- Grenson, the 160-year-old Northamptonshire shoemaker, has been bought by sportswear firm Castore — a deal Castore says will protect the brand while helping it grow.
- The firm is a local icon with global reach: makers of Goodyear-welted shoes worn by soldiers and celebrities (even Doctor Who), and a multi‑generation workforce.
- Owners say no immediate changes — former owner Tim Little stays as COO — and Castore’s international and e‑commerce know‑how is expected to help expand sales and safeguard jobs.
Latest stories in Style & Fashion.
- Erling Haaland ditched his famous long hair for a viral buzz cut ahead of Man City's season opener.
- The new look didn't change the game — he missed a couple of big chances in City's 2-1 win over Bournemouth.
- The haircut drew playful reactions — Zlatan joked about a "lost bet" and Pep Guardiola quipped he'd love to have hair.
- Europe’s biggest luxury houses are cautiously upbeat about China as household spending stabilizes and categories like high-end cosmetics and beauty show signs of a rebound.
- Names such as Kering, LVMH and Burberry are reporting sequential improvement (Burberry saw a 9% retail sales jump in Greater China, buoyed by Gen Z), and some expect China sales to resume growth later this year.
- The recovery is mainly driven by wealthy consumers (a K-shaped rebound) and remains fragile — policy moves, taxes, inflation and geopolitical shocks could still slow a broader comeback.
- India’s beauty market is surging — valued at about $23bn in 2025 and forecast to reach $40bn by 2030 — powered by rising incomes, pandemic-era self-care and a sharp shift to e‑commerce.
- Homegrown brands (Forest Essentials, mCaffeine, Hyphen) and celebrity-backed lines are scaling fast, attracting global buyers and investors like Estée Lauder, L’Oréal and Unilever.
- Growth is being driven by Gen Z and non-metro shoppers discovering products on social media, and analysts expect 10–15 Indian beauty firms to breach $200m revenue soon, spurring more IPOs and M&A.
- Tech employees at OpenAI, Uber, Palantir and Google have been posting limited-run, company-customized Tudor watches on X—complete with engravings (e.g., “Good Research Takes Time”) and small production numbers (like 1/100 or 468).
- These aren’t corporate swag but pieces commissioned by employee collector groups (Tudor’s customization needs ~40-watch minimum and ~6 months production); buyers pay retail (Pelagos ≈ $4,500) and some designs resell for much more at auction.
- It’s part of a bigger Silicon Valley trend of using rare luxury watches as status symbols — from wrist-flexing on social media to executives owning ultra-rare timepieces.
- She used experience from BlackRock and the startup Mirror to launch Doublesoul, a designer sock brand.
- They tested demand by ordering 10,000 pairs, grew to millions in annual sales, raised about $2 million, and attracted investor Pete Davidson (and a Shark Tank deal with Kendra Scott).
- Allison and her husband/cofounder balance startup life and parenthood — they take morning walks with the baby and have a strict no-business-talk rule.
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