ADIDAS ROPES IN DEEPIKA PADUKONE AS NEW BRAND AMBASSADOR

Adidas has announced Deepika Padukone as its latest brand ambassador. She will work closely with the three-striped brand on their common commitment towards fitness, both physical and emotional. Taking forward the brand’s attitude of ‘Impossible is Nothing’, the partnership will be a testament towards breaking barriers and limitless possibilities, inspiring both current as well as future generations. With Padukone joining the sports giant’s powerful roster of women athletes and partners around the globe, it strengthens its focus on democratising and diversifying sport for women through inspiring personalities. “Being an athlete and playing sport has played a tremendous role in shaping my personality and helping me become the person I am today. It has taught me values that no other life experience could have. Today, fitness, both physical and emotional, are an integral part of my lifestyle. I am absolutely honoured and delighted to be partnering with one of the world’s most iconic brands, Adidas,” Padukone said in a statement.

RELIANCE BUYS STAKES IN RITU KUMAR AND MANISH MALHOTRA’S BUSINESSES

Reliance has acquired large stakes in businesses owned by famous Indian fashion designers Manish Malhotra and Ritu Kumar. The company has said that it would buy a 40 per cent stake in Manish Malhotra’s MM Styles Pvt Limited, and has been reported that it has acquired a 52 per cent stake in veteran fashion designer Ritu Kumar’s firm Ritika Pvt Ltd for an undisclosed amount. “Our strategic partnership with Manish Malhotra is anchored on our immense respect for his craft and our deep commitment to Indian art and culture,” said Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd Director Isha Ambani. “Being an entrepreneur, Manish, the man behind the brand, has always been nimble and ahead of his times,” she added. Talking about Kumar, Ambani said, “We are delighted to partner with Ritu Kumar, who possesses strong brand recognition, the potential for scale, and innovation in fashion and retail — all key ingredients to build a complete lifestyle brand. Together, we want to build a robust platform and customer ecosystem for our native textiles and crafts — both in India and across the world — so that our crafts receive the honour and recognition they deserve in international couture.”

MASSIMO DUTTI LAUNCHES ONLINE STORE IN INDIA

Massimo Dutti has launched its online store in India. The platforms (the website and app) will showcase the complete range of womenswear and menswear. Among the services available are the pick up at the store in 2-8 working days, and the standard at-home delivery in 2-8 working days. Designed to offer a unique and integrated experience with its stores, Massimo Dutti’s new digital platforms allow customers to interact with the products intuitively, thanks to their different sections and categories. The mobile version and the app offer customers a range of unique features, including geolocation services to find the nearest brick-and-mortar store, the chance to access the entire collection in just one click, and the ability to find similar products across all devices, allowing customers to complete their look.

BOSS & NBA LAUNCH SECOND CO-BRANDED CAPSULE COLLECTION

Boss has announced the launch of their second co-branded capsule collection with the NBA, following the success of the first season, which was launched earlier this Spring. The Fall/ Winter 2021 co-branded collection focuses on the merging of the iconic NBA team logos with signature Boss lettering. The new graphics are seen across T-shirts, sweatshirts, and joggers. The logos of the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, and Miami Heat form a part of the collection along with the NBA Logoman. The collaborative capsule collection is now available at the nine Boss boutiques across India, and will soon be available on the e-commerce partner channels — AJIO Luxe and TataCLiQ Luxury. In celebration of the capsule collection, the German fashion house has revealed a special social media campaign featuring three-time NBA champion Klay Thompson and TikTok creators Cole Micek and Koby Lomax. Photographed by fashion photographer Philip-Daniel Ducasse with creative direction by RanaVerse, the campaign showcases the three wearing designs from the latest capsule release.

ONITSUKA TIGER LAUNCHES CAPSULE COLLECTION IN COLLABORATION WITH NOWARTT

Japanese fashion house Onitsuka Tiger has launched a capsule collection, The Darjeeling Flowers, in collaboration with textile graphic label Nowartt. Creative Director Andrea Pompilio collaborated with Toyoki Adachi, incorporating the brand’s completed graphics into the collection pieces. The textile graphic brand Nowartt features heritage modern art and creates textile graphics by mixing two concepts: ‘now art textile’, which is an art that makes you feel the present regardless of the era and ‘no war textile’, which is an art that makes you feel peace. All of their textile graphics contain a message of ‘comfort in harmony with nature.’ In this collaboration, the textile graphics are represented under the theme of the fusion of vintage and art from the ’60s and ’70s with a background of strength that broke various traditions, and the fusion of analogue and digital. The pickup motifs include the neelakurinji, a flower that blooms once every 12 years, and the Deeringia polysperma, designated as an endangered plant species, and they are produced in a minimalist expression typical of mid-century design.

TIFFANY & CO. ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF ECOMMERCE SITE IN INDIA

In partnership with Reliance Group, jewellery brand Tiffany & Co. has announced the launch of its Indian online platform. The portal will feature a full range of Tiffany’s iconic collections. Collections available include Tiffany T, Tiffany HardWear, Tiffany Victoria, Tiffany True, as well as the contemporary home & accessories range. The launch of the website also showcases the Tiffany T1 collection, a reimagining of the Tiffany T collection celebrating the iconic “T” motif — featured in the brand’s jewellery designs since the 1980s. Apart from this, it offers a number of services ranging from booking diamond consultations with in-house experts, in-store private appointments, availing the services of personal shoppers to help choose the perfect gift, wish-listing favourite products, complimentary shipping services to all cities, providing a truly unforgettable shopping experience.

COACH OPENS STORE AT JIO WORLD DRIVE

Coach has opened up a new store at Jio World Drive in Mumbai. Located on the ground floor, the space features the brand’s distinctive modern luxury concept in addition to new design elements. Warm and inviting, the store environment reflects the sophisticated yet playful refinement of New York. Upon entering, guests are drawn to a large craftsmanship area featuring a 360-degree desk that houses Coach Create, the brand’s design-it-yourself experience, that takes customisation to the next level. Under the guidance of a Coach Craftsman, customers can personalise bags and small leather goods by adding unique embellishments such as leather tea roses, prairie rivets, and monograms, in addition to leather care and cleaning. This will be the first live monogramming concept in India from Coach. The store will feature a wide assortment of merchandise for women and men, including bags, small leather goods, footwear, watches, travel accessories, scarves, and jewellery. The new location will also carry handbags from the brand’s runway collection. The store will be the first in the country to carry the men’s ready-to-wear collection.