Must Read: David Koma Is Blumarine's New Creative Director, Blake Lively Launches Hair-Care Brand
Photo: Courtesy of Blumarine
These are the stories making headlines in fashion on Wednesday.
David Koma is Blumarine's new creative director
Koma succeeds Walter Chiapponi (who left in March after just one season) as the creative director at Blumarine. His first collection will be Pre-Fall 2025. "Blumarine embodies a unique blend of sensuality, timeless glamour and elegance that I always admired, and it is an honor to be able to write my next chapter in the brand's illustrious history," Koma said in a statement. The appointment coincides with the 15th anniversary of the celebrity-beloved designer's namesake line. {Fashionista inbox}
Photo: Courtesy of Blake Brown
Blake Lively launches hair-care brand
Lively's new hair-care line, Blake Brown, is inspired by her own regimen. The vegan and cruelty-free product line includes nourishing and strengthening shampoos and masks, a leave-in conditioner, mousse and dry shampoo — ranging in price from $18.99-$24.99. Scents include notes of amber, bergamont, wild nectar, sandalwood and vanilla. The products are available Aug. 4 exclusively at Target and on the Blake Brown website. {Fashionista inbox}
Why Kamala Harris is sticking to suits
As the Democratic party's likely presidential nominee, Vice President Harris has stuck to her safe style choices: neutral and pastel-colored suits, pearls and mid-height Manolo Blahniks. However, being fashion-forward isn't her priority — victory is. Vanessa Friedman explores why Harris may not want to shake up her style just yet, or at all. {The New York Times}
Astrid Anderson returns to fashion
Three years after she stepped away from the menswear space, Anderson is back and launching a new label, Stel. Its first collection will show at Copenhagen Fashion Week on Aug. 7 as a see-now-buy-now event. The Stel aesthetic, she said, will be much different than that of her first brand. {Vogue Business/paywalled}
The future of AI chatbots
Consumers and retailers agree that while AI chatbots are great for quick customer assistance, such as sending reset password links and stating return policies, the technology has a long way to go. Gartner analyst Uma Challa predicts that chatbot advancement through the integration of generative AI will cause a 20-30% reduction in customer-facing jobs by 2026. Advancements will allow brands to handle larger quantities of customer service cases; however, AI "hallucinations" (where chatbots provide the wrong information) cause hesitation. {Modern Retail}
