Latest news with #LVMHMoëtHennessyLouisVuitton
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Alexander McQueen's Nephew Draws Back the Curtain on New Off-Broadway Show
More than 15 years after Alexander McQueen's death, the fashion designer's career is coming into sharper focus with an off-Broadway of the most acclaimed and incendiary designers of his generation, McQueen took his life in 2010 at the age of 40 in London. Daring and original with his designs and runway shows, the British-born talent burst on the scene in the 1990s. The son of a taxi driver and self-described 'big mouth East English yob,' McQueen rose to the top of the fashion world. With his 1995 controversial Highland Rape collection that used remnants from fabric shops, McQueen caught the attention of European luxury titans. In 1996, Bernard Arnault, chairman of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, tapped the then-27-year-old to be the creative lead at Givenchy, a post he held for five years. In 2000, the Gucci Group bought a 51 percent stake in McQueen's company, allowing for expansion via signature boutiques; a secondary line called McQ licensed to Italy's SINV; menswear and leather goods, and collaborations with brands including Puma and Samsonite. Despite such reach and a Target collaboration in 2009, his namesake company did not have the financial might of his rivals, during his lifetime.A decade in the making, 'House of McQueen' starts previews next month and the grand opening will be held Sept. 9 at the Mansion at Hudson Yards. In a joint interview Tuesday with show producer Rick Lazes and Gary McQueen, a nephew of the designer, Lazes said, 'What would Lee do?' was their mantra, whenever they felt tripped up. (The designer was known as Lee to family and close friends.) The theater — the first new one to be built in Manhattan in more than 20 years — was financed and designed by their company Alexander McQueen LLC. McQueen said, 'There are obviously a lot of complexities in Lee's life, both personally and his rise into the elites of fashion from his humble beginnings. That is really a true underdog story, and a very inspiring one. Hopefully, what we've achieved with this inspires the younger generation who don't really know Alexander McQueen the person, but also satisfies long-term fans of my uncle's work. It does touch some personal stuff.'Lazes said, 'No matter what obstacles he encountered, he overcame them and his art continued to flourish, Despite adversity and the mercantile pressure of the fashion industry, his genius shone through. We're hoping people will leave the theater feeling like they've seen genius. For those who don't know McQueen, it will be like seeing Picasso for the first time. He [McQueen] was never accepted as a great artist, which he clearly was. He was always relegated as a fashion designer. We're hoping people will see that he influenced not only the fashion world, but music, art and pop culture. And he still does today.' Meant to be a well-rounded and entertaining representation of the designer's life, the 90-minute seated performance will feature 'Bridgerton' actor Luke Newton in the lead role. Family members and other key figures in McQueen's life like Isabella Blow will also be portrayed. Ticket holders will also have access to a concurrent exhibition of original McQueen gowns that will be adjacent to the theater. With more than 1,000 square feet of LED screens, the show will feature creative content that was developed with Gary McQueen's oversight about Lee's motivation, thoughts and drive for creative genius to play up his art, work and spirit. Needless to say McQueen-designed pieces will not be worn by the write the play, Darrah Cloud drew from previous media interviews with the designer and from conversations with his nephew, who is an artist. After Gary McQueen lost his father unexpectedly, Lee McQueen stepped in to babysit him as an older brother might. Years later, they worked together. He said, 'There's a certain spirit attached to being a McQueen. I share a similar aesthetic that is both inspired by Lee, but that is also quite inherent to myself,' his nephew said. What I've learned from Lee is what fashion could be. It went way beyond clothes and fashion. It was about storytelling and artistry.' More from WWD Kate Middleton, Queen Camilla and Brigitte Macron Embrace the French and U.K. Flag Colorscape for Windsor State Banquet Miley Cyrus Basks in a Field of Flowers for Gucci's New Flora Gorgeous Gardenia Eau de Parfum Intense Welcome to Can Nikita, an Oasis Made of Love in Ibiza Looking forward to sharing McQueen's mannerisms and gestures with Newton, Gary McQueen said, 'Lee almost had two sides to himself, where he had a split personality. He was a very down-to-earth person, and at other times, he was Alexander McQueen, who ruled his kingdom in the fashion world. He kind of separated himself from family and to who he was professionally.'Showgoers may be surprised by how McQueen managed 'to break down barriers and the snobbery that was attached to fashion houses at that time,' his nephew said. Coming of age in the 1990s, when many edgy designers and artists were making waves in various industries, that trajectory is 'very relatable to how the world is quite a hard place today.'Gary McQueen's aim is to continue his uncle's legacy through his art. Wishful that they had had more time together, he said, 'Lee could have achieved so much more. He never ran out of creative ideas. The only thing that took the joy away from what he did was the pressures of coming up with so many collections. As an artist, that really gets in the way of being creative. I feel that the pressure got to be too much for him.'Innovative with technology, the designer crafted a hologram of Kate Moss for his fall 2006 runway show. Speculating how technical advances like 3D printing and other ones used by Iris Van Herpen would have appealed to McQueen, his nephew said, 'There was a lot more that he could have achieved. He didn't because of the limitations of the time.'McQueen's death is addressed 'very peripherally but not in a graphical manner' with the help of the seven-year-old actor, who plays the designer's younger self and appears throughout the play. His nephew expects that 'House of McQueen' will help 'give marginalized people hope and aspiration about what they can achieve.'Lazes added, 'I don't think there's been a time in America history, when we were not more in need of a healing process. Lee dealt with rejection, bullying, hemophilia, misogyny, depression and suicide — issues that are very current and affect a wide, young demographic. Our hope is that through his spirit and legacy, we will begin that healing process.' Carrying on the designer's legacy is no small task, Gary McQueen said. 'Somehow, I've become like an ambassador for Lee for everybody in the family. That's not always easy. But as a creative, I feel that I can relate to him the most. As an artist, I try to carry that McQueen spirit through because the brand itself these days has become quite different than what Lee was about.'Referring to the brand, he continued, 'This happened a long time ago. It has nothing to do with the new designer (Seán McGirrr]. [Lee McQueen's successor] Sarah Burton managed to carry that spirit forward in her way. There is a certain spirit in the way that my uncle created his shows and the stories that he told within the shows. That aspect has been lost in the progress of the fashion house. It's hard to sum up that spirit. You felt it at Lee's shows, and at Sarah's shows.'Speaking of the inevitableness of such things happening at fashion houses over the years, McQueen said, 'There's a certain blueprint in places with certain cuts and pieces that they produce. But there are a lot of things that are being put out by the company that Lee probably never would have done.'As for whether many of his relatives will travel to New York for the opening, Gary McQueen said, 'Probably not. Many of them don't like to fly to be honest. It doesn't come naturally to me either. I've pushed myself out of all of my comfort zones to be where I am today as an artist. That perseverance has rubbed off from Lee.' With a one-year lease at the Mansion at Hudson Yards, the aim is that 'House of McQueen' will be extended to run for that length of time, before moving on to London. 'That's where the family will see it,' Gary McQueen said with a laugh. Best of WWD Fashion Meets Cinema: Jaws 50th Anniversary and Calvin Klein Spring 2019 RTW Show Retro Glamour: Giorgio Di Sant'Angelo's Summer 1973 Chic Straw Hat Statement The Story Behind Jackie Kennedy's Cartier Watch: A Royal Gift With 'Traces and Clues of Her Life' Revealed
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
EXCLUSIVE: Michael Burke to Head LVMH Americas
LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton veteran Michael Burke is coming to America, WWD has learned. He has been named chairman and chief executive officer of LVMH Americas, a new post charged with 'representing and promoting the best interests of the group in North and South America, in a complex and evolving geopolitical period,' according to an internal announcement shared exclusively with WWD. More from WWD EXCLUSIVE: Spktrl Wants to Upgrade Smart Rings to Fine Jewelry Dior Renews Partnership With UNESCO to Support Female Students LVMH Acquires French Media Group Bey Médias In addition, Burke has been appointed nonexecutive chairman of Tiffany & Co.'s board of director, with LVMH characterizing the appointment as 'a strategic role to support the growth ambition of the iconic American maison.' The development, effective Monday, highlights 'LVMH's ambition to further invest in the region in the coming years' — and its confidence in Burke, best known for a stellar decade leading Louis Vuitton to new heights. According to market sources, Vuitton's revenues tripled during Burke's tenure, with profitability leaping fourfold. 'Throughout our close and fruitful collaboration, Michael has perfectly incarnated the values of our group,' Bernard Arnault, chairman and CEO of LVMH, stated in the announcement. 'His outstanding leadership helped to continuously elevate the desirability and craft of the whole industry to new heights. 'I am convinced his long-term vision, and unique entrepreneurial spirit will be invaluable assets to the group at this strategic time in the Americas,' Arnault added. The U.S. accounted for a quarter of LVMH's 84.7 billion euros of revenue in 2024 and is still perceived as having untapped potential for luxury goods players. As of the end of last year, LVMH operated 1,193 stores in the U.S. and counted nearly 45,000 employees, according to the group's annual report. Under the new configuration, both Anish Melwani, chairman and CEO of LVMH Inc., and Davide Marcovitch, president LVMH Latin America, will report to Burke, who will be based in New York. It makes official that Burke is not implicated in LVMH Fashion Group, which he was meant to take over in January 2024 from his longtime colleague Sidney Toledano, who has continued to pilot the operation. (The fashion group comprises houses including Celine, Givenchy, Kenzo, Loewe, Marc Jacobs, Patou and Emilio Pucci.) It also marks a return Stateside for the French American executive, who was born in the French Alps and had a peripatetic childhood since his father was in the Air Force. After graduating in 1980 with a master of business administration from EDHEC in Lille, France, Burke moved to the U.S. to work full-time for Arnault, initially on residential real estate at various family holdings before joining Christian Dior in the U.S. in 1986. One of Arnault's most trusted deputies, Burke is prized for his mastery of global retail markets and real estate, merchandising prowess, complicity with creatives and sharp instincts about where luxury is heading. A charismatic, cerebral and well-rounded executive with a fun-loving streak and a ready laugh, he's known for his ability to motivate teams, and for thriving on complexity. After winding up his tenure at Dior in 1992, Burke served as president and CEO of Louis Vuitton North America from 1993 until 1997, where he oversaw the construction of the LVMH tower in New York on 57th Street. Burke returned to Paris as Christian Dior Couture's executive vice president and was ultimately named worldwide managing director, the number-two position at the fashion house, in March 1998. In 2003, he was promoted to chairman and CEO of Fendi, leading the Roman house for eight years before being conscripted in 2011 to take up the management helm at Bulgari SpA, which LVMH had acquired earlier that year. He brought two signatures of his brand leadership to Bulgari: surprise and speed. At the end of 2013, he was moved over to Louis Vuitton, where he initiated an upscaling drive that changed the brand's fortunes, and scope. In an interview with WWD last year, Burke said the 'three enemies' of business success are arrogance, bureaucracy and complacency. By contrast, he argued that LVMH companies 'are always managed with a very positive energy that tomorrow will be better. That's our fundamental value. We like to have fun, and we're very passionate about what we do. We don't aim for the average — we aim high, we aim far into the future.' Best of WWD EXCLUSIVE: Maje Names Charlotte Tasset Ferrec CEO Nadja Swarovski Exits Family Company Amid Ongoing Corporate Shakeup Aeffe MD Exits Fashion Group Sign in to access your portfolio
San Francisco Chronicle
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Iris Van Herpen unveils 'living' couture dress of bioluminescent algae in Paris
PARIS (AP) — For years, Dutch wunderkind and celebrity-favorite Iris Van Herpen has occupied fashion's edge, conjuring couture from unexpected sources — banana leaves, cocoa beans and even 3D-printed polymers — while exploring the intersection of biology, art and design. Monday's collection at Paris Couture Week, 'Sympoiesis,' felt like the culmination of her restless experimentation: A show that dared to imagine clothing as both organism and artifact. In a shadowy Paris venue, Van Herpen sent out a series of gossamer gowns spun from alternative fibers so fine and insubstantial that they seemed conjured from air itself. At the collection's heart, a luminous 'living dress,' animated by millions of bioluminescent algae, quietly stole the scene. The algae, thriving within a custom-molded nutrient matrix, glimmered in electric blue as if stitched from the deep sea — offering an eerie, captivating spectacle that went beyond mere artifice. Elsewhere, Van Herpen introduced wedding gowns crafted from lab-grown bio-protein, a futuristic Japanese fiber that's biodegradable and endlessly recyclable — a glimpse of a fashion industry reimagined for a new era. If the show dazzled, it also underscored a rare feat in modern couture: Independence. In a world where most designers rely on billion-dollar groups to bankroll their dreams, Van Herpen stands nearly alone, thriving outside the grip of giants like LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton and Kering. Her creations have become magnets for pop royalty and rule-breakers: Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Björk, Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman have all worn her sculptural gowns on the world's biggest stages. At the Met Gala, Hailee Steinfeld stunned in a Van Herpen dress made from ocean plastic. Dove Cameron shimmered in her work in 2022. Star power helps sustain the atelier, but it's invention that defines her legacy. While many independents have vanished from the couture calendar, Van Herpen survives by never playing it safe. Every season, she proves that true originality is not only possible — but essential — in Paris. By harnessing living organisms and boundary-pushing textiles, Van Herpen's latest collection doubled down on her signature ethos: couture not just as spectacle or skill, but as an open question — what might fashion, and nature, become next?
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Paris Good Fashion Report Says 5% Volume Cut Needed by 2030 to Stay Within Climate Limit
PARIS — In the gardens of the Domaine de Chaalis, about an hour outside Paris, Paris Good Fashion hosted its first Midsummer Camp on sustainability, bringing together a diverse mix of industry leaders. Representatives from major luxury houses including LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Ami Paris; premium brands such as Lacoste; mass-market players like Kiabi, and young, independent designers including Stephane Ashpool and Jeanne Friot spent the day alongside scientists and business analysts. The day's aim was to build new frameworks for sustainable fashion. More from WWD From Flooding to Heat Stress, Climate Challenges Are Threatening the Shoe Industry Like Never Before EXCLUSIVE: Chanel Launches Arts & Culture Magazine Paris' Grand Palais Completes Five-year Renovation The event marked the launch of Paris Good Fashion's first decarbonization report for the fashion sector. The study analyzed product mix and outlined a roadmap for brands across luxury, premium, and mass-market segments to reduce emissions in line with the Paris Agreement's 1.5-degree Celsius target. Organizers emphasized collaboration, and the study was an exercise in working together. It's the first of its kind to pool data from across the industry, with 25 brands, representing 86 billion euros in turnover, contributing anonymously. Companies such as Kering and Richemont participated, as did brands including Chloé, Christian Louboutin, Agnès B., Balzac, Célio, and Etam, among others. The methodology accounted for production volumes, which historically has been downplayed in the industry, which has preferred to focus on the promise of future tech and efficiency solutions. The report made it clear that even under the most optimistic scenario, with rapid shifts to low-impact materials and renewable energy, the sector will overshoot its carbon budget. Overall, the study found that the fashion industry would need a 42 percent reduction in absolute emissions by 2030, from a 2022 baseline, to hit the Paris Agreement's ambitious 1.5-degree Celsius goal, and 25 to 30 percent for a 2-degree Celsius target, which is at the upper limit of the agreement. To work towards the target, brands would have to reduce their emissions intensity per item and improve efficiency through measures such as using better materials and production processes, logistics, circularity and energy reduction or moves to renewable sources. But even if brands improve in all those areas, they still need to reduce their production volumes per year to cut absolute emissions enough to stay in line with the targets. To hit the absolute reduction targets, luxury could maintain a stable volume or slightly decrease by one percent, premium could increase their volumes by 3 percent, provided circular models are scaled, and mass market brands would need to decrease their volume by 12 percent. Other key insights showed that while brands working alone can reduce their emissions by 21 percent, collective action enables an additional 17 percent, demonstrating that the industry needs to work together to achieve the most change. Brands must develop new business models such as rental, repair, reuse, and resale, to add more value to existing products. Another key finding is in the materials mix. Leather is a major emissions contributor in the luxury segment, while fossil fuel-based polyester dominates the mass market. Production is the leading source of emissions across all categories, but in luxury, emissions are also high in marketing, distribution, and retail. In contrast, mass-market emissions are more impacted by product care. Andrée-Anne Lemieux, sustainability director at Institut Français de la Mode, highlighted the urgency of decoupling financial growth from emissions. She acknowledged that economic headwinds facing the fashion industry have slowed implementation of new business models, but stressed the need for collective action. 'For decoupling, we see there are some [actions] that are individual, and some others need to be addressed at the collective level,' she told WWD. The next step for the team is to define concrete actions for brands. 'It's a question of resources, not necessarily just financial resources, but also human resources,' she added, as brands will need to reallocate teams and focus on change management to ensure long-term viability. LVMH's environment development director Hélène Valade spoke candidly to the audience, acknowledging the broader global situation. 'We're living through a moment that feels dizzying, because it feels like everything we thought was sustainably secured is actually fragile and can be undone,' she said, urging collective industry action. That the event was held on the same day the European Commission announced it plans to drop its draft law on minimum standards against misleading greenwashing claims was further validation of Valade's point. She also noted how luxury goods were once deemed essential during the pandemic — but today, with water shortages across France, municipalities are prioritizing drinking water over industrial use for what was previously considered an 'essential' segment. 'So we are facing real dangers and real risks, and that's how we need to approach this issue,' she said. All of the data within the report was collected carefully with antitrust laws in mind. Valade encouraged the audience to appeal to the French Competition Authority to reexamine their rules and approach the issue differently. 'Because if we don't want to talk volume among ourselves — if we don't start sharing figures — we'll remain insignificant' as a business sector. Paris Good Fashion cofounder and executive director Isabelle Lefort acknowledged that addressing the volume question had long been avoided, but said brands were now ready to confront the issue. 'If we talk only about intensity, we will do some more greenwashing,' said Lefort. 'The brands know that if they don't act, they won't survive. We are really at a tipping point. Before [sustainability] was more for the communications department, but that's finished. Now [sustainability] is arriving in the financial department — how to improve profitability, reduce environmental impact and align the value drivers.' Communication, she added, will also be critical — not only to demonstrate the value of circular models, but also to reduce reliance on fast-changing trend cycles that confuse consumers. The afternoon included workshops on biodiversity, textile recycling, and tensions between AI and sustainability in luxury fashion. ANDAM founder Nathalie Dufour led a panel with young designers Burc Akyol and Sarah Levy, alongside Ashpool and Friot. Akyol shared a concrete example of sustainability in action: switching his shipping materials to corn-based alternatives — a change that led to three-week delivery delays. 'These are the kinds of real-world issues we face. It's not bad intentions, it's trial and error. And for small brands like ours, it's extremely expensive,' he said. He urged large French groups to support independent designers, suggesting shared logistics systems as one solution. 'I'm deeply worried, especially about water… water could be gone in 50 years. Think about that, instead of designing another dress,' he told the audience. 'We're the heirs of what these big groups leave behind, not just the luxury ones. Some companies hide behind amazing PR, but they're not design studios, they're just buyers.' This inaugural Midsummer Camp marks Paris Good Fashion's first step toward building a long-term gathering for industry professionals, with plans to expand the event. A second day of activations at the chateau included public-facing discussions and workshops on sustainable fashion. Best of WWD What Is Sustainable Fashion? The Environmental Impact and Future of the Fashion Industry, Explained Gianvito Rossi Ramps Up Sustainability Efforts Moncler Tops Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for Third Year in a Row
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Inside VivaTech: LVMH Spotlights AI and Sustainability at Innovation Awards
PARIS — Bernard Arnault, chairman and chief executive officer of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, was working his second job Thursday morning, missing the annual Innovation Awards at the VivaTech fair. LVMH's head of communication, image and environment, Antoine Arnault, stepped into his father's shoes to apologize to the crowd and congratulate the winners. More from WWD Magic vs. Logic: Analysts Get Creative and Start to Weigh In on Designer Appointments Louis Vuitton Is the New Official Partner of Real Madrid Shoppers Are Investing in Luxury Handbags Over Stock 'You might have noticed that, on top of his multiple hats, he also became recently a diplomat, and his diplomacy skills made him unable to attend today,' said the younger Arnault of his father's whereabouts. 'But it's nothing more than that, and he's very sad that he couldn't be here,' he added, heading off any speculation at the pass. The winners were selected from LVMH's Maison des Startups and judged on new criteria this year, including the ability to collaborate with brands and capability to scale quickly. Real-time predictive audience segmentation AI Kahoona, partnered with Dior, took the best business prize for its ability to read the 'digital body language' of anonymous site visitors; soil health measurement system Genesis, collaborating with Moët Hennessy, took the Impact Prize; and digital twin 3D AI content creation studio OMI, partnering with Guerlain, took the Most Promising prize. Tiffany & Co. stepped in for the first time to create the trophy, and on stage, representatives from each winning team asked Arnault a question on business leadership. 'You need a little bit of craziness sometimes, and you need to take crazy decisions once in a while,' he said, citing the decision of Bernard Arnault hiring John Galliano to head the house of Christian Dior when he was just a 'young British [designer] with a bit of a bad reputation.' Imparting the lessons he's learned from the luxury business, Arnault said that when Amazon started growing into the shopping behemoth it is today, his father went against the grain and opened bigger, flashier retail spaces to transform shopping into entertainment. 'He tried to prove that you needed temples — not to worship luxury products — but at least to have a great experience, and to go in there and meet people, drink a glass of Champagne, take your time, and then maybe take a crazy decision on buying very expensive products,' he said. After the ceremony, winners were treated to a live engraving of their name on the trophy, Oscars-style. Other heavy hitters made their way to the convention center in the south of Paris, including French President Emmanuel Macron and prime minister François Bayrou. The newly minted superstar speaking slot went to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. Overall, this year's programming bid bye-bye to blockchain and adios to AR — the exhibitor and speaker lineup was heavy on companies with an AI angle. However, this is a generational shift and not just another trend, said LVMH chief information officer Franck Le Moal. 'AI and genAI are definitely a strong transformation,' he told WWD. 'It will not be a kind of buzz word, a bit like 'metaverse' was. It's really becoming part of the day-to-day processes' integrated throughout systems across the company, he said. Le Moal said LVMH is supporting its workforce in learning AI as a tool and has created two academies within the conglomerate to educate staff at all levels on a 'new way of working.' He highlighted several use cases being tested at LVMH, including using AI in marketing to adjust content for different countries and social platforms, and using generative AI to create photo-realistic content. The company also renewed its partnership with Google Cloud, focusing on developing new AI, including an internal version of Google's Gemini called MaIA, and is developing AI agents for retail sales and client outreach. AI is already deployed in supply chain forecasting and inventory optimization. 'We can use technology to adjust and make our supply chain even more efficient in a very unpredictable context,' he said, framing production within the current climate and geopolitical challenges. 'We are facing agility, being able to answer very quickly to the context in China, in the U.S., in Europe, being able to adjust our production and distribution.' Kahoona's tech uses what cofounder Gal Rapoport called 'digital body language,' finger size, movements, and signals that can be analyzed by AI to identify and understand the personality of an anonymous shopper. Rapoport said research shows that 96 percent of visitors to a website are anonymous, and only 0.5 to 3 percent of those visitors convert to a sale. Early data demonstrates that the hyper-personalization and segmentation that comes along with personality detection drives engagement up over 10 times. Advertising is now in the hands of the brands, which can create product campaigns or use virtual models that can be ordered up in minutes. Most Promising Prize winner OMI's tech makes a digital twin of any item, which can then be used inside an 'endless photoshoot,' manipulating positioning, light reflecting, and altering ratios for platform compatibility. OMI's rendered images are photorealistic and give the power to the brands to create their own ads and media, be it the design, marketing or e-commerce team — pretty much any team in an organization — with the same 3D model at the core. 'The main advantage is that it's a non-technical skills-related solution,' said OMI product manager Swen Hueber. Without need for an engineer, it significantly reduces ad production costs and time down to a few hours. Elsewhere, brands can now mix-and-match model features, much like shopping online, with AI photo studio Veeton. The start-up's tech can replicate a full photoshoot within two hours, said cofounder and CEO Flore Lestrade. Fashion brands have been working with existing tech like Midjourney to create images, but they can still wander in the uncanny valley. 'That's something fashion brands are actively working on — de-AI-ifying those images,' said Lestrade. Veeton offers a menu of virtual models to select from, adjustable for body types, pose, race, style and age. Users can upload flat pack shots, and the AI will create a look from its dataset of over 50 million fashion images. Subtleties such as facial expressions or posture can be adjusted with prompts to match creative direction without the need for engineers or editors, she said. Veeton has already worked with Showroomprivé and will roll out to more fashion brands and retailers soon. EssilorLuxottica CEO Paul du Saillant and Publicis Groupe Chair Emeritus Maurice Levy took the stage to tout the eyewear maker's partnership between its Ray-Ban brand and Meta to create connected glasses. Du Saillant said Google's attempt at connected glasses didn't work a decade ago because they 'did not address the style element.' Levy said he doesn't go into a meeting these days without wearing a pair of the glasses — which can record video and audio, amplify sound, and alert wearers of emails and text messages in real time. The eyewear company is preparing to 'expand aggressively' and will roll out more styles and possibly partnerships with other brands soon. EBay France general manager Sarah Tayeb and Vestiaire Collective chief impact officer Dounia Wone both addressed the apparent contradiction of using AI, which consumes significant amounts of energy and water, to simplify resale or refurbished goods shopping. Both use tech that can help create and translate listings, as well as assist with search to help nudge consumer behavior. 'We need to take a step back,' said Wone. AI can help these businesses 'grow in an industry that is very much a huge polluting industry,' she said, and help create a circular economy. By adding ease, AI support enables more people to enter the resale ecosystem and has helped double sales of suggested items. 'It's an opportunity, because sustainability tech needs to be aligned with growth,' she said. Sustainability data management platform Sweep works with fashion brands including Burberry, Lacoste, and The Kooples, and beauty brands such as Caudalie, to collect and monitor environmental and carbon data throughout their supply chains, as well as build transition plans. Sweep cofounder and CEO Rachel Delacour emphasized that companies should see sustainability as a key driver of transformation, as it helps break down departmental silos and establishes sustainability as a core business pillar. It's a tricky global moment with the new Trump tariffs upending global trade and the EU potentially rolling back some sustainability reporting regulations, but Delacour said that while fashion brands are becoming more cautious, they aren't abandoning sustainability altogether. 'The fashion brands we are talking with are telling us, 'We can't waste four years of data collection,'' she said. Instead, the uncertainty is acting as an accelerator for companies to make a stronger business case for sustainable supply chains. Regardless of how the regulations play out, both European and U.S.-based companies see sustainability as necessary to future-proofing their businesses. 'It has actually accelerated the sustainability understanding and how they must engage with their value chain and [demonstrate] the ROI of all this for the CEO and the board members,' she said. 'There are finite resources on this planet. There will be winners and losers. The ones who are not able to transition to a low carbon economy in their business and in their value chain, they won't be here in the next 10 years.' 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