The annual trip to Usedom. As always in the past the weather is not idea for jumping in the water but a more reflective time. A quiet beach is the perfect place for a recharge only two hours away from Berlin.
Category: Feature
Features and opinions on a range of topics from politics to technology. Sometimes the features are serious, sometimes they are fun. Check them out.
An insolvency sent shock waves through the German Retail and fashion world. The KaDeWe Group announced it was unable to meet its financial obligations. The Berlin based luxury department store chain operates the famous KaDeWe in Berlin, Alsterhaus in Hamburg and Oberpollinger in Munich continues to operate, for how long? Brick and mortar retailers have suffered over the years with the rise of online shopping, Covid lockdowns and inflation, the high-end houses were not immune from these pressures. The KaDeWe is now in a tailspin.
Founded in 1907, the Kaufhaus des Westens has been a beacon of consumption for generations. The food court floors are gathering spots to see and be seen.
Blame Who?
The reason for the bankruptcy has been blamed on high rent charged by parent company Signa Group. True or not, the signals coming from management has been confusing. Unpaid invoices dating back to September 2023, threatened legal action, accusations being hurled, unpacking the corporate drama will take time the stores may not have. Suppliers have pulled stock from the shelves, brands no longer sell on the sales floor. Questions about restocking for the new season are up in the air. The fifth floor homewares department may close because customers are not allowed to buy items.
Visiting the KaDeWe, I wanted to see the damage for myself. A “wake” is the best description for the scene. Empty shelves, roped off areas, sales staff wearing tight smiles unable to comment, not sure if they will have positions in the coming weeks.
Could this be the end of a seven floor fashion landmark? Will a bailout happen in time? As the shopping temple’s downward spiral goes into a second week, the KaDeWe’s creditability is on the online. Vendors could completely jump ship. Customers will start staying away from a decaying palace.
The J-Quality Factory Brand Project is a project bringing together eleven certified Japanese garment producers showcasing the menswear fashion prowess of the island nation. Not knowing what expect the first time I met the team last year at Pitti Uomo, the guided tour of selected pieces got my attention. In 2024, for the second appointment, there were more and better pieces. The cashmere sweaters (below) came from the wings from an angel, soft, light and vivid brushed to achieve a distinctive luxe feel. A piece from these collections would have a prominent place in my wardrobe.
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At Pitti Uomo, Suave
Pitti Uomo in Florence is the vent to look suave. Everyone dresses to impress for the pageant for the menswear gathering.
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Classic Retail Tale
Shopping in Nuremberg’s big department store Breuninger store gives off the feeling of retailer in the concept boutique arena. Unlike corporate shopping nameplates, the Stuggart based chain does not have a cluttered spaces with wall to wall merchandise or taxing small lanes. Instead, thankfully, there is a sense of spatial tranquillity. The ground floor cafe is worth a visit for the street side people watching.
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Merry Christmas 2023
Wishing all a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
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A Not So Perfect Scam
She was wearing designer clothes, jetting around the globe to one event after another, posting hundreds of images of the perfect family in endless settings. This was the life for the Princess of Instagram, Chiara Ferragani. Her 30 million followers saw every aspect of her social media existence. The former Italian blogger and model had a reality show based around her life with husband Fedez and two children.
Advertisers paid up to 100.000 euros for a posting on her account. Ferragani’s glamorous life hit a brick wall with an apology viewed around the world posted in an IG video. Prime Minister Meloni weighed in on the scandal saying, “The real models to follow are not the influencers who make a lot of money by wearing clothes and showing bags … or even promoting expensive cakes that make people believe they are charitable,.” OUCH!
The Cake
Chiara’s company and Italian cake maker Balacco were fined 1.1 million euros and 480.000 euros respectively for deceiving the public. Authorities in Rome uncovered the Children’s Charity donation was fraudulent. 50.000 euros went to the hospital, while the Chiara pocketed over 1 million euros. Claiming “a communication error”, the influencer sporting a cashmere top vowed to make it right while at the same time crying her unfair treatment.
Billy McFarland and Fyre Festival, Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos, Sam Bankman Fried and FTX, now Chaira Ferragani all have many behavioral patterns in common. This group lived larger than life lives in the spotlight, an incredible sense of entitlement with unmatched compartmentalization skills not wanting to understand the consequences of their actions. The Italian IT Girl’s new multi million euro Lake Como Home has been pinned to the top of her Instagram feed.
Fraud pays, was this 36 year old’s first questionable charity project? According to media outlets, there are swirling questions around similar charitable collaborations from 2021.
Having been featured in Forbes and Fortune magazines, the “Girlboss” term applied to Chiara, a business woman in charge. There is a class at Harvard teaching her style of branding. Perhaps these gatekeepers should have looked a bit deeper than beyond a filtered image. Eyewear brand Safilo cancelled her contract due to moral lapses. You think!
For influencers, the lure of the spotlight is too hard to resist. Who imagines Mrs. Ferragani going away quietly?
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The Shein Reality
Shein, the Chinese based fast fashion brand is about to have an IPO worth billions. What does this say about consumers? Is sustainable clothing all false virtue? Buyers love following the lifestyle of buying sustainable clothing, but in reality they follow their pockets. They want the cheapest pieces online. It is any wonder there is so much confusion in the fashion business.
In our Before Tacky podcast we spoke about buyers want and what they really buy.
The famous Nuremberg Christmas Market has opened. The Franconia capital is renowned for it’s festive atmosphere.
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Tis the Season
Christmas shopping season has arrived. It is time to hit the stores for gift buying and get a bit of cheer.
