1. Default odds for consumer industries ease but remain elevated:Overall, the risk of default fell for department stores. It stood at 7.8% as of Oct. 30, down from above 40% in April when the coronavirus pandemic forced stores to close their doors. The figure, however, is still up from 2.1% in January. – Read More on S&P Global
2. U.S. Firms Get Another Boost From China: Business and consumer activity inside China has returned to pre-pandemic patterns in many ways. Cities are bustling with crowds of office workers and traffic on streets. Restaurants, shopping malls and gyms are packed. Movie theaters are open. Domestic air travel in August inched closer to levels not seen since before the pandemic. – Read More on the WSJ
3. Music videos replace runways as Covid halts fashion shows: “With 2020 spent mainly indoors, screen time has become the only thing connecting us to the outside world,” says Morgane Le Caer, data editor at Lyst. Standout items of clothing from this year’s biggest pop videos – which, on average, have viewing figures in their hundreds of millions – have instantly become in demand online. – Read More on the Guardian
4. RETRO READ: Fashion Won’t Stay on the Sidelines When it Comes to Film. But Is This Art or Advertising? Fashion’s foray into film is hardly novel territory. Well-funded brands, like Chanel and Dior, have long created short “films” – oftentimes for fragrances and cosmetics. – Read More on TFL
5. Fur is out of favor but stays in fashion through stealth and wealth: The recent development of luxurious, realistic-looking fur-free furs has helped some brands shed the animal hide from collections. However, scores of high profile figures wear fur – albeit in stealthier ways, too, with celebrities ranging from David Beckham to Emma Stone wearing Canada Goose jackets, which have coyote trim hoods. – Read More on the Guardian
6. RELATED READ: Fashion or Faux Pas? The Conversation About Fur Has Become Far More Nuanced. Faux fur “garments are made entirely out of artificial fibers like polyester that are a byproduct of the petroleum industry,” and fake fur garments are also “almost impossible to recycle” and often end up landfills as a result of a fast fashion culture. – Read More on TFL