Unpacking Four Key Strategies That Promise to Keep Communication and Creativity Alive After a Challenging Year for Luxury By Mark Wittmer As we look back at 2024 – a year of seismic shifts in the luxury marketing landscape – it’s clear that the ability to meet shifting consumer needs with...
Insights
The Case for Elevating the Role of PR Teams By Carrie Crecca Maitoza In today’s hyper-competitive fashion industry, where visibility and shareability (Instagram recently made shares visible, yet another metric to chase!) are king, PR teams are under intense pressure to prove their worth. Brands are facing challenges with shifting...
Revisiting the Four Essential Strategies that Defined Digital Marketing and Communication in 2024 By Mark Wittmer As the digital advertising space transforms at breakneck speed, the luxury fashion industry stands poised to harness groundbreaking innovations that align creativity with technology. 2024 witnessed the confluence of authenticity, brevity, personalization, and artificial...
The Underwear Brand Welcomes the Season of Giving with an Innovative Approach to Surreal and Cinematic Softness By Mark Wittmer Stockholm-based underwear and essentials brand CDLP has launched its Holiday campaign, an AI-powered winter daydream that...
The Power of Narrative and Brands That Told Stories Worth Buying Into By Mackenzie Richard & Mark Wittmer Storytelling is the heartbeat of effective luxury fashion communication, enabling brands to transcend mere products and forge emotional...
Fashion Trust Arabia 2024 Takes Marrakech by Honouring Heritage, Preserving Culture, and Embracing Innovation By Angela Baidoo As conversations around where fashion goes from here continue there are industry insiders, as well as consumers who buy...
Hope Springs for 2025, as Optimism, Romance and Hacking Brand Codes Provides a Beacon of Light By Angela Baidoo As fashion month closed out with a regression back to every child’s happy place i.e. Disneyland, Coperni...
Romance Rules as Boho Chic Evolves and Sports Takes Centre Stage in a Season of Cohesive Contrast By Angela Baidoo As a lighter more romantic mood was promoted across the spring 2025 season, designers took on...
Paris Promises Some Major Changes This Season With All Eyes on Valentino By Mackenzie Richard As Paris Fashion Week approaches, the expectations for designers are higher than ever. In a landscape saturated with fashion weeks and...
Integrating Craft, Innovation, and Community In this creativity-driven episode of ‘The Impression Makers,’ Francesco Risso, the visionary creative director of Marni, joins The Impression’s Head of Editorial, Mackenzie Richard, for a thought-provoking conversation. With a bold,...
Milan Steps Into a Pivotal Season Where Not-So-New Tenures Will Be Tested, and Tried-and-True Heritage Will be Up Against Shifting Perceptions of What Luxury Means Today. By Angela Baidoo In my analysis of the Fall 2024...
No Compromise on Creativity as Four Decades In, London’s Punk Spirit Still Reigns Supreme By Angela Baidoo 2024 marks the 40th year of London Fashion week, and as the British Fashion Council continues its celebrations, amongst...
Balancing Heritage and Innovation: Insights from Creative Director Wes Gordon By Mackenzie Richard Known for his exquisite designs and unwavering commitment to elegance, Wes Gordon has been instrumental in both preserving and evolving Carolina Herrera’s identity...
As Brands Look to Take on the Luxury Slowdown, NYFW Is in a Unique Position to Build a New Creative Community By Mark Wittmer The winds of change are blowing through fashion again: not only is...
Camille Olivier and Thomas Silve Offer Four Strategies for Boosting Your Runway Show’s Social Media Impact Without Breaking the Bank By Mark Wittmer Putting on a runway show is expensive – but posting on social media...
Crafting Connection: How Bottega Veneta is Redefining Luxury Through Community and Culture By Mackenzie Richard Bottega Veneta’s recent endeavors provide a compelling study in how luxury brands can cultivate community and culture through thoughtfully curated experiences....
Key Takeaways from Copenhagen Fashion Week By Mackenzie Richard Copenhagen Fashion Week has long been a hub of innovation, pushing the boundaries of what Scandinavian fashion can be. This season, the Spring/Summer 2025 edition brought forward...
How MCM Combines Heritage, Sustainability and Digital Innovation with a Female-led C-Suite Defying Industry Norms By Angela Baidoo Standing apart within the luxury fashion industry, Munich-founded luxury fashion brand MCM (which stands for Modern Creation München...
Shaping Visual Communication Through Clarity and Craft In this episode of ‘The Impression Makers,’ creative director and influential graphic design mastermind Veronica Ditting catches up with our Senior Fashion Writer, Mark Wittmer, to discuss her exciting...
From Concept to Couture: Highlights from SCAD Fashion 2024 By Mackenzie Richard In May, the annual SCAD Fashion show celebrated the innovative and inspiring work of the next generation of fashion designers from the Savannah College...
How Adidas Sambas, Nike Air Force 1s, and Converse Chuck Taylors Became Timeless Staples By Anne McCarthy In 1986, hip hop group Run-D.M.C. had a veritable hit on their hands with the song “My Adidas,” where...
Integrating Innovation, Heritage, and Community In this creativity-driven episode of ‘The Impression Makers,’ Sarah Richardson, the innovative co-founder of Beyond Noise, joins The Impression’s Head of Ediorial, Mackenzie Richard, for an enlightening discussion. With a career...
Robert Lussier Reflects on the Life, Creative Legacy, and Impact of his Partner and Their Industry-Defining Collaboration By Mark Wittmer One of the fashion industry’s most influential creative agencies – particularly in the way we think...
Demystifying the Spring 2025 Menswear Season By Angela Baidoo While we may have been temporarily diverted by the fanfare of destination show season – with Jacquemus’ see-now, buy-now runway show on Monday and Max Mara in...
Hermès: A New York Love Affair in Parisian Threads By Mackenzie Richard Nadège Vanhée has always had a soft spot for New York. Even after leaving the city for Paris a decade ago to become Hermès’...
Dior Weaves a Rich Tapestry of Scottish History with the Modern Narrative of Feminine Defiance By Angela Baidoo After announcing the next location for the Dior Cruise collection was Scotland, teasers for what was to come...
Excellence in Apps: 7 Ways Luxury Shopping Apps are Adapting to Consumer Trends By Mackenzie Richard and Anne McCarthy What creates an excellent shopping app experience? This is an essential question for retailers to consider, especially...
Svitlana Bevza on Building her Brand through Inner Resilience and Outer Resistance By Angela Baidoo There is an ongoing battle being fought in the industry, as independent designers struggle to stay afloat against a rising tide...
Building Authenticity and Community: Insights from Glossier’s Chief Creative Officer Marie Suter By Mackenzie Richard I had the distinct pleasure of sitting down with Marie Suter, the creative force behind Glossier. Known for its digital prowess...
How Radicalism and Realism Can Set Luxury Fashion on a Path to DeGrowth By Angela Baidoo Since the word Degrowth was introduced into the fashion lexicon, very little has shifted with the traditional fashion model. Not...
How AI Redefines Trend Forecasting: Beyond Prediction to Strategic Innovation By Lizzy Bowring Trend Forecasting is no longer a creative approach to predicting the future; it has become a strategic and formulaic process. Imagine trend forecasting...
How Gucci has Made London into a Second Home which holds the Secret to Its Heritage As a sister city, none are more synonymous with the Gucci brand than London, so it was in the British...
Ahead of His MoMu Antwerp Exhibition, the Iconic Photographer Reflects on the Constant Artistic Practice of Nurturing a Youthful Perspective By Mark Wittmer and Mackenzie Richard One of the most distinctive and prolific photographers working within...
From Today’s Leaders to Tomorrow’s Innovators:the takeaways from SCAD’s exemplary Talk Series By Mackenzie Richard SCADstyle 2024 unfolded as a spectacular showcase of design innovation, where participants delved into the depths of artistic brilliance and flair....
Rethinking Investment Shopping and Luxury’s Response to the Vintage Phenomenon By Mark Wittmer The secondhand clothing industry is booming: according to the 2023 Resale Report from thredUP, secondhand saw strong growth in 2022 at 28%, while...
Key Lessons From Prada’s Multifaceted, Cross-Cultural Approach to Marketing Communication By Mark Wittmer Miuccia Prada inherited her grandfather’s small leather goods store in the 70s and, pivoting to introduce ready-to-wear, quickly set about building the business...
Houses Like Balenciaga, Hermès, and Jacquemus Are Setting the Standard for Smart Accessories Marketing – But Many Brands Are Missing the Opportunity By Mark Wittmer It’s well known that accessories, and primarily handbags, remain the driving...
The American Sneaker Brand’s Ephemeral Activation was a Lesson in Smart Experience-Based Marketing By Mark Wittmer Led by creative agency The Lede Company, P.F. Flyers’ recent activation at Revolve Festival – the online retailer’s annual music...
Revolutionizing Fashion with Insight and Impact In this enlightening episode of ‘The Impression Makers’, we sit down with Julie Gilhart, the visionary Chief Development Officer of Tomorrow and President of Tomorrow Projects. Julie sits with The...
Blending Artistry, Sustainability, and Strategy In this innovation oriented episode of ‘The Impression Makers,’ Alexandre De Betak, the visionary force behind Bureau Betak and The Independents, joins The Impression’s Editor-in-Chief, Kenneth Richard, for an in-depth conversation....
A Feast for the Senses: Fashion Houses Redefine Luxury Through Gastronomy By Ty Gaskins In the intricate tapestry of luxury brands, the convergence of heritage and gastronomy has become a powerful narrative for many, transcending traditional...
Navigating the New and Evolving Terrain of Gen Z Engagement By Mackenzie Richard In the labyrinth of contemporary consumer behavior, Gen Z emerges not merely as participants but as architects, redefining the essence of marketing with...
Keeping up With the Rapid Rise and Fall of TikTok Aesthetics Provides Both Logistical Difficulties and Huge Opportunities – Here’s How to Navigate Them By Mark Wittmer A month into 2024, the first significant TikTok “aesthetic”...
A Dialogue on Innovation, Beauty, and Motion Join us as we unravel the rich tapestry of Ezra Petronio and Lana Petrusevych’s creative journey as they speak with The Impression’s EIC, Kenneth Richard. Offering an inside look...
A Look at the AI Advancements Promising to Alter Fashion’s Biggest Revenue Channel By Mark Wittmer The age of AI is upon us, and nobody is safe: not even fashion. From sourcing and design to manufacturing...
A Season of Formality Vs Fantasy, as Real Clothes for Multi-faceted Women Came Out On Top By Angela Baidoo Taking it back to the original concept of ready-to-wear, where practical solutions were needed for women that...
New York Fashion Week: A Tapestry of Tribute and Transformation By Mackenzie Richard New York Fashion Week recently unfolded as a love letter to the city itself, a theme that resonated deeply within this season’s collections....
Loud and Proud, London Fashion Week at 40
How the British Fashion Council's Caroline Rush is Setting London Fashion Week Up for its Next Creative Chapter
How the British Fashion Council’s Caroline Rush is Setting London Fashion Week Up for its Next Creative Chapter By Angela Baidoo As a born and raised Londoner, London Fashion Week celebrating 40 years feels deeply personal....
Exploring How ‘Multiplicity Maketh The Man’ in This Season’s Collections By Angela Baidoo Kicking off the fashion show season every January, Men’s fashion week (lead by Milan and Paris, with London going co-ed and New York...
Prada is the World’s Hottest Brand as Luxury Remains Resilient Among Economic Slowdown By Mark Wittmer Miu Miu may have been dethroned as fashion’s hottest brand, but it’s still Miuccia’s world: Prada has moved into the...
From Agency to In-House: Challenging Fashion PR’s Hiring Norms By Carrie Crecca Maitoza Attempting to transition from a PR agency to an in-house PR position is an unending challenge faced by fashion PR professionals. While some...
Why Are Jewelry Companies Trying Their Hand at Fashion? By Anne McCarthy In Marisa Meltzer’s 2023 New York Times bestseller, Glossy: Ambition, Beauty, and the Inside Story of Emily Weiss’s Glossier, the journalist details how makeup...
Kim Kardashian’s Powerhouse Label is a Lesson in Balancing Brand Identity and Velocity Through Digital Channels By Mark Wittmer The rise of Skims has been astronomical. Just four years into its existence, the company was given...
Five Essential Strategies for Seasonal Merchandising By Lizzy Bowring In today’s challenging economic environment, marked by potential recession and rising living costs, retailers must navigate a complex landscape to earn consumer spending loyalty, especially in the...
Decoding Louis Vuitton’s Latest Marvel: Top Three Insights from the Men’s Spring/Summer 2024 Collection Launch By Mackenzie Richard In the illustrious calendar of luxury fashion, the Men’s Spring/Summer 2024 Collection from Louis Vuitton, orchestrated by the...
Artificial Intelligence, Authentic Style: AI’s Ascendancy in Fashion By Lizzy Bowring As the fashion industry stands at the cusp of a transformative era, the role of Generative AI in shaping its future becomes increasingly pivotal. Gone...
The Impression Makers | Episode 2 Unveiling the Era of Social Media Mastery with Thomas Silve of CTZAR BEHIND THE NAME Thomas Silve, the entrepreneurial visionary behind CTZAR, sits with Kenneth Richard to chat about adapting...
The Pivotal Headlines That Defined the Year By The Impression Team Every year brings big news for fashion, but 2023 in particular felt like a year of surprising changes and heightened awareness. From increased scrutiny on...
A Spotlight on 2023’s Fashion Front-Runners By The Impression Team With so many brilliant creative voices in the game today, it can be hard to point to just one that is leading the pack. Nonetheless, it’s...
The Impression Makers | Episode 1 The Art of Influence: Lucien Pagès on the Evolution of Fashion PR BEHIND THE NAME Lucien Pagès, the visionary leader of Lucien Pagès Communications, sits with Kenneth Richard to chat...
2023’s Runway Rundown: Unforgettable Fashion Moments of the Year By The Impression Team From highly anticipated debut collections to new surprises from old favorites, the runways of 2023 were aglow with moments of dazzling creativity. Much...
The Unforgettable Industry Trends of 2023 By The Impression Team It’s easy to spot runway trends (Quiet Luxury is out and Librarian-core is in), but our industry is shaped by tides and trajectories at a larger...
Celebrating 2023’s Winning Marketing Programs By The Impression Team 2023 was the year that digital and out-of-home marketing began to surpass traditional fashion marketing communications in terms of impact, execution, and reach. While economic uncertainty made...
Spotlight on Innovation: Unveiling the Future of Fashion By The Impression Team A new creative director appointment at a historic house presents an exciting inflection point at the crossroads of fashion past and fashion future. One...
Who’s Next: The Emerging Names From Paris Who Are Retail Ready By Angela Baidoo and Mario Abad In a classic case of so much to do, so little time. It is a little-known fact to those...
By Mark Wittmer The Curatorial Retail Pioneer Talks ’80s SoHo, Artist Collaborations, and What’s Missing From Fashion Now It’s hard to imagine a time when Soho was a sleepy section of the city populated by just...
Changing Tides in PR: Adapting to a Shifting Media Landscape By Carrie Crecca Maitoza Must have relationships! This is a prerequisite for any PR professional found in any PR job description no matter the title. As...
Miu Miu Remains the Hottest Brand in Fashion as TikTok Further Shakes up Purchasing Habits By Mark Wittmer With its platform that brings together hundreds of online retailers in one search while utilizing special data analytics...
How Brands Can Navigate the Legal Landscape to Protect their Intellectual Property from Counterfeits, Digital Dupes, and Unwanted Homage. By Angela Baidoo The recent raft of high-profile lawsuits by luxury’s major players has highlighted another key...
Why Ghesquière Is Still the Man for the Job at the Iconic Parisian House By Mark Wittmer LVMH has just shared the news that Nicolas Ghesquière’s contract with Louis Vuitton has been renewed for another five...
Crafting Elegance Over 70 Years: The Journey of Gucci’s Horsebit Loafer from Shoe to Icon By Mackenzie Richard In the ever-evolving world of fashion, where trends come and go with the changing seasons, the true test...
How Loewe is Redefining Fashion with Sculptor Lynda Benglis’s Artistic Flair: A Masterclass in Meaningful Artist Collaborations By Mark Wittmer Writing another chapter in his practice of truly impactful artist collaborations, Jonathan Anderson’s Spring 2024 show...
Karla Otto and Lefty Highlight Fashion Weeks Shifting Perspective By Angela Baidoo The relevance and impact of fashion month can be analysed in many ways, but when it comes down to ROI it is the numbers...
Phoebe Philo Launches Her Much-Anticipated Label: A Deep Dive into Design and Strategy Details By Mackenzie Richard In an era where many of the Spring 2024 collections faced widespread criticism for being overly minimal or commercially...
When Size Really Does Matter– Does the Rise of the Quiet luxury Trend Spell the End for Size Inclusivity? By Angela Baidoo Three short years after voices calling for more inclusivity in fashion were at their...
What Smart Heritage Houses are Doing While Between Creative Directors By Mark Wittmer The fashion industry moves at a breakneck pace, and these past few seasons in particular have been a keen example of the revolving...
Breakthrough Strategies Transforming Online Fashion Retail: A Case Study on REVOLVE By Anne McCarthy In 2003, two friends, Michael Mente and Mike Karanikolas, founded the e-commerce fashion company Revolve Group (NYSE:RVLV), despite not knowing anything about...
A Legacy of Fearlessness in Fashion: How the British Fashion Council’s NEWGEN Initiative is Empowering Young Designers Through Innovation and Global Amplification. By Angela Baidoo Fashion month is a moment in time, a small window into...
Trends, figures, and other key takeaways from Tranoï this season By Mario Abad International retail buyers and journalists returned to Paris’s Palais Brongniart this season for another edition of the trade show Tranoï, which displayed a...
Elevating Everyday: How Luxury Brands Transform Lifestyle into Opulence By Anne McCarthy We’re in an era when a luxurious lifestyle feels like it’s at the tip of one’s fingertips – and in a way, it is. Social...
Capturing the Pulse: Street Scenes & Fashion Tales of Paris in September 2023 By Adam Katz Sinding It’s over. I’m back home in Copenhagen and I can sleep in tomorrow. Paris Fashion Week is always the...
Capturing the Pulse: Street Scenes & Fashion Tales of Milan in September 2023 By Adam Katz Sinding Well this is a day late due to flight delays, baggage delays, and then Rugby traffic. I’m sitting in...
The trade show returns this season from September 28 to October 1. By Mario Abad As the official trade show partner of Paris Fashion Week, Tranoï has positioned itself as an important stop for international buyers...
The Editor and Curator Explores Different Perspectives on the Fashion Present’s Preoccupation with the Fashion Past By Mark Wittmer Archivio Magazine has released its latest issue, a thematic exploration of fashion and its intersection with archival...
Paris Fashion Week Retains Its Crown: As Debuts from Peter Do and Marni and Emerging Brand Duran Lantink Bring Renewed Energy to the City By Angela Baidoo September is gearing up to be a fashion month...
Milan Fashion Week Spring 2024: Merging Heritage with High-Voltage Creativity By Lizzy Bowring Milan, a city pulsating with life and where tradition and cutting-edge designs merge, finds itself again at the epicenter of fashion with the...
Burberry’s Majestic Symphony: From London’s Fashion Week to Global Elegance By Mackenzie Richard Amid the rhythmic pulse of London Fashion Week, Burberry emerges, not just as a mere note, but as an exhilarating crescendo in the...
Vogue World: London 2023 – Mastering the Art of Cultural Resonance and Unforgettable Glamour. By Mackenzie Richard What makes something contagious? Why do some experiences resonate so powerfully that they become the talk of the town,...
Capturing the Pulse: Street Scenes & Fashion Tales of 2023 By Adam Katz Sinding Dive into the bustling streets of New York City with renowned photographer Adam Katz Sinding. Hailing from America but nesting in Copenhagen,...
London Leads Where Others Follow: Young Names Set to Shine as the City Welcomes Two Major Fashion Exhibitions By Angela Baidoo London Fashion Week has found a strong footing as a truly edited showcase for British...
New York Fashion Week Awaits: From Peter Do’s Helmut Lang Debut to Ralph Lauren’s Return and Tomorrow’s Icons By Mark Wittmer Jam packed with debuts, big returns, and quite a few parties, this New York Fashion...
Why Fashion Brands Are Wiping Their Instagrams Clean: The Strategy and Risk of Going Tabula Rasa By Mark Hooper Last week, if you checked the Versace’s official Instagram account, you may have noticed something weird was...
How Fashions Front Row is Evolving, by Looking Beyond the West and Cultivating Community Across the Arts. By Angela Baidoo As the definition of the perfect front-row guest evolves, seasoned fashion editors and retail buyers have...
The RealReal Report 2023: Unveiling the Dynamics of Fashion Resale By Mackenzie Richard The RealReal, the ultimate destination for luxury consignment, has dropped its 2023 report, and the findings are nothing short of intriguing. From brand...
One Key Creative Can Make a World of Difference By Mark Wittmer Thriving in the fashion industry doesn’t just mean making great clothes. While excellent design is of course a key ingredient, success means being able...
In An Era Where Fandoms Dominate Global Conversations, Savvy Brands Are Recognizing And Capitalizing On The Undeniable Influence Of Geek Culture In The Mainstream Market By Mark Wittmer Fashion is often perceived as having a “you...
The Best Looks from Copenhagen’s Spring 2024 Collections By Mackenzie Richard & Drew Daffner Copenhagen Fashion Week for Spring 2024 has again lit up the Scandinavian fashion stage, echoing its legacy as a beacon of Nordic...
Revitalizing American Luxury: How Tapestry’s Acquisition of Capri Holdings Targets the Aspirational Consumer and Diversifies the Fashion Landscape By Kenneth Richard The announcement of Tapestry’s acquisition of Capri Holdings signifies a pivotal moment for the American...
“Pretty in Pink: The Resurgence of Pink and its Transcending Power By LIzzy Bowring When the world needs moments of optimism and comfort, a whiff of Pink washes over the world; the color once associated with...
Copenhagen Fashion Week’s Visionary Designers Embrace Art and Conscious Craftsmanship By Mackenzie Richard Copenhagen Fashion Week currently holds the fashion world in thrall, showcasing an exuberant and inventive display of designers. This season, the focus is...
Revitalize Your Brand: Unveiling Steps to Infuse Fresh Energy, Whether It’s Already Innovative or Awaits Rejuvenation By Anne McCarthy Legacy labels have a built-in loyal consumer who grew up seeing the label worn by celebrities and...
A Look at the Next Generation: Unveiling Scad’s Visionary Designers and Their Trailblazing Collections By Mackenzie Richard Index Featuring: Alberto Perkinson, Barrett Winters, Bryony Umfreville, Colleen Sheckells, Devin Morgan, Hayden (Hee Yeoi) Yang, Isabella Song, Maliki...
We Break Down All You Need To Know On How to Take Over a Beach Resort By Mackenzie Richards and Neal Bhattacharya How can houses exude fun, forge creative partnerships and reach a more global clientele...