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Saudi 100 Brands Returns to Paris Fashion Week

Saudi 100 Brands Returns to Paris Fashion Week
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Saudi 100 Brands Returns to Paris Fashion Week

Saudi 100 Brands Returns to Paris Fashion Week

The Saudi Fashion Commission will present homegrown talents at Paris Fashion Week, held from June 24 to 27 on the fifth floor of La Samaritaine. The exclusive showroom dedicated to Saudi 100 Brands will highlight 11 trailblazing designers and their Spring–Summer 2026 collections.

This exceptional showcase, spearheaded by the Fashion Commission and its flagship Saudi 100 Brands program, aims to foster meaningful cultural exchange through contemporary Saudi fashion, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. It represents a key step in a long-term vision to establish the Kingdom as an essential presence in the global fashion industry.

CEO of the Fashion Commission of Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Culture Burak Çakmak said that the return of the Saudi 100 Brands program to Paris Fashion Week reflects a commitment to showcasing Saudi creativity at the highest levels.

He noted that the platform not only presents designers to a global audience but also deepens connections with the international fashion community, reinforcing the vision of making the Kingdom a driving force in shaping the future of fashion and fostering meaningful global partnerships.

CEO of Tranoï Boris Provost stated that Saudi fashion is experiencing remarkable momentum, expressing pride in the creative energy showcased by the Saudi 100 Brands program at Tranoï.

According to SPA, he highlighted the exhibition's role in presenting emerging talents on a global scale, noting that the collaboration with the Saudi Fashion Commission perfectly embodies this mission by providing an international stage for a new generation of designers in Paris, the fashion capital of the world.

The Saudi 100 Brands program is a long-term strategic initiative by the Saudi Fashion Commission. It aims to support generations of Saudi brands and contribute to the development of a sustainable local fashion industry.

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Fashion

Hugo Boss Chairman to Step Down as Frasers Pursues Takeover

A window display is seen at the Boss store in London, Britain, May 30,2024. (Reuters)
A window display is seen at the Boss store in London, Britain, May 30,2024. (Reuters)
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Hugo Boss Chairman to Step Down as Frasers Pursues Takeover

A window display is seen at the Boss store in London, Britain, May 30,2024. (Reuters)
A window display is seen at the Boss store in London, Britain, May 30,2024. (Reuters)

Hugo Boss chairman Stephan Sturm will step down and the company has launched a search for his replacement, it said on Monday, in a win for British retailer Frasers, which is pushing to take over the German fashion group.

Controlled by British billionaire Mike Ashley, Frasers Group has been pushing into ‌the premium and ‌luxury space. It said this month ‌that ⁠it planned to ⁠raise its stake in Hugo Boss to more than 50%, from its current holding of 48%.

Frasers said it had agreed with Sturm that an orderly transition in the supervisory board chairmanship was appropriate as Hugo Boss entered a "new chapter" ⁠in its history.

"Frasers and Mr. ‌Sturm have therefore mutually ‌agreed that Mr. Sturm will step down from his ‌position as chairman and member of the supervisory ‌board as soon as possible," Frasers said.

It was also seeking to increase its representation on the Hugo Boss supervisory board, it said, and proposed to ‌appoint its own former company secretary Robert Palmer as a second representative alongside Frasers ⁠CEO ⁠Michael Murray.

Sturm will remain chairman until a successor is elected, Hugo Boss said, adding that it would start the succession process immediately and provide an update in due course.

Hugo Boss would be the latest addition to Ashley's sprawling retail empire, which includes Sports Direct and House of Fraser under Frasers Group, as well as stakes held by Frasers in Asos, Debenhams, and Currys.

Last month, it acquired British luxury department store Harvey Nichols.

Fashion

Tommy Hilfiger Takes Over Plaza Hotel for His Colorful Return to NY Fashion Week

American model Gigi Hadid presents a creation by Tommy Hilfiger for the New York Fashion Week Tommy Hilfiger runway at the Plaza Hotel in New York, New York, US, 10 September 2026. (EPA)
American model Gigi Hadid presents a creation by Tommy Hilfiger for the New York Fashion Week Tommy Hilfiger runway at the Plaza Hotel in New York, New York, US, 10 September 2026. (EPA)
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Tommy Hilfiger Takes Over Plaza Hotel for His Colorful Return to NY Fashion Week

American model Gigi Hadid presents a creation by Tommy Hilfiger for the New York Fashion Week Tommy Hilfiger runway at the Plaza Hotel in New York, New York, US, 10 September 2026. (EPA)
American model Gigi Hadid presents a creation by Tommy Hilfiger for the New York Fashion Week Tommy Hilfiger runway at the Plaza Hotel in New York, New York, US, 10 September 2026. (EPA)

American designer Tommy Hilfiger brought a youthful mix of oversized polo shirts and plaid bucket hats to his spring/summer 2027 collection, unveiled at Manhattan's Plaza Hotel on the first official day of New York Fashion Week.

Guests watched the runway show on Thursday from plush green armchairs arranged throughout the carpeted lobby of the hotel — a venue of personal significance for Hilfiger, who lived in a penthouse there with his wife for over a decade.

Model Gigi Hadid opened the show wearing loose-fitting red pants and a tan suit jacket paired with ‌a navy ‌blue bucket hat. The looks that followed were dominated ‌by ⁠Hilfiger's quintessential bright red ⁠and navy blue palette, interspersed with an array of bold colors and patterns from bright yellow pants to a flowing silk dress.

"Here we are with a new look — but still Tommy Hilfiger," Hilfiger told Reuters before the show, which marked his return to New York Fashion Week after a hiatus. "We wanted to show the youth that we were able to ⁠take our classics and rework them and reintroduce them."

The ‌designer, 75, launched his namesake ‌brand in 1985 and emphasized that the latest collection aims to appeal to ‌Gen Z.

The brand, owned by PVH Corp, has leaned into what it ‌calls its "Prep Made Current" aesthetic, drawing inspiration from classic American looks.

Model Kate Moss, singers Camila Cabello and Jisoo, New York Knicks players Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart and actor Patrick Schwarzenegger were among the front-row spectators.

Violinists filled the ‌room with renditions of hip-hop songs, including Jay-Z's "Empire State of Mind," before a live performance by singer Slayyyter ⁠rounded out the ⁠show.

SIRIANO EVOKES FRENCH GRANDEUR

American fashion designer Christian Siriano, a favorite among Hollywood stars, also presented his spring/summer 2027 collection on Thursday in a runway show dominated by corsets and embroidered fabrics.

The line, inspired by the "romance and fantasy of 18th-century France," Siriano said in a statement, morphed from monochrome lace dresses and suits to flashy hot-pink, purple and floral gowns.

"It's a little mythical, it's a little dream-like," Siriano told Reuters before the show. "Dark into fantasy dream land."

New York Fashion Week is set to run through September 15, featuring about 70 runway shows and designer presentations. Hilfiger and Siriano's collections came on the heels of shows from Ralph Lauren, Coach and Diane von Furstenberg.

Fashion

Zara Owner Inditex Looks to US for Next Phase of Growth

The sign of a Zara store is displayed on the outside of one of its clothing stores in London, Britain, September 10, 2026. (Reuters)
The sign of a Zara store is displayed on the outside of one of its clothing stores in London, Britain, September 10, 2026. (Reuters)
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Zara Owner Inditex Looks to US for Next Phase of Growth

The sign of a Zara store is displayed on the outside of one of its clothing stores in London, Britain, September 10, 2026. (Reuters)
The sign of a Zara store is displayed on the outside of one of its clothing stores in London, Britain, September 10, 2026. (Reuters)

Fast fashion giant Inditex is investing in the United States as a key growth market, CEO Oscar Garcia Maceiras told Reuters, as the Zara owner opens new stores and revamps existing outlets to woo more aspirational shoppers.

Zara store openings are planned in Denver, Phoenix, and Pittsburgh, and Inditex will also bring its upscale Massimo Dutti brand and Gen Z-focused Bershka brand to New York, having launched both in Miami.

Inditex's expansion in the US, its second-largest market by sales after Spain, has been gradual as the retailer gauges demand in each city through online orders before opening stores.

"The US, due to the population, due to the level of relevance, is attracting a lot of interest," Garcia ‌Maceiras said in an ‌interview in London, adding that Inditex is focused on "selective growth" and ensuring ‌each ⁠store is profitable.

The €170 ⁠billion ($197 billion) Spanish company has transformed since the pandemic, growing sales while reducing its global store count as it prioritizes larger flagship locations.

Inditex has about 2,000 fewer stores than it did in January 2019. While the number of stores has fallen 27% from their peak, total selling space in square meters is only 7% lower.

"As the business has scaled they've been able to access more prime locations, so that has enabled them to reduce the store count but actually improve the quality of where they're ⁠selling and attract more footfall," said Edward Kevis, global equity fund manager at ‌Aviva Investors in London, an Inditex shareholder.

Garcia Maceiras said refurbished ‌stores such as Zara's Oxford Street outlet in London, which reopened in June after a five-month renovation, have delivered ‌a "significant improvement" in conversion rates, the percentage of browsing customers who make a purchase.

By the end ‌of 2027 Inditex plans 20 expansion projects in the US, including new stores, expansions and refurbishments across Zara, Bershka and Massimo Dutti. The company also recently opened new stores in Brazil and South Korea, and has numerous projects in Europe, which accounts for 67% of total sales.

BIGGER THAN HERMES

Inditex's market value has recently overtaken that of ‌luxury group Hermes, partly reflecting investor concerns about growth prospects in luxury. Hermes shares are down 34% this year and luxury market leader LVMH has ⁠fallen 37%, while ⁠Inditex remains close to a record high reached in August.

After price hikes by many fashion labels, middle-income shoppers who might previously have splurged on a luxury handbag or shoes may now be drawn to Zara or Massimo Dutti, which sells $320 dresses and $400 leather boots.

"Many customers are mixing in their wardrobes different types of products, from different segments of the market (with) maybe some degree of trading down from luxury," said Garcia Maceiras. "The wardrobe does not belong to one single brand anymore."

'LEVEL PLAYING FIELD'

As Inditex expands its budget brand Lefties, often viewed as a rival to Shein, its competitive position has benefited from the European Union's decision to end duty-free access for e-commerce parcels in July, prompting Shein to raise prices.

Garcia Maceiras, who had previously called for the policy change, played down its impact on Inditex.

"Our global market share is around 2%, so we remain focused on our own business," he said. "If it's something that provides the different players a level playing field, the same rules for everybody, for us, it's fine."