FKA Twigs, Addison Rae and Others Embrace Playful, Daring Fashion on Grammys Red Carpet

Grammy Awards are displayed at the Grammy Museum Experience at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. on Oct. 10, 2017. (AP)
Grammy Awards are displayed at the Grammy Museum Experience at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. on Oct. 10, 2017. (AP)
TT

FKA Twigs, Addison Rae and Others Embrace Playful, Daring Fashion on Grammys Red Carpet

Grammy Awards are displayed at the Grammy Museum Experience at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. on Oct. 10, 2017. (AP)
Grammy Awards are displayed at the Grammy Museum Experience at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. on Oct. 10, 2017. (AP)

Addison Rae, Sabrina Carpenter and FKA twigs were among the music stars delivering fresh takes on red carpet style at the 68th Grammys.

The Grammys are a night of rule-breaking looks and memorable fashion statements where artists shed the traditional playbook of red carpet dressing and take style risks, The Associated Press said.

Stars respectfully toned down their attire last year, choosing instead to go with more subdued or all black looks in light of the destruction left by the Los Angeles wildfires.

This year, some stars embodied their on-stage music personas on the carpet and played around with new looks while others stuck with more traditional evening wear looks.

Tyla may have a song titled “Chanel,” but she went with Dsquared² for the red carpet. The South African singer wore low-cut cream look that featured a long-feathered train and gold beaded detailing. She styled the look with a loose updo and braids.

Stars take playful approach Red carpet attendees took playful approaches to their looks Sunday.

The British rising stars Lola Young and PinkPantheress who are shaking up the music industry with their individual sounds both opted for vastly different Vivienne Westwood looks Sunday.

Best new artist nominee Young, who is back after taking a brief hiatus last year, sported an army green sweatsuit printed with children’s toys on the carpet. PinkPantheress opted for a signature corseted off-the-shoulder gown draped with the Union Jack symbol.

Zara Larsson glowed on the carpet in her sunny yellow bra top and maxi skirt sequined set. The “Midnight Sun” singer made reference to the song with her radiating look.

In keeping with her theme, the Swedish singer wore a circular ray around her skirt while performing at the Grammy’s Premiere Ceremony before removing the rays for her walk down the carpet.

FKA twigs brought her album “Eusexua” to life on the carpet wearing a beige sheer flowy Paolo Carzana dress which she paired with a book and an orchid. The artist told Variety that the book is part of the lore of her “Eusexua” album for which she won best dance/electronic album early in the night.

The Grammys carpet is a chance for up-and-coming artists to shine among industry legends and their peers.

Coordinating on the carpet British girl group Flo, a first-time nominee, paid homage to Destiny’s Child with their matching sets. Jorja Douglas, Stella Quaresma and Renée Downer each wore coordinated beaded black and royal blue ensembles. Destiny’s Child famously wore matching green lace cut-out looks at the 2001 Grammys where the group won two awards for “Say My Name.”

Flo brought back that synergy with their unified aesthetic.

“We actually have a sixth sense and a lot of things we just agree on,” Quaresma told The Associated Press.

Former Destiny Child member Michelle Williams arrived on the carpet in a black sheer gown embellished with gold leaves and a black satin train from Jean-Louis Sabaji.

Love bugs Yungblud and Jesse Jo Stark took a risqué approach to their coordinated attire. Yungblud showed off his bare chest under a leather Chrome hearts jacket with a detachable animal print collar. Stark wore a leather halter dress. Yungblud won his first Grammy for best rock performance for “Changes,” alongside Nuno Bettencourt and Frank Bello.

Some stars accidentally took coordinating too far by wearing the same looks. Two stars had a fashion face-off at the start of the night with singer Ledisi and TV host Jasmine Simpkins both flaunting the same off-the-shoulder pink peach dress with sparkly tinsel.

Rising stars take center stage

This year, a fashionable bunch of artists make up the hotly contested best new artist category. Rae aptly has a song titled “High Fashion.” The newcomer wore a structured white custom Alaia dress with a neckline that plunged down to her navel.

Rae appeared in the “12 to 12″ music video for another nominee in the category, Sombr, who sparkled on the carpet in a shimmering silver Valentino suit paired with a lace undershirt.

Carpenter also paid tribute to designer who died in January. Carpenter once again brought Old Hollywood glamour to the carpet with her chic custom Valentino white shimmering gown fitted with a sheer bolo jacket.

Unlike the tuxedos at other award shows, male Grammy nominees often shake things up. Singer-songwriter Darren Criss was one of the first to arrive shortly after the carpet opened. Criss, who is hosting the Grammys premiere ceremony, donned a shimmering lace suit from Tanner Fletcher with an off-white silk cravat shaped into a bow. He paired it with his signature painted nails.

Chappell Roan, who won best new artist last year, donned a yellow tulle archival Jean Paul Gaultier couture gown printed with Degas’ famous ballerinas on the carpet. She later wore several other looks throughout the ceremony.

Some at the Grammys sought to draw attention to protests over the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement presence in cities. Jason Isbell, Margo Price, Kehlani and Rhiannon Giddens were among the artists wearing protest apparel on the Grammys red carpet.



France Hits Shein with 22 Mn Euros in New Fines Over Consumer Violations

FILE PHOTO: Clothes from fast-fashion brand Shein hang at their office in Sao Paulo, Brazil, December 15, 2025. REUTERS/Jorge Silva/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Clothes from fast-fashion brand Shein hang at their office in Sao Paulo, Brazil, December 15, 2025. REUTERS/Jorge Silva/File Photo
TT

France Hits Shein with 22 Mn Euros in New Fines Over Consumer Violations

FILE PHOTO: Clothes from fast-fashion brand Shein hang at their office in Sao Paulo, Brazil, December 15, 2025. REUTERS/Jorge Silva/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Clothes from fast-fashion brand Shein hang at their office in Sao Paulo, Brazil, December 15, 2025. REUTERS/Jorge Silva/File Photo

French authorities said Wednesday that they had imposed two fines on Shein totaling more than 22 million euros ($25.5 million), citing problems with product traceability, environmental labelling and delivery times.

The new penalties bring the total fines imposed by France against the Asian fashion giant to more than 210 million euros, AFP reported.

The latest fines were imposed by the government's consumer protection agency DGCCRF following a wide-ranging investigation targeting several e-commerce platforms, primarily based outside Europe, including Shein.

The first fine of 5.77 million euros targets Infinite Style Ecommerce Co Ltd (ISEL), which handles sales for Shein.

The DGCCRF accuses Shein of failing to comply with a 14-day period required for consumers to be able to reconsider certain purchases.

The watchdog also accuses the company of omitting mandatory traceability information, such as the countries where its clothing is woven, dyed and manufactured, and of failing to disclose the presence of microplastics in its fabrics.

Microplastics, primarily found in polyester, are released into the water with every machine wash, posing a serious environmental threat.

In addition, the agency imposed a fine of 16.73 million euros on Shein's subsidiary ISSL (Infinite Styles Services Limited), accusing it of violations of consumer law.

Shein has been under fire since it established operations in France.

It is widely criticized by campaign groups and politicians for generating environmental pollution, practicing unfair competition, selling goods that fail to comply with basic regulations and imposing poor working conditions in its Chinese factories.


Zara Owner Inditex Defies Consumer Gloom with Strong Early Summer Sales

Women carry bags from Zara, flagship retail clothing brand of Spanish multinational clothing company Inditex, in the Gran Via of Bilbao, Spain, March 15, 2025. (Reuters)
Women carry bags from Zara, flagship retail clothing brand of Spanish multinational clothing company Inditex, in the Gran Via of Bilbao, Spain, March 15, 2025. (Reuters)
TT

Zara Owner Inditex Defies Consumer Gloom with Strong Early Summer Sales

Women carry bags from Zara, flagship retail clothing brand of Spanish multinational clothing company Inditex, in the Gran Via of Bilbao, Spain, March 15, 2025. (Reuters)
Women carry bags from Zara, flagship retail clothing brand of Spanish multinational clothing company Inditex, in the Gran Via of Bilbao, Spain, March 15, 2025. (Reuters)

Zara owner Inditex reported a strong start to summer trading on Wednesday as currency-adjusted sales grew 11.5% in May, handily beating analyst expectations, even as Iran war inflation worries dent consumer confidence.

Inditex shares gained 5% as the healthy sales growth reassured investors the fast fashion giant can weather the global turmoil and perhaps even benefit as some shoppers trade down from more expensive clothing brands.

Analysts had expected sales growth of 8% ‌for May, ‌the start of the company's second quarter. Inditex posted sales ‌of €8.75 billion ($10.17 ⁠billion) over its ⁠February-to-April first quarter, up 8.8% in currency-adjusted terms.

"This performance is even more noteworthy when considered against the backdrop of the wider macroeconomic and geopolitical challenges seen in recent months," Gorka Garcia-Tapia Yturriga, Inditex's investor relations director, said on a call with analysts.

Sales in the Middle East, where Inditex has stores operated by franchise partners, have been impacted, he added, without giving a specific figure.

IMPACT OF HIGH FUEL, TRANSPORTATION ⁠COSTS LIMITED SO FAR

Chief Financial Officer Andres Sanchez said ‌Inditex has rapidly adapted its supply chain to ‌ensure uninterrupted product flow to its stores globally, despite disruptions to air and sea freight ‌caused by the war, which broke out in late February.

"There is ‌a lag effect between the transportation of goods and the impact on cost of goods sold, which means that the impact of the higher transport cost and fuel prices in the first quarter has so far been limited," he said.

Inditex's profitability improved with ‌the first-quarter gross margin hitting 61.2% - up from 60.6% a year ago - in a sign the retailer has successfully protected ⁠profits despite higher raw ⁠material and freight costs.

The company, meanwhile, stuck to a full-year outlook issued in March of a stable gross margin, a 5% increase in store space, and €2.3 billion in capital expenditure.

Zara has invested in new, bigger stores and boosted marketing to draw in new customers while increasing prices.

And in May it launched a new clothing collection with Puerto Rican pop and reggaeton superstar Bad Bunny, who wore custom Zara outfits during his NFL Super Bowl halftime show in February.

The first quarter is typically Inditex's smallest in terms of sales and profits. But it has been closely watched, given the war's impact on consumer confidence. And investors have been bracing for signs of strain at the $190 billion company, which also owns smaller brands including Massimo Dutti, Oysho, Bershka, and Lefties.


Estee Lauder Still Open to Acquisitions After Failed Puig Talks, CEO Says

An Estee Lauder cosmetics counter is seen in Los Angeles, California, US, August 19, 2019. (Reuters)
An Estee Lauder cosmetics counter is seen in Los Angeles, California, US, August 19, 2019. (Reuters)
TT

Estee Lauder Still Open to Acquisitions After Failed Puig Talks, CEO Says

An Estee Lauder cosmetics counter is seen in Los Angeles, California, US, August 19, 2019. (Reuters)
An Estee Lauder cosmetics counter is seen in Los Angeles, California, US, August 19, 2019. (Reuters)

An Estee ‌Lauder merger with Jean Paul Gaultier-owner Puig failed to go through because of the price tag, Stephane de La Faverie, President and CEO of the US cosmetics maker said on Tuesday, but added the company was still open to acquisitions if they made financial sense.

Estee Lauder and Puig ended ‌negotiations late ‌last month that would have ‌created ⁠a premium beauty ⁠giant better positioned to compete with industry leader L'Oreal.

Leaks, disagreements between the powerful controlling families, and demands, including from make-up magnate Charlotte Tilbury, led the talks to collapse, five ⁠people with direct knowledge of the ‌deal told ‌Reuters.

Speaking at a Deutsche Bank consumer conference ‌in Paris, de La Faverie said ‌it was a matter of price.

"If we cannot reach the growth and the profitability at the right price point, then ‌that is not an option. And this is why, obviously, ⁠this ⁠deal didn't go through, because it was not at the right price," he said, adding that the company would continue to look at opportunities.

The Clinique and M.A.C owner in May said it would cut 9,000 to 10,000 jobs globally as it accelerates its "Beauty Reimagined" strategy, aiming to save as much as $1.2 billion in annual costs.