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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

Paris Appeals Court Rejects Government's Request for Suspension of Shein's Marketplace

(FILES) This photograph shows the logo of Asian e-commerce giant Shein in its stall at the Bazar de l'Hotel de Ville (BHV) department store in Paris on November 4, 2025. (Photo by Julie SEBADELHA / AFP)
(FILES) This photograph shows the logo of Asian e-commerce giant Shein in its stall at the Bazar de l'Hotel de Ville (BHV) department store in Paris on November 4, 2025. (Photo by Julie SEBADELHA / AFP)
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Paris Appeals Court Rejects Government's Request for Suspension of Shein's Marketplace

(FILES) This photograph shows the logo of Asian e-commerce giant Shein in its stall at the Bazar de l'Hotel de Ville (BHV) department store in Paris on November 4, 2025. (Photo by Julie SEBADELHA / AFP)
(FILES) This photograph shows the logo of Asian e-commerce giant Shein in its stall at the Bazar de l'Hotel de Ville (BHV) department store in Paris on November 4, 2025. (Photo by Julie SEBADELHA / AFP)

A Paris Court of Appeal on Thursday rejected the French government's request to suspend Chinese online platform Shein's marketplace, defeating an appeal by the state after a Paris court ruled against the government in December.

Shein has ⁠been embroiled in ⁠a scandal since France's consumer watchdog DGCCRF found sex dolls resembling children and banned weapons for sale ⁠on its marketplace last year, prompting the government to attempt to suspend the platform.

In December, a Paris court had rejected the government's request to suspend the Shein site in France as a ⁠whole ⁠for three months, saying it would be "disproportionate", prompting the government to appeal the ruling.

Shein banned all sex dolls and suspended the adult products category from its marketplace globally on November 3 after the consumer watchdog's findings.

Fashion

Zara Taps British Designer John Galliano for Partnership

Signage hangs at a Zara store in Granada on March 15, 2025. (AFP)
Signage hangs at a Zara store in Granada on March 15, 2025. (AFP)
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Zara Taps British Designer John Galliano for Partnership

Signage hangs at a Zara store in Granada on March 15, 2025. (AFP)
Signage hangs at a Zara store in Granada on March 15, 2025. (AFP)

Spanish fashion retailer Zara said Tuesday it has entered into a two-year "artistic partnership" with controversial British designer John Galliano.

The 65-year-old couturier will reconfigure pieces drawn from Zara's past collections into new designs, the company said in a statement.

"Guided by a haute couture process and approach, the collections will be unveiled each season throughout the duration of the partnership, starting in September 2026," it added without giving further details.

Zara is owned by Inditex, the world's leading low-cost fashion retailer which posted a record annual profit in 2025 for the third year running.

"To deliver fashion through that enormous platform -- that, of course, that's thrilling. And to be able to work with the kind of resources they have as well, that's equally thrilling," Galliano told fashion magazine Vogue.

Galliano, who previously headed artistry at Givenchy and Christian Dior, has dressed countless celebrities during his tenure, including Kim Kardashian, Kary Perry and Zendaya for red-carpet events.

Known for his flamboyant personality and daring designs, Galliano's career suffered a dramatic setback in 2011 following a drunken rant in a Paris bar where he hurled antisemitic and racist insults at the other patrons.

He was subsequently dismissed from Dior, underwent rehab in Switzerland and apologized for his behavior during a visit to the Central Synagogue in London.

Gibraltar-born Galliano returned to the fashion world in 2014 when he joined French label Maison Margiela as its creative director, a position he held until 2024.

With fast-growing budget fashion retailer Shein taking share at the cheaper end of the market, Zara has moved to attract more discerning shoppers and offered more expensive clothing in recent years.

Fashion

Fashion Commission Hosts Discussion on Saudi Fashion Global Expansion

Fashion Commission Hosts Discussion on Saudi Fashion Global Expansion
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Fashion Commission Hosts Discussion on Saudi Fashion Global Expansion

Fashion Commission Hosts Discussion on Saudi Fashion Global Expansion

The Fashion Commission organized a virtual open meeting to discuss the international expansion of Saudi fashion brands as part of its ongoing efforts to support the national fashion ecosystem and boost the presence of Saudi brands in global markets.

The meeting aimed to highlight pathways for international expansion, explore opportunities for designers and entrepreneurs in the fashion sector, and review key challenges that brands may face during growth and expansion, SPA reported.

The session is part of a series of open meetings organized by the Fashion Commission to enhance dialogue with the fashion community in Saudi Arabia, sharing knowledge and expertise that contribute to the sector’s development and enable Saudi brands to transition from local growth stages to a global presence.