In an industry where
many brands, despite efforts to move towards slow fashion, are catering to
the mass market, the Artists & Fleas Market is bringing the attention
back to local artisans. As a marketplace highlighting local fashion
designers, vintage curators, artists and more in both New York and Los
Angeles, Artists & Fleas is generating a community centered on creativity
and craftsmanship.
Founded by Amy Abrams—a woman who has made her career out of cultivating
environments to bring like-minded individuals together—and her husband
Ronan Glimer, Artists & Fleas showcases merchants in all fields. Not only
does the market help vendors build their brands, but it also benefits the
local economy in the surrounding area.
In the 15 years Artists & Fleas has been running, the marketplace has
opened up to a total of four permanent locations, three of which are in the
New York area and a weekly market in Venice, California with new merchants
joining each location on a constant basis.
Here, Abrams shares with FashionUnited more insight into the decision to
start Artists & Fleas and the importance of shopping from local and
independent businesses.
Why did you decide to start Artists & Fleas?
I started Artists & Fleas with my husband out of a desire to create a
place to hang out and shop that was inspired by the things that we loved
and could share with a larger community. We both loved (and continue to
love) travel and visit markets in any destination—markets are often the
heartbeat of the city, showcase artisans and are ground zero for so much
local flavor. I have also loved vintage since I was a teenager. Together,
we thought that it would be really fun to create a place in Brooklyn that
artists, designers, makers and vintage collectors could set up shop and
shoppers could hunt and discover something they could not otherwise live
without.
Our first location was in Williamsburg, Brooklyn just a street over from
where we still are today, North 7th St., off of Bedford Avenue. This was
before Brooklyn was Brooklyn and we were one of the earlier
shopping destinations in Williamsburg—it was an exciting time. We started
with 35 makers and soon grew as a result of demand—both from artists and
merchants and from shoppers to over 100 makers. Our merchants started to
quit their day jobs and we began to take the business more seriously, which
included opening additional locations to support many of our makers’
business growth.
Fast-forward 15 years later and we have locations in Brooklyn, Chelsea
Market, NYC, Soho NYC and Venice, CA.
Can you explain the process of how vendors are selected?
It is so important to be thoughtful when bringing new merchants to the
spaces. We want them to thrive, and it’s also important that we bring
something new and creative to our community of shoppers. To us, this is
about people and personality, so it’s often more of an art rather than a
science.
We try to have a large selection for our shoppers in terms of categories
and price points but we always aim to have diversity in style. We want our
community of shoppers to be their own curators! We also encourage every
merchant to visit our market before they set up shop so they can determine
if their customer is present. Ultimately, we want all of our merchants to
succeed—however they might define success.
Why did you decide to make Artists & Fleas a weekly occurrence in
Venice?
When we opened in Venice 2 years ago, we started out as a bi-monthy
market. It turned out to be a little confusing to our customers who started
showing up every weekend! We’re also really committed to being a reliable
way for merchants to set up shop and build a business so moving to a weekly
market made sense. The community in Venice has been so supportive to our
presence. Venice has always been a destination for artists and Abbot Kinney
has been a creative commercial thoroughfare for decades in Los Angeles, so
Artists & Fleas on Abbot Kinney is just another way to continue in that
wonderful tradition.
We don’t want to be your big-box retailer or your late night
one-click purchase, we want to help tell the story behind a gift or
sentimental purchase.
How does Artists & Fleas contribute to the local community? Why do
you find it important to support local designers and businesses?
We really pride ourselves on creating a community for our merchants and
the thousands of shoppers who visit our locations each year. It’s
cyclical—if you give makers an exciting and experiential place to sell
their goods and set them up for success you will have more and more people
coming by to shop locally and thoughtfully. We don’t want to be your
big-box retailer or your late night one-click purchase, we want to help
tell the story behind a gift or sentimental purchase. We are facilitating
these community-based transactions and want to encourage more of those
interactions between the local creator and maker or the local (or visiting)
shopper.
How does Artists & Fleas contribute to helping entrepreneurs grow
their businesses?
We offer a supportive venue, environment and onboarding opportunity for
new merchants to come and sell for the first time as well as for more
seasoned merchants who are looking to expand their reach. Along with that,
we choose locations that provide access to high traffic that are affordable
and low risk. Artists & Flease cultivates a community of merchants who
connect, collaborate and share best practices. We also promote our
merchants through our channels which help expose them to a wider audience
and host a range of workshops and programs that offer business best
practices, which range from topics that include social media, merchandising
and more.
What sets Venice apart, why Los Angeles?
Artists & Fleas was born and bred in New York, but we are a brand that is
just as much at home in Venice with its creativity, dynamism and energy.
Over the last several years, Los Angeles has become more and more of a
mecca for artists, designers, makers and creatives (coincidentally, many
are ex-New Yorkers or bi-coastal dwellers) that it’s just the perfect fit
for the “discover and be discovered” spirit of Artists & Fleas. We really
love what Venice brings to our brand—with the beautiful setting, steps away
from the ocean and laid back vibe—it’s such a great way to spend your Saturday.
The 29-year-old forward leaves Montpellier to join CD Tacon, who will play under Los Blancos’ name next year
CD Tacon, soon to be Real Madrid’s women’s team, have announced Sofia Jakobsson as their fourth signing of the summer.
The 29-year-old played six of Sweden’s seven games at this year’s Women’s World Cup, scoring twice as they secured a third-placed finish – one of those strikes coming in the 2-1 Bronze medal match win over England.
The move sees Jakobsson leave Montpellier after five seasons with the French club, during which she scored 51 goals in 93 league games – plus a further four in their five Champions League outings in the 2017-18 season.
She joins international team-mate Kosovare Asllani, who brought her contract with Linkoping to a premature end earlier this month to complete the move, in the Spanish capital.
Her arrival was followed closely by that of Thaisa, whose departure from Milan was also announced earlier this month, but it wasn’t until last week that the Brazilian was confirmed as the latest ‘Galactica’.
The Spanish side continued their busy summer of transfers with the announcement of Aurelie Kaci on Tuesday; the six-time France international joining from current champions Atletico Madrid.
Jakobsson finds herself in company of the highest quality then, despite Tacon only being promoted from the second tier last season.
The Madrid-based outfit will play under their current name this coming season, with Real Madrid not having enough time to complete the renaming process before the new campaign begins on September 8.
They are expected to unveil more star signings before then too, with Diario Sport reporting they are interested in Brazil and Bordeaux defender Kathellen.
The French club, however, have no intention to let the 23-year-old go, with her still under contract.
Montpellier, meanwhile, have been hit with another key departure – Jakobsson following all of Virginia Torrecilla, Casey Murphy, Janice Cayman, Meline Gerard, Linda Sembrant and Lisa Martinez out of the club.
The recruitment of Lena Petermann earlier this summer does reinforce their forward line. The 25-year-old Germany international struggled with injuries last season, but still scored seven goals in just 10 Frauen-Bundesliga games for Turbine Potsdam.
However, it has still been a difficult transfer window for the team who, behind Lyon and PSG, have been ‘the best of the rest’ in France for the last few years.
At Zalando, our greatest asset is the people working on creating unforgettable experiences
for our customers. Today, we introduce members of our Sneakers Team: Senior
Merchandiser, Carlo Cingolani and Senior Buyer, Kwame Manu-Bio. Together with their
team, they are responsible for the attractiveness and profitability of the Men’s and Unisex
Sneakers selection at Zalando.
How did you start your professional journey?
Kwame: I had the desire to become a Buyer 10 years ago when I was still working in
marketing. My path began at a small brand in Berlin where I worked for 2 years before
joining Zalando as a Merchandiser. After 3 years of working in this role, I got the chance to
become a Buyer and progressed from there to my current role as a Senior Buyer.
Carlo: I started as an Assistant Buyer in a footwear brick-and-mortar retailer where I became
interested in a more financial-based approach, so I joined a Merch Traineeship. After that, I
moved to the role of the Women’s department Merchandiser and had to deal with the whole
supply chain – from design to buying, to production and eventually sales. The experience I
gained there was very valuable for my first e-commerce job here at Zalando!
And how has your career progressed at Zalando?
Kwame: For me, the biggest progress since I moved to Zalando has been the position
change from a Merchandiser to a Buyer. I was provided with several opportunities that
helped me to develop the necessary skills in order to become a Buyer. For example, I got to
perfect the art of negotiating by shadowing an experienced Buyer to advance in this role.
Carlo: Zalando is very unique in its internal flexibility, and the network you can build here is
very extensive. I joined 4 years ago as a Merchandiser for the Kids private labels, then
helped out other departments and moved to Category Men. I started out looking after Denim
and eventually landed where I am now – in the Sneakers team. To this day, I have never
thought “bummer, I have to go to work” because the atmosphere here is so full of energy!
Has your educational background been helpful for your daily work?
Carlo: I studied Economics and Business Management. It definitely helped to sharpen my
analytical skills, business acumen and strategic thinking. However, I wouldn’t say that it’s
necessary for one’s job to be directly linked to their education, as I believe that key soft skills
can be mastered even better during Humanitarian or Psychological studies.
Kwame: I studied International Management and Foreign Trade for a few semesters, but
then decided to do an apprenticeship. At the time, I never imagined that one day I would be
working as a Buyer, but I still think that my educational background has helped me to
develop an analytical and entrepreneurial mindset that is very useful at Zalando.
Kwame Manu-Bio – Senior Buyer at Zalando’s Sneakers Team
What are your main responsibilities at your role?
Kwame: We are leading, extending and optimizing Zalando’s men and unisex sneaker
assortment. My tasks involve top-line planning and budget management in close
collaboration with my great planner Carlo, as well as joint-trading and planning with strategic
vendors. In addition, I take care of negotiating the assortment access and allocation with
brands and suppliers, as well as alignment on upcoming campaigns with internal and
external marketing departments. I also lead a buying unit of three assistants, so my daily
goal is to help them develop in their professional careers.
Carlo: My responsibility is to ensure the financial sustainability of our collection from
planning what we should buy, to trading the collection once it “hits the shelves”. Therefore,
my main scope is growth and profitability of our business unit. My ultimate goal is having the
right product at the right time, with the right price and units. I also lead a team of three
assistants, so my day usually spans from analyses and decisions on reorders and discounts,
coaching the team and meeting our brands with my buyer to build the next collection.
How important is the collaboration between Buyers and Merchandisers at Zalando?
Carlo: A balanced and clear collaboration is crucial – and it makes our job much smoother!
Since we are equally responsible for the success of our unit, we have the approach of “ours”
instead of “mine”.
Kwame: I agree, the collaboration between the Merchandiser and Buyer is very important as
we work towards reaching the same targets. Therefore, both views are very beneficial when
it comes to planning and buying, and even more so when analysing the past performance
and foreseeing the trends.
Which skills do you find most useful for your day-to-day job?
Carlo: Analytical skills are imperative for our job role since spotting patterns in customer
data helps us make better decisions. On top of that, negotiation and stakeholder
management are key soft skills for me, since we have many important departments we need
to align with on a daily basis.
Kwame: I agree with Carlo, stakeholder management ability is a crucial part of our work. For
Buyers, I would say the most essential skill to have is an outstanding fashion sense to
anticipate trends. In addition, time management to be on top of your deadlines, negotiation
skills to get the right brands with the right conditions, access and allocation, as well as an
entrepreneurial mindset.
Carlo Cingolani – Senior Merchandiser at Zalando’s Sneakers Team
How does data and technology fit into your role at Zalando?
Carlo: As an Italian, I would say ‘’Data is our daily bread’’. We really have to understand
each KPI in the business in order to present an attractive and dedicated product offering to
our customers. Also, tech is no longer just a ‘’good-to-have’’, but rather a ‘’must’’ for us. For
example, it allows us to explore possibilities to personalize our collection based on different
customer types at Zalando.
Kwame: Same for me – both are an integral part of my daily work as a Buyer. Data mining
helps me to understand our customer’s shopping preference and make the right decisions.
And tech allows us to take it to the next level and create value-adding excitement for our
customers. For example, in the form of a Release Countdown for a new product drop.
How much freedom do you get in your daily work?
Carlo: We have a full ownership of the business unit in our day-to-day responsibilities.
Nevertheless, many decisions naturally have to be taken at a higher management level, for
example contractual negotiations, as we are dealing with some of the most influential brands
on the market.
Kwame: Exactly! We are fully autonomous when it comes to spending the allocated budget,
but we do review our plans and buy in alignment with our leads.
What makes your role at the Sneakers team different from your previous work?
Kwame: The lifecycle of sneaker trends is becoming increasingly harder to forecast. Our key
to success is to place the right bets, fight for a higher allocation on performing products, as
well as challenge our brands to provide enhanced access and a strong execution within their
assortment. But the demanding nature of this work is what makes it really exciting!
Carlo: Kwame is completely right! This business unit requires a high level of detail and
accuracy, since we are working with the biggest lifestyle brands on the market. And
nowadays, the best-selling sneakers are changing faster than ever, so extensive trend
forecasting is vital to be able to deliver great results.
If you are interested in developing your career and working on solving exciting challenges
just like Carlo and Kwame, then explore job opportunities in Fashion at Zalando:
If you would like to be part of Zalando’s Fashion Talent Community to get regular updates
about company culture, fashion events and new job openings, then join here:
Menswear denim brand Taylor Stitch has launched a clothing
recycling program. Called Restitch, the program allows customers to
return Taylor Stitch denim items to the company for a trade-in credit
between 15 and 25 dollars.
“Taylor Stitch products are built for the long haul, Restitch makes
sure they get there,” the company wrote on its website. We’re giving
our wares a second life and keeping them out of our landfills. Buy,
sell, repair, renew—welcome to a better way to shop Taylor
Stitch.”
The San Francisco-based brand enlisted local company Yerdle to help
it build its resale program. Yerdle handles the repair of returned
denim items, which are then refurbished and sold on the Restitch
website.
Items sold through Restitch are either slightly used or never worn,
according to the site. All items “have been cleaned and repaired and
are now good as new.” Restitch items cost between 21 dollars for a
T-shirt and 327 for a wool coat. Jeans retail between 52 and 106
dollars. Comparatively, a new pair of jeans from Taylor Stitch costs
between 98 and 178 dollars.
“This type of platform is such a natural fit for its consumer–it’s
like it’s helping protect their playground,” Taylor Stitch’s founder
and CEO Michael Maher told Fast Company. “We’re trying to shift that
into the fashion space for the more everyday person, because we have a
strong belief that this is something that needs to happen.”
When Adriana Macias graduated
from law school, she found no firm was interested in hiring an attorney
without arms.
So Macias, a 41-year-old Mexican woman who was born without them, began
working as a writer, playwright, motivational speaker and now a fashion
designer who has just launched a new clothing line.
She designed it — as she does nearly everything — with her feet.
She unveiled her debut collection at Fashion Week Mexico last month, where
disabled models strutted the runway — or rolled down it in wheelchairs —
showing off her fall-winter line of 12 flowing, vibrantly colored designs made
so people with disabilities can easily put them on.
She herself uses custom-made clothes that allow her to dress herself using
her feet.
“I’m putting out this clothing line with all these details designed to make
the clothes accessible, very comfortable, very practical, but also very
formal. I wanted (the show) to be inclusive because inclusiveness is a very
important issue,” she told AFP.
“People should not exist for clothes, clothes should exist for people.”
No more prosthetic arms
Macias’s parents taught her from birth to use her feet for the things other
children did with their hands.
Today, she eats, drinks, writes, draws, cooks, cleans and even dresses her
three-year-old daughter with her feet and legs.
Sitting cross-legged on her chair, she gestures with her feet when she
speaks. Sometimes she rests her chin on her toes, which sport rings and nail
polish, or uses them to brush back her long hair.
She used prosthetic arms until she was 20, but had to give them up when the
added weight gave her shoulder problems.
“It was tough going off to university without my prostheses, taking off my
shoes in class to write. It’s considered bad manners to take off your shoes,”
she said with a smile and her usual lively determination.
She thrived at university anyway, earning a law degree, but got a cold
welcome in the professional world.
Watch brand Triwa has launched a collection of timepieces made from
destroyed illegal firearms, to highlight the issues of gun-related violence
and give back to conflict-torn communities.
The Triwa x Humanium initiative features watches made completely of
melted down illegal firearms from El Salvador, one of the countries most
affected by gun violence in the world. The seized weapons are melted into
Humanium Metal and so far the initiative has used around 5,000 weapons that
have been destroyed following their involvement in a serious crime.
The collection launched with two sizes, 39mm and 34mm and two different
dial styles, a dark grey vertically brushed dial and a vertically brushed
steel dial, and each timepiece is finished with either a Swedish, Tärnsjö
organically tanned leather strap or a military green canvas strap made from
recycled PET bottle.
The latest timepiece to be added to the collection is the Triwa x
Humanium Metal Automatic and is powered with a 24 jewel automatic movement
from Citizen Miyota, and it launches in June.
The very purchase of Humanium Metal makes a difference, as 15 percent of
funds made from the sale circles back to the society where the firearms
were originally collected and supports the victims of armed violence. Triwa
itself has also donated 40,000 US dollars from the initiative.
The Humanium Metal Initiative by IM Swedish Development Partner is
supported by local governments and authorities, as well as some of the most
renowned international experts and peace advocates such as the Dalai Lama,
Desmond Tutu and Hans Blix. With each gun destroyed, the negative impact on
society is diminished, and the more products created using Humanium
generates more funds for destruction programs and generates support for
victims of gun-related violence.
Ann Svensén, secretary general of IM, said in a statement: “Every gun
melted and turned into Humanium Metal is one gun less on the streets.”
Triwa highlights Humanium Metal with new timepiece
Ludvig Scheja, co-founder of Triwa, added: The watch industry is so
focused on status and precious metals. With this most precious metal of
them all we hope to add new values to the industry and make our
contribution for a more peaceful world.”
The first weapons destruction programme was held in November 2016 in El
Salvador and IM has produced 1 ton of Humanium Metal. The latest weapon
destruction dedicated to Humanium Metal took place in November 2017,
melting 1,825 illegal firearms. A new destruction programme started in
Guatemala last year.
Triwa, transforming the industry of watches, was founded in 2007 by four
friends with the goal to change the attitudes in the watch industry that
they thought was too focused on status and tradition. The brand combines
classic silhouettes and contemporary Scandinavian simplicity and launched
its watches repurposing guns following a Kickstarter campaign. The brand
has extended its product line to include sunglasses and bracelets, which
are all designed in their creative studio in Stockholm.
An increasing number of Chinese brands are eyeing the global fashion world. During the New York Fashion Week, which opened on Thursday, Chinese designers presented a time travel of aesthetics.
Blending modern trends with ancient Chinese style, the four collections resonated with four eras in ancient China – Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), Tang Dynasty (618-907), Song Dynasty (960-1279), and Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
To mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the National Center for the Performing Arts will premiere its new play The Crossroad in Beijing on Oct 2.
Following the fortunes of four soldiers serving with the Northwest Field Army, one of the main forces of the People’s Liberation Army during China’s War of Liberation (1946-49), the production is based on real-life stories from the battlefield, according to Zhao Tiechun, vice-president of the NCPA.
Zhao says it took the NCPA two years to prepare the script for the play, which will run through Oct 6.
“We revised the script six times, and the play is now set against the backdrop of the winter of 1948. To collect historical material and learn more about the real stories of the soldiers and their families, we had to travel to many cities in China, including Huai’an and Nanjing in Jiangsu province,” says the play’s scriptwriter Li Baoqun in Beijing. “These heroes fulfilled their obligations and showed their loyalty to the country. We pay tribute to them while celebrating the birthday of the nation with this play.”
The Crossroad opens with the scene of a blizzard hitting areas near the Yangtze and Huaihe rivers, where a decisive battle is about to take place. The stage set, says designer Zhang Wu, will feature many metallic elements-from “flying bullets” to railway tracks.
The lead actors include 61-year-old Wu Jing’an, who plays the role of Zhang Yuefeng. The award-winning actor is known for his work in both film and TV dramas.
“Zhang Yuefeng is a brave soldier, who encourages other soldiers to fight amid the flames of war,” says Wu during a recent rehearsal of the play at the NCPA. “A man has to make choices at all times. During those war years, making a choice was a serious issue. He lived on the battlefield and had to make a choice between his family and his duty.”
Other cast members include actors Hong Tao, Zong Ping and young actors from the NCPA Drama Ensemble.
“When you watch a play in the theater, you either get something new, which you don’t know, or get something old, which you may have already forgotten. In the case of The Crossroad, we wanted to show the audience something from the past, which may not be familiar to younger theatergoers,” says director Gao Xiaodong.
Rice is no stranger to the dinner tables of Chinese families. This extremely versatile grain can be used to create dishes in all imaginable shapes and sizes, giving rise to regionally distinct flavors and textures.
Many parts of China have the custom to process cooked rice for longer storage. In Yunnan province, er, a local dish, is made from pounding cooked rice until the grains lose their individuality and gather into a soft yet chewy rice-cake texture. It can then be grilled, boiled, fried, thinly-sliced into noodles or used as desired.
The second season of Flavorful Origins, another masterpiece by Chinese food documentary director Chen Xiaoqing, the creator of A Bite of China, will premiere on Sept 9 on Tencent.com.
The season, consisting of 10 episodes, will shine a spotlight on Southwest China’s Yunnan province, a region blessed with abundant sunlight, fresh produce and exotic spices.
The track-laying job on a new high-speed railway linking Chengdu and Guiyang in southwest China has been completed, said the construction firm Tuesday.
Running through mountainous terrain, the railway connects a number of tourist attractions including Huangguoshu Waterfall, Mount Emei and Leshan Giant Buddha.
China Railway Chengdu Group Co., Ltd. said trains can run at a speed up to 250 kph on the 632-km railway, linking the capital of Sichuan province and the capital of Guizhou province.
The construction of Chengdu-Guiyang Railway started in 2013. A 370-km long section of the railway has 85 percent of its route running on bridges and in tunnels.
Sections of the railway in Sichuan are already in use, while the whole line will be in operation by the end of this year.
China’s total railway operation mileage reached 131,000 km by the end of 2018, five times higher than that of 1949. Among them, the high-speed railways extended 29,000 km, accounting for more than two thirds of the world’s total, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.