Crocs, the foam footwear company, is known for its quirky designs, which range from cowboy boots to fried chicken-scented charms. Crocs is putting its best paw forward this month with the release of a range of clogs for dogs.

Crocs has partnered with pet supply provider and subscription service BARK to develop Pet Clogs as part of their annual “Croctober” campaign, which features a fan-inspired product.

New Croc Clogs Mean Matching Togs For Your Dogs

Companies frequently release promotional or limited-time merchandise to increase brand awareness. Special flavors of sodas or candies, collaborations with influencers or other brands, and even items that aren’t meant to be taken seriously can all help a company gain attention and stand out in a crowded marketplace among shoppers fighting inflation and looking to stretch their dollars.

“(The market) is returning, from my perspective, to what it was before the pandemic, which is that key promotional periods are extremely important,” CEO Andrew Rees told analysts during an earnings call in August. “We believe you have to participate in those promotional periods to get your fair share of consumer spending.”

Americans have spent more money on their pets during the last decade. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, pet expenses climbed by 77.9% between 2013 and 2021.

Pet owners spent a total of $147 billion on pet-related expenses in 2023, with that figure expected to rise to $150.6 billion this year, according to the American Pet Products Association.

However, observers believe Crocs’ entry into the pet industry is more than simply another eye-catching marketing stunt; it is a show of the power of its devoted fan base.

The Power of Fandom
Despite — or perhaps because of — regular ridicule from fashionistas, Crocs has carved out a niche for themselves in mainstream culture. Its meme status and proclivity for going viral are aided by star-studded collaborations from Justin Bieber to Bad Bunny.

And sales of the footwear brand skyrocketed in 2020, owing to the increase of casual fashion during the pandemic.

“Crocs has a very strong base of fans, and it is very good at engaging with them via social channels and marketing campaigns,” said Neil Saunders, a retail analyst at GlobalData.

New Croc Clogs Mean Matching Togs For Your Dogs

If you need proof of the power of its fans, look at how rapidly limited-edition releases sell out. In 2021, a pair of adult clogs modeled by the Disney/Pixar character Lightning McQueen from the film “Cars” sold out in less than an hour after debuting on the Crocs website.

Crocs’ continued success with its fans, which Saunders described as “cult-like,” may be due to its active interaction with its consumers, making even the most seemingly ludicrous fan requests a reality (see: Crocs inspired by the DreamWorks movie character “Shrek”).

According to Saunders, the introduction of Pet Crocs, which the business describes as “one of the most highly requested products in brand history,” is another move aimed at younger, more social media-savvy consumers.

“In many instances these will be fun purchases which people will share on social media, helping to amplify the Crocs brand,” according to him.

SOURCE | CNN

Italy’s antitrust police are looking into Shein, the online fast fashion behemoth, for potentially making false statements about its environmental efforts.

The country’s independent competition commission said in a statement that the greenwashing investigation would focus on Infinite Styles Serves Co. Limited, a Dublin-based company that manages Shein’s website and app.

Shein Faces Scrutiny In Italy Over Possible Greenwashing

Shein was started in China and is now headquartered in Singapore. It has risen to prominence in the retail industry, thanks to a business model that enables it to produce garments in real-time and deliver it straight to clients from factories mostly in China.

That has allowed the company to sell things at extremely low prices and attract customers who can go to its website and buy $11 sweaters, $2 cellphone cases, and other items from a constantly updated range of stuff.

However, Shein’s detractors have long contended that the company’s tactics foster overconsumption and environmental waste, both of which the retailer claims it is attempting to address.

However, Italian regulators accuse the corporation of misleading customers with statements about the environmental sustainability of the apparel it sells. Environmental organisations have claimed that similar deceptive methods, known as greenwashing, occur throughout the corporate sector.

Italy’s anti-trust office, known in Italian as AGCM, claims that some of the environmental references on Shein’s Italian website are misleading or omit information. Images advertising Shein’s garments as sustainable are also made “through generic, vague, confused, and/or misleading environmental assertions,” according to the authority.

The watchdog specifically mentioned information from Shien’s “evoluShein” line, claiming that it may have misled consumers into believing that the clothing they purchased could be recycled.

AGCM also claimed that Shein’s website’s declared commitment to decarbonisation was in “apparent contradiction” with the increases in greenhouse gas emissions listed in Shein’s sustainability reports for 2022 and 2023.

The online shop stated that it would assist with the Italian probe.

Shein Faces Scrutiny In Italy Over Possible Greenwashing

“We would also like to take this opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to complying with the laws and regulations in the markets where we operate and to maintaining transparency with our customers,” Shein said in a news release.

Shein has also faced issues in other parts of Europe. Critics and advocacy groups, including Amnesty International UK, have protested the company’s potential listing on the London Stock Exchange due to labour and environmental issues.

SOURCE | AP

MILAN — Milan designers concluded six days of runway womenswear previews with a lavish award event at Milan’s renowned Teatro Alla Scala to recognize sustainable ideas.

The first incarnation of the awards was introduced in 2017 to recognise green innovation in an industry traditionally associated with excess, as well as improve brand communication about efforts being taken to reduce their carbon footprint.

This week also celebrated the second annual Black Carpet Awards, which recognize excellence among people of color living and working in Italy as a method of fostering equity.

Black Carpet Awards Return
British fashion designer Ib Kamara and Angolan supermodel Maria Borges presented awards at the second edition of the Black Carpet Awards, which recognize the contributions of people of color working in Italy across a variety of sectors.

Honourees included shot-putter Danielle Madam, actor Alberto Malachino, educator Cinzia Adanna Ebonine, who founded a platform to promote inclusive education, Justin Randolph Thompson, the founder of Black History Month Florence, and Alice Edun, the founder of Italy’s first curly haircare brand.

Despite the multinational audience, many of the prize recipients delivered their speeches in Italian, seeing it as a political decision to highlight their full integration and self-identification as Italians.

Milan Fashion Week Closes With A Gala Promoting Sustainability

“It remains correct to bet on the competencies of young Italians of foreign origin, in a context like Italy that too often marginalises or seeks to make us invisible,” Adanna Ebonine remarked. “This award makes me seen in my entirety, not just as a Black person who works in a prevalently white context, but as professional who tries to make a difference in her own way.”

Anna Wintour went by to meet the honourees before the evening ceremony.

Afro Fashion Week founder Michelle Francine Ngonmo, who launched the rewards, expressed her hope that additional sponsors will come forward so that future editions can include prize money.

Fashion-forward Ferrari
Ferrari’s fashion division uses automotive advancements to create luxury garment collections aimed at brand enthusiasts.

Rocco Iannone, Ferrari Style’s creative director, presents supple leather looks inspired by racing vehicle interiors. This season’s innovations include treated leather for a worn-in, grease-monkey look and denim with fibres pulled in lines to produce tactile pinstripes. The preferred attachment remains the hard-case clutch fashioned like a sports vehicle.

“Performance for us is craftsmanship, and it is conveyed through fabrics,” Iannone explained.

Tokyo James promotes imperfection.
Tokyo James, a British-Nigerian designer, mocked the fashion industry’s pursuit of perfection with a collection featuring minor misalignments, such as faulty seams.

“We have to stop pursuing perfection all the time,” he stated. “It’s a fight against the way the industry operates. “We need to be more fluid.”

Tokyo James made his Milan debut a few seasons ago, during what appeared to be a Renaissance of Black designers on the Italian fashion scene. He is one of the few that remain.

“I hope for better days,” James admitted backstage.

Milan Fashion Week Closes With A Gala Promoting Sustainability

Francesca Liberatore provides sculptured looks.
Francesca Liberatore pays tribute to her father, artist Bruno Liberatore, with a collection featuring his pyramidal forms as the leitmotif.

Models wore stylised bell skirts with jutting pyramids over knitwear for a lively, playful style that evolved into a more serious and wearable tiny version with pink cotton panels. Liberatore created flower motifs that were stitched white-on-white “to highlight the significance of roots.”

“It was a personal story, with my father,” Liberatore explained.

SOURCE | AP