CHANEL & GRACIE ABRAMS
EXTRAVAGANT
SAKS REDRAWS ITS MAP: DISCOUNTS FALL AWAY AS LUXURY TAKES CONTROL
On one side, Amazon, Chanel, LVMH and other luxury groups were appointed to the creditors’ committee overseeing the restructuring process, a role that gives them influence, since Saks depends heavily on these brands to keep its department stores operating and commercially relevant in the current market.
At the same time, Saks is shutting the door on discounted luxury, announcing plans to close nearly sixty Off 5th stores and five Last Call locations, leaving roughly a dozen units used only to liquidate inventory from Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman operations.
Saks Global is facing an uncomfortable but decisive moment. After filing for bankruptcy on January 13 with 3.4 billion dollars in debt, the company has started to rearrange its strategy, and these early restructuring moves clearly reveal how the business is trying to redefine its future.
The message is clear and slightly melancholic: fewer intermediaries, fewer markdowns and a sharper focus on pure luxury. Saks is trying to survive by betting on what it still considers valuable, even as luxury consumers continue to change how, where and why they choose to shop.
ANTA SPORTS BOOSTS PUMA AS SHARES RISE AFTER DEAL TO BUY A KEY STAKE IN THE GERMAN BRAND
Puma shares jumped nearly 9% on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange after Anta Sports announced a deal to acquire a 29.06% stake in the German sportswear maker, valuing the transaction at around 1.5 billion euros. Anta will buy the stake from Artémis, the investment vehicle of the Pinault family, paying 35 euros per share in cash a premium of about 62% over the previous close making it Puma’s largest shareholder.
Puma said the agreement would not change its strategy, which is focused on strengthening the brand and improving its global competitive positioning. Chief executive Arthur Hoeld described the transaction as a “signal of confidence”.
Anta, which owns brands including Fila, Salomon and Arc’teryx, aims to drive Puma’s growth, particularly in China, where the German group generates about 7% of its revenue. Anta ruled out a full takeover before 2027.
EXTRAVAGANT
WILLY CHAVARRÍA TURNS HIS PARIS SHOW INTO AN OPEN EVENT FOR 400 FOLLOWERS
U.S. designer Willy Chavarría brought his message of inclusion to the Paris runway by opening his latest show to 400 followers, in a move that departed from traditional industry formats during Paris Fashion Week.
The initiative was carried out in collaboration with Lyas, a fashion content creator who invited attendees through a “watch party” held at a church in the French capital. What began as a live-streamed viewing event ultimately became a direct invitation to attend the show, according to a video later shared on social media.
The event was relocated to the Dojo de Paris sports complex, where fans took seats in the venue’s stands, while buyers, editors and celebrities were positioned alongside the runway. The setup reinforced the sense of community that Chavarría has consistently emphasized throughout his career.
EXTRAVAGANT
MELANIA TRUMP LAUNCHES AMAZON-BACKED DOCUMENTARY ON HER RETURN TO THE WHITE HOUSE
For years, a first lady’s private life was treated as almost sacred territory. Today, Melania Trump is choosing something different. With the documentary Melania, financed by Amazon, she turns her return to the White House into her own narrative carefully produced and, above all, profitable.
The film follows the 20 days leading up to the 2025 inauguration and premieres amid red carpets, invitation-only screenings, and a massive advertising campaign. Amazon is reported to have invested up to $40 million, betting on the curiosity that has long surrounded a first lady known for being reserved, distant, and highly selective about her public image.
Melania is not just the face of the project: she holds editorial control and is actively involved in how her story is told. Fashion, diplomacy, family, and faith shape the narrative, positioning her more as an author than as a presidential companion.
The release tests whether the role of first lady can become a powerful platform.
EXTRAVAGANT
CHANEL APPOINTS GRACIE ABRAMS AS COCO CRUSH
AMBASSADOR,
REDEFINING DESIRE IN FINE JEWELRY
Chanel understands that desire is not imposed it is cultivated. And in a quiet yet highly strategic gesture, the maison opens 2026 with a double symbolic move: the launch of Coco Crush in a flexible version and the appointment of Gracie Abrams as its new ambassador. The setting was intimate, almost choreographed, at the Château Marmont, where the Grammy-nominated singer and new muse of the line embodied effortless elegance, dressed in Chanel and wrapped in gold.
Coco Crush, inspired by the quilted motif that Gabrielle Chanel turned into a visual language in 1955, now adapts to the body with a flexibility that speaks as much to comfort as to power. Chokers, bracelets, and rings move beyond rigid ornament to become extensions of gesture.
Abrams represents that same idea: a distinctive attitude, natural confidence, intimacy transformed into symbolic capital. In a market where luxury no longer shouts status, Chanel returns to its origins making desire a personal, almost private experience.
EXTRAVAGANT
LOUIS VUITTON STRENGTHENS ITS PARTNERSHIP WITH UNICEF BY TRANSFORMING ITS SIGNATURE LOCK
INTO A YELLOW-GOLD
PIECE
FOR ITS 10TH ANNIVERSARY
Louis Vuitton marked a decade of collaboration with UNICEF with the launch of a limited edition of its Silver Lockit pendant, presented for the first time in yellow gold, the company said.
The initiative marks ten years since the French luxury house formalized its alliance with the United Nations Children’s Fund in 2016, an agreement that has linked jewelry products to fundraising for humanitarian programs. Inspired by the lock of the historic Steamer bag from 1901, the Silver Lockit has become the emblem of the collaboration.
According to the brand, the collection has helped raise more than $28 million for health, education and child protection projects in multiple countries. The new yellow-gold version, featuring a unisex design and limited production, represents a further step in the company’s strategy to combine social impact with luxury.
For each piece sold, Louis Vuitton will donate $800 to UNICEF. The pendant will be available in selected boutiques and on the brand’s digital platform, as part of a schedule of celebrations set to continue throughout the coming year.
