Audemars Piguet to Certify Its Pre-Owned Watches Following Rolex
Whereas Rolex is both a buyer and seller of its second-hand watches through official retail partners, Audemars is setting up a marketplace where sellers set prices.
start-ups
Entrepreneurship
How Some Founders Are Redefining Fashion’s Idea of Success
As the pipeline to scaling a fashion business grows more precarious, some designers are ditching the pursuit of global prestige in favour of a slower approach to growth they say is more sustainable — and more fulfilling.
Retail
Fashion Startup Founder Pleads Guilty in $300 Million Fraud
Christine Hunsicker admitted she falsified financial statements to promote CaaStle Inc. as a valuable, growing business when in reality it was struggling.
Workplace & Talent
Can Sporty & Rich’s Emily Oberg Break the Founder-CEO Curse?
Oberg stepped into the top job at her startup last August. In an exclusive interview with The Business of Fashion, she explained how she plans to scale her business while sidestepping the ‘founder’s ego’ problem that has doomed many emerging brands.
Technology
Phia Raises $35 Million Series A
The round values the Phoebe Gates-co-founded price-comparison platform at $185 million.
Direct-to-Consumer
Can Quince Be More Than a Dupe Brand?
New partnerships with A$AP Rocky and celebrity stylist Erin Walsh signal the retailer’s ambitions to be known for more than selling less expensive versions of other brands’ products.
Technology
Spangle Raises $15 Million Series A
The AI-powered e-commerce software provider is valued at $100 million with its latest funding round.
Beauty
What’s Next for Moon Juice
The wellness brand shuttered its last standalone store in Los Angeles’ Venice neighbourhood and is leaving Sephora, but founder Amanda Chantal Bacon is seeking growth in other channels.
Beauty
Stranger Things Hairstylist Is Launching a Hair Care Brand
The hit Netflix show’s lead hair designer Sarah Hindsgaul will be one of the first on-set Hollywood beauty professionals to have her own hair-care line as more of her peers look for opportunities beyond filming.
Retail
How to Launch a Fashion Brand in 2026
A new generation of startups is launching amid a lack of investor funding, a weaker multi-brand retail landscape and a broken supply chain. To beat the odds, they’re going even more niche to attract and retain overstimulated consumers.
Technology
How Small Brands Are Learning to Love AI
Startups are starting to use AI for everything from retail planning to inventory management, while mostly keeping the technology away from the creative parts of their business.
Beauty
Hims & Hers Co-Founder Launches At-Home Acne Injection Brand
The founders of the injection pen maker Indomo, which include Jack Abraham from the telehealth firm as well as a former Starface executive, hope to revolutionise the acne care market.
Retail
Whatnot Secures $11.5 Billion Valuation
The live shopping startup on Tuesday announced a $225 million Series F funding round as the platform’s GMV more than doubled in 2025.
The News in Brief
Mike Ashley’s Frasers Says It’s Taken Control of Hugo Boss
The British retail group has pushed its stake in the German apparel brand above 50 percent in a move that will turn Hugo Boss into a subsidiary of Frasers.
Shein Agrees to Pay $100 Million to Settle US FTC Probe
The settlement, equivalent to 44 percent of the ultra fast-fashion company’s second-quarter profit, is the latest blow amid regulatory and tax crackdowns in Europe and the US that have hampered Shein’s growth.
Kering Drops 12% as Luxury Braces for Tough Winter
The recovery long promised by luxury brands seems nowhere in sight, as the expansion of war in the Middle East, along with China’s tax crackdown on the wealthy, piled further pressure on the world’s biggest luxury conglomerates in the third quarter, and executives buckled in for a tough winter.
UK Retail Sales Fall 0.4% in September, More Than Forecast
Sales fell in September as above-average temperatures hit demand for autumn clothing.
Elle Launches Moroccan Edition
Hitting newsstands in October, the magazine marks Elle’s 51st international edition, published under licence by the Geomedia group.
David’s Bridal Plans Spinoff and IPO of AI Wedding Planning Platform Pearl
Pearl, a subsidiary of David’s Bridal, will own David’s Bridal and license its intellectual property back to the bridalwear brand. David’s Bridal CEO Kelly Cook will serve as Pearl’s CEO.
L’Oréal Sales Beat Expectations as Premium Products Surge
The French giant handily beat expectations on strong demand for hair products at salons and premium skincare from its dermatological division.