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Xreal files patent suit against rival smart glasses maker Viture

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January 15, 2026

Xreal Inc., a Chinese pioneer in smart glasses, is suing Viture Inc. for patent infringement in the US, arguing its rival has unfairly capitalized on Xreal’s extensive research and investment in the segment.

A pair of smart glasses – Bloomberg

The lawsuit, filed Thursday in federal court in eastern Texas, accuses San Francisco-founded Viture of unlawfully incorporating Xreal’s patented inventions into smart glasses such as the Luma Pro, Luma Ultra, and a high-end pair called The Beast.

Both Xreal and Viture manufacture augmented reality, or AR, glasses that plug into devices like smartphones and laptops, offering viewers a large virtual display for watching movies or handling productivity tasks. Technical specifications like display resolution and field of view- the size of the augmented world you can see at any given time- are often very similar between the two brands. 

Their US legal battle comes ahead of what is expected to be a pivotal moment for the segment, with Apple Inc. expected to make its category debut as soon as this year, Bloomberg has reported.

Xreal holds over 800 patent and patent applications worldwide, including dozens in the US and Europe, it said in a statement Thursday announcing the lawsuit. “By comparison, Viture owns approximately or fewer than 70 patent and patent applications globally, with none in the United States or Europe,” it added. 

“The lawsuit is not merely about enforcing a single patent,” Xreal said in the statement. “It is about stopping a pattern of intellectual property infringement that undermines the integrity of innovation and endangers continued technological development in this industry.”

Xreal holds more global market share than Viture in the AR eyewear category, according to research firm IDC. But both companies lag far behind Meta Platforms Inc., which has come the closest to mainstream success with its Ray-Ban line of smart glasses.

At the CES technology trade show earlier this month, Xreal unveiled a new entry-level pair of glasses and a co-branded set of glasses developed with Taiwan’s Asustek Computer Inc. It also announced that it’s extending a partnership with Alphabet Inc.’s Google.

Xreal said in the statement that these and other collaborators are “owed confidence that their co-developed products will not also be threatened by infringers attempting to benefit from infringement or undermined by unauthorized usage of IP.”



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FGF Industry brand Blauer expands into Scandinavia and the Balkans, women’s and kid’s wear performs very well

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January 15, 2026

There has been positive momentum between the end of 2025 and the start of 2026 for Italian apparel group FGF Industry, headquartered in Montegalda. Under owner Enzo Fusco, the company has consistently delivered strong margins and revenues, and achieved a turnover increase of over 6 per cent, as he had forecast six months ago. “€80 million in apparel turnover which, with accessory licences- especially footwear- adding a further €14 million, took us to €94 million at the end of 2025,” the owner and founder of FGF Industry, Enzo Fusco, tells FashionNetwork.com.

Blauer, Autumn/Winter 2026/27

At retail, Blauer opened a store in Bari in the second half of the year. The Trieste opening was moved to February, but in December another directly managed 120-square-metre Blauer mono-brand store opened on Brescia’s most prestigious street. “We want to get to a point where all mono-brand stores are directly managed. At the moment, four or five are not,” says Enzo Fusco about Blauer, which has around 10 directly operated stores, while there are five franchises. “With Trieste opening, and then Naples, in 2026 we will reach a minimum of 12 directly operated stores. As for the franchises, when the contracts expire, we either take them over 100 per cent or open new ones, because we now prefer direct management.”

After reopening markets in France, the Netherlands, and Belgium, and having begun distributing Blauer in Denmark and Sweden for the winter season (around a dozen clients with the first summer collection, ed.), Blauer’s international expansion continues, with the aim of increasing the brand’s foreign sales to at least 50% of the total, up from the current 30%. “For the winter season we already plan to reach 40% abroad. I predict that by the end of 2026 we could be talking about 45–50% of turnover generated outside Italy. With our regular customers, those who have been with us for many years, we have sell-through rates of 70–75% before the sales, and that’s a lot,” says Fusco.

Enzo Fusco, owner of FGF Industry
Enzo Fusco, owner of FGF Industry

The leading markets for the group after Italy are in the DACH region, especially Germany and Austria, which continued to grow last season, followed by Spain, Poland and the Czech Republic. “Portugal is also doing very well,” says Enzo Fusco, “however, now, having opened the Balkans, Turkey, France, Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium, these countries will bring us an increase in 2026, raising the bar for the value of our exports relative to Italy. Within two or three seasons, I hope to generate more turnover abroad, always remembering that Italy is the nation that allowed Blauer to become what it is now. In our home market we are aiming for a more carefully controlled and more upmarket distribution.”

Enzo Fusco is very satisfied with the sales results of the childrenswear lines, up 20 per cent on the previous year. Womenswear accounted for 45% of sales in Autumn/Winter. “From the data I have, this year we may even bring it up to 48% of the total,” he stresses.

Blauer, Autumn/Winter 2026/27
Blauer, Autumn/Winter 2026/27

The 4,500-square-metre expansion project of FGF Industry’s headquarters is also well underway. “We plan to move in between May and June, because the building is already there- it’s the interiors that need to be finalised.” The old headquarters will also be renovated, while the company store, which faces the street in front of the plant in a recently renovated 800-square-metre warehouse, will be enhanced in the future- Fusco hopes within a year- by a Caffè Blauer.

Blauer is distributed to about 1,600 clients (around a hundred more than last year) between Italy and Europe, while Ten C can be found in 280 stores worldwide.

It is Ten C in particular (with its clothing and outerwear made entirely in Italy from fine Japanese fabrics) that has especially pleased Fusco. “Thanks to the new sales director, with Ten C we are off to a good start in South Korea, because the group that distributes us there has already opened two stores in shopping centres, and three more are set to open in 2026, bringing the total to 10 boutiques in two years. And we managed to open in the UK- two corners in Manchester and London. Thanks to Liam Gallagher, the lead singer of Oasis, who performed between 10 and 15 concerts in England wearing our jacket throughout. And it was his choice, it wasn’t arranged, unintentionally giving Ten C’s marketing an incredible boost.”

Blauer, Autumn/Winter 2026/27
Blauer, Autumn/Winter 2026/27

The collection presented at Pitti Uomo in January 2026 features no fewer than 350 references, offering a total look. There are 14 employees, including those who work in the stores. “The important thing is that we always have balance sheets in the black. I want to say that, because it’s no small thing, with EBITDA in 2025 standing at 22%. We think we’re working well,” concludes the entrepreneur from Veneto.

Finally, this year Blauer celebrates 25 years in Italy and the union of American heritage with the Italian vision of fashion, with an event curated by creative director Felice Limosani in the Salone d’Onore at Triennale Milano, entitled “Blauer– 25th Anniversary.” The installation is conceived as an immersive experience: a dialogue between photography, architecture, design, and sound design that transforms the hall into a visual orchestra, in which Blauer presents “Family Grammar,” a project that is not corporate but rather “a cultural installation that stages a shared language, where art, business and contemporary sensibility dialogue in harmony,” Limosani explains.

Founded in Boston in 1936, Blauer has become a benchmark for technical police and military uniforms, embodying the values of quality, performance, and durability. Thanks to the foresight of Enzo Fusco, Blauer entered Italy in 2001 without losing its identity. Under the leadership of the Fusco family- Enzo, Silvana, and the next generation, Federica Fusco D’Amore and Giuseppe D’Amore- the brand has become a point of reference for those seeking style, authenticity, and performance. A family story that believed in the brand’s potential and supported its growth through to the acquisition of a 50% stake via BWF (Blauer World Fashion).

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Mustang seeks to cement French relaunch at the Who’s Next trade fair

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January 15, 2026

After its sales team wrapped up a very busy stint at Pitti Uomo, the Italian menswear trade show, on Thursday, Mustang will be at Who’s Next, the Paris fashion trade show at Porte de Versailles, from Saturday, with the ambition of continuing to build momentum in the French market.

Autumn-Winter 2026 collection – Mustang

The German denim label, founded in 1932, was for many years a major force in France before pulling back somewhat in the early 2010s following the closure of its local subsidiary. Since 2024, however, it has overhauled its strategy in the country. With best-sellers priced at €89.99, the label is now seeing the fruits of this restructuring.

“It took at least a year to put together the right team and recruit the right agents to cover the various regions. Then we took part in our first Who’s Next in early 2025, which brought us several dozen new customers,” notes Mauriz Kochendörfer, the brand’s international sales director since 2017. “As several historic players in the French market have disappeared, such as Kaporal, or are facing difficulties, we have a great opportunity for growth, with a positioning that meets consumer expectations.” The executive reports 120 stockists in the market by the end of 2025, up from around 50 before the relaunch, and says the company has doubled its business over the past two years.

For Mustang, which reported revenue of €110 million in 2024, the German-speaking markets of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland still account for 50% of its business. But the brand, which was one of the first Western labels to establish itself in countries of the former Soviet bloc, has also historically had substantial activity in Poland and Hungary. “However, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands are markets with very strong potential,” explains the executive. “We have also developed our business in the Scandinavian markets. Our organisation now covers 95% of European markets; we now need to energise growth.”

Women's silhouette for Autumn-Winter 2026
Women’s silhouette for Autumn-Winter 2026 – Mustang

In France, Mustang also launched its first “True Heritage” campaign last October, based on a digital and influencer strategy, as well as collaborations with retailers such as the CCV multi-brand network and the Culture Denim store in Lille, to highlight its history and its work on denim silhouettes, which still account for 60% of its revenue. Alongside an accessible offering, in which straight and slim cuts still account for the largest volumes and which appeals to a number of multi-brand retailers, Mustang is strengthening its image as a denim specialist. The brand has also developed a capsule with Italian mill Candiani, with prices starting at €120.

At Who’s Next, the brand will showcase this diverse offering, highlighting its efforts to offer styles incorporating technical materials that provide greater comfort and warmth in winter for men, who account for 55% of sales, as well as for women, regarded as an important growth driver.

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Amazon to close major UK fulfilment centre as Milton Keynes ops shift to Northampton

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January 15, 2026

Amazon is to close its long-standing Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, fulfilment centre as the digital retail giant plans to transfer the region’s operations to Northampton. 

Amazon – REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

The move will affect 590 employees who will be offered a transfer to its new site, 20 miles north, or to other centres, as the company announced a consultation on a proposal to close the site.

A media spokesperson for Amazon confirmed the decision, saying: “We’re always evaluating our network to make sure it fits our business needs and to improve the experience for our employees and customers.

“Today we’ve announced a consultation on a proposal to close our fulfilment centre in Milton Keynes and to offer employees an opportunity to transfer to our brand-new site in Northampton – a larger, state-of-the-art building which will employ up to 2,000 people – or to other Amazon sites.

“Our top priority is to support our people during this process, they added.”

A large product sorting facility also located in Milton Keynes forming part of Amazon’s logistics business will be unaffected by the proposed closure.

The new high-tech £500 million Northampton site is due to open in May and will initially employ 1,400 staff.

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