Articles by AFP
TikTok exploits trade war to shift fake luxury goods
TikTok abounds with viral videos accusing prestigious brands of secretly manufacturing luxury goods in China so they can be sold at cut prices. But while these "revelations" are spurious, behind them lurks a well-oiled machine for selling counterfeit goods that is making the most of the confusion surrounding trade tariffs. Chinese content...
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A lingerie brand ‘made in America’ threatened by Trump's tariffs
Los Angeles - After years spent in underground workshops in California, Francisco Tzul managed to get a job with an ethical lingerie brand 'Made in America'. But the garment worker now fears losing his job because of Donald Trump's tariffs. Since his return to power, the new American president has launched a protectionist offensive and triggered...
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Kering: sales down 14 percent in first quarter, weighed down by Gucci
Paris - Luxury group Kering, still weighed down by its flagship brand Gucci, announced on Wednesday a 14 percent drop in sales to 3.88 billion euros in the first quarter of 2025 and is "redoubling its vigilance to overcome macro- economic turbulence". "As we anticipated, Kering faced a difficult start to the year," said its chief executive...
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In response to global demand, Hermès opens 27th leather goods workshop in France
Paris - French luxury group Hermès announced on Tuesday the establishment of a new leather goods workshop in Colombelles (Normandy) “with the creation of 260 artisan jobs, in the long term” to support “the success of its leather goods and saddlery collections”. Hermès, which continues to achieve record results and whose sales jumped by 8.5...
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Swiss watch exports to US soared ahead of Trump tariffs
Swiss watch exports to the key US market soared nearly 14 percent in March, likely the result of retailers stocking up before US President Donald Trump announced his tariffs on countries worldwide. Analysts have warned that Switzerland's storied watchmaking industry could be among the hardest hit by the 31-percent import levies for Swiss goods...
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N.Ireland designer Jonathan Anderson takes helm at Dior Men
French fashion giant Dior named the highly-rated designer Jonathan Anderson as creative director of Dior Men on Thursday. Anderson, 40, quit Loewe last month after more than a decade in which he turned around the fortunes of the heritage Spanish brand. The Northern Irish designer -- an influential tastemaker with many A-list fans -- made the...
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Jonathan Anderson to oversee next Dior Menswear show
Paris - Designer Jonathan Anderson will direct Christian Dior's next men's show, scheduled for June, Bernard Arnault, CEO of French luxury giant LVMH, announced Thursday at the group's shareholders' meeting. Jonathan Anderson arrives at Dior "I can tell you that the next Christian Dior men's show, which will take place in June, will be designed...
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Swiss watch exports: US market drives March growth
Zurich - Swiss watch exports rebounded by 1.5 percent in March, climbing to 2.38 billion Swiss francs (2.56 billion euros), driven by watch shipments to the US, the Swiss Watch Federation announced on Thursday. "Across the entire first quarter, however, the trend remains slightly negative, with a decline of 1.1 percent,” the Swiss Watch...
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Hermès to increase prices in US to offset 10 percent tariff
Paris - French luxury group Hermès is set to increase its prices in May in the US to offset the 10 percent tariff. The company also reported an 8.5 percent increase in turnover in the first quarter of 2025. Hermès, which on Tuesday ousted its rival LVMH as the leading French stock market capitalisation, will “fully offset” the impact of the 10...
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LVMH sales dip as Trump tariffs dent luxury tastes
Paris - Luxury giant LVMH saw sales fall two percent to 20.3 billion euros (23 billion dollars) in the first quarter of 2025 as US President Donald Trump's tariffs shook the global economy, the company said on Monday. The producer of Louis Vuitton bags and Dom Perignon champagne, owned by Europe's richest man Bernard Arnault, generates a quarter...
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