The Consumer Evolution seminar was given by Todd Mick, Executive Director of Apparel and Kristen Classi-Zummo, Apparel Market Analysis Director of The NPD Group; an authority on market size and trends in over 20 different industries. They shared information regarding consumer trends in the intimate apparel industry with The Underfashion Club at The Harvard Club of New York.
Todd Mick discussed the evolving consumer using 3 key themes:
The Underfashion Club met on March 12th at the Harvard Club of New York to learn about Consumer Evolution with The NPD Group; an authority on market size and trends in over 20 different industries. Presenters Todd Mick, Executive Director of Apparel and Kristen Classi-Zummo, Apparel Market Analysis Director shared their knowledge and data regarding consumer trends in the intimate apparel industry.
Kristen Classi-Zummo described today’s changing consumer using key themes:
Roslyn Harte passed away on Dec. 20 at the age of 94. Her life, passion and tireless dedication to furthering the education of countless students will always be cherished.
Roz joined the Underfashion Club Inc. in 1969 when it was a women’s-only organization with less than 30 members and became the heart and soul of the club throughout the years, receiving a lifetime achievement FEMMY award in 1997.
On February 4, 2019, The Underfashion Club held our annual FEMMY Awards Gala at Cipriani 42nd Street in NYC. We recognized intimate apparel industry leaders and supported future talent with the 16th Annual Student Design Contest. Body positive activist Supermodel Emme hosted the awards ceremonies, which honored:
Retailer Award
Kohl’s
Accepted by Suzanne Dawson, VP/DMM, Women’s Intimate and Active Apparel
Happy Holidays!
Industry friends and colleagues left a bit of the holiday stress behind for a few hours of fun at the Underfashion Club’s Holiday Party on December 4th at The Harvard Club of New York. The festive venue provided musical entertainment, photo booth fun and 3 hours of open bar and delicious food.
Industry Lead on Fashion and Luxury retail on Facebook and Instagram, Bora Chow shared her expert insight with the Underfashion Club at the Harvard Club of New York in her presentation “Consumer Behavior & Expectations in a Mobile First World”!
Bora has been at Facebook for about three years. Prior to joining Facebook, Bora spent a majority of her career in the publishing industry and most recently, she was at Vogue for five years, helping them grow from the one magazine platform to 10 different platforms. At Facebook, Bora consults with leading fashion and luxury retailers on their mobile and social strategy and how to execute a customer centric approach across Facebook’s family of apps.
On Thursday, May 17th, The Underfashion Club hosted boutique owner Laura Henny as a speaker during the same evening as a Parson’s School of Fashion Intimate Apparel Design Contest at The Fashion Group International in New York City. During the reception, current and new Club members viewed stunning intimate apparel garments produced by the six exceptionally talented design contest finalists from the Parsons School of Fashion. The members then voted for their favorite design, and the results were announced at the end of the evening. Laura Henny, the event’s featured speaker, shared her personal journey from Amsterdam native to lingerie boutique entrepreneur in Brooklyn. Propelled by her enthusiasm for cute bras in inclusive size ranges and her love of sneakers, Laura opened “The Rack Shack” to serve youthful and diverse customers in a city full of women from all walks of life.
Thanks to Membership Committee members Becky Kneski and Michele Schrak, pictured here with Membership Co-Chair Tristine Berry, for organizing this special event!
On Wednesday, March 14, 2018, The Underfashion Club hosted an open discussion at the Harvard Club in New York City with Sidney Morgan-Petro, Senior Retail Editor at the London-based trend forecasting company, WGSN. Morgan-Petro led an exploration of the turmoil in retail stores. Explaining how retailers in the U.S. are dealing with all the dynamic changes in the purchasing patterns of consumers.
To begin, Morgan-Petro shared some interesting statistics affecting retail stores for 2017, including the fact that about 3,000 retail stores had closed that year. Yet during the same year retailers opened over 1,300 more stores than the number closed. There was actual growth in retail. She also stated that in 2017, 42% of retailers have actually added stores, while only 15% have gotten smaller.
Eurovet’s Curvexpo New York Mode Lingerie and Swim trade show took place at the Javits Center from February 26-28, 2018. Exhibitors featured Fall/Winter 2018-2019 collections to buyers, industry partners, and known industry leaders in all Intimate Apparel and Swimwear categories. Most North American lingerie boutiques (57%) reported improvements in sales in 2017. In order to keep this trend going, businesses should recognize the preferences of a generation that will make up 50% of the working force by 2020: Millennials.
Millennials, known as the “wireless generation,” currently comprise 30% of the global population at 2.5 billion. Millennial mothers have some of the highest purchasing power in history. They tend to be eco-conscious and drawn to brands with sustainable practices and embrace the developments of digital technology. This generation has shown a preference for “barely there” styles like wireless bras and soft bralettes — a trend that is here to stay. Comfort is expected and many reject artificial padding or “enhancements.”
The 2018 Femmy Awards Gala, held at landmark Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City on February 6th, celebrated The Underfashion Club’s 60th anniversary, providing Intimate Apparel Industry leaders with a forum to exchange information and support the education of new talent. The annual event, hosted this year by burlesque queen, musician, lingerie designer and best-selling author Dita Von Teese, honors those individuals and companies that have significantly contributed to the Intimate Apparel Industry and its growth.