Suits and Signet Rings: Charles's Fashion Through the Ages

Charles's sartorial flair earned him the title of world's best-dressed man FAYEZ NURELDINE POOL/AFP
Charles's sartorial flair earned him the title of world's best-dressed man FAYEZ NURELDINE POOL/AFP
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Suits and Signet Rings: Charles's Fashion Through the Ages

Charles's sartorial flair earned him the title of world's best-dressed man FAYEZ NURELDINE POOL/AFP
Charles's sartorial flair earned him the title of world's best-dressed man FAYEZ NURELDINE POOL/AFP

Whether a bespoke three-piece suit or the waxed jacket of the upper-class rural set, Charles's characteristic style has rarely strayed from the predictable during his decades in the public eye.

But his sartorial flair did earn him the title of world's best-dressed man -- an honor he laughed off as unlikely, AFP said.

The new king's clothes and shoes are made by the best in the land.

Charles, whose spending has long been criticized, is said to own hundreds of classically cut suits, many from Anderson & Sheppard on London's Savile Row.

An army of valets oversees his wardrobe changes, often several times a day, and according to a recent biography, one of them is even in charge of keeping his shoelaces well-pressed.

Esquire magazine in 2009 named Charles as the world's best-dressed man, although the man himself joked that it was just a way to sell more copies.

At a London Fashion Week reception in 2012, he described his style as, in some respects, timeless.

"I have lurched from being the best-dressed man to being the worst-dressed man," he said.

"Meanwhile, I have gone on -- like a stopped clock -- and my time comes around every 25 years."

- Shorts, ties and traditional dress -

Childhood photographs of Charles show him in shorts but also in a tie, sometimes a blazer and while in Scotland, in a kilt with knee-high socks.

As a young man, he opted for a sportier look, including polo shirts, and has been keen to accessorize, with sunglasses, cufflinks and even a matching neck tie over a ski suit.

Charles wears a signet ring on his little finger and has always had the same impeccable side parting.

He has also readily embraced local traditions while on overseas travels, particularly different headgear.

In Saudi Arabia in 2014, he wore a traditional dress while trying his hand at sword dancing.

And in Ghana in 1977, he wore a striped tribal outfit. In 2010, on a visit to Afghanistan, he wore camouflage fatigues while visiting troops.

But Charles draws the line at lycra: in June 2021, he sported a tan blazer, chinos, tie and suede shoes to cycle to a charity fundraiser.

"It's a nightmare getting into it," he said of the tight-fitting stretchy sportswear when presented with a cycling jersey.

Uniforms and sustainability
Now in his 70s, Charles often wears double-breasted suits with a silk pocket square setting off a tie.

At his Highgrove estate in Gloucestershire, western England, he cultivates the look of a gentleman farmer, hands buried deep in the huge pockets of a Barbour waxed jacket.

On special occasions, such as appearances on the balcony of Buckingham Palace or when meeting the regiments that he heads, military uniform is de rigueur.

For his 60th birthday portrait, he wore the red ceremonial uniform of the Welsh Guards, with medals on his chest and a golden sword on his belt.

In recent years, Charles has been eager to burnish his environmental credentials, explaining that he does not like to throw out his old clothes.

For his younger son Harry's 2018 wedding to Meghan Markle, he wore a pearl-grey frock coat from 1984.

"As long as I can go on getting into it, I only wear it a few times a year, in the summer, so obviously you want to keep those sorts of things going," he told Vogue.

"But if I can't fit into them, then I just have to have something new made. But I'm not sure quite how radically different they can be at my age."

He has also been seen wearing the same two coats -- one double-breasted tweed and the other camelhair -- for years.

"His tailors keep large pieces of fabric, to eventually repair them," explained Michel Faure, who has written a biography on Charles.

In 2020, Charles backed a new sustainable menswear and womenswear range supported by his charitable foundation, with clothes made from natural fibers, including cashmere, wool and organic silk.

They are designed to last a lifetime, with profits going to support the foundation's training program and to help preserve traditional skills.

"It seems utter madness to have this approach which takes, makes and throws away," he said.



Giorgio Armani Offers Soft, Fluid Looks at Milan Fashion Week

A model walks the runway of the Giorgio Armani show during the Milan Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2024 on September 24, 2023 in Milan. (Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP)
A model walks the runway of the Giorgio Armani show during the Milan Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2024 on September 24, 2023 in Milan. (Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP)
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Giorgio Armani Offers Soft, Fluid Looks at Milan Fashion Week

A model walks the runway of the Giorgio Armani show during the Milan Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2024 on September 24, 2023 in Milan. (Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP)
A model walks the runway of the Giorgio Armani show during the Milan Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2024 on September 24, 2023 in Milan. (Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP)

Italian designer Giorgio Armani presented soft, fluid looks at Milan Fashion Week on Sunday, offering plenty of lightness and shimmer for women's wardrobes next summer.
The 89-year-old fashion veteran opened the show, called "Vibes", with a champagne satin jacket and satin grey trousers. Several outfits with the same color combination followed - cropped shirts, jackets and strapless dresses over trousers, Reuters reported.
Satin trousers featured heavily in the Spring/Summer 2024 line, often paired with sheer blouses, light jackets and sparkling tops.
Wave patterns adorned jackets, belts and shaped crop tops as well as buttons.
"Vibrations - that means colors, movement, a structure that moves on the body, that's the inspiration,″ Armani told reporters backstage.
For the evening, there were plenty of shimmering looks - sparkling tops, skirts and trousers, the last of which were white.
Models, whose hair was styled wavy, clutched small sparkling bags and wore flat shoes.
The colors shifted from champagne and grey to blues, greens and pale pinks.


All Black and White Looks Rule Dolce & Gabbana Catwalk in Milan

 A model walks the runway of the Dolce & Gabbana fashion show during the Milan Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2024 on September 23, 2023 in Milan. (AFP)
A model walks the runway of the Dolce & Gabbana fashion show during the Milan Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2024 on September 23, 2023 in Milan. (AFP)
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All Black and White Looks Rule Dolce & Gabbana Catwalk in Milan

 A model walks the runway of the Dolce & Gabbana fashion show during the Milan Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2024 on September 23, 2023 in Milan. (AFP)
A model walks the runway of the Dolce & Gabbana fashion show during the Milan Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2024 on September 23, 2023 in Milan. (AFP)

Italian luxury label Dolce & Gabbana presented a mainly black and white collection at Milan Fashion Week on Saturday, deconstructing tuxedos to present an array of dresses and suits for women next spring.

The show, simply called "Woman", opened with a dark pinstripe jacket and hot pants worn with stockings. Asymmetrical black chiffon polka dot dresses followed, with many designs bearing bows tied at the neck.

Designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana dressed models in see-through black lace dresses and black jackets worn with micro shorts. Trouser suits were slim and cropped at the ankle.

The designer duo played with tuxedo styles, cropping jackets or turning them into one-shouldered dresses.

Some outfits bore white collars or details from white tuxedo shirts. A selection of all white suits, jackets and lace dresses also featured in the spring/summer 2024 collection, as did dabs of leopard print on shiny macs and dresses.

Dolce and Gabbana embellished their outfits with bows, ruffles and floral embroidery.

Models carried small handbags and wore stilettos or flat thigh-high black boots.

Milan Fashion Week, where the likes of industry heavyweights Giorgio Armani, Versace, Gucci and Prada present their collections, ends on Monday.


Checkerboard Reigns on Versace Catwalk at Milan Fashion Week

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace women's Spring Summer 2024 collection presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 22, 2023. (AP)
A model wears a creation as part of the Versace women's Spring Summer 2024 collection presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 22, 2023. (AP)
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Checkerboard Reigns on Versace Catwalk at Milan Fashion Week

A model wears a creation as part of the Versace women's Spring Summer 2024 collection presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 22, 2023. (AP)
A model wears a creation as part of the Versace women's Spring Summer 2024 collection presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 22, 2023. (AP)

Checkerboard dominated Versace's catwalk at Milan Fashion Week, with designer Donatella Versace serving up the print on dresses and suits for women's wardrobes next spring.

Models wore collarless jackets and short feminine dresses in pastel colors, as well as boxy satin jackets paired with billowy shorts in Friday night's show.

There were also denim outfits, skirt suits in darker black and white tones as well as shiny evening dresses.

Accessories consisted of flat ballerina shoes and hair bows.

In show notes, the designer described her Spring/Summer 2024 line as “fresh and graphic".

"This is a Versace summer with color and shine, tailoring and soft draping," she said. "This collection is joyful and sharp."

Famous fashion faces including models Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid and Claudia Schiffer featured in the show. Milan Fashion Week runs until Monday.


New Designer De Sarno Showcases Minimalist Glamour for Gucci Debut

 A model walks the runway of the Gucci fashion show during the Milan Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2024 on September 22, 2023 in Milan. (AFP)
A model walks the runway of the Gucci fashion show during the Milan Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2024 on September 22, 2023 in Milan. (AFP)
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New Designer De Sarno Showcases Minimalist Glamour for Gucci Debut

 A model walks the runway of the Gucci fashion show during the Milan Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2024 on September 22, 2023 in Milan. (AFP)
A model walks the runway of the Gucci fashion show during the Milan Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2024 on September 22, 2023 in Milan. (AFP)

Gucci's new creative director Sabato De Sarno sent out a glamorous, skin-baring lineup of minimalist designs for his first fashion show on Friday, a highly anticipated debut which owner Kering hopes will help revive sales at its flagship brand.

Models filed down a darkened, concrete runway at the label's Milan headquarters, a former aircraft factory, parading short shorts paired with suit jackets, jewel-encrusted garments and tank tops with plunging neck lines.

Friday's catwalk presentation serves as the aesthetic foundation of a broad reset of the French group's prized label -- key to creating buzz and reigniting sales, even if the new designs won't hit stores until early next year. "Gucci is the opportunity to fall in love with fashion, ancora," De Sarno said in a post on Instagram in the run-up to the show, using the Italian word for "again."

The brand plastered the word "ancora" on huge advertisements that marked the date of the show, alongside the Gucci logo -- in white lettering, on a burgundy backdrop -- covering buildings around the world, including New York, Chengdu, Bangkok and London.

Adding to the drama of De Sarno's debut on Friday, a forecast of rain prompted a last-minute shift of the show venue to the Milan headquarters rather than outdoors, on the street in the swanky Brera district.

Debut collections can generate mixed reactions, and even positive press reviews are not always a proxy for their future commercial success. However, the fashion show will "definitely impact investors' perception of De Sarno's capacity to trigger an inflexion in Gucci's aesthetics," said Antoine Belge, analyst with Exane BNP Paribas.

"The climax is not for right away -- it's sometimes the second or third shows that are the most important," Kering CEO and Chairman Francois-Henri Pinault told reporters before the event began, before greeting front-row guest Ryan Gosling.

One of fashion's biggest success stories in recent years, Gucci has fallen behind rivals like LVMH-owned Louis Vuitton and Dior that capitalized on strong post-pandemic appetite for luxury goods.

Since parting ways in November with its previous creative director Alessandro Michele, whose eclectic, gender neutral styles were credited with soaring sales and profits in the 2015-2019 period, the group has been laying the groundwork for the brand reset with more elevated and timeless looks.

Gucci's long-time CEO Marco Bizzarri is due to leave the company after the show, as announced in July, to be replaced by managing director Jean-Francois Palus - Pinault's right-hand man - for a transitional period.

Kering shares were up 3.9% after the show.

At their current price, Kering shares are trading at the equivalent of around 14 times expected earnings over the next 12 months, according to LSEG data. That forward PE compares to 42 for Hermes and 22 for Moncler.


Prada Explores Lightness with Windswept Translucent Chiffon for Next Summer 

A model presents a creation of Prada collection during the Milan Fashion Week, in Milan, Italy, 21 September 2023.
A model presents a creation of Prada collection during the Milan Fashion Week, in Milan, Italy, 21 September 2023.
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Prada Explores Lightness with Windswept Translucent Chiffon for Next Summer 

A model presents a creation of Prada collection during the Milan Fashion Week, in Milan, Italy, 21 September 2023.
A model presents a creation of Prada collection during the Milan Fashion Week, in Milan, Italy, 21 September 2023.

Prada achieved a state of unbearable lightness in a series of translucent chiffon dresses that gently cosseted the form, trailed by wispy strands of the finest organza.

Designers Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons aptly dubbed the series of ethereal, windswept dresses previewed during Milan Fashion Week on Thursday as “Haze.” They never altered shape, only the shades of muted pastels shifted. They were paired with bright satin mules, either flats or with small triangular heels.

As they did during menswear in June, models walked past a wall of clear, oozing slime, which pooled, then drained down an industrial grate runway, this season in peach. Miuccia Prada said there was a thematic link.

“The whole thing started from lightness,” Prada told reporters backstage. “We wanted to do a really light, light, light show. Usually, we ... tend to do heavy. It was a challenge to do light.”

Simons said it took the pair the full three years of their collaboration to date to figure out a “light and fluid” approach as a counterpoint to their exploration of weightier topics, like uniforms and decoration.

“The collection is about fluidity, and movement and material that you maybe can’t really grasp easily as solid,” Simons said.

Not that uniforms and decoration were ignored. Chiffon capes gave diaphanous elegance to high-waist belted shorts and a worker’s shirt. A leather utility vest was decorated with swirls of crystals, and there were jumpsuits with notched lapels. As in menswear, long fringe created a curtain over prints. Crushed velvet dresses were decorated with crystals, studs and metal eyelets.

“They are beautiful clothes for today,” Prada said.

Belts were the accessory of the season, especially with long trailing fringe: tinsel silver, coppery gold, leather with eyelets or silky strands.

The new collection featured a reissued bag originally made by Miuccia Prada’s grandfather, Mario Prada, in 1913, a link back to the brand’s lineage as a leather goods company. The gathered handbag features a clasp closure shaped like the mythological face with bulging eyes and tongue stuck out — just as it did in Mario’s day. “He was very eccentric, even back then,” Prada said.

The updated versions are made in leather or the brand’s trademark recycled nylon, Re-nylon.

The backstage surge included Scarlett Johansson and Benedict Cumberbatch, as the writers strike in Hollywood may have left the stars with time to fill fashion’s front rows.


Tom Ford Relaunches Under Peter Hawkings and Moschino Celebrates 40 Years 

A model walks the runway at the Tom Ford fashion show during the Milan Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2024 on September 21, 2023 in Milan. (AFP)
A model walks the runway at the Tom Ford fashion show during the Milan Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2024 on September 21, 2023 in Milan. (AFP)
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Tom Ford Relaunches Under Peter Hawkings and Moschino Celebrates 40 Years 

A model walks the runway at the Tom Ford fashion show during the Milan Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2024 on September 21, 2023 in Milan. (AFP)
A model walks the runway at the Tom Ford fashion show during the Milan Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2024 on September 21, 2023 in Milan. (AFP)

Milan Fashion Week continued Thursday for the second day with mostly womenswear previews for next spring and summer under a steady rain.

Here are some scenes as Milan designers try to keep the focus on warm weather:

TOM FORD RETURNS TO MILAN ROOTS Peter Hawkings has come full circle, making his runway debut as creative director of the Tom Ford brand Thursday in Milan, where he started working with Ford at Gucci 25 years ago.

Fashionistas entered the Tom Ford world through plush, champagne-colored carpet, beckoning luxury.

Models trod comfortably on stiletto heels, showing leg in shorts worn with tailored jackets, revealing their form in clingy, floor sweeping dresses, and fully inhabiting velvet suits with silken shirts with the trademark Tom Ford plunging neckline.

Hawkings freely acknowledged that his design codes owe a lot to the 25 years he worked alongside Ford, who passed the torch last April. "The design ethos is ingrained in me," he said backstage.

The collection was inspired by Donyale Luna, a Detroit-born Black supermodel who was a muse to Andy Warhol and Richard Avedon.

But Hawkings said his wife, Whitney, equally embodies the Tom Ford woman, one with strong opinions. The pair met at Gucci back in the day.

"I run everything by her. She will tell me whether she loves something, hates something, how it fits, how comfortable it is. I can't try the clothes on, but she can. And she can give me constant feedback," he said.

Whitney wiped tears after the show. "I feel hugely emotional about the whole thing," she said. "It is like going back, but it is a huge step forward. It’s a lot going on. It’s family after all."

MOSCHINO EMPOWERS WOMEN AS IT MARKS 40TH ANNIVERSARY Moschino briefly passed the torch to four top female stylists as the brand marked its 40th anniversary with an homage to founder, the late Franco Moschino.

Fashion designer Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele created a high-low, mix-match collection that can go anywhere and suit any woman. Gabriella Karefa-Johnson tapped a rap vein with high-energy hip looks featuring ruffled, tiered skirts, denim and granny squares that were size-inclusive.

Lucia Liu tapped Moschino's romantic vision, capping her collection with a cake-topper dresser with layers of pink bows, rosettes and boas, fit for the Barbie-moment. And Katie Grand let loose with dancewear from leotards with humorous graphic references and cutouts, exaggerated tutus and ironic slogans like Loud Luxury. Her models — professional dancers — brought the runway to life with a writhing, grinding, irreverent routine.

"We found the codes that we thought would be the most visually dissonant from one another," Karefa-Johnson said. "The challenge was creating cohesive looks within that, which is what I love as a stylist."

A successor to Jeremy Scott, who stepped down in March after a decade as creative director, is pending. But the spirit of Franco Moschino lives on.

BENETTON REACHES ACROSS GENERATIONS There’s a lot of floral-on-floral action in Benetton’s new co-ed, generation-spanning collection for Spring-Summer 2024, unveiled Thursday on the second day of Milan Fashion Week.

The Italian brand known as much for its consciousness-raising ad campaigns as for its bright knitwear is not looking to nudge into the luxury space, but rather into the every-day rotation of colorful dressers looking for elevated basics.

Andrea Incontri, in his third collection for the brand, reimagined Benetton’s mainstays and injected fun with bright monochromes that segued into the season’s upbeat strawberry and banana motifs, closing with tight floral prints that the designer treats as a wildflower patch: mix and match at will.

Denim looks punctuated the color, in two sweet miniskirt-jacket combos for her and shorts for him. The collection was mirrored across generations, underlined by babies and children accompanied by model parents.

Incontri said backstage that his aim is not to create iconic pieces so much as make the wearer feel that "you are iconic. You are expressing yourself with style."


Shein Shifts Shipping Strategy to Bring China-Made Goods Closer to US Shoppers 

A Shein logo is pictured at the company's office in the central business district of Singapore, October 18, 2022. (Reuters)
A Shein logo is pictured at the company's office in the central business district of Singapore, October 18, 2022. (Reuters)
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Shein Shifts Shipping Strategy to Bring China-Made Goods Closer to US Shoppers 

A Shein logo is pictured at the company's office in the central business district of Singapore, October 18, 2022. (Reuters)
A Shein logo is pictured at the company's office in the central business district of Singapore, October 18, 2022. (Reuters)

E-commerce giant Shein is sending more low-priced apparel and home goods to US warehouses from China to speed up shipping times for shoppers, according to data from global trade analysis firm ImportGenius provided exclusively to Reuters.

Shein, known for its $10 tops and $5 biker shorts, until recently has made many American purchasers face wait times of up to two weeks or more to receive their goods. This, say analysts, has put the fast-fashion e-tailer at a competitive disadvantage to bigger rivals such as Target, Walmart and Amazon.com, particularly during the holiday shopping season.

Analysts told Reuters that Shein would likely continue to expand its bulk shipments to the US in a bid to compete with established retailers on delivery times as it eyes an initial public offering.

The import data seen by Reuters shows Shein's efforts to narrow the speed gap with retailers such as Amazon, which has made a push to offer next-day or two-day shipping to shoppers who pay $139 per year for its Prime membership service.

The move also marks a strategy shift for Shein, which has traditionally flown goods directly from China to shoppers. Shein lacks any physical stores in the US.

According to the import data seen by Reuters, Shein's ocean shipments of apparel have increased more than 2,000 times over the last two years, soaring from 312,385 pounds (141,695 kg) imported in bulk on container ships in 2021 to over 6.8 million so far this year. Virtually all came from China, where Shein relies on a network of suppliers to produce its expansive assortment of low-priced merchandise.

In 2022, Shein opened a warehouse in Whitestown, Indiana, where it generally stores that inventory to then be shipped to shoppers within four to seven business days.

Anchors aweigh

Shein had already launched a faster delivery option for goods stored in the US, called "QuickShip," in 2022. The same year, the retailer's bulk imports brought to the US by ocean freight increased by nearly 790%, from over 312,000 pounds to more than 2.7 million, according to the ImportGenius data.

Goods eligible for QuickShip are delivered significantly faster than Shein's standard shipping times, which can range from nine to 14 days, according to estimates on its website.

Facing long waits, shoppers will likely make "infrequent" purchases from Shein, particularly during the key holiday shopping season, analysts at UBS said on Tuesday.

The ImportGenius data did not provide detailed descriptions for Shein products imported in bulk on container ships. Importing high-demand products in bulk helps Shein save money, a person familiar with Shein's strategy said, as ocean shipping is significantly less costly than air freight.

Shein still sends the majority of its merchandise by air in individually addressed packages - most of which enter the US under the "de minimis" trade provision that exempts them from tariffs.

A June report by a US House of Representatives committee estimated that Shein and China-founded e-tailer Temu, owned by PDD Holdings, bring in nearly 600,000 packages a day under the exemption. Shein declined to comment on the estimate.

Shipping goods by air directly from China is a strategy that helps the e-tailer avoid unsold inventory piling up in warehouses, according to Juozas Kaziukenas, founder of e-commerce analytics firm Marketplace Pulse. Prior to 2020, Shein imported no clothing by ocean freight, according to the ImportGenius data.

Shein has said it plans to increase its US storage space with an expansion of its Indiana facility and a new warehouse in Cherry Valley, California, expected to open within months.


UK Retailer Next Raises Profit Outlook Again

The Next logo is seen at a store of the clothing retailer in London, Britain, November 23, 2021. REUTERS/May James
The Next logo is seen at a store of the clothing retailer in London, Britain, November 23, 2021. REUTERS/May James
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UK Retailer Next Raises Profit Outlook Again

The Next logo is seen at a store of the clothing retailer in London, Britain, November 23, 2021. REUTERS/May James
The Next logo is seen at a store of the clothing retailer in London, Britain, November 23, 2021. REUTERS/May James

British clothing retailer Next raised its full-year profit outlook for the third time in four months as it reported a 4.8% rise in the first half.

The group, which trades from about 500 stores and online and is often considered a gauge of how British consumers are faring, also said on Thursday it was likely that inflationary pressures on selling prices and operating costs will continue to ease in its 2024/25 year.

For the full 2023/24 year it said it now expected to report pretax profit of 875 million pounds ($1.08 billion), versus a previous expectation of 845 million pounds and 870.4 million pounds made in the previous year.

It also raised its guidance for full price sales growth to 2.6% from 1.8% previously.
For the six months to July 29, Next made a pretax profit of 420 million pounds, on full price sales up 3.2%.


Saudi Fashion Commission Hosts EMERGE Pop-up in Milan

The Saudi Fashion Commission
The Saudi Fashion Commission
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Saudi Fashion Commission Hosts EMERGE Pop-up in Milan

The Saudi Fashion Commission
The Saudi Fashion Commission

The Saudi Fashion Commission has opened the second pop-up event EMERGE, a global undertaking through which the commission highlights the creative and emerging talents in Saudi fashion.

The pop-up will be open from 10:30 am to 8:30 pm at 10 Corso Como in Milan.

"The first EMERGE pop-up that we held in Paris was a huge success and received visitors from different cultures who had an authentic Saudi shopping experience and discovered what Saudi creative talent has to offer,” Fashion Commission CEO Burak Cakmak said in a statement on Wednesday.

He added: "I look forward to welcoming visitors to Milan Fashion Week to introduce them to the Saudi fashion world."

Thirteen designers participating in the Saudi 100 Brands program take part in the event to showcase a wide assortment of ready-to-wear pieces of clothing and elegant accessories, inspired by the rich and diverse layers of Saudi culture and heritage, offering visitors a global shopping experience.

The Saudi 100 Brands initiative, launched by the Saudi Fashion Commission in 2021, is a professional development program that helps emerging local talent reach maximum potential by giving those participating in the program international exposure.

The pop-up was hosted for the first time by the Fashion Commission in Paris Fashion Week and achieved great success, attracting over 2,000 visitors from 30 countries.


Far From Home, Ukrainian Designers Showcase Fashion Created Amid Air Raid Sirens

A model presents a creation by Ksenia Schnaider during the Ukraine Fashion Week presentation of London Fashion Week in London, Britain, 19 September 2023. London Fashion Week runs 15 to 19 September 2023.  EPA/NEIL HALL
A model presents a creation by Ksenia Schnaider during the Ukraine Fashion Week presentation of London Fashion Week in London, Britain, 19 September 2023. London Fashion Week runs 15 to 19 September 2023. EPA/NEIL HALL
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Far From Home, Ukrainian Designers Showcase Fashion Created Amid Air Raid Sirens

A model presents a creation by Ksenia Schnaider during the Ukraine Fashion Week presentation of London Fashion Week in London, Britain, 19 September 2023. London Fashion Week runs 15 to 19 September 2023.  EPA/NEIL HALL
A model presents a creation by Ksenia Schnaider during the Ukraine Fashion Week presentation of London Fashion Week in London, Britain, 19 September 2023. London Fashion Week runs 15 to 19 September 2023. EPA/NEIL HALL

For Ksenia Schnaider and her fellow Ukrainian fashion designers, the show must go on despite the war in their country — or precisely because of it.
For much of the past year, Schnaider and her team of seamstresses toiled away in their Kyiv studio, crafting her new collection of designer denim and luxury daywear even as air raid sirens, drone attacks and power cuts took over their lives and made production almost impossible to continue, The Associated Press reported.
Schnaider, 39, fled Ukraine with her husband and young daughter when Russia invaded her country in 2022. They found a temporary home with a British family in a peaceful corner of southern England. But she hasn’t put down the fashion business she founded 12 years ago, and continues to divide her time between the UK and Kyiv, where all her garments are still being made against the odds.
“My team needs this sense of normality — they told me they want to go to work and have something to do, to support each other, rather than staying home hiding,” she added. “We want to show the world we don’t give up.”
On Tuesday she and two other Ukrainian fashion designers showcased their latest creations in a joint catwalk show at London Fashion Week, which is adopting Ukraine Fashion Week for the second time this year as the war drags on and Ukraine’s fashion industry has nowhere to call home.
At the finale, they took their bows wearing a Ukrainian flag signed by soldiers from three different military units. Some of those men have died since signing the flags, she said.
It’s a poignant moment that the designer both looked forward to and dreaded because it’s so emotionally overwhelming.
“It’s very hard ... but of course, it is important to show our unity. We’re not competitors anymore, we’re all united in working for our victory,” she said.
Since the start of the war, more than 60 Ukrainian fashion brands have showcased their wares in cities including London and New York to “create, in contrast to the destruction brought by Russian aggression,” according to Iryna Danylevska, the founder and head of Ukrainian Fashion Week.
“Ukraine continues to live. Ukraine breathes, fights and creates,” reads a note found on every seat at Tuesday's catwalk display. “Our London Fashion Week runway show is another chance to speak to the world about the value of freedom and the price that must be paid for it.”
Schnaider, who has dressed celebrities including Dua Lipa, wonders how they keep going. "But for me, it’s important to keep producing in Ukraine, to support its people, its economy.”
The catwalk may seem a million miles from the battlefield, but fashion is just one of many facets of a huge national effort to keep the world talking about Ukraine and raise funds and awareness for what its people are going through, AP said.
Another Ukrainian designer, Ivan Frolov, brought the flag of United24, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's official fundraising platform, to his fashion show in London's swanky Bulgari Hotel on Saturday.
Frolov, who has shot up in prominence after Beyoncé chose his theatrical designs for her recent “Renaissance” tour and her Dubai concert, knows the power of a celebrity fashion moment and how that could help Ukraine's cause.
“For me, fashion is not only about the clothes — it's like a very powerful media platform that can sometimes spread messages better than any other industry,” said Frolov, 29.
For his latest show, black and white footage of old-time Ukrainian singers and historic video of Kyiv in bloom in the summer served as a backdrop for a collection of barely-there dresses, lavish silk and lace gowns and corsets encrusted with crystals.
Frolov acknowledged the seeming incongruity between his romantic vision and the war ravaging his country.
“It's a big challenge, to continue to do my work in the same moment when our soldiers are dying every day on the front line,” he said.
“We cry every day, and we continue to sew evening gowns for celebrities and for our clients. Of course we are waiting for victory for Ukraine, when we can wear these gowns,” he added. “But right now this is the only way we can show how strong we are. Ukraine is a young and beautiful country with big talents."
To bring home just how challenging the conditions have been for producing her clothes, Schnaider has attached special labels to every finished piece. Her customers can scan the label with their mobile phones to hear an air raid siren sound.
When war broke out Schnaider had a team of about 50. About 20 remain, some staffing her central Kyiv shop, others packaging, producing and shipping her garments to customers. When the sirens blast, her team puts down their tools and runs for shelter. Work would be interrupted for hours, or for the whole day.
Last winter was especially tough when electricity would be cut to just two hours per day, she said. She and her colleagues would try to cram all the work and daily tasks into those precious hours, before going home to “sit in the cold and in complete darkness.”
“It was very depressing, but we kept going, and we were joking it was the best time management," she said.
Other workers and small businesses in Kyiv are as determined as she is to keep normalcy going, she said.
“In the coffee shops, the mornings after the drone attacks, everyone would say ‘let’s drink more coffee' and swear at Russia,” Schnaider said. “They are all like ‘let’s do it, let's get back to work.'"