Skims Taps Michael Kors Veteran to Lead EMEA Expansion
Kim Kardashian’s shapewear brand has hired Robin Gendron as its first president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, as it prepares to open standalone stores in London and Dubai.
china / Tech
Instagram-Like Xiaohongshu Makes Inroads with E-Commerce Sales
The platform has long been one of China’s most important marketing tools, but until now has struggled to become a sales engine for brands.
TikTok’s New Amazon Copycat Is Full of Cheap Chinese Goods
The app’s Shop feature, which has gone live for some US users, is plagued by the same problems with a free-for-all marketplace Amazon has faced.
The Asian Retailer Outgunning Amazon and Walmart in South Africa
Shein, founded in China, is gaining a foothold in a nascent e-commerce market in the most industrialised country in Africa and is squaring up to US giants Walmart Inc. and Amazon.com Inc., who want to do the same.
Global Markets
Worldview: China Loans Plunge to 14-Year Low, Adding to Deflation Risk
This week’s global markets round-up of fashion business news also features Turkey’s retail sales rose 28.5 percent year on year in June, South Indian mills cut discounts amid rising cotton prices and 422 facilities are named on Pakistan Accord’s first supplier list.
Worldview: China Loans Plunge to 14-Year Low, Adding to Deflation Risk
This week’s global markets round-up of fashion business news also features Turkey’s retail sales rose 28.5 percent year on year in June, South Indian mills cut discounts amid rising cotton prices and 422 facilities are named on Pakistan Accord’s first supplier list.
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How Luxury Finally Cracked TikTok
Higher-end fashion labels have become more prolific on the short-form video app in 2023. BoF unpacks how brands are growing buzz on TikTok.
Beauty TikTok’s Latest Obsessions: Filters Prove Their Relevance
Filters take centre stage on BeautyTok this week, namely the Age, Barbie and Celebrity Makeup Brands filters.
BoF Masterclass | Dynamic Journeys: China’s Luxury Shoppers at Home and Abroad
This Masterclass explores how global luxury brands and retailers can adapt to China’s shifting shopping landscape.
Worldview: India’s Jewellery Giants Accelerate International Expansion Plans
This week’s round-up of fashion business news from global markets also features Japanese apparel major Sanyo Shokai, Dubai’s lab-grown diamond sector and Mexico’s beauty services start-up Glitzi.
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BoF Insights | Dynamic Journeys: China’s Luxury Shoppers at Home and Abroad
Chinese fashion and beauty customers — long pivotal for the global luxury market — are reshaping how and where they shop, according to BoF Insights’ new report.
TikTok Rivals Amazon With $20 Billion Shopping Pilot
The social media platform’s shopping program is its fastest-growing feature, with a burgeoning fan base in Southeast Asia.
China’s Shein Denies Filing for IPO in US
Also in this week’s Worldview, De Beers strikes a deal with Botswana over rough diamond production and Lotte Duty Free opens a Korean fashion pavilion in Japan.
Beauty TikTok’s Latest Obsessions: New Releases and Old Makeup Techniques
This week, TikTok couldn’t get enough of new products from Rare Beauty and Rhode, E.l.f.’s collaboration with influencer Mikayla Nogueira and the return of “baking.”
The News in Brief
Robin Givhan Exits The Washington Post
The Pulitzer Prize-winning fashion and culture critic announced on Instagram that she took a buyout from the newspaper she’s worked at for 30 years.
Phlur to Launch in Australia and the Middle East
The fragrance brand, recently acquired by TSG Consumer Partners, will roll out its range of perfumes, mists and body care in Australia’s Mecca from Aug. 26 and in Sephora Middle East from Sept. 15.
Fast-Fashion Retailer Shein’s UK Sales Surged to $2.8 Billion in 2024
The global retailer’s UK business reported a pretax profit of £38.25 million ($51.8 million) in 2024, up 56.6 percent from 2023.
Used Rolexes, Pateks Are Bright Spot in Struggling Watch World
The Bloomberg Subdial Watch Index, which tracks the 50 most-traded timepieces by transaction value, gained 5.3 percent in the first half of 2025 — and extended that recovery in the third quarter.
Procter & Gamble Announces New Beauty CEO
Freddy Bharucha will accede to the role on Dec. 1, replacing P&G veteran R. Alex Keith, who will retire in February 2026.
Valentino CEO Jacopo Venturini Steps Down
After five years at the helm, Venturini is leaving for personal reasons as the Italian luxury house navigates a creative reset and ownership transition.
Tapestry Plummets With Tariff Costs Weighing on Profit Outlook
Offloading Stuart Weitzman will enable Tapestry executives to spend more time and resources on increasing sales at Coach and turning around Kate Spade.