Vogue Business

Last Thursday, Vogue Business launched an additional Advanced Member benefit, the Insider Roundtable. Our first session of the year was hosted by Elektra Kotsoni, Deputy Director of Vogue Runway & Vogue Business, and Nicole Phelps, Global Director of Vogue Runway & Vogue Business. This exclusive, off-the-record conversation brought together thought leaders to discuss the most pressing issues shaping the fashion industry today. In this first edition, Nicole and Elektra shared key insights from the recent fashion month, sparking a conversation on how designers are responding to global trends and challenges. We were honoured to welcome senior leaders from LVMH, Marc Jacobs, JPMorganChase and more for this intimate exchange of ideas. Stay tuned for the next session, and consider becoming a Vogue Business member today: https://lnkd.in/duNwK7f.

Francesca Amfitheatrof is exiting Louis Vuitton after seven years as artistic director of jewellery and watches, the house has confirmed. “After a successful collaboration of seven years on the creation of jewellery and high jewellery collections, Louis Vuitton and Francesca Amfitheatrof have mutually decided to separate ways. With her remarkable talent and limitless creativity, Amfitheatrof has undoubtedly left an indelible impression on the legacy of jewellery at Louis Vuitton,” the company said in a statement. “I am incredibly grateful to have been given the opportunity to create the jewellery and high jewellery collections for Louis Vuitton. After seven wonderful and intense years, I am so proud of these collections and the legacy I leave behind as I embark on exciting new endeavours, which I will be announcing soon,” Amfitheatrof added. Amfitheatrof was one of the house’s three artistic directors, sitting alongside Nicolas Ghesquière for womenswear and Pharrell Williams for men’s. Here, Laure Guilbault has everything you need to know about her departure. https://lnkd.in/eccWWDed

What does Forever 21’s bankruptcy say about the future of fast fashion? Forever 21’s fountain of youth has run dry. The brand’s holding company, F21 OpCo, has filed for bankruptcy for the second time since 2019, citing competition from online fast fashion retailers overseas, such as Shein and Temu. The retailer, whose dishevelled clothing racks and harsh lighting provided the backdrop to many a teenage shopping spree in the 2010s, has struggled to meet the evergrowing demands of today’s trend-driven consumer. All of Forever 21’s bricks-and-mortar stores, as well as online operations, will close by May. At its peak, Forever 21, which dates back to an LA store called Fashion 21 opened in 1984, saw sales peak to $4.4 billion in 2015. It filed for bankruptcy the first time four years later, shaken by a quick rise in ultra-fast fashion competitors, a sector of the industry that’s only gained more traction. But what happened isn’t just that #fastfashion moved faster than a legacy multichannel player could compete with. The industry itself has bifurcated, with digital pureplays mastering a blend of demand prediction and knee-jerk manufacturing. Without being able to compete at the same speed, other players moved upmarket. Forever 21 slipped into the middle. Here, Emma Rayder breaks down what went wrong at Forever 21 – and what comes next. https://lnkd.in/ghUmvq7y

Paid Partnership | Which brands made it in the top 10 of the Vogue Business H1 2025 Index? It’s a confusing time for luxury — for those operating in it and those shopping for it. Between value discrepancies, creative shifts, legislative change, macroeconomic turbulence and looming sustainability deadlines, the industry has reached an inflection point. But with change comes hope, and the Vogue Business H1 2025 Index has found glimmers in the data. In this edition: CHANEL falls, Dior ousts Gucci, Saint Laurent surpasses Hermès and Fendi hangs on in as #luxury’s movers and shakers feel the impact of an industry in flux. https://lnkd.in/ehCv9kuS On 10 April, join Vogue Business Custom Insights and the global research and analytics team from Phronesis Partners for an exclusive deep dive into the key findings from the 10th edition of the Vogue Business Index. https://lnkd.in/efC77wCW

Erewhon is more than just a grocery store — it’s a status symbol. Known for its $20 Hailey Bieber smoothie, $26 bottles of “hyper-oxygenated” water and a single strawberry from Japan selling for $19, the company has cultivated a reputation as one of the most expensive supermarkets in the US. Yet, its appeal extends beyond the ultra-wealthy. Erewhon is as much a destination for Beverly Hills moms as it is for Echo Park aspiring actors, many of whom tap their cards with equal parts irony and indulgence. “Erewhon smoothies feel like the equivalent of buying Chanel sunglasses when you can’t afford main line,” a customer visiting from Berlin says. Her friend, an Erewhon member, but not yet a homeowner, agrees. “It’s a $20 entry point into this luxury world that you perhaps aren’t really part of yet.” Thanks to its buzzy celebrity partnerships and viral products, it’s also become a must-stop for anyone visiting from outside LA. “Erewhon is at the intersection of two game-changing trends in the luxury market today: luxury as an experience, not a product, and the wellness and well-being trends,” says luxury retail expert Pamela Danziger. Here, Isabelle Truman breaks down the business of Erewhon. https://lnkd.in/eM-GjAEE

Three opportunities for brands eyeing India’s #luxury market. “Big cities defined luxury. Then it got old.” This is one of the most surprising, and yet perhaps one of the most important, takeaways from Indian e-commerce platform Tata CLiQ Luxury’s latest consumer report. The report, titled ‘Thinking Beyond the Cart: Elevating Luxury E-commerce’, reveals that 43% of Indian luxury consumers live in metro cities (Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Pune, Chennai, Kolkata and Ahmedabad), while the remainder inhabit smaller cities and towns. “The consumer base has shifted from institutional or old money — the early luxury shoppers — to, say, a business head from a small city like Saharanpur,” notes fashion designer Masaba Gupta in the report. Here, Sujata Assomull unpacks the findings of a new report on how to capture the spend of India’s luxury consumers – from targeting high-net-worth individuals in lower tier cities with a ‘phygital’ approach to doubling down on storytelling. https://lnkd.in/enqqnfyp

Tickets are now on sale for the first-ever Vogue Business Global Summit. Join us for two days of big ideas, candid conversations and fresh perspectives as we bring together the brightest and boldest minds in luxury. Set against the stunning backdrop of Lake Como, this exclusive event is designed to spark thinking, challenge assumptions and explore the forces reshaping our world — from entertainment and sports to wellness, hospitality and emerging markets. Through dynamic panels, thought-provoking keynotes and intimate fireside chats, we’ll go beyond business as usual. Expect real conversations, unexpected insights and the kind of connections that shape the future. If you’re leading, innovating or redefining what #luxury means today, you can’t miss the Vogue Business Global Summit. Vogue Business Members benefit from an exclusive 25% discount on the standard ticket price. Buy your tickets here. https://lnkd.in/eWBiXQRj

Breaking: Miguel Castro Freitas is to succeed Casey Cadwallader as creative director of?MUGLER, parent company L'Oréal announced today. A Portuguese national, Castro Freitas is unknown to the public and little known in the fashion industry. He graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2004, was handpicked by John Galliano to work at Dior after graduation and has held designer jobs at Yves Saint Laurent under Stefano Pilati and Lanvin alongside Alber Elbaz. Most notably, he has been head of tailoring at Christian Dior, led by Raf Simons, head of womenswear at Dries Van Noten and creative director of Sportmarx from SS21 to SS24. He may not fall in the big-name designer category or have a presence on social media, but he has 20 years of experience working for established luxury houses. “It is an honour to join the spectacular house of Mugler. As one of the twentieth century’s great couturiers, Mr Mugler reimagined the power and limits of fashion. Alongside the teams, I am thrilled to bring my own vision, story and emotion to this monumental heritage,” said Castro Freitas. What does his appointment mean for the house of Mugler??Here, Laure Guilbault breaks it down. https://lnkd.in/eYMbZ3-k

As fashion’s rumour mill churns, gossip about who’s going where has usurped the conversation and unsettled internal teams. Join us on Monday at 5pm GMT for The Luxury Lowdown as Executive European Editor Kirsty McGregor and Executive Americas Editor Hilary Milnes break down the real impact of fashion's creative director reshuffle.

Under the Trump administration, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is facing mass layoffs, policy rollbacks and a more existential repositioning to focus on making energy cheaper. Among the most pressing concerns is the reconsideration of greenhouse gas reporting requirements, which could weaken oversight of emissions from textile mills and apparel factories. The loosening of mercury and air toxin standards for coal-fired power plants raises further red flags, as many fashion supply chains still rely on energy from these sources. Meanwhile, proposed changes to air quality standards and regional haze regulations could exacerbate pollution in key textile-production hubs, raising ethical and reputational concerns for brands sourcing from these regions. Water pollution regulations are also under review, with potential impacts on the highly water-intensive dyeing and finishing processes central to fashion production. If restrictions on industrial wastewater disposal are lifted, the risk of harmful run-off into local water supplies could rise, adding another layer of environmental scrutiny. These sweeping rollbacks could ease short-term compliance costs for some apparel businesses — but at what long-term price? Jessica Binns breaks it down. https://lnkd.in/e9SUP6yx