VISIT LOVE AT SIGHT TO WIN FREE GIFTS

WarnerMedia chief executive officer Jason Kilar did not waste much time addressing the elephant in the room at a WarnerMedia virtual global summit on Thursday afternoon. After an “icebreaker” about how his mother and wife are contemplating switching cellular providers, Kilar told the company’s employees that he’s committed to the work he started a little over one year ago when AT&T CEO John Stankey named Kilar to the post. Noting that he has always tried to be “direct” and “empathetic,” he thanked his team for their hard work in continuing to build out streaming service HBO Max, and stressed that he has “unfinished business” at the company. “I’m not going anywhere,” he said. His remarks at the virtual presentation sent the phones of the company’s home-bound employees buzzing, since it was in contrast to the media narrative that has taken hold since news of AT&T’s decision to spin off WarnerMedia and combine it with the assets of Discovery and be run by Discovery CEO David Zasla...

Forget about giving socks or ties for Father’s Day. Market trends are showing that men are eager to explore and experiment with new personal care products to present their best selves as men’s interest in self care continues to rise. That’s why grooming, fragrance and wellness gifts are the best choices for dads who need a refresh of their essentials or a subtle hint to upgrade up their routine. Here, a curated range of the best Father’s Day gift ideas that will elevate his personal care come June 20 and beyond. Harry’s Shave & Shower Kit For the dad on the go, Harry’s Shave & Shower Kit makes traveling easy. Featuring a water-resistant toiletry bag, this set comes with a razor and a trio of products in TSA-friendly sizes. The pack includes an invigorating body wash available in your choice of Redwood, Shiso, Stone and Fig scents, a face wash with peppermint that gently exfoliates skin, and a two-in-one shampoo and conditioner that hydrates hair. Harry's Shave & Shower ...

Sneaker culture has capitalized on craze and scarcity, garnering lines stretching for blocks and bots that battle real-life consumers for sneaker drops that sell out in seconds. But what has been missing, according to Thick Laces, a community for plus-size women who love sneakers and streetwear, is diversity. “The mission behind the brand is to provide a space for plus-size women to not only learn about sneakers but to have a space to be seen,” said cofounders Katie Alexis and Essie Golden. “We are severely underrepresented in fashion and even more in the sneaker and street style space.” It’s no secret that the sneaker industry has been largely male-dominated but that didn’t faze Alexis and Golden from breaking in 2019 starting with a simple hashtag that quickly grew into a community of plus-size women who love the streetwear culture that has largely left them out. The message on the brand’s website reads: “Empowering plus-size women to look and feel amazing in unique streetwear and sn...

Ariana Grande is giving fans a closer look at her recent wedding. The Grammy-winning singer shared photos from her intimate ceremony with real estate developer Dalton Gomez on Instagram Wednesday, posting several photos of her and her husband and closer details of her custom Vera Wang wedding dress. The Vera Wang wedding dress is a lily white, silk charmeuse strapless dress with an Empire waist and a sculpted neckline. Grande paired the dress with a matching handmade, shoulder-length veil with a satin bow accent that sat atop her signature high ponytail. The wedding look was styled by Mimi Cuttrell and Grande wore pearl and diamond earrings by Lorraine Schwartz. Gomez wore a black suit by Tom Ford. Grande and Gomez were married in a small ceremony on May 15 at the singer’s home in Montecito, Calif. with 20 guests, according to Vogue. The couple has been dating since January 2020 and got engaged in December. Grande’s wedding isn’t the first time the singer has worn a custom Vera Wang lo...

In addition to providing insights to Hard Rock International’s merchandising, First Insight, the technology company that empowers companies to incorporate the voice of the customer to make strategic decisions, will now also use its customer-driven experience management platform to inform functions related to the restaurant business including menu creation, design and pricing. Hard Rock International’s global scope spans 239 locations in 68 countries including owned, licensed and managed hotels, casinos, Rock Shops, live performance venues and cafés. By using First Insight’s platform, Hard Rock International aims to make faster, better product and marketing decisions to drive sales and margin gains in its merchandise, restaurant and casinos. “We have made the decision to expand the use of the platform into new areas based on First Insight’s ability to deliver a measurable ROI,” said Benito Mendez, vice president of merchandising at Hard Rock International. Notably, the company has alrea...

Despite many parts of the online shopping experience becoming increasingly easy, the returns process can be wasteful, expensive and arduous — for both the consumer and the retailer. Launched six years ago to tackle online returns head-on, Happy Returns has made it its mission to make the process “beautiful for shoppers, retailers and the planet,” using technology to offer in-person return drop-offs as a solution and boasting a model that reduces the amount of greenhouse gas emissions by 0.12 pounds per item returned. Today, the company’s network includes hundreds of brand partners using its returns software and more than 2,600 locations in 1,200-plus unique metro areas in every state in the continental U.S. Now, by joining PayPal, Happy Returns will bring its technology and platform to even more consumers and retailers, expanding upon the company’s post-purchase experience. With PayPal’s support, David Sobie, chief executive officer of Happy Returns, said there will be “additional focu...

Kris Jenner, the ultimate momager, is stepping aside as chief executive officer of Kylie Cosmetics and Kylie Skincare. Coty Inc., which spent $600 million for 51 percent of the brands, revealed that Andrew Stanleick, executive vice president, Americas, will also become the global CEO of Kylie Jenner’s beauty business and oversee the management of Kim Kardashian West’s beauty brand. Coty paid $200 million for 20 percent of KKW Beauty in a deal that closed in January. Stanleick has also been promoted to Coty’s global leadership team. Kris Jenner will remain on the board of King Kylie LLC, the joint venture created between Coty and the brands, to whom Stanleick reports in his role as CEO. The appointment comes at a critical time for the business. Kylie Cosmetics is set to unveil an entirely new range this summer, as well as a new direct-to-consumoer platform where consumers will be able to access the entire lineup across color cosmetics and skin care for the first time. Kim Kardashian Wes...

The 2021 Billboard Music Awards aired Sunday night, bringing together celebrities like The Jonas Brothers, Megan Fox, Machine Gun Kelly, BTS, Alicia Keys and other stars who made an impact at the annual award show for their designer looks. Nick Jonas, who hosted the show and performed with his brothers, changed outfits multiple times, courtesy of stylist Avo Yermagyan. The musician walked the red carpet in an emerald green three-piece Fendi look from the design house’s fall 2021 ready-to-wear collection, posing alongside wife Priyanka Chopra, who wore an embellished Dolce & Gabbana dress, and his brothers. Nick Jonas, Joe Jonas and Kevin Jonas at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards.  Todd Williamson/NBC He then changed into a red-to-blue ombré Berluti suit from the design house’s fall rtw collection and later a graphic printed jacket and black trousers from the Dior Men pre-fall 2021 collection. Machine Gun Kelly and Fox, who have increasingly become a red carpet couple to watch, a...

Måneskin is the winner of 2021 Eurovision Song Contest hosted in Rotterdam, Netherlands, on Saturday. The Italian band scooped the prize after a pyrotechnic performance of their hit song “Zitti e Buoni.” This marks the third victory for Italy but the first in more than three decades, following Gigliola Cinquetti and Toto Cutugno, who won the contest in 1964 and 1990, respectively. “We just want to say to whole Europe and the whole world: rock’n’roll never dies!” said frontman Damiano David receiving the award. Along with David, the charismatic group comprises bassist Victoria De Angelis, guitarist Thomas Raggi and drummer Ethan Torchio, who have known each other since middle school and established the band in 2015. Ahead of its performance, the band received the support of many Italian personalities on social media, ranging from Renzo Rosso to Chiara Ferragni and her husband, rapper Fedez. Local music stars like Eros Ramazzotti and Vasco Rossi, as well as artists that formerly represen...

There are quite a few new male artists working hard to make their mark in country music, but one has managed to break through: Jordan Davis. Since releasing “Singles You Up” in the middle of 2017, the 33-year-old Louisiana native has become a fan and radio favorite, amassing more than two billion streams worldwide and notching three consecutive number-one singles: “Slow Dance in a Parking Lot,” “Take It From Me” and “Singles You Up.” He won Best New Country Artist at the iHeartRadio Music Awards in 2019 and was a nominee for the Academy of Country Music’s New Male Artist of the Year in 2020. Today he releases his second album, an eight-song EP featuring “Almost Maybes,” his current single that has cracked the top 10. The album also features a duet with Luke Bryan on the title track, “Buy Dirt.” “We had met four or five years ago, we’re on the same label, and we had met at an after-party,” Davis says of Bryan. “But it was after a golf round one day I got to sit down and talk to him abou...

Closing the first quarter with $13 million in sales, The Newsette has reported a projected revenue of over $40 million this year. Notably, the company was created, and has continued to grow, without any VC backing —— a quality that The Newsette founder and chief executive officer, Daniella Pierson, told WWD has contributed to her small team of 11 being “scrappy, innovative and deeply invested in every single client.” In fact, when asked Pierson said what has fueled the company’s impressive growth is the team which includes the company’s chief operating officer, Sean Gordon, and its Vice President of Marketing, Grace O’Donnell, who she considers her “right hands” having been a part of every hard decision, problem and big win. “Their support, along with the hard work of every single member of our small team, is the reason we’ve been able to grow so quickly,” said Pierson. “The amount of revenue we’re doing is usually reserved for highly VC-fueled companies with 100-plus teams, but my tea...

MILAN — If you believe that Fire Saga made for the most memorable Eurovision Song Contest entry ever, think again. Despite its eccentricity, the fictional artistic duo played by Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams in the Netflix musical comedy about the European competition could easily be overshadowed by many of the real-life contestants that have appeared on stage over the last 65 years. Since its launch in 1956, the annual music event has continued to mushroom in terms of the number of contestants, the set-up, its musical offerings — and especially its fashions, with contestants opting for flashy and quite often questionable outfits to make an impression on the international audience. It’s all part of the very essence of the show: a loud, joyous event intended to serve up carefree entertainment and celebrate the differences within the European community. But behind the razzmatazz the Eurovision Song Contest, or ESC, also means serious business. In addition to broadcasting contracts,...

GENEVA — Fifty-six countries, including the U.S., have endorsed a sustainability standard that provides traceability and transparency solutions for tracking any garment or item of footwear, from raw components to point of purchase, a United Nations agency said Thursday. Over 250 experts — including from brands such as Vivienne Westwood — helped craft the recommendations and guidelines that established the standard, which is a free open-source Ethereum blockchain system that allows for the running of smart contracts and use of DNA markers, said the U.N. Economic Commission for Europe, the 56-member state and Geneva-based agency, which includes the U.S. The blockchain toolkit, it said, is designed to guarantee data confidentiality in compliance with applicable regulations and added that armed with such information “consumers, regulators and companies themselves can check claims around sustainability and ethical production.” The UNECE, which also sets global technical regulations for the ...

Naomi Campbell is a new mom. The supermodel revealed on Tuesday that she has welcomed her first child, a baby girl. Campbell announced the news on Instagram, posting a photo of herself holding her daughter’s feet. “A beautiful little blessing has chosen me to be her mother,” she wrote. “So honored to have this gentle soul in my life. There are no words to describe the lifelong bond that I now share with you my angel. There is no greater love.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Naomi Campbell (@naomi) Many celebrities and fashion industry figures shared their well wishes to Campbell in the comments, including the likes of Donatella Versace, Marc Jacobs, Andy Cohen, Riccardo Tisci, Diane von Furstenberg, Edward Enninful and many others. “Naomi, today I go from being sista to auntie!” Versace wrote. “I am so so so happy for you and I can’t wait to meet her!! Lots and lots of love.” “Oh my god!” Jacobs wrote. “Today is the day?? How absolutely incredible. How lucky she is and ho...

So, you’ve meticulously designed a stunning fashion collection. And your virtual runway show was the toast of social media. Everyone loved it. Now, what do you? While designing an apparel line is challenging, it is a creative process that requires a certain set of skills. Bringing that product or collection to market, though, requires an entirely different set of skills. The process also has a lot of pain points for emerging designers and entrepreneurs who don’t typically have experience or knowledge in sourcing, manufacturing and shipping. To fill that knowledge gap, Parsons and WWD are offering Fashion Business Essentials, which is powered by Yellowbrick and includes insights from Parsons’ faculty as well as industry experts. The course, which can be found here, is online and consists of five modules. The second module, titled, “Managing Fashion Production” is composed of 35 lessons that cover all aspects of producing a collection. From digital design and ethical sourcing to choosing...

Bar soaps are making a comeback. The old-school staple isn’t the harsh formula of yore. Now they’re chock full of skin-loving ingredients that will leave your complexion clean, hydrated and nourished. And the best natural bar soaps are leading the pack. Options abound, so you can find the best natural bar soap for your skin type. For example, those with thirsty complexions should look for mega moisturizers like shea butter, coconut oil and olive oil on the ingredients list, while sensitive skin types should seek out calming and anti-inflammatory ingredients like shea butter and aloe vera. Oily or acne-prone skin will appreciate detoxing ingredients like activated charcoal to draw out excess oil, dirt and impurities from pores. No matter your cleansing preference, you’ll be sure to find one that works for you with these best natural bar soaps. 1. Herbivore Botanicals Pink Clay Soap Designed to be used all over for every skin type — we’re talking dry, mature, sensitive, blemish-prone, co...

A newly minted platform, the Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network, has officially launched — and its virtual, collaborative community is driven by the fashion and lifestyle industries, as both sectors sit in positions of power and are poised to help facilitate positive change at a global scale. Together, the industries’ extensive reach creates an opportunity to engage on the United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, particularly at the present moment as they navigate the climate crisis and post-pandemic recovery. The Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network was created for industry stakeholders, governments and NGOs to share sustainable solutions and report progress to help accelerate and contribute to delivering the SDGs. Addressing global issues such as eliminating poverty, hunger, inequalities and climate change reversal, the SDGs “serve as the blueprint for a shared global vision” to help move the needle on these challenges. The launch is an evolution of the Conscious Fas...

Ever dream of launching your own product, brand or fashion apparel line? Right now might be a good time to make that dream a reality. The recent pandemic is forcing brands and merchants to transform themselves. The explosion of online shopping has accelerated digital convergence, and companies are making investments in innovation, technology and creativity. And this creates an opportunity for career development; and even career change for those interested in breaking out on their own and launching their own fashion business. If that’s you, consider taking a new online course, Fashion Business Essentials, which is presented by Parsons with support from WWD, and powered by Yellowbrick. The course, which can be found here, is completely online and consists of five modules. Fashion faculty from the New School’s Parsons School of Design faculty team up with industry insiders and experts from leading brands, to help you learn the business side of fashion while exploring key trends that are s...

In celebration of Small Business Month, Klarna has announced an initiative to help small and medium-sized businesses recover from the pandemic in the form of a $4.5 million donation of free services. From May 10 to 21, Klarna will select 100 small businesses to receive one year of its payments services along with $40,000 of free media services from Klarna. Notably in choosing applicants the company will look for businesses who were most impacted by the pandemic including minority- and female-led businesses. “Small businesses are the lifeblood of the U.S. economy, and it’s no secret they have been hit especially hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. With consumers shifting more of their shopping toward e-commerce, these businesses have seen higher rates of store closures, layoffs and reduced hours and wages,” said David Sykes, head of U.S. at Klarna. “As the economic recovery gains steam, Klarna is proud to offer small businesses the support, visibility and flexibility needed to make a success...

Bümo has secured $3.5 million in seed funding, WWD has learned. Jessica Alba, Coco Rocha, Raissa Gerona, Ryan Rzepecki, Vivian Chou, Whitney Port, Cara Loren and Vivy Yusof are among the investors. Influencer and entrepreneur Chriselle Lim is behind the growing business — which encompasses an online educational platform for kids called BümoBrain and an upcoming coworking space offering licensed child care, BümoWork, located on the second floor of Westfield Century City in Los Angeles. There’s also a podcast: “Being Bümo.” BümoWork, offering a coworking space and licensed child care, opens May 21.  Courtesy/K. Gill/Gilded Photography Lim, a mom of two young children, decided to invest in the idea after she was unable to find a child care business in a coworking space that met her needs. (BümoBrain, on-demand classes for ages 6 months to 7 years old starting at $28 a month, was launched as a pivot during the pandemic.) “There were a few places that had unlicensed child care, and th...

Although Earth Day has passed, there are many companies who are striving to keep their sustainability agendas alive throughout the year. And there some brands who, since their inception, have always had a commitment to sustainable practices embedded into every aspect of the company. Nudie Jeans is one of those companies. In its sustainable report, Joakim Levin, chief executive officer of Nudie Jeans, said that in “terms of our sustainability ambitions and work, last year made it even more clear that sustainability is one of our core pillars. Much of our sustainability-related work was carried out as planned despite that the pandemic affected our daily life and other parts of the business.” Levin said when Nudie Jeans launched twenty years ago, “we were clear about one thing: we would do it our way. Back then, sustainability wasn’t the talk of the town, like it is today. Still, we knew enough about the im- pact of the fashion industry that we decided to do everything in our power to mak...

Advanced Functional Fabrics of America Inc. (AFFOA) will implement PTC’s FlexPLM platform to support the organization’s mission “to revolutionize domestic manufacturing in America.” PTC said in a statement that FlexPLM will serve as the core of AFFOA’s program, “targeting the digital transformation of traditional fibers, yarns and textiles into integrated technology systems for consumer and military use.” Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but PTC said in a statement that beyond AFFOA’s own use of FlexPLM, “the agreement also provides an onramp for the AFFOA member network of U.S. manufacturers to access the capabilities of FlexPLM.” AFFOA said it will be using FlexPLM at its Cambridge, Mass. headquarters as well as its Pennsylvania Fabric Discovery Center, located at Drexel University. The organization said its “team of engineers, material scientists, and textile designers will use FlexPLM to replace ad-hoc legacy systems and processes, and as a tool for both internal collaboration...

The first Monday in May looked different this year, as the annual Met Gala has been postponed to September due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, the Met Gala will focus on the theme of “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion,” which will take a deep dive into the history of American fashion. The event will be held in a smaller setting on Sept. 13 — pending government guidelines for social gatherings this fall — and will be co-chaired by Timothée Chalamet, Amanda Gorman, Billie Eilish and Naomi Osaka. The event will coincide with New York Fashion Week, which will run from Sept. 8 to Sept. 12. It’s been two years since celebrities have graced the steps of the Met with their high-fashion looks, with stars like Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Blake Lively, Jennifer Lopez and others regularly leaving their mark on the Met Gala red carpet. Rihanna has arguably been the most-watched style star at the Met Gala year after year. Some of her most iconic looks include her custom yellow Guo Pei dress at the 2015 ...

Lauren Johnson is the founder and chief executive officer of The Hyacinth Group, and has over 10 years of experience in the digital space, which began as an assistant internet merchant at Victoria’s Secret. Seeking to propel her career forward, she went on to receive an MBA from LIM College, with a focus on entrepreneurship. After earning an advanced degree, Johnson was recruited to work as an internet manager at Steve Madden, where she focused on customer retention and website engagement and launched the company’s social media integration program. Soon after, Lauren began consulting for brands such as SK-II and Aerosoles, bringing their digital programs to the next level with the creation of responsive sites and comprehensive marketing campaigns. Now, Lauren uses her digital expertise to help companies grow and engage online consumers through her own agency, The Hyacinth Group. Here, she shares her career path and insights learned along the way. WWD: How would you describe your career...

When it comes to fighting the signs of aging — we’re talking fine lines, wrinkles, dullness and hyperpigmentation — Mother Nature can really get the job done. You don’t need skin care products packed with iffy ingredients to smooth and plump skin. The best natural antiaging creams can restore your youthful glow without you having to worry about what is inside that jar. Cleaner, greener formulas are better for your skin health and the planet. These 10 best antiaging creams deliver the results you crave without the ingredients you want to avoid. 1. Naturopathica Argan & Peptide Wrinkle Repair Cream As one of the best antiaging creams, the Naturopathica Argan & Peptide Wrinkle Repair Cream is a multitasker that does it all. The daily moisturizer taps the power of argan cells to visibly smooth fine lines and wrinkles as well as firm and tone skin. Peptides work to give collagen a boost to plump skin, while edelweiss guards from environmental aggressors that can trigger signs of agi...

Concealers are one of the hardest-working items in our makeup bag. They can magically erase under-eye circles to help you fake a full night’s sleep, hide a breakout, and fake an even skin tone. But there’s one method you might be missing out on, and that’s using the best concealers for contouring. The makeup multitasker can also be used to contour and highlight your face. The best concealers for contouring have just the right formula. You don’t want one that’s too dewy, since it doesn’t have as much staying power, or one that’s too dry, as that makes it harder to blend, which means the results won’t be as natural-looking. You’ll need two concealers to contour and highlight. To sculpt and contour, you’ll want one that’s two shades darker than your natural skin tone. Make your face seem more chiseled and add depth by applying it under your jawline, around the temples, under the cheekbones and around the temples. To highlight and brighten your face, you’ll want a concealer that’s one shad...

Any skin care expert will tell you that there’s no antiaging ingredient that does it all quite like retinol. The holy grail of skin care will tackle everything from preventing fine lines and wrinkles to treating acne to fading dark spots to help even out texture. A derivative of vitamin A, retinol boosts cell turnover, revealing fresher, brighter skin, plus boosts collagen production to smooth fine lines. However, vitamin A can be irritating, since it takes a while for skin to adjust to it, so you may experience redness, dryness and sun sensitivity. That’s where the best vitamin A creams come in, since they tend to be gentler. To play it safe, start at a lower retinol level and gradually work them into your skin care routine by beginning with just a few nights per week and increasing the frequency. These are the best vitamin A creams to get started with. 1. Drunk Elephant A-Passioni Retinol Cream If you’re looking for a clean retinol, then the Drunk Elephant A-Passioni Retinol Cream is...

1. Anthropologie Lizzie Vase Anthropologie’s vases feature an assortment of lovely painterly blooms to match the fresh bouquets you’ll place in them, $28. 2. Byredo Rose Hand Lotion Byredo’s Rose hand lotion, $60, unites pleasure and function. 3. Honeycomb Studio Bud Vase via West Elm Honeycomb Studio Bud Vase: porcelain silhouettes accented with gold-leafing, $16 — $40.   4. Stoneware Tilley Fashion Dinnerware Set White — Project 62™ 16pc stoneware dinnerware set serves your dining needs, $45.50. 5. Dr Dennis Gross DRx SpectraLite™ FaceWare Pro Dr Dennis Gross’s DRx SpectraLite™ FaceWare Pro, $435, is an LED mask offering professional light therapy from the comfort of your home. 6. Dr. Dennis Gross Sculpsure Dr. Dennis Gross’s Sculpsure, $1,600. 7. The Beach People Picnic Basket The Beach People’s handmade, insulated picnic basket, $149, will keep drinks and snacks cool all summer long. 8. Enesea Opposites Attract Pearl Necklace Australian label Enesea’s Opposites Attract pearl ne...