Emporio Armani Nods to 1980s in Fall Line at Milan Fashion Week

The veteran designer presented plenty of hot pink and purple creations, high-waisted trousers and chunky jewelry. (Armani)
The veteran designer presented plenty of hot pink and purple creations, high-waisted trousers and chunky jewelry. (Armani)
TT

Emporio Armani Nods to 1980s in Fall Line at Milan Fashion Week

The veteran designer presented plenty of hot pink and purple creations, high-waisted trousers and chunky jewelry. (Armani)
The veteran designer presented plenty of hot pink and purple creations, high-waisted trousers and chunky jewelry. (Armani)

Giorgio Armani is taking fashionistas back to the 1980s for his fall Emporio Armani line, nodding to the era’s bright colors in his latest creations at Milan Fashion Week.

The veteran designer, affectionately called “King Giorgio” in his native Italy, presented plenty of hot pink and purple creations, high-waisted trousers and chunky jewelry in the autumn/winter 2021-2022 collection called “In the mood for pop”.

In a video presented at the virtual Milan Fashion Week on Thursday, models wore wide-leg trousers with suspenders, velvet jumpsuits and round-shouldered jackets and coats, some with boule buttons, others with shiny patterns.

Against a backdrop of the brand’s name lit up in colorful neon signs, models strutted down the catwalk to the sound of club music.

Black outfits had flashes of hot pink and purple appearing on jumpers, jackets, trousers, gloves and necklaces.

The 86-year-old put prints and embroidery on black dresses. Black evening gowns came in velvet or shimmered with sequins.

For men, there were loose trouser suits in black and grey, chunky knits and relaxed casual wear.

Trousers were turned up at the bottom and blazers came without collars. For the evening, Armani presented black velvet suits.

Milan Fashion Week is a virtual event this season with designers sharing videos of their presentations on a digital platform instead of hosting the usual buzzing catwalk shows due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Armani will present his main Giorgio Armani line on Saturday.



From Milan to Riyadh... Marangoni International Institute to Open in 2025

Officials are seen at the press conference on Tuesday. (Photo: Turki al-Okaili)
Officials are seen at the press conference on Tuesday. (Photo: Turki al-Okaili)
TT

From Milan to Riyadh... Marangoni International Institute to Open in 2025

Officials are seen at the press conference on Tuesday. (Photo: Turki al-Okaili)
Officials are seen at the press conference on Tuesday. (Photo: Turki al-Okaili)

Istituto Marangoni, one of the top fashion universities in Milan, unveiled a strategic partnership with the Saudi Fashion Commission to establish an institute in Riyadh in 2025.

The announcement came during a press conference in the Saudi capital on Tuesday, in the presence of Deputy Minister of Culture Hamed bin Mohammed Fayez.

According to a statement, the institute’s mission in the Kingdom is to open new horizons for developing local talent, empowering women, and enhancing employment with the aim to transform the fashion sector into a dynamic market for young consumers and innovators in the digital world. The institute will be accredited by the Saudi Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC).

The institute aims to provide academic services designed to boost career paths in the fields of fashion, business and luxury management. The main academic program includes a 3-year advanced diploma, and is available in specific basic areas, such as fashion product design and management, creative direction, perfume and cosmetics management and interior design.

Officials underlined the importance of this partnership, which they said reflected efforts to bolster foreign investments in the Kingdom.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Chief Executive Officer of the Fashion Commission of Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Culture Burak Cakmak said the partnership with the Marangoni Institute was a good indicator of the foreign investors’ interest to work in the fashion sector in the Kingdom.

He added that the authority has worked over the past three years on many aspects to empower the sector, including identifying local brands, providing programs to professionalize business, and supporting talent at the international and local levels, leading to the launch of Fashion Week in Riyadh in October last year.

Managing Director of Istituto Marangoni Stefania Valenti explained that Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 has encouraged the institute to work with the Kingdom, pointing to the presence of a consistent program led by the Saudi Fashion Commission.

Moreover, she added that the growth of local and international brands in the Saudi market requires ready creative management.


Kering’s Shares Dive 9% as Gucci Falters 

A logo of fashion house Gucci is seen outside a shop in Paris, France, April 15, 2024. (Reuters)
A logo of fashion house Gucci is seen outside a shop in Paris, France, April 15, 2024. (Reuters)
TT

Kering’s Shares Dive 9% as Gucci Falters 

A logo of fashion house Gucci is seen outside a shop in Paris, France, April 15, 2024. (Reuters)
A logo of fashion house Gucci is seen outside a shop in Paris, France, April 15, 2024. (Reuters)

Shares in French luxury group Kering fell by as much as 9.3% in early trade on Wednesday, to their lowest level in over 6 years, as the market digested news of a likely 40%-45% plunge in first-half operating profit.

First-quarter sales at Kering declined 10%, the company reported after the market close on Tuesday, as wealthy shoppers curbed spending on products from its star label Gucci, reflecting a wider slowdown in luxury buying.

In the all-important Chinese market, a property crisis and high youth unemployment have weighed on Chinese shoppers' appetite for high end fashion and the company does not expect much improvement in the second quarter, company executives told analysts.

So far this year, Kering's share price has lost around a fifth of its value.

Its dive on Wednesday to the lowest level since October 2017 put it on track for the biggest one-day drop since March 20, a day after a previous warning from Kering that dashed hopes it had stemmed sales declines at Gucci.

The century-old Italian fashion house, which accounts for half of group sales and two-thirds of profit, is undergoing an overhaul. Executives are seeking to reignite sales with an aesthetic reset, led by creative director Sabato de Sarno, and including an emphasis on leather goods.

Executives say that early products from the new Ancora collection, which include glossy Jackie bags and chunky, platform loafers, have been well received, but stores will not be fully stocked with the products until later this year.

Kering's performance dragged down other luxury companies, with Burberry - which is also revamping its brand - down 3%, while shares of larger rivals LVMH and Hermes were slightly lower, down 0.5% and 0.2% respectively.

While management is positive about margin recovery in the second half as the new Gucci collection becomes more available, analysts at JPMorgan said the execution risk was high.

"We think it is too early to turn more constructive on this turnaround journey," they said.


Russia Approves Deal for Hugo Boss to Sell Russian Business

A man walks his dog in a meadow, set in spring colors, outside Moscow, Russia, 23 April 2023. EPA/MAXIM SHIPENKOV
A man walks his dog in a meadow, set in spring colors, outside Moscow, Russia, 23 April 2023. EPA/MAXIM SHIPENKOV
TT

Russia Approves Deal for Hugo Boss to Sell Russian Business

A man walks his dog in a meadow, set in spring colors, outside Moscow, Russia, 23 April 2023. EPA/MAXIM SHIPENKOV
A man walks his dog in a meadow, set in spring colors, outside Moscow, Russia, 23 April 2023. EPA/MAXIM SHIPENKOV

Russia's government commission on foreign asset sales has approved a deal for German fashion house Hugo Boss to sell its Russian business to retailer Stockmann, Interfax reported on Wednesday, citing a government official.
Hugo Boss did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Hugo Boss, along with many retailers, temporarily suspended its retail business operations in Russia soon after Moscow dispatched its army to Ukraine in February 2022. It also said it had paused its e-commerce activities in the Russian market and stopped advertising.
Interfax cited Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Viktor Yevtukhov as saying that the government commission had approved the sale, with one of the conditions being all jobs are preserved.
The deal is expected to close in the third quarter of this year, Interfax reported.


Italian Fashion House Valentino Suffers Drop in Profit in 2023

The logo of fashion house Valentino is seen outside a shop in Milan, Italy, April 8, 2024. REUTERS/Claudia Greco
The logo of fashion house Valentino is seen outside a shop in Milan, Italy, April 8, 2024. REUTERS/Claudia Greco
TT

Italian Fashion House Valentino Suffers Drop in Profit in 2023

The logo of fashion house Valentino is seen outside a shop in Milan, Italy, April 8, 2024. REUTERS/Claudia Greco
The logo of fashion house Valentino is seen outside a shop in Milan, Italy, April 8, 2024. REUTERS/Claudia Greco

Operating profit at Italian fashion house Valentino dropped 18% last year, to 99 million euros ($105.7 million), the company said on Tuesday.
Last year French luxury group Kering, which is struggling to revive sales at its star brand Gucci, bought a 30% stake in Valentino, with an option to purchase the whole of company's share capital by 2028.
Valentino added its 2023 revenues dropped 3% at constant exchange rate, to 1.35 billion euros ($1.44 billion).
Earlier this year Valentino hired former Gucci designer Alessandro Michele as creative director, after the departure of longtime incumbent Pierpaolo Piccioli.
Direct sales, which include e-commerce and represents 66% of total sales, rose 3% last year, boosted by a positive performance in Asia Pacific and Japan, the company said.
The second half of the year was challenging for the European market, while the Americas showed "encouraging signs" in the same period, the fashion house added.


British Retailer JD Sports to Buy US Rival Hibbett for $1.08 Billion

FILE PHOTO: JD Sports logo is seen on the exterior of a store in London, Britain, November 17, 2021. REUTERS/May James/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: JD Sports logo is seen on the exterior of a store in London, Britain, November 17, 2021. REUTERS/May James/File Photo
TT

British Retailer JD Sports to Buy US Rival Hibbett for $1.08 Billion

FILE PHOTO: JD Sports logo is seen on the exterior of a store in London, Britain, November 17, 2021. REUTERS/May James/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: JD Sports logo is seen on the exterior of a store in London, Britain, November 17, 2021. REUTERS/May James/File Photo

JD Sports Fashion has proposed to buy American athletic-fashion retailer Hibbett Inc for about $1.08 billion, the companies said on Tuesday, as the British sportswear retailer expands across the southeastern US.
JD Sports, Britain's largest sportswear retailer, will pay $87.50 per Hibbett share in cash, representing a premium of about 20% to the US firm's last closing price.
The Bury, Greater Manchester-based company said it expects to fund the deal and refinance Hibbett's existing debt through its existing US cash resources of $300 million and a $1 billion extension to its existing bank facilities.
The enlarged group would have combined revenues of about 4.7 billion pounds ($5.80 billion) in North America, JD Sports said, adding that the region's contribution to total sales would increase to about 40% from the current 32%.


Apparel Maker Gildan Recommends Two Browning West Nominees to Board

Representation photo: A model presents a creation from the Fall/Winter 2023/2024 Collection by British designer Kim Jones for Dior fashion house during the Paris Fashion Week, in Paris, France, 20 January 2023. (EPA)
Representation photo: A model presents a creation from the Fall/Winter 2023/2024 Collection by British designer Kim Jones for Dior fashion house during the Paris Fashion Week, in Paris, France, 20 January 2023. (EPA)
TT

Apparel Maker Gildan Recommends Two Browning West Nominees to Board

Representation photo: A model presents a creation from the Fall/Winter 2023/2024 Collection by British designer Kim Jones for Dior fashion house during the Paris Fashion Week, in Paris, France, 20 January 2023. (EPA)
Representation photo: A model presents a creation from the Fall/Winter 2023/2024 Collection by British designer Kim Jones for Dior fashion house during the Paris Fashion Week, in Paris, France, 20 January 2023. (EPA)

Gildan Activewear recommended the election of two Browning West nominees to its board on Monday, ahead of its annual and special shareholder meeting on May 28.
The Canadian clothing maker's board has been clashing with activist fund Browning West, which owns 5% of Gildan, following the ouster of co-founder and CEO Glenn Chamandy in December, Reuters said.
In January, Browning West escalated its fight with Gildan, expanding its list of board candidates to eight from five and called an annual and special shareholder meeting amid the ongoing dispute to replace a majority of its board members and reinstate Chamandy as CEO.
On Monday, the board recommended the election of Karen Stuckey and J.P. Towner, nominated by Browning West. It also appointed five new independent directors to its board effective May 1, 2024.
Gildan had said in March its board decided to put the company up for sale and is in talks with multiple bidders.
The company added on Monday that external interest in an acquisition persists and the process is ongoing.


Louis Vuitton Holds 'Voyager' Fashion Show in Shanghai

A logo of Louis Vuitton is displayed on a Louis Vuitton store on the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris, France, March 30, 2024. (Reuters)
A logo of Louis Vuitton is displayed on a Louis Vuitton store on the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris, France, March 30, 2024. (Reuters)
TT

Louis Vuitton Holds 'Voyager' Fashion Show in Shanghai

A logo of Louis Vuitton is displayed on a Louis Vuitton store on the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris, France, March 30, 2024. (Reuters)
A logo of Louis Vuitton is displayed on a Louis Vuitton store on the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris, France, March 30, 2024. (Reuters)

Louis Vuitton debuted its newly-labeled "Voyager" traveling show in Shanghai on Thursday night, showing off asymmetric hemlines and boxy leather vests in the country that is one of the brand's key markets.
More than 1,000 invitees, including international celebrities like Cate Blanchett and local stars such as Zhou Dongyu and Jackson Wang, took in the pre-fall collection designed by women's artistic director Nicolas Ghesquière, Reuters said.
The show was held in the cavernous concrete expanse of the Atelier Deshaus-designed Long Museum, in the riverside West Bund art district. It included pieces made in collaboration with Beijing-based artist Sun Yitian, who painstakingly paints photographs of inflated plastic animals, including ducklings, cats and rabbits. Reprints of her works were incorporated into the opening designs of the show.
In the days leading up to the show, images of Sun's work popped up around Shanghai, China's most international city, projected onto the exterior of malls and plastering walls in hip shopping and lifestyle districts.
For Louis Vuitton, the largest luxury brand in the LVMH stable, China continues to represent one of the world's most important luxury opportunities, even as a broader economic slowdown and consumer malaise stymie growth.
LVMH said on Tuesday that year-on-year sales for the quarter ending in March rose 3% on an organic basis, but purchases by Chinese shoppers globally grew 10%.
Last year, Louis Vuitton's men's line, helmed by Pharell Williams, staged a large-scale show in Hong Kong.


L’Oreal Shares Shine After Sales Beat Expectations 

A cosmetic display of French cosmetics group L'Oreal is seen at a duty free shop at the Nice International Airport, in Nice, France, October 10, 2018. (Reuters)
A cosmetic display of French cosmetics group L'Oreal is seen at a duty free shop at the Nice International Airport, in Nice, France, October 10, 2018. (Reuters)
TT

L’Oreal Shares Shine After Sales Beat Expectations 

A cosmetic display of French cosmetics group L'Oreal is seen at a duty free shop at the Nice International Airport, in Nice, France, October 10, 2018. (Reuters)
A cosmetic display of French cosmetics group L'Oreal is seen at a duty free shop at the Nice International Airport, in Nice, France, October 10, 2018. (Reuters)

Shares in L'Oreal rose more than 4% in early Friday trading after the French cosmetics giant beat expectations with a strong rise in first quarter sales on Thursday evening, allaying concerns about a slowdown in the United States.

L'Oreal shares were up 5.0% at 0745 GMT having lost 6% this year up to Thursday's close.

"A rock solid quarter, despite concerns," said analysts at Barclays. While L'Oreal did acknowledge a slowdown in the United States, it "comfortably surprised to the upside," both in the US and Europe, they said.

The world's biggest beauty company reported more than 12% sales growth in both North America and Europe, lifted by its mass market range and dermatological products, which helped offset weakness in the luxury segment.

"L'Oreal delivered a strong beat," Bernstein analysts wrote in a note to investors.

They noted L'Oreal's ability to shift investments in advertising and promotions to different parts of the world and across categories and demographics, enabling it to optimize global growth and make it more resilient.


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)
TT

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.


Designer Berluti Reveals Opening Ceremony Tuxedo for French Athletes

An employee shows the Paris 2024 - Berluti label sewn inside the suit jacket for the French team athletes for the opening ceremony by LVMH's upscale menswear label Berluti, in a showroom at Berluti headquarters in Paris, France, April 10, 2024.  REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq
An employee shows the Paris 2024 - Berluti label sewn inside the suit jacket for the French team athletes for the opening ceremony by LVMH's upscale menswear label Berluti, in a showroom at Berluti headquarters in Paris, France, April 10, 2024. REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq
TT

Designer Berluti Reveals Opening Ceremony Tuxedo for French Athletes

An employee shows the Paris 2024 - Berluti label sewn inside the suit jacket for the French team athletes for the opening ceremony by LVMH's upscale menswear label Berluti, in a showroom at Berluti headquarters in Paris, France, April 10, 2024.  REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq
An employee shows the Paris 2024 - Berluti label sewn inside the suit jacket for the French team athletes for the opening ceremony by LVMH's upscale menswear label Berluti, in a showroom at Berluti headquarters in Paris, France, April 10, 2024. REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq

LVMH-owned menswear brand Berluti unveiled navy wool suits with colored silk lapels for France's Olympic athletes' opening ceremony outfits on Tuesday.
LVMH, a sponsor of the Paris 2024 games, said the "tuxedo-inspired outfit" reflected Berluti's identity, using "noble materials and patina effects" for an elegant, French look.
The jacket lapels have a red and blue motif inspired by the French flag and the brand's signature color-infused patina leather shoes. The women's jackets have cut-away sleeves.
Berluti was founded in Paris in 1895 by a young Italian shoemaker. The French athletes will also wear Berluti trainers or leather loafers.