Sarah Burton turns up the glamour volume at Givenchy in Paris

Spiritual home of Audrey Hepburn re-establishes itself as serious player in red carpet dressing

On the very same day as Taylor Swift, Sarah Burton entered her Showgirl era. For her second outing as Givenchy designer, Burton turned up the volume with collars dripping rhinestones over collarbones, luscious peach maribou feathers, a pocket-rocket cocktail dress in lipstick red leather, and Naomi Campbell in a tuxedo jacket worn open over a barely-there lace trim bra.

Burton has been at Givenchy less than a year, but Alexander McQueen’s long-term right-hand woman has already established a new identity for the house and for herself. Givenchy, the spiritual home of Audrey Hepburn and the little black dress, has an immaculate bloodline of glamour that runs from Paris to Hollywood, but it is a relative minnow as a business. Her recent predecessors had mostly leaned into streetwear and utility-coded metallic accents, but Burton is bringing back the glamour.

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Social media and weight loss drugs drive UK rise in facelifts in men and people in their 40s

Number of procedures on men up by 26% as experts say cosmetic surgery has become normalised despite risks

Growing numbers of men and younger people are getting facelifts, a trend driven by social media, advances in surgical techniques and the rise of weight loss drugs.

Figures from the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (Baaps) show facelifts are on the rise in the UK. In 2024 there were 1,882 procedures, up 8% from the previous year. Women accounted for the majority, with numbers rising by 7% to 1,742. But the steepest increase came from men: procedures grew by 26%, from 111 in 2023 to 140 in 2024.

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Gentle definition at Fendi in collection inspired by childrenswear

Show at Milan fashion week saw use of adjustable elastics and pull-tapes to unexpectedly sophisticated effect

At Fendi, where Silvia Venturini Fendi is leading the house founded by her grandparents through its centenary year, family is as much part of the sales pitch as the Baguette bag. “I have been thinking about childrenswear, because I have a big family, and my daughter is pregnant with twins,” she said backstage. Two grandsons made a cameo appearance on the catwalk earlier this year while her 18-year-old granddaughter is her “fiercest critic”, the 64-year-old creative director says. (“When she calls after my show, I tremble.”)

This season, Fendi adapted the adjustable elastics that feature in clothes made for growing bodies, making a feature of elegant grosgrain pull-tapes to add gentle definition at the hem of the jacket or the waist of a dress. The result was unexpectedly sophisticated. The casting, featuring men and women of all ages and sizes, was a triumphant showcase for how beautifully the shapes worked on different bodies.

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Baggy jeans, workwear and plenty of grit: luxury reimagined at Coach

Creative director Stuart Vevers appeals to gen z audience with ‘down-to-earth pieces’ for New York fashion week

New York fashion week is proving a particularly perplexing time for brands as they continue to grapple with a global slowdown, leading many to question what luxury even means today.

For some consumers, it is always going to be about a gleaming five-figure handbag. For others, it is a limited-edition Labubu. While a certain cohort considers a plain cashmere jumper to be the peak of high status, logomania endures for others. Vintage shopping is now used to denote quality but equally buying nothing has become a powerful signifier.

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Crowds gather outside Giorgio Armani’s Milan HQ to pay respects before funeral

Funeral chamber to be set up at Teatro Armani where people can view casket before a private service on Monday

Twice a year, the usually calm Via Bergognone in Milan shuts down due to excited fashion week crowds descending on Teatro Armani. Home to the Giorgio Armani headquarters since 2000, the sprawling space includes a purpose-built theatre where each show season a catwalk is constructed.

On Friday, crowds again began to gather outside, but this time the mood was much more sombre. They had come to pay their final respects to the visionary Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani, who died on Thursday at the age of 91.

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Heritage fashion brand Belstaff bought by British sportswear group Castore

Struggling brand sold by Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos, which is to take ‘strategic investment’ in Castore’s holding company

Belstaff, the struggling British fashion brand known for its heritage motorcycle gear, has been bought by the sportswear group Castore from the billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos.

Under the deal, the terms of which have not been disclosed, Ineos will make a “significant strategic investment” in Castore’s holding company.

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Zelenskyy’s new outfit was not a response to difficult first White House visit, says designer

Ukrainian designer Viktor Anisimov said outcome of crucial meeting with Trump was more important than fashion

On Monday evening, the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, garnered compliments from Donald Trump and the White House press pool for his formal jacket and trousers.

But for the ensemble’s designer, Viktor Anisimov, the outcome of the meeting, not the verdict on the outfit, was of more concern.

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Swatch pulls ‘slanted eye’ ad after backlash in China

Calls for boycott after Swiss watchmaker becomes latest western brand accused of racist imagery

The Swiss watchmaker Swatch has apologised and removed an advert featuring a model pulling the corners of his eyes, after the image prompted accusations of racism and calls for a boycott on Chinese social media.

Internet users heavily criticised the “slanted eye” gesture made by the Asian male model as racist.

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Online fashion retailer Shein’s UK sales leap by a third to more than £2bn

Profits rise 56% to £38.2m in 2024 as company overtakes British rival Boohoo and closes in on Asos

Shein, the online fast-fashion retailer founded in China, increased sales in the UK by about a third to more than £2bn last year, overtaking the British rival Boohoo and closing in on Asos.

The company, which had been considering a £50bn float on the London Stock Exchange but is expected to list in Hong Kong, said profits rose 56% to £38.2m last year on which it paid £9.6m corporation tax, according to accounts filed at Companies House this week.

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Shein fined €1m in Italy for misleading environmental claims about products

Chinese fast fashion retailer penalised month after €40m fine from French regulator in July

The Italian authorities have fined Shein €1m (£870,000) for making “misleading or omissive” environmental claims about its products, the second time in as many months the Chinese fashion retailer has been targeted by European regulators.

Environmental sustainability and social responsibility messages on Shein’s website were in some cases “vague, generic, and/or overly emphatic” and in others were “misleading or omissive”, said Italy’s competition authority, AGCM.

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M&S advert banned for featuring model who looked ‘unhealthily thin’

ASA ruling comes amid fears fashion industry reversing progress in body positivity movement

An advert by high street retailer Marks & Spencer has been banned for featuring an “irresponsible” image of a model who appeared “unhealthily thin”.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said the model’s pose, choice of clothing and the camera angle which seemed to tilt downwards all contributed to the impression she was too thin.

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Festivalgoers help drive Burberry to best sales performance in 18 months

Music fans snap up wellies, scarves and light jackets, with shares rising more than 4% on back of better-than-expected performance

Shoppers snapping up Burberry wellies, scarves and light jackets to wear at music festivals have helped the fashion brand to its best sales performance in 18 months despite lacklustre spending by tourists around the world.

Sales of the luxury British brand fell by 2% to £433m in the three months to the end of June, with a 1% decline at established stores, an improvement from the 6% fall in the previous quarter and the best performance since Christmas 2023.

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Mushroom trial spores toxic media hot takes after Erin Patterson’s guilty verdict | Weekly Beast

Coverage ranges from psychedelic gifs to ‘full-on Walking Dead-style zombie stuff’. Plus: is the ABC really listening?

The media were constrained in what they could report during Erin Patterson’s 10-week trial. But after the mushroom trial guilty verdict was handed down on Monday, all bets were off.

The extraordinary photographs of the triple murderer in a prison van in May were published by every media outlet, bought from the wire agency AFP for more than $1,500 each or a discounted rate for the set of six.

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Michael Rider evolves a winning formula in debut for Celine in Paris

The American designer balances a homage to the past with a nod to his own fashion story

After a year of musical chairs in fashion, September is gearing up to be one of its biggest show months ever: with debut collections slated from new creative directors at brands including Matthieu Blazy at Chanel and ex-Balenciaga designer Demna at Gucci.

On Sunday in Paris, Michael Rider, who recently succeeded Hedi Slimane at Celine, decided to get a head start.

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Skirting the issue: Designer dress goes missing from Bezos-Sánchez wedding

Sources say no complaint has been made to police – with expectation that garment will ‘turn up’

Lauren Sánchez packed 27 designer dresses for her wedding to the billionaire Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos, in Venice last week, but left with only 26 after one went missing.

The couple, who are now honeymooning in Taormina, Sicily, were wed during a star-studded three-day celebration in the lagoon city.

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Clothing prices rising in US as Trump tariffs kick in, H&M boss says

Daniel Ervér cites ‘fast-moving situation’ as US administration has changed rules on several occasions

Clothing prices are beginning to rise in the US as Donald Trump’s tariffs on imported goods start to have an effect, according to the boss of H&M, one of the world’s biggest fashion retailers.

Daniel Ervér, the chief executive of the Swedish retailer, said: “In the US, we are starting to see some competitors increasing prices. Different competitors are acting in different ways. Some more aggressively and some more cautiously.”

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‘Friends stared at me dumbfounded’: Guardian Australia staff share their most traumatic haircuts. What was yours?

A viral video of a barbershop blow-up prompts tales of shear panic. Tell us about your worst haircut experience in the comments

A tradie went viral this week after blowing up at a barber who he claimed left him with a lopsided buzz cut.

The tradesman insisted on paying for the allegedly substandard haircut before storming out. The exchange has sparked a conversation online, with some saying they would never be brave enough to complain and others recounting their worst haircut experiences.

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Rodeo drive: Beyoncé UK tour spurs cowboy fashion craze

Singer’s western-inspired Cowboy Carter tour is reminder of pop culture’s sway over shopping behaviour

Rhinestones, cowboy hats and a whole lot of denim; not a hen party entourage, a Glastonbury fit or a Nashville rodeo, but the queues outside Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this week, as Beyoncé kicked off her UK tour. And, seemingly, a new national dress code.

Since the release of the Cowboy Carter album, Beyoncé fans have been quick to adopt the rancher style, sparking a surge in interest for western-inspired fashion. On Vinted, searches for “western” are up by 16% year on year this month, with “rodeo” up 13%. Meanwhile, denim searches have risen 8%.

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Shein accused of ‘shaming’ customers into buying more than they can afford

Consumer watchdogs accuse Chinese fashion firm of ‘dark’ practices in formal complaint to European Commission

Consumer watchdogs from 21 countries have filed a formal complaint to EU authorities about alleged “dark” practices by the Chinese fast fashion firm Shein including the “shaming” of customers into buying more than they can afford.

The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) has submitted a 29-page dossier to the European Commission citing multiple examples of “dark patterns”, or deceptive techniques designed to encourage purchases.

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Miss World organisers accused of being ‘vindictive and bitter’ towards ex-contestant

Milla Magee, the reigning Miss England, left over claims she had been used as window dressing

Their mantra is “beauty with a purpose”. But the organisers of the Miss World pageant have been accused of something altogether uglier: being “vindictive and very bitter” towards a contestant who left over claims she had been used as window dressing.

The reigning Miss England, Milla Magee, said she agreed to take part in the 2025 Miss World pageant because she believed it would be a platform to promote her campaign to have CPR included in the school curriculum. But she said the reality was very different.

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