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Saudi Fabric of the Future: Landmark Initiative Driving Sustainability, Creativity in Fashion Sector

Saudi Fabric of the Future: Landmark Initiative Driving Sustainability, Creativity in Fashion Sector
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Saudi Fabric of the Future: Landmark Initiative Driving Sustainability, Creativity in Fashion Sector

Saudi Fabric of the Future: Landmark Initiative Driving Sustainability, Creativity in Fashion Sector

Saudi Arabia’s Fashion Commission, in collaboration with IE University, Mohammed Bin Salman Nonprofit City (Misk City), the Misk Entrepreneurship Community, Proaltus Capital Partners, and Collateral Good, announced the launch of Saudi Fabric of the Future: Sustainability, Innovation, and Investment.

The event will take place at Misk City in Riyadh on November 25.

As the official partner and host platform, Misk City will provide an environment aligned with its vision of fostering creativity, sustainability, and innovation across multiple sectors.

The city serves as a hub for knowledge exchange and collaboration, where entrepreneurial talent, new ideas, and global partnerships thrive.

The competition represents a pioneering step in advancing sustainable practices within the Kingdom’s fashion and textile sector. It will bring together international and local leaders from fashion, textiles, and investment to shape a sustainable future for the industry.

By fostering collaboration among industry experts, academia, investors, entrepreneurs, and government entities, the initiative aims to strengthen the Kingdom’s global position as a hub for textile innovation and sustainable fashion solutions.

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Fashion

Emporio Armani Names Dario Vitale New Creative Director

Armani logo during a photocall ahead of the Armani Beauty dinner at the Royal Gardens during the 83rd Venice International Film Festival in Venice, Italy, September 3, 2026. REUTERS/Yves Herman
Armani logo during a photocall ahead of the Armani Beauty dinner at the Royal Gardens during the 83rd Venice International Film Festival in Venice, Italy, September 3, 2026. REUTERS/Yves Herman
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Emporio Armani Names Dario Vitale New Creative Director

Armani logo during a photocall ahead of the Armani Beauty dinner at the Royal Gardens during the 83rd Venice International Film Festival in Venice, Italy, September 3, 2026. REUTERS/Yves Herman
Armani logo during a photocall ahead of the Armani Beauty dinner at the Royal Gardens during the 83rd Venice International Film Festival in Venice, Italy, September 3, 2026. REUTERS/Yves Herman

The Armani fashion house, whose founder and owner Giorgio Armani died last year, on Wednesday named Dario Vitale as the new creative director of its Emporio Armani line.

"The Armani Group is pleased to announce the appointment of Dario Vitale as Creative Director of Emporio Armani and Giorgio Armani Accessories, the first to hold this role outside the Armani family," it said in a statement.

⁠Vitale ⁠will join the Armani Group with immediate effect, the company said in a statement.

Fashion

Prada Revamps Milan Flagship Store to Cater for Top Clients

Prada bags and women’s clothes are displayed in its historic store in Milan's Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, in Milan, Italy, September 15, 2026. REUTERS/Claudia Greco
Prada bags and women’s clothes are displayed in its historic store in Milan's Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, in Milan, Italy, September 15, 2026. REUTERS/Claudia Greco
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Prada Revamps Milan Flagship Store to Cater for Top Clients

Prada bags and women’s clothes are displayed in its historic store in Milan's Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, in Milan, Italy, September 15, 2026. REUTERS/Claudia Greco
Prada bags and women’s clothes are displayed in its historic store in Milan's Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, in Milan, Italy, September 15, 2026. REUTERS/Claudia Greco

Italian luxury group Prada has renovated and expanded its historic premises in the heart of Milan to strengthen ties with its wealthiest clients and attract new customers, Chief Executive Andrea Guerra told Reuters.

Prada already operated both a menswear and a womenswear store in Milan's Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, the elegant 19th-century shopping arcade in the centre of the city, with the women's store sitting at the original site of the Fratelli Prada boutique.

Prada has renovated the two stores and connected them through an underground tunnel which on Tuesday hosted some silver-plated Prada handbags reworked ⁠by British artist ⁠Damien Hirst as well as the "Chandelier" party dress worn by Carey Mulligan in Baz Luhrmann's film adaptation of "The Great Gatsby".

The compound, which also connects to the Marchesi patisserie Prada owns next to its men's store, includes a permanent exhibition floor, space for highly personalized shopping-by-appointment and an apartment to host private dinners and special events.

"It ⁠is a way to show our DNA, our roots, our way of thinking and point of view," Guerra said.

Prada hopes the complex, which spans eight levels, can generate €100 million ($115 million) in annual revenue, he added. Prada, whose sales totaled €5.7 billion last year, didn't disclose the size of the investment.

The opening comes as luxury groups increasingly focus on their wealthiest customers, who continue to spend despite a broader sector slowdown, with demand shifting more towards experiences.

"The 'experiential' part of the store, the part where we host our clients, ⁠has become ⁠more important," Guerra said, pointing not only to private spaces but also to venues such as Prada Caffè.

"We have opened 'apartments' in many cities around the world and we will certainly open them in the world's top 25 capitals," he added.

While pampering its richest customers, Prada will still try to attract also aspirational buyers with items sold at entry-level prices, which it intends to keep relatively stable, Guerra said.

"Our goal is to offer entry-level prices that do not come as a surprise, while leveraging the product’s exclusivity, customization and craftsmanship to expand the price spectrum (further up the scale)," he said.

Fashion

Prada Says Armani Not on Its Radar as It Focuses on Versace Turnaround

Mannequins display Prada creations at the "Pradasphere" permanent exhibition, which traces the history of the brand, at Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, in Milan, Italy, September 15, 2026. (Reuters)
Mannequins display Prada creations at the "Pradasphere" permanent exhibition, which traces the history of the brand, at Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, in Milan, Italy, September 15, 2026. (Reuters)
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Prada Says Armani Not on Its Radar as It Focuses on Versace Turnaround

Mannequins display Prada creations at the "Pradasphere" permanent exhibition, which traces the history of the brand, at Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, in Milan, Italy, September 15, 2026. (Reuters)
Mannequins display Prada creations at the "Pradasphere" permanent exhibition, which traces the history of the brand, at Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, in Milan, Italy, September 15, 2026. (Reuters)

Italian ‌luxury group Prada is focused on reviving the Versace business, which it acquired last year, and it is not considering a bid for rival Armani, Chief Executive Andrea Guerra told Reuters.

The comments come as the Armani fashion house prepares for a sale of a 15% stake ‌in the ‌company, a year after ‌the ⁠death of its founder, ⁠Giorgio Armani.

"Armani is not on our radar. Today we are busy with many other things, including the evolution of Versace, so it is not on the agenda," ⁠Guerra told Reuters in ‌an interview.

He ‌added that since the Versace acquisition Prada ‌had focused on integration, synergies and ‌efficiencies but attention had shifted towards the brand's future over the past three months. The first runway show by ‌its new designer Pieter Mulier is expected in January.

Asked about the ⁠possibility ⁠of launching smart glasses under one of the group's brands, Guerra said he did not see that happening in the "near future".

Last year Prada's Lorenzo Bertelli said the group held "exploratory talks" with licensing partner EssilorLuxottica over the potential development of smart glasses under its brands, but no decision had been made.