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Here I used the 16personalities website to take the test to see what I am. It turns out I am Turbulent Advocate

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I used LinkedIn to look at some Buying jobs and I found some for Boohoo and Debenhams, which I wouldn't mind working for in the future.

https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/search/?f_L=United%20Kingdom&geoId=101165590&keywords=fashion%20buying&location=United%20Kingdom

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To find more about my chosen brand Reformation I looked on this website called Craft, where it gave me their company profile including an overview, recent news, revenue statistics etc. This helped me to know the brand a bit better and write about them
https://craft.co/reformation

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This article was very helpful was it was very detailed about Turkey and how Buyers source from there and why. It gave me a better understanding on why Turkey is a good country to source from.

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I done some research on what sourcing is like in Turkey, including the pros and cons of sourcing from them. This helped me with creating my infrogaphic and the pros and cons on my COO.

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Quality Blog | News on Quality Assurance & Control | Pro QC

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By The Pro QC Quality Assurance Team

One of the most diverse countries to source from, Turkey offers a lot of opportunities due to its strategic location right on the cusp between Asia and Europe. We discuss some of the benefits of manufacturing in Turkey as well as some of the challenges.

What are the main industries in Turkey?

Turkey offers the capability to manufacture a huge range of products. The top ten exports include vehicles, machinery (including computer components), gems and precious metals, knits and clothing, iron and steel, electrical machinery and other equipment, non-knit clothes and accessories, articles made of iron or steel, plastics, and related products, and mineral fuels including oil.

Export of vehicles makes up 15.2% of Turkey's total exports, valuing the country's automotive manufacturing industry at US$23.9bln. While machinery makes up 8.8% of exports, at a value of US$13.8bln, number 10 in the export list - mineral fuels, including oil, alone comprise 2.8% of exports for an industry valued at US$4.3bln.

Products ranging from ceramic sinks, door pulls and handles, to PVC clingfilm and antiseptic wet wipes are shipped off predominantly to the United States, while Germany, another big export destination, has more demand for products ranging from toilets and seats, seat covers, to metal poles and leather notebooks. The United Kingdom, Spain, and even Hong Kong use Turkey as a sourcing destination for various products as well.

What are the advantages of manufacturing in Turkey?

With a well-established and diverse manufacturing sector, Turkey has several advantages for anyone looking to manufacture there. With an established domestic logistics network, Turkey's geostrategic location is a huge positive - with the added benefit of a huge network of shipyards and a port structure that enables goods to be shipped out to both Asia and Europe very easily. Turkey's trade agreement network is part of this geostrategic benefit, with both a customs union in place with the European Union, and free trade agreements with more than 20 countries.

Additionally, Turkey has a young and well-educated labor pool. Not only is there a qualified talent pool of engineers, but the country also attracts senior managers with extensive international experience - likely a by-product of Turkey's strategic location. With such a qualified talent pool, Turkey has a reputation for being able to consider the brand image, yielding speed-to-market and high-quality end products for sourcing companies.

The ability to build strong relationships with Turkish manufacturers has led to an increasing number of US brands getting high-quality leather handbags manufactured there. The combined understanding of diverse production capabilities, understanding of the brand, brand-building, and product destination market, has given Turkey a strong competitive advantage.

Added to these benefits is a competitive foreign currency exchange rate, which makes Turkey's price-point a positive for most manufacturers.

What are the challenges to manufacturing in Turkey?

Ultimately, there are still challenges to manufacturing in Turkey. These include a slightly higher political risk, so despite reliable manufacturing facilities, security risks may contribute to an inability to visit factories regularly. Currency fluctuation is also important to watch, although it tends to remain competitive, the variations can give rise to markedly different price-points at different times.

Other concerns include language and cultural differences, which can play a role in manufacturing anywhere outside the brand's home country.

How do you ensure product quality and compliance in Turkey?

With so many manufacturers to choose from, it can be tough to assess which one exactly works for your sourcing needs. Ensuring supplier compliance and reliability as well as controlling quality assurance in Turkey are risks that need to be managed. Pro QC offers the following solutions:

Supplier Quality Assurance and Auditing

Since visiting your suppliers can be a challenge, especially when travel is virtually impossible due to Covid-19, it is important to make sure you match with a factory that can handle your project requirements. To do this, an initial supplier evaluation, conducted by a third-party inspection service in Turkey, can provide relevant information through a one-day on-site assessment. This covers primary Quality Management System components, equipment, facilities, documents, and certifications, as well as general capabilities. Relevant information is submitted to the sourcing agent through a report with photos of the factory, a concise assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the supplier, and a recommendation on the risk level of the supplier.

Based on the product categories for import, there is a menu of different audit solutions that can be applied. For example, buyers of medical devices could consider conducting audits based on ISO 13485 (requirements for a quality management system that demonstrates an ability to provide medical devices that meet customer and regulatory requirements). Buyers of auto parts would want to ensure their potential supplier either has a strong quality management system in place, or complies with ISO 9001, IATF 16949 (quality management system for automotive-related components), or VDA 6.3 (a process audit assessing the entire life cycle of a product manufactured for the automotive industry).

2. Third-Party Inspection Services in Turkey

Third-party inspection services in Turkey are particularly useful for ensuring that product quality standards are met before goods are shipped. This service ensures the product conforms to product specifications and also identifies any defective products before shipment. The third-party inspection service deploys inspectors to the factory site for a factory audit, to verify workmanship, functionality, packaging, labeling, quantities for shipment, and other criteria as required. This enables quick identification, containment, and resolution for any quality issues at an early stage of the manufacturing cycle.

Contact us anytime at info@proqc.com or visit our website to learn more about our quality solutions in Turkey.

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Manufacturing in Turkey | Product Quality

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Learn more about the advantages and challenges of manufacturing in Turkey, and how quality control and assurance solutions will ensure product quality.

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This website was very useful as I found out so many things about sourcing from Turkey that I didn't know. It gave me a lot of facts to write about.

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Turkey is a country located in the middle east. The country has a very unique geographic position as it partly lies in Europe and partly in Asia. Over the last decade, Turkey has highly increased its economic performance and got integrated into the globalized world. The country has some favourable fiscal policies and very sound macroeconomic strategies along with structural reforms. Due to the abundant opportunities in the country, Turkey procurement has caught the eyes of many global investors. Buying goods directly is an easy process but procurement requires you to find the right suppliers at the right price and right location. Every company wants to save cost from overhead while establishing operations.

Though Turkey is a Muslim country, it has adopted the western style of democracy. This makes the country a perfect ally to the western countries who are planning to deal with the Muslim world in the middle east. Because of its strategic location, Turkey helps to form a business link between its manufacturers and the European market. This makes it a very lucrative hub for investments made by the western MNCs. The business culture in the country is very close to the West which makes Turkey a good sourcing market as compared to other Asian countries. Turkey has a very large domestic market and a Turkish based market started by the Ottoman empire. Turkish companies can easily tap into this consumer market comprising millions of people.

What Makes Turkey a sourcing Hub?

Turkey has gained a lot of attention from large corporates in western Europe. Turkey industry mainly includes automotive systems, mechanical components and construction materials. As a large number of companies are hiring Turkey procurement experts, the industrial strength of the country is steadily increasing. The demand for international outsource partners has grown over time. Turkey has a good number of companies which will help you to increase your revenue while cutting down on the cost. Sourcing services mainly target at accelerating the production process and speed up the company's timeline effectively.

Nowadays, outsourcing has become more of a competitive necessity and less of strategic advantage. In this highly competitive business world, every company is looking for innovative ways to minimize cost, improve the quality of products and ensure a faster time to market. This is why the demand for international outsourcing partners has increasingly grown over the years. Procurement might prove to be the most important link in the supply chain of any company. So, it is very crucial to select the right procurement services provider for your business to run smoothly. Some of the benefits of sourcing from Turkey are as follows:

● Cost Savings -

Turkey is a low-cost country and all the goods and services are available at a relatively cheaper rate than the western countries. If you source materials or services from this country, your business will be able to cut down cost in every aspect. There will be significant savings on time and effort as well as infrastructure cost. Your company can save a lot of money by engaging in procurement from Turkey. Turkey has a very well-developed infrastructure and fast transports. This will help the outside companies to get the products ready in a very short time and launch them in the market.

To enjoy more benefits, Turkey offers a large number of agencies which can be hired for customized services. These agents have a deep knowledge about conducting operations in the country and will be able to give you creative ideas. The upside to hiring these agents is that they are well aware of the economic and political scenario of Turkey. This would help in the long run if you are planning to have a great number of years of association with Turkey.

● Skilled Workforce -

Turkish workforce is highly skilled and is capable of bringing innovative ideas in the procurement operations. They are aware of the latest technological trends and know how to implement them in production techniques. They can provide high quality services and you can reap the benefits of cost advantage. Turkey is known to the entire world for its dedicated workforce. Their employees work for long durations without taking breaks.

The sourcing agencies in Turkey are highly professional. Even under the most adverse circumstances, they deliver their products by deadline. This has a huge benefit for the companies as they can have the products in the market on time. There is no lost opportunity cost due to delay. This is especially helpful when the consumer demand increases and companies need a lot of supply in a short time. Turkey suppliers adhere to their commitment always. If you outsource your organization's procurement to Turkey, you will get high quality products at minimum price.

● Competitive Edge -

Turkey has put a great deal of emphasis on optimizing costs of the company by employing long-term strategic capabilities. Turkey has become one of the most prominent procurement hubs recently because many companies across the world are looking to get their products from low cost countries without compromising on the product quality. Turkish agencies can help you with quality control, selection of the best suppliers and factories, timely delivery of products and customs clearance for flights. These service providers will ensure that you find trusted products and manufacturers for all your business needs.

However, there are currency risks associated with doing business in Turkey with the labour inflationary pressure. To avoid these risks and ensure that your business runs efficiently, the specialized procurement services are there to help. They can help to create sustainable value in the management of sourcing processes in the country.

A vertical supply chain, strong relationships and speed to the market makes Turkey a very desirable country for sourcing. Turkey procurement is beneficial because it provides a diverse range of good quality products at a cheaper rate. The country enforces strict controls to make sure that the product qualities are not being compromised. The corporate social responsibility of the country is highly impressive. The key to Turkey's success is its communication and speed.

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Turkey procurement is beneficial because it provides a diverse range of good quality products at a cheaper rate. The country enforces strict controls to make sure that the product qualities are not being compromised. The corporate social responsibility of the country is highly impressive. The key to Turkey's success is its communication and speed.

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I used this this website to research what Retail Theatre is. I found this useful as I didn't know what was it before.

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With the speed and convenience of online shopping, there's no doubt that digital continues to dominate over in-store purchasing. But that doesn't mean you should shut shop anytime soon.

In fact, it's quite the opposite. Retailers are fighting back to show their worth on the high street and reclaim their share of the limelight, and here's how you can do it too.

What's a retail theatre experience?

There's no denying that the high street has struggled in recent years, but retailers are making a comeback by offering customers something a little different. New, exciting techniques have emerged that allow you to truly showcase your brand's identity and offering, and, ultimately, get more customers through the door.

What do these techniques look like? Well, in a nutshell, they're centred around creating a more immersive and meaningful experience with customers; namely, a 'retail theatre experience'. This encourages you to look beyond your products and create a more in-depth and everlasting relationship between your brand and customers.

This type of engagement is setting physical stores apart from virtual ones, and even resulting in many ecommerce brands setting up shop for a piece of the pie. Just take a look at Amazon - they don't need to branch out with a physical store, but they've chosen to do so because they can see value in offering a more 'real' experience.

How to create a retail theatre experience

At the heart of retail theatre is an enhanced customer experience, meaning it may be time to up your game when it comes to what you're displaying on the high street. The goal - both with your store and other external factors - is to give customers a better feel for your brand's character and enable them to get closer to your offering. Hitting the sweet spot here is likely to leave a strong impression with the people who see and engage with your brand, resulting in longlasting and valuable relationships.

This may sound easier said than done, but there are some simple tactics than can be used to create retail theatre for your brand. One of the most effective ways to begin implementing this is with your window display, as it's often what customers and prospective customers see first and has the potential to hook attention immediately. You can add animation to your window display with digital screens, which allow you to tell a story, and illuminated displays, including hanging lightbox cubes and illuminated letters and shapes, which allow you to make a bold statement and be playful with design and branding.

Once you've won people over with your window display, the retail theatre experience should extend in-store, providing a full experience from start to finish. This can be achieved with the use of free-standing display units, in a variety of designs for your every need. With everything from counter top units to custom printed display plinths; tactically placing these display units will enable you to draw attention to your products, as well as continue to showcase your brand's identity. And if you have something really unique in mind, we can help by designing and creating the perfect bespoke display for your store.

However you decide to create retail theatre in your store, just remember to be bold, playful, and even daring - just like they are on stage! Get in touch with our experts to discuss your project and how to best kit out your store for the ultimate impact.

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The retail theatre experience: what it is and how to achieve it

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With the speed and convenience of online shopping, there's no doubt that digital continues to dominate over in-store purchasing. But that doesn't mean you should shut shop anytime soon.In fact, it's quite the opposite. Retailers are fighting back to show their worth on the high street and reclaim their share of the limelight, and here's how you can do it too.

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To look at Reformation's performance I came across this website called The Wellesley News. This website was really interesting as it gave me information about their performance of activism, the things that let them down and how they could perform better, how their competitors are better than them in some areas.

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Some analysts believe that Forever 21's bankruptcy filing is indicative of a shift in consumers' tastes and preferences - one that veers away from the follies of fast fashion - but there's reason to believe that the industry is doing just fine. Fast fashion refers to mass-produced clothes based on current trends, generating tons of waste and low-quality items. Examples of fast fashion brands include a mix of storefront and online warehouses: ZARA, SHEIN and Missguided, to name a few.

Fast fashion has come under increasing scrutiny for its role as one of the biggest contributors to environmental degradation. As evidence of the environmental toll of fast fashion gains traction, so does the trend of brands willing to capitalize on a shift in consumer interest towards ethical shopping.

In comes Reformation: too good to be true? Spoiler alert - it is. The popular brand checks off all the boxes for a fashionable and environmentally minded consumer: minimal, sleek, casually glamorous and outspokenly environmentally responsible. Unfortunately, if buying high-waisted mini skirts for $98 is within the bounds of what's reasonable , choosing the environmentally conscious option is incredibly inaccessible - especially when exact replicas of Reformation's items are sold on SHEIN's website for $13. Is this the true cost of sustainability? There are certainly people in the world who see $98 as a normal cost for a clothing basic - but does that mean only those people are morally absolved to be sustainable?

Clare O'Connor for Forbes reports : "The prices [of Reformation] - $158 for a stretch jersey maxi dress and $58 for a ribbed off-the-shoulder top - aren't far off what you might find at less scrupulous chains with manufacturing facilities in places like Bangladesh." O'Connor's tone and treatment represent something that's infected contemporary American marketing: the conflation of moral superiority and classism.

While Reformation's environmental reputation may be sparkling, their marketing campaign pushing their image is not. It seems as if they're doing everything they can to make sure the first word that comes to mind when thinking of Reformation is sustainability. The brand's blog posts attempt to make environmental activism chic, leaving a sour taste in the mouths of consumers. "Carbon is canceled," one cheery heading on Reformation's sustainability report reads, stealing slang from social media. The brand uses what they call "sexy math" to calculate the environmental resources they've saved. Their tone seems too contrived, too performative - it's clear that the brand treats environmental preservation as a profitable trend.

At the end of the day, Reformation is a company that, like all others, is in the market to make a profit. But they've found a way to bridge social media activism and capitalism to market to their ideal consumer, who believes that $150 dresses and $60 tops are comparable to prices found in notably less ethical - albeit cheaper - brands. And if that's out of your price range, that's fine; they'll just try their best to guilt you into splurging anyway.

Take their slogan for example: "Being naked is the #1 most sustainable option. We're #2." Despite what this slogan claims, Reformation is still producing new clothes - inevitably creating waste. Buying clothes from stores other than Reformation will not immediately send you to climate change hell, just like buying clothes from them doesn't make you the Greta Thunberg of your friends.

For a company that proclaims to be so dedicated to the cause of sustainability, Reformation doesn't seem to offer many ways for consumers to get involved with environmentalism that don't involve a pricetag. There is, of course, the "Ref Guide To Sustainable Travel." If you're looking for a four-star hotel and you've got over $800 to blow, it's the perfect guide for you. The guide is short and not very informative and more about connecting customers with environmentally conscious products, rather than encouraging them to change their habits.

Reformation has combined classism and moral superiority to create a contemporary culture of elitism about shoppers' habits. They don't advertise themselves as a luxury brand, even if their prices reflect otherwise. If you aren't part of the inside circle - the one that can afford basics in the three figure mark - then according to Reformation, there's not much else you can do to maintain a sustainable lifestyle. It seems like the only kind of environmental preservation that Reformation values is the kind you have to pay for.

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Some analysts believe that Forever 21's bankruptcy filing is indicative of a shift in consumers' tastes and preferences - one that veers away from the follies of fast fashion - but there's reason to believe that the industry is doing just fine.

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For this comp shop task, I had to research a competitor of Zara and I choose Reformation. I looked on their website where I found their sustainability report of 2020 outlining all the changes they have made and goals they have for the future in terms of sustainability.

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COVID-19 is spreading rampantly around the world and we want to do what we can to help. There's a shortage of medical supplies and specifically masks. With new information about COVID-19 carriers being asymptomatic and other findings about viral transmission, the CDC recommends wider use of non-medical face masks and other face coverings. That's why we partnered with the City of Los Angeles and Mayor Eric Garcetti on LA Protects, an initiative to organize local manufacturers to make five million non-medical masks for brave people doing essential work, ensuring medical grade masks can be available to healthcare workers. If you want to make your own non-medical mask, please find the specs and materials we are using here. Let's make masks.

SDGs we're tackling over the next 5 years

Good news: 83% of our fabrics meet A/B ratings [2]

We're passionate about working with our partner printers, dye houses and tanneries to ensure responsible use of chemicals, water and energy so that products are safe for you and the environment. Our goal is to have 75% of our fabrics be certified clean by third party certifications like Oeko Tex Standard 100 and Bluesign.[4]

67% of our dyers, printers and tanneries have a clean chemical certification for our materials.

Our goal for 2020 is to have 100% of our team meet or exceed living wage.[5] We normally process our annual increases in April each year, which happened to be during our closure period due to COVID-19. We decided to push out merit increases for the entire company, so we aren't at 100% living wage as we expected. While providing a living wage is still a core value, given the state of retail and our business, we quickly realized our number one priority was protecting as many jobs for as long as possible. Processing an increase would actually hurt our ability to do that. That said, we want to share exactly where we are now compared to where we want to be.

74% of all Refs meet living wage based on their location

We have stores around the world, but this is what it looks like in our Factory location in Vernon, CA:

$14.25 is Ref's current lowest hourly wage
$14.83 is LA County's hourly living wage as of January 2020[6]

Our living wage calculation only looks at the hourly rate, but total compensation is often more. For example, the Q1 effective hourly rate for our Factory and warehouse teams (i.e. average total compensation/hours worked which includes bonuses and overtime) was $15.21. We provide health benefits to all full-time employees including our manufacturing team, and extra perks like massages and ESL classes.

1 We publish our methodology on our website so you can really dig in and understand what we include in the calculations.

2 Fiber performance is based on the majority fiber content in the fiber composition. Calculated for fabrics used in Q1 2020. Percentages rounded to the nearest whole number.

3 Traceability and fiber performance are calculated by fabric count for the following categories: apparel, lingerie, shoe uppers, shoe linings, and bags. This does not include other shoe components or trims yet and excludes all deadstock materials.

4 Clean chemistry statistics are calculated by unique printer, dyer and tannery count. Certifications included in this total are Oeko-Tex Standard 100, Bluesign, Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), Global Recycled Standard (GRS). Calculated for facilities that were used in Q1 2020.

5 The United States living wage is defined by referencing "1 adult + 0 children". The London living wage is defined by Living Wage Foundation for the UK, and Toronto living wage is defined by Ontario Living Wage Network
6 This is based on LA County, California living wage referencing "1 adult + 0 children".

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Sustainability Report Q1 2020 | Reformation

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COVID-19 is spreading rampantly around the world and we want to do what we can to help. There's a shortage of medical supplies and specifically masks. With new information about COVID-19 carriers being asymptomatic and other findings about viral transmission, the CDC recommends wider use of non-medical face masks and other face coverings.

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Digital Magazine: February 2021 - Drapers

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With a third physical buying season all but cancelled, our bumper February issue contains a 40-page buying guide for autumn/winter 21. As we look forward

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What is velvet fabric?

Velvet is a sleek, soft fabric that is commonly used in intimate garments, upholstery and other textile applications. Due to how expensive it was to produce velvet textiles in the past, this fabric is often associated with the aristocracy. Even though most types of modern velvet are adulterated with cheap synthetic materials, this unique fabric remains one of the sleekest, softest man-made materials ever engineered.

History of velvet

The first recorded mention of velvet fabric is from the 14th century, and scholars of the past mostly believed that this textile was originally produced in East Asia before making its way down the Silk Road into Europe. Traditional forms of velvet were made with pure silk, which made them incredibly popular. Asian silk was already very soft, but the unique production processes used to make velvet result in a material that's even more sumptuous and luxurious than other silk products.

Until velvet gained popularity in Europe during the Renaissance, this fabric was commonly used in the Middle East. The records of many civilizations located within the borders of in modern Iraq and Iran, for instance, indicate that velvet was a favorite fabric among the royalty the region.

Velvet today

When machine looms were invented, velvet production became much less expensive, and the development of synthetic fabrics that somewhat approximate the properties of silk finally brought the wonders of velvet to even the lowest rungs of society. While today's velvet may not be as pure or exotic as the velvet of the past, it remains prized as a material for curtains, blankets, stuffed animals, and all manner of other products that are supposed to be as soft and cuddly as possible.

Buy high-quality, low-priced velvet fabric here. If you are UK based, you can buy it here.

How is velvet fabric made?

While various materials can be used to make velvet, the process used to produce this fabric is the same regardless of which base textile is used. Velvet can only be woven on a unique type of loom that spins two layers of fabric simultaneously. These fabric layers are then separated, and they are wound up on rolls.

Velvet is made with vertical yarn, and velveteen is made with horizontal yarn, but otherwise, these two textiles are made with largely the same processes. Velveteen, however, is often mixed with normal cotton yarn, which reduces its quality and changes its texture.

Silk, one of the most popular velvet materials, is made by unraveling the cocoons of silkworms and spinning these threads into yarn. Synthetic textiles such as rayon are made by rendering petrochemicals into filaments. Once one of these yarn types is woven into velvet cloth, it can be dyed or treated depending on the intended application.

Shop a wide variety of velvet fabrics here for US and rest of world here and here if you are UK based.

How is velvet fabric used?

The main desirable attribute of velvet is its softness, so this textile is primarily used in applications in which fabric is placed close to the skin. At the same time, velvet also has a distinctive visual allure, so it's commonly used in home decor in applications such as curtains and throw pillows. Unlike some other interior decor items, velvet feels as good as it looks, which makes this fabric a multi-sensory home design experience.

Due to its softness, velvet is sometimes used in bedding. In particular, this fabric is commonly used in the insulative blankets that are placed between sheets and duvets. Velvet is much more prevalent in womenswear than it is in clothing for men, and it is often used to accentuate womanly curves and create stunning eveningwear. Some stiff forms of velvet are used to make hats, and this material is popular in glove linings.

Where is velvet fabric produced?

Like most types of textiles, the largest share of the world's velvet is produced in China. Since this fabric can be produced with two different types of textiles, however, it's important to touch on each variety in turn:

Largest producer of silk

China is the world's largest producer of silk, but it is followed closely by India. As a general rule, Indian silk is more likely to be certified, and it is usually higher quality.

Largest producer of rayon

China leads the world as the most prolific producer of synthetic textiles. These and other reckless industrial practices have rapidly made this communist nation the world's largest polluter as well, and China is lagging far behind the rest of the world's gradual switch to sustainable fabrics and non-polluting production processes.

While cotton is sometimes used to make velvet as well, this practice is so uncommon that it only deserves a passing mention.

How much does velvet fabric cost?

Velvet made with synthetic materials is generally quite inexpensive. Full-silk velvet, however, may cost hundreds of dollars per yard since making this fabric is so labor-intensive. Velvet fabric that is woven with care using sustainable materials will always cost more than fabric that was made cheaply using synthetic textiles.

What different types of velvet fabric are there?

Over the centuries, dozens of different types of velvet fabric have been developed. Here are a handful of examples:

1. Chiffon velvet

Also known as transparent velvet, this ultra-sheer form of velvet is often used in formal garments and eveningwear.

2. Crushed velvet

Perhaps one of the most distinctive forms of velvet, crushed velvet offers a varied texture that is achieved by either pressing or twisting the fabric when wet. Rather than having a uniform surface, crushed velvet rises and falls in a way that is both randomly organic and visually fascinating.

3. Embossed velvet

This type of velvet has words, symbols, or other shapes embossed into it. The embossed section is slightly shorter than the surrounding velvet, and in most cases, this embossing effect can also be felt to the touch.

4. Hammered velvet

Considered to be one of the most lustrous forms of velvet, this type of fabric has been firmly pressed or smashed rather than crushed. The resulting fabric is dappled and highly reminiscent of the coat of a soft, warm animal.

5. Lyons velvet

This type of velvet is much denser than other varieties of the fabric, which results in a stiff textile that is ideal for various outerwear applications. From coats to hats, Lyons velvet is considered to be one of the most luxurious outerwear materials in existence.

6. Panne velvet

While the term "Panne" can mean multiple things in relation to velvet, this term originally designated a type of crushed velvet that was subjected to a specific single-direction thrusting moment. These days, Panne is more widely used to refer to velvet with a bunched appearance.

7. Utrecht velvet

This type of crimped velvet has largely gone out of style, but it is sometimes still used in dresses and eveningwear.

8. Voided velvet

This type of velvet features patterns made from sections with pile and sections without. Any number of shapes or designs can be made, which makes this type of velvet similar to embossed velvet.

9. Ring velvet

Originally, velvet could only be considered "ring velvet" if it could be drawn through a wedding ring. Essentially, ring velvet is incredibly fine and light like chiffon.

How does velvet fabric impact the environment?

Since "velvet" refers to a fabric weave instead of a material, it can't technically be said that velvet as a concept has any impact on the environment. The different materials used to make velvet, however, have varying degrees of environmental impact that should be carefully considered.

Environmental impact of silk

Silk is the closest thing we have to an ideal fabric from an environmental standpoint. This fabric is still, in most cases, produced the same way it has been produced for thousands of years, and since the production of silk is not aided by any pesticides, fertilizers, or other toxic substances, making this fabric does not have any significant negative environmental impact.

Environmental impact of rayon and other synthetic textiles

Rayon is the most commonly used substitute for silk in velvet and velvet-inspired fabrics, and the production of this synthetic substance is significantly harmful to the environment. The rayon production process involves multiple chemical washes, and the base material of this substance is petroleum.

Essentially, rayon is non-biodegradable fossil fuel product that introduces tons of harmful chemicals into the water supply as it is created. With these detractors in full view, the only reason that rayon is still produced is that it is inexpensive.

Velvet fabric certifications available

Depending on the material that was used to make a velvet fabric product, a variety of certifications may be awarded:

Silk certifications

Silk Mark is the world's leading authority on silk sustainability and quality, so always make sure that your silk is certified by this independent Indian organization. Silk production has been part of Indian life for millennia, and Silk Mark makes sure that companies afford proper cultural, environmental, and humanitarian considerations to the silk they produce.

Synthetic material certifications

The Global Recycled Standard (GRS) will certify synthetic textiles if they can be demonstrated as containing only recycled materials. However, rayon, which is the primary constituent of synthetic velvet, is very hard to recycle, so new materials are usually used to make this common velvet constituent.

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What is Velvet Fabric: Properties, How its Made and Where

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Velvet is a sleek, soft fabric that is commonly used in intimate garments, upholstery and other textile applications. Due to how expensive it was to produce velvet textiles in the past, this fabric is often associated with the aristocracy.

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I came across this good website all about Velvet. It gave me all the information about the different types of Velvet and what each of them are made from. This really helped me write about Velvet's properties in the fabric board.

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I found this really good and helpful website about all the important things I need to know about Merino Wool which a better and different type of Wool.

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Wool is good for your skin

Science has shown that wearing superfine Merino wool significantly improves the severity and symptoms chronic skin conditions, with medical experts also finding wool is not an allergen.

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Wool Fibre - Properties, Facts & Benefits | The Woolmark Company

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The wool fibre is an amazing natural material. Learn more facts about its properties, benefits and what makes merino wool so special.

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I found this website about the Silk fabric to help me complete my fabric board and write about the properties and composition.

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Silk is one of the popular fabrics for apparel because of its unique properties. Silk is most luxurious fabric, the most comfortable fabric, the most absorbent of fabrics (equal to wool), the best fabric for drape, the best fabric for color, capable of the greatest lustre, having the finest "hand" etc. These are some of the factors which make the fabric more popular. The fabric is cool in summer and warm in winter.
Characteristics of Silk Fabrics

Properties of silk fabrics are discussed below:

Elasticity: Silk fibre is an elastic fibre and may be stretched from 1/7 to 1/5 of its original length before breaking. It tends to return to its original size but gradually loses little of its elasticity. This would mean that the fabric would be less sagging and less binding resulting in the wearers comfort.

Effect of Light: Silk fabric weakens on exposure to sun light. Raw silks are more resistant to light than degummed silk.

Sharing Knowledge: Students, teachers and professionals can publish your article here. It is a platform to express your knowledge throughout the world. For details:

Founder and Editor:

Mazharul Islam Kiron is a textile consultant, entrepreneur, blogger and researcher on online business promotion. He is working as a consultant in several local and international companies. He is also a contributor of Wikipedia.

Let's Get Connected: | | Email: textilelearners@gmail.com

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Characteristics of Silk Fabrics | Properties of Silk Fabrics

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Silk is one of the popular fabrics for apparel because of its unique properties. Silk is most luxurious fabric, the most comfortable fabric, the most absorbent of fabrics (equal to wool), the best fabric for drape, the best fabric for color, capable of the greatest lustre, having the finest "hand" etc.

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From this website I found out that Bershka makes most of its sales from Spain

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Learn more about how Statista can support your business.

elEconomista. (April 9, 2020). Annual sales value of Bershka BSK España S.A. in Spain from 2013 to 2019 (in million euros) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved November 18, 2020, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/748965/bershka-sales-value-in-spain/

elEconomista. "Annual sales value of Bershka BSK España S.A. in Spain from 2013 to 2019 (in million euros)." Chart. April 9, 2020. Statista. Accessed November 18, 2020. https://www.statista.com/statistics/748965/bershka-sales-value-in-spain/

elEconomista. (2020). Annual sales value of Bershka BSK España S.A. in Spain from 2013 to 2019 (in million euros). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: November 18, 2020. https://www.statista.com/statistics/748965/bershka-sales-value-in-spain/

elEconomista. "Annual Sales Value of Bershka Bsk España S.A. in Spain from 2013 to 2019 (in Million Euros)." Statista, Statista Inc., 9 Apr 2020, https://www.statista.com/statistics/748965/bershka-sales-value-in-spain/

elEconomista, Annual sales value of Bershka BSK España S.A. in Spain from 2013 to 2019 (in million euros) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/748965/bershka-sales-value-in-spain/ (last visited November 18, 2020)

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Spain: Bershka sales turnover 2013-2019 | Statista

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Learn more about how Statista can support your business. elEconomista. (April 9, 2020). Annual sales value of Bershka BSK España S.A. in Spain from 2013 to 2019 (in million euros) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved November 18, 2020, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/748965/bershka-sales-value-in-spain/ elEconomista. "Annual sales value of Bershka BSK España S.A.

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To help me write about my introduction and SWOT analysis for Bershka I looked up who much revenue Bershka makes online and which countries. This helped me to established the strengths and weakness of Bershka receiving revenue on e-commerce and from other countries

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eCommerce revenue analytics

eCommerce net sales development of bershka.com

Comprehensive time series analysis with YoY growth

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eCommerce net sales

in million US$

First party net sales generated by bershka.com after deduction of returns, allowances for damaged or missing goods and any discounts allowed.

Global rank

by net sales

eCommerce net sales rank of bershka.com, compared to all other stores on ECDB.com.

These numbers show the first party eCommerce net sales after deduction of returns generated by

bershka.com only.

Distribution of eCommerce net sales from bershka.com

Detailed breakdown of first-party net sales by country and category

eCommerce net sales by country

eCommerce net sales by category

Additional information:

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Analyze shopper behavior. We provide average order value (AOV) estimates for each shop as well as the respective shopping category and country.

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The online revenue of bershka.com amounted to US$840.1m in 2023. Discover eCommerce insights, including sales development, shopping cart size, and many more.

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I wanted to see what Bershka is doing and what their plans are in the future in terms of sustainability. I found a website stating their goals for the future and how Bershka is JOINLIFE.

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Bershka United Kingdom online fashion for women and men - Buy the lastest trends

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ENTORNO DE PRUEBA / TEST ENVIRONMENT Remove product Are you sure you want to delete the product? Are you sure you want to decline this order? Remember that if you decline it, you won't be able to restore it. GET YOUR ORDER SOONER!

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To help me write my introduction on my Brand Report about Bershka I looked on their website about their history and motto.

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I looked on Edited to give me some information about Bershka and the type of products they sell. I found some interesting and useful information that I screens hotted which will help me with my trend report.

https://app.edited.com/#market/dashboard/420846/446952?analysis_view=colors&brands=bershka&in_stock=true&is_second_hand=false&list_style=image&market=UK&order_by=found_desc&vertical=apparel&view=analysis  - LINK TO WEBSITE

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https://app.edited.com/#retail?tags=color-pattern

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I used this website called tradefairsdates.com where it gave me all the different trade fairs in the UK and around the world. I found 2 trade fairs in the UK and wrote about it.

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Brexit- How will this affect the supply chain and the role of a Buyer?

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Brexit- How will this affect the supply chain and the role of a Buyer?

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On 31 January 2020, the UK stopped being a member of the European Union, heralding a transitional period that will last until 1 January 2021, while the UK and EU try to negotiate a new trade agreement. Free movement of people and goods between the EU and UK will end when the transition period is over.

Much is at stake during negotiations. The UK exported goods and services worth some £291bn to other EU countries in 2018, making up about 45% of all UK exports. The UK imported goods and services worth £357bn from the EU, accounting for 53% of all UK imports.

No one knows what will change or how, because new UK-EU trade terms haven't yet been agreed. But, post-transition, there are likely to be supply-chain implications, whether great or small, for many UK small businesses.

This BBC Newsnight feature explores how EU supply chains might be affected post-Brexit, focusing on the manufacturing sector.

You may believe your business is sheltered, because your suppliers are UK based. But what if their suppliers are in the EU? Any disruption or delay could have serious implications for your costs, cash flow, sales and profitability, with some warning that it could take years for some supply chains to stabilise.

However, there may be things your business can do now to mitigate supply-chain risk. It pays to plan. So, where do you start?

You should find ways to minimise serious risks revealed by your supply chain audit, which could include exploring new supply options.

You may decide to buy different products/services or the same ones from different suppliers. Although there are very many issues to consider when trying to find new suppliers, you might choose to buy from the UK or another non-EU country. That isn't always possible. Much depends on what you're buying and other key factors, including cost, quality, service, logistics, etc.

Buying from a new supplier involves risk. You need to be sure that they will provide you with the volume, value, quality and service your business needs. As a new customer, you may not get as favourable credit terms or service as you get from your current suppliers.

Thorough research is essential before using a new supplier. Before committing fully, test them out by placing smaller or lower-value orders. You may have agreements signed with your current suppliers, which you may not be able to break.

Carefully consider the cash-flow implications were it to become more expensive to buy goods and services from EU countries. Produce cash flow forecasts based on various increased-cost scenarios. A seemingly small cost increase can make a big difference to your cash flow and profitability.

The value of the pound could also prove a key factor. According to the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS): "When generating new contracts with suppliers, consider trading in alternative currency that may give a stronger position of trading for both parties, or consider terms that will allow for renegotiation if sterling continues to lose value.

"Forward planning is critical to weathering the Brexit transition period, by anticipating the possible impact areas that Brexit may have on import restrictions, possible bottlenecks in process and the managing of goods being imported into the UK that support your production process.

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How will Brexit affect my supply chain? | Informi

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On 31 January 2020, the UK stopped being a member of the European Union, heralding a transitional period that will last until 1 January 2021, while the UK and EU try to negotiate a new trade agreement. Free movement of people and goods between the EU and UK will end when the transition period is over.

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I just had a look at all the different types of puffer jackets from different brands.

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We looked at different brands and companies whose marketing campaigns went really bad. The one I thought of automatically was Dove as I remember seeing it on tv and I found it racist.

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Dove apologized and pulled down an online soap ad in which a black woman pulled up her shirt to reveal a white redheaded woman underneath.

The ad, which has since been removed from Facebook, drew fire from beauty blogger and makeup artist Naythemua.

"An image we recently posted on Facebook missed the mark in representing women of color thoughtfully," Dove tweeted on Saturday. "We deeply regret the offense it caused.

An image we recently posted on Facebook missed the mark in representing women of color thoughtfully. We deeply regret the offense it caused.

- Dove (@Dove) October 7, 2017

Also Read: Is 'Hellboy' Whitewashing Proof of Hollywood 'Genocide Through Script Revisions'?

But the Twitterverse was not impressed, decrying the ad and the brand's history of questionable marketing for its products.

"My being black is symbolic of dirt? This is pure racism," one tweeted.

"I don't understand how global brands like & can be making epic mistakes like this," added another.

Is @Dove soap's marketing strategy
Before - black & dirty
After - Caucasian & clean
Also *who* is approving these ads? pic.twitter.com/l5tq5ZcAJs

- Megha Mohan (@meghamohan) October 8, 2017

Dove you're a disgrace & banned from my house. In fact you have no right to call yourselves "Dove." "Snake" is more appropriate

- Yems (@UKLionHeart247) October 8, 2017

Such disrespect by Dove! My being black is symbolic of dirt? This is pure racism! pic.twitter.com/Xmnp30lAPp

- May Lerone (@MayLerone) October 8, 2017

17 Notorious Cases of Hollywood Whitewashing (Photos)

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Dove Apologizes for 'Racist' Soap Ad That Turned Black Woman White

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Dove apologized and pulled down an online soap ad in which a black woman pulled up her shirt to reveal a white redheaded woman underneath. The ad, which has since been removed from Facebook, drew fire from beauty blogger and makeup artist Naythemua.

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Ted Baker creates a deal with Next to release lingerie and nightwear next year May 2021. I feel like this is a good idea as I feel like Next was failing a bit and they already have some Ted Baker clothing already, so introducing lingerie will encourage more people to shop in Next and get their money's worth.

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The very sustainable brand Pangaia also has sustainable packaging as well as sustainable garments. Each garment that is purchased will come in sustainable packaging. They use bio-based plastic for their packaging which disappears within 24 weeks in a compost bin. I think that this is a really good idea and really creative.

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Every PANGAIA product is encased by TIPA packaging, a part bio-based, plastic alternative which fully disappears within 24 weeks in a compost facility. Looking for answers? Please visit our Compostable Packaging FAQs page here

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When trying to research sustainable puffer coats, I came across Pangaia, who creates sustainable garments in a eco-friendly way. I found that Pangaia has a collection of sustainable coats which uses lots of sustainable materials and eco-friendly and animal-friendly methods to produces the coats, such as not using cotton, not using water to harvest or dry the flower they use for the jackets. I will use this to talk about sustainability in my essay and how it can change puffer coats in the future.

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FLWRDWN™ is a fully biodegradable material, created with natural​ wild flowers, a biopolymer and infused with aerogel for performance and durability. Our ​proprietary ​technology​ ​has taken our scientists​ ​10 years​ ​of in-​lab​ research and development. It is the ​warm​, ​breathable​, ​hypoallergenic​ and ​cruelty-free​ alternative to goose and duck down - kind to your skin, as well as your planet.

FLWRDWN™ is a registered PANGAIA patent.

Looking for answers?

Visit our Flower Down FAQs page here

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FLWRDWN™ is a fully biodegradable material, created with natural​ wild flowers, a biopolymer and infused with aerogel for performance and durability. Our ​proprietary ​technology​ ​has taken our scientists​ ​10 years​ ​of in-​lab​ research and development. It is the ​warm​, ​breathable​, ​hypoallergenic​ and ​cruelty-f

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When researching sustainable coats, I came across a brand, Pangaia who actually have a collection of sustainable coats out called FLWRDWN Puffer Coats. On their website they showed what their coats looks like along with huge amounts if information behind the making of the coat, the sustainable materials and methods. But all their other garments are too sustainable which I immediately liked. So this brand is a really good example of a sustainable brand and they are the key to the future. With all the information they had I found it essay to include in my essay and write about.

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Sustainable clothing brand Pangaia has launched its very first puffer jacket series that includes the use of dried flowers instead of traditional or synthetic downs. The Flwrdwn material has taken Pangaia scientists over 10 years to develop and the end result is a vegan, fully biodegradable filling made from natural wildflowers and an aerogel biopolymer. The material also promises to be warm, breathable and hypoallergenic, offering an animal-friendly alternative to traditional duck or goose down, and a plastic-free solution to the use of synthetic and polyester microfibers.

"We have created a breakthrough vegan technology, where science meets nature to change the way the world views its fashion choices," says Pangaia. "Our proprietary technology has taken our scientists 10 years of extensive in-lab research and development to bring you an alternative."

To manufacture the material the company has sourced wildflowers from sustainable suppliers who contribute to habitat restoration and butterfly conservation. According to Pangaia this type of agriculture does not require irrigation and generates less greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional farming methods.

"This kind of regenerative agriculture results in a reduction of greenhouse gas production (12 tons of CO2 per hectare of plant material)," the company claims. "The method also helps to preserve groundwater, as it doesn't require irrigation."

While the Flwrdwn jackets aren't one-hundred-percent plastic-free, due to their lining and shell being made from recycled nylon and recycled polyester, it is a solid step in the right direction. Pangaia is committed to the goal of achieving a one-hundred-percent waste-free clothing line and has already partnered with scientists to develop and use bio-based fibers like seaweed yarn, and materials made from recycled plastic or garment waste.

"Here, scientists and technologists connect with designers and the next generation of creative minds, to create functional, sustainable products. And we believe they should be beautiful," says Pangaia. "No matter if they are made from next generation bio materials or recycled fibers. We design products for living in, for any situation and for basic needs. Woven with smart technology, made with as many sustainable and recyclable elements as possible. It's not 100% natural. Yet. But we're working on it."

The Flwrdwn puffer jacket series offers three different styles, with prices starting from US$550. Below is a video from Pangaia introducing the Flwrdwn technology.

Source: Pangaia via Treehugger

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Pangaia launches sustainable puffer jackets filled with wildflowers

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Sustainable clothing brand Pangaia has launched its very first puffer jacket series that includes the use of dried flowers instead of traditional or synthetic downs. The Flwrdwn material has taken Pangaia scientists over 10 years to develop and the end result is a vegan, fully biodegradable filling...

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I was looking at some puffer jackets from other brands to see the difference of similarities between them.

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This website gave me more details of the puffer jacket from the 80's to present day, with the different types of people who wore the jacket and the status it created on icons. From here designers started to get more creative with their designs of the puffer coat by being bigger and bold by making more of a statement than the essential garment for winter. This definitely helped me to add more to my timeline. it was also interesting as I found some information that I didn't know before.

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Few items in fashion can hang in as many varied circles as the iconic puffer jacket. Second maybe only to blue jeans is the puffer a supreme example of both accessibility (you can find an affordable version) and exclusivity (you can find a version that looks almost exactly the same, yet costs a whole paycheck). It is a jacket at once pedestrian and luxurious, functional and wildly extravagant. In the great outdoors, inner city, rap videos and high couture, the quilted down jacket reigns as the ultimate outerwear.

The modern puffer was born when Eddie Bauer almost froze to death. It was after the experience, a fishing trip on which the legendary sportsman's wool jacket saturated with water and hardened to ice, that he set about creating a lightweight but survival grade jacket. His chief innovation was quilting the fabric so the down filling didn't fall to the bottom. Bauer patented his design in 1939.

At the very same time the Seattle outfitter was experimenting with quilted down, the father of American couture Charles James was designing fashion's first puffy jacket. On the complete opposite end of the design spectrum, James' version was made of white satin, its volume evoking a woman's curves. The poles between which the puffer would skate for the entirety of its existence, fashion and the outdoors, were established in year one.

Though James' garment became a cult object among fashion aficionados, the down jacket remained mostly in the realm of alpine sports for decades. Moncler sprung from the French alps in 1952, outfitting mid-century skiers and mountaineers in France and Italy. But in the late 1970s Norma Kamali created what would be a harbinger of many future outdoor-fashion crossovers, the sleeping bag coat. The two disparate roots of the down jacket were now at play in the same space. In the 1980s the Moncler jacket, associated with skiing and thereby wealth, was co-opted by fashionable young Milanese.

The urbanization of the jacket continued into the 1990s where the puffer cemented its icon status on the backs of rappers and their disciples in cold weather cities like New York and Chicago. Late '90s hip-hop pushed the jackets to their shiniest, most voluminous extremes. By the turn of the millennium high fashion, as is now customary, had taken notice of what was happening in hip-hop. Creamy off white puffers came down the runway for Helmut Lang, floor length and dramatic versions at Maison Martin, trimmed in orange by both John Galliano and Junya Watanabe. Sincerely, it's hard to find a notable designer who hasn't dabbled in quilted down.

In the late 2000s excess and the outdoors met again when Nigel Cabourn created the Everest parka, a $2,700 recreation of the jacket Sir Edmund Hillary wore while making the first recorded ascent of the world's highest mountain. If anything could be classified a grail in the heritage era of niche menswear, the Everest parka was it. Later, when Cabourn collaborated with Eddie Bauer, the designer recreated that very first quilted jacket, The Skyliner.

If it feels like these coats have been omnipresent for 20 years, you are not mistaken. The '90s nostalgia of the past five years has only strengthened the puffer's stranglehold on the imaginations of designers and consumers alike. In 2008 Kanye performed in a shiny red Moncler, with Drake notoriously thrusting the red Moncler puffer into the spotlight in his "Hotline Bling" video. Rihanna should be getting kickbacks from the down industry, and Balenciaga singlehandedly brought puffers back to the pages of every fashion magazine.

Given that the coats never really left, the past year is less a comeback than a graduation. Demna didn't scare other designers away from going big when it comes to outerwear. Quite the contrary. The very same season (Fall/Winter 2016 menswear) Raf Simons showed oversized puffers in purple in black. In 2017 Philipp Plein trotted out glossy puffers with fur-lined hoods. Rick Owens' contorted down sculptures and Greg Lauren's mishmash collaboration with Moncler proved there is still ground yet to explore.

In more attainable realms, people lined up last week to spend $100 on bright red and blue plaid versions from JW Anderson's first collaboration with Uniqlo. Even if you skim over go-to brands like Patagonia and The North Face, high end Japanese outdoor brands like Snow Peak and Goldwin are making top-tier down without skimping on design. And of course, streetwear heavyweights like Supreme and Palace, with all their '90s sportswear influence, will have puffers in their winter collections for years to come. At every tier, in every realm, the puffer has become a cold weather essential.

In 2018 the choice is yours. A puffer can announce that you could spend a week in the wilderness, that you can spend a grand on a coat, or both.

Follow Angelo on Instagram here.

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Few items in fashion can hang in as many varied circles as the iconic puffer jacket. Second maybe only to blue jeans is the puffer a supreme example of both accessibility (you can find an affordable version) and exclusivity (you can find a version that looks almost exactly the same, yet costs a whole paycheck).

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This website was quite fascinating as it gave me more in dept information about the story of the "sleeping bag coat" designed by Kamali and all of her designs today. There was also a video of Kamali's 10th anniversary of her sleeping bag coat in 1983 where 75 people were wearing her coat in all sorts of colours. I found out now that still her designs look the same in 2020 and not much has changed expect different lengths, patterns and shape.

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This story is part of a group of stories called

Come winter, it seems like you're never more than 10 feet away from a puffer coat. People run down subway stairs bundled into jackets that look like duvets with sleeves. Restaurants are packed with puffy jackets thrown over the backs of chairs, sleeves poking out into the aisles. They're found in Costco next to the paper towels and in Balenciaga next to the $900 fanny packs. Moms wear them, Rihanna has one the size of a Christian tent revival, and in South Korea, it's the mark of class divide.

Down coats never go out of style, but they had a real moment last winter and are poised to enjoy the same attention as this winter approaches. Orolay's $140 Amazon coat first took over the Upper East Side and then the world, earning its own fan-fueled Instagram handle. Moncler released puffer coat couture gowns during 2019 Milan Fashion Week, adding a ski-weekend touch to ballgowns. And as of August, Aritzia has been back to promoting its "Super Puff" coat, which inspired a slew of memes in 2018 poking fun at the bulgy puffer jacket.

The puffer reappears year after year because of the relatively slow cycle of outerwear fashion, and the rotation is sluggish because coats have a purpose that's outside of style. "Utilitarian clothing, there are certain things they can't sacrifice. Outerwear in particular needs to do its job," says Marjorie Jolles, co-editor of Fashion Talks: Undressing the Power of Style.

This makes people replace coats slower than they would shirts, for example, which have a more aesthetic investment. "The ratio of aesthetics to utility is really different when you're standing on a train platform in February. You don't care as much." Since puffer jackets are well insulated, trap body heat, and are champs at keeping you warm during the worst of winter, they come back year after year, including this season.

Outerwear also has a slow turnover rate because coats only get trotted out during certain months of the year, so it extends their life in a wardrobe. You don't get tired of it as quickly as the shirt you wear weekly. "Coats have a different signifying power. You're taking it off as soon as you're indoors, so not only does it have a short life in the calendar year, it has a short life in the day," Jolles says. Basically, you're not going to replace the coat that keeps you the warmest - which you only wear for a few hours a day anyway - just for aesthetic reasons.

"The ratio of aesthetics to utility is really different when you're standing on a train platform in February."

Puffers have been around since the 1930s, introduced to the market after Eddie Bauer nearly died of exposure when his wool sweater froze from rain on a fishing trip. Not anxious to knock on death's door a second time around, Bauer came up with a waist-length quilted puffer coat with a knitted collar. But it was designer Norma Kamali in the early '70s that came up with the ankle-length coat we know and love today. And much like Bauer, the idea came to Kamali during a moment of discomfort. (If we can call hypothermia discomfort.)

Kamali found herself on a post-divorce camping trip with a friend in the middle of August in Upstate New York. The weather was already turning nippy, so when Kamali got out of her tent in the middle of the night for a bathroom break, she wrapped her sleeping bag around her shoulders before sprinting for the trees. The pee run turned out to be a source of inspiration. "As I'm walking into the woods I'm thinking, 'Oh my God this is such a great coat.' So I went back home, I took my sleeping bag, and I cut a coat out of it and I didn't waste one part of the sleeping bag," Kamali told the Museum at FIT. That pattern was the one that she has used ever since for her Sleeping Bag Coat, which launched in 1973 and still sells today. She even included a sleeping bag cover that the coat could be neatly folded into.

The sleeping bag coat immediately took off. Elton John, Cher, and Elizabeth Montgomery all bought one. The doormen at Studio 54 used to wear them, and it was seen as just the thing to wear indoors when President Jimmy Carter's energy-saving plan lowered thermostats to 65 degrees in the winter of '73.

Today, if you want to follow in the footsteps of the Rocket Man or disco club bouncers, you can still buy one of the many versions of the coat on Kamali's site, NormaKamali.com, ranging from $500 to $1,450. The coat still has a demand, and has made a quiet appearance in popular culture throughout the years. André Leon Talley, Lady Gaga, and Solange have all worn the iconic red version.

The sleeping bag coat wasn't just quirky. It ushered in a culture-altering trend that would make puffer coats as much of a winter staple as Ugg boots.

The long parka echoed extreme environmental wear, and people liked to wear the sleeping bag coat to feel modern. "In Los Angeles, where mercury hit the high 70s last week, students were roaming college campuses in parkas, shorts and bare feet," the Los Angeles Times wrote in 1976. "In New York, where the wind chill factor was 50 below zero, people wore down-filled coats and jackets for everything from theater openings to job interviews."

People bought the coat both for its Arctic-like quality, and because it was so eccentric. You had to have a sense of humor to wear it because it was so unusual at the time. "It just looked so preposterous I had to have it," Janet Carlson, a director of an advertising firm, told the LA Times in 1976. " It makes me feel like a little girl tucked in a big man's pocket. And it's turned out to be a shelter from the cold, an umbrella for the rain, an evening or a daytime coat. But I don't take it seriously. I wear it as if it's something funny I just said."

Hilarious or not, the trend caught on, even if passerby were bewildered by the marshmallow-like jacket. Stephanie Baum of Greenwich Village was just leaving her apartment for her secretarial job when the man she lived with poked his head out of their bedroom window and called out, "Hey, you forgot to take off your sleeping bag." Baum just smirked over her padded shoulder.

"I wear it as if it's something funny I just said."

"And off she went, hands deep in the pockets of her purple quilted coat, to join the world of other working women in their quilted coats. It was 28 degrees outside, but inside her down-filled coat it felt 'like summer,'" the New York Times reported in 1979.

People had a whole host of theories why the long parka trend exploded. Some thought it was a sign of an imminent doom. "And now, people seem to be tossing out the frivolous in favor of anything practical - as if they're preparing for a cataclysm," the Los Angeles Times reported in 1976. Paco Rabanne, a Paris fashion designer, told the paper it was a sign that World War III was right around the corner. "Women already are starting to look like refugees, he says. They're dressing in practical layers, piling everything on under all-purpose jackets. To Rabanne, this means the next world war will start in 1983."

While the apocalypse obviously didn't happen, Rabanne might have been onto something. When the World Trade Towers collapsed in 2001, Kamali's sleeping bag coats spiked in popularity. "People wanted to feel comforted," Kamali told the Financial Times in 2019. "Even though it wasn't the season for us to be making them, we had to get the factory back to work. They just worked with whatever materials they had, so we had little notes in with the coats saying 'This is not necessarily an outerwear garment, it is intended to make you feel safe.'"

Los Angeles psychologist James Douglas Scott had another theory. "Some people are concerned about conserving natural resources and surviving in an energy crisis. So they turn down the heat, wear parkas indoors or out to help the ecology and prove they can endure," he toldthe Los Angeles Times in '76. "But primarily, I think parka partisans are probably the more sexually liberated part of the population. After all, down-filled jackets are soft, cuddly and comfortable. People who wear them are the ones who want to stay loose and have fun. Feeling good is nice, and parkas feel good."

Scott wasn't wrong. To mark the coat's 10-year anniversary, Kamali invited owners of sleeping bag coats via a Village Voice ad to create a meetup on Wall Street in New York. In 1983, a group of 75 padded folks in all sorts of coat colors assembled on the steps of the Stock Exchange to create one of Kamali's fashion videos.

"What is the most provocative thing that's happened to you in your sleeping bag coat," the group was asked. One woman said, "I can say one thing: thank god they're machine washable." Having affairs in puffer coats aside, fans of sleeping bag coats found many other uses for them.

"The coat works incredibly for keeping your take-home food warm for those cold days when you have blocks to walk and you want a nice warm dinner," one owner said. "You don't have to reheat it, you just put it in your sleeping bag coat and it's warm when you get there."

Others used theirs as picnic blankets, a bed for a cat birthing kittens, or as a cozy blanket. "It's good in the movie theater because you feel like your at home watching television with your comforter," one person said. "It feels like a portable futon."

One drawback was the mammoth size, though. "Another quite embarrassing situation with the sleeping bag coat: walking into a tiny little restaurant, with tiny little tables, with tiny little aisles and walking by and knocking over someone's drink onto someone's lap."

But one thing the mob agreed on was the sense of community wearing the unusual coat. When you saw someone with the same puffy sleeves and blobby silhouette, you instantly acknowledged each other. "You're like instant friends and you've got something in common. It's the biggest sorority, fraternity, all over organization going, the sleeping bag coat club."

"It feels like a portable futon."

As the years went by, the ankle-length down coat became less of a novelty and more of a staple. The more that folks saw puffers briskly walking down streets, the more normal they became. The sleeping bag coat began to multiply and be knocked off by other brands, mostly because Kamali didn't have the resources to stop the copycats. In 1999, Maison Margiela created the duvet coat, which looked like a comforter with sleeves. More recently, River Island released a pink " sleeping bag coat" in 2017 that hung around the shoulders like a pulled-on blanket, and Moncler released a sleeveless floor-length puffer in 2018 that made you look like a walking bedroll.

"There are times when you own your own business and other people are influenced by something you're doing, and they have more money and more advertising power to sell it, and you're still trying to figure out how to pay the rent," Kamali told the New York Times in 2018. But she wasn't one to brood. "You can have them. I'm on to the next thing."

With the slower cycle of coat trends and the convenience of being well insulated once temperatures drop, long puffer jackets have stuck around. So go ahead, swaddle yourself with a sleeping bag with sleeves. It'll never go out of style.
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This story is part of a group of stories called Come winter, it seems like you're never more than 10 feet away from a puffer coat. People run down subway stairs bundled into jackets that look like duvets with sleeves. Restaurants are packed with puffy jackets thrown over the backs of chairs, sleeves poking out into the aisles.

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I came across this website when trying to research the history of the puffer jacket. I found some interesting information about where the idea of the coat originated from and who thought of it. I also found some photos of the original puffer coat. It really helped me to see physically how the puffer coat has evolved since the, which I put into my timeline.

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Demna Gvasalia's Autumn/Winter 2016 collection for Balenciaga saw puffer jackets that crept past the bicep, exposing embellished shoulders. This coat might initially seem at odds with the tradition in which the house of Balenciaga is steeped, but its construction spoke to the same technical precision that fascinated Cristobàl himself - and has provoked a surge of interest for the down coat. However, it has a storied and thoroughly practical history: Eddie Bauer invented the first puffer jacket in 1936. Called the Skyliner, it encased down feathers within quilted fabric and was created out of personal necessity after Bauer nearly lost his life to hypothermia whilst on a fishing trip in mid-winter. Patented in 1940, his creation was entirely successful at keeping the wearer warm. Since its inception the practical garment has reappeared within fashion several times; here the features of this design are traced through the technical artistry of Charles James within his quilted satin evening jacket, and Norma Kamali's sleeping bag-inspired coat to the Moncler technical wear worn by Milanese youths in the 1980s.

Eiderdown Elegance
The model's arms, placed across her front, accentuate the rounded soft line of the jacket's shoulders; the circular front folds against her black dress and adds prominence to the satined white silk. Designed by Charles James in 1937, the construction of this evening jacket used the same principle as an eiderdown bed quilt. Considered to be one of his most important designs, it is a triumph in both cut and construction, a marker of his extraordinary technical ability as a pattern cutter. James described what he referred to as the 'pneumatic jacket' as a "technical challenge and fantasy", adding that, due to the difficulty of reconstruction he predicted it would have absolutely no importance within the fashion industry. Ironically, it gained cult status in the 70s and, in light of this, James wrote a full description of the development of his design: in it, he notes how he had worried that thickness in certain areas of the garment would impede movement, something he remedied by lessening the depth of the padding around the neckline and armholes.

Precise Practicality
The camera captures the quilted folds of Norma Kamali's design, which she titled the "sleeping bag coat". The openings of the coat engulf the model as though she is elegantly taking flight. Designed in the early 1970s after Kamali took a camping trip, the collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute holds an electric blue version which comes complete with a sleeping bag cover that the coat neatly packs into. Kamali explains that, "for a few years I continued to use actual sleeping bags", eventually creating "two coats, and stitching them together." The principal feature of this coat is to keep the wearer warm, with practicality at the forefront of the design. The two layers of the coat, with a synthetic alternative to down placed in between, creates a vacuum, where the outside cold air exchanges with the warmth of the body.

Milan and Moncler
The group of young men in this image wear a variety of technical outdoors jackets; in the centre, a Moncler down puffer jacket is worn short over trousers, all the buttons done up save a few at the top. The youths here were part of a Milanese subcultural movement referred to as the Paninari; dubbed as such by La Stampa, the oldest broadsheet in Italy, and earning the name as a result of their favourite haunt, the fast-food café Al Panino where they would meet (immortalised in the Pet Shop Boys' 1986 B-side Paninaro). The group appropriated technical and workwear clothing meant for activities such as mountaineering, donning labels like Moncler, Timberland, Fiorucci, Armani and Best Company. While embracing an Americana aesthetic, the bright colours of their clothing were distinctively Italian. This movement marked an important shift; suddenly, brands previously used to producing clothes specifically for harsh weather conditions entered the sphere of aesthetic function.

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Demna Gvasalia's Autumn/Winter 2016 collection for Balenciaga saw puffer jackets that crept past the bicep, exposing embellished shoulders. This coat might initially seem at odds with the tradition in which the house of Balenciaga is steeped, but its construction spoke to the same technical precision that fascinated Cristobàl himself - and has provoked a surge of interest for the down coat.

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The History of Puffer Jackets. I looked at Vogue's website about the history of puffer jackets to help me write my timeline. However I didn't really find much information on the history. I just found some nice pictures of icons in the puffer jacket.

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December is the prime time for a chunky down coat; be it for a capsule wardrobe when travelling to colder climes or to make your current locale more bearable. Thanks to the puffer's celebrity fan base (follow @itsmaysmemes for a quick-witted take on the trend) and power to fend off inhospitable weather, winter 2018 has seen the fashion set bundled up in an array of plush duvet coats.

Think of pillowy outerwear as a no-nonsense approach to luxury. During the winter months it assuages the very worst of any cold snap - drizzle, sleet, snow and icy winds included. This season, we saw neon padding at Prada and the full-cover duvet at Isabel Marant, while Balenciaga's Swing silhouette remains the ultimate investment piece, over two-and-a-half years on from its catwalk debut (during Demna Gvasalia's autumn/winter 2016 premiere at the house).

Read more: The Simple Style Trick Lily-Rose Depp Employs To Look More French
Gvasalia's mood of anarchic elegance was contagious - his trophy look? A scarlet down jacket, its collar wrapped like an opera shawl, worn with spiky stilettos and lashings of crystals. Fast-forward to today, and both high-street and high-end retailers offer primped versions of Himalayan-grade explorer coats to satisfy our newly practical tastes. Over the years, we've grown used to wearing them with anything from jeans and sneakers to a high-voltage evening dress and heels. Which is remarkable, because when you think about what the lifecycle of a trend is supposed to be these days, the words 'nano' and 'micro' typically spring to mind. The bigger picture, however, is that fashion's love affair with the duvet coat isn't anything new.

American adventurer Eddie Bauer created the world's first down jacket in 1936, for reasons of sheer necessity rather than style. "He nearly lost his life to hypothermia whilst on a mid-winter fishing trip," New York-based fashion curator, Shonagh Marshall, explains. "He designed a jacket that encased down feathers within quilted fabric and called it the Skyliner." A year later, in 1937, English-American fashion designer, Charles James, revealed his 'pneumatic jacket', which was "so difficult to construct, James predicted it would have absolutely no importance within the fashion industry," Marshall adds. He was, in fact, onto something. Since then, there have been countless fashionable renditions of the technically challenging piece, by designers who have looked on the down jacket as something uniquely luxurious and potentially innovative.
Read more: Chanel's Gold Legs: Should You? Could You? Would You?
In the '50s and '60s, the quilted silk bed jacket (for indoor use only) gained popularity. It was essentially a wearable eiderdown and not dissimilar to the padded shawl that Phoebe Philo sent down the Céline runway in autumn/winter 2015. When the '70s ushered in a newfound desire for hardworking womenswear, New York-based designer Norma Kamali launched her Sleeping Bag coat (the original 1973 style still sells today) and the modern reworking of the Skyliner was born.
Read more: The (Affordable) Ways To Invest In This Season's Best Fashion
The versatility of the puffer wasn't lost on its early adopters. In the hands of '90s ravers, jackets designed by alpine experts Moncler and French ready-to-wear label Naf Naf offered staying power, i.e. the warmth to dance outdoors all night and the comfort to crash out during journeys home at dawn. When autumn/winter 1999 came around, two designers who each exerted massive influence over parallel fashion scenes took the down jacket into the contemporary fashion era. They were, you guessed it, Maison Margiela with a starkly literal take on the sumptuous duvet coat and Alexander McQueen, who devised a couture-like topper with an otherworldly vibe. In terms of influencing proportion and scale, Margiela's puffer coat went down in fashion history, the original is deemed something of a holy grail in the eyes of vintage aficionados. What would Eddie Bauer have made of it? We'll never know. But the next time you zip into the cosiest of coverups, or double-tap a shot of Kylie Jenner in a surreally huge canary yellow puffer, spare a thought for Bauer, who inadvertently risked all in the name of fashion.

See the season's best winter coats here.

Read more: The New-Season High-Street Coats To Buy Before Everyone Else

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December is the prime time for a chunky down coat; be it for a capsule wardrobe when travelling to colder climes or to make your current locale more bearable. Thanks to the puffer's celebrity fan base (follow @itsmaysmemes for a quick-witted take on the trend) and power to fend off inhospitable weather, winter 2018 has seen the fashion set bundled up in an array of plush duvet coats.

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Physical? Digital? Virtual? The Masterminds of Fashion Show Production Weigh In on Runway’s Future

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Physical? Digital? Virtual? The Masterminds of Fashion Show Production Weigh In on Runway’s Future

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I had a look at an article talking about digital runaways and how the fashion industry is coping with it. Me personally prefer live action fashion runways as you get that special experience that you will remember for ever.

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The fashion industry is reckoning with itself at every level, from its exclusive practices to the systemic racism built into its model. Seismic changes need to happen behind the scenes to modernize the industry. The business's most visible touchpoint, the fashion show, is also about to undergo a radical reformation of its own. "There will undeniably be a before and an after," says Etienne Russo, the founder of Villa Eugenie, which produces shows for the likes of Chanel and Burberry. "The lockdown of the fashion world allowed many to take a step back and deeply reflect on how to address the situation."

Faced with the necessity of translating fashion to a digital format, the British Fashion Council, Italy's Camera Nazionale Della Moda, and France's Fédération de la Haute Couture and de la Mode spent the early weeks of COVID-19 lockdowns mapping out how to marry the pomp and circumstance of a fashion show with the high-speed chill of the internet. The answer? Well, there isn't one, really. As London Fashion Week Digital, a men's and women's combined week of online content, rolls out from today through June 14, followers will be offered everything from lookbooks of new spring 2021 collections to playlists curated by designers.

Paris's digital couture and menswear presentations will take place the first two weeks of July, promising videos from member brands. Milan's menswear week will follow from July 13-17, and video content will be a key facet of what a digital fashion week will look like there, too. But brand-produced fashion videos have existed for some time: The platform Nowness launched as a hub for this type of mood content in 2010 and ShowStudio, founded in 2000, hosted the first livestream of a fashion show in 2009. Is there anything more, anything newer?

On May 22, designer Anifa Mvuemba debuted the first virtual fashion show for her brand Hanifa, featuring 3D renderings of pleated minis and sinuous bias-cut dresses. The show was unlike anything fashion had seen before: No audience, no visible models, just fashion fully rendered in a rich virtual space.

Gayle Dizon, whose company Dizon produces shows for Proenza Schouler and Mansur Gavriel, is certain that new technologies like CGI, 3D design, image capture, and body mapping have potential to revolutionize what a fashion show looks like. "We've been exploring a lot of these new technologies that are all kind of rooted in gaming," she says. "I'm excited about it because we can alleviate a lot of the issues that we face with live physical space," she continues, citing venues and build-outs alongside the bustle of fashion week that makes scheduling, timing, and seating a major concern. "We've been trying to break the standard pattern of straight runway up and down for a while ... Now, what I've been tasking my team with is: Let's start ideating on our dream scenario. Where would you do a show if you had no constraints of time, space, or location?" Russo, for his part, says, "what is exciting for us isn't specifically one alternative or another, but the exercise of mixing options in order to produce the right format for each project, for each client, according to their DNA and their needs ... there will be no ready-made but only tailor-made options."

Alexandre de Betak, the founder of Bureau Betak which creates fashion shows for Christian Dior and Saint Laurent, agrees that there is wild potential in the world of digital development. "As a creative exercise and experience, it's really fun to experiment as far as you can with digital," he begins. But he does issue a warning: "If you create a virtual experience that uses video game techniques, that's great, but the digital should not be a copy of the live."

The distinction de Betak makes is that while digital and physical must live in tandem, one cannot be a shorthand for the other-which is to say that "phygital" is probably not going to be the buzzword of the summer. Instead, de Betak suggests that physical fashion shows, which he anticipates could be produced with small in-person teams this year, can be amplified online through better live-streaming and social media capabilities. "I think the technology has increased in quality and in capacity so that you can have a better stream of a live experience," he says, alluding to a more multimedia experience in lieu of a traditional multi-camera streaming set-up. "We have worked a lot on this, and we can do different access and [create different] content of a live experience. But it's still a live creation that is being transmitted digitally."

"Normally you make a show for the real experience of people, plus virtual," echoes Thierry Dreyfus, whose company Eyesight with Comme des Garçons and Off-White on shows. "This tool of virtual is something that has been used by every brand and in every show the more and more we can." Dreyfus cites the Off-White fall 2019 menswear show where models walked on green-screen flooring in some spaces, allowing for digital imagery to be mapped out on livestreams and later content, and a forest set in others. "The people in the room see one thing and the people on the web, at the same moment, see something else," Dreyfus expounds. "So in this way virtual is a tool." He continues: "Today, people are saying only virtual" shows, "but fashion is about experience. ... We've seen life through screens: flat. No taste, no smell, no emotions. Screens, I insist [have] no emotion."

Some would beg to disagree. Much of the technology we have experienced so far has not been targeted to a fashion audience, but rather to gamers or the social media active. Think of the hard look of first-person and racing games or the overly cute AR filters on Snapchat or avatars on Animal Crossing. "The aesthetic has not been geared towards something with a refined hand. Gaming visuals and imagery have, very much, their own look that is missing a lot of the warmth that we try to capture with our events," says Dizon. But instead of a deterrent, she sees an opportunity. "How do we give this the warm emotion and poetry that all of the fashion designers we work with are seeking?"

"I think we're all up to the challenge," she continues. "It's been a bit of a learning curve in trying to explain it to clients because I don't have examples to show them of this that are done well, but we've identified some really strong vendors and talents that we can work with that come out of a very different industry. We are working together and seeing how we can get a little closer to real life and to the warmth and the emotion that we're always trying to capture in one of our events."

It might not happen for June or July shows, which seem to promise many small scale live events refracted into a digital space, or even September, but the idea of a poetic, virtual fashion space online does provide a thrilling challenge for the fashion industry. Science fiction and video games have long been a vehicle to build a utopia, hinging on the idea that beyond our physical realities we can build something better. Can virtual fashion do the same?

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Physical? Digital? Virtual? The Masterminds of Fashion Show Production Weigh In on Runway's Future

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The fashion industry is reckoning with itself at every level, from its exclusive practices to the systemic racism built into its model. Seismic changes need to happen behind the scenes to modernize the industry. The business's most visible touchpoint, the fashion show, is also about to undergo a radical reformation of its own.

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Could your garments be sold in the future using any tech innovations seen in store?

- (21/09/20) In Adidas there were tables presenting the shoes where there was also videos being shown on the table about the shoe so customers wouldn’t need to go far to get information about the product as it was right in their face. This is a good idea that I would actually use. There was also an interactive mini game for customers to get involved including football or basketball. This intrigues more customers to come into the store. I could use this but change it to meet my garment for example customers would try on one of my puffer jackets and blow cold air/wind/hail/snow on the customers to test out the puffer jackets.

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Zalando launches pre-owned fashion on their website. So customers can now buy and sell pre-owned items.

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In the Nike store, there was a display presenting their football shirts which were made out of plastic bottles. They had the plastic bottles underneath going around the t-shirt to show this. There was also an information board underneath that told customers more about the product which I thought was helpful. I liked this idea all together.

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I went into the Nike store and I found a really interesting display showing their latest sustainable shoe. I liked the use of the bright colours which made it very eye-catching. In addition there was an information display board at the bottom telling customers more about the shoe in detail.

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It was presented nicely and efficiently in a way where customers can see the coat as well as all the important details of the coat. This has inspired me to how to advertise my puffer coats in store.

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•Are any of the sustainability initiatives seen today appropriate for your product?

- Classic Clean is the name of their sustainable project in Adidas. Their approach is recycled plastic to create the Stan Smiths shoes. The way the garment is design. Throughout the design process including recycled nylon, organic cotton, recycled polyester etc.

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In the Nike store, there was a display showing the shoe and a mini clip behind it showing the process of the shoe which was intriguing. This made me think of how I could use this to say how my garment could be sold in the future by using this type of technology.

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Big advertisement screen. I like this because it is very eye-catching.

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I think this is a straight forward display but quite effective as it is big screen with the shoe getting projected on it, so while customer are shopping or walking around they will notice the screen and pay attention to it. So to help my garment in the future, I could use something like this, so while customers are trying to find the perfect coat they can look at the wall to see what ever is being showed.

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Smart Screen showing the latest Adidas sustainable shoe. Also shows the details of the shoe.

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Interact mini game for customers. I thought this was a really creative idea to engage customers. It made me think what could I do or create to engage my customers to buy the puffer jackets with the use of the technology. So I thought of of an interactive game for my customers.

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Videos are shown on the table to present the shoes and the sustainability behind it. This is a good way how my garment could be sold in the future.