Saint Laurent & Louis Vuitton new restaurants, NikeSkims + how to work in Fashion Event Production
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Fashion Month is full of swing! After a nine-day gap since New York Fashion Week ended, the Fall-Winter 2025 catwalks resumed in London on Thursday with Harris Reed, Central Saint Martins MA graduates, and SS Daley’s last-minute addition of womenswear and menswear show this morning.
London shows usually take place immediately after NYFW, but with the changes to the fashion month calendar, and a slimmer season due to several bands being absent or changing the format to unveil their collections, LFW lasts only four days, between February 20 and 24.
For one, JW Anderson is missing from the schedule, leaving a big hole in the LFW calendar. So is Ahluwalia. Chopova Lowena, Nensi Dojaka, and Knwls continue to show only once a year, during September. Masha Popova, Karoline Vitto, and Derrick preferred to unveil their collections digitally. And Aaron Esh, Feben, Patrick McDowell, and 16Arlington chose to skip the catwalk to host intimate dinner events.
Nonetheless, London Fashion Week offers plenty of exciting moments, from British fashion staples including Burberry, Erdem, Roksanda, and Simone Rocha to the BFC Newgen collective. “London is the home of new talent, and it’s a joy to watch these brands grow,” Caroline Rush, outgoing CEO of the British Fashion Council (BFC) told Vogue Business. This will be the last season overseen by Rush after a long reign for the past 16 years. She will soon pass the torch to former British Vogue editor and creative director of Selfridges, Laura Weir.
Who really shapes fashion?
As you watch fashion shows, we invite you to ask yourself: besides creative directors and their design teams, who are the other decision-makers in fashion?
When we think about fashion collections, we tend to credit designers with creating the magic. They are the ones sketching, draping, and bringing a creative vision to life—right? But behind every runway collection, there’s another, often overlooked force shaping what actually makes it to stores: merchandisers.
These are the people who decide what sells, what stays, and sometimes even what gets designed in the first place. In fact, in many major fashion houses, the direction of a collection isn’t solely determined by the creative director or design team, but by a strategic, commercially driven process led by merchandisers. We talk about the hidden power of fashion merchandisers in our recent article, which you can read here.
Now, as you watch runways in London and the upcoming shows in Milan and Paris, do a fun exercise: Is this a designer’s pure creative expression? Or is this a carefully calculated mix of creativity and commerce? This will help you learn to look at the collections differently, with a more analytical eye and critical perspective. Feel free to share your insights with us in the comments :)
What else happened in the industry this week? 💚
Nike x SKIMS
Nike and Kim Kardashian’s underwear label SKIMS are launching a new fitness brand NikeSkims. Geared toward women’s apparel, footwear, and accessories, the products will be “meticulously designed to sculpt and perform for every body,” Kim Kardashian, Skims’ co-founder told BoF. The first collection is set to debut this spring in the United States at select retail locations and online.
This is a groundbreaking collaboration, proving that fashion today isn’t just about designers—it’s about branding, business, and innovation.
Bella Hadid x Frankies Bikinis
Another cool collaboration coming up is Bella Hadid’s with her childhood friend Francesca Aiello, founder of Frankies Bikinis. The 108-piece collection consists of the label’s signature swimwear along with apparel and accessories. It is set to be released on March 4, followed by other drops in April and June 2025.
Range Rover launches a fashion collection
The British car manufacturer has entered the lifestyle category with the launch of the first capsule collection. The Range Rover London Collection includes 8 pieces—silk scarves, lightweight jackets, and wool-cashmere blend blankets—designed by the company’s apparel designer Kimberley Panton, and crafted by British and Italian artisans.
Diane von Furstenberg inks a distribution deal with Zalando
With the new Gen-Z girl in mind, Diane von Furstenberg inked a distribution deal with retail giant Zalando. According to the Business of Fashion, in a turbulent wholesale market, DVF is indeed exploring alternative paths to attract younger customers.
Calares is acquiring Stuart Weitzman
Sources say Calares, which holds a strong portfolio of footwear brands including Vince, Dr Scholl’s, and Naturalizer, is set to acquire Tapestry’s Stuart Weitzman brand for $105 million.
According to sources, Tapestry first reported it was looking to sell off Stuart Weitzman last September. The sale will enable the group to focus on the other two brands in its portfolio—Coach (its biggest brand) and Kate Spade.
Edward Enninful is launching a global media and entertainment company
Former British Vogue editor-in-chief is launching a media and entertainment company called EE72 with his sister Akua Enninful. He shared on his social media that “This isn’t just another media company; it’s an entirely new concept where creativity knows no limits, where every voice matters, and where our diverse aspirations are meaningfully reflected in the stories we tell and the lives we lead.” The company will invite “visionary creators and groundbreaking companies to develop and produce transformational content, immersive experiences and innovative products that challenge audiences to see the world through new eyes,” WWD added.
Max Mara unveils the destination of the Resort 2026 show
Max Mara revealed that its Resort 2026 collection will be presented at Reggia di Caserta on June 17. The location is a former royal palace listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Magical!
Saint Laurent opens a Sushi Park restaurant in Paris
Saint Laurent continues venturing beyond fashion, this time with the first permanent Sushi Park location outside Los Angeles at the newly opened Saint Laurent Rive Droite Paris. Great news: it opens today 🤎 So if you are from Paris or passing by, you can enjoy the Japanese tasting experience.
Louis Vuitton will open its first Italian restaurant in Milan
The French Maison is preparing to open its first Italian restaurant in Milan in collaboration with the famous Cerea family of Chefs, continuing its expansion in the gastronomy sector. The restaurant will be located at the Palazzetto Taverna Radice Fossati, a nineteenth-century building in the chic and fashionable 2, Via Montenapoleone. In the project, there is also a cafe accessible from the courtyard.
Fashion Career Tip
Are you following fashion shows, secretly dreaming that one day you’ll become part of the team that produces them?
Fashion producers are essential to the fashion industry. All the biggest events you can think of wouldn’t be made possible without a leader and their team bringing them to life.
Working in Fashion Event Production is an exciting yet demanding field. It combines creativity, logistical prowess, and a knack for managing a fast-paced environment to create a visually stunning and smoothly executed spectacle. From runways to product launches, press events, exhibitions, gala, award ceremonies, and store openings, fashion events help brands gain exposure and promote a new product or collection.
If this sounds like your true calling, read our recent article here where you’ll learn about:
The different careers in fashion event production
Qualifications and skills needed
How to start this career from scratch
Fashion Campaign of the Week 💖
Another moving campaign by Stella McCartney for Spring 2025 💚 The birds were AI-generated.
What to visit this week 👠
London Fashion Week is hosting many events open to the public throughout the month, as part of the BFC’s City-Wide Celebration (CWC), designed to promote fashion and retail across the UK. From workshops and exhibitions to pop-ups and wellness activations, there is a variety of events to experience the vibrant world of fashion. A fantastic opportunity for every industry outsider or those who don’t get to attend the shows. You can view the full program and schedule here.
What to read this week 📚
Who Attends Fashion Shows?
Have you ever wondered who gets invited to fashion shows besides celebrities and influencers? We bet you do, so we curated an article where we reveal the secret. Plus, we share how you can attend shows if you are not a professional working in the industry ;) Read it here.
How to Pitch Your Ideas to a Creative Director
If you want to work (or already working) in fashion, sooner or later, you will likely find yourself pitching to a Creative Director, or someone reporting directly to them. You might come up with a fresh take on the next collection or styling concept, a bold campaign strategy, or a new experiential event idea.
No matter if you are an intern, junior, or senior, pitching is not just a nice-to-have skill—it’s essential if you want to make an impact, gain recognition, and contribute to the brand’s evolution!
Want to know how? Read our recent article via this link.
Fashion Profiles to follow this week
Marcos Fecchino Creative Director
Simon Donnellon Movement Artist
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This week, we published: How to Pitch Your Ideas to a Creative Director; London Fashion Week: Discover The Origins And Fun Facts, Who Really Shapes Fashion? The Hidden Power of Merchandisers Over Designers + we introduced the book we are reading this month.
That’s all for this week!
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Giada Graziano, Inside Fashion Editor in Chief and Glam Observer Founder
Margarita Skacenko, Fashion Editor & Community Manager
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Thank you for giving a shout out to us merchandisers!🥰