The Indicator | December 12th, 2025

By Sonal Gandhi
Chief Content Officer at The Lead

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A few high profile partnerships in the news this week – MAC with Chappell Roan, Gap with Summer Fridays and Ruggable with Anthropologie. Meanwhile, Google is back in the smart glasses business with a collaboration with Warby Parker.

'INNOVATION MOVES'

  • Pop star Chappell Roan, known for avoiding brand deals, has signed her first long-term global ambassadorship with MAC Cosmetics after a year-long courtship. MAC sought Roan for her authenticity and shared values on art, queerness, and self-expression, aligning with the brand’s support for the LGBTQ+ community and bold makeup. The partnership is a strategic move for MAC, positioning Roan to help revive the brand with vivid campaigns and future “exclusive surprises.” (Business of Fashion) 

  • Gap and Summer Fridays launched a loungewear/sleepwear collaboration featuring co-branded apparel, accessories, and beauty gifts-with-purchase. For Summer Fridays, it’s a natural move into fashion, while Gap prepares for a broader re-entry into the beauty category, starting with fragrances. (Business of Fashion) 

  • DTC rug brand Ruggable launched a collaboration with Anthropologie, featuring a collection of seven tufted rugs and three doormats. Available on both brands’ websites and in Anthropologie Home Design Centers, the launch aligns with Ruggable’s expansion efforts under the new CEO. (WWD)

  • Skims, the apparel brand co-founded by Kim Kardashian, ventured into live entertainment with “Kimsmas Live!,” a 45-minute holiday livestream on TikTok. The fully shoppable Dec. 3 event, hosted by Kardashian, drew inspiration from classic variety shows and featured Skims collections and exclusive deals. Teased across social media with a spot featuring Kardashian and Kris Jenner, this is Skims’ latest move to leverage pop culture. (Retail Dive) 

  • Warby Parker and Google are collaborating to develop lightweight, AI-powered glasses, with a launch expected in 2026. This partnership leverages Google’s Android XR and Gemini AI to bring multimodal intelligence to everyday eyewear, positioning Google for a renewed push into the augmented reality market where Meta and Apple have an early lead. Google is betting on AI and partnerships to make smart eyewear mainstream after shelving its consumer Glass product a decade ago. (Business of Fashion)

  • Aritzia‘s new app is a highly influential digital move, reshaping how the retailer gathers insights and interacts with its customer community. Quickly surpassing 1 million downloads. it was the most-downloaded shopping app on its first day. The app aims to establish a closed, brand-owned ecosystem for browsing, styling, learning, and purchasing. This move is vital as brands seek first-party data in an environment where traditional search and social ecosystems offer less visibility due to changes like AI-powered summaries and conversational interfaces like ChatGPT. (Glossy) 

  • A new coalition of retailers, the Shopper Context Protocol Working Group, has formed to maintain consumer relationships when shoppers use third-party AI tools. Spearheaded by the Retail AI Council (which includes Adidas, Tesla, Amazon, and Apple), the group will evolve the Shopper Context Protocol to recognize loyalty, preference, or intent during AI-driven shopping. (Retail Dive) 

'Financial Moves'

  • Plus apparel companies Destination XL Group and FullBeauty Brands announced an agreement to merge and expect their deal to close in the first half of 2026.

  • AB InBev to acquire 85% stake in beverage maker BeatBox for $490 million.

  • Jewelry sales will outpace clothing sales through 2026, predicts the annual The Business of Fashion / McKinsey State of Fashion report, as shoppers seek lasting value and look to treat themselves.

  • KUIU (footwear) was sold to a conservation-oriented investor group.

  • CleanBoss Inc. (cleaning products) sold an equity stake to Consello Capital.

  • Dune Skincare (suncare brand) sold a minority stake to Path Ahead Ventures.

  • Galderma (Swiss dermatology company) sold a minority stake to L’Oréal.

  • Phia (AI shopping startup) raised $30M at a $180M valuation from Notable Capital.

  • SuperCircle (AI-driven textile recycling) raised a $24M Series A from BBG Ventures.

  • YUV (London-based beauty tech) raised a $12M Series A from Nineyards Equity.

  • Biologica (women’s health) raised a $7M seed round from Greycroft and True Beauty Ventures, among others.

Financial Moves Powered by MMG Advisors

'Career Moves'

Career Moves Powered by JPSearch 

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