Articles by Rachel Douglass
Rachel has been with FashionUnited since mid-2021. Descending from the UK, she moved to the Netherlands in 2014 to attend Amsterdam Fashion Institute, where she studied a BA in International Fashion and Branding with a specialisation in Journalism.
At FashionUnited, Rachel covers daily news, from store openings to acquisitions, alongside which she focuses on research-based stories, interviews and on-the-ground event reporting. Her topics of interest include digital fashion, independent retail and current trends.
Copyright trial begins: Shein accuses Temu of infringement on ‘industrial scale’
The two-week copyright trial between Shein and Temu kicked off in the UK’s High Court today, unveiling rising tensions over business rights between the online Chinese retail competitors. According to Reuters, Shein accused Temu of copyright infringement on an “industrial scale”, while Temu countered that Shein’s legal pursuit was merely an...
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Fairly Made to open New York office following appointment of North American head
Fairly Made, a French traceability platform, is venturing into the US with plans to open an office in New York and the appointment of a director for the North American region. Sydney Ellis confirmed her new position at Fairly Made on LinkedIn, where she said: “Over the past decade, I’ve worked at the intersection of sustainability and business...
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Amy Bircher Bruyn named chair of NCTO
The National Council of Textile Organisations (NCTO) has named Amy Bircher Bruyn as the new chair of the organisation. Bruyn currently serves as chief executive officer and founder of MMI Textiles, an industrial and custom textile supplier. She will be joined at the helm of NCTO by the organisation’s new vice chair, Jay Todd, the CEO and...
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CIFF appoints new co-director
A shift in leadership is underway at the Copenhagen International Fashion Fair (CIFF); Shane Baron has been promoted as the new co-director of the Danish trade event, emphasising a continued commitment to partners and community. Baron has been with CIFF for over three years, during which time he has demonstrated a level of dedication, structure,...
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Claras Materials launches in US to supply feedstock for textile recycling sector
Claras Materials LLC has launched in the US as a specialist supply chain business focused on post-consumer textile raw materials for the region’s growing fibre-to-fibre and chemical recycling markets. The North Carolina-based company said it aims to address ongoing supply challenges facing textile recyclers, particularly around securing...
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Nike facing class action lawsuit over tariff refund allegations
Sportswear giant Nike is at the centre of a consumer-fronted class action lawsuit over allegations that it was withholding refunds on tariffs and raising prices. In the lawsuit, filed with the US district court in Oregon, consumers claimed that Nike could "recover the same tariff payments twice – once from consumers through higher prices and...
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JD Sports to close 175 Hibbett stores as restructuring continues
JD Sports has said it is planning to close around 175 Hibbett stores over the next three years as part of an ongoing optimisation of its North American footprint. Speaking during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call, chief executive Régis Schultz said the retailer is focusing on closing smaller and lower-performing stores while...
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Inside Fashion in Helsinki 2026: From shaping Nordic identity to platforming new voices
This month, Helsinki is preparing for a new edition of its annual Fashion in Helsinki event. With an official schedule running May 26 to 30, the occasion is overflowing with independent, young, and in some cases well-established talent from the region, underlining the city’s status as a growing fashion capital. While many of these locations...
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Prévu founder Jake Hall passes away, tributes roll in
Jake Hall, the founder of menswear brand Prévu Studio and former The Only Way is Essex (Towie) star, has passed away aged 35. According to media reports, Hall died in a holiday villa in Majorca after “a tragic accident” that led to fatal head injuries. Hall first garnered acclaim when joining the Towie cast in 2015. The same year he launched Pré...
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Boot Barn plans to double store count, prepares pop-up series
Western footwear specialist Boot Barn has announced plans to double its store count to reach 1,200 locations across the US. The retailer confirmed the news alongside a new partnership with commerce solution provider, Aptos, which is set to deploy its point of sale platform, Aptos One, across Boot Barn’s existing store estate. The feature will...
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