Interview news and archive

AI in Fashion: How Hunkemöller uses AI for customer insight, price optimisation and store clustering

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing the fashion industry. While some companies are waiting, others are taking bold steps forward. In this edition of the AI in Fashion series, FashionUnited speaks with Gordon Smit, the technology director of Dutch lingerie company Hunkemöller. 1. How do you view AI and what does Hunkemöller use it...

Featured

Fairs|Interview

Exploring Wonderland: The journey of UK lingerie trade fair founders

Lingerie is a lucrative sector in the UK. According to Grand View Horizon, the market reported a revenue of 4.5 billion dollars in 2024, and is expected to reach eight billion dollars by 2033. Despite its prevalence, regional trade representation for the category has been fairly scarce – reflecting a gap in the market the founders of Wonderland...

Featured

People

And they also teach…Makeba Lewis, Textile Designer, sustainability consultant and teacher at Central Saint Martins

Makeba Lewis has built a career that bridges creativity, craftsmanship and conscious innovation. From the Royal College of Art to her current role at Central Saint Martins, her work explores the intersections of material experimentation, well-being and heritage techniques. This interview is part of And They Also Teach, a series by FashionUnited...

Changemakers in fashion (part 6): Dr. Natascha van der Velden on what progress looks like

There are countless sustainability initiatives, but who in the fashion industry is truly driving the transition, whether their efforts are visible to the public or not? We interview changemakers, consultants, sustainability experts and activists in fashion. What can we learn from their work? In episode 6: Dr. ir. Natascha van der Velden, an...

FeaturedMember

Business|CEO Interview

Eco Age CEO John Higginson on the new era of proof-based sustainability

As regulators tighten the screws and consumers demand verifiable sustainability data, brands across fashion and luxury are being forced into a new era of transparency. Eco Age—long recognised for its influence on sustainability strategy, policy engagement and industry-wide advocacy—has been tracking this shift closely. Its CEO, John Higginson,...

Featured

Retail|Interview

Swedish kidswear brand Newbie accelerates UK store rollout, eyes global growth in 2026

Newbie is having a growth spurt. Since emerging as a separate business unit from its parent company Kappahl, the Swedish kidswear brand has embarked on an ambitious growth strategy across Europe and the UK, where it has just opened its 11th store. The UK is a priority market for the brand, which has established a dedicated audience among British...

FeaturedMember

Fashion |Interview

Decoding AW26 trends and shifting consumer patterns: Heuritech's AI-driven forecasts

Since its launch in 2013, Paris-based trend forecasting platform Heuritech has relied on artificial intelligence (AI) to formulate its own forecasts for each season. Its technology scans millions of social media images monthly, receiving data points on what consumers are wearing and identifying over 20,000 trends spanning material and...

FeaturedMember

Business|Interview

Co-leadership at Otto: insights into an innovative leadership model

Management positions are often advertised as full-time roles, which excludes people who work part-time. However, other models are possible, such as co-leadership, where more than one person holds the same management role. At Hamburg-based retailer Otto, Jennifer Halemba and her former colleague Marleen Hinzmann shared the head of recruiting...

FeaturedMember

Business|CEO interview

Stylein returns to international wholesale: “We had to build our home market first”

Since its founding in New York in 2001, the Swedish label Stylein has evolved from a young idea into an internationally sought-after brand. Founder Elin Alemdar is responsible not only for the design but also for the strategic direction, collection creation and brand communication. Together with partner Ulrika Fohgelberg Nordén, who has shaped...

Featured

Fashion |Interview

Community over commerce: Crepe City's creative director on the transformation of sneaker culture

Crepe City is taking place in Cologne for the first time this week. Following its German debut in Berlin, the British sneaker and streetwear event is now moving to the Rhine to bring the local scene back together. Connull Drummond, who has been involved with Crepe City since 2019 and has been its creative director for three years, reveals why...

FeaturedMember

Business|Interview

From California to Europe: How Calle Del Mar is scaling a handmade brand without sacrificing craft

In today’s fast-evolving luxury market, Calle Del Mar is betting that craftsmanship – not speed – will win over the next generation of European consumers. The Californian knitwear label is entering the market not simply to reach new retailers, but to tap into a region that still protects and invests in craft. For Calle Del Mar, Europe thus...

FeaturedMember

Fairs|CEO interview

From Munich to Amsterdam: An inside look at ISPO's overhaul

The German sportswear industry has seen much discussion about the domestic trade fair landscape in recent days, particularly as news spread of ISPO's plans to leave Munich. The restructuring, carried out by a newly formed joint venture between Messe München GmbH (MMG) and British trade fair organiser Raccoon Media Group, will see the sporting...