MARIGAY’S HONOR: King Charles III has had his hands full this week bestowing honors on fashion and retail industry figures.
Shortly after handing Stella McCartney a CBE, or Commander of the Order of the British Empire, he received Marigay McKee at Windsor Castle, giving her an MBE, or Member of the Order of the British Empire.
McKee, who is British and lives in the U.S., was given the award for retail services overseas.
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For the past decade, she has served as a trade ambassador for Great, a British government-backed international marketing campaign that encourages people to visit, do business, invest and study in the U.K.
McKee said the award made her feel “very British and very patriotic as well as grateful for the support of so many friends and colleagues along the way. After a 30-year career in retail, you value the people, the players, and the talent around you so much. It’s always about the team.
“There’s still so much more to do and so much work to get done. I feel like I am still at the beginning, very passionate and nowhere near the end.”
For her meeting with the king on Tuesday, McKee wore a dress and coat specially made by Emilia Wickstead, Malone Souliers lace pumps and vintage Cartier pearls.
McKee is a partner at the venture firm Fernbrook Capital Management, and sits on the boards of Aston Martin, e-commerce tech company ESW and The Webster.
She started her career at Estée Lauder in Europe, and later joined Harrods as the head of its beauty department. She was promoted to chief merchant in 2010. In 2013, McKee was named president of Saks Fifth Avenue and relocated to New York.
In 2015, after leaving Saks, McKee formed the consultancy firm MM Luxe Consulting to deliver strategic retail advisory services to clients.
That same year she joined fellow industry figures Glenda Bailey, Tommy Hilfiger and Silas Chou in raising more than 100,000 pounds for Britain’s Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection, which is overseen by the independent charity Historic Royal Palaces.
The fundraiser took place at Kensington Palace with Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, and Britain’s former First Lady Samantha Cameron, in attendance. — SAMANTHA CONTI
TOMMY’S WINNERS: Tommy Hilfiger, which is owned by PVH Corp., has revealed the two winners of the fourth Tommy Hilfiger Fashion Frontier Challenge, which is designed to amplify historically marginalized entrepreneurs, including Black people, individuals living with a disability, and women. The winners are Koalaa and Moner Bondu.
Koalaa, a British initiative that engineers comfortable, affordable and soft upper-limb prosthetics, as well as provides a supportive community, was awarded 115,000 euros in total (the 100,000 euro prize money and an additional 15,000 euros as “Audience Favorite,” chosen by Tommy Hilfiger associates).
Moner Bondu, a Bangladesh-based start-up that provides accessible and affordable mental health and well-being services to all, especially garment factory workers, women and youth across Bangladesh, was awarded 100,000 euros.
“As a global brand, we have a responsibility to amplify the voices of innovators committed to driving positive change in our industry,” said Tommy Hilfiger. “More work needs to be done to achieve true inclusivity across the fashion landscape. The positivity and entrepreneurship that each finalist brought to the table makes me hopeful that we’re heading in the right direction.”
The final event took place Thursday at the Tommy Hilfiger global headquarters in Amsterdam, where the program’s five finalists pitched their business concepts to a jury panel consisting of business and sustainability leaders. In addition to the prize money, the winners will benefit from a year-long mentorship with experts from Tommy Hilfiger and graduate business school INSEAD, in addition to a space in the INSEAD Hans Wahl Impact Entrepreneurship Program, which is designed to cultivate innovative leaders by bringing together people, cultures and ideas.
The fourth edition of the program launched in March 2022 with more than 250 applications received from social entrepreneurs around the world. In the lead-up to the final event, the entrepreneurs completed design sprints with Hilfiger experts where they presented their most pressing business challenges and developed practical solutions. They then refined their pitches by presenting to a select group of venture capitalists. — LISA LOCKWOOD
FASHION LOUD: Forever 21 is getting into the hip-hop spirit.
The Los Angeles-based retailer has signed a deal with Live Nation to be the official partner of its Rolling Loud festivals, the largest hip-hop music festivals in the world.
As part of the deal, Forever 21 will create limited-edition co-branded womenswear and host in-store events for the festivals that will run throughout 2023 in cities including Los Angeles, Miami and New York City.
“As a brand, we embrace what festivals mean to our consumers — a moment to express themselves through music and fashion,” said Winnie Park, chief executive officer of Forever 21. “We have built a loyal following with our vast festival collections over the years and are excited to offer consumers a new experience through our partnership with Rolling Loud. Bringing attributes of the festival to life in our stores, online and at the festival events, allows brand fans to be a part of the excitement at every touch point as the partnership spans three incredible cities, kicking off in our birthplace, Los Angeles.”
Forever 21 and social media star Bunny Zingler will team up on Bunny’s Bae Bar, an on-site glam shop for Rolling Loud’s general admission and VIP guests. Visitors can pick up hair extensions and hair accessories and stop by for biodegradable glitter makeovers and beauty touch-ups. In addition, the Forever 21 x Rolling Loud fashion collection will also be available for purchase there, along with on-site stylists.
“Forever 21 has always been my go-to place for all things fashion, allowing me to experiment and play with different trends and looks, as my style has evolved throughout the years,” said Zingler, Bunny’s Bae Bar founder. “I’m so excited to partner with the ultimate fashion brand and be able to inspire others to be bold, have fun, and express themselves through not only their festival looks but everyday apparel as well.”
The first collection will pay homage to Los Angeles style from the early 2000s and will feature seven styles featuring grunge art graphics and bold colors palettes in sizes XS to XL. It will include Y2K-inspired cropped tops, cutout dresses, bomber jackets and sweatpants. Subsequent drops will be specific to each festival location.
The line launched Thursday in Forever 21 stores, online and on the mobile app. It will also be available for purchase at the Los Angeles Rolling Loud festival from March 3 to 5. — JEAN E. PALMIERI
SHOELOSOPHY: Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini and storied shoemaker Sebago tied up for a capsule collection, but no laces were involved in the footwear style they developed.
The Aeffe-owned brand has added its youthful touch to Sebago’s iconic penny loafers, introducing neon-colored stitching to its classic design. The two iterations available include a black leather style with flashy pink details, and a burgundy version with neon lime stitching. Both options come with the PLS logo engraved in gold on the heel of the shoe.
“Loafers have always been part of my wardrobe,” said the fashion label’s creative director Lorenzo Serafini, explaining that the collaboration “fully reflects my idea of style: essential, timeless but enriched by an unexpected touch of fun.”
Retailing at 300 euros, the loafers launch on Friday on Philosophy’s e-commerce as well as at the brand’s store in Rome and a selection of retailers worldwide.
This is not the first time the Italian brand has released a footwear capsule collection. As reported, it joined forces with Milan-based resort brand Manebí in 2021, following a similar collaboration developed with Superga for the spring 2018 season.
Sebago has also made co-branded capsule lines a key part of its strategy. Throughout the years the brand teamed with names ranging from C.P. Company, Alanui and Sease to Slowear and Milan retailer One Block Down, among others.
Also known for its signature boat shoes, Sebago was founded in 1946 in Maine and is part of the BasicNet stable, joining brands like K-Way, Kappa, Robe di Kappa, Jesus Jeans, Superga, Sabelt and Briko.
At the time of the acquisition in 2017, the Turin-based company paid 14.25 million euros for Sebago, which was formerly owned by American group Wolverine World Wide Inc.
Established in 1984, Philosophy is part of Aeffe’s portfolio along with the brands Alberta Ferretti, Moschino and Pollini. Serafini took over the creative helm in 2014, debuting his vision for the label during Milan Fashion Week in February 2015. — SANDRA SALIBIAN
DIGITAL DYI: Home sewing hasn’t kept up with the times — but that’s changing, including with an innovation revealed at New York Fashion Week.
Launched Wednesday, Ditto — a venture between Joann and Singer — represents the first major digital milestone in more than 160 years since clothing patterns came to be. At a press preview held in SoHo, WWD tested the innovation, which lets home sewers and do-it-yourself fashionistas digitally project and customize patterns for added ease and sustainability perks.
“Ditto compresses hours into minutes, eliminating the errors, frustration and time-consuming reality of traditional patterns,” commented Filippo Robotti, general manager of Ditto and vice president of strategy at SVP Worldwide. “Most importantly, Ditto is a tool to enable creativity. The same technology that accurately and easily projects patterns gives sewists the ability to customize measurements and modify the designs in just a few clicks — a concept that once seemed impossible.”
The workstation setup includes the Ditto Projector, a set-up beam, a 36-inch by 24-inch patternmaking mat, fabric weights, rotary cutting tool, pattern target stickers, power cord and cord covers. Using the Ditto app on IoS or Android, creators can customize patterns to their measurements for a custom fit and reuse them over and over. Additionally, new third-party patterns drop monthly from names such as McCall’s, Simplicity and Butterick, and indie patterns from the likes of Style Arc, Liesl + Co., Named and Madalynne Intimates.
After four years of research and development, including a monthlong trial with TikTok’s newest creator voices in DIY fashion, the innovation is ready for action. Preorders begin now and orders will be sent starting March 1. The product retails for $799 and will be in stores starting March 31. Upon purchase, users get a free three-month trial to the software, complete with a 3,000-piece pattern library. Afterwards, the subscription is $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year.
Despite some 35 million home sewists in the U.S., per the Home Sewing Association, many of this newer vanguard seem to have no prior education in sewing. Such is the case for influencer Karly, who under the TikTok handle “Handmadebykarly” showcases her creations to some 30,000 followers. She told WWD she found Ditto easy to use. — KALEY ROSHITSH