Fashion News Roundup: Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, and More

Headlines in the fashion world as the first half of the year comes to a close.

Another interesting and important aggregation of fashion news that happened over the last several days. I’ve given a summary of each article and sprinkled in my thoughts about the topic. Only one article is behind a paywall so you’ll be able to enjoy reading the rest. Feel free to drop any commentary you have about these in the comments so we can all discuss!

Dolce & Gabbana S/S 2026 Runway Show in Milan. Photo courtesy of Buro 24/7.

What to Expect from Jonathan Anderson’s Debut at Dior

All eyes are on Dior right now. Loewe’s former creative director Jonathan Anderson left his post to take on the same role for Dior’s menswear. Shortly after it was announced that Maria Grazia Chiuri would be departing Dior women’s. Instead of backfilling her role, they put Jonathan in charge of everything. With a massive 18 collections across the brand that he’s responsible for, Dior’s presence at fashion week will be looked at with a significant amount of scrutiny. While almost everyone is excited to see what he comes up with, this is a level of responsibility that other brands haven’t mimicked simply because it could be too much for one person to handle. Here’s to hoping they’ve found a way to ensure that he can be set up for success in the short and long term without burning out. Dior’s fashion show will stream live on their YouTube channel tomorrow at 2pm CEST.

Dolce & Gabanna - Milan Men’s Fashion Week

Milan Men’s Fashion Week already wrapped up and we’re currently at the tail end of Paris Men’s Fashion Week. In my opinion, a lot of the shows from Milan were fairly average at best. After such a strong showing this past winter, I expected a bit more from the brands overall. But I was thoroughly impressed by D&G. Cream and various hues of light blue ruled their color palate. The oversized look is still in across casual and formal wear, but they did a great job mixing in various cuts and fits. In case you missed it, check out the YouTube link in the title. I’ll be giving my thoughts on the best looks from Paris next week once all of the shows have concluded.

Prada CEO To Exit at the End of the Month

More shakeups within the executive ranks at some of the world’s most admired brands. Gianfranco D’Attis is stepping down from his post as Prada Group’s CEO. Multiple sources cite that there was a strained relationship between him and the family who owns the group. Gianfranco was the first non family member to become Chief Executive Office since the brand started. It’s important to note that this move probably wasn’t because of his ability to guide the company to perform well financially. Prada has faired better than most during the luxury slowdown and has done a great job continuing Miu Miu’s success. They also recently acquired Versace, a move that left many industry analysts confused given the stark design contrast of the two brands.

The Jewelry Boom, Explained (Podcast)

This was a fantastic overview of what the jewelry market looks like right now and some of its big shifts from a marketing perspective. Simone Stern Carbone and Joan Kennedy discusses how crucial it is to try and bring in Gen-Z customers now to try and future proof their customer acquisition efforts for the next generation (Tiffany’s has been struggling with this for years). One of my favorite strategies they discussed was the “Mother-Daughter” approach. A mom buys two pieces of jewelry from a brand: one for herself and a much less expensive item for her daughter on an important milestone. That creates an emotional bond with the daughter and, once she grows up and has her own money, will start buying her own expensive jewelry from them. Gen-Z’s wants and needs somewhat mirror those of millennials (especially when it comes to demanding transparency and authenticity from brands) but they’re just as nuanced as any generation that preceded them. I’ll be doing a deeper dive into this in a few weeks so stay tuned!

Google Invests $100M in Gentle Monster

Many of you are old enough to remember the blunder that was Google Glasses back in 2012. They were released right after I graduated college and most of my friends and I who came to work in Silicon Valley were constantly talking about them. To our dismay, they were a bust and Google shut down this consumer project three years later. Meta has clearly been owning the smart glasses market with their partnerships with Ray-Ban and Oakley, but that might change soon. Korean brand Gentle Monster has been building an incredibly unique brand in the fashion community. With Google putting up a nine figure check, it looks like they’re taking another swing in this department. I think we’ll see some amazing products from them hit the market soon.