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Ralph Lauren Opens Fur-free New York Fashion Week

Models walk the runway during the Ralph Lauren Spring 2027 Collection show during New York Fashion Week in New York on September 9, 2026. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP)
Models walk the runway during the Ralph Lauren Spring 2027 Collection show during New York Fashion Week in New York on September 9, 2026. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP)
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Ralph Lauren Opens Fur-free New York Fashion Week

Models walk the runway during the Ralph Lauren Spring 2027 Collection show during New York Fashion Week in New York on September 9, 2026. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP)
Models walk the runway during the Ralph Lauren Spring 2027 Collection show during New York Fashion Week in New York on September 9, 2026. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP)

Legendary US designer Ralph Lauren on Wednesday kicked off New York Fashion Week with his namesake brand's Spring/Summer 2027 collection, as the industry showcase implements its first full ban on fur on the runway.

The 86-year-old designer, whose preppy aesthetic has influenced American style for decades, featured looks that emphasized his signature colors, navy blue and white.

Hints of gold, beige and dusty rose completed the palette, AFP reported.

Oscar-winning actresses Viola Davis and Ariana DeBose joined "Wicked" star Cynthia Erivo in the front row at the show, which took place on the eve of fashion week's official launch.

The label said the collection sought to upend "traditional notions of chic" and rework historical silhouettes. Suit trousers were paired with a leather jacket, a boater hat and ballet slippers.

Of course, there were gowns that the A-list Hollywood talent could easily wear to red carpet events.

US fashion house Coach, known for its handbags and other leather accessories, hosted the only other show on Wednesday -- a calm night before the fashion frenzy picks up pace, beginning in New York before heading to London, Milan and Paris.

Both brands have found success this year despite a slowing luxury market due to their more accessible branding, with each reporting double-digit revenue growth in the last quarter.

New York Fashion Week gets into full swing on Thursday, with Henry Zankov debuting his first collection as artistic director at Diane von Furstenberg.

Other shows on Thursday include Proenza Schouler, Christian Siriano, Tory Burch and Tommy Hilfiger -- which made waves with its latest ad campaign featuring Super Bowl champion Travis Kelce, who happens to be Taylor Swift's husband.

Upcoming shows to watch out for during the roughly 70 collections set to hit New York runways this week include Michael Kors and Calvin Klein on Friday, Carolina Herrera on Monday and Thom Browne's show to end the week on Tuesday.

In December, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), which organizes New York Fashion Week, announced that it would ban animal fur from its official events beginning this month.

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Fashion

Storied Paris Department Store Seeks Bankruptcy Protection

(FILES) This photograph shows the BHV store (Bazar de l'Hotel de Ville) in Paris on October 5, 2025. (Photo by JOEL SAGET / AFP)
(FILES) This photograph shows the BHV store (Bazar de l'Hotel de Ville) in Paris on October 5, 2025. (Photo by JOEL SAGET / AFP)
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Storied Paris Department Store Seeks Bankruptcy Protection

(FILES) This photograph shows the BHV store (Bazar de l'Hotel de Ville) in Paris on October 5, 2025. (Photo by JOEL SAGET / AFP)
(FILES) This photograph shows the BHV store (Bazar de l'Hotel de Ville) in Paris on October 5, 2025. (Photo by JOEL SAGET / AFP)

Paris department store BHV Marais, which courted controversy last year with a partnership with Asian fast-fashion giant Shein, said Tuesday it had sought bankruptcy protection to protect its operations and jobs.

The bankruptcy procedure "is part of BHV's relaunch, not its failure," the company said, adding that the landmark store opposite Paris City Hall that employs 700 people will remain open.

The store's previous owner already had problems with brand-name boutiques it hosted over payment delays before it sparked controversy last year by announcing that BHV Marais would host Shein's first physical permanent store.

The announcement struck a raw nerve in a French public concerned about the disappearance of local jobs amid a flood of Asian imports, and triggered the departure of a number of brands.

The owner finally sold the business to a number of its managers in June, who promptly parted ways with Shein.

The new owners said that as part of that deal the ownership of part of the building was transferred, but they had yet to receive the funds, which adversely impacted their plans to revamp the business.

The owner of the building, the Canadian asset manager Brookfield, rejected that assertion, saying it does not have any outstanding sums due to BHV Marais.

French labor inspectors believe that BHV Marais has not been making payments, which its management has denied.

Fashion

L’Oreal Shares Bounce on Third-Quarter Sales

A L'Oreal sign is displayed at the beauty products section of a department store inside a shopping mall in Beijing, China June 10, 2025. (Reuters)
A L'Oreal sign is displayed at the beauty products section of a department store inside a shopping mall in Beijing, China June 10, 2025. (Reuters)
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L’Oreal Shares Bounce on Third-Quarter Sales

A L'Oreal sign is displayed at the beauty products section of a department store inside a shopping mall in Beijing, China June 10, 2025. (Reuters)
A L'Oreal sign is displayed at the beauty products section of a department store inside a shopping mall in Beijing, China June 10, 2025. (Reuters)

Shares in L'Oreal rose 4% on Friday, hitting their highest in more than two years, after the French cosmetics giant reported third-quarter sales well ahead of expectations on strong demand for premium products in China and elsewhere.

Sales from July ‌to September rose ‌7.7% on an adjusted like-for-like basis ‌to €11.56 ⁠billion ($12.95 billion), topping a ⁠consensus analyst forecast of 5.9% growth in a Visible Alpha poll, L'Oreal said late on Thursday.

The maker of Lancome creams and Prada perfumes beat estimates for growth in all regions apart from Latin America, with North Asia, which is ⁠predominantly China, significantly ahead. All of its ‌divisions apart from ‌its mass market unit exceeded expectations.

"L'Oreal, once again, beat a ‌high bar," Barclays analysts said in a note.

Analysts ‌at Jefferies called the report "an impressively strong update", highlighting a "momentum shift in China and Europe" that lifted the growth rate in its Luxe division.

The group generates ‌a third of its revenue from its luxury division, but in China that ⁠business ⁠accounts for about two thirds of its sales in the market, positioning it well for a pick-up in Chinese demand. L'Oreal says it is growing three times faster than the market in China.

Shares were up 4.4% at €431.2 ($482.60) by 0917 GMT, the highest since June 2024. The shares are up by more than 17% this year.

"We see scope for the shares to test €450 as investors increasingly recognize the durability of its superior growth profile," the Barclays analysts added.

Fashion

Gucci Owner Kering Drops 12% as Luxury Braces for Tough Winter

The logo of French luxury group Kering is pictured on the day of the Kering General Assembly meeting at the company's headquarters in Paris, France, May 28. (Reuters)
The logo of French luxury group Kering is pictured on the day of the Kering General Assembly meeting at the company's headquarters in Paris, France, May 28. (Reuters)
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Gucci Owner Kering Drops 12% as Luxury Braces for Tough Winter

The logo of French luxury group Kering is pictured on the day of the Kering General Assembly meeting at the company's headquarters in Paris, France, May 28. (Reuters)
The logo of French luxury group Kering is pictured on the day of the Kering General Assembly meeting at the company's headquarters in Paris, France, May 28. (Reuters)

Shares in Gucci owner Kering tumbled 12% on Friday after the group reported further sales declines, but said it would stick with CEO Luca de Meo's turnaround plan and accelerate store closures, aiming for 125 by year-end.

The recovery long promised by luxury brands seems nowhere in sight, as the expansion of war ‌in the Middle ‌East, along with China's tax crackdown on ‌the ⁠wealthy, piled further ⁠pressure on the world's biggest luxury conglomerates in the third quarter, and executives buckled in for a tough winter.

Riots in Paris, leaving Louis Vuitton shop windows smashed and electric-bike bonfires near luxury shopping hub Place Vendome, threw into sharp relief the political risk faced by luxury brands not just abroad but also ⁠at home.

Shares in LVMH and Hermes were ‌also down 1% to 1.5% on ‌Friday, as crude prices hit their highest level since early May, worsening ‌the squeeze on households that has curbed consumers' ability to ‌splurge on handbags and clothes.

Gucci's decline has continued despite de Meo's plan to make the brand's prices more enticing to middle-class consumers and creative director Demna's new collections hitting stores.

"The progress made on ‌improving brand desirability remains in its very early stages," JPMorgan analyst Chiara Battistini said in a ⁠note. Gucci ⁠sales improved in wholesale, but were down 6% overall as fewer shoppers visited its stores.

While Kering struggles to execute a turnaround against a weak economic backdrop, even high-end Hermes is showing signs of slowing, with its ready-to-wear division falling 2% in the third quarter due to weak Chinese demand. Overall, Hermes reported its weakest quarterly sales growth since 2020.

Across the sector, valuations have taken a beating as investors reassess future growth prospects. After a 40% slide in share price since January 1, Hermes' valuation is its lowest since 2014, while LVMH's is at a 10-year low.