ASOS Recovering From Arson Attack
ASOS, the internet retailer specialising in offbeat designs and UK style, has restarted deliveries after its major warehouse suffered a deliberate arson attack.
The warehouse damage itself was bad enough – ASOS has said that 20% of all the stock inside suffered, and that 500 workers had to be evacuated – but the fact that it was set deliberately has sent shockwaves through the industry.
The warehouse, in a remote part of England, went up in flames at 10pm on Friday, and it took firefighters several hours to get it under control.
However, ASOS has been quick to assure everybody that the building itself and all the technology inside are fine. It’s just the clothes that have gone belly-up – and, they have said in a statement, they are “fully insured for loss of stock and business interruption.”
As of now, they’re trading and posting out orders again – but the losses might severely affect their bottom line.
So who’s behind the fire – and was it an inside job, industrial espionage, or just some idiots with gasoline and a match?
Image: ASOS’s fire-damaged stock.
American Apparel Fires Controversial Founder
Dov Charney, the notorious founder of American Apparel, has been fired after a series of massive internal scandals.
Charney, the chairman and CEO of the fashion label, which sells American-made basics with titillating ad campaigns, was apparently forced to step down – and is now fighting to get his job back.
So what caused the shock dismissal? Everything from lying in court to helping release naked photos of an ex-employee, according to the US press.
Charney’s always been scandalous – since he founded American Apparel in 1998, he’s been in the news for all kinds of reasons, most of them bad. He’s been sued for sexual harassment by employees and models nearly 20 times.
The most serious allegation, apparently, has to do with one of those lawsuits. An ex-employee took Charney to court in 2011, claiming he forced her to perform sexual acts.
And the board of American Apparel apparently found out that Charney had allowed one of his current employees to post naked pictures of the woman online.
Other issues? Misuse of corporate funds, including allegedly booking flights for his parents using American Apparel money.
“We take no joy in this, but the board felt it was the right thing to do,” American Apparel said in a statement.
But Charney’s not going anywhere without a fight – and the legal battle that will ensue will probably get very dirty very fast.
Image: Dov Charney.
Are You A Budding Designer? DHL’s Fashion Scholarship Is For You
If you’re a young designer looking for overseas distribution and a big splash in the media, the DHL Express Fashion Export Scholarship might be just for you.
It’s the fifth time DHL have run their scholarship programme, which takes a winning Australian label and gives it both mentoring and funds to start exporting internationally.
In the Australian market, that’s a big deal – and the list of previous winners, which include Bec & Bridge and We Are Handsome, show that the standard is high.
So what’s on the table for winners?
$10,000 worth of international freight, for a start, plus DHL’s help in honing the brand’s export strategy – but this year’s prize is a little bit different.
Along with all the Aussie-based help, the 2014 winner will be flown to New York to attend the Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week tents, and then meet with an international buyer.
On the judging panel? DHL Express, the Sunday Telegraph Fashion Editor, IMG Fashion Australia, Elle Turner and renowned Australian design name Alice McCall.
If you want to be eligible, you must have your own label and have been exporting from Australia for less than four years. It closes July 21 – get in fast!
Image: DHL Express Fashion Scholarship 2013 New Zealand winners, Commoners.
Sneak Peek: Lululemon Athletica &Go Collection
Cult exercise clothing label lululemon have launched their latest collection, called &go, and Rescu. has a sneak preview.
The look? Athletic chic with space-age fabrics and loose European silhouettes.
The brand has incorporated cutting-edge tech into the collection, including hidden reflectivity in back pockets, 50+ SPF protection fabrics and four-way stretch.
And the range goes from day to night, including a shift dress, grey trousers and a long tight dress as well as exercise-oriented gear.
Lululemon are trying to put the scandals of 2013 behind them, a year which included the brand’s founder, Chip Wilson, resigning after igniting a firestorm with his comments on customers’ weight.
Wilson told Bloomberg TV that the cause of his brand’s notorious ‘pilling’ problem was not the material, but the shape of the wearers. “Quite frankly, some women’s bodies just actually don’t work for it,” he said. “It’s really about the rubbing around the thighs, how much pressure is there.”
The new &go collection, notably, doesn’t include any leggings or tight-fitting trousers.
What do you think of the new lululemon &go collection?
Image: Lululemon &Go.