This year has certainly been a cracker on the features front. We’ve looked at the changing face of ‘fast fashion’, the year of the Oasis reunion tour – and subsequent style comebacks – the new breed of tech-driven retail that Spanish fashion powerhouse Inditex has implemented across its ZARA, Bershka and Pull&Bear stores, Topshop’s revival through John Lewis, M&S’s claiming of ‘style perception’ top spot, Jonathan Anderson’s appointment –and what it means – as the new Creative Director at Dior, and plenty more. Here’s 10 of the finest…
What PrettyLittleThing and Boohoo’s rebrands say about fast fashion
While sales at the likes of Shein continue to rocket, we’re led to believe that consumers are turning off so called ‘fast fashion’ for more ‘sustainable’ and ‘elevated’ alternatives. On that note, TheIndustry.fashion’s Chloe Burney turned the spotlight on the rebrands of PrettyLittleThing and Boohoo, but was the rewriting of their stories a genuine shift or just a clever marketing move? Yes, their moves come at a time when consumer demand is increasingly leaning toward slower fashion as shoppers begin to rethink the environmental impact of their purchases. But were their sales really so deeply impacted to warrant “leaving fast fashion as we currently know it behind,” as co-founder of the brands Umar Kamani put it? If you missed it first time around, find out more about their ‘Legacy in Progress’ now.
In Depth: How Jonathan Anderson will balance Dior’s history with innovation
News of flavour of the month (or should that be year?) designer Jonathan Anderson being appointed as the new Creative Director of Dior in June sent the fashion press into a frenzy. Anderson, widely considered one of the most talented and prolific designers of his generation, is now overseeing not only the house’s womenswear but also couture and menswear. All eyes are not just on what Anderson will create, but how he’ll sustain it, and TheIndustry.fashion Senior News & Features Writer, Chloe Burney, was on hand to take a look into how he might achieve even more fashion greatness in his new role, with some comment from Bernard Arnault, Chairman and CEO of LVMH, thrown in for good measure.
From struggle to strategy: Experts unpack Harvey Nichols’ retail revival
Harvey Nichols, like so many other luxury retailers in recent times, has had to grapple with shifting consumer habits, a fiercely competitive market, and a broader slowdown in the luxury sector. In June, TheIndustry.fashion’s Sophie Smith took a deep dive into how the department store is going about reclaiming its former glory with plans to ‘transform’ the business through a renewed focus on fashion, beauty and hospitality. Read here the challenges it faces with retail expert sights on how it might successfully navigate its transformation.
In History: Oasis’ Britpop style that defined an era
In the year that the highly anticipated Oasis reunion tour finally came into fruition, we couldn’t not look at how the band’s style, or more precisely Liam Gallagher’s – and sometimes older brother Noel’s – shaped the Britpop era, and beyond. This year could indeed be deemed the ‘The Year of the Great Bucket Hat Revival’ no less, as sales of Oasis merch, as well as the band’s collaboration collection with Liam’s and Noel’s brand favourite, Adidas, went through the roof across the UK. This feature takes in the parkas, the kagouls, the jackets zipped right up to the chin and plenty more looks that Oasis have driven sales of since the 90s with a certain Manc swagger.
From pitch to purchase: Why women’s football fever is changing the game for fashion
The rise and rise of women’s football continued to shout loud and proud in 2025, and TheIndustry.fashion’s Chloe Burney looked at how it is no longer just a sport, but a powerful catalyst for retail growth and brand innovation, redefining how the fashion and retail industries engage with consumers – especially young women and girls. As the Lionesses continue to capture national attention, brands and retailers are increasingly aligning themselves with the sport, creating a new commercial playbook rooted in culture and community, and this feature nails it from every corner (or throw-in).
Inside Inditex’s high-tech overhaul: How ZARA, Bershka and Pull&Bear are shaping the future of fashion retail
The new age of fashion retail really came to light in 2025, no more so than Spanish fashion powerhouse Inditex, owner of the ZARA, Bershka, Stradivarius and Pull&Bear brands, among others – described as “the biggest fashion retailer in the world by revenue” – opening a raft of new tech-centred stores. Embracing technology to capture the new breed of shoppers, who hoover up the latest innovations at some speed, Inditex is laying the foundations for a new era of retail. Read all about it from TheIndustry.fashion’s Tom Bottomley, with comment from Inditex CEO Óscar García Maceiras.
Is John Lewis the right fit for Topshop’s UK roll-out?
This year was dominated by the much anticipated return of UK high street darling Topshop to the fashion fore. In September, we revealed that it was going to be returning on a major scale through 32 John Lewis stores from February 2026, while Topman will also be carried by six of its stores. But is John Lewis really the right fit? The retailer’s Managing Director, Peter Ruis, certainly thinks so, and the demand even led to four selected John Lewis stores launching surprise pre-Christmas Topshop pop-ups ahead of the main launch in 2026. TheIndustry.fashion Contributing Editor, Tom Bottomley, examined how John Lewis is clearly on a mission to attract younger customers, with some valuable industry insights.
Marks & Spencer achieves best ever style perception scores as it unveils AW25
As the old saying goes, if you try hard enough you will succeed. Well, M&S has done nothing short of trying hard enough to revive its fashion offer for some time, and TheIndustry.fashion co-founder, CEO & Editor-in-Chief, Lauretta Roberts, revealed how the UK high street mainstay achieved “record style perception scores” among consumers alongside the unveiling of a confident AW25 collection. Indeed, according to latest YouGov data no less, style perception scores had increased year-on-year across womenswear, menswear, kidswear and lingerie, with womenswear achieving its highest ever style ranking with UK shoppers aged 18-34 and 35-54. M&S has been very busy injecting fashionability and quality across its ranges to broaden appeal and attract younger fashion lovers, here’s a deeper dip into it with comment from M&S’s Womenswear Director, Maddy Evans.
In My View by Eric Musgrave: Laying down the law
In a feature looking at the truths of ‘sustainability in fashion’, long-time TheIndustry.fashion contributor, and veteran fashion editor supreme, Eric Musgrave, took on the youth – or one of them at least – head on via a Zoom call on the subject. Young Lottie, a friend’s 17 year-old daughter who was writing an essay about it, was apparently of the opinion that “everything was going in the right direction” because she and her friends (all privately educated) hardly bought any new clothes any more, preferring to shop for ‘vintage’ and ‘pre-loved’ on Vinted and the like. Eric “felt a bit mean” pointing out that well informed and well meaning consumers like her are in a very small minority, no matter how many social media posts are pumped out by the ethical campaigning brigade. He unravels more dark truths on the matter in an entertaining read.
When it comes to pricing, luxury is still living on another planet
Last month saw TheIndustry.fashion contributor Marcus Jaye take an entertaining look at the prices in the luxury fashion market, kicking off with the Versace catwalk show dividing opinion on its creative merit, but a “united opinion on the prices”. Dario Vitale’s polarising collection featured entry level product, like jeans, listed at £,3000. You read that correctly. Social media channels went into a frenzied meltdown, directly calling out and comparing the baulkable prices to vintage pieces, which had directly inspired the new SS26 collection. At the same time, the European Commission announced a sizeable fine on fashion brands Gucci, Chloé and Loewe for fixing wholesale prices. This one is well worth topping up the cut-price Prosecco for over the festive period for a read that will be as apt in 2026 as it is now. Happy New Year folks!