Vogue Business

How did AREA become the dark horse of American fashion? As its cofounders Piotrek Panszczyk Burke and Beckett Fogg finish up casting for their SS25 show - a show that also opens #NewYorkFashionWeek - the pair sat down with #VogueBusiness to reflect on building a buzzy label and look ahead at what’s to come. This season, Area’s focus of exploration is identity. A choice which prompted a reflection of the brands DNA, which is translated in its design motifs. “We have learned to accept that we’re very individual and not everyone’s cup of tea, but I know that the people who care, really care about it,” says Panszczyk, before conceding: “you said we are a dark horse, and I think we’re okay with that.” Daywear and a core line have become key to Area’s growth. “We were seen as this occasion, party girl dress brand,” said Panszczyk with a laugh, “which was great, but it meant a bigger opportunity for us to expand the identity of Area and infuse our unique perspective of glamour into daywear.” Core is now 25% of the business, it was 17% when it officially launched last year. As the brand braces itself to go the distance and embrace its underdog reputation, José Criales-Unzueta outlines its secrets to success, key learnings and promising future: https://lnkd.in/eRhFUQpY

What’s next for Burberry? As the British luxury brand falls off the #FTSE100 - the list of the 100 most highly capitalised blue-chip companies - its next steps are critical. Although Wednesday’s news was largely expected, given its share price plummeted by 70 % since last year, it's nonetheless a blow. As the UK’s largest fashion export and a longstanding headline attraction for #LondonFashionWeek, the announcement has fuelled wider concerns around the future of the industry. CEO Joshua Schulman has already announced new leadership updates. Bringing in Jonathan Kiman as CMO from Gucci as of 9 September and roping in former CEO of OTB North America, Laura Dubin-Wander, as its president of Americas. In a statement, Schulman highlighted Kiman’s experience in “rejuvenating brands and building digital-savvy marketing organisations”, and Dubin-Wander’s “results-driven” approach. Can the brand bounce back under new leadership? Here, #VogueBusiness’s European executive editor Kirsty McGregor shares a full breakdown of what the news means: https://lnkd.in/dqQF5Ne2

A cheatsheet to Spring/Summer 2025 New York Fashion Week. With 98 designers on the calendar, there’s no shortage of talent in New York this season, from notable debuts (Presley Oldham) to international guests (Alaïa) and the constants that have continued to drive momentum (Khaite). This season is also bookended by new anchors: Area, celebrating its 10th anniversary this season, opens the official calendar with a 1pm runway show on Friday. The 2023 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund winner Melitta Baumeister, making her runway debut, will close out the shows. Each day in between is packed with presentations and catwalks. Each NYFW edition is a reminder of just how hard designers have to work to plant their flag and keep going, and this time is no different. Volatility of the industry is always a conversation when NYFW rolls around. A new report by the Partnership for New York City, released on Wednesday, dissects New York’s fashion industry (just in time for this season’s shows) and writes that NYFW has “become less prominent” as fewer designers and fashion school graduates remain in the city. It needs reinvigorating, the report reads, with “increased promotion and showcasing more emerging designers”. Still, the vibes are good and the energy going into this week is high. Julie Gilhart, former fashion director at Barneys and president and founder of consultancy Gilhart & Co, says she feels a shift this season. “September is going to be a benchmark month. It’s a great time to be in New York,” she says. Here, Hilary Milnes gives the lowdown from what everyone’s talking about to the logistics of NYFW. https://lnkd.in/eNB_A6T9

“The show is titled América, which is America through the voice of an immigrant,” WILLY CHAVARRIA said when #VogueBusiness paid him a visit to his New York studio as he prepared for his show. “It's the way so many of us Americans heard the word America through our growing up, whether they were immigrants or kids of immigrants. And I just love the way that sounds.” It’s a big – and intentional – statement against the election year backdrop. But the show’s biggest reveal? Chavarria’s new adidas collab. Here, Madeleine Schulz goes behind the scenes as a #creativedirector gets ready during #fashionmonth: https://lnkd.in/eRAeSGat

Vogue Business 100 Innovators | Founded in 2018 by sisters Tina Wetshi and Piarvé Wetshi to spotlight community and collaboration through education, Colèchi’s ‘Clean Fashion’ manifesto lays out a plan for fashion to reach transparency across four pillars: sourcing, making, media and fashion’s afterlife. Collectivism is at the centre of what Colechi does. It offers workshops, exhibition curations and campaigns to encourage people to positively engage with the manifesto, Colechi has also partnered with Raeburn, Tate, Saatchi Gallery and Barbican on projects. Here, see more from #VB100’s sustainability spotlight, Colechi: https://lnkd.in/gBtqa5eM

Vogue Business 100 Innovators | What fashion needs to do for the planet and the progress it will take to get there is now clear. Making it happen is the hard part. This year’s #sustainability innovators are the ones challenging the status quo, championing voices throughout the #supplychain and working tirelessly to encourage the industry and the #environment to coexist — and to uplift people within the ecosystem rather than leave some behind. Here, meet the #VB100 thought leaders at the forefront of sustainability: https://lnkd.in/gBtqa5eM

Vogue Business 100 Innovators | BALENCIAGA has carved its own path when it comes to luxury #fashion experimenting with digital identities, mixed reality and #gaming, trialling first-of-their-kind projects that push the uses and expectations of new #technologies. This is thanks, in part, to the work of Gary Pinagot, who, as the digital director of #Balenciaga, has led global digital and innovation efforts at the house since May 2022. Here, discover more from #VB100’s Gary: https://lnkd.in/gDPGwWTU

Ralph Lauren kicked off New York Fashion Week by bringing show-goers out to the Hamptons. It was a star-studded, off-calendar extravaganza set on a runway structured inside Khalily Stables in Bridgehampton, but it was also a logistical nightmare, with those driving in from Manhattan clocking 5-hour journeys, delaying the show. Let’s hope that’s not an omen for the rest of the week. Ralph Lauren packs star power into #NYFW, but the brand is among headliners that have proven hard to wrangle for consistent seasons. Ralph now dips in and out; the same as last season’s anchor, Council of Fashion Designers of America chairman Thom Browne, who won’t be showing this time around. Proenza Schouler also preempted the calendar with a small show on 4 September. Each NYFW edition is a reminder of just how hard designers have to work to plant their flag and keep going, and this time is no different. Volatility of the industry is always a conversation when it rolls around. But with 98 designers on the calendar, there’s no shortage of talent in New York this season. Hilary Milnes has everything you need to know. https://lnkd.in/eNB_A6T9

You could argue that human involvement in the future of technology matters now more than ever. As generative #AI takes hold and long-held promises about the potential of automation come to fruition, the people behind the scenes at startups and fashion brands experimenting with new tools are the ones shaping how we’ll interact with technology from here on out. It’s no small task. These innovators are rethinking our relationships with brands and technology, challenging perspectives and taking spaces like gaming and the metaverse to new places. From founders to big tech agitators and brand leads, meet the #VB100 people at the forefront of fashion #tech and #Web3, hand-selected by Vogue Business editors: https://lnkd.in/gDPGwWTU

Meet the Vogue Business 100 Innovators class of 2024. From beauty disruptors and sustainability thought leaders, to tech innovators, entrepreneurs and agitators, this group of wildly talented figures paints an exciting picture: a retail landscape that is playful and flexible, a new generation of agile technology, genuinely reactive products and empathetic company practices. Read our newsletter to find out who they are and how they’re going to shake up the industry.