Articles by AFP
New EU package fee: online retailers face levy on non-EU imports
Brussels - The European Union will from November 1 slap a two-euro (2.25 dollars) handling fee on packages from outside the 27-nation bloc in a bid to curb the influx from China. The new levy -- coming just weeks before the Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas season shopping rushes -- will be on top of the EU's three-euro fee on small...
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Hermès posts 5.5 percent Q3 sales growth driven by Europe and Americas
French luxury group Hermès reported a 5.5 percent increase in third-quarter revenue on Thursday, supported by Europe, the Americas and Japan. The company also confirmed its full-year forecast “despite the deteriorating macroeconomic and geopolitical environment”. Known for its silk scarves and leather handbags, the brand saw sales reach...
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Looted stores in France: Fashion retailers suffer sharp drop in revenue
Paris - Fashion stores recorded an average revenue drop of 14 percent across France on Saturday, the day of the protests, the Alliance du Commerce reported on Monday. This decline was particularly pronounced in city centres. Indeed, city-centre boutiques and shopping centres, which were particularly affected by the damage during the October 17...
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Resale platforms pledge to help French authorities track goods looted in protests
Paris - Consumer-to-consumer resale platforms such as Vinted, Leboncoin and Ebay, on which “a significant number of stolen items have been identified”, have pledged to collaborate with national authorities to “identify and report” this content, the government announced on Tuesday. Following the looting of stores during the protests on October...
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Western brands under pressure as 'pre-owned' luxury booms in China
With China's economy still struggling to recover from the pandemic, even global fashion icons are beginning to feel the pinch as consumers turn instead to the second-hand market or buy upstart new homegrown brands. Chinese were once massive buyers of luxury Western brands, accounting for around a third of worldwide spending and earning firms...
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Cosmetics company sues Shein for unfair competition
Marseille - A French company, part of the Japanese cosmetics group Shiseido, demanded over 2.6 million euros from e-commerce giant Shein in court on Tuesday. The claim is for marketing beauty products without being an authorised reseller. The Marseille Economic Activities Tribunal has deferred its decision until January 26. This follows a...
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SS27 womenswear trends: the key looks from New York, London, Milan and Paris fashion weeks
Paris - The new season's fashion whirlwind, which passed through New York, Milan, Paris and, to a lesser extent, London, has concluded. It established several distinct trends in womenswear for the upcoming warmer seasons. Modular fashion Instead of complete, and inherently more expensive, 'total looks', designers this season have overwhelmingly...
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Louis Vuitton SS27: Nicolas Ghesquière closes Paris Fashion Week with futuristic lightness
Paris - Louis Vuitton closed the women's ready-to-wear spring/summer 2027 show season in Paris on Tuesday. The collection featured a note of lightness in its fabrics and a resolutely futuristic outlook. This marked the end of a month-long marathon that began in New York and passed through London and Milan. Weaving between a row of...
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Gabriela Hearst draws inspiration from Afghan women for Paris show
Paris - Uruguayan designer Gabriela Hearst celebrated the art of Afghan women in her spring/summer 2027 collection, presented this Monday in Paris. The collection featured traditional prints and embedded craftsmanship. The Afghan inspiration was evident throughout the collection, appearing in white ensembles with small incorporated mirrors;...
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Chanel: Unpicking one year of 'Blazymania'
Paris - Exactly a year since he unveiled his first collection at Chanel, Franco-Belgian designer Matthieu Blazy has proved himself to be a shrewd and hugely profitable recruit by the family-owned French fashion label. Some of Blazy's designs have proved so popular they have sparked a neologism -- "Blazymania" -- which has come to mean the...
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