As SS25 gets under way, John Lewis is upping its fashion credentials with the addition of 49 new women’s and menswear labels, including SS Daley, the award-winning brand that recently saw Harry Styles joining as an investor.
SS Daley for John Lewis
It means the department store chain will now be selling more than 350 labels alongside its own-brand fashion offer.
Selected stores and the webstore will carry over 40 women’s and men’s pieces from SS Daley, including knits and dresses with Daley’s signature design elements.
The newcomers also include Dragon Diffusion, Second Female, NN07, Norse Projects, Fast Retailing’s Theory, Summery Copenhagen and Fabienne Chapot.
It’s believed that the SS Daley deal came about through John Lewis’s long-term relationship with the British Fashion Council, and follows its inclusion of AWAKE Mode last year.
In menswear, the retailer is also expanding its selection of the existing labels it sells, including more exclusives from Barbour, Gant, Ralph Lauren and The Kooples.
Fashion director Rachel Morgans said the company still offers the quality and value expected with its fashion but it’s also introducing “sharper designs from exciting new designers, which will make our customers sit up and take notice”.
She added that menswear in particular is responding to customers getting “bolder with their choices” and that the chain wants to sell labels that make people stop and ask ‘where did you get that?’
The retailer continues to hunt down “cool, trending brands” and has seen a very good response to labels like AWAKE Mode, Hayley Menzies and The Kooples.
Meta Platforms will allow rival classified ads service providers to list ads on Facebook Marketplace, the company said on Thursday, three months after it was hit with a €797-million- ($828 million) EU antitrust fine for giving its own service an unfair advantage.
The European Commission in its decision in November said the U.S. tech giant had imposed unfair trading conditions on its rivals and had also tied Facebook Marketplace to its social network Facebook in breach of EU antitrust rules.
Calling it the Facebook Marketplace Partner Progam, Meta said the scheme is a response to the EU competition watchdog even as it challenged the fine in court.
It echoed recent comments by Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg, saying that the EU decision “serves as another example of the EU directly targeting U.S. companies in a manner that is tantamount to a tariff regime”.
Meta said it tested the partner scheme in Germany, France and the United States with eBay last month.
“This new program will mean that third-party partners (specifically, online classified ad service providers as defined in the European Commission’s decision) will be able to list their consumer-to-consumer inventory on Facebook Marketplace,” Meta said in a blogpost.
“That inventory will appear side by side with other third-party inventory and Facebook user listings.”
The Commission said it was currently assessing whether Meta has fully complied with the November ruling.
Premium haircare brand Philip Kingsley has appointed Space NK founder Nicky Kinnaird to its board. Joining this month, her arrival coincides with “an exciting new year for the brand”.
Anabel Kingsley, brand president and consultant trichologist, said: “[Her] incredible career spans over 30 years in the beauty industry and therefore we are grateful to have such an amazing addition to the team. Nicky’s visionary leadership and industry knowledge will be invaluable as we continue to drive growth and innovation. We look forward to the insights and strategic guidance she will bring to our team.”
With over 80 Space NK locations in the UK, it notes Kinnaird “has created a beauty giant in the retail space and therefore has a wealth of knowledge and passion for the beauty industry.”
She now runs her own brand consultancy, whose clients include leaders in the beauty, wellness, fitness, and lifestyle sectors in the UK, Europe, the US, and the Middle East. Her other non-executive director appointments include clinical skincare brand Colorescience, and wellness supplements brand Lumity.
Kinnaird added: “Philip Kingsley pioneered hair and scalp health. I am thrilled to join the Boards of his Clinics and product company. I believe this is a pivotal time for clinical haircare. Consumer awareness is, rightly, building around the importance of scalp care for healthy hair maintenance and growth.”
British luxury beauty/wellness brand Elemis has revved up its publicity machine becoming the first ‘Official Skincare Partner’ for Aston Martin Aramco’s Formula One team. It’s a multi-year partnership that “bring[s] together leading beauty innovation with the high-performance world of Formula One”, we’re told.
And the reason? To promote inclusivity within the world of Formula One that’s “recently seen a shift in fan demographic”.
A recent study by Nielson shows that 41% of fans are women, and the fastest growing fanbase are those aged 16-24.
And that focus on inclusion aligns neatly with Aston Martin Aramco’s own ‘Make a Mark’ strategy “which aims to drive positive progress through the influence of the sport”.
Both say they’re dedicated to environmentally conscious practices including sustainable sourcing that respects the planet. Elemis, meanwhile, also becomes the first B Corp business to partner with the team.
During the first partnership year, the beauty brand will launch an edit of exclusive, limited-edition products, as well as offering guests “the ultimate trackside experience” at the Aston Martin Aramco Paddock Club Suite, “providing a moment of wellbeing with experiential ‘pit stop’ treatments”.
And to mark the association Elemis will activate a first-of-its-kind spa experience at the Monaco Grand Prix in May… on board the Aston Martin Aramco luxury yacht, or course.
Séan Harrington, Elemis co-founder & CEO, said: “This value-driven partnership is the first of its kind and a pioneering effort in Formula One. It demonstrates how two leaders and innovators in our respective fields can work together to shift perception, empower others, and create an unrivalled lifestyle experience.”
Jeff Slack, managing director of commercial, Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team, added: “Announcing our first Official Skincare Partner marks a significant milestone in how we connect with our fans, and I’m eager to see it open up new opportunities for both.”