What Is Your Definition Of Fashion?

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...

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...

In case you missed them, we've rounded up our most popular stories of the week to help you stay in the loop. No need to thank us — just toast a strawberry lemonade in our honor when you're discussing who did what over your chocolate croissant. Related: Shein Reportedly (and Confusingly) Acquires Everlane [Updated] Related: SCAD's 2026 Student Runway Show Was Its Biggest Yet Related: Roberto Cavalli Has a New Owner Related: The Recent Central Saint Martins Grad Who's Already Designed Custom Pieces for Harry Styles and Paloma Elsesser Related: Inside Fashion’s 'Niche Cool Girl' Obsession Related: Student Designers Just Want to Have Fun at Parsons' 2026 BFA Runway Show Related: How This Indie Skin-Care Brand Is Able to Drop Prices in an Uncertain Market Related: Here's What a Longevity-Focused Spa Looks Like Related: How This Luxury Boutique Founder Is Introducing Emerging Labels to Toronto Shoppers Related: Weekly Drop Watch: Ganni x Melissa, Notte x Aff...

Occasionally, we use affiliate links on our site. This in no way affects our editorial decision-making. For our  Weekly Drop Watch  column, Fashionista scours the market to curate the most noteworthy releases from our favorite fashion and beauty brands. Keep scrolling for this week’s highlights. Fashion Launches Ganni x Melissa Copenhagen-based fashion label Ganni partnered with footwear brand Melissa to create a summery limited-edition collaboration . The collection comprises two styles: the Melissa Thong Kitten Heel ($150) and Flip Flop Slim ($115), featuring ruffled straps and black, yellow red, blue and leopard colorways. Shop the collab at shopmelissa.com and ganni.com . Larroudé x Ciao Lucia Photo: Courtesy of Larroudé Vacation-y footwear collabs are having a big moment this week: Ciao Lucia and Larroudé teamed up on their own sandal capsule collect...

While designer Macy Grimshaw was a fashion design graduate student at Central Saint Martins, chances are she wasn't spending her time on school projects. Instead, she was likely toiling away on the sewing machine, creating custom pieces for celebrities like Harry Styles and Paloma Elsesser. (Yes, you read that correctly.) At 25 years old, she is already living a life many designers work years to achieve: She made a custom "Paper Doll" look featured in Styles' "Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally," album art; designed a rose petal dress PinkPantheress wore for an on-stage performance; and landed a feature in Vogue Portugal's September 2024 issue. Most recently, Simone Ashley sported Macy Grimshaw at an event during "The Devil Wears Prada 2" press run.  Macy Grimshaw. Photo: Luca Bass/Courtesy of Macy Grimshaw ...

With Saks Global filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after failing to pay vendors and Ssense owing millions to its stocked brands amid its own financial troubles last year (to name just a couple recent retail crises), the fashion wholesale landscape may look pretty grim. But from retail veteran Nicholas Parnell's perspective, "wholesale is not dead." "Wholesale is important, but I think what wholesale is becoming, is changing," the founder of new London- and New York-based consultancy Agency Parnell tells Fashionista. Against a backdrop of geopolitical tensions, ongoing tariff turmoil and shifting consumer habits, the fashion industry is in flux. U.S. department stores are now reckoning with their stalled "bulk buying" strategies from the past five-to-10 years, Parnell says, which is paving the way for an updated approach to luxury wholesale. "When things soften, it creates room for new growth," he adds. This April, Parnell opened his c...

The fashion industry may be grappling with the onslaught of AI and commercialized sameness, but over at Parsons School of Design , the next generation of fashion designers is having fun. Set at Manhattan's The Glasshouse on Sunday afternoon, the Parsons 2026 BFA Graduate Runway Show, entitled "Ensemble," put forth an optimistic vision for fashion's future defined by students' unwavering creativity and appetite for inclusivity. Backstage, student designers shared this positive outlook while discussing their hopes for the future of fashion: "I'd like to see more diverse bodies on the runway, especially when it comes to size inclusivity, and also just fun, fantasy, spectacle, lots of color and print and sparkle," senior BFA student Alexander Flores told Fashionista. Senior BFA student Olivia Colley concurs: "I would love to see a lot more fun with materiality and textiles. I think that's what we're heading towards and I'm really ex...