Fashion
South Korean brand Time tests the French market at La Samaritaine
Published
September 3, 2025
La Samaritaine is testing out new fashion propositions in its spaces, and it’s the South Korean label that’s taking over the atrium to introduce its sleek, feminine looks to customers of the Parisian department store. The brand, born in 1993, has set up a 62-square-meter pop-up store on level -1, open from August 30 until October 30. Two months of experimentation in the French market, where Time began to parade in 2023 during Paris Fashion Week (starting at the Palais de Tokyo).
This temporary store is part of a global expansion plan for the brand, which intends to extend its footprint beyond its own borders. In a setting enhanced by metallic surfaces, an olive-green carpet and curvaceous furniture, the Fall-Winter 2025/26 collection features rounded jackets, muted knits and numerous shawls, “particularly popular in Korea,” according to the company.
Time, whose artistic director is Jung in Choi, will parade again in the French capital in a month’s time, to present its spring/summer 2026 collection. Afterwards, the company aims to open its first permanent boutique in Paris.
The Time brand belongs to the Korean Handsome group, launched in 1987, which owns or operates some forty ready-to-wear labels, cosmetics labels and lifestyle brands (in-house and under license). It has a network of 1,300 outlets and is itself owned by the Hyundai Department Store Group.
This article is an automatic translation.
Click here to read the original article.
Copyright © 2025 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.
Published
September 3, 2025
Watches of Switzerland Group (WOSG) updated on its recent trading on Wednesday with the former high-flyer delivering good news about its core UK and US markets. This is despite the tariff carnage of recent months and was a positive development after a series of earlier weaker reports had sent its share price down over 40% this year alone.
The company last week became the latest big name to urge the government to restore VAT-free shopping for tourists (the lack of which has been dubbed a ‘tourist tax’). But it said it’s “pleased with our performance in the 18 weeks to 31 August 2025 and are on track to deliver a good H1 FY26 in line with our expectations. We have seen consistently strong trading throughout the period, particularly in the US, despite the announcement of increased tariffs on Swiss imports. The stability we saw in the UK luxury watch and jewellery markets during H2 FY25 has continued, and we have delivered good year-on-year growth. Registration of Interest lists continue to grow in both markets”.
It was also upbeat about “the success of the flagship Rolex Boutique on Old Bond Street, London, which is exceeding our expectations”. We’re told that the response from clients “has been excellent and traffic levels and conversion rates are very good. The Rolex Certified Pre-Owned salon on the lower ground floor is fast becoming the destination for Rolex aficionados”.
Clearly the combination of a Bond Street address and the Rolex brand is proving to be a winning formula, even though London shopping tourism remains muted due to the aforementioned tourist tax.
The company’s e-commerce sales have also shown good growth, particularly in the US following the upgrade of its signature webstore.
And the group’s “well-established” Certified Pre-Owned business is “growing well in both markets, and we see significant opportunity for growth in this dynamic category”.
The firm’s earlier acquisition (in May 2024) of Roberto Coin Inc is “performing strongly” too. The company plans to “grow and develop the Roberto Coin brand” and has launched a campaign featuring Dakota Johnson as global brand ambassador.
Looking at the wider WOSG business, it said that “elevation and brand expansion within our own showrooms is proving very successful. We continue to develop and refine the offering and there are opportunities to extend this to our retail partners”.
It’s signed leases for three monobrand boutiques and the construction of newly designed boutiques in Miami, New York and Las Vegas is under way with openings due in Q3 of its 2026 financial year, which means they’ll be open before the end of November.
Showrooms remain a big focus for the business and it has recently refurbished Northern Goldsmiths, Newcastle, which has been retailing Rolex since 1919, as well as opening the Audemars Piguet AP House, Manchester, operating as a joint venture.
The new Mappin & Webb Luxury Jewellery Boutique, Manchester is now complete and opens this week. This jewellery boutique has geographical exclusivity for several luxury jewellery brands, including WOSG’s first De Beers monobrand boutique.
Outside of its domestic market, the relocated Mayors Lenox, Atlanta also opened last month. And the Q4 FY25 openings of Mayors Jacksonville, Florida and Watches of Switzerland Plano (its first showroom in Texas) “have got off to an encouraging start”.
Further showrooms are being developed/opened for this financial year including the new Watches of Switzerland Southdale, Minneapolis and the relocation of Mayors University Town Center Sarasota, Florida. In the UK, it will complete the Mappin & Webb Birmingham conversion, the relocation of Goldsmiths Merry Hill, Birmingham and the expansion of Goldsmiths Oxford.
There’s a lot of activity happening and some major investment cash going into it. The company didn’t say what impact this is having on profitability and didn’t specify any monetary figures in the outlook it delivered on Wednesday. But it did say that “performance in both markets is encouraging and in line with FY26 guidance provided in July 2025. We do not anticipate any material impact from the US tariffs in H1 FY26 as brand partners have increased inventories as shown by Swiss Watch Exports in July 2025 (+45% vs prior year)”.
Copyright © 2025 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.
This partnership builds on UO’s approach to experiential retail, creating spaces that spark inspiration and invite customers to explore fresh perspectives in fashion, culture, and style. Infused with the energy of a vintage flea market, the concept brings together the latest Levi’s, including 501 90s, 501 Curve, Baggy Dad, Super Baggy Barrel, and Low Loose for her, and 578 Baggy and 568 Loose Straight for him. The collection includes a selected mix of vintage finds, including highly sought-after paper tag jeans and jackets curated by Levi’s and the UO’s Vintage & ReMade teams.
“Urban Outfitters has always been rooted in discovery, and our On Rotation installation with Levi’s takes that to the next level,” said Cyntia Leo, Head of Brand Marketing at Urban Outfitters. “We’ve built a space that feels uniquely UO and gives our community an immersive destination they can’t get anywhere else.”
Urban Outfitters has launched the second season of its On Rotation concept, this time in collaboration with Levi’s.
Running August 22–September 30 online and in five UO stores, the denim-focused experience blends Levi’s icons with UO’s vintage aesthetic.
Highlights include 501s, baggy fits, archival finds, and events such as Levi’s Tailor Shop, local vendor pop-ups, and live music.
The launch will kick off with a flagship event in Austin, TX on August 23, transforming the store and courtyard into a lively, denim-fueled market complete with Levi’s Tailor Shop customization, local vintage vendor pop-ups, live music, and bites from a favorite neighborhood spot. The experience will also roll out to Walnut Creek, Las Vegas, New York City (Broadway), and Miami Beach, where each store will host its own version of the On Rotation buildout with community-driven activations and locally inspired storytelling.
“Our customers have always loved denim that feels both timeless and fresh, and Levi’s On Rotation delivers just that,” said Marybeth Cahill, Chief Merchandising Officer. “From classic 501s to rare archival pieces, the assortment offers the full spectrum—all curated through the distinct Urban Outfitters point of view.”
On Rotation, newly launched in May 2025 with Nike, delivers what today’s customer wants, an experience that is fun, engaging, and rooted in discovery. Built to evolve with each featured brand, the platform pairs curated products with immersive storytelling and design.
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)
Dollar General Corporation has reported financial results for its second quarter (Q2) of fiscal 2025 (FY25), ended August 1, 2025, with solid growth across key metrics. Net sales rose 5.1 per cent to $10.7 billion from $10.2 billion in the same quarter last year, driven by contributions from new stores and same-store sales growth of 2.8 per cent. The same-store performance reflected a 1.5 per cent increase in customer traffic and a 1.2 per cent rise in average transaction size, with gains recorded in consumables, seasonal items, home products, and apparel.
Dollar General has posted strong Q2 FY25 results with net sales up 5.1 per cent to $10.7 billion and same-store sales rising 2.8 per cent.
Gross margin improved to 31.3 per cent, operating profit climbed 8.3 per cent to $595.4 million, and EPS rose 9.4 per cent to $1.86.
The retailer lifted full-year guidance, expecting sales growth of 4.3–4.8 per cent and EPS of $5.8–6.3.
Gross profit as a percentage of sales improved to 31.3 per cent from 30 per cent, supported by lower shrink, higher inventory markups, and reduced damages, though partially offset by higher markdowns, distribution costs, and LIFO provision, the company said in a release.
Selling, general and administrative expenses increased to 25.8 per cent of sales compared to 24.6 per cent a year earlier, largely due to higher incentive compensation, maintenance, and employee benefits.
Operating profit increased 8.3 per cent to $595.4 million, while net income rose 10 per cent to $411.4 million. Diluted EPS climbed 9.4 per cent to $1.86 from $1.7 last year. Interest expense declined 15.3 per cent to $57.7 million, while the effective tax rate stood at 23.5 per cent compared with 22.3 per cent last year.
The company’s board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.59 per share. Merchandise inventories at cost fell 7.4 per cent on a per-store basis to $6.6 billion, compared with $7 billion last year. Year-to-date cash flow from operations increased 9.8 per cent to $1.8 billion.
Capital expenditures totalled $694 million in the first half of fiscal 2025, including $365 million for remodels, relocations, and upgrades, $151 million for distribution and transport projects, $143 million for new store facilities, and $32 million for IT and technology upgrades. During Q2 alone, Dollar General opened 204 new stores, remodelled 729 stores under Project Elevate, 592 under Project Renovate, and relocated 15 stores.
“We are pleased with our strong second-quarter results, including earnings growth that significantly exceeded our expectations. Our improved execution, along with our progress advancing key initiatives, is resonating with both existing and new customers as we further enhance our value and convenience proposition. I want to thank our team for their ongoing commitment and dedication to fulfilling our mission of Serving Others every day in more than 20,000 stores across the country,” said Todd Vasos, Dollar General’s chief executive officer.
Looking ahead, the company has raised its full-year guidance to reflect its second quarter outperformance and stronger outlook for the remainder of the year. It now expects net sales growth of 4.3–4.8 per cent, up from 3.7–4.7 per cent previously. Same-store sales growth is forecast at 2.1–2.6 per cent, compared with earlier guidance of 1.5–2.5 per cent.
Diluted EPS is expected in the range of $5.8 to $6.3, higher than the prior $5.2–$5.8 outlook, based on a tax rate assumption of 23.5 per cent. Capital expenditures remain forecast at $1.3–$1.4 billion. For fiscal 2025, the company plans to execute around 4,885 real estate projects, including 575 new US stores, up to 15 in Mexico, approximately 2,000 remodels under Project Renovate, 2,250 remodels under Project Elevate, and 45 relocations.
“Looking ahead, we believe we have ample opportunity to drive growth and further improve our operating and financial performance, as we continue to work toward achieving the goals laid out in our long-term financial framework. We are proud of our progress, confident in the future of this resilient business model, and excited about the opportunity to further create sustainable long-term value for our customers, associates, and shareholders,” Vasos added.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (HU)
Vikran Engineering IPO Sees Muted Listing, Stock Lists At 2% Premium: Should You Buy, Sell Or Hold?
There’s hope for the Giants, and it starts with a vicious defensive line
Salma Hayek Pinault celebrates her 59th birthday in style
-
Tech1 week agoReview: Google Pixel 10 Series
-
Sports7 days agoNew Zealand rugby player Shane Christie, who suffered multiple concussions, dies aged 39 – SUCH TV
-
Tech6 days agoTop CDC Officials Resign After Director Is Pushed Out
-
Fashion7 days agoPortugal Jewels Chiado boutique nominated for two global design awards
-
Fashion7 days agoICE cotton futures fall for 2nd consecutive day on strong crop outlook
-
Sports7 days agoNew-look Pac-12 extends CW deal through 2031
-
Fashion7 days agoIsrael’s Delta Galil posts $470 mn Q2 sales, updates 2025 guidance
-
Sports6 days agoDolphins GM Chris Grier says fans threatened his family in string of vile emails after team’s lackluster year