Fashion
Luxury brand Hermès reopens flagship store in Seoul’s Gangnam district
On 21st August 2025, Hermès is delighted to announce the opening of its newly expanded and relocated store within the Galleria department store in Seoul’s renowned Apgujeong Rodeo area of Gangnam district. As of now, located in the West hall, the bright and harmonious space offers a radiant new setting for the house’s sixteen métiers, celebrating craftsmanship while reaffirming Hermès’ local commitment.
The new store is wrapped in a striped trompe l’oeil of anodised metal inspired by the country’s vivid Dancheong decorative tradition and its contemporary aesthetic. The dynamic façade flows like a rhythmic audio file, drawing visitors into a lively environment influenced by the vibrant, high-energy local pop world, using playful pastels, bold neon, and striking contrasts.
Hermès has reopened its expanded store in Seoul’s Apgujeong Rodeo, Gangnam, on August 21, 2025.
Designed by RDAI, the space celebrates 16 métiers with vibrant décor inspired by Korea’s Dancheong tradition and pop culture.
Featuring local crafts, art, and the 2025 theme “Drawn to Craft,” it blends heritage with modernity, showcasing leather goods, fashion, home, and equestrian collections.
As guests enter the colourful store, they discover fashion jewellery and fragrances, as they are welcomed by the house’s emblematic ex-libris, set into the signature terrazzo Faubourg pattern. A large space opens, like a nave, with the silk universe in the centre. To the right, men’s shoes and ready-to-wear are set against a striped wall of contrasting shades and hand-tufted carpets of concentric circles. Home and equestrian collections are encountered behind silk, linked by oversized pebble shapes in pastel terrazzo underfoot. Lively passages lead to the back of the store, an immersive space illuminated by the emblematic Grecques lights, with shimmering teal walls and ombre carpets. Here, intimate areas unfold, offering leather goods collections on one side and jewellery and watches opposite. Combined with the private salon, the space dazzles with sleek metallic wooden walls. To the right, similar pebble-shaped carpets underpin the women’s ready-to-wear and shoes, where pastel blue terrazzo and glossy silk partitions create a soothing space for the collections.
Created by Parisian architecture agency RDAI, the store represents a playful dialogue between heritage and modernity. Drawing on the recurrent patterns of Dancheong art, the vibrant décor is a celebration of South Korea’s ancient art and vibrant new generations. Local bespoke craft pieces including silk walls and pleated paper lighting by Jungmo Kwon enhance this symphonic narrative.
Sketches, illustrations and paintings from the Émile Hermès collection and the Hermès Collection of Contemporary Photographs punctuate the space. An urban inspiration is felt throughout the shaded landscapes depicted on works from French/Senegalese artist Mamadou Cissé, and the Animapolis Carré, drawn by Polish artist Jan Bajtlik, portraying a scene of vibrantly coloured animals strolling through a city.
The annual theme of 2025, “Drawn to Craft,” goes beyond lines and surfaces. The special window displays by Korean artist, Miju Lee captures the quality of drawing by exploring creation through time, sensation and memory. As the store relocates, the two window scenes also take the viewer on a poetic narrative that transform daily life details into evocative reflections on collective imagination.
Note: The headline, insights, and image of this press release may have been refined by the Fibre2Fashion staff; the rest of the content remains unchanged.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RM)
The gross margin expanded to 47.3 per cent and diluted earnings per share more than doubled to $1.14 from $0.55.
Wolverine Worldwide has reported revenue of $1.874 billion in 2025, up 6.8 per cent, led by Active Group growth and strong Saucony performance.
Margins and earnings improved, while cash rose and debt declined.
Fourth-quarter revenue increased 4.6 per cent.
CEO Hufnagel highlighted brand momentum and transformation progress.
The company expects 2026 revenue growth with steady margins.
The company strengthened its balance sheet during the year, ending with cash of $206 million, up 35.6 per cent, and net debt reduced 16.2 per cent to $415 million. Inventory increased 10.7 per cent to $274 million, Wolverine Worldwide said in a press release.
The fourth quarter (Q4) revenue rose 4.6 per cent YoY to $517.5 million, supported by strong Active Group growth, particularly Saucony and Merrell. Active Group revenue increased 12.4 per cent to $372.7 million, while Work Group declined 11.3 per cent to $134 million. Gross margin improved to 47 per cent from 43.6 per cent, reflecting product cost savings, favourable mix and price increases, partly offset by higher US tariffs. Diluted earnings per share climbed to $0.38 from $0.28.
“We exceeded our expectations across all key metrics in the fourth quarter, finishing a solid year for the Company. Our biggest brands are growing around the world, direct-to-consumer (DTC) continues to improve, earnings per share increased meaningfully YoY, and I believe we’re finding our footing where we’ve underperformed,” said Chris Hufnagel, president and chief executive officer of Wolverine Worldwide. “I am pleased with our progress in transforming the company and encouraged by the momentum we have carried into 2026. We’re focused squarely on executing our brand-building model with pace and distinction—building awesome products, telling amazing stories, and driving the business each day.”
Looking ahead, Wolverine Worldwide expects fiscal 2026 revenue of $1.96-1.985 billion, representing growth of 4.6-5.9 per cent YoY. The company anticipates gross margin of about 46 per cent, operating margin of roughly 8.8 per cent and diluted earnings per share between $1.31 and $1.46, signalling continued but measured expansion as brand-driven strategy execution progresses, added the release.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (SG)
The report, ‘Breaking Point: Heat and the Garment Floor’, by Tata Institute of Social Sciences and HeatWatch, documents widespread heat stress and major gaps in workplace protections across factories in Tamil Nadu, Delhi-NCR and Gujarat. Based on surveys of 115 workers and 47 in-depth interviews, along with factory case studies, the study highlights how extreme heat combines with production pressure and gendered workplace dynamics to intensify risks.
Severe heat stress and weak protections plagued India’s garment factories, employing 45 million people, mostly women, a new report found.
It urged legal recognition of heat stress as an occupational risk, stronger labour rights, enforceable safety standards and infrastructure upgrades such as ventilation, cooling and medical access to protect workers’ health, productivity and incomes.
Survey findings reveal limited access to basic protections. Over 36 per cent of workers reported irregular or unclean drinking water, 78 per cent struggled to access toilets, and 80 per cent said their workstations lacked air movement. Nearly 88 per cent felt completely drained during peak summer months, while 87 per cent reported heat-related ailments such as headaches, dizziness and muscle cramps in the past year.
Women workers reported acute impacts, with 96.8 per cent experiencing burning sensations during urination and 92.6 per cent reporting menstrual disruptions linked to heat and production pressure.
Factory assessments across 15 surveyed units across different states showed 60 per cent lacked on-site medical facilities, 73.3 per cent had metal or asbestos roofs, and nearly half did not monitor temperature or humidity. In some cases, monitoring devices were installed only during buyer inspections.
The report warns that extreme heat is not merely seasonal discomfort but a structural labour and public health issue. It calls for legal recognition of heat stress as an occupational disease, expanded social protection, mandatory work-rest cycles, infrastructure upgrades and stronger worker participation in safety decisions.
With India projected to lose 35 million jobs and 4.5 per cent of GDP by 2030 due to heat stress, the study urges urgent structural reforms to protect one of the country’s largest employment sectors.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (CG)
Without seasonal adjustment, this number dropped by 369,000, or 0.8 per cent MoM, with the decrease being a usual seasonal phenomenon.
The seasonally-adjusted number of employed in Germany fell by 14,000 month on month (MoM) in January to 45.5 million, provisional data show.
This number was down by 0.2 per cent YoY in the month.
Around 1.86 million were unemployed in January—a rise of 11.7 per cent YoY.
The unemployment rate rose to 4.2 per cent—a rise of 0.5 pp YoY.
The number of unemployed, at 1.75 million, rose by 0.4 per cent MoM.
In the period from May to December 2025, the number was down by an average of 12,000 MoM.
The number of employed in January 2026 was down by 88,000, or 0.2 per cent, year on year (YoY).
The downward trend in the YoY labour market figures, observed since August 2025, continued, a Destatis release said.
According to the Destatis Labour Force Survey, 1.86 million were unemployed in January 2026—an increase of 195,000, or 11.7 per cent, YoY. The unemployment rate rose to 4.2 per cent—an increase of 0.5 percentage point (pp) YoY.
Adjusted for seasonal and irregular effects, the number of unemployed in January stood at 1.75 million—a MoM increase of 6,000, or 0.4 per cent. The adjusted unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4 per cent.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
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