WWD

As the world famous venue prepares to mark its first two centuries, plans are afoot to transform the avenue to be more pedestrian friendly. https://lnkd.in/dHFGx_gd

Inside Noval Djokovic x Hublot’s watch reveal in Paris Packed in the 49 grams of the Big Bang Unico Novak Djokovic are tennis rackets and Lacoste polo shirts worn by the Serbian tennis player during key matches of the 2023 season, which saw him break records by reaching a total of 24 Grand Slam men’s singles titles. He has since added Olympic gold at the 2024 Paris Games. The player’s gear — 25 rackets and more than 30 shirts — was ground up and turned into a camo-like speckled composite in tones of blue that was used for the bezel and case of the 42-mm timepiece. Read more : https://lnkd.in/eR_XHTiK

E.L.F. BEAUTY?has hit back after hedge fund Muddy Waters alleged the?beauty?retailer had overestimated sales. https://lnkd.in/etgg2h3R

Maggie Henriquez, chief executive officer at Baccarat since 2022, is passing the crystal baton to?Printemps?executive Laurence Nicolas, who will take up the management helm?of the French luxury firm?in early 2025. https://lnkd.in/eWaa7EVY

In his mission to reiterate Diesel’s ownership of all things denim, Glenn Martens is still managing to show range. His expansive pre-fall 2025 range came with look-book images reminiscent of album covers. It well seres commercial purposes demanded by a pre-collection, the brand’s democratic ethos and Martens’ own goal of finding new ways of having fun with Diesel codes. A focus on fluid silhouettes and technical wear were the fresh additions to the lexicon he has developed for the label, hinged on pillars such as utility, Pop aesthetics, bold prints, distressed finishes and trompe-l’?il effects. Martens was particularly keen of the sportier items “because it’s been years that I’m trying to do technical wear and I finally managed,” he said in a preview. He pointed out how pieces including windbreakers, zippered jackets and short shorts formerly crafted from denim now mimic its washed appearance via nylon with a denim fiber. Other items building on the theme ranged from jersey polos to ‘90s-tinged velvet tracksuits. See Diesel's Pre-Fall Collction : https://lnkd.in/erewV73W

French lab-grown leather company Faircraft has closed a 15-million-euro series A funding round, and the company unveiled its first handbag made with the material. “Lab-grown leather represents a major evolution that goes far beyond the fashion industry, and uses cutting-edge technologies to honor ethical considerations. It enables the creation of unique pieces with minimal environmental impact, while offering new possibilities to leather artisans and designers,” said Faircraft cofounder and chief executive officer Ha?kel Balti The round was backed by San Francisco-based Kindred Ventures, which traditionally works with early-stage tech start-ups such as Poshmark and Postmates, and French sovereign investment fund Bpifrance. They were joined by venture capital firms Alliance for Impact, Blue Wire Capital, Cap Horn, Entrepreneur First, Heirloom as well as Dutch investor and Prime Ventures founder Sake Bosch. Read more : https://lnkd.in/etF4JGyc

Swedish?eyewear?brand CHIMI is going global,?opening?its first store in?New York?City at 110 Grand Street. “Launching Chimi in America reflects not only our brand’s journey but also a larger cultural moment,” said cofounder Charlie Lindstr?m. “At Chimi, we blend influences from across the design spectrum, our frames challenge convention; they’re bold, colorful, and unapologetically playful, much like the postmodern architectural icons that dared to reshape skylines and perspectives alike.” Founded in 2016 by Lindstr?m and his childhood friend Daniel Djurdjevicin in Stockholm, Chimi has garnered a bit of a cool-kid following with Hailey Bieber, Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye, Kendall Jenner, Billie Eilish and Beyoncé all wearing the frames. According to the brand, its philosophy is one of “futuristic simplicity” with a vision to translate the pursuit of balance in products and experiences. Every product — primarily?eyewear, but also furniture and a small edit of ready-to-wear — is developed in Stockholm. Read more : https://lnkd.in/eKS6WmGK

Thanks to?Self-Portrait,?Christopher Kane‘s signature crystal-trimmed, zip-spliced bandage dresses that he first showed in 2006 will be widely available for the first time from Thursday. As reported by WWD in September,?Kane is the first guest designer of Self-Portrait’s new residency program based at Harella House, its studio and headquarters near the Barbican in East London. Self-Portrait has provided?Kane?with the infrastructure, resources, teams, distribution networks and creative freedom to create a one-off collection based on his Central Saint Martins MA graduate show. Read more : https://lnkd.in/e4JXQ2EN

Fashion loves Formula 1. In the last year, the number of sponsorships between brands and teams, drivers and the sport itself has skyrocketed. Many of these fashion brands have used their partnerships as their first foray into sports — all in a bid to tap into the cultural zeitgeist and capture Formula 1’s fast-growing younger and increasingly women demographic. The exponential growth of sports’ popularity amongst women continues to shape not only Formula 1, but the entire global landscape with their spending power. According to an NIQ report from earlier this year, $31.8 trillion of global spending from this year is controlled by women — and estimates that within the next five years, 75 percent of discretionary spending will be driven by women across the world. Read more : https://lnkd.in/enPBUScr

Monica Arnaudo, Ulta Beauty’s chief merchandising officer, has revealed plans to retire in the spring of 2025. Ulta is yet to name her successor. Arnaudo joined the retailer in October 2017 as senior vice president, merchandising, before stepping into the chief merchandising officer role in 2019. Prior to that she was senior vice president, sales at Clarisonic and held the same title at Bare Minerals and Buxom. In addition, she has had stints at the likes of Sephora, L’Oréal, the Estée Lauder Cos., Chanel and Nordstrom. “Ulta?Beauty?has been just the best company. I’ve been here just over seven years now, and so it’s hard for me to close this corporate chapter of my life,” she said in an interview.?“This year marks 45 years in the?beauty?industry for me. I started when I was 16 so I’ve been thinking about this for a long time and what the next chapter of my life could be, so I’m ready to make this change. I love this industry so much and I love it because of all the great products, but really, what I love the most about it is the people.” Read more : https://lnkd.in/eEMh7uUg