Latest news with #fashion
Vogue
20 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Vogue
From White Summer Cottons to Black Sheer, Lauren Sánchez Bezos Has Her Vacation Wardrobe on Lock
Saint-Tropez has already seen the full spectrum of Lauren Sánchez Bezos's vacation style. Having returned to the French Riviera with her new husband Jeff Bezos, she's dipped into her rotation of colorful vintage Roberto Cavalli gowns and legion of bodysuits and sheer skirts for leisurely lunches, beach club lounging, and dinners at super exclusive Saint-Tropez spots. Her latest duo of day-to-night looks oscillate between Sánchez Bezos's central aesthetics. In the day, the former journalist was photographed out shopping with a friend. She wore a white cotton eyelet-dotted summer dress by Dolce & Gabbana (a go-to brand for Sánchez Bezos, who opted for D&G as her bridal gown in a suite of decadent looks), paired with a setting-appropriate straw visor that sat low over her face, a pair of light colored aviator sunglasses, a cream and gold link-strapped crossbody bag, and white, gold, and red striped sneakers. It's definitely on the more casual and pared back side of her wardrobe. Photo: Backgrid Later in the evening, she reunited with her husband Jeff for dinner. This look was much more in tune with the night-on-the-tiles, sexy, and sensual Lauren Sánchez Bezos school of style. She wore a burnt black, sheer animal print slip dress with barely there straps, an arpeggiating hemline, and which was completely backless, with black underwear, and a pair of open-toed black stilettos. She wore her hair up in a loose chignon with a deep side part, and carried a tiny black square handbag. Bezos, beside her, kept to his own usual uniform: he wore a navy polo, gray slacks, and seafoam-toned shoes with a signature pair of aviator sunglasses. Photo: Backgrid Photo: Backgrid For Sánchez Bezos, her most luxurious evenings out—whether in Paris for Couture Week with Katy Perry or Portofino with Jeff—speak to her favored brands and silhouettes. Often, she'll look to animal print Cavalli slips and skin-tight leather Versace mini-dresses, corsets of all kinds, and floaty sheer numbers. Her Venice-set wedding day revelled in looks inspired by Sophia Loren and added more demure, nostalgic touches to her usual rotation. Day to night, French Riviera or Parisian bistro, Lauren Sánchez Bezos is locked in for whatever Euro Summer throws at her.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
High street fashion giant 'faces collapse within weeks with 33 stores at risk'
One of Britain's most well-known fashion giants reportedly faces collapse within weeks unless a radical 11th hour rescue deal can be agreed. Hundreds of jobs at River Island are now hanging in the balance as the struggling high street retailer battles for survival following a slump in trading. In an attempt to save the fashion chain from shutting up shop, bosses have proposed a plan to hand the keys back on 33 stores. As part of the rescue deal, the company aims to try and slash rents on a further 71 shops and write off a series of debts to stave off a severe liquidity crisis. The sweeping proposals - put together by accountancy firm PwC, which is advising the retailer - will be put to the High Court next week. Should it receive the blessing of three quarters of the company's creditors, it will unlock an emergency loan from River Island's billionaire founders, the Lewis family, to help the struggling retailer to pay its bills. However, if the proposal is rejected, it could plunge River Island into an irreversible financial crisis which will see it run out of cash by the end of August, leaving it 'unable to pay its debts as they fall due', the company has reportedly told creditors. According to the Telegraph, in a stark warning laid out in the restructuring plan, River Island 'will not be able to continue trading as a going concern' and 'would be subject to administration or other insolvency proceedings'. An 800-page report compiled by the retailer's advisers, PwC, reveals the fashion house faces a £10million 'funding need' in the second week of September, which financial experts warn will skyrocket to £50million before Christmas. PwC must now convince at least 75 per cent of River Island's creditors to support is bail out proposal. The plan would allow the fashion giant to walk away from a string of debts, including tens of millions of pounds owed landlords from outstanding debts. Among those landlord affected by the restructuring deal are British Land, the Crown Estate and Mike Ashley's Frasers Groups. Councils nationwide would also be on the list. However, industry sources have said there is resistance to the plan, with insiders accusing River Island of expanding too much. 'This is family-run, they've just overstretched, and it's unfair that the landlords will struggle because they haven't maintained their relevance,' one landlord told the Telegraph. Bosses at the company blamed the closures on the 'migration of shoppers from the High Street to online' and higher costs to run stores. The family-owned retailer confirmed it is proposing to close 33 of its 230 stores by January next year as a result. A River Island spokesman told MailOnline: 'River Island circulated its proposals for a Restructuring Plan to creditors on June 20th. In combination with the company's ongoing transformation strategy, the plan is a proactive measure to place the company on a firm footing. 'We have been having positive conversations with key stakeholders and are confident that we will achieve approval of the Plan in the next few weeks.' River Island, which employs around 5,500 people, was founded in 1948 under the Lewis and Chelsea Girl brand before rebranding in the 1980s. It is now headed up by CEO Ben Lewis, the nephew of its founder, who took over his second stint as the head of the family firm in February. He previously held the position for almost a decade before stepping down in 2019. Ben Lewis, chief executive of River Island, previously said: 'River Island is a much-loved retailer, with a decades-long history on the British High Street. 'However, the well-documented migration of shoppers from the high street to online has left the business with a large portfolio of stores that is no longer aligned to our customers' needs. 'The sharp rise in the cost of doing business over the last few years has only added to the financial burden. 'We have a clear strategy to transform the business to ensure its long-term viability. 'Recent improvements in our fashion offer and in-store shopping experience are already showing very positive results, but it is only with a restructuring plan that we will be able to see this strategy through and secure River Island's future as a profitable retail business. 'We regret any job losses as a result of store closures, and we will try to keep these to a minimum.' The high street giant is among several fashion chains hit hard by weaker consumer spending and fierce competition from cheaper online rivals like Shein. In its latest accounts, River Island reported a £33.2million loss for 2023, with sales down 19 per cent, highlighting the challenging trading environment. River Island and PwC has been contacted for comment. In January, the firm introduced a redundancy programme at its London head office in a bid to save money in the context of increasingly pressured finances. The job cuts affected a range of employees across buying, merchandising and HR, but the total number of losses was not confirmed by the retailer. Company accounts showed the company was £33.2million in the red for the 12 months to December 30, 2023. It also suffered a 15 per cent decline in sales and a 19 per cent fall in turnover. The year before, River Island had a total profit of £7.5million.
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Stranger's offhand comment shows what's wrong with Australian culture
A Sydney woman was doing a classic coffee run with her sister in Bondi before a day of shopping the boutiques in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs. Melanie Quick and her sister Courtney both have a penchant for good style, but as they ordered their matchas and waited for them to arrive, a stranger made a comment to them that caught them off guard. They asked, 'Why are you so dressed up? Where are you going?' Ms Quick was wearing a cream quarter-zip sweater tucked into a slouchy silk maxi skirt and flats, while Courtney wore a faux fur coat and black jeans. While many might consider their outfits 'extra', by Aussie standards, where everyone seems to get around in activewear, it was no ballgown and heels. So it made her wonder, why does it feel so wrong to dress nicely in Australia these days? The 'overdressed' remark 'My mum always encouraged us to wear what makes us feel our best, and always shares stories about how stylish her own mother was, so I guess a sense of self-expression runs in our family,' Ms Quick told 'I always found so much joy in putting together an outfit, even if it's for something simple, like getting a coffee. I don't enjoy wearing activewear unless I'm working out or at home.' So when the stranger asked them that question, with a subtle air of judgment, she responded quite directly and refused to feel embarrassed. 'I just said we were here for coffee and offered no other explanation,' she said. Others agree we have a fashion issue down under After making a TikTok about the encounter, she was met with overwhelming support from others who thought Aussies were far too comfortable dressing down. One comment read: 'Australia is honestly one of the most poorly dressed countries … every other country I've travelled to, people dress to the 10s wherever they go but here we call it a 'day out in town' if it's more than a T-shirt and jeans'. Another noted: 'I found that when I was in Europe, genuinely no one batted an eye at my outfits, everyone was so stylish and put together, especially in Italy. But when I dress like this in Australia, all I get are stares and questions like 'Who are you dressing up for?' Ummm myself? We hate individuality here'. Is Tall Poppy Syndrome at play? Ms Quick believes this has to do with our laid-back, outdoor culture, where wearing athleisure is the unofficial uniform. According to a recent study, 78 per cent of Aussies say they wear activewear as casual wear when they're out and about. Around 40 per cent of people said they wore activewear most days, if not every day. But she also thinks something deeper is at play that contributes to people not wanting to appear as if they're trying too hard. 'When someone dresses a bit differently or is 'overdressed' – Tall Poppy Syndrome comes into play, which affects how we react to confidence and ambition,' she said. Tall Poppy Syndrome is an Australian term that describes the tendency of people to belittle or undermine those who stand out. 'Even something as small as dressing nicely can be seen as being attention-seeking,' she added. Perhaps this is a collective 'cultural cringe' According to Jacob Loaf, an Aussie fashion commentator, this phenomenon is part of our country's collective 'cultural cringe' towards people who take pride in their fashion sense. 'Australians fear dressing up,' he said, adding that this exists for men as well as women. 'When people even want to wear pants and nice shoes as opposed to a Gymshark tee and Kmart pants, it's frowned upon.' 'Why is hyper-casual clothing the societal norm?' he asked. Why people dress better overseas In fashion forums and Reddit communities, this topic is also a common subject of discussion. 'Why do we dress so casually here compared to Americans or the French?' someone asked in the r/AusFemaleFashion forum. Many comments mentioned our climate, citing our year-round warm weather as a reason why people choose less formal, more relaxed clothing. 'Coats, blazers, and jackets that can add polish to an outfit aren't needed much,' said one. Some also pointed out that we don't have many 'walkable' cities, which means people spend a lot of time, often on public transport, getting around, meaning they opt for more comfortable outfits. Another raised the point that it was to do with our limited access to upmarket clothing labels. 'Our mainstream fashion is very basic, and our niche brands can be over-the-top colourful – so if you want something nicer and elegant, it's next to impossible to find,' claimed one. Meanwhile, someone else claimed that it's because Aussies generally don't have many formal events to go to, and our lives revolve more around everyday activities. 'Embrace individual style' Despite all these discussions, Ms Quick says she isn't going to reconsider her fashion choices and will continue to dress in ways that make her feel confident. 'I think it's time we start to embrace individual style and celebrate people who want to express themselves through fashion,' she said. 'At the end of the day, what we wear is an extension of who we are, and I love seeing people feel confident and happy in their clothes. I truly think that deserves to be celebrated.'
The Sun
2 hours ago
- Business
- The Sun
River Island on ‘brink of collapse' in WEEKS as 33 shops shut and hundreds of jobs at risk
RIVER island is said to be on the "brink of collapse" unless creditors and landlords approve its rescue plan. The iconic fashion chain said it will run out of money come August if plans to shut 33 stores and cut rents on a further 71 are not given a green light. 1 That is according to a report in the Telegraph, with the high street darling set to put the terms of its plan in front of the high court next week. Part of the plans also includes writing off a series of debts to help keep the brand afloat. A formal restructuring plan written up by chain's advisers PwC, states the chain will not be able "continue trading"and 'would be subject to administration or other insolvency proceedings" if plans are not approved.
The Herald
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald
Fashion creations made from waste fabrics to hit Gqeberha runway
News Premium By Faith Mtwana - 24 July 2025 Six Gqeberha fashion designers are set to showcase their stunning creations, made from donated waste fabrics, at the upcoming Glad Rags Fashion Show. Morne van der Schyff, Tham-Tham Uduojie, Jason Kieck, Kelly Dillon, Carlos Fritz and Anton Randall will exhibit their designs at the event at the Walmer Park Shopping Centre on Saturday, August 2. ..
