Francesco Ragazzi is turning over a new leaf. The Italian designer recently sold Palm Angels, the luxury streetwear label he founded in 2015, to brand management company Bluestar Alliance, and is now launching into high-end perfumery with a new project unveiled on Wednesday February 26 during Milan Fashion Week.
Francesco Ragazzi’s new perfume brand has launched its first seven fragrances – Réservation
The brand is called Réservation, and is described as “a new perfume brand inspired by Italian fashion, French know-how, and the spirit of California.” Réservation’s launch collection features seven fragrances inspired by various times in an imaginary day in a luxury hotel. The brand’s name evokes the world of travel and hospitality, as illustrated by its showroom, decked out like a hotel reception.
To enter this new segment, Ragazzi has surrounded himself with a solid team based in the heart of Milan’s luxury district, opening the brand’s headquarters and showroom on prestigious via Montenapoleone.
He set up the company that runs Réservation as a 50-50 partnership with Archive, an investment firm owned by the holding company of the Ruffini family, which controls Moncler. Archive is led by Pietro Ruffini, son of Moncler boss Remo Ruffini, and also holds stakes in labels The Attico and Pas Normal Studios, and in the restaurant business, with Langosteria Holding and Concettina ai Tre Santi.
Ragazzi has also brought on board two Frenchmen, Yann Vasnier, who has designed several fragrances as perfumer at Givaudan, and Frédérique Obin, who has worked for the Costes Hotel in Paris and Thom Browne, and is Réservation’s creative director.
The first Réservation perfumes will be commercialised soon at €250 for a 100 ml bottle on the brand’s e-shop and at select multibrand retailers.
Nivea maker Beiersdorf said on Thursday it will launch a share buyback program of up to 500 million euros ($524.85 million) in 2025.
Reuters
The program is expected to commence after the company’s 2025 annual general meeting and conclude by the end of the year.
In October, the firm reported a rise in group sales for the first nine months of 2024, and said it expected a strong fourth quarter despite persisting challenges in the Chinese luxury market.
The German skincare company also completed a 500 million euro share buyback program in 2024.
The company will report its full-year 2024 results on Thursday.
Clean cosmetics brand Winky Lux announced on Wednesday the appointment of Lauren Bloomer as its new chief executive officer.
Lauren Bloomer, left, Natalie Mackey – Courtesy
The move follows a period of expansion at the New York-based company, including a majority investment from Core Industrial Partners in July 2024.
With the appointment of Bloomer, co-founder Natalie Mackey will continue to drive the brand’s creative evolution as creative director.
“I am honored to join a brand as spirited and innovative as Winky Lux,” said Bloomer.
“Working closely with Natalie, whose creative vision has been the heartbeat of this company from day one, I look forward to building upon its strong foundation. Together, we will further ignite the brand’s growth, ensuring that each new chapter reflects our commitment to quality, creativity, and fun.”
A consumer goods and beauty expert, Bloomer brings more than 23 years of expertise in brand strategy, omnichannel growth, and team leadership to Winky Lux.
Before joining Winky Lux, the executive served as president of the Good Glamm Group, where she oversaw international expansion and served as a board member for WYN Beauty by Serena Williams. She also spent 14 years at the Estee Lauder Companies, where she held leadership positions at Becc Cosmetics, the Estee Lauder brand, and Clinique. She also held previous positions at the Clorox Company and the Boston Consulting Group.
“I have always believed that great leadership fuels creative innovation,” said Mackey. “After an extensive search for a visionary leader who shares our passion for redefining beauty, I am thrilled to introduce Lauren as our new CEO. This decision is a pivotal step for Winky Lux as we continue to grow while staying true to our core values of Joy, Playfulness and Community.”
Founded in 2015 by Natalie Mackey and Nate Newman, Winky Lux is an innovative beauty brand that offers “clean, joyful” makeup.
E-commerce firm eBay forecast first-quarter revenue below Wall Street estimates on Wednesday, signaling weak demand for products such as collector’s items and refurbished goods, sending its shares down 7% in extended trading.
Ebay
High interest rates and persistent inflation have hampered U.S. consumer spending for two years, leading to sluggish demand for non-essential items such as collectibles and luxury accessories.
The e-commerce company has been pressurized by decreasing advertising revenue and faces intense competition from Amazon, opens new tab and China’s Alibaba Group, opens new tab, the B2B online marketplace.
The elimination of selling fees for consumer-to-consumer sellers for all items excluding cars sold domestically in the UK is also expected to pressure eBay’s take rate, which is how much money a business makes from a transaction.
The company expects revenue in the range of $2.52 billion to $2.56 billion for the first quarter, compared with analysts’ average estimate of $2.59 billion according to data compiled by LSEG.
EBay expects gross merchandise volume, a key industry metric that denotes the total value of goods and services sold on the marketplace, between $18.3 billion and $18.6 billion for the quarter, below estimates of $18.8 billion.
Revenue for the fourth quarter ended December 31 was $2.58 billion, compared to analysts’ average estimate of $2.57 billion according to data compiled by LSEG.