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The Business of Fashion

Robert Williams

Luxury Editor

Robert Williams is Luxury Editor at The Business of Fashion (BoF). He is based in Paris and drives BoF’s coverage of the global luxury sector as well as reporting his own features on French and Italian companies in luxury fashion, jewellery and cosmetics. Previously, Robert covered European luxury for Bloomberg News in Paris. He has a Masters in Journalism and International Economic Development from the Paris Institute of Political studies (Sciences Po) and is a graduate of Vanderbilt University in Tennessee.

Luxury

Gucci Gloom

This week in luxury, Art Basel Paris was cut short by lingering civil unrest and Gucci owner Kering scrapped its guidance for a return to growth in 2026.

Luxury

Kering Sales Down 1% as China Weighs on Gucci Revamp

Gucci sales fell 6 percent on a comparable basis as falling demand in China sent turnaround efforts backwards. Retail sales grew 2 percent at the group’s other fashion brands.

Luxury

Luxury’s Spooky Season: Bad Numbers and Empty Chairs

LVMH’s sales dropped in China while Luca de Meo clears out Kering’s creative ranks. Plus, Kim Jones' new venture.

Luxury

Luca de Meo’s Creative Gamble at Kering

The French group is managing creative transitions across its portfolio under CEO Luca de Meo. Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen and Brioni have parted ways with their creative directors, with change also said to be afoot at Balenciaga. How will the departures impact the group’s turnaround?

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Luxury

Seán McGirr Exits McQueen

The designer struggled to find his footing at Alexander McQueen after a weak response to his early designs for the brand.

Luxury

What Kim Jones Did Next

The former Dior and Fendi creative director is reviving his namesake label as a DTC lifestyle brand, anchored by a 4,000-square-foot flagship store in Hong Kong.

Luxury

The Verdict on Luxury Fashion’s Designer Reset

A year into fashion's biggest wave of creative director changes, BoF's Chief Luxury Correspondent Robert Williams joins Sheena Butler-Young on The Debrief to break down which luxury houses have turned new talent into momentum — and which are still finding their footing.

Luxury

Sarah Burton: Cracking the Givenchy Code

Two years since taking on one of French couture’s most high-profile — and trickiest — assignments, the designer is rebuilding the house founded by Hubert de Givenchy from the inside out as she establishes her creative voice after more than a decade leading Alexander McQueen.

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Luxury

Fashion’s Designer Reset (Kind of) Worked

A year after more than a dozen brands changed creative directors, the fashion market remains sluggish. But when it comes to image, storytelling and product — things designers actually influence — it’s not just Chanel that’s looking better than it did a year ago. Robert Wiliams evaluates the resets at Gucci, Dior, Loewe and more.

Luxury

Givenchy Names Alistair McCallum Chief Marketing Officer

The former Burberry and McQueen executive is reuniting with Givenchy creative director Sarah Burton. The LVMH-owned brand is also bringing in a new HR director from the group’s Americas unit.

Luxury

Why Armani Brought in Dario Vitale

The former Versace and Miu Miu designer, one of the industry’s most hotly watched voices, is set to open a new aesthetic era at Emporio Armani as well as oversee accessories at Giorgio Armani’s mainline. The appointment is the Italian fashion empire’s first creative shake-up since its founding.

Luxury

Chanel: The Designer Revamp That Worked

How did a 115-year-old brand rocket back to growth amid a downturn in luxury demand? Drawing on interviews with Chanel fashion president Bruno Pavlovsky, artistic director Matthieu Blazy, group CEO Leena Nair and more, this report breaks down the multi-faceted strategy that reignited desirability and sales, allowing the French couture icon to solidify its position in ‘ultimate luxury.’