A powerhouse of a fashion show

Some of the country’s leading fashion designers have loaned their best frocks to the city of Bathurst.

A travelling fashion exhibition created by the Powerhouse Museum is on display now at Bathurst Regional Art Gallery.

Bathurst is the fourth stop in a seven-stop national regional tour for Frock stars: inside Australian Fashion Week, an exhibition telling the story of Australia’s most prestigious annual fashion event, Australian Fashion Week.

The Powerhouse Museum’s curator of fashion and dress, Glynis Jones was in town yesterday to launch the installation.

“We wouldn’t have thought it possible to take a fashion exhibition on the road as you usually have to put clothes on models and keep the fabrics away from people’s touch.” Jones said.

The exhibition showcases some of the most recognisable designs from leading Australian fashion designers. It also gives people a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into designing garments with a live cutting-room forming part of the exhibition.

BRAG director Richard Perram said the installation of the exhibition was a work of art itself.

“The team, along with our staff, were brilliant at getting such an extensive collection set up in just two days.

“There were literally hundreds of items to be put in place.”

Mr Perram said the exhibition was made possible by a Visions of Australia Government grant.

“Visions is one of the most important programs for regional art galleries, BRAG has been fortunate enough to receive three grants over the years.”

The latest addition to the gallery was opened by local fashionista and gallery volunteer Joyette Swain.


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Mayor Monica Morse was pleased to see an exhibition which had appeal for all age groups at the gallery.

The exhibition also has an activities room where children can design their own dresses and contribute to a paper doll runway.

Frock stars: inside Australian Fashion Week will run until Sunday, January 20, 2013.

Key Players in Fashion and Leather Industries Confirm BIFF&BIL 2013 Being Packed with Enormous Opportunities

Fashion and leather industrial leaders expressed their confidence that Bangkok International Fashion Fair and Bangkok International Leather Fair 2013 (BIFF&BIL 2013) will provide great opportunities for Thai and ASEAN manufacturers to emerge into the global trade scene. The event, promising to be filled with a complete range of products from Thailand and the ASEAN countries, will be held during March 13-17, 2013 at Challenger 1-2, IMPACT, Muang Thong Thani.

Organized under the theme of "Rhythm of ASEAN", BIFF&BIL 2013 will be a gathering of fashion and leather business from downstream to upstream industries and will see a synergy of designers from Thailand, ASEAN countries, and other countries across the world to create a phenomenon with the uniqueness and full of creativity.

Mr. Sukij Kongpiyajarn, President of the Thai Garment Manufacturers Association said, "Garment and textile industries have generated high revenue, amounting over hundred billion baht to the country, while Thai leather goods is also an essential part of the overall revenue."

"BIFF&BIL will make the world experience the quality and unique design of Thai fashion products. Although this is not a global fair, we can say that this is the best and the 'must-go' fair, full of good products that attract a lot of people throughout the region. So, Thai entrepreneurs need to be well-prepared to show the world their full capacity."

Dr. Nauvarat Songswaddichai, President of the Thai Leather Goods Association revealed, "Thai Leather Goods Association has played a key role in organizing BIFF&BIL during the past years. We are willing to join hands with the Department of International Trade Promotion to run the Fashion Trend workshop to update entrepreneurs and students in fashion fields about the world's latest design and color trends."

Assistant Professor Anothai Chonchartpinyo, a fashion guru, pointed out on the current situation of Thai fashion industry that "BIFF&BIL will be a center of all varieties of fashion products that will create a word-of-mouth effect to attract more and more fashion enthusiasts. Highlight will be the design innovation supported by the Department of International Trade Promotion. Brand's owners will pass the workshop where they are well-trained and encouraged to discover their inner ability and express it out in their own fashion show. Look Book is also instrumental to actuate pre-orders. And after that, they will grow strong on the right track."

Last but not least, Mr. Chanin Jitkomut, President of the Thai Footwear Association said, "BIFF&BIL 2013 is a significant event for footwear industry because it will showcase all aspects in the business not only to overseas buyers but also to the local public, or even students. Everyone should not miss this fair, and all the concerned parties should work together to make BIFF&BIL a well-known event in the world fashion calendar."

Trade days for BIFF&BIL 2013 are from March 13-15, 2013 and Public days are March 16-17, 2013 at Challenger 1-2, IMPACT Muang Thong Thani.

Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP), Ministry of Commerce, is inviting designers and exporters in the fashion, textile, apparel, garment, leather goods and shoes industries to join BIFF&BIL 2013 to express their full potential and create a new dimension of the industries. For further information, visit www.biffandbil.com and www.thaitradefair.com or DITP Call Center: 1169

Fashion Angels Become Holiday Angels

Fashion Angels become angels to kids everywhere as the company today announced its 30 Days of Giving program. For every toy that is purchased from its website from November 19 through December 19, 2012, the company will match the purchase and donate the same toy (or a toy of equal value) to Toys for Tots.

Bill Uzell, Executive Vice President of Fashion Angels, said, "We're in the business of making children happy through fun and engaging products.  This is a way for us to share our most sincere wish that EVERYONE has a wonderful holiday."

The holiday program is brilliantly simple: At www.FashionAngels.com: Buy a Fashion Angels' Color Rox Hair Chox kit, a Color Rox Hair Chox kit is donated to Toys for Tots; Buy a Project Runway Sketch Portfolio, a Project Runway Sketch Portfolio will go to Toys for Tots; Buy a Tapeffiti™ decorative craft tape set, the same Tapeffiti set will go to Toys for Tots; Buy a Monster High™ Velvet Poster Collection, a Monster High Velvet Poster Collection will go to Toys for Tots.

"It's that simple," Dr. Toy, Stevanne Auerbach, PhD, endorsing the program, said. "This is a very generous offer by Fashion Angels. We hope that any consumer, who is doing any online shopping for the holidays, would also want to support Toys for Tots. Bravo, Fashion Angels, what a wonderful idea."

British Blokes Are Models of Men’s Fashion

The Sartorialist, aka photographer/blogger Scott Schuman, had a hand in it. And obviously Tom Ford. And really, centuries of designers and men who cared just a bit more than the average male. But in the end, it's all Becks' doing.

Thanks to him, more and more men are actually paying attention to what they wear. No longer content to throw on that free T-shirt they got with a beer purchase, men are buying fashion magazines, reading fashion blogs and yes, even buying clothes based on fashion. Nowhere is this shocking trend more evident than in the UK.

You see, the man knows how to dress, and he cuts a damn fine figure to boot. Being married to one of the most stylish women in the world certainly forces his hand a bit, but you get the sense that he has a genuine interest in, and decided taste for, the clothes that go on his back.

Great Britain, of course, has a long and rich tradition of excellent tailoring and above-standard men's clothing. But it was not exactly the norm to be fashionable. Credit Beckham and his counterparts for the recent global shift of focus in the way we view men's fashion.

This past summer saw the launch of The London Collections: Men (or LC:M, as GQ dubbed it). LC:M was an entire event devoted to men's fashion, three days of male-focused style that was so big Prince Charles himself hosted a lunch to celebrate the event (a gallery of the prince's style choices is on the event's website).

Considering London's longstanding history of bespoke and high-street style (not to mention the breeding ground that is the fashion college of Central Saint Martins at University of the Arts, London, among others), it only makes sense that London would be a launch pad for menswear into the next level of fashion. Plus the Beckham effect, of course.

Now preparing for a January encore, LC:M is the perfect platform for established menswear designers and newcomers alike to showcase their expertise in a field that, compared to women's fashion, has been historically left by the wayside.

Many of us know and love big names like Burberry, Paul Smith, and Christopher Kane. But it's the opportunity for young British talent to showcase work that makes LC:M so exciting. MAN — a joint operation from established names in the field — proudly supports hand-picked newbies through sponsorship and mentorship (they have a knack for being spot on, too: J.W. Anderson and Christopher Shannon are testament).

In January, all eyes will be on Agi & Sam (ideal client: "Ace Ventura Pet Detective"), Astrid Andersen and Shaun Samson (ideal client: "some guy loitering on the street looking cool") as the three MAN talents of the season.

So, ladies and (especially) gentlemen, welcome to the era of the fashionable male. David Beckham inspired it, Scott Schuman voiced it, and now it feels like all of London is designing it, with The London Collections: Men paving the way for the entire industry to notice. It seems menswear is having its Swayze moment: These days, nobody is putting it in the corner.

China Xiniya Fashion Limited Reports 2012 Third Quarter Earnings

China Xiniya Fashion Limited ("Xiniya" or the "Company" NYSE: XNY), a leading provider of men's business casual apparel in China, today reported financial results for the third quarter of 2012. The financial statements and other financial information included in this press release have been prepared in conformity with International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS").

The Company publishes its financial statements in Renminbi ("RMB")
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Third Quarter 2012 Highlights
Revenue in the third quarter of 2012 increased by 15.7% to RMB417.9 million, as compared to RMB361.1 million in the third quarter of 2011, which exceeded the prior guidance of 8%-11%.

Gross margin was 34.5% in the third quarter of 2012 as compared to 34.4% in the third quarter of 2011.
Profit before taxation in the third quarter of 2012 declined by 21.1% to RMB74.8 million as compared to RMB94.8 million in the third quarter of 2011.

Net profit in the third quarter of 2012 declined by 21.4% to RMB56.4 million as compared to RMB71.8 million in the third quarter of 2011.

Earnings per ADS were $0.16 in the third quarter of 2012 as compared to $0.19 per ADS in the third quarter of 2011, and exceeded prior guidance of $0.09-$0.11 per ADS.

Xiniya's network of authorized retailers had a net addition of 20 new retail outlets in the third quarter of 2012, consisting of 79 new retail outlets opened and 59 retail outlets closed, bringing the total number of authorized retail outlets to 1,679 as of September 30, 2012.

As of September 30, 2012, the Company, Mr. Qiming Xu - Xiniya's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and Mr. Chee Jiong Ng - Xiniya's Chief Financial Officer, have purchased, through the public market pursuant to a written plan, an aggregate of $1,385,787, $153,968 and $38,490 worth of ADSs, respectively, or 830,226, 92,259 and 23,076 ADSs, all at an average price of $1.67, in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

Recent developments
The Company announced that the total value of purchase orders for its 2013 Spring and Summer Collection showcased during its biannual sales fair held in September 2012 in Xiamen, China increased by 2% as compared to the total value of purchase orders placed in September 2011. In an effort to ensure the long-term, sustainable development of its authorized retail outlets, the Company reduced prices on its 2013 Spring and Summer Collection by an average of 2.2% to improve the price competiveness of its products beginning in 2013. As a result, the Company's gross margin for its 2013 Spring and Summer Collection is expected to decline by approximately 2.2%.

The Company announced the opening of its sixth and seventh flagship stores in Urumqi City, Xinjiang Province and Shenyang City, Liaoning Province. Both stores were opened and are operated by Xiniya's distributors.

Guidance
Revenue in RMB for the fourth quarter of 2012 is expected to increase by 4%-7%.
Earnings per ADS in the fourth quarter of 2012 are expected to be in the range of $0.17 –$0.19.
The Company reiterates guidance for net additions of retail outlets for 2012 to be more than 100.      
"On the back of continued store expansion and the rapid conversion of our authorized retailer- managed retail outlets, we were able to beat guidance with another strong quarter of top line revenue growth," said Mr. Qiming Xu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "

Despite the economic softening in China, we were able to adapt to the current situation and push through numerous initiatives we have put in place to ensure the long-term, sustainable development of our business. Following our bi-annual sales fair in September 2012, where the total value of purchase orders grew slightly despite distributors' and authorized retailers' cautionary approach, we reduced the prices on our collections to improve the price competitiveness of our products, improve product turnover and reduce inventories during the slowdown. We conducted training courses for distributors and authorized retailers to strengthen retail management and enhance profitability as the refurbishment of our existing retail outlets continued as we adjust our image to meet changing consumers taste. We are pleased with the flexibility we have shown during the quarter as we push through these difficult times. I remain confident in our ability to seek new growth opportunities as we enhance our brand value and provide our customers with the high-quality products they have come to expect."

Third Quarter 2012 Results
Revenue for the third quarter of 2012 was RMB417.9 million, compared with revenue of RMB361.1 million for the third quarter of 2011, which represents a 15.7% increase. The Company delivered approximately 2.0 million units during the third quarter of 2012, which is similar to the number of units delivered during the same period last year. The total retail outlet count as of September 30, 2012 was 1,679. The table below sets forth the number of retail outlets by outlet type:

Although total outlet count increased by a net addition of 72 units since December 31, 2011, the number of outlets managed by department store chains decreased by 317 outlets. Of these 317 department store chain managed outlets, 301 outlets were converted to authorized retailer- managed retail outlets. This conversion was mainly due to the change in the business model used by the regional department store chain operators. In an effort to streamline their business, the regional department store chain operators shifted their business model focus from retailing directly to customers to leasing department store concession areas to retailers. 

Gross profit increased to RMB144.3 million in the third quarter of 2012 from RMB124.4 million in the third quarter of 2011. Gross margin was 34.5% in the third quarter of 2012 as compared with 34.4% in the third quarter of 2011.

Interest and other income was RMB5.5 million in the third quarter of 2012 as compared to RMB8.5 million in the third quarter of 2011. The decrease was mainly due to the reduction in exchange gains of RMB3.0 million in the third quarter of 2012.

Selling and distribution expenses in the third quarter of 2012 increased to RMB71.1 million from RMB32.3 million in the third quarter of 2011 mainly due to increases in rack expenses for authorized retail outlets of RMB24.6 million, training expenses of RMB4.4 million, advertising and promotional expenses of RMB4.2 million, brand consultancy fees of RMB3.5 million, sales fair expenses of RMB0.9 million, flagship store expenses of RMB0.6 million, and freight and packing expenses of RMB0.6 million.

Since July 2011, as part of the Company's overall strategy to unify the image of its authorized retail outlets, the Company has been paying for shop rack, signage and various outlet-related accessories for authorized retail outlets opened or refurbished on or after July 2011. During the third quarter of 2012, the Company paid for shop rack, signage and various outlet-related accessories for 79 new retail outlets and refurbished 90 retail outlets, including expanding floor space for two existing retail outlets.  The refurbishment of existing retail outlets is expected to upgrade the older retail store image, help to attract consumers into the retail stores, help to improve presentation of our apparel products to consumers and, eventually, enhance retail outlet sales. These expenses were approximately RMB39.6 million, or 9.5% of revenue, in the third quarter of 2012,  compared to RMB15.0 million, or 4.2% of revenue during the third quarter of 2011. 

The increase in training expenses related to consultancy fees paid to external professional trainers for training provided to our distributors and authorized retailers across China. These training courses are expected to strengthen retail outlet management in the areas of retail inventory management, retail outlet managers and staff, and retail sales management. Also, these training courses are expected to enhance retail sales and to help to reduce inventory levels at the retail channels.

Advertising and promotional expenses were RMB16.7 million in the third quarter of 2012, arising mainly from billboard advertisements placed by the Company across 20 provinces in China and an advertising campaign on Channel 12 of China Central Television.

Sales fair expenses were RMB2.5 million in the third quarter of 2012, arising mainly from the sales fair in Xiamen City, Fujian Province in September 2012.

Flagship store expenses were RMB1.1 million in the third quarter of 2012, arising mainly from the two flagship stores operated by the Company and five other flagship stores opened and operated by distributors.

Administrative expenses decreased to RMB3.9 million in the third quarter of 2012 from RMB5.8 million in the third quarter of 2011. This was primarily due to the beneficial exchange rates between RMB and United States dollars which resulted in translation exchange gains for the third quarter of 2012, compared to translation exchange losses for the second quarter of 2012.

Profit before taxation was RMB74.8 million in the third quarter of 2012, compared with RMB94.8 million in the third quarter of 2011. 

Income tax expense in the third quarter of 2012 was RMB18.4 million, compared with RMB23.0 million in the third quarter of 2011. 

Profit after taxation for the third quarter of 2012 was RMB56.4 million, compared with RMB71.8 million in the third quarter of 2011.  Earnings per ADS were $0.16 in the third quarter of 2012, compared to $0.19 per ADS in the third quarter of 2011.

Financial Position
As of September 30, 2012, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of RMB0.8 billion, and time deposits held at banks with maturity over three months of RMB220.0 million.

As of September 30, 2012, the Company had trade receivables of RMB373.5 million, arising entirely from sales during the third quarter of 2012.  Trade receivables outstanding as of June 30, 2012 have been fully collected as of September 30, 2012.

Inventory as of September 30, 2012 was mainly related to finished goods produced from orders placed during the April 2012 sales fair, which will be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2012.

Other receivables and prepayments on September 30, 2012 increased compared to balances on December 31, 2011, primarily due to prepayments for advertising and promotional expenses associated with the billboard advertisements in 20 provinces across China and for commercial air time on China Central Television's Channel 12.

Other payables and accruals at September 30, 2012 increased compared to balances at December 31, 2011, primarily due to deposits collected from distributors for April and September 2012 sales fair orders.

Fashion Chief Rallies to Make Park South Korean President

Kim Sung Joo, who refused an arranged marriage to pursue her fortune selling luxury goods, said electing Park Geun Hye next month as South Korea’s first female president would help destroy its entrenched gender gap.

“If she becomes the top leader in Korea, we’ll break through everything -- glass, concrete,” Kim, 55, a co- chairwoman of Park’s election campaign committee, said in an interview on Nov. 15. “That will equalize men and women in Korean society.”

Kim Sung Joo, founder of Sungjoo Group. Photographer: SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg

“In Korea you have no idea what’s out there because it’s such a male, closed society -- a big boys’ club,” said Kim. Photographer: SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg

Kim, whose business took off after securing the local Gucci franchise in 1990, and Park are exceptions in Asia’s fourth- largest economy, which has one of the world’s biggest divisions in gender equality. Park is the front-runner and has pledged to appoint more women to ministerial posts while working to increase jobs and reduce a growing income gap.

“In Korea you have no idea what’s out there because it’s such a male, closed society -- a big boys’ club,” said Kim, dressed in black pants, white shirt, and her trademark red scarf and red high-top sneakers.

South Korea ranks 108th among 135 countries surveyed in the World Economic Forum’s annual Global Gender Gap Report. The country is 116th in economic participation and opportunity for women, 99th in female educational attainment and 86th in political empowerment, according to the report.

The number of women legislators increased to 15.6 percent after an election in April, from 13.7 percent in 2010. There are no female chief executive officers leading the nation’s top-20 business groups, and women make up 6.2 percent of executives in companies with more than 1,000 employees.
Future IPO

Kim’s Sungjoo Group, which owns German fashion brand MCM, isn’t a publicly listed company. Kim said sales approached $400 million last year and may rise to as much as $600 million next year. An initial share sale in Hong Kong may be on the agenda in three or four years, she said.

Park leads in polls ahead of male rivals Ahn Cheol Soo and Moon Jae In for the Dec. 19 election that will determine who leads the nation for the next five years. Thrust into the role of first lady at 22 when her mother was killed in a North Korean assassination attempt on her father, the late dictator Park Chung Hee, she is one of the 47 female lawmakers in the 300-seat National Assembly.

Her critics contend that because she has never married and is childless, she can’t relate to the problems faced by women trying to juggle work, family and child rearing. Empathy and experience combating the “machoism” and “deep patriarchy” of South Korean politics will serve her well, said Kim, who ultimately married a man of her own choice and has a 23-year-old daughter.
Incentives, Subsidies

Ahn, the independent candidate and software entrepreneur, has pledged to increase the number of daycare centers by 30 percent while Moon of the main opposition Democratic United Party wants to encourage men to play a greater role in raising children and would legislate for a minimum of two weeks’ paternity leave.

Park has also said she would offer incentives to companies to increase the number of women in management roles, double the budget for job training for women and add 30 new employment centers for women seeking to join the work force. Government child-support subsidies for single-parent homes would be raised to 150,000 won ($138) per month from the current 50,000 won.

A “Women Talent Academy” would also be set up to nurture future female leaders in business and government, Park said in a Nov. 14 speech. There are two female ministers now serving in President Lee Myung Bak’s administration and the highest government posts to have been held by women previously are prime minister and justice minister.
Amherst Graduate

Park’s support rate is 44.4 percent, compared with Ahn’s 25.2 percent and Moon’s 24.1 percent, according a Nov. 14-15 survey by Seoul-based pollster Realmeter and JTBC, cable- television affiliate of the Joongang Ilbo newspaper. Ahn and Moon have discussed merging their campaigns, which might be enough to overcome Park’s advantage.

Kim, a graduate of Amherst College in Massachusetts who also studied at the London School of Economics and Harvard University, joined Park’s camp on Oct. 11. She will return her luxury business and life-long interest in style and fashion after the election.

“Grace does her own hair and make-up every morning because she wants to be herself more than anything,” said Kim, using a nickname for Park the pair use together. “And that is beautiful.”

Luxury Fashion in Africa?

Donning wooden, leopard-print earrings, Suzy Menkes, the legendary fashion editor of the International Herald Tribune, spoke to hundreds at the Rome Cavalieri, a decadent hotel that sits atop the city’s highest hill. Yet instead of discussing the merits of hand-stitching and dyed pelts, Menkes referred to a solemn passage from Il Gattopardo, an Italian novel about Lampedusa, a troubled island on the Mediterranean Sea, where war-weary African migrants have been flocking since the Arab Spring. Sitting in front of her were roughly 600 designers and critics including a number of fashion greats—Vivienne Westwood, Manolo Blahnik, and Jean Paul Gaultier—who gathered in a dimly lit ballroom to discuss two seemingly disparate topics at the IHT’s 12th annual Luxury Conference: luxury fashion and Africa.

When one thinks of African art and fashion, tourist trinkets invariably come to mind, images of beaded bracelets sold outside safari lodges. The view is unfair, of course, but common. Slowly, however, this misplaced caricature is changing as a growing number of fashion designers and industry experts are looking to Africa as the next major hub for the production—and eventually the consumption—of luxury fashion products. Yet as the fashion industry takes notice of the continent, some fear that high hopes will soon give way to exploitation and sweatshops as has occurred in countries such as China and Bangladesh. “There has to be a balance between virtue and desire,” said Bono, the U2 frontman and activist, who attended the second day of the conference.

One fashion luminary who is trying to break the mold is Nigerian-native Duro Olowu, one of Michelle Obama’s favorite designers and a man who represents the type of African high fashion that the luxury leaders are hoping to harness. Olowu told the audience that although none of his clothes are on the market in Nigeria, he hoped that Africans will one day become luxury consumers at home. So far only Ermenegildo Zegna has dared to open a shop in Lagos, Nigeria’s impoverished capital, but Olowu expects that to change. “It’s reasonable that one day streets in Lagos will be lined with the same fashion boutiques found in European capitals,” he said. Nigerians spend more than any other country in Africa on luxury goods, but only when they travel abroad because so few options are available at home. “Africans are big spenders across the world, but they cannot spend their money at home,” said Franca Sozzani, editor-in-chief of Italian Vogue. “We need to help them.” Yet she cautioned that: “Africa is a continent, not a country, and must not be considered as one market.”

On the surface, investing in clothing factories borders on frivolous when not everyone on the continent has food and fresh water. But many at the conference said that foreign aid—while important—can also encourage dependence, and that investing in fashion manufacturing could empower the population to become skilled workers, high earners, and eventually customers. “The future focus is doing real business,” said Jochen Zeita, the chairman of Puma, noting that many Africans have a keen interest in luxury goods, whether they can afford them or not. “Luxury is not about price, but inspiration, rare, bespoke and quality far beyond utility.”

Increasingly, luxury is also about diversity. Gaultier, the French designer whose signature spiked gray hair and charming savoir faire made him the darling of the conference, said that African models made his clothes come alive, liberating him from industry norms. “There are different kinds of beauty,” he said. For years, Gaultier has been ahead of his time, using unique women of all shapes, sizes, and ethnicities in his seasonal shows, and both he and Menkes scolded Italian and French fashion houses for sticking to cookie-cutter, thin white models on the catwalks. “There needs to be a real push and effort by the fashion houses to encourage diversity on the runway,” said Menkes.