THE DAILY FIX: FASHION INDUSTRY NEWS WED

Good morning designers!  The Wednesday edition of the StylePortfolios.com Daily Fix is up and ready for your reading pleasure.  What are you waiting for?  Get a coffee, sit-down and get your day started-off right with the The Daily Fix…

NRF: FACEBOOK RANKS NO. 1 FOR RETAIL SALES – RetailingToday
“While paid search and email marketing still top retailers’ lists of effective customer acquisition channels, social media has moved up the ranks to become an important tool for engaging with and attracting new customers.”

SAM SMITH TO FRONT THE NEW BALENCIAGA CAMPAIGN – The Guardian
“So Sam Smith is starring in the new campaign for Balenciaga’s autumn/winter 2015 menswear collection. A pop star fronting a campaign isn’t exactly groundbreaking – Rihanna, Cher, Pharrell and Lady Gaga have all been at it recently – and Smith has already expressed an interest in fashion after being spotted backstage at the Burberry show back in February.”

UNDERAGE MODELS RETURN TO THE RUNWAY AND REIGNITE A DEBATE – The New York Times
“It’s not a fairy tale, it’s a cliché,” said Sara Ziff, the founder of the Model Alliance, discussing fashion’s favorite new narrative, that of a 14-year-old Israeli who went to Paris in search of a modeling career, met the designer Raf Simons in a Dior store and ended up opening the Dior couture showthis month. “It’s once again using girls to sell clothes to women.”

CUTE AS A BUTTON-DOWN: HOW RAILS IS RISING TO THE TOP OF CONTEMPORARY FASHION – Forbes
“If you’ve spotted your favorite celebrity or social influencer in an impossibly flattering plaid button-down in the last few years, there’s a good chance it was made by contemporary clothing brand, Rails. I know what you’re thinking: what could possibly be so special about a button-down shirt? Well, the fashion forward sect can attest to the fact that stiff cotton shirts now take a backseat to more draped silhouettes that look relaxed, yet refined. Rails owner and Los Angeles Native Jeff Abrams and his design team have cracked the code and built a brand that not only produces quality garments, but effortlessly embodies the Southern California vibe that consumers have been crazy about for years.”

BACK-TO-SCHOOL IS OMNICHANNEL AT JCPENNEY – RetailingToday
“JCPenney Co. is launching a back-to-school marketing campaign that covers all the bases of omnichannel retailing.”