Monday, November 18, 2024

Have shoppers deserted the malls and big department stores?

May 18, 2016 by  
Filed under Lingerie Events

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That certainly seems to be true in the case of UK. A recent report compiled by Markit on behalf of Visa Europe suggests that online spending has grown at the fastest rate for 16 months with e-commerce growth rate of 8.4 percent year-on-year. The report that reflects overall consumer spending across the UK showed total consumer spending in April saw an increase by 2.5 percent year-on-year. Clothing and footwear saw the biggest fall since September 2014 but some of the strongest rates of expansion were seen across recreation and culture (up 7.9 percent), hotels, restaurant bars (plus 6.6 percent) and household goods (3 percent).

“Growth in consumables remains evident, but consumer spending is increasingly focused on the experience economy,” Kevin Jenkins, Director at Visa Europe said in a note. “Eating out, booking holidays and discovering new experiences are all driving spending growth at a time when the lower cost of living is creating higher disposable incomes. In a month of mostly growth, the only sector to disappoint was clothing and footwear, again highlighting this shift.”

The trend was highlighted in the UK retail sales this month that reported the sharpest drop in data in April after sales fell 0.9 percent on a year earlier, the biggest drop since last August. However, online spending continued to rise.

“April saw retailers growing their online non-food sales by 6.6 percent which, despite being a healthy increase, is the slowest growth since April 2013,” Helen Dickinson, chief executive at British Retail Consortium, said in an analysis note. “However, online remained a significant proportion of total non-food retail sales at 20.9 percent; only fractionally down on the highest on record.”

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How to Wear Boudoir-Inspired Styles in Everyday Life

May 18, 2016 by  
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From Dior to Céline, boudoir-inspired looks flooded this year’s Paris runways. In turn, lingerie brands are creating pieces with major daytime potential.

At the 2016 Spring/ Summer ready-to-wear shows, Céline flaunted lingerie-inspired slip dresses and camisoles.

“I design all my collections with the view that they will be shown off—with or without clothes,” says Sarah Shotton, creative director at Agent Provocateur (675 Madison Ave., 212-840-2436). The spring collection, which draws inspiration from the French countryside, is rendered in silks and leavers lace. In addition to the brand’s signature slips, Shotton suggests getting playful with the Annoushka bra, which features intricate lace that reaches up to the collarbone in a ’70s-style halter-neck cut. “It can be used to enhance any outfit as subtly, or unsubtly, as you wish,” she adds.

Lauren Schwab and Marissa Vosper, the founders of Negative (631-316-8641), launched their brand of chic, well-constructed pieces in 2010 because they felt that choices were either too fussy or too basic. “It’s exciting to see lingerie infiltrate more of the fashion conversation,” they say. This spring, Vosper suggests sporting their bodysuit—designed with daywear in mind. “Everything [else on the market] seemed to fall into either the simple foundation pieces or the pieces that felt very bedroom,” says Vosper, who likes to pair hers with a high-waisted jean or pencil skirt, or wear it underneath a shirt. Layers have never looked so enticing.

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