Dior Looks to Marlene Dietrich in New York Fall Show

Logos of Dior brand are seen outside a Dior store in Paris, France, March 3, 2017. (Reuters)
Logos of Dior brand are seen outside a Dior store in Paris, France, March 3, 2017. (Reuters)
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Dior Looks to Marlene Dietrich in New York Fall Show

Logos of Dior brand are seen outside a Dior store in Paris, France, March 3, 2017. (Reuters)
Logos of Dior brand are seen outside a Dior store in Paris, France, March 3, 2017. (Reuters)

French fashion house Christian Dior unveiled a fall line inspired by actress Marlene Dietrich at a catwalk show in New York on Monday evening.
Nodding to Dietrich's personal style, Dior designer Maria Grazia Chiuri dressed models in white shirts, sometimes with ties, pleated trousers and black blazers.
Belted or cowl-neck dresses looked to 1940s silhouettes while some frocks sparkled with beading, Reuters said.
There were also nods to New York, with prints of the Statue of Liberty featuring on some designs. Others were adorned with depictions of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, where Dior is based.
Chiuri worked with artist Claire Fontaine on designing the show space, with pairs of illuminated hands adorning the catwalk's backdrop.
"These hands represent positively and in an empowering way the female sex and they are the hands of the seamstresses, of the creators, myself, of Maria Grazia and the hands of the women that made this project possible," Fontaine said in an interview.
Among the celebrities attending the show were actors Anya Taylor-Joy, Michelle Williams, Naomi Watts, Rosamund Pike and Charlize Theron.



Abercrombie & Fitch Lifts Sales Forecast on Trendy Apparel Demand; Lofty Expectations Hit Shares

A hiring sign is displayed in front of Abercrombie & Fitch at the Tysons Corner Center mall on August 22, 2024 in Tysons, Virginia. (Getty Images via AFP)
A hiring sign is displayed in front of Abercrombie & Fitch at the Tysons Corner Center mall on August 22, 2024 in Tysons, Virginia. (Getty Images via AFP)
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Abercrombie & Fitch Lifts Sales Forecast on Trendy Apparel Demand; Lofty Expectations Hit Shares

A hiring sign is displayed in front of Abercrombie & Fitch at the Tysons Corner Center mall on August 22, 2024 in Tysons, Virginia. (Getty Images via AFP)
A hiring sign is displayed in front of Abercrombie & Fitch at the Tysons Corner Center mall on August 22, 2024 in Tysons, Virginia. (Getty Images via AFP)

Abercrombie & Fitch raised its annual sales target on Wednesday after reporting better-than-expected quarterly revenue, but shares of the company fell 14% as investors expected a bigger forecast bump from the high-flying retailer.

The stock has surged about 89% so far this year after nearly quadrupling in 2023.

"While the market may have been looking for a stronger guidance lift for the year, given momentum across the business, we see a beat and raise as impressive given a moderating top line outlook in response to a choppy macro environment across many of Abercrombie's specialty retail peers," said Dana Telsey, analyst at Telsey Advisory Group.

Abercrombie has been revamping its merchandise with new styles, featuring dressier apparel and cargo pants while tapping into growing demand for wide-legged jeans, helping it draw in fashion-savvy shoppers.

Retailers ranging from department store chains Macy's to home improvement chain Home Depot struck a cautious note and trimmed their annual sales forecasts, blaming weak discretionary demand. Strong results from Target and Walmart showed shoppers were looking for bargains amid budget constraints.

Sales at the Abercrombie brand jumped 26% in the quarter ended Aug. 3, while its Hollister division reported a 17% rise due to better-than-expected back-to-school selling.

The company now expects net sales to rise between 12% and 13% in fiscal 2024, compared with its prior forecast of around 10% growth.

Abercrombie CEO Fran Horowitz said the forecast raise came despite "an increasingly uncertain environment".

The company saw benefits from lower promotions and lower cotton costs, which helped it improve its gross profit rate by 240 basis points to 64.9%. However, it expects pressure from freight costs in the back half of the year.

In the second quarter, it reported profit of $2.50 per share, beating an estimate of $2.22, according to LSEG data.

Net sales rose 21% to $1.13 billion in the second quarter, compared with analysts' estimate of $1.10 billion.