Articles by Weixin Zha
How Hugo Boss is turning its biggest plant into a smart factory
The artificial intelligence and tablets deployed at the largest European production facility of German businesswear maker Hugo Boss may be astounding, but it’s the new ways in which humans and machines are interacting that is perhaps most noteworthy. “The interesting thing about technology is that it has made us human again," Joachim Hensch,...
Business|BACKGROUND Featuredloading...
China’s fashion journey from manufacturer to emerging designer
Chinese apparel manufacturers are turning into fashion labels, feverishly working on their original designs. At the same time, a slowdown in growth in the world's second largest retail market makes international expansion increasingly likely to pay off. So what would a Chinese brand with global appeal look like? “Let’s speak about Chinese...
Fashion Featuredloading...
Evolution Amsterdam: A visit to the new fair specialized in textile designs
In the West of Amsterdam, inside two red-brick buildings of a former gas factory, thousands of poster-sized paper sheets printed with different patterns were lying across the tables of the stalls. At the start of September, 65 design studios were showing their work at Evolution, the new fair for textile pattern design that drew 400 visitors to...
FairsFeaturedloading...
'The Fashion Forecasters': A closer look at the history of colour and trend prediction
Peering into the crystal ball and trying to spot the colours and shapes that consumers will swoon over in coming seasons is perhaps fashion‘s most obscure and fascinating occupation. The book, The Fashion Forecasters – A Hidden History of Color and Trend Prediction, seeks to demystify the ways in which trends develop by grounding the process...
Culture|BOOK REVIEW Featuredloading...
Berlin fashion scene breaking barriers in sustainability
Sustainable fashion is having a moment. With increasing interest from conventional retailers, the topic is becoming less of a niche and more of a mainstream industry focus, as proved by Berlin’s fashion fairs at the start of July. A colorful, frayed patchwork denim jacket, an oversized sea blue straw hat combined with bright red, pants with...
FairsFeaturedloading...
Following US success, Peruvian manufacturers set sights on European market
Peruvian clothing manufacturers are eyeing the European market. They specialise in the manufacture of knitwear made of alpaca wool and Pima cotton, both premium products from their country. To date, the manufacturers have produced mainly for the US market, but now they are attracting the attention of European labels like Missoni and Ted Baker....
FairsFeaturedloading...
Brick and mortar stores still hold weight: Three inspirations
Fashion retail is in a state of disruption and it is becoming all the more important to focus on the strengths of a physical store. How this could work in today's digital age was demonstrated by the managing directors of three German multi-brand retailers at the convention of the BTE Textile Trade Association in Cologne at the beginning of June....
RetailFeaturedloading...
C&A’s Head of Trend: ‘Women are embracing colour more than ever’
As C&A’s chief forecaster, Sabrina Shairzay is tasked with the job of predicting trends for the Dutch fashion retailer, which operates more than 1,500 stores in Europe alone. With her trend team, Shairzay travels the world, constantly in touch with influencers while keeping her finger firmly on the pulse of upcoming street trends. She shared her...
Fashion |INTERVIEW Featuredloading...
Digital fashion: ‘The world doesn’t need more physical clothing’
Last month, the first digital couture dress by Amsterdam-based fashion label The Fabricant was auctioned in New York. It sold for 9,500 US dollars. While it may look deceptively real, the flowing fluorescent garment does not exist in reality; in fact, it is no more than a digital file. Behind the concept of virtual clothing lies a bold vision...
Fashion Featuredloading...
From high-fashion to custom sneakers: Will 3D printing disrupt the fashion industry?
Fashion companies and designers from Adidas to Iris van Herpen have started exploring 3D printing in the past few years, while designer Zac Posen wowed the world with his otherworldly 3D-couture outfits at the Met Gala earlier in May. Although the technology offers seemingly unlimited possibilities to designers, hurdles still remain for its...
Fashion |BACKGROUND Featuredloading...