Fashion

Fashion
Fast fashion's threat to luxury brands
As the trend cycle shortens and fast fashion is on the rise, luxury brands are scrambling to appeal to consumers. This comes as earlier this year, LVMH reported disappointing first-half sales for the first half of 2025, with analysts suggesting this marks a broader slowdown for the rest of the luxury market. The luxury market leader reported an 8% decline year-over-year in its Fashion and Leather Goods segment. Fashion brand Burberry, earlier this year, also implemented strategies to mitigate a 17% fall in revenue by cutting 17,000 jobs worldwide by 2027, with Shein being the leading fast fashion brand. On the flip side, fast fashion continues to rise, with the market being worth US$150.82 billion in 2025 and expected to rise to US$214.24 billion by 2029. Micro-trends and storytellingOne of the key areas that fast fashion has capitalised on is microtrends, which consist of mini-trends that change on a frequent basis. Due to their production model, fast fashion sites are able to mass-produce cheap products in a quick fashion. “Social media has really made things, made cycles a lot shorter,” RMIT senior lecturer in business and economics, Marian Makkar tells Azzet. “Micro trends are making people, particularly G
Fashion
Levi Strauss reports better-than-expected results
Clothing brand Levi Strauss saw higher-than-expected profits thanks to targeted price increases and a shift away from wholesalers. In an interview with CNBC, the company’s CEO, Michele Gass, said the company has begun to raise the price of some of its jeans, and will continue to do so in the U.S. and other markets next year to combat tariffs. “As we’ve been taking these targeted actions, we’ve not seen an impact to demand. We’ll of course, stay very, very close to that but … we’re taking a surgical, thoughtful approach on any pricing,” said Gass. “We know that we’re a brand that is known for great quality and value. We don’t take that for granted. We know we have to earn that every day.” Both the company’s reported and organic net revenues increased by 7% year-over-year for Q3 2025. The largest growth was in Asia, with net revenues rising by 12% on both an organic and reported basis. Lavi Strauss reported earnings per share of 34 cents, which was higher than the expected 31 cents. Revenue also beat expectations, coming in at US$1.54 billion versus $1.5 billion expected. Despite the higher-than-expected outcomes, shares dropped more than 6% in extended trading while climbing 42% this year through to Thursday
Fashion
Shein to open brick and mortar store in France
Shein has announced that it will be opening a brick-and-mortar store in France, in a move that has sparked criticism from French retailers. The permanent store will come in November under an agreement with the department store owner Société des Grands Magasins (SGM). SGM president Frédéric Merlin said the project will help attract younger customers and breathe more life into French cities, including Paris. “With Shein, the world's largest online clothing platform, we are opening a new chapter, starting with BHV and soon our affiliated Galeries Lafayette stores in the regions," Merlin said. “It's also a major innovation: thanks to its in-depth knowledge of online sales, Shein knows what appeals locally and can therefore tailor the offer in a unique way to each area." Shein executive chairman, Donald Tang, also said Paris was the natural place to open their first in-person store before expanding to other locations. "In choosing France as the location for our physical retail experiment, we recognise its position as a major fashion capital and embrace its spirit of creativity and excellence," Tang said. "It is natural that this journey should begin in Paris, at BHV, the cradle of modern commerce, before extending
Fashion
Jonathon Anderson debuts Dior womenswear in Paris
Dior’s new creative director, Jonathan Anderson unveiled his debut womenswear collection in Paris on Wednesday, reimagining the label’s classics in one of the season’s most anticipated shows. Appointed to lead the womenswear line in March, Anderson had already shown his first Dior menswear collection in June. His latest showcase placed him firmly among a new generation of designers reshaping luxury fashion, an industry still grappling with a prolonged slowdown in global demand. Famed for its cinched waist, Dior’s iconic bar jacket was reinterpreted with a looser cut and added volume at the back, styled with a pleated mini skirt jutting dramatically behind. The show opened with a striking short film, presented in black-and-white horror style, featuring archival images from Dior’s history. Models then took to the runway in ensembles that mixed tradition with contemporary edge: mini skirts paired with sweeping wool capes, suit jackets with high collars, backless dresses, and lightweight knit pieces. Slim and barrel-legged denim also featured prominently, alongside coats with sharply raised collars. The collection was presented in the Tuileries Gardens, drawing a star-studded audience that included K-pop idols Jim
Fashion
Chanel, Dior lead designer reset at Paris Fashion Week
Paris Fashion Week opened on Monday, capping off a month of global runway shows as the fashion industry undergoes one of its most dramatic overhauls in years. Chanel and Christian Dior are at the centre of the shake-up, each betting on new designers to revitalise flagging sales. The nine-day event, running through to 7 October, follows shows in New York, London and Milan, drawing retailers, journalists, models and celebrities to the French capital. It features high-profile debuts at Chanel and Dior alongside fresh creative leadership at Balenciaga, Loewe and Jean Paul Gaultier. Chanel, which reported a 4% drop in sales last year, has appointed Matthieu Blazy, 41, as creative director. Blazy, formerly of Bottega Veneta, becomes only the third person to hold the role since the 1980s, following Karl Lagerfeld and his successor Virginie Viard. His first collection for the French house will be shown on 6 October at the Grand Palais, Lagerfeld’s favoured venue. At Dior, owned by LVMH, Jonathan Anderson has stepped into a dual role overseeing both menswear and womenswear. Anderson, 41, comes from Loewe and has previewed his vision with an advertising campaign starring Greta Lee, blending minimal makeup, tailored f

Fashion
Gucci kicks off Milan Fashion Week with Demna film debut
Gucci began Milan Fashion Week on Tuesday with an unconventional cinematic showcase, as new creative director Demna presented his debut collection through a short dramatic film starring Hollywood actors. The film, titled The Tiger, featured Demi Moore, Edward Norton and Ed Harris, and was co-directed by Spike Jonze and Halina Reijn. It was screened inside the Palazzo Mezzanotte, home of Milan’s stock exchange, replacing the traditional runway format with a theatrical birthday dinner celebration where actors and models wore designs from Demna’s new “La Famiglia” collection. Among the highlights, Moore, the film’s central figure, appeared in a gleaming golden dress, while models in opulent fur coats and plunging shirts sat in the front rows of the improvised cinema. The presentation marked a sharp departure from Gucci’s usual shows as French parent company Kering aims to breathe new life into its flagship brand following two years of declining sales. Top executives including Kering’s new CEO Luca de Meo, chairman and controlling shareholder François-Henri Pinault, and Gucci’s newly appointed CEO Francesca Bellettini attended the screening. Demna, best known for transforming Balenciaga by blending austere design wit
Fashion
Nike and Skims launch their collaboration this week
Nike is set to launch its highly anticipated activewear line with Kim Kardashian’s intimates brand Skims this week after it was pushed back due to production delays. The collection is slated to launch on both the Nike and Skims websites on 26 September. “NikeSKIMS is a bold evolution in how women experience sport and style — and together with SKIMS, we’re delivering what no other brand can,” Nike President Amy Montagne said. “It’s part of Nike’s broader commitment to her: uncompromising product innovation that moves and celebrates women." It was initially announced in February to hit stores earlier this year, but was pushed back due to production delays between the two teams. The launch of the collection comes as Nike is implementing a turnaround strategy under the new CEO, Elliot Hill, who joined the company in October 2024. The sportswear company is trying to return to form after former CEO John Donahoe focused the company on the lifestyle side of the business. While this led to the company’s annual sales growing north of US$50 million, many of Nike’s core athlete customers began to shop elsewhere over criticisms that Nike lost sight of innovation. The Skims collaboration is hoped to reach athletes while als
Fashion
Gucci names Bellettini as CEO as brand seeks turnaround
Luxury conglomerate Kering has appointed Francesca Bellettini as CEO of Gucci, as the brand seeks to return to growth. Bellettini, currently a deputy CEO of Kering, will be Gucci’s fourth CEO in two years. Newly-appointed Kering CEO Luca de Meo has said the group will begin implementing plans to reorganise its brands and cut its debt by the end of the year. “At this pivotal moment, I intend to build a leaner and clearer organisation in which the best talent drive our Houses forward,” said de Meo. “Gucci, as the flagship of our Group, deserves the sharpest focus, and Francesca — one of the most seasoned and respected professionals in our industry — will bring the leadership and flawless execution needed to restore the brand to its rightful place.” Bellettini was CEO of Saint Laurent before being named Kering’s deputy CEO of Brand Development in 2023. Kering’s deputy CEO positions will now be scrapped, the company said. Gucci’s revenue dropped by 25% year-over-year in the first half of 2025, reaching EU€3.03 billion (A$5.37 billion). This was the largest decline reported by any Kering brand during the period, with the fashion house representing 40% of the group’s revenue. The brand’s operating income plummeted by 5
Fashion
Kering postpones Valentino purchase until at least 2028
Luxury conglomerate Kering has postponed its acquisition of Italian fashion house Valentino until at least 2028, as Kering aims to reduce its debts. Valentino is currently owned by Qatari investment fund Mayhoola. Kering agreed to buy Valentino in 2023, and acquired a 30% stake at that time. “The current ownership structure of the House of Valentino will not change before 2028 at the earliest,” wrote Kering and Mayhoola. “As a new chapter at Valentino has opened with the appointment of Riccardo Bellini as CEO, Kering and Mayhoola confirm their strategic partnership to support the development of the iconic Italian luxury House and remain entirely committed to its long-term success.” Mayhoola’s put options to sell its 70% stake in Valentino to Kering have been postponed from 2026 and 2027 to 2028 and 2029. Kering’s call option to acquire Valentino will be deferred from 2028 to 2029. Kering, which also owns Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent, reported a 46% year-over-year fall in net income last half. It had EU€9.50 billion in net debt, and saw revenue drop by 16%. Incoming Kering CEO Luca de Meo has said the company will begin implementing plans to reduce its debt and reorganise its brands by the end of the year. Keri