Articles by Rachel Douglass
Rachel has been with FashionUnited since mid-2021. Descending from the UK, she moved to the Netherlands in 2014 to attend Amsterdam Fashion Institute, where she studied a BA in International Fashion and Branding with a specialisation in Journalism.
At FashionUnited, Rachel covers daily news, from store openings to acquisitions, alongside which she focuses on research-based stories, interviews and on-the-ground event reporting. Her topics of interest include digital fashion, independent retail and current trends.
Pieces from The Devil Wears Prada 2 to be auctioned off via Christie’s
Apparel and accessories from the film ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ are set to be auctioned off as part of a sale benefitting the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). The online auction will be held by Christie’s from September 1 to 15, with a coinciding public exhibition of the items to be...
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QVC Group emerges from bankruptcy with new leadership and five billion dollar debt reduction
QVC Group, Inc., the US parent company of TV and social shopping firm QVC, has emerged from bankruptcy after completing a financial restructuring that reduced debt by five billion dollars. In the announcement, the company said it has also gained access to a new 600 million dollar asset-based lending facility led by funds managed by Strategic...
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From CIO to COO to CEO: What New Look’s leadership change says about its new era
For much of the past two years, New Look has frequently appeared in headlines for the wrong reasons. It closed its Irish business, accelerated UK store closures, cut head office jobs, secured a 30 million pound cash injection to fund digital transformation and was reportedly exploring strategic options after unsolicited takeover approaches. Fast...
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UK retail footfall declines in July amid heatwave
New figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Sensormatic have shown that UK retail footfall continued to decline in July, with extreme heat impacting visits to high streets. Total UK footfall fell 2.1 percent year-on-year during the four weeks to August 1, improving from the 3.4 percent decline recorded in June. High streets saw the...
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Fashion for Good launches industry project to benchmark PFAS alternatives
Fashion for Good, an Amsterdam-based regenerative fashion investment company, has launched Project DW(O)R-X, a collaborative initiative aimed at creating an industry benchmark for durable water- and oil-repellent (DW(O)R) finishes that do not contain PFAS, responding to the increased demand for safer alternatives to the persistent chemicals. The...
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What Reformation's IPO means for women-centric brands and sustainability values
Over the past several years, the presence of fashion IPOs has been noticeably declining following disappointing public debuts from direct-to-consumer brands like Allbirds and Rent the Runway. It is for this reason that when Reformation announced its intention to go public earlier this year, heads began turning towards what had at once been seen...
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Skims enters India through Reliance Brands partnership
Kim Kardashian's Skims is set to embark on a new venture into the Indian market through a partnership with Reliance Brands Limited (RBL), marking the shapewear and lifestyle brand's latest step in its international retail expansion. Under the agreement, RBL will operate Skims across physical stores and digital channels in India, with the brand's...
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Abercrombie reportedly mulling options for China business
US retail giant Abercrombie & Fitch Co. is believed to be exploring strategic options for its China business, including bringing in local partners to support future growth. According to a report by Bloomberg, which cited people familiar with the matter, the fashion retailer is working with an adviser to review its China operations in what could...
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Jaded London ad banned over smoking imagery
The UK's advertising watchdog has upheld a complaint against fashion brand Jaded London, ruling that one of its marketing emails "glamourised smoking". In a ruling published by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the regulator found that an email sent on 27 May 2026, featuring a model wearing a backless pink mini dress while holding what...
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Gap Inc. expands GCC presence through Chalhoub Group partnership
US apparel giant Gap Inc. has partnered with Middle East luxury retailer Chalhoub Group to expand Gap, Banana Republic and Athleta across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), with a phased omnichannel rollout beginning later this year. The partnership will launch online stores across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait during the second half of...
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