Major global brand development and licensing platform Authentic Brands Group has announced the appointment of Tim Derner as global head, marketplaces.

The new York-based executive steps into he role with immediate effect and joins Authentic after more than a decade of leadership experience at Amazon. He was most recently director of Amazon Fashion and Luxury Stores and we’re told that during his tenure, he “played a pivotal role in transforming Amazon Fashion into the world’s largest fashion retailer”.

And he’s had close links with Authentic in recent years, partnering with the business to “significantly expand the online presence and retail sales of its brands in Amazon stores, such as Reebok, Brooks Brothers, Eddie Bauer, Aéropostale and many more”.

Now, in his new role, he’ll “spearhead the expansion of Authentic’s global distribution strategy, with a focus on strengthening partnerships, accelerating brand reach and driving incremental value across platforms”.

The chain of command sees him reporting to Matt Maddox, president, and working closely with chief digital officer Adam Kronengold and global president, sports & lifestyle, Jarrod Weber “to drive innovation and scale Authentic’s brands across key markets”.

It’s clearly a pivotal role given the importance of marketplaces in modern fashion retail and Maddox said that they’re “a critical engine for long-term brand growth. Tim’s track record of building high-performing teams and scaling digital marketplaces worldwide makes him the ideal leader to deepen our capabilities in this space. His appointment marks a significant step in making this channel a cornerstone of our global distribution strategy”.

Authentic also said that its investment in its marketplaces division “underscores its commitment to a diversified, omnichannel approach that connects powerful brands with consumers worldwide. Derner’s appointment signals a significant milestone in this initiative, reflecting Authentic’s commitment to thinking globally and acting locally to unlock new market potential”.

Luxury brand Swaine is to unveil a dedicated retail space in Harrods on 27 June, marking what it says is “a significant milestone in its continued retail expansion”. 

It’s taking space in the Menswear Designer Collections room as it continues to boost its presence in the world’s most prestigious department stores. 

In London, Swaine currently has a flagship store on New Bond Street and smaller boutique in Burlington Arcade, both in the West End, so a presence in key luxury shopping district Knightsbridge should expose it to a raft of new and affluent potential customers.

The leather goods and accessories heritage brand (275 years old and counting) has a big focus on British craftsmanship and the Harrods location will present a curated edit of its signature pieces across leather goods, umbrellas and headwear, all of it handmade using traditional techniques in the UK.

Carine de Koenigswarter, Chairman and CEO of the firm, said that “opening at Harrods is an exciting milestone… and a continuation of our strategy to reestablish the brand across globally respected luxury destinations”. 

And Yasmin Mehmet, buying manager at Harrods, said the brand “is a natural addition for our customers who appreciate timeless style and enduring quality”.

Hero styles available there will include the New Bond Attache, Whitehall Briefcases in Jaguar Green and Black Ostrich, Kensington in Black and Cognac, and the Mayfair in Havana, alongside caps and hats such as the Poet in Deep Sable and the Slim Cap in Olive. Swaine’s umbrella range including the Oak and Maple styles and a selection of small leather goods will also be available.

Two key European luxury labels have launched new campaigns with Valentino Garavani and Roger Vivier launching new creative marketing drives in the accessories and footwear sectors.

Following the recent launch of the Nellcôte bag campaign, Maison Valentino now continues its storytelling journey with the unveiling of the second chapter: the Valentino Garavani Vain bag campaign. 

Conceived by creative director Alessandro Michele and shot by photographer Sharna Osborne, we’re told the campaign “is a tactile exploration of emotional intimacy and femininity. Evoking the aesthetic of analogue photography, it crafts an atmosphere where beauty is suspended in time”.

The brand added that “the images, with their faded colour tones and grainy backdrops, are imbued with a powerful texture that recalls the dreamlike sensibility of early film and the intensity of voyeuristic cinema”.

Looking almost like video stills, the bag is the focal point of every image as the visuals portray two women “in a series of compositions that suggest an atmosphere of private and shared allure. Whether together or apart, they appear caught in a world of whispered secrets and shadowy glamour, where the Vain bag becomes a silent witness to their intimacy”.

The campaign supports new developments for the Vain bag this season with the introduction of a new top handle style featuring an elongated handle that allows it to be worn on the shoulder. There’s also a new oval-shaped vanity bag, with a top flap acting as a lid, that “brings a modern attitude to the line while preserving the original bag’s refined codes”.

The signature shoulder bags also return with updated finishes and “rich surfaces”, that is, multicolour floral embroideries rendered in beads, velvet, raffia, or leather, and a new printed animalier variation referencing the RTW collection.

Vivier’s Paris life

Meanwhile, at Riger Vivier, the new campaign for the autumn 2025 pre-collection is called ‘La Vie Parisienne’ and was conceived by brand creative director Gherardo Felloni “as both homage and provocation”.

Shot inside a hôtel particulier (one of the grand townhouses found in key French cities) “and along hushed city streets, the story unfolds like a secret — caught in a glance, stretched across a brocade sofa. It captures something rarer than beauty: character. Here, elegance isn’t constructed. It’s instinctual”. 

So far, so very Parisian. But the company said that “this is not the Paris of clichés. Nor is the Vivier woman one. She is elegant but unpredictable, refined yet untamed — never explaining, always becoming. Like the muses who once wore Vivier — Deneuve, Bardot, and beyond — she moves between worlds. Perhaps an art dealer. Perhaps a writer. Or neither. She doesn’t follow fashion. She defines style”.

It features a variety of both formal and casual shoes, along with bags. 

So who are the stars of this particular show? As far as the models are concerned, Felloni has cast three women “who embody this spirit”. There’s Louise de Blegiers,” with a modern intensity beneath her quiet poise; [plus] Zoé Adjani and Léa Rostain, actresses whose presence distills softness and edge. Parisian by birth or by affinity, these are not women who perform femininity — they reinvent it”.