38-page Women's Fashion Special on an evolving sector

2025 should have been the year of recovery, for the fashion industry and especially for luxury, but instead it was a year of great change. The death of Giorgio Armani has marked the end of an era - that of the entrepreneurial designer who, starting from his own creative talent, built a billionaire empire in half a century and remained independent - and opened up new scenarios, so far all hypothetical, on the future of one of the most important Italian groups in the sector. Other big players, such as Lvmh and Kering, have had to come to terms with the continuing 'stalemate' in the world of luxury (which has not, however, affected everyone indiscriminately) and have changed some managers and some creative directors: the latest operation in chronological order is the appointment, by the newly installed CEO of Kering, of Francesca Bellettini as CEO and president of Gucci, the flagship maison but also the French group's 'seriously ill'. The aim is to restart with momentum, thanks also to the new creativity signed Demna.

These are some of the topics that will be addressed in the 38-page Women's Fashion Special that will be on newsstands on 23 September, Tuesday, as a supplement to Il Sole 24 Ore. On the same day, the fashion week dedicated to women's collections for spring-summer 2026 will begin in Milan and among the most eagerly awaited shows are those of Bottega Veneta, with Louise Trotter at the new creative helm, and Versace, with Dario Vitale making his debut in his new role as creative director. The eyes of insiders are (also) on Versace: the Medusa maison, in fact, was acquired by the Prada group in April this year, but the appointment of Vitale (who is a former Miu Miu) dates back to a month before the sale.

The crisis has also heavily affected digital platforms with redundancies announced by Yoox and Luisaviaroma, which has requested a negotiated settlement to manage relations with creditors. The physical multibrands, on the other hand, seem to have studied and fine-tuned formulas that - albeit after drastic choices and important evolutions - are proving successful, as can be seen from the stories of Wait and See, Corso Como 10 and Vanitas Gallery, but also from the interview with Maura Basili, President of Camera Buyer Italia. In addition to the major challenges facing the sector, the special reports on the strategies deployed by companies at this complex time and also offers a series of product showcases, edited by the Htsi editorial staff.