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☆ The Taliban requires that all mannequins' heads be covered or cut off. Interviews with locals and eerie photos of storefronts offer a glimpse of Afghanistan's new reality.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Marielle Descalsota | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

In Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, mannequins were once a symbol of fashion and culture. But in the past year, shop owners have resorted to displaying them headless or covered in cloth, just to keep their stores open. AP Photo/Ebrahim NorooziIn August 2021, the Taliban announced that shop owners must remove the heads of their mannequins, or do away with them all together. But several shop owners pleaded with the Taliban to let them keep their mannequins intact. Azizi told Insider that the Taliban forced locals to deface banners displaying photos of fashion models before trying to totally ban the use of mannequins.

☆ UPS plants fake packages to catch delivery mistakes — and calls it 'salting'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Emma Cosgrove | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

UPS plants fake packages to make sure drivers and staff are following the rules. Current workers and former managers told Insider the practice is known as "SALTing" inside UPS. Two UPS drivers said they've seen an uptick since the end of the holiday season. Glenn Gooding, a manager for most of his 20+ years at UPS, told Insider he probably "SALTed" at least 10,000 times. Other drivers said the most common use was planting fake packages in order to make sure packages that don't scan are returned to the delivery station.

☆ Meet Thom Browne, the stripe-obsessed designer who took on Adidas and won
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Danni Santana | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Thom Browne defeated Adidas in court this month over its right to use its four stripe design. Adidas sought roughly $7.8 million in damages — equivalent to the amount Adidas believed it would have earned through a licensing agreement with Thom Browne and profits Thom Browne made off the parallel stripe designs. Fashion Designer Thom Browne arrives at Manhattan Federal Court on January 03, 2023. Thom Browne made $285 million in 2021 revenue compared to $23 billion for Adidas, according to the New York Times report. By then, Thom Browne was dressing sports teams like the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers and European soccer club FC Barcelona for pregame appearances.

☆ Two of Fashion’s Biggest Jobs Are Unfilled. Inside the Open Tryouts
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Jacob Gallagher | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

PARIS—Men’s fashion week, which concluded Sunday, simmered with the speculative atmosphere of an NBA locker room just before the league’s trade deadline. In front rows and corner brasseries, buyers and critics eagerly discussed who will fill two of the industry’s most significant open design positions: that of Louis Vuitton ‘s men’s creative director, previously held by Virgil Abloh, who died at 41 in November 2021, and Gucci’s creative directorship, from which eccentric Italian designer Alessandro Michele stepped down in November 2022. Beyond those vacancies, it’s an open question which current designers will renew their contracts at the major luxury houses. It’s looking to be, to borrow a sports term, a silly season ahead.

☆ Fashion figure Andre Leon Talley collections up for auction at Christie's in New York City
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/6] A royal blue, pink and red silk satin shawl-collar kimono by Tom Ford is displayed during the exhibition of the Couture collection of late fashion icon Andre Leon Talley in the showroom of Christie's auction house in Paris, France, January 24, 2023. REUTERS/Sarah MeyssonnierPARIS, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Silk caftans, exotic leather coats and monogrammed Louis Vuitton luggage sets are among items from the late American fashion journalist Andre Leon Talley set to go under the hammer this week at Christie's in New York. "His work could really make or break any designers," added Seigel. The auction house estimates the lots will fetch more than a million dollars, funds that will go to two Baptist churches that played a key role in Talley's life. Talley, a former U.S. Vogue editor at large and creative director, died on Jan. 18, 2022, at age 73.

☆ Hate fast fashion? You can compost this new streetwear clothing line
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Fast fashion is big business, but it is also a big polluter, responsible for about 10% of global carbon emissions. Roughly 70% of the $3 trillion fashion industry is comprised of articles made from synthetics or petrochemicals. While some companies are claiming sustainable clothing lines, there is a very wide variance in what that means. For some the carbon reduction is in the manufacturing, while for others it is in the clothing itself. They're all made from 100% plant-based nutrients like recycled cotton, hemp, plant-based leather and coconut fiber, according to the company.

☆ Dior dazzles with Josephine Baker-inspired haute couture show in Paris
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Mimosa Spencer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Models present creations by designer Maria Grazia Chiuri as part of her Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2023 collection show for fashion house Dior in Paris, France, January 23, 2023. REUTERS/Gonzalo FuentesPARIS, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Dior designer Maria Grazia Chiuri paid homage to Josephine Baker with her spring haute couture show on Monday, sending out a dazzling lineup featuring golden jaquards, crushed velvet and beaded fringes that swayed and sparkled down the runway. "She immediately understood the power of fashion," Chiuri said of Baker, the famed French-American jazz singer and dancer. She sought to depict the beauty and confidence of these women, Thomas told Reuters, describing the challenge of whittling the list down to 13. The exhibit, which is set up in a temporary show space at the Rodin Museum in Paris is open to the public through January 29.

☆ Bed Bath & Beyond looks for buyers, lenders before potential bankruptcy - CNBC
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 18 (Reuters) - Bed Bath & Beyond Inc (BBBY.O) has been in talks with prospective buyers and lenders as the struggling retailer tries to keep its business afloat ahead of a likely bankruptcy filing, CNBC reported on Wednesday. The home goods retailer's advisors are also looking for a loan of at least $100 million ahead of a potential bankruptcy filing which could occur in the coming weeks, the report said. Bed Bath & Beyond said in an emailed statement to Reuters that it does not "comment on speculation or specific relationships". Authentic Brands, owner of fashion labels including Forever 21 and Aeropostale, has also been looking at Bed Bath & Beyond, the report said. Reporting by Deborah Sophia in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika SyamnathOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ I'm the founder of fashion retailer Showpo. I faked going to work for months because I was scared to tell my parents I'd quit to run my own business.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Jenna Gyimesi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Jane Lu is the CEO and founder of Showpo, an Australian online fashion retailer. She quit her accountant job to start her first business, which failed — and launched Showpo only a month later. I used to be a really bad accountant, but now I'm the CEO and founder of Showpo, an online fashion store. I decided to start my own business, but I couldn't tell my parentsMy first business was running pop-up fashion stores in bars. Years later, I finally told my parentsA year and a half into Showpo, I'd told my parents I was on an unpaid leave from work to work on my fashion company.

☆ Adidas just lost a legal battle with designer Thom Browne over whether it's OK to sell products with stripes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Matthew Kish | Avery Hartmans | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Thom Browne prevailed in a trademark lawsuit filed by Adidas. In 2021, Adidas sued Thom Browne and alleged its designs infringed on Adidas trademarks, specifically how the German sportswear company uses stripes. Founder Thom Browne arrived at the courthouse last week wearing a shorts suit and a sock with four stripes. "The notion of Thom Browne wanting to trade on the reputation of Adidas offends him. A Thom Browne spokesman didn't immediately return a message seeking comment.

Morphe Cosmetics, a makeup brand once synonymous with YouTube beauty culture, confirmed Thursday it was shutting down all its U.S. stores — a move that shocked its employees, outraged customers and left some experts questioning the brand’s future. Morphe employees sounded alarm for weeksSome of Morphe's retail employees said it was shocking that the company had laid them off so abruptly — with several employees telling NBC News that they received a day’s notice before losing their jobs. TikToks under the hashtag #justiceformorpheretailemployees have received more than 7.5 million views, although some viral videos about the store closures have been deleted. As of Friday, Morphe employees who spoke with NBC News said they hadn’t received their severance packets yet. The store closures indicate that sales were continuing to flail, Ben-Shabat said.

☆ Tom Zhu: Elon Musk’s right-hand man at Tesla
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hong Kong CNN —Tesla’s China chief has reportedly been given a big promotion. Tom Zhu, Tesla's executive in charge of China, speaks as a new Tesla experience store opens near West Lake on August 18, 2015 in Hangzhou, China. Zhu joined Tesla in 2014 and has been described as “pragmatic,” “industrious” and “a workaholic” by the Chinese media. Aerial view of Tesla Shanghai Gigafactory at Lingang New Area on July 11, 2021 in Shanghai, China. Tesla’s China successZhu’s reported promotion came after an impressive performance by Tesla’s China operations.

☆ Victoria’s Secret brand CEO abruptly resigns
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

New York CNN Business —Victoria’s Secret brand CEO Amy Hauk has resigned less than a year into the job, the company said Tuesday. She will leave Victoria’s Secret in March. Martin Waters, the CEO of the brand’s parent company, Victoria’s Secret & Co., will take over as CEO of the brand. Shares of Victoria’s Secret dropped 8% on the news during after-hours trading Tuesday. But Victoria’s Secret sales have been uneven since the start of the pandemic.

☆ Inside the massive warehouse that handles all your returned clothing
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Emma Cosgrove | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Apparel is a large source of e-commerce returns. Sign up for our newsletter for the latest tech news and scoops — delivered daily to your inbox. But the biggest problems are also often the biggest inspiration for innovation in the underdeveloped but fast-growing industry of "reverse logistics." Retailers have various systems for receiving, processing, and getting returns back into stock if they're acceptable. And as e-commerce grows — and returns grow with it — speed is of the essence.

☆ Vivienne Westwood, Britain's provocative dame of fashion, dead at 81
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Marie-Louise Gumuchian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/4] Designer Vivienne Westwood poses for a portrait before her catwalk show at London Fashion Week Men's in London, Britain June 12, 2017. "Vivienne Westwood died today, peacefully and surrounded by her family, in Clapham, South London. Instantly recognisable with her orange or white hair, Westwood first made a name for herself in punk fashion in 1970s London, dressing the punk rock band that defined the genre. Westwood used her public profile to champion issues including nuclear disarmament and to protest against anti-terrorism laws and government spending policies that hit the poor. "I've used fashion to challenge the status quo."

☆ Israel's Netanyahu must manage right-wing firebrands on return to power
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( James Mackenzie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"The new government is determined to restore ... quiet and personal security to the citizens of Israel," Netanyahu told parliament on Thursday before his swearing in. For Netanyahu, who described himself in his recent autobiography as "conservative but decidedly not extreme", such allies are likely to provide challenges aplenty in the months ahead as even Israel's closest allies watch with unease. To complicate matters further, Netanyahu is himself fighting corruption charges alleging he unlawfully received gifts and granted regulatory favours in return for positive news coverage. A resumption looks increasingly unlikely, with some members of Religious Zionism talking openly about annexing the West Bank, dashing whatever hope remains of a Palestinian state. The United States, Israel's closest ally, has been circumspect in offering criticism although officials including President Joe Biden have pointedly repeated Washington's support for the two-state solution.

☆ 25 top PR hires of 2022, as companies like Activision and McDonald's grabbed executive talent to message around M&A and economic volatility
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Michael Kaminer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Public relations jobs were in hot demand as companies navigated an economic crises and M&A scrutiny. Top talent from places like the Biden administration, and the NFL became available in 2022.Insider tallied up the year's biggest executive hires in the public relations industry. The PR industry's talent wars raged on this year, agency owners and executives tell Insider, as firms push into content, production, and even management consulting. The right hires can affect business. A well-connected executive can reel in business from high-level contacts and leverage those connections on behalf of clients.

☆ Musk's yes-men: 5 experts break down why it's difficult to 'speak truth to power.'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Jordan Parker Erb | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Like yesterday, we're continuing with some of the year's best stories from our VC and startups team. Why it's difficult to "speak truth to power." The top VC and startups stories of 2022:Union Square Ventures; 645 Ventures; Race Capital; Mindset Ventures; Marianne Ayala/Insider6. Former Amazon leaders have infiltrated the tech industry. After dominating the VC industry last year, crossover funds spent 2022 pulling back.

☆ In Hong Kong, designers try out new assistant: AI fashion maven AiDA
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The show put more than 80 outfits from 14 designers in the spotlight, all of which were created with the help of the artificial intelligence software AiDA, short for "AI-based Interactive Design Assistant”. Masked in monochrome blue, wearing outfits that ranged from down jackets to translucent skirts, models strutted past rows of critics and fashion designers. “AiDA is an assistant for fashion designers just to help them, you know, to work together," Wong said. The AiDA system is supported by AI technologies such as image recognition, detection, and image generation, Wong said. AiDA was officially launched with the Fashion X AI show, and is available to designers in Europe and Asia Pacific.

☆ With remote and hybrid work here to stay for some companies, fashion brands are still adapting to the evolving wardrobe of modern professionals
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Remote workers are "blending it all together," in their wardrobes, Fortune reported. In recent years, athleisure brand Lululemon has spiked in popularity as more people seek comfort in their daily attire. "Gone are the days of two separate wardrobes or even three separate wardrobes," Maria Rugolo, director and industry analyst of fashion apparel at NPD, told Fortune. The change in work attire is evident in the TikTok trend of users showing their remote workwear. Such outfit choices have caused athleisure brands, like Lululemon, to explode in popularity.

☆ 3 ways entrepreneurs are using QR codes to connect with customers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Alexandra York | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Kim Kardashian released an ad in December for her brand, Skkn by Kim, that included a QR code. Kardashian is one of many entrepreneurs using QR technology in their marketing strategies. Additionally, QR codes saw a resurgence in the pandemic, as businesses used them for contactless payment or instead of physical menus. Three small-business owners share how entrepreneurs can use QR codes to grow their brands. The pop-up included a collection of fashion, wellness, and home-goods items, each with a QR code that directed shoppers to the brand's Instagram account.

☆ Fashion’s Weirdest Year? Why 2022 Saw Paint Cans as Handbags, and Worse
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Jacob Gallagher | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Thom Browne’s $3,000 dachshund-shaped bag is one part of fashion’s strange year. In fashion, it was a year of bags shaped like paint cans, pigeons and potato-chip wrappers. It was a year of R-rated skirts that barely covered your gluteus maximus; of shirts splayed, boorishly, from cuff to collar with fast-food logos. A year of shoes made from repurposed sex toys and sagging totes made from jeans.

The agency did not respond to requests for comment on its record monitoring animal research experiments nationally. The USDA inspector general has published at least three reports since 2014 critical of the agency’s lax oversight, though its criticism dates back to the 1990s. Neuralink says on its website that it champions animal welfare and tries to reduce animal testing where possible. Two academic studies conducted in 2009 and 2012 found that animal research committees approved between 98% and 99% of experiments proposed by researchers. Envigo was made to sign the consent decree giving up the beagles only after the USDA inspector general and the Justice Department investigated and found evidence of inhumane treatment.

☆ Procrastinators, rejoice: Super Saturday is here and it could bring major discounts to shoppers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Avery Hartmans | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Super Saturday, the last Saturday before Christmas, could draw a record 158 million shoppers. But shoppers who take advantage of that extra time to buy are in for another treat: major discounts. "Retailers staring down time-limited inventory surpluses will do whatever they can to liquidate before the holiday season has expired." Shoppers could see major discounts on Super SaturdayBrandon Bell/Getty ImagesMajor retailers have been lamenting their inventory positions throughout 2022. The supply chain challenges that squeezed retail brands last holiday season have subsided, leaving a pandemic-induced hangover in their wake.

☆ Netflix has lost its golden touch. Here's why the streamer is so boring now.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Diamond Naga Siu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Finance has long ranked employees, but it's been out of fashion in tech for nearly a decade. Netflix once made an explicit choice to invest in underrepresented communities, Paris Marx writes. Shows like "Orange is the New Black" and "GLOW" gave spotlights to women, queer people, people of color, and non-Americans. But, according to Marx, the company stopped prioritizing stories from underrepresented communities, and new players were throwing their hats into the streaming wars. Now, Marx writes that Netflix is filled with bland shows, half-assed reality TV, and hopelessly derivative movies.

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