Articles by Guest Contributor
Guest contributors write for FashionUnited on a voluntary basis to share their expertise and highlight topics that matter to fashion industry professionals.
Fifteen years on, Addis Ababa sharpens its focus and looks inward
Hub of Africa Fashion Week (HAFW) has never been about spectacle. Founded by Mahlet Teklemariam, it is an intimate, boutique platform built on care, conversation, and genuine human connection. Today, it stands as the third-largest fashion platform on the African continent, yet its strength has never come from scale alone. Its power lies in...
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Becoming entertainment: the future of fashion retail branding
We live in a time of overwhelming brand messaging, where even individuals carefully curate their own brands, and traditional communication finds it hard to cut through. This noise has awakened an exciting shift: brands are moving away from traditional advertising and embracing a new brand-entertainment hybrid that is delivering clear stand out....
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Why high street fashion must stop competing on convenience and start creating meaning
Luxury fashion brands have long understood that shopping is more than a transaction. They excel at blending global prestige with local nuance, creating bespoke environments that reflect local values and aesthetics. These stores feel rooted in place, with a distinctiveness of place that makes them desirable. Written by Luke Bell, strategy...
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AI agents will be our shopping guides by 2026, and Gen Z is already there
Picture this: you want a pair of Balenciaga black boots. You open Google and type “Balenciaga boots black”, and begin the routine: endless results, tabs, filters, sizes, prices… scroll, compare, doubt, repeat. This is what shopping experience has become: product choice explodes, while consumer attention collapses. Searches feel time-consuming,...
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Making structure effective: AI as a cost lever in the fashion industry
However high the cost pressure may be, compromising on quality is not an option in the fashion industry. A reliable planning rhythm, a robust data foundation and practical AI building blocks reduce friction costs along the fashion value chain. Thoughtful governance is key during implementation to ensure that savings potential is realised in...
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Hyper-local, hyper-physical, hyper-engaging: Retail’s next chapter
If 2025 has taught us anything, it’s that retail has shed its old skin. The store is no longer just a place to buy something, it’s a canvas, a stage, a laboratory, and a playground all at once. The smartest spaces this year were treated like ecosystems, where every touchpoint became part of a narrative designed to capture attention, emotion, and...
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Office Christmas party in 2025: time for a grown-up upgrade
Remember the old-fashioned office Christmas party? Glittery dresses were already askew early in the evening and tacky Christmas jumpers suddenly became too hot. Prosecco flowed freely and a champagne tower teetered, threatening to collapse at any moment. The next morning brought a pounding headache, memory gaps, and a voicemail from your boss...
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Lululemon vs. Costco dupe lawsuit: Understanding the legal battle
Lululemon sued Costco over the sale of dupes. A dupe is a product that mimics a more expensive item's look and feel to capitalise on its reputation, without necessarily copying the brand name. This dispute is one of a series of recent altercations involving brands against private labels. These brands, which tend to have the strongest reputations...
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AI, AI, who is the most stylish in the land?
Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer just a technical tool. It is becoming a constant companion in the daily lives of many consumers, fundamentally changing the relationship between people and brands. According to the latest Accenture study, “Consumer Pulse 2025”, around 30 percent of active users already trust AI tools for shopping and...
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How resilient supply chains will define fashion’s winners in 2026
For years, fashion and apparel brands have measured supply-chain performance by two metrics: speed and cost. But as we head into 2026, the brands that outperform won’t be the fastest or the cheapest. They’ll be the ones built to absorb whatever comes next. As one of my favorite quotes from Rocky Balboa puts it: “It’s not about how hard you hit....
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