Saudi Fashion Commission, Kering Start Screening for 'Kering Generation Award X Saudi Arabia' Winners

The Saudi Fashion Commission logo
The Saudi Fashion Commission logo
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Saudi Fashion Commission, Kering Start Screening for 'Kering Generation Award X Saudi Arabia' Winners

The Saudi Fashion Commission logo
The Saudi Fashion Commission logo

The Fashion Commission and luxury group Kering have launched the selection process for winners of the "Kering Generation Award X Saudi Arabia," a collaborative initiative aimed at training and supporting twenty innovative startups that are making a significant impact in the fashion industry.
The partnership focuses on emphasizing sustainable practices, exploring innovative startups within the fashion and commodities sectors, and establishing award criteria, selection procedures, and development programs for participants.
The application process began in November 2024, inviting startups to submit their applications and embark on a journey toward promoting sustainability. Over 100 startups applied for the program, and 20 were selected to participate in a three-day training camp in Riyadh. The program featured workshops that concentrated on the development of key performance indicators and goal setting, as well as pitching skills.
On January 14, the shortlist of 20 startups convened in Riyadh for the final presentation session, where each applicant was evaluated according to the three key criteria: customer engagement, circular economy, and water protection.
Following the presentation, the evaluation process commenced to select the top 10 proposals, which the jury will assess based on innovation, relevance to the topic, connection to fashion, and potential impact on nature and society.
The awards ceremony for the "Kering Generation Award X Saudi Arabia" is scheduled for January 27 in Riyadh; the top three winning startups will be announced.
Winners will have the opportunity to participate in a week-long trip to Paris for exclusive mentoring with Kering's sustainability teams and present their innovations at the ChangeNOW Summit 2025.
Fashion Commission CEO Burak Cakmak said that sustainability is central to the Fashion Commission's vision for the industry's future.
He added that the Kering Generation Award X Saudi Arabia aims to showcase and support startups that are fostering significant innovation in circular fashion and environmental stewardship.
Cakmak said the initiative demonstrates the commission’s commitment to advancing solutions that tackle current challenges while paving the way for a more sustainable future in fashion.



Gucci Sales Slump Continues as Kering Seeks New Designer

FILE PHOTO: The logo of fashion house Gucci is seen outside a store in Cannes, France, May 16, 2024. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier/File Photo/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The logo of fashion house Gucci is seen outside a store in Cannes, France, May 16, 2024. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier/File Photo/File Photo
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Gucci Sales Slump Continues as Kering Seeks New Designer

FILE PHOTO: The logo of fashion house Gucci is seen outside a store in Cannes, France, May 16, 2024. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier/File Photo/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The logo of fashion house Gucci is seen outside a store in Cannes, France, May 16, 2024. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier/File Photo/File Photo

French luxury group Kering reported a 12% drop in fourth quarter sales on Tuesday, dragged lower by its Italian brand Gucci, but flagged a slight improvement in major markets China and the United States.
The French conglomerate, which sacked Gucci designer Sabato de Sarno last week as part of its efforts to revive the label, said sales over the last three months of the year were 4.39 billion euros ($4.52 billion), down 12% on a comparable basis, in line with expectations, according to a Visible Alpha consensus cited by UBS.
Sales at Gucci, which accounts for nearly half of group sales and about two thirds of recurring operating profit, were down 24%, below analyst expectations for a 19% drop as the label's aesthetic overhaul failed to win back shoppers, Reuters reported.
Kering's efforts to turn around Gucci with a new, minimalist design approach from De Sarno, who took up the position two years ago, were complicated by a global slump in luxury demand.
The industry's sales rate is the slowest in years, and consultancy Bain & Company estimated they fell globally 2% last year, weighed down by a property crisis in China - a major market for Gucci.
Finance chief Armelle Poulou told reporters the company saw improvement of sales in mainland China and with Chinese shoppers, as well as the US.
"As far as China is concerned, we saw a sequential improvement in our sales of 6 points between Q3 and Q4, an improvement that we also saw in Chinese nationality," she said.
In a statement Kering CEO Francois-Henri Pinault said the company has reached a "point of stabilization, from which we will gradually resume growth".
Full year recurring income from operations came to 2.6 billion euros, slightly higher than Kering guidance in October for 2.5 billion euros.