A lot was going on at New York Fashion Week this year. With a range of collections displayed on the runways, each designer sought to stand out. For seasoned designers like Bibhu Mohapatra, color was an integral part of making a statement.

Helping him in that endeavor was the Pantone Color Institute, which debuted its “Dualities” palette, featuring 175 new colors in the fashion, home, and interiors system.

The colors, which ranged from vibrant shades of pastels to “shadow” colors such as tints of gray, were created in response to consumer demand for “classic” and “foundational shades,” Laurie Pressman, VP of Pantone Color Institute, told Retail Brew.

“The colors that we put into any of the palettes, especially when we make color additions, it’s always about what’s happening in trend,” she said.

To put a distinct focus on it, Mohapatra incorporated Pantone’s colors into his Spring/Summer 2025 show, featuring a range of luxurious shawls created in partnership with Indian cashmere brand Janavi.

Keep reading here.—JS

Did you know 69% of creators report that a brand’s relevancy to their audience is a top priority when considering a partnership? Each influencer has a unique voice, perspective, and ability to connect with audiences ranging from niche communities to millions-strong followings. Tapping into these influencers and forging powerful partnerships can be a major boost for your brand.

But creating a beneficial partnership can be challenging, so Marketing Brew created a comprehensive guide to drafting contracts, measuring KPIs, and picking the right influencers to represent your brand. Equip your team with the essential knowledge to venture into this thriving landscape.

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Retail sales in August were up 0.1% to $710.8 billion from July, while jumping 2.3% year over year, according to Census Bureau data, getting a boost from e-commerce sales. The month over month increase was an unexpected gain, with economists anticipating a 0.2% dip from July, per Bloomberg.

Consumer prices, meanwhile, rose 0.2% in August and 2.5% annually, the lowest rate since February 2021, per the Consumer Price Index released last week.

Online retail sales were up 1.4% in August and 7.8% year over year. Online grocery sales, meanwhile, rose 7% year over year to $9.9 billion, per a Brick Meets Click/Mercatus Grocery Shopper Survey released this week, boosted by 10.2% sales gains in delivery.

Keep reading here.—EC

This week in fashion news: One luxury brand CEO made a major promise, while some retailers in the UK were warned on greenwashing.

Burberry CEO won’t take the brand “down market”

Joshua Schulman, the newly appointed CEO at Burberry, is already making some firm commitments. Following his first show at London Fashion Week, the executive said he does not intend to take the high-end British brand “down market" and would much rather try and find a balance in terms of prices. There has been speculation around making the brand more accessible since Schulman came to Burberry after working at Michael Kors and Coach—both regarded as affordable luxury brands.

Why this matters: Schulman has a lot to prove after being brought on board in July, abruptly replacing former CEO Jonathan Akeroyd. Burberry has seen its sales slump, reporting a massive 34% slip in annual profit for the last quarter of 2023.

Keep reading here.—JS

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