British inflation figures on Wednesday delivered some better news than a month ago with the annual increase slowing to 2.8% in February from January’s surprise 3%. And the biggest impact on the number? Clothing.
Photo: Pixabay
First, the headlines. The Office for National Statistics announced the new figures and they came as a surprise with analysts having been touting less of a slowdown — assuming that inflation would have ticked up by 2.9%.
Admittedly, the Bank of England doesn’t think the slowdown will last and is predicting a 3.75% rate in Q3 as energy costs, household utility bills and public transport fares all rise.
But for now, the news is good. The ONS said that as well as the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rising by 2.8%, February’s Consumer Prices Index including owner occupiers’ housing costs (CPIH) rose by 3.7%, down from January’s 3.9%.
Month-on-month, both CPI and CPIH rose by 0.4% in February 2025, compared with a rise of 0.6% in February 2024.
As mentioned, the largest downward contribution to the monthly change in both CPIH and CPI annual rates came from clothing. That’s perhaps a reflection of the fashion sector responding to sluggish consumer demand and other factors with more markdowns and/or lower initial ticket prices.
The CPIH annual rate for clothing and footwear had been 1.8% in January but was -0.6% in February. The February figure was the first negative annual rate since October 2021 when the pandemic had a distorting effect on overall patterns.
The easing in the annual rate was mainly the result of “a large downward effect from garments for women, with small downward effects coming from a range of women’s clothing items”. There were additional small downward effects from kidswear, and other clothing and clothing accessories, such as hats and women’s scarves.
On a monthly basis, prices fell by 0.3% in February 2025 compared with a rise of 2.1% a year ago. Prices normally rise in February as the spring product ranges start to enter the shops following the January sales period.
The Marseille commercial court ordered the judicial liquidation of French denim brand Kaporal on March 27, marking the end of the company’s operations. The ruling follows an 18-month management-led takeover and affects 280 employees.
Kaporal shuts down – Kaporal
As of March 28, Kaporal’s e-commerce site displays a closure message: “Permanently closed. This site is no longer active. Thank you for your trust and support. See you soon, here or somewhere else!”
The liquidation ruling definitively halts the company’s activity. At its peak, Kaporal operated over 60 stores in France. According to the local newspaper, La Provence, the court did not permit business continuation under new terms.
The ruling brings an end to the company’s short-lived recovery effort. In July 2023, three senior managers took over the brand through a court-approved restructuring plan, aiming to save 78 out of 85 stores and retain 395 of the 434 employees. Since then, the company has further scaled back, focusing on restoring its denim heritage and reconnecting with its Southern French roots.
“Since the takeover, the team worked relentlessly to revive the brand, with a renewed focus on style and the popular, warm values that define Kaporal,” the company stated in a letter shared with FashionNetwork.com.
“By returning to our denim roots and embracing bold collaborations, we reignited creative energy, clarified our brand identity, and reinforced our position in the market. We managed to modernize the offer without losing Kaporal’s authenticity—rooted in Mediterranean culture and, especially, its love for Marseille. Unfortunately, today’s economic conditions make it impossible to continue this work within the current framework.”
Kaporal had set an ambitious revenue target of €60 million, requiring sustained double-digit growth, which it ultimately failed to achieve. Although broader conditions in the French fashion retail sector have been challenging, the company has not disclosed specific reasons behind the decision to cease operations.
In the same letter, the leadership expressed gratitude to teams in France and abroad, acknowledging their commitment and resilience: “Their dedication kept the business going and drove the necessary transformation. We also want to thank our partners, suppliers, and customers for their unwavering support and trust.”
It remains unclear whether a buyer will step in to acquire Kaporal’s assets, including the brand name.
Founded in 2004 by a Marseille-based family with roots in denim manufacturing, Kaporal posted €99 million in revenue in 2022 but struggled with persistent losses, which led to its restructuring. In 2023, founder Laurent Emsellem—who led the company until 2013, following its acquisition by TowerBrook Capital Partners—made an unsuccessful attempt to repurchase the brand, proposing to retain 281 employees and 70% of the store network.
Other Marseille-based denim players, including Golden Blue, owner of Le Temps des Cerises, expressed interest in the brand. The case also drew attention from Guerrida—operator of Frishop and Tritex—and off-price chain Noz, which explored acquiring Kaporal’s stock.
In a major strategic change Dsquared2 has ended its long-time licensing agreement with Staff International, the key operating company of Italian fashion billionaire Renzo Rosso. Who, in turn, has already sued the designers in response.
Dean & Dan Caten, by Giampaolo Sgura
However, six hours after DSquared2 announced the termination of its long-time licensing agreement with Staff International, the licensor sued the fashion house for breach of contract. The conflicting statements suggest that this issue looks like becoming a major court battle pitting one of Italy’s largest fashion empires and one of Milan’s hottest runway brands.
“Dsquared2 Group announces the immediate termination of its licensing agreement with Staff International S.p.A. Consequently, the Group will assume direct control over the production and distribution of its Ready-to-Wear collections,” the Milan-based house said in a terse release Saturday.
“This transition takes effect immediately and will commence with the upcoming Pre-Collection Spring/Summer 2026 sales campaign,” added Dsquared2, which was founded by twin brothers Dean and Dan Caten over three decades ago.
Staff International is the key production wing of Only The Brave, the holding company of Rosso, which also owns Diesel, Marni, Maison Margiela and Jil Sander, as well as the manufauring license of Viktor&Rolf.
“Dsquared2 Group expresses its sincere gratitude to all those who have contributed to this collaboration and looks forward to fostering continued partnerships in the future,” the release added.
However, later Saturday, Rosso’s group responded forcefully: “Staff International reiterates its conviction that the license agreement is fully effective and confirms its intention to fully execute it until its natural expiry. Therefore, the company firmly rejects any possibility of early termination of the contractual relationship, and believes that legal conditions for early termination do not exist.”
“Staff International will continue to act with the utmost transparency and determination to protect its rights, honour its contractual commitments and safeguard its reputation, and reserves the right to take any further action,” it added.
The agreement – which is said to last 25 years, with Staff International dates back to 2002, and helped fuel the spectacular development of Dsquared2, the last runway brand in Milan to have grown into a major global fashion brand.
Born in Willowdale, Ontario, Dean and Dan Caten (Catenacci, originally) began their career path in fashion by moving to New York in 1983 to attend Parson’s School of Design. In 1991 they arrived in Italy where in 1994, after numerous collaborations with major fashion houses, they first staged their debut runway collection. It marked the first in a long line of runway extravaganzas that would capture the attention of journalists and buyers for their unique brand of fashion, music and theatre.
The Catens went on to build a multi-million dollar business. And to dress everyone from Madonna in her iconic western video clip, “Don’t Tell Me”, to Beyoncé for her Super Bowl performance. The duo also has an impressive range, all the way to dressing the four-time English Premiership Champions, Manchester City. And a great HQ, a former electric energy headquarters converted into office, show-space, inn, gym and rooftop restaurant with swimming pool. They have become one of the city’s great fashion institutions without ever losing the DNA of the Wild North. And famed for their ovations, where they take their bow in matching outfits – whether disco dragoons, Klondike trappers or matinee idols.
Leave it to the Canadian duo to stage an epic 30th anniversary show in Milan this past season, the cast marching out of a wrecked brick garage, or arriving in a series of mighty wheels. From armored personnel carriers and Ford Mustang convertibles to an all-silver DeLorean and a vintage Rolls Royce – all took turns arriving in the huge warehouse done up like a nightclub.
All of the Caten’s great archetypes got an outing. Mad saucy trapper girls in giant puffers and lots of legs; a trio of rockers with Kiss goth makeup but in three-piece suits; Klondike gold diggers off to an all-night rave; sexy vampy rock goddesses with bumster leather pants and fur coats with trains; and a beautiful black rodeo gal with mini cocktail made of bands of Western belts. Leading to the arrival with sirens of NYC police car, from which emerged a dominatrix leather police captain played by Brigitte Nielsen escorted two white collar criminals. You guessed it – Dean and Dan. Before, amid huge roars, JT and Doechii took the floor in a call and response duet surrounded by the entire cast.
Renzo Rosso’s fashion holding company OTB suffered a setback in 2024, seeing revenues fall 4.4 percent at constant exchange rates to 1.8 billion euros, recording EBITDA of 276 million euros and EBIT of 44 million euros. Retail (+7.4 percent), Japan (+16.3 percent) and North America (+13.3 percent) held up. Among the brands in the portfolio, Maison Margiela (+4.6 percent) and Diesel (+3.2 percent) performed positively.
In the past fiscal year, the Vicenza-based company sustained investments of 77 million euros, with a focus on the expansion of the retail network and major innovation projects.
The possible departure of DSqyared2 will be seen as a setback for Rosso, who has long praised the brand as a dynamic creative force. Like every season, Rosso sat front row at the 30thanniversary show in Milan on February 25th.
“Staff International will continue to act with the utmost transparency and determination to protect its rights, honour its contractual commitments and safeguard its reputation, and reserves the right to take any further action,” read the last paragraph in Rosso’s company statement.
In a major strategic change Dsquared2 has ended its long-time licensing agreement with Staff International, the key operating company of Italian fashion billionaire Renzo Rosso.
Dean & Dan Caten, by Giampaolo Sgura
“Dsquared2 Group announces the immediate termination of its licensing agreement with Staff International S.p.A. Consequently, the Group will assume direct control over the production and distribution of its Ready-to-Wear collections,” the Milan-based house said in a terse release Saturday.
“This transition takes effect immediately and will commence with the upcoming Pre-Collection Spring/Summer 2026 sales campaign,” added Dsquared2, which was founded by twin brothers Dean and Dan Caten over three decades ago.
Staff International is the key production wing of Only The Brave, the holding company of Rosso, which also owns Diesel, Marni, Maison Margiela and Jil Sander, as well as the manufauring license of Viktor&Rolf.
“Dsquared2 Group expresses its sincere gratitude to all those who have contributed to this collaboration and looks forward to fostering continued partnerships in the future,” the release added.
The agreement with Staff International dates back to 2002, and helped fuel the spectacular development of Dsquared2, the last runway brand in Milan to have grown into a major global fashion brand.
Born in Willowdale, Ontario, Dean and Dan Caten (Catenacci, originally) began their career path in fashion by moving to New York in 1983 to attend Parson’s School of Design. In 1991 they arrived in Italy where in 1994, after numerous collaborations with major fashion houses, they first staged their debut runway collection. It marked the first in a long line of runway extravaganzas that would capture the attention of journalists and buyers for their unique brand of fashion, music and theatre.
The Catens went on to build a multi-million dollar business. And to dress everyone from Madonna in her iconic western video clip, “Don’t Tell Me”, to Beyoncé for her Super Bowl performance. The duo also has an impressive range, all the way to dressing the four-time English Premiership Champions, Manchester City. And a great HQ, a former electric energy headquarters converted into office, show-space, inn, gym and rooftop restaurant with swimming pool. They have become one of the city’s great fashion institutions without every losing the DNA of the Wild North. And famed for their ovations, where they take their bow in matching outfits – whether disco dragoons, Klondike trappers or matinee idols.
Leave it to the Canadian duo to stage an epic 30th anniversary show in Milan this past season, the cast marching out of a wrecked brick garage, or arriving in a series of mighty wheels. From armored personnel carriers and Ford Mustang convertibles to an all-silver DeLorean and a vintage Rolls Royce – all took turns arriving in the huge warehouse done up like a nightclub.
All of the Caten’s great archetypes got an outing. Mad saucy trapper girls in giant puffers and lots of legs; a trio of rockers with Kiss goth makeup but in three-piece suits; Klondike gold diggers off to an all-night rave; sexy vampy rock goddesses with bumster leather pants and fur coats with trains; and a beautiful black rodeo gal with mini cocktail made of bands of Western belts. Leading to the arrival with sirens of NYC police car, from which a dominatrix leather police captain played by Brigitte Nielsen escorted two white collar criminals. You guessed it – Dean and Dan.
And amid huge roars, JT and Doechii took the floor in a call and response duet surrounded by the entire cast.
Renzo Rosso’s fashion holding company OTB suffered a setback in 2024, seeing revenues fall 4.4 percent at constant exchange rates to 1.8 billion euros, recording EBITDA of 276 million euros and EBIT of 44 million euros. Retail (+7.4 percent), Japan (+16.3 percent) and North America (+13.3 percent) held up. Among the brands in the portfolio, Maison Margiela (+4.6 percent) and Diesel (+3.2 percent) performed positively.
In the past fiscal year, the Vicenza-based company sustained investments of 77 million euros, with a focus on the expansion of the retail network and major innovation projects.
The departure of DSqyared2 will be seen as a setback for Rosso, who has long praised the brand as a dynamic creative force.
Entertainment8 years ago