Written By LE BOOK
HIGHLIGHTS
FASHION
The Met Gala 2025 returned on Monday with a celebration of heritage, style, and craftsmanship. This year’s theme, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, marked a historic spotlight on Black menswear — the first since 2003 — inspired by the Met’s new exhibition on the Black dandy. The gala raised $31 million in support of the museum.
COMMUNICATION
Lucien Pagès Communication is merging with London’s AIPR to form Lucien Pagès & AIPR, marking a bold expansion into the UK market. The move comes just five months after Pagès sold his agency to The Independents, a global PR and communications group.
RETAIL
It will soon be possible to shop online directly from ChatGPT, thanks to a new feature launched by OpenAI. This innovation allows users to search for products and receive personalized recommendations. Once a product is selected, ChatGPT provides direct links to the retailer’s website to complete the purchase, as integrated payment is not yet available.
CULTURE
South Korean label Post Archive Faction (PAF) has been named Guest Designer for the upcoming edition of Pitti Uomo in June. Founded in 2018 by Dongjoon Lim and Sookyo Jeong, PAF is known for its experimental and deconstructed menswear. The brand will present its innovative designs at a special event in Florence, offering a major platform to showcase its avant-garde vision to an international audience.
ECONOMY
Pandora reported a solid start to 2025 with 7% organic sales growth and a slight increase in operating profit, but currency headwinds and the risk of higher U.S. tariffs led the company to trim its full-year EBIT margin guidance to around 24%, down from 24.5%.
A FEW UPDATES
Harper’s Bazaar Italia announced M/M Paris as new creative directors.
IWC Schaffhausen and Hôtel Barrière Le Normandy have partnered to create an exclusive watchmaking experience.
Stockholm Fashion Week (STHLMFW) returns from June 2 to 5, 2025, showcasing a new wave of Swedish brands.
IB Kamara designed Kamala Harris’ dress for the Met Gala, who was wearing Off White.
Kering appoints Federico Arrigoni as CEO of Brioni.