Fashion
Max Mara takes its next resort collection to Shanghai
Published
December 9, 2025
Max Mara will stage its 2027 resort show in Shanghai in June next year, the house has revealed.
“The Max Mara Resort 2027 show will take place in Shanghai, China on Tuesday 16th June 2026,” the Italian luxury fashion house confirmed in a statement.
The decision marks the latest exotic destination for the house, which last year held its resort show in Royal Palace of Caserta, the Versailles of Italy, located near Naples.
Pre-show, the 300 guests sipped prosecco, as stars like Sharon Stone, Gwyneth Paltrow, Joey King and Alexa Chung admired the truly magnificent one kilometer-long series of cascades, interspersed with five monumental fountains, designed by architect, Luigi Vanvitelli.
Max Mara’s UK-born designer Ian Griffiths creating a beautiful collection he termed “pragmatic feminism,” that riffed on Italia cinema icons like Sophia Loren and Silvana Mangano.
That event followed Max Mara’s resort 2025 show at the Palazzo Ducale in Venice, another Italian masterpiece rich in history. No word yet on the exact location of the upcoming Shanghai show.
Previous Max Mara resort collections have also been unveiled in Stockholm, Berlin and Lisbon.
Max Mara resort shows traditionally climax a series of major collections by important European brands each spring. Next year, Louis Vuitton and Dior will both stage their cruise shows in America, in New York and Los Angeles respectively.
Copyright © 2025 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.
Fashion
November retail sales fail to impress despite Black Friday, says Barclays and BRC
Published
December 9, 2025
Two key monthly spending reports came out on Tuesday morning and showed that, as other reports have suggested, that November retail sales and general spending were pretty unimpressive.
It’s worth noting that different reports use different criteria to reach their figures so there will be variations.
Barclays said card spending saw its greatest fall since 2021 last month, as consumer confidence remained subdued.
Non-essential spend fell for the first time since July 2024, although Black Friday still managed to give retailers their busiest day of 2025.
So let’s look at the numbers. Consumer card spending (which takes in all types of spending, such as dining out and entertainment, as well as retail) was down 1.1% year on year. It was considerably lower than the latest CPIH inflation rate of 3.8%. The biggest drop was seen in essential spending, which was down 2.9% but non-essential spending fell only 0.3%.
Specific card spending at retail dipped 1.1% and transaction growth was negative to the tune of 2.3%, but on Black Friday transaction volumes rose 62.5% compared to the average day this year.
Of the sectors that came out on top, pharmacy, health & beauty spending grew 6.1% in November, continuing its strong streak as far as spend growth was concerned, although transaction growth was negative at 2.4%.
Clothing store spend was up 1.3% with transaction growth of 3.6%. Department stores had a tough time with spend down 8.2% and transaction growth down 6.4%.
Meanwhile, the BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor, said UK total retail sales increased by 1.4% year on year in November, against a decline of 3.3% in November 2024. This was below the 12-month average growth of 2.5%.
Non-food sales increased by 0.1% year on year, against a decline of 7.9% in November 2024. In-store non-food sales decreased by 0.3%, after a fall of 6.2% in November 2024 and online non-food sales increased by 0.5% year on year, against a drop of 10.3% a year ago.
Both fashion and footwear dipped slightly during the month, according to the BRC. This goes against the Barclays view that clothing sales rose slightly. But in both cases, the fact is that fashion stores went the extra mile to drive sales and didn’t seem to be that successful.
Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “Pre-Budget jitters among shoppers meant the month of Black Friday did not deliver as strongly as retailers had hoped or the economy needed. Sales growth was the weakest in six months, despite the elevated inflation. Not unexpectedly, online dominated, with the proportion of non-food bought online reaching its highest level since 2022. Many consumers took advantage of promotions, with homeware and upholstery selling well ahead of festive hosting. Fashion lagged, especially with the mild first half of November dampening demand for winterwear.”
Copyright © 2025 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.
Fashion
India’s Odisha state approves schemes for silk, handloom sectors
Under MBSBY, the government will allocate ₹4.9 billion (~$54.35 million) over five years for attracting investments, empowering local industries and expanding employment opportunities in the textile and handloom sector, State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Mahaling told the assembly.
India’s Odisha state cabinet has approved two schemes for the silk and handloom sectors.
The state will allocate $54.35 million over five years for attracting investments, empowering local industries and expanding textile-handloom jobs.
Under the scheme for silk, $30.4 million will be spent over five years for strengthening sericulture through improved infrastructure and skill-building initiatives.
Aligned with the Odisha Apparel and Technical Textile Policy 2022 and the Industrial Policy Resolution 2015, it will provide incentives to new textile manufacturing units, he was cited as saying by media reports from the state.
Under the silk development scheme MRBY, ₹2.74 billion (~$30.4 million) will be spent over the next five years for strengthening the state’s sericulture industry through improved infrastructure and skill-building initiatives.
Ethical silk production will be backed by focusing on silkworm seed preparation, species conservation and farmer incentives. Cooperative societies will facilitate better marketing of silk products, protecting farmers from distress sale and ensuring sustainable growth, he said.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
Fashion
Germany’s Puma launches refreshed speedcat trio with creative campaign
Every performance begins with a blank stage. The PUMA Speedcat’s latest moment explores the magic of creative expression.
PUMA reimagines its Speedcat design with a new campaign and refreshed silhouettes: the Speedcat Wedge, Speedcat Ballet, and Speedcat OG.
Showcased by creative trailblazers Lea Waldberg, Madeline Woo, and Renata Kats, the collection blends heritage with expressive movement.
Updated styles feature brown suede and metallic grey accents, marking a bold new chapter for the iconic silhouette.
PUMA’s new campaign frames the Speedcat as the lead actor; an icon reborn on a stage where the ending is unwritten, and everything is possible. Here, three protagonists bring the story to life. A stylist, a ballet dancer, and a photographer each move and perform with a freedom that mirrors the Speedcat’s sleek and unmistakable design. Each known for defying the norm in their industry, Lea Waldberg, Madeline Woo, and Renata Kats show how the Speedcat emboldens their sense of personal expression, taking inspiration from the blank space surrounding them and transforming it into a unique visual statement.
What begins as a neutral space evolves with each step, each gesture, each spin is proof that creativity doesn’t need boundaries, only starting points. The Speedcat exists at this intersection: grounded in heritage, yet fluid enough to adapt to any style, any movement, any stage. It is not just worn, but personified, unlocking the blank slate of creativity in those who step into it.
With this campaign, PUMA also turns the page to a new chapter: the reintroduction of the Speedcat Wedge, pulled from PUMA’s archive, with a concealed heel that elevates the icon with new proportions. The collection also includes the new Speedcat Ballet, evoking the chic feel of ballet flats, with an updated strap closure. Lastly, the Speedcat OG is shaped after the original, archival 1999 Speedcat. The trio is brought together with a brown suede makeup, with contrasting metallic grey hits. The collection also includes a new Speedcat Premium and Speedcat Ballet, all subtly rendered in soft brown suede with silver metallic accents.
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)
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