By Tocca x Shop Black Caviar

Why Men’s Retail Is Booming in Manhattan. Menswear and #streetwear brands are opening stores in downtown Manhattan at a moment when young consumers are changing their shopping habits and digital marketing has grown stale. Angelo Baque says he never envisioned opening a store for his 12-year-old, New York-based streetwear label Awake because of how challenging it is to run a brick-and-mortar business in Manhattan. Awake is part of a wave of #menswear brands opening stores across downtown #Manhattan at a moment when young consumers are eager for in-person shopping, social-media marketing feels stale and less effective and menswear and streetwear brands are trying to appeal to a changing customer looking for something new. Why Menswear Brands Are Embracing New York Retail Even streetwear brands born online, such as Fugazi, are opening stores to fuel growth beyond social marketing. Although Fugazi’s founder, Trevor Gorji, credits the past seven years of his “internet” brand’s rise to social platforms like Instagram and YouTube, he opened Fugazi’s Lower Manhattan flagship in April to “legitimise” his label. There’s a stigma against “Instagram brands,” he said, and he wanted to show his brand was “serious and real.” To justify the high commercial rents, however, brands often need to figure out how to distinguish themselves in a competitive market where another option for a shopper’s dollars is a short walk away. The Challenges of Running a Store Managing physical retail does come with adjustments, however, especially when it comes to keeping a space stocked with inventory. Opening Awake’s first store felt like a reset for the brand that took him back to “year one,” according to Baque. He hasn’t only invested heavily in store events to introduce a new generation of customers to Awake, but even re-evaluated the clothing his brand releases. #nyc #commercialrealestate #retailbrands #retailbusiness #saturdaynews #businessnews #fashionbusiness #clothing #fashion #luxuryclothes

Presenting…… the Athena Dress. Dress by: REBECCA VALLANCE What a showstopper! In store now. #rebeccavallance #eveningwear #wedding #motherofthebride #womenswear #bytocca #blackcaviarfashion #oakville #toronto #kitchener #burlington #hamilton

Victoria’s Secret & Co. Returns to the Runway. Six years after its last fashion show, the beleaguered lingerie giant staged a comeback. It was as much a celebration of the brand’s past as it was a signal of where it’s going in the future. Held inside a cavernous warehouse at Brooklyn’s Navy Yard, a parade of supermodels hit the runway donning the brand’s signature lace and mesh sets, alongside performers Lisa (of the K-pop sensation Blackpink), Tyla and Cher, who closed the show with a full dance squad and empowerment anthems like “Believe” and “Strong Enough.” In many ways, it felt like the same Victoria’s Secret fashion show from years past: There were consistent references to the brand’s aughts height, from the moment Gigi Hadid opened the show in a large pair of pink feathered wings that grew as she walked down the runway — the first of several appearances by former Angels including Alessandra Ambrosio, Adriana Lima, Behati Prinsloo, Jasmine Tookes, Candice Swanepoel and Tyra Banks. The entire space was bathed in the same soft pink hue that has long covered its stores, and the featured looks were elaborate, with tulle capes, lacy details and of course, plenty of wings. But look closely, and differences appear. From the moment before the lights dimmed, a voiceover from Banks declared that at this year’s show, women would “take the reins and the spotlight.” There was more diversity, with models of varying gender identities, racial backgrounds, ages and body types. And while there were plenty of skin-baring bra-and-thong sets, there were also #dresses, #leggings and even #pyjamas. Victoria’s Secret is still by far the dominant player in its category — its buzziest competitor, the Kim Kardashian-owned SKIMS operates just five storefronts compared to Victoria’s Secret’s 1,370 plus. But its market share has diminished over the past decade as cultural norms shifted away from the brand’s male-fantasy image and women began to prioritise #comfort over sexiness. With this year’s show, the intention was to present something through a female gaze. Sylvester said they also made an effort to reflect the way women buy intimates today — prioritising comfort over sex appeal. While there still was plenty of the latter, there was also more of an embrace of the former. For example, the brand sent a pair of pyjama pants down the runway for the first time (paired with a bedazzled bralette on longtime VS model Taylor Hill). Rather than focusing first on building a fantasy with over-the-top garments that never make it to store shelves, the items on the runway this year are part of the brand’s holiday collection, with a bit of added “flair to make sure it’s runway worthy.” #victoriasecret #runwayshow #fashion #nyc #fashionweek #toronto #oakville #womenswear #womenempowerment #models

Up close and personal with the Riley Dress. Perfect for all your nights out & holiday parties! In store now! Dress by: ET OCHS #dress #eveningwear #bytocca #blackcaviarfashion #womenswear #gowns #holiday #fall24 #oakville #toronto #burlington #kitchener

LVMH Results Spell Trouble for Luxury Sector. Fashion revenue at the Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior Couture and Loewe owner fell 5 percent in the third quarter, badly missing estimates. LVMH’s revenue miss “is a clear negative for the industry ahead of the third-quarter reporting season and in the run-up to key Christmas and Chinese New Year trading periods,” Citi analyst Thomas Chauvet said. Shares in the group fell 7 percent when Paris markets opened Wednesday. Group-wide, LVMH’s third-quarter sales fell 3 percent on an organic basis to €19.1 billion ($21 billion). #LVMH said the numbers represented “good resilience in the current context.” After gradually cooling from post-pandemic highs, #luxury demand has dropped sharply across key regions this year. Macroeconomic headwinds and aggressive price hikes that turned off less wealthy buyers have made it hard for fashion brands to keep up momentum, particularly as consumers shift their spending back to other priorities like #health, #wellness and #travel. Brand Challenges Investors have questioned whether LVMH can deliver a soft landing at Christian Dior after the brand nearly quadrupled sales from 2017 to 2023. An investigation into the French couture house’s Italian supply chain risks further dragging down demand for LVMH’s second-biggest label. LVMH does not break out sales for individual brands. LVMH’s watches and jewellery unit, which also includes #Bulgari, TAG Heuer and Hublot fell by 4 percent. LVMH’s retailing division, which operates #Sephora, and the perfume and cosmetics division dominated by Parfums Christian Dior both eked out modest growth, with sales rising 2 and 3 percent respectively. LVMH’s wine and spirits division was hardest hit, with sales falling 7 percent as the group struggles to get cognac sales back on track in the key Chinese market, where the product has become embroiled in a trade war with Europe. A poor champagne harvest could provide further headwinds next year. #conglomerate #earningsreports #fashionbusiness #retail #watches #leathergoods #beveragemarket #china #paris #toronto #bytocca #oakville #blackcaviarfashion

Happy Thanksgiving. Lounging in style with the DVF (Diane von Furstenberg) Brogan Cardigan. Available in store. #dvf #cardigan #holiday #sweaterweather #ootd #luxuryfashion #nyc #oakville #toronto #bytocca #blackcaviarfashion #fall24

Have a wedding or special event/gala coming up in the near future and you're not sure what to wear? Come by our boutique in Oakville, ON for some inspiration & consultation. We can special order a variety of dresses, in multiple colours, from multiple designers: Frascara - Beker Fashions , Greta Constantine, Wayne Clark, Audrey + Brooks, and the list goes on. We look forward to seeing you. #eveningwear #weddingseason #womenswear #oakville #toronto #bytocca #blackcaviarfashion #dresses #weddingdress #motherofthebride #specialevents

Too early for sparkle? Says no one ever! Dress by: Helsi #helsi #wedding #eveningwear #bytocca #blackcaviarfashion #holiday #oakville #toronto #kitchener #burlington

Why Mytheresa Bought YOOX NET-A-PORTER: Mytheresa on Monday announced it would acquire its distressed competitor Yoox Net-a-Porter (YNAP) from Swiss conglomerate Richemont, perhaps the most significant deal yet in a year of upheaval for luxury retail that has left few of the category’s major players untouched. Richemont said it would recapitalise Yoox Net-a-Porter to have a cash position of €555 million ($609 million) and no debt, as well as providing a rotating credit facility for the unit. The #Cartier owner will eventually receive a 33 percent stake in the combined entity with #Mytheresa. The deal, slated to close in the first half of 2025, aims to bring together Germany’s Mytheresa, which has built a profitable business catering to ultra-high-net-worth shoppers, with the larger Net-a-Porter, which set the template for online #luxury retail when it launched in the early 2000s with its mix of high-end merchandise and more accessible offerings. The companies will continue to exist as two standalone e-commerce sites. What Lies Ahead: Mytheresa has avoided the worst of the luxury e-commerce bust. But it has its own problems: with €914 million in gross merchandise volume — sales on its marketplace — in the year ending in June, it is smaller than its chief rivals. Its adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation accounted for only 3 percent of net sales during that period. Even after surging on Monday, the company’s stock is down over 70 percent since its initial public offering in January 2021. The YNAP merger, however, gives Mytheresa a chance to change that. The two companies’ combined GMV reaches nearly €3 billion, close to one-time leader Farfetch’s sales at its peak in 2022. Mytheresa plans for that to grow to €4 billion by 2029, the company’s finance chief Martin Beer said on an investor call on Monday. Becoming a Leader: Mytheresa’s deal with YNAP is its chance to generate the type of sales that would make it the biggest company in luxury e-commerce. Mytheresa will access YNAP’s distribution centres in China and the US, where it is seeing its largest sales growth. The company, which typically carries a smaller number of brands than its competitors, will enjoy the increase in sales volume from YNAP’s greater number of labels without compromising its curatorial focus. Mytheresa plans to refocus Net-a-Porter by migrating its operations, along with the latter’s menswear site Mr. Porter, onto Mytheresa’s platform, which boasts capabilities like identifying potential high-spending clients based on browsing activity. YNAP’s off-price division that consists of Yoox and The Outnet will operate separately and remain on the company’s existing platform, Kliger said. #retail #mergersandacquisitions #onlinecommerce #ecommerce #fashionbusiness #etailer #business

Get this gorgeous look! Stunning F/W 2024 Frascara Designs dress. Available in multiple colours. Dress by: Beker Fashions - Frascara Designs. #fw2024 #frascara #eveningwear #motherofthebride #gala #specialoccasion #bytocca #blackcaviarfashion #oakville #toronto #weddinglooks