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.
London Fashion Week SS26: A reset for British fashion's future
The SS26 edition of London Fashion Week drew to a close this week, wrapping up not just the season but a turbulent year of reinvention for the British fashion calendar. Under the new leadership of British Fashion Council (BFC) chief executive Laura Weir, the event sought to strengthen its position of being both a platform for fresh talent and a...
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Arc’teryx apologises for Tibetan firework stunt after backlash
Arc’teryx, an outdoor clothing brand partially owned by Chinese firm Anta Sorts, has issued an apology after receiving backlash over a promotional event that saw the eruption of multiple fireworks in the Himalayan region of Tibet. The ‘Rising Dragon’ show involved the use of choreographed pyrotechnics and coloured smoke along the Tibetan plateau...
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ThredUp rebrands to align with growing secondhand market
Resale platform ThredUp has unveiled a new brand identity to help it align with the growing prominence of secondhand showing and the evolving consumer. The rebrand itself particularly pertains to ThredUp’s consumer-facing operations, which are now defined by a cleaner, more elevated look for the modern shopper. At the core is a new ‘infinity’...
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Burberry buying and merchandising director exits
Lee Goldup, Burberry’s global director of buying and merchandising, has departed the British heritage brand. He had held his most recent role for one year after having initially joined the company as director of digital curation, a position he had for just over a year. Goldup announced his new venture in a post on LinkedIn, where he revealed the...
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In Pictures: NikeSkims has finally landed, championing ‘bold evolution’ in sportswear
After months of speculation and pushback from reported production delays, the joint project of Nike and Skims has finally been unveiled. Aptly dubbed ‘NikeSkims’, the new brand delivers what the duo says is a “new aesthetic and system of dress, obsessively crafted for the body”. With this, products in initial launch, made up of seven collections...
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Mayor hails one-day Oxford Street car-ban as start of rescue plan
Over the weekend, London’s famed shopping destination, Oxford Street, underwent a car-free trial. The initiative was hosted as a way to exhibit what the street would be like once pedestrianised, a proposed project initiated by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan. For one-day, September 21, the street from Oxford Circus to Orchard Street was closed for...
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New petition in the UK seeks protection for models against unauthorised use of AI
A new petition has been launched in a bid to protect models from the unauthorised use of artificial intelligence (AI). The fast-growing technology, which remains largely unregulated, has raised concerns over its potential to exploit a model by creating their likeness without their permission. Established by the British Fashion Model Agents...
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JW Anderson reopens London store amid wider rebranding
London’s Soho district is once again home to a JW Anderson store. The luxury label of designer Jonathan Anderson has reopened its retail space in the area, marking what it described as a “key milestone in its rebranding journey”. The interior draws inspiration from the Shaker Movement, an 18th-century religious society in the US that practiced...
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Wyse preps for fourth store amid retail expansion
Womenswear brand Wyse London has announced that it will be opening a new store at the end of September. Located on Stonegate in York, North Yorkshire, the store will be the brand’s fourth physical site, underlining its commitment to a wider retail expansion across the UK. The retail space resides in a Grade II listed, 693 square foot unit, where...
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Debenhams Group shuffles boardroom
Fast fashion conglomerate Debenhams Group – formerly Boohoo Group – has named Tom Handley as a new member of the board. Handley, who becomes an independent non-executive director for the group, will take up his position immediately. He will also sit on the Audit and Risk, Remuneration and Nomination Committees. Handley’s appointment comes as...
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