This week’s briefing looks at what’s been going on with Unilever after its failed bid for GlaxoSmithKline’s consumer health unit. Plus: Kosterina food brand's expansion into olive oil-based beauty products, and executive arrivals and departures over the past week.

Bigger is better, particularly for luxury fashion corporations. That was the message luxury leaders drove home this week, as they reported earnings and released news about major investments. Scooping up brands and splurging on real estate and marketing were among top trends across their announcements.

Throughout the mid- to late-2010s, the best place to find out about fashion trends was on Instagram. In the late 2000s it was style blogs, and before that, glossy print magazines. Now, TikTok is filling that role as the place where users go to find out what’s in style.

This week, a look at the current state of the brand-retailer relationship, according to new research, Tapestry's new earnings report, the founder of growing luxury brand Brochu Walker and executives from Net-a-Porter.

With luxury’s slowed growth expected to continue through next year, more brands are turning to outlet channels to offload inventory and retain sales. At the same time, off-price retailers are competing for their business by promising unprecedented discretion. 

Maesa's revenue has doubled from 2020 to 2023, growing approximately 25% year-over-year for three years. According to Maesa, it's the largest beauty incubator based on retail sales. Private equity firm Bain Capital purchased a majority stake in the company in 2019. At the time, Maesa was earning $230 million annually...

In the last year, ELC's New Incubation Ventures has made four investments in emerging brands with an eye on international markets. That's included Toronto-based grooming brand Faculty Men and Haeckels, based in the U.K.

The high end of Claire’s reach is expanding this week with the opening of a new store in Paris. The store was designed by Nicola Formichetti, former designer of Diesel and Mugler, who was appointed Claire's creative director in residence in November 2022.

Kicking off this month in Raleigh, North Carolina, Bal Harbour Shops’ Access Pop-Up is a first-of-its-kind pop-up mall making eight-week stops in cities underserved by the luxury market. In late January, it will head to Greenville, South Carolina, before making stops in Floria’s Tequesta and South Walton County. Among the...

As the future of clean beauty continues to evolve, many brands are adjusting their ingredients and products to accommodate the changes. From a clean, Black-owned hair-care brand that's on the rise to a personal care brand that recently received its B-Corp certification, there are plenty of clean brands to support...

The Saks Fifth Avenue flagship in Manhattan hosted a swanky party featuring NBA player James Harden last week, in celebration of the company’s renewed commitment to the men’s business. The party commemorated the opening of the newly renovated men's section on the seventh floor, the addition of over 125 new...

On Tuesday, Century 21 Department Stores reopened as Century 21 NYC by welcoming the public to its downsized flagship in New York City's Financial District. According to company executives, Century 21 has retained the role that put it on the map — namely, facilitating treasure hunts resulting in great deals on...