Fashion
Right wing urges boycott of iconic Brazilian flip-flops
By
AFP
Published
December 22, 2025
Prominent figures on Brazil’s right wing are calling for a boycott of Havaianas, the iconic Brazilian flip-flop sandals, over an ad seen as taking sides ahead of next year’s presidential elections.
In a video posted on the brand’s social media accounts, actress Fernanda Torres urges the public “not to start 2026 on the right foot,” but “on both feet.”
Torres, a supporter of the Brazilian left, was the lead actress in the Brazilian film “Ainda Estou Aqui” (“I’m Still Here”), which won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film this year.
The advertisement has sparked outrage in conservative circles.
Eduardo Bolsonaro, one of the sons of far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro — who is serving a 27-year prison sentence for an attempted coup after losing the last election — took to Instagram on Sunday to register his disgust.
In a video, he throws a pair of the flip-flops, recognizable from their straps adorned with the Brazilian flag, into the trash.
“Havaianas used to be a national symbol. I’ve seen many foreigners wearing this Brazilian flag on their feet… but I’m sorry, I’m going to throw these flip-flops in the trash,” says the US-based, former Brazilian lawmaker.
Conservative congressman Rodrigo Valadares posted on X: “Havaianas has chosen its side. The RIGHT has opted for a boycott.”
“My feet are burning on the asphalt, but Havaianas, never again,” right-wing influencer Thiago Asmar posted Monday on Instagram, where he has more than two million followers.
Havaianas are among the world’s best-selling sandals. The Alpargatas group, which owns the brand, employs 10,000 people and sold 226.6 million pairs of flip-flops in 2024, mostly in Brazil, according to its LinkedIn page.
The company has not responded to AFP requests for comment.
Left-wing congresswoman Duda Salabert denounced the reactions from the right as “idiotic attacks,” saying calls for a boycott threatens jobs in Minas Gerais, the southeastern state she represents, where one of the brand’s factories is located.
Torres won the Golden Globe for Best Actress for “I’m Still Here,” which recounts the years of the military dictatorship in Brazil, a period often evoked with nostalgia by Bolsonaro’s supporters.
South America’s largest nation is set to hold general elections in October 2026. Leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who defeated Bolsonaro in 2022, has said he plans to run for a fourth term.
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Fashion
080 Barcelona Fashion to take place at Port Vell in April
Published
December 22, 2025
080 Barcelona Fashion has a new venue. The Catalan catwalk, which bid farewell last October to the Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site, will hold its next edition from April 14 to 17 at the Port of Barcelona, across the Port Vell and Marina Vela spaces.
The fashion platform, promoted by the Department of Business and Labour through the Catalan Government’s Trade, Crafts and Fashion Consortium, announced the move on Monday. With this change of setting, 080 Barcelona Fashion “kicks off a new chapter” that strengthens “the link between fashion and the city, with the sea as a global connector,” it said in a statement.
After years cementing its role as a showcase for emerging talent and with a clear and growing international outlook, 080 Barcelona Fashion aims to open up further to the city and position itself as “a megaphone for creativity.”
“This boost consolidates Catalonia and Barcelona as leaders in the fashion world, reinforcing their role as a creative and innovative hub, and with a clear international outlook,” the platform emphasised in a statement.
Its current director, Marta Coca, outlined the essence of the new location in October: “We want a completely different style to the recent editions, where modernism has taken centre stage. We are looking for a location that, while different, also defines Barcelona.”
The 37th edition of the event will look out to the sea from one of the city’s icons and attractions. The cycle beginning in April is aligned with the “Fashion Plan 2025-2030” promoted by Barcelona City Council, which made its debut as an investor in the event last October with a contribution of €150,000 (from a total budget of €2.15 million). The plan aims to “integrate fashion into the cultural, creative and economic map of the city and position Barcelona as a fashion capital.”
At its most recent edition at the Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site, 080 Barcelona Fashion welcomed more than 11,000 attendees and featured 24 brands, including labels such as Moisés Nieto, Acromatyx, Guillermina Baeza, Custo Barcelona and Carlota Barrera. It was an edition marked by new formats and synergies with public and private platforms in the sector.
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Fashion
eBay, Vestiaire Collective, H&M’s Sellpy among Europe’s top 10 sustainable re-commerce marketplaces
Published
December 22, 2025
French refurbished tech e-tailer Back Market is Europe’s top-ranked sustainable resale platform, according to Cross-border Commerce Europe (CCE). Three fashion resale specialists, eBay, Vestiaire Collective and H&M’s Sellpy, were among the ranking’s top-10 platforms, with Vinted in 11th place.
The CCE ranking is based on an analysis of the various players’ CSR pledges, cross-referencing the share of their business that falls strictly in the sustainability category with a weighted audit of over 75 sector certifications (like B-Corp and Fashion Pact). Besides certifications, the CCE methodology also assessed the business models, putting a premium on circularity initiatives (like resale and repair) and the presence of alternative services such as product rental, customisation, on-demand production, etc.
Europe’s top-ranked sustainable marketplace was French refurbished tech e-tailer Back Market, ahead of Etsy (USA), OLX (the Netherlands) and Refurbed (Austria). eBay came fifth, ahead of British used photo and video equipment e-tailer MPB.
Vestiaire Collective, the French specialist in second-hand premium and luxury fashion, ranked seventh, followed by Sellpy (owned by Swedish group H&M), by British used tech specialist CeX, and by another French high-end pre-owned fashion marketplace, Collector Square. Vinted was ranked 11th.
Among the factors negatively affecting CCE’s sustainability rating are the carbon impact associated with air freight, high return rates, and a business model based on fast fashion. China-based businesses raised major ethical concerns in terms of human rights compliance, while lack of transparency on traceability was another factor negatively affecting a marketplace’s ranking.
“The re-commerce market is projected to account for 7.4% to 7.8% of the fashion and beauty industry by 2026, up from 6.9% in 2025,” stated CCE, adding that cross-border e-commerce generates 70% of the re-commerce sector’s sales volume.
In 2025, CCE said that marketplaces accounted for 74% of Europe’s online re-commerce GMV (which was up by 18%), generating a revenue of €90 billion out of a total of €121 billion.
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Fashion
Humility, La Fée Maraboutée’s sister brand, opens its first Paris boutique in Le Marais
Published
December 22, 2025
Ten years after its launch, Humility has opened its first Parisian boutique. A sister label to La Fée Maraboutée, the discreetly chic womenswear brand is growing at its own pace. It has just opened the doors of its first Parisian boutique in the Marais, at 11 rue Malher, on the corner of rue des Rosiers.
The brand has taken over the space of multibrand retailer Camélia and now enjoys strong visibility in this highly competitive part of central Paris, attracting both French and international customers. It sits within a nearby retail mix that includes Free People, Cotélac, Balzac, Desigual and Cos.
Launched by La Fée Maraboutée founders Jean-Pierre Braillard and Virginie Mangano, Humility distils pared-back womenswear with understated elegance. Established in 2016 with a proposition radically different from the Roanne-based group’s flagship brand, the label swaps bohemian prints for a more architectural, almost monastic, aesthetic.
The current wardrobe champions ‘effortless’ elegance: oversize cuts, structured lines and a discreet colour palette (black, anthracite, chalk, khaki). Key pieces include the precisely cut Riu trousers, apron dresses with a workwear accent and, true to the group’s DNA, knitwear crafted in bouclé or textured wool blends. Pricing, slightly higher than at La Fée Maraboutée, ranges from 140 to 270 euros, with production predominantly in Europe, particularly Italy.
In terms of distribution, Humility remains selective, relying on a network of around 110 specialist multi-brand retailers, such as Solana in Paris and Lilyaké in Bordeaux. The brand is present through this channel in key European markets: the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the Benelux region.

In recent years, the group has also been developing direct sales, both online and in-store. It is testing its mono-brand concept with a pilot location opened in 2023 in its home region, Lyon, at 24 Grande Rue de la Croix-Rousse, a laboratory that has helped refine the customer experience by adopting a concept-store approach and incorporating jewellery and home décor brands. Today, the brand is strengthening its visibility in department stores with around a dozen strategic corners, notably at Printemps Nation in Paris as well as at Galeries Lafayette in Reims and Tours.
The brand is also active internationally, having presented in Taiwan this summer, during the Mode in France event, its spring-summer 2026 collection inspired by the work of Japanese architect Tadao Ando. This collection will, of course, be showcased in its new Paris boutique.
The French group headed by Gaëlle Lelong does not disclose the brand’s financial performance. In 2024, despite a downturn in business, the parent company, La Fée, posted sales of over 37 million euros and remained profitable.
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