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.
‘World’s first’: Topshop and THG Studios host AI-driven shoppable catwalk
Topshop ventured into new realms this week, hosting an AI-driven shoppable catwalk via ‘Front Row AI’, an event app built by THG Ingenuity. Certified as a “world’s first”, the event transitioned the catwalk into a shoppable ecosystem, allowing users to interact with the show, try-on virtual outfits and purchase looks directly from the runway....
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Asia’s Bluebell Group appoints permanent president and CEO
Asia-based brand distributor Bluebell Group has named Philippe Guettat as its president and chief executive officer on a permanent basis. Guettat had been serving at the helm in an interim capacity since late last year, succeeding Ashley Mickleright who was retiring at the time. During his interim period, Guettat was said to have shown “clarity...
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Ebay to cut 800 roles across global workforce to realign structure with goals
Marketplace giant Ebay has said it is slashing around 800 roles across the business, representing 6 percent of its global workforce. The platform confirmed the news in a statement shared with various media outlets, including WSJ, to which it said: “We are taking steps to reinvest across our business and align our structure with our strategic...
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Marks & Spencer launches cotton programme in bid to strengthen biodiverse farming practices
British department store Marks & Spencer has established a new partnership with sustainability innovator Pilio to launch the Affordable Clean Environment (ACE) cotton programme. The initiative intends to broaden access to clean energy and strengthen biodiverse farming practices within Indian cotton-growing communities. Developed as part of Marks...
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Fair Labor Association to host inaugural flagship summit
The Fair Labor Association (FLA) is set to host its first flagship event, where brands, unions, civil society organisations, and universities will be brought together to address working conditions in global supply chains. Dubbed ‘Fair Labor Global Summit’, the event will take place in Washington, DC, from March 10 to 12, 2026, and intends to...
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Textile Exchange continues to rollout membership model with Action Cohort pathway
On the back of its pivot to a membership model, Textile Exchange has now outlined a new Action Cohort to run alongside its Community Cohort, this time with a focus on standardising progress reporting for brands, retailers, and raw material producers. This new cohort is structured around a three-step pathway that the organisation’s chief...
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Primark interim CEO reportedly being considered for permanent position
Eoin Tonge, Primark’s interim chief executive officer, is reportedly being considered for the permanent position, with an official announcement expected to be made next month. According to Sky News, Primark’s parent company Associate British Foods (ABF) is getting closer to installing Tonge to the helm as the retailer continues to tackle a...
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Mayor of London approves Oxford Street pedestrianisation plans
Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, has given the green flag to pedestrianisation plans for London’s Oxford Street following a second consultation addressing local traffic diversion. Transport for London (TfL) has now been instructed to move forward with a proposal to remove traffic between Great Portland Street and Orchard Street. The move will...
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New report uncovers unfair practices in UK brand-supplier relationships
A new survey of UK clothing manufacturers has raised fresh concerns about the way brands and retailers manage their supplier relationships. The research, carried out by the University of Nottingham, the University of Leicester and Transform Trade, gathered responses from 48 tier-one manufacturers across England, Scotland and Wales between March...
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Anti-fur protests escalate at MFW as animal welfare groups ramp up efforts
Milan Fashion Week has become the scene of heightened demonstrations as animal rights activists ramp up efforts and rally against the continued use of fur on the runway. A total of 14 protests are planned throughout the week, with a further two or three daily actions scheduled outside of official National Chamber of Italian Fashion (CNMI)...
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