New Frontiers

THERE WOULD HAVE been no way to predict the volatility and unprecedented times of the past year. I have been in the fashion trade industry for 20 years, and I’ve seen and experienced many challenges, from market crashes to the nightmare of 9/11. But I have also seen how we as an industry have overcome those challenges. This pandemic will be yet another obstacle that will make us stronger in the end.

One of the best ways to move forward is to learn and level up. And just as many of you have adapted to the current world, so have we. What you are currently reading—our strategy issue—is more than just a themed issue detailing business approaches and trends. It is the unveiling of Earnshaw’s latest iteration, an interactive digital experience.

With this new format, we can offer advice, spark conversation and drum up new business like never before through intuitive navigation, easy-to-share content and shoppable ads. In this edition, we identify the trends that will shape the next normal. We talk to innovators, from different areas of the retail and tech world (from virtual experiences to augmented reality), to find out the next driving forces in our industry. We also tell the powerful stories of business owners who managed to not just survive but thrive during these unprecedented times.

So, as we venture into this new frontier together, please let us know what else you’d like to see in Earnshaw’s or if you’d like to lend your voice to a guest editorial and share your expertise. It is the exceptional people that make up our industry that sustain my hope for a better tomorrow.

Here’s to making deeper connections and sparking more inspiration in 2021!