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Melania Trump Launches Own NFT Platform

First Lady Melania Trump speaks at the White House in September 2020. Drew Angerer GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File
First Lady Melania Trump speaks at the White House in September 2020. Drew Angerer GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File
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Melania Trump Launches Own NFT Platform

First Lady Melania Trump speaks at the White House in September 2020. Drew Angerer GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File
First Lady Melania Trump speaks at the White House in September 2020. Drew Angerer GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File

Former US first lady Melania Trump on Thursday launched her own NFT platform, the latest public figure to join the crypto boom.

A non-fungible token (NFT) is a digital object that can be a drawing, animation, piece of music, photo, or video with a certificate of authenticity created by blockchain technology. This authentication by a network of computers is considered inviolable.

A portion of the proceeds from Melania Trump's NFT collection will be used to help children in foster care, AFP reported.

"I am proud to announce my new NFT endeavor, which embodies my passion for the arts, and will support my ongoing commitment to children through my Be Best initiative," Trump said in a statement.

"Through this new technology-based platform, we will provide children computer science skills, including programming and software development, to thrive after they age out of the foster community."

The first NFT, a watercolor by the French artist Marc-Antoine Coulon titled "Melania's Vision," will be available for purchase through the end of the year for the price of 1 SOL, the cryptocurrency of the Solana blockchain protocol, (approximately $150).

Coulon, a fashion illustrator, has been published in magazines, including Vogue, Vanity Fair, and ELLE, according to his website.

The limited-edition piece of digital artwork "embodies Mrs. Trump’s cobalt blue eyes, providing the collector with an amulet to inspire," according to the statement. It also includes an audio recording from Melania Trump "with a message of hope."

The Melania Trump NFT platform will run on Solana and will accept both the SOL cryptocurrency and credit card payments.

This is Melania's Trump first public project since she left office a year ago.

Using the blockchain technology behind cryptocurrencies, NFTs transform anything from illustrations to memes into virtual collectors' items that cannot be duplicated.

NFTs rocketed into the mainstream this year and are now traded at major auction houses, generating several hundred million dollars in transactions every month.

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Fashion

Shein to Buy Apparel Retailer Everlane

People walk past the Everlane Soho store on May 22, 2026 in New York City. (Getty Images/AFP)
People walk past the Everlane Soho store on May 22, 2026 in New York City. (Getty Images/AFP)
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Shein to Buy Apparel Retailer Everlane

People walk past the Everlane Soho store on May 22, 2026 in New York City. (Getty Images/AFP)
People walk past the Everlane Soho store on May 22, 2026 in New York City. (Getty Images/AFP)

US apparel brand ‌Everlane said on Friday it had reached an agreement to be acquired by online retailer Shein, giving the fast-fashion company ownership of a brand known for sustainability and supply-chain transparency.

Everlane will remain independent, its CEO Alfred Chang said in a statement, adding that the brand will hold its sustainability commitments while expanding to a global reach through ‌the deal.

Shein has ‌long admired Everlane and ‌plans ⁠to use the ⁠brand to enhance its own image of just affordable fast-fashion and drive cross-selling opportunities, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters, adding that there were multiple bidders for Everlane.

Puck News first reported the deal and ⁠said it values the brand at ‌about $100 million on ‌Sunday, adding that shareholders with common stock in Everlane ‌would not receive a payout.

L Catterton, ‌the majority owner of Everlane, and Shein have yet to respond to Reuters requests for comment.

Companies such as Shein and Temu have disrupted ‌retail markets through aggressive pricing, heavy marketing and tax loopholes that initially ⁠gave ⁠them an edge over local players.

Shein plans to invest in growing Everlane and is expected to keep its physical stores open for now, according to the source, even though brick-and-mortar retail is not central to its business model.

At the same time, the company's faster production cycles and ability to quickly bring new products to market could support Everlane's operations.

Fashion

Deal That Could Have Put Clinique, Charlotte Tilbury and Jean Paul Gaultier Under One Roof Is Off

A Charlotte Tilbury beauty counter is seen at the John Lewis retail store on Oxford Street in London, Britain, October 24, 2024. (Reuters)
A Charlotte Tilbury beauty counter is seen at the John Lewis retail store on Oxford Street in London, Britain, October 24, 2024. (Reuters)
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Deal That Could Have Put Clinique, Charlotte Tilbury and Jean Paul Gaultier Under One Roof Is Off

A Charlotte Tilbury beauty counter is seen at the John Lewis retail store on Oxford Street in London, Britain, October 24, 2024. (Reuters)
A Charlotte Tilbury beauty counter is seen at the John Lewis retail store on Oxford Street in London, Britain, October 24, 2024. (Reuters)

Estee Lauder and perfume maker Puig have ended merger talks that would have potentially put brands like MAC, Clinique, Charlotte Tilbury and Jean Paul Gaultier under one roof.

Estee Lauder Cos. confirmed the discussions in March but said at the time that no agreement had been reached with the century-old Spanish company.

“We are grateful for the conversations we have had with Puig,” Estee Lauder CEO Stéphane de La Faverie said in a prepared statement late Thursday. “Today, we are reiterating our confidence in the power of our incredible brands, our talented teams, and our strength as a standalone company."

The New York-based company said in February 2025 that it could possibly cut as many as 7,000 jobs by fiscal 2026, more than 11% of its workforce. De La Faverie said at the time that Estee Lauder was transforming its operating model to be “leaner, faster, and more agile.”

Puig oversees makeup, skin care and fragrance brands like Nina Ricci, Jean Paul Gaultier and Dr. Barbara Sturm. The company went public on the Madrid Stock Exchange in early 2024.

Shares of Estee Lauder jumped more than 12% in early trading Friday.

Fashion

Ruffles, Biker Leather and Celebs at Louis Vuitton's New York Show

Models present creations by designer Nicolas Ghesquiere during the Louis Vuitton Cruise 2027 collection show in New York City, US, May 20, 2026. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon
Models present creations by designer Nicolas Ghesquiere during the Louis Vuitton Cruise 2027 collection show in New York City, US, May 20, 2026. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon
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Ruffles, Biker Leather and Celebs at Louis Vuitton's New York Show

Models present creations by designer Nicolas Ghesquiere during the Louis Vuitton Cruise 2027 collection show in New York City, US, May 20, 2026. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon
Models present creations by designer Nicolas Ghesquiere during the Louis Vuitton Cruise 2027 collection show in New York City, US, May 20, 2026. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon

French fashion house Louis Vuitton combined ruffles, biker leather and the graphic art of Keith Haring for its celebrity-packed cruise 2027 show at a New York museum on Wednesday night.

Under the gaze of Zendaya, Anne Hathaway and Cate Blanchett, Louis Vuitton's artistic director for women's wear Nicolas Ghesquiere presented a collection built on contrasts and bright pops of color, said AFP.

Structured leather jackets were paired with fluffy Medici collars.

Ensembles were punctuated by the Pop Art movement's orange, pink and green, while also giving way to deep purple, dusty pink and teal.

Whether the models donned heels or sneakers, the shoes were metallic, and legs were on display with boxer shorts, biker shorts and tailored Bermuda suits.

Hats -- bucket or brimless -- topped models' heads when hair wasn't left loose and marked with the horizontal streaks popularized by figure skater Alysa Liu, the brand's new ambassador.

The show was held at The Frick Collection, marking the first time a fashion show has been hosted by the museum since its renovation last year.

Formerly the mansion of a steel magnate, the museum teems with an impressive collection of European paintings and art dating back to the Renaissance. Models stalked down the runway, passing under archways and past famed artworks.

"Within the timeless rooms of The Frick Collection, beauty and art transcend time in a quiet dialogue, while beyond its walls, New York City pulses with constant reinvention -- a convergence of contrasts," the fashion house posted on Instagram, with the brand and the museum announcing a three-year patronage partnership.

Notably, Louis Vuitton will fund three temporary major exhibitions and host free visitor after-hours evenings at the museum on the first Fridays of every month for a year.

Europe's major fashion houses have shown exceptional interest in the American market and culture recently.

Louis Vuitton's men's collection by hip hop star Pharrell Williams drew inspiration from the Big Apple, and Gucci and Dior have recently unveiled their cruise collections in New York and Los Angeles, respectively.

In December, Chanel held its show in the New York subway.