BoF's Year in Fashion | Global Conflict and Cooperation

VOICES 2020: Finding Opportunity in a Global Crisis View on Web Add to contacts New reader? Subscribe YEAR IN FASHION THE UPFRONT The Business of Fashion will be taking a break between 24 December 2020 and 3 January 2021. In the meantime, explore our analysis from an unparalleled year for the global fashion industry. We wish you a happy holiday season and a great start to 2021 Dear BoF Community,  In a year that forced the United Nations to go virtual and Olympic organisers to postpone the games, Covid-19 brought international conflict and cooperation into sharp focus. Business leaders had to navigate an extraordinarily volatile landscape in 2020 and those in the global fashion industry were no exception. The hardest hit in the supply chain were often the lowest paid working in sourcing hotspots like Cambodia and Bangladesh but the global economic crisis and ongoing trade tensions loomed large everywhere. There were a few signs that diplomacy can still overcome de-globalisation as the world's largest free-trade bloc was formed in Asia, a new US president was elected and an historic breakthrough in the Middle East triggered trade between former foes. In the short term, brands realised they need to invest even more in China on the back of its rapid recovery and use pioneering digital platforms to make inroads in big markets with long-term potential like India, Mexico and Nigeria. Robb Young, Global Markets Editor BoF Professional VOICES 2020: Finding Opportunity in a Global Crisis BY Brian Baskin Session 1 of VOICES 2020 grappled with the immense challenges and opportunities in the wider world beyond the borders of the fashion industry, covering the pandemic, de-globalisation, the threat of big tech, the racial reckoning and what fundamentally makes us happy. Try BoF Professional for 30 days for $1/£1 JOIN China Decoded Which Brands Will Suffer Most in the 'New Cold War' Between China and the US? BY Casey Hall Fashion brands caught in the crossfire are doing what they can to avoid the worst possible outcomes from the escalating US-China conflict but it will be virtually impossible to emerge unscathed. Try BoF Professional for 30 days for $1/£1 JOIN Global Currents Africa's $20 Billion E-Commerce Opportunity BY Ashley Okwuosa The pandemic shone a spotlight on African e-commerce giants like Jumia, Konga and Takealot but now there is a race to become the fashion gateway for the continent. Which specialist etailer will win? Try BoF Professional for 30 days for $1/£1 JOIN Global Currents 'Secret' Indian Ateliers Keep Luxury Brands Buoyant BY Phyllida Jay Hermès, Gucci, Prada and Christian Dior have all tapped ateliers in India to do exquisite handwork for the catwalk, but other luxury brands shroud their Indian connections in secrecy. Why? Intelligence Caught in the Crosshairs of China's Livestreaming Crackdown BY Casey Hall Tight new restrictions could mean trouble — and relief — for brands who have made livestreaming a key part of their sales strategy. But the Chinese government isn't the only thing worrying brands about the booming channel. Intelligence How to Survive Chaos: Lessons from Venezuela BY Graciela Martin Venezuela's fashion industry has withered after 10 years of turmoil, but some businesses are thriving despite the national crisis. What advice can these veterans of instability offer the rest of us facing an unpredictable future in the year of the pandemic? Try BoF Professional for 30 days for $1/£1 JOIN Global Currents Lebanon's Fashion Industry Hit by Triple Crisis BY Louise Nichol An explosion that rocked Beirut this week damaged or destroyed the headquarters of internationally renowned couturiers like Elie Saab, Zuhair Murad and Rabih Kayrouz and came at a time when Lebanon was already facing economic collapse and the coronavirus. China Decoded China's Fashion Billionaires Tap the Year of the Pandemic BY Casey Hall This year's biggest winners may have been China's uber-wealthy business leaders, who amassed an astonishing amount of wealth despite the global pandemic. Many of them have fashion to thank for part of their fortunes. Try BoF Professional for 30 days for $1/£1 JOIN Intelligence The Banned App Driving Fashion Sales from Moscow to Tehran BY Sam Gaskin Telegram has become an increasingly valuable marketing channel for fashion brands operating in markets like Russia and Iran, where restrictions on freedom of expression make the encrypted app wildly popular. Try BoF Professional for 30 days for $1/£1 JOIN Intelligence Is This the End of Hong Kong as a Luxury Mecca? BY Zoe Suen As protests re-start in a city that was once one of the world's most important luxury and retail hubs, businesses have never faced more uncertainty. Try BoF Professional for 30 days for $1/£1 JOIN BoF CAREERS - FEATURED JOBS   Performance Marketing Executive La Perla   London, United Kingdom   Junior Art Director GANT   Stockholm, Sweden   Head of Production Strategy The RealReal   San Francisco, United States View All Jobs Subscribe Were you forwarded this email? To subscribe to this newsletter, click below. Subscribe for Free Follow Us The Business of Fashion Sponsorship & Advertising About This email was sent to edwardlorilla1986.paxforex@blogger.com Add to Address Book | Unsubscribe | Edit Newsletter Subscriptions The Business of Fashion Moray House - 6th Floor · 23-31 Great Titchfield St London W1W 7PA · United Kingdom