Balmain

Analysis from BoF INSIGHTS PULSE shows which brands and celebrities drove the conversation around the Met Gala on social media — and why.

From Bottega Veneta’s poetry pact to Rui Zhou’s sex toy tie-up, marketing partnerships are becoming increasingly bold and imaginative as brands try to reignite demand in the cooling China market.

Luxury fashion brands like Bottega Veneta, Balmain and Rabanne are looking to cash in on the niche fragrance boom with new lines of ultra-premium scents. They face tough competition from more agile indies — and are dealing with a different kind of customer.

Amid a luxury fashion slowdown, brands are launching full beauty lines at a record pace as they jostle to find their position in a crowded market.

The brands that are most understood by their customers are those that maintain consistent codes even in the face of changing trends, according to the latest reading from The BoF Brand Magic Index, powered by Quilt.AI.

Prestige makeup is fashion’s category expansion du jour. But even the market’s most powerful players could learn a thing or two from its celebrity-backed competition.

Jean-Jacques Guevel’s departure follows the exit of the brand’s marketing chief Txampi Diz last week.

Balenciaga’s collaboration with Erewhon is the most high-profile example of the unlikely movement for carrier bags that is sweeping high-fashion, as well as the secondhand market.

The designer’s extravagant vision and charismatic persona have taken the Parisian luxury house’s annual sales from €20 million to €300 million, Rousteing revealed in an exclusive interview with Laurence Benaïm which covers opulence, longevity, diversity and the aftermath of a shocking robbery.

Amid a wave of high-profile incidents of theft and violence, big retailers are taking increasingly drastic steps, including closing stores and beefing up security.