1. “It is all DTC now,” as VCs are eager to strike deals again. Consumer investors are starting to close deals again, while investors that had previously soured on DTC startups because of high customer acquisition costs are starting to change their tune, given the huge growth these companies have seen over the past six months. – Read More on Modern Retail

2. The rise of fashion rental: Owning clothes is so last year. Rental platforms have been the industry’s 2020 success story. Fashion rental relies on changing perceptions around sharing and second-hand goods – and renegotiating the concept of “new.” – Read More on the Guardian

3. Are Exotic Skins Out of Fashion? Before the coronavirus spread, brands like Chanel, Diane von Furstenberg and Mulberry were already dropping exotic hides, once inextricable from high fashion, because of animal-welfare concerns and other supply-chain issues. Amid the pandemic, the momentum has only grown. – Read More on the New York Times

4. RETRO READ: Gucci, Givenchy, Dior & Other Big Brands Are Name-Checked in New Report on the $20 Billion-Plus Illegal Wildlife Trade. Of the nearly 500 different seizure incidents that were recorded between 2003 and 2013 and highlighted in a recent study, 5,607 different products were confiscated by federal authorities, with nearly 70 percent of the illegal items being exotic leather products, including handbags, footwear, garments, belts and wallets, among other things, and more than half of the seized shipments coming from Italy, France, and Switzerland, though most of the animal products originally came from Southeast Asia. – Read More on TFL

5. Holiday Shopping During a Pandemic: Could the Coronavirus Be the Downfall of In-Store Black Friday? 52 percent of Americans planning to sit Black Friday out this year, the once-classic occasion that kicked off the holiday shopping season for U.S. consumers, with only 12 percent expecting to shop in-store. – Read More on Morning Consult

6. Walmart expands fashion focus with new private clothing label for men and women: The brand will debut this week online and in 250 stores, hoping to appeal to shoppers who want style and value, but Walmart must still prove its ability to navigate the world of fashion, where trends come and go and consumers can be fickle about sizing, fit and quality. – Read More on CNBC

7. Luxury Brands Must Avoid This “Easy Growth Trap.” Reducing prices is the easiest of all marketing measures and can be done in seconds. Because it is so easy, many managers feel it will not cause catastrophic harm, at least not in the short-term. But this could not be more wrong, especially for luxury segments. – Read More on Jing Daily