StockX has introduced a new feature, “Store at StockX,” allowing customers to buy and sell products without ever taking physical possession of them.

Currently available to select users in the US, the feature enables shoppers to purchase items that are sent directly to StockX verification centres. Once authenticated, ownership is transferred to the buyer, who can immediately relist the product for sale from within the platform.

Customers still have the option to request delivery at any time. The feature is designed to reduce costs by removing repeated shipping and handling, while also addressing common challenges in resale such as inventory storage and logistics.

Greg Schwartz, CEO of StockX, said: “By eliminating the need to physically move products, Store at StockX marks an evolution in how people engage with our marketplace.

“It unlocks new opportunities for users who already buy with the intent to resell, while lowering barriers for those previously deterred by shipping costs and other fees.”

Store at StockX is currently limited to users of StockX Pro Buying, a tool aimed at high-volume and professional buyers, with wider access expected over time.

The launch builds on the company’s earlier infrastructure investments, including its Flex storage programme introduced in 2023, which allows sellers to store unsold inventory within StockX facilities.

Schwartz added: “This feature delivers a faster, more efficient way to trade on StockX, enabling sellers to respond to market opportunities in near-real-time.”

StockX said it will also introduce the option for users to fund purchases using proceeds from previous sales, further streamlining the resale process.

Sportswear giant Nike has confirmed another series of layoffs as it continues to move forward with its ongoing ‘Win Now’ turnaround strategy.

The company confirmed to FootwearNews (FN) that approximately 1,400 operations roles have been cut across North America, Europe and Asia, representing less than 2 percent of Nike’s global team.

The "significant changes” are said to be underway globally, and centre largely around streamlining certain team structures. It was noted that those impacted would hear directly from their leaders and HR starting April 23.

The brand’s technology division will be among those impacted as it moves towards a setup prioritising speed. Focus will now be placed on two hubs: Philip H. Knight Campus in Beaverton, Oregon, and the Nike India Technology Centre.

At Converse, Nike is also planning to move some of the footwear brand’s manufacturing and engineering resources closer to factory partners, while its materials supply chain will come under the umbrella of Nike’s own footwear and apparel teams, FN said.

A memo seen by the media outlet and issued by chief operating officer Venkatesh Alagirisamy stated that the layoffs were part of “deliberate steps to strengthen” the company’s foundation and build a simplified business model designed to deliver long-term profitable growth.

Algirisamy continued: “Over the coming months, we will continue evolving global operations to better serve athletes and the business with more speed, simplicity, and precision. Some of that work is happening now and more will continue over time as we align our teams, capabilities, and footprint to the future needs of the company.”

This latest round of layoffs follows a prior job cuts in January that impacted 775 roles across Nike’s US distribution centres. At Converse, meanwhile, a separate restructuring process initiated in February also resulted in job cuts, specific details of which were not disclosed.

Artificial intelligence authentication platform Entrupy has published its new State of the Fake report. Similar to the results published in 2025, this year's report shows Louis Vuitton as the brand with the highest volume of counterfeit products. It is followed by Gucci, Prada, Chanel and Dior.

The enthusiasm for the Louis Vuitton monogram remains as strong as it was several years ago. The flagship brand of the LVMH group is, by far, the most authenticated brand in the world. According to Entrupy's data, in 2025, Louis Vuitton was authenticated more than twice as often as Gucci, the number two brand, with a 35 percent year-over-year increase in submissions. In one year, the platform detected over 37 million dollars worth of counterfeit Louis Vuitton Monogram canvas, the highest figure among all the materials we track.

However, an analysis of relative risk, the proportion of fakes to the total number of submissions for a given brand, reveals a different dynamic. Goyard has the highest risk rate at 18.92 percent. The brand's limited distribution and exclusivity create a favourable environment for counterfeiting. Prada and Saint Laurent follow with risk rates of 13.10 percent and 10.50 percent, respectively.

In terms of materials, Prada's nylon and Goyardine canvas, Goyard's signature material, are among the most reproduced.

The luxury and athletic footwear segment, often linked to the lifestyle world, is also under scrutiny. In this category, Louis Vuitton has a risk rate of 54.1 percent, followed by Dior (42.5 percent) and Balenciaga (36.2 percent). Specific models such as the Jordan 1 and Air Force 1 remain among the most targeted by counterfeiters.

The Entrupy platform bases its report on the analysis of over 3.34 billion dollars worth of merchandise. With an accuracy rate of 99.86 percent, Entrupy's data provides a precise understanding of the challenges facing the industry. Of all items submitted to the platform, 8.1 percent were classified as unidentified, a term for suspected counterfeits.

This article was partly written with the support of an artificial intelligence tool before being supplemented and edited by a FashionUnited journalist.

The British Footwear Association (BFA) has appointed Ian Cartwright as its new chief executive officer. He will take up the position from May 6, 2026, succeeding Richard Shetliffe, who will step down early June after two years at the helm of the organisation.

As a long-time member of the BFA, Cartwright brings first-hand insight into the needs of the association’s membership, with his appointment reflecting a renewed focus on practical value and strong industry connection across the British footwear supply chain.

He currently serves as chief operating officer at footwear label Mahabis, where he has been credited with leading operational and commercial transformation. “He understands the realities facing footwear businesses today and the role a modern trade association must play in helping members navigate complexity, change and growth,” Jane Wilson, BFA’s chair added.

Cartwright has been tasked with continuing to build on the BFA’s heritage, the foundations of which were strengthened by Shetliffe, who helped stabilise the organisation during a period of change. The focus now is to further bolster the BFA’s position as a “credible industry voice” that supports sustainable business growth.

Cartwright commented: “I am proud to be appointed CEO of the BFA. The industry is facing a period of rapid change, but also significant opportunity. I look forward to working closely with members, partners and the board to ensure the BFA continues to provide clear value, practical support and a strong collective voice for British footwear.”

The British Fashion Council (BFC) has revealed the names shortlisted for this year’s BFC/GQ Designer Fashion Fund (BFC/GQDFF). The designers selected for the coveted prize are Clothsurgeon, Derrick, Harri, and Labrum London.

The winner of the fund is set to receive a 100,000 pound grant prize, as well as a year-long mentorship with an industry leader, legal services from Sheridans, and access to a network of specialist advisors.

This year marks the first in which Murray Clark, senior style editor of GQ, will co-chair the award alongside the BFC’s new chief executive officer, Laura Weir.

In a statement, Clark said the initiative has served as a “prime activator for some of the most remarkable names in menswear”, adding that the “prize has never been more powerful” amid the continued “ascendancy” of London Fashion Week.

Weir added that the chosen designers “represent the creative excellence that defines British fashion today”. She continued: “Through the fund, we are focused on sustained support to help designers build resilient, future-facing businesses.”

While running since 2013, this particular edition of BFC/GQDFF comes at a notable time for the BFC, which last month unveiled its new ‘BFC 2030: Access, Creativity, Growth’ strategy, pivoting the organisation’s efforts from designer promotion towards more tangible support.

BFC/GQDFF serves as a pillar of the strategy’s Prizes and Programmes segment, designed to bolster platforms that nurture and strengthen the commercial resilience of creative excellence.

At the crux of the strategy is the overarching mission is to replicate a blueprint laid down by British designers that have already garnered international success, such as that of Wales Bonner, Bianca Saunders, and Craig Green, notably all prior winners of the BFC/GQDFF.

The Swedish headwear retailer is opening the doors to its first German store on May 2 in Hamburg's Europa Passage shopping centre, Hatstore announced on Friday. It is the first location outside Scandinavia.

In the Hamburg store, the company, founded in 2012 as an online retailer, offers an assortment of baseball caps, beanies and bucket hats from brands such as New Era, Mitchell & Ness, '47 Brand and Goorin Bros. Hatstore's own collection and a customisation service will also be available.

“As the gateway to the world and one of Germany's largest cities, Hamburg is the ideal first location for Hatstore's expansion into the German market. The Europa Passage is one of Germany's most famous shopping arcades. With its central location between the Rathausmarkt and Binnenalster, it attracts millions of visitors every year and is home to leading national and international brands,” the statement read.

In addition to the physical store, the retailer is also already active with its own online shops in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. According to the company, Hatstore operates in more than 50 markets worldwide, including in the Netherlands, the UK and Spain.

Supermarket giant Sainsbury’s reported a 4.9 percent increase in overall FY25 sales in a preliminary report published this week, with market outperformance particularly seen within its Tu Clothing line. Despite recording “strong” growth, however, the retailer is eyeing operational changes among the brand’s team, with redundancies believed to be on the table.

According to Sainsbury’s preliminary results for the 52 weeks ended 28 February 2026, clothing sales were up 4.8 percent, as the spring/summer season offset an unseasonal second half weather. This marked Tu’s seventh consecutive quarter of outperforming the broader clothing market, bolstered by a 20 percent online sales growth.

While the results show a positive trajectory for Tu, Sainsbury’s is reportedly in early-stage discussions with the team of the clothing brand to address possible operational changes, The Industry.Fashion said. Redundancies are to be expected, according to the report.

A spokesperson for the company told the media outlet that the review formed part of Sainsbury’s ongoing Next Level Strategy, which is entering its final year. They added: “While we will regrettably lose some roles as part of this process, we expect to see many created as well.”

While on a broader scale Sainsbury’s affirmed it was in a “strong competitive position” as it entered FY26, the company warned that the conflict in the Middle East “will impact both our customers and our business”.

It explained: “The duration and extent of these impacts is very uncertain and this is reflected in our profit guidance, where we currently expect to deliver total underlying operating profit of between 975 million pounds and 1.075 million pounds.”

Commenting in the report, CEO Simon Roberts said: “More and more customers are choosing Sainsbury’s for more of their shopping, trusting us to deliver great value day in day out. The conflict in the Middle East means customers are even more focused on the cost of living and we are absolutely committed to making sure everyone gets the best possible value when they shop with us.”

Danish brand Les Deux has confirmed its resilience and agility. In 2025, the Copenhagen-based label recorded a 13 percent increase in turnover, marking its fourteenth consecutive year of growth amid a challenging global wholesale market.

While the fashion sector is experiencing a significant slowdown, Les Deux is demonstrating robust health. For the 2025 financial year, the brand announced a pre-tax profit of 8.68 million euros (64.9 million DKK). Its gross margin stands at 16.04 million euros, and its equity has risen to 17.94 million euros. This solid financial performance reflects the success of its international expansion and rigorous operational management.

Proximity to partners as a driving force

The secret to this success lies in direct integration within key markets. For the past two years, Les Deux has been internalising its operations, replacing agents and distributors with in-house management. This approach was recently implemented in the Benelux, Switzerland and Greece.

“It is no secret that the wholesale market is challenging right now. Our approach, however, has been consistent for several years, and that is what is driving growth,” explains Kristoffer Haapanen, CEO of Les Deux. “The closer we are to our partners, the better the brand performs. This is a people-driven industry.”

A physical and international offensive

The year 2025 was marked by a significant physical expansion:

• Over 250 new wholesale accounts opened globally.

• The opening of showrooms in London and Amsterdam.

• The inauguration of an international flagship store in Paris, strengthening its foothold in the French market.

Looking ahead to 2026: accelerating in the US and France

Les Deux does not plan to slow down and is forecasting further double-digit growth for 2026, with a pre-tax profit target of between 10 and 11.4 million euros.

Starting with the autumn/winter 2026 collection, the brand will nearly double its presence at Nordstrom in the US, increasing from 15 to 25 points-of-sale. In France, the network will expand with 15 new locations, including leading retailers like Hors Série in Rouen. This confirms the appeal of the Danish ‘preppy-streetwear’ style to premium retailers.

Founded in 2011 in a Copenhagen basement with a few white T-shirts, Les Deux is now present on five continents and distributed by major players such as Galeries Lafayette, KaDeWe and Selfridges.

Laura Jacobs thought she'd never wear animal fur, having witnessed years of protests over its use in clothing -- until suddenly she started spotting it all over New York.

Jacobs fished out the long mink her grandmother left her years ago and took it to a Manhattan furrier to give it a second act.

Fur "was stigmatized for so long," Jacobs told AFP, posing before a full-length mirror and assessing a potential crop.

But the return of real fur "fits with everything that's going on with recycling and bringing back vintage," she said.

"I never would have bought a fur coat," Jacobs said, adding that the thought of "killing animals like that" gave her pause.

But "this felt like I was recycling it," she said.

New York is thawing out after a particularly cruel winter that's included debates over fur's revival as influencers push the look and retail sites report a jump in searches for vintage pieces.

Business owners like Larry Cowit -- who inherited and runs his family's Madison Avenue Furs -- are celebrating a sales spike.

"I have girls as young as 20 years old walking in, coming in from college, and putting on a fox jacket," Cowit told AFP. "We haven't seen that in quite a while."

Noelle Sciacca -- head of fashion at the high-end resale site The RealReal -- said "interest in fur has accelerated dramatically," with searches for vintage fur on their website nearly tripling in 2025 from 2024.

The trend is "booming across the board," she told AFP, "but real fur is clearly leading the surge."

Sciacca owes part of the interest to "sustainable, accessible resale options," which she said "has made consumers feel comfortable embracing fur as both stylish and thoughtful."

Muddled public opinion

The global fashion industry's use of fur has been on the outs for decades.

Synthetic, cheaper alternatives have gained traction, and animal rights activists continue to push dropping the real thing.

Demonstrators recently urged Milan Fashion Week to go fully fur-free. New York's Fashion Week fur ban goes into effect in September 2026.

Many major designers have vowed to stop using it, including Prada, Michael Kors and Saint Laurent.

The European Commission meanwhile is reviewing a citizen's initiative that drew millions of signatures urging an EU-wide ban on fur farming. A spokesperson told AFP the commission would communicate in the coming weeks whether it would propose such a prohibition.

Yet the culture's court of public opinion has grown muddled, notably as concerns about fast fashion and petroleum-based materials grow.

"I always imagine all of the faux-fur coats being produced right now melting into a puddle of plastic. The idea of reuse and recycling can include vintage fur," Vogue archivist Laird Borrelli-Persson said in comments recently published by the fashion magazine.

"The question for me is whether wearing vintage fur increases the appetite for lookalikes -- either faux or new fur."

Real fur coats demand consistent upkeep. The skins contain natural oils, and garments not kept in a temperature-controlled environment -- ideally off-season in cold vaults -- can dry out and disintegrate.

"It's biodegradable," said Cowit.

But Ashley Byrne of animal rights group PETA said buying vintage under the banner of sustainability is "well-meaning but misguided."

She told AFP that shoppers who didn't grow up exposed to footage from inside fur farms should "understand that wearing any fur that came from the back of an animal who was tortured and killed is endorsing things that we're sure they do not want to support."

Online influence

Cowit said their ratio of vintage to new fur sales is now approximately 70 to 30. Pre-owned coats can go anywhere from 500 to 10,000 dollars, and the average mink is 1,500 to 1,800 dollars, he said.

He credits the internet with boosting business: "The influencers on social media have really changed the whole world."

Part of the online drive stems from the "mob wife" aesthetic that's trended on TikTok in recent years, looks featuring flashy jewelry, animal prints, and -- you guessed it -- fur.

Madison Avenue Furs' Instagram features Cowit's niece posing on the shop's balcony in a variety of plush coats recalling "Sopranos"-esque fashion.

Stylist Renee May, who stopped by with shoppers looking to modernize their grandmother's coats and check out new jackets, told AFP "a lot of my clients are wearing their furs again."

Nicole Bellmier, 36, called the look "very nostalgic."

"It's something to pass down to our children," her cousin Dominique Defonte added.

To celebrate the 130th anniversary of its iconic Monogram pattern, Louis Vuitton is transforming a historic townhouse in London's Mayfair district into an immersive concept experience.

The temporary project is located in the heart of London. Louis Vuitton announced on Friday that it dedicates individual, thematically designed rooms to each of its legendary bag models, from the Speedy to the Neverfull. The choice of location is historically symbolic. Georges-Louis Vuitton chose London for the first international expansion outside of Paris back in 1885.

The French fashion house describes the Monogram, created in 1896 as a tribute to the company's founder, as an “emblem of savoir-faire, travel heritage and enduring elegance that transcends generations”.

From the 'Keepall Lobby' to the 'Bar Noé'

Visitors can immerse themselves in the brand's history across several floors. The journey begins in the Keepall Lobby, which is dedicated to the 1930 foldable design. The Café Alma on the first floor offers culinary experiences in an Art Deco atmosphere. The second floor presents the Speedy experience, including a 'Safe Room' for the golden 'Speedy P9' edition by men's creative director Pharrell Williams.

Craftsmanship and longevity

In addition to a playful 'Neverfull Gym', which focuses on the durability of the classic, and the 'Bar Noé' in the basement, the pop-up also offers practical luxury services. In a special Care Services area, customers can drop off their own Louis Vuitton pieces for a “restorative short stay” to ensure their longevity. Exclusive personalisation and hot-stamping services complete the offering.

The Louis Vuitton Hotel on Berkeley Square will open its doors on April 24, 2026. It is expected to be open to the public for two months.

This article was created with the help of artificial intelligence.

Meta plans to cut a tenth of its workforce, looking for productivity gains from its remaining workers as it invests heavily in artificial intelligence.

Meta will lay off about 8,000 employees and leave thousands of other positions unfilled next month, a source told AFP.

The move comes as co-founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg makes a priority of delivering "superintelligence" in a costly AI race against rivals including Amazon, Google, Microsoft and OpenAI.

Reports on Thursday also indicated that Microsoft is looking to trim its ranks with voluntary buyouts of some US employees in an unprecedented move by the tech stalwart founded in 1975.

About seven percent of US employees at Microsoft were reported to be eligible for an offer aimed at workers senior director level or lower whose years of employment and age add up to 70 or more, according to a CNBC report.

Microsoft, which has also been pouring billions of dollars into AI, did not respond to a request for comment.

Meta and Microsoft are both set to report quarterly earnings next week.

Meta in January reported quarterly earnings that topped market expectations, as revenue grew along with investments in AI.

Meanwhile costs tallied 35.15 billion dollars, an increase of 40 percent from the same period a year earlier, the earnings reported noted.

Capital expenses, including infrastructure such as data centers to power AI, were 22.14 billion dollars in the quarter, according to the company.

Meta anticipated capital expenditures in the 115 billion to 135 billion dollars range this fiscal year, driven by increased investment in Meta Superintelligence Labs and its core business.

"I'm looking forward to advancing personal superintelligence for people around the world in 2026," Zuckerberg said on an earnings call.

Meta is locked in a bitter rivalry with other tech behemoths racing to invest heavily in AI, aiming to ensure the technology generates profits in the not-so-distant future.

Most analysts believe Meta will make the investment pay off by improving advertising efficiency and creating new opportunities, such as with its smart glasses through a partnership with Ray-Ban maker EssilorLuxottica.

Düsseldorf-based e-commerce group The Platform Group SE & Co. KGaA experienced strong growth in the 2025 financial year.

On Wednesday, the company announced that sales last year reached 728.1 million euros, an increase of 38.8 percent compared to 2024. Gross merchandise volume (GMV) increased by 44.3 percent to approximately 1.30 billion euros. The company attributed the strong growth to “continued positive business development, strong organic growth and scheduled acquisitions”.

Net profit increases by 42 percent

Earnings also rose, thanks to the increase in sales and the “full impact of the implemented cost and efficiency programme”. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA), adjusted for special effects, amounted to 55.0 million euros, exceeding the previous year's level by 65.3 percent. Reported net profit increased by 42.1 percent to 46.5 million euros.

CEO Dominik Benner was pleased with the results. “We fully achieved our goals in 2025,” he emphasised in a statement. “The organic growth of our platforms was consistently strong, which enabled us to successfully detach ourselves from the generally weak industry development in retail. The fact that our adjusted EBITDA grew significantly faster than sales demonstrates the high scalability of our software solutions.” The group has also strengthened its “profitability and balance sheet quality” through “strict capital allocation”.

Management confirms annual forecasts

The company also confirmed its current forecasts for the current financial year, which were published in January. Management therefore continues to expect a GMV of 1.7 billion euros, net sales of 1.0 billion euros and an adjusted EBITDA in the range of 70 to 80 million euros for 2026.

The planned acquisition of the pharmaceutical platform AEP GmbH is not yet included. The forecast will be adjusted accordingly after the transaction is completed. The group currently still expects a pro forma GMV of 3.2 billion euros, annual sales of 2.0 billion euros and an adjusted EBITDA of between 90 and 100 million euros, including the contributions of the designated new addition.

Germany's largest container shipping line, Hapag-Lloyd, currently sees no option to guide its commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, where they are currently stuck in the Persian Gulf. There is currently no possibility of passage and the company is awaiting an opportunity, said chief executive officer Rolf Habben Jansen. He did not provide further details. According to previous company statements, six of the shipping line's commercial vessels were stuck in the Gulf.

Jansen said the conflict in Iran is causing additional weekly costs of around 50 million US dollars. He attributed this to increased fuel prices. Hapag-Lloyd is charging customers surcharges to cover the additional costs. There is “good acceptance” from customers for the surcharges, Jansen said.

In March, it was reported that the Hapag-Lloyd container vessel Source Blessing was hit by shrapnel while in the Gulf. A fire broke out, which the crew extinguished.

The Strait of Hormuz is not safe to navigate because Iran is threatening free passage in the strait, which is located south of the country. Traffic has therefore largely come to a standstill. According to experts, Iran's actions violate international maritime law.

On Wednesday, it was announced that Iran's armed forces had attacked three cargo ships off their coast, rendering them unable to manoeuvre. According to their own statements, two vessels were seized. Among them was the MSC Francesca, belonging to the Swiss container shipping line Mediterranean Shipping Company.

Opinion

Today, the fashion industry remembers Rana Plaza.

It should.

On 24 April 2013, 1,134 people were killed in the deadliest disaster the garment industry has ever seen. Rana Plaza was not simply a building collapse. It was a moral collapse across global supply chains, exposing what happens when speed, low cost and distance from risk are allowed to define the system.

I write this as a manufacturer in Bangladesh, and as someone who has watched the industry here change from the inside.

And that change has been far more significant than the global narrative suggests.

Rana Plaza forced a reckoning. It exposed failures in safety, governance and sourcing culture. It also made one thing clear: if Bangladesh was going to remain central to global fashion, trust would have to be rebuilt through real, measurable change.

More than a decade later, there is another truth we must confront.

Resilience isn’t built by avoiding failure, it’s built by being forced to fix it, publicly, repeatedly, and at scale.

That is what the past decade has been about. Not perfection. Not completion. But sustained, visible change under scrutiny.

Since 2013, just under 4,000 export-oriented factories in Bangladesh have been inspected through joint national and international safety programmes. The Accord brought a level of scrutiny and enforceable remediation the sector had never seen before. By October 2018, more than 122,000 safety violations had been identified across covered factories, with around 90% confirmed as remediated.

That scale of response is still too often overlooked. It did not happen by accident. It happened because regulation, buyer pressure, public scrutiny and enforceable mechanisms changed the operating environment.

And yet, the narrative has not kept pace with that reality.

A decade of reform in Bangladesh's apparel sector

That regulatory trajectory is still evolving. Labour governance frameworks have continued to develop, with ongoing reforms aimed at strengthening worker protections, representation, and enforcement capacity. Progress is not linear, but it is visible.

The same is true environmentally. Bangladesh is now home to the most LEED-certified green factories globally, including over half of the world’s top 100 highest-rated green factories. That is not a symbolic achievement. It reflects years of capital investment in water efficiency, energy systems, waste handling, factory design and operational discipline.It also reflects a broader shift in mindset.

In the strongest factories, sustainability is no longer treated as a reporting requirement for buyers. It is increasingly part of industrial strategy.

The biggest shift is not only in safety or sustainability. It is in manufacturing maturity.

Too often, Bangladesh is still discussed as a low-cost sourcing market with a tragic past. That framing is no longer sufficient.

Bangladesh remains one the second largest apparel exporter. The industry did not improve by becoming peripheral. It improved while remaining central to global supply chains. The strongest factories here are no longer competing on price alone. They are competing on control, consistency, technical capability and resilience. They are being judged on whether they can meet a more demanding standard of supply chain partnership.

That matters now because sourcing is changing and perception plays a direct role in where that sourcing goes.

Regulatory developments in Europe, including the evolving Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, are increasing expectations on how companies identify, manage and disclose risks in their supply chains.

The direction is clear. Visibility, accountability and risk management are becoming central to sourcing decisions.Bangladesh’s strongest factories are better positioned for that shift than the country’s reputation would suggest.

At Harnest, I see that first-hand. Customers increasingly want evidence of control, accountability and operational discipline, not just capacity and cost. That is a very different conversation from the one Bangladesh was having a decade ago.

None of this means the industry has solved its problems.

It has not.

Wages remain a critical issue relative to living costs. Progress on labour standards cannot be separated from purchasing practices. Suppliers cannot be expected to absorb the cost of higher standards while margins continue to be compressed.

Progress has also been uneven. The formal, export-facing segment of the sector has advanced the most. Smaller subcontracting units and informal workplaces still carry risk. The top tier has changed significantly, but that standard is not yet universal.

So Bangladesh does not need a simplified success story. It needs an honest one.

Rana Plaza should never be softened or forgotten. The point is not to replace tragedy with complacency. The point is to recognise that Bangladesh is responding to that trauma through one of the most intensive reform efforts the apparel industry has seen anywhere. Safety systems are improving. Environmental performance is improving. Regulation is being strengthened, governance is evolving, and investment is growing. And some of the strongest factories in this country are helping define what the future of fashion supply chains can look like.

To argue that Bangladesh is still frozen in 2013 is no longer a fair assessment and it overlooks more than a decade of visible industrial change.

From where I stand, Rana Plaza’s legacy should not be a permanent stigma attached to Bangladesh. It should be proof that an industry under pressure can change, and that when regulation, investment and accountability come together, manufacturing can become safer, more modern and more responsible.

Bangladesh has changed. The narrative has not.

The real question is whether sourcing decisions are ready to catch up.

If there is one profession in fashion where emotional intelligence reigns supreme, this is it. Far from clichés, sales advisors embody the most vibrant and perhaps the most human face of this vast industry. To paint a multifaceted portrait of this hands-on profession, FashionUnited has chosen to speak with those who view sales as a place for fulfilment and specialised expertise.

To launch this new interview series, FashionUnited meets Léa Siboni, a sales advisor for the luxury brand The Row.

To describe your profession, what term do you prefer and how long have you been in the role?

Léa Siboni: I currently introduce myself as a sales advisor, and I have been in this profession for almost two years.

What was your first sales position like?

I held several retail jobs, such as point-of-sale manager and global retail coordinator, before deciding to move into “pure” sales as a sales advisor.

My first sales job was as manager of the Nodaleto space that had just opened at Printemps Haussmann. It was near the end of my studies at the Institut Français de la Mode; I actually worked in communications for a year in between.

Before the IFM, I completed a master's degree in cultural project management at Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne.

Being a sales advisor was not in my plans, but it ultimately suited my personality and lifestyle best.

Do you have fond memories of your first job interview?

It was an interview based mainly on personality and customer experience, which has very often been the case for my job interviews. They have always been pleasant interviews that I often describe as exchanges.

What is the best advice a manager or mentor gave you when you were starting out?

The best advice I was given was to pay attention to everything the client says, such as where she lives, her lifestyle, her activities, and so on. Each detail may seem trivial, but it is actually very important in our profession.

Today, what gets you up in the morning?

The team I am part of. We have a great time together.

Could you describe what the “pleasure of selling” is like?

In my case, it is the adrenaline of making a big sale after having successfully identified the client's exact wants and needs. On a daily basis, I like to push myself and combine that with client satisfaction. I enjoy the performance aspect.

What is the most unexpected or memorable sale you have ever closed?

Before joining The Row, I worked for Dover Street Market. This alternative space allowed me to meet many people from the creative and sports worlds. I was able to make my first memorable sales there and also meet international public figures.

Do you have favourite clients?

Yes, I have a special connection with some of my clients. Since it is a profession involving direct contact, I believe affinities naturally develop. When we share common passions like art or fashion, it strengthens the bond.

What is the technical skill you have honed the most over the years?

My knowledge of materials has significantly improved. Having mainly studied management, I had not delved into these elements in depth.

What qualities or skills related to your job are you most proud of?

I would say patience. Both with the client and in one's own learning process. You do not learn to be a good salesperson overnight; these are skills that take time to acquire.

How do you train your eye daily to always propose the perfect silhouette for a client?

I would say by watching many fashion shows. This helps to continuously train your eye to new trends and enables you to propose beautiful silhouettes.

What is something people do not suspect about the job of a salesperson?

Many consider this profession a “stop-gap” job. However, it is a real career that is key in the fashion and luxury sector. It can also open up great future prospects if you want to progress, which is unfortunately not often explained in fashion schools. I regret that this profession is still looked down upon by many people, even those within our industry.

Going into retail, although it was not my intended path, was the best career decision I could have made. I have been able to try different roles such as boutique manager for Nodaleto or Coperni; global retail coordinator for Jacquemus, participating in the opening of its first boutique; taking part in Dior's Retail Leadership Program; or participating in the opening of the first Dover Street Market in Paris as a sales advisor. I can only recommend pursuing a path in retail, especially as a sales advisor.

This interview was conducted in writing.

In a period where multinational brands are struggling to restore turnover and remain bound by brand DNA and archives, the current generation of Latvian fashion is instead playing with deep-rooted history and healthy creativity, two factors that defined the most recent edition of Riga Fashion Week.

Riga developed a fashion sensibility and craftsmanship that spread during Soviet rule

What is most striking at the Latvian fashion week is the high attendance at the shows, which includes the general public. The brands' clients, though not necessarily actors or celebrities, are invited by the individual labels and arrive in carefully curated outfits, even formal eveningwear. The shows in the Latvian city take place from the late afternoon onwards, while the middle of the day is dedicated to showroom visits, presentations by smaller brands or museum exhibitions.

The city of Riga has long cultivated a fashion sensibility and craftsmanship. This spread to compensate for the scarcity of accessories and clothing during the era of Soviet rule. As Agrita Greenwald, curator and project manager of the Riga Fashion Museum, explained to FashionUnited, “to satisfy the need to dress elegantly, many Latvians who could not find what they wanted in the shops had to be resourceful and learn to make clothes with their own hands”.

This may also be why the taste for 'dressing well' has remained important, especially on certain occasions. As Natalya Muzichkina, founder and director of the Riga Fashion Museum, says, “you can see it clearly when you go to the theatre, where people have maintained the custom of dressing appropriately”.

The 42nd edition of Riga Fashion Week, founded by Elena Strahova, hosted 18 Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian and international designers

With this backdrop, the 42nd edition of Riga Fashion Week, founded by Elena Strahova, who is also its CEO, took place from April 14 to 18 and hosted 18 Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian and international designers.

Among the Latvian brands presenting their autumn/winter 2026-2027 collections were Anna Kruz; Baé by Katya Shehurina; Iveta Vecmane; Katya Katya; Natalija Jansone; Studio Mx; Sviests by Sergey Hatanzeisky; Una Berzina and Verens. Other brands present included Hannes Rüütel (Estonia); Laura Daili and Lilija Klim-Larionova (Lithuania); Paul Williams Atelier (UK/Nigeria) and A.Cont (Spain/Peru). The Latvian Design Stories-Butterman space, a showroom located in the centre of Riga, hosted presentations by Novaliss (Spain/Latvia), Annaelizabete.Fashion and Lyuiize (Latvia).

These include both established names in the Baltic States and more niche, independent brands. Their main market until a few years ago was Russia, but since the outbreak of the conflict they have been trying to develop more within the Baltic States and also grow in the rest of Europe through e-commerce, Strahova said.

What is striking about their proposals, and what sometimes represents a breath of fresh air compared to the more famous European fashion capitals, is the approach to presenting the collections. It is an approach capable of putting the garment at the centre, letting the brand speak through the clothes.

Laura Daili, for example, brought looks steeped in material contrasts, artistic details, transparencies and sculptural silhouettes to the catwalk. The inspiration for the collection, entitled “Invisible tension”, is the glass fragment. This symbolises not only vulnerability but also change: the end of the old and the beginning of the new. This idea is enriched by the designer's personal interpretation: the saying 'shards bring good luck' has been transformed into a visual language where fragmentation acquires aesthetic value. The collection's aesthetic is also influenced by the designer's personal environment. Her husband is a glass artist, making the process of working with this material an integral part of the fashion creation. Transparencies, reflections, clean lines and structure are not random elements, but a coherently developed design direction.

“One of the strongest accents of the collection are the corsets, accessories and structural elements made from recycled glass. Here, glass serves not only as a decorative detail but as a structural material that defines the lines of the body, creating the effect of fragile armour,” explained designer Laura Dailidėnienė.

Visually, the collection thrives on contrasts. Layered silhouettes and light, fluid dresses alternate with rigid, architectural forms, creating a dynamic whole. Transparency here becomes both an aesthetic choice and a conceptual layer. The colour palette is dominated by shades of mint, cool tones of green and bright red, combined with black and white to reinforce the feeling of freshness and delicacy.

The glass fragments are not hidden; on the contrary, they are deliberately highlighted.

The bridal collection presented by designer Anna Elizabete was also interesting. It is an ode to femininity that intertwines delicate lace and crochet work with modern design. “They are all recycled pieces, in many cases they are tablecloths, coasters,” the designer Anna Elizabete Kasparsone, who founded the brand, told FashionUnited. “These are garments that can be combined together in multiple versions. I really like to leave the freedom of choice to the customer”.

In short, the ready-to-wear pieces are layerable, transformable and designed to be worn on different occasions, from day looks to wedding or honeymoon outfits. In addition to integrating upcycling techniques, the collection also features accessories created in collaboration with the brand Korte Art. “In many cases I also design custom-made garments; among my clients are many theatre actors and musicians,” stressed Kasparsone. She graduated from the Art Academy of Latvia and has professional experience gained through internships at luxury brands in London and participation in international studios and competitions in Italy, France and China.

Custom-made garments but also high fashion and semi-couture: the Baltic fashion week offered a variety of interpretations of the fashion industry. Studio Mx, which showed on the first day, for example, is a semi-couture womenswear brand. The label, also with a view to sustainability, makes each garment to order and durable, designed never to go out of fashion.

The creator of Mx is Megija Luīze Pudāne. Originally from Latvia, she graduated with a degree in fashion design from Ifa Paris in 2024.

Megija founded the brand in 2020, starting with colourful creations without yet having a clear idea of what the brand's style or identity would be. The brand took the name Mx in 2021.

During her studies, she perfected her skills and found her own style: an aesthetic of simple yet elegant designs, focused on shapes and silhouettes, and characterised by her love for the colour black. The collection presented during the Latvian event is a celebration of flowing dresses, transparencies, and silhouettes that are sometimes hinted at and sometimes hugged by the garments.

The woman who inspired designer Iveta Vecmane, who founded her eponymous Latvian fashion brand in 2017, is gritty, rigorous and elegant. The label represents the timeless elegance of a self-confident and emancipated Northern European woman. Its core values are based on the principles of slow and sustainable fashion, encouraging customers to invest in high-quality garments and create a smart, durable capsule wardrobe. This gives way to suits, pencil skirts, and light, ethereal shirts. Black, white and red is the colour palette chosen by the designer.

A fresh collection, with a nod to the new generations, was proposed by Varens. The brand, founded in 2015, started by specialising in high-quality home and indoor clothing for women. In 2023, it embarked on an evolutionary path, introducing inclusive designs for men and women, with a constant focus on quality and comfort.

The aim is to support nature by creating and producing authentic and stylish womenswear made from environmentally friendly materials. Through the production of limited collections, the brand aims to reduce excessive consumption.

The label was founded by Katerina Varan, a designer with a deep knowledge of pattern making and tailoring, while she was expecting a child. The designer's goal is to combine excellent quality with accessibility, making elegant and well-made garments available to a wider audience.

France's ambitious ‘anti-fast-fashion law’ (Loi Violland) is in limbo. Although the French Senate approved the law in 2025, the European Commission (EC), which had already raised objections last September, vetoed it again in April. Brussels argues that the law disrupts the principles of the European single market and is discriminatory, as stated in public file 2025/0336 on the EC's website. France must suspend the adoption of the law until at least the end of 2026.

E-commerce directive and DSA

The main stumbling block for the Commission is the conflict with the e-commerce directive and the Digital Services Act (DSA). The e-commerce directive (2000/31/EC) operates on the country-of-origin principle. This means that service providers, including e-commerce sites, are only subject to the regulations of the member state where they are established, not those of the country where the consumer resides. By attempting to ban advertisements from companies like Shein (whose headquarters are in Ireland), France is imposing its own national rules on a business that officially falls under Irish law.

The DSA is a set of European regulations designed to combat illegal online content uniformly across the EU to protect consumers. France proposes a specific approach where e-commerce sites must display additional information next to the price, including a warning about the fast-fashion nature and the origin of the products. The Commission states that the DSA was created to reduce administrative burdens and fears that more member states will introduce similar national rules.

Finally, the European Commission has reservations about the planned penalty for brands like Shein, which would increase from 5 to 10 euros per garment by 2030. The opposition specifically targets the tax on small parcels (‘les petits colis’), which has been added as an extra component to the law. Brussels fears this French levy will interfere with the planned EU-wide customs reforms of 2028.

Future of the ‘Loi Violland’

To save the law, environmental organisation Refashion was tasked with formulating objective criteria for ultra-fast fashion based on production volumes and sustainability efforts. The yet-to-be-published outcome of this research is crucial for the Commission's next steps.

The future of the ‘Loi Violland’ now lies with a conciliation committee (CMP), which must reconcile French ambitions with the demands from Brussels. It is likely that components such as the advertising ban and the tax on small parcels will have to be scrapped to gain European approval. The fashion sector remains in uncertainty for now, while the political ‘telenovela’ – as the battle on LinkedIn is now being called – between Paris and Brussels continues.

“This law needs approval from Brussels,” states Baptiste Carriere-Pradal, an expert at 2B Policy, on LinkedIn. He sees opportunities for France to amend the original bill to meet the EC's requirements. For instance, the system of penalising 'bad' producers and rewarding 'good' ones could be removed. “For now, however, France and the European Commission are not on the same page.”

Addressing shareholders of the world's leading luxury group, LVMH, its CEO Bernard Arnault, 77, has postponed the debate on his succession. He preferred to set medium-term goals for his group instead.

The topic of succession prompted one of the very first questions from shareholders at the general meeting in Paris on Thursday. When asked about his potential successor among his five children, all of whom work at LVMH, Bernard Arnault sidestepped the question.

"Last year, you renewed my term for the next ten years with 99 percent of the vote. We will discuss all this again in seven or eight years, if you don't mind," the billionaire replied. During the 2022 general meeting, LVMH voted to amend its statutes, raising the age limit for the CEO to 85.

To date, the leader has not indicated who might take over the reins of the global luxury giant. Four of his five children are on the LVMH board of directors. Two of them, Antoine Arnault and Delphine Arnault, are now part of the executive committee.

The regularly raised question fuels speculation. During recent media appearances, his second wife, Hélène Mercier, mother of the three youngest children, assured that there were no tensions between her sons and the two eldest.

On Thursday, for the very first time at a general meeting and perhaps as a gesture of fairness, the patriarch invited each of his children to speak in turn. He called upon Jean, marketing director of watches for Louis Vuitton; Frédéric, chief executive officer of Loro Piana; Alexandre, chief executive officer of Moët Hennessy; Delphine, CEO of Dior; and finally Antoine, who is in charge of the group's image.

"Well, the children, you have seen the children... Do they look very ambitious? I don't know... It is for you to tell me," Bernard Arnault quipped to his audience. "Shareholders are kept informed of each of their activities. They are very focused in their specific areas and all five, as you could see, are brilliant in their respective fields," he later told the media.

Confident

More broadly, the chairman outlined his ambitions for the medium term. "What matters most is where we are going, where will we be in five years? What will be the nature of the group in five years?" he said. He cited "formidable assets" for remaining at the forefront of the luxury sector, which has just experienced several years of slowdown.

The CEO has set the goal of making the jeweller Tiffany & Co., acquired in 2021 for nearly 16 billion dollars, "the world's leading jewellery brand". "We are not far off, but we are not there yet. In five years, I think we can get there," he affirmed. "I am very confident about our group's development over the next five years. That is why when the shares drop a little, as has been the case for some time, I buy more," he also said.

Bernard Arnault and his family have also recently increased their stake to 50.01 percent of LVMH's capital, holding 65.94 percent of the voting rights. In the shorter term, the group has been penalised, like its competitors, by the war in the Middle East. This cost it 1 percent of organic growth in the first quarter. The region is very dynamic for the luxury sector and accounts for about 6 percent of its total sales.

"Everything depends on how this crisis unfolds," Bernard Arnault commented. "Either it will be a global catastrophe with extremely serious and very negative economic developments. At that point, who can say how the year 2026 will unfold?" he asked.

"Or it will be resolved one way or another, more quickly, which we all hope for, even if it does not seem easy. At that point, business will gradually return to normal," he affirmed.

Zalando is consolidating its partner models and, in line with this, is discontinuing its Connected Retail programme.

The Berlin-based e-commerce company confirmed the move to FashionUnited, following an initial report by trade publication Schuhkurier. The Connected Retail technology is set to be discontinued by June 30, 2027.

In a statement provided to FashionUnited, the company said it wants to offer its partners “a holistic experience” and access to its “most advanced technologies”. It is therefore consolidating its partner models. The company is inviting retailers and brands currently connected to Zalando via the Connected Retail programme to switch to the other programme.

“We are not saying goodbye to brick and mortar stores; we are simply updating the technology they use to connect with us. This move optimises operations, provides enhanced data insights and allows partners to continue fulfilling orders directly from their stores, while scaling their business across our 27 European markets,” the Berlin-based company stated.

Zalando adjusts fees

The fee structure will also be adjusted as part of this change. From September 2026, the same standard marketplace service fees will apply to all partners. To support partners through this transition, Zalando is offering retailers a fee reduction of two percentage points until the end of 2027. Additionally, all partners who “switch early” will receive a further reduction of one percentage point for six months.

Partners who wish to continue working with Zalando must agree to this consolidated fee structure by May 15. Otherwise, the partnership will be terminated “amicably” by the end of August.

Canton - In the heat of a vast wholesale market in southern China, surrounded by clothing and footwear, traders are hoping that Donald Trump's announced visit will ease the American tariffs penalising their exports.

Manufacturers and factories in Guangdong province, the country's manufacturing heartland, have borne the full brunt of the White House occupant's customs duties in recent years.

The global trade war launched by Trump in 2025 after his return to power had resulted in exorbitant surcharges on certain Chinese products of up to 145 percent.

A one-year truce on most tariffs was agreed in October between the American president and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. However, for sellers at the Canton market, orders have dried up.

"It's quite noticeable. American customers have almost disappeared," says Zhou Hua, sales manager at "1988", a jeans manufacturer.

Guangdong province accounted for approximately one fifth of Chinese foreign trade last year, totalling 9,490 billion yuan, according to Chinese Customs.

The White House announced that Trump would travel to China on May 14 and 15 after a postponement of several weeks due to the war in the Middle East. Beijing has not confirmed these dates.

Zhou hopes this visit will lead to a reduction in customs duties and revive demand for his jeans.

The United States accounts for only around 10 percent of exports from "1988", which sells primarily in China and elsewhere worldwide. Yet they remain a fashion hub and therefore a strategic market, where being present and visible can lead to new contracts.

"We don't want to put all our eggs in one basket," explains Zhou.

The US Supreme Court overturned a large portion of the global tariffs decreed by Trump in February.

He subsequently imposed a new universal 10 percent surcharge, valid for 150 days, which also applies to Chinese products.

Hopes for peace

According to Guo Tao, the owner of "1988", Trump's visit will help "break the ice".

"When two countries engage in a tariff war, everyone loses. There are no winners," he says.

He is also concerned about rising raw material costs, fuelled by the war in the Middle East.

"As traders, all we want is a prosperous economy, a stable country and world peace."

In the aisles of the wholesale market, Chinese and foreign buyers haggle. Nearby, stand managers promote their products live on the internet in front of their smartphone screens.

A handbag seller, Ms Zhuang, explains that her small shop is not directly affected by American tariffs. She "clearly" feels the repercussions, however, as Chinese customers are more budget-conscious.

"As for my expectations" regarding the American president's visit, "I have none," she states bluntly, considering Trump "untrustworthy".

In another Canton wholesale market, pink streamers and disco balls hang from the ceiling of Wen Linpeng's shop, which sells coloured soaps, perfumes and makeup products.

His business is not focused on the United States, yet he hopes Trump's trip will foster cooperation between the two countries.

China will welcome the American president with open arms if he is "truly sincere", he predicts.

"If he's not friendly, if he demands concessions from China or forces our hand on something, we'll give him a taste of his own medicine," he warns.

"But if he's willing to cooperate, we'll be delighted to work with him."

EssilorLuxottica on Wednesday announced that consolidated revenue for the first quarter of 2026 reached 7,127 million euros, representing a year-on-year increase of 10.8 percent at constant exchange rates compared to 6,848 million euros in the first quarter of 2025.

Revenue grew 4.1 percent at current exchange rates.

Professional Solutions recorded revenue of 3,362 million euros, up 10.8 percent compared to the first quarter of 2025, while Direct to Consumer recorded revenue of Euro 3,764 million, up 10.7 percent.

Francesco Milleri, Chairman and CEO, and Paul du Saillant, Deputy CEO at EssilorLuxottica, commented: "With the third consecutive quarter of double-digit growth, we once again demonstrate the strength and relevance of our strategy and our ability to deliver against it. We continued to drive robust momentum across all regions and businesses, driven by the enduring solidity of our vision care and eyewear activities and a steady pipeline of innovation."

Looking forward, the company said that over the next five years, it is planning to deliver a solid growth of its total revenue and a broadly aligned growth of the adjusted operating profit.

IED Milano has introduced artificial intelligence into its fashion curriculum through a new partnership with Modelia, reflecting a broader shift in how digital tools are being integrated into design education.

The collaboration sees Modelia’s platform incorporated into the second-year Fashion Design programme, where students are using AI to translate creative concepts into fully realised visual outputs. The initiative includes a 20-hour seminar focused on AI in fashion, combining early-stage ideation tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini with Modelia’s production capabilities to create digital runway presentations.

According to the institution, the aim is to address a growing challenge for emerging designers: not only generating ideas but presenting them with a level of visual execution that meets industry expectations. By using AI tools, students can develop and refine concepts into professional-standard imagery, even when working with experimental or unconventional designs.

AI as a support tool

The programme positions AI as a support tool rather than a replacement for creativity. As noted by faculty member Paola Pinna, the technology enables students to realise complex ideas more effectively, while still relying on original thinking and design direction.

For educators, the initiative highlights a wider trend toward embedding AI literacy into fashion training. With visual communication and speed of production becoming increasingly central to the industry, tools like Modelia are being framed as part of the evolving skill set required for future designers.

The partnership also reflects a strategic alignment between education and industry, as institutions such as IED Milano—part of a broader international network of design schools—seek to prepare students for a sector where AI is becoming a practical component of workflows, from concept development to campaign creation.

Madrid – Accompanied by his muse, Spanish model, presenter and entrepreneur Nieves Álvarez, French couturier Stéphane Rolland enchanted Barcelona with a show of his latest bridal and eveningwear creations. The collection was presented on Wednesday evening as part of Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week 2026, set to the music of Manuel de Falla and Mendelssohn's Wedding March.

The event was a key highlight on the official calendar of the international bridal fashion trade show in Barcelona. The catwalk programme runs from Wednesday, April 22 to Friday, April 24, followed by the trade show from April 24 to Sunday, April 26. As is tradition, the opening day of this year's Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week (BBFW) was crowned by its Barcelona Bridal Night. This year's evening was particularly commemorative, with French designer Stéphane Rolland given the honour of marking the event's tenth edition. The Barcelona Bridal Night is designed not only to celebrate the opening of each new BBFW, but also to feature leading industry figures who receive a special invitation to headline these unique evenings.

The event marked not only Rolland's debut on the BBFW calendar, but also the French designer's first show in Spain. According to the organisers, it drew more than one thousand guests. Attendees included notable figures such as Athina Onassis; Spanish actresses Candela Peña, María Bernardeau and Najwa Khliwa; and models Judit Mascó and Verónica Blume. They gathered at Pavilion 8 of the Montjuïc Exhibition Centre to witness Stéphane Rolland's debut show in Spain. The presentation began with a welcome message from Albasarí Caro, director of Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week. It concluded with a speech from the French couturier himself, who emphasised that the show was not only about presenting his latest bridal creations, but also about providing a platform to support the growth of new talent in both fashion and music.

“It has been a privilege to have Stéphane Rolland at this very special edition of Barcelona Bridal Night,” said Albasarí Caro, director of the BBFW, in a statement shared by the event's management. Caro added that it is important to recognise “his unique and deeply artisanal vision, which understands fashion as an artistic expression and a complete sensory experience, capable of integrating creation, emotion and space.”

“Bridal fashion speaks of hope, joy and life, which is why we wanted to open the show to young talent in fashion and music,” said the French couturier, referring to the show, which was designed and presented under the title “Love for Peace.” “It is a message of transmission, of positivity, and a yes to life, to the future and to love,” Rolland emphasised about the spirit behind the presentation's name. He closed the show alongside his “Spanish muse,” model Nieves Álvarez, and Albasarí Caro.

Haute couture and new talent

The philosophy behind Rolland's show, which lasted over an hour and a half during this commemorative tenth edition of the Barcelona Bridal Night of BBFW, was both inspiring and poetic. Three key elements defined the unforgettable evening in Barcelona. Firstly, the French couturier's own Haute Couture creations were central. Rolland actively sought to create a dialogue between his designs and the new fashion sensibilities of emerging designers. The third protagonist of the night was the musical sensitivity of emerging local talent. This combination highlighted two things: the French couturier's creative vision and his holistic understanding of Haute Couture, which transcends the boundaries of fashion. Secondly, it showed how Rolland, far from being a barrier, strives to be a gateway, providing access and support to new creatives from all artistic disciplines that gravitate around his fashion house.

Delving into the role of each of the three 'main actors' of this tenth edition of the Barcelona Bridal Night, the musical discipline was key. It added a high degree of drama to the entire presentation and to Rolland's designs. The Barcelona Youth Symphony Orchestra (JOSB) set the pace and rhythm of the show. The group, composed of 65 promising new musicians and conducted by Carlos Checa, performed classical compositions by Chopin, Debussy, Bach and Vivaldi. Actress Nathalie Poza recited poems and lyrics by Carlos Gardel and Édith Piaf. The orchestra also played works by Jules Massenet, Jacques Offenbach, Joaquín Rodrigo and Manuel de Falla, culminating in Mendelssohn's traditional Wedding March. This piece accompanied the grand entrance of a large profiterole wedding cake, a dessert created for the occasion by Barcelona-based pastry shop Lolita Bakery to celebrate this commemorative edition of the Bridal Night.

Focusing on the designs presented on the catwalk, the show opened with 23 creations by fashion students from Barcelona's design schools: IED Barcelona, LCI Barcelona and ESDI. This series of bridal designs was developed as the centrepiece of the 'Sculpted by Nature' project, under the direct mentorship of Stéphane Rolland himself. This initiative to promote new talent also involved the Catalan textile company Gratacós, which provided the fabrics used to create the various designs that opened Rolland's show at the Bridal Night.

After this 'opening', which the French couturier made sure to dignify and highlight with a specific reference to the student collaboration at the end of the show, the Haute Couture designer's magical bridal creations took to the stage. Rolland, a full member of each new edition of Paris Haute Couture Week, chose Barcelona, and Spain for the first time, to present a carefully curated selection of 80 creations. The designs included his new ready-to-wear bridal collection 'Noce de Sang', as well as a selection of iconic Haute Couture dresses representing his career as a couturier. Rolland's journey began at the age of just four, when his first sketches revealed his early calling for fashion. He ultimately established himself in the discipline with the founding of his own Haute Couture house in 2007.

An equally brilliant line-up of models showcased his bridal and Haute Couture creations on the BBFW Bridal Night catwalk. The models included Ariadna Gutiérrez; Laura Sánchez; Davinia Pelegrí; Marta Ortiz; Mercedes Muñoz; Madeleine Hjort; Bárbara García; and Nieves Álvarez. The French couturier's Spanish muse, Álvarez, closed the show in a black Haute Couture design with a white bodice detail. This voluminous and baroque creation gave way to the presentation of the grand 'wedding cake' and the closing remarks from Caro and Rolland. Caro thanked all the attendees, Rolland, and the design students who participated in the show for contributing to this 'wonderful night for Barcelona' where 'fashion, art, poetry and music are made'. Rolland did the same, thanking Caro, the attendees, the organisation, and the 'magnificent' orchestra.

“We did this show to talk about legacy, about the new generations; and here you have the new generations on stage, with the musicians, and with the new generations of designers,” Rolland declared, microphone in hand, to the show's guests. “That is why we are very proud and happy to celebrate this tenth edition of the Bridal Night with all of you, thank you very much,” the French couturier concluded his speech at the end of his Barcelona show. As the latest guest designer at the BBFW Bridal Night, Rolland follows in the footsteps of equally renowned designers and fashion houses such as Houghton (2015); Naeem Khan (2016); Angel Sanchez (2017); Reem Acra (2018); Marchesa (2019); Viktor&Rolf (2022); Elie Saab (2023); Giambattista Valli (2024); and Vivienne Westwood (2025).

Stéphane Rolland's show at Barcelona Bridal Night 2026

Denim Première Vision Milan 2026 will return to Superstudio Più on May 20–21, bringing together industry professionals, educators and students to explore developments shaping the global denim sector and upcoming Autumn/Winter 2027–28 trends. Held under the patronage of the Municipality of Milan, the ninth Milan edition aims to combine sourcing, education and research-driven dialogue relevant to fashion teaching and curriculum development.

More than 60 exhibitors from across the international denim supply chain are expected to participate, with strong representation from Italy and Japan. The line-up includes returning companies such as Cone Denim and Arvind Limited, alongside first-time participants including Jawaid Bross. Organisers note that the sourcing offer will span mills, garment makers and suppliers of accessories, technologies and services, providing insight into the full production ecosystem.

Education-focused programming is central to this edition, particularly through collaboration with Istituto Marangoni. Technical sessions hosted by exhibitors such as Isko Luxury by PG, Advance Denim, Officina39 and Tonello will take place within the school environment, while students will present research projects at the exhibition. A student presentation by Lolie Bernard, titled “What if this was enough?”, is scheduled for May 21 and will explore themes of authenticity and emotional honesty in design.

Sustainability and circularity are also key themes, highlighted through collaboration with the Centre for the Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries on the “Circular Apparel Tunisia” initiative, which supports Tunisian companies transitioning to circular production models aligned with European standards. Another project, “Redefining Blue,” developed with Chloris, will present developments in bio-based dyeing technologies, including the Claessen Blue dye, alongside research findings shared during a panel discussion. The event will also pay tribute to the late Adriano Goldschmied, with collections created for Pioneer Denim in collaboration with Soko displayed in a dedicated area. Organisers describe the showcase as highlighting approaches to sustainable denim development and craftsmanship.

For educators, the Denim Trends Forum and conference programme offer structured insights into future design directions and technological developments. Sessions include forecasting presentations by Amy Leverton of Denim Dudes, discussions on worldbuilding in fashion with Shanu Walpita and Cait Monahan from Hypebae, and seminars from the Première Vision fashion team.

Additional initiatives such as the “Underrated Project,” developed with designer Kristian Guerra, will present experimental denim garments exploring hybrid materials and evolving silhouettes. Together with trend forums and technical showcases, the programme positions the event as a learning environment for educators seeking to integrate sustainability, innovation and supply-chain knowledge into fashion curricula.

The European textile and clothing industry contracted for the third consecutive year in the 2025 financial year, according to the annual report from industry association Euratex. The report documents a continued decline in production, employment and confidence within the sector.

The report shows that production volumes fell further in 2025. Textile production decreased by 1.6 percent, while clothing production showed a sharper decline of 4.5 percent compared to the previous year. In the fourth quarter, sales stabilised somewhat compared to the third quarter. However, on a year-over-year basis, there was still a decline of 1.1 percent for textiles and 1.9 percent for clothing. The largest declines in textile production were recorded in Spain at 17 percent; Croatia at 8.3 percent; and Germany at 7 percent.

Imports decrease as trade deficit narrows

In international trade, the European Union's trade deficit decreased, meaning the gap between imports and exports narrowed. In the fourth quarter, imports from non-EU countries fell by 8.1 percent in value. This was linked to lower energy prices and weak domestic demand. Imports of textiles and clothing from outside the EU fell by 11 percent and 7.2 percent respectively, between October and December.

Employment shrinks amid national differences

The downward trend also continues in employment. In the fourth quarter of 2025, the number of jobs in the textile sector fell by 4.8 percent and in the clothing sector by 1 percent year-over-year. Compared to the pre-pandemic period, employment has decreased by 14 percent in textiles and 16 percent in clothing. According to Euratex, factories in Europe are closing weekly.

The development varies by country. In the clothing sector, employment increased in Spain by 28 percent; the Czech Republic by 11 percent; and Denmark by 6 percent. Meanwhile, countries including Croatia, Poland and Lithuania saw declines.

Confidence falls due to lack of new orders

Confidence within the sector remains low. In March 2026, the confidence indicator fell by 2.7 points in the textile sector and by 0.9 points in the clothing sector compared to the previous month. According to Euratex, companies have too few new orders and the production outlook is worsening. The organisation is calling on the European Commission and member states to take measures before the end of 2026, including lowering energy costs and reducing regulatory pressure.

H&M is strengthening its commitment to digital transformation with the appointment of Diego Teijeiro as the group's new global chief information officer (CIO).

As exclusively reported by Modaes, the Spanish executive, who has over two decades of experience at Inditex, will take up the position from May 25. In this role, Teijeiro will join the Swedish company's executive committee and will report directly to Daniel Ervér, chief executive officer of H&M.

The appointment comes at a time when technology has become central to the Stockholm-based group's strategy. H&M plans to increase its investment in technological infrastructure during 2026 as part of its transformation roadmap. The goal is to modernise its systems and build a more flexible operational foundation for the coming years. The company believes this development will be key to accelerating processes, improving data management, and strengthening its responsiveness in an increasingly demanding environment.

A graduate of the University of Vigo, Teijeiro joined Inditex in 2007 after working for companies such as Deloitte and Mapfre. Within the Galician group, he held various technology-related positions before being appointed global head of data & analytics in 2018.

This move coincides with a financial context marked by mixed performance at the start of the 2025/26 financial year. In the first quarter, H&M's turnover decreased by 10 percent to 49.6 billion Swedish kronor. This was mainly due to the impact of exchange rates, as the decline in local currency was only 1 percent.

Despite the drop in revenue, the company managed to improve its profitability thanks to lower promotional activity and cost control. Its operating profit increased by 26 percent and its net profit by 23 percent. This indicates that the group is seeking to sustain its transformation by relying on a more efficient financial structure.

Interview There are countless sustainability initiatives across the global fashion industry, but who is truly driving that transition? Are their efforts visible to the public or not? In this series, we interview changemakers, consultants, sustainability experts, and activists in fashion to see what we can learn from their work.

In this edition of Changemakers in Fashion, we speak with Liz Hershfield, Executive Director of the US Cotton Trust Protocol, the voluntary sustainability program and traceability platform for U.S. cotton. With more than 30 years of experience in the fashion industry, she has led sustainability and supply chain initiatives at J.Crew Group, Madewell, Bonobos, and Old Navy, and founded the ESG consultancy Green-ish. An expert in sustainable sourcing and supply chain strategy, she has been recognized with the Textile Exchange Ryan Young Climate+ Award and named to The Lead's "Direct 60" and the Rivet 50 Index.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background — and how you ended up making sustainability in the cotton and broader fashion industry your life's work?

Liz: "I spent over 30 years in sourcing, production, and supply chain, taking products from development to the end customer. In 2015, when the Paris Climate Accord was signed, I started getting really interested in sustainability. I was at Bonobos when my boss and the CEO's girlfriend, now his wife, also showed her interest in it. She wasn't in fashion, but she was passionate about the environment and had all the contacts. He told her to come talk to me, and she set me off in the right direction. Bonobos was then acquired by Walmart, where I got to expand and amplify my sustainability work by combining it with production and supply chain, which is a bit unusual in the U.S. But it helped that I already had the business background and understood suppliers and how to make the product, so I could layer sustainability on top.

From there, I started thinking about where I could make the biggest impact. Every brand I'd worked for was cotton-rich, so I got really interested in soil health. I'd heard repairing the earth's soil could reverse climate change. Sounds easy, but it's not. I eventually moved to J.Crew, overseeing sustainability across all the brands and production and product development for Madewell. That's where I got to implement an industry-leading program paying U.S. farmers directly for regenerative agriculture, and we were one of the first brands to pilot the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol. I got really emotionally invested in the U.S. cotton industry. About four and a half years later, I left and started my own consulting business focused on supply chains and sustainability, and began speaking at Cotton USA events on why U.S. cotton is the best choice. When the executive director retired, I was asked to consider the position. It pulled all my experience together, and they wanted someone from the brand side. I came on as executive director, and I'm now also Co-Director of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol."

What are some of the projects you're working on that you’re most excited about right now? Why?

Liz: "On the Cotton USA and U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol side, we're under the National Cotton Council, and we are deeply connected, hence why I'm involved in both. One of the things we're doing right now is expanding the services we offer to the brands and suppliers who are Trust Protocol members and buying U.S. cotton. U.S. cotton is the best quality in the world; there are many studies that prove it. It can be seen as more expensive, a few pennies more per pound than some of our competitors, but because the quality is so superior, you actually get a better yield when you process it. The dyes and treatments all of that takes better. We have a whole technical team that works with our suppliers to help them process it and show them where they can gain efficiencies, which generally makes it at least cost-neutral, if not less expensive, with a better end quality.

We started off with spinning yarn, now we're into fabric, and we're offering these services to our brand partners, too. Having come from the brand side, I wish I'd known this existed before because, as a production person, it would've been incredibly helpful to deploy that kind of technical expertise into our suppliers. That way, we can really expand the use of U.S. cotton without constantly being told it's too expensive."

Touching on price, what are the biggest challenges you face when it comes to advocating for the sustainable production of U.S. cotton — and where do you see the clearest/most obvious opportunities?

Liz: "I'm gonna be honest with you, it really comes down to price. It always does. So we have to really show and demonstrate that the quality is superior. We also have the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, which makes us stand out. It's a voluntary sustainability and traceability program for the U.S. cotton industry, so you get best-in-class traceability and verified sustainability data. It's the full package. Now, I think it's about getting the word out, that's what we're trying to do, because when people use U.S. cotton, they love it and they want to use more of it. So, however we can make it easier and more efficient for them, that's what we want to do."

U.S. cotton can sometimes be overshadowed by organic or recycled fibres in sustainability conversations. How do you make the case that it's still one of the best options for a new generation of sustainability-minded brands, retailers, and consumers?

Liz: "When I started my journey in the U.S. cotton industry, through that program where we were incentivizing and paying premiums to producers for their regenerative inputs, it opened my eyes to farming practices in the United States; they're so advanced. Most of these are family farms, handed down over generations, so the farmers care deeply about the land, and they've been doing regenerative practices for decades. I was at an event recently with one of our producers doing a fireside chat, and I said, 'I want to talk about regenerative practices.' He said, 'Can you tell me what those are?' And I said, 'You're probably already doing them, you just don't realize it.' They don't think they're doing something special, it's just how they farm. That's what we really lean on.

Regenerative is very scalable; it's all about healthy soil, which is the key to everything. Organic cotton is great, but it's hard to scale for a lot of reasons. There are organic cotton farms in the U.S., and we support those too, but if you want to make an impact, you have to be able to scale. Regenerative is where that happens; it's scalable, it makes an impact, and it's positively received by the industry. And a large majority of U.S. cotton is already farmed this way. Last year, we launched a regenerative pilot on the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol side. We had to do a pilot to test the feasibility of verifying every field in order not to just check all the boxes but it's going to scale really fast, because so many growers already farm that way."

What are some of the most significant shifts you've witnessed over the past five years in how the fashion industry produces and uses cotton?

Liz: "I think part of the challenge we're facing is the extreme growth of synthetic fibers in the clothing we wear. Synthetics represent close to 70 percent of the fibers in our clothing, and cotton is 19 percent. There's been this shift, obviously, synthetics are quick, easy, fast, less expensive, but it's really damaging to the environment, and now we're hearing about the impact on people's health with microplastics and other issues coming out. The industry just went for it — they follow trends, they're selling products, and they weren't thinking about it. Sustainability has really grown as an initiative in fashion over the past 10 years, and now, as we talk more about natural fibers and how much better they are for the environment and your health, people are starting to take notice and market more around it. You're seeing smaller brands come up that are just doing natural fibers, and I think we'll see more of that.

I also want to be clear: we will always have synthetics in our lives. They are needed for performance products and swimwear. The problem is they start showing up in the environment and in turn, everything we eat, drink and breathe, and that's where we feel natural fibers, specifically cotton, are really the way to go."

Do you believe that we’re approaching a tipping point when it comes to how the industry thinks about its use of synthetic fibers versus natural fibers like cotton — and making genuinely better choices?

Liz: "I think we're getting there. We're not at the tipping point, but there's more awareness and more interest. Synthetic fibers aren't going away, and we don't want them to; they serve a real purpose, we just need less of them. Some brands are really starting to shift. Is it a seismic shift yet? No, but it's starting to burgeon, and hopefully over the next couple of years, we'll see some of that market share come back into cotton."

What are the most real, actionable steps that fashion and textile businesses can take right now to accelerate meaningful impact in their use of cotton?

Liz: "It starts with quality. You want the best quality product that fits into your price structure. The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol and Cotton USA are a great choice because we offer all of that. We offer services no other country offers, helping process the cotton and show its value, a traceability platform, verified sustainability data, and trust in the industry. We don't have to worry about things like forced labor and deforestation the way you do with other countries.

In the last six or seven years, brands have really started to understand where their cotton is coming from. So once you've done that work and you want a better quality product, U.S. cotton is absolutely the best. It's a really easy choice when you're designing high-quality products that are going to sell."

Do you think, as a whole, the fashion industry is doing enough to drive meaningful change when it comes to adopting more sustainable practices, such as using natural resources and material selection? Or is there still a large gap between ambition and action?

Liz: "There's a lot of positive intent and great work being done. But our biggest issue is overproduction. And overproduction coming from an infinite resource like synthetics, which is derived from petroleum, versus focusing on natural fibers that are finite. To me, that makes it evident there needs to be a mentality shift in the industry, and I don't think we'll see it that quickly. There are many brands doing amazing work and making an impact, but we're not going to see a significant shift unless we start reducing how much we're producing and how much we're consuming."

How do you view the future of circularity and sustainability within the fashion industry as a whole — is your glass half full or half empty?

Liz: "Half full, positive. I know there’s been a lot of negative press around — brands are pulling back and all that. But we see all the work brands are doing, just looking at our members, and they're very passionate about it. They're also running businesses, so they have to make smart choices for their business."

Finally, what is the one thing you'd like to leave our readers thinking about after this conversation?

Liz: "One thing we didn't touch on is how U.S. cotton farmers are some of the best and most advanced in the world. It's the foundation of the history of the United States. The industry employs over 200,000 people across 14,000 farms, and it's in a bit of dire straits right now. Over the last four years, the cost of cotton has been about 30 percent under the cost to produce. So by creating demand for cotton, choosing natural fibers, choosing cotton, choosing U.S. cotton, you're also supporting communities across the United States and really important infrastructure and family farms.

You can't keep running a business if you're losing money year after year, and we want to protect that. Supporting U.S. cotton isn't just about quality, traceability, and confidence in where it's coming from; it's also about supporting communities and family farms across the United States."

Canadian athletic apparel company Lululemon has announced the appointment of industry veteran Heidi O’Neill as its next chief executive officer (CEO). O’Neill, who brings more than three decades of experience in the brand strategy and product innovation sectors, is scheduled to assume the role and join the board of directors on September 8, 2026.

Based in Vancouver, O’Neill joins the company following a comprehensive search process conducted by the board. The appointment comes at a pivotal time for the technical athletic brand as it navigates a complex period of leadership transition and external pressure from activist investors.

Strategic leadership and Nike tenure

O’Neill spent over 25 years at US-based sportswear giant Nike, where she most recently served as president of consumer, product and brand. During her tenure at Nike, she was instrumental in growing the business from a 9 billion dollars entity to a global leader with over 45 billion dollars in revenue. Her expertise spans menswear, womenswear and kidswear, with a particular focus on digital transformation and direct-to-consumer (D2C) operations.

Lululemon executive chair Martha Morfitt described O’Neill as a "proven, consumer-driven brand strategist" with the ability to "imagine a new future for a brand".

Beyond her executive experience, O’Neill serves on the boards of Spotify Technology, Hyatt Hotels and Lithia & Driveway.

Navigating board friction and investor pressure

The appointment follows a period of significant scrutiny for the Lululemon board. Late last year, US-based activist investor Elliott Investment Management built an investment of approximately one billion dollars in the company. The firm had initially signaled an intention to back Jane Nielsen, the former chief financial officer (CFO) of US-based fashion house Ralph Lauren, for the top position.

Parallel to investor pressure, Lululemon founder and former CEO Chip Wilson has remained a vocal critic. Wilson, who holds roughly 4.3 percent of the company, has criticized current management for losing the brand’s "cool" factor. He is currently engaged in a board fight, seeking to install three director candidates at the annual meeting of stockholders later this year.

In March 2026, the company appointed Chip Bergh, the former president and CEO of US-based apparel company Levi Strauss & Co., to its board in an effort to strengthen its leadership ranks.

Path toward future growth

Interim co-CEOs Meghan Frank, who also serves as CFO, and André Maestrini, the chief commercial officer (CCO), will continue to lead the organization until O’Neill’s arrival in September. Following the transition, Frank and Maestrini will return to their previous senior leadership roles.

O’Neill enters the role with a mandate to accelerate product breakthroughs and deepen cultural relevance. While Lululemon remains profitable, analysts have noted that sales growth has tapered since the pandemic-era surge in athleisure demand. "My job will be to build on that foundation - to accelerate product breakthroughs, deepen the brand's cultural relevance, and unlock growth in markets around the world," O’Neill stated.

In less than two months, one of the world's biggest sporting events, the men's Football World Cup, is set to take place. The tournament, this time held across Canada, Mexico and the US, is not only the sporting event of the summer. It is also the grand finale of a historic collaboration: Adidas as the outfitter of the German national football team. From next year, the German Football Association (DFB) will be working with direct competitor Nike.

For the Herzogenaurach-based sporting goods company, the focus is currently on this summer. It is already drumming up publicity with several campaigns, such as a recent ‘vintage kit’ market in Shanghai. The advertising for the DFB's current away kit also seems to be working well. The sales launch was “very successful,” emphasised Adidas spokesperson Oliver Brüggen. “The demand in the first few days was even higher than for the Euro 2024 away kit.”

FashionUnited took this as an opportunity to speak with Mateo Kossmann about the final DFB kit, the collaboration with a total of 26 nations, and current football trends and influences from the second-hand market. Kossmann is responsible for the collaboration with national teams at Adidas as global category director – licensed football apparel (federations) and has just returned from a business trip to Mexico.

The perfect time to get the ball rolling.

First of all: What is the process for obtaining a national team jersey?

The process of creating a jersey is a long, collaborative journey that takes between 18 and 24 months. It isn’t a matter of Adidas or the Federation dictating terms; it is a shared process involving various milestones. Together, we define the stories we want to tell, the colors we want to explore, and the elements that are important for the jerseys.

At Adidas, we also study consumers and fans to understand what resonates with them and what stories will connect with their emotions. Combining fan insights, the Federation’s perspective, and the seasonal identity of Adidas Football, we build the kit through multiple rounds of feedback.

This year marks the end of the partnership with the DFB for the time being. What were your feelings when you first embarked on the project?

The collaboration and shared journey with the DFB and the German national team is long and special for Adidas. Heading into the 2026 World Cup, we knew we couldn't disappoint.

We put a great deal of love and attention into creating a very strong range for the team. We have a significant history together – many ups and downs – and while we look back at what we’ve experienced, we also focus on how the German national team should look in 2026 at the biggest World Cup ever.

Whilst the home kit draws inspiration from the 1990 World Cup victory, the away kit pays homage to several eras of your shared history. Could you use this example to walk us through the design process for such a kit?

For Germany 2026, the home kit celebrates past victories in a unique way. It takes cues from winning kits but reinvents them so that fans feel a sense of familiarity while seeing something fresh and exciting to wear in the US, Mexico, and Canada.

Regarding away kits, there is more flexibility. While a home kit – like Germany’s white or Spain’s red – is traditional, away kits allow us to meet different expectations. Germany has had green, black, and even pink kits. For 2026, we chose blue. This draws from several historical elements: a blue kit used in a friendly, the dark blue of the first Franz Beckenbauer Adidas tracksuit, and the blue training wear often worn by our founder and the team in the 90s.

We integrated these cues into the kit, maintaining a diamond-shape connection between the home and away designs. The engineered fabric of the authentic jersey plays with light and dark shades of blue to create a "denim" look depending on the angle. This blue shade is highly wearable both on and off the pitch, and bringing it to life was a massive effort from the Adidas and DFB teams.

36 years ago, the Trefoil logo also adorned a national team jersey for the last time. Was bringing it back now the icing on the cake to celebrate this collaboration?

For Germany, definitely. Adidas always brings its best to these major events. When planning, we decided to use both the performance logo on the home kit and the Trefoil on the away kit to celebrate the brand in different ways. On the home kit, we focused on "our life, our colors," emphasizing the national flag and identity.

The away kit focuses more on the cultural element. For us, the Trefoil doesn't just mean "retro" or "nostalgia" – it means culture, which can be interpreted in many ways. While the design may have nostalgic cues, the fabric and technology provide peak performance for the players.

We applied this cultural storytelling across different nations: a "flowery desert" story for Chile, the blue diamond story for Germany, and a stylish kit inspired by Spanish book covers for Spain. You only succeed in this by working closely with local teams and federations to ensure the design truly resonates with what people want.

In total, you’re currently working with 26 nations. Apart from the fact that every country has its own history, what are the biggest differences?

With 26 partners from different parts of the world, there is no way to streamline the process completely. Every culture is different. Some partners are very vocal and involved, while others give us more leeway. We have had meetings where designs receive standing ovations, and others where we debate every detail, from the cuff structure to the exact Pantone shade of the flag. Ultimately, it is a partnership; both parties must be happy with the direction, otherwise it wouldn't be sustainable in the long term.

Is there a particular story behind a detail on a jersey that has really inspired you?

Japan is always special. The federation has a very clear vision. They wanted to visualize the concept of "going beyond the horizon." On the home kit, we visualized that horizon, and on the away kit, the opportunities beyond it. They wanted 12 colors on the jersey to represent the 11 players and the fans. We decided the fan color should be red – the color of the flag and passion – placing a red stripe down the center of the jersey. We even included a red zip liner on the anthem jacket as a subtle "wink" to that story.

Another example is Curaçao. They qualified late, so we had to act fast. Instead of a standard white away kit, we spoke with people on the island about their culture. They described blue waves, beaches, and the vibrant colors of a special town. We landed on a unique, wearable yellow colorway with branding details that pop, creating a fresh look for the summer without overdoing it.

Today, the Trefoil logo is particularly associated with the Originals lifestyle brand. Does this also build a bridge to football as a trend?

Football is a global sport that influences lifestyle and fashion far beyond the pitch. When we create a kit, the priority is how it looks during a performance, but we know it also carries deep symbolic meaning for the culture. For 2026, we ensured fans could represent their teams in various ways: long-sleeves, authentic and replica versions, crop jerseys, and even "bringback" remixes with oversized, fashion-forward fits.

When you launch a kit, people talk. The fashion world takes inspiration from iconic eras like the 90s or 2000s, and we see more non-traditional brands entering the football space. We think that’s great because it brings the best to the fans.

You mentioned the 90s and 2000s, two centuries which also shaped fashion trends of the last years. In which “throwback time” is football culture at the moment?

The 90s provided very unique, iconic designs that still inspire us. However, we are slowly seeing a shift toward 2000s trends as Gen Z becomes more relevant. As humans, we are naturally nostalgic, but that doesn’t mean we should simply remake what already exists. We have to be smart about using cues from the past to create something reinvented.

The Argentinian home kit is a perfect example. To celebrate their three World Cups, we looked at the 1978, 1986, and 2022 jerseys. We combined their three distinct shades of light blue into a new, faded artwork on the stripes. We also added a crest with a holographic effect showing the years they won. It feels familiar but fresh for the current World Champions.

The older jerseys are also hot items on the second-hand market. To what extent is this relevant for Adidas?

It’s another way of celebrating football. Whether people want the latest performance gear or a baggy retro fit with a specific sponsor, we celebrate that excitement. Our "Bringbacks" program involves an "archaeological" approach to create one-to-one remakes of original jerseys. We replicate the specific fabrics, crests, and suede effects – only changing minor internal labels for modern regulations. These will be available for many federations in 2026.

What’s your all time favourite national jersey?

I’m originally from Uruguay, so I have several jerseys from my youth that I’ll never let go of. But if I had to pick one iconic design, it would be the 1990 DFB home kit. That look – the colors, the contrast, and the combination of simplicity and "loudness" – still gets me very excited.

Handbags are often a brand's primary revenue driver, offering higher profit margins than clothing and reaching a much wider audience. Because of this, they are essential for steering seasonal collections and boosting overall sales. This importance was reflected on the FW26 runways, where designers showcased a wide variety of satchels, ranging from relaxed, slouchy hobos to more structured silhouettes with straps.

Hobos

Designers used suede and softer types of leather in fresh colors for slouchy forms with updated detailing.

Diesel FW26 by Glenn Martens

The slouchy Diesel D-One in weathered brown leather featured dangling straps with multiple brass buckles and studs.

Elisabetta Franchi FW26

The ‘Boulevard’ hobo-style bag in black dollar-grain calf leather with a tubular top handle had a strap closure and gold-tone metal logo on the front.

Eckhaus Latta FW26

A yellow suede hobo bag with a strap accented with several silver-toned rivets.

Hermès FW 26 by Nadège Vanhee

A mustard yellow leather hobo bag with a unique metal clasp detail hanging from a central leather strap.

Shoulder bags

Fendi reintroduced their ‘90’s favorite the ‘Baguette’ with fresh details. Color for FW26 will be far-reaching, ranging from neutral black, brown and camel to a shade of bright grass green.

Fendi FW26 by Maria Grazia Chiuri

A Fendi ‘Baguette’ bag in camel leather with an intricate whipstitch detailing along the edges and a matching woven FF logo buckle.

Marni FW26 by Meryll Rogge

An elongated bag with a brown textured leather body and a contrasting orange top flap with long dual straps.

Prada FW26 by Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons

A bright green crocodile-embossed leather shoulder bag with a gold stamped logo.

Boss FW26

A black lambskin satchel with a curved topline and a thick adjustable shoulder strap.

Handheld bags

Designers showed ‘ladylike’ handbags, often shown in exotic skins or very fine lambskins. Trapezoid shapes were popular on the runways this season in keeping with the geometric trend.

Ferrari FW26 by Rocco Iannone

A handheld bag in burgundy leather with a polished silver-toned metal top handle.

Michael Kors FW26

A geometric trapezoidal shaped bag in sleek, polished calf leather with top handles.

Mugler FW26 by Miguel Castro Freitas

A croc-embossed leather bag in an angular design with top handles.

No.21 FW26 by Alessandro Dell'Acqua

A pink leather bag features a slouchy body with a structured top flap and a buckled strap.

Tods FW26 by Matteo Tamburini

A bag made of soft calf leather in a honey yellow color with a wrap-around buckled belt strap and a gold-toned metal "T" clasp.

Boxy shaped bags

‘Boxy’ east-west satchels were plentiful this season. Their shape was in keeping with this year’s geometric trend.

Advisry by Keith Herron

A leather tote in a black and white geo print with a circular front pocket, side pockets, a top zip with a tassel and tubular handles.

Hermès FW26 by Nadège Vanhee

A lime green suede mini ‘Plume’ bag with double top handles, a top zip and silver-toned hardware.

Mithridate FW26 by Daniel Fletcher

A blue leather double top-handled bag with front pockets and buckle and tassel details.

Akris FW26 by Albert Kriemler

The Akris small green leather ‘Alice’ bag with a textured flap and a top handle.

Satchels with a long strap

Arguably the most practical of the satchels as they can be worn as a crossbody, every big design house showed one with a long strap. Matthieu Blazy got creative with the classic Chanel bag, while the TV show, ‘Love Story’ introduced a whole new generation to the Calvin Klein brand.

Balenciaga FW26 by Pierpaolo Piccioli

The double-flap ‘George’ bag in brown lambskin featured a sculptural silhouette with a gold-toned rectangular ‘double B’ logo clasp.

Calvin Klein FW26 by Veronica Leoni

A brown leather bag with a rectangular gold toned metal clasp and a long strap.

Chanel FW26 by Matthieu Blazy

A unique bag incorporating the "Mademoiselle" turnlock and the flat-link "bijoux" chain of the 2.55 with the interlocking "CC" closure of the 11.12 and the leather-intertwined chain of the Classic Flap.

Miu Miu FW26 by Miucca Prada

A saddle-bag silhouette in a brown, distressed leather finish with a prominent gold-tone buckle and a long, thin adjustable leather strap.

Ivano Cauli has been appointed the new chief executive officer of Pitti Immagine, while Raffaello Napoleone, who has been CEO of Pitti Immagine since 1989, has been appointed managing director for international and institutional relations.

The new board of directors of Pitti Immagine was inaugurated today under the chairmanship of Antonio De Matteis. The board has been expanded by two members compared to the outgoing board, following a resolution passed last week at the extraordinary shareholders' meeting. It is now composed as follows: Giovanni Basagni (reappointed); Stefano Borsini (reappointed); Laura Bosetti Tonatto (newly appointed); Ercole Botto Poala (reappointed); Paolo Carrai (newly appointed); Ivano Cauli (newly appointed); Antonio De Matteis (reappointed chairman); Marco Landi (reappointed); Antonella Mansi (reappointed vice chairwoman); Niccolò Moschini (reappointed); Raffaello Napoleone (reappointed); Lorenzo Nencini (reappointed); and Marco Palmieri (reappointed).

“First of all, I would like to thank the Centro di Firenze per la Moda Italiana (CFMI) and Confindustria Moda for the confidence they have shown in me and the board. Complex years lie ahead. We are ready to contribute to supporting Pitti Immagine's trade fair initiatives, which represent excellence not only for Florence but also for the various reference sectors,” said Antonio De Matteis in a statement.

Raffaello Napoleone is managing director for international and institutional relations

The board has appointed Ivano Cauli, the company's current general manager, as chief executive officer. Subsequently, Raffaello Napoleone was appointed managing director for international and institutional relations.

"“There is no doubt that this dual role places a great responsibility on Ivano Cauli, who has been with the company for four years now. His personal entrepreneurial experience, ability to manage innovation, and knowledge of the company's operations provide ample guarantees,” De Matteis emphasised.

Who is Ivano Cauli

Ivano Cauli was born in Milan in 1969. He is a manager and entrepreneur in the digital sector with extensive experience developing innovative projects between Italy and the US. A graduate in Information Science, he contributed to the growth of the startup Sapient in the 1990s, launching a professional career focused on technological innovation.

In 2004, he founded Openmind. The company became a benchmark in e-commerce for fashion and other sectors, collaborating with major international brands. Following its acquisition by Accenture in 2021, he served as managing director for two years, leading the commerce offering for Southern Europe. Since 2024, he has been the director of innovation at Pitti Immagine and, since 2025, an advisor to the startup Grace Brigade, continuing to promote development and innovation in the digital landscape.

“I am convinced that the future of Pitti Immagine and the CFMI Group is being decided right now, within the next two or three years. This will shape the next 10 to 15 years. We are in the midst of an industrial transition that must be managed with great care at both European and national levels, including in Italy, without ideological gambles,” added Antonella Mansi.

"“There is a serious crisis in the international order that is obviously reflected in the economy, particularly in global trade and mobility. We are clearly seeing its impact on the fashion sector. In the trade fair sector, this is translating into changes in how operators participate and a consequent reduction in operating margins. This inevitably leads to the need to control costs while seeking new opportunities,” Mansi explained.

The board has approved the appointments for the corporate bodies of its subsidiaries. Agostino Poletto has been reappointed as the sole director of Stazione Leopolda srl. The board of directors of the Fondazione Pitti Discovery was also reappointed, with Mansi as chairwoman; Cauli, De Matteis, Moschini, and Napoleone as directors; and Cianchi as general secretary.

The Norwegian company Helly Hansen has relocated its Southern European headquarters to the centre of Barcelona, establishing a new base on Paseo de Gracia. Previously, the company operated from Sant Quirze del Vallès, on the city's outskirts.

According to a report by the trade publication Turiski, the move is part of a new phase of consolidation in Southern Europe. This relocation responds to the growth recorded in the region in recent years, where it has reportedly doubled its profits. It is also part of its expansion strategy in the Mediterranean and Spanish-speaking markets, under the ownership of the US group Kontoor Brands since 2025.

The new offices will centralise the marketing, sales, customer operations and retail departments for the Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese and Andorran markets. Through this reorganisation, the company aims to improve internal coordination and strengthen relationships with its commercial partners in Southern Europe.

Carlos Bravo, the regional director, highlighted in a conversation with the trade publication that this new headquarters represents a boost to its commitment to the multi-brand distribution network. It also supports the company's expansion in the Mediterranean region.

The new space also incorporates a showroom for presenting the Helly Hansen, HH Workwear and Musto collections, with the capacity to host more than 150 clients annually. The company was acquired by Kontoor Brands in a deal valued at 900 million dollars in 2025. It has successfully boosted the US group's turnover since the acquisition and now aims to further strengthen its position as a technical leader in the sailing and mountain sectors.

Under Armour has joined the US Cotton Trust Protocol, taking a step forward in efforts to improve transparency and responsibility in cotton sourcing.

Through the membership, the sportswear brand will gain access to verified, field-level data on key environmental metrics, including water use, greenhouse gas emissions, soil health and land use. The move supports the brand’s wider sustainability strategy and its commitment to sourcing materials more responsibly.

As part of the partnership, Under Armour will begin piloting cotton sourced through the programme later this year. The material will be used in graphic T-shirts within its Freedom collection.

Aaron Driggers, director of sustainability at Under Armour, said: “Where and how our cotton is grown matters. We are thrilled to join the US Cotton Trust Protocol and strengthen our ability to build better products for athletes while advancing transparency across our supply chain.”

The Trust Protocol is a voluntary programme that provides measurable and verifiable data on US cotton production, helping brands track progress and validate improvements across sustainability indicators.

Gary Adams, president of the organisation, said the partnership aligns with Under Armour’s focus on performance and innovation, while also supporting more responsible sourcing practices across the industry.

US-based smart eyewear developer Innovative Eyewear has announced preliminary unaudited sales results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026. The company, which manufactures products under the Lucyd, Reebok, Nautica, and Eddie Bauer brands, achieved preliminary first quarter (Q1) sales of approximately 0.81 million dollars. This figure represents an increase of 78 percent compared to Q1 2025, marking the highest first-quarter revenue in the history of the company.

This performance extends the streak of year-over-year (YoY) quarterly revenue growth for the company to 11 consecutive quarters. The growth rate for Q1 2026 also indicates an acceleration from the full-year 2025 growth rate of approximately 63 percent.

Innovative Eyewear chief executive officer Harrison Gross stated that the results represent the strongest start to any year in the history of the company. “Whilst these results remain subject to audit, we are highly encouraged by the preliminary Q1 2026 sales performance and by the commercial pipeline we are seeing in our optical, safety, and sporting goods channels,” Gross said. He highlighted that demand for workforce connectivity solutions remains a primary driver for the business.

Market expansion and product recognition

Lucyd Armor, the most popular product line for the group, recently received the 2026 Red Dot Design Award and the NHPA Retailer’s Choice Award. Market analysis indicates that Lucyd Armor holds approximately 44 percent market share of smart safety glasses on Amazon.

Innovative Eyewear management stated that the product remains the only smart safety glass on the platform with full safety certification in the US, Canada, and the European Union. The company has focused on building a diverse product mix and international footprint to maintain its position as a value leader in the smart eyewear sector.

To bolster its direct-to-consumer (D2C) growth, the company is in negotiations with several retailers to introduce Lucyd Armor and Reebok products into brick and mortar stores across the US and Canada throughout 2026. Target partners include big box stores, traditional optical chains, and hardware and automotive retailers.

Industrial partnerships and white label opportunities

Several industrial and logistics companies are currently testing Lucyd products for workforce use; these firms include DHL, Do It Best / True Value, and Thermo King. Additionally, the company launched a white label offering at the most recent Vision Expo trade show.

The white label service allows retailers and legacy eyewear brands to introduce smart products in partnership with Innovative Eyewear. The company confirmed it has already secured an affirmative commitment for a white label line of smart safety glasses.

Preliminary results also indicate improved gross margins for the period. The Q1 2026 gross profit margins showed a significant increase over full-year 2025 margins, which the company attributed to effective tariff mitigation actions.

The company continues to focus on its mission to ‘Upgrade Your Eyewear’ through Bluetooth and ChatGPT enabled frames. These products are offered in hundreds of combinations to serve the sunglasses, sporting goods, and safety eyewear markets.

Consumer prices (February 2026)

Clothing and footwear prices in Australia rose 5.0 percent year-on-year in February, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), running 1.3 percentage points above the +3.7 percent headline inflation reading. Australia joins Sweden and China as one of only three markets in the Fashion pulse series where clothing inflation exceeds headline; most other OECD economies show the opposite pattern. Within the fashion basket, accessories and clothing services led at +12.7 percent, driven by higher prices for gold jewellery per ABS commentary. Infants and children’s garments rose 5.9 percent, women’s garments 3.1 percent and men’s garments 1.8 percent. Men’s shoes were the only fashion sub-category in deflation, down 1.1 percent year-on-year. Month-on-month, clothing and footwear rose 2.6 percent as summer sales ended and autumn collections reached stores.

Household spending (February 2026)

Household spending on clothing and footwear was close to flat in February, rising 0.1 percent month-on-month after a 0.2 percent rise in January, according to the ABS Monthly Household Spending Indicator. The flat reading follows a −2.6 percent December decline — payback from November 2025’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday spending surge rather than a post-Christmas dynamic (post-Christmas discounting in Australia actually drives the January reading via Boxing Day sales). Across Australia’s states for clothing and footwear specifically, Northern Territory led the month at +2.0 percent, with Western Australia second at +1.5 percent, while New South Wales was the weakest at −0.9 percent. Australia’s Retail Trade publication, which previously broke out monthly retail sales by industry including clothing retailing, footwear retailing, and department stores, ceased publication with the June 2025 release. The household spending indicator is the closest available monthly fashion spending proxy.

Consumer confidence

Australian consumer sentiment deteriorated sharply through March. The ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Index fell from 73.4 in the first week of March to 58.8 in the final week — a 14.6-point collapse attributed to Middle East conflict uncertainty and petrol-price rises. The 2026 year-to-date weekly average stood at 73.6 as of mid-April (down from ~75.3 as of end-March before April readings pulled the figure lower), placing Australian consumer sentiment well below the weekly-era average of 105.5 (October 2008 to present; the 1973-onwards overall average is 106.8). Weekly readings held below 70 for the second half of March — a level historically associated with recessionary retail outcomes. Monetary policy and currency The Reserve Bank of Australia has hiked the cash rate by 50 basis points across two consecutive meetings, taking the rate from 3.60 percent in January to 4.10 percent effective 18 March 2026 — Australia’s first rate hike since November 2023 (when the RBA finished the 2022–23 tightening phase at a peak of 4.35 percent). The Australian dollar strengthened 1.7 percent against the euro in March, with the ECB reference rate averaging 1.6470 AUD per EUR versus 1.6763 in February, while weakening 0.5 percent against the US dollar.

Note: this article combines the most recent official data available at the time of writing. Reporting lags differ by indicator and country, so not all figures refer to the same month. Each data point is labelled with its reference period.

Paris, France – April 22, 2026 (AFP) – Ski equipment manufacturer Rossignol has improved its sales for the 2025/2026 season, following two difficult winters. The brand announced on Wednesday that the increase was due to strong visitor numbers at ski resorts.

For its financial year ending March 31, the French group achieved a turnover of 346 million euros (406 million dollars), compared to 342 million euros at the same time last year.

Excluding currency effects, sales increased by more than 4 percent year-over-year. The weakening of the dollar particularly impacts Rossignol's accounts, as one-third of its sales are generated in North America.

This increase marks a break from the trend of declining turnover in recent years, although it remains below the historic record of 2022-2023.

Rossignol states that it benefited from a snowy winter in Europe this year. The average occupancy rate at ski resorts was strong, reaching 73 percent for the season in France, for example.

The group generates three-quarters of its sales from ski equipment. Bindings are manufactured in Nevers (Nièvre), France and skis are primarily produced in northern Spain.

Faced with increasingly unstable winter snowfall due to climate change, the brand aims to reduce its dependence on winter.

It now wishes to focus on trail running, a discipline where "the number of participants is exploding," explained the group's head, Vincent Wauters, during a press conference on Wednesday.

The group develops trail and hiking clothing and footwear in Italy and manufactures them mainly in Asia.

In total, its textile division now accounts for around 25 percent of its turnover and 35 percent in France. Vincent Wauters expects this figure to rise to 50 percent within a few years.

This growth is part of a broader trend of adopting technical apparel for urban wear, driven by the huge success of competitors like Salomon.

Unlike other brands, however, Rossignol formally rules out creating dedicated lines to attract these new consumers.

Keen not to "dilute its DNA," Wauters prefers to "aim for performance and let the consumer come."

Consumer prices (March 2026 quarter)

Clothing and footwear prices in New Zealand rose 1.3 percent in the year to March 2026, according to Statistics New Zealand, moderating from +1.7 percent in the Q4 2025 quarter and running 1.8 percentage points below the +3.1 percent headline CPI reading. Unlike most OECD markets, Stats NZ publishes CPI on a quarterly basis rather than monthly, so the next update will cover the June 2026 quarter on 21 July 2026. Clothing’s quarterly contribution to the all-groups CPI was near-zero (−0.008 percentage points), indicating clothing prices held roughly steady quarter-on-quarter while other categories — notably housing (+0.99 pp contribution) and food (+0.75 pp) — drove the annual rise.

Retail sales (March 2026 — Electronic Card Transactions)

Apparel was the steepest decliner in New Zealand’s March retail data. Electronic card transactions on apparel fell NZD 14 million (−4.2 percent month-on-month, seasonally adjusted) in March, according to Stats NZ — a ~6 percentage-point swing from the +1.9 percent apparel growth recorded in the February 2026 release. All other retail categories were positive or flat in March: consumables +1.1 percent, durables +1.2 percent, motor vehicles +1.9 percent, hospitality −2.4 percent. The softness extends back at least a quarter. The most recent Retail Trade Survey, covering Q4 2025, showed clothing, footwear and personal accessories down 4.9 percent quarter-on-quarter in volume terms — the worst-performing retail category. Total retail volume grew 0.9 percent over the same quarter, meaning fashion retail was a clear underperformer relative to the broader sector.

Imports diverge from spending

Apparel imports tell the opposite story. Textile and textile-article imports (HS codes 50–63, covering fabric through finished apparel) rose +8.8 percent year-on-year to NZD 288.5 million in March, according to Stats NZ’s Overseas Merchandise Trade release. Footwear imports (HS 64) rose an even sharper +11.0 percent to NZD 43.5 million. The divergence between imports rising and till-level spending falling is the classic signature of inventory building ahead of a softening consumer — Kiwi retailers still took delivery of spring/winter stock in March even as March card spending on apparel collapsed.

Consumer sentiment and retailer outlook (March)

The demand backdrop turned sharply in March. The ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Index fell from 100.1 in February to 91.3 in March, according to ANZ Research, reflecting Middle East conflict uncertainty and petrol-price increases. Within the sentiment detail, the “good time to buy a major household item” measure — the single best retail-leading indicator in the ANZ-Roy Morgan bundle — fell 10 points to a net minus 14. Two-year-ahead consumer inflation expectations jumped a full percentage point to 5.7 percent. The business-side view was even weaker. The ANZ Business Outlook for March showed headline business confidence falling 26 points to 33, with the retail sector dropping particularly sharply: retail past activity fell 20 points to just plus 5 (the worst sector drop in the survey), retail profit expectations fell 24 points to plus 9, and retail pricing intentions rose to plus 3.0 percent — the highest in the survey. Cost expectations across all sectors ran at 85 percent net, the highest reading since May 2023. For NZ fashion retailers, the combination is a classic margin-squeeze: weaker demand, stronger cost pressure, limited ability to pass through prices.

Monetary policy and currency

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand has held the Official Cash Rate at 2.25 percent since November 2025, following a 325-basis-point easing cycle from the May 2023 peak of 5.50 percent — cuts delivered across 11 decisions between August 2024 and November 2025 (15 months). It is one of the deepest easing cycles among Tier 1 OECD economies in the period. The New Zealand dollar weakened 2.7 percent against the US dollar in March, averaging 1.7099 NZD per USD versus 1.6647 in February. Against the euro the decline was more muted at 0.4 percent.

Note: this article combines the most recent official data available at the time of writing. Reporting lags differ by indicator and country, so not all figures refer to the same month. Each data point is labelled with its reference period.

The upcoming edition of Denim Première Vision will focus on new talent through a partnership with Istituto Marangoni. The event is scheduled for May 20 and 21 at Superstudio Più in Milan's Via Tortona. Two months after the passing of Adriano Goldschmied, a constant presence at the trade show, the event will dedicate a tribute to the “godfather of denim”. Goldschmied not only created successful jeans labels but also innovated the denim industry. He dedicated his talent, commitment, and knowledge to making this market sector increasingly sustainable.

Pioneer Denim and Soko to present three collections created by Adriano Goldschmied for Pioneer Denim

Specifically, Pioneer Denim and Soko will present three collections designed by Adriano Goldschmied for Pioneer Denim, developed in close collaboration with Soko's expertise in sustainable chemistry. Each collection reflects Goldschmied's relentless pursuit of modern, sustainable denim without aesthetic or process compromises. These creations embody the lasting legacy of a man who left an indelible mark on the industry.

The autumn/winter 27-28 trends will be presented at the event. The Denim trends forum will offer a forward-looking vision for the FW27-28 season, positioning denim as a constantly evolving language. The space brings together the technological advancements and responsible developments of the exhibitors. The forum serves as a practical tool for rethinking and elevating upcoming collections, encouraging an approach to denim as a living and transformative medium.

Denim Première Vision hosts over 60 exhibitors from around the world

Over 60 exhibitors from around the world will be present, with strong representation from Italy and Japan.

This edition features a renewed offering, with 10 percent new exhibitors and the return of global leaders such as American manufacturer Cone Denim and India's Arvind Limited. Newcomers include Pakistani accessories manufacturer Jawaid Bross. The trade show presents a mix of offerings composed of 60 percent denim mills; 20 percent manufacturing companies; and 20 percent suppliers of accessories, technology, and services.

As previously mentioned, the trade show is strengthening its partnership with Istituto Marangoni Milano to support the next generation of talent.

Four exhibitors (Isko Luxury by Pg, Advance Denim, Officina39, and Tonello) will host exclusive sessions within the school. Students will exhibit their creative research in the heart of the fair.

On May 21, student Lolie Bernard will present her vision, “What if this was enough?”, exploring authenticity and emotional honesty in design.

Denim Première Vision's commitment to eco-responsibility reaches a new milestone through its collaboration with the CBI (a Dutch government agency). The “Circular apparel Tunisia” project will be highlighted, showcasing the support provided to 18 Tunisian companies transitioning to circular production in line with European market requirements.

Among the main collaborative initiatives presented is Redefining Blue, a pioneering project developed in partnership with Chloris. In this edition, Chloris and Denim Première Vision will unveil the latest developments of Claessen Blue, Chloris' flagship bio-based dye, along with the initial results from the project's first phase. Bringing together leading denim mills, Redefining Blue serves as a platform for research, validation, and industrial application, supporting the industry's shift towards more responsible dyeing processes.

This unique collaboration between an innovative technology company and an international trade fair underscores Denim Première Vision's role as a driver of collective progress. Chloris will present its progress at a dedicated stand. Additionally, Li Li (chief brand and strategic officer of Chloris) will discuss the research findings during a dedicated panel with Fabio Adami Dalla Val, moderated by journalist Maria Cristina Pavarini.

The trade show will also unveil the second chapter of the Underrated Project. Developed in collaboration with Italian designer Kristian Guerra, the Denim PV fashion team, and exhibitors, this project presents an avant-garde denim wardrobe. Fusing authentic heritage with a futuristic vision, it explores the entire spectrum of the material, from raw indigo to coated and over-dyed finishes. Through the hybridisation of denim with technical fabrics, the project opens up an urban dialogue where functionality and style interact, creating fluid silhouettes in line with contemporary lifestyles.

Exhibitors include Abm Fashion, Arvind, Azgard Nine, Blue Diamond, Calik Denim, Chloris, Dnm Demim, Cbi, Isko Luxury by Pg, Isko, Ithib, Kilim Denim, Mic, Soko Chimica, Tonello, Toscana Tessuti by Stamperia Toscana, Umberto Lenzi by Lenzi Egisto, and Woolmark.

The crossover between fashion and the home is nothing new. From Hermès blankets to Missoni towels and Versace ceramics, luxury brands have long extended their identities beyond clothing. But at this year's Milan Design Week, running alongside the 64th edition of Salone del Mobile, that crossover has reached a new level of ambition, and visibility.

The relationship between fashion and design is no longer a parenthesis or seasonal happening. It is a stable presence, now embedded in the very idea of the Fuorisalone, and increasingly difficult to separate from it. The result is a city-wide programme where the boundaries between disciplines have all but dissolved.

Loro Piana

At Loro Piana, the house presented “Studies, Chapter I: On the Plaid” at its Milan headquarters, on via Moscova. Twenty-four unique pieces, differentiated by techniques, constructions and finishes, were crafted from the maison's finest fibres, vicuña, baby cashmere, and cashmere — alongside linen and innovative fabrics, each made exclusively upon request. It is a reminder that the same materials forming a season's knitwear collection can be applied with equal artisanal rigour to the objects that furnish a home. The pieces were available to buy only to its boutique customers, keeping it highly exclusive.

At Prada Home, a limited-edition presentation of Japanese ceramic vessels, by Taira Kuroki of Kyoto, Shion Tabata of Karuizawa, Yuichi Hirano, and Koichi Ohara of Tokoname, was on display, as were large-scale sculptures by Theaster Gates, who also conceived and curated the selection. The works draw on the tradition of the Chawan, Japan's ceremonial tea bowl, grounding the collaboration in craft and ritual as much as aesthetics.

Prada's broader Salone presence extends further. Now in its fifth edition, the annual Prada Frames symposium, curated by Formafantasma, runs under the title In Sight, with lectures and conversations held at Santa Maria delle Grazie exploring image-making as a cultural, political, and material force.

Moncler x Corso Como 10

Moncler, meanwhile, has taken a more visceral approach. At 10 Corso Como, a giant inflatable octopus wraps around the building's façade, reinterpreting the brand's signature puffer aesthetic in an immersive pop-up that blurs fashion, installation, and retail.

At Issey Miyake, designer Satoshi Kondo has turned waste into an architectural proposition. Working with Spanish practice Ensamble Studio, the project — titled The Paper Log: Shell and Core — takes the compressed paper rolls left over from the house's pleated garment production and finds in them two separate possibilities: one intimate and memorial, the other structural and functional. The result is part installation, part prototype, and entirely of a piece with Miyake's long-standing belief that process and material are never incidental.

Bottega Veneta, under creative director Louise Trotter, is collaborating with Korean artist Kwangho Lee on Lightful, a site-specific installation at the brand's Via Sant'Andrea store featuring suspended woven structures and light sculptures made from the house's leather fettucce strips. Gucci, under Demna, presented Memoria at the Chiostri di San Simpliciano, an immersive exhibition tracing the house's 105-year history through twelve tapestries and a garden installation reimagining the Flora motif as a three-dimensional environment. Elsewhere, Hermès, Jil Sander, Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, J.W. Anderson, Isabel Marant, and Chloé are all showing in some capacity across the city.

On the more democratic end of the spectrum, Zara is staging Calma, an immersive installation at the neoclassical Palazzina Appiani in Parco Sempione, a restful, sensorial experience conceived as a refuge from the week's energy. H&M, meanwhile, has announced a new partnership with American architect and designer Kelly Wearstler, adding another fashion-to-interiors collaboration to an already dense calendar.

Design democracy

The atmosphere at Salone is notably different from fashion week. Where the runway shows are transactional, built around orders, press, and commercial momentum, Fuorisalone is looser and more easygoing, without the fashion drama. Most events require nothing more than a QR code for entry. As one creative director at a luxury house put it: it is more democratic, and much more fun.

That openness is precisely what makes the week increasingly central to how fashion brands communicate. With no sell-through targets and no critical reviews, Milan Design Week has become the space where houses can say something about how they think, not just what they make and sell.

The Herzogenaurach-based sportswear company has appointed Bertrand Blanc to the newly created role of vice president global wholesale.

Blanc will take up his new position effective May 1, Puma announced on Wednesday. He will report directly to chief commercial officer (CCO) Matthias Baeumer and will be responsible for developing and implementing sales strategies. The move is intended to strengthen Puma's position with key wholesale customers.

“Our wholesale business is a crucial part of our business,” said Baeumer. “With a dedicated management level for this channel, we can create a global centre of excellence that supports our global markets.”

The new head of wholesale brings over 25 years of experience in international management positions. He has held senior roles in strategy; key account management; planning; and operations within the sports industry, including at sportswear providers such as Asics and Nike. Most recently, he was senior global commercial director of racquet sports at US sporting goods manufacturer Wilson Sporting Goods and supported international companies as a consultant.

“I am convinced that Bertrand is the right person to lead our teams and expand Puma's business with strategically important wholesalers, both globally and in our largest markets,” continued Baeumer.

Blanc is the second executive Puma has appointed this week. On Monday, the company named Laurent Fricker as vice president of the sportstyle business unit.

Barcelona has once again asserted its position as one of the most interesting hubs for independent design. The 37th edition of 080 Barcelona Fashion, held between April 14 and 17, once again transformed the city into a space of convergence for creativity, fashion and the plurality of identities that define it.

The event's move from its traditional location at the Recinto Modernista de Sant Pau to Port Vell has reoriented its imagery towards the Mediterranean, strengthening its connection with the seafront. The sea permeates the city's aesthetic and, more or less consciously, continues to serve as a constant source of inspiration for its creators.

In this context, fashion is marked by lightweight garments, neutral tones and a relaxed style influenced by the climate. There is also a strong presence of international fashion and contemporary design. Experimental proposals coexist with clearly cosmopolitan ones, creating a continuous dialogue between the local and the global.

This variety was precisely what was seen on the runway. Clothing becomes a vehicle for expressing the city's global openness. It is increasingly difficult to identify unique or repeated trends, given the growing individuality of the collections.

From the viral moment when socialite Carmen Lomana and rapper Metrika walked together during the Dominnico presentation, to the “migrant pride” claimed by Mexican designer Ricardo Seco in a context of social and migratory debate, the runway has also served as a space for discourse. This narrative is amplified by proposals such as that of Palestinian designer Sylwia Nazzal, founder of Nazzal Studio, who introduces a perspective shaped by the geopolitical tensions affecting the Middle East.

Behind this international consolidation is the institutional work of the Generalitat de Catalunya, through the CCAM, with the support of the Ajuntament de Barcelona. Its commitment to internationalisation, particularly through a strategic programme of invitations to global press, has strengthened the event's presence on the international circuit. This has placed Barcelona on the global fashion radar not only as a showcase, but also as a creative hub with its own identity.

Colour: lime green

Acid lime green is establishing itself as the disruptive accent of the winter season, breaking the hegemony of neutrals with a vibrant, almost electric energy.

On the Barcelona runway, its interpretation evolves from the chromatic minimalism of Adolfo Domínguez, who incorporates it into monochromatic knitwear looks or as a subtle accent to soften its intensity, to the more futuristic and aggressive proposals of Dominnico, where it is combined with crocodile skin textures and metallic details. In the case of XVStrange, the trend adopts a more refined approach.

Accessory: the belt

Typically worn at the natural waist to define the silhouette, at 080 Barcelona Fashion the belt sheds its conventional use and becomes an element of architectural tension within the look.

In Doblas's collection, multiple belts are seen shifted towards the chest or falling irregularly over the hips, fragmenting the garment and creating new lines of force in the silhouette's construction.

Habey Club reinterprets it with a more relaxed logic, placing it low and almost nonchalantly, as a device to accentuate oversized silhouettes or bubble skirts. For Adolfo Domínguez, the belt remains a gesture of control, preserving the elegance of traditional tailoring within a context of relaxed, everyday luxury.

Technique: the knot

The knot acts as an anchor point, creating asymmetrical falls and more dramatic draping. It unfolds as a bow on satin skirts or as a scarf to create new lines of force, making the look more interesting.

Habey Club chooses to cinch dresses without altering their fluidity. In Moonsieur's case, the knot is reinterpreted as a contrasting fabric bow that crosses over the waist, functioning as a visual gesture and focal point within the garment's composition.

Silhouette: the peplum

The waist is no longer just defined; it projects outwards with exaggerated volumes, using the peplum silhouette that has made a strong comeback on the autumn/winter 2026 runways. This reflects fashion's current interest in controlled volume at the hips.

In its most architectural version, Justicia takes this idea to the extreme, opting for a quilted structure.

This evolution is also evident in more ethereal versions, such as Rubearth's, where the peplum is deconstructed into layers of suspended ruffles. It is also seen in the technical sobriety of Boulard and Doblas, demonstrating that the trend has mutated into a design tool capable of sculpting the body by playing with proportions.

Embellishment: feathers

Feathers are establishing themselves this season as the ultimate embellishment, transforming simple garments into pieces with movement.

While some designers incorporated them in specific areas to add an unexpected texture, such as on pencil-silhouette midi skirts or as a counterpoint to more structured tailoring, others opted for an all-over approach, turning dresses and coats into true tactile sculptures.

Romantic detail: bows

The versatility of this element was evident in the various collections. Some designers incorporated bows minimally to add a touch of sweetness, such as a small adornment on the collar of a pink dress with puffed sleeves or as a metallic detail on a white lace top. Others opted for exuberance.

We saw blue satin bows adorning the front of a ribbed knit top, and a series of black velvet bows creating an intricate geometric pattern on a black tulle dress with pink ruffles. Even on accessories, like black Mary Janes paired with polka-dot tights, the small bow reaffirmed itself as the definitive adornment.

Underground touch

Adding its underground touch, Reparto Studio presented a collection that revives codes from the past, like band pins, to recontextualise them within its own aesthetic narrative. This narrative is based on the concept of the dream, from its nocturnal dimension to its projection into the future.

The collection draws on silhouettes from the late 19th and early 20th centuries and the underground culture of the late 20th century. Techniques such as upcycling, object repetition and moulage emphasise the experimental dimension of the garments.

Animal: the giraffe

The giraffe print emerges this season from Coconutscankill as an alternative to the traditional animal print. It is an under-exploited design with great potential, which on this occasion they have decided to explore in a very successful combination with red polka dots.

Material: ceramic

Although from a functional point of view ceramic is almost an “anti-accessory”, SKFK features pieces of fired and glazed clay that shift its use towards the ornamental. This invites the eye to focus on large-format fastenings and buttons that function as small sculptural objects within the garment. These were made by Proyecto Hemen.

A new report by Anitec-Assinform and the Polytechnic University of Turin highlights how artificial intelligence is reshaping skills, work organisation and training systems across Italian companies.

According to the study, the Italian AI market is expected to grow significantly, reaching 1.24 billion euros in 2025, up from 935 million euros in 2024, with projections exceeding 2.5 billion euros by 2028. Data from ISTAT also shows rapid adoption, with the share of companies using at least one AI solution rising from 8 percent in 2024 to 16.4 percent in 2025.

While adoption is accelerating, the report notes that employment impacts remain uncertain. Routine roles appear most exposed, with international evidence pointing to reduced job vacancies and declining junior employment in AI-intensive occupations. In Italy, however, the labour market is still at an early stage of transformation, reflecting an ongoing digital transition in production processes.

The research, titled “AI in the Italian labor market – Professions, adoption models and the training challenge,” combines literature analysis, case studies of pioneering companies, and a survey of training stakeholders. Findings suggest that businesses are primarily using AI to support decision-making, analyse data and improve operational efficiency, often transforming job tasks rather than fully automating them.

Public sentiment reflects this transition, with more than half of Italians expressing concern about new technologies and around 60 percent reporting insufficient digital skills. The report therefore calls for stronger public policies centred on education and reskilling, proposing 23 recommendations including a “personal AI training account” and a more streamlined national training ecosystem.

Industry representatives emphasise that investment in technology must be matched by investment in people. The study concludes that collaboration between universities, businesses and institutions will be essential to develop hybrid skills and ensure an inclusive transition to an AI-driven economy.

Footwear label Sperry is continuing its relaunch in Europe through a new partnership with Dubois, which has been appointed as the “regional engine” by the US brand’s parent company Authentic Brands Group.

Following a “high-impact” return to the UK and Ireland markets, Sperry has now set its sights on mainland Europe, specifically the Benelux and DACH regions. Here Dubois, a Belgian distributor which was recently acquired by the UK’s Gardiner Bros, will enact a “seamless rollout”.

Both Gardiner Bros and Dubois will jointly oversee the regional relaunch, with the latter to input local market intelligence while the former will provide its brand-building knowledge.

The official sell-in for the Sperry collection will begin May 1. Authentic is focused on establishing a presence in premium independent retailers and key accounts to retain the label’s aspirational and accessible identity.

This formula has already been applied to Sperry’s products, for which premium executions of staple footwear, such as the Authentic Original boat shoe, are merged with contemporary streetstyle trends in a bid to maintain brand relevance.

Speaking on this latest rollout, Henry Stupp, head of EMEAI at Authentic, said the expansion “marks an important step in our broader European growth strategy”. “Following strong momentum in the UK and Ireland, we’re seeing clear demand for brands that blend heritage with a modern, fashion-forward point of view,” he continued.

Mr Porter is proud to feature Ghiaia Cashmere, the distinguished knitwear label that seamlessly bridges the casual, sun-drenched aesthetic of Los Angeles with the unparalleled heritage and artisanal mastery of Italy. This unique transatlantic perspective allows the brand to redefine luxury menswear, specifically through its commitment to creating what is widely considered some of the softest, most exquisite cashmere available in contemporary fashion.

Ghiaia Cashmere’s success is built upon a dual foundation: a meticulous focus on sourcing the finest raw materials and a devotion to traditional, yet refined, Italian manufacturing techniques. The brand's design philosophy moves beyond mere trend, focusing instead on enduring style, exceptional comfort, and a tactile experience that only the highest-grade cashmere can provide. Each piece—from essential crewnecks to relaxed-fit hoodies—is crafted to be an investment piece, destined to be a long-lasting staple in the discerning modern man's wardrobe.

‘Meet Fashion Talent’ has reinforced the Region of Murcia as a platform for emerging fashion talent following the successful first edition held on April 18 at the Auditorio y Centro de Congresos Víctor Villegas. Organised by the regional Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Sports through the Instituto de las Industrias Culturales y las Artes, the event reached full capacity and showcased a mix of fashion, music and creative programming throughout the afternoon.

The programme featured runway presentations from finalists and winners of the ‘Meet Fashion Impulsa’ initiative, alongside selected emerging designers. Collections ranged from culturally inspired concepts to experimental proposals, while live music and DJ performances contributed to the atmosphere. The closing show by designer Pablo Erroz marked one of the highlights, bringing a presence more commonly seen at major fashion weeks to the regional stage.

Beyond the runway, the event included exhibitions such as “Insectum,” a fashion and beauty photography installation centred on upcycling and biodegradable materials, as well as a display of works interpreting the identity of the region by established Spanish designers. The programme concluded with an awards ceremony recognising emerging talent, with honours presented across categories including best collection, communication plan and presentation dossier.

With its debut edition, ‘Meet Fashion Talent’ positions itself as a growing cultural initiative supporting innovation and offering visibility to new generations of designers in the Spanish fashion landscape.

UK-based retailer JD Sports Fashion is preparing for the departure of its chairman, Andy Higginson, who is expected to step down from the board in the coming months. The news, reported by Sky News, marks a significant change for the leadership of the largest listed sporting goods group in the UK.

The report added that Higginson, a retail veteran who assumed the chairmanship in 2022, was originally anticipated to serve at least two three-year terms and an official announcement regarding his exit is expected soon.

Before joining the sports retailer, Higginson served as a senior executive at UK-based supermarket Tesco and later chaired WM Morrison, where he oversaw its sale to private equity firm Clayton Dubilier & Rice for nearly 10 billion pounds. He also previously held the position of chairman at the British Retail Consortium (BRC). Higginson has been a prominent figure in British business, notably endorsing the Labour Party prior to the last general election. However, he recently voiced criticism regarding tax changes introduced in the 2024 Budget.

Each season at the Amsterdam denim trade show Kingpins, thousands of new denim qualities are available to study, arranged in endless rows of jeans and swatches. Manufacturers effortlessly present 50 new developments. “It is actually nonsense,” Italian Piero Turk tells FashionUnited over the phone. He is speaking from his home and workplace in Italy; this time he did not attend the trade show in Amsterdam. “Nobody needs all those variations. They are not genuinely new or are far too eccentric for the average consumer. It is a complete waste of raw materials.”

Turk knows what he is talking about. He has worked as a denim designer for nearly every major denim brand since the 1980s and is now a regular fixture at Kingpins. For the trade show, he leads the ‘One Denim’ project, a quest for the perfect fabric that almost makes the event itself seem redundant.

One type of denim

The project was conceived during the Covid-19 pandemic and presented at the 2022 trade show. Since then, a One Denim collection has been presented at every October edition. The concept is simple: Turk is assigned a manufacturer and, using his expertise, gets to choose a fabric quality. “I always look for a fabric that is flexible,” he explains, “one that works for a wide leg and for a straight leg, for jeans, but also for a fashionable jacket or a skirt.” It is then up to the manufacturer to devise beautiful variations that showcase the versatility of the denim.

For the first edition, the Chinese manufacturer Prosperity Textile produced ten different versions of pockets from the same denim, each treated with a different wash. “We have gradually expanded the variation in styles,” continues Turk, “to show that you do not need new denims every season. With one good quality, you can get further than you might think. That is the concept of One Denim.”

The latest collaboration, presented in October, was with the Turkish denim supplier Kipas. Inspiration for the collection came from American sports, such as ice hockey and football. Turk chose a pure cotton fabric that feels softer due to a special treatment. The manufacturer used it to make jumpers and T-shirts in various shades of blue.

While Kipas performed all these treatments in its own factory, producing both fabrics and washes, the 2024 collaboration with the American company Cone Denim required a detour. The washes were done at Tonello in Italy. Turk: “Every time the process is different, depending on what the factory can do in-house.” In that sense, One Denim is also an investigation into where expertise still lies within the extensive denim supply chain.

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Chicken feathers

In his career, Turk has seen denim that he unhesitatingly describes as absurd: with chicken feathers in the warp or with so many holes it was more thread than fabric. Fabrics made from pineapple fibre, banana fibre and bamboo were touted as sustainable, although this is far from proven. “If you import that pineapple fibre from Central America to Turkey, how is that good for the climate? A Turkish factory using Turkish cotton seems more sustainable to me.”

He finds many of the sustainability claims circulating in the industry to be unbelievable. For instance, he saw a manufacturer promoting black denim as ‘waterlessly dyed’. “That is bullshit. Even if you use foam instead of a water tank with dyes, you need water to make that foam.” Other parties claim you can wash a pair of jeans with a single glass of water. “You can spray denim with a fine mist instead of fully submerging it, but for that you need ozone, which you then have to neutralise with water. It just does not add up.”

Waste

Even if it were true, manufacturers who fixate on such sustainability claims are missing the point, according to Turk. “If the end result is unwearable, what is the point?”

The waste in the industry is not just in the amount of water and chemicals required for the final product. It is also in the research phase needed to create all those new variants every season. “To develop a new denim, you have to invest a lot of money, energy and time. Sometimes the first test fails, then you have to do it again, and then again. Metres and metres of fabric are wasted in the process, for something that perhaps nobody is waiting for.”

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12.5 ounce

So what are the perfect jeans? Turk does not have to think long about it. “The simplest kind. 12.5 ounce denim with a visible twill (diagonal pattern in the weave) made from locally processed cotton.” He can appreciate hemp in the composition, provided it is grown locally, as the plant benefits soil life and the fabric is stronger than cotton. “But spinning and weaving hemp fibres also requires a lot of water, chemicals and energy,” Turk adds. “So it is not necessarily better.”

His biggest environmental concern for the coming years is stretch. Although natural materials with stretch are also coming onto the market, he mainly sees stretch denim with synthetic fibres that are still made from oil. “My dream is plastic-free denim.” The technology to make pure cotton more elastic is already advanced, thanks to innovative spinning processes. However, the fashion industry does not focus on it enough, even though European legislation aimed at circularity is pushing it in that direction. A fabric made from a single fibre type is much easier to recycle than a blend. “You cannot get super-stretch with these innovations, but you can get something comfortable that will last for years.”

The special washes that have filled Kingpins for seasons are also unnecessary, according to Turk. “Just give me unwashed denim.” You can still vary the yarn weight, weft density and dye intensity. That is more than enough.”

Ultimately, it is about the most wearable look, states Turk. A brand cannot go wrong with that. “You do not have to introduce new fabrics every season. If a solid quality does not take off, you just use it again in the next collection. Then you produce no waste, can reorder more easily, and do not waste precious production capacity.”

MSP

In addition to One Denim, Turk is also working on a similar project at Kingpins called ‘Most Sustainable Product’ (MSP). For this, he selects one quality from the collections of selected manufacturers each year and designs a denim line in consultation with them. For the upcoming Kingpins edition, the looks are inspired by iconic artists: Matisse, Salvador Dalí, Andy Warhol, Frida Kahlo. He expresses pride in the message behind it: “Sustainability does not mean you are limited. You can work in an environmentally friendly way and make anything you want.”

Eyewear company Safilo has announced an exclusive agreement with Bollé Brands to acquire Spy+ and Serengeti. The two US brands are active in the sports, outdoor and high-end eyewear segments.

Spy+, an authentic and established brand in the sports and sunglasses sector, will further strengthen Safilo's presence in sports and outdoor distribution channels due to its strong complementarity with Smith.

Serengeti, with decades of history, will be a key asset for the company led by Angelo Trocchia in the high-end eyewear segment.

In 2025, the two brands registered combined sales of approximately 39 million dollars.

The transaction aligns with the Padua-based eyewear company's strategy of selective acquisitions. According to the statement, this is intended to strengthen "the group's presence in high-growth potential segments, contributing to the further enhancement of its portfolio of proprietary brands, which includes Smith, Carrera, Polaroid and Blenders".

The completion of the proposed transaction is subject to the finalisation of consultation procedures with the relevant authorities and customary closing conditions.

Safilo closed 2025 with net sales of 983.4 million euros, up 1.8 percent at constant exchange rates, with a 2.6 percent organic performance.

Moncler Group reported consolidated revenues of 880.6 million euros (1,035 million dollars) for the first three months of 2026, an increase of 12 percent at constant exchange rates (+6 percent at current exchange rates). The board of directors today approved the interim management statement for the first quarter. Last year, the first three months closed at 829 million euros.

“In a global context characterised by conflict and instability, both Moncler and Stone Island have demonstrated strong energy and cultural relevance. These results are not accidental. They reflect a precise approach that enhances what makes our brands unique. This allows them to constantly evolve in both product and experiences,” stated Remo Ruffini, executive chairman of Moncler spa, in a note.

Moncler revenues reach 766.5 million

Regarding the individual brands, Moncler's revenues reached 766.5 million euros, up 12 percent at constant exchange rates (+6 percent at current exchange rates) compared to 721.8 million euros in the first three months of 2025.

The direct-to-consumer channel grew by 14 percent year-over-year, despite continued market volatility and a high comparison base, the management noted. The wholesale channel recorded a 3 percent year-over-year growth, even within the context of an ongoing rationalisation of the distribution network.

Considering the different geographical areas, Moncler recorded a solid brand performance in Asia, growing by 22 percent at constant exchange rates YoY to 433 million euros. This was supported by positive trends, especially in China and Korea. The Americas also performed well, growing by 7 percent YoY. The EMEA region underperformed (-1 percent YoY, amounting to 238.5 million euros), mainly due to still weak tourist flows in the region.

As of March 31, 2026, the Moncler brand's monobrand store network consisted of 295 direct retail stores, unchanged from December 31, 2025.

Stone Island closed Q1 with revenues of 114.1 million

Turning to Stone Island, revenues reached 114.1 million euros, an increase of 11 percent (+6 percent at current exchange rates) compared to 107.3 million euros in the first three months of 2025.

Double-digit growth continued in the direct-to-consumer channel (+17 percent YoY), driven by a positive organic performance in all regions, with the Americas and Asia outperforming the average.

The wholesale channel was up by 4 percent YoY, supported by the excellent reception of the spring/summer 2026 collection.

As of March 31, the Stone Island brand's monobrand store network had 94 direct retail stores, a net reduction of one unit compared to December 31, 2025.

The strategy for the coming months will see the group increasingly focused on its individual brands.

“As a new phase of our journey begins, with Leo Rongone now in the group, our focus is very clear: to remain true to who we are, always looking forward, and keeping the integrity of our brands at the heart of every decision,” said Ruffini.

Finally, today Moncler's shareholders' meeting approved the financial statements for the 2025 financial year, which closed with a net profit of 438.17 million euros. It also resolved to distribute a dividend of 1.4 euros per share.

Furthermore, the meeting approved a new plan to buy back and dispose of treasury shares, up to a maximum amount equal to 10 percent of the capital.

Madrid – Following the heartfelt tribute to Adolfo Domínguez, 080 Barcelona Fashion was once again filled with emotion on Thursday 16 April for the presentation of Mexican designer Ricardo Seco's latest collection. This was a committed and activist proposal, in keeping with the designer's creative codes. Seco arrived in Barcelona to make his debut on the city's circuit and to celebrate his 25-year career in the fashion industry.

A surprise star of this 37th edition of 080, he took the honorary position of international guest designer. This role was initially reserved for the American creative of Dominican origin, Raúl López, founder and creative director of Luar. As scheduled, Ricardo Seco made his debut on the revamped Barcelona catwalk this Thursday, April 16, the third day of official presentations for this edition of 080 Barcelona Fashion.

Seco, one of the most acclaimed and recognised voices in the Mexican and Latin American fashion scene, closed the third day of presentations at 080 as the international guest designer. Under this banner, he presented his activist collection “Migrant Pride”. It was constructed from newly created pieces, as well as reissues and updates of designs the couturier considers iconic and particularly representative of his 25-year career in fashion. This combination of new designs and pieces from previous collections added depth to both the proposal and the messages Seco aimed to convey to the audience. These were more than just protest statements. The designer delved into migration, drawing significant inspiration from the work “Borders” by Mexican-American photographer Mónica Lozano. He explored how the migration process can affect how we see ourselves and how others see us as individuals.

Although initially presented as a retrospective collection, Seco now clarifies that “Migrant Pride” is “more than a retrospective collection; it is a manifesto, a narrative of identity, resistance and visibility,” the designer noted in a statement from his fashion house. Combining new pieces with others “from various collections where I have maintained a constant commitment to sharing this pride,” the collection “also stems from a dialogue with Mónica Lozano's work ‘Borders’,” which was used to illustrate many of the designs. It “speaks of migrating; but also of what forces migration,” as well as “borders that divide, systems that exclude” and “labels that try to define who belongs and who does not” to a certain place. From this intimate perspective, it also “speaks of what it means to be Mexican, to be Latino,” and of having to “carry that meaning in territories where you are often not welcome.”

Between 'marian cloaks' and protest messages

From this discursive identity, Seco has placed everything that makes up the proposal at the service of this message of protest and awareness. When we say everything, we mean everything. This includes the colour palette used to shape the collection and the very nature of the patterns. These patterns connect with the urban aesthetic prevalent on the streets of Latin American countries or stereotyped as the “uniform” of Latino emigrants. It extends to the garments themselves, which, beyond images taken directly from Mónica Lozano's work, are adorned with messages proclaiming the “migrant pride” that gives the collection its name.

Delving into each of these elements, regarding colour, the collection is based on a chromatic symphony dominated by the green, white and red of the Mexican flag. To these shades, Seco has added “Mexican pink,” a colour associated with the country thanks to architect Luis Barragán in the 20th century; an orange that, in addition to connecting with Barragán's work, Seco presents as a transmitter of “energy”; and black as a symbol of “strength, sophistication and urban intensity”.

As for the garments and designs themselves, which are “genderless”, the designer used materials such as cotton, silk, wool and, above all, leather, which was used to create about 70 percent of the collection's pieces. The designs include jackets, capes, shirts, crop-tops and various styles of shorts. With these, Seco has reinterpreted both urban and traditional, stereotyped clothing from Latin American countries, along with some of the cultural elements most linked to that same attire. This exercise has resulted in powerful pieces and designs. These include capes and jackets whose cuts seem to imitate cloaks like that of the Virgin of Guadalupe—which illustrates one of the key garments of this “Migrant Pride” collection. It also features bags presented as reinterpretations of the bundles carried by migrants, marked with messages like “identity,” “dignity” or “freedom”.

This series of elements has given the proposal a “conceptual dimension”. This is precisely what has paved the way for several pieces presented on the 080 catwalk this Thursday to be incorporated into the collection of the Franz Mayer Museum in Mexico. From there, it is also expected that they will be curated and presented by the FIT Museum in New York as part of a cultural programme, although no further details have been released for now.

Presented for the first time exclusively at 080, each garment in this collection “is a statement”. Similarly, “each look is a way of occupying” a space often denied to migrants. From this activist standpoint, the Mexican designer points out, the genderless silhouettes “invite us to reflect in a space where freedom is not negotiated,” such as the street. He notes that streets “represent the true catwalks of the world” and “do not understand imposed rules, only identity.” From this perspective, “colour is not aesthetics” but is reclaimed as a “symbol”. In this case, “green, white and red as roots,” “Mexican pink and orange as living energy,” and “black as the hardness of the city” and “as the shadow that also builds us.” “This collection does not seek to fit in. It seeks to question” and “it does not ask for permission”. It does not do so “because being a migrant is not a weakness. It is an identity that is defended, honoured and worn with pride.”

Nominations for the Belgian Fashion Awards 2026 are now open, with Belgian designers, brands, and fashion professionals invited to submit entries until May 11.

Organised by Flanders District of Creativity, MAD Brussels, Wallonie-Bruxelles Design Mode, and Knack Weekend/Le Vif Weekend, the awards highlight the quality, creativity, and diversity of the Belgian fashion sector both nationally and internationally. The initiative aims to spotlight established names while also creating visibility for emerging talent and behind-the-scenes professionals, reflecting Belgium’s reputation for independence, individuality, and sustainability.

Following an expanded 2025 edition, nominations are now open across multiple categories, including Designer of the Year, Accessory Designer of the Year, Emerging Talent of the Year, Model of the Year, Creative Professional of the Year, Changemaker of the Year, Company of the Year, and the public-voted Love Brand of the Year. The Outstanding Achievement Award and Most Promising Graduate will be selected directly by the jury.

The winners of the 2026 edition will be announced during the awards ceremony on November 17, 2026.

Swiss watch exports contracted by one percent in March to 2.1 billion Swiss francs, driven down by the US market, according to figures published on Tuesday by the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FH).

American market in decline

In March, exports to the US, the largest market for Swiss watchmakers, fell by 1.6 percent compared to the same period last year, the FH stated in a press release.

Conversely, shipments of timepieces to China continued to strengthen, recording an increase of 4.2 percent, while exports to Hong Kong also rose by 0.5 percent.

Shadow of conflict in the Middle East

For now, “the conflict in the Middle East has not yet affected watch exports to the United Arab Emirates,” the region's main market, the FH detailed. It specified that exports to the country grew by 0.7 percent in March. In contrast, figures plummeted for Saudi Arabia, down 16.8 percent, and Qatar, down 24.8 percent.

The Middle East accounts for 10 percent of Swiss watch exports, FH president Yves Bugmann stated last week at the Geneva watch show. According to Bugmann, regional tensions pose “an additional challenge for the watchmaking industry,” compounding uncertainties over US customs duties and Chinese consumer spending. “Everything depends on the direction this conflict takes,” he stressed.

Marked disparities in Europe

Watch exports do not reflect final sales to consumers, but rather the stock levels held by retailers for their boutiques. The industry's biggest names, including Rolex, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet and Vacheron Constantin, just concluded a week-long exhibition at the Watches & Wonders trade show on Monday.

In Europe, trends are mixed. Exports to the UK increased by 3.2 percent in March, while they declined by 8.5 percent to Germany and 16.8 percent to Italy.

Exports to France showed a spectacular jump of 72.4 percent. The FH, however, qualified this result, stating that it “does not reflect actual market growth, but rather re-exports to other markets”.

A new cross-industry initiative has been launched by major players in the circular fashion world that have set out to accelerate the adoption and scaling of textile-to-textile (T2T) recycled and next generation fibres.

The UK’s Fashion Pact and Dutch organisation Fashion for Good have come together to introduce the Circular Fibre Collective, an initiative addressing barriers identified in the currently “disconnected” supply and demand landscape for T2T fibres.

The organisations, acting with strategic insight from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, said factors like fragmented demand, insufficient financing, a lack of well-developed recycling infrastructure and supportive policy frameworks was impeding the widespread adoption of such materials across fashion, requiring a collaborative approach to move forward.

According to a report by the Boston Consulting Group and Fashion for Good, however, up to two million tonnes of associated material could be achieved if fully mobilised across the sector. This, in turn, would help grow the share of these materials in global fibre production from less than 1 percent to 8 percent by 2030.

Through the collective, the organisations are providing a framework for brands and suppliers to facilitate voluntary forms of demand and create space for investment and supportive policies, striving for the mission of instilling more confidence in innovators, suppliers, and financiers to scale and invest in circular fibre solutions.

Two pillars form the collective’s framework. ‘Adoption enablers’, overseen by The Fashion Pact, zooms in on building voluntary forms of aggregated demand and supporting non-binding commitments.

‘Practical adoption tools’, meanwhile, intend to help brands overcome commercial barriers to adoption. These will include Fashion for Good’s Fibre Club and Toolkit, each pushing for commercialisation.

As the global market becomes increasingly complex, François-Henri Pinault's group is restructuring its governance. Kering has appointed Marie-Hélène Chenut, formerly of Chanel, and Laurent Kleitman of Mandarin Oriental to its board, opting for industry expertise and operational excellence in ultra-luxury.

The statement released on April 21, 2026, does more than just announce a reshuffle. It outlines the roadmap for a group determined to strengthen its execution. With luxury growth now “normalising”, Kering is banking on two individuals with highly strategic career paths.

Safeguarding desire: influence of the Chanel culture

Marie-Hélène Chenut's appointment is arguably one of the strongest signals sent to the market in recent months. After 35 years at Chanel, including a decade leading its Haute Couture division, she brings an understanding of product and image that defines French excellence.

In an era where luxury must justify its prices with unwavering desirability, her arrival on the board suggests a commitment to protecting and enhancing the intangible heritage of the group's houses, particularly Gucci. Her understanding of the expectations of a discerning international clientele is a critical asset for navigating an increasingly selective sector.

Laurent Kleitman: convergence of luxury and hospitality

The other aspect of this reinforcement is embodied by Laurent Kleitman. The current head of Mandarin Oriental possesses a rare and sought-after dual expertise, linking customer experience with the demands of profitability. His previous role leading Parfums Christian Dior and his expertise in emerging markets, such as Russia and Asia, provide him with a global perspective on consumer trends.

This appointment underscores a reality in the sector: luxury is no longer just about purchasing, it is about the experience. Customer experience, a hallmark of excellence in luxury hospitality, is becoming the new frontier for differentiation amid heightened competition.

Jean-Pierre Denis passes the baton

This renewal also marks the end of an era. Jean-Pierre Denis, a stalwart of the board since 2008, is set to step down after 18 years of service. A trusted figure for the Pinault family, former chairman of the audit committee and a pioneer on climate issues, he has overseen Kering's profound transformation from a distribution conglomerate into a global luxury pure-player. His departure closes a historic chapter, paving the way for a more technical and operational focus.

Governance aligned with international standards

If the resolutions are approved at the general meeting on May 28, the board of directors will be streamlined to 13 members. This smaller team demonstrates transparency and balance indicators that meet the highest market standards:

• Independence: A rate of 64 percent to ensure neutrality in decision-making.

• Gender parity: A proportion of 45 percent women, embedding diversity at the highest level.

• Internationalisation: Five nationalities to oversee a turnover that, in 2025 (14.7 billion euros), was generated across all continents.

Time for execution

Kering is no longer seeking just directors, but hands-on experts capable of supporting a consolidation strategy. By combining the high technicality of couture ateliers with the excellence of luxury hospitality, the group is equipping itself with a first-class operational compass. In an economic cycle where “easy” expansion is over, Kering intends to regain its advantage through brand image and customer experience.

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has launched the first phase of its new refund system for duties collected under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), introducing the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE) tool.

Now live via the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) portal, CAPE allows importers and authorised brokers to submit refund claims through a single consolidated process, rather than on an entry-by-entry basis. The update follows recent court rulings directing CBP to remove IEEPA-related duties from certain imports and issue refunds.

The refunds relate to tariffs previously applied under IEEPA, which were introduced as part of broader US trade measures by President Donald Trump. Following legal challenges, courts ruled that certain duties should no longer apply, requiring CBP to reverse charges and return funds to importers, prompting the need for a more efficient, large-scale refund system.

Phase one of CAPE covers unliquidated entries and entries within 80 days of liquidation. Users submit claims by uploading a file with eligible entry numbers. The system validates the file, processes the submission, and assigns a claim reference. Once approved, CBP recalculates duties as if IEEPA charges were not applied, including interest on refunds.

CBP said the tool is designed to manage what it described as an “unprecedented volume” of refunds, streamlining processing for businesses affected by the duties. The organisation noted that valid claims are expected to be processed within 60 to 90 days, and issued electronically via ACH payments.

Further phases of CAPE are expected to expand functionality, with additional guidance to be released as the system develops.

British footwear brand Clarks has reported a return to the black for the financial year ended December 31, 2025. The Somerset-based company achieved an operating profit of 66.30 million pounds (89.55 million dollars), a significant recovery from the 18.10 million pounds loss recorded during the previous year.

The group attributed this performance to a rigorous focus on streamlining core processes and reducing structural overhead costs. While statutory turnover fell by 3.33 percent to 871.50 million pounds, the business successfully improved its profit before tax to 44.80 million pounds. This marks an 84 million pounds improvement over the prior year-over-year (YoY) loss.

Executive leadership and structural shifts

A pivotal moment in the year was the appointment of interim chief executive officer (CEO) Victor Herrero in June 2025. Under his direction, the brand focused on stabilizing the organization through disciplined cost control and a sharpened focus on product relevance.

Clarks underwent significant restructuring, which included exiting its distribution center in Venlo, the Netherlands, to improve network efficiencies. The company also streamlined its workforce and implemented a new global digital people platform, Dayforce, to manage onboarding and payroll across all regions.

Strategic expansion and product innovation

Despite unfavorable global market conditions, including high tariffs in the US and rising wage inflation, Clarks recorded positive sales achievement in its direct-to-consumer (D2C) channels. E-commerce in the UK and Republic of Ireland (ROI) and outlet stores in the Americas were highlighted as particularly strong performers.

The brand continued to pivot toward the global athleisure trend, launching three new franchises: Clarks Pace, Solevana, and Clarks Code. The company's lifestyle sub-brand Cloudsteppers opened its first standalone stores in the US and Malaysia, with further expansion planned for 2026.

The Asia Pacific (APAC) region proved to be a high-growth market, delivering double-digit sales growth and higher average selling prices compared to Western regions. The company also re-entered the Indian market during the third quarter of the financial year (FY25 Q3) to capture further market share.

In the UK, where the brand celebrated its 200th anniversary, a return to prime-time television advertising helped drive an uplift in market share during the second half of the year. However, wholesale remained challenging in UK and EMEA markets as partners managed inventory cautiously amid weak retail demand.

Financial position and future outlook

Clarks ended the year with a positive cash position of 48.40 million pounds and zero bank borrowings. The group’s financial position was further bolstered by the reclassification of 100 million pounds in preference shares from financial liabilities to equity in December 2025.

As the company moves into 2026, the strategy remains centered on driving sustainable, profitable growth. Key priorities include expanding non-footwear assortments, entering new markets, and identifying further operational efficiencies.

Clarks has launched a new digital marketplace, ‘Brands now at Clarks’, marking a notable step in its strategy to expand beyond footwear into a broader lifestyle offering.

The UK-based platform has introduced more than 100 partner brands to its e-commerce platform for the first time, allowing customers to shop across categories including womenswear, menswear, childrenswear, accessories and lifestyle products.

The curated selection is designed to complement Clarks’ core footwear range while responding to changing consumer demand.

Brand partners include global names such as Adidas, Nike, Hugo Boss and Tommy Hilfiger, alongside independent labels like Apatchy London.

In a statement, Joe Ulloa, vice president UK & EMEA at Clarks, said: “From the outset, it was essential that every brand partner reflected the values that have defined Clarks for over 200 years - premium quality, comfort and value.

“‘Brands now at Clarks’ represents an exciting new chapter for us. It allows us to offer a broader shopping experience, while staying true to the heritage and trust we’ve built.”

The launch builds on Clarks’ recent expansion into new categories, including back-to-school apparel and non-footwear items such as t-shirts and hoodies, as well as the continued growth of its Cloudsteppers concept.

Additional brands, including Armani Exchange and Lacoste, are set to join the platform in the coming weeks, as Clarks continues to develop its position as a multi-category lifestyle retailer.

New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), in partnership with the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), has announced the continuation of its Fashion Manufacturing Initiative (FMI) with the launch of a new Local Production Fund, backed by a combined 1.7 million dollar investment.

The fund is designed to support New York City’s garment manufacturing sector by strengthening collaboration between designers and local producers, while driving growth in domestic production orders. Over a two-year period, the programme will provide credits to up to 21 manufacturers, supporting reshored production for as many as 43 designers across up to three seasons.

The initiative builds on the original FMI, launched in 2013 to modernise facilities, support workforce development and reinforce the city’s manufacturing base. Since its inception, the programme has invested 6.7 million dollars across more than 220 grants, impacting over 3,700 workers.

Jeanny Pak, interim president and CEO of NYCEDC, said: “Building on that growth, NYCEDC is proud to continue our partnership with CFDA through the new Local Production Fund, which will deepen collaboration between local designers and manufacturers, helping to drive production and ensure this vital industry continues to thrive in New York City.”

CFDA president Steven Kolb added: “At the CFDA, we are committed to supporting American designers not just creatively, but in building strong, sustainable businesses, and the Local Production Fund is a critical step in helping them access local manufacturing, build lasting partnerships, and grow within New York City.”

The programme has received early support from industry partners including the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) and retail executive Andrew Rosen, who said: “The Fashion Manufacturing Initiative, and now the Local Production Fund, is investing in and supporting this vital ecosystem. I'm excited and proud to be part of the continuation of such an important mission—one that helps ensure garment manufacturing in New York City continues to thrive.”

The launch also aligns with broader city efforts to support the Garment District through initiatives such as Midtown Made, which aims to connect businesses with resources and promote local production. In regards to the latest Local Production Fund, applications for manufacturers open on April 20, 2026, with designer applications following on June 23.

Interview Leicester Made is gearing up for a new edition this year under an expanded banner: Leicester Made & Regions. The shift is reflective of a broader movement underway across the UK, as manufacturing hubs in Manchester, Scotland and London seek to align under a shared push for domestic production.

What was once a city-specific showcase is now evolving into a national platform for UK sourcing amid a renewed interest in nearshoring and supply chain resilience. While brands have gradually re-engaged with domestic manufacturing since the disruption of Covid-19, recent geopolitical instability has accelerated decision-making.

“We were seeing engagement from brands,” Jenny Holloway, CEO of Fashion Enter and chair of the Apparel and Textile Manufacturers Federation (ATMF), told FashionUnited. “But there wasn’t a flurry of activity. Then suddenly…we had a surge of calls. Not just emails, calls asking about test and repeat models, about moving sourcing back to the UK.”

This latest spike, Holloway notes, followed escalating tensions in the Middle East, mirroring previous moments where rising oil prices or global uncertainty prompted brands to reconsider offshore production, but “not like this”.

As brands increasingly look closer to home for their production, the challenges facing domestic manufacturers has been a growing discussion point in the political and business landscape. A persistent narrative surrounding UK manufacturing is the so-called skills gap–according to Oxford Learning College, an estimated 20 percent of the workforce is projected to be underskilled for their jobs by 2030.

In Leicester, however, industry leaders argue the opposite is true. “What I’ve noticed about Leicester is that there actually is a ‘waiting-skilled’ workforce,” Holloway noted. In 2017, Leicester’s garment sector comprised around 1,500 factories employing 1,500 of workers, yet today hundreds of experienced machinists remain either unemployed or out of work.

For suppliers, the issue is therefore not capability but consistency of demand. “The factories need commitment to orders,” Holloway stressed. “That stability, whether it’s from the NHS or the military, is what allows them to plan, invest and retain workers.” This suggests a structural imbalance within UK sourcing, as brands continue to prioritise unit costs instead of long-term order pipelines, undermining the capacity they may later need to rely on.

The ATMF has already been actively involved in advocacy, backing initiatives like a recent parliamentary debate on reshoring production back to the UK. Since Holloway took the chair officially in August 2025, there has been a broadening viewpoint that has expanded ATMF beyond its prior sole focus on supporting garment workers, to now also backing factories to ensure job security.

Public procurement presents opportunity

One of the most significant opportunities for rebuilding UK manufacturing lies in public sector sourcing. The UK’s Public Procurement Act, which came into force February 2025, explicitly promotes local production, SME participation and social value. Yet Holloway notes that barriers still remain. “The contracts tend to be multi-million pounds. What small factory can compete with that?”

In response, the ATMF is facilitating a new limited liability partnership, bringing together 20 factories to collectively bid for large-scale contracts. The group has already submitted the first round of tendering for a 60 million pound UK public contract.

“Why are we making thousands of uniforms that sit in warehouses and get destroyed after five years?”

The stakes extend beyond economics, however, with inconsistencies still prevalent in current procurement practices, particularly in defence sourcing. “We believe military uniforms are being made in China, using fabric that’s actually produced in the UK and shipped out,” Holloway said. “But no one factors in the real costs of logistics, security risks, or waste.”

Holloway also highlighted inefficiencies in overproduction and stockpiling. “Why are we making thousands of uniforms that sit in warehouses and get destroyed after five years? Why not make them closer to demand?”

Rewriting Leicester’s reputation

For Leicester manufacturers, public procurement serves not just as a revenue stream, but a pathway to long-term industrial stability. To achieve this, however, the city’s reputation must also be strengthened.

Leicester’s garment sector has spent much of the past decade under scrutiny, following high-profile investigations into labour conditions. Allegations of underpayment, exploitation, money laundering and poor working environments have cast a shadow over the city’s manufacturing base. The launch of Operation Tacit in 2020 further intensified that scrutiny, bringing together multiple enforcement agencies to investigate claims of malpractice.

More recent findings have challenged the scale of these claims, however. A 2025 report by the UK’s director of labour market enforcement, Margaret Beels, concluded that while non-compliance did exist, its severity had been overstated and was not disproportionate compared to other sectors.

Having credited Beels’ report for exonerating Leicester, Holloway was also clear-cut in her perspective. “I would not chair the ATMF if I thought those claims were accurate,” she said. “They were exaggerated, and incredibly damaging to the livelihoods of factories and workers.”

“It feels as though large retailers have closed their ears to the bite of the machines,”

Holloway argued that the narrative has had lasting commercial consequences, deterring brands from engaging with Leicester and ignoring its capabilities, even as conditions improved. “It feels as though large retailers have closed their ears to the bite of the machines,” she added, a reference to the hum of factory production. “They should be re-looking at the vibrancy of Leicester and bringing production back.”

A new generation and capabilities beyond fast fashion

Another persistent misconception is that Leicester is limited to low-cost, fast fashion production, primarily jersey garments produced on overlock machines. In reality, however, manufacturers in the region possess a far broader skill set. “There’s an assumption Leicester can only manufacture fast fashion,” Holloway said. “But factories are producing woven garments and complex constructions. Scrubs during Covid are just one example of woven production.”

Fashion Enter’s training programmes intend to reinforce this capability. Through its Fashion Technology Academy, the organisation delivers Level 2 to Level 4 training in garment construction, including advanced techniques, such as French seams and double-turned hems. “These are highly skilled jobs,” Holloway emphasised. “All they need is repetition and consistent orders to build momentum.”

Attracting younger workers to engage with these techniques also remains a critical challenge, yet opportunities are emerging. Rather than traditional production roles, many younger entrants are drawn to repair, upcycling and circular fashion. “The younger generation is often appalled by fast fashion,” Holloway explained. “They’re interested in repurposing garments, in reducing waste.”

This shift is reshaping how training and recruitment are approached. Once engaged, many workers transition from creative repair into broader manufacturing roles. “We call them ‘universal workers’ now. They’re trained across multiple machines, which makes the work more varied and more fulfilling,” Holloway explained.

Building trust through transparency

Central to Leicester’s repositioning is a renewed focus on transparency and accountability. Through the Garment and Textile Workers Trust, initially funded through industry contributions, efforts have evolved from worker support to broader factory sustainability.

A key development is the development of a new digital platform designed to give brands deeper visibility into supplier operations. The website will also include a “trusted trader” system and an accompanying emblem for participating factories. “We want to move beyond certifications,” Holloway said. “Brands will be able to see recent orders and how they were processed. That’s real transparency.”

Alongside this, ATMF is introducing unannounced compliance-friendly visits, led by director TJ Hussain. “Audit systems are often just snapshots. TJ will act as a ‘critical friend’, supporting factories to improve, rather than penalising them,” Holloway added.

“The capability is here. The workforce is here. What we need now is commitment,”

For Leicester, and for UK manufacturing as a whole, the convergence of geopolitical uncertainty, policy shifts and changing consumer expectations presents a rare window of opportunity. There are early signs of cohesion within the industry, as local collaboration increases, aligning manufacturers, trade bodies and educators more closely. “We’ve never had this level of cohesion before,” Holloway said. “Bringing 20 factories together to bid collectively is new.”

Yet the success of this “Leicester Renaissance” ultimately depends on one factor: whether brands are willing to act. “The capability is here. The workforce is here. What we need now is commitment,” Holloway stated.

About Leicester Made & Regions 2026

All this will be addressed during the upcoming Leicester Made & Regions trade show, taking place April 24 at The Venue De Montfort University. Over the day, players across the industry will come together to back the shared mission of strengthening UK supply chains and accelerating the shift to sustainable, onshore, and technology-driven fashion production.

Alongside an exhibition floor housing manufacturers, textile suppliers, and other production partners, a line-up of industry experts will take to the stage to lead discussions and share insights on critical topics such as embedding innovation, evolving legislation, and the push for sustainability. Among the speakers are N Brown Group sustainability manager, Joseph Mountain; Mintel’s associate principal fashion retail research, Tamara Sender Ceron; and Source Fashion director, Suzanne Ellingham.

QVC Group, the US parent company of TV and social shopping firm QVC, has filed for bankruptcy after entering into a restructuring support agreement (RSA) with shareholders that hold a significant majority of its outstanding funded debt.

The deal includes a prepackaged financial restructuring plan designed with the intention of reducing debt and strengthening the company’s financial position as part of its ‘Win Growth Strategy’.

In order to move forward with this plan, the company and certain US subsidiaries, including QVC, Inc., have commenced voluntary Chapter 11 proceedings in the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas.

The RSA will allow the group’s debt to reduce from approximately 6.6 billion dollars to 1.3 billion dollars as it emerges as a newly deleveraged company, Reorganised QVC, Inc. The company is expecting to emerge from the financial restructuring within 90 days.

The group said its brands, including all channels and platforms for QVC, HSN, and Cornerstone Brands, will continue to operate as usual supported by “ample liquidity”. Vendor, supplier and unsecured creditor payments will be made possible via the RSA.

QVC Group’s international operations, including its customer-facing operations in the UK, Germany, Japan, and Italy, are not included in the process, and will remain operational.

QVC further confirmed that no layoffs of furloughs were planned in connection with the financial restructuring. Employees are expected to continue receiving wages and benefits uninterrupted.

The company said it would continue to focus on rolling out its three-year Win Growth Strategy, which has focused on pivoting the business towards emerging forms of video shopping, namely via social media and streaming platforms such as TikTok Shop, where QVC has become a top seller in the US.

The shift came as a response to the structural decline of traditional cable television, which had historically served at the foundation of QVC’s business model. As a result, the group has repositioned as a live social shopping firm, a strategy it says has already shown measurable results as customer numbers grow across new shopping formats.

The group has further consolidated its HSN and QVC operations, struck new deals with social and media partners, and rebalanced sourcing to account for the changing tariff environment, its president and CEO, David Rawlinson, said.

He further expressed appreciation for support from vendors, business partners, and team members, adding: “This process will allow for QVC Group to have the financial structure it needs to accelerate our return to growth.”

Lululemon is continuing to scale in Mexico where it has now officially launched a dedicated e-commerce channel to enhance customer experience. The site’s debut complements the Canadian company’s further plans to increase its store count in the region during fiscal year 2026.

In a press release, Lululemon confirmed that it is looking to open around 15 new stores across North America, including eight in Mexico. The locations will bring its Mexican store count to 30 by the end of the current fiscal year, responding to a continued growth seen in the market, the company said.

The latest plans build on ongoing strategic investments into the growth and evolution of Lululemon’s omnichannel experience, which has taken shape in both new and elevated stores and enhanced digital capabilities, its SVP and general manager of North America, Carla Anderson, noted.

“The momentum we are driving in Mexico reflects the strength and relevance of our brand within the community and signals the continued opportunity ahead as we build connected, engaging, and consistent experiences for our guests,” Anderson added.

The athleisure brand has already escalated efforts in Mexico through community-centric initiatives aimed at showcasing its regional strategy. In March, the company hosted the Lululemon 10K CDMX 2026 race that brought together 8,000 participants, while an earlier multi-day summit for ambassadors intended to strengthen brand affinity.

Now, the launch of lululemon.mx allows customers in the region to purchase the brand’s apparel, footwear, and accessories online, with a product assortment spanning men’s and women’s offerings.

The non-profit organisation Clean Clothes Campaign has initiated legal proceedings against Levi Strauss & Co. According to the organisation, the denim brand has misled consumers with statements about labour conditions in its supply chain, as stated in a press release. Four consumers are acting as co-claimants in the case.

The lawsuit was prompted by alleged abuses in a Turkish factory that produces exclusively for Levi’s, according to the organisation. In 2023, workers who participated in union protests there were reportedly confronted with intervention from local authorities and were subsequently dismissed. A group of workers has been demanding compensation ever since.

The Clean Clothes Campaign claims that in its communications with consumers, Levi’s has referred to responsible production and respect for labour rights, including freedom of association. The organisation points to findings from the Worker Rights Consortium and the brand's own code of conduct.

The case is supported by the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO), which has provided research. A date for the first hearing has not yet been set.

Increasing scrutiny of sustainability claims in the sector

The lawsuit is part of a broader trend where sustainability and ethical claims by fashion brands are increasingly facing legal and regulatory scrutiny. In 2023, several statements by Primark in the Netherlands were investigated by the Advertising Code Committee. This included communications in stores and on the Dutch website, which focused on themes such as equal opportunities and better conditions for garment workers.

The regulator ruled that several statements were misleading, partly because the claims were not substantiated with sufficient concrete evidence or because it was not made clear that they were future objectives. On appeal, the Board of Appeal upheld this ruling. The board stated that certain claims were “insufficiently substantiated” to assume that the ambitions would be realised in a timely manner.

The case illustrates how communication about sustainability and labour conditions within the fashion sector is being increasingly scrutinised for transparency and substantiation.

Levi’s has been contacted for comment; this article may be updated later.

British travel brand Antler has announced strong financial results for its fiscal year ending February 28, 2026, recording global gross sales of 52 million pounds (70.15 million dollars). The performance represents a 17 percent increase compared to the previous year and marks the fourth consecutive year of double-digit growth for the company. Since the 2023 fiscal year (FY23), the brand has nearly doubled its sales from 27.20 million pounds.

The upward trajectory was supported by robust performance across all primary sales channels. Global digital sales rose by 14 percent year-over-year (YoY), while wholesale revenue grew by 20 percent. This growth in wholesale was bolstered by the expansion of international retail partnerships.

Sustained momentum in global markets

While the UK remains the largest market for Antler with a 17 percent YoY increase in gross sales, the US has emerged as the fastest-growing region. Sales in the US increased by 83 percent during the period, driven by e-commerce performance and expanded wholesale agreements with retailers such as Nordstrom and Bloomingdale's. Since FY23, US sales have grown more than tenfold.

Australia continues to serve as the second-largest market for the brand, delivering 10 percent YoY growth. To further its international footprint, Antler signed new distribution agreements in South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Malaysia. These moves aim to capture demand for premium travel products across Asia and the Middle East.

Strategic evolution into House of Brands

The London-based company, which is owned by Australian-based group Strandbags, is currently transitioning into a multi-brand entity. Following the acquisition of US travel brand Paravel in August 2025 and the international expansion of Nere, the group is positioning itself as a 'House of Brands' within the global travel and lifestyle category.

Antler chief executive officer, Kirsty Glenne, who was appointed to lead the House of Brands in March 2026, noted that FY26 has been a “defining year”. Glenne stated: “Our fourth consecutive year of double-digital growth reflects the strength of our brand, product and global strategy. The acquisition of Paravel marks an exciting step as we begin to build a house of brands, broadening our reach within the travel lifestyle category, while remaining rooted in our design-led heritage”.

Future retail and revenue targets

The brand opened doors to a flagship store on 100 Regent Street in London on April 21, 2026. Spanning two floors and over 2,400 sq ft, the new store is designed in collaboration with award-winning design agency Checkland Kindleysides. Located within London’s prestigious shopping district, Antler will join other iconic British brands, including Burberry and Mulberry, in its premium retail positioning. The opening also marks the introduction of the Antler Monogram, a new brand code developed from the interlocking geometry of Antler’s icon and brand mark.

Additionally, management is currently scoping new retail opportunities in the US for later this year. These developments are part of a broader strategy that includes a new global headquarters and increased marketing investment.

Looking ahead to the 2027 fiscal year (FY27), the group aims to build on its current momentum. Antler has set a formal revenue target of 100 million pounds by the 2029 fiscal year (FY29) as it continues its evolution into a diversified travel and lifestyle business.

Rome - Italian fashion house Loro Piana, owned by French luxury giant LVMH, announced on Friday the early termination of its judicial administration by the Court of Milan.

“Loro Piana acknowledges the early conclusion of the judicial administration proceedings by the Court of Milan, ahead of the originally scheduled 12-month period,” the Italian cashmere specialist stated in a press release.

According to the brand, the court highlighted the “virtuous approach undertaken and successfully completed” by Loro Piana. This “clearly demonstrates the company's commitment to continuing its efforts” to protect “the health and well-being of all workers, including indirect workers”.

In July 2025, Loro Piana was placed under judicial administration for having “negligently facilitated” the exploitation of workers at subcontractors. According to the court's decision, this was due to a “widespread lack of organisational models and a deficient internal audit system”.

According to investigators, the house, renowned for its cashmere designs, outsourced garment production to a company with no production capacity. This company, in turn, used another company, which then engaged workshops employing Chinese workers in Italy to reduce costs.

In these workshops, undocumented workers were exploited without regard for health and safety legislation, particularly concerning “wages; working hours; breaks and holidays,” the judges stated.

“As soon as the (judicial administration) measure was implemented, Loro Piana strengthened its internal functions dedicated to supplier supervision... The House has also implemented enhanced procedures for supplier integration and continuous monitoring,” the luxury house added.

The Italian brand stated that since 2024, it has conducted “2,400 audits”. These led it to cease collaboration “with more than 100 suppliers and subcontractors who did not meet the House's requirements”.

Other major luxury names have also been temporarily placed under judicial administration in similar cases since 2024. The measure has since been lifted for brands such as Dior (LVMH), an Armani subsidiary and, more recently, Valentino Bags Lab.

Loro Piana, an Italian brand specialising in cashmere, vicuña and extra-fine wool, was acquired by LVMH in 2013.

Finnish artist and designer Vuokko Nurmesniemi, known for creating several iconic prints that became classics for the Marimekko brand, has died at the age of 96, her niece announced to AFP on Monday.

Architect of textile renewal

She joined the clothing, textiles and interior design company in 1953 and would lead the house's artistic direction alongside Maija Isola. Their shared vision defined the brand's DNA: simple, colourful patterns, featuring large flowers or graphic stripes.

Vuokko Nurmesniemi remained with the house for six years before founding her own eponymous brand, “Vuokko”, in 1960, where she would apply her talent for six decades. For Marimekko, she notably designed the famous unisex striped shirt “Jokapoika”, created from the Piccolo fabric, an iconic model still sold today.

She passed away on Sunday in the Helsinki retirement home where she lived, her niece Mere Eskolin told AFP. “She was truly a remarkable person and never compromised in her work. She always followed her own path without worrying about trends, with colours and patterns remaining her absolute priority,” she recounted.

Emancipation through cut and colour

Marimekko's clothing, particularly its loose, A-line dresses, marked a historic break from the corseted and sober post-war silhouettes. This liberated style even captivated Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis, who made it one of her signatures.

“She was pregnant, so it was very nice to wear that kind of dress. It was not common at the time,” explains the artist's niece, referring to the 1960 US presidential campaign.

After the Second World War, Finnish design emerged from drabness thanks to her influence. “Everything was very dull, grey and black, then Marimekko and Vuokko brought colour... It was a visual revolution,” recalls Mere Eskolin.

An uncompromising legacy

The artistic legacy left by Vuokko Nurmesniemi is considered “immense” by her peers. “I know it's a huge responsibility, and I must take great care of it,” emphasises Mere Eskolin, who worked as the designer's assistant for twenty-seven years.

From her aunt, she says she learned “a great deal about life, honesty and self-confidence,” remembering above all a principle that guided the designer's life: “Always follow your own path and your heart.”

UK-based diversified group Associated British Foods (ABF) has announced a definitive plan to demerge its retail business, Primark, from its food operations. The decision follows an in-depth strategic review initiated in November 2025 and is intended to be completed before the end of the 2027 calendar year. The demerger is supported by ABF’s largest shareholder, Wittington Investments, which intends to maintain majority ownership of both entities.

The board believes the separation will allow both businesses to be overseen by boards directly aligned with their specific industry dynamics and strategic priorities. ABF chairman Michael McLintock stated that the move is the best way to maximise long-term returns for shareholders, reflecting the current scale of Primark and providing a clearer investment proposition for the food business.

On completion, George Weston will serve as the chief executive officer of FoodCo, which will retain the Associated British Foods plc name, while Eoin Tonge has been appointed as the CEO of Primark.

ABF announces Primark demerger following interim results

The announcement coincided with interim results for the 24 weeks ended February 28, 2026, which showed a challenging first half for the group. Retail segment revenue grew by 2 percent to 4.7 billion pounds (6.35 billion dollars), though adjusted operating profit fell 14 percent at constant currency to 471 million pounds. Primark's adjusted operating margin decreased to 10.1 percent from 12.1 percent in the prior year as the company managed higher markdowns and increased investment in digital and technology initiatives. Like-for-like (LFL) sales declined by 2.7 percent globally during the period.

In the UK, Primark demonstrated resilience in a difficult market, delivering LFL sales growth of 1.3 percent and increasing its market share to 7 percent. This performance was attributed to a re-energised customer proposition, including the ‘Major Finds’ value initiative and the expansion of the nationwide click and collect service. Conversely, trading in continental Europe remained weak with LFL sales declining 5.6 percent, impacted by low consumer confidence and a difficult retail environment, particularly in Germany. The US market remained a growth driver, with sales increasing 12 percent following the opening of five new stores.

At a group level, revenue decreased 2 percent at constant currency to 9.5 billion pounds. Adjusted operating profit declined 18 percent to 691 million pounds, largely due to significant losses in the sugar segment and the expected decline in retail margins. Adjusted earnings per share fell 15.4 percent to 70.7p.

Outlook and impact of Middle Eastern conflict

Looking ahead to the spring/summer 2026 (SS26) season, management reported an encouraging start in March, though trading softened in April as the impact of the Middle East conflict began to affect consumers. The group continues to target "white space" growth of 4 percent to 5 percent per annum through new store rollouts for the foreseeable future. For the full year, ABF maintains its outlook for Primark, with an expected adjusted operating profit margin of approximately 10 percent.

The group is currently managing the impacts of the Middle East conflict, which has caused volatility in energy and freight prices. While Weston noted that the cost consequences for 2026 are expected to be manageable, there remains a risk to Primark sales if consumer spending further deteriorates.

German sportswear provider Puma SE is strengthening its team with a former executive from competitor Adidas. On Monday, the company announced the appointment of Laurent Fricker as vice president of the sportstyle business unit. Fricker will take up his new position on June 1 and will report directly to chief brand officer Maria Valdes.

According to Puma, the new appointee has more than 20 years of industry experience gained at the sportswear group Adidas AG. There, he held various management positions at the Adidas and Reebok brands. Most recently, Fricker was vice president of originals, basketball and partnerships Europe at Adidas. He announced his departure a few weeks ago.

Fricker's future superior, Maria Valdes, explained the personnel decision. “Laurent has a great track record of combining authenticity in sport with a strong understanding of trends to develop sought-after products,” she explained in a statement. “With his deep understanding of culture, storytelling and his go-to-market expertise, I am confident that he will further strengthen the sportstyle business unit and thus contribute to Puma's growth.”

California Attorney General Rob Bonta has released a series of unredacted court documents detailing how US e-commerce giant Amazon allegedly pressured fashion and lifestyle brands to inflate prices across the retail market. The filings, part of an ongoing antitrust lawsuit in the San Francisco Superior Court, implicate major industry names such as Levi Strauss & Company (Levi’s) and Hanesbrands (Hanes) in a systematic effort to prevent competitors from undercutting Amazon’s pricing.

The evidence suggests that Amazon leveraged its dominant market position to monitor prices on rival platforms, including Walmart and Target. When lower prices were detected, Amazon reportedly compelled brands to intervene with those retailers to secure price increases, threatening them with reduced visibility or delisting on the Amazon marketplace if they failed to comply.

“The evidence we've uncovered is clear as day: Amazon is working to make your life more unaffordable. The company is price fixing, colluding with vendors and other retailers to raise costs for Americans beyond what the market requires — beyond what is fair,” said Attorney General Bonta in a statement.

Pressure on apparel leaders Levi’s and Hanes

Newly unsealed communications highlight the specific roles of prominent US apparel firms in these pricing dynamics. In 2021, an Amazon employee reportedly flagged 'styles of concern' to a counterpart at Levi’s, referencing khaki pants priced lower on Walmart.com. Following the exchange, the Levi’s representative confirmed that Walmart had partnered to raise the price of the Easy Khaki Classic fit to 29.99 dollars, describing the move as being in the ‘best interest of the marketplace’.

A similar pattern was observed with US-based basic apparel manufacturer Hanes. Court records show that in 2022, Amazon sent Hanes direct links to lower-priced items on the websites of Target and Walmart. A Hanes employee subsequently confirmed the brand had “reached out to Target and Walmart to have the prices increased” to align with Amazon’s expectations.

Rob Bonta said his office released the new filings Monday to demonstrate how Amazon “coordinates” with vendors and major retailers—including Target, Walmart, Chewy, Best Buy, and Home Depot—to drive price increases across the market.

Strategic implications for fashion executives

The legal challenge, which is set to go to trial in January 2027, poses significant questions for the fashion industry’s distribution strategies. For executives at brands like Levi’s and Hanes, the allegations highlight the risks of maintaining price parity across multiple retail channels under pressure from a dominant platform.

Bonta is currently seeking a preliminary injunction to halt these practices immediately. For the fashion sector, the outcome of this case may redefine the boundaries of wholesale partnerships and digital commerce compliance.

British designer Amanda Wakeley, known for her ‘clean glam’ eveningwear, is making a foray into the premium contemporary category with an exclusive collaboration with John Lewis Partnership, launching on April 21.

The Amanda Wakeley line at John Lewis has been developed in collaboration with the designer and the brand development and licensing platform Radius Brands, which was brought on to expand her brand through strategic retail partnerships.

The collaboration with John Lewis marks a strategic move for the designer into premium contemporary retail and will feature elevated wardrobe staples crafted in silk, viscose and lace, including fluid tailoring, such as bias-cut satin and lace slip dresses and Wakeley’s signature Air silk wrap shirt, positioned to meet demand for versatile, wardrobe-led investment pieces.

In a statement, Wakeley said each piece of the collection reflects her “core design codes,” reimagining her brand within the accessible luxury segment, targeting John Lewis’ premium customer with “precision cut, fluid movement and confident femininity”.

"I have always believed in creating timeless pieces that empower women through simplicity, precision and elegance,” said Wakeley. “Partnering with John Lewis allows us to bring that philosophy to a wider audience while maintaining the quality and craftsmanship that define the brand. This collaboration marks an exciting new chapter for the brand, one that honours our heritage while evolving how and where women experience Amanda Wakeley.”

Amanda Wakeley works with Radius Brands to launch an accessible luxury collection at John Lewis

Sitting between designer and contemporary, the collection reflects “modern luxury, effortless, refined and wearable,” adds Wakeley, tapping into a segment increasingly defined by customers seeking longevity and quality, at a more considered price point, a space that is seeing renewed momentum as luxury recalibrates and consumers become more selective.

The spring/summer 2026 collection focuses on elevated essentials, signature tailoring and modern silhouettes designed “for longevity and repeat purchase,” crafted in luxurious fabrications including silk and viscose blends, and at a price point designed to bridge designer and contemporary labels. The hero product, the Air wrap silk shirt, will retail for 350 pounds, while the bias cut lace and satin slip dress is 395 pounds.

Rachel Morgans, director of fashion at John Lewis, said: “We are delighted to welcome Amanda Wakeley to John Lewis, a partnership built on a shared passion for design excellence.

“The collection elegantly offers pieces that are as special as they are wearable. It is a privilege to offer our customers exclusive access to Amanda’s world, specifically her impeccable precision in tailoring and the expert craftsmanship that defines the collection.”

Damian Hopkins, founder and chief executive of Radius Brands, added: "Amanda is one of Britain’s most respected luxury designers, with a clear and confident aesthetic that resonates with today’s customer.

“This exciting partnership with John Lewis is about bringing true designer integrity into a broader retail environment without compromising quality or brand DNA. At Radius, our role is to build sustainable brand platforms, and this Amanda Wakeley launch marks a significant milestone in our next chapter of growth."

The Amanda Wakeley at John Lewis collection forms part of the British department store’s ongoing repositioning of its fashion floor towards higher-value, design-led product and will launch online and in 10 UK John Lewis stores on April 21. The stores include Oxford Street and Peter Jones in London, Cheadle, Edinburgh, Kingston, Liverpool, Cambridge, High Wycombe, Glasgow, and Cheltenham.

Interview

Lisa Krage is the founder of Swiss Performance Systems and a specialist in performance coaching and corporate health. She develops measurable performance systems for high-performers in demanding positions and for ambitious companies. Her approach is based on scientific stress and performance diagnostics, methods from elite sports, and over a decade of experience in international business environments. Her motto is: health and success are not mutually exclusive; they go hand in hand.

Before going freelance at the end of last year, she held various roles in the sporting goods industry. She first worked for the German group Adidas and most recently as brand communications and athletes lead for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) at the Swiss sports brand On. She experienced first-hand what modern leadership demands of the body and what separates the best performers from the burnt-out. She also knows high performance from her own experience as an active competitive track runner.

Today, she combines these two worlds in Swiss Performance Systems. FashionUnited spoke with her about how stress measurably impairs creativity and performance and what tips she would give to leaders in the fashion industry.

You are active in stress diagnostics and performance consulting. what are your initial tips for companies to promote the wellbeing of their employees?

My first tip is to measure, not guess. In business, we make data-driven decisions every day on turnover, growth, and margins. So why not do the same when it comes to health?

We are all familiar with health days, sleep lectures, and resilience workshops. The problem is that most of these initiatives are measured by the number of participants, not by their impact. This is why most corporate health managers I speak to have difficulty expanding their resources. No data, no demonstrable impact, no budget.

Have you had similar experiences in your career?

Yes, I have experienced this myself. We once invested 10,000 Swiss francs in a sleep expert. It was a two-hour presentation, well-attended, with good feedback. My honest assessment in retrospect is this: if those two hours do not lead to concrete behavioural changes, such as a commitment to eight hours of sleep daily or regular bedtimes, it would have been more beneficial for the employees to simply sleep for those two hours.

This is not a criticism of sleep experts. It is a criticism of the system. As long as corporate health is not measured with KPIs like any other area of the business, it will remain a nice add-on instead of a strategic infrastructure. First, we need data instead of generic wellness offers to understand where performance is truly being lost. Only what is measured can be addressed, allowing us to allocate resources meaningfully.

What structural problems that burden employees are deeply rooted in fashion companies?

The fashion industry thrives on cycles: fixed deadlines, seasonal collections, and the constant pressure of the next season. Developing a new product in the sports-fashion industry typically takes two years, from concept to launch. Simple colour updates are quicker; new innovations take three or more years. The fashion calendar is tightly scheduled.

What is often forgotten is that high performance requires recovery. In competitive sports, no one would expect athletes to be in competition form for twelve months straight. A regeneration phase always follows the competition phase. The sports-fashion industry is different. Here, fashion shows, marathons, and campaign launches follow one another in quick succession. This is a structural problem.

Are there specific consequences caused by chronic stress that you particularly notice?

What I see in many of my clients' profiles, I also know from my own experience. I worked in a high-performance environment for years and ignored the classic warning signs. I powered through the day with coffee, worked while sick, and then, when I finally went on holiday, I would immediately fall ill. This is no coincidence. The body waits until it can 'allow' itself to rest and then catches up on what it has suppressed.

This is the exact same pattern I see in most high performers: the lost ability to 'relax'. The classic statement is: “I come home and just can't switch off.” This is not a character problem; it is biology.

What is behind this?

We are talking about a dysregulation of the stress response system. The body is permanently in a sympathetic or activated state, in 'always on' mode. The research here is clear: studies show that work-related chronic stress is consistently linked to an increased heart rate, elevated cortisol levels, and reduced heart rate variability. The body literally loses the ability to switch flexibly between tension – the 'fight-or-flight' state – and recovery – the 'rest-and-digest' state.

What would you recommend to leaders in the fashion industry to reduce the long-term effects of stress?

First, assess the current situation. What is the state of my body's resources? What are my stress patterns? Can I still regulate myself, and if so, what truly helps me do that? Various measurement methods are available for this, from long-term ECGs and biomarker tests to surveys.

According to studies, a healthy lifestyle can significantly reduce the risk of certain chronic diseases and considerably increase life expectancy. Some longevity clinics even speak of an 80 to 20 ratio. 80 percent of our health is said to be influenced by lifestyle, environment, and habits, while genes account for a maximum of 20 percent. So, one's own sphere of influence is huge.

What is the next step once the current situation has been determined?

Then it is the basics that make the difference. Not cryo-chambers or expensive infusions, but sleep, exercise, nutrition, and social contact. I am not just speaking from scientific conviction, but from my own experience. I used to start my training on an empty stomach and skip meals when things got stressful. I then wondered why my energy levels were so low in the afternoon. Today I know it was not a problem of willpower. Unstable blood sugar creates stress in the body, which can feel like anxiety or even panic.

The crucial question is: how do I make these basics my standards so that they can withstand a stressful work week or a business trip? For example, I always travel with running shoes and choose hotels with a gym. That sounds simple, but it is an attitude. I will say it openly: I would not choose an employer who does not actively create a framework that promotes my health and performance, and where the healthy choice is easier than the unhealthy one.

Designers balance creativity with the pressure to finish collections. at what point does physiological stress block the creative process?

The body and mind cannot be separated. Stress is multidimensional and always biological. Every negative thought, every deadline, every conflict triggers a biochemical reaction in the body. Catecholamines are released, the heart rate increases, cortisol rises, and the brain switches to survival mode. In survival mode, creativity is the last thing resources are used for. Chronic stress destroys the very mental state that creative work requires. In survival mode, one reacts rather than creates.

I thrive under short-term pressure, just like in a competition. I learned that from competitive sports. I am very efficient and solution-oriented then. However, with prolonged stress, I notice a significant decline in my creative abilities. The capacity of my nervous system is very limited then.

Are there parallels between elite athletes and executives?

Absolutely, and that is the core of my approach. I see executives as elite athletes – the business athlete. Both are under constant pressure and both depend on peak performance.

Let's take a concrete example from sports science. A fluid loss of just one to two percent of body weight measurably impairs performance, affecting concentration, strength, and reaction time. For athletes, running ten seconds below their personal best would immediately raise an alarm. In the corporate world, we ignore warning signs every day.

The difference between athletes and executives? Athletes are supported with diagnostic tools, recovery protocols, mental coaching, and nutritional expertise. I had the honour of helping to build such a system at the sports brand On: the '360° Athlete Support' programme. My goal is to transfer this principle to the business world.

What lessons did you take away from your time at On?

My most significant lesson from more than nine years in the sports industry is: culture beats motivation. Motivation is fleeting; it works when everything is easy. Culture is what sustains you when things get difficult.

I have experienced first-hand how an environment where healthy choices are the norm, such as running during the lunch break, a fresh, healthy canteen, and walking meetings, can make a difference. It led me to build habits that I probably would never have maintained so consistently on my own. The environment does the work for you. This has completely changed my perspective on sustainable performance and is now the foundation of my work with executives and companies.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being integrated into creative and business processes. do you see these tools as a remedy for stress or as an additional pressure, as expectations for performance and speed increase?

That depends on how you use it. I have personally never been afraid that AI would replace my job. I have a very strong growth mindset and am constantly learning and developing. Anyone who is afraid of AI today should ask themselves: what are my strengths that AI cannot take over in the near future? What are the human skills that will become even more important in the future?

AI accelerates output, such as data analysis, structuring, and text creation. However, human capacities like stress regulation for strategic decisions under pressure, emotional intelligence for building business relationships, and a high-performing, healthy body for the necessary self-confidence cannot be automated in the near future. This will be the decisive competitive advantage in the coming years.

To what extent can stress diagnostics help to promote productivity or reduce error rates?

I see stress diagnostics as a tool to expand human performance capacity and as an early warning system for burnout. I know from my own experience how long you can ignore these warning signs. Being ill on holiday, feeling like you can never really switch off, waking up exhausted in the morning even though you have slept: these are not just feelings, they are measurable biological states.

Studies show that burnout patients exhibit altered cortisol patterns months in advance. Those who read these signals early can react before the damage occurs. It is not for nothing that the World Health Organization has described stress as the 'health epidemic of the 21st century'. The figures are clear: a single case of burnout costs a company four to six months' salary in lost work, and that is just the tip of the iceberg. In addition, there are losses in productivity, staff turnover, and damage to reputation. This can add up to several million per year, depending on the size of the company. That is why I see corporate health and stress diagnostics not as a cost centre, but as risk management.

This interview was conducted in writing.

I thought I understood the industry; its culture, its quality and its lack thereof. I knew the ateliers in Italy where you would discuss the quality of an espresso while standing next to an ironing machine that shaped a Prada blazer in twelve minutes. I knew the production sites in Belgium where the quality of the product and that of the people who made it could be mentioned in the same breath. I knew the working conditions within the production of high-end designerwear, in the world called Europe.

Years later, I watched “Blood, Sweat and T-shirts”. The Dutch tv-series follows six young people with a passion for clothing as they are introduced to garment production in India. What made the series so unsettling was its structure. The viewer goes through the exact same process as the participants, from openness to discomfort to horror. That series made everything I thought I knew collapse like a house of cards. After years as a fashion professional on all sides of the table—in factories, ateliers and classrooms as a developer, designer and lecturer—I was blown away by the discovery of a world behind the one I knew.

The first factory looks more or less as you would expect: organised, perhaps a little messier, functional, but certainly not what you would fear from a sweatshop. That is precisely the trap. The first factory immediately activates “confirmation bias”: the brain recognises what it already knows, draws a parallel with the places it trusts and concludes: you see, it is not so bad. Then comes the second factory. Less light, longer days, younger faces. This is where the discomfort begins. A tempting thought follows: these people have jobs, they support families, who are you to judge? This thought feels like cultural sensitivity. That is precisely why it is so dangerous. It is an emergency exit that keeps you exactly where you were. Only then do we arrive at location three, in the third factory. This is a place that exists because the first factory cannot handle the demand for cheap ready-to-wear, and the second still finds production costs too high for our insatiable hunger for more, and cheaper, and cheaper still. The third factory is a place you would normally never see. Here the question becomes unbearable: not whether you are allowed to have an opinion, but how it is possible that you did not know for so long. I remember the image of a sleeping teenager—or even younger—next to a machine, surrounded by dust and grime.

Confirmation bias is not a personal failing. It is a cognitive mechanism that the system knows and uses. The first factory is not reassuring by chance; it is the face the industry presents precisely because it knows how the brain works. That image begins to falter in factory two.

Disaster that changed nothing

Rana Plaza. On April 24, 2013, a factory building in Savar, Bangladesh, collapsed. More than 1,100 people died. Cracks had been discovered the day before. Engineers advised evacuation. The workers were sent inside anyway, those who did not work lost their day’s wages. There were outraged statements, sustainability reports and compensation funds. What happened after that? The industry simply continued to grow. Research from 2022 shows that French imports from Bangladesh only increased after the disaster.

Psychologist Paul Slovic called this the collapse of compassion in 2007: human empathy never scales with the number of victims. 1,100 deaths is a statistic. One face moves us. More paralyses us. That is not a moral failing. It is how the brain works. It is precisely this trait that made us forget Rana Plaza so quickly.

There is a place in northern Chile where more than 60,000 tonnes of Western clothing goes each year. Polyester, nylon, all fibres that remain in the soil for up to two hundred years. This mountain is invisible to the consumer who clicked ‘order’ four times today. Shein produces between 2,000 and 10,000 new garments per day, using an algorithm that monitors social media and determines what is made in real time. H&M launched its Conscious Collection in 2019. In 2022, the Changing Markets Foundation concluded that more than 60 percent of H&M’s sustainability claims were unfounded or demonstrably false. The Conscious Collection still exists.

Here, the class issue plays its underestimated role. People with higher incomes generate an average of 76 percent more clothing waste than people with lower incomes, according to research from Boston University in 2022. Yet, the question of blame in the sustainability debate is systematically placed on those who can change the least. The woman who buys from Primark has no choice. The woman who buys from a sustainable brand does have a choice, and she buys more.

The philosopher Charles Mills described this in 1997 as structured ignorance: not the lack of information, but the production of ‘not-knowing’ as an institutional system. In the fashion industry, this invisibility is architectural. Production is geographically distant. The supply chain is opaque by design, not by clumsiness. Greenwashing simulates transparency while the structural invisibility remains intact.

That system has an ally in our minds. John Jost, a professor at New York University, described in his system justification theory in 2004 how people tend to defend the system they live in, not despite its disadvantages, but partly because of them. Justifying the system provides cognitive peace. Questioning it costs energy, evokes guilt and requires you to face your own position within it. The brain, where it can, chooses peace.

Resistance begins with the refusal to not know when you can know. The refusal to confuse moral hesitation with sensitivity. The refusal to accept structured ignorance as an excuse.

Ignorance is bliss, said Thomas Gray in 1742. He was right. It is wonderful, until it is not.

Danish clothing and lifestyle brand Aiayu achieved a 22 percent increase in gross profit in 2025, according to a press release. Gross profit increased from 3.8 million euros (4.47 million dollars) in 2024 to 4.64 million euros in 2025. Net profit after tax rose in the same period from 740,000 euros to 970,000 euros.

Equity grew from 3.7 million euros to 4.2 million euros and cash and cash equivalents increased from 1.4 million euros to 2.38 million euros. The average number of employees increased from 31 to 36. Revenue figures were not shared.

The company, founded by Maria Høgh Heilmann, focuses on clothing and lifestyle products based on natural materials and works with two collections per year. In 2025, Aiayu invested in wholesale relationships, digital performance and the further development of its own e-commerce platform, according to the press release.

Aiayu was founded in 2005 and is based in Copenhagen. The brand has three stores in Copenhagen and one in Aarhus and is sold internationally through selected retail partners.

British fashion designer Victoria Beckham has announced a multi-season partnership with Gap to reimagine the American retailer’s classic styles, with the debut collection launching on April 24.

Beckham, known for her ready-to-wear minimalist luxury brand and beauty line, is teaming up with the casual American brand on a collection “built on the foundations of a modern wardrobe,” including “refines staple pieces with balanced proportions, sharp structure and thoughtful details”.

Commenting on the collaboration and what to expect, Beckham said in a statement: “To me, Gap is an all-American icon, a brand that has always created timeless pieces for everybody’s wardrobe, with a sharp attention to detail.

“Bringing my design perspective to those everyday essentials and working with a team that shares that same commitment to craftsmanship and execution has made this collaboration incredibly special.”

Gap x Victoria Beckham collaboration to be rooted in “timeless design”

The 38-piece Gap x Victoria Beckham collection is anchored in both brands’ concept on “refined wardrobe building blocks,” and features denim, khaki, T-shirts, button-ups, and fleeces, which are “grounded in simplicity, versatility, and precision”.

These will sit alongside utilitarian-inspired pieces in khaki and green, including skirts, jackets, and trousers, as well as “an iconic heavyweight fleece logo set”.

For the denim, fans can expect the Arc Jean, alongside classic straight and capri silhouettes, which the retailer adds have been designed to pair with matching denim jackets and shirting.

Additional highlights include a crisp white button-up, structured outerwear, including a trench and bomber, and a classic crew neck cotton T-shirt.

Key details include Victoria Beckham’s VB signature in red stitching, appearing “as a subtle design detail”.

The Gap x Victoria Beckham collection launches on April 24, from 9am on Gap.co.uk and in two Gap London stores at Westfield White City and Covent Garden, with retail pricing from 25 to 250 pounds / 34 to 328 US dollars and in adult sizing XXS to XXL.

The collection will be available across several of Gap’s markets, including North America, Japan, China and the Middle East.

Gap continues to drive growth through collaborations

Mark Breitbard, president and chief executive of Gap, added: “Every collaboration we pursue is rooted in storytelling. We wanted to work with Victoria Beckham, given her iconic influence in the fashion world and the opportunity to reinterpret our iconic pieces through her unique design lens.

“This partnership feels truly authentic - and that’s where the magic happens. It has allowed us to create pieces we hope our customers feel they have to have.”

Victoria Beckham is the latest designer and brand to collaborate with Gap as part of the American retailer’s ongoing transformation. In recent years, the retailer has collaborated with Los Angeles-founded golf lifestyle brand Malbon Golf, Los Angeles-based Cult Gaia, London-based skate label Palace, Californian clothing label Dôen, New York City-based LoveShackFancy, New York-based designer Sandy Liang, and beauty brand Summer Fridays.

Beckham has previously launched a 70s-inspired capsule collection with Spanish high street retailer Mango in 2024, featuring sharp tailoring, fluid dresses, and knitwear, an activewear line with Reebok, which merged performance-led sportswear with fashion from 2018 to 2022, as well as an accessible line with American retailer Target back in 2017.

The EIDM Fashion & Luxury Business School has announced a new collaboration with Monte-Carlo Fashion Week, reinforcing its commitment to connecting students with real-world industry experiences.

The partnership aligns with the broader mission of the Monaco-based fashion event, which runs from April 14–18, 2026 and brings together designers, brands and emerging talent through runway shows, conferences and sustainability-focused initiatives. The event is widely positioned as a platform for innovation and collaboration within the global fashion ecosystem.

Through the collaboration, students from EIDM Fashion & Luxury Business School are expected to gain hands-on exposure to professional fashion week operations, from creative direction to communication and event coordination. This type of experiential learning reflects the school’s emphasis on linking academic training with industry immersion and international visibility.

Monte-Carlo Fashion Week itself has grown into a key fixture on the European fashion calendar, blending established designers with emerging voices and focusing heavily on sustainability, innovation and responsible fashion practices.

Overall, the collaboration highlights the increasing importance of partnerships between fashion schools and global industry events, giving students direct access to professional networks while supporting the next generation of fashion talent.

Nike and the Dropcity architecture centre are launching the “Air Lab” in Milan, a new innovation and experimentation hub for the creative scene.

As part of Milan Design Week, the sportswear giant is currently offering a first look at the project. Nike announced on Sunday that it will be open to the public from autumn as a permanent part of Dropcity. The lab provides designers with access to state-of-the-art technology, including robotic arms and thermoforming machines, to explore the use of “air” as a design element in product development. The opening is accompanied by an exhibition showcasing approximately 100 previously unreleased prototypes and material samples, making the evolution of Nike Air technology tangible.

“Nike has always had an experimental, hands-on culture of making,” explained Golnaz Armin, vice president design studio excellence. “At Nike, prototyping is a daily practice – an instinctive drive to develop, test and refine things in real time.” Andrea Caputo, founder of Dropcity, added that the initiative establishes a new model of collaboration between companies and research institutions: “The lab shows that design and production can leave a tangible legacy for the city of Milan.”

The “Air Lab” is on display as part of Milan Design Week from April 20 to 26 at Via Sammartini 72 in Milan.

This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence.

Following the strategic plan announced by Kering in Florence on April 16, unions are expressing concern about the future of jobs and have requested a meeting with CEO, Luca de Meo.

In a statement today, the national secretariats of Filctem Cgil, Femca Cisl and Uiltec Uil acknowledged the important statements made to shareholders. However, they expressed concerns about the potential employment impact of the proposed plans. These concerns relate to both the group's internal operations and its associated supply chains, particularly given the existing difficult situation at Alexander McQueen. Last March, Alexander McQueen initiated redundancy proceedings for 54 employees in Italy.

Furthermore, the unions stated they hope to "meet again soon with the chief executive officer of the Kering Group, Luca de Meo, in the hope of gaining clarity on the industrial plans that will affect all the group's brands and, consequently, all connected districts and production chains in the coming months".

FashionUnited has contacted Kering for a comment on today's statement from the unions.

British retail trailblazer Joan Burstein, co-founder of iconic London boutique Browns, who championed emerging talent throughout her career, has died at the age of 100, according to her family.

Burstein, who was awarded the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2006 Queen's Birthday Honours list for her services to the British fashion industry, was known as a “fairy godmother” to many designers, as she famously discovered and nurtured some of the biggest names in fashion.

Known affectionately as “Mrs B,” she co-founded the Browns boutique on South Molton Street, London, in 1970 with her late husband Sidney, which she transformed into one of the most recognisable independent retailers in fashion. She was instrumental in launching many designers’ careers, and was one of the first to stock designers, such as John Galliano, buying his entire graduate collection in 1984, as well as Alexander McQueen and Christopher Kane.

Burstein was also credited for introducing many international brands to the UK, including Giorgio Armani, Donna Karan, Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, and Comme des Garçons.

She retired from the business in 2015, when Farfetch acquired the retailer from the family.

In a statement, her family said Burstein died peacefully at her home in Ibiza, surrounded by her family.

Her children, Simon Burstein and Caroline Hammond, said: “We are deeply saddened to share that our wonderful mother, Joan Burstein CBE, passed away peacefully on Friday, April 17, 2026. Earlier this year, she celebrated her 100th birthday in joyful style, dancing to a swing band and surrounded by those who loved her, which was entirely fitting for a life so vibrantly lived.

“She leaves behind an enormous legacy and will be profoundly missed by her two children, seven grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, and the many people whose lives she touched.”

Tributes paid to retail pioneer “Mrs B”

Since her death, many tributes have poured in from the fashion industry, including Browns Fashion and the British Fashion Council.

On Instagram, Browns Fashion said: “We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of the legendary Joan Burstein CBE, the incomparable Mrs B.

“As the visionary founder of Browns, Mrs B was a mentor and a pioneer, leaving behind a legacy that will continue to inspire us and generations to come.”

The British Fashion Council added on social media: “We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Joan Burstein, known to many as Mrs B. A pioneering force in British fashion retail, she played a defining role in shaping the industry as we know it today, championing emerging designers with conviction, insight and an unwavering commitment to creativity.

“Through her work, she helped establish London as a global centre for innovation and talent, supporting generations of designers at the earliest stages of their careers. Her legacy will be felt for years to come, not only in what she built, but in the confidence and visibility she gave to so many.”

Spanish brand Cold Culture, founded in Madrid in 2021 by Andrés Varela and Martina Merry, will open its first permanent store in Italy on April 24.

The store will be located at 75 Corso di Porta Ticinese in Milan, a few metres from its previous pop-up, and will cover an area of 113 square metres. This opening is part of the company's international expansion strategy, which positions physical retail as a key pillar for strengthening brand awareness and conversion.

Retail as a lever for growth and international expansion

The Milan opening is part of the company's physical growth plan, which combines permanent stores with temporary formats under a strategy they internally call the “Cold Tour”. This model involves staggered openings in various European cities as brand activations amplified through social media.

Following its first test in Milan in October with a now-closed pop-up, the company is now consolidating its presence in the city. It is also exploring new openings in Italy, including potential temporary formats in Rome during 2026.

In parallel, the brand has strengthened its retail presence with seven new stores in the last year. These openings were in markets such as Madrid, where it relocated its flagship to 41 Fuencarral, Barcelona, Valencia, Amsterdam and London. The brand also held activations in Paris and Berlin.

Organisationally, the company has strengthened its structure with the appointment of Elena Alarcón as head of e-commerce, a move aimed at consolidating its digital channel alongside its physical retail growth. In terms of transparency, however, the brand received a “fail” from Bcome.

Heritage sportswear brand Slazenger, known for its tennis and golf apparel and equipment, has launched a new, premium label, Off-Court, designed to reinvent the brand through “a bold, contemporary, Gen Z lens”.

Slazenger, part of the Frasers Group, states that the new Off-Court brand will represent its most premium offering to date, as it looks to bring the brand to the forefront “for a more trend-driven audience,” whilst paying homage to its sporting DNA.

Designed by 23-year-old creative brand consultant and TikToker, Alexei Hamblin, Off-Court debuts with a nine-piece lifestyle collection, offering apparel designed “for life beyond the court,” blending premium fabrics with a contemporary aesthetic for a new generation of Slazenger fans.

Commenting on the new launch, Hamblin said in a statement: “I’ve known Slazenger my whole life, probably for the wrong reasons, which always left me wondering what more it could be if it reached its full potential. As I learned more and more about its legacy, I became obsessed, and when Slazenger brought me in, I couldn’t believe I had this opportunity to bring my vision to life.

“A brand with genuine heritage and credibility deserves a place in today’s fashion conversation. This capsule collection will be a key step in recontextualising that heritage for a generation who didn’t grow up with the brand. It will also serve as something of a test collection, as I’ll take real-time feedback from my socials about the capsule to tweak and adapt for collection two. I want to make this the most customer-centric rebrand of all time.”

Frasers Group's Slazenger brand launches premium fashion label

The debut collection of Slazenger Off-Court will be available exclusively at Flannels.com, another Fraser Group brand, and Slazenger.com. It will feature a mix of menswear and unisex products, including T-shirts, polo shirts, crewnecks, jackets and trousers, crafted from 100 percent cotton knitwear and sport-inspired yarn blends. Prices will range from 40 to 90 pounds.

The brand will be expanding into womenswear for the second collection, launching this summer.

Michael Murray, chief executive officer at Frasers Group, Slazenger’s parent company, added: “A bold step forward for Slazenger. Partnering with young creative talent, Alexei, to reimagine this iconic heritage brand - taking it outside the box and off the court. This is just the start of an exciting journey ahead.”

A new global competition titled Design Forward 2026 has launched, offering fashion students and recent graduates the opportunity to develop digital design skills using AI-powered tools.

Organised in collaboration with The Fabricant, the initiative provides participants with free access to digital design software and a project brief, with no portfolio required for entry. The competition aims to support emerging creatives as the fashion industry increasingly integrates digital workflows into design, production and presentation.

Entries will be evaluated by a jury of industry professionals, including Brigitte Stepputtis, Alex Høgh Nielsen, Katrin Ley, Nicolas Griffioen, Gloria Maria Cappelletti, Carsten Meijer and Kerry Murphy.

The competition is positioned as both a learning opportunity and a career-building platform, allowing participants to gain experience with digital design tools while presenting their ideas to industry decision-makers.

Application submissions are due by April 29, 2026. For fashion students and educators, the initiative highlights the growing emphasis on digital fluency and AI-driven workflows within fashion education and professional practice.

The American Apparel & Footwear Association has released a new guide aimed at helping fashion supply chains protect workers from extreme heat, as rising global temperatures increase health risks in manufacturing environments.

Published on April 17, 2026, the AAFA Guide to Protecting Workers from Heat Stress offers practical recommendations for apparel, footwear and travel goods companies to reduce risks and improve workplace safety. The guidance is designed to be implemented across global supply chains and addresses both prevention and response measures.

According to the International Labour Organization, excessive workplace heat is linked to an estimated 18,970 deaths and 22.87 million occupational injuries, highlighting the growing urgency of mitigation strategies.

Key recommendations outlined in the guide include:

The guidance was developed with input from stakeholders across the supply chain, including brands, manufacturers, academic experts and non-governmental organisations. It will be updated annually to reflect evolving research and best practices.

For fashion students and educators, the initiative highlights how climate change is influencing labour conditions and supply-chain management, reinforcing the importance of sustainability and worker welfare in future industry practices.

Paris (France) - Barrel-leg trousers, also known as "tonneau" in French or "clown" trousers, seemed unlikely to move from the catwalks to the high street with their unique, voluminous cut. However, they have recently taken over everyday fashion for both men and women.

"Ready-to-wear has made it a staple that has replaced all the flared jeans of the moment," Bryan Ferreira, a style journalist for GQ magazine, explained to AFP.

Each decade has had its signature jean: the 1970s had bell-bottoms; the 1980s had 'mom jeans' (high-waisted, relaxed fit); the 1990s had baggy jeans (wide all over); and the 2010s had skinny, stretch jeans. Since 2020, trouser cuts have become more relaxed. The decade is now clearly defined by volume and fullness.

"It is a key silhouette for fabric developers, who are well aware of this trend towards comfort and volume," explains Julieta Mercerat, a denim consultant.

"For two seasons now, we have sensed that people want to move away from the minimalism that has neutralised fashion for several years. This minimalism erased traces of personal or cultural expression and standardised the search for style," she analyses for AFP.

First appearing in the Alaïa autumn/winter 2023-2024 show, this new balloon cut then exploded on social media thanks to Jacquemus, a designer beloved by Gen Z (the generation born between 1995 and 2010).

Best-seller

The balloon jean is a regular or high-waisted style. Instead of falling straight, it curves out to its fullest point at the thigh and knee before tapering towards the ankle, as if the leg forms a parenthesis. Its ancestor or distant cousin is the 'Oxford bag', the oversized baggy trousers of the 1920s, or the sarouel.

Viewed from the side, the leg does not fall in a straight line but curves slightly, like the side of a barrel, hence its name. "It immediately creates a graphic silhouette, turning the garment into a style statement," stylist Coppelia Mandin tells AFP. Mandin is from the creative agency Good Sisters, which specialises in dressing French actresses.

The barrel-leg trouser first thrived on Instagram before appearing in ready-to-wear shop windows. "It is a divisive style, however. When it was first posted on Instagram, people had very strong opinions. That is when we knew we had created a best-seller!" summarises Marianne McDonald, creative director for the Californian denim label Citizens Of Humanity, in Vogue.

Denim sustainability expert Julieta Mercerat also notes that the barrel-leg style contains no elastane, a highly polluting component, unlike straight or skinny cuts. This makes it more environmentally interesting.

Diabolical

For French stylist Coppelia Mandin, although it is not for everyone, the barrel-leg trouser “deconstructs the body and also allows you to hide your legs a bit”. On top, you should not try to compete with the volume. "You need something quite simple and close-fitting, a simple white T-shirt, for example," advises the expert. "Since it tapers at the bottom, you can opt for something delicate on your feet, like ballet flats or pumps." Libération's fashion columnist Sabrina Champenois sees a “not far from diabolical” trend in these trousers.

"To be in line with the current doxa, one must respect an opposition of proportions, being as slim as the garment is voluminous," she writes. This confirms that it is a fashion reserved for bodies that meet current standards.

For men, the barrel-leg trouser has found an unexpected place. It has won over stars on the red carpet, even replacing the timeless suit trouser.

"While the wide cut is not for everyone, for the man who has tired of the straight cut or is not yet ready for the ultra-wide style, a barrel-leg trouser offers a particularly elegant compromise," notes GQ magazine.

British lifestyle brand Mulberry has delivered a strong sales performance for the second half of the 2026 financial year, supported by a turnaround strategy focused on brand reignition and full price discipline.

The group reported constant currency sales growth of 13.6 percent during the second half (H2) of the 52 weeks ended March 28, 2026. This momentum resulted in total revenue growth for the full year (FY26) of 5.7 percent on a constant currency basis. The performance indicates that the ‘Back to Mulberry Spirit’ strategy is gaining traction across all global regions. Every end market reported positive like-for-like (LFL) sales growth in H2, with the EU (excluding the UK) leading the expansion at 37.8 percent.

Strategic shift drives regional growth

The group’s retail and digital channels saw widespread recovery following a more difficult first half (H1) of the year. In the UK, retail and digital sales rose 13.7 percent in H2, while the US and Asia Pacific regions grew by 20.1 percent and 20.8 percent respectively.

Mulberry chief executive officer, Andrea Baldo, noted that the results demonstrate the turnaround is firmly underway despite a challenging economic and geopolitical environment. The group has remained focused on re-engaging its existing customer base while attracting new shoppers through a more focused product offer and improved availability. This growth was achieved alongside a disciplined focus on full price sales and a reduction in discounting.

These measures supported an improved gross margin for the 2026 financial year, continuing the progress seen in the H1 report where gross margin reached 69 percent.

Creative leadership and ready-to-wear relaunch

A significant pillar of the brand refresh is the appointment of British designer Christopher Kane as ready-to-wear (RTW) creative director. Kane, who previously closed his eponymous brand in 2023, will lead the return to a category Mulberry has not occupied since ending its licensing agreement with Onward Luxury Group in 2020.

The first collection under Kane’s direction is set to be unveiled in September 2026, with items becoming available in stores and online from January 2027. Baldo stated that Kane’s arrival marks an important step in re-establishing creative leadership as the brand evolves its creative language beyond accessories. Industry engagement regarding the relaunch has been high, with partners ranging from Selfridges in the UK to The Webster in the US.

Recent product initiatives, such as the ‘Rooted in Craft’ campaign and the limited edition Bayswater launch, which sold out in minutes, have already begun to elevate brand awareness. While the group remains focused on the work ahead, Baldo expressed confidence in the ability to build a sustainable, profitable business for the long term.

New Zealand-born heritage lifestyle brand Rodd & Gunn continues to expand its presence in the UK with the opening of a new store at Bristol's Cribbs Mall.

The 2,563 square foot standalone store in the Bristol shopping centre follows the success of the menswear brand’s concession within John Lewis at Cribbs Mall.

The Bristol store adds to its 10 standalone stores across the UK, including in London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Winchester, and Bath.

Katie Searle, director of asset management at Sovereign Centros by CBRE, which provides management services across Cribbs on behalf of M&G Real Estate, said: “Rodd & Gunn’s decision to open a standalone store at Cribbs is a prime example of how we work with exciting new brands entering the UK fashion market.

“From a concession at John Lewis, Rodd & Gunn has become a popular brand amongst our younger shopper audience, so we are delighted to have found them a new space in which they can grow and thrive.”

The addition of Rodd & Gunn follows Cribbs’ strategy of introducing new brands to the shopping centre line-up whilst working with established existing brands to enhance their spaces to appeal to its growing younger audience. The shopping centre states that fashion retailers have also benefited from a 26 percent rise in domestic tourists over the past year, as well as a 13 percent growth in Gen Z shoppers.

Searle added: “Rodd & Gunn’s arrival highlights how Cribbs Mall acts as the perfect destination for fashion brands to create flagship stores. Our large catchment area and strong domestic tourism audience allows us to draw in visitors from far and wide, eager to explore new fashion offerings and concepts.

“This has been evidenced by Rodd & Gunn selecting Cribbs for one of its first shopping centre locations, as well as Animal opening its first shopping centre store at Cribbs last year. Meanwhile, established brands like Mango, H&M, and River Island have all invested in their spaces, strengthening Cribbs’ position as the South West’s go-to fashion destination.”

Debenhams Group, the British online retail group, has appointed Paul Aspden as chief technology officer to scale its marketplace technology and AI innovation to support its next phase of growth.

Aspden, who joined the Debenhams Group in 2023, was most recently director of technology and has been “instrumental in developing and scaling the group’s proprietary technology ecosystem,” which underpins the group’s marketplace model that has been central to the turnaround of the business.

He has more than a decade of experience leading technology and digital transformation across the retail sector and will be focused on scaling Debenhams Group’s technology platform and driving further innovation, including the expanded use of AI to enhance decision-making, operational efficiency, and customer experience, in his new role.

Dan Finley, chief executive of Debenhams Group, said in a statement: “Having worked closely with Paul for the last 12 years, what's always stood out to me is the way he combines strong, technological expertise and leadership with real commercial impact. He has been instrumental in advancing the technology that underpins our marketplace model, while introducing AI-driven innovations that have supercharged both the customer experience and our operational efficiency.

“Technology has fundamentally transformed how we run the business, from stock and pricing management to how customers shop with us every day. The focus now is on scaling these capabilities further, and Paul’s leadership will be central to making that happen.”

Aspden’s appointment comes as Debenhams Group strengthens its senior leadership team, following Nikki Tattersall's joining as chief product officerto lead product strategy across the group’s youth brands.

Commenting on his new role, Aspden added: “I’m incredibly proud to step into the role of CTO. Since I joined the business, the Group has undergone a significant transformation, cementing its position as a leading online retailer while pioneering some of the most exciting innovations in the industry.

“There is a significant opportunity to go further - from scaling our platform and marketplace model, to embedding AI more deeply across the business and further enhancing how customers discover, explore and shop with us. I’m looking forward to working with the team to make the Group an even more dynamic place to shop and do business with.”

Debenhams Group is an online platform for fashion, home, and beauty, serving millions of customers across five shopping destinations: Debenhams, Karen Millen, Boohoo, Man and PLT.

Swiss sportswear provider On Holding AG has further strengthened its presence in the US. On Wednesday, the trainer specialist opened a new store in the East Coast metropolis of Boston. According to the company, On now has 15 stores in the US and a total of 70 worldwide.

In Boston, the company has taken up premises on the popular shopping street, Newbury Street. It now offers a selection of shoes, clothing and accessories for running, tennis, training, outdoor and lifestyle across a space of around 260 square metres.

The opening took place just a few days before this year's renowned Boston Marathon. Dan Schade, general manager for the Americas region at On, explained the choice of location. “Boston has a deep-rooted passion for running and a strong awareness of performance – qualities that are central to our brand ethos,” he explained in a statement. “Opening on Newbury Street during this legendary week is an incredibly significant milestone for us.”

Belgian lingerie group Van de Velde has appointed Marc Dambremez as chief executive officer. According to a press release, he will take up the position on August 31, 2026. He succeeds Karel Verlinde, who is leaving the organisation after seven years.

Dambremez has been tasked with accelerating the company's next phase of growth. With over 15 years of international experience in the fashion industry, he brings expertise in brand-driven growth, international retail and consumer engagement. He is expected to drive further growth while preserving the heritage of craftsmanship and quality.

Chairman Yvan Jansen commented on the appointment. “Marc brings strong fashion expertise and a distinct consumer-centric mindset to strengthen and scale our brands at a time when global brand relevance and speed to the consumer are crucial.” According to Jansen, Dambremez will lead Van de Velde towards “sustainable growth and long-term value creation”.

Dambremez called the move “particularly attractive”: “The strength of the brands and the opportunities that lie ahead are particularly attractive, and I look forward to building a high-performance culture where the consumer is at the heart of the strategy. My focus will be on accelerating the momentum in our core markets.”

From Levi Strauss & Co. to Van de Velde

After more than 16 years, Dambremez moves from Levi Strauss & Co.. There, he held various international leadership positions, including managing director for Asia Pacific and managing director for retail outlets EMEA. He was also vice president of global retail, real estate and franchise.

Van de Velde's portfolio includes brands such as PrimaDonna, Marie Jo and Sarda. The company partners with thousands of retailers worldwide.

Denim brand Kuyichi was founded in 2001 by Solidaridad, Triodos Bank, Stichting Stimulans and Oro Blanco, a collective of Peruvian cotton farmers that no longer exists. They had a clear goal: to make organic and fair-trade cotton the norm.

The brand grew to become a pioneer in sustainable denim but ran into trouble in 2015 due to high overhead costs, prematurely opened own stores and changing leadership. Bankruptcy followed, but so did a relaunch. Sales director Peter Schuitema took over the brand with partners Floortje Dessing and Guido Keff. Later, Laurent Safi (product manager) and Bjorn Baars (brand director) also acquired a stake in the company.

Ahead of the anniversary, FashionUnited visited Vleuten to speak with Bjorn Baars, to look back and forward. After 25 years, one is arguably no longer a pioneer. What is next for the quintessentially Dutch denim brand?

Humble restart

Small but perfectly formed aptly describes the Kuyichi team's office space: its location just outside Utrecht (The Netherlands), its modest size, and its homely decor. It is an upgrade, says Baars, pointing to the years after the relaunch when they had to work from Schuitema's attic. They reviewed the first denim prototypes in the back garden. “In the second year, we had a tiny office in Amsterdam where it was almost impossible to hold meetings due to its size and acoustics.” That was eight years ago now.

Baars takes us upstairs, where a leather sofa sits among mood boards, houseplants and archival designs on clothing rails. He is busy reflecting on what exactly has happened in twenty-five years; he has been there for almost all those years, first as a sales manager, then as a designer after the takeover, and now as brand director. "I am unearthing the most remarkable designs for our anniversary," he says, stroking a pair of trouser legs. "How they were made and what they stood for; what innovations we had to make for them. Much of what is hanging here is now too bold, as well as too time-consuming and expensive – that no longer works."

Organic cotton

The story of Kuyichi begins with the plans of Solidaridad, the foundation behind the Max Havelaar quality mark, to scale up organic cotton from Peru and pay the farmers a fair wage for it. "Solidaridad went to Lima in 1998 to see what was happening in the cotton industry. They saw the heavy pesticide use, how unhealthy it was for the farmers and the soil, and the amount of water being used. The land was literally dying from it; I saw shocking videos of it later.” The foundation wanted to support those cotton farmers to work pesticide-free, for a fair wage and without intermediaries. “It was not certified fair trade, but it was worked according to those principles."

However, no brand wanted to buy that organic cotton. "Organic cotton was not yet a trend and it was more expensive,” says Baars. Meanwhile, the better denim brands were being blown away by cheap fast fashion chains, which bought cotton from non-sustainable growers and had jeans made from it in low-wage countries with a lot of synthetic stretch. Solidaridad felt this did no justice to either the makers or the sector. Let's do it ourselves, they thought. Fortunately, the right people were brought on board, including Tony Tonnaer (later founder of Kings of Indigo), Peter Schuitema as sales director and designer Jason Denham.

The first collection consisted of T-shirts made from organic cotton; in 2004, the first organic cotton jeans followed. "Since then, we have continued to experiment to make it even more sustainable with spare denims, recycled cotton, and hemp cotton. It was pioneering, and sometimes it still is."

Premium middle ground

In 2007, a Pure Premium line was launched, a kind of laboratory for sustainable innovation, but it was eventually discontinued. "That was a line with expensive Japanese fabrics, selvedge denim, and trousers from 250 to 550 euros. We were at the (former Berlin, ed.) Bread & Butter trade fair with all those trousers against a jet-black background. Everyone was impressed by it, we were literally the talk of the town, but we could not sell them."

"We knew the looks could work, but they had to be more accessible. Now those design elements are in our regular collection.” This year, Kuyichi is bringing back the premium concept, “but much more limited, and with the lesson of the past in mind: this is not how we earn our living.”

Organic with a huge footprint

Producing overly designed trousers was one of the stumbling blocks for Kuyichi in 2015. "Several things went wrong," says Baars. "The overhead was far too high. We had thirty people in the office, a large marketing budget, and brochures; we knew no limits. We had shareholders who were not involved with the brand but appointed three different CEOs in two years, resulting in completely different collections. When we started opening expensive shops on top of that, things really went wrong."

Kuyichi had to learn to be more commercial. After the takeover, the brand focused on Never Out of Stock (NOOS) and smaller collections with exclusively certified organic cotton. The production chain was re-established in Turkey: cultivation, production, washing, trimmings, labels and packaging. Every step had to be certified. According to Baars, this has reduced the footprint enormously. Fortunately so, because something about the old production chain bothered him: “The cotton came from Peru, it had to go to Turkey for the certified factory, and the laundry was somewhere else again. At the end of the day, you had an organic pair of jeans with a gigantic footprint."

Cotton in conversion

One successful project that resulted from this course is supporting cotton in conversion, together with Bossa, Kuyichi's largest fabric supplier. "The idea was to guide a cotton farmer in Turkey through the transition to organic cotton. That takes three years, because the soil has to be really clean before you can call it organic. There are no subsidies for it in Turkey, so it is a scary step for farmers to take."

"Together with Bossa, we helped such a farmer: Cengiz Karadeli. He has now fully converted to organic and his successful harvest is in several styles from the collection. We would like to expand to another farmer."

Circular denim

Another successful innovation is 100 percent post-consumer recycled (PCR) denim. "In 2023, we finally succeeded, together with Bossa. We already had a version with 20 percent PCR denim. The technical problem was in the warp: it has to be strong and for that you need long fibres. Recycled denim almost always produces shorter fibres.

Bossa managed to adapt the spinning technique. The short fibres are twisted in such a way that the yarns can still be strong and heavy." The result: the Izabella Old Blue for women and Scott Old Fashion Blue for men, which is already sold out and is being replaced by a new model. There is also a baggy version for women, Lucy Loose Atlantic Ocean. “That is currently our best-selling model."

Sale

What did not work out: never participating in sales again. Much of Kuyichi's range consists of basics. "Why should such a product suddenly become less valuable after a season?" Baars thought. Retailers were also happy with the no-sale policy. “There is nothing more annoying than losing margin because a brand goes on sale on its own website two months after delivery. "You could always reorder our collection for a fair price.” There was just one problem: Kuyichi did not have its own outlet channel. What was not sold, piled up. That is why, after skipping sales for nine years, Kuyichi was forced to participate in them in 2026.

Baars thinks it is a shame. "In any case, we have managed to structure the collection so that we are reasonably clean at the end of the season: 70 percent is NOOS, and for seasonal items we only produce what has already been pre-sold and what will be in the webshop."

Trouser leg campaign

During the rebuilding period, there was hardly any budget for marketing. Now that the brand has been relaunched, that has to come back, says Baars – and he mentions a very direct campaign that was a huge hit at the time: ‘Legs for 10 euros’, conceived by an Amsterdam PR agency. "That was a recycling campaign where people could hand in their old jeans in exchange for a 10 euro deposit. We had a workshop in Amsterdam's Red Light District with people on sewing machines and with scissors. The idea: the legs of a pair of jeans are easier to recycle than the top, because that is where all the trimmings and metal parts are. You throw the legs in a shredder and you can make a new pair of trousers from them just like that."

The campaign generated a huge amount of press attention. "Precisely because it was so direct," Baars thinks, with some doubt as to whether it would still work that way today. "If you communicate something like that in a well-behaved way, no one picks up on it.”

Regenerative cotton

The way forward for Kuyichi, for Baars, begins with the term ‘regenerative’; meaning that for cotton cultivation, you do not deplete the soil and allow the ecosystem to recover. Then life can return to the soil and the land gains resilience for when the weather becomes more extreme. Currently, about 30 percent of Kuyichi's range consists of regenerative cotton - it is also certified, which is a prerequisite for Kuyichi's German customers.

"The direction I envision for Kuyichi is a mix of regenerative cotton and 100 percent PCR denim, with organic as a supplement where needed. We want to close the loop: collect, repair, upcycle. We are already working with Mended for our repair service, but eventually we want to take that in-house."

The dream of owning a little shop in Amsterdam is cautiously coming back to life. "Small and cozy, not a large flagship store like before, with the intention of telling our story and serving as a service point for the customer."

K25

If Baars has to point to one pair of trousers that shows where Kuyichi is headed, it is the K25. It is a reinterpretation of the very first pair of trousers Jason Denham designed for the brand: the K100. "At the time, those trousers were already very trendy, and now Y2K style is back in full force. Now is the perfect time to bring it back."

The trousers are made of unwashed, 100 percent regenerative cotton, and selvedge woven in the Japanese style. It is actually a fairly simple, solid model. That is what the market is looking for. "I have here the most sustainable pair of trousers I can think of,” says Baars.

Storytelling

Where is there still work to be done? “The storytelling”. But marketing is expensive, says Baars. "Our CSR manager once said: the big difference between fast fashion and slow fashion brands is that the former have huge margins and use them for marketing and storytelling. Sustainable brands put all their money into sustainable business and do not have much left over for storytelling at the end of the day. We are at very reasonably priced trousers and yet our margin is still not really high enough to get our story out there.”

"We work almost entirely with our own money and have hardly any loans. As a company, Kuyichi is finally healthy. Actually, our core jeans should also cost 150 euros. They are all premium products when you consider where they come from and how they are made. That is the whole truth of fair production."

French brand Jacquemus announced on Monday the appointment of Laetitia Manfredi as product and merchandising director, effective April 20, 2026.

As the house stated in a press release, the appointment of Laetitia Manfredi marks a significant step in the continuous development and international expansion of Jacquemus. Following the inauguration of its first permanent store on Avenue Montaigne in Paris in 2022, the network has rapidly expanded to key international cities, with openings in Dubai, Seoul, New York, Los Angeles and London. The company now has more than 300 employees.

In her new role, Laetitia Manfredi will report directly to the company's CEO, Sarah Benady, while working closely with the founder, Simon Porte Jacquemus. Her responsibilities will include developing growth strategies and the product offering to support the brand in its new phase of expansion. She will also be tasked with guiding the studio and merchandising teams into this new strategic chapter, while ensuring the creative vision of the label is reinforced.

With over 20 years of experience in the fashion and luxury sectors, the new director began her career at L'Oréal and Cartier before joining Louis Vuitton, the flagship brand of luxury giant LVMH. At Louis Vuitton, she held positions in image and visual merchandising before moving into product, with a distinct specialisation in accessories. She later participated in the launch of Rihanna's fashion brand, Fenty, before joining Saint Laurent to work on its prêt-à-porter and accessories segments.

Prior to joining Jacquemus, she was the director of the womenswear accessories business unit at Christian Dior Couture. In this role, she contributed to the growth of the LVMH-owned house, working under the artistic direction of Maria Grazia Chiuri and later Jonathan Anderson.

In March 2026, FashionUnited learned that Simon Porte Jacquemus sold approximately 5 percent of his house to Sandbridge Capital. Sandbridge Capital is a Californian fund specialising in luxury, beauty and wellness, according to a report by Modaes.

This article was written in part with the support of an artificial intelligence tool before being supplemented and edited by a FashionUnited journalist.

In the summer of 2024, Bhavitha Mandava was on a Brooklyn subway platform finishing her master's degree at NYU and not looking for a modelling career. That was when a scout noticed her and, within two weeks, Matthieu Blazy – then at Bottega Veneta – had cast her in a show. Eighteen months later, she is Chanel's first Indian House Ambassador.

The fashion industry called it a fairy tale, but it was actually a carefully sequenced strategy.

From macro to micro: why the unknown face is the new strategic asset

Mandava grew up in Hyderabad, India, in a Telugu family where academic achievement was the path forward. She earned an architecture degree, then moved to New York for a master's in Integrated Design and Media at NYU. Modelling was not the plan.

That story, and the person it belongs to, is precisely why Blazy chose her. Under his direction, Chanel has moved away from the polished, untouchable archetype toward something more grounded: clothes that look like they belong to a woman with a life, a commute, a desk, a degree. Mandava – an architect-turned-model who was studying for her finals while walking fashion weeks – is the face of that vision. Her ease on the catwalk, her academic background, her unfamiliarity with the industry's hierarchies: all of it reads as authentic in a way that cannot be manufactured.

What Chanel executed with her was a sequenced brand strategy built on micro-discovery: identifying unknown talent before it carries a price tag, then using each public milestone to measure audience response before committing to the next level of investment.

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Mandava debuted at Bottega Veneta SS25. And when Blazy moved to Chanel, she followed – walking his debut SS26 show in October 2025. Then in December, she opened the Métiers d'Art show inside a decommissioned Bowery subway station – the first Indian model ever to open a Chanel show. The venue mirrored her discovery; she debuted in exactly the environment where she had been found. The symbolism was deliberate and the internet responded immediately.

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Google Trends data for "Bhavitha Mandava" shows near-zero search interest across the entire first half of 2025. The Métiers d'Art moment produced the first significant spike, peaking at index 100 in the week of December 7th. Her parents then posted a video that had approximately 26 million views, people were amazed by the discovery.

A second spike followed in January 2026 when she closed Chanel's Haute Couture show as the bride – the look traditionally reserved for the designer's ultimate muse. The House Ambassador announcement came in March 2026, precisely when search interest had proven sustained across three distinct cultural moments.

Chanel validated Mandava incrementally, using audience sentiment as its signal.

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What this means if you're not Chanel

The mechanism is transferable, and the cost of entry is far lower than a traditional ambassador deal.

Brands spending on macro influencer partnerships are paying for audiences that have already been priced in. Micro discovery inverts this: you find the talent before the market does, build the relationship around genuine alignment with what you want to transmit, and let community response determine how far you take it.

The Mandava case shows that a single resonant cultural moment can generate more earned media than a paid campaign, provided the story is genuine and the sequencing is patient. For brands further down the market, the practical questions this raises:

Where are you scouting? If your casting brief still starts with agencies and existing talent rosters, you are paying a premium for faces the market already knows. Non-traditional discovery channels – university campuses, niche communities, trade contexts – are where the next Mandava equivalents are standing.

Are you reading sentiment before you scale? Chanel did not announce the ambassadorship until three organic moments had already validated the audience relationship. Before escalating any talent partnership, the question should be: what does the data say the audience already feels?

Is your brand story legible without the press release? The subway setting for the Métiers d'Art show did not need to be explained. Brands that can build that kind of narrative coherence into their casting and creative decisions will generate coverage that no budget can buy.

Mandava now sits in the same ambassador roster as Margot Robbie and Timothée Chalamet – but her path there cost a fraction of theirs and generated more organic conversation than either. The luxury industry has spent decades paying for cultural relevance, however Chanel just demonstrated you can earn it instead. The brands that understand this first will have a significant head start on the ones still writing cheques.

Sources:
- WWD article 'Chanel Names Bhavitha Mandava as House Ambassador' by Joelle Diderich, March 6, 2026.
- NextShark article 'Model discovered at NYC subway station becomes 1st Indian to open Chanel show'. by Ryan General, December 10, 2025.
- The Free Press Journal article 'Desi Model Bhavitha Mandava Takes Over Chanel's Latest Couture Show As First Indian House Ambassador' by Aanchal Chaudhary, updated March 10, 2026.
- Bhavitha Mandava Wikipedia page, visited in April 2026.
- Hypebae article 'Bhavitha Mandava is Chanel's newest ambassador' by Navi Ahluwalia, March 7, 2026.

Denim, with its roots in workwear, is often regarded as the basis of a simple everyday uniform, where volume, length and embellishment usually mark the greatest extremes. Yet the durable fabric offers more scope than it might initially suggest.

Rather than revisiting the old question of whether women will wear skinny or wider trousers this winter, designers from London to New York presented several standout pieces that made conventional denim treatments such as stonewashing look dated.

Statement jackets

The denim jacket is a true classic that, over recent decades, has evolved primarily through different washes, lengths and customisation details such as embroidery and patches. However, this type of piece has far more to offer than serving as a simple trans-seasonal jacket, as designers demonstrated across their AW26 collections.

The options ranged from an oversized collar, draped around the neck almost like a towel, to added shoulder tabs and ruching, as well as asymmetric cuts and layered constructions. Also on show were a knee-length coat with ruching; a sharply cropped, rock-inspired version with long sleeves; and an elegant style finished with an additional denim train.

Adaptable

Not only denim jackets stand out from the crowd this season; trousers and skirts also offer several alternatives to standard silhouettes. Adaptability is at the centre of the story.

Designers presented various approaches to transformable pieces with different styling options. British designer Stella McCartney, for example, showed jeans featuring two vertical zips running from the waistband down the full length of each leg. This allows the silhouette to be adjusted symmetrically on both legs or asymmetrically on one side.

New York label Eckhaus Latta, meanwhile, played with multiple layers. Two long denim legs with cut-outs at the crotch sat over brief shorts, to which they were attached. US brand Tibi also offered extra versatility through a loincloth-style panel worn over long jeans. British brand JW Anderson presented a piece that sits somewhere between a skirt and capri trousers, complete with additional layers.

Between palazzo trousers and long skirts

Wearers gain even more movement through the choice of a long denim skirt, from high-waisted to low-waisted, or wide palazzo trousers. In some of these denim looks, it is even difficult to tell whether the garment features two wide trouser legs or simply the opening of a skirt.

Other brands such as Masha Popova explored a similar shape more directly. The London-based label combined regular jeans with a wide, floor-length train, echoing the silhouette of skirts and palazzo trousers.

Mini

A long train also appeared at US denim brand 7 For All Mankind, this time paired with a very brief pencil miniskirt. The look was styled with a matching denim jacket and dark tights.

Overall, the message for autumn/winter 2026 appears to be that when skirts get shorter, at least a long-sleeved top is worn on top. Brands such as Keburia and Diesel reflected this approach, sending a pleated skirt and extremely short legless shorts down the runway.

Floral embellishments

A true classic and recurring trend is the floral motif, which once again decorated several pairs of jeans and denim jackets this season. What stood out, however, was that in most cases a subtle pattern was barely an option. On many looks, the flora climbed up the leg of the jeans or was repeated boldly across the entire piece. Styles ranged from understated embroidery and single-colour prints to full colour and ornate detailing.

Community rides, new brands and a growing interest in races beyond the Tour de France show that cycling has become a trend sport, much like running. It inspires both city dwellers and people in the countryside. Sporthaus Schuster - a renowned, family-owned sporting goods retailer based in Munich, Germany - has recognised this and realigned its bike category.

Until now, the approximately 400 square metre retail space, dedicated to a head-to-toe approach for road cycling, mountain biking and commuting, was not so clearly divided into these individual themes. This changed with the reopening this week, which will also see the “road bike” segment grow by 50 percent. A total of 50 brands can be found in the cycling department, eleven of which are in the textile sector. These include Café du Cycliste from France and the German brands Gonso and Fingerscrossed. However, bicycles are not part of the range.

Managing director Konstantin Rentrop explains why the Munich-based sporting goods retailer has decided to reorganise its range right now. He also discusses which other sports are currently popular and how the company is dealing with competition from large sports chains.

Why did you decide to expand the bike segment so prominently right now?

We have been covering the bike theme holistically for a long time. What is new, however, is the sharpening of our profile. As a sports house in Munich city centre with 5,000 square metres of space and an associated online shop, our focus is strongly on the metropolitan region. Our philosophy is that during the week you do sport to stay fit, and at the weekend you look for adventure in the Alps.

Cycling has always been a mainstay, from performance-orientated road bikes and mountain bikes to urban commuting. However, we have observed that the road bike segment has developed enormous momentum towards community and lifestyle in recent years. This is exactly where we come in. We are now focusing much more on the road bike type and the local scene.

Is the focus on the retail space increasingly on apparel brands to reflect the current trends of the “bike bubble”?

We follow a consistent “head-to-toe” approach. This means we offer a curated range of textiles, hardgoods and equipment. What we deliberately leave out are the bicycles themselves. In Munich city centre, space is limited and not available for this. If you offer bicycles, you must also provide the corresponding service and a workshop.

Instead, we concentrate on the apparel and equipment niche. While we cover the entry-level segment, we are expanding the top end of the range to be much more lifestyle-orientated. We don't want to copy the sheer mass of a huge e-commerce player. We curate strictly and focus on selected brands, including local heroes like Fingerscrossed from Traunstein. In terms of equipment, the spectrum ranges from high-end shoes to modern glasses. In the end, it is a four-part harmony of range, advice, service and community approach.

Are there any hype categories at the moment, apart from road cycling?

We are seeing very current trends such as Padel or the indoor fitness competition Hyrox, which is currently shaking up the fitness and running market. The trend towards running continues unabated, experiencing a strong pull from the lifestyle sector. The target group is becoming younger, more urban and the gender distribution more equal. An important sub-segment is trail running. If you look at the number of participants at events like the UTMB [Trail Ultramarathon, ed.] in Chamonix, you can see the huge potential.

In addition, wellbeing, health and longevity are major topics, from nutrition and supplements to recovery products. The first brands with new product types are entering the market here. Consumers today lead a much more active lifestyle than they did 15 years ago and therefore have a great interest in this area. However, it is not yet a major topic in sales.

What topics are currently important for you as a sports retailer in order to better advise customers?

On the one hand, there are digital services that we group under “push-to-store”, such as digital appointment booking for a running analysis. When the customer has a fixed appointment and a specialist advisor is available, the conversion rate is over 90 percent. Click and collect is also growing steadily.

On the other hand, I see enormous opportunities in digital consulting through artificial intelligence (AI). This allows us to significantly improve the digital customer experience. For a family-run, medium-sized company like us, AI also offers opportunities that we would otherwise hardly be able to afford financially.

Of course, sustainability remains a central theme. Customers specifically ask about production chains and fair working conditions. We need to constantly expand our expertise in this area.

Are customers more informed overall and does this play a role in the consultation?

The preliminary information is absolutely there. The purchase intention of visitors to the store is probably higher today than it used to be. We also experience so-called “consultation theft”. The ROPO (Research Offline, Purchase Online) effect has been around for a long time. There is a counter-trend, however: the need for community and personal encounters, especially after the pandemic. The more digital our lives become, the more people are interested in personal exchange.

You can no longer simply convert consumers today; we are convinced that real connections must be created. This is where brick and mortar retail can hold its own against e-commerce.

As a retailer, how do you manage to implement the community theme in concrete terms?

We founded a running community four years ago. Events have always been an important anchor for us, as we believe in the value of personal encounters. We concentrate on the Munich region and try to create added value that others cannot offer in the same way. While many brands have their own communities, we see ourselves as a platform. Every two to three weeks, we organise running events with 100 to 150 participants, where products from different brands can be tested. This multi-brand approach is our advantage. We want to merge the online experience with the local community and the in-house consultation to create a consistent experience.

How do you assess the current consumer restraint in the sports trade?

A forecast is difficult due to the current geopolitical situation. The outdoor and sports market was largely flat last year and is only expected to grow by around two to three percent annually until 2030. We had a very strong year last year, also due to special effects, which we can now compensate for well with new product range themes and more quality in many areas. Despite the consumer mood, I believe that moderate growth will continue, as health and sport remain basic themes.

High-quality and durable products will continue to be in demand, as customers want to avoid making bad purchases. Whether the sports trade will grow overall this year remains to be seen, as external effects such as the economic recession are very acute.

How do you rate the competition from large sports chains or discounters?

I have a very positive view of it. We are specialists in a niche and differentiate ourselves through quality and advice. Discounters or large chains are the ones who get people into sport in the first place. We benefit from this indirectly. When someone gets into sport and later wants to invest in more durable products, we come into play. Even when large chains or brand flagship stores open, it makes the ‘Munich marketplace’ more attractive and creates a pull effect for the city centre, which ultimately helps us.

At the Paris conference on the Strait of Hormuz, the approximately 50 participating countries demanded the immediate, unconditional, and complete reopening of the strait by all parties in the Iran war. “We demand the restoration of the pre-war conditions for free passage and the unrestricted respect for maritime law,” said French president Emmanuel Macron after the meeting. “We reject any restriction or agreement that would de facto amount to an attempt to privatise the strait, and of course, any toll system.”

France intends to organise a neutral naval operation with Great Britain, which will be clearly distinct from the warring parties, to escort and secure commercial vessels transiting the Gulf along the Iranian coast. A planning meeting for this purpose will take place in London as early as next week, accompanied by close coordination with the Americans and Israel.

Message of unity

“Today's message is one of hope. It is also a message of preparation and a message of unity,” said Macron. The Europeans stand with the countries of the Gulf region; Asia; the African continent; Latin America; and the Pacific.

After a weeks-long blockade due to the Iran war, the leadership in Tehran announced its intention to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to oil tankers and commercial vessels shortly after the Paris conference began. Conversely, the US intends to maintain its own naval blockade. This blockade only affects ships with a port of departure or destination in Iran, as president Donald Trump emphasised.

Following a period of international repositioning, the brand will be available from April 18, 2026, in four selected stores – Glattzentrum, Spreitenbach, Basel and Bern. Metro announced on Friday that the launch will feature a curated selection of key pieces and denim.

“Topshop is back – and with it, a brand that shaped the high street of the 2000s like no other,” explained Julia Brotschi, buyer for Topshop at Metro Boutiques AG. The aim is to make the iconic looks directly accessible again for both a new and the “old” generation of customers. According to Kevin Brunner, offline marketing manager, the company wants to “create an emotional connection to the brand” through targeted activations and stage the launch as a genuine experience, going beyond mere visibility.

The market entry in Switzerland is part of a comprehensive European expansion strategy. Topshop recently expanded its presence significantly through strategic partnerships with the Danish fashion group Bestseller in wholesale and the Dutch multi-brand retailer Wehkamp in e-commerce. The cult brand has also recently returned to brick and mortar retail in Austria, celebrating its comeback at Kastner & Öhler in Graz.

This article was created with the help of artificial intelligence.

Belgian luxury brand Delvaux has had its financial burden lightened. Parent company Richemont has forgiven 100.6 million euros (118.7 million dollars) of its debt, according to a report by Belgian business-focussed newspaper De Tijd. The debt has been converted into shares.

This move strengthens Delvaux's balance sheet. It is not the first time the Belgian brand has received help from its Swiss parent company. A loan of 90 million euros was provided in 2022, shortly after Richemont acquired Delvaux in 2021.

Founded in 1829, Delvaux is known as the world's oldest luxury leather goods company.

At the time of publication, neither Richemont nor Delvaux had commented on the debt restructuring.

Madrid – Spanish fashion multinational the Inditex group has welcomed the new spring/summer 2026 season. It has done so not only by updating its product offering but also by launching new pop-up stores. While this format is not new for the company, these activations appear to be taking root and solidifying as a new pillar of its commercial strategy.

As the latest example of this 'change of hand' with which Inditex seems to be energising its 'game' in the global retail scene, we find the opening of an exclusive Zara Man pop-up in New York on April 8. This is followed by a Massimo Dutti pop-up in Paris on Friday, April 17. With these two temporary stores, Inditex is demonstrating its willingness to explore different retail formats to continue offering a unique shopping experience to its growing customer base.

These aspirations align with Inditex's strategy to strengthen its business model during 2026. The company's chief executive officer, Óscar García Maceiras, outlined the key aspects of this strategy during a press conference on March 11. The conference was held to present Inditex's annual results for the 2025 financial year. During the presentation, Maceiras highlighted that in the new financial year, “we will continue to devise new ways of interacting with our customers”. This will be achieved through opening different types of retail spaces, including a prominent focus on “exclusive menswear spaces”. These initiatives are part of the goal to “continue strengthening some of the key elements of our business model”.

From a broader perspective, Inditex's commitment to pop-up spaces and experiences is linked to two key factors. These factors appear decisive in driving these strategies for marketing its products. The first is an internal factor, a direct consequence of the 'correction' the Spanish fashion multinational has made to its sales structures in recent years. This has led the company to reduce its store count from 7,490 at the end of the 2018 financial year to 5,460 at the close of its latest 2025 fiscal year. This represents a loss of 2,030 stores. It has also resulted in a loss of 241,378 square metres of retail space over the same period, a 4.86 percent decrease. The total area has shrunk from 4,962,081 square metres in 2018 to 4,720,703 square metres in 2025, leading to a more concentrated retail network for Inditex.

As a result of this exercise, the company now operates larger stores with more sales area. These stores also function as small, local logistics centres through their own warehouses. This change in model is not without risks. These include a loss of market penetration and the potential to alienate consumers who are not attracted to such large spaces. These customers were also familiar with the experience offered by the medium-sized stores Inditex previously operated. Inditex hopes to mitigate these tensions with its audience first through its online channel. Secondly, it aims to do so through more curated and experiential store openings, such as the new Zara Man locations and the increasingly popular pop-up format among the group's brands.

A second key factor driving this temporary store format is external: the growing rise of new urban fashion firms emerging in key markets for the company, such as Spain. These brands have already begun to internationalise. They are relying on strategies based on experiential pop-ups that allow them to offer disruptive, dynamic shopping experiences and test the potential for permanent entry into these international markets. These tactics have earned them recognition and applause from both their audience and industry professionals for their ability to rewrite the rules of fashion retail. This has enabled them to compete with major industry giants like Inditex. It is clear that Inditex has now decided to play the new game introduced by these urban fashion firms. These brands are creating a real buzz among the new generations of fashion consumers.

Zara Man: pop-up in New York, until the end of June

Focusing on Inditex's latest actions in this area, Zara, the group's largest chain by turnover, opened a pop-up store in New York on April 8 dedicated exclusively to its menswear offering. The space, located at 73 Spring Street in the heart of New York's SoHo, allows Zara and Inditex to further their menswear segmentation strategy in the US. This follows the opening last November of its first Zara Man store in the country, at the South Coast Plaza shopping centre in Costa Mesa, California.

Unlike the permanent store, the space opened this month in New York is expected to remain open only until the end of June, as reported a week ago by US news outlet WWD. During this time, the pop-up, for which neither Zara nor Inditex have officially released information, will offer an exclusive, curated selection of Zara's men's collections. This follows its initial opening weeks, when the store was dedicated to an exclusive pop-up for the 'Vatisimo' capsule collection designed for Zara by American designer Willy Chavarria. From April 8, this offering was expanded to include a wider range of items from Zara's collections. Customers will find these products distributed throughout the nearly 200 square metre pop-up in New York.

With its opening, it seems clear that Zara, following the 'change of hand' mentioned earlier, is testing the potential for opening a second permanent Zara Man store in the US. The country has been Inditex's largest market after Spain since 2021. At the close of the 2025 financial year, it operated 103 stores there: 102 from Zara and one from Massimo Dutti. This retail network is set to expand further during 2026, with plans including the opening of the first two Bershka stores and another two Massimo Dutti stores.

Massimo Dutti: pop-up in Paris, from April 17 to 26

The new pop-up opened today in Paris by Massimo Dutti, the Inditex group's premium brand, will be much more short-lived. The temporary store will be located at 7 Rue Froissart in the heart of the Le Marais district from April 17 to 26. For a few days, it will share the retail scene with brands like Isabel Marant, American Vintage and Ami Paris. Spanish fashion brand Scuffers has also just set up its pop-up just a few steps away from the Massimo Dutti location. While Massimo Dutti does not initially share the same target audience as this brand, it is clear they share a similar strategy, as mentioned at the beginning of this article.

According to Massimo Dutti's management, the pop-up has been opened to coincide with this week's launch of its new men's and women's 'Limited Edition' collections for the spring/summer 2026 season. These collections feature some of the brand's signature codes, such as the use of materials like leather, suede, silk and linen. They are constructed from patterns with clean lines inspired by traditional tailoring and will be sold in a carefully curated, experiential atmosphere. To create this atmosphere, Massimo Dutti has drawn on the bohemian essence of this specific part of Le Marais, which is filled with art galleries, cafés and stylish boutiques. The brand has established several collaborations, including with the Yvon Lambert bookshop; chef Rose Chalalai; photographer Saskia Lawaks; the Jacques Lacoste and Laffanour art galleries; florist Nina Charles; and Café Nuances, which will operate a small coffee space inside the pop-up.

Massimo Dutti has conceived this pop-up experience as “a natural extension of a way of understanding the product”, and of seeing it “not only as a design object, but as a meeting point between ‘savoir-faire’, curation and creative affinities”, the fashion brand's management highlights. From this perspective, “the activation in Paris thus underscores a vision in which the collection expands through precisely selected collaborations, capable of bringing context, depth and cultural value to the brand experience”. This activation allows Massimo Dutti to “consolidate a way of ‘building collections’ in which the product is at the centre, but is enriched through exchange with other creative perspectives”. Thus, as a benchmark to watch for future evolution, “the Paris pop-up becomes the expression of a special edition” of its 'Limited Edition' collections, “conceived from collaboration, aesthetic sensitivity and a vocation for permanence”.

Driven by the growing enthusiasm for trail running, the brand Kiprun, a sector expert from the Decathlon portfolio, aims to solidify its position among the major players on the international stage. To achieve this, the company announced on April 17 a three-year partnership with trail running athlete Mathieu Blanchard.

The collaboration is distinguished by the athlete's specific profile. Mathieu Blanchard, an engineer by training, will be integrated into the brand's design processes. His track record includes a victory at the Diagonale des Fous in 2024, as well as podium finishes at the UTMB and the Hardrock 100. The athlete will participate in the development of future equipment, using extreme races as a laboratory to test and validate products in real-world conditions.

Key points of this new strategic partnership:

• Mathieu Blanchard commits for three years to strengthen the outfitter's team of athletes.

• The athlete will leverage his engineering expertise for the design of future products.

• The equipment developed will aim to meet the demands of top-level performance while remaining accessible to consumers.

• The Decathlon brand will leverage this collaboration to continue its growth, as it is currently present in 70 countries.

“What convinced me about Kiprun is the opportunity to connect everything that drives me: performance, adventure and innovation,” explained Mathieu Blanchard in a statement. The athlete added that his goal is to transform what works for him in demanding races into solutions accessible to all runners.

By partnering with a hybrid profile like Mathieu Blanchard's, Kiprun demonstrates a clear desire to move upmarket and structure its innovation capacity against the sector's established players. Anthony Dulieu, chief executive officer of Kiprun, also noted that this new addition is part of a broader strategy to design products capable of competing at the highest level.

This article was partially written with the support of an artificial intelligence tool before being completed and edited by a FashionUnited journalist.

UK-based group Associated British Foods (ABF) is anticipated to present a strategy to decouple its Primark fashion business from its diversified food portfolio this Tuesday, according to Reuters. The move follows a comprehensive structural assessment intended to enhance long-term shareholder value.

Primark currently maintains a retail footprint of 486 stores across 19 international markets. Despite its scale, the fashion retailer experienced a 2.7 percent decline in underlying sales during the Christmas quarter.

Primark separation remains working assumption

The London-based parent company initiated the structural review last year, supported by advisory firm Rothschild. ABF chief executive officer, George Weston, indicated in November that the findings are scheduled for release by April 21, 2026, to align with the announcement of first-half results.

Weston noted that the separation of the clothing chain is the “working assumption” for the board. This strategic shift is being coordinated with Wittington Investments, the holding company for the Weston family, which intends to retain majority control over both business units post-separation.

The structural evaluation arrives as ABF shares have recorded a 14 percent decrease over the last year. By separating the high street retailer from the broader group, the board aims to address valuation discrepancies between its retail and food segments.

Management restructured ahead of transition

ABF has formalised the leadership at the fashion division by appointing Eoin Tonge as the permanent CEO of Primark. Tonge, formerly the group finance chief for ABF, has led the retailer in an interim capacity since March 10, 2025, following the sudden departure of Paul Marchant.

The executive team has been further expanded with the recruitment of Filip Ekvall, a former executive at Swedish brand H&M. Ekvall joins the company in the newly established position of chief commercial officer.

These appointments mark a significant reinforcement of the Primark leadership structure as the brand prepares for a potential standalone future.

With its new location in the historic old town, the brand is opening its first store in Switzerland, Birkenstock announced on Friday. The company is continuing its expansion, having just opened a new store in Bordeaux at the end of March, and now operates over 30 European stores. Additionally, the first concept store in Osaka opened at the beginning of the month, marking its 12th store in Japan.

The store concept at Storchengasse 23 in Zurich focuses on a design-led environment intended to reflect the brand's values of quality, function, and tradition. Swiss nature and craftsmanship served as the central inspiration for the interior. Materials such as pine wood, end-grain parquet flooring, and natural stone define the aesthetic, aiming to recreate the experience of a “hike through Switzerland”.

Special attention is paid to the combination of history and modernity. For instance, the design of the seating is inspired by a listed guild sign from 1357. “The new store is designed as a touchpoint where consumers can experience the brand promise first-hand,” the company stated. The assortment includes classics such as the Arizona and Boston models, the “Care Essentials” range, and the eponymous “Zürich” model, which was designed by Karl Birkenstock in 1964.

With this move, Birkenstock underscores its commitment to “unlocking the region's potential” and engaging directly with the local community.

This article was created with the help of artificial intelligence.

Despite the war with Iran, German ships in the Gulf region can continue to be insured. This was announced by the German Insurance Association (GDV).

“Insurers are adjusting terms and prices, but are not pulling out,” said Jörg Asmussen, general manager of the GDV. War risk insurance, which typically covers damage from incidents such as mines, is also still being offered by insurers.

According to the German Shipowners' Association (VDR), shipping companies generally take out war risk insurance for voyages through and stays in high-risk areas. The VDR also represents shipping companies whose vessels are stranded in the Persian Gulf, where traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has largely come to a halt. The association states that at least 50 ships from German shipping companies are currently stranded in the Gulf.

Insurers exercised termination rights

In early March, shortly after the war with Iran began at the end of February, the GDV announced that marine insurers were exercising their termination rights on war risk policies. According to the VDR, insurers subsequently offered coverage at significantly higher prices.

This is “a standard procedure when the risk situation changes at short notice,” the VDR stated. This has resulted in high additional costs for shipowners. For large merchant vessels, six to seven-figure sums must be paid to insure them against war damage.

Insurance brokers: prices have multiplied

Raik Becker, who works for the insurance broker Marsh Risk and negotiates with insurers on behalf of shipping companies, told the German Press Agency on Wednesday that the price of war risk insurance has multiplied since the war began. He noted that, based on experience, they are on average five to six times higher than before.

Becker added that shipping companies must pay approximately 3 to 7 percent of a vessel's value for an insured voyage through a high-risk area such as the Gulf. War risk insurance is also available for ships stranded in the Gulf. In such cases, a specific time frame is agreed upon for the policy's validity.

The Strait of Hormuz is a sea passage south of Iran and one of the most important routes for the oil and gas trade. Iran is threatening free navigation in the strait and has largely brought traffic to a standstill. The US established a naval blockade on Monday.