November News Roundup

Dries Van Noten boutique in Antwerp, Belgium. Image courtesy of Andrei Antipov / Shutterstock.com.

1.

The Quiet Rise of Slow Fashion

This past year has seen its share of drama in the fashion world—think quality control issues, eye-watering price tags, and labor controversies. It would be easy to think the whole industry is falling apart at the seams. But steadily gaining steam are designers interested in producing slow fashion—functional, yet beautifully designed clothing that prioritizes quality materials, traditional craftsmanship and longevity. Highsnobiety recently compiled a great list of 33 brands focused on this movement.

While I might personally quibble with a couple of the choices on the list—and I'll let you be the judge of which ones—it’s an excellent roundup of brands every fashion fan should get familiar with.

Dive into the list of slow fashion champions here.

Image courtesy of Yulia Reznikov / Shutterstock.com.

2.

Print is Back (But With a Catch!)

We've been hearing about the "death of print media" for what feels like forever, but here's a surprise: demand for print magazines has actually surged over the last couple of years. From titles like Nylon relaunching to a fresh wave of emerging indie publications, print is hot again. But there’s a key takeaway from this resurgence: decent stories and pretty pictures aren't enough anymore. Just like the slow fashion trend, readers are now engaging with publications that have a distinct point-of-view and are produced at the level of a coffee table art book, which means they require more editorial time and attention.

Find out what kinds of magazines are successfully winning over readers in the digital age here.

3.

Tópa X Ralph Lauren

For the fourth installment of its 'Artist in Residence' program, the iconic American luxury house Ralph Lauren announced a collaboration last month with Indigenous-led clothing company Tópa. Founded by the award-winning husband and wife duo, Jocy and Trae Little Sky (members of the Oceti Sakowin), Tópa is known for seamlessly blending traditional hand-crafting techniques—like intricate quilling, beading, and leatherwork—with modern silhouettes. The results for the Polo Ralph Lauren Fall/Holiday 2025 collection are stunning, including beautiful cropped sweaters, a hand-sanded and hand-painted unisex leather jacket, and a gorgeous camp blanket, all featuring Tópa’s signature motifs.

Learn more about Tópa and the Little Skys' incredible work here.

4.

Decoding the Lyst Index

As someone who works in the media, I’ve been getting emails about the Lyst Index for years but never paid much mind to it (I'm generally not big on ranking systems). However, I’ve recently realized just how crucial this quarterly ranking is to major brands and the industry as a whole. If you’re curious about what this "brand barometer" means, or how its "proprietary algorithm" manages to track brand "hotness," this article from Highsnobiety gives a great breakdown.

It's a surprisingly important piece of the industry puzzle—check out the deep dive here.

ba&sh boutique in Bordeaux, Aquitaine, France. Photo courtesy of sylv1rob1 / Shutterstock.com.

5.

The Anatomy of an "It" Bag

For any brand—from major luxury houses to mid-sized contemporary labels—developing and scaling a signature handbag is one of the most effective ways to boost both visibility and business. Which is why it’s no surprise that new designers are often tasked with creating that one, iconic bag right after taking over a house. This interview with Hélène D'Auriac, the Accessories Director for the French label ba&sh, discusses the launch of their Youyou bag, whether there’s truly a recipe for developing a hit handbag and the best ways to leverage a successful launch once you have one.

Read the full interview here.