LUXURY FASHION NEWS
HONORING VALENTINO (May 1932 - January 2026)
Italian fashion icon and designer Valentino Garavani passed away at the age of 93 in his home in Rome. A funeral was held on January 23rd, 2026 at the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels and Martyrs in Rome. Designers in attendance that paid tribute to Valentino’s legacy included Donatella Versace and Tom Ford.
Image sourced via Pinterest.
Valentino was recognized as the “last emperor” of Italian fashion. Signature elements in his designs include Valentino red, intentional feminine or romantic silhouettes, perfect proportions, and timeless couture gowns.
Throughout his lifetime he had dressed celebrities such as Jacqueline Kennedy and Elizabeth Taylor.
VALENTINO RED
At the heart of Valentino’s visuals is one singular shade ‘Rosso Valentino’. The color was first unveiled in his 1959 “La Fiesta” gown. The warm red tone became more than a signature, but a symbol of empowerment, passion, power, and glamour.
Vogue Italia put a spotlight on the chromatic Valentino red as the centerpiece for it’s tribute February 2026 cover.
Image via Vogue Italia Instagram.
“Among all the colors worn by other women, she seemed to me unique, isolated in her splendor. I have never forgotten her. I think a woman dressed in red is always wonderful, it’s the perfect picture of a heroine.”
Valentino Garavani
The full bleed Valentino red shade serves readers with the reminder that red was not only a color in his palette, but a language of emotion and identity dominant through half a century of couture.
VÉRONIQUE NICHANIAN’S FINAL SHOW WITH HERMÈS
Image sourced via Pinterest.
Véronique Nichanian, the Artistic Director of Menswear, closed her extraordinary 37-year chapter with Hermès at Paris Fashion Week with a quietly powerful final collection that marked the end of an era and a new beginning for Hermès menswear.
She earned a standing ovation at the Palais Brongniart with many industry icons and cultural figures in attendance such as British Designer Grace Wales Bonner, Hermès Executive Chairman Axel Dumas, fashion legend Paul Smith, Rapper Travis Scott, and Actor Chace Crawford.
Source: Reuters
FASHION MEETS FOOTBALL
TOMMY HILFIGER x LIVERPOOL FC
Tommy Hilfiger stepped into the world of sports with it’s first ever club partnership, combining their classic American prep style with Liverpool FC’s Global Legacy.
Image sourced via HOUYHNHNM Magazine
Tommy Hilfiger’s strategic expansion into elite sports culture reflects a broader industry shift as fashion houses increasingly leverage sports collaborations to access younger global audiences.
Liverpool FC provides a global platform for the Tommy Hilfiger brand while the Liverpool men’s and women’s first team players, captains, and staff will be styled in curated Tommy Hilfiger apparel.
The clothing is not made to be worn during matches, but instead for match-day entrances, global campaigns, exclusive campaigns and seasonal storytelling that blend the American prep identity with the club’s heritage and culture.
Source: Fashion United
ABERCROMBIE & FITCH x NFL SUPER BOWL FASHION SHOW
The NFL has appointed Kyle Smith as it’s first fashion editor. His role is to elevate player style moments in culture.
Abercrombie & Fitch is now the NFL’s first Official Fashion Partner and will be integrating fashion within the league’s cultural narrative through licensed merchandise and events.
The NFL and Abercrombie will host an invite-only fashion show during the eve of the Super Bowl to bring in celebrities and fans that want to experience the game as a style moment.
In a broader industry context, athletes are becoming more influential in fashion organically and runways are turning to sports culture in the past year alone.
Example: Christian Louboutin’s SS26 “Loubi Show” completely transformed the runway into a football field with marching bands, cheerleaders, football players, and dancers.
Source: Vogue
SUSTAINABLE FASHION NEWS
CMA GREEN CLAIMS CODE
The Competition & Markets Authority Green Claims Code is a set of guidelines designed to prevent UK businesses from misleading consumers with “greenwashing” or false sustainable claims.
Essentially, it requires all eco-friendly claims to be truthful, accurate, clear, unambiguous, substantiated, and based on the full product life cycle and supply chain.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
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LIABILITY. Any business that makes or repeats a sustainability claim can be held legally responsible if the claim is misleading, regardless of intent or good faith.
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Retailers are now directly exposed. Adding eco-labels or sustainable credentials to product pages can now prompt immediate investigations and penalties.
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The CMA can enforce without court proceedings. They have the power to impose fines, mandate business practice changes and require the business to provide compensation to consumers directly.
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If consumers need to click, expand or scan to access clarifying environmental information, the claim can be deemed misleading.
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Compliance guidance such as evidence, verification, or reviewed claims do not guarantee safety from legal action. The safest legal option for brands may be to say nothing at all if they lack the proper sustainable definitions, proof or benchmarks.
Bottom Line: the crackdown on greenwashing is intensifying which will ultimately amplify sustainability transparency in fashion.
Meanwhile, new regulations may discourage responsible brands from communicating sustainable messaging at all.
FASHION TECH NEWS
SSQRD THE ATLAS: GLOBAL SHOPPING PLATFORM
Image via SSQRD.CO/GLOBE
SSQRD has launched what it positions as the first truly global fashion shopping platform. The website is built as an interactive world map where consumers can discover emerging, niche, and sustainable fashion brands from every corner of the globe.
The immersive rotating pinpoints provide users the ability of discovering brands beyond major labels according to where they originate.
Fashion markets have turned to consumers prioritizing discovery, personalized experiences, and alignment with brand values over loyalty to big names. Tools that help shoppers explore, compare, or connect with diverse brands are increasingly important to drive engagement and purchase decisions.
According to the Data:
82% of customers want AI or tech that helps reduce time spent researching what to buy, showing strong demand for smart discovery tools in fashion shopping. (BoF)
55% of consumers want personalized, tech-powered shopping experiences, highlighting that curated discovery matters to more than half of fashion buyers. (WifiTalents)
As the Fashion Theory team deeply cares for this issue as former residents of Minneapolis, Minnesota - we’d like to raise awareness for the Minneapolis community as they protest against ICE.
On January 23, 50,000+ Minnesota residents took to the streets in sub‑zero temperatures as part of a coordinated “ICE Out of Minnesota” general strike and protest against federal immigration enforcement and recent fatal shootings by ICE agents. 700+ local businesses voluntarily closed, schools and work were paused in solidarity to amplify calls for ICE to leave the state and for accountability from federal authorities.
We’d like to honor the memories of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, two Minneapolis residents whose lives were tragically taken by federal immigration agents in separate shootings this month, and whose loss has deeply affected their families and communities.
You can donate or find resources within any of the following platforms to support:
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Although Renee Good’s Family Fundraiser has been paused (by the family), you can learn more about Renee’s spirit in her family’s own words here.
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Donations are still possible for Alex Pretti’s family here.
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Complete list of resources / organizations / donations + ways you can support via “Organize the Rich” Substack article.
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MONARCA is a critical rapid response line for peaceful action run by UNIDOS MN. MONARCA has now trained 26,000 Minnesotans to observe, document, and respond to ICE presence in Minnesota.
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The Karen Organization of Minnesota's mission is to build on the strengths of refugee and immigrant communities and remove barriers to achieving economic, social, and cultural wellbeing.
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