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Luxury Briefing: Susan Alexandra is moving uptown as luxury shoppers get more selective

For this week’s Luxury Briefing, I chatted with Susan Korn, founder of jewelry brand Susan Alexandra, about the brand’s experience-focused new store, located on Madison Avenue and opening on Friday. Also, a look at Farfetch’s Lunar New Year brand partnership strategy, a luxury earnings recap and news to know. For tips or comments, you can reach me at zofia@glossy.co.As New York Fashion Week unfolds, much of the luxury conversation is focused on the very top of the market. But on Madison Avenue,...
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Legacy skin-care brands are restructuring PDPs to stay visible in GEO AI search

At a Glossy AI Marketing Strategies event held on February 11, executives from legacy skin-care brands made one thing clear: Traditional SEO playbooks are no longer enough.Speaking at Oasis Assembly, Dawn Hilarczyk, COO of Borghese, and Hillary Hutcheson, CMO of RoC Skincare, outlined how their teams are adapting to generative engine optimization, or GEO, as AI-driven search increasingly shapes product discovery.Borghese, a more than 70-year-old Italian skin-care brand known for its Fango mud tr...
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Confessions of a former Saks designer: 'If your retail partner is knocking you off, that’s a red flag’

Years before department store relationships became a public flashpoint, designer and independent brand owner Hadley Pollet said she saw the warning signs and chose to leave the distribution channel. Pollet is the founder of the 15-year-old Hadley Pollet brand, a luxury accessories and apparel brand known for its handcrafted details, proprietary trims and small-batch production. According to Pollet, the brand prioritizes craftsmanship, customization and long-term customer relationships over scale...
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Wolf & Badger is positioning itself as an anti-Saks to brands seeking new sales channels

For much of the last decade, independent fashion brands could scale with little more than a Shopify site and a social following. But that model is breaking down. Tariffs, tighter enforcement of de minimis rules and the collapse of once-reliable retail partners are pushing brands toward platforms that can shoulder operational complexities. That includes Wolf & Badger, a 16-year-old marketplace focused on emerging designers.The U.K.-based marketplace now receives 300-400 inquiries per month from b...
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Luxury Briefing: Brunello Cucinelli thinks keyword search is holding luxury back

For this week’s Luxury Briefing, I sat down with Francesco Bottiglieri, chief of humanistic technology at Brunello Cucinelli, at the inaugural Shoptalk Luxe to get an inside look at the new Brunello Cucinelli AI-driven website. He broke down why most luxury websites no longer reflect how customers actually shop and how Brunello Cucinelli is trying to change that. Also, a look at the rise of experiences at luxury auctions and the latest Q4 Lyst report, as well as news to know. For tips or comment...
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Puma is fueling engagement and community feedback with an AI platform centered on co-creation 

Puma is successfully leveraging community co-creation to learn from and engage its shopper base.In January, Puma relaunched its AI Creator platform. First introduced in 2024, AI Creator is Puma’s generative AI platform that enables fans to co-create official football kits with the brand. The second iteration of the AI-powered kit design experience allowed users to submit design-based entries, with one winning design becoming the French football club Olympique de Marseille’s official 2027–2028 th...
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Luxury Briefing: Inside LMVH's 'quiet opulence' jewelry brand, as jewelry outpaces luxury

In this week’s Luxury Briefing, I spoke to Repossi CEO Anne de Vergeron at Shoptalk Luxe in Abu Dhabi about the brand’s design- and art-led growth. Also, a look behind the scenes at what is working for luxury brands in creator marketing. Plus, executive moves at On Holding, news to know about Alexander McQueen and Saks Off Fifth, and a new podcast episode on the 2016 trend. For tips or comments, email me at zofia@glossy.co.Fine jewelry has emerged as one of the clearest success stories in luxury...
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As AI catches on across luxury, brands double down on emotional value

As artificial intelligence becomes embedded within luxury operations, from marketing and personalization to inventory and clienteling, brands are increasingly doubling down on what technology cannot replicate: emotional connection.Over the past decade, luxury has relentlessly optimized for ROI, investing heavily in data, CRM systems and performance marketing. And at Shoptalk Luxe, vendors and brands alike described deeper AI integration than ever before, with automation now underpinning everythi...
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How Miu Miu Beauty used AI to ensure a successful launch

As beauty brands continue to race toward AI adoption, Miu Miu Beauty is prioritizing restraint in how — and where — the technology shows up.That’s according to the brand’s chief digital officer, Tiffany James, speaking at Shoptalk Luxe this week. James said that, after the brand’s digital team was formed in early 2025, following L’Oréal Luxe’s acquisition of the Miu Miu beauty license in 2024, it wasted no time in embracing AI. “We started using AI pretty immediately, but more for internal proce...
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LVMH doubles down on Tiffany and Loro Piana, plays the long game through luxury’s slowdown

LVMH closed 2025 with revenue of “just over €80 billion” (approximately $87 billion) and operating free cash flow of €11.3 billion ($12.3 billion), up 8% year over year, despite slightly negative organic growth and a sharp currency headwind. “The results of the group are solid in a rather challenging, disrupted climate,” chairman and CEO Bernard Arnault said on the company’s January 27 earnings call. “2026 won’t be simple either,” he added.“LVMH seems to make the most of the difficult market env...
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Luxury Briefing: Inside Burberry's outerwear-led recovery

In this week’s Luxury Briefing, a look at why outerwear and not reinvention is powering Burberry’s recovery. Plus, Revolve’s bet on physical retail, a Bottega Veneta exec moves to Moncler, Kering’s new C-suite appointment and the latest news to know. For tips or comments, email me at zofia@glossy.co. And if you are in Abu Dhabi for Shoptalk Luxe next week, say hi! I will be on the ground covering the big conversations in stories and social posts.After several years of repositioning under the Bur...
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Aerie launches largest collaboration yet, focused on 'remixed vintage' and styling inspiration

Aerie launched its Emily + Meritt collaboration on Thursday. The 64-piece capsule is Aerie’s largest collaboration to date, based on the number of styles. And it marks a move into what the brand internally calls “remixed vintage,” a styling-led approach that translates nostalgic aesthetics into modern, wearable and repeat-wear products.Aerie is using the partnership to formalize a behavior it has noticed among its Gen Z shoppers; younger consumers are learning about vintage style through stylist...
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What works to drive sales on TikTok Shop has changed, creators say

The gap between TikTok Shop creators who are scaling and those falling behind feels more pronounced than ever. Some creators are driving seven- and eight-figure sales through the platform. At the same time, content creation has become cheaper, more creators are entering the market and brands are spreading budgets across more voices. Those finding success are relying on proven formulas, which have evolved over the years.Among them are winners of December’s 2025 TikTok Shop Awards, several of whom...
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'Our muse': Coach CEO Todd Kahn on building the brand around Gen Z

This story was originally part of the 2025 Glossy 50 feature. Click here to see all of the year’s honorees.When Coach CEO Todd Kahn talks about the brand, he rarely starts with the product. For him, the brand is about emotion and identity. “We call it expressive luxury,” he said. “It’s about putting the consumer at the center.”That focus has powered one of fashion’s strongest runs. In 2025, Coach remained the main driver of Tapestry’s growth, with its first quarter, from July 2025 to September 2...
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Luxury Briefing: Why Harrods’ big sale swept TikTok, and what it means for luxury brands

In this week’s Luxury Briefing, how Harrods’ January sale went public on TikTok and what that visibility means for luxury pricing power. Plus, why lab-grown diamonds are gaining traction at the very top of the market, executive moves and the latest earnings. For tips or comments, email me at zofia@glossy.co.If you spent any time on TikTok over the past few weeks, you likely did not need to step inside Harrods to know its January sale was in full swing. The discounts were already mapped out onlin...
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China’s JNBY is making a case for faux fur, as the real thing falls out of fashion

When material innovation company BioFluff first partnered with Stella McCartney to debut its plant-based faux fur at COP28 climate conference in late 2023, the collaboration was widely regarded as a validation moment — proof that a plastic-free alternative to animal fur could meet luxury design and performance standards. What followed, through 2024 and 2025, was a steady drumbeat of fur-free commitments across fashion weeks and brands, alongside a resurgence of faux fur on the runway — particula...
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After rapid growth, ThirdLove expands its menopause-focused line to activewear

After quietly testing demand last year, ThirdLove is expanding its activewear assortment through new product innovations.On January 15, the bra brand expanded its TempSync franchise, built around thermoregulating fabric, with an active bra priced at $78 and leggings priced at $88. TempSync uses naturally derived particles infused into fabric to regulate heat and moisture as the body moves. The collection, which is sold direct-to-consumer on ThirdLove’s website, will be promoted through influence...
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Saks Global files for Chapter 11, with a $1.75 billion lifeline and familiar turnaround playbook

On Wednesday, Saks Global announced a sweeping financial reset, securing approximately $1.75 billion in committed capital and formally commencing a voluntary Chapter 11 process in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. The move, backed by senior secured bondholders and asset-based lenders, is designed to stabilize the retailer as it reshapes a sprawling luxury portfolio that includes Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman.The financing package includes $1 bi...
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Asos tests the return of Topshop and Topman stores in the US

After years of operating in the U.S. primarily through online and wholesale channels, including Nordstrom, Topshop and Topman returned to a brand-controlled physical retail setting in December through a limited-time pop-up staged by parent company Asos. The 17-day Winter Wonderland activation, held in New York’s SoHo neighborhood, marked the third U.S. activation for Asos in the last six months and a long-awaited return to the states for Topshop and Topman. Asos executives say the experiment hel...
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Luxury Briefing: Neiman Marcus and US luxury's shrinking footprint

In this week’s Luxury Briefing, why Neiman Marcus sits at the center of a shrinking U.S. luxury wholesale map, how Miista turned a viral political-fashion moment into a lesson in craft and pricing power, and what Hermès’s January price hikes are signaling in the resale market. Plus, executive moves across LVMH, Fast Retailing, Aura and Gucci; Dior’s global pop-up rollout; fresh financial signals from Phoebe Philo; and the questions shaping luxury as 2026 gets underway. For tips or comments, emai...
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Inside David’s Bridal's new commission-based ambassador program for creators and employees

On Thursday, David’s Bridal launched an ambassador program dubbed David’s Style Squad. The idea is to treat included creators, customers and store associates as part of the same performance channel, paid based on their ability to convert.“We look at this the same way we look at paid search or paid social,” said Lisa Horton, chief communications and creative officer at David’s Bridal. “It has to perform.”Participants earn 5-15% commission per sale of items they post, with top performers eligible...
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Inside the 2025 rise of Labubu

This story was originally part of the 2025 Glossy 50 feature. Click here to see all of this year’s honorees.Amid shifting trade dynamics and rapidly evolving consumer behaviour, Pop Mart CEO Grant Wang has guided one of the strongest momentum stories in global retail. The runaway popularity of Labubu has pushed Pop Mart’s once niche collectibles into the mainstream and reshaped the company’s international profile.“This year stands as a transformative milestone for Pop Mart and Labubu,” Wang said...
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The K-shaped economy is forcing luxury brands to pick a side

The K-shaped economy is no longer a theory. It is now dictating which companies grow, which stall and which are forced to rethink their position in the market. The idea is simple: spending is rising at the top, holding steady on the value end, and hollowing out in the middle. For fashion and luxury brands, that split is reshaping pricing, assortment and long-term strategy.On Burberry’s most recent earnings call on November 13, CEO Joshua Schulman described the environment as “very bifurcated and...
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How resale became the first place shoppers looked in 2025

For years, resale sat alongside fashion rather than at its center, offering a cheaper or more sustainable alternative to buying new. In 2025, that framing broke down. Earnings calls, platform data and consumer behavior all point to the same shift: Resale has become a default starting point for shopping, especially as prices rise, trend cycles become faster and shoppers demand more transparency around value.On The RealReal’s third-quarter 2025 earnings call on November 11, CEO Rati Levesque descr...
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