I was watching the third season of my latest Netflix obsession, The Diplomat, and realized that product placement has quietly evolved. The actors are dressed in instantly recognizable pieces, and it’s fascinating to see how these clothes look on real people — in motion, rather than in static campaign shots. Pair that with how much we tend to empathize with certain characters, and suddenly those products feel emotionally charged, almost aspirational by association. I’m genuinely curious how brand deals with Netflix are structured — whether Netflix takes a cut of sales, and how those conversions are even tracked. Either way, it’s clearly working: that white-cream Toteme dress from the show is already almost sold out.

Caught my eye

I stumbled upon a New York Times piece on fashion designer Jenni Kayne, which includes a stunning tour of her California home

Trends — what’s bubbling underneath the headlines

• Aritzia Goes Digital (and Personal)

  Aritzia just launched a new app designed to feel more like a digital boutique than an online store. It features exclusive content — showroom-style videos, early-access drops, and curated daily outfit inspiration — but what I find most interesting is the “Closet” feature. It automatically syncs every purchase, whether online, in-store, or in-app, into one personalized archive that generates tailored styling suggestions. It’s a clever move that could bring users back to the app almost daily — and isn’t that what every brand dreams of?

• The era of meaningful brands

  Deloitte’s latest Brand Connection study shows a shift in how consumers form loyalty: 46% say they have no favorite brand, yet trust in small and niche players has jumped nearly 30% in five years. Authenticity, daily relevance, and clear identity now outweigh heritage or scale. Six in ten consumers say their most loved brands evoke memories of the past, while more than half view brands as “mirrors of personal values.”

• Whoever controls search, controls the consumer

  The tech world was consumed this week by OpenAI’s launch of Atlas, a new browser built around ChatGPT that could fundamentally change how people search, shop, and discover. It’s always been like this: whoever controls search, controls the internet. While the launch of Atlas was widely celebrated, Google — with its decades of dominance — remains better positioned to lead even in the age of AI (provided it successfully integrates these tools into its ecosystem).

Business moves, big numbers & “wait, what?”

• The Week of Restructuring. Alexander McQueen is cutting around 20 percent of its London HQ as part of a “strategic review”. The brand, now grouped within Kering’s “other houses,” had sales decline 5% last quarter (vs 10% group’s broader 10% revenue decline).

  Meanwhile, Dsquared2 announced its own restructuring — reducing its global workforce by roughly 15 percent, or 40 roles. It was described as the move as a “proactive” step to build a leaner, more resilient organisation amid shifting luxury demand.

  Taken together, this week’s headlines point to a larger reset across the sector: fashion houses once obsessed with growth are now optimising.

• The week of beauty M&A. Advent International is reportedly exploring a sale of Parfums de Marly. I got to know some of the brand’s labels — like Initio and Amouage — through TikTok, where their perfumes are surprisingly popular among Gen Z despite price tags of around €200. The potential deal could value the business at over $2 billion; Advent acquired its majority stake in 2023 at roughly $700 million. The news lands just a week after L’Oréal’s acquisition of Kering Beauty, highlighting how luxury fragrance is the beauty industry’s hottest asset class.

• LVMH is reportedly exploring the sale of its 50% stake in Fenty Beauty, co-owned with Rihanna, with the business valued between $1–2 billion after generating roughly $450 million in 2024 sales. When e.l.f. Beauty acquired Hailey Bieber’s Rhode earlier this month, many predicted it would spark a new wave of celebrity beauty deals — and we may already be seeing the first signs. Celebrities are looking to cash out at peak valuation, while buyers hunt for brands with real communities and staying power. Fenty’s potential sale fits that logic perfectly.

Wish I were there - pop-ups,  collabs, etc.

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• Until 22.11.25 | Paris - SAINT LAURENT and CHARLOTTE PERRIAND exhibition

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