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☆ 6 luxury brands, from Coach to Gucci, that have gotten into the restaurant game
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Here are six luxury brands that have opened restaurants around the world. Gotham/GC Images/Getty ImagesCoachIn March, Coach opened its first-ever restaurant, called The Coach Restaurant, in Jakarta, Indonesia. The brand opened a second location in Tokyo in 2021, in its seven-story flagship in Ginza. Dior also has the Mediterranean restaurant Dior des Lices in Saint Tropez. At its Paris flagship, the French luxury fashion house has La Pâtisserie Dior and the restaurant Monsieur Dior.

Persons: —, Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren's, Z, Osmud Rahman, Rahman, what's, Jessica Chastain, Louis Vuitton, Café, Ginza . Louis Vuitton, Arnaud Donckele, Maxime Frédéric, Dior Dior, Dior, Monsieur Dior, Anne, Sophie Pic, Dominique Maître, Gucci Gucci, Gucci Osteria, Massimo Bottura, Tiffany, Daniel Boulud Organizations: Service, Business, Toronto Metropolitan University's School of Fashion, Canadian, Globe, Michigan, Polo, Polo Bar, New, New York, Ginza . Louis, Louis, Dior, Kansai International Airport, Dior des Lices, Paris, Michelin, Penske Media, Getty, Tiffany, Co, South, Harrods Locations: Chicago, millennials, New York City, York, Miami , Virginia, New York, Milan, Paris, Chengdu, China, Midtown, Jakarta, Indonesia, Jakarta's Grand, Osaka, Japan, Tokyo, Ginza ., Saint Tropez, Bangkok, Thailand, Europe, US, Asia, Seoul, Miami, Florence, Italy, Italian, Beverly Hills, The Florence, Tiffany, South Coast, Costa Mesa , California, London

☆ I've been to more than 30 countries, but I'll always think this European city is the best destination for children of any age
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Erika Ebsworth-Goold | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewAs a travel writer, one of my greatest loves is experiencing a new country, region, or city with my son. But if you ask me, London is also the best spot to bring your kids, especially if they range in age. Here's why I'll always believe London is a terrific destination for children of any age. Children under 11 travel for free when accompanied by an adult, and discounts are available for older kids. The city is full of parks for children to play inLondon has incredible green space for such a large city.

Persons: —, I've, Erika Ebsworth, Big Ben, we've, Gordon Ramsay's, Martin Organizations: Service, London, Business, Transportation, Heathrow Express, Airport, Paddington Station, Hyde Park, Royal Observatory, Prime Meridian, Food, British Museum, Magna Carta, Tate, Eurostar Locations: London, Hyde, Greenwich, London . London, Ethiopian, Harrods, St, Trafalgar, Oxford, Cambridge, Bath, Birmingham, Brighton, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam

☆ The pre-owned luxury watch market is thriving
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Fawnia Soo Hoo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Granted, the pandemic-induced second hand luxury watch boom peaked back in March 2022, but the market is still going strong, and price levels remain higher than pre-Covid times. “(They’re) a crucial demographic for the growth and evolution of the pre-owned and vintage luxury watch industry,” added Paul Altieri, founder & CEO of multi-brand online luxury marketplace Bob’s Watches. Don't be shy," said Dimepiece's Brynn Wallner of new buyers' potential nerves when it comes to luxury watch stores. How can you tell if a luxury pre-owned watch is the real deal? “Luxury watches of this caliber will go from one generation to the next to the next to the next,” he explained.

☆ The brilliantly bizarre world of ‘Candy, Andy and the Bearandas’
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-09 | by ( Zoe Whitfield | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —To immerse yourself in the pages of new book “Candy, Andy & The Bearandas” is to delve into a surreal world that riffs on the peculiar while invoking the familiar. Alan Dein/Anderson Entertainment/Courtesy Four Corners Books“It’s very strange, dad never once mentioned ‘Candy’,” Jamie Anderson, the creator’s son, told CNN in an interview. But it was only after he died (in 2012), somebody sent me an eBay listing (of a “Candy” comic) and said, ‘did you know this is one of your dad’s as well?’. “They look like a parody in a way, when you (compare) ‘Candy and Andy’ and ‘Thunderbirds,’ you can scarcely believe they were by the same company.”Some scenes feature the Candy and Andy mannequins with real people. Alan Dein/Anderson Entertainment/Courtesy Four Corners BooksIndeed, the two are worlds apart.

Persons: Candy, Andy, Richard Embray, ”, ” —, Gerry Anderson, Scarlet ”, Candy ”, Scarlet, Alan Dein, Candy ’, ” Jamie Anderson, “, ‘, Doug Luke, Roger Perry, documentarian Alan Dein, ‘ Candy, Andy ’, Gerry Anderson's, Dein, Jamie Anderson, Jamie, Alan, Tracy family’s, Andy ” —, —, Anderson, Jake, Dinos Chapman, Jeff Koons, “ It’s Organizations: CNN, Anderson, eBay, Four, ‘ Thunderbirds, Harrods, Barbican Locations: British, Dein

☆ I tried a $35 Wagyu beef sandwich at Harrods and it was as disappointing as it was expensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( Polly Thompson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Harrods, London's upmarket department store, sells a Wagyu beef sandwich for £28 ($35.) Simply called the "Wagyu Steak Sandwich," the new addition to the menu at Harrods in Knightsbridge contains strips of Wagyu beef fillet along with accompanied by porcini and truffle butter, gold mustard mayo, large portobello mushrooms, arugula, and beer- braised onions. The Harrods deli counter where you can purchase the Wagyu sandwich. High-grade marbled Wagyu beef is a delicacy typically imported from Japan and can cost anywhere between $120 and $300 per pound. To its credit, and to be expected when it packs a whopping 1,040 calories, the Harrods sandwich was a generous size and I was definitely full by the end.

Persons: —, porcini, Polly Thompson, I've, I'd, Mark Field Organizations: Harrods, Business, Service, Qatari, Consulting Locations: Britain, Knightsbridge, mayo, portobello, Japan, Harrods, Hyde

☆ Meet the 'queen of caviar' who supplies Britain’s royal family with the world's most expensive food
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Lucy Handley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

King's Fine FoodLaura King has run a caviar business for almost 20 years — even supplying Britain's royal family with the coveted foodstuff. Now, she's known as the "caviar queen," and her firm King's Fine Food imports hundreds of kilos of caviar into the U.K. every two to three weeks. Oscietra caviar is the most popular product sold by King's Fine Food. Laura King (left), founder of King's Fine Food, with her daughter Holly King, the company's sales director. "We're two women in business, probably the only two women in the caviar business almost in the world.

Persons: Laura King, King, John King, Holly —, —, Conran, Melba, Terence Conran, retails, …, You've, you'll, I've, King's, Holly King, Mason, Queen Elizabeth II, Holly, We've Organizations: King's, CNBC, Fine Food, Harrods, Cathay Pacific, Emirates . British Airways, Foods, John King Brain, Royal Locations: London, Dorchester, British, Iran, Russia, Belgium, China

☆ European regulator approves Farfetch deal for YNAP, Richemont says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A banner to celebrate the IPO of online fashion house Farfetch is displayed on the facade of the of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., September 21, 2018. Completion of the deal remains subject to "certain other conditions that Richemont and Farfetch are working towards fulfilling", Richemont said, promising a further update "in due course", without providing further detail. Under the terms of the deal unveiled in August 2022, Richemont would sell a stake of 47.5% in loss-making YNAP in exchange for more than 50 million Farfetch shares, and Farfetch could acquire the rest of YNAP through a put and call option arrangement. Bernstein analysts said last week that Farfetch's troubles raised questions for Richemont, which is set to transfer its online business to technology run by Farfetch and provide a $450 million credit facility. Reporting by John Revill and Mimosa Spencer; editing by Friederike Heine, Clarence Fernandez and Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Porter, Cartier, Richemont, Farfetch, Bernstein, Bergdorf Goodman, John Revill, Mimosa Spencer, Friederike Heine, Clarence Fernandez, Jason Neely Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Rights, Yoox, Farfetch, Citi, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Richemont, YNAP, Farfetch, Harrods

☆ 10 things I wish I knew before I moved from New York to London
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Kim Davis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

CNN —It’s been nearly 20 years since I moved from New York to London. I don’t drink alcohol, so, when I first moved to the UK, I avoided the pubs for about a year. To my great surprise, I discovered that British pubs were nothing like I had imagined! “Yeah?” “Yeah!!!!! According to the UK Tea and Infusions Association, Brits drink over 100 million cups daily and 36 billion cups per year!

Persons: CNN — It’s, Leicester, Kim Davis, breathlessly, I’m, “, ”, I’ve, mickey ”, Sheldon Cooper, don’t, Hershey, et Walker, Eliza Doolittle, Little, it’s, Ariel, ” Don’t, There’s, Parinya, Abbott, Costello “ Who’s, Tummy, Mason, You’ll Organizations: CNN, Brit, British, Harrods, LIPTON Locations: New York, London, United States, United Kingdom, Yorkshire, Britain, Europe, “, America, York, Darjeeling, Assam, Ceylon

☆ Mohamed Al Fayed, Former Owner of Harrods and Fulham FC, Dies at Age 94
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Max Colchester | David Luhnow | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/mohamed-al-fayed-former-owner-of-harrods-and-fulham-fc-dies-at-age-94-e7414ad7

Persons: Dow Jones, fayed Organizations: harrods, fulham, fc Locations: mohamed

☆ Mohamed Al-Fayed dead at 94
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Al-Fayed for decades insisted the pair were murdered, despite inquiries finding otherwise, and was scornful towards the British royal family in his later life. After 1997, when a car crash claimed the lives of his son and Diana, Al-Fayed would frequently sling insults at the British royal family and became persona non grata among parts of the country’s elite. Al-Fayed was questioned by police in 2008 in relation to a sex assault allegation that he denied, a Harrods spokesperson said at the time. He eventually sold the store to the Qatari royal family in 2010, for a reported $2.25 billion. Al-Fayed had six children, including Dodi and the environmentalist entrepreneur Omar Fayed.

Persons: Mohamed Al, Fayed, Diana , Princess of Wales, “, Mohamed Al Fayed, Mohamed, Diana, Dodi Fayed, Samira, Adnan Khashoggi, Forbes, Kurt Geiger, Fayed’s, Fraser, Roland “ Tiny ” Rowland, Rowland, Al, ”, Michael Jackson, Omar Fayed Organizations: CNN, Fulham Football Club, Fulham FC, Ritz Hotel, Punch, Hyde, Harrods, Fulham, Premier League Locations: London, Harrods, Paris, Al, Alexandria, Egypt, Saudi, Manhattan, Mayfair

☆ Mohamed al-Fayed, ex-Harrods owner whose son died with Princess Diana, dead at 94
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Andrew Macaskill | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Born in the Egyptian city of Alexandria, al-Fayed began his career selling fizzy drinks and then worked as a sewing-machine salesman. Al-Fayed died on Wednesday, his family said, a day before the 26th anniversary of Dodi and Diana's death. After a quarter of century of ownership, al-Fayed sold Harrods to Qatar's sovereign wealth fund in 2010. DIANA AND DODIThat summer, al-Fayed's son Dodi began a relationship with Princess Diana, who had divorced Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne. Dodi and Diana were pictured by British tabloids on holiday on a yacht in the south of France.

Persons: Diana's, Mohamed al, Fayed, Princess Diana, –, Diana, Dodi, Prince Philip, Mohamed Al Fayed, Mohamed, sequined, Michael Jackson, Eye, Roland, Tiny, Rowland, al, sleaze, Tony Blair, DIANA, Prince Charles, Mercedes, Blair, Sarah, I'm, Andrew MacAskill, Nilutpal, Giles Elgood, Rosalba O'Brien, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Fulham FC, Ritz, Harrods, Fulham, HARRODS, Department of Trade, Conservatives, Labour, Paris, Thomson Locations: Paris LONDON, Harrods, Egyptian, Alexandria, al, Europe, Fulham, Paris, Britain, France, British, Egypt, Al, Pont, London, Bengaluru

☆ Former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed, whose son was killed in crash with Princess Diana, dies at 94
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Mohamed Al Fayed during Dodi Al Fayed and Diana Memorial Unveiled at Harrods at Harrods in London, Great Britain. (Photo by David Lodge/FilmMagic)Mohamed Al Fayed, former owner of the famed Harrods department store in London whose son was killed in a car crash with Princess Diana, has died, his family said Friday. Al Fayed, a self-made Egyptian businessman who also once owned the Fulham Football Club, was devastated by the death of son Dodi Fayed in the car crash in Paris with Princess Diana 26 years ago. Al Fayed was also a key player in the "cash for questions" scandal that roiled British politics in the 1990s. Al Fayed applied for British citizenship, but his application was rejected in both 1995 and 1998.

Persons: Mohamed Al Fayed, Dodi Al Fayed, Diana Memorial, David Lodge, Princess Diana, Al Fayed, Dodi Fayed, Mohamed, ″, ″ Al Fayed, Dodi, Diana, Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II, Philip, Prince Charles, Tony Blair, Diana's, Sarah McCorquodale, Tiny, Rowland, Fraser, Neil Hamilton, Hamilton, Desmond Browne, Fayed, Al Fayed's, Sunday Times Rich Organizations: Harrods, Fulham Football Club, Fulham, London, CIA, Department of Trade, Industry, Ritz, Sunday Times Locations: Harrods, London , Great Britain, London, Paris, British, Alexandria, Egypt, Britain, Al

☆ Mohamed al-Fayed, Tycoon Whose Son Died With Diana, Is Dead at 94
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Robert D. Mcfadden | More About Robert D. Mcfadden | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Mohamed al-Fayed, the Egyptian business tycoon whose empire of trophy properties and influence in Europe and the Middle East was overshadowed by the 1997 Paris car crash that killed his eldest son, Dodi, and Diana, the Princess of Wales, died on Wednesday. His death was confirmed on Friday in a statement by the Fulham Football Club in Britain, of which Mr. Fayed was a former owner. Forbes estimated his net worth at $2 billion this year, ranking his wealth as 1,516th in the world. In a sense, Mr. Fayed was a citizen of the world. He held Egyptian citizenship but rarely if ever returned to his native land.

Persons: Mohamed al, Fayed, Dodi, Diana, Princess, Wales, Tropez Organizations: Fulham Football Club, Hotel, Harrods, Forbes Locations: Europe, Paris, Britain, London, Paris , New York, Geneva, St, Genoa, Italy, Cairo, Persian, North Africa, Americas

☆ YouTuber and entrepreneur Simon Squibb spent $32,000 winning an auction for a stairwell in London
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Entrepreneur Simon Squibb just spent $32,000 buying a stairwell in London. Squibb says he plans to create office space to help people get new businesses up and running. There are seven landings within the stairwell, each of which Squibb hopes to convert into office space. The listing attracted media attention in the UK as another example of the out-of-control London property market. But for anyone thinking a large closet or a stairwell is the weirdest thing you can buy on the London property market – think again.

Persons: Simon Squibb, Squibb, YouTuber, they've, it's, I'm, Glenn Jacobs, I've Organizations: Service, YouTube, BBC News, Harrods, Evening Locations: London, Wall, Silicon, Twickenham, South Kensington

☆ An outdoor balcony in London is on the market for $63,700, but the listing agent says it doesn't come with an apartment
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A lone balcony in South Kensington, London, is on the market for $63,700. The listing agent told Insider that the property is a reflection of London's housing market. But an apartment isn't included in that price, the property's listing agent told Insider. Jacobs told Insider that the agency has received around 220 inquiries about the balcony since it was put on the market three weeks ago. Meanwhile, the average London property increased by 0.8% from £521,561, or around $664,990, in May 2022 to £525,629, or around $670,176, in May 2023, the report added.

Persons: Glenn Jacobs, Jacobs, It's, Prince William, Kate Middleton's, Peter Dazeley, Robert Gardner Organizations: Service, Next, Evening, Google, Nationwide Building Society, Government Locations: South Kensington, London, Wall, Silicon, Stanhope, Next Lome, Harrods, Kensington

☆ Harrods is opening an ultra-exclusive members club in Shanghai that costs from $21,000 a year and is limited to 250 people
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Harrods is opening an exclusive member's club in Shanghai that costs from $21,000 yearly. Harrods announced Tuesday that it will open a new private member's club in Shanghai at the end of 2023 in a bid to appeal to the country's ultra-rich consumers. The company's managing director Michael Ward told Bloomberg that these shoppers made up 16% of Harrods' sales in 2022. "We always knew that shopping would go back to China," Ward told Bloomberg. According to estimates from Business of Fashion, Chinese luxury spending is expected to reach $107 billion by 2025.

Persons: Gordan Ramsay's, Gordon Ramsay's, Michael Ward, Ward Organizations: Harrods, Service, Harrods Tea, Scottish, Edrington Group, Bloomberg, Business of Fashion Locations: Shanghai, British, Harrods, Wall, Silicon, China, Cha

☆ Diamond prices have fallen 18% from their peak — and analysts say there's still more room to plunge
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Diamond prices are down 18% from their all-time highs in February 2022, and are lower 6.5% year-to-date, according to one Global Rough Diamond Price Index. "A slightly better-than-average-quality 1-carat natural diamond was $6,700 a year ago, today this same diamond is selling for $5,300," Paul Zimnisky, the CEO of Paul Zimnisky Diamond Analytics, told CNBC. And when the economy started opening up again, diamond prices started moderating, and slid into a "steep decline," he added. said 29-year-old Singaporean Jonathan Lok, who proposed to his fiancée with a 0.76 carat lab-grown diamond ring late last year. The lab-grown diamond industry, which is energy-intensive, have also been seeing soaring energy costs taper off from its peak.

Persons: Diamond, Yuriko Nakao, Nakao, they're, Paul Zimnisky, Leon Neal, Daga, Jonathan Lok, Edahn Golan, Monirul Bhuiyan Organizations: Getty, Analytics, CNBC, Consumers, Bain & Company, Afp, Bloomberg, Edahn, Edahn Golan Diamond Research &, Labor, Sanctions Locations: Antwerp, Belgium, Harrods, London, Paris, France, Jwaneng, Botswana

The Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) is in talks with The Sovereign Wealth Fund of Egypt (TSFE) about the deal, said two sources with knowledge of the matter, who declined to be named. The fund is considering acquiring a stake of up to 30% in the hotels, the sources said, without naming them. Relations between Egypt and Qatar soured in the wake of the Arab Spring uprisings that toppled former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia has led efforts to rebuild ties with Qatar and, along with Egypt, re-established diplomatic relations in 2021. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani in Baghdad in August 2021 for the first time since ending the dispute.

Persons: Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abdel Fattah El Sisi, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, St Regis Saadiyat, Egypt's TSFE, Agatha Christie's, Hosni Mubarak, Abdel Fattah al, Sisi, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad, Hadeel El, Andrew Mills, Patrick Werr, Louise Heavens, Mark Potter, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Abu, Abu Dhabi Executive Council, St Regis, United, United Arab Emirates, Read, Qatar Investment Authority, Sovereign Wealth Fund of Egypt, Regional, Qatar, Thomson Locations: Abu Dhabi, Egypt, Qatar, United Arab, DUBAI, Harrods, London, Aswan, Saudi Arabia, Thani, Baghdad, Ukraine, Hadeel El Sayegh, Dubai, Doha, Cairo

ZURICH/BERLIN/LONDON, March 20 (Reuters) - Urs Kessler, who runs Jungfrau Railways, a train that takes tourists up the highest mountain in Switzerland, was excited for the return of Chinese tourists after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted late last year. Chinese outbound flight bookings to Europe during March and August are only 32% that of pre-pandemic levels, according to travel data firm ForwardKeys. OPTIMISM FOR THE FUTUREMany tourist operators and retailers hope the second half will bring a relaxation in visa policies, more flights and the long-expected influx of Chinese tourists. Harrods launched branded stickers, including its iconic teddy bear, on China's popular WeChat messaging platform this year to attract Chinese tourists. Kessler believes his Lang Lang campaign was still worth it.

To compound the problem, British shoppers are themselves starting to spend more in the European Union, where they can also reclaim the value-added tax (VAT) charged on goods. OWN GOALBurberry BRBY.L, Britain's biggest luxury retail brand, warned last year that London was losing out to other European cities over the VAT rule. "That's why tax-free was so important for them, and now we are the only country in Europe that doesn't offer it." Cadogan, the main landlord in the west London districts of Chelsea and Knightsbridge, whose estate spans over 90 acres, also called on the government to act. He said he had not considered the VAT issue before, because he was generally spending his parents' money.

☆ China's luxury shoppers free to travel, but many buy locally
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Alessandro Diviggiano | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

As a result, Chinese residents have rushed to travel overseas. read moreDespite this, some experts argue that an increasing portion of China's luxury spending will remain inside the country's borders, even though consumers can now travel freely. "A portion (of luxury shoppers) will go back to the original pre-COVID overseas consumption," Yan said. "But, I think the local (luxury market) will be also important for most of the brands." Reporting by Alessandro Diviggiano in Sanya, writing by Josh Horwitz in Shanghai; Editing by Raju GopalakrishnanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Premium sneakers marketplace The Edit LDN just raised $4.8 million in a round backed by PJ Tucker and Xavier McKinney. Check out the 14-slide deck it used to raise the funds.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Riddhi Kanetkar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A startup operating a marketplace for premium sneakers has raised $4.8 million from Regah Ventures. London-based The Edit LDN connects luxury sneaker sellers to buyers such as Premier League players. A startup that has built an online marketplace for premium and limited-edition sneakers has raised a $4.8 million seed round from Regah Ventures. London-based The Edit LDN, which launched in 2020, connects resellers of collectible sneakers to buyers via its online platform. The Edit LDN claims to set itself apart from competitors through its product curation, speed, and customer experience.

PARIS/MILAN, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Gucci kicked off Milan fashion week on Friday with a lineup of slouchy, androgynous menswear styles, forging ahead with its latest collection while the industry waits for owner Kering (PRTP.PA) to name a new designer for the label. The question of who will steer Gucci's creative direction loomed over the megabrand's first men's show in the Italian fashion capital in three years. Events run through Jan. 17, drawing an audience that includes major retail buyers sizing up which styles might be future top sellers. Gucci held back on marketing investments during the pandemic, while larger rival LVMH's two biggest labels Louis Vuitton and Dior pushed ahead, a move that analysts say helped them gain ground on rivals. Despite the current turbulence at Kering, however, expectations are high given the group's strong track record nurturing brands, analysts say.

☆ U.K. Braces for Biggest Strikes in Years Over the Holiday Period
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Max Colchester | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Unions in the U.K. argue that workers can’t afford to see their inflation-adjusted wages fall. LONDON—The U.K. is set to face some of the worst strikes in at least a decade, raising fears that a “winter of discontent” will hit the country as workers push for bigger pay raises amid double-digit inflation and a gloomy economic outlook. University professors, teachers, railway staff and even security guards at the luxury department store Harrods have held strikes recently. Nurses for Britain’s state health service are threatening their first-ever strike on selected days near Christmas and ambulance drivers have also voted to walk out, for the first time in 30 years. Passport-control officials also announced a strike in December at several U.K. airports.

☆ Qatar reviewing London investments after transport ads ban -FT
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Nov 26 (Reuters) - Qatar has launched a review of its investments in London after the city’s transport authority this week banned the Gulf state’s tourism advertisements on the capital’s buses, taxis and Underground train system, Saturday’s Financial Times reported. The paper said the move by Transport for London (TfL) was triggered by concerns over the soccer World Cup host’s stance on LGBT+ rights and its treatment of migrant workers. The Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) owns Harrods, the department store, the Shard skyscraper and is co-owner of Canary Wharf. TfL said advertising which promotes travel to Qatar, tourism in Qatar, or portrays Qatar as a desirable destination would not be considered acceptable. Under the spotlight as it hosts the World Cup, Qatar has defended itself against criticism, saying it is a welcoming country that does not discriminate against people and has denied accusations of abuse of workers.

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