January
Lorna Jane doubles profits as athleisure boom refuses to fade
But the Brisbane-based activewear brand faces intense competition from big rivals like Lululemon and cheaper retailers such as Target.
- Simon Evans
Noni B, Millers fashion chains to shut with 900 jobs gone
The closure of the last two brands in the Mosaic portfolio comes less than a week after the Rivers label was wound up. All up, 2800 staff have been cut.
- Carrie LaFrenz
Sales growth slows at Hype DC, Platypus shoe chain owner
ASX-listed retailer Accent Group turned to higher promotions to attract shoppers, but at the expense of its profit margins.
- Carrie LaFrenz
Young people are the happiest customers. 3 charts show why
Despite the cost of living, a cohort of Australian consumers is still willing to splash out $250 on a swimsuit. What’s fuelling their spree?
- Carrie LaFrenz
- Updated
- Mergers & acquisitions
Myer plans loyalty card relaunch to capture Just Jeans, Dotti shoppers
The retailer will have 783 outlets and annual sales of $4 billion after shareholders approved plans to buy a portfolio of brands from Premier Investments.
- Updated
- Carrie LaFrenz
Everything you need to know on the fashion front this year
Major shifts are afoot in the industry. These are the trends – and the designers – that will make a difference to your wardrobe.
- Lauren Sams
Shrinking Myer still better off with Lew brands, expert says
Despite major downgrades from Premier Investments’ apparel labels and Myer, Kroll said on Wednesday the integrity of the deal holds up.
- Carrie LaFrenz
City Chic shares surge as billionaire-backed retailer fights back
The apparel group confirmed it had a bumper Black Friday and Christmas sales period driven by its stores in Australia and New Zealand.
- Carrie LaFrenz
Myer, Premier sales hit by softer trading as vote on merger deal nears
A week out from a shareholder vote on the merger of Solomon Lew’s Apparel Brands with Myer, both companies say trading conditions are tough.
- Carrie LaFrenz
Blundy’s former right-hand man takes on Lovisa jewellery empire
Shane Fallscheer spent more than a decade growing the billionaire’s accessories retailer into a giant. Can he do it again – for himself – with Harli + Harpa?
- Carrie LaFrenz
December 2024
- Christmas Gift Guide 2024
- Life & Leisure
Handmade hits the premium end of the gift market
These five artisans are busy working on timeless pieces that celebrate the art of making – and that you won’t see in shops everywhere.
- Updated
- Hannah Tattersall
Billionaire Mango founder falls to death on hiking trip
The fashion retailer started his business by selling clothes from the back of his car. He built a global empire with annual sales of €3 billion (5 billion).
- Barney Jopson
Chanel fills hottest job in fashion with young outsider
One of the most prestigious roles in global fashion has just been filled, as Chanel appointed 40-year-old designer Matthieu Blazy as its new artistic director.
- Vanessa Friedman
The retail boss who is obsessed with Christmas
American Glen Schlehuber had to learn Australian festive traditions and embrace the warm weather. But once he did, he never looked back.
- Lauren Sams
From the Hamptons to the Australian Open: inside Ralph Lauren’s world
The legendary fashion label’s founder created a dream, says his son David. Melbourne’s fabled annual tennis tournament is increasingly part of it.
- Lauren Sams
- Opinion
- AFR Magazine
Fashion should focus on its best customers – and they’re not 20-year-olds
Aussies over 40 are spending more on discretionary goods, so why aren’t more smart designers and retailers looking to leverage their older clientele?
- Lauren Sams
- Exclusive
- Fashion Week
Fashion Week might be over, but Australian designers have a new show
Growing a brand internationally is expensive and time-consuming, but Jenny Nakkan has a solution for that.
- Lauren Sams
The ill-fitting nightclub top behind a multimillion-dollar business
When Annabel Hay’s fashion tape let her down on a nightclub dance floor, her wardrobe malfunction became a fast-growing company selling modesty-saving glue.
- Updated
- Amelia McGuire
The female luxury designer defying fashion’s downturn
Miuccia Prada’s Miu Miu brand is enjoying a boom, even in China, as rivals suffer from a broad pullback in spending.
- Silvia Sciorilli Borrelli
November 2024
This cult beauty brand went bust. Can it make a return?
It was once one of Australia’s biggest beauty success stories. Can Napoleon Perdis find a new customer, five years after it collapsed?
- Lauren Sams