2020 has been a challenging year for the fashion industry, and those within it affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and Amazon Fashion is committed to helping in any way it can. Kicking off in line with the start of Fashion Week in September, Amazon Fashion is launching a new initiative; Amazon Fashion Connects.
Amazon Fashion Connects is a series of collaborations with key industry partners, created to show support for both budding and established designers across Europe, and giving our customers the chance to champion and shop the best local fashion talent from small and medium sized businesses.
In Spain, Amazon Fashion joined forces with Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Madrid as an official partner of the 72nd edition of Fashion Week. To mark the occasion, a digital storefront, Amazon Fashion x Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Madrid, has been created and available to customers across five of Amazon’s European websites (Amazon.co.uk/MBFWMadrid, Amazon.de/MBFWMadrid, Amazon.fr/MBFWMadrid, Amazon.it/MBFWMadrid, Amazon.es/MBFWMadrid) where customers can shop both established and emerging Spanish fashion designers for the first time.
An exciting curation of designers’ catwalk shows from Fashion Week were live streamed on the Amazon Fashion x Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Madrid storefront and on Instagram @AmazonFashionEU, with many of their collections becoming immediately shoppable at Amazon Fashion as soon as the show finished. This exciting collaboration heralds a new era for how customers can shop for Spanish fashion brands on Amazon Fashion. This first “Amazon Fashion Connects” initiative launched to coincide with Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Madrid, a world-renowned event that celebrates Spanish creativity and innovation, culture and emerging talent.
On taking part in the Amazon Fashion x MBFWMadrid digital storefront, Adriana Cagigas, Creative Director and Designer of DEYI LIVING said:
We’re grateful to have the support of Amazon Fashion and MBFWMadrid; it provides us with a strong sense of motivation to keep working hard during this challenging period. The goal of DEYI LIVING is to convey a more sustainable philosophy of life, based on the foundations of nature, and through Amazon we believe that we can inspire more people to join the change.
In the UK, Amazon Fashion has partnered with the British Fashion Council, to create a bespoke digital storefront offering a wide selection of Spring/Summer collections and archival product across ready to wear, party wear, loungewear, lingerie and footwear from an exciting mix of small and medium menswear and womenswear designers, who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Designers featured within the digital storefront include; success story Les Girls Les Boys, industry-favourite Preen, British footwear designer Grenson, celebrity loved boutique label De La Vali, forward-thinking shoe brand Kat Maconie and silhouette building TEIJA.
As an extension to this support, Amazon Fashion has offered out its European photography studio in Hoxton to designer members of the BFC, looking for studio space during this time, free of charge. The British Fashion Council, through its charity the BFC Foundation, has made £1,500,000 of emergency funds available with the majority supporting designer businesses and with a portion of funds also allocated to students, underpinning the future generation of creative talent. Amazon Fashion, alongside other partner fashion designers and retailers, donated to the fund in early April when the initiative was launched.
In addition, Frances Russell, Amazon Fashion New Business Vice President for Europe, represented Amazon Fashion on the British Fashion Council’s Foundation Fashion Fund for the COVID-19 Crisis judging panel. In May the BFC announced the first round of recipients of the BFC Foundation Fashion Fund, with financial support given to 37 British designer businesses, and a further £500,000 of emergency funds will be made available to support designer businesses through a second call for applications.
We're pleased to be working with Amazon Fashion and the British Fashion Council as part of this London Fashion Week initiative supporting independent British brands. It's an extraordinary time for fashion, and we're looking forward to evolving alongside the industry and exploring the new creative opportunities this opens up for us.
In September, Amazon made a donation to the “Institut Français de la Mode” in order to contribute to the funding of social and diversity scholarships for students in creative programs. This donation will be renewed over a period of three years corresponding to the scholarships of students in Bachelor. Amazon Fashion supports Institut Français de la Mode in its ambition to train talented people, regardless of their social background. Institut Français de la Mode main mission is to promote the school's equal opportunities policy by providing need-based scholarships for French students. Contributions paid each year by the Institut Français de la Mode's partners are used to finance need-based scholarships for students admitted to the school's programs.
In Italy, Amazon Fashion has supported the Camera Della Moda Italiana’s “Together for Tomorrow” COVID-19 relief fund through a donation that provides immediate financial support to Italian fashion brands most affected by the pandemic throughout the country.
In Germany, Amazon Fashion joins forces with InStyle, the leading fashion magazine in Germany, to introduce an exclusively curated selection for customers to shop local fashion designers at amazon.de/InStyle. The InStyle x Amazon Fashion storefront offers customers some of the most exciting independent and local fashion designers including Marina Hoermanseder, Marcel Ostertag, Riani, Talbot Runhof and Rebecca Ruetz.
Speaking about working with Amazon Fashion, Vladimir Karaleev, founder of his eponymous Berlin-based contemporary brand said: “We very much welcome the initiative of InStyle and Amazon Fashion. The new shopping destination enables us, as a brand, to increase our visibility among customers – in addition to our stores and online activity.”
The assortment, curated exclusively by InStyle fashion experts, includes a wide selection of seasonal apparel including deconstructed jackets and quilted coats by Vladimir Karaleev, accessories including contemporary and functional backpacks by Ucon Acrobatics and a collection of sustainable athleisurewear including recycled leggings and sports bras by KCA LAB.
The InStyle x Amazon Fashion store is an excellent opportunity for both established designers and new faces to achieve national and international visibility and impact. As Germany's most successful fashion magazine, we are very close to the fashion interests of fashion fans and have curated the best looks for them from a wealth of collections and designers.
ABOUT AMAZON FASHION
Amazon Fashion, our fashion retail division, is a one-stop destination for head-to-toe style. Find apparel, shoes, accessories, jewelry, watches, handbags, and luggage from a wide range of designer, contemporary, and emerging brands for any occasion, any style and any budget.
Amazon Fashion continues to expand its wide selection and create new experiences on behalf of its customers, including Prime exclusive programs like Prime Wardrobe, allowing you try before you buy. Amazon Fashion also recently introduced The Drop, an innovative shopping experience that gives customers access to limited-edition street-style collections designed by fashion influencers around the world.
Amazon Fashion aims to reinvent the online fashion shopping experience for everyone and uses technology to serve customers with products and brands that are relevant to them.
For more information, please visit http://www.amazon.co.uk/fashion.
