Listen to the full conversation between Kaelen Haworth and Fashionista Staff Writer Catie Pusateri on The Fashionista Network on Spotify. View the original article to see embedded media. Instead of returning home to Toronto after graduating from Parsons School of Design , Kaelen Haworth ended up staying in New York City for another 15 years building her two fashion brands, Kaelen and Second Sight. Haworth always wanted to open her own store ("I'm better at curating and editing than I was at designing, that's just the truth," she confessed), and once she moved back to Toronto in 2023, she decided it was time to jump into retail . Absolutely Fabrics — an independent multi-brand boutique stocking emerging and established labels alike — opened its doors that same year to become a hub for brand discovery. "There's a lot of opportunity here [in Toronto]," Haworth said. "There's a lot of people who are really interested i...
Must Read: The Estée Lauder Cos., Puig End Merger Talks, War in Iran Is Straining Beauty Indies and Conglomerates
These are the stories making headlines in fashion on Friday. The Estée Lauder Cos. and Puig End Merger Talks The Estée Lauder Companies and Puig confirmed they were in discussions regarding a potential merger, but they have now terminated thoe talks. "Today, we are reiterating our confidence in the power of our incredible brands, our talented teams and our strength as a standalone company," Stéphane de La Faverie, president and CEO of The Estée Lauder Cos., said in a statement. { The Estée Lauder Cos. } War in Iran Is Straining Beauty Indies and Conglomerates The war in Iran and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have caused shipping delays as well as rising freight, fuel and oil costs. This is inflating the cost of everything from plastic pumps to ingredient sourcing for both independent beauty brands and conglomerates. For example, Korean skin-care brand Then I Met You has had to push back its launch timelines and product seeding efforts, while E.l.f. Beauty is projecti...