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Amazon to pay $2.5 billion to settle legal case over misleading Prime subscriptions

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September 27, 2025

Amazon has agreed to make a one-off $2.5 billion payment to settle the U.S. court case in which the online retail giant was accused of deceiving tens of millions of consumers into subscribing to its Prime service.

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Under the agreement reached between Amazon and the U.S. consumer protection authority (FTC), the Seattle-based company will pay $1.5 billion to compensate affected subscribers, while a further $1 billion will be paid to the US Treasury as a penalty.

“Today, the FTC (…) has won a monumental and unprecedented victory for the millions of Americans weary of deceptive subscriptions that seem impossible to cancel,” said FTC Commissioner Andrew N. Ferguson in a statement.

“Amazon and our executives have always respected the law, and this agreement allows us to move forward and focus on innovation to serve our customers,” the company said in a statement, which, through this agreement, avoids a conviction or any admission of the allegations.

In 2024, Amazon was the leading fashion retailer in the United States, capturing 16.2% of the U.S. apparel market. A category that, along with high-tech, is among the marketplace’s flagship offerings. In France, Amazon is the third-biggest clothing retailer by volume, across all channels, behind Vinted and Kiabi, according to the new consumer barometer from the Institut Français de la Mode.

“Dark patterns” to fool customers

This case is part of a series of recent lawsuits brought in the U.S. under both Democratic and Republican administrations to curb the unchecked dominance of several major technology companies, such as Google and Apple, after years of governmental leniency. With regard to Prime, the FTC brought this action in 2023, accusing Amazon of knowingly deploying manipulative interfaces, known as “dark patterns”, so that, at the point of purchase, consumers would also subscribe to the Prime service for $139 per year.

This paid subscription offers a number of additional services, including free, fast delivery, discounts in certain supermarkets and access to Amazon’s video platform. The company faced two main allegations: that it gained subscribers without their explicit consent, by making it very difficult to click the right buttons to refuse the subscription, and that it created a deliberately complex cancellation system, internally nicknamed “Iliad”, after Homer’s poem about the long and difficult Trojan War.

Amazon promises change

Amazon was also accused of charging its customers before disclosing the full terms and conditions of the subscription. The case began on Monday with a jury trial in federal court in Seattle, presided over by Judge John Chun. Judge Chun is also overseeing another case brought by the FTC against Amazon, this time alleging an illegal monopoly. This other case will go to trial in 2027.

Under the terms of the agreement reached on Thursday, Amazon has committed to obtaining explicit consent before any subscription or charge, and to simplifying cancellation procedures, under a protocol it must follow for ten years. Amazon has consistently disputed the allegations, saying it has improved its sign-up and cancellation processes. Last week, Judge Chun also found that Amazon had violated an online shopper protection law by collecting billing data from Prime subscribers before explaining the terms of use.

The FTC based its case in part on the ROSCA Act, which came into force in 2010 and prohibits charging for online services that are activated by default, without clearly stating the terms, without obtaining explicit customer consent, and without providing simple cancellation procedures.

(with AFP)

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GoldenTree to buy about $200 million of Saks Global bankruptcy financing, Bloomberg News reports

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January 21, 2026

Global asset management firm GoldenTree will buy a chunk of a $1 billion ⁠bankruptcy financing for luxury retailer Saks Global, Bloomberg ⁠News reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with ‍the ‌matter.

A Neiman Marcus store, part of the Saks business – Neiman Marcus

GoldenTree, which is founded ⁠by billionaire ‌Steve Tananbaum, has committed ‌to buy a roughly $200 million portion of the so-called debtor-in-possession financing, according to ‍the report.

Saks Global and GoldenTree did not ‌immediately ⁠respond ​to Reuters requests for ⁠comment.

The ​high-end US department store conglomerate filed for Chapter ​11 bankruptcy protection on January 13, after ⁠a debt-laden ⁠takeover.
 

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Warped begins worldwide debut in Italy with its menswear line

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January 21, 2026

Warped, a proudly Australian menswear brand, made its debut at the recent Pitti Uomo 109, unveiling its first-ever collection for Autumn–Winter 2026/27. Warped channels a strong, functional and authentic masculinity, free of artifice: a man capable of moving with equal ease through the Australian outback or a metropolis, without ever betraying himself. This vision translates into a collection that combines ready-to-wear, streetwear and active-functional pieces, underpinned by rigorous material research, responsible production, and a strong connection to Australia’s history and identity.

Jack Cassidy Williams, right, wearing Warped alongside one of his sons

The brand is so steeped in the free-spirited, authentic ethos of Mitch “Crocodile” Dundee, a cult figure of 1980s cinema who helped shape the image abroad of the no-nonsense Australian, that even the founder- who arrived in Milan with his two sons, aged 18 and 15, already active in the company- looks like the very character created by Paul Hogan.

“Crocodile Dundee is not just a film to us; it’s a way of being in the world. It’s about a man who hunts crocodiles with his bare hands in the outback and stays true to himself even under the dazzling lights of the metropolis,” Warped founder Jack Cassidy Williams explained to FashionNetwork.com. “It’s the story of a man who enters a sophisticated system without changing who he is. Functional, direct, honest. This is who we are. We’re not here to bend to fashion’s unwritten rules, but to bring our own way of doing things: less artifice, more reality.”

Warped

“Everything in the collection is handmade by my family. We design it, select the fabrics, create the patterns, and develop everything together- my children and I- in Australia. Traditional garments with modern finishes, in terms of handle and functionality; we even offer waterproof clothing, such as GOTS-certified waterproof cotton. Then there’s denim. All the fabrics are 100% made in Italy,” Cassidy Williams continues. At the heart of the collection is extensive fabric research: 100% RWS wool; high-stretch scuba fabrics and bi-stretch wool; cotton denim with a 3D weave effect; water-repellent cottons, viscose and viscose/linen blends for suits, jackets and trousers; high-performance, ultra-comfortable fabrics; and kangaroo-leather laces- a material five times as strong as cowhide- hand-finished with raw edges and authentic details.

“The collection is, in a way, a tribute to America, because the theme is the so-called ramblin’ man, or the free man; it’s basically about my whole life,” says the Australian entrepreneur. “All those people who decided to forge their own journey, to walk the path of life without following someone else. Like Hank Williams, Jack Kerouac, Duke Ellington, Bird, Muddy Waters, Pinetop, or Woody Guthrie- men who honoured life. Nowadays it’s so difficult to be free that freedom really is a state of mind. It’s our first collection through and through; we practically finished it before boarding the plane,” Cassidy Williams laughs heartily, then slips on a floppy wide-brimmed hat, slings a kangaroo hide over his shoulder and, as he pretends to crack a whip in the air, looks even more like Mitch Dundee- all after letting us taste a kangaroo salami and crocodile snacks…

Warped

“Our family has a textile tradition of great depth- more than sixty years- so Warped also works with the best global manufacturers in the mid-luxury segment: lace from France, fabrics from Italy, and other high-quality materials sourced from factories in Turkey, Japan and Korea,” Jack Cassidy Williams continues. “These factories were chosen not for trend’s sake, but because they’re unique- each one different from the next.”

Warped’s menswear collection for Autumn–Winter 2026/27 comprises around 40 looks spanning ready-to-wear, streetwear, and active-functional pieces. Jackets, suits, trousers, shorts, shirts, and T-shirts sit alongside a street and sportswear offer that includes hoodies, joggers and technical garments, all designed to be comfortable, durable, easy to care for, and genuinely wearable day to day.

Alongside the Warped men’s line, the company presented the Golden Age Sportswear (G.A.S) label in Milan, while the Warped Woman, and G.A.S Woman’s Street collections will debut in Italy from next Spring/Summer.

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Paris Menswear Tuesday: Études Studio, Auralee

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January 21, 2026

Two indie fashion brands, Auralee from Japan and Études Studio from France, staged highly contrasting collections on Tuesday, the opening day of Paris Fashion Week Men, testifying to the dynamism of the season in the French capital.
 
Auralee: Purist fashion with polish
 
A moment of grace on Tuesday evening at Auralee, where Ryota Iwai’s deceptively understated designs never fail to impress.

Auralee’s answer to its question: “What makes winter joyful?” – Luca Tombolini

 
Staged in the Musée de l’Homme facing an illuminated Eiffel Tower, the show was the latest pure statement by a designer whose clothes blend subtlety with refinement.
 
Whatever fabric Iwai plays with always seems just right: whether speckled Donegal tweeds seen in brown knit pants for guys, or a frayed hem skirt for girls in this co-ed show. Leather or lambskin jerkins and baseball jackets, all were ideal.

Semi-transparent nylon splash vests or wispy trenches had real cool. While Iwai’s detailing was also very natty- like the flight jacket trimmed with fur.

A women's look by Auralee
A women’s look by Auralee – Luca Tombolini

 
He is also a great colourist- from the washed-out sea green of a canvas ranger’s jacket to the moody Mediterranean blue of a caban. Though his finale featured a quintet of looks in black. Most charmingly a languid, deconstructed double-breasted cashmere coat worn on a shirtless model- the picture of perfection.
 
There were perhaps not that many sartorial fireworks in the show, but there didn’t need to be. This was a purist fashion statement of polish and precision that this audience could only admire.
 
Backed up by a great soundtrack – Sounding Line 6 by Moritz. Von Oswald or the cutely named Autumn Sweater by Yo La Tengo- the whole display won Ryota a loud and long ovation. Fully deserved too.
 
Études Studio: Resonating in IRCAM

Études Studio certainly know how to stage a show. The design duo invited guests into the bowels of the Institute for Research and Coordination in Acoustics/Music, or IRCAM a unique French concept dedicated to experimental sounds.

A look by Études Studio
A look by Études Studio – Collective Parade – Gaspar J. Ruiz Lidberg

Which we enjoyed a lot of thanks to Darren J. Cunningham, a British electronic musician known professionally as Actress. It made for a dramatic mood, as keys and chords swelled and raged throughout this show.
 
As a result, the design duo of Aurélien Arbet and Jérémie Egry titled this Autumn/Winter 2027 collection ‘Résonances.’ Terming it in their program: “A medley bringing into dialogue the minimalist experiments rooted in John Cage’s philosophy with the emergence of intelligent Dance Music in the early 1990s.”
 
The result was a rather moody series of clothes, made in a sombre palette of muddy brown, dark purple, black, black, and even more black.

Muted tones at Études Studio
Muted tones at Études Studio – Collective Parade – Gaspar J. Ruiz Lidberg

 
What stood out were the bulbous, off-the-shoulder puffers, worn over corduroy shirts or roll-necks- topped by some great rancher hats courtesy of Lambert. One could also admire sleek raingear; cool cocoon shaped jerkins and fuzzy mohair sweaters.  And appreciate a sleek A-Line coat and zippered knit safari jacket in a rare women’s look in this show.
 
Photoshopped faces in black and white scarves all looked very appealing, as did the brand’s debut bag, a satchel in tough canvas. And one had to applaud one great dull gold, wildly deconstructed puffer.
 
That said, the collection lacked proper kick and rarely resonated as the show title suggested it would. A decent statement about the mode, but far from a fashion moment. 
 

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