Every year, shoppers in France enter two very different discount seasons: the global wave of Black Friday and the traditional French soldes. Both promise deals, but only one is backed by a strict legal framework that protects consumers and guarantees real value. For anyone living in France or shopping online from abroad, understanding the difference is essential. The French Approach to Discounts Unlike most countries, France controls its discount culture through a regulated system of seasonal sales known as soldes. These happen twice a year, in winter and summer, and form the backbone of the country’s pricing and stock-clearing strategy.…
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The new State of Fashion 2025 report from BoF and McKinsey paints a clear picture. The industry is entering a year shaped by uncertainty, price-sensitive consumers and very different growth paths across regions. The mood among executives is cautious. Many do not expect improvement this year, and some even anticipate further decline. Consumers feel the pressure of inflation and economic instability. They want value, not volume. At the same time, global trade is shifting, climate risks are intensifying and new purchasing habits are forcing brands to rethink old models. But the report also highlights where new opportunities are emerging, especially…
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A New Shift in How We Browse Generative AI is changing the way fashion and luxury brands speak to customers online. It has moved from being a background tool to becoming part of how people discover, understand and decide what to buy. Today’s consumers do not want filters and endless product grids. They want clear guidance, natural conversation and simple answers to their questions. AI is shaping this new behaviour. A customer can ask “What should I wear to a winter wedding in Paris” and receive a curated set of options in seconds. This makes the browsing experience feel more…
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Balmain has announced the appointment of Antonin Tron as its new Creative Director, effective immediately. He succeeds Olivier Rousteing, who led the house for 14 transformative years. Tron will debut his first collection at Paris Fashion Week in March 2026, presenting the Fall/Winter 2026 line. A New Chapter for Balmain Antonin Tron, 41, studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp and has worked with Louis Vuitton, Givenchy, Balenciaga, and Saint Laurent before launching his own label, Atlein, in 2016. His work with fluid draping, sculptural silhouettes, and made-in-France craftsmanship has earned quiet admiration in the industry. Balmain’s CEO Matteo Sgarbossa describes Tron’s appointment as a return to the maison’s core philosophy, echoing…
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Cartier introduces the Panthère Aegis Ring, a remarkable creation that fuses sculpture, symbolism, and savoir-faire into a single work of art. This launch highlights Cartier’s unique mastery of glyptics the ancient art of carving hard stones a rare craft that few contemporary jewellers have preserved in-house. At the heart of the ring lies a superb 6.89-carat oval-shaped pink tourmaline, glowing with warmth and vitality. It is framed by two panther heads carved from petrified wood, each in contrasting shades one light, one dark representing the duality of nature and the unity of opposites. These sculpted forms are enhanced by emerald eyes, rose-gold settings, and white-diamond accents, combining…
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LVMH is deepening its presence in China with a major retail expansion set for December 2025. The group will open new multi-story flagship stores for Louis Vuitton, Dior, Tiffany & Co., and Loro Piana in Beijing’s Taikoo Li Sanlitun, marking one of its most significant launches in recent years. The location, developed by Swire Properties, has seen strong post-pandemic recovery, becoming a benchmark for luxury retail in Asia. This expansion underscores LVMH’s confidence in the market’s long-term potential and its strategic timing could not be more deliberate. A Market in Recovery After a challenging 2024, when China’s luxury sales fell by nearly 20…
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Loewe opens the holiday season with a story that feels both imaginative and intimate a celebration of artistry, play, and craftsmanship. Inspired by the British artist Louis Wain (1860–1939), whose whimsical cat portraits captured emotion through eccentric beauty, the collection turns his joyful world into wearable art. A Dialogue Between Art and Craft of Loewe and Louis Wain The Louis Wain Holiday Capsule reimagines fashion as illustration in motion. Across ready-to-wear pieces, handbags, and accessories, Wain’s expressive felines stretch, curl, and peek recreated through embroidery, intarsia, and delicate leather inlays. Each design feels alive, like a painting translated through touch. The capsule carries…
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In Seoul, Wooyoungmi has opened its first standalone flagship a new chapter for the brand that shaped Korea’s global fashion identity. Founded by Youngmi Woo, known as Madame Woo, Wooyoungmi has always stood for quiet strength, structure, and precision. When she presented her first collection in Paris in 2002, few expected a Korean designer to redefine men’s tailoring on the global stage. Yet she did through form, clarity, and belief in craftsmanship. The new Itaewon flagship feels like a homecoming. Before the opening, a traditional gosa ceremony was held a Korean ritual for luck and renewal. It reflected exactly what the moment meant: respect for heritage, hope for…
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About Purpose, Courage, and Connection In a world where speed, profit, and distraction dominate, Jane Goodall remains one of the few voices reminding us what truly matters purpose, compassion, and hope. Until her final days, she continued to travel the world, not for fame or wealth, but to inspire people to protect the planet and believe that individual action still matters. Even at 91, her energy and conviction never dimmed. Listening to her words, you realize that “hope” for Jane was never naïve optimism. It was a daily practice a strategy for survival and meaningful change. 1. Purpose Is Stronger Than…
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After 14 years, Olivier Rousteing is stepping down as Creative Director of Balmain closing one of the most defining chapters in modern French fashion. When he took over the house in 2011 at just 25, Rousteing became one of the youngest creative leaders in Paris since Yves Saint Laurent and the first Black designer to lead a major French maison. His arrival marked the beginning of a new conversation in fashion: one that embraced diversity, inclusivity, and modernity without losing touch with heritage. A Decade of Transformation Rousteing gave Balmain a new voice confident, emotional, and deeply connected to culture. He understood that…