Victoria’s Secret Launches VS&Co-Lab, Highlighting Other Brands – WWD – Pen 18

Victoria’s Secret Highlights some new friends.

Pieces from lingerie brand For Love and Lemons, available on Victoria’s Secret’s website.
credit photo

The lingerie and beauty brand has launched a new platform — VS&Co-Lab — on its website, which features third-party brands and partners the retailer loves, many of them female-founded companies.

“We are excited to launch this platform where we will showcase, market and build consumer engagement with such exciting, unique and relevant businesses,” Martin Waters, Victoria’s Secret & Company CEO, said in a statement. “In addition to the growth we are driving through our core business, we see significant growth potential through partnerships with innovative, relevant brands that can help us expand our reach in the category and consumer segments where we have historically been. under-represented.”

Patti Cazzato, Victoria’s Secret & Company’s Head of Emerging Businesses, said: “As one of the most recognizable companies in the world among women, and nearly 90 percent of our store associates worldwide identify as women , it is our responsibility to ensure that women grow and thrive in every area of ​​their lives. VS&Co-Lab also creates a playground for unique brands that speak to the modern consumer. Victoria’s Secret & Co. Leveraging on strength and our enthusiastic customer base, we are meeting consumers where they are partnering with small businesses to drive economic empowerment for women and people of color.

Currently, 19 brands are featured across the platform. But a representative for Victoria’s Secret & Company said others will be added over time. For now, the list includes Bfyne, the swimwear brand founded by black women; Swimwear and lifestyle brand Frankie’s Bikinis, featuring Victoria’s Secret has a minority stake, shapewear brand leonissa, ARa Plus-Size Informed Brand Mind Bra.

Bfyne founder and designer bookie Ed said, “In a sea of ​​similarity, it is important for any partnership to be with a business that aligns with our values.” “VS&Co-Lab’s mission to provide a platform for successful voices like Bfyne is critical to advancing diverse perspectives.”

Mind’s founder Helena Kaylin said: “As women, we are multidimensional. Our past experiences define how we want to feel today and inform our future. Our partnership with VS&Co-Lab has reinforced our mission to advance the intimate industry through our passion with constant innovation. We use state-of-the-art support technology to blend style and comfort for the fuller-figure consumer.”

The company said the platform represents its continued commitment to promoting inclusion and diversity across the market. Seventy-five percent of the brands featured are founded or led by women entrepreneurs.

Victoria’s Secret marketing now includes photos of pregnant women.
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But the platform is also Victoria’s Secret’s latest transformation effort. The company — which includes lingerie, beauty and pink brands — has undergone a massive change to stem the revenue loss that was caused by changing consumer preferences, the #MeToo movement, and a reaction to Victoria’s Secret’s unattainable beauty standards.

Retailers to be made in 2021 VS Collective To showcase a diverse lineup of models, including big sizedisabled and transgender models, such as Emira D’Spain, the first black transgender woman to be used in her advertisements, and Sofia Giro, the first model with Down syndrome to represent the brand. in april, nominated for grammy Singer and songwriter Camila Cabello Was featured in Victoria’s Secret Beauty’s first bilingual campaign.

Camila Cabello stars in Victoria’s Secret Beauty’s latest Bombshell campaign.
Photo courtesy victoriassecret.com

The board of directors was also changed in an effort to make it a majority female (six out of seven); Stores updated, And changes were made to the broad classification. Victoria’s Secret reintroduces swimwear online in 2019 (and in stores in 2021), And now carries items like maternity bras, shapewear and a wide collection of activewear. in April, Victoria’s Secret launches Happy Nation A gender-neutral innerwear, loungewear and cosmetics brand for tweens.

So far the plan seems to have at least some success. Top-line revenue up 4 percent In the most recently reported quarter, although the company warned of continued supply chain headwinds, forecasts for the following quarter. In addition, shares of Victoria’s Secret & Company are up about 5 percent year-over-year.

Victoria’s Secret will release its latest earnings report after the market closes on May 31.

Originally published at Pen 18

Stella McCartney Pre-Spring 2023 – WWD – Pen 18

Stella McCartney is going wild in the English countryside to turn swaths of her organic farm into a haven for badgers, hedgehogs, rabbits and deer. She is allowing the currents to flow and bend wherever she pleases, and allowing nature to take its course.

Her “wild and sexy” lady is taking her cues from nature — and having a lot of fun, said the designer, whose model has been photographed ankle-deep in a stream with wild irises in the background; Hitting the tall grass as if the kids are playing tag, or lying on the grass and looking up at the sky.

This natural attitude came about through a lineup of animal prints, broody anglaise, and unfinished, homespun edges. A string sweater was stitched together from flowers crocheted by hand in Italy; The braids of long, bright dresses were cut into car wash pleats, while broody anglies were everywhere—the shape of two little birds sitting on either side of halter tops, minidress hemlines or a button-fronted white top.

Although tigers can’t roam around England, their stripes certainly do: An abstract print appeared on an oversize tailored suit with a buckle-front jacket; Coat with microminis and wide lapels, and lots of swagger.

Other, smaller animals roamed freely: there were brightly colored birds on a little black dress and a menagerie of rabbits, hedgehogs and baby deer on a boxy-sleeved shirt and miniskirt combo.

There were pieces for the urbanites as well, including a PVC-free sequin jumpsuit for those who are really wild at heart; A leather jacket with a round, statement collar, and dramatic cape top and dress.

Spring is McCartney’s favorite season: She loves nature’s fighting spirit and “ability to let go and move on.” It is such an optimistic time,” said the designer, who has spent much of her life helping animal rights activism and through extensive research into sustainable materials.

This pre-spring collection featured bags and sneakers made from grape waste. In July, her Frayme Mylo bag, made from the web-like roots of mycelium, fungus, will hit the shop floor for the first time, which makes her so proud and extra hungry for more innovation.

Originally published at Pen 18

Inventus Capital launches Rs 900 crore fourth fund; rebrands as Athera Venture Partners

Bangalore: Inventus Capital, which has backed companies such as RedBus and PolicyBazaar, has launched its fourth fund (Fund IV) with a target corpus of Rs 900 crore (approximately $116 million), as it invests in early-stage consumer internet and software. Wants to continue – As-a-Service (SaaS) startup.

Fund IV is awaiting approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), with the final closure just six months away.

Inventus has also rebranded itself as Athera Venture Partners.

The fund’s launch comes at a time when deal making has slowed down and macro headwinds are hurting valuations of investment and technology companies.

Athera’s latest corpus is more than double its previous fund of Rs 369 crore, the final closure of which was announced in October 2019. Through its third fund, Athera invested in 13 new startups, including space-tech firm Pixxel; Interactive toy company Playshifu and automotive company Euler Motors.

This will be Athera’s second exclusive India-focused fund. The firm has been investing in Indian startups since 2006. Athera’s first two funds focused on investment opportunities across India and the United States.

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The fourth fund is expected to have an equal mix of domestic and international Limited Partners (LPs), with Phanindra Sama of RedBus and key founders of its portfolio companies including Policybazaar’s Yashish Dahiya and Alok Bansal also investing as part of the fundraise .

“Over the past few weeks, we have met some of our existing LPs and all of them have said that they will come back to the fund with a larger check size. This has boosted our confidence irrespective of the environment,” Sameer Kumar, Managing Director and General Partner, Athera Venture Partners told ET. “We have several companies that have given good exits and people have committed to look at the DPI (distribution in paid-in) data that we have. We will stay focused despite the noise with our heads down. ,

In addition to supporting consumer Internet and software startups, Athera will also look to invest in upcoming areas including blockchain and Web3, as well as seizing opportunities in the deep-tech, electric vehicles and space-tech sectors.

improvement on the horizon

Investment activity has slowed in the first half of this year, while the pace of bargaining has picked up in 2021.

Global funds including Y Combinator, Sequoia Capital and Lightspeed Venture Partners have already issued advisories to their portfolio companies on the slowdown.

“It takes around 7-9 years for a startup to scale up and eventually deliver results. So, it is a very long journey, and you are bound to see several economic cycles in that journey, and if you are coming early it eventually smooths out,” said Rutvik Doshi, general partner at Athera Venture Partners , the fourth fund amid the downturn in the market

Doshi said that the total fund of Athera could go up to around Rs 1,300 crore. “The good thing about investing is self-improvement. This particular downturn will heal on its own. So, discipline is essential, and this is a 10-year game, where you can’t see markups every three months, said Parag Dhol, general partner, Athera Venture Partners.

Dhol said his advice to entrepreneurs is to balance growth with new initiatives, while showing growth and profitability in their core businesses.

Athera is looking to write checks of Rs 5 crore to Rs 10 crore for startups in the initial phase and is expected to go up to Rs 30 crore for the initial phase bets. With the new corpus, it will try to keep 10-15% of the fund corpus to support some high growth startups in its portfolio.

“Pricing (of deals) is definitely happening right now. Some of the early stage deals where the mean went up would be correct to 20%-30%… ‘outliers of excess’ where there are repeat founders (start ups) or well-known people in the ecosystem who are at higher valuations Without any product or substance to raise funds, such deals will slow down,” Doshi said.

Top-tier VCs including Accel and Elevation Capital have closed their latest fund and increased their corpus size on the back of a record-breaking year for funding Indian startups.

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Originally published at Pen 18

Karan Johar Looks Like Christmas Tree, Wears Green Blingy Jacket on 50th Birthday Party, See Reactions – Pen 18

Karan Johar looks like a Christmas tree on his 50th birthday!Filmmaker and talk show host Karan Johar is always ready to experiment with his looks and fashion statements. The filmmaker known for creating musical romcoms and family tales with glitz and glamour, celebrated his 50th birthday on May 25. Karan’s stylish wardrobe is often spotted by shutterbugs during his public appearances and the same reflects in larger-than-life cinema. At his recent birthday celebrations the filmmaker wore a unique outfit that was on the receiving end of some hilarious reactions. Check out her post shared by photographer Viral Bhayani on his Instagram handle,Also read- Karan Johar announces action film on his birthday, fans guess: ‘SRK, Hrithik, Salman or Ranbir’

Also Read – Karan Johar’s 50th Birthday: Tarot Card Expert Rashme Knows How This Year Will Be For The Godfather Of Bollywood

In another viral video shared by Instant Bollywood, the filmmaker was compared to a Christmas tree as he wore a dark green blingy jacket with a white shirt, black trousers and a matching bow. in your trademark style coffee with karan The host completed her look with transparent glasses. Check out this video shared by Instant Bollywood on its Instagram handle, Also Read – Inside Karan Johar’s ‘Fabulous At 50’ Birthday Bash: Balloons, Exotic Flowers And Some More Gorgeous Birthday Decorations – See Pics

In the comments of both the videos, netizens gave funny reactions to Karan’s birthday boy look. One user commented, “Merry Christmas Christmas.” Another person wrote, “If a few stars and bells are added, it looks like a complete Christmas tree.”

see funny comment,

Karan Johar looks like a Christmas tree, wears a green blingy jacket at 50th birthday party, see reactions (PC: Instagram/ViralBhayani/InstantBollywood)

Bollywood celebs often get trolled on social media due to their fashion choices and many other reasons. Karan is one of those people who are on the target of trollers. This time, however, the comments on his birthday were decent and a satirical take on the filmmaker’s party outfit.

See this picture from Karan’s birthday bash,

Karan Johar looks like a Christmas tree, wears a green blingy jacket at 50th birthday party, see reaction

Tiger Shroff, Shanaya Kapoor, Raveena Tandon, Manushi Chhillar and Manish Malhotra attended KJo’s 50th birthday party which was snapped by the paparazzi. Karan’s close friends Kareena Kapoor Khan, Karisma Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Sara Ali Khan, Sidharth Malhotra, Neelam Kothari among others wished the filmmaker on his special day.

Karan’s famous celeb talk show coffee with karan Will be back soon with its seventh season and this time streaming on OTT. The filmmaker also announced his first action directorial venture on May 25 on his social media handle. The shooting of the film will start from April 2023.
For more updates on Karan Johar, watch this space on India.com.

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Maharashtra: BJP workers protest in Mumbai seeking OBC reservation in polls

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Exclusive Details, Photos – WWD – Pen 18

Austin Butler is the newest celebrity to sign on as a Cartier ambassador.

The fine jeweler said on Wednesday that it has tapped the “Elvis” actor for an ambassadorship. Butler kicked off the appointment at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, walking the red carpet for the “Elvis” premiere wearing Cartier pieces.

“We are delighted to welcome Austin as the Ambassador of North America,” said Arnaud Carrage, Cartier’s senior vice president and chief marketing officer. “As a talented actor, Austin’s bold approach to life and unique sense of style naturally align with our core values ​​at Cartier.”

Butler walked the Cannes red carpet wearing a custom Celine tuxedo in white gold with a Cartier Juste un Claw bracelet, Cartier tank must watch, and a Cartier love ring in white gold. He posed for pictures with Priscilla Presley.

Austin Butler for Cartier at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival
Courtesy of Julian Ungano / Cartier

The role of Butler entails attending major Cartier special events and wearing Cartier pieces on the red carpet. Before the appointment, Butler turned to Cartier for the 2022 Met Gala last month, teaming her Prada look with a Cartier High Jewelry sapphire and platinum necklace, a vintage Cartier Clict diamond pin in platinum, a Cartier white gold love ring, a Panthier Day couple. Cartier Diamond Ring and Cartier Love Wedding Band.

“I am thrilled and honored to begin this exciting relationship with Cartier,” Butler said in a statement. “I have long been a fan of Maison’s creativity and innovation, and I look forward to working together in the future.”

While Butler’s acting career spans 15 years, his role in Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis” is expected to be one of the most important moments of his career. The film is making its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday, before debuting in theaters on June 24.

Read more here:

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Originally published at Pen 18

FanTiger: NFT music platform FanTiger raises $5.5 million

New Delhi: ArtistFirst Technology, which runs music NFT (non-fungible token) marketplace FanTiger, on Wednesday raised $5.5 million in a seed round led by Multicoin Capital. The round saw participation from Crafton, Pravega Ventures, Gamma, Woodstock Fund, IOsG Ventures, Polygon Studios and individuals Sandeep Nelwal (Co-Founder of Polygon), Gokul Rajaram (Board Member – Coinbase), Prashant Malik (Founder – Tykhe Block Ventures) Viewed. ) and Miten Sampath (CRED), according to a release.

FanTiger is a music NFT marketplace that provides a platform to create, buy and sell digital collectibles.

Founded by Krishna Singh, former CEO of Gaana and co-founder of PropTiger, FanTiger enables independent artists to build fan communities on the platform and helps fans shape their careers using Music NFTs. Fans can purchase Music NFTs to gain access to an exclusive artist community, earn rewards and privileges such as behind-the-scenes content, backstage access, and more. Artists can use the proceeds from the sale of Music NFTs for song production, studio production, music videos and more. And fans can commit to marketing the song to the community, up to a certain percentage of the royalties earned from the song.

Prashan Agarwal, CEO and Co-Founder, FanTiger, said, “Music NFTs have the potential to disrupt the music industry, just as music streaming transformed music listening. Our vision is to add 10 million users to our platform to own digital collectibles.

“The company plans to use the funds raised to develop its team in product, technology, increase industry participation and connect well-known and aspiring Indian artists,” Agarwal said.

“Music is one of the most exciting use cases for NFTs with very high usability,” said Sandeep Nelwal, co-founder of Polygon and Polygon Studios.

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Originally published at Pen 18