Joe Fresh

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Canada's answer to fast fashion is about to get huge.

To fete the opening of its new SoHo location, Canadian brand Joe Fresh went for a cool, downtown vibe--welcoming fashion girls-about-town like Kyleigh Kuhn and Tennessee Thomas with special margaritas and music mixed by DJ Kiss. But by far the coolest thing we saw was a live graffiti installation by famous artist collective UR New York.

It's been about a year and a half since Canadian import Joe Fresh landed in New York and quickly expanded to five stores and a shop-in-shop at the Herald Square J.C. Penney (as well as 700 other locations nationwide).  The brand's super cute and insanely affordable menswear and womenswear became an immediate hit (and destination of bargain-hunting fashion peeps) and now it's launching a sixth location in SoHo--with some very ambitious plans for beyond.

Earlier this week news broke that H&M, Zara and C&A had joined PVH, the parent company of Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger and Izod, and German retailer Tchibo in signing onto the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, a legally-binding agreement which requires retailers to help finance the fire and safety improvements needed in the area. And while the move has inspired some retailers to join plan, others, like Wal-Mart, Topshop and Gap, have failed to do so.

I woke up this morning to news that there had been yet another garment factory fire in Bangladesh, which killed 8 night shift workers. A collective shaking our heads is in order, before we get into the very necessary next steps that fashion brands, the Bangladeshi government, garment labor groups, and we, the “fashionistas,” must take. With 900 garment workers dead and counting, the Rana Plaza factory collapse on April 24 is the worst disaster in the garment industry’s history. Sadly, there are no guarantees it is the last. Just after the collapse, I’d called for brands to start holding their factories accountable, and for us to resist buying fast fashion. The glaring truth: boycotting brands does further damage to this delicate situation.

Disasters like the recent Bangladeshi factory collapse (and a fire that happened just today) are highly publicized reminders of the inhumane working conditions in which many of the products we use and wear are produced. The only silver lining: According to the New York Times, such incidents increase demand for ethically-produced products, and the urgency with which retailers must respond to that demand.

As the dust continues to settle in the wake of the recent Bangladesh factory tragedy--debris is still being cleared, and the death toll, currently at 381, could rise to 1,000 once all workers are accounted for--retailers associated with the garment factories have announced plans to offer compensation to victims and victims' families.

Following a weekend of violent protests, there are further developments in the wake of the tragic collapse of a garment factory in Bangladesh; as arrests are made, workers move from trying to rescue survivors to trying to recover bodies.

The garment industry of my motherland, Bangladesh, is burning, collapsing and struggling to stay afloat in the world economy. The worst part? All goods belong to the lowest bidder. No safety regulations, no living wage and no respect for the health, bodies and wellbeing of workers. As the Bangladeshi government scrambles in the face of another “accident,” thousands are protesting against abhorrent conditions in Bangladesh’s Savar Industrial Zone. The names of the retailers’ tags discovered in the rubble: Mango, Joe Fresh and United Colors of Benetton. I can’t help but lament the irony of these names—evocative of the tropical, the colorful and alive, much like the verdant landscape of Bangladesh. The same sickening feeling I had on November 24, 2012, when a factory fire killed 112 Bangladeshi workers. Post-Thanksgiving meal, I jumped to sweep up Black Friday deals. More ironic names: Faded Glory. Gap. Buried among these lost garments are the bodies of folks, mostly women, who knew that something was terribly wrong with the building when they clocked into work. Now, where do we fit it in?

According to the latest reports, there are now 230 confirmed dead and hundreds injured, with an unknown number of people still unaccounted for. The disaster comes on the heels of two deadly fires at nearby factories. In addition to the sharp rise in body count, several new details have emerged since yesterday's tragic incident, including which brands are involved and details on what's being done to prevent similar disasters in the future. Here's what we know:

J.C. Penney CEO Ron Johnson is out, according to a press release sent out by the company. The store's former CEO, Mike Ullman, will replace him. This news should not come as a surprise to anyone who's been watching the Penney saga unfold. Johnson, a former Apple and Target exec who joined J.C. Penney in November 2011, tried to bring the long-struggling store into the 21st Century with an updated design, tons of designer collaborations, lower prices, and the elimination of discounts. (Each of these tactics, particularly the last one, alienated what's left of Penney's loyal customers. People are creatures of habit. They're used to markdowns. Even if a product is cheaper in the first place, they can't help but want to see it discounted.) Anyway, Johnson also brought in some great brands to Penney, including Martha Stewart (whoops, that resulted in a lawsuit), Michelle Obama favorite Duro Olowu, MNG by Mango and Joe Fresh. These were all great prospects. But no matter how hard Johnson tried, no matter how good his strategy was, it was never going work. Here's why.

Spring jackets are tricky business. How do you find one that's not too thick, but will still protect you during those breezy evenings? Are you more of a trench coat or light leather jacket type of gal? We picked the brains of some of our favorite outerwear designers (Veda, Confezioni Crosby, Gryphon and more) to bring you some tips on how to find and wear the perfect spring jacket for you--and came up with a handy little guide to find the best ones. We've scoured the market to find the best in five iconic spring jacket styles: the trench, the leather jacket, the denim jacket, the utility jacket, and the rain jacket (we already covered bombers, fyi).

This week, Joe Fresh celebrates its one year anniversary doing business in America. In my homecountry of Canada, Joe Fresh, founded in 2006, is already a really big deal, with 300 stores nationwide and a dedicated following eager to snap up its fashion-forward, super affordable duds. While it's new to the States, it's wasted no time in following a similarly lightening fast expansion: In just 12 months, Joe Fresh has launched four standalone stores in New York and opened up 680 shop-within-shops at JC Penney. It's a dizzying pace, but as I learned on Wednesday, when I spent the morning hanging out with founder and creative director Joe Mimran at the company's New York headquarters, that's just kind of how he rolls.

New York weather makes no sense these days. One day there's a hurricane (those typically happen in the summer) and the next it's 30 degrees and snowing. It's supposed to warm up again this weekend, but we know that cold isn't going to stay away for long. So to prepare ourselves, and everyone as we approach real winter, we've rounded up 10 coats that possess everything you want in your outerwear: style, function, versatility, warmth, and affordability--they all come in at less than $300. From parkas to puffers to duffles, click through to shop!

JC Penney's $800 million revamp is well underway. After unveiling its store redesign on Monday--a shops-in-shops model meant to give more of a "boutiq

You've made it through four years of classes, student projects, and endless hours cramming in the library: Now graduation is finally here. Congrats!

Mark Zuckerberg is having quite a month. The Father of Facebook just turned 28, bought out Instagram for $1 billion and is now facing the most lucrative point in his career: Going IPO on Friday. We’d offer him a congratulatory “poke” but sadly, that option’s no longer available. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the IPO acronym, it stands for Initial Public Offering-- meaning that the company will finally be open to stock holders where the likes of Wall Street—-and even you!—- can purchase a part of the social media company. But with the estimated $100 billion that’s supposedly coming his way, we’re wondering whether the Harvard dropout will invest in a new wardrobe. Will he finally change out of his usual uniform consisting of dowdy college hoodies, sweat-drenched Adidas shower flip flops, and tattered baggy jeans, into something more uh, dapper? Better yet, the question posed is this: Can all the money in the world transform someone from HTML geek to sartorial chic? Fashionistas can only hope! To give him an extra boost, we’ve enlisted the help of several fashion experts from designers like Carlos Campos, Alan Eckstein from Timo Weiland and Simon Kneen of Banana Republic, to editors from GQ and Esquire, to buyers and the likes to see what kind of advice they’d shed onto Silicon Valley’s hottest star. And regardless of whether he takes our suggestions or not (note to Marky Mark: you really, really should!), happy IPO Day! We’d definitely like to send you a congratulatory poke soon—- this time, live and in-person.

Joe Fresh is a company that I've already come to know and love in Canada (where I'm from), and so it was with double the excitement that, yesterday morning, I went to celebrate Canadian transplant Joe Fresh's first foray into American retail. The company's new U.S. store stands at 16th and 5th avenue, done up sleekly in all white with perfectly distressed vintage-looking floorboards and birch tree installations adorning the nooks and crannies of the space. Though you wouldn't know it from glancing at the company's chic and affordable offerings, the new store is a far cry from where Joe Fresh started out, which was, namely, the fresh produce aisle at one of Canada's largest grocery store chains, Loblaws. "When I said I was going to do a clothing line in a grocery store, everybody told me I was nuts," Joe Fresh's founder and creative director, Joe Mimran told a group of editors yesterday morning. Looks like Mimran has the last laugh though. “I joke about it, because we’ve gone from the frozen food aisle to Fifth Avenue!”

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley Isn't Walking In The VS Fashion Show: She says she's booked for another job that day, but is it possible she was been replaced by Karlie Kloss? {InStyle} Caroline Trentini Is Getting Married: The model and her boyfirend, photographer Fabio Bartelt, are now engaged. Wonder who will design her dresS? {Vogue UK} Tory Burch Is Getting a Fragrance: The rumors floating around have been confirmed: superstar Tory Burch is set to launch a women's fragrance in partnership with Esteé Lauder, though we'll have to wait until 2013 to get our hands on it. {WWD} Filene's Basement Is Closing: The iconic discount department store filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this week, which means no more Running of the Brides. Sad face. {Racked}

TORONTO-Listen up New York! There's a new man coming to town and he goes by the name Joe Fresh. The Canadian big box store is set to take on Manhattan this August but before crossing the boarder, Joseph Mimran gave his hometown a first look at last night’s show. Inspired by the international runways, Joe Fresh presented an array of boldly colored looks filled with the spirit of the '60s and that '70s polish. Referencing top designers like Jil Sander, Celine and Burberry, the Canadian label added a democratic take to the season’s most covetable styles. The fast fashion retailer, who’s setting up shop at the corner of 5th and 43rd, plans to test the waters before embarking on what may be 800 locations across the US. But Joe isn’t coming alone. His wife Kimberly Newport-Mimran, designer of the prim and proper label Pink Tartan, has her eye on big city too.