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The Chief Fashion officer: where style meets strategy
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  • Everyday Elevated: Staples That Speak

    Everyday Elevated: Staples That Speak

  • Runway Inspired, Everyday Ready: Partner Picks for Real-Life Dressing

    Runway Inspired, Everyday Ready: Partner Picks for Real-Life Dressing

  • The Wellness Shelf: Supplements, Skincare & Self-Care

    The Wellness Shelf: Supplements, Skincare & Self-Care

  • Beauty Cabinet Confidential: Tried, Trusted, and Shoppable

    Beauty Cabinet Confidential: Tried, Trusted, and Shoppable

  • Textured Statements: A Collection of Sensory Staples

    Textured Statements: A Collection of Sensory Staples

  • Monthly Mood: A Visual Curation of Style, Texture, and Brand Favorites

    Monthly Mood: A Visual Curation of Style, Texture, and Brand Favorites

  • Textured Statements: A Collection of Sensory Staples

    Textured Statements: A Collection of Sensory Staples

  • Everyday Elevated: Staples That Speak

    Everyday Elevated: Staples That Speak

  • Runway Inspired, Everyday Ready: Partner Picks for Real-Life Dressing

    Runway Inspired, Everyday Ready: Partner Picks for Real-Life Dressing

  • Checked In: Travel Style Collaborations

    Checked In: Travel Style Collaborations

  • Skincare That Works: The Radiance Rituals

    Skincare That Works: The Radiance Rituals

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VB x Gap: Beckham’s smartest move yet. Few years VB x Gap: Beckham’s smartest move yet.

Few years ago, the brand was deep in the red reporting losses of over £50 million at its peak and struggling for years to break even. The turnaround came with Neo Investment Partners stepping in (2023), pushing a reset: tighter cost control, a sharper focus on beauty (now a key profit driver), and a more disciplined business model.

Today, the brand is now profitable, with revenues around $170M+ and positive EBITDA. A turnaround very few brands manage to make!

This Gap collaboration is a scale strategy.
Luxury is slowing, but premium / mid-luxury is where growth is happening. VB is moving from a niche, high-end positioning to a wider, more accessible audience without fully diluting the brand. This kind of move has already proven they work: H&M x Balmain sold out globally, and more recently Zara x Galliano has been widely praised.

From niche to scale. That’s the strategy.
Once governance shifts, so does pressure. The conv Once governance shifts, so does pressure. The conversation moves from vision to performance, from instinct to targets.

And that is the inflection point: when a house that was once founder-led begins to answer to shareholders and lenders, direction is no longer shaped in isolation. It is negotiated.

The risk is not immediate decline—but gradual calibration. A subtle drift toward what sells, what scales, what satisfies the balance sheet. Because once capital enters the room, vision is no longer the only voice at the table.
Why the Lipstick Effect Is Here to Stay and it is Why the Lipstick Effect Is Here to Stay and it is not glam at all !!!

In an interconnected world, a war doesn’t stay local.
And the Strait of Hormuz isn’t just about oil — it’s fertiliser for food, helium, and critical inputs for your iPhone and cars.

Translation: higher cost of living, everywhere.

Luxury was already fragile.
After two years of price hikes, brands lost part of their client base and were just starting to win them back.

Now pressure is back.

Recent signals from LVMH, Richemont, and even Hermès show it:
growth is slowing, resistance is real.

So what happens next?

When the world is at war , people find their peace in smaller luxury purchases :

Less bags.
More lipstick, perfume, skincare, wellness.

That’s the lipstick effect. And it’s here to stay.

No campaign, no front row, not even a Blazy moment can override macro economics !!!

So… what Luxury purchase can buy your peace ? Comment below 👇
Luxury survived recessions. Can it survive geopoli Luxury survived recessions. Can it survive geopolitics? 

As the fashion industry gathers in Paris this week for some of the season’s biggest runway shows, from Dior to Tom Ford and Schiaparelli, one uncomfortable question lingers in the background.

Can the luxury market afford a war?

After several difficult years for the industry, with slowing demand, China’s uneven recovery and rising taxes on luxury goods in the United States, the Gulf has emerged as a stabilising force.

In 2025, the Middle East was one of the few luxury markets still growing, estimated at roughly +6%, while many other regions flattened.

For decades, the Middle East was seen mainly as a luxury shopping destination.

Today it has become far more strategic.

The Gulf is now one of the structural pillars of global luxury demand.

Cities like Dubai and Riyadh have become key hubs for luxury expansion, with brands opening flagship stores, launching regional collections and investing heavily in retail infrastructure.

The region represents around 10% of global jewellery demand and the Middle East luxury market is estimated at roughly $12–15 billion.

At a time when China slows and Europe depends heavily on tourism, the Gulf remains one of the most resilient sources of demand.

Luxury groups like LVMH and Kering have significantly expanded their presence across the region.

Just weeks ago, global executives gathered in Riyadh for the Retail Leaders Circle conference to discuss the growing strategic importance of the Middle East.

Which raises a difficult question.

If geopolitical tensions disrupt the region, the consequences will go far beyond local boutiques.

Wars rarely stay local. They disrupt supply chains, slow tourism, move currencies and weaken investor confidence. For an industry like luxury that depends on global travel, stable markets and strong consumer sentiment, geopolitical shocks can quickly translate into weaker demand across markets around the world.
If you still think fashion and finance live in two If you still think fashion and finance live in two separate worlds, you’re already behind.
From couture collections sold like blue-chip assets, to private equity buying fashion houses, to the Gulf structuring luxury through ETFs, councils, and capital markets—fashion has quietly become an asset class.

Capital now treats fashion as a profitable, investable asset class — with pricing power, global scale, and long-term value creation.

Are you convinced? Comment below 👇
Ladies, maybe it is time to own more than the bag! Ladies, maybe it is time to own more than the bag!

Let’s be honest.

We’ve all justified a luxury purchase at least once by calling it an investment.
The bag holds its value. The watch appreciates. The jewellery is timeless.

What if you owned the companies behind all our favorites luxury goods?

Because this month, the UAE  launched the region’s first luxury-focused ETF, backed by Lunate and listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, turning luxury  into a strategic investment for regional investors.
From closets to capital markets. 👜📊

disclaimer: Not investment advice. For information only.
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