diversity that exists in Japan, the Osaka native was chosen for the 2023 class of Vogue's Open Casting initiative.
Customers browse through items sold as part of the Uniqlo Pre-owned Clothes Project at the brand's Harajuku store in Tokyo in October.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 19, 2023
Japan revisits used garments as inflation adds to fashion appeal
Awareness of the sector's huge environmental impact has yet to spark much interest in secondhand options in the world third-biggest clothes market.
Workers organize used clothing for packaging at a warehouse near Barcelona on Aug. 1.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Dec 7, 2023
How to fix the carbon crisis in fast fashion
Positive partnerships between brands and manufacturers are crucial for the sector to achieve its net-zero goals.
Chinese fast-fashion upstart Shein has excelled with its offering of $9 hoodies and other bargain-basement apparel.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 7, 2023
Amazon targets Shein with fee cuts for cheap apparel sellers
Rare move by U.S. e-commerce giant shows its intent of muscling into Chinese fast-fashion upstart's territory.
People walk past the booth of fashion retailer Shein during the first China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) in Beijing on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 29, 2023
Shein’s IPO plan to fuel scrutiny over cotton and China roots
In addition to fighting skeptics, Shein is also locked in a battle with rival Temu
A Tiffany store in Shanghai. Luxury companies are targeting VIC's, or very important clients, as China's post-pandemic economic slowdown dries up the spending power of the middle class.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 20, 2023
Exclusivity the name of the game as firms target China's wealthiest
Brands are focusing on selling fewer, more valuable items, relying on luxury consumers.

Longform

Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.
The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores