- Ralph Lauren is stepping down from the chief executive post of his eponymous empire. His replacement: Stefan Larsson, 41, who was a former H&M executive and president of Old Navy, part of the Gap Inc. portfolio. According to an interview with Ralph Lauren, 75, he will still remain active at the company as executive chairman and chief creative officer and Larsson will report to Lauren in the new regime. The benefit in this transition is Lauren’s continued presence to guide and inform its new CEO; Lauren also is the largest individual shareholder in his company, so even if he weren’t operating in a formal capacity, he would still wield quite a bit of influence. Bravo to what appears to be a smooth succession. (NY Times)
- Kim Kardashian-West is giving credit for her rise to fashion style icon to her hubby Kanye. In a recent CNN interview, she admitted that Kanye “really changed everything.” She continued, “I remember one day, he brought me Carine Roitfeld‘s book and was like, ‘You should be studying this book, this is the fashion bible.’ I was like, ‘Who’s Carine?’ I knew nothing, and he said, ‘Watch, one day she’s going to style you.’” Talk about prophetic! (E! News)
- The world’s largest beauty brands are more actively courting minority consumers and it’s about time! Here are the facts: in the U.S., “the multicultural demographic comprises over a third of the population, and their spending power is growing more quickly than the country’s average, according to a study by the Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia.” If the inclusivity argument wasn’t strong enough, the economic one is certainly convincing historically white-oriented brands to change their tunes. This piece also lauds the growth of ethnic beauty brands, such as Iman Cosmetics, Fashion Fair, Black|Up, and Cover FX. (Business Of Fashion)
- In today’s model news, Willow Smith was recently signed by The Society Management, the same modeling agency that represents Kendall Jenner, Adriana Lima, and Toni Garrn. After making the cover of i-D Magazine and being named the newest face in a Marc Jacobs’ campaign, Willow is on her way to claiming her spot in fashion royalty. (Daily News)
- The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree. Looks like another Hadid sibling will join the powerhouse sisters Gigi and Bella in their modeling endeavors. Anwar Hadid, their 16-year-old brother, was recently featured in an editorial in the October issue of Nylon magazine. It is still too early to call, but if Anwar wants to pursue modeling full-time like his sisters, he is certainly well-equipped to do so! (Fashionista)