The Indicator | April 11th, 2025

Under Armour unveiled its first cobranded collection with Unless, the all plant-based, plastic-free, regenerative fashion brand, that the company acquired last year at Milan Design Week. The cobranded collection is priced between $30 and $160 and will debut exclusively at the Under Armour Brand House in Baltimore at the end of April. (WWD) 

Vans is also making its mark at Milan Design Week, with its premium line, OTW (Off the Wall) by Vans, taking center stage. This high-profile activation signals a broader push by the brand to solidify its presence within the luxury and design space. The installation is conceptualized by renowned furniture designer Willo Perron. (Glossy) 

Olaplex is going through a brand and business strategy refresh as part of its turnaround effort. The brand’s “Bonds and Beyond strategic vision” comprises three pillars: shifting its products and messaging beyond treating damage to foundational hair health, fostering its professional business, and creating an “emotional connection” with consumers. With the refresh, Olaplex has changed almost all consumer-facing communication touch points, including a new visual identity with an updated logo, a new website unveiled in February (with user experience and interface redone), and a relaunched social presence. It has also rolled out updated in-store merchandising with both retail and professional partners. (Retail Brew) 

Popular early-aughts brands like Ugg, Milani, and True Religion, are leaning into “newstalgia” – blending early-aughts references with a fresh, modern twist. Gen-Z’s craving for authenticity is fueling consumer interest in brands with real history. The key to mastering nostalgia is balance — nodding to the past while pushing forward with a multi-layered strategy. That means leading with product and design, maintaining a clear brand identity, and tapping into community. (Business of Fashion) 

PetSmart is using AI to tailor deals to customers based on their past purchases and shopping habits in its redesigned loyalty program. It’s also relying on machine learning to figure out the best time to send an email or a coupon, as well as the best order in which to send multiple deals. With its new rewards system in place, PetSmart saw a 22% increase in offer activation in 2024 and members who activated offers spent significantly more. PetSmart traces more than 90% of transactions back to a Treat Rewards account. (Modern Retail) 

US fashion brands are facing down the prospect of increasing prices and lost profits as a result of Trump’s tariffs. For luxury fashion brands — many of which are still trying to regroup from a sector-wide slowdown in 2024 — the impact could be the difference between a recovery year and another in the red. At the start of 2025, analysts predicted that growth would return to the luxury sector by the second half of the year. Now one Wall Street analyst is predicting global luxury goods sales could fall by as much as 2 per cent this year. (Vogue Business)