Scenting ultra-exclusive events is beauty’s next big branding opportunity.

On Monday at 10 a.m., a swarm of extremely well-heeled clients — dressed in Schiaparelli looks, holding Schiaparelli bags and wearing bright gold Schiaparelli jewellery, often the same pieces, from the same collections — proceeded en masse into the Petit Palais in Paris.

For the Filipino former web developer, who grew an audience of over 1 million TikTok followers in six months, the move is the latest in a career of pivots that have taken him from first-wave fashion blogger to Gen-Z media star.

The designer is plotting his growth plans carefully after a summer of industry accolades, A-list celebrity dressing and spiking interest in Black designers.

The social media platform says that by selling products directly on their feeds, brands can meet customers where they spend time and reduce the clicks required to convert ad impressions into sales. But brands and consumers aren't fully sold on the idea yet.

For years, magazines disproportionately relied on white mega-celebrities to sell the most important issue of the year to advertisers. Now, they're responding to readers who want more diversity by featuring women of colour and independent brands. Will the shift pay off?

Green shoots of recovery emerge in China after more than 780 million people endured some level of quarantine for two months. But how long will it take for pre-pandemic levels of spending to return?

A top tier of editors, photographers, stylists and buyers once decided which designers and which trends would dictate a season. But that validation no longer carries the same weight with customers.