JAMES GALANOS was once a kid from NEW JERSEY who took to the streets of NYC, watching people as they arrived at opening night parties. He dreamed of dressing them. Eventually he did. He had an unerring dedication to craft and quality, and he delighted industry and clients alike from 1951–1998. And he will be missed. If you have a VANITY FAIR from April 2007 lying around, read "When Galanos Spelled Glamour" by AMY FINE COLLINS… E-commerce companies that are big on service often absorb customs duties (FARFETCH, MATCHES FASHION, NET-A-PORTER) so as not to expose the customer to the messiness of international tariff and trade agreements. Customer relations might take the form of different actions in-store vs. online, but the principles remain the same. For the shopper, it’s about ease and making a connection. Service means watch, listen, and deliver. And that’s not deliver in the literal sense, i.e. drop the parcel in the box then forget it then (oops) surprise the client with a 31-page customs document, and a bill. For one example, there’s a REDDIT thread dedicated to the topic. Don’t even get REDEF CEO JASON HIRSCHORN started about END CLOTHING. In networked culture, there are plenty of benefits to having a dialogue with customers. Put another way: if you’re in business on the internet, don’t ignore the internet. Par example, H&M’s response time to a tweet from FASHION REVOLUTION’s #whomademyclothes campaign was 1 hour, 5 minutes. Does that give new meaning to the term *fast fashion*?... When recycling programs are implemented, what are the play-by-play steps in how the goods are “cycled” anew? What are the byproducts and what are the costs? Would be nice if all briefs include this info… Return to the macro: two perspectives on trade and the TPP, which have implications for fashion… If you’ve been following developments concerning Chinese communities in PRATO, there was a recent conference at the UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAVEN TUSCANY campus… Millennials should be sunning in all this attention. It won’t be long before GEN Z’s on the uptake. Oh wait… A boutique opens inside the MONTREAL FASHION MUSEUM.