Articles by Don-Alvin Adegeest
Don-Alvin Adegeest is a consultant and specialist in brand strategy, communication, and design with extensive experience in the fashion and luxury retail industries. Since 2003, he has collaborated with FashionUnited as a senior editor, contributing analysis, interviews, and in-depth reports focused on the international fashion business. His career includes leadership roles at companies such as Hugo Boss or LVMH giving him a deep understanding of the market and the sector’s value chain.
Oil at 200 dollars a barrel: Middle East conflict sends shockwaves through fashion
As the global conflict involving Iran escalates, the prospect of oil prices climbing towards 200 dollars a barrel no longer feels implausible. Fashion businesses across the UK and Europe are once again bracing for volatility, as energy markets react sharply to geopolitical risk. From fibre production and manufacturing to freight costs and...
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The fashion industry has a water blind spot
Water is widely recognised as fashion’s single largest environmental impact, yet it remains structurally overlooked in sourcing decisions, audit systems and sustainability reporting. At a time when 2.2 billion people globally lack access to safely managed drinking water, according to the United Nations, the fashion industry continues to consume...
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Retail's revolving door: Why fashion can't hold on to its workers
Around 2.4 percent of UK workers change jobs in an average month, according to new analysis from Indeed. That figure might sound modest. But buried inside it is a fault line that runs straight through the fashion industry. In retail, 82 percent of workers who switch jobs leave the sector entirely. In hospitality and tourism, which overlaps...
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Milan Fashion Week was an era of infinite opinions. Who is fashion really for?
As Milan Fashion Week drew to a close, one thing felt undeniable: everyone is now a fashion critic. Not just the front row. Not just the legacy editors. But analysts, Substack writers, TikTok commentators, luxury consultants, meme accounts and armchair aesthetes alike. The more interesting question is not whether opinions are polarised, they...
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H&M named one of the UK’s best employers, according to report
At a moment when the UK retail sector is still grappling with labour shortages, subdued growth and the long tail of Brexit, H&M, has been recognised as one of the country’s most attractive employers. The Swedish fashion group has been named to the Financial Times UK’s Best Employers 2026 list for the second consecutive year, a distinction that...
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Longchamp opens first Scottish store as Edinburgh consolidates its luxury retail position
Longchamp has opened its first standalone store in Scotland, choosing Edinburgh’s Multrees Walk as the location for its latest UK expansion. Opening on 9 February, the boutique marks the French accessories brand’s first permanent retail presence outside London in the UK, reflecting a broader shift among luxury labels towards selective regional...
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When the moment is the message: fashion marketing at sports’ biggest stages
Arriving at the top of the escalator in Antwerp’s flagship Zara store, shoppers are met with a mannequin dressed head to toe in white. The look is instantly recognisable. Worn by Bad Bunny during his Super Bowl performance, it went viral within hours. Much of the post-game commentary focused on the estimated “media value” of the appearance, but...
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Pieter Mulier’s arrival at Versace signals a reset for the Italian luxury house
Thursday’s announcement that Pieter Mulier will become chief creative officer of Versace confirms what fashion circles had been whispering for months. The Prada Group and Versace jointly confirmed the appointment, positioning the Belgian designer at the creative helm of one of fashion’s most iconic names as it enters a new chapter under Italian...
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AI shopping assistants gain traction, but early missteps risk losing customers
AI is fast becoming part of the online shopping journey, but fashion retailers face a narrow margin for error. According to a new survey of 2,000 consumers in the US and UK, 66 percent of shoppers have already tried, or are open to using, an AI assistant such as ChatGPT or a retailer’s own tool when shopping online. Yet the same research...
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Oakley doubles down on snow as sport-fashion collaborations accelerate ahead of Olympic Winter Games
Oakley is expanding its presence in competitive snow sports at a moment when performance outerwear is enjoying renewed momentum. For the first time in its history, the brand has become the official apparel sponsor of the national freestyle snowboard federations of Canada and Finland, while also equipping New Zealand’s freestyle ski athletes with...
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