Pieter Mulier Appointed Versace Creative Director After Alaïa Exit
Versace announced Thursday that Pieter Mulier will become Chief Creative Officer effective July 1, succeeding Dario Vitale who departed after one season. The Belgian designer, who spent over a decade working under Raf Simons before leading Alaïa from 2021-2026, built significant industry momentum with sharp architectural designs and collectible accessories that attracted younger audiences and celebrity fans like Rihanna. Versace Executive Chairman Lorenzo Bertelli called Mulier “the right person” to unlock the brand’s full potential. (Photo: Karim Sadli/Courtesy of Versace)
The Art of the Front Row: How VIP Seating Moves the Needle
Fashion show front rows have evolved from exclusive industry gatherings into performance stages, with seating charts now an art form balancing multiple priorities. PR teams consider brand ethos, genuine support, audience reach, and community building over traditional hierarchies when crafting guest lists. While social metrics matter, experts prioritize authentic connections—some designers even seat garment workers’ families front row. The process remains fluid, with confirmations often happening days before shows due to celebrity schedules and media industry volatility. (Photo: Images Press/IMAGES/Getty Images)
Coach Blends Wizard of Oz Fantasy With NYC Skate Culture for Fall 2026
Stuart Vevers merged “The Wizard of Oz” with New York skate culture for Coach’s Fall 2026 collection, inspired by rewatching the film’s black-and-white-to-color transition with his children. The show opened with grayscale looks before bursting into powder-blue varsity jackets, violet leather, and ruby-red sneakers. Every distressed, tattered piece—from ripped prairie dresses to holey socks—evoked both Dorothy’s tornado journey and skateboard tumbles, celebrating American youth culture through an accessible, empathetic lens.
Five Black Designers Reimagine Denim for Gap x Harlem’s Fashion Row
Gap and Harlem’s Fashion Row launch their sixth annual collaboration on February 13—a 20-piece denim collection ($98-$148) featuring work by five Black designers: Daveed Baptiste, LaTouché, Igdalyah Pickering, Waina Chancy of Atelier Ndigo, and Nicole Benefield. Each created four-piece capsules inspired by personal heritage—Caribbean shores, Haitian artistry, Virgin Islands memories—treating denim as cultural canvas. The partnership continues supporting Black designers with sustained investment amid industry-wide DEI rollbacks. (photo/fashionista)
How Kaiia The Label Is Scaling Beyond TikTok Virality
Manchester-based Kaiia The Label, founded in 2022, is transitioning from TikTok sensation to established fashion brand under Global Marketing Head Emily Frazer. The comfort-led womenswear brand has become one of TikTok Shop’s fastest-growing retailers through creator-led content and live shopping. After a March 2025 rebrand strengthened its visual identity, Kaiia is focusing on international expansion, elevated storytelling, and offline activations while maintaining the community-first authenticity that fueled its rapid growth. (photo/theindustry.fashion)
Oh Polly Profits Nearly Double Despite Sales Decline
Online fashion retailer Oh Polly saw operating profit nearly double to £10.55 million for the year ending April 2025, despite turnover falling from £73 million to £68.1 million. The profit surge resulted from significant cost reductions, with administrative expenses dropping from £54.3 million to £47.4 million. The business, operating Oh Polly and Bo+Tee brands, focused on consolidation over expansion while maintaining its social-first model amid inflation pressures. (photo/theindustry.fashion)
Digital Retailer Freemans Wins Over Younger Shoppers With Online Push
Former catalogue retailer Freemans reported 9% sales growth over Christmas 2025, marking six consecutive years of festive gains since becoming a digital-only store. New customer numbers rose 9% as the brand successfully attracted shoppers beyond its traditional base, targeting women over 40 with affordable fashion. Own-brand ranges surged 43% year-on-year, bolstered by the retailer’s first online-only Christmas advertising campaign.
Belfast Students Transform Rubbish into Runway-Ready Designs
Northern Irish students showcased wearable art made entirely from waste materials at Grand Central Station as part of Junk Kouture, the world’s largest youth sustainable fashion competition. The Ireland-born initiative challenges young people aged 12 to 19 to create garments from recyclable materials like egg cartons, bin bags, and old tights, encouraging creativity and resourcefulness while highlighting sustainable fashion.
How Jane Birkin Became Fashion’s Most Misunderstood Muse
Jane Birkin’s wispy-fringed image became synonymous with effortless French-girl style, but she was far more than a pretty face. The singer and actress possessed genuine creative intelligence—styling Gainsbourg, pioneering androgynous dressing, and playfully subverting fashion norms throughout her life. Yet the press fixated on her appearance over her abilities, and ultimately a luxury handbag eclipsed her entire artistic output, reducing a multi-talented performer to mere aesthetic inspiration.
ShopMy Secures $70 Million at $1.5 Billion Valuation
Influencer commerce platform ShopMy raised $70 million in funding led by Avenir, reaching a $1.5 billion valuation. High-profile investors include Sofia Richie Grainge, Aimee Song, Revolve’s Raissa Gerona, and Beautycounter founder Gregg Renfrew. President Tiffany Lopinsky emphasized the company’s vision of curators driving brand distribution for next-generation companies, aiming to transform personal enthusiasm into scalable, measurable results for creators and brands alike.
OneOff Launches AI App to Decode Celebrity Style and Simplify Shopping
Co-founded by former Cameo executive Bobby Maylack, OneOff uses AI to identify and shop celebrity outfits from paparazzi photos and social posts. The app aggregates over 1 million products from retailers like Ssense and Net-a-Porter with unified checkout, functioning like “Spotify for fashion.” Users follow celebrities, receive personalized recommendations, and share curated edits—transforming brand discovery into a social, streamlined experience beyond traditional celebrity style tracking.
The Secret Behind Italy’s Unmatched Style Supremacy
Milan Fashion Week reinforces Italy’s reputation as fashion’s sexiest capital, distinguishing itself from London’s scrappiness and Paris’s elegant aggression. Italian style combines traditional tailoring with confident sensuality, passed down through generations from icons like Armani and Versace. From relaxed Sicilian suits to Naples’ lightweight tailoring, Italians treat dressing well as a national duty—approaching clothes with the same passion they bring to food and conversation, creating an effortlessly cool confidence.
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