Articles by AFP
Walmart performs better than expected, but consumer is under pressure
New York - American retail giant Walmart published a higher-than-expected turnover on Thursday for its first quarter, which runs from February to April. Its executives warned that American consumers were being constrained by the return of inflation. Turnover reached 177.8 billion dollars, an increase of 7 percent compared to the same period last...
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Cannes unfiltered: secrets behind the red carpet
Cannes, France - In Cannes, a look is not born on the red carpet. It is prepared months in advance, involving sketches, fittings and negotiations with fashion houses. What the public sees in a few seconds is the result of a precise mechanism where every detail matters. Dresses, accessories, hairstyles and makeup: nothing is left to chance. Each...
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Louis Vuitton mixes ruffles, biker leather and pop art in a star-studded New York show
New York - French fashion house Louis Vuitton merged ruffles, biker-style leather and the pop graphic art of Keith Haring for its cruise 2027 collection. The brand presented the collection on Wednesday evening in a star-studded show at a New York museum. Watched by Zendaya, Anne Hathaway and Cate Blanchett, the artistic director of Louis...
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European luxury fashion brands renew their focus on the American market
New York - From Gucci in the middle of Times Square to Chanel on a New York subway platform, Europe's most prestigious fashion houses are staging an increasing number of spectacular shows in the United States. The US is a market that is both a priority and a trendsetter. Dior, which presented a collection with retro accents and American flag...
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European labels renew their focus on the US
New York - From Gucci in the middle of Times Square to Chanel on a New York subway platform, Europe's most prestigious fashion houses are increasingly staging spectacular shows in the United States. The US is a market that is both a priority and a trendsetter. Dior presented a collection with retro accents and American flag colours at the...
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Despite a struggling luxury market, Chanel returns to growth in 2025
Paris - Chanel returned to growth in 2025 thanks to demand in Europe and the Americas, performing well amidst a slowdown in the global luxury market. The company reported a turnover of 19.3 billion dollars (up 3 percent, and 1.8 percent on a like-for-like basis), boosted by growth across all its activities, it stated in a press release on...
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In Kinshasa, tailors rejuvenate the 'abacost', the DRC's emblematic suit
Sewing machines whirred across bold fabrics at a Kinshasa atelier where Congolese tailors and their style-savvy customers have revived a suit long associated with life under a dictator. The "abacost" has a closed-front jacket, often with a Mao-style collar and worn without a tie, ideal for the sweltering equatorial heat. It was the signature...
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World Cup 2026: Counterfeit vs. official, the growing challenge of identifying fake football shirts
Paris - The official shirt for 110 euros or the counterfeit for ten times less? With the 2026 World Cup approaching, the continuous rise in shirt prices is pushing many fans towards a parallel market of ultra-realistic replicas, which is controlled by criminal networks. "It is almost impossible to tell the difference between the two," a member...
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French retail chain Minelli starts liquidation sale ahead of its permanent closure
Paris - “Liquidation -60 percent”: hastily put up on Wednesday morning, small posters in the window set the tone. As another victim of the ready-to-wear crisis, French shoe retailer Minelli will permanently close its doors after May 30. The brand's shops, which entered receivership in March for the second time in three years, will remain open...
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Gucci takes over Times Square for its cruise show in New York
New York - Italian brand Gucci took over New York's most iconic square, Times Square, on Saturday evening for the second show by its new artistic director, Demna Gvasalia. Models walked on a large runway set up on the ground in this section of Manhattan, framed by 7th Avenue and Broadway, while the huge advertising billboards for which the area...
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