Patricio Campillo Makes New York Fashion Week Debut, Championing Mexican Tradition

The Manhattan skyline is seen at sunset from Louis Armstrong Stadium during the US Open tennis tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City, on September 2, 2024. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP)
The Manhattan skyline is seen at sunset from Louis Armstrong Stadium during the US Open tennis tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City, on September 2, 2024. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP)
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Patricio Campillo Makes New York Fashion Week Debut, Championing Mexican Tradition

The Manhattan skyline is seen at sunset from Louis Armstrong Stadium during the US Open tennis tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City, on September 2, 2024. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP)
The Manhattan skyline is seen at sunset from Louis Armstrong Stadium during the US Open tennis tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City, on September 2, 2024. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP)

New York Fashion Week kicks off on Friday, with designers showcasing their spring/summer collections - both legacy brands like Tommy Hilfiger, and new kids on the block, such as Mexican designer Patricio Campillo.

Campillo will be making his NYFW debut on Saturday at the Public Hotel with a men's line that he says was inspired by Mexican volcanoes and how they can "modify a space."

"The brand's patterns are based on a suit that my grandfather gave my dad when my dad turned 18, and this suit was given to me a few years ago," said Campillo in an interview, according to Reuters.

Negotiating his career as a self-taught designer had been difficult without the benefit of another Mexican designer who had previously broken through, he said, adding that he hoped his success could help those coming up.

"Mexico is a place full of talent, full of people willing to work and I believe that nobody grows alone," said Campillo.

Campillo has already attracted plaudits and celebrity customers, and fashion and beauty writer Asia Milia Ware at New York Magazine's The Cut predicted he will walk away with even more attention following his NYFW appearance.

"The right eyes can land you into a retailer, which is a big goal for a lot of these designers," she said. "Or the right eyes from an editor can land you press, whether that's landing you on a cover, landing you a feature which can really just be dynamic and really life-changing for these designers. So, it's a big moment."
This season there are roughly 60 designers on the official calendar, plus many more off-calendar.
Ware said the most anticipated shows were Alaia and Off-White. "They normally show in Paris, but this year they're showing in New York, and they're like the two hottest tickets to get in the city this season," she said.
Bold reds and power shoulders would be central themes of collections, she predicted.



Abercrombie & Fitch Lifts Sales Forecast on Trendy Apparel Demand; Lofty Expectations Hit Shares

A hiring sign is displayed in front of Abercrombie & Fitch at the Tysons Corner Center mall on August 22, 2024 in Tysons, Virginia. (Getty Images via AFP)
A hiring sign is displayed in front of Abercrombie & Fitch at the Tysons Corner Center mall on August 22, 2024 in Tysons, Virginia. (Getty Images via AFP)
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Abercrombie & Fitch Lifts Sales Forecast on Trendy Apparel Demand; Lofty Expectations Hit Shares

A hiring sign is displayed in front of Abercrombie & Fitch at the Tysons Corner Center mall on August 22, 2024 in Tysons, Virginia. (Getty Images via AFP)
A hiring sign is displayed in front of Abercrombie & Fitch at the Tysons Corner Center mall on August 22, 2024 in Tysons, Virginia. (Getty Images via AFP)

Abercrombie & Fitch raised its annual sales target on Wednesday after reporting better-than-expected quarterly revenue, but shares of the company fell 14% as investors expected a bigger forecast bump from the high-flying retailer.

The stock has surged about 89% so far this year after nearly quadrupling in 2023.

"While the market may have been looking for a stronger guidance lift for the year, given momentum across the business, we see a beat and raise as impressive given a moderating top line outlook in response to a choppy macro environment across many of Abercrombie's specialty retail peers," said Dana Telsey, analyst at Telsey Advisory Group.

Abercrombie has been revamping its merchandise with new styles, featuring dressier apparel and cargo pants while tapping into growing demand for wide-legged jeans, helping it draw in fashion-savvy shoppers.

Retailers ranging from department store chains Macy's to home improvement chain Home Depot struck a cautious note and trimmed their annual sales forecasts, blaming weak discretionary demand. Strong results from Target and Walmart showed shoppers were looking for bargains amid budget constraints.

Sales at the Abercrombie brand jumped 26% in the quarter ended Aug. 3, while its Hollister division reported a 17% rise due to better-than-expected back-to-school selling.

The company now expects net sales to rise between 12% and 13% in fiscal 2024, compared with its prior forecast of around 10% growth.

Abercrombie CEO Fran Horowitz said the forecast raise came despite "an increasingly uncertain environment".

The company saw benefits from lower promotions and lower cotton costs, which helped it improve its gross profit rate by 240 basis points to 64.9%. However, it expects pressure from freight costs in the back half of the year.

In the second quarter, it reported profit of $2.50 per share, beating an estimate of $2.22, according to LSEG data.

Net sales rose 21% to $1.13 billion in the second quarter, compared with analysts' estimate of $1.10 billion.