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Now strengthened with B Corp certification, Sezzle plans to continue “flipping the payments industry on its head,” by placing purpose alongside profit. Sezzle joins purpose-driven brands including Patagonia, Allbirds and Athleta in its certification, meeting the “highest verified standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability to people and the planet.” Notably, Sezzle’s mission-driven payments platform has its greatest presence in North America, with growing segments in Asia and Europe. “Becoming a certified B Corp empowers our entire team, but it is only the beginning. This designation ensures that we hold Sezzle to the highest of standards,” said Charlie Youakim, chief executive officer of Sezzle. “Sezzle’s key differentiator among the competition is our purpose-driven approach to business. With this designation, we will strengthen this advancement through the collective power of the B Corp community.” Certified B Corporation.  Courtesy Image. ...

Skin care brand Naturopathica is all about providing a clean, holistic experience for the consumer — and at a time when consumers are more discerning than ever, the once herbal apothecary is checking all the boxes. In its 15 years, Naturopathica’s attention to detail has products that have maintained high standards of cruelty-free, natural, organic ingredients all certified by Ecocert and made in the U.S. The brand’s latest product launches, calendula essential hydrating lotion and the calendula & butterfly ginger eye cream, are an extension of the brand’s popular Calendula line. “When I started the company in 1995, not a lot of people know that when I opened in the Hamptons, it was an herbal apothecary; we had floor-to-ceiling herbs, teas and tinctures, and one of my favorite herbs has always been calendula; I grow a lot of it in my garden,” said Barbara Close, founder of Naturopathica. It’s just a sea of orange flowers in the summertime. And the reason for that is that calendula ...

Women are continuing to add interest to fashion at a time when consumers are craving to get beyond the commonplace. In honor of Women’s History Month, WWD is celebrating women-owned innovative fashion brands making names for themselves in the space. From Areeayl Goodwin’s Beads by Aree, which makes jewelry for the whimsical bohemian that lives inside each of us, to Pattaraphan, which fuses edginess and androgyny to design strong pieces for a discerning customer, here are six women-owned fashion brands to watch.    Brand name: Michel Men Year founded: 2017 Design aesthetic: The New Americana: modern, minimalist approach to traditional American men’s wear. Customer: Bold and stylish men who live by a uniform. Whitney Michel is a first-generation Haitian American born in Brooklyn, N.Y., who designs luxurious men’s accessories such as bandanas, socks and neckwear for the everyday man. Michel has just dropped a collaboration with The Tie Bar curated by Jim Moore of GQ magazine, who...

With three vaccines being deployed across the U.S., consumer research from First Insight Inc. finds that male shoppers are “more inclined” to head to physical stores after getting vaccinated. The survey also revealed that “significantly more women than men are not planning to get vaccinated across every generation.” Researchers at First Insight said while 64 percent of Millennial men “planned to shop for apparel in-store more or the same amount after being vaccinated, only 45 percent of Millennial women said the same.” The company said this trend was consistent across “every other generation as well, with 61 percent of Baby Boomer men and 47 percent of Baby Boomer women planning to shop for apparel in-store more or the same amount post-vaccination.” With Generation Z, 56 percent of men polled expected to head to a store after getting vaccinated, which compares to 36 percent of Gen Z women. “The survey found that apparel was not the only category where men are more comfortable heading i...

The 1920s to the 1960s were the golden age of neon, dominating the signage industry and brightening businesses with its luminous glow. And yet, while this era may have come and gone, this type of lighting is still prevalent in today’s signage, praised it for its attention-grabbing glow and ability to be curved into letters or figures. Yellowpop neon sign  Jeremy Cortial and Ruben Grigri, founders of neon sign brand Yellowpop, both recognize the power neon lighting holds in transforming a room. The duo moved into the home and decor space after selling their coffee app, Drip, having held previous stints in property renovation, interior design and hospitality. Their signs are made of high-quality neon flex from PVC piping with LED lights inside, a technique that gives the illusion of traditional neon with bright lights and intense colors, while being more durable and affordable. For International Women’s Day, Yellowpop created a variety of LED neon signs featuring empowering phrases l...

In the depths of the COVID-19 crisis, with stores closed and orders canceled, many of the biggest names in fashion were wondering whether their businesses could survive the year. Fast forward a few months and the future seems brighter. Fashion brands are anticipating a recovery of pent-up demand and long-awaited creativity on the post-pandemic catwalks. Many are even striving to create a more sustainable sector, one that has been reset for a new world. For these forward-looking brands, now is the time to ensure that the workforce is ready. After meeting the immediate challenges of lockdown — focusing on safety protocols for store staff, pivoting corporate employees to remote working; increasing staff to online channel fulfillment — they are striving to embed the skills, ways of working and workplace organization that underpin a future-ready workforce. But digital technology and new skills are only part of the story. As much as 64 percent of an individual’s potential relies on their sen...

“An overarching shift in how consumers shop” perhaps best describes the retail revolution of 2020 — and looking ahead, companies such as Klarna, a global bank and shopping and payments service, believe that the future lies in flexibility, digital innovation and “customer obsession.” The company adopts a data-driven approach to determining customers’ evolving needs and wants. Sebastian Siemiatkowski, chief executive officer and cofounder of Klarna, told WWD, “The pandemic effect is multifold. Over the last year, we’ve seen a rise in ‘smarter’ shoppers, who are more mindful of budgets and are increasingly looking for innovative spending and shopping options.” And unsurprisingly, that includes customers seizing the opportunity to address debts. “Many people are now paying down debt — Experian reported that credit card balances in the U.S. saw a record drop in Q3 2020 after almost a decade of growth from a record high of $829 billion in 2019 to $756 billion, the lowest point since 2017.” H...

“It’s like Groundhog Day,” Lisa Rinna said of her life amid the pandemic in Los Angeles. “I’ve been probably as good as everyone’s been,” she continued. “I mean, we’re just taking it one day at a time, just getting through it as best we can.” While the world can understand the impact of COVID-19, not everyone can relate to launching a new business venture during this time. Rinna — an actress and one of the stars of Bravo’s hit reality television series “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” — fulfilled a longtime dream of hers in November when she introduced her first beauty brand, Rinna Beauty. “It was very challenging,” she said of navigating its release during an unpredictable climate. “We just had to really be on top of it. We didn’t know any better. Do you know what I mean? Like, here we were, and we had a deadline, and we were trying to make it with the added, you know, COVID-ism of the world.” That deadline kept getting pushed. Working with her team over Zoom, Rinna Beauty — a p...

Aromatherapy has been known to offer an array of health benefits, including reducing stress, improving sleep and even reducing muscle aches when in a topical form. If you’ve been eager to up your candle and aromatherapy game lately, Saks Fifth Avenue’s Friends and Family Sale is here to help. The retailer’s annual discount event is back with 25 percent off a range of items on its site, including candles, diffusers, body oils and air mists for creating calming and inspiring scents inside your home. Whether you prefer a deep woody aroma or breezier floral and fruity notes, the sale includes options to suit every taste from Lafco, Tom Dixon, Amanda de Montal and more. In addition to creating a subtle ambiance in any room, or helping you wind down at bathtime, many of these options also double as chic accent pieces. As part of the sale, there is an art deco-inspired candle from interior designer Jonathan Adler, as well as an ornate floral topped candle from metalwork artist Michael Aram. A...

Whether you’ve got pin-straight strands or coily curls, every hair care regimen can benefit from a dry texture spray. Offering the hold of hairspray with the enhancing effect of a finishing spray, these innovative styling products create a gritty, lived-in texture for your strands, adding instant definition, body and volume. All you need to do is apply a few spritzes to your roots to achieve the professional-level separation, lift and fullness, or at the midlengths to enhance your hair’s texture and bounce. Their long-lasting hold also provides support for updos and braids, ensuring that your go-to styles have the proper foundation and grip to maintain their shape and structure throughout the day. But, what makes them the best dry texture sprays is their unique formulas, which prioritize moisture and flexibility to ensure a weightless and natural-looking finish. Certain texturizing sprays even incorporate hydrating ingredients like argan oil, glycerin, aloe vera and pro-vitamin B5 to i...

Creating a successful cystic acne-fighting skin care routine may not seem like an easy feat, but rest assured that there are plenty of over-the-counter products that can help clear your breakouts. The best cystic acne treatment products are fortified with powerful clarifying exfoliants like salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide and glycolic acid to get deep into the pores to get beneath the surface where your pimples are forming and remove the acne-causing impurities that are responsible for your cystic breakouts. Not only do these ingredients purify and clarify, but they also regulate your skin’s oil production and promote the creation of new cells, expediting your breakout’s healing and life cycle. Since cystic acne is considered by some to be more painful, larger and more pronounced than typical breakouts, cystic acne spot treatments and face masks also use soothing anti-inflammatory and hydrating ingredients to reduce their size and redness, offering instant relief without contributing ...

E-commerce fraud prevention firm Forter and Capital One’s Enhanced Decisioning Data product have joined forces to streamline the purchase process for retailers. Their combined powers now allow merchants to have a direct connection with issuing banks to share Forter Trusted Authorization’s fraud insights, powered by its Global Merchant Network and advanced AI technology, which in turn increases authorization rates and decreases false declines — a win for retailers, banks and consumers. And the need for speed is real. Both merchants and issuing banks need to perform risk evaluations on every transaction, the companies said, and issuing banks are “forced to make their authorization and fraud decisions with limited data around the legitimacy of these transactions.” This can lead to false declines by issuers — and some valid transactions are incorrectly suspected of fraud and not approved, the companies explained. Lost income to merchants and issuers resulting from false declines is predict...

Sometimes your mascara can only go so far in terms of lift and volume. That’s where eyelash curlers come into play. Designed to prep your lashes before applying your go-to mascara, the best curlers gently grip your lashes to create a fanned-out curl to improve the volumizing effect of your mascara. Catering to a variety of eye shapes with their curved design and rubber pads, these eye-opening tools also help elongate and widen the appearance of your eyes, giving them a natural-looking lift that makes you look refreshed and more awake. These design characteristics are also what makes the best eyelash curlers beneficial because they are able to reach the root of all of your lashes without pinching your eyelid, which is especially good for those with shaky hands or who still have yet to master the curling technique. They also boast sturdy and fluid handles that can be controlled and squeezed in ease, which results in a simpler, faster and higher-impact curl. When using an eyelash curler, ...

A look from Georges Wendell.  Courtesy photo Cheeky, suave and very Paris are a few way to describe emerging brand Georges Wendell. Designer Pierre Kaczmarek revived the brand, which originally began as a tailoring shop in Le Sentier, Paris’ Garment District, after graduating from his previous project, Afterhomework(Paris). Like many around the world, Pierre described quarantine as challenging, especially because his creative process is so tied into his brand’s progress. “My brand is very lively, very connected to real life. I love feeling the city around me, spending time with suppliers and manufacturers, it’s a big part of my creative process” the designer said. Looks from Georges Wendell.  Courtesy photo Georges Wendell’s authenticity comes from the inspiration Pierre finds in his environment. “I work on Paris stereotypes, I am surrounded by them. Georges Wendell comes from a real culture that exists in real life,” he said. His fall 2021 collection reflects just that, playi...

The look of your eyebrows can change your entire appearance, so it’s no secret we go to great lengths to perfect them. From growth serums and gels to powders, pencils and tints, there are seemingly endless products available to create a fuller, bolder look. Before application, however, it’s important to start with the right foundation, which means shaping your eyebrows with the best tweezers. Many of the best tweezer styles feature angled tips to effectively grip hairs and pull them out from the root, as well as nonslip grips for comfortable handling. Tweezers made with stainless steel (either in entirety or just at the tips) are also recommended, as the material is sturdy, easy to clean and rust-resistant. In addition to traditional tweezer options, you can buy miniature versions (often available in sets) that are perfect for packing with you on vacation or keeping in your drawer at the office. Tweezers with a light for better visibility as well as fine point styles for lifting thin o...

Sometimes, a makeup brush just doesn’t blend your makeup right. If you’re looking to take your makeup game to new heights, investing in an airbrush makeup system will help you achieve flawless results instantly. Designed to give your skin a soft-focused, imperfection-filtering finish, the best airbrush makeup kits use advanced technology to distribute a weightless and controlled ultra-fine mist, which evenly wraps your face and body in the cosmetics product of your choice using the utmost precision. This technique prevents your makeup from sinking into your pores or accentuating unwanted texture, making airbrushed makeup ideal for blurring the appearance of everything from pores and acne to fine lines and scars. For some, airbrush makeup helps them achieve their desired glam without requiring several layers of product. But if preferred, airbrush makeup systems can offer the same customizable and buildable sheer-to-full coverage as your trusty makeup brushes or beauty sponges. The best ...

Your hair is only as good as your tools. Instead of investing in a fancy, new blow-dryer or straightener to improve your mane’s shine and sleekness, start with upgrading to one of the best hairbrushes to treat your strands to a shine-boosting treatment. Made with quality materials and boasting pure bristles, these hair care essentials gently separate each strand to remove everything from tangles and knots to dust and debris. As it moves through your hair, these brushes are simultaneously distributing your scalp’s natural oils down to your ends, giving your tresses a burst of nourishing moisture to impart a healthy shine and sleek smoothness. Making an excellent addition to not only your hair care routine but your styling regimen as well, you can opt for brushes that increase your hair’s volume and definition to achieve more lift, body and fullness. The best hairbrushes are also designed with your scalp’s health in mind, offering a stimulating massage with every stroke. These circulatio...

You’ve dyed your hair, now you’ve got to upgrade your hair care routine to match your newly colored strands. Incorporating one of the best color-depositing shampoos into your product arsenal will help maintain your hair’s color vibrancy and richness, giving you that fresh-from-the-salon look in between your coloring appointments. Formulated with tinted pigments, these color-safe shampoos act like color-correctors for your hair by depositing brassiness-busting color into your hair to perfect its tone. Some formulas will also incorporate naturally brightening and toning ingredients like lemon extract into their blue and purple shampoos, giving your hair an extra boost of radiance. The best color-depositing shampoos also come formulated with hair-healthy ingredients like keratin, jojoba oil and aloe vera, allowing them to provide the nourishing, softening and strengthening benefits of deep-conditioning treatments in addition to the cleansing and toning properties of a toning shampoo. As a...

Essential oils provide a wealth of health and wellness benefits. In addition to their renowned aromatherapy and topical capabilities, ongoing research suggests that certain essential oils can also improve your physical health by being ingested as well. When orally consumed, the best edible essential oils boast potent anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, making them suitable remedies for alleviating everything from gastrointestinal distress to sinus congestion as well as preventing the spread of germs and alleviating feelings of indigestion and upset stomach. Some essential oils also have a detoxifying effect on the body and can even help support healthy immune, neurological and nervous system function. What to know before ingesting essential oils It’s important to note that not every essential oil is safe for consumption and some can have toxic side effects. More research needs to be conducted, but internal consumption is generally only recommended for certain essential ...

Not all razors are made the same, especially when it comes to tackling delicate skin areas like the face. When it comes to removing facial hair and peach fuzz, upgrading your grooming routine with the best face shavers for women will not only ensure a close shave but prevent irritation and pain as well. Boasting ergonomic handles to deliver the utmost precision and control, these face razors are built with stainless steel, hypoallergenic and micro-guarded blades that get close to the skin to remove pesky, unwanted hairs from the upper lip, chin, cheeks and neck without the nicking and tugging of traditional razors. Doubling as effective eyebrow trimmers and shapers, women’s face razors and shavers are gentle enough for daily use and won’t exacerbate your hair growth pattern by creating darker or thicker hairs. Beyond the realms of hair removal, the best face shavers for women also act as dermaplaning devices due to their exfoliating properties. So, while your face razor is removing pea...

Rick Owens’ fall 2021 show managed to embrace the testing nature of the times, while simultaneously providing inspiration for a freer future. One of the only designers to incorporate masks at his outdoor Venice show, the models’ social distance against a foggy view of the Adriatic Sea imbued a sense of isolation. A city known for its Carnival and bustling and crowded Piazza San Marco felt silent and almost abandoned. And yet despite their contemplative nature, the stark designs and staging also reminded (virtual) audiences of a future where travel and exploration exist. Glimpses of the aptly nicknamed “City of Masks” were revealed, and — like us — the models seemed to take it in with a sense of reverence — and a newfound appreciation. Adam Katz Sinding photographed these “backstage” shots exclusively for WWD, providing a rare peek behind the curtain — once a mainstay of fashion show coverage but in this restricted moment, a more treasured opportunity. For WWD’s review, see here. Rick O...

A throwback to the reckless glamour of the prerecession mid-Aughts; a talented writer wrestling with a serious prescription pill addiction and childhood trauma; a privileged young woman thumbing her nose at the very industry she had revered her entire life: Former magazine editor and author Cat Marnell, who has emerged into her most recent phase of adulthood with self-awareness, candor and her signature quick wit intact, likely won’t argue these epithets of a previous life. For those less indoctrinated to media palace intrigue, Marnell quit her role as beauty director of XoJane, Jane Pratt’s erstwhile digital platform where Marnell worked after many years at various Condé Nast glossies, in 2012 in the most dramatic of fashions — she infamously told The New York Post, “I couldn’t spend another summer meeting deadlines behind a computer at night when I could be on the rooftop of Le Bain looking for shooting stars and smoking angel dust with my friends and writing a book, which is what I’...

What’s Endieu? When Chyanne and Chelsey Cantras are asked, the duo responded, “On- dew, we got the quote tattooed ‘en dieu nous croyons’ in French for “In God We Trust.” They really didn’t know what it would mean until Endieu became its own social phenomenon. “We haven’t touched the surface of our full potential, but we love this crazed process,” the designers said. They described their quarantine as a beauty in disguise. Through a roller coaster of emotions, it allowed them to realize what they needed to do was to slow down and to do the work needed within themselves first. “It’s just extremely bittersweet to feel most creative and zealous about what we have planned for the future when our people until this day experience such trauma. So we are eminently grateful for all we’ve gained through all of this and can’t wait to grow and make a difference one day,” said Chelsey and Chyanne. In their recent drop, in collaboration with Aimej Jimay, the designers co-created bold colored, fur-fel...

The suit is not dead. The question is, what role does it play in a customer’s wardrobe, and, therefore, how is it treated by brands and retailers? Even if that office staple of yesteryear was already diminished by the rise of more-casual looks and is now utterly lost in the work from home closet, there is a post-COVID-19 life for foundational tailored clothing.  The function of the suit is changing and — along with all of the other changes sweeping through the industry — presents opportunities for brands willing to change and retailers ready to change with them. The suit in American life is now a special occasion business. That occasion may be a wedding, but going forward, it may also be a business meeting. There is little doubt that the convenience we have discovered in virtual meetings will not be completely discarded and in-person meetings will be reserved for more meaningful occasions.  So how does retail solve this problem when so many businesses are reliant on a tailored...