Newsreel’s fashion roundup looks at what’s hot and what’s not in the fickle world of fashion.
By Susan Schwartz
New boss for iconic department store
David Jones has appointed former The Iconic CEO Erica Berchtold to the helm.
Ms Berchtold has replaced Scott Fyfe as DJs CEO in a “planned leadership transition” which will see her “sharpen and accelerate” the company’s five-year transformation plan.
It was now time to “reset the business with a strong focus on growing our strategic core and modernising our technology and digital platforms,” she said in a statement.
“My aim is to further improve customer experience by curating our brand so that our strategy is aligned with our core values and the needs of our customers.”
Haute jewels at Chanel
Chanel has hired former jewellery designer for Cartier and Harry Winston to lead the house’s Fine Jewellery and High Jewellery creations from October 2026.
Marie-Laure Cérède is a veteran designer who led the studios of Cartier and Harry Winston in roles spanning jewellery and watchmaking.
Chanel’s Watches and Fine Jewellery division generates nearly $1 billion in annual revenue, accounting for about five percent of the group’s total turnover, according to Morgan Stanley.
Is the era of the “It bag” over?
Ever since New York Times fashion director and critic Vanessa Friedman wrote a column asking if the era of the designer “It bag” was over, social media has been abuzz with this question.
Friedman cited data showing a drop in handbag demand and an increase in searches for work bags and clothes with pockets.
Interestingly, one fashion podcaster recently stated she had been to China, where she said were “lots of fakes.” She went on to question what the point was in owning a designer bag.
If you have to ask, then perhaps you need to go back to Fashion school 101.
Yes, there are many who buy designer just to be seen. But when you truly understand fashion, you know that the great designers offer next-level craftsmanship and materials for which there can be no other.
What’s Trending
Pink jeans and pants. Pastel pink to be precise.
Ever since the last Chloe show sent an iteration of these pink pants down the runway they have been turning up in the Zara’s and Mango of the world.
They’re big in the northern hemisphere this summer so be prepared ladies of Aus.
Closing Down
French department store Galeries Lafayette has closed its six-storey Beijing flagship branch after opening at the height of China’s new conspicuous consumption rise in 2013.
The store cited declining sales, a broader slowdown in the Chinese luxury market, and shifting consumer habits.
The group plans to pivot to smaller store formats in Beijing that align with shopper expectations.
It continues to maintain it stores in Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Macao.
