Salomon has announced the appointment of Nick Parkinson as its new global brand creative director, bringing two decades of industry experience to the outdoor and performance brand.
Salomon names Nick Parkinson as global brand creative director. – Salomon
In this role, Parkinson will collaborate with Salomon’s executive board and product leadership team to develop and execute a brand creative strategy across all consumer touchpoints, platforms, channels, and regions.
“Nick is a super inspired creative. His global experience in the spaces we want to win was the proof in our hyper-focused selection process. Having interviewed some of the finest creative minds in the industry I am confident that Nick is the needed fuel to realize our objectives across the entire consumer journey,” said Scott Mellin, global chief brand officer, Salomon.
Parkinson has played a key role in repositioning leading running brands and recently led the reactive creative strategy during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Beginning his career as a graphic designer in the UK, he moved to Amsterdam in 2010 as an art director.
He joins the company from Nike Inc., where he has held various creative leadership roles over a 15-year tenure, including global art director, global design director, and creative director for various categories such as Nike running, Jordan brand, Nike football, and Converse.
Parkinson added: “I come from a family of engineers and love problem-solving through design. Salomon is at an inflection point where it can progress to the next level by building on its rich heritage of performance and athletes and translate that into the world of culture and sportstyle. I’m excited to help power that through amazing storytelling!”
In November, Salomon appointed Guillaume Meyzenq as CEO, leading the brand as of this year.
The world’s largest footwear and apparel companies are facing a shock to their supply chains after President Donald Trump announced new tariffs on Vietnam and other critical production hubs.
Nike
The US imposed a 46% reciprocal tariff rate on Vietnamese goods on Wednesday as part of Trump’s growing trade war with countries around the world. Other new tariffs include 49% on Cambodia, 34% on China and 32% on Indonesia.
Nike Inc. and Adidas AG made big bets on Vietnam over the last decade. Today, about half of all Nike shoes and 39% of Adidas shoes are made in the country, according to regulatory filings. Vietnam is the largest supplier of footwear for both companies, and shoes produced in the country account for more than $20 billion in combined annual revenue.
Nike shares fell 6.4% in extended trading at 5:06 p.m. New York time. Lululemon Athletica Inc., which makes 40% of its products in Vietnam and 17% in Cambodia, tumbled almost 9.6% in late trading. Shares of Abercrombie & Fitch Co., which gets 35% of its merchandise from Vietnam and 22% from Cambodia, fell 7.7%. Gap Inc., which buys about 27% of its goods from Vietnamese factories and 19% from Indonesia, slid 11%.
“More tariffs equal more anxiety and uncertainty for American businesses and consumers,” National Retail Federation Executive Vice President of Government Relations David French said on Wednesday. “Tariffs are a tax paid by the U.S. importer that will be passed along to the end consumer.”
Tariffs add to the trade turbulence that shoe sellers are trying to navigate. Nike already said it expects its gross margin to decline sharply this quarter, in part due to US tariffs on products from China and Mexico.
“Shifting supply chains is not an option given performance footwear requires a very specific skill set and factories,” said Poonam Goyal, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. “I can’t see how prices to consumers don’t go up.”
Nike and Adidas didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
Major fashion retailers such as Uniqlo owner Fast Retailing Co. and Hennes & Mauritz AB also count Vietnam as one of their biggest suppliers. The country exported $44 billion in textiles last year, with the US as its largest market, according to the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association.
The footwear and apparel industries boosted production in Vietnam during Trump’s first term in the White House as the trade war with China escalated. Vietnam has low labor costs, a skilled workforce already adept at manufacturing shoes and clothes, transportation infrastructure, and was seen as less of a threat to be involved in geopolitical clashes. It also boasted trade agreements with the US and the European Union.
Hints that Vietnam could get entangled in Trump’s trade wars began in 2019, when Trump said that Vietnam took advantage of the US “even worse than China.” Retail lobbyists feared that Trump was near enacting tariffs on Vietnam in the last month of his first term, according to people familiar with the matter.
Vietnam emerged a big winner as brands reduced their exposure to China. Footwear and textiles are now among Vietnam’s most vital exports, and the industry flourished as brands like Nike and Adidas linked with dozens of sneaker factories. Neither company produces more than 20% of its footwear in China anymore.
Vietnam has been among Asia’s fastest growing economies. Its gross domestic product grew 7.1% last year, surpassing both government projections and estimates from analysts surveyed by Bloomberg.
Just days after Trump re-entered the White House in January, Secretary of State Marco Rubio encouraged senior officials in Vietnam to address trade imbalances. Vietnam’s trade surplus with the US was more than $123 billion last year, according to US Census Bureau data, and officials have said they’ve been urging increased purchases of US products.
Only China and Mexico have larger trade surpluses with the US.
Vietnam Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said in January that he’d be willing to visit Trump at Mar-a-Lago to “golf all day long” if it helps resolve trade quarrels. Since then, the government has been trying to appease the Trump administration by cutting its own tariffs on US cars, ethanol and liquefied natural gas.
Women’secret, the women’s lingerie and loungewear brand owned by Tendam, is further expanding its international presence with its entry into the Turkish market, the company announced in a statement.
Women’secret launches in Turkey – Tendam
The brand has opened a nearly 100-square-meter space in Emaar Square Mall, the largest shopping centre in Turkey. Spanning 138,000 square meters over six floors, the mall houses 415 stores, 52 restaurants, and a four-level parking facility.
With this latest opening, Women’secret strengthens its presence in the region, bringing its store count in the area to 91. The brand now operates a total of 692 physical locations across 80 countries throughout Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia.
Tendam continues to prioritise international store expansion in markets and countries with strong growth potential, leveraging its multibrand and multimarket expertise to benefit each brand in its portfolio.
Today, the group operates in more than 80 countries through over 1,800 points of sale—including company-managed stores, corners, franchises, and e-commerce. Its digital footprint includes 33 dedicated websites for eight of its brands, six apps, franchise websites and leading marketplaces.
Skims has opened the doors to its first-ever West Coast flagship store, in Los Angeles.
Skims opens first West Coast flagship store in Los Angeles. – Skims
Designed by the design studio Rafael de Cárdenas, Ltd., the 4,546-square-foot space is characterized by the intimate, body-focused aesthetic that defines Skims.
Notable features include the brand’s signature rounded-edge fixtures, custom tonal mannequins, and a seamless shopping layout. A 12-foot sculpture by Vanessa Beecroft welcomes visitors, while a sophisticated mix of Corian, ultrasuede, and carefully curated lighting complete the space.
The new flagship houses products for both women and men, including best-selling collections like Fits Everybody, Cotton, and Ultimate Bras. Customers will also have access to exclusive drops, such as the NikeSkims collection, and an LA-exclusive ‘Skims loves LA’ merchandise line.
“Opening a Skims store in Los Angeles is a full-circle moment. This city has been a huge part of my life, and having a space here where people can experience the brand in person makes it even more special”, said Kim Kardashian, co-founder & chief creative officer. “We’re just getting started, and I can’t wait for what’s ahead.”
The store opening follows the launch of multiple new locations across the U.S including its New York Fifth Avenue flagship, with even more locations planned for 2025. Other stores can be found in Georgetown, Aventura, Austin, Houston, and Atlanta.
“Los Angeles has always been an important market for Skims and the place we call home, so opening a flagship store here was the natural next step,” added Jens Grede, co-founder & CEO, Skims. “Seeing our standalone stores come to life has been incredible, and we’re excited to keep expanding, giving both new and loyal customers a space to fully experience Skims.”
To celebrate the launch, Skims is collaborating with Mel’s Drive-In to create Skims Drive-In, a reimagined dining experience running from April 2nd to April 6th. The historic diner will undergo a Skims-inspired transformation, featuring a custom photo booth, an exclusive menu, and signature design elements infused into Mel’s retro aesthetic.
Entertainment8 years ago