Week in Review | Local Boutiques go Global, Moving Into Menswear, Diffusion Lines, Germany

LONDON, United Kingdom — As festive decorations engulf the city and office holiday parties kick off, the world of fashion shows no signs of slowing down.

This week, we took a deep dive into the e-commerce space, speaking to key figures at Luisa Via Roma, MatchesFashion, Browns and MyTheresa, once local fashion boutiques who have now turned to e-commerce to tap new markets. We also examined womenswear brands like Tory Burch and Michael Kors, which are swiftly expanding into menswear.

In addition we asked whether, in today's market, diffusion lines still make sense. And, finally, we turned to Germany to ask why Europe’s biggest consumer of fashion is not a more significant presence on the international fashion stage.

Please enjoy our top stories for the week gone by:

From Local Boutiques to Global E-tailers
E-commerce enables local fashion boutiques to tap global markets. Or so the theory goes. What does it take to put it into practice?

Will Men Buy Into Their Girlfriends' Brands?
Men are buying more personal luxury goods than ever before, prompting womenswear brands like Michael Kors and Tory Burch to launch menswear lines.

Do Diffusion Lines Still Make Sense?
In the face of fierce competition and heavy cost structures, some brands are rethinking the logic of their diffusion lines.

Why Isn't Germany a Bigger Fashion Player?
Germany is Europe's biggest consumer of fashion. So why isn't the country a bigger force in the international fashion world?

And don't forget to check out BoF Weekly, a week in review published with Flipboard and updated every Saturday.