Articles by AFP
Trend: Who really is the "messy girl"?
Paris - Blurred hair and smudged eyeliner, all in a crumpled t-shirt: for several months, the "messy girl" has been making her mark on social media and in the streets, a trend less liberating than it seems. Unlike the "clean girl" who, with her perfect skin, carefully slicked-back hair and a look that matches her impeccably tidy interior,...
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Global luxury market risks facing its worst turbulence in 15 years
Paris - The global luxury market was expected to slow down in 2025, hampered by the geopolitical context and economic uncertainties, with the risk of experiencing its worst turbulence in 15 years. However, the long-term outlook remained positive, according to a study by consulting firm Bain & Company. Luxury sales, "sensitive to uncertainty, are...
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Counterfeits, dangerous products: AliExpress threatened with EU fine
The European Commission on Wednesday took a significant step towards imposing a substantial fine on Chinese e-commerce giant AliExpress. The Commission preliminarily found that AliExpress has not adequately managed risks related to the sale of illegal products, despite numerous improvements. The Brussels-based regulator, acting as the EU’s...
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Vietnam launches crackdown on counterfeits amid US pressure
Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Gucci… Tran Le Chi loved fashion, but the US customs crackdown wreaked havoc on her wardrobe of counterfeits ‘made in Vietnam,’ caught in Washington’s crosshairs. “Clothes help me look trendy,” explained the 53-year-old woman, who sells illegal lottery tickets in Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital. “What does it matter to me...
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Intersport France targets 5.5 billion euros in revenue by 2030
French retailer Intersport reported a 6.3 percent increase in revenue for 2024, reaching 3.88 billion euro following its acquisition of struggling competitor Go Sport. The cooperative announced on Tuesday that it is targeting 5.5 billion euro in revenue by 2030. Intersport: online sales soar Growth in 2024 was driven notably by online sales,...
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France consumes more new fashion than ever amid transition to circularity
Purchases of new clothing, footwear and household linen reached a record high in France in 2024, with an average of 42 items per person, the organisation Refashion revealed at a press conference on Tuesday. In 2024, 3.5 billion new pieces were purchased, or 10 million per day, Vanessa Gutierrez, head of studies at Refashion, the body tasked by...
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Struggling Gucci owner's shares soar over new CEO reports
Shares in Gucci owner Kering jumped Monday over reports that the outgoing boss of French automaker Renault would take over as chief executive of the struggling luxury group. Renault shares, however, fell following its announcement Sunday that Luca de Meo, 58, would step down on July 15 "to take on new challenges outside the automobile sector"...
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Albania's women silk makers weave big dreams for ancient trade
Albanian women have long been famed for their stylish and colourful traditional attire that some still wore until relatively recently. And few were more chic than the women of Zadrima who wore their own handmade silks and headdresses, their fine gauze blouses set off with belts and swathes of red silk. But that age-old know-how was almost lost...
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Is François-Henri Pinault stepping back from Kering?
Paris - 63-year-old François-Henri Pinault, chief executive officer of French luxury group Kering (Kering), is reportedly planning to separate the roles of chairman and chief executive officer. This information was published on Thursday by the business magazine Challenges. According to the magazine, which did not cite its sources, Pinault will...
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At Vivatech: Robots, trainers and counterfeit detectors powered by AI
Paris - Robots, a counterfeit detector and navigation systems for the visually impaired, all powered by generative artificial intelligence (AI), were among the innovations highlighted at the VivaTech trade show, which took place in Paris until June 7. AI and anti-counterfeiting Could you tell the difference between a Lacoste t-shirt and a...
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