UK fashion brand New Look has joined Dutch knitwear brand Rhea and Norwegian sports label Active Brands in signing up to ‘Brand Letter of Intent’, the appeal by international fashion brands to stop mulesing (live lamb cutting).
New Look
The trio takes the number of brands signed up to 100, four years after its launch by global animal welfare organisation Four Paws.
Sending a “clear signal for more animal welfare in the industry… to stop mutilation of 10 million lambs per year”, it urges the Australian wool industry “to stop the process by 2030, and transition to industry-proven alternatives that are kind to animals”.
The trio join leading names such Zara, Patagonia and Hugo Boss to publicly commit to excluding wool sourced from live lamb cutting. In the open letter, they call “to end this cruel practice”.
Rebecca Picallo Gil, wool campaign lead at Four Paws, said: “This global wave of support is a clear message. It is time for a kind solution to a global problem. The wool industry must evolve to meet the demands of modern brands and consumers who ask for cruelty-free fashion.
“It is time for all stakeholders to come together and push for an industry-wide change and end to this cruel practice and ensure a kinder future for millions of lambs in the wool industry.”
Australian sunscreen brand Ultra Violette has officially arrived in the United States via a partnership with Sephora.
Ultra Violette launches in the U.S. at Sephora. – Ultra Violette
Ultra Violette products are now available online at Sephora, with an in-store launch across 592 Sephora locations nationwide slated for March 28.
The brand launches with six products including the cult-favorite Supreme Screen, Velvet Screen, Future Screen, two shades of Sheen Screen lip balm, and the exclusive Vibrant Screen, a new product debuting solely for the U.S. market.
Co-founded by beauty industry veterans Ava Matthews and Bec Jefferd, Ultra Violette was born out of a frustration with outdated, heavy sunscreen formulas. First introduced in 2019, the brand is now widely credited with creating the sunscreen-meets-skincare category.
“The fact that this is finally happening is a hugely transformational moment for the business,” said Jefferd. “We are blown away by the support of Sephora, our long-time global retail partner, who have always understood what we were looking to achieve and put their full force behind us. Because we exist in such a highly regulated category, and with that additional layer of complexity, the Sephora team have been so hands on in helping to navigate our launch into the world’s largest beauty market.”
In 2024, Ultra Violette secured a $15 million AUD investment from consumer growth equity firm Aria Growth Partners, with funding expected to propel its expansion across North America, as well as ongoing product innovation and team development.
It launched at Sephora in Canada last Spring as part of its North American debut. The U.S. marks its 30th market worldwide.
“We are thrilled to expand our partnership with Ultra Violette and introduce this innovative Australian-made sun care brand to our U.S. clients,” added Cindy Deily, VP skincare merchandising at Sephora.
“Formulated to comply with high regulatory standards of protection against the harsh Australian sun, Ultra Violette offers effective formulas that infuse powerful skincare ingredients and are designed to fit seamlessly into existing beauty routines. We look forward to welcoming this exciting brand to our skincare assortment as we continue to grow our sun care offerings.”
PlasticFree Forever has launched a digital initiative designed to help design students tackle global plastic pollution.
Its programme is offering 250 students the opportunity to become “pioneers in sustainable product development” via its solutions platform that’s “dedicated to educating and empowering designers and brand owners to fast-track innovation in plastic-free solutions”.
Noting that “solving the global plastic crisis requires more than awareness”, its focus is on “actionable material insights and immediate connections to solution providers”.
So design students “passionate about creating a sustainable and regenerative future” are invited to apply for PlasticFree Forever with selected participants “gaining unprecedented forever access for no cost” from 5 April.
With support from impact fund ‘Ancestors of Tomorrow’, the programme gives human-validated case studies, proof points and education in regenerative materials. It says: “PlasticFree empowers students with the knowledge to design plastic out of products at the source, directly connecting them with the curated library of plastic-free materials”.
Ben Parker, co-founder, Made Thought, added: “Design is not just about aesthetics; it’s about reimagining our relationship with materials. Every sketch, every prototype is an opportunity to design out plastic and design in a regenerative future. This platform doesn’t just provide tools—it provides a pathway for the most critical design challenge of our generation.”
Sian Sutherland, co-founder, PlasticFree & A Plastic Planet, also said: “Plastic has become a toxic default for a business model predicated on ecological degradation. With the PlasticFree Forever programme, we want to empower students to be design leaders in the post-plastic revolution, challenging the traditional ‘take, make, waste’ attitude. Creatives are on the frontline of this battle to transition to a model of business that works with nature and not against.”
PlasticFree was launched at the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2023 and operates in over 23 countries, It has established itself as a trusted authority for designers and brands seeking sustainable solutions to plastic.
Its founding design and science council includes design and business leaders such as Design Council chief design officer Alexandra Deschamps-Sonsino, Eden Project co-founder Sir Tim Smit, Thomas Heatherwick and Sir David Chipperfield.
Makers of goods from sportswear to luxury cars and chemicals painted a gloomy picture on Wednesday of consumer and industrial health, adding to concerns about the damage from U.S. President Donald Trump‘s trade wars and hitting share prices again.
Reuters
Increased tariffs on all U.S. steel and aluminium imports took effect on Wednesday, as Trump steps up his campaign to reorder global trade in favour of the United States. Europe swiftly retaliated.
Trump’s plans for tariffs – and their back-and-forth implementation since he took office in January – have upended industries from cars to energy and unnerved businesses and investors. Worries that rising costs will reignite inflation, and that souring consumer sentiment could herald a U.S. recession, have caused stock markets to plunge.
“Nearly everyone in the economy is struggling to comprehend wild swings in Washington policies, and their implications for everyday decisions,” said Stephen Dover, chief market strategist at asset manager Franklin Templeton.
The constant flip-flopping over tariffs is paralysing industries from healthcare and retailing to agriculture, mining, energy, he said. Automakers, for example, are unable to plan while there is a threat of 25% tariffs on components made in Canada or Mexico.
“No reasonable auto executive can make such investments if the expected returns can be wiped out at the stroke of a pen,” Dover said.
Germany’s Porsche said on Wednesday it was assessing how it could pass on to consumers the cost of possible tariffs – expected to be 25% for U.S. imports from Europe – without pressuring its margins. That implies prices could be hiked to offset any drop in unit sales.
Even without higher tariffs, lower sales, high costs and trade concerns would hurt 2025 earnings, the luxury carmaker warned. Its shares were down 4.5%.
“For now, we are hoping there are solutions that will lead to a sensible tariff regime between regions,” Porsche CFO Jochen Breckner said on a press call after its annual results.
Two major South Korean steelmakers said they were considering options including possible investment in operations in the United States as the metals tariffs came into force. ‘ J.P. Morgan‘s chief economist Bruce Kasman said he saw a 40% chance of a U.S. recession this year, which would rise to 50% if Trump follows through on threats to impose reciprocal tariffs from April. He also warned of lasting damage to the United States as an investment destination if the administration undermines trust in governance.
Asked about a recession resulting from his trade policies, Trump said on Tuesday: “I don’t see it at all.” On Monday, he had declined to rule one out.
European shares were largely resilient on Wednesday as investors cheered news that Ukraine had accepted a U.S. proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with Russia.
But earnings from Puma and Zara-owner Inditex underscored concerns that uncertainties over trade are starting to hurt Main Street, curbing Americans’ spending on everything from detergent and clothing to travel.
Shares in Puma lost almost a quarter of their value and hit a nine-year low after the German sportswear company forecast slower sales growth this year due to soft demand in the United States and China. It highlighted trade disputes and currency volatility as challenges.
Spain’s Inditex reported a slower start to its first-quarter starting February 1, raising questions about weakening consumer demand, particularly in the United States, its second-biggest market. Its shares fell more than 8%, to their lowest since August.
CEO Oscar Garcia Maceiras said he was “optimistic” about the U.S. market despite the tit-for-tat trade measures, and that Inditex company was well positioned to adapt as needed. But echoing other executives, he said constantly changing geopolitical news was making long-term predictions difficult.
More than 900 of the 1,500 largest U.S. companies have mentioned tariffs on earnings calls or at investor events since the beginning of the year, according to LSEG data.
The tariffs are already driving prices for aluminium users in the United States to record highs. Data on Wednesday showed U.S. consumer prices increased less than expected in February, although tariffs on imports are expected to raise the costs of most goods in the months ahead.
German chemicals distributor Brenntag warned that 2025 will be another challenging year, shaped by economic and political uncertainty and subdued economic growth globally.
CEO Christian Kohlpaintner said the company was relatively insulated from import duties because it sources ingredients and sells its products locally.
But what he called the “confusing, inscrutable” situation makes it hard to run a business. Germany’s chemicals association VCI said on Wednesday it did not expect any recovery this year.
“The big risk is that companies stop spending and equally the consumer also stalls purchases,” said Justin Onuekwusi, chief investment officer at investment firm St. James’s Place.
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