1. China Disappeared H&M From Its Internet, Splitting Fashion Industry Group: Western businesses with supply chains in Xinjiang walk a fine line. Companies are trying to avoid Beijing’s ire and at the same time take seriously allegations from human-rights groups and the U.S. and U.K. governments that authorities are committing genocide against ethnic Uyghurs and using forced labor in the northwestern Chinese region. – Read More on the WSJ
2. Gen Z’s Used Clothing Hacks Won’t Save the Earth: While #thrifthaul and #knitting have a not-insignificant 456 million and 478 million views respectively on TikTok, #Sheinhaul — in which users showcase purchases from the ultra-cheap, ultra-fast fashion store SHEIN — has 2.3 billion. Fast fashion continues to grow in sales and popularity. – Read More on Bloomberg
3. “The gaming universe can bring luxury brands to life.” Can a luxury brand easily convert its fans from metaverse to reality? “It is already the case in Southeast Asia. Gamers are waiting for digital purchases to be transformed into physical purchases … People’s desires and what they play with in their video games appear in the physical world as well.” – Read more on Luxury Tribune
4. Are Hermès, Dior and Louis Vuitton goods too cheap? Luxury labels are losing billions of dollars by failing to include the brand story in the sticker price. It is never a single product that creates extreme value. When brands create extreme value, they do it through their brand story and exceptional experience. This story-driven value component is critical for luxury brands. – Read More on SCMP
5. RELATED READ: What Do Luxury Brands’ Inflating Prices Mean for Them & for the Industry at Large? In terms of the potential for price increases going forward, brands like Hermès, Dior and even Cartier (despite the aforementioned issues) lead the pack in terms of an “unrealized pricing upside,” which Bernstein measures by combining high consumer demand, vibrant organic growth, and limited price increases in the recent past. On the other hand, Bulgari, Prada and Longines show limited potential based on these same metrics. – Read More on TFL
6. The Hidden Cost of Cheap Fashion Could Catch Up to Investors: For now, there is no direct threat of a regulatory crackdown. The fashion sector’s long supply chain cuts across multiple countries and sectors, including petrochemicals for fiber manufacturing, making it more complex for governments to rein in. – Read More on the WSJ